Alaskan Trivia:
ROUND ONE
Being born in Anchorage and raised in Spenard, Alaska trivia is fascinating to me. Here are some of my favorite Alaska facts and trivia.
Where does the word Alaska come from? The Alaskan native word ‘Alyeska’ which means ‘The Great Land’.
When was the first year of the Anchorage Fur Rendezvous? 1936
When was Spenard merged with Anchorage? 1975
Which current Anchorage high school was opened first? Anchorage High which later became West Anchorage
On which three different seas does Alaska have coastlines? Arctic Ocean, Bering Sea and Pacific Ocean
What percent of Alaska is covered by glaciers? Three percent.
What was the highest temperature recorded in Alaska? 100 degrees
In which city and when was this temperature was recorded? In Fort Yukon in 1915.
What is the lowest temperature recorded in Alaska? -80 degrees
In which city and when was this temperature was recorded? Prospect Creek Camp in 1971.
ROUND TWO
Being born in Anchorage and raised in Spenard, Alaska trivia is fascinating to me. Here are some MORE of my favorite Alaska facts and trivia.
What year was the “Good Friday Earthquake”? 1964
How strong was the 1964 “Good Friday Earthquake”? 9.2 on the Richter scale
(Second strongest in recorded history.)
How many of the world’s ten strongest earthquakes occurred in Alaska? Three
(I was in 10 years old living in Spenard for the 1964 quake.)
What is the state motto? North to the Future
Which is the official state flower? Forget-Me-Not
When was the Alaska Highway was built? During World War II
Who designed the Alaska flag? Benny Benson at the age of 13.
When was the flag of Alaska was designed? 1926
How far is Alaska from Russia? 2.4 miles from Little Diomede (US) to Big Diomede Island (Russia)
How many of the highest peaks in the U.S. are in Alaska? 17
Which is Alaska’s largest lake? Lake Illiamna
How many glaciers are there in Alaska? About 27,000
How much did the U.S. pay to Russia for Alaska? $7.2 million or 2 cents per acre
Trivia Questions Round #3
Who was the only School Board Member to raise repeated objections to the “Threat Matrix” used by the ASD Administration to justify shutting down Anchorage schools in response to Covid 19?
Answer: Dave Donley. Beginning in early 2020, Dave objected to the ASD adopted Covid Threat Matrix as to restrictive and inaccurate. Dave based his opposition on standards adopted by the World and European Health Organizations. In July 2020, Dave was proven correct when the State Department of Health ordered the ASD to stop using its Covid Threat Matrix as it was inappropriate for schools because it was designed only for nursing homes. Dave continued to advocate for opening schools as soon as it was safe to minimize the educational losses to students and difficulty to families.
Who was the only School Board Member to object to the ASD Administration setting the minimum direct virtual instruction time to students during the Covid school closures for teachers as only one hour a day for only four days a week?
Answer: Dave Donley. Dave objected to this ridiculously inadequate minimum direct instruction standard immediately and repeatedly. He rightfully asserted that only four hours a week of direct video instruction was inadequate and would result in serious loss of academic achievement. While some teachers provided much more direct instruction than this embarrassing low minimum, others failed to comply even with only four hours a week and students suffered. Dave was proven correct as testing has shown an unprecedented loss of academic progress by students during the mandated school shutdown and virtual school.
Trivia Questions Round #2
When was Dave Donley the only opposing vote on matters before the School Board?
A) Pass increase for the Superintendent.
B) Pass raises for District top executives.
C) Adding $5 million in new spending in 2022.
D) To support continuing mandatory masking even special needs, kindergarten, and first grade students that other countries around the world were not doing.
E) The School Year budgets for 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2022–23 which without one time Covid impact funds and use of savings accounts would have been huge deficits and led to the current over $40 million budget gap.
F) All of the above.
The answer is F, all of the above. Time and time again, based on data and common sense, Dave Donley has been willing to stand alone to vote for what he believes is best for students, parents, and our community.
Trivia Questions Round #1
Which did Dave Donley propose to the Anchorage School Board?
A) Amendment to save the Anchorage School District $40 million
B) Resolution to condemn DOJ and the National School Board Association for calling parents terrorists
C) Resolution to adopt a requirement to play the National Anthem and the Alaska Flag Song at least once a month in schools
D) All of the above
The answer is D, all of the above. Each proposal mentioned failed by a majority of School Board members.