Jacob Isaac works at the Marshall gas station as a gas attendant. His employer is Maserculiq Inc. The kind of training he had was job-related training like, how to use gas pumps, how to open and close the main valves, operation of cash register and cash count. Jacob has an elementary, high school and some college education.

Most of the time Jacob works at the gas station. He works 6 hours a day and he doesn't know how long he will work at his job. Most of the time he works with Willie Fitka and Ellen Alstrom. His boss is Willie Fitka.

Some of Jacob's job responsibilities are pumping gas, selling gas and oil, goods and groceries, checking oil and gas levels, minor janitorial duties and stocking shelves. His regular salary is $6.50 an hour. The best thing about Jacob's job is getting a paycheck regularly, with raises every 90 working days. The worst part of his job is boredom.

Jacob's advice for young people who might want to do his job later is to learn to be patient for long periods of time.

Interview by: Marcia George

Jacob Isaac worked at the Gas Station most of the time this summer, but he also had the chance to do more other interesting things too.

He worked as a fish collector for Marshall Fish Processors (M.F.P.) for the first time. And he also delivered fish to Boreal Fisheries which is located below the small village of Pitka's Point. He did this after every fishing opening. "It's more time consuming than commercial fishing," he told me.

While he wasn't working at the Gas Station or for the M.F.P, he used his time watching new releases of movies, going out rod and reeling at Wilson, Willow or Kuik, or taking Maurice and Jacob Turret over to the sandbar to swim.

Later he started working as a manager for the Mas. Inc (Marshall Enterprises) store. "It's a little more stressful than being a regular Gas Station Attendant," he commented.

Jacob's summer was a busy one but he also had some time to do things he liked to do.

Told by: Jacob Isaac

Interviewed by: Olga Moxie

Jail Time

One summer on the 4th of July there were a lot of activities going on in Marshall and a lot of strangers came over for the square dance. During the day they were having canoe races, water skiing, bingo, a whole bunch of different kinds of kid races, and an open BBQ for everyone. All the people were having fun and enjoying each other.

I was riding my bike on this hot sunny day when my cousin, Stan, came up to me and asked "What's up?" I responded, "Not much." But then he asked me if I had 30 dollars for some things he wanted to buy from the store and to pay for the entry fee to the races. I thought he would do as he said because I believed him. I didn't know anything different until midnight.

When they were having a square dance in the high school I went out to cool off and my sister came up to me and told me that my cousin was drunk and sitting on the steps of the storage room about 15 yards away. So I went to check him, and sure enough there he was as drunk as a skunk. He didn't know what he was doing or who I was. I realize then that he had used the money I gave him to pay for a bottle. It made me so mad that I went up to him and asked him, "Why did you lie to me?" But he didn't have anything to say! It made me even more mad to think of wasting 30 dollars on NOTHING! I mean you can spend that amount of money on food, cheap clothes, or anything that is worth it. But not alcohol or marijuana! Then as I began to take him home he started to raise hell and pick fights with other people. He refused to go home. I did everything I could to take him away from the school but he pushed me back. Then the V.P.S.O. came up in his 4-wheeler and started to question him and me. I told him I had no part in this, but when I tried to go the V.P.S.O. told me to stay because he wanted to ask me questions about my cousin.

After everything was explained, the V.P.S.O. let me go. I went back to the gym and stayed there while the V.P.S.O. took Stan down to the police station. There he was charged with a MCA and since he was only 16 he was released to his parents. After thinking it was all over, the V.P.S.O. came back up and said he needed to talk to me again. I was scared for awhile but I knew it wasn't my fault. Then he said my cousin told him that I made him get drunk. I denied it but he said Stan told him I gave him the money to get a bottle. I told the cop Stan was lieing and that he had asked me for money to get some things from the store and to pay for some of the games he wanted to play. The V.P.S.O. almost believed Stan's lies and thought about charging me. But I told him again I was telling him the truth and he finally let me free.

Later I understood the reason why my cousin lied. It was because he didn't want it to look like his fault. Plus he was drunk and he didn't know he was blaming me for everything. But after he sobered up he understood what he'd done, so he said he was sorry and that he'd never do it to me again.

A person can be so stupid and feel so brave when he is drinking! So before you take a shot, or puff, think twice. It will do you good! You won't get into trouble, and you won't mess up your relationship with your family and friends, or your education and health. And you also won't make a fool out of yourself. Take this advice if you don't want to end up in the can. And your life will be much more worth living!

By:Jackie Paul George

All summer James Edison worked hard. He did a lot of commercial fishing. Commercial fishing is a hard job to do throughout the summer.

During commercial fishing he also did a lot of different things. He built a fish rack to hang fish for food and also brought Julia Papp out berry picking.

At the beginning of August he started working at PHS on the new well that was being built here in Marshall. Since he started working there he has been getting up early every day.

During his free time he went out hunting for birds. As he continued to work September came along. And you know what September means. It means moose hunting season! Every day since it has started he has been going out and trying to catch a big bull moose. That's what I call hard work!

James went commercial fishing this summer. He was helping Julia Papp. He says that he did pretty good this year. They fished up by their fish camp and down by the mouth of Polty's Slough. James and Julia hardly spent any time at their fish camp this year, though.

James went logging this summer and he made a raft. He still wants to get more wood for winter.

James also went blue berry picking a couple of times but he says there were hardly any berries where he went this year.

James now has a video rental called Downtown Videos. He said their video rental did okay. They started with 25 videos and now they have 150 videos.

James also went hunting for animals like black bears and geese and ducks. He hunted by his fish camp and up at Devil's Elbow. He saw seven or eight black bears but he didn't catch even one bear this summer. He caught some geese and ducks, though.

By: James Edison

Interviewed by: Willie Fitka

James H. Oney
Janitor

James was born in Bethel in 1975 and grew up here and in Bethel. He went to school at Marshall School, Kilbuck Elementary, Bethel High School and the Alaska National Guard Youth Corps where he got his GED.

James has been working for two years as the clinic's janitor, and plans to work until next year. He was interested in his job because it was at least a job opening. The best thing about his job is getting the place ready for the next day and the worst thing is when he has to work on a weekend when they have an emergency.

Tatiana Sergie

Janice Olsen
Teacher

Janice Olsen was born in Vermilion, South Dakota. She grew up on a farm and went to a one room country school house with all eight grades in it. She graduated from high school and went to college at the University of South Dakota. While in college she studied elementary and special education. Before she got her first job as a teacher she needed a college degree with 40 credits in math, reading, writing, special education, gifted and talented, computers, arts, and behavior classes.

Janice started working for the LYSD eight years ago and has been working in Marshall for three years. She wants to teach until she is a very old woman. She loves her work because she enjoys working with children. Janice took a teaching job because her oldest daughter died of cancer at the age of 16. Her first daughter needed special help in school, so she decided to become a special education! elementary teacher to help children with special needs in school. The best thing about her job is the children because she thoroughly loves them.

Mary June Tinker

This summer Janice and her husband, Richard, went down to South Dakota and stayed on their little farm with their son, Marc, and daughter Lorah. While they were in South Dakota, they went to visit Marc and Lorah's grandmothers and grandfather. It was hot and sultry there.

Later on they went to Minnesota and stayed at a lake with some friends. They enjoyed being with their friends in Minnesota. After visiting their friends in Minnesota, they flew over to Idaho for their friend's son's graduation.

Just before school started, they got all packed up and ready to come back to Alaska. When they got to Alaska, they came out to Marshall to teach. Janice says, "I love teaching here in Marshall. I also like being here."

Story by: Janice Olsen

Interviewed by: Mary Jane Shorty

This summer Janice and Richard stayed in Anchorage for a day after leaving Marshall. While they were there, they brought their dog to the vet for dog shots and a check-up. The next day they flew to Minneapolis, and then on to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. From Sioux Falls they drove to Viborg, South Dakota where they have their farm.

While they were at Viborg, South Dakota, they saw their son Marc and their daughter, Lorah. They also saw a lot of relatives. Then later on they went to four weddings at the north and south ends of Washington, D.C. They also attended five high school graduation parties in South Dakota. Another thing they had there was a big family gathering.

While Janice was there, she worked in her garden, cleaned up her old house and went shopping everywhere. Then at the end of their summer, Janice, Richard and Lorah flew back to Marshall.

By:Janice Olsen

Interviewed by: Mary Jane Shorty