Monthly Archives: September 2007

FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska, September 10 –U.S. Army Alaska will host a combined (international) training exercise with the Indian Army at Fort Wainwright beginning today through September 24.

Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2007 will include soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry division, based at Ft. Wainwright, and soldiers from the Indian Army.

Approximately 650 Stryker soldiers will train with about 100 soldiers from India in a variety of military exercises at the Army’s Donnelly Training area, near Fort Greely. Most of the training exercise will involve the unit’s Stryker vehicles and will primarily focus on counterinsurgency/anti-terrorism training.

This training exercise is an example of the ongoing mission of U.S. Army Alaska to strategically work with the international community to encourage cooperation across borders in combating the Global War on Terror.

Questions concerning this military exercise should be referred to Capt. Chris Hyde at 384-6328.

Franci Havemeister, the new Director of the Division of Agriculture, invites people to come to the CES conference room in the Jarvis Office Center from 9:00 – 11:00 AM on Tuesday, September 11, 2007.

Franci wishes to meet the producers, hear about their concerns, and establish an open line of communication.

She will also be available during lunch at the Buffalo Diner from 1:00 – 2:00 PM after which she will be visiting a few farms in the area.

Please come to meet the Director at the CES Conference Room or at the Buffalo Diner.

It would be helpful if you could call (895-4215) to confirm your attendance at either the morning session or during lunch.

Thank you,

Phil Kaspari
Agricultural Extension Agent

Christmas is just around the corner and if you do any of your shopping online it can benefit Alpha Omega Life Care, Inc. The website: www.reverbk12.com is a portal to many of the merchants you may already shop with online. Using this site to enter those stores on the net allows Alpha Omega to collect a specific amount, or a percentage of what you would normally spend to help support the programs we deliver to your community.

When you enter the site click on Find My School/Group and then search by Reverb ID, or you can scroll down the list of organizations and click on Alpha Omega. Shopping is done by category and the list of merchants is almost endless.

The Reverb ID for Alpha Omega is # 1003070.

Some of the merchants you will find through this portal are: Kohl’s, Lane Bryant, Sears, Kmart, Target, Dell Computers, Panasonic, Gateway, Toshiba, Sharper Image, Fingerhut, Chadwicks, Starbucks, Best Buy, Carol Wright, Lillian Vernon, Orbitz, Brookstone, Avon, Footsmart, Josten’s, Old Navy, Office Depot and Office Max just to name a few.

All it takes is a few extra seconds to enter your favorite merchant’s online store through this portal and you will be contributing to a local social service agency that provides many programs to your community.

We at Alpha Omega Life Care, Inc. thank you!

P.S. I know it works I do my online shopping through this site. JEF

Alpha Omega Life Care, Inc. has available applications and program qualifications for the Senior Benefits Program. Alaska residents who are age 65 years of age or older may qualify for a monthly payment from the Senior Benefits Program.

The payment will be $125, $175 or $250 depending on annual gross income. Income limits are calculated according to the Alaska Federal Poverty Guidelines and will change every year.

For more information call Alpha Omega @ 895-4104 / 4143 or the Senior Benefits Office @ 1-888-352-4150.

Congratulations to Illene Jurgens the winner of this weeks’ mystery photo. Illene wins a gift certificate from Buffalo Center Diner, compliments of Ed and Ann Richards

The photo was taken at the Granite View Mountain Sports. It was the top part of the snow covered mountain.

We had 9 correct entries. Congratulations to all who have submitted correct guesses.

This will be our last mystery photo for the season. We have enjoyed the contest and all the entries each week.

Watch for details in the DNW for possibly another kind of contest coming soon.

The Army will conduct late-night firing operations in the Fort Greely area periodically from Sept. 9 through Oct. 2 from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

The exercise will include firing of mortars and 155mm howitzers at Mississippi Impact Area and Oregon Lakes region.

Delta Junction area residents may hear booming noises and feel vibrations from the explosions.

For more information call Derek Mills, 873-4714.

For the second year, the Delta Community Library will be holding a Laptime Stories activity for children from birth up to age three.

Laptime Stories will be held every second and fourth Tuesday from 10:30 to 11:15 am at the Library, beginning Tuesday, September 11, 2007 through May 2008.

A parent or caregiver must attend and older siblings are welcome. No registration is required.

For more information, please contact Miss Nancy at the Library, 895-4102.

September 29, 2007
6:00 PM
Delta Senior Center

Come and enjoy!
Pizzas and Popcorn

Wear your best pjs and win a prize!

We need to know your movie preference. Please call eves to 895-2221 for more info and to request your favorite movie.

We will provide the top 2 movies and decide which to show during the party.

Mark your calendar!

Labor Day is a United States federal holiday that takes place on the first Monday in September. The holiday began in 1882, originating from a desire by the Central Labor Union to create a day off for the “working man”. It is still celebrated mainly as a day of rest and marks the symbolic end of summer for many. Labor Day became a federal holiday by Act of Congress in 1894

Labor Day has been celebrated on the first Monday in September in the United States since the 1880s. The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take were outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a street parade to exhibit to the public “the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations” of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.

Today Labor Day is often regarded simply as a day of rest and, compared to the May 1 Labor Day celebrations in most countries, parades, speeches or political demonstrations are more low-key, although especially in election years, events held by labor organizations often feature political themes and appearances by candidates for office. Forms of celebration include picnics, barbecues, fireworks displays, water sports, and public art events. Families with school-age children take it as the last chance to travel before the end of summer. Some teenagers and young adults view it as the last weekend for parties before returning to school. However, of late, schools have begun well before Labor Day, as early as the 24th of July in many urban districts, including Nashville and Atlanta. In addition, Labor Day marks the beginning of the season for the National Football League and NCAA College Football. The NCAA usually plays their first games the weekend of Labor day, with the NFL playing their first game the Thursday following Labor Day.

Article taken from Wikipedia. To read the entire article, please visit their website.

Victory in the Pacific Day (V-P Day) (or Victory over Japan Day, V-J day) is the celebration of the Surrender of Japan, which was initially announced on August 15, 1945 (August 14 North American date), ending combat in the Second World War. In Japan, the day is known as Shuusen-kinenbi (終戦記念日), which literally means the “Memorial day for the end of the war”. This is commemorated as Liberation Day in Korea and some other nations.

At noon Japan standard time on August 15, 1945, Emperor Hirohito’s announcement of Japan’s acceptance of the terms of the Potsdam Declaration was broadcast to the Japanese people over the radio. Earlier the same day, the Japanese government broadcast an announcement over Radio Tokyo that “acceptance of the Potsdam Proclamation [would be] coming soon,” then advised the Allies of the surrender by sending a cable to U.S. President Harry S. Truman via the Swiss diplomatic mission in Washington, D.C.

Since Japan was the last Axis Power to surrender and V-P Day followed V-E Day by three months, V-P Day marked the end of World War II.

The formal Japanese signing of the surrender terms took place on board the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945, and at that time Truman actually declared September 2 to be VJ-Day.

To read the entire article, go to Wikipedia

Senator Gene Therriault
R- North Pole

Federal Commission Commends Gasoline Progress

In a statement accompanying its fourth semi-annual report to Congress on the status of the proposed Alaska natural gas pipeline, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Joseph T. Kelliher commended recent progress under the leadership of Gov. Sarah Palin. We were especially pleased that the FERC report noted the deadline for submitting proposals under the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act has been extended to Nov. 30, 2007, and, despite that, still concludes that a project sponsor could begin working in the summer of 2008.

Senator Con Bunde
R- Anchorage


Eye on Education

Task Force Wraps Up

The Joint Legislative Education Funding Task Force met for a final time Thursday, August 30 to finalize the report it is mandated to submit to the Governor by Sept. 1. The Task Force made several recommendations for policies to be implemented during the second regular session of the Twenty-fifth Legislature, including the creation of a standing Education Committee that would be separate from the current Health, Education and Social Services Committee. The Task Force referred many of the more contentious items to this Committee. Sen. Gary Wilken, who represented the Senate Minority on the Task Force, authored a dissenting opinion that is included in the final report. Among his concerns is a recommendation to phase in funding over four years to cover district cost factors as outlined in a report by the University of Alaska’s Institute of Social and Economic Research. Sen. Wilken believes that the artificial deadline of Sept. 1 established by the resolution creating the Task Force resulted in the dismissal of all long-term options that would have included reviewing the entire K-12 education funding formula in total, rather than recommending a substantial adjustment to a single component. Sen. Wilken hopes that the entire Legislature, in cooperation with the Governor, will take the time necessary to thoroughly review the ISER study and question some of its basic assumptions.

Senator Fred Dyson
R- Eagle River

Incentives Awarded

An idea originally championed by Sen. Con Bunde came to fruition this month with the distribution of more than $1.8 million to educators and support staff in the first year of the Alaska Public School Performance Incentive Program. The three-year pilot program provides incentive payments to eligible staff members at schools whose students show significant improvement from the year before—or whose students continue to achieve at high levels—in state assessments of reading, writing and math.

Sentator Tom Wagoner
R- Kenai

Meeting with U.S. Dept. of Ed. Secretary Margaret Spellings

Sen. Con Bunde was one of several legislators to meet Aug. 30th with U.S. Department of Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, and Sen. Ted Stevens to discuss the No Child Left Behind Act and other federal education issues. Sen. Bunde said he was honored Secretary Spellings took the time and initiative to tour schools across Alaska to get firsthand knowledge of the obstacles and successes of the NCLB.

“Secretary Spellings commended our notable improvements in AYP and our team approach for improving education in Alaska. She acknowledged that Alaska is on the cutting edge nationwide, and that other states are watching our innovations. It was a valuable gathering and I hope she seriously considers the input we gave her,” Sen. Bunde said.

Senator Gary Wilkens
R- Fairbanks
Fort Wainright

Special Session Approaching

The Senate Minority Oil & Gas Team—Senators Gene Therriault, Tom Wagoner and Fred Dyson—are gearing up in preparation for the Special Session Gov. Sarah Palin has announced will begin Oct. 18 to reconsider the Petroleum Profits Tax passed last year. Gov. Palin is scheduled to formally call the session and present the administration’s proposal Sept. 4th. Gov. Palin has characterized the PPT as “tainted” in light of an on-going corruption probe. Additionally, the Department of Revenue has concluded the new tax mechanism is resulting in far less revenue than was estimated. The Senate Minority has not taken a position pending more details on the Governor’s plan, but would welcome an independent review of the data set used for the modeling presented during the 2006 PPT debate.

Sen. Gene Therriault, Rep. John Harris and Shell Alaska Asset Manager Rick Fox stand aboard the MV Nanuq during a July tour in Valdez. The 300-foot Nanuq is the centerpiece in Shell’s oil spill response fleet and was built specifically for the Arctic