ADN editors find the news from all over Alaska every morning so you don't have to. Updated weekdays by 9 a.m. AST. (Some links may require registration)
Modern-day moose are widening their turf. Experts say they're now thriving in a new landscape. Habitat changes - spurred by increasing human influences - have allowed them to break out of isolated strongholds in recent decades. (The Associated Press)
A magazine says the safest approach to snow and ice is don't drive on it at all. But if you must, the magazine has a list of what it sees as the best vehicles. (businessweek.com)
Alaska is judged one of the hot spots for "propheads," those who revere the radial piston-driven planes that dominated the skies during the golden age of flight. (theglobeandmail.com)
The ability of salmon to migrate incredible distances can complicate management tactics, but a new University of Washington effort to gather genetic information aims to help unravel the mystery of ocean migration. (physorg.com)
This preview of a longer documentary film has a definite point of view, but it also has some captivating footage and good information on the Porcupine caribou herd, the community of Old Crow in the Yukon, and potential oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. (youtube.com)
A candidate for the silliest ski ad ever, this video is borderline nonsensical and definitely lightweight. But it's short, and it might give you a chuckle. (youtube.com)
First, there was the rock video. And now, Mike Gravel, former senator from Alaska and long-shot presidential candidate, has done it again: He's come up with a sometimes puzzling, often likable, always colorful video for the Internet. (youtube.com)
Fun and excitement on a glacier "tsunami." It’s called glacier surfing (or ice surfing), and its fans are calling it “the newest extreme sport.” Stories about it are popping up on the Internet – at The Sunday Times of London, news.com, Reuters. It appears that the process involves sitting and waiting – often for days – staring at a glacier until it calves. Then, with the help of a speedy tow from a jet ski, you catch the wave and ride it out.
“(I)t got the hairs on the back of my neck tingling,” a surfer says in the Times story.
One popular video from Alaska’s Copper River has been posted on YouTube (Caution: The audio track includes rough language). The film features the feat of a Hawaiian surfer and his team who “recorded the world’s first one-minute glacial tsunami surf ride” 50 miles inland on the Copper River. According to the Times story, the surfer had to wait for weeks for the chosen glacier to calf.
***
A new era trailing Stevens? Now comes another national voice, this one The Christian Science Monitor, weighing in on federal authorities’ investigation of Sen. Ted Stevens and the potential political consequences. Coupled with other investigations of political figures, the Stevens affair could mean a changing political climate in Alaska, the writer says.
“The state has long abided by the slogan ‘We don't care how they do it outside’ – ‘outside’ being any place that is not Alaska. But now, it must address national perceptions. ‘Alaskans had better grow up and be very responsible and prove ... that we can be contributors,’ says Gov. (Sarah) Palin.”
And one Republican wants the new era soon. In a letter to the editor of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Republican state Rep. Mike Kelly of Fairbanks says Stevens and Rep. Don Young should quit after their current terms end. Sen. John Cowdery should also go, as should Alaska Republican Party Chairman Randy Ruedrich, Kelly says.
“Seeing these positive steps, the popular and conservative Gov. Palin may feel more comfortable working with a team of Republican leaders to restore the confidence of Alaskans in their government and lead Alaska to a bright future,” Kelly says.
***
Hot date in Kodiak.Kodiak Konfidential blog poses the question of where to take a first date in Kodiak, then offers its own answers: the Chart Room, Old Powerhouse or Henry’s Great Alaskan. Then the exercise concludes this way:
“How about Kodiak Marine Supply to look at Xtra Tuffs (for her first time) and then to the B&B Bar (Alaska's oldest licensed establishment)? I have it on good authority that the latter produced a second date.”
***
Is Maggie California bound? An APRN story reports that Maggie, the Alaska Zoo’s elephant, could be headed to California. A facility called Elephants of Africa Rescue Society (EARS) is a top contender to get Maggie, whose stay in Alaska has long been a contentious issue.
Though zoo officials remain secretive on their plans, an EARS officials told the APRN reporter that he is talking to the zoo every day.
***
Fallen soldiers. Two newspapers – The Union-Tribune in San Diego and the Bluefield Daily Telegraphin West Virginia – have detailed stories about the lives and families of two Fort Wainwright soldiers who died recently in Iraq. Staff Sgt. Sean Fisher was from Santee, Calif., and Staff Sgt. Stan Reynolds was from Rock, W.Va.
Fisher was the father of a young daughter. Reynolds was the father of three young daughters. Both men, along with three other Fort Wainwright soldiers, were killed in a helicopter crash.
***
Rare whale sighting.The Vancouver Sun reports of a sighting of five blue whales, including one calf, near the Queen Charlotte Islands south of Ketchikan. The story says the sighting is the largest number seen in British Columbia waters in half a century.
“The extremely rare sighting of blue whales is grounds for optimism they are making a comeback in B.C. waters,” said John Ford, Oceans Canada biologist.
***
The serious side of berry picking.Tundra Medicine Dreams, a physician’s assistant’s blog from Bethel, writes a hefty account of a berry-picking trip to Pilot Station on the Yukon River. The account is rich in cultural details, including a description of the role berry picking plays in that part of Alaska:
“Berry picking is not an idle or a casual activity. It is pursued with a focus and intensity that is surprising to the uninitiated. Whole families travel by boat or four-wheeler to their traditional sites for ‘berry camp’ and spend weeks at a time camping on the tundra and picking berries all day long. We have sunlight for about 18 hours a day right now, which makes for a lot of picking.”
***
Russian bomber flights. A commentary in the People’s Daily of Beijing addresses the resumption of Russian bomber flights near U.S. territory, including Alaska:
“At present, it is not difficult for people to feel a 'chill or nip' in the Russian-U.S. relations as Russia has taken a hard stance militarily. Yet it is still too early to conclude that a preface to the 'new cold war' has commenced. Nevertheless, it is doubtless to say that confrontation and friction are on rise.”
***
Tough times for man’s best friend. Starting with the Michael Vick situation, then making a leap to the Iditarod, an opinion piece that appears at InsideBayArea.com and CapitalHillBlue.com concludes that dog fighting isn’t the only cruelty risk for Rover:
“The Iditarod itself is a highly competitive extreme event, 1,150 miles over treacherous terrain, often in subzero blizzard conditions, often at night and with very little rest. By the nature of the race, the dogs are driven to their limits, and dog deaths and serious injuries aren't unusual. Stories of dog abuse on the trail are rife on the Internet. I can't vouch for the accuracy of all these stories, but given what we know about the history of relations between humans and animals, they have the ring of truth.”
> Officers responded to a call of a man trying to enter another man’s motel room. The man was mistaken as to which room was his. He was directed to the correct room. > A man was found sleeping in a flower bed. Due to his level of intoxication, he was brought to the police department to sleep it off.
> Officer stopped dirt bikes on Alaska Street and advised that ATVs only are allowed on Alaska.
> Officer turned biker around when he forgot to stop at customs.
ADN editors find the news from all over Alaska every morning so you don't have to. Updated weekdays by 9 a.m. AST. (Some links may require registration)
