Plaudits for the professionals
This week kicks off national recognition of direct support professionals, honoring individuals across the state who provide daily gifts of care, support, teaching and mentoring to elders, those with intellectual or physical disabilities and mental health challenges.
Community is the place in which we "share gifts of self" with others.
Communities are enriched by diversity. The giving of skills and dedication by direct support professionals enable so many Alaskans to be active participants in their community of choice. In my career in nonprofit leadership, I have been humbled by countless individuals who have devoted their careers to the service and support of others, humbly shining their light without expectation for recognition but having significant impacts on the lives of those they support.
It's only fitting to take this moment to recognize these dedicated members of our community, to acknowledge the wonderful outcomes they help facilitate, the partnerships and relationships they commit to, and to say thank you … you are so appreciated.
— Roy T. Scheller, Ph.D.
executive director
Hope Community Resources, Inc.
Anchorage
Sign of changing season is near
On a recent evening, a green glow at the cabin's north windows caught my attention and I stepped into the yard to be greeted by the most spectacular display of northern lights that I have witnessed in years. No red hues, but the sky was covered with bright green dancing light that extended from the silhouette of Denali in the north all the way to Talkeetna in the south.
The light show is part of the seasonal story that is further told by the topping of the fireweed, the ripening of the blueberries and the ever-increasing rate of yellowing birch and cottonwood leaves. Soon, along the shores of the Susitna River, there will be other familiar harbingers of the advancing season, such as the overhead honking of sandhill cranes and, if I am lucky, the grunt of a bull moose.
These end-of-summer changes have been witnessed over and over again since the first Alaskans arrived from Siberia. Though the timing varies from one year to the next, until recently the signs of fall began and ended as they always have for countless generations. But recently man has added his own event to the natural cycle of the fall calendar. This man-made event is now as established, predictable and reoccurring as is the first frost that is followed by the first snow.
No, I am not talking about some unfortunate result of global warming but rather the annual Thanksgiving and Christmas letters to the editor that urge us not to eat meat for the holidays. Though their cause is hopeless, we must afford these "tofu troopers" credit for their perseverance. Year after year, the newspaper publishes the same letters that point out the evil of folks feasting on animal flesh during the holiday season. But, judging by what I see at the grocery store, their well-intentioned message has had little to no effect on our eating habits. Tofu still occupies a very small corner in the back of the little cooler, while turkeys and hams fly out of their own big coolers located in the center aisle.
So if you missed the "become a vegan" letter last fall, look for it in the editorial section this October or November and read it once. You can skip it the years thereafter because, unlike the dancing of the northern lights and the turning of the leaves, it is not worth looking at year after year.
— Paul Richards
Talkeetna
Thank you to all who thanked us
It is with delight that I write this heartfelt "thank you" to all the wonderful fairgoers who took the time to stop by the Alaska Lung Association and Breathe Free Mat Su table at the fair to express their appreciation of the Alaska State Fair's decision to be smoke-free this year. Expressions of "I'm not experiencing any asthma symptoms this year; smoke-free is the way to go" and "It's about time" were two of the most common comments I personally heard throughout the five days I walked the fairgrounds handing out buttons and while standing at our table during this year's fair.
As I encouraged those who shared their happiness with me to "let the fair know how much you appreciate this policy," I wanted to also acknowledge and applaud the Alaska State Fair Board for implementing a policy that reflects not just the majority of the residents in all Alaska, the 80 percent who are smoke-free and welcome the opportunity for themselves, their children and their family to enjoy public events and the right to breathe air free of secondhand smoke and combustibles, but also the smokers who made this year's fair a smoke-free success by utilizing the designated areas.
— Noel Crowley-Bell, coordinator
Alaska Family Services'
Tobacco Prevention and Control Program
Breathe Free Mat-Su chairperson
Palmer
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 under 200 words 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.