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Cody woman has ties to GOP's veep nominee

By Harriet Weixel

This document was published online on Thursday, September 04, 2008

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Cody resident Colleen Hodson, an Alaska native, has sports and school connections to Sarah Palin, the Republican candidate for vice president.

Growing up in Alaska, Colleen Phillips Hodson, now executive director of the Dude Rancher's Association in Cody, was a student of Palin's father.

“Sarah Palin's maiden name is Heath and when I was in sixth grade her father, Mr. Heath, was my teacher,” Hodson said.

“He took the whole sixth grade on a trip for a week up to Mount McKinley,” she added. “He was my favorite teacher.”

“That was 30 years ago and I don't remember if he ever talked to us about his kids, but he did talk about hunting grizzly bears and moose,” she said.

Hodson attended Chugiak High School in Eagle River and played center on the basketball team.

Sarah Palin played basketball on the Wasilla team. As co-captain she is locally famous for making the final free throw that won her team their first state championship. Her determination and fast play won her the nickname “Sarah Barracuda.”

“Our schools were about 25 miles apart and I'm about three years older than Sarah, so we didn't really know each other, but we did play the Wasilla girls,” Hodson said.

“Their team name was Warriors and we were the Mustangs,” she added.

Sarah Heath Palin was named Miss Wasilla in 1984. The 44-year-old mother of five married Todd Palin 20 years ago.

Colleen Hodson moved to Cody in 1981. Her husband Jerry commutes from Cody to his job in Alaska. Her mother Katie Phillips, three sisters and a brother still live in Eagle River.

“My twin sister Cathy works in the Alaska Supreme Court office, so when they have the governor's open house she sees the Heaths,” Hodson said. “Cathy said she shook Sarah's hand.”

Speaking about Palin, Hodson's mother said, “I don't remember seeing Sarah play basketball against Colleen, but her father Chuck still lives in Wasilla. He's a retired teacher.

“Eagle River is a small town and so is Wasilla, so we all know almost everyone.

“I saw her once at the airport. What I do know is we all love Sarah up here,” she added.

Palin served on the Wasilla City Council and was mayor for six years. She was elected governor of Alaska in 2006.

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