Memorial Services
According to APRN, members of the public may pay their respects to the late Ted Stevens at All Saints Episcopal Church in Anchorage today, Tues. Aug 17, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. At the end of the public viewing, Stevens' remains will be transported via motorcade to Anchorage Baptist Temple, where funeral service will be held on Wed., starting at 2 p.m. People are encouraged to line the route in remembrance of the late Senator. Read and listen to more, including where to find parking for the two events, plus a map of the motorcade route, here.
According to a press release, GCI Communications will be broadcasting the memorial service live on GCI channel 1, beginning Wed. Aug. 18 at 2 p.m. Rural communities outside the cable company's subscription area can watch the live feed via 360 North (Gavel to Gavel Alaska) or ARCS. For a full listing of channels and communities, go to GCI.com.
Vice President Joe Biden, who has counted Stevens as a friend since being Senate colleagues together, will be attending the Wednesday service and is scheduled to deliver a speech in Stevens' memory. Read more, here. A number of other dignitaries are expected to attend. Among them will be about two dozen former and current senators -- including Lisa Murkowski, Mark Begich, Daniel Inouye, Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett. Rep. Don Young, Gov. Sean Parnell, and former governors, including Sarah Palin, have also indicated they will attend. .
Tributes to a still-growing legacy
Alaska Newspapers Inc. has published a special collection of stories about the late senator's life, career and legacy, including several tributes to him from rural people and Native corporations from around the state. It's impossible to summarize and definitely worth reading -- and not only because you'll learn how to say "Uncle Ted" in four different Native languages. Download the .pdf file, here.
And finally, proof that Stevens legacy continues to grow ... KTUU-TV reports on the fifth annual Chena Energy Fair at Chena Hot Springs near of Fairbanks. What does that have to do with Ted Stevens? Well, he attended the fair all four previous times it has been held, he was scheduled to deliver the keynote address at this year's event, and he secured federal funding that created the Denali Commission, which among other things, provided support for a public-private partnership in one particular alternative energy project that is at work today, the "Chena Chiller." Read and watch more about the energy fair and the potential of Alaskan innovators, here.