Alaska State Troopers said Thursday they have called off a search for missing Talkeetna musher Melanie Gould, who was last seen nine days ago. Troopers will continue to investigate the disappearance, a spokeswoman said.
Searchers had been scouring an area off the Denali Highway near Gould's abandoned truck, which was spotted on Saturday. Troopers found no additional clues in the following days, agency spokeswoman Megan Peters said in a written statement.
Friends started looking for Gould, 34, on Friday after she failed to show up at work two days in a row. She left her dogs behind and apparently didn't tell anyone where she was going, friends said.
Gould's many friends, including some who were caring for her dogs, gathered late Thursday to plan another search effort of their own.
Troopers said Gould's last confirmed location was near Talkeetna, where she used her credit card to put gas in her truck. Friends said they had reason to believe she stopped at the Tangle River Inn, about 114 miles east of Cantwell on the Denali Highway.
A wildlife trooper flying a helicopter Saturday located her light blue truck about 18 miles from Cantwell. The truck was about a quarter-mile off the highway on an old mining trail. It was undamaged, troopers said.
Between 25 and 30 ground searchers combed the area around Gould's truck each day from Sunday through Wednesday, Peters said. Twenty trained dogs were used, as well as several state and private aircraft, which logged a total of 100 flight hours, Peters said.
Searchers on four ATVs each drove as many as 100 miles on nearby trails, Peters said.
"Despite the immense search, no signs of Ms. Gould were discovered after her vehicle was recovered," Peters said "Until evidence or credible information regarding Ms. Gould's whereabouts becomes available to determine a more defined search area, an active search cannot proceed as the risk to (search and rescue) personnel is unjustifiable."
Amanda Randles, who had been helping gather information for a Facebook page dedicated to finding the missing musher, said many of Gould's friends were confused about why troopers had stopped searching for her.
"What I'm getting is bafflement, and then 'OK, now what can I do?' " Randles said.
"(They're) not understanding what the troopers' criteria for the decision-making was, but I'm not getting anger, dismay, anything really solid like that," she said. "Everyone's like, 'OK, now it's our turn.' "
Reach Casey Grove at casey.grove@adn.com or 257-4589.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Obama commits disaster funds for flooded Kuskokwim villages
President Obama has declared a major disaster in the villages of Crooked Creek and Red Devil.
The declaration means that the two villages on the Kuskokwim River will be eligible for federal funding for emergency work, and to repair and replace facilities damaged in spring flooding.
The flooding was caused by an ice jam the second week in May.
Gov. Sean Parnell sought the federal disaster declaration after declaring the flooding a state disaster. Parnell says half the homes in Crooked Creek were damaged or destroyed by flooding. The declaration means that federal funds as well as state funds can be used to help the villages.
Park Service official apologizes in Eagle for rangers' actions
Two rangers on the Yukon River should not have handcuffed a man and held him for two hours, said the head of the National Park Service in Alaska, while issuing an apology.
Regional Director Sue Masica visited the town of Eagle last week to offer her apologies for the actions of the agency's two rangers last summer.
The apology was not connected to the highly publicized arrest and trial of 71-year-old Jim Wilde of Central. Masica's visit was in response to a run-in the same two rangers had a month earlier with Tim Henry of Eagle. The rangers handcuffed and detained Henry for about two hours for allegedly refusing to identify himself.
"It was wrong. It shouldn't have happened," Masica told about 35 residents who attended the June 2 meeting in the gym at the Eagle school. "It hurt this community, and we do apologize, and we need to extend an apology to him personally."
Her words drew a round of applause from the crowd. However, it remains to be seen whether her visit to Eagle will help mend strained relations between the park service and some of the 125 residents in the town that borders the Yukon Charley Rivers National Preserve.
Masica said the park service is committed to repairing relations with residents in the remote community, many of whom use the preserve for subsistence. The park service director said that mistakes were made last summer and that neither of the two rangers involved in the incidents will be back in the preserve.
Residents in the town near the Canada border said Masica's appearance and apology were a start.
"We're skeptically optimistic," said local subsistence hunter and fisherman Don Woodruff of the local sentiment. "We're moving in a positive direction, but change with the government is pretty slow."
Subsistence fisherman Andy Bassich was less optimistic.
"Our lifestyle is going away because of regulations made by the entity supposedly set up to protect it," he said.
Relations between the park service and Eagle residents have been strained the last few years by what some in the community claim is heavy-handed treatment by rangers working in the preserve.
The situation came to a head last summer after rangers detained Henry in August and arrested Wilde a month later in a dramatic confrontation on the Yukon River in which rangers pointed guns at Wilde and his two passengers. The latter incident galvanized Alaskans who dispute the park service's authority to enforce laws on state waterways such as the Yukon River. Wilde, meanwhile, ended up in federal court in April to fight three of the four misdemeanor charges against him. The four-day trial ended April 8, and a federal judge is still deliberating the case.
Regional Director Sue Masica visited the town of Eagle last week to offer her apologies for the actions of the agency's two rangers last summer.
The apology was not connected to the highly publicized arrest and trial of 71-year-old Jim Wilde of Central. Masica's visit was in response to a run-in the same two rangers had a month earlier with Tim Henry of Eagle. The rangers handcuffed and detained Henry for about two hours for allegedly refusing to identify himself.
"It was wrong. It shouldn't have happened," Masica told about 35 residents who attended the June 2 meeting in the gym at the Eagle school. "It hurt this community, and we do apologize, and we need to extend an apology to him personally."
Her words drew a round of applause from the crowd. However, it remains to be seen whether her visit to Eagle will help mend strained relations between the park service and some of the 125 residents in the town that borders the Yukon Charley Rivers National Preserve.
Masica said the park service is committed to repairing relations with residents in the remote community, many of whom use the preserve for subsistence. The park service director said that mistakes were made last summer and that neither of the two rangers involved in the incidents will be back in the preserve.
Residents in the town near the Canada border said Masica's appearance and apology were a start.
"We're skeptically optimistic," said local subsistence hunter and fisherman Don Woodruff of the local sentiment. "We're moving in a positive direction, but change with the government is pretty slow."
Subsistence fisherman Andy Bassich was less optimistic.
"Our lifestyle is going away because of regulations made by the entity supposedly set up to protect it," he said.
Relations between the park service and Eagle residents have been strained the last few years by what some in the community claim is heavy-handed treatment by rangers working in the preserve.
The situation came to a head last summer after rangers detained Henry in August and arrested Wilde a month later in a dramatic confrontation on the Yukon River in which rangers pointed guns at Wilde and his two passengers. The latter incident galvanized Alaskans who dispute the park service's authority to enforce laws on state waterways such as the Yukon River. Wilde, meanwhile, ended up in federal court in April to fight three of the four misdemeanor charges against him. The four-day trial ended April 8, and a federal judge is still deliberating the case.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Chugiak plane crash kills all five members of family aboard CESSNA 180: Family was headed to Seldovia for Memorial Day weekend.
Five members of a family, including three children, were killed Friday when a small plane crashed and burned on railroad tracks near the Birchwood Airport in Chugiak, officials said.
Anchorage police said those killed were pilot Lonn Greiner, 46, from Eagle River; three of his children, Glory, 13, Nathan, 11, and Grace, 10; and his 69-year-old mother, Carolyn Greiner.
Police said they were headed to Seldovia, where they planned to overnight for the start of the Memorial Day weekend. A family friend said they were building a cabin there.
Witnesses said the engine of the green Cessna 180 sounded strong as it took off about 10:15 a.m., but then its nose pitched up sharply, it banked left and dropped out of the sky.
"It just looked like he couldn't push the nose down," said Brad Bartlett, a fellow pilot and friend of Lonn Greiner. "I watched it, but it's hard to say what happened. The engine was running fine; there was nothing wrong with the engine."
The plane was loaded with aviation gas that exploded when it struck the ground. Its fuselage and cockpit were badly burned.
"We went running over there, but they were dead on impact; it was engulfed in flames," Bartlett said.
The wreckage was oriented in a way that suggested the pilot was attempting to return to the airport, but that could not be confirmed.
Bartlett said Greiner did maintenance on jets at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and was known for his work with youth hockey. He had coached Bartlett's son, Bartlett said.
"He was a real stand-up guy," Bartlett said. "His whole family. His mom. His kids were good kids."
National Transportation Safety Board investigator Chris Shaver said in an early afternoon interview that the investigation had not yet uncovered a cause for the crash.
"Right now we can't speculate on anything with regards to circumstances," Shaver said. "We'll be looking at all aspects -- man, machine and environment."
Shaver said the plane is listed as a four-seater, but the fact that it held five doesn't necessarily mean it was overloaded, Shaver said.
The three children would likely have been sitting on a bench seat, with the two adults in front of them, Bartlett said. Greiner was new to the Cessna, which was likely carrying a full load of supplies, Bartlett said.
One of the witnesses, Joe Rinehart of Spenard Builders Supply, which operates a facility near the crash, said he was alerted by the fire.
"I didn't hear the crash, but I saw the flames shoot up," Rinehart said. He smelled fuel and ran over to look.
"All it was was wingtips, a tail and a smashed engine. There was nothing left -- there was no way to survive that."
At first, a gate blocked access to the Alaska Railroad property where the crash occurred, but Rinehart directed emergency crews through the SBS yard nearby so they could reach the wreckage.
The Alaska Railroad was asked to shut down rail traffic. By around noon, the line reopened with a freight train of hopper cars passing the crash scene.
Reach Casey Grove at casey.grove@adn.com or 257-4589.
Guide identified as one of the fatalities on Mount McKinley RARE OCCURRENCE: Other victim was from Shanghai, China.
A mountaineering guide from Seattle was one of two people killed on Mount McKinley this week, marking only the third time in history a guide leading clients on North America's tallest peak has died while on a climb.
Suzanne Allen of Alpine Ascents, a Seattle-based guiding company that has taken clients to Denali for more than two decades, was killed in a fall late Wednesday night while attempting to traverse Denali Pass, the National Park Service said Friday.
Allen, 34, and three others were roped together when they fell.
Also killed was Peter Bullard, 45, of Shanghai, China.
Two others were injured -- Gary Burke, 31, of Dallas, Texas, and James Mohr, 30, of Camp Pendleton, Calif. Burke is reportedly in stable condition with a broken leg and head injury; Mohr is non-responsive, parks spokeswoman Kris Fister said.
Details of the fall, which happened around 18,000 feet on a 45-degree pitch, remain unknown.
"We would like to speak with Mr. Burke, who is the only person who can give us more information," Fister said.
Guides rarely die on the 20,320-foot McKinley. Since record-keeping began in 1932, only three have died while leading groups of paying customers, according to park service records. Terrance "Mugs" Stump, one of mountaineering's most famous climbers, died on McKinley in 1992 and Chris Hooyman died on a 1998 climb.
Bullard is the 10th climber in history to die while on a guided McKinley expedition, and the second this year. Last year, 38 percent of the 1,222 people who made an attempt at scaling McKinley were either guides or clients on a guided trip, Fister said. The rest of the fatalities occurred on unguided trips.
Allen's team originally had seven members, including another guide. The other guide and two of the clients had already descended by the time of Wednesday night's fall, the park service said.
Allen was in her seventh or eight year with Alpine Ascents, said Gordon Janow, director of programs for the company, whose lineup of guides includes legend Vern Tejas. Her bio on the company website says she summited McKinley three times as a guide.
"She was a stellar guide from Day One," Janow said. "She was very education-oriented. She was teaching constantly what she knew about the mountains."
Janow said Allen is the first U.S.-based guide to die while working for Alpine Ascents, which according to its website has other teams currently on McKinley, including one led by Tejas.
"It's very difficult," Janow said, "but we all understand what it's like to love something so much you want to be involved in it, even if it comes with risks." The deaths of Allen and Bullard bring to 112 the number of people who have died on Denali since 1932. So far this season, seven climbers have died in the Alaska Range, including four on McKinley.
Suzanne Allen of Alpine Ascents, a Seattle-based guiding company that has taken clients to Denali for more than two decades, was killed in a fall late Wednesday night while attempting to traverse Denali Pass, the National Park Service said Friday.
Allen, 34, and three others were roped together when they fell.
Also killed was Peter Bullard, 45, of Shanghai, China.
Two others were injured -- Gary Burke, 31, of Dallas, Texas, and James Mohr, 30, of Camp Pendleton, Calif. Burke is reportedly in stable condition with a broken leg and head injury; Mohr is non-responsive, parks spokeswoman Kris Fister said.
Details of the fall, which happened around 18,000 feet on a 45-degree pitch, remain unknown.
"We would like to speak with Mr. Burke, who is the only person who can give us more information," Fister said.
Guides rarely die on the 20,320-foot McKinley. Since record-keeping began in 1932, only three have died while leading groups of paying customers, according to park service records. Terrance "Mugs" Stump, one of mountaineering's most famous climbers, died on McKinley in 1992 and Chris Hooyman died on a 1998 climb.
Bullard is the 10th climber in history to die while on a guided McKinley expedition, and the second this year. Last year, 38 percent of the 1,222 people who made an attempt at scaling McKinley were either guides or clients on a guided trip, Fister said. The rest of the fatalities occurred on unguided trips.
Allen's team originally had seven members, including another guide. The other guide and two of the clients had already descended by the time of Wednesday night's fall, the park service said.
Allen was in her seventh or eight year with Alpine Ascents, said Gordon Janow, director of programs for the company, whose lineup of guides includes legend Vern Tejas. Her bio on the company website says she summited McKinley three times as a guide.
"She was a stellar guide from Day One," Janow said. "She was very education-oriented. She was teaching constantly what she knew about the mountains."
Janow said Allen is the first U.S.-based guide to die while working for Alpine Ascents, which according to its website has other teams currently on McKinley, including one led by Tejas.
"It's very difficult," Janow said, "but we all understand what it's like to love something so much you want to be involved in it, even if it comes with risks." The deaths of Allen and Bullard bring to 112 the number of people who have died on Denali since 1932. So far this season, seven climbers have died in the Alaska Range, including four on McKinley.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Fishing boat loses anchor, grounds in Togiak Bay
The Coast Guard and the state Department of Environmental Conservation are monitoring a grounded fishing vessel in Togiak Bay.
The Coast Guard says the 102-foot Nor'Quest grounded early Wednesday morning after it lost an anchor. Neither crew member was injured and they are remaining on board in efforts to refloat the boat.
The Nor'Quest is carrying up to 18,800 gallons of diesel fuel. It also has 200 gallons of gasoline, 200 gallons of lube oil, 300 gallons of hydraulic oil, and 110 gallons of waste oil on board.
A Coast Guard overflight found no pollution. A commercial salvage company is working with the boat owners and operators to lighter it before attempts are made to refloat the Nor'Quest.
The Coast Guard says the 102-foot Nor'Quest grounded early Wednesday morning after it lost an anchor. Neither crew member was injured and they are remaining on board in efforts to refloat the boat.
The Nor'Quest is carrying up to 18,800 gallons of diesel fuel. It also has 200 gallons of gasoline, 200 gallons of lube oil, 300 gallons of hydraulic oil, and 110 gallons of waste oil on board.
A Coast Guard overflight found no pollution. A commercial salvage company is working with the boat owners and operators to lighter it before attempts are made to refloat the Nor'Quest.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Throw fresh fish on the grill HOLIDAY WEEKEND: Copper River salmon is sailing into stores.
Memorial Day Weekend seems like the official start of summertime in Alaska.
For many, it means a chance to hook their own king salmon. For others, it's a time to fire up the grill. Those in the latter category should be happy that commercial fishermen are landing plenty of Copper River salmon.
Here are a couple reports:
Dannon Southall at 10th & M Seafoods: "Copper River is still the talk of the seafood world. Looks like fishing for sockeyes has been good to say the least over the past few openers. The fishermen have been catching a good number of sockeyes with a few kings mixed in."
John Jackson at New Sagaya Markets: "The initial news we are hearing from the opener yesterday that over a million pounds were caught on the reds out of the Copper River. This has brought down the pricing quite a bit and this will translate to good prices for our customers. ... Copper River kings have been another matter, catches have been low and pricing is staying steady, if you can find any. This brings up the fresh Alaskan troll kings as a great value, the fish have been getting bigger and the quality has been top notch and pricing is quite a bit lower than the Coppers."
There you have it -- get some fresh fish and get it on the grill.
Southall says 10th & M will have fresh headed and gutted Copper River sockeye salmon for $6.95 per pound, with the fillets at $9.95 per pound. Additionally, they will have Prince William Sound side-stripe shrimp for $9.95 per pound.
"There is no better way to celebrate this long weekend and the beginning of summer than by pairing these two amazing Alaska seafood products on your grill," he says.
The Copper River kings are $23.95 per pound for fillets. They also have troll kings from Southeast for $12.95 per pound for head-on fish and $16.95 per pound for the fillets. Other seafood options include fresh rockfish, cod and Dover sole fillets.
Jackson says New Sagaya also will have fresh Alaska ling cod in the store. Whole headed and gutted fish will be $4.99 per pound. "When it is fresh it is some of the best eating white fish in Alaska," he says.
Other seafood options at New Sagaya include cod ($5.99 per pound), side-stripe shrimp ($10.99 per pound) and fresh Southeast oysters.
Farmers markets
Fresh seafood can also be tracked down at the South Anchorage Farmers Market on Saturday.
Arctic Choice will have fresh Copper River king and sockeye salmon fillets, along with plenty of their other fresh seafood options: halibut fillets and cheeks, troll-caught king salmon fillets, sablefish fillets, cod fillets, rockfish fillets and side-stripe shrimp.
Some of the other vendors at the market this week include:
South Fork Jams and Jellies: A large variety of heirloom tomato plants will be available at the market, along with a growing expert to explain the needs of heirloom plants. Also available will be early jams and jellies.
Glacier Valley Farm: Hanging strawberry baskets and hanging tumbling tomato planters.
County Garden Farms: They will have 100 percent nugget Kentucky bluegrass sod in easy-to-handle 2-foot-by-5-foot rolls, ready for small or large landscaping projects. Customers can shop online at www.countrygardenfarms.com, call them at 344-2088 to reserve sod or pick it up at the market.
Bearsden Gardens: A large variety of herb plants, including: Genovese, lemon, cinnamon, Thai and globe basil; dill; parsley; cilantro; tarragon; spearmint; and peppermint; along with artichoke, pepper and tomato starts.
Gray Owl Farm: A huge variety of plants for baskets or planters, including exotics and hard to find elements.
Heart of the Mountain Organics: They will have lots of starts and items that can be used right away, including: red and green lettuces, arugula, herbs, Cherokee purple tomatoes, kale, collards, large pots of rhubarb and fresh herbs (thyme, oregano and chervil).
Matanuska Creamery: They will have cheese, cheese curds, ice cream and home-churned butter, including lemon butter.
The big news this week for the Center Market is a new location. While still in Midtown, the market is moving from University Center mall to the Mall at Sears. The market will set up at the corner of Benson Boulevard and Denali Street. According to market organizer Alex Davis, the new location may result in more vendors: "Our hours of operation will be the same, and it looks like we are going to pick up several new vendors due to the change."
Davis says Fat Boy Ribs plans to be at the new location Saturday. And marketgoers can plan on a hearty lunch. "We are hoping to introduce an Alaska burger with Alaska-grown beef and Matanuska Creamery cheese, all on a bun baked by French Oven Bakery. My mouth is watering just over the thought of it," Davis says.
Davis will have certified organic vegetable starts, including broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and lettuce, along with pork products, jams, goat cheese, and duck and chicken eggs. He also has a 73-pound barbecue pig available and he continues to take reservations on fall-butcher pigs.
Duane Clark will be at the market with grass-fed local beef, frozen Alaska seafood, French Oven Bakery products and information about locally constructed outdoor furniture. Clark says Matanuska Creamery and the Coffee Roastery will be joining the market this week.
The Anchorage Market and Festival has a new farm booth featuring products from the Whittier Community School. Market organizer Bill Webb says "the school kids have built and operate a hydroponic garden ... we were amazed at the quality and variety last weekend." The money raised at the booth goes back to the project and the school. The booth should have parsley, cilantro, spinach, kale, snap peas and green beans this weekend.
The Anchorage Farmers Market will have many of the same vendors as previous weeks, including Arctic Organics, Seldovitsch Family Farm, Persistent Farmer, Matanuska Creamery, Bushes Bunches, Alaska Community Action on Toxics, Turkey Red Cafe, Three Bears Farm, Matanuska Gardens, Arctic Sun Gardening and Floriponics.
Arctic Organics will have the season premiere of greens mix and wild arugula, along with fresh basil from the greenhouse. They also will have overwintered German butterball, yellow Finn and russet potatoes. They also will have plenty of vegetable and flower seedlings, along with tomato plants in gallon pots for $13.50, including Siberian types bred for growing outdoors and classic greenhouse varieties too.
The Spenard Farmers Market is highlighting garden starts and tree seedlings Saturday.
Many vendors will have Alaska-appropriate plant and vegetable starts. Additionally, the market is featuring TREErific Anchorage, a volunteer group with the goal to enrich the community through the planting, caring and promotion of trees. Volunteers will be handing out information about tree planting. There also will be an opportunity to purchase native tree seedlings, sponsored with the Society of American Foresters, with proceeds going toward scholarships for University of Alaska Forestry students.
A couple of vendors to look for this week include: Babbling Brook Farm with herb starts, organic vegetable starts, flowers and hanging baskets; and Haiku Heritage City Farm with baby chickens and organic plant starts.
Salad greens are getting easier to find at the local markets, so try this simple dressing.
Basil vinaigrette
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil (about 1 cup packed leaves)
4 large shallots, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon seasoned pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup olive oil
Whisk together the first seven ingredients in a small bowl until blended. Gradually add olive oil, whisking continually until blended.
Source: "Farmers Market Cookbook: A Fresh Look at Local Flavor" by Southern Living magazine (Oxmoor House, $29.95)
Steve Edwards lives and writes in Anchorage. If you have a suggestion for a future Market Fresh column, please contact him at sedwards@adn.com.
Local farmers markets
Today: Center Market, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mall at Sears, Benson Boulevard and Denali Street
Friday: Palmer Friday Fling, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Pavilion across from Visitor’s Center
Saturday: Anchorage Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 15th and Cordova in the Central Lutheran Church parking lot; Anchorage Market and Festival, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Third Avenue between C and E streets; Center Market, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mall at Sears, Benson Boulevard and Denali Street; South Anchorage Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Subway/Cellular One Sports Center at the corner of Old Seward Highway and O’Malley Road; Spenard Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Spenard Road and 26th Avenue
Sunday: Anchorage Market and Festival, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Third Avenue between C and E streets
For many, it means a chance to hook their own king salmon. For others, it's a time to fire up the grill. Those in the latter category should be happy that commercial fishermen are landing plenty of Copper River salmon.
Here are a couple reports:
Dannon Southall at 10th & M Seafoods: "Copper River is still the talk of the seafood world. Looks like fishing for sockeyes has been good to say the least over the past few openers. The fishermen have been catching a good number of sockeyes with a few kings mixed in."
John Jackson at New Sagaya Markets: "The initial news we are hearing from the opener yesterday that over a million pounds were caught on the reds out of the Copper River. This has brought down the pricing quite a bit and this will translate to good prices for our customers. ... Copper River kings have been another matter, catches have been low and pricing is staying steady, if you can find any. This brings up the fresh Alaskan troll kings as a great value, the fish have been getting bigger and the quality has been top notch and pricing is quite a bit lower than the Coppers."
There you have it -- get some fresh fish and get it on the grill.
Southall says 10th & M will have fresh headed and gutted Copper River sockeye salmon for $6.95 per pound, with the fillets at $9.95 per pound. Additionally, they will have Prince William Sound side-stripe shrimp for $9.95 per pound.
"There is no better way to celebrate this long weekend and the beginning of summer than by pairing these two amazing Alaska seafood products on your grill," he says.
The Copper River kings are $23.95 per pound for fillets. They also have troll kings from Southeast for $12.95 per pound for head-on fish and $16.95 per pound for the fillets. Other seafood options include fresh rockfish, cod and Dover sole fillets.
Jackson says New Sagaya also will have fresh Alaska ling cod in the store. Whole headed and gutted fish will be $4.99 per pound. "When it is fresh it is some of the best eating white fish in Alaska," he says.
Other seafood options at New Sagaya include cod ($5.99 per pound), side-stripe shrimp ($10.99 per pound) and fresh Southeast oysters.
Farmers markets
Fresh seafood can also be tracked down at the South Anchorage Farmers Market on Saturday.
Arctic Choice will have fresh Copper River king and sockeye salmon fillets, along with plenty of their other fresh seafood options: halibut fillets and cheeks, troll-caught king salmon fillets, sablefish fillets, cod fillets, rockfish fillets and side-stripe shrimp.
Some of the other vendors at the market this week include:
South Fork Jams and Jellies: A large variety of heirloom tomato plants will be available at the market, along with a growing expert to explain the needs of heirloom plants. Also available will be early jams and jellies.
Glacier Valley Farm: Hanging strawberry baskets and hanging tumbling tomato planters.
County Garden Farms: They will have 100 percent nugget Kentucky bluegrass sod in easy-to-handle 2-foot-by-5-foot rolls, ready for small or large landscaping projects. Customers can shop online at www.countrygardenfarms.com, call them at 344-2088 to reserve sod or pick it up at the market.
Bearsden Gardens: A large variety of herb plants, including: Genovese, lemon, cinnamon, Thai and globe basil; dill; parsley; cilantro; tarragon; spearmint; and peppermint; along with artichoke, pepper and tomato starts.
Gray Owl Farm: A huge variety of plants for baskets or planters, including exotics and hard to find elements.
Heart of the Mountain Organics: They will have lots of starts and items that can be used right away, including: red and green lettuces, arugula, herbs, Cherokee purple tomatoes, kale, collards, large pots of rhubarb and fresh herbs (thyme, oregano and chervil).
Matanuska Creamery: They will have cheese, cheese curds, ice cream and home-churned butter, including lemon butter.
The big news this week for the Center Market is a new location. While still in Midtown, the market is moving from University Center mall to the Mall at Sears. The market will set up at the corner of Benson Boulevard and Denali Street. According to market organizer Alex Davis, the new location may result in more vendors: "Our hours of operation will be the same, and it looks like we are going to pick up several new vendors due to the change."
Davis says Fat Boy Ribs plans to be at the new location Saturday. And marketgoers can plan on a hearty lunch. "We are hoping to introduce an Alaska burger with Alaska-grown beef and Matanuska Creamery cheese, all on a bun baked by French Oven Bakery. My mouth is watering just over the thought of it," Davis says.
Davis will have certified organic vegetable starts, including broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and lettuce, along with pork products, jams, goat cheese, and duck and chicken eggs. He also has a 73-pound barbecue pig available and he continues to take reservations on fall-butcher pigs.
Duane Clark will be at the market with grass-fed local beef, frozen Alaska seafood, French Oven Bakery products and information about locally constructed outdoor furniture. Clark says Matanuska Creamery and the Coffee Roastery will be joining the market this week.
The Anchorage Market and Festival has a new farm booth featuring products from the Whittier Community School. Market organizer Bill Webb says "the school kids have built and operate a hydroponic garden ... we were amazed at the quality and variety last weekend." The money raised at the booth goes back to the project and the school. The booth should have parsley, cilantro, spinach, kale, snap peas and green beans this weekend.
The Anchorage Farmers Market will have many of the same vendors as previous weeks, including Arctic Organics, Seldovitsch Family Farm, Persistent Farmer, Matanuska Creamery, Bushes Bunches, Alaska Community Action on Toxics, Turkey Red Cafe, Three Bears Farm, Matanuska Gardens, Arctic Sun Gardening and Floriponics.
Arctic Organics will have the season premiere of greens mix and wild arugula, along with fresh basil from the greenhouse. They also will have overwintered German butterball, yellow Finn and russet potatoes. They also will have plenty of vegetable and flower seedlings, along with tomato plants in gallon pots for $13.50, including Siberian types bred for growing outdoors and classic greenhouse varieties too.
The Spenard Farmers Market is highlighting garden starts and tree seedlings Saturday.
Many vendors will have Alaska-appropriate plant and vegetable starts. Additionally, the market is featuring TREErific Anchorage, a volunteer group with the goal to enrich the community through the planting, caring and promotion of trees. Volunteers will be handing out information about tree planting. There also will be an opportunity to purchase native tree seedlings, sponsored with the Society of American Foresters, with proceeds going toward scholarships for University of Alaska Forestry students.
A couple of vendors to look for this week include: Babbling Brook Farm with herb starts, organic vegetable starts, flowers and hanging baskets; and Haiku Heritage City Farm with baby chickens and organic plant starts.
Salad greens are getting easier to find at the local markets, so try this simple dressing.
Basil vinaigrette
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil (about 1 cup packed leaves)
4 large shallots, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon seasoned pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup olive oil
Whisk together the first seven ingredients in a small bowl until blended. Gradually add olive oil, whisking continually until blended.
Source: "Farmers Market Cookbook: A Fresh Look at Local Flavor" by Southern Living magazine (Oxmoor House, $29.95)
Steve Edwards lives and writes in Anchorage. If you have a suggestion for a future Market Fresh column, please contact him at sedwards@adn.com.
Local farmers markets
Today: Center Market, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mall at Sears, Benson Boulevard and Denali Street
Friday: Palmer Friday Fling, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Pavilion across from Visitor’s Center
Saturday: Anchorage Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 15th and Cordova in the Central Lutheran Church parking lot; Anchorage Market and Festival, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Third Avenue between C and E streets; Center Market, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mall at Sears, Benson Boulevard and Denali Street; South Anchorage Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Subway/Cellular One Sports Center at the corner of Old Seward Highway and O’Malley Road; Spenard Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Spenard Road and 26th Avenue
Sunday: Anchorage Market and Festival, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Third Avenue between C and E streets
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