Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

By KRIS CAPPS Cantwell School already knows what a great principal it has in Pete Hauschka. Now his peers have made it official.

Hauschka has been named the 2006 Principal of the Year for Region 2, by the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

The national organization helps principals support each other and keeps them informed on developments in education. Alaska has seven regions.

Region 2 is a giant area that includes the Yukon Flats, Glennallen, Valdez, Talkeetna, Cantwell and Galena. In the middle of all that is the island of Fairbanks/North Pole, a separate region.

To be eligible for the award, the principal has to have worked at the school for at least three years.

Principals are nominated by their peers and voted on by all the principals of schools in that region.

“It is rare for a small-school principal to be chosen for such an honor,” Hauschka said. “”I will use whatever influence this award may bring to promote the needs of small schools in rural Alaska at the state level.”

Congratulations, Mr. Hauschka.

Hockey heroes The University of Alaska Fairbanks hockey team must have felt like celebrities by the greeting they received when they visited Healy last Saturday.

The players ARE celebrities to folks here, especially young hockey players. That was obvious, as Denali Borough kids lined up to ask Nanook players to autograph hockey sticks, posters, the sweatshirts and sweatpants they wore, and notebooks.

The players engaged in a good-natured and rousing game of broomball with youngsters during the visit, sponsored by Healy Hockey Association.

It was a small effort for the UAF team, heading home from their first game in the Anchorage area. But they shouldn’t underestimate the effect of their visit, which was huge for kids here and generated excitement for the upcoming hockey season.

My daughter is not a hockey player, but we now have all the players’ autographs on a poster and we are making plans to attend a Alaska Nanooks hockey game.

Ice in Cantwell Thanks to the company “Great Northwest,” Cantwell School now has a paved ice rink, which can be used for tennis, skateboarding and roller blading in the summer months.

“We have been unable to retain water for several years now and we hope this will make a difference,” said longtime teacher Marie Gore.

Park vision With the help of partners, participants and a professional facilitator, Denali National Park has come up with a rough draft for a plan that outlines the future of interpretation and education at this national park.

Anyone who has ideas of how this future plan should work, can attend special focus group meetings scheduled throughout the week.

These will happen tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the Tri-Valley School lunchroom; Thursday at the Murie Science and Learning Center at 3 p.m. and then at 8 p.m. at the Cantwell Community Center. A final focus group will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Talkeetna Ranger Station.

Quilt drawing Cheer on soccer players at the regional soccer tournament and maybe win an Alaskana quilt created by Denali quilter Donna Robinson of Anderson.

That is right after the 11 a.m. soccer match between Tri-Valley and Delta, at the Region II Borealis Soccer Regional Tournament, held in Healy.

When Tri-Valley visited Delta last weekend, the Tri-Valley Viking Warrior Co-Ed Soccer Fan Club completely turned the tables on home field advantage by out-yelling the Delta fans. The Warriors went on to win 3-1.

The new owner of the quilt will be announced Saturday between 12:30 – 1 p.m., in the lunchroom at Tri-Valley School.

Raffle tickets are still available at the Tri-Valley Community Library or through any member of the Denali Borough Water Safety Team.

Proceeds go toward the Water Safety Program, a summer offering by Denali Borough Service Learning. The quilt is on display at the Tri-Valley Community Library.

Kris Capps is a freelance writer. Her column reporting Denali happenings appears weekly in the News-Miner. She can be reached at kcapps@mtaonline.net.