Unalakleet, Alaska

Unalakleet, Alaska is located on the coast of southern Norton Sound at the mouth of the Unalakleet River, 148 miles southeast of Nome and 395 miles northwest of Anchorage.   Unalakleet has a population of around 800 people and has a varied landscape of tundra, nearby hills, trees and rivers. The population is largely Inupiat Eskimo. Fishing and hunting play an important part in many people's lives here.

The only way to get to Unalakleet is by plane. There are many flights coming in and out of Unalakleet including flights from Anchorage. The weather can be extremely cold and windy for many months of the year. Blizzards and high snowdrifts are very common. Though the mercury can top 60° in the summer, temperatures of -40° are not uncommon in the winter. It is usually not until late spring before the snow and ice melt on the river and the bay.

The town has two stores which are well-stocked by rural Alaska standards. With the direct connection to Anchorage, fresh produce is available on a regular basis. Unalakleet also has a post office and a health clinic to take care of basic medical needs. Major medical concerns can be taken care of in Nome or Anchorage.

The town is host to three churches: Covenant, Catholic and Assembly of God

Shaktoolik Alaska

 Shaktoolik, Alaska is located on the east shore of Norton Sound, 33 miles north of Unalakleet and 180 miles east of Nome. The village of about 200 people is located on a strip of land between the ocean and a river. The Nulato Hills are nearby, but the landscape of town and vicinity is generally lakes and tundra. The population is largely Inupiat Eskimo who have lived in the area for many generations.

 Shaktoolik is accessible by boat, except in the winter, and by airplane. Depending on the weather, there are generally a few flights per day. The weather can be extremely cold and windy during the winter months. Though the mercury can top 60° in the summer, temperatures of -40° are not uncommon in the winter. It is usually not until late spring before the snow and ice melt on the river and the bay.

 The town has 2 stores which offer a good supply of basic needs, but are limited when compared to large lower-48 super markets. You must remember that all freight has to be shipped by plane and if the planes are unable to fly due to bad weather, then stocks cannot be replenished.

 Shaktoolik also has a post office and a health clinic to take care of basic medical needs. Major medical concerns can be taken care of in Nome or Anchorage.

 The town has two churches, Covenant and Assembly of God.

 Shaktoolik School, home of the Wolverines, serves about 80 students in preschool through 12th grade. All students are housed in one building. There is a regulation size gymnasium for physical education, athletic events and community activities. The school participates in basketball, wrestling, cross-country running and skiing, Native Youth Olympics, cheer leading, Battle of the Books and Academic Decathlon.

Inupiat (Eskimo)

The Inupiat of Alaska are part of the circumpolar Inuit peoples of present-day Russia, Greenland and Canada. They occupy the far northern coast, the Seward Peninsula, and Kobuk areas.

The coastal Inupiat are hunters of whale, walrus, seal and other marine mammals; the interior Inupiat rely on caribou. Subsistence hunting and fishing is still an important aspect of contemporary Inupiat society.

Anchorage, Alaska

Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska, is located in south-central Alaska at the head of Cook Inlet with a population of 260,000 and 41.5 percent of the state’s population. It is as far north as Helsinki, Finland and as west as Honolulu, Hawaii. It is 3.5 hours' flight time from Seattle. The area encompasses 1,698 sq. miles of land and 264 sq. miles of water.

 You can see the Chugach, Kenai, and Alaska ranges from Anchorage. Mount McKinley, 130 miles (208 km) north of downtown, can be seen on clear days. This 20,320-foot peak is the tallest mountain in North America.

 There are approximately 100,000 glaciers in Alaska. Portage Glacier, just 45 miles (72 km) south of downtown Anchorage, is one of the most visited attractions in all of Alaska.

 The Good Friday Earthquake shook all of South-central Alaska on March 27, 1964. It is the strongest ever recorded in North America, measuring 9.2 on the Richter Scale.

 Alaska is actually the northern-, western- and easternmost point in the United States. The Aleutian Chain extends into the Eastern Hemisphere.

 In 1741 Russian sailors led by the Dane Vitus Bering came upon Alaska's mainland. They were followed by British, Spanish and American explorers, including Captain James Cook in 1778. In 1867, Alaska was purchased by the U.S., from Russia. The discovery of gold in 1887 and in the Interior in 1922 sparked development in the area. Construction began in 1914 on a federal railroad from the port of Seward, 126 miles south of Anchorage, through the coal fields of Interior Alaska, to the gold claims near Fairbanks, 358 miles to the north. The midpoint construction headquarters was Anchorage, and by July of 1915, thousands of job seekers and opportunists had poured into the area, living in a tent city on the banks of Ship Creek near the edge of the present downtown. That July produced the "Great Anchorage Lot Sale," a land auction that shaped the future of the city. Some 655 lots were sold for $148,000 or an average of $225 each. A month later, the town voted to call itself Alaska City, but the Federal government refused to change its name from Anchorage. From 1939 to 1957, major military impacts and government construction of roads, airports and harbors throughout Alaska contributed to the growth of Anchorage. The Port was completed by the early 1960s. The Good Friday earthquake in 1964 destroyed a large part of the city. During the 1970s, the development of the Prudhoe Bay oil fields and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline brought rapid growth to Anchorage; population, office space and housing tripled within a ten-year period.

 Anchorage School District

As the 86th largest school district in the country, the Anchorage School District is diverse in its staff, students and program offerings. Over 50,000 students attend ASD schools.

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