Voice for Christ Radio

Village Name: Kalskag

Translator Status: Voice for Christ Ministries submitted an application for a Kalskag translator station to the Federal Communication Commission in March of 2003, but the final approval of that application was not granted until November 4, 2013, over ten years later. The station was then planned for construction during the 2015 summer season, but resources unexpectedly became available in 2014. The Calvary Mission Church in Upper Kalskag agreed to host the station and required equipment was procured in June and July. It was necessary to obtain a minor change in broadcast frequency from 94.3 MHz to 93.7 MHz in order to avoid conflict with the recentlly constructed Aniak station. As a result of that change the FCC changed the station designation from K232EU to K229CV. The actual construction of the station was completed on August 21st, 2014. K229CV is the very first FM station of any type to be heard in the villages of Kalskag. We praise God for His provision to allow this station to begin broadcasting His message to the people He loves in these villages in His perfect timing.

Location: Upper Kalskag is located on the north bank of the Kuskokwim River, 26 miles west of Aniak, 89 miles northeast of Bethel, and 348 miles west of Anchorage. The geographic location is 61.5377 degrees north latitude and 160.3072 degrees west longitude. Lower Kalskag is located on the north bank of the uskokwim River, 2 miles downriver from Upper Kalskag.

The Google image below shows the two villages of Upper Kalskag and Lower Kalskag along the Kuskokwim River with the airport between them. Click on the image for a link to open the Google Map of the Kalskag area.

Climate: The climate in Kalskag is semi-arctic with influences from the Bering Sea. Annual snowfall averages 60 inches, with total precipitation of 19 inches. Temperatures range from -55 to 87 °F. The Kuskokwim River is ice-free from mid-June through October.

History of Upper Kalskag: In 1898, Nicholas Kameroff, Sr., Olinga (Avakumoff) Kameroff, and their eight children first settled the community. The village was a fish camp known as "Kessiglik." Around 1900, residents of "Kalthagamute" began to move to the village. In 1930 the BIA established a government school, and by 1932 residents of neighboring communities had relocated to Kalskag. In 1940 Paul Kameroff, Sr., established a general store, post office, coffee shop, and barging company. At this time, the community owned and worked a herd of 2,100 reindeer. During the 1930s, Russian Orthodox practitioners in the village relocated to establish Lower Kalskag, three miles to the southwest. The villagers who remained were primarily Roman Catholic practitioners. The city was incorporated in 1975.

History of Lower Kalskag: The site was originally used as a fish camp for families from Kalskag, two miles to the northeast. In 1930, people began to establish year-round homes. The Russian Orthodox residents of Upper Kalskag, a predominantly Roman Catholic village, moved to Lower Kalskag in the 1930s because of religious differences. The Russian Orthodox Chapel of St. Seraphim was built in 1940. A school was built in 1959, followed by a post office in 1962, a sawmill in 1965, and a power plant in 1969. A new church was built in the late 1970s. The City of Lower Kalskag was incorporated in 1969.

Culture: Upper Kalskag is a Yup'ik Eskimo village that was strongly influenced by the Roman Catholic Church. Lower Kalskag is a Yup'ik Eskimo village of Russian Orthodox practitioners who relocated from Upper Kalskag in the 1930s. Subsistence activities are an important component of the lifestyle.

Indigenous Language: Central Yup'ik

Federally Recognized Tribes: Village of Kalskag and Village of Lower Kalskag

Transportation: A state-maintained 4.2-mile gravel road connects Lower and Upper Kalskag. Commercial barge lines deliver fuel and other bulk supplies in the summer. Passengers and other freight arrive by air year-round, through scheduled daily air services. The state-owned gravel airstrip is shared by Upper Kalskag and Lower Kalskag. Winter trails exist to Russian Mission (40 mi) and Aniak (26 mi).

2010 Census Data: The population of Upper Kalskag was 210, consisting of 108 males and 102 femailes. The population of Lower Kalskag was 282, consisting of 137 males and 145 females, giving a total for the two villages of 492 persons including 245 males and 247 females. The median age in Upper Kalskag was 20 years and that in Lower Kalskag was 27 years. The estimated total population in 2013 was 222 and 302 for the two villages respectively, giving a total of 524.

Population by Race	Upper Lower	Total Percent
White	14 7	21 4.27 %
American Indian and Alaska Native Alone	171 260	431 87.60 %
Black or African American	1 1	2 0.41 %
Asian alone	0 0	0 0.00 %
Pacific Islander alone	0 0	0 0.00 %
Other alone	1 0	1 0.20 %
Two or More Races	23 14	37 7.52 %

Housing Units	Upper Lower
Total Housing Units	74 82
Occupied Housing (Households)	60 75
Vacant Housing	14 7
Vacant Due to Seasonal Use	1 0
Owner-Occupied Housing	37 53
Renter-Occupied Housing	3 22

Households	Upper Lower
Total Households	60 75
Average Household Size	4 4
Family Households	44 55
Non-Family Households	16 20
Pop. Living in Households	210 282
Pop. Living in Group Quarters	0 0

Municipal Facilities and Utilities: Watering point, piped sewer, electric, health clinic, Public Safety Officer, bulk fuel facility, volunteer fire department, community hall, roads, landfill.

Power Source: Diesel generators - Alaska Village Electric Cooperative

Cost of Gasoline: $6.25 as of July 2014

Some information on this page has been copied from the State of Alaska Community Database for Upper Kalskag and Lower Kalskag where additional information is available.

If you wish to help financially with the construction and operation of K229CV or other KYKD translator stations, you may send a donation to Voice for Christ Ministries, P.O. Box 474, Nenana, AK 99760, or to give via credit card or PayPal use this button:

Pictures of Kalskag:

Upper Kalskag on the north shore of the ice-filled Kuskokwim River during "breakup."

View to the north of Upper Kalskag. The large white building in the center of the photo near the river is Calvary Mission Church, the host for station K229CV.

View to the southwest of Lower Kalskag looking downstream along the Kuskokwim River.

Looking south across the Kuskokwim River from the shore in Upper Kalskag.

The shoreline of the Kuskokwim River in Upper Kalskag looking downstream to the west.

Looking to the east, upstream on the Kuskokwim River, from the roof of Calvary Mission Church. The green building is the Ausdahl Mercantile, a general store serving Upper Kalskag.

The Kalskag Native Store, the general store serving Lower Kalskag.

The George Morgan Senior High School (grades 7 -12), home of the Kalskag Grizzly Bears. It is located near the airfield on the road between the two villages. The Zachar Levi Elementary School (grades 4 - 6) is located in Lower Kalskag and the Joseph S. & Olinga Gregory Elementary School (grades PK - 3) is located in Upper Kalskag. These three schools are part of the Kuspuk School District.

Erecting the broadcast antenna in the roof the Calvary Mission Church.

Calvary Mission Church just moments before K229CV began broadcasting from the antenna on the back of the church. That was the first FM broadcast ever received in this village.

Please pray that the the Gospel message of Jesus Christ will have eternal effect in the lives of listeners in the villages of Kalskag as they hear that Good News broadcast from this antenna.