Free Avalanche Awareness Class Saturday Feb. 9th  10am-3PM, Seward AK  

(Still 10 am (I noticed an older post) at new Seward Library just a reminder if interested we have room! See you there)Updated 2/8/2013

Topics covered include: Human Factors, Terrain, Snowpack and Weather, and Avalanche Rescue including avalanche beacon practice.  Come join us if you want to learn about avalanche safety or just want a review.

Sponsored by Chugach National Forest

Location Seward Library, 239 6^th ave, Seward AK 

For information contact: Alex McLain Avalanche Specialist at (907) 288-7710 or 362-3720 (cell Phone).

Bring some warm clothes since we will be outside for a few hours and an avalanche beacon if you have one.

By Heidi Zemach for SCN

Seward Postmaster Jerry Nassen with Tufted Puffin stamp artwork and Tuffty, the ASLC mascot

The Alaska SeaLife Center played host to the ceremonial unveiling of a new U.S. Postal Service stamp featuring a tufted puffin today, Jan 23rd. With the Tufted Puffin 86-cent stamp, the U.S. Postal Service celebrates the distinctive sea bird known for the distinguished tufts of long, yellow feathers that grow from the sides of its head. Seward is a fitting location as tufted puffins and other puffin species can be found on and around the cliffs around Chiswell Island, and many other islands in Resurrection Bay. They also are on display in the aviary at ASLC.

In case you didn’t realize it, the unveiling of a new postal service stamp is considered an extremely important honor as the ceremony only takes place in one spot in the United States. So postmasters from throughout the region, including Seward, Moose Pass, Ninilchik and Whittier, were thrilled to attend, as were members of the Anchorage Philatelic Society and other stamp collector aficionados. They lined up at tables in ASLC’s Bear Mountain Conference Room to be among the first to purchase an 86-cent stamp, and the APS’s “First Day of Issue” tufted-puffin-stamped envelope, which featured an original print of a puffin by Alaska’s Byron Birdsall—although not the tufted kind, an ASLC staff member noted.

Members of the American Legion performed a Presentation of Colors, and the Seward High School Choir, Seahawk Voice, sang the Star Spangled Banner.

The person primarily responsible for the unveiling at ASLC, however, was Seward Postmaster Jerry Nassen, who first suggested the location to his higher-ups in the postal service when contacted about the possibility of an unveiling occurring in the area.

“This is quite the big deal—especially if you’re a stamp collector, or know someone who’s a collector,” Nassen said. “It’s a tremendous honor.” He was careful to distinguish the unveiling day, known as the “Day of Issue,” with the “First Day of Sale,” which is when the stamp actually goes on sale. The length of the line of people purchasing stamps at the event attested to that fact.

It may be hard to believe, but even his little Seward post office does an incredible amount of business, Nassan said. In 2011 alone it delivered 1.5 million letters to people’s post boxes, plus 650,000 magazines and bulk mailers and 150,000 packages, he said. That’s why he might seem bothered when someone asks if he’s seen their letter.

The audience oohed and aah’d appreciatively as Nassen, and Jacqueline Nolan, the Anchorage District Post Office marketing department representative unveiled the stamp’s original artwork, which was very big and bright. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp, with the painting by artist Robert Giusti.

Locals expressed disappointment to learn that the artwork will be kept at the Anchorage Post Office, and not here in Seward. But we’ve got the real thing right here: Twelve tufted puffins, and also the more commonly-recognized horned puffins are among 11 different Alaska seabird species at the ASLC aviary.

Dory, a tufted puffin with ASLC aviculturist Hannah Feltes. Heidi Zemach photo

Dory, an adult female puffin that ASCL uses frequently for educational purposes, stood quietly on her handler Hannah Feltes’ hand, accepting the fish she was occasionally offered, as the aviculturist talked a little about the seabird collection, and the research done monitoring their eggs, and molting processes.

The Seward Arts Council would like to announce a $1100 Sitka Fine Arts Camp Scholarship for a Seward area student in grades 6 – 9.

At the Fine Arts Camp, students spend two full weeks in Sitka, taking 5 classes a day in the arts. The camp covers all types of art from drama, to music, to ceramics and painting, clowning, writing and improv. Students choose from a list of 60 class offerings.

Students are housed in dormitories on the Sheldon Jackson campus and they have dorm counselors in addition to arts teachers. In the evening students are treated to performances every night of the first week by their arts instructors and are giving performances every night of their second week of camp.

Details about the camp can be found here:

A video about the camp can be found here:
SAC’s Scholarship will cover the $1100 camp tuition, which includes room and board for two weeks. The chosen student’s family will need to pay for the round trip airfare to Sitka.

Camp dates for this summer are June 16th -29th for students currently in grade 6 – 8, and June 30th – July 14th for students in 9th grade.

To be considered for this scholarship, please send an e-mail to: Sewardartscouncil@gmail.com. You will be sent application materials, which are due back by January 28th. Applications can also be picked up at the front counter window of the elementary and middle school.

Applications can be returned via e-mail Sewardartscouncil@gmail.com or mailed to: Seward Arts Council Scholarship P.O. Box 1744, Seward, Ak. 99664 No late applications will be accepted.

Seward Music Calendars for 2013 featuring beautiful art designed by the high school arts students and the Boys and Girls Club are still available around town. But get one soon, before they run out. Their sale and advertising helps fund music in the schools and for kids in the community. Ask for one at the main desk of the Community Library, Cover to Cover Books, or at the Sea Bean.
Or email Heidi at hzemach@gmail.com

Embracing History, Growing by Volumes becomes reality

Organizers say everyone in Seward is invited to celebrate the dedication of the new Seward Community Library Museum next Saturday afternoon, January 12, but that preschoolers and school children and their parents are especially welcome. Besides an opening dedication ceremony with singing by the Seward High School Chorus, and self-tours, two afternoon presentations by nationally-known children’s author Nancy White Carlstrom are scheduled along with fun, school child “book worm” craft activities at the afternoon-long celebration that begins at 1:30 p.m. with the formal dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony. Free book bags, and free books by White Carlstrom, are available on a first-come basis for preschool and early reading children who attend the event.

White Carlstrom is the author of the popular “Jesse Bear” series. A former resident of Interior Alaska, she will be leading two presentations on Saturday. The first one, “Singing with Jesse Bear” from 2:30-3:00 p.m. is designed for preschoolers to 1st graders. The second White Carlstrom presentation, “Writing in Alaska: From Idea to Finished Book,” is aimed at older readers and writers from 2nd to 5th grade.
Children will have two age-appropriate craft stations to choose from and they will be treated to locally baked “book worm” cookies.

“Seward residents deserve a big pat on the back for sticking with this new facility during the nine years it took to plan, develop, fund and finish it,” says Keith Campbell, Chair of the building committee. The $10.3 million, 16,300 square-foot facility provides the highest possible energy efficient standards, ADA compliant access for all patrons, and provides better preservation of Seward’s historical and cultural collections. Originally envisioned in 2002 as part of Seward’s 100th anniversary year celebration in 2012, the new facility will contribute to Seward’s quality of life and its economy; provide additional, flexible meeting spaces for community gatherings, events and small conferences, and more space for books and educational exhibits.

The Seward Community Library Museum is formally open for business on Monday, January 14th.

Two presentations just for kids adds spice to love of literacy.

Local children are in for a treat as nationally-known children’s author Nancy White Carlstrom makes two presentations during the afternoon of the dedication of the new Seward Community Library Museum on Saturday January 12.

The author of over 50 books for children, White Carlstrom says she thought about being an author since she was a child. She worked in her town’s library, growing up in Pennsylvania, and went on to Wheaton College, where she majored in Elementary Education. She attended Harvard Extension School and Radcliffe for two years and taught school in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts for four years.

During summer breaks she taught in West Africa, the West Indies and in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Moving to Seattle, she owned The Secret Garden Children’s Bookstore until 1983, when her family moved to Interior Alaska for 18 years. All those experiences started coming together as the stuff her books would come from, but it wasn’t until she became a mother for the first time, and started singing to her son Jesse, that she wrote, Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear?  It was published on her son’s 2^nd birthday and has since sold over a million copies. Kirkus Reviews describes it as “a bubbling verse that combines rhythm and rhyme to create a lovely sound…One is tempted to sing Carlstrom’s words aloud. She has a rich imagination…” Bruce Degan, of Magic School Bus fame, is the illustrator of the Jesse Bear series. Harfkfdksk

A second son, and living, teaching and traveling throughout Interior Alaska for 18 years inspired her writing even more. She will be making two presentations during the afternoon of the dedication.

Nancy White Carlstrom Saturday, January 12 Presentations

Seward Community Library Museum

• 2:30 p.m. – 3 p.m. “Singing with Jesse Bear” designed for preschooler to 1^st grader
• 3:15 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. “Writing in Alaska: From Idea to Finished Book” designed for 2^nd to 5^th graders

Nancy White Carlstrom’s  numerous awards include: the Editor’s Choice from Booklist in 1986; the Children’s Choice award from the International Reading Association/Children’s Book Council (IRA/CBC) in 1987; the American Booksellers Pick of the List and Notable Book from the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) in 1987; the Best Book of 1990 from Parents’ Magazine for Where Does the Night Hide?; a second Children’s Choice from the IRA/CBC and the Parents’ Choice award from Booklist in 1991; a Notable Book award from NCTE in 1991; a citation on the Best Books of the Year list from Publishers Weekly in 1992; a Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators and Best Books from the Bulletin of Children’s Books; a Parents’ Choice Paperback in 1994; and the National Outdoor Book Award in 2001.

Her books for children include:

• Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear?  New York: Macmillan, 1986.
• Wild, Wild Sunflower Child Anna.  New York: Macmillan, 1987.
• Blow Me a Kiss, Miss Lily.  New York: Harper & Row: 1990.
• Where Does the Night Hide?  New York: Macmillan, 1990.
• Goodbye Geese.  New York: Philomel, 1991.
• Baby-O.  Boston: Little, Brown, 1992.
• Northern Lullaby.  New York: Philomel, 1992.
• The Snow Speaks.  Boston: Little, Brown, 1992.
• What a Scare, Jesse Bear!  New York: Simon & Schuster, 1999.
• Where is Christmas, Jesse Bear?  New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000.
• What Does the Sky Say?  Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2001.
• Climb the Family Tree, Jesse Bear!  New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004.

Photo from: Nancy White Carlstrom

The Seward Music Booster’s 45th annual calendar has arrived. It features beautiful music-themed artwork by SHS art students, and the Boys and Girls Club. Local businesses are advertised each month, so it’s a handy guide to their contact information. All proceeds go to the Seward Music Association (aka Music Boosters) to support the local school music program, and community music efforts for children. Students will be delivering the calendars to all those who have already ordered them. They are also on sale for $15 at the Seabean coffee shop, and at Cover to Cover Books. Thanks to everybody who helped with this effort.

Porter Rockwell, Beverly Driscoll and Gail Lyons work at the AVTEC ceramics studio (Heidi Zemach photo)

It isn’t quite Santa’s workshop, but it sure comes close. The ceramics room at AVTEC has been filled with community members every Saturday afternoon pouring, painting, and glazing a wide assortment of ceramic items, and having a blast. Some 21 people dropped in on Saturday to spend the afternoon creating beautiful trays, bowls, animals, and even a Christmas tree. Twenty had shown up the week before, and sometimes the place is even busier.

Porter Rockwell was there with his grandmother Beverly Driscoll, painting up a storm. He’s a regular, and clearly loves the activity. “I just like to go here to make stuff. Stuff that’s useful, stuff that looks good,” he said. Rockwell had chosen to take home an owl that somebody had left on the “free shelf,” and was pleased with how his own ceramic cat had turned out. “It’s great gifting,” said Gail Lyons. Another said it was a form of meditation, and a time to get away from the children- “Mommy Time.” They said there were a large amount of different molds to choose from.

They use a process known as slipcasting, wherein liquid clay is poured into a mold, then left to solidify over the following week. It is then painted, glazed, and fired in the AVTEC kiln, in a process that takes three weeks to complete. For just $5 per week, anyone in the community can drop in, and each person can have up to four items being worked on at a time.

Jamie Fredrickson, AVTEC’s activities coordinator, runs the ceramics room both for AVTEC students who use it throughout the week, and for the community program she started. She gets help from volunteer Toni Lee, who everybody depends on for help and advice on their projecst.

The program has been so successful, they are considering offering it during some weeknights during the winter season in addition to Saturday afternoons, Fredrickson said.

While a lot of people do come in before Christmas to make handmade gifts she anticipates it will become busy again when it starts up in January and February because people are starving for something to do in town, and because it’s a good activity. “It’s a great group of people, they help each other out, and they give each other creative ideas too,” she said.

The program began last year, and was offered every Saturday until May. AVTEC partnered with the Independent Living Center, or TRAILS (Total Recreation and Independent Living Services), which had already done a five-session class. TRAILS agreed to provide volunteers to help show the others how to do it on an ongoing basis, and also collected the money and used it to replenish the supplies. Meanwhile AVTEC would fire the projects in its kiln. This year, Qutekcak Native Tribe is overseeing that task in coordination with AVTEC.

A sense of peace and camaraderie among the participants was palpable in the ceramics room, one that stood in stark contrast to the frenzied running around and shopping going on outside. “We could be at Tony’s, but we come here,” said one crafter. “What else is there to do here in the winter?” Said another.

“Reach out and create!  Don’t let the cold and dark get you down.  The Peninsula Art Guild is  planning a series of workshops in January at the Kenai Fine Arts Center to chase away your post holiday blues.  Fimo Art, Life Drawing, Artist Cards, Water Color and Origami to name a few.    Classes are for Kids and/or Adults and there’s one there for you.  Check out our website www.kenaifinearts.com or call Joyce, 260-5996 for details/registration.”

By Heidi Zemach for SCN

A diverse holiday concert, with a few surprises, was held Thursday Dec 13 at Seward High School Auditorium. The school segment featured three traditional Christmas tunes performed by the 18-piece Seward Elementary School Beginning and Advanced Bands. Four more complex holiday-themed tunes followed that by the 11-member Seward High School Choir, now known as the Seahawk’s voice; and an original Christmas duet written by Mark Chase, accompanied by Seward School’s music teacher Breighley Sexton.

The second half of the concert featured a series of pieces performed by the Seward Community Choir, accompanied by Sue McClure, which had been chosen from the decades-old high school song collection, including “The Bells” by Frank Ahrold (and Edgar Allan Poe), “Gesu Bambino”,” How Lovely Are the Messengers” by Felix Mendelssohn, and “Silver Bells,”composed by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans.

The elementary band students were endearing as they earnestly performed simple versions of Jolly Old St. Nick, Jingle Bells, Good King Wenceslaus to the best of their ability as Ms. Sexton, their new teacher, who towered over them, kept time. Former Seward music teacher Kyle Schneider is now directing the Homer High School choirs.

The Seahawk’s Voice’s young women looked dashing in their new choir garb: fairy-like green flowing dresses and black shawls. Hayden Beard, the choir’s only young man, also looked nifty in traditional black suit and bow tie. Their “African Noel,” featured traditional African harmonies and hand-clapping, and was accompanied by Chase on the bongo drum. “Hanukkah Nagilah” was hauntingly beautiful, with its minor-key melodies interspersed with hand clapping, and the joyous speeding up typical of Jewish celebration music. A smaller group of singers assumed an elegant seated montage for “Baby it’s Cold Outside,” by Johnny Mercer. As each singer held her own microphone, the individuality and character of their voices magically appeared.
Sexton and Chase performed “A Winter Wish,” a contemporary sentimental duet written by Chase who wrote this song about yearning to be with one’s true love for Christmas. Sexton’s vocal accompaniment to Chase’s vocals and guitar was strikingly pure and melodious. Chase, a guitar student of Mark Teckenbrock’s, and SHS alumni appears to be a talented young singer/song writer with great prospects ahead. He said afterward he’d never written a song like it.

The Community Choir, which has expanded to include singers of all ages, even middle school, performed a varied selection of songs such as “A Ceremony of Carols,” by the late Sir Benjamin Britten, It began with “Hodie Christus natus est”, a processional piece sung in unison, based on the Latin Gregorian chant. The choir was accompanied by McClure on piano, who also directed from the piano bench as L. Kay Shock, their conductor for most of the season, had broken her arm. The other pieces, such as “This Little Babe,” were sung in Middle English, a sort of Shakespearean-sounding English, with some complex modern harmonies and challenging rhythms. McClure had gently instructed the audience not to applaud in between numbers, as is the tradition with such music, but at one point some people either forgot, or couldn’t contain themselves, and clapped anyway. She invited anyone in the community interested in singing with a choir, to join in when they begin rehearsing for their Spring concert again in mid-January.

Come see uplifting holiday-themed performances by the Seward Elementary Band, the Seward High School Choir, and the Seward Community Choir tonight (Thursday Dec 13) at the High School Auditorium at 7 p.m.  These musicians of all ages, and from all walks of life have been practicing since the beginning of the school year to share their talents with you. We promise you smiles, and a welcome break from Winter’s gloom.

First Friday art walks generally take place during the summer time. But some business owners and residents thought it would be a nice idea to encourage folks to buy local if they held one in December. Stores stayed open, displayed a lot of local artistic talent, provided goodies and fellowship to those who stopped in.  2012 Iditarod Sled Dog Race winner Dallas Seavey signed his new book ‘Born to Mush’ at Cover to Cover Bookstore, and Amy Mow brought her chocolate fountain and some sweet dipping items. Santa visited each business that was open, and Luke Rosier played his guitar and sang for customers at the Ranting Raven Bakery  & Cafe. Saturday, December 8th, was tax break day, where local sales taxes were waived for local shoppers.

Santa and Luke Rosier First Friday at Ranting Raven (Heidi Zemach photo)

The Latest from Niebrugge Images Photo Blog

Posted: 05 Dec 2012 11:06 AM PST

Here is another one from my hike last weekend.

Standing dead trees usually only remain standing for a couple of years in these parts thanks to our wet, extreme weather.  The wet rots the wood, and the wind and heavy snow takes care of the rest.

So for these dead trees to be still standing after 50 years is remarkable.  The reason they are still standing is interesting.  This area subsided during the huge Alaska earthquake of 1964 and that allowed this area to be flooded by the nearby ocean.  When the trees sucked up the salt water it killed the tree, but also preserved it.  After time, the weather turns the trees white which is why they are often called ghost trees.  These trees are extra white in this photo thanks to the snow and frost.  There are numerous examples of these trees along the coast throughout South-central Alaska.

The Latest from Niebrugge Images Photo Blog

Posted: 03 Dec 2012 04:00 AM PST

By Heidi Zemach for SCN

Friday and Saturday’s Holiday Arts & Crafts Fair saw full parking lots,  large crowds, and more vendors than ever at the AKRR Dale R. Lindsey cruise ship terminal building. It featured live music this year including songster Luke Rosier, the High School Choir, now renamed “Seahawks’ Voice,” and the Community Band, playing traditional carols. There were photos with Santa, a Senior Center-sponsored cake-walk,  hand-made Fair Trade goods from around the world, sponsored by the Resurrection Lutheran Church and more. It was an opportunity for a couple of enterprizing girls from Soldotna to create cakes in jars, Wassail in cups and bags, for a young Seward girl named Lucy Hankins to sell the potholders she created on a plastic loom, and for a lot of other talented individuals to sell their own arts and crafts. Tara Reimer Jones and Lori Landstrom were the co-chair organizers for this year’s event, on behalf of the Kenai Crewsers Rowing Club.

Come on out and enjoy!

The Latest from Niebrugge Images Photo Blog

Posted: 26 Nov 2012 11:39 AM PST

This was last night (Sunday) from my front porch!  This is looking across the bay at Mt. Alice through a 70-200 telephoto.  There is no question I have more photos of this mountain then any other subject!

I had hoped to photograph this scene on Saturday night since the last sunlight of the day would have been illuminating the mountain as the moon peaked over the ridge.  But, unfortunately about the only clouds we have seen in sometime moved in during that one hour – go figure.

Seward Girls Scouts is soliciting volunteers!

Our Kindergarten Daisy Troop 649 is in need of a troop leader.  You need not have a daughter in the troop to volunteer.  Please contact Stephanie Mullaly at 224-5882 for further information if interested in volunteering.

We are also seeking volunteers for our  Women in the Arts program scheduled for March 24th, 1-5pm.   Come share your talents and career knowledge with our girl scouts for a fun and enriching afternoon! For more information please contact Sandy DeLand at 362-1976

Join us in helping our girl scouts discover the fun, friendship, and power of girls together!

This is it folks, the final call for the Moose Pass Holiday Bazaar! We’ve got some fantastic booths for you to check out on this chilly Thursday evening:

• There will be jewelry a-plenty (including Yup’ik beaded jewelry and sterling silver), jewelry holders,
•  crocheted items (including winter hats from hibernation textiles),
•  fashionable baby accessories,
•  custom tackle,
•  handmade soaps,
• ornaments,
• photography prints,
• stationary,
• scarves,
•  hand bound books,
• wind chimes, and much more.

We have at least three tables full of great silent auction items, including a buy one get one summer canoe trip in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. Kick back and enjoy some live music by Dave Schaffer and friends, as well as energetic accordion music by Garret Young. There will be hot beverages as well as chili and lemonade. Buy some Thanksgiving sweets at the Moose Pass parent sponsored bake sale. 4-H will have an informative table along with a tic tac toe game for younger kids. There will also be face painting for the youngsters, and the young at heart. Last but not least, dress your family in your Christmas duds and get your Christmas portraits done. All you need is an email address and a few bucks. The sitting fee is only $5.00! The photos will be edited and emailed to you so you can have greeting cards or portraits printed where ever you’d like.

All proceeds go to the Moose Pass School. Please come out and support the kids. We can’t wait to see you there!

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15th from 5-9 PM. The school is down Depot Road (adjacent to Trail Lake Lodge). There will be a sign on the Seward highway.