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Photos and Description of this 1 bedroom holiday condo in Providenciales - Provo - Coral Gardens on Grace Bay
Condo, 1 Bedroom + Convertible bed(s), 1.5 Baths, (Sleeps 2-4)
*Our Rates Page includes all Taxes, Fees and Our Extras. *Although we consider all rental requests our largest package discounts are 7 night weekend-to-weekend rentals (so we don't have empty nights). Send request for more information. Our calendar is up-to-date.
Dear Guest,
Thank you for your interest in our Top Floor Luxury Suite. We would very much like to earn your business.
You are probably considering a vacation to Providenciales (aka Provo) because of the many wonderful things you have heard or read. Janet and I have traveled the Caribbean extensively and we can confirm it truly is a special place.
Our spectacular balcony view of the Caribbean Ocean's clean clear azure waters is unmatched.
We are located in the lush garden setting of the Coral Gardens Resort on Grace Bay and is in the middle of the Princess Alexandra Marine National Park Nature Reserve. This small intimate boutique resort has gentle waterfalls, inviting pools and a relaxing unpretentious atmosphere. Best of all you are just steps away from snorkeling on the White House Reef.
We are VRBO renters too. Through our experiences we have learned there is a wide variety in condo rental options. Providing a stress-free rental process and a relaxing tranquil environment is important. I think you will find in our material we have made efforts to uphold a high standard. Providing a very comfortable bed and blackout blinds for restful sleep are just a few examples.
To help you make a good decision we have posted lots of pictures along with many details. Our feature picture was taken from the balcony using my Iphone. Yes, you are so close you can throw a baseball in the ocean! We also list our amenities, explain many features and we have totaled ALL costs in our quote. We believe we have created a unique experience and a tremendous value.
Here are some of the highlights:
* ALL COSTS ARE INCLUDED! This includes the 22% government tax and hotel fees and all our amenities (and we have more than most). FYI - most VRBO rentals apply the above costs at check-out.
* Our 1,000-sqft suite is one of the closest to the water on island. Our suite is just steps away from the famous White House Reef. Great snorkeling!
* Snorkel Gear for 4 People (in suite) are for your use.
* In suite washer/dryer (new 7/14)
* Granite counter tops and cabinet refinish 07/14
* Pillow Top King Bed in Bedroom
* Black-Out Blinds in the bedroom so you can sleep in or enjoy an afternoon nap.
* New Sofa Bed (with the thickest sleeping pad)
* Maid Service and Fresh Beach Towels Daily
* 3D Smart TV with NetFlix (2,000+ movies), Pandora, etc (sometimes you need a break from the sun).
* High Speed Wireless Internet in unit.
* It's been professionally decorated and recently painted. It's fresh, clean in a relaxing atmosphere!
* Use of ALL Property Amenities (Loungers, Parking, Laundry Room, FREE Parking, etc)
* An Island Cell Phone (take it to the beach, pool or anywhere on island)
* Two air conditioners. One central and one in the bedroom so you can sleep soundly.
And there is more. Send a request and I'll forward a comprehensive letter about things to do on the island, some of our favorite restaurants, more information about our rental with the rate quote.
We hope you will compare our condo's updated / upgraded interior, our all inclusive rate, closeness to water (fully enjoy the sights and sounds of the ocean), our 'no extra charge' amenities you will find your next vacation spot.
Your experience is important to us so our guests check in and out with the resort management company. Please be assured someone will be available for your every need. You won't be "on your own" like other VRBO rentals. And you won't be cleaning, washing sheets and towels either.
Rent from us and you will return home relaxed and with memories to treasure.
Hope to hear from you.
-Ed (owner)
ps - Contact us for availability, current rates and specials.
Looking for discount airfare? Visit 2ticketstparadise.com
Keywords: Condo, 1 Bedroom, 1 Sofa Bed, 1.5 Baths, Sleeps 4, Suite, Ocean View, Condominium, Oceanfront, Ocean Front, Reef, snorkeling, snorkel, beach front, beach, Turks, Caicos, Luxury
- Suitability:
- children welcome
- non smoking only
- pets not allowed
About Ed
We visited the island for the first time in 1995 and immediately fell in love.
Ed purchased this condo in 2001
Why Ed chose Providenciales - Provo
Providencials is a special island and Coral Gardens is one of it's best spots. Walk on the pure white sand that is next to the bluest water you'll ever see. And the famous 'White House Snorkeling Reef' is right out your front door.
What makes this condo unique
Our condo is professionally decorated with unique features. Doors fold in the wall to bring you the ocean's sights and sounds. Black-out blinds (sleep in), Snorkel gear for 4 (included), Washer/Dryer in unit. For more information send a request and I'll forward additional details about the condo and island.
Guestbook comments from the manager
We did have a wonderful trip and we were very pleased with our choice to stay in your home at Coral Gardens. Your condo was very well equipped with everything we needed and the staff of Coral Gardens were very helpful. We fell in love with Grace Bay and the reef right outside our door! Jim is not a very good swimmer, so it was especially wonderful for him to see so many fish so close to shore! We ate all our breakfasts and lunches on the terrace but went to some very nice dinners via taxi


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Dave WinfieldPosted on March 28th, 2007 – 9:42 AM
By La Velle
Hall of Famer Dave Winfield is one of several people I interviewed for my special section stories this spring. The former Twin deserves such attention because he's just released a book titled, `Dropping the Ball: Baseballs Troubles and How We Can and Must Solve Them," in which he discusses some of things that are wrong with baseball. He cares deeply about interest in the game growing in this country, and has some suggestions for people on all levels to help achieve that.
Here's part of a long interview I did with him:
"One of the chapters I have written is called, `The Last Black Major Leaguer.' We go from Jackie Robinson to when there was 28 percent black players in the 1970′s when I was playing and we're down to 8 percent (now) and it is declining. In ten more years you'll see the last one. That's just one chapter.""I'm showing how important the game is to people in America and I urge people not to give up on it. I tell them. `Here are some examples of these trends.' People need to know that we have academies in other countries. We have kids who no longer go outside and play. They don't know pick up games and all this stuff."
"The are not developing the skills and the responses and the athleticism to play baseball, so you put on a uniform when you are eight or nine years old and mommy wonders, `Johnny, why can't you play very good.' Johnny never went outside and played all these games that helped him develop and improve. The kids are declining and the culture is declining."'
"I point out that trends are going on, but it is not an attack on anything. I'm just saying, `this is where it is. If you want to do something about it, here's something that everybody can do from kids to parents to schools to organizations and rec departments to major leagues to players and agents and all of that.' "
You can click here for more information. Winfield is in the middle of a nationwide book tour. He's in the Twin Cities today and will appear on Dan Barriero's, `Bumper to Bumper,' show this afternoon on KFAN. He's got a lot of good stuff to talk about.

subset: commoncrawl


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2 U.S. Code § 437 - Reports on convention financing
Each committee or other organization which—
(1) represents a State, or a political subdivision thereof, or any group of persons, in dealing with officials of a national political party with respect to matters involving a convention held in such State or political subdivision to nominate a candidate for the office of President or Vice President, or
(2) represents a national political party in making arrangements for the convention of such party held to nominate a candidate for the office of President or Vice President,
shall, within 60 days following the end of the convention (but not later than 20 days prior to the date on which presidential and vice-presidential electors are chosen), file with the Commission a full and complete financial statement, in such form and detail as it may prescribe, of the sources from which it derived its funds, and the purpose for which such funds were expended.
Source(Pub. L. 92–225, title III, § 305, formerly § 307,Feb. 7, 1972, 86 Stat. 16; Pub. L. 93–443, title II, § 208(c)(6),Oct. 15, 1974, 88 Stat. 1286; renumbered § 305 and amended Pub. L. 96–187, title I, §§ 105(2), 112 (a),Jan. 8, 1980, 93 Stat. 1354, 1366.)
Prior Provisions
A prior section 305 ofPub. L. 92–225was classified to section 435 of this title, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 96–187.
1980—Pub. L. 96–187substituted "60" and "20" for "sixty" and "twenty", respectively, and struck out "Federal Election" before "Commission".
1974—Pub. L. 93–443substituted "Federal Election Commission" and "it" for "Comptroller General of the United States" and "he", respectively.
Effective Date of 1980 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 96–187effective Jan. 8, 1980, see section 301(a) ofPub. L. 96–187, set out as a note under section 431 of this title.
Effective Date of 1974 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 93–443effective Jan. 1, 1975, see section 410(a) ofPub. L. 93–443, set out as a note under section 431 of this title.
The table below lists the classification updates, since Jan. 3, 2012, for this section. Updates to a broader range of sections may be found at the update page for containing chapter, title, etc.
The most recent Classification Table update that we have noticed was Tuesday, August 13, 2013
An empty table indicates that we see no relevant changes listed in the classification tables. If you suspect that our system may be missing something, please double-check with the Office of the Law Revision Counsel.
|Description of Change
|Session Year
|Public Law
|Statutes at Large
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


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阿克拉 xiLodge
Nii Afotey Brutu II Road Adjinganor, East Legon
For lodging and events at fair prices come to xiLodge.
xiLodge is situated in a secluded environment at East Legon about fifteen minutes' drive from Kotoka International Airport, to and from which we offer a free shuttle service. For business or pleasure, this homely lodge provides you with facilities to enjoy your stay, with competent, courteous and dedicated staff always ready to serve you and make your stay a memorable one.
xiLodge rooms are available in Standard and Executive. All rooms come with DSTV, internet, hot water and air conditioning. Also available are centralized self-catering and laundry facilities.
xiLodge is 15 minutes away from Kotoka International Airport to and from which we provide free shuttle service. But if you prefer to make your own way: From the airport head towards Legon, after the Tetteh Quarshie interchange is a right turn (Shiashie junction). Follow this road to its end (about 4km) at which it curves left, keep going till you pass a UBA branch office on your right, then take the next right on to the Adjiringanor highway. Proceed on this highway for about 2.5km then ask for President Rawlings house. Before his house (on the left) look to your right you will see the xiLodge signpost. Follow this road to its end and you will see another signpost, from which the Lodge is 100m away. Thanks.
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Toll Free:1-800-510-9195
National Domestic Violence Hotline:
"Serving the Latino Communities in Wisconsin Since 1996"
UNIDOS' mission is to provide a bridge to a safe environment through assessment, direct support, referral, education, training and collaboration to break the cycle of domestic violence in Latino communities, one family at a time.
UNIDOS was started in 1996 as a group of volunteers committed to helping Latina survivors of domestic violence access local services. The organization started as a result of social action research conducted with migrant farm worker communities in central WI between 1994 and 1996. This early research indicated that, although domestic violence (DV) was a serious problem within the Latino migrant and immigrant community, local DV services did not have the resources to work with this group of abused women. Staff from local agencies needed assistance to learn about Latino culture and how the problem of domestic violence was uniquely experienced by our community. To that end, UNIDOS has become a leader around the state as a resource for training and technical assistance to a variety of agencies around the state working with abused Latinas. In 2001, UNIDOS Against Domestic Violence became a 501©3, not-for-profit agency.
Today, UNIDOS works providing direct service in Dane, Rock and surrounding Counties with a staff of 4 employees. However, we also provide statewide education and technical assistance to colleagues and professionals who wish to improve their services to Latinos in Wisconsin.
We receive funding from the Department of Children and Families (DCF), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the City of Madison. Also, in addition to private donations, we are proud members of Community Shares of Wisconsin.


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Given the pervasiveness of wireless networks, the proliferation mobile computing and communications devices of all forms, and the fundamental requirement for mobility in all aspects of IT today, it's no wonder that mobility is now at the core of so many IT strategic plans. Just as everyday life without mobility would be unpleasant at best, enterprises and organizations not optimizing their application of wireless and mobile technologies, products, systems and services are operating at a distinct disadvantage. Access to information and IT resources on an anytime/anywhere basis is key to productivity and business advantage no matter what the mission today.
The Interop Las Vegas 2014 Mobility Track brings you the most important, relevant, and valuable information on wireless and mobile in a fast-paced, informative, and accessible format.
|Mobility Sessions
|Optimal WLAN Design for Retail, Healthcare and the Enterprise
|The Always-On Enterprise: Balancing Productivity and Security
|Wi-Fi and Education: Get Smart About BYOE
|Wi-Fi for the Mobile Enabled Business
|Wireless Security: A View from the Inside
|You Can Say No to BYOD
|Wireless Bridging: Pros and Cons for Extending Your LAN
|Post-PC, Post-LTE: The Future of IT in a Post-Everything World
|Wireless Certifications: Cutting Through The Noise
|The Wireless Engineer's Essential Toolkit
|BYOD, WLANs and Wires: Harmonious Co-Existence


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Rediscover the Authority of White Papers & Case Studies
No other B2B marketing content establishes trust, generates leads, and moves prospects through the sales funnel as effectively as white papers and case studies.
White Papers Educate
The modern white paper is easily one of the most important tools in your marketing toolbox.
Case Studies Prove
Nothing carries as much credibility as a story of the success that you've created.


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Hatchery Chum Salmon Forecast Close To 2013 Levels
The first returns of hatchery chum salmon are showing up in fishing nets in Southeast Alaska this month. Summer chums play an important part in the early season for net fishing fleets and the troll fleet as well. Hatchery officials are forecasting runs close to last year's.
A little lost in last year's record setting pink salmon haul in Southeast was a strong catch for chum salmon. Last year seiners, gillnetters and trollers brought in 12.5 million dogs in the region. The bulk of those fish start their lives in hatcheries around the Panhandle and most return earlier in the summer than pinks. Fishery managers expect nearly as many chums this year but nowhere near last year's record setting pink catch.
Juneau-based Douglas Island Pink and Chum expected a good year last year with a forecast of 2.7 million chums – but the actual returns were DIPAC's biggest ever at nearly five million. Whether or not 2014 lives up to that standard, DIPAC executive director Eric Prestegard expects a strong run.
"Well the forecast is up from last year's forecast. But last year came in well above forecast, so it's below what returned last year but what we would call a very good forecast about 3.3 million."
A big portion of DIPAC's returns are expected back to release sites in Lynn Canal. And Prestegard thinks there are some good early signs for this year's chums.
"The first gillnet opening certainly it looked pretty good from our eyes. That was about twice what we kinda would have forecasted to have happened. Again that's just sort of built on some averages and what not so it's not great data but it's reasonable. So we thought that was good."
On the flip side, Prestegard says trollers targeting chum along the Home Shore area of Icy Strait are not having the big season they had last year. Nevertheless, he says it's the time of year to wait and see what comes back.
"Now's when you sort of chew on your fingernails and wait for the days they fish and look at that data. You know we did take some samples from the first opener there in Lynn Canal. They were big beautiful fish, 10.9 pound average, which is very large for us and mostly five year olds. So that's a good sign."
Trolling has been open for spring fisheries in May and June, while gillnetters and seiners had their first openings in mid June.
Closer to Sitka, one point one million chum are forecast to return to Hidden Falls and Medvejie Deep Inlet. Those are two sites operated by the Sitka-based Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, or NSRAA.
Last year Hidden Falls saw a run of 1.3 million. Medvejie Deep Inlet doubled last year's forecast with a return of 2.2 million. NSRAA general manager
Steve Reifenstuhl says he'd be happy with three percent survival rate for the chum released each year.
"And that would put the Medvejie run around 1.5 to 1.8 million annually and Hidden Falls, closer to, with three percent marine survival closer to two million annually. You know we'd love to see bigger than that but that's what my hope is."
Fishing started slow for seiners catching chum returning to both sites but Reifenstuhl was hopeful catches would be increasing. And Like Prestegard, Reifenstuhl says the fish so far this year are large.
"At this point all the data says the fish are big, over 10 pound average, which is fairly unusual and suggests they're five year old fish. The bulk of the fish are typically four year old fish."
Further to the south, the Southern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association forecasts three point two million chums back at four different release sites around Ketchikan and Wrangell.
The largest return anticipated is 1.8 million at Neets Bay off of Behm Canal north of Ketchikan. Last year that run saw a return of just under a million fish.
The Ketchikan-based association's Susan Doherty says they're forecasting an average survival rate for summer run chum at four different release sites. If the forecast holds up it would beat last year's summer chum total of just over two million. Other SSRAA fish return to Kendrick Bay on southern Prince of Wales Island, Anita Bay close to Wrangell and Nakat Inlet south of Ketchikan. Those returns typically start showing up a little later in the summer.
Hatchery in Kake closing June 30th
A hatchery in the Southeast community of Kake is closing its doors this month and has released its final chum, pink and coho salmon. There's still some hope that a larger regional hatchery organization can figure out a way to restart the salmon enhancement program there.
The Gunnuk Creek hatchery started in 1973 as a Kake High School project. Community members formed a non-profit and incorporated in 1976. General manager John Oliva says they're boarding up the hatchery this month and will close the doors June 30. He said the Kake Non-profit Fisheries Corporation did not have enough money to keep operating.
"The corporation owes like $22 million to the state," Oliva said. "About half of that, maybe a little more than half of that is actually deferred interest, going back to 1981."
Oliva noted the state could not provide additional funding and the non-profit was forced to close.
"The corporation's shut the doors voluntarily signed over all the assets to the state. So as of right now, we're boarding up everything," Oliva said. "The state's sold off a good portion of the equipment, incubators, net pens, net pen complexes, anchor systems, forklifts, trucks, stuff like that to NSRAA."
NSRAA is the Sitka-based Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association. That regional non-profit was already partnering with Gunnuk Creek on a chum project off of nearby Kuiu Island. Now NSRAA is considering whether it should operate the Kake hatchery after Gunnuk Creek closes its doors.
NSRAA general manager Steve Reifenstuhl said they're evaluating whether it pencils out to install new equipment to re-circulate and regulate the water in Gunnuk Creek.
"So that we can number one clean up the water quality and then deal with the extremely cold temperatures in winter and the extremely high temperatures in summer," Reifenstuhl said. "And by reducing the amount of water we need and recirculating it, we think that we can do a much better job at raising high quality eggs and fry."
Gunnuk Creek has been logged and has increased sediment and greater temperature fluctuations. Reifenstuhl said the high cost of energy in Kake also will enter into the decision. They're looking into a small hydro electric turbine to generate the needed electricity. They also have to consider the impact to NSRAA's facility at Hidden Falls hatchery on Baranof Island where chum are raised. Reifenstuhl said it's difficult to put additional pressure on the production at Hidden Falls.
"It's difficult for staff to manage another 55-60 thousand broodstock fish. It's tough on the seiners to pull all those fish out of their fishery. And the facility wasn't built for anywhere near that much," Reifenstuhl said. "We can do it. But it would be better if we could do it in Gunnuk Creek."
Ultimately it's a decision for the NSRAA's board of directors, based on information from engineers and staff. Meanwhile, that regional non-profit is going forward with new chum production nearby Kake at Southeast Cove. That program will mean 35 million chum released there next year, and 55 million the following year.
Staff at Gunnuk Creek released their final chum, pinks and coho in late May and early June. Gunnuk Creek's Oliva thinks some of the salmon could continue to spawn after the hatchery shuts down.
"I think there's a good chance the pinks and the coho will," Oliva said. "The pinks and the coho came from this creek. The coho definitely are a native Gunnuk creek stock. And the pinks, the hatchery back in the 90s was doing pinks and they stopped and the pinks continued to come so they may come back still. The chums on the other hand may be a different story."
"You know we put our weirs down and removed all our barriers so the fish can go upstream but there's going to be limited spawning habitat up there for 'em. So we still might get some chums to come back but I don't think there'll be any great numbers."
The hatchery was impacted when the Gunnuk Creek dam broke in 2000, leaving the community without a water supply for several days. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers rebuilt the dam but Oliva said that too caused problems.
"Basically had a full building full of alevins and they killed them all off with the construction," Oliva said. "xLost all of our water and stuff when they were doing the construction. So we actually had to start rebuilding again and it was just a battle. You know this last year we're finally seeing some good returns come back but it was a day late and a dollar short basically."
Oliva says Gunnuk Creek has four full time employees and 10-12 season workers, mostly local kids who help with the egg takes each year. The fish returning to the area are caught by Southeast's fishing fleets. The bears that congregate on the creek each year, drawn by the returning chums, have also been an attraction for smaller cruise ships.
Anchorage Assembly approves new fire station, delays other decisions and discussions
The Anchorage Assembly approved the purchase of land to relocate Fire Station #3 at last night's meeting. But they postponed most of the other major decisions and discussions, including the public hearing on the city's labor laws.
Fire Station 3 is currently located near Merrill Field in Airport Heights. It's in need of major repairs. Municipal staff says moving it to Bragaw between 4th and 6th Avenues will be cheaper than fixing the old building and make it easier for firefighters to reach both Mountain View and Airport Heights.
But Assembly Member Pete Petersen expressed some concerns over the new location. "I do think it's important if they could figure out some way to route either the entrance or the exit off of Bragaw because of traffic congestion. Also if school happened to be getting off at the same time as there was a call, it could create a dangerous situation for pedestrians."
The new 3-bay fire station will be next to the Alaska Native Cultural Charter School.
Despite those concerns, the Assembly unanimously approved the $1 million land purchase for the station during Tuesday's meeting. They also passed the amended Anchorage School District budget, which the School Board approved it back in May.
The Assembly planned to hold a public hearing on AO-37 and Assembly Member Jennifer Johnston's newer version of the labor law. But it was put off until the July 22 meeting to allow for more discussions. A repeal of the controversial law could still be included in the November ballot.
The Assembly also delayed making a decision on the Anchorage Wetlands Management plan. It will be discussed again on July 8. About ten people spoke against the plan's new language.
Alaska News Nightly: June 24, 2014
Individual news stories are posted on the APRN news page. You can subscribe to APRN's newsfeeds via email, podcast and RSS. Follow us on Facebook at alaskapublic.org and on Twitter @aprn.
Shipping Safety Advocate Criticizes Arctic Preparedness Plans
Lori Townsend, APRN – Anchorage
As the summer arctic shipping season gets underway, a member of a group that formed after the Selendang Ayu ran aground a decade ago, is calling for more rescue tugs, monitoring and risk management measures in the Bering Strait and Unimak Pass.
New Placer Mining Permits Proposed
Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks
Interior miners aren't happy with changes proposed to federal permits for small scale placer operations that impact water resources, including wetlands. Dozens attended an Army Corps of Engineers public meeting in Fairbanks last week on the proposals.
Groups Ask Seek Endangered Species Protection For Yellow Cedar Trees
Joe Viechnicki, KFSK – Petersburg
Conservation groups are asking for endangered species protection for yellow cedar trees in Alaska. The trees have been dying off in portions of Southeast over the past century. Scientists say it's likely due to a warming climate and lack of snow cover for vulnerable roots.
Lobbying Efforts Galvanize Unalaska Hospital Project
Annie Ropeik, KUCB – Unalaska
Tribal and federal officials say the plan to build a regional hospital in Unalaska is closer than ever to reality.
Should E-Cigarette Vapors Be Treated Like Tobacco Smoke?
Jeremy Hsieh, KTOO – Juneau
The Juneau Assembly is considering a ban on e-cigarette vapors in nearly all indoor public spaces.
The local chapter of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence led the push at an Assembly Committee meeting Monday. A council representative argued that the new tobacco alternative is being marketed to youths and misrepresented as harmless.
In First Drift Opening Near Bethel, Managers Balance Chinook Conservation With Opportunity
Ben Matheson, KYUK – Bethel
After months of planning and studying the numbers, state and federal managers okayed the first six-inch-drift gillnet opening today on the most densely populated stretch of the Kuskokwim river. The fishing will be aimed at chum and sockeye salmon, but managers are moving cautiously to make sure enough king salmon make it to spawning grounds.
Anchorage Celebrates World Refugee Day
Anne Hillman, KSKA – Anchorage
Anchorage residents gathered at Mountain View Lions Park on Friday to celebrate World Refugee Day. The day honors people who have fled their home country, often because of war or ethnic persecution. About 120 refugees are resettled in Anchorage every year as part of a national program.
Shipping Safety Advocate Criticizes Arctic Preparedness Plans
As the summer arctic shipping season gets underway, a member of a group that formed after the Selendang Ayu ran aground a decade ago, is calling for more rescue tugs, monitoring and risk management measures in the Bering Strait and Unimak Pass.
In letters to the Coast Guard, Rick Steiner with the Shipping Safety Partnership, says the money to address these concerns could come from the 3.5 billion-dollar Oil Spill Liability Trust fund the Coast Guard has.
"It's used almost exclusively for spill response, but we all know spill response simply doesn't work, so we're arguing that this fund should be broken open and used to charter these rescue tug assets during the summer shipping season through the arctic and then they could relocate this tug to the Dutch Harbor, Unimak Pass area for the winter which is where the risk increases down there." Steiner said.
The Coast Guard has no deepwater port north of Dutch Harbor, so it has to deploy its assets north seasonally. It has ramped up its presence there over the past three shipping seasons with a program called Arctic Shield. Before leaving for his new post in Washington DC, Seventeenth District Commander Rear Admiral Thomas Ostebo visited Dutch Harbor with Senator Mark Begich. Ostebo said the Coast Guard is focused on the Bering Strait and northern sea route. Ostebo says response preparation is key but the U.S. can't govern the Bering Strait.
"The Bering Strait is an international strait. Anybody who wants to can go through that. We don't own it, we don't control it, we don't have a toll booth there, we don't manage that. The northern sea route, also an international strait overseen very heavily by the Russians obviously, but what I like people to first realize is, we don't control this, so all of this is going to happen whether we want to play or not and our involvement in this I think needs to be appropriate for the likely hood of a mishap."
This is a very different Arctic presence for the Coast Guard than what Ed Page remembers from his thirty years of service
"When I was in the Coast Guard, the arctic was, we spent no time up there. It was totally off the radar screen."
Page now heads up the Marine Exchange, a Juneau based vessel tracking organization that has 95 real time monitoring stations in Alaska. Page says back in the day, there was none of that.
"And if you would have asked me where the ships were in the arctic or the Aleutian islands, I go, well, we'll put a plane up tomorrow, we'll look out the window and I'll get back to ya. Today the Coast Guard can say, well, I got it on my iphone or ipad or my desktop, I can tell you exactly where the vessels are right now because, through international treaty, international maritime organization has required that all vessels, larger vessels, commercial vessels have this technology, transponders much like aircraft have."
Page says the vessel's name, speed, dimensions are displayed and are tracked. Vessels are now required to stay farther off shore. This allows more time to get help if they have engine problems, before they run aground. Page says if this system would have been in place when the Selendang Ayu had trouble a decade ago, they would have known immediately rather than 19 hours after the vessel lost engines, because it would automatically have triggered an alarm in the operations center.
If the vessel doesn't respond, the Marine Exchange notifies the Coast Guard. Page says he appreciates the concerns of Steiner and other environmentalists who want to protect the fragile arctic ecosystem but he says although arctic vessel traffic has increased in the last decade, its still relatively low compared to other shipping routes. He says if vessels had to pay a fee to support rescue assets, it would be high based on the few transits. He worries they may then decide to go to Canada and bypass Seattle, allowing them to transit Alaskan waters on innocent passage. Besides, He says, other coastal states wouldn't want to use the Coast Guard's spill response fund to bail out Alaska. His biggest concern is with enormous cargo vessels. Ships that are 1300 feet long, carry thousands of containers and have hundred thousand horsepower engines. If they have trouble in a storm, there's no tug large enough that can help.
"Absolutely no tug. It's gonna go wherever Mother Nature decides it wants to take that ship. That's the concern I have. You just watch it unfold, because you can't do anything about it, they're so big."
But Rick Steiner insists there's still a lot more that can and should be done and he's persisting in urging that the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund be reprogrammed to include prevention.
"The greatest missing link here is the political will to drive the risk as low as possible. I get the sense that the Coast Guard and the state of Alaska and the shipping industry are willing to roll the dice and hope for the best and just expect that this won't happen on their watch. But what if it does?" Steiner said.
Whoever's watch it may be, the system has been evolving, and will continue to. The Coast Guard hopes to have a voluntary vessel separation scheme in place through the Bering Strait before long, and while Congressional funding for more icebreakers may be nowhere in sight, other ice hardened vessels are being tried. Ed Page says the Coast Guard has not secured funding from Congress to build a vessel tracking network for Alaska, making the Marine Exchange's monitoring program all the more critical for observing who is transiting the vast and remote waters of the arctic.
New Placer Mining Permits Proposed
Interior miners aren't happy with changes proposed to federal permits for small scale placer operations that impact water resources, including wetlands. Dozens attended an Army Corps of Engineers public meeting in Fairbanks last week on the proposals.
Groups Ask Seek Endangered Species Protection For Yellow Cedar Trees
Conservation groups are asking for endangered species protection for yellow cedar trees in Alaska. The trees have been dying off in portions of Southeast over the past century. Scientists say it's likely due to a warming climate and lack of snow cover for vulnerable roots.
The groups say logging also poses a threat to the cedar trees on the Tongass National Forest.
Kiersten Lippmann is a biologist with The Center for Biological Diversity and says the cedar decline in Southeast Alaska is drastic.
"The reason we're doing this now is we're seeing, especially in Alaska, the timber industry is targeting the remaining living cedar," Lippmann said. "It's kind of like when the buffalo were dying out, people would go out and hunt the last buffalo because it was their last chance to get them."
Other petitioners are the Boat Company, Greenpeace and the Greater Southeast Alaska Conservation Community.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says it will review the petition to determine whether the species status deserves further review. That finding is supposed to take 90 days.
There's only one plant in Alaska on the endangered species list – that's the Aleutian shield fern, which is found on Adak Island.
Lobbying Efforts Galvanize Unalaska Hospital Project
Tribal and federal officials say the plan to build a regional hospital for the Southwest in Unalaska is closer than ever to reality.
For most locals, the idea of a full-size hospital in Unalaska has always been little more than a pipe dream. But not for Tom Robinson of the Qawalangin Tribe. He's been trying to make the hospital happen for more than five years.
"We noticed that we really needed a medical facility in Unalaska," Robinson says. "And with the course of events of losing some of our elder a couple years ago, the [Qawalangin] tribe really pressed the issue."
They teamed up with their tribal health provider, the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, to put new energy into lobbying for a hospital. Now, the APIA's primary care services administrator, Jessica Mata-Rukovishnikoff, says that work is paying off.
"It is definitely the closest we've been in all the years since we first started the project in 2008," she says.
That's thanks in part to Alaska Sen. Mark Begich. He's lobbying for up to about $100 million in federal funds for the project. Mata-Rukovishnikoff says the APIA would be happy to see even part of that sum, and they're asking local groups to chip in, too.
"They're more likely to see and pass and give money based on support from the community," she says. That includes more than just tribal stakeholders. The hospital will be designed to serve everyone in the region — locals, veterans, fishermen and other industry workers and tribe members.
So the APIA is casting a wide net to look for funding. Meanwhile, other details of the project are still coming together. There's no location for the hospital in Unalaska yet. And housing for its 200 or so expected employees is still up in the air.
In terms of services: Mata-Rukovishnikoff couldn't say yet how many beds the hospital would have. But she says it should offer a 24-hour emergency room, basic surgeries and a range of specialists.
She's also hoping they can provide prenatal and maternity care. That would mean expectant moms wouldn't have to spend weeks in Anchorage when it was time to give birth, which, she says, "would be something of a major accomplishment."
For outpatient services, the new facility would absorb Unalaska's two existing clinics — the APIA's Ounalashka Wellness Center, and the Iliuliuk Family & Health Services community clinic.
IFHS director Eileen Conlon-Scott expects to move all her staff, services and grant funding over to the new hospital. The clinic's current building might become an administrative office.
Scott says the merger would be a big step forward.
"We have people that don't get health care services because they can't afford to fly off the island," she says. "[At IFHS], we're trying to bring consultants to the island at least to get an initial check-up by a specialist, but to have some of these specialists here the whole time — it's much better for our community."
For Tom Robinson of the Qawalangin Tribe, flying to Anchorage for routine care has been the norm for far too long.
"If you look at what the locals in the region have to go through to get primary care — it's very tough," he says. "And this'll also serve our elder — can you imagine the stress that our elder have to go through to travel to get primary care?"
Robinson says the hospital would serve about 2,000 tribal members, and as many as 10,000 Aleutian, Pribilof and Southwest residents in total.
It would also make good on a decades-old loss — by replacing the native hospital destroyed in Unalaska during World War II.
"Our hospital was bombed by the Japanese … and then burnt down by the military. And thereafter, it was never rebuilt," Robinson says. "Really, there wasn't any effort put back into — or there wasn't the initiative to have it rebuilt until recently."
Even if everything goes according to plan, Unalaska won't see its new hospital until about 2018 — and Robinson is confident it's going to happen. The tribe has already started doing community outreach in Unalaska. They're planning on more as they start looking at locations for the hospital later this year.
Should E-Cigarette Vapors Be Treated Like Tobacco Smoke?
The Juneau Assembly is considering a ban on e-cigarette vapors in nearly all indoor public spaces.
The local chapter of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence led the push at an Assembly Committee meeting Monday. Kristin Cox, a naturopathic doctor and the council's tobacco prevention program coordinator, argued that the new tobacco alternative is being marketed to youths and misrepresented as harmless.
"So e-cigarettes: They're new, they're blue, but will they still kill you?" Cox asked.
She didn't exactly say yes – the research world is playing catch-up with the products as more parties enter the marketplace and innovate – but Cox did warn that the widespread claims that e-cigarette vapors are harmless and an effective way to help someone quit smoking are both scientifically unproven, and may be entirely wrong.
Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, recently published a review of 84 e-cigarette studies in a peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association. They found a chaotic marketplace filled with a range of unsubstantiated claims and quality control issues with the products themselves.
Results of trials comparing the toxicity of various e-cigarette vapors to traditional tobacco smoke varied wildly. For example, one study of a particular brand discovered toxic metals at levels higher than in regular cigarette smoke, likely coming from the e-cigarette's metal heating elements. Other studies bore out claims that e-cigarette vapors were less harmful than tobacco smoke, but not harmless.
"You know, middle school kids think they're harmless. They're using these devices, they think they're really harmless. There's harmless water vapor is what their inhaling. And that's not the case."
Cox says big tobacco companies have been pumping a lot of money into buying e-cigarette companies and beefing up their advertising campaigns with youths in mind. E-cigarette juice, vaping liquid or e-liquid, is being made in candy and fruit flavors.
Cox says it's an initiation tool to introduce youths to nicotine addiction and tobacco use.
"This is a really, really serious issue. It's re-normalizing cigarette smoking in public. Little kids can't distinguish between what's a traditional cigarette and what's an e-cigarette," she said.
Under the ordinance the Assembly is considering, the vapors would be treated the same as tobacco smoke, which Juneau banned from virtually all indoor public spaces in 2008.
If the Assembly adopts the ordinance, Cox said, "It's going to signal to people that these are dangerous, they're not harmless."
A few blocks away from City Hall, Robert Rodman has sold e-cigarette products for about a year in his store, Percy's Liquor.
He's more or less indifferent about the possible ban.
"I don't think it's a huge issue one way or the other," he said.
Rodman keeps an e-cigarette for himself in the shop to demonstrate how it's used. His looks like a fat pen. One end houses a battery and heating element. The other end has a vial with the e-liquid in it. The liquid he uses has no nicotine.
"Yeah, I'm not a smoker. I have no interest in nicotine," Rodman said.
Then, Rodman used one of the lines Cox was worried about.
"It's just flavored water, basically," Rodman said. "You know, in that case, you know, there's no harm."
In fact, the base in most e-liquids is a common food additive the Food and Drug Administration says is safe to eat, though researchers warn drawing it into your lungs as an aerosol isn't the same and can cause respiratory problems.
Rodman pushed a button and breathed in. A moment later, he puffed out wisps of a white, scented vapor that hung in the air a few moments before dissipating.
"You're not really inhaling it. So, I dunno, it's just a pleasurable sensation," Rodman said. "You know, you get a little bit of mouth feel with it, you know, in your throat. And with the flavors, you know, you get some taste. I mean, this is coffee. You know, it's kind of a cool thing."
The Assembly will hold a public hearing on the e-cigarette vapor ordinance at its next meeting, June 30.
In First Drift Opening Near Bethel, Managers Balance Chinook Conservation with Opportunity
After months of planning and studying the numbers, state and federal managers will open the first six-inch-drift gillnet opening on the most densely populated stretch of the Kuskokwim river. The tremendous fishing power will be aimed at chum and sockeye salmon, but managers are moving cautiously to make sure enough king salmon make it to spawning grounds.
No one will know for sure until well after the king salmon have stopped running, but State Kuskokwim Area Management biologist Aaron Poetter says the early conservation measures seem to have successfully moved king salmon past many of the river's 2,000 subsistence households.
"We feel pretty comfortable with making the call that we have enough fish upriver to at least make the lower end of the goal. We want to ensure that those fish do make it to spawning grounds so we will tread lightly and implement chinook conservation as we provide additional opportunities," said Poetter.
After not meeting escapement in two of the past four years, the priority this year is hitting the midpoint of the river's escapement goal, about 85,000 fish. 2014 was expected to be a weak run, between 71 and 117 thousand kings. Nobody has been allowed to fish for kings since May 20th, but managers briefly opened a portion of the lower river to fishing for other salmon species last week.
Managers say Friday evening's four-hour opener on the lower river brought out just under 200 boats. They estimate that of 11-thousand salmon caught, about 670 were king salmon. With many more boats anticipated out of Bethel and nearby communities, Federal In-Season Manager Brian McCaffery says kings will be caught in the six-inch, 25-fathom nets.
"I would anticipate this next opening that there will be some thousands of kings taken by all the boats, but given where we are in the run, we're pretty confident the run can handle it given how many fish have already gone by," said McCaffery.
Managers don't have a great estimate how many boats will drop their nets in at 10 a.m. Tuesday, but Poetter says fisherman will be out in force.
"The 130 four-inch whitefish nets are probably going to pale in comparison to what we're going to see," said Poetter.
Restricting nets to 25 fathoms instead of the usual 50 fathoms, managers can further fine tune the amount of harvest. The latest data from the Bethel Test Fishery on Sunday shows that the chum and sockeye ratio to king salmon is about 9 to 1.
Poetter will attempt to get a rough sketch of the harvest Tuesday morning and how many kings were caught in the net before setting the next opening.
"I do expect more openings this week, we're looking for something a little bit later on this week as we continue to roll opportunity up the river and continue to liberalize opportunity down on this lower section," said Poetter.
Fuel Spill Reported At Nome Hospital
Up to 1,200 gallons of home heating oil is estimated to have spilled at Norton Sound Regional Hospital in Nome.
According to a situation report from the state Department of Environmental Conservation, Norton Sound Health Corporation hired Bering Straits Native Corporation to conduct indoor air monitoring in the hospital. As of Monday, the monitoring showed no evidence of diesel vapors inside the hospital. About 200 cubic yards of contaminated soil also had been removed.
The department says the spill was discovered early Friday morning. Norton Sound Health Corporation estimates 800-1,200 gallons of diesel had leaked from an above-ground storage tank.
The department says it will continue to monitor cleanup activities.
Anchorage celebrates World Refugee Day
Anchorage residents gathered at Mountain View Lions Park on Friday to celebrate World Refugee Day. The day honors people who have fled their home country, often because of war or ethnic persecution. About 120 refugees are resettled in Anchorage every year as part of a national program.
Netra Dhakal dances to music from his home country of Bhutan. The song tells a story familiar to his parents- a boy who left his village and misses his home. Dhakal's family was forced to leave Bhutan when he was three years old.
"The Bhutan government said, 'You are Nepali,'" he explained. "'Because you eat Nepali, you speak Nepali, you wear Nepali dress and everything. But you are in Bhutan. So you should go to Nepal.' They forced us to leave Bhutan so we went to Nepal. But Nepal government said, 'You came from Bhutan. So you are not Nepali citizen, so you should go back to Bhutan.'"
The family lived in a refugee camp in Nepal for 18 years. Dhakal said they couldn't work and didn't have access to things like radios, electricity, or cars. Organizations donated food, schools, and health care for the camp of 140,000 people. In 2010, they were finally relocated to Alaska.
"In the beginning it was a little hard because of English problem," Dhakal said. "It was hard to communicate with people, go shopping, travel from place to place."
But now, Dhakal has earned his GED and is teaching English as a Second Language.
Abdikarim Mohamud arrived in Anchorage from a refugee camp in Kenya in 2011. He was originally from Somalia. When he learned he was moving to Alaska, he said people warned him.
"People, they say, 'You go to cold Alaska. It's very far.' But now I live here. It's nice–winter and summer."
Mohamud says he never wants to go back to live in East Africa. "No, no. I'm living here. America. I like it, so much," he exclaimed as Neil Diamond's "Coming to America" blasted out of the sound system.
He shares his enthusiasm with other Somali refugees by greeting them as soon as they arrive at the airport. Catholic Social Services' refugee assistance program named him one of their volunteers of the year.
But many refugees pointed out that the celebration also recognizes nearly 17 million people worldwide who are still refugees. And with the new conflicts in Iraq, Ukraine, and South Sudan, the numbers are rising.
Peter Rom's family fled southern Sudan into Ethiopia before he was born. He resettled in the United States 13 years ago.
"I would say thank you for God bring me here to America," he said. "And also I feel bad for what happen in my country. A lot of people are in rural area, remote area. Yeah, it's very difficult."
Rom said the people there can easily get sick from malaria or diarrhea. Now, because of the war, it's hard for them to get money or food. Rom has returned a few times on mission trips to try to help, but he says his home is now the United States.
The U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement reports that more than 58,000 refugees were accepted into the country in FY2012. Only a small number can be resettled in Anchorage because of housing constraints.
The Top-10 Alaska Books (And Tons More) To Add To Your Reading List
Before this week's Talk of Alaska about the best Alaska-based books, we opened up voting to the listeners to get their input into what the top-10 Alaska books should be.
We received tons of feedback and compiled a full list, which you can find here.
Here are the top-10 results based on online voting, comments, emails, social media, and calls we have received…starting with #10:
10) Shadows on the Koyukuk: An Alaskan Native's Life along the River (Sidney Huntington)
In his dramatic autobiography, Alaskan elder Sidney Huntington, half-white, half-Athabascan, recounts his adventures, tragedies, and ultimate success.
9) One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey (Richard Proennecke)
This best-selling memoir from Richard Proenneke's journals and with firsthand knowledge of his subject and the setting, Sam Keith has woven a tribute to a man who carved his masterpiece out of the beyond. To live in a pristine land unchanged by man . . . to roam a wilderness through which few other humans has passed . . . to choose an idyllic site, cut trees by hand, and build a log cabin. . . to be self-sufficient craftsman, making what is needed from materials available…to be not at odds with the world, but content with one's own thoughts, dreams and company. Thousands have had such dreams, but Richard Proenneke lived them. This book is a moving account of the day-to-day explorations and activities Dick carried out alone….alone in the wilderness…and the constant chain of nature's events that kept him company.
8) The Firecracker Boys (Dan O'Neil)
In 1958, Edward Heller, father of the H-bomb, unveiled his plan to detonate six nuclear bombs off the Alaskan coast to create a new harbor. However, the plan was blocked by a handful of Eskimos and biologists, who succeeded in preventing massive nuclear devastation potentially far greater than that of the Chernobyl blast. An unprecedented account of one of the most shocking chapters of the Nuclear Age.
7) The Snow Child (Eowyn Ivey)
Alaska, 1920: a brutal place to homestead, and especially tough for recent arrivals Jack and Mabel. Childless, they are drifting apart–he breaking under the weight of the work of the farm; she crumbling from loneliness and despair. In a moment of levity during the season's first snowfall, they build a child out of snow. The next morning the snow child is gone–but they glimpse a young, blonde-haired girl running through the trees.
This little girl, who calls herself Faina, seems to be a child of the woods. She hunts with a red fox at her side, skims lightly across the snow, and somehow survives alone in the Alaskan wilderness. As Jack and Mabel struggle to understand this child who could have stepped from the pages of a fairy tale, they come to love her as their own daughter. But in this beautiful, violent place things are rarely as they appear, and what they eventually learn about Faina will transform all of them.
6) Two Old Women (Velma Wallis)
Based on an Athabascan Indian legend passed along for many generations from mothers to daughters of the upper Yukon River Valley in Alaska, this is the suspenseful, shocking, ultimately inspirational tale of two old women abandoned by their tribe during a brutal winter famine.
Though these women have been known to complain more than contribute, they now must either survive on their own or die trying. In simple but vivid detail, Velma Wallis depicts a landscape and way of life that are at once merciless and starkly beautiful. In her old women, she has created two heroines of steely determination whose story of betrayal, friendship, community and forgiveness "speaks straight to the heart with clarity, sweetness and wisdom."
5) Two in the Far North (Margaret Murie)
This enduring story of life, adventure, and love in Alaska was written by a woman who embraced the remote Alaskan wilderness and became one of its strongest advocates. In this moving testimonial to the preservation of the Arctic wilderness, Mardy Murie writes from her heart about growing up in Fairbanks, becoming the first woman graduate of the University of Alaska, and marrying noted biologist Olaus J. Murie. So begins her lifelong journey in Alaska and on to Jackson Hole, Wyoming where along with her husband and others, they founded The Wilderness Society. Mardy's work as one of the earliest female voices for the wilderness movement earned her the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
4) Where the Sea Breaks its Back (Corey Ford)
Author Corey Ford writes the classic and moving story of naturalist Georg Whlhelm Steller, who served on the 1741-42 Russian Alaska expedition with explorer Vitus Bering. Steller was one of Europe's foremost naturalists and the first to document the unique wildlife of the Alaskan coast. In the course of the voyage, Steller made his valuable discoveries and suffered, along with Bering and the cred of the ill-fated brig St. Peter, some of the most grueling experiences in the history of Arctic exploration. First published in 1966, Where the Sea Breaks Its Back was hailed as "among this country's greatest outdoor writing" by Field & Stream magazine, and today continues to enchant and enlighten the new generations of readers about this amazing and yet tragic expedition, and Georg Steller's significant discoveries as an early naturalist.
3) Coming into the Country (John McPhee)
Coming into the Country is an unforgettable account of Alaska and Alaskans. It is a rich tapestry of vivid characters, observed landscapes, and descriptive narrative, in three principal segments that deal, respectively, with a total wilderness, with urban Alaska, and with life in the remoteness of the bush.
Readers of McPhee's earlier books will not be unprepared for his surprising shifts of scene and ordering of events, brilliantly combined into an organic whole. In the course of this volume we are made acquainted with the lore and techniques of placer mining, the habits and legends of the barren-ground grizzly, the outlook of a young Athapaskan chief, and tales of the fortitude of settlers—ordinary people compelled by extraordinary dreams. Coming into the Country unites a vast region of America with one of America's notable literary craftsmen, singularly qualified to do justice to the scale and grandeur of the design.
2) The Raven's Gift (Don Rearden)
John Morgan and his wife can barely contain their excitement upon arriving as the new teachers in a Yup'ik Eskimo village on the windswept Alaskan tundra. But their move proves disastrous when a deadly epidemic strikes and the isolated community descends into total chaos. When outside aid fails to arrive, John's only hope lies in escaping the snow-covered tundra and the hunger of the other survivors–he must make the thousand-mile trek across the Alaskan wilderness for help. He encounters a blind Eskimo girl and an elderly woman who need his protection, and he needs their knowledge of the terrain to survive. The harsh journey pushes him beyond his limits as he discovers a new sense of hope and the possibility of loving again.
1) Ordinary Wolves (Seth Kantner)
In the tradition of Jack London, Seth Kantner presents an Alaska far removed from majestic clichés of exotic travelogues and picture postcards. Kantner's vivid and poetic prose lets readers experience Cutuk Hawcly's life on the Alaskan plains through the character's own words — feeling the pliers pinch of cold and hunkering in an igloo in blinding blizzards. Always in Cutuk's mind are his father Ab,; the legendary hunter Enuk Wolfglove, and the wolves — all living out lives on the unforgiving tundra. Jeered and pummeled by native children because he is white, Cutuk becomes a marginal participant in village life, caught between cultures. After an accident for which he is responsible, he faces a decision that could radically change his life. Like his young hero, Seth Kantner grew up in a sod igloo in the Alaska, and his experiences of wearing mukluks before they were fashionable, eating boiled caribou pelvis, and communing with the native tribes add depth and power to this acclaimed narrative.
All Hope for Knik Bridge Rides on Federal Decision
Alaskans who want to see a bridge across Knik Arm would have envied Los Angeles last month. In a U.S. Senate hearing room, California representatives were high-fiving themselves for winning more than $2 billion to extend a subway to the city's Westside.
"Listen to these numbers. They're even big by Washington standards," California Sen. Barbara Boxer boasted. "In addition to the $1.25 billion, full funding grant agreement … the Purple line extension project is also benefiting from an $856 million loan made possible by the TIFIA Program."
That program, the Transportation Infrastructure Finance in Innovation Act, is the one Alaska hopes will lend the state more than $340 million for the Knik Bridge.
Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell on Friday signed a bill to finance a $900 million bridge across Knik Arm. A decade ago, bridge proponents hoped to fund the project entirely with federal earmarks. But then Congress banned earmarks, in part due to public outrage over this bridge and another in Ketchikan, both derided nationally as "bridges to nowhere." Now, the Knik project all depends on winning a low-interest TIFIA loan.
Boxer is one of the chief proponents in Congress of the increasingly popular lending program. Year after year, demand for TIFIA funds far outstrips supply. As Boxer explains it, the program is designed to lend the money needed to get a project started while other revenues roll in more slowly.
"Because when you put together projects like this, they're enormous, and they're enormously important, so you gotta use all the options at your disposal," she says.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who flew to Washington to celebrate the federal funding agreement, thanked his senators but says the real reason his city got the money is that Angelenos reached into their own wallets first. Garcetti commended local voters for approving a 30-year sales tax to pay for transportation.
"We're not coming here hat in hand with an empty hat. We come here to get it topped off," he said at the podium in the U.S. Senate hearing room. "We know that in this changed landscape you have to bring something to the game in order to get more, and we consistently do."
Alaska isn't coming entirely hat in hand to the feds, either. A few years ago, Knik bridge proponents asked TIFIA to finance nearly half the bridge costs. But federal officials said they wanted to see more of a state commitment — more "skin in the game," to use the metaphor that's ubiquitous in TIFIA discussions. So now the state is asking TIFIA to cover about a third. Another third would come from other federal transportation dollars. And for the state's third, it plans to issue up to $300 million in bonds, but only if it gets the TIFIA money first. The plan is to pay it all off with tolls, estimated at $5 per car.
If there's not enough toll revenue left after operation and maintenance, the state treasury might be on the hook for the bonds — but not the TIFIA loan. Alaska debt manager Devon Mitchell told the state Senate finance committee this spring if tolls fall short, the feds would have to negotiate some other option.
"None of those options is going to include the state of Alaska appropriating money to pay that TIFIA debt," he said.
Alaska Transportation development director Jeff Ottesen told state legislators the financing plan is smart for the state.
"We're getting a chance to build this and, quite frankly somebody else is going to pay a large piece of the tab," he said.
Ultimately, the U.S. Transportation Secretary decides which projects TIFIA will fund. The department made no one available to interview for this story. But Steve Ellis, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, says the very reason Alaska might like the plan – limited financial commitment — makes it unattractive to federal policymakers. Ellis says Alaska isn't really bringing revenues to the deal; it's bringing more debt.
"People may argue these bonds are skin in the game," he said, "but in reality it's still somebody else's skin."
His group claims credit for pinning the "Bridge to Nowhere" label on the Ketchikan bridge and helped spread the taint to the Knik project as well. Last year Taxpayers for Common Sense gave the Knik project a second "golden fleece award," a badge intended to highlight wasteful federal spending. Ellis predicts the U.S. Transportation Department won't like the loose repayment terms Alaska is proposing.
"Certainly if you're saying that whatever scraps are left will go to pay off the TIFIA loan, that's going to raise up the hackles of the feds," he says.
Knik bridge proponents shouldn't count on Sen. Lisa Murkowski intervening with the department. She says she has concerns about the cost, the routing and the fairness of the project to other parts of the state. As far as winning TIFIA funds, she thinks it's an uphill battle. Murkowski says it's unfair, but nationally "big Alaska bridge project" remains synonymous with pork.
"That has clearly stuck, and you can open a newspaper here in Washington, D.C. today and you will still see reference to the 'Bridge to Nowhere,'" Murkowski says.
A spokesman for Alaska Congressman Don Young says he'll support the bridge for TIFIA funds. But he notes Young sent hundreds of millions of dollars to the state to build the bridge back in 2005.
"Unfortunately, the State of Alaska chose to spend the majority of that money on anything but the Knik Arm Bridge," Young spokesman Matt Shuckerow said in an email, "and now, nearly a decade later, they are scrambling to fund the project and squabbling over financial measures that require them to beg President Obama's bureaucrats for even more federal dollars."
8.0M Quake Puts Aleutians on Tsunami Watch
The tsunami advisory in Unalaska has ended, after a powerful underwater earthquake in the Western Aleutians triggered tsunami alerts for parts of the Aleutian Islands Monday afternoon.
No damages were reported after the magnitude 8.0 quake, recorded just before 1 p.m. on Monday. It happened about 30 miles northwest of Amchitka, about 60 miles underwater.
Residents in the Western Aleutians reported feeling shaking during the quake, according to the Alaska Earthquake Information Center. And the quake has set off a series of aftershocks, some as strong as a magnitude 6.
The earthquake also generated a tsunami warning from Attu to Nikolski and in the Pribilof Islands for about two hours Monday. It was then downgraded to an advisory.
The Unalaska area, from Nikolski to Unimak Pass, was also under an advisory for part of Monday afternoon. It ended around 4 p.m.
The tsunami alerts stemmed from the force of the quake. But the Earthquake Center's Natasha Ruppert says tremors at such a depth don't often create tsunamis.
"Based on its magnitude, there is definitely potential for tsunami in the Aleutian Islands," she said Monday afternoon, while the alerts were in effect. "But based on its depth, I do not expect that there will be a significant tsunami from this earthquake."
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration observed tsunami waves about a foot in height or less in Unalaska, Adak and other islands in the region. Those waves are measured at the highest water level above the tide level. They weren't high enough to do any damage.
Unalaska's Department of Public Safety told residents to avoid beaches and harbors during the advisory, but there was no full-scale evacuation to high ground.
Medicare Will Penalize Alaska Hospitals For Patient Safety
The four largest hospitals in Alaska are facing Medicare payment penalties for the quality of their care. Providence, Alaska Regional, Alaska Native Medical Center and Fairbanks Memorial are all in the bottom 25% nationally for the number of infections and serious complications patients get in their hospitals, according to data analyzed by Kaiser Health News. The penalties are part of a focus on quality care that's included in the Affordable Care Act.
Central lines are IV's inserted in veins that lead right to a patient's heart. Infections in those lines are serious. And in 2012, Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage had 17 of them in their Intensive Care Units.
"There was no one single thing, there's no smoking gun, we were not doing x."
Dr. Dick Mandsager is Providence's hospital administrator. He says the hospital recognized the infections as they were happening and started paying attention to every detail for patients with central lines. In 2013, Providence had six central line infections instead of 17.
"It's making sure that the whole bundle of care is done every single time, all the time, regardless of how pressured you are, regardless of how many things you've got on your mind."
The spike in central line infections in 2012 helped push Providence into the lowest quarter of hospitals nationally for safety measures Medicare is tracking. The analysis is preliminary, but the fines are unlikely to change when the final numbers are out later this year. In Alaska, Providence has plenty of company. The state's three other big hospitals; Alaska Native Medical Center, Fairbanks Memorial and Alaska Regional are all receiving penalties for patient safety. As a result, the hospitals will lose 1% of their Medicare payments for a year starting in October.
Julie Taylor is the new CEO of Alaska Regional. She says her hospital's poor score is due in part to an increase in post surgical blood clots- seven total- during the year the Medicare data was pulled from.
"If you look at the percent of our total surgeries, this number isn't alarming. But if it's my mom, that number is alarming, even one."
Taylor says Alaska Regional has emphasized training to bring down the rate of blood clots and other complications, which is especially important given a staff turnover rate of 20 percent annually at the hospital:
"What that means to you is that we have to retrain staff who are coming in, make sure they understand all the protocols, because this takes hard wiring. It's not by happenstance that these things are prevented, it absolutely has to be hardwired and that's why orientation and training and vigilance has to take place."
Taylor applauds Medicare's effort to track patient safety and penalize the worst performing hospitals. That's a point all of the hospitals agree on, including Fairbanks Memorial. Gena Edmiston is Chief Nursing Officer there. She says during the last year, the hospital has had a new focus on patient safety:
"We meet every two weeks, look at every single safety incident in the hospital. We address them and then very consciously look for results."
Edmiston says Fairbanks Memorial has seen steep drops in some areas, like central line infections. Other problems, like patient falls, have been harder to address.
All the hospitals pointed out potential problems with the way Medicare measures quality. Alaska Native Medical Center's Jay Butler chairs the infection control committee there and says his hospital's poor score flagged one main problem:
"The one that really stands out to us is the catheter associated urinary tract infection rate."
Butler says many of the cases were from a type of bug that colonizes the urinary tract without causing an infection. Basically something that looks and acts like an infection, but isn't one. He says the hospital will address how those cases are handled. He says the way Medicare issues hospital penalties isn't perfect, but it's better than nothing:
"We've got to track how we're doing otherwise we have no idea whether or not we're making progress. We wouldn't even know whether or not we're providing good care."
But a Harvard health policy expert has big problems with the way Medicare is measuring quality. Professor Ashish Jha says large teaching hospitals and urban hospitals tend to get the bulk of the penalties. He thinks that may be because they're doing a better job documenting complications compared to hospitals that aren't even aware of errors:
"What you end up doing is penalizing hospitals that are more vigilant, that are paying closer attention, are documenting the complications and coding them in their billing data."
Still, Jha thinks infection rates, which do not come from billing data, are important quality measures. He says hospitals should have close to zero central line infections, the problem Providence struggled with, if they're following standard practice.
Dr. Mandsager, from Providence, says the hospital's goal is zero central line infections, but it's a challenge:
"I could not have predicted 20 years ago, in the measures that get publicly reported, how close you have to be to perfection otherwise you're doing poorly comparatively. Do I feel bad about our current performance? Absolutely."
Mandsager is confident Providence will not be in the same position during the next round of Medicare penalties. In the meantime, he says the 1% cut in Medicare payments is significant. The hospital estimates it will lose more than $500,000 in federal payments. Fairbanks Memorial Hospital calculates its lost payments could be as much as $400,000. Both Alaska Regional and Alaska Native Medical Center estimate their penalties will cost them around $200,000.
This story is part of a reporting partnership between APRN, NPR and Kasier Health News.
Alaska Supreme Court Clears Bristol Bay Initiative For Ballot
An initiative that would add another roadblock to the Pebble Mine project will appear on the ballot this fall, now that a legal challenge against it has failed.
The Alaska Supreme Court issued an expedited order on Monday saying that the Bristol Bay Forever initiative was constitutional. The order comes less than two weeks after the justices heard the case. The lawsuit was brought by a coalition of mining groups, who believe the initiative is invalid because it only regulates mining in one part of the state. The Alaska Constitution does not allow statewide initiatives to deal with local matters.
But initiative sponsors and the Alaska Division of Elections defended the ballot proposition, which would require the Legislature to approve large-scale mining operations in the Bristol Bay region. They argued that the health of that watershed and its salmon fishery is an issue of statewide importance.
The Supreme Court still has to issue a formal opinion explaining their judgment, but the two-page order allows the Division of Elections to go ahead with preparing the November 4 ballot.
Native Voting Rights Case Kicks Off
A federal trial is underway to determine whether the State of Alaska does enough to serve voters who speak Native languages.
Toyukuk v. Treadwell was brought by two Alaska Native voters, along with two tribal councils. Natalie Landreth, an attorney with the Native American Rights Fund, is arguing the case. She says there's a "huge amount" of voting information available to people who speak English, Spanish, and Tagalog, compared to the amount of materials for speakers of Yup'ik and Gwich'in. Landreth says the disparity amounts to discrimination.
"It's not an impossible task. You hear that it's more complicated than the defendants would like it to be, but it's not impossible. It's very practical," says Landreth. "They're choosing not to do it."
The state is defending against that charge, arguing that the Division of Elections does want Native voters to be enfranchised but there are unique obstacles to serving some populations in the state. Assistant Attorney General Libby Bakalar notes there are only 300 speakers of Gwich'in who are capable of doing translating work for the state, and until recently the state had to clear many of its policies with the Federal Department of Justice.
"These aren't some sort of excuses for not doing a good job," says Bakalar. "The Division does everything it can with the resources that it has."
The trial will last for eight days, with each side having four days to present witnesses before District Judge Sharon Gleason. The first witnesses were called by the plaintiffs, and they pointed out situations where voting materials had low readability scores. They also brought up examples of ballot measures being mistranslated, noting that in the case of a 2012 initiative that described managing coastal areas as "playing by the beach."
Gov. Parnell Signs Bill To Finance KABATA
Governor Sean Parnell on Friday signed a bill to finance a $900 million bridge across Knik Arm, from Anchorage to Point McKenzie. Bridge proponents originally wanted to fund the project entirely with federal earmarks. But then Congress banned earmarks, in part due to public outrage over this bridge and another in Ketchikan, both derided nationally as "bridges to nowhere." The new Knik bridge plan is contingent on low-interest loans from the federal government.
Low Unemployment Limits Anchorage's Business Growth
Anchorage's unemployment rate for May is 4.9 percent, one of the lowest rates in the state. Though that may seem like a good thing, it's actually a barrier for growth in the state's largest city. Businesses are having trouble finding reliable workers.
New retail stores are popping up all around Anchorage — Cabela's, Bass Pro, an outlet mall. And with them comes hundreds of entry level jobs, which could be a problem.
In "retail right now, we're hearing a lot of complaints about the lack of a qualified workforce," said Bill Popp, president and CEO of the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation. "Which is an interesting situation to be in because normally retail has some of the least difficulties finding someone who can be qualified to come in on an entry level position."
Popp says low unemployment rates make it hard for businesses to fill the estimated 1,500 – 2,500 jobs that are currently available in the city, and he expects the rate to drop even lower by the end of the summer. But he says the problem isn't just the lack of people seeking work, it's a lack of reliable workers to fill low wage jobs.
"The skill sets in the individual, like the understanding of the need to show up to work on time, properly groomed and dressed. Understanding fully that they need to be able to pass a drug test, which is a very serious issue for pretty much every employer."
Wanetta Ayers with the state's Department of Labor and Workforce Development calls these work maturity skills, and she says they can be taught to both youth and adults. "Just honestly developing an awareness of it is a start."
Ayers says the state funds programs aimed at students, at-risk youth, and adults to help them develop the basic communication and work skills necessary to hold down a job. She says they also focus on teaching life skills to help them overcome barriers to working. "For example they may need childcare, they may need transportation, just to figure out how to structure the kind of support network to be able to show up on time and regularly."
Ayers says some people, especially youth, aren't employed because they don't really understand their options. She says workers can go to one of the state's 21 jobs centers and receive guidance.
"One of the things they help people identify is what is the right occupation for me. What are the labor market conditions? What kind of growth is there? So that they are really making an informed choice about the occupation they are choosing to go into," she explains.
The state is currently spending $21 million on programs aimed at preparing and training the workforce and teaching people higher end skills as well.
AEDC's survey research shows there's also a lack of skilled workers in fields like IT and health care. Anchorage is the 23rd most expensive city in US for living, and there's a housing shortage, so it's hard to attract people with specialized training.


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Antique Snowmobile Rendezvous set Jan. 18-20 in Pequot Lakes
The 19th annual Antique Snowmobile Rendezvous will feature a trail ride, show, races and swap meet Friday-Sunday, Jan. 18-20, in Pequot Lakes.
The annual event is hosted by the Pequot Brush Pilots Snowmobile Club.
Activities will begin at 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 18, with a trail ride for all old and new sleds on the Paul Bunyan Trail from the welcome center parking lot to the Timberjack Smokehouse. Participants will return to Pequot Lakes for a campfire cookout.
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The Comfort Dreams Coolmax is a high quality mattress that compares well to tempur-pedic but at a considerable savings. My husband has permanent spinal cord injury that very little helps relieve his discomfort. After sleeping on the Coolmax, it has had a great impact on reducing his daily pain level. The mattress really is like sleeping on a cloud. The reason we chose the Coolmax instead of the other similar model was living in Texas with the heat and humidity, the Coolmax stays cool during the most humid of nights.
Disclaimer: I am not some freaky "tried every mattress in the world" guy, nor am I accustomed to fancy mattresses. So maybe this mattress is not for every one, like the sensitive princess who can feel a pea under her bed. But, for me and my partner, it is the dreamiest thing to ever happen to us. It came crazy quick (I ordered Tuesday afternoon, it was here Friday morning). We switched the most horrible old lopsided mattress in the world, sleeping was a chore. This bed revolutionized our lives, and with the coupons easily findable with a google search, and some other Overstock discount, the bed was $320 shipped. Deal of a lifetime. The smell was present, like people say, but we actually liked it. It smelled like a mix of house paint and sugar. We did not air the mattress out, we slept on it the first night (slightly stiffer than it is now, three weeks later, but fine), and the smell took about 10 days to dissipate. Oh yeah, I spilled an entire cup of milky coffee on the bed, and a little water and oxy clean got the entire the stain out, like it is gone. And that weird material the bedcover is made of dries in about 20 minutes, after being soaked, freaky and cool. If you're poor, cheap, or unsure, this is the bed to get; Maybe even if you're rich, but I wouldn't know, I thought you guys slept on bags full of money and third world children's eyelashes. I researched beds and discounts for weeks, use my labor, don't redo it. Just get this bed, you'll love it. If you don't, you can come over and punch me in the mouth.
This mattress is FIRM. If you do not like FIRM, do not buy this bed. The best way to describe this bed is how I answer my friends when they ask "how do you like your new bed?": A: I don't like it, but I have never slept better. This mattress is too firm for me. I find myself trying to get comfortable, but once I surrender to the bed and just lay still for a second, I am gone! If you like pillows with your spring mattress, forget about using them on this bed. I gave myself the worst neck pains using multiple pillows. I also find that I am becoming a back sleeper more than a side sleeper with this bed. It is a huge learning curve from a soft mattress to this bed, but I would recommend it. P.S. Mine didn't have the "smell" others talk about.
This product arrived quickly, in a surprisingly small package. After unpacking, it "fluffed up" quickly, and the odor evaporated during the recommended 24-48 hour waiting period. Since this was my first memory foam matress, I was concerned that it would be too hot, but the cool max allows the matress to warm up without being too warm. It is extremely comfortable, and my sheet sets fit perfectly. The only problem with this matress is that I slept through my alarm for the first few days!!
We're very happy with this mattress. We kept looking at Tempurpedic but just couldn't see why we needed a $$$$ mattress - finally we bought this instead. It is very comfortable and feels like the Tempurpedics I have slept on. It had no odor however we did let it air out 24 hours before use. Even if it doesn't last a lifetime, at this price, we can replace it in several years & still come out way ahead.
Wonderfully comfortable. Excellent value for the money.
This sounded perfect for me because I sleep so hot at night. Unfortunately the only mattress left at the time I placed my order was a firm mattress. I thought I could adjust...but NO WAY! After only one night of very little sleep we put our old mattress topper on it to soften the extra firm feeling. Now I'm over heated again and I don't get the benefit of this cool mattress. I am looking for another topper to put on top of this mattress that will offer me the cooling effects this mattress was designed to provide.
Yes, Tempurpedic beds are expensive. I thought they were overpriced. After getting this Comfort Dreams Coolmax bed for $400 dollars, I wish I spent the extra money. The memory foam in this bed is bad quality. It's like a kitchen sponge. Yes it might have a higher density rating, but that is misleading. If you push on this mattress, you won't have have hand impressions that slowly rise back to the original shape. You will have a general circle shape go down, then pop up instantly. And to top it all off... it's the hardest best I've ever slept on. AVOID! Don't get stuck with this. ABSOLUTELY NO RETURNS IF OPENED!
I bought this matress relying solely on customer reviews so I wanted to sleep on it for awhile before I posted mine. My reasons for buying this matress was because I needed it to be firm to give me the support I needed for my bad back, to have the cool gel so that it would stay cool and to have at least a 4 lb. density so that it would hold up. But before I give my review, I would like to thank Overstock for their very fast shipping. I ordered it on Sunday, it was shipped Monday and I received it on Wednesday, two days and the shipping was free. Awesome!! And now for the matress. It came by UPS rolled up like carpet, we put it on the bed and unwrapped the plastic, easy. There was a slight smell that took about two days to dissipate. The matress is very firm without being hard and gives the support I needed for my back. I slept very comfortably on it from the first night, it hasn't slept hot but the hottest part of summer isn't here yet so I will update in the fall. This matress seems to be of very good quality and with the 4 lb. density, I think it will hold up well. So for me, this has been a great buy. It is very hard to find a matress of this quality at this price so I'm very thankful I took the plunge!
After spending years sleeping on an old mattress, and waking up with hip and joint pain, we finally took the plunge and purchased this memory foam mattress! We wanted something that would act like a quality spring mattress with a foam pad, but didn't want to buy spring again due to cost, longevity, and sleep disturbance. We needed something that was on the firmer side, to prevent "sinking", as well as allow my wife to sleep on her stomach, and me to easily sleep in my side...or preferred sleep position. We needed something with a 4lb density to help support the 300lbs+ it would have to hold each night (my wife is light, but i'm 6' 1" 190lbs, and we have a 60lbs dog that sleeps with us as well). Having a thicker memory foam piece, was key (this was something that a lot of inferior mattresses hide in the specs. Our base foam on this mattress is 7", giving us 3" of memory foam, which by comparison is some of the most I've seen in this general price range. We've had the mattress for about a month now, and couldn't be happier. It took some time getting used to, but it's starting to soften up a bit, which is perfect, as it's a little firm coming from the warehouse. We had to air it out for a few days to get rid of the chemical smell, and it's mostly gone now. Fair warning, the mattress is very heavy, and does not have side straps. If I was to guess, it's in the 70-90lbs range. I am overall very please with our purchase, and hope that the initial quality we've felt, will last far beyond the 5 year warranty this product carries.
Mattress Sets are non-returnable upon signature at delivery. Mattresses are non-returnable if opened or taken out of their plastic wrapping.
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Visit Sipapu during the below Thursdays during the 2013-2014 ski season for Local Appreciation Days! Adult and teen (ages 13-20) lift tickets are $25 - kids (ages 7-12) and seniors (ages 60-69) pay just $15! No ID required. To get this special, mention the LOCALS APPRECIATION DAYS DEAL when you are picking up your lift ticket.2013-2014 Local Appreciation Days DatesJanuary 9, 2014January 16, 2014January 23, 2014January 30, 2014February 6, 2014February 20, 2014February 27, 2014March 6, 2014For more information, call 800-587-2240.Terms and RestrictionsLocal Appreciation Day discounts are available to everyone - no ID required.Don't forget: guests ages 6 and younger, 4th and 5th graders (report card required), 40-year-olds, 60-year-olds and seniors 70 and better receive a free lift ticket everyday at Sipapu - no blackout dates! This deal may not be combined with other specials, including our ski school packages (and our First 3 Lessons FREE offer).
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A JavaScript library is a library of pre-written JavaScript which allows for easier development of JavaScript-based applications, especially for AJAX and other web-centric technologies. The primary use of JavaScript is to write functions that are embedded in or included from HTML pages and interact with the Document Object Model (DOM) of the page. Despite the performance limitations inherent to its dynamic nature, the increasing speed of JavaScript engines has made the language a surprisingly feasible compilation target.
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GDP growth: 4.0%
GDP per head: $2,960 (PPP: $5,400)
Inflation: 2.2%
Budget balance (% GDP): -6.7
Population: 33.4m
Mass protests inspired by the Arab spring have not harmed King Mohammed VI, who is popular, but they have elicited constitutional changes and a wave of investment in housing and infrastructure. The government will prioritise social welfare, education and health. Economic growth will remain below the official 5.5% target.


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Easy nutrition access, light and supportive fit ... you'll be swiftly moving past your competitors in the Eat My Dust Sport Tank. It has unique gel shoulder pockets and ventilation panels. Moderate contour in the internal bra adds an additional element of modesty and comfort for your distance running adventures.
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2013 Halloween Costume Ideas for Kids
9 of 11
Duck Dynasty Guy
Duck Dynasty, the hugely popular reality TV series on A&E, will inspire many folks to sport long beards and camouflage like the duck-hunting millionaires Phil and Si Robertson this Halloween. (Leave toy guns at home to keep this costume family-friendly.)
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And then of course, when something bad happens, it's all part of god's plan. I'm "special" sometimes, other times I'm part of the plan.
And then of course, when something bad happens, it's all part of god's plan. I'm "special" sometimes, other times I'm part of the plan.
While I wish we consult Christopher Hitchens on this, there is suggested reading for skeptics and atheists alike:
The God Delusion
By Richard Dawkins
(available in paperback)
^ Well Matt, I'll try my best to respond to that. First with a scenario.
Lets you have a homeless man out and about on the street. Now a rich man comes along and says, "I wish to make your life better, come with me." The homeless man decides to do just that, and the rich man does exactly what he says he does. Within a year, the homeless man has a good job, a roof over his head, and food on his table. Making him middle class
Now here's the thing, the homeless man wasn't the only one out on the street that day, there where others, lots of others. This prompts the formally poor man to ask "why? why me and not all those others on the street?" He asks the rich man this question, but the rich man just smiles and doesn't answer the question. Eventually the rich man dies suddenly in his sleep, having never answered the poor man's question. More still, he leaves a good sizable chunk of his estate to the once homeless man, making him a rich man.
Now he has several choices, he may just keep asking "why?" over and over again, never getting an answer, wallow in misery because he feels he was not deserving of the rich man's generosity. Or he may be instead feel grateful that he was given all this, this might prompt him to go and and do for another or even others, what the rich man did for him.
And perhaps the later, is the reason the rich man did what he did in the first place.
Christian doctrine would tell you the words of Sam Harris about the suffering of others is all the more reason to be thankful to the lord for providing you all they have. Also because there are others suffering you should go forth and attempt to make their lives better the same way that the lord did with you. And you may notice that quite a few charities out are tied in someway to some religious affiliation, be it direct involvement, or support in the way of money, materials, and volunteers through local churches and religious organizations.
Now you may ask "why does god allow suffering in the first place?" That's a very good question, it's been debated by both believers and non believers, alike. The best answer that the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim community is "free will." That god allows humans to make their own choices in life, be they to the benefit or the suffering of others. If God where to come down and correct every injustice or act of cruelty in the world, then you would no longer have free will. You would have something similar to say the Justice League episode, "A better world." Which I believe was inspired by the comic series The Authority.
Let's take this board, if Denny where to come down and drop the ban hammer on anyone who said something snide, mean, hurtful, or anytime anyone has a dispute, or even a difference of opinion, in order to keep such a dispute from happening, ask yourself, is that the kind of board you wish to visit?
That's the best answer I can give to the question, I'm sorry if it's not enough. But I would point out that no religion or philosophy is ever going to come with a 100% satisfactory answer as to the question "Why?" when it comes to suffering. But they can come up with an answer to, "what should we do about it?" and do the best to come up with a solution with what they have available. Even if said solution, isn't a far reaching or perfect one.
The God Delusion was mediocre, I thought. Dawkin's best works remain The Selfish Gene and Ancestor's Tale.
I tend to like Sam Harris' writing the best. In fact, as I type, I'm reading his latest essay on Lying (http://www.samharris.org/site/full_text/lying). A similar work on Free Will is coming out a week from now. I tend to shy away from the subject of free will, since it seemed to be ruled by semantics and populated exclusively by strawmen... but since it's Sam, I might give it a shot.
Dropping more science than a Kansas school board!
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"God gave that kid's mom cancer, made the family poor, put him in line in front of me, made him 7 cents short for a pair of shoes, just so I wouldn't have a shitty attitude on Christmas. PRAISE THE LORD."
Do you guys have any recommendations for Podcasts/Blogs?
I listen to Point Of Inquiry and Reasonable Doubts, as well as ready Why Evolution Is True and Pharyngula.
Dropping more science than a Kansas school board!
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longer than I expected after reading the reviews, which is good... not as thick as I would like, but they'll do.
4 Prs. of New Czech Military Surplus Wool Socks, Olive Drab Speckled
Item # WX2-206287
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4 Prs . of new Czech Military Surplus Wool Socks
Frozen feet begone! Slip into something more comfortable when temps plunge.
- Warm wool-blend material fights chills
- Low calf style fit men's sizes 8-12. Imported. Army Surplus.
Condition: brand new, Army Surplus, never issued. Order yours on the double ONLINE!
!!! Limited Quantities !!!
Olive Drab Speckled
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warm socks that will keep my feet warm this winter
A great deal for some very warm socks.
A-1 product #5
Love the socks,warm, good quality,and comfortible. Only you can not leave them hot dryer to long, they will shrink since they are wool. This is not a problem for me, they air dry fast enough. I am happy to have found this product, thank you !!!
Excellent product and price.I love Czech military stuff.
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