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Anderson High School students aren’t resting on their laurels.

Last weekend, a few of them traveled to Anchorage to collect a statewide Spirit of Youth Award for their unique and successful land giveaway program in Anderson last year.

This week, they’re wondering why the state of Alaska chose to build expensive new fish hatcheries in Fairbanks and Anchorage instead of reopening the former hatchery at Clear Air Force Station.

They are asking some probing questions of local, state and federal officials.

Along the way, they are gaining a valuable lesson in politics, patience and perseverance.

“We have learned that bureaucratic momentum is a formidable thing,” the students wrote in their letter to Gov. Sarah Palin. “Being wrong and economically wasteful is not enough to get some to change their minds.

“Simply put, we now realize that getting a slice of the state budget requires political support and the far greater voting strength of Fairbanks and Anchorage translates into preferential political support for spending state money in Fairbanks and Anchorage.”

The students met with Denali Borough Mayor Dave Talerico last week. He counseled careful understanding of working within the system. He also warned them that it may be a little late in the game to turn things around. However, that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t try, he said.

They also had the opportunity to hear Clear Commander Tyler Evans describe how things work on the federal level.

All quite daunting.

But that didn’t seem to faze this group.

According to their U.S. history teacher, Daryl Frisbie, these students chose this particular issue and did all the research and interviews themselves. They wrote letters to the mayor, the governor and Alaska Fish and Game Director Charles O. Swanton.

They don’t know if the governor ever received their letter. But Swanton did respond, and they are already analyzing his answers to their original questions.

Both Talerico and Evans commended the students’ dedicated involvement in their community.

“You’re the future,” Mayor Talerico told them. “It’s great you’re engaged now. Because if this is done wrong, it will have an impact on you for a long period of time.”

The students plan to tour Clear this week and prepare a formal presentation, touting their opinion that Clear should be considered as a site for a state fish hatchery.

The hatchery operated successfully from 1977 to 1997, raising silver, chum and king salmon along with rainbow trout and whitefish. According to their research, Clear was the first hatchery in Alaska to successfully raise arctic char and lake trout.

The bottom line, students wrote, is “Anderson students believe Clear would be a wise investment of the state’s resources.”

Whether they’ll get anyone to agree remains to be seen.

Challenge Alaska benefit

Friends are continuing to raise money for “Challenge Alaska,” after Denali skier Ben Johnson recently suffered a serious injury while competing to raise money for the charitable group.

Here’s how you can help: Check out www.LifeMoreNatural.com for updates on Ben’s medical condition and some upcoming fundraisers.

Ben was working with Challenge Alaska, an adaptive sports program in Girdwood, trying to raise $3,000 to purchase a Sit-Ski for someone who has lost leg movement but not the desire to be out in the snow and mountains.

Working through “Athletes With A Cause,” Ben raised money for this cause by training and competing. The total so far is about $1,600.

Youth Shakespeare

Denali Borough students are in for a treat Friday afternoon when the Alaska Theatre of Youth’s Young Shakespeare Touring company performs “MacBeth” at Tri-Valley School.

The eight teenage actors will also teach workshops in some classrooms to introduce Shakespeare to our rural community.

This group of young people from ATY represents the largest and most regularly scheduled Shakespeare program in the state of Alaska.

This visit, sponsored by the Rasmussen Foundation and the Denali Borough School District, will pave the way for a return visit next fall when the group will perform “Twelfth Night.”

Creative director Christian Heppinstall has been the driving force behind this tour.

Grand opening for bank

Healy’s first ever bank is planning for a big day April 16 as part of its official grand opening.

The day will start with a special workshop on how to reduce fraud risk and “Beat the Bad Guys.” Security officer Don Krohn, one of the state’s leading fraud prevention experts, will share up-to-date methods to protect business against check fraud, embezzling, identity theft and credit/debit card fraud. Reserve a space at this free workshop by calling 683-7750.

The official grand opening takes place from noon-2 p.m.

From 2:30–3:30 p.m., manager Teri Simmons and rural home loan expert Shirlene Wells will discuss home loan options for rural Alaska. That workshop takes place in the Windjammer room at Tri-Valley Community Center.

Basketball honors

Tri-Valley School’s Boys Basketball Team placed sixth in state competition recently. But the team also took the all-academic award.

Ben Renshaw made the all-tournament team and honorable mention on the all-state basketball team. Courtney Talerico made the all-state basketball second team.

Tri-Valley School hosts its annual sports banquet on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

Kris Capps is a freelance writer. Her column reporting Denali happenings appears weekly in the News-Miner. She can be reached at kcapps@mtaonline.net.