Rural Update – Hope Truck Heads for Eagle!
Here is a great way for Alaskans on the road system to give a hand in a time of need. The folks out in Eagle are trying to assess the horrendous flood damage, save what they can, and rebuild the rest by fall. Anyone who lives here knows that the construction season is short, and that every hour of summer daylight is precious. It will take all they’ve got to have winter ready places to live by the time the snow flies. We know from Mudflatter yukonbushgrma who lives in Eagle that tools, clothing, dogfood and other supplies are needed by…
Alaska’s Deadliest Match – Fish and Pebble Mine
Captain Sig Hansen, well known for his featured status on the cable show Deadliest Catch has used his political capital, as it were, to speak out against the proposed Pebble Mine Project. It’s unusual for a “Deadliest Catch” crew member to take a hard stance in a big Alaska resource battle like Pebble. Hansen, who lives in Seattle, said he usually shies away from requests to get involved in anything political. Because Hansen exploits crab stocks and other Alaska fisheries, he said, he can’t be opposed to all resource development. “I’m not your typical greenie,” Hansen said. [snip] He’s persuaded…
Tuesday Catch Up – Down With Nukes, Bedbugs and Flaming Hyperbolic Outrage.
It’s Not Just You Many Alaskans are wondering how on earth they could have voted for Sarah Palin the first time. Don’t feel bad. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin can thank Washington lobbyist and political consultant Rick Davis, chief executive officer of John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign, for being the ultimate pick to become the Republican vice presidential candidate. “It was all his doing. He was completely snowed by Palin,” a source close to Mr. McCain confided to this columnist over the weekend. “He was totally taken by her.” See, it can happen to anyone. Don’t Let the Bedbugs Bite The…
Jefferson Jackson Democratic Party Dinner
Just got back from a lovely evening in the Dena’ina Convention Center, where Alaska Democrats gathered together for a fundraiser/celebration dinner. During the evening, I thought back many times to my infiltration of the Republican party’s counterpart event, the Lincoln Day Dinner back in March. There were some interesting comparisons, one being that the dinner tonight left me feeling happy, instead of nauseous and depressed. The Hallway: Lincoln Day Dinner: There were many tables set up handing out literature on anti-abortion issues, the Father/Daughter Purity Ball encouraging abstinence until marriage, and a laptop with the home page of The Alaska Standard…
Coast Guard Intrigue.
There are frustratingly few details on the story that broke today about Coast Guard Captain Mark Hamilton. The Anchorage Sector Commander was abruptly relieved of duty yesterday morning for “alleged misconduct and loss of confidence in the officer’s ability to command,” according to the press release issued by the Coast Guard. Reached Monday night, [Rear Admiral Arthur C.] Brooks said the investigation of Hamilton, who held the third-highest billet in the state, has been going for about a month and is likely to continue for another month or two. The investigation, conducted by the Coast Guard Investigative Service, has produced…
50 Year Anniversary for Alaska, and for a Great Alaskan.
I wanted to share an occasion of great celebration I attended on Friday night. Helen Nienhueser had a gathering of family and friends to celebrate her 50 years in Alaska, as Alaska itself celebrates its 50th Anniversary. Helen is an absolutely remarkable woman who I am pleased to call a friend. She is one of those people about whom you keep discovering new things. You’ll never hear it from her, but every time I talk to someone else about Helen, I find myself saying, “Are you kidding? I didn’t know she did that!” After a while it became almost comical. I’ll try to share some…
Two Candidates and the Bridge to Debt.
I popped in to see the mayoral candidates forum hosted by the AARP at Central Middle School last night. Each candidate has made his views known, and has honed their answers to most of the questions by now. These two have been seeing a lot of each other lately. So, I’ll just note a few things that popped out at me. Both candidates look a bit tired. Eric Croft, who is usually 1000 watts of raw enthusiasm was only about 993 watts of raw enthusiasm, and Dan Sullivan looked even mopier than usual. He’s OK when he speaks, but then…
Ballast and BS, Brought to You By Chevron.
It’s Earth Day, and according to the latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey, only 31% of American adults believe their fellow countrymen are environmentally aware. Sounds about right. Fifty-seven percent (57%) of Americans rate Earth Day as at least somewhat important, including 28% for whom it is Very Important. Yet while most Americans value Earth Day, just 21% plan to do something special to celebrate Earth Day. I am among the 21%. I am going to celebrate Earth Day by talking about … water ballast in oil tanks! You just knew I couldn’t let Earth Day pass without talking about Drift…