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DENALI PARK -- Voters didn’t talk about the election at my precinct at McKinley Village. They talked about the “bear jam” a few miles north on the Parks Highway.

A grizzly bear ambled south on the shoulder of the road Monday, then swam across the Nenana River on Tuesday morning and wandered around the Denali Education Center’s Elderhostel campus and through the McKinley Village hotel area. Eventually, it strolled to the highway and walked across the highway bridge heading north.

On Tuesday evening, at about Mile 234 Parks Highway, vehicles stopped in the middle of the highway to see the bruin, blocking traffic in both directions. Few vehicles bothered to pull onto the shoulder.

I kept my eye on my rear view mirror, hoping not to see a giant tractor-trailer bearing down upon me.

When I reached my destination and took my turn working at the polls, every voter who came in carried a “bear jam” update.

It was a pretty dangerous gathering of spectators. One voter reported a tourist standing in the middle of the highway, oblivious to vehicles around her.

I hope the bear has moved on in the morning.

Locked doors

Tri-Valley School now locks all doors, except the main office door during the school day.

“We are responsible for knowing who is in the building at all times, should a true emergency occur,” principal Robyn Taylor said. “This is common practice across the nation and is meant to protect all of us.”

So from now on, come to the main office door, sign in at the front office and receive a visitor badge. This applies to school volunteers as well as parents picking up children during the school day.

At a special Violence In Schools workshop last spring, school administrators learned that there are two types of schools — those that have experienced violence and those that will experience violence in the future.

That is a daunting prediction, but it is borne out by pages and pages of examples.

Schools in the Denali Borough are working closely with the borough to develop an emergency plan in the event of a catastrophe.

Fundraiser buys new fuel tank

Denali Preschool and Learning Center received a welcome surprise recently when an employee of the Denali Princess Resort held a fundraiser that collected $1,300 for the financially strapped day care center.

That money could not have come at a better time. It paid to replace a fuel tank, which had been vandalized and was no longer usable. Someone apparently poured mud and gravel into the center’s fuel tank. When the fuel truck filled the tank this summer, the muck traveled into the center’s boiler, where it caused further damage, shutting down the boiler.

It was about that time that Princess employee Jen Dimon came to the rescue. I haven’t had a chance to talk with her yet, but apparently this isn’t the first time she has, on her own, held fundraisers to help local groups.

“We are very grateful to her,” director Kim Clark said.

Although the Denali Preschool and Learning Center is back in business, after nearly being shut down in an owner dispute, it is far from solvent, the director said. She is putting out a newsletter this week to let people know that the nonprofit business is still struggling financially.

The Photonz reunion

You could say that The Photonz helped get Dave Coleman where he is today, as co-owner of the Denali Park Salmon Bake.

The Photonz was the first band he ever booked at The Totem in Healy when he worked there. It was a hugely successful night and his boss said, “Maybe you should bring in some more bands.” Thus, began Dave’s career of booking entertainment for folks in this area.

The Photonz are billed as a five-star band, one of Alaska’s greatest. This is their first return in four years. They play at the Denali Salmon Bake on Friday and Saturday nights. Admission is $8 in advance, $10 at the door.

Shoo lynx shoo

It is rare to see a lynx. It is even rarer to chase it away with a broom.

But that is exactly what Martha Tomeo found herself doing when she looked out her window and saw a lynx stalking her ducks.

The ducks, which lay eggs for the Tomeo family, were safely waddling in a wire enclosure, but Martha wanted to make sure the lynx didn’t have time to get too creative in finding a way to reach them.

So she ran outside and shooed it away, waving at it with a broom.

It took three tries before it finally left the yard, she said.

Flea market

Healy’s Aurora Club is sponsoring a flea market and barbecue at Otto Lake Park on Monday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

So clean out your basement and sell second-hand items, crafts, plants and even cars.

Reserve a space by calling 683-1323. Bring a side dish to share at the barbecue. Meat, buns, condiments and drinks provided.

Honoring George Fleharty

The Denali Education Center plans to host an evening of remembrance on Saturday for co-founder George Fleharty, who died recently.

Longtime Alaskans may be especially interested in a video that will be shown of the original park hotel burning down. A news crew just happened to be staying at the hotel at the time, and they interviewed George, as the fire blazed in the background.

Friends are invited to share stories about George’s time at Denali and to watch a short video about his life, which was produced for his 80th birthday.

The gathering is set for 7:30-9 p.m. at Riverside Hall, in the Elderhostel campus. The suggested donation is $20. For more information, call 388-6194.

Join Denali Quilters

Come and join the Denali Quilters at their annual membership meeting on Sept. 3 at 6:30 p.m. in the Tri-Valley Library. Dues are $24 a year, and the quilters offer lots of opportunities to learn to quilt or hone your skills for that great deal.

Quilts will be on display, and good food and door prizes are in abundance.