By Fayrene Sherritt
Turnagain Times Hope Correspondent
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Fayrene Sherritt/Turnagain Times The beginning of the installation of the new Public Restrooms for Hope. John Chandler, Greg Kaser and Jay Doyle install the holding tanks for the new restrooms. |
Local Sunrise resident, Jay Doyle owner of Denali Dirtworks and Chugach Outdoor Center, recently donated the use of his backhoe and dump truck equipment plus his time to dig the holes needed to place the new restrooms vaults. With his equipment, the vaults were lifted into place while Hope residents Greg Kaser and John Chandler assisted in the work. A few days later they poured a slab of concrete securing the vaults in the ground. The vaults are now ready for the completion of the restroom in the spring of 2009. There will be two restrooms both with handicap access. To maintain the historic look of the community, there will be an enclosure built around these restrooms to make that possible. Jay, Greg and John donated equipment and time for this important project.
The Hope Community Garden committee is mailing out a survey to all the residents. The survey will ask questions about the possibility of having a common garden area for Hope residents to plant vegetables for their personal use. They are looking for community input for what the community’s needs are in having a garden area. How many are interested in having space to plant? Would the garden be used for just summer use or would residents want to grow enough for a year’s worth of food? They are also looking for land that could be used for a garden area. If anyone has any ideas, please contact Gina Motoyama. There will be instructions on the form for returning the surveys. The committee plans to give their report at the next Hope Inc. meeting in October.
The Hope School students recently toured the Hope/Sunrise Historical and Mining Museum as their first field trip for this school year. Billy Miller took the students around the property grounds sharing mining history as they looked at all the old buildings. Their first stop was the first school, which opened in 1904 in a very small one-room building. The first school house building was moved, a few years ago, from the Clark homestead and is on loan to the museum from “Berdie” Miller and family. The display showed many of the items used in those days and the students listened to a recording telling about the school teacher and his students.
Their tour also included the Ray-Bruhn mining buildings; the rebuilt animal barn, the blacksmith shop and the bunkhouse where the miners lived while they worked on gold claims on Canyon Creek. After a tour of the museum, the students panned for gold with “Gold Pan Peck” and Dallas. Each found gold as they learned how to pan. Panning for gold was a highlight for many as they had not done that activity before. Afterwards they went across the street to “Sweet Mo’s” for ice cream. For an additional treat, Melanie Bowman had cups of favored popcorn and candy bracelets for each student to enjoy.
Anyone who would like to volunteer this school year, please contact Gina Motoyama at the Hope School 782-3202. The first PTA meeting will be held Tuesday Sept. 9 at the Hope School at 3 p.m. Principal Jim Dawson plans to be at the Hope School each Tuesday this school year.
Doug Nielson of Nielson Construction, Inc. continues to make progress on the building of the new post office for Hope. The walls are up and the roof trusses are in place. The contractor is pushing to have the building all enclosed as soon as it is possible.
Beginning Wednesday, Sept. 10 Tito’s Discovery Café will be closed each Wednesday and Thursday until spring. Café hours will also be shortened, please check at the Café to see when those will change. Tito’s is looking for a winter cook, please contact the café for details. “Grounds for Hope” will be open in September only on Saturday and Sunday with Sept. 14 as the last day for this season. Bianca and Michael Durrant wish to thank all their loyal customers. Bowman’s Bear Creek Dinner House will begin their winter days and hours beginning right after Labor Day. This winter they will be open Thursday through Sundays opening at 4 p.m. until closing. Sweet Mo’s will be open weekends until the end of September. Sea View will close for the season mid-September and Alaska Dacha will be open every day of the month of September from 10 a.m. to 6 pm.
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Photo courtesy of Dallas Erwin A large brown bear was killed on the Hope Highway when it ran out in front of a truck driven by Jade LaPeirre. He was not injured. The bear was killed instantly. |
Early in the last week in August as Jade LaPeirre was returning after dark to Hope, a large brown bear ran out in front of her truck between mile 13 and mile 14 on the Hope Highway. As the bear was hit, the front bumper rolled down and the bear was forced under the front end of the truck causing the wheels to lock up. The truck didn’t flip but ended up off the road in a ditch while the bear was killed instantly. A cell phone call brought help for Jade who was not injured but was badly shaken over the accident. The next day Dwayne McBride with the help of Scott Sherritt loaded the bear onto a trailer and it was then taken into Hope. The State of Alaska Wildlife Department was contacted regarding the accident and arrangements were made to give the hide and head to the State as required by law.
Hope residents Dave and Lana Scanlan, owners of Glacier Dyeworks, took a couple of years off to build their home and have returned to making their ever-popular tye-dye T-shirts this past summer. They made all the shirts for this year’s 21st Wagon Wheel 5-K run Hope’s summer weekend in July. They also took over 1500 shirts to the Alaska State Fair where they have made a huge hit. The staff at Anchorage’s Moose’s Tooth now wears Scanlan made T-shirts and the Hope Library Gift Shop has a nice selection for sale.
The Seward Public Health Nurse, Lois Daubney, will be holding a walk-in clinic at the Hope School Friday, Sept. 19 between 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. Those with special needs should call 224-5567 to make arrangements with the nurse.
The Hope Christian Church 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. The weekly winter community breakfasts will begin in early October.