On The Soap Box

The August 26, 2008 unofficial results are in as follows, courtesy of the Alaska Division of Elections. Congratulations to all the winners, you ran a good race. Please remember to vote on October 7th and November 4th! Piurci!
AUGUST 26, 2008
US SENATOR (ADL) ADL
Begich, Mark DEM 56036 84.53%
Bird, Bob AI 3587 5.41%
Haase, Fredrick D. LIB 1130 1.70%
Metcalfe, Ray DEM 4729 7.13%
Vondersaar, Frank J. DEM 810 1.22%
US SENATOR (R) REP
Corey, Michael D. REP 1283 1.38%
Cuddy, David W. REP 25387 27.27%
Heikes, Gerald L. REP 500 0.54%
Sikma, Roderic H. REP 949 1.02%
Stevens, Ted REP 59138 63.53%
Vickers, Vic REP 5204 5.59%
Wanda, Rich M. REP 621 0.67%
US REPRESENTATIVE (ADL) ADL
Benson, Diane E. DEM 24509 37.42%
Berkowitz, Ethan A. DEM 35267 53.85%
Wright, Don R. AI 5719 8.73%
US REPRESENTATIVE (R) REP
LeDoux, Gabrielle REP 8621 9.21%
Parnell, Sean R. REP 42397 45.31%
Young, Don E. REP 42548 45.47%
HOUSE DISTRICT 38 (ADL) ADL
Herron, Bob DEM 1308 54.55%
Vaska, Tony DEM 664 27.69%
Middlebrook, Eric DEM 426 17.76%
Post Primary Election Information
8/28-9/4: Review of the absentee and questioned ballots at the regional offices
9/5: Absentee and questioned ballots counted
9/8-17: State Review Board begins the primary election review
9/8-12: Hand count verification of one randomly drawn precinct from each district that accounts for at least 5% of the total votes cast in that district
9/11: Counting of absentee overseas ballots
9/18: Target certification primary election certification date
9/23: Deadline for filing a recount request (if election is certified on 9/18). Recount must be requested within 5 days of certification of the election.

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, will hold a hearing of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs in Bethel, AK to explore the effect that high energy costs have on the vitality of life in the Native communities of rural Alaska.
The hearing will focus on whether high energy costs in rural Alaska is jeopardizing the future of traditional rural lifestyles by forcing migration to Alaska’s urban centers, how energy costs are affecting the Native peoples of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and whether the federal government is doing enough to support the development of energy resources in and around Alaska Native villages.
Event Information
Who: Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)
Panel 1: Ralph Andersen, CEO of the Bristol Bay Native Association and Chair of the Alaska Federation of Natives Energy Committee; Ms. Janie Leask, President and CEO, First Alaskans Institute Board of Trustees; Mr. Chris Mello, Program Manager, Alaska Energy Authority
Panel 2: Mr. Myron Naneng, President, Association of Village Council Presidents; Mr. Matthew Nicolai, President and Chief Executive Officer, Calista Corporation; Mr. Gene Peltola, President and Chief Executive Officer, Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation; Mr. Ron Hoffman, CEO, AVCP Housing Authority and President of the Association of Alaska Housing Authorities
Panel 3: Mr. Bob Middleton, Director of Indian Energy and Economic Development, United States Department of Interior; Mr. Steve Morello, Director of Indian Energy Policy and Programs, United States Department of Energy
What: Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Hearing
When: Thursday, August 28, 2008 at 9:30am
Where: Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center, Bethel, AK. The event is open to the public.

As the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China come to a close and the flag and torch are put to rest, I can't help but sigh - the games were as spectacular as ever and I am a little sad to see them go. However, we are left with the great stories of victory and defeat to relive and remember. And then there's the 2010 Winter Olympics to be held in Vancouver, British Columbia to look forward to.
This Tuesday is Election Day. Good luck to all the candidates for State House 38 and the race for U.S Congress. Please exercise your right to vote! I'll see you at the polls. Also, thank you to Senator Lyman Hoffman for the PCE Report (at right). Takuqerli!

The Delta Discovery met with Joe Schmidt, Commissioner of Corrections for the State of Alaska last week.
Can you talk about the Memorandum of Understanding with the City regarding the proposed jail expansion?
The draft is still circulating between us and the City Manager. We’re scheduled to come back on August 19th for the city council meeting. I believe we are going to be on the agenda to discuss it. If it is still being worked on however, we might have to put it off again. The votes have been 3-4 for it, 3-4 against it, 3-4 for it. Our position, and I am really glad we took this position, is we didn’t come here to say we’re the State we’re going to do this - we said “what do you guys want?” This is a very expensive place to build and work, that is no secret. But as I’ve said, this is the community that had an idea about reformation that is very much like ours.
Bethel is the place that said we need to get these kids back home back to where they live, back to their culture and families and reintegration. We changed our mission statement along those lines. Secure confinement is only part of what we do. Programming and reentry is a very important piece of what we do because that is what we believe is going to stop recidivism. Bethel was the community who said that to us and that seemed where folks seemed to be. So with that we were very excited about coming here.
The resolution was signed right away in 2004. We came to find quite a bit of support. Since then there’s been some changes – the city councils changed, the city manager has changed, the police department went through an up and down here recently, so it’s been going back and forth. We never came and said we’re going to come here and do this, we said, what do you guys want? The community was supportive of this for all the right reasons. There’s a new outlook now. When the community votes in new members, there’s a new vote. We can continue to do exactly what we’ve been doing the whole time – come up here with the same message, answer questions, we’d like to do business here and Senate Bill 65 gives us the way to do that. If the community says there is a better way, then we’ll do it a better way.
Is using bonds a “convoluted” way of doing this?
I don’t know if I would say convoluted, I would say there is an extra layer of bureaucracy for sure. One way to do it is for the state to just give us a capital appropriation and we hire a contractor and build. The way that was chosen in 2004 was to do this bond system whereby the community borrows the money and we sign an agreement that says the state agrees to pay back the money with interest. But it calls for the community to borrow the money and then the state pays it back. And of course now you have the community government and the state government involved, so there’s another layer there. I don’t know if I’d use the word “convoluted”, but I would certainly say it is more complex.
The only way for us to really know if the community wants it is if the community agrees to support it and sells the bonds and borrow the money and we agree to pay it back and get into business together. It is more of a partnership and I think the healthiest way to do business. Convoluted, I wouldn’t say that, I would say complex for sure and it gives us a way to know what the community wants.
How much time do you have to come to an agreement?
The law says that if the agreement is not signed by July 2009, it is done. And then new legislation or an appropriation has to occur. It won’t be quick. Senate Bill 65 happened 4 years ago. The agreement is for 66 new beds, and the contract is ready to go.
Quyana!

My electric bill this month was unbelievable… unbelievably high, that is. Other people I’ve spoken to, neighbors and friends, also have had the same shock – but then with the high fuel prices, it is not hard to believe.
Upon closer examination and careful comparison between the prior month’s bill to this month’s, everything looked the same except for the “Cost of Power Adjustment Surcharge”. The figure from last month was nearly doubled going from .1895/KWH to .3661/KWH! That is a 93.192612137% increase, says my wife. As it is painfully obvious, the cost of diesel fuel used to generate our electricity has gone up. The total kilowatt usage multiplied by the .3661 surcharge rate hits the pocketbook hard.
Thank goodness for Power Cost Equalization, which pays around 25¢ or so of the first 500 kilowatts that we burn in our homes - and the new energy relief legislation that just passed last week. Until that kicks in and for today and tomorrow, let’s find and use different ways to reduce our bottom line, and to all the people in the YK delta, hang in there. Tua-i-ngunrituq!

The Alaska Marketplace is excited to announce the Year 3 Competition of Ideas beginning July 7 2008. The Alaska Federation of Natives’ initiative to stimulate rural economic development - Alaska Marketplace will began accepting Innovative Idea Applications, July 7, 2008 through September 1, 2008.
The 2008 Alaska Marketplace Theme: “Innovations for Thriving Communities” to address the most pressing issues affecting rural Alaska today. The five Sub Themes for the competition have been identified as follows:
Affordable Energy – innovative ways to implement affordable, renewable & alternative energy sources.
Practical Use of New Technology - practical use of new technology to create village enterprises, such as: use of cell phones or digital media.
Innovative Ideas to Reduce the Cost of Living – such as cooperatives or various sharing arrangements that have very practical results and can be replicated in other communities and possibly scaled up.
Investing in People - innovative ideas to encourage life-long learning and enable people to thrive in a rapidly changing world, full of hope and optimism.
Rural Housing of the Future - incorporating energy efficiencies and new cost-effective designs in innovative ways which celebrate traditional cultures and promotes community pride.
The Alaska Marketplace initiative over the past two years was a major economic breakthrough for rural Alaska, bringing fresh ideas and monetary awards to local communities throughout Alaska. This year’s finalists will showcase their Business and Innovative Idea’s at the October 2008 AFN Convention in Anchorage.
The 2008 Alaska Marketplace will have two distinct categories for submissions - the first is the “Business Idea” model-the second is an “Innovative Idea”. The Business Idea will demonstrate how the idea will contribute towards economic stimulation and job creation, the Innovative Idea (not-for-profit) must show how the community or social structure will benefit by the proposed innovation and how the idea can be replicated and/or applied to other communities.
The Alaska Marketplace competition for ideas is modeled after The World Bank Development Marketplace and managed by the Alaska Federation of Natives. Initiated by the Denali Commission, the Alaska Marketplace is also sponsored by BP, ConocoPhillips, Denali Commission, Telecommunications Development Fund and Alyeska Pipeline Service Company.
For more information on the Alaska Marketplace, visit www.alaskamarketplace.org or call (907) 274-3611.

U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt was in Bethel on Wednesday, July 23, 2008. He toured the McCann Treatment Center, met with community leaders, and took a boat ride to Kwethluk. In Kwethluk he met with City and Tribal leaders, toured the new clinic, and went to see the sewer system. The Delta Discovery was able to meet with him after his trip to Kwethluk.
What were your first impressions while visiting here? Well I’ve had many impressions today and yesterday having a chance to see firsthand the lives of Alaska residents who live in remote areas. I have seen people living in remote conditions all over our country and all over the world, but I have to say there is some uniqueness to what I’ve seen in Alaska. I also met many people who are working hard to improve conditions. I think that might be the most impressive thing I’ve seen – the number of people trying to make the lives of people in remote Alaska better. And I think of quite effective organization. In some ways I am quite surprised by the quality and quantity of services that they are able to provide to remote Alaska. It does not mean they couldn’t be better and that there aren’t lots of things that need to be done.
I saw the need for water and sewer systems today. It was evident to me. I had a chance to see substance abuse, and huffing - I hadn’t seen that before. Meeting the young men that were there was a poignant thing to me. I had a chance to see some of the dollars that my department deploys in use and I have lots to think about.
What is the one thing that needs the most improvement? I am not sure I’m at the point of saying, “this is the one thing”. What I gained most from this was a chance to see it all at one time. When I say all, I mean that I saw health care and I saw the need for sanitation systems, I had a chance to understand telemedicine in a better way and it will improve my decision making, decisions on how we can best be helped in the future.
If you were asked by the next administration to stay on, would you like to do that? I love what I do, it is privilege to serve in this role, but I don’t contemplate that will happen.
Do you speak Yup’ik? No, I do not but I am impressed with those who can.
Quyana and piurci!

Tony Vaska, a democratic candidate for State House District 38 addressed the Bethel Chamber of Commerce last week during their luncheon.
Vaska is Yupiaq, born and raised in Kalskag on the Kuskokwim and St. Mary’s on the Yukon River. His formal education includes the University of Alaska and Stanford University with degrees in English and Anthropology with specialties in Classic British Literature, Native North American specializing in Arctic and Sub-Arctic people. He is a former college professor, legislator, school board chair, and advocate for the rural preference in subsistence hunting, fishing and gathering in rural Alaska by working on the state and federal legislation on subsistence.
He has worked and traveled extensively in rural Alaska to educate, research, enunciate, negotiate and advocate for the needs by Native people of subsistence resources and other natural resources protection of air, lands and waters. His work included the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, High Seas interception of salmon which spawn in western Alaska anadromous rivers and streams, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Environmental Protection Act and the Alaska National Interest Lands and Conservation Act. Work included extensive contact with the local fish and game advisory boards, Alaska board of Fisheries and Game, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, many other public and private resource conservation and management organizations locally and nationally.
He is currently employed at the Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation as a Professional Trainer. His wife is Sharon.
Opening comments There are a lot of developments going on in the state that we need to keep track of that may not seem to affect us but will. The closest example is Proposition 4 – The Clean Water Act, which will require mining companies to make sure that the water they use and is put back in the same condition that it was when they took it out. You see a lot of ads in the paper about pro mining, or anti mining. How it will affect us is Donlin Creek. Barrick Gold is coming out against Proposition 4. In the Bristol Bay Times you’ll see Bella Hammond coming out in favor of Ballot Measure 4. The whole issue is protection of fisheries. Here we have a different kind of fishery we need to worry about. If something happens in Donlin Creek it flows directly 11 miles to the Kuskokwim River and we all live below the mine. There’s 37 communities that may be affected by that if there is a problem. It will be short term, meaning 4-5 years of a lot of tense activity on the Kuskokwim River, because it’s the only way to bring materials up to the mine site. The proposal I’ve seen says that if the gold mine uses diesel only, it will need 70 million gallons of diesel a year just for the mine. You will need an additional 10 million gallons for all the equipment. That means 200 barges a day going up and down the river. That is something to consider. What about the animals with all the traffic on the river?
When you lobby Lyman or Mary, have them consider this. There’s a proposal to build a spur gasline to Southcentral and Fairbanks. Why not have a gasification plan in Fairbanks or near Fairbanks to ship that gas down the Yukon to this area? We need it. That is one source that is available to this region that would make it easier for us.
Shell is out in the region poking around. In the early 1970’s, they did find gas in the Kuskokwim basin but not in commercial quantities. There is coal in this region near McGrath on the west side of Alaska Range - 3 billion tons of coal sitting there. The projection for Donlin Creek is 32 million ounces and with the price of gold now at a $1000 an ounce, that’s 32 billion dollars - they’re not going to walk away from that. The way to control that is through local government. I’ve said this before but you can’t do that until you have a regional government.
There are transportation issues, we have very little infrastructure we can depend on - it is very expensive. Oil costs. I was happy to see Bethel is finally going to get a bus because I walk everywhere and I will be happy to take the bus when it gets started. We get a lot of our materials from outside of the region by air and we depend on Sen. Stevens pushing the bypass mail process. Why can’t we have the same system to barge things to Bethel? A subsidized transportation system so it’s cheaper to deliver goods from Anchorage or Seattle, we can use the same concept.
The other proposition that I am supporting is Clean Elections. It says anyone can run for public office using public funds but you have to do your work before. You get 200 people to sign their support for you and $5 and the state will pay for the cost of your election. And that is for poor people, because not everyone is rich who wants to run for office. It’s expensive. Want to go to Mekoryuk? It is over $400. Toksook Bay is over $300.
There are wind turbine generators in Toksook Bay and Kasigluk. AVEC has gotten awards for innovation in using them and has reduced the use of diesel in those villages considerably. Look on AVEC’s website to see how much they are saving. We need to think about that here in Bethel. It is something we need to push the state legislature on. Here’s an example: Senator McGuire wants to build a wind farm on Fire Island for Anchorage. Why can’t we do something like that to reduce our electric costs here in Bethel? If we develop these new technologies we need educated people to work them.
What are your thoughts on a state energy plan?
$100 per person is a short term fix, Gov. Palin wants to do something for the short term. If you give every individual $100 a month for the whole year, that is $700 million dollars – imagine what the state could do if it puts the plan together, for more efficient energy systems such as wind energy. And the other is importing gas from Alaska.
A city council member put forth the idea of banning all toxic chemicals going through town that might end up at the mine, what is your position on that? I am as green as you can get. First do no harm. If you are going to harm the way we live and our way of life, I will be opposed to it. If you are going to bring toxic chemicals through this area, do no harm. I have enough experience to see that harm has been done not only in Alaska but also and Canada and other parts of the world. I went down to Butte, Montana to the biggest hole in the world. 10 years ago a flock of geese landed into the bottom of that pit and died of toxic waste. They now have a net over that whole mine in Montana. Barrick Gold takes people from the villages to go look at good mines, good places.
How do you deal with conflict? I get along with everyone and I don’t take politics personally. And if someone disagrees with me, I agree to disagree with them, but I still have an open mind about discussing issues.
Do you speak Yup’ik? I understand it perfectly well and I mostly speak it.
Do you support Proposition 4? I do. The Clean Water Act. First do no harm. If you are going to do harm to the way we live here, then I would be opposing it. The other part is, The Clean Water Act is intended to protect the subsistence resources and I want the subsistence resources protected. Clean water is a very important thing out here for fish and game and birds.
And you have experience already in the legislature? I was in the legislature from 1981-1985 representing the villages from Aniak to Newtok to Goodnews Bay.
Quyana!

Two brand new 14-passenger buses are coming on the next barge to Bethel, complete with wheelchair accessibility and fare boxes, said City of Bethel Grants Development Manager John Sargent, which will be part of Bethel’s new transit system.
The big question is, when will service start?
“As soon as drivers are trained and hired,” said Mike Samuelson, Executive Director of ONC, who helps supervise the project. There is no set date. Applicants will also undergo background checks and drug testing.
The City of Bethel and ONC have been working together to get this started. The drivers will be City employees with benefits and ONC will provide the offices and administration. The transit system is on the City’s budget as a separate enterprise fund as of July 1st – the beginning of the new fiscal year. There is enough money to start and operate the transit system for 2 years.
“This is a great partnership between the City and the Tribe, real great,” Sargent said.
The plan is to provide transportation service to the population centers of Bethel with stops at key spots in town – housing, post office, hospital, Swanson’s and the BNC/AC area during the day. A separate route for the airport/hospital is also in the plan. Fare rates would be $2 a ride, $1 for seniors and youth 5-17, and children under 5 can ride for free.
What about the cab companies?
“There are mixed reviews,” said Sargent. “Some cab drivers want to apply to drive for 40 hour weeks and benefits and are looking forward to it. Other drivers show complete opposition. They say ‘I’ll quit, I’ll leave town, you’ll put me out of business, I’m ruined…’ It’s completely mixed.
“We don’t want to hurt the cab business because there’s a need for cabs. The public transit system will allow people to save a little money who can plan ahead.” Quyana!

Having spent a number of years living in the rural parts of this great state, I have come to love to hear the Yup’ik language spoke, and I love learning the words … although I sometimes wonder if my tongue creates words that might be better off not said.
Although it doesn’t flow with the musical melody of say French, the Yup’ik language is one my She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Made-Mad and I love to listen to even though we haven’t the slight clue what is being said.
I know one of our favorite things to do when we lived in Nome was to have our friend’s uncle (Uncle Johnny) come over. He would always tell us Yup’ik words and then laugh when we butchered the word.
“Maybe you should stick to English,” he would jokingly tell my wife, who (in case you may not remember) has a very thick Texas accent. “We have a hard enough time understanding what you say in English.”
As for me, I learned the basics. The very basics … I can say “Thank you,” “Yes” and “No.”
Never mind that I don’t understand it, I like to hear it. Sometimes when I’m on the phone talking to people from the Y-K, I just let them just talk away to me. Then, when they stop, I tell them I have no idea what they just said but it sounded good.”
Because I love the language, I have been working to expand my knowledge. Every time I come to the Yukon-Kuskokwim I try and learn a new word. For instance, last year when we found out we were going to be grandparents, I made it a point to learn the word for grandpa.
At first when I was told the Yup’ik word for grandpa I was a bit taken aback. How in the heck was I supposed to remember a world that sounded like “A-pow-a-luk” to me, but came out much different.
Thankfully, Miss Sarah told me most people just say “Uppa.” I could handle Uppa … and to this day we teach our granddaughter (Mallorie) to call me Uppa. She can call her grandmother anything she wants, but she can call me “Uppa” because it reminds me of where our hearts are.
This year, I learned a new word … although it is one I have heard for a while. A few summers ago, a friend gave me a nickname he has always called me. Every time we met, he always calls me “AngalKuq.”
Now, let me tell you what I figured this to mean. To me, I figured “Angal” was derived from the English word “Anglo” which generally refers to the white-skinned race. Beings how I was born in Texas to a mother that is Irish and a father who was half English and Cherokee, I figured it fit.
Based on what I new about “Angal,” I figured “Kuq” meant “guy.”
Again, I didn’t have a problem with that as I generally like to consider myself a guy. I find considering myself a guy also makes my wife happy ... which is much better than he not being happy
The other day as I was talking to my friend, he asked me if I knew what “AngalKuq” meant. I told him what I surmised it to mean – and he began laughing.
He assured me, it had nothing to do with my deductions. It was Yup’ik for “medicine man.”
“Medicine man?” I asked “I don’t know anything about medicine.”
“I call you that because every time I read your stories it makes me smile,” he said. “It makes me feel good ... like good medicine.”
I have to admit, I was kind of touched. I also like his nickname much better than the one my wife calls me most of the time.
Thanks Dana ... Now if I could just learn to spell Uppa.

BP awards scholarships
Twenty-five recent Alaska high school graduates were each awarded $4,000 scholarships from the 2008 BP Principals’ and Commissioner’s scholarship program.
In addition to the 25 winners one student, Isaac Kalistook of Bethel Regional High School, was selected by the Alaska Commissioner of Education to receive a $20,000 scholarship. Since the program started 23 years ago, BP has granted more than 600 graduating high school seniors scholarships totaling $2.3 million.
The selections are made by the Alaska Association of Secondary School Principals Board of Directors based on academic achievement, community involvement, leadership skills and financial need. The students are recognized at award ceremonies throughout the state. Quyana!

Last week the road between Tundra Ridge and the BIA road was blocked to traffic. Motorists had to go around the other way around Bethel to be able to get to where they wanted to go.
The portion of the road that was blocked belongs to the Polk family. They blocked the road to prevent it from becoming an impassible mass of mucky mud and deep ruts during wet weather.
“It gets so bad we can’t even go home,” said Earl “Keggulluk” Polk. “We have to move out until we can drive through it.”
The road is built on his mother’s native allotment, which now belongs to him and his brothers. They have heard the complaints on the radio but want people to know that they were born and raised there and that it is their land and that they can block the road if they wish.
Traffic makes the road worse during wet weather, said Polk. They blocked the road so they could keep it passable for their sake in order to have a way out in case something happens.
“My brother has a newborn baby,” said Polk. “We need to be able to use the road in case of an emergency.”
Additionally, the speed limit on the road is 35mph but Polk can testify that sometimes people abuse the speed limit. He asks drivers to slow down and to drive cautiously – there are children who live and play there and he doesn’t want any accidents.
The Polk family of Bethel would like everyone to know that they will continue to block the road to traffic between Tundra Ridge and BIA road every time they need to, however, pedestrians may freely pass through. Piurci!

The old basketball hoop near Trailer Court in Bethel has a new look, having been recently replaced with shiny new equipment.
Known as “Josh’s Court”, after Joshua Palacios who died in a shooting at Bethel Regional High School in 1997, it is a dream fulfilled for Nathan Greydanus.
Greydanus got the idea last year to replace the deteriorating hoop with a new one. The old one was over 10 years old.
“Growing up this was his (Josh’s) playground,” he said. “He was always the type to motivate people to play sports.”
He began saving his loose coins and eventually began asking others to contribute. Greydanus, who works at Swanson’s helping people cash their checks would ask if they would like to donate their change – anywhere from $0.01 to $0.99. He calls his project, “Saving Change to Change the World”.
He filled up a large container shaped like a baby bottle with coins, which reportedly weighed approximately 60 lbs.
Others also gave above and beyond.
“A couple of people were big donaters,” he said thankfully. In all, he raised over $1700 dollars to purchase a new hoop.
Greydanus, his brother Ryan, and friend Travis Mute were putting the final adjustments on the hoop last Friday. They were done that night and kids were already enjoying playing basketball with the new equipment.
He would like to thank Bethel Utilities Corporation for drilling in the pole, Sports Authority for the discounted sale price, Jeff Robson for donating his freight on Northern Air Cargo, Tony Joaquin and Craig Rogers, Conor Burke, John We, Jonathon Friendly, Janet Fox, and all those who donated their change.
“One good thing I can do in my life makes me feel good,” said Greydanus.
The team is also looking for someone to donate gravel to help level out the ground to help eliminate the mud puddles around the playing area. Quyana!

by Greg Lincoln
Alaska’s sole congressman Don Young who has 35 years experience in the U.S. Hose of Representatives visited Bethel last week. He met with officials from YKHC, AVCP RHA, and the Bethel Chamber of Commerce, as well as with The Delta Discovery.
What is the main issue that folks are concerned about out here in this region?
Most of the people asked me about energy. We don’t have cheap energy and down the line we can’t function, we can’t keep going. The cost of fuel is huge. My involvement is putting alternate forms of energy like wind power, solar power, etc. Having said that, the state has to be really involved. It doesn’t do you any good to give you a $100 to buy fuel a month. That’s just temporary. There’s an old biblical saying, if I give you a fish, you eat but then you starve. If I teach you to fish, you feed your family. That’s what I am saying should be done here.
And it’s just not the Bethel region. All around the state every village is hurting. Fort Yukon for instance - $7 a gallon for heating oil. How do you keep warm in –60F? Gasoline is $5 1/2 dollars, which is high enough. We can adjust to that a little bit, but the heating oil is serious. That is the number one problem I think in this area. Where are you going to get the money?
Energy is the most important thing. And then of course you know the challenges of the bush. My big thing is if we don’t address the energy issues - you will lose the villages. Your villages locally will come to Bethel, temporarily, and then they’re going to go to Anchorage or Fairbanks and you lose Alaska. Because you’re never going to go back to the good old days. You’re not going to do it. Live like grandpa did – that is nonsense. You’ve been exposed to television, computers, the airplane – you’re not going to go back. If you’re 16-21 years old, you’re going to go to town because you can’t afford to live here. That’s the sad part. It can be overcome if we get enough involvement of developing other forms of energy.
What ideas do you have about other forms of energy?
You have methane gas here, it should be drilled. You have hydro up at Nyac. That was built in 1938. Six months without burning electricity that’s made from diesel fuel, think how much money you would save. You have wind power. If you had 19 big windmills out here that could generate power, you could cut your diesel down to a quarter. And if you had methane gas, your living costs would go down and your living standards would go up. Methane was discovered out here about 15-20 year ago. They got into a big argument - we don’t want to do it because it might pollute the water. Now how, I don’t know but remember diesel at that time was 19 cents a gallon, so we wanted the diesel.
Diesel is never going to go back down again. No way, because the consumption and the demand is so high in foreign countries. China is burning more barrels of oil a day than we are. Not more per capita, but more barrels. We are still one of the largest consumer, if not the largest consumer in the world, per capita. India is higher than we are. China and India have a billion people, so we’re not the only buyers anymore from the oil countries, so the price will always stay up because we’ve done nothing to produce any oil.
The price of oil is high because of transportation costs, how can we address that problem?
Here it is very high because it comes all the way from Washington State. I want them to build a refinery in Tyonek, a native corporation. They build a refinery there by taking the oil that we are shipping out. We only get 12% percent of the oil we produce. That is our royalty, the rest goes outside. But if the oil companies could refine it here and ship the finished product outside, we’d have access to the diesel fuel and jet fuel here and that would make it cheaper. We wouldn’t have to pay to ship it all the way up here. That’s what drives up the darn price of fuel.
Are there any refineries in Alaska?
They have a small refinery in Kenai. They have one in Valdez for gasoline. The biggest one is in North Pole. Their oil comes from that 12% of the total production of the pipeline. As the pipeline goes down, our 12% becomes less. Right now in North Pole they are thinking of shutting that refinery down. We have to get more in the pipeline, that is what we have to do.
What are your thoughts on climate change?
One is, I am one of the few people that may think that climate change is occurring but does not believe it is your fault. If it is going to happen anyway, it’s happening and happened before. We’re the only animal that God created that doesn’t adapt. The polar bear will adapt. We had 5,000 polar bears in 1970. We have 20,000 today, we did something right, now we put them on the endangered species list. It is an attempt by interest groups to stop any man’s activities globally. The effect of putting that bear on the threatened list affects my Inuits up there big time. They won’t be able to go whaling or fishing if it goes on the endangered species list. Nobody wants to tell anyone about that but that is what will happen because it interferes with their habitat, and anything that interferes with their habitat, you can’t participate.
What about methane?
It was found 15 years ago and I would like to have the state go in and drill. If it is there, then make it a production field for the area.
And I want you to reconsider nuclear – we’re going to do it in Galena. It is a silo concept - in the ground, small, transportable by barge. It will give them power for $0.26 per kilowatt for 7 villages. Now think what can you do with that in Bethel. France has been doing it for the last 45 years. Japan is a huge nuclear producer for power and they have the cheapest power. All we do is burn coal and natural gas - nonrenewable resources, which to me is silly.
Any comments on your upcoming race for re-election?
My Lu says, “If you were to lose, don’t worry about it, that’s God’s next chapter. Go forth and He will make that decision for you. As long as you try the best you can, you’re the best person for the job. If He decides differently, then that’s how it is.” I don’t really lose much sleep over it. But it will be bad for the State right now. As long as I am physically and mentally capable to do what I am doing - when it gets to the point when I can’t do it anymore, then get rid of me. August 26th – don’t forget, it’s very important.
Quyana!

We were pleased to speak with Senator Lyman Hoffman (D) over the Memorial Day weekend. He represents Senate District S.
The Bethel Aquatic Center funding was vetoed by Governor Palin, can you tell us about that?
The Aquatic Center has been on the list for Bethel for over 20 years and Beverly Hoffman has been sponsoring fundraisers, cookie sales and everything. This was started because we’ve been having so many drownings on the Kuskokwim and we wanted to see if we could get the Aquatic Center going so we could teach people in the region how to swim. We’ve been averaging anywhere between 15-17 drownings per year and we felt that a good way to address all these drownings is to teach people how to swim. Everyone around the whole region uses the river for traveling, for fishing, for hunting and we are the only large region in the state without a facility to teach people to swim.
I was really displeased with the Governor with vetoing the 2 million dollars because she also left in 4 million dollars in the capital budget for Anchorage. Anchorage wanted some operating dollars to help them operate their swimming pools so she left the money in the budget for Anchorage swimming pools but then she didn’t leave the 2 million in the Bethel pool. I thought that was a little bit unfair on the Governor’s part selecting one area of the state to receive swimming pool funds and not an area in rural Alaska. People in Anchorage aren’t dependent on the river for transportation - our region is more dependent on the river for transportation, for berry gathering, for hunting, for fishing, for traveling. I think that our project was more worthy and should have been funded. If our project was vetoed I think the Anchorage project should have been vetoed. I think the Governor had double standards when she decided to veto the 2 million dollars for the Aquatic Center.
When you go back for the special session, what is the legislature going to do?
Once we’re called in, we have 5 days to decide whether or not to override the Governor’s vetoes. But it is a very high standard. In order to pass something you need 51%. In order to veto override, you need 3/4s vote so we would have to have 45 out of the 60 legislators agreeing to override the veto. I think there is going to be discussion on whether or not to override all the other vetoes that the Governor had. She has vetoed a little under 300 million dollars worth of projects throughout the state of Alaska. So I feel at least we received a minimal amount of budget cuts but the one that was cut was a critical project.
What do you think about the Governor’s debit card energy plan?
Something has to be done. I’ve heard criticisms of it but we have to come up with something this year. The price of fuel surpassing $6-$8 in villages and approaching $10 is unrealistic. It is putting a very large burden upon people in rural Alaska, specifically those that are not in regional hubs such as Bethel, Dillingham, Kotzebue and Nome. But even in Bethel we are feeling the pinch but not as bad as the villages.
I would support the Governor’s proposal if we can’t come up with something that is more equitable. The problem that I have with her plan is that it gives everyone $100 to buy fuel, but $100 in Anchorage can buy twice as much fuel than $100 can in Bethel and it will even buy less fuel in the villages. But I still think that it’s better than nothing. If we can’t improve upon it, I am going to support that plan. The problem that I have in the legislature is getting the 21 and 11 votes to approve the plan. There’s a lot of concern that once we start the program it’s going to be hard to discontinue. I think that if we look at the clauses that we put into the budget structure where when the price of oil starts rising, we tax at a higher rate and if we take a percentage of that, I think more people will support that plan.
What about the projects approved for funding in the AVCP region?
The projects for the AVCP region - we had received approximately a little under 200 million dollars worth of capital projects. Some of the larger ones are a new school in Chefornak and Marshall, a new airport for Chefornak.
One that the people of the region have been waiting a long time for is the Assisted Living Center for an 8 million dollar appropriation. I think it’s going to be a 20-bed facility that will house individuals. I know the people of our region have been going to Dillingham when they needed assisting living and now with the construction of this much-needed appropriation it will give the people of the region some place where they can stay instead of leaving.
Other projects that are important are energy related. We have 4.8 million dollars for 3 wind generators in Kwigillingok, Kipnuk, and Tuntutuliak. This is going to hopefully reduce their costs. We have three already in our region and these are the only three villages that have asked for wind generators. I hope more villages come up and decide to at least defer some of the expenses.
There are also funds in here to replace three generators for three villages – one in Atmautluak, Napaskiak, Tuntutuliak, and Tuluksak. So there’s 1.8 million dollars and these are important because the new generators now operate at 30% more efficiency so they use 30% less fuel so that means the electricity generated will be more cheap. Hopefully we can look at more generators in the region in upcoming years to upgrade them. Every little bit helps to reduce the energy costs for the region.
Another one that is important is in Newtok. There is 3.3 million dollars to build a staging area and access road. Everyone is well aware that Newtok is eroding. They are going to set up a staging area and access road so they can start working on that project.
The gamut of projects is varied. We tried to look at the regional aspect. A lot of the ones that are under Bethel are not really for Bethel, like the YK Emergency Response Detox Wing for the new jail facility so that we can hopefully take the burden off the nurses. We have another 1.5 million for the Tundra Womens’ Coalition new facility. We also have money in here for Search and Rescue so they can purchase more equipment. So there are a lot of projects and I am very pleased. In past years the whole state’s budget used to be a 100 million dollars and this year the whole AVCP region is getting a little under 200 million dollars in much-needed projects.
Do you have any comments on the upcoming race for Rep. Mary Nelson’s seat?
I think the two that have filed right now are Bob Herron and Eric Middlebrook and both of them are democrats. I don’t think a republican is going to win. They just need to get their message out and see what they plan on saying what they are going to be doing for our region. They have to convince the people that one of them is going to address the concerns of the AVCP region.
Next year I am starting my 23rd year serving the AVCP region and I am the senior member in the legislature. I think the success is from going out listening to the people and following through with what we feel are the needs of the region. It’s going to be interesting to listen to their debates.
Quyana!

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced its decision last week to list the polar bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne called Governor Sarah Palin to inform her of the USFWS decision, and assured her that oil and gas developments are not to blame.
The state will work with the USFWS on the designation of critical habitat and development of any conservation actions that may be necessary to ensure the continued viability of the species.
While the state is disappointed with this decision, Governor Palin said, the state stands ready to assist the USFWS to ensure that polar bear populations remain viable for decades to come. “We offer the substantial expertise of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to assist in the protection of polar bears, and in minimizing negative impacts on the people of Alaska and on important activities elsewhere in the country,” she said.
“Alaskans take our public trust responsibilities for our resources very seriously, and we welcome the opportunity to work with the federal agencies to address the conservation needs of these magnificent animals,” Governor Palin said. “We will continue to take the steps necessary to ensure that polar bears continue to thrive for generations to come.”
The Governor expressed her hope that federal agencies will continue to provide for customary and traditional uses of polar bears. She also remains concerned that federal actions do not threaten the viable, productive and environmentally responsible oil and gas industry along Alaska’s North Slope. Attorney General Talis Colberg will review the USFWS decision and the accompanying administrative record to determine whether there are significant defects that merit judicial scrutiny.
Governor Palin’s comments on the listing can be found at the following link: www.gov.state.ak.us/audio/GovPalinPolarBearsEdit.mp3.

Saying it needed to take a lead in an effort to reduce drug and alcohol use by students, the Alaska School Activities Association announced recently it would be implementing a tough “four strikes” citizenship policy this coming fall for students that participate in high school-related activities.
Under the new rule, students found using alcohol or drugs will face varying degrees of punishment until they reach a fourth offense. At that point, they would lose their eligibility to participate any in school-related extracurricular activities. The new rules will go into effect with the start of the 2008-2009 school year.
“We’re not going to change the world,” admitted ASAA Executive Director Gary Matthews, noting the plan will help the state battle federal reports that showed Alaska students ranked at the top in drug and alcohol use. “Alaska leads the nation in teenage drug use. It’s a bad statistic that we don’t want to see.”
According to a 2006 report from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 11.8 percent of the students over the age of 12 admitted to having used an illegal drug during 2004 to 2006. New Mexico had the second-highest rate, at 11.3 percent.
The national average for teen use of illegal drugs is 8.1 percent.
According the Matthews, students found in violation of the new ASAA policy will be liable to penalties that grow progressively stricter as each incident occurs. A first-offense brings a mandatory 10-day ban from all activities.
According to the ASAA, 70 percent of all students that attend high school in the state participate in extracurricular activities and would be subject to the new policy.
The rules are a bit different for students caught using tobacco. Matthews said a student caught using tobacco products would be subject to a 10-day suspension from all activities. The penalty will be effect each time a student violates the policy.
“We realize there is a tremendous use of tobacco by young people in rural Alaska especially,” Matthews said. “We’re not trying to get kids out of activities, we are trying to change attitudes and lifestyles and behaviors.”
Matthews said school officials will report incidents to the ASAA, which will then hand out punishments. That process, he said, would take school administrators out of a situation where they would be responsible for disciplining a star athlete or the child of an influential parent.
Matthews also said students who may be banned for a fourth offense can appeal to the ASAA board for re-instatement. With the start of the policy, Alaska joins Nevada as the only states to use a “citizenship” provision. Piurci.

Congratulations to all graduates of 2008 - we are proud of your accomplishments! Well done!
Also, Happy Mothers Day (May 11th) to my wife Kelly, grandmas Alice and Adeline, and all the wonderful mothers in the YK Delta. You are everything to your children and families. We hope that you will have a great day!
Bethel will be celebrating the Bike Rodeo on May 10, The Rodeo will take place on Saturday, May 10, 2008 from Noon to 2pm at Pinky’s Park. There will be a helmet trade and bike maintenance by Scout Troop #557, along with a barbeque. The Bike Rodeo is sponsored by the City of Bethel. Call 543-7711 for more information or to volunteer.
Enjoy the spring weather, piurci!

On March 28, 2008, Governor Sarah Palin announced that she is calling the Legislature into a 30-day special session beginning on June 3. The Executive Proclamation calls for legislators to review “any action taken by the commissioner of natural resources and the commissioner of revenue” under AGIA.
Palin is planning to present AGIA findings to lawmakers the week of May 19. “This schedule is extremely aggressive,” Palin said.
“Our plan is to complete the findings by the week of May 19, allow legislators time to read and absorb the materials, provide public gasline team briefings in Anchorage, and then move to special session in Juneau where they have requested to meet.”
The commissioners would give notice of their findings to the legislature during the week of May 19, and if they recommend awarding the proposed license, the legislature would then have 60 days to approve issuance of the license.
The gasline team’s schedule includes briefings in Anchorage – May 28, 29 and 30 – on the commissioners’ findings for legislators and the public.
Lawmakers passed AGIA legislation with a 59-1 vote on May 11, 2007, which began the AGIA application process. The commissioners received proposals on November 30, 2007, and reviewed them to determine whether they met the conditions required under AGIA.
On January 4, 2008, it was announced that the application from TransCanada Alaska Company, LLC/Foothills Pipelines, Ltd. (TransCanada) satisfied all of the mandatory requirements set out in AGIA, allowing TransCanada’s application to move to the evaluation phase of the AGIA process.
The 60-day public review and comment period on TransCanada’s application ended March 6, 2008. Palin’s administration is continuing to analyze and evaluate the benefits of TransCanada’s proposal, including a comparative analysis of the benefits of an all-Alaska route for liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects.
Palin said calling the special session is not an indication that the commissioners have yet made a determination regarding whether to recommend TransCanada’s AGIA application.
“The gasline team faces a truly monumental effort in comprehensively analyzing TransCanada’s application, considering the public comments received and reviewing the all-Alaska LNG options for comparison purposes,” Palin said.
Quyana!

The Commission of Corrections, Joe Schmidt, was in Bethel on April 9, 2008 with an update on the proposed jail expansion for Bethel.
JS: Some questions still existed from the community so I came up to talk to the council to answer any questions they may have.
DD: Did the city council support continuing the jail expansion project?
JS: Yes. The council voted 4-3 to continue with the process. Of course, it’s not over yet, there are some questions that need to be answered that we will be happy to work with the community and answer. But they did vote to continue the process.
The next step is going to be to continue to draft an operating agreement between the state and the city. And what the operating agreement does is ensures the community that the state is going to pay the bill - that the state is going to assume any liability if something happens. Even though it’s technically a city project, the state is going to assume it and run it.
DD: What concerns did the city council have?
JS: One had a concern with how much money the city was going to get from the project. In other words, when we borrow money to build, we’re going to borrow the money first so that way there’s money sitting there to use for design and engineering and all those kinds of things before we start construction and then therefore, the city will not have to put up any money.
One of the folks was concerned that the city should get some money for that, like an administrative fee. I know in the Anchorage project there was an administrative fee. I don’t know how much it was exactly, and it was not appropriate for me to promise any kind of an administrative fee, that has to be negotiated.
Another concern from another member was that we were going to lease a piece of land from YKHC and expand onto that piece of land and that is not actually the case. There was some talk early in the project about a unit that jutted over into the next piece of land and YKHC was going to deed it to us. Then it turned into a situation where they were going to do a 20 year lease. But then when a separate project came along and began to gain steam - an inebriate sleep off center - it would be on that very piece of land. We pulled our plans back on our own land so we’re not going to use any land except the land we’re sitting on.
DD: So the inebriate sleep off center is not part of your jail expansion project?
JS: I ensured the community at the meeting that the inebriate sleep off center is not part of our prison expansion project. It’s a

On April 8, 2008,Governor Sarah Palin signed into law bills that will provide revenue to local communities and address the $8 billion unfunded liability in the state’s retirements.
Under the municipal revenue sharing bill, Senate Bill 72, the state is to sets up a structure for distributing $60 million each year to local governments or municipalities for the next three years.
Local entities, which receive the revenue, have discretionary use of the funds, which can be used for a variety of purposes. For instance, larger communities can offer tax relief to its residents and smaller communities can help support basic municipal services.
“Local government is the most responsive and responsible,” Palin said. “I support the state’s wealth being shared with that most effective level of government.”
Another bill signed by Palin, Senate Bill 125, locks in the contribution rate for the Public Employees Retirement System at 22 percent to address the system’s unfunded liability. The bill streamlines plan administration and eliminates liability and asset accounting for each PERS employer.
“This bill signifies a substantial commitment on behalf of the state to ensure our solution will help local communities and not redirect critical dollars from our classrooms,” Palin said.
The bill will benefit public employees and teachers regarding their retirement programs.

AVCP Region Revenue Sharing
Alakanuk 130,634
Chefornak 120,030
Kalskag, Lower 110,052
Kalskag, Upper 110,157
Kongiganak 55,027
Kotlik 127,918
Napakiak 115,328
Nunam Iqua 106,500
Nunapitchuk 124,575
Oscarville 35,586
Pilot Station 125,985
Red Devil 33,625
Scammon Bay 123,164
Stony River 34,969
Tuntutuliak 54,802
Akiak 115,172
Chevak 143,433
Eek 110,993
Goodnews Bay 108,642
Hooper Bay 156,440
Kipnuk 69,425
Kwigillingiok 53,178
Napaskiak 120,239
Newtok 50,096
Pitka's Point 38,107
Sleetmute 37,098
Akiachak 67,464
Aniak 122,746
Atmauthluak 49,032
Bethel 399,613 2,707,534
Chuathbaluk 101,172
Crooked Creek 38,835
Emmonak 137,582
Kasigluk 62,366
Kwethluk 133,664
Lime Village 33,401
Marshall 116,216
Mekoryuk 107,336
Mountain Village 137,582
Nightmute 108,381
Platinum 97,985
Quinhagak 139,851
Russian Mission 113,187
Toksook Bay 127,239
Tuluksak 59,621
Tununak 50,657
Total: 4,615,105

Millie Bentley, the owner and operator of Bentley’s Bed & Breakfast in Bethel first came to Bethel in 1980. She worked as an auditor for the state and came out to do an audit of the City.
“We had one person who worked for the City who called me the “Gestapo”, said Millie. “And if anybody had told me in 1980 that ten years later I’d be living in Bethel, I would tell them their crystal ball was broken because I thought I would never live in Bethel.”
Back in 1980 the only place to stay was the Kuskokwim Inn.
“There were drunks running up and down the hall all night long,” she said. “And there was nothing to do if you didn’t go to work. If you needed two tomatoes you went to the store twice just to have something to do.”
In 1987 Millie was called out to do a special audit. She had only been in Bethel during the really bad weather months, but this time she came out in July. Vicki Malone asked her if she was going to stay with Rosie Porter who had opened a B&B.
Millie came and stayed there in July of 1987, which changed her entire outlook about Bethel. There weren’t drunks running around and she had a nice pleasant place to stay. She loved it so much that, a year later, she bought Rosie’s B&B.
For the next three years Millie’s sister ran the business. In 1990 Millie took an early retirement from the state and moved to Bethel where she worked for Bethel Community Services and also took over running the business. That was in 1992.
Millie had help from Suz Monfort who was her manager since 1994 until she opened Curves in 2006. Currently George Estrala is the property manager.
Every morning you will find Millie cooking up a big breakfast for her guests including the “best coffee in town” and who taught her how to cook?
“Well, my mother didn’t. She was beans and cornbread and her idea of pork chops was having it crisp and she was busy raising 5 kids,” she said. “I can read and that is how I learned how to cook - by reading books and just experimenting.”
Every morning she serves a full breakfast with a casserole, toast, oatmeal, dried cereal, fruit, juice, and homemade rolls.
Millie is also a Certified Public Accountant, and was she good in math?
“I didn’t even know what a CPA was and no, I wasn’t,” she said. In high school Millie studied foreign languages and science. After she got married she decided to do bookkeeping at home. She got a course from the LaSalle Institute, “Accounting up to CPA” but she stopped after five lessons.
“It helped me a little bit. I knew what a debit and credit was.”
She went back to school and majored in accounting and found she was the only woman in that major, taking 15-19 units each semester and enrolling in summer school. Millie graduated on Friday and went to work for a CPA firm on Monday. She passed the CPA test and worked 2 years to get her license. Afterwards she went into public accounting and then went to work for the government.
Millie also writes a weekly recipe column for The Delta Discovery.
She is currently looking for a buyer for her B&B.
“Right now we need to sell the place. We can’t find anybody to work and it is just getting to be pretty exhausting so we decided to sell it,” she said. “I want to go watch my grandson play baseball. How often do you get a kid that’s on a baseball card?”
She is looking for a Mom & Pop operation to take over her B&B. “That is what I would like, a family.”
As soon as everything is sold, Millie plans to head out. “I’ll miss everyone in Bethel.”

Cama-i, the Delta’s best dance festival
How was this year’s Cama-i Festival? Spectacular.
There was something for everyone at last weekend’s Cama-i Festival – local, regional, Statewide, National, and international dancers performed at this world class dance exhibition.
Clearly the crowd favorite were the Te Wananga Maori. This group from New Zealand/Hawaii rocked the festival with their exciting performances, the crowd bursting forth with thunderous applause and appreciation for the mesmerizing beauty and grace of the women and the fierce, sometimes terrifying performance of the Maori Warriors.
And the regalia – the feathered dresses, painted faces, and pukana – the intimidation or attitude shown by the expressions by the dancers was indescribable.
“We love Bethel, the people are so friendly, thank you very much for inviting us,” said Shannon Galeai, one the group’s coordinator/dancers.
Many thanks to Cama-i Coordinator Linda Curda and her crew of many volunteers. Quyana cakneq for all your hard work for making this event possible. Quyana!

Welcome to Cama-i 2008! I hope everyone has a great time during this wonderful yearly event! Quyana Tailuci!

On March 18, 2008, the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations warned the prevalence of avian influenza in Indonesia remains serious despite containment efforts undertaken by national authorities and the international community.
Indonesia is the country worst hit by avian influenza, which has become deeply entrenched in 31 out of its 33 provinces.
“The human mortality rate from bird flu in Indonesia is the highest in the world and there will be more human cases if we do not focus more on containing the disease at source in animals,” said FAO Chief Veterinary Officer Joseph Domenech.
Domenech said he was deeply concerned that the high level of virus circulation in birds in the country could create conditions for the virus to mutate and to finally cause a human influenza pandemic.
“The avian influenza situation in Indonesia is grave – all international partners and national authorities need to step up their efforts for halting the spread of the disease in animals and making the fight against the virus a top priority,” he said.
About 20 percent of the chicken population of 1.4 billion is Indonesia scattered in around 30 million backyards, where people raise them for food or income. Despite major control efforts, Indonesia has not succeeded in containing the spread of avian influenza in poultry, Domenech said.
“Indonesia is facing an uphill battle against a virus that is difficult to contain. Major human and financial resources, stronger political commitment and strengthened coordination between the central, province and district authorities are required to improve surveillance and control measures.”
Domenech said they have also observed that new H5N1 avian influenza virus strains have recently emerged, creating the possibility that vaccines currently in use may not be fully protecting poultry against the disease, and that more investigations and the development of better poultry vaccines are required.
“The major challenge is to immediately apply the main components of a successful national avian influenza control strategy, based on effective surveillance, emergency culling and compensation, vaccination, improved biosecurity, effective laboratory and quarantine procedures, and movement controls of poultry and poultry products,” Domenech added.

On Feb. 28, 2008, the Senate Finance Committee in Juneau passed House Bill 273, an historic bill to increase school funding and implement the recommendations of the Joint Legislative Education Funding Task Force.
The bill is considered on one of the most significant education plans to come before the legislature. If passed, the bill would fully fund education for the first time ever.
“I can’t think of a better use of the surplus funds than to implement a sustainable education funding plan,” said Stedman. “This proposal offers major changes and collaboration of educational professionals across Alaska.”
As chair and member of the task force, Stedman worked to address long-standing issues facing school districts such as the disproportionate costs in rural districts.
“Education funding is at the heart of our state budget. I have been working hard with my colleagues in both the House and Senate to ensure an equitable funding for remote school districts,” Stedman said. “Provisions such as fixing the district cost factor help level the playing field for small community school districts.”
The bill implements the recommendations advocated by the Institute of Social & Economic Research, also known as ISER. The provisions of the bill include:
•Fully forward fund education for the first time ever •Increase the Base Student Allocation by $300 over three years •Implementing a hold-harmless clause for districts with sharp drops in enrollment •Adjusting the District Cost Factor and Transportation Cost funding
The Joint Legislative Education Funding Task Force consists of Rep. Mike Hawker, R-Anch., as Chair, and members Sen. Johnny Ellis, D-Anch.; Sen. Lyman Hoffman, D-Bethel; Rep. Reggie Joule, D-Kotzebue; Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Fairbanks; Rep. Bob Roses, R- Fairbanks; Rep. Paul Seaton, R-Homer; Sen. Bert Steadman; Sen. Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak; and Sen. Gary Wilken, R-Fairbanks.
Carl Rose, Executive Director of the Assn. of Alaska School Boards, is also a member of the task force, by appointment of Gov. Sarah Palin. The next step for the bill is to go before the Senate for consideration.
*Congratulations to the winners of this year's 1A Tournament - the games were tough but you did it! Good luck at State! Also, Newtok Girls win the Perseverance Award for shoveling their runway so their plane could land - keep up the determination. Piurci!

Midcoast League Girls Basketball Results
1st: Kwigillingok
2nd: Eek
3rd: Goodnews Bay
Sportsmanship–Kwig Eagles
Kwigillingok and Eek will represent the Mid-Coast league at the district tourney in Bethel.
Island League (both Boys/Girls)
1st: Toksook Bay
2nd: Chefornak
3rd: Newtok
Sportsmanship: Newtok
All Tourney Boys: Joey Lincoln OOK, Thomas Albert TNK, Bosco Waska WWT, Tim Kinegak CYF, Bosco Julius OOK
All Tourney Girls: Shannon Tulik OOK, Vanessa George WWT, Alicia Chagluak OOK, Abby Moses OOK, Marilyn Billy CYF.
Kusko League Boys Results
1st Place - Akula
2nd Place - Napaskiak
3rd Place- Kwethluk
Sportsmanship: Napaskiak
All Tourney: Michael Andrew, Travis Andrew, Harry Berlin, Jerome Paul, Ryan White, Martin Jackson, Daniel Alexie, Josh Sergie, Herman Evan, Jeremiah Jackson
Kusko League Girls:
1st: Kwethluk Lady Kings
2nd: Napaskiak Lady Hawks
3rd: Akiuk Lady Grizzlies
Sportsmanship: Atmautluak Lady Falcons
All Stars: Katya McDalton-Kwt., Kelly Ayapan-Kwt., Crystal Michael-Kwt., Jaclyn Nelson-PKA, Ashley Evan-PKA, Francine Larson-PKA, Anastasia Brink - Akiuk, Renae Keene - Akiuk, Jamie Nicholas - Akula, Nicole Alexie - Atmautluak.
Congratulations to all the teams in their home districts for their outstanding academic and athletic effort to make it this far! Good luck!

The Alaska Board of Game will meet February 29 - March 10, 2008, in Fairbanks at Pike’s Waterfront Lodge to consider over 100 proposals concerning changes to hunting and trapping regulations in the Interior Region.
Some of those will include proposals concerning caribou and Proposals have been submitted by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, state advisory committees, and the general public seeking adjustments to hunting and trapping regulations in the Interior region, including subsistence hunting, methods and means for hunting and trapping, intensive management programs, restricted areas, and miscellaneous statewide regulations.
The board will also address a number of deferred proposals from previous board meetings that are from other regions of the state. For more detailed information on the subject matter, members of the public are encouraged to read the meeting notice that can be viewed on-line at: http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/gameinfo/meetinfo/gnote.php.
The board will take oral public testimony beginning Friday, February 29. Anyone wishing to testify before the board must sign up at the meeting site before 1:30 pm on Saturday, March 1st. Public testimony will continue until everyone who has signed up has been given the opportunity to be heard.
The deadline to ensure written comments on proposals are included in the Board of Game members’ meeting binders is 5:00 pm this Friday, February 15. Written comments on specific proposals that are received after 5:00 pm this Friday will be accepted and distributed to members during the meeting up until they begin deliberation on the proposal.
Written comments can be mailed to: Alaska Board of Game, Boards Support Section, P.O. Box 115526, Juneau, AK 99811-5526, or faxed to (907) 465-6094.
Deliberations on the proposals will begin following public testimony and continue through the remainder of the meeting. Copies of the proposals and the agenda can be viewed online at: http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/gameinfo/meetinfo/gcal.php. Quyanaqvaall'!

Here is an interesting piece on training and education written by Robert Bernstein from the US Census Bureau: The field of training can sometimes have as dramatic an effect on earnings as the level of education, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Workers who held vocational certificates in engineering averaged about $3,880 a month, which is nearly the same as those with bachelor’s degrees in natural science. Likewise, those with associate’s degrees in computers averaged about $3,760 a month, which is close to those with bachelor’s degrees in education or social science.
A survey, called “What’s It Worth: Field of Training and Economic Status in 2004,” examines the relationship between field of training for post-secondary degree holders and monthly earnings. It also presents data on the average years taken to start and complete various degrees and on occupation of workers by educational attainment and field of degree.
Other highlights:
•Business was a popular field of training in 2004, as 8.6 million people held bachelor’s degrees, 3.9 million earned associate’s degrees and 2.7 million received advanced degrees in this field. Those with bachelor’s degrees in engineering earned an average of $5,992 a month.
•People who pursued higher degrees often spent more than the minimum number of years to complete the degree or certificate. On average, students took more than a year to complete vocational programs, more than four years to complete associate’s degrees and more than five years to complete bachelor’s degrees.
•Women earned less than men at every degree level. The female-to-male average monthly earnings ratio for full-time workers 18 and older in 2004 was 0.71 for women who held bachelor’s degrees and 0.67 for women with a master’s, doctorate or professional degrees. The ratios were not statistically different from one another at these levels of education.

Welcome home to the soldiers who were deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. The celebration banquet prepared by the American Legion George H. Hohman Post 10, the VFW Post 10041, and the Bethel Family Readiness Group was very well done this past Sunday.
For the opening, the BRHS JROTC Honor Guard posted the colors. The Pledge of Allegiance, the American Anthem, and the Alaska State Song were performed by the students from the Ayaprun Elitnaurvik Immersion School in Yup'ik. Aina Niellson sang the National Anthem beautifully.
Those in attendance were touched by the solemn remembrance of their missing comrades during the POW MIA Ceremony.
Featured guest speakers included American Legion Post Commander Sam Shields, General Thomas Katkas, General Julio Benez, LTC David Osbourne, and LTC Michael Thompson.
"These soldiers postponed their lives to honor their country," said Shields. "To preserve our world from acts of terror for peace through their volunteering and sacrifice."
The soldiers also went through tarvaq, a purification of the spirit led by Chief Paul Kangrilnguq John of Toksook Bay and Chief Peter Paniguaq Jacob of Bethel with burning sage, with the purification song performed by Myron Naneng.
For the Freedom Salute, led by LTC Bill Luce, soldiers were presented with an American Flag, a limited edition coin, a Defender of Freedom Certificate, a lapel pin, and a future soldier kit.
Mike Martz of KYUK productions was presented with an award for superb effort to record and capture the events of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom from 2005 to 2008 for the soldiers and their families.
Soldiers from the communities of Bethel, Chefornak, Chevak, Hooper Bay, Kasigluk, Kipnuk, Kwigillingok, Mekoryuk, Newtok, Nightmute, Pilot Station, Quinhagak, Scammon Bay, Toksook Bay, Tuntutuliak, and Anchorage were asked to stand and be honored for a job well done and for coming home safely to their communities and families. The event closed with a banquet and Eskimo Dancing. Quyana!

Orutsararmiut Native Council is pleased to announce that CITGO, through the Alaska Inter-Tribal Council, is again offering up to 100 gallons of free residential heating fuel to the residents of Bethel.
This year, the first go-round will be in two (2) phases. Those considered as seniors, defined as head of households 60 years or over, will be able to claim their free oil vouchers starting February 6 through February 15, 2008. The rest of the general public will then be able to claim their free oil vouchers starting on February 18, 2008.
Free oil must be delivered to the residence no later than March 31, 2008. Like last year, the vendors will make only one delivery to the residence, and will not return to deliver the remaining balance if you received less than the 100 gallons on the first delivery.
Therefore, it is important that the residence heating fuel tank can accommodate at least 100 gallons. Also, the free oil vouchers will be issued only once. Lost vouchers will not be replaced.
Unless notified of a change, the vouchers can be picked up at the same location as last year. Any questions about this program, contact ONC at 543-2608. Quyana cakneq!

This just in from a trusted source:
All Democrats are invited to nominate their favorite candidates for President of the United States on February 5, 2008 at the Catholic Social Hall from 6:00 p.m. Doors will open at 5:00 p.m.
You can also register to vote at the door that night; or change your party affiliation.
All you have to do is show up, stand or sit in the corner where your candidate's signs are while we count how many each candidate gets. The process usually takes less than an hour. We will join 21 other states in the Super Tuesday caucusing.
Any questions, call the Alaska Headquarters: 907-258-3020. Quyana!

Congratulations to the mushers who ran the Kuskokwim 300, the Bogus Creek 150, and the Akiak Dash! Thank you to K300 Race Committee Manager Staci Gillilan and her hardworking staff, the K300 Board, KYUK news coverage staff, and all the volunteers and visitors who made it possible for our wonderful community to host such a world-class event - the highlight of our winter season. You did a great job and I am honored to be able to share in a part of the history of this great race. Enduring such hardship during these races is more than what most people can bear or even imagine - you and your dogs are amazing athletes, especially with this year's race conditions - wet and soggy. We stand in awe of you! Quyana and we hope that everyone finishes in grand style - you are all winners in my book. Piurci!

The 2008 PFD application period opens January 1, 2008, at 12:01 a.m. To encourage more Alaskans to apply online, the PFD Division is continuing its Early Direct Deposit option. Applicants who apply online in January and select and qualify for direct deposit will be paid on October 2, 2008. All other eligible applicants who select and qualify for direct deposit will be paid on October 16, 2008. The PFD Division will begin mailing checks to all other eligible applicants November 14, 2008.
Every Alaskan can apply online for their 2008 PFD. Alaskans who register for a myAlaska account can electronically sign their PFD application through the state’s myAlaska program. Visit www.pfd.alaska.gov to learn more about the electronic signature option or to set up a myAlaska account now.
Any adult who received a 2007 PFD can set up a myAlaska account to eSign their application with an Alaska driver’s license or an Alaska ID. Adults with a myAlaska account can also apply online and electronically sign their children’s’ PFD applications. Alaskans who already have a myAlaska account do not need to set up another account. Applicants who do not wish to use an electronic signature can still apply online and mail a printed signature page to the PFD Division.
PFD Division Director Debbie Richter said, “The online application process is a “win” in every way for applicants. It is more secure than mail, provides immediate confirmation of filing, and allows January filers with direct deposit to receive their dividends earlier. We are hoping for at least 470,000 online filers this year.”
According to PFD Division Manager Amy Skow, in 2007 the Division received 420,596 online applications, two thirds of the total 629,000 valid applications received for the 2007 PFD. Skow estimates that the Division will receive more online applications during 2008, and she encourages Alaskans to discover for themselves the convenience of signing electronically.
Division staff in the Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau Offices can assist those wanting to set up a myAlaska electronic signature account. Alaskans without computer access may apply online using public computers available in the PFD Offices, at public libraries and at Legislative Information Offices.
The 2008 PFD application period runs from January 1 through March 31, 2008. The online application will be available at 12:01 am on January 1, 2008. The 2008 dividend amount will be announced mid-September, 2008.

The popular Tundra Teacher columnist Kipling Layton of Atmautluak was in an accident where he fell while hunting during Christmas Break and will be unable to write for a while.
On December 27, 2007 he suffered a broken right foot and heel in 10 different places and has to wear a brace on his right knee. His left femur also broke in several areas and doctors had to perform surgery to insert a metal rod in it. Some of his cartilage was also mangled. One of Kip’s vertebrae was compressed during the accident and he is now wearing a back brace.
Kip was able to call his wife Irene on his cell phone for help. He was medevaced via helicopter to University Hospital in San Antonio. He is now recovering with a cast on his foot and a knee and back brace in a wheelchair. He is going to heal for a couple of months before going into physical therapy to walk and requests everyone’s prayers. Quyana!

The Bethel Regional Wind Development Workshop will be held next week on Thursday and Friday at the Bethel Cultural Center (January 10th and 11th). This two day event will be spent exploring Regional Wind Development in the Y-K Delta. Thursday’s events will be focused on providing an introduction to wind power and Friday’s will address more specific topics for regional wind systems.
The workshop, sponsored by Renewable Energy Alaska Project and the Alaska Energy Authority, has scholarships available to help cover travel costs for those in villages who wish to attend.
This meeting will bring together leaders from across the YK delta to discuss approaches that can be initiated to expand the use of wind energy throughout our region. Rising diesel fuel prices, strong community interest, and the successful wind-diesel projects in Toksook Bay and Kasigluk will be discussed as well as the steps to be undertaken to develop a wind energy deployment plan for the YK delta area. Other topics include:
Introduction to Wind Energy
•Wind Resource Basics
•Wind Characteristics
•Operation of Wind Turbines
•Small Wind Turbines
•Wind-Diesel System Basics
•YK Delta Wind Resources Summary
•Successful Project Development
Regional Wind Development
•How regional wind development could affect the local business environment and educational community
•Examples of other successful regional approaches
•Potential public-private partnerships to implement projects
If you have any questions about the workshop, please contact REAP or the Alaska Energy Authority. If you have not yet registered, please do so at http://www.eere.energy.gov/windandhydro/windpoweringamerica/registration_bethel.asp if you have any questions or problems, please contact REAP at (907) 929-7770. Quyana!

According to the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Alaska’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose three-tenths of a percentage point to 6.4 percent in November. The comparable national rate was unchanged at 4.7 percent.
After consistent declines in the early part of 2007, the state’s unemployment rate has bounced around in the second half of the year and not revealed any clear trend. The 6.4 percent rate is below last November’s 6.6 percent, but the gap isn’t wide enough to be statistically significant.
At the regional level, Anchorage/Mat-Su had the lowest unemployment rate at 5.4 percent and Southwest had the highest at 11 percent (not seasonally adjusted).
Payroll employment estimates for November show a typical seasonal decline of 7,400 jobs, the majority in construction and seafood processing. Over-the-year growth has slowed slightly to just below 1 percent.
The largest gains were in natural resources and mining, led by continued strong growth in the oil and gas industry. Construction was the only category to show signifi cant losses, with an over-the-year decline of 800 jobs.
According to Dan Robinson, a Department of Labor economist, the latest numbers indicate that the economy is relatively stable and not making any sudden shifts either up or down.
“A 6.4 percent unemployment rate is low by historical standards and 2007 will be the 20th consecutive year of job growth, so the overall picture is mostly positive,” Robinson said. “Construction jobs have been falling, but strong growth in the oil and gas industry has compensated for those losses.”
To our readership far and wide - Happy New Year! Welcome to 2008! Thank you for a great 2007! Piurci!

Merry Christmas to everyone in the YK Delta, our subscribers, and internet readers from The Delta Discovery. Angniq Alussistuaq to all of our contributers and advertisers! Thank you for all your help and your many words of encouragement and wisdom. We appreciate every one of you. Please know that we will not publish a paper on December 26, 2007. That is our week off and we are looking forward to spending a few days of rest and relaxation with loved ones. We will pick up again on January 2, 2008 - we are looking forward to what the New Year will bring! Quyana for another great and memorable year, piurci!

To help make the decision to keep village armories open, the Alaska Army National Guard is actively seeking new recruits to enlist.
“If there is no participation, it becomes a financially unsound decision to keep an armory open,” said Sgt. Msg. Hildreth, a Recruiter for the Guard.
Hildreth wishes to keep as many armories functional – to serve as viable options for people to take shelter in if there are disasters such as floods, power outages, or cold spells in the winter.
“The armory could be the sole remaining place in any of these villages that is operational,” he said. “The Guard is there to provide help during such emergencies.”
The National Guard is also keen on making sure to honor their departed fellow comrades.
“We want local guards to best honor a fellow servicemember, rather than someone from the outside who doesn’t know anything about the person,” said Hildreth. “To have a local group, that would be the better option for us to have those honor them.”
What can a new recruit expect after enlisting?
A new recruit once enlisted is under contract with the National Guard. They are checked – medically and morally. Medically to make sure they are healthy and morally to make sure they do not have any violations or trouble with the law.
“We look into their background to make sure there is nothing we have to worry about,” Hildreth said.
After that, they are sent to Anchorage to take the ASVAB – an aptitude test, and a physical. At this time, it is also decided what job they are going to take, how long they want to serve, which bonuses to pursue, and when and where they are going to attend basic training.
Each base is specialized. New recruits attend boot camp in one of several places. Infantrymen are sent to Fort Benning, Georgia. For clerks and supply positions, new recruits are shipped to Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Fort Knox is for armor. MPs, combat engineers and chemical go to Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. There is also Fort Sill in Lawton, Oklahoma.
“What job they are going to do dictates what location they are going to for basic and advanced trainig,” said Hildreth.
The Army National Guard Recruiters are planning to go to Akiak on their next mission. They can be reached at: 1-800-483-5296 for more information. Quyana!

Attention all Bethel Bakers/Cookie Makers, this just in from Bev Hoffman:
Bakers needed for
Christmas Cookie Extravaganza
The 15th annual Christmas Cookie Extra-vaganza will be held Sunday December 16 from 1 to 3pm at the Cultural Center. The event is sponsored by the Y/K Delta Lifesavers. All proceeds go to the swimming pool fund at Wells Fargo Bank. Please join the Y/K Delta Lifesavers! Add to the pool fund by baking 4-6 dozen of your favorite Christmas Cookie (include recipe). Please contact any of the following individuals as soon as possible: Nancy Elliott, Bev Hoffman, and Kathy Baldwin. We would like the cookies brought to the Cultural Center between 11a.m. and 12:30 that day. Happy Holidays and Quyana!

by Greg Lincoln

11-26-07

Walking through the aisles at last weekend's craft sales was a great experience as always. The quality and craftsmanship of the various pieces was excellent! The artists from this region have always been artistic - both in practical use for survival and for the aesthetic side. Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving! Piurci!

Bethel is getting help with its problems caused by alcohol according to a report published by Rider Consulting in conjunction with the Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation.
In 2007, the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority and the state Division of Behavioral Health began a project to help communities that have significant public safety and emergency room problems with alcoholism to identify solutions that they can pursue.
YKHC received a grant from the Trust through the State in August to help address this problem.
In late September 2007, YKHC entered a contract with Rider Consulting to help the community assess its current status and options. Rider plans to interview key informants, conduct a literature review, identify and review data from YKHC, the Yukon Kuskokwim Correctional Center, and the Bethel Police Department about inebriated people, facilitate some meetings within the community and between the community and the state, and prepare a report detailing a plan of action including factors that affect the community’s preferences.
On October 29 and 30, 2007, the consulting team interviewed approximately 25 key people who deal with the issue of inebriated people, their safety, their health care, and their families to help understanding the problem and how it affects the community. When the team couldn’t meet with an individual in person, interviews were pursued by telephone. Additional people were interviewed at the state level, and more is expected.
The report states that police are the first line of response in alcohol related incidents. Police are mandated to address the problem under Title 47.37 but don?t have the staffing necessary and they get burned out. It takes ½ hour to 4.5 hours for an officer to get someone admitted to the Emergency Department and the need for protective custody holds is huge.
The Emergency Department at the Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation hospital in Bethel has 9 beds. It takes all youth, many women and fewer men. The ED generally admits 3-4 people for protective custody each day—and as many as 13 per day, totaling over 1000 last year.
Additionally, most protective custody cases have another problem aside from alcohol such as being suicidal or injured and require special attention.
As for inebriate youth, it became illegal in 2004 to take youth to Bethel Youth Facility for sleep-off, so all youth go to the ED instead: 300 or so times each year.
The Yukon Kuskokwim Correctional Center in Bethel also does 12-hour protective custody holds in two rooms, 5 per room for inebriates. Those who are severely intoxicated must go to the ER for medical clearance. Often the women’s room at the jail is filled with men, which forces women to be referred to the ER.
A call to action: On November 13, 2007, a group of 30 residents gathered to talk about the situation of inebriated people in Bethel. They declared a crisis in emergency response, substance abuse treatment, and community health.
The plan is to research certain issues and responses, and convene a second community meeting with key policymakers in state government, local governments, and regional agencies and with the Alaska Mental Health Trust. That meeting will be held December 14, 2007 in Bethel. Quyana, there is much more to this report – this is just the tip!

Nationwide, home fire losses increase during the Thanksgiving Holiday. The number one cause for this increase is unattended cooking. The Alaska Division of Fire and Life Safety recommends the following safety tips to make sure your holiday is safe.
*Never leave cooking unattended.
*When leaving the kitchen, take a timer to remind you that there is food cooking on the stove.
*When leaving the home, turn the stove off.
*Keep young children away from the stove while cooking.
*Turkey deep fat fryers should be used outside on a concrete surface. Never indoors!
*Follow the instructions on what type of oil, & how much oil to put in the fryer.
*Completely thaw the turkey before putting it in the fryer.
*Make sure that candles are kept at least 12 inches away from anything that can burn
*Keep candles in sturdy, nonflammable holders
*Do not leave children or pets unsupervised around burning candles.
*Blow out all candles when leaving the home.
Thank you to Mahlon Greene, Public Education Coordinator for Fire and Life Safety who provided these tips. For more, you can reach him at (907) 269-5052, mahlon.greene@alaska.gov or visit the www.akburny.com. Quyanaqvaall'!

The results are in for the 61 rural Alaskan entrepreneurs who competed for $700,000 in seed money at the Alaska Marketplace Competition in Fairbanks! The Alaska Marketplace, an initiative of the Alaska Federation of Natives, is sparking grassroots development in rural villages by inviting Alaskans to submit their ideas for new ways of revitalizing their communities.
“The Marketplace is a rich resource for economic development in Alaska, and is creating a bright future for the next generation in our state,” said Al Bolea, Co-Chair of the Alaska Marketplace judges committee.
The competitors, who spent months developing their business ideas, were given the opportunity to pitch their business plans to top executives from around the world. The judges evaluated the business plans according to their innovation, sustainability and profitability, job creation and exemplification of Alaskan cultural heritage.
While the judges are experts and business leaders in their respective fields, they were impressed by the competitors’ enthusiasm, originality and commitment to their communities.
“When you talk to people with so much passion, all you see is endless potential,” said Carla Beam, the Director of Community Affairs for BP Alaska’s Community Support Program.
The mission of the Alaska Marketplace is to stimulate economic development in rural Alaskan communities. Managed by AFN, the Alaska Marketplace partners are BP; ConocoPhillips; Denali Commission; Rasmuson Foundation; Telecommunications Development Fund; GCI; Alyeska Pipeline Service Company; Chugach Alaska Corporation; Doyon, Limited; National Cooperative Bank; Bristol Bay Native Corporation; Shell Exploration and Production and Wells Fargo Bank. For more information about the Alaska Marketplace, please visit www.alaskamarketplace.org.
Winners from the YK Delta include Joseph A. Afcan of St. Mary’s and Michelle Maacuar Sparck of Bethel. Congratulations to you both! Here is a summary of their projects:
One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s Treasure: Award Amount: $50,000; Project Representative: Joseph A. Afcan, St. Mary’s, Yukon/Kuskokwim Region. Almost every yard in rural communities have broken-down ATVs, outboards, snowmachines and cars. One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s Treasure will purchase these machines at low prices to rebuild or salvage, and resell at a higher price. Alaska Native values stress to take care of the lands that we hunt and occupy. There is no better place to start than the villages in which we live.
ArXotica, Inc., Award Amount: $60,000, Project Representative: Michelle (Maacuar) Sparck, Bethel, Yukon/Kuskokwim Region. In Year 1, ArXotica financed the harvesting, shipping, drying and extraction of their first generation of tundra materials and awaiting analysis of the actives in tundra botanicals. The project objective for Year 2 is to finalize product formulation of the line of skin care to launch in the luxury consumer market. As well as deciding the product formula and private label contract manufacturing and forecast the volume of plants and berries needed each year to produce for market. ArXotica has a 5-year strategy to hire gatherers and agents in order to build the infrastructure within the region to avoid outsourcing manufacturers.
Quyana for your hard work! Tua-i-ngunrituq!

The Delta Discovery met Roger Morrison and Sgt. Msg. Hildreth of the Army National Guard to discuss their plans for the next “buddy platoon”. The National Guard of Alaska is eager to get the word out to help boost declining enlistment numbers.
DD: So what’s up?
National Guardsmen: The Alaska National Guard is offering a “buddy platoon”. In a buddy platoon, everyone from the State of Alaska would be going to basic training together. We’re looking for young men up to the age of 42. They would be doing basic training and their advance individual training together. So everyone from the region would be together.
DD: What about the enlistment requirements?
NG: They have to meet the requirements to get into the military, pass the ASVAB test, go up to Anchorage and do their full physical, and pass all their requirements to get in. But instead of them going by themselves, they’d be going with a friend or with the other people from the state so they wouldn’t be the only ones from Alaska.
DD: How many can you take?
NG: I would love to have like 15 or 20. I’ll take all 45 of them if I can get that. We’ll take as many as we can get. If we get more than 45, we’ll make room for them.
DD: What is it that makes a buddy platoon successful?
NG: Your readers who have been former members of previous buddy platoons, they know what the concept means. They’ve all been down there together. Previously we’ve sent onesies and twosies and when they get down there they’re away from home, they don’t have the support network with someone they know. When we send them down in big groups they come back a lot more successful, they get a lot more qualified and they seem to enjoy it quite a bit. Ft. Benning is a real blast.
Over the years we’ve done quite a few buddy platoons but it’s been a number of years since one has taken place. We’re trying to get the word out that we’re doing another buddy platoon. Probably a lot of guys in the villages know the term because they were members of one in years past. We’ll actually physically take them all the way down to Benning, get them through the first couple of weeks, hand them off to the drill sergeant, and when they graduate we’ll escort them back up. It’s a good trip, a lot of people have a good time with it.
DD: What about the training schedule and their duty status?
NG: While they’re down there, they’re on full time active duty status so they’ll be making a lot more. But when the training is done, they will come back to their homes and do one week out of the month, 2 weeks out of the year. The average is about 39 days total. The Guard is trying a new concept where they’re going 4-5 days at a time to do drills where we fly everybody into Fairbanks or Anchorage or wherever. We’re trying that concept as well. But traditionally, the guard is one week in a month and two weeks out of the year.
DD: Anything else that’s new?
NG: I wanted to talk about Active First, which the guard is just now starting. What it is is young men or women that join up into the National Guard, but they do active duty first. So they would be coming and talking to me and I would be doing all the paperwork to get them in. They could do up to 30, 36 or 48 months of active duty. Instead of coming back home when the training is over, they’d go off to Ft. Benning or someplace like that and do 30, 36, or 48 months. And for the 36 or 48 they get a $20,000 bonus for the active duty part, and then when they finish up their, for example, 48 months of active duty status, they come back and join the National Guard again, they’ll sign a different deal, releasing them from active duty giving them back to us, and they’ll get another $20,000 bonus for doing that. They’ll actually get a full $40,000 bonus.
DD: What other benefits does that give young recruits?
NG: A lot of training and a lot of experience. They can put on their résumé that they've have four years working as a mechanic, clerk, medic, or whatever. It is a good résumé builder. They get a lot of benefits to come back and continue their education and get their degrees and become involved in the community at some point.
DD: That sounds excellent.
NG: It’s pretty good. I (Hildreth) grew up here as a kid. I was looking for a way to get out of town. A lot of kids need that change at that critical age when they’re growing. There are a lot of distractions at that age and they can get into trouble a lot real quick around here. It’s a good option to get away from town for a while to clear your distance from a lot of things you know and understand and get to a new place and learn. It helps you get the skills and maturity and to grow emotionally and come back with the intent to go into school. It’s a good way to get going in life.
DD: Is there a decline in enlistment from this area?
NG: Yes, western Alaska used to be one of the biggest in the state for the National Guard, it was huge. 500 people used to participate from here. That outshadowed any other unit in the state by a couple hundred people. Nobody else could muster the number of people that participated like this region could. Through the 90s it slowly declined and in 2000 it plummeted. We’re trying to get it going again, trying to get that participation level up again.
If you walk around in the houses in the village, you see the photos of every one that was in the service. You see all these pictures of every able bodied male and female that had participated at some point through the 70s, 80s, and end of the mid 90s. We want to continue to get more people in the process. There are a lot of good people out here. We need to get that back.
Sgt. Msg. Hildreth and Roger Morrison are scheduled to be in Holy Cross on November 13, 2007. To reach them or to learn more, you can call the Army National Guard in Bethel at 543-5296. People in the villages can call 1-800-483-5296. Email is roger.Morrison@us.army.gov. Quyana!

It won’t be long before the rumble of heavy equipment signals the beginning of a training program unlike any other in the country. Students will soon have the opportunity for hands-on experience in building the kind of pipeline that will someday transport natural gas from Alaska’s North Slope. The sixth annual Pipeline Training event will be held in Fairbanks, October 22-November 1.
Along with the skills students gain in their respective trades, trainees will practice all phases of pipeline construction as a combined workforce. From fabricating support members, installing road crossings, welding, and heavy equipment operation, workers learn the teamwork it takes to build a pipeline across the Last Frontier. Thanks to past pipeline training events, hundreds of workers now have what it takes to work on pipeline projects around Alaska. Many past participants are already at work on jobs in the oil patch.
The pipeline training is hosted by Alaska Works Partnership, the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the Denali Commission, local contractors and Alaska’s four pipeline unions – Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 375, Laborers Local 942, Operating Engineers Local 302, and Teamsters Local 959. The training will take place on 20 acres of Great Northwest, Inc.’s yard.
AWP will be providing training site visits Oct 25th – Oct 31st; November 1st, 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 pm: Training site demonstration; 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 pm: Graduation at Pioneer Park Civic Center. For more information about the Pipeline Training, contact Randy Cheap, Alaska Works Partnership at 907-457-2597.
Here are some highlights from the 2006 Pipeline Academy:
•Ninety-seven apprentices and beginning pipeline workers were trained to go to work on Alaska’s North Slope. Pioneer Natural Resources Oooguruk Project and the replacement of 17 miles of Trans-Alaska Pipeline were two projects that required trained workers.
•Nearly 20 percent of participants were Alaska Native.
•Rural students came from as far away as Kiana, Napakiak, Amber and Dillingham.
•Twenty percent of participants were female.
•More than 60 percent of participants were between the ages of 18-29.
•As part of the training, students constructed a 2,000 foot, 12-inch diameter pipeline.
Trainees will practice all phases of pipeline construction as a combined workforce, including driving heavy equipment such as a "rollinger". Good luck! Piurci.

Joe Schmidt, the Commissioner for the State of Alaska’s Department of Corrections made another visit to Bethel to continue with the plan to expand the Yukon Kuskokwim Correctional Center as part of Alaska’s jail expansion program. The visit is the second of two recent trips to Bethel.
During the first trip, Schmidt was met with overwhelming support for expanding the Bethel Jail, which is part of a four part expansion plan. The other parts include expansions to the jails in the Matanuska Valley, Seward, and Fairbanks.
According to Schmidt, after new jails were built in the 80’s and when any new beds weren’t built throughout the 90s, the State jails ran out of room and became crowded. Alaska started using an out of state vendor for overflow and the problem got worse.
It is well known that prisoners in the Arizona jail want to come home to Alaska and be closer to home.
“That’s what this expansion in Bethel is all about, it’s what all the expansions are all about to a degree but particularly Bethel because of the cultural issue. It is particularly the young people that are getting removed from their culture. The culture from a rural village is wildly different from a desert in Arizona.
“Classification tells me that there’s a 100 throughout the system – Arizona, Anchorage, and all around the system - that belong here (in Bethel) and will reintegrate through here. This expansion will give us 68 new beds and that is better than what we’ve got now,” said Schmidt.
A report released by the judicial council last January says that 66% of the people that are arrested have been back in custody within three years.
“In the state, the police arrest and we process 33,000 per year,” Schmidt said. “That means 20,000 have been in custody within three years. We need the resource, we need the jail beds.”
One of the major issues that came up during the visit was Title 47 that pertains to the protective custody inebriates. Drunks are overwhelming the jail, hospital, and City of Bethel Police with their numbers and need a safe place to sleep off their intoxication.
“We do more than a 1000 (protective custody cases) a year that we book in,” said Schmidt. “There is even more than that are dealt with by the hospital or by the police that we don’t book in so it was identified to us as a substantial problem here needing to be dealt with.”
Title 47 is a non-criminal commitment and are really not a corrections prisoner per se, said Schmidt. However, they need a place to go. Part of the expansion plan is to a little more than double the inebriate cells that are available. Currently at the Bethel jail there is enough room to put 10 inebriates if they are all of one gender. Otherwise 5 can go in one cell, and 5 in the other.
Discussion which occurred between the Commissioner and Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation administration during the visit also turned towards the need for a nurse to monitor the incapacitated drunks at night to help with staffing.
“We’re talking with YKHC asking for some help in staffing. We don’t have a nurse at night to monitor these people when they come in so we’re asking for some help there and we’re talking back and forth about that,” said Schmidt.
It is very expensive to build in Bethel, especially hardened prison buildings with steel, metal, concrete, and electric doors, said Schmidt. So it was decided that a prefabricated building like an office type structure to house the superintendent, the administrative manager, the clerk, and storage for the kitchen could be built instead.
“The part of this building that is already inside the hardened structure, the expensive piece is already built, let’s just use it. Instead of having the superintendent inside this, we can put the superintendent outside along with the administrative manager and support staff and keep the prisoners in here,” he said.
Additionally, on the other side of the jail, the Commissioner wants to build a little side building that would serve as a small dormitory area. The gymnasium, which is already in the hardened structure of the building, would be converted into a dorm area with 48 beds.
“That is kind of a picture of how we’re going to do it now when we couldn’t do it before,” said the Commissioner. “We couldn’t afford to build a big hardened structure, we don’t have enough land anywhere and it wasn’t going to work out. But if we use what we already have and just add some softer buildings next to it…that’s what the visit brings.”
The next step is to get the operating agreements all signed in the next 60 days, get the bonds out for sale by next spring, design and engineer, and the following spring start breaking ground, said Schmidt. The jail expansion project will be completed by 2011.

Twenty-eight young Alaska Native leaders (18-35 years old) from around the state of Alaska were selected and completed the first week-long gathering of the Arctic Institute for Indigenous Leadership (AIIL), held in Fairbanks.
The goal of the AIIL is to support the personal and professional growth of young leaders while providing an opportunity to build a statewide network. The Institute was effective in building trust, common understanding, and mutual support among the community.
According to Karlin Itchoak, AIIL participant and owner of Itchoak Tribal Services, “(The) AIIL is amazing! What an important group of young and inspiring leaders. The group is well balanced, intuitive, intelligent, and rooted in the retaining and maintaining of Native cultures, and traditions all with a passion and commitment toward leadership. These young leaders are free-thinking visionaries with creative and unique ideas for problem-solving and consensus building.”
Indigenous communities in Alaska, while diverse in their geographic and cultural heritage, face similar challenges in the process of decolonization. This unique Institute has been a timely opportunity for the next generation of leaders to build a foundation of history and knowledge that is often not obtained in mainstream curriculums.
Pearl Brower, who works for the President of Ilisagvik College, states: “This institute was an experience of a lifetime. It was amazing to interact with so many passionate

by Greg Lincoln

by Greg Lincoln