(Atlantic, Iowa) – The family of an Atlantic couple have donated an enclosed trailer to the Atlantic Community School District, in honor of the late Don Sonntag, who died in October, 2024. He and his wife Lois, always supported of the Building Trades and Industrial Technology Programs, which they helped to launch in the 1970’s. Today, the program is known as the Space Program.

Don Sonntag was a developer, who spearheaded the constructing of many homes and condominiums throughout the City of Atlantic. Many of the housing development sites acted as building grounds for the district’s building program. To date, students have constructed roughly 30 homes & condominiums.

Dexter Dodson is the Building Trades and Industrial Technology Program Instructor. Projects that have been completed since Dodson took over the program, include the greenhouse at the high school, a garage addition for an Atlantic resident, and shed construction projects.

Students in the program are laying the groundwork to build a home in the Mollet Subdivision, with the footings having been poured. Full construction is expected to begin in May, weather permitting.

The enclosed trailer donated by the Sonntag family, will be used by Dodson and his students to help transport and store tools. They will also use the trailer to transport supplies to construction competitions like ABC and SkillsUSA.