Contributed by Charice Chambers It was a shock and surprise, the last thing Matsu Senior Services had expected - a tote loaded with fresh silver salmon! For nearly a decade, Northern District Setnetters, with the help of Copper River Seafoods, has donated a portion of a one day catch to Palmer Senior Center. It has become an anticipated summer meal for local seniors who take advantage of the Center’s daily meal service. With a low salmon return and all of the complications created by COVID-19, nobody expected the annual gift. Yet here it was, truly a silver miracle. In spite of overwhelming difficulties, Copper River Seafoods provided an ice-filled tote to deliver the silvers at peak perfection. The seafood processor has participated in the Silvers for Seniors program from its inception, often donating fish as well. Silvers for Seniors is the brainchild of fisherwoman, Page Herring, and husband, Bob Cellers. Herring encouraged fellow members of Northern District Setnetters to donate a portion of one day’s catch each season to the Center. They enthusiastically agreed, and have continued their participation. Much of the credit for the program’s enduring success must be given to Herring who loves doing something special for seniors. For her, this year’s gift is especially poignant. It is dedicated to her father, Lebron Herring, who lost his life in a sudden storm while returning from setnetting in 1986. Herring Sr. arrived in Alaska in 1965 in a Ford station wagon. Towed behind it was a Volvo stuffed with all the family’s possessions. He was soon joined by wife, Pansy, and their four children. The couple embraced the Alaskan lifestyle. Though employed as a US Customs officer at Anchorage International Airport, Herring lived to fish and hunt. Soon the family purchased a boat and a site permit.
Before long, they had three boats and three permits. Dad had his, mom had one, and 22-year-old, Page, joined the family fishing business with the third permit. Her sisters fished as well. It was a real family business, and one that was quite lucrative. With no children of her own, the Herring family business will end when Page pulls in her last net. The story is similar for many other family setnet businesses. It is a lot of hard work, at time dangerous, and with increased regulations, income has fallen drastically. The future for setnetting worries Page Herring. She hopes that in spite of all of its problems, young people will continue to carry on the tradition. According to Matsu Senior Services head chef, Kevin Horstmann,, the fish will be put to great use. The Center will be able provide nearly 200 meals for local seniors and an additional 80 meals for local home-bound seniors through the Meals on Wheels program. Additional salmon will be used in salads and salmon soup throughout the fall season.
Each year, Mat-Su Senior Services cooks up around 130,000 nutritious meals for seniors and eligible homebound individuals. At the present time, the Center’s dining room is closed to the public due to COVID-19. Currently meals are either delivered to seniors’ homes or picked up outside the Center. According to MSSS Chief Executive Officer, Elaine Phillipps, donations like Silvers for Seniors are a delicious and cost saving way to meet both financial and nutritional food goals.
Disaster Ready: Virtual Emergency Expo
MORE ON PAGE 2 OF THE PEOPLE’S PAPER
Meet the Artist: Douglas Girard
MORE ON PAGE 9 OF MAKE A SCENE MAGAZINE
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both places. When I transitioned from Mat-Su Regional to Maple Springs, I was picked up in a large van by two “heroes”, Hesse and Corey. Jesse hurdled van seats and at one point he was on all fours securing my wheelchair. We had a friendly chat on way to Maple Springs. I only discovered later that Jesse is the director of Maple Springs and realized he is a hands-on leader who walks the talk of caring and competence. Many nurses and CNAs expressed their love of serving patients with joy at seeing patients’ success and recovery.
Contributed by Paul Magiire I’ve spent the last 75 days in MatSu Regional Hospital and Maple Springs Rehab. Center in Palmer.
Being institutionalized during this pandemic presents unusual circumstance, including “no visitors”, wearing masks, etc. My family became nurses, CNA’s, staff, etc. at
Outdoor scene from the 2019 Emergency Expo Menard Sports Center.
Contributed by Debra McGhan, Mat-Su Local Emergency Planning Committee September is all about preparing for emergencies and disasters: https:// Ready.Gov - National Emergency Preparedness Month. For more than a decade the Mat-Su Valley has been home to the annual Emergency Preparedness Expo; first at the Mat-Su College, and later as it grew much larger, the Menard Sports Center. This year, it’s been like September since January when 2020 roared in with an unwelcome visitor and unleashed this corona virus pandemic on the world. Those who were not stocked up and prepared with supplies found out the hard way just how uncomfortable, inconvenient and downright scary that feels like. No toilet paper, face masks, disinfecting wipes, meat… and lots of other things that just disappeared from store shelves. And are still often in very short supply. This has been a time to hunker down and figure out how we are going to survive. We must dig past the rumors and clutter and downright lies to find truth and fact. Instead of a world united, we have discovered a world divided, fractured and far from prepared. But with every challenge comes opportunity. Instead of focusing on all we have lost, this is a time to zoom in on what we can and are gaining: cleaner public transportation, a lot more elbow room, time to slow down and just be home. Versatility in the classroom. It’s a time for creative adventures and finding new paths to address old problems. For those struggling with underlying illness, loss of income and a myriad of other challenges, finding answers to scary questions is more important than ever. The Mat-Su Emergency Preparedness Expo planning committee wants to help. This group of dedicated emergency management personnel and volunteers have been doing everything they can to help develop and launch new, innovative solutions to answer critical questions. This September, instead of a one-day live event that brings hundreds of people together to learn and practice emergency and disaster preparedness, due to the COVID-19 virus, the
I’ve shared with many that nurses and support personnel are “beyond heroes” and the fabric of our Valley. While we may be distracted by the insanity of our times (pandemic, election, etc.), we’re in good hands when at our most vulnerable times.
Indoor Scene from the 2019 Emergency Expo at the Menard Sports Center.
planning committee has recognized the importance of a safer alternative to an in-person expo. And so the expo is going to move again. This time you can join the free, entirely virtual platform hosted on the MatSu Borough’s website through all of September and beyond. You’ll find a multitude of informative presentations on how to prepare for everything from avalanches to wild fire. Plus activities for the kids, including the annual poster contest.
Residents of this home woke to find their house surrounded by water when the Knik River flooded in 2012. Photo by Mat-Su Borough Emergency Services.
The top poster in each of five age divisions will win a family emergency preparedness kit and other great prizes. All just for drawing a picture to share what being prepared for emergencies and disasters means to you. For people like Tim McDaniel, it means having a fire extinguisher primed and close at hand. He knows all too well the horrors of a fire that destroyed his home and took the lives of his beloved dogs.
A house fire during the 2015 Sockeye Fire near Big Lake and Houston. Photo by Mat-Su Borough Emergency Services.
“I had a space heater get knocked over and incinerate my entire world,” said McDaniel. “I’ve had to learn by losing everything the hard lesson of how important it is to be prepared and ready. Often just doing that can prevent the disaster in the first place.” Lawrence Agosti would agree. He had what he described as a “humbling experience” one spring while riding his snowmachine with friends on the Kenai. It was one of those, ‘if it could go wrong it did,’ days. “We got stuck out overnight in a blizzard with no real survival supplies. It was the most demoralizing moment of my life,” said Agosti. “I couldn’t believe how totally unprepared we really were for this ordeal.” Agosti made it clear this experience made him realize that being prepared is THE most important thing we can control. “If we had taken the time and effort to think about what could happen and what we might need, we would not have had to endure that horrible night. We almost died. We knew better. I know I’ll never make that mistake again.” When disaster strikes, whether it impacts you, your family or the entire community, you may have questions. Many questions. Like, “What should be in my emergency kit? Where can I get a reliable weather forecast,” or, “Where is the safest place to be in an earthquake?”
Survival snow cave built by Lawrence Agosti and his friends after they got caught in a blizzard while out riding their snowmobiles. Photo courtesy of Lawrence Agosti.
The Mat-Su Borough Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) wants to help answer your questions about staying safe no matter what the situation. They’ve gathered information covering a host of topics from what to do if the power goes out to disasters like earthquakes, fires, floods, and yes, a pandemic. You are invited to join the platform and share with your family and friends the 2020 Emergency Preparedness Expo online starting September 1, 2020. Come explore the variety of informative and interactive offerings. Bring your questions and your curiosity. Check it out online at https://matsugov.us. If you have a great presentation to share, you can submit your idea to Talon.Boeve@matsugov.us for consideration to be included.
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in the community who are protecting themselves from COVID-19. We will still be providing shirts to community members, but we will not have an in person meeting.
Contributed by Justin Pendergrass Stay Day started three years ago on the first week of September after the staff at MY House watched the Netflix show, “13 Reasons Why”. During a staff meeting, a MY House employee suggested that they begin focusing on suicide prevention and 13 reasons why NOT. The director of MY House brought in Justin Pendergrass to begin working on this campaign after connecting with him years ago on his own battle
with suicide. The last three years, Stay Day has been used to connect those around the community and help raise awareness in a more uplifting and positive way. Stay Day has connected over 50 different businesses over the last three years and continues to grow each year, providing t-shirts that say, “Stay, Discover What You Are Made For” to community partners and businesses to help provide that positive message. This year for Stay Day, we will be mixing things up to accommodate those
Instead, we ask that members of our community take a short 30 second video of why they stay on their phones and send them to Justin@ myhousematsu.org to create a community video leaving a positive message. If you are a business please take photos of your team and you in the shirts Friday, September 4th and post them on social media tagging the MY House page. You can find us on Facebook throughout the month of September providing information on suicide prevention and telling stories of those who have made it through the fight. For more information or to sign-up for t-shirts, contact Justin Pendergrass at (907) 373-4357 or by email at Justin@myhousematsu.org
Archery: I can remember shooting as a young person and it takes more arm strength than I have left now. I have allowed my body to get somewhat soft over the years. Astronomy: Standing outside in the cold at night, I am afraid that could be hazardous to my health and I have alway been more of a cuddle by the fireplace person. Bowling: I used to be a pretty good bowler, but there are not any bowling alleys near our house and I hate to drive very far after dark with my poor eyesight.
Contributed by Marilyn Bennett The often-asked questions of a rock collector are: Why are you collecting rocks? What’s the point of collecting rocks? Where do you find cool rocks? What do you do with all of the rocks you collect? There are many other questions, but for me they are all superfluous as my rock collecting has nothing to do with why or what. For me it is all about the simple elimination of all the other useless things a person could do while enjoying their second life. Now you might ask, “What is a second life?” It is simply that time in your life when your career (such as it was) is finished. Your children have become productive adults (or at least left home) and you are wondering, “What now?” I am sure that many of you have thought from time to time about starting over and beginning a second life. Certainly these past few months of being cooped up with lots of time to think, you have had the leisure to reflect on the question: What do I want to do in my second life? I have been pondering that question for quite some time and considered many different options. When I retired and moved to Alaska, I thought I was ready to start my second life. Being a nerd, I looked up second life on my computer to see what other people were doing in their second life. Imag-
ine my surprise when I discovered there was a website with over a million users called “Second Life”. Thinking I would check it out, I clicked on and found that Second Life is a free 3D virtual world where users can create, connect and chat with others from around the world using voice and text. I saw that they accepted users over 16 years of age, that was a hint to me that it might not be the best place for an old retired lady. Also, I thought about the pitiful 16 year old who already thought he or she or whatever needed a second life. That made me reflect on that person under 30 who was ready for a second life and decided that person was probably not someone I wanted to meet even digitally. I decided to wait on the digital second life for a few more years. It could be a hoot at 90 to become immersed in a virtual world and interact digitally with 16year olds, but I will put that on hold for now. So back to real life. What are my options? I passed up many opportunities in my life and now have fewer choices. I love to garden, but that only occupies at best, four months. Last year, I took up making glass flowers in the winter and now have a whole garden full of old dishes that I turned into flowers. Began writing my memoirs and realized I had lived a pretty boring life. Starting checking out hobbies.
Dancing: Probably a little to late in life to get into any serious dancing and besides I have always had two left feet. Fishing: Not enough patience and we can only eat so much fish. Some people do catch and release, but I have always thought of that as needless torture of innocent fish. Paint Balling: I put this down as an interesting possibility, although I have been told that it can be a bruising sport and as you may have noted above I am a rather couch potato. Pottery: This is a distinct possibility, however since I am not interested in selling pots I could end up with way too many excess items and my garden is already full of dishes. Time to look at rock collecting again. It would give me an excuse to travel to exotic locations. I could collect rocks to enhance my gardens in the summer. I could alway paint colorful pictures on the rocks in the winter. I could join a rock collectors club to socialize with other “Rock Hounds”, which is a cool name for rock collectors. Checked out the Rock and Mineral Club in my area and find that they are way beyond my level of expertise, but who knows I may learn something new in my second life. “Rock Hound” sounds more serious than Rock Collector - Think I’ll go with it...
COMMUNITY Contributed by Ami Pettit Alaska Farmland Trust EqualiTEA 8/18/2020 - 5PM Alaska Farmland Trust Peak Peonies Farm 5200 N Palmer Fishhook Rd. Palmer Tickets: $125 On Tuesday, August 18th, Alaska Farmland Trust will host an EqualiTEA in Palmer to celebrate the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote across the United States. Alaska
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also boasts the highest percentage of female farmers in the nation, at 47%. We will honor some of Palmers’ female farmers as well.
individual donations and fundraising through our signature events to raise the funds necessary to complete our mission.
Alaska Farmland Trust is a 501c3 nonprofit based in Palmer that works to permanently protect Alaska’s’ valuable agricultural soils. Since its founding in 2005, the organization has protected just under 400 acres of Alaska’s finest and most productive properties.
EqualiTEA will take place at Carol Kenley’s legendary garden on Palmer Fishhook Road from 5:00pm - 7:30pm on Tuesday, August 18th. The event will take place outside, under the cover of tents, regardless of weather. Ticket sales are limited to allow for social distancing and safe practices.
Alaska Farmland Trust is reliant on
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Attendees will enjoy hot and cold teas, delicious sandwiches and finger foods featuring Alaska Grown products, Sweetie Pie Fried Pies and a prize for the best hat. Wear your symbolic suffragette white dress or your favorite tea party attire: xtratufs or heels – anything goes! For more information, visit our website at www.akfarmland.com/equalitea2020/. To purchase tickets please call our executive director, Amy, at (907) 355-2706.
business days in advance to Cascio.
Contributed by Julie M. Cascio Cooperative Extension Service has many things occurring! Here are a few! Food Preservation Classes: Whether harvesting your garden, buying a bulk of produce, have many chickens, or plan to hunt for moose there may be food to keep for eating in the future. Freezing is one option to save these; drying and canning are other choices. If canning use researchbased recipes. For online sources, use Cooperative Extension information.
Alaska’s series of distance-delivered food preservation classes continue. Julie Cascio, of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service, will demonstrate how to can, pickle, dehydrate, and make sauerkraut. Classes will be via Zoom on Thursdays. Registration and class details are available at https://bit.ly/2CECoOs. The classes are: Can Fruits in Jars, 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Aug. 20 Can Tomatoes in Jars, 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Aug. 27 Pickling, 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. Sept. 10
Making Sauerkraut, 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Sept. 10 Dehydrating Fruits and Vegetables, 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. Sept. 17 Can Vegetables, 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Sept. 17 Canning Meats and Poultry, 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Oct. 1 Making Fresh Sausage, 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Oct. 8 For more information about the workshops, contact Cascio at jmcascio@alaska.edu or 907-745-3677. Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made five
Prevent Type 2 Diabetes Program: Lifestyle changes can help reduce the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes by over 50%! For people with pre-diabetes, the Prevent T2 Diabetes prevention program helps with this goal. Skills and goals to lose 5% - 10% or more of your starting weight are in this program. Making simple diet and exercise improvements as well as learning to manage stress are involved. It is a one-year program, delivered over the phone. Weekly phone calls with a trained mentor occur during the first six months, then monthly calls for the second six months. It is a free, voluntary program. Call or text Leslie Shallcross at 907242-6138 to learn more and enroll in that program.
assessed.
Contributed by Jennifer Cruz Due to current COVID-19 new and continuing case rates, Boom Town Roller Derby is unable to continue practices as scheduled in September. The Board of Directors have decided to push back the start date of the season to the first week of October. We apologize for the inconvenience, and we are glad our members, volunteers, fans and members of the community are all staying safe. According to the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, the State of Alaska does not have restrictions for large groups, but offers guiding principles to keep in mind while planning events with a larger number of people in attendance. The size (attendance) of an event or gathering should be determined based on state, local, territorial or tribal safety laws and regula-
Contributed by Michael Carson This past July, the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Jim Carroll, stated the importance of properly storing and disposing of prescription medications, especially during these challenging and unique times of the COVID-19 pandemic. These two directives are key strategies in reducing that medications are not misused or fall into the wrong hands. He added, “As we battle the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot lose sight of the ongoing crisis of substance misuse and addiction.” “As we stay at home more to ‘flatten the curve,’ some are feeling isolated and depressed. This could lead some potentially, to turn to unused, unneeded, unmonitored or expired prescription drugs to self-medicate without even leaving their home.” In addition, the data shows children un-
tions. The more people an individual interacts with at a gathering and the longer that interaction lasts, the higher the individual’s potential risk of becoming infected with COVID-19 and then spreading COVID-19 to others. The higher the level of community transmission in the area where the gathering is held, the higher the risk of COVID-19 spreading at the gathering. Currently, Boom Town Roller Derby has over 40 members, and practices normally are 2 hours at a time. On Sundays, members have an option to stay for two practice intervals, extending time to almost 4 hours of interaction. Boom Town is a ranked member of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), which has set Return to Roller Derby guidelines and standards based upon the geographic area in which their members participate. Although
der 6 are threatened with the availability of excess medications in the home. We know in 2017, 52,000 children were treated in emergency rooms for medicine-related poisonings. (ONDCP) And now there are also many school age children at home. We know that 1 in 7 high school students have used medications NOT prescribed to them. (’17 Youth Risk Behavior Survey) Along with young children and school age students, we know 80% of all new heroin users started with prescription opioids. Again, the COVID-19 pandemic has created challenges surrounding prescription medications. The most recent National ‘Take-Back Day’ for unused prescription pills was postponed. However, Alaska has the program, ‘Project Hope’. You can visit any Alaska Public Health Office and ask for a ‘Medication Disposal Bag’. These bags
our WFTDA guidelines may be more restrictive than many national, state, or city recommendations, they are not meant to take the place of any local or federal government guidelines that may ask you to prohibit game play altogether. In these instances, the WFTDA recommends strict compliance with regional restrictions and orders you may be subject to, as safety is our primary concern. The WFTDA has set guidelines in order to slowly return to roller derby activity in a tiered format based on: Non-contact to full-contact League activity only to local to regional to global competition; Small group participation to multiteam events; No audiences to small audiences to large events. Each tier should be completed for at least 14 days before a promotion is
Currently, the WFTDA requirement for return to play is no more than 50 new cases per 100k people in the last 14 days to set Baseline practice (no contact and maintain 6-foot distance). Neither Anchorage nor the Mat-Su Valley qualify (752 and 111 new cases respectively). While we agree that some leagues in the world may be ready to attempt a return, exposing participants and fans to potential risk of infection for the benefit of our sport is not acceptable. However, many members have stayed engaged through other means, watching prior games online, taking trail skates together, and taking full advantage of the Alaskan summer with hiking excursions and maintaining their fitness outdoors. As we continue watching numbers and assessing ability to return to practice, please keep an eye on our social media for updates and information regarding future events such as recruiting, games, and fundraising activities. Season 10 isn’t cancelled. It’s just on pause as we eagerly await safely returning to play.
come in different sizes that hold 15, 45, 90 unused prescription opioid pills, also liquids and patches. These disposal bags are safe, convenient and effective with a simple 3 step process to deactivate the prescription medications.
‘Overdose Prevention Rescue Kit’, from an Alaska Public Health Office. This is another component of Project Hope.
Next, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made a major announcement recommending that all health care professionals routinely discuss the life-saving Naloxone with guidance for those at increased risk for an opioid overdose. Besides health care professionals, family, friends or a bystander can administer Naloxone for a possible opioid overdose. It will save lives!
Finally, I want to thank all Alaska Public Health staff across our state for being on the front lines to save lives with all the services they provide, which are many, that truly keep all Alaskans safe, healthy and thriving.
Unfortunately, from 2018 to 2019 Alaska had an increase of 27% of drug overdoses. (CDC) And, over half was due to Fentanyl. Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine. There is counterfeit Percocet, Xanax and Oxycodone containing Fentanyl. It only takes 2 milligrams of Fentanyl to be fatal. If you are interested in having lifesaving Naloxone, you can obtain an
Over 250 Alaskans have been revived by Naloxone from 2017 to 2018.
Please remember, Medication Disposal Bags (drug deactivation system) are safe, convenient and effective. This drug deactivation system ensures that medications are not misused or fall into the wrong hands. And, Naloxone (overdose prevention) will save lives and those lives are Alaskans. #No Dope More Hope Michael P. Carson V.P. & Recovery Specialist at MyHouse of Mat-Su and Chair of Mat-Su Opioid Task Force
POLITICS / OPINION Contributed by Wes Keller Over time, government has become a cause of prejudice, discrimination and antagonism in human relations! The base cause, of course, is the dark elements of human nature, but government has become a generating catalyst! We decry “racism”, yet our government actually incentivizes the evils defining racism! How? Government agencies routinely endorse arrogant, pandering, programs and policies to favor politicallyendorsed “sub-groups”, thereby causing resentments in anyone who believes others are slighted and don’t get their “fair” share. Funding levels are determined using increasingly subjective rules drifting farther from the foundational moral absolutes on which our Rule of Law depends. These favored sub-groups are “boxes” into which government places various vulnerable, demeaned, and abused human beings. Lobbying for funds to address the needs of most of these groups is a normal part of the perennial budget process. There can be bitter competition between the sub-groups solidly endorsed by our society - not to mention the controversial ones. Generalized group identities are useful for the lobbying, justification and tracking of public money.
We have normalized this grouping, but it is time to re-think! Over 2/3 of our Alaska budget is spent maintaining these groups, most of them in, or in contract with, the Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) and the Department of Health and Social Services (HSS). This spending has become legal “entitlements” for people solidly in particular boxes. Another problem; many “boxed” Americans have come to believe government spending is the source of their security (as if government was capable of being “god”)! Lastly, under the guise of “tolerance”, the number and scope of group identities is increasing. It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to realize prejudice, discrimination, antagonism and abuse are to some degree similar to racist by-products of the resentments created in allocating funds based on infirm qualifications. Addicts, for example, have been legally re-defined within the last 20 years to have insurance benefit parity with nonself-induced disease! Then we have the emphasis of group identity of the two human genders… not to mention LGBTQ and related sexual choice identities. These identities are so politically “hot”, they cannot be rationally evaluated in spite of evidence. All humans, no matter the cause of their identity and choices are worthy
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of love and care, but not necessarily by “government” that must maintain a standard of justice. This is why our constitution went so far to ensure a LIMITED role that does not mandate federal charity. We have many generations of special government provision for children, the family, seniors, abused, sick and poor, so the path back to decreasing government’s “nanny” role is a difficult challenge. Government employees and contractors are most often noble-minded and genuinely care deeply about the identity group they serve. Most are merely conscientiously striving to fulfill their authorized job descriptions. The problem stems from bad laws more than bad public servants. We have endorsed “entitlements” (rights) far beyond the original rights expressed in the Declaration and Bill of Rights. Among the additions are the right to an income (minimum wage), guaranteed free education, free health care, quality housing, etc.). A consequence includes entitlement expectations that may or may not be satisfied in the end – if our government cannot sustain them. Inherent rights (life, liberty, property) are ours in spite of the government we are born into. Our government uniquely identified them as ours because we are human… not because government created them. Several weeks ago, I overheard one side of a loud cell-phone conversation that made me uncomfortable and makes my point. The call was outdoors, in public, with no detectable concern over who was listening. The caller was an attractive young Alaska Native woman who
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was clearly agitated because someone felt qualified for some unknown government hand-out, and she didn’t believe the other person qualified. It became obvious that race was the criteria of the identity group. She felt she was honorably qualified, and the offending party was not. She adamantly and explicitly declared she was “entitled” to get the money because of her native blood and the money shouldn’t go to non-natives. Her meant-to-be-heard indignation caused me self-examination. Do I presume “entitlements” I feel are inherently mine because of my self-identity? I know I have some rights I am entitled to that are clearly described by our founders, such as the right to own and defend property (“pursuit of happiness”), the right to self-defense (life), the right to express my opinions (free speech)… Do I expect special treatment because I am a mostly healthy, white male with a mostly adequate retirement income – one I put in the work time for? Do I feel entitled to government largess for reasons beyond my being a human being? Some founders opposed passage of the Bill of Rights because they worried the list creation would miss something. I doubt they anticipated government would “play god” to create entitlements that are not inherent by definition. Government’s role is to ensure justice, not a base-standard of livelihood. Have you ever considered why Lady Justice wears a blindfold? Wes Keller | WesKeller.com
100%. It’s because I believe in democracy, where people are the kings and queens, the absolute monarchs, who can’t be wrong. Contributed by Huhnkie Lee Greetings, this is Lee in the Valley. Not sure whether this essay would be published at all, published before the Alaska Republican Primary Election (8/18/2020), or thereafter. But hey, let’s dance ’til music lasts, shall we? Since we don’t have crystal ball or local election poll, there’s no way of telling who’s gonna win in Senate D race in Greater Wasilla area. There are six of us running and I’d vote for any one of them, as they’re all great //!-) Now that the election result is unknown, we can fantasize about what would happen after the election. If I lose and this gets published after the election, we’re gonna have a good laugh, lol. But me losing the election, I’d still call that a success. It’s because during the campaign, I met wonderful people, learned from them, and stayed out of trouble as I’ve been busy, as idle hands become a fallen angel’s playground. So what if I lose? Oh, no problem. Before the election season, I spent time studying mathematics independently. The problem I’d worked on is “Goldbach’s Conjecture”, which says any even number can be expressed as a summation of two prime numbers. E.g., 8=5+3,
14=7+7, etc. So yes, if I lose the primary election, I’ll get right back to the world of prime numbers. I kinda miss it, you see lol. What if I win? Well, I’ll continue to campaign, of course, ’til the general election on 11/3/2020. But I’d do it differently from what I’ve been doing. Then how have I been campaigning? I’ll tell ya. //:-) It’s a one-man-campaign with a few pennies in his pocket on a shoestring budget. I’d go to karaoke bars and dance clubs and sing and dance. Then I hand out my campaign cards that I made with photo paper and home printer and paper cutter. I’d go to local political or governmental meetings and use 3-minute speech time as a citizen. I’d write commentaries to local newspapers, and call to political radio talk shows. If I win the Republican Primary, then I’ll get financial support from Alaska Republican Party and local political associations affiliated with Republican Party. Then, I can start putting up road signs. So, what would I say on road signs? Let’s design this together. How about customization to each town in the district? I wanna make it poetic. The signs would read as follows. “Big
Lake, where the lake is grand, as ample as Floater’s generosity.” “Meadow Lakes, where the green meadow oversees the blue water.” “Point MacKenzie, where the Alaskan pristine forest meets the wide Pacific Ocean.” “Knik-Fairview, where the millennia-old Alaskan history resides and where the view is so fair.” “North Lakes, where the water birds calls home and rest their wings.” “Wasilla, where the sky is beautiful and people are bountiful.” Of course, at the end and bottom of each road sign board, it’d say, “Please Consider Huhnkie Lee for Alaska State Senate, Thank You!” The idea is, democracy, rule by the people. People come first, a humble public servant places himself at the end, at the bottom. That’s how it’s supposed be, right? I wanna do it right, so. In democracy, people are the kings and queens. Back in the days, they used to say, “The King can’t be wrong. The Queen is always right. The King is the Law. The Queen is absolute.” Today, we can safely say, “The People can’t be wrong. The People are always right. The People is the Law. The People is absolute.” So no matter how the election turns out, say, people vote for someone other than me and that person get elected, I’d say, “People are absolute. People can’t be wrong.” I’d support that new senator,
Let’s continue with the fantasy. Whether I win or lose in Alaska State Senate Election this year, in year 2022, I will run for U.S. Senate Election. Why so soon? It’s because if I win this year, I think we can eliminate crimes, homelessness, and yes, the spruce tree beetles, in less than two years. How? Because we are smart, efficient, effective people. If I win, I’ll make appointments with governmental officials and local business owners to have one-on-one meetings. It’d be information gathering phase. We’ll kill three birds with one stone. We’ll hire homeless people so they work with logging professionals to fell spruce trees killed by beetles. They’re called bark beetles because they and their larvae live only in the barks. Next, we will transport the felled trees to the prison. Inmates will de-bark the trees and turn logs into lumbers. We will also transport human waste to the prison. Inmates will burn the barks and branches to heat up the human waste to sterilize it, and turn it into manure and compost. With the lumber, we will let prisoners and homeless people build cabins and fences so they can live there, right next to the prison building. We’ll make a documentary thereof and become internationally famous!
ADULT PIANO LESSONS Hitchcock Piano Studio ........ 745-3134 APPAREL & CLOTHING All Seasons Clothing ........ 357-0123 D’s Tuxedo ........ 707-6585 Mila’s Alterations ........ 830-8339 ART & CRAFTS Artists Uncorked… 982-2675 The Gallery ........ 745-1420 BOOKSTORE A Black Sheep Shop ......... 376-8198 Black Birch Books ...... 373-2677 Fireside Books ........ 745-2665
POLITICS / OPINION
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CAFÉ & COFFEE Alaska Artisan Coffee ........ 745-5543 Gathering Grounds ........ 376-4404 Vagabond Blues……..745-2233
Contributed by Brian Daniels
CANNABIS RETAILER Matanuska Cannabis Co. ...... 745-4211
Hello Palmer! I’m excited to be running for City Council. I’ve spent the past 10 years working within the service industry, getting to know this extremely kind and sweet community. Some of you might know me from my days at Vagabond Blues or as current co-owner at 203 Kombucha. I’m also a huge music nerd and absolutely love the talent that Palmer has to offer… which has culminated into starting a music
CREATIVE ENTERTAINMENT Artists Uncorked ........ 982-2675 EDUCATION Learning Essentials ........ 357-3990 FOOTWEAR Northern Comfort ........ 376-5403 HEALTH & WELLNESS All About Herbs ........ 376-8327 Just Botanicals ....... 414-3663 Lone Wolf Aura ........ 631-0482
production company called 3000-21 Productions. I look forward to listening and following through with the input of the people of Palmer. Community involvement is very important to me. Collectively we can define what Palmer looks like for future generations. This town means a lot to me and I would be so humbled and honored to be a City Council member. Thank you for your support!
HOME DÉCOR Peak Boutique ........ 746-3320 PIZZA Humdingers Pizza ........ 745-7499 PHLEBOTOMY SERVICES Valley Phlebotomy ........ 376-6435 PRINT SERVICES The UPS Store ........ 746-6245 REPAIR, RESTORATION Comtronics ........ 373-2669 S&S Drilling ...... 746-0225 Steve’s Toyostove Repair ..... 376-9276 The Powdercoat Shop .... 841-1300 SPECIALTY GIFTS Alaska Midnite Scents ........ 357-7364 Non-Essentials ........ 745-2258 The Boardwalk Shop ........ 357-8980 THRIFT SHOPS Steam Driven Boutique ........ 376-4404 Turn-A-Leaf Thrift Stores ........ 376-5708 TOYS Just Imagine Toys ........ 357-1543 Learning Essentials .......... 357-3990
Contributed by K. L. Marshall “Faith and Oil” tells the story of conservative Christianity’s relationship with America’s oil industry. It shows how the libertarian values of big oil companies, such as government deregulation of business practices and curbing laws that protect the environment, became embedded within the theologies of the Religious Right. These theologies of oil later found their being in the public consciousness through the rise of Sarah Palin and led to the election of Donald Trump. When Katie Couric interviewed Sarah Palin during the 2008 presidential campaign, the Alaskan governorturnedvice-presidential candidate said, “Alaska is a microcosm for the world.” While Palin may not have been referring to the
Contributed by Ray Metcalf When I was seven, I read a book titled “The Little Red Hen”. The Little Red Hen found four stalks of wheat her farmer had dropped. The Little Red Hen thought to herself, “If I plant the grain from these stalks of wheat, the seeds will grow enough grain to make a loaf of bread.” One at a time, the Little Red Hen asked the pig, the cat, and the duck, if they would help her plant the wheat so she could make some bread. One by one the pig, the cat, and the duck, all refused to help plant the grain. When ask to help harvest the grain, they all said no, no, no! They refused to grind the wheat into flour and they refused to help make the bread. The Little Red Hen did everything herself. But when the smell of fresh baked bread came wafting through the barnyard, they all came running to help eat the bread. The Little Red Hen said, “No, no, no, I’m going to eat it myself.”
state’s diversity, two years later, in 2010, the US Census named the Anchorage neighborhood of Mountain View as the most diverse neighborhood in the entire country. Three of the city’s high schools are the three most diverse in the United States, and every other Anchorage public school ranks in the top one percent. In other words, by some measures, Alaska’s largest city is more diverse than New York City, Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles. Travel about 35 miles north of Anchorage, to Sarah Palin’s hometown of Wasilla and the broader Mat-Su Valley, and the sight is vastly different. Small fundamentalist churches dot the landscape, and upwards of 20% of children are homeschooled by their parents. Wasilla represents the ideal of “Middle America,” the rural and suburban heartland where small-town politics uphold family values and a capitalist work ethic. Middle America stands for the family farm, the small business, and a Jeffersonian vision of democracy; to many, it also stands for homogeneity and the proverbial WASP—the White Anglo-Saxon Protestant. Though diversity in the Mat-Su Valley is increasing, Wasilla remains one of the least diverse cities in the country. In some ways, life in the Mat-Su Valley seems to be a reaction against the modern, diverse center of Anchorage. Nothing in the state of Alaska is unaffected by its oil industry, which helps fuel the engine of modern America. Alaska’s oil fields brought jobs and an influx of cash, and with it, Alaska Natives entered the cash economy and immigrants traveled to the state looking for work. Oil money flooded the state’s coffers when an 800-mile pipeline was completed in 1977. Many people, resisting the modernization of Alaska, retreated into fundamentalist
enclaves while themselves enjoying the benefits of the state’s oil-based wealth. Within a 35-mile stretch of Alaska, one can find the epitome of modernity and a fundamentalist reaction against it, both created by an economy and culture built around the extraction of oil. Alaska truly is a microcosm for the world. Nobody in the state has been more affected by its oil industry than the Alaska Natives, who have seen their lands polluted by oil and their millennia-old ways of life eroded. Many Alaska Natives have left their subsistence lifestyles and reshaped their cultures within the cash-based oil economy; efforts to increase drilling in the interior of Alaska promise to bring more money to the Native peoples, while Natives who resist drilling insist that they cannot eat oil or the money that it brings. The challenges that they have faced represent the challenges of indigenous peoples throughout the world who are struggling to hold onto their ways of life in the face of globalization and the continued growth of oil. While working on this book, I was confronted with another way that Alaska is a microcosm of the world. During the 2008 election season, an arsonist set Wasilla Bible Church, where Sarah Palin attended with her family, on fire with worshippers gathered inside. This hate crime committed against conservative Christians in Wasilla is just one in a growing number of hate crimes being committed against Muslims, Jews, LGBTQ+ communities, immigrants, minorities, and other groups all across the world.
I’m reminded of this story every time I hear that whining sound, “Where’s my PFD?” And where is that whining sound the loudest? Mat-Su and Eagle River; where voters have for decades, elected senators and representatives who absolutely refuse to vote to tax for the extraction of the oil we all own.
But in 2014, with the help of Mat-Su and Eagle River voters, the oil companies regained control and passed Senate Bill 21. Deficits returned and the $17 billion we had saved has now been consumed to fill the deficit. Today, the loudest “Where’s my PFD?” screams can be heard all the way across the Knik Arm.
DIVIDENDS DON’T GROW ON TREES. Without taxing for the extraction of our oil, there will be no dividends. In 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008, I helped the FBI put six of my fellow elected legislators behind bars for taking bribes in exchange for their votes to refuse to tax the extraction of our oil. Two of them were from Mat-Su and one was from Eagle River. For the next six years legislators taking bribes were no longer in the majority. In year one of no bribes, every Alaskan got a $3,200 dividend and Alaska immediately went from suffering billions in deficits to a three billion dollar a year surplus. During the six years of no bribes, Alaska saved up $17 billion.
K. L. Marshall is a PhD candidate at the University of Edinburgh School of Divinity. Her research focuses on the relationship between fundamentalist religion and nationalism.
Like The Little Red Hen said, --- “If you want a dividend, you need to pitch in and help pry it from the greedy fingers of the oil companies that stole it.” -- Stop voting to give our dividends to oil companies! Ray Metcalfe Anchorage RayinAK@aol.com In 1982, Ray Metcalfe was Chairman of the House State Affairs Committee that reviewed Jay Hammond’s PFD proposal, the Bill that established the 50% of Permanent Fund earnings formula for PFD payouts.
POLITICS / OPINION
Contributed by Ben Wilterdink As Alaska’s economy continues to slowly reopen over the summer, the next major challenge facing Alaskans is a fiscal one. In addition to pandemic-related business closures and a greatly diminished tourism season, strikingly low oil prices mean that lawmakers will have a sizable budget deficit to deal with. Taxes on the oil industry account for more than 80 percent of Alaska’s government revenue and low oil prices mean that revenues are likely to be far lower than was estimated even as recently as last fall. In fact, a recent report from Moody’s Analytics estimates that general fund revenues could be reduced by as much as 80 percent - nearly double the reduction faced by any other state. Significantly reducing state spending is the only realistic option for responsibly dealing with this crisis. On the surface, there do appear to be alternatives that could address the dire budget situation, but each one falls considerably short of being a true solution. After years
Contributed by Linda Combs Hi neighbors. I am Linda Combs and I have worked alongside you, the Palmer city residents and the Palmer business community, for the past 34 years to ensure that our community serves everyone to the best of its abilities. Palmer’s success to date has been built upon previous generations’ careful attention to basic services such as roads, water and sewer service, as well as police and fire protection. This has provided the strong foundation that has made our town “Alaska at its Best”. I am asking for your vote on October 6th for Palmer City Council to allow me to continue to serve you and our delightful community. My involvement
of spending beyond our means, the state’s Constitutional and Statutory Budget Reserve Funds have already been nearly depleted. Increasing taxes on the state’s already struggling oil industry risks further damaging our primary economic engine. Using funds from the state’s Earnings Reserve Account to close the gap and pay for state expenditures is an unsustainable solution that allows policymakers to avoid making the same tough decisions about spending that Alaskan families have had to make. Raising revenue by introducing new broad-based taxes on Alaskans has also been floated as a way to solve the budget deficit without making further spending reductions. While new taxes might seem like a viable solution at first glance, at best they’re an ineffective way to close the budget deficit and at worst they could cripple Alaska’s economy for generations to come. No matter how new taxes are implemented, any revenues collected would fall dramatically short of the $1.6 billion needed to close the budget deficit. A 2019 report from The Buckeye Insti-
in Palmer over the past three decades has included all areas and interests in this beautiful community. These days we face many uncertainties due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on our daily lives. Palmer, just like our beautiful state, will in the longterm continue to provide us with a solid, individual and business friendly town that is the envy of many other communities in Alaska. Those towns are particularly envious because so many of the residents are dedicated to adhering to the strong foundation that has been built here out of a firm community commitment to quality of life. In the past, I have been told that one
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tute’s Economic Research Center and Alaska Policy Forum estimated how much revenue various taxes would be likely to generate. The numbers are sobering. The three percent sales tax considered by the legislature in 2016 would only generate $185 million in revenue and a one and a half percent flat income tax would only yield $276 million. Finally, even combining a sales tax and a full-fledged progressive income tax would only generate $521 million in revenue - less than a third of what’s necessary to close the deficit. But even if new taxes were to be levied at high enough levels to make a difference in closing the budget deficit, extracting that much money from Alaskans would be a disaster for the state’s economy. The same study estimates that the introduction of a sales tax would reduce the number of jobs by 1,700 in the first year. Similarly, introducing a progressive income tax would cost 2,700 jobs in the first year - and 3,300 jobs by the eighth year of implementation. Alaskans are only beginning to recover from the economic effects of the coronavirus and introducing new taxes that would decrease economic
of the reasons for not going to vote was a lack of knowledge about the candidates and or the issues. Please feel free to contact me anytime with your questions or concerns. I am easily found through the City of Palmer’s website. Open and frequent communication is a big part of what I have promoted these past 8 1/2 years, and I believe it has paid off. I would ask that you not base an opinion on a headline or a quick soundbite because in today’s world that is all too often done and does not serve anyone well. Again, please feel free to talk to me at any time. If you ask around the community, you will be told that I have consistently
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growth and reduce employment opportunities sets those efforts up for failure. Reducing state spending can be tough, but in response to the pandemic, other states have already recognized the necessity - Georgia state agencies were recently instructed to reduce their budgets by 14 percent. Ohio is under a state hiring freeze and is reducing agency budgets. The governors of Oregon and Colorado have also taken steps to reduce state spending to deal with budget shortfalls. As budget realities become clearer, more states are certain to follow these examples and reduce their spending. Fortunately, most Alaskans understand that reducing spending is necessary to secure our financial future. A recent opinion survey found that a large majority of Alaskans (67 percent) supported making cuts to state spending and a plurality thought cuts to spending and services should be the main solution to the state’s budget situation. Meaningfully reducing state spending is the best option available to lawmakers seeking to close the budget deficit without jeopardizing long-term growth at a time when our economy needs all the help it can get. Ben Wilterdink is a Visiting Fellow at the Alaska Policy Forum and a resident of Anchorage.
represented our citizens’ concerns and have unfailingly served to the very best of my abilities. I do sincerely believe that Palmer is poised to weather the current crisis in a reasonably comfortable manner as long as the visions and plans the Council of the past five to seven years are continued to be implemented. Government processes can certainly be lengthy; however, it provides the means to be organized in a manner in which with deliberate care may be taken in order to best serve the interests of the majority of the community. Obviously, the City Council will need to be vigilant in regards to adhering to a reasonable budget when the whole state is facing long-term reductions in revenue. My record on budget issues will show that I have supported the areas of public safety, and necessary services in a careful and conservative manner. Once again, I am asking that you will vote on October 6th in the City of Palmer Election, and a vote for me will allow me to continue to serve and represent you.
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POLITICS / OPINION
Contributed by Lisa Behrens What a beautiful summer we’ve had! My peony farm is finished blooming, and now I can turn my full attention to the challenges facing the Mat-Su Borough and putting energy into the campaign for Assembly District 5 that
Contributed by Bill Hibler Assuming I were to win the Democrat/ Independent Primary on August 18th and make it to Congress, the first thing I would do (apart from calling up President Trump and asking him to pardon North Pole’s Schaefer Cox) is to make an appointment with Mitch McConnell and get some advice. While vilified by my progressive Democratic colleagues, if you view Washington DC from afar, McConnell is almost singlehandedly holding the US Government from falling into an abyss.
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includes the communities of KGB, Big Lake and Pt. McKenzie. Why? We face serious challenges: unsafe roads, job losses and crime, as well as economic and health effects of COVID. We still need to find the best ways to make sure our children get an excellent education, and ensure public safety.
earned my private pilot license and discovered a passion for fishing! After arriving in Mat Su in 1997 as a hospice volunteer, I found my forever home, right here! That led me to join the ambulance squad in Big Lake, and a new career path in Emergency Medical Service, spanning the next 15 years.
I’m ready to bring my experience and critical problem-solving skills to find the best way forward for Mat Su. Listening, finding workable options and making good decisions were critical during my careers in Emergency services and Air Traffic control.
Before that, I worked as a controller at Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center – covering 2.5 million square miles of Alaskan airspace, with responsibility for commercial, military and general aviation flights.
I believe those skills will help provide the best possible Assembly representation for our communities. When I came to Alaska over 30 years ago to visit family who homesteaded here in 1964, I fell in love with Alaska and never left. As a graphic artist, I worked for Alaska Magazine, then
On the one hand, he has the perpetually out-of-control President Donald Trump and on the other hand, hubristic Speaker Pelosi and smarmy Chuck Schumer with ‘Dog in the Manger’ attitudes that would starve even a dog. Despite all that, he manages to keep Congress going with sniping backbenchers in his own party and outright hostility from the Democrats. As for Trump, McConnell’s quote is still the gold standard on why impeaching Trump was the dumbest thing ever done by Congress, “You don’t remove a bull in the china shop by
Currently, I serve as a healthcare educator for University of Alaska College of Health, supporting 14 community campus healthcare programs, from Kotzebue to Ketchikan. Lately, I’ve been talking with people in our communities, listening for good ideas, thoughts and concerns, to ensure critical questions get asked and an-
running a bulldozer through it.” As for Trump’s election, he nailed that too in 2016, “Donald Trump won the election the old fashioned way: by getting more votes than his opponent.” Enough said! As for Trump, there is a certain utility in his out of control ways. In our cozy Birch Hill Nordic ski hut in Fairbanks, there is a Mario Andretti quote on the wall, “If you are always driving under control, then you’re just not driving fast enough.” Driving is crossed out and replaced by skiing with a picture of a skier caught in a tree. If you don’t take yourself too seriously, as liberal Democrats seem to these days, you can make the case that Trump as perhaps the ‘World’s most obnoxious Oracle’, is well worth listening to. A case in point is voting by mail. As an Alaska Democrat, I oppose this because it will likely kill the Democratic Party
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swered. We need to find efficiencies to more wisely use taxpayer dollars, and make the Borough more transparent. Remember to apply for your Borough absentee ballot now. Early and Absentee Voting begins October 19th and Poll Voting is November 3, 2020! Please find me on Facebook or my website. Our local issues are more important now than ever before. I’m ready to work hard, and with your vote we can keep keep our corner of Alaska the best place to call home – now, and for our children and grandchildren! I look forward to seeing you down the road! Contact me anytime! Email: lisa.behrens.msbak@gmail.com Facebook: Lisa Behrens for Assembly Phone: 907-775-5683 Website: www.lisabehrensak.com
in Alaska, and for that manner any minority party in all states. Getting your party’s registered voters out to vote with all the proper IDs is an age-old critical campaigning tool. If all you have to do is go around, knock on doors or wherever, collect mail-in votes from your voters and ignore those not leaning your way, then good luck to our great country. What we do need, however, is sameday voter registration for any US citizen that can walk, crawl or roll up to the voting location. Getting it verified is the State’s problem, but it counts! The right of any US citizen to vote should not be abrogated in any way, period. William D. Hibler III, Emeritus Professor UAF Democratic Candidate for US Congress (www. billhiblerforcongress.org)
POLITICS / OPINION Contributed by Kevin McCabe Why do we stand for the flag? Kneeling, or “taking a knee” during the national anthem is thought, by the kneeler, to be a sign of disrespect for, and a protest against, the USA. But is it really? What does it really mean? Taking a knee is otherwise known as genuflecting. The practice of genuflecting was started by Alexander the Great when he introduced, to his court, this form of demonstrating humility and subservience. As the practice developed in some empires, even senators and high officials were required to take a knee or
genuflect when in the presence of the Monarch, or a lesser noble or official. One demonstrated subservience or supplication to the king or noble by going down on the knee, often remaining there until told they could rise. Getting down on bended knee, or “taking a knee”, is also often performed in western cultures by a man who is proposing marriage to a woman. In this manner, a man could show his devotion to a woman or demonstrate his surrender to her. So kneeling represents not only admiration, but surrender. Is that what the Kaepernick clones are saying? They surrender? Or maybe that they just admire the country so much they had to kneel before the flag? Historically, in fact, kneeling has been
candidate for State House in District 10.
Contributed by Monica Stein-Olson I have internalized many lessons from my decades of work in the foreign service – some of the most important being diplomacy, compromise and negotiation. Thumbing through headlines peppered with terms like “Mugwamp Senator” and “Juneau Swamp” authored by local candidates and representatives, I am dismayed because this stance is indicative of the continued political division we will face if we fail to turn out in November. Just as disconcerting is the campaign sign destruction that recently occurred in my district. It is this discord that led to my decision to run as a Democratic
I retired in Talkeetna after traveling the world on economic development missions for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This work included collaboration with Ted Stevens on a Russia Far East project from 2000-2004. Steve and I returned to Alaska regularly with our three children until purchasing a home six years ago. Though we have had some amazing cultural experiences throughout my service career, we knew Alaska was home. Today, our three children, Hans (26), Hunter (24) and Tatiana (21) are pursuing their own professional careers. My husband and I own Black Beer Kennel with the addition of eight huskies, and dog sledding has become a favorite hobby. The Mat-Su has been great to us. Of the many things we have enjoyed, the people and vast opportunities top my list. It is a place where one can attend a diverse research university while exploring the most beautiful scenery that nature has to offer. The land is bountiful, the entrepreneurial
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a sign of loyalty, supplication, humility, and servitude or subservience. Knights receiving honors kneeled before their lords; if you surrendered your army to the opposing king, you kneeled before him in supplication. When our nation was founded, and our flag and customs codified, it was decided that as sovereign and free human beings we would NOT be taking a subservient knee for officials in our government. Our country was founded on a government “of the people, by the people”. Hence no one is subservient to our heads of government. In fact those elected officials and bureaucrats are supposed to work for us.
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we headed down that path? Our sports figures are setting a dangerous precedent and teaching our children to surrender - to be supplicants to the government. This is why I no longer watch most sports. It is, in fact, why I will no longer be watching hockey. Kneeling is the ultimate sign of surrender to the government, something our founders would abhor. The act of genuflecting during the national anthem actually moves us further towards the tyranny our founding fathers were trying to avoid.
This all begs the question of what comes next. Shall we bow our head and not make eye contact with the flag or our government officials? Bowing your head, and exposing your neck is a sign that we believe our government officials have greater status than us; that our lives belong to them. Are
We are meant to be free men. Standing for the national anthem demonstrates that to all. I stand with pride and look on the flag of my country with admiration. Not because I am subservient to it; not because I worship it; but because it represents a country in which I can be a free human being and do not have to kneel in supplication in front of a government that works for me.
spirit is alive, and the indigenous pride is inspiring. It has been difficult to watch the things that make us unique slip away at the whim of an ideological gridlock. The problem lies in a well-recognized revenue shortfall that has manifested into an outward devaluation of public education, irresponsible deterioration of our state’s assets, and disregard for elders. While I am currently focused on economic recovery from the Coronavirus, we must remember that the pandemic has merely exacerbated an existing problem.
Economies function well with diverse revenues, industries, population, and education. From a fiscal standpoint, one can appreciate that our system of higher education is an economic driver for the state and not simply an overpriced commodity. Divestment harms business and robs future generations of the skills necessary to keep pace with technology. Inevitably and to our disadvantage, it could become more attractive to hire qualified, out-of-state workers. What Alaska really needs in this moment is the type of bold leadership that can remove barriers to temporary support for small businesses and families during the COVID-19 crisis so we can get back on track.
We have been told that large cuts are the only viable path to balancing the budget. Alaskans should be very leery of any candidate promising to give more with much less. Governor Dunleavy’s former Chief Economist, Ed King, has recently asserted that we can no longer ignore the revenue discussion. Anyone can make paper cuts while neglecting the consequences, such as shifting costs to local governments. Raising property taxes on a segment of the population contradicts the promise that cuts across the board will somehow lead to a fairer distribution of wealth. The reality is that large cuts alone impact all Alaskans – including small businesses through reduced commerce.
I was raised in a conservative military family which valued hard work and responsibility. Alaska is a state with a high population of active service members and veterans – also great contributors to our economy. We owe it to them to honor our word and provide the type of state they want to settle in: a place that offers ample opportunities for their children and access to the best care available. Our elected officials should focus on these issues and not the kind of punditry that has resulted in divisive headlines. My experience working under Democratic and Republican administrations is exactly the type of leadership Alaska needs.
COMMUNITY
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Contributed by Julie Cascio
happening. The calendar is on www. uaf.edu/ces/matsu or go to https://bit. ly/2CECoOs.
What vegetable is versatile enough to be sautéed with onion, or with mushrooms; cut lengthwise and stuffed with sausage; added to casseroles; grilled as a kebab; made into pickles; baked in bread or pie; mixed with eggs for a frittata; added to soups or salads; made into a moist chocolate cake? You guessed it… Zucchini.
Whether you grow your zucchini, get it from a friend, or buy it, enjoy it! Vegetable Salad with Zucchini ½ head lettuce 1 ½ cup thinly sliced raw zucchini ½ cup sliced celery 1 cup thinly sliced raw carrots 2 green onions and tops, chopped 5 radishes, sliced 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley ¼ t salt (if desired) ½ cup mayonnaise 1/3 cup wine vinegar
This summer squash had been eaten by Native Americans long before explorers arrived. In Europe, zucchini is most commonly grown in Italy. Its name comes from the Italians: zucca is Italian for gourd, and zucchini is a gourd of the pumpkin family.
Shred lettuce and toss with the zucchini, celery, green onions and tops, radishes and parsley. Mix together mayonnaise and vinegar and toss thoroughly until vegetables are coated with dressing. Serves 4
Zucchini is low in calories. One-half cup of cooked zucchini has only 14 calories. Of course, sauces and other ingredients added to the zucchini increase the calories. Zucchini has small amounts of vitamins and minerals, is a fair source of potassium and is low in sodium.
Zucchini Drop Cookies
The zucchini plant has bushy broad leaves with hollow stalks and large yellow flowers. The fruit is smooth-skinned and dark green in color. Zucchini grows very rapidly in a sunny garden. Luckily there are a large variety of ways to enjoy it.
1 cup zucchini, grated 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup sugar ½ cup margarine 1 egg, beaten 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon cloves ½ teaspoon slat 1 cup chopped nuts 1 cup raisins
Store fresh zucchini in the refrigerator, with high humidity. Wash it after storing it as moisture drops promote rotting. Use it within a week. Freeze zucchini to keep it longer. Cut into even size slices or cubes, blanch for three minutes, cool promptly in cold water and drain. Pack into containers, seal and freeze. Another option is to cook, drain thoroughly, pack into containers and freeze.
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Drying zucchini makes great “chips”. Cut into ¼ inch slices, sprinkle with a little onion powder and dehydrate. USDA does NOT recommend canning plain zucchini. During processing the zucchini becomes dense at the bottoms of the jars, making it unsafe.
Canning zucchini with acid makes a less mushy and safer product. The Alaska CES publication FNH-00260 has canning recipes for Tomatoes with Zucchini and Zucchini-Pinapple. Go to www. cespubs.alaska.edu Food preservation online classes are
Thoroughly combine zucchini, sugar and margarine. Add egg. Combine dry ingredients. Mix with nuts and raisins. Add to zucchini mixture. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased baking sheet. Bake at 375˚ Farhenheit for 12 to 15 minutes. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
PETS & ANIMALS
MAT-SU VALLEY, ALASKA
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Contributed by Angie Lewis, Alaska Animal Advocates Puppies, just like human babies, like to put everything into their mouths. The difference is that puppies’ mouths are filled with very sharp razor-like teeth and it HURTS when they chomp down on you. This behavior is completely normal and can be something you can train away fairly easily. Your puppy needs to learn bite inhibition, so that he comes to understand that if he bites too hard, the game is over. This occurs naturally when the puppy is interacting with Mom or littermates, the other dog will make a loud yelping sound and walk away. So, if you make a high-pitched sound when puppy bites too hard, it warns the puppy that his bite hurts. Remove your hand immediately and move away. Some puppies find this high pitch howl inviting for more wild play. If that is the case, simply walk away. Remember that if your puppy bites too hard, play time is over. Do not punish your pup or yell at him. Turn away and tuck your hands under your armpits. Give your puppy an alternative, appropriate item to chew on. When playing with your puppy, always have a chew toy handy. Offer this instead of your hand. If this strategy is not successful, discontinue play immediately.
If your puppy pounces on your legs or feet while you are walking, hold a favored treat next to your leg as your walk. This will encourage your puppy to walk nicely alongside you. This is also a great way to teach walking your dog on a leash. Sometimes puppies need to be placed in a time-out, either in a crate or a small room. This should not be a punishment, but rather a removal from a too exciting stimulus. Do not punish or yell at the puppy. Once the puppy has calmed down, he can be released from the time-out. Occasionally, your puppy will not calm down, no matter what you do. He may just need to let off some steam, so take him outside and let him run
Palmer Museum Photo Project
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around and play. He might also be thirsty or hungry. Remember to reinforce behaviors that you desire. Catch him being good and offer a treat, a pet, or kind words when he is behaving appropriately. Do not ever hit or cause physical stress to your puppy. If you feel that your dog is demonstrating aggressive behavior, talk with your veterinarian or a dog behaviorist. Enroll your pup in a puppy class where you will learn how to address various puppy behaviors.. Remember that play biting is not a sign of viciousness. It is our jobs as puppy moms and dads to show puppies how to behave appropriately.
Oil Painting Workshop Coming to Palmer MORE ON PAGE 8 OF MAKE A SCENE MAGAZINE
PETS & ANIMALS
MAT-SU VALLEY, ALASKA
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Contributed by Clear Creek Cat Rescue Ferrah is a pretty, petite girl with a beautiful striped and spotted coat. She came to us declawed. She is a very sweet little thing, about 4 years old, who would love a home with a loving, settled family. She lived with another cat before, but he picked on her. So now she would rather be the only, although another mellow feline may be just fine. When she came to us, she was injuring herself by excessively licking and biting her back end. After much trial and error with different foods and treatments, she seems to be doing very well on a special prescription diet. A relaxed environment without chaos is also helpful. And she will need a safe yard where she can go outside. She came from a village and loved to go out and explore and hunt. Ferrah is ready to find her own special loving family. If you’re interested in this little sweetheart, please give us a call at 980-8898.
Contributed by Angie Lewis, Alaska Animal Advocates Although Bella adores her family, they simple do not have enough time to give her the exercise and attention that she needs. Weimaraners are very high energy dogs who require a great deal of exercise and mental stimulation. Bella is not getting even close to enough of either. So, she has become destructive when she is alone, in a crate or left loose. Bella does great in a car. She cannot deal with being left without her humans. Bella chases cats and would prefer to be an only dog. At this point, her family has lost all patience with this loving girl and is ready to euthanize her.
Please, consider either adopting or fostering Bella. She will need a family that is able to spend a great deal of time with her and provide her with the exercise she desperately needs. She is a purebred, who is spayed, microchipped and vaccinated. Please help save Bella’s life. To talk more about this girl call Angie at Alaska Animal Advocates at 841-3173 or email akaarescue@ hotmail.com.