Thank You......Thank You......Thank You......Thank You......Thank You......Thank You......
(by Susan Mumma, Seldovia Festival Chair)

Dear Seldovia Folk Festival Participants, Advocates and Friends,

I just wanted to drop a note to thank all of you that helped make the First Annual Seldovia Folk Festival fun. The weather did give us its best angry shot, but the festival went on in true Alaskan form. I was especially impressed with the way MAKO Water Taxi helped us transport our precious cargo of music folks to Jackaloff Bay and how Great Northern Air, Smokey Bay Air, Homer Air and ERA adjusted and readjusted their schedules it fit the weather challenge.

I wanted to thank Mary and Tom Glover, Patti Scheel, Felicia Rowland, Mark Janes and Tracy Philpot for the many trips up and down the Jackaloff Bay Road and the Hilts and Glover families for vans to do it with.

The Seldovia Arts Council would like to publically recognize The My Home Upholstrey Strang Ensemble with Sherri Hadley, Bruce Bookman, John Michaud, Willy Dunne, Richard Gelandin and John Michaelson for playing their hearts our for us for the whole festival. Dances called by Kenny Powers were terrific.

Thanks to visiting musicians, Pam Howard, Dan McElrath, Sally Wills, Stephanie Zuniga, The Reverend Poor Child Band Richard Olson, Pete Conduras and Lark . Kudos to local musicians and dancers, the Sea Otter dancers, Trinket Galien, Brook Haynes, Ariel Anohonoak, Courney Collier, Emily Haynes, Holly Volsted, Jennifer Giles, Kathleen Gruber, Christy Gallien, Laurie Gallien, Molly Chapman, Naomi Gallien and Sally Volstad, The Safety In Numbers Choir: Pixie Jones, Mary Glover, Susan Springer, Vivian Rojas Michaelson, Felicia and Mark Rowland, Laurel Hilts, Mary and Webber and Susan Mumma.

Thanks to Mary Webber, and Susan Springer for their work on advance publicity, posters and news release.

Thanks to Savannah Lewis at the Seldovia Herald, Mary and Tom Glover at Seldovia.com, Carrie at the Homer News, Jennifer at the Homer Tribune, and Kenai Peninsula Clarion for thier wonderful pre-event stories on the Australian Band "Fruit" and the Festival and to Jessica at KBBI for such a lovely follow-up story on the events. Thanks to Herring Bay Mercantile, The Linwood, Tracy Philpot and the Seldovia Rowing Club and the Main Street Market for ticket sales and Darlene Crawford for working the gate and then counting it all up. Whew!

Thanks to Seldovia Fishing Adventures, Seldovia Rowing Club, Swan House B and B, the Dillion Family, The Nordenson Family, Bayview Suites, Susan Springer, Savannah Lewis ,Across the Bay Bed and Breakfast and Dancing Eagle for donations of housing for our guest artists.

Thanks to Mark Janes, Susan and Daryl Zerbach, Mary Jo Stanley and Savannah Lewis for stage up and stage down and all that that entails. Thanks to Peggy Cloninger, Jason Jones and Mike Morgan for loans of instruments and sound equipment. Thanks to the City of Seldovia, Susan B. English School, and Seldovia Village Tribe for the donation of performance and meeting space. Thanks to Lynn Corwin, Savannah Lewis, Patti Scheel, and Felicia Rowland for their hospitality room efforts for the various groups attending the festival. Especially to Lynn Corwin for once again providing haute cuisine on short notice.

And A BIG thanks to the Anchorage Folk Festival and The Dancing Bears especially Kathy Sutherlin Powel, Sherri Hadley, Aleta Vail, Bob Sanderlin and John Dickenson for their teaching efforts and mentorship. Kudos to Rick and Sheila Miller of The Right Connection Sound Company for providing wonderful sound reinforcement.

Thanks to sponsoring organizations: The State Council on the Arts, The Boys and Girls Club of the Kenai, The Seldovia Village Tribe. And last but not least to the Seldovia Arts Council Boardmembers for their relentless efforts: Lynn Corwin, Susan Mumma, Savannah Lewis, Darlene Crawford, Mark Janes, Tracy Philpot, Mary Glover, Mary Webber for their contining efforts to help the arts come alive in Seldovia.

Sincerely, Susan Mumma, Seldovia Festival Chair