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.

911 WE SHALL NEVER FORGET

Today is September 11th. May we never forget the attack on our country and our people. May we respect President Bush for taking on the terrorists of this world and declaring war on people who want to destroy this country and its people. Pray for our military people who have willingly gone to foreign soil to protect our home country and us, the citizens of this country. May you not be fooled by the liberal press and their unrelenting habit of twisting everything that happens in history in a way to make Republicans bad and liberals good. Liberals are not necessarily Democrats. There are many, many Democrats who know this war is not about politics, but about protecting the people of this nation.


Standing United is essential in winning this war. Standing behind President Bush is essential. Standing behind our soldiers is essential. Send letters, send care packages, and, should you be in a restaurant having dinner, and you see a member of our armed forces having dinner, pay for his dinner. You don't have to disclose who you are; just tell the waiter or waitress to tell the soldier the bill was paid by someone who "wants to thank you for defending our freedom".
Please include all of our military people and their families in your prayers.



And please include the people of Iraq that are thankful for the courage of President Bush and our Armed Forces in allowing the people of Iraq to know what freedom is. Iraq's freedom is our freedom.

FALL BRINGS MOOSE TO YARDS FOR LEAVES & CLOVER

This picture was taken September 6th, 2005 by District 11 treasurer Del Moss' wife, Rynnieva, as this cow and her two calves graze in their front yard. as the leaves begin falling mooses are a common site in North Pole yards. This year's bumper clover crop is an added attraction for moose wandering into yards. One of these calves has a bad hind leg that will make it difficult to survive the winter.

Report on Labor Day Picnic

Thanks to all of you who came to the 9th annual Republican Labor Day Picnic. The rain clouds were looming in the distance all day but the weather for the picnic was perfect. Once for abour three minutes we had a light mist, which was a wonder because above us the sky was blue.

Labor Day is the day to honor the laborers of this country; the people whose toils of labor build our home, our roads, our airports, our furniture, our recreational toys, our stores, our schools, and our churches. Thank you for your labor and what you contribute to our country, our state, and our community.

A special thanks to Mike and Ino Welch who cooked, hamburgers, bratwurst and hot dogs for all of us. Here they are putting the Boston Baked Beans on the grill to stay hot.

District 11 's vice-chair, Doug Isaacson, is always there to help with our events. On Labor Day he brought his daughter, Lynnea, along to help. Below they are with long-time Republican supporters, Bud and Bev Violett.



Former Senator Mike Miller of North Pole and Fairbanks' official hostess Ruby Riddle catch up with each other at the District 11 Republicans annual Labor Day Picnic.


Fairbanks Hostess Ruby Riddle is giving her opinion to Senator Therriault and his wife, Jo Kuchle, as their children, Justin and Jordan, listen in.

Representative Coghill presents his two-month-old grandaughter, Grace Green to (from left to right): Gloria and Joseph Easaw, Rita Hymes, and Ino Welch.

Don Hymes and John Manley deep in political discussion. Don Hymes was active with the Alaskan Independence Party started by Joe Vogler in the late sixties and early seventies. John Manley was a legislative aide for Representative Dick Randolph during the early eighties.

Joseph Green plays on the slide at the Terry Miller Memorial Park where the picnic was held. Joseph is one of Representative Coghill's twin grandsons. Brother Alexander was behind him in the blue sweatshirt. Terry Miller Memorail Park was named in honor of Terry Miller, brother of Senator Mike Miller. Terry Miller was in the House and Senate, was the youngest presiding officer, and was Lt. Governor.


Cal Skaugstad and others listen to Representative Coghill talk about Labor Day and Hurricane Katrina.