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RFQ released for Swimming Pool and Multi-Use Recreation Center

7-16-08

The long-awaited swimming pool and multi-use recreation center project is making steps toward becoming a reality after many years of effort. The City of Bethel released the request for qualifications (RFQ) to architectural firms for the design and construction of the facility on June 23.
“This is truly an exciting time for the City of Bethel,” said avid proponent and Councilmember Yolonda Jorgensen. “Efforts for this type of project date back to the 1980s. Young people of the community have been writing letters to the editor in local papers for years and several community members have been donating hundreds of hours to raise money for this project. The RFQ release is yet another success.”
In November 2007, City Manager Wally Baird established an ad hoc committee following the direction of the City Council and a sales tax increase approved by Bethel voters in the 2007 General Election to support the construction and operation of a swimming pool and multi-use facility. The committee consists of: Beverly Hoffman, Tiffany Zulkosky, Rick Abboud, Martin Leonard, Yolonda Jorgensen, Kerri Fulton, Ted Berry, Susan Taylor, Pam Twitchell, John Sargent, Rick Robb, Janet Athanas, and Ronda Sargent.
The proposed 10-acre site for the facility is located in City Subdivision by Yuut Elitnaurviat: The People’s Learning Center and across the street from the ONC multi-purpose building.
Responses for the RFQ are due July 23. The ad hoc committee meets the first and third Thursday of every month in City Council Chambers. The next planning meeting is scheduled for July 17 at 5:15 p.m. For more information contact committee chair Beverly Hoffman at 543-3239 or log on to the Bethel Parks & Recreation website at www.cityofbethel.org.

Commercial Fishing
prohibited for minors under 16

School is out, summer has arrived and the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development is reminding employers that child labor laws exist to protect young workers in the fishing industry.
Under state and federal law, minors under the age of 16 are not allowed to work on a fishing boat, unless a minor is employed by a parent who also owns and operates the boat.
“We want to get young people out working, but their safety on the job comes first,” Labor Commissioner Click Bishop said.
According to Grey Mitchell, director of the Labor Standards and Safety Division, “The last Alaska workplace fatality involving a worker under 16 years old involved commercial fishing. This tragedy could have been avoided by simply following the law.”
Additional information is available at the Alaska Wage and Hour Administration website http://labor.state.ak.us/lss/whhome.htm or by contacting a regional Wage and Hour office.

Bethel Chamber scholarship

The Bethel Chamber of Commerce Board has announced a one-time $750 scholarship to be awarded to a selected undergraduate college student in September 2008. The scholarship was adopted as part of the Chamber Board’s 2008 Goals at the annual banquet.
“We believe that investing in this region’s business owners and leaders of tomorrow will promote sustainability for Bethel’s economy,” said Board Vice President Jerry Drake.
Applicants for the scholarship must be college sophomores or above and provide official transcripts and proof of enrollment in a business-related major. The application, and all supporting documentation, must be received no later than 6:00 p.m. on Friday, August 15, 2008. Applications postmarked August 15, 2008 or later will not be considered.
For more information, or to pick up an application, contact Tish Guinn at 907-543-3773 or by e-mail at lguinn@bethelclinic.org.

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Group Breaks Ground on New Aviation Mechanics Site

7-9-08

by Tommy Wells

The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta leaders moved a step closer to an economic boost on July 1 as leaders from several local organizations broke ground on a multi-million dollar aviation facility.
During a ground-breaking ceremony, officials from the AVCP, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Hospital Corp., the University of Alaska-Kuskokwim Campus and Yuut Elitnaurviat indicated a new Aviation Mechanics Training Institute will be built in Bethel with the hopes of bring jobs to western Alaska.
“The new school will bring more opportunities to hire local people to fill jobs within the region,” said AVCP President Myron Naneng Sr. in a release.
Attending the ground-breaking ceremong with Naneng were YKHC President Gene Peltola, KuC-UAF Director Mary Pete, Yuut Elitnaurviat Director Lamont Albertson, AVCP Legal Counsel Lauren Berdow and AVCP Transportation Director Michael Hoffman
The $2.9-million plant, which is also being constructed in association with the U.S. Economic Development Administration, will be approximately 9,000 square feet in size and give local residents the opportunity to become licensed aviation and power plant mechanics.
Officals expect the building to be completed this fall.
SKW/ Eskimos, Inc., a Native-owned contractor, has been hired to construct the new school. SKW/Eskimos is currently employing four local people on the job site, and could be adding positions the in the future
According to Naneng, the aviation mechanics school will be a vital addition to the area because of the jobs it can provide for residents of western Alaska.
“The Aviation Mechanics Training Institute will produce local aviation and power plant licensed mechanics,” he said. “Organizations from around the Yukon-Kuskokwim Region support and understand the need for locally-trained Aviation Mechanics in a region where aviation is the main mode of transportation and where no roads connect villages to one another.”
Western Alaska is characterized by the lowest per capita income and the highest unemployment rate in the state.

Council names Foley as
interim city manager in Bethel

by Tommy Wells

The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta gained a new leader last week … even if it might only be for a while.
Members of the Bethel City Council appointed Bethel Port Director Lee Foley as the interim city manager during a special meeting on June 30. The council approved the appointment by a 4-2 margin.
Foley, who has applied for the position on a permanent basis, was chosen from three candidates. Also considered for the interim position were Bethel Fire Chief George Young and Wendy Acosta, a former city employee in Spokane.
Councilman Dan Leinberger said naming Foley as the interim city manager was a necessary move so that he could work with current city manager Wally Baird before he leaves. Baird submitted his resignation and is scheduled to depart Bethel later this month.
“We need to have someone walking side-by-side our current city manager for the next two weeks to try and learn as much as he can. Once he (Baird) is gone, he’s gone. It would be irresponsible of us not to do this.”
Tiffany Zulkosky, Yolanda Jorgensen, Mayor Eric Middlebrook and Leinberger all voted for the appointment. Councilmen Stanley Rodgers and Thor Williams against the appointment, noting the city should take more time to review the situation – and deciding at its June 9 meeting.
Neither Williams or Rodgers objected their any of the candidates for the position – only wanting a few days to review the candidates and gauge the community’s opinion.
Council members decided to appoint Foley to the position due to his lengthy experience with the city, and the fact he had a capable person who could assume the day-to-day operations at the harbor. With Foley’s move into the city manager role, Bethel Harbormaster Peter Williams will shoulder much of the harbor’s operations, although Foley will still retain his position as director.
The council decided against Young due to the improvements being planned for the fire department this summer. The additional duties, they feared, would be unfair to the longtime Bethel city employee.
Acosta, a 27-year city worker in Washington, submitted her application for the position prior to the stat of the meeting.
Council members said they would re-examine all applicants in the near future in an effort to fill Baird’s position permanently.
“Obviously our long-term goal is to hire a city manager,” said Leinberger. “Our short-term strategy is how do we get there. I’d be comfortable with appointing an interim city manager for now and then coming back later to choose a permanent city manager.”

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CT services at Bethel hospital opens for patients

6-18-08

A ten-year vision to offer Computed Axial Tomography, known as CAT or CT scanning, at the Bethel hospital has now unveiled. Until now, patients in the Yukon-Kuskokwim region had to travel to Anchorage to receive the advanced x-ray services.
The long anticipated Siemens 16-slice CT scanning machine is in full operation at the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Regional Hospital and served its first patient Harold Kitsick, 13, of Kotlik, June 9. The CT scanner was used to rule out the possibility of appendicitis. “We are heading home tomorrow and are happy we don’t have to go to Anchorage to make the trip longer,” said Harold’s mother, Carolyn, who summed up the reason YKHC has invested in the CT machine.
“YKHC faces unique challenges in health care forcing many family members to travel hundreds of miles away from home to receive necessary medical services,” said Ray Alstrom, Chairman of the Board of Directors. “CT services are now closer to home for our patients and our medical teams can detect and diagnose for cancer and other severe ailments much quicker.”
A CT Scanner is a complex machine used to take detail pictures of specific parts of the body. The technology displays cross-sections through the body of specific bones, muscles, organs and blood vessels. This imaging capability is much like seeing a picture of a single slice of bread from a whole loaf.
While general conventional x-ray machines take pictures in one plane, a helical CT machine can rotate clear around the body while taking pictures from all angles. It is the chief imaging method used in diagnosing and detecting a variety of cancers, the size of tumors and if it has spread to surrounding tissues.
Annually, nearly 2,000 CT scan studies are conducted on patients who have had to travel to Anchorage until now. “We know that our patients will benefit from these services at our hospital,” said Ronnie Fitzpatrick, Director of Diagnostic Imaging. “This enhances the level of services we provide from screening to diagnosis.”
The state-of-the art technology also useful for a large range of musculoskeletal disorders and injuries, back problems, fractures or a damaged disk in the spine, and injuries to internal organs.
The need for a CT Scan evolved more than 10 years ago among the YKHC Board of Directors and Tribal Gathering Conference delegates who ranked the CT Scanner as a high priority for improving health services for people in the Yukon-Kuskokwim region.
With key funding totaling nearly $2 million from the Alaska State Hospital & Nursing Home Association, Indian Health Service, Rasmuson Foundation, Denali Commission, and Bethel Community Service Foundation, the planning, design and construction to install a CT scanner was initiated. A complete space renovation and construction phase began in the fall of 2007.
YKHC’s Construction team transformed a 14-year old equipment room into the new CT Scanning room, completing construction in May. The $1.2 million machine was unwrapped during a special ceremony by Congressman Don Young and YKHC Board Member Kathy Chase of Holy Cross.
“Our Board of Directors, tribal leaders, management and funding agencies, deserve much appreciation for making this vision now a reality,” said Gene Peltola, YKHC CEO/President. “This realization is the result of many dedicated people working together to improve health care for the people of the YK Delta.”

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Former K300 Race Manager arrested for embezzlement

5-28-08

Former Kuskokwim 300 Race Manager Staci J. Gillilan of Bethel was arrested for embezzling money from the Kuskokwim 300’s race committee funds.
Bethel Police Department officers concluded an extensive investigation that revealed that Gillilan had embezzled a significant amount of money between the periods of March 2, 2007 and March 1, 2008 while she was the race manager for the K300. She was arrested on May 20, 2008 for one count of theft in the second degree and one count of theft in the third degree.
Myron Angstman, the current race manager for the K300, made a complaint to the Bethel Police Department on March 7, 2008, reporting that the non-profit organization had reason to believe that Gillilan had embezzled an unknown amount of money from the K300 rippie gaming account.
An investigation was conducted and the K300 books were audited revealing that rippie money was collected by Gillilan. A receipt was generated and Gillilan would log the money into a spreadsheet to acknowledge the receipt of the money. Gillilan would hold the money, then make deposits into the K300’s bank account.
The money that Gillilan deposited into the bank account should have matched the money received from the seller of the rippies, but on several occasions came up short by several thousand dollars. On one such occasion around April 2007, Gillilan was $2050.00 dollars short on the deposit to the bank.
Investigation further revealed that on occasion, Gillilan would purchase items for the K300 from her personal money and then get reimbursed. On one occasion in January 2008, Gillilan claimed a reimbursement of $250 for barricade fencing purchased for the K300 race from Warning Lights of Alaska. Gillilan paid herself from K300 funds for the claimed reimbursement in December 2006.
Further investigation revealed that the barricade fencing had in fact been purchased by Wells Fargo and given to the K300 as a donation. A copy of the invoice and receipt from Warning Lights of Alaska show the payment made by a Wells Fargo employee.
Gillilan stated that she could see how the books and paper trail showed money was missing but denied stealing the money and claimed the missing money had to have been the result of mistakes and innocent errors.
Gillilan did say that she would pay back K300 back any missing money.
“She recognizes that the paper trail shows the missing money…she has no explanation to where it went but she offered to pay it back,” said Angstman.
Angstman reports that Gillilan was not authorized to take additional cash other than her earnings or approved reimbursements from K300 funds.
“We are sure sad that this whole event occurred and we are glad that it is finally out in the open, because we’ve had to keep in under wraps here for a couple months as the investigation went forward,” said Angstman. “There were lots of rumors going around town and we weren’t really able to comment on those things but now it is clear what was going on.”
A warrant for Gillilan’s arrest was requested because Gillilan was leaving Bethel on or about June 1st for an extended period. She is currently out on $10,000 bail.
“It is a bad day for the K300 but it a start rebuilding and we expect to be back next year in good shape for the 30th running of the race,” Angstman said.

YKCC inmates
on highway clean-up duty

As part of the YKCC community service work program, six inmates under the supervision of a Correctional Officer began picking up trash and items along the Chief Eddie Hoffman Highway on Tuesday, May 20.
The crew started clearing both sides of the road from the Alaska State Troopers Office Complex to the end of the Northern Runway fence. For Tuesday, from 12:30 to 4:15 pm, the inmate volunteers picked up a total of 42 bags of trash and miscellaneous items. The same crew went was out picking up trash on Wednesday afternoon as well.
“Council Member Leinberger, a local business owner commented on the remarkable difference before and after the clean up,” said YKCC Superintendent Chris Liu. “He donated a case of water to the work crew for their hard work. A few Bethel residents also joined in picking up trash and items along the highway. As of the end of the day, the crew cleared the area from the northern runway fence to YKCC driveway, and collected a total of 96 bags of trash and items. The YKCC staff strives to clean up the side of the highway within the next few weeks.”

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Eric Middlebrook campaign
is on for Alaska State House

5-20-08

Eric Middlebrook has announced his candidacy for Alaska State House, District 38, submitting the required form to the Division of Elections this week.
He currently dedicates time to his role as mayor of Bethel and wants to work for a larger area of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. Middlebrook has lived in the Delta for over 26 years and is familiar with the challenges of living away from the road system and the rail belt.
A particular concern of Middlebrook’s is the that the people of the YK Delta can have continued access to all the subsistence resources of the delta with the least amount of interference from the state and federal governments.
Eric Middlebrook is also known as “The Refrigerator Man” to the people of the villages, where his business, Southwestern Technical Specialties, serves the schools, stores and fisheries of the region. He is recognized as a hard worker who has repaired commercial freezers and refrigerators for more than 22 years, flying his plane to all the villages throughout the Delta.
Middlebrook has a strong base of supporters who know and trust him and have encouraged his campaign and, of course, he has also received support from his family members in California.
Jody Malus of Bethel, campaign manager, encourages voters to contact her or Eric with any questions you have about Middlebrook’s stand on issues and to give him your opinions.
For more information contact Jody Malus, jodyformiddlebrook08@gmail.com 907-543-5716 Campaign for Middlebrook08, P.O. Box 1466, Bethel, AK 99559.

City Council Challenge

by Niles A. Short

On Friday the 9th of May 2008, the city council, various other city employees, nine volunteer students, Sephora Jones, and myself from Ayaprun Elementary School picked up refuse on a cold rainy morning.
The total bag count at the end of the thirty-minute period was 26 bags. A rough estimate of the plethora of items picked up was approximately 5,000 plus.
The idea to challenge the city council came about when a student of mine expressed her concern of the amount of litter that she had noticed as the winter snow began to recede. Other students and I agreed that there was a problem: we began to brainstorm ideas to build community awareness of the litter problem and how we as a team could help.
We decided to challenge the city council to a pick-up day. We relayed our challenge to Thor Williams of the city council. Immediately, we had a reply from the city clerk and the plan was put into action. The immediate reaction from the city employees was very much appreciated and words cannot express our gratitude for stepping up and making a difference in our community.
Many vehicles drove by the area we were cleaning, waved and smiled to the students as they worked to help their city. The kids were ecstatic about their accomplishment and being part of the community that they are proud to be part of.
The volunteer students, staff, and I want to thank the city council for their instantaneous and friendly response to a situation that needs immediate and continued attention.
In the future, we would like to see the city pass a resolution for an annual “Clean Up Week.” During that week all Bethel residents will be encouraged and be allowed to place all unnecessary trash, such as tires, wood, paint, bikes, snowmobiles, washers and dryers, etc., on their boulevard. The city would remove these items free of charge.
Once again, a big warm “thank you” to the city employees that set an example for the residents and children of this beautiful city.

Boat Harbor
approaches to be replaced

Beginning sometime in late June, and continuing throughout the summer season of 2008, the Port of Bethel will be working on replacing all of the approaches in the small boat harbor. Consequently, the Port staff will have to shift floats around as the work progresses. The Port apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause, but would like to assure the Public that the repairing of the approaches in the small boat harbor is for the benefit of the public to ensure safety and provide better access to all users of this facility.
We appreciate your patience and understanding.

Mining and
Tribal Well-Being forum

The Orutsararmiut Native Council (ONC), based in Bethel, plans to host an educational forum titled “Mining and Tribal Well-being: Building Capacity for Effective Tribal Participation in the Regulation and Permitting of Large Mines. The meeting is being planned in cooperation with the Alaska Inter-Tribal Council.
The forum will take place in Bethel ONC building on May 20, 21, 2008, beginning at 8 a.m. with registration and call to order at 9:00 a.m. both days.
This forum is intended for Tribal leaders, Elders, and future Tribal leaders. It will focus on opportunities to protect and promote community health and well-being through active participation in the environmental impact statement (EIS) process.
The training will introduce participants to Health Impact Assessment (HIA). HIA is used commonly outside the U.S. to evaluate and manage the positive and adverse health effects of industrial development. A recent collaborative effort between the BLM, AITC and North Slope communities represents one of the first times that HIA has been used in a federal EIS in the U.S.; EPA, AITC and Maniilaq Association are also collaborating to use HIA in an EIS for a mine permitting EIS.
“Tribes need to be at the table to discuss issues of health and our environment during the planning and evaluation of large projects such as mines,” said AITC Chairman Mike Williams. “I invite the Tribal leaders to attend this critical meeting.”
Keynote speaker Honorable Norm Harry of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe from Nevada will be speaking on their experiences and participation in mine permitting process. Presenters include: Aaron Wernham, MD, MS and Mike Brubaker, MS of the Alaska Collaborative for HIA and Juliana Grant, MD, MPH of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
For information on the agenda and discussion topics please contact the Alaska Intertribal Council at 907.563.9334.

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Ordinance for sales tax
exemption to be introduced

5-13-08

Councilman Willie Keppel will be introducing an ordinance authorizing a sales tax exemption from city sales tax on fuel purchased from the combined tank farm, serving Bethel, to Bethel Utility Corporation. The ordinance will be first introduced during the May 13, 2008 City Council meeting. The ordinance reads as follows:
ORDINANCE #08-07
AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING A SALES TAX EXEMPTION FROM CITY SALES TAX ON FUEL PURCHASED FROM THE COMBINED TANK FARM, SERVING BETHEL, TO BETHEL UTILITY CORPORATION.
Whereas, The people desire relief from the devastating cost of living, and;
Whereas, The cost of living in Bethel has driven residents to relocate to different areas of the State of Alaska, or even the lower 48 States, and;
Whereas, The State demographer has shown a substantial decrease in the population of Bethel, and;
Whereas, The value of residential property continues to decline, to the point that homes are sitting open, rentals are sitting vacant, the City loses income from lost sales of public utilities and all the other usual avenues provided by services or sales from licensed City vendors or landlords, and;
Whereas, The City makes revenue on each gallon of refined fuel that passes through the City Dock Header in the following ways, 4% thru put fee, 6% on retail cost and 6% on gallons delivered, and;
Whereas, The City compounds all of these taxes on the cost of fuel sold to Bethel Utilities Corporation (BUC), that does nothing more than take a product that has three forms of income to the City and produce another product which is a public necessity and then taxes the end product, with all of BUC’s production costs inclusive, another 6% sales tax, and;
Whereas, The public can not afford all of the multiple taxation’s on the cost of electricity, which is a necessity of life,
Now, Therefore Be It ordained by the City Council of Bethel Alaska as follows:
Section 1. Classification. The City of Bethel herby grants a permanent, specific tax exemption to Bethel Utilities Corporation, from taxation on the purchase of fuel used to power the generators that produce the power for the public utility grid.
Section 2. Authority is granted and guaranteed in the Bethel Municipal Code 4.16.040, paragraph K.
Section 3. Effective Date. This section shall become effective upon passage by the Bethel City Council.

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Massive trashy tundra
clean up effort planned

5-6-08

A group of concerned citizens of Bethel met last Thursday afternoon at the Lomack Building conference room to take action to address the problem of the countless plastic bags and debris from the Bethel dump that are creeping over the tundra toward the Mikelnguut Elitnaurviat and Bethel Regional High schools.
A “Sad Commentary” was made on DDC’s Community Talkback earlier in the week on plastic bags and other debris dotting the tundra like “thousands of white geese” spreading out from the dump.
Myron Naneng, President of the Association of Village Council Presidents, called for the meeting in response to the complaints made. Also in attendance were YKHC President Gene Peltola and City of Bethel Utility Foreman Gary Koester.
The plan of action agreed upon was to meeting on May 9, 2008, at 1:30pm at the Maintenance Shop by the City Dump to begin the much needed clean up of trash blown on to the tundra.
Garbage bags will be supplied by the City and gloves by YKHC. Hotdogs, hamburgers, and even pizza will be donated by local vendors and will be available for anyone before, during, and after the clean-up. A boy’s bike (provided by AVCP) and a girl’s bike (provided by YKHC) will be given out to the person(s) collecting the most trash.
Also discussed was the requesting of an ordinance to ban plastic shopping bags and to encourage local stores to offer reusable shopping bags to their customers.
Everyone is welcome to come by and help out to work together to make Bethel cleaner for all of us. For further information on this event, contact AVCP at 543-7300 or City Utility Foreman Gary Koester at 543-2023.

AEA Energy Plan Town Hall Meetings

The Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) announced Energy Plan Town Hall meetings to be held in twenty-five communities throughout Alaska, starting April 28 in Palmer and concluding June 4 in Anchorage.
“Our goal is simple: We must reduce the cost of energy in Alaska by using locally available energy resources,” said AEA Executive Director and Energy Coordinator Steve Haagenson. “To reach that goal we are engaging Alaskans in the process of creating and deploying solutions that will not only provide stable-cost energy now, but will help ensure affordable, reliable energy for our children and grandchildren as well.”
Teams comprised of representatives from AEA, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development (DCCED) and the Denali Commission will be traveling throughout Alaska to meet with the public, business, community and regional leaders and utility managers.
“We are holding these Town Hall meetings to gain answers for two fundamental questions,” Haagenson said. “First, we want to ask Alaskans what they know about local energy resources and which resources they think could possibly be developed to help lower costs. Second, we want to ask residents which resources they prefer not to develop, and why.”
Alaskans are invited and encouraged to participate in this process by attending a Town Hall meeting or by e-mailing comments to energycoordinator@aidea.org. Comments may also be sent to Alaska Energy Authority, Attn: Steven Haagenson, 813 West Northern Lights Blvd., Anchorage, Alaska 99503.
The Energy Plan Town Hall Meeting for Bethel will be on May 6, 4-8 PM, at the Cultural Center and in Aniak on May 7, 4-8 PM, at the Community Hall.
More information on the Alaska Energy Plan and updates to the Town Hall meeting schedule are available at www.akenergyauthority.org.

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Guilty in the Courts reviewed

by Krystin Beebe

4-30-08

This graph shows the total number of crimes committed each month in 2006 that were processed through the Bethel Court System. The data is from the "Guilty in the Courts" section and were compiled and categorized by Krystin Beebe of Quinhagak.

Have you ever wondered which month has the most crime on the Delta? Well, I thought I’d look into that and find out myself. I took all the newspapers from 2006 and graphed the total number of crimes. I got the information from Guilty in the Courts, from The Delta Discovery. To the right is the graph of my data. I also asked Trooper Roberts the following questions.
What month do most crimes happen on the Delta?
Summer time or around the holiday’s like Christmas and New Years. More crimes happen in the summer.
Do you notice an increase or decrease of crimes during different months?
Yes, Crimes increase during summer time and during the holidays.
What do you do when the crimes increase rapidly?
We try to respond to the crimes in an even manner, but we address to the most severe first.
Why do you think there are more crimes during some months?
During the summer there is more daylight and the weather is warmer, therefore there are more people out. There are more activities going on than winter time, also.
This is the result: You can see that in the month of May, more males committed crimes, and in the month of February, the most crimes committed by females occurred.
I broke down every crime into Alcohol, Violation, Assault, Sex Crime, Abuse, Burglary, Murder, Harassment, Trespassing, and Other (Probation, Disorderly Conduct, etc.) These graphs will be posted on the bulletin board outside the office. CHECK THEM OUT!!!...Please!
Total Number of crimes graphed monthly. Green is male and red is female.

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State hunting licenses and duck stamps

4-22-08

by AVCP

We have received a number of calls from our people in the villages regarding the requirement to possess state hunting licenses and duck stamps for the spring and summer migratory bird hunt.
Although the requirement is posted in the 2008 Alaska Migratory Bird Co-management Council (AMBCC) regulation book, the AMBCC has not authorized its placement in the book. It was placed in the book by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service on their own initiative. The Alaska Native representatives to the AMBCC still overwhelmingly oppose this requirement and are working on a congressional exemption for Alaska Natives.
Both the state and federal law enforcement personnel will likely ask if you have a hunting license and duck stamps when you have an encounter with them. Both organizations have indicated that this is not their priority for the 2008 spring and summer migratory bird hunt.
If you are threatened in any way of a citation for not possession a state hunting license by either a state or federal law enforcement officer, please call us as soon as you return to your village. It is important that you get the time, date, location, aircraft tail number, name of the officer and which law enforcement agency he/she represents. If you receive a written warning or citation, please send us a copy as well. This information is important to us for documentation purposes. You can reach us by calling 1-800-478-3521 extension 7301 for Myron and extension 7340 for Tim.
We wish you the best and a safe spring and summer migratory bird hunt.
-Raymond Watson, Chairman; Myron Naneng, President and Chairman of the AVCP Waterfowl Conservation Committee and Representative to the Alaska Migratory Bird Co-management Council

Kuskokwim 300 new fundraising drive

The Kuskokwim 300 has announced a new fund raising drive, which involves selling miles along the K-300 trail. The race committee will sell three hundred individual miles for $100 each, which includes a membership in the race as well as a discount on race merchandise. People purchasing miles will have their name posted on a board mounted at Wells Fargo in the BNC complex, and perhaps at other locations around town.
The committee is cash-strapped at the moment as a result of management woes for the past year. This fundraising effort, if successful, will get the race committee back on track to host the 30th running of the Kuskokwim 300 next year, along with the other races sponsored by the committee. It is hoped that this effort will be an annual event, hopefully with individuals purchasing the same mile for years in the future.
Race chairman Myron Angstman indicated the committee will allow only people to purchase the miles, asking that businesses support the race in other ways, or by purchasing miles for their employees. “We want people to feel ownership of this event,” Angstman stated. He showed his interest in the program by purchasing three of the miles, one for himself, his wife, and his granddaughter. “My granddaughter owns mile 300, I hope she still does 30 years from now.”
The race just now paid the last of the lingering debts from the 2008 race. A few appointments were made for 2009 positions. Suzi Israelsson, who is about to return from Sweden where she spent the last year, will be handling merchandise sales, and former manager Gabe Gomes has agreed to handle fundraising. Joe Klejka and Aileen Haviland will handle the website. The race is still seeking volunteers for a number of positions. To purchase K-300 miles, or to volunteer for a major position with the race, call Myron at 543-2972 or stop by Angstman Law Office.

Largest College Class for
KuC’s 35th Anniversary

The Kuskokwim Campus will graduate its largest college class on Friday, May 2, 2008. The celebration will be held at 1:00 pm at the Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center and will also include festivities marking the 35th anniversary of the college.
Eleven students will walk across the stage to receive diplomas for Associate of Arts degrees, twelve have earned Associate of Applied Science degrees, one student has earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, and KuC’s own Registrar, Kevin Kristof, has earned a Master’s of Business Administration degree.
The Adult Basic Education program, which is housed at KuC, will award General Education Diplomas to approximately 30 students, bringing the total to ninety-eight participants. This will be the first year students will be awarded certificates in the Yup’ik Language Proficiency program, and seven students will be receiving those.
Students and their families, faculty, and staff and will be participating in the 34th celebration of learning at the Kuskokwim Campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. KuC is organized under the College of Rural and Community Development (CRCD), and Campus Director Mary C. Pete has confirmed that CRCD Vice Chancellor Bernice Joseph will be in attendance. Representing the University of Alaska will be Regents Timothy C. Brady of Anchorage and Patricia Jacobson of Kodiak.
Representative Mary Nelson was chosen by the students to be the guest speaker during the ceremony. Student speaker representing the associate’s degree students will be John John of Kwigillingok and the bachelor’s degree student speaker will be Diane Therchik of Toksook Bay. John John was also selected as KuC’s Student of the Year for 2007-2008.
The May 2nd graduation date will be the culmination of 35 days of celebration marking KuC’s long history of growth and service to the residents of the state. In the years since its inception in October 1972, KuC has served thousands of people of all ages by being thoughtful in its offerings, innovative in its delivery techniques, and passionate about education.
The public is invited to attend the graduation ceremony at 1:00 pm, to congratulate the students over refreshments, and then to join the Kuskokwim Campus 35th Anniversary celebration with a retrospective multimedia slideshow and balloon drop in the cultural center.

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Murphy bestowed with
2008 Bill Bivin Award

4-15-08

by K.J. Lincoln

Bethel resident Kevin Murphy is this year’s Bill Bivin Award recipient. He was honored at the annual Chamber of Commerce banquet last Saturday for his exemplary volunteerism and citizenship.
Murphy taught for 30 years and was a volunteer at the Bethel Fire Department for 41 years. He also volunteers at the Senior Center shop. He is married to Susan.
Bill Bivin, for whom the award is named, was the Executive Director of Bethel Native Corporation during the late 80’s and 90’s. He had just become Chairman of the Board of the State Chamber of Commerce when he was killed in a plane crash in 1993.
Bivin was a very active member of the Bethel Chamber of Commerce. He was a very effective leader and promoted small business. It is in his honor that each year the Bethel Chamber gives an award to a local citizen for their contribution to the community.
Prior recipients of the award are: Harold Sparck 1995, Allen Auxier 1996, David Trantham 1997, Bev Hoffman 1998, Denny Strom 1999, Ken Eggleston 2000, Janet Athanas 2001, Linda Curda 2002, Susan Taylor 2003, Peter Atchak 2004, Gary Samuelson 2005, Bruce Perry 2006, and John Malone 2007.
Also reelected to the Chamber board are: Allen Hippler, Tiffany Zulkosky, and Norma Wyckoff.

Subsistence hunters encouraged to aid YK Delta’s Avian Flu surveillance effort

The US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation (YKHC) Office of Environmental Health and Engineering (OEHE) will collaborate for the third consecutive year to screen for the Highly Pathogenic H5N1 strain of Avian Influenza in migratory birds arriving on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta this spring.
The goal is to collect a total of 3,000 samples throughout the spring subsistence-hunting season. Ten villages have been selected for the study: Chefornak, Eek, Hooper Bay, Kipnuk, Kotlik, Kwethluk, Mekoryuk, Pilot Station, Toksook Bay and Quinhagak. The villages were chosen for a second year based on their geological location and the species of birds typically hunted for subsistence.
The USFWS identified 29 priority species they are most interested in obtaining samples from. The species were selected based on their migratory patterns traveling through areas known to have Highly Pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza detected in domesticated birds.
Hunters in the selected villages are asked to bring subsistence-caught birds to their designated village Testing Manager. Two swabs will be taken from each bird and then returned to the hunter. For participating in the surveillance effort, two twelve-gauge shotgun shells will be given for each bird sampled.
There have been no cases of the Highly Pathogenic H5N1 strain of Avian Influenza virus detected anywhere in Alaska or the United States. In addition, there have been no cases of a person contracting the H5N1 virus from wild birds. The USFWS and OEHE will continue their surveillance for any possibility of the virus surfacing in Alaska.
YKHC will provide regular updates to the people of the YK Delta about the surveillance efforts, including prompt notification of any positive identification of the H5N1 virus.
When handling wild game, YKHC encourages the following safe handling procedures:
• Do not eat, drink or smoke while cleaning birds.
• Wash your hands and knife thoroughly with soap after cleaning or handling any birds or eggs.
• Cook wild birds or eggs thoroughly before eating them.
For more information concerning the surveillance effort, contact Kelsey Hustedt, YKHC Avian Influenza Coordinator, toll free at, 1-800-478-6599, or direct at 543-6421.

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Begich explores rural Alaska issues

4-8-08

by K.J. Lincoln

Mark Begich came to Bethel on March 29, 2008 to test the waters to see if the time and conditions are ripe for him to run for U.S. Senate against Senator Ted Stevens.
Mark Begich: My name is Mark Begich, I am the current Mayor of Anchorage, Alaska. I’m in Bethel today, meeting folks and learning about the region and some of the issues and challenges that the Bethel region faces. I am considering a run for United States Senate. Part of my process is to get out and talk with people and learn about the issues and kind of get a good feel of what’s going on in the communities.
DD: What about your family?
MB: My wife and I have a young son who’s almost 6. I was born and raised in Alaska. We have been married now for 18 years. My wife owns several businesses. As a matter of fact, she does mostly Alaskan artifacts and gifts from around the state and she retails and resales throughout her stores. I come from the real estate industry but I have been in public service for well over 20 years now, served on the city council for 10, and now Mayor for little over 5 years.
DD: What would you consider to be the top issues for Western Alaska at the federal level? And if you become a senator, what issues do you expect to be brought to you?
MB: The exploratory committee is to learn about the issues, but some of the issues I’ve already been hearing about is issues of high energy costs in the area and the impact it’s having on the economic survival of some of our villages as well as the ability for young people to consider staying and living and working in their communities. Also education, which is a huge piece of the equation of rural Alaska and making sure the resources are here and that the education abilities are here in our communities. I will be at the women’s shelter later today and will hear about some of the issues around substance abuse and some of the other social concerns.
DD: A lot of people from our region are in the National Guard and were in Kuwait. As a democrat thinking of being in the Senate, what is your position on the war in Iraq?
MB: The war in Iraq is one that at some point we will have withdraw out of the area, the question will be on our timetable and with our conditions, which will be important. The most important part of that area is the surrounding countries that support, should show more strength and support to Iraq because as we continue to move, as we will over time, withdraw from the area, Iraq needs to be a much more stable government and the surrounding countries need to participate. But our war on Al-Qaida cannot stop. We need to redeploy in areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan where the real threat is.
The big tragedy and concern we are going to have with the war continuing and without the war is what we do with veterans. We have an enormous amount of a new generation of veterans that no one is talking on a national level of how we ensure they have the proper medical care and services they need when they return, the educational opportunities they should have, if they want to be retrained in the new future, and the families that are left now in some cases without their spouse and the work that needs to be done.
DD: How much support have you been getting from Alaskans to run for Senate against Senator Stevens?
MG: What I’ve been hearing all across the state we’re getting a lot of positive feedback. People have a lot of suggestions on concerns and how we should campaign if I get into the race. It has been very heartwarming, the support we’ve gotten throughout the community. We’ve even seen a statewide poll that was done about two weeks ago that showed this race at 46% and Ted Stevens at 42% and that is an unbelievable position to be in. We’re getting great support from people, very enthusiastic support. And what people are saying is they respect the work Ted has done but they see that Alaska is moving and changing and new fresh ideas and new dynamic leadership is what people are interested in. No one discounts the work that Senator Stevens has done but I think people are recognizing that Alaska needs to prepare for its next generation.
DD: How satisfied are you with the level of funding for American Indian and Alaska health care?
MB: In the broader sense of health care, I think it will continue to be a national agenda in the sense of what we need to be doing, not only in Alaska but across this country. Some of the areas within Indian Health care, one for example, which I am very happy and excited about - the dental assistants, a huge plus to rural communities. (I’m) very supportive of the program, one that needs to be expanded, I believe. Clearly the dental component was a new addition that was sorely needed. In the Bethel region I saw the statistics and the amount of amount of exams and tooth extractions is amazing. I cannot imagine what that was like before that program was in existence. When you’re only graduating 4-6 at a time, it seems demand is going to be much higher than that. And I think we need to figure out how we can support that. In reality if we don’t have good dental care, your health will deteriorate very rapidly. We need to see what we can do to focus more on that arena.
DD: Can you give us an update on the new convention center?
MG: It is about 80% completed and we’ll open it up end of September. That is a facility I am excited about in a lot of ways but the most exciting part is the name of the center – the Den’aina Convention and Civic Center – named for the Den’aina Athabascans, the first people of Anchorage. It is really a gathering place for people to get together not only for Alaskans but internationally.
DD: A lot of people from our area go to Anchorage to go shopping…
MG: …and we have no sales tax! When I first became Mayor 5 years ago I created the Rural Affairs Coordinator – to help us in our own community of Anchorage how we can ensure we are doing the best for our diverse communities. We wanted to reconnect Anchorage with rural Alaska. As for shopping – we love it. We love people coming to the community but we have to do more and that is what we strive to do to make sure visitors who are coming to go shopping have a good, safe experience so that they feel comfortable with coming back to Anchorage. We love people shopping and we want to make them feel welcome.
DD: Whenever we go to Anchorage we see a lot of homeless people who look like they are from rural Alaska.
MG: It is actually a growing percentage from rural Alaska and part of it is the economic well being of rural Alaska. When you think of the energy costs alone and when you are having heating bills as exorbitant as they are here or fuel costs, it’s very expensive. And what’s happening is people are determining that they can no longer afford to live in the villages so they end up in Anchorage. The reality in Anchorage is there is a limitation of capacity. About two years ago we put together a 10 year homeless plan and the goal is to figure out how to create housing. We think it’s important that people should not be living on the streets or panhandling or being out there and the most important thing you can do is provide housing as a first step. We are working aggressively with Cook Inlet Housing Authority. In Mountain View we will celebrate the 100th affordable home built there in less than 4 years. Very exciting. But it is a growing challenge for us, it’s a growing challenge really for the state. When you don’t have an energy plan to deal with the high cost of energy…and yet we are reaping billions of dollars from the price of oil and our own villages and our own communities are suffering from that. The resources that are making the state so wealthy are coming from the rural communities and yet the rural communities are struggling to survive because they don’t have the resources necessary. No one is really saying it loudly, but I do quite a bit with the issues of revenue sharing and municipal sharing.
DD: Quyana.

Everyday Math

by Allen Hippler

Our family has lived in Bethel for 4.5 years and we have enjoyed a positive experience with the LKSD schools. We are writing at this time to voice our concerns over Everyday Math, the proposed new curriculum currently offered for review by the community. To follow are some of our concerns that we feel the community at large should be aware of.
Calculators in the Curriculum
Everyday Math makes calculators part of the curriculum from Kindergarten up. They appear to favor group activities in place of individual practice and repetition. Games such as, for instance, “Broken Calculator” (suggested for grades 4-6). In “Broken Calculator” groups of children are supposed to learn about basic algebra by randomly generating equations in hopes of hitting a chosen number. The player who uses the fewest calculator key strokes “wins” the game. I fail to see how this type of approach is superior to simple repetition and guided exposure to numbers, addition and equations in an orderly fashion.
Our sons, ages 7 and 5, have no business with a calculator in their math classes. Whether it’s presented as a tool to “expose” them to a “new” way of finding old answers, it takes away from the presentation on paper and individuality. Calculator use emphasizes the ease of punching a few buttons to get an answer, not hands on computation or mental acuity and recall.
“The authors of Everyday Math do not believe it is worth the time and effort to develop highly efficient paper-and-pencil algorithms for all possible whole number, fractions and decimal division problems… It is simply counterproductive to invest hours of precious class time on such algorithms. The math payoff is not worth the cost, particularly because quotients can be found quickly and accurately with a calculator.” (From Everyday Math Teachers Reference Manual -http://www.lit.net/orschools/critique5_too.pdf (page 28))
I could not have come up with a better refutation of Everyday Math than the above quote from its own reference guide.
Introduction of Multiple Unfamiliar Algorithms while abandoning traditional teaching methods
I am most disturbed by the abandonment of the tried and true methods of teaching mathematics that the very authors of everyday Math were beneficiaries of during their education. These algorithms are adequate only after a firm foundation of basic math has been established, and are best employed after fully understanding the concepts that give rise to them.
“The bottom line of the new approach is that 2000 years of mathematical discovery are to be abandoned in favor of self discovery through trial and error and observations made based upon a few simple concrete examples. No general principals are derived, proved and extrapolated. Several key skills are not learned. The devastating effects of not covering some key mathematical concept and skills are not apparent until the students enter college and pursue a science or engineering related curriculum where concepts and skills learned in grade schools become the back bone of the skills needed to do further work. A concrete example is not learning the skill of dividing by a fraction and longhand division.” (Dr. Wang Univ of TN)
Lack of mastery of facts necessary for higher education
Everyday Math appears to treat much too lightly very important subjects, such as long division:
‘In fact, long division has particular importance, not because of its ability to increase computational fluency, but because what makes it work (the distributive property) is an important concept that students will use later in algebra. It also plays an important role in uncovering another significant math concept: why fractions give rise to repeating decimals. Working out the division of numbers like 1/3 and 1/7 helps students see this; using a calculator does not. “(Barry Garelick, Hoover Institution)
Once again, Everyday Math seems to take the position that it is fruitless to duplicate what a calculator can do. Why then learn math at all?
“Other people do it, so why don’t we?” is not an explanation worthy of the LKSD teachers.
It is true that Anchorage and Fairbanks use a sometimes modified version of Everyday Math, but, nationwide, less than 15% of schools (only 2.8 million children) use this math program. Additionally, Anchorage and Fairbanks enjoy a higher retention of students than LKSD. Moving out of Everyday Math into a conventional math program would leave a child significantly behinds his classmates. Additionally, other school districts and entire states have eschewed the use of the Everyday Math curriculum: The Texas Board of Education rejected the “Everyday Math” 3rd grade curriculum on the basis that it did not adequately cover acceptable standards already set forth. (see http://www.tea.state.tx.us/sboe/summary/2007/nov07sum.pdf, page 3, item 5).
In conclusion, we would like to urge parents to review the Everyday Math curriculum and submit a Public Comment form so that the LKSD Math Committee and School Board have your input to consider when deciding this important issue.
Allen & Christine Hippler are residents of Bethel, Alaska.

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YKHC hosts 15th annual
Tribal Unity Gathering

4-1-08

The Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation (YKHC) will host its annual Tribal Unity Gathering on April 1 and 2 at theYupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center in Bethel. Representatives will meet with the 58 tribes of the region to discuss health-related matters. Nearly 100 tribal delegates are expected to attend.
The Gathering draws tribal council members and YKHC representatives in one arena to have an open discussion concerning health care. While each conference concentrates on specific theme-related topics, tribal delegates establish health care priorities that directly impact YKHC services.
“Tribal Gathering is the most important event for our organization to collaborate with our tribal members,” said Gene Peltola, President/CEO. “YKHC operates on behalf of our tribes and communities and it’s through their leadership and representation that allows us to work together to improve services and advance in health care.”
Projects such as the construction of sub-regional clinics, installation of a Computed Axial Tomography (CT/CAT) Scan machine at the hospital, and the Long Term Care living facility have been pursued as a result of priority setting.
The focus of the two-day conference surrounds the health and future of YK Delta’s children with the theme: “Our Children, Their Future,” or translated into Yup’ik, “Irniamta Ciunerkaat.”
Dr. Joseph Klejka, Medical Director for YKHC, will deliver the YK Delta Health Status Report on Tuesday morning, which will be followed by the 2007 priority reports which include: CT Scan, Long Term Care, Sanitation Projects, Alcohol & and Detox Alternatives, and Outpatient Clinic Operations.
The afternoon focuses on the health and wellness of children with special presentations that on nutrition, childhood development, dance and traditional diet.
Evening activities will include a community potluck beginning at 6:30 p.m. and entertainment by the Detour Band of Anchorage, featuring Michael Faubion.
On Wednesday morning, the final day of the conference, special presentations on Alaska Native workforce development and particular health topics facing children and adolescents will be discussed. Dr. Ros Singleton, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, will deliver an exclusive report on Respiratory Synctial Virus (RSV), the number one cause of bronchitis and pneumonia affecting a high percentage of children in the YK Delta. Singleton will also share a special immunization initiative to prevent pneumonia infections in children.
The afternoon will conclude with the health priority session and delivery of the 2008 priority report from tribal members.
To access more information about the conference, visit the YKHC website at www.ykhc.org or call 1-800-478-3321 ext. 6038 or 543-6038.

Bethel Volunteers in Public Schools Program to be cut

Funding for the Bethel Volunteers in Public Schools program has been cut according to LKSD, Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Programs, Les Daenzer. VIPS was started in 1998 as one of the community responses to the tragic school shootings at BRHS. One of the programs primary missions was to create safer schools with a greater presence of adult volunteers. Daenzer said they received word Friday March 21 that the program would not be funded for the 2008-08 school year.
VIPS focus has been to get more parent/community volunteers in our schools. It was federally funded under the Title V Innovative Programs.
Federal funding for the VIPS program has suffered cuts in recent years. In 2006/2007 the program lost 2 positions as funding was cut 50%. This left two part time positions, one at the Bethel High School and one at Mikelnguut Elitnaurviat Primary School.
Both schools have very successful programs. In the 2006/07 school year over 2,000 volunteer hours were documented at M.E. Through February 2008 there were 1618.5 volunteer hours documented at the primary school. Bethel High School VIPS program has been instrumental in creating Friday Clubs using all local volunteers in addition to supporting other programs as Big Brothers/Big Sisters with M.E. students.
With those positions eliminated BRHS & M.E. VIPS programs will dissolve unless other funding is found.

City proclaims March 28 Jessica Klejka Day

During the March 25, 2008 Bethel City Council meeting, the Council voted to proclaim March 28 as Jessica Klejka Day in recognition for her outstanding first place performance during the 2008 Jr. Iditarod Sled Dog Race.

Community Farming Meeting

There will be a Community Meeting for Farming and Gardening in Bethel at the Log Cabin on April 8, 2008 from 6-7pm. Call Janet Athanas at 543-2248 or Ryan Maroney at 543-7157 for more information.

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Begich to visit Bethel
about Senate Run
Anchorage Mayor Wants to Hear from AYK Residents