NWAB Athlete Wins State NYO Championship
Deering's Bill Brown strided to an impressive 35 feet, 2 inches to win the scissors broad jump event Friday, April 26 at the State Native Youth Olympics competition held at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Brown out-jumped runner-up Louis Pete of Bering Strait (33' 8") and third place finisher Gregory Overbay of Barrow (32' 23/4").

Kotzebue's Elva Salazar finished in third place in the girls division of the scissors broad jump.

Willman Wins Miss Alaska Pagent
Peggy Willman, whose mother Alice hails from Ambler was crowned Miss Alaska May 13th in Anchorage. The only Alaskan Native in the competition, Willman was chosen over 13 participants. In addition to Swimsuit and Evening-wear competitions, Willman participated in the Talent catagory, in which she performed an original native dance she had created herself.

Willman, who is studying to be a nurse at UAA, advances to the Miss USA pageant in Atlantic City in September.

The Northwest Arctic Borough is participating in the Village Career Fair activities taking place at schools throughout the region this month. We are proud to do so, as we believe it is very important to familiarize junior and senior high school students with the many opportunities that are available for both higher and vocational education after high school.

The non-full time employment rate for working age adults in the villages was measured at 65% in our survey last year. For those between the ages of 18 and 24 that rate was at 81%. Clearly, we have to do everything possible to prepare our young people for jobs when they leave high school in order to improve the quality of life for them and their families.

The first stops on the Career Fair tour this month were in Buckland and Deering on April 4. Representatives of the Technical Center, Chukchi Campus, Maniilaq, NANA's Aqqaluk Trust, National Park Service, and the Borough's Economic Development Director made presentations on job opportunities for the young people of today. Much of the emphasis was on the need to gain higher education and vocational training in order to get the better-paying jobs that are available.

At the Red Dog project for example, there are over 500 full-time jobs. While about 100 of those jobs are filled by residents of the Borough, far more could be enjoying the benefits of high paying jobs there if they got the training necessary to perform them. There are many sources of financial support for vocational and college education for our people and they need to be used more.

While in Buckland, my staff representative took the opportunity to discuss our Small Business Revolving Loan program and provide tax preparation assistance. As a result of that trip, we also ordered some equipment for the artists of the village that will be placed in the old school shop building for the cooperative use of those who wish to use it and properly care for it. I heard great reports about the artwork of Buckland residents John and Loren Geary, James Savok and Beulah Ballot. Keep up the beautiful work!

The rest of the schedule for Village Career Fairs is as follows: Noatak and Kivalina on April 8; Noorvik and Kiana on April 9; Selawik on April 10; Shungnak and Kobuk on April 30; and Ambler on May 1st. The events are being coordinated by Doni Newell of the Northwest Arctic Borough School District.

Week of April 15, 2002

Most of my Northwest Arctic Borough staff and I spent two days in Deering last week for two special purposes. On Thursday we held a day and evening long meeting to review and refine our work plans for the next year. On Friday we had the privilege of being involved in Inupaiq Day activities at the school.

Our "business" day was part of an ongoing effort to match our performance objectives and plans with the goals of our Borough Assembly, which had been drawn out at their retreat a few months back. It also gave us the opportunity to share ideas and concerns without the disruption of the many calls and visitors we have throughout our normal workday in Kotzebue.

Friday's Inupiaq Day activities provided us with the chance to meet and be involved with all the students, teachers and staff at Deering's fine school. We did so at the invitation of principal Ed Wray, who has done an excellent job of putting a great learning atmosphere in place during his four years in Deering.

Siikauraq "Martha" Whiting of our Economic Development Section and Noah Naylor, our Planning Director, conducted clinics on Native Youth Olympics in the gym throughout the day. Students from kindergarten through grade 12 all enjoyed learning the finer points of leg wrestling, the wrist carry and the other challenging sports that comprise NYO. Public Services Director Tom Bolen discussed Arctic survival principles and techniques. Valerie Romaine, my special assistant, and Deputy Clerk Geri Jones taught sewing skills. And Lee Stoops, our EDC Director, demonstrated and supervised a class on creating art from caribou antlers.

For my part, I presented a slide show on subsistence hunting and fishing activities. The slides came from my personal collection of photographs gathered over more than thirty years. I was proud to share and describe these pictures because subsistence activities have always been and continue to be labors of pure love for me. Subsistence is the foundation of Native Arctic life - our connection to the land - and we must do everything possible to keep that spirit alive through our young people.

I would like to thank the village of Deering for making us so welcome during our two-day stay. The kitchen staff at the school fed us two fine lunches and a breakfast. Calvin Moto invited our entire group to his home for a dinner of caribou soup on Thursday night and kept us laughing for more than an hour. Ed Ray, his teachers, and the rest of the school staff were so gracious and helpful. Thanks also to the staff at the city office, who allowed us to use their meeting room for an entire day.

As a final note, although we intended to serve as teachers during our visit to the school, we became students when we challenged a group of local young men to a basketball game on Thursday night. All I can say to the Deering victors is: "We'll be back!"

Week of April 29, 2002

The Magic of the Atikluk Departing from the normal newsletter format of my weekly report, I'd like to talk about an idea and an ideal. The basis of my thinking lies in the mission statement we have received from our Northwest Arctic Borough Assembly with regard to economic development. They have requested development that is "consistent with the traditional culture and values of our region."

The Assembly's desire to retain our Inupiat culture is not unique. We hear it from our elders every time they meet. We hear it annually at the AFN Convention. And many of us feel it in our hearts every day.

At the Borough we try to maintain tradition by encouraging a renaissance of Native arts and crafts and protecting the natural resources that enable subsistence hunting and fishing. The Kotzebue IRA focuses on preservation of the language with their wonderful Nikaitchuat Ilisagvait school. However, there are also gestures that could be made at the individual village level that could have a significant impact on both the economy and way of life - if the people so choose.

The atikluk is a symbol of our Inupiat heritage in this region, yet we see them worn less and less frequently by our young people. Even when our schools recognize our culture on an occasional "special" day, very few students wear them. Instead, our children typically wear clothing that is manufactured in the Lower 48 or overseas. The dollars that buy that clothing simply disappear from the village, along with that part of the Inupiaq spirit that is embodied in the atitkluk and other traditional clothing.

For the sake of discussion, let's just imagine that a village decided to have children wear atikluks to school on a regular basis. Suddenly there would be a strong market for some clothing that could not be ordered from Anchorage. Women throughout that village would be busily (and very happily) sewing and selling or trading their products to others within the village. Young girls would develop an interest in making the clothes they wear and they would be learning from elders. A very substantial cottage industry would evolve overnight. And when our children looked into a mirror, they would feel Inupiaq pride.

There are many forces working against us in our mission to maintain our culture. Television is certainly a major one. However, there is one force that can overcome all the outside influences if we just choose to use it. And that is the strength of our own convictions and our willingness to take control of our own destiny.

Small Business Revolving Loan Program

The Borough received its first installment of our USDA Rural Development grant in early May. The $21,000 payment represented reimbursement for loans that were executed by the Borough prior to the end of March. Between now and the end of June, the Borough will receive reimbursement for up to an additional $59,000. Our Small Business Revolving Loan program balance will then exceed $165,000. As of May 10, we have executed 42 loans for well over $40,000 and several others are pending.

Small Business Grant Program

The Borough has issued over $45,000 in grants to assist small business people to date this year. Our program was revised to provide a maximum of $1,500 to individuals and $5,000 to groups. Because many of the grants are for relatively small amounts, this program has provided assistance to over fifty individuals thus far. Groups receiving support include the Kotzebue IRA for the meat processing plant, Big Dipper Community Circle for the Food Bank/Thrift Store and the Sulainich Artists Cooperative.

Arts Marketing Program

Art and material purchases have exceeded $185,00 since the program began one year ago. Sales to date are around $120,000. Art is available for viewing at Articraft on the Borough web page. We also feature arts and crafts on our monthly Borough e-bulletins, which are now sent to 600-800 interested parties. We are constantly enlarging our distribution of this outstanding product of our Information Services person.

Rural Providers Conference

Siikauraq (Martha Whiting) has been representing the Borough in the planning of this year's event, scheduled for May 27-31. At least 400 visitors are expected from outside the region. Alcohol abuse is the greatest handicap we face in nurturing economic development and that is a primary focus of the RPC.

Department Travel

Economic development staff have been participating in Career Fair activities in conjunction with other borough entities. Trips were made to Shungnak, Buckland, Kobuk and Ambler to make presentations on job opportunities to school students. We have also been participating in Inupiaq Day activities at Deering, Noatak and Buckland with a special emphasis on developing interest and skills in arts and crafts production. We were also invited to make a presentation on our loan and arts marketing programs at the Bering Sea Artists' Gathering in Nome in late April.

Small Business Development

We have increasing interest in small business startups in the region. In the past month alone, four new businesses have been evolving through assistance from the Borough. They include a coffee shop in Noorvik, small engine parts and lubricants suppliers in Kotzebue and Ambler, and a home store in Kivalina.

Other activities

In the past month we provided job shadow opportunities for two high school students. In each case, the student spent an entire workday with our economic development staff, learning about what we do. Over the last few months, we have provided a total of eight such opportunites. We also participated in the Junior Achievement program, teaching a series of five classes on regional economics to Mr. Jason Ross' fourth grade class at June Nelson Elementary School.

I traveled with Michel McKinnon and Terri Richards (DOT&PF) to Noorvik for the public hearing on Northwest Arctic Borough Ordinance 2/1/02 and for the second round of village meetings for the DOT&PF Northwest Area Transportation Plan. The public hearing, held at Noorvik Community Hall, began at 6:25 PM and ended at 6:40 PM. Questions/comments regarding the public hearing included:

• The possibility of adding seast to Kotzebue's district
• Kotzebue's position on the ordinance
• Seat availability to Noorvik residents
• Clarifiying the ballots

Travel to Kobuk and Shungnak was postponed due to inclement weather. Michel McKinnon suggested a time in July or August to conclude the village meetings.

I am reviewing Bish Gallahorn & Associates proposal to remove approximately 125,000 cy of dredged material from an area covering approximately 78 acres seaward of and below the mean high tide line over five years to an offshore location approximately six miles southeast of

Kotzebue. If approved, extraction activities will take place September 1 to October 31 of each year. I am working closely with Jennifer Nolan-Wing of the Department of Govermental Coordination, to review its consistency with the NWA Coastal Management Plan and Enforceable Policies. Wayne Drake proposed a project similar to this one about nine years ago and was denied a permit. He has supplied all DGC review coordinators with a copy of his application and denial letter. Last day to coment is May 31.

A draft Environmental Assessment was completed on the Singauruk River Bridge. We are genuinely concerned about the safety of Borough residents using this trail. We are committed to finding and implementing a solution to this problem. We have requested assistance from Camden Toohey, Department of the Interior, with the concerns regarding the United States Fish and Wildlife Service permitting process and the Federal Highway Administrations easemant requirements needed to secure the funding. Teri Richards, DOT&PF Fairbanks, seems to remember bridge projects built with Federal Highway Administrations monies that did not require sight-control like this one. She is going to talk with Rose Greenblatt to see where the requirement is coming from.

CAPITAL PROJECTS

Kivalina Relocation
Field work for the soils investigation work at the new town-site have been completed. An exploratory water well has also been drilled. Test drilling for borrow material was also conducted at various locations in the Kivalina Lagoon. Recent efforts to gather all local matching fund resources were successful, allowing this important field work to proceed. Results of this field work should be available within the next 30 days. The Borough has forwarded a written request to Kivalina Relocation Planning Committee Chair, Enoch Adams, Jr. requesting the scheduling of a planning meeting in Kivalina as soon as possible.

Buckland Water & Sewer
Borough consultant Wendy Mulder will report to the assembly in person.

Noatak Cemetery Road
Heavy equipment repair is now complete. Community volunteers have been stockpiling borrow material in preparation for completing this road project.

Borough Offices
This initial assessment work on the Valu-House building is complete. All code and environmental issues have been identified. A design concept has been completed. Due to scheduling and cost problems with the architectural firm, the department has decided to advertise the project as a design/build project. The successful bidder will be required to provide the remaining design work as well as the construction. Bid advertisement will be published on May 16, 2002, and the bid submission deadline is May 24, 2002 at 4 PM.

Public Safety Commission
The Public Safety Commission has not met since the last report.

Community Law Enforcement Task Force
The Task Force is scheduled to meet again in early June. This will be the third of six meetings.

Local Emergency Planning Committee
The LEPC attempted to hold a workshop on April 24th. Due to problems with the phone system, this teleconference session could not be conducted. CHERCAP Project meetings continue and additional HAZMAT Awareness and Incident Command System Training was conducted. Mike Hammond of FEMA will be returning to Kotzebue on June 1, to prepare for the June 4th HAZMAT exercise. An LEPC meeting is also scheduled for June 4, 7 PM.

Borough Fire Administration
After submitting the Public Safety Commission's Resolution recommending the creation of a Borough Fire Administration, the Department was asked to show evidence of whether Borough communities support this concept. The Department has contacted each community on several occasions in order to solicit a response on this issue. Attached to this report are letters of support by seven of our letter communities. Letters of comment are expected shortly from Deering, Buckland and Selawik. The City of Kotzebue submitted comments in support of the proposal via phone but has not submitted comments in writing.

Public Works
No report for this area.

19th Annual 2002 Rural Providers' Conference
Spirit of Sobriety: Spanning the Generations
Kotzebue, Alaska May 27 - 31, 2002
Kotzebue High School

Following the lead of a recent Mayor's Report in which Mayor Ross Schaeffer urged students to express their feelings about local issues, Kotzebue High School Health and Physical Education teacher Jake Stoops gave his classes an assignment entitled:

You have just been elected mayor. What laws and programs will you implement to improve the health and well-being of the residents of Kotzebue and the NWAB?

The following are excerpts from those papers:

"If I were mayor of the NWAB, I would make sure that every child enrolled and stayed in school. Too many kids drop out of high school and get a GED. Without a high school diploma, it is harder to get into college. Without college, it is harder to get a good job. Without a good job, it is harder to have a fulfilling career and that is why so many people turn to drugs and alcohol."

"I would like it to be against the law to go off campus for lunch. Too many kids go off campus and then are tardy or don't come back at all. These students are not learning anything."

"I would fund a school nurse for the high school because many students fake a sickness and ask to sign out. Then they go home and sit around laughing because their parents believed them. A nurse would take care of the ones who were really sick and keep the kids who were faking in school."

"We need a teen pregnancy health program. Every year a teenager gets pregnant and drops out of school. We must be like really (bad) on the national statistics. The program could help the prevention by talking about protected sex and if it doesn't work, it could teach about health for the mother to keep from having another FAS baby."

"If I were mayor, I would change the law to buy cigarettes. You should be twenty-one years of age. I would change this because a lot of kids my age and younger let nineteen year-olds buy them cigarettes. They would be more mature with making decisions."

"A law I would pass - you have to get a license to have an open party. A lot of minors drink at parties and this would help prevent it by making the host more responsible."

"I think a good law would be a wake-up curfew of 10:00 on the weekends. People should get the maximum out of their weekend and this would help with getting people to bed at night and help the night curfew. Maybe an old time clock with the cards would work where people would have to check in by 10:00 or get fined."

"As mayor, it would be my duty to make sure the well-being and health of the people of the Northwest Villages is exemplary. That is why I, and my colleagues are instating some new laws. From here on out, the NWAB is a dry region. We will not tolerate possession, importation or usage of any alcoholic beverage. Due to the inclining suicides, domestic violence, and consequences of alcohol, we feel the region would be much more successful without this depressant. Any persons found using alcohol will be sentenced to 15 days in jail, a mandatory $500 fine and a weeks worth of sessions at our new program: Alcohol Abusers. Hopefully, these laws can prevent drinking while pregnant or nursing and help eliminate FAS too."

"I think students who fail a class should be required to take summer school."

"If you get an MCA, you have to pay for it with your own money. If you don't have enough, you should be required to get a job until you can pay it."

"I would make anyone who wanted to drive a snow machine or four-wheeler be 14 and have a permit, just like a car."

"I would make the school day 9:30-4:30 with a longer lunch break, so kids can go home and eat healthy without rushing. Also, parents get off work about 4:30. Everyone should be required to take Inupiat language classes and EMT training so we don't lose our language and we know what to do in an emergency."

"A good law would be to limit the number of animals you can shoot in one day. Too many people shoot everything they see and let it waste."

"I think the laws are fair enough. I would be stricter in enforcing them though - like adults buying alcohol and tobacco for minors."

"We should definitely have Bigger fines for littering."

"A law I would add to the NWAB would be the requirement of a helmet when on snowmobiles. There are too many crashes every year resulting in injuries that a helmet could have helped to prevent."

"All homeless would have a place to stay or their relatives would be fined."

"I would change the law that you can't shoot animals from a moving vehicle. It's a pointless law because everybody does it anyway. The last six caribou I shot were off a moving snow machine."

"I would stop the stores from selling cigarettes. The only way you could smoke would be with a permit and the number of packs you buy would be documented."

"As far as making our school better, as mayor I would hire a police officer to roam the halls of the high school to increase school safety. He could also go find kids that are skipping school. I would like to introduce a football program. More students will play sports and will be less likely to drop out of school and get better grades. From my experience in sports, I have learned it is easier to get good grades and keep them up. I have also seen that kids that are in sports get a lot healthier and in better shape and behave a lot better and hardly get in trouble."

"If I were mayor, I would implement more drug testing. I would even test students in high school and middle school."

This Kotzebue resident is recognized by the Northwest Arctic Borough Arts Program as one of elite Inupiaq artists of the region. His life-like etchings on baleen focus primarily on Arctic wildlife including bears, walrus, wolves and caribou.

Baleen is the name of the fibrous plates from within the mouth of the plankton-feeding bowhead whale, which is occasionally taken by area hunters. The hard material is prepared for artwork through a painstaking process of scraping and then rubbing with abrasive material. In etching, the brittle green surface is scratched with a very sharp, pointed tool and the white fibers beneath it are exposed. A single drawing may constitute thousands of these tiny, individual scratches.

Assembly Regular Meeting ASSEMBLY CHAMBERS - KOTZEBUE, AK
May 21, 2002 - 1:00 P.M.

AGENDA

A. CALL TO ORDER

B. INVOCATION / MOMENT OF SILENCE

C. ROLL CALL 1. Introduction of Staff & Guests

D. ASSEMBLY & ELECTED OFFICIAL VACANCIES, OATH OF OFFICE, & ELECTION OF OFFICERS
1. David Swan, Kivalina, Assembly Seat A.
2. Austin Swan, Kivalina, Assembly Seat A.

E. AGENDA APPROVAL F. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING
1. April 30, 2002 Regular Meeting

G. COMMUNICATIONS & APPEARANCES
1. Wendy Mulder, Consultant

H. BOARDS, COMMISSIONS & COMMITTEES
1. Budget, Audit & Finance Committee
2. Personnel Committee
3. Joint Construction & Maintenance Committee

I. PUBLIC HEARINGS, ENACTMENTS OF ORDINANCES & EMERGENCY ORDINANCES
1. Ordinance 02-03 An ordinance of the Northwest Arctic Borough Assembly providing for the establishment and adoption of the line item budget for the fiscal year 2003.
2. Ordinance 02-04 An ordinance of the Northwest Arctic Borough Assembly ratifying and establishing borough departments and for related purposes.
3. Ordinance 01-06 am 04 An ordinance of the Northwest Arctic Borough Assembly providing for the establishment and adoption of the line item budget amendment for the fiscal year 2002. Northwest Arctic Borough Assembly Regular Meeting May 21, 2002 Page 2

J. MAYOR'S REPORT
1. Judith Hassinger, Borough Treasurer
2. David S. Case, Borough Attorney

K. TIME & PLACE OF NEXT MEETING

L. INTRODUCTION OF ORDINANCES
1. Ordinance 02-05 An ordinance of the Northwest Arctic Borough Assembly proposing an amendment to section 2.03 of the Borough Charter to provide term limits for Assembly members and for related purposes.
2. Ordinance 02-06 An ordinance of the Northwest Arctic Borough Assembly to revise, amend and update Chapter 2.36 of the Borough Code of Ethics and for related purposes.

M. RESOLUTIONS
1. Resolution 02-15 A resolution of the Northwest Arctic Borough Assembly authorizing the participation of the Assembly elected officials of the Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska in the Public Employees' Retirement System of Alaska and the payment of the required premiums, pursuant to AS 39.35 ET SEQ.
2. Resolution 02-18 A resolution of the Northwest Arctic Borough Assembly to approve the design and construction of the Kotzebue School project and for related purposes.
3. Resolution 02-19 A resolution of the Northwest Arctic Borough Assembly to approve the design and construction of the Ambler School project and for related purposes.
4. Resolution 02-20 A resolution of the Northwest Arctic Borough Assembly adding and authorizing signatories on borough checks.
5. Resolution 02-21 A resolution of the Northwest Arctic Borough Assembly confirming Judith A. Hassinger as the borough treasurer and authorizing a contract for services.
6. Resolution 02-22 A resolution of the Northwest Arctic Borough Assembly authorizing a contract for legal services.
7. Resolution 02-23 A resolution of the Northwest Arctic Borough Assembly authorizing the Assembly members, Mayor, Special Assistant to the Assembly, EDC Director, Planning Director, Assistant to the Mayor, Public Services Director and the Borough Clerk to renew the annual credit charge cards for business purposes.
8. Resolution 02-24 A resolution of the Northwest Arctic Borough Assembly in support of the Alaska Coastal Management Program.
9. Resolution 02-25 A resolution of the Northwest Arctic Borough Assembly authorizing a professional contract with Wendy Mulder for consulting services to the Mayor's Department.
10. Resolution 02-26 A resolution of the Northwest Arctic Borough Assembly authorizing a professional contract with Lori Henry to perform key planning and coordination of the Arctic Economic Development Summit scheduled for September 2002.

N. OTHER BUSINESS

O. AUDIENCE COMMENTS

P. ASSEMBLY COMMENTS

Q. MAYOR'S COMMENTS

R. TIME AND PLACE OF NEXT MEETING
1. Staff Recomendation: June 25, 2002 via teleconference.

S. ADJOURNMENT

Art Work For Sale

Artwork Currently FOR SALE at the Northwest Arctic Borough Office
(Located on the 2nd floor of the National Guard Armory in Kotzebue)
For Telephone Sales, contact Lee Stoops or Martha Whiting at (800) 478-1110 (toll free in Alaska) or (907) 442-2500 M-F 8:00-4:30

4 lbs 1.2 oz Scrimshawed Ivory Tusk with Caribou Antler Display Stand by Vika Owens ($790.00).

3 lbs 15.2 oz Scrimshawed Ivory Tusk by Vika Owens ($750.00).

2 lbs. 7.6 oz Scrimshawed Ivory Tusk by Vika Owens ($580.00)

Ivory Fisherman by Donald Ferguson ($520); Ivory & Baleen Eskimo Dancers by Donald Ferguson ($300); Ivory, Baleen & Jade NYO High Kick by Donald Ferguson ($190.00) and Caribou Skin Mask with Beaver & Fox fur trim by Mabel Berry ($65 or $95 in shadow box).

Whale Bone Mask with Mammoth, Ivory & Baleen inlay by Joe Swan ($225); Caribou Antler Spirit Mask by Lowell Ward ($85); Loon Mask with Ivory, Baleen, Duck Feathers and Drift Wood by Lowell Ward ($325) and 6" x 4" Ivory, Baleen and Whale Bone Eagle carving ($250).

Northwest Arctic Borough Staff Directory

Mayor's Department
Ross Schaeffer Sr., Mayor
Valarie Romane, Assistant to the Mayor
Jake Stoops, Information Coordinator

Finance Department
Tula Lie, Comptroller
Judy Hassinger, Finance Director

Planning Department
Noah Naylor, Director
Charlie Gregg, Deputy Director

Public Servies
Tom Bolen, Director
Toni Evak, LEPC/PSC
Angela Joule, Receptionist/DMV

Economic Development
Lee Stoops, Director
Martha Whiting, Program Coordinator

Borough Clerk's Office
Helena Hildreth, Borough Clerk
Geri Jones, Deputy Borough Clerk

Northwest Arctic Borough P.O. Box 1110 Kotzebue, AK 99752 (907)442-2500 (800)478-1110 Fax:(907)442-2930

(c) 2001 Northwest Arctic Borough All rights reserved