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# CHALUK A CORPORATIO N

May 9 , 201 0 ADO T Le o vo n Scheben , Commissione r P.O . Bo x 11250 0 , Juneau , Alask a99811-250 0 Dea r Mr . vor i Scheben : I woul dlike t o writ e thi s letter fro mth e standpoin t

o f aprivat e citize n fromNikolski , Alask aan da s th e Presiden t for th e villag e corporation , Chaluk aCorporation . I purchase daroun dtri p nonrefundabl e ticke t fromPe n Ai r

to g o fro mAnchorag e t o Nikolski o n Marc h 29 , 2010 . Th e fligh t lef t Anchorag e o n tim e an d arrive d i n Dutc h Harbo r at 12:3 0 p.m . I me t

my Mothe r

i n Dutc h Harbo r

an d w e wer e schedule d to fl y fromDutc h Harbo r

t o Nikolski . Afte

r al l th e Anchorag e flights lef t Dutcj i Harbo r

t o retur n t o Anchorag e an dAkuta n flight s wer

e take n care of

, Pe n Ai r attempte d t o make th e flight to Nikolski i n thei r

Grumma n Goose . W e wer e airborn e fo r fifteen minute s the n turne daroun dt o hea dbac k t o Dutc h Harbor . We ran int o amassiv e sno w squall . Afte r deplaning , w e wer e tol dt o chec k i n wdt h th e ticke t

agen t a t 10:0 0 a.m . th e nex t

day , Marc h 30 . , Needles s t o say , w e checke dwit h th e ticke t

agen t fo r several days . Du e t o bad weather betwee n Dutc h Harbo r

an dNikolski , th e flight

peve r happene d unti l Apri l 13 , 2010 . B y thi s time , ther e wer e mor e passenger s that arrive d int o Dutc h Harbo r t o g o t o Nikolski . Ther e were atota l o f

si x passenger s t o g o t o Nikolski . Th e flight di d happe n o n Apri l 13 , bu t w e wer e tol dw e coul dbnl y tak e u p t o fifteen pound s o f han d carry . Tw o o f

th e passenger s wer e acre w tha t Chaluk aCorporatio n hire d t o d o som e renovation s a t ou r "hotel " s o the y ha dt o tak e thei r tobl s with therii . ft

di dnot mak e sens e fo

r the mt o trave l withou t thei r tool s a s the y woul dno t

b e abl e t o ge t

thei r wor k done. . My briefcas e alon e wa s thirt y five pounds . Th e corporatio n ha d als o hire d aconsultan t for aprojec t t^a t wa s cxirrentl y happenin g i n Nikolski . H e had hi s briefcas e als o an d weighe d abou t twenty pounds . I mad e a

n executiv e decisio n t o le t hi man d I stay bac k

i n Dutc h Harbo r

unti l w e coul d tak e ou r

briefcase s an dsuitcase s alon g with us . M y Mothe r an d th e coo k

tha t Chaluk aCorporatio n hire dfo r th e projec t

tha t wa s happenin g an d th e tw o contractor s wer e th e passenger s tha t

w w o n th e Apri l 13 * flight t o Nikolski

- My Mother' s baggag e i s stil l sittin g i n Dutc h Harbo r waitin g t o ge t

t o Nikolski . Unfortunatel y fb

r th e coflsul^an

t an d me, , afte

r waitin g for

seve n more days , w e decide d tha t w e shoul dhea dbac k

t o Anchorag e sinc e w e wer e ilo t gditi g t o b e sibl

e t o make th e 

# RECEIVE D MA Y 

### 1 7 201 0 DO T & P F Commissione r PO . Bo x 10 4 • Nikolski , Alask a9963 8 Phon e (907 ) 576-221 6 • Fa x (90.7 ) 576-220 3 

# TRAC K#10-800 9

H I IP ' •«®JkXu^fc . Mflight out to Nikolsk

i an y tim e soon . Beside s th e consultan t wa s schedule d to depar

t Nikolski on Apri l 1 9 , andhea dbac k t o Minnesot ao n Apri l 22 " with alayover in Dutc h Harbor . Befor e I heade dou t

t o Dutc h Harbor , I faxed agrocer y lis t t o Safewa

y in Dutc h Harbo r an daske dthe mt o fill th e order an d sen d i t

t o Nikolski b y Apri l 1 , 2010 . It wa s filledan d take n over

t o Pe n Air

cargo . I pai d fo

r th e freight

wit h m y credi t card . Upor i m y return t o Anchorag e o

n Apri l 19,2010, 1 mad e arrangement s t o charte r ACE

Alask aCentral Express , t o hau l th e grocerie s that Chaluk ahad ordere d for

th e Apri l 1 , 201 0 flight

an dan y freight

tha t wa s fo r th e Nativ e Store i n Nikolski . I f th e corporatio n di dnot charter tha t flight, th e grocerie s woul d stil l b e i n Pe n Air' s carg o office . O n tha t charter , Chaluk ahadles s than athousan d pound s o f freight. I hav e a

n AC E airwa

y bil l tha t charge dChaluk aCorporatio n fo r 4,34 0 pound s o f

freight. I understan d that Pe n Air , di dmak e aflight

out to NikolSk

i afte r the . AC E charte r

with more passenger s bu t the y wer e no t abl e t o tak e thei r

luggag e wit

h them . I f Chaluk adi d no t

charter ACE , thos e grocerie s woul dstil l b e i n Dutc h Harbor. ' Th e whol e basi s o f

m y frip ou t to Nikolski wa s t o ge t

wor k don e tha t \va s crucia

l before ; a May 1,201 0 deadline . Sinc e I wa s no t abl e t o ge t

ou t t o Nikolsk

i durin g th e constructio n o f th e fence , I a

mgoin g t o hav e t o rel y o n th e contractor s that were hire d b y th e corporatio n t o hopefull y make sxir e tha t i t wa s constructe d t o th e federa l contrac t specifications . - < I d o imderstan dtha t

safet y i s first ari d foremos t

fo r Pe n Air . I believ e that

thf e pilo t ' ' know s wha

t h e i s doin g an dmake s depisiori s accordin g t o th e weather . Whil e I wa s waitin g t o ge t

to Nikolski , th e Goos e neve r lef t th e hanga

r fo r severa l days . I do no t

think i t eve n went

t o Akutan . I understan dtha t

Pe n Ai r ha s th e Essential Ai r

Servic e for

Nikolski . Ther e ha s no t

bee n any mai l that

ha s gon e t o Nikolski sinc e Marc h 25,2010 . I kno w thi s becaus e th e thre e passenger s tha t

came out o f Anchorag e fo

r Nikolski wer e tol d that

th e Goos e ha

d a mechaiiical an dwer e tol dno t t o come dow n t o Dutc h Harbo r o n Apri l 12 , 2010 . Th e Nikolski passenger s opte dt o come ou t t o Dutc h Harbo r

believin g tha

t th e Goos e woul d ge t fixedi n ashort

perio doftim e an d woul d b e headin g ou t t o Nikolski . I wa s "stranded " i n Dutc h Harbo r fo r 2 2 day s waitin g for

Pe n Ai r t o take m e t o Nikolski . Ther e wa s agu y that

wa s headin g ou t

t o Nikolski an d For

t Glen n t o fix th e interne t

ou t there . Berin g Pacifi c Ranche s ende d u p takin g hi mt o Nikolski an d For t Gler min thei r helicopter . I d o hop e that gu y wa s abl e t o ge t

som e o f hi s nonrefundabl e ticket

back . Nikolski ma

y not b e a"money " maker

for Pe n Ai r bu t w e ar e peopl ^ livin g i n tha t village . It i s difficu h fo

r peopl e i n Nikolski t o mak e thei r docto r appointments , gettin g thei r medic^fo n refilled , an deven ! payin g thei r bill s o n time . Chalidc aCorporatio n ha s a veste dinteres t

i n th e lodg e tha t

i s ou t ther e also . I f

client s ar e unabl e t o make i t ou t t o Nikolsk i o n Pe n Air , the n th e lodg e lose s money . W e canno t charte r th e client s ou t

ther e al l th e time .Th e onl y time s tha t peopl e are abl e t

o get ou t o f Nikolski i s when acharte r show s up . That can ge t costl y fo r individuals . I a

msure the y pa

y seat far e bu t why shoul d the y whe n Pe n Ai r

i s schedule dt o make flights ou t there ? I n closing , I woul dlik e t o ge t arespons e fromsomeon e tha t wil l make adifferenc e fo

r th e villag e o f

Nikolski . We are i n dir e nee d o f hel p wit h transportatio n i n atimel y manner . Somethin g ha s t o b e don e an d thi s situatio n addresse d b y Pe n Air , FAA , DOT , hec k eve n th e Governo r

shoul dge t

involved . I amgoin g t

o patientl y wai t

fo r arespons e fromsomeon e tha t care s t o resolv e thi s issu e o r hel p t o fix th e problem . Than k yo u for you r time . Sincerely , Dor aJohnson , Presiden t Chaluk aCorporatio n cc : ' PenAir , Danny Seybert , Presiden t ^ U.S . Posta l Service , Postmaste r U.S . Postal Service , Dian e Horbochuk , A K Distric t Manager ADOT , Le o vo n Scheben , Commissione r USDOT , FAA Alask aRegio n Airport s Division , AAL-600 , Byro n K . Huffma n