As temperatures warm and physical activity increases around town and climbers return from Denali, the lack of shower facilities in town might get interesting in the month of May.  Those residents that don’t have shower and laundry facilities of their own have been told its a good idea to make friends with someone who has running water.

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John in the Tokosha Mountains, NPS Photo

The Talkeetna climbing community lost a great friend and a highly respected mountaineer this week.  Seasonal Talkeetna resident John Evans, age 54, died on Tuesday, April 28 from injuries sustained in a fall in Snowdonia National Park near his winter home in North Wales.  Evans was on a recreational climb with the Ogwen Valley mountain rescue team, a local organization he has been a member of since 1973, when he reportedly slipped and fell over 100 feet while descending in rocky terrain.  He was airlifted to a hospital in nearby Bangor, Wales where he succumbed to internal and head injuries. (more…)

The swine flu, although now in many countries around the world, has not yet been detected in Alaska.  To follow the story as it changes daily, go the Center for Disease control, the State of Alaska Health and Social Services, and the World Health Organization

The Mat Su Borough has opened the official nomination process for Tourism Infrastructure projects to community organizations. (more…)

Denali’s basecamp officially opens tomorrow (Tuesday) with basecamp manager Lisa Roderick and park rangers preparing to fly to the camp on the Kahiltna Glacier. (more…)

Matanuska Electric Association election on Saturday resulted in the re-election of incumbents Kit Jones and Lois Lester to the Board of Directors.  They both received 3-year terms.

Jones and Lester paired together to run their campaign for re-election.  It appeared to work well, with Lester receiving 3, 377 votes and Jones receiving 3,366 votes. 

The two are part of a new board majority that took power last July when board member Janet Kincaid was seated. The majority has been making changes that have become contentious within MEA’s staff hierarchy.  This month the board requested General Manager Wayne Carmony fire two long time employees and the MEA attorney has been directed to prepare a motion to replace Carmony himself.

There were 25 proposed bylaw amendments on the ballot. Only 7 of those amendments failed.  Residents voted down the elimination of a member advisory committee, which was covered in three separate propositions.  Members also voted down an increase in campaign contribution limits and campaign disclosures as well as voting against eliminating the board member drug test policy.  MEA is the only cooperative in the state that requires board members to go through drug testing.

The Board meets Monday (tonight) to officially accept the results of the election.  

Hundreds of national parks, including 30 projects in Alaska are being funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Denali National Park has a list of 9 specific projects to be funded, totaling just over $16 million.  Replacing the front country wastewater treatment facility has been on a want list for years.

Also on the list is the closing of one of the parks’ mines; building the emergency services facility; rehabilitating utility systems at C-Camp, repairing the Wonder Lake campground sewer line; trail repair; Autoshop improvements, and multiple campground improvements. Not on the list is the proposed South Denali Visitor Center.

Ten other parks around the state received millions of dollars in the stimulus package as well. The next biggest allotment goes to Katmai National Park, to demolish and replace the King Salmon maintenance building.  Parks throughout Alaska are receiving funds for AmeriCorps volunteers to remove invasive plant species.

In total, about $750 million  is being distributed to the U.S. national park system. However, that pales to the estimated $9 billion  in backlog maintenance projects throughout the national park system.

Photo by Robin Song: One of the visitors to the remains

After moving some moose remains to a safer location for scavengers, Robin discovers tracks of a seldom-seen wilderness predator. She describes her early morning experiences as she attempts to capture it on film.

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The Alaska Interagency Coordination Center is predicted a fairly low fire season, due to El Nina conditions persisting.  However, they warn that conditions change fast and several days in a row of hot, dry weather can quickly change conditions.