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We flew to Noorvik mid-morning on Monday, January 25, a 10-seat plane-full of state dignitaries. The temperature at landing was a balmy 7 F. The one-strip airport is about one mile from the village. There were two dog sleds nearby, one for the lieutenant governor and one for me. My musher was a 12-year old student, who, after we moved out of the congestion of the airport, stopped and allowed me to mush the team for a bit of time. Great fun; the lead dog was instantly responsive to his commands, and even though my training was limited to about 45 seconds, it was a blast.
We arrived at the school to see the entire student body out on the portico of the school, applauding the arrival of the census to Noorvik (wouldn’t it be great if every city in the US greeted census workers with such enthusiasm?). I met the elders of the village, who were assembled in the Inupiat culture room, now used to instruct the children in their native language.
At 1PM, I rode with the mayor of Noorvik on an ATV to visit the very first household to be enumerated in the 2010 Census. I knocked on the door and was ushered in. We completed the interview in just a few minutes; I exited to see a whole slew of press people down the road. I was happy to announce, “One down; 309 million more to go!”
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