Episodes

Volleyball: (From Coach Ron Langseth)

The Varsity traveled to the 4A Chugiak Invite last weekend, where they faced the best of Alaskas’ 4A Volleyball Schools, though we had some challenging moments, I was extremely proud of how this group of girls handled themselves.  Highlights included beating 4A powerhouses South, West Valley and Wasilla…In the end the ladies played for third in the Silver division, loosing a close match with West Valley.  We are improving and that is exciting!

This week in practice we will focus on defense, passing and our attack game.

Cross Country Running:  (Coach Melissa Koontz)

Bartlett State Preview Meet

August 26^th, 2017

The Valdez Buccaneers travelled to Anchorage for the Bartlett State Preview Meet.  There were over 400 competitors from south central Alaska.  Blake Bennet from Anchorage Christian School took first with 15:59 for the boys.  For the girls, Kendall Kramer from West Valley held a significant lead the entire race and crossed the finish line in 18:36.  Our team was challenged with a slippery and hilly course.  All runners that ran the course last year improved their time by at least one minute.  Rafael Alfaro was the first from Valdez to finish in 20:24, Kalin Woods was right behind him at 20:28.  They took 124^th and 125^th place out of 148 runners.  Aiden McAtee had a very strong finish at 25:35 and Brenner Wilson sprinted to the finish in 34:34.  For the girls, Katie Wadsworth improved last weeks time and finished 24:45, taking 93^rd out of 120 runners.  Sophia improved her time from last year, finishing in 26:25.  All runners gave 120% in the home stretch.  We will be working on maintaining momentum on hilly courses this week.  The team was thankful for the torturous hill runs they did last week, which helped prepare them for Bartlett.

Corrections from last week:

Aiden McAtee finished 7^th against Cordova in the mixed boys and girls meet.

Brenner Wilson finished in 30:59 in our first meet.

Race totals:

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VALDEZ, Alaska – Last year, the top three fish in the Valdez Silver Salmon Derby were caught from shore. Jacob Marquardt of Valdez reeled in his 1^st place 17.52 pound silver on September 1^st in the Boat Harbor. John Neitzeke of Grand Rapids, Minnesota reeled in his 2^nd place 17.26 pound silver September 1^st at Allison Point. Dawn Osmonson-Sturm also reeled in her 3^rd place fish at Allison Point. Osmonson-Sturm is from Waukee, Iowa and her 17.18 pound silver was reeled in August 30^th.

While the run of silver salmon in Valdez was much stronger in Valdez than the past two years, small silver salmon populated the Valdez Fish Derbies leader board until recently. The current leaders in the silver derby are:

Cole Baxter of Fayetteville, GA with a 15.62 pound fish is leading the derby. Homer Huffman of Valdez with a 15.10 pound silver is currently in 2^nd place overall and Randy Arndt of Wasilla is currently in 3^rd place with a 14.98 pound silver salmon. First place in the Valdez Silver Salmon Derby is $15,000 cash, 2^nd place is $5,000 and 3^rd place is $2,000. The Valdez Silver Salmon derby ends Sunday, September 3^rd at noon.

In the Valdez Halibut Derby it is still Frieda Wiley at the top of the leader board with the record 374 pound halibut she caught August 6^th aboard the Dan Orion.

This Friday, anglers will have a chance to win an additional $500 during Big Prize Friday. The person who buys a derby ticket and brings in the biggest silver salmon Friday, September 3^rd will win $500 in cash in addition to the daily prizes. The Valdez Halibut and Silver Salmon Derbies end Sunday, September 3^rd at noon. The raffle for $10,000 cash will be held that day after the close of the derby. Everyone who purchased a Valdez derby ticket will be entered in that drawing.

Halibut Derby – Overall Leaders

1^st        Frieda Wiley                Valdez, AK                  374.0 lbs.         Aug 6               Dan Orion

2^nd        Tim Stadtmiller                        Fairbanks, AK             266.6 lbs.         June 19                        Dan Orion

3^rd        Brett Fickler                 Omaha, NE                  197.4 lbs.         Aug 18             Lena Claire

Halibut Derby – Weekly Winners

1^st           Brett Fickler                 Omaha, NE                  197.4 lbs.         Aug 18             Lena Claire

2^nd        Mitch Wallace             Corpus Christi, TX      164.4 lbs.         Aug 18            Sea Quester

Silver Derby – Overall Leaders

1^st        Cole Baxter                 Fayetteville, GA         15.62 lbs.         July 26             Shark Tooth Charter

2^nd      Homer Huffman        Valdez, Alaska            15.10 lbs.         August 25       Off Shore

3^rd       Randy Arndt               Wasilla, AK                14.98 lbs.         August 26       Miss Esther

For more information on the Valdez Derbies, visit: www.valdezfishderbies.com

08/23/2017 5:00 p.m.

Valdez Fire Department responded to reports of a possible fire in a local hotel early Wednesday afternoon. At approximately 1:23 p.m. Wednesday, Valdez Fire Dispatch received reports of visible smoke in conjunction with an active fire alarm in the northwest wing of the Best Western Hotel.

Employees evacuated the entire building, including the hotel, restaurant, and bar. Emergency responders arrived on scene at approximately 1:27 p.m. and discovered an electrical fire in the boiler room, stairwell walls, and two guest rooms at the far end of the northwest wing of the hotel. Firefighters verified employees and guests were evacuated from the building and began work to extinguish the fire.

At approximately 2:28 p.m., Fire Department personnel deemed the fire extinguished and began overhaul efforts. The building may be reoccupied once power to the damaged area is isolated by hotel contractors. Best Western staff are working to provide support to those hotel guests temporarily displaced by the fire. No injuries were reported. The incident remains under investigation.

Posted August 23, 2017 Allie Ferko, Public Information Officer City of Valdez, Alaska

VALDEZ, Alaska – With less than two weeks left in the Valdez Halibut and Silver Salmon Derbies, only time will tell if the leaders will hold on to win the $15,000 first place prize.

Frieda Wiley caught a 374.0 pound halibut August 6^th and stands a good chance of holding onto the lead. Her fish is the largest halibut on record in the Valdez Halibut Derby. If you look at the record books, Tim Stadtmiller’s 266.6 pound halibut would be a 1^st place winner in previous years. Stadtmiller caught a 266.6 pound halibut June 19^th aboard the Dan Orion. The angler in 3^rd place overall last week was Grant Stultz of Reston, Virginia. His fish was bested by Brett Fickler of Omaha, Nebraska on August 18^th. Fickler reeled in a 197.4 pound halibut aboard the Lena Claire and only time will tell if it holds on until the end of the halibut derby Sunday, September 3^rd at noon.

While it looks like the halibut derby is a lock for Wiley with her 374.0 pound halibut, the Valdez Silver Salmon Derby is far from over. The Valdez Silver Salmon Derby began in 1971 and since then only eight fish weighing less than 16.96 have been winners. The smallest winner on record is Jim Burzinski’s 15.11 pound silver caught the first year of the derbies in 1971. In the last 20 years, winners have been in the 17 to 22 pound range. The current overall leader is Cole Baxter of Fayetteville, Georgia with a 15.62 pound silver salmon caught on July 26^th aboard Shark Tooth Charters. Chinda Heston, the 2017 Women’s Derby winner, is holding onto 2^nd place with the 14.88 pounder she caught August 12^th and Mike Zanazzo got into the overall standings in 3^rd place with a 14.60 pound silver salmon he caught August 16^th. Larger silver salmon have been caught in Valdez according to Valdez Fish Derbies Weigh-In Coordinator Dana Morales, but they didn’t have a derby ticket.

Silver salmon fishing has been productive at Galena Bay, Sawmill Bay, Shoup Bay and the Narrows. Anglers are already catching fish from Allison Point and the City Dock. “The run doesn’t seem to be bunched up this year” said Joe Prax of Prospector Outfitters. “That means the last two weeks of the derby should be good fishing from shore as well as from a boat”. The Valdez Halibut and Silver Salmon Derbies end Sunday, September 3^rd at noon. The raffle for $10,000 cash will be held that day after the close of the derby. Everyone who purchased a Valdez derby ticket will be entered in that drawing. Silver and Halibut Derby winners will be awarded and the drawing will be held at the Derby Awards party Sunday, September 3^rd at 6pm at the Elks Lodge.

Halibut Derby – Overall Leaders

1^st        Frieda Wiley                Valdez, AK                  374.0 lbs.         Aug 6               Dan Orion

2^nd      Tim Stadtmiller           Fairbanks, AK            266.6 lbs.        June 19           Dan Orion

3^rd       Brett Fickler                Omaha, NE                  197.4 lbs.       Aug 18             Lena Claire

Halibut Derby – Weekly Winners

1^st           Brett Fickler                 Omaha, NE                  197.4 lbs.         Aug 18             Lena Claire

2^nd        Mitch Wallace             Corpus Christi, TX      164.4 lbs.         Aug 18            Sea Quester

Silver Derby – Overall Leaders

1^st        Cole Baxter                 Fayetteville, GA         15.62 lbs.         July 26             Shark Tooth Charter

2^nd        Chinda Heston         Valdez, AK                  14.88 lbs.        Aug 12              Sandi

3^rd        Mike Zanazzo            North Pole, AK           14.60 lbs.        Aug 16             Private Boat

For more information on the Valdez Derbies, visit: www.valdezfishderbies.com