CHUGIAK DOG MUSHERS ASSOCIATION
General Meeting and Education Program – February 4, 2004
7 pm at the clubhouse, Beach Lake Sled Dog Trails
Check our Hotline: 689-7899

The meeting was called to order at 7:12 pm.
Minutes from January 14, 2003, were read and approved.
No Treasurer’s Report.

Committee Reports

Businessperson’s Race Committee: The race received good coverage in the Alaska Star. Jo Wood will send participant names and contact information to ISDRA, which will send an official thank you to the participants for their support. Does anyone have photos of the race to potentially include in club-sent thank you notes?

Political Action Committee: Val Jokela picked up a copy of the public draft of Title 21 (Land Use regulations). The Municipality hired Clarion Associates, from Denver, to study and revise the regulations. Mark Moderow attended a recent public meeting and indicated that one of the potential new provisions would require anyone living in any zone to have five acres of land to own more than five dogs. There are several citizens committees forming and Val can provide information about them. Mark encourages a joint club response to the draft. Val volunteered to prepare a club response so anyone with comments can forward them to Val for inclusion or respond as an individual. Mark also encourages members to phone or email our Assemblypeople. Anna Fairclough is a good person to contact.

One club member mentioned contacting David Tremont, Senior Planner with the Muni’s Planning Department (343-7915 or tremontdj@ci.anchorage.ak.us). He has admitted that the Title 21 revisions are not in line with Title 17 but that it is only a draft and changes will be made. The document can be found at http://www.muni.org/planning/prj_Title21.cfm or can be picked up at the Planning Department and the Clerk's Office. The Planning Department is at the Planning and Development Center at 4700 South Bragaw Street. The Clerk's Office is on the second floor of City Hall, 632 W. 6th Avenue.

Old Business

Meeting Schedule and Race Participants: The tentatively scheduled potluck to wish club members well who will be running the Iditarod this year will be moved from March to Wednesday, April 7th at 7pm at the clubhouse. The change was made so that club members participating in the race could attend with the stresses of race preparation behind them. The April potluck will be an opportunity to congratulate the racers in both Iditarod and Fur Rondy, as well as other recent races, and hear their stories. There also will be a Chinese Auction. Club members running the Iditarod include:

Burt Bomhoff
Anna Bondarenko
Ramy Brooks
Robert Bundtzen
Martin Buser
Ellie Claus
Jim Lanier
Melinda Miles

Please let us know if any other club members are running.

Good luck to club members who will compete in this year’s Fur Rondy:
Neal Johnson, Carolyn Johnson, Bill Kornmuller, Arleigh Reynolds, Ed Wood

The education program committee will arrange an alternative education program for the March 3rd meeting.

Parks & Rec Meeting: Ron, Val, and Lexi attended a meeting with Parks & Rec to learn further details about the club’s arrangement for the clubhouse. When the clubhouse gets electricity in the future, Parks & Rec will pay for it. In addition, the club will not have to pay rental fees for the use of the clubhouse but will have to pay event fees. The Muni also requests 5% of any money collected on premises. The club may be able to apply for waivers to this rule. Lexi and Val also provided an overview of the capital bond issue versus the possible mil rate increase in Eagle River.

New Business

Board Elections: Nominations are open for Executive Board positions and two or three other Board positions. Contact Val or Lexi if you wish to run for a position or wish to nominate someone else. The election will be held during the last meeting in March and ballots must be in the mail seven days before the election. The Executive Board members (Ron Kilian, Val Jokela, Colton Seale, and Jeanne Carlson) all will run for their positions again.

Muni Grant and Cooperative Use: A final report for last year’s Parks & Rec grant is due March 1st. Lexi volunteered to assist Colton and Jeanne in preparing this report. Ron put together a Cooperative Use financial report, as requested by the Muni, showing the value of the club’s in-kind contributions to the clubhouse. These included:

Races: The next CDMA race will be the Mushing 36 (36-mile, 10-dog) at 6pm on March 13th. Because of the issues surrounding running on Fort Rich, including the need to get background checks for those running on post, the race will be run entirely on the club’s trails without running onto Fort Richardson land. The race committee needs to identify a race marshal, timers, trail guards, groomers, gate placers etc. No sled holders are necessary, as the racers will start from the posts. A trail guard is needed at the bottom of the 20-mile loop to help with a confusing trail intersection during the race. Contact Lexi to volunteer. No trophies or purses are given for the Mushing 36; only prizes, which are picked by each musher in order of their finish place. Please contact the club is you have any prize donations. Prizes are typically club merchandise, dog gear, dog houses, dog food, etc.

Stained Glass: Denise Saigh showed the group a stained glass pattern and described how she would assemble the stained glass club logo. She would use the club’s colors and etch the lettering onto the glass. Money for the stained glass piece was donated by Myron Gavin’s family, who wanted something purchased in memory of Myron.

Kudos to the Groomers: Lexi passed along a comment that Eric Rogers received while running the Tustemena 200. Someone mentioned to Eric that the trail for the Chugiak 50 was the best marked and groomed trail the individual has seen. Great job!

Donation to Club: Deanna Partow presented the club with a check from Great Northern Engineering in Palmer, for $1,000 to be used by the club to maintain and improve trails. The donation was given to Kourosh Partow by the engineering firm to pass along to the club.

Education Program: Club member and distance racer, Jerry Raychel, presented “Staying Warm on the Trail.” Jerry provided handouts on frostbite and hypothermia, and his camping checklist. He discussed his experiences over the years and recommended warm gear that has worked for him, from head to foot. If anyone is interested in a summary of the presentation, please contact Jerry, or I (Jeanne) can fax a copy. Please provide your fax number.

Next Meeting

A general meeting and education program will be held Wednesday, March 3, 2004, at 7pm at the clubhouse. A notice will be sent out via email confirming the date and topic for the education program.