The People's Paper January 2017

10th Annual Mat Su Plunge 2/25/2017 – 10AM Mat Su Sertoma Club Palmer Elks Lodge

summer camp. Their national deaf and hard of hearing camp is highly recognized and Alyssa will have the opportunity to represent Alaska.

The Mat Su Sertoma Club is pleased to announce it is time to register for the 10th Annual Mat Su Plunge, which has been benefiting our local community for a decade!

The Alaska Wildbird Rehabilitation Center will also be the recipient of a $3,000 grant. AWRC has been a volunteer organization that not only rescues and rehabilitates wild birds, but also uses their resources to educate students throughout Alaska, visitors from around the world and the public. Count on our flying friends to be present at the plunge.

The frosty plunge is on Saturday, February 25, 2017 and is one of the Valley’s fun winter events that everyone looks forward to participating in and attending. The event will be held at the Palmer Elks Lodge off Bogard Road. This is a family event, so all are welcome to attend.

This year the funds will be used to send Alyssa Akers, a Colony High School Student, to Gallaudet University in Washington D.C. for

Contributed

by Gordon N Fletcher Jr.

THE ART OF ED PETERSEN

page 14 of MAKE A SCENE MAGAZINE

Last month, I sat across the table from my sixteen year old daughter.

Between generous helpings of sausage, potatoes and eggs from The Noisy Goose, we struck up a conversation about my wife and I celebrating 21 years of marriage.

This accomplishment ultimately lead us to discuss how each of us had been startled by the myriad

CINEMA KABUKI COMES TO ALASKA page 10 of MAKE A SCENE MAGAZINE

Take the plunge, get your group together now and be part of the “Original Valley Dip!” Pledge sign up sheet and online pledging can be found on our website.

Check out matsuhearing.org or matsuplunge.org for further information.

of couples we knew who were separated or divorced. I was forced to reflect on my marriage, consider what makes successful marriages and the difference between those marriages and the ones that hadn’t survived. Societal norms, history and the breakdown of family values were discussed.

Don’t think for one moment I am casting judgement or condemnation on anyone who has seen the desolate valley of divorce.

You couldn’t be more mistaken. My heart is to provide a larger hope to those hanging by a thread.

LOCAL BUSINESS / ADVICE

COMMUNITY & LOCAL BUSINESS

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This is where you group similar tasks into the same block of time.

Contributed

by Jeanette Gardiner Your community of customers, clients and prospects wants to hear from you.

They want to get to know you better.

And that means you need to be creating and sharing valuable content with them on a regular basis. But creating relevant, relatable and valuable content that is helpful to your community can be time-consuming. If you struggle with content creation, it may take you hours to write a simple blog post or article. You dread each creation session because you know it’ll be hours before you’re done.

Or you just don’t do it all, which is a disservice to both your community and your business.

If you spend hours agonizing over each piece of content you create, these four basic content productivity tips will help you shave hours off the process and who knows, you may even grow to enjoy your content creating sessions.

Start with an outline.

This is not your high school teacher’s idea of an outline. Your outline can be simple with just a few bullet points, or it can be more complex with complete paragraphs that you flesh out later.

Choose an outline method that works best for you.

Outlines make it much easier to write when you already know the main points you want to cover. Start by writing down several points you want to touch on, then go back and number them in order of importance. You’ll want to share your most important points early in your content.

Write a terrible first draft.

Is there anything more powerful than perfectionism to stop you before you even get started?

If you try to craft the perfect content piece right from the start, you likely struggle with content creation. It’s much easier to write a terrible first draft and edit it later, than it is to create perfection the first time around.

An effective strategy for writing a first draft is to set a timer and using only your outline, write until your timer goes off. And don’t feel you have to begin

at the beginning (the introduction). If it’s easier to write your conclusion first, begin there.

Feel free to jump around as you create your content, but write it as quickly as possible. Your goal right now is just to get your ideas on the page. Later, you organize or edit those ideas.

Block out interruptions.

Repeated interruptions also present a challenge when it comes to content creation. When you’re interrupted frequently, you lose your original thought and it can be difficult to pick up where you left off. Once you enter the creative state, it’s best to stay in it until you’ve completed your project.

Calendar blocks of uninterrupted time on your calendar where your only focus is content creation.

PS: It also helps if these blocks of time are when you are at your creative best.

You likely know when that is. For me, it’s typically in the morning after my twoand-a-half-mile walk with my dog.

Batch it.

Batching is a great productivity strategy for many tasks, not just content creation.

So as you’re blocking uninterrupted time for content creation, see if you can work in an extra 30 to 60 minutes so that you can write several blog posts or articles back to back. When you work this way, you’ll stimulate your creativity and will come up with even more ideas.

As a bonus, you’ll have content that you can schedule in advance.

Increasing your content creation productivity is a skill that you can learn, especially when you focus on the strategies and tips that work best for you. To help you put these tips into action, I’ve created a short journal exercise with three questions that will get you thinking about your content creation sessions in a new light!

Send me a quick email at jeanette@ seastarstrategies.com for access to the journal exercise.

About Jeanette Gardiner Jeanette Gardiner lives in Palmer, Alaska, and is the owner of SeaStar Strategies LLC where she helps timestrapped small business owners discover the gift of time by streamlining their administrative and marketing systems.

Learn more at www.seastarstrategies.com an entire semester.

Contributed by Devynn Maclure “Oh my goodness, Devynn. This is amazing! You made this?!”

“Whoa. This is professional quality stuff right here, kid. You put it all together?”

Sitting before my parents on the kitchen counter is a huge, freshprinted scientific poster, boldly titled “Environmental Impact of Leachate in Dry Municipal Solid Waste Landfills.

Devynn Maclure. Sustainability Studies.”

A major component of my undergrad thesis, I’d worked long hours over the semester to research the topic (which is quite literally, garbage). The past week

was spent being glued to my computer screen while converting months of research into a concise, informative poster with graphs, charts and vivid picture diagrams.

It was a huge project, but definitely nothing I wasn’t used to as an undergrad senior. As my parents stared in awe at the finished product, I was taken aback by how impressed they were. I couldn’t help but feel confused and actually, slightly offended.

“Well yeah, I did this. This is literally what I’m paying to learn to do. What do you guys think I do all day?” Right as I asked, something clicked for me; ignited, even. “Oh my gosh, my parents don’t know what I do all day. They have no freaking clue.”

In fact, most parents probably don’t.

How could they? In college, there are no parent-teacher conferences, no weekly progress reports and no show-and-tell sessions where you bring them your latest macaroni art piece and explain to them that no, it’s not a cloud, it’s your kitty cat, Mittens.

More so and most importantly, we don’t tell them what we do. Instead, we almost robotically submit term papers, research proposals and final projects, come home, put on our sweatpants and binge watch Netflix while prepping for the next haul of assignments. Simply put, we don’t communicate with those who raised or mentor us enough about what’s going on in our daily lives, and those days can add up quickly and become weeks, months or in my case,

Changing this around requires a simple fix: Starting a conversation.

Take to your desired form of communication, be it a phone call, Skype, texting or just face to face conversation, get ahold of your parents, your uncle, your older siblings, a coworker, whoever and simply let them know what you’re working on. You don’t have to spill your entire life. Rather, open up the doors for a sneak peek into your goals and aspirations, as well as where your strengths lie.

In doing so, older generations are given a sense of where we’re headed and just how much effort we’re putting into school, our careers and creative endeavors. The ultimate outcome is

COMMUNITY Contributed by Novalene Payne I am focusing on the homeless youth dilemma in the Mat-Su Valley, and I will be traveling to Juneau at the end of January 2017 with IDEA to speak to the Alaskan legislative on behalf of MatSu. It will be my first attempt to help change Alaska’s emancipation process.

My name is Nova Payne, I have been a resident of the Mat-Su Valley for two years, and I’d like to share about the homeless and runaway youth dilemma in Alaska and my part in it.

I am going with the Alaska Close Up program, which is a valuable opportunity for the youth of Alaska to share their solutions to some of Alaska’s issues and on my part, I am trying to ease to process of emancipation for the homeless teens of Alaska (specifically, sixteen and seventeen year olds) struggling to survive here. I have worked with Michelle Overstreet, the founder and acting director of My House in Wasilla. But I am reaching out to the Valley independently.

I am trying to get the word out about what people such as Mrs. Overstreet have been trying to achieve for Alaskans and also for the survey I have created, which you can all take online.

The results of said survey I will bring with me to Juneau.

The reason I am doing this is due to my want of reaching out - in all ways possible - to get Alaska’s homeless youth situation heard about.

You can email me at matsuvalleyteenhomelesssurvey@ gmail.com if you are interested in taking my survey.

The only requirements are that you be eighteen or older, and a current resident of the Mat-Su Valley. The survey closes 1/28/17.

Thank you so much for reading this and I hope I will be able to share more with you.

Yours Truly, Novalene Payne

COMMUNITY

Contributed by Staci Manier 1/24/2017 – All Day United Way of Mat-Su, along with Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, Mat-Su Coalition on Housing & Homelessness, the Mat-Su Health Foundation and the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, is pleased to bring Project Homeless Connect to the Mat-Su for 2017!

Happening on January 24th, this oneday, one-stop event will provide people experiencing homelessness with access

These were my words! As they spilled from my mouth, they shocked me. A chord was struck in my heart. I wanted these words to shift my daughter’s paradigm about her own journey.

As she steps out into the world, I want to prepare her to be the best person possible. The best at school, at work, at play, in friendships and even within her own romantic endeavors.

We have moved past parenting our children’s behavior, now we parent their character.

Allow me to break this idea down, especially in relation to marriage.

The term partners when it comes to marriage should be done away with.

Partners suggests a contract and is much too rigid a word to define the affiliation between individuals within marriage.

Partner suggests 50/50 effort. If you give 50%, then I will give 50%. How many of us know we simply cannot give 50% all the time? There are days where I can barely give 30% to my “partner”.

With this definition in mind, combined with the societal ideal of focusing on what is fair, someone has to make up the remaining 70%. Asking my partner to do so isn’t “fair”.

A two party contract requires one party to pick up the slack or carry the balance when the other cannot. This is where division begins. If one party gives 49% it is only “fair” that the other give 49%.

A 2% gap now exists and intimacy has suffered. A couple may maintain that gap for quite some time. A crisis at work, major argument or financial struggle will take a larger toll. Over time a gradual decrease in effort and intimacy occur. Once a 20-25% gap is reached and maintained, relationships erode and collapse unless the mindset is changed.

It is easy to see why men and women look for comfort outside of marriage.

Whether it be alcohol, work or the arms of another, both parties find themselves betrayed, looking for intimacy and comfort from the stresses of life. Each party points a finger, accusing the other of neglecting their obligations all the while doing their own “fair” and equal amount of damage to the same contract by not upholding theirs.

to a broad range of services, including health and wellness screenings, legal services, employment assistance, food, toiletries and more.

The event will also help participants fill out applications for housing opportunities. A fresh, hot lunch will also be served and free transportation is available by calling (907) 354-3865 on the day of the event only.

For more information, contact (907) 745-5827

2/4/2017 - 7PM-11PM United Way of Mat Su Best Western, Lake Lucille Tickets: $50 Each, $350 for Eight

Mat-Su” dessert bar, silent auction and more. Puttin’ on the Glitz will be hosted at the Best Western at Lake Lucille from 7-11 p.m.

United Way of Mat-Su is to host their second annual fundraising gala – Puttin’ on the Glitz – Feb. 4th. This masquerade ball will feature live music by the Jerry Wessling Band, a “Taste of

“Last year’s event was so fun that we just couldn’t help but do it again; it gives people an excuse to get dressed up and go out for a special occasion,” said Development Director, Chelsea Fields.

COMMUNITY & FAITH “I believe that we as a society, in general are so focused on what is fair, we neglect to do what is right.”

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COMMUNITY

Paul the Apostle said this in 1 Corinthians 12:31, “And I will show you still a more excellent way.” Paul proceeds to lay out the definition of true love.

Chapter 13 is a great measuring rod of where we stand in relation to our lovingness toward others, even if you are not “religious”, give it a read.

Let’s ditch the former definition of “partner”, covenant is a much more intimate word. I was raised with the understanding that marriage as a covenant, was two parties promising each other 100% of themselves, withholding nothing. In sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer forsaking all others, until death we do part.

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The secret to a prosperous marriage is the effect this attitude has on intimacy.

Doing what is “right” will always benefit a couple well beyond simply doing what is, “fair”. If she can only give 49%, my 100% makes up for that minuscule amount of lack. The best part is intimacy doesn’t suffer, it actually grows because I am going well beyond the required amount needed for my contractual obligation and making up for her deficit.

On the days I can only give 30%, Simone’s 100% makes up for my lack and there is zero loss in intimacy. The most intimate days are when we both give 100% of ourselves to each other.

We make deposits of intimacy from which we may draw on years later.

We have all made these vows in some form or another. At the altar, before a judge or perhaps even a sequin laden Elvis, we said we would give all of ourselves through every circumstance until death.

Focusing on what is “fair” always narrows our focus to our own obligations, interests and concerns, a selfish approach to take with any relationship. Focusing on what is “right” broadens our scope outward, increases intimacy and establishes a track record of lovingness to stand the test of time.

When my wife is sick, we are having financial difficulties or it’s a bad day, I need to bring 100% of myself to the situation not just 50%. She has to do the same for me as well. It is our covenant.

My prayer for those hanging by a thread is to let go of the thread and cling to the arms of your spouse. May you find faith, hope and love in each other again.

HEALTH & WELLNESS Contributed by Dori Cranmore, RN Garlic has been used in many cultures for both its culinary and medicinal properties.

Folklore shows garlic to bring good luck or protect against evil, ward off vampires and at the same time guaranteed to transform any meal into a bold, aromatic and healthy experience.

Native to central Asia, garlic is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world and has been grown for over 5000 years. Garlic was placed in the tomb of pharaohs, and was given to the slaves that built the pyramids to enhance their endurance and strength.

From a medical history standpoint, the antibacterial and antiviral properties of garlic are perhaps its most legendary feature.

Contributed by K.T. McKee The clock is ticking.

By the time this article comes out, there will only be about two weeks left before open enrollment for ObamaCare coverage in 2017 ends on January 31st. And despite the current political rhetoric, people who enroll for this year will not be kicked off of their insurance.

It’s going to take a while for a repeal or

Contributed by Robin Minard Mat-Su residents interested in pursuing education in health and wellness-related fields are invited to apply for Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) scholarships totally more than $350,000.

Individual awards may be as high as $20,000 to cover tuition, books and required fees at accredited schools in Alaska and outside. Applications are accepted online at healthymatsu.org, and the deadline to apply is February 24, 2017.

“Healthcare workers are in high demand, and the scholarship program helps us ‘grow our own’ in the Mat-Su,” said MSHF Executive Director, Elizabeth Ripley. “Of the 25 occupations expected to grow the most in Alaska, 18 are related to healthcare. There are critical needs that can only be met with a highly trained and educated workforce.”

Mat-Su Health Foundation scholarships help defray the cost of higher education in degree programs that emphasize health or wellness, including mental health and substance abuse. Scholarships are also available for pursuit of degrees in non-profit management. Awards for traditional

HEALTH & WELLNESS PAGE 4

Garlic grows as a “bulb”, which averages about 2 inches in height and diameter and consists of numerous small separate cloves.

> By blocking the activity of angiotensin II, garlic is able to help prevent unwanted contraction of our blood vessels and unwanted increases in blood pressure.

at room temperature provide perfect conditions for producing botulism, regardless of whether the garlic is fresh or has been roasted.

The taste of garlic is like no other. It hits the palate with a hot pungency that is shadowed by a subtle sweetness.

Elephant garlic has larger cloves, but it is more closely related to the leek and therefore does not offer the full health benefits of regular garlic.

> Used for the common cold and flu, and also infection from other microbes including yeasts/fungi and worms.

Store fresh garlic in either an uncovered or a loosely covered container in a cool, dark place away from exposure to heat and sunlight.

Garlic is an excellent source of manganese, vitamin B6, a very good source of vitamin C and a good source of selenium.

In recent years researchers have concentrated on scientifically validating its numerous health benefits including: > Helping improve your iron metabolism. > Effective in lowering blood triglycerides and total cholesterol. > Garlic’s unique set of sulfur-containing compounds can help protect us against oxidative stress and inflammation.

partial repeal of the Affordable Care Act and the installation of a new program, so please don’t let any of this stop you from getting covered now.

I understand the healthcare.gov website can be frustrating and confusing. But that’s what professional assisters like yours truly are for. And our services are free and confidential. I can be reached at 891-6940 or ktmckee@ alaskapca.org. There also are certified assisters at Mat-Su Health Services, Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, and the Sunshine Clinics in Willow

MSHF scholarships are based on each applicant’s stated career goal and financial need as demonstrated by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The maximum amount awarded per student for these scholarships is $20,000.

New for 2017 is the Mat-Su Scholars Award, which is also based on the applicant’s stated career goal, but not on financial need. Mat-Su Scholars Awards require an essay and interview as part of the online application process and may be for as much as $10,000 each for up to six applicants who meet specific criteria: Current High School Students: The Annie Demming Scholarship is reserved for a promising student currently enrolled in high school and planning to attend college. Demming was a part-time nurse at Valley Hospital and later the head of its medical records department. She served in that role until her retirement in 1987.

Behavioral Health Major: The Vivian “Babe” Shaver Scholarship will be awarded to a student pursuing a degree in behavioral health. Shaver was employed at Valley Hospital as an environmental services worker for many years.

Graduate-Level Applicants: The Ya Ne

> Supplementation can boost the function of the immune system. > At high doses, the sulfur compounds in garlic have been shown to protect against organ damage from heavy metal toxicity. > Garlic oil applied to the skin or nails can treat fungal infections, warts and corns. > For infants with upper respiratory congestion, garlic oil rubbed on the bottom of the feet can help. > For ear pain or infection, placing a fresh peeled garlic clove at the outside entrance of the ear can help. Garlic oil placed in the ear often can reduce pain and inflammation.

Pre-peeled garlic does not retain the medicinal value of fresh.

The minimum effective dose for therapeutic effects is one clove eaten with meals, two or three times a day.

However, keep in mind that there are some downsides to garlic, such as bad breath...

Information is intended for educational purposes only. Not intended to cure, diagnose or treat disease.

Dori Cranmore is a Registered Nurse and owner of All About Herbs, Inc in Wasilla...

Caution: Garlic-in-oil mixtures stored

907-376-8327

and Talkeetna.

long, not just during the ACA Open Enrollment period. You should know however, that a backlog of Medicaid cases is causing a longer delay in getting coverage, so it’s a good idea to apply sooner than later.

I can’t tell you how many times I have helped someone create their Marketplace account, complete their application, and enroll in truly affordable health plans and heard the phrase, “Wow! That wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be!”

More Alaskans now qualify for Medicaid coverage as well, and can find out if they qualify for it through an application on healthcare.gov. You can apply for Medicaid coverage all year

Dah Ah /K’tl’egh’i Sukdu Scholarship will be awarded to a graduate-level student. The Ya Ne Dah Ah /K’tl’egh’i Sukdu scholarship was created to honor Alaska Native traditions and culture in the Mat-Su. Ya Ne Dah Ah / K’tl’egh’i Sukdu loosely translates as “ancient stories/remaining stories of our people.” Ya Ne Dah Ah is Ahtna and K’tl’egh’i Sukdu is Dena’ina.

Hospital Administration: The George V. Larson, III Scholarship will be awarded to a student pursuing a degree in hospital administration or non-profit management. Larson, former CEO of Valley Hospital Association, was known for his deep humility, care for employees and servant leadership.

He explored ways to finance a new hospital for Mat-Su. He cemented a capital partnership that enabled MatSu Regional Medical Center to be built, changing the landscape of healthcare in Mat-Su forever.

Physician Assistant: The Jessica Stevens Scholarship will be awarded to a student pursuing a physician assistant degree. Stevens was the CEO of Sunshine Clinic and worked tirelessly for 14 years to improve health care in the Upper Su. Her efforts transformed a single-provider clinic into a federally qualified community health center with a staff of 40 housed in a new, state-ofthe-art facility.

Depending on your estimated household income and family size, you could qualify for a Premera Blue Cross policy with Advanced Premium Tax Credits that can be applied immediately to lower your monthly premiums. Many people I have helped enroll were able to get coverage for less than $150 per month.

Nursing: The Darlene Reed Scholarship will be awarded to a student pursuing a degree in nursing. Reed was a long time public health nurse in Palmer and was instrumental in the early years of the Mat-Su Agency Partnership and many other community initiatives.

All MSHF scholarship applicants must be residents of the Mat-Su Borough, U.S. citizens, eligible for the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend and attending (or planning to attend) an accredited healthcare program at least half-time.

Complete eligibility requirements and the online application are available at www.healthymatsu.org About Mat-Su Health Foundation:

Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) is the official business name of Valley Hospital Association, Inc., which shares ownership in Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. In this capacity, the MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital and protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare institution through board oversight.

The MSHF invests its assets into charitable works that improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in Mat-Su. More information is available at www.healthymatsu.org

HEALTH & COMMUNITY Contributed by Kelly Mare I have a personal interest in promoting bone marrow drives.

Back in 1997, our nineyear-old son, Logan Joseph Marre, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. At first, everything was going well for Logan. He was initially treated in Seattle and then came home for “maintenance chemo”.

In April of 1998, we were told Logan had relapsed. The only option we had, was for him to receive a bone marrow transplant. A world-wide search went into effect and not one single person matched him. Ironically, his brother and sister matched each other identically, but they were not a match for Logan.

Multiple bone marrow drives were held and still no one matched him. A search of the National Cord Bank Registry was done and stem cells from an umbilical cord that had been donated matched Logan. At the time of his transplant, only 500 cord blood stem cell transplants had taken place. Logan had his transplant in August of 1998.

Unfortunately, he passed away on October 24, 1998 from complications.

After Logan’s death, it became my mission to educate others about registering as a bone marrow donor. At one of my bone marrow drives, Logan’s friend, Caitlin (Huckins) Wonkowski registered to become a bone marrow donor. She said she wanted to honor her friend Logan.

Within a very short time, Caitlin was notified that she was a match for someone! She quickly agreed to fly to Seattle to go through the process. The National Bone Marrow Donor Program paid for all the expenses for Caitlin and her companion. Caitlin said she was so excited to be chosen. She said she was not nervous and the process was relatively simple and she experienced very minimal discomfort. She told me she was hooked up to a few machines via IV’s in both arms for four hours two days in a row. This process is called apheresis. Five days before the donation, she was given injections of Filgrastim to increase the number of stem cells in her blood. Her blood was removed from one arm and passed through a machine that collected the stem cells. The remaining blood was returned to her through the other arm.

Caitlin reported that she felt completely fine after her donation. One year later, she received a letter and a picture of the gentleman who was alive because of her willingness to be a donor.

Caitlin wasn’t the only one who was a perfect match for someone at one of the drives I coordinated in memory of Logan. We were thrilled when we heard of others being a match. There were also several friends who were potential

If they chose a bronze policy, they had higher deductibles than those who chose a silver policy. Since the bronze monthly costs are lower than with the silver, some people would rather pay less and take their chances they won’t have to use their insurance.

Regardless of which “metal level” you choose, you can still get your free preventative annual exams, including mammograms and for those at least 50 years old, colonoscopies. Even if you have a deductible of $5,000, for example, you will still be in better shape than if you didn’t have insurance at all if you are diagnosed with a serious illness or break a leg, etc. Medical costs add up very quickly. One CT scan can cost $5K. Some people believe they are better off just going without insurance and paying the penalty for not being covered. That penalty is now $695 per uninsured person in your household or 2.5% of

matches, but further testing indicated they weren’t a close enough match.

My friends were very disappointed and held onto hope to make it to the final round.

Seventeen years after Logan was diagnosed with leukemia, I was told I also had leukemia. I was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia, which is a very fast growing and deadly leukemia. Just like Logan, I was initially doing great, and then I too relapsed.

I was also told my only chance of survival was to have a bone marrow transplant. History repeated itself when a search failed to locate a match from the twelve million registered on the National Marrow Donor Program.

My friends started organizing bone marrow drives in my honor. Drives were held across Alaska as well as other states. Hundreds registered in hopes of matching me. Unfortunately, no one did. Shortly after one of the drives at Church on the Rock, Macaela Wolfe and her siblings were all notified that they matched a patient! They decided Macaela would be the one to go forward with the donation. Macaela was twenty years old and was inspired to be a donor after hearing the story about Logan and me. She stated she initially was very nervous, but her excitement exceeded her fear. She said it felt like a dream to be able to save someone’s life.

Macaela said that Be the Match handled every single detail of her trip.

She was a very busy young lady, but declared she never thought of backing out. She reported the actual procedure was simple and almost painless. She too was injected with medication to boost her stem cell production.

Macaela enthusiastically said, “To anyone considering registering, I would not hesitate to say do it! It is so easy and very rewarding to know you could save someone’s life. Even if it wasn’t as simple as it is, I would still do it a million times if I could.”

I also was the recipient of an umbilical cord stem cell transplant. As an adult, I needed two cord bloods for my transplant. Two mothers in France had donated their baby boy’s umbilical cords after birth. My transplant was done on May 14, 2015 and I’m happy to say I am still in remission.

Getting on the registry is a very simple procedure. The potential donor fills out paperwork, talks to a trained volunteer about any medical concerns, and then rubs a swab on the inside of their cheek. That’s it! It’s simple and painless.

If you want to be a hero like Caitlin and Macaela, join us at Church on the Rock on Sunday, February 12th.

Wouldn’t you like to be the one who saved a life?

your household income - whichever is higher. If something happens to you however, and you end up in the hospital, being without insurance can have dire consequences. Is that a gamble you really want to take?

If you’d like to find out what you’d qualify for before actually applying, this tool on healthcare.gov can be very helpful. It’s anonymous and quite accurate if you are putting in your best guess for your 2017 income: https:// www.healthcare.gov/see-plans/.

My best to everyone in this New Year.

May we all be as happy and healthy as possible.

K.T. McKee is a navigator specialist for Get Covered Alaska through the Alaska Primary Care Association.

She has been a Mat-Su resident for the past 13 years and helped many Valley residents enroll in health coverage since 2013.

COMMUNITY PAGE 5

Contributed by Dr. Anna Altair Like many of my peers and those younger than 70, I plan to live well beyond my 80th year. That doesn’t sound very old to me today.

I have a large number of friends happily maturing into their 80s while maintaining an exuberant lifestyle.

They dance, read books, keep up with their book clubs, play cards, take classes, learn oil painting, some even jump on trampolines.

The most important aspect of these retiring years is to stay involved with your own life. This is the time to put that ‘bucket list’ together and evaluate what you have done and seen, and what you might still want to accomplish.

I remember being at a local tavern when I first moved to Alaska, and a gentleman was there celebrating his 80th birthday. It was July and he had taken himself skydiving that afternoon to highlight his day.

I remember my parents thinking that the 60s were too old for our lawmakers.

This presidential elections - all of them were near 70. Another of my friends proclaimed, “I am not working a day over my 90 years!” At first I thought it was a joke, but if we are true to ourselves - “love what you do, and do what you love” - why stop? I might be one of those.

A few helpful ways to keep in the flow of life that have benefitted many of my patients are listed below. My hope

Contributed by Dr. Tara Workman Do you ever feel like your head doesn’t sit straight on your body?

Do you remember your mother always telling you to stand up straight? Does posture really make a difference in your health?

Research studies are showing that when your head is misaligned forward, also termed forward head posture (FHP) or “text neck”, can lead to chronic problems and early onset of arthritis in the neck.

What are the symptoms associated with text neck? Text neck most commonly causes neck pain and soreness. In addition to looking down at your cell phone too much each day can lead to upper back pain ranging from a chronic nagging pain to sharp severe upper back muscle spasms. Then you compromise structural integrity of the cervical spine, its curvature and its supporting ligaments, tendons, muscles and bones.

If your cervical nerve becomes pinched, the pain and possible neurological symptoms can radiate down your arm and into your hand. It can cause numbness, tingling and even muscle weakness to where you can’t even hold up a cup of coffee in your hand. More importantly FHP result in loss of vital capacity of the lungs by as much as 30%. The shortness of breath can lead to heart and blood vascular disease.

is that some of them help you and increase your vitality and quality of living, as we move into 2017.

Eat more fruit. Fruits cleanse and replenish the body.

Eat that fruit alone. It digests fast and if it has to hang around for the protein, it (the fruit) will ferment. This causes more gastric problems.

Walk. Outside is best. Breathe deep and swing your arms.

Cross Crawl Exercise. This can be done lying on your back, sitting or standing.

Slap your opposite knee with your hand R/L, L/R. This fires both sides of the brain and is a good refresher during the day. Do cross crawls often.

Tap on your thymus gland. It is under your breastbone just below the notch at your neck.

Stand up, stretch, take 3 deep breaths and exhale fully. It will clear a foggy head.

Quiet your mind for 3-5 minutes a day.

Eat half as much as you did when you were in your 40s and 50s.

Review your gratitude each day for the special life you are carving out day by day.

May your holidays be merry and 2017 bright in every way!

Dr. Anna Altair is a chiropractic physician with her office on the Pal/Was Hwy in the Regan Building. Her focus is childhood scoliosis and closed head injuries.

She has practiced in the Mat-Su Valley since 2004. 907-357-1818

A recent study shows that 79% of the population between the ages of 18 and 44 have their cellphones with them almost all of the time with only two hours of their waking day spent without their cellphone on hand. The human head weighs about 10 to 12 pounds.

However a study conducted at New York Spine and Rehab Medicine found that as a neck bend forward the weight exerted on the cervical spine increases if a person is bent forward at a 15° angle the weight on the spine is around 27 pounds, at a 30° angle it is 40 pounds and a 60° angle the weight is about 60 pounds.

To give you an idea of what 60 pounds feels like, imagine having an eight year old child strapped around your neck for a couple hours every day.

On an average, people spend 2-4 hours bent over their phones per day; that adds up to anywhere between 700 and 1,400 hours of stress on your cervical spine every year.

Teenagers who are in high school are the worst since they spend an extra 5,000 hours per year in this position.

Solution Chiropractic care is an excellent way to realign and rehabilitate forward head posture. Dr. Tara Workman at Altair Chiropractic, specializes in realigning and remodeling your posture starting with the head and neck. Start your new year off improving your health with getting your head on straight.

MOTIVATIONAL / FAITH not to gloat or receive felicitation, but rather to minimize the disconnect often experienced between millennials and older generations.

If you’re a twenty-something reading this you may be thinking, “Alright sure, but I usually just talk to my friends at school or work about school or work stuff.

My parents wouldn’t get it.”

Although it’s a fair concern and surely your friends are wonderful people, stop

Contributed by Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain The election is over, the holidays are behind us and the future is before us.

January 20, 2017 is the inauguration of our next president.

The discourse over the last year has been mean-spirited, coarse and rude on all sides. I am old enough to remember when civility ruled in everything we did.

No longer.

The Bible has the answer to how we should conduct ourselves. There is a spiritual battle going on for the minds and souls of men. This was the cause of the conduct of the last year.

Obedience to God and His word should be what we strive for in 2017.

Spiritual Battle (Ephesians 6:10-12) “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

(The battle is being waged by the forces

Contributed by Vic Kohring Every Sunday as part of our worship “service”, my mother and I tune in on television to Pastor Harold Salem of the Christian Worship Hour, broadcast from Aberdeen South Dakota. Salem, at a remarkable 95 years old, has been preaching the Gospel for seven decades. As he delivers his sermon each week, I feel as if I’m watching someone 25 years younger.

Salem looks healthy, his voice is strong and clear and his mind sharp. Amazing for a man nearing the century mark.

Most impressive is his unwavering faith in God and command of the Gospel.

Salem accepted Christ in his youth and began his ministry as a preacher at twenty-three. Over 70 years later, he’s still going strong. He presents an

and really think about the conversations you have with them.

COMMUNITY

Alternatively, if you bring up the highlights of your day to your parents

As you begin talking about your day, the other person chimes in with similar things about their day and soon the conversation has turned into a sea of mutual stress and yeah-same-here’s because as it turns out, they’re in the same exact boat as you are; hardly anything that is said here will be news to anyone. So sure they “get it”, but the conversation lacks enthusiasm.

or whoever in your life appears as a mentor or parental figure, you’ll get a fresh perspective laden with new reactions and inquisition. You’ll be given the opportunity to explain your research to someone outside of the know and to see your work in a new light, rather than the same, dim-lit computer desk lamp that illuminates scattered coffee cups and pop-tart wrappers. The more you talk to them about what you’re up to, the more they’ll “get it” and the stronger

of evil, Satan himself.)

entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.”

Spiritual Mind (Philippians 2:1-3, 4:89) Key Verses 2 and 8 “If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”

(Mercy, like mindedness, love and being of one accord, are qualities that will help us to be more civil during 2017.)

Spiritual Conversation (James 3:1-18) Key Verses 10, 17-18 “Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be

in-depth knowledge of the Bible and does so in a simple, down-to-earth, even grandfatherly manner. You can hear the sincerity in the man and easily see that he’s completely genuine.

Pastor Salem’s love for the Lord and heartfelt compassion for others gushes forth as does his desire to win souls.

Listening to him gives me comfort and peace in this tense, problem-filled world.

I’ve never wavered in my faith, but Pastor Salem helps solidify and build on that faith and my growth as a Christian.

His teachings, straight from God’s word, always make me feel rejuvenated and fulfilled in the spirit.

Pastor Salem is not fazed by his age.

The old saying, “You’re as young as you think you are.” comes to mind. Salem is living proof that one’s attitude is crucial to their physical and mental health, as well as longevity. His great attitude toward life is grounded in his faith in God and the fact that he knows where

(Our tongues can be a blessing or a curse. Let us try and practice the characteristics above.)

Spiritual Fruit (Galatians 5:22-3) “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

(These character traits when applied to a person’s life will change them and others around them. This is the opposite of what I have seen this last year.)

Spiritual Conduct (2 Peter 1:1-12) Key Verses 3-9 “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to

he’s going when he departs this earth.

He often talks about how he’s looking forward to entering God’s glory in Heaven. “Hopefully sooner than later!” as he puts it. And Salem often mentions how thrilled he will be not only to finally meet his Lord and Savior, but to join his wife and other loved ones who’ve arrived before him. His excitement for the future definitely shows, which serves as encouragement to me and should give all Christians hope and assurance that better days are yet to come.

I think of my dear father who today is with his Lord (he was born the same year as Pastor Salem, so he’d also be 95). The similarities between my father and Salem are striking. As a Christian man with a rock-solid faith in God, my dad also had a great attitude toward life, always worked hard, was honest, humble and had a positive outlook each and every day. All the way up into his early 90s when he entered heaven in 2013. As with Salem, my dad was a great encouragement to me. A man with a

PAGE 6

your connection will be. Furthermore, it gives them the chance to simply be proud of you and to be excited for your current and future accomplishments.

It’s a win-win situation. So from now on, instead of coming home from school and shutting out the world, I’m going to leave my door open just a little.

By allowing discussion and goodnatured inquiry from the ones I love most, I can unroll my next scientific poster and be met with exclamations of, “Wow, it looks even better printed out!” and, “We knew you’d pull it off.”

brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.”

(Temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, charity or love would help to dispel the discontent.)

Spiritual Trust (Proverbs 3:5-6) “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

(Men and women cannot change our country. Only trust in God, His plan and His way will do it. He promises to direct our paths.)

Spiritual Cleansing (1 John 1:9) “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

(We as individuals will fail. We must repent of our sins and allow God to cleanse us.)

Applying these truths during 2017 will give us a year of contentment, joy and peace. Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain (907) 715-4001

kind, gentle spirit and enormous heart.

In this crazy, upside down world of wars, terrorism, economic hardship, fighting between political parties, immorality and perversion, it’s comforting to turn on the TV and listen to the calming, steady, reassuring voice of Pastor Salem. His sermons remind me of my youth when I attended church in the Wildwood in Eagle River a half-century ago. It was a small, non-denominational ministry where our pastor - a kind, older gentleman much like Salem - taught direct from the Bible in terms I could easily understand.

Pastor Salem is a true inspiration. When feeling down or otherwise having a tough time and in need of a boost, I think of him and his example. It always brightens my outlook and puts a smile on my face.

Please join me in watching the Christian Worship Hour on Sundays at 11:00am on KYES Channel 5 or online at www.

ChristianWorshipHour.com.

POLITICS / COMMUNITY the High Expedition Company.

Contributed by Tina Smith, Mat-Valley Cannabis Business Association Limited Cultivation is now exempt from Conditional Use Permit.

The Mat Su Marijuana Industry had a couple wins when it comes to business, marijuana and the Mat-Su Borough, and it’s about damn time...

For some they were tiny wins, for others it meant the whole world. Some may finally be able to see the beginning of their garden very soon, after more than a two year wait.

Limited cultivation are not held to standard’s requirements. That’s a great thing, especially with the setbacks still currently in place. The setbacks that are in place right now say 50 ft. from right of way, and 100 ft. from the closest point of the marijuana establishments building, to the property or lot line.

On an acre lot, which is pretty standard, it just isn’t possible to navigate within any reasonable means and starts to look a lot like an unreasonable regulation.

None of the Assembly members wanted to initiate an amendment, however I did hear speak of bringing multiple amendments together at the next or a future meeting.

My public comment covered a possible change in language with the help of a smart lawyer I know. During a break, Alex Straum from Planning asked if I would send him the language I introduced. Of course I will sir, because what’s there now is not pretty.

Basically the new language he is asking for says that the right of way is 50 ft. from the building, but the 100 feet from the nearest neighboring structure instead of lot line, not on the same parcel of land, and is not subject to the 100 foot rule if the neighboring parcel is owned by the same owner as the establishment its being measured from.

of “Sect. 4: Preexisting Applicant Unaffected.”

“Any application to operate a marijuana establishment filed with the State of Alaska Alcohol and Marijuana Control office before the enactment of this ordinance, where such a location falls within a special land use district (SPUD) or residential land use district shall not be affected by this ordinance. Any such applications are to be deemed preexisting and only subject to rules to the State of Alaska Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office even if the filing was deemed incomplete.”

It’s not perfect, but it’s certainly closer than it was. Perfect would be to just lose the cup altogether and revert back to state regulations

If you have an initiated marijuana establishment license as of today, are a limited cultivation, in a residential land use district, or a special land use district, today was a good day for you. For now you are only subject to the regulation that were in place by the Marijuana Control Board until the time this ordinance is enacted. Even if you were deemed incomplete before today, you are grandfathered in. Congratulations!

Another new development that was a surprise to many was the introduction

That’s HUGE for a man named Joe, a tiny little town named Talkeetna and

Joe has been in a holding pattern due to the weird zoning Talkeetna has to do as an unincorporated area. He can finally put the long two years of work to work. Bringing regulated marijuana to a perfect spot for it in Talkeetna.

Today was a good one for a lot of people, and a frustrating one for others.

Frustrating for those who decide to show up super late in the game and complain that they didn’t get a chance to say their peace, get angry that Kowalke didn’t ask their permission before introducing Sec.4, and trying to reintroduce parks which was hashed out, at great length last year.

These people are not a fan of High Expedition Company, or Joe, because he has worked long and hard to make a place for himself, right on MAIN street.

While they weren’t paying attention, Joe was not quiet about it. You go Joe! “I would like to ask those from the, Not on Main Street crowd, “Well, where have you been for the last two years? This makes me excited to be back to work just to see what tomorrow brings.”

VETERANS Contributed By Major Mike Dryden AVN USAR Retired Military members and veterans lost on almost every big benefit fight waged in the fiscal 2016 defense authorization bill according to many Veterans Organizations’ spokesmen.

However, there was no shortage of bonus money for the disgraced VA employees that put veterans on the waiting list until they died. Or the one who replaced them who scammed the taxpayers (or more correctly, your kids and grandchildren) out of bogus moving expense money.

The legislation is still awaiting a promised presidential veto that could end up destroying nine months of compromise on the annual military budget by our brave, tireless lawmakers.

But in the lobbying arena, Pentagon penny pinchers raided military personnel spending accounts already can declare victory, having swayed lawmakers to their side. Let’s call it a peace dividend or rename the bill “The Public Sector Union’s and Defense Company’s Relief Act”. I like the sound of that name.

If the measure becomes law, troops would see growth in the Basic Allowance for Housing steadily shrink to only 95 percent of average off-base housing costs. I didn’t see any decrease in per diem for Congress or government workers.Tricare co-pays would rise on a host of prescriptions from off-base retail pharmacies, so retirees who decided to live out of commuting distance from a military installation will just have to suck it up. Sorry Charlie, we never put it in writing.

Troops are in line for a 1.3 percent pay raise in January, a full percentage point below expected growth this year in average private-sector wages, continuing the downward trend in the military pay, causing them to fall below civilian levels.

Well I don’t know about you, but I am going to party like a Kennedy with my new wealth.

According to MOAA, “Lawmakers once again want defense officials to offer a plan in coming months to completely

wean the military commissary and exchange systems off taxpayer funding, potentially leading to fewer discounts or offerings at the stores.”

“We have refugees to support. We can’t be spending money on crazy stuff like national defense,” said a spokesperson on Al-Jazeera TV. (Okay, I might have made that last statement up.)

We have talked about this demand before in an earlier column. At JBER, the government shutdown occurred at the same time as a new Sam’s Club opened just past the Muldoon gate. The forprofit private sector superstore offered military personnel free or discounted club memberships while the base was shut down.

Figures from the military claim the commissary lost almost 1/3 of their volume, and it hasn’t returned. Maybe if the commissary personnel weren’t busy talking to each other or hiding in the office, we would come back more often.

I for one, before the shutdown, spent almost all my food budget on base. But not now. Discourteous cashiers, nonexistence customer service and empty shelves have made me a Sam’s Club fan.

Also, everything I can buy locally, I do.

And I don’t care if I ever have to stand in another line at the end of the month on base.

Amazing what an industrious young man like Arkansas native, Sam Walton, can do with two five and dime stores purchased for $20,000 in the 1960s.

That is the United States of America that we should aspire to once again, and stop trying to import more cheap labor to displace US workers. I know some on the right side of the aisle say, ‘‘The Democrats are importing new voters.

What I will tell you who feel like that is, at least these voters are alive!

“Over the last ten years, the (military) community has fought hard to increase benefits to catch troops up to the private sector,” said Bill Rausch, Political Director for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. “Now after all the battles we’ve won, we’re starting to see retreats. That’s concerning to us.”

House lawmakers had pushed against nearly all of those changes in earlier drafts of the authorization bill, agreeing with advocates who argued that the compensation trims combined would

drastically reduce military families’ purchasing power. Wow, you think? Give those lawmakers a Mensa card.

Pentagon planners adroitly argued, “That the savings are needed to rein in personnel costs, and that troops would be able to accept reductions in some anticipated pays and benefits in exchange for better training and equipment support.”

Let me translate for you. Since our military service personnel and retirees have nowhere near the juice to that of the public sector unions and the defense companies, we vets and military members lose.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I have heard that song before.

An MOAA spokesman said, “We’re on a trajectory here that could send the all-volunteer force into a ditch, noting that lawmakers have argued that each of these cuts in isolation wouldn’t be overwhelming, but we’re looking at three years of lower pay (raises) now. We had hoped to see the Senate align with the House, not the other way around.”

Those trims won’t become a reality if President Obama vetoes of the bill over an unrelated budget fight.

Well, just when you thought the POTUS didn’t care for the military. Who knew?

See? I have been telling you. Aren’t you ashamed of yourselves, you doubting Thomases!

The White House has yet to sign or to veto the legislation the bill.

But MOAA and other military advocacy groups have argued against a presidential veto, calling the legislation a critical policy measure that cannot be delayed. The measure has been signed into law in each of the last 53 years and includes a host of other specialty pay and bonus reauthorizations.

“The fact is that we are still a nation at war, and this legislation is vital to fulfilling wartime requirements,” MOAA officials said in a statement. “There comes a time when this year’s legislative business must be completed, and remaining disagreements left to be addressed next year.”

And the beat goes on.

ACCOMMODATIONS Houston Lodge Marketplace…. 892-5124 Sunset View Resort ........ 892-8595 ADULT PIANO LESSONS Hitchcock Piano Studio ........ 745-3134 ALCOHOL DETECTION Alcohol Detection Services…. 677-7300 APPAREL All Seasons Clothing ........ 357-0123 CW Tack ........ 376-2668 D’s Tuxedo ........ 707-6585 Mimi’s Closet ........ 376-2661 ART & CRAFTS Shane Lamb Gallery… 746-3343 The Gallery ........ 745-1420 BOOKSTORE Fireside Books ........ 745-2665 CAFÉ & COFFEE Alaska Artisan Coffee ........ 745-5543 Espresso Café ........ 376-5282 Gathering Grounds ........ 376-4404 Vagabond Blue……..745-2233 CANDY Monica’s Confection ... 315-3999 CHINESE FOOD/ASIAN FOOD Kings Asian Buffet ........ 357-9977 COOKWARE All I Saw Cookware ........ 376-3177 CREATIVE ENTERTAINMENT Artists Uncorked ........ 982-2675 EDUCATION Learning Essentials ........ 357-3990 FLOWERS & GIFTS Charlotte’s Flowers ........ 745-5550 FOOTWEAR Northern Comfort ........ 376-5403 HEALTH & WELLNESS All About Herbs ........ 376-8327 HOME DÉCOR Cover Ups Designs ........ 746-4739 JEWELRY L Forge Jewelry ........ 232-9866

POLITICS / COMMUNITY Contributed by Sandy May Lincoln Day Dinner and Fundraiser 2/17/2017 – 5:30PM Mat-Su Republican Women’s Club Evangelo’s Restaurant, Wasilla Tickets: $50 The Mat-Su Republican Women’s Club is celebrating our 70th birthday and the future of making America great!

Each year we host a Lincoln Day Dinner and Fundraiser at Evangelo’s Restaurant in Wasilla. It is one of our biggest fundraisers and brings in a lot of money that we use to help conservative Republican candidates get elected to local, state and federal offices as well as helping in many other community ways.

This year we have chosen a special theme that ties into our seventy

years of service here in the Valley and the amazing election that we all recently witnessed. The time to have a Republican president in the White House and so many Republicans elected throughout the states in local and federal positions is phenomenal! We are celebrating our future!

This event will be on February 17, 2017 and is opened to the public as always, and we invite you to join us for a wonderful buffet provided by Evangelo’s on the Parks Hwy. in Wasilla.

The doors will open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $50 each [includes the buffet & gratuity] and can be purchased through PayPal on our Facebook page and also on our website matsurepublicanwomensclub.org.

We will have them available at our

PIZZA Humdingers Pizza ........ 745-7499

January general meeting as well and that is January 21, 2017 at the MTA Bldg. 480 Commercial Drive in Palmer [downstairs], and the public is invited.

Part of our program includes a guest speaker, outcry auction, silent auction and dessert auction, as well as the opportunity to spend fun time with likeminded folks.

We hope you will take the chill off a February evening and spend it with us!

PRINT SERVICES The UPS Store ........ 376-6245 RADIO 95.5 The Pass ........ 631-0877 REPAIR, RESTORATION Comtronics ........ 373-2669 Steve’s Toyostove…. 376-9276 RELAXATION The Tub House & Tanning….. 376-8827 SALONS Hello Darlin Salon.… 373-3307 Light It Up Head Shop…. 745-5483 SMOKE SHOPS Alaska Pipe Dreams ........ 746-1500 SPECIALTY GIFTS Alaska Midnite Scents ........ 357-7364 THRIFT SHOPS Red Barn Thrift Store ........ 745-5050 Steam Driven Boutique ........ 376-4404 Turn-A-Leaf Thrift Stores ........ 376-5708 TOYS Just Imagine Toys ........ 357-1543

POLITICS / OPINION Contributed by Colleen Sullivan-Leonard

Watch and Vicki Wallner from Stop Valley Thieves.

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

We had a productive exchange of information between our panel and our audience; it is clear that our community is engaged and is willing and able to assist our law enforcement. Below is my overview of the meeting.

By the time you read this, I will be in Juneau and I didn’t want to go without providing you a summary of what I have been working in January for District 7.

As you may be aware, Representative Mark Neuman and I held a Public Safety Town Hall meeting recently to address community safety issues. This was a follow up meeting from a few years ago, and we felt that it was timely to talk with our community before going to Juneau.

We were pleased to have a panel consisting of Department of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan, Wasilla Police Chief Gene Belden, Palmer Police Chief Lance Ketterling, District Attorney Roman Kalytiak, AST Colonel Jim Cockrell and our Criminal Suppressions Unit, as well as Belinda Bohanan from AST Neighborhood

Contributed by Sara Williams, MBA In this time of economic crisis, we need innovative leaders who are willing to have personal courage to support their residents who want to chase their dreams of economic freedom. The MatSu Assembly are not those leaders.

On January 10th, the Assembly heard public comment from over 25 residents who spoke against the arbitrary setbacks for marijuana establishments.

One spoke in favor citing it was the best “we could come up with”. Many gave stories about how the 50 feet from a public right of way and 100 feet from side and rear lot lines would negatively affect their ability to utilize their existing properties they have already invested in.

Jack Dupier’s company, American Growers, which is a state approved Standard Cultivation Facility off Soapstone Rd in Palmer is out of business after a $250,000 investment because the east side of his building is 20 feet too close to the undeveloped public right of way that backs up to farmland. His facility alone was slated to

I was pleased to hear of the success of our Mat-Su (CSU) Criminal Suppressions Unit that was established in 2014.

Statistics show that burglary and theft had reduced by 38% in the first year of their inception but high drug related crimes remain a high concern. You may have also read of the Department of Public Safety’s announcement of an Anchorage drug dealer selling in Mat-Su who was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for distributing large amounts of brown heroin and bath salts. There is discussion of expanding our Mat-Su Drug Enforcement Unit by joining forces with Wasilla and Palmer Police.

Neighborhood Watch coordinator, Belinda Bohanan, presented helpful

provide between 5 and 10 new jobs for MatSu Valley residents.

Thomas Hannam purchased a warehouse surrounded by swampland two years ago in hopes to open a Standard Cultivation facility and was told that the $780,000 he invested and over 20 new jobs he would have created are now not going to happen because his building is too close to the neighboring lot line. In all the establishments that spoke would have provided over 100 new jobs to the Borough.

The stories continued all night it seemed, but in the end they fell on deaf ears. None of the Assembly members had the personal courage to motion to remove the setbacks even after the mayor gently urged them to do so. As the chair of the Marijuana Advisory Committee, I understand the plight Vern Halter is in to facilitate the meeting but not be able to affect real change.

The decision by Assembly members Barbara Doty, Steve Colligan, Dan Mayfield, Randall Kowalkee, Jim Sykes and George McKee further stunts the

COMMUNITY & POLITICS PAGE 8

information on how to form a Neighborhood Watch program to make it tougher for criminals to steal your personal property. If you are interested in establishing a program in your neighborhood, you can contact her at 745-2131.

Vicki Wallner presented from Stop Valley Thieves social media Facebook group.

Her social media outreach has helped considerably in keeping the community aware of crime in our community and has been very helpful to our public safety professionals in the work they do when they can’t have boots on the ground in all areas of the Valley.

SB91 was discussed by the panel and audience members; it is clear that changes need to be made to make it clear that doing drugs will have consequences and should not result in a quick release back into the community where many re-offend.

We will be looking at this legislation to consider amendments in the areas that are most concerning.

Edie Grunwald was in our audience and I wore her button “I <3 David Grunwald” to convey my support for her efforts toward justice for the heinous crimes committed against her son, David. As

launch of the MatSu regulated cannabis industry and the jobs and tax revenue that it could generate.

The time has come to start holding our legislators to the fire for the hard choices they have to make in down economic times.

Truth is, that without legal regulated cannabis products being sold in the state of Alaska and hempcrete or other cannabis created building materials being sold abroad, we only go backwards. With no new reasonable tax revenue sources, we are lost without cannabis.

At full capacity, the cannabis industry in the MatSu Valley could provide well over 1,000 new jobs and millions in tax revenue because it is more than just getting people stoned. With 50,000 uses for the cannabis plant it could revolutionize the economy of the Borough and the state of Alaska.

I challenge our Assembly members to remove the setbacks with haste. Their choice on the 10th means that it will be another six months to a year before

a mother of seven and grandma of three, I cannot imagine what she and her family are going through. I offer my sincere condolences and prayers to her and her family. Our community is grieving with the Grunwald family.

Thank you to everyone who attended our public safety meeting, I will keep you posted on future meetings and information as I receive it.

I will continue to work hard for you, District 7 and the State of Alaska. I want to hear from you while I’m in Juneau!

I will send regular newsletters, emails, Facebook posts and will return home for town hall meetings to update you on what is going on in Juneau.

Best regards to you and yours, Colleen

the MatSu Valley’s regulated, tested and identification checked cannabis industry can even begin to compete with the black market and reduce access for children.

I demand more personal courage of our leaders to fight for opportunities for jobs and economic development for our residents. We are growing too fast without the proper infrastructure. We need cannabis tax revenue to help fill in the holes.

Please help me hold our legislators feet to the fire on growing the economy of the MatSu Borough. Please make them accountable to their choices to not support economic development and new jobs at election time and if this behavior of our leaders infuriates you then get involved. The world is shaped by those who show up.

Ms. Williams is CEO of Phoenix Rising Inc. and a cannabis advocate. She also holds the chair position of the Marijuana Advisory Committee. phoenixrisinginak@gmail.comor 907-887-6130

POLITICS / OPINION Contributed by Wes Keller Many years ago after an idyllic week of camping and moose hunting with my son, we returned to a vandalized car and stolen gear. I was naively indignant when I found the closest Trooper* Station was over a hundred miles away in Palmer, AK. My indignation was the typical human reaction of a crime victim who has taken law enforcement for granted until needing it.

In my case, several locals told me they most likely knew who the culprit was, but there was simply no law enforcement authority other than the miles-away Troopers. I could file my crime report when I got back to Palmer, getting at the end of an already long line of violated Alaskans waiting on justice. I filed the complaint when I got home but never heard further word about subsequent trooper action or results. Frankly, I just let it go, it was easier than following up or pushing.

After all, when I turned in the claim and police report to my insurance company, they paid in full. I was compensated but have no idea if the presumed ‘perp’ was ever confronted. Having lived in Alaska for nearly 50 years, I suspect this is more ‘typical’ than we care to admit.

With sincere respect and appreciation for our highly trained, professional state troopers, a local ‘Keystone Cop’** would have been welcome. The last thing Alaska needs is more statewide dependence on remote, top-down, state level enforcement! Our budget reality is forcing painful state trooper reduction, so it is time to reflect and reconsider our public safety options.

There is an obvious fiscal impossibility to provide effective, equitable, statewide trooper protection; it is time to think local.

It is demeaning to think of local police as ‘Keystone Cops’ and certainly ignores the value in keeping law enforcement in the community. If we continue to rely on Juneau-based management of local crime problems, our local public safety will be further eroded as the fiscal crisis hits us. Other states successfully have locally elected and paid sheriffs.

Local voter influence provides locally controlled law enforcement, which is predictably influenced by the will and passions of the active community people.

This is not a bad thing! It is arguably unfortunate the Alaska Constitution makes no provision for sheriffs or counties, so the only local law enforcement we see are unelected, public employees - hired by the larger municipalities. With no local tax base to pay for locally managed police, smaller communities (both organized and unorganized) settle for inadequate law enforcement.

Corruption in enforcement is a cancer polluting justice, whether it is local or statewide. I’ll take potential local corruption any time because it can be eliminated or prevented in the next local election. The scope of citizen engagement needed to overturn a sheriff’s office would scarcely ‘move the needle’ and is quicker, compared to the effort needed to reform the ivory towers of justice - particularly in

Contributed by Pamela Goode Alaska is in a financial mess, so who do we blame? Or what do we blame?

That is not only a good question, but an important one to have answered as we move forward. A problem cannot be solved if we are unsure of the cause.

We can band-aid symptoms all day long but if there is a hole in the boat, we will continue to always take on water, we will continue to always have to bail, and the chance of “the problem” getting worse if unaddressed is certain until we eventually sink the boat or “fix” the problem.

So what is the problem? First off, it never was and never has been the sudden steep drop in oil prices, but that is exactly what government officials want you to believe. That issue only magnified the

Alaska, where the capitol is a ‘remote government island’. Our state public safety program (one of many public programs) has been harmed by copious state spending of abundant natural resource ‘tax revenue’. Remember, in this context ‘tax revenue’ includes the ‘tax’ constitutionally withdrawn from the people’s natural resources before it can become personal property; instead of being taxed in the traditional sense, we have spent this 80 billion over the last 40 years.

This money enabled the state to buy whatever it needed to create a plush state trooper program, which legitimately prioritizes services to urban areas, leaving the rural areas lacking. Obviously, Alaskans cannot afford to provide rural citizens services comparable to urban-access to the state troopers. Most Alaskans are reluctant to cut trooper services for good reason. Alaskans are unwilling to add another layer of traditional local taxes, if it is in addition to the highest per capita state ‘tax revenue’ in the nation.

Once the problem is broken down, the solution is actually intuitive even if not politically feasible! The legislature should pay larger PFDs from the money constitutionally restricted from government spending (the permanent fund earnings the governor wants to spend). Then ‘man up’ and temporarily tax the PFD as needed to close the budget deficit, and then pay for the level of government Alaskans want.

The problem of course: a typical Alaskan wants the great services (myself included) but not the tax (again, myself included). This tension, when transparent and properly vetted, is the ideal time-tested regulator of legislative spending in a republic.

As an example, last session my office ran the numbers using the same projections from the governor’s proposed fiscal plan. We found the legislature could return the vetoed PFD and increase PFDs to about $4000 for the next eight years, and still have two billion left in the earnings reserve!

Yes, the reserve money not paid out is huge! Personally, I would much rather lose half of a $4000 PFD for the next eight years in transparent taxes than lose the same exact amount of money to a shady, pre-tax ‘tax’; an open-tointerpretation tax simply adding to the already spent 80 billion dollars, and not actually providing an attainable solution.

When we can clearly see how much we are spending for public safety, then we can make informed decisions on a proper balance between state trooper spending and spending for local law enforcement. Until then, it looks as if some Alaskans will go without (or for sure less) law enforcement. In the worst-case scenario, we will be set up for a real disaster when the PF earnings money is spent, we crash at the end of the governor’s glide slope, and there is still no viable solution in place!

Rep. Wes Keller www.WesKeller.com **Keystone Cops – an expression applied to those who appear to be incompetent while exhibiting an uncommon amount of energy in the pursuit of failure…

true decade-long problem of increasing the scope and size of government and the excessive luxurious spending by legislators and governors. These officials take an oath of office to secure our rights, they make laws, and they spend our money and are definitely responsible for their actions, decisions and votes. But the bottom line is, we put them there and keep them there. So is the root cause?

Them or us?

Elected officials are servants of the people. They should be forward thinkers securing the unalienable rights of today’s generation and tomorrow’s, and that includes looking out for the overall economy. Regardless of the circumstances that arise, that is their job.

They are not supposed to do the work of what belongs to that of the people.

If they do, it deprives us of consumer competitiveness, entrepreneurism, overall economic growth, charitable activity, and individual potential and prosperity.

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Contributed by Senator Mike Dunleavy Senator Mike Dunleavy (R-Mat-Su & Copper River valleys) recently released a blue print for Alaska to achieve a sustainable budget within four years. This approach uses a multiyear proposal that utilizes budget reductions totaling $1.1 billion over four years. The plan requires no new taxes.

Sen. Dunleavy’s approach uses a blend of general fund savings and a more modest earnings reserve account draw only after dividends are calculated and paid in full to Alaskans.

“This fiscal situation we find ourselves in needs to be solved this year,” Sen. Dunleavy said. “We are running out of time and resources to make it happen.

In doing so, all Alaskans need to pull together and make sacrifices to get us through this difficult transition.

Taxing Alaskans, and/or taking the PFD to cover the large fiscal gap is not necessary. Substantial reductions, however, are needed so existing resources currently at our disposal can be deployed to get us on a path to a sustainable budget.”

Under this approach, the PFD and its calculations remain intact.

Sen. Dunleavy further stated, “Our economy is in recession and we have the highest unemployment rate in the nation. Now is not the time to ask the private sector to give more to government when Alaskans are out of work and businesses are on the ropes.”

The cornerstone of the approach is a revised constitutional appropriation limit to curb the growth of government which if passed by the legislature, would go before the voters in the next general election for approval.

“I look forward to the input of my colleagues and other stakeholders,” Sen. Dunleavy said. “Hopefully other approaches will also come forth, allowing us to work collaboratively on a solution for all of Alaska.”

This approach is comprised of the following: · Senator Dunleavy’s approach includes

no new taxes. No income tax, no state sales tax, no broad-based taxes. No new taxes are required. · Use of existing savings to help bridge to a sustainable budget within four years. · A Revised Constitutional Appropriation Limit: The central element of Senator Dunleavy’s plan is repairing our existing constitutional appropriations limit that is meant to cap the size and growth of government. This is needed in order to guarantee fiscal restraint and protect against future runaway spending. The measure would be presented to the voters in the next general election (November 2018). · A Revised Statutory Appropriation Limit: Largely mirroring its constitutional cousin by enacting this statute, elements of the plan would be put into practice beginning this year. · Making reasonable spending reductions over four years totaling $1.1 billion. $300 million each year for FY18, FY19 and FY20 (or 7% per year) $200 million in reductions in FY21 (or 4.6%) · Protecting the PFD & Using the Earnings Reserve Account (ERA): 50% of the utilized amount goes first for payment of the dividend, then 50% for essential state services. The Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation has provided data showing that the PFD transfer amount and the ERA both grow over ten years using this approach. · A Biennial Budget: Instead of adopting an annual budget, Alaska would transition to a biennial budget process.

As of 2010, nineteen states utilize this more efficient approach. · Statutory changes to foster true collaboration on the creation of the budget between the legislature and the governor: A committee chosen by both bodies of the legislature would work together with the governor during the interim to build a budget from the ground-up, earlier in the year. This approach improves the existing process, which condenses a deep dive into the state’s finances to the constraints of the busy 90-day legislative session.

Contributed by Alice Hawkes, Matanuska-Susitna Borough

appeal period will begin on January 30 and end on March 1.

The borough will be mailing out the 2017 property value assessment notices on the 27th of January, three weeks earlier than usual.

Formal appeals to the Board of Equalization will be scheduled for hearing during April and will mostly be heard during regular business hours with the exception of one evening per week.

For those who would like to discuss or appeal the value of their property, the

There is not one government program that I can think of that is conducted effectively and efficiently. I’ll add to that from what I’ve experienced, every time the government mingles in areas it should not, prices go up, quality goes down, government gets bigger and the people get smaller. Repeat this cycle enough times over decades or centuries, and you are where we are today.

So let us give credit where it is due.

Republicans have been in charge through most of the past decade, responsible for the majority of the luxurious spending. The Democrats received their share of pork when votes were required for funding these bloated budgets which further drove up spending.

Coalition majorities occurred a few times as in now in the House. Governors, many dislike Walker now and have forgotten why Parnell lost. I’ll remind you. Parnell, along with many sitting and re-elected legislators, have their fingerprints and votes all over this overspending fiscal disaster. Let us not make excuses for these people we may like and call friends.

Votes don’t lie; sponsorship doesn’t lie.

To hear I’m only “one” of 60 or 40 or 20,

is one time too many. They each have a voice and vote, and we should expect both to be used to do their job and uphold their oath of office. No excuses.

So what is our excuse for hiring them?

Are we loyal or blind R and D voters?

Recognized the names? How about voting for the perceived winner; do we do that? Can our vote be bought with a free burger or ice cream; the best funded candidate? What about all the negative ads, do we believe them, check them out, call the candidate? Don’t vote? Don’t complain! Until Alaskan’s look in the mirror, own it and fix it, we are destined to keep blaming them instead of us.

The solution is you, your participation and your vote. You are the present and you are the future. You matter and your rights matter. If the will of the people rise up, our representatives will listen. If we leave them alone, they will not leave us alone. 2018 is not far off and we need to elect ethical, selfless, non-corrupt, “employees” that attract individuals and businesses (new money) into our state, not subsidize them or run the good ones off. #DrainJuneau2018 For up-to-date coverage, visit Facebook group: HAC & SAC | Alaska

PETS & ANIMALS PRESS RELEASE The Mat-Su Sertoma Club has announced that the Alaska Wildbird Rehabilitation Center would be the recipient of the 2017 Polar Plunge Grant Funds.

The beginning of this year started with an unprecedented stranding of thousands of Common Murres, a seabird, inland and far from their normal wintering range in the Gulf of Alaska. The AWRC rescued more than 350 of these birds and transported them to open water.

Their educational ambassador birds provide more than 150 programs to

Contributed by Angie Lewis, President of Alaska Animal Advocates I am not talking about rolling a joint, cranking up the stereo and smoking with your dog.

Marijuana has many benefits, outside of recreational use. It isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t about getting your dog high.

There is mounting evidence and

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thousands at schools, tourist group stops and public venues. They plan on bringing them to the plunge for the public to enjoy.

The plunge is scheduled for February 25, 2017 and is one of the Valleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fun winter events that everyone looks forward to attending. It will be held at the Palmer Elks Lodge off Bogard Road.

It is not too early for jumpers to register online as well.

The Mat Su Sertoma Club was founded in 2009 and has held the Polar Plunge to raise more than $200,000 for Valley projects. anecdotal information that suggests that, just as medical marijuana has been shown to be beneficial for human beings, it can also alleviate a host of health problems for animals as well.

Cannabis-based products may benefit animals that are plagued by issues such as seizures, inflammation, pain, arthritis, allergies, cancer, digestive issues, joint and mobility problems and anxiety.

Marijuana can help other animals, besides cats and dogs, like pigs, horses and domesticated wild animals, such as skunks or raccoons.

Unfortunately, the FDA has not approved marijuana for use in animals and cautions against its use. The FDA states that marijuana needs

to be studied further for safety and effectiveness. Currently, the FDA is reviewing information about marijuana and marijuana-derived products being used for animals. It is best to speak with your veterinarian about the best treatments for your petâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ailments.

Veterinarians are not permitted to write prescriptions for medical marijuana, even in states where medical marijuana is permitted.

Do not allow your pet to have access to your personal stash. Adverse effects have been reported from accidental ingestion of marijuana. These symptoms include depression, lethargy, drooling, vomiting, convulsions and tremors. In such cases, contact an emergency animal hospital or an

Adopt Muscles Contributed by Sumitra Shinde, Animal Care Dispatcher Muscles is a very endearing little guy!

He has lived with lots of other dogs before, and thought playing with them all the time was great. He also likes children and cats. Chasing a ball

and cuddling are some of his favorite activities, and he can be described as medium energy, easy going, friendly and entertaining.

Muscles can get apprehensive in new situations or around new people. He likes car rides and does not have a

history of escaping. Muscles would love to find someone that can give him attention and training. He was never taught to be fully house-broken, so he will need to go home with someone that has patience and will help him learn how to master the art of going potty outside!

animal poison control center. There are non-medical marijuana products that are legal without a prescription. These are available online and are made from hemp.

Also, when marijuana is given orally, in a tincture form, edible treats or pills, with precise dosages prescribed by a vet, negative reactions are minimalized.

The use of medical marijuana for pets is a concept whose time has come. At the very least, there must be a dialogue that will address the benefits of this plant for the many aging, suffering pets that we love so much. We need to move beyond our stereotypes and fears and embrace the potential of marijuana for animals.

COMMUNITY Contributed by Jaida Gough, Boom Town Derby Dames Battle of the Valley: BTDD VS. DDD 2/18/2017 – 7PM Boom Town Derby Dames, Denali Destroyer Dolls Menard Sports Center, Wasilla Tickets: $12 Adults, $5 Children, $10 Military/Seniors

This is it. It’s finally happening. The game we’ve all been waiting for. Boom Town Derby Dames will host the Denali Destroyer Dolls at the Curtis Menard Sports Center on February 18, 2017.

I repeat, BTDD will host DDD in Wasilla, February 18, 2017. Doors open at 6:00pm, wheels roll at 7:00pm.

The first and only time these Mat-Su Valley home teams had faced off was January 12, 2013. It was only Boom Town’s second game ever played. The anticipation of this game filled the MTA center with expectant fans, despite freezing rain forcing people to drive with the same caution a Fresh Meat

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skater uses when first rolling onto the track. The game was electrifying; the refs attempted to quiet the highspirited crowd, to give skaters a chance to hear start whistles or penalty calls.

Unsurprisingly, this only riled the audience up more. The game ended in a tie, bringing the teams into overtime: one last jam.

The atmosphere was intense. In those final two minutes, Boom Town’s jammer scored, while the blockers kept DDD’s jammer at bay.

The dawn of the Boom Town Derby Dames is credited to six hardworking women in 2012, at the Schwabenhof in Wasilla. Two of the six remain with the team today, and will be playing in February’s game. It’s no surprise that the founding members had initially skated for the Dolls, as DDD was the first team born here in the Valley.

Roller Derby itself is a small community, and it isn’t uncommon to find a skater who has played on both teams, before deciding which was a better fit.

Chances are that while out in Palmer or Wasilla, a black Boom Town jacket, complete with the skater’s derby name and number embroidered in white on the back, or perhaps a deep purple DDD hoodie, with a lime green skater name emblazoned on it has been spotted. When I’m out wearing my black jacket, it’s inevitable that I get

asked what the red star with BTDD on the front is for. After responding that I play roller derby in the Valley, I most commonly get one of three responses.

open at 6 pm, wheels roll at 7 pm!”)

Will Boom Town remain undefeated against the Dolls, or will the Dolls jam their way to victory?

Response 1: There’s roller derby in the Valley?! (Yes, two teams actually. Our home games are in Wasilla and DDD plays in Palmer, check it out sometime!)

Tickets can be found online at brownpapertickets.com, at the door, or with any Boom Town skater. $12 for adults, $5 for children and $10 for military and seniors.

Response 2: Oh! You must skate with [INSERT NAME HERE]? (I’ve seen her skate, but she is not actually on my team.)

Response 3: When will BTDD and DDD play against each other again? (Finally!

I can triumphantly throw my hands in the air while proclaiming, “February 18, at the Curtis Menard Center! Doors

This game is not one to miss! We’ll see you February 18th, at 6:00 pm at the Curtis Menard Center in Wasilla!

As always Boom Town is welcoming new skaters, officials or nonskating officials. Find out more on facebook! http:www.facebook.com/ boomtownderby

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Contributed by Carol Montgomery, Plastics Committee of the Recycling Coalition Sometimes known as tundra cotton or urban tumbleweeds, plastic bag litter is everywhere. Flapping in trees, tangled in the brush, clogging storm drains.

Besides creating an unsightly mess, plastic bag litter actually kills some local animals who ingest it.

No one knows exactly why caribou and reindeer are so attracted to plastic bags, but both the Williams Reindeer Farm and the Matanuska Experiment Farm in Palmer learned this the hard way, after necropsies revealed plastic bag ingestion was the cause of death for several of their animals. Animals can’t digest plastic, so it accumulates and obstructs their digestive system.

The Experiment Farm is in a unique position to observe this problem directly. Surgically created fistulas allow researchers a direct portal into the digestive system of their research caribou. Dr. Bill Collins from DFG states that he continually pulls plastic bags out of the rumen of these caribou.

Some wads of plastic in their gut are as large as a football!

Bags continue to fly into local pastures throughout the year because the Valley is a windy place. In order to prevent further losses, The Williams Reindeer Farm in Palmer has to patrol their fields to grab plastic bags before the animals eat them. In spite of those efforts, the farm lost three more reindeer since 2010. We can only wonder what happens to caribou and other ruminants in the wild that do not have these protections.

Those bags that avoid being eaten by animals, or being snagged by trees end up in our watershed and eventually the ocean, where they create even more hazards for marine animals who like caribou, eat it in place of food.

Another reason plastic continues to be so hazardous is because it never biodegrades, but just breaks down

Contributed by Glen Butts (The Dude)

into smaller and smaller pieces of petroleum chemicals, soaking up other toxic contaminants, such as heavy metals in the process. Then it enters the food chain.

The smaller the particles, the smaller the animals are that feed on it. In 2015, a study in the Northeast Pacific Ocean found small particles of plastic in the plankton that salmon eat. They estimated that salmon were ingesting 2-7 particles of plastic per day just from feeding on the plankton. Who wants plastic in their salmon? I don’t think many people do.

All we have to do is look around at the environment to realize this problem is not going to go away, but will just get worse unless we do something.

There are over 101,000 residents of the Borough. If each resident continues to use five plastic bags a week (a very conservative estimate), that’s adding 26,260,000 bags a year to our environment! If 3% get recycled, that leaves 25,473,000 bags per year that will either escape into our environment or take up valuable real estate in our landfill. And that’s just for one year!

One place to begin to solve this problem is to reduce the number of plastic bags we use. While recycling these bags is helpful, it is estimated that only about 3% of plastic bags are

returned for recycling, and there are a limited number of recycled products that can be made from plastic bags.

So think before you take a bag. Do you really need a bag to carry one or two items from the store to your car? An even better way to help out is to bring your own bag. Sturdy reusable bags have a greater holding capacity, are easier to carry and don’t flop around in your car. Once you get used to bringing your own bag, you will never want to go back to using these flimsy annoying plastic bags.

Many Alaskan communities already have regulations to control the damage caused by plastic bags.

Cordova, Bethel and Hooper Bay have banned plastic bags, and many Alaska village communities have similar regulations.

The Bag It Committee, a committee of the Matsu Borough Recycling Coalition is conducting a survey to gauge support for controlling the use of plastic bags here in the Valley.

So far, 65% of those who took the survey were in favor of some sort of regulation, either a ban or a fee.

We want to know what you think as well. Give us your opinion by taking our quick survey... www.surveymonkey.com/r/XH9KQ5B

Spaghetti Feed 2/26/2017 – 2PM Bikers Against Hunger Matsu Alano Club Cost: Ten Cans of Food or $10 Bikers Against Hunger Food Drive is under way again. We are a group of caring bikers, and others in the Mat-Su Valley that work together to raise food for the Mat-Su food banks. After the holidays, the food shelves of the local food banks are at an all-time low and the families in need are up. We try and get more food together for the food banks to distribute to them.

This has been going on for several years now, with great results. There are donation bins at all Valley Three Bears, both Wasilla and Palmer Spenard Builders Supply, Denali Harley Davidson, Performance Yamaha, House of Yamaha, Team CC, Hartley Motors, Artic Ink Tattoo and KMBQ Valley Radio Station.

And at the end of the two month drive, a spaghetti feed at Matsu Alano Club February 26th at 2pm until done.

The entrance fee is ten cans of food or $10, which raises a lot of the food. There will be door prizes throughout the dinner.

You must be present to win. Please help those who are in need through the tough winter months by donating canned food to any of these places mentioned above.

For more info look us up on Facebook @ Bikers Against Hunger Food Drive.

Thank you and God bless!