Thrive Mat-Su Youth Making a Difference Award Honors Local Teens

 
 

Contributed by Becky Stoppa

PALMER – Thrive Mat-Su is pleased to announce the winners of the 2020 Youth Making a Difference award, which honors Mat-Su students in grades 6-12 for their contributions to their school or community through volunteerism.

Rachel Hartman, a 2020 Mat-Su Career & Technical High School graduate, won the high school division. Hartman volunteered consistently throughout high school, contributing time to Alaska Youth for Environmental Action, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the public library, and Mat-Su Youth Court.

Since 2016, Hartman devoted approximately 250 hours to MSYC alone, which places her among the top volunteers in the organization’s 23-year history, according to Krista Maciolek, the MSYC director, in her nomination letter. She filled many roles over that time, including prosecutor, defense attorney and judge during sentencing hearings. Hartman also served as president of the MSYC Student Bar Association and as secretary of the statewide organization of youth courts, United Youth Courts of Alaska.

“Rachel’s commitment to Mat-Su Youth Court has been invaluable. The community is well-served by the program and the program has been well-served by Rachel,” said Maciolek.

The middle school Youth Making a Difference award went to the Teeland Middle School National Junior Honor Society. This 40-member band of eighth graders took on an array of service projects throughout their school and the community, from tutoring local elementary school students in math and reading, to volunteering and fundraising for Halloween Hallow and the Mat-Su Special Santa program, to helping plan and execute school-based activities like dances and wrist-band sales to help raise money for a wheelchair swing for Teeland’s disabled students.

“NJHS members are making a difference in small but important ways by helping these causes,” said Tracy Verrall, the Teeland National Junior Honor Society adviser, in her nomination letter.

Hartman and the Teeland NJHS program each received a cash award of $250.

Taylor Miller, a junior at Mat-Su Career & Technical High School, and Eli Knapp, a 2020 graduate of Houston High School, were selected as finalists.

Thrive Mat-Su is a community coalition dedicated to preventing and reducing underage substance use. The annual Youth Making a Difference award program is part of Thrive’s ongoing effort to support positive youth development by recognizing and enhancing young people’s strengths.

If you know a Mat-Su teen who is making a difference in the community, email details and a photo to impact@unitedwaymatsu.org, for a spotlight in Thrive’s monthly newsletter and social media platforms.

The Musk Ox Farm Is Open!

 
 

Contributed by Kerry Nelson

As you all know, Alaska has been incredibly lucky to have had a low number of COVID-19 cases reported so far. Our geographic location, low population, wide open spaces, and the timing of the virus hitting the U.S. before the height of the tourist season has afforded us the ability to remain ahead of any major spikes that so much of the Lower 48 has been subjected to.

As we’ve moved forward into our most current relaxed phase of reopening, we have continued to practice diligent observation and precaution while making the right decisions for our organization.

We're so ox-cited to announce that the Musk Ox Farm will be reopening to the public! We are continuing to take the safety of our animals, staff and visitors very seriously - so while you'll FINALLY get the chance to come and see the fluff butts y'all love so much, there are important changes to our normal operations:

REOPENING Wednesday, June 17th!

HOURS: Wednesdays – Sundays, 2-6pm

TOURS BY RESERVATION ONLY: Book your tour online @muskoxfarm.org or call 907-745-4151

To start, we’ll have limited hours and tours will be by reservation only to help us maintain proper social distancing and allow our staff to thoroughly clean and sanitize between groups.

We have always put the health and safety of our musk oxen above all else as a top priority. Scientists have found that musk oxen have been included on the list of species to be at risk of contracting COVID-19. For that reason and for the health of our human herd we will have safety protocols in place as part of your visit with us.

We also continue to take our health as a staff very seriously. We're dependent on every single one of our permanent staff members to keep our nonprofit functioning during these difficult times. The health of our staff is paramount to the survival of our organization and our herd. A healthy staff = a healthy herd!

If our safety precautions seem like WAY too much to remember, don't fret! We know there's a lot to consider when venturing out these days, and it might seem like a lot. But, we're here to help! You'll be able to find all of this information on our website before your visit, and again when you book your tour with us. It should also be said that our safety protocols and hours of operation are subject to change at any moment due to the fluid nature of the situation. It's always best to check the latest information on our website before you head to the farm. If you have any questions or concerns about your visit - we're just a phone call or email away!

We’d love to see you here at the farm! The herd misses you & those new musk ox calves are just waiting to meet you.

muskoxfarm.org • info@muskoxfarm.org • 907-745-4151

'Peaks & Valleys' Hitting the Big Screen

 
 

Contributed by Michael B. Dillon

(907) 795-2366

moondogmbd@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/peaksandvalleysmovie

‘Peaks & Valleys’ Hits the Big Screen

Local Filmmakers Strike a Deal in the Last Frontier

[Palmer, Alaska June,8] - BurnHouse Pictures and Baird Media are very proud to announce the theatrical release of the much-anticipated Alaskan independent thriller, ‘Peaks & Valleys’. News of the release stems from a rare opportunity offered by Coming Attractions Theatres late last week and will bring the rarely seen film to screens in Wasilla and Kenai on Friday, June 19th, 2020. 

Wrapped in plastic and thrown from a plane into a rural Alaskan lake would usually mean the end of the story. For Bailey, it’s just the beginning. Waking naked, battered and horrifically traumatized, she finds herself trapped in a secluded cabin somewhere in the wilds of Alaska. Her only company, Jack, is a hard-nosed man of few words who makes no question of his desire to be left alone. With winter taking its grip on the surrounding wilderness, Bailey must overcome the aftermath of her ordeal and survive long enough to make it home. With Jack as her only aid, she soon suspects that his secrets were never meant to leave the cabin.

‘Peaks & Valleys’, directed by Michael Burns and written by Michael B. Dillon, features the awe-inspiring performances of Kevin Bennett and Kitty Mahone. Bennett, a veteran character actor with credits including ‘Frozen Ground’, expertly brings the grizzled Jack to life through a true love/hate relationship with the audience. Mahone, best known for her work behind the camera with Chad Carpenter’s ‘Moose’ and ‘Sudsy Slim Rides Again’, offers a riveting performance sure to moisten the driest of eyes in the house.

The filmmakers had been working very hard in securing distribution for the ninety-seven-minute feature earlier this year. Plans were then put on an indeterminate hold following the growing concern of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent closing of theatres nationwide in support of quarantine and social distancing efforts. As tensions are beginning to relax, Coming Attractions Theatres in Alaska opened their doors recently, featuring a slew of theatre favorites in their lineup. With release dates on major films being pushed back to later this summer, a rare opportunity presented itself for ‘Peaks & Valleys’ to be featured as something new for movie goers in this transitional time.

This is very welcome news for director Michael Burns and writer Michael B. Dillon, following an extremely successful World Premier of the film at the Julien Dubuque International Film Festival last April. The pair traveled along with producer Steve Silba and veteran actor Kevin Bennett to attend the premier in Dubuque, IA along the shores of the majestic Mississippi River. What happened next was beyond anything the filmmakers could have expected. The week long event featured 113 films and had never sold out a showing in their 9 year history. ‘Peaks & Valleys’, however, sold out all three of its showings with festival workers scrambling to find more space for an audience eager to see the Alaskan gem.

“It was crazy,” says Dillon. “We showed up for the premier and they told us we were too late. When I started arguing that there was still a half-hour until it was scheduled to start, they told us that it was sold out and there was no room. We had to turn away more people from the premier than were able see it. They had to move the second showing minutes before show time because they had sold out again and the line was still stretching down the stairs and across the lobby. I was in tears watching all of those people so eager to see what we had done.”

The stellar response to the film has also led the duo of Burns and Dillon onward into planning the multimillion dollar feature, ‘Dividends’. Along with Alaskan investors and major players in the motion picture industry, the ambitious Alaskan heist film project gained an enormous amount of steam through the beginning of 2020.

‘Peaks & Valleys’ theatre release also follows the recent completion of a distribution deal for the award winning film, ‘Proper Binge’, another project which Burns and Dillon worked together on. The gritty look at alcoholism against the backdrop of the Last Frontier garnered a slew of awards during its festival tour including Best Actor (Bradford Jackson) at the Beverly Hills International Film Festival and Best Feature at the Twin Tiers Film Festival in New York.

The film is set to be featured at The Valley Cinema in Wasilla and Kenai Cinemas in Kenai on Friday June, 19th. Depending on the success of the screenings, Coming Attractions Theatres has indicated that they would be willing to extend the run and offer the film in other locations as they become available for hosting guests again. The filmmakers remain very optimistic that this will happen and call on the community for help in furthering the success of this amazing film.

“This would never have happened without the stellar community of Alaska,” says Dillon. “We understand that very well and we also understand how that same community can raise this film even higher. ‘Peaks & Valleys’ has been a real labor of love and we are so very proud of what it’s become. So thanks, Alaska...and we’ll see you at the movies!”

More information on ‘Peaks & Valleys’ can be found at https://www.facebook.com/peaksandvalleysmovie

Palmer View From Bugge’s Hill

 
 

Contributed by Richard Estelle

Over the years many photographers have captured the view we consider this month.  This photo was taken from the western side of John Bugge’s homestead, atop “Bugge’s Hill” where the Peak Inn is located today.  Interesting elements made the view popular—the homestead fields and log barn in foreground, the renowned “Matanuska Colony” community buildings in middle ground, and the rugged mountains that anchor the east end of the valley as a backdrop.  Commercial photographers, such as Hewitts of Anchorage, found the image made a popular picture postcard for sale to be mailed to folks “back home” or kept in family collections.

The Museum collection includes numerous photos similar to this one, taken at different times and different seasons over the years from the same viewpoint.  When viewed together, and arranged in the proper sequence, it’s intriguing to see the changes that are evident over time.  In that regard, understanding when things occurred—when buildings were constructed and are evident or missing in a photo, for example—is extraordinarily helpful in understanding when an undated photo was taken. 

We don’t have a precise date for when this month’s image was captured, but we can see several clues.  It’s obvious that summer is well along as snow on the mountains is essentially gone.  The water tower is in place and painted.  It was erected as a pre-fabricated “kit” sent up from the Seattle Boiler Works and welded together by a three-man local crew in summer of 1936.  We can see scaffolding is removed from the school building, indicating that the exterior construction that began in 1935 and extended into 1936 was completed.  The train depot (at center) was constructed in 1936 and appears complete.  The hospital (at right) was dedicated in May, 1937 and appears complete.

At the same time, numerous tents are still visible, left over from the “Tent City” days of the Colonist’s arrival in 1935.   Construction of    Koslosky’s new store, which opened in 1945 is not in evidence.  Nor is the Valley Hotel, constructed throughout 1947 for a dedication opening in 1948.  The hospital burned in spring of 1946.  Given the evidence above, we may assume the photo was taken sometime after 1936, perhaps as early as 1937.

Knowing the dates of when things happened, and relating that information to what appears in a photo, allows us to arrange this month’s image among the two dozen similar views in our collection, placing it sometime between summer of 1937 and spring of 1945.  Future discovery of when things happened (such as when that hump in the “Wasilla Road” at the right of the photo was flattened out), plus dates identified for those other similar photos, may help confirm a more specific date for this image.  By arranging this photo in the proper sequence with others allows us to better visualize how Palmer has changed and grown over the years. 

Alaska’s Budget Deficit Worsened Due to COVID-19: Tax Alaskans or Tighten Our Belts?

 
 

Contributed by Quinn Townsend

Introduction

Across the country, states’ economies and budgets have been hit heavily due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and unfortunately, Alaska is no exception. With high unemployment and much less revenue coming into the state because oil prices hit historic lows, the state’s ongoing budget deficit, as well as the needs of our local communities and businesses, are only growing larger. Other states with deficits far less severe than the one facing Alaska are stepping up to the plate to address COVID-19-related deficits by slashing state expenditures. In Georgia, state agencies were told to cut their budgets for the upcoming year by 14 percent, a total $3.5 billion. The governor ordered state spending to decrease by almost $2 billion in Oregon, an 8.5 percent cut for its two-year budget cycle. In March, the Ohio governor implemented a state government hiring freeze and ordered budget cuts up to 20 percent. Colorado’s governor cut immediate government spending by $228.7 million, although he did not address future spending.

According to a recent report from Moody’s Analytics, Alaska may experience up to an 80 percent reduction in general fund revenues, almost twice as much as any other state in the country. While Alaska could continue to kick the can down the road and keep draining our bank accounts (primarily the Permanent Fund’s Earnings Reserve), the state really has two main choices to respond to this current crisis: cinch our budget belt even tighter like other states are doing, or tax Alaskans in the misguided hope that increasing revenue will save us.

Alaska’s Revenue Situation

The largest funding source for the state budget is the Unrestricted General Fund (UGF). The bulk of revenue in the UGF is from petroleum-based sources. The state’s Spring 2020 Revenue Forecast estimates that for fiscal year 2020, $1.1 billion in revenue will come from petroleum-based sources, while only $0.5 billion will be from non-petroleum-based sources, a total of $1.6 billion. This total is $527 million less than the estimates from fall 2019 and is largely due to lower oil prices. Unfortunately, these estimates from early April are probably quite optimistic, as no one could have predicted that oil prices would plummet so drastically as they did later that same month.

According to the Tax Foundation, taxes levied on the oil industry make up about 81 percent of Alaska’s total revenues. In fact, during the most recent peak in 2012, petroleum-based sources made up $8.86 billion of the then $9.9 billion UGF – a total of 93 percent. This is in stark contrast to the fiscal year 2020 projections, which estimate only $1.1 billion in UGF revenue from petroleum-based sources. Needless to say, Alaska is expecting much less revenue than originally estimated.

Less government revenue is also expected at the local community level. The COVID-19 effects on commercial fishing will likely result in fewer tax receipts for municipalities, and an expected plunge in tourism this summer will mean less revenue collected by way of local sales taxes on tourism-related spending. This has led to an increase in calls for state and federal spending to subsidize communities.

Possible Responses

A knee-jerk reaction to all of this would be to demand that state government spend more to help communities, families, and businesses. With a budget already in deficit, some policymakers will look to implement a statewide personal income tax on Alaskans to allow for that extra spending. Others might suggest drawing more from Alaska’s “savings accounts.” Since the Constitutional Budget Reserve (CBR) is nearly empty, they’ll look to the Earnings Reserve Account (ERA). However, diverting more money from the ERA for government spending is a hot political discussion. Alaska’s state spending is considerably more than its current revenue projections. Continuing, year after year, to expect the state budget to be propped up by our savings accounts may not be the most responsible choice.

The alternative of new taxes is also problematic. Previous studies have shown that specific taxes would harm Alaska’s economy when they were initially proposed, and that has not changed. For example, economists at The Buckeye Institute’s Economic Research Center (ERC) analyzed four different tax proposals the Alaska Legislature discussed in 2019 – all would harm economic growth, meaning people would spend less money in their communities due to the taxes. In addition, they would have led to a decrease in jobs and would not have recovered the revenue necessary to address the budget deficit.

Figure 1 demonstrates how little these four tax proposals (as calculated in 2019) would impact the current budget deficit, based on the ERC’s findings. Even if the state implemented both a three percent sales tax and a progressive income tax (the income tax that would bring in the most revenue, but also cause the most economic harm to individuals and businesses in the state), the revenue obtained would only address less than half of the approximately $1.6 billion budget deficit. These estimates do not reflect revenue that may be transferred from the ERA. That revenue figure will assuredly be intensely debated in the coming legislative session.

Figure 1

New taxes come with new burdens, for both Alaskans and the state, including significant administrative costs associated with setting up new bureaucracies. Additionally, Alaska currently lacks the proper tax base of businesses and wage earners to sustain higher taxes. In its present state, Alaska’s economy is too unstable, its budget too erratic, and its business environment too unpredictable for job creators to seriously consider Alaska and provide the tax base needed for responsible tax increases. With Alaska’s recently slowed economy and higher unemployment, now is not the time to make decisions that fly in the face of facts. Alaska policymakers cannot assume that somehow our state could defy basic economic principles, no matter how independent and unique our state is.

Other policymakers have suggested that federal funding from the Congressional CARES Act could offset some budget cuts that may be necessary due to the pandemic. But federal funding comes with strings attached that often end up being more costly to the state long term. As an example, one hidden provision in the CARES Act could lead to many new Medicaid enrollees and prevents states from removing these enrollees once they go back to work. That would naturally drive up Alaska’s state budget. Funding from the CARES Act can only be spent on pandemic-related costs and does not allow states flexible use of the funding. Expecting federal funding to fill budget gaps simply reduces the incentives to spend state money prudently and incentivizes new areas of spending. Now more than ever, Alaska needs to take drastic steps to decrease its budget and not overspend on the hopes that there will be additional federal funding available in the future.

As difficult as it may be, instead of relying on federal funds or the state’s savings accounts, Alaska should tighten its state budget belt. Alaskans must continue to resist the temptation to introduce or raise taxes that hurt the economy and hinder job creation. The state instead needs to spend prudently, cut spending, and not rely on federal funds for long-term help. But Alaskans are accustomed to making sacrifices and working hard to beat the odds.

As noted earlier, other states have begun the difficult process of cutting state expenditures in response to the economic effects of COVID-19. As the pandemic unfolded, Alaska’s executive administration addressed the need to control spending by temporarily banning out-of-state travel and establishing a hiring freeze for all state employees. While something is better than nothing, the state of Alaska will need to do much more than simply cut back on state employee travel to address the growing budget deficit. For example, while many private sector workers in Alaska have been furloughed during this pandemic, thus seeing a major cut in income, the vast majority of state employees have not been furloughed and will even be receiving their cost-of-living wage increases for the next fiscal year. This is just one example of state government not making sacrifices while many of those working in the private sector are without jobs or working highly reduced hours.

State policymakers should follow the lead of localities such as Juneau, which recently proposed several cuts to their budget, including eliminating some government positions, in response to the economic downturn resulting from the pandemic.

Conclusion

While no one could have predicted the devastating effects of the pandemic this spring, Alaska’s budget deficit is something the state has been dealing with for several years. It is an on-going problem that has been made worse by present circumstances. The question now is, does Alaska implement a harmful personal tax, further burdening hard-hit Alaskans, or does the state tighten its belt and reduce the budget to be reasonable and sustainable.

“COVID-19 disruptions cause 13.1 percent job loss in April,” Newsroom, Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development Office of the Commissioner, published May 22, 2020, https://labor.alaska.gov/news/2020/news20-17.htm.

Tegan Hanlon, “Oil prices fell to a historic low Monday. Here’s what that means for Alaska,” Alaska Public Media, April 20, 2020, https://www.alaskapublic.org/2020/04/20/oil-prices-fell-to-a-historic-low-monday-heres-what-that-means-for-alaska/.

James Salzer, “Georgia agencies told to plan billions in spending cuts due to pandemic,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 1, 2020, https://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/georgia-agencies-told-plan-billions-spending-cuts-due-pandemic/tLrAiX29jBWzIizTLzX8wN/.

Dirk VanderHart, “Gov. Kate Brown Orders Oregon Agencies To Plan Nearly $2 Billion In Spending Cuts,” Oregon Public Broadcasting, April 29, 2020, https://www.opb.org/news/article/kate-brown-oregon-agencies-2-billion-spending-cuts-budget/.

Jeremy Pelzer, “Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine will freeze state government hiring, seek big spending cuts amid coronavirus crisis,” Cleveland.com, March 23, 2020, https://www.cleveland.com/coronavirus/2020/03/ohio-gov-mike-dewine-will-freeze-state-government-hiring-seek-big-spending-cuts.html.

Elise Schmelzer and Sam Tabachnik, “Gov. Jared Polis limits evictions, cuts immediate state spending by $228.7 million,” The Denver Post, May 7, 2020, https://www.denverpost.com/2020/05/01/polis-coronavirus-covid-state-spending/.

Dan White, Sarah Crane, and Colin Seitz, “Stress-Testing States: COVID-19,” Moody Analytics, April 14, 2020, https://www.economy.com/getlocal?q=37F6F320-EF2A-4806-9AAB-EADE66FA0317&app=download.

“Spring 2020 Revenue Forecast,” Alaska Department of Revenue-Tax Division, April 6, 2020, http://www.tax.alaska.gov/programs/documentviewer/viewer.aspx?1583r.

“Crude Oil and Natural Gas Prices,” Alaska Department of Revenue-Tax Division, last modified June 8, 2020, http://www.tax.alaska.gov/programs/oil/dailyoil/dailyoil.aspx.

Ulrik Boesen, “Historic Oil Price Burns Hole in State Budgets,” Tax Foundation, April 24, 2020, https://taxfoundation.org/historic-oil-price-burns-hole-in-state-budgets/.

Jill Burke, “Are You Prepared: Coronavirus and the Alaska Economy,” KTUU, March 7, 2020, https://www.ktuu.com/content/news/Are-You-Prepared-Coronavirus-and-the-Alaska-Economy---568577991.html.

Associated Press, “Alaska Looking for Silver Lining in Expected Tourism Decline,” U.S. News, May 14, 2020, https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/alaska/articles/2020-05-14/alaska-looking-for-silver-lining-in-expected-tourism-decline.

“Constitutional Budget Reserve Fund (CBRF) & Statutory Budget Reserve Fund (SBRF),” Alaska Treasury Division-Accounting Section, last modified July 8, 2019, https://treasury.dor.alaska.gov/Portals/0/docs/gefonsi_cbr_charts/fy2020/01%20Jul%202019.pdf?ver=2019-08-08-125332-043&timestamp=1590606531751.

Rea Hederman, Andrew Kidd, Tyler Shankel, and James Woodward, “Unsustainable Spending: The State of Alaska’s Budget and Economy,” The Buckeye Institute, April 17, 2019, http://alaskapolicyforum.org/2019/04/unsustainable-spending-the-state-of-alaskas-budget-and-economy/.

Becky Bohrer, “Dunleavy Cuts Budget, Says Federal Aid Can Help Offset Brunt,” Associated Press, U.S. News, April 7, 2020, https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/alaska/articles/2020-04-07/dunleavy-cuts-budget-says-federal-aid-can-help-offset-brunt.

Sam Adolphsen, Scott Centorino, and Jonathon Ingram, “How the CARES Act moves America toward Medicaid for All,” Foundation for Government Accountability, April 8, 2020, https://thefga.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/CARES-Act-uses-UI-Medicaid-for-all.pdf.

“Unintended Consequences of the CARES Act,” Alaska Policy Forum, April 27, 2020, https://alaskapolicyforum.org/2020/04/consequences-cares-act/.

Mike Ross, “Governor announces hiring freeze and travel ban for state employees,” KTUU, March 10, 2020, https://www.ktuu.com/content/news/Hiring-freeze--travel-ban-for-state-employees-568657191.html.

“Biennial Budget: Proposed Fiscal Year 2021 & 2022-Year 1 of the FY21/22 Biennial Budget,” p. 5, City and Borough of Juneau Assembly, Submitted April 1, 2020, https://3tb2gc2mxpvu3uwt0l20tbhq-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/FY21-22-Proposed-Budget-3.27.2020.pdf.

Why am I running for State Senate for District D?

 
 

Contributed by Stephen Wright

I’m Stephen Wright and I’m running for State Senate in District D. This is not my first but my third rodeo, you may remember I have ran before for congress and Lt. Governor, but now. I am running for State Senate in District D because I plan to fix what is wrong in our state by helping like minded conservatives restore the Alaska way of Life and protect the PFD. We have a legislature who is beholden to not only the special interest that lobbies against us in Juneau but they have a problem trying to rule over by way of a binding caucus of which my current senator fully subscribes to. We are giving away our representation for minimum benefit for the people at a maximum cost to the private sector. The number one problem in our state, in my opinion, is the PFD theft. It happened when Governor Bill Walker vetoed and cut our PFD more than half in 2016. The following year, Senator Bill Wielechowski filed the lawsuit against him a judge’s ruling that is unfavorable to Alaskans. Cut in half our average earnings were transferred from the PFD Corporation to the earnings reserve and then added to the budget, The PFD then became a political football, now never to be paid through a transfer ever since 2016. Today the budget process is a long drawn-out and expensive process. Sessions now drag on with most legislatures taking Per diems even while on recess costing the state more and more. My current Senator, David Wilson, voted against SB26 on the final draft, but he also voted 8 out of 12 times to allow the bill to pass and move forward as a bogus non factually formula that turns our 10% earnings into a 5% football. The legislature has now taken it upon themselves to divide our earnings in to a market value while holding their programs harmless. This budget limiting technique grows the fund bigger and bigger just to limit or cap our earnings while holding the process harmless without a vote of the people.

AKLEG has withheld our earnings by only distributing a portion of our dividends to fill the budget gap since 2016. SB26 is used to recalculate the dividends by adopting a half market value or a Dividend theft known as (the POMV) instead of the traditional Hammond 50/50, 5 year average formula as it currently is in statutory law. This is a serious crime because they have arbitrarily breached the contract between the government and the people that was written in the state constitution. The legislature should obey the PFD law instead of breaking it. The second area I’m concerned is our private economy. Alaska’s economy has been throttled due to the PFD theft and now COVID-19. We have never regained our footing since billions of dollars were diverted into the reserve earnings account. What we are doing right now is growing government which only further suppress the private sector. We have to grow our private economy or we won’t thrive because only private sector can generate revenue while government sector costs steadily increases. Our state spent 2-3 times more than national average which is costly. Besides, this bloated budget is unsustainable which is going to cause problems in the long run. Without cutting the budget, we are either see more PFD theft or more taxes which is what’s happening right now. We have to stop the overspending which the current legislature isn’t willing to do right now and then invest in and grow our rare earth minerals and develop our natural resources. Finally, as we develop our natural resources of which we are the richest and most vast state in the union. We are blessed with natural resources, we need to develop and manage it so it will bring the prosperity to our state.

Instead of taxing people with PFD cut or raise taxes, why not create jobs and generate revenue through developing natural resources. Our current senator in District D also goes along with their agenda so I have to stand up for District D and say, “Enough is enough!” Hope you can vote for me on August 10-18 so we can take our state back and restore Alaska and our PFD. Remember to vote

Stephen Wright for State Senate this August.

“Portraits of Hope”

 
 

Contributed by Nancy Angelini Crawford

My goal as an artist is to add peace and beauty to our world but I recently began to ask myself am I making a difference? I love landscapes, seascapes and wildlife and there’s nothing wrong with adding beauty and peace to the world through art but here in my studio full of paintings, I still felt an emptiness. That’s where it started. The project I’m working on is called “Portraits of Hope”. It started months ago before the Corona virus was even a word we were familiar with. I decided to contact Michelle Carney Overstreet who began My House. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s a coffee house, boutique and a place to develop healthy relationships for homeless youth in Wasilla. Her project teaches them how to respect and be respected, essentials for holding down a job and that there is hope for, and in, each one of them. I’ve been trying to be involved for years but didn’t find my fit. Finally I reached out to Michelle and asked her about my idea. She loved it and I am so thankful to be a helping part now.

I started my project by sitting with clients one on one. I would listen to their stories, where they came from, where they are now and what they look forward to in their future. Since Covid, I’ve had to change the way I do this. We’ve used Facebook and phone calls and shared photos. I’ve even painted from photos and a phone call to paint a portrait of a young woman in Kodiak. This young lady has experienced more hardship than most do in a lifetime but she was one of the most positive and hopeful people I’ve ever talked to. I want these portraits to be more than skin deep. They all have a story. The beautiful thing is now they can see a positive future; they have hopes and dreams that are attainable. The most common thread was how they all felt like My House changed their life and how Michelle and the staff have become like family. I want them to know that if painted portraits are primarily for the elite, then they belong. My goal is to paint between 15 and 20 portraits of people who have passed through or been connected with My House. When they are completed they’ll be auctioned off. There will be an alternative option for the winning bidder so the model can receive their portrait. “Beauty from Ashes”, Hope Forward, is my centerpiece painting for the show. My plan is to do an auction by the end of summer. A large portion of the proceeds will go to My House.

Be watching for this and give generously in your ability, whether in time or finances to either bid on these portraits or volunteer your gifts for a better tomorrow. I think we can all use a little extra hope today. To see the portraits completed so far visit my website at www.AngeliniStudio.com and…. Keep your eyes open for the date and place!

New Cannabis Shop Ready Despite Competition

 
 

Contributed by Michael Cansalo

Growing as fast as the dandelions on the side of the highway, cannabis shops are popping up everywhere in the Matanuska Valley. A new and “budding” industry, cannabis is forecasted to sell over $119 million, statewide, in 2020. However, high taxes, stiff competition, and ever changing laws and policies make navigating these businesses a tall order.

Despite the challenges, many are excited about chasing the American dream, and owning a business, in this beautiful state, in the greatest country in the world. Chad Ragsdale, manager and an owner of Matanuska Cannabis Co in the Buttte, and now Owner of MCC Flight, is one of those people. Bringing cannabis flower, concentrates, edibles, and CBD to Wasilla, MCC Flight will be a cozy, express location directly behind the Denali Harley Davidson,  on Blue Lupine Rd. The shop rests on an old air strip that existed years ago in Wasilla, and Chad decided to carry on the tradition of flight in the shops decor and art.

MCC Flight expects to open in July and will be open 7 days a week to provide those commuting home, tourists, and other visitors with the best prices and inventory available, in cannabis. The Grand opening will offer discounts and prizes like a 50” Samsung Smart TV! More can be found by following their Facebook or Instagram page. MCC Flight is grateful to be a part of this wonderful community and appreciates you shopping local!

A Consistent Conservative has Stepped Up!

 
 

Contributed by Elsie O’Bryan

We all have our opinions about the way things are going in our local, state and national governments. We freely express our opinions to friends and associates.

But, most of us just stop there. We air our thoughts and frustrations then go right back to life as usual.

Thankfully, Loy Thurman “Santa” of Big Lake, has made the very difficult decision to stop only talking and to step up to the plate by filing his candidacy for Senate Seat D.

I have known Loy for nearly 10 years and have come to appreciate his willingness to listen to differing opinions, carefully considering their validity and drawing his own conclusions. One of his sayings is “I’m listening…convince me”. He sincerely takes the differing arguments into serious consideration and has been known to change his position---if the opposing arguments make sense.

Yet, there are many things he does not waver on:

 He is the one true conservative in the race

 He is a fiscal conservative with his own money and I believe we can trust him to do the same for us. You won’t see a lot of slick advertising from Loy. He will use the funds his supporters share with him very carefully. He will be relying a lot on word of mouth to get his message out. Yet, there are expenses that can’t be avoided, and he will appreciate any financial help afforded him. After all, he has many opponents in the August 18 Primary and many of them are well-funded.

 He is an avid PFD activist who firmly believes it’s OUR money!

 He believes strongly that a smaller government is essential. He understands that we all have our pet programs or projects and we will always push to cut someone else’s while funding ours. I believe Loy will give a good hard look at ALL programs.

 He strongly supports the 2nd Amendment of the right to bear arms. We’ve seen in recent days the attempts of some cities to defund entire police departments. Loy is a former U.S. Marine who pledged to defend his Country, and that pledge has no expiration date!

 Loy is adamantly opposed to the “binding caucus” in the Legislature. You might ask, “what’s that?” Although the following quote pertained to the U.S .Congress, the same process is in effect in the Alaskan Legislature:

o The caucus is composed of all members of the majority party in the Senate. For the election of caucus officers and for the nomination of candidates for house officers, a majority of those voting binds the entire caucus; on questions of policy! So, what does this mean? In short, it’s a power trade!

 In return for supporting a person for the position of Senate

President, the would-be President promises Senators plum appointments to committees, extra staffing, bigger offices, etc.

 The trade off is the Senator receiving those favors and appointments promises to vote with the majority of the caucus---- regardless of their personal convictions and conscience!

 The consequences of non-compliance is getting relieved of Committee assignments, banishment to smaller offices, reassignment of seats on the Senate floor and loss of staff (sound like middle school yet?)

Although a novice at running for and holding political office, Loy is not a novice in politics:

· He has been active in the Republican party for decades, most recently as Chairman of District 8 (he had to resign when he filed for the Senate seat).

· He has met with Governor Dunleavy and given a presentation about the dangers of electronic voting machines and electronic vote counting. (They are extremely vulnerable to manipulation and shifting votes to candidates other than intended by the voter).

· He has also been very actively involved with the group fighting for a full PFD.

On the personal level, Loy is the father of two sons (both Eagle Scouts). Loyal is the founder of a nationwide ministry to troubled youth, based in Jacksonville, Florida. and Gideon is a Captain in the Louisville, Kentucky Fire Department. Loy has eight grandchildren.

As mentioned earlier, Loy is a Veteran. During the Viet Nam crisis, he was an Officer in U.S. Marine Corps, Advanced Jet Instructor for the U.S. Navy Training Command

He is a retired pilot: of: J-3 Cub, TA-4J, OV10A, B-727, DC-8 , B-747

And, currently each December 24, he is on active duty as Christmas Sleigh Chief Pilot. (Loy is also a professional Santa).

Loy is a long-time volunteer for the Christmas Friendship Dinner, currently serving on the Steering Committee.

Loy is active in at Big Lake Baptist Church through music and teaching (men’s SS).

One of his hobbies is playing a “bull fiddle“ and singing (Bluegrass /Christian).

As in any campaign, he would appreciate financial support. For more information on donation options, e-mail him at: 76patriot@protonmail.com or call 892-2244.

REFLECTIONS UPON SEEING A CHILDS PINK GROCERY CART

 
 

Contributed by Marilyn Bennett

The bottom of the hill

Our Street comes to an end

A trail runs through the woods

A shortcut to the school

Our lot adjoins the woods

My gardens at it's edge

It's wet as wet can be

From runoff down the hill

But on a day in March

Trash joined my flower bed

That day the wind waxed fierce

Came whipping down our street

When finally things calmed down

I went out to the trail

Was shocked, amazed and jarred

At what that wind had wrought

Amid the sundry trash

A tiny grocery cart

All faded pink and blue

Was sitting there alone

A child could love this cart

Or did some time ago

Who cares that now it's gone?

It IS Just last year's toy

It rolled down to this place

Street ends and Trail begins

I'll let it sit and wait

Perhaps the child will come

Then April comes and goes

The kids walk by the cart

But no one claims this toy

It makes me really sad

I see a man and child

Come down the street to look

But he said do not touch

Who knows who touched it last?

We live in fear today

Of other people's things

And tell our three year olds

What toys they should not touch

But I just hope that soon

The child who lost this cart

Will see it sitting here

And push it proudly home

This cart all pink and blue

Is meant to give one joy

But here it sits alone

So very out of place

So sad to see it here

While no one mourns it's loss

Now May has come and gone

The snow has turned to slush

The little cart still waits

June comes and I might take

That little cart to place

Within my flower bed

I'd fill the basket full

With dirt and flower seeds

And watch them as they grow

To flowers pink and blue

Then will this little cart

Look happy in my yard

Because I took it home

And Gave It LOVE Again

Meet Bella

 
 

Contributed by Angie Lewis

“That’s the last straw!”  These are the words that Bella has heard countless times.  Bella has tried so hard to show her family that she loves them more than anything else in the world.  Sometimes love is not enough.  Perhaps, she loves them too much.  Her family simple does not have enough time to give her the exercise and attention that she needs.  Weimaraners are very high energy dogs who require a great deal of exercise and mental stimulation. Bella is not getting even close to enough of either.  So, she has become destructive when she is alone – in a crate or left loose.  She cannot deal with being left without her humans.  At this point, her family has lost all patience with this loving girl and is ready to euthanize her.  Please, consider either adopting or fostering Bella. She will need a family that is able to spend a great deal of time with her and provide her with the exercise she desperately needs.  She is a purebred, who is spayed, microchipped, and vaccinated.  Please help save Bella’s life.

To talk more about this girl call Angie at Alaska Animal Advocates at 841-3173 or email akaarescue@hotmail.com

Riding in the Car With Your Dog

 
 

Contributed by Angie Lewis

Dogs either seem to love to ride in a car or they hate it passionately. Nothing in between. For those dogs who love car rides, they can often express their excitement in a less than safe manner.  If your pooch is unrestrained, he can become so excited by being in your car, that he paces back and forth, howling the song of the wild wolf all the while. This behavior can prove to be very distracting to the driver. To combat this behavior, take different routes to his favorite places, such as dog parks, trails or camping sites.  Dogs are very smart and will often recognize the direction in which you are heading. Take your dog with you more frequently, especially for short errands, thereby confusing your dog’s knowledge of your destination. 

Sometimes a dog will be fearful of car rides and demonstrates this fear by refusing to get in the car, drooling excessively, panting, yawning, whining, or shaking. If your dog really becomes upset, he may vomit or have diarrhea.  You can make a car ride more pleasant for a dog by exposing him to being in a car from puppyhood on – have your dog become accustomed to being in a vehicle.  Make car rides more fun by having frequent stops. Often, the only time a dog is in a car is when he is going to a vet or a boarding facility.  Make sure your pooch goes to a variety of enjoyable places.  That will help to remove any negative connotations that he might have with riding in a car.  Once you arrive at your destination, have short play sessions or walk your dog briefly. If possible, bring along a friend who can help your dog to relax while you are driving.  Use the same strategies for the ride home and then have another fun play session before rest time.

Some good advice for car rides with your dog are as follows:

Anxiety often leads to car sickness so make sure your dog’s stomach is empty or just allow for him to have a small amount of treats.

Create a safe space for your dog inside your car – this may be a crate.  The crate can be placed in the back of the vehicle or on the back seat, depending on size restraints.

Be sure to use a safety restraint, but make certain that it has been crash-test certified.

If your dog becomes nauseous frequently, cover the crate with a dark blanket and use a lavender oil to help deal with nausea.  Spray it around the car

If your dog’s fears of riding in a vehicle are extreme, consider using the help of a positive dog trainer to try and determine the cause of these fears.  Remember that this is probably not going to be a quick fix and will take time to be successful.  Now go for a ride with your pooch!

President of Alaska Animal Advocates

Palmer

Get Out There!

 
 

Contributed by Paul Mitchell Johnson

If you didn’t get out and about on Memorial Day Weekend, you missed it! Even as far North as the Susitna River, above Talkeetna, there were hundreds and hundreds of Alaskans enjoying Alaska to themselves. Denali National Park is open to personal vehicles, nearly 30 miles in, no permit required. Watch your speed though; the speed limits are strictly enforced within the Park. Better a mile per hour under than a MPH over, a word to the wise. The road has been intentionally wash boarded to keep the speeds down too, so be prepared for some rattling and jarring. Still, this is an opportunity of a lifetime, since this has not been allowed since the very early 1990s. The bears are out, the Caribou are out and we even saw a rather grizzly, pardon the pun, encounter between the two. Alaska at its finest! The weather wasn’t all that great but you should have seen the mile wide smiles on everybody’s faces, regardless. I swelled with pride knowing this was exactly what I had in mind when I wrote “Letter to Governor Dunleavy” two months ago, Alaska for Alaskans! There were very few people wearing masks but most were practicing social distancing fairly well and I’ve never seen a cleaner bunch of Alaskans. Almost everyone appeared to have just showered and were well groomed. Way to go on the personal hygiene folks! Keep it up. I believe that if we keep up with those two things, and don’t invite the Wuhan Corona Virus back into Alaska through tourists and outside fishery workers, we have this deadly Virus beat, here in Alaska.

That brings me to something that wasn’t so attractive, all of “the right side of the Parks Hwy.”  is closed. That’s where all of the Princess & Holland America Lodges are. Since they couldn’t rail road the Governor into letting them stuff  THEIR world wide clients onto THEIR train cars and shuffle them off to THEIR lodges, screw you all. We’re not going to open up just for the locals. Therein lays the problem with the State’s “relationship” with them. One, I believe, deserves some serious scrutiny. The only way they were able to build those grand lodges on the most prime property in the area, was with the blessing of the State. You or I couldn’t have been able to purchase that land for any amount of money. But they dangled the tourist dollars and fell right into it. Now comes the time no one could foresee, when Alaska had to close its doors to outsiders, Did the tour companies understand? No, they just pulled the plug on all of their operations across the State, leaving the locals with no opportunity to enjoy their facilities, most of us for the very first time.

That’s only the tip of the proverbial ice berg though. Those closures have had a devastating effect on the local economies through lost local revenue, lost local hire, by the hundreds and lost local Artisan incomes & shop spaces. The local food suppliers, utilities and fuel suppliers are out of luck for their revenue too. And the State isn’t getting their cut of those tourist dollars either. So why should Alaska give them the sweetheart deals we have for all these years? We shouldn’t, at least without some guarantees. Alaska has always been a trusting, almost naïve place and that’s how we get taken advantage of so often (i.e.: Oil Companies, the pipeline, Exxon, etc.). This has got to change! Please lobby the Governor and your local representatives to re-examine the State’s arrangements with the international tour groups. If they don’t want to play the game the way Alaska wants to play it, we should buy them out. We should probably buy them out anyway, or terminate their leases. Something has to be done so this never happens again; Alaska is not the mattress back to the rest of the world. We live here because we’re damn proud of the product we have to offer. The thing is, it’s OUR product and we shouldn’t diminish its value for the benefit of outsiders of any kind.

A Cultural Commentary on Corona Phenomena

 
 

Not long ago, before the Corona moon’s shadow eclipsed the sun of climate change theory, people all around the world used to be worried that we were all going to die from the rising sea level. 

Back in year 1999, when the Prince was with us to party like 1999, there were obscure religious groups in South Korea who thought that the world would end, and a savior would come rescue them from this miserable world of pain and suffering.  When it didn’t happen, they were disappointed.  It isn’t just Korea.  And it isn’t just occult religious groups.  Today, here in America, in mainstream secular sectors, we see the pattern repeating itself: yes, the doomsday prophecy.  They did it with climate change theory, and they’re doing it again with Corona virus theory.  So, the question is, why do we repeat this? 

There are several ways to analyze this.  First, perhaps escapism.  People watch horror flicks, they read crime novels, they go to amusement park to ride on a rollercoaster, or to a theme park to go up and high on a Ferris Wheel.  Those are simulated dangers, virtual risk-talkings.  Why do we do those?  The thrill.  The juxtaposition of perceived danger and the comfortable knowledge that we are safe under the shoulder harness and seatbelts. 

Another way to look at this Corona phenomena is that, perhaps, people want some paid vacation at home.  For weeks.  For months even.  While they are at home, perhaps they are enjoying all this, like, a reality TV show, a drama, a rollercoaster ride, unfolding with accelerating speed and sometimes slowly climbing toward the climax.  The best part, we have cellphones now.  The world of internet in one’s hand.  Like a window in your house through which you can watch an apocalyptic movie where everything is tumbling down to an end.

Of course, the measures and policies that politicians and statesmen and stateswomen came up with for us, perchance they are doing the right thing.  After all, numbers don’t lie.  While 0.1% of people with common flu pass away, 2% of people with Corona virus pass away.  The fatality rate is 20 times higher, and yes, that does scare us a little bit.  But, having said that, if I were a politician, I would have done it differently.  Let us fantasize a little.  Well, let us fantasize a lot.  We’re all at home, right?  What’s wrong with some afternoon daydreaming?

Let’s say, you are the President of the United States.  How would you have dealt with Corona virus differently?  Or would you have done the same thing that they did, like, home sheltering, stop working, social distancing, hand washing, self-quarantining, etc., etc.?  If you ask me kindly, here is what I would have done as a Mr. Potus.

I’d take the opportunity to share with the rest of the world, some lessons I learned and gleaned from schools in Korea and in America.  How about biology?  Like, how immune system responds to pathogens, how our bodies produce antibodies, how an antibody protein complex samples viral protein and molds itself around it, wraps it up and disposes of it, learns to recognize pathogenous particles.  Then the antibody, by now having learned about the new viral surface proteins, multiplies exponentially so that the army of antibodies fights back and the disease is gone. 

See, people fear the unknown.  They once used to say, knowledge is power.  A corollary is, lack of knowledge is fear.  That is how homophobia started, xenophobia still ongoing, then fear of climate change, now the fear of Corona virus.  This Corona thing, it’s more of a pandemic of germaphobia.  But if you understand how our body works, if you have paid more attention in your high school biology classes, if not, if you go learn in your cellphone internet more about immune system mechanism, ladies and gentlemen, you will stop being afraid.

A human body works like a machine, like a house, like a society.  We have arteries and veins, machines have wires and pipes, a house have ducts and cords, nations have roads and TV channels.  It’s about flow of blood, fuel, electricity, money, information, and knowledge.  We pave the roads with asphalt so that the roads have less resistance against the flow of traffic.  We flush out pipes so that water can flow more efficiently without clogging or reverse-flooding in our toilets.  Our bodies work the same way.   

It is important that we wash our bodies at least five times a week, the working days, via bath or shower.  But, washing inside of your body is equally important.  The best way to do so is to do the cardio exercises like running, swimming, or biking.  Then, blood will pump in nutrients and oxygens to your cells and wash away the wastes from your body.    

So yes.  The message is this.  Heathy diet, regular exercise, personal hygiene.  Then your body will be efficient, your immune system strong, and you will be healthy, pretty, and happy.  God bless and be safe //:-)