We loved the Iditarod coverage

My family lives in Illinois. My fifth-grade daughter came home last week telling us about the Iditarod and that she was going to follow the race for school. I went online to get as much information as I could. Your newspaper and your kindness of sending e-mail updates have been so wonderful. We couldn't afford to subscribe to the Insider, but your updates, photos and videos have been our window to the race. We can't thank you enough for opening the door for us to be there.

My daughter has loved coming home to read the updates and see the pictures so much that I've sent them on to her whole class.

Thank you for taking the time to cover the race so thoroughly and make it available to anyone, anywhere across the nation.

-- Danna Fleming

Davis Junction, Ill.

Columnist's 'occasional crack vial' comment stops reader cold

I was enjoying reading Wednesday's column about birds by Elise Patkotak ("Hotel Captain Cook's going to the birds for a good reason"), until the third paragraph stopped me cold.

I've roamed the paths of Central Park from the south to the north end several times in the past six years. I've enjoyed seeing dog walkers, runners, cyclists, groups of young people, mothers with strollers, and the physical beauty of the park itself. It alternates fairly formal lawns with playing fields, with lakes, with statues and beautiful bridges, with large areas of naturalized woodland. In the latter you could imagine yourself in a national park somewhere -- until you look up high enough to see the tops of tall buildings showing above trees in the distance.

On our last visit, in mid-February, we paused in a woodland area to watch and listen to a variety of birds gathered there. We exchanged smiles with a few bird watchers and a brief conversation with a man taking bird photographs.

I hadn't thought about it, but I can't remember any litter. That includes dog poop -- the dog walkers carry plastic bags.

Now it may be true that crowds do not flock to watch the bird migrations through the park.

But ... "except for those devoted birders willing to risk stepping on the occasional crack vial in Central Park"... Why would she write something like that?

-- Sharon Davies

Anchorage

Kudos for columnist Medred

A big 'atta-boy' is due Craig Medred. Too often, we the public dwell only on the printed stories and news material that upset us or that we disagree with.

Mr. Medred hits the nail on the head more often than not and is very much in the plus column for providing excellent commentary coverage. -- Jim Gallagher

Anchorage

Leave politicians out of process for creating stem cell guidelines

March 9, the day President Obama signed an executive order lifting the federal ban on embryonic stem cell research, was a day of hope for me, our families, the more than 66,800 children and adults diagnosed and living with diabetes in Alaska and the 23.6 million children and adults with diabetes nationwide.

President Obama's action provides hope to many parents that their children may not have to battle the complexity and complications of the numerous chronic illnesses that have the potential to be cured through this research advancement.

The president's decision provides a balance to our scientific research efforts that has been missing since 2001 -- scientists can and should be able to pursue the promise of embryonic stem cell research while ensuring that this research is conducted within strict ethical guidelines. Furthermore, we think that it's a good idea for the organization charged with stewarding our research efforts -- the National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- to be in charge of developing these guidelines. The NIH has been given this same responsibility throughout its history in order to remove this important process from the whims of politicians.

Politics has no place in science. With President Obama's executive order, the lives of millions of Americans like us stand a better chance of seeing a brighter tomorrow.

-- Barbara Hale

Activation Leader -- Alaska -- Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF)

Juneau

It's time to let Bush off the hook

I am confused! When do we stop blaming Bush for his failed policies and when do we start blaming Obama for his?

Perhaps we should embrace Alexander Pope's saying: "To err is human, to forgive is divine."

-- Dick Griffith

Anchorage

Shame on Daily News, governor

You and Gov. Palin are an embarrassment to me as representatives of Alaska.

ADN for printing an article about the breakup between two teenagers, Palin's daughter and boyfriend. Should this not be left to Internet blogs, not public newspapers?

And to Palin, who has forsaken her position as governor of Alaska to use the position to further her own personal goals.

-- Mary Haas

Anchorage

Free Choice act would corrupt too

The Compass piece by Vince Beltrami and John Sweeney ("New union organizing law would offset corporate greed," March 16) for the "Free Choice Act" (in Orwellian double-think) rails against corporate greed, offering a supposed solution. Unfortunately power and greed aren't flaws of employers only.

A secret ballot is that: secret. No one has power over the voter. It's something Joe Hill and Woody Guthrie fought for. They must be rolling over in their graves today.

Power corrupts when someone looks over your shoulder while you're voting, which is what the "Free Choice" act does for unions. They expand their power, and to hell with those in their way. Would you want strangers handing you a card and watching what you decide when you vote? Neither corporate bosses nor union bosses have the right to do that. EVER. I'm not against unions, just ones that play like Al Capone or Tammany Hall. Workers must keep the secret ballot, and Beltrami and Sweeney should be ashamed for trying to destroy it.

-- Bruce Orton

Anchorage

Sens. Murkowski, Begich should get behind Obama on clean energy We urge Sens. Murkowski and Begich to support President Obama and his proposed budget, which will repower America's economy with clean energy. The plan to limit global warming pollution outlined in the president's budget will quickly and surely create millions of clean energy jobs, improve our national security, and address the challenges of climate change.

Limiting global warming pollution through a market-based approach and finally establishing a market price for the release of greenhouse gas emissions will generate billions of dollars in revenue. With this revenue, we can invest in clean energy and energy efficiency, help consumers with energy bills, and secure adaptation funds for Alaska's eroding villages and threatened infrastructure.

We hope Sens. Murkowski and Begich will move quickly to pass a budget that reflects President Obama's plan to reduce global warming pollution and create clean energy jobs. Economically and ecologically, we can't afford to wait much longer. As recently noted by U.S. scientists, the "clock is ticking."

-- Kate Troll, executive director

Alaska Conservation Alliance and

Alaska Conservation Voters

Anchorage

Worst effort to date by Daily News

I believe you have outdone yourselves. Monday's paper is the worst one to date. What happened to covering the news?

Front page story is about someone fighting an addiction; I am proud of anyone who does. However, the story does not belong on the front page.

Our leader, you know Ali Baba, is about to spend more money (I sure hope that genie shows up). Some magic had better start happening.

The Dow dropped some more. The CEOs of one of the bailout recipients could still walk away with large bonuses if some measures aren't put in place to stop to them.

Please do more reporting of news stories like these on the front page and relegate the fillers and human interest stories to their appropriate sections.

-- Kathy Caywood

Palmer

Sure, CEOs care for the little guy

It's been interesting watching the back-and-forth letters on the Free Choice Act proposed by labor leaders. I'm especially impressed by the total concern of corporate CEOs and business owners for workers' rights to secret ballots. I didn't realize that those in power cared so much for those on the lower rung of the economic ladder.

I hope all you folks working for near minimum wages with no benefits appreciate all the concern our corporate barons and business owners have for you. Just keep listening to these guys, and I'm sure your lives will get much better.

-- Van Waggoner

Juneau

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