General Communication Inc. has made high-speed, dedicated access to the Internet via cable modems available to Valdez. With the new service, customers can watch cable television, talk on the telephone and surf the Internet at the same time. Valdez is the first community to receive GCI's high-speed cable modem service outside the major urban communities of Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau.

Kudos

The Homer Chamber of Commerce awarded Maritime Helicopters its Outstanding Community Service by a Business award at the Homer Chamber Mixer Feb. 2. Dr. Paul Eneboe received the 2000 Citizen of the Year award. The business award recognizes a company that has supported community activities and organizations beyond normal expectations. The citizen of the year award honors an individual for continuing service to the community and for countless hours of public service.

The Alaska Department of Community and Economic Development has selected Fenton Woods of Wasilla, creator of the Original Poop Moose, as the Made In Alaska Manufacturer of the Year for 2000. Darryl Fenton of Fenton Woods and Terry Martin of Kindred Spirits, marketing partner, accepted the award. Fenton Woods has been in business since 1994 and has been a Made In Alaska permit holder since 1995. Since introducing the moose, the company has experienced growth of 25 percent to 50 percent per year and has found a market for approximately half its product out of state.

Aurora Power Resources Inc. of Houston, Texas has been selected as the New Contractor of the Year by the Defense Logistics Agency. The award recognizes a large or small business that contracted for the first time with the agency and that meets its vendor excellence award criteria. In 1999 Aurora Power was competitively awarded a $44 million, three-year contract to supply natural gas to military installations and federal civilian agencies in Alaska. Aurora supplies in excess of 5 billion cubic feet of natural gas per year to federal facilities in Southcentral Alaska.

Locator

The Regulatory Commission of Alaska is relocating its offices to 701 W. Eighth Ave., Suite 300, effective March 27. The agency's telephone number, 907-276-6222, and fax number, 907-276-0160, remain the same. According to RCA, processing of filings and information requests may be delayed due to unpacking after the move.

Northern Testing Laboratories Inc. has completed the acquisition of equipment assets from two laboratories that closed recently in Anchorage. NTL is relocating environmental testing and lab infrastructure equipment from Columbia Analytical Services to augment the capacity and performance of NTL's other labs in Fairbanks, Anchorage and Deadhorse. NTL also acquired the mechanical systems in a complete 6000-square-foot environmental laboratory from Severn Trent Labs, formerly Quanterra, at 5761 Silverado Way, Unit N. NTL closed its operation at the Schoon Street lab Feb. 2 and opened the STL lab Feb. 5. The telephone number, 907-349-1000, and the fax number, 907-349-1016, will still be used.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks has launched an online calendar at (www.uaf.edu/events). The comprehensive Web calendar includes arts, academic dates and campus attractions. Nearly 30 departments are keeping the online calendar updated. For additional information, contact Carol Browning at 907-474-7778.

Sundries

National Bank of Alaska has extended its sponsorship of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The Wells Fargo company has agreed to a new, five-year sponsorship deal worth more than $1 million. The bank's contribution for this year's Iditarod will be $205,000. In addition NBA is sponsoring the Iditarod Teacher on the Trail program.

Applications are available for graduating high school seniors and college students from Alaska for summer internships in Sen. Ted Stevens' Washington, D.C. office. The Republican senator's intern program is now in its 33rd year. Applications must be postmarked by March 30 and are available online at (www.senate .gov/~stevens).