This week, we’re visiting the Prince William Sound Community of Chenega.  Sandra Angaiak is a tribal administrator assistant in Chenega.

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Dr. Joanie Hope talks with Galena Fechik during a clinic appointment on Tuesday, January 22, 2013. Fechik, 30, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer just days before. Anchorage’s Joanie Hope is the lead singer of N.E.D., a rock band made up of six gynecologic oncology surgeons from across the country. Hope is the only gynecologic oncologist based in Alaska. Photo by Marc Lester / Anchorage Daily News

Dr. Joanie Hope prepares to enter an operating room at Providence Alaska Medical Center on January 18, 2013. Photo by Marc Lester / Anchorage Daily News .

If you’re in the habit of running East Anchorage trails in the winter in the dark, then you might have run by a compact, dark-haired doctor named Joanie Hope, jogging slowly with her headphones on, singing. She is the state’s only gynecologic oncologist. But she’s also in a rock band, that tours nationally to raise awareness for gynecological cancers. Their first Alaska concert is tomorrow. Anchorage Daily News columnist Julia O’Malley has the story.

This story is a collaboration between the Anchorage Daily News and APRN.

Read Julia O’Malley’s print story and hear Marc Lester’s audio postcard:

Anchorage Daily News: Doctor brings noise to a silent killer of women by Julia O’Malley (26 January 2013)

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Although some legislators remain interested in authorizing a state coastal zone management program, a year and a half after the former program expired amidst disagreement between the House and Senate and five months after voters overwhelmingly rejected an initiative to establish a new program, Speaker Mike Chenault, R-Nikiski, suggested Friday that he feels voters have already weighed in.

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Lifelong Sitkan Monica Eastham was this week’s guest on the “Deserted Island” segment of Earbones with Ken and Rachel Friday night at 8pm. She selected these ten songs plus delicious bread pudding with bourbon sauce to bring to her dessert-ed island!

Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass – The Lonely Bull
Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show – Queen Of The Silver Dollar
Free – All Right Now
Queen – Save Me
John Mellencamp – Hot Night In A Cold Town
The Cars – Dangerous Type
Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes – Having A Party
Van Morrison – Brown Eyed Girl
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel – Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)
Wings – Mull Of Kintyre

Bread Pudding

2 cups milk

¼ cup butter or margarine

½ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or nutmeg

¼ teaspoon salt

2 eggs, slightly beaten

6 cups dry bread cubes (8 slices)

½ cup raisins, optional

Bourbon Sauce

1 cup packed brown sugar

½ cup butter or margarine

2 tablespoons whipping cream

3 to 4 tablespoons bourbon (or 2 teaspoons brandy extract)

 1.     Heat oven to 350ºF. In 2-quart saucepan, heat milk and 1/4 cup butter over medium heat until butter is melted and milk is hot.

2.     In large bowl, mix granulated sugar, cinnamon, salt and eggs with wire whisk until well blended. Stir in bread cubes (and raisins) . Stir in milk mixture. Pour into ungreased 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish or 1 1/2-quart casserole. Place casserole in 13×9-inch pan; pour boiling water into pan until 1 inch deep.

3.     Bake uncovered 40 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from edge of baking dish comes out clean.

4.     In 1-quart heavy saucepan, heat all sauce ingredients to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Serve sauce over warm bread pudding. Store in refrigerator.

Makes 8 servings

Save some for breakfast too!

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Jazz singer Barbara Morrison has known highs and lows in her long career, the joy of making music with the all-time greats, and the devastating pain of diabetes. A professional musician who spends 150-200 nights a year on the road, Morrison helps her students at UCLA to balance their career dreams with the physical toll performance can take. Having lost the use of her legs, Morrison says she’s found a way to “sing from my core.” Morrison is a guest artist at this weekend’s Sitka Jazz Festival. With KCAW’s Holly Keen.

Lawyers on either side of a lawsuit against the City of Sitka made arguments in a case dealing with a measure that would require voter approval before the city sells or leases land at the site of a former pulp mill.

The group Sitkans for Responsible Government circulated a petition in 2008. Their initiative would have required a vote before the city disposed of property at what is now known as Sawmill Cove Industrial Park.

But the city wouldn’t certify the initiative, and so the petition’s backers, Mike Litman and Jeff Farvour, sued. The case made its way up to the Alaska Supreme Court, which ruled on certain issues in the case, deciding in favor of the petition backers. The Supreme Court sent the case back to the Superior Court for another look.

And so, Friday’s hearing.

Lawyer Michael Gatti, arguing for the city, said one of the main issues is that the initiative would allow voters to make an appropriation. That power is reserved for the Assembly. By giving voters the ability to essentially veto a project at Sawmill Cove Industrial Park, the initiative would let them divert money away from the park. That’s an appropriation, Gatti argued.

He cited a case in Kenai, where the court said voters cannot use the initiative process to control money.

Joe Geldhof, representing Farvour and Litman, disagreed that the initiative proposed by his clients would make any appropriations. He said Sitka’s codes already require voter approval for the sale or lease of property over a certain amount, and that all his clients wanted to do was remove the exemption for the industrial park.

The hearing comes a day after Superior Court Judge David George granted a motion by Geldholf to strike the city’s argument that his client’s petition was confusing and misleading. He said the Supreme Court explicitly said it wasn’t, and that the matter should not be part of the current arguments.

In court on Friday, George asked questions of both attorneys but did not issue a ruling on the entire case. He says he’ll take the matter under advisement and rule later. The hearing lasted about 90 minutes.

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Visiting seismologist says Queen Charlotte fault remains one of the most active. Assembly decides to interview 2 attorney candidates, but without administrator’s help. House Transportation Committee grills Kemp on Alaska-class ferry during confirmation hearing.

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The Petersburg Assembly will try again to move ahead with a borough-wide bed tax during a regular meeting which starts at noon on Monday. The four percent tax on hotel rooms and other accommodation has long been in place within the former city boundaries. The ordinance would extend it borough-wide. It includes a special provision for businesses that offer the room as part of a combined-package along with meals and fishing. Rather than charging the room tax on the whole bill, the bed tax would only have applied to 30 percent of the package price. However, the assembly voted down the ordinance last month in response to concern from a local lodge owner, who said the actual room was a much smaller part of the bill that guests pay. The new version of the ordinance would apply the room tax to just 15 percent of the package price instead. It’s up for a vote in first reading Monday.

The assembly will take a final vote on extending Petersburg’s six-percent sales tax borough-wide. The measure passed unanimously in the first two readings with no comments from the assembly or the public last month.

In other business, the Assembly will consider having the Alaska Department of Natural Resources temporarily retain planning and platting authority for most areas of the borough that are outside the former city limits. That’s at least until after the borough appoints a planning commission, which currently has no members. The decision would not apply to the City of Kupreanof, which retains its own, separate planning authority under borough charter.

Monday’s agenda also includes a resolution against genetically-modified salmon. The U-S Food and Drug Administration is poised to approve the application of a Massachusetts company which wants to produce the animals for human consumption. FDA’s preliminary finding is that the plan would not have a significant impact on the U.S. environment. The assembly’s proposed resolution challenges that finding with a variety of environmental, economic and human health concerns.

In other issues:

- The Assembly will approve a process for deciding whether to retain or disband various advisory boards and committees that were in place under city government.

- Assembly members will consider endorsing a Department of Fish and Game budget request for more salmon stream survey funding.

-They’ll review a plan to replace the Mountain View Manor van.

-The Assembly will also consider sending a letter of support for state funding to help Petersburg Mental Health Services buy and renovate a building to serve as its new facility.

-And they’ll discuss a Federal Highway Administration invitation for the Borough to participate in the planning process for a proposed road and ferry between Petersburg to Kake.

At the end of the meeting, the Assembly is scheduled to have a closed-door executive session about contract negotiations with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

For the first time, the regular assembly meeting will take place during the day instead of the evening. That’s part of an effort to make the meetings more accessible to borough residents who live further away. The assembly convenes at noon Monday. KFSK will broadcast it live.

Click here for part one of the Assembly packet
Click here for part two of the Assembly packet

There’s some competition for the two vacant seats on Petersburg’s Borough Assembly. At least three people have submitted letters of interest for an appointment.
Click here for mobile-friendly mp3 audio.

All three applicants reside or own property outside Petersburg’s previous boundaries.

In her letter of interest, Cindi Lagoudakis highlights her community service work with KFSK Radio, The Alaska Native Sisterhood, Sons of Norway and the Petersburg Arts Council….as well as previous experience serving on a local advisory boards and commissions in Alaska and Oregon. Lagoudakis says she’s hoping to serve on the Petersburg Assembly because she likes giving back to the community:

“I’m involved in other organizations around town and certainly have an interest in seeing Petersburg broaden and strengthen its economy. As the economy changes, I want to see us be successful as a community. And also to serve all public’s both folks in town, out of town, all economic stratum and backgrounds. I think that there are some upcoming issues with infrastructure maintenance, and energy and issues for seniors that are really going to take our attention.”

Lagoudakis recently retired from a 26 year career with the Forest Service. She and her husband Bill Tremblay live on Mitkof Highway, just beyond the former city limits.

Lagoudakis voted for borough formation but she’s sympathetic with the concerns raised by some opponents:

“I understand the issues of the folks who live far away and really don’t see themselves benefiting from city services in a city or a borough. That being said, I do feel like the majority of us are here because Petersburg was here and offered things like library and schools and other infrastructure that made our lives comfortable and provided an economy that helped us have jobs and also a social life where we could interact with other people as well as easy access to the great outdoors.”

According to Lagoudakis, the Assembly needs to continue the conversation with residents in newly-incorporated areas and consider ways to provide them with more access to services.

Another assembly hopeful, Jeigh Stanton-Gregor, is a mental health counselor and a commercial fishing deckhand in the summer. He and his wife Lea own True North Counseling and Consultation in Petersburg. They’ve been living in town for the past couple of years but Stanton-Gregor says their home is down the Wrangell Narrows near Keene Channel. They plan to move back there at the end of May.

Along with private practice, Stanton-Gregor has also been an aid in the local Elementary school. He sees service on the Assembly as another chance to be of use to the community:

“And I think I do have a good perspective living with a primary residence down near Keene Channel and also having a business in town. So I hope to be able to bridge some of the gap between people outside the city limits in the new borough and the community at large.”

Stanton-Gregor voted against borough formation, but he says that’s the democratic process. He doesn’t dwell on the past. Rather he wants to see everyone work together:

“I mean at this point, the borough ‘is’. It’s done. It is here. I think it is important to move forward as a team. I think some of the more outspoken people outside the city limits in the new borough, they just want to be heard, just like any of us. Whether it’s in town or outside of town, it’s important to have those concerns heard because a lot of them are really valid. A lot of those concerns involve overspending of taxpayer dollars and those are valid concerns to have as a community member.”

Looking ahead, Stanton-Gregor says economic development is of critical importance to Petersburg:

“And I know it’s not a new issue, but this has been a shrinking community and I think it is important to bring younger, professional people to this community so that it can have more diverse income streams.”

The vacant assembly seats also prompted a letter of interest from Jerry Laubhan, a retiree who served 20-years in the Air Force. Laubhan and his wife Dona live in downtown Petersburg, but they also own property on Kupreanof which they previously called home for about nine years.

Laubhan says he could devote as much time as needed to serve the people of the borough:

“I feel like I’ve got an awful lot of time and I’m abjectly honest and I think I could bring an awful lot to the table as far as representing constituents and not being influenced by monetary gain.”

Laubhan says he is fiscally conservative. When the Assembly spends money, he says it should look at the return:

“Always look at the return. If it doesn’t make us any money, then it should be on the back burner, pretty much. Things should pay their way. They should improve our quality of life and our infrastructure to where people would actually say that this is a great place to live and we’ve got everything we need.”

Laubhan notes in his letter that he had been in the no-borough camp. He didn’t see any economic advantage to it. He says that appointing him could be seen as the assembly’s desire to fairly represent all segments of the borough population.

He says he’d like to see unity in the borough overall. He thinks the municipality needs to be more inclusive of everyone and their interests within the newly-expanded boundaries.

“And kind of get rid of the stigma that Petersburg has of being one-sided or stand-offish. It takes people a long time, seemingly to me, to break into this society. I know people who have been here 40 years that say they’re still not accepted.”

The Borough Assembly plans to make the appointments to its two vacant seats during a regular meeting on February 19th. The Assembly will also make appointments to vacant seats on the Planning commission and the Hospital Board. Residents who would like to serve on the Assembly, planning commission or hospital board can submit letters until 10 am on Thursday, February 14th.

For more than 30 years, the Mountain View Food Program has helped provide affordable meals to senior citizens in Petersburg. With support from state and local funding, the program serves dinner three nights a week at Mountain View Manor elderly housing and also delivers to residents around the community. Now, the non-profit’s board is hoping to create a scrapbook to document the organization’s history. President Jeanie Norheim and Secretary Sally Dwyer are asking for help from anyone who might have old photos, stories or other memorabilia from the program over the years. They recently spoke with Matt Lichtenstein: Click here for mobile-friendly mp3

Under the proposed rule, employees at nonprofit religious organizations would get access to no-cost contraception, but their employer wouldn't pay for the coverage. The move is another attempt to provide contraceptive coverage without violating the beliefs of religious nonprofits.

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Dall’s Sheep Research in the Chugach Range: Lamb Capture from ADF&G on Vimeo.

Shooting net guns from helicopters and chasing newborn lambs down cliffs, Dr. Tom Lohuis and his team have been capturing and collaring dall sheep in the Chugach range since 2009. Their research shows a significant decrease in dall sheep pregnancy rates for 2012. From predation to disease to weather conditions, what could be causing the projected population drop? This week on Addressing Alaskans, hear Dr. Lohuis’ talk on “Dall Sheep on the Decline: Understanding Sheep Population Dynamics,” recorded at the Alaska Zoo Wildlife Wednesday Lecture Series.

• Vimeo: Dall’s Sheep Research in the Chugach Range: Lamb Capture
• Vimeo: Tom Lohuis using a net gun from a helicopter to capture Dall’s sheep for research
• ADF&G: Tom Lohuis dall sheep research presentation

BROADCAST ON KSKA: Thursday, February 7, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. (Alaska time)

REPEAT BROADCAST: Thursday, February 7, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. (Alaska time)

RECORDED: January 9, 2013 at the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage

SPEAKER: Tom Lohuis, research biologist, Alaska Department of Fish and Game

HOST: Alaska Zoo

EVENT: Wildlife Wednesday Lecture Series

Addressing Alaskans features local lectures and forums recorded at public events taking place in Southcentral, Alaska. A variety of local organizations host speakers addressing topics that matter to Alaskans. To let us know about an upcoming community event that you would like to hear on Addressing Alaskans, please Contact Us with details.

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