Photo by Diana Haecker OFF THE ICE—Rookie Iditarod musher Benoit Gerard from Amiens, France, drives his team to Front Street just before noon on Friday. Gerard finished the race in 49th place. C VOLUME CVIII NO. 12 MARCH 20, 2008 Photo by Diana Haecker SHARING THE LOVE (above)—Lance Makey gets a kiss from one of his lead dogs, Handsome, while lead dog Larry stands by as Mackey receives his award for winning the 2008 Iditarod. RED LANTERN (left)—Juneau’s Deborah Bicknell brings the Iditarod to a close this year after finishing the race Monday evening with eight dogs. Bicknell finished Photo by Peggy Fagerstrom the 1,100-mile trail in 15 days, 5 hours, 36 minutes and 12 seconds. Iditarod 2008 comes to a close with fanfare By Diana Haecker shortly before 3 a.m. things panned out in the long run for the cham- Jeff King, runner-up, had been on Mackey’s The story of this year’s Iditarod race is hard Being used to a tough team and not much pion, who said that the most rewarding portion tail for the better part of the race from Ruby on. to believe. For the second time in a row Lance babying, Mackey said this year he had to play of the trail was between Koyuk and Nome. “In While Mackey looked frazzled in Koyuk, King Mackey did what was deemed impossible to nurse, physical therapist and mom and dad at the Nome, I had 11 dogs with wagging tails, all exerted an air of confidence, looking as if he do just once. Mackey won both the Yukon same time to his team. “This was not a smooth strung out under the finish line,” Mackey said. would just wait for the right moment to strike Quest and the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race run. At one time I even thought about going Obviously glad that he didn’t scratch, on and pass Mackey. two years in a row. home,” he said. He added that the health and the Sunday, Mackey could be the jubilant musher With a full team of 16 dogs in Koyuk, King But unlike last year, this time around it was future of his dogs are what directed his decisions. to step up on stage and take the honors for seemed confident that it was just a matter of not a magic carpet ride, assured Mackey. He apologized to those running the check- being the only person on this planet having time. But then, Mackey busted his famous move “Everything that could go wrong went wrong,” points. “It was embarrassing, the way we left won the premier long-distance races in the he told the crowd at the finish line March 12 from some checkpoints,” Mackey said. But world, back-to-back and then once again. continued on page 9 Mackey wears the green and shares the dream By Nancy McGuire Erica Wieler in the basket, gathered was pretty stressful up until Koyuk. in Nome, someone wrote, ‘You boots. When Mackey got up to hit Saint Patrick can really handle votes; and a wee matched team of a Then his face lighted up as he told of snooze, you lose,’” Mackey said. He the trail King remained asleep, and those dogs! It’s not common knowl- long-haired Chihuahua and a Chi- the events leading out of that village. said he was resting in Koyuk when Mackey was out the door as soon as edge that the old saint can mush. huahua-Pomeranian mix pulled a tiny “Jeff King blew the opportunity to King came in to lie down and put his Most credit him for driving the sled across the Iditarod finish line. leave me behind. At his book signing feet on top of the sleeping Mackey’s continued on page 16 snakes out of Ireland, but sure as It takes a lot of courage to wrap your mother came from Ireland, one’s self in a green bathrobe and Saint Patrick drove a winning sham- march down Front Street in Nome. rock-clad team under the burled arch That’s just what Lance Mackey did. Faulty breaker lights candles on Saint Patrick’s Day in Nome. He was the honorary Saint Patrick. The saint was joined by a crowd of He draped an emerald green velvet By Sandra L. Medearis wee hours Monday morning. We utes Monday morning, when utility Nomeites and visitors dressed in bishop’s cape around himself, and The smell of a toasted electrical called the Nome Volunteer Fire De- staff shifted the city’s demand onto green and marching to the music of sporting a gigantic sparkling green trip coil lingered in the breaker partment to stand by as a back-up the old power plant system to re- “McNamara’s Band,” “Who Put the shamrock, drove his winning team room at the new power plant Mon- safety measure,” Nome’s utility man- pair the breaker. Overalls in Mrs. Murphy’s Chow- in the parade. day, an odoriferous signal of a trip ager, John K. Handeland said Mon- Nome Joint Utility System em- der?” and “It’s a Great Day for the After Mackey finished the parade coil failure in one of the table-sized day afternoon. “There was no fire, ployees were working Monday to re- Irish.” Sweepstakes Queen contestant and took care of his dogs he spent breakers that caused two outages but we wanted to be safe.” place the trip coil and try to isolate Janice Doherty, with daughter some time at The Nome Nugget talk- Monday morning. Another outage occurred around Chrystie Salesky’s dog team and ing about the Iditarod. He said the race “The coil in a breaker fried in the 8:15 a.m. and lasted about 20 min- continued on page 3 Visit the Nugget on line at www.nomenugget.net • e-mail [email protected] 2 THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2008 THE NOME NUGGET Letters Dear Editor, 1908 Alaska Sweepstakes Dog Race. mented. “Google” Hugo Chavez, My name is Sherman Stebbins. I We will bring along a family photo Cuba, Iran and pull up as many arti- collect vintage Alaska memorabilia. album that has over 200 pictures of cles as you need to satisfy your quest I ran across the artwork that is in the early Nome, dog teams, Siberia, for truth. photo on this page. It is a cutout off boats and people. One picture is of If documents recently found on the back of an old style Army field our mother with Mr. Woronzof (the captured computers during a Colom- jacket, maybe Korean or Vietnam immigration officer). Another is la- bian raid on a FARC (Revolutionary War vintage. Just wondering if any- beled “Lindberg’s horse goes aboard Armed Forces of Colombia) camp one recognizes the artwork? Or Victoria at Nome.” are proven to be accurate, they di- maybe even knows the owner? Any We would be pleased to share rectly link the Venezuelan govern- help would be appreciated. Also these pictures with people who have ment to FARC. The United States would like to say hello to 1SG an interest. We also would like to lo- Office of Counterterrorism has offi- Dewey Green and let him know I cate people who have pictures or in- cially designated FARC on the for- haven’t thrown any cell phones formation they might share with us. eign terrorist organization list lately! I would also like to find out Does anyone know what year Lind- (http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/fs/371 about getting this artwork to a mu- berg had a white horse in Nome? 91.htm). seum in Nome if there is a good story Perhaps someone has pictures of our Our sons, daughters, wives, hus- behind it! Thanks for your help. father. He left Alaska in 1923 to live bands, grandsons, granddaughters Sherman Stebbins in Montana. and friends are putting their lives on P.O. Box 461 Another person of interest is our the line daily, not only in Iraq and Delta Junction, Alaska uncle, Olaf Swenson, who traded in Afghanistan, but also on American 99737 the Arctic for many years. His ship soil to keep us safe from terrorist or- picked up the survivors of the ill ganizations like FARC. Isn’t it Dear Editor, fated Karluk expedition, and he was RECOGNIZE THIS? — If you recognize the artwork on this old Army ironic that the president of a country This letter is both an offer and a involved with the search for Ben field jacket, contact the letter writer at the beginning of this page. (Venezuela) who is donating FREE request. My father, Charles (Carl) Eielson. oil to Americans is linked to groups Johnson, was an eary day fur trader Interested people can e-mail me Dear Editor, A United States weapons sale ban and countries that want to destroy in Siberia and also raced dogs in at [email protected]. When someone offers you a FREE and other sanctions have already the United States of America? Nome along with Seppala and oth- Gene Johnson gift of substantial value, you might been placed on Venezuela, noting it Makes you stop and ask WHY. If it ers. Two sisters and I will be coming Polson, Montana want to peek behind the door before as a country that refuses to cooperate doesn’t, it should! to Nome for the commemorative throwing it wide open. I peeked, and on terrorism matters. According to Check it out and see what you 100th anniversary of the original this is what I found.