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Preview at
www.cdbaby.com/whetsell
(the world's largest online music store). Purchase the CD $12.97, or download the album $9.99, or download the single tracks at
$0.99
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Hi, I’m Dewey
Whetsell
and I’ve created this web
site to consolidate news about my different projects.
1.To look into my poetry/essay book Lazarus on a Spur Line, visit dgwhetsell.blogspot.com
2.To look into my fire/rescue memoirs Fire and Ice, visit deweywhetsell.blogspot.com
3.My 3rd site is an actual web-log of events plus random ramblings. This includes
my
much-visited postings about Sarah Palin. Visit restlessbrainsyndrome.blogspot.com
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For
my artistic friends
I will be offering some audio recordings in the new
link. There will be MP3 audio pieces from the band (jazz or blues)
as well as poetry readings, speeches and roasts.
Several of the pieces were recorded live. Visit MTA link
I know it’s a bit of a spread…those diversified interests…but I’ve
been like that all my life. From the get-go, right out of high school
in Muncie, Indiana, and maintaining the regional tradition of working
in a factory, I continued my high school habit of cruising the chicken
shacks/juke joints to play R&B tenor saxophone. As the horn
man, I was the only white member of the Roy Dotson band and playing
those joints was the only way a kid my age could play in bars. That
neighborhood was the center of Greg Williams’ book Life
on the Color Line (Plume/Penguin books 1995). Later,
in Detroit, before my move to Alaska and immersion into the fire
service, I played The Club Caribbean, The Black and Tan, and The
Poison Apple. And I wrote poetry over drinks at the Brass Rail.
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My move to
Alaska,
started the 28 years as a fire chief, and 25 years
as an instructor for Alaska Fire Service Training, Alaska Police
Standards Council, Alaska Division of Emergency Services, Alaska
Southern Region EMS Council, and the National Fire Academy. I was
the recipient of the “Del Moffitt Award”, the highest award available
from the Alaska State Firefighters Association. I was the president
of the Alaska Fire Chief’s Association and chaired several of their
committees while on the executive board for 14 years. Cordova Fire/Rescue
expanded its services and responsibilities because of demands placed
upon us by the residents. Within a couple of years we were providing
underwater rescue and recover, mountain search and rescues, rescues
in Prince William Sound and the Gulf of Alaska. The Alaska State
Troopers began to refer to us as “SAR Central” as our response area
grew to about forty thousand square miles.Some of my search and
rescues were recounted in Jill Fredston’s book Snowstruck
(Harcourt books, 2005) and Spike Walker’s Coming Back
Alive (St. Martin’s Griffin books, 2005). In addition,
I became an itinerant instructor, traveling around the state conducting
training in various aspects of the fire and rescue business.
At the same time, I organized the Fire House Jazz Band, published
my first book of poetry and did numerous readings and speeches all
around the state. I was a real Jeckyll and Hyde. I never veered
from my fascination with the poetry of Dylan Thomas or Thomas Hardy.
And when I felt the need for a mental challenge (and secretly searching
for answers to the mysteries of mankind), I’d slog my way through
one philosopher after another. Since my retirement, I’ve continued
to provide training for numerous organizations and communities,
published two more books and continued to play music in the Anchorage
area.
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Copyright
(c) 2007 deweywhetsell.com. All rights reserved. |
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