The body of a middle-aged woman was found on the Delaney Park Strip on Thursday afternoon, adding to the tally of men and women familiar with life on Anchorage streets who have died in parks, camps and along trails over the past year, according to Anchorage police.

A man walking his dog came across the body near the Anchorage Veterans Memorial at Ninth Avenue and I Street about 1 p.m. and called police, Lt. Dave Parker said. She was found next to a picnic bench immediately north of the flag pole, hidden from view from the street by a thick blanket of snow. Police said it wasn't immediately clear how long she had been there.

The woman, 53-year-old Florence Clark, of Anchorage, was face-down and partially covered by a coat, Parker said. There were at least three plastic 750 ml liquor bottles nearby, including a mostly full Monarch Vodka bottle that was recovered with Clark's body, he said.

Two more empty fifths of liquor -- Monarch Vodka and Ronrico Rum -- were in a nearby trash can. An empty bottle of Holland House cooking wine had been tossed in the snow.

There was evidence of "a lot of foot traffic" in the area and snow was packed on the benches, indicating people had been sitting there, Parker said. A patch of snow was spattered with blood on the opposite side of the flag pole from where the body was discovered, but Parker said Clark's body showed no signs of trauma.

"Her hands were drawn up underneath her like she was cold," Parker said. "Often we see these deaths occurring when the weather starts warming up and people can wander around in light clothing outdoors, but still the elements are working against us and the person might succumb to the cold especially if they're intoxicated."

Court records indicate Clark had a history of alcohol-related trespassing and assault arrests. She listed the Brother Francis Shelter as her residential address on her voter registration, according to public records.

She sometimes went to Bean's Cafe to eat and check her mail and was known as a quiet, friendly woman, said 55-year-old Becky Clark, who is not related and is staying at Brother Francis. The homeless community was shaken at the news of yet another death, Clark said.

"So many deaths, you know, people dying outside in parks or camps," she said. "It's not right."

The death is the first to take place outdoors this year, Parker said. Last year, 13 homeless people died outdoors in Anchorage streets and parks. The first was found in the spring and most died of exposure or alcohol abuse, according to police.

Only one of the 13, 25-year-old Elouise Okakok, was a woman, according to police. She was found Aug. 7 at Earl and Muriel King Park at 12th Avenue and Cordova Street.

As the death toll mounted last year, so too did measures aimed at dealing with the issue. The Salvation Center's Clitheroe Center reopened its detox center last fall in an effort to treat alcoholics involuntarily committed to the program.

Also last fall, Mayor Dan Sullivan created a Homeless Leadership Team to try to stem the deaths and reduce violence and the neighborhood impact from chronic alcoholics.

Over the winter, Brother Francis opened the showers and laundry to everyone and has also changed its cold alert policy, said Susan Bomalaski, executive director of Catholic Social Services Alaska. Now, when the temperature is below 32 degrees -- the threshold used to be 15 degrees -- anyone can come into the shelter, she said.

"As a result of that, we've actually had to hire extra staff because we were so full that we have an overflow policy where we're actually running two shelters," Bomalaski said. "We have our shelter and then we open a shelter over at Bean's. They're letting us use their floor as an overflow shelter."

The shelter has been running far over its capacity of 240 -- some nights housing 300 -- a good thing, since it means people aren't out on the streets, she said.

This month, the Anchorage Assembly approved a law that sets rules for housing that would serve alcoholics, such as the proposal to convert the Red Roof Inn in Fairview to the "Karluk Manor," a place where homeless inebriates could live without having to quit drinking.

Anchorage police and the Community Service Patrol continue to take the homeless somewhere safe if they are drunk, Parker said. In the event of a "cold alert" -- when the temperature with wind chill goes below 0 degrees -- police have the authority to take the homeless into custody against their will to keep them safe, he said.

"We take those normal steps -- if we see a person who looks like they're in trouble or looks like they're intoxicated on the street, or having any kind of a problem, we seek to intervene," Parker said. "But here we are, right in the middle of the park strip, within eyeshot and earshot of many of our office buildings downtown, and a person can lie there and not be seen until a passer-by notices."