It’s pretty hard to miss a bright red trolley with shiny brass trim and, of course, that familiar clanging bell.

The Seward Trolley Car Co. has started providing a scheduled shuttle service during days that cruise ships dock in town and when Alaska Railroad passengers arrive and depart during the bustling summer season.

The company is operating one historic-style trolley, but offers modern motor coaches for additional transportation needs, said business owner Tom Tougas. The trolley makes regular, scheduled stops at Seward’s cruise ship dock and various locations around town, including Kawabe Park and the Alaska SeaLife Center.

Tougas said he decided to operate the trolley this year to fill a much-needed service.

Seward has had trolley service over the years, with varying degrees of success. When it was clear there would be no service this season, Tougas decided to make a trolley available. He also owns a trolley company in Juneau.

“I had three people stop me yesterday and tell me how excited they are to have the trolley operating,” Tougas said, just before Thursday’s open house and reception downtown. Locals got the opportunity to meet the drivers and climb aboard for a free ride.

The trolley was built by an Oregon company and it was operated in San Francisco for several years before being shipped to Juneau. Tougas said the local trolley is one of five he owns. The others are based in Juneau.

The passenger charge is $5 for a single ride for adults, $3 for children. The fare couldn’t be any lower and still provide a profit, Tougas said. Skyrocketing fuel prices have hit every industry, but none harder than transportation companies.

On the days that cruise ships dock, it is a common sight to see visitors afoot all over town. Tougas said his strategy is to encourage visitors to get off at the Kawabe Park stop, so they will then walk down Fourth Avenue through the central business district and visit various shops.

On the days that it operates, the trolley hits its stops about every 30 minutes. Stops on the regular route include the community library, the boat harbor and the waterfront park, near Ballaine Boulevard and Jefferson Street.

Seward Chamber of Commerce executive director Laura Cloward said the trolley service is welcome because it will make it easier for visitors to get around town.

“We think it is going to help all the businesses, because it improves access,” Cloward said. “The trolley will also help to highlight the core business district.”

Thanks to many community volunteers the 3rd annual Resurrection Bay Beach cleanup was a huge success.

Forty four community members Participated in the May 19^th Resurrection Bay Beach cleanup. A total of five boats delivered these volunteers for trash pick up from seventeen beaches throughout the bay. The event started and finished from the North ramp of the small boat harbor. A full rolling dumpster load of various plastic, iron, and polystyrene items were removed from the beaches.

Resurrection Bay Conservation Alliance would like to thank these community members for their exemplary assistance:

• All the trash collectors and boat operators. (You made it happen!).

• AK Sea Life Center for boat assistance.

• AK State Parks for boat assistance.

• Matt and Amy Gray for the use of their boat.

• Ozzie Osborn for the use of his boat (the “trash tender”).

• Dan Walker for boat trailering.

• Matt Cline with aqua-tec water taxi service for helping with overflow trash.

• Alaska Waste for volunteering a dumpster for the cleanup.

• The NOAA Community –based Marine Debris Cleanup and Prevention Program for their grant contributions.

• Christo’s Palace for their delicious pizza after the cleanup.

• Leigh Ray for making the desserts.

• Resurrect Art Coffee House for hosting the pizza dinner.

• Mary Fischer at ALPAR for supplying the bags.

Please keep an eye out for the next cleanup!

- Tim Johnson (for RBCA)

Seward City Council Special Meeting

Thursday, May 24, 2007 at 7:00 p.m.

City Council Chambers

1. Call to order

2. Pledge of allegiance

3. Roll call

4. Citizens’ comments on any subject except those items scheduled for public hearing.

5. Approval of agenda

6. New Business

A. Go into executive session to evaluate and discuss strategy and contract negotiation in regards to the potential site locations of the Long Term Care Facility.

Read More>

May 22, 2007 Northern Flicker

Seward, Alaska Sporadic Bird Report
Sunrise 5:03 am, sunset 10:46 pm, length of day 17 hours, 43 minutes; tomorrow will be 4 minutes and 14 seconds longer.
Weather: Our brilliant sunny skies and pleasant temps in the upper 60s may be coming to an end, with rain in the forecast and clouds moving in from the Gulf of Alaska.

Sitka willows are now in bloom, attracting hummers and warblers. Buds are bursting everywhere, as new green leaves emerge from their winter’s sleep. Dandelions bloom profusely; all the newly emerged greenery is not grass but in places, solid dandelion leaves. Blueberries are just about done, moving along to the next stage of producing fruit. Yellow violets are in bloom at higher elevations where false hellebore, a favorite first food of break-fasting bears, is now up to a foot tall.

Report in yesterday of a NORTHERN FLICKER aka Yellow-shafted Flicker, in town on Third Avenue 500 block, feeding at the base of a willow, vigorously flicking the moss away to reach hidden insects. Keep an eye out for this unusual visitor and let me know!

Read More>

Did you know that the Polar Bear Festival organization is an all-volunteer non-profit charitable organization and in 1991 received from the internal revenue service its 501 (c3) status? It takes many volunteers to put on this huge weekend festival.
Have you ever participated in the “plunge” into the bay; been in the parade; ate at the seafood feed; bought things at the auctions; listened to the entertainment and awards at the Liberty Theater; had your hair cutoff to assist children; lip sync; slurped oysters; or joined in the fun at the numerous events/activities that take place during the Polar Bear Jumpoff Festival?
The growth of this most exciting winter festival is unbelievable. What started out as a 1-day event in 1986 is now expanded into a statewide 3-day festival. This most chilling festival brings many visitors to Seward in January that fills up restaurants, hotels, motels and shops, so the festival not only helps many charitable nonprofit organizations, Kenai Peninsula children with cancer, local youth and family programs and other non-profit organizations. The ‘plunge” has raised over 1 million dollars for the benefit of the American Cancer Society and numerous other festival activities have assisted 50 Kenai Peninsula children with cancer.
A number of the volunteers have been involved with this most worthwhile event for the past 12-18 years. Some of the most active members are retiring, while others have moved away. The Seward Polar Bear Jumpoff Festival, Inc. aka Polar Bear Festival Association is seeking new members/volunteers to assist in keeping the festival alive. Please consider joining as a member/volunteer and assure the future of the festival. Could 2008 be the last festival? Call 224-5230 or email polarbearseward@yahoo.com for a membership application or further information. The 2007-08 membership fees are $10.00.

Dr. Michael P. Moriarty has been re-elected to the office of Treasurer of the Alaska Dental Society. He held this position last year and has been an active member of the ADS since 1991. Dr. Moriarty would like to thank the community for their support.

DATE        SHIP            ARRIVES    DEPARTS
FRI   5/18    VOLENDAM        7:00        20:00
SUN   5/20    RYNDAM        7:00        20:00
FRI   5/25    RADIANCE        3:00        21:00
FRI   5/25    TOPAZ            7:00        20:00
SUN   5/27    STATENDAM        7:00        20:00
WED   5/30    SEVEN SEAS M.    5:00        18:00

Read More>

Recreation provides opportunities for community involvement,

and shared management and ownership of resources.

Bike Rodeo Letter of Thanks

Seward Parks and Recreation would like to thank the following for their efforts and sponsorship at the Bike Rodeo: Terry & Sharon at Terry’s Tires, Vanta Shaffer with Providence Medical Center, Scott Adams with Seward Boy Scouts, Ron and Mark with Seward Bike Shop, Three Bears, Seward Teen & Youth Center, Seward Fire Department, Alaska Safe Kids, Seward Police Department, Stylin Stitches and kudos to all of our wonderful volunteers who helped run this event we couldn’t have done it without you. With over 150 participants the Bike Rodeo turned out to be a big success!

Diaper Derby and Egg Hunts Letter of Thanks

Sat, April 7th 2007 Seward Parks and Recreation hosted two annual events the Diaper Derby and the Kids Egg Hunt. We would like to thank the following for their sponsorship and help with these fun events. First off we would like to thank our Diaper Derby Judges & volunteers: Jeanne “Nana” Sethers, Shirley Dieckgraff, Lisa Musick, Melissa Komkoff and her mother Carloyn Sessom, Beau Crosby and Sean Moline. We graciously thank our sponsors for both of these events: Stylin Stitches, TYC Councils, Safeway, Three Bears, Seward Resort, Mike and Maya Moriarty and to all of our volunteers. With your continued support you help make our programs possible.

Girls Hoops Camp

Read More>

Paving will occur in the Forest Acres subdivision this weekend, on Dimond and Hemlock.  Crews from QAP are hoping to pave either Friday or Saturday.  There will be access changes, and detour signs will be placed throughout the area.  Staff requests the public follow the direction of the flaggers and the detour signs during this time.  With weather and equipment cooperating, this paving project should only be 3-5 hours total.

It’s probably too late to post this, but I just heard
an excellent interview with Ray Metcalf on Community
Forum on KSKA.  It is being rebroadcast tonight
(5-16-07) at 7:00.  Very good information about the
latest arrests and investigation.  It gives you an
education about oil companies and their control of
Alaska.  Don’t miss it.
Jennifer Carr
224-5831

Seward Parks and Recreation hosted the annual Super Saturday Clean-Up Saturday, May 5th. Thanks to the outstanding efforts of the community and the support of our sponsors. SPRD would like to give a great big thanks to Alaska Waste Mike Reed and Micheal Vandervegt for picking up bags, Chip Drawdy and the crew at Three Bears for the donation of Hotdogs for Super Saturday BBQ and awards ceremony and to Dave and Cindy Beardsley whom represented the Lions Club that donated 4 cases of trash bags and new bikes plus helmets for the two10 & under boy and girl solo participants. Super Saturday turned out to be a “super” success. For our afternoon clean-up, we had over one hundred participants with 620 bags checked out! Thank you to all of the community for you support! Thanks to local business for donating the prizes to our participants: Inn & Out Charters, Ray’s Waterfront, Seward Bike Shop, Helly Hansen, Starbird Studio, Safeway, Three Bears, Seward Plumbing and Heating, Greek Islands, Renown Tours, Major Marine Tours, Seward Hertz, Seward Parks and Recreation, Providence Medical Center, Kenai Fjord Tours, Miller’s Landing, Bear Naked Web Design, Greek Islands, Alaska Sea Life Center and to everyone who helped beautify Seward. The town definitely improved its appearance over the weekend right in time for the upcoming season!

Melanie Hauze

Seward Parks and Recreation

www.cityofseward.net/sprd

“Mountains of Recreation”

907 224-4054

Fax 907 224-4051

…in April 1997, there was a “gas out” conducted nationwide in
protest of gas prices. Gasoline prices dropped 30 cents a gallon
overnight.

On May 15th 2007, all internet users are to not go to a gas stati on in
protest of high gas prices. Gas is now over $3.00 a gallon in most places.

There are 73,000,000+ American members currently on the internet
network, and the average car takes about 30 to 50 dollars to fill up.

If all users did not go to the pump on the 15th, it would take
$2,292,000,000.00 (that’s almost 3 BILLION) out of the oil companies
pockets for just one day, so please do not go to the gas station on May
15th and lets try to put a dent in the Middle Eastern oil industry for at
least one day.

In recognition of Hunger Awareness Day on June 5th , the organizers of the Alaska Dandelion Festival would like to share with you a few facts about hunger and how this amazing plant can aid in nutrition.

36 million people, in this country, or about 13%, live in hungry or food insecure households. Charitable food banks across the nation are struggling to meet the needs of the communities they serve. Numbers are up 25% from 4 years ago.

The federal WIC program was designed to “safeguard the health of low income Women Infants & Children who are nutritionally at risk”. Officials have recognized the problem with not allowing for fruits & vegetables and hope to have that corrected in 2008. However, nature provides a bounty of healthy, nutritional foods that are available to all at no cost. Take, for example, the dandelion. Although some species may be a troublesome weed, they also offer an amazing amount of nutrition and avail themselves to a wide variety of edible options. The common dandelion was brought to the U.S. from Europe by early settlers as a food and medicinal plant. Its rapid spread has been a concern to many, but the benefits endure. Did you know that commercial dandelion production is a $10 million a year industry? Dandelions have more beta-carotene than carrots, more potassium than bananas, more lecithin than soybeans, more iron than spinach and lots of vitamins & minerals including A,C, E, thiamin, riboflavin, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium.

The latin translation of the scientific name, taraxacum officinale, means “official remedy for disorders”. Dandelion is used in many products as a liver tonic, blood purifier, cholesterol reducer, and for digestive, kidney & skin disorders.

Many books & recipes are available for edible wild plants in Alaska. The Kenai Fjords Visitor Information Center in Seward has a couple of great books geared toward local plants, by local authors. The Alaska Dandelion Festival held June 1,2,3 in Seward, will have dandelion cookbooks for sale.

When harvesting wild plants take extra caution not to take those that may have been sprayed with herbicides, pesticides or contaminated with petroleum by products such as oil or exhaust residue.

Marie Wagner

Several Sewardites joined “forces” with kindred spirits from Anchorage in the Peace of the Pie Campaign on Friday May 11th. The group met with the legislative staffs of Ted Stevens, Lisa Murkowski and Don Young, in Wasilla and in Anchorage, to educate them on the legislation to establish a US Dept. of Peace. The meetings coincided with Mother’s Day, originally envisioned by Julia Ward Howe in 1870 as a day when mothers joined together to promote peace in the world.

The US Dept of Peace would need a slim 1% slice of the discretional buget pie, compared to the 53% we spend on the military. To illustrate this fact pie charts were delivered to the congressional offices, along with homemade pies.

For more information on the campaign to establish a US Dept of Peace visit www.thepeacealliance.org.

Cop Talk

Question: I just moved to Alaska. I have my driver’s license from another state, when am I required to get an Alaska Driver’s License?

Answer: An Alaska Driver’s License must be obtained by the end of a 90-day period after entry into the state.

Questions, comments, tip suggestions;

coptalk@cityofseward.net

2007 Seward Little League Registration

April 26, 2007 5 p.m. Citations issued to Patrick Earhart and Colter Jon Wall, no ages given, for proof of insurance and seatbelt. 5:49 p.m. Citation issued to Justin Jenniges, no age given, for seatbelt. 6:02 p.m. Citation issued to Lisa Doleman, no age given, for seatbelt. 6:14 p.m. Citation issued to Karen Clark, no age given, for proof of insurance. 6:45 p.m. Citation issued to Douglas Olson, no age given, for proof of insurance. 8:39 p.m. Reporting party advised of a male in his 30s having chest pain who has been drinking. Ambulance requested to camp creekside off of Stoney Creek. 9:55 p.m. Reporting party advised of two males fighting at AVTEC dorms on 4th. Officers responded, contacted two individuals and found it was friends playing around. Read More>

Volunteer help has been increasing with the annual beach cleanup sponsored by the Resurrection Bay Conservation Alliance (RBCA). Fortunately this has led to a greater impact toward cleaning up our local beaches within Resurrection Bay. The 2005 cleanup was limited to two beaches (4^th of July and Tonsina) and 10 volunteers due to inclement weather not amenable to boat travel. Boat assistance from Alaska State Parks was utilized to pick up bagged trash after the event.

In 2006 the beautiful weather enabled the crew of 19 volunteers and three boats (two private and one National Park Service Zodiac) to cleanup a total of 11 beaches. The list included Tonsina, 4^th of July, Derby Cove, Calisto, North and South beaches of Caines Head, and North Beach of the Fox Island sand spit. Both cleanups followed with a burrito feast sponsored by RBCA.

This year’s cleanup will include broader community involvement with a doubling of committed boats compared to last year. Crackerjack Charters, AK Sea life Center, AK State Parks, National Park Service, Aquatec Water Taxi Service, and two private boat owners have all generously volunteered boat time for the cleanup on 5/19/07. Alaska Waste has volunteered a dumpster for the cleanup. The NOAA Community-based Marine Debris Cleanup and Prevention Program will be contributing to the cleanup also. The goal for this year will be to reach an additional 5-6 more beaches with the increased boat capacity available. Volunteers should expect a full day event with a free meal to follow. Please call cleanup coordinator Tim Johnson at 224 -7094 to RSVP a spot on the boats. Space will be limited due to boat capacities. Volunteers can participate without boat travel if preferred. In the case of inclement weather the cleanup will be land based. We hope to see you there!

Seward City Council Regular Meeting Agenda

Monday, May 14, 2007

City Council Chambers

1. CALL TO ORDER

2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

3. ROLL CALL

4. CITIZENS’ COMMENTS ON ANY SUBJECT EXCEPT THOSE ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR PUBLIC HEARING.

4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA

6. SPECIAL ORDERS, PRESENTATIONS AND REPORTS

A. Proclamations and Awards

1. Military Appreciation Month Proclamation.

2. Certificate of Appreciation presented to Sergeant Doreen Valadez for her re-organization of city police records.

3. Proclamation welcoming Seward Sea Kayak Symposium.

4. Seward Ocean Festival Proclamation.

B. Borough Assembly Report

C. City Manager’s Report

D. City Attorney Report

E. Seward Port and Commerce Advisory Board Report

7. PUBLIC HEARINGS

1. Resolution Requiring a Public Hearing

1. Resolution 2007-047, Authorizing The City Manager To Proceed With The Acquisition Of 8.93 Acres Of Land, Forest Acres Subdivision Lots DB, DC, DE, DF, DG, QQ, And Tract 4, And Appropriating Funds For The Future North Forest Acres Levee/Road At The Appraised Value.

2. Resolution 2007-048, Authorizing The City Manager To Proceed With The Acquisition Of 1.69 Acres Of Land, Forest Acres Subdivision Lots SS And RR, And Appropriating Funds For The Future North Forest Acres Levee/Road At The Appraised Value.

Read More>