by James Glaser
August 8, 2003

This weekend is the big one. Over a thousand former residents coming "home" for the Centennial and all school reunion. All these people coming to a town with a population of 230. I had to parallel park when I went to town. That was the first time in eighteen years.

Lots of people came back here with huge motor homes or their classic car. Everyone is in a good mood and smiles abound. It is just a fun time to be in the Northome area this weekend.

Friday is the reunion, Saturday is the start of the county fair and the Bear festival with parade, and Sunday is the community church service and the demolition derby. There is a dance Friday night in Mizpah and Saturday night in Northome.

What will be nice to see, is the older people doing the two step and maybe a schottish into the late hours like they were in their twenties again and for this one night, they will be.

This past week I met lots of really fine folks that would move back here in a heart beat if they could think of some way to make money. Most of those that returned, grew up on a farm or their dad was a logger or maybe did both. Today there are a some big loggers and few small part time ones. It is the same story with the farms. One farm has over two thousand cattle, a few get paid not to plant, and there are some that farm full time and work full time too.

Everyone this weekend talks about all the bars, gas stations and stores their used to be. Now there is one place to buy gas, one bar, and one grocery store. Americans love the small town they grew up in, but need all the things the city can give them. The people that stay and work keeping that small town going, sit back and laugh when they think about moving to the cities.

Here people are friendly all year long, there is no road rage, and everyone feels safe. Taxes are low, neighbors help neighbors, and the skies are not cloudy all day. I grew up in the cities and just cringe every time I have to go back for some reason.

It will be a fun week with all these people coming home and will be a real shot in the arm for the local economy, but all of us "locals" will give a sigh of relief when everyone goes home and we can get back to our slow paced lives.

POST SCRIPT DEATHS IN IRAQ

"Two American Soldiers have been shot dead in a gun battle in Baghdad, another was wounded"

"A soldier from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) was killed when he fell from the roof of a fixed site in Mosul"