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She doesn’t plan to make dog mushing her career, but 14-year-old Anitra Winkler of Cantwell had a blast running the Junior Iditarod Sled Dog Race for the first time last weekend.

She came in 11th place in a field of 21 racers. It was her second dog race ever.

Anitra has run dogs occasionally for fun. Last summer, Cantwell veterinarian Jayne Hempstead asked her if she wanted to train for the Junior Iditarod. Anitra decided to give it a try.

“We started training before it snowed with a four-wheeler,” she said.

She tried to run the dog team at least three times a week, as school allowed, to prepare for the race. She also competed in the Cantwell Classic. In her first race, she came in fourth out of 14 racers.

The Junior Iditarod, she said, was exciting.

“The trail was hard. There was really tough competition. There were a lot of good dogs and fast teams and plenty of snow,” she said.

She was happy with her dogs, especially when she ran into a confusing part of the trail, hit a rock and fell off the sled.

“The dogs took off upriver the wrong way,” she said. “I yelled at one of my favorite dogs in lead to stop — and he did. I turned them around and took off downriver. I was glad I had him up front.”

That dog was Ingot — “like an ingot of gold,” said Anitra — and belongs to Mike and Caitlin Santos, who own Wolf’s Den Kennel.

Her most vivid memory of those two days, however, is not of race strategy. It is of the people she met, particularly two other hilarious young mushers who crammed 15 marshmallows into their mouths during the layover.

She especially enjoyed seeing how the dogs performed and how their training paid off.

“It’s really a good test for the dogs,” she said. “Especially if you train them yourself, you wonder how they’re gonna do.”

As a very practical 10th-grader, Anitra said she would certainly consider doing it again.

“Why not,” she said. “It was a lot of fun. I just kind of think of it like other activities at school, but considerably more time consuming.”

And, she added, one of the most fun. ‘The Big Idea’

Believing in yourself is a key to success.

Healy entrepreneur Lee Cloward, who runs a small soap business out of her home called We’re No Angels Soap Co., decided she believed enough in her small business to submit a video to CNBC’s television program “The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch.”

Her risk paid off when the video was shown Feb. 9 and Lee promptly received about 8,000 hits on her Web site, www.werenoangelssoap.com.

Inspired by the book “Good Time Girls of the Alaska Yukon Gold Rush,” Lee started the soap company, whose slogan, “Getting dirty just got fun.” On the back of every handmade soap bar is a little story about dance hall girls, prospectors, and gamblers of that period of time.

So she is officially now part of the “American Dream Team” and pretty happy that she took a chance and sent in that video.

A winning Winterfest

This is the way Winterfest should be — winter temperatures just below freezing, no howling winds and lots of outdoor and indoor activities from which to choose.

I don’t know anyone who could do it all last weekend. There was just so much going on: snowshoeing at the park, ice carving, craft bazaar in Healy, multiple showings of the movie “Into The Wild” and a documentary on that same topic called “Call of the Wild,” a chili cook-off and edible art contest; and dancing with one of our favorite local bands, Loose Gravel.

One of my favorite programs was presented by Denali National Park’s chief interpreter Ingrid Nixon, who talked about — no, performed — the legends behind the constellations. It was a wonderful surprise to discover her storytelling talent.

Gabrielle LeDoux, who is running for U.S. Congress against Don Young, even got in a little campaigning, chatting with folks throughout the day Saturday.

Winners of all those Winterfest contests should be announced soon.

Stampede Recreation Area

After a couple of town meetings in Healy and Fairbanks, Rep. David Guttenberg and Sen. Joe Thomas are putting together a bill to create the Stampede Recreation Area. They are looking for letters of support from community members and user groups to include in this packet, which will go to the House and Senate Resource committees.

They are also interested in hearing any comments, questions or concerns about the upcoming bill. Add your two cents, or let them know if you are interested in testifying on the bill. Contact them at 576-4457 or 465-2327.

Parting is such sweet sorrow

A fond farewell to Christie Burgess, an education outreach person with the Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre, who is leaving her post to move Outside. Christie worked with students in the Denali Borough several times and was a wildly popular instructor.

Of course, since she looks like she is about 14 years old, she fit right in with teenagers.

One of my favorite memories of Christie is running into her one holiday season at a local department store. She and a couple students were dressed as Santa’s elves. It was a role she played grandly, as she did all her parts.

We will certainly miss her.

Claire Mercer

A memorial service for longtime Healy resident Claire Mercer will be held Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Tri-Valley Community Center.

Claire was the school secretary at Tri-Valley School for 25 years when she retired in 1995. She, along with Berle Mercer, her husband of more than 57 years, was a vital part of this community. This is sure to be a fine celebration of her incredible life. All aboard

Families are invited to ride the Alaska Railroad from Healy to Denali Park on March 9. Get on board at the Healy “station” near the power plant. The train leaves Healy at 11:30 a.m. and arrives at Denali Park at 12:15 p.m. But plan on getting to the train by about 11 a.m. Cost is $15 for adults and $9 for children. Karen Fortier is arranging this excursion, so e-mail her if you are interested at ctkf@mtaonline.net.