Kudos for great concert
Congratulations to the Anchorage Civic Orchestra, which performed an outstanding winter concert on Saturday, March 21, under the direction of Phil Munger. I have attended the concerts of this volunteer community orchestra for years and this concert was by far the best. Kudos also to Dr. Lee Wilkins from the University of Alaska Anchorage who served as concert master, played a heart-melting solo and gave a brief, informative talk about music in the early days of Anchorage. The collaboration between the UAA Sinfonia ensemble, UAA music professors and the Anchorage Civic Orchestra afforded us the chance to hear beautiful music.
Thank you to Phil Munger for your dedication to the Anchorage Civic Orchestra and UAA and all the players for helping make Anchorage a better place through the arts.
— Schawna Thoma
Anchorage
Coffey has foot in mouth
Really, Dan?
The more I hear or read about Dan Coffey, the more this gets amusing. Tuesday's quote in the paper: "I only read the first page of my attorney's letter." Then it's "I wasn't going to sue anyone." (Yet I paid legal counsel and approved that excerpt to be printed, ha ha.) And another — "Oh that tape was meant to be funny," ha ha. Really? Is he that stupid or does he think we are? And if in fact he only read the first page of things to follow, that could be a bit scary. We don't need any more politicians. We need a mayor!
Coffey is getting the wrong publicity; every time he opens his mouth he educates voters to turn to his opposing candidates.
There's an old saying, "If you'd like to predict someone's future behavior, just look at their past."
My suggestion is you take your hat out of the ring, put in on, walk out the door and run like hell.
— Mary Harvey
Anchorage
Wheres our new governor?
On several issues important to those who supported him, Gov. Walker's first few months in office seem indistinguishable from his predecessor. He has taken no action whatsoever on climate change, so far ignoring requests to reestablish the Alaska Climate Change SubCabinet, sponsor an Alaska Climate Change Response Act and establish an Alaska Climate Response Fund (from a small oil tax). His "new" Fish and Game Department has refused public pleas to establish a wolf-protection buffer on state lands near Denali National Park and then counseled the Board of Game to refuse such as well. He refused pleas to appoint non-consumptive representatives to the Board of Game. His staff recently gunned down 18 wolves from helicopters north of Fairbanks, seeking to eliminate wolves entirely from the area. He has not committed to take Exxon to court to collect the long-overdue Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Reopener for Unknown Injury (for which the state billed Exxon $92 million in 2006, yet Exxon hasn't paid), and there has been no new direction from his state trustees to revive the Exxon Valdez restoration process.
Still seems like the "bad old days" of Palin/Parnell. What happened to the progressive candidate we voted for?
— Rick Steiner
Anchorage
Equality is our future
In Alaska someone can deny someone else a job based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Our constitution still states marriage is only between a man and a woman. Bills have been presented in the past and even now people are trying to change the injustice in our state. And it's about time we change.
Equality is always relevant and will always be an important topic. The fight for change will never stop, so why prolong the inevitable? The whole argument against equality is without reason. The lifestyle of one person does not affect you at all. So the question is, why do so many people want to control others; why don't we all have the freedom to just live our own lives?
All we have to do is pass the bills and make amendments. If they are stopped, keep fighting and propose more bills. The whole solution is not simple but the best and only way to start is changing the law and heading toward the path of equality.
— Alexandria Holthaus
Anchorage
Time running out for comments on Chuitna mine
On April 1 the comment period for the proposed Chuitna mine closes. This mine would be located just 30 miles west of Anchorage. It would be visible from such common sites as Flattop and maybe even downtown Anchorage. This proposal plans to demolish miles of salmon spawning grounds. The salmon spawn there, it is a fact, and also a fact is that a mine would forever ruin their habitat. That means less salmon for fishing in the summer, which we Alaskans love.
The time is now to make our voices heard. Comment cards, letters, emails, social media, etc., are all ways we can make it known that Alaskans do not want this mine. It will only tarnish our scenic wilderness and ruin our natural wildlife forever. There would be no coming back.
— Joseph W. Cosgriff
Anchorage
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