Community Guide 2014 by Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

T H E

V O I C E

O F

I N T E R I O R

A L A S K A

S I N C E

1 9 0 3

2014

A comprehensive guide to our golden heart city

Eric Engman/News-Miner

a b o u t

o u r

r e g i o n

•

h a n d y

c o n ta c t

l i s t s

•

t h e

m i l i ta r y

•

e v e n t s

c a l e n d a r

•

m o r e

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

COMMUNITY GUIDE

TRAINING RUN

Friday, February 28, 2014

A Fairbanks musher drives his 24-dog team toward the Chena Pump Wayside at the end of a 16-mile training run on the Tanana River.

INSIDE

news-miner file photo

ABOUT THIS COMMUNIT Y GUIDE

Government

Arts

Population

Weather

Economy

Museums

Schools

Calendar

Military

Medical

University

Sports

COVER PHOTO: Bill and Kathy Zorb ride vintage highwheeler bicycles on First Avenue during the AT&T Alascom Golden Days Grande Parade NEWS-MINER file photo

Need to find out something quick about the Fairbanks region? Whether it’s info about4.875x2.62 who we are as a community or a phone number for your child’s school, it’s in this Community Guide, produced by the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. There’s lots more inside. The information contained in this guide is generally confined to the region within the boundary of the Fairbanks North Star Borough. You’ll find handy information about our local government bodies, military installations, arts organizations, schools, post offices and more. There’s also an events listing for the remainder of the year. Keep it around the house as a good reference for yourself and for visitors. You can find this publication online, too. It’s at newsminer.com/community_guide. We welcome your suggestions about what to include in the future. Contact the newsroom at 459-7572.

North Star Ballet Summer 2014 Dance Intensive

Visit Our Store For Unique Gifts And Antiques!

with faculty from José Limón Dance June 16–July 11, for ages 12–19

Training in Ballet, Modern, Pilates, Performance, Dance History

Airport Road Antique Store Part of Fairbanks History!

11502587-2-28-14CG

3206 Airport Way, Fairbanks • 907-457-6700 Summer Hours: Mon.–Sat., 11 a.m.–6 p.m.; Sun., 12–5 p.m.

Also offering drop-in classes beginning May 27

www.TheNorthStarBallet.org

451-8800

Friday, February 28, 2014

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

COMMUNITY GUIDE

Three governments serve a population of about 100,000 By Amanda Bohman

When the Fairbanks North Star Borough came to be in 1964, the fledgling municipality’s legislative body met in the basement of a log cabin on First Avenue. The mayor, known as the chairman, kept an office at the bowling alley. The budget was a few million dollars. Meetings were heated. As Kathleen “Mike” Dalton, who was elected to the first Borough Assembly, remembers it, one assembly member chronically missed meetings to go fishing. A lot of people didn’t want the new municipal government. “They came up here to build a cabin, have a dog team, fish and trap when they want to,” Dalton said. “They didn’t want anybody messing with them.” But state law forced certain communities, including Fairbanks, to form into boroughs. Like it or not, about 7,500 square miles surrounding the cities of Fairbanks and North Pole were incorporated. There would be three municipal governments.

Fairbanks North Star Borough

The name “North Star Borough” came out of a contest among schoolchildren. Eleven students chose the name and shared the $25 prize, according to “A History of the First Five Years of the Fairbanks North Star Borough,” compiled by researchers, including students, at the University of Alaska

Local, state and federal offices

Fairbanks City Council members prepare for a work session. news-miner file photo

Fairbanks. The municipality, a second-class borough, initially spanned 23,000 square miles but was soon reduced to a more-manageable 7,500 square miles, or about the size of Vermont. The new government held powers of education, taxation and planning and zoning. Across the years, the powers, along with the community, have grown. The borough served 2,200 people in 1964. The population is now about 100,000. Powers of the local government include regulating fireworks, collecting trash, flood control, animal control, emergency services and handling air pollution. The borough approves the budget for the school district, which operates 35 schools. The municipality provides for economic development, public transportation and libraries and parks, including the 2,100-acre

Chena Lake Recreation Area in North Pole. The borough is responsible for multiple public-use buildings, including a ski chalet and two arenas, the Big Dipper Ice Arena and the Carlson Center. The chief administrative officer of the borough is the mayor. The Borough Assembly makes up the government’s legislative panel, in charge of approving the budget, setting tax rates and establishing public policy. Non-partisan elections are held the first Tuesday in October. Elected officials are limited to serving two consecutive terms. Nine people sit on the assembly, and members are at-large, meaning their constituency is the entire community. The borough’s annual budget is about $150 million per year. Most of the money comes from property taxes though the borough also imposes taxes on motel rooms, alcoholic beverag-

es and tobacco. A voter-approved revenue cap limits the amount of money the borough can take in.

City of Fairbanks

Fairbanks became a city in 1903 after serving as a trading post operated by E.T. Barnette, a businessman who would become the city’s first mayor. “The residents believed that Fairbanks was sufficiently established and that they should be given the responsibility to provide for their own daily community functions,” states a local history written on the city website, www.fairbanksalaska.us. Happenstance brought Barnette to the area but a gold discovery on a nearby dome kept him here. He convinced early

FNSB Parks & Recreation

RAVEN LANDING CENTER

OFFICES » 6

settlers to name the new city after Indiana Sen. Charles W. Fairbanks, who later became vice president of the United States under President Theodore Roosevelt. Fairbanks is a home rule city, meaning it has broad legislative powers and a city charter, which is sort of like a constitution. The City Council is made up of six at-large members. The mayor votes in special cases, such as to break a tie. Non-partisan city elections are held the first Tuesday in October. Terms of office are for three years and capped at two consecutive terms. After his election, Barnette established several services, including telephone, fire GOVERNMENTS » 17

g n i m m i w S Lessons

Catering and event space for every occasion

• Group or private lessons available weeknights or Saturdays • Ages 6 month to Adults

Check out website for more information: http://co.fairbanks.ak.us/ParksandRecreation/ Facilities/Aquatics/SwimLessons.htm

17502056-2-28-14CG

11501449-2-28-14CG

PHONE 907-374-5458 FAX 907-374-5468 susan@ravenlanding.org www.ravenlanding.org

Fairbanks North Star Borough Administrative Center 809 Pioneer Road Fairbanks, AK 99701 P.O. Box 71267 Fairbanks, AK 99707-1267 907-459-1000 FNSB Division of Animal Control 2408 Davis Road Fairbanks, 99701 907-459-1451 Fairbanks North Star Borough School District 520 Fifth Ave. Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-452-2000

Fax: 451-0541 Fairbanks City Hall 800 Cushman St. Fairbanks, AK 99701 Clerks Office: 459-6702 Fax: 907-459-6710 Fairbanks Department of Public Works 2121 Peger Road Fairbanks, 99701 907-459-6770 North Pole City Hall 125 Snowman Lane North Pole AK 99705 907-488-2281 Fax: 907-488-3002 Federal building 101 12th Ave. Fairbanks, AK 99701-62326 Social Security Administration

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Friday, February 28, 2014

COMMUNITY GUIDE

Fairbanks North Star Borough population A worker adds finishing touches to the balcony of the new Doyon, Limited building.

By Sam Friedman sfriedman@newsminer.com

The city of Fairbanks and the surrounding Fairbanks North Star Borough is the regional hub of Alaska’s Interior, a sparsely populated region the size of Texas. The city of Fairbanks, which includes Army post Fort Wainwright, has a population of 32,204. The Fairbanks North Star Borough had a population of 97,581 according to the 2010 U.S. Census. The borough includes outlying neighborhoods in Fairbanks (Goldstream Valley, Cripple Creek, Farmers Loop and Badger Road and others), as well as the City of North Pole and outlying unincorporated communities such as Ester, Fox and Salcha. The borough also includes the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus and Eielson Air Force Base near North Pole. The Fairbanks

news-miner file photo

largest city. In 2013, the rapidly growing Matanuska-Susitna Borough, which includes the communities of Wasilla and Palmer, was getting close to overtaking the Fairbanks North Star Borough as the state’s second most populous borough. The Mat-Su had an estimated population of 96,074 in 2013.

Growth

North Star Borough covers 7,361 square miles and is bigger than the states of Connecticut and

Rhode Island combined. Fairbanks has long been second to Anchorage as Alas-

Tru st wo rt hy, Loy al, H elpf u l, Fri endly, Cou rt eo us , K in d, O bedie nt , Ch eerf u l, Th rif t y, B ra ve , Cle an, R ev er ent For more information on programs of the Boy Scouts of America, go to our website www.midnightsunbsa.org

MISSION The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical choices over their lifetime by instilling in them the values found in the Scout Oath and the Twelve Points of the Scout Law.

1400 Gillam Way Fairbanks, AK 99701 (907) 452-1976 Facebook – Midnight Sun Council, BSA 17500963-2-28-14CG

LAW; TO HELP OTHERS AT ALL TIMES; TO KEEP MYSELF

PHYSICALLY STRONG, MENTALLY AWAKE AND MORALLY STRAIGHT.

A S c ou t i s…. .

MY DUTY TO GOD AND MY COUNTRY; AND TO OBEY THE SCOUT

SCOUT OATH: ON MY HONOR, I WILL DO MY BEST TO DO

ka’s main population center, although Fairbanks is considerably older than Alaska’s

The Fairbanks North Star Borough area had a population of 40,616 in 1960, four years before the borough government was formed. The area has grown in fits and starts in the past 50 years, growing quickly during GROWTH » 11

Fairbanks-area communities The Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development provides brief overviews of communities throughout the state. Information about the unincorporated communities within the Fairbanks North Star Borough is listed below. All population figures are 2013 state estimates. More information about these and other communities is available from the state online at commerce.alaska. gov/cra/DCRAExternal/community • Ester Population: 2,605 Ester is located 8.5 miles west of Fairbanks on the George Parks Highway. It was originally a mining camp established before 1905 near Ester Creek. It was first reported in 1908 by the U.S. Geological Survey. Ester Gold Camp was established in 1936. The community has grown as a result of borough land lotteries. • Fox Population: 470 The community lies on the right bank of Fox Creek as it enters Goldstream Creek Valley, 10 miles northeast of Fairbanks. It is located at the junction of the Steese and Elliott highways.

Fox was established as a mining camp before 1905. The Fox Post Office operated from 1908 to 1947. • Goldstream Population: 3,653 Local name reported in 1903 by T.G. Gerdine. The valley of this stream, one of the earliest gold mining areas in the Fairbanks region, was settled by 1905. • Harding Lake/Birch Lake Population: 347 The lake was originally reported by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1909 as “Salchaket Lake.” The lake was later named for Warren Harding, the 29th President of the United States, who visited Alaska just before his death. Harding Lake is a summer recreation site for Fairbanks residents. There are a large number of recreational-use homes in the area and only a few residents remain year-round. • Moose Creek Population: 669 Moose Creek lies along Richardson Highway, 6 miles south of the City of North Pole and 20 miles southeast of Fairbanks. The area is a result of the growth of Eielson Air Force Base and North Pole. Moose Creek is a suburb of the greater COMMUNITIES » 5

Friday, February 28, 2014

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

COMMUNITY GUIDE

Fairbanks economy has diversified since Gold Rush era By Jeff Richardson jrichardson@newsminer.com

A community that was largely established on a single commodity more than a century ago — the promise of gold — has grown to become an area with 100,000 people and a much more diversified economy today. Natural resources continue to fuel much of the economy, but they’ve been joined by military spending, transportation, education and tourism as some of the key players in 21st century Fairbanks. E.T. Barnette established a trading post on the banks of the Chena River in 1901, a decision that would eventually mark the beginning of Fairbanks. He had the good fortune of being in the right spot when an Italian immigrant named Felix Pedro discovered gold in the area a year later, triggering the Fairbanks Gold Rush and the influx of thousands of residents. Fairbanks followed the pat-

tern of a boom town for several decades. Many of those miners departed the area as gold prospects faded, but a new influx of miners replaced them in the 1930s as gold prices rose. A state university, known today as the University of Alaska Fairbanks, grew up from an agricultural research station established in 1906. In the years surrounding World War II, the economy was transformed by the arrival of Fairbanks as a military hub. U.S. Army General Billy Mitchell famously touted Alaska for its strategic location, and Ladd Army Airfield was established in Fairbanks. Ladd became Fort Wainwright in the early 1960s, and was joined by Eielson Air Force Base, located southeast of North Pole. More than 22,000 residents of the Fairbanks North Star Borough were either in the military or dependents of service members in 2012, according to the Alaska Department of

Labor. The discovery of oil in Prudhoe Bay, and the subsequent construction of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline in the mid-1970s provided the next surge for the Fairbanks-area economy. Construction boomed in the city as a wave of workers arrived to contribute to the massive 800-mile pipeline being built from the North Slope to Valdez. Oil exploration remains a key contributor of the Fairbanks economy today, both from workers who maintain the trans-Alaska oil pipeline and North Slope workers who are based in the Interior. Tourism has also become a significant force for the Fairbanks economy, with summer visitors filling local hotels and enjoying attractions such as the Riverboat Discovery and the University of Alaska Museum of the North. A smaller winter tourism industry brings visitors to Fairbanks to view the northern lights or participate in

Visitors look at the trans-Alaska oil pipeline off the Steese Highway north of Fairbanks. The pipeline is buried below the Steese and comes back above ground on the east side of the highway. news-miner file photo cold-weather sports. An estimated 325,000 visitors made it to Fairbanks in summer 2011, according to a study commissioned by the Alaska Department of Commerce. And a century after E.T. Barnette established his trading post, gold still plays a significant role in Fairbanks. One of the borough’s major employers is

the Fort Knox Mine, with more than 600 employees in 2013. The open pit mine produced its 5 millionth ounce of gold last year, making it the most productive gold mine in Alaska history. At least 3 million more ounces are expected from the mine before it ceases operation. Contact staff writer Jeff Richardson at 459-7518.

COMMUNITIES

Continued from 4

Schedule of Events 2014 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. at the Civic Center; Concession/Contests/Craft Bazaar Sponsored by Nenana Ice Classic & Nenana Senior Center

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28 7:00 P.M. 7:30 P.M.

Goldstream Valley residents play softball on a Sunday afternoon. News-Miner file photo

er Fairbanks area since the 1970s has enabled the community to expand and develop. Dog mushing is a prevalent activity in Two Rivers.

Please consider becoming a member of Friends of Creamer’s Field. A membership form is available at www.creamersfield.org. Your membership fees help support educational programs and events on the refuge, additionally you’ll receive Dedicated to providing the “Field Notes” newsletter as well as educational opportunities a 10% discount in the farmhouse gift at Creamer’s Refuge shop. Gift items include field guides, books, artwork, jewelry, and clothing. Winter hours: Sat. noon - 4pm

452-5162 Summer hours: Daily 9:30 - 5pm 1300 College Rd.

Texas Hold-em Poker Tournament Sign-up (Nenana Senior Center) Charlie Stevens Memorial-Texas Hold-em Poker Tournament (Nenana Senior Center)

SATURDAY, MARCH 1

Nenana Ice Classic Sled Dog Race

Sponsored by the Nenana Ice Classic, C.P.D. LLC & Nenana Heating

SUNDAY, MARCH 2

8:00 A.M. Breakfast – Sponsored by NCPS 8:00 A.M. Breakfast - Sponsored by NCPS Nenana Freight Dog Pull Registration @ Jesters Palace 10:00 A.M. Craft & Vendors Booths Open (Civic Center) 9:00 A.M. Craft & Vendors Booths Open (Civic Center) 11:00 A.M. NCPS Junior Class Concession Stand Opens 10:00 A.M. Sign-up for Sled Dog Race (Civic Center Back Stage) (Civic Center) 10:30 A.M. Mayor Jason Mayrand Welcomes Guests & Community NIC 40 Sled Dog Race - 2nd Stage and Leads Community in "Pledge of Allegiance" (Tanana River) 10:40 A.M. Beadwork Contest (Front Stage) Nenana "Best Bread" Contest (Front Stage) 10:45 A.M. Nenana's "Best Dessert" Contest (Front Stage) 11:10 A.M. Nenana "Best Sweet Bread" Contest (Front 10:50 A.M. Homemade Candy Contest (Front Stage) Stage) 11:00 A.M. 1st Place Poster Presentation 11:20 A.M. Homemade Quilt Contest (Front Stage) Honorary Member Presentation 11:30 A.M. Parent/Child Look·A-Like Contest (Front Stage) 11:15 A.M. Egg Toss ('A' Street in front of Civic Center) 11:45 P.M. Nenana's "Best Chili" Contest (Front Stage) 11:30 A.M. Hula Hoop Contest (Dance Floor) 12:00 P.M. Sheri Jo Hawkins Memorial Arm Wrestling NCPS Junior Class Concession Stand Opens Contest (Back Stage) (Civic Center) Prettiest and Grungiest Carhartt Contests 12:00 P.M. Jump Rope Contest (Dance Floor) (Front Stage) NIC 40 Dog Sled Race 1st Stage (Watch Tower) 12:15 P.M. Jump Rope Contest (Dance Floor) 12:15 P.M. Ball & Rope Contest (Dance Floor) 12:30 P.M. Banana Eating Contest (Front Stage) 12:30 P.M. Ashley Hecox Memorial - Limbo Contest (Dance Floor) 1:00 P.M. Moose Call Contest (Front Stage) 12:45 P.M. Sack Races ('A' Street in front of Civic Center) Face Painting (FREE) 1:00 P.M. Lathrop HS Ballroom Dance Team 1:15 P.M. Photo Contest Face Painting (FREE) 1:30 P.M. Tug-O-War (Local VS. Visitors) Tripod Ski Race @ mile 315 Ski Trail ('A' Street in front of Civic Center) 1:30 P.M. Toddler Races (Ages 1-3 on Dance Floor) 2:00 P.M. Dance Contest (Dance Floor) 2:00 P.M. Tricycle Races ('A'·Street in front of Civic Center) 2:30 P.M. Shave the Balloon Contest ages 8-11, 12-15, Nenana Freight Dog Weight Pull ('A' Street Jesters 16+ (Front Stage) Palace) 3:00 P.M. Ashely Hecox Memorial-Limbo Contest (Dance 2:15 P.M. Cutest Baby Contest 0-6 months & 7-12 months Floor) (Front Stage) 3:30 P.M. TRIPOD RAISING: ON THE TANANA RIVER 2:30 P.M. Bubblegum Blowing Contest (Dance Floor) 4:00 P .M. Pop Scramble ('A' Street in front of Civic Center 3:00 P.M. Lathrop HS Ballroom Dance Team 3:30 P.M. Donut Eating Contest (Front Stage) Grungiest & Prettiest 4:00 P.M. Balloon Toss (Dance Floor) ages 2-4, 5-8, 9-12 Us Carhartt Contests 4:30 P.M. Pop Scramble ('A' Street in front of Civic Center) Join a Sponsored by: 7:00 P.M. Texas Hold-em Poker Tournament Sign-up for Full d Prospector Outfitters (Nenana Senior Center) en 7:30 P.M. Charlie Stevens Memorial- Texas Hold-em Poker Weekf Fun! Lots of Daily o Tournament (NSC) Door Prize Drawings! 8:00 P.M. Fireworks Display – City of Nenana (Tanana River)

13501762 2-28-14ComTab

Fairbanks area and is better characterized as a geographic location rather than a community. • Pleasant Valley Population: 717 Pleasant Valley is in the Fairbanks North Star Borough, east of Fox and Two Rivers. Pleasant Valley is best characterized as a geographic location, rather than a community. • Salcha Population: 1,041 Salcha is located at the mouth of the Salcha River, 33 miles southeast of Fairbanks on the Richardson Highway, near what was once the Aurora Lodge. The village was first reported in 1898 by the U.S. Geological Survey as “Salchaket,” an Indian name meaning “mouth of the Salcha.” The village was reported in 1904 as “Saltshatsheg.” • Two Rivers Population: 725 Tw o R i v e r s i s d i s p e r s e d f r o m 13 Mile to 25 Mile Chena Hot Springs Road. It lies between the Chena and the Little Chena Rivers in the Fairbanks North Star Borough. The community sits on the banks of the upper Chena River, near the Little Chena River. It was the site of a territorial school. Expansion of the great-

For information, call 832-5446 • www.nenanaakiceclassic.com

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

OFFICES

Continued from 3 Federal building 101 12th Ave. Fairbanks, AK 99701 Toll Free: 800-772-1213 State of Alaska office building (Houses various state agencies) 675 7th Ave. Fairbanks, AK 99701 Fairbanks Correctional Center 1931 Eagan Ave. Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-458-6700 Fax: 907-458-6751

COMMUNITY GUIDE Alaska Division of Forestry Northern Region Office 3700 Airport Way Fairbanks, AK 99709-4699 907-451-2670 Fax: 907-451-2690 Fairbanks Legislative Information Office 1292 Sadler Way, Suite 308 Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-452-4448 Fax: 907-456-3346 Fax: 456-5076 Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles 1979 Peger Road 907-451-5180 Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Third Wednesday of each month:

Alaska Court System Local: Rabinowitz Courthouse 101 Lacey St. Fairbanks, AK 99701 Clerk’s Office: 907-452-9277 Alaska Division of Elections Region III Elections Office 675 Seventh Ave., Suite H3 Fairbanks, AK 99701-4594 907-451-2835 Toll Free: 866-959-8683 Fax: 907-451-2832 Fax Toll-Free: 855-977-3594 Alaska Department of Fish and Game 1300 College Road Fairbanks, Alaska 99701-1551 907-465-6166

Transform Your Child’s Education

Visit our store for millions of beads & supplies of every variety . . . glass to natural gemstones! Lose yourself in our store . . . Let your imagination soar!

Have it all – Academic Excellence for Pre K through 12th grade

615 Monroe Street • www.catholic-schools.org

Call 456-7970 to set up your tour today!

17500968 2-28-14CG

11501467-2-28-14CG

Hours: Mon-Fri 11-6 pm • Sat 11-5 pm • www.pristinesbeads.com 3180 Peger Road, Suite 150, Fairbanks • 479-7122

9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Department of Natural Resources Public Information Center 3700 Airport Way Fairbanks, 99709-4699 907-451-2705 Fax: 907- 451-2706 TDD: 907-451-2770 Alaska Office of Public Advocacy 100 Cushman St., Suite 502 Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 907-451-5933 Fax: 907-451-5934 Permanent Fund Dividend Division 510 Second Ave., Suite 100

Christ, Community, Consistency AND Fun!

Locally owned bead store

Best of Fairbanks 2013

Friday, February 28, 2014

OFFICES

Continued from 6 Fairbanks, Alaska 99701 907-451-2820 Fax: 907-451-5142 Alaska Public Defender Agency 529 5th Ave., Suite 1 Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 907-458-6800 Toll Free: 800-478-1621 Fax: 907-458-6802 Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities Northern Region Headquarters 2301 Peger Road

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

COMMUNITY GUIDE Fairbanks, AK 99709 Regional Director: 907-451-2210 PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES (Dial 911 for emergencies) Alaska State Troopers Detachment D 1979 Peger Road Fairbanks, AK 99709 907-451-5100 Fax: 907-451-3002 Fairbanks Police Department 911 Cushman St. 907-459-6500 Fairbanks Fire Department 1101 Cushman St. Fairbanks, AK 99701

907-450-6600 Federal Bureau of Investigation 1901 Airport Way, Suite 104 907-452-3250 Fax: 907-586-6691 North Pole Police Department 125 Snowman Lane North Pole AK 99705 907-488-6902 North Pole Fire Department 110 Lewis St. North Pole, AK 99705 907-488-2232 University Fire Department 611 N. Chandalar Drive Fairbanks, AK 99775

AFTER THE STORM

A rainbow fills the sky over downtown Fairbanks after a rainstorm on a summer night. news-miner file photo

IDITAROD

DISTANCE LEARNING CENTER

AN INDIVIDUAL PROGRAM FOR HOME SCHOOL STUDENTS

A New Look to Home School

• Personal approach • Tailor-made schedules and educational plan. • Stay in touch with teacher due to small class sizes!

Call now for FREE consultation! (907) 371-6715 Distance Learning Center

Visit us at dlc.iditarod.org for more information!

18500151-2-28-14CG

DITAROD Area School District

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Friday, February 28, 2014

COMMUNITY GUIDE

Schools have long history Fairbanks By Weston Morrow wmorrow@newsminer.com

Schools have been an integral part of Fairbanks since the town situated on the bank of the Chena River was first incorporated. Schools played an important role in the creation of the city in 1903. The first school in Fairbanks was a tiny private school created at the beginning of the 1903 school year by William Woolridge that taught 13 students, but that school didn’t make it to the new year before closing. About the same time Woolridge’s school was closing, Fairbanks was incorporating into a legitimate city and electing a city council and a three-member school board. The city opened its first public school that winter and held its first closing ceremony for 10 students who had attended as many as 74 days of school. Those first few months, students were taught in a small rented building on the corner of

Students make their way to classes at West Valley High School in Fairbanks. Sam Harrel/NewsMiner file photo

Noble Street and Third Avenue. The school moved at the start

of the 1904-05 school year and would move from space to space

until December 1907, when the city paid an estimated $19,000

to build a two-story wooden building for the town’s 150 enrolled students. That schoolhouse served as a source of pride for the residents of Fairbanks for the coming decades until it burned to the ground in a fire on Dec. 4, 1932 — 25 years and a day after the building opened. The fire that destroyed the schoolhouse would lead to the creation of its iconic replacement at the corner of Eighth Avenue and Cushman Street that continues to serve the town to this day, now known as Patrick B. Cole City Hall. Students moved into the Fairbanks Public School building, which would become known as Old Main, in January 1934. Old Main would go through several changes and additions, but remained the sole school facility in Fairbanks until the tenure of Superintendent John C. Ryan, after whom Ryan Middle School is named. EDUCATION » 9

Fairbanks-area public, private, charter and home school programs FAIRBANKS NORTH STAR BOROUGH SCHOOL DISTRICT School District Administrative Center 520 Fifth Ave. , Fairbanks, 99701 www.K12northstar.Org Anderson Elementary 768 Kodiak Street Eielson AFB, AK 99702 Phone: 372-2167 Fax: 372-3437 Anne Wien Elementary 1501 Hampstead Ave. Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 451-7500 Fax: 451-7564 Arctic Light Elementary 4167 Neely Road Fort Wainwright, AK 99703 Phone: 356-2038 Fax: 356-2189 Badger Road Elementary 2301 Bradway Road North Pole, AK 99705 Mailing address: 520 5th Ave. Fairbanks, AK 99701

Phone: 488-0134 Fax 488-2045 Barnette Magnet School 1000 Barnette St. Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 456-6072 Fax: 451-9602 Ben Eielson Jr./Sr. High School 675 Ravens Way Eielson AFB, AK 99702 Phone: 372-3110 Fax 372-3202 Bridge Program 513 12th Ave. Suite 110 Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-474-2144 Career Education Center 724 27th Ave., Suite 1 Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 479-4061 Fax: 479-0230 Chinook Charter School 3002 International St. Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 452-5020 Fax: 452-5048 Crawford Elementary School 692 Ravens Way

Eielson AFB, AK 99702 Phone: 372-3306 Fax: 372-3199 Denali Elementary School 1042 Lathrop St. Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 452-2456 Fax: 451-0792 Effie Kokrine Charter School 601 Loftus Road Fairbanks, AK 99709 474-0958 Hunter Elementary School 1630 Gillam Way Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 456-5775 Fax: 452-8891 Hutchison High School 3750 Geist Road Fairbanks, AK 99709 Phone: 479-2261 Fax: 479-8286 Joy Elementary School 24 Margaret St. Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 456-5469 Fax: 456-1477 Ladd Elementary School 601 F St.

Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 451-1700 Fax: 451-9137 Lathrop High School 901 Airport Way Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 456-7794 Fax: 452-6735 Nordale Elementary School 397 Hamilton Ave. Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 452-2696 Fax: 456-5608 North Pole Academy 2945 Monk Court North Pole, AK 99705 Phone: 490-9025 Fax: 490-9021 North Pole Elementary School 250 Snowman Lane North Pole, AK 99705 Phone: 488-2286 Fax: 488-1232 North Pole High School 601 NPHS Blvd. North Pole, AK 99705 Phone: 488-3761 Fax: 488-1488

North Pole Middle School 300 East 8th Ave. North Pole, AK 99705 Phone: 488-2271 Fax: 488-9213 Pearl Creek Elementary School 700 Auburn Drive Fairbanks, AK 99709 Phone: 479-4234 Fax: 479-4025 Randy Smith Middle School 1401 Bainbridge Blvd. Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 458-7600 Fax: 458-7676 Ryan Middle School 951 Airport Way Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 452-4751 Fax: 451-8834 Salcha Elementary School 8530 Richardson Hwy. Mailing address: 520 Fifth Ave. Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 488-3267 SCHOOLS » 9

Friday, February 28, 2014

COMMUNITY GUIDE

SCHOOLS

EDUCATION

Continued from 8

Fax: 488-5358 Star Of The North Secondary (Public Charter School) 601 Loftus Road Fairbanks, AK 99709 Phone: 474-0958 Fax: 479-2104 North Pole campus: 2945 Monk Court Phone: 490-9025 Tanana Middle School 600 Trainor Gate Road Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 452-8145 Fax: 456-2780 Ticasuk Brown Elementary School 785 Lakloey Drive North Pole Mailing address: 520 Fifth Ave. Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 488-3200 Fax: 488-6208 Two Rivers School 400 Two Rivers Road Two Rivers Mailing address: 520 Fifth Ave. Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 488-6616 Fax: 488-8487 University Park Elementary School 554 Loftus Road Fairbanks, AK 99709 Phone: 479-6963 Fax: 479-6219 Watershed Charter School 4975 Decathlon Ave. Fairbanks, AK 99709 Phone: 374-9350 Fax: 374-9360 Weller Elementary School 635 Elementary Drive Mailing address: 520 Fifth Ave. Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 457-1629 Fax: 457-2663 West Valley High School 3800 Geist Road Fairbanks, AK 99709 Phone: 479-4221 Fax: 474-8901 Woodriver Elementary School 5000 Palo Verde Drive Fairbanks, AK 99709 Phone: 479-4211 Fax: 479-5077

The process began before Ryan’s 1951 hiring. Several months before, the school board floated and passed a bond to create a new elementary school for growing Fairbanks student population. That first elementary school, which would change Fairbanks permanently from a single- to a multi-school district, was Denali Elementary School. Before the completion of Denali, the district added another school — Nordale — to its roster. In the next 10 years, with Ryan at the helm, the school district would add six new schools: Denali, Nordale, Hunter, University Park and Barnette elementary schools and Lathrop High School. Fairbanks Junior High was housed in Old Main. Several other schools that are now part of the district, in nearby regions such as Two Rivers and North Pole, were created during this time as well but were not brought into the district until the creation of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in 1964 brought the state-run schools into the fold. The booming growth in school property during this time wasn’t without reason. While Ryan served as superintendent, school enrollment skyrocketed

STATEWIDE AND FAIRBANKSONLY DISTANCE EDUCATION/ CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOLS: Adult Learning Programs of Alaska (G.E.D.) 122 First Ave. Fairbanks, AK 99701 www.Adultlearning.Org Phone: 452-6434 Alaska Virtual Academy (Statewide) P.O. Box 1138

Randy Smith Middle School student Michael Mosby looks at Dall sheep’s wool through a microscope. NewsMiner file photo

Wrangell, AK 99929 www.k12/ak Phone: 907-874-3397 Aleutians Correspondence Education School (Statewide) P.O. Box 429 Sand Point, AK 99661 www.aebsd.org Phone: 907-383-5222 Cyberlynx (Statewide) P.O. Box 599 Nenana, AK 99760 www.cyberlynx.org Phone: 907-832-5423 Delta-Greely Homeschool P.O. Box 369 Delta Junction, AK 99737 www.dgsd.k12.ak.us Phone: 895-1043 Denali Peak Program (Statewide) 4240 Old Seward Hwy. Suite 3-4 Anchorage, AK 99503 educate.dbsd.org/peak Phone: 907-683-7325 Fast Track (Statewide) 2610 4th Ave. Ketchikan, AK 99901 Phone: 225-2128 fasttrack.kgbsd.org Fairbanks B.E.S.T. 520 Fifth Ave. Fairbanks, AK 99701 fairbanksbest.com Phone: 452-2000 Ext. 11201 I.D.E.A. (Statewide) 2157 Van Horn Road Fairbanks, AK 99701 www.ideafamilies.org Phone: 374-2200 PACE (Statewide) P.O. Box 800 Craig, AK 99921 www.paceschool.net Phone: 907-677-0992 SCHOOLS » 10

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

from 1,600 in 1951 to 5,000 in 1961. Enrollment in Fairbanks would grow steadily until the mid-1970s, when it took a massive jump toward its current standing. The trans-Alaska oil pipeline brought massive change to the borough’s schools just as it did to the borough as a whole. “The school district is changing,” Superintendent Chuck Smith said in 1974. “It will never be the same again.” At nearly the same time the district was packing in new students because of the pipeline, it also was being forced by the state to absorb seven schools on nearby Fort Wainwright and Eielson Air Force Base. The two additions caused school district enrollment to jump in a single school year from 8,879 to 12,585. Enrollment would reach its peak two decades later in 1996 at 16,431. It has been in a steady decline since then, standing today at just more than 14,000 students. The district has continued to change throughout the past several decades, though its period of rapid change has slowed since the pipeline days. In the past decade, the biggest impetus for school creation has been the charter school movement, which has seen the construction of a handful of new schools in the borough. Contact staff writer Weston Morrow at 459-

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Friday, February 28, 2014

COMMUNITY GUIDE

U.S. military has big presence in the Interior By Sam Friedman sfriedman@newsminer.com

4.875" x

Thanks to a major Army post and Air Force base, the Fairbanks area has the greatest concentration of military service members per capita for any region in the state. The military brought thousands of Outside residents to the Interior, starting with World War II and continuing through the Cold War and the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. In the past few years, the Interior military bases have survived the national trend of military budget cuts and downsizing. Some 22.8 percent of Fairbanks North Star Borough residents are active duty military 5.25" or dependents, according to an Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development study published last year. The runner up also was in the Interior. In the Denali Borough, the number is 21.9 percent, where Clear Air Force Station

F-16s are parked on the flight line at Eielson Air Force Base about 30 miles southeast of Fairbanks. News-Miner file photo dominates the workforce of the remote area. Third is Kodiak Island, which has the largest Coast Guard base in the world and is 18 percent military.

Statewide census figures suggest military expansion for World War II was as explosive a catalyst for growth as the search for gold or discovery of oil.

North Star Ballet School

The state’s population jumped 98.4 percent to 63,592 people between 1890 and 1990 because of the gold rush. World War II created growth

Continued from 9

Ballet • Creative Movement • Pilates

Raven Correspondence (Statewide) 4762 Old Airport Way Fairbanks, AK 99709-4456 www.ravenschool.com Phone: 374-9401 Si Island Correspondence (Statewide) P.O. Box 19569 Thorne Bay, AK 99919 sisd.org Phone: 907-828-8254 PRIVATE SCHOOLS

www.TheNorthStarBallet.org • 451-8800

Firebird

MILITARY » 15

SCHOOLS

Excellence in dance education since 1980

1800 College Road on the Tanana Valley Fairgrounds

Spring Gala 2014: Stravinsky's Dazzling Fantasy

The

similar to “a second gold rush” when the state population spiked 77.4 percent between

One weekend only

April 25-27

SaliSbury TheaTre, uaF

Bible Baptist Christian School 32 Adak Ave. Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 452-1407 Catholic Schools Of Fairbanks (Immaculate Conception School and Monroe Catholic High School) 615 Monroe St. Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 452-2044 Fairbanks Montessori Association 2014 30th Ave. Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 451-8485

Fairhill Christian School 101 City Lights Blvd. Fairbanks, AK 99701-0997 Phone: 457-2167 Far North Christian School 1110 20th Ave. Fairbanks, AK 99701-0997 Phone: 452-7979 Frontier High School 946 Cowels St., Suite 210 Fairbanks, AK 99701-0805 Phone: 452-3019 Golden Heart Christian School P.O. Box 82997 Fairbanks, AK 99708-0997 Phone: 479-2904 Hamilton Acres Baptist School 138 Farewell Ave. Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 456-5995 Open Arms Lutheran Child Development Center 2980 Davis Road Fairbanks, AK 99709-0997 Phone: 455-9466 North Pole Christian School 2936 Badger Road North Pole, AK 99705-0997

Friday, February 28, 2014

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

COMMUNITY GUIDE

Interior military bases provide training, missile silos Fort Wainwright

The largest Interior military base in terms of personnel, Fort Wainwright is home to some 7,700 soldiers, with plans to increase by about 300 by the end of 2014. According to the post’s official Army history, Fort Wainwright was originally known as Ladd Field. The first soldiers, a 50-man detachment from the Army Air Corps, arrived in April 1940. Ladd Field took on a bigger role in World War II as a transfer point for the Lend Lease Program, which brought more than 8,000 military aircraft to Fairbanks where pilots from the Soviet Union flew the planes across the Bering Sea to the battle front with Germany. The base was re-named Fort Wainwright in 1965. It’s named after World War II general Jonathan M. Wainwright. The largest unit today is the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, a more-than-4,000-soldierstrong unit that operates eight-wheeled Stryker vehicles. The unit deployed three times to Iraq and Afghanistan under the 1/25 flag and under its previous name, the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.

GROWTH

Continued from 4 the 1970s trans-Alaska oil pipeline construction boom and a military expansion in the 2000s. Population changes in Fairbanks follow economic forces and in Fairbanks are driven by the military, tourism, mining and state spending (which is tied to oil production), said Jerry McBeath, a political science professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Population ramped up in the early ’70s for the building of the pipeline, then decreased after it was complet-

Col. Kevin Norgaard of the U.S. Army points to a picture of one of the exposed silos during the construction phase of the Ground-Based Missile Defense Site at Fort Greely. news-miner file photo Fort Wainwright also is home to part of the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, a unit that flies CH-47 Chinooks, UH-50 Black Hawks and OH-58 Kiowa Warriors. Bassett Army Community Hospital, the main military medical facility in the Interior, is on Fort Wainwright.

Eielson Air Force Base

Eielson Air Force Base outside North Pole, is home to 2,500 airmen and more than 340 guardsman and reservists, according to the base’s Air Force profile.

Eielson AFB was originally known as Mile 26 Airfield. The first aircraft landed there in 1944, and much of the base was constructed in the early 1940s and late 1950s. The base has held numerous aircraft over the years including P-51, C-47, WB-29, KC-97, F-102, OA-10 and A-10. Today the base’s main active duty force is the 18th Aggressor squadron, a group of 21 F-16 fighters that play the role of enemy fighters in war games. It also is used by the Air National Guard 168th Air Refueling Group, which uses KC-135s. Eielson is a host base for Red Flag Alaska, an international training exercise usually held three times per year. At 14,507 feet (2.7 miles), Eielson has the second longest runway in North America.

Fort Greely

Fort Greely is a former infantry base that’s been reborn as a missile defense base in the past 10 years. It employs 1,031 people including civilians and contractors, according to the base’s official profile. It is home to 1,622 people. BASES » 14

TANANA VALLEY COMMUNITY HEALTH FAIRS

ed. It took a few years for oil revenue to trigger increased state spending, but that likely caused the population to rebound in the early 1980s. A drop in oil prices to less than $10 per barrel in 1987 and 1988 likely caused people to leave the area as the economy constricted. Another dip in 2002 is likely related to that year’s budget crisis, McBeath said. In addition to growing, the Fairbanks North Star Borough’s population has aged. This is likely a result of the aging Baby Boomer generation and expanding health care resources.

SPRING 2014

Free health screenings Free health education Low cost bloods tests Chemistry/Hematology . . . . . . . . . . $45 (panels 27 different tests Fast for 10-12 hrs. prior) Thyroid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $30 Prostate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $25 Vitamin D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $50 A1c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $25 Blood Typing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20

Contact the staff writer Sam Friedman at 459-7545.

*Must be 18 to have blood drawn. Please drink lots of water for all blood draws. Fasting is only required for the $45 chemistry panel. Diabetics should not fast and all prescription medications should be taken as normal. Please bring a stamp for your results.

Come join us, Visit with exhibitors, Chat with a nurse,

Take charge of your Health! For more information please call

907-374-6853 17502052 2-28-14

Or visit us at

alaskahealthfair.org

Nenana • March 22 8 am - noon James A. Coghill Civic Center Salcha • April 5 8 am - noon Salcha Elementary School Healy Tri-Valley • April 12 9 am - 1 pm Tri Valley School, Healy Fort Yukon • April 19 9 am - noon Addie Shewfelt Building, Ft. Yukon Fairbanks • April 26 7 am - 2 pm Alaskaland Pioneer Park Civic Center Central • May 17 8 am - 11 am Central Museum For Spring event details, look under the Health Fair Schedule Tab on www.alaskahealthfair.org

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Friday, February 28, 2014

COMMUNITY GUIDE Call about a FREE Moving Consultation!

CHANGE WON’T HAPPEN WITHOUT YOU

United Way of the Tanana Valley Member Agencies

456-6040

www.sourdoughtransfer.com kconover@sourdoughtransfer.com

Karen Conover C all Certified Moving Consultant Call about a FREE Moving Consultation!

GIVE. ADVOCATE. VOLUNTEER.

456-6040

UnitedWayTV.com

www.sourdoughtransfer.com kconover@sourdoughtransfer.com

Karen Conover C all Certified Moving Consultant

13501776-2-28-14CG

12503022-2-28-14CG

United Way of the Tanana Valley P.O. Box 74396 Fairbanks, AK 99707

13501776-2-28-14CG

ACCA, Inc. • Access Alaska • Alaska Health Fair, Inc American Red Cross of Alaska - Tanana Valley Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska • Boy Scouts Midnight Sun Council Boys and Girls Club of Southcentral Alaska - Tanana Valley Breast Cancer Detection Center • Eielson AFB Child Development Center Eielson AFB Youth Programs • Fairbanks Community Food Bank Fairbanks Counseling and Adoption • Fairbanks Resource Agency Farthest North Girl Scout Council • Interior Alaska Center for Non-Violent Living Literacy Council of Alaska • North Star Youth Court Presbyterian Hospitality House • Resource Center for Parents and Children The Salvation Army • ThrivAlaska

Looking for a different kind of school? Check out

Effie Kokrine Early College Charter!

• Grades 7–12 • Self-contained middle school classes • Small class sizes • Robotics • FFA • Sports • ANE and JOM Tutoring and Support • One-on-one support from teachers and tutors

• After-school study hall • A chance to learn about your cultural heritage • Early College classes • Team sports and extracurricular activities • Native language classes • Learning styles emphasis • Community-based lessons • Hands-on projects

Early College Program: Encourage. Engage. Empower. Take advantage of core college classes

17502055-2-28-14CG

HISTORY: Effie Kokrine Early College Charter S UMMER P ROG R AM School opened its doors in 2006. Effie Kokrine is The Farm at Effie Kokrine: thefarmatekeccs.wordpress.com proud of its culturally diverse student population. Summer agriculture program: May 28 through June 29; and July 9 through August 2; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday. Place-based environmental education. Nonprofit—Effie Kokrine Charter School Cost: $150 for one session; $250 for both. Earn up to 1 credit towards graduation. Charitable donations can be accepted at school Community Supported Agriculture (CSA): 20 CSA shares available—sign up now! or through Pick, Click. Give.

Friday, February 28, 2014

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

COMMUNITY GUIDE

U.S. POSTAL SERVICE BUILDINGS IN THE FAIRBANKS REGION Fairbanks Downtown 315 Barnette St. Fairbanks, AK Alaska 99701-4532 Phone: 452-3223 Hours of operation: Mon.-Fri. 9:30 a.m.5:30 p.m., Sat.-Sun. closed Geist Road Post Office 4025 Geist Road Fairbanks, AK 99709 Phone: 479-6021 Hours of operation: Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.5:30 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Sun. closed Fairbanks Main Post Office 5400 Mail Trail Road Fairbanks, AK 99709 Phone: 455-5406 Hours of operation: Mon.-Fri. 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m., Sat.-Sun. closed Two Rivers/Chena Hot Springs Road Post Office 7291 Chena Hot Springs Road Fairbanks, AK 99712 Phone: 488-2349 Hours of operation: Mon.-Fri. 2 p.m.-7 p.m., Sat. 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Sun. closed UAF/College Post Office 504 Tok Lane, Room 107 Fairbanks, AK 99775 Phone: 474-7215 Hours of operation: Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sat.-Sun. closed

Fairbanks Steese Post Office 646 Rohloff St. Fairbanks, AK 99712 Phone: 456-4258 Hours of operation: Mon.-Fri 10:30 a.m-6 p.m., Sat .10:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Sun. closed Ester Post Office 501 Village Road Ester, AK 99725 Phone: 907-479-3273 Hours of operation: 10 a.m.-1 p.m., 1:305:30 p.m., Mon.-Fri.; 10-11 a.m., Sat.; closed Sun. Lobby hours: 12:01 a.m.-11:59 p.m., daily. Eielson AFB 365 Kodiak St. Eielson AFB, AK 99702 Phone: 907-372-1209 Hours of operation: 10 a.m.-1 p.m., 2 p.m.-4 p.m., Mon.-Fri.; closed Sat. and Sun. Fort Wainwright Post Office 3726 Nealey Road Fort Wainwright, AK 99703 Phone: 907-356-7602 Hours of operation: 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon.-Fri.; closed Sat. and Sun. Lobby hours: 12:01 a.m.-11:59 p.m., daily

Serving Fairbanks and the Interior for over 40 years.

People first: the definition of a community hospital.

community-owned fmhdc.com

U.S. POSTAL » 22

Buy One Get One

You may be eligible to receive assistance with paying for child care.

for

1.00

Call 479-2212 or Stop By!

Discount sub must be of equal or lesser price. Additional charge for extras. Void if transferred, sold, reproduced or auctioned. Excludes Premium and Supreme subs. Not for sale. No cash value. Not valid with any other offer. Valid at participating restaurants.

Offer Valid on Regular 6 inch or FOOTLONG Subs

1949 Gillam Way, Suite G, Fairbanks

Expires March 31, 2014 One coupon per customer

Valid at: Email: thread@thrivalaska.com Online: www.threadalaska.com

A ThrivAlaska Program | Child Care Assistance

11502579-2-28-14CG

17502030-2-28-14CG

These services are made available through the State of Alaska Department of Health & Social Services, Division of Public Assistance.

2301 South Cushman – 452-6000 UAF Location (732 Yukon Dr., Fairbanks) – 458-1012 514 Old Steese – 456-8686 227 N. Santa Claus Lane (North Pole) – 488-7444 3574 Airport Way – 479-8688 Fort Wainwright (8703 Neely Road) – 356-1481 1800 Airport Way – 452-5415 Eielson AFB (451 Broadway) – 372-1166 Wal-Mart Location – 374-7817

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Friday, February 28, 2014

COMMUNITY GUIDE

University of Alaska Fairbanks is a community cornerstone By Amanda Bohman

One of the storied institutions of Fairbanks is the University of Alaska Fairbanks, founded on the site of an ancient camp of the Athabascan people. Judge James Wickersham, a territorial delegate to Congress in the early 1900s, sponsored legislation establishing the hill, west of downtown Fairbanks with panoramic views of the Alaska Range, as the Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines. A dedication was held in honor of the new institution of higher learning. History professor Terrence Cole described it in his book, “The Cornerstone on College Hill,” a history of UAF. “While the college which we are this day dedicating will give special prominence to the study of scientific methods of agriculture and mining,” Wickersham said, “it will also support a university course and become a fountainhead for the general diffusion of knowledge among the

A graduate looks for his family during University of Alaska Fairbanks Commencement ceremonies in 2009. news-miner file photo people of Alaska.” When classes commenced in 1922, there were six students,

six professors, a secretary, an administrator and a maintenance worker, according to Cole.

Today’s UAF boasts an enrollment upwards of 10,000 students attending nine colleges

and schools across seven campuses, including sites in Kotzebue, Dillingham, Bethel and Nome. More than 5,000 people work for the institution in faculty, staff or student jobs. UAF is the flagship institution of the University of Alaska system and served as the site of the Alaska Constitutional Convention. The University of Alaska seal features Mt. McKinley, the tallest mountain in North America, known colloquially as Denali, with the words “Ad Summun,” which means to the highest point. That spirit is embodied in UAF’s rifle team, which has won 10 national championships. UAF athletics includes hockey, skiing, basketball, volleyball, swimming and cross country. Athletes are known as Nanooks after the Inupiaq work for polar bear, nanuq. The university offers a variety of colleges and schools where students study engineering, UNIVERSITY » 18

“100% Alaskan Women Owned & Operated”

BASES

Start Right, Start Here

Continued from 11 STOVE PIPE DRAW SHAVES

CHAIN SAWS

O PEAVY & STIL D D CANT O O R VE IP HOOKS WO VES O S ST PS TRA

PITCHER SPOUT PUMPS

LOG SCREWS

Diamond™ Farrier Tools S& NUT TS & Horseshoes BOL BOW SAWS WELL PIPE

TIMBER CARRIER

LOG MILLS

METAL GUTTER SYSTEMS

AXES

13501782-2-28-14CG

CA JANN COPPER WELL MEAT RS IN LOG G GRINDERS TUBING POINT SCRIBES CAST IRON CANNERS GALVANIZED COOKWARE TUBS PA IN FISH T CANS

Fort Greely is near Delta Junction on the Richardson Highway and, like Eielson Air Force Base, it was largely built in the late 1940s and early 1950s. In 1955, the post was named after Major General Adophus Washington Greely, an arctic explorer who strung thousands of miles of telegraph wire through Alaska, Puerto Rico and the Philippines. In its early days, the base was an arctic training site, although today the cold weather training Northern Warfare Training Center, located nearby at the Black Rapids Glacier, is operated instead by Fort Wainwright. Fort Greely became part of the 172nd Infantry Brigade in 1974 and later the 6th Infantry Division (Light) in 1986. The unit was deactivated in 1994 and in 1995 the base was warm-based as part Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process. In 2001, it was given a new mission, it became the main silo site for the national mid-course Ballistic Mission Defense System. Fort Greely is now home to the 9th Missile Defense Battalion and the 59th Signal Battalion.

Clear Air Force Station

Clear Air Force Station is a missile early warning system and space surveillance base. It’s home to 13th Space Warning Squadron. It’s located off the Parks Highway between Nenana and Healy on the Parks Highway south of Fairbanks. The base was built starting in 1958 and used radar sites designed to provide advanced warning of a Soviet missile attack over the North Pole, according to “Cold War Historic Properties of the 21st Space Wing Air Force Space Command,” a 1996 government study on the historic value of Cold War installations. The other two sites were in the United Kingdom and in Greenland. The first radar site became operational in 1961, the report states. The air station’s mechanical radar was deactivated in 2001 and replaced with newer radar, according to the 13th Space Warning Squadron’s official unit history. In addition to watching for incoming missiles, the unit also collects data on orbiting objects, which it passes on to the U.S. Strategic Command’s Joint Space Operations Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

Friday, February 28, 2014

COMMUNITY GUIDE

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Fairbanks is an arts intensive city Don DeWitt, as Dr. Meyer, makes advances on Michael Riggenbach, as Jack Gable, during a scene from the Fairbanks Drama Association’s “Leading Ladies” in 2012 at the Riverfront Theatre.

By Gary Black gblack@newsminer.com

The arts run deep in Fairbanks, whether it’s stage, music, song or dance. The city is home to several established performance companies which host everything from locally written operas, plays and burlesque shows to classic ballets and Broadway musicals. You don’t need to travel to New York City to get your cultural fix — you can do that all right here in the Golden Heart City. Performances take place year-round depending on the company, so the best advice is to check each company’s website or contact info or pick up Latitude 65, the weekly entertainment section published each Friday by the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. You can find many of the groups listed here on Facebook and Twitter.

news-miner file photo

organization was called “Fairbanks Children’s Theatre.” Three years later it was revamped to be the Fairbanks Drama Association and Children’s Theatre. Fairbanks Drama Association and Children’s Theatre has produced 51 consecutive seasons of community theater with performances staged at the Hap Ryder Riverfront Theatre, 1852 Second Ave. The drama group also hosts a children’s theater workshop each summer. FDA is known for its performances of classic, beloved plays. Website: www.fairbanksdra ma.org Phone: 907-456-PLAY Email: pegferguson@gci.net

Fairbanks Drama Association

Founded in 1963 by Marlene Bell, Liz Wills and Hap Ryder, the original

MILITARY

Continued from 10 1940 and 1950, said Douglas Beckstead, a base historian at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. The Alaska Highway was built by the military during the war and Fort Wainwright, Eielson Air Force Base and Fort Greely were built in the Interior. The population increased 33.8 percent in the 1970s and 36.9 percent in the 1980s. The Cold War left a series of remote Interior bases related to the threat of nuclear war with the Soviet Union. They include Clear Air Force Station, a radar installation off the Parks Highway south of Fairbanks, and the now-closed Galena and Campion Air Force stations outside the Yukon River community of Galena. Galena Air

ARTS » 16

Force Station was a forward operating base for aircraft and Campion was a radar installation. During the 2000s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Fort Wainwright, the Interior’s most populous military base, grew with the arrival of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, now known as the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division. It was announced last year that Fort Wainwright will not be downsized this year like many installations effected by budget cuts. Eielson Air Force Base lost a unit of A-10 aircraft in 2005 as part of an effort to close the base. In 2012, the Air Force proposed removing the base’s one remaining active-duty aircraft, a squadron of F-16 fighter jets, but that plan was abandoned in 2013. Contact staff writer Sam Friedman at 459-7545.

• Routine screening starts at age 50. • Or after age 40 if you are at high risk. • Alaskan natives have the highest rate of colorectal cancer in the nation. • Colorectal cancer is more than 90% curable when detected early through regular screening. • Now offering in-office procedures • Underinsured or no insurance, NO problem.

Arva Chiu, M.D. Internal Medicine

Call us today! 907-452-2637 • www.akmedicine.com

A United Way of the Tanana Valley Member Agency

“

Blue Cross & Cigna Preferred Provider Underinsured or no insurance, NO problem.

11501452-2-28-14CG

“

On average, one out of every 20 Americans will develop colorectal cancer in the course of a lifetime. Early detection saves lives.

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

ARTS

Continued from 15

Fairbanks Light Opera Theatre

Commonly called FLOT, the Fairbanks Light Opera Theatre performs high caliber, well known Broadway musicals, usually performing two productions per season. In the summer, FLOT hosts FLOT Jr., which is a musical theater camp for children and teens ages 8 to 18. In the fall, FLOT performed “Willy Wonka” to sold out crowds. Its spring production is “Rent,” which debuts in April. Recent performances have included “The Wizard of Oz,” “High School Musical,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Into the Woods,” “Annie” and “Jesus Christ Superstar.” Website: www.flot.org Phone: 907-456-FLOT Email: flotinfo@gmail.com

Opera Fairbanks

Opera Fairbanks is a world-class opera company that produces both locally written and classical opera performances. The organization uses Fairbanks- and Alaska-based performers in its productions as well as visiting national and international singers. Its most recent productions were “Carmen” and “The Velveteen Rabbit,” and a locally written opera titled “The Color of Gold” about the history of Fairbanks makes its world premiere in mid March. Website: www.operafairbanks.org Phone: 907-479-7372 Email: info@operafairbanks.org

Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre

The Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre — FST for short — lives, breathes and eats Shakespeare. It performs several of the Bard’s works each year with the highlight of the season being the outdoor summer performance at Jack Townshend Point on

Friday, February 28, 2014

COMMUNITY GUIDE the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. This summer’s performance is “As You Like It.” The troupe also hosts drama camps for youth to introduce them to the world of Shakespeare and dramatic acting. One of the most popular events FST hosts is the Bard-a-Thon, a marathon reading session each spring of all of Shakespeare’s works that runs for eight days. Website: www.fstalaska.org Phone: 907-457-7638 Email: info@fstalaska.org

Dance Theatre Fairbanks

Theatre UAF

Dance Theatre Fairbanks, known as DTF, is one of the top dance studios in Alaska with classes ranging from classical to modern to jazz to hiphop and more. Several times each season, the theater performs originally written and choreographed performances that can range from modern takes on classical stories to classical dance stories themselves. Website: www.dancetheatrefairbanks. com Phone: 907-452-1113 Email: dancetheatrefairbanks@gmail. com

North Star Ballet

North Star Ballet is one of the most well-known dance studios in Fairbanks that teaches all aspects of ballet as well as other forms of dance. The ballet performs several times per year, with annual “The Nutcracker” in December being one of the studio’s perennial sell-out performances. The studio also hosts summer dance camps for ages 4-12. Website: www.thenorthstarballet.org Phone: 907-451-8800

The Fairbanks Symphony is home to the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra and the Arctic Chamber Orchestra and is one of the most prolific performing arts

True North Business Services TAX PLANNING, TAX PREPARATION, PAYROLL AND ACCOUNTING SERVICES, STATE CERTIFIED CONSERVATOR

First Friday Players are a comedic troupe of actors who perform improv comedy — the only troupe in Interior Alaska to do so. Performances are usually on the first Friday of each month (hence the troupe’s name) and are in the vain of the television show “Whose Line Is It Anyway” in which the audience offers suggestions for impromptu performances. Most shows are family friendly and are held at different venues around Fairbanks. Check their Facebook page for more info. Website: www.facebook.com/FirstFri dayPlayers

Revive the Red Tent is an experimental theatre troupe that performs locally written pieces that fall more into the category of experimental or performance art and has been well received in Interior Alas-

Naked Stage Productions

Naked Stage Productions is one of the most fun performance troupes in Interior Alaska and is known for its sultry burlesque shows that feature both female and male performers. On Valentine’s Day, the troupe turned the Big I Pub & Lounge, 122 N. Turner St., into a burlesque budoir. The troupe also performs a game of burlesque bingo on the first Saturday of each month at the Big I. Website: www.nakedstageproductions. com Phone: 907-374-4693 Email: rachel@nakedstageproductions. com

The Green Room

The Green Room is one of Fairbanks’ newest theater groups, officially forming in 2013. The goal of the group is to provide venues for artists and to train budding performers. The group burst onto the scene with a sell-out performance of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” in October 2013. Their next production is slated for May. Website: www.akgreenroom.com Email: AKgreenroom@gmail.com

Seward’s Follies

Seward’s Follies brings creative and original theater, performance art and entertainment about Alaska to Alaska. Its goal is to perform and promote original, Alaska-based performing arts ranging from song to stage. Its most recent production was the hit “Out There Honky Tonkin’,” which made it’s world premiere

Upcoming events: • Parent Support Group, first Monday of the month—Autism Society Office • March 6, 7– 8:30 p.m., Murie Auditorium (UAF) Biomedical Interventions: Healing the whole child lecture by Susan Schmidt-Lackner, M.D. • 5th Annual Alaska Walk for Autism, May 10, at Pioneer Park

Check out our website for more events!

17502025-2-28-14CG

11502593-2-28-14CG

FAX: (907) 458-1041 1201 9TH AVE., STE. 101

First Friday Players

ka. One of the newest ventures the group is taking on is producing and performing old fashioned radio plays, which are broadcast on KSUA 91.5 FM each Thursday night from 7-8 p.m. Website: www.facebook.com/revivethe. redtent

www.asagoldenheart.org 1024 Barnette Street 1.877.374.4421 374.4421

VIRGINIA FARMIER, CPA, ARA

(907) 458-1040

Theatre UAF, associated with the drama department at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, isn’t only a teaching institution but also a production venue that covers both film and stage. Its upcoming production of “Tartuffe” opens at the end of March, and new this season is tentative film festival slated for May. Website: www.theatreuaf.org Phone: 907-474-6590 Email: theatre.uaf@alaska.edu

Revive the Red Tent

Fairbanks Symphony

MAILING: P.O. BOX 70432 FAIRBANKS, AK 99707 EMAIL: VIRGINIA@TRUENORTHCPA.COM

groups in Interior Alaska. Performances run through the fall and spring and cover all facets of music, from classical compositions to modern masterpieces. The Fairbanks Symphony has received many honors and awards over the years, including ASCAP Awards, the Governor’s Award for the Arts and state and local commendations. It is currently under the direction of Dr. Eduard Zilberkant. The symphony works closely with the Fairbanks Youth Symphony, which offers musical events. Website: www.fairbankssymphony.org Phone: 907-474-5733

Friday, February 28, 2014

ARTS

Continued from 16 in Fairbanks at the Empress Theatre in November 2013. Website: www.facebook.com/ sewards follies Phone: 907-374-3637 Email: sewardsfollies@gmail. com

Fairbanks Arts Association

The Fairbanks Arts Association’s main goal is promoting excellence in contemporary and traditional arts in the Interior, and it does this by means of art exhibits, speakers, music performances and poetry and literary readings. The slate of events, performers and exhibits is ever-changing, so the best advice is to visit the association’s web page. Most events take place in the Centennial Center for the Arts in Pioneer Park, 2300 Airport Way. Website: www.fairbanksarts. org Phone: 907-456-6485 Email: jill@fairbanksarts.org

Fairbanks Concert Association

The Fairbanks Concert Association is devoted to one thing

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

COMMUNITY GUIDE — to present, promote and sponsor artistically and culturally diverse performing arts events and educational opportunities of the highest quality from stages around the world, according to its website. The association brings top name performers to Fairbanks and Interior Alaska from all over the world and seeks out the best and biggest in world entertainment. Visit the group’s website to see the slate of performers remaining for the season. Website: www.fairbanksconcert.org Phone: 907-474-8081 Email: info@fairbankscon cert.org

Dance to the music

No arts list can be complete with mentioning the large number of dance troupes and live music venues in Fairbanks. The city is home to too many belly and tribal dancing troupes than we can name here, and along with that dancing, Fairbanks boasts a thriving live music scene — again, at venues to numerous to list in a confined space. To see what dance troupe is performing where or to know what band is performing where and on what night, check out the weekly entertainment guide, Latitude 65. Fairbanks Drama Association’s production of “Leading Ladies” is seen in 2012 at the Riverfront Theatre. news-miner file photo

Fairbanks weather facts • Oct. 1— Average date of first measurable snowfall (one-tenth of inch or more) • Oct. 18 — Average date of establishment of winter snowpack (1 inch or more) • Nov. 19 — Average date of first low temperature of 20 below or colder • March 14 — Average date of last temperatue of 20 below or colder • April 22 — Average date of last measurable snowfall and average date of loss of winter snowpack • Average winter snowfall — 65.0 inches • Average number of days with measurable snowfall — 57 • Average number of days with a low temperature of 40 below or colder — 11 • Average number of days with a low temperature of 20 below or colder — 47

Continued from 3

protection, sanitation, electricity and steam heat. Today’s city of Fairbanks boasts a population of about 32,000 people, and services have grown to include public safety, snow removal and street maintenance. The city also issues business licenses and building permits. The city budget is about $35 million. Most of the money comes via property taxes but the city also imposes a tax on motel rooms, tobacco and alcoholic beverages.

City of North Pole

North Pole was a theme city from the start. Founders in 1953 thought the name North Pole would attract a toy manufacturer bent on advertising his or her products as having been made in North Pole. Toy manufacturing never materialized, but the Santa Claus House, where visitors can see real reindeer and meet Kris Kringle himself, draws

Toyotomi Space & Water Heaters Sales and Service Non Electric Oil & Propane Energy Kinetics System 2000 Boilers EPA Certified Wood & Pellet Stoves Solar Hot Water Systems Infrared (Thermal) Imaging Residential & Commercial Energy Audits

visitors from around the world. The city, located about 14 miles southeast of Fairbanks on the Richardson Highway, embraces its theme, “where the spirit of Christmas lives year round,” with city streets named Saint Nicholas Drive, Snowman Lane, Mistletoe and Holiday roads. About 2,200 people live in North Pole, a home rule city with a charter. The city is led by a mayor and six council members. The mayor is a member of the council and votes on items before the panel. Terms of office are for three years and officials are limited to two consecutive terms. Non-partisan elections are held the first Tuesday in October. Officials are elected at-large. City services include water and sewer, public safety, fire and ambulance calls, building permits and business licenses. North Pole’s operating budget is about $5 million, according to the city accountant. The city collects a 4 percent sales tax along with property taxes and taxes on motel rooms, alcohol and tobacco. Contact Amanda Bohman at aknewsgirl@gmail. com.

Dellie B. Dickinson, LPC Now Accepting New Clients

460-2166

113501780 2-28-14ComGde

individual, marital, relational issues and depression Tri-Care Provider / Insurance Accepted delliedickinson@yahoo.com • 1716 University Avenue

11501453-2-28-14CG

The AHFC Home Energy Rebate Program is Still Going Strong and the Waiting list is short.

1318 Well St. • (907) 452-8368

WEATHER » 23

Licensed Professional Counselor • Over 20 Years' Experience

Donʼt Wait, Start Saving TODAY!

Arctic Technical Services

A month-by-month look at the weather in Fairbanks: January • Average high temperature — 1.1 degrees • Average low temperature — minus 16.9 degrees • Average mean temperature — minus 7.9 degrees • Average precipitation — 0.58 inches • Average snowfall — 10.3 inches • Record low temperature — 66 below on Jan. 14, 1934 • Record high temperature — 52 on Jan. 16, 2009 February • Average high temperature — 10.0 degrees • Average low temperature — minus 12.7 degrees • Average mean temperature — minus 1.3 degrees • Average precipitation — 0.42 inches

GOVERNMENTS

Why Shovel away your money?

Call US for Details!

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

UNIVERSITY

Continued from 14

liberal arts, natural sciences, mathematics, fisheries, natural resources, management, education and rural development. The university’s seven research institutes spend more than $100 million per year on research, according to the UAF website. The money is divided between the Geophysical Institute, the International Arctic Research Center and the institutes for Arctic Biology, Marine Science and Northern Engineering. The Arctic Region Supercomputing Center and the Agricultural and Forestry Sta-

Friday, February 28, 2014

COMMUNITY GUIDE tion also are part of UAF. Rockets are launched and drones are flown in service of scholarly research at UAF, a land, sea and space grant institution. The Poker Flat Research Range and the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration, which explores ways drones can be used to advance science, operate as a function of UAF. The University of Alaska Museum of the North, located on the West Ridge of the campus, has 1.4 million artifacts and specimens and serves as a leader in northern natural and cultural history research. UAF students operate a newspaper, the Sun Star, and a radio station, KSUAFM, and the university operates its own

publishing arm, the University of Alaska Press. A public radio station and television station call UAF home. Some of the institution’s alumni have gone onto careers as titans in business, players in the National Hockey League, authors and politicians. UAF has graduated several notable scholars, including Margaret Murie, a naturalist who helped create the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. A biology building on the West Ridge carries her name. The late Jay Hammond, who was governor of Alaska, is a UAF alumnus and

journalist George Polk, for whom the prestigious George Polk Award is named, attended UAF. Other alumni include Bob Bartlett, who served as the first U.S. Senator from Alaska, Roger Markle, former president of Quaker State Motor Oil, and DeeDee Jonrowe, a three-time second-place finisher in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. In 2013, UAF graduated 1,288 students. The institution has open admissions. For information on how to enroll for classes, contact the admissions office at 474-7500 or go to www.uaf.edu/admissions/apply. Contact freelance writer Amanda Bohman at aknewsgirl@gmail.com.

Fairbanks Drama Association & Children’s Theatre

Don’t miss the second half of our 13th Annual March 21–April 6

By Kesey & Wasserman Directed by Peggy Ferguson

May 9–25

By Williams, Sears & Howard Directed by Natalie Neubauer

8 x 10

April 25 & 26

Featuring the eight winning 10-minute scripts from Alaska Playwrights. Co-produced by Fairbanks Drama and Looking Glass Group Theatre

st Season!

Special Event: 12th Annual

Mystery Dinner Theatre Under the Big Top Tent, Sat., July 12 • 6:00 p.m. Tickets go on Sale June 10.

Call 456-PLAY to make reservations, which begin one week before each show opens.

CYBER LYNX

17502033-2-28-14CG

18500161-2-28-14CG

All performances at the Hap Ryder Riverfront Theatre, 1852 Second Avenue

Statewide Home School Program

, Parents! n o i t n e t t A Are you interested in home schooling? Would you like curriculum of your choice? Do you need a school calendar to fit your schedule? Would your high school student like to earn college credits?

Fairbanks, Alaska

If you've answered "YES" to any of these questions, then join our CyberLynx family.

Here are just some of our services:

6 a.m. till 8 p.m. Monday thru Saturday

6 a.m. till 4 p.m. Sunday

244 Illinois St (907) 451-0613

• Group activities/art and educational projects; • Reimbursements for educational purchases; • Computer leasing program, internet access for full time students; • We cater to special needs families.

For More Information, Call 455-7633

11502578-2-28-14CG

13501787-2-28-14CG

Good Food, Great Service!

• We supply a wide array of curriculum options, a few examples are: Calvert, BYU, Keystone, Math-U-See, North Dakota, Oak Meadows, Rainbow Resources, Saxon; • Tutoring Services; • College scholarship program for full time high school students;

Friday, February 28, 2014

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

COMMUNITY GUIDE

BREAKFAST at

McDONALDS! Sausage McMuffin with Egg and Cheese 2 for only $4 Wash it down with Any Size Expresso Drink for $2.50 1150149 2-28-14ComGuide

GREAT VALUE FOR INTERIOR ALASKA CUSTOMER APPRECIATION

Dr. Samuel McConkey

Use Your

Ophthalmologist

Dr. Augusta King Optometrist

FAIRBANKS NORTH STAR BOROUGH

Public Libraries Noel Wien Library

North Pole Branch Library

459-1020 1215 Cowles Street—Fairbanks 10 AM—9 PM Mon—Thurs 10 AM—6 PM Friday 10 AM—5 PM Saturday 1 PM—5 PM Sunday (Sept to May)

488-6101 601 Snowman Lane—North Pole 11 AM—9 PM Tuesday & Wednesday 11 AM—6 PM Thursday & Friday 11 AM—5 PM Saturday

907-456-4822

www.2020AK.com • 1521 Stacia Street

18500152-2-23-14CG

fnsblibrary.us

• Licensed Opticians • Same day service available Monday - Friday 9AM to 6PM • Most insurance is accepted. Saturday (Oct-May) • Locally owned 10AM - 3PM HOURS:

17502036-2-28-14CG

Stop by the Library for Free Internet, Computer Usage, and Downloads!

Our team of Eye care professionals has over 100 years of combined experience.

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

COMMUNITY GUIDE

Friday, February 28, 2014

Fairbanks-area museums showcase Alaska history and art • University of Alaska Museum of the North

907 Yukon Drive Fairbanks, AK 99775 Phone: 907-474-7505 email: museum@uaf.edu Winter hours: Mon.-Fri.: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.-Sun.: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Summer Hours (June 1-Aug. 31): Daily: 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Admission: Free for museum members, UA students with ID, and children younger than 12 months $12/general (ages 15 and up) $7/youth (ages 1-14) $8 Alaska resident with ID (ages 15 and up) $5 Alaska resident with ID (ages 1-14) Resident rates apply to Alaska-stationed active-duty military families with base ID. $4 UA faculty/staff $4 self-guided audio tour $10 behind-the-scenes tour (available Fridays at noon, Oct. 18-Dec. 13)

• Fairbanks Children’s Museum

Fairbanks, AK 99707 Located inside UA Museum of the North Phone: 907-474-1887 or 374-6873 email: info@fairbankschildrensmuse um.com

• Tanana Valley Railroad Museum

Daily hours: noon-8 p.m. Free admission; donations appreciated

• Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum

The Tanana Traditional Dancers open the dedication and blessing of the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center in 2008. news-miner file photo Winter 2013-2014 (Oct. 1-April 30): 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon.-Fri.; 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat.-Sun.

Daily hours: noon-8 p.m. Free admission; donations appreciated

• Pioneer Air Museum

• Museums in Pioneer Park

2300 Airport Way Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 459-1087 email: pioneerpark@co.fairbanks.ak.us

• Pioneer Museum

Daily hours: noon-8 p.m. Admission: $3/adults (13 and up), $7/ family (up to four); free for children under 12 accompanied by an adult. • Alaska Native Museum, daily hours: noon-8 p.m., no admission fee

212 Wedgewood Drive Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 907-450-2100 Winter hours (start Sept. 15): noon6 p.m., Sundays only Summer hours: Sun.-Thurs., 11 a.m.9 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Admission: $10/general, $5/youth ages 6-12, free for ages 5 and younger. Hotel guests: $5 Adult season pass: $40/person Family season pass (Two adults and four children): $60 Group and school guided tour (1 hour, 45 minutes; minimum 10 people): general group, $21/adult, $12/child; hotel guests, $16/adult, $10/child

• Fairbanks Community/Dog Mushing Museum

410 Cushman St., corner of Fifth Avenue, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 907-457-3669 email: infofairbankshistorymuseum.com Winter hours: 11 a.m.-3 p.m., and by appointment • Fairbanks Ice Museum,

MUSEUMS » 23

MOOSE STUDIES AT UAF

New Logoi!on New Locatnings! New Begin

We have moved! 1118 2nd Avenue Fairbanks, AK 99701

Call (907) 456-6213 for an Appointment

11501442K-1-26-14

“New Beginnings” Open House Coming Soon

University of Alaska Fairbanks students take a break from studying for finals to check out moose in front of Wickersham Hall on the UAF campus. news-miner file photo

Friday, February 28, 2014

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

COMMUNITY GUIDE

Calendar of events in the Fairbanks area through December MARCH Through March 30 BP World Ice Art Championships, Fairbanks 1-2 Farthest North Jewish Film Festival, Fairbanks 1 Festival of Native Arts, UAF 1-2 Nenana Ice Classic Tripod Days 1-2 North Pole Championship Sled Dog Races 10-13 Tanana Chiefs Conference Annual Convention, Westmark Hotel 14 Doyon Annual Meeting, Westmark Hotel 14-16 Limited North American Championship Sled Dog Race, Fairbanks 15-22 2014 Arctic Winter Games. 15 Interior Youth Championships, Nordic Ski club of Fairbanks 16 Parka Parade, Fairbanks 17-21 FNSB School District and UAF spring break 20-22 North American Basketball Tournament, UAF 21-23 GCI Open North American Championship Sled Dog Race 21-23 Alaska Trappers Association fur auction 29 27th Annual Sonot Kkaazzoot Cross Country Ski Race, Fairbanks APRIL 1-3 FNSB School District testing 3-6 Fairbanks International Curling

Bonspiel 8-13 Arctic Man Ski and Sno-Go Classic 12 Beat Beethoven 5K 25 Springfest, UAF. 25 North Star Ballet’s Spring Gala “The Firebird” at 8 p.m., in Salisbury Theatre on UAF campus. Repeats at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., April 26, and 2 p.m. on April 27. MAY TBA Clean Up Day. (Exact date yet to be determined) 3 Chena River Run, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Fairbanks. www.fairbanksrotary.org 3 Film Festival, UAF Film Club and UAF Dept. of Theatre and Film. www.uaf. edu/theatre 3 Spring Migration Celebration, Creamer’s Field. www.creamersfield.org. 6-9 Final Exams, UAF 9 Alaska Visitor Industry’s Walk for Charity. www.alaskacharitywalk.org. 11 UAF Commencement 12-23 Maymester, UAF 19-21 FNSB School District K-12 Last three days of school; early dismissal 21 FNSB School District K-12 Last Day of School for Students 27 First day of classes for UAF summer eLearning and Distance Education 27-31 North Star Creative Movement Dance Camp for ages 4-6; “Yeh-Shen, A

Cinderella Story from China.” 29-Aug. 15 Summer Sessions, UAF. JUNE 2 Weekly Fairbanks Downtown Market starts, through September 2-6 North Star Creative Movement Dance Camp for ages 6-8; “Yeh-Shen, A Cinderella Story from China.” 6-7 Relay for Life 8 Design Alaska Wild Arts Folk Fest, noon-5 p.m., Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge 9-13 North Star Creative Movement Dance Camp for ages 9-12; “Yeh-Shen, A Cinderella Story from China.” 14 Fairbanks Summer Folk Fest, Pioneer Park 16-July 11 North Star Ballet Summer Dance Intensive for intermediate and advanced students ages 12-19. 20-22 20th Annual Great Alaskan Foodstock, Fairbanks 21 Midnight Sun Baseball Game 21 Midnight Sun Run 21-22 Yukon 800 Boat Race 22 Midnight Sun Festival JULY 4 July Fourth Celebration at Pioneer Park 4 North Pole Community Fourth of July Celebration 12-14 Midnight Sun Intertribal Pow-

wow. 19 Arthritis Foundation Jingle Bell Walk/Run, North Pole 13-27 Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival 20 Red Green River Regatta, Fairbanks 16-19 World Eskimo-Indian Olympics, Fairbanks 16-20 Golden Days, Fairbanks AUGUST 1-10 Tanana Valley State Fair 8-17 Alaska International Senior Games, Fairbanks 18 Registration for North Star Ballet Fall 2014 Semester 19 State primary elections 22-24 Tanana Valley Sandhill Crane Festival SEPTEMBER 4 UAF fall semester begins 7 North Star Ballet Nutcracker Children’s auditions; 2 p.m. at North Star Ballet. 28 15th Annual Tanana Valley Potato Extravaganza, Fairbanks OCTOBER Fifth Concert For Animals, benefiting Fairbanks Animal Rescue Shelter, date TBA. 7 Fairbanks area local elections 10-11 HIPOW, Happiness is Paying Our Way, 45th Annual Auction for Catholic

EVENTS » 23

BARD-A-THON XV April 19-27, 2014

Celebrating William Shakespeare’s birthday with our 15th annual, round~the~clock reading of the complete works!

Shakespeare was meant to be heard; bring your voice! Location: The Fairbanks Community Museum 410 Cushman (5th and Cushman, downtown) Free and open to the public! 

24/7 live audio stream.



Readers from around the world!



Texts provided.



Schedule of plays will be posted at

Come read with us!

a cker e B rd Ba Ba a play! r

so Spon

w w w. f s t a l a s k a . o r g

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Friday, February 28, 2014

COMMUNITY GUIDE

For sports fans, Fairbanks offers many options By Danny Martin DMARTIN@NEWSMINER.COM

Fairbanks possesses an abundance of sports activities, whether you’re a spectator, participant or both. Two of the biggest spectator attractions in Interior Alaska involve hockey — the Alaska Nanooks of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and the Fairbanks Ice Dogs of the North American Hockey League. The Nanooks are members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, an NCAA Division I conference, and they play a 34-game regular-season schedule that starts in early October and runs through early March. Their home games are played on the Olympic-size ice (200x100 feet) at the Carlson Center, which seats 4,545 for hockey. More information on the Nanooks is available at www. alaskananooks.com or www. wcha.com. The regulation-size ice rink (200x85) of the Big Dipper Ice Arena is home to the Ice Dogs, a Tier II Junior A program. The Ice Dogs compete in the Midwest Division of the 23-team NAHL, and they play a 60-game regular season from September through March.

An Alaska Goldpanners baserunner slides into the tag by a Peninsula Oilers during a 2012 Alaska Baseball League game at Growden Memorial Park in Fairbanks. news-miner file photo

The 2,200-seat Big Dipper is usually near capacity or full when the Ice Dogs are in town. The Ice Dogs captured the NAHL’s Robertson Cup championship trophy in 2011 after finishing as runners-up in 2010. More information on the team is available at www.fairbanksice dogs.pointstreaksites.com or www.nahl.com. The University of Alaska Fairbanks also is home to a rifle team that has garnered 10 NCAA team championships. The Nanooks

also possess Nordic skiing and women’s swimming programs that have had individual NCAA champions and several All-Americans. The Nanooks rifle team has its home matches in the E.F. Horton Range in the Patty Center, which also is home to the Nanooks’ NCAA Division II programs in swimming, volleyball and men’s and women’s basketball. The Birch Hill Recreation Area can be a home to the Nanooks ski teams, and the

same location has hosted meets for the Nanooks cross country running teams. More information on Nanooks athletics is available at www. alaskananooks.com. The annual Midnight Sun Baseball Game, played every Summer Solstice, is one of the more popular events in the state, nation and the world that involves a home plate, an infield and an outfield. The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., once listed it as a must-see event. The game, which features the Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks of the Alaska Baseball League, starts at 10:30 p.m., every June 21 and is played entirely without artificial lights. Information on the game and ticket information is available at www.goldpanners.com. The Goldpanners are among six teams in the ABL, a summer league for college players. The ABL (www.alaskabaseball league.org) has helped produced Major League Baseball Hall of Fame players and current major leaguers. Running Club North (www. runningclubnorth.org) hosts several events in the summer and fall for the fleet footed and those who like to move at easy, comfortable paces.

Among its more popular events are the Beat Beethoven 5K, which tends to kick off the Interior running season; the Midnight Sun Run 10K, which takes place on June 21 and goes from UAF to Pioneer Park; and the Equinox Marathon, conducted annually in late September and considered one of the most challenging marathons in the nation. The Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks — www.nscfairbanks.org — host several races during the winter and offers ski lessons. If you’re looking to participate in hockey, basketball, volleyball or soccer and other sports, the Fairbanks North Star Borough’s Parks and Recreation Department’s website offers a link to information about organizations in the area. The link is http://co. fairbanks.ak.us/parksandrecre ation/Forms/Sports/Handout. pdf. The link includes information about dozens of organizations, such as the Alaska Dog Mushers Association, Alaska State Quarter Horse Association, the Fairbanks Amateur Hockey Association, the Fairbanks Disc Golf Association and the Fairbanks Pickleball Club. Contact sports editor Danny Martin at 459-7586 or follow him on Twitter:@newsminersports.

M a j o r m e d i c a l fa c i l i t i e s Chief Andrew Isaac Health Center 1408 9th Ave. Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 907-451-6682

Fairbanks Memorial Hospital 1650 Cowles St. Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 907-452-8181

Pilates at North Star Ballet ◥ Certified instructors

◥ Fully equipped studio

◥ Great for all ages, conditions, body types ◥ Mat & combined mat/equipment classes ◥ Private lessons available

www.TheNorthStarBallet.org ◥ 451-8800 Current schedule online! Just click on Pilates Program

Interior Community Health Center 1606 23rd Ave. Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 907-455-4567 Fairbanks Urgent Care Center 1867 Airport Way Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 907-452-2178 Fairbanks Regional Public Health Center 1205 W. Barnette St. Fairbanks, AK 99701

U.S. POSTAL

Continued from 13

North Pole Post Office 325 Santa Claus Lane North Pole, AK 99705 Phone: 907-488-1376 Hours of operation: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon.-

Phone: 907-452-1776 Steese Medical Center Steese Immediate Care 1275 Sadler Way Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 907-374-7911 Tanana Valley First Care 1001 Noble St. Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 907-459-3500

Fri.; 10-2 p.m., Sat.; closed Sunday Lobby hours: 6:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m., daily Salcha Post Office 9162 Richardson Hwy. Salcha, AK 99714 Phone: 907-488-2233 Hours of operation: noon-6 p.m., Mon.Fri.; 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Sat.; closed Sun. Lobby hours: 12:01 a.m.-11:59 p.m., daily

Friday, February 28, 2014

EVENTS

COMMUNITY GUIDE Continued from 20

Schools of Fairbanks 18 International Friendship Day 31 Halloween at the Museum, UAF Museum of the North NOVEMBER 4 General election 30-Dec.1 Fairbanks Rookie Spiel 28-29 FNSB School District Thanksgiving holiday Date TBA Miracle of Lights

500 Second Ave. Fairbanks, AK 99701 Phone: 907-451-8222 Hours: daily, 10 a.m.-9 p.m., May 1-Sept. 30 Admission: $12/adults, $11/seniors and military, $6/children 6-12; free/ ages 5 and younger

WEATHER

Continued from 17 • Average snowfall — 8.1 inches • Record low temperature — 58 below on Feb. 3, 1947 • Record high temperature — 50 degrees on Feb. 24, 1943 March • Average high temperature — 25.4 degrees • Average low temperature — minus 2.5 degrees • Average mean temperature — 11.4 degrees • Average precipitation — 0.25 inches • Average snowfall — 4.9 inches • Record low temperature — 49 below on March 1, 1956 • Record high temperature — 56 degrees on March 31, 1994 April • Average high temperature — 44.5 degrees • Average low temperature — 20.6 degrees • Average mean temperature — 32.5 degrees • Average precipitation — 0.31 inches • Average snowfall — 2.9 inches • Record low temperature — 32 below on April 3, 1944 • Record high temperature — 76 on April 30, 2009 May • Average high temperature — 61 degrees • Average low temperature — 37.8 degrees • Average mean temperature — 49.4 degrees

MUSEUMS

Continued from 21

DECEMBER 1 Fairbanks Rookie Spiel 4 Christmas in Ice. North Pole 6 Caroling and lighting at Creamer’s Field, Fairbanks 6-7 North Pole Winter Festival 19-20 Christmas Party for Children, Chatanika Lodge. 13 Sing-It-Yourself-Messiah, Fairbanks (3 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church) 21 Winter Solstice Celebration, Fairbanks 23 FNSB School District winter break

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

• Aurora Ice Museum

56.5 Mile Chena Hot Springs Road P.O. Box 58740 Fairbanks, AK 99711 Phone: 907-451-8104 Daily Tours (year-round): 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. (9 p.m. tour offered seasonally) Admission: $15/adults (18 and up), $7.50/youth ages 6-17; free/children 5 and younger with adult

• Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center 101 Dunkel St. Fairbanks, AK 99701

• Average precipitation — 0.60 inches • Average snowfall — 0.9 inches • Record low temperature — 1 below on May 9, 1964 • Record high temperature — 90 degrees on May 28, 1947 June • Average high temperature — 71.6 degrees • Average low temperature — 49.3 degrees • Average mean temperature — 60.4 degrees • Average precipitation — 1.37 inches • Average snowfall — 0 inches • Record low temperature — 29 degrees on June 4, 2006 • Record high temperature — 96 degrees June 15, 1969 July • Average high temperature — 72.7 degrees • Average low temperature — 52.3 degrees • Average mean temperature — 62.5 degrees • Average precipitation — 2.16 inches • Average snowfall — 0 inches • Record low temperature — 34 degrees on July 28, 1943 • Record high temperature — 94 degrees on July 11, 1974 August • Average high temperature — 65.9 degrees • Average low temperature — 46.4 degrees • Average mean temperature — 56.1 degrees • Average precipitation — 1.88 inches • Average snowfall — 0 inches • Record low temperature — 23 degrees

A rare 1921 Heine-Velox V-12 Sporting Victoria, foreground, is on display at the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum. news-miner file photo Phone: 907-456-5774 email: info@morristhompsoncenter.org Winter hours (daily):

A thunderstorm moves looms behind the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute as a tractor pulls a disk in a field at the university’s experimental farm. news-miner file photo

on Aug. 30, 1947 • Record high temperature — 93 degrees on Aug. 5, 1994 September • Average high temperature — 54.6 degrees • Average low temperature — 35.1 degrees • Average mean temperature — 44.9 degrees • Average precipitation — 1.10 inches • Average snowfall — 1.8 inches • Record low temperature — 3 degrees

8 a.m.-5 p.m. Summer hours (daily): 8 a.m.-9 p.m. No admission fee

on Aug. 30, 1992 • Record high temperature — 84 degrees on Aug. 5, 1957 October • Average high temperature — 31.9 degrees • Average low temperature — 16.5 degrees • Average mean temperature — 24.2 degrees • Average precipitation — 0.83 inches • Average snowfall — 10.8 inches • Record low temperature — minus 28 on Oct. 26, 1935 • Record high temperature — 72 degrees on Oct. 1, 2003 November • Average high temperature — 10.9 degrees • Average low temperature — minus 5.7 degrees • Average mean temperature — 2.6 degrees • Average precipitation — 0.67 inches • Average snowfall — 13.2 inches • Record low temperature — 46 below on Nov. 30, 1990 • Record high temperature — 54 on Nov. 25, 1936 December • Average high temperature — 4.8 degrees • Average low temperature — minus 12.9 degrees • Average mean temperature — minus 4.1 degrees • Average precipitation — 0.64 inches • Average snowfall — 12.1 inches • Record low temperature — 62 below on Dec. 29, 1961 • Record high temperature — 58 degrees on Dec. 5, 1934

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Friday, February 28, 2014

COMMUNITY GUIDE

Come see Resource & Referral for your child care needs, resources and training!

We're here to help!

Primary Election—August 19, 2014 General Election—November 4, 2014

Your VOTE is your VOICE…. REGISTER so you can be heard!

Call our referral line at 479-2204 or R&R office at 479-2214 for more information Email: thread@thrivalaska.com Online: www.threadalaska.com

Visit our web site where you can:

✓ Register or check your

✓ Find absentee voting information

✓ Find election information ✓ View election results ✓ Find election pamphlets

www.elections.alaska.gov

14502051-2-28-14CG

These services are made available through the State of Alaska Department of Health & Social Services, Division of Public Assistance.

17502031-2-28-14CG

A ThrivAlaska Program | Child Care Referrals

registration status ✓ Find your polling place ✓ View a list of candidates ✓ Find statistics