thebristolbaytimes

High winds in Cordova disrupt season’s first salmon opener

Sat, 17 May 2008 15:16:00 -0800

Libbie Graham, co-owner of the Powder House restaurant, was happy to fill a request from Peter Kuttel, the Trident/Bear & Wolf, Prince William Sound manager.

Her restaurant has a tradition of cooking catch bought in by fishermen.

The fresh Copper River Wild King salmon arrived at about 10 p.m. on Thursday, May 15, bought special delivery by John Gardner and Peter Kuttel for Graham to prepare.

The big king, freshly grilled, was one of the few things that went right that day.

The Thursday opener of 12 hours was hampered by high winds and almost three inches of rain. Copper River fishermen were forced to fish only the inside waters.

The preliminary harvest from May 15, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, was 2,400 sockeye and 800 chinook salmon with 187 deliveries reported. The anticipated harvest had been 17,105 sockeye and 5,673 chinook.

“This is the crappiest Copper River opener I have ever experienced,” Kuttel said. “Catch was very low and fuel costs very high.

“Hopefully the Monday opener will be more productive, as there is a need to fill the salmon market for the Memorial Day weekend.

Alaska Airlines Station Manager Lisa Jones had to cancel five of the six-freighter set to arrive in Cordova to fly Copper River salmon to the Seattle market.

“All four canneries were involved in putting aboard the 7,800 pounds of Copper River Wild salmon. The freighter has a capacity to hold 39,000 pounds,” Jones said.

“The Alaska Airlines freighter headed to Seattle at 2:15 a.m. to arrive for the Alaska Airlines promotional red carpet event,” she added.

The arrival of Copper River salmon is anticipated every year by seafood lovers in a growing number of U.S. cities and points worldwide.

The Alaska Airlines’ Boeing 737-400 freighter touched down at Sea-Tac Airport about 6 a.m. Pacific time on Friday, May 16, with some 7,800 pounds of fish from four seafood processors: Ocean Beauty Seafoods, Bear & Wolf Salmon Co., Trident Seafoods and Copper River Seafoods.

“There is so much demand for this wild ocean fish that many of our flights out of Seattle will be carrying Copper River salmon to markets around the country less than 24 hours after it comes out of the water,” said Glenn Johnson, Alaska Airlines’ executive vice president of airport services and maintenance and engineering.

Alaska Airlines plays a significant role in supporting the Alaska seafood industry, which is recognized worldwide for its sustainable fishing practices.Last year, the carrier flew more than 30 million pounds of fresh Alaska seafood to the Lower 48 states and beyond, including up to 1 million pounds of Copper River salmon.

Back at the Powder House, Graham noted that the restaurant has undergone renovations this winter with the addition of a new bar made of one log seasoned for 10 years, new carpet and a nonsmoking policy.

She also noted that bar and restaurant located on the Copper River Highway along the shores of Lake Eyak is for sale.

“Gary and I are just wore out, I would love to see another couple take over the business. It has been very rewarding,” Graham said.

Joy Landaluce can be reached at (907) 424-7181.

Aleknagik conservation agreement would preserve land

Thu, 15 May 2008 14:33:00 -0800

After receiving phone calls after KDLG’s open-line program on May 6, I am obliged to respond to some of the questions asked.

I also want to express my appreciation to those who care enough to have expressed their opinion both in favor of and in opposition to the sale of a conservation easement over the 18 percent of Aleknagik Natives Limited lands inside the Wood Tikchik State Park.

These lands are managed under a 23-year old joint management agreement with the state.
As president of Aleknagik Natives Limited, I need to set the record straight on the conservation agreement proposal, which was sent to all shareholders for their consideration in advance of a meeting to be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 27, at the Dillingham Senior Center.

The board of directors has recommended that the shareholders adopt the proposed agreement. The board has expended considerable effort to present this plan to preserve the land without selling it or developing it and to provide a financial benefit to its current shareholders and future shareholders.

In this way, ANL won’t have to change the unspoiled beauty of the land to derive a financial benefit from it. It seems to the board that this agreement offers the best opportunity to achieve its goals.

Shareholders should understand that ANL would continue to own the land and retain important rights. The land will be protected for subsistence use. There is no commercial use of ANL lands without permission. No outsider will have the right to hunt and trap on ANL’s lands.

ANL has the right to choose to issue permits and charge for them (or not) if it believes that there are enough subsistence resources available to allow others to use the land for hunting and trapping. Fishing and recreational use in the park will continue, except that sports anglers will not have access to ANL uplands beyond a 25-foot easement.
Many people are aware of the sale of allotments inside the park. Some of the most vocal critics of the conservation easement sold their own land outright and gave up their title to the land completely.

ANL has never considered this valuable land.

The ANL board has recommended to the shareholders that they make a positive decision in favor of preserving their beautiful land forever and controlling its use. The decision is an act of leadership. Leadership is supposed to be what a board of directors provides to a corporation. In the end though, the board wants the shareholders to decide.

Those who say that ANL should preserve its right to develop the land in the future have to admit that there are no plans for development now or in the foreseeable future.
What sort of development could there be on the Agulowak River and Lake Nerka in the next 25 to 30 years and beyond? Essentially the only current opportunities for development are for the residential subdivisions - second homes for wealthy fly-in occupants - and for sports fishing and hunting lodges.

Both of these alternatives would bring more people and more pressure to the land, which is the opposite of what ANL is proposing. No shareholder has said that he or she wants more people in our lands.

And what would be the benefit to ANL or its shareholders of such development? Development would bring money, but that is exactly what this proposal would bring, bring money without bringing more people to the lakes.

ANL will not have to bear the expense of development and will not have to bear the risks of an uncertain business venture. And, don’t forget, there are no foreseeable plans for development of this land inside the state park, so whatever money might be generated would not be received until far into the future.

Aleknagik will receive funds over the next two or 2-1/2 years. These funds will be used to pay dividends to shareholders in 2009 and will be paying benefits for many, many years before the first positive financial benefits if any of future development could possibly be realized.

ANL has 94,000 acres of lands outside of the Wood Tikchik State Park. It owns a great deal of developable land just outside the park.

Development on Lake Aleknagik is much easier than inside the park. There is road access to the edge of the lake 12 months a year. Transportation to the Agulowak and Lake Nerka is more difficult. Lake Aleknagik is better situated for development in the foreseeable future than inside the park where there is no road access.

Also, even though ANL’s lands inside the park are not subject to park regulations, it would be naive to believe that developing land inside a state park would not be significantly more difficult than developing other lands.

Those who say that ANL is not getting enough money should know that the board has wrestled with this issue too but decided to recommend the agreement because any potential developer would also use an appraisal.

ANL does not believe that any competent appraisal would yield dramatically different numbers unless the prime land was broken into much smaller parcels. This would lead to checkerboard ownership with the best parcels being sold first.

The money that will provide shareholder benefits could be in place soon. Rather than having to wait for some indefinite buyer in the indefinite future to pay an unknown price to buy ANL land, our shareholders will begin receiving benefits at a time when our oldest original shareholders will be able to receive them without giving up ownership.

Please understand this is not a sale of the lands inside the state park but a sale of the right to develop those lands. ANL is offering a plan to get paid for doing what it wants to do anyway, keep the land as it is for its shareholders to use and enjoy.

Bobby Andrew is president of Aleknagik Natives Limited. ANL offices can be reached at (907) 842-2385.

Rocky Mountain School flies away with bird calendar prizes

Thu, 15 May 2008 14:25:00 -0800

The last stage of the 2009 Alaska Migratory Bird Calendar contest made its way last month through area schools connected to Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, as local and statewide prizes and ribbons were distributed to students who submitted winning entries.

One area school - Rocky Mountain School in Goodnews Bay - produced a statewide grand prizewinner for the second year in a row. Sheila Evan, a seventh-grader from Goodnews Bay, was chosen for the top prize in the literature category.
For her efforts, Sheila received a new mountain bike. She was given her new bike at an awards ceremony on April 29.

Local prizes this year consisted of a large awards ribbon, assorted art supplies tailored to the student’s grade level and a Peterson’s Bird Identification Book. Younger winners also received an Audubon’s plush Canada goose.

Statewide winners received a new daypack, complete with smaller prizes also selected with consideration for the particular age bracket.

This year’s contest saw a total of 1,613 poster and literature entries from 11 participating refuges. Of those entries, 321 were literature entries and 1,292 were poster entries. Locally, the Togiak refuge received 125 literature entries and 353 poster entries, for a total of 478 entries.

This year’s winners will have their work appear on the 2009 calendar, which will be available in the fall.

Terry Fuller is the education specialist at the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge.

Dillingham wrestler makes major mat move

Thu, 15 May 2008 14:21:00 -0800

Wes Richard’s next wrestling move could be his most daunting. But the people who watched him flourish in four years wearing a Dillingham High singlet expect more of the same once he moves on to the University of Minnesota.

Richard, a two-time Alaska state champion, recently signed an Acceptance of Admission form to attend Minnesota and wrestle for the NCAA Division I Gophers.
“I’m pretty stoked,” said Richard, 18. “It’s going to be cool to be able to wrestle with the best in country.”

Longtime Dillingham coach John Johnson said he believes Richard, 18, is the first Wolverines athlete to join a Division I program, the top level of collegiate athletics.
Minnesota isn’t just any old D1 wrestling school, either. The Gophers won the NCAA national championship in 2007, 2002 and 2001 and own 12 Big Ten Conference championships.

“I’ve tried to prepare him, and Wes will have a lot of adjusting to do,” Johnson said. “But he’ll figure out how to get to the point, how to do what it takes to be the No. 1 starter on the team.

“Wes will figure out how to win. Nothing will stop him.”

Richard joined Thane Antczak of Prairie Farm, Wis., and Zach Loppnow of Lake City, Minn., as Minnesota’s final three recruits for the 2007-08 class.

Richard won two 125-pound weight class state titles for Dillingham as a sophomore and junior. The Wolverines won Class 1A-2A-3A team championships in those years, 2005 and 2006.

Richard’s ended his senior season finishing second at state in the 135-pound class, but it didn’t diminish his superlative career.

He finished 35-1 in Alaska as a senior – 40-4 including Outside tournaments. He was 72-1 in his last two seasons, won 79 straight matches from November 2005 to December 2007 and accumulated a 148-14 overall record in four seasons at Dillingham.

Those accomplishments, along with strong performances at Outside tournaments and camps, caught the eye of collegiate coaches around the country. Richard placed eighth in his weight class in December at the prestigious Reno (Nev.) Tournament of Champions.

Richard said he started receiving letters of interest from colleges more than a year ago, and phone calls soon followed. Always strong-willed, he knew he wanted to compete at college’s top level. Now that’s he’s getting the chance, he’s trying to keep his wits about him.

“Sometimes, I’ll just be sitting around and (the fact I’m going to Minnesota) will hit me and I get real excited,” Richard said. “Then I can’t take my mind off it.
“At the same time, I’m trying to stay kind of mellow.”

Richard hopes to eventual wrestle for Minnesota at 149 pounds or “anywhere between 141 and 157.”

But both he and Johnson know the transition won’t be easy. Richard said he’ll likely redshirt – practice, but not compete – during his first year at Minnesota.

“Someone like Wes has always been top dog wherever he’s been,” Johnson said. “But he needs to know that when he goes in there he’s going to get hammered on - that’s the way it is.

“He understands that about 90 percent, especially at Division 1, of freshmen redshirt and gain experience through going to open tournaments. I’m trying to make everything very clear to him so he does not have some illusion. He’s going to have to battle very hard. It may take a couple of years to get up there, maybe three.”

It is unlikely Richard will earn any scholarships or tuition money from Minnesota during his first year at the Minneapolis-based school.

“But we’ll make it happen no matter what,” said Kathy McLinn, Richard’s mother.
Richard will need to enlist the same will and dedication he displayed on the mat in securing money for college. McLinn said her son, a member of Dillingham High’s honor roll in the third quarter, has already applied for federal student loans and numerous local scholarships. He’ll also soon begin his summer gig as a commercial fisherman.

“His work ethic as a commercial fisherman is the same as it was on the mat,” Johnson said. “You’re not going to find a harder worker.”

Richard is months away from heading to Minneapolis. Before he goes, news of his next move will spread throughout Dillingham, where his Wolverines career as already made him something of a legend.

He will soon represent his entire community, and in some respect, small-town Alaska at the highest level of his beloved sport.

He’s the first Dillingham athlete to go D1. He’s attempting to take that in stride.
“I try not to think about it like that,” he said. “For some, maybe they’ll look at me like a steppingstone. People will think they can go as big as they can go.”

Johnson said Richard’s wrestling exploits and those of the Wolverines have transformed Dillingham from a basketball town to a wrestling town. Richard’s journey to Minnesota can only help future Dillingham wrestlers.

“It just helps add to the foundation already built here,” Johnson said. “We run a Pee Wee program here and will get some 100 kids out who may start to think they all can do what Wes is doing. They will all get to meet Wes and be coached by him and our other champions.

“Wes helps make us all realize that someone from a small town, from the Bush area of Alaska, can make it all the way to the top of their game.”
For more information on the University of Minnesota wrestling program, visit www.gophersports.com.

Matt Nevala can be reached at (907) 348-2438 or toll free at (800) 770-9830, ext. 438.

Destroyer Chafee visits Seward en route to training

Thu, 15 May 2008 10:36:00 -0800

With the increased price of fuel, it’s common to get weak in the knees as your vehicle tank fills and the pump register spins out of control.

Imagine getting a fuel bill for the Navy’s USS Chafee at nearly $1 million a pop.
Commanding Officer Heedong Choi said it cost precisely $969,600 for 320,000 gallons of fuel - and that includes a discount. The Chafee was fueled through the Navy’s ship-to-ship refueling system at sea en route to Seward, he said, where it docked with sister ship USS John Paul Jones on May 2.

That amount of fuel lasts up to 20 days, depending on what activities the powerful Navy destroyer is engaged in, according to Choi.

“In war times, with increased speeds and traveling long distances, it lasts about four days,” he said. “Just to give you an idea of what we’re talking about - it takes the average driver about 850 years to burn that much fuel.”

The Chafee and John Paul Jones were docked in Seward for three days before joining other branches of the military on May 5 for the largest annual training exercise in Alaska, called Northern Edge. The destroyers were scheduled to simulate enemy ships during two weeks of exercises in the Gulf of Alaska, according to Chafee operations officer Paul Bania.

Soon after docking at the Seward Terminal, crewmembers filed off the ships carrying disks the size of garbage-can lids that resembled giant Frisbees. In fact, they were rounds of vacuum-sealed trash generated at sea, and every sailor has a hand in unloading it when their ship pulls into port, Bania said.

Commander Choi said he sees many parallels between the structure of life aboard his ship with more than 300 sailors and that of a family. Sharing chores and making sure equipment and systems are working smoothly are just a few of the similarities.

Choi, who speaks of his crew with a certain amount of paternal pride, said that his job as captain is to help the crew learn discipline, structure and valuable life skills.
“Many of these sailors live far away from their families and make huge sacrifices to protect their country,” Choi said of the men and women who make up the crew.

“Without them, we wouldn’t be able to get under way. Some have rough backgrounds; others have run away from home.

“In some ways, we are like a small family,” he said, noting that he is both judge and jury in settling disputes.

Since the main purpose of a destroyer is to find and eliminate enemies that threaten the safety of the United States on land, in the air or at sea, intense training is routine for sailors. In addition to preparing for war, sailors often work hard to pursue educational degrees on the Internet by satellite, he said.

But all work and no play can be tedious. For that reason, a select committee regularly plans activities to help boost the morale and overall welfare of the crew, Seaman Matthew Dalton said. That includes steel beach picnics. When sailors are confined to the ship for days at a time, a picnic on the Chafee’s deck - complete with Hawaiian shorts and sunscreen - helps take the edge off.

“Wrestling matches, movie nights, no-shave days - it just allows people to let their hair down, take some pressure off,” Dalton said.

Unlike the Navy of their grandfathers, today’s ships are equipped with technology that allows many of the conveniences available on land, such as television.

One TV program that has gained popularity among the crew is Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch,” according to Choi. It’s a reality show that features the tough lifestyle of colorful, salty characters who fish for crab on the Bering Sea.

Choi said he’s been allowing fishing enthusiasts among his crew to drop a line off deck during down time.

“When else are they going to have an opportunity to charter a billion-dollar fishing boat?” he said.

During their stay in Seward, crewmembers took turns leaving the Chafee to explore on foot between Port Avenue and town in search of great food and good times. Out of uniform, the sea of bodies resembled any other twenty-somethings you’d meet on the street. Many had cell phones plastered to their ears in an effort to catch up with friends and family as they walked.

With the port so close to amenities in the harbor business district, at least sailors didn’t have to buy more fuel to get around town.

Gail Richards is a Seward artist and freelance writer. She can be reached at 224-2426 or gail@gailrichards.com.

Fundraiser to bring cultural play to AFN this fall

Thu, 15 May 2008 10:34:00 -0800

A fundraising effort is under way to help bring an Alaska Native play from Fairbanks to Anchorage for performances at the Alaska Federation of Native convention in October.
The play, “The Winter Bear,” opens on May 22 with performances through May 24 at Salisbury Theatre in the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Fine Arts Complex.

A fictional account, the play is nonetheless based on a real main character, Sidney Charles Huntington, a Koyukon elder from Galena.

A Doyon Management Training group is partnering to provide fundraising opportunities for the production with plans to reach and teach a larger audience of Alaskan indigenous cultures, according to Doyon officials.

“I’ve learned some new things that make me appreciate my culture even more through working with this play and the life of Sidney Huntington,” said Elias Saylor, who plays the part of Duane “Shadow” David, a troubled 16-year-old Athabascan, who is sentenced to cut wood for Huntington for a winter.

The play explores the actual events of Huntington’s life through his fictional interaction with the contemporary teenager. In the process of coping with their own lives, the elderly man and the young man discover that in spite of their differences their Athabascan culture binds them.

When a winter bear, a grizzly that has been disturbed during hibernation, threatens the village, the two work together to hunt the bear in the old Athabascan way.

About 30 students at Effie Kokrine Charter School, a Fairbanks public school with a focus on Athabascan culture, are receiving college credit for acting in and assisting with all technical aspects of the play.

Community members are also involved as actors, technical advisors and mentors to the Effie Kokrine students.

“For instance, Frank Yaska, an actor with Athabascan roots who plays Sidney Huntington, is helping the students with stage movement, voice and diction,” said Wesley Roberts Dalton, the director, who has a Tlingit and Athabascan background.
First-time actor Mark Frank, who plays a disgruntled former Village Public Safety Officer, explains that the goal behind the program is to educate the community about Alaska Native history and culture and to train Alaska Native students in all aspects of theater.

The idea came out of a brainstorming session at Diigi Naii, a group of Alaska Native men who meet to come up with innovative ways to promote their culture, especially to young, at-risk men.

Denakkanaaga Inc., an elders program serving the Interior, partnered with the group since its mission is to promote the interests of elders and youth. They received a grant from First Alaskans Institute to launch the “Broadway for Natives” program at Effie Kokrine Charter School.

“We wanted to begin this unique collaboration with a play that showcases our Native culture. That’s why we turned to ‘Shadows on the Koyukuk,’ Sidney Huntington’s autobiography as told to Jim Rearden,” said Matthew Stevens, the producer.

Fairbanks playwright Anne Hanley, a former Alaska writer laureate, wrote the script. She said the script has lessons about such issues as suicide, alcoholism, hopelessness and confusion.

For more information or to donate, go to www.authenticakproductions.com.

Students required to behave before they can play

Thu, 15 May 2008 10:30:00 -0800

The Alaska School Activities Association’s new citizenship policy — rules and penalties regarding drug, alcohol and tobacco use by students involved in extracurricular activities — won’t change the games too much, according to a sampling of the state’s coaches and school officials.

“I don’t think there will be shock waves sent through Cordova,” said Jason Boerger, the Wolverines’ boys’ basketball coach. “My initial reaction is that it’s a positive thing to have uniform regulations. It puts everyone on a level playing field.”

ASAA, the governing body for Alaska high school sports and activities, and its board of directors on April 28 adopted a statewide policy to combat drug, alcohol and tobacco use that includes penalties that are cumulative and grow progressively harsher with each violation.

The penalties range from a 10-day suspension from activities for a first offense to barring a student’s participation for the duration of high school under a fourth offense.
The policy goes into effect with the start of the 2008-09 academic and athletic year this fall.

“We already have this policy, it’s exactly the same,” said longtime Bethel boys’ basketball coach Norm Boerger. “It’s nice to see ASAA being a little proactive.

“I think it’s very important to have one policy (for the entire state). We have ours, but other schools sometimes may be more lenient.”

That will no longer be the case.

ASAA executive director Gary Matthews said more than 70 percent of the state’s 40,000 students in Alaska participate in some kind of extracurricular activity.

“We think (the policy) is a dramatic change because we think we can reduce teenage (drugs, alcohol and tobacco) use in Alaska, where we have the highest rate of teen drug use,” Matthews said.

A 2006 report by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, based on interviews by 135,500 people, documented drug and alcohol use by teens in every state from 2002 to 2004.

Alaska topped the list with 11.8 percent of those ages 12 and older reporting they’d used an illegal drug in the past month.

New Mexico was second at 11.3 percent. The national average was 8.1 percent.
Individual schools and districts have long been responsible for policing their own activity participants. It’s generally understood that an underage student caught drinking, smoking or breaking any other established team rules will be punished.
ASAA’s policy should eliminate any gray area when it comes to determining the severity of punishment.

“It sounds like things will be more consistent now and dealt with on a higher level,” said Max Leclair, Dillingham’s assistant wrestling coach. “I’m sure some things have slid under the carpet (in some areas) before.”

Matthews said it can be hard for schools to enforce local board policy, especially if the student is a star athlete or the son or daughter of a prominent person.

“We’re hoping this will reduce some of the pressure at the local level,” Matthews said.
ASAA and school officials said announcement of the citizenship policy has been met with little fanfare inside schools because of existing rules and regulations students must adhere to when participating in activities.

Matthews said a small assortment of schools have complained about wanting to keep local control, and a perusal of online message boards from around the state showed some citizens questioning the statewide policy’s legality.

Matthews pointed out the association’s member schools are required to meet all ASAA’s eligibility requirements. The citizenship policy, which Matthews said will cost $400,000 to implement, is no different.

“We think ASAA is in a good position to do this,” he said. “We’re in regular contact with some 200 schools and 20,000 kids. No other agency is doing that.”

Under the policy, students must adhere to the drug, alcohol and tobacco ban the entire school year, even if the student’s activity is over. Students who play sports or compete in arts and debate competitions will attend orientations on the new rules. Students with infractions must participate in remedial programs.

“It’s been my experience that students will adapt to the policy given,” Norm Boerger said. “If (the student) is hit once, it really means something.”

Boerger suggests adherence to the policy rules can rate more important to students in Alaska’s rural areas.

“To put it on the simple side, (the activity) is the only thing for them to do besides ride the snowmachine or hunt,” he said. “The students can’t go to the mall or The Alaska Club. There are so many other opportunities in the urban areas.”

ASAA’s policy is a little different for first-time tobacco violations, recognizing that tobacco is pervasive in some areas. Matthews said if a student is caught using tobacco during a first-offense, 10-day suspension from activities, he or she must start the suspension over again but won’t be penalized a second offense.

The student must complete the 10 days no matter how many times the suspension is restarted.

“It became clear there is a high rate of tobacco use in some part of rural Alaska,” Matthews said. “This policy and program is not meant to keep students from participating, it’s about changing attitudes.

“There was concern that someone in rural Alaska would get one or two violations and drop out of school. We’re trying to balance out changes in behavior and people’s healthful practices.”

All citizenship violations must be reported to ASAA by the schools. Matthews said ASAA will compile reports into a database so that if a student changes schools, the information will be turned over to the administrator of the new school under strict confidentially. There, it may be shared only with the student’s coach or other activity director.

Matthews also said schools can apply to ASAA to have a student reinstated if warranted after he or she has been barred from activities for a fourth offense.

“Part of being in athletics or activities is being a good community member,” Cordova’s Jason Boerger said. “I don’t know what the negatives (to the policy) could be.
“I was talking about it with my athletic director and we discussed how it does get pretty harsh down the line. But on the other hand, how many offenses do you need?”

Matt Nevala can be reached at (907) 348-2438 or toll free at (800) 770-9830, ext. 438. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Rural residents call for help on energy prices

Thu, 15 May 2008 10:26:00 -0800

Rural leaders want legislators to pass a bill providing energy cost relief for the Bush — and they want Gov. Sarah Palin to declare an energy disaster.

“We believe you should consider assembling your state disaster cabinet to see if there is sufficient evidence to declare all our villages ‘energy disaster areas’ and come up with appropriate relief,” wrote Robert Clark, president and chief executive of the Bristol Bay Area Health Corp., in a letter to Palin sent late last month.

Soaring energy costs are forcing residents in Dillingham and other villages to move to Anchorage, where living is cheaper, Clark wrote.

On Monday, Palin said she will hold a special session this year to address energy relief for all Alaskans.

Sharon Leighow, Palin’s spokeswoman, said the governor plans to announce a short-term energy relief plan on Thursday that will affect all Alaskans. “I can’t share details at this point,” Leighow said.

Energy prices have risen sharply in Alaska in recent years, and the state’s villages have been hardest hit. Rural fuel prices should spike even higher in coming weeks as barges make their way up recently melted coastlines and rivers delivering heating fuel and gasoline.

In Western Alaska, the region with the state’s most expensive fuel, the average price of gasoline reached $5.13 a gallon in November, according to a state survey of 100 communities across Alaska.

Heating fuel, which powers village generators and heats homes, averaged $4.71 a gallon in the region.

High fuel costs can cripple villages because it boosts the cost of everything from building materials to jugs of milk. The high prices limit economic development and even subsistence hunting and fishing – an important alternative to store shopping – because fueling snowmachines and boats is expensive.

In Goodnews Bay, a Southwest Alaska village of 250, gasoline costs $5.10 a gallon and diesel fuel sells for $4 a gallon, said Evan S. Evan, the village store manager.

After the fuel barge arrives this spring, residents will pay about $6.60 a gallon for heating fuel, Evan said. He doesn’t know how much they’ll pay for gas, but it will be costlier because national prices have risen.

“It’s going to be scary, hurting our local people,” Evan said.
Most Goodnews residents don’t have much money — salmon fishing is often the only income — and paying bills won’t be easy, he said.

“Even with the high cost of fuel and products now, their paycheck runs dry right away,” he said.

About 100 miles east of Goodnews Bay in Dillingham, gas is so expensive some fishermen may not be able to fish for herring this season, said Nels Anderson Jr., a Dillingham resident and the state’s former energy policy adviser.

“It’s killing us out here, and we can’t keep up with the cost,” he said. “It is a disastrous situation.”

In an e-mail sent to several legislators and Palin, Anderson said the Legislature should adopt a plan that reimburses cities if they give ratepayers tax breaks on fuel purchases and electricity. He also proposed that the state’s 12.5 percent share of North Slope oil be refined and sold in-state at $3 a gallon.

The state needs to declare an energy disaster in rural Alaska, he wrote.

“Our disaster has been ongoing for at least five years and will continue without drastic intervention from our state.”

Legislators will meet June 3 during a special session on the natural gas pipeline. Following that, they’ll stay in Juneau for the special session on energy cost relief.

Alex DeMarban can be reached at (907) 348-2444 or (800) 770-9830, ext. 444.

New Pebble exec outlines plans for project development

Thu, 15 May 2008 10:24:00 -0800

John Shively, recently appointed chief executive officer of Pebble Limited Partnership, visited the Bristol Bay region’s communities of Iliamna and Newhalen on April 22-23.
Iliamna serves as the headquarters for site operations and is about 17 miles northeast of the Pebble deposit. I was asked by my manager at Iliamna Development Corp. to ask Shively a few questions while he was in town.

Shively had a busy schedule touring site operations and meeting with local residents but agreed to the interview.

We met at my grandmother’s house, where I was learning to improve my knitting. We talked at my grandmother’s kitchen table. Here are the questions and Shively’s answers.

Q: When was the last time you visited Iliamna and Newhalen? Has it changed any since your last visit?
A: My first time visiting was two to three years ago, and this is my second visit. It hasn’t changed too much, the only thing I see are more drill rigs at the Pebble deposit.

Q: What opportunities do you think exist for you to improve the involvement of the local communities in the area?
A: There are going to be a lot of opportunities, especially for Native corporations, with contracting opportunities. I worked for NANA for 17 years, and one example of a contracting agreement was at Red Dog, where NANA Corp. made a priority of the hiring and training of their shareholders. In addition, the NANA/Marriott joint venture provided Teck Cominco food and housekeeping services. Other joint ventures also emerged in transportation and drilling operations. Other opportunities for local involvement will be through land-use agreements, job opportunities and training programs. The important thing to remember is growth did not come overnight with Red Dog. With the Pebble project, there are some interesting opportunities for exploring the energy situation. We know there is a great amount of power that will be needed for operations and it is important we explore renewable energy options. Right now there is testing on site for wind power. We are also looking at geothermal energy and hydroelectricity. We will probably have to use a combination of power sources.

Q: In a recent interview you stated you view your role as increasing communication between those opposed to the mine and proponents. How do you intend to do this?
A: I am going to start getting out to the communities and talking to people, listening to them and their concerns. Pebble may be a difficult thing for people to talk about, but oil leasing was also a controversial issue I worked on when I was commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources for the state. We recently hired an independent company, the Keystone Center, to lead our stakeholder assessments and engage people in dialogue. But I am going to have to get out and personally talk with people in the communities.

Q: What parallels can you draw from your work on the Red Dog Mine with NANA Regional Corp. and the Pebble Project?
A: One similarity is that the Red Dog Mine is located in a remote place where Alaska Natives are the majority population. To date, NANA has been successful with over 50 percent Native hire. Although I left NANA 13 years ago, I would have hoped this percentage would be higher, but they have been doing a great job training and hiring shareholders. With Red Dog we developed contracting preferences with NANA as the mine was on their land, but we have more divided Native entities with the Pebble Project. We will have to have several land access agreements if this project moves forward.

Q: As you know, the Pebble deposit is on state land unlike Red Dog Mine. How do you foresee local and regional shareholders benefiting from the Pebble Project other than through direct employment?
A: There is the opportunity for many local corporations to form and grow new businesses, which ultimately could provide services around the state, and perhaps even outside of Alaska. Taxation can also benefit the state and the Lake and Peninsula Borough would also be able to receive taxation benefits. Direct employment would give locals another source of revenue.

Q: Although you have been in your position for a short time, what differences do you see working for the industry partner rather than the Native corporation like you did with NANA?
A: Well there are definitely different pressures. With NANA, my priorities were ensuring shareholders benefited from jobs, contracts and royalties. I took this position with Pebble because I felt this project deserved a fair hearing. My job now is to figure out if we can do this project safely and in a way it benefits all of Alaska. In addition, we have to determine if this project will be able to have a significant impact on local government and state revenue.

Q: I know you have a challenging task ahead of you but, in your opinion, what are some of the opportunities with the proposed Pebble Project?
A: As I mentioned before, energy is going to be a big opportunity. We know this project could have the potential to affect energy costs for both the Southwest region and perhaps even Southcentral Alaska. We are going to need a combination of power sources for this project. There are many cultural differences between the Native community and Western society. Western society is very career minded, whereas in the Native community this is not necessarily the case. Individuals in the Native community depend on subsistence living, and this is a big part of their lives. This means we need to have flexible work schedules that allow locals to take time to enjoy their subsistence activities. In addition, we need to train more people than we need for certain to address this issue and have enough people available to work when we need them.

Q: What are your three main priorities as CEO of Pebble Limited Partnership?
A: Staff the Anchorage Pebble office with enough people to handle all the demands. Get out to the communities and communicate Pebble’s vision of the project. Figure out if we can do Pebble in an environmentally safe way, determine what protections are needed, and if the project is economically feasible with these protections.

Q: So what is the Pebble vision you hope to communicate to the public?
A: We are going to do a very thorough analysis of the project. We do not intend on trading one resource for another.

Charisse Arce works in community public relations for the Iliamna Development Corp. She can be reached at (907) 261-9452.

School drama club portrays Japanese fisherman, world beneath sea

Fri, 09 May 2008 11:21:43 -0800

Nearly four months of practice and preparation paid off for the Dillingham Middle-High School Drama Club, which successfully capped its production of "The Honorable Urashima Taro" in late April.

"We were very happy to see the turnout we had," said Pat Engen, one of the play’s three co-directors.

The cast included Connor Ito as the Turtle; Richard Corbett and Mark Lopez as the two boys; Alex Himschoot as Urashima Taro; Christopher Marx as Kimo; Elizabeth Himschoot as Michiko; Amber Nelson, Kristin Vance, Erin Andrew, Mark Lopez and Elizabeth Himschoot as the sea creatures; Lizbeth Piazza as the Sea Princess; Kristin Vance as Fall; Christopher Marx as Winter; Erin Andrew as Spring; Mark Lopez as Summer; Richard Corbett as the Sea Scorpion; Amber Nelson as the woman and Kristin Vance as Sentara.

Engen co-directed the play with Cathy Flavin and Kim Piazza.

"We worked right up until we presented the play," Engen said. "We started with after-school practices on Tuesdays and had more and more practices as we got closer to the performance."

Kim Piazza supplied a description of the play in an e-mail.

She said the play begins with the arrival of an old sea turtle on a beach near a small fishing village on the island of Shikoku, Japan. Taro, a poor fisherman, saves the turtle from two boys who are taunting and beating it with a stick.

Taro’s kindly action convinces the turtle that Taro is someone to be trusted, and she persuades him to leave his family and journey to the bottom of the sea.

Taro heads beneath the sea, a world of indescribable beauty, and courageously confronts and destroys an evil sea scorpion to restore peace to the kingdom of the Sea Princess. In doing so, Taro unknowingly spends almost his entire life beneath the sea.

He returns to the beach and discovers 80 years have passed, his wife is dead and his son is now an old man with a grandchild of his own.

Taro faces the important decision between returning to life beneath the sea and the eternal youth that comes with it or facing impending death by living his last years as an old man on earth.

He eventually chooses life on Earth, so he can have the chance to share love with other human beings. The turtle returns to the sea and the play ends with Taro living on the beach and beginning his new life with his family.

Engen said the cast performed the play for Dillingham’s third-, fourth- and fifth-graders on Friday, April 25. They reprised their performance the next evening and closed with a matinee performance on April 27.

Engen said the drama club does plays annually.

"But I’m new to the community," she said. "I was happy to do this production and continue the drama club’s work."

Matt Nevala can be reached at (907) 348-2438 or toll free at (800) 770-9830, ext. 438.

Third-quarter honor rolls

Fri, 09 May 2008 11:21:43 -0800

4.0 grade-point average

Dillon Bennett, Breanna Boyiddle, Savannah Favors, Kyle Hardin, Alexander Himschoot, Klarissa Larson, Samantha Larson-Blair, Maren Lind, Cameron Malstrom, Lizbeth Piazza, Reed Tennyson, Erin Walsh, Michael Wassily.

Elena Bartman-Wallman, Virginia Bobbitt, Marina Boyiddle, Kevin Courtright, Kali Eveslage, Alexandria Fox, Mindy Heyano, Melissa Isaacs, CaSandera Johnson, Ronna Lee Johnson, Deven Lisac, Mary Kay Luckhurst, Amanda McGill, Cody Miller, Michelle Moore, Tabitha Nielsen, Shane Nukwak, Blake Olson, Ali Chere’ Roehl, Stacey Rolf, Shalise Schroeder, Tyler Shade, Charles Smeaton, Sophia Tungiung, Melrita Washington.

3.0-3.49 GPA

Charlynn Rae Andrews, Ashley Burnett, Libby Burton, Robyn Sophia Chiklak, Benjamin Conahan, Melinda Gardiner, Kyle Gregory, Matthew L. Johnson, Chelsey Kasayulie, Ariel Knutsen, Jonathan Larson, Katelyn Larson, Kevin Layland, Saul Lockuk, Mark Lopez, Sidney Nelson, Bradley Ramey, Janessa Reamey, Wesley Richard, Craig Savo, Kimberly Seybert, Rachel Tilden, John Mihai Torrisi, Michael VanDeventer, Leon Wiard, Michelle Wiard, Isaac U. Wood.

Dillingham Middle School

4.0 GPA

Shawn Gardiner, Amelia Giordano, Elizabeth Himschoot, Christopher Marx, Asa E. Ruby, Cade Schlagel, Tiera Schroeder, Steven Wahl.

Amber Boykin, Aurora Hoefferle, Jorden Lisac, Taylor Masterson, Jared Miller, Kenneth Ramsey, Jillian Shade, Kristin Smeaton, Bryn Tennyson.

3.0-3.49 GPA

Logan Bartman, Abraham Bobbitt, Nicolas Bouker, Kayla Brothers, Kristin Clark, Sydney Conahan, Richard Corbett, Kendall Dray, Bernadine Dull, Kevin Hardin, Brittany Nelson, Sheldon Nelson, Georgina Nielsen, Jeremy Olson, Tantiana Peterson, Erin Roehl, Vanessa Paige, Raionda Timmerman, Jolene Timurphy, John VanDeventer, Kristina Wahl, Acacia Walton, Dylan Wassily.

Sparrows of Shishmaref sing happily far from their normal range

Fri, 09 May 2008 11:20:33 -0800

For Alaska Newspapers

Just in from Shishmaref science teacher Ken Stenek: On this late April day, two house sparrows are singing their little hearts out while perched on the metal roof of the Shishmaref School.

This is unusual, because the closest brethren of the tiny birds are at least several hundred miles away, with most of the population many thousands of miles away.

Stenek, who for the last decade has lived in the village on the exposed sand spit just above the Bering Sea, saw a group of about five birds near the school last October. At least two of them seem to have survived a harsh winter in the windy village, and birders have taken note.

The "house sparrow is a very rare visitor anywhere in Alaska, with only a few records in the state," wrote renowned birder David Sibley on his blog.

"Interestingly, one of the few prior Alaska records comes from Gambell, on St. Lawrence Island, in mid-summer about 15 years ago. So the question is whether these (Shishmaref) birds, at the very western edge of Alaska, came from North America or Asia."

House sparrows are one of the most common birds in the Lower 48, but they don’t normally occur farther north than about Fort Nelson, B.C. The same species occurs in Asia but thousands of miles southwest of Alaska.

Stenek first identified the Shishmaref sparrows when he e-mailed a photo to Dan Gibson, an ornithology research associate at the University of Alaska Museum of the North. Gibson replied: "Where in the world did you get those pictures of house sparrows?"

In Fairbanks, from his office at the museum, Gibson said that if house sparrows are indeed residing in Shishmaref, they might have reached there from the Russian Far East. Though naturally occurring populations of house sparrows do not exist close to northeastern Russia, people have introduced the house sparrow to communities there several times in the recent past.

People brought a few house sparrows from Moscow to Provideniya in the early 1990s, Gibson said. Shortly thereafter, a group of researchers on a birding fieldtrip to Gambell found a dead house sparrow in the dump there and brought it back to the museum in Fairbanks. It was only the second specimen of a house sparrow from Alaska; the other was a bird found in Petersburg.

As for the Shishmaref sparrows, Gibson had many questions on how such a bird survived the winter in a place with such brutal weather.

"What are they doing to sustain themselves during the winter, where are they roosting, where are they feeding?" he asked. "I would have expected a bird like that to perish during the winter."

He thinks that the Shishmaref sparrows are probably from one of the communities in eastern Russia where people imported and released them in the recent past. Another researcher has a theory that the Shishmaref birds are the result of range expansion, but Gibson doubts that.

"I think it’s unlikely this would be a case of natural range expansion in Asia, because of the absence of appropriate habitat and a good travel corridor," he said.

Stenek has a guess that the birds couldn’t have survived a trip across the Bering Strait, and that they may have hitched a ride in one of the many large boxes on a barge that came up last fall. Right now, the origin of the birds is a mystery, and the two male house sparrows sing from the roof of the Shishmaref School, calling for a mate that probably isn’t there.

Ned Rozell is a science writer at the Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Statewide photography exhibition winners announced

Fri, 09 May 2008 11:20:00 -0800

Alaska Positive 2008, a statewide photography-as-art exhibition organized every two years by the Alaska State Museum in Juneau, opened with a reception on Friday, May 2.

The Alaska Positive show was juried by Bill Owens, a photographer known for his depictions of American lifestyles, most notably in the landmark book "Suburbia" published in 1972, showing life in a new California tract-house development.

Owens selected 56 photographs by 42 photographers for the Alaska Positive exhibit. Overall, 80 Alaska photographers from 10 Alaska communities submitted 267 photographs for the competition.

The top award, the Juror’s Choice Award, went to Bonnie Landis of Anchorage for a photograph titled "Rooftop." Second- and third-place cash awards went to Ben Huff of Fairbanks and Deanna Lampe of Juneau. Brandon Hauser of Juneau received a fourth-place award.

In addition, 10 other photographers were given honorable mentions. They are: William Heath, Kenai; Ben Huff, Fairbanks; Jayne Jones, Kenai; Pat Kalbaugh, Juneau; Barbara Kelly, Juneau; Clark James Mishler, Anchorage; Tama Phelps, Anchorage; John Schwieder, Anchorage; Nathaniel Wilder, Anchorage; and Carol J. Zeien, Seldovia.

Commenting on the exhibition, Owens said, "There were about 270 photographs to look at, and from that number I had to select the best first, second, third, and fourth place and 10 honorable mentions.

"As a photographer who is always involved in the documentary image, I was looking for the winners to be people who had a big vision of Alaska, and the winner was a landscape image with an abandoned building that had the composition and color, the mountains, and the mist and spoke to me over other images where the photographer failed to get the composition right, the subject material was not interesting, or the making of the image wasn’t really thought through.

"One thing that was conspicuously absent from the group of photographs were photos relating to other humans '97 a dynamic portrait. There were only a handful of portraits of people in their environment. The images tended to be random, not really giving me the photographer’s point of view of concern for the environment, or concern passion for other human beings.

"It is time for photographers to move on to photographing our environment and to show the impact that we have on the land and the sea. Today, with global warming being real, it is time for us to evaluate our lifestyles and to become concerned about how we live. Photographers should show this environment."

Alaska Positive 2008 will be on exhibit in Juneau through Oct. 18. It then begins a one-year tour of other museums in Alaska.

For more about the Alaska Positive and its winners visit online http://www.museums.state.ak.us.

DNA links Alaska Natives to ancient glacier man

Fri, 09 May 2008 11:20:33 -0800

Seventeen Alaska and Canada Natives have been linked by DNA to an ancient man whose remains were found in 1999 in a glacier.

Among the first to be notified last week was Juneau resident Fernando Rado, who found out on Thursday, May 1, he is one of them.

Rado was one of 250 Native people tested for a DNA match in a project sponsored by the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations and Sealaska Heritage Institute.

The DNA results show nine people from Alaska and eight people from Canada are related to the ancient man, named by tribes Kwaday Dan Ts’inchi (Long Ago Person Found).

"It’s kind of overwhelming and it’s kind of very exciting because I feel like I’m related to a piece of time in history," said Rado, an Eagle Killerwhale whose family is from Klukwan.

Hunters found the remains in a melting glacier in British Columbia, and scientists believe he died roughly 200-300 years ago, possibly longer. He was wearing a spruce-root hat and a robe made of squirrel skins.

In 2001, a DNA study was launched to determine whether Long Ago Person Found had any living descendants in Canada and Alaska. Mitochondrial DNA was extracted from blood samples given by Native people in Canada and Alaska.

Of the Alaskans related to him, three are affiliated with CAFN and have been notified by the tribe, including Rado, who believes his mother enrolled him with the Champagne tribe.

The remaining six Alaskans have yet to be notified, and Sealaska Heritage plans to work with CAFN to locate them. Their identities will be kept confidential unless the individuals authorize public release of their names.

Fifteen of the people identified themselves as Wolf or Eagle moiety; two did not identify their moiety.

It’s not a huge surprise Long Ago Person Found is related to tribes from both Alaska and Canada. Oral histories and genealogical studies have shown there were migrations of Southeast Tlingits into the Interior and of Interior Natives to Klukwan.

There were also intermarriages between the two tribes. It’s also known that people from the Yanyeid'ed (Wolf) clan live in both Alaska and Canada.

"Alaska Native oral traditions talk about extensive contact between Southeast Natives and Canadian tribes," Dye said. "Oral histories also indicate Native people did travel from Southeast to the Interior and from the Interior to Southeast. So, the test results really just strengthen that bond that already existed between Alaska and Canadian tribes."

The news has strengthened Rado’s ties to Canadian Natives, too.

"With this information, I need to go and visit the Champagne tribe, because there’s a whole piece of family that has 100 percent enlarged my family," said Rado, also a shareholder of Sealaska, the regional Native corporation for Southeast Alaska.

Long Ago Person Found may have been from Southeast Alaska. One study found more than 90 percent of the protein in his diet was from marine sources.

That study, by the University of Glasgow, concluded he "had strong coastal connections during his life and had been on the coast shortly before he died about 550 to 600 years ago."

Some Southeast Alaska Natives believe him to be Kaakaldeini, who was immortalized in oral traditions. Many years ago Kaakaldeini was hurt while traveling to the Interior to trade.

When a storm rolled in, he told his companions to leave him, fearing if they carried him, they would go too slowly and all die in the storm. His companions piled blankets on him and left, and he was never seen again. Kaakaldeini was of the Sockeye Clan.

Cancer survival handbook aims at Alaska Natives

Fri, 09 May 2008 11:20:33 -0800

The best defensive weapon of choice for Alaska Native cancer survivors is a return to traditional subsistence food.

In a world gone awry with high-fat, processed food, scientific health studies show that a cancer-fighting, low-fat, low-processed diet can be found locally for Alaska Natives '97 indigenous people with the highest cancer death rates in the country.

In fact, the evidence is so powerful that the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium has built a book, "Traditional Food Guide for Alaska Native Cancer Survivors," around the research.

Beyond its role for cancer patients, the book serves as a practical guide to wild food available throughout the state.

"The traditional food guide is not only for Alaska Native cancer survivors and their medical providers, but (also) for everyone who enjoys the natural foods from Alaska’s lands," said Desiree Simeon, a Tlingit nutritionist from Ketchikan.

Co-authored by Simeon, Christine DeCourtney and Karen Mitchell, a Yup’ik, the full-color spiral-bound book has an initial press run of 3,000. The co-authors work in the consortium’s cancer program.

"It’s the first of its kind," said DeCourtney, the consortium’s cancer program planning and development manager. "It’s healthy eating for all people."

The book, available for $24.95, is being distributed statewide by the consortium so that Alaska Natives have one of their first opportunities to not only see traditional subsistence food move center table in the cancer fight but also read about the nutritional value that scientific research has assigned to it.

"The book is very informative," said Patricia Bunyon, a Yup’ik elder from Hooper Bay. "I eat some of the Native foods described in the guide but did not know a lot about some of them, like gumboots, and some of the plants gathered from areas other than the Y-K area."

Developed with grant money from the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the 142-page book also received financial support from the consortium, the Alaska Cancer Survivorship and Wellness Program, Alaska Regional Hospital’s Cancer Care Center, the American Cancer Society, the Intercultural Cancer Council, the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Information Service, Seattle Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center and the state’s Comprehensive Cancer Control Program.

Two years in the making, the book was an idea in the development stage since reports on nutritional information regarding traditional Alaska Native foods became available about 10 years ago, said DeCourtney.

"I always thought that information would be so valuable to someone someday," she said. "Now it’s going to be distributed to every Alaska Native cancer survivor in the state."

DeCourtney said that all Alaska Native village clinics, libraries and regional hospitals in the state would be sure to get copies for distribution.

"Of course, we want them to go to people who will use them," she said. "It’s information for healthy eating and healthy living and it connects to the true value of wild Alaska food."

After an introduction that sets out the connection that binds subsistence lifestyle with healthful food resources, the book offers several pages of tips and suggestions on some primary cancer-battle challenges, including getting protein and fiber in the diet.

In addition, it addresses the importance of diet in fighting fatigue '97 long a cancer survivor’s enemy. Then it shifts to accurate explanations about natural vitamins and their importance to healthy body function.

After some tips on disease prevention, such as hand washing and food preservation, the handbook moves quickly to subsistence meat sources, with Alaska Native names, definitions, explanations and nutrition information.

Included are glimpses of the historical role each subsistence animal has had in the traditional lifestyle of Alaska Natives. And preparation tips are provided for those who have disconnected from the traditional lifestyle.

From meat to seafood and then to plants '97 from beach asparagus to stinkweed '97 the handbook continues to provide essential information on nutritional value based on one-cup servings.

In a wrap-up choked with tried-and-true recipes, the book shares instruction on how to make just about anything from caribou soup to herring egg salad.

Under other foods, the book focuses on at least two favorites: pilot bread and Eskimo ice cream. And tucked on two pages near the end is a useful outline of moose and caribou parts, along with tips on how to use everything but the noise.

With 11 Alaska Native cultures in more than 200 rural and urban areas, the book signs off with a pitch for sharing and exchange '97 again, part of the traditional lifestyle known today mostly to the elders.

But that pitch is an invitation for urban and rural Alaska Natives to continue using their strong family ties to share the subsistence food resources that have sustained the many cultures for thousands of years.

For more information, contact DeCourtney at (907) 729-3922 or by e-mail at ul cdecourtney@anmc.org . Or go to the consortium’s Website at ul www.anthc.org .

Randall Howell can be reached at (907) 348-2463 or toll free at (800) 770-9830, ext. 463.

State tries to get a grip on deckhands’ economic impact

Fri, 09 May 2008 11:20:33 -0800

It’s hard to account for a work force if you don’t know who or where it is.

An ambitious new project aims to craft a system that will provide labor data on the thousands of crewmembers who work aboard Alaska’s fishing fleets.

Best guesstimates peg the number of deckhands at 20,000. Because fishermen are contract workers, no wage reports are collected by the state. Crew licenses are required, but they don’t tell where or when a crewmember fished, how much they earned or if they even fished at all.

"Without that information, communities really don’t have any basis for accurately estimating the effects of fishing. It makes it difficult for both harvesters and communities to apply for economic assistance or other state and federal programs," said Mike Catsi, executive director of the Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference.

The conference has led initiatives to get fish harvesters counted for several years.

The project will use a $150,000 one-time appropriation to develop a system to collect and input the new information into a database at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

It will be able to use electronic landing reports and fish ticket systems already in place.

The first step will be to hire a contractor and begin scoping meetings around the state, said Geron Bruce, deputy director of the state commercial fisheries division.

"I want the stakeholders to have an advisory role in what questions we ask, how we shape the study and what outcomes we want. From the beginning, everyone needs to feel that we are moving forward together with a common purpose," Bruce said.

Two advisory groups will be formed during the summer, Bruce said. One will comprise members of various state agencies; another will include fishing stakeholders representing different regions and gear groups.

"We really need to broaden the discussion to include more regions," Bruce said. "Basically it has been focused in the'a0Westward Region, particularly dealing with fishery rationalization programs, either existing or proposed ones. For other regions, it’s not even on their radar screen. But it’s going to be a statewide program and will affect everyone."

"Given the wide variety of fisheries and areas around the state, it will take some time to sort through all the issues," division director John Hilsinger said.'a0"We need a system that works in Bering Sea crab fisheries as well as skiff fisheries on remote rivers."

There is general agreement that the harvester workforce is an important part of the employment and economic picture, and better data is needed. But there is no consensus yet on how, who or where to get it.

"Both the state and'a0the fishing industry would be best served to take their time to design a program that works best for everyone," Bruce said. "It might put a year or more lead time before it is in place, but it will be time well spent."

Solar tenders

Alaska fishermen, processors and small businesses can benefit from two federal grant programs aimed at reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

Nearly $16 million is available nationwide through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Program.

One grant helps fund renewable energy projects that include geothermal, biomass, wind and solar energy. That could be a natural for fishing tenders, said Dean Stewart, program director of the Alaska USDA Rural Development Program.

"They could use solar energy or some other type mounted on their vessel while they are anchored up in the fishing grounds rather than using diesel generators. Solar panels also can power ice machines," he said.

A second grant is designed for energy efficiency projects, such as improving insulation in fish holds or improving fish chilling systems.

Both grants cover up to 25 percent of the eligible costs of the project. The maximum grant for renewable energy projects is $500,000 and $250,000 for energy efficiency projects.

Deadline to apply is June 16. Call the USDA Rural Development agency in Palmer at (907) 761-7722 or visit online at www.rurdev.usda.gov/ak/.

Feed me Omegas

Omega-3s have become one of the most popular food additives due to a whole host of health benefits. Last year, omega-3 fatty acids were added to 250 food products, from eggs to orange juice, and the list is growing fast.

National surveys show that baby boomers are very aware of the benefits of omega-3s and are adding more to their diets. But most young parents don’t know how essential omegas are to developing'a0babies. According to a Harris Interactive poll of 1,220 U.S. parents, 60 percent were not aware of the benefits of so called DHA omegas to their children’s health.

DHA is one of two key omega-3 fatty acids essential for brain and eye development. It is especially important between birth and 5 years of age, when the brain increases nearly 3-1/2 times in weight. Leading authorities recommend 150 milligrams daily for children aged 1 through 5.

Omega-3s cannot be produced by our bodies and must be obtained from foods. All omegas are not created equal – the critical DHA compound is found only in seafoods, especially wild salmon, or in fish supplements.

The Fish Factor column appears weekly in 20 newspapers and Websites. Laine Welch’s daily "Fish Radio" programs air on nearly 30 stations across Alaska.

Twenty years of the Alaska Volcano Observatory

Fri, 02 May 2008 10:12:44 -0800

For Alaska Newspapers

Twenty summers ago, earthquakes rocked the town of King Cove on the Alaska Peninsula. Some people were so worried that the nearby volcano, Mount Dutton, was going to erupt that they caught flights out of town. Others called in the cavalry – members of the fledgling Alaska Volcano Observatory.

In 1988, John Power had just finished his master’s degree when he became the observatory’s first full-time employee. He flew out to King Cove with a few colleagues to check on the volcano.

"I remember that the biggest earthquake happened in August, on 8/8/88," said Power, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Alaska Science Center who still works for the observatory in Anchorage. "It happened right at the peak of salmon season, so there were a lot of people in town."

After installing a few seismometers on the flanks of 4,800-foot Mount Dutton, eight miles from King Cove, Power and his comrades saw that the character and the size of the earthquakes didn’t suggest that Mount Dutton was going to explosively erupt that August.

"We told people, ‘We’ll watch it, but evacuation doesn’t make sense right now,’" Power said.

While spending a few weeks in King Cove and bunking at the Peter Pan cannery, Power noticed the earthquake activity waning, showing that the volcanologists had made the right call. The new Alaska Volcano Observatory was one for one in advising people what to do, or, in the case of Mount Dutton, what not to do.

Since that first response in 1988, the Alaska Volcano Observatory has grown from a good idea lobbied for by scientists – including John Davies, Syun-Ichi Akasofu, John Filson and Tom Miller – into a team of people in Anchorage and Fairbanks who have their fingers on the pulse of more than 30 volcanoes in Alaska.

The observatory is a cooperative program of the Geophysical Institute, the USGS and the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys. The job of the experts there is to monitor volcanoes and give Alaska residents information when they need it most.

"Alaska has more explosive eruptions than any other state," said Jon Dehn, an associate research professor at the Geophysical Institute.

"It’s AVO’s responsibility to be prepared so the average person doesn’t have to worry about it."

Like other AVO scientists tuned into Alaska’s volcanoes, Dehn is never far from his cell phone, which rings with Jimmy Buffett’s "Volcano" when an Alaska volcano shows signs of unrest. He and other observatory scientists now monitor an impressive data stream, which was just a trickle in 1988.

The last two decades have seen the development of satellite sensors that allow people to check for volcano hotspots several times a day, precise GPS receivers that enable scientists to watch volcanoes inflate and deflate, infrasound sensors that record sudden changes in air pressure during explosive eruptions and the advent of a helpful tool called the Internet.

"When AVO was founded, there was no e-mail," Power said.

"We were really kind of winging it in 1988," Dehn said. "But in ’08, our game is pretty tight."

Nowhere was that more evident than during the 2006 eruption of Augustine Volcano, across Cook Inlet from Homer. The observatory not only predicted the eruption but also forecast the migration of ash clouds, which can shut down aircraft engines.

"We ended up with the best dataset we’ve had so far," said Steve McNutt, coordinating scientist at AVO and a research professor at UAF’s Geophysical Institute.

Other improvements to the volcano observatory include the late 1990s instrumentation of volcanoes in the Aleutians. Right now, scientists are monitoring most of the potentially dangerous volcanoes that make up the remote islands, which about 80,000 large jets fly over each year.

That wasn’t the case when McNutt joined AVO in the early ’90s, when a volcano named Westdahl was spewing ash into the sky.

"The first report was from a pilot who said Shishaldin (a nearby volcano) was erupting," McNutt said. "That’s what happened 16 or 17 years ago. Nowadays, we catch it first. We’re the ones telling airline pilots, not the other way around."

Ned Rozell is a science writer at the Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Alaska Army National Guard returns from Iraq

Fri, 02 May 2008 10:12:00 -0800

Families welcomed home soldiers of the 297th Support Battalion at the Alaska National Guard Armory on Fort Richardson upon their return from Iraq on April 24.

Nearly 180 soldiers with the Alaska Army National Guard returned home after a successful six-month deployment to Iraq.

The returning Guard members are from Bravo Company, 297th Support Battalion and hail primarily from Southcentral Alaska, although most regions of the state are represented by unit members. The soldiers have been serving as security forces based out of Camp Anaconda, Iraq, since October 2007.

"We are excited to welcome home another successful Alaska Army National Guard unit," said Maj. Gen. Craig E. Campbell, adjutant general of the Alaska National Guard. "These soldiers had the difficult and dangerous mission of providing convoy and route security, in addition to their other security forces duties; we are proud that they are returning home safe and victorious."

The soldiers of the 297th Support Battalion were mobilized for active duty at the end of August 2007. They spent two months training at Fort Richardson in preparation for the deployment to Iraq.

"We executed our security mission effectively and efficiently while we were deployed to Iraq despite attempts by the enemy to counter our productiveness," said Capt. Joshua Shrader, commander of Bravo Company, 297th Support Battalion. "We encountered numerous IEDs (improvised explosive devices) and enemy fire while on missions, but our training, skill level and the caliber of our soldiers were no match for the enemy. We are returning to Alaska with success and the knowledge that we helped keep U.S. and Coalition Forces safe while were there."

The unit was recognized for exceptional service while deployed. So far, unit members have received four Bronze Stars for Valor, 21 Bronze Stars for Service, two Army Commendation Medals for Valor, 62 Army Commendation Medals for Service, six Purple Hearts, 79 Army Achievement Medals for Service, 31 Combat Action Badges and four Combat Infantry Badges.

Tribal health issues find champion with Gilbert

Fri, 02 May 2008 10:12:00 -0800

For Alaska Newspapers

Alisa Gilbert is committed to bringing quality health care to Alaska Natives

The director of the Healthy Alaska Natives Foundation said she draws on her own life experiences, her indigenous heritage and family support as she builds toward the goal.

Also, Gilbert is quick to attribute her accomplishments to teamwork and the many mentors she has had throughout her career.

A cancer survivor, Gilbert has been instrumental in getting the foundation off the ground. Part of that launch effort was a recent inaugural Raven’s Ball fundraiser in Anchorage that brought the black-tie-only set out for a Saturday evening that included an Alaska Native art auction that reportedly hit the $300,000 mark.

The foundation, part of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, is focusing on five basic initiatives: cancer care improvement, wellness and prevention, healthy village environments, scholarship funds and elder care support, according to Gilbert, former director of the Alaska Chapter of the American Cancer Society.

She said that the consortium, which is less than 10 years old, already has made significant contributions for the birth of the foundation.

"The one thing they didn’t have was the fundraising stream," she said, noting that that’s why she came on board a year ago this month.

"Our vision is that the Alaskan Native people (can be) the healthiest in the world, but right alongside that vision, we have a huge challenge of not having enough funding to provide support to many of our programs," Gilbert said.

"So how are we going to figure that out?" she said. "A lot of that has to do with building signature events, fundraising, building community to support what we’re doing, and those are the things that I happen to be pretty good at."

Gilbert, who sees the Raven’s Ball as the foundation’s annual signature fundraising event, said the financial goal is likely to be at $500,000 next year.

"I believe in what I’m doing, so it makes it easy for me to do this work," said Gilbert, who has been working in the nonprofit world for more than a dozen years, 10 of which have been in Alaska.

She said she was drawn to nonprofit work because of adversity she faced when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Gilbert said had to choose between treating her cancer and getting a job so there would be enough money for food and rent. She said she knew she couldn’t do both.

Bald and struggling through chemotherapy, Gilbert forced herself to ask for help. She said that was humiliating but life changing.

She said afterward she dedicated herself to making sure others would not have to go through the same experience.

"I know there is an easier road," said Gilbert, who worked for many years with the American Cancer Society before becoming its director. "I know we can connect patients with the care they need. I know there are these missing gaps because I faced them myself."

Gilbert, who left that post to join the consortium, also was chosen as an Echoing Green Fellow for her program working with Alaska Native cancer survivorship. Echoing Green provides seed money to organizations.

She said that being chosen as a fellow opened her eyes to the "enormous possibility for change."

Gilbert said she always has been drawn to Native issues because of her American Indian heritage. Her family and that background have been very influential in shaping her altruistic perspective, she said.

Gilbert said her grandmother and mother taught her that the issues close to home should always come first. For that reason, she said she is "extremely community driven" and believes that "we must take care of the people in our own backyard" before addressing the plights of people on other continents.

There is much to do, she said.

Cancer is the leading cause of death among Alaska Natives, and there are 39 villages in Alaska that do not have access to fresh water, she said.

"We can do better," said Gilbert, who along with her husband has two children, two stepchildren and a grandchild.

Gilbert said her husband, a senior director at the consortium, supports her work. She said he even took over all the parenting and housekeeping responsibilities during the intensive periods of planning for the recent Raven’s Ball.

If it weren’t for that support, Gilbert said she thinks it would be impossible to give so much back to the community.

Gilbert said she believes that anyone can make a difference in the nonprofit world if they believe in what they are championing.

She confesses to being "up at night" thinking about what to do next.

"All of these problems have solutions. That’s the great thing," said Gilbert, who considers herself an optimist.

It’s just about getting the right people involved, she said.

U.S. lawmakers take aim at uninspected seafood from foreign farms

Fri, 02 May 2008 10:12:00 -0800

The 2008 Alaska legislative session might be a near wrap, but several new "fish laws" are still moving at a good clip through Congress.

One is aimed at improving the safety of seafood surging into the United States from foreign countries.

"This bill will deal with about 80 percent of the seafood consumed by Americans, because it is imported seafood," said Sen. Ted Stevens, a co-sponsor of the bipartisan bill. "We’ve had enormous increases in imports, but strangely enough, we only inspect about 1.6 percent of that seafood."

Seafoods from foreign aquaculture operations – mostly farmed shrimp, salmon and tilapia – often are not held to the same health and environmental standards as U.S. producers.

"Some of this is full of all kinds of crap. It is not fit for consumption," Stevens said in a phone conversation from Washington, D.C.

The seafood safety bill would expand the authority of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and U.S. Food and Drug Administration agents to test and track imported seafood as it is distributed throughout the United States.

FDA agents also will have authority to inspect foreign seafood operations and facilities.'a0Funding for the seafood safety program has been authorized at $15 million through 2013.

Agents already are in Chile inspecting its farmed salmon industry, according to the Pew Environmental Group. The FDA will gather data on chemical use in five fish farms and assess'a0Chile’s overall operations, a press release said.

"In contrast with Norway and Scotland, Chile has not been forthcoming with adequate data on the amount of antibiotics, anti-foulants and other chemicals used in its operations. The public needs to know," said Andrea Kavanagh, an aquaculture specialist and Pew spokesperson.

Last year Chile sent more than 250 million pounds of farmed salmon to U.S. markets, and only 40 samples were tested by the FDA, a Pew report said.

Stop fish pirates

Another new law aims to stop illegal fishing on the high seas, a piracy valued at $9 billion annually. The International Fisheries Stewardship and Enforcement Act of 2008, introduced last week by Sens. Stevens and Daniel K. Inouye, D-Hawaii, would tighten U.S. laws and ban products from illegal, underreported and unregulated fisheries from entering this country.

"These huge vessels the size of battleships fish on the high seas, then dump it in various places. They know what they are doing is illegal, and they try to convince the world they have the right to fish outside the 200-mile limit using any method they choose," Stevens said. "We want to send a strong message to the world that these vessels and fish products are not welcome in U.S. ports and we hope other nations will follow suit."

Stevens said he is working with the United Nations and hopes to get global support to stop IUU fishing this fall.

"The world did not take any action against high seas driftnets until we did it. Same for the 200-mile limit. We went to the U.N. and asked them to follow us and they did. Now we’re going to do the same thing with IUU fisheries."

Stevens said curtailing IUU fishing is especially important to protect waters of the Arctic Ocean, which are expanding from global warming and can be entered from many regions.

Stevens said he is optimistic that IUU, seafood safety and other "fish laws" will be passed by Congress.

"Most of these will not have to be debated. They will be worked out on a consent agreement, and I think these bills should go very quickly," Stevens said. "Also, we have built strong bipartisan support. That has made things work out much more easily."

Farmers of the sea

It appears the keepers of the U.S. Farm Bill have finally opened the door a crack to America’s fishermen. U.S. fish farmers have long been eligible for subsidies and other federal programs and benefits.

"The House indicates it is going along with my amendment that allows the U.S. Department of Agriculture to make loans to small commercial fishermen, the same way they make loans to small farmers," Stevens said.

"This will help the next generation of fishermen be able to get long-term, low-interest loans to help with purchases of vessels and permits and operating expenses," said Mark Vinsel, director of United Fishermen of Alaska.

"The fleet is graying – and to continue sustainable fisheries, the first thing we need to sustain is the occupation."

Also tagged onto the Farm Bill is a measure by Sen. Lisa Murkowski that will help reduce the tax burden to Exxon award recipients.

Another bill coming before lawmakers this week is the Commercial Fishing Industry Health Care Coverage Act. It would provide $50 million in'a0matching grants to states or organizations to jump-start health-care programs for fishing industry families.

"Alaska’s delegation can’t go it alone. Any coastal senators should be hearing from their fishermen in support of fishermen’s health care," UFA’s Vinsel said.

"If they are not hearing from us, then we can’t expect anything from them. But we need them to help support our industry."

Tattletale trash

To provide a "global snapshot of the trash problem out on the water," the environmental group Ocean Conservancy organized an International Coastal Cleanup day last September.

Nearly 400,000 volunteers scoured 33,000 miles of shoreline in 76 countries and in 45 U.S. states. In all, they picked up 6 million pounds of trash in one day from world beaches.

The volume of the trash tells only part of the story. To learn how people were behaving around or on the water, the conservancy cataloged the collected trash into more than 7 million items.

In all, 57 percent of the trash came from two million food wrappings, containers, cups, plates and plastic eating utensils and 1.2 million bottles and beverage cans.

One-third of the ocean trash came from smokers. Beachcombers and divers collected 2.3 million cigarette butts, filters and cigar tips.

It reveals a "general carelessness" about what’s being tossed into the water, the conservancy stated in a report released on Earth Day. Find it at

The Fish Factor column appears weekly in 20 newspapers and Websites. Laine Welch’s daily "Fish Radio" programs air on nearly 30 stations across Alaska.