Sam Tappen scrapes together great meet

Sam Tappen, a junior at Delta High, did great at the all-schools prep track and field meet Saturday at Lathrop High School in Fairbanks. As reported in Sunday’s Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Tappen and his 19 teammates helped Delta win third place out of the 9 schools in the meet.

Tappen won the long jump competition, placed third in the 100-meter dash and gave his team the lead with a stellar third leg of the 4x400-meter relay before Lathrop came from behind to win.

The swans are magnificent but we have to count the buffalo calves… from “a day in the life” (on a Delta farm)

Originally published April 29, 2006 by Ruby Hollembeak on the Hollembeak’s Farms Web site.

The swans are magnificent. There must be thousands out in all the fields around Delta. While we drive around the farms, they stay put and with field glasses you can really watch them interact but as soon as I stepped out onto the road, they take off or move away. Of course, there are many other waterfowl, owls, hawks and eagles too along with the sparrows.

Today, Scott and I will take the 4-wheeler out to count calves. I am replanting the rhubarb and starting to get ready for next plants. My geraniums wintered over fabulously so I will get more and do the same this year.

I have a friend who has so many beautiful flowers and mostly perennials. I will try to get some photos for my Alaska gallery page.

Yesterday, I delivered 2 bison skulls to the Chamber of Commerce and to the Sullivan Roadhouse.

The Sullivan houses the “Hollembaek Miner’s Cache” and the plexi-glass broke so we have to order new. This will help with that.

I was going to stay for the baseball game but I just got too chilled. It is calling for snow flurries this weekend. Tok (90 miles south of us) got snow and it is suppose to be headed here.

The library is also having their open house along with the Calico Cow quilter’s store. I won’t head back to town until Monday though. (Editor’s note: the Hollembeak’s Farms are 25 miles from Delta Junction.)

I notice Governor Murkowski’s push for the petroleum tax and will review that as I’m not sure I understand all of it. His daughter is our Senator; he appointed the position to her when he ran for Governor.

Senator Stevens is over 80 years old now and quite a pillar to our State. Whether you believe in his views or not, he has been instrumental to Alaska’s growth. Of course, I think it is only 2% of Alaska is owned by private hands-at least that is what I heard. Probably should research that before I make that statement.

There was a terrible plane crash which killed a man and his sons plus another seasoned pilot. One pilot worked for Fish and Game and the other was an Alaskan Airlines pilot. It stopped everyone in the state as so many people fly here, whether as a passenger or pilot. I think the statistics were at one time that 1 in 6 people owned a pilot’s license.

This is Ruby Hollembaek’s most recent journal entry. She has been making entries in her Web journal since June 19, 2005.

Ruby is a farmer, artist, teacher, gardener, mother, and grandmother, long-term Delta resident, and lifelong Alaskan. Read more about the fun, the challenges, and the rewards found living on Scott and Ruby’s Hollembaek Farms by clicking here.

Delta Huskies girls high school softball team plays as winners in Valdez

The Huskies won a doubleheader Friday night from the Buccaneers. Then they kept up the pace in a three-game sweep on Saturday.

The strong team effort was shown in top batting by Lana Green, Katrina Brown, Whitney McClaren, and Vonda Powers to name a few.

For more details read the full article in the Sunday edition of Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

Fort Greely/Delta School Lunch Menu for May

This will be our last menu for this school year. May 26 is our last day of school. Please remember to bring a lunch with you on May 25 and May 26, our kitchens will be closed for cleaning. Have a safe and happy summer. See you in the fall.

May school menu or to print out with Adobe Acrobat

Photo of the Day - April 28

The picture of the dogteam was taken by Charlie Boyd in 1961 when he was trapping his trapline on the Goodpaster River. This cabin was part of the WAMCAT Telelgraph, the station at Summit then the line went towards Joseph in the Fortymile, the station was abandoned in the early 1900's. Photo Courtesy Dave Davenport

Photos From the Easter Drama Production

“What Man is This?”, the third play produced and presented by Delta Christian Drama Association, directed by George Hosier.

(right to left) Kaillee Thomas as Livia, Langlie Thomas as Clodana, Rebekah Holbrook as Salome, BJ Merrymon as Itzhak, and Josiah Holbrook as David marvelling at the healing of Victoria Joslin as Shoshanna. Photo Courtesy Ken Farrow

Singers (left to right) Yana Kurilchenko, Liya Dyachuk, and Vladimir Kurilchenko. Photo Courtesy Ken Farrow

Photo of the Day - April 27

This Northern Hawk Owl was seen sitting in a tree near Jarvis Creek waiting for an unsuspecting shrew or vole to meander by. Image by Dwight Phillips

Fort Greely teacher Nicole Titus selected as a recipient of the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund

JANET BOYER’S Delta column in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner details this significant award to the mathematics teacher in the Fort Greely Middle School.

Corps of Engineers revises enhanced-use lease plan

BOYER also reports on changes in the Corps of Engineers plan to lease Fort Greely property to a private developer. The plan was to construct a temporary lodging facility and a medical clinic. The revised plan requests the developer to develop a "power generation plant."

Ft. Greely School May Newsletter

Parent Information Meeting
Parents are invited to visit with our school counselor and principal as we discuss the current schedule, program, and policies of Fort Greely School and look ahead towards changes for the next school year. A special focus will be placed on students transitioning from 5th grade to 6th grade. The meeting will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 3rd in the school Conference Center.

Fort Greely School Idol
Due to high student interest, Fort Greely School Idol has been rescheduled for Friday, May 5th starting at 1:00 p.m. All parents are invited to attend!

Delta High School Freshman Orientation
Delta High School will host a freshman orientation on Monday, May 8th starting at 6:00 p.m. for current 8th grade students. Academic and after school programs, eligibility requirements per ASSA, office procedures, credits, and general high school policies will be discussed. All incoming freshman and parents are encouraged to attend.

Kids Don’t Float Presentation
Maureen Gardner, parent and National Park Ranger, will present the “Kids Don’t Float” water safety program to all Fort Greely School 6th grade students on Tuesday, May 9th during their science class. For more information on the program, contact Mrs. Gardner at 895-2113.

5th Grade Orientation
As part of our focus on the transition from elementary to middle school, Fort Greely School will host a 5th grade orientation for current Delta Elementary School students on Friday, May 12th starting at 9:00 a.m. The orientation will begin with an assembly at DES, followed by a bus ride for all 5th grade students to Fort Greely School for a tour of the facility and a chance to meet with several of the 6th grade teachers. Student expectations, handbook policies, and general school procedures will be discussed. Students will be returned to DES prior to their lunch.

Operation Clean Sweep
Fort Greely School, in cooperation with the agencies on Fort Greely, will again be participating in the “Operation Clean Sweep.” Students will be broken into groups and assigned an area of the school premises or Fort Greely to beautify. The clean up activity will take place on the afternoon of Friday, May 12th.

Last Day of School for Students
Friday, May 26th will be last day of school for students. We are planning a field day complete with end of the year awards, the 6th Grade DARE Program Graduation, and a BBQ lunch that will be held at the Fort Greely pavilion. Parents are encouraged to attend to celebrate the end of this school year. Final report cards will be mailed home the week of May 29th.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the school through the means listed above.

Brian Schaffer/Principal, Fort Greely School

The April 27 issue of Delta Wind is now available.

What's Happening in the Friendly Frontier.

Delta Wind is a community newspaper published by Tri-Delta, Inc. They provide in-depth news and information about the happenings in Delta Junction and the surrounding community.

You can purchase your copy of Delta Wind in many locations around Delta Junction, including IGA Food Cache, Granite View Sports and Gifts, Busy Bee Office Supply, etc.

Delta Wind

Tangle Lakes Mining Meeting

Many Deltans use the Tangle Lakes and Rainbow Mountain area for recreation. Should a mine be located there, much of the area could be placed off-limits to snowmachines, four-wheelers, hunters, anglers, hikers and the like for the duration of the mine's existence. The natural beauty of the area could be compromised. The recent effort not to pursue making the Richardson Highway a Scenic Byway through this stretch, for example, was probably good news to those multinational corporations holding mining interests in this area. Submitted by Mike Nuckols

The following article in the News-Miner is of interest to Deltans.

Skills for Greeting, Working With and Serving the Public

Last chance to sign up for this workshop which will be held at the Delta Career Advancement Center. The classes will result in Alaska Host and ServSafe certifications. Class will take place on April 29, 8 - 5. Call 895-4605 to register.

Photo of the Day - April 26

The new bison calves were born on April 10. Their mammas hurried them into the woods when we showed up, but we were able to get a few shots off before they corralled them. Good thing they have fur coats this spring! Photo Courtesy Ruby Hollembaek

Photo of the Day - April 25

Swans fly over the Granites south of Delta Junction. Copyright by Dwight Phillips.

Ft Greely School Parent Meeting Changed

Due to a training exercise, the Fort Greely School Parent Information Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, April 26th at 4:00 p.m. has been changed to Wednesday, May 3rd at 4:00 p.m.

Brian J. Schaffer
Principal, Fort Greely School

Happy Birthday/Anniversary April 25 - April 30

Happy Birthday April 25 - Chris Groppel
Happy Birthday April 25 - Erin Trainor
Happy Birthday April 26 - R.M. Carpenter
Happy Birthday April 27 - Edith L. Walker
Happy Birthday April 27 - Shawn Meek
Happy Birthday April 27 - Anne Dube
Happy Birthday April 27 - Marion Benham
Happy Birthday April 28 - Anne Mauer
Happy Birthday April 28 - Ron Milligan
Happy Birthday April 28 - Bob Kimball
Happy Birthday April 28 - Connie Sandlin King
Happy Birthday April 29 - Mark Sandlin
Happy Birthday April 29 - Gloria Gerhart
Happy Birthday April 29 - Andrew Schultz
Happy Birthday April 30 - Emma Addison

Happy Anniversary April 26 - Bob & Deb Green

Time to Spruce up the Neighborhood

Mark your calendar for the 2006 Community Clean-up scheduled for Saturday, May 20. The Community Clean-up is an annual event sponsored by the Delta Chamber of Commerce and everyone is welcome to get involved.

This is a great opportunity to get our town in tip-top, sparkling clean shape after a long winter. Families, groups and businesses all can sign up for a section of road to clean up. So far sign ups include the Girl Scouts and the Cub Scouts.

As an added incentive, the City of Delta Landfill will have extended hours on May 20 and they will be giving a ½-off-your-garbage discount—with a $5 minimum. The discount does not include large appliances or vehicles. That’s right—besides making our community look great, everyone can do a little spring cleaning around the old homestead, too.

Special yellow garbage bags will be supplied by the Delta Chamber of Commerce for anyone that volunteers for a specific section of road for clean-up.

All the clean-up fun will culminate at the Visitor Information Center with a tasty barbecue/potluck as a reward for all your efforts. Sign-up today—call the Delta Chamber of Commerce at 895-5068.

Wanted! Friendly Frontier Days Volunteers

Wanted rugged, strong, Frontier type men and women that know how to have fun.... The Delta Chamber of Commerce is looking for volunteers for the annual Friendly Frontier Days Celebration May 27, 2006. You will be paid with not gold or silver but sincere appreciation and a full heart for your day of kindness. Many fun filled volunteer positions are available. Needed: tent set-up crew, BBQ cooks, food servers, kids mining booth, craft booths, costume contest judges, chamber booth, t-shirt sales, and clean-up crew. Everyone is welcome! Please give Dawn a call at the Delta Chamber to volunteer 895-5068.

Friendly Frontier Days Scheduled for May 27

Step back in time to celebrate the frontier roots of Delta Junction. The 3rd annual Friendly Frontier Days sponsored by the Delta Chamber of Commerce is scheduled for May 27 and is sure to be a good time. Some of the days’ events include the popular pig kissin’ contest. Place your vote today! Three lucky people will get the chance to smooch a very cute pig that is after they catch them. Pig Kissin’ voting cans are located the Buffalo Diner, Delta Library, IGA Food Cache, Frontier Pull Tabs, Granite View Sports, Mt. McKinley Bank, Poorboy Restaurant, Wells Fargo Bank and there are two cans at Ft. Greely. Kids and adults alike can take part in the Frontier Costume Contest, listen to some great music and enjoy a tasty BBQ. There will be many kids events including a pet parade, sponsored by Durham Reality, gold panning area sponsored by Salcha-Delta Soil and Water Conservation, face painting sponsored by Insanity Acres and hayrides sponsored by Friends of Delta Ag.. There will even be a wondering clown this year; Rozzo the clown will have all kinds of surprises for our Friendly Frontier visitors. So mark your calendar and get ready for a day of fun in Delta Junction. More details will be coming out about the event in the next couple of weeks. If you are interested in volunteering please give Dawn a call at the Delta Chamber of Commerce office at 895-5068

Delta Students and Parents Invited to "Bullying" Class

Delta jr high and high school aged students, parents, and community members, are invited to a class on the issue of "Bullying" Tuesday, May 16, from 6-8pm in the School Board Conference room. Brittany Luddington, from the Interior Alaska Center for Non-Violent Living will be conducting an 1 1/2 class and a question and answer time for parents afterwards at the invitation of the Delta Greely School District as a part of our Quality Schools Initiative in cooperation with the Alaska Initiative for Community Engagement. Admission is free and there will be refreshments. For more information, please call Jody Zollman at 895-5628

National Honor Society Accepting Applications

The Delta High School Chapter of the National Honor Society is now accepting applications for membership. Any students in grades 10 through 12 who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher meet the scholarship requirement for membership. These students are then eligible for consideration on the basis of service, leadership, and character. Membership selection will be made by a Faculty Council. Applications are available from the NHS Adviser, Mrs. Kathy Sharp. She is in the high school computer lab before school and during first period, and at Delta Cyber School during the remaining hours of the school day. Deadline for submission is May 4th. For more information contact Mrs. Sharp at 895-1043 ext. 28.

Photo of the Day - April 24

Early morning frost covers the ground, and fog hangs in the valley along the Denali Highway in September. Photo Courtesy Art Lenon

Pogo mine to spend $10 million-$12 million to fix problem

As reported on Yahoo! Finance, the Pogo gold mine near Delta Junction, has found its capacity to dehydrate tailings is below required levels. To fix the problem, the company will spend an additional $10 million-$12 million.

Until the problem is fixed, the gold mine will be running at 50%-60% capacity. This may delay full operations at Pogo until early in 2007.

This is according to a news release from Sumitomo Metal Mining issued Monday, April 24.

Senator Therriault's April Newsletter

SB 210 To Be Signed by Governor
I introduced Senate Bill 210 this year to strengthen Alaska’s bootlegging laws by giving law enforcement and communities better tools to combat importation of alcohol into dry communities.

“Stand Your Ground” Legislation Moving
The legislation I introduced to strengthen and protect victims of crime continues to receive broad support in the Legislature. SB 200 passed the Senate on a 17-2 vote and has now been heard and moved from the House Judiciary to House Finance.

Alcohol May Be Banned For Violent Felons
Senate Bill 284, which would allow a judge to ban the use of alcohol for certain violent felons, has moved from Senate Finance and is now in Senate Rules awaiting floor action

Senate Bill 309 – Training Alaskans for Gas Pipeline and Heavy Construction
SB 309 will create a stable revenue stream to fund the multi-year commitment necessary to train resident Alaskans for gas line and heavy construction work. Funding may be appropriated to Alaska Works, Inc. or other entities to train resident workers for heavy construction, highway construction, building construction and oil or gas pipeline construction. Funding will leverage industry investment in training facilities and equipment to build private sector training capacity and increase industry capability for sustaining training into the future. SB 309 is slated to sunset in six years and requires an annual report on performance.

Scenic Byway Designation Withdrawn
The proposal to designate the Richardson Highway as a Scenic Byway from Glennallen north to Delta has been withdrawn

Working Ahead of the Drug Curve
In this age of information it is possible to discover details about dangerous substances and develop public policy before they reach epidemic proportions. A case in point is Salvia Divinorum, a toxic substance known as “Sally D” on the streets.

For more information.

Photo of the Day - April 22

This image of a setting sun over the Delta River was brief, but spectacular.
Photo Copyright Dwight Phillips.

Photo of the Day - April 21

Young Grizzly Bear strolls across the road near Chitina Alaska. Copyright by Dwight Phillips

Raptors flocking to Delta Junction ag fields

The Daily News-Miner reported, birders counted 236 raptors in or over Delta Junction's agricultural project fields last weekend. The staff article, published today, indicates at least 8 different types of hawks, eagles, harriers, kestrels, shrikes, and owls were spotted, along with an astounding flock of snow buntings.

The article goes on to tell about other bird sightings in the Delta area. Details also include the other migratory birds, which are slowly trickling in to Creamer's Field and other Fairbanks areas. Finally, there is information about upcoming birding events.

Sidenotes:
(1) The word “raptor” historically signifies a plunderer, robber or thief.
(2) Some raptor counts include ravens and magpies. One might question if other raptors “dumpster dive” or frequent Delta’s picnic tables.

Misinformation circulating Delta about proposed Deltana borough

TIt appears the upcoming vote on the Deltana borough continues to generate widespread interest in Delta Junction.

Some of the more interested parties are posting flyers throughout the town, which contain very questionable statements. According to Janet Boyer’s April 20, 2006 column in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, there is, Misinformation circulating about proposed borough. In the column, Pete Hallgren, Delta Junction’s city administrator, puts it flatly, “Someone is borough bashing.”

Scenic Byway withdrawl may affect Delta tourism

Also in this latest weekly column by Boyer, Janet highlights the lack of support for making the Glennallen to Fort Greely section of the Richardson Highway an Alaska State Scenic Byway. Evidently there is a lack of grassroots support especially in Glennallen.

According to Brenda Peterson, the Delta Chamber of Commerce director, the lack of designation will reduce the tourism marketing south of Delta.

Delta Community Forum Back Online

The Delta News Web Community forum is back in operation! We have been working on this for some weeks now, and we have a usable version up and running.

We have used three types/versions of forum software in the last 7 years and I'm hoping that this one will last a while longer. This software is widely used on the Internet and well supported. It is quite different from the earlier forum, but it is also very, very sophisticated.

Our programmer, Simon, was able to import your usernames and passwords. If you have ever posted on the Delta News Web forum, you should be able to just use your existing authentication to post again.

We looked at the possibility of importing messages from the old forum. As we examined this, we saw that it would be at least an order of magnitude more difficult than importing the membership roll. I made the decision to abandon the earlier messages.

You will find the new forum here. Links at the bottom of the Delta News Web and other places will take you there, too.

If you have questions, let us know. We'll answer these in an FAQ.

I hope you like it!

Delta Lions Club ~ Easter Egg Hunt Winners

Special Prize Winners : At the Delta Lions Club Easter Egg Hunt on the Deltana Fairgrounds

Samantha Smith and Elin Hicks

Kathleen Smith, Brooke Carter, and Jozey Martellaro

Arthur Edgren

Family Photos - April 21

For larger photos and text, we invite you to our new family photos pages. If you have a photo you would like to share with the community, we are asking that you send them to the editor

Reese Mitchell having fun on the slide.

Tylor Williams and his burbot

Photo of the Day - April 20

Sunset at Valdez Harbor during August fishing season. Photo Courtesy Brenda Burke

Delta Junction biodiesel pilot plant receives seed money award

On April 8, Robert Kocsis of Delta Junction was awarded $20,000 as seed money for the Delta Junction biodiesel pilot plant. Mr. Kocsis was one of the 22 Alaskans who were winners in the first Alaska Marketplace competition.

For details on the total $500,000 of seed money awards, read the April 15, 2006 article, Business hopefuls get a boost, on the Alaska Journal of Commerce web site.

Photo of the Day - April 19

Spruce grouse (Canachites Canadensis) are commonly seen in the Interior, and are called "fool hens" because they are so easy to approach. Photo Courtesy Art Lenon

John Harris - Speaker of the House Representing District 12

With less than three weeks remaining in this session, we still have a number of items to dispose of prior to adjournment. First and foremost, the operating and capital budgets have to be adopted. This is the one constitutional duty the legislature must complete. The other items
under consideration are the petroleum profits tax, additional education funding, municipal assistance and energy projects.

For more information read the complete newsletter. PDF (209 kb)

Will Delta soon have more dairies than Point Mackenzie?

A headline article in Tuesday's online Anchorage Daily News, "Future of dairies in doubt," describes problems which have caused two dairies in Point Mackenzie to close. The story tells of a third operation which may also be closed soon.

According the story, Delta now has three dairies. With the closures down south, soon Alaska will only have five commercial dairies. When we came to Delta in 1984, I believe there were 16 or 17 commercial operations in the state.

Are the local farmers in Delta also facing similar problems? Who are the three dairies? The Fellmans, Paul Knopp, and Jeff Mcnabb?

How would changes in the numbers of local milk cows affect other agricultural-related businesses and operations in Delta? Is the Northern Lights Milk and Ice Cream plant still producing that fine milk and very rich ice cream?

Delta folks... Are the beef cattle farms facing similar problems? What is the basic situation with Delta's other farmers and ranchers. Pleas add your comments to this post.
Thanks Chris Christopherson

Airborne brigade to Train in Donnelly Training Area

BRIGADE TRAINING EXERCISEGENERAL INFORMATION

The 4th Brigade (Airborne) 25th Infantry Division, based at Fort Richardson, will be conducting a training exercise in the Donnelly Training Area from April 24 – May 12. About 3,000 Paratroopers will be training.

• All artillery and mortar fire will be west of the Richardson Hwy. every day from April 25 – May 12. Hours of firing will vary.
• Small-arms live fires will take place on Meadows Road every day from April 25 – May 11.
• Personnel and equipment parachute drops will occur April 24 – 26 and 30 at Donnelly Drop Zone.
• Convoys will be moving from Fort Richardson to Fort Greely from April 17 – 22 and between Greely and Eielson almost daily from April 28 – May 11. Vehicles will travel in groups of about 20 and are expected to move at about 45 mph. Convoy information is summarized in the table below:

DATE FROM TO HIGHWAY # VEH. TIMES:

• April 17 Ft. Richardson Donnelly TA Glenn/Richardson 63 6:15a.m. to 11p.m.
• April 18 Ft. Richardson Ft. Wainwright Parks 220 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• April 19 Ft. Richardson Donnelly TA Glenn/Richardson 180 5 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
• April 20 Ft. Richardson Donnelly TA Glenn/Richardson 120 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
• April 22 Ft. Richardson Donnelly TA Glenn/Richardson 100 5 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
• April 28 – May 4 Donnelly TA Yukon TA and back Richardson 40/day unknown
• May 6 Donnelly TA Yukon TA and back Richardson 40 unknown
• May 8 - 11 Donnelly TA Yukon TA and back Richardson 40 unknown

For more information, please visit our website or call MAJ Kirk Gohlke, U.S. Army Alaska Public Affairs Officer, at (907)384-1542.

April 19 - April 24 Birthdays and Anniversaries

Happy Birthday April 19 - Hannah Nichols
Happy Birthday April 19 - Caitlin Milligan
Happy Birthday April 20 - Yvonne Ward
Happy Birthday April 20 - Don Waldo
Happy Birthday April 20 - Jan Wrigley
Happy Birthday April 20 - Annalise Grossmann
Happy Birthday April 20 - Shelly Growden
Happy Birthday April 21 - Mary Baker Kaspari
Happy Birthday April 23 - Michele Helkenn
Happy Birthday April 24 - Goodlookin' Joe Peters

Happy Anniversary April 23 - Ray & Sherwood Dinger

Photo of the Day - April 18

Artistically spun-out slush on these lug nuts. Photo by Bob Geise

Gardening Classes

Land Resources Agent Michele Hebert with the Cooperative Extension Service-Tanana District will be conducting two gardening classes in Delta:

Sowing and Saving Seeds
Wednesday, April 19th. 2:00-5:00 and will repeat 6:00-9:00

Composting with Worms
Thursday April 20th. 2:00-4:00 and will repeat 6:00-8:00

Classes will be held in the CES Conference Room located in the Jarvis Office Center.

Sowing and Saving Seeds - Step-by-step techniques for collecting and growing vegetables, flowers, and herbs. Alaska vegetable and flower starting charts will be provided to determine when seeds should be started indoors. Successfully harvest seeds from the more common vegetables, annuals, perennials, herbs, and wildflowers. Dry and store seeds, and test seeds for viability. Sow seeds indoors to get a head start on the growing season.

Composting With Earthworms - Earthworms can allow you to compost household garbage indoors during our long winters, or during the summer. In this class will build your own small worm composting box and learn how to maintain it. Booklets will be provided.

Fee is $5 per person for per class, registration deadline is April 17, 2006. Please call the CES office at 895-4215 to register or for details.

Carefree Gourmet Articles ~ By Joyce McCombs ~ African Cuisine

Hold on to your spatula, because this week we’re leaving the snow and cool temperatures and scooting half way around the world to sample the warmth of the tropics and some regional African cuisine. I was inspired to investigate this tasty topic by Delta’s own recently returned world traveler, Judy Dewar. She and her intrepid husband Steve, who looked mighty fine in his dashing safari hat, traveled through Kenya for an entire month and did everything from take a hot air balloon ride to sample giraffe meat. Last Friday evening, Judy presented beautiful slides of their trip to a very appreciative crowd at the Delta Library. For nearly two hours she held us spellbound as she shared incredible travel stories and showed beautifully crafted items made by the Masai people. We capped off the evening by sampling a few dishes I prepared after some careful research and a couple shopping challenges.

To view the entire article see African Cuisine April 13, 2006

A Bit of Irish March 23, 2006
Crazy for Carrots March 9, 2006
February Vacation February 23, 2006
Easy Budget January 12, 2006

Photo of the Day - April 17

A beautiful February morning as Mount Hayes reflects low level sunlight at daybreak. This scene was taken on Fort Greely near Meadows Road looking westward. Though Alaskans experience harsh winter temperatures throughout the interior, the Delta region affords numerous opportunities to view unique scenes along the entire East Alaska Range. Photo Courtesy Reggie Salinas

Using the New Delta Community Calendar

The new Delta News Web community calendar has some significantly different features. Here are some things you need to know:

• When you visit the calendar page, you'll sometimes see yellow events at the top of the page. These are "all day" events, or events not tied to times.
• You can find additional information about all events. In calendar view, just "hover" over the event title, and a little box will pop up showing more details.
• You can also click on the event in the yellow box and a new page with all event information will appear. You will be able to print that event, or even download it to your PDA if you have one.
• It's easy to show month views or day views. There are "jump boxes" at the bottom of the calendar page that will take you to different weeks, months, or years. To see a detailed day view, click on the link at the top of the calendar column.
• You can print "printer friendly" versions of the calendar using the link at the bottom of the page.

You can post your own events to the DeltaNewsWeb's community calendar. The best way is to obtain your own userid and password and you will be manage new, existing and old events. Contact the DNW editor for your own account information. It's also possible to publish events anonymously, but this alternative does not permit editing. And we can post events for you, but we do need to charge for that.

We would be happy to answer questions about the calendar. Just send them to the editor and we'll publish a list of Q&A.

Chinook by George Hosier II - New Life

I saw my first geese not long ago. The snow is melting, the trees are budding, and all the furry critters are becoming romantically inclined. This is the season of new life.

In this special column of Chinook, I would like to tweak my normally demented tone to offer a poem I have written in celebration of renewed life. For those of you who take interest in such things, enjoy. For those of you who do not--fear not. I will return to my typically wacky persona next issue.

To read the entire article see - New Life - April 17, 2006

Winter Skin - March 25, 2006
Burro - March 12, 2006
Hooding - February 21, 2006

Photo of the Day - April 15

A brilliant sunset over the Tanana River. Photo Courtesy Art Lenon

Easter Facts

Easter is the most important religious holiday of the Christian liturgical year, observed between late March and late April (early April to early May in Eastern Christianity) to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, which Christians believe occurred after his death by crucifixion in AD 27-33 (see Good Friday). Easter can also refer to the season of the church year, lasting for fifty days, which follows this holiday and ends at Pentecost. Easter Day is also called the Sunday of the Resurrection.

To learn more about Easter, click on Wikipedia

Gas Pipeline Forum

The public is invited to attend a Gas Pipeline Forum on April 26, 2006 at 12:30pm in the old library at City Hall, hosted by the Delta Chamber of Commerce and the City of Delta Junction. Bill Noll, Commissioner of Commerce and Mary Ann Pease and Chuck Logdson, Gasline Advisors with Governor Murkowski’s Office, will present a power point presentation on the gasline’s progress.

Some topics include: Why is the timing right for building the gasline now? What does it mean to the State of Alaska and to Delta Junction? What would be the amount of revenue generated? What is Petroleum Production Tax (PPT)? PPT is a big issue in the Legislature right now so how will the outcome affect the building of the gasline? What steps have already been taken and what steps need to be taken to make the gasline a reality?

A “no holds barred” question and answer session will follow the presentation. Feel free to bring a brown bag lunch with you to this meeting.

Photo of the Day - April 14

While traveling home from Anchorage, we saw this lynx limping through the snow. Photo Courtesy Ruby Hollembaek

Good Friday Facts

Good Friday is a holy day celebrated by Christians on the Friday before Easter or Pascha. It commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus at Calvary. Special prayer services are often held on this day with readings from the Gospel accounts of the events leading up to the crucifixion. Mainstream Christian churches view Christ's crucifixion as a voluntary and vicarious act, and one by which, along with resurrection on the third day, death itself was conquered.

To read more. Text used from the online wikipedia.

Photo of the Day - April 13

Trisha Seibold-Sonnichsen of Delta Junction held off over thirty mushers from around the world at the Tok Race of Champions to claim first prize in the six dog class. March 25th and 26th. Photo Courtesy Christie Mason

2007 Alaska State Vacation Planner Events

Greetings!
I am gathering information to include in the calendar of events section for the 2007 Official Alaska State Vacation Planner and the State of Alaska Official Visitor Website, TravelAlaska.com. The event submission deadline is May 5, 2006.
The 2007 Vacation Planner is sent to more than 450,000 potential visitors and travel agents. The calendar is sent to various media and travel trade, and is also included on the State of Alaska Official Visitor Website, TravelAlaska.com. To submit one or more events for consideration, fill-out the online form and submit it to ATIA electronically. If you do not have Internet access, download the form below and fax it to (907) 561-5727. Please submit one form for each event, and number the forms in order of priority.
Events that will be listed include:

• Cultural and historical commemorations
• Sporting events and races
• Fishing derbies
• Seasonal exhibits
• Annual celebrations and festivals
• Fairs
• Other community activities of interest to visitors

Please help us to minimize errors by thoroughly completing all form(s), remembering to include all event dates and your contact information! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me at (907) 646-3319 or at nalleyne@alaskatia.org.

Download Event Submission Form

Thank you for your participation!

Sincerely,
N'Keisha Alleyne
Communications Specialist
Alaska Travel Industry Association

** Please be advised that due to the number of ads in the Planners for the last two years, we were unable to include a calendar of events section. If this occurs again, the online version of the calendar will continue to be all-inclusive as in previous years.**

Alumni Photos

For enlargements and text click on the photos.

Kevin and Kim's wedding party

Christie DuBois

Kevin and Kim Bender

Alumni Photos

For enlargements and text click on the photos.

Gabriel Edmison

Christie DuBois

Cindy and Amber Blake

Happy Birthday/Anniversary - April 13 - April 18

Happy Birthday April 13 - April 18

Happy Birthday April 13 - Tom Bowley
Happy Birthday April 13 Kathy (Bowley) Petersen
Happy Birthday April 13 - Crystal Green
Happy Birthday April 14 - Jennifer Brant
Happy Birthday April 15 - Janell Gilbertson
Happy Birthday April 16 - Cleo Green
Happy Birthday April 16 - Daniel Green
Happy Birthday April 16 - Steve McCombs
Happy Birthday April 17 - Karen (Bowley) Denny
Happy Birthday April 17 - Brittany Hill
Happy Birthday April 17 - Gene Green
Happy Birthday April18 - to my Husband William Kulakevich – I love you! Irena
Happy Birthday April 18 - James Cummings
Happy Birthday April 18 - Fran O'Leary

Happy Anniversday Apri 13 - April 18

Happy Anniversary April 13 - Butch & Bethe Ellis
Happy Anniversary April 13 - Jerry & Cleeta Barger
Happy Anniversary April 14 - Ray & Birch Ann Allen
Happy Anniversary April 18 - Mike & Misty Lanegan

Delta Wind Available Now

The April 13 issue of Delta Wind is now available.

Photo of the Day - April 12

A storm over Rainbow Mountain. Photo Courtesy Carol Watkins

Delta News Web update

One of the features that we're still missing is the Delta Forum. We are going to have to let the old forum and all of its content go. Maintenance of this older software has become prohibitively expensive for us. We recently purchased vBulletin and it is being installed now. I'm hoping that we will be able to roll it out sometime next week after we get comfortable with using it. This is a pretty sophisticated forum software system. I hope you like it. I'm not yet sure how we'll be able to bring in the most recent posts to the home page of the Delta News Web, but that's what we are aiming for.

By the way, in case you have not noticed yet, there is a place under each post in the Community News for comments. All you need do is click and post a note. We're always interested in your comments on the Delta News Web. Have a good idea for us? Post a comment.

City's Response to the Eddy Drop Zone SDEIS

To view the City's Responses, please visit the City's website.

Photo of the Day - April 11

Matanuska glacier along the Glenn Highway. Photo Courtesy Art Lenon

Photo of the Day - April 10

Summer sunset taken August 2004. Photo Courtesy Sebastain Saarloos.

Important Changes on the Delta News Web

You’ve probably already noticed that we are inaugurating some changes today on the Delta News Web. The background color and centered text is new, as is the weather “sticker” and the way the content boxes look.

Also new today is the way we are displaying the news on the Delta News Web. It’s called a “blog.” The word blog is short for “web log”, which is a simple means of quickly putting information on the `Net. The blog containing the news is in a separate section. You can select either the specific news item you want, or read all the recent news by clicking the community news link.

Blogs offer several powerful advantages. First, they are a very simple way to publish information to the web. The interface we use is a web browser, and it can be operated with just a few minutes training. In addition to text, it’s easy to add hyperlinks, pictures, and even audio or video. Second, multiple authors can contribute to blogs. We expect to develop this aspect of the Delta Community News blog in the weeks ahead. There’s another advantage for us, and that is reduced time to bring the news onto the website.

One change you will note is that the archives will be in blog format starting with April 2006. The older archives will remain in the original format.

We’re still experimenting to get the best result on this. If it changes a bit from time to time until we get the hang of it please bear with us!

We are excited about our new calendar feature. It is quite a bit more powerful than the calendar we started with, as useful as it was. One of the best features is that individuals or organizations can obtain their own user credentials and add, edit and delete their own material.

Today there are three ways you can add events to the Community Calendar: with your own free user account, anonymously, and through the editor for a fee. These instructions are on the calendar event submit page at the bottom of most Delta News Web pages.

It’s easy to obtain your own account: just call our office (895-4919) during normal working hours (9-5 M-F) and we will set it up for you. Or you can email us: editor@deltanewsweb.com: tell us the userid and password you want to use and whether you want your email address to show on events that you post. When you post an event, it will be immediately visible on the calendar, and if you need to edit, you just click on the event, click the edit link and do what you need to do. If you have difficulties with your account, we’ll be happy to help you.

The second method is to anonymously add an event. These events are placed on hold until the editor has approved them. This could take anywhere from a few hours to perhaps three days if you post your event on Friday. The system does not allow you to edit these events. We are able to edit them for you, but we will ask a payment of $10 for each time we must edit.

The final method is to call or email the editor and ask that we post your event. We are happy to do this for you for $10 for one event or several.

After the webserver move, we are still working on some of the features of the Delta News Web. The forum is still down, and we are moving towards putting new software online for this. We are also working towards revising our advertising display system.

We hope you like the changes and find these new systems useful. We're already working on more.

David Johnson - Publisher

Want to kiss a pig? No! Well, buy a t-shirt then!

If you’re not up to actually kissin’ a pig in the annual pig kissin’ contest during the Friendly Frontier Days, don’t worry you can still have a cute little pig or two as a souvenir. This years Friendly Frontier Days T- shirts are just cute as a “pigs ear” and priced right too. T-shirts adult small to extra large will be $13, kids shirts $10 and 2xxl and 3xxxl will be $14. Shirts will arrive in the Delta Chamber office by May 2 and are available to purchase after that date.

Delta Chamber of Commerce -- Needs YOU!

There are all kinds of fun things that the Delta Chamber Staff needs help with and we would love to have YOU as a Volunteer. It’s fun, you meet nice people, you keep busy, it’s exciting…and it’s FUN!!! So give us a call to volunteer. Our next events are Community Clean-up Day May 20 and Friendly Frontier Days May 27. There is a special events meeting April 13 at noon in the Jarvis West Building. Please RSVP if you would like to attend the meeting or just give Dawn a call to volunteer at 895-5068.

Would you like to wish "happy birthday" or "happy anniversary" to someone in our community? Just send their name and birthday or anniversary. We will publish names each week. Please submit names for Delta Junction area people only.

Happy Birthday Apr 7 - Apr 12

• Happy Birthday Apr 7 - Bunnie O'Neill
• Happy Birthday Apr 7 - Nanci Ruthschild
• Apr 7th ~ Happy Birthday to Dana……you know I am thinkin’ it’s time for a “shilleleigh”…..LOL!! Love you girl, Chris
• Happy Birthday Apr 7 - Shannen Hanson
• Happy Birthday Apr 7 - Dan a Nichols
• Happy Birthday Apr 8 - Gloria Hendricks
  Happy Birthday Apr 8 - Jane Kenney
• Happy Birthday Apr 8 - Brenda Lintelman
• Happy Birthday Apr 10 - Rex Beck
• Happy Birthday Apr 10 - "Bill" Dennison
• Happy Birthday Apr 12 - Connie Morley
• Happy Birthday April 12 - John Bray. We love you! Mom, Paul, and Buh.
• Happy Birthday Apr 12 - Ruby Hollembaek
• A Belated Happy Birthday to Harvey Burke on Apr 4. from your sister and brother in-law, Martha and Donald Brenek of Lowell, Vermont, To a great guy, and many more.

Happy Anniversary Apr 7 - Apr 12

• Happy Anniversary Apr 7 - Dave & Jay Underhill
• Happy Anniversary Apr 8 - Jonathan & Lisa Shivel
• Happy Anniversary Apr 11 - Rich & Anne Mauer

Chinook by George Hosier

Winter Skin March 25, 2006
The Burro March 12, 2006
Hooding February 21, 2006

Chinook by George Hosier

Fort Greely Grizzlies

For the complete newsletter click here

• Professional Development DayThere will be a teacher professional development day on Friday, April 21st. There will be no school for students on that day.
• Fort Greely School IdolBack by popular demand, the third “season” of our talent show - Fort Greely School Idol - will be held on Friday, April 28th. Students wishing to sing, dance, or perform a skit for great prizes are encouraged to sign up with Mrs. Linda Sloan on Monday, April 17th. Competition tryouts will take place the following week. Parents are invited to attend the competition!
• Parent Information MeetingParents are invited to visit with our school counselor and principal as we discuss the current schedule, program, and policies of Fort Greely School and look ahead towards changes for the next school year. We will meet at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 26th in the school Conference Center. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the school through the means listed above.
  March 31, 2006 -- Brian J. Schaffer/Principal, Fort Greely School

The Carefree Gourmet - Joyce McCombs recipes

A Bit of Irish March 23, 2006
Crazy for Carrots March 9, 2006
February Vacation February 23, 2006
Easy Budget January 12, 2006

For more of the Carefree Gourmet, click here

Classical Mystery Tour

April 15, 2006. 8 pm Location: Carlson Center - Fairbanks. Admission: $26-$36 plus outlet feesThe Fab Four musicians in Classical Mystery Tour look and sound just like The Beatles, but Classical Mystery Tour is more than just a rock concert.
The full show presents some 30 Beatles tunes sung, played, and performed exactly as they were written. Hear "Penny Lane" with a live trumpet section; experience the beauty of "Yesterday" with an acoustic guitar and string quartet; enjoy the rock/classical blend on the hard edged "I Am the Walrus." From early Beatles music on through the solo years, Classical Mystery Tour is the best of The Beatles like you've never heard them: totally live. Tickets available at the Carlson Center Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets and ticketmaster Fairbanks Symphony Association Phone: (907) 474-5852

April 3, 2006

Aglow Offers New Video Series

The women who bring Delta the Northern Lights Gala and Delta's first Ugly Lamp Contest and more, now bring you the Beth Moore video series: Believing God. Through this series, we will learn to believe that God is who He says He is; that God can do what He says He can do; and you are who He says you are.Delta Evening Aglow meets on Thursdays at 7:00 pm at the home of Fran Hallgren, 1699 Harper Ave. Delta Evening Aglow invites all women, and is particularly stream-lined for women with busy lives. Delta Aglow is part of Aglow International, a non-denominational Christian organization in over 165 nations in the world. For more about Delta Evening Aglow, please contact Fran @ 895-5532. For information about Delta Day Aglow (which meets Mondays at 9:30 am at Arctic Fox Bldg) please call Kathy Fields @ 895-1950. For more information about Aglow International, please visit their website.

April 6, 2006

Delta Softball League! Umpires Needed!

It's time again to start thinking about softball. The Delta Softball League is looking for Umpires for the upcoming Season beginning June 5. If you would like to earn a little extra money this summer please contact Hanni Marchuk at 895-4018 (evening) or (907)360-9731 (day). The pay is $20.00 per game. We are also looking for volunteers to help assist in the planning and upkeep of the league.

April 4, 2006

Web Server Transition - April 10 update

Here is an update from Monday morning.

• Search box: This is now operational again. See the top of this page.
  Calendar: The new calendar is operational. This is an entirely new system, with much more flexibility.
• Banner ads: The home page banner ads are working, but they are not working on other pages. We are working on an improved replacement system and expect to have it in place by late next week.
• More coming: Another important change is coming soon. We are going to be changing the way we present the news.

David Johnson, Publisher April 10, 2006

Vote For Someone to Kiss A Pig

It’s that time of year…you know pig kissin’ time! Do you have a friend or family member that you would love to see kiss a pig? This is your chance to make that dream come true. Nomination and Voting cans are scattered throughout town now! So watch for the pig cans and cast your vote.
The top three vote getters will kiss the pig during Friendly Frontier Days. Gosh, this should be a sight to see. Nominations are $5 and votes are $1. Vote as often as you like. So far there are Pig Voting Cans located at Buffalo Diner, IGA Food Cache, Frontier Pull Tabs, Granite View Sports, Delta Library, MT. Mckinley Bank and Wells Fargo Bank you also can cast your vote at the Delta Chamber office.
April 7, 2006

Photo of the Day - April 8

A familiar scene in the farming community of Delta. Copyright by Dwight Phillips

Community Drama Coming Soon!

Many Deltans are eagerly anticipating the upcoming stage play to be presented at the Delta Junction Assembly of God Church (across from IGA and beside Interior Building Supply). Show times are 7:00pm on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, April 21-23. “What Man is This?”, the third play produced and presented by Delta Christian Drama Association will be a community event. Everyone is welcome, and admission is free.

The cast, crew, and production team are excited about the opportunity to share this costume drama. Hundreds of man-hours have been donated to create the period sets and rich costumes that will characterize this show. Although DCDA believes that elaborate sets and costumes are no substitute for good acting, a well-written script, and a poignant message; they also believe that creating a setting as visually authentic as possible is crucial to audience rapport and storyline credibility.

The new, young talent that will making “What Man is This?” their debut performance have been working hard beside veteran actors. DCDA aims for excellence and professionalism in their productions. The cast has risen to the challenge, in spite of a challenging script written in classical language and incorporating Latin and Hebrew terminology, first century costumes, complex stage combat sequences, and some emotionally intense scenes.

Director George Hosier reports that the rehearsal progress is on schedule and looking very promising. “There have been some moments during rehearsal when I was so moved by work the actors were doing on stage that I found tears coming to my eyes. This group of people is amazing to work with! They don’t complain about my perfectionist expectations. Whether it has been the cast, crew, costumers, or the musicians, when I ask them for something, they do their best to give it to me, and they all have great attitudes and commitment to what we are doing. I am humbled to be a part of this experience.”

Spread the word, and bring family and friends to see this quality play on the weekend after Easter. You will not be disappointed.

Delta School Lunch Menu Online for April

You can see the Delta School Lunch Menu online here, or download your own copy for printing.