Alaskaland: Borough Past, Present, & Future

In this episode of the Alaskaland Podcast, Mayor Ward sits down with Julie Anderson, chief of Operations Branch for the U.S Army Corps of Engineers-Alaska District, to talk about the Moose Creek Dam and what the Corps does every day to prevent flooding in the Fairbanks North Star Borough. Julie is a lifelong Alaskan with a civil engineering degree, many years of experience, valuable historical knowledge, and a good sense of humor. Enjoy this conversation and make time to visit the Chena Flood Control Project visitors center.

In this episode of the Alaskaland Podcast, Mayor Ward sits down with Hannah Hill, Executive Director of the Bread Line, to talk about their work in Fairbanks “feeding people and affirming lives.” The Bread Line is a locally grown, anti-hunger organization and non-profit. In 2016, while attending UAF, Hannah became a parttime administrative assistant at the Bread Line and has been there ever since. Hannah admits that “the Bread Line fills their cup like no other work ever has.” Tune into this heartwarming episode to hear stories about the brave individuals with backpacks full of sandwiches, who started what is now known as the Bread Line, to the work the Bread Line is doing today to help community members flourish by providing year-round culinary classes to folks who are working hard to better their lives. This is an episode you don’t want to miss.

Mayor Ward sits down with Tracy Vanairsdale to talk about the rewards and challenges of being an architect in Alaska. Having spent most of her life in Alaska, Tracy brings a unique perspective on what it’s like to be in her career field in the Interior and the state. Along with her education and years of experience, Tracy harnesses the lessons she learned from her dad, a general contractor, and her mom, a public health nurse, to provide innovative design solutions that meet the needs of each client. She also highlights the team aspect of architecture and talks about how each person she collaborates with is important in the process of designing structures that are “of the place.”

A history of the first five years of the Fairbanks North Star Borough, including pertinent pre-1964 information. Researched and compiled by members of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, student chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, Sigma Delta Chi. June 1979. Read by Rachel Ward.

Mayor Ward chats with Patricia Schmidt about the history of the SS Nenana, also known as the Last Lady of the River. The Sternwheeler Nenana ran Alaska's rivers from 1933 to 1952 bringing supplies, news, employment and transportation to each of its stops. At one period in Alaskan history, there were over 300 flat-bottomed sternwheelers navigating on the Yukon River and its tributaries. These sternwheelers were essential in the development of the history of Alaska. Of all these lifelines of the rivers, only one remains: the SS Nenana, located in Pioneer Park in Fairbanks, Alaska. Patricia is a longtime Alaskan and is a member of the Friends of the SS Nenana, a local group who is working to see the sternwheeler restored.

Mayor Ward sits down with hockey aficionado Randy Zarnke to talk about the phenomenon of this popular winter sport and how it took root in Fairbanks decades ago. Randy is the author of the book Fairbanks Hockey Pioneers, which highlights the players, coaches, referees, and Zamboni drivers who made the local hockey scene what it is today. And Randy reflects on the exciting heydey of the Alaska Gold Kings from 1975-1997.

Mayor Ward chats with local historian Joan Skilbred about the history of garbage in Fairbanks, including a shocking story about a city-wide infestation of rats and how they were finally exterminated. Did You Know: the original trash pile was downtown near where the FNSB School District admin office building is located?

Joan is a board member with the Pioneer Museum and has a fascination with the history of Fairbanks.

Mayor Ward sits down with FNSB Library Director Melissa Harter to talk about how boredom led to the founding of the Fairbanks’ first library (hint: it was a reading/smoking room!). Also discussed on the podcast is the beloved Bookmobile, which brings library materials to the farthest reaches of the Borough. Did you know that Fairbanks is the only community in Alaska with a Bookmobile? Finally, Melissa talks about the future plans for the Noel Wien Library and what residents might expect to see soon.

Mayor Ward sits down with local historian Joan Skilbred to discuss the "wood famine" of the early 20th century in Fairbanks, Alaska. Did you know that before 1914, the trees between Fairbanks and Chena Hot Springs Road had been clear-cut, a mile in each direction from the road? The NC power plant alone, which only partially supplied steam power to downtown Fairbanks, burned roughly 14,000 cords of wood each winter! The lifting of President Roosevelt's moratorium on coal production would lift Fairbanks out of this wood famine.

Mayor Ward sits down with Geoff Welch to talk about lessons he's learned throughout his career as a Fairbanks business owner and leadership coach. Geoff facilitates Leadership Fairbanks, a Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce that helps emerging and established leaders expand their existing leadership skills through exposure to challenging ideas, insights from community leaders, lively discussion, and personal reflection.