Derby News - Week 15, 8/28- 9/04

Valdez Woman Wins Valdez Fish Derbies Truck

Checks were cut, prizes were given away and the Seekins Ford Truck drawing was held at the Spawn ‘til Dawn Derby Awards Party Sunday evening, officially ending the 2011 Valdez Silver Salmon and Halibut Derbies. There were no surprises in the silver and halibut standings the last few days of the derby, but it was a surprise to have a person from Valdez win the Ford truck from Seekins Ford. Valdez resident Sanoe Deaver received a surprise phone call from Laurie Prax, the emcee of the event, announcing she was the winner. “Wow”, said a startled Deaver. “I’m putting my kids to bed.” By the end of the call, Deaver decided she had better pack up the kids and come up to the Civic Center to see what all the commotion was about. Deaver’s husband is a Coast Guard employee in Valdez. He was out of town, but her two small children were excited about winning the truck. Both girls hopped in the extended cab of the truck and exclaimed, “There are cup holders!”

Generally one of the top three silvers are caught Labor Day weekend, but this year the winning fish weighed in at 18.68 pounds and was caught August 16th by Jack Yakura of Middleburg, PA. Yakura wins $15,000 cash in addition to the daily prizes he won August 16th. Lenore Groundwater, the 93-year-old grandmother that won the Women’s Silver Salmon Derby August 13th, took 2nd place in the overall derby and netted $5,000 cash. The 3rd place prize was also caught during the Women’s Derby. Jeanette Wakefield of Anchorage, Alaska took home $2,000 with the 16.42 pound silver she caught August 13th.

The person catching the largest Silver Friday, September 2nd was John (Jack) McCay of Valdez, Alaska. McCay reeled in the largest silver salmon on Big Prize Friday and took home $500 cash, in addition to the daily prizes. McCay’s silver weighed in at 12.12 pounds.

Annette Gutierrez of Albuquerque, NM was the big winner in the Halibut Derby, taking home the $15,000 grand prize check for the halibut that weighed in at 335.7 pounds. Thomas Broach of North Pole, AK took 2nd place in the derby with a 236.9 pounder. Broach was awarded a $5,000 check and James Pohlman of Fairbanks, Alaska took 3rd place and $2,000 with a 214.8 pound flatfish.