Delta Community Choir performs Christmas Concert at
Fort Greely Chapel
On December 14, the Delta Community Choir, directed by Kathy
Sharp, charmed many Delta residents with their beautiful singing and their children's
choir at the chapel on Fort Greely.
The children's choir directed by Chap. Jim McNeal
The Christmas ensemble (not in order). David Gibbs, Fronty and
Barbara Parker, Jim McNeal, Leslie Feilner and Beth and Ruth Abbott.
For fear of losing his nose, the snowman is escorted
out by three young ladies.
Delta News Web December 15, 2000
John Gardner works to prepare the new Legislative Information Office in the
Jarvis Office Center. The new office is down the hall from the old
location. The office will be opening again Tuesday, December 26. Delta
News Web photo.
Delta High School hosts weekend
Hockey Event at Liewer Arena
As the temperatures dropped, the referee dropped the puck to start the games last weekend for the Hockey Event at the Liewer Arena on Nistler Road in Delta Junction. The -30ºF degree temperatures didn't slow down the hockey players or the fans. On Saturday the temperature inside the hockey rink rose from -10 to slightly above zero due to the heating unit provided by the Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. A big, warm thank you to the folks at Alyeska!
There were nine games scheduled to be played in the two days of the hockey event, December 1 and 2. However, the schedule changed drastically when Glennallen could not come because part of their team and the coach were stranded in Minnesota. The revised schedule included six games, three each day.
The first game on Friday, December 1, was between the Tri-Valley Viking Warriors [Healy] and the Monroe Catholic Rams [Fairbanks]. Monroe collected their first high school hockey victory of the season as they defeated Tri-Valley 8-6. The final goal scored by Monroe was into an empty net with less than 7 seconds left in the game.
The Delta Huskies faced off with the Nikiski Bulldogs at 1:50 Friday afternoon. The Huskies spent most of their time in the Bulldogs' territory, sending 44 shots at the goal. Ben Schultz put the puck into the goal late in the first period. Nikiski's Gerhauser [#66] got the first and only goal for the Bulldogs just 12 seconds later. Delta's Cale Wingfield scored twice; Waylon Hannan put in one and the last goal was scored by Brian Geise while Delta was short-handed. There were no goals scored in the second period, however there was lots of action and Tucker Yates' collarbone was broken.
The third game on Friday (between the Delta Huskies and the Tri-Valley Viking Warriors) started at 6:45 pm. Although the Warriors shot more often, the Huskies came away with the victory, 6-3. Derek Ferdinand, Laura Stewart and Ben Schultz scored one each and Waylon Hannan racked up a hat trick. Warriors #21 Venechuk and #66 VanBebber shared the goals for Tri-Valley.
Saturday's games started with the North Pole Patriots facing the Kenny Lake Hawks at 9:30 am. The Patriots defeated the Hawks 12 -4. Two goals were scored by each of these five Patriots: Eric Rush, Nick Boyd, Philip Wells, Cory Pringle and Tim Hanson. Single goals were scored by Chad Lowry and Steve Sikorski. Cody Oatman and Ken Larson each scored two goals for the Kenny Lake Hawks. Other statistics are not available.
Delta faced Nikiski again on Saturday and came out with a 3-3 tie after three regulation 15-minute periods and one 5-minute overtime period. Ben Schultz scored in the first period, Brian Geise in the second, and Schultz added a goal at 13:07 of the third period.
The final game on Saturday was between Monroe and Kenny Lake. Most of the game was scoreless, but Kenny Lake's Ken Larson 'broke the ice' with a goal at 7:20 of the third period. Tully LaBelle-Hamer scored once for Monroe. The Hawks' Jesse Hanson scored an unassisted goal at 9:54. The final goal by Tom Kimberlin of the Hawks was an empty-net score with only five seconds left on the clock and two Monroe players in the penalty box. Other statistics not available.
Thanks go to all those involved in making this hockey event happen. Thank you to the folks at Delta High School for scheduling, coaching, cooking, zaming, etc. Thanks to all the parent volunteers who kept score, watched the penalty boxes, ran the concession. And thanks to those who did all the other behind-the-scenes jobs that no one notices unless they aren't done. A special thank you to Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. for the heat! The referees who came to officiate this event were Darrin Kadel, Andrew Culley, Skip Jantz, and Rex Tucker. Referee fees were provided by the Delta Huskies Booster Club.
Friday's Games Monroe Rams - 8; Tri-Valley Viking Warriors - 6 First Period: Rams - DeVito (LaBelle-Hamer) 0:29; Wood (Kissinger, Johnson) 3:20; DeBoer (LaBelle-Hamer) 4:31; Andre (Johnson, DeVito) 9:34. Warriors - Guhrt (Venechuk) 7:44; Venechuk 9:40. Second Period: Rams - Andre (LaBelle-Hamer) 7:59; LaBelle-Hammer (Andre, DeVito) 9:35. Warriors - VanBebber (Guhrt, Venechuk) 13:31. Third Period: Rams - Andre 0:33; Vesely 0:06. Warriors - Venechuk (VanBebber, Guhrt) 1:47; Venechuk (VanBebber) 6:04; Venechuk (Buron, Merrell) 10:19. Saves: Rams - Carlson (27 shots, 21 saves); Warriors - Lasell (31 shots, 23 saves). Penalties: Rams - 5 for 8; Warriors - 5 for 8.
Saturday's Game Delta Huskies - 3; Nikiski Bulldogs - 3 First Period: Huskies - Schultz 12:05. Bulldogs - Harrison (Bird) 14:27. Second Period: Huskies - Geise (Hannan) 7:03. Third Period: Huskies - Schultz (Wingfield) 13:07. Bulldogs - DeShong (Bird, Harrison) 7:34; Bringham (Litzen) 9:03. Saves: Huskies - Orona (18 shots, 15 saves); Bulldogs - Penhale (42 shots, 39 saves). Penalties: Huskies - 8 for 26; Bulldogs - 4 for 8.
In earlier action this season, the Delta Huskies defeated Palmer at the Big Dipper Ice Arena in Fairbanks 3-1 on November 10. On the ice at UAF November 21, Lathrop scored 7 times to Delta's single goal. And on Thursday, November 30, Delta lost to West Valley at the Big Dipper, 10 to 2.
Upcoming games: Delta will travel to Glennallen with games scheduled Friday, December 8 at 7pm and Saturday, December 9 at 11 am. The following Tuesday, December 12, West Valley will be at Delta at 6:45 pm. Then the Delta Huskies travel to Soldotna for a game with Skyview on December 14, and two games with Houston at the Brett Ice Arena in Wasilla on December 15 and 16. The next scheduled games are in January after Christmas vacation.
Ann Geise -- December 6, 2000
Delta Pastor Paul Kulakevich brought a message in English to a recent
joint congregational worship meeting of Delta Christian Center and Ephapha
Church. His wife Syria translated the message into Russian. Photo
courtesy of Delta Christian
Center.
"Deltas' Best Kept Secret "
This is the term several people have used to describe
Delta's unique little gift shop located only a half a mile from the mainstream of downtown activity, nestled against the spruce trees in the front upstairs room of the Jarvis Bldg. and more commonly referred to as WillowWood Cards & Gifts. Visit the shop on-line at
www.willowwoodgifts.com to view a sample of what
we have to offer. New gift lines arrive regularly, appealing to returning customers. Just this week, a new shipment of screen savers arrived in time for Christmas shopping, featuring several different themes from fly fishing and big game animals to puppies and wildflowers. Also new to the store are geese and duck decoys, lighthouses, and a rack of poster prints ready for
framing.
Elaine Shannon examines one of the Cape Cod lighthouse candle holders at Willowwood
Cards and Gifts. Elaine says holiday special prices are in effect
now. Delta News Web photo.
We invite our patrons to become a "club member", receiving discounts with accumulated purchases. The number of participants in this program has grown to over 50, and is expected to double by the first of the year.
So when you're out shopping for a Christmas gift this holiday season, stop in and have a look around, enjoy the holiday music and the wonderful fragrances lingering throughout the building, and have yourself a "WillowWood Moment".
Elaine Shannon -- December 5, 2000
Pogo Mine mouth as seen from the North. The
mouth is near the center of the photo. Photo by Steve DuBois.
The Delta/Greely Community Choir is diligently practicing for its annual Christmas Concert to be held on
Thursday evening December 14th at 7:00 p.m.
at the Ft. Greely Chapel. This year's choir is the largest ever. Shown taking a little break from the jazzy rendition of Holiday Rock is (from left to right) Scott Miller, Bryce Wrigley, Fronty Parker, David Gibbs, and Leland Stocker. (Photo by Melinda
Pflugrad)
I.D.E.A. teacher Candi Ahiers tells homeschool students Ariel Pitzer, Amanda
Gentz, Vanessa Gentz, Grace Pitzer and Jewel Holbrook a story using a
flannelboard. Delta News Web photo.
Earthquake Felt in Delta
A magnitude 5.7earthquake woke up some Delta folks at 1:35 AM on
Wednesday, November 29. According to the USGS, the quake was centered
about 55 miles N of Cantwell at a depth of about 6 miles. It was felt
widely throughout the central part of Alaska.
The USGS provides near real-time quake information at this
link. Thanks to Pam Dunklebarger for finding the link.
Delta News Web December 1, 2000
It's (going to be) a boy! Friends recently threw a baby shower for
Samantha Smith. Here's "Sam" with Winnie, soon to be a friend
for Kyle, who is waiting to be born. Kyle's dad is Shawn Meek. Photo
by Linda Johnson.
The Meaning
of Christmas
Just about exactly 20 centuries ago, a Galilean teenager with a swollen
belly and her husband of a few months stopped at a small, but very busy inn.They had been on the road for several days, and she was weary.She must have felt her time drawing near.A bed and a bath would be nice.
It had been a hard nine months for these two young
people.It was common knowledge
in their rural town that her baby would be born more than a little early.Her culture did not look kindly on pregnancy before marriage.
The girl must have silently wept when she heard that
the inn was full.And
what was going through the young father’s mind as he guided his beloved to
the stable?He undoubtedly had
been hoping for better.This
town was the home of his people, and he surely wanted it to be good for his
wife.
Her baby came soon.It was as if the child had waited until the family arrived in the
little town of Bethlehem.Did
Mary know the significance of this place?The religious leaders of the nation knew.He who would be their king would come from here.The prophet Isaiah had said so.The Romans had been the most recent conquerors of this small
middle-eastern nation, and the religious leaders longed for the day when
their king would arise and drive them out with a flaming sword.
That their king might arrive, in a stable, of all
places, and the child of an unknown teenager, did not occur to them.And that their king would wield not a sword but the far, far more
powerful good news of love and peace surely did not enter their thinking.
And isn’t that the way it is with us, too?How could a child born in such lowly circumstances so distant in time
and place possibly mean anything to us?Of what value is a message of love in a day when the bumper sticker
“he who dies with the most toys wins” sums up the dominant thinking of
our culture?
The answer dates back to a spring morning 30-some years
after the beginning of this story.A
now-mature Mary had been weeping again; this time over the cruel execution
of her son two days earlier.Many
in Israel had begun to believe that this young man was their promised
savior, but his death brought an abrupt end to those hopes.But this morning hope flamed anew, because Jesus was alive
again! Dead instead was death itself, no longer the final enemy of man.Alive all around Him was and is His message of love and peace that
has illuminated these 20 centuries since.
The good life on earth, and the eternal life that Jesus
purchased for us at the cost of his own execution are available to you and
to me simply by believing in and following Him.That, ultimately, is the meaning of Christmas.
David Johnson - December 23, 2000
This
angel was carved in ice. It is at the corner of the Steese Expressway and
2nd Avenue in Graehl in Fairbanks. Delta News Web photo. An
evening shot of the AMC (Alaska Motor Coaches) building shows off the full moon.
Delta News Web Photo.
I.D.E.A teacher Will Boger uses a computer projection system to explain some of
the intricacies of the Windows™ operating system to students and parents (Phil
and Bethel Holbrook, Enoch Pitzer shown here). Delta News Web photo.
Troop 56 Boy scout Caleb Parker helps Jack Zachgo with rank advancement in the
building (old NAPA Building) that Roy Gilbertson has donated to the Boy
Scouts. By the end of this year we are hoping to get five new boys started
in boy scouts. These new scouts will form a new patrol and be starting at the
same rank and interest level. Any boy entering the 6th grade or 11 years old can
join. For more information about joining scouts, contact Fronty Parker
(Scoutmaster) at 895-1032 or Randy Bealer (Committee Chairman) at 895-4523. We
are also interested in adults participating in the role of Assistant
Scoutmaster. Photo by Fronty Parker.
Copper Valley debuts web site
One
of Delta's largest contracting firms unveiled a new website in
November. Copper Valley Enterprises published the six page site to
provide potential customers and opportunity to find out more about their
capabilities and expertise. Ed Carns is the owner of Copper Valley Enterprises.
The website can be seen here.
Delta News Web December 6, 2000
Deltana Corporation Report
Almost the first order of business for the November meeting was the election of new officers for Deltana Corporation. After voting Paul Knopp was elected President, Diana"Kassie"Farrar was elected Vice-President, and Steve Fields was elected as Secretary/Treasurer. The assignment of Committee seats followed with Paul retaining his seat on the DREDC board, Kassie keeping her seat on the City Council committee, Robert Castoe and Russ Bowdre agreeing to sit on the Advisory Committee for the City Council, Steve Fields keeping his seat on the RAB and Library Committee, Steve, John Hite and Ron Lester will serve on the Fire and LEPC committee, Ron Paul, Steve, and Jim Schooley will stay on the Roads and Public Utilities Committee, Kassie will keep up on the Public Information seat, Jim, Todd Zacgho, and Paul will serve on the Parks and Grounds Committee, Russ will inform the board on Refinery issues, and all officers will oversee the Policy and Bylaws Committee.
Discussion followed about the DREDC committee applying for a staffed position to determine an economic development plan for the area. The plan would address the feasibility and desirability of different types of economic development. The State of Alaska and the National Missile Defense have both asked for an overall plan of development to include social and infrastructure needs. This is a plan that would need to be researched and approved before accepting any monies that might be applied within our area. There were suggestions made about recommending our area to the State and the DREDC as the site for a Veterans Retirement home. Deltana decided to back the DREDC's efforts and passed a resolution stating board support.
Under the City Council Committee report Kassie and Donna gave some details about the National Missile Defense meeting held recently at the Community Center. Under a limited procurement process the government plans to use an Alaska Native Corporation for Base Support Operations. This will enable them to move forward quickly in the event of Congressional approval. At the meeting the NMD representatives stated that so far four native corporations have expressed an interest. The website where you can get the most current information on the NMD project is smdc.army.mil click Business in the left margin box; this will take you to the contracts section. Also this committee reported that the City landfill committee is working on identifying the weight of trash being hauled on a daily basis. DEC has said that the City must now have a Class II landfill under the current weight measures. The City would still like to further document the trash to see if it does indeed fall under a Class II.
The Local Emergency Planning Committee is continuing to write an Emergency Planning Guide for the area. This would enable Federal and State emergency funding to come into our community more quickly in the event of some disaster. All view this as a sound safety measure for our community in any event. Steve advised the board that the fire department has decided not to build the Sawmill Creek Firehouse. Instead they want to put a station near the cemetery that would be a re-fill station with possibly one vehicle.
Clearwater Extension road continues to move slowly through the process with Natural Resource Conservation Service saying that this project is not a priority. We will need to go through Soil and Water Conservation to get an engineer out there. On the Souhrada Road request, Paul has talked to DOT supervisor Gene Eggleston. Mr. Eggleston was firm in his understanding that the State will take over no new maintenance projects no matter the quality of the upgrade. Jim Schooley was not pleased with that response and agreed to push the case further with DOT George Levasseur. The Turnout at the Tanana Rive Bridge project was supported by letter and resolution both of which will be sent on to Dept. of Transportation. We understand from DOT that Tanana Loop Extension has been moved for construction in 2006 on their calendar. The Roads committee is meeting to determine project work estimates for a possible nomination of an upgrade to the Clearwater Lake boat launch. The Dept. of Natural Resources would like to meet with a representative sometime in the planning stage.
Under new business the Pogo Mine permitting process was one topic of discussion. Under their current permit request they would like to build a road across mostly state land a distance of approximately 50 miles beginning from the end of Shaw Creek Road. The road will be private (closed to public), and built by Pogo Mine Company. Current permit requests also include removing or retiring the road at the end of viable use by the mine. Anyone having opinions on this topic is encouraged to contact Teck company, or otherwise get involved in the permitting process. Along those same lines, Golden Valley representative Dwight Nissen had mailed the Deltana Board an information package and a request for a resolution and letter to the Governor. Golden Valley says that in order to stay on track meeting the energy needs of the interior (including Pogo and other expansions) they need approval for their proposed route. The subject was controversial in Fairbanks. With the proposed increases in usage it was deemed prudent to support GVEA by resolution and letter so the board did so.
Deltana Community Corporation is currently undergoing an audit requested by board members Jim Schooley, John Hite, and Steve Fields. The state has approved the audit and they will pay for 100% of the audit cost except for Deltana's administrator. Deltana's administrator Donna Gardino will have to log whatever hours necessary to assist State auditor Sherry Thomas. The audit will take place the week of Dec.11-15 and will involve at least one year state grant monies, possibly three years.
Deltana would like to remind the community that their participation is important so if there is any issue that you would like to discuss with any board member we encourage you to give one of them a call. The next regular meeting of Deltana Community Corporation will be Thursday, January 11, at 7:00p.m. At the Clearwater Fire Station. All meetings are open to the public.
Delta Community Corp. December 5, 2000
ESL Bake Sale at Delta Mine Training Center
Russian-speaking
students in the Delta Mine Training Center's English as a Second Languatge (ESL)
program offered these and other baked items at a bake sale on November
30th. Photo by Deborah Jennings, DMTC.
Russian tea cakes and "mushrooms"
These men took care of payments
Cakes, cookies, rollovers, pies, layer cakes, and more were available.
Not a baked item, but this Delta honey with a homemade label was a hit.
Photos by Delta News Web -- December 1, 2000
This lighted manger scene of Mary, the Christ child and Joseph is in front of
the AMC building in Delta. Delta News Web photo.
2006:
January | February |
March | April |
May |
June | July | August | September | October | November | December
One
of Delta's largest contracting firms unveiled a new website in
November. Copper Valley Enterprises published the six page site to
provide potential customers and opportunity to find out more about their
capabilities and expertise. Ed Carns is the owner of Copper Valley Enterprises.
The website can be seen 
