Snow safety knowledge can boost your fun — and save your life
It doesn't matter whether you ride a hot mountain sled, a snowboard or a pair of fat boy skis, powder riding in the mountains is the stuff we snow fiends dream and drool over.
But before you hit the slopes or the trails, please remember, November is Avalanche Awareness Education Month. I'm telling you this because it's important from personal experience.
Do you know what Brenda Smart, Patsy Coyne, Janet Tally, Billie Tewalt and Sharon Gurtler Strict all have in common? They are mothers who lost a child in an avalanche in Alaska.
And they are not alone. There have been 49 people lost in snowslides since 2000. That's an average of about four people every year. There were six fatalities during the 2015-2016 season.
Sons, daughters, wives, husbands, friends … all people who set out for a fun day of snow adventures and never got to come home to ride another day.
It was 30 years ago, Nov. 26, 1986, when I lost my husband Bruce after a frozen slope collapsed and buried him. He died from severe trauma and the only thing that likely could have saved his life was more awareness and education about the potential hazards.
When my children grew to be teenagers and were riding snowmachines, skiing and boarding in the mountains around Alaska from Hatcher Pass to Thompson Pass, I realized that it was often just a lack of knowledge that killed people in avalanches. They were all just in the wrong place at the right time.
Since 2004 I have been on a mission to help make snow safety knowledge commonplace and available to everyone. Today I serve as the director of the Alaska Avalanche Information Center, working every day to get this information out to the public. Thanks to a grant from the Alaska Community Foundation, we now have a website, AlaskaSnow.org, where you'll find a wealth of information on snow and weather conditions. You'll also find routinely updated forecasts, observations, safety tips and training opportunities.
On Saturday, Nov. 5, you can take part in the annual SnowFest. It's a day of free educational training, gear demonstrations, new equipment displays, video premieres and all things snow from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Anchorage Loussac Public Library.
This program is made possible thanks to support from AARP Alaska, the Alaska Avalanche Information Center, the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center, the Alaska Avalanche School, Alaska Mining and Diving Supply, and a host of other snowmobile vendors, sport shops and snow pros.
This winter, start your season out right by tuning up on your mountain travel skills, checking out the new technology available and learning everything you can to avoid having your mother, wife, husband, friends endure the toughest of lessons in life far too soon.
Take the time to get educated so you can Live to Ride Another Day.
Learn more at AlaskaSnow.org or call 907-255-2242.
— Debra McGhan
Alaska Avalanche Information Center
Wasilla
Don’t just hope, act
Finally the American electorate has reached consensus; we are all voting against rather than for a candidate. The dismal choice given by the corporate handlers of our supposedly two-party system is like the worst two teams making the Super Bowl and they are being mismanaged by the same owners.
In Alaska our electoral college votes are already determined. They will go to Trump, certainly. The popular vote will have no effect in the national count; likely the election outcome will already be announced.
We Alaskans now have a unique opportunity to send a message to Washington, D.C., by voting for a third party candidate. Our voice can loudly and clearly state that we are on to this phony election choice, a two-headed coin flipped by the fascist 1 percent owners of our government. With the rise of a third (actually second) party the 1 percent is given an ultimatum: "Pack your bags, the game is up."
We the people want our government back from the corporations. Don't just hope, act.
Vote third party.
— William Bartee
Anchorage
Look who’s crying ‘foul’ now
When Hillary was struggling, all her supporters were crying "foul" because the press was pumping Trump to the max, hoping to keep their readership up and frantic. Now that Hillary is surging and Trump is synonymous with "foul," his supporters are crying. It's enough to make a cat laugh — all the way to the bank.
— Suzanne Miles
Eagle River
It won’t hurt legislators to live with a little less in new digs
OMG! Really! Too bad for the Legislature that their new building is a "step down" from the old illegally gotten LIO.
Are there really stains on the carpet — even after cleaning? How about an area rug for that? By the way, buy it yourself. And do you really have to pull down paper towels and lift the lids on garbage cans? And raise and lower your own window coverings? You poor darlings — I just don't know how you can survive under such shabby conditions.
Homeless people would think they were rich to have surroundings like those.
Guess what? It's still a step up from where you should be, which would be in the Atwood Building. You are public servants, not public rock star idols. It won't hurt you to be a little more humble anyway.
I live in an old house and have to raise and lower my shades myself. I pull paper towels off the roll and open the lid to the garbage can. I don't even have a self-flushing toilet. I get by just fine and so will you.
The best part of all is that with all the extra parking, we, the minions, can routinely stop by to visit and see just how much work is really getting done. We won't forget the results of last year's legislative actions, and must remember that every election year until the house is cleaned. Most of you have spots on your records and deserve to have spots on the carpet too.
Welcome to the real world. Now stop complaining and get to work.
— Vicki Williams
Anchorage
Wrong national motto
I must take exception with a statement made by Tammy Ann Thompson (Letters, Oct. 21). America's national motto is not "In God We Trust". Our national motto is "E Pluribus Unum" … out of many, one. You can find it on the Great Seal of the United States.
— John A. Farleigh
Anchorage
Recent setbacks highlight need for vigilance in war against polio
Rotary is working to eliminate polio village by village, country by country and continent by continent. As recently as 1988, polio was paralyzing nearly 1,000 children every day around the world. Since then, Rotary members have led the way in raising funds, advocating for government support, building awareness and mobilizing volunteers on the ground for massive immunization campaigns.
The fruit of these efforts is evident in the numbers: In the first half of 2015, there were fewer than 40 new polio cases worldwide.
Despite such impressive gains, the job is not yet finished around the world. Polio is stubbornly hanging on in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
"We cannot wind down our efforts now. We need to continue immunizing until the last country is certified polio-free, and thereafter," says Dr. Tunji Funsho, chair of Rotary's Nigeria PolioPlus Committee. "As long as the virus remains anywhere in the world, it is only a plane ride away."
Immunization efforts continue in Africa, where recent setbacks underscore the need for vigilance everywhere until polio is eradicated worldwide.
Where are we in the fight to eradicate polio? What's left to do? And why does it cost so much? Rotary's World Polio Day event on Monday will answer these questions and more.
The wild poliovirus has caused fewer new cases of the disease so far this year than this time last year, but recent setbacks in Nigeria — which was reclassified as polio-endemic in September 2016 — underscore the need for vigilance.
Yet the detection of new cases in northern Nigeria also demonstrates that surveillance efforts are reaching children even in areas affected by conflict. The challenge now is to contain the outbreak and boost immunity in affected areas until the virus is eradicated worldwide.
This year also saw the largest and fastest vaccine rollout in history, as 155 countries and territories switched from the trivalent oral polio vaccine to the bivalent oral polio vaccine. The bivalent oral polio vaccine protects against the only two strains still in circulation and reduces the likelihood of vaccine-derived cases.
Stream the Monday event, Rotary's World Polio Day, live at endpolio.org.
— Paul McGuire
president, Anchorage East Rotary
Anchorage
Murkowski knows Alaska’s role in this crazy world
If you have managed to get news outside of the Trump vs. Hillary circus you will understand that things are heating up all around the world: Russia is hunkering down in Syria, China is expanding its power over the South China Sea and North Korea is testing intercontinental missiles. As much as the media loves to make the presidential election seem as though the world is waiting for the result, this is not the case. Serious matters are happening across the world while this carnival of a presidential election is taking place.
As Alaskans, we must realize our place in the world. While it is easy to get caught up in this presidential election, we must realize our microscopic effect on the presidential race, as the required 270 electoral college votes needed will likely be reached before our state's votes are even reported. However, we must realize that Alaska has a vital role to play in defending this nation from an East Asia that is becoming increasingly militarized. As Alaskans, our duty this election season is to put forth the best representation to see that our country remains safe from these impending dangers out of the East. Having met our current senator on a few occasions, I believe that Lisa Murkowski is keenly aware of Alaska's importance in defending this country and is dedicated to ensuring that those in Washington know as well. In this world of intensified conflicts in East Asia, Murkowski is not only the leadership Alaskans need, she is the leadership our country must have.
— Michael Lowe
Anchorage
Hackenmueller has the integrity for District 14 House race
Although Charles Wohlforth delivered his usual insight in Thursday's ADN, he ignored an important race against incumbent inaction (District 14, Eagle River).
It's Joe (Hackenmueller) vs. "no-go" Lora (Reinbold) in "The Battle of What Matters" (according to their campaign fliers). "Integrity," says Lora; "working together," says Joe. If working together means actually engaging in constructive conversation with those across the aisle instead of locking yourself in the fortress of solitude (because, after all, you have "locking integrity"), Joe wins.
Joe's bottom line, "Because Working Together Matters," may well be Mission Impossible, dreaming the impossible dream and much easier said than done, but … at least he's determined to dive into the deep end of the (stupid) pool (with other independent "newbies" — is there one in your district?) and give it his best shot.
Footnote for my fellow Americans in uniform who live in "JBER North": If you too are suffering from "trickle-down disgust" (courtesy of one or both presidential candidates) along with a touch of "failure to act" (courtesy of our state legislators), consider this before you vote. Seems last August Lora took it upon herself to publicly berate a female soldier for having a picture of Beyoncé on her cellphone cover (http://juneauempire.com/state/2016-08-04/reinbold-triggers-investigation-over-beyonc%C3%A9-image). I assume Lora considered that to be additional evidence of her integrity but to me it smelled more like arrogant moral police, and well outside that soldier's chain of command, even. Out of place and … not her place. Just sayin' … and also just sayin', "Let's go with Joe."
— Ch. Lt. Col. Keith Muschinske, USAF (ret.)
Eagle River
Wohlforth ignored possibility of unseating Lora Reinbold
Charles Wohlforth's recent opinion piece regarding the effect on local elections from the Trump campaign meltdown was thoughtful. His analysis of down-ballot candidates that are vulnerable to challenges from independents and moderates was comprehensive, with the possible exception of Eagle House District 14.
Charles noticeably omits the challenge of party outcast Lora Reinbold by Independent candidate Joe Hackenmueller. Charles' oblique reference to some hypothetical future challenge by a moderate Republican completely ignores the current well-organized, groundswell movement by the Hackenmueller campaign to unseat the incumbent.
Judging from APOC reports, the Hackenmuller campaign is outpacing Reinbold in the number and amount of voter donations. If not for significant personal contributions, she would be trailing severely. A closer inspection of those donations shows that they include not only moderate Republican but former Lora donors.
It's true, she seems unbeatable in a low-turn-out, primary election. The Republican effort to unseat her in the primary was amazing. But in a general election, especially a presidential election, even a Trump one, voter participation will be triple the primary. Will she still be able to hide from public ire?
The question is, will all those moderate Republicans, independents and non-partisans fall in line or have they had enough of our ineffective incumbents?
Perhaps Charles believes that Hackenmuller's chances are minimal and unworthy of mention. But these are strange days. It could be that the stain of Lora's support for The Donald will stick. In any case, it's odd that Charles ignores this race, as it is another critical part of the effort to replace our dysfunctional Legislature with capable, collaborative leadership.
— Chris Rice
Anchorage
Oh, those sneaky serpents
I must give a warning to my fellow Alaskans.
On Thursday, according to Don Rauf from CBS, "All 50 states and the District of Columbia reported snake bites increase to children between 2000 and 2013."
Never mind politics and the budget deficit; let's save our children.
Amazing what we can learn from the Lower 48.
— Michel Villon
Anchorage
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 tocommentary@alaskadispatch.com.