Bethel A to Z

From Guide to YKHC Medical Practices

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A

Airlines

Bethel/Anchorage – Bethel has four or five flights a day to and from Anchorage depending on the days of the week. Alaska Airlines and RAVN Air, are the two major carriers that connect Bethel with the rest of the world. Alaska Airlines has a frequent flyer programs, and RAVN has their own frequent flyer program. Start accumulating your miles now; you will be surprised at how fast they build up.

Bethel/villages - There are lots of smaller air services that fly to all the villages. There is at least daily service to all villages (except some of the upriver villages are not served on Sundays).

Bethel/Anywhere you want to go - a lot of local small air services provide charters to almost anywhere you want to fly. There are also float planes available for charter that can fly you into beautiful mountain lakes for any length of time you desire...the cost is dependent on what type of aircraft you need to use (how many people are going and amount of gear) and how much air time is needed for your delivery and pickup. Hart Lake is considered by many, as an excellent destination. Call around for the best price - use the Bethel yellow pages for list of charter companies.

Amazon Prime – an inexpensive and easy way to get specialty items and supplies to Bethel.

Archery

With Dexter Lemon - contact at Bethel Regional High School 543-3957. Tuesday evenings depending on gym usage and participant interest.

B

Banks

There are three banks in Bethel:

Alaska USA Federal Credit Union: 543-2619 First National Bank: 543-2601 Wells Fargo Bank: 543-3875

Don’t forget to get an ATM card. The bank will have the necessary forms for you to complete. We have ATM machines at the AC store, the movie theatre, Swanson’s grocery store. The ATM’s may charge a $2-3 fee for non-sponsoring Bank users. Also there is an ATM at the Anchorage airport, which comes in handy for those last minute cash advances needed before vacations.

You can request YKHC Payroll directly deposit your paycheck into your local bank account. This is convenient and highly recommended.

Barge Services During the summer months in Bethel (June-September) there are barges that come up the Kuskokwim to deliver goods from Seattle and Anchorage to Bethel. Many organized Bethel residents order food and other goods from Northland Barge Company and have them shipped up here during the summer months. You can also order building materials, cars, boats and anything else you can pay for and save a lot of $$ on both the original cost of the item as well as the shipping costs.

Northland Services: 1-800-426-3113

Berry Picking

A favorite summer activity. The tundra is a bounty of berries: blueberries, blackberries, salmonberries, and cranberries. Rarely, wild raspberries can be found upriver. Ask around for clues to good spots or explore on your own.

Bethel Actors Guild

Are you really a closet actor/actress? Does the smell of grease paint excite you? All personality types are needed for this group of great local talent seeking to present live performances in Bethel. BAG produces approximately four shows a year and needs behind the scene help as well as actors.


Bethel Council on the Arts

Be involved in bringing culture to Western Alaska. Recent events have included concerts by George Winston and Leo Kotke at the Cultural Center. Projects fund -raising, and event coordination 543-5222.

Bingo

If these five letters make your heart pound, a Bingo game can be found almost every night here in Bethel (VFW, etc.). It would be worth attending an evening with a local for the benefit of seeing how a significant number of our patients spend their evenings. Maybe you’ll even win some money to buy a toy such as a boat or a snow machine!

Boating

It is a lot of fun to have a boat in Bethel in the summertime for picnics during the late summer evenings on a nearby sandbar or the bluffs upriver, or a visit to Jung’s Store in Napakiak to check out the sales and native crafts, or a camping trip up the Gweek or Kwethluk river.

Boats, motors, and trailers are expensive new, but can be pretty affordable if bought used...especially if you go in on buying a boat with someone else. Look in the classified ads in the Tundra Drums or put one in yourself. Boats come up over the DDC in the “For Sale” file, so watch here too. Ask around to see if anyone wants a “partner” or has a boat for sale. Advice on what kind of boat and motor to get is free and easily obtained. And you can probably get as many different opinions on this subject as you like.

Bethel has a “small boat harbor” with floating docks and you can rent a slip for your boat. Call the Bethel Port Commissioner at 543-2310 for more information. You can also keep the boat at your house and launch it from a boat trailer at the two ramps in the small boat harbor. A final option is to anchor the boat on the shore of the small boat harbor, just watch the tides and keep it bailed out! However you use the small boat harbor there is an annual usage fee of around $20 per boat paid to the Bethel Port. They give you a decal to stick on your boat. Registering your boat with the Coast Guard is not required, but not a bad idea if the boat is stolen or you are late returning or in need of rescue.

Life preservers (technical name is Personal Floatation Device or PFD) are a must. The local stores will sell them, but YKHC Injury Prevention has them available at cost and can provide instruction on fit and use. PFD’s are required for all boat passengers and children must be wearing them at all times. It is a good idea, to have your children wear their PFD anytime they are near or in the water.

Boyscouts

Contact Craig Rogers, troop 559 Contact Tom Hildreth, Stan Corp 543-3121/5595 troop 557 Committee president for troop 557 is George Young 543-3998

C

Camai Dance Festival

The Camai Dance Festival is held every spring to celebrate traditional Yup’ik dancing and to welcome dancers from other cultures. Contact person is Linda Curda 543-5222

Cell Services/Phones

Cell phone service is provided by GCI or Verizon. Verizon only works in Bethel so if you are planning trips to the villages you will want to check into GCI’s service. There is a GCI store located in the Main AC building. They are open Monday through Saturday.

Chamber of Commerce

543-2911

Churches

There are over 14 different denominations represented in Bethel. Consult your telephone book or ask around. Some offer church van pick-up service.

Civil Air Patrol

If you are a pilot this is a great way to build up your “hours” inexpensively and to make contact with other pilots in town. CAP owns and operates two planes including a deHavilland Beaver, the ultimate Bush plane. Even though you may not fly, have you considered being an observer or ground support in this vital service of search and rescue? If interested call 543-2359.

Coffee

Latte’s can be purchased at CHSB building and Alba’s.

Community College - see Kuskokwim University Campus

Crafts (Native Crafts)

The nicest selection of crafts can often be found at the hospital, in the lobby of Community Health Service Building and during the Saturday Market at the Cultural Center. Many people display their crafts (everything from mukluks to ivory carvings) in these locations.

The Moravian Bookstore also has a pretty good selection, as does the Sourdough Gift Shop. The three main grocery stores have a small selection, but the prices can be high.

Another way to find crafts is during a village trip. Village stores may carry a small selection and there may be crafts for sale by individuals. Ask the Health Aides if you have an interest in a particular craft.

Bethel Quilting Guild – several people in town meet together to complete large quilting projects or to work on their own. They usually meet every Saturday at the Log Cabin in Pinky’s Park.

Be on the lookout for special classes to teach you how to make a kuspuk, fur mittens, hats, etc.

D

Dancing

Dance classes for children are organized through Delta Dance Group. Please contact Pam Conrad for membership, times, cost. They usually bring in several high quality teachers throughout the year for classes.

Weekend dances are advertised at local facilities. Fiddle Dances are popular and usually held at the National Guard Armory. The Phillip Alcohol Treatment Center often sponsors sober dances with DJ’s playing dance tunes. The Youth Center occasionally holds dances for teens as well.

Daycare

Involved Parents Pre-School: 543-3984

You can also find someone by putting an ad in the paper, on the reader, or (probably the most reliable) by word of mouth. (See also --Preschool)

Dental

YKDRH Dental-available to hospital employees and their families and community members. Waits for appointments can be long, but you can walk in at 8 am on weekdays if you have an emergency.

Kaguta Dental Clinic: available across the road from the Longhouse Hotel.

Ducks Unlimited

A yearly banquet and auction held in April to support stewardship of waterfowl. It is the main dress up event of the Bethel Cultural Scene. The perfect place for a Tux and Bunny Boots! A welcomed break during the waning winter months.


E

Electricity --see Utilities

Employment Service

Job Referrals -ask for Rick 543-2210 or call YKHC Job Hotline 543-6443. The State of Alaska Job Service is located in the BNC Complex, first floor.

F

Fish

Of course, Salmon is the fish everyone talks about in Bethel. There are five different kinds that “run” up the Kuskokwim, starting in June. First Kings (called Chinook in places farther south); then Reds or Sockeye in late June and early July, followed by Chum or Dog Salmon in July. The big run is usually the Coho or Silvers who come in August. In the even years there is a small run of Pink or Humpy Salmon, but in numbers hardly worth mentioning. Anybody can subsistence fish with a net if you have lived in Bethel for at least a year, but if you are going to rod and reel in Alaska, you need to purchase a recreational fishing license. These can be purchased at several locations in town (Swanson’s in the hardware department, ID Variety, AC, etc.).

For a good cookbook try Cooking Alaskan (also includes recipes for fried beaver tail and sweet and sour porcupine).

Fly and Reel Fishing

Go world class fly and reel fishing within a two to three hour boat ride up the Kwethluk, Kasigluk, or Kisaralik rivers. You can fly to Quinhagak for the day and fish the world famous Kanektok. You can catch fish from the runway or pay someone to take you upriver by boat. Please be respectful of the locals desire to keep human waste out of their river and drinking water supply.

Fire Department

There is a fire and EMS division so if you are interested in volunteering you can call or stop by. Contact: William Howell 543-3998

Fun Run / Walk / Ski / Bike

Monthly outside exercise for the non-competitor and competitor. There are several throughout the year. Look at the community boards in the CHSB, Hospital, AC and Cultural Center for events to be posted.

G

Gardening

Yes! There is gardening in Bethel. Many people around town grow oranges, just kidding. But really there are a lot of successful vegetable and flower gardens around town. Soil amendment is a big plus and picking cool weather crops that have relatively short growing seasons is another plus. There is a Community Garden where space is available near the Youth Center in City-Sub.

Gas

All prices are about the same… expensive. Gasoline is sold at: “Tank Farm” (a manless gas station on Standard Oil Road that takes only credit or debit cards) Nicholson’s near the GTE Radio tower. They also do Auto Repair. QFC 2 (7-11 type store near Blueberry Subdivision) North Star Gas (towards Brown Slough)

• * There is also a gas station/floating dock in Brown Slough near the entrance to the Kuskokwim for boat fill ups in the summer run by “The Wave”.

Girl Scouts

Contact Dawn Hackney- 543-6308

H

Hangar Lake

A nice place for Sunday walks and watching the floatplanes take off and land. Veer left over Brown Slough Bridge and keep going to the end of the road.

Hunting/Sport Fishing

For more information call the Department of Fish and Game 543-2979 and 543-2433, or stop by their office at the BNC Complex.

I

Ice Classic

Try to guess when the Kuskokwim River ice will “break up” and win money. Based on when a wooden tripod travels a 100 feet downriver in the spring tripping a clock and signifying official Break Up. This usually occurs sometime in May.

Ice Fishing

A winter sport! Be sure to listen to KYUK, call the State Troopers or D.O.T. to check ice thickness for safety. Popular locations are down river at the mouth of the Johnson River or up river to the mouth of the Gweek.

Ice Highway

During the winter, the river is like a giant highway for travelers with dog sleds, snowmobiles, cars, trucks, and even taxi cabs. Certain areas are plowed by the Alaska Department of Transportation to maintain a road. Sometimes the road stretches all the way to Aniak, over a hundred miles upriver.

J

“Just Desserts”

A local talent show, where lots of desserts are sold to raise money for community cultural events. Come and be amazed at the talent hiding in your neighborhood!

K

Knitting

There are several stores that sell Yarn. Lisa’s Party Store by the river and also Swansons. Saturdays at 2 pm there is a knitting group that meets at the KUC library.

Kuskokwim University Campus

Work on college courses and expand your horizons and education. Courses are offered during the fall and spring semesters and they also sponsor short community oriented workshops. Look for announcement in the Tundra Drums throughout the year and Course Catalogs in the mail. If you have a class you would like to offer, you can also contact Laura Ellsworth.

Kuskokwim 300 Sled Dog Race

Usually takes place the 3rd Friday in January. It is the Premiere medium distance sled dog race in Alaska. Many volunteers are needed to set up, work at, provide support-housing, and vehicles etc.

Contact person – Race Manager at 543-3300.

KYKD (100 FM)

A Christian station, KYKD is a Christ ministries organization located out of Nenana, Alaska. Volunteers needed. Contact 543-KYKD.

KYUK (640AM)

Have you ever wanted to be a DJ on a PBS station? Well now’s your lucky chance! Volunteers are always needed in many areas from country/western to top 40. Call 543-3131 and ask for the volunteer coordinator. Also the source of NPR News and All Things Considered and Alaska Public radio News. Always in need and deserving of monetary and volunteer support. NPR sponsored by the Medical Staff.

L

Library

Kuskokwim Consortium Library: 543-4516 We have a good library in Bethel. It is a part of the University of Alaska system, so books that are not in the library can be ordered. The kid’s selection is great. Ask about the book discussion group, children’s story hour, and friends of the Library group. Besides books there are Videos available for two-day rental and Internet access available in 30-minute blocks for free. This is a great quiet place to sit in a sunny room and watch the ducks and muskrat on the pond. They are also part of the OVERDRIVE system that allows you to check out electronic books on your e-reader for free using your library card.

License (car)

Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) 543-2771. Currently open most weekdays, but call first. Service is intermittent so to obtain a driver’s license if they are closed, the only alternative is to go to DMV office that is open, such as Anchorage. Questions can be brought to Gene Sanders 907-269-5563. The DMV is located in City Hall.

Lions Club

A service organization, with emphasis on eye care, and youth in the community. 1st and 3rd Thursday meetings. <543-4300>.

Lodging

Bethel has several hotels and some Bed and Breakfasts; check with local residents for recommendations.

M

Martial Arts

Judo and Tae Kwan Do are available intermittently. Watch the newspaper and KUC Course Listings for info.

Medical Services

Yukon Kuskokwim Delta Regional Hospital 543-6300

State of Alaska Public Health Nursing Bethel Health Center, a State of Alaska Facility. For Immunizations, Well Child Care, and Women’s Health Issues and Family Planning. 543-2456.

Bethel Family Clinic - limited Clinical Services with Midlevels and monthly itinerant Physicians. A not for profit clinic founded as an alternative source of care to the PHS Hospital which in the past only treated Non- IHS Beneficiaries on a emergency basis. 543-3773.

Meeting Space

Cultural Center, local churches and non-profits usually have meeting space for rent, KVNA Building, Lions Club.

Movie Theatre

Bethel has a two-screen movie theatre that has several showing throughout the week. Check out their Facebook page at Suurvik Cinema at Kipsuvik for movies and showtimes.

Mud

There is plenty of it here, especially during spring break-up. It is composed of fine alluvial silt which when dry creates a fine ubiquitous dust. Politeness dictates you remove your shoes in the Arctic entryway prior to entering anyone’s home to cut down on the amount carried into the house.

Musk Ox

Located on Nunivak Island, Nelson Island and there have been several sightings close to Bethel. Please do not harass the wildlife. Give them plenty of space, it is the right thing to do and they can be dangerous.

Museums

Call Cultural Center for times; the Fish and Wildlife Building has a nice display also.

N

Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis)

Keep an eye out for these in the winter during the late evening or early morning. Not as common an event here as in other parts of Alaska. Best viewing is North of town out past the dump or at Hangar Lake to avoid the city lights.

Nutyulit Gun Club

Currently Inactive

P

Playgrounds

There are lots of little playgrounds tucked away around town. Some are skimpy and in disrepair and some are fancy and all have something unique to offer.

Pinky’s Park hosts softball games and other activities, also: Ayalpik Apartments (Senior Citizen Housing) located in “housing” near Anica. Kilbuck Elementary School ME School (next to high school in “housing”) Across from the Kuskokwim University Campus Near small boat harbor On Ptarmigan Rd. next to AVCP housing authority

Preschools

There are a few preschool programs in Bethel -Involved Parent’s Preschool -Baptist Church Preschool -Busy Bees

Parks and Recreation

Pool and Recreation center – See YKDRAC

The Teen Center is the headquarters for Bethel Parks and Rec: 543-2088 Sponsors activities for kids and adults too. Call for what is going on.

Q

QFC # 2:

Chief Eddie Hoffman Highway - like a 7-Eleven with gasoline. Open until midnight. Quyana – the Yupik word for “thank you”

R

Restaurants

There are lots of restaurants in town (and they are smoke free!). Dimitri’s has great Gyro’s. Yolanda’s has the old time “diner” feeling. Datu’s has good cheeseburgers and a neat fountain that entertains young children. There is also pizza at Brothers. For a change in pace try the Arctic Sun Café and watch the planes take off and land. Most places deliver for free! Check the yellow pages for phones numbers...reservations not required!

S

Shopping

The two big stores in Bethel are AC and Swanson’s. The selection of groceries and foods has improved over the past few years...you can find capers, couscous and other exotic foods if you cruise the aisles with an eagle eye...and AC and carries Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream! Watch the sales in the weekly paper and hit both on shopping days.

Corina’s Caselot Groceries (across the Brown Slough bridge) and Sami’s on the main highway are Bethel’s version of a mini Sam’s or CostCo. They purchase bulk items in Anchorage and bring them back to Bethel. If you like shopping in bulk, you can save some money here and her selection is consistent and pretty darn good.

Anchorage is the ultimate shopping haven when you live in Bethel, and everyone is talking about Costco and Sam’s Club. Conveniently located near the Anchorage Airport, you can hit Costco on your way back to Bethel purchasing bulk foods at great prices. Fred Meyer (Discount Giant) and Long’s Drug Store have Bush Mail Service and you can order what you want and have it sent out. In fact, many businesses in Anchorage will take over-the-phone credit orders for merchandise and mail out COD.

And then there are always catalogs.

  • If you can come up with Anchorage Yellow Pages on your next trip to Anchorage, it will really come in handy.

Shipping

US Postal Service – All mail is delivered to post office boxes at the post office building. The post office cannot put mail in your box if you only have the physical address listed on it. You can mail letters at the hospital, but packages must be mailed at the Post Office. There is usually only a few cents difference between parcel post and first class. The flat-rate boxes are a great value.

UPS – UPS delivers in Bethel but you want to be very clear with the shipper if they are sending the item via UPS ground or UPS air. The price and time difference can vary greatly.

Federal Express (offered thru D&G Express) - 543-5574 Will pick up from and deliver to your house.

Snow

Snowplowing - if you driveway needs plowing in the wintertime, call Foundation Services: 543-3264 or T& H Leveling.

Snowmachine

Get one and open up a new world of exploring and winter camping. Follow the K-300 dog race through its course or just use for tool errands. There is a lot of country to see!

T

Taxi

There is a great taxi system in Bethel and there are multiple cab companies. Look under the Yellow Pages for phone numbers. All give good service and are pretty fast. When you call, just tell them your house number (i.e. 111 Alligator Acres) and they will usually pick up in 1 to 5 minutes or so. Cost is $6.00 in town and $8.00 to/from Tundra Ridge, Larson, and Airport and $12.00 to go out to Kasayuli Sub. Kids under age three ride free. The cabs will pick up and deliver while other passengers are in the cab, so usually you should plan a little extra time to get to where you are going.

U

Utilities

Electric- AVEC: 543-2038

Oil – Wave

     - Southwest Fuel Company:  543-2632

An oil-fired furnace heats most houses in Bethel and many hot water heaters are oil heated too. Set up an account with the fuel companies and have them top off your tank if it is not full when you move in. Then, set up a delivery schedule with them ...try once a month. Check up with a dipstick (broom handle) now and then to make sure they do not forget... especially important around February.

Propane -North Star Gas: 543-4277 Some ovens and dryers run on propane. If so, the tank (big, cylindrical tank standing up outside somewhere) will need to be filled periodically. If you wait until your tanks are empty, North Star Gas will fill them up at your house. If they are not completely empty and you want them filled, you have to bring over to their office for filling. The way to tell when your tank is getting low is when you start smelling propane in your house... and they are empty when the King Salmon fillet for your twenty guests is stone cold when you take it out of the oven.

Telephone - GCI Alaska: 543-2200 Long distance service is through ATT/Alascom. Do not forget to sign up for a calling card.

Water/Sewer - Utility Billing Office (City Offices) 543-3150 This is city service, so the phone number is listed in the “City Information” section at the beginning of the phone book. Unless you live in a house with large silver pipes running into an outside wall, you will have to have your water delivered to a holding tank located somewhere in your house. Your sewer tank is buried on the property and must be evacuated by the sewer truck. You need to set up a schedule for water delivery and sewer evacuation when you sign up for service.

How much water will I need? First find out how big your water tank is. Sizes range from 300 gallons to 1500 gallons. It may be hit or miss at first as to how much water you will use as this depends on family size, shower time, laundry and toilet flushing preferences. You start by estimating that a family of four can get by with around 100 gallons a day and using conservative techniques can get down as low as 50 gallons a day. Then, see how it goes. You can always change your delivery schedule to fit your own needs.

How much water am I am using? One way to see how you are doing on water is to float a cork in your tank, attach it to a length of fishing line or string and tie a nail to the end. The cork floats in water and the nail hangs on the outside of the tank. You can watch the nail move up the tank as you use water....you can even mark with chalk on the tank how much water you should use a day so you can quickly assess your consumption.

  • The water truck knows when your tank is full when the overflow pipe starts pouring out water during filling. A major potential problem exists in the wintertime if the overflow pope gets plugged with ice. Some overflow pipes are wrapped with heat tape and should be turned on 24 hours before you expect water delivery when it is cold out. If you do not have the heat tape, pour boiling water on the pipe if it is frozen until the ice plug comes out.

Sometimes the water or sewer truck may forget to come to your house. This is rare, but it has happened to us on occasion. Check your tank on water day to make sure you got your water.

If you smell a “sewer” type smell in your house after the sewer truck has evacuated your tank, this is probably due to the suction from the truck pulling the water out from the water traps in the sinks and toilets. The sewer gas is then able to escape from the tank back into your house. If this happens, just run the sinks for a few seconds and flush the toilets to fill the water seals again.

Garbage- There is no garbage pick up in Bethel. You need to throw your trash into the dumpsters around town. You will pay for this privilege on the bill for your water and sewer services.

Recycling is voluntary and encouraged at the Bethel Recycling Center, in City Sub near the KYUK Radio Tower. Aluminum is the mainstay, but other materials are recycled as well. Always looking for volunteers.

V

Video Rental

Video World: 543-4422/ AC has a red box as well.

Volunteer

There are always a lot of great organizations or activities to be a part of. Ask around for volunteering opportunities. You never know who you will meet or what skills you will gain.

Voter Registration

You can register to vote at KYUK, and at the Legislative Office located across from the Bethel Cablevision satellite dish. You can also register at the City Offices at the City Clerk’s Office.

W

Wood

If you plan to heat with wood, or if you have a steam bath, you will need to find a wood supply. You can use pallets; collect driftwood and dead wood by boat or snowmachine (up river a bit).

Check the classified ads in the Tundra Drums. Sometimes cablevision has notices about wood for sale or construction site wood that is for free.

Weather

Bethel has two seasons: Winter and Summer. Winter is long and lasts close to 10 months and summer can be rainy with lots of mosquitoes. In the winter the weather can be very bipolar with temperatures ranging from -40 degrees or colder up to 40 degrees above, this fluctuation can happen in a few days and can go on all winter. Summer generally sees temps from 50 degrees to 80 degrees but most often it stays in the 60 degree range so be prepared!!

Wind

A constant fact in Bethel, usually brisk and from the North. South and East winds will bring storms with them. It will be your continuous winter companion and will help you quickly understand the importance of a fur ruff on your parka.

X

While the Athabascan alphabet does include the letter “X” the Yupik alphabet does not.

Y

YUKON Kuskokwim Regional Aquatic Center

Bethel’s new pool and recreation center was opened in November of 2014. It has a six lane pool with a slide and kiddie pool. The recreation center has seven treadmills, a stairmachine, four ellipticals, bikes and top of the line weight equipment. Classes such as Spinning, Zumba, Yoga and Judo are offered as well as swimming lessons. The Center also has an after school program for elementary school kids and summer/holiday programs.

Z

Zoning

It doesn’t seem like there is any, but there are a few rules. Some areas are zoned general use and are wide open for any type of enterprise, others are more strictly residential. Some subdivisions allow up to two dogs, such as Blueberry and Hoffman, others allow dog yards of 10 or more, such as City Subdivision. You can really hear a chorus of howls there.

Revised 03/25/16 lmw and 3/21/17 by erw