On Saturday at Pioneer Park, the Borough will celebrate SS Nenana Day, to honor the Last Lady of the River.
The SS Nenana steamed the waters of the Yukon and Tanana Rivers between 1933 and 1954. It was officially retired in 1957, and has been a museum ship since 1965.
The SS Nenana; Photo credit: Fairbanks North Star Borough
The Nenana is one of only three steam-powered passenger sternwheelers left in the U.S. and the only large wooden steamer to survive the years.
Inside the Nenana’s wheelhouse
The Nenana has been neglected, restored, and then neglected once again. Efforts, including today’s celebration at Pioneer Park, are underway to try to stabilize, and hopefully restore the Last Lady of the Yukon.
It was announced last week that the Centennial Center for the Arts at Pioneer Park would close abruptly due to safety concerns. 5 of 22 columns that hold up the roof and walls are rotting from the inside. The 52 year old Centennial Center is usually a busy place during the holiday season, so the closure will displace several special events, as well as the main tenant of the center: the Fairbanks Arts Association. Repairs are expected to take 3-4 months. Hopefully, the Borough will complete the needed repairs. In 2014, seven columns had to undergo similar repairs.
The SS Nenana
The historic SS Nenana, also located at Pioneer Park, is desperately needing a resurrection. Interior tours were ended a couple of years ago, and I know the Friends of the SS Nenana are working with the Fairbanks North Star Borough to undergo the needed repairs and restoration. I would have to believe time is of the essence with the old sternwheeler.
An evening walk, with friends, through Pioneer Park. It was smokey, but at least the flowers were perky, if the walkers were not.
Fairbanks temps are going to hit 90F again on Tuesday, with a solid 88 degrees for the following day. The Shovel Creek Fire has gone over 12,000 acres, with 15% containment. It was so smokey on Sunday, that there was no air support for the firefighters due to the fact that the pilots could not see anything on the ground to dump water and/or retardant.
Some relief could be coming into the area on Thursday, with a possibility of rain, and a drop in temps back to 80. Thunderstorms are said to be part of the equation, but lightning is something no one in the Interior wants to see right now.
