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Friday, July 25, 2008

The Journey Begins



This is the first entry in what I hope will be an ongoing journal of our time in Bethel. It is now a little over a month until we move to Bethel. We are all very excited, though a little nervous. James is probably the most excited. I wonder what he thinks Bethel will be like?


I am excited about the move, but a little nervous about the job. This will be my first experience working day-to-day in a courtroom. My jobs up until now have been the "desk" sort. Along with moving to the Arctic and living in a small town hundreds of miles from "civilization"... you get the point.


A few facts about Bethel:


Population: A little over 6,300 hardy souls


Land Area: About 44 square miles, no roads in or out


Location: 60°47′32″N, 161°45′21″W (Bethel is located at the mouth of the Kuskokwim River, 40 miles inland from the Bering Sea. It lies in the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, 400 air miles west of Anchorage, about 350 miles south of the arctic circle).


Climate: Precipitation averages 16 inches a year in this area, with snowfall of 50 inches. Summer temperatures range from 62 to 42; winter temperatures average 19 to negative 2.


Demographics: 68% of the population are Alaska Native or part Native. (Mostly Yup'ik). Subsistence activities and commercial fishing are major contributors to residents' livelihoods. Bethel serves as the regional center for 56 villages in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.


Facilities: Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Regional Hospital (a qualified Acute Care facility); 6 schools located in the community, attended by 1,320 students; approximately 75% of households have water delivered and sewage hauled by truck. Bethel Airport is the regional transportation center, and is served by two major passenger airlines, two cargo carriers, and numerous air taxi services.


Fun Fact: Bethel has the highest number of taxi cabs per-capita in the United States.

39 Days to Go.

--Terrence


1 comment:

plainjanesews said...

James looks great in that truck and pushing little Sadie (who always looks great too!) Love the pics so far- where is the pic of Megan packing boxes?!? Great pics- can't wait to see the rest of the journey.