Archive for June, 2013
What’s That On the Side of Jakolof Bay Road?
Is it a bird house, UFO, a Little Chief Smoker? No, it’s just air monitoring equipment being used by Seldovia Village Tribe’s Environmental Office to continue its road dust monitoring this summer.
“Exposure to PM10 can cause breathing and respiratory conditions, damage to lung tissue and even cancer,” Environmental Assistant Tracie Merrill said. “The elderly, children and people with chronic lung disease, influenza or asthma are especially sensitive to the effects of particulate matter.” In addition, road dust can substantially reduce visibility, putting motorists and pedestrians at risk.
SBE’s Ruth Sensenig Awarded the only Alaskan Fellowship, and Her Thoughts on the Award
Letter received by our principal regarding Ruth’s award! Click to view full size.
PRESS RELEASE
The James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation of Alexandria, VA, announced today that it has selected 56 James Madison Fellows for 2013 in its twenty-second annual fellowship competition. James Madison Fellowships support the graduate study of American history by aspiring and experienced secondary school teachers of American history, American government, and social studies.
Named in honor of the fourth president of the United States and acknowledged “Father of the Constitution and Bill of Rights,” a James Madison Fellowship funds up to $24,000 of each Fellow’s course of study towards a master’s degree. That program must include a concentration of courses on the history and principles of the United States Constitution.
The 56 James Madison Fellows were selected in competition with applicants from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the nation’s island and trust territories. The fellowships are funded by income Continue Reading
The Third Annual Chinook Challenge Was a Success
by Tim P. Dillon
Seldovia’s third annual Chinook Challenge benefitting the Seldovia Volunteer Fire Department took place last Saturday. Anglers were invited to join the derby for a $100 entry fee and try their luck at catching a king salmon. Unlike the Human Powered Fishing Derby, this was a motorized derby and the target species was only king salmon.
21 anglers entered the derby and were treated to one of the best weather days seen on the bay this year. Boats spread out from Chrome Bay and Elizabeth Island to 4th of July Creek. Sitings of Humpback whales & mountain goats, and catches of red salmon, chum salmon and king salmon were just a few of the things lucky anglers were treated to. A 30% catch ratio for king salmon was achieved.
From the talk heard on the VHF radio, it was a slow day for charters catching kings; we had hoped for more and bigger fish, but that’s fishing. In the end Joe Miller on the Veronica Mae took home the prize for the biggest fish. Of equal importance was the $1000.00 that the derby was able to donate to our local fire department. Chief Haller attended the ceremonies and graciously accepted the donation and thanked all of the anglers involved.
Mayor Keith Gain presided as the official weigh-in judge and his motto was heard loud and clear: “All judge’s rulings are final!”
Kenai Peninsula and Kachemak Bay Recreational Clam Harvest Results for May 2013
by Michael Opheim
The Kachemak Bay Research Reserve (KBRR) in cooperation with staff from the Ninilchik Traditional Council, Port Graham Village Council, NOAA Kasitsna Bay Laboratory, Jakolof Bay Oyster Company, Homer Fish and Game Sport Fish Division staff, have been doing a shellfish monitoring program for beaches on the Kenai Peninsula and Kachemak Bay.
The KBRR just received the May sampling of recreationally harvested shellfish on the Southern Kenai Peninsula. The collections occurred over the time period of May 10 – 27, 2013.
This year Clam Gulch was added to the monitored beaches for razor clams (north and south of the access road), blue mussel monitoring in Jakolof Bay was added, while blue mussels in Bear Cove was discontinued due to a lack of adequate numbers of specimens for collection. We hope these changes to the monitoring program will provide valuable information to recreational harvesters about the status of PSP toxins in Kenai Peninsula shellfish.
All shellfish must have less than 80 ug (micrograms) of paralytic shellfish toxin/100g of tissue to be considered safe for human consumption.
May results for Paralytic Shellfish Toxins (PST) are as follows:
Clam Gulch – South beach, razor clams less than 10.0 ug/100g (Date collected: 5.27.2013)
Clam Gulch – North beach, razor clams less than 5.0ug/100g (Date collected: 5/11/2013)
Ninilchik – North beach, results yet to be determined.
Ninilchik – South beach, razor clams less than 10.0ug/100g (Date collected: 5/10/2013)
Port Graham Bay, horse clams less than 10.0 ug/100g (Date collected: 5/26/2013)
Jakolof Bay, butter clams 11.5ug/100g (Date collected: 5/24/2013)
Jakolof Bay little neck clams – insufficient number of harvestable clams could be located during this monitoring event.
Jakolof Bay blue mussels, less than 10.0ug/100g (Date collected: 5/27/2013)
China Poot Bay butter clams 8.38 ug/100g PSP (Date collected: 5/26/2013)
Homer Spit blue mussels less than 10 ug/100g PSP (Date collected: 5/25/2013)
Bear Cove, little neck clams less than 34ug/100g (Date collected: 5/23/2013)
This program is not sufficient to certify beaches as “safe” or completely ensure harvester safety from paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). All samples tested during this monitoring effort showed levels well below the 80ug/100g threshold. These results reflect only that Paralytic Shellfish Toxin levels found in samples taken during the monitoring period were safe.
Fiddle or Violin?
by Rosanna McInnes
Join us on Friday, June 21st, at 2 p.m. for a live video teleconference from The Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee!
We’ll have a family friendly lesson on the differences between a fiddle and violin. See and hear a country music artist and a musician from the Nashville Symphony explain the differences through playing & discussion. Plenty of time for questions and answers afterwards.
We worked with the Seldovia Arts Council on this one. Come help us kick off their Summer Solstice Festival!
Seldovia Time
