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Top Stories Independence Day is On Its Way!
Solstice Music Festival - Memories Made Last weekend’s ninth annual Seldovia Summer Solstice Music Festival filled 3 days with good times, great music, and some very funny moments. The town was overflowing with performers plus all the people who came to listen to the music and attend workshops, song circles and jams. The Susan B. English School Commons was standing-room-only for the two evening performances. The audience came early, left late, and had a great time in between. Every year the Seldovia Arts Council brings artists who are at the top of their genre to be our Festival headliners. This year Mary Jane Lamond, Gaelic artist from Cape Breton Nova Scotia, filled that bill. Mary Jane sang in Gaelic to ancient melodies to which she gives a modern twist. With her was fiddler and stepdancer Wendy MacIsaac, who charmed audiences with her warmth and quickness on the fiddle. Patrick Gillis with his ‘upside down and backwards’ guitar technique provided accompaniment. Comic interludes were provided by emcee comedian Robert Post. A physical actor from Columbus Ohio, Robert enthralled his audience as Burglar Burt bungling a night of crime, and Inspector Wesley Bloom. Bloom solved the murder of Lord McNaughton in a skit that required 6 rapid-fire character changes using only hats, a wig and impeccable dialects. Yes, one simple black panel can become an automobile, a castle door or a bathtub when in the hands of Robert Post.
There were a total of 49 artists on the festival stage this year, from Anchorage’s 11-member Celtic group Back Alley Banned to singer/songwriters like Jaime Michaels and Emily Kurn. Radoslav Lorkovic was back playing stellar boogie woogie piano, and returning favorite Robin Hopper performed a heartfelt tribute to Mary Webber, to whom this year’s festival was dedicated. Local acts Red Mountain Ramblers, Billy Goat and Tim Davis all gave fantastic performances to a wildly enthusiastic audience, and Betsy Scott wowed us all with, among other tunes, her own ode to neighbor Joe Fleckenstein. Many of the artists joined together for a collaboration piece as a grand finale to the festival. Thanks to all of the many artists who shared their great talents with us on the festival stage. The Seldovia Arts Council, and especially the festival committee (Director: Susan Mumma, Publicity: Susan Zerwick, Financials: Darlene Crawford, Stage Manager: Laurel Hilts, Housing Director: Jerry Stranik, Transportation Director: Tania Spurkland, Stage Set Up Director: Tobin Spurkland and Hospitality Director: Suzie Stranik) worked very hard though out the year to make this a great festival. But in addition it took the involvement and dedication of this community, including the many individual and business sponsors plus those who went out of their way to house, feed, and transport the artists, set up and take down the venue, publicize the event and do the myriad of other tasks that go to staging such a big event. What a great effort by all and what a wonderful weekend to remember. Did You Know? Did you know that the Seldovia Native Association, Inc. (SNAI) and The Seldovia Village Tribe (SVT) are entirely different organizations with different goals and purposes? Since they’re housed in the same building (Seldovia Visitor Center), there is an assumption the two are the same.
The Seldovia Native Association, Inc. was incorporated in 1972, as a Village Corporation, created by Congress by the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. This For-Profit organization, owned by both Native and non-native (heirs) shareholders, is in the business of land leasing, timber sales, gravel and armor rock sales and tourism. SNAI also owns and operates the Main Street Market, Seldovia Bayview Suites locally, and the Dimond Center Hotel in Anchorage.
The Seldovia Village Tribe is one of 226 Federally recognized tribes in Alaska. It provides health, social services and economic development programs to the people of the Seldovia and Homer area. SVT provides services such as:
Our Community Health Representative provides the community of Seldovia with an Annual Health Fair, assists clients with fee agent application for the State of Alaska Social Service Programs along with Tribal Energy Assistance, Food Bank for low income, home visits to clients in the Seldovia area. SVT’s Prevention Program provides drug and alcohol counseling for teens and adults. Other youth activities include open swims, open gym, teen nights, swim lessons, hikes, campouts, culture camps, cultural activities, after school tutoring, and a variety of preschool activities as well. Numerous workshops ranging from Art to Gardening for youth and adults alike are conducted year around. SVT Prevention Program hosts the Annual Halloween Carnival, the Spring Festival, and annual Life Guard Classes to all people of the area. The SVT Health Center, is a Community Health Center serving all people in the communities of Seldovia, Homer and Anchor Point. It is important to note that SVT’s programs benefit and serve both Native and non-native people of the area. Have questions? Give us a call at 234-7898.
Bree Murphy in Town for Research PRESS RELEASE: Berkeley, Calif. (June 5, 2009) – Community Forestry and Environmental Research Partnerships (CFERP) and the PNW Research Station, USDA Forest Service awarded a research fellowship to Bree Murphy, a Masters student at the University of California, Davis. CFERP is proud to support Bree’s project, “Culture Camp: Convergence of Traditional and Scientific Knowledge in Coastal Alaska”, in collaboration with her academic advisor Dr. Heidi Ballard and the Seldovia Village Tribe. Bree’s research seeks to answer the question, “What environmental learning occurs during the convergence of traditional ecological knowledge and Western science?” Established in 1996, CFERP supports collaborative research on natural resource management with communities in the United States. PNW’s Alaska Social Science Team Leader Dr. Linda Kruger supports participatory research and efforts to engage citizens in mutual knowledge exchange throughout the research process. “Bree is the first CFERP student PNW has funded for work in Alaska. I’m really excited that I have this opportunity to support Bree’s work on this important question,” Kruger said. To date, the program has awarded funding to 112 students. The primary purpose of the fellowship is to enable graduate students and communities to work on participatory, community-based research that promotes mutual learning and advances conditions and practices that support sustainable natural resource management, capacity building, viable local economies and democratic decision making. The Pacific Northwest Research Station is one of seven research facilities in the USDA Forest Service. The station’s headquarters is in Portland, Ore., with 11 locations in Alaska, Oregon, and Washington. The station has about 500 employees. Visit http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/ for more information. Community forestry organization and Forest Service Award Research Fellowship Contact: Kathryn Keslosky (CFERP) 510-642-3431 or Sherri Richardson-Dodge (PNW Research Station) 503-808-2137 Source: Dr. Linda Kruger 907-586-8811 ext. 228. More information about CFERP can be found at: http://www.cnr.berkeley.edu/community_forestry/index.htm.
Lucky to be in Seldovia - by Bree Murphy I have had the honor of assisting Michael Opheim at the Seldovia Village Tribe over the last six years with youth education programs like Sea Days and Culture Camp. In 2008, I returned to college for my Masters in Science Education at the University of California-Davis. While in college I talked with Michael about conducting a collaborative study on Culture Camp to better understand what kinds of learning occur during the Camp. I applied for the CFERP fellowship because it encourages graduate students to develop studies with communities, not on communities. This is the same philosophy I have towards my research as I have been always interested in research projects that involve communities members. I have spent much time in Seldovia prior to this summer, but feel so lucky that I am able to live here and work with Michael Opheim at the Seldovia Village Tribe while we work on this project. I hope that people of Seldovia will feel free to talk with me and Michael about the project when they see us out and about. Additionally, we welcome more Seldovia members to our research team. This year Seldovia Village Tribe’s Culture Camp is going to be July 13-16 and is going to be based out of Red Mountain. We hope that all of Seldovia’s youth participate to learn about salmon, bears and so much more. The picture is of Michael Opheim and me at Seal Camp after a long day of processing and canning a locally harvested seal. The Seal Camp, June 23-25, was put on by the Alaska Native Harbor Seal Commission and provided an additional opportunity to better understand this way of weaving traditional knowledge and Western science in educational programs. A First Time Performer's Perspective
For a town so small, Seldovia packs a big musical punch! Over 8 hours of music and performance in two days is unheard of in most other small towns, but not here. The talent brought in from all over the world was first class. There was great variety in the various genres of music ranging from folk, jazz, bluegrass, and country. This music festival was particularly special to me, as it was my first performance. It was not only my first performance in the festival, but also my first performance ever!!! I couldn’t be happier with how it went. Apart from my heinous bobbles in two of the songs I played, I was happy with my performance.
One of the greatest contributors to my pleasant experience playing at the festival was the crowd. There is nothing worse than standing up on stage and seeing a crowd that is disengaged, disinterested, and appears to be altogether unhappy. The Seldovia crowd was none of those things and I am so thankful to have gotten the opportunity to play in front of such an amazing, positive and engaged group. By far my favorite moment of the festival was when Jaime Michaels was performing and forgot some lyrics; he then looked down at me in the front row and said, “See?” Good to know that even the pros forget their lyrics from time to time. The after-party at my dad’s place was great. Radaslov played the dilapidated piano in our living room as if it were the grand piano in the New York Ritz lobby. Many other musicians came ready to jam and it became a raucous event in very short order. With great food and greater company, all who came enjoyed themselves and the party continued until the early hours of the morning. I am so thankful for the Seldovia Music Festival and all those who worked so hard to put it on, especially the main driving force, Susan Mumma. Thank you all! A Wedding Trip to Nome It’s not every day you get to travel to Nome, but a few of us did for Dustin Baines’ wedding to Arielle Jorgensen. Dustin grew up in Seldovia, the child of Dan and Della Baines, and the grandson of Rod and Sunni Hilts. He graduated from Susan B. English School a couple of years ago and then went to the Alaska Christian College in Soldotna for a year studying with other Alaskan Native students. There, he met a lovely young lady named Arielle. Dustin and Arielle found that they both had a love for music and Arielle’s beautiful singing voice drew him to her. They began dating and after the school year was over, Arielle headed up to her home in Nome and Dustin followed, finding work and taking the time to get to know her side of the family. The next winter, the two came to Seldovia for the Christmas holidays. After New Year’s Day, they announced their engagement.
Dustin and Arielle were married in Nome on May 27th. Dustin’s brother Darin Baines, his best friend Joy Smith, and his aunt Laurel Hilts (that’s me) traveled our own Iditarod Trail to Nome to be there with them. We drove to Anchorage and then got delayed in the TSA pileup, missing our flight by a few short minutes. That was okay, though, because we were able to run a few errands for the bride and groom before heading north. Once we arrived in Nome, Dustin and Arielle gave us a brief tour of the town before we headed to the church to begin decorating. (Did you know they have Subway up there!?) Friends and relatives of the happy couple worked all evening on decorations before heading home for the night, but there was no sleep to be had for many as folks enjoyed spending time together and getting to know each other. Darin was thrilled to have new family members and he especially bonded with Arielle’s brother Joel. They played guitar and listened to music and had a great time. Aunt Laurel also discovered that she knew Arielle’s mom Beepsie and auntie Heanie from her days living in Kotzebue, and had a great time catching up with them.
The next morning everyone hit the ground running as we all headed back to the church for decorating and a wedding rehearsal. The troops rallied in the afternoon getting all the final details put together, then everyone went their separate ways to get ready for the wedding; hair and makeup for the ladies, tuxes and vests for the guys. The wedding time was finally here and everyone looked on with delight as Arielle’s baby brother walked down the aisle with a pillow and the rings attached. Dustin and Arielle just glowed; I could tell because I had front row seat behind the piano as I got to play for the wedding. Darin and Joy both looked wonderful; I don’t think Darin has ever stood taller, his pride was just about bursting out of him, and Joy was beautiful in her yellow bridesmaid dress. Dustin was dashing in his tuxedo, and Arielle looked almost ethereal – she seemed to glide down the aisle rather than walk. Okay, enough gushing… you get the idea? They looked great! The pastor did a wonderful job and kept everything flowing and smooth. A few mixed up words by him were priceless. No, “Darielle and Ustin” were not about to wed, but oh well. It was cute! Finally, it was all over except for the walk back down the aisle as man and wife. Dustin and Arielle and their whole wedding party gathered in the foyer of the church to receive the congratulations of their Nome friends and family members, then we all headed downstairs to the reception. The local folks did it up proud with wonderful food, including turkey, ham, casseroles, and did I mention muktuk (whale blubber) and dried whale meat? Yum. Arielle and Dustin cut the cake that was made for them by a friend and then they opened presents while everyone looked on. The most amazing gift came from Arielle’s father, Jim Jorgensen. He had taken an antler (caribou maybe?) and had cut five spaces in to it to hold the five Eskimo ulus he had made for them. It was very unique and a very caring gift. Then the bride and groom left for a honeymoon stay at a local inn while the family and friends remained behind to clean up everything. It was wonderful to see all the young people pitch in and make sure everything was done before they headed off for a night of music and movies. The next morning, Darin, Joy and I had to get up early and head back to Anchorage. We were sure sad to leave, and we would have loved to have spent more time exploring Nome, but we’ll have plenty of reason to now with Arielle as a member of the family!
Did I mention that my folks weren’t able to attend the wedding? They had to travel to North Carolina and to Colorado at the time of the wedding, so many tears were shed on account of that. Dustin and Arielle knew how much his Ahna and Papa had wanted to be there, so they enjoyed surprising them a week later in Seldovia. The two of them walked in to the Seldovia Bible Chapel just before church and strolled right up to Sunni. When she looked up and realized it was them, she was in pure shock. It was a great moment… Dustin and Arielle stuck around town for a little honeymoon for a week and enjoyed a wedding reception with local friends and family from Seldovia. It was a special treat to have them here. Now they’re back off to Nome for the rest of the summer, but they are looking for work on the Kenai Peninsula so they can move down this way, much to our pleasure. We’ll still make our way north from time to time though because we have new family and old friends up there, thanks to this union of two lovely young adults, Dustin and Arielle Baines. Landfill CLOSED Saturday - July 4, 2009 The Seldovia Landfill will be closed on Independence Day. On Sunday, July 5, 2009 - they will be open at a special time from 12:00pm to 5:00pm. See you then, and have a super and safe holiday! Normal hours remain the same throughout the summer.
McKeon Flats Trip A little groggy but excited we made our way to Haystack beach located across the bay from Homer. Bright and early June 17th, 13 youth and 3 chaperones made the drive to Jakolof Boat Harbor. Tom Hopkins, Mountain Marine Ferry provided transportation to the State Park.
A new destination for us all we set out as explorers to find a protected place to camp. The rest of the day we spent hiking and getting to know the surroundings. Park Ranger Erik paid us a visit the first morning out. With toasted Bagels and tea around the morning campfire he discussed park details and shared stories. We learned how the geography changed after the ’64 earthquake, the extensive trail system and maintenance required, and the first State Park in Alaska was the Kachemak Bay State Park!.
The beginning of the camp was a bit wet; it really made us appreciate our gear and gave us good camp practice. The girls put together a sun dance and brought the sunshine to dry us out the last evening and next morning.
We had a sandy beach, a mud-sloshing pit, a grass field, glacial silt mounds, little fishing holes, woods, and a beautiful river. Not to mention the wide-open view for our eyes to feast on. ‘I got to play with my friends and play in the mud’ Marina was excited to share. ‘It was pouring down rain and it felt great!’ Mariah describes the hike to the river. Playing in the sand and making Calem into a Mermaid was Olivia’s favorite part.
Sage’s favorite was being a dust devil carrying around the glacial silt making dust clouds where ever he went. Movie Review - The Cleaner
The shows star, Benjamin Bratt, portrays the main character William Banks. The story line is based on the true story of a man who nearly lost everything to addiction. Now in recovery, he spends his days trying to rescue others that are trapped in similar, life destroying addictions. Banks employs a couple rag-tag young people who are also recovering addicts to aid him in his unconventional interventions. As much as the show is about Bank’s use of surveillance, coercion and kid napping to rescue addicts at their lowest point, the show is more about Banks himself. He is a recovering addict who struggles everyday to stay clean and to hold together a life shattered by his past. Occasionally during each episode the drama transitions from human dialogue to Banks reaching out to God in his times of weakness, looking for strength and guidance. The value of this show lies in the fact that, in often rude and offensive ways, it peels back the facade of drug and alcohol use and exposes the danger and destruction they leave in their wake. Every episode tells the story of another devastated life or family. As I mentioned, this isn’t the kind of entertainment I would normally recommend. However, knowing that most of our young people already think that one of the coolest things to do is get “wasted”, makes me see the importance of this kind of show. Too often times we see a public service announcement with a celebrity telling teens to stay clean. Then when the show comes back on we see “getting wasted” as the fun, funny and cool thing to do. The Cleaner is a dose of reality and a rude awakening that I think is overdue. Watching this show you will see graphic displays of drug use. You will see people living their lives with no restraint. That is no strange thing to movies and shows of late. What is unique about The Cleaner is you will never be given the impression there is anything cool or fun about it. In fact your gut might hurt a bit after watching this show. Benjamin Bratt does an excellent job portraying William Banks and the show writers ground each episode in reality. The Cleaner can be seen Tuesday nights on A&E. If you want a glimpse around the corner at where the path leads when someone gives up control of his or her life to a drug then check out The Cleaner. Thoughts to Ponder Recently I overheard a Father and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure. Standing near the security gate, they hugged and the Father said, 'I love you, and I wish you enough.' The daughter replied, 'Dad, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Dad.'
They kissed and the daughter left. The Father walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see he wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on his privacy, but he welcomed me in by asking, 'Did you ever say goodbye to someone knowing it would be forever?' 'Yes, I have,' I replied. 'Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever goodbye? 'I am old, and she lives so far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is - the next trip back will be for my funeral,' he said. 'When you were saying goodbye, I heard you say, 'I wish you enough.' May I ask what that means?' He began to smile. 'That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone.' He paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, and he smiled even more. 'When we said, 'I wish you enough,' we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them.' Then turning toward me, he shared the following as if he were reciting it from memory.
He then began to cry and walked away. They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them; but then an entire life to forget them. To all my friends and loved ones, I WISH YOU ENOUGH. Tidepool Thanks I have said from the very first Summer Solstice Music Festival that it is another Fourth of July on my books. It is also probably my favorite weekend of the summer. Firstly because of my love of music, and secondly because of the type of people it attracts. Just fun, friendly, low maintenance folks enjoying music and the fellowship that concerts and jam sessions seem to generate. I have come to treasure the Saturday morning Song Circle that is hosted here at the restaurant, and often get a little emotional when I hear the music swelling out of the dining room.
I have made personal comments to Arts Council members thanking them for their hard work in bringing this to Seldovia, but would like to do so formally. There is so much work and volunteerism that goes on throughout the year to make it happen, and I am so proud to be part of a community that can pull it off year after year. What a great contribution to the economy and "energy" of our little town!
Now, if you're like me, the excessive press and saturation of media-hype surrounding this work has been an initial hurdle to reading it. This unique novel is worth giving a try! As an adult with children, I do read quite a bit of YA material; these authors are quite good and know how to entertain regardless of reader-age and should not be dismissed. Twilight exactly captures teen angst as seventeen-year old Bella moves to the small, rainy town of Forks, Washington, to finish her last two years of high school after moving in with her father. She soon finds that there are vampires in her midst and becomes enraptured in their “lives.” What sets this apart from other paranormal genre books is the unique way these vampires “eat.” No spoilers here! This special theme of the book runs throughout the entire four-book series. Good characterization and a believable protagonist underscore excellent dialog, making this book a solid read. Although there has been great female response to this book, male readers will enjoy the decent alpha-male characters in their varying forms as well. There is an “ethereal” quality to this book that makes it a standout, one can almost “feel” the mist and see the moss growing on the trees, Meyer's descriptive voice is that good.
Check out the Seldovia Public Library for this and other fine books! DEC Warns About Paralytic Shellfish (repeat)
Looking Fine In 2009! (repeat)
Seldovia's Water and Sewer Construction Schedule and Map 2009
City Council Meeting June 24 was cancelled. City Planning and Zoning Meeting - 6/15/09 The Special Meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission was called to order at 7:03pm. Members present were Dan Blodgett, Paulie Carluccio, Jim Hopkins, Bobbi Sweatt and Tom Keesecker by teleconference. Paulie Carluccio presided and Cassidi Little took the minutes. Members of the Public included: Mayor Keith Gain, Councilman Walter McInnes, City Manager Tim Dillon, Sandy and Jere Murray, Shirley Giles and Greg Davis. The agenda was approved as well as the minutes from the May 18th Special Meeting were approved. Consideration of Site Plans: The building permit by John Fenske, Lot 1, Block 13 Townsite Commission Business: No dates have been finalized by the State of Alaska concerning P&Z commissioners training Informational items from the City Manager: Next Meeting: July 13, 2009 Adjournment: 8:10 pm. >> Repeat story The removal of the gross contamination from the Husky II is complete. Approximately 95-99% of the petroleum contaminants have been removed and it is estimated that there is only 250 - 1,200 gallons of material left. During the course of the work, a small hole ( approximately 1"x 2") broke through the hull and was quickly sealed by workers and divers. Chadux has installed a bilge alarm that will start a flashing a red light if the water level rises in the bilge. The light is right in front of the wheelhouse - click on the photo below to see the red light location.
Current efforts center around keeping the vessel stable and checking it every 2 hours. SOS is watching the waterline and continues to maintain the oil boom. It is estimated that it will take at least 30 days for the government agencies to work out the most cost effective details of disposing of the boat. "The boom and bilge alarm are preventative measures until due process is completed for the final disposal of the vessel." As we receive updates, we will post them The session is over, and no current newsletter is available.
Sen. Gary Stevens Capitol Report The session is over, and no current newsletter is available.
Do you know someone seeking a degree in the Marine Science field? Let the Marine Aquarium Societies of North America help with the MASNA Scholarship.
The State of Alaska , on behalf of the Juneau Statehood Committee, commissioned bronze medallions commemorating Alaska’s 50th anniversary celebration which can be purchased by non-profit organizations for fundraising purposes. The medallions were designed and produced by the same company that designed medallions at statehood back in 1959. A limited supply can be purchased from the Kenai Peninsula Borough by contacting Michelle Blackwell at 714-2336. The medallions will sell for $50 each and are limited to five medallions per organization.
Seldovia Boys & Girls Club Quarterly Newsletter - Click here . . .
The Seldovia Boys & Girls Club is pleased to sponsor its second annual Concert on Dean’s Lawn, this July 3rd, featuring local bands “Billy Goat” and “The Xtratufs.” The concert will take place on Dean Lent’s lawn, located next door to The Linwood Bar and overlooking the Seldovia harbor. “Billy Goat” opens at 6:00 p.m. This group of Seldovians plays old-timey music, featuring fast pickin’, strummin’ and fiddlin’ by Jeff Snedgen, Chris Lillo, Kerry Hendricks and Kirby Corwin. At 7:00 p.m.
“The Xtratufs” (made up of local performers Rob Rurka, Tracy Philpot, Jenifer Dickson, Mark Janes and Laurel Hilts) will take the stage to play an eclectic mix of rock and blues. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Boys & Girls Club for $9; day of event tickets will be $10. All proceeds go to benefit the Seldovia Boys & Girls Club.
City Manager's Corner by Tim Dillon, City Manager City Manager Report 5-29-09 to 6-10-09 (repeat report) ACCOMPLISHMENTS: * Husky II contractor meetings GOALS: * Husky II
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If anyone sees the bilge alarm light flashing red, PLEASE call the authorities IMMEDIATELY! Call one of the numbers below:
Marine Science Scholarship Opportunity! 
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