Thank you to all the sponsors that made our second annual Celebration of Bears festival a success. They were Princess Cruises, Howsers Supermarket, Holland America, Seaport Airlines, Lutak Lumber, Mountain Market Corp., Sockeye Cycle, Takshunak Mountain Trail, and Phillip Joyce. Their generous contributions made it possible to serve barbecued salmon, provide drinks and desserts, bring our guest speaker Tania Lewis from Glacier Bay, and rent Harriett Hall and our other venues on Saturday. We would also like to thank the Klukwan dancers for their fine performance at the potluck. Board member Ann Puffer did most of the work for the celebration and deserves special recognition!
The Bear Foundation continues to work on solutions to problems that arise between people and bears. As the recent CVN article points out, we have a long way yet to go. We do appreciate all the folks that are sensitive and conscientious when viewing bears on the Chilkoot. Please take the time to let our government representatives know your feelings on the need for full-time monitors during the short two-month period when bears, fish and people congregate en masse on the Chilkoot!
Tim McDonough
Alaska Chilkoot Bear Foundation treasurer