Office News December 2011

December capped off a very successful year at Angstman Law Office. Several civil cases were settled, including a major case involving an aggravated broken leg which happened in the village of Ugashik in the Bristol bay area. An elderly lady from Haines, Alaska was visiting family in Ugashik when she tripped on an exposed grounding rod near the entrance to a house. The rod had been placed by the local Housing Authority during construction of the house. The occupant of the house had complained to the Housing Authority about the rod, which stuck out of the ground two or three inches. The accident happened Christmas eve, and the injured elder had to remain in the village untreated for many hours before she was transported out. She eventually had surgery, and a lengthy recovery period.

Two recent car accidents in Bethel resulted in settlements. In one case, a young woman suffered fractured vertebrae in a roll-over accident caused by a drunk driver. She settled for policy limits, and will be seeking additional recovery from her family's underinsured motorist coverage. The other accident was a minor fender bender where two passengers of a cab settled their injury claims for a modest amount.

The final settlement came from the City of Bethel. Earlier it was reported here that a man had his criminal charges dismissed after it became apparent that a Bethel police officer had fabricated testimony in an assault case. That resulted in a civil suit against the officer, which was settled before the city answered the complaint filed in court.

There were plenty of criminal cases resolved as well. One involved a dismissal of charges against a young man accused of reckless driving in Bethel, by the same officer involved in the assault case mentioned above. Interestingly, no police report was ever filed in that case, perhaps contributing to the state's decision not to proceed. The driver and his witnesses vehemently denied the charges.

A major criminal case resolved right after Christmas when a man charged with attempted murder and first degree assault pled guilty to second degree assault. The agreed upon sentence was the minimum mandatory of six years to serve, plus a bunch of suspended time.

One last case is worth a mention. A Togiak man called to hire ALO after his court appointed lawyer (from another Bethel firm) failed to make contact with him, even by phone, despite the fact that his trial date was fast approaching. ALO took the case, and a quick look revealed that the state had charged him with a complaint that did not establish probable cause for the hunting violation alleged. It is a basic rule that any complaint must state sufficient facts to establish probable cause that a crime was committed by the defendant. A motion to dismiss was filed, and the charges were dismissed.

This year was the first where ALO had only one lawyer on staff, an elder at that. The experiment was far more successful than might be expected. The office has an average of about one court appearance a day, but many are telephonic and most are brief. Some courts even allow an elder to go first when there are a bunch of lawyers waiting. The return to a more active court calendar has been generally entertaining. ALO has cases pending right now in Bethel, Dillingham, Naknek, Kodiak, Nome, Kotzebue and Anchorage, so keeping track of calendaring is a chore. A great new program keeps all of this information online and then sends an email reminder at regular intervals when a hearing is approaching. Rural courts have an established conference line for all participants to call at the appointed hour. Having a statewide practice was very cumbersome even ten years ago, but times have changed.

The year ended in Bethel with a significant cold spell. Temps in the -25 range were common during the last few days of December. That took some of the fun out of the holidays, but the dog farm crew still managed to get out for training runs and to take part in the Holiday Classic. Steve Olive was racing for the first time ever, and took a wrong turn which cost him a bunch of time. When it happened, he was running right behind the eventual winner Mike Williams Jr in second place. When he got back on track he was in sixth place. Here is Steve at the finish line. Today (Jan 3rd) bottomed out at -35, the coldest day in many years at ALO. The cold didn't stop Sue from hosting her annual Christmas Eve party for about 30 folks, featuring Scandanavian fare.

Alaska's former governor is a favorite topic on these pages. She doesn't make much real news anymore, but occasionally she makes a comment that gets a headline. In December is was the Obama Christmas card that got her going. Take a good look and see if you agree with her that it does not portray American values. Then compare it to this card sent out by President Reagan a few years ago. Perhaps the Reagans and the Obamas share the same values. Palin is in a tough spot because she is paid to say something regularly on TV, and she really has nothing to say.

Speaking of Holiday greetings, this monthly news report will have to suffice as the ALO greeting. It is perhaps lacking in American values, but does keep the reader up to date on happenings at the office. Uncle Jack Angstman, now deceased, had a practical approach to such greetings. He was a lifetime farmer on part of what is now Long Pond Elk Farm. He lived into his late 80's and it is believed that he milked cows for all but a handful of days for almost eighty years, after dropping out of school in sixth grade to help on the Angstman farm when his dad died. Jack died in a car accident while driving home from Princeton to milk cows. He was a long time widower, and developed several novel ways of dealing with the social obligations of rural Minnesota. When he saw folks during the Christmas season, he would wish them "Merry Christmas forever" just in case he missed greeting them anytime in the future. Of course it worked, as his greeting is the only one of thousands from that era that is still remembered today.

The holiday spirit didn't stop these two Anchorage moose from sparring on a city street. Here is Bill Eggiman's choice for a Christmas card, a winter scene at the Angstman cabin. With that, another year is in the books at ALO. Merry Christmas forever.

 

 

Office News November 2011

All of November was spent at the Elk Farm branch of ALO, but the big news of the month was a verdict out of Bethel. Phillip Morris was sued in Bethel court for the wrongful death of a long time smoker. ALO was involved with the case from early on but did not take part in the trial except as a consultant. Consultation proved to be broadly defined, as it included trial strategy, jury research, food and lodging arrangements, and the list goes on. Phillip Morris defends all of its cases vigorously, and ALO's involvement in this case revealed a whole new approach to litigation. The trial itself took about a month, which makes it the longest in Bethel history. The final result was a defense verdict for Phillip Morris which surprised many people in Bethel who expected a large corporation would have a hard time winning against a local family. Much of the credit for the win has to go to the lead defense counsel, Stan Davis. Stan is a veteran trial lawyer from Kansas, who came to Bethel and kept his eyes and ears open for information that might help him win his case. He soaked up local information like a sponge, and some of it ended up in the case. Many folks commented on his ability to connect with people he encountered here. That trait works well with jurors, and the unanimous verdict he won shows that.

Alaska visitors to the Elk Farm are always a treat. Former Bethel folks Dan and Sharon Boyette make it down every couple of years, and this year it was for Thanksgiving. Dan of course is a GCI exec, and thus well known to people from Bethel who call him at all hours with cell phone woes. What is not widely known is that Dan also makes guest appearances at trade shows around the country, where people stand in line to have their picture taken with him. This young lady stood in line for 40 minutes for her chance to pose with Dan.

Two other visitors from Alaska showed up for deer hunting, Andy and his friend Lee Ryan, both taking a couple days off from Ryan Air where Lee is chief pilot. Neither got a deer, mainly because of the farm rule that limits hunters to bucks that are eight points or better, but both had a good time matching wits with the smartest game animal around. Lee is quite a photographer. Here are a few pictures of He was interested in the prairie grass, and got a few dandy shots of the grass on a frosty morning. About 75 acres of native grass grows on the farm, providing exceptional habitat for most of the critters that live on the farm.

The pace of life on the Elk Farm is fairly slow. Sometimes the highlight of the day is watching the bird feeder. One day a Piliated Woodpecker was the star.

Flying around the country with a Kindle caused some thought about the airline rule that all electronic devices must be powered down before take off. This article about flying and electronic devices talks about that rule. Here's a another rule: Anyone flying on 736XM (ALO's company plane) can use any electronic device they want.

Winter conditions prevailed in Bethel for much of November. This picture captures a rather chilly fall scene when teenager Rhett Hone got his first taste of -30 windchill on a dog sled. The picture was snapped by Steve Olive, who is doing a good job as the main handler Old Friendly Dog Farm . This series of photos taken by Steve illustrates the variety of sights a musher can see during a run around Bethel.

Not all outdoor outings in Alaska are as much fun. This Fairbanks area prospector had a rough time of it. His story is a variation on a theme that is repeated every year. Some survive, some don't.

Another former Bethel guy helped make November a good month by betting on Iowa in a college football game with Minnesota. The long suffering Gophers rarely beat anyone, but a $5 bet with a Iowa fan is worth it if only for the fun of not paying when Minnesota loses. This year they won and the boastful Iowa fan, Josh Fitzgerald, decided to pay the bet in cash. Despoiling US currency is a crime, but doing so with Iowa colors is sinful. The cash is headed for the cabin outhouse wall.

Katie Basile used to be Katie Baldwin when she lived down the street from ALO. She even worked there for a few weeks when we were short of staff. Now she is a New York photographer who comes back to Alaska from time to time to ply her trade. Check Katie Basile's website for some recent photos from Alaska, some of which were widely reprinted, including this one in the New York Time's article about a large fall storm.

 

Office News October 2011

ALO's October news is brought to you this month from the Long Pond Elk Farm branch of ALO. Cell phones and email have made it possible to conduct most office business from afar, and several court hearings have been done this year from the farm, including a couple from the golf cart in the middle of the woods. The usual array of wildlife is present, most in greater numbers than past years, and the vegetation is tall and thick because of an exceptionally wet summer. On many days, one of the ponds along the mile long driveway featured about 100 Canadian geese, a half dozen trumpeter swans, a couple of sandhill cranes and a batch of mallards. This pond, which features a small island in the middle, always was a waterfowl magnet, but this year's numbers are unlike anything seen here for something like 100 years.

The abundance of wildlife attracted a prospective trapper to the farm. He asked if he could trap coyotes. He was told that the coyotes were welcome at the Elk Farm and that coyote traps are dangerous for the dogs that put on miles a day on the farm, which what not the answer he was looking for. After persisting a bit, he left. Imagine the surprise a while later when the encountered a live skunk caught in a coyote set right on the trail next to the elk pen. It took a while to determine the name of the trapper, but eventually a phone call convinced him to remove the trap and all others he had placed. He removed the traps but left behind a little gift, a very dead and very smelly skunk, which he placed on top of a bale next to the elk pen. This time the call was even less cordial. Trapping in areas that are heavily used for other outdoor activities, even if legal, is not a good idea. Its no wonder that in our increasingly crowded society, trapping is losing support. It's a wilderness activity, and there is much less wilderness than there used to be.

The security team made another find on the farm that is worth mention. Late one night a loud thud was heard near the cabin. It was so loud that it caused a brief search with a powerful headlamp to see what caused it. There was no evidence to be found, and the incident was forgotten until the next day. On an outing to check the trail cameras set up around the farm, a small piece of blue ice was spotted laying on the ground. The temperature was about 40 degrees and the ice was clearly melting. A quick trip back to the cabin and the computer revealed that the blue ice was a rare but documented phenomena of modern life. Apparently leaks in the sewer systems of jets cause blue ice to form on the fuselage, and during descent, that ice can break away when the jet reaches warmer temps. This piece was small, but was found about eight hours after the huge thud, which likely was a much larger chunk of ice. The episode brings to mind a combination of a couple of old sayings---the sky is falling, and shit happens.

Speaking of trail cams, the elk farm is crawling with big bucks, and this is one of the best looking ones. They are hard to see during the hunting season, which is in early November. As of this writing, very hard to see. Full report in November news.

Wildlife sightings not only happen on the farm. These photos show some urban moose in Alaska's biggest city. The giant bull looks to be nearly stuck between two vehicles, and the other had its picture taken by Sharon Winner in her house, on a rare evening when the Winners were actually at home. According to Facebook they dine out eight nights a week.

This video was taken in Colorado where farmed elk are common. This herd pulled a jailbreak, and seemed to enjoy the outing. A few have managed to escape at Long Pond elk farm, but never for long. They always get homesick for their buddies and an easy meal.

Its been a while since Sarah Palin made the ALO news, but her decision not to run for President brings her back. Former Bethel attorney Don Mitchell likes to talk about Sarah, and did so at length when she made her announcement. A couple of Alaska radio talk show guys did as well. Of course, she broke her promise. Sarah Palin isn't the only celebrity in Alaska. These three were recently spotted at the Alaska zoo. There were actually two more celebrities nearby. One was taking the picture, and the other was too shy.

Finally, a short video worth watching if you ever plan on growing old.

 

Office News September 2011

September is likely the best month in Alaska. Several factors figure in that, including fall colors, great fishing, hunting season, and lack of bugs. All figured into ALO's good times last month. Labor Day has been a traditional weekend outing for the Angstman family and friends for many years. This year family members were joined by Don Lehmann and Dave Price at the family cabin. It was the start of a couple week stay at the cabin for some, and it also marked the arrival of the grizzly bears that come to the lake to feed on the spawning red salmon. Fish escapement in the lake was down dramatically this year, but that just made the bears more active in their search. A fancy new trail cam captured this Close listeners claim they hear heavy breathing on that clip. This bear sequence was taken by Steve Olive who along with Corbin Ford agreed to help prepare the cabin for winter in exchange for an overnight stay. Steve and Corbin have been helping with the dogs this summer, and doing a splendid job. This bear was fishing at one of the favored fishing holes near the cabin, called the second point.

Moose season was in full swing, and Don harvested a dandy bull later in the month. He is pictured with Lonn Hanson on the left, who visited from Minnesota with his wife Jane. Neither hunted at the cabin, but both took part in the traditional first night meal of heart, liver and backstrap. Lonn is a long time nimrod from Minnesota who chose to pursue only fish on this trip, and managed to catch several when the weather cooperated.

This year there was one other camp on Chauekuktuli during the whole summer and fall. For a 15 mile long lake in the wilderness, that fact is hard to fathom for someone living in a populous area. It gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "getting away from it all".

Lots of legal stuff was resolved between flights to the cabin. ALO settled a claim for a Dillingham family who lost a family member in a car crash near Fairbanks. The driver of the other vehicle was intoxicated, and crossed the center line. A bad accident in the village of Quinhagak also result in a settlement. A village law enforcement officer picked up a group of girls who were out past curfew. He loaded several on a four wheeler and started to drive them home. He lost control and two of the girls were seriously injured when they fell off. One girl settled one of her claims recently, and several parts of the law suit are still pending. Finally, an explosion and fire in a steam bath owned by a business in Dillingham resulted in a settlement for two boys who were badly burned in the fire. The major question in that case was whether or not the commercial insurance policy applied to the accident. ALO argued that the policy did apply, and eventually the insurance company paid its policy limits.

Long time friends Dan and Sharon Boyette abandoned Bethel a few years back for Anchorage, where they now are forced to entertain rural visitors more often than anyone should. Recently their rural visitors included Sue and Myron, who were invited to take a trip in the Boyette's new boat on Prince William Sound out of Whittier. A gorgeous weather day contributed to the already top grade scenery during the day trip, and the Boyettes dropped anchor in a remote bay for a short hike. Myron was the first one to shore, and was walking the rather steep beach where it was noted that the long grass was wet from a recently receded tide. "Pretty tough walking" one elder noted. A minute later, the same elder slipped on the grass and injured a leg in a spectacular fall. A few days later Bill Eggiman staged a medical intervention at ALO, and diagnosed a fractured fibula, prescribing a form fitting boot for treatment, and ordered limited walking for six weeks. The limited walking is more painful than the injury, but at least it only takes one leg to practice law.

Earlier, ALO news promised a delivering the fisherman's prayer at the Kuskokwim Wilderness camp. The guests were part of the Marx Brothers crew that fishes there often, and provide the wine for the toast. Perhaps several toasts.

Finally, this video shows the last of the four White Alice towers coming down in Bethel. A landmark for years, the tower was deemed unsafe to stand any longer. It seemed pretty safe on a memorable night many years ago when several folks affiliated with ALO climbed it to get a better view of Bethel.

Office News August 2011

Bears top the list of August topics. Grizzlies normally show up at the Angstman cabin in late August, and they showed up in big numbers his year, after a low turnout last year. This critter put on the best show, appearing during breakfast right in front of the cabin. Numerous others dropped by, including a blonde grizzly, and a two tone blonde and brown bear. None showed the least interest in the cabin or equipment parked nearby, and other than some increased pulse rates, no humans have been at risk.

Bears of a different color showed up at the farm. This fat fella lumbered past a trail cam. The evidence suggests there is a handy food source nearby.

Fishing was for the most part very good in August. A shortage of red salmon escapement in Bristol Bay resulted in a greatly diminished supply of reds at the cabin, which likely made the trout and dolly varden population hungrier and easier to catch. Three fish in the 8-12 pound category were the largest ever caught by the Angstman party on the lake, but none produced a decent picture. One fish picture did make the cut, Bill Eggiman was guided by Grant Fairbanks to a famous Holitna River pike hole that has provided dinner for the Fairbanks clan many times over the years. Many large fish were observed in the water, and this fish was hauled in by Bill, his only catch of the day.

The cabin now serves quite nicely as an office with a reliable internet connection. Quite certainly, ALO is the only law office in Wood Tikchik State Park. Not many customers drop by, but there is plenty of opportunity to think over ways of winning cases. A new face showed up at ALO with the hiring of new K300 race manager Zach Fansler. He is a former Bethel guy who went back east to get a law degree. Since then he has been admitted to the bar in three states, and has applied for an intern permit in Alaska. Zach will help out ALO as time permits in his new race job. Early indications are that the K300 is in good hands, after a summer of uncertainty.

For legal news this month, a look at a past case seems to be in order. Uncle Al Angstman was the longest serving justice of the Montana Supreme court until his death in the 60's. His bother Uncle Jesse was an attorney in Havre during the same era. This case argued before the Montana Supreme Court, represents an unusual situation to say the least. Read the heading carefully. It must have created some interesting discussion at the next family gathering.

August brings the start of school in Bethel, and this picture of Mary and Sunset was taken the first day of school. Both still come to ALO at the end of their school day, which is usually the highlight of the office day.

Ben and Sarah were kind enough to look after Tanner for a couple of days recently. They objected to his choice of comfort stations, and captured this photo to embarrass him.

Don Rearden usually has something interesting to say, and lately he has been saying it on his blog. Check out Don's blog here.

Office News July 2011

July in Alaska sometimes involves summer, but not this year. Cool wet days stacked up and one weather watcher said only one day in Bethel exceeded 70 degrees. 40 degree temps were common, and some days dipped into the 30's. Fresh snow appeared in the mountains. There were even some complaints from the usually stoic Bethel folks. But wet weather is not all bad. This from John McDonald and Bev Hoffman shows some of the amazing wildflowers near the Angstman cabin, among other shots they took during a recent visit with other members of the Hoffman clan. The trip to the cabin replaced a planned raft trip that was scrapped because of the foul weather. Mike Hoffman was one of the visitors. He also spends time as a part time fish guide on the Kisaralik River. His effort at a pre-dinner blessing at the Hoffman camp is worth watching. Wine may have been involved.(video coming soon)

Rainy weather of a different kind was the norm at the elk farm. Heavy rain came regularly between hot weather spells, which made the farm's wildflowers more robust than usual. Wildflowers have been planted on more than 100 acres of restored prairie, and it takes years for them to become well established. After that they are more or less permanent, because of their hardiness.

ALO settled a case for three passengers on a flight from a nearby village. All three were injured when the plane failed to stay airborne after three attempts to get off the wet runway. Their case was a lot more solid than this case recently filed in Washington, who knew a goat could be worth $10 million. When you are through being outraged by that case, try reading this one.

July is anniversary month for Myron and Sue, an event that is often overlooked. This year a facebook message prevented that result, and then neighbor Kathy Baldwin saved the day with a dinner invitation and this romantic card.

Animals are often featured in the ALO news and July offered this video of two moose calves making the most of a rare hot day in Anchorage.

Finally, a recent dance recital involving Mary and Sunset was projected to be more than two hours long and that created lots of complaining from a few of those required to attend. The show itself was much shorter and far better than expected. This photo was professionally shot by Joseph Shawler and it reveals the quality of the recital, from choreography to costumes. Mary is third from the right.

 

 

Office News June 2011

June was spent at the Elk Farm, where abundant wildlife made for entertaining walks and golf cart rides. Various critters continue to thrive on the farm, and most were seen with their young during June. For the first time a black bear interrupted a walk, a mother with her yearling cub. She made life exciting for a moment with two bluff charges, accompanied by impressive woofing. Her cub, meanwhile, was safely up a tree nearby. The walk continued, but in the opposite direction.

Other babies encountered included deer, turkey, pheasant, sandhill crane, duck, geese, and of course the home grown elk. This picture from a trail cam captured a crane family out for a walk in the woods, which seems to be an uncommon place for a crane. Several such family groups were on the farm, a sight not seen there until a few years ago when people would pull into the farm uninvited to observe the tall birds in the fields.

The time spent enjoying nature at the farm was tempered a bit by news that the Alaska governor signed a bill appropriating $10,000,000 to further advance a plan to establish a hydroelectric dam on Chikuminuk Lake near the Angstman cabin in Wood Tikchik State Park. The proposal was advanced very quietly, and few people in Western Alaska heard about the plan until after it was signed. Information about the plan is still hard to obtain, but basically it calls for a dam near Chikuminik, which is the most protected lake in the state park system. No outboard motors are allowed on the lake, and very limited camping. It was recently featured in a National Geographic photo spread on Bristol Bay. That article focused on the potential harm to the region from the proposed Pebble Mine, and no mention was made of the dam project. There are no roads into the park, and it is unclear how the dam would be built. It is clear that power would run about 100 miles to the Bethel area via power lines, which would pass through the park and also the national wildlife refuge. The resulting power would lower the cost of power in Bethel by a modest amount, Meanwhile, dams are being destroyed in many areas of the US because of the environmental damage they cause. Eventual construction costs are rumored to be in the hundreds of millions, which would buy a lot of wind and solar power much closer to Bethel. Boondoggle projects of this sort are not uncommon in Alaska, but no one ever seems to be able to answer the question of who actually dreams them up. Whether this project ever gets built is still uncertain, of course, as there are many challenges to overcome. The only landowner other than the State of Alaska on Chikuminik is the Nature Conservancy, which may have some thoughts about the value of such a project. One wag pointed out that the presence of a hydro project that close to the Angstman cabin might result in a long extension cord to power the cabin.

ALO settled a traffic accident case in June. A Bethel man was injured in a crash caused by a drunk driver, and accepted an offer to avoid filing suit. A resident of a nearby village obtained a dismissal of felony theft charges after ALO convinced the state that she was unaware that the credit card numbers she was provided by her boyfriend were actually stolen.

Former Bethel public defender Josh Fitzgerald now resides in Kodiak where he operates a private practice. Aside from the fact the he shamelessly promotes the Iowa Hawkeyes, his Facebook posts generally provide a good insight into America's political issues. His views are somewhat left of center, and his Fourth of July link to this song shows that he is a true patriot. It's a good rendition of a good tune. Josh hosts a live streaming radio show in Kodiak on KMXT.org, which is worth a listen. Meanwhile, Dolly and David along with Mary, Sunset and cousins celebrated Independence Day in style.

The lady kissing the salmon in the National Geographic photo is Ina Bouker, a friend of ALO, former landlady for the Dillingham office, and helper during jury trials in the Dillingham court.

Office News May 2011

Last month featured cops who behaved badly, so this month the focus should be on the many cops who do it right. One such officer was Paul Bartlett, a trooper who served in Bethel during the 1970's. He had reason to encounter the Evan brothers from Stoney River from time to time, and took one opportunity to stage this picture in front of the Bethel jail. The picture captures much of the flavor of the Kuskokwim from that era, a flavor that for the most part is now long gone.

The picture shows a trooper who had many dealings with the Evan family, obviously not always pleasant. Despite that he had enough appreciation for the brothers to have his picture taken with them. They appear as they were a colorful, handsome, capable group of young men who truly grew up in the woods. All four spent most of their early years at Deacon's Landing on the Kuskokwim, their grandfather's spread. Their family was among the last in the area to abandon the migratory pattern of living that existed in all of Alaska at one time, when groups went where food was available in each season. The formation of the village of Stoney River roughly coincided with that change, and that happened in the 60's when the government started a post office and school there. But the Evans only partially accepted that change. They spent much of their time at the Landing, and their lifestyle was closer to the eras that went before them than they were to the modern era.

Several hunting trips with the brothers, especially their leader Evan, proved to be an enlightening glimpse into an earlier life style. Hunting often started at dusk and lasted much of the night. Moose calling was the preferred method. Camping was spartan, but always included a giant campfire. The sheer joy of wilderness freedom was obvious

The brothers have not fared well over the years. Evan died first, on his return from a hunting trip with Myron, when he fell in the Kuskokwim. Wassillie shared a similar fate. Elya, who is pictured elsewhere on this site as one of the builders at the Angstman cabin in the mountains, died of a heart attack recently. Deacon is currently in jail, where he has spent much of his adult life. Alcohol figured high on the list of problems for each brother. When sober, they really had no match in the bush. Powerfully built, tireless, and smart, they could tackle any job that involved hand skills. Three of them worked on the log building that now houses ALO. In addition to those traits, they all shared engaging personalities that shine through in the photo. No one ever said they were dull or uninteresting. A full recitation of the Evan brother's stories would take too long for this forum. One classic involved Wassillie, on trial for shooting into a cabin door in Stoney. At the trial the trooper introduced the actual door taken from the cabin, where he had circled in red the three bullet holes allegedly placed there by Wassillie. A closer inspection of the door during a break in the testimony, which hadn't been done by the lame defense lawyer before trial, revealed about 60 other holes, which all appeared similar to the circled holes. The trooper was asked if they indeed were all bullet holes. He said they were. "How did you decide which ones to circle?" His answer, "They were the only fresh ones" Wassillie won that case.

Break-up on the Kuskokwim is always a big event because of the dramatic change is brings to the lives of everyone along the river. This year the drama was increased when a massive flood appeared suddenly at Crooked Creek in a year when no major flooding was predicted. In fact, most of the rest of the river had almost no flooding which is unusual. But Crooked Creek got nailed with its biggest flood in memory. Several houses were ruined, and many had to evacuate the village.

Good weather in May allowed a few airplane outings. The most interesting was a trip to Flat, an abandoned gold rush town near another ghost town of Iditarod, which is a checkpoint on the race trail. Flat still has many houses standing, although they are fading fast. Compared to a trip there in the 70's, more than half the dwellings have disappeared. It's still an interesting tour.

The death of Harmon Killebrew called for recollection of how things used to be in sports. Harmon was an actual gentleman, on and off the field, who reportedly complimented umpires when he thought they got a close call right. He was the first real baseball hero for the Twins, and his towering homeruns are still talked about in Minnesota. Two foul balls caught from his bat in the same game somehow got misplaced, but would be keepsakes now. His top salary came after he hit 49 home runs in a season. He got $100,000.

Finally, life is not always fair, even for a dog.

 

Office News April 2011

Criminal law issues were at the top of the agenda for ALO in April. Its been a while since ALO had a jury trial in Dillingham, so the Tony Poulsen case was a welcome change. Names are not always used in these reports, but Tony is the kind of client who kindly agreed his name could be used here. He also indicated he is a regular reader of the ALO monthly news.

Tony is a classic Bristol Bay fisherman. He lives in Togiak where he has spent most of his adult life. He is consistently the high boat in the Togiak fishery. He hunts, sport fishes, and collects firewood. He loves being outdoors. He likes to drink beer. One problem - he lives in a dry town. Tony has drawn the attention of law enforcement for that problem. Recently he was charged with importing alcohol into Togiak after state troopers seized a small amount of booze from a duffel bag at the Dillingham airport, checked for Togiak. Earlier they had seen Tony directing a pilot which bags to load into a van for a trip to the airport, and the airline company later opened one of those bags and alerted the troopers.

At the trial, the trooper testified that the booze belonged to Tony because he had exercised control over the bag. No one seemed to remember that Tony was traveling with others at the time, and no one saw who checked the bag. The trooper acknowledged that the offending bag had a baggage sticker with a name on it, and believed it was Tony's name, although he failed to note that in his report or take a photo. He described the tag correctly, and noted that he eventually sent the bag to Tony using another tag stapled to the original tag.

Tony of course saved the tag from the bag that was sent to him by the troopers, because it had someone else's name on it. At the appropriate time, the tag was shown to the trooper in front of the jury, at which point the trooper said he couldn't be sure it was the same tag he had earlier observed. He did admit that he should have taken a picture of the original tag. The jury made quick work of the case after ordering dinner, and Tony and his lawyer enjoyed a beer in Dillingham to celebrate.

That wasn't the only win for ALO in April. In Bethel, a grand jury indicted a young man for felony assault on a police officer, which carried with it a stiff mandatory sentence. The defendant hired another local firm, which proved to be a mistake. The firm, which advertises heavily in the Bethel market, failed to notice many substantial problems with the evidence which should have been raised months ago. After getting the case, ALO filed this motion which resulted in a dismissal days later. While many readers of this page prefer the non-legal part of the monthly news, these papers should be read by anyone who adheres to the notion that police can do no wrong.

Of course, not all of April was devoted to work. A long plane ride to Kotzebue provided a chance to see the end of the Kobuk 440. Bethel racer Pete Kaiser became the first person from this area to win that race, and he did so convincingly. That capped a dandy racing season for him, and for the Bethel area. Long streaks of good weather were common this year, and training conditions were excellent. The Dog Farm season is over, with dogs parked in their summer home. Race manager Casie Stockdale is in her last month in that position for the K300, and will no longer be the main dog helper either. She moved to a "real job" at AVCP where she counts fish, or some such thing. She seems to be adjusting well to starting work at 8 am instead of mid morning.

Former Bethel guy Bob Rearden never told anyone that he once belonged to the Irish mafia in Montana, but this picture seems to confirm that he did.

Finally, another nod to Alaska’s former governor. For those who still support her, you belong to an exclusive club of Palin supporers, like this guy.

Office News March 2011

March is the month of Iditarod in Alaska, and this year the Bethel area had two strong teams in the race. ALO managed to send representatives to the start, Anvik, Shageluk, White Mountain and Nome. Our local teams had a banner year, with Pete Kaiser recording the best finish ever for a Bethel team at number eight and Mike Williams Jr. not far behind. The weather for the entire race was fantastic, which not only made it better for dogs and racers, but also for fliers and spectators. Pete finished around 10 in the evening and managed to pose for pictures in the chute with some of his home town fans.

Earlier that day Kotzebue racer John Baker made rural Alaska proud by winning the race. John, who races in Bethel every year, is a former champion of the Kuskokwim 300 and a friend of ALO. Rural Alaskans have a special bond which reveals itself during events like the Iditarod. When John finished, most of the crowd around him was rural folks, some of whom had to sneak past security to get close. Those folks were all happy to see the Iditarod crown return to rural Alaska for the first time since the 70's. Racers from the bush face substantial obstacles when competing against teams from elsewhere, which include much higher costs, less exposure to potential big money sponsors, and increased logistics for travel. But John stuck with his program and has flirted with the top spot many times. It was a sweet win.

There were races at home as well. The Dog Farm team showed once again that if they run fast enough, any old fool can win a race. Chris Pike took second in a 120 mile race later in the month.

Colin McDonald flirted with the big time in Nome as well. Drinking beer at the finish line (8 am) he was filmed by the TV crew following Ariel Tweto for next year's version of Flying Wild Alaska. If they really wanted some reality, the film crew should have followed Colin and Ariel for a few days in Nome.

When Alaskan travel outside they are often asked about Sarah Palin. Some who ask are actually fans of Alaska's only governor who quit in mid-term. These Palin fans represent the best of the bunch. Makes a person proud to be an Alaskan.

The legal news this month is pretty well summed up by this article. What a guy. Clarence Thomas should never have been appointed to the Supreme Court, and this is just the most recent proof of that. He hasn't spoken at oral arguments for many years, and many feel that is because he believes in the old saying that it is better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool, than to open it and remove all doubt.

Grant Fairbanks, ALO's designated heating contractor, is rarely available to work on ALO's heating issues. He spends a lot of time at his Holitna River homestead. This year he is sawing wood, and shared this photo of the first log ready for the mill. Finally, a series of winter photos of the Angstman cabin taken by Bill Eggiman.

Office News February 2011

Two notable cases were resolved during February. The first involved a suit against the state jail, brought by an inmate who claimed he was sexually assaulted by another inmate and that the jail should pay because he was not properly protected. The state asked ALO to take part in the case, and the case settled a few weeks before trial for an amount that can be best described as nuisance value. There was some question whether or not any assault actually took place, which certainly factored into the modest settlement.

The other settlement involved a claim against Hageland Aviation, stemming from an incident where ALO's client, a baby fell from a Cessna Caravan parked on the ramp at the Bethel Airport. The baby was on the floor in front of her aunt's seat as she put on her seat belt. The front door of the Caravan extends well behind the front seats and allows for an unbelted infant to fall out when the door is opened. The child fell about 5 feet and landed on her head, fracturing her skull. After several years of litigation, including two attempts to remove the case to Federal Court in Anchorage, the case settled for an appropriate sum. In such a case, the funds will be held in trust for the child until she becomes an adult.

A former Bethel person encountered some legal problems in New York. If memory serves, she was once known as Nancy Kraning and worked in city administration for Bethel. The Kobuk 440 had theft problems of its own. Their manager is accused of stealing a bunch of money, and they are seeking financial support to stay in business. (sound familiar?) The race has a facebook page and a website which detail the fundraising. It's a good organization and deserves help. The manager deserves jail. Here is a copy of a and here is a copy of that shows how one creative lawyer handled a legal problem back in the day. It is not out of the question that a similar response will emerge from ALO someday.

Dog racing heats up in February. OFDF had mixed results. Chris Pike got second in a 50 mile race in Bethel, with a strong finish that impressed may observers. He didn't fare as well in the Aniak 150. After a strong first 75 mile loop where he led by about 15 minutes, he encountered lead dog problems which forced a scratch. Good results emerged from the Junior Iditarod where local kids Jeremiah and Jesse Klejka took first and sixth. Jeremiah benefitted from a wrong turn taken by two teams leading him near the end of the race. The Klejka team operates without many of the benefits other competitive kennels have in this state. For example the two teams that lost the trail were driven by kids named Seavey and Osmar. Both families sport Iditarod championships among their resumes. The Klejka's annually come shopping for a few dogs to fill up their teams for the Junior Iditarod from leftover dogs at the Dog Farm. Their kennel is kept literally under their house. When it is time to dress for a training run, the kids grab from a stack of outdoor clothes owned by all, first come first served. With seven kids, the last to the pile sometimes shows up at a race with a funny looking costume. This is the second Klejka win in the Junior Iditarod, netting a well deserved $5,000 scholarship for Jeremiah. Both racers represented Bethel well, as they are good guys, always polite and respectful. As for the Junior Iditarod kids have gotten lost many times. It happened to Jessica Klejka a few years ago. A common complaint about the race is the lack of adequate markers on the return portion of the trail, where many forks lead off the race trail, and where tired kids are running in the dark. But don't bother making that complaint to the race organizers. Complaints are not welcome.

Buddy Streeper, on the other hand, needs some work on being polite and respectful. Born into a family of championship racers, Buddy emerged early as a top sprint racer. Wherever he raced, he made sure everyone knew that. He carries an attitude like an NFL wide receiver. That attitude got the best of Buddy in the recent Fur Rondy races in Anchorage. During a pass, he shoved an old time racer from Kotzebue who Streeper thought was in the way. Here's the video. He was disqualified. The video shows a fairly clean pass, and it clearly reveals that as soon as the front driver saw the dogs next to him he tried to pull his sled out of the way. Streeper made an explanation that fell way short of the mark. He claimed the race officials overreacted. The only overreaction happened on the video. Witnesses heard him drop a loud "F bomb" on the innocent musher as went past.

Here is how Sebastian Schnuelle's at Dawson City during the Yukon Quest.

And finally, a few items worth noting. February features Valentine's Day, and here is Sunsets can be dramatic in Bethel, but few can match over the dog farm. They need to use these grade school girls in next year's Super Bowl. Wow.

Office News January 2011

Dog racing always dominates the January news. The first race was the Holiday Classic held on New Year's weekend. Casie Stockdale took second in that race, after winning last year's event. She actually traveled an extra mile or two because of trail marking issues, making her finish quite impressive. Chris Pike raced the second team and finished in the middle of the pack. Myron was lined up to run in the Bogus Creek 150 with the main team from Old Friendly Dog Farm, which appeared to be a very strong team, but achingly cold wind chill temperatures the morning of the race changed the plan. Instead, Chris ran the second team in the 150 and Casie took the main team in the Akiak Dash. Both finished in the middle of the pack. Of course the big news of that weekend was the strong showing of two local teams, Mike Williams Jr. and Pete Kaiser, taking second and third in the Kuskokwim 300. The grand plan for the 300, developing local teams to compete at the highest level of the sport, seems to be working. A few local race critics have suggested the 300 should be scheduled to prevent Iditarod racers from competing, thus allowing more local teams to finish higher. Lining up next to the stars of the sport and beating them seems to make more sense, and is certainly more fun. The close finish in this year's Kuskokwim 300 brought to mind the 1983 race, when an old leader named Funny led the winner to the finish line a few seconds ahead of George Attla. A Minnesota writer later wrote this story about that event in his book,

Paul Gebhardt, a former Minnesotan and many time 300 racer, won the race and had his picture Speaking of the K300, a common topic of discussion recently has been whether or not former race manager Staci Gillilan will pay her restitution, as ordered by the court in her sentencing last year. $7,500 is due soon, and any breaking news on that subject will be reported on this site. Stay tuned.

Last month this page reported on a $23,000,000 verdict against the City of Kwethluk. Since that time, Kwethluk contacted ALO and asked for help. An appeal was filed two days after the deadline, and the appeal was accepted by the Supreme Court. A former ALO case also ALO represented Kurt Lepping for a short time on this case last year, and then was terminated in favor of a Seattle lawyer. Darn.

The Pebble Mine controversy has not died down, and a recent opinion piece in the Bristol Bay Times by Glen Alsworth linked development of the mine with national security. Pebble Mine is too involved to discuss in great detail here, but sometimes its not possible to sit back and listen to Alaska's leaders talk about development without responding,

Colorful characters have filled the history of ALO, but they are fewer in number today than in the early days of the office. One more passed from the scene in January when Ron Peltola died. Ron was a frequent client, a neighbor, a sponsor of basketball and dog teams, and a pilot for a fair number of adventures. He sent an airplane to Nome in 1979 to fly home Bethel's first Iditarod finisher. He also flew two or three basketball teams to Nome to take part in the Iditarod basketball tourney, including the first year when Bush Air's team actually was the driving force behind the start of that famous event. Ron was the only ALO client to ever convince a District Attorney to testify on his behalf at a trial, which he of course won. Ron fired ALO twice, but came back a few months later. Late night calls were Ron's specialty, often from a party. If something was on his mind, it was going to be said, no matter the situation. An undercover game warden once recorded Ron's account of a hunting trip while sitting in a bar. Like most hunting stories, it had some whoppers in it and that's how it was sold to the jury. That video would be a smash hit on You Tube today. Characters like Ron have made the Bethel area an entertaining locale for years, and replacements are in short supply.

Lond Pond Elk Farm sold a large amount of elk meat this year, mainly in Alaska. The Winner family in Anchorage got some, and now Facebook friends of Sharon Winner are treated to updates of the meals created from the elk, including this ready for the table. Long Pond elk is now on the menu at the YKHC hospital cafeteria, and it shows up often at Bethel social gatherings.

Finally, was featured in the Minneapolis paper. Possum haved moved into Sherburne County from the south in recent years. Most little animals are fun to watch, but possum would be an exception.