WEARIN’OF THE GREEN— Saint Patrick Bryan O’Weyauvanna (dark glasses in center) with Nome’s marching Irish on St. Patrick’s Day in Nome. Photo by Diana Haecker C VOLUME CXI NO. 12 March 24, 2011 EPA sets up to monitor Nome radiation By Diana Haecker that is part of the EPA’s “RadNet” While Japan is still struggling to system, which examines air for radi- control the nuclear power plant ation contamination. Fukushima Dai-ichi from overheat- The monitor was set up at the new ing, federal and state officials in Nome Public Safety building on the Alaska are monitoring radiation lev- Nome Bypass Road. Other monitors els in five locations. So far, no alarm- were deployed to Unalaska and an ing levels of radiation were detected. extra one to Juneau. Anchorage, On Friday, technicians with the Fairbanks and Juneau already had ra- Environmental Protection Agency diation monitors in place. flew into Nome to assemble and cal- Jeremy Zidek with the Alaska De- ibrate a portable radiation monitor continued on page 4 Photo byDiana Haecker RED LANTERN— The Widow’s Lantern goes to Ellen Halverson, the last musher to come off the trail. Halverson has won the Red Lantern twice. Iditarod 39 shatters records Storm brings race to a stormy finish By Diana Haecker tic Trading Post, and life is back to the burled arch, her sled ran over one The 2011 Iditarod was a fast one, normal. of her wheel-dogs who spooked, got not only because champion John Most of the 47 finishing mushers tangled and was dragged across the Baker set the fastest winning time were able to get off the trail while the finish-line rear-end-first. ever, but the last musher also made it sun was still shining, but the last few Fifteen out of the starting 62 into town in time for a shower and a dog drivers experienced the beauty mushers didn’t make it to Nome for quick nap before the traditional Sun- of a Nome blizzard. Making their various reasons. Nome musher day night musher’s banquet at the way through flying snow and deep Melissa Owens scratched in Rainy Nome Rec Center. By Monday snowdrifts, Heather Siirtola of Tal- Pass. Five rookies never made it to morning, the finishers’ chute at the keetna beat Ellen Halverson of Nome and neither did well-known end of Front Street was taken down, Wasilla to the finish line by 19 min- mushers like Paul Gebhard, who the burled arch is back in its usual utes. On Sunday, March 20 at 10:45 won the Kuskokwim 300 this year, place between City Hall and the Arc- a.m. Iditarod 39 was officially over. Mitch Seavey, Gerry Willomitzer, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski was and Robert Bundtzen. Race marshal there to hand over the widow’s lamp Mark Nordman said he was sur- to Halverson, who surrounded by prised by the many scratches as this On the Web: media and a crowd of 100 people, year dished out perfect weather from www.nomenugget.net turned the flame off. Just as Kotze- the start in Willow to most of the fin- bue musher John Baker made history ish in Nome. But exactly this, Nord- E-mail: at the winning end of the race, man said, may have worked to the [email protected] Halverson of Wasilla etched her detriment of those teams. “A lot of it name into the history books by being was that the trail was so good,” the only musher with the distinction Nordman said. “They were going of “winning” the Red Lantern award over it too fast, you really had to twice. In 2007 – the only other time stand on the track and slow down Photo by Al Grillo that Halverson finished the Iditarod your team.” Mushers also got beat up – she also came across the finish line PORTABLE RADIATION MONITOR—The Environmental Protec- last. In the last few feet approaching continued on page 8 tion Agency is set up to detect radiation with their RadNet sytem in- strument at the Nome Public Safety Building. 2 THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2011 OPINION THE NOME NUGGET Letters Nancy, have a category for people claiming Dear Nancy, Videos have been viewed and con- crossed the finish line in Nome at The Census bureau just released more than one heritage when they Thank you for this opportunity to firmed. There has been a lot of reach- 9:46 am on Tuesday, March 15th. its 2010 statistics for Alaska, the were growing up. In the year 2000 correct something in last week’s ing out by both parties and also by He completed this race in 8 days, 18 Bering Straits Native corporation they corrected it and added the new Nome Nugget. The title under a pic- the Lions Club. Neither party wishes hours and 46 minutes, beating the and our legislative house and senate box. That box is still rather hidden ture in last week’s paper gives a con- to have the race ended, but changes previous record by three hours. districts. The count for the city of and not used very much, but I think clusion that is incorrect. It stated must be made. There must be flag- An Inupiaq of Kotzebue, Baker is Nome is 3,598 people, which is it would make us a much more ho- Jessa (Jennetten) collided with gers at each crossing of the road- the fourth Native to win the Iditarod pretty respectable considering all the mogeneous society if we found that Stacey Greene. The inference that way— official, responsible, flaggers and the first since Jerry Riley in talk about high food and gas prices. box and used it more; Not Just in subtitle gives is not correct. to protect both the public and the rac- 1976. Other Native winners include Someone must like it here. Nome, or even Alaska, but in the Jessa Jennetten did not “collide” ers. Perhaps there might need to be Emmitt Peters who won in 1975 and The part that I found hard to be- wholecountry. http://live.laborstats.al with a racer as your picture subtitle Troopers where the spectators and Carl Huntington who won in 1974. lieve out of those 36 hundred people aska.gov/cen/ depicts. She was accidentally hit by a vehicles are—such as at the raft race. For being the first musher to cross in the city of Nome, is that only 411 Sincerely, racer, which was neither one’s fault. The Troopers had a great presence at the finish line, Baker will collect a claimed to belong to two or more Lew Tobin Jessa, Joe and Jackson (four-year- this race, but were mostly tasked prize of $50,400, plus a new Dodge races. It used to be one of my kids’ Nome, AK 99762 old son) went to enjoy the Nome with picking up race crash victims. It pickup. The prize money boosts his pet peeves that the census didn’t Golovin Snowmachine race as spec- seems the most danger to the public all-time Iditarod winnings to tators. Joe and Jackson were in a is at the start where the race path $507,722, which is more than half a pickup and Jessa was on a snowma- crosses the traveled roadway. This is million dollars. Letters to the editor must be signed and chine. They were part of a lineup of where the spectators have to rely on Baker becomes the 18th person to include an address and phone number. pickups and snowmachines moving the race officials to conduct a safe win the Iditarod championship. He down the road, trying to get parked race. There was obviously a great drew crowds and cheers along the Thank yous and political endorsements to watch the race. Three vehicles in breakdown in this protection at this Alaskan coast from fans thrilled at are considered ads. front of Joe were waved across the crossing. the prospect of victory for someone trail the racers were traveling on, Jessa, Joe and Jackson did not go who is both Alaskan Native and from crossing the road—by a spectator. I out on this bright sunny day to foil Western Alaska. According to the am sure everyone thought this person Stacey’s race...or end up mortally in- Anchorage Daily News, he crossed was a race official waving traffic jured. They went out like every the Front Street finish line like a across at this trail crossing. When it other family in Nome did to enjoy politician, shaking hands, signing au- Editorial was Joe’s turn to cross (with Jessa the day, the race and each other as a tographs, and dispensing smiles. right behind him on the snow ma- family... and watch the race. How I commend John Baker for setting Connections chine), he was waved across by the disastrous could it be to be nearly a great example to all Alaskan Na- We are all part of the system. Nome is not isolated. What happens person directing traffic. As this per- killed while on this family outing? tives. He is an advocate for sobriety in Japan impacts us. We know how horrible it must be to have oneʼs son had successfully waved three Clearly, if it wouldn’t have been and Native culture. He has been rac- home leveled by an earthquake, and family washed away by a cars in front of him across, Joe had Jessa who was hit, it would have ing the Iditarod since 1998. I am tsunami. It happened in Alaska and we remember the pain.