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People on the move

Suzanne Downing
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People on the move

Crystal Koeneman: After serving for 18 legislative sessions as a legislative aide, Crystal Koeneman is now the legislative liaison for the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. She worked for lawmakers such as Senators Lyman Hoffman, Donny Olson, Bert Stedman, and Gary Stevens. She also worked for Representatives Nancy Dahlstrom, Mary Peltola, Sara Rasmussen, and Steve Thompson, among others. Her new boss is the commissioner of DEC, Jason Brune.

Gretchen Guess: Former State Rep. and Sen. Gretchen Guess is returning to Alaska to head up the Rasmuson Foundation, upon the retirement of longtime CEO Diane Kaplan. Guess is a born-and-raised Alaskan. Her father (Rep. Gene Guess) was a Speaker of the Alaska State House, and her mother was on the Regulatory Commission of Alaska. Guess worked in the Knowles administration, for Alaska Communications, and for Providence Alaska. She served on the Anchorage School Board before moving out of Alaska in 2013 to join St. Vincent’s HealthCare in Jacksonville, Fla. She starts at the foundation on Feb. 28.

Laura Bess Stidolph: Longtime legislative aide Laura Bess Stidolph is the new legislative director for Gov. Mike Dunleavy. She started her legislative career as front desk for Rep. Kurt Olson, serving the Kenai Peninsula. She also worked as a Transportation Committee Aide and bill runner for Representative Adam Wool of Fairbanks, Rep. Colleen Sullivan-Leonard of Wasilla, and House Speaker Bryce Edgmon of Dillingham. She then moved to the Governor’s Office as deputy legislative director, and then over to GCI.

Anna Dieterich: After seven years with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Anna Dieterich has left the building, joining Covenant House International as the associate vice president of advocacy and policy. Covenant House is dedicated to ending child trafficking.

Lauren Noland: Another departure from Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s office is Lauren Noland. She worked for Murkowski for five months, and for Congressman Don Young for nine months and is a U.S. Army veteran.

Jim Matherly: Gov. Mike Dunleavy has appointed Jim Matherly to be his regional director in Fairbanks-Interior Alaska for the Office of the Governor. He was mayor of Fairbanks since 2016 and ran for Senate in 2022, but that seat went to a Democrat in a split-ticket situation. Matherly began working for the governor on Dec. 12.

Shareen Crosby: McKinley Management has a new chief of staff — Shareen Crosby, who worked as chief of staff to state Sen. Natasha von Imhof for the past seven years. She is working with McKinley’s executive team to develop Alaska business opportunities and provide project management, research, and writing support.

Jill McLeod: The new general counsel to McKinley Capital is Jill McLeod, who was previously a partner with Dorsey & Whitney, where she managed the law partnership’s Anchorage office. McLeod was in-house counsel for ConocoPhillips in Anchorage. She has over 25 years of international legal experience with expertise in finance, risk and compliance, and general corporate law in portfolios that include oil and gas, mining, telecommunications, and numerous other business concerns.

Ian Walser: Formerly with Alaska Growth Capital, Ian Walser is now the chief financial officer. He was Vice President of Alaska Growth Capital, as well as controller and compliance director. That company was bought from Arctic Slope Regional Corporation in September and is now one of McKinley’s business units.

Photo: Reywas92, Wikimedia

Christmas awaits!

Suzanne Downing
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29
Christmas awaits!

Here we are at Christmas, 2022. We’re giving politics take a pause, and hope the defenders of liberty can take some time to celebrate the Savior and revisit the wonders of the world, as we share this rock spinning through space and time.

Thank you, all readers, commenters, critics, and friends, and financial supporters for making Must Read Alaska the lively, pithy, and force for good that it is. I appreciate all of you who participate in the great debates of the day — will tyranny be our destiny or will freedom ring? What does freedom look like? Will the Republic survive the madness of modern life?

The debate will continue. For a few days, I’ll be dialing it all back as best I can to spend time with family. I’m hoping that you can, too. After all, it’s Christmas! Let’s find that time for joy, time for peace, and time for kids, cookies, and cocoa after a good spell of shoveling snow. The worries of the world will still be there when we get back.

I hope you’re somewhere warm, but not too warm, and that you are as happy as a kid on Christmas morning, and with people who mean the world to you.

Merry Christmas to all!

— Suzanne Downing, Publisher

A rise in deadly Strep this winter may be linked to 2021 Covid lockdowns

Suzanne Downing
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59
A rise in deadly Strep this winter may be linked to 2021 Covid lockdowns

 The science publication Nature is among others that are exploring the theory that Streptococcus A, a severe bacterial infection that can lead to death, is spiking in children due to the extended government lockdowns during the Covid pandemic that may have weakened their immune systems.

It’s a theory that a molecular microbiologist at the University of Sheffield, in the United Kingdom, says may have credence, since children who were locked down didn’t build up an immunity to Strep. Thirteen children in England under the age of 15 have died of Strep since September.

Strep usually starts as a sore throat and can end up as Scarlet Fever. It’s treated with antibiotics, but if not caught in time can cause meningitis, toxic shock syndrome, and flesh eating bacteria.

“There are a lot of things that seem to be a bit strange happening after the lockdowns,” Turner said. “But it’s hard to say whether that’s causing the surge right now, especially given that we have had surges prior to the pandemic.”

“To my knowledge, we’ve never seen a peak like this at this time of year, at least not for decades,” microbiologist Shiranee Sriskandan at Imperial College London told the publication.

It’s not just happening in England. A rise in Strep has been found in other countries, such as the Netherlands and the United States. Two young children in Denver have died from the illness, the CDC said in a Dec. 22 health alert.

The CDC warned in its health advisory “these severe and invasive diseases are associated with high mortality rates and require immediate treatment, including appropriate antibiotic therapy.”

Unfortunately, according to the CDC, there is a national shortage of the liquid antibiotic known as amoxicillin suspension, the drug most often prescribed to young children to treat group A strep infections. The shortage is anticipated to last several months.

An unusual rise in other diseases is also being seen, with exceptional surges in influenza, chicken pox, and respiratory syncytial virus, also known as RSV.

Alaskan of the Year: Kelly Tshibaka

Suzanne Downing
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58
Alaskan of the Year: Kelly Tshibaka

Must Read Alaska readers have spoken, and say Kelly Tshibaka, who ran for U.S. Senate in 2022, is Alaska of the Year. Overwhelmingly.

Thirty-five percent of respondents to our poll, running for the past three weeks on Facebook, said Tshibaka is the most admirable Alaskan. She was followed by Mat-Su Borough Mayor Edna DeVries, Rep.-elect Jamie Allard, Rep. David Eastman, and Rep. Mike Cronk. Other Alaskans were mentioned, including Dr. Anne Zink, Dr. Ilona Farr, Gov. Mike Dunleavy, Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson and even Rep. Mary Peltola and Sen. Lisa Murkowski.

Tshibaka announced her campaign to run for U.S. Senate against Murkowski in March of 2021. She fought tirelessly working each and every day on the campaign trail, coming from a relatively unknown candidate to a major threat to the Murkowski dynasty.

Due to the new voting system that made it an open primary, Tshibaka was not able to become the Republican Party’s sole nominee on the November ballot, even though she had the Republican Party’s endorsement, and Murkowski was censured by the party. In the end, Murkowski won, and Tshibaka came in second — 117, 299 votes to Murkowski’s 135,972 — after Murkowski picked up nearly all of Democrat candidate Pat Chesbro’s second votes in ranked choice voting.

Tshibaka, born and raised in Alaska, left for college in Texas and then graduated from Harvard Law School. She went to work for the federal government as an inspector general, fighting fraud in government, and married and started a family before moving back to Alaska to join the administration of Gov. Mike Dunleavy. Two years later, she was running against Murkowski for the Senate.

The 2021 Alaskan of the Year was Jamie Allard, then an Anchorage Assemblyman and now heading to the Alaska Legislature as a representative for Eagle River.

Christmassy weather with a side of blizzard: Wind, snow, power outages, and road conditions from hell

Suzanne Downing
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12
Christmassy weather with a side of blizzard: Wind, snow, power outages, and road conditions from hell

It’s a good day just to stay put and stoke the fireplace, if you are able. Many flights are canceled out of Anchorage, and blowing snow across the roads of the Mat-Su Valley are making for hazardous driving.

Total delays from the Anchorage International Airport were 30 as of Friday morning, and there were 37 flights canceled in and out of Anchorage today. Cars were stuck in large drifts on International Airport Road, in the vicinity of the airport. Aircraft owners were checking on their planes at Lake Hood, where the winds were creating hazardous conditions for aircraft not well secured.

In Juneau, up to 30 inches of snow is expected over the weekend. The area will see numerous frontal band coming through the Panhandle with light, dry snow on Friday, followed by more snow, and then freezing rain on Saturday night.

Power outages are reported across Anchorage and the Mat-Su. In Anchorage, 445 customers of Chugach Electric had no power on Friday morning, including 123 customers in Sand Lake and 111 in Jewel Lake neighborhoods. As of publication time, it about 200 customers had been restored.

In the Mat-Su, over 19,000 customers were out of power on Friday morning, as high winds whipped the region.

“Many members are reporting they are unable to get through on the phone lines. This is correct. With 20K members out of power, the phone lines are quite tied up. The best way to report your outage is using SmartHub on your phone or online. At this time, we are aware that the Greater Palmer area, Butte area, Sutton and on up to Glacierview are out of power and there’s no need to report it – we are working to get substations back online at this time,” Mat-Su Electric Association said.

In Sutton, where the temperature is currently 7 degrees, the power has been on and off on Friday, but crews are tracking down the problem.

The Glenn Highway was closed intermittently near the Palmer Hay Flats Friday as cars were stuck in drifts.

Homer Electric reported nearly 300 out of power on Friday.

Icy in Seattle creates Christmas travel tangle

Breaking: Judge says Eastman can serve in Legislature

Suzanne Downing
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97
Breaking: Judge says Eastman can serve in Legislature

Judge Jack McKenna, in an order released on Friday, says that while the Oath Keepers are an organization the judge believes took concrete action to overthrow by violence the United States government, Rep. David Eastman has taken no such action and “does not and did not possess a specific intent to further the Oath Keeper’s [sic] words or actions aimed at overthrowing the United States government. The court therefore finds that he is not disqualified from holding public office…”

The lawsuit brought by Wasilla partisan activist Randall Kowalke was asking that the court force the Division of Elections to make Eastman ineligible to serve because of his membership in an association that has up to 38,000 members, mostly former military and police officers. The Oath Keepers leadership was involved in events on Jan. 6, 2021 at the U.S. Capitol, when a few hundred citizens disrupted the certification of the Electoral College vote that made Joe Biden president. The group’s founder, Stewart Rhodes, has been convicted of seditious conspiracy.

Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes convicted of seditious conspiracy for Jan. 6, 2021 events at Capitol

Eastman, a Republican who just won his fourth term to represent Wasilla, was accused of violating the Alaska Constitution’s “disloyalty clause” for his membership in Oath Keepers. He once sent in dues that gave him a lifetime membership in the group. According to the Alaska Constitution, anyone advocating for the overthrow of the U.S. government cannot hold a public office.

Kowalke and the Northern Justice Project are not the first who have tried to prevent Eastman from serving. Democrats in the Alaska House tried to have him removed from office due to his attendance at a speech by President Donald Trump on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington, D.C.

The matter may be appealed to the Alaska Supreme Court.

Oath Keepers helped officers at Capitol, witness says in trial over Rep. David Eastman’s membership in group
Alaska House Democrats are trying to take away First Amendment rights of Republican members, starting with Rep. David Eastman
State judge says State of Alaska must be part of case against Rep. Eastman over membership in Oath Keepers

Polar Express: Home-alone polar bear cub settles in for the holidays at the Alaska Zoo

Suzanne Downing
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3
Polar Express: Home-alone polar bear cub settles in for the holidays at the Alaska Zoo

One little polar bear that weighs the equivalent of two bags of dog food will be spending Christmas at the Alaska Zoo after losing track of his mom. And that also looks like the cub’s semi-permanent address, after the bear was found roaming alone in Prudhoe Bay in November.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was notified on Nov. 24 of the lonely bear and sent a team of biologists to check it out. They determined the male bear, about 10- to 11-months old and 103 pounds, needed to come in from the cold. Usually cubs stay with their mothers for up to 2.5 years.

The decision was made because the orphan was a little too comfortable around people, raising concerns for potential human-bear conflicts in its future, the USFW said. Those encounters never end well for the bears.

(In the words of Kevin from “Home Alone,” the Christmas movie, “This house is so full of people it makes me sick. When I grow up and get married, I’m living alone.”)

Once the cub was captured and determined to be stable through visual and physical inspection, it was polar-expressed to the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage, which has the facilities and experience to provide for the animal’s immediate needs. The bear appears to be in fair to good condition, although it arrived with a few small cuts on its lip.

“At this time, the cub will not be on public display at the Alaska Zoo. Public opportunities to view the cub would be provided only with the Service’s approval and if zoo staff deems the bear to be completely healthy and the opportunity appropriate to the cub’s development,” the service reported.

(In the words of Harry the wet bandit in “Home Alone,” the Christmas movie, “”All kids, no parents. Probably a fancy orphanage.”)

“The decision to remove this bear from the wild was not made lightly,” said Service Polar Bear Program Lead David Gustine. “Removing a bear is not a good outcome for the individual or the wild population, but we felt it was the best course of action in this situation.” 

Alaska has about 4,700 wild polar bears, and one adult female polar bear that lives at the Alaska Zoo. You can watch “Cranbeary,” the female bear, on the Alaska Zoo’s live web cam:

“Our primary concern is for the wellbeing of the cub,” said Alaska Zoo Executive Director Patrick Lampi. “It had been observed eating a fox, lacerations on its upper lip are likely from that activity. With rabies in fox prevalent in the Prudhoe Bay area, we have special extended quarantine procedures in place for this cub.”  

A future determination on the long-term care of this animal will be made by the Service after considering all options. Given the bear’s behavior around humans and its young age, it will not be returned to the wild, the Service said.

(In the words of Kevin from “Home Alone,” the Christmas movie, “Guys! I’m eating junk and watching rubbish. You better come out and stop me!”)

The last time an orphan polar bear was brought in from the wild was in 2013, when a male cub — Kali — was found alone at Point Lay. Kali was taken to the Alaska Zoo and now lives at the Saint Louis Zoo in Missouri.

The Service has been responsible for the management of polar bear populations in the United States since 1972 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and under the Endangered Species Act since 2008, when it was listed as a threatened species due to the loss of its sea-ice habitat. 

The Fish and Wildlife Service said that it appreciated the help of Hilcorp, which reported the animal and assisted in assessing the situation, Alaska Clean Seas, which provided logistical and field support, and the Alaska Zoo.

(In the “Home Alone” words of Gangster Johnny, “Keep the change, ya filthy animal!”)

Icy in Seattle creates Christmas travel tangle

Suzanne Downing
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15
Icy in Seattle creates Christmas travel tangle

It’s not a Hallmark Christmas movie at Sea-Tac International Airport today. Travelers trying to get south from Alaska for the holidays are encountering over one hundred canceled Alaska Airlines flights to Seattle after an ice storm hit western Washington overnight. At 4 a.m., all runways were closed at Seattle-Tacoma, with one runway opening at 6 a.m.

“SEA runways are currently closed indefinitely as we continue to work to de-ice the surfaces. Safety is our priority before we can reopen the runways. Check with your airline for further updates on your specific flight,” the airport posted on Twitter just after 5:10 a.m. One runway out of three opened just before 7 a.m.

“Limited operations will continue to be weather dependent as safety is always our main priority,” the airport said.

FightAware.com, a real-time flight tracker, showed that as of 9:45 am, 477 domestic flights were canceled and another 124 flights were delayed at Sea-Tac. By the time this story was finished three minutes later, the website showed that 480 flights were cancelled, and by the time it was proofread at 9:53 a.m. Pacific time, the cancelled flights were up to 488.

Those hoping to reach Seattle and drive somewhere will encounter roads that are coated with at least one quarter inch of ice, making ice skates a more viable transportation method in Puget Sound. It’s unlikely that drivers will be able to safely navigate the roads to and from the airport, as many roads are blocked by cars that are simply unable to move. Power outages have begun and are expected to continue as the ice brings down trees and limbs over power lines.

Win Gruening: Juneau Christmas, past and present

SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR
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16
Win Gruening: Juneau Christmas, past and present

By WIN GRUENING

Growing up in Juneau in the 50’s and 60’s was a real treat, especially around Christmas. The weather seemed more predictable (even if mail delivery was not) and fun activities were the order of the day.  

I hope weather records don’t make me a liar but it seemed like most of our winters were blessed with lots of deep snow.  That meant skiing in the Douglas Ski Bowl, sledding down Starr Hill or the Evergreen Cemetery, ice skating on Auke Lake, and hooky-bobbing downtown after school and on the weekends. As a family,  we also attended high school basketball tournaments and, like many still do, went Christmas tree hunting. Afterwards, we’d inevitably spend time surgically adding branches to our tree before decorating it.  

There were many neighborhood holiday get-togethers with gift and cookie exchanges where Santa arrived unannounced and a number of New Year’s Eve parties where, as a child, I played the Baby New Year and my dad played Father Time. Meals were memorable. It was a grand time.

In the past, Juneau was a wonderful place to celebrate the Christmas holidays and it remains so to this time – even more so.

Today, in addition to the varied and numerous religious services available, Juneau’s December events calendar shows how culturally rich our town can be. There is literally something for everyone to enjoy. The following is just a sample of 2022 holiday offerings and activities.

  • The Filipino Community annual Christmas party invites everyone in Juneau to a mixture of American and Filipino holiday food with Christmas carols followed by games and presents for kids
  • Celebration of the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe featuring tamales and Mexican chocolate hosted by the Juneau Hispanic Ministry at St. Paul’s Catholic Church
  • Family events celebrating Hanukkah sponsored by Congregation Sukkat  Shalom
  • Governor Mike Dunleavy and First Lady Rose Dunleavy invitation to Alaskans to the Governor’s Annual Holiday Open House at the Governor’s Residence
  • Eventide Carols at the Shrine of St. Therese sponsored by the Juneau Lyric Opera
  • Juneau Skating Club Holiday Show featuring Alaska’s only competitive synchronized skating team at Treadwell Arena
  • Chapel-by-the-Lake sponsored Christmas Party for kids featuring craft activities and a  ”A Charlie Brown Christmas” movie
  • Twelve days of entertainment leading up to Christmas at the Crystal Saloon featuring the original 1935 Scrooge movie, Victorian caroling, winter formal dance, and more
  • Juneau Holiday Village, a month-long holiday celebration featuring performances by Juneau Alaska Music Matters (JAMM) elementary school musicians
  • Christmas Tree Lighting by the Douglas Community and skate with Santa at Treadwell Ice Arena
  • Juneau Symphony’s Holiday Cheer Concert at Thunder Mountain High School
  • Christmas Eve Celebration at Eaglecrest Ski Area filled with music, cookies, Christmas stories and Torchlight Parade with Santa
  • Holiday performance of the JDHS Concert Band, Jazz Band, and Wind Ensemble
  • Helicopter flights over twinkling night lights of Juneau sponsored by Juneau Lions Club and Coastal Helicopters with proceeds benefiting non-profits
  • The Nutcracker ballet performed by the Juneau Dance Theater at JDHS Auditorium
  • Juneau firefighters bringing extra holiday cheer to Juneau and their families with decorated fire trucks as they parade the streets of Juneau together with Santa
  • Candy Cane Hunt sponsored by Juneau Parks and Recreation
  • Adopt-A-Family Christmas Gift Program sponsored by St. Vincent de Paul
  • Racheal MacLeod Christmas Box Dinner sponsored by Salvation Army and other community organizations for families in need

Christmas is, first and foremost, a sacred religious holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. But it’s also a world-wide cultural and commercial phenomenon. Although Juneau is not a large city, it has a huge heart and generous spirit. It has always amazed me how holiday activities in Juneau are supported year-in and year-out through the creativity and kindness of so many.  

Hats off to our religious organizations, schools, private businesses, non-profits, fire department, Parks and Recreation Department, and of course, Juneau’s arts and culture community that delivers wholesome, entertaining, and diverse performances, without all the fancy facilities and venues found in big cities. 

This is how we teach our kids that Christmas isn’t just about getting gifts, it’s about realizing the gifts you already have and sharing with others.

After retiring as the senior vice president in charge of business banking for Key Bank in Alaska, Win Gruening became a regular opinion page columnist for the Juneau Empire. He was born and raised in Juneau and graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1970. He is involved in various local and statewide organizations.

Reasons for ballot rejection: Signatures, postmarks

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