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North Pole Art Society promises another great First Friday event this Friday when members of Fairbanks Watercolor Society show their work at the North Pole Grange Gallery.

Fairbanks Watercolor Society, an affiliate of the Fairbanks Arts Association, is an active nonprofit group with dozens of members dedicated to promoting watercolor and other art in Interior Alaska. They are active in holding workshops, paintouts and other artsy events, and members provide artwork for a variety of local shows and exhibits. Members include the novice watercolorist as well as those who are successful professional artists.   Some of the artists showing their work at the North Pole Art Society First Friday event include Betsy Bear, Matt Moberly, Tom and Nelda Nixon, Gael Murakami, Vladimir Zhikhartsev and many others.

The show opens at 4:30 p.m., with the artist’s reception from 6-9 p.m. To get to the Grange, follow the signs on Santa Claus Lane.

For more information on First Fridays, Watercolor Wednesday weekly sessions or North Pole Art Society, contact John Poirrier at 488-7247.

First Friday Brisket Banquet

Also at the Grange this First Friday night is an unrelated event that will be a boon to hungry folks attending the Fairbanks Watercolor Society show.

Members of the North Pole Grange members will hold a brisket banquet downstairs featuring BBQ beef brisket and all the fixings. Word is it will be delicious.

The brisket banquet is a fundraiser for the Grange to help pay the rising costs of utilities. Any extra proceeds will go into their remodeling fund.

Dinner will be served 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and cost is $15.

Designers’ Closet to open

OK, so it’s not in North Pole and is in Fairbanks. Even so, the soon-to-open Designers’ Closet is exciting news for women within a 100-mile radius.

Owned by Kathleen Bell, this upscale consignment shop, located on Sixth Avenue between Cushman and Lacey streets, will open Thursday with hours from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The sign declares it to feature “new and pre-owned quality fashions.”

I finagled a sneak preview of this terrific little boutique a few days ago, and I can’t wait until they have a cash register up and running so I can start shopping.

The store is decorated in white, black and gold and is elegant with huge front windows, terrific lighting and displays and comfortable furnishings. But it’s the clothes that are enticing. I don’t think I’d be amiss in saying there have never been such clothes for sale in Fairbanks.

Labels boast names like Coldwater Creek, Armani, Ralph Lauren, Anna Klein, Donna Karin, Ralph Jones and a slew of similar designer names. Racks along one wall display exquisite shoes by Chanel and a display case holds Doones and Brooks and Coach purses.

“There won’t be Fred Meyer, Sears, J.C. Penney or Gottschalk’s,” Bell said of the clothing she will offer, adding that sizes range from a petite size 2 to 3X.

Despite the high-end labels, the clothing will be reasonably priced. However, one of the most difficult aspects of the store, she said, might actually be in pricing. Some of the three-piece Armani suits originally cost thousands of dollars and such suits often sell for more than $3,000 on Ebay. But this is Fairbanks, not New York, so the pricing has to fit the market.

Bell said that while the store will feature some new merchandise, the majority will be consignment items. The clothing must be quality and clean and brought in by appointment only. Sales will be shared 50/50.

Since her decision March 15 to open a classy consignment store, Bell said advertising has been word-of-mouth and she’s had many responses from women who have clothing they want to bring to the store.

Bell is full of ideas for her store. During prom season, she plans to rent formals to make attending the dances more affordable. Also, she plans to get involved in Tanana Valley Campus Center’s Career Closet or a similar program that helps needy women dress for job interviews.

“If you look good, you feel good; and if you feel good, you do good,” she said. “A lot of your attitude is determined by how you feel about yourself and how you look.”  Check this out

The main topic around the water cooler lately is the high cost of fueling your house and car.

This whole subject is very complicated and convoluted. If you want to look at a very interesting Web site that gives you a lot of information, check out www.Fairbanksgas.com. This site’s got it all: surveys, facts, explanations and public comment.

Here are two public comments regarding our frightening fuel prices:

“60 years here. Retired. Goodbye, home,” username Steve wrote.

“We are actually seriously considering moving to a warmer climate, specifically because of the fuel prices. Who can afford to stay warm here any more? On top of oil prices, the electric bill has doubled in the last three years as well, which GVEA attributes to fuel prices as well. I agree, no one will be able to afford to live here if this continues,” username Annette wrote.

I know how Annette feels. Truthfully, when my husband and I retire, we won’t be able to afford to stay here. It’s the same boat a lot of folks are in. Between health care and fuel costs, life will be a little desperate for many. Already many retired folks have been forced to get help from the food bank in order to save enough money for heat.

Moving or staying?

On www.FairbanksGas.com, there is an interesting survey that asked, “Could increasing energy costs cause you to move out of Fairbanks?”

While 33.33 percent of the respondents declared they would “stay in Fairbanks no matter what,” 25 percent said, “possibly, if it gets any more expensive.” More than 23 percent said “yes,” but weren’t sure when they will leave and more than 18 percent said they are planning on leaving within a year.

Altogether, 66.67 percent of responders pretty much said they’re headed south if the cost of living here continues to rise. The survey could be a bit skewed, of course, because there were only 204 voters, but in my discussions with others, I’m learning that more and more people are considering all options — and leaving Alaska has made the list.

Town Hall meeting

If you want to learn more about the energy problem, you’ll have a chance Wednesday from 4-8 p.m. at the Energy Plan Town Hall meeting at the Carlson Center.

These meetings will be in 25 communities throughout Alaska between April and June.

“Our goal is simple: We must reduce the cost of energy in Alaska by using locally available energy resources,” said AEA Executive Director and Energy Coordinator Steve Haagenson.

It’s great that they are reaching out to those of us who live here to find solutions.  The family tree

A little girl asked her mother how the human race came into being. “God made Adam and Eve and they had children and so was all mankind made,” the mother said.

Two days later the girl asked her father the same question.

“Many years ago there were monkeys from which the human race evolved,” the father answered.

The confused girl returned to her mother and said, “Mom, how is it possible that you told me the human race was created by God, and Dad said they developed from monkeys?”

“Well, dear, it is very simple,” the mother answered, “I told you about my side of the family and your father told you about his.”