Yukon River king salmon returns see improvement

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Bethel, Alaska | 50 cents | FREE in the villages
Vol. 42, No. 22 | July 31, 2014
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Students take Mars Challenge
On the Y-K Delta
VA coming for standown
A standdown will be held in Bethel by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs this weekend. From Friday through
Sunday VA officials from Washington D.C. will attend events
around town and travel to Kwethluk, Aniak and Tuluksak
on Wednesday and Tooksook Bay on Thursday. Veterans will
find help enrolling in healthcare and other services.
Tony sentenced to 66 years
Peter Tony was sentenced July 22 to serve 66 years in
prison without parole for three counts of child sex abuse,
according to KYUK. Tony, 70, pleaded guilty in February to
abusing a 4-year-old in his wife’s daycare in 2012 and molesting a 12-year-old girl in 1998.
For one case Tony was sentenced to two 36-year prison
terms and 6 years suspended, and and 10 years with 4 suspended in another. At least 15 years probation were granted.
The court said Tony had been abusing since the early ‘70s.
Tony and his late wife Marylin were foster parents between
1984 and 1998 when they lost their license after a substantiated claim, according to Alaska Dispatch. There was no report
to police at that time, to the knowledge of corporal Amy
Davis with the Bethel Police Department. She began investigating in early 2013.
Tony apologized for what happened.
ANSEP
Middle schoolers gathered together in Anchorage to study science earlier this month. Tremayne Booker of Anchorage, Sherilyn Johnon-Edwards of Emmonak and Marva McGuffey of Emmonak work on a project. See more photos on
Page 9.
Yukon River king salmon
returns see improvement
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) — Alaska fisheries
managers said it appears they have achieved their
goal of getting a sufficient number of Yukon River
king salmon to their Canadian spawning grounds.
The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports
(http://bit.ly/1rTzzJB ) that the number of king
salmon counted as of this last by a sonar located
near the village of Eagle near the Canadian border
stood at 49,231.
That surpasses the minimum goal of 42,500 kings
called for in the Pacific Salmon Treaty between the
United States and Canada.
There’s a good chance the number of kings that
reach Canada could surpass the upper end of the
goal listed in the treaty, which is 55,000 fish, managers said.
It’s the first time in three years that the minimum
treaty goal has been reached.
The decline in king salmon has led to fishing restrictions for subsistence fishermen who live along
the river and depend on the salmon for food. This
year, all fishing for kings – subsistence, commercial,
sport and personal use – was closed in an effort to
meet the goal.
“Everybody did their part, and we’re getting fish
up there,” said Fred Bue, a biologist with the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service in Fairbanks. “It’s been a
sacrifice for many people, especially so many years
in a row.”
Almost 3,000 kings –2,864 to be exact – passed the
sonar on Thursday, the 13th day in a row that more
■ See Yukon kings, Page 5
Governor asks feds to buy
surplus canned salmon
Becky Bohrer
Associated Press
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Gov.
Sean Parnell has asked a federal
agency to buy about 1 million
cases of canned pink salmon
to ease a glut that has weighed
down prices for Alaska fishermen this year.
Parnell made the request in a
letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack this week. He
wants the USDA to purchase $37
million worth of canned pink
salmon under a federal law that
allows for buying surplus food
from farmers and donating it to
food banks or other programs.
USDA purchased $20 million
worth of salmon earlier this year,
which Parnell called an important first step in reducing inventories to help slow a price decline
that he said threatened the 2014
fishing season.
He said remaining unsold
inventories are driving prices
to levels that threaten harvest
activity this year and next, with
the price of canned pink salmon
23 percent lower than a year
ago and the advance price paid
to fishermen down about 33
percent.
USDA said a decision has not
Peter selected to lead UAF rural,
community, Native education
University of Alaska Fairbanks alumnus Evon Peter has
been selected to serve as the new vice chancellor for rural,
community and Native education at the University of Alaska
Fairbanks.
Peter was selected from a field of 21 applicants after a
national search. He started Monday.
“It is exciting to join the dynamic teams of administrators,
faculty and staff throughout UAF and the College of Rural
and Community Development. I am thrilled at the opportunity to support and help build upon the strong legacy of
excellence in academic and technical programs,” he said.
“As we approach the UAF centennial, I envision expanded
community partnerships, broadened incorporation of local
and indigenous knowledge into the academic and technical
programs, and a thriving and supportive learning environment for all of our students.”
Peter graduated from UAF in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree
in Alaska Native Studies. He is currently completing the final
requirements for a master’s degree in rural development.
He began his professional career in 1998 as the coordinator
for the UAF Yukon Flats Center and since then served in a
variety of leadership positions in Native organizations and
nonprofits. His consulting firm, Gwanzhii, LLC, provides
strategic planning, program development and other services
for private and public organizations.
As vice chancellor, Peter will be responsible for guiding
UAF’s rural and community education initiatives, promoting the inclusion of indigenous knowledge in university
programs and advocating for Alaska Native education. The
position is also responsible for the College of Rural and
Community Development, which includes all of UAF’s rural
campuses and sites, as well as the UAF Community and
Technical College.
Peter has a strong commitment to rural and Native education and he understands the important role of community
colleges in meeting the workforce development needs of
rural and urban Alaska, said Chancellor Brian Rogers.
“I was contacted by people from all over the state who
were enthusiastic about his candidacy and felt he was the
right person to succeed Bernice Joseph,” Rogers said. “I am
excited about the opportunity to work with him, as I have
watched his career over the last decade and know of his commitment to Alaska and the circumpolar North.”
■ See Canned salmon, Page 5
Send your announcements and news tips
8
54159 00003
to [email protected]
5
Page 2 • July 31, 2014 • The Tundra Drums
Opinion & Ideas
Alaska businesses support being competitive
Vote No On 1
Proponents of the old ACES oil tax
system cite families, future and Alaska as
trite reasons to reject ballot measure one.
On behalf of my own family, and Alaska
Chamber members I beg to differ!
There are literally hundreds, thousands
or tens of thousands of reasons to reject
the referendum to repeal Alaska’s new oil
tax system. Those reasons are individual
Alaskans – old, young and still to come. It
is about Alaska’s economic future – tomorrow, next year and twenty years from now.
In this context, it makes perfect sense that
oil tax repeal opponents are outspending
repeal supporters 100 to 1.
Those oil tax repeal opponents are
Alaska Chamber members. From homegrown Alaska companies like Lynden and
GCI, to many our Alaska Native Corporations, to international companies – they
have put their money where their mouth
competitive in an increasingly
is to support a no vote on balOp-Ed
global marketplace.
lot measure one.
Rachael Petro
Make no mistake, every deThe Alaska Chamber repreAlaska State Chamber of
cision affects their bottom line.
sents hundreds of businesses
Commerce, president & CEO
But also the ability to care for
from Ketchikan to Barrow.
families, employ Alaskans, and contribute
Each business, regardless of size, is comto our communities.
prised of real people with real needs and
Reforming Alaska’s oil tax system to
real dreams. Alaska Chamber members
make Alaska’s vast oil reserves more atbelieve that a no vote on ballot measure
tractive to investment has been an Alaska
one is absolutely crucial for our families,
Chamber priority for five years. Why? It’s
for our future, and for Alaska.
not because Alaska businesses have been
Some ACES proponents even claim that
strong-armed into doing so. It’s simply
thousands of business people, specifically
because it’s the right thing to do for their
Chamber members across the state, have
families, for their future, and for Alaska.
somehow been duped by the oil industry
Businesses understand the importance of
into rejecting ballot measure one. At best,
staying competitive globally. They get it.
this is laughable.
And it’s poor rhetoric to trivialize their
Business people make complex and
choices by attempting to marginalize them
often gut-wrenching business decisions
in the media and labeling them as dupes.
everyday to ensure their people stay
Under the ACES tax system, while
employed. In doing so, they enrich our
the Lower 48 oil development boomed,
communities. They have to make these
Alaska’s production waned and then fell.
decisions correctly to stay relevant and
First, to North Dakota and then – and
this one hurts – falling behind California.
While not a panacea to industry, the new
oil tax system puts Alaska back in the
competitive game. Evidence goes beyond
the increased investment plans of the
producers. There is an uptick in Alaska’s
economy. We are starting to see growth
plans, and there’s a sense of optimism.
Alaska Chamber member businesses
are proudly sporting their vote no on one
support by placing No One On One, Keep
Alaska Competitive, Vote No On One
signs on their business property and putting their money where their mouth is by
supporting Alaska’s new oil tax system for
their families, our future, and for Alaska.
Rachael Petro serves as the President and
CEO of the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce. The Alaska Chamber’s mission is to
improve Alaska’s business climate.
Vote Yes on Proposition 1 supporters handily win debate
‘All the Money in the
World Can’t Change
the Fact that SB 21 is a
Massive Giveaway’
A standing room only crowd watched
Sen. Bill Wielechowski and long-time
Alaska economist Gregg Erickson easily
win the oil tax debate last night, hosted
by Alaska Common Ground at the Wilda
Marston Theatre in the Loussac Library.
Sen. Wielechowski and Mr. Erickson
repeatedly pointed out that under ACES,
Alaska saw record oil investment, record
numbers of oil jobs and a 383 percent
increase in the number of oil companies
Op-Ed
other side.
doing business in Alaska. And
TJ Presley
Chairman of Vote Yes! Reoil company profits skyrocketwww.ItsOurOilAlaska.com
peal the Giveaway, and signer
ed, with the industry making
over $43 billion in profits, at rates of return of the Alaska Constitution, Vic Fischer,
also attended. “This is exactly the kind
of 123 percent at Prudhoe Bay.
of thing we were trying to prevent,” says
Meanwhile, under SB 21, the “More
Fischer. “These companies are spendAlaska Production Act”, Governor Parnell
ing millions upon millions to convince
is now predicting, based on oil company
Alaskans that they are getting a fair deal
data, that oil production will plummet 45
for their resource. But the people are bepercent over the next decade, and revenue
will also plunge, putting Alaska on a path- ing misled by an expensive, well-oiled ad
campaign blasted through every medium
way to poverty.
possible.”
Largely missing from Keithley and
Wielechowski and Erickson focused on
Marks’ presentations were facts, as they
Alaska’s role as an “owner state”, a term
struggled to rebut any of the Vote Yes
coined by the late Governor Wally Hickel.
points. Wielechowski and Erickson came
“I think I felt Wally Hickel in the room last
prepared and made point after point
night,” said Malcolm Roberts who attendcalling out the misrepresentations by the
ed the debate. Long-time aide to Governor
Hickel, Roberts has seen oil companies
get their way in Alaska before. “No one
is surprised the industry is fighting for as
much profit as possible,” he noted “but it’s
our job, and our Governor’s job, to fight
for the maximum benefit of the people, for
the use of OUR resources. We didn’t get
that with SB21.”
Oil companies continue to pour money
into the No on 1 campaign, only increasing the amount Alaskans are hearing
about the issue. “I think they’re seeing
through it,” says Fischer. “People are paying attention now. And all they have to do
it listen to the facts and it’ll be clear on August 19th: Vote Yes! Repeal the Giveaway”
Letters to the Editor
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The Tundra Drums • July 31, 2014 • Page 3
Former USCG chief tapped as Arctic diplomat
Lara Jakes
AP National Security Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — A retired Coast
Guard admiral was named July 16 as the
first U.S. special representative for Arctic
issues, overseeing American policy in the
Kuskokwim Calendar
news-events.php
To submit an event for the Kuskokwim
Calendar, email zbryan@thetundradrums.
com
Argentine Tango for
Beginners
‘Healing Our Heroes’
Training
What: Training is aimed to help primary
healthcare providers and community
advocates understand the needs of
veterans by providing information
on military culture, post-tramautic
stress disorder, suicide prevention,
community resources and the process
to access services for veteran patients
through the VA Healthcare System.
Where: Yuut Elitnaurviat People’s Learning Center
When: Thursday, July 31, 8:30 a.m. to
4:30 p.m.
More Info: www.akcache.org/health
The Children’s Home
exhibit
What: Learn more about the Moravian
Children’s Home through photos, art
and video at the Yup’ik Museum.
Where: Yup’ik Museum
When: Tuesday-Saturday, Noon-4 p.m.,
June 11-Aug. 31
More info: Call (907) 543-1819
Bethel Chamber of
Commerce Luncheon
What: Join the Bethel Chamber of Commerce and a guest speaker every week
at the Mud Hut. The luncheons are
open to the public and you do not
have to be a member of the chamber
to attend.
Where: Mud Hut
When: Every Thursday, noon-1 p.m.
More info: www.bethelakchamber.org/
Send your
announcements
and
news tips
to
editor
@
TheTundraDrums.com
What: A unique feature of this dance is
the passionate, often melancholy music. This music is often reworked by
today’s musicians to give it a contemporary flavor. Call for “pre-lessons” if
needed. Beginners are always welcomed.
Where: Studio at 199 Alex Hately
When: Every Thursday, 7:30 p.m.
More info: Call 907-545-4699
icy region that is becoming a global focus
for economic opportunities and security
concerns.
In a statement, Secretary of State John
Kerry said retired Adm. Robert J. Papp
has broad foreign policy experience and a
“passion” for the Arctic that makes him the
ideal diplomat to advance U.S. interests in
the region.
“I could not be happier that he agreed to
postpone his well-deserved retirement and
join our effort in a cause about which he is
both passionate and wise,” Kerry said of
Papp, who stepped down as Coast Guard
commandant just two months ago.
The U.S. next year will chair the Arctic
Council, which is made up of eight nations
that reach into the Arctic Circle and aims to
protect the thawing region as its seas open
to commercial shipping traffic. The U.S.
touches the Arctic Circle in Alaska, and that
state’s two U.S. senators have long pressed
the Obama administration to name a permanent envoy to the region.
The Arctic is growing hotter faster than
any part of the globe. Global warming has
melted sea ice to levels that have given rise
to what experts describe as a kind of gold
rush scramble to the Arctic.
U.S. officials estimate the Arctic holds
13 percent of the world’s undiscovered oil
reserves and 30 percent of undiscovered
gas deposits. Until recently, however, the resources that could reap hundreds of billions
of dollars in revenues were frozen over and
unreachable.
Kerry also named Alaska’s former lieutenant governor, Fran Ulmer, as a special
adviser on Arctic science and policy. Ulmer
has chaired the U.S. Arctic Research Commission during the Obama administration.
Swing Dance for Beginners
What: Learn how to dance one of the
most popular and fun dances of all
time. Also known as Jitterbug, the
dance originates in the USA and can be
danced at local fiddle dances. Dance to
oldies and contemporary music.
Where: Studio at 199 Alex Hately
When: Every Friday, 7:30 p.m.
More info: Call 907-545-4699
Public Broadcasting in the Y-K Delta
Bringing you News, Weather and Announcements
Since 1971
Saturday Market
What: Vendors from around the YukonKuskokwim Delta gather to sell Alaskan goods and services.
Where: Bethel Cultural Center
When: Saturday, Aug. 16, 10 a.m.
More info: www.bethelculturalcenter.
com
Radio: 640 AM • 90.3 FM
TV: Channel 15.4
907-543-3131
www.kyuk.org
Bethel City Council
What: The City Council discusses and
votes on various motions brought
before them. Open to the public.
Where: City Hall
When: Tuesday, Aug. 12, 6:30 p.m.
More info: www.cityofbethel.org
www.TheTundraDrums.com
The right choice for Marine Transportation to Western Alaska!
Seward - Bethel - Nome - Dillingham - Naknek
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Alaska Logistics, LLC
1-866-585-3281
[email protected]
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Page 4 • July 31, 2014 • The Tundra Drums
Public input sought on many issues
Nowhere in the world do people have
more say in shaping fisheries policy than
in Alaska. While the outcomes might get
mixed rants and reviews, no one is ever
denied the chance to state ideas, concerns
and gripes to decision makers.
Several opportunities are available right
now. First off, a revised draft of the Magnuson-Stevens Act was just released for public
review and comment. The MSA is the primary federal law that governs all fisheries
management in U.S. waters; it is undergoing reauthorization targeted for completion
at the end of this year. Comments will be
taken until the bill moves through the Senate to the full Congress for final action. Find
information at the Department
of Commerce. Comments also
can be sent to Sen. Mark Begich (msacomments@begich.
senate.gov), who chairs the
Senate committee on Oceans,
Fisheries and Coast Guard.
Revised protection measures are being proposed for
Western Steller sea lions in
the Bering Sea and Aleutian
Islands. The changes could
reopen fishing for cod, Atka
mackerel and other groundfish for the first time in five
years. Comments to NOAA
Fisheries are accepted through
Aug. 15. (www.regulations.
gov/#!home)
It’s the last chance to comment on the proposed KSM
gold/copper open pit mine
just 19 miles north of the
Alaska border. KSM would
be one of the largest mines
in North America, operating
at the headwaters of transFish
boundary rivers flowing to
Factor
Juneau, Petersburg and other
Southeast Alaska regions. CurLaine Welch
rently, there are no enforceable
www.alaskafishradio.com
policies in place to safeguard
Alaska’s fish and clean water
from upstream industrial development.
Deadline to comment is Aug. 20. (www.
salmonbeyondborders.org)
The public has until Sept. 19 to comment
to the Environmental Protection Agency
(www2.epa.gov/bristolbay/public-involvement-bristol-bay-404c-process#hearings )
on its intent to protect salmon and habitat
at Bristol Bay by imposing tough watershed
restrictions on large mines in the region.
The EPA has scheduled a series of seven
public hearings starting Aug. 12 in Anchor-
10 ReASONS TO AdveRTISe
IN TOugh TImeS
age, followed by meetings throughout the
Bristol Bay region.
Fish skin baskets – Audrey Armstrong
of Galena remembers the day she was first
inspired to make beautiful things from
salmon skins. It was Sept. 4, 2002 and she
was mesmerized by a king salmon she
caught.
“The colors were so beautiful, and I said
to myself, I know a long time ago they used
to make garments and baskets and different containers out of fish skin. I wonder if I
could make something out of this skin. And
that is how I started,” Armstrong said in a
phone interview.
It was difficult to learn the traditional
techniques, as the history for the old ways
was lost.
“There was nothing really written. And I
think the oldest piece I saw from my culture
was from 1849. It was a child’s mittens
made out of fish skins. They are so beautiful. So now the majority of us working with
fish skin it is all by trial and error, and by
talking to other people who are working
with fish skin and trying to bring it back.
We are all learning from each other,” she
said.
Armstrong uses an ulu to clean and
scrape any fat from the skins which keeps
them from spoiling. She cleans and freezes
the skins and hand sews each piece as it is
pulled from a cooler.
“Because it will dry out real fast as you
are sewing, so you have to keep putting
it back in the cooler. And then you put it
over your mold and it becomes a basket, or
a vase or a bag. It becomes whatever you
are making. So my baskets have this hard
surface to the skin and then I decorate them
with beads, abalone shells, and dentalia
shells, which represent the status of our
Athabascan chiefs.”
Armstrong’s favorite fish skin to work
with is king salmon. She has won numerous art awards for her work, which is
displayed across Alaska and elsewhere. She
also shares her skill at workshops all over
the state.
1. You’re Open. You still turn your lights on. 6. Tough Customers. Consumers research
Why not invite people in? If you are open
for business at all, you must market that
business.
purchases more during tough times.
Be among the considered choices. The
newspaper is the marketplace for shoppers
and if you aren’t there, you may not be
considered as a choice for those who are
buying.
2. Opportunity. When the pie gets smaller
you can still get a larger slice. Advertising
during tough times increases your odds
of being the vendor of choice and seizing
share from your competitors.
3. Reliability. When your business gets
7. Credibility. Advertising in a credible
medium is an indication that you are.
8. Bravado. Never show your fear.
softer, increase your core media. Media
mix is a desirable goal except during tough
times when you need to rely more heavily
9.
on your base medium; newspaper.
4. Proven Results. Newspapers get
proven results. During tough times, your
advertising needs to be focused on ROI
and not other nice options. Newspaper
advertising is a proven ROI vehicle.
5. Fish Where the Fish Are. Newspapers
offer the best local reach and that means
that newspapers are the first place to look
for consumers for your services.
Advertising indicates your confidence in
your business.
Convert Wants Into Needs. During
tough times, consumers buy what they
need and not what they merely want. It
is up to you to convince consumers they
need what you offer.
10. Start the Funnel. Even if customers
are not buying today, advertising is your
opportunity to start people thinking about
what is important to buy and who from. It
will pay off later.
Newspaper advertising. A destination, not a distraction.
224-4888 • [email protected]
Audrey Armstrong with a fish skin basket
New fish advisor – Gov. Sean Parnell on
Friday appointed Ben Mohr as his new fisheries advisor. Mohr previously was public
information specialist for the Pebble Partnership for six years, and was former campaign
manager for Dan Sullivan, candidate for U.S.
Senate. Mohr replaces Stephanie Moreland
as the governor’s fisheries advisor.
Fish funds – Two Sitka fishing projects
received grant awards from the National
Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Fisheries
Innovation Fund, a program launched in
2010 to support sustainable U.S. fisheries
and fishermen.
The Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust
received $135,000 to develop and deploy
processes “for inter-generational transfer
of fishery rights and best practices.” The
proposed project “utilizes existing legal
and financial mechanisms in a novel way
to achieve the goal of increased retention of
economic benefits from fisheries in Gulf of
Alaska communities.”
Another $38,000 went to the Alaska
Longline Fishermen’s Association to move
Electronic Monitoring systems from a pilot
stage to use out on the water.
The Tundra Drums • July 31, 2014 • Page 5
Yukon kings
From Page 1
than 2,000 fish were counted.
Last year, even with fishing restrictions
in place to protect kings, only 30,725 kings
passed the Eagle sonar.
“It’s a different story than last year,”
said Eric Newland, Yukon area management biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. “Last year, there
was quite a bit of conservation measures
taken – and the run size didn’t show up at
the border.”
product at the end of the year to last three
years, he said.
“Fortunately, it’s a great product,” he
said, with a shelf-life of six years.
The state has estimated a catch of about
75 million pinks this year. The five-year
average, according to state Fish and Game
is about 123 million.
Pinks follow a two-year cycle of abundance, with 2014 considered a weaker
year, according to the marketing institute.
The fear is that prices could tank if there’s
a lot of canned inventory still on the market next year, and there is another huge
fish harvest.
Parnell said the oversupply is greater
than what was experienced by the salmon
industry between 1999 and 2004, when he
said more than 2,000 fishermen went out
of business and many processors sold or
closed their facilities.
Canned salmon
From Page 1
yet been made on Parnell’s request.
The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute
has committed about $1.5 million in emergency funds to market pink salmon.
Fishermen, like farmers, have boom
and bust years. One year a harvest can be
great, the next, not so much.
In Alaska, 2013 was a huge year for
pink salmon. The 219 million pink salmon
harvested dwarfed the previous record of
161 million in 2005, Parnell said. But it also
resulted in a glut of canned salmon, with
an unsold inventory of over 6.1 million
cases or two years’ worth of fish at current
demand, Parnell said.
The Department of Fish and Game said
the 219 million was a preliminary estimate. The pink harvest wound up at 226
million fish.
Bruce Schactler, food aid program coordinator for the Alaska Seafood Marketing
Institute, said there was enough canned
FREE
FOR ONE YEAR
For a limited time and only from GCI. Stop in or call today: 543.3226.
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Terms and conditions apply.
Elected by the residents of their respective communities, the
CVRF Board of Directors have spoken:
“WHAT WE WANT,
WHAT WE NEED,
WHAT WE LOVE,
IS MORE...
ALWAYS MORE
WORK, FISH, HOPE!”
Page 6 • July 31, 2014 • The Tundra Drums
FIGURE OUT
HOW TO TELL
YOUR GRANDKIDS
YOU WON’T BE
AROUND ANYMORE.
Michael, Age 57
Alaska
Smoking gave Michael COPD, a disease that makes it harder and hard
You can quit. For
The Tundra Drums • July 31, 2014 • Page 7
der to breathe and can cause death.
free help, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW.
#CDCTips
Page 8 • July 31, 2014 • The Tundra Drums
Bethel, Alaska | 50 cents | FREE in the villages
www.TheTundraDrums.com
Vol. 41, No. 25 | January 30, 2014
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The Tundra Drums • July 31, 2014 • Page 9
Students
practice science
at summer
camp
Students from throughout the YukonKuskokwim Region took part in the
ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer
Science Camp at the University of Alaska
Anchorage in conjunction with Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program. As
part of the program’s science, technology,
engineering and math curriculum, students
will participated in the Mars Lander Challenge, a space-themed competition inspired
by camp founder and veteran astronaut Dr.
Bernard Harris Jr.
Photos by ANSEP
Cypriann Johnsons-Edwards of Emmonak, Carter Andrews of Mountain Village and Tracey Sylvester of Anchorage work on a project.
Mike Ulroan, ANSEP Regional Director, from Chevak asks Jamal Murphy of Kotlik to announce his
team name.
Michael Waska, far right, raises his hand in a STEM class.
T O B A C C O I S N O T O U R C U LT U R E
I have too much
to live for.
Alisha Waska of Emmonak, Laci Prince of Kotlik and Michaela Blowe of Alakanuk take a break.
➢Akiak
➢Akiachak
➢Atmautluak
➢Bethel
➢Chefornak
➢Eek
➢Goodnews Bay
➢Kalskag
➢Kasigluk
➢Kipnuk
➢Kongiganak
➢Kwigillingok
➢Kwethluk
➢Napakiak
➢Napaskiak
➢Newtok
➢Nightmute
➢Nunapitchuk
➢Platinum
➢Quinhagak
➢Toksook Bay
➢Tuluksak
➢Tuntutuliak
➢Tununak
The wings of the people
Watching my loved
ones pass away
from something
preventable was
the saddest thing
I’ve ever been
through. After 20
years I decided it
was time to quit.
- Karen McIntyre
Running
charters
and
scheduled flights
7 days a week
907-543-3003
EX-SMOKER
Page 10 • July 31, 2014 • The Tundra Drums
Researchers seek citizen scientists
for northern plants project
UAF
Researchers heading two citizen-science projects documenting the seasonal
life events of plants in Alaska and in
Churchill, on Canada’s Hudson Bay, are
looking for participants – and timing is
everything.
The climate in the North is changing
rapidly. Spring arrives earlier, summers are
warmer and fall arrives later. These changes affect the timing of plants’ life events,
such as leafing out, flowering, fruiting and
dying – called plant phenology.
“Northern plants are programmed to
shut down early, well before the light
disappears or it turns cold,” said Christa
Mulder, project leader and a plant ecologist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks
Institute of Arctic Biology. “If there’s an
extra month of summer, that’s not a problem, but if non-native plants don’t shut
down at the same time as typical northern
plants, they may gain a foothold and outcompete native plants.”
The two citizen-science projects Mulder
and her co-researchers have underway are
FlowerTrackers, in Canada, and Project
BrownDown, in Alaska. Both are based on
Mulder’s successful 2012 citizen-science
project with white clover.
Changes in plant communities affect
as how to select a field site, identify plants
people directly by affecting when resourcand enter and upload data.
es such as geese, caribou and berries are
Participants will upload their data to the
available. Project leaders Mulder and Kit
Schnaars-Uvino, of the American Museum website Hands on the Land, where they
can compare what their plants are doing to
of Natural History in New York, designed
what plants at other locations in northern
Project FlowerTrackers to examine how
regions are doing. Data will also be shared
plants are changing in Churchill, a town
with Canada’s PlantWatch Program.
on the western coast of Hudson Bay in
“We’re especially
Canada’s Manitoba
excited that Wapusk
province, and how those “You don’t need to have
changes compare to
any experience with plants National Park in Canada
contributed iPad Minis
other areas of contior computers. All you’ll
for students to use in
nental North America,
need is enthusiasm and a
this summer’s data colespecially Alaska.
desire to learn.”
lection,” said Mulder.
“Kids in remote communities have few op—Katie Villano Spellman, citizen- “They’ll use the tablets
to take pictures and
portunities to participate science project coordinator
enter data while they’re
in scientific research, yet
in the field.”
they often know a lot
Once students are trained, they will
about the environment they live in,” said
select the plant species they want to track,
Mulder. “By participating in this project,
they will learn how to analyze and display mark five plants in a location they can
visit frequently and collect data and take
data, determine whether or not what they
see can be explained by changes in climate pictures throughout the summer.
“For Project BrownDown, we’re lookand have an opportunity to connect with
ing specifically at what happens in the
kids in remote communities in Alaska.”
fall,” Mulder said. “We found in previous
At the first FlowerTrackers training
research that non-native plants kept proJuly 14 in Churchill, participants learned
ducing leaves 26 days longer than native
about plant phenology and how it can be
affected by climate change. They will prac- plants. We want to know is this common
across Alaska?”
tice all of the monitoring procedures, such
Bearly
ACROSS
1. State in northeastern
India
6. *Hanson’s “MMM___,”
nominated for two
Grammy Awards
9. The Atkins ____
13. Nigerian money
14. Lawyers’ league
15. *_____ Martinez,
winner of three Cy
Young Awards
16. “Encore!”
17. A cause of inflation
18. Like a dunk but softer
19. *Four time Pulitzer
Prize winner
21. *_______ Cup
23. Sigma Alpha Epsilon
24. Reduced Instruction
Set Computer
25. Choose
28. *He won Oscar for
“Leaving Las Vegas”
30. Gastric enzyme
35. Garden starter
37. Left or right
39. Like 1950s style,
today
40. Algonquian language
41. Walk heavily
43. Riyadh native
44. Next step for juvenile
46. Russia’s legislative
body
47. Mandolin’s cousin
48. Indonesian currency
50. Eight bits
52. ___ Aviv
53. Catcher’s catcher
55. Labor group
57. *Masters’ awards
61. *The Man ______ Prize
64. Modern day letter
65. Hole punching tool
67. Pertaining to a pope
69. Sufficiently
70. Fish eggs
Tundra
Puzzles
AWARDS AND TROPHIES
71. Long stories
72. *This Coward is an
Academy Award and
Tony winner
73. Boar’s mate
74. Cubed
Training for Project BrownDown will
start Aug. 9 in Fairbanks, Alaska.
“We have had a 45 percent increase in
the number of days above freezing in the
past 100 years in Interior Alaska,” Mulder
said. “I don’t think spring is the big deal,
I think it’s in the fall when non-native or
potentially invasive plants may have a
huge advantage because they could still be
photosynthesizing after the native plants
shut down.”
Anyone interested in participating is
encouraged to sign up on the project’s
websites.
“You don’t need to have any experience with plants or computers,” said Katie
Villano Spellman, citizen-science project
coordinator, about FlowerTrackers and
BrownDown. “All you’ll need is enthusiasm and a desire to learn.”
BrownDown: sites.google.com/a/alaska.edu/projectbrowndown/home
FlowerTrackers: sites.google.com/a/
alaska.edu/flowertrackers/home or [email protected]
PlantWatch: www.naturewatch.ca/english/plantwatch/
HandsOnTheLand: www.handsontheland.org/environmental-monitoring/
melibee-project.html.
DOWN
1. Nurses’ organization
2. Palm starch
3. a.k.a. Xi’an, ancient
capital of China
4. Ovine sign of the zodiac
5. Mad person
6. Worshipped by ancient
Semitic peoples
7. ___-Wan of “Star Wars”
8. Zoroaster follower
9. Campus head
10. Descriptive of pastoral
life
11. North of Cleveland
12. *Broadway recognition
15. Alluvial deposit
20. Minimum
22. Recipe amount
24. Entrenched stronghold
25. *Gold knight
26. Lost in Provence
27. Get ready to drive
29. Encircle
31. Church sound
32. Walk like a peacock
33. About to explode
34. *Swedish benefactor
36. Sub station
38. *Winged woman
holding an atom
42. BBQ spot
45. In a tame manner
49. Opposite of “miss”
51. Ran off to Vegas?
54. Peter and Paul
56. Rain forest ruminant
57. *Billie ____ King,
1972’s Sports
Illustrated Sportsman
of the Year
58. Held by a clip
59. Super garb?
60. *Pulitzer Prize
winner, “To ____ a
Mockingbird”
61. What the Big Bad Wolf
did
62. Larger-than-life
63. Dash
66. To court
68. Acid
Solutions to previous puzzles
The Tundra Drums • July 31, 2014 • Page 11
Trooper Report
The following is from the dispatches of the
Alaska State Troopers. Those who have been
arrested, cited or summoned are presumed
innocent until found guilty in court.
On July 18, Alaska Wildlife Troopers contacted
Frank T. Nelson, 28 Napakiak, commercial
fishing on the Kuskokwim River. Nelson
failed to display on his vessel the registration
numbers as required while engaged in commercial fishing. Nelson was issued a citation
with the bail amount set at $210 in Bethel
District Court.
On July 18, Alaska Wildlife Troopers contacted
Gene P. Chaney, 65 of Bethel, operating a
commercial fishing tender vessel on the
Kuskokwim River. Chaney failed to register or
display on his vessel the registration numbers
as required while transporting unprocessed
commercial caught fish. Chaney was issued
a citation with the bail amount set at $210
in Bethel District Court.
On July 18, Alaska Wildlife Troopers in Bethel
contacted Wassillie Gregory, 48 of Bethel,
while commercial salmon fishing on the
Kuskokwim River near Napakiak. Wassillie
did not have his vessel permanently marked
with his CFEC permit number plainly visible
on both sides. Wassillie was issued a citation
for failing to display his vessel Identification
numbers. Bail for the offense is set at $210
in the Bethel District Court.
On July 21, Alaska Wildlife Troopers in Bethel
contacted Lloyd Wassilie, 36 of Akiakchak,
while commercial salmon fishing on the
Kuskokwim River near Napakiak. Investigation revealed that Wassilie only had one PFD
on his vessel that had two people on board.
Wassilie was issued a citation for not having
a PFD for everyone on board. No further AWT
involvement.
On July 21, Alaska Wildlife Troopers contacted
William Jackson, 37 of Akiachak, while commercial salmon fishing on the Kuskokwim River
near Napakiak. Jackson was operating his vessel with two people and only one PFD onboard.
Jackson was issued a citation for not having
a PFD for every person on board as required.
Bail was set at $110 in Bethel District Court.
On July 21, Alaska Wildlife Troopers contacted
Michael E. Lomack, 19 of Akiachak, commercial fishing near Bethel on the Kuskokwim
River. A license check revealed Lomack’s
crewman, Lewis D. Lomack, 37 of Akiachak,
did not have a commercial crew license in
possession. Michael Lomack was issued a
citation for employing an unlicensed crewman
and Lewis Lomack was issued a citation for
not having a commercial fishing crew license
in possession. Bail for both citations was set
at $260 each in Bethel District Court.
Classified Ads & Public Notices
Rates: 65 cents per word, minimum $6.50 per ad. • Deadline: Noon, Friday for Thursday publication • [email protected] • 907-224-4888
The Drums does not evaluate or endorse the
representations made by these advertisers.
For possible information, contact BBB at 5620704 or the Alaska Dept. of Labor at 907269-4900.
Business for Sale
For Sale by Owner
Reduced to sell asking $75,000 OBO
Turn key operation. Restaurant/Bed and
Breakfast located at St. Marys airport on
state lease lot. Everything included to operate. Location ideal and lots of possibilities.
Serious inquires only please. contact Roz
phone 509-230-3379 or email rozsbnb@
hotmail.com.
(6/5-7/31)
Public Notices
Notice of Intent to Begin Integrated
Vegetation Management Activities on
Airports
In accordance with the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF)
Integrated Vegetation Management Plan
(IVMP), the DOT&PF Maintenance and Operations (M&O) Division intends to begin
using herbicides as a maintenance tool,
along with non-chemical methods, to control
woody vegetation and noxious weeds on the
Birchwood, McGrath, and Bethel airports
that are destroying paved surfaces and
creating visual hazards by covering lighting
and fixed navigational aids. Treatments will
occur between July and October 2014. Approximately 66 acres total (McGrath- 22.2,
Bethel- 17.76, Birchwood- 26.2 acres) will
be sprayed around the airport aprons, lighting on runways, segmented circles, and
fence lines. The herbicides approved for
use include: Aquamaster (EPA# 524-343),
RoundUp (EPA# 71995-33), Habitat (EPA#
241-426-67690), Garlon 3A (EPA# 6271937), Garlon 4 (EPA# 62719-40), Garlon 4
Ultra (EPA# 62719-527), Milestone (EPA#
62719-519), Transline (EPA# 62719-259),
Escalade 2 (EPA# 228-442), Escort XP
(EPA# 352-439), and Telar XP (EPA# 352654). The herbicides will be applied once
during the 2014 maintenance season. The
Public Notices
Public Notices
herbicides will be applied by certified sprayers using backpacks and truck mounted devices. No spraying will occur near any waterbodies. For additional information, please
refer to the IVMP at: http://dec.alaska.gov/
eh/docs/pest/PermitsIPMs/ADOT&PF%20
IVMP%20(June %202013).pdf or contact
Jennifer Micolichek, Environmental Impact
Analyst, at 269-5690, and Michael Cook,
M&O Specialist, at 269-0767.
AO15-60-015 Pub: July 31 & Aug. 7, 2014
Estimated Cost: Between $10,000.00 and
$21,000.00
Bid Opening: 1:00 PM on 8/4/2014
Telephone: (907) 269-0767
TTD: (907) 269-0473
TTY: (800) 770-8973
Copies of the Contract bid documents may
be obtained at the Nunapitchuk Post Office
or the M&O Bethel Station Airport Manager’s Office.
Up to date and additional information is
available on the web at (http://dot.alaska.
gov). Under the Section called Quick Links,
select DOT & PF Public Notices. Look
through the section called Procurement for
the Invitation for Quotes.
AO 15-60-010
Pub: July 24 & 31, 2014
STATE OF ALASKA
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION &
PUBLIC FACILITIES (DOT/PF)
CENTRAL REGION
INVITATION FOR QUOTES
Project Bid Title: Scammon Bay Airport Maintenance
Project Bid No.: 15-25A-1-021
Estimated Cost: Between $10,000.00 and
$30,000.00
Bid Opening: 1:00 PM on 8/7/2014
Telephone: (907) 269-0767
TTD: (907) 269-0473
TTY: (800) 770-8973
Copies of the Contract bid documents may
be obtained at the Scammon Bay Post Office or the M&O Bethel Station Airport Manager’s Office.
Up to date and additional information is
available on the web at (http://dot.alaska.
gov). Under the Section called Quick Links,
select DOT & PF Public Notices. Look
through the section called Procurement for
the Invitation for Quotes.
AO 15-60-012
Pub: July 24 & 31, 2014
STATE OF ALASKA
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION &
PUBLIC FACILITIES (DOT/PF)
CENTRAL REGION
INVITATION FOR QUOTES
Project Bid Title: Nunapitchuk Airport Maintenance Re-Bid
Project Bid No.: 15-25A-1-019
STATE OF ALASKA
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION &
PUBLIC FACILITIES (DOT/PF)
CENTRAL REGION
INVITATION FOR QUOTES
Project Bid Title: Nikolai Airport Maintenance Re-Bid
Project Bid No.: 15-25A-1-018
Estimated Cost: Between $10,000.00 and
$30,000.00
Bid Opening: 1:00 PM on 8/4/2014
Telephone: (907) 269-0767
TTD: (907) 269-0473
TTY: (800) 770-8973
Copies of the Contract bid documents may
be obtained at the Nikolai Post Office or the
M&O McGrath Station Airport Manager’s Office.
Up to date and additional information is
available on the web at (http://dot.alaska.
gov). Under the Section called Quick Links,
select DOT & PF Public Notices. Look
through the section called Procurement for
the Invitation for Quotes.
AO 15-60-008
Pub: July 24 & 31, 2014
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Ads
are your
Community
Marketplace
Place your ad at
[email protected]
907-224-4888, Seward
Business & Service Directory
Your Ad Here!
email
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(907) 276-5858
Toll Free 1-800-478-5858
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Give a copy of your business card to every newspaper reader, each week.
Advertising in the Business & Service Directory.
Send us a copy of your business card and we will get it published.
No Cost Consultation
Page 12 • July 31, 2014 • The Tundra Drums
Court rejects benefit denial in same-sex case
Becky Bohrer
Associated Press
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The Alaska
Supreme Court on Friday rejected the
denial of survivor benefits to a woman
whose same-sex partner was shot to death
on the job in 2011.
The high court held that denying benefits to Deborah Harris was a violation of
equal protection. It sent the case back to
a workers’ compensation commission for
further consideration.
The state Department of Law was
reviewing the decision. Part of the evaluation will be whether law changes or new
regulations are needed to comply with the
ruling, a spokeswoman said.
The decision is the latest by a court
that over the years has chipped away at
laws deemed discriminatory against gay
couples. In 2005, the high court found it
unconstitutional to deny certain benefits
to the same-sex partners of state employees. This past April, the court found that
gay couples are equally entitled to the
same state property-tax exemptions for
senior citizens and disabled veterans as
married couples.
In the latest case, Harris challenged
the constitutionality of state workers’
compensation law limiting eligibility for
survivor benefits to widows or widowers. Under state law, widows or widowers
are entitled to survivor benefits if their
husband or wife dies in a work-related
injury; children are also eligible but if
there are no children and is no surviving
spouse, benefits can go to other specified
family members who were dependent on
the worker.
Same-sex couples have not received
such benefits because they are not allowed to marry in Alaska. Voters in 1998
approved a constitutional amendment
banning same-sex marriage. That ban is
being challenged in federal court, with
arguments set for October.
Harris said she and her partner, Kerry
Fadely, were in a committed relationship
for more than 10 years. According to an
affidavit cited by the court, they had joint
credit cards, raised their children from
prior relationships together and would
have married if they could have. Fadely
was shot to death while at work at the
Millennium Hotel in Anchorage.
The supreme court said the hotel at
which Fadely worked acknowledged
Fadely’s death was compensable but
argued the couple was not married. Attorneys for the hotel and insurer declined
comment.
The case was brought to the supreme
court to settle the issue of constitutionality,
one the compensation board did not have
standing to address.
Attorneys for Harris expect her to present information on her relationship with
Fadely to the board once the case is sent
back, and that the matter should be cut
and dry. Attorney Eric Croft said the major
determination for the board is whether
an injury is work-related but that’s not in
question here.
Croft said the denial of benefits was
disastrous for Harris, who could not afford
the home the two shared after Fadely’s
death. He said she is now living out of state.
Lamda Legal staff attorney Peter Renn,
who also represented Harris, said the
decision “contributes to momentum that
we’ve been seeing across the country of
courts saying the exclusion of same-sex
couples from legal protection, whether
it’s marriage, as we’ve seen in a bunch of
cases, or the benefits associated with marriage. And that’s the category of cases that
this case falls into.”
Renn said the “most sensible thing to do
is to get at the root cause of the problem”
— the exclusion of same-sex couples from
marriage.
SAFETY
IS OUR STANDARD
Tulio Perez
Project Services Challenger
BP Alaska
QUYANA!
Our Commitment to Alaska:
Investing in Our Communities.
BP and its employees donate millions of dollars and
thousands of hours to more than 400 community
organizations throughout Alaska. These are investments
that impact each and every Alaskan. And they are ones that
we’re proud to make.
Find out more about BP Alaska at alaska.bp.com
Quyana Cakneq
(Thank You So Much)
On behalf of the Coastal Villages Region Fund
Board of Directors and Staff,
a special thank you to the
Community of Eek
for being a gracious host for our
quarterly meeting on July 23.
www.coastalvillages.org