A tour of Sand Point

Many of you have asked to see what my town looks like… well here it is!

Sand Point Clinic is where is spend my work days. It is a beautiful building. It houses both the medical and behavioral health staff. The clinic is our emergency room, urgent care, primary care, pharmacy, dental clinic, eye clinic, and behavioral health clinic all under one roof. We have about 19 full time employees. That is everyone from our Nurse Practictioner, to Community Health Aide, Behavioral Health Therapists (that’s what I do), IT and Billing departments. You wouldn’t think that it would be so busy but when you are the only option for the entire town… yeah we are busy.

That building way up there is the Sand Point School. It has grades pre-K through 12th. It’s a nice school and has everything you could possibly need. Including an indoor swimming pool that children from across the borough (our version of a county) come to swim in. The school also had a public library that is not just for the school children but also for everyone in the community.

Crab pots sit on the side of the road when not is use. I initially thought “wow someone could just steal them”. Then someone reminded me that they weigh about 900 pounds each. Yeah they aren’t worried about them getting stolen! These pots are down near the beach.

The Harbor Café is a lovely place to grab a meal. Think Denny’s but everything (or just about) is deep fried. It is sooooooo good. I try to eat there about once a week. It’s a great way to stay in touch with everyone on the island because that is where everyone goes. They also have free wireless internet and a great strawberry milkshake. (even if the milkshake costs $4.)

Not the greatest picture but this is the Trident Seafood Corporation Canary. This is where the fish the fisherman catch go from swimming to frozen or canned. I haven’t been inside yet but I’m hoping to real soon. Trident also provides the gasoline for the island which is REALLY nice. I filled up the today for only $42.75 for 14.5 gallons. Not to shabby when you think that many other bush towns in Alaska are paying $8-10 a gallon. And no I’m not kidding.

Sand Point Baptist Chapel is the only protestant gig in town. There is a Russian Orthodox church but the priest recently left. It is a beautiful church that overlooks the straight. We have, on average, about 10-15 people a week. There have been fewer now that fishing season opened and they say that we have that many during the winter as well.

Alaska Commercial – the grocery store. Or as I like to think of it the place that will cost you your first born child in order to buy a week worth of groceries. More on this later.

Well I hope you have enjoyed seeing some of what Sand Point has to offer!

Abbreviated History Lesson... there will be a test!

Here is some information about the Aleutian Islands. Enjoy!

* When discovered by Bering in 1741 the native inhabitants of the Aleutian Islands estimated to have numbered from 20,000 to 25,000, more than the aboriginal Indian population of the Ohio valley, or of Florida, New York State or New England.
* The Japanese occupied Attu and Kiska during WW II.
* The Aleutian islands are at the same latitude as England, Ireland, Belgium, Holland, Northern France and Germany.
*Bogoslof Island which is out near Unalaska (Dutch Harbor) is actually the top of a submerged volcano that has a height of about 5,000 feet. It rose from the sea around 1796 following an eruption.
* The area was no explored until the 18th century and so many maps of the area were incorrect due to lack of information.
* The Russian Emperor Peter the Great sent several naval expeditions to determine whether or not Asia and North America were connected. On his first journey July 14, 1728, Fleet Captain Vitus Bering was instructed to map out the area. He was unable to successfully do this on his first expedition. His second journey started June 4, 1741 and it was described as “the most gigantic geographic enterprise undertaken by any government at the time.
* Two ship set out – one found the a small Island off Prince of Wales Island in southeast Alaska.
* The Shumagin Islands were named after Nikita Shumagin who was apart of the Bering expedition. They put to shore in order to hopefully help Shumagin health to improve. When he died the island was named after him and later the island group took on the name.
* Bering died of scurvy from bad water that was taken aboard ship during the ships time in the Shumagin Islands.
* When Bering’s crew returned to Russia the brought back a considerable amount of furs. This news traveled quickly and many traders sought to bring in some of this wealth. With the Russian rulers so far away the Aleut people were at the mercy of these unyielding traders. They were murdered by the thousands, cruelly exploited and in the end reduced to virtual slavery. By the end of the 18th century the population numbered as little as 2,000.
* English navigator James Cook explored much of northern Alaska including the Alaska Peninsula, Bristol Bay, Norton Sound and up to the Arctic coast.
* On the maps Cook used to guide him the mainland of Alaska was depicted as a great Island.
* The first detailed map of the Aleutian was made between 1790-1792.
* Alaska was purchased by the United States in 1867.
* On June 3, 1942 the Japanese bombed Dutch Harbor and occupied Attu and Kiska on the western end of the Aleutian Island chain.
* In May of 1943 American troops landed on Attu and after 3 weeks of bitter fighting the Japanese forces were wiped out. In August of that year the troops landed on Kiska but met no resistance as the Japanese forces escaped under cover of fog.
* Much of the information regarding how the Aleut people lived came from James Cooks expedition. They found that the people lived in large communal type homes that looked similar to caves. They were made with packed earth and supported by either driftwood or whale bone. The house was entered through a small opening in the roof by manes of notched logs that are similar to ladders.

I'm sure I will find out more information at time goes on. Hope you have enjoyed this brief history lesson!