ALASKA ROLLERCOASTER
I have more from Louann in Alaska but I want to report the Lou is still in pain but walking a little ways every day. Friday night she had a severe stomach pain, but finally took a prescription pain pill and was able to sleep that night. You always worry about strange pains.
Here is Louann's latest email:
Hello, Everybody,
This last week has been a crazy, rollercoaster weekhere in beautiful but remote Twin Hills. I have beento explore the old landlocked ship that I have stared at for hours during my stay here. I have learned to operate a snogo (snowmobile). I have also driven it across the frozen Togiak Bay by myself which even someof the native women have not done by themselves. Both adventures were definitely high points of my living here in the bush.
Then early Friday morning around 5:00 am, I heard noises in the school building but didn't think much about it. The custodian is often in and out of the building at odd hours. I did notice that he was unusally noisy. I heard him break something. I also heard alot of thumping around and water running.....but still I wasn't alarmed.
I had been up since 4:30 am and was in the process of having a cup of coffee. When I thought I heard some unusual motion outside my apartment door, I stood still and listened for a few seconds, because along with the noise outside my door, I was still hearing noises made elsewhere in the building. So I thought maybe I was imagining the noise outside my door. However, I then heard the knob rattle slightly. So I moved to place a dining chair under the knob, and I noticed the doorjam moving back and forth. Someone was jimming the lock!
I yelled out in a voice that I didn't recognize, "Who's out there and go away!" Then I heard a body scrambling down the stairs and out some door. Finally, I heard complete quiet.....thank goodness!
There is no law enforcement in Twin Hills. I called the other teacher and his wife, but they did not hear the phone. I called one aide and had the wrong number for her. Then I called another, and she didn't hear the phone. John Sharp our custodian and head of the tribal council was out of the village. My last resort was to call our cook and her boyfriend. He was acting as the substitute custodian while John was away, so I knew that they had a key. They came and checked out the school with me, but we didn't find anything out of the ordinary. Gladys, our cook, stayed with me until Rod got to school. Later when Rod, the other teacher came over, he found that the glass case that held expensive items like ivory carvings, native crafts and a walrus tusk had been broken into and the tusk taken. He also saw that someone had moved a chair to get to a file cabinet/safe that we no longer use as a safe.
I emailed the superintendent about the incident and to tell him that I hoped something could be done immediately to secure the building. Very quickly our maintenance man from Togiak came over to check things out. He found that they had come in a back door through the kitchen. He then installed two slide bolts on my apartment door. The back door was repaired, and a heavy duty brace was installed to hopefully prevent this from happening again. I have gotten the numbers of several other people I could have called in the village, and now have those posted next to my phone.
I now know what channels to use on the VHF in case of an emergency. Rod and Barbara have placed a phone in their bedroom. So things are much more secure than they were Friday morning.
I am safe and O.K. However, it has shifted something in me. I do feel differently. I am not going to make any decisions on what I am going to do about next year until some time has passed and this is not so fresh. If I did what I feel like today, I would be on the next plane out tomorrow. However, I know that with time, I will begin to feel like myself again. If I don't, then I may have to make different plans. I have been told that this has never happened in this district before. I have had emails from people in Aleknagik (where I am suppose to move) with encouraging words. I just don't know, yet. Time will tell.
See why I said that it has been a rollercoaster? I'm just waiting to zoom back up to the top again. Again, this is not to worry anybody. I am O.K.....I promise......a little traumatized maybe, but O.K. It is warming up so quickly that my snogoing days maybe over for this season. I am so-o-o-o-o glad that I did what I did when I had the opportunity.
I wish you could have all been here to witness "Miss Louann"crossing that bay like I knew what I was doing. ThenI had to find my way through the village to my destination. I'm telling you...it was quite a thrill!
I love you all,
Louann
I have more from Louann in Alaska but I want to report the Lou is still in pain but walking a little ways every day. Friday night she had a severe stomach pain, but finally took a prescription pain pill and was able to sleep that night. You always worry about strange pains.
Here is Louann's latest email:
Hello, Everybody,
This last week has been a crazy, rollercoaster weekhere in beautiful but remote Twin Hills. I have beento explore the old landlocked ship that I have stared at for hours during my stay here. I have learned to operate a snogo (snowmobile). I have also driven it across the frozen Togiak Bay by myself which even someof the native women have not done by themselves. Both adventures were definitely high points of my living here in the bush.
Then early Friday morning around 5:00 am, I heard noises in the school building but didn't think much about it. The custodian is often in and out of the building at odd hours. I did notice that he was unusally noisy. I heard him break something. I also heard alot of thumping around and water running.....but still I wasn't alarmed.
I had been up since 4:30 am and was in the process of having a cup of coffee. When I thought I heard some unusual motion outside my apartment door, I stood still and listened for a few seconds, because along with the noise outside my door, I was still hearing noises made elsewhere in the building. So I thought maybe I was imagining the noise outside my door. However, I then heard the knob rattle slightly. So I moved to place a dining chair under the knob, and I noticed the doorjam moving back and forth. Someone was jimming the lock!
I yelled out in a voice that I didn't recognize, "Who's out there and go away!" Then I heard a body scrambling down the stairs and out some door. Finally, I heard complete quiet.....thank goodness!
There is no law enforcement in Twin Hills. I called the other teacher and his wife, but they did not hear the phone. I called one aide and had the wrong number for her. Then I called another, and she didn't hear the phone. John Sharp our custodian and head of the tribal council was out of the village. My last resort was to call our cook and her boyfriend. He was acting as the substitute custodian while John was away, so I knew that they had a key. They came and checked out the school with me, but we didn't find anything out of the ordinary. Gladys, our cook, stayed with me until Rod got to school. Later when Rod, the other teacher came over, he found that the glass case that held expensive items like ivory carvings, native crafts and a walrus tusk had been broken into and the tusk taken. He also saw that someone had moved a chair to get to a file cabinet/safe that we no longer use as a safe.
I emailed the superintendent about the incident and to tell him that I hoped something could be done immediately to secure the building. Very quickly our maintenance man from Togiak came over to check things out. He found that they had come in a back door through the kitchen. He then installed two slide bolts on my apartment door. The back door was repaired, and a heavy duty brace was installed to hopefully prevent this from happening again. I have gotten the numbers of several other people I could have called in the village, and now have those posted next to my phone.
I now know what channels to use on the VHF in case of an emergency. Rod and Barbara have placed a phone in their bedroom. So things are much more secure than they were Friday morning.
I am safe and O.K. However, it has shifted something in me. I do feel differently. I am not going to make any decisions on what I am going to do about next year until some time has passed and this is not so fresh. If I did what I feel like today, I would be on the next plane out tomorrow. However, I know that with time, I will begin to feel like myself again. If I don't, then I may have to make different plans. I have been told that this has never happened in this district before. I have had emails from people in Aleknagik (where I am suppose to move) with encouraging words. I just don't know, yet. Time will tell.
See why I said that it has been a rollercoaster? I'm just waiting to zoom back up to the top again. Again, this is not to worry anybody. I am O.K.....I promise......a little traumatized maybe, but O.K. It is warming up so quickly that my snogoing days maybe over for this season. I am so-o-o-o-o glad that I did what I did when I had the opportunity.
I wish you could have all been here to witness "Miss Louann"crossing that bay like I knew what I was doing. ThenI had to find my way through the village to my destination. I'm telling you...it was quite a thrill!
I love you all,
Louann
posted by Dr. Rodenberger at 8:36 PM
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