Nenana Wellness Coalition
Minutes
March 10th, 2005
Meeting began at 6:25 PM
Meeting officiated by Endil Moore
Prayer was offered by Paul Verhagen followed by the Pledge of Allegiance
The minutes of two weeks ago were approved by consensus
Speakers/Topics
Update of Hiring of School Superintendent – Miles Martin
Miles Martin reported on our group’s participation in the hiring process for our new superintendent. Six Wellness Coalition members (Traci Wiggins, Kat McElroy, Miles Martin, Tim Horn, Rita Pierce and Josh Verhagen) met here at the Senior’s center on Friday from 8:00 AM to noon and interviewed each of the 3 finalists successively. They liked the interview process that our current Superintendent Ken Eggleston developed because it gave several groups the opportunity to ask questions that would be of concern to their group. It also gave them an opportunity to get to know the candidates a little better than they would have otherwise. They liked the rest of the selection process as well, not just the portion that they participated in, because it seems to have resulted in good finalists. After completing the process our interviewers felt that any of the three would have made a good superintendent. The person selected was Robert Thomason from Oregon. There was a little concern about him being from out of state but they felt he was sincere when he said that he and his wife plan to eventually retire here although that was only one of many factors that swayed them. They also liked his use of the word “we” a lot during the interview which they felt was a sincere start of a desire to work together with our community and not just the school.
Update on Hockey Rink – Endil Moore
Endil Moore reported that the rink is receiving a lot of use and the kids are really enjoying it. So much so that school officials have called and asked us to remove the construction fence so that the kids don’t have to keep walking all the way around the block to get to the rink. It was agreed that the fence would remain up for a short while longer, until construction of the warm-up shack is finished, but that as soon as it is completed the fence will be removed.
Regarding construction progress on the warm-up shack (which is actually a large cabin donated by the tribe): Wayne Walters and his “crew” have built a nice deck (complete with seating built into the railing) onto the front of it. They have purchased windows and doors and are working on installing them. They have finished welding the feet onto a wood stove that they built and have installed it in the cabin. They are currently installing a ‘fence’ around the stove to keep anyone from accidentally burning themselves on it.
Paul Verhagen has called and talked to Cheryl Vanechuk and Debbie Cizmowski who are actively involved in with the Healy Hockey Association and asked if representatives of their group will come up and put on a scrimmage so our local kids can see how good their kids have become and so that our kids’ parents can meet their kids’ parents and talk to them about starting our own local hockey association. They told Paul that they will discuss it at their next association meeting and expect that our invitation will be warmly received.
The plan for the dedication is to inform the general public of the rink’s completion, to thank the many people who helped to make it a reality, and to get things rolling so that we are ready to enjoy it at the beginning of the next season rather than start organizing then and miss half the season.
Update on Auto Racing – Henry Cole
Henry Cole was not able to attend tonight’s meeting but passed his report on to Paul Verhagen. He reported that the feasibility study he has been hired to conduct for us is progressing nicely. He informed us that his efforts to help with the development of our snocross/motocross course will give him some of the data that he needs for the automotive feasibility study. Paul shared a portion of a letter that the Alaska chapter of the Sports Car Club of America sent to us indicating their wholehearted support for the development of our area as the Motorsport Capital of Alaska.
Henry sent copies of race course layouts, submitted by Jeff Anderson of the Fairbanks Racing Lions, which could fit our property here in Nenana. Jeff went on-line and printed out dozens of copies of race tracks from around the country and then modified them so that they would fit our property. The plans were laid out on the table and passed around. They helped to make more real the steps that are being taken to make serious racing a part of community’s future.
Henry and Paul have spoken to various people from several racing groups around the state and all of them are looking forward to racing in Nenana!
Update on Motocross Racing – Paul Verhagen
Paul Verhagen reported that much progress has been made on our motocross property. Jack Coghill made arrangements some time ago with PGS to use their land clearing equipment to clear our property after they finished clearing their own. PGS is the company that is doing oil and gas exploration in the flats west of Nenana. This last week, while their equipment was back in town waiting to be shipped out they brought it over to our property and in less than a day ‘mowed’ the rest of our property. It worked extremely well, leaving nothing but ground up pulp behind. We thanked them for the donation of their time and effort.
After PGS finished their part, Roger Knudsen was right back out there for the city pushing up everything that was left behind which has resulted in a nice, flat, cleared lot. They will begin stock piling snow in the next few days to be used for course construction.
The school has also been very supportive of the project. Our superintendent, Ken Eggleston, informed us that if others donate the equipment they will donate the money to pay for the fuel and labor needed to move the snow and build the course.
Much thanks to Jack Coghill, Mayor Mayrand, Roger Knutsen, and Ken Eggleston for helping move this project along!
We will need about 25 volunteers to help put on the race. It is currently scheduled for March 26th at noon but is dependent on how much progress is made this week.
Update on Youth Court – Roy Smart
Roy Smart was unable to attend our meeting tonight so we will put his report off until a later date.
Paul Verhagen did inform us of a Bureau of Justice Administration grant that is available. Our friend Janet McCabe from Partners for Progress sent Paul the notice and pointed out that it almost looks like it was written with Nenana in mind. Paul gave a copy of the grant notice to Ken Eggleston so they can consider if they would be the right entity to apply for it. A copy was also given to Railbelt Mental Health and one should be given to the tribe as well.
Swimming Pool Possibility – Paul Verhagen
Paul Verhagen reminded us that each year, as the community goes through the process of reevaluating our priorities for community development, a swimming pool rises to the top of the wish list - only to be pushed back down to the bottom because of the very high cost of construction and the very high cost of maintenance and upkeep. Recently, however, he learned how the Ahtna region solved the same problem. Rather than build a very expensive indoor pool they built a portable outdoor pool which they set up in one of their five communities each summer and then, every few weeks, move from one community to another. Through this means they provide their young people with swimming lessons, water safety instruction and a lot of fun.
Having become aware of their solution Paul went on-line to see what it would cost to buy such a pool and when he did it struck him that we already have already built the pool - in the form of our newly built hockey rink. All we need is a very large liner! The rink was originally built with the idea that it would serve as a multipurpose facility in the form of a rink in the winter and a skateboard park in the summer. Using it for a swimming pool during the warmest part of the summer will give it even one more purpose.
Paul shared this idea with our friend Dick Farris, who is an excellent grant writer. Dick thought it was a great idea and believes this is an excellent time to ask for such a grant. He said that if we get him the details of what we need to complete the pool he will immediately submit the grant. Discussion ensued and Teresa Mayrand agreed to help out by compiling the list of what will be needed so that we can get it to Dick soon.
There was several suggestions of things that the pool could be used for besides swimming lessons and water safety instruction. Josh Verhagen pointed out that the pool would be large enough to be divided into sections where various things could take place. He specifically mentioned a Boy Scouts course that teaches canoe and boat safety as one idea that could easily be done in a pool this size and pointed out that if there were any accidental upsets the people who fell in could just stand up and walk to the edge of the pool.
Elijah Verhagen suggested that we begin thinking about building another cabin to serve as restrooms and as changing rooms.
Endil Moore pointed out that building a pool in Nenana would resolve a safety concern because at present the kids in town have to walk or ride their bikes across the bridge to get to 4 mile lake where they currently swim.
Miles Martin suggested that we contact a company called Rainbird to see about getting a liner from them.
Endil Moore suggested that Yutana might be willing to donate some large (24’x64’) bladders that they are not using to be used as the pool liner. They could be split open along the edge and the edges could be glued together to make a giant pool liner. He also suggested that we might want to leave one of the bladders intact and blow it up with air to be used for kids to jump on!
Endil will contact the company and make the request.
Basket Ball Clinic – Barbara Berry
Barbara Berry is not able to be here tonight but she gave her presentation to the Nenana Valley Sports Association on Tuesday and asked that it be shared with the Wellness Coalition here tonight.
Most of us know Barbara, she owns a company called The Way to Win and she runs a program outside where she oversees some 70 coaches. She also does basketball clinics each year and has been helping our school for the last two years. Another focus she has is helping kids avoid or get away from drug and alcohol use.
Barbara has a proposal that would help her further accomplish her own goals as well as help us to further accomplish some of our community’s goals. She proposes putting on a basketball clinic here in Nenana this summer like the clinics that are put on each summer all over the country. Barbara is aware of our efforts to find additional funding for the Student Living Center and believes that a basketball clinic would be a profitable use of the facility during the summer months because it would be a perfect place for the kids who attend the clinic to stay. It would bring more people into the community, bring our community to the attention of more people, provide more good things for our local kids to become involved in, and provide revenue for the student living center.
It was agreed that such programs are valuable to other communities and would be valuable to our community as well.
Old Business
Establishment of a Borough - Paul Verhagen
Paul Verhagen asked if anyone had specific information about a bill that Representative John Coghill is reported to have introduced regarding boroughs. No one knew of the specifics but once again expressed concern that if oil or gas is discovered in significant quantities west of here that the Fairbanks Northstar Borough or the Denali Borough might attempt to annex us into their boroughs. It was agreed that Paul Verhagen will contact Representative Coghill and get more specifics from him and that he will report back on the results.
The consensus is that if it appears that we are going to be forced to become part of a borough we would prefer to form our own than be absorbed into an existing borough and it was hoped that our neighboring boroughs would be considerate of our desire for self-determination.
Drug Testing – Roy Smart
Roy Smart was unable to attend our meeting tonight so we will put his report off until a later date.
New Business
Stray Dogs – Paul Verhagen
At a previous meeting Rita Pierce expressed concerns about stray dogs. At that meeting it was agreed that we would go home and think about possible solutions to the problem. Paul Verhagen has obtained a copy of the City of Anderson’s dog ordinance which he will copy and share with anyone interested. He will also give a copy to the City Council tonight and let them know about the concern that Rita and others have raised. He is not advocating that we adopt the Anderson ordinance. It is merely a starting point for us to begin discussing possible solutions to the problem. The reason that the ordinance, or at least part of it, is attractive is because it creates the position of Animal Control Officer and empowers that person to deal with the problem but does not incur an expense to the city. This is because the position is paid for from fines imposed on the people whose animals are impounded. There is much more to discuss but a no-financial-impact to the city ordinance might be easier to get in place than one wherein we need to come up with the funding for another city position.
It was agreed to put this topic back on the agenda at another time.
[Note: There was no quorum and no city council meeting was held on the 10th.]
Updates and Announcements
Chamber of Commerce – Miles Martin
Miles Martin reminded us about the upcoming Chamber of Commerce Potluck Dinner and Annual Meeting that will be held here at the Senior Center on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th at 6:30 PM. The topic will be Working Together to find Nenana’s Pot o’ Gold.
Meeting Adjourned at 7:24 PM
The next meeting will be held next Tuesday, March 15th, 2005 at noon at the Senior’s Center.
There were 9 in attendance from the following organizations (and various interested citizens):
Nenana Visitor’s Center, Bahai Church, LDS Church, Alaska Court System, Nenana Valley Sports Association, Nenana Senior’s Center, Nenana Seniors, Nenana Chamber of Commerce.
Margaret Sanders, Blain Reed, Bonnie Reed, Elijah Verhagen, Josh Verhagen, Paul Verhagen, Miles Martin, Bud Krause, Jack Kemper
Please send corrections or modifications to paulverhagen@prodigy.net or call 832-5430 or 378-5454.