I recently spoke with Bryan Crisp on the phone about the Nikiski Fire Fighters Association T-shirts on sale. He was very helpful, so I decided to ask his thoughts about Nikiski.
            Bryan had great things to say about our small town.
            “Nikiski is a nice and quite place to live,” he said. “The community is very nice and helpful.
            He originated in Mechanicsville, Va. and moved to Kodiak in 1998 as a member of the United States Coast Guard. He worked as a military firefighter at the U.S. Coast Guard Fire and Rescue on the island. After his honorable discharge in 2000, he took a civil service position at a Kodiak firehouse where he worked for two years.
            In early fall of 2002, Bryan moved to Nikiski and took an Engineer/EMT-111 position with the Nikiski Fire Department. He also recently was involved in restarting the Nikiski FFA; a group that raises money for two $500 scholarships awarded to Nikiski graduates.
            He said he loves and enjoys helping others in need.
            Bryan said he takes part in outdoor activities including hunting, fishing, camping, biking, kayaking, snow machining and four wheeling in his off time.
            “Pretty much anything outside,” he said.
But recently wedding plans have been at the top of the list. He and his fiancée, Jessica, are planning a December wedding. The couple will travel to Virginia next month to visit Bryan’s parents.
Around town
There are still some openings at the senior housing facility on Holt Lamplight Road. For more information, call Leigh at 776-7654.
Family Fun in the Midnight Sun seemed to be a great hit. I saw families having fun and kids enjoying the summer.
The Boys and Girls Club serves two meals daily at Nikiski North Star Elementary. The meals are open to anyone and are free. Parents could spend time when dropping kids off or on their lunch break. Breakfast is served from 8:30 to 9 a.m. and lunch is served from noon to 1 p.m. The program will run through August 3.
The Cosmic Reading Challenge is underway in Nikiski. Every minute or book your child reads until September 1 will count. There will be a celebration with free T-shirts for all participants and other prizes for top readers.
Happy birthday wishes go out to Louise Tulin and Bradley Veal on June 27 and Durainey Rawls and Doug Anderson on June 30.
Happy anniversary to Doug and Marie Anderson (today) June 26 and Jim and Patty Herrick on June 28.
Things are changing and I need readers to send me more community information. Birthdays, anniversaries, births, sporting events and more; I also would like to hear more from those who have been traveling or someone new to the area. Give me a ring.

            I recently spoke with Bryan Crisp on the phone about the Nikiski Fire Fighters Association T-shirts on sale. He was very helpful, so I decided to ask his thoughts about Nikiski.
            Bryan had great things to say about our small town.
            “Nikiski is a nice and quite place to live,” he said. “The community is very nice and helpful.
            He originated in Mechanicsville, Va. and moved to Kodiak in 1998 as a member of the United States Coast Guard. He worked as a military firefighter at the U.S. Coast Guard Fire and Rescue on the island. After his honorable discharge in 2000, he took a civil service position at a Kodiak firehouse where he worked for two years.
            In early fall of 2002, Bryan moved to Nikiski and took an Engineer/EMT-111 position with the Nikiski Fire Department. He also recently was involved in restarting the Nikiski FFA; a group that raises money for two $500 scholarships awarded to Nikiski graduates.
            He said he loves and enjoys helping others in need.
            Bryan said he takes part in outdoor activities including hunting, fishing, camping, biking, kayaking, snow machining and four wheeling in his off time.
            “Pretty much anything outside,” he said.
But recently wedding plans have been at the top of the list. He and his fiancée, Jessica, are planning a December wedding. The couple will travel to Virginia next month to visit Bryan’s parents.
Around town
There are still some openings at the senior housing facility on Holt Lamplight Road. For more information, call Leigh at 776-7654.
Family Fun in the Midnight Sun seemed to be a great hit. I saw families having fun and kids enjoying the summer.
The Boys and Girls Club serves two meals daily at Nikiski North Star Elementary. The meals are open to anyone and are free. Parents could spend time when dropping kids off or on their lunch break. Breakfast is served from 8:30 to 9 a.m. and lunch is served from noon to 1 p.m. The program will run through August 3.
The Cosmic Reading Challenge is underway in Nikiski. Every minute or book your child reads until September 1 will count. There will be a celebration with free T-shirts for all participants and other prizes for top readers.
Happy birthday wishes go out to Louise Tulin and Bradley Veal on June 27 and Durainey Rawls and Doug Anderson on June 30.
Happy anniversary to Doug and Marie Anderson (today) June 26 and Jim and Patty Herrick on June 28.
Things are changing and I need readers to send me more community information. Birthdays, anniversaries, births, sporting events and more; I also would like to hear more from those who have been traveling or someone new to the area. Give me a ring.

Danny Roderick is son of the late Ron Roderick and Debra Loggins and was born in Homer and raised in Ninilchik where his family has lived for 22 years. He graduated from Ninilchik School this spring where he enjoyed playing basketball. He started playing basketball with the Boys and Girls Club when he was in 2nd grade, and played until his senior year when he was co-captain of the Ninilchik varsity team.

Danny said that he likes anything to do with the outdoors, and loves camping, fishing, hunting, kayaking and snowboarding.

Danny’s three older brothers, Jason O’Connor, of California, Kevin O’Connor, of Texas and Lucas Roderick, of Kenai all graduated from Ninilchik School. He was also raised with his cousin, Jeremy Pelletier, who now lives in Maine. Summer work included fishing commercially along with his brother, Kevin, for Greg and Ivan Encelewski.

His mother describes him as a bright, athletic, caring, and loving person who is a typical Alaskan boy. She told me that he always wanted to become a police officer, but after graduation he was too young to enter the police academy, so he decided to join the military and take advantage of the education and training they provide. He departed for boot camp at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas on June 4th and is being trained in security forces.

“I was so proud of him when he came home one day and said, ‘Mom, I just signed up for the Air Force,’” Debra said. “But since he’s gone, my house has never seemed so big and empty.” His 45-pound king salmon is proudly displayed on the living room wall and Debra said that she’ll never forget the grin on his face when his brother Kevin got it mounted for him.

Danny said that he has had to face many obstacles and he is thankful for those who have never given up on him. He lost his father two years ago and has learned some tough lessons. He advises, “Don’t take life for granted…also never give up hope, nothing is impossible.” He is especially thankful for his girlfriend Shauna Sherbahn who is a constant inspiration to him. “She never lets me quit, always has a smile on her face, is always positive, respectful and honest,” he said.

“It is not the size of the dog in the fight that counts, but the size of the fight in the dog.” is Danny’s favorite quote.

If anyone would like to encourage this hometown boy while he is serving our country, his address is as follows: AB Roderick, Daniel A, 326 TRS-SLT, 464 Dorm B-10 TSC4, 1015 Truemper Street, Unit 941020, Lackland AFB, TX 78236-6040.

Around Town: The Neighbors column is undertaking some changes to serve you better. Readers are encouraged to send in their hometown news including fundraisers, activities, events, birth announcements, anniversaries, out of town visitors, and anything you would like to see in your neighbor’s section. Here’s your chance to read about your interests in the paper!

Bud Keener will be in the history books for Clam Gulch, Kasilof and Kenai. He was born in Kansas in 1923. Bud joined the Flying Tigers in 1942 and became a crew chief for airplane maintenance. He was stationed in China.

“Parts were hard to get,” he said. “You’d cut a tobacco can & use bailing wire, whatever you could get. If you didn’t have ingenuity, they wouldn’t fly.”

After the war he began to date Evelyn Ducker, whom he had met prior to enlistment. They were married in the spring of 1947 in Michigan. Evelyn’s folks, Bob and June, were at Portlock (near Seldovia), so Keener’s moved there. Duckers were involved with Port Chatham Packing Company.

“I didn’t want no part of that cannery work, so I went fishing for them,” Bud told me.

Two weeks after reaching Portlock, Bud went on a three month seining trip. Evelyn’s younger brother, Bob Ducker, was part of the crew. Later, Bob and his wife, Linda, became Cohoe pioneers. Their three sons still live in the Coho-Kasilof area.

Bud bought a boat and drifted in Cook Inlet during the 1951 and ‘52 seasons. Evelyn was his deck hand. In 1952 he moved to Clam Gulch and filed on a 40 acre homestead. He built the log house which Howard and Bette Davis now own. Bud mentioned several friends who helped him in Clam Gulch. Among whom were Emil and Fran Bartolowits, Per and Fran Osmar, Bill and Ruth Reeder, Rex and Earl McClure, Frank and Jean Rusk, John and Aline Huey, Ray Blake, Herman and Dorothy Hermansen and Henning and Ruth Johnson. Jack Edelman ran a fish trap at Clam Gulch and he talked Bud into setnetting there, which he did from about 1953-56.
In 1957 Bud bought a site on Kalifornsky Beach from Ray Farnsworth. He later took out a homestead near his site. This is in the fuzzy area where Kasilof blends into Kenai. Keeners continued living in Clam Gulch for several years, however, and adopted two babies, Tim and Dave. Bud started Keener Packing on Kalifornsky Beach Road in 1964. In 1973 Tim married Marilyn Baily. Eventually, Tim got the setnet site and Dave took over operating the plant, which had 52 employees at its peak. In 1985 Bud sold his processing business and Dave died of a rare disease.

Bud retired then and afterward started spending winters in California, where he had a five-way heart by-pass operation and care for crushed vertebrae. In 1999, after 52 years of marriage, Evelyn died. The following year Bud married Patty Crayton, a friend who was widowed in 1998. Tim was his best man. Patty is from California and had never been to Alaska. They now live long summers on the bluff overlooking Tim’s setnet site. Their house is directly across from Bud’s old processing plant. Bud and Patty do handicraft work. Patty knits dog-wear and has a tiny dog to model her knitting. She also knits people hats and is involved in the Service and Outreach Alaska to Russia (SOAR) ministry. Bud has won numerous ribbons for native art and his garage decorations include: miniature dogsleds with jaw bones for runners, totem-style wall hangings, animal hides with hair paintings, and much more. He is also a collector of antiques, especially of items related to the fishing industry.

            I met Simone Owens at the beginning of last school year when her son and my daughter were enrolled in the Nikiski Pre-K program; I soon learned that she had many interests and hobbies that kept her very busy.

            Simone and her husband, Chris, and their two children, Tyle and Whitney, moved to Nikiski nearly three years ago. The family moved to get away from the city and they were able to move close to Chris’ work and reside in Nikiski.

            “We moved out of Anchorage to find quality of life. When we lived in Anchorage, we waited all week for the weekend to come to get out of the city,” she said.

            She loves taking the kids to the beach often and she also likes spending time in her greenhouse and garden. Simone was raised in both Germany and Colorado; she met her husband while hiking in Colorado.

            Being a mom is her main job and she takes all opportunity to introduce them to the wonders of Alaska.

            “I love being with my kids. Having the freedom to wake up and go where the day takes us,” she said.

            Like many Alaskans, Simone’s second job as an artist lets her be expressive. She has items in many small shops around the peninsula.

            She said her art, including jewelry, sand kits and birdfeeders, is an outlet for her energetic personality.

            When she has a bit of personal time, she finds kayaking a great outlet for her energy. Not only is the sport thrilling to her, but she has taken it to another level.

            “Kayaking is my first sport passion. I love to kayak out of Whittier. I built my own kayak, it’s made out of mahogany,” she said, adding that it is one of her prized possessions.

            Many may also have noticed Simone running around Nikiski. She is currently training for the Mount Marathon Race held in Seward on July 4. She said she loves running and is very excited about the upcoming race. 

            “I can’t seem to give it up no matter how loud my knees scream in agony,” she said.

            She recently took a day trip to Seward to see the mountain and get a feel of how she needs to prepare.

            “Monday was incredible treat to actually be on Mt. Marathon,” she said. Her husband and kids played at the base while Simone scaled the land mass in amazement.

            Simone has lived in various states and in another country, but she said she has found a great place in Alaska.

            “There is nothing like Alaska,” she said. “You couldn’t push me out of this state.”

Around town

            The area wide senior picnic will be held Thursday (June 21) at Soldotna Creek Park. The Nikiski Senior Center congregate meal will not be severed in the dining room, but home bound service will not be interrupted. Call 776-7654 for more information or a ride to the picnic.

            Nikiski students can visit both school libraries for the next few weeks. Nikiski Middle High School library will open Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Nikiski North Star Elementary is open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 1 to 3 p.m.

            Happy birthday to Dale Bakk on June 26.

            Happy anniversary to J.W. and Anna Johns on June 19, Bill and Lessie Perrigo on June 25 and Doug and Marie Anderson on June 26.

Jeremy and Cory Hinz were more than happy to chat with me as they cleaned clams outside the King of King’s Lodge where three generations work together to run the fishing lodge located in Happy Valley. Jeremy and Cory’s grandparents, Richard and Bonnie Anderson have owned and operated the lodge for 14 years and their parents Phil and Heidi Hinz help run the business during the summer months. Phil works as a fishing guide along with his father-in -law and his brother in law, Luther Anderson, and Heidi and her mom keep the clients happy with their home cooked meals.

“My grandma and mom are great cooks, and mom makes the best clam chowder,” Jeremy said as he washed the clams he harvested. “They make good cookies, too,” Cory chimed in. Jeremy and Cory’s main job is to help watch their two and a half-year-old sister, Emilia, and to keep her out of trouble. “She’s a quite a pill sometimes,” Cory commented. “She can disappear in a flash,” exclaimed Jeremy.

During the school year, the boys live with their parents in Kasilof and attend Tustumena Elementary. Jeremy is going into 6th grade and Cory into 2nd. Cory has quite a sense of humor and he received the “Threads Award” for keeping everyone in stitches at school.

Jeremy was only nine months old when his parents first came from Seattle to work at the lodge, so fishing was a natural part of growing up. Jeremy’s biggest catch was a 57-pound king caught right in front of the lodge when he was nine years old. Cory said that he almost caught a 200-pound halibut, but his grandpa accidentally shot the line before they could pull it in. Both boys said that they really enjoy exploring the tide pools at low tide and are especially proud of an octopus they caught.

When I asked who they admire most, Jeremy replied, “I would say my dad is my hero. He teaches us stuff and helps me lots of times.” Cory added, “He tells us stories about when he was a boy.”

Jeremy wants to be a hunting guide when he grows up. His favorite pastime is to go across the inlet to fish for silver salmon with his grandpa where they often see bears. He received a fly rod and fishing vest for his third birthday, and has been hooked on fishing ever since. He loves spending his summers on the beach and claims that when you have a headache, the remedy is to go lay down on the beach and listen to the sound of the waves. “It is so soothing,” he said.

The Andersons and their offspring are close knit and are members of Shepherds of the Hills Lutheran Church. Their Scandinavian roots run deep as Richard’s grandparents came to the U.S. from Denmark and Bonnie’s family was Norwegian and Swedish.

“I love to be with my family,” Jeremy said. “I love to walk on the beach and fish.”

I called Skyview High School asking for a list of accomplished Kasilof kids to write about. Vickie Madden, a counselor there, mentioned three: Taylor Karnikis, Gregory Bosick and David Blossom. Turns out the trio are long-time friends, the latter two being cousins. David is Skyview’s male scholar athlete of the year, an award picked by coaches, teachers and administrators. He is a 6 foot 3 inch basketball and football player as well as being a member of the National Honor Society.

David was born in Soldotna in 1989. After his parents, Dave and Katie, were married, they moved into the house Katie grew up in. Her dad, Grant Fritz, built it in 1969 on property he bought from pioneer, Wayne Fellers. The log structure sets high on a hill overlooking Kasilof River. In 2000, Blossoms bought the Cohelo setnet site, deep in the heart of Clam Gulch. David is a crew member for his dad, and when he was 15 he began to crew on a commercial halibut boat owned by his grandpa, Doug Blossom.

Snowmaching is another sport David enjoys and he rides almost every weekend. Blossom’s have a cabin at “Four Corners” in the Caribou Hills. It was built in about 1965 by Everett Bice and Lou Clark, friends of the Blossom family. According to Lou, it is the second oldest cabin in Caribou Hills.

“Every trip there is a memory,” David said, referring to the adventurous nature of the sport.

Moose hunting is a passion for David and his relatives. He shot a 54” bull when he was just 12. David has owned a Chevy pick-up since he was 15. And he has been dating Ariel Barker of Sterling since November. Unfortunately, his relationship with his girl friend and his truck is scheduled for some space. Ariel is joining the Air Force and David is planning to attend Carroll College in Montana. They offered him an academic scholarship of over $11,000 per year. Gregory Bosick will also attend Carroll, but on a football scholarship. David plans to pursue a pharmaceutical degree.

“I’d like to come back here to work,” he told me.

“Like for Tom Hodel?” I asked, speaking of the owner of Soldotna Pharmacy.

“I’d like to work for Tom,” David replied. “I hear he’s a really nice guy.”

Katie has been a teacher at Tustumena Elementary School for most years since 1989. Dave has worked for Cook Inlet Spill Response Inc. since 1998. David is the oldest of three children. His siblings are Grant and Rachel.

This spring, Taylor Karnikis got an idea that he, Gregory, and David should go to Mexico. The three friends began to plan for the big after-graduation trip. Soon Taylor’s parents, Gregory’s mom and brother, and David’s mom and siblings were tagging along. The group stayed at Puerto Vallarta resorts and swam in Banderas Bay. The three friends and Taylor’s dad, Syd, went fishing and caught 17 dorado (mahimahi) in about 45 minutes.

Many sources tell me that David is one of the nicest lads in the land of Kasilof.

            Erich De Land moved to Nikiski in May 2004 from Juneau where he had lived and worked as a member of Mike Chenault’s legislative staff. He was offered a full time position with the politician and moved to the politician’s district.
            “I fell in love with Nikiski and stayed,” he said.
            A while after moving to Nikiski, Erich took a position with Tesoro Petroleum Companies to be one of three IT technicians for the corporation. He describes his position as Infrastructure Analyst as the ultimate help desk for hardware, networking and basic programs for the entire state.
            “I truly enjoy working in Nikiski. It is the small atmosphere that I truly love about this place,” he said.
            Erich was raised in bigger cities, including Boston and Los Angeles, and admits he is sick of the big city life. He said he likes the smallness of Nikiski and all that comes with it.
            “It is a nice, quiet small town where people actually know their neighbors,” he said. He added that he enjoyed living in Juneau, but found the state capitol a bit busier.
            While he has little free time with his job and his love of politics, he recently became involved with the Nikiski Chamber of Commerce as the secretary. He attends weekly meetings and is in charge of the monthly newsletters. He also is one of many volunteers for Nikiski Days – Nikiski’s large summer event occurring next weekend.
            Erich also likes to paint, mostly abstracts, and play the piano, an instrument he has played since he was six-years-old but does not perform publicly.
            “It is my personal way of relaxing,” he said.
            Another hobby Erich enjoys is baking; a pastime he enjoys doing for friends.
            “I have a killer Baklava recipe,” he said.
            With what he has found in our small Alaskan town, Erich said he has rooted himself in Nikiski and has no plans on leaving.
            “I plan on staying forever because I like this place,” he said.
            “I couldn’t think of a better place to live,” he added.     
 

Around town
            Swim lessons are in session all summer at the Nikiski Pool. Classes and private lessons are available.  Call Nigel 776-8800 for more information.

            The Nikiski Senior Center is working on beautifying the center’s men’s bathroom. Donations of paint and decorations with hunting and fishing themes are requested. To help out, call Jeanine at 776-7654.
            Happy birthday wishes go out to Zak Smith and Nancy Haney (today), June 12, Robert Summers on June 14, Esther Rhines on June 15, Eileen Rinc on June 17, Loreta Harrison on June 18 and Bob Harrison on June 19.
            Happy anniversary to Dwight and Linda Wood on June 15.

It was a just year ago when Annie Maxwell’s beloved Golden Retriever, Sadie was missing for 13 long days. “My heart was just breaking into little tiny pieces,” she recalled. “It was a miracle and answer to prayer that she had enough strength to drag herself home.” Apparently, the dog had tangled with a moose and was seriously injured, but finally regained enough strength to come home. Besides being on a special diet, 10-year-old Sadie has fully recovered and is happy to stay close by her owners. Annie also has a one-year-old Golden Retriever, Bella who is part of their family.

Annie Maxwell was raised in Port Jervis, New York until she was nine years old. Her father was a technical sergeant in the Air Force so their family moved around a lot and eventually ended up at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage.

In Anchorage, Annie worked for an insurance company and met and married Greg Maxwell, a general contractor. “We’ve been together for 27 years,” she said. While living in Anchorage, the couple came down to the peninsula to camp and fish at Whiskey Gulch. “We didn’t know much about fishing in the inlet, so we would follow the charters around in our Zodiac boat and learn the ropes,” Annie said. Soon the couple wanted to escape the rat race of city life, so bought property in Ninilchik River Estates. “We had a five year plan, but within a year we were moving here,” Annie said. In 1996 they took a year and a half off work to build their house and Greg moved his construction business “The Silver Hammer” to Ninilchik.
“I think Ninilchik is God’s country. We love the small town feel and are so blessed to live here,” Annie exclaimed.

Annie’s parents, Larry and Pat Palmer spend their winters in Florida but enjoy living in Ninilchik during the summer. They parked their trailer at the Maxwell’s home until they built their own summer home in Ninilchik River Estates where they are near Annie and Greg.

In 2005, Annie decided to do something different and pursue her dream to become a hairdresser. She said that she was the dinosaur in beauty school, but that didn’t stop her from wanting to master something new. “I wanted to channel some of my artistic abilities into something positive, and becoming a hair dresser was one way that I could do that,” she said. She advises others, “Don’t allow the obstacle of fear to prevent you from fulfilling your dreams.”

Greg built Annie’s salon on Sue Simonds’ property on Kingsley Road. Last August, “Dreamboat Annies” was opened for business. The atmosphere in the salon is bright and cheerful, and Annie said that she enjoys getting to know her neighbors as she styles their hair. “I’m doing what I really love to do. It is so fulfilling,” she exclaimed.

Around Town:
Congratulations to Joshua Cozzini, Abigail Daniels, and Diane Pherson, Ninilchik home school students who graduated from high school on Friday evening (June 8th) at Calvary Baptist Church.

John and Marge Torgerson recently celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary. When I interviewed them they were giddy as a couple school kids. Their 4th great grandbaby had just filed an early flight plan. Grandbaby’s dad was outbound from New York to Alaska for taking the state trooper qualifying exam. When his wife realized the stork had a tail wind, all kinds of excitement was abuzz.

John, himself, landed in Alaska as a 3-year-old when his family moved to Fairbanks in 1950. Ten years later they moved to Seward. In 1966 he joined the Army, thereafter serving in financial administration and getting stationed in Korea. During break time in Oregon he was employed by loggers for $50 a day, which was a grandiose salary compared to his Army pay. Following the service John got a job with the sawmill in Seward and became involved in their tugboat operation bringing logs from Montague Island. He worked his way up to become the assistant manager and, after Louisiana-Pacific bought the plant, John became manager.
Along life’s way he became friends with Bud and Betty Luce, the 2nd owners of the J-B Restaurant and Lounge in Kasilof. It was the Luce’s who really got that business established. And they introduced John to Marge Wills, who was employed there. Not long later, the Luce’s were called away on short notice and asked John to run the place for three weeks. Did I mention Marge worked there? John and Marge got married in 1977.

Next John went to work for Earl Billingslee, who owned the Union Oil bulk plant. Pretty soon, Torgerson’s bought Ridgeway Union 76 gas station. And started a Radio Shack store in Soldotna, later expanding to Kenai. To keep busy, John got elected to the Borough Assembly. He served two terms, resigning when he was elected to the Alaska Senate, where he served from 1995-2003.

John made a close run for Borough mayor in 2005, and then was asked to help the financial administration of the Marine Highway System. He is now the Deputy Commissioner for Aviation, where he is involved in financial oversight of the state’s 260 airports, including the $300 million project at Anchorage International.
Marge homesteaded on Reflection Lake in 1959 with Jerry Wills. They had five children (Cheryl, Susan, Lauri, Cindy and Eric) before divorcing. Marge got additional parenting practice with John when three grandchildren came to live with them. That trio graduated from Soldotna High School and has moved on to good educations and purposeful lives. The oldest, Leila Kimbrell, has passed the attorneys “bar” and works for the city of Soldotna. Her sister, Jolene, lives in New York and delivered grandbaby number four while I was writing. The third sister, Marisa, has a degree in child psychology and lives in Texas. She caught a plane for New York to help with the baby. The girls also have a brother, Levi, who lives in Anchorage.

Torgerson’s spent a number of years serving as foster parents. They have the only house on Reflection Lake, a tidy log structure in the farm home style. Several mature birch, cottonwood and spruce jut skyward like oaks in an arboretum. A magnificent crab apple has outgrown its own backbone. John supports its angular weight with a log lashed to the lawn. I found them beside a fire, which was beside the lake abutting the grass. With her cell phone Marge directed traffic regarding the baby. In response to my questions John and Marge reflected on a life of accomplishments and spoke of a bright future.

Around Town
Kasilof Library summer hours are Monday and Thursday 2-7 p.m. The new librarian is Teri Leto Josephson. Thank you Shawna Wolk for the excellent job you did in that capacity.