16
vernonia’s
voice community
june
2008
Living In Alaska - The End of Winter
By Kate Conley
Kate Conley, a former city employee with Vernonia and a resident of Mist, recently moved with her family to the small town of King Salmon, Alaska, on the Aleutian Penin-
sula. Kate is working for the local government there as the Borough Clerk for Lake and Peninsula Borough. We hope to publish periodic updates from Kate about her
adventures and daily life in Alaska.
I was warned that the winters are very dark here. May-
be because I grew up in a place called Mist, but there
was more sunlight this winter than I expected. On
December 21st the sun rose around ten and set about
three. That was, of course, the shortest day. Since then
the days have been six minutes longer each day. Sun-
rise and sunset seems to last a long time.
The borough has dorms for itinerant workers and teach-
ers here for in-service meetings. Workers who special-
ize in boilers or technology do not abound in the local
population, so these specialists have to be flown in and
accommodations are scarce; the borough is able to save
money by providing housing in the offices. We spent
the first month in these “dorms” because housing here
is at a premium. Shipping in lumber and supplies is ex-
pensive. During the winter, all the inns and lodges are
closed up and any houses not rented before the freeze
are winterized and not rented out again until thaw. We
were fortunate to find a house available on December
31st from a family that had moved here from Kansas in
the fall. The father was to be a first year teacher who
by December had enough and was moving home. The
house would be available and the owner needed some-
one in right away. Leaving a house empty when the
temperature dips to 30 below is serious business.
The school district (which is run by the borough) has
fourteen schools, each serving K through 12. The num-
ber of students per school varies from nine students to
sixty-five with a total school district enrollment of 366
students. The entire borough population is around 1,500
citizens. In addition, each of these communities is com-
pletely independent and not accessible to one another
except by boat or plane (or snowmobile when the waters
freeze). Being school district management is a logistical
nightmare and requires someone who
doesn’t mind flying in little planes.
This area is feeling the recession this
year that the government insists we are
not experiencing. The cost of living
here is no longer offset by the proceeds
of fishing. Fishing used to be very lu-
crative. In 1997, a salmon fisherman
in Naknek could expect to make up to
$80,000; now a fisherman is lucky to
make $30,000 in a season. Being re-
sourceful, the fishermen have had to ex-
pand their season by fishing for many
types of fish and now a man that fishes
for eight months can make what he
made in three months ten years ago.
The price of fuel is the biggest crisis
faced by villages in the bush. It is caus-
ing these small communities to become
extinct. Our borough services seventeen communities
with populations that vary from 205 to five. Each com-
munity has to be independent. They supply any infra-
structure the community receives. For example, Igiugig
is a village of fifty-six citizens in the winter. The village
council provides road maintenance, sewer, water, airport
maintenance, and diesel powered electrical service. Most
communities have diesel powered electrical plants. Each
community orders their fuel to be delivered by barge in
the fall of the year and stores the fuel in tank farms.
I feel bad for Vernonia homeowners. I know the sewer
bills seem outrageous, but let me put a bit of perspective
on things. In the little villages in Alaska they do not pay
for water or sewer for the most part. Most are on wells
and have septic systems. What they pay for is heat.
Keep in mind that the temperatures here can get to 50
or 60 below and being without fuel or electricity can be
a serious problem. I pay $4.00 per gallon for diesel, but
in the smaller villages, they are having a crisis and are
paying around $17.00 per gallon. This winter has been
really bad because the barges did not deliver the usual
delivery of fuel in the fall. Fuel is flown in, in 55-gallon
drums, and is very scarce and expensive.
These villagers often live on only subsistence and fish-
ing. Their incomes are about $35,000 per year. That
does not sound so bad until you know that for every
$100 Portlanders spend on food, villagers spend about
$240. They supplement their food with subsistence,
meaning they hunt, fish and gather food.
The weather is very different here and so is the toler-
ance for it. In Oregon when it snows, even a little skiff,
schools are closed. Not here. We have seen snow, sleet,
hail, ice storms and freezing rain. Still, the kids go off
The bars are popular on Friday and Saturday night, and
churches are popular on Sunday morning. There are
three bars in Naknek and one in King Salmon. Each
town has its own liquor store. I understand alcoholism is
a serious problem here and several villages have declared
themselves dry or “damp.” The difference is that it is il-
legal to possess alcohol in dry villages, while it is only
illegal to sell alcohol in damp villages. There are serious
and significant penalties for bringing in alcohol to dry
villages. The good news is there are eleven churches in
Naknek and King Salmon. The service we attend has a
congregation of less than ten people. There are two ra-
dio stations available here. One is Alaska Public Radio
Network and the other is a Christian channel.
In March we had finally acclimated to the cold. The
last few days have been in the mid 30s. The snow is
melting and disappearing. My husband admitted he
hasn’t worn his long johns for three days. Kelsey is
just wearing a hoodie to school and I have given up
the hat and mittens. I am told not to get used to this
warm snap as it will turn cold again before we see a real
spring, but it gives one hope.
JUNE 14TH 10AM-3PM
@ SPENCER PARK
BREWERY, FINE WINES,
AND A WORLD
OF DELIGHTS!
OPEN 10 AM - 8 PM
TUESDAY - SUNDAY
(503) 429-4350
62467 N. Hwy 47 Vernonia, OR
Lawn Mower and Podunk Races
Saturday June 28th,
High Noon, at Bill Swords’
[across from Anderson Park]
LAWN MOWERS
[2 Categories]
•Stock • Means stock Lawn Mower.
•Modified • Must have riding mower,
frame & tires, no mower decks allowed.
No other rules .
POPDUNK
Bring your 4 wheeler! Must complete one lap,
wheels cannot stop, cannot go off track,
LONGEST TIME WINS!
Helmet and Safety gear REQUIRED!
to school. The only reason they will close school is for
a power outage (no heat = kidsicles) or if the wind chill
gets down to 60 below. On Kelsey’s first day, I took
her to school and when she went to board the school
bus that evening, the driver did not want to let her on
because she did not have her snow pants! It is a re-
quirement that a child must wear boots and snow pants
if the weather is below zero. Trust me, the drivers do
not budge on this rule. Show up with just sneakers, no
ride. Show up with jeans and a coat, no ride. The kids’
lockers are filled with snow gear. I do not know where
they put their books.
Come warm up for
Jamboree Competition!
GET ON YOUR BAD LAWN MOWER AND RIDE!
For more info contact Gadget at 503-429-0517.
PLAYER AND COACH
APPRECIATION CEREMONY
EVENTS
S
a
i
l
u
n
g
o
fest
n
r
e
V
‘08
10 PITCHES FROM A PITCHING MACHINE FOR A $1.00
THROWIN’
HEAT
TEST YOUR THROWING SPEED - THREE BALLS FOR A $1.00
BASEBALL BBQ
DONATION CAR WASH & POP CAN DRIVE
RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE
BIKE SAFETY AWARENESS
MONEY RAISED FROM POP CANS WILL BE USED TO TAKE PLAYERS
TO A PORTLAND BEAVERS GAME - MONEY RAISED FROM CAR WASH
WILL BE USED TO BUILD AND MAINTAIN OUR FIELDS