Photo by Diana Haecker ICY NOME—Ice fog hangs over Nome Feb. 7, with temperatures at -30°F at 8:30 a.m. The National Weather Service confirmed that temperatures were below normal for the first two weeks of February. See story page 4. C VOLUME CVIII NO. 7 FEBRUARY 14, 2008 Nome weighs in on Super Tuesday By Diana Haecker people from Nome’s two precincts, vot- Nome Democrats and Republicans ers from precincts in Unalakleet and had the chance to take a stance and let Koyuk participated via teleconference their preferences be known as to who to cast their votes. Green was pleased shall be their respective party’s candi- with the turnout. “We had a better per- date to run for president of the United centage in Nome than in the bigger States in the 2008 presidential election. cities,” Green said. “We had 51 people After running two counts, Sen. participate from a population with less Barack Obama was the top choice for than 5,000, and Anchorage had 5,000 Bering Strait Democrats, bringing 31 people voting, but their population is supporters—including voters partici- 80,000. That makes our turnout, per- pating by telephone from outlying vil- centage-wise, a good result.” lages—into his corner of the room at Green was also pleased with the the maxed-out Polar Café. Sen. Hillary number of new members registering Clinton had 20 supporters in her corner. at the front door. “We had 14 new Altogether, 37 people showed up at members sign up. And those were the Polar Café. According to Bering not young voters who just became el- Strait District chairman Louis Green, igible to vote. They were older folks five Democrats showed up too late to vote in the caucus. In addition to the 31 continued on page 4 Photo by Diana Haecker Elim residents wary Bree Scheu greets her boyfriend, Iron Dog racer Nick Olstad of Wasilla, shortly after his arrival in Nome Tues- day. Olstad and his partner, Todd Minnick, were the first to cruise their machines up Front Street in the race that covers rugged Alaska terrain from Big Lake to Fairbanks. of uranium prospects By Sandra L. Medearis in the area over the last several years, Elim residents filled the basement drilling holes and taking samples. Triex, meeting room of the city building a junior exploration company in Canada Iron Dog howls into Nome Feb. 6 to confer with two environ- with an interest in uranium opportuni- mental advocates, an attorney and a ties in North America, has set its explo- researcher, from the uranium-rich ration budget for $6.4 million in 2008 Wasilla’s Nick Olstad and Todd Minnick first to Front Street states of Utah and New Mexico. with $1.2 million going into Alaska. A The Elim community is con- release from Triex said the company By Diana Haecker Akelstad. Team 8 arrived at 3:36 p.m,. saying they had a cerned about a proposed mining per- plans to concentrate on drilling this sea- The roar of the first team of Iron Dogs came to town suspension spring break, which held them up for a while. mit application from Triex son in Alaska and Saskatchewan north- faster than the pundits expected. Under blue skies with a The leaders, Olstad and Minnick, came into Nome Exploration and Full Metal compa- ern Canada. Triex did not immediately hint of hazy snow flurries, no wind and almost pleasant shortly before 3 p.m. after a smooth one hour and one nies, and uranium exploration from return calls Monday. temperatures of - 9°F, Team 16 of Nick Olstad and Todd minute ride from White Mountain. 2006 staged in the area of Boulder Elim is a village of about 315 res- Minnick were the first to ride into Nome. A few fans lined the halfway chute in front of City Hall and Carbon creeks. These areas lie idents on the shore of Norton Sound Clean runs, flawlessly working sleds and a bit of luck on Front Street as Olstad and Minnick were escorted in 29 miles north of their coastal village that depends on hunting and food vaulted them in that first position that they held since and about 100 miles east of Nome. playing hopscotch with Team 8, Tyson Johnson and Tyler continued on page 16 Triex Minerals Corp. has been active continued on page 4 Coming soon: New tourism DVD, Nome historian Cole By Laurie McNicholas ships to Nome, Erickson said the DVD will be Mitch Erickson of the Nome Chamber of Com- available for sale and for downloading from the merce and Carol Gales from the University of Nome Chamber of Commerce website, which will Alaska Fairbanks Northwest Campus sparked in- include links to local businesses. Primary funding terest in upcoming events in Nome during a regular for the $95,000 project was provided by Norton meeting of the Nome Common Council Monday Sound Economic Development Corp. with assis- evening. The council breezed through a routine tance from the City of Nome, Nome Visitors Asso- agenda in just 20 minutes. ciation, Kawerak Inc. and the Nome Chamber of Erickson said he hopes to premiere an 18- Commerce, Erickson added. minute DVD about Nome and its road system, Gales encouraged council members to take in White Mountain, the Bering Sea, Gambell and a one-credit class on Nome history Feb. 27-March Diomede at the Gold Rush Cinema next month. 2 at the Northwest Campus taught by University Initially scheduled for completion Feb. 15, produc- of Fairbanks professor Terrence Cole, author of tion of the film has been delayed by a series of mis- “Nome, City of Golden Beaches.” Cole’s class of- Photo courtesy of Kelly Thrun fortunes, but Erickson said he expects the finished fers instruction in ways to explore and research HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY—Kindergarten students Ariana Adams, Maggie product no later than March 7. Miller and Galen Gologergen work on their Valentine boxes in Ms. Kelly Thrun’s Originally intended for use in attracting cruise continued on page 3 Kindergarten class last week. Visit the Nugget on line at www.nomenugget.net • e-mail [email protected] 2 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2008OPINION THE NOME NUGGET Letters Dear Editor, quire hospitalization for traumatic —16 percent higher than other states. helmet usage and all age groups suf- losses to society are nearly equal as In the United States injuries are brain injury, and about 100,000 will The breakdown of injuries by age fer from high numbers of devastating well. the leading cause of death among die. Among those who survive, found that adult males aged from 25- injury. In conclusion, all age groups persons less than 35 years of age and 90,000 will live the remainder of 54 had 1.6 times more traumatic The financial impact of traumatic should wear helmets. An adult male the fourth leading cause of death their lives with a severe disability, brain injury than youths aged 15-24. brain injury exacts a heavy toll. In in a coma or dead is just as dead as a among persons of all ages. Accord- 2,000 in a long-term coma. Adults had no greater percentage in the U.S. the direct and indirect costs youth. Children learn by seeing a re- ing to a recent study by the Center A study completed in Alaska, helmet compliance than the younger are over $10 billion, and the average sponsible adult’s actions, not by their for Disease Control, males of all age which involved direct observations males. Granted the ‘adult’ group is severe brain injury costs up to mandates. To demand to do as I say, groups have more injuries than fe- of off-road vehicles completed in the doubled in total span of years and $500,000 in immediate medical ex- not as I do, is transparent hypocrisy. males. With the 10 to 19-year-old year 2000, found that of 1,276 riders persons, so one would expect a total penses. Wear a helmet when riding your males having just over 20 percent of observed, only 13 percent wore hel- number of injuries to be greater. I submit that in rural Alaska, ATV or snowmachine because it is injuries, and ‘adult’ males aged from mets. In one three-year period in What is not considered is that youths adults and youths have similar num- the right thing to do, not because of 20-44 had 38 percent of injuries. Alaska, there were 173 traumatic ride more total hours than adults do. ber of traumatic brain injuries, and in what the city council requires. The injury relative to helmet use brain injuries resulting from ATV The obvious conclusion is that all helmet non-compliance. Further- Louis Murphy with off-road vehicles is traumatic and snowmachine crashes. Sixty age groups are poorly compliant in more, the direct financial costs and Nome, AK brain injury, which includes injury nine percent were not wearing a hel- when the head is hit, strikes a sta- met at the time of the crash. The tionary object, or is violently shaken. statewide rate of traumatic brain in- Sound Off Each year one half million people re- juries in Alaska is 105 per 100,000 Advocates Meet with Elim Harold Shepherd with the Center by the community of Elim and par- Village About Mining for Water Advocacy in Moab, Utah ticipants from Koyuk. The City Letters to the editor must be signed and Contributed by Robert A Keith, spoke to the group about the Elim basement is the main gathering place President Elim IRA Council Former Reserve lands and some of for community meetings and include an address and phone number On February 6, 2007, the Native the federal and state laws that apply potlucks.