Who Will Even Notice?
Tue Jul 29, 2008 2:59 pm by McGehee 5 comments [Alaska] [Get Offa My Lawn!]	I’ve said numerous times that Ted Stevens would be re-elected to three or four additional terms even after he kicks the bucket. This will barely even make a blip on his chances in November. When it comes to electing members of Congress, Alaskans are really kind of pathetic. Update: Like I said...

These Things Always Seem to Happen in Threes

Thu Apr 24, 2008 7:01 am by McGehee 4 comments [Alaska]

Last weekend I had two posts about life events in Alaska: bar owner Skinny Dick had passed away, and Gov. Palin’s newest son was born. Well, last night Chris and I watched the “Mythbusters” episode featuring Alaska myths, and featuring an appearance by Anchorage’s Buzzwinkle Moose. In the closing credits, however, the episode was dedicated in Buzzwinkle’s memory. The downtown moose with an affinity for fermented crab apples and Christmas lights is dead. [...] The moose was at least 13 years old—a senior citizen by moose standards—with badly worn teeth and an infected wound on his rump, both of which contributed to his demise, said Sinnott, who works for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. “He was really on his death bed over there,” he said. “It was just a matter of time. If he were any other moose, I probably would have shot him sooner. ... He had a good life, other than getting tangled in Christmas lights from time to time.” The beginning of the end came in February, when Buzzwinkle was spotted near Ship Creek munching on twigs. He had a football-sized lump on his left hindquarter. Initially, it appeared the old bull might have been hit by a car, but Sinnott suspects an arrow might have been responsible for the puncture-wound injury. [...] Buzzwinkle earned his title—the “most embarrassing nickname ever given to a moose,” according to Sinnott—in November, after he ate a pile of fermented crab apples in the courtyard of Bernie’s Bungalow Lounge. Still tangled in the Christmas lights he’d found in Town Square Park, the moose assumed a disoriented pose as he began snorting steam and staring off into the distance, apparently drunk. “That kind of sucks,” said bartender Regina Senior, upon learning of Buzzwinkle’s fate. “There’s not a whole lot of cities that have moose hanging out downtown. It’s kind of cool, ‘cause they’re huge.” » Weep, Anchorage; Buzzwinkle is no more I’m betting he would rather have gone out like Supermoose.

Speaking of Alaska and Life-Milestones…

Sat Apr 19, 2008 10:25 am by McGehee [Alaska]

Congratulations to Alaska’s governor and her family on the inauguration of a new member: Gov. Sarah Palin gave birth Friday to her fifth child, a boy, about a month before her due date. Trig Paxson Van Palin weighed 6 pounds, 2 ounces. A news release from Palin�s office says the 44-year-old governor and the baby are doing well and resting comfortably. �Trig is beautiful and already adored by us,� said the Palin family in a written statement. �We knew through early testing he would face special challenges, and we feel privileged that God would entrust us with this gift and allow us unspeakable joy as he entered our lives.� » Palin welcomes fifth child Here’s hoping for a long and happy life for Trig. And here’s hoping this is just a nasty rumor: Anchorage television station KTUU on Friday quoted an unnamed source close to the family saying the baby has Down’s syndrome. When Palin talks to the press herself in a few days KTUU can ask about that themselves. Update, Tuesday: Down’s Syndrome confirmed. The best to the Palin family.

Skinny Dick’s All the Way Gone

Sat Apr 19, 2008 10:14 am by McGehee [Alaska]

The drive along Alaska’s George Parks Highway (Route 3, for those with maps) includes a sight that has provoked snickers for years: Skinny Dick’s Halfway Inn, a store, cafe and watering hole just about halfway between Fairbanks and Nenana. Last I heard it was still in business (confirmed!), owned by someone not all that much younger than its founder. Anyway, said founder has moved on to the Last Frontier in the Sky: In death as in life, Richard “Skinny Dick” Hiland was the life of the party. At a well-attended wake Friday at the International Bar and Grill, one of Skinny Dick’s favorite haunts when he was on “a runaway” from tending bar at his own place, “Skinny Dick’s Halfway Inn,” glasses were raised time after time in the legendary barkeep’s honor. Mourners only had to cross the street following an afternoon funeral Mass at Immaculate Conception Church and crowd into the Big I’s dark, smoky interior to share stories, food and Skinny Dick’s favorite toast, “Happy, happy!” Skinny Dick, who died April 7 at age 80 after a short illness, sold the Halfway Inn in 2003, but remains very much alive in the memories and hearts of his many friends and relatives. Although he was known for his rude jokes, cussin’ and carousing, Skinny Dick’s large circle of friends say it was balanced by his upbeat, fun-loving temperament, storytelling and openhandedness. “He was quite a character,” Jeana Apling said. “He could tell stories like no one else.” » Friends, family mourn local legend Richard “Skinny Dick” Hiland Sounds like just the right send-off for an “all the way” kind of guy.

Does Your State Government Cost You $16,000 Per Person?

Sat Mar 22, 2008 9:13 am by McGehee 4 comments [Alaska]

One of the things that always flabbergasted me about living in Alaska was the exorbitant per capita cost of state government. The state Senate is getting ready to consider a $10 billion state operating plan that’s arrived on the floor about a month earlier than last year. The proposal, introduced on Friday, uses about $4.2 billion in general funds, $4 billion in other state funds and $1.7 billion in federal funds. It spends about 11.5 percent more than last year from the state general fund but less on agency programs than Gov. Sarah Palin has proposed. Senate Finance Committee co-chairman Bert Stedman, R-Sitka, said lawmakers tried unsuccessfully to bring the rate of growth to less than 10 percent. “At this rate of change, in seven years the operating account is going to double to $8.4 billion. That is unaffordable and unsustainable,” Stedman said. “We need to work collectively to bring that rate of change down even further.” » Lawmakers move forward with $10 billion budget A state with about 600,000 people has a total state budget that is worthy of a Dr. Evil pinky kiss—and this is after they’ve been fighting to reduce it!

Another Reason Why Palin Won’t Run for Veep

Sat Mar 15, 2008 11:37 am by McGehee 7 comments [Alaska] [Elections]

If I’m not mistaken, the primary election in Alaska, which occurs in August, normally happens after the presidential nominating conventions. Alaska Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell upstaged his boss at the Republican state convention Friday, moments after she renewed her call for new party leaders. Parnell called for an even bigger change. He announced he would seek Alaska’s lone seat in the U.S. House, held for most of Alaska’s statehood by Don Young. “The days of unquestioning loyalty are gone,” Parnell said a few hours later after filing candidacy paperwork. “It’s time for principled leadership.” Gov. Sarah Palin escorted Parnell into the Division of Elections office and immediately endorsed him over Young, who has held the office for 35 years. She gave no thought to the protocol of an endorsement months before the August primary, she said. “When something’s right, it’s right,” she said. “There’s no time like the present to state your case and speak candidly about what you believe in. And I believe in his candidacy.” » Parnell to run against Young for Congress I’m not sure what happens to the lieutenant-governorship if Parnell goes to Congress—there’s almost certainly a nomination-confirmation process involving the Legislature but I don’t know details. The president of the state senate, if I’m not mistaken, becomes next in line, temporarily; and I suppose the chief deputy at the Division of Elections gets to run the place while his or her boss’ office is vacant—but I’m pretty sure they want the vacancy filled before the next regular election in 2010. And given that Palin is not happy with the current GOP leadership it’s unlikely she’d go for letting the Senate President step into the governorship if she became vice-president. Too bad they didn’t have someone to put up against Stevens. He’s the one who really needs to go. Update: In comments at Wizbang, “John F Not Kerry” reminds us of yet another reason why Gov. Palin will be staying in Alaska this year: as noted here, she’s expecting. I knew it, and yet it didn’t actually factor into my thinking. Men!

Told Ya So

Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:40 am by McGehee [Alaska] [Elections]

A couple of weeks ago I wrote that Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Alaska) is highly popular with her constituents in the Land of the Midnight Sun. One of the ways you can tell that, in this day and age, is when their private life becomes the stuff of public comment—in a friendly way. My mom suggested we should have a say in what Gov. Sarah Palin names her newborn. Mom said “Iron Dog” or “Snow-go.” I say the Koyukon Athabascan words “Sedaadzaa’” for a girl and “Keel” for a boy. Sedaadzaa’ means “little sister” and Keela means “boy.” My son, William, says “Denali” or “Talkeetna” or “Kenai.” Babies are precious. Congratulations! We’re happy for the Gov. and First Dude. » Letter to the Editor: Baby names Yes, it’s creepy—but it’s creepy in a friendly way. (And am I the only one who gets the sense some of these people are naming a sled dog rather than a human baby?)

Ever Wonder Why I Keep Alaska on My Mind?

Sun Mar 9, 2008 11:55 am by McGehee 1 comment [Alaska] [Yee-haw!]

It’s like nowhere else in America on earth. Jack Wright was 13 in 1969 when he worked all summer, earning $600 to buy his first snowmachine, a 1969 Polaris Mustang. The sled cost $1,200. “I went halves with my dad,” said Wright, who was raised in Fairbanks and is now the tribal chief in Manley. Wright drove the sled for years, and after it stopped working, he couldn’t part with it, so he kept the Mustang in storage. That is, until three years ago when Craig Compeau started the Tired Iron Annual Vintage Snowmachine Race and River Rally, hosted on the Chena River in front of Pike’s Landing. Only people driving snowmachines made before 1976 may enter. » Snowmachines stand the test of time to compete in Tired Iron This is something you notice very quickly if you spend any amount of time up yonder: whereas there’s many a new car, truck or snowmachine in an advanced state of decrepitude because of the harsh conditions, there are also plenty of vintage machines from decades past—even going back to territorial days in rare cases—that look and run like new. The trouble and expense of replacing such an investment, back in the old days, led to an ethic of meticulous care and maintenance that can still be seen if you keep your eyes open. I wonder if this Chatanika snowmachine competes in the rally?

An Early Sign of Spring in Alaska

Mon Mar 3, 2008 10:18 am by McGehee [Alaska]

The waiting to find out who won the Nenana Ice Classic is underway. The Ice Classic is a Nenana tradition that, according to organizers, started in 1917 when a group of engineers placed bets on when the warming spring air would cause ice on the river to melt and break into pieces. So they built a tripod from spruce logs, placed in on the frozen river, placed their bets and waited. The first Ice Classic generated a jackpot equivalent to about $13,000 in today�s dollars. Last year’s led to a pot worth more than $300,000. So as contestants inside the civic center were scarfing bananas, volunteer Dennis Argall was on the river, nailing a red wind sock onto the peak of the tripod, which would be raised in a couple of hours. The uniqueness of the Ice Classic has drawn occasional interest from out-of-state media outlets. Argall remembered an incident about 15 years ago when a reporter from a national newspaper traveled to Nenana and, while walking out to see the tripod, fell into a hidden hole at the edge of the otherwise frozen water. “Oh, they just pulled him out,” Argall said. “But he got wet.” » Classic Oddities I bought tickets in the Classic a couple of times—the first time I was just less than 24 hours off the winning time, but that was close as I ever got. Chris never participated, not wanting to provoke grumbles of a conflict of interest because of her job at the National Weather Service. I have some pictures I took in Nenana in my online photo gallery, here, here and here. This was before we had a digital camera or a decent scanner, so the picture quality isn’t real great—and the visit in question was before that year’s Tripod Weekend.

But It Could Turn Alaska to the Democrats

Tue Feb 26, 2008 9:27 am by McGehee [Alaska] [Elections]

Here’s another possible McCain running mate who could potentially get my vote in November—but I’m not sure it would set too well with most Alaskans. As John McCain inches closer to the 1,191 delegates he needs to secure the Republican nomination, attention has turned to the vice presidential sweepstakes. Who should McCain pick as his running mate? The answer will be especially important if the aging four-term senator’s general election foe is a youthful freshman agitating for change. Sarah Palin, the beautiful conservative Republican governor of Alaska, would be an ideal choice to help McCain slay this unholy ObamaOprah beast which is set to rake in nearly $50 million a month in campaign donations alone, and has intense auxiliary support coming from the unions, George Soros’s billions-infused Democracy Alliance organization, and other rich Democratic networks. Mrs. Palin is one of conservatism’s own, and would be the first female vice president. She’s young being only 44 (two years behind Senator Obama), she is wildly known to despise government corruption. She defeated a horribly entrenched and corrupt Republican political machine in Alaska. She has a son in the U.S. military. She’s strongly pro-life, belonging, in fact, to Feminists for Life. » Que Sarah, Sarah She’s also highly popular in Alaska—and it’s unlikely Republicans up there would be very happy about the prospect of losing her to the vice-presidency. If it brought in votes McCain couldn’t get otherwise, he might just find Alaska’s three electoral votes an acceptable trade-off. But like Condoleezza Rice, Palin would steal the limelight from McCain—which is why this one won’t happen either.

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