By Heidi Zemach for Seward City News

Harbormaster Mack Funk accepts proclamation for upcoming Harbor Opening Weekend, and related events. Heidi Zemach photo

The Seward City Council approved a number of resolutions without discussion or debate during a meeting of under an 90 minutes Monday, May 13^th. They unanimously accepted a number of resolutions on their consent agenda including a $24,000 grant, and appropriated a city 5% match of $1,200 to purchase new exercise equipment for the city volunteer fire department. The equipment will be placed in a 24-hour facility, available for emergency volunteer’s use. According to the resolution 2013-030, heart attacks are the leading killer of emergency responders for this physically and mentally demanding work.

A second resolution they passed will add an additional $71,000 to the existing $550,000 city contract with Harmon Construction Inc., which is constructing a vessel wash down pad at Seward Municipal Industrial Center, or SMIC.  The change order will enable Harmon to install a wash water holding tank that will allow the wash down pad to operate during light and moderate rain storms. The system it originally designed was inadequate for that, according to the project engineer, PND Engineers Inc. The wash down pad still has no source of heat provided to melt snow or ice, however.

A third resolution recommends that the Kenai Peninsula Borough approve the Seward Bear Creek Flood Service Area’s 2013 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, requires all states to submit a hazard mitigation plan in order to be eligible for FEMA funding in disasters, and requires those plans to be updated regularly. They guide citizens and policy makers in mitigating potential natural hazard disasters, and ensure public awareness and involvement. The plan’s approval will be reintroduced in the assembly June 4^th with the city council’s recommendation. The assembly also has an ordinance to accept $1.3 million in federal and state reimbursement for last year’s Sept 12 flood damage.

Sue Lang. of the USCG Auxillary, invited folks to don their life-jackets, and visit the new coast guard facility in honor of boating safety week. She thanked the many agencies that help promote boater safety. Heidi Zemach photo

Finally, the council passed a resolution accepting a $3,000 grant from Kenai Mountains Turnagain Arm Corridor Communities Association to hire a museum assistant to help scan and upload over 300 local historic photos into the statewide historic photo database, and to add ’64 Earthquake-related material to the UAA Consortium Library Archives in time for the 50^th anniversary of the event.

Under New Business, the council approved two ordinances for introduction. They will have public hearings, and will be up for final approval at the next meeting. One ordinance establishes electronic notification of wait list customers at the Small Boat Harbor. The other revises the city code to eliminate quarterly moorage rates at the harbor.

In Unfinished Business, the council held three public hearings on proposed changes to the International Mechanical Code, International Building Code, and adopting the 2012 IBC, and amending the 2012 edition of the International Fire Code, amending a chapter of its Health and Safety code. No one came forward to testify. After some discussion, the council rejected the new IBC code and revisions by a 3-2 vote, however. Councilmembers Bob Valdatta, Christy Terry and Mayor David Seaward voted in favor of the ordinance, while Vanta Shafer and Marianna Keil voted against it. Vice Mayor Jean Bardarson, whose husband, a contractor who converts steel shipping containers into temporary living structures, abstained from the discussion and vote for conflict of interest reasons. The vote means that the city will continue to operate under the 2006 building code that allows temporary structures to be approved for 180 days, with extensions possible if granted by the building inspector. The building inspector also must abide by the recently adopted 2009 state building code changes. The council will likely wait until the state adopts its own
version of the 2012 IBC before adopting its own version of the building code.

The International Mechanical Code and International Fire Code revisions were amended, but their approval was postponed to allow additional public hearings during the May 28^th council meeting.

SPD Lieutenant Tiner invites the public to participate in the Olympic Torch Run, and to honor corrections/peace officers week. Heidi Zemach photo.

The mayor issued five city proclamations including the U.S. Coast Guard’s safety week and life-jacket safety day this Friday, the Harbor Opening Weekend, May 18-19, the Seward Mariner’s Memorial dedication and blessing of the fleet, Seward’s Military Appreciation Week May 15-31^st, National Peace Officer’s week, and the Special Olympics Torch Run/Terry Pollard Exit Glacier race on Saturday morning.

By Heidi Zemach for SCN

New library file photo by Heidi Zemach

The Seward City Council has begun to talk about its upcoming budget needs in advance of more focused budget discussions that will begin in September. It has already had two preliminary work sessions. The first one focused on the Public Works Department’s plans and needs for Water and Sewer infrastructure projects. The second work session, held last week, focused on how to pay for the new library/museum bond in the coming years.

The bond debt is $3.4 million, payable over 25 years at 3.99% interest.  The bond payments pay the interest only for all of next year, FY2014, at around $159,400, then payments increase to $244,400 per year as they pay off both the principal and interest.  The remaining two-thirds of the library museum building project was funded through grants and donations.

The library is part of the city’s General Fund, with its capital and operating costs paid from tax and revenue sharing, not from user-generated revenues such as through the sale of goods and services.

The five options that the council discussed with staff and the public began with the idea of doing nothing and hoping that increased tax revenues would be enough to cover the new debt payments. This would require a 5.9 percent increase in taxable sales. Sales tax income has been steadily increasing in recent years. The second option was to reduce funding to other General Fund uses by about $250,000. The third option was to increase the sales tax from 4% to 4.25% based on 2013 projected sales, which would take some changes in business software, and trying to explain that to a public that voted against a sales tax increase in an advisory vote two years ago. Fourth, increasing property tax from 3.12 mills to 3.89 mills to generate additional $249,600, a 24% increase of the City rate, or a 9.5% increase of the aggregate City/KPB/SBCFSA rate, totaling 8.89 mills. Fifth and last, a combination of the above options.

The sales tax versus property tax idea was debated exhaustively during bi-annual budget debates two years ago under the city administration of then City Manager Phillip Oates. Property taxes weren’t viewed as fair by some because of the small number of city property owners relative to city residents of the area who used the library. Sales tax increases were rejected at the time by a majority of voters who said they felt squeezed by increases in city fees, and prices for goods generally. They also rejected Oates’ proposal for a seasonal summer sales tax increase and winter season decrease, although most of that increase would be borne by visitors to Seward. Local hoteliers said tourists frequently complained about our sales tax, and additional hotel head taxes, and would not want an additional burden. The borough said calculating the special tax would be cost-prohibitive, and that the city would have to reimburse them for their new software. A proposed “sin” tax on alcohol and tobacco also was defeated in a citizen’s advisory vote.

At the recent work session, Mayor David Seaward said he would support a property tax increase or a withdrawal from the general fund, such as from the motor pool fund to finance the library museum bond.

“People are extremely optimistic about the direction we’re headed (with increased business and thus sales taxes),” and would like to see the bond payment taken from the general fund, said Councilwoman Vanta Shafer.

“Which leads to the discussion of which fund?” said City Manager Jim Hunt.

Assistant Manager Ron Long said the increase in taxable sales that the city experienced in the last quarter had been spent by council to restore some programs that had been facing cuts, and also were used for discretionary spending such as trips and travel, and by the city paying resident bill payer’s credit-card fees.

“Ask the nonprofits to chip in, it’s about time they step up to the plate guys,” said Councilman Bob Valdatta.

New museum’s display case of find handmade Native-Alaska baskets. Heidi Zemach photo.

Keith Campbell, who chairs the Seward Community Library Museum board, said he continues to believe that a sales tax increase would be the most fair for all, especially for elderly people like him, whose real property taxes are exempt. It also includes a broader population of those who live outside of the city limits, but who also use the library museum.  The majority of voters who approved an earlier ballot measure asking whether the city should fund the building project with a General Obligation Bond, was good enough for the council to justify a sales tax increase to pay for it, he said.

Tom Tougas, a local businessman, encouraged a combination of doing nothing and reducing the general fund. “I expect the sales tax bill to go up significantly this year,” he said. The North Dock and hospital (original building) bonds will be paid off this year, he said. Meanwhile, the one-percent sales tax for hospitals will continue to provide funds toward future hospital improvements. Although he believed the sales tax versus property tax increase debate as a waste of time, he did favor the seasonal sales tax concept as some 65-75% of our sales tax is paid by visitors.

Library Director Patricia Linville said the council should not think they could fund the bond by instituting library fees for users, because revenues would be minimal, even if the city charged $25 for a library card like the Loussac Library in Anchorage does. Her review of library patron’s addresses found that there were 5,504 card holding households living in Seward, 175 in Moose Pass, and 300 in areas outside of town, she said. These would only bring in about $11,250 in revenues to the library, she said.

Seward can expect to receive ten times as much money from the museum as they do from the library, Tougas said. But the Seward Historic Society currently averages only about $20,000 in visitor-income per year. While visitor numbers are expected to increase with the museum’s new location, and the entrance fee has increased to $5, the hours that the museum is open may not be as high as previous years due to staffing limitations. The historic society does plan to staff the museum with volunteers on tourist-season Sundays, when the library is closed, as those are on large cruise ship/tourist days. Kerry Martin, of the historic society, warned not to count on the earthquake documentary fee to support the new building. It is dedicated to the library association for books and programs, he said.

By Heidi Zemach for SCN

Cruise ship passengers in Alaska Railroad depot 2012l. Heidi Zemach file photo

Celebrity Cruises has confirmed that during its last sailing to Seward Friday, May 10th, the Celebrity Millennium cruise ship experienced “an elevated number of people with a gastrointestinal illness.”  Over the course of the sailing, 164 of its 1,963 passengers and 30 of its 935 crew members experienced the illness, thought to be norovirus.  Those affected by the short-lived stomach illness responded well to over-the-counter medication being administered onboard the ship, said Cynthia Martinez the director of Global Corporate Communications for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

“At Celebrity Cruises we have high health standards for all our guests and crew,” she said.  “During the sailing, we conduct enhanced cleaning onboard the ship, to help prevent the spread of the illness. Additionally, when Celebrity Millennium arrived to Seward, Alaska, on Friday, May 10, we conducted an extensive and thorough sanitizing onboard the ship and within the cruise terminal, to help prevent any illness from affecting the subsequent sailing.”

The State of Alaska Section of Epidemiology division received an email from the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) vessel sanitation program three days earlier notifying them of the matter because more than three percent of its crew and passengers were affected by gastrointestinal symptoms, said the division’s information officer Greg Wilkinson.  The email said that the CDC would respond to the ship. Guests and crew on the Millennium, as on all cruise ships embarking passengers here, received a letter at boarding that asked if they had experienced any gastrointestinal symptoms within the last three days. Those who answer that they have are checked out by medical personnel, and some, deemed infectious, are not allowed to board. Similarly, if guests said they were uncomfortable taking their cruise, for reasons related to personal health or otherwise, cruise ship staff assist them in rescheduling their sailing for another time.

Celebrity Millennium departed Shanghai (Baoshan), China, on Thursday, April 25, and made port calls to Jeju Island, South Korea; Kobe and Toyko (Yokohama), Japan and Petropavlovsk, Russia, before arriving to Seward, Alaska, on Friday, May 10. Then it headed to ports in southeast Alaska.

Cruise Ship train arrives at terminal. Heidi Zemach 2012 file photo.

According to health experts, each year as many as 300 million people worldwide are affected by Norovirus.  Only the common cold is more prevalent. The virus is a bad gastrointestinal flu that can knock you out for about two or three days. While it’s very common in the general population, in a confined environment, such as on board a ship, it can spread rapidly, usually by people touching surfaces such as door handles and railings. All of the cruise ships stress frequent daily hand-washing and sanitizing, and the crew uses a potent virus killer to treat all surfaces and to clean the cabins daily. In the case of an outbreak, it is also used to clean all of the coaches too.

Last year, passenger’s aboard the Dawn Princess, a Princess Cruise ship, experienced elevated numbers of people with norovirus. When the ship arrived in Seward, however, only six passengers and three crew members were deemed infectious and were confined to their staterooms.

Friday’s ship was the first of many that will be coming to Seward this summer, and kicked off the official start of what many local entrepreneurs expect will be a busy 2013 tourist season here. Many of the passengers were loaded onto tour buses and spent the day sightseeing in Anchorage, while others took local day-cruises aboard Major Marine Tours and Kenai Fjords Tours. Still others wandered around town, visiting the shops and restaurants and Alaska SeaLife Center.  The next cruise ship scheduled in Seward is Holland America’s Zaandam, Sunday, May 19^th.

The Kenai Peninsula Borough provides free household hazardous waste collection four times a year at the Seward Transfer Facility located at the end of Dimond Blvd. Bring your household hazardous waste on Saturday, May 18^th from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. The next collection date is July 27. Household collection is free; businesses and organizations should call Emerald at  1-877-375-5040 ahead of time to let them know what to expect.

Many home improvement projects result in hazardous waste such as extra or old paint, varnish, stain, paint thinner, paint stripper, caulk, wood preservatives, and adhesives.

These products are all household hazardous waste that should NOT go in the trash can. But if you paint, varnish, or stain an old board and let it dry it’s no longer a hazard and can be safely disposed with the regular trash.

Maintaining a vehicle generates used motor oil, antifreeze, windshield wiper fluid, car wax and cleaners, lead-acid batteries, brake fluid, and transmission fluid. Hazardous waste again.

Insecticide and insect repellent, weed killers, rodent poison, pet spray and dip, mothballs, and disinfectants are all household hazardous waste. 

Old cleaning supplies are hazardous waste too: furniture polish and wax, drain opener, oven cleaner, tub and tile cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, spot remover, bleach, and ammonia. Any product that contains words like “danger, explosive, poison, flammable, caution, corrosive, warning!” should be handled with care and treated as hazardous waste.

Fluorescent bulbs are hazardous waste, but they are not accepted at the Transfer Facility. Thanks to a grant for a cool machine from Holland America, the City of Seward provides fluorescent tube recycling the first Friday of every month at the shed north of City Hall from 3 to 4 pm. The next fluorescent bulb recycling event will be Friday, June 7^th.

Help keep our beautiful community clean and healthy by selecting less hazardous products for your needs, and by taking advantage of these free quarterly hazardous waste recycling events.

For more information contact the Seward Transfer Facility at 224-5327, the Kenai Peninsula Borough Solid Waste Department at (907) 262-9667 or on the web at www.borough.kenai.ak.us/solidwaste.

Submitted by Carol Griswold

Shoreside Petroleum announced an expansion to its fuel storage terminal in Seward of up to 8 million gallons.  The project will raise the facility’s capacity to some 10 million gallons. Shoreside will partner with Petro Marine Services, with the first phase of construction scheduled to begin this summer.

Kurt Lindsey, Shoreside Petroleum’s CEO, said “We believe the increased capacity will provide both companies with many options for managing the fuel needs of our broad customer base located throughout South-central Alaska and the Interior Railbelt.”

During the winter months under sustained periods of severe cold, heavy ice restricts access to the fuel supply in Cook Inlet. The new storage in Seward will provide an alternative for securing supply year round for the companies petroleum barges.

Shoreside Petroleum and Petro Marine Services are family owned Alaska companies and have been doing business throughout the state for over five decades. Together the two companies serve their customers with 15 terminals from Wasilla to Ketchikan, as well as Northwest Canada. Included in this family of businesses is a large network of retail gas stations and commercial cardlocks that operate under the Petro Express and Essential 1 brands.

More information can be obtained at www.shoresidepetroleum.com and www.petromarineservices.com

Training Captain Jim Wiles and Engineer Tim Ludwig attended the W.S.Darley Pump and Compressed Air Foam (CAFS) Academy May 5-10 in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.  The Bear Creek Fire Department has 4 Darley pumps and 2 Darley apparatus including a class A CAFS Rescue Pumper.

The Darley Pump School includes instruction on the theory, operation, maintenance and repair of Darley pumps. The Darley CAFS Academy is designed to acquaint students with the function, operation and benefits of Compressed Air Foam Systems.

Captain Wiles is charge of training for the volunteers and coordinates apparatus maintenance with outside contractors.   Having this knowledge will benefit training and with preventative and repairs of fire pumps on department apparatus.

Engineer Tim Ludwig is the lead apparatus engineer for the department.  Having advanced information on pump operations and compressed air foam system will benefit the department engineers.  Knowing the theory and application on CAFS and troubleshooting pumping operations is essential to safety on the fireground.

Compressed Air Foam Systems are shown to use approximately 1/3 less water to suppress fire, due to the surfactant injected into the water supply and then aerated with the injection of compressed air.  It penetrates and clings to fuels, not only cooling but coating the material to suppress fire.   A benefit as Bear Creeks depends on tankers for structural fire water supply. It also creates lighter hose lines, a benefit to firefighters and decreased water damage.  The Bear Creek Rescue Pumper 118 has a 200 cubic foot per minute air compressor that can also be utilized to supply air rescue tools and air lifting bags at rescue incidents.

Firefighter I, Chris Edgar, also recently completed a week long Engineering Course hosted by the Kenai Fire Department.  The course covered 2 days of apparatus driving, positioning and safety and 3 days of apparatus pumping evolutions. At the completion of the course Firefighter Edger tested out for Fire Apparatus Operator certification from the State of Alaska Fire Service Training.

The department is always looking for apparatus operators to support fire operations.  It’s a great position for someone that wants to volunteer, but may not want to participate in interior fire operations.  The department meets each Thursday night at 7:00 pm at the Bear Creek Department with engineer training often taking place Wednesday evening.

Seward Harbor Opening Weekend: May 18 & 19

SCHEDULED EVENTS

Saturday May 18
8:30-10:00 Sailor’s Breakfast at Sailing, Inc.
10:00-2:00 Sailor’s Swap Meet at Sailing, Inc.
11:00-3:00 Open Boats on the Docks
11:00-4:00 Craft Fair at the Breeze Inn Lobby
Noon Military Appreciation BBQ at Harbor Plaza… free hotdogs!
12:00-6:00 Silent Auction at the Breeze Inn Lobby to Benefit the Mariner’s Memorial
3:00 Seward Mariners’ Memorial Plaque Installation Service
4:00 Blessing of the Fleet at the Seward Mariners’ Memorial followed by boat parade
7:00-11:00 Dance at Chinook’s to Benefit the Mariners’ Memorial $10

A lot is happening this weekend for the fundraising efforts for a new Seward Animal Shelter!

Head on in to Captain Jacks TODAY as they will be donating 10% of their profits.

The Rez Fitness will be hosting a Zumba class TONIGHT from 7pm to 8pmish. All proceeds go to the cause!

Then TOMORROW, 05/11, the Alehouse will be donating 10% of their profits towards the new animal shelter. They will have a DJ playing all night so you can dance the night away!

We would like to thank the Railway Cantina for hosting a cash mob every Tuesday in April. That brought in an additional $400 to the cause.
Check us out on Facebook to stay up to date on all the fundraising efforts: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Seward-Animal-Shelter-Fur-Ball-A-Cause-for-Paws/218659204941841

Seward Museum welcomes folks to come in and sit and chat, and share some history. Heidi Zemach photo.

The Seward Community Library Museum has two events this Saturday May, 11th. Everyone is invited to attend the new mural’s dedication and the museum’s grand opening. The mural dedication is at 12:30pm, followed by the museum grand opening ceremony at 1:00pm. Admission to the museum is free following the ribbon cutting ceremony. The library will open at 2pm following the museum’s grand opening.

The mural, Seward’s largest ever, was created by Nichole Feemster, and was painted and prepared by a large group of dedicated community volunteers. It was recently hung on the building’s south face, and provides a great deal more color and storytelling mystique to the building’s already fascinating shifting-color tiled exterior.

This pioneer’s bedroom scene is also on display in the new Seward Museum. Heidi Zemach photo.

The new museum retains much of its original old flavor, with an oriental rug, the same welcoming wooden table and chairs for people to gather around, and it offers the same collection of historical artifacts. But it is arranged in such a way, progressing from one segment or  theme to another, with good lighting to allow people to view the displays in a new, more comprehensive light, with help from some handsome new showcases on platforms built just for the new building. I guarantee you will notice things that you have not seen before, even though they were there all along! The historical society members will volunteer to keep the museum open on Sundays during the busy summertime when the library is closed. Folks are saying that with the museum, the 1964 Earthquake documentary showing, and library all in the same location, there should be more visitor traffic, and more money and attention generated to Seward’s historical treasures.

By Heidi Zemach for SCN

The Bear Creek Volunteer Fire Department is hosting a Ground Breaking on Saturday May 11, at 1:30 for the new fire-station multi-use building, with an open house and hot-dog roast to follow. March Creek is the Contractor. The contract was formally approved by the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly at its Tuesday, May 7^th meeting. Six contractors bid on the project, but March Creek was the lowest bidder at $4,501,123.00, and is a contractor well known for the quality of its work, said BCFVD Fire Chief Mark Beals.  For the past couple of weeks, workers have been clearing the site adjacent to the existing fire station of trees and snow, and generally preparing for the site to be ready for them to begin construction this month.

The Kenai Peninsula Borough Capital Project will oversee the project. The project is to be substantially completed by early 2014, with additional ground work to be finished in the spring of next year.

Bear Creek Volunteer Fire Department with their newest truck. Photo from BCVFD website

“The Bear Creek Fire Service Area Board of Directors and the Bear Creek Volunteers Fire and EMS, Inc. are looking forward to the new facility which will improve facilities for training, and a layout and design that will improve response and safety at the new station,” Beals said. “We wish to thank the community,
borough and our legislative representatives for their support of this project.”

Come out an celebrate with the volunteer fire department and Bear Creek community this important new project that has taken so long to bring to fruition.

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/20130509/top-alaska-chefs-battle-seafood-crown-right-represent-state

(Link provided with permission from the Alaska Dispatch)

Congratulations to our own local chef Kevin Lane for taking top honors at the Great Alaska Seafood Cookout.

http://www.ktuu.com/news/ktuu-chef-from-seward-takes-first-at-seafood-cook-off-20130509,0,5732555.story

Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education meets May 6th in Seward. Heidi Zemach photo

Heidi Zemach for Seward City News

The KPBSD Board of Education’s meeting at the Seward High School Monday night was an eventful, at times dramatic and emotional affair, probably better attended than most board meetings in the district’s larger communities are, said one board member during a much-needed break. Another board member, Liz Downing, from Homer joked that Seward is “the new Homer,” leading some in the audience to wonder if that was meant as an insult or a compliment.

The biggest piece of news for Seward was the board’s decision to delay the Seward Middle School configuration proposal to include the sixth grade in the middle school, in order to allow more time for study, discussion, and planning. The board directed the administration to make its recommendation to school board by October of 2013. That timeline was met with some disappointment by those in the audience who had hoped that the move could occur by the coming fall, rather than more than a year from now. The school went from offering eight to only four elective offerings this year due to lower enrollment numbers, and the public had been told there would probably be fewer or possibly no electives offered next year if the status quo were maintained—except for those that could be included within regular classes, such Art, Music, or the new Lego-Robotics.

There were a great many comments by members of the public about the proposed sixth-grade move. Six parents who spoke out were clearly in favor of the move to the middle school, two spoke in more general terms, one hoping that a more beneficial funding formula could be enacted for helping to staff the smallest district schools, and another thanking the KPBSD administrators for allowing SMS Principal Jason Bickling to continue on as principal of the Moose Pass School next year.

Maya Moriarty, Site Council member, speaks to board of education. Heidi Zemach photo

Maya Moriarty, a site-based council member  who had enjoyed a very “enriched” educational environment growing up, said her daughter had started to cry when she explained what she would lose if they didn’t move the sixth grade up. But she calmed down a little, when her mother told her that KPBSD Superintendent Steve Atwater had given the school an additional half a (FTE) position, Moriarty said.

Prior to the general meeting, the board also held a late-afternoon work session to discuss the process by which the principals and site council had reached their recommendation to approve the move. Another work session also took place on several proposed policy revisions to the site-council boards district-wide. It included a revised proposal initiated by local District 6 school board representative Lynn Hohl to have individual site councils decide whether principals/administrators should be able to vote on their own advisory boards. Earlier, she had proposed that the principals not be allowed to vote, as they do in Seward. The revisions were removed from consideration on the meeting agenda, however, when they felt more discussion was needed.

Seward teacher, union and NEA rep Mark Fraad speaks to board of education. Heidi Zemach photo.

One longtime elementary school PE teacher, Mark Fraad, who is also the Region Three National Education Association representative, gave a speech critical of the way his own community and leadership had handled the decision-making process on the proposed middle school reconfiguration. It echoed some of the issues presented to the site council and board earlier by the one dissenting Seward site-council member Amy Hankins, who was absent from Monday’s meeting. Fraad said the process was flawed, that the decision was fast-tracked, and that the public had received misinformation. He also said that those who had expressed differing views on the decision had felt “threatened, intimidated, publically shunned,” and that friendships had been damaged.  As a solution, he proposed that the board revisit the decision with help of an independent third-party mediator. The most important thing a teacher can teacher their children is to speak out for what they believe in.

Six other speakers who addressed the topic disputed Fraad’s statement, and of that of others who felt that the process had been unfair. Parents on the site-based council, such as Mica Van Buskirk and Moriarty again repeated that the only dissenting vote was by a single site-council member. Van Buskirk called Fraad’s statements “blown out of proportion,” and said she had not personally heard of any threats or intimidation, and that to her knowledge no friendships were lost. Moriarty returned to the podium to second those sentiments, and ended her comments by leaving the board, whose decision it would be, with a reading of the Serenity Prayer.

Seward-based board member Lynn Hohl said she really hoped that the board would look into its funding formula for smaller schools. It’s that formula, that bases staffing of schools on student enrollment numbers, that is perhaps most responsible for the loss of staffing and electives that created the reason for the sixth-grade move proposal.

Several speakers praised the two principal’s accomplishments during the meeting, especially the efforts and good intentions of Jason Bickling, who they said has done an outstanding job with the school during his three years as the Seward Middle School principal.  Earlier, Bickling had given an impressive presentation about the new focus of the middle school and its teachers to make learning more relevant. They had built a successful online learning environment, with blogs for each class, had worked to enhance student’s leadership skills, their teamwork, and moral character, had invited expert speakers to enrich their classroom learning experience, and had tried to get the students out into the community more with field trips and service projects. The new debate club also came forward to demonstrate their speaking skills.

Seward High School Principal Trevan Walker also gave a presentation on his vision for an improved “Hybrid High School.” Currently, data show that at any given time of the school day, only 120-150 of the school’s 178 enrolled students are sitting in front of a teacher. With 16-33 percent of students not in a traditional class, but instead taking online or distance education classes, community college classes, or graduating early, why not do away with the traditional bell schedule and truly embrace the 21^st century, with all its alternative education possibilities, and become a hybrid high school?, Walker said. He proposed merging distance learning with greater opportunities for those students to regularly meet with their online teachers, and creating a college student-union mezzanine on the upper level of the school, where students with laptops can study at booths or tables in a supervised environment while others are working in more traditional classrooms. Increasing numbers of teachers have already begun embracing non-traditional, online forms of teaching and self- learning, embracing the new paradigm shift in education, he said.

On another matter parents Erin Knotek and Julie Lindquist, and Josephine Braun, a high school student, spoke out against revisions by the Kenai Peninsula School Activities Association (KPSAA) regarding borough athletic competitions. These revisions would make attendance at the borough competitions mandatory for all district Track and Field and Cross Country teams. All said they trust their own coaches to decide what is best for their teams, and said that not all coaches felt it best to have their teams compete against teams from schools in larger divisions, which has sometimes proven unfair to the students involved.

Terri Tidwell, head custodian at Skyview High School, also spoke passionately about all of the unrecognized support employees including the custodians, aides, food-service providers and secretaries, who work so hard behind the scenes to keep the borough schools functioning. The district has received the resignations of many dedicated support staff this year, she said, many with two or three decades of work put into their schools, and totaling 400 years of experience, Tidwell said. Among them was Susan St. Amand, with 30 years of food-service for the Seward Schools.

Everyone is invited to the Seward Community Library Museum on Saturday May, 11th for the mural dedication and Museum grand opening. The mural dedication will take place at 12:30pm, followed by the Museum grand opening ceremony at 1:00pm. Free admission to the Museum following the ribbon cutting. The Library will open at 2pm following the Museum grand opening. Contact the Library Museum at 224-4082 with any questions.

Myla Liljemark, BP 2013 Teacher of Excellence. KPBSD photo credit.

Myla Liljemark, who teaches social studies at Seward Middle School, was among seven Kenai Peninsula Borough teachers honored May 1^st as 2013 BP Teachers of Excellence. The annual BP awards event was held at the Soldotna Senior Center, and Janet Weiss, President of BP in Alaska, presented the awards with Dr. Steve Atwater, KPBSD superintendent. Other teachers honored included Donna Austin, Chapman Elementary School (Anchor Point), Sue Biggs, Redoubt Elementary School (Soldotna), Lyn Maslow, West Homer Elementary School, Renee Merkes, Soldotna High School, Rob Sparks, Skyview High School (Soldotna), and Greg Zorbas, Kenai Central High School.

Rob Sparks, Skyview High School, was named the 2013 Kenai Peninsula BP Teacher of the Year.

“Through promoting self-awareness, student success, and international mindedness, students in Mrs. Liljemark’s class are provided a student-centered learning environment where they are the drivers of their education, KPBSD communications director writes Pegge Erkeneff in a district release. “Lilejemark believes the internationally-minded focus is key to helping students see themes of social studies played out around the world. She often brings in guest speakers from organizations such as the local historical society, National Park Service, or a Native tribe to bring real-life perspective to what’s being studied.”

“I am inspired when my students critically question history, current events, and perspectives of people they encounter in their everyday lives.  It is through these questions that evidence of thought, wonder, and independent thinking are exposed,” Lilejemark said.

Dr. Steve Atwater, superintendent (left), Ms. Liljemark, and Janet Weiss, President of BP in Alaska (right).

“A goal that I have for my class, is to nurture globally competent students. These are students that understand the historic and contemporary relationships between regions, countries, and peoples of the world. These are students that understand and tolerate others within a world where international connections are the norm. Through global competency, I hope students develop an understanding of who they are as an individual, and the role they play within their society and the world.” – Myla Liljemark

“My recent certificate in International Baccalaureate plays an important role in how I scaffold and plan for my class. It really is the backbone to how I structure learning in my classroom.”

“Myla Liljemark is deserving of this recognition,” said Jason Bickling, Seward Middle School Principal. “This last year she was International Baccalaureate Certified for Social Studies. She constantly searches for ways to better engage students into what is going on in the world and to understand their part in it.” “Students enjoy the minds, hands, and eyes-on activities that are a staple in her classroom. She is self-critical and reflective of her lessons and how they can be improved–then implements those changes. She takes risks regularly in her teaching and pushes the envelope in her pursuit of student engagement and learning. On top of social studies, she also teaches health, yearbook, and an enrichment history day course. She is an asset to Seward Middle School and enriches student lives on a daily basis.”

“The annual BP Teacher of Excellence Award is our chance to stop and recognize a few of our district’s excellent teachers,” said Dr. Steve Atwater, superintendent. “I know that each of the seven teachers is an excellent representation of our staff as a whole.”

Members of the Moose Pass 4-H group enjoyed learning about Robotics this past spring.   Students met once a week after school and followed plans to build “robots” out of Legos.  The robots included an alligator, dancing man, spinning birds, an airplane, an owl, a fox and a snake.  Software was used to program the robots to perform basic movements.

On  April 24th  the students held a public presentation at Moose Pass School for parents and interested community members.   They presented the book The Gruffalo.  They built characters from the story out of Legos and programmed them to act out their role in the story.  The program will continue next fall.

Grant money from the Moose Pass Sportsman Club and the Seward Community Foundation was used to purchase four We Do Robotics kits and We Do licensed software.  The Seward Community Foundation is an affiliate of The Alaska Community Foundation, a statewide, non-profit organization that manages charitable funds allowing donors to advance a cause, support an organization or provide flexible support for community needs.  For more information visit www.sewardcf.org.