newsminer.com

North Pole is booming. Personally, I didn’t need statistics to prove it to me. I can tell by the lines in Safeway, the traffic clogging the roundabouts, the line at Blockbuster and the infernal line at the post office. Still, the statistics were a little surprising.

Mayor Doug Isaacson’s newsletter tells us the official count in the city limits is 1,946 people, nearly 400 more than in 2005. But here’s the shocker:

According to the demographic information supplied by ESRI, a company used by the borough to help identify the number of people and population characteristics, Santa’s zip code 99705 now exceeds the population of central Fairbanks zip code 99701.

“According to ESRI, the total 2007 population of 99701 was 18,425 with total households numbering 7,440,” said Isaacson. “Compare that to 99705 total 2007 population of 18,660 and a total household count of 6,418.”

Doug Isaacson said more population and fewer households indicates there are probably more children per family in the North Pole area. This is not surprising, considering the heavy military population.

“It should make our officials and taxpayers reflect on the increasing needs for the 99705 area,” he said, adding that one of these needs is more sidewalks and bike paths to improve the safety of pedestrians and non-motorized traffic.

The heavy population in the North Pole area means there is an increasing need for more traffic corridors so emergency responders can respond more quickly, Isaacson said. He’s right. There are a whole lot of cars traveling on relatively few roads. He said Borough Assemblyman Tim Beck is advocating an extension to Dawson Road, connecting it from Hurst to Plack.

Lobby for our library

Our increasing population impacts a myriad of things in North Pole. If you aren’t a regular user of the North Pole Library, check it out the next time you have a few minutes. Then compare it to other libraries you have visited, including the spacious, comfortable Noel Wien in Fairbanks.

Even though North Pole residents embrace all things Christmas, having an elf-sized library isn’t one of them. Hundreds of children use the library each week and the place just isn’t adequate to meet their needs, or the needs of the general public. We definitely need a new building.

Recently Bud and Deb Rossen donated nine acres for a new library but the Library Commission, the borough mayor and the Borough Assembly have to come through with the approval and funding.

It’s vital to do this right now, before more renovations and additions are made to the Noel Wien Library. Please take the time to let an assembly member know your feelings on this subject.

Invaluable car keys

I read this safety tip a while back, and when I came across it again this week I decided to share it.

If you have a car key fob with an alarm, a neighborhood watch coordinator suggests putting the keys beside your bed at night. Then, if you hear a noise outside or someone is trying to get in your house, just press the panic button.

The alarm will be set off and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies. Odds are the burglar or rapist won’t hang around.

Another tip is to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot, in case of trouble, and carry them outside in case you fall and nobody hears you. In both cases, your alarm will advise someone you have a problem.

Compass II Project

A community visioning session, sponsored by the United Way of Tanana Valley, will take place March 1 from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Carlson Center. A continental breakfast will be served and there will be child care available.

The session will serve to identify community strengths and explore areas for future improvement and development. Besides the visioning session, a research firm is in the process of gathering data through phone interviews and Internet surveys. Visit www.unitedwaytv.com to complete the survey online. The survey covers community and household strengths, challenges and issues.

Information about the 2002 COMPASS II Project can be found at www.unitedwaytv.com/compass.  For more information, contact Margarita Bell at 452-7211 ext 24.  New Web site

The other day I was telling my 16-year-old granddaughter, Kiana McCrackin, who grew up here but now lives in Seattle, about the News-Miner’s great new Web site. I told her she should check it out and explained that viewers can click on all the local columnists and find recent columns.

I said that I found it a bit alarming to discover that readers can comment on columns and described a couple of the comments on this column. One, I told her, was that I needed to go to council meetings.

“Really? They said that?” she said. “Grandma, I think that’s really cruel!”

I was puzzled that she was so upset but during further discussion when I added the word “city” to council meetings she relaxed. She thought the reader said I needed counseling. Maybe not a bad idea, I sometimes think.

Anyway, the new Web site is grand and I especially enjoyed checking out the blogs. Some of them are fabulous. And as far as council meetings, I agree. I should attend some of them.

Council meeting here

“Sweet71,” who suggested I attend council meetings, also suggested that the city put up “council meeting here” signs prior to every session, similar to the “vote here” signs that go up each election. I think it’s a great idea. A little memory jog might bring in a few residents.

NPHS musical

Tonight’s your last chance to catch the North Pole High School musical presentation “Working.” The performance starts at 7 p.m. in the Oehring Auditorium.

The musical is based on Studs Terkel’s best-selling book of interviews with American workers and is made up of short skits about a variety of jobs and the people who do them.

The performance is directed by Bruce Hanson and technical director is Greg Gustafson.

Yoga in North Pole

A reminder that Sunday afternoon is the first official session of the Yoga Club that is starting in North Pole. I heard through the grapevine that there were 15 at last week’s preview session.

The session will be at the North Pole Grange at 4 p.m. Cost is $7 and all levels of experience are welcome. If you have one, bring a yoga mat.

For more information, contact Ron at 488-5902.

I said ‘stay’

The woman pulled into the crowded parking lot at Wal-Mart and rolled down the car windows to make sure her Labrador retriever pup had fresh air. The dog was stretched full-out on the back seat and the woman wanted to impress upon her that she must remain there.

She walked to the curb backward, pointing her finger at the car and saying emphatically, “Now you stay. Do you hear me? Stay! Stay!”

The driver of a nearby car, a pretty young blonde, gave her a strange look and then asked, “Why don't you just put it in park?”