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Posts published in March 2019

Avalanche death settlement: Parents of Nikoline Røkenes, 2, resolve negligence complaint against city for 2.3M kr.NikolineRøkenes

Avalanche death settlement: Parents of Nikoline Røkenes, 2, resolve negligence complaint against city for 2.3M kr.

By Mark Sabbatini on March 30, 2019
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Read Time:3 Minute, 28 Second

The parents of a two-year-old girl killed when their home was buried in the Dec. 19, 2015, avalanche have agreed to settle a negligence complaint against the city of Longyearbyen for 2.365 million kroner that will be paid through an insurance company, with the city not acknowledging responsibility for the girl’s death, according to the family’s attorney.

About Post Author

Mark Sabbatini

I'm a professional transient living on a tiny Norwegian island next door to the North Pole, where once a week (or thereabouts) I pollute our extreme and pristine environment with paper fishwrappers decorated with seemingly random letters that would cause a thousand monkeys with a thousand typewriters to die of humiliation. Such is the wisdom one acquires after more than 25 years in the world's second-least-respected occupation, much of it roaming the seven continents in search of jazz, unrecognizable street food and escorts I f****d with by insisting they give me the platonic tours of their cities promised in their ads. But it turns out this tiny group of islands known as Svalbard is my True Love and, generous contributions from you willing, I'll keep littering until they dig my body out when my climate-change-deformed apartment collapses or they exile my penniless ass because I'm not even worthy of washing your dirty dishes.
marksabbatini@yahoo.com
http://icepeople.net
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SEE TO SKI: Bright lights for new ski hill as onlookers, volunteer operators and youths embrace the down side of lifeskikids3

SEE TO SKI: Bright lights for new ski hill as onlookers, volunteer operators and youths embrace the down side of life

By Mark Sabbatini on March 29, 2019
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Read Time:4 Minute, 36 Second

Emil Indreiten Johansen, 10, was the first to arrive with a friend, but still found himself enduring a lengthy wait to catch the pole lift at Longyearbyen’s new ski hill, since the cluster of oh-so-nearly trained adults to operate it were still at the top of the slope getting final pointers.

But after a three-year wait since the closure of the lift at a hill two kilometers from the one now in the center of town, he didn’t mind the delay – especially since he prefers it to the old one.

About Post Author

Mark Sabbatini

I'm a professional transient living on a tiny Norwegian island next door to the North Pole, where once a week (or thereabouts) I pollute our extreme and pristine environment with paper fishwrappers decorated with seemingly random letters that would cause a thousand monkeys with a thousand typewriters to die of humiliation. Such is the wisdom one acquires after more than 25 years in the world's second-least-respected occupation, much of it roaming the seven continents in search of jazz, unrecognizable street food and escorts I f****d with by insisting they give me the platonic tours of their cities promised in their ads. But it turns out this tiny group of islands known as Svalbard is my True Love and, generous contributions from you willing, I'll keep littering until they dig my body out when my climate-change-deformed apartment collapses or they exile my penniless ass because I'm not even worthy of washing your dirty dishes.
marksabbatini@yahoo.com
http://icepeople.net
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PROLONGED POST POSTPONMENT: Mail flight cancellations to last most of this week; special flights scheduled Wed., Fri.nomailagain

PROLONGED POST POSTPONMENT: Mail flight cancellations to last most of this week; special flights scheduled Wed., Fri.

By Mark Sabbatini on March 25, 2019
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Read Time:45 Second

The cancellation of mail flights to Longyearbyen that began last week due to technical problems arising from a cracked wing are likely to continue through this week as the second of two planes used for such flights is now being serviced, according to officials.

About Post Author

Mark Sabbatini

I'm a professional transient living on a tiny Norwegian island next door to the North Pole, where once a week (or thereabouts) I pollute our extreme and pristine environment with paper fishwrappers decorated with seemingly random letters that would cause a thousand monkeys with a thousand typewriters to die of humiliation. Such is the wisdom one acquires after more than 25 years in the world's second-least-respected occupation, much of it roaming the seven continents in search of jazz, unrecognizable street food and escorts I f****d with by insisting they give me the platonic tours of their cities promised in their ads. But it turns out this tiny group of islands known as Svalbard is my True Love and, generous contributions from you willing, I'll keep littering until they dig my body out when my climate-change-deformed apartment collapses or they exile my penniless ass because I'm not even worthy of washing your dirty dishes.
marksabbatini@yahoo.com
http://icepeople.net
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‘No other place in the world is warming up faster than Svalbard’: March will be 100th straight month of above-average Svalbard temperatures, weather service saysisfjordnoice

‘No other place in the world is warming up faster than Svalbard’: March will be 100th straight month of above-average Svalbard temperatures, weather service says

By Mark Sabbatini on March 25, 2019
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Read Time:3 Minute, 6 Second

The cold made things interesting by taking the lead during the first half of March, but ultimately was overcome and now will suffer its 100th straight defeat as Svalbard is about to surpass its 100th straight month of above-average temperatures, according to the Norwegian Meteorological Institute.

About Post Author

Mark Sabbatini

I'm a professional transient living on a tiny Norwegian island next door to the North Pole, where once a week (or thereabouts) I pollute our extreme and pristine environment with paper fishwrappers decorated with seemingly random letters that would cause a thousand monkeys with a thousand typewriters to die of humiliation. Such is the wisdom one acquires after more than 25 years in the world's second-least-respected occupation, much of it roaming the seven continents in search of jazz, unrecognizable street food and escorts I f****d with by insisting they give me the platonic tours of their cities promised in their ads. But it turns out this tiny group of islands known as Svalbard is my True Love and, generous contributions from you willing, I'll keep littering until they dig my body out when my climate-change-deformed apartment collapses or they exile my penniless ass because I'm not even worthy of washing your dirty dishes.
marksabbatini@yahoo.com
http://icepeople.net
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ETERNALLY GOLD: Trym Aunevik gets royal welcome home after proving himself an all-time best at Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabitrymairport

ETERNALLY GOLD: Trym Aunevik gets royal welcome home after proving himself an all-time best at Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi

By Mark Sabbatini on March 24, 2019
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Read Time:3 Minute, 13 Second

Trym Aunevik, 17, didn’t return to Longyearbyen with any gold medals – or even bronze. But the same lifetime of determination earning him a trip to the Special Olympic World Games in Abu Dhabi deemed him worthy of competing against the best of the best once he got there and he went three-for-three in the larger challenge of achieving the gold for himself.

Aunevik, one of Norway’s four national champion swimmers at the Games, set personal records during two events and tied his best at a third while finishing fourth, fifth and sixth in the races. He got a “white carpet” reception when he arrived with his family at Svalbard Airport on Saturday evening with bright lights and teenage peers bearing Norwegian flags lined both sides of the snow-covered tarmac greeting him as he emerged from the plane to cheers of onlookers.

About Post Author

Mark Sabbatini

I'm a professional transient living on a tiny Norwegian island next door to the North Pole, where once a week (or thereabouts) I pollute our extreme and pristine environment with paper fishwrappers decorated with seemingly random letters that would cause a thousand monkeys with a thousand typewriters to die of humiliation. Such is the wisdom one acquires after more than 25 years in the world's second-least-respected occupation, much of it roaming the seven continents in search of jazz, unrecognizable street food and escorts I f****d with by insisting they give me the platonic tours of their cities promised in their ads. But it turns out this tiny group of islands known as Svalbard is my True Love and, generous contributions from you willing, I'll keep littering until they dig my body out when my climate-change-deformed apartment collapses or they exile my penniless ass because I'm not even worthy of washing your dirty dishes.
marksabbatini@yahoo.com
http://icepeople.net
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SCOOTER OFF: Governor overrules city, orders Hurtigruten Svalbard to immediately remove dozens of snowmobiles from open field due to complaintsscootermove

SCOOTER OFF: Governor overrules city, orders Hurtigruten Svalbard to immediately remove dozens of snowmobiles from open field due to complaints

By Mark Sabbatini on March 23, 2019
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Read Time:1 Minute, 57 Second

“No parking” of snowmobiles in a large field near the edge of Longyearbyen does not mean the city can violate its own code by declaring “except for a huge tourist fleet,” The Governor of Svalbard stated Friday in order demanding Hurtigruten Svalbard immediately remove dozens of its rental units from the area due to complaints from residents.

About Post Author

Mark Sabbatini

I'm a professional transient living on a tiny Norwegian island next door to the North Pole, where once a week (or thereabouts) I pollute our extreme and pristine environment with paper fishwrappers decorated with seemingly random letters that would cause a thousand monkeys with a thousand typewriters to die of humiliation. Such is the wisdom one acquires after more than 25 years in the world's second-least-respected occupation, much of it roaming the seven continents in search of jazz, unrecognizable street food and escorts I f****d with by insisting they give me the platonic tours of their cities promised in their ads. But it turns out this tiny group of islands known as Svalbard is my True Love and, generous contributions from you willing, I'll keep littering until they dig my body out when my climate-change-deformed apartment collapses or they exile my penniless ass because I'm not even worthy of washing your dirty dishes.
marksabbatini@yahoo.com
http://icepeople.net
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Snow now, snow tomorrow, snow forever: More than 100 locals gather in heavy snowstorm hoping it’s more than a memory in northernmost gathering of global ‘climate strike’climatestrikemain

Snow now, snow tomorrow, snow forever: More than 100 locals gather in heavy snowstorm hoping it’s more than a memory in northernmost gathering of global ‘climate strike’

By Mark Sabbatini on March 22, 2019
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Read Time:3 Minute, 42 Second

As luck would have it – or not, if folks wanted a more “tragic” setting – it was an idyllic snowy Arctic morning for more than 100 people marching in the world’s northernmost gathering of a global youth climate strike that a reported 1.4 million people participated in worldwide Friday.

A drum-beating polar bear, kids holding signs atop a huge pile of freshly plowed snow, and promises not to keep participants standing in the chilly storm too long during a few speeches and songs all spoke to an Arctic that still exists. But with a recent study showing Longyearbyen has already lost two months of winter each year due to climate change in recent decades, Anna Kexel, a German student at The University Centre in Svalbard, told strikers she wants such days to be more than a memory.

About Post Author

Mark Sabbatini

I'm a professional transient living on a tiny Norwegian island next door to the North Pole, where once a week (or thereabouts) I pollute our extreme and pristine environment with paper fishwrappers decorated with seemingly random letters that would cause a thousand monkeys with a thousand typewriters to die of humiliation. Such is the wisdom one acquires after more than 25 years in the world's second-least-respected occupation, much of it roaming the seven continents in search of jazz, unrecognizable street food and escorts I f****d with by insisting they give me the platonic tours of their cities promised in their ads. But it turns out this tiny group of islands known as Svalbard is my True Love and, generous contributions from you willing, I'll keep littering until they dig my body out when my climate-change-deformed apartment collapses or they exile my penniless ass because I'm not even worthy of washing your dirty dishes.
marksabbatini@yahoo.com
http://icepeople.net
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10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY FLASHBACK: This was Icepeople’s homepage on July 29, 2010. It has most of our web articles between then and the first issue in March of 2009Screen Shot 2019-03-21 at 12.40.41

10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY FLASHBACK: This was Icepeople’s homepage on July 29, 2010. It has most of our web articles between then and the first issue in March of 2009

By Mark Sabbatini on March 21, 2019
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Read Time:1 Minute, 11 Second

Seeds inside the Doomsday Vault in peril, amazingly warm winter temperatures, warnings about behaving badly around polar bears, a wrecked ship abandoned in a remote part of Svalbard…hmmm, maybe contrary to common perception Svalbard hasn’t changed all that much in ten years.

We’re putting the last touches on Icepeople’s 10-year anniversary issue and, while looking up a few of our first articles, came across this archived version of the homepage in the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine from July 29, 2010. So we’re sharing it here just for the hell of it. It features most of the major stories between then and our first print issue on March 3, 2009, and contains plenty of surprisingly repetitive topics along with some now equally oddly obsolete content.

About Post Author

Mark Sabbatini

I'm a professional transient living on a tiny Norwegian island next door to the North Pole, where once a week (or thereabouts) I pollute our extreme and pristine environment with paper fishwrappers decorated with seemingly random letters that would cause a thousand monkeys with a thousand typewriters to die of humiliation. Such is the wisdom one acquires after more than 25 years in the world's second-least-respected occupation, much of it roaming the seven continents in search of jazz, unrecognizable street food and escorts I f****d with by insisting they give me the platonic tours of their cities promised in their ads. But it turns out this tiny group of islands known as Svalbard is my True Love and, generous contributions from you willing, I'll keep littering until they dig my body out when my climate-change-deformed apartment collapses or they exile my penniless ass because I'm not even worthy of washing your dirty dishes.
marksabbatini@yahoo.com
http://icepeople.net
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MISSING MAIL: Postal flight cancelled Wednesday and Thursday, so some of these shelves may be empty before the weekendnomail

MISSING MAIL: Postal flight cancelled Wednesday and Thursday, so some of these shelves may be empty before the weekend

By Mark Sabbatini on March 21, 2019
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Read Time:53 Second

Technical problems have resulted in the cancellation of the postal flight to Longyearbyen on Wednesday and Thursday, meaning many fresh grocery products and other items may be in short supply or unavailable, according to officials.

About Post Author

Mark Sabbatini

I'm a professional transient living on a tiny Norwegian island next door to the North Pole, where once a week (or thereabouts) I pollute our extreme and pristine environment with paper fishwrappers decorated with seemingly random letters that would cause a thousand monkeys with a thousand typewriters to die of humiliation. Such is the wisdom one acquires after more than 25 years in the world's second-least-respected occupation, much of it roaming the seven continents in search of jazz, unrecognizable street food and escorts I f****d with by insisting they give me the platonic tours of their cities promised in their ads. But it turns out this tiny group of islands known as Svalbard is my True Love and, generous contributions from you willing, I'll keep littering until they dig my body out when my climate-change-deformed apartment collapses or they exile my penniless ass because I'm not even worthy of washing your dirty dishes.
marksabbatini@yahoo.com
http://icepeople.net
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(Auto)pilot project: Shuttle bus comes to Longyearbyen for first-ever autonomous vehicle test in Arctic; free rides offered Thursday as company seeks longer route/test periodApplied Autonomy

(Auto)pilot project: Shuttle bus comes to Longyearbyen for first-ever autonomous vehicle test in Arctic; free rides offered Thursday as company seeks longer route/test period

By Mark Sabbatini on March 19, 2019
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Read Time:2 Minute, 56 Second

The way people are gawking and taking photos at the stubby green contraption moseying its way up and down the center of Longyearbyen you’d think they’ve never seen a shuttle bus before. And they haven’t – at least not one where the “driver” is  navigating it by programming its route into a computer while sitting on the rear bench.

About Post Author

Mark Sabbatini

I'm a professional transient living on a tiny Norwegian island next door to the North Pole, where once a week (or thereabouts) I pollute our extreme and pristine environment with paper fishwrappers decorated with seemingly random letters that would cause a thousand monkeys with a thousand typewriters to die of humiliation. Such is the wisdom one acquires after more than 25 years in the world's second-least-respected occupation, much of it roaming the seven continents in search of jazz, unrecognizable street food and escorts I f****d with by insisting they give me the platonic tours of their cities promised in their ads. But it turns out this tiny group of islands known as Svalbard is my True Love and, generous contributions from you willing, I'll keep littering until they dig my body out when my climate-change-deformed apartment collapses or they exile my penniless ass because I'm not even worthy of washing your dirty dishes.
marksabbatini@yahoo.com
http://icepeople.net
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