Monthly Archives: January 2009

Just wonder if most read this letter to the editor in the Fairbanks News Miner.

ASLEEP AT THE SWITCH
John Swan, Ester
Published Thursday, January 29, 2009

To the editor:

A rail line will be going from Fairbanks to Delta Junction. The land for that right of way will be deeded to the railroad. To cross the land in places other than designated trails and other crossings will be a trespass violation. To date, very few crossing spots have been identified by the railroad.

The News-Miner has published articles; the railroad has held public meetings. Attendance has been dismal.

The comment deadline is Monday. If you don’t comment, then don’t complain when you cannot access your favorite cabin, hunting camp or other spot south of the Tanana because your winter, summer or water access has been closed. At best I urge you to write a comment.
At least, I urge you to go to the Department of Natural Resources office and indicate on a map where your access routes are.

Written comments can go to:
David Navecky,
STB Finance Docket No. 34658
Surface Transportation Board
395 E. St., S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20423-0001

Don’t let this opportunity slide by because you were — to borrow an appropriate railroad term — asleep at the switch!

The America Cancer Society is sponsoring Daffodils days at Delta Junction and Fort Greely.

Anchorage, Alaska – Winter is an easy time to become locked out of a vehicle or home while going to warm up a car. Being locked out can be a huge inconvenience and many are in a rush when it happens. Unfortunately, this is the perfect situation for con-artists to thrive.

Your Better Business Bureau wants consumers to be aware of the following. Scam locksmiths often list in directories, and advertise in yellow pages. They may use a local address, but when visiting that address a different business is located there or a different, legitimate locksmith. When calling for a quote, scam locksmiths often pull a bait-and-switch scam, by quoting rates around $40-$80, but upon arrival charge hundreds of dollars.

These scams are active in your BBB’s coverage area. Ryan Obermire, a locksmith from Wilsonville Lock Works, Inc. in Oregon, said that he has recently received 15 locksmith catalogs addressed to his business but with different business names. He speculates that these are scam locksmiths using their business address to fool customers.

Tips from your BBB and the FTC when looking for a locksmith:

• Be prepared. Look for a locksmith before needing one. Look up businesses with your Better Business Bureau at bbb.org or 907-562-0704 for a BBB Reliability Report. Also check out the business with the Attorney General’s office.
• Call road side assistance if available. If locked out of a vehicle and have roadside assistance service, call them first. These services are sometimes included with the purchase of a car or as an add-on through an insurance company.
• Call family or friends for recommendations. If not prepared with a verified, trustworthy locksmith’s contact information, this is the next step.
• Not all locksmiths in directories and phone books are reputable. Be wary if the ad for a company only lists a Web site address. When calling a locksmith ask for their local store location. If they refuse to give it or give an address that does not match the directory listing, look elsewhere.
• Be wary of generic business names. If a company answers the phone with a generic phrase like “locksmith services,” rather than a company-specific name, be wary. Ask for the legal name of the business. If they refuse to give it, call another locksmith.
• Get an estimate. Most legitimate locksmiths will give estimates on the phone for the total cost of work. Also ask about additional fees such as charges for mileage, a minimum service call fee, or responding in the middle of the night. Get a second estimate when the locksmith arrives for all work and replacement parts. If the price doesn’t jibe with the over-the-phone estimate, do not allow the work to be done. After the work is completed, get an itemized invoice that covers parts, labor, mileage and service call prices.
• Never sign a blank form authorizing work.
• Check for locksmith identification. Upon the locksmith’s arrival, ask for identification such as a business card and, where applicable, a locksmith license. Alaska, Oregon and Western Washington do not require locksmiths to be licensed. Check the invoice or bill to make sure it includes the company’s name.
• Check the vehicle for a business name. Some locksmiths will work out of a car for quick or emergency jobs, but most arrive in a service vehicle clearly marked with the company’s name. Confirm that the business card and invoice match the name on the vehicle.
• Expect the locksmith to ask for the property owner’s identification. Legitimate locksmiths should confirm the vehicle or home belongs to the consumer who is locked out.
• Replacing a lock is not normal. If locked out, be cautious if told up front that the lock has to be drilled and replaced. Experienced legitimate locksmiths have invested in tools and education to provide quality service that can unlock almost any door.
• Keep a reputable locksmith’s contact information. Once you find a reputable locksmith, keep the business’ contact information in your wallet or cell phone.

About your BBB serving Alaska, Oregon and Western Washington:Your Better Business Bureau is a not-for-profit organization funded by Better Business Bureau accredited businesses. The BBB’s mission is to be the leader in advancing marketplace trust. For more information about the services and products provided by your BBB, call 206-431-2222 or 253-830-2924 in Washington, 503-212-3022 in Oregon, 907-562-0704 in Alaska, or visit our Web site at www.bbb.org.

The 26th Legislature convened on January 20, 2009.

Click here for the latest newsletter for information on teleconferences.

If you have a bill you are interesed in following please let us know and we will keep you up-to-date on the progess.

Legislative Information Office 8954236

Click on the poster for an enlargement

Where: Delta Community Center
When: Saturday – February 7, 2009
Time: 9am – 3pm

Hosted by: The Delta Fish and Game Advisory Committee and The Alaska Department of Fish and Game

Topics:

• Historical Perspective of Moose Management relating to cow hunts in Game Management Unit 20A – 9:00am (Don Young, ADF&G Area Biologist)
• Game Management Unit 20D Population, Harvest estimates and Goals – 9:30am (Steve DuBois, ADF&G Delta Area Biologist)
• Intensive Management, Habitat and Fire – 10:00am, (Tom Paragi, ADF&G Regional IM Coordinator)
• Advisory Committee Member Perspective on Moose Surveys – 10:45am – (Debbie Curnow, Fairbanks Advisory Committee Member)
• Counting Moose – 11:15am (Kalin Kellie, ADF&G Wildlife Research Biologist)
• Brown Bag Lunch – 11:45am
• Moose Distribution and Movements – 12:30pm (Kalin Kellie, ADF&G Wildlife Research Biologist)
• Moose Browse Surveys (what and how much do moose eat) – 1:00pm (Tom Seaton, ADF&G Biologist)
• Moose Nutritional Status – 1:30pm (Rod Boertje, ADF&G Wildlife Research Biologist)
• Strategies for Managing Moose in GMU’s 20A,B and 20D – 2:15pm (Don Young and Steve DuBois)
• Questions, Comments, Discussions continue – 2:40pm

For more information contact Steve DuBois at (907)895-4484 or Rita St. Louis 1-866-459-7263 rita.stlouis@alaska.gov

Cooperative Extension Service Presents the Retrofit of Existing Homes

Taught by Richard Seifert, UAF Energy and Housing Specialist

Topics to be covered: windows, retrofit materials, walls, roof, weatherization

Upgrade for the future! This course is more timely than ever!

Cooperative Extension Service Presents the Cold Climate Homebuilding Techniques Workshop

Taught by Richard Seirfert, UAF Energy and Housing Specialist

Topics to be covered:
Windows, ventilation, retrofit, walls, indoor air quality, roofs, permafrost foundations

This course is more timely than ever!

Where: Delta Jct
When: Saturday, February 21, 2009
Time: 9am – 5pm
Cost: Free! Includes manual and CD
To Register: Call 895-4215 or Rich Seifert at 1-800-478-8324 for information.

A must for anyone anticipating buying or building in the next year!

February is fast approaching and that means the Festival of Lights is just around the corner. We are gearing up for the Polar Bear Plunge, Fireworks, Galleria, Ice Carving, Basketball Tournament, as well as, many other fun and exciting events. The Festival of Lights Parade starts in front of Granite View Sports and continues on to the City Park for the start of the fireworks display. Where else can you go see a parade at sub-zero temperatures?

Landfill was closed today, Friday, January 23, 2009, due to extreme wind conditions.

Call the Scale House (895-1807) after 9:00AM tomorrow regarding Saturday, January 24.

Registration for the 2009 Sitka Fine Arts Camp is now open on a first-come, first-served basis. The camp offers over 60 classes per session in music, dance, theatre, visual arts, writing, and Alaskan Native Arts. Online registration is available through the camp website . Registration is also available via the camp office at (907) 747-3085.

• Middle School Camp, for students entering grades 6 – 9: Sunday, June 14 through Saturday, June 27.
• High School Camp, for students entering grades 9 – 12: Sunday, June 28 through Sunday, July 12.

• Learning in a fun, supportive atmosphere from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, by Sean Covey.
• Having discussions, doing activities and taking in some stuff that’ll look really good on a resume or job application
• Bringing a favorite game (UNO, chess, etc.) or musical instrument to use on Sunday evening
• Afterward – moving toward goals that reflect your principles!

Presented by: CPT Vicente Cepeda, Jr, Chaplain, Audrey Cepeda, Chaplain’s wife, and Joan Boltz, State Youth Coordinator for the AK National Guard Child and Youth Program.

How to register: It’s simple, click here.

Click on “EVENTS”
Click on “Greely 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens”
Click on “Register” at bottom of page
Click on “Submit” when finished

Print out ALL OTHER attached forms (near bottom of event summary), sign and bring along to the event.

Two days after the inauguration of Barack Obama we remember the thirty-sixth anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade. On January 22, 1973 the court declared abortion to be a constitutional right that trumped the right to life.

A lot has happened in thirty-six years. America, beacon of hope and liberty to the rest of the world, has legally killed over 50 million unborn babies. We’ve wounded tens of millions of women by helping them to snuff out their own children, devaluing life for us all. Our willingness to dispose of the unborn has desensitized our society. Now we throw infants in dumpsters and sexually and physically abuse small children in ways and numbers too horrid to repeat. We encourage our young people to be sexually active and we sneer at those who would espouse abstinence. We wonder why there are so many “unintended” pregnancies and we perpetuate the problem by glorifying sex outside of marriage. Almost half the babies born in America are born to single parents and we act as though making condoms and abortions more available will fix what is wrong. We seem intent on protecting reproductive freedom more than women and babies.

Something else has happened in the last 36 years. Knowledge about the beginnings of life has grown immensely. In 1973 the highest court in the land couldn’t be sure of when life began. Today anyone who has taken a high school biology course knows life begins at conception. Ultrasound machines abound and readily prove the tiniest human beings are alive. In response to our expanded knowledge, every state in the nation has passed laws in one form or another that reflect to some degree a culture with a growing respect for those waiting to be born. Very slowly, our laws have begun to put some parameters on the “right” to abortion. Informed consent, partial-birth abortion bans, parental consent laws, unborn victims of violence laws; all these are moving us incrementally toward protection of the most vulnerable.

The last eight years have given some cause for hope as our president issued executive orders that limited embryonic stem cell research, protecting the very smallest human beings. Our courts finally ended the barbaric practice of partial birth abortion, whereby full term, healthy infants in the birthing process were stabbed in the skull and had their “cranial contents” sucked out. President Bush deserves no small amount of credit for promoting a “culture of life” during his administration. There have been solid pro-life gains in the last eight years. While in Minneapolis last fall, a young man handed me a button. It pictured two men: Samuel Alito and John Roberts. It said simply, “Thanks, W!” Ditto for me.

But all that may be changing. Mr. Obama has promised change and where life is concerned, he may deliver. His appointments so far have shown a distinct anti-life bent: Tom Daschle (former Senate Majority leader with consistent pro-abortion voting record), Secretary of Health and Human Services; Thomas Perrilli (attorney who worked pro bono to successfully kill Terri Schiavo), Assistant Attorney General; Ellen Moran (executive director, Emily’s List), Communications Director; Melody Barnes (formerly of Emily’s List and Planned Parenthood), Domestic Policy Council Director; Sanjay Gupta (neurosurgeon and pro-abortion CNN medical reporter), Surgeon General; Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State. The list could go on and I expect it will.

Mr. Obama promised the first thing he will do as President is to get the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) passed. FOCA would negate every pro-life law that has been passed since 1973 and would be a dream come true for pro-abortion activists. FOCA would remove all parameters placed on abortion in the last 36 years. FOCA would turn the clock back on the right to life and essentially put us back at square one. Congress and Mr. Obama seem poised to carry through.

What is the pro-life community to do? Throw up our hands? Throw in the towel? Not on your life! We must continue to fight the good fight in the courts and in our state legislatures and Congress. Our cause is just and worth fighting for; whether it takes thirty-six years or one hundred thirty-six years. We must change not only laws but people’s hearts. We must pray, we must educate, and we must be ready to help women in crisis. We must continue until everyone in the human race is afforded their God-given right to life. No matter what happens during the Obama presidency, we must be resolute in our in our goal to make America a place where the unborn, the elderly and infirm are protected by law.

Debbie Joslin
National Committeewoman for Alaska
Republican National Committee and
President, Eagle Forum Alaska

DELTA JUNCTION — They’re thinking bike paths in Delta Junction.

The reality: Cyclists need to stick to the often-fast streets — including busy Jack Warren Road, which connects Clearwater Lodge to the Richardson Highway — when heading out for a ride.
The prospect: A 16-mile-long, 8-foot-wide, multimillion-dollar bike path, separate from the roadway, leading east from and returning west to the highway.

The prospect: A 16-mile-long, 8-foot-wide, multimillion-dollar bike path, separate from the roadway, leading east from and returning west to the highway.

Mike Tvenge, the city’s administrator, said the nonprofit Deltana Community Corp. promoted the idea of a bike path through town and, in the process, caught support from city officials.

Delta Junction Mayor Mary Leith-Dowling said the proposed project could serve tourists and residents, and would create a number of jobs in a community that has grown significantly with the relatively-recent addition of a nearby gold mine and expansion at the Army’s Fort Greely.

“You could view the area a whole different way,” she said of the proposed bike path.

The city of Delta Junction recently pitched the project as worthy of a possible federal grant. It submitted the project in advance of an expected economic stimulus plan being discussed in Washington D.C., a plan that could pay for hundreds of billions in public works projects across the country.

Tvenge said the project could take more than one summer to build. He said the city has already started to study the project and estimates it would need $9.5 million from Congress to complete.

Tvenge said the city needs to put engineers to work on formal plans and figure out how a standalone bike path project — as opposed to one incorporated into related road work — would cross numerous culverts and lowland points along the proposed route.

Such an ambitious project, Tvenge said, would certainly provide a boost to the local economy. Leith-Dowling agreed.

“It’s one of those things that came right to the surface” when talk of stimulating the local economy arose last month, she said.

The proposed route would run alongside residential neighborhoods on the north side of Jack Warren, offering them a connection by bike to schools and downtown. Tvenge said it could include rest stops for cyclists.

Contact staff writer Christopher Eshleman at 459-7582
Copyright Article printed from Fairbanks Daily News Miner.

Public urged to remain safe during missile firings

The U.S. Army Cold Regions Test Center (CRTC) will test fire a small number of small guided missiles on the western Donnelly Training Area from January 24 through February 20, 2009. The exact time of firing will be dependent on specific weather conditions.

Two firings will test missile launch and guidance systems – these missiles will NOT contain warheads. One of these inert missiles has an extremely slight chance (less than or equal to seven in a million) of landing outside the Donnelly Training Area boundary in the vicinity of the Little Delta River (see map). The public is urged to avoid this area while these tests occur.

Despite the statistical improbability of the inert missile straying from the range, CRTC officials will take precautions to ensure the complete safety of the general public. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) and public radio announcements will be made 24 hours in advance of each test firing. A helicopter overflight of all potential impact areas will be conducted just prior to launch to ensure that the area is clear. Radar monitoring of the vicinity will be in continuous use, and observers will call a cease fire in the event anyone moves into a potential impact area at any time prior to the test. The missiles are approximately six feet long and six inches in diameter.

The personnel of the Army’s Cold Regions Test Center thank the community for their continued cooperation and support.

Lael Echo-Hawk, a DHS graduate, will be standing with dignitaries behind the seated dignitaries at the Inauguration. She should have a visual, historic vantage point of the proceedings.

She is planning on going to an Indian Inaugural ball and will join the National Prayer Breakfast.

Lael is a University of Washington BA & Doctor of Law graduate. She is serving as a tribal attorney with the Tulalip Tribe in Everett, Washington.

She is a daughter of Howard and Yvonne Echo-Hawk and Sam and Chaddie Kelly’s granddaughter.

Web Editor, Delta News Web. Many thanks for your excellent online newspaper. I check it daily for news of my favorite city; and I thought you would get a chuckle from a recent email to my nephew, Steve Dubois, a Delta Junction Proud Citizen. Best wishes, A. Dewey Williams, Rock Hill, SC.

Dear Steve, Recently when you tem was +28, ours (7,000+ miles, SE) was officially +7; but out here on the outskirts our highly expensive, Coca-Cola thermometer read +3. When your temp reached +52 that day, ours had climbed to only +28.

I fully expected to open the draperies and find that triple-peaked beauty of yours, Mt. Hayes, just beyond the river! It is difficult to believe your Alaskan sun is the same one which couldn’t even remove frost from our lawn!

Perhaps we should be discussing global freezing, then Kenna would have time to finish that jig saw puzzle before hanging her baskets of special moose food, Lavender Petunias!

Much love to all,
Uncle Dewey

3RD ANNUAL DEAN CUMMINGS, SR. BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT in partnership with the Delta Junction Chamber of Commerce Festival of Lights will be held February 12 – 14, 2009.

The tournament will include 8 boys & girls teams from around the state and also teams from Whitehorse and North Dakota. DHS students are currently raffling a snow machine donated by Morley Electric and Alaska Railroad round-trip tickets for two passengers from Fairbanks to Anchorage & Fairbanks to Denali.

Purchase your tickets from any basketball player or contact Rod Schug.

If you are interested in sponsoring this outstanding community event or donating your time to help out, please contact Rod Schug at rschug@dgsd.k12.ak.us or Bruce Reiter at 895-4460.

Tournament brackets can be picked up at Delta High School. Thank you to our current sponsors: Morley Electric, Fairbanks Youth Sports, ATS Alaska, Norcon, Kaya, ConocoPhillips, NANA Pacific, LLC, Western Mechanical, Teck Pogo, Alyeska Pipeline & Alaska Railroad.

Plans are well underway for the 2009 Annual Festival of Lights, a well-known and well-attended community tradition here in Delta Junction. The majority of festivities will take place on Saturday, February 14th at Delta High School although it is likely that as the date draws closer, accompanying events will be added on both the Friday prior and Sunday following.

The Galleria Arts, Crafts & Trade Show is a wonderful opportunity for you to display your products and/or promote your business or organization and will be held in the Delta High School small gym on February 14th from 10 am – 5 pm. Spaces are $20 each and will be given out on a first come, first serve basis. Please reserve your booth space ASAP as spaces are likely to fill up fast. Forms are available at the Chamber office.

North Haven Communities and Actus Lend Lease are holding a Subcontractor Fair at the Delta Community Center on January 13 from 4 – 6 p.m.

Who is North Haven Communities and Actus Lend Lease?North Haven Communities is a fifty-year partnership between the US Army and Actus Lend Lease through the Military Housing Privatization Initiative. North Haven Communities will develop, build, renovate, finance, and manage more than 1,800 homes for Fort Wainwright and Fort Greely. Actus is the design build contractor and managing member of the LLC.

At North Haven Communities on Fort Wainwright and Fort Greely, Actus Lend Lease subcontractors will be demolishing, building, and renovating a significant number of homes in both locations. There is an expansive range of both subcontractor and vendor opportunities if your company believes in a high level of service.

Why work with us?

We believe in giving back to the community by hiring local businesses who share our passion for delivering superior service to military families. North Haven Communities and Actus Lend Lease are vested in your local community for the next 50 years.

Construction opportunities with Actus include: brick and stone veneer, building trusses, concrete, door and trim supply, electrical, finish carpentry, finish hardware, floor covering furnishings, gas distribution, gutters and downspouts, landscaping, kitchen and bath cabinets, laminated countertops, painting, plumbing, retaining walls, roofing supply and install, rough carpentry material, rough carpentry labor, signs, termite protection, tub surrounds, tub surrounds, vents and shutters, vinyl soffit and siding, window treatments.

Maintenance opportunities with North Haven Communities include: appliance and parts, blinds, cabinets and countertops, cabinet and vanities chimney, carpet cleaning, carpet/vinyl floor install, cleaning, Corian countertop repair and refinishing, electrical services, electrical supplies, grading and paving services, gutter cleaning, hardware, hardware floor refinishing, hardware floor install, HVAC air to air, HVAC geothermal, HVAC supplies and parts, janitorial services, landscaping, lead paint testing, lock services, lumber, mold remediation, office supplies, paint and wall covering supplies, painting services, plumbing services, plumbing supplies, pressure washing, residential maintenance, repairs, road sweeping, storm drain inlet cleaning, tree svcs/stump removal, tub and sink re-glazing, nursery.

If you are interested in any of these opportunities please stop by the Delta Community Center on January 13, from 4 – 6 p.m. For additional information please call 907-356-3414.

BBB Students of Integrity Scholarship
Deadline is Jan. 15, 2009

There is a $1,000 scholarship available only to Alaska high school students. This is the first year this scholarship is offered in Alaska, so chances are higher for winning.

The Students of Integrity Scholarship is offered by your Better Business Bureau foundation, in conjunction with the Business of the Year Torch Awards. It’s designed to support students who recognize the importance of ethical and responsible marketplace practices.

Deadline:
E-mail: Must be received by Jan. 15, 2009 at 4 p.m. Send to pr@thebbb.org. Mail: Must be post marked by Jan. 15, 2009. Send to BBB Public Relations, P.O. Box 1000, DuPont, WA 98327.

Eligibility:
Students who meet the following criteria are eligible to apply:
- A student of the 2009 or 2010 graduating class who will be attending college after graduation.
- Attends an accredited high school in Alaska, Oregon, or Western Washington.
- Resides in Alaska, Oregon or Western Washington.
- Has a good academic standing and a GPA of 2.5 or higher.

Essay Theme: The importance of ethics and integrity in the marketplace.

Click here for rules and details.
Or visit www.bbb.org, enter zip code, search for “scholarship” and click on the first link.

Questions: Contact Niki Horace, Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations, pr@thebbb.org

It’s FRIENDSHIP and FUN set to music, Low Impact EXERCISE, and INEXPENSIVE

Modern Square Dancing has New Music, New Dance Steps, Exciting Patterns and Unique Calls

Square Dancers Dance All Over the World

No Special Clothing Needed
Age Limit 10 years and up– If you can Listen you Can Dance

Square Dancing is 8 people Dancing as a Team
Teams can consist of Men and Women or All Men or All Women

COME AND DANCE WITH US

Buffalo Square and Round Dance Club
(Delta High School, Small Gym)

First Lesson Free, 11 January 2009

Sundays from 2:00- 4:00 PM (18 January – 5 April)
(School Students Free / All Others $20.00 per semester)

For More Information Call: David or Sheila Smith @ 895-4260