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The Last Great Race returns

By on March 29, 2013 in Photos, The Nome Static, The Nome Static, 2013 (All), The Nome Static, April 2013

In March, it was the news in Western Alaska: once again, the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race was passing through our region. It was an exciting time for our listeners and staff, and KNOM was at the forefront of coverage for this inspiring and unique competition.

The Iditarod – the “Last Great Race” – is a 1,000-mile sled dog race from Anchorage to Nome; the finish line is just blocks from KNOM studios. The race is nearly as old as our mission; we’ve been covering the race every year since its inception in 1973.

Thanks to your support, we were able to bring the 2013 running of this epic race to our listeners, for whom the Iditarod is not just a sporting event but, also, an inspiration and a vital connection to traditional culture. Dog “mushing,” or the running of sled dogs, has deep roots in Alaska Native culture: a culture that both KNOM and the Iditarod celebrate.

KNOM’s coverage of the 2013 Iditarod included regular updates on the progress of the racers, or “mushers,” as they traversed the diverse and rugged Alaskan wilderness towards Nome. Many of the checkpoints through which the mushers passed were communities within KNOM’s listening range – further underscoring the importance of our race coverage.

As we’ve done for many years, we covered the Iditarod from the studio and from the trail, with news reporter Laureli Kinneen following the mushers, checkpoint by checkpoint, from Anchorage to Nome. (Laureli’s trip was subsidized with underwriting from local and regional organizations; their generosity made her on-location reporting possible.)

Back in the studio, KNOM rallied to cover the race with updates both on-air and online; regular broadcasts featured updates on mushers’ positions, weather conditions, and interviews, while our On the Trail blog showcased photos (a few of which are included here), audio from the finish line, and lots more.

To sample our coverage from this year’s Iditarod, we encourage you to visit our blog. Thank you so much for making this highlight of our broadcasting year possible!

Photos: the sled dogs of Iditarod 2013 champion Mitch Seavey pause a few miles outside the finish line in Nome and are silhouetted by the lights of the KNOM “spotter” vehicle; Laureli reports an Iditarod finish, live, from the finish line; musher Ramey Smyth – renowned for his dogs’ speed – mushes his team the final few feet of the race; a sled dog from the team of rookie Richie Diehl.

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What KNOM taught

By on February 28, 2013 in Photos, The Nome Static, The Nome Static, 2013 (All), The Nome Static, March 2013

Matthew deejays

Our feature series on KNOM volunteer alumni continues with Matthew Smith, our public affairs director from 2010 to 2012 who is now continuing his career in news broadcasting with KTVA television in Anchorage. Here’s Matt, in his own words, on what KNOM has already meant to him:

Matthew on the sea iceWhile I’ve only been a KNOM alumnus for a few months, I’m amazed at what the mission has made possible.

I learned about work, community, and myself during my time with KNOM. I learned how to be a reporter, how to find stories and write them in a way that was relevant to listeners in Western Alaska. From interviewing Iditarod mushers to meeting the Russian crew of the Renda as they made the first-ever winter fuel delivery to Nome (pictured at right), my experiences with KNOM made me the reporter I am today.

My time at KNOM also taught me what it means to be part of a small community. As a volunteer EMT, I remember taking blood pressure readings at the community health fair, giving residents of Nome access to blood work and medical exams that were otherwise simply unavailable. I never could have guessed how much being a part of the community in Nome would shape my years of service.

Renda captain Sergey Kopytov, Russian interpreter Michail Shestakov, and Matthew on board the RendaKNOM shaped my spirit, too. The people I met, the stories I heard and told, the connections I formed with roommates, co-workers, and friends: they have enriched my life in uncountable ways. I’m proud – and humbled – to have been a part of the mission, and I can’t wait to see where it goes in the coming years.

As always, we’re so grateful for the people who make our volunteer program possible. As you can see, KNOM continues to change lives: both those of our listeners and of our staff. It’s all thanks to you!

 

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December 1989: Mt. Redoubt erupts

By on December 8, 2012 in History, Photos
Mount Redoubt erupts, April 1990

Alaska’s Mount Redoubt began erupting in late 1989 and continued to erupt for months afterward; this photo was taken in April 1990.

December 15, 1989

489 miles southeast of Nome, the Mount Redoubt volcano erupts, spewing great clouds of sulfurous volcanic sand and dust into the air.

While the debris drifts away from Nome, the corrosive billows of grit ground airplanes in Anchorage, western Alaska’s supply hub. Grocery shelves grow bare, holiday presents are missing, and Nome’s mailboxes lay empty for a week. For the next four months, Redoubt’s periodic ash clouds disrupt flights to and from Nome.

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A request for prayers

By on November 12, 2012 in Photos, The Nome Static, The Nome Static, 2012 (All), The Nome Static, November 2012

Father ArmandIn this season of giving thanks, we begin our (November 2012) newsletter with gratitude and a humble request for prayers – in both cases, directed towards KNOM’s spiritual advisor, the Reverend Armand Nigro, SJ.

Father Armand has been a priest for nearly seven decades. In that time, he has been an active fixture of the Catholic faith, leading retreats in the Anchorage area and throughout the state of Alaska. There are so many whose lives have been touched by the kindness of Fr. Armand, and at KNOM, we’re honored to be among them.

We respectfully ask for your prayers at this time, as Fr. Armand faces challenges to his health. We so appreciate all who join us in wishing him good health, peace, and strength.

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October 2006: 28 weeks premature, Sophia Woyte is born

By on October 15, 2012 in History, Photos

October 19, 2006

Robyn and Sophia

Mother and child: Robyn and Sophia Woyte.

In Anchorage, doctors wait as long as they can, but they can’t wait long, and they deliver 2-pound 4-ounce Sophia Woyte, 28 weeks premature. Tom Busch takes pictures of mother and baby and e-mails them to Lynette Schmidt in Nome, who prints and gives them to Sophia’s small worried siblings, to assure them everything’s okay. At the age of one day, Sophia and mother Robyn are visited by John Woyte, whom the National Guard has flown home from Iraq. Little Sophia holds her own and is home by Christmas.

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Heavy weather, a week of cancelled flights, and new volunteers

By on August 19, 2012 in Photos, Stories
Coast Guard plane flyover

For a town of just 3,000 people, Nome receives lots of air traffic: including this Coast Guard plane a few days before Christmas 2011. For travelers to southern Alaska or to the Lower 48, air travel is the only way out.

As you may know, the Western Alaska communities that we serve are not connected to the state’s road system. Our ability to travel and to transport goods is thoroughly dependent upon commercial and cargo airlines and, especially, upon the weather. Lately, low visibility and other poor conditions have forced the cancellation of a number of Nome-bound flights.

When our planes don’t fly, cargo (mainly food) and weary passengers end up waiting days to arrive at their destination. Fruit and vegetables bound for rural Alaska may sit for days in warehouses and on runways; the food often spoils, and many frozen foods thaw.

Last week, KNOM’s newest volunteers, Daynee Rosales and Eva DeLappe, were due to arrive at our mission to begin their respective years of service. However, both were diverted to Anchorage when fog and other poor conditions prevented their flights from landing in Nome. After layovers of 12-24 hours in Alaska’s largest city, both Daynee and Eva finally arrived at the Nome airport to hugs and happy smiles from the KNOM staff.

Daynee and Eva have just begun their two-week training programs. We are so thankful for their service.

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July 1971: Thanks to a nurse, a last-minute fix

By on July 7, 2012 in History, Photos
Sally Duggan, Kitty Orris, and Ida Schilter

Sally Duggan, Kitty Orris, and Ida Schilter: three of the 71 nurses who, during KNOM’s first 15 years, supported the station by donating their entire salary to the radio mission. The nurses worked at Nome’s hospital but lived in KNOM’s volunteer housing.

July 13, 1971

One day before scheduled sign-on, a copper strap burns apart in the antenna tuning unit, removing the antenna from the transmitter. Six small resistors burn in the transmitter’s final section. In isolated Nome, they are impossible to replace.

However, support nurse Kitty Orris (pictured, in the middle of the photo) has just escorted a patient to Anchorage, where she is able to purchase the parts for transport by air the next morning.

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