Students remembered Robert Service at the school which bears his name. Here, the Lady who’s known as Lou pinches the poke of the stranger from the creeks.

Welcome to the February 1, 2005 online edition of the Klondike Sun, reproducing a selection of the articles and photographs from the news stand edition of the same date. That was a 24 page paper with 20 articles and 58 pictures. We returned to our regular bi-weekly schedule with this issue. (Yes, the last online edition was incorrectly dated 2004 in these comments even though the banner date was correct. No one noticed.)

While the online edition is posted some time after the newsstand (after all, we have to sell this paper), they now have the same dates.

This was an issue with a lot of variety - from politics to school events to sports.

This issue is being readied for posting on March 6, 20055.

The best (and most current) way to read the Klondike Sun is still to have the paper in your hands. There is subscription information on the Home page of this website.

Fulda Returns for a Race Around the Block

by Dan Davidson

When the Fulda Challenge returns to Dawson City later in the week the event, while still ballyhooed as a promotional extravaganza by the German organizers, will be reduced in comparison to what has been going on in town, and much reduced from the plans which the company spokespersons have indicated for this area in the past.

This year the Fulda competitors and their entourage of handlers and European press will be in Dawson for two nights. The only extreme challenge event planned in the town is an ATV race around the Queen Street - 2nd Avenue - King Street - 3rd Avenue block, plus a closing banquet at Gerties that same night, February 5.

In past years there have been at least two events around the town, including a rather spectacular ice wall climb at Crocus Bluff, which is still featured on the company website.

Town council had asked that this event be relocated as the indications were that five years of icing down Crocus Bluff were beginning to affect the rock face. Former mayor Glen Everitt recalls that Fulda had no problem with this, and that another location, up a cliff across the Yukon River, had been selected for the event. He does not recall Fulda officials being at all displeased with this request, but the event itself has certainly been removed from their schedule.

A one block, half hour, ATV race in Dawson hardly seems the extreme equal of contestants pulling SUVs, an archery contest, a snowshoe race, or the ice wall climb, all of which have happened here in the past.

Still Fulda’s event director, Hector Bergold, continues to extol the benefits of the event, which his letter to the Dawson City Advisory Committee indicates will be “filmed by 4 television crews for over 12 European TV stations. At the same time, approx. 40 international journalists will report on this event.”

He continues, “As you can imagine, the awareness pay out for Dawson City will be immense.”

Despite that, very little information about this year's “extreme Arctic adventure” has been forthcoming. Even their Dawson contact, Eric Zalitas, who has been doing a little organizing for them here, does not have a schedule of events.

This is the fifth year for the Extreme Challenge. The ATV race will take place about 4 PM on Saturday, February 5.