Tag Archives: Ouzinkie

Like many parts of coastal Alaska, Kodiak Island is gearing up for a gap in ferry service this winter. While the city of Kodiak has relatively reliable alternatives for transportation to the mainland, the gap will pose serious difficulties for the some of the island’s outlying villages. The M/V Tustumena docked in Kodiak. It’s the smaller of two ferries that …

Guy Bartleson from Port Lions presents on the community’s garden progress. (Photo by Kayla Desroches / KMXT) Kayla Desroches/KMXT Four of Kodiak’s villages just wrapped up their second year growing local as a way to supplement their diets and incomes. In 2015, the Administration for Native Americans gave Larsen Bay, Old Harbor, Ouzinkie, and Port Lions a three-year grant to …

Mitch Borden/KMXT For years, a local program has provided valuable job training to native youth in the Kodiak region. In Ouzinkie this summer, one participant took on a job no other person has had in its history. Finding a job can be difficult in the Kodiak region. Especially if you’re young and live in a village. That’s one reason the …

Mitch Borden/KMXT At its work session Thursday night, the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly received its annual report from Mark Hickey, the borough’s lobbyist to the state legislature. One of the main topics of discussion was the Alaska Marine Highway System Reform Project, which is an effort by the South East Conference and the State of Alaska to revitalize the highway. …

Inside a hoop house at Spruce Island Farm. (Photo by: Daniel Rich Sr/Facebook) Mitch Borden/KMXT The city of Ouzinkie started working on its community farm about three years ago. This summer was the first time the farm was fully operational. On the old Ouzinkie airstrip sits Spruce Island Farm with its two large hoop houses and 30 Rhode Island Red …

Kayla Desroches/KMXT The Kodiak Island Borough is working to finish up infrastructure updates in the villages before students return to school. Matt Gandel says the borough replaced some of the flooring in the smaller Karluk and Ahkiok schools, and is now updating Ouzinkie. “So, we’re basically replacing the existing carpet with new carpet for the most part. There’s a little …

Kayla Desroches/KMXT The Kodiak Island Borough is working to finish up infrastructure updates in the villages before students return to school. Matt Gandel says the borough replaced some of the flooring in the smaller Karluk and Ahkiok schools, and is now updating Ouzinkie. “So, we’re basically replacing the existing carpet with new carpet for the most part. There’s a little …

Kayla Desroches/KMXT The Kodiak Island Borough is building playgrounds in seven island communities, and it begins construction on Monday. Borough Project Manager Matt Gandel spoke before community representatives at the Kodiak Archipelago Rural Regional Leadership Forum Thursday. “Last summer we travelled around to all the villages, talked to the community about what kind of equipment they wanted. Colors, types, all …

A White Chinese Goose similar to the one in Ouzinkie. Tracie Hall / Flickr Kayla Desroches/KMXT Island communities are growing their own produce and raising their own poultry as part of an ongoing hoop house project, and each village has its unique innovations to add in. Like beekeeping and guard geese. The participating communities of Larsen Bay, Old Harbor, Ouzinkie …

Baled cubes in Ouzinkie. Courtesy of KANA Kayla Desroches/KMXT Living on an island can prove a major barrier to getting rid of large, unwanted objects like cars or fridges, especially for small communities like those in the Kodiak Archipelago. In 2015, local partners in Kodiak began the removal of scrap metal and hazardous materials from the six island communities. According …