Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist

Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Md Troopers Assoc #20 & Westminster Md Fire Dept Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Showing posts with label Alaska news info qv US st Alaska. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alaska news info qv US st Alaska. Show all posts

Sunday, November 09, 2008

Maybe it is time we all moved to Alaska




Bill Babylon
Direct: 907-273-7531
e-mail address: Billybabs AT gmail DOT com

Prudential Jack White/ Vista Real Estate
3801 Centerpoint Drive 200
Anchorage, AK 99503
Fax: 907-562-5485
Cell: 907-351-4762


Welcome to your one-stop source for real estate services covering the South Anchorage area. Real estate is one of the most exciting investments one can make, and it should be a fun and rewarding experience. Here you'll find everything you'll need to buy or sell a home, as well as learn about the market value of homes you may own in the area. It is my goal to provide you with superior service at all times, so please tell me more about you! Learn About Me.

Hello and thank you for visiting! It is my goal as your full service real estate company specializing in the South Anchorage area, to provide you with superior service at all times.


Here are some things you might like to know about my brother-in-law Bill Babylon:

An experienced leader and manager

Retired from active service with the US Army after 29 years. Managed a $50 Million business with 1200 employees during my last 7 years of service.

Experienced a dozen relocations during this career.

Reviewed construction progress on new homes for the last 3 years as a subcontractor to Northrim Bank’s Construction Loan Department, familiarizing me with the new home market in the Anchorage area.

An active member of the community

Currently serving as Treasurer of Amazing Grace Lutheran Church.

Served as Treasurer for Boy Scout Troop 209 in Anchorage, for 2 years. Still active on the Troop Committee. Conduct Scout training for the Personal Management Merit Badge.

An ethical real estate professional

Member of the Anchorage Board of Realtors®.

Acquired over 35 hours of continuing real estate education in the past 6 months.
As a holder of the Prudential Real Estate eCertified® designation, I apply the latest technology solutions to meet my clients' real estate needs.

I do what’s right for my clients—not what sells!

I am ready to help you find your next home!

Buying a home? I look forward to helping you select the home of your dreams by taking time to listen to your needs and desires.

Selling a home? My real estate expertise and many effective marketing programs will give you the exposure and edge you need to sell your home quickly for top dollar.

20081108 Maybe it is time we all moved to Alaska

Sunday, November 02, 2008

U.S. Senate candidate Mark Begich: “It’s Time to Move On”

U.S. Senate candidate Mark Begich: “It’s Time to Move On”

Related: 20081230 An interview with Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich

10.28.08

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8ZkJ-GNGRw



Comments on Stevens’ trial, Alaska’s future

U.S. Senate candidate Mark Begich said today that the jury has spoken, Senator Ted Stevens broke the law, and it’s time to move on. At a news conference in Anchorage, Begich said despite Stevens’ conviction on seven felony counts, Alaskans are resilient and will be able to move forward to address the critical challenges that face the state.

“The charges against Senator Stevens were serious and the conviction sends a strong message that no man is above the law,” Begich said. “Washington D.C. is broken and too many lawmakers are serving the special interests and not the people back home.”

Begich said while Stevens says he will appeal the federal jury’s verdict, Alaska’s issues are too important to have to wait for months or even years of legal maneuvering. Senator Stevens did a lot for our state, but that era is over, he added.

“We now have an opportunity to put this unfortunate chapter of our history behind us and focus on the future of Alaska,” Begich said. “This election gives Alaskans the opportunity to choose a different style of leadership, a different approach to addressing the important issues facing our state.”

Begich summarized his six-month campaign for reporters, pointing out he has released more than a dozen plans to deal with issues such as energy, ethics, health care and education. Begich said with the critical challenges facing the country, Alaska needs somebody with an independent style in Washington, working across party lines to solve the problems we’re facing.

“I love Alaska. This is my home. Every day I am in the U.S. Senate I will remember that and stand up for the issues that are important to us.”

Since announcing his candidacy in late April, Begich has received the endorsement of the Alaska State Employees Association/American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 52; the National Education Association – Alaska and the NEA Fund for Children and Public Education; Retired General Wesley Clark; the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) and the American Postal Workers Union (APWU).


http://begich.com/content/begich-it-s-time-move

20081028 US Senate candidate Mark Begich Its Time to Move On

Saturday, November 01, 2008

RedState: Do Not Vote for Ted Stevens for Alaska Senator

RedState: Don't Vote For Ted Stevens For Senate or Don Young for House At Large in Alaska

Party Loyalty Has Its Limits by: The Directors

Monday, October 27, 2008 at 03:52PM CDT

Comments

[…]

We stand at a perilous moment in American politics, with the real possibility that the Democrats could get to 60 votes in the Senate. This is no time for litmus tests of party loyalty, for abandoning our own. But we must make one exception: good conscience compels us to advise Alaskans not to vote for Ted Stevens for Senate or Don Young for the at-large House seat in Alaska.

We leave it to the individual voter whether to abstain or take the step of voting affirmatively for Mark Begich, the Democrat mayor of Anchorage, and candidate for the U.S. Senate, or for Ethan Berkowitz for the at-large House seat in Alaska.

[…]

But Ted Stevens and Don Young have been a pox on the Republican house for too long - too addicted to the pork barrel, too fast and loose with ethics.

Stevens' conviction in federal court today is the exclamation point on an era in Republican politics in general and Alaska politics in particular that needs to end (and which Gov. Sarah Palin has been battling to clean up). Republicans need to clean our own house. Washington cannot too soon see the end of Stevens and Young.


Read the entire post here: Don't Vote For Ted Stevens For Senate or Don Young for House At Large in Alaska


20081027 RedState Do Not Vote for Ted Stevens for Alaska Senator

Thursday, September 11, 2008

John Fund for the Wall Street Journal: The Hunt for Sarah October

John Fund for the Wall Street Journal: The Hunt for Sarah October

The Wall Street Journal

JOHN FUND ON THE TRAIL

The Hunt for Sarah October

City slickers invade Wasilla September 9, 2008

Democrats understand Sarah Palin is a formidable political force who has upset the Obama victory plan. The latest Washington Post/ABC Poll shows John McCain taking a 12-point lead over Barack Obama among white women, a reversal of Mr. Obama's eight-point lead last month.

It's no surprise, then, that Democrats have airdropped a mini-army of 30 lawyers, investigators and opposition researchers into Anchorage, the state capital Juneau and Mrs. Palin's hometown of Wasilla to dig into her record and background. My sources report the first wave arrived in Anchorage less than 24 hours after John McCain selected her on August 29.

Read the rest of John Fund’s column here: The Hunt for Sarah October

20080909 John Fund The Hunt for Sarah October

Recent columns by John Fund:

September 9 The Hunt for Sarah October
September 4 She Shoots, She Scores
August 30 Obama Should Come Clean on Ayers, Rezko and the Iraqi Billionaire

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Dem to Palin: Jesus Was a Community Organizer Sep. 10, 2008
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Political Perceptions: Democrats Rough Up a Lady (Palin, That Is) Sep. 10, 2008

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McCain to detail presidency goals Sep. 04, 2008 news.bbc.co.uk

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Coffee Seeking Driver Hits Grizzly Bear in Alaskan Street

Coffee-Seeking Driver Hits Grizzly Bear in Alaskan Street

Saturday, August 23, 2008

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — One moment Howard Hawkins Jr. was driving to get an early morning cup of coffee and the next he hit a large grizzly bear running at a full gallop across one of Anchorage's busiest streets.

[…]

The bear was No. 211, a 15-year-old grizzly that was part of a state Fish and Game research study to determine how many bears there are in Anchorage.

The bear was trapped in 2006 and fitted with a global positioning collar that showed it stayed mostly in one of two areas, including Far North Bicentennial Park where there have been two bear maulings and several encounters with grizzlies this summer.

[…]

While the city's black bears get more attention because they get into garbage, the grizzlies largely go unnoticed. People using the city's extensive trail system could be 50 yards from a grizzly and never know it, Farley said.

So far this summer, 18 black bears and one grizzly have been shot in the municipality in defense of life or property. That's a higher number than normal, said Jessy Coltrane, an assistant area wildlife biologist. Last year, that total was about 10 black bears and one grizzly, she said.

[…]

Coltrane said No. 211 did not have a history of trouble and was an example of the many grizzles that quietly share the city with residents.

"It just goes to show Anchorage is bear country," said Bruce Bartley, a Fish and Game spokesman. "This is a bear that had lived to a ripe old age in an urban setting and had done pretty well until today."


http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,409342,00.html

20080823 Coffee Seeking Driver Hits Grizzly Bear in Alaskan Street

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

July 7, 1958 – Anchorage Daily News: Ike signs statehood bill

July 7, 1958 – Anchorage Daily News: Ike signs statehood bill

Ike signs statehood bill

Puts Signature to Legislation at White House

(July 7, 1958) WASHINGTON — President Eisenhower today signed into law the bill to make Alaska the 49th state.

The president put his signature on the historic legislation at 3:20 p.m. EDT in his White House office.

After signing the bill, the president looked up and commented to Gerald Morgan, White House special counsel, "Now we have 49 states." But the president quickly added, "Maybe we don't do it until the plebiscite."

Morgan replied, "We don't do it until the plebiscite."

They were referring to the fact that Alaskan voters still must approve the terms of statehood in a referendum to be held in December. Only after that will Alaskan statehood become a reality.

The president advised Gov. Michael A. Stepovich of Alaska by letter that the bill had been signed as required by one of its provisions.

"As you start the procedure that will, I hope, result in the admission of Alaska into the union as a state, you and the people of Alaska have my very best wishes," Eisenhower wrote.

In his statement, the president said he had requested Defense Secretary Neil H. McElroy to review U.S. military needs in Alaska in accordance with a provision authorizing "special national defense withdrawals to assure that the defense requirements of our nation are adequately protected."

In a statement issued shortly after the signing, the president said he was pleased with the Alaskan action but "extremely disturbed over reports that no action is contemplated by the current Congress" on legislation to admit Hawaii.

"I personally believe that Hawaii has qualified for statehood equally with Alaska," he declared. "The thousands of loyal, patriotic Americans in Hawaii who suffered the ravages of World War II with us and who experienced the first disastrous attack upon Pearl Harbor must not be forgotten."

Related:
19590630 Col Marston and Mayor Anderson stand in front of 49 star flag

And…
US state Alaska, US state Alaska Anchorage, US state Alaska history, President 1953 34 Eisenhower - Dwight David Eisenhower, US state Hawaii, US state Hawaii history,

19580707 Anchorage Daily News: Ike signs statehood bill

June 30, 1958 – Col Marston and Mayor Anderson stand in front of 49 star flag hung from the Federal Building in Anchorage

June 30, 1958 – Col Marston and Mayor Anderson stand in front of 49 star flag hung from the Federal Building in Anchorage

June 30, 1958 – July 2008

Anchorage Daily News


This year, in celebration of Alaska becoming the 49th state in the United States in 1959; the Anchorage Daily News has been publishing, once a month, a vintage broadsheet of the paper from 50 years ago.

It has been a delightful series. My brother-in-law, from Anchorage, just gave me the latest installment and I really enjoyed the photograph of:

“Col Muktuk (Marvin R.) Marston, left, with Mayor Anton Anderson in front of a 48-star flag with a 49th attached, hung from the Federal Building in Anchorage in celebration of statehood on June 30, 1958. Marston was a member of the Constitutional Convention.”


19590630 Col Marston and Mayor Anderson stand in front of 49 star flag

Sunday, April 20, 2008

20080418 Gov Palin gives birth to son Trig Anchorage Daily News


Gov. Palin gives birth to son Trig

By KYLE HOPKINS April 18th, 2008

Gov. Sarah Palin gave birth to her fifth child at 6:30 this morning at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, her spokeswoman said today.

The boy's name is Trig Paxson Van Palin. He's 6 pounds, 2 ounces.

"The governor's labor began while she was in Texas, and I do know that she got on a plane and landed in Anchorage late last night," said Palin spokeswoman Sharon Leighow.

[…]

Palin and her husband, Todd, had been in Texas since Tuesday for a Republican Governors Association convention, Leighow said.

The Palin family issued a statement that read: "Trig is beautiful and already adored by us. We knew through early testing he would face special challenges, and we feel privileged that God would entrust us with this gift and allow us unspeakable joy as he entered our lives.

[…]

Earlier this year, Palin joked to a Daily News reporter that "we've always liked the middle name Van because, you know, growing up in the '80s, Van Palin would be a really cool name."

Read the entire article here: Gov. Palin gives birth to son Trig

For other posts on Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and other things – Alaska on “Soundtrack,” please click on: Alaska Governor Sarah Palin , Alaska, Alaska Anchorage , Alaska weather , Alaska Issues

20080418 Gov Palin gives birth to son Trig Anchorage Daily News

#####

Monday, March 17, 2008

20080317 Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin on the vice-presidency and being pregnant

Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin on the vice-presidency and being pregnant

March 17, 2008

Hat Tip: Colonel B5

This post is for my Anchorage brother-in-law… And yes, the East Coast is slowly but surely discovering Alaska Governor Sarah Palin…

20080317 Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin on the vice-presidency

Speculation continues to persist as to whom Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain will choose as a running mate.

One person frequently mentioned in the mix is the popular Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin, 44. Many of us feel that she would do a great job as vice-president.

Then in an interview with the Washington Post in late February 2008; “When asked about whether she would consider the number-2 spot in the country -- the vice presidency… Pursing her lips, Palin calls it an ‘impossibility’ this time around, but not altogether out of the question.

Many folks did not pick up on her use of the words “impossibility this time around, but not altogether out of the question.”

In the video, carried by ABC Alaska News http://www.aksuperstation.com/, also notice the quick cameo appearance of former Maryland Governor Robert L. Ehrlich…

And do not overlook her quick take on the candidacy of Senator Barack Obama…

Then, on or about March 6th, 2008, the matter of the curious words, “impossibility” was explained. Many media outlets carried the news, including the Anchorage Daily News http://www.adn.com/ and ABC Alaska News http://www.aksuperstation.com/; which carried the second half of this video:

“Gov. Sarah Palin dropped a day-ending bombshell. She's pregnant. Palin said Wednesday that she and her husband Todd are expecting their fifth child sometime in mid-May.”

When asked about how this new child would affect her, the Governor said, "This is one of those circumstances that has kinda shifted our way of thinking. It certainly makes me very much more so committed to even wanting to stay in Alaska, you know wanting to raise kids in Alaska and at some point in the future I don't know how far off in the future but in some point maybe there will be other doors open."

We certainly look forward to Governor Palin’s future national leadership; meanwhile congratulations are in order for the impending birth of her fifth child.

For other posts on Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and other things – Alaska on “Soundtrack,” please click on: Alaska Governor Sarah Palin , Alaska , Alaska Anchorage , Alaska weather , Alaska Issues

Find other videos on Alaska Governor Sarah Palin here.

*****

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.

www.kevindayhoff.net

E-mail him at: kdayhoff at carr.org or kevindayhoff at gmail.com

His columns and articles appear in The Tentacle - www.thetentacle.com; Westminster Eagle Opinion; www.thewestminstereagle.com, Winchester Report and The Sunday Carroll Eagle – in the Sunday Carroll County section of the Baltimore Sun. Get Westminster Eagle RSS Feed

“When I stop working the rest of the day is posthumous. I'm only really alive when I'm writing.” Tennessee Williams

####

NBH:

20080317 Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin on the vice-presidency and being pregnant

Sunday, March 02, 2008

Anchorage Daily News: Anchorage Mayor Begish takes step toward Senate campaign by Sean Cockerham

Anchorage Daily News: Anchorage Mayor Begish takes step toward Senate campaign by Sean Cockerham

Begich takes step toward Senate campaign

By SEAN COCKERHAM Anchorage Daily News (02/27/08 11:20:34)

Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, sounding very much like a candidate, is forming an exploratory committee and will test how much support exists for him to challenge Ted Stevens for the U.S. Senate.

"Over the next few months I'll visit communities all across this state and ask them do they think it's time for change in Washington, D.C.," Begich said.

Begich, a 45-year-old Democrat, announced the committee Wednesday at a press conference in his East Anchorage home.

Begich said he would make a final decision on whether to run well before the June 1 filing deadline. He said the exploratory committee would allow him to raise funds from donors to travel and hear what Alaskans think about the issues.

"Taking this step allows me to talk and listen to Alaskans about whether the Senate is the best place for me to work for change for Alaska's future," he said. "And, more importantly, to listen to their challenges, their needs, their hopes, and their dreams for our great state."

Stevens, the longest-serving Republican in U.S. Senate history, released a statement saying Alaska needs a senator with clout and experience. Stevens said Begich told him that he was exploring a run.

[…]

Stevens was appointed in 1968 and has been re-elected seven times since. He's never had a close re-election campaign and often has faced minimal opposition.

The 84-year-old Stevens…

[…]

"Anyone who enters this race thinking they are entering it because of issues with Sen. Stevens, they are entering it for the wrong reasons," Begich said.

Stevens is under federal investigation as part of the broad inquiry by the U.S. Justice Department and FBI into Alaska political corruption but has not been charged. Investigators are looking into his relationship with Veco, the now-defunct Alaska oil field services and construction company, including the company's involvement in the remodeling of Stevens' Girdwood home.

[…]


Read the entire article here: Begich takes step toward Senate campaign

http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/328059.html

20080227 Anchorage Daily News: Anchorage Mayor Begish takes step toward Senate campaign by Sean Cockerham

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

20080123 This week in The Tentacle

This week in The Tentacle

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Iron Chef Maryland

Kevin E. Dayhoff

As members of the Maryland General Assembly prepare a menu of legislative edicts that will save the world from global warming, the weather feels rather chilly for State Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick.

Never fear, Mrs. Grasmick, word in the airways is that Gov. Martin O’Malley is breaking out the large backyard crab pot and the sharp knives – and you, my dear, are to be served for dinner.

Fellow Maryland crab aficionados are aware that crabs are put in water, in a large pot – alive. Heat is slowly applied and before you know it, after a brief kerfuffle, the tasty crustaceans are boiled alive. Of course, at first the crabs just think they have escaped the bushel basket to go for a swim.

In December, the state school board voted to extend Mrs. Grasmick’s contract. Ah, the cruelest hoax of all is the hope for safety. The Democrat leadership of the General Assembly and the governor’s office were less than pleased.

The program in Annapolis is really called “Iron Chef Maryland,” with all appropriate apologies to any reference to the hit “Food Channel” program “Iron Chef America.”

Today, the governor will utter the opening battle cry – and serve his State of the State “appetizer” to the legislature assembled jointly in the kitchen-chamber of the House of Delegates.

Sure to be included in the annual address will be… Read the rest of the column here: Iron Chef Maryland


A Funny Thing Happened on The Way…..

Farrell Keough

A funny thing happened to the Resource Conservation Zoning areas the other day – they got a reprieve from potential damage by the Board of County Commissioners. But, only a reprieve. These zoned areas and the rules surrounding them are still on the altar of political distortion.


Tuesday, January 22, 2008

All Over But...

Roy Meachum

Marylanders' primary vote in three weeks could mean bupkus (less than nothing). Nothing will probably matter after a whole passel of states square off the week before, February 5. It looks to me like the traditional Democratic bosses want Bill Clinton's former first lady. After the Iowa surprise, that's what we have seen. They took over in New Hampshire and Nevada.


Teaching is Not Telling

Nick Diaz

“Teaching is not telling.” Wise words spoken many years ago by a well-known Frederick County Public Schools administrator. This man is still working in the trenches, down at the school level, where he continues to make things happen.


The President Visits Frederick – Chapter Two

Richard B. Weldon Jr.

Once the other greeters had arrived, a member of the White House advance team called us together for a briefing. Nothing is left to chance, and every single movement is scripted. You’re told where to stand, how to line up, and where to go once you’re spoken to and shaken hands with the president.


Monday, January 21, 2008

The President In Frederick, Chapter 1

Richard B. Weldon Jr.

Okay, having the President of the United States in Frederick isn’t really such a big deal. In case you didn’t know, he spends many weekends up at Camp David. In fact, I think at the end of his two terms, he will have spent more time in the Catoctin Mountains than any previous president.


From Walkersville With Bias

Steven R. Berryman

Advice from the publisher of The Tentacle, John W. Ashbury given to me recently correctly told me that “A pancake, however thin, always has 2 sides,” in reminding me to consider the aspects of perspective and fairness in my columns.


Dr. King’s Call

Derek Shackelford

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is arguably the greatest orator of the last 50 years in America. Today portions of some of his Speeches will be played to celebrate the federal holiday celebrating his birth.


Friday, January 18, 2008

Governing by Fiat

Roy Meachum

Back on October 26, I offered TheTentacle.com readers this observation: "From here the omens are not good for the governor's session that opens Monday. Martin O'Malley hoped calling the legislature in would lead to answers for Maryland's staggering deficits. I don't think it's going to happen." I was wrong.


My world turned upside down

Edward Lulie III

It is amazing, as many people know, how one day can turn your life upside down with no way possible to upright it.


Thursday, January 17, 2008

How Quickly We Forget

Chris Cavey

What a difference a few years make. It seems like it was just 2004 and The Sun of Baltimore commissioned a poll where, oddly enough, a Republican governor – after his first year in office – scored a rating of 56% popularity from the citizens of Maryland. The press and media were in disbelief.


Wednesday, January 16, 2008

“When all else fails, read the Constitution”

Kevin E. Dayhoff

Last Thursday, Carroll County Circuit Court Judge Thomas F. Stansfield delivered a decision in the lawsuit filed by Republicans, which sought to overturn more than $1.3 billion in new taxes passed in the special session of the Maryland General Assembly in November.


Joining The Great Society

Norman M. Covert

Whether one likes it or not, this is the moment when the reality of socialism strikes my generation in the face. We cannot avoid it. All manner of protestations about the rightness of conservative values cannot compete with the reality of Big Government – and truly this is not George Bush’s fault.


Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Elitist Commissioners

Roy Meachum

John "Lennie" Thompson and the commissioners he continues to dominate see Frederick's development strictly in terms of profit hungry and all-powerful builders.


What’s Behind This Moratorium?

Farrell Keough

To moratorium or not to moratorium; that is not necessarily the question. Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the traffic jams and loss of beautiful landscape, or take action against our development issues and end them…


Monday, January 14, 2008

Lessons Learned

Steven R. Berryman

I consider myself fortunate to have witnessed the quasi-legal proceedings of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Inc.’s (AMC) hearings to obtain approval of a special exception that would allow them to build a 43,000 square foot convention building in Walkersville.


General Assembly Journal 2008 – Volume 1

Richard B. Weldon Jr.

With the tension of the recently completed special session still hanging thick in the Annapolis air, and the unusual spring-like warmth banishing the normal overcoats and gloves, 188 legislators again descended on the state capitol to begin the 425th session of the Maryland General Assembly.

_____

January 16, 2008

“When all else fails, read the Constitution”

Kevin E. Dayhoff

Last Thursday, Carroll County Circuit Court Judge Thomas F. Stansfield delivered a decision in the lawsuit filed by Republicans, which sought to overturn more than $1.3 billion in new taxes passed in the special session of the Maryland General Assembly in November.

January 9, 2008

The Special Session Lawsuit

Kevin E. Dayhoff

The 425th session of the Maryland General Assembly begins today. Hopefully, the first order of business for that august body will be to re-visit and fix all the problems created during the special taxing session last November.

January 2, 2008

Spiro Agnew: Patron Saint of Alaska

Kevin E. Dayhoff

I was treated to a white Christmas last week. It snowed everyday the entire week I stayed at the Captain Cook Hotel in Anchorage, Alaska, which is incidentally the same hotel where the patron saint of Alaska, Maryland’s own Spiro Agnew, stayed on an impromptu stopover in 1981.

20080123 This week in The Tentacle

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

20080102 This week in The Tentacle

This week in The Tentacle

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

The Tentacle posts on “Soundtrack.”

The Tentacle on “New Bedford Herald”

Spiro Agnew: Patron Saint of Alaska

Kevin E. Dayhoff

I was treated to a white Christmas last week. It snowed everyday the entire week I stayed at the Captain Cook Hotel in Anchorage, Alaska, which is incidentally the same hotel where the patron saint of Alaska, Maryland’s own Spiro Agnew, stayed on an impromptu stopover in 1981.

According to Anchorage Daily News columnist Mike Dunham, who wrote a tribute to Mr. Agnew on the anniversary of his birthday in 1996, he visit to Anchorage was not “on purpose.”

“In 1981, he and 180 other passengers on a commercial jet to Korea were detained in Anchorage after an engine conked out. Spotted at the Hotel Captain Cook, Agnew shied from questions – ‘I’m not in politics anymore. I just don’t have time to fool with this anymore’ – lit his Marlboro and puffed quietly into history.”

It is that “history” that fascinates an historian, in what is otherwise the sordid and conflicted saga of an American politician from Maryland, who irrevocably changed the future of Alaska just months before he resigned as the United States vice-president on October 10, 1973.

Read the entire column here: Spiro Agnew: Patron Saint of Alaska

Nostradamus Can Take A Back Seat, Please!

John W. Ashbury


How to Fix Your Life in 2008

Tom McLaughlin

The Wall Street Journal recently had a question and answer session on “How to Fix Your Life in 2008.” The problems are theirs; the answers mine.


Code Home Rule is half a cup

Linda & Tony Checchia


Tuesday, January 1, 2008

The City

Roy Meachum

As yet another year begins, I find again that I am the richest of men and in a way that counts better than money. I am, at times, overwhelmed by the lode of friends Frederick has given. In organizing a surprise October birthday lunch, Pat assembled a few among the handful who never questioned or tested our relationship, no matter the storms that raged around me.


Monday, December 31, 2007

Presidents, Priesthood, and Politics

Richard B. Weldon Jr.

Should a candidate for president have to explain their faith to the American voter? Do people who aspire to hold the highest elected office in our nation have an obligation to make each of us feel comfortable with their personal view of theology and how that faith influences their life and politics?


Citizens For Walkersville – Part 1

Steven R. Berryman

The true story of how a small agricultural town came together against a ridiculous land use proposition. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Inc., (AMC) chose my town of 5500 residents to build their International Convention Center, and upset our way of life.


Friday, December 28, 2007

Pushkin's Yule

Roy Meachum

The English pointer in my life still misses the Santa-red scarf he wore for years. En Masse's Pam left town a few Yuletides back, taking along her wonderful smile and great heart. The scarf was her project.

WE GET LETTERS!

WE GET LETTERS!!!!! A writer from Emmitsburg takes issue with the premise proposed by another letter writer earlier this week over who's to blame for our current infrastructure problems. CLICK HERE!


Thursday, December 27, 2007

Santa’s Doing His Job – Again.

John W. Ashbury

What a tiring trip Santa had. He was so beat after his 24-hour flight that he slept all of Christmas Day. But the day after, he returned the many calls left by the staff of The Tentacle.


Warring Cultures

Tony Soltero

Most of us remember the Terri Schiavo story, which raged three years ago or so. She was a woman whose life was hanging by a thread, and whose husband tried to honor her wishes by disconnecting the feeding tube that kept her barely alive. Her doctors had concluded that there was no remaining hope for her recovery.


Wednesday, December 26, 2007

A Christmas Tragedy

Kevin E. Dayhoff

We are all mourning this Christmas season after last Wednesday’s senseless death of Smithsburg police officer Christopher Shane Nicholson, 25.


The Joy and Sadness of Christmas

Tom McLaughlin

It’s almost over. I have just about cleaned out the four-story townhouse and have over 100 boxes of stuff. I say stuff because I was not sure what to throw out and what to keep. Most of the stuff was Mom’s and Dad’s.

WE GET LETTERS!

WE GET LETTERS!!! A Walkersville resident commiserates with Steve Berryman and his thoughts about I-270 and its effect on our community. CLICK HERE!!! CLICK HERE!


Monday, December 24, 2007

Frederick Children

Roy Meachum

These observations appeared in my Frederick News-Post column the December sleigh-bell-bedecked horses pulled wagons through downtown streets; a spectacle that had disappeared several decades before. It was also the season when my column first appeared.


Family Traditions – Old and New

Farrell Keough

Think back to those exhilarating days just prior to the big event; the chill in the air; the anticipatory extra step in your gait; the constant talk among your friends as to what you might find on that oh-so-special day.

****

20080102 This week in The Tentacle

Tags/Labels: The Tentacle, Alaska, Governor - Vice-President Spiro T. Agnew, Energy Oil

Monday, December 31, 2007

Spiro Agnew the patron saint of Alaska


Spiro Agnew the patron saint of Alaska

December 31, 2008 © by Kevin Dayhoff


On Christmas morning I was treated to a white Christmas when I awakened in Anchorage Alaska. As a matter of fact, it was a white Christmas week as it snowed everyday the entire time I was there.

I stayed at the Captain Cook Hotel which is incidentally the same hotel where one of Alaska’s heroes, our own thirty-ninth Vice President of the United States, and the 55th governor of Maryland, Spiro Agnew, stayed on an impromptu stopover in 1981.

Yes, you read that correctly, according to Anchorage Daily News columnist, Mike Dunham, who wrote a tribute to Mr. Agnew on the anniversary of his birthday in 1996; Mr. Agnew is considered to be “arguably the most important man in Alaska history after William Seward.” More on that in a minute…

As readers are aware I am not a fan of the cold or snow, but there I was looking out upon a beautiful city situated on a glacier silt plain in southeastern Alaska, picturesquely framed by the Chugach Mountain range and Cook Inlet.

The temperature averaged in the teens for the entire stay – and yes, the sun only shines for about four hours a day this time of the year in Anchorage. Even then, sunlight is only distinguishable as a brighter - lighter shade of gray.

Nevertheless, I had a wonderful visiting a city I had only read about before in the context of oil exploration and politics, Native American struggles and public policy, Russian - Alaskan history, the globalization of American economic structure, and anomalies of municipal government.

For government geeks who study municipal governance, Anchorage is fascinating. Above and beyond the fact that there is no sales tax or income tax in Anchorage or Alaska for that matter, is the sheer geographic size of the municipality. The city limits of Anchorage encompasses 1,955 sq. miles or about the size of the state of Delaware. For a comparison, Carroll County is 452 square miles – and Westminster is about 6 square miles.

On December 28, I had a nice opportunity to talk with Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich; a young and energetic rising star who will in the future make a name for himself on the national stage. For now I’ll leave that for a future column. Yes, he is the son of former Congressman Nick Begich. Congressman Nick Begich and Representative Hale Boggs of Louisiana were the focus of a national tragedy on September 16, 1972. Who remembers the terrible circumstances?

Getting back to Spiro Agnew, according Mr. Dunham, Mr. Agnew he did not happen to visit Anchorage “on purpose. In 1981, he and 180 other passengers on a commercial jet to Korea were detained in Anchorage after an engine conked out. Spotted at the Hotel Captain Cook, Agnew shied from questions — ‘I’m not in politics anymore. I just don’t have time to fool with this anymore’ — lit his Marlboro and puffed quietly into history.”

It is that “history” that is so fascinating to congressional historians. Except as a peculiar footnote, history is befuddled as to what to do with the legacy of Mr. Agnew. For the most part, historians essentially ignore him. In what is otherwise the sordid and conflicted saga of an American politician from Maryland, then-Vice-President Agnew irrevocably changed the future of Alaska just months before he resigned as the United States vice-president on October 10th, 1973.

To refresh your memory, the thirty-ninth Vice President of the United States, and the 55th governor of Maryland, Spiro Theodore Agnew, passed away on September 17th, 1996. He was born on November 9, 1918 Spiro Anagnostopoulos, the son of Greek immigrants, and grew up in Baltimore.

While serving his country in World War II, he earned the Bronze Star in France. Upon returning home he began practicing law in 1949 and entered politics in 1957, eventually being elected Baltimore County Executive in 1962.

In an extraordinary twist of fate, Mr. Agnew, a Republican, really burst on the scene in 1966 as a courtesy of the Democratic Party. Who can remember the circumstances?

On November 8, 1966, the day before his 48th birthday, Mr. Agnew, defeated his Democratic-Dixiecrat opponent, by a margin of 81,775 votes in a three-way race. Who can name his Dixiecrat opponent or the third prominent politician in the 1966 Maryland gubernatorial election?

Presidential candidate Richard Nixon picked the nationally unknown Maryland governor as his running mate two years later. Most all Marylanders were proud when then-Governor Agnew was elected Vice-President of the United States in 1968.

In the fall of 1973, as the Watergate scandal mounted, the prospect of Vice-President Agnew succeeding President Nixon became a matter of profound concern to political elites. An investigation into the Baltimore County payoffs provided a suitable pretext as he eventually became the focus of an investigation by the U.S. Attorney's office in Maryland for financial irregularities while he held state office. Rather than face trial, Agnew resigned and entered a plea of no contest to charges of evading income tax.

Years earlier, Mr. Agnew made a campaign stop in Anchorage in 1968, according to Mr. Dunham. It was the first of his three visits to Alaska. The second visit occurred during the re-election campaign of 1972 – in addition to his last visit, mentioned earlier, in 1981.

In 1968, a few months before Mr. Agnew’s first visit, oil had been discovered on the North – Arctic Slope north of the Brooks Mountain Range. The Trans Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) was proposed in 1969, but it was greeted met with tremendous opposition from environmentalists.

By July 17, 1973, the Trans-Alaska Authorization Act which cleared the way for the 800-mile pipeline had passed the House of Representatives, but was deadlocked in the Senate – 49 to 49.

Vice-President Agnew, in his constitutional capacity as President of the Senate, cast the tie-breaking vote, “for” the pipeline.

Mr. Agnew was many different things to many folks, however, today, few Marylanders are aware of him, except that he was once a Maryland governor and a United States vice-president.

In Alaska, the former governor of Maryland is known to keen historians as the reason there is no sales tax or income tax in the 49th state. Additionally, he is one of the reasons why the Anchorage of today, poised as the gateway to northern North America and the vast economics of the Pacific Rim, is a modern and exciting city. It is far different from the boom-to-bust, “small, dirty, hardscrabble place,” as described by Mr. Dunham, “with more bars than churches when Agnew flew in on a campaign swing in 1968.”

I did find a statue of Captain James Cook who sailed into the area in 1778, but on my visit, I found no statue for Spiro Agnew. Nevertheless, to paraphrase Mr. Dunham, he may have picked pockets in Maryland, but he made Alaskans rich.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.
E-mail him at: kdayhoff AT carr.org
####


20071231 Spiro Agnew The Patron Saint of Alaska

An interview with Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich


An interview with Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich

December 30, 2008 © Kevin Dayhoff http://www.kevindayhoff.net/


On December 28, I had a nice opportunity to talk with Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich; a young and energetic rising star who will in the future make a name for himself on the national stage.

For now I’ll leave that for a future column.

Yes, he is the son of former Congressman Nick Begich. Congressman Nick Begich and Representative Hale Boggs of Louisiana were the focus of a national tragedy on September 16, 1972.

Who remembers the terrible circumstances?

I was in Anchorage Alaska from December 22 – 29, 2007 and thoroughly enjoyed my visit.

As readers are aware I am not a fan of the cold or snow, but there I was looking out upon a beautiful city situated on a glacier silt plain in southeastern Alaska, picturesquely framed by the Chugach Mountain range and Cook Inlet.

On Christmas morning I was treated to a white Christmas when I awakened in Anchorage Alaska. As a matter of fact, it was a white Christmas week as it snowed everyday the entire time I was there.

I stayed at the Captain Cook Hotel which is incidentally the same hotel where one of Alaska’s heroes, our own thirty-ninth Vice President of the United States, and the 55th governor of Maryland, Spiro Agnew, stayed on an impromptu stopover in 1981.

Yes, you read that correctly, according to Anchorage Daily News columnist, Mike Dunham, who wrote a tribute to Mr. Agnew on the anniversary of his birthday in 1996; Mr. Agnew is considered to be “arguably the most important man in Alaska history after William Seward.” More on that in another column…

The temperature averaged in the teens for the entire stay – and yes, the sun only shines for about four hours a day this time of the year in Anchorage. Even then, sunlight is only distinguishable as a brighter - lighter shade of gray.

Nevertheless, I had a wonderful visiting a city I had only read about before in the context of oil exploration and politics, Native American struggles and public policy, Russian - Alaskan history, the globalization of American economic structure, and anomalies of municipal government.

For government geeks who study municipal governance, Anchorage is fascinating. Above and beyond the fact that there is no sales tax or income tax in Anchorage or Alaska for that matter, is the sheer geographic size of the municipality. The city limits of Anchorage encompasses 1,955 sq. miles or about the size of the state of Delaware. For a comparison, Carroll County is 452 square miles – and Westminster is about 6 square miles.

Meanwhile, keep an eye out for Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich. Of course, as a member of the “Mayors’ Club;” those of us who are currently serving or former mayors will have a propensity to circle the wagons and close ranks around another mayor.

That said, I was extremely impressed with Mayor Begich and chances are he will eventually succeed Alaska Senator Ted Stevens some day.


20081230 An interview with Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Mark Begich web site bio




Retrieved December 28, 2007 in anticipation of having the opportunity to interview Mayor Begich in his office:

Since his election on April 1, 2003, Mayor Mark Begich has focused on the three priorities Anchorage residents tell him are most important: improving public safety, creating jobs and economic opportunities, and relieving traffic congestion.

In his first 30 months in office, Anchorage crime rates have declined, the city is entering its 18th consecutive year of economic growth, and voters have approved the largest transportation bond package for road improvements in the city's history.

Mayor Begich was sworn in as Anchorage's mayor on July 1, 2003, following the broadest public transition process in municipal history.

The first municipal mayor born and raised in Anchorage, Mark, 43, is a 20-year Anchorage businessman. He has owned and operated several Anchorage businesses, upgrading commercial buildings and renting affordable housing to Anchorage families. His wife, Deborah Bonito, owns and operates three retail stores, which feature the products of more than 130 Alaska craftspeople.

Mark was first elected to the Anchorage Assembly in 1988 at age 26. During his 10 years in elected municipal office, he focused on strengthening Anchorage's economy, creating new opportunities for young Alaskans and sound fiscal management. He was widely praised for his ability to bring diverse Anchorage groups and residents together, and was three times elected by his fellow assembly members as Assembly Chair, Anchorage's second highest office.

Mark's parents, Pegge and the late Nick Begich, came to the territory of Alaska in 1957 as teachers. Following a career as a teacher and Superintendent of Military Schools on Fort Richardson, Nick was elected Alaska's third U.S. Congressman. While running for reelection two years later, Congressman Begich's airplane disappeared in the Gulf of Alaska when Mark was 10 years old.

From his parents, Mark learned the values of hard work, strength of family, and commitment to community. These are the values he has applied to a successful business career and long record of public service. He founded the Making a Difference Program, which seeks to set straight first-time juvenile offenders; 90 percent of the youth who go through the program do not re-offend. He has served on numerous boards, including the Boys and Girls Club, Spirit of Youth Foundation and Family Resource Center.

As chair of the statewide Alaska Student Loan Corporation, he applied sound business practices saving the corporation from bankruptcy and ensuring affordable student loans for Alaska's college and vocational-technical students for years to come. He is a corporate member of the Association of the United States Army, a member of the Air Force Association, a life member of the National Rifle Association and served on the board of the Resource Development Council.

Mayor Begich was twice named Alaska's top elected municipal official by his colleagues statewide in 1997 and 2004, and was honored as a Friend of Education by the Anchorage Education Association. For his work for drug-free and crime-free neighborhoods, he was recognized by the Mt. View Community Council.

Mark was born in the Old Providence Hospital in downtown Anchorage in 1962. He and his wife Deborah live in East Anchorage, have been married 15 years and have a young son, Jacob.

20071229 Mark Begich web site bio

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

20071223 Anchorage Museums and Points of Interest

Anchorage Museums and Points of Interest

December 23, 2007

Captain Cook Hotel 4th and K Street Anchorage AK

http://www.captaincook.com/

http://www.muni.org/mayor/2007stateofcity.cfm

http://www.adn.com/newsreader/story/246116.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenai_peninsula

Storms Bring Ice and Snow to Midwest

by Dina Temple-Raston

All Things Considered, December 24, 2007 · A storm that brought freezing rain and snow to the plains states and Midwest over the weekend has moved into the Northeast, leaving at least 19 people dead in weather-related accidents.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17587244&ft=1&f=1001

Municipality of Anchorage

http://www.muni.org/homepage/index.cfm

Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau

http://www.anchorage.net/

Anchorage Dailey News

http://www.adn.com/

Map of Alaska

http://www.mapofalaska.net/

Amazing Grace Lutheran Church

http://www.amazinggracealaska.org/

Anchorage Museum A world-class museum in downtown Anchorage.

121 W Seventh Ave.

Anchorage, AK 99501-3696

Phone 1: (907) 343-4326
Phone 2: (907) 343-6151
Fax: (907) 343-6130

A world-class museum in downtown Anchorage.

Locator Map: Click for Map and Directions

Web Site: http://www.anchoragemuseum.org

Email: museum@anchoragemuseum.org

Seasons of Operation: Year Round

Handicap Accessible: Yes

Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum New exhibits, flight simulator, theater, gifts.

Alaska Botanical Garden Perennial display, herb, and rock gardens; trails. Plant Nursery, gift shop, 1-mile interpretive nature trail, self-guided tour maps, events, docent-tours, and "Discovery Duffels" for kids June-August.

Alaska Heritage Museum at Wells Fargo 900 Alaska Native artifacts, gold, fine art, free.

Alaska Museum of Natural History Alaska dinosaurs, fossils, rocks and artifacts.

Alaska Native Heritage Center Alaska's premier Alaska Native cultural center.

Alaska Naturally Aurora - Alaska's great northern lights 9 am-9 pm. See the northern lights this summer! May 24 - Sept 1. Alaska Center for the Performing Arts - Sydney Laurence Theatre. A must see Alaska presentation!

Anchorage Fire Department Fire Department Museum - fire memorabilia.

Fraternal Order of Alaska State Troopers Trooper Museum. 245 W Fifth, between B and C St.

Imaginarium: Science Discovery Center Hands-on science discovery for children, families. Marine tanks, planetarium, aurora borealis, traveling exhibits, bubble lab, reptiles, flight exhibit. Daily demos. Birthday parties. Science store.

National Archives Pacific Alaska Region (Anchorage) Depository for records from federal agencies. Research Alaska's history, genealogy, more. Textural records, photos, microfilm, and maps from Alaska's past.

Oscar Anderson House Museum Circa 1915. Early Anchorage history. Guided tours.

Russian Orthodox Museum, Inc. Russian-Alaska history, gift shop, active chapel.

Wolf Song of Alaska Internationally acclaimed wolf organization.