Watch the Fairbanks “Hometowns” episode on PBS.org by clicking HERE. Last fall, as team from PBS Appalachia arrived in Fairbanks to create an episode for their Emmy-winning television series titled “Hometowns.” The visitors included the show’s host, producer, and camera operator, and true to their previous episodes, they did a great job at arranging interviews to create a wide-ranging profile of a place and its people. Their aim is to identify…

This time of year, Fairbanks is soaked with cold and dark, just like every Solstice. But progress has not ground to a halt! We’ve continued to present Irene’s story and encourage donations toward her statue. And we’re happy to report that our bank balance now exceeds $60,000, thanks to some generous givers who recently pitched in! Scroll through that long list of names on our SPONSORS page. I’m so impressed with…

Can you imagine a pregnancy that lasts for years? Tricia says that’s how it’s felt at times during the researching, writing, and production of this book, but today was delivery day for The Queen of Fairbanks! It’s time to celebrate on Saturday. Funny that today coincides with another of Tricia’s book birthdays–that of the true story of Bobbie the Wonder Dog, released eight years ago today at Silverton, Oregon. That year,…

We’ve been hearing from folks for more than a year, asking when Tricia Brown’s biography of Irene Sherman will be released. Well, the good news is, we have a date! The Fairbanks Community & Dog Mushing Museum will host the book launch event for “The Queen of Fairbanks” on Sat., May 25, from noon to 5:00 p.m. The museum is located at 535 2nd Avenue in Fairbanks, upstairs in the Co-Op…

In this February 1971 photo, Irene had stepped out of the cold to visit her friend Peggy Goldizen at Market Basket and check out her freshly made birthday cake. Thank you Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, for opening up your archive of Irene photos! Our committee members have been busily getting out the invitation to hear about Irene in various talks around town, and donations are following. THANK YOU so much! Take a…

We recently celebrated Irene’s January 29 birthday a few days late, but with great zeal. On Thursday, February 1, Tricia Brown spoke at the Downtown Rotary Club in Fairbanks at their noon luncheon, where Irene’s story was well-received among a hardy audience that came despite the deep cold. Thanks, folks!The next evening was the Irene Sherman Birthday Bash at the Fairbanks Community Museum, and with it, even deeper cold! We got…

We’re so happy and grateful to announce a $10,000 contribution from Kinross Fort Knox, a global company with a strong Fairbanks presence. When we first made application for a corporate donation, the feedback was gratifying to read. Our contact there not only remembered Irene personally, but was glad to learn that we wanted to honor not only a local woman, but a woman in mining. Of course, Irene was the daughter…

Today our Irene Sherman Project planning committee co-chair Bob Eley shared the latest on our plans and progress as he spoke to the Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce. We’re so grateful for their help in joining our effort and getting the word out. And there’s more opportunity ahead: Thursday, Feb. 1 – Tricia Brown will make a presentation about the mysteries and realities in the life of Irene Sherman. She’ll be the…

With the launch of the Irene website and the convenience of using the “Donate Now” button to make contributions, the online tracker has kept our giving totals up to date for us. But what it didn’t show was all the dollars that so many friends of Irene gave before the website was launched. So today we’ve manually entered all those donations that had come in by mail and other means in…

Hello, and thanks for browsing the website and learning more about Irene Sherman. Our hope is to honor her with a bronze statue, and with your help, it’s coming together. I’m Tricia Brown, a member of the project planning committee. I’m also the author of an as-yet unpublished biography about Irene, a woman of myth and mystery. There’s been so much interest in the book-in-progress that I thought it’d be good…