The People's Paper August 2014 by The People's Paper

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The People’s Paper

AUG. 2014

FREE

MATANUSKA VALLEY, ALASKA

PALMER CITY ALEHOUSE presents

MAGAZINE

Housing And Employment Must Go Hand In Hand

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HOMELESS HOUSING IN WASILLA BY MICHAEL P. CARSON, V.P. OF MYHOUSE There are bears in the woods and they are different colors. I hope no one gets hurt. In those woods there is a homeless camp. There is a wide range of age groups, (14-30 years old) with some truly homeless and others just camping, as if it was summer camp. I have seen that first hand. Also, there are those that are just visiting their homeless friends. Visitors come and go on a regular bases, with more traffic on weekends and with sunny weather. Then, there are parents, (along with the police) coming and pulling out their own kids for obvious reasons. I have personally visited the camp a number of times. One visit was at noon, and they were all still sleeping or hung over? And, most unfortunately, there are some outsiders that have realized they can peddle their wares (drugs) to long term, short term campers and visitors. I hope no one gets assaulted, has an overdose, or the worst case, sex trafficked. I can take heart that some truly homeless will decide enough is enough and they want something different. But, I have to always remind myself, it is their journey, as to when they come to those crossroads. And, I have to remember, they are very hurt, feel unlovable, and unworthy of a better life. Some are trapped in the grips of traumatic early experiences. I can not even begin to comprehend those feelings of hopelessness and despair. Sometimes, it can be masked with helplessness, a negative outlook or the sense of entitlement. Yet, some are beginning to trust and ask for help. I can take heart. There is a lot of prejudice that somehow they caused their past.

It must be demoralizing. Many homeless youth did not deserve what happened to them. Life sometimes is not fair. Yet, the message is you don’t have to allow the past to control your future. And, going home is not a solution or option for many, and finding a job is tough. So, the sustainable solution for homelessness is housing and employment. That’s our part and exactly how we can be helpful. With a full continuum of care, in regards to housing, ( emergency, transitional, and affordable) we can help those that want to help themselves. And we have to be ready when they make that decision to engage and cooperate with caring and supportive adults. Now, comes a critical juncture. It is to provide them with options of housing ( crisis, dorm style, host homes or supervised apartments) to own their own, new decision, direction and live by different choices. This new constructive action comes with case management and personal responsibility, education, or job skills and most importantly, employment. Housing and employment must go hand in hand. The ‘Out of Reach‘ data reports to afford a one bedroom in the MatSu Valley at fair market value, one must make at least $15.00 an hour, with 30% paid for housing. And a two bedroom would incur a salary of $21.00 an hour. Obviously, a minimum wage of $8.00 will not pay the bill. We can still provide housing if it is subsidized and the youth pays 30% percent of whatever their wages to the cost housing, until they become stable over a period of time. They will need financial training during this period of time. Remember, these homeless youth have never had the opportunity to

OOPS! OUR MISTAKE.

even save money much less have a checking account and pay bills. We need to engage unions and trades to provide apprentice programs. There are programs that provide commercial and construction training, but, those costs are out of reach for homeless youth. If potential employers would sign a letter of intent for employment, then scholarships and grants could be used to complete their training. These youth need career and technical training to gain a foot hold to pull themselves out of homelessness. Now, they are wearing beat up, wet tennis shoes without any support. We can provide a hand up now, with an investment in prevention, or pay later and pay much more later. There is a simpler idea for those wanting to help and help now. You could volunteer at MYHOUSE. We have a dinner hour ( MondayFriday, at 3-4 p.m.) that provides an opportunity to sit down to have a sane, quiet and understanding conversation with homeless youth. They have lost those vital relationships. It will take time for them to trust again. They need a sense someone cares. Also, if you have any opportunities for yard work or other general day labor, please consider posting on our bulletin board. And always keep in mind, it is their journey. Yet, we can be there and be ready when they decide to take a different direction and get out from underneath being homeless. No matter what has happened in their past, they can have a better future. They are our youth, and there are too many bears of different colors in those woods! JOIN THE GOOD FIGHT AT MYHOUSE. ALL ARE WELCOME. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE CALL US AT 373-4357

IN THE LAST ISSUE OF THE PEOPLE’S PAPER, WE INCORRECTLY ATTRIBUTED THE ARTICLE “WILL GLOBALISM PLAY IN US SENATE RACE” TO JOE MILLER - IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ATTRIBUTED TO GREG STODDARD. OUR APOLOGIES TO MR. MILLER AND MR. STODDARD

LOCAL MUSIC & MORE AT ALASKA STATE FAIR

ON PAGE 13 OF...

MAKE A SCENE

ON THE INSIDE

Story of my life

BY GINA MAYEUR Hello my name is Gina. I was born in Kiev (Ukarine), right were the war is. I grew up as an only child in a little house with my mother, and grandparents (I never knew my father.) I took care of myself by begging on the street for food and money, or I roamed through the trash cans. I did all of this because my mother and grandparents were always drunk. I was beat by my grandfather, so I always ran away, but the government found me and took me to an orphanage. In the orphanage from the age of 7 until the age of 10, I came back from Germany (were I was trying to get adopted) and a couple was waiting for me. I got adopted at the age of 10 and brought to Alaska where I gained a family (mother, father, older sister, and a younger brother.) I stayed with them until the age of 18. I moved out because I didn't agree with the way they treated us. I couch surfed for two years until I found out about an organization that helps youth find a job and a place to stay called MyHouse, and I was so excited because I knew Michelle Overstreet (one of the founders of MyHouse) from school. I got a job at Gathering Grounds (inside of MyHouse) as a barista. I also applied to Job Corp and Michelle Overstreet helped me with the application, and I got in. I have met so many wonderful people here that I am going to miss. Most of all I am going to miss Michelle Overstreet (she has been a wonderful friend for 6 years), Alice (are wonderful chef and a friend), and Linda (a new friend that always encourages me to do my best and that I can do anything that I put my mind to.) MyHouse became my friends and family and I am so glad that I have met all of them. I’m on the road to success and feel that I am truly going to reach my goal in my life.

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Fish For All Alaskans BY PAUL DALE

Alaska’s wild salmon runs are part of what makes our state and communities distinctive. They differentiate us from almost all other coastal regions in the world. Fishing—whether sport, commercial, subsistence or personal use—is part of our heritage. The keys to sustaining natural salmon resources are good science, regulatory stability, meaningful participation of all user groups, and long-term research and management investments. Some of these have been compromised in Cook Inlet due to salmon allocation issues that have been loudly and sometimes irrationally debated over the past several years. Politics have taken precedence over science and reasoning, endangering the long term health of the salmon resource, and confounding efforts to fairly share harvests. With the past few seasons of poor king salmon returns the intensity and corrosiveness of the conflicts have grown. In 2012-2014, Kenai River sport fishermen, along with setnet fishermen, were closed, or severely restricted to preserve king salmon for spawning escapement. There is no doubt that we are in a period of low abundance of king salmon in some Alaskan rivers. However, the Kenai River king salmon fishery is not in the crisis that Bob Penney would like us to believe. Though numbers were low, post-season analysis by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game showed that the 2012 closures on the Kenai River late run were unnecessary

and were the result of previously misunderstood chinook counting and run timing issues.These problems remain largely unresolved. Still, Kenai River king salmon escapement goals have been met or exceeded in each of the last twenty-six years, and projections show this will likely include 2014. Are king salmon smaller? Yes, but for a variety of reasons including an overcapitalized, professional sport fish industry that has systematically targeted large king salmon. The Alaska Salmon Alliance, based in Kenai and Anchorage has been doing community outreach in the Mat-Su Valley and Anchorage for the past 18 months. The effort has focused on bringing sport, personal, subsistence and commercial user groups together on common research themes, wild stock enhancement and to promote dialogue that could lead to long term management solutions.

In fact, ASA worked with the Mat-Su Fish and Wildlife Commission and the Kenai River Sportfishing Association (KRSA) to secure funding of research projects that resulted in the Legislature awarding $7.0 million for Mat-Su Valley drainage salmon enhancement in 2013. Unfortunately, discussions lapsed with the filing of a setnetter ban initiative by KRSA board members and friends. The setnetter ban initiative would not only destroy 500 small family businesses, it would also severely disrupt ADF&G’s ability to manage salmon stocks in Cook Inlet. The setnetter ban initiative would also undermine the economically vital southcentral seafood processing industry.

A recent study conducted by Northern Economics analyzed the value of commercial salmon and other fisheries in this region.

Alaskan residents. Commercial fishing here is a trade that is handed down from generation to generation, family to family.

· There was a total of $2.15 billion

Commercial salmon fishermen also fund the Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association which has been contributing to salmon restoration programs for more than 15 years in the Mat-Su Valley. Both technical and financial support is being offered for the development of small scale, community-based moist-air incubation systems and the reopening of the Eklutna Hatchery.

accumulated harvest value between 1980-2011, using 2012 dollars.

· In 2011, the Cook Inlet Salmon Fishery:

· Was larger than all salmon fisheries in the lower 48 combined.

· Created more than 5,000 Alaskan jobs.

· Added $102 million in direct value to our economy.

· Had an overall economic footprint of $350 million for the region. The full report is available on our website: www.aksalmonalliance.org Additional information from the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission shows there are 2,335 resident salmon permit holders who fish in southwest and southcentral Alaska fisheries. Each of these permit holders represents a small business. Of these, over 700 reside in Anchorage and an additional 350 reside in Eagle River and the Mat-Su Valley. The number of jobs provided for the Mat-Su Valley alone is conservatively estimated to be over 1,000. The value of this regional industry goes well beyond dollars and cents. It grows our communities. Seventy-five percent of Cook Inlet salmon fishermen are

ASA, created in 2011, is committed to seeking scientifically-based and fair fishery management, geared toward preserving – for all users – the salmon culture that is unique to Alaska. ASA stands ready to reengage with all user groups at any time to reinstate frank and meaningful discussions. All user groups can benefit from consistent, coherent policies that both protect and fairly share these salmon stocks. Whether you wet a line with a fly, bait or spinner, put a dipnet in the river, or fish commercially, we need policies that allow this unique natural resource to be shared by all and sustained forever. ASA is working toward that goal. Paul Dale grew up in Palmer and has been involved in commercial fisheries all of his adult life. Paul and his wife Brenda own Snug Harbor Seafoods in Kenai. He has served on the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly and is a former member of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute and the Alaska Fisheries Marketing Board. Paul is currently President of the Alaska Salmon Alliance.

The People’s Paper PETS & ANIMALS PAGE 3

PETS&ANIMALS Meet Nemo

Nemo is what we dog rescue folks call a “Pocket Pitty.” He only weighs about 35 pounds despite being an adult. Nemo is a people pleaser and is very food motivated – which makes him an easy dog to train.

is coming along nicely. Nemo will need to be adopted by a family that owns their home – due to misconceptions about Pit Bulls, causing landlords to shy away from renting to families with Pits.

Positive training would definitely benefit Nemo’s exuberance for life. His foster family has been using Clicker Training and Nemo

IF INTERESTED IN THIS PET PLEASE EMAIL RESCUEADOGTODAY@GMAIL. COM FOR AN APPLICATION OR VISIT ONE OF OUR WEEKLY ADOPTION CLINICS!

Feral Cats

Are They Decimating Our Bird Populations?

To begin, let's examine exactly what a feral cat is. The myth tells us that feral cats are wild animals - they are not! They are homeless, domesticated animals that have been abandoned by their humans and must now fend for themselves in order to survive. This is a problem that has been created by people, not cats. A mountain lion is a wild cat, a feral cat is a cat that is frightened by people. Certainly, feral cats are responsible for some bird deaths, as are any outdoor cats. However, the main threat to the bird population comes from habitat loss resulting from human activities, such as deforestation, pollution, and climate change. In addition, the federal government has been intentionally responsible for the deaths of millions of animals, many of them birds. In a June 7th article in the Anchorage Daily News, Darryl Fears exposes the carnage of 4-million animals by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2013. The article states that, "Over 15 years, at least 40 million animals have been shot, poisoned, snared and trapped by Wildlife Services. Much of this killing is done to benefit homeowners or farm owners and their perceived threats by wildlife. Birds are often

considered a nuisance and are killed because they are found at airports or steal cattle feed. In fact, there is no accurate data to support assertions regarding the number of birds killed by cats. These numbers are estimates at best. It is actually less expensive to utilize TNR programs than it is to send animal control officers out to and find these cats and have them euthanized. Typically, the TNR individuals or groups will pay to have the cats in a colony spayed/ neutered and vaccinated. So, what can be done to help both the birds and the cats who have been demonized as a threat to birds. Lowering the numbers of cats in feral cat colonies makes the most sense and is a humane way to treat these cats "Trap, neuter, release" or TNR, refers to the act of trapping feral cats in humane traps, having them spayed/neutered by a Veterinarian, vaccinating them, and then releasing them back to the location in which they were found. This work is typically done by either a volunteer rescue worker or an individual who loves cats and wishes to help them live a better life. This person or group also feeds the cats and addresses any medical needs.

Josh Fryfogle Owner, Publisher Bryce Burkhart Lead Graphic Designer, Sales Associate 907-373-2698 (office) 888-383-9909 (fax)

COMMUNITY The People’s Paper The People’s Paper COMMUNITY PAGE 4

Solutions Mean Less Stress for You On The Roads BY REPRESENTATIVE SHELLEY HUGHES We don’t all go to school every day; we don’t all hike a trail every day; and we aren’t all assisted by a firefighter every day (thankfully!), but just about all of us are out on the roads every day. When you get up in the morning, my guess is that part of your day will be spent driving somewhere. I want you to know that I think about that a lot – why? Because that’s part of my job in my role working for you. As your State House representative, I stay out of most things in your life, but roads, now that’s another story. Addressing road issues is an appropriate role of government; add to that fact that a number of you have let me know that particular road issues are very important to you and need solutions. I take your input seriously and have put my nose to the grindstone to help facilitate a few improvements. My hope is that by my waking up in the morning thinking about you getting where you need to go safely and without major delays, you’ll get up in the morning with a little less stress on your mind, enjoy that coffee a little bit more, and have a little more time at home before you head out your door. As Alaska’s and Mat-Su’s population continues to grow, it’s vital that our infrastructure grows and adapts accordingly to ensure safe and efficient travel throughout Alaska. Alaska’s road system is young and in need of expansion, but rather than investing massive amounts of money into another

large-scale project, I made it a priority of mine to explore cost-effective solutions to ensure that our commuters reach their destination in a safe and timely manner. I’m pleased to report that after meetings over the course of a number of months and coordination between the Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF), Department of Public Safety, and with Palmer, Wasilla, Chugiak, and Anchorage first responders, I was able to include three projects in the FY15 Capital Budget that will help improve incident response time and mitigate lane closures on the Glenn Highway. Portable Changeable Message Boards: signs will be stored in the trunk of law enforcement and first responder vehicles. During an incident, these would be deployed to inform motorists of delays, traffic patterns or other information. These signs will help decrease driver frustration, allow commuters to make alternate plans if necessary, and reduce long lines of backed-up traffic. New Emergency Vehicle Crossovers (u-turns) on the Glenn Highway: new crossovers will allow emergency responders to access and exit incidents more easily as well as allow traffic controllers to direct general traffic to u-turn at the crossovers when needed and authorized. Traffic Control Plan and Device: third party entity will be contracted on-call for immediate response to help manage and direct traffic while first responders focus on emergency incident.

Potatoes. BY ELVERDA LINCOLN

The other day I read an article about potatoes, which brought back memories of childhood experiences of this vegetable. They were the mainstay of our diet and we had them at least once a day. To this day I still enjoy potatoes fixed in myriad ways. Raising potatoes was a family affair starting in early spring when my father prepared the ground for planting. My mother and all kids old enough to help cut seed potatoes into chunks, making sure at least one eye was on it, so it could produce another plant. After the field had been prepared and the chunks cut, kids walked in the furrow my father had made, dropped one eye in and spaced them about a foot apart. We were told to put the cut side into the dirt so the potato did not have to struggle so long in order to make its way to the top. Smaller kids followed along the planters and firmly stepped on the chunk to press it into the dirt.I never did figure out why this was done. I assume it was so the seed chunk would not roll around when it was covered up. In less than a month the sprouts appeared above ground. We tried to keep the weeds under control. There wasn’t any insecticides so kids were pressed into service. Carrying a small tin can we walked the rows, scraping potato bugs into this can. This was an incentive for us to do this job as we were rewarded with a small stipend.

I seem to remember that it was a penny for a hundred bugs or so.

Our supply of potatoes from the previous year always ran out before the new crop was ready to eat. When the potatoes were through blooming we did what was known as ‘robbing’. This was accomplished by digging with two or three fingers into the dirt just under the bushy part. There we could feel the size of the potatoes. We left the small ones alone so they could continue growing. If the potato was about the size of an egg we gently tugged at it until it snapped from the parent plant. New green peas from our garden and new potatoes creamed together was a treat for a bunch of hungry kids. At this point in the season, the potatoes still had some growing to do, so only enough was robbed for a meal.

Professional traffic control involves use of orange or purple incident management-related regulatory, warning, and guide signing, message boards, cones, drums, etc. Contracted professional traffic controllers respond immediately to manage the flow of traffic, drastically cutting down on lane closure time.

are currently being considered by the ARRC, AS&G and DOT&PF, and we are hopeful that both will be implemented yet this construction season:

The projects listed above will mitigate the costly, unsafe, and lengthy lane closures that occur all-too-often on the Glenn Highway. With a price tag of $790,000, these are a cost-effective alternative to a major, multi-million dollar lane expansion.

Signage at one or more locations to notify drivers in advance that Outer Springer is blocked and to reroute them. The ARRC will prepare communications for the public to inform them once solutions are in place. I am confident that these solutions will greatly improve the situation impacting residents daily in the Springer system for five months out of every year.

I am also very pleased to pass along some great news to the residents of Palmer who live in or near the Springer Loop system. During the spring, summer and early fall construction season, gravel trains block access to Outer Springer Loop; a problem that been occurring since the 1980s. After speaking with a number of people living in the affected area, I coordinated a meeting with decision makers from the Alaska Railroad Corporation (ARRC), DOT&PF, Anchorage Sand & Gravel (AS&G) along with Rep. Bill Stoltze to find a solution that will provide proper notice and communication as to when the gravel trains are blocking Outer Springer, so that drivers can adjust their route and avoid frustration. The meeting was very productive, and as of this writing, a number of proposed and affordable solutions are being worked on by the parties involved to provide the information drivers need to plan their driving. The following options

A web cam that will be accessible via the 511 Info Center (online or by phone), giving the public real-time access to see when the trains are being loaded.

This is an issue that has been “kicked down the road” for over fifteen years, but all it takes is a little initiative and the right people sitting down together to fix the problem. I would like to thank the ARRC, DOT&PF, and AS&B for their willingness to step up and do their part. I also would like to thank the residents of the Springer system for offering great suggestions for solutions – not to mention your patience over all these years (and just a bit longer until the notification system is in place). I HOPE NOW THAT YOU CAN BREATHE A LITTLE EASIER AND ENJOY YOUR MORNING COFFEE A LITTLE BIT MORE ONCE THESE LOW-COST TRAFFIC SOLUTIONS ARE IN PLACE ON THE GLENN COMMUTE AND BY THE SPRINGER SYSTEM.

Family Fall Festival – Fun-Filled Festivities! CONTRIBUTED BY VALLEY ROTARACT Looking for a fun family-friendly community event to attend this fall? We have the perfect event for you! Come join us, the Valley Rotaract Club, for our Family Fall Festival. The event will take place at Nunley Park in Wasilla, Saturday, September 6th from 3pm-7pm. We will have a variety of carnival games, face painting, a photo booth, and so much more! This will be a fun event for kids, so bring the whole family! Game time will be followed by a family fun movie starting at 5pm. Snacks and popcorn available for purchase. Brought to you by the Valley Rotaract Club. We are a community-oriented club for young professionals of the

Valley. Our motto, “Service Above Self”, describes our mission and purpose. We strive to better our community by serving others and forming meaningful relationships. The Rotaract Club includes handson service projects, fun networking and social activities, professional development opportunities, and an international network of young leaders. If you are interested in joining the Rotaract Club or helping out with this event, contact our President Nicole at valley.rotaract@gmail.com with the subject “Carnival Help”. PUT THIS EVENT IN YOUR CALENDAR AND INVITE YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY FOR A FUN-FILLED DAY. WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

When fall harvest arrived, all the kids were again called upon. Usually on a Saturday when we were not in school, my father hitched the horses to a plow and turned the soil over so the potatoes all lay on top of the ground, a feat he was good at doing. The kids in their bare feet enjoyed walking in the soft dirt, even if they weren’t too keen in picking up gunny sacks full of the spuds. A new supply was then put into storage. With winter coming on we knew we would have plenty of potatoes to keep us until the following summer.

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EDUCATION The People’s Paper The People’s Paper EDUCATION PAGE 5

Prepared To Hunt

Career Guidance: CHRIS AND KELLY - FIRST DAY OF BOW HUNTING SEASON 2013 BY DEBRA MCGHAN Kelly Clingman, a wife and mother of two, loves the thrill of hunting big game with her husband Chris. She grew up in Alaska and the couple, now in their late 30’s, later moved to Colorado where they continued their passion for wild game hunting. It was during a fall hunt in 2012 that the Clingmans learned some valuable lessons while facing their greatest fears. “We’d been out hunting for about five days with no luck so we decided to move our camp to the other side of the mountain and try scouting a new area,” said Kelly, recalling this particular hunt. She described the day as starting out sunny and beautiful with temperatures in the low 50’s, perfect weather for a strenuous hike. “We were just going to scout the area and then hunt the next day,” she explained. “We had to climb this really steep cliff so we decided to make it easy on ourselves and leave our packs in camp.” In hindsight she realizes that decision nearly cost them their lives. “At the top of the hill we started hiking and spotted an elk but it was getting late and we could see a storm blowing in so we decided to head back to camp. We were following this narrow path and it was really rough and steep terrain,” she said. “We were stair stepping our way down these 12 to 15 foot drops and it was getting harder and harder because it was getting darker and starting to snow. My husband just wanted to get us off that mountain as fast as possible so when we came to a really steep pitch we couldn’t see over, he told me to wait and he started free climbing this cliff using rocks and trees and roots to lower himself down. “But then all of a sudden I heard rocks falling and bones breaking. I was frantic and trying to get down to him to see if he was okay. He yelled up at me and told me he’d broken his legs and not to try and come down.” By this time it was really dark, snowing hard and Kelly was soaking wet and freezing.

“I couldn’t hear him any longer so I was afraid he was dead. And I figured I was going to die too so I just wanted to be with him.” With shaking fingers, she tied her orange hunting vest to a tree and used it to lower herself down the cliff. Eventually she was forced to let go of the pack and grab a branch that broke free causing her to fall. In the process she cut her head and was knocked unconscious. When she came to a short time later she could hear her husband screaming and crying out for her. Not realizing he’d broken his pelvis as well as his left leg, he’d tried to use his rifle to stand up and get to his wife but ended up falling face down, partially submerged in a creek, and unable to move. Blood was running in her eyes from her head wound making it difficult to see, but Kelly was alive and determined to help her husband. Wiping her vision clear, she made her way to his side. When she tried to roll him over he screamed in such pain she realized, there was no way she could move him. She would have to get help. “I knew there was a big hunting camp at the bottom of the cliff so I kept going down until I finally found a road and made my way to the camp. It took hours and in the process I crossed my own trail several times because I was confused, terrified and not thinking clear. I just kept praying and refused to imagine life without my husband.” When Kelly finally found help, she tried to explain what had happened and where her husband was but she couldn’t remember the details. The hunters tended to her wounds and then wrapped her in blankets before heading out to search. They tried following her trail, but she’d crossed her own path so many times, they finally gave up and came back to wait for professional help. “I wanted to go with them and help them find Chris but they wouldn’t let me. And when Search and Rescue personnel showed up they refused to search in the dark because of the danger. They basically said, ‘we’re sorry but we can’t go get his body until tomorrow.’ I was frantic. I knew he was still alive but they had to find him soon.”

While she lay strapped to a stretcher in the ambulance, one of the hunters she’d initially made contact with assured her, he and his partners would keep trying to find the waterfall and orange vest that would lead them to Chris. It took more than eight hours from the time of his fall before rescuers finally spotted the vest and reached Chris. When they arrived he was barely clinging to life; severely hypothermic, suffering frostbite and literally frozen to the waterfall forcing rescuers to cut his jeans off to get him free. “To me, that was the most horrible day of our lives,” said Kelly. “I thought we were going to die. I thought I might lose my husband. I just remember praying and refusing to let in negative thoughts. Every time I started to give up or think of Chris dying, I forced myself to think positive and keep going.” Kelly says that both she and her husband realize their survival is nothing short of a miracle. “This experience totally changed every aspect of our lives,” said Kelly. “We learned so much, like listen to your instincts. We should never have left our packs because we had rope and lights and first aid… Everything we ended up needing but not having. And we both knew better.” A testament to their strength and courage, less than a year later they went hunting again for the opening day of bow hunting season. “I think most important; it’s brought us closer together and closer to God. And we didn’t want to waste the lessons we learned by being afraid to go out and do something we both love so much.” She just reminds others, “don’t take anything for granted. When we started out that day it was beautiful and sunny. In less than four hours everything changed.” WEATHER IN ALASKA CAN CHANGE FAST. MAKE SURE YOU ARE PREPARED FOR YOUR HUNTING ADVENTURES. YOU CAN LEARN MORE AT ALASKA HUNTER SAFETY OR ADFG@ALASKA.GOV

Discovering the Possibilities

BY MARI JO PARKS Students are asked often “What do you want to do with your life?” They are told there are so many opportunities out there, BUT how do you know what is right for You? As a Career Guidance Specialist I work with high school students to help them look at the opportunities and discover how their talents, abilities and interests can lead them to finding their future. My first advice to high school students is starting a list of all the jobs and careers you know. It is surprising how most people can only list 10 to 20 jobs they know about. Next, I suggest starting a notebook and keeping track of what they see. I encourage them to ask their parents, relatives and teachers about the jobs they have had. It is always surprising to learn what people did before they found their career. One of the BEST ways to find out more about your interests is to use the AKCIS, Alaska Career Information System, www. akcis.org. Every school has access to this wonderful website sponsored by the State of Alaska. Ask your school counselor for your school login or contact me for more information. Be sure to make a portfolio in the Create My Profile. Once you have browsed some of the hundreds of jobs, do a few of the assessments. I really like the Career Cluster and the Interest Profiler. Be sure to save the results to your portfolio. Exploring careers helps students find new and exciting possibilities. Did you know that there are over 30 different types of mechanics? That is just a quick example of information you can explore. Taking classes can better for preparing for your future. Now is time to start preparing for what adventures you will have next. To your Future… MARI JO PARKS, CAREER AND COLLEGE COACH, IS STARTING A SERIES GIVING ADVICE TO STUDENTS AND PARENTS ABOUT KNOWING FUTURE CAREER POSSIBILITIES. E-MAIL MARI JO AT FUTURE@MTAONLINE.NET TO GET ON HER MAILING LIST. SHE CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS PERSONALLY AS WELL.

The People’s Paper

The People’s Paper POLITICS PAGE 6

The People’s Paper

Politics

The People’s Paper EDUCATION PAGE 6

Papers Please! BY THE FEDERAL FATHER The western world used to ridicule the German phrase “Your papers please.” This is because civilized culture in recorded history was not concerned with immigration. Like all terms that enter the realm of politics, meanings, and popular opinions of them shift over time. Immigration is something that no free people try to place limitations on. Contrary to popular opinion shapers, immigration is not something covered in the United States Constitution. Limiting immigration was the last thing on the minds of the people in that time. Nor something in the mind of Biblically literate people who preceded them. Christ’s new-covenant church was built like wildfire on open borders. It transformed pagan barbarian Europe into civilized Christian culture. Of all the details in the Bible, in all the tens of thousands of miles travelled by Paul and other church

builders, there is no mention of border crossings, or related problems. In feudal Europe, peasants could travel through borders while nobles often could not. Borders are to restrict the jurisdiction of governments, not the travel of free people. Sojourning is a basic Biblical right, not a privilege granted by the state. “One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.” Exodus 12:49 “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 19:33-34 There are a great number of verses that deal with immigration. I will leave it with these for now for the sake of brevity and admonish the Christian conservative reader to study diligently. There are two fundamental Biblical

principles to look at. The first principle was the rule of law itself: everyone was to be protected equally by the civil law. The second principle is open immigration or travel for work. The nation’s treatment of the immigrant served as a touchstone in Israel of the nation’s faithfulness to the first principle. The righteousness of God’s law should be seen by strangers and praised. (Deuteronomy 4:5–8) This is a form of international evangelism. Resident aliens can provide testimonials to the folks back home regarding the justness of God and His Laws. A Shining City on a Hill A city on a hill is to be a sanctuary. Fundamental to being a sanctuary is open borders for the afflicted, even the runaway slave. “You shall not give up to his master a slave who has escaped from his master to you. He shall dwell with you, in your midst, in the place that he shall choose within one of your towns, wherever it

suits him. You shall not wrong him.” Deuteronomy 23 15-16 The sanctuary status of a free society is one of its greatest moral strengths. It constitutes a major aspect of its high moral ground. “Live free with us!” is a powerful, compelling promise. “Live free of charge with us!” is its antithesis. And where our real problem is. Immigration is not a problem. The problems we see surrounding immigration are rooted in Marxist government ideals. The solution is to lay the ax into the root of the tree, not to fertilize it with more power to the government. Keep your eye on the ball here. The actual immigration statistics have not changed in recent decades. Some more historywhen was the first federal immigration law passed? The year was 1882. It was a time when socialism and social engineering was entering the global stage. A time when American eugenicists like Margaret Sanger and contemporaries were writing textbooks for the Nazis. It was also a time of emerging labor unions who were looking to restrict competition. Since there was no constitutional jurisdiction for limiting

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Wasilla - The Genesis of Obamacare BY VIC KOHRING There are several theories as to why the Feds chose to target me for removal as a state legislator. Surely it wasn’t because I accepted Bill Allen’s paltry hundred dollar gift (their initial, stated excuse), with no crime committed as the iconic video tape and evidence shows. To blow through over $7 million of taxpayer dollars prosecuting me over chicken feed was a disgrace. There must have been another reason. Was it because of my staunch, unwavering conservative values? Maybe it was due to my status as long-time chairman of the Alaska Legislature’s Oil & Gas Committee, a position the prosecutors saw as a plumb target. Or possibly because these hoods were egomaniacs with a selfish, insatiable desire destroy an elected representative regardless of guilt or innocence - simply for a notch on their belt and to advance careers. Some politically astute in-the-know individuals familiar with my case are convinced the primary reason was a desire to remove Ted Stevens from office and that they saw me as the vehicle to achieve that. Stevens was the government’s biggest prize. The prosecutors plan was to use me as a stepping stone to take down Ted. How do I know? For one, both of us were assigned the same group of prosecutors who committed fraud and obstruction of

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justice by hiding evidence. Second, this Gang of Five later found themselves in the bullseye of a criminal probe after their cheating was exposed. Moreover, Allen was used as the prosecution’s “star” witness in both cases, who conspired with prosecutors to lie on the witness stand to bolster the government’s flimsy theories. With lots of experience garnered by convicting me and emboldened after getting away with bamboozling the jury during my trial, the prosecutors chose to keep their greased, well-healed team intact to get Stevens. After my conviction, the government aggressively pursued Stevens, the longest serving Republican in U.S. Senate history and one of the country’s most influential politicians. With their cheap, hollow victory over me complete, the timing was right to shift focus and continue on to the next step in their devious plan - launching a full scale attack on Stevens. So on July 29, 2008, less than a month after I was sent to the Big House, Stevens was indicted on seven felony counts. The timing struck me as odd as my case had just wrapped up. It was as if they had the Stevens case lined up and ready to go the minute mine was out of the way. With politics, nearly anything is possible. If people can turn up mysteriously dead (i.e. Vince Foster, friend of the Clinton’s and legal counsel to the president), it’s not at all farfetched to conclude that Stevens and I were targets of an evil, conspiratorial plot to change the balance of power in America.

With the anticipation of Barack Obama’s ascendancy as president in 2008, the powers that be were anxiously looking for a way to hand over congress to the Democrats to pave the way for Obama and his ambitious agenda to “Fundamentally change the United States of America,” as he proclaimed. Democrats were in charge of the House at the time and were a whisker from controlling the Senate, but they required both chambers to pull it off. To accomplish this, they needed a vehicle, a means by which to take the Senate. That vehicle was me through the use of their friends at the U.S. Department of Justice. The stars were perfectly aligned as Stevens was up for reelection in ‘08. The “Justice” Department was poised to derail Stevens campaign for reelection that year. If they could knock him out, control of Congress would be tipped in favor of the Democrats as they were one seat short of a majority. So they indicted Stevens, dragging him through the mud and tarnishing his reputation with voters. The guilty verdicts came on October 27, 2008, eight days before the election. The result was a one percent loss to challenger Mark Begich. With the defeat, Democrats seized complete control of Washington. But they had to act fast as it wouldn’t last long. Nine months later, Scott Brown replaced Sen. Ted Kennedy who succumbed to cancer in 2009, causing the Dems to lose a single, but crucial vote. Before then, the new Senate make-up was good enough to squeak through health care reform, a highly unpopular

measure now burdening the country with heavy regulation, an army of IRS agents to enforce and future expenditures of trillions of dollars paid for with massive tax hikes. A scary thought when you consider our health care industry represents one sixth of the nation’s economy. Thank you politicians. Especially those on the left including Sen. Begich, who’s single vote made the difference in the legislation becoming law. His vote for Obamacare was the 60th and deciding vote. In a recent newspaper column, Paul Jenkins wrote how Obamacare is a “constitutionally abusive travesty” that he credits to Begich for casting the deciding vote and giving us the new health care law that represents a threat to this nation’s very future. He’s right. Obamacare may very well have gotten its start right here in Wasilla, Alaska. Federal bureaucrats, as part of a carefully orchestrated power grab, used my case as a stepping stone to get their cherished prize - Ted Stevens - and thereby hand Congress on a silver platter to the Obama, pro-big government forces. This in-turn opened the door to a nearcomplete bureaucratic takeover of our once renowned, world-class health care system, until recently considered one of the best on earth and convert it into one modeled after socialist European countries to the detriment of us all.

r e p a le’s P

VIC KOHRING IS A RESIDENT OF WASILLA

p o e The People’s Paper The P

RELIGION

The People’s Paper COMMUNITY PAGE 7

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Giants, Grasshoppers & God DEVOTION BY TOM STEARN, WASI CHAPLAIN

I am reading a book called “George Washington’s Secret Six: The Spy Ring That Saved The American Revolution”. The Culper Six were behind enemy lines and reported back to Washington what the British were doing. Spying has gotten a bad rap lately due to Edward Snowden and the NSA. However, every war that the United States has won, has been due to our superior intelligence gathering capability. When Moses was on the verge of entering the promised land he sent 12 men to spy out the land. Caleb and Joshua came back with a good report. NUMBERS 14:6-10 6 And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:7 And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.8 If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and

Papers Please continued

give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.9 Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not.10 But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel. Ten of the spies came back with a negative report. They saw the giants in the land. NUMBERS 13:30-33 30 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.31 But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.33 And there we saw

immigration, the first law was passed as an import tax. People were assessed a tariff as a commodity. Still though, it focussed on revenue at this time, not restriction. At 50 cents a head, this tax quickly became the largest source of federal revenue.

THE ROOT ISSUE The problem should raise economic questions because of the nature of modern politics, that is legal plunder. A very big question is this one: in a nation that allows wealth redistribution through politics, what is to protect today’s property owners from tomorrow’s voters?

Oddly enough, most of the people who are the most opposed to immigration today are fans of President Reagan. He was a strong advocate of open borders for trade and immigration. He was displeased with legislation passed while in office because it did not go far enough. By the time NAFTA passed under Clinton the conservatives had forgotten who asked for it.

When people can vote for a living, what prevents the arrival of an army of new voters, many with their eyes on the politically transferable wealth of the Promised Land? Even if they do not understand how wealth is transferred politically when they arrive, another army of salaried welfare professionals will soon teach them.

Border issues were a context of Reagan’s famous city on a hill speech. A city on a hill whose gates are closed is not shining. It is not a city of refuge. It is the dungeon of a tyrant.

After all, their jobs depend on a continuing stream of recipients. Those who conduct the plunder in the name of the economically oppressed often welcome additions to the list of oppressed. The issue of “us” vs “them”

the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

God was displeased with Israel’s disobedience. God had already prepared the way for the children of Israel, they just needed to take the first step of faith. They didn’t. So God declared Israel’s punishment. Forty years in the wilderness. None of the spies with the negative report goes into the Promised Land. NUMBERS 14:34-35 34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.35 I the Lord have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.

the giants, but how big is our God? Is the God that we serve big enough to take care of the giants or not? The verses below, and there many more, would indicate that our God is able to take of ANY giant that comes our way. All we need to do is trust Him.

PSALM 47:2 2 For the Lord most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth. PSALM 95:3 3 For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. PSALM 135:5 5 For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. Place your faith in God, His word, Jesus Christ His Son, and the guiding power of the Holy Spirit and watch those giants go away. TOM STEARNS WASI CHAPLAIN

So how does apply to you and me? When God gives us a direction, do we see the giants or the exceeding good land? The question is not how big are

is an inescapable one in civil affairs. The politics of plunder makes this issue a matter of compulsion. When “they” can vote their way into “our” wallets, “we” begin to reconsider the possibility of finding ways to restrict the number of “them.” We must keep in mind though, that naturalization, the act of investing an alien with the rights and privileges of a native subject or citizen, is not inherently part of immigration. Anyone should be free to travel, but we can legally restrict naturalization, voting. The welfare state inevitably extends to the international scene the domestic political battle over the distribution of the plunder. Where the welfare state is deeply entrenched, a nation will no longer be willing to serve as a sanctuary. It costs too much. If the welfare state ever becomes universal, locked-in populations will also become universal. There will be no escape

from tyranny because of the border guards who keep would-be refugees from crossing the border into greater freedom. You will wake up one day in East Berlin if we do not cut the root. Any conservative who gets in a dither over amnesty, but who is unwilling to eliminate the welfare state[to include his own house], has his priorities messed up. His ethics can be summarized in this moral axiom: "Illegal immigrants should not have access to our loot. We stole it, fair and square."

VETERANS

The People’s Paper POLITICS PAGE 8

New Exhibits Open At The Alaska Veterans Museum BY COL SUELLYN WRIGHT NOVAK, USAF, RET, AVM DIRECTOR AVM is pleased to announce the opening of the Japanese exhibit featuring the 37mm Japanese AntiTank Gun from the Battle of Attu, 11-30 May 1943. This venerable relic was likely the one in Clevesy Pass that held up US troops for four days. It is on indefinite loan from the US Fish & Wildlife Service, and is surrounded by other small arms and items used by the Japanese defenders. The exhibit features two Arisaka rifles and bayonets, a Samurai Sword, leather flying helmet with felt mittens lined with rabbit fur, a Type 14 Nambu pistol with clip and holster, a “Baby” Nambu favored by Japanese aviators, a personal prayer flag signed by family and friends and worn around the body when going into battle, and two postcards found in a Japanese tent on Attu and mailed home to the

soldier’s mother and girlfriend. On top of the specially designed case ,built by AVM Volunteer of the Year John Peck, is a lithograph of Japanese uniforms worn in the Aleutian Campaign. Another new opening is Anchorage’s Military Roots, an Anchorage Centennial Event. The panel tells of Alaska’s and Anchorage’s role and features an authentic WW I Doughboy uniform, Campaign Hat, Doughboy Helmet, a 1903 Springfield bayonet found stuck into a Yukon River riverbank, a laundry bag, mess kit and knapsack. AVM hopes to also include copies of Anchorage’s WW I Muster Rolls. Alaska registered 11, 071 males for service and a full 12% of her males enlisted. Alaska also led all of the US in War Bond Quotas. Still being built is the Cold War exhibit to highlight the Cold War Conference being held in Anchorage 4-6 Sep 2014. Visit http://www.nikesitesummit.

net/2014-cold-war-conferenceand-national -nike-veteransreunion.html for details and registration. Sergei Khrushchev will be the opening speaker at Wendy Williamson Auditorium on Thurs 4 Sep at 7:30 PM. You must register to attend. The conference will feature speakers, tours, commemorations and more. AVM’s exhibit will feature: paintings; photos; models and the exhaust cone for a NikeHercules Missile; uniforms; a complete chemical suit ensemble; radioactivity monitors and gear; books and photos on the Cold War; Civil Defense films and equipment; a Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line money clip and knife combo; canned drinking water and survival biscuits; and more. COME JOIN US FOR A FAN-DAMN-TASTIC AND ENLIGHTENING CONFERENCE!

THE WWI DOUGHBOY UNIFORM, MESS KIT AND SHELL ON TOP SHELF WITH THE CAMPAIGN HAT AND LAUNDRY BAG ON THE LOWER SHELF.

The People’s Paper “AVM is pleased to announce the opening of the Japanese exhibit featuring the 37mm Japanese Anti-Tank Gun from the Battle of Attu, 11-30 May 1943.”

2014 Alaska Cold War Conference

Nike Missile Reunion

September 4-6 Highlight Anchorage’s Cold War Legacy The Cold War, a 46-year conflict that brought unprecedented growth and thousands of military personnel to Anchorage, is the topic of a three-day conference and missile veteran reunion Sept. 4-6. The Cold War, a 46-year conflict that brought unprecedented growth and thousands of military personnel to Anchorage, is the topic of a three-day conference and missile veteran reunion Sept. 4-6. Highlighting the conference is an address by Sergei Khrushchev, son of former Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev. Khrushchev, who immigrated to the United States in 1991, is a U.S. citizen and history professor at Brown University. He will speak at the Wendy Williamson Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 4. Bob Wallace, a former CIA employee who worked in Alaska during the height of the conflict , will discuss “Spies who went into the Cold” at a luncheon on Sept. 5 at the Captain Cook Hotel. Wallace, who wrote “SPYCRAFT: The Secret History of the CIA›s Spytechs from Communism to Al-Qaeda,” is sponsored by the Alaska World Affairs Council.

Other guest speakers reviewing the impact of the Cold War include Lt. Gen. Russell J. Handy, commander of the Alaskan Command, based at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. speaking on “The Cold War Today” and Col. Joe Griffith (USAF Ret.), commander of the 21st Tactical Fighter Wing during the early 1980s, discussing “The Cold War from an Alaskan and Pentagon Perspective.” Conference registration is available at http://www.nikesitesummit.net. The public is invited to Kincaid Park from l:30 to 4 p.m., Sept. 5, for tours and a plaque dedication ceremony honoring soldiers who served at the Nike Hercules missile battery that was there from 1959 to 1979. Attendees will learn about the park’s military history and about the soldiers’ heroism during the 1964 earthquake.

Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” will be presented at 8 p.m. at the Alaska Experience Theater. The movie will be introduced by Ron Crawford, professor emeritus, UAA History and Geography. Throughout the weekend, veterans who served at the 11 Nike missile bases in Alaska and at the other 134 Nike sites built in the late 1950s to defend the nation will be meeting at the Hotel Captain Cook. They will be honored at various events, including a Site Summit plaque dedication on Sept. 6 at the Arctic Valley Ski Lodge. Many of the veterans will continue the reunion on an Alaska Railroad trip to Denali National Park and Fairbanks Sept. 7-10.

SERGEI KHRUSHCHEV, SON OF FORMER SOVIET PREMIER NIKITA KHRUSHCHEV.

That evening, a special showing of Stanley Kubrick’s classic “Dr. Strangelove,

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The People’s Paper POLITICS PAGE 9

Water Nazis BY PAMELA GOODE ATTENTION ALL PRIVATE WELL OWNERS. The state wants to know who you are, where your well is located, how deep it is, and eventually much more. The means by which they want to attain this data is through the well driller’s logs. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) in 1977 wrote themselves regulations outside the Constitution and Statutes which authorized themselves access to this data to better manage and control the water usage in the state. You read correctly, these unelected bureaucrats gave themselves power they are not authorized to have. You paid to have your well put in. You risked getting a dry hole. You paid to have your water tested and the state feels they are entitled to what you have paid for so that they can control what? The water or you? It is my understanding that Alaska has 40% of the Nation’s water and private citizens own less than 1% of the land. DNR and DEC tells us they need your data to better manage the state’s water. Anyone can voluntarily file for water rights if they choose. This is not about water rights; this is about you and your data. Did you know about the WELTS database on the internet (http://dnr. alaska.gov/mlw/welts/)? Water well information that has been submitted to the state is posted on the World Wide Web including the well owner’s name. That’s right. Take a look and see if your name has been posted.

Angels in Alaska?

This clearly violates Article 1 Section 22 of the Alaska Constitution on privacy. Has anyone in the government used an once of common sense and thought about how this also violates security? We understand that they do not post some public water wells for this very reason but individual private well data is just fine. On April 10th, James Squyres and many well drillers from across the state came together via teleconference on their own dime and time and presented to the Administrative Regulation Review (ARR) Committee a well constructed argument in opposition to the drillers having to turn in their well logs. In the 11th hour, an impressive number of Tok residents heard the call for support and showed up to testify at 8 AM that morning. Thank you Tok!! The presenting opposition to your rights was the DNR Deputy Commissioner, Ed Fogels, and Assistant Attorney General, John Baker.

BY PAT CHESBRO, CANDIDATE FOR ALASKA STATE SENATE SEAT F I love Alaska. I believe our most powerful natural resource is our people. Therefore, I am announcing my intention to work to create “Alaska’s Angel Fund.” Angel funds, often financed by individuals, invest in entrepreneurs and small business owners. These people risk their financial well being to bring new ideas and good jobs to Alaska. Increasingly, Alaska residents with innovative ideas are stifled by red tape and/or the unwillingness of banks to take a risk on their ventures. I recently spoke with two small business owners who were having difficulty expanding, despite many years of successful operation. They told me it is very difficult to get funding for local enterprises like theirs.

This topic will be addressed at future ARR Committee meetings.

Some folks revert to such programs as “Kickstarter,” an internet-based program that advertises projects from around the world. (https://www. kickstarter.com) Individuals pledge money to help fund the proposal within a set timeframe. Investors pay only if enough people support the project. This works for some people; but innovative projects remain unfunded. Search the website for local projects.

To get involved with the Water Protection Working group, contact Rebecca Baril, (DEC) EPS - Drinking Water Protection, rebecca.baril@ alaska.gov, (907) 376-1849.

“Cottage Foods” regulations permit people to prepare and sell nonpotentially hazardous foods to the public. Yearly revenue from sales is limited to $25,000. This limit creates

Those standing by for questions were DNR and DEC management. All paid for by you. An audio archive of this presentation can be found at http://www.360north. org/gavel-archives/?event_ id=2147483647_2014041163.

problems for some Alaskans who want to use the income to expand operations to better support their families. Raising the revenue limit might help these enterprising Alaskans. Our state could also invest in Alaskans’ ideas. Such an initiative could work this way. The legislature sets aside a small endowment, say $25 million, in a venture capital fund just for Alaskans. Portions of the fund are allocated by borough or region so that people from around the state would get a chance to promote their projects. Local “Angel Boards” then solicit applications, choose recipients of the funds, and monitor performance. That way, the local community determines which projects show the most promise in the area. Rules would be standard throughout the state, but administration would be local. Though some projects might not succeed, most borrowers pay back their loans. Well-organized Angel funds grow. Money returned to the fund finances other projects. With the wise guidance of local board members, the fund would be self-sustaining. More entrepreneurs could borrow from the fund in the future. The result would be more jobs for Alaskans and increased revenue to the local economy and the state. A minimal initial allocation would allow Alaska to invest in Alaskans and grow our economy! As your Senator, I will sponsor legislation to help Alaskans thrive.

Responsibility Of Liberty BY VERNE RUPRIGHT, MAYOR, CITY OF WASILLA Why is it living within independent states of this Republic based upon liberty, the people rarely get but two choices of political view? Conservative vs. liberal or republican vs. democrat? George Washington warned us against the trap of political parties. How restricting; where is the choice? Political parties believe in the maxim of strength through numbers; hence, setting themselves up as the arbiters of liberty. That system becomes one blinded mindset, with the whole gang walking in lockstep to what the “leader” deigns to let you know. Yet, liberty demands responsibility. Too many things that affect us directly descend into mere “politics.” Politics, by its very nature, is metaphorically reminiscent of the battles of old where the rattle of musketry is cacophonous, and when it wanes and the smoke clears too many good people are gone. However, the American form of government, at all levels, is simplistic; it’s called federalism. Whether it be nation, state, borough, county, city or town, each have distinct duties and

obligations to its citizens. What’s not reserved to the federal as a duty falls to the state, and down the line. Hence, an understanding of government is a personal responsibility; where we fit in it, in that liberty means responsibility, and that’s why most people dread it. But the fact remains: liberty and responsibility are inseparable ideals. Understanding that vital concept, the founders of the American Republic desired to establish an unprecedented liberty with that in mind. Yet, over the course of the last century, the ideals of liberty have descended into liberty as license to the ridiculous point where people demand freedom to do anything they want without restraint or cost to them. This is evidenced by demanding income as a right without the responsibility of work or production. They damage something, it becomes society’s collective duty then to fix it; or, in commerce, in order to achieve success people expect subsidies. The survival of liberty demands personal responsibility. Without it, our political institutions become a means for shifting blame for the things we fail to do, and someone else has to fix our problems. This fosters a demand that entitlements become “rights!”

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Can this be real? Unfortunately, it has become all too true. The fact is, we can’t live off of others in every aspect of our lives, either for our sustenance or thoughts, and expect to survive. Without personal responsibility, liberty is devalued and then lost to a collective government. The ideals of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” were never meant, nor ever meant to be interpreted, as grabbing everything you can in the way of getting stuff. Bunk! Anybody who sells that notion to you ought to find themselves in the stocks and pilloried. The most simplistic fact is this: in order to maintain liberty, we all must take responsibility in our lives, work, realm of informed decision making, and study. We all hear so much “bleeck” in the media, from rumors and innuendo, or radio clips that no one sifts through to the truth anymore. Such as “really crummy” voice over ads that purport to sound honest - who are these people? Put a name to these shameless jokers spouting out bulloney on behalf of this or that or some supposed favorite candidate.

I know that’s hard work. In fact, it may make your head ache; but, liberty demands the work. It is hard to sift through to the truth and use logic and reason. Many throughout history will tell that story, but it is worth the effort. Freedom of thought is everything, and a very powerful guardian of liberty. The old timers had a saying: “believe nothing that you hear and only half of what you see.” THINK ABOUT IT!

Freedom of thought is everything and is powerful, but all too many people shun

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POLITICS

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The People’s Paper

Lost Human What Happened Understanding To Brave And Free BY STUART THOMPSON For years, thoughtful people have complained that “critical thinking” is not truly taught in American schools. Indeed, the practice of critical thinking apparently only develops in people who finally recognize how poor thinking—faulty judgment— invariably leads to suffering. Such individual development is naturally driven by the necessity of getting consistent results against suffering— commonly called “the school of hard knocks”. Am I saying that critical thinking can’t be taught in our schools? No. The pathetic truth is that the foundation for all critical thinking—now being redeveloped over and over again in the “school of hard knocks”—is available to be taught, and has been for centuries. That foundation is the mental discipline arising from the understanding and use of the scientific method. Huh!?! But scientific education has been part of public school curriculums for decades! Well sorry to disabuse you, but indoctrination on just selected science facts and laws—including demonstration lab work—is the not the same as also educating people to use science and the scientific method. The consequences of really educating people on practical use of the scientific method would be everybody leaving public school as basic level scientists. Everybody! Interest and talent for science has NOTHING to do with it. Despite some dedicated teachers,1) low American proficiency at science (America is not even in the top 15 worldwide); and 2) widespread American susceptibility to persuasion from half-truth advertising & propaganda (especially government), public relations stunts and staged news, demonstrate Americans have mostly fallen prey to mind control by an elite. The elite use mouthpieces called “experts”, “scientists”, government “authorities”, political “leaders”, and media and entertainment “personalities”. Yet the advent— centuries ago—of the scientific method and its available use by everybody was the intellectual emancipation of the human race. Why, then, is it so difficult for people to think for themselves most of the time? For that is what the discipline of commonly using the scientific method enables people to do. Around 2500 years ago in his essay “Politics”, Aristotle observed that some people are natural slaves. The implication was that the real work of individual liberty was mental. Are you willing to do this work? If you are, please consider fixing your faulty or inadequate education and study the scientific method for common application in your life.

This goes even for those who are devout Christians. The three principle founders of the scientific method are Frances Bacon, Isaac Newton, and Rene Descartes. All three were so impartial that they advocated starting lines of scientific research out of the Bible. So if you are interested, start by considering the following words. Virtuous science consists of inductive conclusions derived from openly repeatable observations of reality, as gathered and organized by disciplined experimentation and research. These inductive conclusions—usually called scientific laws, principles or theories—are constantly subject to any un-confronted or more accurate observations being found that then force modifications. This paraphrases Rule IV of Isaac Newton’s Rules of Scientific Reasoning. The discipline of inductive reasoning also serves as an anchor for accurate decision-making in all other human activities. We refer to this when we talk of common sense, critical thinking, and logical thinking. Deductive reasoning—using preexisting conclusions or generalizations to judge specific matters and concerns—can be perverted by using un-inspected conclusions, principles, and positions. The irrational conduct from superstition, prejudices, and false information comes from this. Therefore, mental honesty requires any decision-maker—child, adult, government official, or military leader— to personally verify the validity of any law, principle, conclusion or fact before using it. You do this by partly recreating the inductive reasoning that originally established that law, principle or conclusion; and crosschecking the observations behind second-hand facts to verify them. Mental processes are lightening-quick—unless you have inadequate data for them to run on, or have a self-generated unwillingness to think things through. This is the vital educational process of acquiring conceptual understandings—and shows why propaganda, indoctrination and memorization don’t permit initiative at successfully using second-hand knowledge. It is how billions have been spent “educating” Americans who so often show they can’t utilize secondhand knowledge to effectively solve moral, familial, political, scientific, economic, and military problems. This lazy perversion of education is the poison that is assuring American disappearance from the world stage. Stuart Thompson lookitover@att.net

BY SIDNEY HILL AKA THE IMPEACH OBAMA GUY Baby boomers are surely a modern plague upon society. They shipped our jobs to China. They deliberately let the air out of the future to secure their ill conceived “it’s my turn” looting and scamming system. That system has now brought the return of the Plague, literally. Not all baby boomers are willful in this evil but if you aren’t against it or don’t try to stop it you are an accomplice. Fear is no excuse because it is just cowardice. The founding fathers of the United States created a system that eliminated fear. All you have to do is know how to use that constitutional system, that constitutional Republic. It’s not a get rich quick scheme or Monetarist City of London Wall Street system. It’s a system of National Bank low interest long term Credit, fixed exchange rates for currencies. A science driven future oriented system. So if you want to survive this baby boomer “environmental patient” driven Dark Age and Thermonuclear WWIII extinction drive, stop being a coward, become brave and free. Make signs like “Impeach Obama”, ”Boycott The Alaska State Fair”, ”Don’t Feed The Old Hippies”, Reinstate Glass-Steagall”, ”Build Earth’s Asteroid Defense System”, “Build The Berring Strait Tunnel Project Now”, ”NAWAPA XXI Continental System Water Project” or ”Mine The Moon For Helium 3 fuel For Thermonuclear Fusion” and defeat the phony Democrat/Republican Right/ Left baby boomer paradigm. Fight the urge to say, “How much is this going to cost”, “This will hurt mommy earth”, ”We have to obey the powers that be” or “We have to consider the Austrian school”. These are ALL un-American things to say. The baby boomers would know this had they not lost so many brain cells in the 60’s. Just trust the founding fathers. They were a lot smarter than you are, a lot

smarter. So save your country, not your egos. Alaska specifically is a baby boomer nightmare. They have kept Alaska a raw material exporting colony. We need Refineries, Manufacturing, and Nuclear Energy. Move Alaska into the 21st Century, give our youth a future. End the system of baby boomer parasitic cannibalism. They should be building up America, not using it down. This isn’t the first time that we’ve faced a citizenry gone insane, i.e., The “Roaring 20’s” that brought us the Great Depression and WWII. We recovered from that mess and we can recover from this one as well. We just need to ban together against baby boomer bullying and we will put this destructive way of life into the proverbial dustbin of history. Just because the baby boomers lost their nerve when Martin Luther King Jr., President John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert were assassinated doesn’t mean we have to be cowards too. There’s virtually nothing that they haven’t deconstructed to satisfy their imaginary master. In other words, there’s an insane concentration camp of the mind Stockholm Syndrome thing going on here that we don’t have to tolerate or participate in. We need to get America back on track towards space exploration and scientific and technological progress. We’re human beings, don’t you think we should start acting like it again? I’ve been a target of these “go along to get along” lunatic gatekeepers because of my impeach Obama demonstrations and for running for office as I am now, running for Senate against “Dirt” Begich with no party affiliation. I’m not a prostitute so I don’t need a pimp. A doctor that tries to cure cancer doesn’t hate cancer, he is just doing his job. Those of you who say, “How dare you speak of my Father, my Grandfather, my Grandmother, my Mother that way” etc..., please, save your country, not your feelings.

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The People’s Paper

COMMUNITY

The People’s Paper COMMUNITY PAGE 11

Take Flight Educating Alaska’ s Children With Alaska WildBird Rehabilitation Center BY RANDI PERLMAN The Alaska WildBird Rehabilitation Center (AWBRC) is taking flight with several exciting events coming up soon. Visit with our education birds from 10am-4pm at Palmer’s bustling Friday Fling on August 15. On Saturday, August 16, meet Goldie, our Harlan’s Red-tailed Hawk, at Rollie Lake Campground at Nancy Lake State Park from 3-4pm. Later that same day, help us celebrate Houston Founder’s Day with live birds from 7-10pm. Enjoy the festivities all day, concluding with a spectacular Gorilla Fireworks show at 10:30pm. AWBRC and our feathered friends will be near the Red Gate at the Alaska State Fair from 12-5pm on Friday, August 29 and from 10am-5pm on Saturday, August 30. They would love to greet you in person! On Saturday, September 13, AWBRC continues its series of monthly miniprograms at the center that will capture your heart while highlighting each of our education birds on a rotating basis. Our mini-programs are part of the Valley Arts Alliance Second Saturday events, and take place from 12-2pm at AWBRC’s new home in Houston, off Kenlar between Big Lake Road and Hawk Lane. Come meet the birds, tour the center, and enjoy light refreshments. And if all that isn’t enough to whet your whistle, AWBRC invites EVERYONE to TAKE FLIGHT with us at our 7th Annual Fall Migration Fundraiser at Best Western Lake Lucille Inn from 5:30-9pm on Saturday, September 20. Enjoy wine tasting, no-host bar, hearty appetizers from the Denali Family Restaurant, music by Matanuska Muse, quick-draw artists, incredible silent auction items, live auction of delicious desserts and

travel packages with auctioneer Kevin Painter, and of course, our wild bird ambassadors…! The live auction features a fabulous Fairbanks Package for 2, including round-trip Alaska Railroad tickets from Anchorage, Riverboat Discovery and Gold Dredge #8 tours, 2 nights at the Bear Lodge at Wedgewood, and entry passes to the Antique Auto Museum! Also featured is a sensational Seward get-away, including Sea Life Center entry, hotel, meals, and a jacket and hat! Get ready to travel !! Tickets are $55 in advance, or $60 at the door; a table for 8 is $385 (8 for the price of 7 – a steal of a deal)! Tickets are available at Madd Matters and Non-Essentials in Palmer, and at Steve’s Toyostove and Su’z Alaskan Gift Shop in Wasilla. They can also be purchased by calling the center at 892-2927 or through PayPal at www.akwildbirdrehab.org. Please join us at any or all of our upcoming events for a chance to meet our fine, feathered, education bird ambassadors, chat with our passionate and knowledgeable volunteers about the new center and the mission of Alaska WildBird Rehab Center, and find out about the many ways you can help Alaska’s wild birds. Remember, it’s ALL for the birds, and they will be flutterly thankful…

BY BILL WALKER, INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR

As a product of the public school system here in Alaska from kindergarten through high school, I received a solid educational foundation that amply prepared me for college and law school. The experiences afforded me through school sports and other programs, even in remote areas of Alaska, were far ranging and life defining. While I realize much has changed since my years in Alaska’s public school system, I can attest that all four of our children who graduated from West High School in Anchorage were equally well prepared for college and professional studies. They had a myriad of opportunities and many quality teachers who helped set their course. One of our daughters has stated that she could not imagine there being a better educator on the planet, even at an Ivy League college level, than her Honors’ English teacher at West High School. In their elementary years, our children were also fortunate to attend Sonrise Christian School where I served on the school board. I know firsthand, the benefits of a small private school system with a high level of parental involvement and ownership in the success of the programs and accomplishments of the students. Still, when our children discuss the impact of those years on their lives, they reflect upon a certain principal who took a personal interest in each child and a third grade teacher who made learning fun. Yes, facilities and all of the modern advances in equipment and technology are important. But our focus needs to be on attracting and retaining the very best educators who approach their positions as a calling, not just a job. Several of my elementary school years

were spent in Quonset hut buildings at Fort Greely. In one of those Quonset huts I was fortunate to be a student in the classroom of Mrs. Keveren, with whom I still correspond and visit today. I felt no disadvantages from learning within the confines of a Quonset hut, only rewards from having been taught by a remarkable teacher.

But I realize that not all students’ experiences have been as satisfactory as mine and our high school graduation rates are deplorable. I do believe our education menu is too limited. We will not increase our percentage of graduates by implementing another standardized testing system based either on federal or state criteria. Those high schools in Alaska with the highest rate of graduation are those that offer as part of their mainstream education curriculum, training in the trades. Students in those schools can graduate and go right onto college should that be their desire or they can get a job helping build much needed Alaska infrastructure or go right into the medical/service industry. We all desire to make Alaska a better place to live, work and raise our families. Public education is a critical part of this process and an essential government responsibility. Alaska’s public education does provide choice in the form of charter schools, optional schools and home schooling. Charter and optional school programs do have limitations such as lottery systems, parental volunteer requirements and absence of public transportation. Public education choices could be vastly expanded by removing some of these barriers and offering more charter, optional and vocational and career technology opportunities.

“Working for Alaska’s Salmon Future Today.”

www.aksalmonalliance.org

Three generations of woman are working in the East Side set net fishery.

Drift boats in Ninilchik Harbor, estimated fleet value, $50 million

SPORTS

The People’s Paper Alaska Fighting Championship

The People’s Paper SPORTS PAGE 12

Releases 2014/2015 Season Dates

PHOTO BY CARLO SIPIN

FRIDAY September 19th, Sullivan Arena Wednesday, October 22nd, Sullivan Arena Wednesday, November 12th, Sullivan Arena Wednesday, Jan 21st, Sullivan Arena Wednesday,Feb 11th, Sullivan Arena Wednesday,March 4th, Sullivan Arena Wednesday,April 15th, Sullivan Arena Wednesday,May 20th, Sullivan Arena Saturday, June TBD Outdoor Event, Chilkoot Charlies

It’s TIME!! Fight season is back and AFC will be opening up the season with a FRIDAY night fight at the Sullivan Arena featuring Main Event Lightweight Championship against Champ Scott McAfee vs. “Naptime” Nic Herron-Webb!

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The People's Paper

Published on Aug 18, 2014

The People's Paper August 2014

Published on Aug 18, 2014

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