Here's Some Good News

Through the years I’ve been in the Kuskokwim Delta I have lived in, visited, or just seen from the airport several villages and school sites in LKSD. They are Oscarville, Napaskiak, Napakiak, Akula, Akiuk, Nunapitchuk, Atmautluak, Chefornak, Kongiganak, Kwigillingok, Newtok, Nightmute, Toksook Bay, Tununak, Tuntutuliak, Mekoryuk, Kilbuck, and Bethel Regional High School.
Others like Kwethluk, EEK, Kipnuk, Quinahagak I have only seen from the air while flying to other villages. Then there are the two that I’ve heard a lot about and have wanted to visit – Good News Bay and Platinum.
If you'd like to you can go to lksd.org and see the district map to give you an idea of how spread out the district is.
September 7, 2007 I was presented with a last minute opportunity to accompany the Atmautluak Cross Country team to Good News Bay for a meet. The planes would pick them up in thirty minutes. I didn’t think twice and was ready to go in fifteen. The planes arrived were on Bush time. They landed about forty-five minutes late. That was fine with me. I was still going.
It was a windy, turbulent take-off, but after we got a few hundred feet in the air it was a pretty smooth ride. I sat in front. It is neat up there and I can watch the radar and see where we are in relation to our destination.
About an hour later the mountains came into view. I glanced at the radar and to me it looked like we were veering off course. Being a nosey person and knowing that the pilot has the training and license I asked him why we seemed to be “off course.” I can’t remember his exact words, but it boiled down to avoiding the unpredictable winds that whip around the mountains. It worked for me.
A few minute later we landed. As we climbed out of the plane the wind and rain met us face-on. We quickly threw our luggage in a waiting SUV and were driven to the school. After we got settled and ate dinner I investigated the school, met their new staff and visited with the ones I knew who were still working there. Before long it was lights out for me.
The next morning we were greeted with wonderful breakfast and time to spare before the Cross Country meet would begin. While the teams and coaches walked the course, I decided to check out the village, beginning with the store.
I hadn’t got far from the school when a villager offered me a ride. Again, I didn’t have to think twice and hopped on his four-wheeler.
The store in Good News Bay was impressive. It had such a great variety of items. I could have easily gone broke, but I restrained myself.
After checking out the store I slowly walked back to the school snapping digital pictures along the way. It didn’t take much imagination to see how beautiful the place is when the rain and clouds are gone and the sun is shining.
The Cross Country competition began around noon. I’m glad the kids were running and not I. The course’s route took them up and down two mountains, to the airport, by the shore, and back to the starting line. I think it was around 2 miles. I got tired just watching them.
Soon afterwards it was time to get ready to catch our flight back. It was one time that I kind of wished we had gotten weathered in. There was more I wanted to see and do in Good News Bay. I didn’t have the chance to walk the whole village or the beach. Neither was I able to see Platinum due to the low clouds.
Maybe I’ll get to go back to Good News Bay at some point. Maybe I won’t. At least I have the memories and a few pictures. I can reminisce and think about it – probably more than twice.
(Tundra Teacher Tales is available in paperback or an immediate E-book download. Go to www.booklocker.com/books/973.html)