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Mushers, young beauties shine in winter festivities

March 17th 9:22 pm | Margaret Bauman Print this article   Email this article   Create a Shortlink for this article

Sunny skies and myriad events, from the Western Alaska Sled Dog Championship to the blanket toss, beauty contest and an arts and crafts bazaar proved a magnetic drawing card that attracted several hundred people to the 2011 Beaver Round Up in Dillingham.

There was nary a beaver in sight, but sunshine prevailed and folks packed into downtown Dillingham's streets, and then the Lily Pond, for the annual sled dog sprint race, filled the Dillingham High School gym for the popular old-timers basketball game and the Dillingham Elementary School gym for the Little Miss Beaver Round Up Pageant.

There was something for everyone, from the Eskimo blanket toss at the Lily Pond following the start of the sled dog races to the turkey bowl at N&N Market, snowmachine races at the landfill, broomball at the hockey rink and a dog show.

Sprint musher Will Kornmuller of Willow, the son of veteran sprint racer Bill Kornmuller, won the Western Alaska Sled Dog Championship on Sunday, with an overall time of two hours 33 minutes and 11 seconds.

In second place on the hard packed, snow covered 15 mile race course was Shane Goosen of Knik, with an overall time of two hours 45 minutes and 51 seconds. John Hanson Jr. of New Stuyahok, took third place with an overall time of two hours, 41 minutes and 48 seconds. Others included Wassilliey Chocknok, New Stuyahok, 2:45:51; Dwight Anelon, Iliamna, 2:45:55; Norman Gloko, Manakotak, 2:49:07; Blunka Wassilliey, New Stuyahok, 2:57:23; Harold Andrew, Dillingham, 3:27:18; and Kyle Belleque, Dillingham, 3:58.59.

Crowds gathered in Main Street in Dillingham on March 11 for the first day of the sled dog races, lining the road all the way down to Lily Pond, then moved for the start and finish down to Lily Pond for the final two days of the event, offering plenty of space for many folks who wanted to take a turn trying the traditional Inupiat blanket toss once the race was off and running.

Several hundred people turned out at Dillingham's elementary school, for the Little Miss Beaver Roundup, with Robin Samuelsen as master of ceremonies, assisted by Pamela Murphy, cheering heartily for each of 22 contestants, ages 5 to 11 years old.

Sadie Selena Sands, 10, daughter of Laurel and Tim Sands of Dillingham, was crowded Little Miss Beaver Roundup. Sands, competing with her family's husky, Sparky, also garnered several awards, including best of show, during the dog show on the final day of the Beaver Round Up.

Abby Delores Gene Witcomb, 9, the daughter or Joe and Rae Belle Whitcomb, won the Mini Miss title, and Cienna Juliana Villalpando, 6, the daughter of Veronica and Doug Villalpando, was crowned Tiny Miss.

Kaylee Lopez, daughter of Deon and Charlene Lopez, was honored for securing the most advertisements for the Little Miss Beaver Round Up program. Jean Lee-Geraldine Krause, 9, daughter of Travis and Nicole Krause, was the audience pick for most donations to the event given that evening. Katirina Rae Mowrer, 11, daughter of Crystal Nixon-Luckhurst, was crowned Miss Congeniality. All contestants were presented with flower bouquets and a trophy.

Other major crowd pleasers included the old-timers basketball game on the evening of March 10 and the arts and crafts bazaar on March 12. Everyone entered the arts and crafts show by walking through a hugh display of the human colon, as Joclyn Reamey, a clinical assistant at Kanakanak Hospital and Judith Muller of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium in Anchorage handed out information on the importance of getting baseline and follow-up colonoscopies after a certain age, to guard against cancer of the colon.

Inside the gymnasium, shoppers found an array of crafts for sale, ranging for earrings and necklaces to baby mukluks, slippers, fur hides, fur hats, fry bread, cupcakes, smoked salmon, Eskimo yoyos and more for sale.

Other hot items throughout the festivities were Beaver Buttons, at $5 apiece, for a chance to win prizes, raffle tickets for more prizes and Beaver Round up t-shirts and sweatshirts.

 

Margaret Bauman can be reached at mbauman@alaskanewspapers.com, or by phone at 907-348-2438

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