Editing Diomede, Alaska (section)

== Community ==
[[File:Little Diomede Island village.jpeg|thumb|Little Diomede Island village]]
The location of the city is believed to have been used for at least 3,000 years as a hunting campsite. In the late 19th century, travelers reported people living in huts made out of rocks and with skin roofs. (see [[#History|History]]).

The first square building on the island was a small Catholic church, which was planned by Father Bellarmine Lafortune in 1935 and built by Father Thomas Cunningham during his residency on the island between 1936 and 1947. It was built from donated lumber from [[Nome, Alaska|Nome]].<ref name="stjude">{{cite web |title=St.Jude |url=https://walaskacatholic.org/diomede |website=walaskacatholic.org |publisher=eCatholic |access-date=June 23, 2021}}</ref> The next square building in the island was a one-room schoolhouse,<ref>Building completion date missing, but was already being used by teachers Gerald F. and Donna Carlson in 1953</ref> which also served as a home for the teacher's family. A new, larger church building built by Father Thomas Carlin and Brother Ignatius Jakes was completed on March 3, 1979.<ref name="stjude" /><ref name="kawerak">{{cite web |title=Diomede |url=https://kawerak.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/diomede.pdf |website=kawerak.org |publisher=Kawerak Community Planning and Development Department, City of Diomede |access-date=June 23, 2021 |ref=Pg. 41}}</ref>

Today there are about 30 buildings<ref>[https://maps.google.com/maps?t=k&ie=UTF8&hl=en&ll=65.758195,-168.951284&spn=0.002009,0.007231&z=17 Google satellite image of the City of Diomede]</ref> on the island, including the residential housing that was mainly built in the 1970s and 1980s. A laundromat (washeteria) has been built to serve the community with washers, dryers, and showers.<ref name="dec.state.ak.us">[https://web.archive.org/web/20080718191908/http://www.dec.state.ak.us/spar/perp/plans/scp_nw/nw_B-Resources.pdf State of Alaska, ''Northwest Arctic Subarea Contingency Plan'' (2001)]</ref> A clinic for basic health care is located on the upper floor of the same building. The island also has a school, library, heliport and a satellite dish for television, telephone, fax, and internet service. There is no bank or restaurant, and the supplies of the main store on the island are limited to food, beverage, clothing, [[firearm]]s, [[ammunition]], and fuel. Snacks, clothing, diapers, and other items are often ordered from [[Anchorage, Alaska|Anchorage]] [[Walmart]] and [[Fred Meyer]] stores by mail or parcel. As in many other [[Alaska Native]] villages, the import and sale of alcohol is prohibited.

=== Electricity ===
An electric system was built on the island in the 1970s,<ref name="usgennet.org" /> and electricity is provided by city-operated Diomede Joint Utilities. They provide houses and other facilities with electricity produced by [[diesel generators]]. Diesel fuel is stored in large tanks, which are placed at the furthest possible location from the housing. While the electric facility owns the largest fuel tank, measuring {{convert|80000|U.S.gal|m3|sigfig=3}}, the school and the village council store both own tanks measuring about {{convert|41000|U.S.gal|m3|sigfig=3}} each.<ref name="commerce.state.ak.us">[http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/dca/commdb/CF_BLOCK.cfm?Comm_Boro_Name=Diomede&Data_type=Facilities State of Alaska, Community Database Online / Diomede] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130419070602/http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/dca/commdb/CF_BLOCK.cfm?Comm_Boro_Name=Diomede&Data_type=Facilities |date=April 19, 2013 }}</ref> (Some sources<ref name="dec.state.ak.us"/> suggest the school has upgraded its fuel storage to two {{convert|85000|U.S.gal|m3|adj=on|sigfig=3}} tanks). [[Gasoline]] and [[propane]] are also used for fuel.

=== Water and disposal ===
Water for winter use is drawn from a mountain spring, then treated and stored in {{convert|434000|U.S.gal|m3|adj=on|sigfig=3}} storage tanks. Because the [[permafrost]] prevents pipelines from being installed underground, residents must manually carry water from the tank.<ref name="dcced" /><ref name="kawerak" /> Even with a tank this size, the water supply usually runs out by March, the laundromat is closed and residents must melt their drinking water from snow and ice.

Funds for improving the water system have been requested both by the city and the school. Having a separate tank for the school would decrease the usage of city water and would also serve as a backup water supply for the whole city. Funds have also been requested for improvements to refuse collection and for an [[incinerator]], because the ground conditions on the island limits waste disposal to burning combustibles and disposing of everything else on the ice. [[Bucket toilet|Honeybuckets]] and privies are used, except in the laundromat, clinic, and school, which are served by a septic system.<ref name="commerce.state.ak.us"/>

=== Education ===
The island's only school is likely the most isolated school in the United States. The Diomede School has approximately 20 students from grades pre-K through 12 and three teachers.  It is part of the [[Bering Strait School District]]. The number of teachers fluctuates based on the student population.

=== Health care and emergency services ===
There is no hospital located on the island, and emergency services are limited due to the remoteness of the island. A city council-owned clinic operates in the laundromat building, providing basic health care.

While other emergency services are provided by volunteers and a health aide, the fire and rescue service is provided by Diomede Volunteer Fire Department and First Responders.<ref name="commerce.state.ak.us"/> In case of a major health emergency, patients are airlifted to the mainland hospital in [[Nome, Alaska|Nome]], weather permitting.<ref name="dec.state.ak.us"/> The closest law enforcement are dispatched from the [[Alaska State Troopers]] barracks on the mainland in [[Nome, Alaska|Nome]].

Frozen ground and lack of soil on the rocky island prevents digging graves, so [[cairn|rocks are piled]] on top of the burial sites instead.<ref>[http://merrow1.tripod.com/coldwaters/id12.html Travelogue associated with the St. Roch II ''Voyage of Rediscovery'' expedition (2000) / Arianne Balsom] Includes pictures</ref>

On November 7, 2009, it was announced that one inhabitant was infected with H1N1 swine flu.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.adn.com/swineflu/story/1003193.html |title=Swine flu scare hits Diomede: Swine flu (H1N1) &#124; adn.com |access-date=November 10, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091108172700/http://www.adn.com/swineflu/story/1003193.html |archive-date=November 8, 2009 }}</ref>