Hometown, Alaska - Alaska Public Media: Recent Episodes
Alaska Public Media
Hometown, Alaska features conversations with leaders and decision-makers in local and statewide government, social service agencies, educational institutions, and cultural groups across Anchorage and Alaska. Hosted by E.J. David, Justin Williams, Dave Waldron, Anne Hillman, and O'Hara Shipe.
The Alaska Federation of Natives annual convention is only a few weeks away and there will be plenty of speakers, crafts and traditional music. But what about contemporary music? On this episode of Hometown, Alaska we have two very different in-studio performances from some up-and-coming Alaska Native musicians. Join host Dave Waldron as he speaks with hip-hop duo Brother Buffalo and singer-songwriter Witty Youngman about their music and how their heritage influences their art.
HOST: Dave Waldron
GUESTS:
Garrett and Jake Swenson, Brother Buffalo
Witty Youngman, singer-songwriter
LINKS:
Brother Buffalo Instagram
Brother Buffalo Spotify
Witty Youngman Instagram
Witty Youngman Facebook
Witty Youngman Website
Temperatures are dropping quickly and hundreds of Anchorage residents are currently living unsheltered in camps and on the street across the city. What’s the plan to keep them safe this winter and beyond? Join host Anne Hillman as she speaks with three city leaders who are working on this problem.
HOST: Anne Hillman
GUESTS:
Alexis Johnson, Anchorage Health Department, Housing and Homeless Coordinator
Jessica Parks, Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness, Chief Operations Officer
Felix Rivera, Anchorage Assembly member
LINKS:
Anchorage Health Department: Housing Services
Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness
Anchorage Assembly Housing and Homelessness Committee
The stigmas and statistics of mental health awareness are important issues for Alaskans, especially as it relates to suicide prevention. On this episode of Hometown, Alaska host Justin Williams leads a conversation about how to discuss mental health and suicide prevention with Blaze Bell of Standing Together Against Rape and Recover Alaska as well as Shana Cooper of the Alaska Native Justice Center. They share their professional insight and personal experiences to explain how to approach these issues and share what resources are out there.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or having thoughts of self-harm or suicide dial 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for free, confidential support.
HOST: Justin Williams
GUESTS:
Shana Cooper, Alaska Native Justice Center
Blaze Bell, S.T.A.R., Recover Alaska
LINKS:
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Suicide prevention resources
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
AK Division of Behavioral Health treatment and recovery resources
When most people think of Alaska sports, hockey, basketball and mushing are top of mind. But, as the Alaska Rugby Union celebrates its 50th anniversary, they are poised to make the sport of rugby an Alaska staple. On paper, the objective of rugby is simple—carry a ball across the scoring zone to secure more points than your opponent. It sounds easy enough. In reality, 300-feet and 15 burly athletes looking to knock you off your feet at every turn make scoring a point a Herculean task. But therein lies the joy of being a rugby player. On this episode of Hometown, Alaska host O'Hara Shipe discusses rugby with leaders of the Alaska Rugby Union to discuss the history and the future of the sport in The Last Frontier.
HOST: O'Hara Shipe
GUESTS:
Dave Delozier, President of the Alaska Rugby Union
Jami Almonte, women and youth coach, Vice President of the Alaska Rugby Union
LINKS:
Alaska Rugby Union
Alaska Rugby Union Facebook
45 years ago KSKA flipped a switch and became the very first public radio station in Southcentral Alaska. On the next Hometown, Alaska we revisit some of the station's best memories with KSKA’s original general manager and the station's longtime program director of nearly 40 years.
HOST: Dave Waldron
GUESTS:
Alex Hills, KSKA’s original general manager
Bede Trantina, KSKA's program director for 39 years
Kake, Alaska is currently populated by about 500 people but it’s the hometown of many more. This week on Hometown, Alaska we take a trip on a seal hunting vessel and into a kitchen as we explore the community through interviews about its past and present with the hosts of the podcast "A Piece of Kake."
HOST: Anne Hillman
GUESTS:
Mona Evan and Sarah Campen, hosts of "A Piece of Kake" podcast
LINK:
Zeynep Kilic was born and raised in Turkey. A former professor of the now-defunct sociology program at the University of Alaska Anchorage, Kilic is now an accomplished film director, as well as the new owner of the recently rebranded and reopened Turkish Delight, a restaurant specializing in authentic Turkish cuisine. On this episode of Hometown, Alaska we will hear about her history and relationship surrounding the food she makes and loves, and what approaches she takes for her favorite dishes.
HOST: Justin Williams
GUEST: Zeynep Kilic, Owner of Turkish Delight
LINKS:
Paula Poundstone is a stand-up comic known for her witty observations on NPR’s Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me and her really large family of pets. The author, podcaster and expert dog-waste-remover will be performing in Anchorage in late June. She joins host Anne Hillman to discuss her comedy, her home life, and more.
Event information:
Saturday, June 24
7:30 p.m.
Discovery Theater
HOST: Anne Hillman
GUEST: Paula Poundstone
LINKS:
ALSO FEATURED: State of Art: Celebrate summer with the Sundown Solstice festival
If you happened to be driving down Tudor Road in Anchorage last weekend you may have noticed a throng of people dressed in armor, medieval gowns and maybe even a dragon suit. That’s because we are in the midst of the Three Barons Renaissance Fair which runs through this weekend. On this episode of Hometown, Alaska host Dave Waldron speaks with a long-time board member about the fair and moderates a debate between the three Barons as they vie for the public's support to rule the realm of Hillshire.
HOST: Dave Waldron
GUESTS:
Mel Kalkowski, long-time board member of the 3 Barons Fair and the Magistrate of Hillshire
Blue Baron
Red Baron
Green Baron
LINKS:
3 Barons Fair Website
Ticket information
heartbreaking. As part of their Military Voices Initiative, StoryCorps partnered with us at Alaska Public Media to record veterans, active members of the armed forces or their families to document their stories. On this episode of Hometown Alaska, producer Ammon Swenson discusses the Military Voices project with the CEO of StoryCorps and learns about the women's veteran organization Operation Mary Louise.
While the virtual opportunities have closed, StoryCorps will be at the Anchorage Public Library July 24 through the 28th for in-person recordings.
Sign up HERE
HOST: Ammon Swenson
GUESTS:
Sandy Clark, CEO of StoryCorps
Vanessa Meade, Co-lead of Operation Mary Louise
LINKS:
StoryCorps
Military Voices Initiative
Alaska Public Media Military Voices
Operation Mary Louise
Despite the May snowfall, it is definitely growing season in Anchorage. On this episode of Hometown Alaska host Dave Waldron and two master gardeners discuss the challenges and rewards of gardening in our northern climate, answer some listener questions and do a little gardening trivia. Later in the show we visit an apple orchard with the president of the Alaska Pioneer Fruit Growers Association to find out what goes into the growing process this time of year.
HOST: Dave Waldron
GUESTS:
Emily Becker and Nick Riordan, master gardeners
Dr. Mark Wolbers, President, Alaska Pioneer Fruit Growers Association
LINKS:
Alaska Master Gardeners Anchorage
Alaska Master Gardeners Anchorage FACEBOOK
University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service
Alaska Pioneer Fruit Growers Association
ALSO FEATURED: State of Art: Anchorage Community Theater’s ‘Wait Until Dark’
Nearly 61 thousand households in Anchorage have pets. That works out to about 105 thousand dogs and 88 thousand cats. That’s a lot of animals — and a lot of animal waste. And pet ownership doesn’t just impact the people who live with the creatures. Caring for pets is both challenging and rewarding for veterinarians and their staff, too. This week on Hometown, Alaska, we’re talking to veterinarians about their mental health and pet care basics as well as taking a trip to the dog park to see how your actions affect everyone downstream.
HOST: Anne Hillman
GUESTS:
Dr. Judy Montalbano and Dr. Tracy Ward, veterinarians, The Alaska State Veterinary Medical Association
Cherie Northon, Anchorage Waterways Council, Executive Director
LINKS:
The Alaska State Veterinary Medical Association
ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888) 426-4435
Anchorage Waterways Council
BROADCAST: Monday, May 8th, 2023. 10:00 am – 11:00 a.m. AKT
REPEAT BROADCAST: Monday, May 8th, 2023. 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. AKT
Alaska education has predominantly aimed its resources at younger generations to build them up early. Unfortunately, this can leave out older citizens who may be yearning to re-engage education and discover new skills, activities, and friendships. Since 2007, OLÉ! has existed in Anchorage as a non-profit organization aimed at providing older Alaskans aged 50 and up an opportunity to continue their education in creative and engaging ways. President board Gretchen Bersch and curriculum committee chair Bill Cole join host Justin Williams on Hometown, Alaska to discuss how OLÉ! began, obstacles they have had to creatively overcome and the mental and social importance of education in Alaska for its older citizens.
HOST: Justin Williams
GUESTS:
Gretchen Bersch, Board President, OLÉ!
Bill Cole, Curriculum Committee Chair, OLÉ!
LINKS:
OLÉ! website
OLÉ! courses
OLÉ! registration
BROADCAST: Monday, May 1st, 2023. 10:00 am – 11:00 a.m. AKT
REPEAT BROADCAST: Monday, May 1st, 2023. 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. AKT
HOST: Dave Waldron
GUESTS:
Laura Atwood, Executive Director, Bird Treatment and Learning Center
Katie Thorman, Rehabilitation Assistant, Bird Treatment and Learning Center
Chandelle Cotter, Education and Behavior Curator, Bird Treatment and Learning Center
Girdie, Crow, Bird Treatment and Learning Center
LINKS:
Bird Treatment and Learning Center
Bird TLC Facebook
Bird TLC Instagram
HOST: O'Hara Shipe
GUESTS:
Robin “Lamia Lexicon Monroe” O’Donoghue, Drag Performer
Zaide “Dela Rosa” Manzano, Drag Performer
Kendra Arciniega, Owner of Arciniega Street Productions
Mercedes Arciniega, Owner of Arciniega Street Productions
There is a drink that some say is slowly but surely gaining popularity in America.That drink is sake. This week on Hometown Alaska we'll learn how to drink it, pair it, and even cook with it as part of sake week: a six day event taking place in Anchorage and Girdwood.
HOST: Justin Williams
GUEST:
Erin Baldwin Day, lead organizer of Mutual Aid Network of Anchorage
LINKS:
Mutual Aid Network of Anchorage website
HOST: Anne Hillman
GUESTS:
Austin Quinn-Davidson and Meg Zaletel, Anchorage Assembly
LINKS:
Information on the upcoming election
Ballot tracking
Information on the Anchorage Assembly
HOST: O'Hara Shipe
GUESTS:
JT West, 907 Pro Wrestling Academy
Jared Cox, pro wrestler
LINKS:
907 Pro Wrestling Academy WEBSITE
907 Pro Wrestling Academy FACEBOOK
HOST: Dave Waldron
GUESTS: Melanie Cross and Christy Hedrick, Fur Rondy Melodrama co-producers
LINKS:
TICKETS
Fur Rondy Events: Melodrama
HOST: Anne Hillman
GUESTS:
Carl Jacobs, Anchorage School Board member
Andy Ratliff, Anchorage School District Chief Financial Officer
LINKS:
Anchorage School District
Anchorage School Board
ASD School Bond Information
Contact Anchorage School Board
HOST: Anne Hillman
GUESTS:
Rachel Bernhardt and Julie Raymond-Yakoubian, Alaska End of Life Alliance
Kris Green, Death Cafe
LINKS:
Death Cafe, Anchorage
Alaska End of Life Alliance:
Death Doulas
Funeral Homes
Alaska Laws and Regulations
Hospice and Palliative Care
Advanced Directives
Grief and Bereavement Support
Home Funerals
Other Alaska End of Life Alliance resources
Five Wishes
GUEST SUGGESTED READING:
"Notes for the Everlost: A field guide to grief" by Kate Inglis
"The Year of Magical Thinking" by Joan Didion
GUEST HOST: Dave Waldron
GUEST: Cody Carver, Program and Events Manager at the Anchorage Museum
LINKS:
Anchorage Museum
Pass the Mic exhibit
HOST: Anne Hillman
GUESTS:
Barbara and Ethan Jacko Atwater, mother/son writing partners, authors of multiple children’s books and more
Sara Juday, co-president of the board, Alaska Center for the Book
LINKS:
Alaska Center for the Book
Read Alaska Native reading challenge resources
The American Indian Library Association
HOST: Anne Hillman
Guests:
Abdelqader "Abdoo" Ezzedine, New Habitat for Humanity homeowner
John Frommer, Consruction Manager, Habitat for Humanity
Jasmine Boyle, Chief Operating Officer, Rural Alaska Community Action Program, Inc. (RurAL Cap)
Colleen Dushkin, Association for Alaska Housing Authorities
LINKS:
Habitat for Humanity, Anchorage
RurAL Cap
Association for Alaska Housing Authorities
HOST: Justin Williams
GUESTS:
Dr. Elizabeth Whitney, executive director, Alaska Museum of Science and Nature
Dr. Kristine Crossen, president, board of directors, Alaska Museum of Science and Nature
LINK:
Host: Anne HillmanGUESTS:
Gail Fenumiai, Division of Elections
Jeannette Lee, Sightline Institute
Links:
Division of Elections website
Make a Plan to Vote
Learn about ranked choice voting
Candidate Comparison Tool
Alaska Public Media elections coverage
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE: Monday, October 31, 2021 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, October 31, 2021 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.
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HOST: Justin Williams
GUESTS:
Tiffany Hall, executive director of Recover Alaska
Dr. Vivian Gonzales, professor of psychology at the University of Alaska Anchorage
LINKS:
Recover Alaska
Rethinking Drinking: Website created by National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Provides information on drinking to help people assess their drinking and tools to change drinking habits.
Checkup and Choices: Offers check-ups (assessment with feedback) for alcohol, opioids, cannabis, and stimulant use. You can choose to begin an intervention based on the results to help you reduce use and consequences. Not free, but much lower cost than traditional treatment, self-guided, and has evidence to support it’s effectiveness in helping people reduce their substance use and consequences.
Smart Recovery: Free mutual support groups that are an alternative to AA or NA. Provides general mutual support meetings as well as meetings specifically for vets and first responders, LGBTQ+, friends and family, and people under 30.
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This week Hometown Alaska hosts three writers telling significant parts of Alaska’s story.The idea for our show began with the hope of bringing Alaska’s current writer laureate, Heather Lende, to the mic, and picking her brain for what we should be reading this winter. We called, she agreed, but we have ended up with so much more.
Since Heather took the state writer mantle for 2021-23, she has made her mission to bring forward other voices from Alaska. When I called to invite her to Hometown Alaska, all we talked about were other writers she wanted to share.
We have two such voices with us today: journalist and writer Laureli Ivanoff of Unalakleet – whose essays and reflections have appeared in The New York Times, High Country News, Alaska Dispatch and elsewhere; and Leigh Newman of Connecticut, author of a memoir about growing up in Alaska, and her new book, a short story collection called “No One Gets Out Alive,” about women navigating male-dominated Alaska.
HOST: Kathleen McCoy
GUESTS:
Heather Lende, Alaska's Writer Laureate
Laureli Ivanoff, author
Leigh Newman, author
LINKS:
- Heather Lende author website
- “Heather Lende, whose memoirs chronicle life in Haines, is named Alaska State Writer Laureate,” ADN, May 13, 2021
- Laureli Ivanoff writing portfolio website
- Laureli Ivanoff, “The Bearded Seal my Son May Never Hunt,” NYTimes, 10.20.2018
- Leigh Newman, author website with details on her memoir, “Still Points North,” and her short story collection, “No One Gets Out Alive.”
- Leigh Newman talks about “Still Points North,” on The Rumpus Interview
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The Last Frontier is known for its appreciative beer subculture. The craft has been honored here and its processes mimicked in garages and storefronts alike. Alaska Beer Broads is an all-female, Alaska-based group consisting of beer enthusiasts from all over the state who connect and meet up at beer events to support local businesses and talk beer. D’Lany Nichols is their creator, and between podcasting, event coordination, taste tasting and leading the group, she always has her toes dipped into the local scene, expanding her expertise and celebrating the established culture.
HOST: Justin Williams
GUEST: D'Lany Nichols, Alaska Beer Broads
LINKS:
Alaska Beer Broads:
Business and the economy are ever-changing in Alaska. As life becomes more expensive and old models of creating revenue streams are met with apprehensive resolve, two local entrepreneurs set out to change the business landscape of the Last Frontier. Sourdough Dan Morris is the owner of Alaskan Footprints food tours. He offers historical insight, humor and delicious delicacies in his treks, setting a fun pace for both local Alaskans and tourists to experience downtown on foot.
Atlas Katari is the founder of Anchorage Independent Worker Alliance. They are dedicated to connecting like-minded entrepreneurs in the city together to change the way we live as individuals, and build as a society.
This week on Hometown Alaskan we will explore the purposes of their journeys, and the end result that will hopefully inspire a generation to step out of the shadows and into their dreams.
HOST: Justin Williams
GUESTS:
Segment 1:
"Sourdough" Dan Morris, Alaskan Footprints food tours
Segment 2:
Atlas Katari, Anchorage Independent Worker Alliance
LINKS:
Alaskan Footprints food tours
Anchorage Independent Worker Alliance Facebook page
AIWA co-working events
LISTEN:
- FIRST AIR: Monday, September 19, 2022 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, September 19, 2022 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: Available after the program.
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With winter coming on, maybe you need a cozy, creative activity you can do with friends that adds up to something beautiful?Poster for this year’s Great Alaska Quilt Show, their first after a 2-year absence. Photo courtesy of ALCQ.
Today’s Hometown Alaska introduces the Anchorage Log Cabin Quilters Guild. Their unjuried annual Great Alaska Quilt Show is Sept. 17-18. With something like 100 quilts on display, and another 50 small quilts up for auction, you can get a good idea of what this group does. The annual fundraising event is free to attend and has moved from the old Conoco Phillips building to a new location, First United Methodist Church at 725 W 9th Avenue. Parking is also free.
Today’s program was prerecorded for scheduling reasons so we won’t be taking your calls. Join us to meet quilters and find out why this craft and art became their passion.
GUESTS:
Peggy Brewer, current president of the ALCQ
Pat Sims, charter member of the ALCQ, started in 1979
Lynne Seitz, Comfort Quilts program coordinator for ALCQ
Sheila Toomey, publicity, ALCQ
LINKS:
Contact email for Anchorage Log Cabin Quilters Guild:anchoragequilters@gmail.com
“It ain’t your grandma’s quilting bee anymore,” Senior Voice, Aug. 1, 2022.
Anchorage Log Cabin Quilters Guild blog, scroll topics at the top of the page.
ALCQ Meetings and Fun Page, blog page for details on their many local service projects.
ALCQ Facebook page
10 Decades and Counting, images of ALCQ 2015 centennial project, Anchorage through the decades in quilted images.
The history of quilting, Wikipedia.
PARTICIPATE:
Today’s podcast was prerecorded so we won’t be taking calls during the program.
Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the broadcast.
Post your comment or question below.
FIRST AIR: Monday, September 12, 2022 at 10 a.m.
RE-AIR: Monday, September 12, 2022 at 8 p.m.
PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.
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So, here’s one new thing: This fall, UAA, our hometown university campus, is offering its first marijuana information class, open to students and community members. How and why did the university decide now was the time to bring this topic to campus? We’ll meet the professor who successfully made the case. She’ll curate the course, using local subject experts to do the teaching.
We’ll also meet a regulator, the new director for the Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office (AMCO). We’ll learn how much money the industry brings into the state, and what some of the regulatory challenges are. One factoid: this office regulates about 2000 alcohol licensees, and between 400-500 marijuana licensees.
And we’ll visit a vertically integrated cannabis company, called the Secret Garden. There, a local Anchorage workforce of 40-plus grows and harvests plants, manufactures products like edibles and oil-filled cartridges, and staffs a busy retail store open seven days a week.
The night of Soviet killings of January 13, 1991 in Vilnius, Lithuania. An unarmed Lithuanian citizen stands against a Soviet tank. Wikimedia Commons image by photographer Andrius Petrulevicius, Lithuanian Central State.Svaja Worthington was only five years old in 1944 when her family walked away from their Lithuanian home in the face of Russian brutality. During World War II, Lithuania had been occupied first by the Soviet Union and then by Nazi Germany. Towards the end of the war in 1944, as the Germans were retreating, the Soviet Union reoccupied Lithuania. And, as with events in Ukraine today, there was active resistance.
Some of Svaya’s relatives were taken to Soviet gulags. Her family left everything, walking behind a cart carrying their belongings, with a cow trailing behind. They spent years as refugees, finally coming to the United States — first New Jersey and then Illinois, where a relative resided. Svaya grew up there, graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and went on to graduate school in literature and teaching at the University of New Mexico. There, she met her future husband, a park ranger, who took her to Alaska.
The Little Lithuanian Museum & Library in Chugiak. It is open to the public free of charge June through September.
Today, Svaya curates a tiny museum celebrating Lithuanian history and culture located in the hills of Chugiak. It includes—among many historic and cultural artifacts—an old leather suitcase of family clothes from that cart in 1944. All is preserved in a tiny yellow house she bought and moved near her home in Chugiak. She opens her museum free to the public by appointment, June through September.
Lithuania’s history is rich. As her website explains, at one point in time, “Lithuania was the largest principality in Europe known as the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, extending from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea and to within 100 miles of Moscow. Lithuanians were the last Pagans to be converted to Christianity in Europe, and to this day Lithuania is a fascinating blend of Paganism and Christianity.”
Learn more on today’s program, when Svaya will relay her family’s story, her reasons for creating this museum, and much more about this Baltic state’s rich and independent history. Join us.
HOST: Kathleen McCoy
GUESTS:
- Svaya Worthington, curator of the Little Lithuanian Museum& Library in Chugiak
- Mary Kancewick, attorney, poet, of Lithuanian descent, links indigenous rights with Lithuanian drive for sovereignty
LINKS:
- Little Lithuanian Museum & Library website
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE: Monday, June 6, 2022 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, June 6, 2022 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.
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The Spenard area of Alaska is known for its eclecticism and diversity amongst its people, businesses, and artistic sensibilities. Long has it been the host of Tommy’s Burger Stop, Chilkoot Charlies, Center Bowl, and more currently The Drip, the city’s first black-owned coffee hut. It’s no wonder that this area specifically also openly celebrates American jazz culture, and has instituted an event to partake in its music. Established in 2008, the Spenard Jazz Fest will celebrate its 15th anniversary in Anchorage this year. Alaska-based musician Yngvil Vant Guttu has been pivotal in the scene for years and will be one of many artists gathering in Spenard to perform on the 4th of June. Here, she and fellow artist Corinthia Rabb help facilitate the discussion on the importance of Jazz on a national scale and a local one to support the culture and the Fest in the heart of Spenard.
HOST: Justin Williams
GUESTS:
Yngvil Vant Guttu, Corinthia Rabb, and Karl Wilhelmi
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during, or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE: Monday, May 23, 2022, at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, May 23, 2022, at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.
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Used with permission from Anchor Gardens, a free mentoring service for gardeners aimed at building tighter neighborhoods and folks who know how to grow food. Depending on where you live, the snow is finally mostly gone. The sun is back, the earth is warming, we’ve had a little rain. The seed starts on the dining room table are about to climb out of their tiny four-packs and walk to your back yard or patio. It’s time to garden.
Anchorage is abundant with garden resources, from commercial nurseries, Cooperative Extension Service, municipal composting, nonprofits like the Alaska Botanical Garden, Yarducopia (share your yard with a gardener who doesn’t have one), municipal community gardens and more.
On today’s Hometown Alaska, we’ll introduce you to a free garden mentoring service with high ambitions. It aims to build community by connecting new gardeners with “old” gardeners, right in the same neighborhood. Their goal is to have a coach or coaches in every community council district in Anchorage. So when you get home with your flat of veggie starts and flowers and don’t know where to begin, you know who to call. Or when you realize your soil needs enriching. Or when it’s time to put the garden to bed for the season.
Anchor Gardens also has a deeper mission. Its founders take Alaska’s food insecurity issues very seriously. They aim to make sure Alaskans know how to grow their own food, and how to keep their garden soil healthy.
We’ll meet a founder of Anchor Gardens, and several mentors. Your questions and comments are welcome throughout the program. Just dial us at 550-8433 to ask your garden questions. And check out our list of useful links on the page below.
Here’s to your gardening success!
HOST: Kathleen McCoy
GUESTS:
- Cindee Karns, Anchor Gardens cofounder, permaculture practitioner
- Stefanie Gorder, Anchor Garden coach, Sand Lake area
- Fred McLeary, retired service veteran, Anchor Garden coach, Russian Jack area
LINKS:
- Anchor Gardens on Facebook
- Anchor Gardens own website
- Anchor Gardens origin story web page
- Application to join Anchor Gardens web page
- Yarducopia, Anchorage-based support for organic, regenerative, neighborhood-based gardening, website
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE: Monday, May 16, 2022 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, May 16, 2022 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.
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Photo via Pexels The fight against youth homelessness oftentimes feels like an invisible war. We see adults commonly wandering the streets in makeshift families, on the path to survival and, ideally, long-term aid and access to shelter. Rarely, however, will we see teenagers on those same streets, as a lot of cases of homeless individuals under the age of eighteen go untracked and unreported. In Alaska, we hope that means they’ve found help in the form of Covenant House or other organizations. Oftentimes, however, it may simply mean they’re doing whatever it takes to survive.
On this episode of Hometown, Alaska, Zoryna Lealai, a youth advocate for the Anchorage Youth Task Force, and Julia Terry, co-director of the organization Choosing Our Roots, will be joining the discussion on exposing and combating youth homelessness, while providing a very personal perspective on the issue. What organizations are out there shedding light on, and actively engaging in, the fighting against youth homelessness?
HOST: Justin Williams
GUESTS:
Zoryna Lealai, Youth advocate, Anchorage Youth Taskforce
Julia Terry, Co-director, Choosing Our Roots
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE: Monday, May 9, 2022 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, May 9, 2022 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.
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Graphic from World Health Organization in its public campaign against disinformation. Here’s a new word for you: infodemic. The World Health Organization coined the term and centered a recent global conference around coming to terms with a glut of mis- and dis-information that is harming public health.
Click here for a full-size version of the poster. From the News Literacy Project. While this is a global issue, and links below will take you to the WHO’s many universal resources, a local group has been fighting inaccurate information on Facebook pages. Called the Alaska Public Health Information Response Team, it enlists UAA strategic communications students to spot the bad information, and local health professionals to intervene with posts on Facebook that introduce accurate information.
The effort is more than two years old, and continues. On today’s Hometown Alaska, we’ll meet some of the participants. They’ll offer insight into the fight against mis- and dis-information, how it so easily spreads on social media, and how you can navigate those troubled waters yourself, like how do you handle disinformation within your own family and circle of friends?
We’ll also hear from Steve Johnson, coach of the UAA debate team, on how disinformation is threatening democracy. He shares the best book he’s read on the topic, “The Constitution of Knowledge: A defense of truth” by Jonathan Rauch. This portion of the program was pre-recorded.
So, join us with your questions and comments by dialing 550-8433 during the show, Monday April 25, 10 am-11 am.
HOST: Kathleen McCoy
GUESTS:
- Dr. Jennifer Meyer, assistant professor in the College of Health, UAA
- Dr. Joy Mapaye, professor in Journalism and Public Communications, UAA
- Dr. Tom Hennessy, epidemiologist, Affiliate Faculty, College of Health, UAA
- Alexandra Edwards, research professional and project manager, Center for Behavioral Health Research and Services, UAA
- Steve Johnson, UAA debate coach
LINKS:
- Links that explain the infodemic
- World Health Organization’s 2021 conference on infodemiology, website with resources
- US Surgeon General’s Advisory on Building a Healthy Information Environment, report and 1-page summary
- WHO video discussion with experts on the evolving issue of disinformation, 1-hour video discussion
- The Debunking Handbook, created by academics around the globe
- Vaccine Misinformation Management Guide, from Unicef, First Draft, Yale Institute for Global Health, and The Public Good Projects
- Practical tips when dealing with disinformation
- How to speak up without starting a showdown, poster, from newslit.org
- 7 tips on dealing with disinformation, WHO
- When Your Family Spreads Misinformation, The Atlantic Magazine
- WHO information on common myths around Covid, webpage
- Calling BS, a free online course from University of Washington on how to detect and deal with disinformation, course syllabus
- First Draft News, a nonprofit working with journalists and the public on managing disinformation, website
- Shots Heard Round the World, nonprofit organization supporting community organizations experiencing public backlash when they present accurate information; includes a toolkit
- Local, national coverage on responding to disinformation
- Alaska public health experts are taking the fight against COVID 19 misinformation to Facebook comment threads, ADN, 2.9/2021
- UAA students and faculty collaborate to curb the spread of COVID-19 misinformation, Green & Gold News, 4.19.21
- Covid Mythbuster! Dr. Todd Wolynn takes on anti-vaxxers with science, singing and a dose of silly, People Magazine
- About “The Constitution of Knowledge: a defense of truth” by Jonathan Rauch, The Brookings Institute
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE: Monday, April 25, 2022 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, April 25, 2022 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.
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Image from Flickr The month of April is many things to many people: Aries season, Easter eggs, spring cleaning. To a lot of people in Alaska, though, April is also Sobriety Awareness Month. Alaska’s history with alcoholism and recovery runs deep, and three local recovery heroes join host Justin Williams to share their encouraging experiences.
HOST: Justin Williams
GUESTS:
Wes Brewington
Blaze Bell
Ralph Sara
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE: Monday, April 11, 2022 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, April 11, 2022 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.
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Community Health Workers with the Alaska Primary Care Association are deeply involved in the communities where they work. As such, they can be trusted guides to help under-served communities find better access to healthcare. With each client, CHWs educate and offer information and access to Covid vaccines. (Photo courtesy of Alaska Primary Care Association) Community Health Workers are relatively new to Alaska. They come from the communities they serve. They get specialized training in communication and health systems, and their mission is to help guide people toward the health care they need.
Today that includes helping clients overcome COVID vaccine hesitancy. That resistance exists for many reasons: misinformation, mistrust and even indifference. Community Health Workers, or CHWs, talk through those issues.
On today’s Hometown Alaska, we meet two local workers in Anchorage. We’ll learn how they use “motivational interviewing” to have those difficult conversations with their clients.
This program is a part of Alaska Public Media’s Talk to Your Neighbor initiative, bringing trusted voices and good information to the community about the coronavirus.
As always, your questions and comments are welcome. Please join our conversation by dialing 550-8433.
HOST: Kathleen McCoy
GUESTS:
- Chahrlie Crooms, Community Health Worker – Certified Peer Support Specialist
- Linda Tulimasealii, Community Health Worker – Certified Peer Support Specialist
- RJ Fontaine, Health Promotions Coordinator, Alaska Primary Care Association
LINKS:
- Alaska Primary Care Association, website
- Anchorage Project Access website
- Motivational Interviewing explained, website
- How the virus is contagious, site recommended by CHW Chahrlie Crooms, website
- Common questions about the coronavirus, answered in plain English, another site receommended by CHW Chahrlie Crooms, website
- How can I talk to my friends and family about getting vaccinated for Covid 19, recommended by RJ Fontaine, website
- Health Misinformation Toolkit, recommended by RJ Fontaine, website
- Facebook, APCA Community Health Workers site
- Linked In, APCA Community Health Workers site
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE: Monday, March 28, 2022 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, March 28, 2022 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.
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The Fairview Community Recreation Center recently opened an indoor playground (Photo courtesy of Anchorage Parks and Recreation). The Fairview Community Recreational Center has been a community staple in the city for many years. The team behind the center bring a shining light into Fairview, and the recent inclusion of a new indoor playground is sure to leave an even brighter legacy for its residents. This episode discusses the impact, history, and legacy of the Center.
HOST:
Justin Williams
GUESTS:
Teri Desi: Recreation Superintendent, FCRC
Dorena Bingham: Recreation Supervisor, FCRC
Taylor Keegan: Landscape Architect, Municipality of Anchorage
PARTICIPATE:
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast.
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- Prerecorded Show will air: Monday, March 21, 2022 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, March 21, 2022 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.
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Book cover of “Black History in the Last Frontier” by University of Alaska Anchorage history professor Ian Hartman. It’s February and Black History month is in full effect in Alaska. But what if educators here emphasized Black achievements and observed our darker history all year around? How would that affect economic diversity in Alaska, and raise the standard for how we observe and celebrate black culture? Hear this discussion on Black history and education in Alaska.
HOST:
Justin Williams
GUESTS:
Taylor Mitchell, Alaska Coalition for BIPOC Educators
Ken Miller, Denali FSP Fundraising Consultants
Brian Belcher, Born and raised in Anchorage Alaska. Brian is a peer support specialist for Alaska Behavioral Health and a tumbling instructor at Studio 49 school of dance. Brian got into the peer support field because of his own recovery. Brian has been a part of the cheer and dance world for many years now and has trained and performed with Studio 49 and Momentum Dance as well as Alaska Athletics.
LINKS:
NAACP and Alaska Public Media readings of “Black History in the Last Frontier”
Talk of Alaska: ‘Black in Alaska’ aims to increase African American visibility
Hometown Alaska: Three local pastors respond to Henry Louis Gates’ ‘The Black Church’
Hometown Alaska: Juneteenth: What, why and beyond
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Former high school seniors Kayden King, Shaun Peter, and Thomas Phelan in Bethel. (Katie Basile/KYUK) On this week’s Hometown Alaska, Anchorage teens describe how they have suffered, endured, and even grown through living under the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ll hear from teens at the Alaska Teen Media Institute, Covenant House and MHATS, which stands for Mental Health Advocacy Through Storytelling, a student-founded and student-run non-profit in Anchorage.
ATMI students began creating a series called “Podcast in Place, Youth Stories from Quarantine” recorded in their own homes due to constraints under COVID. Topics include individual student reactions to school closings and uncertainty, to interviews with Alaska’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Anne Zink, and a multi-generational family interview (grandparents, their daughter and their grandchildren) about coping with vaccination information and commitment.
Two Covenant House students talk about the emotional impact of isolation, and the loss of work due to restaurant closures during the pandemic.
The MHATS teens describe their commitment to better mental health education for young people in school, and their own ups and downs moving through the pandemic.
In all cases, these students were changed by the experience of living through COVID. They also represent an age group, according to the CDC, that has the lowest rate of vaccination and booster compliance.
This program was prerecorded for scheduling reasons, so the hosts won’t be taking your calls during the program. However, we still want to hear from you. Please call our 24/7 recorded line (550-8480) and tell us about your own experience. Were you hesitant to get vaccinated or boosted? What helped you overcome that hesitation?
This program is a part of Alaska Public Media’s “Talk to your Neighbor” project, offering trusted voices and accurate information to listeners on the Covid vaccination. APM has partnered with 20 community groups to help overcome vaccination hesitation.
HOSTS: Kathleen McCoy and Daisy Carter of ATMI
GUESTS:
- Caelan Voss, aka Peanut, Covenant House
- Grace Margeson, Covenant House
- Abby Laufer, MHATS
- Ivy Marshall, MHATS
- Tara Skidmore, MHATS
- Daisy Carter, ATMI and Alaska Public Media, co-host and guest
LINKS:
- “Teens and Covid-19 vaccinations: it’s complicated.” American Association of Medical Colleges blogpost.
- CDCJanuary 2020 vaccination, rates of infection per 100,000, CDC website
- Mental Health Advocacy Through Storytelling, MHATS, website
- Vaxteen, “young people taking responsibility for their own health to put an end to preventable diseases,” website
- Podcasts in Place: Youth Stories from Quarantine,” ATMI website with podcasts
- Alaska Teen Media Institute, homepage
PARTICIPATE:
- Today’s program was prerecorded so hosts cannot take live calls. However, we still want to hear from you. Dial 550-8480 and leave a recorded message, 24/7.
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast.
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- Prerecorded Show will air: Monday, February 21, 2022 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, February 21, 2022 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.
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Seawolf, logo for UAA athletics,courtesy of UAA. The UAA Women’s basketball program is elite. Conference champs, sweet 16 appearances, perennial national championship contender, and of course – mayhem! What makes them so successful? How much attention are they getting locally, and nationally? Should they be getting more attention given their success? And what does the future hold for UAA basketball? This episode answers these questions and more as we chat with Head Coach Ryan McCarthy and senior players Tennae Voliva and Lauren Johnson.
HOST:
E.J. David
GUESTS:
Coach Ryan McCarthy was born in Anchorage, and is the winningest active coach in NCAA Div. II, making him one of the brightest coaching talents in the entire NCAA. Coach McCarthy has taken the UAA Women’s program to unprecedented heights in 10 seasons, producing almost 250 wins and just 40 losses. He has won the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and NCAA West Region coach-of-the-year awards many times. McCarthy graduated from NNU in 2006 with a B.S. in social science education and is the proud father of two children, Donovan and Aurora. He and his wife Jenna, a former collegiate star at Florida Gulf Coast University, were married in 2019.
Tennae Voliva is a senior and a captain of the UAA women’s basketball team. Tennae is a homegrown, local talent, playing for East High School where she scored more than 1,000 career points in four varsity seasons. She was named in the Second Team All-State team as junior and senior. Tennae was an honor roll student at East, and continues to be an excellent student at UAA where she obtaining her Masters degree in Clinical Psychology.
Lauren Johnson is a senior guard for the UAA women’s basketball team. Lauren is from Minnesota, where she was a team captain for her high school team. After high school she played for North Dakota State College of Science, a nationally-ranked junior college squad. Lauren is a nursing major.
LINKS:
UAA Women’s Basketball
Newsweek: “Alaska-Anchorage: The Best Women’s Hoops Team West of UConn and the Yukon“
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Andrea Noble, executive director of the Alaska State Council on the Arts, has one word for the Alaska artists and arts organizations now tackling Year Three of life under Covid: “Resilient. They just don’t quit.”
On today’s Hometown Alaska, we’ll hear from five arts groups on how they have adapted and persisted. What lessons did they learn? How did they change their process? What worked, what didn’t work? Were there unexpected silver linings? Unexpected disasters? How has their attitude shifted from year one to year three? Oh, and what do they hear from their audiences?
If you are an artist, actor, musician, painter…. how are you faring? What have you learned? And if you are from the audience, how has the loss of arts affected you? What do you miss the most?
Please join our conversation on how the Arts persist in the time of Covid, and why we care.
HOST: Kathleen McCoy
GUESTS:
- Sherri Burkhart Reddick, Executive Director, Anchorage Symphony Orchestra
- Judy Berry, Marketing and Development Director, Anchorage Opera
- Jason Hodges, Executive Director, Anchorage Concert Association
- Enzina Marrari, Program Officer, Rasmuson Foundation
- Matt Fernandez, Executive Director, Anchorage Community Theatre
LINKS:
- Anchorage Symphony Orchestra website
- Anchorage Concert Association website
- Anchorage Opera website
- Rasmuson Foundation Individual Artists Awards program
- Anchorage Community Theatre website
- Alaska State Council on the Arts, Adaptation and Innovation Grant Program
- KRBD radio report on Ketchikan’s Blueberry Arts Festival, KRBD website
- “Lost Art: Measuring Covid-19’s devastating impast on America’s creative economy,” Brookings Institute study, 8.11.2020
- “Analysis: Covid 19’s Impact on Arts and Culture,” Data and Assessment Working Group Weekly Report, www.arts.gov, 1.4.2021
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE: Monday, February 7, 2022 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, February 7, 2022 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.
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Anchorage-based entrepreneur LeeAnna Chronister is a mother and artist who has operated several small businesses and community projects (Image provided by LeeAnna Chronister) The gig economy isn’t exactly a new income stream for individuals, but the paradigm shift of the market due to COVID and other factors have launched gig work and entrepreneurship into an undeniable macrolevel behemoth. One artist and businesswoman shares her story of how she established her brand to The Last Frontier and how we can support self-employed creatives.
HOST:
Justin Williams
GUEST:
LeeAnna Chronister is an Anchorage-based homeschool mother, wife, photographer, author, and graphic designer. She has owned an operated several small businesses and community projects, including her current AlaskaLeeAnna art studio & design business.
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE: Monday, January 31, 2022 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, January 31, 2022 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.
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The opening image to a slideshow in Spanish aimed at providing accurate information to the Latin community on Covid and vaccinations. Find the full slideshow here. January 2022 marks the world’s third year working to overcome the Coronavirus pandemic. For many different and valid reasons, people hesitate to get vaccinated. Yet broad and successful vaccination rates are necessary to avoid giving the virus time to mutate and create another variant, as it has done with Omicron.
Alaska Public Media has joined 20 community groups —including cultural, informational, and health organizations—working to ensure vaccine-hesitant Alaskans can find accurate information from community members they trust. APM will offer a series of programs called “Talk to your Neighbor” to highlight this community outreach, and to provide a channel for Alaskans to ask their own questions and tell their own stories.
Today you will hear about a nonprofit network that provides donated medical care to the under-served. A network member will tell of a new cohort of community health workers going to neighborhoods and social service settings to help individuals find medical care, including good information on Covid and vaccinations.
We’ll also hear from a medical doctor. He sometimes sits with vaccine-hesitant patients. He understands this is a difficult conversation, and offers some perspective on how to proceed — always with a great deal of respect. Finally, a social media expert will share insights on where faulty information comes from, how it spreads on social media, and ways the sometimes dire tone of information may be turning off some in the audience.
“Talk to your Neighbor” programming will be archived on this webpage as it develops. Programs are planned on Hometown Alaska, Line One and Alaska Insight.
Listeners are invited to share their thoughts and concerns during today’s program by dialing 907-550-8433. In addition, APM added a recorded phone line to take your questions, concerns and stories 24/7. That number is 907-550-8480. Your input may influence future programming.
Please join us, and help us deliver the information you need.
HOST: Kathleen McCoy
GUESTS:
- Melinda Freemon, executive director, Anchorage Project Access, a community partner
- Mari Selle, chief of staff, Alaska Primary Care Association, instigated that agency’s community health worker cohort
- Dr. Phillip Mendoza, physician, board member of Enlaces, a community partner
- Pedro Luis Graterol, social media specialist, Sol de Medianoche, a community partner
LINKS:
- Covidatos, a Spanish-language website with accurate information on Covid 19 and vaccinations
- Anchorage Project Access, a nonprofit network linking the under-served to health care
- Anchorage Project Access Covid 19 site, dealing with some common misperceptions about the vaccines
- Alaska Primary Care Association, APA member, a nonprofit working toward healthy communities through effective health care facilities
- APCA’s Community Health Worker program, explained
- Sol de Medianoche, a bilingual community newspaper
- Enlaces, a nonprofit that “works to advance social justice and equity for Latinos and Hispanics in the North.”
- Mountain View Health Services, a nonprofit community health clinic in Mountain View
- ‘Talk to your Neighbor,’ Alaska Public Media programming related to this community outreach addressing vaccine hesitancy
- Mis- and Disinformation resources, part of the “Talk to your Neighbor’ programming
- Finding credible information on Covid 19 vaccines, CDC guidance on evaluating information
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE: Monday, January 24, 2022 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, January 24, 2022 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.
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In this 2007 photo, a sailor shares his Thanksgiving meal with his baby son at a special event aboard the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan in San Diego. Storekeeper 1st Class Andy Zhang serves his son alongside 500 of his fellow crew members and their families during the special holiday event. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Camarynn Miller. Arguments over mandates, pandemic death, disruptive politics, climate change disasters. We’ve seen them all this year; we’re worn out. The battles and struggles will continue, but this week’s Hometown Alaska seeks to console. Our topic today is celebrating our good habit of gathering together for food and camaraderie, whether that is Christmas, birthdays or Sunday supper. Our guests are convinced that cooking and serving food to others is an act of love, and that this good habit might help us over hurdles we face.
Last summer, PBS offered a 3-part series on food called Food is Love. The chef behind the series, Lasse Sorrensen, said this about the title:
“When you put food on the table and break bread, you become a peacemaker. I’ve always said that even though as people, we are different, we all need to eat. And when you have something good to eat—when you break bread and have a nice glass of wine and a wonderful meal—it brings you together. You’re open to new ideas and other people’s ideas and suggestions, and it’s a form of love. …I’ve always believed that when people enjoy their dinner together, it opens up their hearts to new ideas and to new cultures.”
Here is cook and writer M.F.K. Fisher on food as love:
“…but I still think that one of the pleasantest of all emotions is to know that I, I with my brain and my hands, have nourished my beloved few, that I have concocted a stew or a story, a rarity or a plain dish, to sustain them truly against the hungers of the world.”
― The Gastronomical Me
Joining us to talk about the powerful human nourishment found in food is pop-up co-host chef Judith Mack. When I called and described the show I hoped we could do, she embraced the concept and even offered a recipe (Italian fig cookies, see links for the recipe) she loves. We also found community members whose experience resonated with the healthful experience of gathering together for food.
We hope you have stories or memories of the foods you prepare or share with loved ones. We all eat; if our guests are correct that food can bring us together despite everything working to pull us apart, then let’s sit down and eat! We’d love to hear from you.
CO-HOSTS: Kathleen McCoy with chef and teacher Judith Mack
COMMUNITY CALL-IN GUESTS:
- Zoi Maroudas, CEO of Bambinos Baby Food, member of the Greek and Italian cooking family of Pizza Olympia.
- Omid Rahmanian, from Iran, taught with his wife, Parisa, a community cooking class featuring Persian cuisine, offered through a Keys to Life community program
- Nyabony Gat, South Sudanese, born in Ethiopia and raised in the U.S.; Health Education Coordinator with Alaska Primary Care Association (APCA)/AHEC and Peer Leader Navigator Program Coordinator at the Alaska Literacy Program.
LINKS:
- Essay: “Ruth Reichl on M.F.K. Fisher’s Lifetime of Joyous Eating,” Literary Hub website 2019
- Podcast: “Soul food and the stories it tells about America,” with poet and author of the ‘Soul Food Love’ cookbook, Caroline Randall Williams, Vox Conversations website 2021
- Recipe for Cuccidati, Italian fig cookies, shared by Judith Mack
- 7 inspiring quotes about food and love, The Knot website
- 17 quotes about food and love, Your Tango website
- Keys to Life Alaska, community website focused on empowerment and inclusivity, previous host of community cultural cooking classes.
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE: Monday, December 20, 2021 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, December 20, 2021 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.
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Red Cross nurses in the Philippines. (Photo via WikimediaCommons)
If you’ve ever been to a hospital or a medical clinic or some type of medical facility, which most of us probably have, you may have noticed that a lot of health care workers are Filipino. They can be doctors, or home care providers, or some type of health care worker, but most of them are nurses. This is not just your imagination, as statistics show that Filipino nurses do compose the largest share of immigrant nurses in the United States. In fact, the Philippines is the world’s biggest supplier of nurses. In this episode, we talk to some Filipina nurses – members of an organization called Philippine Nurses Association of Alaska, Incorporated – to hear their journeys and experiences in the American healthcare system – particularly during the time of COVID – and how this impacts their families, and the entire Filipino American community.
HOST:
E.J. David
Guests:
Lorna Hermogino Garcia, Founder and first President of the Philippine Nurses Association of Alaska
Maribell Salanguit, Current President of the Philippine Nurses Association of Alaska.
Belena Hernandez Futch, Member of Philippine Nurses Association of Alaska
LINK:
“Empire of Care: Nursing and Migration in Filipino American History”
Why the US has so many Filipino nurses – VOX
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE: Monday, December 6, 2021 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, December 6, 2021 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.
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The Anchorage landfill countdown on the municipality’s web page shows less than 50 years of capacity. Recycling and composting keeps reusable items out of the landfill. What do you need to know, and where can you find out? UPDATE: Since the recycling/composting program aired Monday morning, here’s a bit of useful info for Mat-Su Valley residents interested in curbside recycling. Alaska Waste began curbside recycling in the Valley last February, including within the city of Palmer, in an effort to divert recyclables away from the landfill. Here’s a link to their FAQs. We’ve added them to the list of useful links below. Thanks for calling, Alaska Waste!
And here’s a next level question. We love our dogs, but how do you keep Fido’s poop bags out of the landfill? Well, you could ask a Denali National Park Ranger.
So, going green is in the news every day. Alaska Airlines just announced it won’t use plastic water bottles anymore, opting instead for water in a box made with some recycled material. Global leaders are in Glasgow talking about their carbon-reduction commitment. Greta Thunberg, a Swedish teen, has strong words from her generation to others about taking responsibility.
So what can we do? Recycle and compost. Yet questions abound: why can’t I put glass in my curbside recycle bin? Do I have to take labels off cans and bottles? Is it true that you can recycle pizza boxes, even the greasy-cheesy ones? Can you compost meat scraps? Why can’t all 1-2 plastics recycle? And what compost/recycle mistakes should you know to avoid so you don’t contaminate the process?
To answer your questions, we have experts from Valley Recycling in the Mat-Su, Anchorage Municipal recycling programs, and a National Park Service Ranger with experience composting their working sled dogs’ waste, instead of adding it to a landfill. Now there’s an idea.
Have questions about recycling or composting? Bring ’em on! Your questions and comments are always welcome.
HOST: Kathleen McCoy
GUESTS:
- Randi Perlman, Interim Director Valley Recycling
- Suzanna Caldwell, Anchorage Municipal recycling and composting programs
- Sarah Hayes, National Park Service ranger with experience at the Denali Sled Dog Kennels
LINKS:
- Municipality of Anchorage: what can you recycle and where, website
- Valley Recycling, website and Facebook page
- Valley Recycling, information handout on what you can recycle and how
- Alaska Waste offers curbside recycling in the Mat-Su Valley, FAQ from website
- Denali National Park sled dog kennels, website (where all dog poop is composted)
- Composting Dog Waste, from 2005, 11-page PDF, USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Fairbanks Soil and Water Conservation District (thanks to Sarah Hayes for sharing this)
- Scoop the Poop, Anchorage Waterways Council effort to keep dog waste out of the watershed, webpage and short video
- Podcast of U.S. municipal recycling facility managers on current challenges (25 min), audio podcast
- Free resources on composting, Good Earth Garden School, website
- How to compost in winter, Marion Owen garden column, website
- Joy of Composting, Facebook page hosted by Marion Owen in Kodiak
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE: Monday, November 8, 2021 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, November 8, 2021 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.
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Taquka’aq B-Duk Took Drum Group at the Alaska Native Heritage Center (Jeff Chen/Alaska Public Media) Since 1990, federal, state, and local governments have recognized November as Native Heritage Month to celebrate and honor America’s Indigenous Peoples. November is such an interesting time for Native peoples, though, as it is right after Halloween when folks still commonly dress up in stereotypical Native costumes, and it is also when Thanksgiving happens, a holiday that is fraught with many problematic portrayals of history and Native Peoples. In this episode, we talk about these and many other relevant issues pertaining to Native Heritage Month.
HOST:
E.J. David
GUESTS:
Ayyu Qassataq is Iñupiaq from Uŋalaqłiq, currently residing on Dena’ina lands in Dgheyey Kaq’ with her four children. She is an activist for the self-determination of Alaska Native peoples, and currently serves as the Vice President & Indigenous Operations Director for First Alaskans Institute. She works closely with the leadership team to center Indigenous knowledge and wisdom, amplify the self-determination of Native peoples and unify the collective strength of our community. Recognizing a shared responsibility to contribute our individual gifts for the betterment of our community, Ayyu works to advance healing, awareness, and advocacy around the challenges and opportunities that face our Native communities.
Samuel Johns is Ahtna and Gwich’in Athabascan with family from Copper Center and Arctic Village. Sam has lived in Anchorage with his family since 2005. Sam, also known as AK Rebel, is a rapper, father, motivational speaker and performer. Among the many things he has done in the community is starting “Forget-me-not”, a group that reconnects homeless individuals with their families, friends, and culture
Sondra Shaginoff-Stuart is Ahtna Dene of the taltsiine (water clan) and Pyramid Lake Paiute of the cui-ui ticutta (fish-eaters). Sondra is a Tribal citizen of Chickaloon Native Village. Sondra is wife and mother of three wonderful men and she currently lives at Kahtnu (Kenai). Sondra is a standing committee member on the Kenaitze Indian Tribe’s Education Committee. Even though she is a language learner, she would like to develop ways for the Ahtna language to grow in our communities and the world. She hopes to honor her family and ancestors by sharing what she has learned, especially with the younger generations. Sondra graduated with a Masters degree in Applied Linguistics from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Her project was focused on task-based language teaching which you teach Native language through cultural projects. She is currently the Chair of the Alaska Native Studies Department at UAA.
LINKS:
UAA Alaska Native Studies
First Alaskans Institute
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- LIVE (RECORDED) : Monday, November 1, 2021 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, November 1, 2021 at 8 p.m.
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Cosplayers at Senshi Con, Alaska’s largest fandom convention, spent the day as their favorite comic book and anime characters last weekend at the Dena’ina Center. (Photo by Ammon Swenson) In Alaska pop culture and entertainment serve as a means to escape the dark, chilly winters that conquer the final months of each year. The politics and popularity of film, comic, game, and novel franchises have brought folks together in ways we did not know possible, bringing a sense of irony to the isolated Last Frontier.
HOST:
Justin Williams
GUESTS:
Braxton Bundick, director of Senshi Con
Stephanie Cabiness, registered nurse by day and the Queen and President of Amtgard of Alaska by night
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- LIVE (RECORDED) : Monday, October 25, 2021 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, October 25, 2021 at 8 p.m.
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The Tagiumiut Dancers perform at the 2019 Alaska Federation of Natives Conference at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks. (Zachariah Hughes/Alaska Public Media) Indigenous Peoples’ Day strikes the intersection of beauty and triumph, controversy and pain. Many have fought to reclaim its purpose and name from Columbus, to the people of the land he claimed to discover.
The history of this day has shown the power of the voices of the marginalized as we largely no longer recognize this day as Columbus Day. South Dakota became the first state to recognize what was then called “Native Americans’ Day” in 1990. The earliest known date of the celebration is in 1792 and it became a national holiday in 1934, and federal holiday in 1971, and considering those dates you can feel how recent of a change this is.
As it pertains to Alaska, what does Indigenous Peoples’ Day truly mean?
Listen to our latest episode of Hometown Alaska:
HOST:
Justin Williams
GUESTS:
Lisa Wade
Meda Dewitt
LINKS:
- Recover Alaska resources and frequently asked questions
- Anchorage Health Department substance misuse resources
- Alaska Department of Health and Social Services Office of Substance Misuse and Addiction Prevention
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE (RECORDED) : Monday, October 11, 2021 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, October 11, 2021 at 8 p.m.
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The month of October has been recognized by the U.S. Congress and by several state legislatures as Filipino American History Month, to celebrate the long history of Filipinos in the United States. When we think about Filipino Americans, however, the states that people most easily think of are California and Hawaii; very few think of Alaska. But Filipino Alaskans have just as long and just as rich of a history as any other Filipino American community.
On this week’s episode of Hometown Alaska, we’re focusing on Filipino Alaskan history, along with Filipino Alaskans’ many achievements and contributions, because Filipino Alaskan history is Alaskan history, and Filipino American history is American history.
HOST: E.J David
GUESTS:
Marie Husa: Marie was born in Manila, Philippines and has been an Alaskan since 1984. She is an investigator for the Anchorage Equal Rights Commission, investigating discrimination complaints. She holds a Masters degree in counseling psychology from Alaska Pacific University and is a licensed professional career and life coach. She is a past president and board member of the Alaska Federation of Filipino Americans. She lives in Anchorage with her husband of 26 years; they have 2 daughters – one attending law school in Seattle University and one studying Business and Psychology at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
Dr. Gabriel Garcia: Dr. Garcia is a Philippine-born, Alaska-grown Professor of Public Health at the University of Alaska Anchorage. He completed his PhD in Public Health with a minor in Anthropology at UCLA. His research interests include Filipino health and experience, racial and ethnic health disparities, and Asian and Pacific Islander health. He is also the Coordinator of UAA’s Master of Public Health Program. Dr. Garcia is the recipient of many awards, including the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Community Service, Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Diversity, and the Center for Community Engagement & Learning’s Community Builder Award. Dr. Garcia, along with a group of UAA faculty and students, were awarded the UAA’s Stewardship Award in 2014 and American Lung Association in Alaska’s Breathe Easy Champion Award in 2015 for the group’s successful effort in making the University of Alaska system smoke and tobacco-free. In 2015, Dr. Garcia was appointed as one of the health commissioners of the Anchorage Health Department.
LINK:
Filipino American National Historical Society
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- LIVE (RECORDED) : Monday, October 4, 2021 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, October 4, 2021 at 8 p.m.
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(Image from Flickr) Addiction and recovery are two sides of a heavy coin. September is National Recovery Month, so this week on Hometown Alaska, we’ll learn how substance addiction contributes to recidivism and how to celebrate recovery and support sobriety and sober-curious lifestyles.
HOST:
Justin Williams
GUEST:
Alaska Addiction Rehabilitation Services
LINKS:
- Recover Alaska resources and frequently asked questions
- Anchorage Health Department substance misuse resources
- Alaska Department of Health and Social Services Office of Substance Misuse and Addiction Prevention
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE (RECORDED) : Monday, September 27, 2021 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, September 27, 2021 at 8 p.m.
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Jeff Bumagat-Hidalgo, co-owner-manager at Jeepney Filipino Hawaiian Fusion Food, prepares an order of butter garlic shrimp on a weekday afternoon in April. (Jeff Chen/Alaska Public Media) Alaska’s food and restaurant culture is a massive and ever-shifting adhesive for the local economy, serving and effecting both customers and business owners alike. But why is it so crucial? And how are local restaurant and food truck owners riding the wave back to success during COVID? Join host, Justin Williams, with two champions of the local restaurant community to discuss our food culture here in Alaska.
HOST: Justin Williams
GUESTS:
- Sheena Goughnour, Owner of Gelatte
- Jason Anderson, Owner of MELT
LINKS:
- MELT website
- MELT Facebook
- Gelatte website
- Gelatte Facebook
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE (RECORDED) : Monday, September 20, 2021 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, September 20, 2021 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.
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Cover of Welcoming Anchorage’s roadmap manual. (Courtesy of Welcoming Anchorage) Alaska’s ethnic and cultural diversity has grown significantly as more immigrants and refugees make Alaska their home. How are new Alaskans adjusting? How can the government help in their transition? What are the ways through which immigrants and refugees enrich Alaska? Join host E.J. David for conversation about a collaborative community project called “Untapped Talent.”
HOST: E.J. David
GUESTS:
- Nyabony Gat, Health Education Coordinator with Southcentral Alaska AHEC & APCA, focusing on workforce development of community health workers and integrated health career pathways for the ESL population. In addition, she is a Program Coordinator for the Peer Leader Navigator Program at Alaska Literacy Program which focuses on health outreach, connection and navigating healthcare and social services. She received a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences from UAA in 2019 and is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES®). She is very passionate and driven to work on immigrant and refugee integration and addressing issues of health equity through community-based efforts.
- Dr. Amana Mbise, Assistant Professor of Social Work in the School of Social Work at UAA. He has over ten years’ experience in social work, global health and community development in three countries: Tanzania, Denmark, and the U.S. His research interests are around immigration, human trafficking and rights-based approaches to social work. This research has so far focused on integration and inclusion of immigrants and refugees in Alaska, human trafficking and labor exploitation, and the rights of children.
- Dr. Sara Buckingham, Dr. Sara Buckingham, Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Her research examines the intersection of culture and wellbeing among people whose cultures have been oppressed alongside multilevel strategies for creating more welcoming, inclusive spaces. She is a licensed psychologist who specializes in multilingual culturally-congruent psychological services for forced migrants, including refugees and asylum-seekers.
- Dr. Tzu-Chiao Chen, Assistant Professor of Communication at UAA. His teaching and research areas are in intercultural communication, interpersonal communication, conflict and negotiation, and research methods. Before joining UAA, he taught at an American University in Kuwait for two years. Experiencing the cultural differences is his main goal for traveling.
LINKS:
Welcoming Anchorage Roadmap
“Creating a more welcoming city through research”
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE: Monday, September 13, 2021 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, September 13, 2021 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.
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This cover of the new “Alaska Women Speak” anthology is artwork by Teresa Ascone that first graced the cover of the WINTER 2014 journal. Ember Press, a Palmer-based small independent publisher specializing in Alaska non-fiction, adventure, conservation and history, has just released an anthology collecting the first 25 years of the journal “Alaska Women Speak,” from 1992 to 2017.
The journal is still publishing today. Find out more about the contemporary journal here.
But this week’s Hometown Alaska program is focused on the new anthology. Our guests are its editors, MaryLee Hayes and Angie Slingluff. Both also served as managing editors for the journal for chunks of years while they also held down jobs and busy lives.
The work that went into the journal all those many years was done by volunteers. So MaryLee’s eight years as managing editor (1994-2003) and Angie’s 17 years (1997-2014) were unpaid labors of love, as was their time and energy spent pulling together the new anthology.
So what’s in here? The voices of Alaska women.
Their poetry and stories, their artwork and photographs. Tales of their worries, their triumphs, their learning, their adventures, their changing. Many names will be familiar: Nancy Lord, Joanne Townsend, both writer or poet laureates for the state of Alaska. Libby Roderick, Arliss Sturgulewski, Amy Bollenbach, Diane Barske, Diana Tillion, Carol Holt, Mei Mei Evans, Ann Chandonnet, Elise Patkotak, Jane Angvik, Sarah Juday, Sarah James of Arctic Village, Rhonda McBride, Monica Devine, Susan Morgan. And outdoor adventurers like Karen Jettmar, Rachel (Suraj) Holzwarth, Dr. Beth Baker. And many more.
Others were written about by the staff or contributors: Susan Butcher, Dee Dee Jonrowe, Gail Niebregge, Lela Kiana Oman, Fran Ulmer, Lorene Harrison, Elizabeth Peratrovich, community organizer Shirley Mae Springer Staten, Eyak speaker Marie Smith, conservation activist Celia Hunter, Alaska Native healer Rita Blumenstein. Even singer Judy Collins when she performed in Alaska.
We’ll learn from our two editors how “Alaska Women Speak” got started and why. What philosophy or values guided it through the years. Were there rough spots? How does it feel to look back now and see the fruit of their labors? What does it offer Alaska readers today?
As always, listeners are invited into this conversation. If you submitted to the journal, or read its stories and poems and enjoyed its art, give us a call at 550-8433. We’d love to hear from you.
HOST: Kathleen McCoy
GUESTS:
- MaryLee Hayes, anthology co-editor, journal managing editor 1994-2003.
- Angie Slingluff, anthology co-editor, journal managing editor 1997-2014.
LINKS:
- Alaska Women Speak, journal website
- KTOO, Juneau Afternoon program interview of MaryLee Hayes and Angie Slingluff by journalist Rhonda McBride
- Ember Press website
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE: Monday, August 30, 2021 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, August 30, 2021 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.
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‘One Headlight’ by Matt Caprioli and ‘Pluto Cove’ by Arran Forbes. UPDATE: Writer Matt Caprioli, featured in this episode, has changed his last name to Frye Castillo. His website can be found here.
Hometown Alaska is back after its short summer hiatus, and we return Aug. 23 at 10 am with a program featuring two Alaska writers with first books.
In the first half of the program, we’ll meet Matt Caprioli, author of “One Headlight,” a memoir of growing up gay in Alaska, a story that captures his restlessness but also his close ties and resilient relationship with his supportive single mother. Caprioli is a graduate of UAA with degrees in English literature and psychology, as well as an MFA in creative nonfiction from Hunter College at the City University of New York. He is a lecturer in professional writing at Lehman College at the City University of New York. He describes himself as “a Queens-based writer by way of Anchorage, Alaska.” He is published by Cirque Press, which grew out of the literary journal, Cirque, featuring the work of writers from the North Pacific Rim.
Here’s a response to “One Headlight” from Chelsea News in New York:
…“One Headlight” is an inspirational story of resilience and fortitude, as well as learning to appreciate those who have supported you — even in their flawed and perhaps unconventional ways. Matt Caprioli has found success these days because along the way he experienced two things: the always-welcoming energy of New York and momentous power in a quiet drive with those one loves.”
In the second half of the program, we’ll meet Arran Forbes, who has created a fantastical look at a dystopian Alaska of the future. Climate change and the lack of water is the story catalyst, as too-familiar disinformation campaigns manipulate a distressed and uncertain public. Forbes says she was less focused on writing a post-apocalyptic, dystopian tale than a realistic assessment of the challenges ahead of us. She considers the book magical realism.
The mother of two started the novel after her second child was born on the Winter Solstice. She considers the work her “path out of postpartum.”
“We have our feet to the fire right now,” she told the Bend, Oregon community newspaper, The Bulletin. “There’s a mounting sense of pressure over resources and the climate,” she said. “Especially for me, I wrote this as a new mom, and I have this new little human in my arms. And wondering about her world is a big part of where this came from.”
Forbes grew up in Anchorage and Bend, graduated from Dartmouth College and earned her nursing degree from UAA. She currently works in the NICU unit at Providence Hospital. She was a recipient of the “40 Under 40” honor for 2021 by Alaska Business Monthly and she is president of Arctic Entries.
Join me to learn more about these two young Alaskans, Matt Caprioli and Arran Forbes: Where did their ideas come from? How and when do they write? When did they know they had a book? How do they feel about editing? What advice do they have for other emerging writers? How do they handle a bad day?
As always, your questions and comments are always welcome.
HOST: Kathleen McCoy
GUESTS:
- Arran Forbes, author of “Pluto Cove,” “Top 40 Under 40” recipient for 2021, NICU nurse, mother of two.
- Matt Caprioli, author of “One Headlight,” now a lecturer in professional writing at Lehman College, City University of New York.
LINKS:
- Matt Frye Castillo website, with blog and events.
- ‘From Alaska to the Apple,’ Chelsea News, 8.3.21
- “Pluto Cove” on Amazon, website
- “Summit High grad Forbes pens thriller ‘Pluto Cove,'” The Bulletin of Bend, Oregon 7.1.21
- ‘Top 40 Under 40,” Alaska Journal of Commerce, 4,16.21
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE: Monday, August 23, 2021 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, August 23, 2021 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.
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The Juneteenth flag was raised on June 11, 2021, at Anchorage City Hall. (Jeff Chen/Alaska Public Media) Juneteenth has been called America’s second Independence Day. But surveys show only about half of Americans know what Juneteenth is.
What exactly is Juneteenth? Why is it important, and how should it be celebrated?
With community leaders Jasmin Smith and Dino Allen, we will discuss Juneteenth’s history and modern-day significance on the next episode of Hometown Alaska.
HOST: E.J. David
GUESTS:
- Jasmin Smith is lifelong Alaskan business owner, community activist, and event planner. In addition to running Umoja Coworking, a business services space dedicated to empowering underrepresented entrepreneurs by supporting culture, collaboration, community and events; and Baby Vend LLC, she is the proud mother to six-year-old twins. She’s been a very active leader in the community and she has planned Anchorage Juneteenth celebrations for the past four years.
- Dino Allen came to Alaska in 1989 with a background in US. Army-Personnel Management. He’s a small business owner and President of D&D Productions, Inc., delivering entertainment to Anchorage in the form of comedy, music, and more. Dino managed Juneteenth celebrations on the Anchorage Park strip from 1993-2002. Currently, he provides advice to small business owners and entrepreneurs. He’s married to Hyacintha Allen, and they have two kids and one new grandson.
LINKS:
- http://juneteenthanchorage.com/
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (2 to 3 p.m.)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE: Monday, June 7, 2021 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, June 7, 2021 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.
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What if our latest conversations about Alaska didn’t lodge on the dollar amount of a PFD, or how much a budget should be cut? What if we leaped over these sticking points and employed our collective imagination to envision an Alaska of the future? What kind of place do we want Alaska to be? What kind of place do we want the next generation to experience?
These are the questions that moved Ky Holland, an educator, community organizer and a start-up kind of guy. Read: Entrepreneur. His LinkedIn “About” section lists “30 years of technical and community leadership focused on the challenge and paradox of building consensus and implementing significant change.”
Ky wanted to start a conversation about Alaska’s future, and the result is Alaska Version 3.0 where innovative thinkers come together and imagine Alaska in the next 30, or 300 years. Recognizing that its oil economy has beneficially driven state growth, but is now in a mature state and can no longer sustain us. What comes next?
As always, your questions and comments are welcome throughout the program. Please join us.
HOST: Kathleen McCoy
GUESTS:
- Ky Holland, Alaska Version 3.0
- Sarah Katari, communications, Alaska Version 3.0
- Meda DeWitt, Alaska Native traditional healer, director Haa Jooni Productions, Alaska Version 3.0
- Margi Dashevsky, Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition, regenerative economies, Alaska Version 3.0
- Ryan Witten, Seeds of Change, Alaska Version 3.0
LINKS:
- Alaska Version 3.0 website
- AKV3 Group on Facebook, webpage
- Alaska v3 Group on LinkedIn (must be a LinkedIn member to access), weblink
- Email address to communicate with AKV3: alaskaversion3@gmail.com
- Writing Contest details, AKV3 website
- Downloadable working and thinking outline of Alaska Version 3.0 (PDF)
- Watch a short video of Ky Holland thinking aloud about Alaska Version 3.0. blog
- Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition, include regenerative economy working group, website
- What is a regenerative economy? From Wikipedia, webpage
- University of North Alabama paper on reaching a new economy, Shoals Shift 2019, PDF
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (2 to 3 p.m.)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE: Monday, June 14, 2021 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, June 14, 2021 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.
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The stand of a bouquiniste, the French term for second-hand books resellers, in Paris, near the Cathedral Notre-Dame of Paris. Books are as popular in Alaska and in Anchorage as they are in Paris, thanks to public libraries, bookstores and the Alaska Center for the Book. (Benh Lieu Song/Wikimediia Creative Commons) For three decades, the Alaska Center for the Book has promoted literacy throughout Alaska by celebrating books, creative writing, poetry and author outreach. On this edition of Hometown Alaska, two founding mothers of the center share stories of challenge and success, and let us know what’s in store for the next 30 years.
We also invite a guest librarian from Loussac Library who has been leading a community read called Anchorage Reads. Their book? Ibram X. Kendi’s “Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America.” Reading and panel discussions began in February and will continue through June.
Take a listen:
HOST: Kathleen McCoy
GUESTS:
- Sara Juday, Alaska Center for the Book
- Sandy Harper, Alaska Center for the Book
- Stacia McGourty, Anchorage Public Library Adult Services Coordinator
Key Dates for Anchorage Reads:
- Thursday, June 2, 7 to 8:30 p.m.: The Economic Impacts of Racism In this panel discussion, participants will hear from community members about the economic impacts of racism, especially on Alaskans.
- Thursday, June 24, 7 to 8:30 p.m.: Race & Criminal Justice In this panel discussion co-hosted by the ACLU of Alaska, participants will hear from community members on the impacts of the criminal justice system on our communities.
LINKS:
- Alaska Center for the Book website
- Poems in Place, ACB project, read the poems here, ACB website
- CLIA awards (Contributions to Literacy Awards), ACB project, ACB website
- Join the Conversation with Anchorage Reads website
- Facebook page for Anchorage Reads, Facebook
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (2 to 3 p.m.)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE: Monday, May 24, 2021 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, May 24, 2021 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.
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Acting Anchorage Police Chief Ken McCoy poses for a photo in the Anchorage Police headquarters in downtown on May 7, 2021. (Hannah Lies/Alaska Public Media) On this edition of Justice Alaska on Hometown Alaska, the Anchorage Police Department’s Acting Chief Ken McCoy joins host Kathleen McCoy for a conversation on APD’s work in Anchorage and on modern policing, a public safety field that has come under increasing scrutiny as social media and video cameras have captured police at work.
Chief McCoy has served more than two decades with APD after joining in 1994. He is a longtime local, graduating from Bartlett High School before attending the New Mexico Military Institute. He served 10 years in the Alaska Army National Guard and retired in 1990 with the rank of captain. He has a bachelor’s degree in Justice from the University of Alaska Anchorage and a criminal justice certificate from the University of Virginia. He has graduated from several FBI training sessions.
He was named Acting Chief in April 2021 upon the retirement of former Chief Justin Doll. He had previously served as Deputy Chief of Operations for four years before that.
RELATED: McCoy makes history, with appointment to Acting Chief of the Anchorage Police Department
Listen to the episode of Hometown Alaska here:
HOST: Kathleen McCoy
GUESTS:
- Acting Police Chief Ken McCoy, APD
Key Dates:
- June 16, 2021, 6-8 p.m., Community Listening Session with Acting Chief Ken McCoy on body-worn camera policy, Bettye Davis East High School
- May 19, 2021, 6 p.m., Public Safety Advisory Commission meeting. See links for agenda and how to connect.
LINKS:
- APD website
- Public Safety Advisory Commission, muni.org website
- Public Safety Advisory Commission, next meeting May 19, 2021, 6 p.m. Agenda here. Link to join meeting here.
- Body Worn Camera, draft policy, February Public Safety Advisory Commission meeting, muni.org website
- Alaska ACLU suggestions on body worn camera policy, ACLU website
- Do Body Cams Make A Difference?, PBS Newshour, 6.20.2020
- Muni Press Release on Ken McCoy appointment as Acting Chief, bio info, Muni.org
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (2 to 3 p.m.)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE: Monday, May 17, 2021 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, May 17, 2021 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.
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Guests Nithya Thiru (left) and Joshua Albeza Branstetter (right) discuss anti-Asian racism on Hometown Alaska. (Images courtesy of guests) Recent events have put a spotlight on anti-Asian racism. Many Americans even seem shocked & surprised that it’s happening. But is anti-Asian racism new? Is anti-Asian racism rare? What does it look like? Where does it happen? And how does it impact Asian Americans? Join us as we discuss the complexities of anti-Asian racism on this episode of Hometown, Alaska.
HOST: E.J. David
GUESTS:
- Nithya Thiru, Executive Director of Story Works Alaska.
While in high school, she developed a love of storytelling as an Alaska Teen Media Institute producer. She later went on to work as the News, Sports and Public Affairs Director for KRUA 88.1 FM at the University of Alaska Anchorage where she graduated with a BA in History. She recently completed her Master of Public Administration in Human Rights and Gender Policy at Columbia University. Growing up among immigrant communities in Anchorage, she has witnessed the power of storytelling to bring folks together and create spaces for both healing and joy. NIthya is a co-founder of the Alaskan Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi American (AK APIDA) organization.
- Joshua Albeza Branstetter, Filmmaker
A Filipino American filmmaker and photographer living in Anchorage, Branstetter has received international acclaim for his documentary work with a focus on themes of cultural reclamation, personal identity, and social justice. He founded Branstetter Film in 2016 with a vision of telling courageous Alaskan stories with authenticity and intimacy. Josh received a 2020 Rasmuson fellowship for his work with “Absolute Zero” – a multi-disciplinary arts team uplifting survivors of abuse throughout Alaska. Josh is a co-founder of the Alaskan Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi American (AK APIDA) organization.
LINK:
Alaskan Asian Pacific Islander Desi Americans Facebook page
PARTICIPATE:
- CALL: 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (2 to 3 p.m.)
- SEND E-MAIL: to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- COMMENT: or post a question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE: Monday, May 3, 2021 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, May 3, 2021 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: Available on this page after the program
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Dave Bronson and Forrest Dunbar head to a runoff election on May 11. (Photos courtesy Bronson and Dunbar campaigns) Hometown Alaska will host RUNNING 2021: Runoff Candidates for Mayor Monday May 3 from 10-11 am. Both candidates will join us for the program. Questions are welcome from the listening audience (see format below). The program will air again at 8 pm Monday evening and will be podcast on this page afterward.
FORMAT: Hometown Alaska has three segments and we’ll use those segments to organize the discussion between candidates.
Segment One (first 20 minutes): Questions from the moderator for the candidates.
Segment Two (next 20 minutes): Candidates pose questions to each other. If candidates run out of questions or this format proves otherwise unproductive, the moderator will resume questions.
Segment Three: (last 20 minutes): Questions from the public. If we run short of questions, the moderator will ask more questions.
ELECTION REMINDER: Mail-in ballots are already in the community and are due by Monday, May 11. Get all the voting details at muni.org/elections. If you prefer to vote in person or need assistance, check this Voter Information page for three locations you can vote in person (scroll to see Anchorage Vote Centers in red type). Calendar information for the Mayoral Runoff can be found at this link.
HOST: Kathleen McCoy
GUESTS:
- Forrest Dunbar, current Assembly member, captain in the Alaska Army National Guard, candidate for mayor
- Dave Bronson, retired commercial and military pilot, candidate for mayor
LINKS:
- Dave Bronson for Mayor, campaign website
- Forrest Dunbar for Mayor, campaign website
- Municipal election information website
- Mayoral runoff calendar information website
- Community panel on what the next mayor should be working on, Alaska Public Media, website
- Alaska News Source Mayoral Runoff Candidate Conversation, website
- Anchorage Daily News questions for mayoral candidates, website
- Anchorage Daily News runoff candidates answer video questions, website
PARTICIPATE:
- CALL: 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (2 to 3 p.m.)
- SEND E-MAIL: to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- COMMENT: or post a question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE: Monday, May 3, 2021 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, May 3, 2021 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.
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Students play during recess at Dena’ina Elementary School in Wasilla in September. (Jeff Chen/Alaska Public Media) Today’s question came from a listener, a father who has weathered and completed his own family’s journey through expensive childcare, for which he’s grateful. But his own success don’t solve the huge challenge in our community, and he asked us to share with listeners the scope of the issue here in Anchorage.
We invited panelists who work everyday to define what quality early childhood education is, how to collaborate with community partners to achieve it, and how to pay for it.
As always, listeners questions and comments are welcome throughout the program. Have you taught in a preschool setting? How about during the COVID experience? Are you a parent who quit your own job and returned home because your wages didn’t cover childcare expenses? Consider sharing your experiences with us on the phone, or sending us an email during the show.
HOST: Kathleen McCoy
GUESTS:
- Stephanie Berglund, CEO of nonprofit thread, a quality childcare advocacy organization
- Bill Falsey, former Anchorage municipal manager, quality childcare advocate
- Hilary Seitz, professor of early childhood education, UAA
LINKS:
- Alaska daycares, critical during the coronavirus crisis, are endangered, Anchorage Daily News, 4.20.21
- Childcare is Essential to Rebuilding Alaska’s Economy, Anchorage Daily News Op-Ed 4.20.21 by Reps. Ivy Spohnholz and Zack Fields, co-chairs of Alaska House Commerce and Labor Committee
- Child Care in Alaska, 2021 Policy Fact Sheet, PDF, thread website
- Alaska’s Childcare Challenges, Solutions and Progress, thread website
- Early Care and Education Data Dashboard, thread website
- 2020 Economic Impact Report, Early Care and Education report (7 pg. PDF), thread website
- Why Childcare is So Ridiculously Expensive, The Atlantic magazine, 11.26.2019
- Why Daycare Workers are so Poor, Even Though Daycare Costs So Much, The Atlantic magazine, 11.5.2015
- Investing in Children: Changes in Parental Spending on Children, 1972-2007, academic paper from University of Pennsylvania and University of Sydney, 2010, link to paper
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (2 to 3 p.m.)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE: Monday, April 26, 2021 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, April 26, 2021 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.
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A listener posed a question for Justice Alaska on Hometown Alaska and we tackled it on this week’s show. Where are the Alaska Native defenders, prosecutors and judges in our state’s judicial system? What would justice in Alaska look like if there were more robust representation of Alaska Natives throughout the process?
Sigvanna (Megan) Topkok, staff attorney for Kawerak in Nome. In conversations with local attorneys to prepare for the show, some said the pipeline of Alaska Native lawyers is just too small to propel them to the bench. Others thought that too simplistic, explaining Alaska Native lawyers may hold different cultural values on arguing in court or passing judgment from a raised dias.
We’ll explore these questions and discuss efforts to change the makeup of the judicial bench so it more accurately reflects the community it serves. Listeners questions and comments are always welcome — please join us.
Nicole Borromeo, AFN Executive Vice President and General Counsel. HOST: Kathleen McCoy, in for Elaine Andrews.
GUESTS:
- Nicole Borromeo, AFN Executive Vice President and General Counsel
- Sigvanna (Megan) Topkok, staff attorney for the tribal consortium Kawerak in Nome
- Joel Bolger, Chief Justice of the Alaska Supreme Court
LINKS:
- Link to an interview of then retired Alaska Native Superior Court Judge Roy Madsen by Arthur Snowden on his time in the judiciary, especially his view on tribal courts. UAF Jukebox Oral History Project.
- Link to an interview with Bethel District Court Judge Nora Guinn, who often gave her judgments in Yupik. UAF Jukebox Oral History Project.
PARTICIPATE:
Chief Justice Joel Bolger, Alaska Supreme Court. * Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (2-3 p.m.) * Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air). * Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air). * LIVE: Monday, April 19, 2021 at 10 a.m. * RE-AIR: Monday, Aprll 19, 2021 at 8 p.m. * PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.
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The nuclear-generated power industry is taking off. Among the latest developments are microreactors that might have advantages for remote communities in Alaska struggling with high energy costs, or military bases, or remote mining operations. It’s time to find out more. (Image courtesy of Office of Nuclear Energy, US Department of Energy.) It’s probably time for everyday Alaskans to learn more about new developments in nuclear technology that may have potential benefits for Alaska—an energy-producing state that still faces rural high energy costs and challenging geography. The time is right because the industry is making fast progress on size and safety. Still, disastrous events like Chernobyl and Fukushima taint common perception about the safety of nuclear power. It’s time to learn what has changed and what could be headed for Alaska.
Right now, Alaska is in the beginning stages of exploring whether small nuclear technologies could be an option for the state. Recent studies published by the Alaska Center for Energy and Power and University of Alaska Center for Economic Development analyze technology readiness, potential in-state markets, licensing and permitting, and economics of a hypothetical deployment.
On today’s Hometown Alaska, two guests who’ve helped to author those introductory studies on the nuclear industry’s potential future intersection with Alaska are here to explain what’s known so far, what remains to be understood, and how Alaskans might consider the coming of nuclear power to Alaska.
As always, your questions and comments are welcome throughout the show. Please join us!
HOST: Kathleen McCoy
GUESTS:
- Gwen Holdmann, Executive Director, UAF Center for Energy and Power
- Richelle Johnson, Lead Analyst, UA Center for Economic Development, UAA Enterprise Institute
- Dr. John Jackson, National Technical Director for the Department of Energy Microreactor Program, Idaho National Laboratory
LINKS:
- “Small scale modular nuclear power: An option for Alaska?” By Alaska Center for Energy and Power, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 4-page infographic-style PDF
- “Small scale nuclear power: An option for Alaska? By Alaska Center for Energy and Power, University of Alaska Fairbanks, updated in January 2021, 60-page PDF
- “Microreactors in Alaska: Use case analysis, October 2020, UA Center for Economic Development, housed at the UAA Enterprise Institute, 76-page PDF
- Infographic: What is a micronuclear reactor? US Department of Energy website and video
- Could micro nuclear be a fit for Alaska? Alaska Center for Energy and Power, video
- What is a nuclear microreactor? 1 min You Tube video, Office of Nuclear Energy
- Department of Energy Microreactor Program, Idaho National Lab, 2-pg PDF Fact Sheet
- Experts explore options for microreactors in Alaska, Idaho National Laboratory website, Aug. 1, 2019
ZOOM PUBLIC EVENT:
- Thursday, April 15 from 11:30 am-1:00 pm Small Scale Nuclear Power – An opportunity for Alaska? Details and link to join on Facebook
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (2:00 – 3:00pm)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (e-mails may be read on air)
- Post your comment or question below (comments may be read on air
- LIVE: Monday, April 12, 2021 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, Aprll 12, 2021 at 8:00 p.m.
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Indigenous Peoples and Languages of Alaska. (Alaska Native Language Center) Over the past few years, acknowledging the Indigenous roots of the places we call home has become more common. This is especially true in Alaska, a state rich with Indigenous history and the state with the highest percentage of Native people in its population.
Alaska, however, also has a rapidly growing non-Native population that may not completely and accurately understand that this state has been and always will be a Native place. Why is it important for new Alaskans to know their home state’s Indigenous roots? What are some respectful and productive ways to do this?
Join us as we explore these questions and more on the upcoming episode of Hometown, Alaska.
Guests and their backgrounds:
Melissa Shaginoff Melissa Shaginoff is part of the Udzisyu (caribou) and Cui Ui Ticutta (fish-eater) clans from Nay’dini’aa Na Kayax (Chickaloon Village, Alaska). She is an Ahtna and Paiute person, an artist, a social activist and currently the curator of Alaska Pacific University’s Art Galleries. Her work is shaped by the structure and processes of the Dene ceremony of potlatch. Melissa has participated in the Island Mountain Arts Toni Onley Artist Project in Wells, British Columbia, as well as the Sheldon Jackson Museum Artist Residency in Sitka, Alaska. She has been published in the Alaska Humanities FORUM Magazine, First American Art Magazine, Inuit Art Quarterly and the Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center Learning Lab.
Ruth Miller Ruth (Łchavaya K’isen) Miller is a Dena’ina Athabaskan and Ashkenazi Russian Jewish woman, raised in Dgheyay Kaq (Anchorage), Alaska. She is a member of the Curyung Tribe from the Lake Iliamna region, and also has roots in Bristol Bay. She is a recent graduate from Brown University, built on occupied Wampanoag and Narragansett lands, and received a BA in Critical Development Studies with a focus on Indigenous resistance and liberation. Ruth is the Climate Justice Director for Native Movement, a matriarchal grassroots Indigenous organization that fights for the rights of Indigenous peoples, our lands and waters, and justice for our ancestors and descendants.
HOST: E.J. David
GUESTS:
- Ruth Miller, Climate Justice Director for Native Movement
- Melissa Shaginoff, curator of Alaska Pacific University’s Art Galleries
LINKS:
- Native Movement website
- Melissa Shaginoff website
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (2-3 p.m.)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (e-mails may be read on air)
- Post your comment or question below (comments may be read on air
- LIVE: Monday, April 5, 2021 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, April 5, 2021 at 8 p.m.
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Tying different colored ribbons to a tree to remember victims of crimes is an annual event across the nation, including in Anchorage, during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 18-24. The focus on victims is an opportunity to review and evaluate how victims’ rights are being observed, and what changes still need to happen. (Photo courtesy of Victims for Justice, Alaska.) One week in the month of April 2021, the 18th-24th, is set aside to remember victims of violent crimes in communities across the United States. In Anchorage, Victims for Justice, an organization that advocates for victims, will share its annual ribbon-tying ceremony at Hostetler Park in downtown Anchorage on social media platforms. The event is somber. Each ribbon is a victim remembered.
Different colored ribbons represent the victims of different types of crimes. Black ribbons refer to homicides; yellow to kidnapping; purple to domestic violence; teal for sexual assault; navy blue for human trafficking; orange for assault; white for hate crimes; light blue for child abuse; green for robbery; red for drunken driving; red, white and blue for crimes against those in uniform.
On today’s Justice Alaska, three organizations that work to help victims of crime navigate the justice system and receive the full authority of their victims’ rights will offer details on the history of the movement, the current status for victims, and a look toward what change still needs to happen.
As always, your questions and comments are welcome throughout the program. Please join us for this community conversation on understanding victims’ rights.
HOSTS: Kathleen McCoy and Elaine Andrews
GUEST:
- Victoria Shanklin, Executive Director, Victims for Justice
- Erin Terry, FBI Anchorage Victim Specialist
- Tami Truett Jerue, Executive Director, Alaska Native Women’s Resource Center
LINKS:
- Victims for Justice website
- 2021 Victims Service Awards Nominations open through March 31, webpage details
- Alaska Native Women’s Resource Center website
- FBI Victims Assistance Program, PDF
- History of the establishment of the FBI Victim Assistance Program, webpage
- National Crime Victims’ Rights Week webpage
- Crime Victims’ Rights, US Department of Justice, webpage
- Pilot Project Launched to address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons, press release from the Alaska District U.S. Attorney’s Office, Feb. 8, 2021
- State of Alaska, Office of Victims’ Rights, an agency of the Alaska Legislature, webpage
- Alaska Criminal Justice Commission 2020 Annual Report, Oct. 30, 2020. See pages 3-8 for current analysis of issues and recommendations to improve victims experience with the criminal justice system.
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (2:00 – 3:00pm)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (e-mails may be read on air)
- Post your comment or question below (comments may be read on air
- LIVE: Monday, March 29, 2021 at 10 a.m.
- RE-AIR: Monday, March 29, 2021 at 8:00 p.m.
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Bunny ears image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Host images by Alaska Public Media. The arrival of a new host to Hometown Alaska is a good opportunity to open the phone lines to hear what topics you want us to work on. We call it “all ears” because we’re listening for the ideas you want us to pursue.
Joining the Hometown Alaska team is EJ David. You may have heard him co-host the RUNNING program for school board candidates on March 8. In 2020, he came on as a “pop-up” co-host on a show that looked at the Asian American and Pacific Islander experience in Alaska. Today, we’ll co-host the show as an opportunity to introduce EJ and learn more about him. Look for his first solo show on April 5, and he’ll be back once a month after that.
We invite your thoughts on programming you’d like to hear on your local community radio show. Is it more public affairs and issues? Is it the human side of Anchorage and Alaska — the community voices that make up the sound and rhythm of our town and our state? Or a blend of both?
We’d love to hear from you. Let us share a virtual cup of coffee and listen to what’s on your mind.
HOSTS: Kathleen McCoy and E.J. David
GUESTS: You, the listeners.
LINKS:
- Scroll the archive of Hometown Alaska programs
- E.J. David was a “pop-up” co-host on this Hometown Alaska program from May 11, 2020: Jobs, family brought many Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to Alaska. Will they stay?
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.).
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE: Monday, March 22, 2021 at 10 a.m
- RE-AIR: Monday, March 22, 2021 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: On this page after the show
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Anchorage on an April evening. Taken April, 2008. Photo from Flickr/Wikipedia, by Frank. K. Creative Commons License 2.0 Generic UPDATE: Candidate responses to Alaska Public Media’s 2021 Mayor Candidate questionnaire are now available at Running 2021. Fifteen candidates filed to run; 9 candidates returned the questionnaire. Albert Swank, Reza Momin, Anna Anthony, David Bronson, Darin Colbry and Jacob Seth Kern did not respond. (Scroll for a full list of candidates and seats.
The mail-in election is April 6, and ballots will be sent to voters on March 15, the day of today’s program.
Our format for RUNNING is different this year. Candidates are not live on the air. In advance, we invited candidates to fill out an issue questionnaire. On today’s Running, a panel of engaged citizens who follow city issues in Anchorage, will discuss some of the relevant issues. They will add context and opinion from their experience. The panelists have not seen candidates’ answers in advance, and will not recommend or endorse any candidates. The point of the panel is to flesh out the topics on behalf of voters looking to mark their ballots. What issues should voters weigh as they consider candidates?
After each discussion, the host will highlight candidate responses to these same issues. Fifteen candidates are running for Mayor; nine candidates returned questionnaires.
As always, questions and comments are invited throughout the hour. Direct your questions to email at hometown@alaskapublic.org. Please join us for this important local political discussion of issues facing Anchorage and candidates’ ideas to address.
HOST: Kathleen McCoy
PANELISTS:
- Bill Popp, President and CEO, Anchorage Economic Development Corporation
- Kevin McGee, President, NAACP in Anchorage
- Ayyu Qassataq, Vice President & Indigenous Operations Director, First Alaskans Institute
- Dr. Richard Mandsanger, Senior Fellow, Rasmuson Foundation
LINKS:
- Mayoral candidates’ 2021 RUNNING answers will be posted here after the March 15 program.
- Mayoral candidates as listed on the municipal website
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.).
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE: Monday, March 15, 2021 at 10 a.m
- RE-AIR: Monday, March 15, 2021 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: On this page after the show
THE CANDIDATES (with links to candidate’s websites)
- Bill Evans
- Heather Herndon
- Bill Falsey
- Forrest Dunbar
- George Martinez
- Jacob Versteeg
- Wm. Joe Westfall
- Mike Robbins
- Albert Swank
- Reza Momin
- Anna Anthony
- David Bronson
- Darin Colbry
- Jacob Seth Kern
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UPDATE: Candidate responses to Alaska Public Media’s 2021 School Board Candidate questionnaire are now available at Running 2021. Sixteen candidates are running; 12 responded to the questionnaire. Candidates Judy Norton Eledge, Marilyn Stewart, Kim Paulson and Marcus Sanders did not respond. (Scroll for a full list of candidates and seats.)
The mail-in election is April 6, and ballots will be sent to voters on March 15.
Our format for RUNNING is different this year. Candidates are not live on the air. In advance, we provided candidates with voluntary issue questionnaires. Then, Running on Hometown Alaska hosted a panel of three engaged citizens who follow educational topics in Anchorage. They discussed — added context and opinion — to some of the issues the district and school board will soon face. The panelists did not see candidates’ answers in advance, and did not recommend or endorse any candidates. After the discussions, the host shared candidate responses to these issues. The goal of the show is to prepare voters to make informed decisions on candidates.
As always, questions and comments are invited throughout the hour. Please listen to this important local political discussion on school issues and candidates’ ideas.
HOST: Kathleen McCoy and E.J. David
PANELISTS:
- Abbe Hensley, executive director, Best Beginnings, a public-private partnership working toward school readiness
- Tam Agosti Gisler, former teacher and school board member
- James Smallwood, ran for school board twice, active parent advocate
CONTRIBUTOR:
- Mayowa Aina, Alaska Public Media education reporter
LINKS:
- School Board candidates’ 2021 RUNNING answers were posted here after the March 8 program.
- School board candidates, as listed on the municipal website
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.).
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE: Monday, March 8, 2021 at 10 a.m
- RE-AIR: Monday, March 8, 2021 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: On this page after the show
THE CANDIDATES (with links to candidate’s websites)
-
Seat B (1-year term)
- Judy Norton Eledge
- Marilyn Stewart
- Mark Anthony Cox
- Kelly Lessens
-
Seat E
- Pat Higgins
- Alisha Hilde
- Edgar Blatchford
- Sami Graham
- Rachel Blakeslee
- Nial Sherwood Williams
-
Seat F
- Marcus Sanders
- Kim Paulson
- Dan Loring
- Dora Wilson
-
Seat G
- Elisa Vakalis
- Carl Jacobs
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Many programs on Justice Alaska focus on explaining Alaska’s judicial system from the inside, from the perspective of judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys, as well as participants in therapeutic courts and administrators within the Department of Corrections.
Kyle Hopkins, in the ADN newsroom after learning “Lawless” was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. (Alaska Public Media/Julia O’Malley) Today’s program is a look from the outside. A team of reporters from the Anchorage Daily News and ProPublica, a nonprofit newsroom that collaborates with local reporting teams on investigative projects, produced two series, “Lawless” and “Unheard.” They tell stories of a broken public safety system in rural Alaska, where one in three communities has no local law enforcement. The result: tragic stories of lives lost, damaged survivors, communities essentially abandoned by the state. ADN reporter Kyle Hopkins led the effort; “Lawless” was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 2020.
Kyle joins us today to explain the depth and process of the investigative project, including reporting obstacles and how reporting evolved as the team learned more. And what’s next? As always, your questions and comments are welcome. Join us.
HOST: Kathleen McCoy and Elaine Andrews
GUEST:
- Kyle Hopkins, Alaska journalist
LINKS:
- “Lawless: Sexual Violence in Alaska”, series compilation, Anchorage Daily News website
- “Lawless: Sexual Violence in Alaska”, series compilation on the ProPublica website
- Pulitzer announcement, website
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.).
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE: Monday, March 1, 2021 at 10 a.m
- RE-AIR: Monday, March 1, 2021 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: On this page after the show
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Partial logo from the PBS historical and cultural exploration of the Black Church in America. In a sweeping, song-filled and emotional telling, Henry Louis Gates takes viewers through the beginnings of the Black Church in America, from its beginnings in white Christianity with influence from home countries and spiritual traditions that enslaved people brought with them. The 400-year history of the Black Church reveals influence during the Civil War, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, the Civil Rights Movement, right up to today’s Black Lives Matter. The episodes broadcast on television in Anchorage on Feb. 16 and 17, and are still available on the web for viewing. Find Episode 1 and Episode 2 at PBS.org.
Pastor M.A. Bunton of Greater Friendship Baptist Church. In this week’s Hometown Alaska, we host pastors of three local churches to share reflections on Gates’ history and appreciation of the Black Church. In addition, they’ll introduce us to their own churches and ministries.
HOST: Kathleen McCoy
Pastor Undra Parker of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church. * Pastor Dr. William Greene, Eagle River Missionary Baptist Church * Pastor Undra Parker, Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church * Pastor M.A. Bunton, Greater Friendship Baptist Church
LINKS:
- Greater Friendship Baptist Church website and Facebook
- How Greater Friendship Baptist Church made its mark in Alaska and civil rights history, David Reamer for Anchorage Daily News, 6-7-2020
- Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church website and Facebook
- Eagle River Missionary Baptist Church Facebook
- APD honors Rev. Greene upon his retirement, short video, APD Facebook, 11/2020
- Black Women were Vital to the Black Church, story on PBS NewsHour 2.19.21
- ‘The Black Church’ on PBS, website
- Watch ‘The Black Church’ episode 1 and episode 2, here
Rev. Dr. William Greene, pastor of Eagle River Missionary Baptist Church. PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.).
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE: Monday, Feb. 22, 2021 at 10 a.m
- RE-AIR: Monday, Feb. 22, 2021 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: On this page after the show
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Dana Stabenow, Alaska author of nearly 40 books, many in crime fiction. One series focuses on private eye named Kate Shugak, and a second series focuses on a a mythical Alaska State Trooper living in a remote Alaska community. (Dana Stabenow) Dana Stabenow is having a great writing career.
Her latest book, Spoils of the Dead, is No. 5 in her series about Alaska State Trooper Liam Campbell.
After a demotion from sergeant back to trooper for a serious mistake, he finds himself policing in a commercial fishing town dubbed Newenham, “an ice-bound bush town with a six-bed jail, a busted ATM and a saloon that does double-duty as a courtroom.” You can bet trouble follows.
We talk more about the book on the show, but if you haven’t yet been bitten by the Stabenow bug, you may not know the Liam Campbell series is just one of Stabenow’s works.
Does the name Kate Shugak bring it back for you?
“Aleutian Kate Shugak–formerly an Anchorage police investigator and now a private eye–lives on a 160-acre homestead in Alaska’s largest national park. Her roommate is a half-wolf, half-husky dog named Mutt, and her nearest neighbors are a bull moose and a grizzly sow. Farther off are dog mushers, miners, hunters, trappers, fishermen, bush pilots, pipeline workers, Park rangers—and, it turns out, murderers.“
Just some of the titles in the Kate Shugak series. Stabenow produced 22 books in the Shugak series, practically one a year, with the latest one in 2020. Her very first Kate Shugak story, A Cold Day for Murder, earned the prestigious Edgar Award in 1993. Her 18th book in the series, Though Not Dead, took a Nero award in 2012, from a literary society honoring the Nero Wolfe stories of Rex Stout.
And there are other series, as well as travel writing for Alaska magazine and doing the hard work of self-promotion — critical in the contemporary publishing world.
Plus, there’s another chapter: We talk about Storyknife Writer’s Retreat, an up-from-the-dirt complex of cabins high on a bluff in Homer aimed at serving women writers.
HOST: Kathleen McCoy
GUEST:
- Dana Stabenow, Alaska author
LINKS:
- Dana Stabenow’s official website
- Dana’s books by series, webpage
- ‘How Josephine Tey led me into a life of crime, blog post
- Josephine Tey Symposium, The Poison Pen, Dana Stabenow on panel, You Tube Dec 17 2020
- Author Stabenow’s Kate Shugak may be headed for television, Anchorage Daily News, Oct. 27 2009
- Danamaniacs, Facebook private group, request to join
- Dana gives the Kate Shugak stories unabridged version, through 2009, YouTube
- An interview with Dana Stabenow, Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park after Though Not Dead is published, YouTube
- Going Independent (advice for writers) Dana Stabenow official blog, blog post
- Storyknife Writers Retreat Homer Alaska website
- Storyknife Writers Retreat 2019 construction video, You Tube
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.).
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).
- Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).
- LIVE: Monday, Feb. 8, 2021 at 10 a.m
- RE-AIR: Monday, Feb. 8, 2021 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: On this page after the show
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Archimedes, an education animal cared for by biologist Ginamaria Smith, was live on Zoom Jan. 31, 2021, as the featured guests of the Eagle River Nature Center’s program “Alaska’s Superb Owls.” One dark December morning, as I headed out with my dog for some exercise, I met a young man carrying an aluminum ladder. Since it was nearly Christmas, I asked if he was decorating a random tree to surprise and delight winter hikers.
Not quite — he had just cleaned out an owl box of its annual detritus in preparation for a potential new dweller.
It was Andrew Fisher, an owl enthusiast supporting a project at the Eagle River Nature Center, where he and other volunteers have established more than 20 owl boxes. They have a few years of research under their belts, and on this week’s segment, he told us more about how it’s going.
Colin Tyler, professional wildlife photographer and assistant manager at the Eagle River Nature Center also joined to share some of his owl images with us on this page.
- Parent and juvenile Great Horned Owls feeding on Snowshoe Hare, 2020. CLICK.
- Juvenile Great Horned Owl waking up from a nap, spring 2020. CLICK.
- Great Horned Owl taking flight, dusk 2015. CLICK.
Professional photographer Colin Tyler shared some of his owl photography with Hometown Alaska. He also works as the assistant manager at Eagle River Nature Center, and spends lots of time watching wildlife. Click on the image for a larger version. And an unusual guest: An owl. Named Archimedes, he’s an education animal with an Alaska caretaker, Ginamaria Smith. She’s cared for him, with the necessary permits, for 15 years after falling from a nest at two weeks of age.
And a final guest joined us from the Owl Research Institute in Montana: Director and founder biologist Denver Holt talked a bit about his 30 years of snowy owl research on the North Slope, as well as his understanding — after all these years — of why humans are so interested in owls. Listen for a hooting good time.
HOST: Kathleen McCoy
GUESTS:
- Andrew Fisher, biologist, owl enthusiast and volunteer researcher
- Ginamaria Smith, biologist, owl enthusiast, caretaker of Archimedes
- Archimedes, Great Horned Owl, education animal
- Colin Tyler Bogucki, professional photographer, owl enthusiast, Eagle River Nature Center assistant manager
- Denver Holt, 30-year Snowy Owl researcher on the North Slope, founder Owl Research Institute in Montana
LINKS:
- The World of Saw Whet Owls, by Andrew Fisher, ERNC You Tube Channel
- Eagle River Nature Center website (archived wildlife talks)
- Owls in Alaska Native culture, Alutiiq Museum, webpage
- Long-eared Owl nest live cam, explore.org website
- Alaska’s Owls, Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game, all about owls, website
- Calls of Alaska’s owls, 90 second recordings of 8 of Alaska’s 10 owls, AK Dept of F&G webpage
- Owl Research Institute, Missoula, Montana, home of many long-term owl research projects website
- Research paper on Short Eared Owls status and conservation priorities, by Travis Booms, Ak Dept of Fish & Game biologist, PDF
- Research paper on seasonal movement via satellite telemetry of Short Eared Owls, Travis Booms co-author, PDF
- Colin Tyler Photography, specifically his owl images, webpage
- J.Hunter photo safari, watch a 13-min video as J. Hunter listens and then finds a juvenile and an adult Great Horned Owl. You Tube video on J. Hunter Photography website
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology website, details on how to build an owl house
- Nest Watch, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, details on all kinds of birds nests website
- Bird Note with Denver Holt, “People are drawn to owls,” 2 min story, webpage
- Bird Note: a selection of 2-minute owl information stories, webpage
- Snowy Owl in Central Park, Manhattan Bird Alert tweet, webpage
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Rasmuson Foundation is in active outreach mode, seeking underrepresented artists to apply for the 2021 Individual Artists Awards. Today’s show features past winners offering advice, and Rasmuson Foundation employees focused on the Individual Artists Award program. In times of stress and economic hardship, it can be easy to let art and its impact on us slip off the radar screen. Yet, that could be the very time when we need art the most. The inauguration of new President Joe Biden is an example. Not only did 22-year-old Amanda Gorman’s poem, “The Hill We Climb,” comfort and challenge us, but the passionate musical deliveries by Lady Gaga, Garth Brooks and Jennifer Lopez lifted us.
Art needs to be in the mix.
From ‘Opaque Etymologies’ by Indra Arriaga Delgado.Click to enlarge. On today’s Hometown Alaska, representatives from the Rasmuson Foundation will explain their Individual Artist Award program: three levels of support for working artists in Alaska. Program officers are in high gear, reaching out to communities across Alaska to inspire underrepresented artists to apply for this support. We’ll learn a bit about the history of the awards, the impact of the awards, and where to get help in applying.
We’ll also hear from two artists who received recent awards from the Rasmuson Foundation. How did they use the support for their work? What advice do they have for aspiring artists, pondering applying for an award?
HOST: Kathleen McCoy
GUESTS:
- Enzina Marrari, Rasmuson Foundation
- Tristan Agnaurak Morgan, Rasmuson Foundation
- Indra Arriaga Delgado, independent Alaska artist
- Sean Northover, Alaska musician
USEFUL DATES:
- Online applications are due by March 1, 2021
- Paper applications must be delivered or postmarked by February 15, 2021
LINKS:
- Individual Artist Awards program, Rasmuson Foundation website
- Schedule of January and February online application workshops, Rasmuson Foundation website
- Toolkit for applicants, Rasmuson Foundation website
- Musician Sean Northover, award recipient, SoundCloud collection
- Artist Indra Arriaga Delgado, award recipient, website
- Toolkit for applicants, Rasmuson Foundation website
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (e-mails may be read on air)
- Post your comment or question below (comments may be read on air)
- LIVE: Monday, Jan. 25, 2021 at 10 a.m
- RE-AIR: Monday, Jan. 25, 2021 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: On this page after the show
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Illustrations by Alaska cartoonist Peter Dunlap-Shohl help to explain the fiscal challenge citizens and policy makers face in Alaska’s near future. (Peter Dunlap–Shohl) As Cliff Groh puts it, he’s studied how the State of Alaska “collects, saves and pays out money” for 40 years. As a legislative aide in 1982, he worked on creating the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend. Five years later, as a special assistant to the commissioner of revenue, he worked on the successful effort to pass legislation raising net oil taxes. He’s been a participant and delegate to forums and conferences organized by Alaska governors to puzzle out our collective financial future, and even taught a class at UAA called “Navigating Alaska’s Fiscal and Economic Challenges.”
Over the decades, Cliff saw the problem looming. He tried to warn us — with public forums, community gatherings, newspaper op-eds, Powerpoints … to no avail.
Now, watching our state’s fiscal aircraft hit the ground nose first, he’s trying one more strategy to engage and focus attention on Alaska’s fast-approaching fiscal disaster.
In a no-nonsense, straight-talking guide to our state’s fiscal story, he explains where the money in our state budget goes, how much we have saved, how long it will last, and strategies to avoid an ultimate crash, or what the cartoonist Peter Dunlap-Shohl calls a “controlled flight into terrain.” (See illustration above.)
HOST: Kathleen McCoy
GUEST:
- Cliff Groh, author of a new guide to Alaska’s fiscal crisis
LINKS:
- Navigating Alaska’s Fiscal and Economic Crisis, Cliff Groh website
- Link to downloadable versions of his book-length, pocket-length, and graphic version (only 12 pages) of his analysis and proposed plan for Alaska, webpage
- Paper by Cliff Groh: “History and options regarding the unfunded liability of Alaska’s public employees’ and teachers’ retirement system,” written for Institute for Social and Economic Research, link
- ‘What Jennifer Granholm’s early career decisions can teach Alaska,” by Cliff Groh, Anchorage Press 12.23.20 (a lesson in not relying on your natural assets; Granholm selected by Biden for Energy Secretary)
- Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s FY2020 budget and 10-year plan, Office of Management and Budget, 12.11.2020 (7-pg PDF)
- Gov. Dunleavy proposes spending from savings to balance state budget and pay traditional PFD, Anchorage Daily News, 12.11.20
- “Dunleavy-produced video exaggerates Permanent Fund 2020 gains,” Anchorage Daily News, 12.30.2020
- Independent, critical coverage of state government, including the 2021 budget, Reporting from Alaska, journalist Dermot Cole’s blog
USEFUL DATES: Cliff Groh will speak publicly on the fiscal crisis
- Wednesday, Jan. 13, 7 p.m. League of Women Voters on the Kenai Peninsula
- Thursday, Jan. 14, Noon-1 p.m. Bartlett Political Forum
- Thursday, Jan. 28, 5:30-7 p.m. Juneau legislative interns at University of Alaska Southeast
- Sunday, Feb. 7, 9-10 a.m. Anchorage Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
- Tuesday, Feb. 16, Noon-1 p.m. Sitka Rotary Club
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (e-mails may be read on air)
- Post your comment or question below (comments may be read on air)
- LIVE: Monday, Jan. 11, 2021 at 10 a.m
- RE-AIR: Monday, Jan. 1, 2021 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: On this page after the show
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Alaska Division of Elections “I Voted” stickers for 2020 were created by artist Barbara Lavallee and included translations in English, Spanish, Koyukon, Gwich’in, Aleut, Tagalog, Alutiiq, Northern Inupiaq, Nunivak Cup’ig, and Yup’ik. On Dec. 14, electors in all 50 states cast their ballots for the U.S. President. On this occasion, Hometown Alaska took the opportunity to reflect on the 2020 national and state elections, the impact a tumultuous national election may have on democracy, and to explore local opportunities for civic engagement.
Joining us were guests from the League of Women Voters of Alaska, Alaska Common Ground, and the Alaska Division of Elections. The goal? Share expert observations about the national and state elections, and offer information about how to get involved in activities that support democracy.
HOST: Kathleen McCoy
GUESTS:
- Dick Mylius, Alaska Common Ground
- Bill Hall, Alaska Common Ground
- Joyce Anderson, League of Women Voters Alaska
- Two representatives from the Alaska Division of Elections: Julie Husmann, Election Supervisor District 2, and Carol Thompson, Absentee and Petitions Office
LINKS:
- League of Women Voters of Alaska website; League of Women Voters Anchorage website
- Alaska Common Ground website
- Alaska Division of Elections homepage; “I Voted” stickers for 2020 webpage
- Statement on the 2020 Alaska election from League of Women Voters of Alaska President Judy Andree, PDF
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (2 – 3 p.m.)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (e-mails may be read on air)
- Post your comment or question below (comments may be read on air)
- LIVE: Monday, Dec. 14, 2020 at 10 a.m
- RE-AIR: Monday, Dec. 14, 2020 at 8 p.m.
- PODCAST: On this page after the show
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Back in late August, UAA’s chancellor Cathy Sandeen announced a difficult financial decision: university funding for women’s gymnastics, men’s hockey and men’s and women’s skiing would be eliminated. A campus town hall to discuss, and UA regents’ action at their Sept.10 meeting gave the athletic teams the opportunity to try and support themselves. The ski team managed to save Nordic, but lost alpine, and half of its funding.
Here we are four months later, still in the throes of a spreading pandemic and an oil-price and pandemic-induced economic decline in the state. How are the state university teams’ survival efforts going?
On the next Hometown Alaska, we’ll feature the coaches for gymnastics, hockey and skiing to share how they plan to survive. If their fundraising is successful, what’s the next step? Are they folded back into the university athletic family once again?
As always, your questions and comments are welcome throughout the program. Join us!
HOST: Kathleen McCoy
GUESTS:
- Sparky Anderson, UAA NCAA men’s and women’s skiing coach
- Marie-Sophie Boggasch, UAA women’s gymnastics coach
- Matt Curley, UAA men’s hockey coach
LINKS:
- UAA Chancellor Cathy Sandeen announces elimination of four sports: gymnastics, men’s and women’s skiing and hockey, 8.24.2020, UAA Website
- UA Regents summary of actions, September 10, 2020, PDF
- REGENTS: If UAA skiing, hockey and gymnastics want to stay, they need to raise money, Alaska Public Media, 9.19.20 news story
- SKIING: 314 Friends of UAA Skiing, fundraising site for ski team, website
- Ski-racing Media, matching funds website
- HOCKEY:Save Seawolf Hockey campaign. fundraising website
- GYMNASTICS: Save UAA Gymnastics fundraising website, with additional links to donate beyond gofundme.com
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (2:00 – 3:00pm)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (e-mails may be read on air)
- Post your comment or question below (comments may be read on air
- LIVE: Monday, December 7, 2020 at 10:00 a.m
- RE-AIR: Monday, December 7, 2020 at 8:00 p.m.
- PODCAST: on this page after the show
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‘Harbourage for a Song’ by Meryl McMaster: Plains Cree and European artist Meryl McMaster poses on the northern peninsula of Newfoundland, a first point of contact between indigenous and Norse peoples over 1,000 years ago. Canaries in her headdress are not a native species. and represent displacement. (Image courtesy of ‘Extra Tough,’ Anchorage Museum) ‘Meq’ by Amber Webb appears in ‘Extra Tough.’ In early November, in the midst of a pandemic, the Anchorage Museum welcomed visitors to ‘Extra Tough: Women of the North.” With constraints, the museum has been able to invite visitors to view the exhibit several days each week. Beginning December 1, the museum, like much of Anchorage, will return to a closed phase for a period of weeks. The good news is, this exhibit will be available through September, 2021. So like many of the restrictions we feel right now, this closure can be righted once Covid numbers decline. We have time to visit this intriguing exhibit.
Biographies of Alaska women in the exhibit Today’s edition of Hometown Alaska shares the voices of women whose work is featured in the exhibit, from culture bearers bringing supportive traditional birthing practices to the foreground again, to artists, scientists and makers representing a woman’s perspective on work, on sustainability, on relationships. Let this be a taste of what you can experience when viewing the exhibit with your own eyes and ears in future weeks.
As always, your questions and comments are welcome throughout the program. Please join us!
HOST: Kathleen McCoy
GUESTS:
- Francesca DuBrock, Chief Curator, Anchorage Museum
- Alaska Native Birthworkers Community members, Moh David, Stacey Lucason, Abra Patkotak
- Laurie Wolf, Foraker Group, on women’s wages
- Amber Webb, Alaska Native artist, calling in from Dillingham
LINKS:
- ‘Extra Tough: Women of the North’ exhibit landing page on the web
- Profiles of Alaska’s ‘Extra Tough’ women, from pilots to artists to advocates to change makers, web page with images and bios
- ‘Extra Tough’ online events in December: Artists Merritt Johnson and Tsema Igharas, 12.4, 5 pm; Artists Susan Joy Share and Betany Porter, 12.9, 5 pm Registration page
- Facebook, Anchorage Museum, for links to ongoing online events, webpage
- Bunnell Gallery conversation, Isolation and Inspiration, with Amber Webb and two otber artists speaking, listen here
- Bunnell Gallery conversation, Isolation and Inspiration, with Francesca DuBrock. Scroll on this page to find her conversation with fellow curator David Walsh
- Facebook page for Alaska Native Birthworkers Community, web page
- Alaska Native Birthworkers Community website
- Native Movement website, promoting gender justice and environmental justice, website
- The 49th State ranks first when it comes to women entrepreneurs, 11.27.2018, UAA News
- Gender Gap, The Foraker Group presents gender pay gap data with information from Alaska Dept of Labor, UA Center for Economic Development, graphic website
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (2:00 – 3:00pm)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (e-mails may be read on air)
- Post your comment or question below (comments may be read on air
- LIVE: Monday, November 30, 2020 at 2:00 p.m
- RE-AIR: Monday, November 30, 2020 at 8:00 p.m.
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The YWCA of Alaska recently named its 31st cohort of Women of Achievement. On this edition of Hometown Alaska, we learn more about the mission and priorities of this organization as it has thrived through three decades. And, we meet and speak with several Women of Achievement to learn their story and hear their wisdom.
As always, your questions and comments are welcome during the live broadcast. Join us!
HOST: Kathleen McCoy
GUEST:
- Theresa Lyons, CEO of YWCA Alaska
- Sharon Richards, 1988 co-founder and first executive director YWCA
- Several Women of Achievement: Carol Schatz (1997); Kate Slyker (2014); Moira Smith (2020)
LINKS:
- 2020 Booklet featuring Women of Achievement and Youth Awards, PDF
- Full list of Women of Achievement through the years, PDF
- YWCA Alaska website
- YWCA Facebook page, with archived live events of this year’s awardees
PARTICIPATE:
- Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (2:00 – 3:00pm)
- Send e-mail to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (e-mails may be read on air)
- Post your comment or question below (comments may be read on air
- LIVE: Monday, November 23, 2020 at 2:00 p.m
- RE-AIR: Monday, November 23, 2020 at 8:00 p.m.
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