Presidents Strategy of Victory in Iraq

Go to the link below to learn more about President Bush's strategy for victory in Iraq.

http://www.gop.com/News/Read.aspx?ID=5956

Eagle Forum Dinner & 1st Annual Fall Feast

Representative John Coghill accepted the Eagle Award from state chair of Eagle Forum Debbie Joslin in front of a full house at the cermony at Dalman's Family Restaurant in North Pole.

The award is given out each year by the Eagle Forum the people who stand out in their service to God, Country and Family. Representative Coghill ran for public office because of his beliefs in the rights of unborn children, preserving the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman, and preserving families.

Representative Coghill's wife, Luann, along with his sons and daughter attended the dinner along with their spouses and Representative Coghill's three grandchildren. Representative Coghill's dad, former Lt. Governor Jack Coghill was scheduled to attend, but weather conditions prevented him from driving up from Nenana. He was missed.



Steve Joslin and three of his and Debbie's kids sing "God Bless the Last Frontier" before dinner begins.


District 11 Secretary Debbie Vance got to introduce Lt. Governor Loren Leman. She said it was her first time speaking before a large group so she said she was a little nervous. She didn't show it and did a great job.






Lt. Governor Loren Leman told the audience the first time he met Rep. Coghill he didn't like him, because they were on rival high school basketball teams and Nenana whooped Leman's Ninilchik team.

But the second time he met John Coghill he knew they had a lot in commonwith their faith and the position on family issues. Lt. Governor Leman said several times when he has been unable to attend a function, he has asked Representative Coghill to take his place. Guests from the west side of the borough, Dave Williams and Mike Dalton listen to Lt. Governor Leman along with vice-chair of District 11, Doug Isaacson.

Representative Jay Ramras thanked Representative Coghill for serving as his mentor.

Joe Miller speaks about Rep. Coghill being a significant influence for him running for the state house in 2004. Keep an eye on this guy. Although he lost in 2004, expect to see him in public office someday.

Josh Coghill listens to Representative Jay Ramras talk about his dad's influence on his political decisions. Jay said Representative Coghill has taken him to the principal's office more than once to straighten him out. Josh is holding his niece Grace Green.

Representative Ramras and Fairbanks Hostess Miss Ruby Riddle welcome to North Pole Rick VanderKolk. Rick is committee aide for the Joint Armed Forces Committee of the Alaska State Legislature. Rick was an instrumental behind the scenes strategist for the presentations to the BRAC Committee to Save Eielson.

Jonathan and Ruth Ewig share their table with the Joslin kids. Jonathan and Ruth are loyal Right to Life volunteers.

Dr. Peter Marshall, Brenda Hewitt, Kathleen and Joe Miller awaiting a delicious steak and shrimp dinner.

Mike Prax, Mike Miller, Jacqueline DiSpoto, and Lenny and Ellen Ayotte listen to Representative Coghill's acceptance speech. He was grateful for the award and said it was a motivater for him to accelerate continue battle the activist courts that are rewriting our laws.

The food was delicious and the service was first class. Dalman's Family Restaurant pulled off their first banquet with perfection. Thanks, Debbie, Jamie, and Elizabeth.

The District 11 Executive Committee met with former Senator Mike Miller and Representative Coghill after the dinner to discuss the coming up elections. From the far left clockwise: Debbie Vance, Secretary; Leslies McFarlane, Badger #2 precinct chair; Mike Miller; Representative Coghill; Mike Prax, Chairman; and Doug Isaacson, Vice-Chairman.

Providence, Rhode Island

Recently District 11 Republican, Rynnieva Moss, attended a NCSL Leadership Staff Seminar in Providence, Rhode Island. She is sharing photos she captured from the history of the town when she had a free afternoon.


This photo is of the Roger Williams Memorial that was placed high on a hill to overlook the capital of the state he helped form after leaving Salem, Massachusetts because of his beliefs of religious freedom. Take note of the position of the photo showing the CAPITOL in the foreground under his watch.

Roger Willams established the first Baptist Church at Providence, Rhode Islands in 1638. This Baptist Church was constructed in 1773.


It is open to tours by individuals for $1.00. It is a delight to see the numbered, keyed pews and the elevated pulpit with a stairway.




The pipe organ is incredible as is the Chandelier.

This photo was taken from Chicago's O'Hare Airport.

The capitol of Rhode Island at dusk stands out in the city of Providence as Denali stands out on a clear day.

Rynnieva got the chance to meet Matt Chatham, wide receiver and three time receiver of the Super Bowl ring for the New England Patriots while in Rhode Island.

This structure is a Masonic Temple that the Shriners began construction of in the 1930's but ran out of money to complete. Recently they have acquired funding to complete construction so the construction been restarted.

The architecture of Providence is incredible! The design of buildings are from Athens to Rome to now to the future.

Winter is Here for District 11

Santa Claus House is open year-round. You can buy letters from Santa for your kids or grandkids and it is one of the largest gift stores in Alaska. The family owned business is managed by former Senator Mike Miller of North Pole.

It is winter

in

North Pole, Alaska

To the left the largest Santa Claus is garbed with snow and to the right Santa Claus House is decorated with snow.

North Pole, Alaska is situated right in the heart of District 11. The following are winter scenes from our District.

This is a shot of the sky at 8:00 a.m. in mid-October heading east on Badger Road to North Pole. Winter has arrived and is here to stay. This weekend there were lots of cars in the ditches. It seems every year people have to learn to drive on snow and ice all over again. Most of the vehicles are four-wheel-drive rigs that think they have an advantage on ice; not true.

The snow is here to stay. The Santa Claus Lane overpass turn off is now covered with snow. There have already been several wrecks in the North Pole-Badger Road area, so please drive carefully.









Mid-October western skies at dusk on Copper Street off Dennis Road. A snow pack forms on local roads for winter travel.





The sun reflects light rays through the clouds off Bradway Road in the mid-September sky.

New homes are still under construction even after the snow has hit the ground. North Pole is growing. This new subdivision is close to North Pole HIgh School.

The Flint Hills Refinery can be seen in the background behind North Pole High School. The 2004 NPHS Varsity Football team won the Railbelt Championship. Go Patriots!!

JACK COGHILL'S 80th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

Jack Coghill gives the camera a high five to show his youthful heart at the age of eighty.

Jack Coghill turned 80 on September 24th, but the celebration was put on hold until Saturday, October 15th, to make sure son, Jeff, was home from his barge run down the Kuskokwim River. Most of the Coghill Clan was there in Nenana to share in the celebration.



Jack's son, Representative John Coghill, and Jack's great-grandsons, Joseph and Alexander Green drove to Nenana for the celebration.


Jack's son, Jeff Coghill, a brage pilot on the Kuskokwim River, saluted a toast to Jack saying eighties years is not near the number of votes Jack has got in his life or, for that matter, the number of hands Jack had to shake to get all those votes.
















Connie Karl and Brenda Hewitt catch up on their lives. Connie and Brenda both have worked on Jack's past campaigns for public office.


Graffitti was colorful and the food was incredible. It was a great night for a great man. Thanks to all that drove the icy roads to the party.








The ride home to North Pole was fascinating with the sky moving from a bright moon, to silver linings, to the cloudy sky painted with orange and yellow.

GOD AND THE PLEDGE

Thanks to a friend in Hoonah for this one!

With hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, fires, severe thunderstorms and earthquakes tearing up the country from one end to another, the quote of the month is:

Jay Leno: "Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"

This picture was taken at 2 mile Badger Road at 6 p.m on a mid-October evening showing the colors of the sky in the west.

1st Annual Fall Feast

You are invited to a dinner honoring the

2005 Eagle Award Recipient of Alaska

Representative John Coghill

Saturday, November 19th

7:00 p.m.

Dalman's Family Restaurant

3340 Badger Road

Beaver Brook Mall

Debbie Joslin, State Chair for the Eagle Forum will present the award to Representative Coghill for his contributions to God, family and country through his service to Alaskans as a member of the Alaska House of Representatives the last seven years.

Tickets are $25.00

There are only 75 tickets and they are going fast so RSVP soon to Debbie Vance, Secretary for District 11 at 488-0616.

Paid for by District 11 Alaska Republican Party, 1193 Pueblo Street, North Pole, AK 99705-5770; Mike Prax, Chairman

JACK COGHILL SPOTLIGHT

District 11 would like to add a little history to its website. We will feature different Republicans that have had an impact on Alaska.

First on the list is Jack Coghill, who when serving as state chairman of the Republican Party was known as "Mr. Republican". Jack was mayor of Nenana for twenty-two years. He served in the first territorial legislature and has been an elected member of both the Alaska State House of Representatives and the Alaska State Senate. He was a delegate to the Alaska Constitutional Convention, which drafted the Alaska State Constitution. He was a founding member of UAF College of Fellows and he served as Lt. Governor from 1990 to 1994. At eighty-years-old, Jack continues his public service as a Nenana City Councilman.

This picture was taken September 16th, 2005 when current Lt. Governor Loren Leman (on the right) visits former Lt. Governor Jack Coghill in Nenana.

Several years ago, the surviving members of the constituional convention and the constitutional convention staff gathered in Juneau to reflect on their memories of the convention. Jack Coghill is fifth from the left.

Jack is still counseled by Alaskan leaders about the language of the Alaska State Constitution and the intent of the Constitutional Convention when adopting that language. Jack is now eighty-years-old and is near completion of his autobiography. He lived in District 11 with his wife Francis or several years after serving as Lt. Governor. When Francis passed on, Jack moved back to Nenana where his roots started. He constinues to be an advocate for controlled government and personal rights. His son, Representative John Coghill serves on behalf of District 11 in the Alaska State House and is House Majority Leader.

In 2004, the Alaska State Legislature enacted HB 304 which named Bridge #216 the "Jack Coghill Bridge to the Interior". The sign was put up this summer to commemorate this man of vision and determination.

In 1961, while serving in the State House, Jack Coghill worked on getting state funding to build a bridge over the Nenana River just south of Nenana at Rex. There were no roads going to or from the area at the time, so it was a tough sell. Jack said if the bridge was built, roads would connect the Interior to Southcentral Alaska.

Some legislators found humor in the idea of building a bridge with no connecting roads and called the bridge "Jack Coghill's Bridge to Nowhere." Despite the criticism, Jack proceeded in getting the funding for not only the bridge but the road that now allows Alaskans to travel between Fairbanks and Anchorage in six hours on the Parks Highway versus the twelve hour trip down the Glenn and Richardson Highways.

Coghill's General Store was established in 1916 by Jack Coghill's dad. The store is still operated by the Coghill Family.

Another landmark in Nenana is the Nenana Railroad Station for the Alaska Railroad..

ALASKA IS GOD'S LAND

Rynnieva went to Talkeetna this weekend to attend the Institute of the North Dialogue VI to discuss the upcoming Boom with the gasline. On the way back to North Pole, she got the opportunity to get some incredible photos.

This picture was shot on the Parks Highway Sunday afternoon as Rynnieva and her daughter, Katharine, were heading home to North Pole from Talkeetna. What is so fascinating is the privilege of being able to view Mt. McKinley is rare and the clouds had been hovering over Mt. McKinley for days. But when Katharine and Rynnieva woke up Sunday morning the Denali, the "Great One", Mt. McKinley, was open and visible to a crystal clear sky.

The ride north to Fairbanks from Talkeetna is espcecially rewarding in the fall when the leaves are turning colors.

Fog creeps into the Cantwell area.

Fog starts moving in on the Susitna River Valley. McKinley is the mountain on the right and Foraker if the mountain on the left.

A jet had passed in the sky and as the jetstream spreads a feather forms.

Though faint in the picture, this rainbow spreads across the clear blue sky in an arc shape to camoflauge into the colors of autumn leaves.

The beauty of birch trees in the fall and ground vegetation changing colors with the trees is cause to think of miracles and our place on this earth.

This is an exanple of the abrupt terrain in Alaska. We go from tundra, to treelines, to lichen, to hills, and to what you can't see (except for the base of the first low line of the hills on the left) the highest mountain in the continent.

These photographs cannot be downloaded or reproduced with out permission. Please contact: rynnieva@hotmail.com for information about duplicating these photos.