Hope Happenings

Ann Miller/Hope Great Grandmother of Donna DeFrance, 2007-2008, graduate and the first girl to graduate from the Hope School. Graduation was Feb. 7 at the Hope School. Teacher Lennie Yoter presented Donna her diploma while Donna’s guest speakers, Agusta Lind and Paul Story look on. Sixty to 70 Hope residents attended the celebration.

By Fayrene Sherritt
Turnagain Times
Hope Correspondent


Fifty to sixty guests joined Donna DeFrance and her family for her 2008-graduation ceremony and celebration held at the Hope School Feb. 7. Donna graduated early having finished all the required classes by the end of the first semester. Paul Story and Agusta Lind, of the Kenai Peninsula School District, were the guest speakers. Ms. DeFrance is a University of Alaska four-year scholarship recipient and received from the Hope PTA a $600 scholarship.
Saturday, March 8 is the date set for the Hope School’s Silent Auction Fundraiser. Bianca Durrant will again be the auctioneer. Start now to save your $1 bills but not to worry, there will be a supply that night if more are needed. You don’t want to miss out on this event that has been traditionally the biggest and best fundraiser for the school. With lots of great items, the evening has always generated lots of community interested and participation.
Per Angie Motoyama there have already been some pretty cool donations given; however, more are needed so please consider contributing an item for the silent auction. All the proceeds will go directly to the PTA and ultimately to the students through sponsoring students on field trips, purchasing supplies, healthy snacks and other class materials. Please contact Angie Motoyama at 782-3202 if you can help or can donate items to the auctions. This year, the spring field trip is being planned for Sitka where the visit will include a visit to the Raptor Center, the museums and the Russian Bishop’s House. If you have mileage and/or companion tickets available for the trip to Sitka, please contact the school as soon as possible.
Recently, through the efforts of Jeanne Berger, the Hope School entered and won the Nintendo/Wii contest. The Wii is used to simulate participation in sports such as bowling and tennis to keep the students physically active, improve their coordination and strength, and pique their interest in activities that they can participate in as healthy adults. The Wii has already been loaned to both the Moose Pass and Cooper Landing schools. Everyone loves it. The Hope School would like to incorporate the Wii into a PE program that could be made available to all students, including those in correspondence programs. The students are currently researching the various games available and the costs associated with buying used/rented/new games.
Hope students Stephen Finger and Brittani Motoyama met the Whittier Eagles Basketball Team’s van on Feb. 12 and joined the team as they traveled north to Anderson where the Whittier team defeated the Cantwell team on Tuesday and then defeated the Tri-Valley team on Wednesday. Stephen and Brittani have been playing on the Whittier team for the past several years as there are not enough students to have a basketball team in Hope. Feb. 14 through Feb. 17 were dedicated to the Anderson High Basketball Sportsmanship Tournament, where the Whittier team met teams from Anderson, Kenny Lake, Birchwood, Wasilla Lake, Effie Kokrine, and Northway. The Eagles displayed great sportsmanship throughout the tournament.
At the Hope Social Hall Feb. 12, the Chugach Nation Forest, Seward Ranger District presented information on the purposed Resurrection Creek Stream Restoration Project-Phase II. Public comments are being taken on the project until Feb. 21. The Chugach National Forest completed full channel restoration of a one-mile placer mining-impacted reach of Resurrection Creek in 2005 and 2006. This is known as Resurrection Creek Restoration Phase I.
The Seward Ranger District proposes to restore Resurrection Creek’s channel, floodplain, and streamside vegetation to pre-mining conditions and enhance fish and riparian wildlife habitat of the two-mile section located about three miles upstream of Hope and immediately downstream of the Resurrection Pass Trailhead. The project area lies within mining claims of the Hope Mining Company. Because the proposed stream restoration would occur within active mining claims, the Forest Service has worked with the mine claimants to establish a restoration corridor, where mining operations would be excluded in order to protect the restored ecosystem.
On Dec. 7, 2007 an agreement was reached between the US Forest Service and Hope Mining Company to establish a “restoration corridor” through the active mining claims as part of the proposed Phase II restoration project. It is proposed that the stream restoration project be conducted in a way that minimizes adverse impacts to resources and communities. Project Coordinator for the Forest Service Bill MacFarlane and Brian Bair, Project Fisheries Biologist presented the information and both were available for questions after the presentation.
Project planning for the Phase II project was initiated in 2008. Implementation of the three to five-year project is expected to begin in 2010. The project will be analyzed under an Environmental Impact Statement, which is scheduled to be completed by the fall of 2008. Interpretive displays will be created along the restored reach to show various aspects of the restoration, fisheries, wildlife, and historic mining.
Chugach National Forest’s goal is “Through successful implementation of Phase II of the Resurrection Creek Stream and Riparian Restoration Project, the Forest Service and its partners will rehabilitate the majority of the remaining impacted portions of Resurrection Creek. The combined rehabilitation efforts within the Resurrection Creek watershed will accelerate the natural recovery of the ecosystem and restore essential fish and wildlife habitat, providing opportunities for all who enjoy the Chugach National Forest for generations to come”.
The Seward Public Health nurse will be in Hope Friday, Feb. 29 between 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Hope residents are welcome to stop by the Hope School for a health visit.
Doors of the Hope Christian Church open every Wednesday morning at 8:00 am for coffee and breakfast is served to 10 a.m. All are welcome to come for a free breakfast. Following breakfast, the Food Bank is open Wednesdays 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Any folks needing to take advantage of the food pantry, outside the regular hours, please contact Burgins at 782-1002.