Kudos for Veterans Day break
Kudos to Mat-Su school district for honoring Veterans Day by sending kids home. Why didn't the Kenai Peninsula or Anchorage districts do the same? I would be interested in their reasoning.
Stay healthy with self care
In response to Jill Burke's article on self care called "Grateful? Pass it On" published Nov. 9:
Jill posed a question about whether self care was for the privileged. My response is absolutely not. As I began my studies in Integrative Health Coaching I decided to devote my time to my studies and take a leave of absence from working, therefore I had no money for "self care." A large part of my studies was in "self care."
Amazingly enough I found all sorts of free self-care tools to access. Free phone applications and websites for guided meditations, stress reduction and sleep improvement. I also found several resources for free yoga, pilates and tai chi, all of which were offered in the Anchorage municipal park system. There are also many apps for movement as well.
Our local library offers a free monthly healthy seminar series, which allows people to get an education and interact with others who are on the same path.
I found free running and walking groups through a local running store as well as meet-up groups for meditation, yoga and drumming.
My point being that there are many resources available for the not so privileged financially. So if you fall in to this category you can still get out there and participate in activities that are good and healthy for you. "Self care" is so important to function in this hectic world we live in.
I am currently doing my internship and need 100 hours of coaching practice, FREE, so if you are interested in how to become a healthier you, you can contact me at drkimlazarus@gmail.com
Alaska has poor record in speculative investments
Thanks to Douglas Panilo (11/13/15) for voicing the query: "Why does the state continue to fund large expensive projects when they so often fail?" Is it a matter of quid pro quo for political donors and vested interests who sponsor our long-serving legislators? Or is it just too hard to resist the lure of resources that seem to be just lying there, unused? Or is it a state political culture that has long been one of exploitation and disenfranchisement of those affected by laws?
Or is it a sincere attempt by public-minded solons addressing perceived needs? Whatever the reason, I worry about the natural gas pipeline too. The state has a poor record of anticipating the future in its speculative investments. I sincerely hope it will concentrate more on the needs of its citizens in the here and now. Our expenses have suddenly become out of control now that the pipeline of easy money has been turned off. We need a cultural change in the way the state operates, not a continuation of more of the same.
We need more emphasis on what the state must look like if it is to function once the money runs out, not the avoidance of change. Easy money has corrupted many throughout history. Let's do something different so we can be proud of the state and what it accomplishes from here on.
Kudos to Bering Air lines
Whereas Bering Air Lines has contributed greatly and generously to the Gambell Presbyterian Church building project by providing for mission groups to travel to and from Gambell at a discounted rate;
And whereas Bering Air Lines ships without cost recyclable materials from St. Lawrence Island to the mainland,
Now therefore be it resolved that The Presbytery of Yukon, in meeting assembled this ninth day of October in the Year of our Lord 2015, recognizes the generosity of Bering Air Lines and commends them for their generosity.
Youths thrive when they know community cares about them
During challenging times, it is especially important to invest in the future. Our youths are our future.
There have been many important actions recently, which are demonstrating to Anchorage's youths that our community really does care about them. Mayor Berkowitz and the Assembly just re-enacted the Anchorage Youth Advisory Commission. Similarly, the mayor has announced an upcoming Youth Summit.
A Nov. 13 letter to the editor by Paul Oliva thanked Mayor Berkowitz for participating in a student town hall forum at UAA, noting, "We are happy to know our opinions carry weight with your administration."
There is so much more. Through extensive community-wide efforts, including in our schools and through the 90 percent by 2020 Partnership spearheaded by United Way, high school graduation rates have grown from 59 percent to over 80 percent. And every day, our outstanding youth-serving organizations are helping the next generation succeed.
Research shows that when youth believe that their community cares about them and that they matter to the community, they are much less likely to engage in risky behaviors and much more likely to engage in positive behaviors.
No matter what happens to oil prices, it is critically important that we continue to invest in our most important natural resource — our youth. Three cheers to the mayor, the Assembly and our community for doing so.
Coast Guardsmen appreciative
On Nov. 15, 1972, I was aboard Coast Guard Cutter Jarvis when she ran aground in Dutch Harbor and suffered severe damage. While attempting to return to Honolulu we lost all power and were in trouble off Akutan Island.
After we were recovered and towed back to Dutch, we were living in a cold dark ship that was nearly a total loss. On Thanksgiving Day, a meal appeared on the dock, sent by the city of Anchorage. We had been eating nothing but rations and cold cuts for more than a week, and words cannot express how welcome that meal was.
I am attempting to compile enough information about that event to write a book about the grounding, the subsequent ordeal at sea and the recovery. If anyone knows anything about how the effort to assemble and send that meal to us came about I would be very grateful. My email is on record with this publication. In addition, I would like to take this opportunity, however late, to thank Anchorage for its thoughts in that time. You made a bunch of cold, hungry Coastguardsmen very happy for a while.
Leave money for rainy day
Is our state heading for another recession? I would say yes. We can't help it with the way our people in office spend money. They don't want to leave any in the bank for a rainy day.
The views expressed here are the writers' own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a letter for consideration, email letters@alaskadispatch.com, or click here to submit via any web browser. Submitting a letter to the editor constitutes granting permission for it to be edited for clarity, accuracy and brevity. Send longer works of opinion to commentary@alaskadispatch.com.