Nenana Wellness Coalition
Minutes
The Nenana Wellness Coalition is an alliance of representatives from various organizations, government agencies, community groups and individuals that meets weekly to discuss, evaluate, coordinate, consolidate, celebrate and help implement plans for improving the wellness and quality of life in Nenana Alaska.
We had 15 participants today, including: Kat McElroy, David Poppe, Beverley Joseph, Miles and Irene Martin, Bonnie Reed, Virginia Young, Rebecca and Bill Troxel, Terry Thompson, Mike Smith, Walter & Andrea Tommy, Tim Horn and Merrily Verhagen. We enjoyed Shepard’s Pie, mixed greens salad, mango chutney, raisins, walnuts and sliced cheese and Ritz crackers and chocolate cake for lunch.
WELCOME followed by the READING OF MISSION STATEMENT: By this week’s chairperson, Tim Horn
PRAYER: Was lead by Beverly Joseph, followed by the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIENCE
PRESENTATION OF AGENDA AND CALL FOR MODIFICATIONS: There were two modifications requested.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Minutes were posted at the WIN Link at www.railbelt.com and submitted electronically to the WIN e-list. David pointed out that they were sent as a docx file; Kat will attempt to rectify as this format is problematic for older computer systems.
INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS: No new guests this date.
Speakers/Topics
Sober Housing: David Poppe reported that he has most of the building materials for the floor on site. The structure will be 12 x 20 foot with a four foot overhang porch. He has hauled in lumber and plywood for walls and roof; he needs to get the insulation. The structure will sit on 4 X 12 inch timbers atop a foot of gravel and thus will be about two feet above the ground level, so hopefully not be inundated during the next flood. Mike reports that the Verhagens are planning a work party next Saturday, November 7th. David affirms he will have all building materials at that time. Bill Troxel said that anyone interested in breakfast before the work party is welcome to attend the pancake feed that morning at the radio station between 7 & 9 A.M. Hallowe’en: WIN at large discussed the festivities this year. A flyer went home with the school kids this week announcing a Hallowe’en event at Clear Air Station on Thursday. There will be bowling, a haunted house and trick-or-treating. Drivers are reminded that to come on base one needs a valid license, vehicle registration and proof of insurance. Friday will be the Nenana City Public School Hallowe’en event at the school gym which is a fundraiser. This begins at 6 P.M. and is scheduled to end at 8. Then Saturday night, at the Nenana Conference Center (old Corner Bar building), the Verhagen family is hosting Hallowe’en family event, from 6 to 8 P.M. Health Fair: We still need a site coordinator. Tim has not yet heard back from Phyllis at Health Fairs of Alaska in Fairbanks to see if our proposed March 27th date would be good. Someone suggested asking Kristi if she would be willing to act as site coordinator. Merrily will ask her. Envisioning Wellness: Tim called Nita Marks during WIN toi see if she would be available to present next month. Nita said the 17th of November would work for her. Andrea Tommy will make a flyer to advertise this Envisioning Wellness presentation. Mikes Martin volunteered to post the flyers. The title of this even will be Knowing Your TFYS. It was suggested that the flyer include an explanation that TFYS stands for Tribal Family Youth Services for those who are unaware of the meaning of this acronym. Kat is scheduled to present on Wellness and The Medicine Wheel December 1st.
WELLNESS THOUGHT: We must all stand together or surely we shall all hang together. Abraham Lincoln.
Updates/Announcements:
David: The cow is milking. The quail are still visiting. We got our first egg from the chickens, most of whom moved into the chicken coop with our first snow. Hurray!
Kat: Bonnie reminds us that the AA group is supposed to do their annual birthday meeting and community dinner at the end of November. We will tentatively schedule it for Sunday, November 29th, 6 P.M., at the tribal hall.
Tim: Jr. high school basketball team plays Cantwell at home today at 4 P.M. Come support the little scrappers.
Spaghetti dinner, a fundraiser, October 29th, 5 P.M. at NSLC, with their annual pumpkin judging contest. Come vote for your favorite pumpkin and support a good cause.
Don’t forget to Fall Back one hour Saturday night.
November 6th and 7th there is a basketball tournament at Anderson; then the 13th and 14th will be the annual Nenana Ice Cream Classic at Nenana School.
The community Thanksgiving lunch is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, November 24, at the school.
Bonnie is in the process of getting out the monthly Senior Newsletter.
Rebecca: Next Freecycle tentatively scheduled for Saturday, December 12th. They have been talking about co-sponsoring monthly Friday night movie nights at the Nenana Conference Center.
It has been suggested they do a community Thanksgiving dinner as well, maybe in conjunction with a movie or karaoke.
Community Church will sponsor caroling again this year, probably on the evening of Sunday, December 20th.
Christmas Eve they will do a reading of the Christmas story.
Merrily: December 22, Tuesday evening, they will have a Christmas gathering at the Conference Center, a Christmas play, with musical numbers, and a Christmas recipe exchange.
Walter: Glad it snowed finally.
Terry: Doubly glad it snowed.
Irene: Triple that. Got to go on her first snow machine ride.
Miles: The Alaska Made group representative, Bill Webb, emailed Miles, inquiring about organizing another Alaska Made workshop in Nenana. They would like to schedule it for March. It would be free and would include workshops in photography, marketing, and how to acquire Alaska Made status for your handcrafts or hand-made products.
Beverley: Passed out brochures from the Alaska Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired. They are available to do home visits.
Also, she will be attending a class for lay ministers in Fairbanks on Monday evenings and needs a ride to town on Mondays. Merrily said her sons drive up every Monday morning.
St Mark’s church will be conducting prayer circles at the church every Tuesday, 6:30-7:30. There will be an All Saints service Sunday at 11:15 A.M., fellowship to acknowledge those who have passed.
Open floor for comments/questions/discussion:
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