Open Thread: LKB’s Easter Fare
I hope all of you had a wonderful Easter, Passover or whatever spring holiday you celebrate! We had a wonderful family Easter Sunday dinner (“dinner” in the Mid-western sense of the word…1:00 pm) and I took a few photographs to share with you all: This is my version of a caprese salad that I made for the dinner. It’s sliced fresh Mozzarella, tomatoes and Basil leaves in Balsamic vinegarette on a bed of spinach and spring greens surrounded by fresh asparagus and different varieties of olives. Here’s a yummy fruit salad made by my sis-in-law. Here’s my plate of food,…
Open Thread: Assembly Changes
I attended the first meeting of the new 2011 Anchorage Assembly, which also was (sadly) a farewell and passing of the baton by Eastside’s Mike Guttierez to the election winner, Adam Trombley. The main purpose of the meeting was to certify the most recent Municipal Election, to swear in the returning Assembly and the one new member, and to establish the Assembly leadership. I wrote a post about the insane faux-controversy over Chairman Dick Traini’s speech at the April 4th We Are One Rally. Unfortunately, the results didn’t go our way. However, the overall tone of the meeting was relatively…
Once Again, the Assembly is Sullied by Dan
Back when the Anchorage Assembly Chair was Dan Sullivan, he presided over a “meeting-before-the-meeting” of the Assembly. This is a meeting they have before their regular Tuesday Assembly meeting to basically get the organizational flotsam and jetsam out of the way…present amendments, new ordinances, etc…so that time isn’t eaten up on Tuesdays with “making the sausage.” Though the “open meeting laws” in Alaska ensure that anyone can sit in on these, at this particular meeting more members of the public were present than usual. You see, the debate over the ordinance that would halt smoking in the hospitality workplaces was…
IMPORTANT: TODAY — Redistricting Plan Public Testimony in Anchorage!
Redistricting is going on across the country as a result of the 2010 Census. It is the single most important political event happening this year because these are the districts we’ll all be voting in for the next 10 years. Lucky us…the way that Alaska’s Board selection is set up gave us 4 Republicans out of 5 members this time! So, you can imagine how some of the proposed districts look. Example: in Board Option 2, Sen. Wielechowski’s District J moves from Muldoon, Mountain View and Wonder Park (traditionally more Progressive areas) farther north to the military base and Eagle…
We haven’t heard much about Palin’s Wisconsin Visit — Here’s Why
In the Palinista blogosphere, there was much hullaballoo leading up to Sarah Palin’s day-after-tax-day speech at a American’s For Prosperity (Koch Brothers) rally in Madison, Wisconsin. The April 16th event was billed by her supporters as “history in the making,” “courageous,” “this will be one for the books.” One commenter talked about needing “overpowering numbers” so that “the union boys just fold their tents and go home.” Reality? Not so much… Per the non-partisan PR Watch: THE BADGERS DROWN OUT THE MAMA GRIZZLIES The wet snow and tense atmosphere did not deter thousands of people from coming to the capitol…
Open Thread: What a 9.0 Earthquake Sounded Like in Alaska plus a Friday Summary of Events
National Oceanic and Aeronautics Organization (NOAA) does regular scientific research all over Alaska but especially in the wildlife and Arctic areas. They frequently use sophisticated underwater recording equipment to gather information on marine mammals: However, on March 11, 2011 off of the coast of the Aleutian Islands, they happened to catch the sound of something very different…the 9.0 Japanese earthquake. The sound underwater was absolutely facinating while at the same time it gave me goosebumps. It’s amazing to me how clearly it can be heard, though I have occasionally heard a rumble or kind of rushing sound just preceding several…
Where is the Knik Arm Bridge REALLY Going?
Remember the “Bridge to Nowhere?” Remember the project that was possibly the single biggest contributor to the tainting of the word “earmarks?” That famous title was actually a misnomer. It referred to two Alaska bridges, both funded through the same “earmark” at the time. The actual “Bridge to Nowhere” referred to the Gravina Island Bridge, which was a link from Ketchikan to the island that holds its airport. This was only accessible by ferry and small plane and when hundreds of thousands of visitors pour into Southeast Alaska during the summers, it becomes a problem. This was also the bridge…
Muni Fees May Force School District Cuts *UPDATE*
My now-13-year-old daughter expressed a great deal of angst this past summer over attending middle school in a different school zone. She can be somewhat shy so my husband and I were a little concerned. As it turns out, my daughter is excelling in seventh grade! She has been on the honor roll both quarters, she’s in several accelerated classes, she’s doing really well as a clarinet player in the band (she has a solo in an upcoming performance) and she’s made some friends in the new school while still keeping up with her old friends. My husband and I…
We have it on good authority from Brian…
…that AKM may be on her way home to us as we speak! Here’s your opportunity to welcome her back so she has a thread full of messages from well-wishers as soon as she looks at the blog! I know I can speak for Shannyn when I say both of us missed her terribly! WELCOME HOME, JEANNE!
Open Thread — Frozen Beauty
Anchorage has been exceptionally beautiful this last week as the frost makes the mundane look magnificent! Surprisingly, it hasn’t been too cold (about 20 degrees) so I walked around my yard yesterday in the bright sunshine and took pictures of various plants. This is one of my Alaska Hardy rose bushes looking almost gem-encrusted! Good news…I got some of my seed catalogs in the mail! Now y’all know what I’ll be doing this weekend!