My idea of camping is a cozy cabin in the woods, so I was delighted to see the accommodations that Karen and Jim Burris have to offer at the Daniels Lake Lodge.
             The setting of their home and lodge is on picturesque Daniels Lake. Upon arrival, I was greeted by Sam, the gander, who watches over much of the lakefront and keeps the guests company.
            Karen came to Alaska on 1982 from the Phoenix area. As a girl growing up, she said the town was much smaller than today, but she enjoyed activities that took her out of the city, like hiking. She came to visit a friend who lived in Alaska.
            “I was just itching to come to Alaska anyhow,” she said.
            She met Jim through both his sister and their church. The couples first date was a bit different.
            “Our first date was the carnival, and we didn’t even know it was our first date,” she said.
            The couple married in 1995.
            Today, Jim works for Peak as a turbine and gas compressor mechanic at Beluga Point. He is at home for a week and works at Beluga the next week.
            After purchasing the home in 1984, Karen decided to make the home into a bed and breakfast. At that time the lodge consisted of just the home, where she rented out the lower section to guests. Today Daniels Lake Lodge also offers four nearby private cabins and the lower section of the home.
            Another difference today is that Karen stocks the full kitchens of each of the guest quarters, so visitors can make their own food and eat at whatever time suits them.
            Jim said many guests are fishermen who rise very early to get a line in. But the meals together were nice Jim said.
            “I kind of miss it,” he said.
            During my visit to the lodge, the wildlife on the lake was just astounding; loons, ducks and geese; fish jumping from the lake and eagles flying over head. The guests were also enjoying the views from the outdoor hot tub and one was taking a swim.
            In the past, Jim and Karen have opened their lodge to church retreats and other functions.
            The couple enjoys opening their home and beautiful view to guests all over the world the entire year. They say their lodge is a reason to escape to Alaska.  
           
Around town
            Welcome to Fall weather and the week school starts for the 2006-07 school year.
            Happy Birthday wishes go out this week to Jewell Garis and Morris Quale on August 30, Richard Lott on August 31, Angeles Poage on September 1 and Don Roderick on September 2.
           
 

With His tattooed arms and long hair, the nickname “Harley Bob” fits Bob Drennan like a black leather glove. However, Bob’s nickname does not come just from his appearance. In 1980, when he worked in the cannery for Tony Garroutte, there were four other Bobs that worked there as well. When names were written on a board to keep tabs on who showed up for work each day, they needed a way to distinguish the different Bobs. Drennan was the only Bob with a Harley so he became “Harley Bob” and the name stuck.

Bob was born and raised on an Island off the coast of Maine, where he grew up fishing for cod, lobster and scallops. He came to Alaska because of his grandfather and was stationed in Fairbanks when he was in the service. Bob has called Ninilchik home since 1979 and says the best thing about the community is the winter people. He said that a good neighbor is someone who is dependable and someone you can rely on.

When I asked him if there was something he would like changed about Ninilchik he chuckled, “More spruce trees, but I guess we can’t do any thing about that.” On a more serious note, he said that he would like to see a curriculum in the public school that would teach the kids a trade-something they could support themselves with. “Since we are the richest state, we should have the highest quality education for the children,” he said.

Bob said that he has tried to live other places but always comes back to Ninilchik because of the ocean, mountains and wilderness. He said that tourists pay thousands of dollars to see what we see every day, and he thinks we take it for granted. When Bob is on the beach feasting on crab with friends, he wonders, “What do rich people eat?”

I asked Bob if he still rides a Harley but he shrugged and said that he wrecked about 10 years ago. ” I broke nearly every bone in my body, and only thing left from the Harley is my earrings I made from the scrap metal.”

Bob claims there must be about 9,032 rumors about him. What does he say to offset those rumors? “No, I never did steal a bulldozer.” Harley Bob assured me all the local Ninilchik people would know what he meant. He told me the story and I will give you a hint that it has something to do with the statute of limitations and the Core of Engineers, but beyond that, you will have to ask him yourself.

Around Town: Congratulations to the many Ninilchik neighbors who won ribbons in the fair and successfully sold livestock at the 4-H auction. Morgan Jones, who was featured in the Neighbors’ Column last week won division champion for her blue ribbon apple pear pie.

Kasilof is a bedroom community with many residents working in nearby towns or more distant oil fields. Kasilof is also the home of several businesses, a significant salmon fishery and developing gas fields. The Kasilof pad is a Marathon Oil Co. gas production facility at mile 4 Cohoe Loop Rd.
Joe Freeman is employed on the pipeline construction this summer along Cohoe Loop. He has been living at Decanter Inn since April 5 and working as a welder for Peak Oilfield Services. Peak has three pipeline employees staying at the Decanter.

Joe hails from Oklahoma. At 30, he’s been working in the oil patch, mostly welding, for 12 years. I asked if he had a family?

The young man answered with a soft drawl, “Yeaah.” And pulled pictures out of his wallet. I saw a good-looking girl and five children. On inquiry I learned the kid’s age. Actually, Joe whipped out a phone and called Lori, his wife, to get up-to-date information. It was 10:30 p.m. in Oklahoma and the conversation sounded rosy from my perspective, in the bar. The kids ranged from 14 to 3, all boys except a 13-year-old girl.

Intrigued, I asked if he had been back for a visit this summer?

“Noo,” he shook his head.

Then he told me that Lori and he were a blended family, each bringing children from a previous marriage into their union. Working away from home is common for Joe.

“I ain’t spent but three years of the past 12 in Oklahoma,” he said. “And they weren’t in a row.”

Even now Joe will be traveling. He was scheduled to fly over to Beluga to do some welding in the gas fields there —and hoping to see a bear. He planned to have his helper, Doug Zinn, of Nikiski accompany him. Joe will be flying home Sept. 5.

I commented that after such long absences his homecomings must be great.

“Like Thanksgiving for about a week,” he answered.

Then we quartered the pool table and enjoyed a few games.

Around Town

Eagle nests along Cohoe Loop pipeline proved expensive for gas consumers. The Federal Fish & Wildlife Service made pipeline layers bore under the area near the nests instead of trenching. Alaska Road Boring Co. did the work. They drilled a third hole under Bottleneck Lake. The same company used this procedure previously, when they put the main trunk pipeline under Kasilof River and Crooked Creek.

A memorial service for long time Kasilof resident, Greg Rozak, was held Aug. 21 at Soldotna Bible Chapel. A crowd attended and Christian services included songs by Shannon Darling. Jeff Aley also sang with Caleb Nelson accompanying him on the guitar. Afterward, Kasilof Community Church’s pastor, Paul Kupferschmid, invited public comment. Testimony continued for over an hour as family, friends, and employees shared fond memories of Greg.

Please send me your announcements!

      Bruce’s Street & Skate was a busy place on a recent Saturday morning. Shoppers, young and old, were checking out new boards, wallets, and clothing.
      16-year-old Matt Klum (17 November 1st) was able to take a few minutes to chat with me. “I’ve lived here all my life,” he told me. Matt attended K-Beach Elementary, Soldotna Middle School, and this year will be a junior at Soldotna High School.
      “Metals is my favorite subject,” he said. “I welded a dune buggy together last year, but the teacher didn’t get the engine together in time, so . . . .” Maybe this year, I enquired? “Maybe, but I’m not sure.”
      Matt is not a novice to working. “I worked for two years at Safeway before coming here,” he told me. “I like this better. I clean the place - it’s not a hard job.” The manager, Eric Fischer, looked up and grinned at this.
      In addition to work and school Matt enjoys playing his Cort electric acoustic guitar. “I’m not in a band or anything, though,” he said.
      Soldotna is great because “I have friends I can hang out with. I can hang out at their houses and have fun. You can walk everywhere. It’s small. You don’t have to get in a car and drive. You can walk,” he said.
      He agreed that there is good and bad to living in a small town. “I don’t like it that . . . skaters (get stopped) - and the mall will kick people out for hanging out. Soldotna is too small - there’s nothing to do,” he continued.
      Matt says he hasn’t decided yet what he wants to do after finishing high school. It sounds to me like he has a pretty good work ethic, and he has a great smile. Those two things will go a long way in your future endeavors, Matt. Thanks for taking the time to talk with me.
——————
AROUND TOWN:
      It’s hard to believe, but school has started. Watch out for the kids at the bus stops and don’t forget . . . stop for flashing lights. If you have questions about your child’s school schedule, check out the district’s website at http://kpbsd.k12.ak.us/ . There is a wealth of information on the site - including lunch menus, information on immunizations, and many other things. Be involved in your kids’ school lives.
      Congratulations to The LeeShore Center on holding another successful Run. Be watching next year for their 20th Annual Kenai Peninsula Run for Women.
      The Ninilchik Fair was great, if a bit wet - lots of exhibits and a whole lot of fun. Now the Alaska State Fair is taking place in Palmer. Who has the biggest cabbage this year?

———————-
      Neighbors, this is your column. I would love to put in news of your guests and your special milestones. You can read them in print and also on the Neighbors Blog. Call me. Give me a two weeks heads-up for dated items, please, due to deadlines. I don’t want to miss your birthdays or anniversaries.

From: “Joan Hansen” hansjoan@alaska.net>
To: news@peninsulaclarion.com>
Subject: Kenai Neighbors Column for Aug. 22, 2006
Date: Thursday, August 17, 2006 4:31 AM

KENAI NEIGHBORS COLUMN for AUG.22, 2006

Suree Nujoy was born in Bangkok, Thailand. Her husband, Vong, was born in Nakhon Sridham, Maraj Province of southern Thailand. They came to America in 1978 and first lived in Las Vegas and from there they moved to Houston, Texas to work, with Suree working as a salad cook for the Four Seasons Hotel. Her specialty was making appetizers. She admired the vegetable carvings of her homeland, and taught herself to become proficient in this art. Her first contest win was in a pumpkin carving contest, where she won second prize. “I only won second because my pumpkin was beautiful instead of scary!”, Suree says.
Her skill at making beautiful things out of ordinary fruits and vegetables grew. She learned to make vases out of butternut squash, and filled them with roses made from red beets with green onion tops as stems. Turnips, red radishes, and carrots are good for making roses. Chrysanthemums can be carved from pumpkin, squash, sweet potatoes, or any root vegetable with color. One of her specialties is carving a watermelon, where she fashions flower baskets full of roses, using color from both the red and the white parts of the melon.
“We come to Alaska to see another world, says Vong, “and Alaska is different from any other state.” Suree and Vong moved to Anchorage in 1993 and to Kenai on 1995, when they bought the Thai Lotus restaurant on Willow Street. They have been here ever since, with the exception of a yearly trip back to Thailand to see family.
Their son, Prapat, was born in Houston but grew up to graduate from Kenai Central High School, where he was recognized as a talented musician, with a special aptitude for playing the trombone. JoJo, as his school chums called him, has been attending University of Alaska in Fairbanks, majoring in music. He plans to attend graduate school in Oregon following graduation from UAF.
Once thing the Nujoys find different here, besides the weather, of course, are attitudes. Suree stated that “When children reach 18, they need to ask their parents for their blessings, instead of expecting gifts. Parents have already given to their children”, she says, “and now it is time for children to care for and give back to their parents and grandparents”. Vong says that when growing up in their culture, they never showed disrespect to their elders, and spent the rest of their parents’ lives treating them with honor.
The Nujoys like Kenai and appreciate their loyal friends and customers. “There’s something charming about Alaska. People are nice here”, says Suree.
AROUND TOWN: It’s a busy day today. School started in most area schools and it’s the primary election. You have been to vote, haven’t you? There’s still time.
Looking tanned and relaxed, Lisa and Rick Nunez and family are home from a trip to Lake Powell in Utah, where they spent some exciting fun-filled days on a houseboat enjoying all the heat with friends and relatives.
Happy Birthday on the 23rd to Lynn Tree, Dea Kenyon, and Vivian Jolin. Celebrating on the 24th are Jim Fisher and Ramon Sparlin; Nancy Nakamura, Jaunita MCurdy, Juliana John and Gene Wheeler on the 25th. Happy day to Emily DeForest, Joe Gleason, George Navarre, Robert Krongielbel, Delphia Nelson, Ray Carlson, Bertha Waskey on the 27th.

Marissa Mahan is 12 years old and has lived in Sterling her whole life. This year she will be attending the 7^th grade at Soldotna Middle School.

“I’m looking forward to seeing all my friends again,” she said.

She is also looking forward to Track season. “I want to do the shot-put,” she said.

Both Marissa’s dad and brother participated in the shop-put in school.

“My brother has one of the 8 pound balls. I’ve tried it a few times, but it is really heavy and hard to hold,”

Marissa and her family live a new house they built off of Robinson Loop road.

“I have a little sister named Ciarra and a big brother named Keny,”. The family also has 5 dogs, 2 cats and 4 hamsters, and 12 chickens. Oh yeah, her mom and dad, Krissy and Jeff, live there too.

“My dog is named Shylow and my hamster is named Buck,” she said.

This summer Marissa went on an exciting trip that has been in the works for many years. Her girls scout troop started raising money back when she was in Brownies in the first grade. This year the girls spent the money on a trip to California. They spent most of the time in the San Francisco area.

“We did a bunch of shopping and went to the Sealife Center, a water park, and the zoo,” she said.

She especially liked the spectacled bear named Wishbone that lived at the zoo.

“It had a mark on his forehead that was shaped just like a wishbone. That’s how it got its name,”.

Marissa doesn’t want to see much change here in Sterling. She likes that it is a small town and that most of her extended family lives close by.

“I hope we keep all the Anchorage stores up in Anchorage. If we need to go shopping, we can just go there. I want Sterling to stay small,” she said.

When I asked Marissa what she likes to do for fun she said one of her favorite things was to go swimming in the local lakes.

“We go swimming in all of them, but I like to go by my Uncle Scott’s house. The lake is deep so you don’t touch the bottom when you are swimming. I don’t like walking in the mud,” she said

Around Town:

This week wish a big happy birthday to Ellen Hayes on Wednesday, Dennis Wall on Thursday, Charlotte Thrasher and Minerva Shipman on Saturday, and Richard Mendenhall on Sunday.

Sterling Head Start, located next to Cook’s Tesoro, is taking applications for the upcoming school year. The program is free and open to children 3 to 5 years old. Call 26-7446 or 252-5909 for more information.

I spent a fun afternoon recently talking with Patty Bennett at her coffee shop, Jitters Espresso, in downtown Sterling. In between chatting with me, Patty was busy making coffee for trucks full of fishermen and making snow cones for kids walking up to the window with fists full of sticky quarters and limp dollar bills. All of them were served with the same cheerful patter and happy smile.

“I love that the kids come by here. They will walk a mile or more just to come get a snow cone,” she said. “They’ll hang out here at the window and we’ll have a chat,” she said. “I really like seeing the kids.”

Patty grew up in Alaska and had many great stories to tell about being a kid in Sterling.

“We spent tons of time fishing on the river. All the kids would get together and hang out,” she said. “There weren’t things like organized sports. If we wanted to have fun, we had to make it ourselves.”

One of Patty’s favorite places as a kid was the Moose River. She and her friends would go visit Laura Pederson. Laura would always have something for the kids to do. In the spring, when the river was low, they would pick up lures that had been lost the previous year; clean them up and them sell them to the fisherman again. In the summer they would catch fish and then sell the eggs to the tourists for bait.

“We would go from house to house collecting used baby food jars from the moms. Then we would pack them full of eggs and sell them to the fishermen. I think we got 15 cents a jar,” she said with a laugh.

Patty also talked about changes she would like to see in Sterling. “I’d like to see Sterling become more self sufficient, to see it grow to the point we don’t have to run into Soldotna so often,” she said. “I’d also like to see more opportunities for the local kids. It would be great for the kids to have a chance to work, to learn a good work ethic and responsibility, while they’re still young.”

Patty especially wanted an opportunity to thank the Sterling community for being so supportive of her new business. “The people here are just great. They have allowed me to stay busy enough to be open year round. I can’t say thank you enough,” she said.

Around Town:

Wish a happy birthday this week to: Vanda Caldwell on the 16^th, Frenchie Malotte and Kathleen Vogel on the 17^th, Ray Gates on the 18^th, Geoann Reichert on the 19^th, Chieko Brown and Dillon Kimple on the 20^th, and Lorna Whitaker and Sam Renfrow on the 21^st.

Sterling Head Start, located next to Cook’s Tesoro, is taking applications for the upcoming school year. The program is free and open to children 3 to 5 years old. Call 26-7446 or 252-5909 for more information.

Frank and Irene Bush met at High School in Maricopa, California. They married in 1938 and Frank went to work in the oil fields at Taft (near Bakersfield). After about 20 years Frank decided he wanted to get out of the oil business. He read about Alaska and thought the Kenai Peninsula might be a good place to go.

So Frank and Irene packed up their eight children and homesteaded in 1958 on what is now Yukon Road, off Pollard Loop. They chose the area partly because Kasilof Territorial School was available for their kids.

“We didn’t know anybody,” Frank said. “After we were here a little while I found out Richfield had struck oil at Swanson River. I went there looking for work and the foreman happened to be a foreman I had worked for in Taft! For development they turned the field over to Standard Oil of California. Later, Standard Oil became Chevron. The first oil we shipped out went by Weaver Brothers to Seward. Eventually, five truck and trailer combinations per day were hauling oil to Seward, where it was shipped south for refining.”

In 1960 an oil pipeline to Nikiski was completed and Swanson River went into full production. “I spent ten years in the field and became foreman,” Frank continued. “So we moved the family out there for 15 years, but we kept the place up here, too.”

Irene drove the school bus. She received a nice plaque from Chevron for her years of service. It reads: 1974-1983 330,000 miles with no accidents. Transporting school children from Swanson River to Sterling, Soldotna, Kenai and returning.

Irene also made a detailed daily report on the weather at Swanson River. “This was for some government agency,” Frank said. After 67 years of marriage, Irene passed away, about a year ago. “She use to pick berries at Swanson River and had to carry a pistol on her hip to keep bears away.” Frank added.

The Bush’s cleared the Kasilof property and built their house themselves. They had big gardens and put up hay. Most of their kids and grandkids live on the homestead. Two sons have worked on the Slope for 15 years. Frank maintains his residence with the help of an old chocolate lab.

Around Town

The big new building by Paul and Joyce Fischer’s house is a garage / storage / wood shop. Their son, Matt, did the engineering and the Fischer kids erected it. Paul plans to finish it slowly.

Jim and Ruth Lawler will be heading out to Wyoming again this winter to manage their huge ranch. Lawler’s house is high over an airplane hanger on Crooked Creek Road. Jim was a supervisor for ARCO at Prudhoe Bay for 20 years. Ruth was a school teacher. They’ve lived on Crooked Creek Road since 1977 and are retired.

            Ian Nathaniel Dean Dukowitz. 12, will soon be starting seventh-grade at Nikiski Middle Senior High School. He said he is a bit excited and is glad his friends will be there.

            “The fact is, it is where a lot of my friends go,” he said.

            One of his best subjects in school is science. As a graduating sixth-grader at Nikiski North Star Elementary, a NASA explorer school, his class curriculum dealt with a lot of space exploration and science. His favorite project was developing an alien that could survive on planets within our solar system. Ian was assigned Mercury and he created a reptilian creature, which craved solar waves and ate rocks that contained minerals it needed for survival.

            He said he also is interested in working on projects about molecular structure and anything having to do with pets.

            Ian said while he loves to read, he dislikes writing and that fact can often make writing class pretty hard. But, never the less, he spends much of his time reading, especially fantasy books about dragons and magic. Before our talk, he was buried in the 388 page Abarat, a Clive Barker series.

            Ian has even started writing his own fantasy book and someday has hopes of being an author. He said he also is interested in working with animals in some way, either as a veterinarian or a police dog trainer when he gets older.

            Ian has spent his summer hanging out and attending weekly meeting for the Young Marines. In the program, youths meet weekly and get training. While in the beginning his parents put him into the program, today he is glad they did.

            “I love it now,” he said.

            During the classes held from, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturdays, the youths take classes and get training and ribbons. The Young Marines were a part of the Arctic Winter Games opening ceremonies and provided security of the Kenai Peninsula State Fair last weekend.

            In a few weeks, Ian will be teaching his own class on swimming at the Nikiski Pool. Young Marines who attend and participate get their swimming ribbons. He has planned the entire class and is excited about it.

            “I have been planning it for a while,” he said.

            Another fascinating side of Ian is his excitement about role playing games.

            “I have always been interested in role playing,” he said.

            His favorite series of games currently is the Elder Scrolls series, video games that can be played on any game system. The games allow players to create whole other worlds and life forms living there. He said because players can be anything, the games never gets boring.

            “You can sit there and play them and play them and there is always something to do,” he said.

Around town

            Mike Wicker, water aerobics instructor, said the Tuesday and Thursday class will start October at the Nikiski Pool. For more information, call the Nikiski pool at 776-8800.