EAGLE RIVER — An influx of new retailers and a housing boom will be remaking the face of downtown Eagle River in 2013.

Most national chains venturing into Alaska open a store in Anchorage and then skip right over Eagle River en route to the Mat-Su. This year, Walgreens and AutoZone bucked that trend to open new locations on the Old Glenn Highway.

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KODIAK — The Alutiiq Museum is expanding its campaign to promote the Alutiiq language with a new book detailing how to write in Alutiiq.

“The Alutiiq Orthography: Kodiak Dialect” was written by museum language program manager April Laktonen Counceller and linguist Jeff Leer.

The book is a 100-page paperback that contains the rules for Alutiiq writing.

“This is based on a project the museum is supporting with Chugachmiut Inc.,” Haakanson said.

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FAIRBANKS — Though it was his dream to do so, archdeacon Hudson Stuck never got a chance to celebrate communion on top of Mount McKinley when he and two other men, Harry Karstens and Walter Harper, became the first men to stand on the south peak of North America’s tallest mountain back in 1913.

One theory is that the climbers weren’t able to find the small communion kit that Stuck had packed to the top of the mountain. The other is that Stuck was so out of breath in the high altitude that he physically couldn’t perform the ceremony.

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The two Democratic members of the Republican-led Senate majority expressed displeasure late in the week with key elements of Republican Gov. Sean Parnell’s proposal to reform Alaska’s oil production tax structure.

Democratic Sens. Dennis Egan of Juneau and Donny Olson of Golovin said they are concerned that the proposal, which is before the Senate as Senate Bill 21, is too favorable to the oil industry and ends pieces of the current tax regime, ACES, that they would prefer to preserve.

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The University of Alaska Southeast’s Egan Lecture Hall was a great place for Alaska history buffs to be Friday night.

Films from the Alaska State Library Historical Collections, the Alaska State Archives and the Alaska State Museum were displayed in the latest installment of the weekly UAS series “Sound and Motion,” entitled “Treasures from the State Film Library.”

The “film festival” was the fourth annual showing of historical films at UAS.

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Amanda Taylor arrived in Sitka  from Minnesota as an AmeriCorps volunteer about three years ago. She immediately felt a connection with the community the fit right in working at Braveheart…so she stayed! We’re lucky to have Amanda in the community and we all got to know her a little better when she agreed to share her wishlist if she was shipwrecked on a “dessert-ed” island and had only ten songs and one dessert to fill her days.

1. Achy Breaky Heart, Billy Ray Cyrus
2. The Way You Make Me Feel, Michael Jackson
3. The Girl, City and Colour
4. Lover, Lover, Jerrod Nieman
5. Ignition Remix, R. Kelly
6. Fantasy, Mariah Carey (Feat. O.D.B.)
7. Ecstasy, ATB
8. XXX’s and OOO’s (An American Girl), Trisha Yearwood
9. Do You Love Me, The Contours
10. New Shoes, Paolo Nutini

You can download the recipe for chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting and cream filling here:
Grandma Taylor Cupcakes

A group of Petersburg residents gathered at the Salvation Army Church Friday Night for a candlelight vigil in memory of Kake teenager Mackenzie Howard and in support of her family. It was one of many such events around Alaska. You can listen to the Petersburg vigil below:
You can download or listen to an mp3 version here (It is a large file)

Sitkans hold a candlelight vigil for Mackenzie Howard of Kake at 6 pm on Fri., Feb. 8, 2013 at the Salvation Army. Alaska State Troopers received a report that the 13-year-old’s body had been found shortly before midnight on Tues. State troopers are investigating the case as a homicide. Vigils are being held for Howard across Alaska this evening.

An old totem pole is seen in a storage lot in Klawock.

Sealaska Heritage Institute has scheduled a series of free formline design workshops in communities throughout Southeast Alaska.

The goal is to revitalize interest in formline design, a term that describes the complex designs, such as ovoids and split Us, that are the underlying components of Northwest Coast art, and to ensure that people are learning the designs correctly.

“There have been a number of master artists who have commented on a bit of decline in the integrity of formline design and so we’ve been directed by our Native Artist Committee to focus on helping to improve the quality of the formline,” said SHI Arts Director Rico Worl.

The Native Artist Committee is a panel of artists and art historians founded by Sealaska to guide the institute on its art programs.

Another goal of the workshops is to foster more Native artists who are able to teach formline.

“We have a lot of great artists in Southeast Alaska but not all of them have the technical skills for teaching, and it’s really important that we give these skills to the artists so that we can provide the training to our youth,” Worl said.

Sealaska also hopes that public school teachers will participate in the workshops, and then incorporate Native art into their classrooms.

The workshops will be offered in Craig, Hydaburg, Ketchikan, Juneau, Yakutat, Haines, Wrangell, Sitka, Hoonah and Angoon. They will be taught by Lance Twitchell, Gordon Greenwald, Ronnie Fairbanks and Nathan Jackson.

They are open to everybody, but Sealaska shareholders will be given a preference if space is limited.

In Craig, a workshop is set for March 2 and 3; in Hydaburg, it will be March 30 and 31. Both will be taught by Ronnie Fairbanks.

In Ketchikan, a workshop is scheduled for April 27 and 28, taught by Nathan Jackson.

For a complete schedule and more information, go to http://www.sealaskaheritage.org/programs/JineitArtAcademy.htm

To register, contact Shaadoo’tlaa at lorene.hanlon@sealaska.com, 907.586.9129.

Four Ketchikan women will be honored Saturday by Women In Safe Homes at the 5th annual WISH Women of Distinction dinner.

The yearly event celebrates the accomplishments of Ketchikan women who have made a significant difference in the lives of others. This year’s honorees are Charlotte Glover, Tris Nausid, Elizabeth Nelson and Alma Parker.

Special guests will include Alaska’s governor and first lady. Kevin Locke, flutist and hoop dancer of the Lakota and Anishinabe tribes, also will join the celebration.  The prime rib dinner will be catered by the Ketchikan High School Culinary Arts program and served by the Kayhi Lady Kings volleyball team.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the Ted Ferry Civic Center, with dinner at 6:30 p.m., and the awards ceremony at 7.  For more information, contact WISH.

Previous Women of Distinction honorees are Yvonne Watson, Karen Eakes, Kathy Fitzgerald, Sher Schwartz, Mimi Eddy, Linda Schrack, Janet Duncan, Bett Jakubek, Marna Cessnun, Clara Diaz, Peggy Hovik, Cecelia Johnson, Jeanne Sande, Gerry Knasiak, Mary Schulz, Fay Freeman, Romaine Thomas, Shellie Greaves and posthumous recognition for Esther Shea.

The City of Ketchikan’s sales tax structure will stay the same year round following Thursday’s Ketchikan City Council meeting. The Council rejected a proposal to create a seasonally adjusted sales tax that would have taken advantage of the busy summer tourist season.

Council Member Matt Olsen had suggested that the city abolish its 3.5 percent year-round sales tax, replacing it with a summer tax of 4 percent and a winter tax of 3 percent.

Finance Director Bob Newell told the Council that if such a proposal had been in place last year, the city would have collected nearly $500,000 more.

Mayor Lew Williams III said the idea drew some criticism during public comment.

“We had people coming to the podium last night, especially local businesses, that brought up some things (about) how is can hurt our economy, also,” he said. “Right now, our summer economy is our big economy for the whole year. A lot of them were worried that it would make us the highest sales tax in Southeast, and they’re concerned especially, not only the locals, but the people coming through on the boats, would think they can get a better deal somewhere else.”

The motion failed 2-5, with Olson and Council Member Marty West voting yes.

Also on Thursday, the Council delayed a vote on revising the deed conditions for the Ketchikan Indian Community Deer Mountain hatchery. Williams said there were rumors that KIC planned to discontinue the hatchery and turn the facility into a heritage center.

“But from what I’ve been hearing from people at KIC, it’s the old raptor center that they want to take down and then recreate a heritage center, not the hatchery,” he said. “I think there’s a lot of confusion out there on what they want to do, and they want to make a presentation at the next meeting on the 21st.”

The tribe needs clear title to the property in order to qualify for federal loans.

The next regular City Council meeting is Feb. 21.

In less than half an hour of deliberation, the Senate Finance Committee moved cruise ship wastewater legislation out of committee. Now in the Senate Rules Committee, the legislation is next headed for a full vote of the Senate — a final step before the governor signs it into law.

House Bill 80 could reach the Senate floor during the senate’s next scheduled meeting Monday at 11 a.m.

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The City of Ketchikan Public Works Department will close the corner of Front and Mill streets downtown to all traffic from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday for utility work.

A detour route will be provided and marked. Please watch for signs and workers in the area.

Listen to iFriendly audio.
Sitka Conservation Society community organizer Ray Friedlander, concerned citizen Paul Rioux, and Blatchley Middle School student David Wilcox discuss their concerns with the FDA approval process for genetically-modified salmon. A rally is planned tomorrow (Sat Feb 9) at 1 PM in the Crescent Harbor shelter, and in other communities around the state.

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Troopers identify Kake victim as 13-year-old girl; now a homicide investigation. Vigils planned tonight in Kake and around state for MacKenzie Howard. School board warned: Vouchers coming. Varsity soccer wins funding, but no promises.

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Mayor Williams talked about the nixed plan for a change in the local sales tax, plans for the Ketchikan Indian Community salmon hatchery and more. citycouncilreport282013

Candlelight vigils in memory of 13-year-old Mackenzie Howard are planned across the region tonight (2/8) as the investigation continues into her death. The vigils begin at 6 p.m. in most places. In Kake, mourners will gather at the Old Grade School. The Salvation Army Church in Petersburg is also holding a vigil. In Juneau, they’ll gather at Sealaska Plaza. The Sitka event is planned at the Salvation Army, on Sawmill Creek Road near the roundabout.

Family members, meanwhile, remember Mackenzie as an energetic young girl, with a bright smile and a love for basketball. KCAW’s Ed Ronco reports.

For mobile-friendly audio, click here.

Basketball runs in Mackenzie Howard’s family. Her mother, Marla Howard, plays the game, and her father, Kip Howard, is a veteran of Southeast Alaska’s annual Gold Medal tournament. He says his daughter wanted to follow in those footsteps.

“She says, ‘Mom, you’re a baller, and my Dad’s a baller. So that must mean I’m going to be a super baller,’” Kip Howard said Thursday. “That was a joy to hear from her.”

At 13, Mackenzie was looking forward to the day she’d be able to play on the JV or varsity squads for Kake High School. And her dad says she took an interest in college basketball, too. Mackenzie’s inspiration was Brittney Griner, a 6′ 8″ senior who plays for Baylor.

“She enjoyed when she got to watch her play,” he said, “and then she would run downstairs and make a pose, and say ‘Brittney Griner!’ She was dreaming of going to Baylor University to be the next Brittney Griner.”

Mackenzie Howard’s father, Kip, says this is one of his favorite photos of his daughter, whose death Tuesday is being investigated as a homicide. It was taken this week, as the 13-year-old helped load flowers into a skiff for the memorial service of Clarence Jackson Sr., a respected Kake elder who died last week. (Photo provided by family)

“I was sitting on the bench, and she was playing defense, I think, and the kid ran her over, and then stepped on her and trampled on her,” Kip Howard said. “My first reaction was, I jumped off the bench, and I took two steps toward the court, and then I stopped. I looked back at my wife, and I told her, ‘These bleachers need seatbelts.’ And my baby got right up off the floor and continued playing as hard as she was.”

Those good memories are what Kip Howard says he and his family will hold onto as they wait for answers to their questions about what happened to her. The night she didn’t come home, Kip Howard grabbed a handheld floodlight and went searching.

“That was the most terrible feeling I’ve had,” he said. “And then I got the call.”

The Howard family is well-known in Kake, a city of about 600 people some 40 miles northwest of Petersburg. Kip Howard is the fire chief and captains the city’s search-and-rescue boat. He says because Kake is a close-knit community, the tragedy of Mackenzie’s death reverberates throughout the city.

“My mom is still alive down south, and I have several sisters,” he said. “But since I’ve been here in Kake, the folks here have been my mother, my grandmothers, my sisters, my brothers, my uncles, my nephews. This is my family.”

Mackenzie had several siblings – three brothers and five sisters. Many family members traveled back to Kake upon hearing the news. Condolences have also poured in from throughout the community, the Alaskan panhandle, and friends across the country.

“Too many to respond to,” Kip Howard said. “All I could think of was ‘Thank you. Thank you.’”

Petersburg Mental Health Services is planning for a new facility. This week, the Borough Assembly agreed to send a letter of support for non-profit counseling center’s legislative funding request.

PMHS was established in 1993 with two employees. One of them was Director Susan Ohmer who says there are now 12 full-time staff members and several part-timers. Last year, according to Ohmer, they served 220 clients, assisted client’s family members and responded to psychiatric emergencies for people who were not in regular counseling.

Ohmer says PMHS has outgrown its offices on the second floor of the Wells Fargo Building and the organization wants to find a suitable building to buy and renovate. She spoke with Matt Lichtenstein:
For mobile-friendly audio, click here.

Mackenzie Howard’s father, Kip, says this is one of his favorite photos of his daughter, whose death Feb. 5 is being investigated as a homicide. It was taken the week of Feb. 4, as the 13-year-old helped load flowers into a skiff for the memorial service of Clarence Jackson Sr., a respected Kake elder who died last week. (Photo provided by family)

Candlelight vigils are planned across the region Friday night in memory of Mackenzie Howard, a 13-year-old girl found dead Tuesday night in Kake.

The vigils begin at 6 p.m. in most places. In Kake, mourners will gather at the Old Grade School. In Juneau, they’ll gather at Sealaska Plaza. The Sitka event is planned at the Salvation Army, on Sawmill Creek Road near the roundabout.

Family members, meanwhile, remember Mackenzie as an energetic young girl with a bright smile and a love for basketball.

Listen to iFriendly audio.

Basketball runs in Mackenzie Howard’s family. Her mother, Marla Howard, plays the game, and her father, Kip Howard, is a veteran of Southeast Alaska’s annual Gold Medal tournament. He says his daughter wanted to follow in those footsteps.

“She says, ‘Mom, you’re a baller, and my Dad’s a baller. So that must mean I’m going to be a super baller,’” Kip Howard said Thursday. “That was a joy to hear from her.”

At 13, Mackenzie was looking forward to the day she’d be able to play on the JV or varsity squads for Kake High School. And her dad says she took an interest in college basketball, too. Mackenzie’s inspiration was Brittney Griner, a 6′ 8″ senior who plays for Baylor.

“She enjoyed when she got to watch her play,” he said, “and then she would run downstairs and make a pose, and say ‘Brittney Griner!’ She was dreaming of going to Baylor University to be the next Brittney Griner.”

On a road trip to Klawock, Mackenzie played on a team of all boys, against another team of all boys. He told her that it would make her better, and he says she bought into it. Not that it was always easy to watch her take that advice.

“I was sitting on the bench, and she was playing defense, I think, and the kid ran her over, and then stepped on her and trampled on her,” Kip Howard said. “My first reaction was, I jumped off the bench, and I took two steps toward the court, and then I stopped. I looked back at my wife, and I told her, ‘These bleachers need seatbelts.’ And my baby got right up off the floor and continued playing as hard as she was.”

Those good memories are what Kip Howard says he and his family will hold onto as they wait for answers to their questions about what happened to her. The night she didn’t come home, Kip Howard grabbed a handheld floodlight and went searching.

“That was the most terrible feeling I’ve had,” he said. “And then I got the call.”

The Howard family is well-known in Kake, a city of about 600 people some 40 miles northwest of Petersburg. Kip Howard is the fire chief and captains the city’s search-and-rescue boat. He says because Kake is a close-knit community, the tragedy of Mackenzie’s death reverberates throughout the city.

“My mom is still alive down south, and I have several sisters,” he said. “But since I’ve been here in Kake, the folks here have been my mother, my grandmothers, my sisters, my brothers, my uncles, my nephews. This is my family.”

Mackenzie had several siblings – three brothers and five sisters. Many family members traveled back to Kake upon hearing the news. Condolences have also poured in from throughout the community, the Alaskan panhandle, and friends across the country.

“Too many to respond to,” Kip Howard said. “All I could think of was ‘Thank you. Thank you.’”

Lance Mackey of Fairbanks leads his team out of the start chute of the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race on Feb. 2 in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. Twenty-six mushers are taking part in this year’s event, traveling from Whitehorse to Fairbanks. Mackey scratched in Dawson City. He said he quit for the well-being of his team.