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GOLD RUSH DAYS
June 18, 2019
Gold Rush Days Schedule of Events
Opening ceremonies: Saturday, June 22, 9 a.m. Booths: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Ruth Roberts’ Children’s Carnival: 1-3 p.m. Gold panning for children and adults: 1-3 p.m.
Saturday, June 22
Sunday, June 23
Mining Events, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Logging Events, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Men’s Jackleg Drilling Men’s Spike Driving Women’s Spike Driving Teens’ Spike Driving Men’s Hand Mucking Women’s Hand Mucking Teens’ Hand Mucking (age 13-17) Men’s 12B Overshot Mucking Team Drilling
Children’s Event (age 6-12) Children’s Hand Mucking, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Women’s Axe Throwing Men’s Axe Throwing Women’s Team Hand Bucking Men’s Team Hand Bucking Women’s Stock Power Saw Bucking Men’s Stock Power Saw Bucking Women’s Speed Climbing Mucking Men’s Vertical Chopping Men’s Speed Climbing Team Cable Splice Jack and Jill Team Hand Bucking Women’s Choker Setter Race Teens’ Choker Setter Race (age 13-17)
For more information Email: juneaugoldrushdays@gmail.com Call: 523-3325 Visit the Facebook Juneau Gold Rush Days page
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Climber Jesse Ross competes during Men’s Speed Climbing at Juneau’s Gold Rush Days last year at Savikko Park. Konrad Frank | For the Juneau Empire
Choker Setter & Hook Tender Relay Women’s Obstacle Pole Buck Men’s Obstacle Pole Buck Men’s Horizontal Chopping Women’s Horizontal Chopping Women’s Log Rolling Men’s Log Rolling Miners vs. Loggers Tug of War Award Ceremony
Children’s Event (age 6-12) Children’s Choker Setter Race, 1-2 p.m.,
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June 18, 2019
GOLD RUSH DAYS
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Juneau family finds community, competition at Gold Rush Days The Hoys have participated in every Gold Rush Days family event since 2011 By Nolin Ainsworth
fun, it’s all out of love and friendship.” Axes, shovels and saws aren’t typically April’s thing. Instead, you might spot her in The Hoys haven’t missed a single Gold a dance studio taking ballet classes. Rush Days since they moved to town in “It’s the one time you’ll see her in her 2011, when Dominic took a geologist job at Xtratufs in public,” daughter Abigail, 20, said. Kensington Mine. The log roll and dozens of other mining “It’s the only way for families to meet fami- and logging events make up a big chunk of lies that I know of,” Dominic, a Juneau-Doug- Gold Rush Days, which was started in 1990 las: Yadaa.at Kalé grad and father of three, by JP Tangen, John Sandor and Roger Grifsaid. “The hockey team has been huge, the fin. The purpose was to give publicity to lofigure skating for my daughter’s been huge, cal miners, according to Jerry Harmon, presithe music in the high dent of the Gold Rush school was huge for Commission. “When we first started my oldest daughter. “When we first So for my wife to meet Gold Rush, we wanted started Gold Rush, we other ladies in the wanted to bring famito bring families community, outside of lies together to meet together to meet the the miners and preschurch, this is it, this is miners and present our community.” ent ourselves as no Dominic has different than anyone ourselves as no watched his family different than anyone else,” Harmon said improve each year in in a preview Empire else. We wanted the mining and loginterview. “We wantging competition, people to know we go ed people to know which is held each we go to church, we to church, we have year at Savikko Park have families, that we families, that we fish in Douglas. It’s taking and we hunt just and we hunt just like fish place this year on June like everybody else. everybody else. ” 22-23, and is a free We wanted to have community event. competitions set up - Jerry Harmon Last year, his wife to show people how April and their chilmining and logging dren Abigail, Dalton work. Now we have it and Allison combined for eight medals. so anybody that would like to be a miner or April placed first in the women’s stock a logger for a day can participate even if they power saw bucking, an event in which contes- have not mined or logged a day in their life.” tants chainsaw through a log as quickly as they For the Hoy family, dad Dominic hasn’t can. April completed the task in just 32.88 fared too badly himself at the competition. seconds to defeat Alea Oien (36.43 seconds) Last year, he was named “Bull of the Woods,” and Ursula Whitemore (45.68 seconds). an honor bestowed to the most outstanding Not bad for someone who hadn’t picked logging competitor, after coming in the topup a chainsaw until a few years ago. three in six logging events. “You’re just kind of thrown in the fire SEE FAMILY, Page 4 sometimes,” April said. “But it’s good, it’s Juneau Empire
Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File
Abigail Hoy competes in the women’s spike driving contest during the 27th annual Juneau Gold Rush Days at Savikko Park.
PREMIER SOLUTIONS
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GOLD RUSH DAYS
June 18, 2019
Photos by Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File
Above: Dominic Hoy competes in the men’s team hand bucking during the 28th annual Juneau Gold Rush Days at Savikko Park. Left: April Hoy throws cable over a log during the women’s choker setter contest at the 27th Annual Gold Rush Days at Savikko Park.
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FAMILY: Continued from Page 3
Oien was named “Babe of the Woods” and “Best Female Miner” and Eddie Petrie earned “Best Male Miner” honors. Dominic said he grew up around the logging industry; his parents worked as logging cooks in Southeast Alaska. After high school, Dominic went to New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology and launched his mining career. “I knew I needed to get an education so I went to get trained in oil, thinking I was going to go up north and do the pipeline thing and I got recruited right out of school to go into mining,” Dominic said. Now decades later, it’s a career that’s served him and his family well.
“Good people, that was mostly the thing was the community of miners were just solid, solid folks,” Dominic, 45, said. “You know what you’re getting when you walk in.” His family treats the annual Juneau Gold Rush Days as one big icebreaker and a chance to mingle with other families with mining and logging connections. It’s not just a 9-5 job, April said. “So much of their life is with their coworkers,” April said. “So you really only see those people at Christmas parties, but at Gold Rush Days, it’s people from both Greens Creek and Coeur (Kensington Mine).” She said it pays to stick with the competitions. “Every year you come out, you get a little more comfortable,” April said. “I was probably last place in absolutely everything the first three years.” • Contact reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 5232272 or nainsworth@juneauempire.com.
GOLD RUSH DAYS
June 18, 2019
Photos by Konrad Frank | For the Juneau Empire
Ralph Animal Austin competes during the Mens’ Vertical Log Chopping at Juneau’s Gold Rush Days 2018 at Savikko Park.
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Above: Competitor Veronica Friend competes during the Woman’s Power Bucking at Juneau’s Gold Rush Days in 2018. Left: Competitor Jesse Stringer competes during the Men’s Power Bucking at Juneau’s Gold Rush Days in 2018.
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CONTINUING ALASKA’S PROUD HISTORY
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GOLD RUSH DAYS
June 18, 2019
2018 Gold Rush Days Results Mining Competitions, June 16, 2018 Men’s Jackleg Drilling 1st Darrin Quimby 2:11.52 2nd Jesse Alsup 2:11.63 3rd Jeremy Whitmore 2:16.31 Men’s Spike Driving 1st Jesse Alsup 0:55.00 2nd Eddie Petrie 0:58.53 3rd Sully 0:58.81 Women’s Spike Driving 1st Alea Oien 0:28.34 2nd Jan Trigg 0:32.80 3rd Andrea Petrie 0:39.13 Men’s Hand Mucking 1st Eddie Petrie 0:01.00 2nd Jesse Stringer 0:01.33
Teens’ Spike Driving 1st Allesandra Friend 0:51.38 2nd Allison Hoy 1:07.00 3rd Bailey Hansen 2:54.00
3rd Conner Ryan 0:01.35 Women’s Hand Mucking 1st Alea Oien 0:00:36 2nd Veronica Friend 0:00:48 3rd Ursula Whitmore 0:00:58 Men’s 12B Overshot Mucking 1st Kirk Ziegenfuss 0:00:24 2nd Jeremy Whitmore 0:00:31 3rd Ryan Friend 0:00:35 Team Drilling-1 1st Jeremy Whitmore 0:02:06 2nd Joe Morinko 0:02:10 3rd Darrin Quimby 0:02:14 Team Drilling-2 1st Eddie Petrie 0:02:06 2nd Jesse Alsup 0:02:10 3rd Dave Sullivan 0:02:14 Children’s Hand Mucking 1st Kaidee Hartman 0:14.25 2nd Adalyn Hartman 0:24.86 3rd Kaiden Trigg 0:22.62
2nd Jesse Stringer 10 3rd Ryan Friend 9 Women’s Team Hand Bucking-1 1st Alea Oien 0:26.93 2nd Ursula Whitmore 0:33.29 3rd April Hoy 0:38.38
Teens’ Hand Mucking 1st Dalton Hoy 0:00:31 2nd Vespasia Whitmore 0:01:05 3rd Allesandra Friend 0:01:08
Logging Competitions, June 17, 2018
Women’s Team Hand Bucking-2 1st Andrea Petrie 0:26.93 2nd Veronica Friend 0:33.29 3rd Genevieve Harmon 0:38.38
1st April Hoy 0:32.88 2nd Alea Oien 0:36.43 3rd Ursula Whitmore 0:45.68 Men’s Stock Power Saw Bucking 1st Dominic Hoy 0:44.22 2nd Eddie Petrie 0:44.63 3rd Ralph Austin 0:45.00 Women’s Speed Climbing 1st Veronica Friend 0:19.00 2nd Alea Oien 0:28.00 3rd April Hoy 0:55.00
Men’s Team Hand Bucking-1 1st Jeremy Whitmore 0:09.31 2nd Dominic Hoy 0:11.00 3rd Jesse Stringer 0:14.16
Men’s Vertical Chopping 1st Dominic Hoy 0:54.47 2nd Ralph Austin 1:01.13 3rd Lincoln Bean 1:30.91
Women’s Axe Throwing 1st Alea Oien 8 2nd Veronica Friend 7 3rd Kirstie Bakke 2
Men’s Team Hand Bucking-2 1st Eddie Petrie 0:09.31 2nd Ryan Friend 0:11.00 3rd Jesse Ross 0:14.16
Men’s Speed Climbing 1st Jesse Ross 0:27.28 2nd Ralph Austin 0:30.22 3rd Lincoln Bean 0:36.88
Men’s Axe Throwing 1st Ralph Austin 12
Women’s Stock Power Saw Bucking
SEE Results, Page 7
good luck to all the
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GOLD RUSH DAYS
June 18, 2019
RESULTS: Continued from Page 6
Jack and Jill Team Hand Bucking-1 1st Alea Oien 0:12.66 2nd Ursula Whitmore 0:15.84 3rd Andrea Petrie 0:19.13 Jack and Jill Team Hand Bucking-2 1st Jesse Stringer 0:12.66 2nd Jeremy Whitmore 0:15.84 3rd Eddie Petrie 0:19.13 Women’s Choker Setter Race 1st Alea Oien 0:21.50 2nd Ursula Whitmore 0:27.31 3rd Abigail Hoy 0:27.41 Choker Setter & Hook Tender Relay-1 1st Ryan Friend 1:05.23 2nd Jesse Alsup 1:27.65 3rd Jesse Stringer 1:27.66 Choker Setter & Hook Tender Relay-2 1st Jesse Ross 1:05.23
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2nd John Gross 1:27.65 3rd Dominic Hoy 1:27.66 Women’s Obstacle Pole Buck 1st Alea Oien 0:26.22 2nd Veronica Friend 0:35.53 3rd Andrea Petrie 0:45.65 Men’s Obstacle Pole Buck 1st Jesse Stringer 0:22.28 2nd John Smith 0:31.00 3rd Dominic Hoy 0:35.28 Men’s Horizontal Chopping 1st Jesse Ross 0:46.19 2nd Dominic Hoy 1:09.19 3rd John Smith 1:10.07 Women’s Horizontal Chopping 1st Alea Oien 1:08.66 2nd April Hoy 1:11.34 3rd Veronica Friend 2:49.03 Women’s Log Rolling 1st Alea Oien 2nd Ursula Whitmore 3rd Veronica Friend
2nd Caleb Friend 0:16.00 3rd Marzena Whitmore 0:22.06
2nd Arvid John Bush 0:19.78 3rd Kaden Harris 0:21.15
Men’s Log Rolling 1st Ralph Austin 2nd Eddie Petrie 3rd Matthew Thompson
Teen’s Spike Driving 1st Allesandra Friend 0:51.88 2nd Allison Hoy 1:07.00 3rd Bailey Hansen 2:54.00
Best Female Miner Alea Oien
Children’s Choker Setter Race 1st Mason Sooter 0:14.00
Teen’s Choker Setter Race 1st Spencer Holt 0:15.06
Babe of the Woods Alea Oien
Best Male Miner Eddie Petrie
Bull of the Woods Dominic Hoy All-Around Resource Alea Oien Tug of War Loggers vs. Miners Winner: Miners
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GOLD RUSH DAYS
June 18, 2019
Competition trains rescuers for dire mining circumstances Greens Creek Mine finishes highly at mine rescue event By Alex McCarthy Juneau Empire
The Hecla Mining Company had an excellent showing at this year’s Central Mine Rescue Competition, as the top two teams were both Hecla teams. The team from Greens Creek Mine in Juneau finished second out of eight teams, falling just behind another Hecla team from Lucky Friday, Idaho. The competition, held in Kellogg, Idaho from May 7-9, aims to help train and prepare the mine rescue teams and individual members to conduct risky emergency responses. The Greens Creek team is comprised of Al Morrison, JP Roulet, Chris Gucker, Tim Katasse, Ryan Friend, Jeff Trego, Adam Baker, John Howard and Dustin McGillvray. Morrison is the trainer and Gucker is the captain. Events at the competition include five events: a written test, field exercise, team technician skills evaluation, rope exercise, and a first aid exercise and skills evaluation. Greens Creek took home first place in the team technician skills evaluation and second place in the rope exercise. The rope exercise event is particularly exciting, as miners hang from hopes over rushing water to attempt to get someone to safety. Michael Wegleitner, the corporate director of health and safety at Hecla, wrote in a release that this event can help prevent dangerous mining situations from getting much worse. “These training contests help train and prepare the mine rescue
“These training contests help train and prepare the mine rescue teams and individual members to conduct some of the riskiest emergency responses undertaken ... They are truly special individuals who deserve our recognition.”
- Michael Wegleitner
teams and individual members to conduct some of the riskiest emergency responses undertaken,” Wegleitner wrote, “as they are called upon to travel deep into underground mines to find missing or trapped miners or recover mining operations in treacherous conditions following mine fires, explosions or cave-ins. They are truly special individuals who deserve our recognition.” The present teams included: Teck — Pend Oreille, Washington; Coeur — Kensington, from Juneau; Coeur — Silvertip, British Columbia; U.S. Silver & Gold — Galena, Idaho; TATA Chemicals, Green River, Wyoming; Montana Tech and South Dakota School of Mines (combined team); Hecla — Greens Creek, from Juneau; and Hecla — Lucky Friday, Idaho.
Courtesy photo | Greens Creek Mine
Members of the Greens Creek Mine rescue team participate in the rope exercise event at the Central Mine Rescue Competition in Kellogg, Idaho in May.