newsminer.com

Despite the successful tree eradication campaign in the box store belt — which has made it easier to see the trailers in the Home Depot parking lot and savor the atmosphere of uncontrolled commercial sprawl — the sentiment among many home owners is to keep as many trees in place as possible.

A lot of people like to live in the woods and hate to cut down trees.

This leads to problems in what fire officials describe in the bureaucratic jargon of their trade as the “wildland urban interface.” The informal term for the interface is a bit more colorful — the “stupid zone.”

In early June, as a State Farm customer, I received a letter saying that the company is sending a representative to my forested property to take photos and “evaluate your home and property for susceptibility to wildfire.”

In other words, the company wants to see if the stupid zone around my house is filled with brush and trees waiting to catch on fire.

State Farm began a campaign some years ago to cut losses in wildfire-prone parts of the country, which have totaled billions in the U.S.

“Once our underwriting department reviews the results of the survey we will contact you to discuss any specific wildfire mitigation recommendations,” State Farm said.

I have heard from at least one other local State Farm customer who objected to a visit from the company Information Providers Inc., which has been assigned to take photos of houses owned by policy-holders.

Her point, which is a good one, is she’d like to know what the information is going to be used for.

State Farm says it is using recommendations from the National Fire Protection Agency to evaluate homes and surrounding property. Among other things, the Firewise program recommends a 30-foot cleared area around houses to create “defensible space.”

About a year ago, the Associated Press quoted a State Farm official saying thousands of homes in fire-prone states have been inspected and no policies were dropped because of it.

The same story said homeowners were given 18 to 20 months to correct problems raised by the inspections and a State Farm executive said people were “highly motivated” to comply because of the wildfire threat.

I’m sure there is a sensible middle ground between the bulldozed landscape of the Johansen box store belt and a house from which you can reach out and touch the black spruce.

It’s easier to discuss this topic and plan when there is enough rain that the fires are not right at your doorstep.

•••

BACK TO SCHOOL: It may seem early to hear those dreaded or eagerly anticipated words, but it won’t be long.

To help those in our community who cannot afford the expense of student winterization, consider putting aside “slightly used” or new clothing for kids from kindergarten through 12th grade.

Clean clothes, ranging from jeans to skirts and sweaters, will be collected Aug. 11-15 at designated drop-off places to be announced in the weeks ahead. The volunteer organizers of this event also are seeking packages of new socks and hangers for the event.

The clothes are to be given away to those who need them Aug. 16 at the old railroad depot behind the News-Miner office.

For more information on what you can do to help, call 452-0289, 460-9057, 451-7906 or 479-4873.

•••

REUNION: The PTA at Two Rivers Elementary wants to mark 50 years of education at Two Rivers by highlighting people and stories dealing with the history of the school.

Catherine Moore, the co-president of the PTA, says the idea is to keep this up throughout the next school year.

Call her at 322-9599 if you can help.

Meanwhile, the Two Rivers Fourth of July potluck is scheduled, as it should be, for July 4. The festivities are set for 2 p.m. at the ballfield behind the Pleasant Valley store. Celebrants are asked to bring a dish. There will be a children’s parade, games, etc.

For more information, call Linda Legg at 488-7001, Ginger McKee at 488-4041 or Amy Monk at 488-4146.

•••

GLUTEN-FREE: Retired University of Alaska Fairbanks Professor Phyllis Morrow will present a course on gluten-free cooking Wednesday for UAF Summer Sessions from 6-8:30 p.m. To register, call 474-7021. Morrow has always cooked from scratch, which aids in living without gluten. “Living with celiac disease still means good conversation over good food,” she has written.

•••

ON THE ROAD: A reader reported that Alaska Aerofuel at the airport is home base for the six white Toyota Prius sedans that are apparently here for road tests. The cars with Michigan tags have the words “manufacturer plate” at the bottom, a designation given to research vehicles.

•••

HALF-CENTURY: The big event 50 years ago today in Fairbanks was the celebration marking congressional approval of Alaska statehood. In Fairbanks, a gold star was launched from the top of the Polaris Building and held about 1,000 feet up by two weather balloons, with guy wires running to the ground.

In his report of that day’s festivities for the News-Miner, reporter Jack de Yonge said George Huber made the star, emblazoned with the number “49” and dentist “Doc” Hufman planned to preside at the 4 p.m. liftoff.

“The star remained in the air until 11:57 p.m. yesterday when a strong wind from the north blew it and its balloons between the Polaris and Northward buildings,” de Yonge wrote.

“The star dipped down, caught on a power line at Third and Lacey and burned in half,” he said. The power was off downtown for 16 minutes, but the celebration continued.

Earlier that day, Don Pearson dumped 30 pouches of dye in the Chena River from the Wendell Street Bridge, intending to make the water look like gold, with sparkles added by the addition of vermiculite.

“The water, however, was kelly green, not gold as expected,” wrote de Yonge, who added that the crowd “took the switch in good humor.”

•••

SAFETY EXERCISE: On Tuesday at noon, city police and other emergency crews will be responding to an “active shooter exercise” at Lathrop High School. The training session, which is going to look real, is expected to last up to five hours, Fairbanks Police said.

Dermot Cole can be reached at cole@newsminer.com or 459-7530.