Cam o' the Month

This month we feature Nome Alaska. Our company has done some business up here:

Wouldn't it be great to have a truck like this one? You can visit the Nome webcam at:http://www.nomealaska.org/vc/cam-page.htm This photo from this morning shows the visitors center, temperature 35 degrees below zero, frozen Bering sea in background.

Here are some interesting facts about Nome:

CLIMATE: Really really cold and dark, except for very brief summer when the sun does not depart at all.

POPULATION Within City Limits: 2000 – 3,505· 58% Alaska Native · 42%

ECONOMIC BASE Nome is the transportation and commerce center for Northwest Alaska. The immediate area is rich in gold and mineral potential. A major oil and gas lease sale was held in 1983 for Norton Sound oil exploration and development. Tourism has increased in importance in recent years. Carved ivory and other Eskimo crafts are also a significant part of the trade as well.

INDUSTRY The Alaska Gold Company is the major gold mining agency still in operation today. The immediate area is also rich in other mineral deposits. Alaska's reindeer industry is centered in the Nome vicinity.

TOURISM Approximately 20-23,000 visitors come to Nome each year, the majority during the summer season. Contact the Nome Convention and Visitors Bureau for more information.

GENERAL 12 churches, 2 libraries, 1 museum, 1 bank, 1 credit union, convention center, indoor swimming pool, 1 veterinarian hospital.

TRANSPORTATION Highways: No road system connects Nome to any major city. (This could account for the pickup truck with tracks instead of wheels.

COMMUNICATION Radio: KNOM AM/FM 78, KICY AM 85, and KICY FM 100, Public Radio channel. Television: Cable system with 49 channels. One public television channel. Three local video rental businesses. Newspaper: Weekly newspaper: The Nome Nugget. Anchorage daily papers arrive by plane with a half-day delay.

RECREATION Sled-dog racing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, hunting, fishing, swimming, civic groups, softball, basketball, racquetball, Eskimo dancing, bowling, fraternal groups.

THE IDITAROD SLED DOG RACE Nome is the finish line for the annual Iditarod Race. Known as "The Last Great Race on Earth", mushers and dogs travel 1,049 miles from Anchorage to Nome each March. End of the Trail activities are held in Nome during the entire month. For more information, contact the Nome Convention & Visitors Bureau or the Iditarod Trail Committee, P.O. Box 870800, Wasilla, Alaska, 99687.

ELECTRICITY Supplier: Nome Joint Utilities Average Cost per kwh: $.15 for all

GARBAGE Supplier: Andersen Services, Rate: $17.25 per month

TELEPHONE Supplier: TelAlaska's Mukluk Telephone Contact: (907) 443-5466 Rates: Business$26.00, Residential$20.00

HOUSING Residential housing is available for sale and rent the Nome area. Rental units are limited during the summer season. 1 bedroom apartment: $500-$850 per month 3 bedroom apartment: $1000-$1500 per month 3 bedroom house: $62,000 - $180,000 Hotels / Bed & Breakfasts: 180 available units

Your recommendations for next month's Cam O' the Month will be greatly appreciated