Entries in Dermot Cole for September, 2009
KIAK Cruiser has a namesake
•J.B. Carnahan, the KIAK-FM Country Cruiser, was given a birth certificate Wednesday for his namesake — a critter named "Cruiser." The little cruiser is a reindeer at UAF. •Christine Johnson, a Halloween enthusiast with a huge collection of holiday items, wants to hold a haunted house for kids and adults. But she is looking for a nonprofit group that might be interested in helping out by providing space. Call 322-4951 to talk to her about it.
Samson's to open by mid-October
•Samson Hardware plans to open by mid-October on Phillips Field Road in the old InterDecor store. •The creator of the comic strip Piled Higher and Deeper (PhD) is to speak Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Schaible Auditorium at UAF. Admission is free. •Eliza Orr, who is originally from Tununak on the coast of Southwest Alaska, was pleasantly surprised to see her son's picture from Afghanistan on the front page today. •The UAF Nanooks are hosting the a "Hockey 101" for women Friday from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Carlson Center. •The plan by the Alaska Gas Line Port Authority to buy Fairbanks Natural Gas could be the quickest and most efficient way to diversify the energy supply in Fairbanks.
Gas price gap grows
•A year ago the average gasoline price in Fairbanks was 53 cents above the national average. Now the Fairbanks average is 89 cents above the national average of $2.50 per gallon, according to AAA.
Firewood and seasoning
•It takes six to nine months to season firewood, a process in which most of the moisture is extracted from the wood. If you skip the seasoning and burn green logs, you add pollution to the air, creosote to the chimney and you don't get as much heat from the wood.
State firewood permits online
This is the wrong time to cut live trees if you plan to burn them this winter, but people do it anyway. If you plan to cut green birch or aspen in the Fairbanks area, the state is offering permits online now for $10.
Starvation Gulch on tap
UAF celebrates Starvation Gulch this weekend, continuing a tradition that began in 1923.
KUAC-TV back on the air
•KUAC-TV is back on the air, ahead of schedule. The station is going to be testing equipment over the next couple of days, so it won't be on all the time. •The borough assembly plans to take up a resolution Thursday approving a new bar on Chena Hot Springs Road near Gettinger's field, with conditions. The conditions in the resolution are that the pizzeria/bar can not serve alcohol unless pizza is being served and that alcohol sales cease at 2 a.m. daily. •It may snow a few inches in the hills Tuesday, the National Weather Service says.
WWII casualty has sister in Anchorage
The silver bracelet Bernie Harding received on his trip to Germany belonged to a World War II soldier who died in 1944. It turns out that the fallen serviceman has an 87-year-old sister in---of all places-- Anchorage. The unusual story of Harding's search for his pilot's wings in Germany has been full of unexpected twists. Harding, who lives in New Hampshire, is the 90-year-old stepfather of Fairbanks insuranceman Peter Kelley.
German trip provides vet with important find
•Bernie Harding, the World War II veteran I wrote about recently, didn't find his pilot's wings in Germany Wednesday, but he discovered something even more important. His story has attracted national attention from the Associated Press, NBC and others.
New Yorker magazine highlights Adams' latest work
The latest composition of Fairbanksan John Adams, which he premiered at the Banff Centre in Alberta, is the focus of a video posted by the New Yorker magazine.
Mr. Checkers checks in
Mr. Checkers, aka John Lentine, sent a note saying hello to his friends in Fairbanks. Lentine is teaching art in Orange County, Virginia.
