FAIRBANKS \u2014 A decades-old lodge in Delta Junction that was burned to the ground in 2014 has been rebuilt and is now open for business.<\/p>\n
The Clearwater Lodge was set on fire by 18-year-old Vasiliy Malyk, who pleaded guilty to the arson in April. Maylk was also charged with burning down a neighbor\u2019s home and given a time-served jail sentence for the arsons in April, The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n Johni Swinte, the lodge\u2019s manager, said the new structure is more than twice the size of the old lodge, which was built by Montana homesteader Al Remington in 1954. The lodge also features a new deck for a view of the Clearwater River and has been rebuilt with reclaimed wood.<\/p>\n Owner Kevin Ewing said the wood gives the lodge a rustic look. Fairbanks artist Sean Herring carved salmon into some of the timbers, and Ewing hired an Anchorage concrete artist to create inlays of salmon and grayling in the deck.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s obviously nicer,\u201d Ewing said. \u201cWe wanted to build it like it looked like it had been there. We didn\u2019t want something new and sterile feeling. We wanted people to feel comfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n In 2001, Ewing and his late wife, Patsy, purchased the lodge from Remington\u2019s grandson and had made renovations to it before the fire.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a total loss,\u201d Ewing said. \u201cThe old lodge had a lot of character. It\u2019s hard to explain if you hadn\u2019t seen it.\u201d<\/p>\n The lodge reopened its bar on Sunday and the Ewings expect the restaurant to open in October. The menu will offer steaks, hamburgers, wraps and a nightly chef\u2019s special.<\/p>\n \u201cThe old one will be missed,\u201d said Ewing\u2019s son, Lowen. \u201cBut this new place will blow people\u2019s minds.\u201d<\/p>\n —<\/p>\n Read more news:<\/p>\n Juneau’s homeless clinic will soon be run by Wrangell org<\/a><\/p>\n Coast Guard suspends search for cruise ship passenger who went overboard in Lynn Canal<\/a><\/p>\n Juneau Assembly resolves deficit dilemma<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"