The ferry M/V Aurora made its final run out of Cordova on Sept. 19, 2019. Ferry service to Prince William Sound has been one of the most visible casualties of $44 million in cuts to Department of Transportation and Public Facilities funding. The Aurora is not scheduled to return to Prince William Sound until May 2020.
On July 27, 2019, 250 residents crowded into the Cordova Center to testify on a proposed seven-month stoppage of ferry service. Rep. Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak, along with other members of the House Transportation Committee, heard from Cordovans who fiercely criticized cuts to transportation infrastructure. Gary Graham, co-owner of the Powder House bar and grill, spoke for Cordova, saying, “This unconscionable, arbitrary, no-notice-or-public-input, seven-month removal of ferry service will be devastating to our community and our business.”
Wildlife biologists Charlotte Westing and Milo Burcham with the last bear to receive a radio collar as part of a three-year study conducted around Prince William Sound. The study, a collaboration between the Forest Service and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, tracked 96 bears, giving new insight into ursine behavior.
The Cordova Hotel and Bar, a century-old First Street landmark that had fallen into disrepair, was demolished on Dec. 3–4, 2019. Cordova Telecom Cooperative plans to replace the CoHo with a three-story building reflecting the design of the original.
When 33-year-old Neil Durco didn’t return on time from a camping trip, Cordova quickly mobilized to find him. A search operation was spearheaded by Alaska State Troopers, Cordova Police Department, Alaska Rescue Coordination Center, the Coast Guard, the Army and regular Cordovans, who turned out by the dozen to volunteer. On Oct. 13, 2019, Durco was found deceased, apparently from an accidental fall. Two days later, residents held a bonfire vigil, eulogizing Durco and celebrating his memory.
Kelly Weaverling launches a qayaaq (kayak) with assistance from Taylor Kimbarow. The boat launch and potlatch was part of an event supported by Native Village of Eyak, celebrating Alaska Native culture.
Ezra Sholl (center) performs with the Kodiak Alutiiq Dancers at the 26th annual Sobriety Celebration. For 2019, the event moved from its traditional home at Cordova Jr./Sr. High School to the North Star Theatre. Alaska Native dance groups provided entertainment, while speakers shared insights on overcoming addiction. Native comedian and actor Tatanka Means also brought some levity to the event with a stand-up routine. Sobriety Celebration coordinator Mary Babic said she regarded the venue change as a success.
Oceanographer Rob Campbell stands inside Prince William Sound Science Center’s extremely small laboratory. The 400-square-foot room is all the lab space PWSSC researchers currently have to work with. However, an expansive five-acre campus is planned to be established by December 2021. The new facility will feature running seawater and other resources for the scientists who visit Cordova from around the U.S.
Bret Bradford, piloting the F/V Nerka, watches the cruise ship Le Soléal depart. The liner caused confusion when it appeared unannounced in Orca Inlet on Aug. 21, 2019. Four additional cruise ship visits have been slated for 2020, possibly supplemented by two additional visits by Le Soléal.
Rep. Don Young and Sen. Lisa Murkowski share a bench with the bronze likeness of their former colleague, Sen. Ted Stevens, at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. The statue was unveiled Feb. 23, 2019, the work of Cordova artist Joan Jackson. Jackson is also responsible for the Fisherman’s Memorial statue overlooking Cordova Harbor.
At the sixth annual Eyak Culture Camp, linguist Guillaume Leduey and educator Kathrin Kaiser developed a suite of educational games to help Eyak language learners. The event marked a rising interest in reviving a Native language that was considered extinct just a decade prior.
The four crewmembers of the F/V Skadi were safely evacuated after the salmon seiner caught fire in Orca Inlet. The July 1 accident was one of several significant nautical accidents in and around Cordova during the summer of 2019.
A campaign to recall Gov. Mike Dunleavy collected over 600 signatures from Cordova residents. The campaign united both Republican and Democrat voters in an attempt to oust a governor who had drawn fire for his sweeping budget cuts. “It’s about the law and the Constitution and ethical governance, and that’s not a partisan thing,” said Barb Jewell, leader of the campaign in Cordova.
Friends and family of Coast Guardsmen greet the USCGC Fir as it prepares to dock. The Fir arrived in Cordova from Baltimore on Sept. 23, 2019. Some of the Fir’s 47 crew had been away from home for up to four months.
June 14, 2019, 30 volunteers refurbished the Bill Hansen Jr. Pioneer Cemetery. During the event, volunteers repainted worn wooden crosses and cleaned the moss from tombstones. The Cordova Native Youth Olympics team distinguished themselves by their industriousness during the event, said organizer Brennen Cain.
On Aug. 9, 2019, three children abducted from foster care in Seward were located in Cordova. The children were safely taken into custody by officers of the Cordova Police Department and Alaska State Troopers. “When we get these kinds of cases, we all think the worst and hope for the best, and this one was a win,” said Police and Fire Chief Mike Hicks.
In 2019, St. George’s Episcopal Church celebrated its 100th birthday. The Rev. Belle Mickelson led a ceremony recognizing the men and women who helped the church flourish in its early days, when it served as a social hub for the struggling pioneer town.
An unseasonably hot and dry summer led Meals Reservoir to become critically depleted for weeks. In response to the crisis, the city of Cordova asked residents and canneries to avoid any form of water wastage. In response, local canneries were able to cut their peak water usage from 3.5 million gallons per day to 3.2 million gallons. “The people of Cordova did a great job,” said Samantha Greenwood, director of public works.
From Oct. 27-Nov. 3, the Pathless Way Zen Community held its third annual retreat at Orca Adventure Lodge. During the retreat, Zen lay priest and ex-mayor Kelly Weaverling led chanting, meditation sessions and ōryōki meals, which combine meditation with eating.
Makena O’Toole unloads fresh Tanner crab from a tote aboard the F/V Regalia. 2019 marked the second consecutive year of Tanner crab fishery operation in Cordova since 1988. In March, O’Toole delivered over 2,000 pounds of crab to Trident Seafoods and to local residents.
From left, Cordova’s Christian Adams and Billy Bailey jump for the rebound during a game against the Susitna Valley Rams at the Interior Conference Basketball Tournament. 2019 was a banner year for the Wolverines, with both boys and girls teams advancing to compete in state championships in Anchorage.
Cordova Electric Cooperative Production Foreman Nate Cain checks the company’s newly automated battery. The experimental automatic system, the first of its kind in North America, is poised to save the average resident $100 per year by eliminating waste, said CEC officials.
Zachary Hun performs a Hawaiian fire dance at Salmon Jam 2019. The event, which brought together artists, scientist and entrepreneurs, helped raise much-needed arts funding to offset recent budget cuts, said Cordova Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Cathy Renfeldt.
2019 marked the 30th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Three decades on, scientists, economists and fishermen continue to measure the effects of the disaster and to ponder how it could be prevented from occurring again. Several Cordova institutions, including the Prince William Sound Science Center, have since been bolstered by funding from the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council.
