Tributaries
Tidbits from the Headwaters
May in the Garden
I have not spent much time in the main garden this month. It was covered with snow until the end of the second week of May and then it has been soggy. It still is drying out in some places, a side effect of all the rain last fall and all the melting snow this spring. Even the road at the very top of my sloped garden is still squishy enough to rut up when running a truck across it.
Glennallen Flood Has Lasting Impacts
Pilot cars are no longer needed to help traffic navigate rushing water on the Glenn Highway, the sewer system is back up and running, and the ponds of water surrounding local businesses have largely disappeared. However, as of May 29, the structures most affected by the flood still had water underneath them.
Copper Basin Honors Memorial Day
On Memorial Day, services were held throughout the Copper Basin to honor the lives of military members.
Glennallen Area Flood Disaster
Flooding occurred in Glennallen last week that impacted homes, businesses, public offices and infrastructure. At the peak of the flooding, pilot cars were needed to escort traffic through flowing water on the Glenn Highway and virtually all downtown businesses, offices and schools were closed.
Wisdom at VHS College and Career Fair
A panel of local entrepreneurs spoke to the Senior and Junior class at Valdez High School specifically about what it takes to succeed in any endeavor in life and not to be discouraged when life doesn’t go as you planned.
The History of the Copper Center Agricultural Experiment Station, 1903-1908
The history behind the Copper Center agricultural experiment station goes back to 1898 when the federal government decided agricultural experiment stations should be established across Alaska and funds to start them were provided through the federal Hatch Act of 1887.
Valdez Student Receives Highest Musical Award at Regional Festival
Valdez middle and high school music students performed in local and regional ensembles at the annual regional music festival, this year hosted at Anchorage Christian School (ACS). Of the 14 students who participated, 11 of them qualified to participate in the Alaska Solo and Ensemble Competition at the state level, which will be hosted at University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) in May.
Valdez Medical Clinic: Fixing an Airplane While Flying it
In a letter last week to their patients, Dr. Kathleen Todd, M.D. and Dr. John Cullen, M.D., announced that Valdez Medical Clinic LLC will be transferring management to Providence Valdez Medical Center.
April in the Garden
April was a busy month in the garden for Strelna resident Tenley Nelson.
Consider the Anthill
Ryan Strickland is a PhD student at the University of Arkansas working on building models of glacial features. His goal is to help predict glacial outwash floods. His focus is on determining whether and how observable small features, or microtopography, on glacial surfaces influence how meltwater reaches streams.
Upstream Rocketry Club Qualifies for National Competition
Students from Upstream Learning’s rocketry club are the first in Alaskan history to qualify for the American Rocketry Challenge (ARC), which will be held near Arlington, Virginia, on May 20.
Golden Eagles Fly Over Nabesna
WISE annually provides science lectures for the public in the late winter in the Copper Basin. On April 8, WISE and the Wrangell Mountains Wilderness Lodge at 28-mile Nabesna Road hosted an in-person group of about 30 people interested in learning more about raptor migration.
Vaping: The Invisible Problem in Our Schools
Statistics on increasing vaping trends in Valdez schools have brought about greater efforts by the school district staff to educate students and prevent this behavior during this school year.
Chosen Frozen
On March 21 a crowd of enthusiastic adults and students gathered on 2 Mile Lake near Chitina for Chosen Frozen. Even though it was overcast with a little breeze, spring was in the air!
Getting Ahead of Flooding
On April 6, the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) held a meeting at the Glennallen American Legion to discuss mitigating and preparing for spring flooding risk. The meeting was led by Bruce Cain, who is a board member for the Glennallen Improvement Corporation.
Mathletes Represent Copper Basin in Fairbanks
MathCounts is a national program that exists to get Middle School students excited about math. The Upstream Learning MathCounts team had the privilege of competing in the Alaska State competition at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. They earned this opportunity by placing first in the Alaska Rural Chapter MathCounts competition in February.