Make A Scene Magazine October 2014

MAGAZINE

PAGE 2

Camp P.E.E.K. PLAY, EXCERSISE, AND EXPLORATION FOR KIDS

PHYSICAL / ATHLETIC ACTIVITIES

BASKETBALL SKILLS • SOCCER SKILLS • TEAM WORK • RUNNING

ENRICHING ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES

Dog Adoption

Meet CavvY

www. MAKEASCENEAK .com

READING • WRITING • ART • PUZZLES • GAMES Dates: October 30 & 31, 2014 For Ages: Kindergarten to 4th Grade Drop Off Time: 7:30am ~ 8:00am Pick Up Time: 3:30am ~ 4:00pm Costs: $30/day

DAY CAmP FOR KINDERgARTEN - 4TH gRADE

DURINg SCHOOL IN-SERvICE DAYS AND SCHOOL BREAKS!

ENROLL YOUR CHILD NOW! To regisTer conTacT The aT&T sporTs cenTer 7go-pLaY (746-7529)

www.attsportscenter.com

Contributed by Angie Lewis, President of Alaska Animal Advocates.

Cavvy is a very special girl, who has been isolated from people and is therefore quite timed.

OCT 2014

She needs to know that her new family will be patient with her and help her to become part of the pack. Cavvy has recently learned to play with other dogs and is already a happier dog.

Every day Cavvy becomes more comfortable with the world around her.

Please, be the family that shows her that she is worth the effort.

> If interested in Cavvy, please email rescueadogtoday@gmail.com for an application.

PAGE 3

Pets & Animals

Microchip Your Pet Contributed by Angie Lewis

The American Humane Association reports that over 10 million dogs and cats are either lost or stolen in the United States each year.

Microchipping your pet can dramatically increase the odds that you and your animal friend will be reunited.

Microchips are designed to last for the lifetime of your pet. Rarely, microchips have been known to fall out or migrate to a different location on the animal’s body.

It is vital that you register your dog’s microchip information with the company manufacturing the chip. If you neglect to do this, your pet’s information will not be available to the microchip company and therefore he/she will not be able to be traced back to you.

Certainly being a responsible pet guardian is the best thing you can do to protect your pet. Keep identification tags current because not every person finding your pet will be willing to go through the trouble of taking your animal to be scanned.

Trust the pack and ship experts.

animals roam free.

Registered microchips

PRS EC U.S. P

P

EDDM

and ship experts.

You can count on our Certified Packing Experts to take extra care of every package — in all shapes and sizes.

Plus, we offer: banners, signage and more—bring • Posters, A variety of affordable UPS your print jobs to The UPS Store . We offer shipping options a variety of media and sizes to help your ®

®

that lost pets have of returning home.

•Click here to select a message •Click hereThetoUPS select a message Copyright © 2013 Store, Inc. D1AG382488 01.13 •Click here to select a message •Click here to select a message •Click here to select a message

an

Local You can count on our Certified Packing Postal Customer

Experts to take extra care of every package — in all shapes and sizes.

At The UPS Store , your pr Plus, we offer: projects are our priority.

Posters, banners, signageof andaffordable more—bring UPS Posters, ba • A variety ®

®

® . We offer your print jobs to The & UPS Storedigital your print Color/black white printing & copying shipping options a varietyLarge-format of media and sizes to help a variety o printing your message stand out. message s

• Convenient package tracking Full range of document finishing services

•Click here to select a message You can count on our Certified Packing •Click here Copyright to select a message © 2013 The UPS Store, Inc. D1AG382488 01.13 Experts to take extra care of every •Click here to select a message package — inaall shapes and sizes.

•Click here to select message 1150 S COLONY •Click here to select a message WAY STE 3

Visit us at:

Plus, we offer: 907 746 6245 • A variety of affordable UPS store3548@theupsstore.com shipping options

Ask for details today.

PALMER, AK 99645-6967 Ask for details today.

Copyright © 2012 The UPS Store, Inc. C8T96A2A41 09.12

Copyright © 2012 The UPS Store, Inc. C8T96A2A41 09.12

•Click here You •Click here Expe •Click here

pack •Click here •Click here

Plus

Ask for de

•Av You can count on our Certified Packing You can count sh Experts to take extra care of every Experts to take • Convenient package tracking • Co Hours: Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. package — in all shapes and sizes.Sat package — in a 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. ®

Copyright © 2012 Th

Copyright © 2013 The UPS Store, Inc. D1AG382488 01.13

Limit one coupon per customer. Not valid with other offers. Restrictions apply. Valid and redeemable only when presented at a participating location. The UPS Store centers are independently owned and operated. © 2012 The UPS Store, Inc. Offer expires 12/31/13

Plus, Clickwe here tooffer: select a price offer

OCT 2014

are the best chance

Trust the pack and ship experts.

Trust the pack Trust t Makeship a big experts.

Make a big Mak and and sh Trust the pack Tr impression. impression. imp

stand out.

• message Convenient package tracking

Do not let your

www. MAKEASCENEAK .com

A microchip is about the size of a grain of rice, consisting of a tiny computer chip housed in a special type of glass. The chip is implanted under the skin, between the shoulder blades of your pet.

A special syringe is used to facilitate this procedure. Most pets do not seem to be traumatized by the process. Once the microchip is in place, the chip can be detected immediately by a handheld scanner that will display the microchip code. All Animal Control facilities and most veterinarians have scanners.

Copyrigh

Limit one coupon per customer. Not valid with other offers. Restrictions apply. Valid and redeemable only when presented at a participating location. The UPS Store centers are independently owned and operated. © 2012 The UPS Store, Inc. Offer expires 12/31/13

Click Plus, we offer:

Click here to select a price offer

PAGE 4 www. MAKEASCENEAK .com OCT 2014

Read our online edition anytime. www.MakeASceneAK.com

The People’s Paper No Staff of Writers + Community Submissions = The People’s Paper

OCTOBER

Halloween & Autumn

COMMUNITY EVENTS Halloween Fun at the Reindeer Farm!

Every Saturday in October 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th 10am-6pm $10 per person age 3 and up (2 and under FREE) www.reindeerfarm.com

Mat-Su Animal Shelter Haunted House October 24th & 25th From 7pm-11pm $5.00 per person

Zombiefist 7

Sat, Oct 25th 36 Crazyfists and More Costume Contest Egan Center, Anchorage All Ages Show / 21+ Bar with valid ID $30 Tickets / $36 at the door www.aksoul.com

Gateway to Darkness Haunted House October 3rd - November 1st $15.00 per person www.hauntak.com

Museum of Alaska Transportation Haunted House October 31st Ghoulish fun for all ages! $5.00 per person

Halloween Hollow: 12th Annual Fundraiser for Mat-Su Special Santa October 31st Games, concessions, fun for all ages! $5.00 per person or a new unwrapped toy.

HHS ‘Fall Carnival’

Houston High School Fall Carnival Halloween Night 6 to 8 p.m., Oct. 31 at Houston High, Admission is one can of food or $2 per family.

Game tickets are 25 cents each and games require two to four tickets each.

PAGE 6

Music

ZOMBIEFIST 7 FEATURING 36 CRAZYFISTS

OCT 2014

www. MAKEASCENEAK .com

with kallahan, spitshine, ships without harbor and more

SATURDAY 7PM, OCT 25TH AT THE EGAN CENTER

AN ALL AGES HALLOWEEN EVENT WITH A SPECIAL REUNION PERFORMANCE FROM LEGENDARY LOCAL BANDS KALLAHAN, SPITSHINE AND MORE

7

Bryce Burkhart Graphic Design Make A Scene Magazine, The People’s Paper Direct: 907-315-6661 Office: 907-373-2698 Fax: 888-383-9909 makeasceneak@mac.com www.makeasceneak.com ..........................

Make-A-Scene publishes 10,000 copies monthly. We distribute to Wasilla, Palmer, Meadow Lakes, Big Lake, Eagle River & Anchorage.

We’re always growing thanks to our contributors, our advertisers, and to you the reader!

www. MAKEASCENEAK .com

Joshua Fryfogle Owner/Publisher Make A Scene Magazine, The People’s Paper Direct: 907-373-2698 www.MakeASceneAK.com MakeASceneAK@mac.com

PAGE 7

MAKE A SCENE

Thanks for helping Make-A-Scene! .........................

Submitting Articles & Calendar: To submit content for print, visit our website:

Ak.com

Deadline is the 10th of each month.

Submissions are not accepted via Facebook.

OCT 2014

www.MakeAScene

PAGE 8

Art

Town Square Art Gallery

30th Anniversary! www. MAKEASCENEAK .com

Contributed by Janet St.George Founded in 1984, Town Square Art Gallery celebrates its 30th Anniversary in November! In honor of that momentous occasion, Town Square is celebrating with a very special Open House on Saturday, November 8th, in the Carrs Wasilla Mall.

There will be great prizes, free art posters, coffee and cookies from 10-2, and wine and appetizers from 2-5!

Town Square is owned and operated by longtime Alaskan, Janet St. George. Janet has dedicated her life to enriching others lives through art by supporting and mentoring local artists and providing her customers with a one-of-a-kind shopping experience.

Town Square Art Gallery carries a large collection original paintings, photography, paper & canvas reproductions, metal sculptures, jewelry, pottery, cards, glass and many unique Alaskan hand-made gifts.

OCT 2014

Distinctive, professional custom framing, with experienced helpful designers is a big reason many customers choose Town Square Art Gallery to preserve their art, needlework, photos & memorabilia in an artistic style that compliments the

customer’s personal tastes. Town Square also offers shadow boxes, matting, shrink wrapping, glass replacement, frame repairs, and packaging & shipping art.

Janet and her staff are committed to seeking the “best-of-the-best” hand-made art items.

Right now you can find eight highly talented potters’ works, each showcasing their own unique glazes and techniques.

Town Square has jewelry designed to please any artistic appetite - sparkling gemstones, sterling silver, colorful enamel, copper, dichroic glass and more! Gift lines include art glass, carved wood, leather and painted purses, luxurious soaps, fragranced candles, hand-painted silk scarves, stained glass photo frames and hand-made Christmas ornaments!

Discover why Town Square Art Gallery is consistently voted “Best in the Valley.”

Open from 10 to 6 weekdays, and 10 to 5 on Saturdays, They’re located in the Carrs Mall, Wasilla.

> For more information call Town Square Art Gallery 907.376.0123 townsquareartgallery.com

Award winning artists represented include Fred Machetanz, Holy Gittlein, Barbara Lavallee, Jon Van Zyle, Gail Niebrugge, Shane Lamb, Jennifer Bowman, Ryan Pierce, V Rae, Nathalie Parenteau and Karen Whitworth.

You can find many noted artists featured in exhibits during Town Square’s Second Saturday events.

Town Square is celebrating with a very special Open House on Saturday, November 8th, in the Carrs Wasilla Mall

AARP Meeting Thursday, October 16 & November 20, 2014 Wasilla Senior Center 1301 S. Century Circle From 1 ñ 3 pm Free

7 Threats to Your Estate Planning Thursday, October 16, and November 20 Wasilla Senior Center, 1301 S. Century Circle From 1 - 3 pm Free to the public. Call for Reservations 907-334-9200

Andy Mullen and Jimmy Sandy October 17 - 7-11 Mad Hatcher Pizza Restaurant 9351 N. Palmer Fishhook Rd $5, Pay at door 920-915-5694 Sound Healing & The Power of the Drum October 18th, 2014, Anchorage 9:30am-6:30pm 907-830-6890 Tyson James and the Hot Strangs October 18, 8pm-12am Mad Hatcher Pizza Restaurant 9351 N. Palmer Fishhook Rd. $20 includes appetizer bar and one drink Mad Hatcher Pizza Restaurant

Hangar Door Cinema Presents Annual Banned Book Film Smoke Signals Saturday, October 18th, 7:30pm Sheldon Community Arts Hangar, In Talkeetna $6 DAC members / $8 general / $4 student 907-733-7929 www.denaliartscouncil.org Mat-Su Transportation Fair October 22, 4pm-8pm Raven Hall, Alaska State Fairgrounds 2075 Glenn Highway, Palmer FREE Oktoberfest Potluck & Silent Auction Oct. 24, 2014 5:00pm-7:30pm Mid-Valley Senior Center Bone Breaker Haunt October 24, 25, 6pm til 10pm October 31 and November 1, 6pm til midnight At Top Drawer~in the Meadowood Mall at the corner of Parks and Big Lake Road.

Home Market Saturday October 25th, 2014 Wasilla Senior Campus Center1301 S Century Circle, 9AM-2PM akhomemarket@hotmail.com Palmer Contra Dances Sat, October 25 7pm-9:30pm Palmer Salvation Army Community Center 209 W Evergreen St 6$, pay at the door

Hangar Door Cinema Presents Fault in Our Stars Movie Party Saturday, November 8th, 7:30pm Sheldon Community Arts Hangar,Talkeetna $6 DAC members / $8 general / $4 student Hangar Door Cinema 907-733-7929 www.denaliartscouncil.org Veterans Appreciation Potluck Mid-Valley Senior Center November 14, 2014 5:00pm-7:30pm Dress in uniform if youíd like and bring a picture of yourself from your service for our bulletin board.

Mat-Su Women’s Connection Luncheon: “All I Want Is Peace and Quiet” Mon. Nov. 17, 2014, Noon - 1:30 Evangelo’s restaurant 2530 E. Parks Hwy, Wasilla $16 Stonecroft Ministries 907-892-8482 Police Navidad Date: Saturday, November 29 Time: 10 a.m. ≠ñ 5 p.m.

Location: Denaíina Civic & Convention Center MAT-SU WOMEN’S REPUBLICAN CLUB Meeting November 14th Looking for women interested in having fun and learning about the political process. msrwc48@yahoo.com Find Us on Facebook

Non-Denominational Bible Study Wasilla Area Senior Center 1301 S. Century Circle Wasilla, Alaska 99654 Every Wednesday from 10 to 11 am in WASI Meeting Room FREE - Wasilla Area Senior Center BINGO and Pull Tabs Wasilla Senior Center 1301 S Century Circle Every Wednesday From 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm BINGO Card sales begin at 12:45 pm FREE to the public Wasilla Area Senior Center LIVING WELL ALASKA, MAKING BETTER CHOICES While Living with Chronic Illness Wasilla Area Senior Center 1301 S. Century Circle Wasilla, Alaska 99654 Every Tuesday from November 4 thru December 16 at 1pm FREE Andy Mullen hosts Open Mic Thursday nights in October 6-9pm, Mad Hatcher Pizza Restaurant 9351 N. Palmer Fishhook Rd. FREE 920-915-5694 Mat-Su Toastmasters 889 N. Elkhorn Drive Wasilla, AK 99654 Located upstairs in the Pub Every Tuesday from 7:30am to 8:30am Mat-Su Toastmasters 907.841.9818 or 907.355.3039 Free Hearing Screening provided

by Mat-Su Sertoma Club First Sat Every Month 10am-1pm Wasilla Physical Therapy Deana Moore 761-5229 Free Hearing Screening provided

by Mat-Su Sertoma Club First Sat Every Month 10am-1pm Wasilla Physical Therapy Deana Moore 761-5229

OCT 2014

Mighty Matanuska Brewfest Friday, October 17 & Saturday, October 18 - 6pm - 10pm Alaska State Fair - Raven Hall $10-$50

Country Music Star - AYLA BROWN - Live in Concert Sat, October 18, 4pm-7pm Grand View Inn ñ Restaurant 2900 East Parks Hwy Wasilla AK FREE

Halloween Costume Contest and Halloween-Themed Lunch Friday, October 31 Begins at 11:30 am Wasilla Area Senior Center Free to Enter Costume Contest

www. MAKEASCENEAK .com

Hearing Tests, Sales and Service Thursday, October 16 & 30 November 13, 2014 Wasilla Senior Center 1301 S. Century Circle From 9 am to 3 pm Free Hearing Tests, Batteries, Repairs, Sales Alaska Hearing Institute

BSA Troop 300 Prime Rib Dinner & Auction Sat, October 18, 6pm-9pm Palmer Moose Lodge 1136 S. Cobb Street, Palmer, AK $15.00

PAGE 9

Calendar of Events

PAGE 10 www. MAKEASCENEAK .com

Theatre

The Canterville Ghost AT VPA Comedy/General Audience | Directed by Wendy Golter VPA’s production of THE CANTERVILLE GHOST is an ingenious comedy based on an Oscar Wilde tale and cleverly directed by Wendy Golter.

A free spirited American family moves into a grand English manor house and is charmed to discover that it is haunted.

The ghost however is alarmed. Accustomed to being regarded with fear, he determines to scare the intruders out of their wits and out of his house, but he is nearly undone himself.

THE CANTERVILLE GHOST opens October 17th and runs through November 9th. Ticket prices are $17 for Students/ Seniors and $19 for Adults. Bring your family to see this delightfully fun production at Valley Performing Arts, 251 W. Swanson Avenue, Wasilla.

OCT 2014

> Call VPA at 373-0195, visit our website www. valleyperformingarts.org, or come by the office, Monday through Friday 9am to 3pm to purchase your tickets.

INTERESTED IN THEATRE? CALL VALLEY PERFORMING ARTS @ 373-0195

EMPIRE OF LIES

by Chris McGraw

Could you hear the future call?

Truth is treason in the Empire of Lies Truth is treason in the Empire of Lies

This story is intended as a companion to the album Empire of Lies by Sleep Rebellion. Listen to the album and read each chapter prior to listening to the corresponding song. Album review on page 20

We tune out, we tune in We believe, we pretend Chains of fear, chains of hate Chains we love, we won’t break

Chapter 1: Empire of Lies I was born in a time of war. I grew up in a time of war. The names and faces change, but there’s always an enemy. Our country may be at war with people I’ve never met, but everyone I have met has other, more familiar enemies: fear, poverty, ignorance. They say war is supposed to stimulate the economy, but if that’s true why aren’t we all rich? There have been several recessions during my life, each one worse than the last, but we always came back. We still haven’t come back from the last one.

Chapter 2: Dark is Our Fear It’s been a year since my father was arrested. The police say they have him in prison, convicted for conspiracy and sedition. The trial was closed to the public, and he’s not allowed to have any contact with the outside world. For all I know, he could be dead. It feels like he’s dead.

My father was a journalist. He used to work for the big networks. After decades of being ordered to compromise stories, fabricate events, and forget his leads, you could tell that his spirit had been broken. What was once zealous ambition had become a shrug, a whimper, a sigh of resignation. But one day, he discovered something that sparked the old flame again. It was just a spark at first, but over time it grew. You could see it in his face, and hear it in his voice.

I received an encrypted message one day over my darknet. My father said he had been working on a story, something about a secret government project and human rights abuses, but his source had vanished. As I was listening, I heard a sudden explosion. I switched on my retinal feed and saw what he had seen, only hours before. Police – or military, since it was hard to tell the difference anymore – stormed my father’s small city apartment with rifles drawn. They hit him, and I could almost feel the impact. The video feed went black, but I could still hear as they dragged him outside and beat him. My father never had a chance to break his story. He had committed treason, not for speaking the truth, but just for knowing it. I haven’t seen or heard from him since.

We tune out, we tune in We believe, we pretend Ignorance and mass confusion Apathy and sad delusions Truth is treason in the Empire of Lies We give up, we give in Don’t speak out, just sleep in Day to day, ’til the end We breathe out, we breathe in

Did you believe the t.v. screen?

Or did you have a choice at all?

When the bobbing heads spoke Did you hear the final curtain fall?

And when your eyes glazed over

Dark is our fear Afraid to live Afraid to rise So we fall And we fall, And we fall Dark is our fear Of streets, and of cars We look to the lights To the signs, to the cameras Watching from above Dark is our fear Of flying, of our own wings The people we once knew, suspicious and strange Threatened by unknown things Dark is our fear Afraid to speak or think For the things we really love Against decrees from above Dark is our fear Afraid to run Afraid to fight So we fall And we fall, And we fall Dark is our fear Afraid to live Afraid to act

Dark is our fear Of the world, of ourselves Of losing what we hold dear To feel a little more secure Chapter 3: Helicopter Ben It’s 7 P.M. on a Saturday, and it’s dark. I’ve gone downtown to meet my lawyer. We try to avoid using the Internet, for confidentiality. On my way I stop at a street vendor to get some breakfast. There’s a news feed on a retro-looking LCD screen and some reporter is saying that the recession is over, we’re on the rebound.

“Well, ain’t that good news?” I say to the cook as he dishes me some noodles. He doesn’t even look at me. There’s a commentator on the screen now, his seemingly disembodied head bobbing rhythmically as he enthusiastically praises the latest round of monetary stimulus. Good for the banks, good for the tech industry, good for America. He’s old.

There’s a second commentator, much younger, who cuts him off. “How’d that work out the last time, and the time before that, Helicopter Ben?” The older man seems taken aback and pauses for a moment before admitting that he doesn’t get the reference.

The cook seems angry now, glaring at the screen. “What’s that fool think we’re supposed to do, nothing at all? If I didn’t have my stimulus loan I’d be out of business.” He hands me the bill for my food, “Cash or credit?” I glance at the total. “Cash,” I say, and hand him two one hundred dollar bills.

We need this dope to smoke We’ll fix this and get our fix We found out how to live forever We’ll pound out a trillion dollars We’ll fix you, We got the stuff We call it a trillion dollars Bombs away I’m Helicopter Ben I can save this For the Common Man If you’ll just trust me We’ll be making history And in the morning it had all fallen down Dancing to the tune of the man with the frown We’ll shoot up all the money We’ll shoot you with all our dollars We know you, and what you need You need love and lots of dollars We fix rates, rates fix you Lets make love to all our dollars

LYRICS & SHORT STORY CONTINUE ON NEXT PAGE

OCT 2014

Truth is treason in the Empire of Lies Truth is treason in the Empire of Lies

I work late and walk home on empty streets, which suits me fine. Crowds aren’t safe. The old adage, “There’s safety in numbers,” has been turned on its head. These days, the fewer people you’re around the better. Anywhere people congregate you can be sure there’s a drone, or several, not far off. Everything is watched and recorded, and anyone you talk to could inadvertently link you to criminal activity. Everyone is afraid – of terrorists, of each other, even themselves – and they embrace the enhanced security measures, just like they’re told they should. In school I was told this is the land of the free and the brave, but it only feels like the land of the subservient and the frightened.

Dark is our fear Of cities, and of crowds Of places we find familiar Of towers in the clouds

www. MAKEASCENEAK .com

The major cities are plagued by black market crime, and legitimate jobs are scarce, unless you go to work for the military, the cops, or one of their arms suppliers. The government blames anarchists, foreigners, greed, moral decay – anything but their own policies. If you speak out, you’re labeled an enemy sympathizer, or worse: a traitor and a terrorist. My father had a favorite saying, something from a bygone era: “Truth is treason in an empire of lies.”

The cops are investigating me too, but so far they haven’t found anything incriminating. The darknet I mentioned before? Quantum encrypted, which is illegal, but I set it up years ago when the tech was still available to the public. The whole thing destroyed itself before they even knew what they were trying to access. Now I’m just trying to keep my head low, keep my job, and find my dad. I found a lawyer to work pro bono on the case, but we’re stonewalled at every turn and I don’t think there’s much hope.

So we fall And we fall, And we fall

PAGE 11

Short Story

Chapter 4: False Messiah It’s 2 A.M. on November 9th. My job is pretty quiet, one of the perks of the night shift, so I’m watching my news feed. A new President has just been elected, and they’re playing his victory speech. As I pan around the room, I see faces lit up with excitement and adulation. He says the same things I’ve heard a million times, but everyone in the room seems enthralled. If you don’t pay attention to his words, if you just unfocus your thoughts and listen to the tones of his voice, the speech is forceful, hopeful and inspiring. I let myself get carried away. Maybe things will change. Maybe I’ll get to see my dad again.

I haven’t been paying too much attention to politics lately. I soon get bored and start browsing my social network, even though I should be working. Everyone is talking about the election. One of my friend’s thoughtstreams is full of exaggerated celebratory exclamations. I comment, “What’s so different about this guy?” She replies with a campaign slogan, “Security is freedom. Peace through power!”

A few moments later I get an unexpected invite to a private chat from a hot blonde. I recognize her from my friend’s feed.It’s time for lunch anyway, so I accept the invitation, and go to full immersion. I’m standing in an alley, a door in front of me, “Sam’s Dive” lit up in neon just above. I walk inside and see who I can only presume is Sam, seated at the bar, drinking something clear and smoking.

“Nice place,” I say as I walk over next to her. There’s a deliberate seediness about everything, a little over the top. Even the bartender looks like a hitman, and there’s some old guitar music playing in the background.

“Thanks, it’s where I go for discreet encounters,” she says with a wink and a smile.

“Uh oh, you’re not a bot, are you?” I grin back. She laughs.

“That would be highly illegal of me.”

“What’s not illegal?”

“Uh, thoughtstreaming at work?”

I chuckle and shrug.

“So,” she says, “You don’t like our new El Presidente?”

“Well, to be honest I don’t know a lot about him.”

“Oh,” she pauses for a moment as if to think about her next words, “So are you a Sub Stater?”

I don’t much like that question. “What makes you ask?”

“Well, they say the Sub Staters ignore the

government completely, think its irrelevant and illegitimate.”

“They also say they’re terrorists and criminals. Um, no I’m not a Sub Stater.”

“Oh, it’s fine to tell me if you are! We are totally secure here! I’ve been thinking about becoming one myself. What do you know about Project Mobius?”

I start to feel extremely uncomfortable. “What are you talking about?” I ask.

“I think you know what I’m talking about…” she says.

Suddenly I start to panic. What am I doing here? What if I’m being monitored? I jump out of the feed. “What’s the matter?” is the last thing Sam says to me. I block her and log out. I start think she was a trap, set by the cops. Did my dad know about Project Mobius? Was he a Sub Stater?

Months pass and the economy only gets worse. I lose my job. New antiterrorism laws are passed and people start disappearing, including my lawyer. The new President hasn’t saved us. Like every President before him, he’s just a false messiah.

Don’t you wonder why I feed The emptiness inside?

Got a book of secret treasures with your name on it For all the tears you cried Bow your head and pray to me I’m here to save your soul Don’t be fooled I’m just a false messiah Take my hand I’ll lead you where I want ya Oooooooooooooh You won’t be safe Oooooooooooooh I don’t feel sane Think my words can soothe all of your fears With promises of change In the back room I will seal all of the deals That forge your gilded cage Bow your head and vote for me I’m here to give you hope Don’t be fooled I’m just a false messiah Take my hand I’ll lead you where I want ya Oooooooooooooh You won’t be safe Oooooooooooooh I don’t feel sane Chapter 5: Machine Guns War. Again. Except this time, it’s a big one. It’s 8 A.M. on a Monday and I’m on the front lines. Congress voted to approve the draft, and I was one of the first citizens to be called up for duty. When I think

about what happened to land me here, it seems surreal, like a nightmare that I’m still having. Where am I? Russia? China? The Middle East? We have so many enemies this time, and the terrain is just mud, with dark skies, and explosions everywhere.

I check my suit. Full ammunition, no shots fired, but power levels at less than half. I’ve done a lot of running. I see lots of movement on my monitors, but they’re all friendlies, and we’re all dying. Where’s the enemy? Invisible?

Another fresh recruit, someone I recognize from basic, runs up next to me to share the cover of a half bombed-out building. “What the $@#^ is going on?” He yells. I just stare at him with my mouth agape. I can’t even remember the mission.

“You look like you %$@ your brains out in your suit, man,” he says.

I remember him now. Private Farley. Funny guy. Nice. Has a new kid back home.

“Incoming!” I yell as I duck right. A missile explodes right next to us, and in my side monitor I see Farley get hit. I crawl back to him to see if I can help. He’s been blasted into two pieces, but still conscious. Our suits inject painkillers and stimulants when they detect injury.

“Hang in there, Farley,” I whisper. I’m not sure he can hear me. I tune into his thoughtstream. The last entry reads: “I just want to live my life.”

The disgusting reality of everything hits me, and I have a moment of clarity. We’re here fighting rebels in some foreign land, trying to save some foreign government from its own people. Or wait… maybe we’re helping the rebels? It doesn’t matter. What matters is that I just want to live my life, and this is not my fight. I don’t want to be here. I’m here because some people think they own me. They don’t. My life is mine, and it belongs to me, and my purpose is my own. I’m not just some sacrificial beast, born to live and die as other people deem necessary. I’m going to desert.

All I can hear are machine guns and explosions. Another missile is coming.

Machine guns Are pulling, pulling the curtains closed Machine guns Will kiss my head Will close the door when I have dozed Machine guns I know they’re never far from me Machine guns Dim the lights ‘Til I can’t see I’ll make my bed upon these bodies And dream my favorite dream one last time A fairytale about a place that has no Machine guns I won’t be your universal soldier I won’t be a sacrificial lamb I’ll fight to succeed and I’ll fight to be free But I won’ t fight in lands across the sea I won’t be your universal soldier

Chapter 6: Transhuman I can see the ceiling. At least, I think it’s a ceiling. It has no texture. The lighting seems uniform.

I close my eyes and open them again. I can see a shadow on the ceiling now. It looks like a face. It’s moving.

I hear a voice. It’s a soothing female voice. It’s telling me not to be afraid.

I feel a faint vibration in my chest. I can’t feel my heartbeat. I try to sit up but I can only move my head.

I’m in a hospital. There’s a nurse and a doctor here. They say I was blown to pieces, considered KIA, but they brought me back. I don’t feel like anything is missing.

“Don’t worry, we put you back together,” says the Doctor. “I can’t let you move yet, but I can let you see yourself on this video feed here.” He turns on a monitor across the room from me, and I can see myself lying in bed.

My right hand is made of metal. It’s attached to a metal arm that runs into my torso. Both of my legs are metal. My chest is metal. My face is missing from the nose down. I have red eyes. I’m horrifying.

Machine guns Are comin’ to take, take me home Machine guns Will comfort me Will keep me warm when I’m alone Machine guns I know they’re comin for me Machine guns Cover me like a blanket And I’ll sleep sound tonight I’ll make my bed amongst the rocks And sing my favorite song one last time A lullaby from youth that doesn’t matter To machine guns I won’t be your universal soldier I won’t be a sacrificial lamb

I’ll fight to succeed and I’ll fight to be free But I won’ t fight in lands across the sea I won’t be your universal soldier

“You’ll be back in action in no time soldier! I think you’ve got a lot of years of military life ahead of you yet – and good thing, we need you out there. You’re equipped with the latest combat A.I. software for targeting and close quarters battle, and it’ll respond to remote control as well. Even if you’re unconscious you’ll still be fighting for the state! How do you like the sound of that?” I try to scream, but nothing happens.

LYRICS & SHORT STORY CONTINUE ON PAGE 24

Community

Day of The Dead Exhibit AT THE PALMER MUSEUM

Be sure to check the museum website at www.palmermuseum.org for further details on upcoming events and future exhibits.

As the leaves begin to pile up around town, and the air begins to chill we can’t help but feel the festivities of the season. In honor of this time of the year, the museum will be hosting its annual Day of the Dead exhibit, Recuerdas, Reinterpreting Ofrendas.

The Day of the Dead, El Día de los Muertos, is a traditional holiday in Mexico and many South American countries. It is based on ancient Aztec mingled with Christian beliefs. The official date for Day of the Dead is November 2nd, although it is celebrated between October 31st and November 2nd. These dates correspond with the Catholic celebrations of All Saints Day and All Souls Day. This correspondence results from the Catholic Church's efforts to find similarities between the indigenous and Christian beliefs. Today, the celebration takes place at about the same time ancient corn festivals were celebrated, when food from a plentiful harvest was shared with the deceased.

This national holiday is considered to be the most important holiday of the year in Mexico and celebrations vary from state to state.

Though the subject matter may be considered morbid from the Anglo Saxon perspective, Mexicans celebrate the Day of the Dead joyfully, and though it occurs at the same time as Halloween, All Saints' Day and All Souls Day, the traditional mood is much brighter with emphasis on celebrating and honoring the lives of the deceased, rather than fearing evil or malevolent spirits.

The uplifting mood created during this time is in contrast to the sadness often associated with death because according to Aztec tradition, “one does not mourn for a departed one, for tears will fall on the path the soul must travel and the soul may slip and fall.”

The tradition continues in Contemporary Mexican culture today because festive elements have been

introduced into the celebrations. It is now considered a time for family to come together –both living and dead. People celebrate the holiday in their households, as well as in the cemeteries. In their homes, offerings of food and drink are prepared for the dead. Ofrendas, offerings, are often set up in the home on an altar displaying portraits, personal goods, clothing, favorite foods, and possessions of the deceased family member.

These altars are not meant for worshipping but rather serve as a conduit that allows the living to have a visual representation of their ancestors.

The elements within the ofrendas are believed to attract the spirits. The souls are said to return each year to enjoy the pleasures that they once had in life and to be with their living relatives for a few brief hours. The Day of the Dead has become a time for people to remember, re-live, and enjoy.

The Palmer Museum would like to invite you to join us this month as we

celebrate this special holiday through a dynamic display of traditional altars and newly reinvented ones. Several videos will also be playing throughout the day describing the traditions of Day of the Dead festivities around the world. The exhibit will be on display at the museum beginning Wednesday, October 8th through Wednesday, November 5th.

The museum would also like to remind valley residents that the last Palmer Art Walk of 2014 is scheduled for Saturday, November 8th, where we will be auctioning off a special selection of reinvented artistic sewing machines.

All proceeds from the auction will go towards the 2015 Palmer Art Walk. For more information, please contact the Palmer Museum at 746-7668.

> The Palmer Museum looks forward to celebrating fall in the valley and bringing more art to the community!

Literature

Writer from Ukraine

publishes first novel in English Contributed by Publication Consultants This is a story of second chances, by Anchorage author Tetiana Brooks. Love and revenge, redemption and Life drive this contemporary novel.

In My Angel, the protagonist, Polina, loses her husband to “a mouse,” but nearly dies as she wreaks her revenge.

Caught in a fiery explosion, Polina ends up with severe burns over much of her body. How she works her way back from death is handled with intuition as well as the experience of Brooks’ career in psychology in Ukraine. This book shuffles and then deals out many aspects of human behavior that anyone living on Earth will recognize. But the result is entirely Brooks’ own.

Tetiana Brooks is a new author in the United States, but well known in Ukraine where she published three titles in Russian: My Angel, To Become Human, and the first novel of a trilogy, Soul. These books throw light on the dichotomy of our earthly existence and its ramifications in the spiritual world. “There is interconnection,” says Brooks. “All of Life is interwoven. I write about how the one affects the other.” Brooks says all of her novels contain events that actually happened.

Brooks achieved two Masters Degrees in Ukraine, where she graduated from Dragomanov National Pedagogical

University in Kiev, with specialties in teaching and psychology. Inquisitive and emotional, she has had a life “rich with troubles,” as she puts it. In one way, My Angel imitates the author’s life. Like her character Polina, Brooks met and married an Alaskan.

Tetiana started her life over in the USA, a country of opportunity, and became a member of Alaska Writers Guild and 49 Writers. She dissolved her fears over publishing here in English, deciding it was time to put some of her life experience and observations into this book, suitable for YA readers as well as adults.

“I want to let others learn what I have learned, from My Angel, not from their own pain. Alaska inspired me,” says Brooks. She has now been in Anchorage for ten years, and is translating into English the other novels she published. Being an artist helps her design her own books, too.

Meet the author at Read Alaska Weekend November 28-30 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Anchorage Museum.

Visit www.anchoragemuseum.org

> My Angel: A Story of Salvation and Love, is available at publicationconsultants. com, www.tetianabrooks.net, independent bookstores, or wherever good books are sold.

My Angel: A Story of Salvation and Love

PAGE 15

Literature

Contributed by Publication Consultants In this alternate history, an Alaskan geologist jumps back in time to re-live twenty-seven years, and must discover God’s assignment for him, in order to reunite with his wife.

Carey Cossaboom dies in 1990, in an automobile accident on the Seward Highway. He regains consciousness in South Anchorage, in 1963.

Meeting With The Well Known details the journey back to his proper time and place. The impossible circumstances, the delicate change of history, and the call of God to challenge the Church’s misconception of science. An adventure too incredible to declare as true.

The inspiration for this book came over a period of time as author Carey Cossaboom realized that Creation Science has weakened the immensity of God’s creation. As the story’s Carey Cossaboom argues:

Carey will be signing his new book at Read Alaska, November 28-30 at the Anchorage Museum, and Fred Meyer on Abbott Road, December 13, 3-7 pm.

Meeting with the Well Known, $16.95 is available as a trade paperback and e-book. It can be found at Barnes and Nobel, Amazon, from the author, and Publication Consultants, the Alaska publisher: www.publicationconsultants.com

> Carey Cossaboom is a retired geologist living in Anchorage. He has a passion for reconciling the true teachings of Christianity with the present knowledge of science, particularly geology.

Read more at www.careycossaboom.com

OCT 2014

“But doesn’t some of the most modern scientific thought absolutely support some of the earliest Biblical wisdom? Take the Big Bang

theory. Essentially, all of this from nothing; a single starting point, the ‘void’ of Genesis.

And as mentioned several times in Isaiah, if not elsewhere, where God has ‘stretched out the heavens,’ well, that sounds a lot like the continually expanding universe and the explanation of the red shift.”

www. MAKEASCENEAK .com

Meeting With The Well Known STANDING AGAINST PLOT TO WEAKEN BELIEF IN GOD IS TOPIC OF NEW SCI-FI BOOK

Tina Fisher ART SHOW AT VAGABOND BLUES

OCTOBER 10TH - NOVEMBER 14TH IN PALMER a Wasilla High graduate, Tina “feelsAsblessed to live in the Mat-Su

Valley with her husband and four boys, finding ways to give back to the community that she grew up in.

”

Tina is passionate about art and inspiring creativity in others.

As a Wasilla High graduate, Tina feels blessed to live in the Mat-Su Valley with her husband and four boys, finding ways to give back to the community that she grew up in.

Her work in the arts includes a broad range of approaches from medical drawings & stage design to installations & fine art paintings. Her most recent work was displayed in July 2014 on the jumbotron at Times Square in NYC. After earning her Bachelors of Arts at UAA in Painting and Drawing, Tina went on to complete her teaching license through UAF. Tina spent a year at Colony High for student teaching, and was trained at Manhattan College to teach Advanced Placement Studio Arts.

Tina enjoyed subbing with the school district for several years, teaching private art lessons out of her home, opened Upper Room Arts studio in 2011, and is excited to be teaching art at Mat-Su Central this year.

Theatre

Schoolhouse Rock Kicks Off the Season Contributed by Teeka Ballas This Halloween Night, Alaska Junior Theater is combining nostalgia, entertainment and seasonal fun to make the Atwood Concert Hall in downtown Anchorage the very best place for families to be for the holiday.

The evening will begin with AJT’s Season 33 kickoff show, “Schoolhouse Rock Live!” at 7pm.

A Childsplay production from Arizona, “Schoolhouse…” brings to the live stage the Emmy award winning songs of the 1970s animated show. Such numbers as “Conjunction Junction,” “I’m Just a Bill,” and “Interplanet Janet” continue to entertain, educate and thrill young audiences.

> For tickets visit akjt.org or call 263-ARTS

“Schoolhouse Rock Live!” follows Tom, a jittery schoolteacher who is antsy with anticipation about is first day of teaching. Trying to relax by watching television, he is greeted by different facets of his personality who inspire him to win his students over with music.

After a fun-filled hour of song and dance, AJT will host its third annual Halloween Trick-or-Treat Party on all four lobby floors of the Atwood Concert Hall.

Open to the public, everyone is encouraged to come in costume and trick-or-treat with AJTs supporters and friends.

> For more information on upcoming shows, or hosting a Halloween booth, call Alaska Junior Theater at 907.272.7546.

MASSIVE ART AUCTION art auction iN anchorage includes works by salvador dali, anthony quinn, red skelton, and more!

By Kailey Gamble

A collection of this nature will be showcased and auctioned off this November by Webb Auction and Appraisal. In their first Anchoragebased event, this locally owned and operated business will present a smorgasbord of everything from whimsical paintings to big game taxidermy.

“This auction has turned into one of the largest art auctions we have done,” says Jillyan Webb of the family-owned business. Founded in 1977 in the Mat-Su Valley, Web Auction and Appraisal is run by 3rd generation auctioneer, Robert “Brad” Webb, and his daughter, Jillyan Webb. Together, they utilize their years of experience to, among many other services, bring art enthusiasts together and work with collectors to help them buy and sell their artwork, like Big Lake’s Robert DeLoach and Eugene Zola, who currently own a majority of the pieces being shown in the fast approaching auction.

MILLENUIM HOTEL, ANCHORAGE

www.WEBBAUCTIONAK. com

Another form of art featured that deserves significant attention is that of taxidermy. Not only does it take an exceptional amount of skill and attention to detail to get these creations just right, but there are also stringent constrictions collectors must adhere to in order to purchase pieces.

In order to legally sell these mounts in Alaska under everyday circumstances, one must have a taxidermy license awarded by the state.

However, and as is the case for the upcoming auction, Fish and Game may also authorize a one-time sale of the pieces through a death estate. Those attending have the good fortune and rare opportunity to view and purchase from a selection of more than ten beautiful mounts that include antelope, buffalo, and caribou in full velvet.

“In the 30 plus years Webb Auction has been operating in Alaska, we have never sold such an extensive and diverse collection of cultured art, antiques, and taxidermy mounts in one auction. The diversity of the art, from the Salvador Dali to authentic Alaska Native carvings and local well-known Alaskan artists, is so expansive,” says Jillyan Webb, “Webb Auction is thrilled to see this auction come to fruition.”

“Charon and the Passage of Acheron.” by Salvador Dali

The anticipation of Alaska’s art community is palpable.

This is an event that collectors and enthusiasts alike won’t want to miss.

OCT 2014

The range of paintings to be presented is especially impressive. Local artists like Charles Gause and Ernest Robertson will be featured, as well as internationally renowned artists such as Anthony Quinn and Red Skelton. Even Salvador Dali’s work will make an appearance at the upcoming show with the noteworthy, “Charon and the Passage of Acheron.”

SATURDAY - NOV. 1, 20014 @ 2PM,

www. MAKEASCENEAK .com

Alaska: The Last Frontier. Our majestic state is home to magnificent scenery, a top of the line selection of outdoor activities, gourmet fresh food…and a killer underground art scene? No, that wasn’t autocorrect. What you read is true.

If you know where to look, you can find an array of work in the 49th state that spans centuries, continents, and methods.

The expanse of art doesn’t stop there. Antique trinkets have also found their way into this diverse event, including a viewer from the 1800s’. These fun devices were used to view artwork or far away sceneries right at the user’s fingertips. Unique Alaskan treasures of carvings and furs will also be up for auction. Attendees will even have the chance to acquire a 57-pound mammoth tusk!

PAGE 19

Art

PAGE 20

Music

Sleep Rebellion Review:

Empire of Lies

www. MAKEASCENEAK .com

By Josh Fryfogle

I haven’t done a review in a long time. As a musician myself, I don’t get the purpose of a written review of sound. All you can do is make comparisons. Art should be taken without comparison. We’re not talking about a new car, where comparisons make sense. We’re talking about art - an expression of self. It will appeal to those it was meant to, no more no less. We’re not talking horsepower, gas mileage, or some other measurable thing. It’s art, man.

So, if you’re reading this, it’s because I felt passionately enough about the music so as to want to write about it.

This album is one of those albums that I will actually listen to more than once. It’s got that progressive rock sound that is definitely one of my favorite styles. It deals with heady topics, not just love and sex like most music seems to focus, topics that seem timely, set to timeless musicianship.

I love the effort and direction.

It was 11 or 12 years ago that I first met Chris McGraw. His family owned the computer cafe, The Digital Cup. It was in the same building as Papa John’s in Wasilla. I remember driving on the Parks Hwy and seeing Chris setting up sound equipment on a summer day, making a scene.

Photon Life, that was the name of the recording that Chris was promoting. It wasn’t nearly as good as his current project, ‘Empire of Lies’, released under the moniker of Sleep Rebellion. But his presentation, self-production, and incredible guitar skills were evident even then. He’s a well-rounded musician.

With this newest project, all those same elements are there, but honed to a sharp edge.

The production, unlike so many independently-produced projects, is highly listenable. It is radio-ready. But is radio ready for Sleep Rebellion?

OCT 2014

> Chris McGraw even wrote a short story to accompany his album. We’ve printed the entire story, along with the lyrics, starting back on page 11

If you are a fan of prog rock, whether it’s Rush, Tool, Pink Floyd or Dream Theater, you’ll hear something familiar. The influence of these progenitors of prog rock is evident in the sound of Sleep Rebellion, but it doesn’t come off as derivative.

It is a unique, developed album project.

to learn more or purchase the cd visit

www.sleeprebellion.com

ACROSS I) Female hogs 5) Not be frugal 10) Tandoor-baked bread 14) Mormons settled it 15) The “V” in VCR 16) Maroon’s home 17) Pins and needles case 18) _ a high note 19) Finish third 20) Expressing sarcasm, in a way 23) Nautical journal 24) Caesar’s 3 25) Organized criminals 28) Taking into custody 32) Watch vest pocket 35) Operatic song 37) Spinks who beat Ali 38) Grayish-violet 40) Features of most pro baseball games 43) Memorable soprano Lehmann 44) Mystery board game 45) Adjust, as a motor 46) USNA grad 47) Get from a parent 50) NY summer time 51) Low digit 52) “_ whiz!”

54) Odets play 63) First name in jazz 64) Black-and-white outfit 65) Cover the road 66) A less-than-average tide 67) Glitterati, e.g.

68) Train in a celebrated Duke Ellington song 69) “Beloved” author Morrison 70) Pine product 71) Mongolian tent

ANSWERS TO LAST MONTHS DOWN I) Litigious one 2) Director Preminger 3) Make high-pitched, whiny noises 4) Con artist’s accomplice 5) Evil hypnotist of fiction 6) Engine knock 7) Caribbean taro 8) Light on Broadway 9) Fatigued 10) American-born Japanese 11) Far from ruddy 12) Cosmetic additive 13) Headline material

21) Charged particle 22) S, for Socrates 25) Type of tree 26) Hunter in the night sky 27) Posts on a ship’s deck 29) Remove from the game 30) Goblin or bugbear 31) Acquire, as debt 32) Bach composition 33) Microwaves, e.g.

34) Hemmed in 36) Take steps 39) Pantry pest 41) German poet Heinrich 42) Increase or enhance

48) Like some regions 49) Golfbag item 51) African ruminant 53) Ineffective, as a threat 54) Monthly expense, for many 55) It melts in your mouth 56) “ of the Cave Bear” 57) Raconteur’s offering 58) Geishas’ sashes 59) Arboreal monkey 60) Home to Mount Konahuanui 61)” the Rainbow” 62) Not on the rocks

Poetry Out of the Darkness

It all began with two dogs Who enjoyed chewing flesh from bone.

From the bones, begat the moulds; Into moulds, was poured the wax And the wax became the bone as well as the glue, And that, which once was bone, took on shapes of dogs.

Out of the darkness, into the light Awakening in the morning, in love’s twilight.

Touched by an angel, on who’s wings I ride Floating through a new and vibrant countryside.

Poetry Poetry

Wax Dogs Wane

by Nan Potts

One cur, then six, were whelped.

Once sculpted and cleaned, Their wax sprues, properly placed and welded together With more wax, provided plumbing to receive molten iron And channels to expel unwanted air.

Each body held its spindly apparatus, Like feeding tubes of life, Were now gently plunged into slip and sand.

No real dog could tolerate such treatment.

Yet, these dogs of wax thrived in their genesis.

They were laid out to dry.

Then, dunked, over and over, Again and again, immersed deeper and deeper Into a milky liquid that coated their frames And smothered then with glassy grit Until they grew in weight, achieving their allotted size.

Patiently, they reposed, drying; Sleeping in their stoney cocoons awaiting their fiery demise, A hellish metamorphosis, Preparing them for their brief sojourn From pliable wax, waning into nothingness; a hollow mould.

Like phoenix from the ash, They rise in molten form From the ruins of modern scrap; Rusted radiators, broken engine blocks, cracked casings, et al, Animate and shape anew these hounds of metal.

Iron-clad in irony, each beg to be released To demonstrate their resiliency.

With lives renewed, their shells are smashed, Harkened back to the earth from whence they came: Sand to sand and clay to clay.

Thus, these dogs of iron stand silently Anticipating the groom and polish of the grinding wheel.

Our two dogs, assistant creators of the seven, Masters of chomp and gnaw, Pant cheerfully in expectation, continued participation Of marrowbone consummation. *Lost-wax Casting, is a process by which a sculpture is duplicated in metal (in this case iron), cast from an original sculpture in wax.

The seven iron dogs described here, were cast at the June 2014, Valley Arts Alliance event, Art On Fire, held at the Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry in Wasilla, Alaska.

By Nick Begich

Out of the darkness, into the light I though of raindrops through sunlight Spreading the colors of beauty prisms bright Into the scintillating light and I, out of the long dark night Out of the darkness, into the light The lift of precious stones in firelight See the colors of deep vibrant hues Giving life and providing clues Out of the darkness, into the light We walk together in bright firelight Into the soul are the two merged As the past fire’s last are purged Out of the darkness, into the light The phoenix rise into a new night again in firelight The life does burn but shall not sear We are beyond in this moment no more fear Out of the darkness, into the light We walk together this each other’s sight Knowing not alone but refined in the actions past Living in a love at last.

Out of the darkness, into the light The Creator know our hearts delight Two are one and one is three Merged into a greater eternity.

Out of the darkness, into the light Into the sky in dreams in flight We see each other throughout the night.

Into the morning sunshine we land so light.

Out of the darkness, into the light Finding our path within daylight Sunrise in a heart refined by fire There is a greater strength we never tire Out of the darkness, into the light We are in the mind, in Creator’s sight Touching the Now in universal power.

This is the moment this is our house

Business Review

Big Daddy’s Tobacco Shop

“I looked at the front counter and realized that I was in a tobacco shop only because I recognized what was in the jars.”

By Kellie Davis “I believe that the tradition of men smoking cigars after a baby is born,” said the wise customer (who declined sharing his name) who was browsing the tobacco, “I believe that it comes from how, when a man and a woman make love and conceive a baby, the woman, she gets a little you know… and the man, after nine months of crazy, decides to celebrate with a fine cigar because it is over!”

Walking into Big Daddy’s Tobacco Shop in the Old Clock Tower on Main Street in Wasilla is a treat. I wandered in when, in the midst of several feminine stores, I saw a lone gentleman inside what appeared to be an empty flower cooler and arranging boxes. As soon as I walked in, he came out and asked if he could help me.

I looked at the front counter and realized that I was in a tobacco shop only because I recognized what was in the jars. When I read their labels, I wondered if I was in a chocolate truffle shop. The tobaccos had names like, “Cherry Cavendish,” “Black Truffle,” “Champagne,” “Peaches and Cream,” and (last on my list, but not limited to) “Irish Cream.” The owner, Anthony, explained that I was looking at pipe tobacco, then showed me around his store. There was pipe tobacco, there was cigarette tobacco, then there were the hand-rolled cigars. Anthony only carries hand-rolled cigars as personal preference.

quits puffing. He even carries a certified organic line!

Getting to smell the cigars was like taking in wafts of chocolate or wine, but more seductive. I smelled hints of grass and bold coffee and chocolate smells. Had I been blindfolded, I would have still recognized in different cigars the scents of whisky, various dried fruits, chocolate in various forms, spices across the spectrum, particular wood scents from my father’s work room, nuts, and rich desserts. As I walked through the humidor, I saw quality cigars that ranged in price from $8 up to the Edicion Diamants Capa Reserva Cohiba cigars for $40. I saw beautiful assortment bags of cigars where there was a nice assortment of three cigars, I saw them for sale by the box (a particular brand had a box with a place for a baby’s photograph!) and I saw them for sale singularly.

I was delighted at the sizes of the cigars. I had thought that they all came in one size, but they were all different, ranging in size from resembling a pinky-sized cigar that was no longer than my finger, and up to a “Presidente” size which is almost 9 inches long. Most were an average of 6” long and of various widths.

I asked if he was addicted to tobacco, but he said that while he had been a heavy smoker many years ago, he had no desire for cigarettes any more, although he did enjoy an occasional cigar.

As we spoke, conversation kept going to his young daughter, a miracle baby, and how he, a former slope truck driver, enjoys coming home at the end of the day to be with her.

As I had shopped for some clothes for myself at the store next door, Younique Boutique, and had even treated myself to lunch at the beautiful tea room, The Clumsy Clover, and decided to assuage my guilt of self indulgence and bought my husband a $12 Tatian Nightcap that smelled of coffee and chocolate.

Anthony asked if my husband had a cigar cutter and my confused face and comment that we had scissors told him that I was clueless. He suggested his least expensive cutter, a $4 model of which he had several in boxes.

He said that in the tobacco that he carries, they do not add chemical or the agents that keep cigarettes burning after the owner leaves them along and

As I looked at cutters, I saw that he could have upsold me something steeper priced, as

they went up to almost $70. All of it was worth it. I looked at the products and saw how well-made they were. I also saw a wide selection of cigarette papers and pipes like my father used to smoke.

All in all, I found it to be a delightful store. As I shopped, a steady stream of customers came in and shared stories about their lives and travels in Alaska.

One customer teased Anthony and said that if she could open up her own tobacco shop that she could call it “Big Momma’s Tobacco Shop.”

Big Daddy’s Tobacco Shop could very well become a great stop in Wasilla for tobacco lovers, and Meta Rose, with its tea room, consignment clothing store, and flower shop, has a great chance of being the bustling little mall that it was many years ago.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12 “Hold on there,” says the doctor, noticing that I’m trying to make a noise, “We haven’t turned on your vocal synthesizer yet. It will translate your neural impulses into a simulated voice. Let me activate it, here.” He does something with a handheld device, and a loud, inhuman screeching noise emanates from my chest cavity. The doctor and nurse cover their ears. I have no breath, so the scream is endless, until the doctor shuts me off again.

“I’ll just give you something to help you sleep. We’ll talk more later.” The doctor manipulates his handheld again, and I start to feel warm and relaxed. I lose consciousness.

A few months go by. I’m a slave. The A.I. isn’t good enough to fight all on its own, and Command can’t spare remote operators for every soldier, so I’m left conscious most of the time, with the knowledge that at any moment my body can inject a sedative, or inflict unbearable pain. Once in a while they put me to sleep, and when I wake up I’ve got the guts of foreigners all over me. At least I dream. I dream of open fields, a woman’s face, and my dad. Every time I sleep I hope someone kills me, but the combat routines are always improving, and I’m fast, and strong, and my limbs are replaceable.

Today, however, I’m killing Americans. They must be anti-government types, maybe Sub Staters. It’s a horrific scene, like all the others. My metal body cuts through them with speed and efficiency. I round a corner and acquire a new target. The combat routine takes over, like always, and I shoot him in the head. Another target starts to run. My bionic legs chase him down in seconds. I pounce. My retractable blades sever his spine.

I take a moment to look around. There’s a group of people hovering. Most of them have guns. Some of them have tactical headgear, and pieces of combat suits patched together in odd configurations.

“Tom, are you seeing this?” I say, half expecting him to tell me I’m crazy.

appears to be a gas mask with goggles, and beckons me to follow.

“Calm down,” he says, “Haven’t you ever used an Aug before?”

“I don’t know what I did. My dad was a journalist, investigating the government. He got arrested. I was trying to get him out, or even just see him. Then the %$@^% drafted me.”

“They’re illegal. Anyway I didn’t run anything, everything just changed! What did you do?”

“Kid, let me tell you a little secret about how this revolution is actually being fought,” he says. “When most of the productive people of the Earth have withdrawn their resources from the world of statists, what will happen to the states? Without victims, what good is power? Thieves with nothing to loot soon starve. Sure, we’re gonna fight a bit, but we don’t win with guns. We win by starving those who want to control us.”

“Hmm, I see. What was your dad investigating?”

“I… I don’t know,” I think for a moment, “Project Mobius?”

The old man’s left eyebrow rises. He looks at his compatriots, then back at me. “What do you know about that, son?”

“It’s uh… secret?”

He chortles. “Rest up kid. We’ll talk more soon.”

After a few days I’m with the old man again, taking a trip into what he calls The Underground. He’s a Sub Stater rebel, as I figured, but he prefers the term Agorist. His name is Tom. He says he can’t get my dad back, or make me human again, but he needs my help anyway, and I might get to kill the assholes who took my life from me. I’m game.

My GPS link was severed by the rebels when they freed me, so I still have no idea where in the world I am. A poor town, by the looks of it. I see beggars, old men, children. Everyone ignores us.

“So where’s this Underground?” I ask Tom.

Standing over the bodies of my latest victims, I feel something hit me hard in the back. I go to the ground, immobilized. Finally, someone got me! My meds kick in and everything goes dark.

“Take this,” he says, and places his hand over mine. Into my palm he drops an ordinary looking playing card – a Joker. I examine it inquisitively. Within seconds it bursts into flames and I drop it.

Chapter 7: The Agorist As I slowly regain consciousness, a voice echoes through the darkness, “What did you do?” It asks. I don’t know what I did. I died?

“Come and get it! Half a gold ounce or two nanos!”

“What did you do?” It keeps repeating the question. “Hey, wake up.”

I sit up. My comms are dead. My targeting interface won’t turn on.

“Tell me what you did, and maybe we won’t have to kill you,” says a grizzled old man with a white beard. “Please kill me,” I say.

He’s silent for a moment, then asks, “Why?” “Look at me… I’m a killer. They could take control any moment now.”

“I don’t envy you son. You must’ve pissed off someone real good. All you super soldiers did. But we’ve freed you. They can’t control you anymore. What I want to know is, what did you do? Can I trust you?”

Tom sighs. “The card I gave you, it contained the network encryption and a small program, encoded in the image. All you have to do is look at the picture and your implants install and run the connection software. The network is sending you visual overlay data for everything you see here, straight to your retinal feed. Much of what you hear is thoughtstreamed by other Undergrounders.”

“That’s incredible. Everyone is hiding in plain sight,” I say. “But the software gets installed just by looking at a picture? Without my consent? How is that even possible?”

“A little back door trick the government adds secretly to everyone’s neural implants. Don’t think too much about it kid, or you’ll get paranoid. Maybe not every craving you ever had or decision you ever made was really yours. Hell, maybe they even make some people see UFO’s, go crazy, to discredit them. Good news is, we didn’t find any unusual software lurking around in your head, beyond the stuff they normally load in you killer cyborgs.”

That doesn’t make me feel a whole lot better about it.

Tom keeps talking, “The Underground is big. Much bigger than what you see here. Most of it’s online, you know, but this is just one of a few places where we gather in person. A lot of the people here are in hiding, and they aren’t comfortable seeing a Weapon of the State walking around,” says Tom. “Ex-Weapon of the State,” I reply firmly.

“Even so, it took more than a little convincing of the various security agencies to let you down here. Just don’t give anyone a reason to get jumpy. Act cool.”

I look up to face the source of the unexpected announcement. Where once I saw a beggar, now I see a young man dressed in an expensive suit, hawking something small and electronic. There’s a large neon sign levitating above his corner of the street that reads, “Maxwell’s Clerk – Electronic Boutique.”

“%$#@ you. I’m cool.”

On the other side of the street I see a gun store, liquor, music. There’s a brothel in the distance, and one of the young women that was previously dressed in rags now appears stark nude. There’s all kinds of people here, from every kind of ethnic and cultural background. Some are selling, some are buying, some are working, some are just hanging out. Anything you could imagine is available here, from all corners of the Earth. They use cryptocurrency for most transactions, although I do see some people exchanging gold. Everyone stares at me.

“Encryption key,” he whispers to me. “Without it we can’t contact our client. Don’t let me lose this.” He clasps it around his neck and we walk a few more blocks down the street.

Tom looks nervous.

We walk into a bar. Tom says something to the bartender, who hands him what looks like a piece of jewelry. He thanks him and we leave almost as quickly as we entered.

“Hold up here for a few.” We stop outside the entrance to a cybernetics shop. Tom goes in and I wait outside, meeting everyone’s stares with grim composure – which, since I haven’t got a lot of expressive function left to my face, is all I’m capable of anyway. When Tom returns, he’s carrying what

As Tom talks, we continue on our journey into an abandoned subway system, where The Underground seems to stretch for miles. The only laws seem to be these: Don’t aggress against anyone, and don’t attract the attention of the police. Plenty of clandestinely armed individuals seem eager to enforce the law.

You can use a gun, or use your mind, Display the truth in the land of the blind, You can bind down his hands, but never his heart You can trade or steal, but you can’t force art If you want to deal, you’ll pay the price Or swindle and steal, just roll the dice No one’s his master, nobody his slave Just shut up and pay up, if you want to trade He says, “Value for value, beats eye for an eye, For the price of the moon, I’ll sell you the sky.”

Ideas reproduce In the marketplace Pride makes money In the marketplace All is fair in the marketplace All that’s produced From the exotic to the mundane All you desire Whether erotic or profane From all corners of the Earth Nothing’s forbidden here Some things just cost a little more He says, “Utopia’s for sale, and can’t you see why?

You don’t need to save the old world, just let it wither and die.”

Ideas reproduce In the marketplace Pride makes money In the marketplace Revolutions begin In the marketplace Chapter 8: New Worlds We walk for hours until we come upon some barely used segments of the subway, much more ancient and decrepit than the rest. Fallen debris blocks the main tunnels. Some side passages are completely dark, and the air is foul. Tom insists that we don’t use lights for some reason, so he wears his gas mask with goggles – apparently capable of night vision – and I rely on my

LYRICS & SHORT STORY CONTINUE ON NEXT PAGE

implants. He leads us through what seems like a labyrinth, until finally we come upon a room with a small alcove.

“What now?” I ask.

“Now, we wait,” he replies.

Hours pass.

Suddenly and without warning, a brilliant flash of light illuminates our surroundings, accompanied by a loud bang that echoes throughout the tunnels. There’s a shimmering visage of a woman in the middle of the alcove, and all the air seems to be rushing towards her. She’s standing in a green field, with blue sky behind her, and her hair is being blown backwards by the wind, as if to punctuate the absurdly over-dramatic entrance.

“Come on!” yells Tom, and before I’ve had a chance to process what I’m seeing, he jumps into the light and joins the woman in the grassy field.

“Okay, sure, why not?” I say to myself, and jump after him.

I’m standing in the open air and sunlight, surrounded by grass, trees, and mountains in the distance. There’s no sign of the underground tunnels. I’d be blinded by the sudden change in lighting if it wasn’t for my retinal implants.

“What the hell was that? Where are we?” I ask.

“About 2,000 miles from where you were,” says the woman. “Do you like my invention? I call it Mobius.”

She’s an older lady, possibly in her late 50’s. Not very pretty, but her eyes are fierce and wide and black.

“This is Dr. Lisa Berkowitz, kid. We’re here to protect her,” says Tom, “And to make sure this portal technology gets used to free people, not enslave them. Sorry I couldn’t tell you everything before, but you never know who’s listening.”

“You could have told me in the tunnels. If that was a portal, and it can just pop in and out wherever you want it to, why’d we even have to go down those tunnels in the first place?”

“We were being followed. I wanted to lose them before we made the jump.”

“We weren’t being followed. I would have detected it.”

“Those implants are fancy, but they’re useless against a stealther. This little mask here, however…” He taps on the gas mask clipped to his belt, “It isn’t just night vision. Special EM sensors.”

Stealthers? I’ve heard of experiments with invisibility tech, but never anything being used on a combat suit. I remember the day I was killed.

“Tom, what governments have access to stealth suits?” I ask.

“Only one government could, kid. The U.S.” I start to wonder who Private Farley had pissed off.

“Tom, you could have told me we were being followed.”

“If they’d heard me say that, they would have jumped us. Don’t worry, we lost them. Can we get on with our job here?” He looks annoyed.

Tom grills Lisa for a while on the Mobius device – how it works, what power source it needs. It’s a small device, about the size of a suitcase, controlled remotely by a wristband. I find her story more intriguing than the technical details, though. Lisa is a scientist and inventor. Like all scientists she’s motivated by a desire to explore, to unravel mysteries. The government, however, is motivated by a desire to control, and they acquired her research through coercion, the way they acquire everything. When she found out they had plans to use Mobius as a weapon, she stole it and ran. She says that with enough power, she can travel anywhere. What new worlds beyond Earth might be waiting? Who will inhabit those worlds? Free people, or armies?

Take me away To the farthest point in time and space To the shores of the cosmic ocean Where starlight falls around my face Find me a way To reach the edge of all that’s known Where glorious rainbows become unwoven And I am odd by all I’m shown Take me away Travellers forge a dark path with only their visions to guide them They’re finding new worlds Finding new worlds Recklessly we fall into a sea of mystery We’re finding new worlds Finding new worlds Gone are the days When we lived in the shade of trees Afraid of the sky and its mysteries Its stars suspended in a mystical sea Beckoning me The world beyond what we have known Where the dreams of men have long since flown And I am awed by all I’m shown Take me away Travellers forge a dark path with only their visions to guide them They’re finding new worlds Finding new worlds Recklessly we fall into a sea of mystery We’re finding new worlds Finding new worlds

Chapter 9: The Creator “Are you ready?” says Tom. I look around the room. Everyone has adopted my grim expression. I wonder how I’d look if my face could still change its expression. Perhaps I’d have a sadistic, enthusiastic grin. Would everyone copy me then?

I’m part of a strike team tasked with infiltrating a secret political prison, the location having been recently revealed by ex-Federal agents, easily bribed by the Sub Staters. Some of our hackers will disrupt surveillance equipment inside the prison, and we’ll work around the guard patrol schedules. We’ll hop in with Mobius, rescue as many as we can before the guards can notice, and try to avoid any bloodshed. I’m told my dad might be in there.

“Alright you apes,” says Tom, preparing to muster everyone’s courage with a rousing speech, “Let’s uh… Oh, I forgot what I was going to say, just jump through the damn portal.”

After a blinding flash and another suctioninducing pressure differential, we’re through the portal and into a cell. It looks like a medieval dungeon made of grey concrete. The lighting is poor. A single emaciated inmate sits naked in the corner, shielding his face with his arms. With no time to waste, we pick him up and bring him back through before he has a chance to protest, then it’s on to the next cell with a new portal.

It takes roughly fifteen to twenty seconds, on average, to open a portal and clear one of the small, single-inhabited cells. We work in teams. Two in, grab the prisoner, and bring him back. The next portal is opened, and another two man team is up. We rescue about fifty prisoners in less than fifteen minutes, sticking close to schedule and just behind the patrols. Tom and I are up next. Then I see him.

“Dad?” I ask. He looks old, scrawny, and in poor health, but alive. A grey beard and long hair covers most of his features, but I still recognize his eyes. He struggles to peer at me from behind a squint.

“Who are you?” he says.

“It’s me…” I answer, suddenly aware of how I must look and sound.

“Come on! We’ve got to keep moving!” Tom shouts. We gather up my frail father and bring him back through the portal.

“Team Four, go!” Tom barks. Lisa operates Mobius, closing our last portal and opening a new one. Team Four wastes no time and jumps through. I turn to look at my father, now being cared for by a nurse.

“Son? That can’t be you. What have they done to you?” he says. If I could weep, I would.

Two soldiers in black combat suits seem to materialize in front of me. Counting the one behind me, that’s three. Proximity sensors are picking up several others all around me. Ten… Fifteen… If I’m going to act, I have to be fast. I look at Lisa, and she glances at the control device on her wrist. She slams her hand down on the control. I activate my combat A.I. I duck and twirl, narrowly dodging the first few rounds of fire. I grab my target’s weapon, ripping off his arm in the process. Spinning back around, I see the new portal, and through it what appears to be the Earth from low orbit. She must have opened a rift into space. The force of the vacuum is incredible.

Tom falls through the open rift with one of the soldiers. A third soldier hits me with a grenade, and I’m knocked backwards. I fall farther than I expected. In front of me I see a small patch of blue sky disappear into a ceiling, until I hit a concrete floor. Lisa must have opened a portal to safety behind me, but now I have no idea where I am, or where anyone else is, or what to do.

I barely have time to get on my feet before another portal opens in the ceiling, and through it drops Tom and Lisa.

“Lisa! What happened?” I ask. “Where’s the Mobius device?”

“Gone,” replies Lisa, “We lost it.”

“And my dad…”

“I… I’m so sorry… I saw him get shot.” she says. I’m lost for words. I stare at Tom. “Lisa jumped in after me, opened another portal in front of us,” he explains, as if sensing my question. “Feel very light headed. Wow.” “Another couple of seconds and he might have lost consciousness. I think he’ll be alright,” Lisa says.

“Where are we?” I ask.

“Alaska,” she says.

“I don’t know you,” he replies. It’s hard to hear, but the important thing is he’s safe. He’s alive.

“Dad, don’t you recognize me?” I say.

Our reunion is interrupted by a new voice from behind me, “Nobody move, you’re surrounded.” We all freeze. Tom locks eyes with me.

“Our group must have been infiltrated,” says Tom, “It won’t be safe to try and make contact with anyone, so I recommend we split up and hide out for a bit.”

Weeks later, while hiding out in the Canadian Underground, I start hearing strange stories. People are disappearing in places they thought were safe. The army is engaging in impossible flanking tactics. I know what’s happened: the government has turned Mobius into a powerful weapon, just like they wanted. I wonder how Lisa feels, knowing that her creation intended for

LYRICS & SHORT STORY CONTINUE ON PAGE 28

PAGE 26

To have your non-profit organization included in this free community resource list, please email your info to:

makeasceneak@mac.com

SENIORS

www. MAKEASCENEAK .com

Palmer Senior Citizens Center, Inc.

The primary mission of the Palmer Senior Citizens Center, Inc. is to assist individuals age sixty or older, individuals of any age with Alzheimer’s Disease or Related Disorders, individuals of any age on the Medicaid Waiver program and other eligible individuals in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough remain as independent as possible in the least restrictive environment possible and out of expensive nursing homes for as long as possible. Services include: congregate and home delivered meals, transportation, adult day services, care coordination, senior employment, family caregivers support, information / referral, chore services, senior housing, chore services, Better Choices Better Health classes, HELP program, activities and volunteer opportunities.

745-5454, pscc@mtaonline.net

Alzheimer’s Resource Agency of Alaska

As Alaska’s resource on Alzheimer’s disease, the Alzheimer’s Disease Resource Agency of Alaska (ADRAA) is committed to providing information, education and services for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (ADRD) and their caregivers. We have served Alaskans since 1984, and today we help more than 5,000 people annually.

As a non-profit statewide organization, we provide family consultations, care coordination, in-home services for frail elders & individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and education programs to family caregivers and health care professionals.

We are your resource for information and can refer you to services in Alaska or the contiguous U.S. Sam Meneses, 746-3432, www.alzalaska.org

Valley Charities, Inc; Turn-A-Leaf Thrift Store Provides medical equipment to all income brackets in the Valley; provides clothing and household goods to Valley residents that are economically disadvantaged.

John Rozzi , 376-5740

Wasilla Area Seniors, Inc. (WASI)

A Health and Wellness Campus for Seniors on the Go! The goal at WASI is to assist and refer services for Seniors 60 and older so they can live as independently as possible for as long as possible. Some of the services provided are: Meals: Family Style Meals Monday through Friday 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Center. Meals on Wheels home delivered meals.

Housing: Independent Housing for low income and Aprket rate individuals. Optional Assisted Living Services Transportation: Partnership with MASCOT Bus $.60 per one way ride. Dr. visits by appointment Other Activities: Cards, Wii, and Painting at the Center Blood Pressure Checks Club50 Fitness Center, Strong Seniors Program ($5/8 weeks) Shopping Trips and other outings Valley Performing Arts Theater Visits And much more… call 376-3104 opt.2 for more information.

Dennie Jaques , 376-3104

OCT 2014

Mat-Su Area Partnership (MAP)

An organization of non-profit agencies in the Mat-Su Valley. MAP holds a monthly meeting on a Thursday at the Menard Sports Complex in Wasilla. www.mapartnership.org/matsu/

Mid-Valley Seniors Inc

Mid-Valley Seniors, Inc. Mid-Valley Seniors has 3 senior housing units-18 apartments and serves a congregate meal Mon-

Fri at 12:00pm. Home delivered meals served daily fresh Mon-Fri, weekend meals are frozen.

Transportation to Adult Day Services is available Mon-Fri 8:00am-3:00pm Come up to the Center for activities or lunch.

Lisa Byrd, 892-6114 mvscadmin@mtaonline.net

FAMILIES & CHILDREN March of Dimes Alaska Chapter

The March of Dimes is inspired by all babies – those born healthy and those who need our help to survive and thrive. Working together for stronger, healthier babies, in the Valley we work directly with the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center.

The Children’s Place child advocacy center is a child-friendly, neutral facility where professionals from many agencies involved in the evaluation, investigation and treatment of child abuse meet to coordinate and bring their services to the child and their family. We provide child forensic interviews, medical exams, linkage to mental health providers, follow-up support and referrals throughout the investigation process.

Referrals to The Children’s Place are made through law enforcement and Office of Children’s Services.

The Children’s Place, 357-5157 www.alaskachildrensplace.com

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska

We also provide clinics and organizations with resources and information. We host a March for Babies walk in the Spring and High Heels for High Hopes Runway Show in OCTust.

Strengthens our communities by providing mentors to all children who need and want a caring adult role model – special friends who can help them expand their horizons, realize their potential and enrich their futures – changing their lives.

For more information contact our office 276-4111 or email JOdgers@marchofdimes.com.

Alaska Center for Resource Families

Alaska Family Services

Alaska Family Services is a multi-dimensional non-profit that has over 20 programs serving the Mat-Su Valley. Major areas are: domestic violence, behavioral health, WIC, family support, and residential for youth with emotional issues.

Donn A. Bennice, Ph.D. 746-4080 - akafs.org

LINKS Mat-Su Parent Resource Center.

We provide support and assistance to families with disabilities. LINKS provides support and trainings, parent to parent connections to mentor, information and referral, and access to library materials. These services are provided through one-on-one assistance and individualized workshops for small or large groups. Our vision is to ensure that every parent and family who has a child with a special need has access to information, education, outreach, and support in a culturally competent environment and to empower then to be advocates for themselves, their children, and their families.

Regan Building 3161 E Palmer Wasilla Hwy. Suite #2 Linda Kupers, Administrative Assistant linda@linksprc.org - 907-373-3632

MYHouse Homeless Teen Shelter in the Matsu

is a non-profit that exists to provide services to unaccompanied youth, ages 14-24, in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. The services we provide include, but are not limited to, hot meals, shelf stable foods, gas cards, transport to shelter, clothing, tents, sleeping bags, laundry, shower, hygiene products, street outreach, access to medical, dental and mental health care, vocational services and employment opportunities, educational advocacy and life coaching.

Our youth center, The Gathering Place, is located at 300 N. Willow St in central Wasilla. Also on campus is the MYHouse Café, Gathering Grounds, which exists to provide employment for homeless and at risk youth, as well as our partnering agencies and businesses, Nine Star, Mat-Su Public Health Center and Car Deets (an automotive detailing business which hires homeless youth). To learn more, visit our website at myhousematsu.org or call 373-4357.

Family Promise Mat-Su

Provides a shelter for families without housing.

We mobilize community resources and local congregations to provide compassionate care through shelter, meals, and case management to families without housing. Guest families are housed in area church buildings at night for a week at a time...moving to new host church on Sundays.

Provides support, training and education for foster, relative and adoptive families caring for children that have been abused and neglected. ACRF also helps support the Mat-Su Grandparents Support Group in collaboration with Links and Volunteers of America. For more information about foster care and adopting children that are in the OCS child protection system visit our website www.acrf.org or call 376-4678 - bwoodin@nwresource.org

Pillows for Kids Foundation

We provide little pillows of support and little scholarships for local children to participate in brain-training activities such as art, music, gymnastics, swimming, skiing, snowboarding, skating, horseback riding, and Aprtial arts..

Mentors and community members contact us when there is an identified need to keep kids, preschool through college, connected with good activities in our community. We plan to publish a book and CD/DVD of Evan’s “Little Pillow” song (copyrighted) soon.

Currently, we are selling washable, decorator pillows of all shapes, sizes and colors for kids and adults as a way of creating funding for the scholarships - Valerie Koivunen pillowsforkids@gmail.com

The Moose Boosters Wrestling Club

A youth development organization that provides aid and funding to low income recreational facilitates and athletes at the high school level.

Funding supports athletes who participate in wrestling programs while meeting academic standards.

Michelle Heun - 355-7099

Set Free Alaska

Brief description about non-profit: Our children, friends, co-workers; there is someone we know who is struggling with addiction and destructive behaviors. It is the goal of Set Free Alaska to provide excellent, individualized services to our clients. Set Free Alaska is a Christian outpatient substance abuse treatment center that uses a mind-body-spirit approach to recovery.

Our programs are designed to assist people in gaining freedom from the bondage of addiction and destructive behaviors. Set Free Alaska realizes that cost can be a huge deterrent to people seeking and receiving the help they need as well as a huge relapse trigger. Our assessments are based on a sliding fee scale.

It is the goal of Set Free Alaska that no person be denied the services they need due to lack of financial resources. Our offices are open MonFri 10-6 and we are located on the Palmer-Wasilla Highway across from the AT&T Sports Center.

Philip Licht, Executive Director 373-4732, www.setfreealaska.org/

Big Lake Community Clothing Closet

Applications are available on our website.

357-6160, www.familypromisematsu.org

Donated by local Alaskans, Big Lake Community Clothing Closet provides quality clothing to people in need, at no charge.

The Children’s Place

Clothing and footwear for people of all ages is

available. Also, assorted household items as they are available. This unique program helps people locally. Donations are accepted, to further the program. Any money donated helps pay the rent for our location at 2955 Big Lake Rd., Big Lake, Alaska.

Financial donation could also be mailed to the Big Lake Community Clothing Closet, PO Box 527069, Big Lake, AK 99652.

Open Wednesday’s from 11am-3pm All donations of quality clothing in good condition can be donated at the above address during regular hours of operation.

Check us out on Facebook

The ARTs Alaska Celtic Pipes & Drums

Those interested in lessons, or in playing pipes or drums with Alaska Celtic Pipes & Drums, please contact the Band by email at craigag@ mtaonline.net or by telephone at (907) 688-4196.

The band’s website can be found at http://www. alaskaceltic.org , plus, we’re on Facebook! “The Pipes, the Pipes are calling...”

Radio Free Palmer

Radio Free Palmer is community radio serving the Sutton and Palmer communities as KVRF 89.5 FM and online at radiofreepalmer.org.

On air since 2011, KVRF’s mission is to foster community involvement.

Currently we produce great local shows on topics from health to mushing - and the list of programs is growing. Online we add important community events such as the Borough Assembly and School Board Meetings. Listen to Radio Free Palmer KVRF 89.5 for more community-centric news, music, sports, music or come volunteer to to help bring great radio programming to the valley.

745-8951, Manager@radiofreepalmer.org Radiofreepalmer.org and on Facebook and Twitter

Valley Fine Arts Association

VFAA was formed to teach techniques, and encourage fellowship among visual artists in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. we strive to promote a supportive attitude toward visual arts in our Alaskan community.

We welcome beginners, students, part-time and professional artists who focus mainly on twodimensional art mediums and want to connect with other creative people and gain more exposure locally.

Throughout the year, we inform our members about opportunities to show their work, participate in group events, view other local artists, and enroll in workshops. During the school year, we organize regular sessions for painting together and host monthly artist demonstrations.

Membership in the Valley Fine Arts Association provides many diverse opportunities for artists. Check our website calendar at www. valleyfineartsassociation.org for upcoming events.

Mat-Su Community Chorus, Inc.

As Musical Ambassadors of The Valley, The Mat-Su Community Chorus has provided quality vocal music, in its various forms, for the benefit, education and enjoyment of its members and the surrounding communities since 1970. Our membership is open to the public, inviting all who wish to add their voice in song. We offer complimentary performances at public celebrations and deliver formal concerts twice a year.

We are a 501(c)3, non-profit organization, currently with twenty-two members and we are looking towards expanding the organization to better serve the community. With the support from individuals, businesses and other civic organizations we are able to grow our group by bringing the community together through music and to continue our standard of excellence.

We meet Octember through Nov. on Thursday evenings at 7-9pm in the Choir Room at Wasilla

High School.

Nan Potts 745-8788 matsucomchours@gmail.com

Alaska Celtic Pipes & Drums of Eagle River

Alaska Celtic Pipes & Drums of Eagle River, under the leadership of Pipe Major Aja Stewart and Drum Sergeant Bryan Gonzales, are actively recruiting pipers and drummers, as well as those interested in learning Great Highland Bagpipes and Highland Drumming (snare, tenor, bass.) We would like to extend a cordial invitation to anyone who would like to learn to play bagpipes or drums, to FREE lessons with our Band.

We are a grade IV competing, family-oriented pipe band established in 2005, and beginners of any age are welcome. Alaska Celtic Pipes & Drums are very active in supporting the community in which we live. Our purpose is to advance the rich cultural heritage of Great Highland Bagpipe music, and to have FUN doing it! ACPD provides free instruction in piping and drumming, with Band practice to follow, every Friday evening at 5:00 and 5:45 pm at Eagle River Presbyterian Church, 12836 Old Glenn Highway, in Eagle River.

Those interested in lessons, or in becoming members of ACPD, please contact the Band by email at Nov.gstensgericht@yahoo.com or by telephone at (907) 376-5060. The band’s website can be found at http://www.alaskaceltic.org

Mat-Su Concert Band, Inc.

Our mission is to promote, plan, support and conduct educational and cultural activities and opportunities for the benefit of the citizens and residents of Alaska. We do this by providing an outlet for the many talented musicians in and around our area to perform and a venue for the public to come and enjoy with us our music.

Rehearsals are every Mon. from 7 to 9 p.m. at Teeland Middle School. For more information, contact Gleo Huyck at 746-0628. matsuconcertband@gmail.com

The Whirling Rainbow Foundation

Grandmother Drum International Peace Project The Whirling Rainbow Foundation is an international spiritual and educational non- profit organization which honors and celebrates the diverse cultural and spiritual paths of the human family. The foundation cultivates the universal teachings of inner peace, loving compassion, wisdom and understanding at the core of every culture and spiritual tradition. We are starting a Global Peace Sanctuary and Sustainable Community in Palmer.

The GrandMother Drum International Peace Project travels the world as the international voice of the Whirling Rainbow Foundation. As a symbol of the heartbeat of love that connects all nations and all races, the seven foot, crystal inlaid GrandMother Drum holds local and global events promoting peace and unity through the universal language of music, dance, cultural and healings arts.

White Eagle Medicine Woman (Suraj Holzwarth) Executive Director www.whirlingrainbow.com

Valley Performing Arts

We’re celebrating over 36 years of Quality Live Theatre! VPA performs seven plays a year from Octember through Nov.. We welcome actors, volunteers, program advertisers and play sponsors to join in supporting VPA, the Valley’s oldest live theatre. The VPA Summer Theatre Arts Programs take place Nov. through Nov. and are for youth 6-11 and 12-17. The VPA Annual Meeting & Awards Ceremony is held each Nov. and Annual Fundraiser in October.

Purchase your tickets online or from our office.

Check out audition dates and show times on our website.

373-0195, www.valleyperformingarts.org

Valley Arts Alliance

The Valley Arts Alliance is a group of likeminded individuals who have joined together

We are a place for both new and established artists of all types—painters, sculptors, musicians, and those involved in the performing arts—to network and to experiment with new ideas and media. We work with local libraries, schools, museums, art councils, and music and art groups to create more venues for the arts, and to help promote art related events. www.valleyartsalliance.com

ANIMALS AK Cat Kitty Rescue

is a local small kitty rescue. We specialize in litters of kittens, and our facility is designed that way. We will take in litters from the community, and will assist in getting their mom cat spayed.

ALL of our kittens are up to date on vaccines, and have been spayed/ or neutered prior to adoptions. We are a 501c3, so any donations are tax deductible. If you are looking to adopt, or need help placing a litter, please call us! We are currently looking for help with computer type tasks, updating website, or updating our adoptions and monthly expences.

AK CAT 907-232-4444 www.akcat.org

Alaska Dog & Puppy Rescue (ADPR)

Alaska Assistance Dogs (AAd)

AAD provides service dogs to Alaskans with special needs (physical, physiological & mental health), and incorporates therapeutic programs into service dog training. AAD works with special education students at school, provides teen mentoring in community training venues, offers domestic violence/PTSD support groups, FASD/ Autism programs, and provides service dogs and support groups for veterans with PTSD and their families.

Therapist on staff, and all trainers are certified by the founder of the service dog concept, Dr. Bonnie Bergin.

Carole J. Shay, Lpc. carole@alaskaassistancedogs.org

Meadow Gates Farm Sanctuary

Meadow Gates Farm Sanctuary has provided shelter and care for unwanted pet rabbits since 2001. We are a 501(c)3 non-profit charitable corporation. Rabbits are taken in when space is available. They are evaluated for behavior and personality, spayed/neutered, then adopted to new pet homes. Bunnies not able to be adopted are maintained permanently at the sanctuary.

Responsible adult volunteers are always needed.

907-357-6437, www.meadowgates.com manager@meadowgates.com

VARIETY United Way of Mat-Su

We are dedicated to working in our community on education, stable income and health. These are the building blocks for a quality life. We provide grants to programs with these areas of focus and administer programs that improve early childhood education, reduce substance

The Valley Quilters Guild

was formed in 1985 to promote quilting in the Matanuska Valley. We currently have a membership of about 180. Our main objectives are service to our community and the education of Quilters. We serve the community by donating quilts to organizations and groups that approach us with their needs. We also give quilts to the victims of fires, child abuse, homeless families, and Law Enforcement agencies for comforting victims of domestic violence. The Guild meets the first Thursday of each month at the Palmer Train Depot at 7 p.m.

Mat Su Sertoma Club

The Mat Su Sertoma Club focuses on hearing health. They are part of a national organization with more than 600 clubs throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

The club provides free hearing screens to the public the first Saturday of every month from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Wasilla Physical Therapy, 3750 E. Country Field Circle, Wasilla from September until May. During the summer we’re fishing, camping and gardening like most Alaskans!

The Mat Su Sertoma Club is the host to the Annual Mat Su Polar Plunge, the original valley dip each February. They have been responsible for providing funding to non profits in the Mat Su Borough for more than 5 years, along with scholarship funding for two students who are pursuing an education in the hearing health field.

The website is www.matsuhearing.dot to stay abreast of activities. Meetings are held the second and fourth Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at Tailgaters Restaurant in Wasilla.

Mat-Su Special Santa

The Mat-Su Special Santa program is the largest Christmas gift giving program in the Valley.

Mat-Su Special Santa teams with Toys for Tots, Salvation Army, Food Banks, state and local agencies, churches and schools to help families in need. Last year over 3400 children completed a wish list with requests for Christmas presents.

The program provided at least two toys/ gifts, winter wear when possible, a new book, personal items and stocking stuffers. All of this is possible through the generous donations of our community with over 1000 community members, organizations, clubs and schools either volunteering or donating to the program.

This is an all volunteer program. We are also in need of volunteers.

All Donations are tax deductible, according to state and federal laws. You can make a donation to The Last Frontier Honor Flight PO Box 520116 Big Lake, Alaska 99652, or pay with a credit card on our website at www.tlfhonorflight.org.

If you would like to volunteer you can contact our President Ron Travis at (907) 892-6097 for meeting times and places.

The Sertoma Club - Wasilla

We host the Mat Su Polar Plunge raising funds for non-profits in the Matanuska Susitna Valley, Alaska. February 2011 we saw 85 jumpers raise almost $20,000 which was then given to the Food Pantry of Wasilla and Turn A Leaf Thrift Stores. The Food Pantry provides emergency food supplies to families in need. Turn A Leaf has a medical lending equipment program which is now organized with software purchased with funds received. Both were grant recipients from the Mat Su Sertoma Club. Grant applications for the 2012 Mat Su Polar Plunge are located on our website: www.matsuplunge.com.

Mat-Su Community Chorus

Do you love to sing? The Mat-Su Community Chorus welcomes new adult members in all vocal ranges each September and January.

We are a well-established, male-female, SATB community singing group conducted by Anna Crowther. Group singing benefits your emotional and physical health and enriches our community, so bring your talents and join the Chorus! No audition required although previous experience is helpful.

We offer complimentary performances at public celebrations and deliver formal concerts several times a year. Rehearsals are on Thursdays at the WHS choir room from 7 - 9 pm. Contact us at matsucomchorus@gmail.com or call Sandy at 907-355-5836 for membership details. Like us on Facebook for concert reminders.

We have a wonderful club of volunteers! On a weekly basis you’ll find a Mat Su Sertoman at the Food Pantry, Wasilla Senior Campus, Valley Charities, helping Special Olympics and the list goes on and on! Our goal for 2011/2012 year is to raise more than, $25,000 in polar plunge funds.

You can pledge or sign up to jump! Just visit our website for more information.

Join us every other Thursday at 5:00pm at the Tailgaters Sports Bar and Grill. Our next meeting is Nov. 25th. We always have new speakers and a great time. See you there!

Valley Residential Services

VRS provides housing to people with special needs. We define people with special needs as those individuals who are experiencing behavioral or developmental disabilities, lowincome levels or who are seniors. VRS currently manages 198 residential units distributed in the Mat-Su Valley and participates in special programs to assist with rental assistance. We can also assist with linking individuals to social service agencies who can assist with life skills programs.

(907) 357-0256, www.valleyres.org

The Special Santa Program’s goal is to help children receive the magic of Christmas and know that people care. In reaching this goal the program: 1. Coordinates with agencies and programs to provide for families, 2. Provides the citizens in the Community an opportunity to give, 3. Assists families in need at a stressful time of year, 4. Spreads the joy of Christmas throughout the Mat-Su Valley.

TOPS

Go to www.specialsanta.net for more information or e-mail us at matsu_santa@yahoo. com.

Our mission is to educate and provide opportunities in our community to reduce, reuse, and recycle for the long-term good of all.

Our vision is to establish the Mat-Su Borough as a model recycling community for Alaska.

We are open for residential recycling Tuesday thru Friday 10:30am to 6:00pm and Saturday 10:30am to 3:30pm. Businesses can call ahead

The Last Frontier Honor Flight

Our mission is to transport WWII, Alaska Territorial Guard and Korean War veterans

Take off Pounds Sensibly Non-Profit Weight Loss Support Group Three (3) Chapters meet weekly in the Valley.

Kathy Miller - 376-9571 or write to matsutops@webtv.net

Valley Community for Recycling Solutions (VCRS)

for hours. Your permanent community recycling center is located in our new green building at 9465 E Chanlyut Circle, next to the animal shelter at the Central Landfill.

Volunteer opportunities available. community@valleyrecycling.org valleyrecycling.org - 745-5544

Valley Residential Services (VRS)

VRS provides special needs housing to individuals who experience behavioral or developmental disabilities, low-income levels or those who are homeless. VRS currently has 168 properties in the Mat-Su Valley with special programs to assist with rental assistance and we can assist with linking individuals to social service agencies who can assist with life skills programs.

(907) 357-0256 , valleyres.org

Alaska Attachment & Bonding Associates (AABA)

Educates and supports foster, adoptive, kinship care, step, grand and guardianship parents and professionals who care for children with emotional mental health issues, such as Attachment Disorder. AABA provides workshops, e-mail/telephone support, resource/ referral information, self-advocacy, AABA website www.akattachment.org, RAVEN Respite, newsletters, brochures, lending library, and Mom2Mom/Dad2Dad parent support group.

For more information: Laura Wagner 907-376-0366

The Homeless Actors of Mat-Su

HAMS, the Homeless Actors of Mat-Su, is a valley non-profit community theater group created to further theatrical opportunities for actors and technical personnel of all ages, be experienced or beginner and the audiences who have not been fully represented in the valley.

With local support we intend to produce a broad range of the atypical classical, modern, comic, dramatic and musical one act and full length plays and improvisational theater that are both educational and entertaining in the traditional and dinner theater format as fundraisers for various local causes and to continue to encourage development of the theater arts in the Mat-Su Valley.

Contact Elizabeth Clausen, General Manager, 841-4119; akhams@yahoo.com

Mat-Su Food Bank

Matsu Our mission at the Matsu Food Bank is to provide emergency supplemental food to residents of the Matanuska Susitna Valley. The Matsu Food Bank distributes food in a way that provides dignity to all of our clients.

All distributions provided by the Matsu Food Bank dba Food Pantry of Wasilla, will be given without regard to race, color, sex, age, physical or mental limitations, religious affiliation, or national origin.

The pantry hours of distribution are Monday through Friday from 10:00AM to 1:00PM. We are located at 501 E. Bogard Rd. in Wasilla. Our contact number is 907-357-3769.

We have three programs of operation under the Matsu Food Bank. The community supplied Food Pantry of Wasilla accepts cash, & food donations from individuals and groups that are distributed to clients on a monthly basis. We also are a distribution location for TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program). This is a program provided by the USDA. Our third program is Food 4 Kids.

This program prepares and delivers nutritious meals and snacks to hungry kids in a safe community environment. We provide meals during the school year and also have a summer program at various locations to provide nutritious lunches for all kids in the valley 18 years or younger.

We have a website www.matsufoodbank.org. If you have any questions please go to the website or

OUTDOORS North America Outdoor Institute

The North America Outdoor Institute (NAOI) is a not-for-profit community outreach organization providing outdoor safety and environmental awareness education programs for the general public in an effort to save lives from preventable outdoor injuries and deaths. Debra McGhan, debra@naoiak.org 376-2898 , www.naoiak.org

Alaskans For Palmer Hay Flats

Dedicated to conserving the natural and cultural resources of Palmer Hay Flats State Game Refuge through public awareness, year-round recreation and events, education and enhancement projects. Healthy, outdoor recreation in a safe, beautiful setting is what APH helps provide to all users.

357-8711, alaskans@palmerhayflats.org www.palmerhayflats.org

Alaska Frontier Trappers Association

The Alaska Frontier Trappers Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to the ethical and lawful practice of trapping Alaska’s fur bearers. We work to educate fellow trappers, children and the public in general about trapping as a necessary wildlife management and research tool.

Our monthly meetings usually include a guest speaker and/or a demonstration and fur handling information. Meetings which are held at 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month at the Palmer Library. Everyone is welcome to attend. www.akfrontiertrappers.com

CONSERVATION Alaska WildBird Rehabilitation Center

The mission of the Alaska WildBird Rehabilitation Center is to care for injured, orphaned and sick wild birds with the goal of releasing them back into the wild; and to educate the public about these birds and their habitats.

AWBRC, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is always looking for volunteers and donations. We are undergoing a building project this summer, and can use carpentry assistance. In addition, regular volunteers are always needed for care of our resident birds. Please visit our web site at http://www.akwildbirdrehab.org/ for further information about us, to volunteer or to request a live bird program.

Wasilla Soil & Water Conservation District (WSWCD) The WSWCD is a non-profit formed in 1948 to assist landowners & land managers with conservation & development on land through technical assistance, projects & education programs & services. WSWCD is an active, year-round community-based organization; a non-regulatory agency; a strong partner with various government & non-profit agencies/ groups; a credible, knowledgeable advocate for conserving soil & water resources supported by the time & energy of neighbors & volunteers dedicated to making a positive difference in their communities.

Our priorities are: Salmon enhancement & restoration; Soil, forage crops & manure testing; Stream & lake bank stabilization; Water quality & instream flows; Arbor Day activities & tree planting; Invasive weed assessments – land & water; Trail use & salmon stream crossings; Cooperator & community conservation needs; Public information, involvement & education. distmgr@wasillaswcd.org

OCT 2014

United Way of Mat Su was formed in 1987 to serve as a single, borough wide, fundraising agency, but we have grown to be so much more.

United Way provides information on available services through the 211 hotline and website www.alaska211.org and keep current and distribute the Mat-Sui Resource Guide. Our goal is to bring together individuals, companies and agencies to achieve measurable, positive, lasting results. We ask the community to LIVE UNITED which means all of us coming together to volunteer, advocate and give to create a brighter future for all. To find out more visit www.unitedwaymatsu.org or call 373-5807. The United Way of Matanuska Susitna Borough is physically located at 550 S Alaska Street Suite 205 Palmer, AK 99645.

to Washington D.C. to visit those memorials dedicated to honor their service and sacrifices AT NO COST TO THE VETERANS.

www. MAKEASCENEAK .com

Alaska Dog & Puppy Rescue is an all volunteer, non-profit organization formed for the purpose of rescuing homeless dogs and puppies. We have rescued dogs throughout Alaska, including various Bush communities. These rescued dogs are placed in foster homes, where they are socialized, vaccinated, dewormed, and taken to the vet to be microchipped and spayed or neutered. It is our goal to have an animal sanctuary, so that all adoptable dogs are given an opportunity to find their forever homes. We encourage individuals to volunteer for this very worthy cause.

745-7030 adpr03@yahoo.com

abuse and improve senior citizen nutrition. We supply Familywize prescription drug discount cards, which have saved people in the Mat-Su over $500,000 since its beginning.

PAGE 27

to encourage, sponsor, facilitate and support artistic expression.

Short Story discovering new worlds would now only be used to oppress this one. I don’t have the heart to ask her.

How long How long must you wait To see the fate Of all you create How far How far must you go To find a vision In all that you know Driven and tireless The Creator paints straight lines Across a simple sky The image he conjures Gives meaning to the scene He’ll teach men how to fly And fly they will And fly they will And flying, they will shoot him down How long How long must you wait To feel the wrath Of all you create How far How far must you go To sow your seeds To save your soul Brow furrowed slightly The Creator makes his mark Upon the empty page The words he’s written Give meaning to his life He’ll free men from their cage And free they’ll be And free they’ll be And freely, they will chain him down He needs no sanction No warrant No leave The fire he brings them Will take care of all their needs Burn him at the stake Burn him at the stake How long How long must you wait To see the fate Of all you create How wrong How wrong can you be Fight on But you can’t make them see How strong How strong is your soul For his dreams The Creator pays a toll

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25 Chapter 10: Extraordinary Tales Censorship of the press started slowly, decades ago. Nobody really noticed at first. Certain stories simply weren’t published. Some stories were edited for national security. Growing up the son of a journalist it was hard to ignore. The end result was to make the populace just a little bit more ignorant, a little bit more… controllable.

As time went on, the government’s regulation of the news became more pronounced. Once the Supreme Court started hearing cases in secret, they rendered decisions in favor of expanding government censorship. A “free” press was still free, they argued, even if they were regulated in the name of the public good. You could still report the news, “freely”, but with certain restrictions. It wasn’t the first time such an argument had been used, nor would it be the last.

People didn’t really start to take notice until they came after the art, though. The first book to be banned under the new laws encouraged the ritualistic sacrifice of public officials to the God of the Human Spirit. Its graphic depictions and detailed how-to guide for kidnapping probably didn’t help the court case too much. Like all laws, the censorship powers became more broadly interpreted as the years wore on, and anti-government sentiment multiplied. Eventually, no song, story, game or movie that seemed to encourage reform, protest or rebellion of any kind was legal. Stealth viruses unleashed upon an unwitting public, or pre-loaded on hardware straight from the manufacturers, took control of most digital content and landed a lot of people in jail.

The government cracked down on hackers hard, but they could never completely stamp out the pirates. There’s a shadow war that’s been going on for a long time. The balance of power shifts with changing technology, though, and about a week ago the hackers scored a big win. An A.I. routine developed by some anonymous programmer had located and infected a government database of censored material. The floodgates were opened. Suddenly you can find any damn thing you want, and there seems to be no stopping the proliferation of illegal material on the Underground darknets, at least for now.

The illegal art seems to inspire the younger people. Life “by the law” has become increasingly more difficult, and every day new people join the Sub State movement, despite the risks. In most of the country people live dull, grey lives consisting of lines: lines for food, lines for money, lines for gas, lines for jobs. The sudden unleashed creativity of generations past and present seemed to offer them a momentary break from that simple existence, and they were free to imagine a better world.

As for me, I’m rather fond of the extraordinary tales of small bands of rebel fighters who, using newly constructed and

much improved Mobius devices courtesy Dr. Lisa Berkowitz, were finally taking the fight to the statists. I’ve had a successful run here in Canada, helping the locals plant bombs and deliver contraband, but I think it’s time to find my old friends. They could use a cyborg assassin.

Simple life Simple dreams Simple ends take Simple means (Take me far away) From the ordinary world (Fly me far away) On extraordinary tales (Teach me how to dream) In this ordinary world (Tell me once again) Of extraordinary tales Simple scenes Of simple years Simple songs Please simple ears (Take me far away) From the ordinary world (Fly me far away) On extraordinary tales (Teach me how to dream) In this ordinary world (Tell me once again) Of extraordinary tales Chapter 11: Fearless “Don’t be afraid!” the young man shouts. He’s standing behind a granite podium, speaking to a crowd of millions. We have no faces. We’re a singular, silent mass. Everyone has a spot in the front row. Strange things can happen when your reality is electrical impulses, sent straight to your optical nerve from a biochip implant.

“Courage takes passion,” says the man. “So where’s your passion for freedom? Revolution takes persistence, but it cannot abide patience! The time has come to show the leaders, the rulers, the oligarchs, the statist control-freaks that we are NOT afraid, we will NOT be bowed, and OUR time has come!” The crowd erupts in cheers.

“In truth it was always our time, just waiting for us to seize it. A parasite cannot survive without its host, and we will no longer consent to live in bonds of servitude, sacrificing our dreams, our work, our lives and our happiness for the benefit of those who would deprive us of our humanity. Are we a mob, or are we individuals? Show them your faces!” Almost at once, the masks come off across the crowd.

“When nobody submits to being ruled, there can be no rulers, so today we affirm our independence from power and violence. Aggression is illegitimate, but self-defense is a moral imperative. The next time someone with a costume and a

piece of paper tries to act like he owns you, like he has a right to assault you, to rob you, to kidnap or molest you just because he’s wearing a different colored shirt, you RESIST. Across the country we will resist! We don’t need guns and government to prosper, to connect, to help each other, to trade. We don’t need public servants lording over us like neurotic parents, afraid we might eat too much, or too unhealthily, or take the wrong drugs, or listen to the wrong music. It’s time to stop being afraid of our own freedom!

Some of you will resist peacefully, some will fight, but none of us will comply. For our part, the Sub Staters will continue to fight against aggression anywhere it exists. We’ll fight for ourselves, for each other, and ultimately for you. This is a time for heroes. If you have a hero in you, don’t let him down. Fight!”

On December 21st, 2048, we fought.

We won.

There’s a choice between freedom and fear That we all must make Sometimes the decision weighs heavy Sometimes it feels too late You can try to change your world Or you can leave it all behind But taking the wheel is never easy When you drive outside the lines Courage takes passion, Revolution takes persistence So rise up, and join the resistance We can be fearless We can take control If you feel that hero in your soul, don’t let him down Don’t let him down There’s a choice between life and death That we all must make Sometimes the struggle wears us down Sometimes it feels like fate You can try to stand your ground Or you can just stand still But you don’t get to move the world Without action, and force of will Courage takes passion, Revolution takes persistence So rise up, and join the resistance We can be fearless We can take control If you can feel that hero in your soul, don’t let him down Don’t let him down The future belongs to the brave To those who act today So take up arms against the past And throw your shackles away

The End.

PAGE 29

MAT-SU ANIMAL SHELTER

HAUNTED HOUSE

GATEWAY TO DARKNESS

HAUNTED HOUSE

HAUNTED HOUSE

OCTOBER 31st GHOULISH FUN FOR ALL! $5.00 PER PERSON

Alice in Horrorland

www. MAKEASCENEAK .com

OCTOBER 24TH & 25TH FROM 7PM - 11PM $5.00 PER PERSON

MUSEUM OF AK TRANSPORTATION

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

HALLOWEEN & FALL FAMILY FUN GUIDE

Haunted House OCTOBER 29TH 1041 E. Susitna Dr. Wasilla, AK. $1 suggested donation.

OCT 2014

OCTOBER 3rd - november 1st $15.00 PER PERSON

PAGE 30 www. MAKEASCENEAK .com

Art

The Art in a Total

Lunar Eclipse

“I stayed awake most of the night, snapping a few pics and just watching something that has been fairly rare for us here in Alaska.”

By Carmen Summerfield The Total Lunar Eclipse in the early hours of October 8, visible to us here in Alaska at about 2:30 am local time, was an awesome sight! I stayed awake most of the night, snapping a few pics and just watching something that has been fairly rare for us here in Alaska.

But first, what is a lunar eclipse?

OCT 2014

The Moon is a satellite of the earth. It has no light of its own but is illuminated to us on Earth by light from the Sun reflected from the lunar surface. The Moon orbits Earth about once every 29 and a half days. As it circles the earth, the changing position of the Moon with respect to the Sun causes the Moon to cycle through a series of phases, from New Moon, through First Quarter, to Full Moon, and back again.

If the Earth passes between the Moon and the Sun during the Full Moon phase, the Moon is hidden from the sunlight, or eclipsed. An eclipse of the Moon (Lunar Eclipse) can only occur at

Full Moon. Of the 3 types of Lunar Eclipses— the Penumbral Lunar Eclipse, the Partial Lunar Eclipse, and the Total Lunar Eclipse—only the Total Lunar Eclipse results in the dramatic blood red darkening of the Moon that I observed in the early hours of October 8.

During a Total Lunar Eclipse the entire Moon passes through Earth’s umbral shadow, a region of the Earth’s shadow where all of the direct sunlight is blocked from reaching the Moon.

But even in the Earth’s umbral shadow, indirect sunlight still manages to reach the Moon.

Since this indirect sunlight must first pass deep through the Earth’s atmosphere, most of the blue colored light is filtered out leaving the remaining dim light a deep red or orange color.

This deep red light is bent or refracted by the Earth so that a small fraction can reach and illuminate the entire Moon.

If the Earth had no atmosphere, then the Moon would be completely black during a Total Lunar Eclipse. Instead, the Moon can take on a range

of colors from dark brown and red to bright orange and yellow. The exact appearance depends on how much dust and clouds are present in Earth’s atmosphere.

So why don’t we have a Total Lunar Eclipse every month? Because the Moon’s orbit around Earth is actually tipped about 5 degrees to Earth’s orbit around the Sun, the Moon usually passes above or below Earth’s shadow during the Full Moon phase, and no eclipse takes place. But two to four times each year, the Moon passes through some portion of the Earth’s penumbral or umbral shadows and one of the three types of eclipses occurs.

But a Total Lunar Eclipse occurs less than once a year. We Alaskans will only see a Total Lunar Eclipse 2 more times in the next 4 years—April 4, 2015, and January 31, 2018.

> So all you stargazers should read up on these coming attractions, and “keep looking up!” for art!

PAGE 31 www. MAKEASCENEAK .com

NOW SERVING BREAKFAST AND DINNER! Now serviNg Food FroM 7aM-7PM M-F aNd 10-7 saT, 10-5 sUN.

Fresh made Gelato and Pastries come try our new breakfast menu

DRINKS OR MAKE YOUR OWN!

1601 Parks Highway | 907-357-0066 | Fred Meyer Parking Lot

OCT 2014

FRESH JUICING - TRY ONE OF OUR GREAT