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The Community of Ester Forest

Ester, sometimes known as "The Republic of Ester," is a collection of dirt streets, rambling log homes and "tailing piles" from a time when dredges were busy removing gold. It is a bedroom community for Fairbanks, but a phenomenon in its own right. While Ester is full of individuals, professors and artists predominate and many are jealous of their identity; disliking being lumped in with Fairbanks.

In addition, its boundaries are hazy - there are only a few families living in the "core," others in the subdivision above, and some who live on the neighboring Old Nenana Highway. Gold Hill Liquor and Grocery is often considered part of Ester, by virtue of being a place where many from Ester shop.

In the center of the community is a pub called the Golden Eagle Saloon, a community gathering spot. And of course there is the Ester Gold Camp and Malemute Saloon where the tourists congregate.

Ester has always been a mining town, but there is spirited debate about allowing more full-time mining, as many decry the noise, dust, and traffic that more active mining would bring. An attempt some years ago to re-zone 21,000 acres of Ester Dome land from general use to mineral use failed, a testament to Ester residents who fought strenuously to defeat a rezone that would have discouraged land uses incompatible with mining.

Ester Farmers Market

Ester now has a farmer's market. The Ester Community Market will beEster Community Market Poster holding the season's grand opening on Thursday, June 4 from 4 to 8 pm. The Ester Community Association sponsors this weekly open-air market from 4 to 8 pm on Thursdays, June through August, at the Ester Community Park. Ester artists, craftspeople, farmers, and other vendors will offer their wares to the public. They encourage busking by local musicians, and owners of classic cars are invited to bring them out for display.

For more information, contact the EMCE at market@esteralaska.com or go to http://www.esteralaska.com.

Here are a few of the people and places you might want to visit in Ester: (Note to locals - if you belong on this page and are not mentioned, please drop us an e-mail to be added.)

bulletCraig Buchanan, sculptor who creates from everyday "found" objects. He used to run the Ester Stash, which moved and is now Pioneer Espresso, mentioned later on this page.
bulletEster Gold Camp & Malemute Saloon. A first rate tourist attraction that even the locals enjoy. You should not leave Fairbanks without hearing at least one reading of Robert Service! Read more about it by following the link above.
bulletEster Republic Newspaper: This is a monthly newspaper begun in January 1999. The office is located in Studio #2 at the Annex, near Ester at 2922 Parks Highway. As it says on their webpage, "The Ester Republic is an irreverent periodical published monthly in the Ester Commonwealth and written by members of the local populace. In no way should this publication be mistaken for a regular newspaper."
bullet The Ester Republic Press  publishes and distributes nonfiction books and The Ester Republic newspaper (see above).
bullet Ester Designworks is owned by Deirdre Alida Helfferich & Hans Mölders. Deirdre does publication design and production ( books, newsletters, brochures, logos, postcards, advertisements, catalogs, posters. & business cards). Her husband, Hans, does woodworking and interior design (lamps,  staircases, doors, cabinetry, room dividers, outhouses,  ballustrades, tenon and mortise construction, & rough carpentry). The shop is located in Ester.
 
bulletJean Lester's Studio, artist of landscapes, floral stationery, oil & pastel paintings, and portraits, who can be found most Saturdays and Wednesdays at the Farmers' Market. The oil painting on the right is hers (photo of it by Julie Coghill). To see more of Jean's work, visit her web site by following the link above.
Iris oil painting by Jean Lester
bulletJudie Gumm Designs (jewelry "sculptured interpretations of northern images" sold worldwide). Some of her designs are featured in the Georgeson Botanical Garden Gift Shop.

Judie Gumm is a noted jewelry designer from Ester, Alaska where she has been designing and manufacturing jewelry since 1970. She is recognized for her Alaskan nature designs, combining sterling silver and semiprecious stones in designs which feature the birds, fruits, berries and animals of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. Judie has her own website.
bulletOld Ridge Wood Shop with Skip Nodler is a solar powered wood shop producing tiny intricate bowls with lids to dog sleds and guitars. Look for him at the Farmers' Market.
Skip Nodler of Old Ridge Wood Shop, Ester
bullet

The John Trigg Ester Library  was named after John Trigg in part due to his love of books, and in part because of his creation of a book exchange in the Golden Eagle Saloon next door. The library itself was once (in 1999) the "Ester Republic Reading Room".

Membership is only $5 per year (though they gladly accept donations). To become a member, patrons only need to fill out a 3 x 5 index card with their name, address, e-mail, and phone number, and place it in the brown jar on the gray shelf with the book return box, by the door! There website is http://www.esterlibrary.org. There is even a Friends of the Ester Library site, found at  http://www.esterlibrary.com.

 

 The John Trigg Ester Library annual Library Lallapalooza & Book Bash!


This year's event will be held February 28, Sunday, at the Annex, 2922  Parks Highway, Ester, Alaska, 1 to 5:30 pm. The fundraiser is the largest and oldest event held by the Ester library, and raises money for construction of a new library building and operation of the current library.


The Librarypalooza features the traditional lasagne feed and silent auctions, an outcry auction of fancy desserts, a fashion show, live music, and for the first time, a sporting event especially for librarians!

The JTEL Library Sextathlon includes tests of skill and wit. Competitions are timed. The list of events:

• shushing contest (individual event)
• synchronized cart choreography & costume contest (team & individual
event)
• book carry relay / book alphabetization contest (team event)
• ruler thwap (individual event)
• body boggle (team event)

Limited to six teams. Libraries around the state are encouraged to send their teams to compete in this fun and challenging event. Complete rules and registration form will be available at http://www.esterlibrary.com. Please also see the Facebook group JTEL Lallapalooza & Book Bash.

EVENTS and CONTACTS:
• Inside, Outside, for Your Downside: A Footwear Fashion Show. Contact: Amy Cameron, 455-0209 or 388-9138, badwhitedog@gmail.com  (shoes are still needed! please contact Amy for details)

• The Library Sextathlon: six sporting events in which librarians go wild! Contact: Kate Billington, 479-2979, shafalas@gmail.com (see information and the registration form on line at http://www.esterlibrary.com/librarysports.html)

• Fancy Dessert Auction: an outcry auction of fabulous desserts! Contact: Hannah Hill, 457-3418 (eves) or 456-6210 (days), redmarch49@gmail.com (see information at http://www.esterlibrary.com/dessert.html)

• Silent Auctions: four silent auctions of book baskets, artwork, collectibles, tools, and other amazing items! Contact: Deirdre Helfferich, 479-3368 (eves), editor@esterrepublic.com (list of donors and items at
http://www.esterlibrary.com/ lallapalooza2010.html; we are still looking for auction items!)


• Music & Performance (schedule: http://www.esterlibrary.com/lallapalooza.html)

• Lasagne Feed (more information: http://www.esterlibrary.com/pastapalooza.html)

Event website: http://www.esterlibrary.com/lallapalooza2010.html

For more information about the John Trigg Ester Library, please e-mail library@esterrepublic.com
or go to http://www.esterlibrary.org.

 
bulletThe Alaska Village Arts Gift Store is right across from the Pentecostal Church on the Parks Highway. It is owned by Rod & Ivet Hall. Ivet is an accomplished whale bone carver, sculptor. They  have a portfolio of quite a few of her designs. The store represents 50 to 100 Alaskan Artists throughout the summer and is constantly expanding. The store is open from May to September , 5 to 7 days a week. The couple live in the Goldstream Valley, about 9 miles from the store. The store's website can be found here.
bullet Ester Community Association  According to their earlier webpage (linked from the one above), "The Ester Community Association was founded in 1941 to enhance and simplify the lives of Ester-area residents, and to help them work together for common goals. It has been a forum for cooperation and debate within our community, served as a social organization and the mechanism through which projects are undertaken to enhance the community. It maintains an area water well, a local meeting venue, and has built, maintained, and improved the Ester Community Park. The ECA supports and often works in cooperation with other groups...While the ECA was incorporated in 1981, it remains a loose-knit social organization, taking on political and fiscal aspects of the community as necessary. "

 

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