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DIRECTORY
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EDUCATIONAL
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MEMBER
& PARTICIPANT INFORMATION
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Eric Henderson
On October 29, 1950
at about 12:30 AM Eric Todd Henderson entered the world. No big
deal except for his parent, but after a brother and two sisters
that followed it wasn’t that big a deal for them eather.
I was
born and raised in San Jose California. Some of my memories of
what is now known as Silicon Valley was orchards and vegetable
fields. One of my fondest memories was going to work with my father
who delivered
petroleum products to farm that now have Apple, Cisco and SUN
Micro
Systems sitting on the land. In fact every time I go back it reminds
me why I left.
Anyhow as a kid I always wanted to live in the
mountains, great outdoors- you know fishing and hunting, skiing-
the
usual. I was destine to end up in a place like Alaska, but not
until I
did what my mother told me to do and that was to get a college
degree
and a government job. So I went to California Polytechnic State
University at San Luis Obispo where I majored in Natural Resource
Management. During the Years in college I worked for Kern County
School
Environmental Education Program as a Naturalist. After college
I got a
job teaching Agriculture in San Diego California. In 1978 I completed
my Master Degree in Agriculture Science . At the same time Alaska
was
trying to develop its Agriculture Potential. I was offered a job
to
start an Agriculture Program at Palmer, High School. So on August
22, 1978 I drove into Palmer, Alaska in my Ford Courier Pickup.
My first couple of years in Alaska I was not sure if I wanted
to stay,
but the place sort of grows on you and what makes you stay put
is when
you meet a woman that makes you stay put. In 1980 I met my wife
and my
two kids, Julia and David and Debra ages 4 and 2 at the time.
In 1983
we got married and shortly after that my son, Brian Henderson
was born.
That same year I built my house at Hatcher Pass, was Union President
of
the Teachers Association, we opened up the Perfect Cup at the
Cottonwood Creek Mall and I continued to develop the Agriculture
Program at Palmer High School. In 1986 I took a year of absence
and
attended the University of Alaska and got my Administrative Credential
and In 1987 I was hired as Assistant Principal of Palmer High
School in
charge od discipline and attendance. A very popular position in
which
all the kids loved you and always looked forward to meeting with
you in
your office. In 1991 I transferred to Wasilla Middle School as
Principal. A middle school principal is a lot of fun; however
the
challenges are not necessarily working with the inmate teenagers,
but
there counterparts in the adult world. Anyhow when 1999 rolled
around I
didn’t have to think twice about retiring from the Education
Business.
Currently my wife and I own several business in the valley, Wasilla
Wash Day , Super Suds Car Wash and Sleepy
Hollow Golf Course. The kids have grown up and left with
David attending Cordon Blue Culinary Arts Academy in San Francis,
Debra at University of Alaska, Anchorage and
Brian at the US Coast Guard Academy. My goal now is to work summers
and goof off in winter. The Car Wash is For Sale and the golf
course is
going to be my summer job.
The past twenty seven years in Alaska I have had a few adventures
and of
course am always looking for more. I guess my two passions are
bike
riding and skiing. I have hunted a little, but have yet to kill
a
moose, got a Buffalo in Delta though in 1986. In 1997 I did the
Iditabike and in 1999 after I retired I did the Cold Foot Classic
where
I biked from Pump Station 3 to Cold Foot , on the Haul Road, at
the end
of October( -26 when we started). I broke my leg skiing a week
later,
so much for my first year of retirement, what a pain that was
both
literally and figuratively.
I enjoy fishing and after thousands of dollars over the years
and capsizing my brand new 19 foot Aluminumweld boat on the Talkina
River In 1991 I have come to the conclusion that I was not very
good fisherman. So what is left, move out of state and take up
Scuffle Board ? I think not. Then there is dog mushing and snow
machining. I have done some mushing in the past and really enjoy
riding on the back of a dog sled over the dales and through the
woods, but then you have to feed the mutts and pick up after them.
Now that is a drag, and my hat goes off to those dedicated individuals
that keep that great sport and there dogs alive.
I have snowmachined off and on over the years, but never really
got
into it much until the last couple of years. I have done the Tok
to
Dawson trip for the last three years and am looking for a bigger
adventure. Along came Jim Davis, two time Iditarod Musher and
long
time friend, asking me if I would like to do the serum run. I
am very
pleased that I was selected and am looking forward to supporting
Jim
and I hope his wife Nancy Marty , the First alternate. One of
the
things that I have discovered over the years is that on trips
such as
The Serum Run one gets a good feeling of comradery which is rare
in
this fast pace world we live in.
I look forward to getting to know the other machiners and mushers
and helping out where needed. The Serum Run is a great opportunity
to see Alaska and participate in its History and Culture
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INFORMATION
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2007
HONORARY
MUSHERS
Howard
Lincoln from White
Mountain, Alaska |
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