To ensure a safe Memorial Day weekend, the Alaska state fire marshal’s office wants to remind you that before the barbecue begins, follow a few simple tips to ensure your grilling experience is a safe one. First, when lighting a grill, make sure you keep the top open. Never use matches or lighters to check for leaks. When using propane, always use or store the tank outdoors in an upright position, and keep away from high temperatures.
Be safe and have a great weekend
Michael Warzewick
Alaska State Fire Marshal’s Office
Dear Calista Shareholders
My name is Leslie R. Hunter Sr. and I was born in Bethel, Alaska in 1943. I was raised in Marshall, Alaska and attended Marshall Territorial School and Mt. Edgecumbe High School. I graduated with honors in 1960 with three hundred other graduates from all over Alaska. I attended UAF for two and a half years, majoring in Civil Engineering. I then attended the RCA Institute in Los Angeles and New York and graduated first in FCC license in electronics.
After graduation, I worked for RCA Service Company on the White Alice System which required a top secret clearance. Many of those years at the Bethel White Alice site as many old timers know. After six years of living in Bethel working for RCA, I moved back to Marshall and started a business with my wife Neva in 1976. The name of our business was Hunter Sales. As the owner of Hunter Sales, I worked in every aspect of owning and running a business until my retirement.
I was elected to the Calista Board in 2015 representing Unit 10 and the Calista region. Now, I would like to continue representing Unit 10 and all the Calista shareholders, including all the new and younger generation as they are our future leaders of our area.
Moreover, I would like to represent our elders some of whom do not have adequate education, but have all the common sense and life experience we all need. I am grateful and thankful for all votes on my behalf. Much appreciation to all shareholders and be sure to vote for Leslie R. Hunter Sr. for Calista Board Unit 10.
Wishing everyone good luck in winning any one of those rewards. Once again, thank you in advance. Best regards.
Leslie R. Hunter Sr.
Thank You for 2017 ALPAR Community Clean-up
The Yupiit of Andreafski EPA/IGAP Department would like to say “Thank You for your contributions towards this year’s 2017 ALPAR Community Clean-up!” to the sponsors that made donations: Donlin Gold, St. Mary’s City School District, ALPAR, Dan and Ann Marie of St. Mary’s Alaska Commercial Company, Pitka’s Point Native Corporation, Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council, AVEC, Andreafski Townsite Women’s Club, City of St. Mary’s, Nerklikmute Native Corporation Andreafski, Algaaciq Tribal Government, Calista Corporation, St. Mary’s Crowley Petroleum Distribution, and the Yupiit of Andreafski.
We had a total of 37 youth patrollers, 6 youth supervisors, and 8 adult volunteers that picked up a total of 116.5 bags of trash and 3 truckloads of bulk trash in the community of St. Mary’s, AK. This is only possible because of the contributions made and we hope for your continued support in the future!
Eric Alstrom | Program Director
EPA/IGAP Program, Yupiit of Andreafski
Saint Mary’s, AK
Chevak Community Clean-up appreciation
We would like to recognize and thank our sponsors for last year’s 2016 Chevak community clean up/green up: BP & ALPAR for the trash bags, Kashunamiut School District, Chevak Company Corp., City of Chevak, Our Cache, Grant Aviation, Donlin Gold, Bethel AC store, ANTHC, Ryan Air, Eye Guys, RAVN Alaska, and AVCP Inc.
Our HEARTFELT GRATITUDE going out to our volunteers, KSD’s Mabel Pequeno and the CQYG, Michelle Night, and Gavin Atchak for their help. Quyana to the youth of Chevak! YOU DID WONDERFUL!! Please encourage each other not to litter.
Cynthia and Deborah at the CTC Environmental Dept.
Chevak, AK
Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely
I am writing in response to Marcus Alexis’s article from May 17th. In the article, he points out massive problems in various forms of village government that obstruct progress to the betterment of lives in his village. I would like to take this a step further and apply his model to those that run school districts.
Speaking from personal experience, I am astounded at the amount of nepotism happening in small school districts. For example, a new superintendent arrives and immediately hires their spouse, close friends and roommate for example even lacking the necessary qualifications set forth by the state. These isolated cells of close-knit family and friends with their own agendas, exist simply to maintain their power status and therefore have the enormous potential to become breeding grounds for corruption. The great moralist John Acton once said, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
In small school districts with no union, who is then checking the powers of these superintendents employed by the very old boys networks that Alexie writes about? In my opinion, this is institutionalized and legalized gang activity.
Administrative legal codes disable newcomers and ‘outsiders’ from speaking out about the wrongdoings happening in their place of employment. Just go ahead and try and speak out against these white-collar nepotists and just watch how fast the good ol’ boys network and their cronies will produce fabricated allegations against a newcomer to justify cause for termination of employment.
If that is not bad enough, this same well-meaning teacher could then hire a lawyer to defend themselves at a cost of 300 dollars per hour. These are just a few challenges that people face when seeking to change a school system and speak out against “authorities.”
Overall, the real victims are our precious students and future leaders. Why would these institutionalized isolated cells want educated people to challenge their corrupt ways? These kinds of problems in my opinion, are what lead to despair and suicide and why so many students give up, just as there are so many teachers, who sincerely care, abandoning the teaching profession in Alaska.
We need grass roots change outside of these institutions, otherwise our youth, and their true leaders, will continue to pay the price.
Jessica Vaudreuil
Akiachak, AK
