Craig Compeau has an annual tradition of pranking his friend, Fairbanks lawyer Bill Satterberg, every April Fools’ Day, and today is no different. Different April 1, different joke, same old Compeau prankster.
In his annual spoof column in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Compeau has penned a lengthy investigative story about how Satterberg is selling farmland near Fort Greeley and is a foreign agent for the communist Chinese.
This year, Must Read Alaska got a hat-tip from Compeau. The story says Must Read Alaska suggested Satterberg actually works for the Russians, not the communist Chinese. If it’s in Must Read Alaska, you can take it to the bank.
Satterberg refused to comment on whether he was Putin’s agent or whether the 74-year-old attorney’s birthday is April 1.
But wait! There’s more!
This year, Satterberg was not going to be outdone.
Satterberg knew his friend had sold his historic Compeau’s outdoor power sports business in Fairbanks, a business that has been a Fairbanks landmark owned by Craig Compeau’s family since 1945. Craig decided it’s time for him to retire. He’s out of state right now.
Satterberg also three years ago acquired a large sign from the old Showboat, a gentleman’s club, that had gone out of business in Fairbanks. He erected the “SHOWGIRLS” sign just under the Compeau’s name at the power sports shop, and then had his friends pose in front of it wearing a Trump mask and an Elon Musk mask. Compeau’s went from power sports to strip joint in one stealthy move.
Compeau discovered the sign Tuesday morning and knew exactly who the culprit was.
It’s April Fools’ Day and the pranks will be unending.
In Juneau, the Legislature is in session today. Committees will meet and bills will be discussed. Some legislation will definitely raise the question: Is this a joke?
Also in Juneau, insurance agent Scott Spickler reported some suspicious steam emitting from Mount Roberts, which sits above the city.
Apparently Juneau doesn’t want to be outdone by all the attention being given to Mount Spurr, 70 miles from Anchorage, which has had, shall we say, a very steamy recent past.
None of these pranks will ever outdo the one pulled off by Sitka’s Oliver “Porky” Picar, a World War II veteran who flew hundreds of old tires to the crater of Mount Edgecumbe in 1974, and then lit them on fire on the morning of April 1, 1974, staging a volcanic eruption that put the city on high alert. A prank like that today would land a guy in jail, but those were, indeed, the good old days.
To read about some of Compeau’s pranks on Satterberg in years prior, and other fine jokes, click on the links below. And be careful out there today, especially if you are in politics!
He better leave the old showgirls sign up, that’s too funny. Love Fairbanks
The old “Showgirls” sign came from across the street, near today’s Polaris snowmobile dealership. Back in the 70’s, Showgirls was called the Lonely Lady, one of Fairbank’s many stripper bars. One of the more memorable April Fools pranks was during the pipeline era. A pipeline worker visiting the Lonely Lady needed a lift to the airport which is about a mile away. Another patron told him to meet him out front and he would give him a ride. The airboat was all warmed and ready to go down the asphalt street. The guy made it to the airport and the airboat stopped at Pikes for more fuel. Yes, there was some drinking going on back in them days.
“some drinking”… Correction, a lot of drinking.
Last year at KSRM we announced that the legislature had approved funding for a causeway across Turnagain Arm, from Pt. Possession on the northern Kenai Peninsula, to Fire Island. This caused property values in Nikiski and Gray Cliffs to skyrocket — for one day!
Ten years ago, KSRM announced that a new Disney Theme Park was being planned for Homer. “New Frontierland” would also have “Mining Land” for the pro-development crowds, plus “Whale Land” and “Green Land” for the environmentalists.
Juneau is the April Fool’s joke on Alaska!