Welcome Crystal Symphony, Seward’s first cruise ship of the season!  Most of the passengers were in Seward today on a port of call and will continue on to Southeast Alaska and then to Vancouver, B.C.  Several new passengers joined the ship in Seward for this voyage to Vancouver.  This is the only time a Crystal Cruises ship will come to Seward in 2013.  Built in 1995 and refurbished in 2009, the Crystal Symphony can carry up to 952 passengers and 566 crew.  More information is at their website.

Click here for the 2013 cruise ship schedule.

Crystal Symphony in port at Seward, AK
Photo by: M Tougas

The snow is melting fast, school is in its final weeks, and the sun isn’t setting until the late evening.

It is time for another year of Seward Little League!

The Kickoff and Registration Event will be at

12 PM Noon THIS SATURDAY April 27th at the Little League Field on 4th Avenue

For 2013, we will be sponsoring Co-Ed teams in the T-Ball, Minor League, and Major League Divisions.  This is an opportunity for kids of all abilities who turn 5 years old before April 30th 2013 and who are still 12 years or under on that day.

As in past years, for the kickoff, we’ll have refreshments, opportunities for the coaches to assess player skills (so players can be assigned to the correct Division and teams can be made up for good intra-League play), and the ceremonial throwing out of the first pitch.

For more information, you can ‘like’ our page on Facebook   https://www.facebook.com/sewardlittleleague or send us an email to sewardlittleleague@gmail.com – of course you can also just come down to the event and ask one of our Leaders or other volunteers.

We are very thankful for all of our Volunteer Coaches and Leaders as well as the generous sponsors, including the City of Seward Department of Parks and Recreation and the Seward Community Foundation who make it possible to have Little League in Seward.  If you want to be involved, even if you don’t have a child playing in the League, we still need many more volunteers to help with all aspects of the League (Coaching, Team Parents, Board Members, Equipment Manager, Snack bar, Field Upkeep are a few places we need more help!).  You can also sponsor a banner on the outfield fence or just enjoy a See’s Candy bar sold by one of the players to keep our registration fees low.

If you can’t make it to the kickoff event, please download the two attachments below and complete the Registration and Health Forms so that we can register your player for the Season.  Registration fees are between $30 and $45 depending on the division.  Registration fees cover equipment and uniforms.  The forms can be scanned and emailed to the League address (above) or dropped off to one of our volunteers around town or the Elementary School front desk.  copies of the attachments will be available at the event on Saturday.A limited number of need-based scholarships are available for players.  Please contact us for more information.

We’re going to have a great year!  Let’s PLAY BALL!

player registration form

Medical_Release_Form

Nichole Feemsters’ mural is going up on the South side of the Library Museum building.  The install is being conducted by Harmon Construction.  The vibrant colors of the mural match the colors that change with the light on the siding of the building.

Nichole’s design is centered on the idea of stories.  We are beginning to see a family, sitting by a fire sharing a story.

Stop by to see the mural come to life, who is listening in while the ‘story’ is being told?

Photo’s by: M Tougas

Harmon Construction starts the install.

Panels joined and starting to tell a ‘story’.

Statewide teleconference,  Wednesday, April 24, 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM

Pefluorinated compounds (PFCs) are synthetic chemicals used to make materials stain- and stick- resistant. They can be found in non-stick cookware, grease-resistant food packaging, water-resistant outerwear and shoes, stain-resistant home furnishings and other household products. PFCs are persistent organic pollutants that accumulate in the bodies of fish, wildlife, and people and have been linked to adverse health effects, including reproductive and developmental effects, endocrine disruption and certain cancers.

PRESENTERS:

Craig Butt, PhD, post-doctoral research fellow in the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University

Carol Kwiatkowski, PhD, Executive Director and Senior Research Associate at The Endocrine Disruption Exchange (TEDX)

For more information or to join this FREE call and receive the dial-up instructions, sign up at www.akaction.org or RSVP to ACAT at diana@akaction.org or call (907) 222-7714.

The mural panels painted during the paint weekend got their last top coating this Saturday.  The ‘Top Coat Gang’ has now placed a top coating three different times to get all of the panels ready for their install.  Nichole Feemster would like to thank all the volunteers that have come out to help with the mural that she has spent months working on.

Watch for the mural to start it’s install phase on the South side of the Library Museum building this next week.  The museum exhibit opening will be coming in May and the mural will be in place!

Photos are taken in the Hertz of Seward garage, where the ‘Top Coat Gang’ has been hard at work…can you recognize anyone?

The ‘Top Coat Gang’
Photo by: M Tougas

“Missed a spot here!”
Photo by: M Tougas

Carefully following a line
Photo by: M Tougas

Seward youth have great new opportunities, thanks to the Seward PTSA, the Seward Community Library & Museum, and fantastic volunteer leaders Amy Hankins, Valarie Kingsland, and Leigh Ray!

The basic programming club meets Monday afternoons at the library. About 10-12 youths, ages 12-19, participate. See a picture at http://on.fb.me/12waVTx. Valarie and Leigh co-lead this club.

The LEGO Robotics club had its first very fun, very successful meeting today (also at the library). This club meets on Saturdays, and about 30 children grades 1 – 6 participate. Amy and Leigh co-lead this club. Check it out!

Monday, April 22, 2013 is Earth Day!

Join us for a seminar by our very own Conservation Department staff members.

Monday, April 22, 2013

12-1pm (Brown Bag Lunch)

Alaska SeaLife Center, Bear Mountain Conference Room

Learn about our brand new citizen science websites and June’s GYRE project:

We’ve just launched two new citizen science websites:  Alaska Corps of Coastal Observers(AkCCO) and BioMap Alaska.  They’re aimed at helping Alaska gather data about coastal processes and animal sightings in all corners of the state.  Learn about how we’re involving citizens and what we hope the collected data can do for coastal communities and the environment.

The 4-years-in-the-making GYRE project involves a team of world-renowned artists and scientists traveling out of Seward on the R/V Norseman.  They’ll be collecting, studying, and making art from marine debris found on remote Alaskan beaches.  Hear more about the exciting group of individuals and organizations involved and the message this project will convey to the world.

For further information on GYRE: http://www.anchoragemuseum.org/galleries/gyre/

Please join us!  Free seminar, all welcome.

Seward Parks and Rec Department is seeking adult volunteers to host the Polar Bear Pink Cheeks Triathlon Friday and Saturday, May 3 and 4. All the jobs are critical to the success and safety of the event and participants. One such job needed is someone to set up his/her video to record the participants as they cross the finish line. We use this video to confirm place results as a backup system.

Other needed volunteer jobs are: lap counters and timers in the swimming pool on Friday night and Saturday morning to afternoon; traffic control/flaggers; finish line crew; bike queue helpers and monitors; check-in helpers on Friday night and Saturday morning; chip check-in following the race; clean-up crew throughout the day and other great jobs. To volunteer, please call Shari Adelmann, 224.4057 or Maggie Wilkins, 224.5427.

Go to www.SignUpGenius.com/go/30E094EADAB2BA13-pink2/3444643 or email sprd@cityofseward.net. Thank you!

The whole community is encouraged to cheer on the hundreds of participants on Saturday morning from 11 am to about 1:30 pm as the runners and bikers hit the bike paths and streets of Seward from the High School to the Lagoon, up and over Dairy Hill, around the Iditarod Mile Zero, then back along Ballaine Boulevard past the Alaska SeaLife Center and back to the school. Each year our participants tell us how nice it is to have the locals cheering for them along the course. Lowell Point residents may be pleased to learn we have cut out that portion of the course and will send our bikers east instead of south. (They will stay off Lowell Point Road completely.) (more…)

The Plastic Choice

Plastic bags, forks, bottles, razors: These are all examples of  common  Single Use plastic items

o    They account for roughly 4% of world oil production which is used as a feedstock to make plastics (a similar amount is used as energy in the process)

o    They make up over 80% of all marine debris- including the pacific garbage patch- a mass of plastic trash roughly the size of Texas floating in the Pacific. If you’ve ever been to Hawaii you might have swam with parts of it, or laid on the beach with it, or seen evidence of the marine life that have died from swallowing it.

o    Plastic never breaks down, but disintegrates to the molecular level and is inadvertently ingested by all organisms including humans, causing a variety of health problems.

Join Seward’s choice and take the plastic pledge!

Choose to reduce your own plastic consumption by bringing your own re-usable shopping bags to the store.

Tuesday April 23th Make your own shopping bag at Seward Library 3:30- 6:30
Learn more about the plastic problem worldwide.

Nichole Feemster thanks the wonderful community folks that signed up and stopped in to help with the panels this last weekend.  18 panels, size 4×8, were given their first, second and sometimes third coats of paint during the paint weekend at the cruise ship terminal.  Thank you to the Alaska Railroad and the City of Seward for the space to set up and paint, and the Library Museum volunteers for helping to move, set up and help with the weekend details.  Nichole was on site each day to oversee the painting and directing the helping hands.  She would like to thank the volunteer painters, some came more than one day, and a *special Thank You to Mary Daniels for soups and baked goods, Yum!

The panels are getting the artists final touch and will then have a top coating applied before they are ready to go up on the white walls of the South side of the Library Museum building.  Our helping hands:

Since its latest fundraising bash last November, Young Life Seward is making its presence known in more ways than one.  The trained leaders of Young Life work to bring youth of all walks of life together for wacky activities, friendship and to meet Christ in a fun and safe way. Leaders care to love them unconditionally regardless of their initial choices about faith.

Young Life Seward is equipped with a paid staff member, trained youth leaders, and is now holding monthly gatherings for High School age students.  They look to build up youth participation at their planned events and encourage interested students entering 10th grade or older to a camp experience in Oregon.  Camp dates are June 22nd to the 28th which YL is raising scholarship funds for.  Currently Dana Ivy serves as staff coordinator, is in charge of organizing events, recruiting and training youth leaders and helps to organize fundraisers

The latest fundraiser of flocking flamingos has served up some winter fun as they prove to be a colorful addition to the snowy backdrop of Seward.  Youth are pranking their neighbors around town by secretly placing plastic pink flamingos in their yards and entryways.  Victims pay to have them removed, then exercise an option of having another yard of their liking be flocked.  This activity will be continuing into June and Youth are welcome to join the fun.

More YL highlights and upcoming events are as follows;

Supervising open gym at the High School during lunch Hour on Tues and Thursdays

Yard Sale April 12th & 13th from 5-9pm Seward City Church building on Nash Road

Next Group Gathering and wacky activity night –

Summer Camp in Oregon 6/22-28th

Fall Fundraising Banquet 10/27th

If you have any questions about upcoming events or care to get involved, please call Dana Ivy @ 305-0387 or e-mail younglifesewardak48@gmail.com.   Otherwise stay tuned to YL activities through the Seward YoungLife facebook page. There is a place for everyone and YL would love to plug you in.

Seward’s largest mural is being painted this weekend at the Alaska Railroad cruise ship terminal building. Designed by Nichole Feemster, the brightly-colored, imaginative mural will go on the back side of the new Seward Community Library Museum building.  Plenty of helpers dropped by to help paint Saturday. They were surprised when Feemster decided to move the many panels that were on the tables over to the floor nearby, and replace them with another entire set of un-painted panels. Just how big was this mural? Here are a few photos of the paint-by number  process.

Library mural being painted. Heidi Zemach photo.

Mural artist and overseer Nichole Feemster pours paint for volunteer Keith Campbell. Heidi Zemach photo

Many helpers on this panel. Heidi Zemach photo.

Jackie Campbell takes pains to assure she paints inside the lines. Heidi Zemach photo

Diaper Derby winners. Photo courtesy of Melanie Hauze

Seward Parks & Recreation hosted the 27^th Annual Stylin’ Stitches Diaper Derby Saturday March, 30th. Thank you to our sponsors and volunteers for making this event a huge success.

Harper Swanson was crowned King along with Sophia Brewi who was crowned Queen for the age division 0 to 12 months; for ages13 to 24 months Lucas Craytor was crowned King and Cyan Garderner  was crowned Queen. Each one of these young contestants took home a first place ribbon in various categories – Greta Skoog, Brooke Sweatt, Wyatt Thompson, Clayton Pullins, Abigayle Ramsey, Hunter Jones, Stryder Aumick, Aiden Squires & Jack Ennis. Thank you to our volunteer judges at the 27th Annual Stylin Stitches Diaper Derby: Pam Grunet, Susan Willet, Maggie Wilkins, Michelle Endresen, Christina Pichotta, Jennilee Regis and last but not least our fabulous MC’s Hunter Kratz and Nic Pahno. Special thanks to volunteers Sully Hauze for dressing up as the Easter Bunny. Thank you Stylin’ Stitches for customizing the bibs that were given to all the participants. Many thanks to all the adorable contestants and their parents for participating!

Come help paint the Library Museum mural panels today and Sunday at the cruise ship terminal! Snacks and goodies provided by some wonderful volunteers ( thank you Mary Daniels and Mary Huss).  Meet Nichole Feemster, the local artist, and help with the completion of the mural panels that will be placed on the South side of the Library Museum.

All supplies are provided, just wear comfortable clothes that can handle a little paint and comfy shoes.  Adults and teens welcome.  We are offering community service time to all Seward High students that come by complete a time slot.  Painting will take place at the cruise ship terminal.  Thank you to the Alaska Railroad and the City of Seward for their help with the location to do this community event!

Special thanks to the folks already signed up, public can come and drop in to give a hand anytime, we will be there.  A good way to ignore the new snow outside.  Or, just stop by to see the work in progress. She has her color drawings out for viewing of the entire project.  We’ll have the coffee on!

This is the largest mural to be worked on in Seward and Nichole Feemster has been busy.  She needs some extra hands to get the final panels ready.

Saturday, April 6 ~ 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.  (drop ins welcome)

Sunday,  April 7 ~ 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.- need some hands for clean up and break down @ 2pm!!

Cruise Ship Terminal

Rick Brooks will perform fingerstyle guitar at the Resurrect Art on Friday, April 12 at 7 pm.

Anchorage guitarist Rick Brooks will perform a solo concert at the Resurrect Art Coffeehouse on Friday, April 12 at 7 pm. Brooks is an accomplished fingerstyle guitarist with a background in British folk and American blues. He has studied with Duck Baker and performed with such guitar luminaries as John Renbourne, Laurence Juber, and Mike Dowling. He performs and teaches in Anchorage and is a perennial instructor at the Acoustic Alaska Guitar Camp.

In addition to his evening performance, Brooks will be at Seward Elementary school for some classroom visits on Friday. His appearance is being coordinated as part of the culmination of this year’s Seward Elementary Guitar Club, an extracurricular club coordinated by teacher Terri McKnight and volunteer Jim Pfeiffenberger. “I love to bring someone like Rick into the Guitar Club to demonstrate to the kids where they could go with this instrument if they stick to it,” says Pfeiffenberger. “The Seward Arts Council was kind enough to sponsor an evening concert while he is here. He’s really probably the premier fingerpicker in all of Alaska.” Admission to the Friday evening concert will be $10.00 per person.

Brooks will also be offering a two and a half hour guitar workshop on Sunday, April 14 that will cover developing fingerstyle skills. An intermediate knowledge of guitar is recommended for participation in the workshop. Contact Jim Pfeiffenberger at pfeiff@gci.net for details on the workshop.