(Editor’s note: The location of this protest has been changed to the Loussac Library)

The hockey community in Anchorage is planning a protest at City Hall the Loussac Library on Wednesday from 4-7 pm to express its displeasure with the apparent permanent takeover by Mayor Ethan Berkowitz of the Ben Boeke Ice Arena to house homeless.

The Ben Boeke Arena is not actually being used to house homeless, as it has been vacated since midsummer after being designated as a homeless shelter by Mayor Ethan Berkowitz back in March. It’s vacated because it was apparently not needed.

But the city is not turning it over and the ice has not been replaced, which it normally is by Aug. 1. It’s just empty.

The hockey community has received threats from Anchorage Assembly members that if it doesn’t actively support the mayor’s plan for purchasing “homeless hotels” then the ice rinks won’t be returned to recreational purposes.

Figure skaters and tryouts usually take place in early August. The users pay $350 an hour to use the facility, per team. The teams and figure skaters are now over at Dempsey Anderson, where the ice is booked solid.

The youth participation in ice sports in Anchorage is in the thousands, and “losing two more sheets of ice for an entire year will have a severe impact on participation that we feel the effects of for several years,” wrote Kirk Kullberg of USA Hockey, State of Alaska, which has over 750 youth participants, plus adult leagues.

For some families the only constant leadership in their lives is their coach, Kullberg said. The athletes in the programs are growing in citizenship as well as in hockey. With students shut out of schools and other activities, access to recreation facilities is especially important, he said.

“I have lost faith in the support from our elected officials to make any decision that supports the hockey and figure skating communities,” he wrote. “I cannot say enough about how the players positively affect the community while they are student athletes and after they have graduated. We need to show our support for maintaining the program that gives our young athletes something to aspire to.  I would ask that you all show your support and join us in protesting the use of our rinks for anything other than hockey or other ice skating activities and to maintain the UAA Hockey Program.”

By SCOTT LEVESQUE

Hundreds gathered outside the Loussac Library on Tuesday afternoon to protest two proposed ordinances: AO 2020-65, prohibiting “conversion therapy” for youth in Anchorage; and AO 2020-80, an attempt to limit police use of force.

Protesters began to converge on the library around 4 pm, armed with clipboards, signs, and recording equipment. A staging area near the flag poles, in front of the library, was assembled as Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA filled the air.

As rain continued to fall, some protesters gathered under a tent to sign a petition requesting public access to the Assembly Chambers, which have been locked to the public all month.

Assembly member Jamie Allard made a point to attend tonight’s rally before the Assembly meeting.

Chants of “Jamie! Jamie! Jamie!” echoed as Allard made her way toward the crowd. Allard engaged the group, greeted those in attendance, and listened intently as many voiced concerns over the night’s Assembly agenda.

Allard had another reason for her appearance tonight: Introducing Dave Bronson, who declared his candidacy for mayor of Anchorage in front of the rain-soaked crowd.

The announcement received thunderous applause as many group members revealed signs promoting Bronson’s campaign.

In his address, Bronson promised, if elected mayor, to keep the Assembly Chambers, businesses, and churches open. While cheers echoed through the crowd, some could hear jeers coming from behind the group.

Black Lives Matter had arrived to counter-protest. Men and women dressed in black, wearing masks and waving red flags, began congregating around the William H. Seward statue. Many held handwritten signs stating, “Defund the Police” and “Abolish the Police.”

With tensions running high, both sides remained relatively civil and peaceful. Both groups engaged in heated discussions, various side conversations, and bouts of chanting throughout the evening.

As public testimony continues for AO 2020-65, it’s unclear whether the Assembly will listen to their constituents or decide their political agenda supersedes the people’s will. 

Protests against the Assembly have taken place routinely over recent weeks, as the Assembly meets behind closed doors and is making major policy decisions regarding expenditures of COVID-19 relief funds, and now the prohibition on some forms of counseling inside the city limits.

The Assembly meeting went late into the night and was scheduled to continue on Wednesday evening.

Longtime Anchorage resident Dave Bronson declared his candidacy for mayor of Anchorage today. He made the announcement in the rain outside the Assembly Chambers at the Loussac Library in Midtown, where a crowd had gathered to protest illegal meetings of the Assembly and to support police officers.

Bronson was introduced to the crowd by Assembly member Jamie Allard, who endorsed him and called him a “true leader.”

“He will be vocal, fierce and strong; we the people will be his backbone and in turn he will defend the voice of the people, support the people and fight for the people. He will make decisions to better help the people and turn this city around,” Allard said.

“I have a lot of pride in this guy and I’m so glad he stepped up,” Allard said. “As an assembly woman I can tell you that there is no one that will be a stronger ally for us in the Mayor’s office than Dave Bronson.”

Bronson said he has been attending numerous rallies and assembly meetings, and has testified at on several occasions. He has seen firsthand people’s frustration and desire to take the city in a new direction. 

“As your Mayor, I will never lock the doors to your assembly. I will never lock the doors to your business. And I will never lock the doors to your church. When federal relief money is given for COVID, that money should be used for COVID relief,” he said.

“As hard as this Mayor has worked to buy these buildings in Midtown, I would twice as hard to sell them,” Bronson said.

Bronson was joined by key supporters who have also given their endorsement, including former Lt. Govs. Craig Campbell and and Loren Leman.

‘Anchorage is facing an economic crisis caused by failed leadership. I am endorsing Dave Bronson to be our next Mayor. He has the vision to return Anchorage back to a vibrant, economically strong community by handling the homeless issue, streamlining government, and supporting law enforcement to ensure we have a safe and prosperous city,” said Campbell, who is the senior campaign adviser.

Born June 26, 1958 in Superior, Wisconsin, Dave earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Wisconsin.

After graduation, he was an Active Duty Air Force Pilot from 1981 to 1990, USAF Reserves Plans Officer from 1992 to 1993, and an Alaska Air National Guard maintenance officer and pilot from 1993 to 2005, and has had a commercial airline pilot career since 1990.

While flying military aircraft, he met and married Debra. They have been married for 35 years and have raised two children, Katie and Zach.

By DAN FAGAN

Assembly member Jamie Allard is showing us how it’s done when it comes to battling extreme, crazy, tyrannically bent leftists. Never in the history of Anchorage has the city been run by such hard-core radicals. 

The agenda they’ve been and will continue to push is rapidly causing Alaska’s largest city to resemble Portland, Seattle, and San Francisco. Out of control vagrants, lawlessness, wasteful government spending, huge tax increases, and an all-out war on the city’s business owners.  

Now is not the time for go along to get along. Allard gets that and even though she’s greatly outnumbered within the bowels of city government, she’s putting up a heroic fight. 

The Assembly and mayor have become so arrogant and emboldened, they’ve locked the public out of chambers to testify. If a Republican-controlled government did that, the heads of each and every journalist at The Anchorage Daily News and KTUU would literally explode. Literally, not figuratively. 

Allard says her colleagues on the Assembly and the mayor are violating open meeting laws by refusing to let citizens into chambers to testify in person. 

Before Tuesday’s meeting, Allard will have forms available outside Assembly chambers for constituents to sign demanding access to the meeting.

Once they’re denied, Allard will take their names and on Wednesday file a lawsuit on their behalf demanding the Assembly stop breaking open meeting laws. 

“It’s not okay for Americans not to be able to face their government and to testify on a personal agenda that individuals are trying to pass,” said Allard.  

How this must infuriate the tyrant mayor and his enablers on the Assembly. 

But there’s more. Allard also plans on introducing an ordinance that reads in part: “Recognizing honoring and thanking the Anchorage Police Department for their dedicated and selfless service to the residents of the municipality of Anchorage.”

The ordinance also goes on to read: “The Anchorage Police Department has taken the high road in protection of human rights in the face of a variety of protests, some against the Department itself.  Officers have at times been subject to disrespectful words and actions in public from some people, yet stood calm, professional and often compassionate in response.” 

This is the type of ordinance that must drive the anti-cop leftists on the Assembly crazy. Some of them have already pushed for a change in the law making it more difficult for cops to do their jobs.  

We know Berkowitz abandoned his stringent social distancing rules he imposes on businesses to join and praise anti-cop protesters this summer. Allard knows how to hit the wacky left where it hurts the most. 

The Left often employs unconventional methods in promoting or disguising their agenda which is typically not politically palatable for most. Allard gets that and isn’t afraid to strike back at their deception and tyranny by taking dead aim at the heart of what motivates them. It’s a beautiful thing to watch.  

Dan Fagan hosts a radio show weekday mornings on Newsradio 650  KENI. 

Updated with governor’s comments: Attorney General Kevin Clarkson has resigned. His letter to the governor was submitted this morning.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy issued a statement:

“This administration has and always will expect the highest level of professional conduct in the workplace. There is nothing more important than the protection of our state employees, and that includes feeling safe when an employee is at work.

“Kevin Clarkson has admitted to conduct in the workplace that did not live up to our high expectations, and this is deeply disappointing. This morning he took responsibility for the unintentional consequences of his actions and tendered his resignation to me. I have accepted it.

“State law provides guidelines and protections for all state employees including confidentiality on personnel matters. The Governor’s office is bound by and conforms to those laws. My administration will continue to insist upon professional conduct from all our employees, regardless of their position in state government.”

In its entirety, the resignation letter of Kevin Clarkson:

Dear Governor Dunleavy:

It has been my great honor to serve the State of Alaska, you, and this Administration as Attorney General. I was and remain deeply moved by the confidence you placed in me by appointing me to this position.

I regret that my actions and errors in judgment in interacting with a state employee have become a distraction to the good work and good people working in the state’s and your service.
As you now know, I engaged in a conversation by way of a series of text messages with a state employee over approximately one month. This person was not in the department of law, and is not someone I supervised. The topics of these texts ranged from food, to movies, to books, to family, to my wife’s and my lengthy ordeal trying to obtain a Visa for her young son, and all were conversational and positive, were reciprocal, and were, I believed, mutual. We exchanged pictures of children and grandchildren and I sent her pictures of food that I cooked from time to time. These texts included invitations for this person and her children to come to my home to share a meal, which she politely declined. All of these texts were “G” rated. There is nothing remotely salacious about the texts. In our texts we exchanged innocent mutual endearments between us in words and emojis. On several occasions, this person initiated a friendly hug when I came to her work place, and I reflexively gave her a tiny peck of a kiss on top of her head.

In short, I believed we had a positive friendship borne of mutual respect and interests. What I failed to recognize is the impact that these interactions had on this person, due to the disparity in our workplace rank. Of course, I should have recognized this from the start, and should have maintained a more distanced and professional relationship. I am deeply sorry for the discomfort I caused this person, and only wish her well.

When this person eventually expressed her discomfort to me, I immediately respected her wishes and ceased communicating with her by text. Two months passed uneventfully. But thereafter, after a representative of political opposition had learned of the texts and contacted your office, she appropriately reported this situation to her supervisor. I immediately and fully cooperated in the ensuing process, and have accepted the finding by Human Resources that my actions, however unintentionally, created an uncomfortable workplace environment for this employee. As you know, I have accepted and am completing a period of unpaid leave as a consequence for my error in judgment, which I recognize was wholly and only mine.

The affected employee has not taken the matter further, and has not sought to publicize or exploit it. Unfortunately, however, someone familiar with this situation broke her confidence and has made it known to certain political operatives and a member of the press. These actors are now threatening to publicize and sensationalize it for their own purposes, while at the same time also threatening to twist and distort some of my personal divorce-related matters from 25-35 years ago.

I wish to create no unnecessary distractions for you or your administration. I respect and admire you and regard you as a friend. I sincerely apologize to you for my lapse of judgment. I am carefully considering my next steps. I hereby tender my resignation to you in order to alleviate this situation and allow you to continue your good work for the state undistracted.
It has been my privilege to serve the people of Alaska and you.”

The moral of the story is that in politics, you cannot trust anyone.

A leak from inside the Office of the Governor to the leading attorney for the Recall Dunleavy Committee was then funneled to the Anchorage Daily News.

The series of text message exchanges between Attorney General Kevin Clarkson and a female employee in the Office of the Governor will, at the very least, embarrass the Administration when the story comes out tomorrow.

The numerous texts occurred between the woman and Clarkson, and were friendly and warm in nature. There were emojis and affectionate terms. She sent him a picture of herself. He wished her a good night and called her terms of endearment, but nothing salacious occurred in the texts.

The woman eventually got uncomfortable and put a halt to the back and forth, which were not sexual in any way, but were personal comments on personal cell phones.

When she confided about the exchange to a colleague, that information made its way to Scott Kendall, the former chief of staff for Gov. Bill Walker. Kendall heads up the effort to recall Gov. Mike Dunleavy and is the prime mover behind Ballot Measure 2, an effort to upend the Republican Primary.

Kendall was the same person who covered up the tracks of former Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott, after Mallott put the move on a young girl during the Alaska Federation of Natives annual convention in 2018. Mallott resigned, but the Walker Administration never said exactly what happened, and it’s Scott Kendall, former Communications Director Grace Jang, and former Press Secretary Austin Baird who have kept the Walker-Mallott secret all these years.

Kendall started calling the Governor’s Office for information. He called his sources inside the Administration and an inquiry was set up through state human resources officers.

Before all was said and done, Kendall had gotten ahold of the texts and sent them to the Anchorage Daily News, which got right on the trail.

The Dunleavy Administration has been plagued by leaks to liberal political blogs. Must Read Alaska has learned about this from sources close to the situation, not from the Administration itself.

An investigation ensued and the employee who was texting with the attorney general did not want to pursue any action, but the leaks have now forced the matter out into the open. Clarkson was placed on 30-days leave, unpaid, which is close to completing.

It is unclear how the content of the text messages made their way to Kendall. But it’s clear the woman who is involved didn’t want to make her texts public and that Kendall knew he was passing along confidential information that was part of an internal investigation. The woman is not a victim in this case, but is collateral damage for Kendall, who just wants the governor recalled.

Clarkson issued a statement tonight taking full responsibility for his actions:

“I wish to take public responsibility for errors of judgment that led directly, but unintentionally, to my placing a State employee in an uncomfortable environment in her workplace. This employee was not in the department of law, I was not her supervisor, and I did not supervise her; nevertheless, I should never have placed her in this uncomfortable situation. For this, I am truly sorry.

“I engaged in a series of text messages with this employee over approximately one month. The topics of these texts ranged from food, to movies, to books, to family, and all were conversational and positive, were reciprocal, and were, I believed, mutual. I sent her pictures of food that I cooked from time to time. These texts included invitations for this person and her children to come to my home to share a meal, which she politely declined. All of these texts were “G” rated. In our texts we exchanged mutual endearments in words and emojis. On several occasions, this person initiated a friendly hug when I came to her work place, and I reflexively gave her a peck on top of her head.

“In short, I believed we had a positive friendship borne of mutual respect and interests. What I failed to recognize is the impact that these interactions had on this person, due to the disparity in our workplace rank. Of course, I should have recognized this from the start, and should have maintained a more distanced and professional relationship. I am deeply sorry for the discomfort I caused this person, and only wish her well.

“When this person eventually expressed her discomfort to me, I immediately respected her wishes and ceased communicating with her by text. She appropriately reported this situation to her supervisor, and I immediately and fully cooperated in the ensuing process, and have accepted the finding that my actions, however unintentionally, created an uncomfortable workplace environment for this employee. I have accepted and am completing a period of unpaid leave as a consequence for my error in judgment, which I recognize was wholly and only mine.

“This should have ended the matter. The affected employee has not taken the matter further, and has not sought to publicize or exploit it. I understand she expected and desired it to remain confidential, as the law requires. Her wishes should have been respected. Unfortunately, however, someone familiar with this situation broke her confidence (and the law), and has made it known to certain political operatives and a member of the press. These actors, unconcerned with this person’s reasonable expectation of privacy, are now publicizing it for their own political purposes.

“I wish to create no unnecessary distractions for the Governor, who I respect and admire, or for his Administration. I sincerely apologize to him for my lapse of judgment. I am carefully considering my next steps and will respect his wishes.”

By DAN FAGAN

There’s no state in the nation with fewer COVID-19 related deaths per capita than Alaska. Thus far, in 2020, 99.996% of Alaskans have escaped death from the coronavirus. 

And yet Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz refuses to remove his boot firmly pressed against the neck of small businesses. He has no cause to rule with such an iron fist. The man is clearly drunk with power. 

Lifelong Alaska resident Aren Martin is the mayor’s latest casualty. The 42-year- old announced on Facebook on Monday he was closing his restaurant, The Perfect Cup, for good. 

“We could not have survived on delivery and takeout. We need 400-500 people a day to break even,” wrote Martin. 

The Perfect Cup first opened in 1977 in the Northway Mall before moving to the Dimond center 20 years ago.

Its long history abruptly ended on Monday when the Dimond Center bolted the front doors of the place for nonpayment of rent. 

Martin, who has four kids, says his only option was to move to Seattle to live with relatives while he looks for work. 

“I’ve lived in Alaska my whole life, 42-years, and I am very sad that I needed to leave. I already miss home,” wrote Martin. 

Close to 1,000 well-wishers offered their sympathies to Martin and his family on the restaurant’s Facebook page. They also expressed anger with Berkowitz and his never-ending war on small businesses like The Perfect Cup. 

“People need to rise up! The numbers don’t support what is happening,” wrote Stephanie. 

“I’ve been going to The Perfect Cup since the seventies,” wrote Tracia. 

“You can thank that dictator Ethan Berkowitz for your situation. We will all be glad when he is gone,” wrote Rob.

“I have no words. I apologize for not being able to do more,” wrote Assembly Member Jamie Allard, who has opposed the mayor’s rigid lockdown of the city’s economy. “The Anchorage Assembly and Mayor Berkowitz have failed you.” 

Allard has criticized the mayor and fellow Assembly members for allocating such a small percent of the federal CARES Act money that was supposed to help small business owners like Martin who are suffering from the government shut down.  

Allard says of the $156 million the city received in CARES Act money, only $14 million has been used to help small business owners. Allard proposed the Assembly use $80 million for businesses hurting from the lockdown. She says some of her fellow Assembly members balked and even laughed at her proposal. 

The Assembly has allocated CARES Act money to the Anchorage Museum and to build trails even though so many small businesses are on life support thanks to Berkowitz’s war on the private sector using the threat of COVID-19 as an excuse. 

Allard says thus far only 10% of the CARES Act money has gone to help business owners. She says 60% has gone back into city coffers or into the hands of nonprofits. Allard believes the Assembly and mayor will eventually funnel most of the CARES Act money back into city coffers. 

We know Berkowitz and the Assembly are trying to finagle a way to use CARES Act money to make life easier for those wanting to live on Anchorage streets getting drunk and high every day.

The mayor seems laser-focused on buying four properties turning Spenard and Mid-town into “Vagrant Central.”

Meanwhile, our power-hungry, stubborn mayor refuses to ease up on his tyrannical ways.  As a result, The Perfect Cup opened since 1977, is no more. How many more places will close for good? Does Berkowitz realize the longer he waits to open back up the economy the fewer businesses will survive? Does he even care? 

It’s tragic, this game the mayor’s playing. He’s using business owners as pawns in his quest to play the tough guy. He’s causing real pain, suffering, and extreme economic hardship as he wrecks people’s lives. 

Ask Aren Martin, who tonight is reluctantly sleeping more than 1,000 miles away from the place he’s always called home.  

Dan Fagan hosts a radio show weekday mornings on Newsradio 650 KENI.