by Andrew Chalk
The battle of the Copper River Salmon has been crazy in Dallas. With the announcement from Matt McCallister (FT33) and Scott Romano (Nick and Sam’s) taking to the waters of Cordova, Alaska to procure their very own specimens. John Tesar (Spoon Bar and Kitchen) quickly lashed out that he was expecting his own shipment well before the chefs dipped their poles into the water.
That's Right! It's salmon time in Alaska! Local fishermen will head out in early this morning for a 7 A.M. opener, which marks the start of the 2013 salmon season. The webcam is a view is from the top of My Eyak, overlooking Cordova's beautiful harbor. Unfortunately, the weather forecast is a bit nasty. Alaska doesn't want to break free of winter's icy grip this spring.
Tomorrow is big…. real big! Since Cordova is a fishing town (that’s putting it lightly), you’d probably guess that the beginning of the fishing season is pretty important. But did you know that Cordova also has the earliest wild Alaskan salmon commercial opener? That’s right — every fresh-fish-craving, blue-blooded American (and some foreigners, too) are going to fight over tomorrow’s catch. And this isn’t just any salmon, either. This is Copper River Salmon, world-renown for its superior quality, taste & sustainability. By Friday, the first Copper River Salmon of the year will be flown to Seattle with pomp and fanfare on Alaska Airlines Cargo, to chefs waiting on the tarmack. In an Iron Chef – style flash of grandeur, these pros will compete to make the tastiest dish of the day with this magical ingredient for a chance to win a trip to Cordova (and some sweet bragging rights). In fact, there are Copper River Salmon Cook-off events like this going on all over Seattle and as far south as Dallas, Texas!
Cordova fisherman, Micah Ess, heading out for the first opener of the Copper River Salmon Season, 2013. Photo by Michelle Dockins.
But Cordova fishermen aren’t so concerned with this kind of pageantry, as with little things like the new hydraulics they hope will work like they’re supposed to, fishery projections, the weather, and whether all their licenses and permits are all filed correctly (paperwork is not always their strong suit). Born-n-bred Cordovan and Cordova District Fishermen United employee, Kelsey Appleton, gives a nice synopsis here:
Tomorrow marks the start of the 2013 salmon season, obvious to those of us who have seen it a time or two by the hustle of people around the harbor, busy with last minute prep. 541 commercial fishermen have renewed their S03E permits in order to fish the flats tomorrow. Some fishermen have already taken off, unable to quell the fishing itch any longer. Whether on the flats or holding down the fort in town, folks are eagerly awaiting the moment when the clock strikes 7 and the gillnets are launched in the water. Going into the season with a commercial harvest projection of 1.3 million sockeye, a season bigger than last year, has fishermen and fisherwomen hopeful and excited, but the anticipated 40 knot winds and 15 ft seas are daunting to say the least. Here in the office we are channeling good fishy vibes to those on the grounds and wish everyone a safe and prosperous season!
Good luck and great fishing, Cordova! Hope you get “In ‘em”!
It's that time of year again, time for CTC's Annual Membership meeting! It's this Friday, March 22nd starting at 5:30pm. It might not sound too exciting (I mean, who wants to go to a "meeting" on a Friday night), but trust me... you don't want to miss this event!
Don't believe me? I'll give you 4 reasons!
1. Prizes! Anyone who went to our last Annual Meeting will tell you that it's pretty hard to walk out of that room without a prize...
A homemade Valentine I whipped up juuuuuuuuuuust for you Cordova-lovers!
This has not happened in weeks here in Cordova. A massive difference from last year this time, December 2012 and January 2013 have been nothing but rain and winds so far. And then came today… Just glorious! And tomorrow doesn’t look too bad either. We might get through this winter yet 
![IMG_3126[1]](http://cordovabuzz.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/img_31261.png)
John Lilly – in concert September 20th! | Cordova Arts. This sounds like the makings of a great night of music in Cordova! Thanks for bringing him into town, Cordova Arts! For more info on Cordova Arts, check out their website and facebook page! :)
Cordova Arts is proud to welcome John Lilly for a live concert at Mt. Eccles Elementary on Thursday, September 20th!
John Lilly is a multi-talented acoustic music performer from Charleston, West Virginia, specializing in Americana, country roots, and traditional folk music. He writes new songs that sound as old as the hills, and performs older songs like they were made yesterday. According to one reviewer,
“If Hank Williams had a sunny disposition, he’d be John Lilly.”
Recognized widely as a powerful performing songwriter, John is the 2010 acoustic winner of the “Next Great Road Song” contest, sponsored my Midas and Spin for his original song “Come and Go.” In 2005, he won the national Ghost Writers In the Sky songwriting contest, sponsored by HankFest, a Chicago-based festival honoring the music of Hank Williams. John won a customized guitar for his original song “Blue Highway.” He was a finalist in the 2002 Chris Austin Songwriting Competition at MerleFest in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, chosen from 853 entries and placing third in the Country category for his song “Broken Moon.” John Lilly’s 2008 Mountain Stage radio performance is available at NPR Music. He has traveled extensively, including 48 states and three tours of Scotland.
We’re excited to welcome him to Cordova and think his music’s unique mix of old school and new will be sure to please! Come out and support Cordova Arts and enjoy some great music next Thursday with us! Tickets will be sold at the door!
Every fall in Cordova, when the always-too-short summer winds down and all the berries have been picked, there is still a secret treasure covering the forest floors… mushrooms!
And if there’s one thing Cordovans know how to do, it is to feast on and celebrate the bounty of goodness this land provides! Enter… Cordova Fungus Festival!
This year, the festivities commence Sept. 7th – 9th and feature a variety of events.
Starting on Friday, 9/7/12, go gather your fungus-grabbing fingers off and then come in any time for the all-day Fungus ID Tables with:
Here in Cordova, you’ve got all kinds of folks. But we all have one thing in common: we care about the environment. And why not, when it’s our livelihood. Our bounty of commercial fishermen utilize one of our most plentiful natural resources to feed their families and so many others all over the world. But there’s an army of organizations and groups behind these fishermen that diligently monitor everything from governmental policies to populations of fish and other marine life to maintain a healthy, profitable fishery. This Arbor Day, I’d like to give a shout out to groups like Cordova District Fishermen United (CDFU), Prince William Sound Science Center (PWSSC), Copper River Watershed Project (CRWP) and numerous others that are working to protect everything having to do with fishing, including the environment. To those groups and so many others, a tip of the hat!
But the environment is a complicated, extremely interconnected thing and there are a lot of ways to look after it responsibly. Today is Arbor Day, so we’re going to talk about one of the most basic environmental entities in need of protection (and appreciation)… the TREE! The New York Times recently published a great article, Why Trees Matter. Here some of my favorite excerpts:
We take [trees] for granted, but they are a near miracle. In a bit of natural alchemy called photosynthesis, for example, trees turn one of the seemingly most insubstantial things of all — sunlight — into food for insects, wildlife and people, and use it to create shade, beauty and wood for fuel, furniture and homes…
What trees do is essential though often not obvious. Decades ago, Katsuhiko Matsunaga, a marine chemist at Hokkaido University in Japan, discovered that when tree leaves decompose, they leach acids into the ocean that help fertilize plankton. When plankton thrive, so does the rest of the food chain. In a campaign called Forests Are Lovers of the Sea, fishermen have replanted forests along coasts and rivers to bring back fish and oyster stocks. And they have returned.
That is especially important to think about when you live in a place like Cordova! Who knew terrestrial trees were so vital to a healthy marine ecosystem!
In Japan, researchers have long studied what they call “forest bathing.” A walk in the woods, they say, reduces the level of stress chemicals in the body and increases natural killer cells in the immune system, which fight tumors and viruses. Studies in inner cities show that anxiety, depression and even crime are lower in a landscaped environment.
In honor of Arbor Day, here are my top 9 reasons trees are awesome!
