Monthly Archives: March 2008

National Public Health Week is April 7 to 11 and the theme is “Climate Change: Our Health in Balance.” Delta Public Health will be coordinating two screenings related to the environment during this week.

Hair Mercury Bio-Monitoring is offered free to any woman of childbearing age (15-45 years). Mercury occurs naturally in the environment but is also released into the air through industrial pollution and can reach the Arctic through air and water currents. Mercury can be found in fish and passed on to people who eat fish. High levels of mercury can cause human health problems especially in unborn babies and young children.

Blood lead level screening will be offered on a sliding scale fee. Lead exposure can occur by drinking water from pipes in older homes that may contain lead solder. Older homes where lead-based paints have been used and are deteriorating can contribute to lead dust which is then inhaled. You may also be exposed to lead if you fix batteries or radiators, make ceramics or stained glass, work with scrap metal, perform welding with lead, or use an indoor shooting range. Lead dust from these activities can settle on the hair and clothing and can be carried back to cars and homes where other people can be exposed to the lead dust. High lead levels can damage the nervous system, kidneys, and immune system or cause difficulty in learning, hearing loss, and miscarriages.

If you are interested in scheduling one of these screenings, or have any questions, call Delta Public Health at 895-4292. We will be holding a prize-drawing for anybody who has one of these tests done or who picks up a Public Health Information Kit during the week of April 7-11. Hope to see you then! Rachelle Hill, PHN and Janice Templin-Weller, PHN

If you have missed the Delta Christian Drama Association(DCDA) play that was on Friday night, you have an opportunity to see the play on Saturday or Sunday, March 29 and 30 at the Assembly of God. The play will also be at Fort Greely next Friday.

How would one sum the production up in one word? Well, you can’t. It was Entertaining, Awesome, Fabulous, Fantastic, Emotional, and Spiritual. Many times a lot of laughter from the congregation. George and the cast have done another outstanding job for the community. Many hours of dedication have gone into this production, I believe George mentioned last night, that they have worked on this play for 3 months. Please come on out and enjoy the evening. You will not walk away feeling disappointed.

The message of this play is that God loves everyone, even when you think you are the worst sinner. Just ask (Barstool), who portrays a gangster in this play.

The DCDA is a nonprofit organization, and these events are free to attend. They are however this weekend, taking up a collection to help with the Alexis Flynn fund. 100% of the proceeds go directly to Alexis.

Fort Wainright, Alaska – Fathers and daughters can enjoy a night out at the all military Father-Daughter Ball April 18 from 7-9:30 p.m. at Pike’s Waterfront Lodge.

The Armed Services YMCA of Alaska sponsors the ball, which is open to active-duty military, National Guard and Reserves of all branches of the military.

The cost is $5 per couple.

Register at the Armed Services YMCA or call 353-5962.

The Delta Figure Skating Club Proudly presents their spring:“Country Western Skating Exhibition”

Date: Thursday, March 27th
Time: 7:00 p.m. –sharp
Location: the Liewer/Holmstead ice arena

The Public Is Cordially Invited to Attend the Second Annual Delta Farm Bureau Scholarship Auction and Spaghetti Dinner Friday, April 11th, at the Community Center

Dinner at 6:30 P.M. – Auction at 7:30 P.M.

Music provided by “Halfway Home” band.
Auctioneer: Randy PetersonA

ll auction proceeds benefit Delta Junction students pursuing a career related to agriculture or natural resources.

Spaghetti, meatballs or meatless sauce, tossed salad, garlic bread, ice cream and carrot cake. Dinner is $10.00 paid at the door. Auction is free

Corridor Partnership Plan Community Workshop #2

Communities along the North Richardson Highway State Scenic Byway, between Fort Greely and Fairbanks, are developing a Corridor Partnership Plan (CPP) with assistance from the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. The goal of this project is to develop a plan that represents the vision of the Communities along the byway and that tells the complete story of the byway corridor. At the workshop, there will be a presentation on the draft vision and goals and the draft CPP document. Completion of the CPP will open up grant funding opportunities for projects outlined in the plan. Please join in for the presentation on the draft CPP, and give us your thoughts and feedback! We want to gather your opinions!

Who: People interested in enhancing and maintaining the North Richardson Highway Scenic Byway
Date: Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Time: 5:30 – 7:30 PM
Location: Rika’s Roadhouse at Big Delta State Historical Park, Mile 275, Delta Junction

For more information contact Aneta Synan at aneta.synan@alaska.gov or 907.465.8769 or Julianne Hanson at Julianne.hanson@hdrinc.com or 907.644.2165 or visit http://www.nrhcpp.com/

We are gearing up again for the summer season of softball. If you are willing and able to help out with odd jobs for the season please contact Hanni Marchuk at 907-360-9731 during the day and 895-4018 in the evenings.

Umpires are badly needed, if you are willing to umpire this year please contact Hanni at the numbers above. Pay is $20/game. We will arrange to educate you on the slow-pitch softball rules if you have never umpired before, so don’t let a lack of experience stop you!
Men’s League is on Monday nights, start time to-be-announced. Coed League is on Wednesday nights, start time to-be-announced. Team Rosters with a minimum of 9 players must be turned in by May 9th or that team will not be able to play. Please be aware that in the past we have accepted late team registrations and payment, however this year we will not, there are many things that have to paid for in advance and team/player registration fee’s are what pays for them. There will be NO EXCEPTIONS this year, plan ahead and get those registrations and team fee’s in on time.

All Team Rosters and Registrations may be mailed to Hanni Marchuk, Po Box 514, Delta Junction, AK 99737. Please make check or money order out to Delta Softball League, send cash through the mail at your own risk. Team Fee’s must be post-marked or delivered to Hanni by May 7th or you will be taken off the schedule. Player Fee’s are due with registration; no registrations will be accepted without payment. If someone is not in town until after the season begins they may still register and join a team. Registration packets may be picked up beginning April 1st at Granite View Sports in Delta or call Hanni and she will arrange to get them to you. If you are new in town or don’t have a team please call Hanni and she will do her best to get you on one.

Anyone entertaining the thoughts of putting together a team need to communicate any scheduling restrictions well in advance so we schedule accordingly. Game times are as follows; 6:30, 7:45, and 9:00.

Team and Player Fee’s for those planning on playing in the first games are due by May 9th. I will not be accepting Fee’s the day of the first season’s games. This causes delay’s in the start of the games and causes headaches for those of us trying to get the season off to a great start, so get your player’s fee’s in on time.

Team Fee: $200 Player’s Fee: Men’s or Coed = $25 Both = $40

If you have any questions concerning the Delta Softball League please call Hanni Marchuk during the day at 360-9731 or in the evenings at 895-4018.

Effective April 18, 2008 – An Unsecured Load Service Fee of $10 will be charged to all customers who deliver uncovered loads to the landfill

On March 18, 2008 the Delta Junction City Council passed a resolution to charge an Unsecured Load Service Fee of $10 for all uncovered loads delivered to the landfill. The policy is effective April 18, 2008 and was established because of increased occurrences of garbage being scattered along roadsides, which is in violation of AS 46.06.080, and the Council does not wish to refuse service to anyone. The customer will be given a tarp and bungee cord for future transports.

AS 46.06.080 (b) A vehicle may not be driven or moved on a public highway or right-of-way unless it is constructed, loaded, or covered to prevent its load from dropping, sifting, leaking, or otherwise escaping from the vehicle. (c) A person who violates this section is guilty of a violation, and may be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $1,000.

For more information on the City landfill please visit their website.

SPECIAL PRIZE WINNERS at the Delta Lions Club Easter Egg Hunt on Easter Sunday, March 23, at the Deltana Fairgrounds, are pictured here with their prizes.

• Preschooler with help: Amber Klein, daughter of Daniel & Eunsuk Klein
• Preschooler (without help): Alexander Groppel, 4-year-old son of Christy Groppel
• Kindergarten: Caleb Pugh, 6-year-old son of Angie & Gerald Pugh
• First Grade: Hunter Hill, 6-year-old son of Yvonne & Stephen Hill and grandson of Silas & Sandy Hill
• Second Grade: Gunnar Hanson, 7-year-old son of Todd and Cheryl Hanson
• Third Grade: Faith Jenkins, 9-year-old daughter of Tina and Kevin Jenkins

The Delta Lions Club Raffle Winners were drawn about 2 pm on the Deltana Fairgrounds after the Easter Egg Hunt.

The winner of the freezer and half of beef and half of pork was Mark Gordon of Palmer.

Joe Crandall of Delta Junction won the $500 gift certificate to Granite View Sports and Gifts.

Thank you to all who purchased raffle tickets.

The Delta Lions Club will be offering raffle tickets for sale soon with great prizes to be drawn on the last day of the 2008 Deltana Fair (July 27).

I Was There by George Hosier II

Something awakens me, jerking me out of a sound sleep, I feel my heart pounding, and the back of my neck prickling. What time is it? I instinctively turn toward my alarm clock. The red digital numbers read 12:00 pm. PM! Doesn’t that mean noon? I shake my head to clear the grogginess from my brain. What is going on? What had awakened me? How could I have slept so long? Why is it still dark? I look toward the alarm clock again to verify that I had misread the time, but the familiar glowing display has vanished.

Now I become aware that I am standing. Where, I cannot tell. I shudder in the inky, supernatural blackness. Waving my hand in front of my face, I see nothing but this palpable darkness that presses against the back of my eyes and seems to seep into my nostrils and trickle down my throat, gagging me. Beneath my feet, the ground is convulsing and retching, like a poisoned animal struggling for its last breath. Around me I can hear things falling, rocks splitting, wind howling. Women are screaming in terror, and men cry out hoarsely. I am surprised to discover that they speak in Aramaic, Greek, and Latin. I am even more surprised to realize that I can understand their words.

To read the rest of the story we invite you to browse thru our Chinook pages.

The Mountain House Mad Hatters Relay for Life team will once again be raising money for the American Cancer Society by becoming wait staff and providing desserts at Adams Ribs/Mountain House Lodge Restaurant. During the month of April Mad Hatter team members will be providing desserts at the restaurant. On Friday nights a few of the team members will become wait staff. Donations for desserts and all tips will go to the Relay for Life. Come out to enjoy a good meal and support the fight against cancer. Thanks to Mark and Miki Adams for their generous support of the Mountain House Mad Hatters Relay for Life Team. For more information or to make a donation to the team contact Janice Templin-Weller at 895-4292.

Thank you to the hosts of this event, the City of Delta Junction for the use of the Liewer-Olmstead arena, the Delta-Ft.Greely Youth Skating Association for the 20 hours of ice time, the Delta Elementary School for soliciting pledges and skating and our church communities (Whitestone Farms, Living Word Ministry, and New Hope) for their pledges and skating. A special thank you to Ron Liewer, Ron Riesgaard, Bill Smith, Rachael Woodcox and the many parents who accompanied the classes to the arena for your help tying skates and assisting the beginners while on the ice. This was a VERY BUSY week at the Liewer-Olmstead arena but it appeared that everyone had a wonderful time. For those two skaters with hurt lips, we hope you feel better and will come again to skate. Skating really is fun. Many thanks to all of you who pledged our skaters.

To the following teachers: Mrs. DeLange, Ms Ethridge, Mr. Gerhart, Mrs. Hanson, Mrs. Hicks, Mrs. Hite, Ms Lehner, Ms Marchini, Mrs. Mock, Mrs. Reiter, Mrs. Scifres, Mrs. Todd, Mrs Toth, Mr. Wirick, thank you for changing your daily schedules to include time on the ice. Several of your skaters said “this was SO MUCH fun.” We wish to acknowledge a few students who went over and above what was asked of them: Nathan Anderson, the Besch brothers, Andrea Dalton, Arthur Edgren, Olga Misyuk, Joseph Mock, Anuson Poolsawat, Shelby Stevens, Dee Dee Webb and High School Senior, Gary Olsen-Saville. The Delta students raised $6,885.62 for Alexis. Outstanding!

Morley Electric, the Kiwanis Club of Delta Junction, Kiwanis members, Whitestone Farms, Delta Industrial Services, Living Word Ministry, and New Hope contributed $3,178.00 and the patrons of Buffalo Service Center over $500, and Interior Building Supply over $300. The total amount raised during this event was $11,042. Thank you to all the behind the scene cookie makers and rink helpers: JoAnn Singer, Lonnie Miller, Eula Nistler, LeeAnn Turinski, Lalee Foster, and Whitestone Farms. The skaters thoroughly enjoyed the delicious cookies and the rink help was most appreciated. For those who were able to come early on Saturday, Alexis loved the music and her time on the ice. Look to the COTA website for some photos with Alexis at the rink. www.cotaforalexisf.org

The Boy Scout Troop 11 and Pack 11 >>>> of Delta Junction and Fort Greely prepared and sold a Pulled Pork lunch special with potato salad and baked beans on Wednesday, March 12, 2008. Troop Leader Dana Mock said the lunch special made over $3,000.00 and that the proceeds will be given to Alexis. Wow!! The people in our town are amazing. Thank you for your prayers, support, and generosity.

An up and coming event that you can attend will be a Bunco night on April 26th. Half the proceeds will go to the Alexis Flynn campaign and the other will go to Relay for Life. We will keep you informed and let you know more details.

Once more thank you for your support!

Hop over to the Adams’ Ribs Restaurant for a relaxing Easter Brunch onSunday, March 23 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The brunch buffet will include a carving station for smoked meats: porkloin, ham, beef brisket, and spare ribs with all of your favorite countryside dishes. Breakfast stations with scrambled eggs, pancakes, bacon,sausage, and homemade biscuits. There will be a bountiful salad bar, dessert station and more. “We’ve created this special holiday event so families can enjoy spending the time together in a lovely atmosphere with great food” says owners Mark and Miki Adams.

The brunch costs $17.95 per adult; $7.95 for children ages 7-12; free for children 6 and under. Reservations are encouraged. Groups of 6 or more please call for reservation. 895-5160. Located at Milepost 1412.5Alaska Hwy.

1:30 pm Sunday, March 23
by Lion Ann Geise

The annual Easter Egg Hunt sponsored by the Delta Lions Club will be held on Easter Sunday, March 23, at the Deltana Fairgrounds on Nistler Road.

The big hunt for the eggs will begin at 1:30 pm on Easter Sunday. There will be lots of real eggs (about 15 dozen of them) and lots of plastic eggs with prizes inside. One special prize egg will be hidden for each of six age groups. When the prize egg with a note inside is turned in to one of the Delta Lions Club members, the finder wins a special prize. The winners of the special prizes will get their photos taken with their prizes – for publication in the Delta Wind and on the Delta News Web. We’ll be asking for names and ages of the winners and their parents’ names and perhaps grandparents’ names.

All local children from preschool age through third grade are welcome to hunt for the Easter eggs. The preschool group will be divided into two sections – one for preschoolers without helpers and another for younger preschoolers with helpers.

Hint: This is a great photo-op for parents, grandparents and other relatives and friends.

The 15 dozen real eggs will be boiled and colored at the Geise residence on Saturday, March 22, starting about 10 am. Delta Lions – call Ann Geise at 895-4466 or 347-6052 for more information. Delta Lions will hide eggs starting about 12:30 pm on Easter Sunday, March 23.

The winning tickets will be drawn for the Delta Lions Club Raffle after the conclusion of the Easter Egg Hunt. Tickets will be available for purchase until about 2 pm. Winners need not be present to win. The prizes are: a freezer with half a beef and half a pig (cut and wrapped by Delta Meat & Sausage); and a $500 gift certificate from Granite View Sports and Gifts.

Parents of egg-hunters: please do not arrive at the fairgrounds until at least 1:15 pm on Sunday to allow the Lions enough time to hide the eggs.

WHO: The Alaska Travel Industry Association Foundation
WHAT: Over $20,000 in scholarship money will be awarded to students interested in pursuing a career in tourism
WHEN: Applications must be received no later than April 15, 2008
WHERE: ATIA scholarship application forms are available online at www.AlaskaTIA.org

The Alaska Travel Industry Association Foundation will award more than $20,000 in scholarship money to students pursuing post-secondary degrees and who have demonstrated an interest in tourism careers in Alaska. Interested and eligible students should apply and submit the application form along with a transcript, one-page statement of tourism career plans and two letters of recommendation. The deadline for this year’s scholarship applications to be received is April 15, 2008. Scholarship winners will be announced in May and are applicable towards the upcoming academic year.

The ATIA Foundation hopes to help local students achieve their educational and career goals through its tourism oriented scholarship program. The Foundation recognizes the importance of a well-prepared Alaskan work force, especially within Alaska’s third largest private sector employer, Travel and Tourism. ATIA Foundation scholarships are made possible through generous company and personal donations along with AlaskaTIA community chapters’ fund raising efforts. Last year, 15 scholarships totaling $27,000 were awarded to qualified students from all over Alaska.

The Alaska Travel Industry Association (AlaskaTIA) is the non-profit, member-based, visitor industry trade association that conducts tourism marketing on behalf of the State of Alaska and that represents the industry in the policy arena. AlaskaTIA’s membership is comprised of more than 1000 businesses – from small bed and breakfasts to major corporations. For more information about the association, visit www.AlaskaTIA.org.

Contact:
Alaska Travel Industry Association (AlaskaTIA)
2600 Cordova Street, Suite 201 Anchorage, AK 99509
(907) 929-2842
Dave Worrell, Communications Director
dworrell@alaskatia.org

Flood Insurance policies are sold independently. Floods can occur almost anywhere at anytime, not just near water. Your home has a 26 percent chance of being damaged by a flood during the course of a 30-year mortgage, compared to a 9 percent chance of fire. Floods are the #1 natural disaster in the United States. Floods have caused nearly $1.6 million in Alaska and $23.8 billion in U.S. in the last 10 years.

Coverage is available for residential, commercial buildings and renters’ personal items. There is coverage available up to $250,000 for single-family, multi-family and other residential buildings and up to $100,000 for contents coverage. Non-residential buildings, including small businesses can acquire coverage up to $500,000 for the building and $500,000 for contents. Only flood insurance protects your most important financial asset, your home and your personal property, from floods.

“Lender Placed” is when the lender determines the home is not adequately covered and therefore places coverage to meet the loan requirements. It could cost you 3 to 4 times more for a lender placed policy, than if acquired on your own with the help of an insurance agent. Lender placed coverage only protects the Lender’s interest, not necessarily your interests. Flood Insurance purchased in connection to a mortgage does not have a 30-day waiting period. Lenders will notify borrowers if Flood Insurance is required as a condition of the mortgage loan (National Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994). Flood Insurance is mandatory if the lender is federally regulated and your home is located in a Special Hazard Area.

Is your home in a Special Hazard Area? This is an area with the highest risk of flooding. Flood Insurance Rate Maps show high risk areas as Zones A, AE or V. Nearly 25 percent of all Flood claims come from medium or low-risk flood areas, Zones B, C and X. Anyone can purchase Flood Insurance with out being in a Special Hazard Area.

If you have Flood Insurance and are selling your home, you can assign your current Flood Insurance policy to the new owners at the time of closing.

A Flood Elevation Certificate is necessary before flood premiums can be determined. The certificate is to be completed by a Licensed Land Surveyor, or Professional Engineer who is authorized by law to certify elevation information. The participating community will require an owner to obtain a floodplain permit before building.

This permit is issued by the community office and requires property owners to build above the base flood elevation. Completed Flood Elevation certificates should be kept on file with the community office as required by NFIP regulation 44 CFR 60.3b1, FEMA 480 Publication and the local flood reduction ordinance for the community.

On new construction, it’s easy to check with the Department of Community Planning to determine your flood zone. If your building site is located in a Special Hazard Area, it would be wise to have a land surveyor, engineer, or architect come out and set a temporary benchmark before construction begins. This will allow the builder to refer to the benchmark and build above the base flood elevation (BFE) and will help you determine how much fill material is needed to raise your home above the BFE, resulting in lower Flood Insurance costs. Since building your home above the BFE allows for lower Flood Insurance premiums; building below the BFE will have higher premiums.

Lower Flood Insurance premiums are available to property owners that build above the BFE and do not have a basement or crawlspace. Building a home that has a basement or crawlspace requires flood openings in the foundation. These are openings on all sides of the basement or crawlspace walls and allow the flood waters to flow freely through the space without building up hydrostatic pressure.

The NFIP (National Flood Insurance Program) is the main source for Flood Insurance in the United States. Flood Insurance is available through about 90 insurance companies in more than 20,300 participating communities nationwide to renters, business owners and homeowners.

Applying for Flood Insurance is easy; your agent will require a Flood Elevation Certificate, which will have the necessary information to rate the policy. The premium charged for an accurately rated NFIP policy will be the same, regardless of whom you purchase the policy through. For more information on rates, premiums or maps contact your local Independent Insurance agent.

All information provided in this article was obtained from the following websites www.fema.gov or www.floodsmart.gov. For more information call Taunnie Boothby with Division of Community and Regional Affairs at 907-269-4583 or taunnie.boothby@alaska.gov.

Micheline Patterson
Kenneth Murray Insurance
Personal Lines Agent
300 Barnette St, FBKS, AK 99701
P O Box 71007, FBKS, AK 99707
Phone 907-456-6646
Fax 907-452-5445

This holiday closely coincides with the Feast of Passover. The unique, chosen people of Jehovah were commanded to not only remember that they were taken out of the world system and liberated but were also go through a ritual to help them remember and feel the essence of the spiritual impact that was bequeathed to them.

That impact was the “Death Angel” passed over all those houses who had the blood of the lamb on the doorposts and consequently were set free from bondage to the world system to freely worship the LORD.

All the other houses that did not obey the LORD had their first born taken- from the poorest house to the house of Pharaoh.

From that night til the day that a tree lifted Jesus of Nazareth up from the earth there was a necessity of the ritual remembrance of the first Passover night.

So…this time of spring brings this special day of remembrance. The day the sky was darkened, followed by the Sunday morning that brought light to the whole world. This was during the Passover and following First Fruits portion of the Passover Feast.

Jesus sent a special greeting to Peter via the first Evangelist (a female!!!) “I will meet Peter in Galiee as I told him”.

Peter, who cut the ear off the soldier in his zeal, was in despair. He was dejected, depressed and dismayed. He saw the Master replace the ear and heard the challenge of “If you live by the sword you will die by the sword”

But Peter denied he knew him when HE needed a friend to hang out with him. So, when Mary said, He waits for you, as he said he would, Peter was amazed at the grace (unmerited favor) he was given.

He was to have the prophetic word fulfilled, ”After, you fall you will be restored and lead my Church. “ This word would have failed, if He had not restored the ear. They would have arrested and tried and killed him as a criminal.

This is why the ear was restored. Peter’s destiny required that he be free and not in jail or in the grave.

This is the unmerited, unearned, extreme favor of God to man. He wants us to be free, even with all of our crimes and indifference against Him who created us.

He came and died and rose to set us free to love him with free will. That is the reason, across the globe, millions are joining the Angels declaring, “He is Risen!”

Senior Pastor Howard Echo-Hawk
Delta Christian Center

Fairbanks Drama Association
1852 2nd Ave
Fairbanks AK 99701

A Thousand Clowns
A Comedy by Herb Gardner
Directed by T.J. Rogers
Mar 21 – Apr 6

This benchmark of Broadway comedy produced one of theatre’s most beloved roles: a bachelor uncle who is endeavoring to rear his precocious nephew. The uncle has tired of writing cheap comedy for a children’s television program and finds himself unemployed with free time to saunter through new York and do everything he’s ever wanted to do. When social services comes to insure that the nephew is receiving proper upbringing, the writer finds he must go back to work to support him properly, or lose the boy. The comedy is filled with sweetness and warmth and the inspired daffiness of a true non-conformist adult. An extraordinarily funny play with brilliantly offbeat lines.

Rural Deltana Volunteer Fire Department will hold its Annual Meeting on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at the Clearwater Road Fire Station at 6:30 p.m.

The agenda includes: a report on the status of the fire department’s finances, a review of the past year’s operations and a discussion about projects planned for the future.

We will also be voting for Board of Directors’ Seats A & B.

Nominations will be accepted during the meeting.

Your attendance will also give you the opportunity to learn more about the fire department.

Call 895-5036 for more information.
The Department needs community support.
Please plan now to attend!

For TeamAK`s hockey players it was a night of medals! Early in the afternoon The Bantam Boys coached by Mike Tvenge worked hard on the ice and played a smart game against the strong NWT team. The game went back and forth all three periods and TeamAK did a great job holding the zone and shooting on NWT`s goalie. It was a tight race and tour boys pulled it off w ith a 5-4 win that through the arena in an uproar. The crowd was definitely cheering for the home team but Alaska had a considerable following with many of our contingent attending as well as being cheered on by Team Nunavut, It was a loud and exciting game. The boys, including Delta residents Brett Smith and Jacob Schultz, along with Coach Tvenge received their medals in the medal ceremony on the ice after the Gold medal game at 5:00 PM. It was great to see the excitement in Coach Tvenge`s face as he and the boys each received their Bronze Uluu around their neck.

After the ice was cleared, the Women`s game against NWT began. The arena was completely sold out with standing room only. TeamAK was also playing the “home” team but was not without it’s supporters as well. When the first goal came for TeamAK during the last minutes of the first period there was lots of noise in the barn. Annie Grossmann played a phenomenal game and had numerous shots on net that looked like they were in for sure. NWT`s goalie as well as our own made unbelievable saves. But TeamAK proved to be perfect on the penalty kill and took advantage of our power play opportunities. The girls made beautiful tape to tape passes and were masters in controlling the puck up and down the ice. We took a few foolish penalties the first period but killed them off and smartened up after that. NWT scored their only goal on a shoot high in the corner when our goalie was being screened. After that, we scored two more beautiful goals using skill and teamwork that was remarkable for a team that had only one 50 minute practice together EVER!

It was amazing to see the girls work out there on the ice. We were also playing on the Olympic size ice for the first time but you would never have known it based on the energy we saw out there. In 3, 20 minute periods Alaska ruled the puck and the NWT team just couldn’t find the back of our net, thanks to a phenomenal game by our goalie, Melissa Deardorf of Anchorage and the smart play and unselfish skill of every other player on the team. It was a joy to watch the girls perform and we heard several exclamations of amazement from the crowd at the calibre of play from TeamAK. When the buzzer sounded and we had won the GOLD, it was unanimously agreed that it was a well deserved win. The NWT women played well and deserved their Silver Uluu. Team Alberta won the Bronze for the women. After hearing our national anthem played our girls broke into the Alaska Flag song as they skated off the ice. Each game, before skating onto the ice the girls sang the Alaska Flag song before their warm up, but never with as much emotion and pride as this last time. This evening after the closing ceremonies and all the trading and goodbyes are over; the Interior athletes will board the first plane back to Alaska. The five girls from the interior, Anna Johnson, Erin Winters, Vivian Bishop, Kayla Weber, Annie Grossmann and I will fly out of Yellowknife, NWT, taking some with us wonderful memories, some cool souvenirs and a very precious medal.

TeamAK made a great showing in hockey at these games. The Midget boys also went on to win 3-2 over the Yukon team and take home the Gold Medal as well. TeamAK medaled in all three hockey categories. In the medal standings for the entire team, Alaska stands at 180 medals over all, with its closest competitor being NWT with 100 medals. This was a fantastic Arctic Winter Games and I encourage you to check out the website www.awg2008.ca to learn more about it.

From Yellowknife today…
Dawn Grossmann