There will be a Central Peninsula Fish and Game advisory committee meeting today at Ninilchik School at 7 p.m. The subject discussed will be action on Upper Cook Inlet sport fishing proposals for the upcoming Board of Fish meeting on February 8.

Librarian Jackie Bear said that the 2008 Ninilchik Community calendars are now available at the Ninilchik Community library.

The library hours are as follows: Mon. 1:00-6:00 p.m.; Tues-Wed-Thurs. 11:00 a.m. -4:00 p.m.; Friday 1:00-6:00 p.m. and Sat. 11:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.

Trail Blazers 4-H Club will be having their organizational meeting on Thursday, Nov. 29, at 6 p.m. at the Kenai Peninsula Fairgrounds. Area youth that are interested in joining 4-H are encouraged to come and sign up for the projects they would like to do. Parents are strongly encouraged to attend as leaders will be explaining how 4-H works, how to keep a 4-H record book and how parents can encourage their child to grow through 4-H. In past years, the Trail Blazers 4-H club was primarily a horse project club, but it has expanded to have projects in sewing, cooking, gardening, Junior Market Livestock, leadership, and shooting sports. New projects are added as parent leaders volunteer their time and area of expertise.

Madeline Thompson said that the Ninilchik girls volleyball team took 1st place at the tournament held at Kenny Lake and took 3rd place last weekend at Seldovia. Ninilchik School will be hosting the 2-A volleyball Regional Tournament this weekend starting on Thursday after school, continuing all day Friday and concluding with the championship on Saturday. The top three teams will go to state, so Madeline said that it should be an exciting tournament and a good opportunity for our community to get together and support our local girls’ team.

The Ninilchik School yearbook staff is doing an Avon fundraiser to raise money for yearbook cost. Yearbooks are on sale for $40 with additional cost for personalization. For more information, contact Tammy Bear at tbear@kpbsd.k12.ak.us or ask for a yearbook staff student at Ninilchik School. You may also call 567-3711, or 567-7340.

As Christmas shopping season is upon us, you may want purchase gifts and wrapping paper at www.currentfun.com and support Ninilchik School’s junior class at the same time. Be sure to select Ninilchik junior class as your organization before you shop.

Suzan Cobb told me that the Brain Busters program is off to a good start. Teen leaders from the Trail Blazer’s 4-H club help to lead elementary-aged children in a movement based activity in which students learn basic facts such as state capitals and presidents, grammar rules, math facts and more while getting exercise. Brain Busters is held at Ninilchik School after school until 4:30 p.m. on Fridays.

Happy Birthday to Sheila Covey today; Alia Oskolkoff tomorrow; Rachel Okonek and Whitney Leman on Thurs. Nov. 29.

If you have news, please don’t hesitate to give me a call or send an email. Thank you!

Wood stoves are a crackling happening in Kasilof. About 1996 Darrel Misner of north Cohoe introduced friends to a Central Boiler outdoor wood furnace. It required electricity for a circulating pump, but being past the power grid, he installed it in conjunction with a generator that starts and stops automatically, according to the level of charge in his batteries.

To see an example of a Central Boiler, look in the yard at radio station KWJG. There, a small shed with a smokestack houses a wood fired boiler. Hot water is pumped via insolated lines to conventional radiators, possibly, in plural buildings. By keeping the furnace remote, smoke, ash, and the danger of fire is removed from a main structure.

Terry Cowart, off Kalifornsky Beach Road, uses one of these systems to heat a large home, greenhouse and racquetball court. Terry has his unit plumbed into an oil-fired boiler via a heat exchanger plate. If the temperature drops low enough, his oil-burner kicks on, allowing him to leave without concern about freezing his house.

Years ago, Bill Duncan pioneered a similar homemade heating unit near Coal Creek. His creation was topped with copper tubes buried in dirt. The dirt worked as a reservoir and his firebox was capable of consuming even non-organic material.

Ron Begin has a homemade, wood-fired, indoor boiler on south Cohoe. He took a large diameter pipe and then added the water jacket, door, controls and black paint. His boiler connects to hoses in the concrete slab of his shop with results of exuberant satisfaction.

Far more common are stoves designed to heat air. They are located inside homes and are also effective heaters. Some of them have an intake pipe, as well as a smoke stack. An intake pipe allows the stove to boost efficiency by burning outside air. Stoves that burn inside air vacuum cold air through cracks into a house.

While wood stoves may thumb their nose at lethal-priced diesel, caution is required to operate them safely. Metal on the floor under a stove is a wise precaution. In fact, the more concrete or metal around any stove and chimney, the better. Dry wood can ignite at temperatures around 500° F whether in a stove or on a wall. Stoves should be cheery, not cherry. Red metal is both dangerous and damaging to the integrity of a stove. Gasoline should never go in a wood stove. A fire can and will bite the hand that feeds it flammable liquids. Smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, and a ready source of water are all good companions to a wood stove. Special attention should be paid to air quality, both inside and outside your home. Neighbors savor clean air.

When your stove is radiating an aura of comfort, gather ‘round with hot chocolate and tell the kids the horrors of hiking to the bus before global warming.

Kasilof Historical Association gratefully thanks the numerous people who participated in their annual auction on November 15. It raised $5,000.

We have so much to be thankful for, don’t we? God has blessed us with a free country and a wonderful place to live. Newcomers often comment on how fortunate we are to live in such a beautiful place that is so abundant with natural resources.

A few tables down from mine at the holiday bazaar this year was a dazzling display of belt buckles and jewelry made from cut and polished rocks and semiprecious stones. I introduced myself to the artisans, Warren and Pat Togni and learned that they moved here in 2005 from Santa Rosa, California. For several years, they spent their summers in a trailer at the Alaska Angler campground and fell in love with our small community. After they decided to move here permanently, they went home and put their house on the market, bought a house on the bluff and moved here– all within a few months. “We have a killer view,” exclaimed Pat. “Our view would cost a million dollars back in California!” The couple agreed that there was no comparison with living here versus the fast-paced city life in California.

Warren is a finish carpenter and cabinet installer, and now that he is retired enjoys his lapidary hobby and sport fishing. Pat worked for a title company and was in real estate until she couldn’t stand the viciousness of the competition. “It was too cut-throat for me,” she said. “Now I have time to do things that I enjoy doing.” She said she especially enjoys canning, gourmet cooking and entertaining. She also likes to get together with women in the community and is currently the vise president of the Domestic Engineers. She said that being involved with the Domestic Engineers promotes a sense of community and supports good causes such as Close Up, Christmas care packages, the Easter Basket program and the Ninilchik Community Library. She told me that one event coming up was the Santa’s Store that opens at Ninilchik School where children can buy presents for their parents for 50 cents. If anyone is interested in joining the Domestic Engineers or donating items for Santa’s Store, please contact Pat at 567-7323.

One table near the Togni’s was the Domestic Engineer’s table selling homemade jams and jellies to help support Ninilchik School. They also raffled a quilted wall hanging made by Barb Lamont that Richard Digel won.

Ninilchik School music teacher, Lisa Nissley, reported that the annual holiday bazaar and rummage sale was a success. She said that proceeds from the bazaar and the band members’ rummage sale, the band met 50% of their goal of paying for their new band uniforms. Lisa mentioned that she was proud of the 27-member band who poured over catalogs and made a wise choice for their uniforms.

Happy Birthday to Carolyn Leman, Daniel Self, and Abi Daniels, today; Dan Leman on Nov. 20, Jesse Leman on Nov. 21; Willie Morris on Nov. 23; and Delores Lindeman and Brad Drake on Nov. 25.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Except for Tustumena, lake water in Kasilof has put on its winter coat and will be hibernating many months. With water sleeping its summer range becomes flat skateable. Caution, however, merits a minimum ice thickness of six inches for skating and eight inches for parties. The Army Corp of Engineers has an ice strength chart. It says 2 inches will hold a person, 3” a snowmachine, 7” a car, and 10” will take a truck. Trouble is, skates are low and stakes are high where ice strength is concerned. Thickness varies radically in relation to snow cover or flowing water.

With Thanksgiving on the rise water is worth appreciation. It reaches maximum density at 39.2° Fahrenheit. As water chills in the fall, denser water falls to the bottom of a lake until the entire volume reaches 39.2°. Further chilling produces lighter water and the closer to 32° the water becomes, the lighter it gets. As the coldest, lightest water floats at the surface, it expands into hexagonal crystals and becomes ice. This expansion makes ice less dense than cold water and causes it to both float and to provide insulation. Water’s behavior of expanding even while cooling is unique. If it were alive scientists might say it evolved these beneficial characteristics. Since water is inanimate, “Thanks!” would seem to be in order.

Dave and Dawnee Watson’s daughter, Anna, grew up and home schooled at South Cohoe. She and a friend are now teaching school in Macedonia. Anna is teaching 7th grade for a multi-national company. A few years ago Anna spent a couple of our winters teaching in Brazil, but for a different company. Recently, Anna had a private tutoring business and was a substitute teacher at Cook Inlet Academy and Tustumena Elementary School. Dave and Dawnee will be visiting her in Macedonia this winter.

Roland Maw of Kasilof was appointed to the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission earlier this fall. Now his name is among three recommended by the governor to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce for appointment to the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council. That body is responsible for halibut management. Maw has been a wildlife manager, commercial fisher, charter boat operator, and is the executive director of United Cook Inlet Drift Association.

He has a doctor’s degree in forest and wildlife management. Only one of the three people recommended will be selected and the governor’s first choice is Ed Dersham, a sport fishing guide and former Board of Fisheries member from Anchor Pt.

Pat Shields is a recipient of the Department of Fish and Game’s 2006 Director’s Achievement Award for Outstanding Service. He has worked 25 years for the Department in Soldotna and became the Assistant Area Management Biologist for Upper Cook Inlet in the late 1990s. His award says, “His diligence, professionalism, craftsmanship, and ability to get any and all jobs done set a very high standard for co-workers…” Tracy Lingnau, the Regional Management Coordinator in Anchorage told me, “We’d be lost without Pat.”

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, the world rejoiced as an armistice was signed, ending the “war to end all wars.” The following year, November 11 was set aside as Armistice Day–a day to honor the men and women who gave their lives to serve their country during World War I. The day continued to be observed after World War II, but in 1953 congress passed a bill to rename the federal holiday as Veterans Day. Finally, in 1971 President Nixon declared the holiday to be the second Monday in November. I enjoy living in peace and freedom because brave soldiers were willing to give their lives to preserve these priceless treasures for me.

Recently, I spoke with one local veteran, Shawn Crabb, who served our country during Operation Desert Storm. Shawn, the son of a chief master sergeant, was born on a military base in Huntingdonshire, UK. While he was still young, his family moved to Michigan where he grew up and enjoyed fishing in the Great Lakes with his father and grandfather. Shawn first came to Alaska in 1993 when he was stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base. While stationed there, love for fishing drew Shawn to Ninilchik, and after several years of recreational fishing Shawn got licensed and opened his halibut fishing guide service, Bullseye Charters.

In 1996, Shawn met his wife Cindy, who grew up in Anchorage and worked for the Anchorage Police Department as senior dispatch and acting supervisor. Now that she is retired from the APD, she enjoys gourmet cooking and recently became an independent consultant with Tastefully Simple Inc. a national direct-sales company featuring easy-to-prepare gourmet products that are taste-tested at home parties.

The couple bought a home in Ninilchik and Shawn currently commutes to Anchorage as he works as an ICU critical care technician at the joint venture hospital (part VA and part Defense) on Elmendorf AFB. Shawn has a unique position using his paramedic skills as well as his military experience. He said that he and Cindy love living in a small community and it is worth commuting to Anchorage every four days to be able to live here. “Here, everyone knows everyone but in the city, you don’t even know your neighbor’s name,” he exclaimed.

Shawn also commented that he feels that people in small towns such as ours tend to live sheltered and detached from the reality of war. “At the VA hospital, I see victims of war return from overseas hobbling on crutches or suffering from major injuries,” He said. He also said that if anyone wanted to send a note of encouragement or even a Christmas card to the wounded, he could get in the hands of the right people.

On Thursday, November 15, area home school students will be presenting a patriotic program to honor veterans at the Ninilchik Senior Citizen’s Center at 11:30 a.m.

Whenever we see a veteran, let’s not forget to thank them.

The Firewise folks held their monthly meeting a week ago at Kasilof Fire Station. Their slash disposal brush pile was stacked about 15-20 feet high and torched Oct. 25. Flames licked away at the bottom of marshmallow clouds. All good fun and under direct supervision of the experts —much safer than lots of little burns operated by amateurs during fire dangerous summer months.

Ken and Diana Coby delivered 208 loads to the disposal site. Bill Casey of Cohoe is something of a hero. He converted a boat trailer into a brush hauler and rounded up about 80 loads. Of course 87-year-old Bill has been a hero for a long time. He joined the navy Aug 17, 1940 and became a plane captain (chief mechanic). He got into Dutch Harbor in June 1942, about a week after the Japanese bombing raid. Bill stayed on during most of the Aleutian campaign. He had the luxury of riding in the planes during bombing runs, which ran him across an occasional adventure.

“One mission didn’t come off too well,” Bill commented. “We were going to Kiska Harbor to torpedo a ship. We also had a 500 pound bomb for another target, but the weather socked in right down to the water. The idea of going in with a five-plane formation was out of the question. The formation broke up and scattered. We had to jettison our stuff [bombs]. It took a week to get the planes all back to base.”

“We flew Catalinas, which was a real advantage because they could set down on the water. But coming down after dark was tricky. If you hit a wave wrong it could split your hull, or if you hooked a wing it could cartwheel the plane. Once we taxied all night. We had enough fuel to taxi but not fly. When daylight came we saw rocks all around.”

After the Aleutians, Bill’s unit was sent to Okinawa where they got shot up pretty bad. So they withdrew to recuperate. That was near the end of the war and Bill got out of the navy Aug 19, 1946.

A couple big affairs are on the docket at Tustumena School. The local historical association is holding their annual auction Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. Sweet bidders are invited to come do a preview at 6:00. With Hollywood writers are on strike, you can polish your funny bones at the auction. And at the same time cross things off your Christmas shopping list. Proceeds keep the historical association afloat —a tough job any winter.

Friday Nov. 16, 6:30-9:30 is the Parent-Teacher Organization Family Bingo Night at Tustumena Elementary. Pat Shields introduced this event in 1992 and it’s gone on every year since. Adults play with money for Turkeys and Hams while kids have their own non-monetary game in the library. Door prizes and a grand prize are a new twist for this year’s bingoers. The grand prize is one night in the Jacuzzi Room at the Riverside House in Soldotna.

If you have ever been involved with a fundraiser in Ninilchik, chances are you’ve seen Debra Henderson working tirelessly behind the scenes with a smile. Debra’s parents, the late Jim and Carol Bock, first came to Alaska in 1957 to fish commercially when she was 2 years old. Debra graduated from Ninilchik High School in 1973, worked and lived in Anchorage for nearly 25 years, then returned to Ninilchik in 1997. Her youngest daughter, Donna Rae Henderson graduated from Ninilchik School in 2004. Now that her children are grown and are living in Anchorage, her life revolves around community service.

“After raising three kids by myself, I now have time to do things that I always wanted to do,” she said. She enjoys making quilts and donates them for fundraisers for organizations such as Ninilchik Emergency Services and the Ninilchik Community Library. She just finished a quilt called “The Alaska Photo Album” which she plans to take to her family reunion next year. A second quilt with the same theme will be made this winter to be raffled at the fair next August to support the library. Debra recently became a member of the Kenai Peninsula State Fair board and also serves on the Ninilchik Community Library board.

Debra said that staying busy as a volunteer keeps her out of trouble. She has been an active member of the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary serving as past president and currently as sergeant of arms. This is her second year as chairman of the Junior Auxiliary on the state level and this is her first year as co-director for Girls State. She explained that each year the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary sponsors two local girls to attend Girls State that takes place in Wasilla each June. This program provides hands-on citizenship training, promotes patriotism and a better understanding of how our government works. This week Debra is attending the National Girl State Conference in Indianapolis and said that she will be excited to share what she has learned when she returns.

Ninilchik’s teen night has had 20 to 40 youths attending. They welcome local teens to join them for loads of fun in a safe, alcohol and drug free environment. The teens meet at the fairgrounds from 5 to 10 p.m. every Friday. Admission is $3 to cover building expenses.

Debra Henderson reported that the Halloween Hoot was a success. She said that children came from as far away as Homer and volunteers gave out 240 treat bags.

Adult Basic Education instructor, Terri Cowart, will be available to assist adults wanting to earn their GED or improve their English and math skills on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at the Ninilchik Traditional Council from 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. and at the Ninilchik Library from 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.

If you have any news from those who have served or who are serving in the military, please let me know. With Veteran’s Day coming up, I would like honor some of our local heroes.

The Exxon Valdez lawsuit is going out with a bang. Supreme Court Justice Alito has recused himself because he owns $160,000 in Exxon stock. The remaining eight Supreme Court justices are eligible to hear the appeal. Seven of the nine are Republican appointments. Last year the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said the justices of the Supreme Court are the most friendly to business that the country has had in years; an observation which may bode bad for plaintiffs. The appeal is a winner-take-all contest based on maritime law and scheduled to be decided by June. The question is whether or not shipping companies should be responsible for captain’s actions. If Exxon wins, they pay with a goo-se egg. If plaintiffs prevail, they divvy up the largest punitive damages ever awarded. Suppsedly, there is no middle ground.

The decision will only effect pocket books and Kasilovians know the best books don’t fit in pockets. They flit in libraries. Speaking of libraries, Kasilof is looking for a library director to begin work Dec. 1, 2007. The position pays $8.00/hour to start and is for 10 hours/week. Mail resumes to Kasilof Public Library, Box 176 Kasilof, AK 99610394-7126 or hand them to the librarian during regular hours: Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday: 2:30-6 p.m. Resumes must be postmarked by Nov. 15.

John Torgerson, a former state senator from Kasilof, has resigned his position as Deputy Commissioner of Aviation Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. John, who has for years displayed financial management expertise, is already receiving calls from folks who are interested in hiring him. His wife, Marjorie, expects him to take a break at home for a while, though.

Roberta Wilfong, KPB Spruce Bark Beetle Mitigation Manager reports, “Although we had hoped our posters, radio ads, and the smoke we generated would have generated more interest than we saw; the Cohoe Fall FireWise Festival was a success. During the past few months many loads of slash and woody debris were delivered to the site. A huge bonfire tended by Division of Forestry took care of nearly all accumulated slash. Cooperative work between Kenai Peninsula Borough, Division of Forestry, Dept. of Transportation, Kasilof Eagles, CellularOne, and volunteers continues to promote Firewise communities and increase survivability of homes. FireWise holds meetings on the first Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at Kasilof Fire Station.”

I’ve been announcing the wrong date for the Kasilof Historical Association auction. It will be on Thursday, November 15th at 7 p.m. at Tustumena School. Vintage 1920s era pictures, an expensive new women’s coat, a massage, carved antler, a $100 gift certificate to Soldotna Trustworthy Hardware, a vintage runner sled, a rare Records of North American Big Game book by Boone & Crockett, pies, and many more items will go with no reserve.

Now that Paul Fischer has been seated for the 8th time, a list other Kasilof area people who have had the honor of being elected to the Borough Assembly may interest readers: Dorothy Fisler -1967, Ray Burton Sr. - 1970 & 1973, John Torgerson - 1991 & 1992, Mike Wiley - 1994, and Debra Horne (now Brown) – 1995. If I missed someone, call me at 262-4763 and let me know. Or send me an e-mail.