© 2009 Universal Press Syndicate release dates: March 7-13 10-1 (09) from The Mini Page © 2009 Universal Press Syndicate from The Mini Page © 2009 Universal Press Syndicate Go dot to dot and color. Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page ® . On March 7, about 70 daring mushers, or sled dog racers, and about 1,000 dogs met in Anchorage, Alaska, for the official opening of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The Iditarod (eye-DIT-uh-rahd) is one of the most challenging races in the world. The Iditarod starts in Anchorage and crosses more than 1,000 miles of Alaskan wilderness. It ends up in Nome. The Mini Page found out more about this exciting race and talked to a long- time Iditarod musher. Historical transport The Iditarod follows trails that native Alaskans have used for about 10,000 years. European settlers used the same network of trails to carry mail, supplies and people. Dogsleds could get to places where horses and cars could not go. Until about 1920, the Iditarod Trail was the main Alaskan winter route. Then the dogsled gave way to the airplane. Race to save lives In 1925, a dangerous disease called diphtheria (dif-THIR-ee-uh) threatened the people of Nome. It looked as if no one would be able to get the needed medicine to the sick people there. But dog teams succeeded in carrying the life-saving medicine from Nenana to Nome. Dog and musher teams raced across about 670 miles over the icy wilderness in less than five days. In 1973, Dorothy G. Page and Joe Redington Sr. started the Iditarod race. They wanted to celebrate the many things sled dogs have done for Alaskans. The sled dogs’ life-saving trip was just one of the services the dogs have provided. The race “Iditarod” is the name of a ghost town along the trails. Many experts believe it means “distant place.” The Iditarod begins at Anchorage with a ceremonial start to the race. The race truly begins the next day from Willow. The Iditarod Trail runs for about 1,049 miles. It varies year by year, because obstacles may arise, forcing mushers to break new trail. The race keeps going until the last team comes in. The fastest winning time was eight days, 22 hours, 46 minutes and two seconds. The last racers can take nearly three weeks to come in. Mushers begin training dogs in August, with the dogs pulling four- wheelers. In the spring and early summer, when the snow thaws, the dogs get a vacation. Race Through the Wilderness The Iditarod photo courtesy Paul and Evy Gebhardt Musher Paul Gebhardt and his sled dog team take off at the start of the 2007 Iditarod. photo © Alaska Division of Tourism Alaska natives used the trail for everyday travel needs, such as hunting and visiting. In odd-numbered years, such as 2009, the race jags to include southern villages such as Iditarod. In even- numbered years, the race detours to include villages to the north. Mini Spy . . . from The Mini Page © 2009 Universal Press Syndicate Mini Spy is racing in the Iditarod! See if you can find: • Santa face • snake • hourglass • heart • elf face • word MINI • fish • number 8 • whale from The Mini Page © 2009 Universal Press Syndicate TM Braving the icy wilderness The Iditarod Trail crosses snowy mountain ranges, frozen rivers, coastal areas, treeless arctic plains, and land with trees so thick it’s like going through a tunnel. Temperatures normally range from 20 below zero to 40 below zero, and that doesn’t count the wind chill. One year, temperatures fell as low as 72 degrees below zero. That race was canceled because the dogs were getting frostbite on their paws. Winds can be so fierce that blowing snow makes it almost impossible to see. Sometimes ice gets so thick that the water underneath has nowhere to go. Then, water flows over the top of the thick ice and forms a new, thin layer of ice on top of the overflowing water. This can be very dangerous to mushers, because they can fall through the thin ice into the frigid water. Keeping dry is the most important thing mushers can do. They carry dry clothes for themselves and booties for the dogs. Mushers Mushers have to be at least 18 years old. Kids from 14 to 18 can compete in the Jr. Iditarod, which is 160 miles long. Mushers have to study a lot. They learn how to plan strategy, coach the team, keep the different dogs healthy and happy, and provide food. They must be able to handle race hazards such as floods, avalanches and wild animals. Checkpoints Teams must stop at checkpoints throughout the trail. These stopping points are often villages where mushers and their dogs might get a chance to eat and drink. At each checkpoint, veterinarians look over the dogs. Mushers rub salve, or ointment, on a dog’s paws. If a dog is injured or too tired, it might leave the race and be flown home from a checkpoint. The dogs’ safety is very important. Each team can start with a maximum of 16 sled dogs. If dogs have to be sent home, the mushers keep racing with fewer dogs. But they must have at least six dogs at the finish line. Words that remind us of the Iditarod are hidden in the block below. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally. See if you can find: DOG, RUN, SNOW, ICE, WIND, MUSH, ALASKA, TRANSPORTATION, ANCHORAGE, NOME, CHECKPOINT, COLD, WOLF, QUIET, ZERO, MUSHER, TEAM, BELOW, LEAD, MOOSE, TRAINING, MILES, WIN, TRAIL, PAW. Iditarod TRY ’N FIND IT WOULD BE FUN TO BE A SLED DOG! TMW ZWO L E B L I A R TM RU Q O EN CMD D N I W L I A S U S L R OOU O N PWE L I H I R N F OML S G A I A E N E E Z UO V Z E D HWN D S I R T KWNWE C I E S OOM NMA E T T N I O P K C E HC GN O I T A T RO P S N A R T A K S A L A E GA R OH C N A from The Mini Page © 2009 Universal Press Syndicate Basset Brown The News Hound’s TM photo by Tech. Sgt. Keith Brown, courtesy U.S. Air Force Musher Maj. (Dr.) Tom Knolmayer drives his team into a checkpoint at White Mountain, Alaska, in 2005. He finished the race with nine out of his original 16 dogs. photo © Alaska Division of Tourism Mushers come from many countries and backgrounds. from The Mini Page © 2009 Universal Press Syndicate Meet Lucky Lucky is a former shelter dog lucky enough to star in an episode of Animal Planet’s “Underdog to Wonderdog.” In the show, a team of doggie makeover artists rescues a shelter dog, trains it, grooms it, finds it a loving home and builds it its very own doghouse. Host Ryan Smith is also the host of a TV commentary show in New York. He is an attorney and volunteers for family literacy. Dog trainer Andrea Arden has written five books and also writes magazine columns about dog training. Ali McLennan started grooming dogs as a part-time job to support her acting career, but loved it so much that it became a full-time job. She still acts, too. David Leon, the show’s doghouse carpenter, owns a home improvement company. from The Mini Page © 2009 Universal Press Syndicate TM from The Mini Page © 2009 Universal Press Syndicate TM photo courtesy The Animal Planet NOW WE’LL BEGIN TO COVER THE YEARS OF 1800 TO 1810 … Rookie Cookie’s Recipe Orange Delight You’ll need: • 2 (11-ounce) cans mandarin oranges (reserve juice) • 1 (3-ounce) package ladyfingers* (12 count) • 1 (1-ounce) package instant sugar-free, fat-free pudding mix • 11/2 cups reduced-fat milk • 1 cup light whipped topping • 1/2 cup reserved mandarin orange juice What to do: 1. Drain mandarin oranges; reserve 1/2 cup juice. 2. Place half the ladyfingers on the bottom of a square 8-by-8-inch dish. Pour 1/4 cup of reserved juice on top. 3. Meanwhile, make pudding according to package directions, but use only 11/2 cups milk. Chill for 5 minutes. 4. Gently blend 1 cup of whipped topping into chilled pudding. 5. Spread half of pudding mixture on top of ladyfingers.Top with half the mandarin oranges. 6. Place other half of ladyfingers on top of oranges; pour other 1/4 cup of reserved juice on top. 7. Repeat layer of pudding and oranges. 8. Refrigerate to chill. Serves 6. *Ladyfingers are usually found in the bakery section of your market. You will need an adult’s help with this recipe. All the following jokes have something in common. Can you guess the common theme or category? Terry: What did the student say when the teacher asked him to use the word “cousin” in a sentence? Tom: I put on my mittens “cousin” the winter my hands get cold! Tammy: How are a teacher and a judge alike? Tracy: Both give long sentences! Twyla: What do teachers of elves assign? Tim: Gnome-work! from The Mini Page © 2009 Universal Press Syndicate Paul Gebhardt has raced in the Iditarod 12 times. He grew up in Minnesota on a dairy farm. When he and his wife, Evy, moved to Alaska, he became friends with mushers and learned to mush and then to race. He didn’t mind that learning something new was hard. He said, “In my vocabulary, the word ‘quit’ doesn’t exist. My dogs don’t know the word ‘quit’ either.” Working with sled dogs Paul said it takes skill to figure out the right dogs for the right positions. Each dog has a different personality.A team consists of these dogs, from front to back: • Leaders that are responsible for the dogs and sled; • Swing dogs that help guide the team and swing the sled around turns; • Team dogs that help pull the sled; • Wheel dogs at the back near the sled. School for dogs Paul begins training dogs when they are about 1 year old. He said the young dogs don’t realize what they’re capable of at first. He said when the dogs first go out in a race, they are like elementary school students. But after their first 300-mile race they come back like high school graduates. They learn how much they can achieve without getting stressed. Mushers call sled dogs “forever children” because they never really grow up, Paul said. They always act like children; they love to play. The dogs live to run. If they see a raven fly, they will chase it for miles. Meet Musher Paul Gebhardt Danger: Moose ahead Paul said moose are “some of the scariest animals to meet on the trail.” They can be mean and stubborn. A musher may even have to break a new trail to go around a moose. A moose once trampled Paul’s team and killed his lead dog. Another time a moose knocked him off a sled and the dogs kept running without him. He had to walk for miles in the wilderness. Joys of the race Paul said the best thing about the Iditarod is the quietness. “There is no engine noise. You can hear nothing but your dogs breathing for hundreds of miles.You’re alone, but not alone. I have 16 of my good buddies with me.” He said it is also beautiful. At night, he said, “There is no fake light. You’re in complete darkness. You can watch the Northern Lights and the constellations.” Mushers may run from six to 13 hours at a time. They stop to sleep when they need to, day or night. The Mini Page Staff Betty Debnam - Founding Editor and Editor at Large Lisa Tarry - Managing Editor Lucy Lien - Associate Editor Wendy Daley - Artist In the ceremonial beginning of the Iditarod, people can bid to ride on musher’s sleds, with the money going to the Iditarod. A 9-year-old boy won the lucky bid to ride with Paul and Evy Gebhardt one year. A skilled musher understands his or her dogs and knows what they do best. For example, a lead dog won’t like chasing other dogs. They, like Paul, want to see what is around the next corner. Other dogs on the team have fun just being part of the group. photo courtesy Paul and Evy Gebhardt photo by Barbara Trombley/Trombley’s Images Paul Gebhardt hugs his sled dog Thor. Paul raises his own sled dogs. He also works as a carpenter. The Mini Page thanks Diane Johnson, education director for the Iditarod, and Paul and Evy Gebhardt for help with this issue. photo by Barbara Trombley/Trombley’s Images Evy Gebhardt with pups. Sites to see: www.iditarod.com www.aspenhollowlodging.com/ content.asp?CAT_ID=18 Next week The Mini Page celebrates St. Patrick’s Day with a story about leprechauns. Look through your newspaper for stories about the Iditarod. from The Mini Page © 2009 Universal Press Syndicate Supersport: Blake Griffin Height: 6-10 Weight: 251 Hometown: Oklahoma City, Okla. University of Oklahoma basketball fans are so excited these days, you’d think they had just discovered another oil well. But the big reason for the hoopla is Blake Griffin, a sophomore sensation who is making a strong bid for National Player of the Year honors. In the Sooners’ 21-1 start, the talented power forward averaged 22.4 points, led the nation in rebounding with 14.1 per night, and shot 63.8 percent from the field. Before arriving in Norman, Blake led Oklahoma Christian School — coached by his father,Tommy — to four straight state titles.At OU, the amiable Blake is so popular that the school has set up a mailbag site, SoonerSports.com, for him to correspond with fans. Blake rooms with his brother,Taylor, a senior on the OU team, and likes to watch TV in his free time. He said he doesn’t have a favorite color, but wears a lot of red and blue clothes. Blake also stressed that he was raised by his father and mother, Gail, to be a role model, a responsibility he embraces. As a “Boomer Sooner” and future NBA player, he has a platform to influence millions. TM A Race of Skill and Endurance