(Updated) Costello’s Residency in Question
In a joint, bipartisan press conference called this morning, challengers in House District 20, raised questions about the residency of incumbent Repubican Mia Costello. Michelle Scannell (D) and Tamara Von Gemmingen (R) said they both came to the independent conclusion, as they canvassed the neighborhood, that Costello did not in fact live in the house she claimed as her residence in the district when she filed for reelection. ~Mia Costello’s alleged residence on Yukon Drive in District 20 So, where is she? Her two challengers say her car is frequently spotted at another residence she owns at 2100 Esquire, which…
Audit Committee To Discuss ABT Tax Report
On Sunday, July 15th, the Anchorage Daily News ran a comprehensive story by Richard Mauer. It discussed a determination made by municipal tax assessor Marty McGee regarding accusations that the Anchorage Baptist Temple had violated the law relating to specific tax-exempt properties belonging to the church. Mel Green at Bent Alaska gives us some background: “The issue was first reported in a story broken by Bent Alaska on August 29, 2011, based on court documents in the divorce trial of ABT pastor Jerry Prevo’s son Allen Prevo and Holly Jo Jaggers (who returned to her maiden name after the divorce),…
Kenai River Bear Cub Rescue!
Three Soldotna fishermen on the Kenai River had an unexpected heart-pounding adventure last weekend that didn’t involve fish. Mike Polocz of Soldotna (owner of Alaska’s H2O Pros), his son Dustin, and Charles Mettile came upon a bear cub struggling in the river, exhausted and almost drowned. The mother bear was on land nearby, but the three fishermen decided they couldn’t just watch the little guy drown, so they set to work to try to push the cub out of the eddy in which it was trapped, and safely to the waiting paws of mother bear. Much of the event was…
Palin Proves Cheney’s “Mistake” Comment
Sarah Palin has responded to former Vice President Dick Cheney’s assertion that John McCain made a “mistake” by selecting her as his running mate in 2012. In an interview with Greta Van Susteren, Palin had this to say, thereby validating Mr. Cheney’s point, and proving the veracity of that old adage – “Better to be silent and thought a “mistake” than to speak and remove all doubt.” …or something like that. “Well, seeing’s how Dick — excuse me, Vice President uh Cheney — never misfires, (enormous eye roll) then evidently he’s quite convinced that what he had uh evidently read…
Flaks, Facts & Intelligent Debate: Health Care in Alaska
Back on July 21, 2012, Shannyn Moore wrote a heartfelt essay on the State of Alaska’s reported consideration of the idea of sending some state-insured retirees outside for medical treatment. Moore is her mother’s primary support. That support would be missing, Moore pointed out, if her mother had to go Outside for treatment. In an attempted response, Commissioner Becky Hultberg of the Alaska Department of Administration wrote a Compass piece for the Daily News. Well, she is supposed to have written it. We’ll have to hope it was her press aide, who has since been disciplined. Because as a response…
Pioneering Alaska Philanthropist Dies at 101
Sad news today from the Rasmuson Foundation. Mary Louise Milligan Rasmuson, social catalyst and one of Alaska’s most important philanthropists, died yesterday at her home in Anchorage. Mrs. Rasmuson spent her life breaking barriers, challenging conventions, and seeking to improve opportunities for those around her. She was a trailblazer for women and left her mark across the country and the state of Alaska through her leadership, philanthropy, and the family foundation that she helped lead with her late husband Elmer. ~With Eleanor Roosevelt Selected from the initial pool of 30,000 applicants for the new Women’s Army Corp (WAC), she rose…
Palin Hurls Self Into Spotlight. Again.
First I wrote about her to inform people. Then I wrote about her because she was a hilarious political train wreck. Then I wrote about her because she annoyed me. Then I started writing about her because she really made me mad. Then I ignored her. All of these actions shared the same unfortunate result. She did not go away. Well, she went away from Alaska, this is true. She said she did it for us. She’d be better able to work for Alaska from Outside, she said. Maybe while she’s out there, she can also find the “real killers.”…
Solidarity Picnic Photo Album!
Yesterday, labor leaders of all stripes, and the middle class who loves them joined together in solidarity on the Park Strip in downtown Anchorage. It couldn’t have been a nicer day – sunshine, gentle breeze, none of that wet stuff falling from the sky. Hundreds of people and their families were there. Candidates, and elected officials milled about – all there to show their support for the middle class. Alaska has the second-highest union density of any state (New York is first), so Alaskans understand the importance of organized labor and how it improves the quality of life for all…
Alaska for Sale
~State Senator Lesil McGuire You know how some things that are technically legal still smell funny? Well, there’s something in the air right now. This week, Sen. Lesil McGuire glowed as she introduced the newly formed “magical challenger slush fund” for Gov. Sean Parnell at the Petroleum Club. Her word-salad about being a backbone herself for the Republican Party, and the Senate bipartisan working group needing more GOP in it, was, well, Palinesque. As someone who supports the “grown-ups” in Juneau, it was disappointing to see Sen. McGuire show up with her hand out to a governor whose oil tax…
In My Alaska Garden: Eating Locally
There is no getting around it…Southcentral Alaska’s flora of both the edible and decorative variety is late this summer. My lilacs, though lovely this year, were about three weeks to a month later than usual. Many other folks made the same comment about the famous Anchorage downtown lilacs as well as the beautiful blooming apple and crabapple trees. Today, I received an interesting report. My friends went to their favorite Salmonberry-picking spot this weekend, the same time they do every year. (I cannot reveal the location upon threat of murder.) They were dismayed to discover that the plants are just…