Photo by Mary Pemberton WEARING THE GREEN— St. Patrick’s Day parade participants gathered under the Iditarod’s burled arch at the end of the parade. C VOLUME CXVI NO. 12 March 24, 2016 Fast trail allows Iditarod 44 to wrap up in 13 days By Diana Haecker Nome, Iditarod 44 wrapped up fast If it wouldn’t have been for his dog team, Mitch Seavey joked that day alone, a big field of 19 competi- Mary Helwig, the last musher in with several records broken. son, runner-up Mitch Seavey would Aliy Zirkle was the only person who tive mushers came across the finish this year’s Iditarod, arrived under the Winner Dallas Seavey shaved now be the record holder as he fin- finished second to a Seavey more line, under bright blue skies, to a burled arch on Saturday March 19. nearly two hours off his record he set ished the race in eight days, 12 hours often than he has. This is the second warm welcome from Nomeites, fans Helwig extinguished the widow’s in 2014 with eight days, 13 hours and and five minutes. year that Mitch came in second place and their families. Noah Burmeister, lantern well before Sunday finisher’s four minutes. His 2016 run time was Tipping his hat to her great com- after his son Dallas. born and raised in Nome, arrived in banquet and with her arrival in eight days, 11 hours and 20 minutes. petitive spirit and ability to drive a Third place finisher Aliy Zirkle eleventh place in Nome. After hav- arrived in Nome seven hours and 12 ing not run the race in 10 years, minutes after Dallas Seavey claimed when he ran a “puppy” team for his his fourth championship title. brother Aaron, this year, he drove When usually the first mushers Alaskan Wildstyle Racing Kennel’s arrive on Tuesday evening, this year A-team, which propelled him to the saw the winner come in the early honor of receiving the award for the morning hours and throughout the most improved musher. day, the siren kept sounding the ar- The next Nomeite to arrive under rival of musher after musher. That continued on page 6 Council looks twice at port rate increase By Sandra L. Medearis For administrative personnel ex- The Nome Common Council will pense, the 2011-2012 base is again on March 28 consider a rate in- $281,504. Fiscal year 2012-2013 crease of 10 percent across the board shows a 35 percent increase in that at Port of Nome. At its last meeting expense followed the next year, in earlier in March, the panel tabled a 2013-2014, by a 61 percent increase vote on a revised port tariff docu- in administrative personnel ex- ment pending more information penses. The year 2014-2015 figures from Julie Liew, finance director for show a whopping increase of 120 City of Nome. percent, followed by the 2015-2016 Looking over figures provided by amended approved budget showing Port of Nome administration, a trend a 104 percent increase in administra- analysis on increased expense and tive personnel costs. revenue items using spending year At the same time, the increase in 2011-2012 as a base year, shows sig- total expenses from 2011-2012 to nificant raises in personnel and op- 2015-2016 has been 40 percent, Photo by Maisie Thomas erating costs each year through the compared to increases of personnel HOME– Nome’s Tom Jamgochian finished his first Iditarod at 2:45 a.m. on Friday morning. Jamgochian approved amended budget for 2015- costs by over 100 percent. completed the race in 11 days, 11 hours, 45 minutes to finish in 57th place. 2016. continued on page 4 Nome’s new museum opens its doors for Iditarod week By Mary Pemberton the Carrie M. McLain Memorial Mu- Street could hold only about five per- Nome’s Carrie M. McLain Me- seum, welcomed visitors Thursday cent of the collection, Phillips-Chan morial Museum opened its doors in and took a small group on a tour of said. The new museum space is the new Richard Foster building for the new museum slated to open later about 6,000 square feet with more Iditarod with a week-long roster of this year in a $16.8 million multi- than half of that devoted to the main events in which several notable vis- purpose building that also holds the exhibition hall, empty now except itors stopped by, including 2016 library and the Katirvik Cultural for a couple of dog sleds. The mu- third-place finisher Aliy Zirkle and Center. seum’s exhibition cases will arrive Seavey family patriarch Dan In addition to museum tours, the by barge this fall. Seavey, grandfather and father to week-long schedule of events in- The museum is being designed this year’s champion and runner-up. cluded building a dog sled with around five main themes: Alaska Na- Amy Phillips-Chan, director of Charlie Lean, stories from the trail tive objects, gold mining and the with Howard Farley, “The First ivory trade in the early 1900s, the Great Race” book signing with Dan building of homes and businesses on On the Web: Seavey, a film screening of Front Street, the transition to Nome Diomede/King Island Dancing with today and the city now and in the fu- www.nomenugget.net Ray Paniataaq and Iditarod Adven- ture. E-mail: tures with four-time Iditarod cham- The main 3,700-square-foot pion Martin Buser. gallery is done in muted tones of [email protected] Phillips-Chan, who holds a doc- brown and gray, and has low-impact torate in art history and anthropology tract lighting and reclaimed oak from Arizona State University, said floors with a linseed oil and wax fin- the museum will officially open Oct. ish. The space is calming. 29 with introductory exhibits on dis- “We really see this as a place for play. A second opening with more the community to come and check Photo by Mary Pemberton exhibits is scheduled for next year. SNEAK PEEK— Nome’s Carrie M.McLain Memorial Museum opened The old museum building on Front continued on page 5 its doors to visitors during last week’s Iditarod. 2 THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016 OPINION THE NOME NUGGET Letters Dear Editor, You may have received mailings ing believed during my years living In the news is “ Campus gun bill from me for years, but many who along the southwest coast of Alaska I before committee.” There is nothing know of the early years of my min- would never live long enough to re- more important in the world for a istry here are now celebrating eter- tire. In my first twenty-five years I student to get an A in their class. An nity with the One who called me to had so many adventures – some armed student is in a much better po- serve His People in Seward’s Folly. would call them misadventures – on sition to negotiate with the teacher to They also now know the whole story snowmobiles, skiffs, and even in my get an A in class than an unarmed of my journey to Priesthood. But own airplane. Yes, I was an FAA ap- student. A student has to do what- that is another story – to be told at proved pilot and as such picked up ever they have to do to get that A in another time. one of my nicknames: Father Crash. class. Alaska needs their students to After spending two plus months I invite you to join with me in giv- get as many A’s as possible and if during the summer of 1965 in the ing glory, praise, and thanks to our that means arming students to get an newly created Diocese of Fairbanks kind and merciful God for his bless- A, well so be it. (August 8, 1962), the Most Reverend ings to me and, through me, to the John Suter Francis D. Gleeson, SJ asked me to folks I lived with and ministered to Chugiak, AK join him in ministry to the people of over the years. northern Alaska. He consented to The celebration will be on Sun- Dear Editor: my request to ordain me in my par- day, April 24, 2016 at the 9:30 a.m. I pray that you are having a great ent’s Parish in Mt. Angel, Oregon. Mass. Lent and will be truly blessed as you On April 22, 1966, in St. Mary At: St. Luke Parish, 417 Harrison celebrate the Death and Resurrection Church, I had the grace and blessing Street, Woodburn, Oregon. of the Lord Jesus. Myself, I will cel- to be ordained a priest of the north- I look forward to praying with you ebrate with the parishes in the vil- ernmost Diocese on the North Amer- and visiting with you afterwards in lages of Unalakleet, St. Michael, and ican Continent. the Parish Hall. If you cannot be Stebbins – all on the east and south- On April 24, 2016 I will humbly there – for whatever reason – be as- east shoreline of Norton Sound. celebrate my Fiftieth Anniversary of sured that I will continue to pray for My reason for this general mail- Ordination at my mother’s Parish in you and your loved ones each and ing is not to tell you where I will cel- Woodburn, Oregon. That is correct – every time of I pray the Mass ebrate Holy Week in my fiftieth Year my parents chose to spend the last throughout this, my anniversary year.