2010-News

Office News December 2010

ALO resolved a major case in December, settling a claim brought by a Bethel family for the death of their son who fell from a freight boat in Kuskokwim Bay while working. The accident happened after a fire started on the boat. The young man was a deck hand on the boat, and apparently was not wearing a life jacket. Somehow, the captain and the other crew member did not notice that the man was overboard and a search was not started for some time after he fell in. The case settled for policy limits after a rather extended period of negotiation. ALO first demanded policy limits on this case over a year ago, and that offer was rejected. The insurance policy in this case was the type that diminished as costs and fees were spent defending the case. As those costs and fees increased, the insurance company, and the boat owner, were able to see that there was potential for a bad result, perhaps greater than the policy limits. Eventually the company paid the full policy limits, and was forced to absorb the considerable costs expended in defending as well.

ALO also obtained a dismissal of a felony booze importation charge after challenging the search which was conducted by the police. Unlawful searches for booze at various locations are not that uncommon in this area. It appears one of the strategies employed is to seize the booze after such a search, resulting in some detriment to the owner even if the case does not proceed.

Other cases made the news as well. A Bethel jury returned a verdict for more than $20,000,000 for a man paralyzed during an arrest in the village of Kwethluk. That story was widely circulated, but little was mentioned about how the verdict was obtained. Kwethluk had no insurance, and no lawyer, so did not come to the trial. Winning a big verdict under those circumstances is like scoring 200 points in a basketball game when the other team stays in the locker room. It is questionable how much of that verdict will ever be paid by Kwethluk, but it made for a nice headline.

At year's end, this article appeared in various news outlets, detailing the events surrounding the August plane crash that killed former Alaska senator Ted Stevens. The crash took place about 50 miles from the Angstman cabin east of Bethel, in terrain very similar to that surrounding the cabin. This account really should be read by anyone who travels in the Alaska bush, especially by air. It is not a pleasant story, even less pleasant for anyone who has been in an airplane crash. This story hits close to home for ALO, as two of the search pilots are clients of this office, one of the first responders is an elk farm customer, and Myron and Sue were previous guests at the lodge where the flight originated.

Speaking of the elk farm, this article appears online and describes the early days of the farm, back when the Angstman family first arrived in the early 1900's. Aunt Laura, who lived to be 102 years old, was a ripe source of old time lore. She recalled living in a sod hut in South Dakota, where the family lived before moving to Minnesota. Heating fuel was gathered on the prairie, in the form of dried buffalo dung. She spent her formative years as a caretaker for her 11 rather active brothers on the Angstman farm after her father passed away. Not surprisingly she developed quite a stern approach to youthful antics. This revealed itself later when she was called upon to perform a similar role with young Myron, when she lived on the adjoining farm as a widow. She knew how to handle rapscallions, as she called young boys. Speaking of young boys, this photo shows where Myron and all the rest of the Angstman boys attended school.

Christmas programs draw a crowd. The ME primary school program is famous in Bethel, drawing a standing room only crowd to the gym. Mary was resplendent. And for those who would like more, here are school photos of Mary and Sunset, her live-in cousin. This Christmas video is worth watching. It comes from the village of Quinhagak where ALO has many clients.

It is nice to see that most Alaskans have good taste.

ALO has a new employee. Martha Tikiun has joined the staff as a half time paralegal. Martha previously worked here as a secretary, and since has had jobs as a court clerk and as a paralegal at the District Attorney's office. She is a welcome addition. She will work mainly with criminal cases, which continue to be a big part of the workload at ALO with 20-25 cases active most of the time.

Finally, looks like a tough way to go.

Office News November 2010

Deer season always falls in the first part of November in Minnesota, and with a large number of deer seen around the elk farm, it was expected to be a good hunt. Three adult bucks were taken, and another was missed at fairly close range, which made it a very successful season. The visiting hunters included cousins Scott and Andy Angstman (the other Andy) Roger Bohm, Dave Ashton and John Jordan. John spends much of his spare time with former ALO employee Jane Imholte, now a public defender in Minneapolis. Jane still talks about returning to Alaska, where she was especially fond of dog racing. She finished the Bogus creek race, and the Camp Out race in her short time as a musher.

The rest of the month was spent doing farm chores and staying on the lookout for wildlife. Of course, a landowner has to be constantly concerned about trespassers, and the crack elk farm security team conducts numerous patrols. Tanner and Henry log many miles a day on the golf cart, and on daily long walks. Abundant pheasants have made those walks highly entertaining.

Running a farm poses some interesting challenges. Aside from the well known challenges of raising crops and livestock, dealing with the government regulations has become an increasingly troublesome part of the rural experience. The elk farm has had its share of problems with the government. It all started when an eager dirt mover offered to remove some cattails from the pond in front of the newly built cabin. Someone apparently decided that was not OK, because the law descended in large numbers to stop the operation. It was determined that the cattails were being disturbed without a permit, and that no permit was possible because cattails were a protected plant. After much discussion, a ticket was written up and a fine was paid. With that, a bureaucrat called and said that as part of the process we would need to apply for and pay for a permit to disturb the cattails, even though such a permit was not possible to obtain. It was explained that it merely for record keeping purposes. When the application was submitted, another call came back.. "When will you finish the project?" Of course, that was not possible because it was illegal. But the bureaucrat explained that because a permit had now been issued the project had to be completed, or another citation would be issued. The project resumed, and was completed. Two years later it was determined that cattails no longer were protected, but now were considered an invasive species.

Similar permitting problems have emerged with four dikes that have been built to back up water. All four are wonderful projects for wildlife, but only one had a proper permit in advance. After completing the four projects, it is clear that the one for which a permit was obtained in advance was far more problematic than the previous three where the government learned of the project after the fact. Despite all the permit problems, the government decided the farm was looking pretty good.

The cell phone and email have been busy for the past few weeks with Myron handling much of the day to day court work from Minnesota. There are actually advantages in doing routine hearings over the phone. Many involve a lot of waiting time in court, and telephonic participation allows other activities to proceed during the wait (reading the newspaper on the internet?? Napping???) None of these activities are encouraged in court. Amy and Dolly are becoming proficient at keeping everything on schedule, and ALO contract lawyers in other locations are filling in as needed.

Decent dog training conditions greeted the Angstman's return to Bethel at the end of the month. One brief thaw was followed by more snow, and folks are out with snow shoes and skis, which isn't always possible in the Bethel area because of icy trails. from Chris Pike, who is helping with dog training this year. The first race is the day after Christmas, with Casie Stockdale racing one of the Dog Farm teams and hoping to defend her title in the Holiday Classic.

Office News October 2010

October started with a trip to the elk farm, where Sandy and Chris Rolan were the first visitors. Sandy was employed at ALO many years ago, and now lives in Montana. She holds the record as the fastest typist ever seen in the YK Delta, about 120 words a minute, and combined that with two other noteworthy skills-she is a high grade musician and completed the Akiak Dash after only seven training runs at the dog farm. Sandy had continued to work for ALO for a few years after she left Bethel but had to stop when her kids reached the age where parenting took up too much time. The kids are gone, and Sandy is once again helping ALO from afar, now as a paralegal and transcriptionist. A favorite memory of her transcription services involved a rather long tape that was sent to her late on a Friday afternoon. Sandy apologized that she wouldn't be able to get it back to ALO until Monday morning. A fast turn around for the same service in Anchorage would be about 10 days.

Next on the visit list were Grant and Debbie Fairbanks. They arrived after visiting Debbie's mother in Duluth Minnesota she is in her 90's. Farm tours took up most of the Fairbanks' visit time. Most of the viewing involved wildlife which was abundant again this year, but on one outing Grant spotted a leafy plant that drew his interest. Wild hemp grows readily on the elk farm, and from time to time the government asks farmers to remove it because it is considered a noxious plant. Grant offered to help with the removal.

A Montana trip to visit old friends was next on the agenda. Bob and Mary Rearden were first on the list. They live on the Missouri River near Great Falls, and that reaching there took one long day of driving at or near the liberal speed limits in North Dakota and Montana. They keep horses and kayaks, and Sue always gets a ride on both. Webmaster Rich Gannon and Jen hosted the Angstmans next, and their goats were the main attraction. The goats have , but their best one seems to be getting out of the pen. Rich took time out from heavy duty child care to redesign the ALO webpage with great results.

The highlight of the trip home was a stop with Art and Linda Glasoe in Wildrose North Dakota. They operate a large farm with abundant wildlife nearby. On a short truck ride from their home, this rare sight was observed. Whooping cranes numbered a total of 14 in the entire world in 60-70 years ago when an effort was made to save them. There are about 300 wild now in North America, and a few of them now migrate through the Glasoe farm every year. There is no extra protection for them and Art drives out to check on them regularly. They stand five feet high and have an eight foot wingspan. Thousands of ducks and geese kept the cranes company on the Glasoe farm.

Back home the migrating waterfowl had their biggest year ever on the elk farm. Ducks, geese, sandhill cranes and trumpeter swans put on a show most evenings traveling between water holes and feeding areas. Pheasants continued their steady increase in numbers, and deer were everywhere. This deer apparently was listening when Mother said "learn to stand on your own two feet". Deer are not the only acrobats on the farm. This device is sold as a squirrel proof bird feeder.

One case dominated the legal news in Bethel. Three men are charged in connection with one of the worst crimes in local history. Two of them are charged with torturing and killing a young man over a period of 2-3 days, reportedly because of a stolen truck. The torture was observed by others and still more people learned of the event without alerting authorities. The two charged men were eventually arrested at a local office complex. One of them reportedly hid out in a law office for several hours. That prompted numerous calls to ALO, and a carefully considered new rule was passed along to the callers. If you torture and murder someone, don't expect to hide at ALO.

Bill Eggiman sent along this photo of sunrise near the Angstman cabin.

Office News September 2010

September is a great time to enjoy Alaska. For years the Angstman family has celebrated Labor Day with a trip to the mountains, and this year the trip involved another stay at the cabin. The slide show captures some of those moments. Once again the highlight of the trip was an adventure up the Allen River to a seldom visited waterfall. The boat trip includes a short section through a canyon that is thrilling. Berry picking, moose hunting and fishing were the main pastimes.

ALO paralegal Amy Ponsness went on a short visit to the cabin in early September, which was her first visit to the mountains east of Bethel. Apparently she liked the experience, because she booked a weekend at another location nearby, on Heart Lake, for a couple days of solitary camping. Her camp was the only one for miles in any direction, about 75 miles from Bethel. It is hard for an urban American to appreciate just how alone a person can feel when dropped off in the wilderness with nothing but a tent and a sleeping bag, but Amy survived her trip and was smiling broadly when picked up. Her husband Greg had another kind of wilderness experience. He helped a friend pack out a bull moose with an antler spread of 76 inches. The pack was more than a mile uphill. That was so much fun, Greg harvested another bull, with a 64 inch antler spread. Here's the proof.

September weather was difficult this year. A period of rainy weather persisted for many weeks, making flying difficult. Sue and Dolly were at the cabin for a few days longer than planned because no planes could get top them. Later in September the rain was replaced by gorgeous fall weather that gradually evolved into high winds which also hampered flying. Right at the end of the month the wind let up enough to get into the cabin to close it for winter and to fly the airplane to Anchorage for annual maintenance.

Bill Eggiman is a regular visitor at the cabin with his Husky floatplane. He snapped these photos which show how a tough day on the water leaves a couple of fishing buddies tired at day's end.

Law news is light this month, but it is clear that most readers of this page check in for updates on stuff other than law. Along those lines, a great Bethel story needs to be told. Recently a rumor surfaced in Bethel that Tom Cruise had arrived by private jet to go fishing nearby. This news was accepted by most as true, because there was a private jet parked at the airport, and from time to time celebrities come through Bethel on such outings. This rumor had legs, and people started reporting sightings around town. At some point, Will Smith was added to the rumor, and a reliable report said that they were both supposed to board their jet at midnite to depart Bethel. About 30 cars lined up on the road nearest the jet to catch a glimpse of the stars, only to be disappointed. The next day, the local radio station sent a reporter to the Alaska Commercial store where another reliable report suggested the two were shopping. No interview was obtained and eventually is was determined that the rumor was false. But heck, Bethel folks have limited things to do and a good rumor can spice up several days of rural life.

Office News August 2010

The Barrow football case dominated the August legal news. ALO represented the school in a lawsuit concerning an accident at the local football field, in the first game played on the million dollar turf. The field was built by donations from outside after news of the far north, all gravel field made it on ESPN. That station sent a crew to cover the game, which was televised nationally.

The accident involved a play which went out of bounds late in the fourth quarter. The plaintiff was a 76 year old woman from New York who for many years has spent her summers in Barrow because she can't stand the heat in New York. In her testimony, she described her first arrival in Barrow, noting that when she stepped off the plane, she thought she was in heaven. Not many share that view. Barrow looks a lot like Bethel, only with a tougher climate. No one ever said Bethel looked like heaven.

The plaintiff was standing on the sideline when one or more players mowed her down and broke her leg badly. She said she was standing there despite a lifetime as a fan of football where she learned that plays sometime go out of bounds and people standing near the field sometimes get injured. She said there was no place else from which to watch and she got caught up in the moment as Barrow drove for the winning touchdown. Game videos showed there were numerous safer places from which to watch. The person in charge of the sound system said there were several announcements urging fans to back away from the sidelines. The video showed 40-50 fans standing along the sideline, out of an estimated crowd of more than 2,000 at the game. None had to pay to get in.

The jury took a couple of hours to decide the school was not negligent for allowing folks to stand on the sideline. They were perhaps aided in their decision by testimony from the plaintiff that she did not agree that elders such as her had slower reflexes than a younger person, that older folks were more likely to break a bone because of a fall, and that she would possibly be unable to work by the time she reached 85 years of age.

After the verdict the plaintiff grabbed the school's representatives still in the courtroom and informed them that their attorney was evil, and that she was going to ask her pastor to pray for him. She concluded by noting that "he gutted me like a fish". There was no chance to thank her for the compliment.

Back in Bethel, the month featured mostly rain. Andy and Myron managed a few fishing adventures. One was to the Innoko River where Myron landed seven pike over 20 pounds in about 3 hours of fishing. Here is the biggest weighed at 27 pounds. It is the largest pike actually weighed in many years of fishing the area, but larger fish have been caught. Andy usually outfishes Myron, but that day a beat up lure attracted the big ones while Andy caught none over 20.

Finally, this giant white tail deer is wandering around Long Pond Elk Farm in Minnesota. It is clearly the largest that has walked in front of the camera in the past few years. John McDonald at Kuskowim Wilderness Adventures captured some interesting photos on his camera up the Kisaralik River near Bethel as well.

Office News July 2010

Sonny Hoffman was a Bethel guy. His accidental death has left a vacant spot in the community that won't be filled. Sonny was a frequent visitor to ALO as a friend, neighbor, pilot, and client. His visits were always memorable. When he left, it was never certain what he had said, but it was clear that he was upbeat and friendly. Sonny died when the cat he was driving tipped and trapped him underneath. Sonny's most famous trait will be missed by everyone-Sonny had a big wave for everyone he met on the road, and as a long time truck driver in Bethel, he passed by a lot of folks. Happy trails, Sonny.

There was more bad news for Bethel and the Hoffman clan as Bev Hoffman was diagnosed with cancer. She is in Anchorage now for treatment with a positive prognosis. Bev resigned from the city council because of this development. ALO extends its best wishes to Bev, who was pictured on these pages last month as the officiant at Sarah and Ben's wedding. In a contest between Bev Hoffman and a few cancer cells, the smart money would be on Bev.

ALO sent representatives to the wedding of Katie Baldwin and Paul Basil in the Portland area. Katie grew up in the neighborhood of ALO, and was the only girl in a gang of boys that marauded through the area. She has two notable achievements worth reporting. She is the only Bethel girl to ever win the state cross country title, and she is also the only Bethel girl to go to the prom with four different boys in four years-all of whom attended the wedding festivities and none of whom were the groom.

Legal work still got done. A local man settled his claim for an accident which happened on the ice road between Bethel and Kwethluk. He was hit broadside by a speeding truck on the narrow road as he attempted to climb the berm and avoid a collision. ALO's next trial will happen in Barrow. A elderly woman from back east sued our client, for injuries suffered at the new farthest north football field a couple of years ago. The lady, an avid football fan, chose to stand on the sideline and was hit by players that tumbled out of bounds, breaking her leg. Our client of course will argue that a football fan knows the risk of standing on the sideline. The trial starts Aug. 23, and will be the first visit to Barrow for ALO.

A friend named Dave Ashton mounts a trail camera at Long Pond Elk Farm every year. Two July pictures earned a spot on the news page. First a dandy white tail and second a darker animal rarely seen in Princeton. Black bears are slowly moving into the area, where they were never seen in the past 100 years at least.

June 2010

The biggest news of June actually includes the first part of July for those who actually keep track. Sarah and Ben got married one July 3rd in Bethel, (see wedding photos). A fairly large group of tourists flooded Bethel for the event, and apparently had a good time. The wedding itself was conducted in the rain, and the fiesta followed at Ed Lackey's shop which had a major transformation for the event. After watching Bethel's famous Fourth of July parade 17 of the group traveled by float plane to the Angstman cabin for a few days of fishing and food, prepared by long time family friend Don Lehmann, who excels in gourmet camp cooking. He even brought his

The wedding and party were classic Bethel events. The bride arrived by cab, accompanied by the only attendant, Mary the flower girl. The crowd on the river bank stood for the ceremony. The fiesta which followed was accomplished by a volunteer effort, headed by Cindy Andrechek and Christy Davis and aided by dozens. The bride and groom were registered at Cabelas. They had a two part honeymoon, first at the family cabin with 15 other people, and second on a Missouri River float, accompanied by several more friends.

The wedding's best line was uttered by Ben. During his toast at the fiesta he mentioned that he was trying to get Sarah to be more of a coffee drinker. He concluded his remarks by saying "When Sarah and I go to bed at night I get really excited," at which point he paused while the crowd hooted. He raised his hands to quiet the crowd and said "wait, let me finish" and then added. "I get excited thinking about waking up in the morning to have coffee with Sarah."

Of course the law office has to stay open no matter what is happening. The biggest news recently was a decision by the Alaska Supreme court on the case known around the office as the Hooper Bay fire case. It involves a suit against the Lower Yukon School District for a fire which destroyed the old school and numerous nearby homes. The fire was started by kids playing with matches under one of the school buildings. The school is blamed for not preventing the kids from playing under the school during the summer break. ALO represents the school.

Earlier, the local Superior Court threw out the suit saying the school had no legal duty to folks living nearby growing out of the facts of this case. The claimants asked for reconsideration of that decision, which was granted, and the court reversed itself. That reversal was challenged by the school, and a petition was filed with the Supreme Court. That court rarely intervenes in a suit before trial, which was scheduled for August. This time however, the Supreme Court ordered the lower court to consider a summary judgment motion filed by the school and previously rejected by the lower court.

The other big news for June is the departure of Matt Widmer after five years of excellent performance. Matt came to ALO right out of law school , and quickly displayed skills beyond those of many more experienced lawyers who have come and gone from the office in the past 30 plus years. He has the benefit of being smart, hard working and very honest. Many folks think most lawyers have all three traits, but those folks are mistaken. As a plus Matt has an excellent sense of humor, which comes in handy at ALO where a good laugh is favored.

Matt indicated his desire to become a judge early in his stay at ALO, and he still has that goal. He wants to broaden his experience to improve his chances of becoming a judge. He will move to the Office of Public Advocacy in Anchorage, where he will practice both criminal and civil law for indigent clients. He leaves a large void, one that will be filled by contract lawyers . The recent experience at ALO is that contract lawyers working outside of Bethel are a better option than attempting to attract another lawyer of Matt's skill level. Contract lawyers usually work from home, have lots of experience, and don't have a difficult adjustment period when moving to Bethel that many experience. Matt's departure will likely lead to some narrowing of focus for ALO, in that remaining staff members may not accept cases in a few areas of law that have been accepted in the past. The emphasis will still be on litigation, both civil and criminal.

June 2010

The biggest news of June actually includes the first part of July for those who actually keep track. Sarah and Ben got married one July 3rd in Bethel, (pictures on front page) A fairly large group of tourists flooded Bethel for the event, and apparently had a good time. The wedding itself was conducted in the rain, and the fiesta followed at Ed Lackey's shop which had a major transformation for the event. After watching Bethel's famous Fourth of July parade 17 of the group traveled by float plane to the Angstman cabin for a few days of fishing and food, prepared by long time family friend Don Lehmann, who excels in gourmet camp cooking. He even brought his chef jacket (underline jacket, link to picture)

The weddings best line was uttered by Ben. During his toast at the fiesta he mentioned that he was trying to get Sarah to be more of a coffee drinker. He concluded his remarks by saying "When Sarah and I go to bed at night I get really excited," at which point he paused while the crowd hooted. He raised his hands to quiet the crowd and said "wait, let me finish" and then added. Ò" get excited thinking about waking up in the morning to have coffee with Sarah."

Of course the law office has to stay open no matter what is happening. The biggest news recently was a decision by the Alaska Supreme court on the case know around the office as the Hooper Bay fire case. It involves a suit against the Lower Yukon School District for a fire which destroyed the old school and numerous nearby homes. The fire was started by kids playing with matches under one of the school buildings. The school is blamed for not preventing the kids from playing under the school during the summer break. ALO represents the school.

The big news for June is the departure of Matt Widmer after five years of excellent performance. Matt came to ALO right out of law school , and quickly displayed skills beyond those of many more experienced lawyers who have come and gone from the office in the past 30 plus years. He has the benefit of being smart, hard working and very honest. Many folks think most lawyers have all three traits, but those folks are mistaken. As a plus Matt has an excellent sense of humor, which comes in handy at ALO where a good laugh is favored.

May 2010

May was split between Alaska and Minnesota, a schedule change required because of the upcoming wedding for Sarah and Ben. Final preparation for that event prevented a full month stay at the farm in June. Arriving earlier at the farm provided a look at more wildlife than normal, with reproduction in full swing upon arrival May 15th. Birds were the most obvious, raising a racket day and night in the numerous wetlands around the elk farm. Numbers of all birds were up, and the loudest were the sandhill cranes of course, followed by geese, pheasants, turkeys and ducks. Land animals were also abundant, mainly deer, new arrival of the spring.

Planting wildflowers has been a several year project at the elk farm. Most of the flowers bloom in June and July and are observed by only a few people who come and go from the farm. One early blooming plant is , which has taken over a portion of the yard at the cabin. Lupine are favored by deer, and they were regular visitors to this patch in the evenings.

Back in Bethel, John McDonald captured this His bird tours were sold out this year. See Kuskokwim Wilderness Adventures for more pictures from those trips.

LKSD Supt. Gary Baldwin had an important chore in May. He was asked to present the diplomas for the LKSD preschool, where granddaughter Mary attended. .

ALO resolved a few cases in May, including a Bethel car accident with minor injuries and an unusual case in Manakotak which involved a six year old boy who fell asleep in a school bus where he then spent the day in temps between 10 and 30 degrees until discovered in the afternoon by the bus driver. ALO also settled the second portion of a serious Anchorage case where a Grayling woman lost a finger in a traffic accident. The first part of the settlement against the liability insurer was insufficient to cover the woman's damages, so she was able to collect from the underinsured motorist coverage which her family carried on their own vehicle.

The booze issue in Bethel was recently the subject of an editorial in the Anchorage Daily News. The writer suggested Bethel should return to local option status in order to help the neighboring villages combat drinking. Myron couldn't resist the chance to send this letter to the editor. The comments section of the paper erupted. Many thought the letter seriously advocated for Anchorage to go dry, and responses were mostly irate. The comments sections of online publications are one of the most notable changes in news reporting brought on by the internet. Anonymous posters rant at almost every article, and juicy articles often generate hundreds of comments. The content is rarely worth reading, but the tone says a lot about the type of person who has the time to carry on such a dialogue.

Former ALO employee Jane Imholte practices law in Minneapolis. She paid a visit to the farm in June and sent along this article by email. That can't possibly be a crime.

The Kuskokwim 300 lost another one of its original racers when two time champion Jerry Austin died in June. The K300 webpage noted his passing with pictures from the past. Manager Casie Stockdale has been assembling historical information for the race on the website. One of the best old shots features race marshall Carl Kawagley pointing out a for photographer Jim Barker.

April 2010

Staci Gillilan dominated the April news, this time for her writing skills. She has provided two documents for consideration. The first is her letter of apology, which was required as a condition of her felony probation. It is , verbatim. It has been posted on the K300 website and Facebook site, and all but one person who has commented found it to be insufficient as an apology. One of the posters on Facebook, Arlee Taylor, had the following to say. "The truth of the tens of thousands taken will probably never be known and this is some sort of apology from a thief that has robbed any and everyone ever known at any turn? Was it written on toilet paper too?." Arlee's connection to this case will be discussed more fully below. If the probation officer agrees that this is not really an apology, it will be up to the judge to decide if she is in violation of her probation.

Staci's other attempt at writing isn't an apology either. is her petition against Arlee Taylor, filed in Bethel court as a public document. It is a further example of her inability to admit her errors. A bit of background is needed to fully appreciate this situation. Arlee Taylor was at one time the web designer for the Kuskokwim 300, identified as a friend of Staci from California who actually flew to Bethel to help with the 2008 race, just before Staci was fired. The race committee learned of serious issues with race finances in late February, the same week Staci flew to Anchorage for a school meeting over a long weekend. While she was there, her husband provided copies of the race financial records to the K300, and it was quickly learned that Staci had paid herself three extra paychecks during 2007, among numerous other suspicious entries. Arlee flew to Anchorage from California that weekend, and stated that he helped Staci put together another set of books that made an effort to conceal the extra payments. They also visited some K300 suppliers, paying overdue bills with cash, bills that Staci told the committee had already been paid. Apparently Arlee provided cash to pay those bills.

The weekend's activites were not limited to financial issues. Arlee filmed Staci in a bathtub, a video that he eventually placed on the internet, seen by countless folks in Bethel and beyond when news of it hit town. Two later, less racy postings of Staci also made YouTube and other sites. The petition above is Staci's response to the videos. She claims she was unconscious from the use of prescription drugs. Those who have seen the video and heard the audio can decide whether her words in this petition, signed under oath, are truthful. One astute observer questioned how an unconscious person could survive and escape a tub full of water. Denying the obvious is a skill Staci has perfected.

The Bethel crime scene provides lots of colorful stories like Staci's. of a search and rescue operation caused readers to wonder why the wilderness traveler didn't hide his cargo in a nearby snow bank. Maybe he had watched the movie Fargo and was worried about finding his treasure later on the barren tundra.

ALO tried major case before a jury in April. A family from Crooked Creek, the first of many to contact ALO through its website a few years back, finally had its day in court against Hageland, a local air carrier. It was alleged that a Hageland pilot tried to start a Cessna 207 while a teenage girl was still loading bags on a four wheeler near the front of the plane. The jury found that the prop struck her on the top of the head, causing a wound about 3 ½ inches long and deep enough so that witnesses could see her skull. The pilot at first admitted he struck her with the prop as he was starting the engine, but later wrote a second statement questioning whether that happened. He did so at the suggestion of Ron Burkevich, Hageland's safety director who suggested they keep the first statement in the company because it didn't sound too good for the pilot or the company. Based on that, the jury found that punitive damages should be awarded for the attempt to cover up the incident. After the verdict and before a second trial to determine punitive damages, the parties reached a confidential settlement. This case represented the most heavily defended case that ALO has ever experienced. Spending money to scare off folks with a valid claim is a tactic often used, but it doesn't always work. This time the defense spent a ton of money defending and still lost.

Steve Bush, who helped build the cabin which now houses ALO, passed away in April. Steve took part in the first Kuskokwim 300 and later ran the Iditarod. He and his family lived in Aniak for many years before moving to Montana. You can read more about that first K300 on the race website, where Manager Casie Stockdale has scanned in a batch of articles. Old timers in Bethel will remember the strong staff of local writers we had in Bethel back then, and the difference in news coverage between then and now is astounding.

March 2010

The big news of March was the end of the Kuskokwim 300 theft case. Former manager Staci Gillilan pled guilty to felony theft and was sentenced to two years probation and restitution in the amount of $7,500 to the race and $1,000 to a trust from which she also stole money. She must also write a letter of apology. Her sentencing ended a two year ordeal where she twice previously agreed to a plea deal and then backed out. Her guilty plea comes after two very public declarations of innocence. She had a long interview with KYUK radio which allowed her the opportunity to dazzle listeners with her account of being victimized by the race, and she also paid for a full page ad in a local newspaper to further the charade. Staci reportedly requested an opportunity to testify in front of the grand jury, but at the last minute she had a scheduling conflict which prevented her from appearing. She also ducked a couple of meetings with the 300 board at the end of her employment where tough questions would have been asked.

Her crime consisted of stealing about $6,000 of cash which was generated at the K300 rippie booth, and about $3600 in payroll checks which she wrote herself and a $250 reimbursement she took for merchandise that was actually paid for by someone else. Those amounts were easy to trace. Some of the cash actually ended up in her personal account, some deposited by her husband. When given the opportunity, neither Staci nor her husband could account for the cash deposits in their personal accounts. Other cash she handled for the race was not possible to trace, as it came in from merchandise sales and gate receipts. It is known that when she was fired the race was $30,000 in debt, despite normal revenues and expenses that had in previous years resulted in about a break even status each year.

There was also an allegation made that Staci stole from a trust fund which she administered. Her bills to that trust were greatly in excess of the bills for several other people who did the same job before and after her. The final element of her case involved money from elementary school kids who paid $20 each for a yearbook which Staci was supposed to handle. Some of that money ended up in Staci's account as well, but the school believes she paid back those sums after being told to do so. No yearbook was ever produced. That issue might never have surfaced, but did so after the 300 started getting calls about Staci's misdeeds after she was fired.

During this saga, ALO learned a lot about Staci Gillilan. Her ability to look directly at a group of people and lie is astounding. That is so even when the truth is obvious and she has been confronted with it. She is so convincing that it took a long time for some Bethel folks to realize how badly she was misleading them. This case, and some other personal issues that became very public in the past two years, have changed all that. The 300 will await its apology letter and money, in hopes that the Staci Gillilan era will finally be in the rear view mirror.

Other legal news was mixed at ALO. Two settlements were reached, one involving a serious car crash in Anchorage where an elderly Grayling woman lost a finger among other injuries. That case settled for policy limits, and will involve further litigation of underinsured motorist coverage which often kicks in to assist an injured person when the initial insurance coverage is not enough to fully compensate. The other case involved a village woman who wrecked her snow machine and was injured when she hit an obstruction on the trail in her village that had been left by a construction crew.

ALO had a traffic trial in March which resulted in a very small split verdict (liability for both plaintiff and defendant) In that trial, a driver rear ended a Bethel police car which was making an illegal turn into the exit at the YKHC administration building. The poor result was apparently a consequence of a juror fooling the court by suggesting that her friendship with the driver of the police vehicle would not be a factor if she was chosen as a juror. According to other jurors, that was not the way it worked, and the juror was a strong advocate for the city's position which overcame several other jurors.

An earlier report mentioned the success of Bethel wrestler Randy Hanson. Randy has since signed as a recruit to wrestle at the University of Minnesota. He was even mentioned in the sports column of Sid Hartman, who has been writing for the Minneapolis paper for about 70 years. The Gopher wrestlers are often among the best in the nation, and their coach is infamous as a stern taskmaster. ALO has a Gopher insignia on its front window, so it will come as no surprise to Randy when Bethel refugees show up at his wrestling matches.

Finally, two local youngsters did very well in the Iditarod. Mike Williams Jr and Pete Kaiser both finished in the money and among the top rookies. Pete started with and finished with one, Lucy who is a favorite around ALO.

February 2010

February was a short month, but long on stuff worthy of the ALO website news. Let's start with office news. Three civil cases were settled, the most significant of which was a claim against a local store for a broken leg. A Bethel man fell on a mound of ice at the base of the front steps of a local store, as he departed with a large box. He suffered a badly broken leg for which he was compensated. The second case involved a home fire in Shaktoolik. A family lost all of its belongings and settled its claim against the local Housing Authority. The third settlement involved a group of passengers on a commuter flight to a village on the Yukon River. During the flight, the pilot's door popped open and couldn't be closed. For the duration of the flight, two of the passengers struggled to keep the door partially closed while the pilot flew the plane, creating a panic situation for the passengers.

Dog season continued in February, but the big local event wasn't a race, it was Pete Kaiser's fund raiser. Pete is a young man who has grown up taking part in various Kuskokwim 300 race events, and this year has decided to tackle the Iditarod. The Angstmans are helping to sponsor him, with money and two good dogs. A large crowd showed up at his fund raiser to help with sponsorship. The race starts March 6th in Anchorage, and this article describes the event pretty well.

Speaking of Iditarod, one of Andy's Iditarod dogs died in February. Rudy was a favorite at the Dog Farm, mainly because of his goofy attitude, but also for his ability to keep going when common sense suggested he shouldn't be able to. Rudy had arthritis for the last few years of his life, and had discomfort in his ankles whenever he ran. Several race vets noticed the problem, and suggested he be dropped during a race. He never was, and in fact was always among the most eager to go when the rest stop was over. He led Sarah, Andy and Myron out of Tuluksak on their K300 races, the last one two years ago at age 10. At age 9 he made it all the way to Nome with a gait Andy described as lumbering. Dogs like Rudy are remembered fondly at Old Friendly Dog Farm. Happy Trails.

Minnesota Public Radio did a recent feature on Baldwin Township which had an article about Long Pond Elk Farm. Featured in the photo is the backside of neighbor Dave Price.

ALO webmaster Rich Gannon recently designed another Bethel website, this time for Kuskokwim Wilderness Adventures. Rich lives near Cut Bank, Montana, and the local paper there provides and

Finally, the death of Elya Evan was noted in February. Elya was part of the colorful Stony River Evan family with many connections to the Angstman family. Elya's older brothers Evan and Wassillie helped build the log building which was the Angstman home for many years and is now ALO. Myron went on a number of hunting trips with Evan before he drowned in the Kuskokwim River. Elya helped build the Angstman cabin pictured on the front page of this website. He amazed his co-workers with his outdoor skills and strength. At one point he climbed a sheer rock wall near the cabin just to show that he still could. tending a fire on the beach. The stories of the Evan family would be a big chapter in any book about the Kuskokwim.

January 2010

January is race month in Bethel, and cold temperatures with strong north winds prevailed for most of the month. The wind chills bottomed out at about -65, and that happened Saturday morning on the weekend of the Kuskokwim 300. Myron was racing the Bogus Creek 150 at that time, and he encountered enough problems to withdraw from the race after about 60 miles. The other team from Old Friendly Dog Farm, raced by Mike Parker, took second in that race, winning over $5,000 in the largest payday in years for OFDF.

Two weeks later , her first wins ever as a dog racer. The first win was in the delayed Holiday Classic, a 50 mile race which followed part of the K300 trail. She won that event with a time of 4:12. The next day, the Bethel sprint club sponsored a race over the same trail, and Casie won again with exactly the same team, in the same time. For full results, check k300.org, or become a friend of Kuskokwim 300 on facebook. A good photo spread of all the races can be found on Ian Foulds Flickr page.

ALO resolved two cases in January. One involved a man who suffered a broken finger at the Bethel jail which healed poorly and will likely have to be amputated. The complaint against the jail alleged poor medical care for missing the break in the finger until it started healing. The other settlement involved a potential appeal by a Bethel man who was on the losing end of a recent jury trial. ALO's client sought payment of legal fees from the opponent, which is allowed under Alaska law. The opponent elected to pay a portion of ALO's fees, and agreed to drop any appeal, to end the case.

Another legal case resolved, this one not directly involving ALO. The case against former K300 race manager Staci Gillilan finally moved toward completion as she entered a guilty plea to a felony theft charge. She agreed to pay restitution in an amount yet to be determined to the K300, in addition to any amounts owed to Kilbuck school yearbook purchasers who paid money to her three years ago and also to a trust fund were Gillilan was paid to assist a young girl who was deemed unable to manage her own money. The case against Gillilan dragged on for almost two years before the plea. Sentencing is set for March. Meanwhile she is employed as a legal assistant at the law firm representing her, Power Brown. Some callers to ALO have recognized a form of symmetry in that situation.

Dean Painter of Nulato came to the Dog Farm to help with racing during January and someone dug up a clipping from December of 1978 which tells an interesting story about dog training on the Kuskokwim. a Minnesota weekly paper from Myron's home town. Dean's first name is obviously reported incorrectly, but the rest of the story is fairly accurate.

2010 News by the Month