The first few days of school are underway. Teachers, students, and administrators are quickly getting back into the groove of a new school year. The Valdez School District is in the process of estimating the number of students attending Valdez City Schools this year. The School District expects to finalize numbers within the first 10 days of school. As of today, Valdez High School has 219 students enrolled. Gilson Jr. High has 109 students enrolled. The elementary school has 299 enrolled students, which is slightly lower than last year. The school district was surprised by the number of kindergarteners that enrolled for the school year. There ended up being a total of 53 kindergarten students, causing the school board to approve hiring one more kindergarten teaching position at the last school board meeting.
17.10 SILVER CAUGHT FROM CITY DOCK, 2 ANGLERS CATCH ONE HALIBUT
VALDEZ – The fish are big in Valdez, but not big enough to beat 10-year-old Kelvin Cann of Fallon, Nevada. Cann hooked a 19.10 pound silver August 10th and despite the huge number of large fish coming to Port Valdez, no one has been able to knock him out of the top spot. The daily first and second place winners have been in the fifteen to seventeen pound range, but none have been big enough to displace the 2nd and 3rd place leaders either. In fact, Betty Valdes of Eagle River is still holding onto 3rd place with the 18.84 pound silver she caught in the Women’s Derby August 14th. And Chelsea Harrison of Valdez is still in 2nd place with the 18.96 pound silver she caught August 2nd.
Barbara LeGendre of Junction City, Oregon caught a 17.10 pound silver from the Valdez City Dock, but it only landed her 2nd place for the day August 28th as Brian Hull of Anchorage Alaska reeled in an 18.46 pound silver. Hull’s fish was big, but just shy of breaking into the overall standings. CLICK HERE for Spawn Till Dawn details and more halibut and silver derby news.
SILVER SALMON DERBY- OVERALL WINNERS
1st
Kelvin Cann
Fallon, NV
19.10 lbs.
Aug 10
Private
2nd
Chelsea Harrison
Valdez, AK
18.96 lbs.
Aug 2
Connie B. III
3rd
Betty Valdes
Eagle River, AK
18.84 lbs.
Aug 14
Private
Halibut Derby-Weekly Winners-Week #14
1st
Amber Burton
Valdez, AK
157.1 lbs.
Aug 28
No Excuses
2nd
Robbie Bailor
H. Beach, CA
157.1 lbs.
Aug 28
No Excuses
3rd
Warren Woodland
Fairbanks, AK
127.4 lbs.
Aug 27
Bold Eagle
Halibut Derby - Overall Leaders
1st
George Levasseur
Valdez, AK
363.9 lbs.
Aug 6
Lisa Michelle
2nd
Loren Bell
Glennallen, AK
277.2 lbs.
Aug 20
No Excuses
3rd
Mark Sams
Valdez, AK
254.0 lbs.
July 16
No Excuses
CLOSE RACE IN DISTRICT 12
The unofficial results in the primary election held last Tuesday as of August 24th have District 12 on the edge of their seats. Candidates, Eric Feige, Pete Fellman, and Don Haase will have to wait at least 10-15 days to have all question and absentee ballots counted before a winner is declared. Currently, the unofficial results have Eric Feige in the lead with 33.57% of the votes and Don Haase close behind with 33.27% of the votes. Pete Felleman is not far behind with 33.17%. CLICK HERE for the 2010 unofficial primary election results.
NEED A RIDE TO ANCHORAGE OR ANYWHERE IN BETWEEN?
CLICK HERE for Soaring Eagle Transit scheduled routes from Valdez to Anchorage.
SPAWN 'TIL DAWN AWARDS SUNDAY
The Valdez Halibut and Silver Salmon Derbies will end Sunday, September 5th at noon and will commence with the Spawn ‘til Dawn Awards Party at 7pm at the Civic Center. Admission is free to those with a derby ticket. The evening will feature awards to the top 3 winners of the Valdez and Halibut Derby, Fish Olympics games, no-host bar and the Seekins Ford Truck drawing. Anyone who purchases a fish derby ticket during the season or at the door will be entered in the drawing to win the truck. Those who purchased a season ticket will have five entries to win the truck.
KNOW YOUR NUMBERS AT THE HEALTHY LIVING EXPO
The Healthy Living Expo is being presented by S.W.A.N. Tuesday, September 14th from 4-8pm at the VHS. Attendees will get the chance to “Know Your Numbers” through biometric screening. “Know Your Numbers” includes personal stats of blood pressure, cholesterol, waist circumference, and blood sugar. Participants will also have the chance to explore new ways to become active and live healthier. There’s an activity to fit all ages, including Wii competition, yoga 101, and much more. The event will conclude with the “Running of the Mascots” as well as prizes for the H.A.W.K., and more. Stay tuned for details or visit www.swanalaska.org
LOCAL VALDEZ BUSINESS OWNER BULLIED BY PALIN'S
Hawk Pierce, a local small busines owner, attempted to video Sarah and Todd Palin at the Valdez Airport on August 17th but was met with opposition from the Palin's and the Fox News crew that accompanied them. CLICK HERE for video of the encounter taken by Hawk Pierce.
Sarah Palin visited Valdez last Tuesday with her Fox news team to shoot about the pipeline with Prince Willaim Sound as the backdrop. CLICK HERE for the video.
CANDIDATES GET ONE LAST CHANCE TO WIN VOTERS IN DEBATE
Tomorrow Alaskans will hit the polls to vote in the primary election. Polls are open Tuesday from 7am-8pm.There are several candidates running in the primary election. CLICK HERE for a complete list of candidates running. Last night, primary election candidates participated in the KTUU statewide debate for a last chance to sway voters. Candidates running for governor challenged Sean Parnell’s strategy in bringing a natural gas line to Alaska. Governor Parnell debated republican candidates Bill Walker and Ralph Samuels. The debate was a heated one as Parnell described Bill Walker’s plan to bring a gas line to Alaska, beginning at the North Slope and ending in Valdez as, “government writing a check when the private sector is already moving.” Parnell added that a gas line to Valdez and the lower 48 are both options under AGIA. Ethan Berkowitz and State Senator Hollis French, both Republican candidates participated in their own debate.
PWSCC PROFFESOR GOING GREEN
PWSCC professor in Valdez, Toni LaFranchi was recently nominated for a Chancellor award in excellence in the area of university sustainability. LaFranchi is the chairperson of 3R!, the sustainability committee, at PWSCC. A fellow co-worker nominated LaFranchi for creating connections across organizations, instituting an awards program, and working across departments to ensure operational management. 3R! participated in a sustainability pledge through UAA’s Office of Sustainability and earned several prizes, including new recycling bins. LaFranchi is thrilled to have “real” recycling boxes that have taken the place of the cardboard boxes.
UPCOMING ELECTION DRAWS A HOST OF CANDIDATES
VALDEZ - The Valdez City Council and Valdez City School Board both have seats open in the upcoming election on Tuesday, October 5th. This year, Bert Cottle's term as Mayor expires and he will not be running again as he is planning to run for State House. Dave Cobb and Rich Long have both picked up a packet to run for mayor.
The Valdez City Council race should be a heated one as nine candidates have taken out petitions to run, however, only four petitions have been returned by Randy Ridderbush, Steve McCann, Dorothy Moore, and Allen Sorum. In order to run for City Council, a candidate must get the required number of signatures from the public and turn in their petition at City Hall.
Petitions Taken Out But Not Returned:
Terri Jenn
Christopher Moulton
Laura Mittlestadt
Llewellyn MacDonald
Jeff Town
Petitions Returned:
Randy Ridderbush
Steve McCann
Dorothy Moore
Allen Sorum
While the Valdez City Council has a large number of candidates, the Valdez City School Board has drawn a dismal number of interested candidates. Incumbent Dolores Gard has returned her petition to run but Duane Edelman has not yet picked up his petition. Also, Jack McKay has picked up a petition to run for Valdez City School Board. There are two vacancies on the school board, each to serve a three year term. Those interested in running for Valdez City School Board CLICK HERE for complete details.
LOCAL KIDS PACK THE CIVIC CENTER
Young, local actors entertained over 600 audience members throughout the weekend at the Valdez Civic Center with music and mystery. TBA Theatre in Anchorage held a two week long theatre camp for local Valdez kids and closed the theatre camp with two productions, Disney Dazzle and The Death of Edgar Allen Poe. TBA director, Shane Mitchell said, “Coming to Valdez to perform with such great kids is the highlight of my year.” TBA Theatre has helped the PWSCC Theatre Department embrace the world of children’s theatre. Last year, the PWSCC Theatre Department performed Charlotte’s Web and was a big hit with Valdez audiences. According to Dawson Moore, the PWSCC Theatre Department will perform The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe at the Civic Center. Auditions will be held September 12th and 13th.
VALDEZ SCHOOLS FAIR WELL ON ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS
Of the 505 Alaska Public Schools, 302 schools, including Valdez City Schools, made adequate yearly progress in student proficiency under complex accountability rules, according to the Alaska Department of Education. Valdez Superintendent, Jacob Jensen said “Valdez Schools performed very well on AYP for the 2009-2010 school year.” CLICK HERE for the complete Adequate Yearly Progress Report. Contact Superintendent Jacob Jensen at 835-4357 for further details.
SHE SAID "YES"
Along with record attendance, fun festivities, the Women’s Silver Salmon Derby ceremonies also included a marriage proposal. Colette LaBonte’s boyfriend, Michael Pappetti, asked for her hand in marriage in front of 600 people Saturday night at the closing ceremony. For pictures of the proposal and other fun pictures of the Women’s Derby visit KVAK’s Facebook page.
GOLD RUSH FUN FOR ALL
Anyone in town this weekend certainly could feel the buzz of Gold Rush Days. A new edition this year to the schedule of events was the wine walk, and was a big hit for participants. According to Judy Londo, 800 tickets were sold for the Gold Rush Raffle. The lucky winner who took home the $5000 cash prize was Jim Payne, Rich Loston won $1000, and Megan Rodolf won the third place prize of $500.
NO MOVIES FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS
The Civic Center will be undergoing a major construction project and this means no movies for the next couple of weeks. According to Pam Lunt, facility manager, the Civic Center will be having a piping project done that will entail tearing out the ceiling of the main hall and will impact nearly every area of the building. The Civic Center staff hopes this project will be completed in a couple weeks.
THIS YEAR'S PFD ESTIMATED NEAR LAST YEAR'S AMOUNT
According to the Daily News, this year’s Permanent Fund Dividend will likely fall between $1250-$1320, very close to last year’s PFD payment of $1305. The state will announce the actual size of this year’s dividend in September. The state of Alaska plans to award 600,000 Alaskan residents their permanent fund dividend on October 7, 2010. CLICK HERE for the complete story from the Anchorage Daily News.
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NATURAL GAS PIPELINE MOVES FORWARD
The proposed multibillion-dollar TransCanada gas pipeline from the North Slope took a step forward Friday with the announcement that potential shippers appear willing to pay to move gas to markets. "The Alaska Pipeline Project can report that we've received multiple bids from major industry players and others for significant volumes," said Tony Palmer, a TransCanada Corp. vice president.
CLICK HERE for the complete story from the Anchorage Daily News.
ALYESKA PERFORMS SAFE SHUTDOWN
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The Trans Alaska Pipeline System was safely restarted at approximately 1:35 p.m. Sunday, August 1, following a successful pipeline maintenance shutdown. All work was performed safely during the shutdown which involved over 250 people in planned maintenance tasks. CLICK HERE for the complete story.
HILLSIDE MAN ATTEMPTS TO RESCUE BEAR CUB CAUGHT IN DIPNET
According to the Anchorage Daily News, a black bear cub whose family was sniffing around a chicken coop got himself caught in a dipnet at a Hillside home this week, prompting competing rescue attempts by mother and homeowner. The homeowner used his truck to pull the net back from the tree line, but the growling momma bear wouldn't let him close enough to cut the net. Eventually, the man uses his pickup to pin the net on the ground, allowing the mother bear to rip the cub free from the net and pull her cub into the woods. CLICK HERE for rescue attempt video.
SEVERAL VALDEZ COMPANIES JOIN LIST OF STATES BIGGEST EMPLOYERS
Era Aviation, Subway, Providence Health & Services are just a few businesses that made "Alaska's Top 100 Largest Private Employers." Commissioner Click Bishop said "The variety of these newcomers -- from tourism to hard rock mining to retail -- is a good sign for Alaska's economy." CLICK HEREfor the complete story from the Anchorage Daily News.
Click Image to Enlarge
SILVER DERBY BEGINS AND SPECULATING ENDS
The Silver Salmon Derby began this past Saturday closing the KVAK Silver Salmon Speculation contest, with over 300 total guesses as to the weight of the winning silver salmon at the end of the derby. The Silver Salmon Derby runs until September 3rd, 2010 so all speculators will have to anxiously stand by to see if their guess has measured up for a chance to win $200 in fishing gear from Prospector and South Central Hardware. CLICK HERE for a complete list of Silver Salmon Speculations.
BEARS AROUND TOWN ARE GETTING TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT
Residents around Bremner and Chena Street got quite a show last week while Animal Control Officer Shana Andersen fired blank warning shots to scare a bear away while rummaging through garbage cans looking for food. Margaret Henry, standing outside the KVAK Studio, witnessed the bear running through resident's lawns and said "the bear was a little too close for comfort." According to Andersen there are three bears running around town in different areas rummaging through dumpsters and garbage cans. Andersen urges residents to not leave out food, trash, dog food, or anything that will attract bears and take their trash directly to the dumpster. At this point, the bear hanging around Bremner Street does not seem to be deterred from the warnings shots Andersen was firing, "the reward for food is greater than the risk," added Andersen. If the bears continue to be a nuisance, they will be trapped and killed, as the City of Valdez does not relocate bears.
VALDEZ DISTRICT COURT JUDGE APPLIES TO POSITION ON ANCHORAGE SUPERIOR COURT
Valdez District Court Judge Daniel Schally has applied to the Alaska Judicial Council for a position on Anchorage Superior Court, along with 4 others, that will open when Judge Stephanie Joannides retires in February 2011. CLICK HERE for details about the other applicants.
AGPA PROPOSAL RAISES EYEBROWS IN FAIRBANKS
Valdez - At their June 21st meeting, the Valdez City Council voted to approve a development plan adopted by the Board of the Alaska Gasline Port Authority ("AGPA") which authorizes the AGPA to: acquire and operate Fairbanks Natural Gas; Develop a North Slope liquefaction plant; develop port facilities at the Port of Valdez and Develop port facilities for gas as a transportation fuel. The City of Valdez and the Fairbanks North Star Borough must both approve the development plan and while the resolution sailed through the Valdez meeting with a unanimous vote and no discussion, the proposal is raising eyebrows with the North Star Borough. CLICK HERE for the complete Fairbanks Newsminer story.
ALYESKA CEO SETS RETIREMENT DATE
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Kevin Hostler, President and Chief Executive Officer of Alyeska Pipeline, has announced that he will retire September 30, 2010 according to Alyeska Corporate Communications Director Michelle Egan. Hostler previously told employees he planned to leave the company by the end of 2010. Members of the Trans Alaska Pipeline System Owner Committee will select a new CEO. If a new CEO isn’t in place before Sept. 30, the Owner Committee will likely appoint an Acting President and CEO in the interim, Egan said.
TEENAGE GIRLS STEAL COATS FROM PROPSECTOR
Valdez- Two dark-haired teenage girls ran out the door of the Prospector Saturday night just before 8pm wearing new coats stolen from inside the store. One fled wearing a white North Face jacket and the other fled wearing a black coat. Store Manager Rene Popenhagen said she positively identified one of the girls and police are currently looking for her. CLICK HERE to read the rest of the Valdez Police & Fire Department weekly report.
UGLY AND AGGRESSIVE
Charter boat captains and anglers alike recently hit the Sound in hopes of reeling in a lingcod. Lingcod season opened July 1st. Linkcod are particularly aggressive when defending their spawning beds, making them more susceptible to anglers, according to the Alaska Departmen of Fish and Game. All lingcod must be 35 inches in length to be legal to catch. Anglers should also watch out for their 18 sharp teeth, wide jaws, and ugly appearance.
LIONS, TIGERS, AND BEARS
Larry Reynolds, former Valdez business man, made headlines back in 2007 when he purchased Frank Murkowski's jet for $2.1 million. Reynolds said he planned to use the jet for business trips and big game safaries overseas. Reynolds once again made headlines last week when Alaska Auctions held his bankruptcy auction. Items sold at the auction include various trophies from Reynolds worldwide hunting trips, such as a rhino head that went for $1300 and two bears mounted mid-flight brought in $2900.
3D CONTINUES TO BE A BIG HIT IN VALDEZ
One of the top three movies of the year, How to Train Your Dragon, will be hitting Valdez in 3D, see below for show times. According to Pam Lunt of the Valdez Civic Center, this is one of the many 3D movies coming to Valdez as the previous 3D movies have received a good response. Three dimensional movies are the newest fad for movie makers and audiences can expect many more 3D movies to come. Movies to look forward to this year in 3D playing at the Valdez Civic Center include Toy Story 3, Shrek 4, and Disciple Me.
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON SHOW TIMES: Wednesday, June 30th- 7pm
Thursday, July 1st- 7pm
Friday, July 2nd- 3pm & 7pm
Monday, July 5th- 3pm & 7pm
Tuesday, July 6th- 7pm
Rated PG, Run Time 1hr 38min
CARHARTT DONATES WOMENS JEANS
New this year, every woman entering the Women’s Valdez Silver Salmon Derby will receive a free pair of Carhartt Jeans while supplies last. Women entering the derby will also have chances to win cash prizes, door prizes, goodie bags, and much more.
CLICK HERE for details about the Valdez Women’s Silver Salmon Derby.
SUNDAY EARTHQUAKE RATTLES VALDEZ AND SURROUNDING AREAS
Valdez residents were awakened Sunday morning by slight rumblings. An earthquake occured 28 miles southwest of Valdez, measuring 4.51 Richter scale, according to the Earthquake Information Center. The earthquake was felt over a wide area, including Sutton, Anchorage, Palmer, and Valdez. There were no reports of damage.
$32, 800 (AND COUNTING RAISED) TO FIND A CURE
Despite a new location and cloudy weather, Valdez Relay for Life raised approximately $32, 800, according to Theresa Randall. Money is still coming in so the amount raised is likely to be even higher. The amount raised this year during Relay for Life is slightly above last year's amount of $32, 582. Randall attributed the increase to the a new raffle. Randall said, "the raffle tickets this year really kicked up Relay for Life a notch." Local and out of town businesses donated several items for the raffle. All in all, Randall commented, the weather held out until Saturday afternoon and the participation from Valdez was great.
TOP TEAMS:
Bosom Buddies $5877
Valdez Marine Team $5217
Cooperatives in Action $4749
TOP PARTICIPANTS:
Patricia "Tiny" Caples $1680
Rhonda Hare $1414
Joanne Winney $1125
COAST GUARD RESCUES 3 SEWARD FISHERMEN IN VALDEZ NARROWS
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued 3 Seward fishermen last Thursday after their fishing vessel started taking on water in the Valdez Narrows. The fishermen intentionally grounded the boat to prevent it from sinking, as the boat was reported to have aboard 1,000 gallons of diesel and 400 gallons of gasoline. According to KTUU in Anchorage, the Coast Guard rescue crew reported no pollution.
RECREATIONAL VESSELS UNLAWFULLY ENTERING PORT VALDEZ SECURITY ZONES
According to the United States Coast Guard, from 2006 to 2009, an annual average of 11 recreational vessels have unlawfully entered into the federally regulated securtiy zone surrounding Alyeska Pipeline Service Company's Valdez Marine Terminal. The security zones appear on federal navigation charts and are marked with yellow buoys by water and with yellow square signs by land. There are other security zones in the Valdez Narrows and one around oil tankers at all times. Descriptions of all three security zones are posted at the Valdez Harbor Master's office and the public boat ramp. For more information, please pick up a pamphlet or contact Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Valdez at (907) 835-7205 or by marine radio channel 13.
SPORT FISHING FOR KINGS ON THE KENAI CLOSES DUE TO DISASTROUS RETURN
Sport fishing, including catch and release, for king salmon on the Kenai River is closed until the end of June due to poor return, says the Alaska Department of Game and Fish.
CLICK HERE for the complete story from the Anchorage Daily News.
VALDEZ – The fish are big in Valdez, but not big enough to beat 10-year-old Kelvin Cann of Fallon, Nevada. Cann hooked a 19.10 pound silver August 10th and despite the huge number of large fish coming to Port Valdez, no one has been able to knock him out of the top spot. The daily first and second place winners have been in the fifteen to seventeen pound range, but none have been big enough to displace the 2nd and 3rd place leaders either. In fact, Betty Valdes of Eagle River is still holding onto 3rd place with the 18.84 pound silver she caught in the Women’s Derby August 14th. And Chelsea Harrison of Valdez is still in 2nd place with the 18.96 pound silver she caught August 2nd.
The Healthy Living Expo is being presented by S.W.A.N. Tuesday, September 14th from 4-8pm at the VHS. Attendees will get the chance to “Know Your Numbers” through biometric screening. “Know Your Numbers” includes personal stats of blood pressure, cholesterol, waist circumference, and blood sugar. Participants will also have the chance to explore new ways to become active and live healthier. 
PWSCC professor in Valdez, Toni LaFranchi was recently nominated for a Chancellor award in excellence in the area of university sustainability. LaFranchi is the chairperson of 3R!, the sustainability committee, at PWSCC. A fellow co-worker nominated LaFranchi for creating connections across organizations, instituting an awards program, and working across departments to ensure operational management. 3R! participated in a sustainability pledge through UAA’s Office of Sustainability and earned several prizes, including new recycling bins. LaFranchi is thrilled to have “real” recycling boxes that have taken the place of the cardboard boxes.
Young, local actors entertained over 600 audience members throughout the weekend at the Valdez Civic Center with music and mystery. TBA Theatre in Anchorage held a two week long theatre camp for local Valdez kids and closed the theatre camp with two productions, Disney Dazzle and The Death of Edgar Allen Poe. 
Along with record attendance, fun festivities, the Women’s Silver Salmon
The Silver Salmon Derby began this past Saturday closing the KVAK Silver Salmon Speculation contest, with over 300 total guesses as to the weight of the winning silver salmon at the end of the derby. The Silver Salmon Derby runs until September 3rd, 2010 so all speculators will have to anxiously stand by to see if their guess has measured up for a chance to win $200 in fishing gear from Prospector and South Central Hardware. 
Residents around Bremner and Chena Street got quite a show last week while Animal Control Officer Shana Andersen fired blank warning shots to scare a bear away while rummaging through garbage cans looking for food. Margaret Henry, standing outside the KVAK Studio, witnessed the bear running through resident's lawns and said "the bear was a little too close for comfort." According to Andersen there are three bears running around town in different areas rummaging through dumpsters and garbage cans. Andersen urges residents to not leave out food, trash, dog food, or anything that will attract bears and take their trash directly to the dumpster. At this point, the bear hanging around Bremner Street does not seem to be deterred from the warnings shots Andersen was firing, "the reward for food is greater than the risk," added Andersen. If the bears continue to be a nuisance, they will be trapped and killed, as the City of Valdez does not relocate bears. 
Valdez - At their June 21st meeting, the Valdez City Council voted to approve a development plan adopted by the Board of the Alaska Gasline Port Authority ("AGPA") which authorizes the AGPA to: acquire and operate Fairbanks Natural Gas; Develop a North Slope liquefaction plant; develop port facilities at the Port of Valdez and Develop port facilities for gas as a transportation fuel. The City of Valdez and the Fairbanks North Star Borough must both approve the development plan and while the resolution sailed through the Valdez meeting with a unanimous vote and no discussion, the proposal is raising eyebrows with the North Star Borough. 
Valdez- Two dark-haired teenage girls ran out the door of the Prospector Saturday night just before 8pm wearing new coats stolen from inside the store. One fled wearing a white North Face jacket and the other fled wearing a black coat. Store Manager Rene Popenhagen said she positively identified one of the girls and police are currently looking for her. 
Charter boat captains and anglers alike recently hit the Sound in hopes of reeling in a lingcod. Lingcod season opened July 1st. Linkcod are particularly aggressive when defending their spawning beds, making them more susceptible to anglers, according to the Alaska Departmen of Fish and Game. All lingcod must be 35 inches in length to be legal to catch. Anglers should also watch out for their 18 sharp teeth, wide jaws, and ugly appearance.
One of the top three movies of the year, How to Train Your Dragon, will be hitting Valdez in 3D, see below for show times. According to Pam Lunt of the Valdez Civic Center, this is one of the many 3D movies coming to Valdez as the previous 3D movies have received a good response. Three dimensional movies are the newest fad for movie makers and audiences can expect many more 3D movies to come. Movies to look forward to this year in 3D playing at the Valdez Civic Center include Toy Story 3, Shrek 4, and Disciple Me.
New this year, every woman entering the Women’s Valdez Silver Salmon Derby will receive a free pair of Carhartt Jeans while supplies last. Women entering the derby will also have chances to win cash prizes, door prizes, goodie bags, and much more. 
Despite a new location and cloudy weather, Valdez Relay for Life raised approximately $32, 800, according to Theresa Randall. Money is still coming in so the amount raised is likely to be even higher. The amount raised this year during Relay for Life is slightly above last year's amount of $32, 582. Randall attributed the increase to the a new raffle. Randall said, "the raffle tickets this year really kicked up Relay for Life a notch." Local and out of town businesses donated several items for the raffle. All in all, Randall commented, the weather held out until Saturday afternoon and the participation from Valdez was great.