Hometown, Alaska - Alaska Public Media

The Alaska Federation of Natives annual convention is only a few weeks away and there will be plenty of speakers, crafts and traditional music. But what about contemporary music? On this episode of Hometown, Alaska we have two very different in-studio performances from some up-and-coming Alaska Native musicians. Join host Dave Waldron as he speaks with hip-hop duo Brother Buffalo and singer-songwriter Witty Youngman about their music and how their heritage influences their art.HOST: Dave WaldronGUESTS:Garrett and Jake Swenson, Brother BuffaloWitty Youngman, singer-songwriterLINKS:Brother Buffalo InstagramBrother Buffalo SpotifyWitty Youngman InstagramWitty Youngman FacebookWitty Youngman Website ]]>

Temperatures are dropping quickly and hundreds of Anchorage residents are currently living unsheltered in camps and on the street across the city. What’s the plan to keep them safe this winter and beyond? Join host Anne Hillman as she speaks with three city leaders who are working on this problem.HOST: Anne HillmanGUESTS:Alexis Johnson, Anchorage Health Department, Housing and Homeless CoordinatorJessica Parks, Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness, Chief Operations OfficerFelix Rivera, Anchorage Assembly memberLINKS:Anchorage Health Department: Housing ServicesAnchorage Coalition to End Homelessness Anchorage Assembly Housing and Homelessness Committee]]>

The stigmas and statistics of mental health awareness are important issues for Alaskans, especially as it relates to suicide prevention. On this episode of Hometown, Alaska host Justin Williams leads a conversation about how to discuss mental health and suicide prevention with Blaze Bell of Standing Together Against Rape and Recover Alaska as well as Shana Cooper of the Alaska Native Justice Center. They share their professional insight and personal experiences to explain how to approach these issues and share what resources are out there. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or having thoughts of self-harm or suicide dial 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for free, confidential support. HOST: Justin WilliamsGUESTS:Shana Cooper, Alaska Native Justice CenterBlaze Bell, S.T.A.R., Recover AlaskaLINKS:American Foundation for Suicide PreventionSuicide prevention resources988 Suicide & Crisis LifelineAK Division of Behavioral Health treatment and recovery resources]]>

When most people think of Alaska sports, hockey, basketball and mushing are top of mind. But, as the Alaska Rugby Union celebrates its 50th anniversary, they are poised to make the sport of rugby an Alaska staple. On paper, the objective of rugby is simple—carry a ball across the scoring zone to secure more points than your opponent. It sounds easy enough. In reality, 300-feet and 15 burly athletes looking to knock you off your feet at every turn make scoring a point a Herculean task. But therein lies the joy of being a rugby player. On this episode of Hometown, Alaska host O'Hara Shipe discusses rugby with leaders of the Alaska Rugby Union to discuss the history and the future of the sport in The Last Frontier.HOST: O'Hara ShipeGUESTS:Dave Delozier, President of the Alaska Rugby UnionJami Almonte, women and youth coach, Vice President of the Alaska Rugby UnionLINKS:Alaska Rugby UnionAlaska Rugby Union Facebook]]>

45 years ago KSKA flipped a switch and became the very first public radio station in Southcentral Alaska. On the next Hometown, Alaska we revisit some of the station's best memories with KSKA’s original general manager and the station's longtime program director of nearly 40 years.HOST: Dave WaldronGUESTS:Alex Hills, KSKA’s original general managerBede Trantina, KSKA's program director for 39 years]]>

Kake, Alaska is currently populated by about 500 people but it’s the hometown of many more. This week on Hometown, Alaska we take a trip on a seal hunting vessel and into a kitchen as we explore the community through interviews about its past and present with the hosts of the podcast "A Piece of Kake."HOST: Anne HillmanGUESTS:Mona Evan and Sarah Campen, hosts of "A Piece of Kake" podcastLINK: "A Piece of Kake" website]]>

Zeynep Kilic was born and raised in Turkey. A former professor of the now-defunct sociology program at the University of Alaska Anchorage, Kilic is now an accomplished film director, as well as the new owner of the recently rebranded and reopened Turkish Delight, a restaurant specializing in authentic Turkish cuisine. On this episode of Hometown, Alaska we will hear about her history and relationship surrounding the food she makes and loves, and what approaches she takes for her favorite dishes. HOST: Justin WilliamsGUEST: Zeynep Kilic, Owner of Turkish DelightLINKS:Turkish Delight websiteFacebookInstagram]]>

Paula Poundstone is a stand-up comic known for her witty observations on NPR’s Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me and her really large family of pets. The author, podcaster and expert dog-waste-remover will be performing in Anchorage in late June. She joins host Anne Hillman to discuss her comedy, her home life, and more.Event information:Saturday, June 247:30 p.m.Discovery TheaterHOST: Anne HillmanGUEST: Paula PoundstoneLINKS:Paula Poundstone websiteTicketsALSO FEATURED: State of Art: Celebrate summer with the Sundown Solstice festival]]>

If you happened to be driving down Tudor Road in Anchorage last weekend you may have noticed a throng of people dressed in armor, medieval gowns and maybe even a dragon suit. That’s because we are in the midst of the Three Barons Renaissance Fair which runs through this weekend. On this episode of Hometown, Alaska host Dave Waldron speaks with a long-time board member about the fair and moderates a debate between the three Barons as they vie for the public's support to rule the realm of Hillshire.HOST: Dave WaldronGUESTS:Mel Kalkowski, long-time board member of the 3 Barons Fair and the Magistrate of HillshireBlue BaronRed BaronGreen BaronLINKS:3 Barons Fair WebsiteTicket information]]>

heartbreaking. As part of their Military Voices Initiative, StoryCorps partnered with us at Alaska Public Media to record veterans, active members of the armed forces or their families to document their stories. On this episode of Hometown Alaska, producer Ammon Swenson discusses the Military Voices project with the CEO of StoryCorps and learns about the women's veteran organization Operation Mary Louise.While the virtual opportunities have closed, StoryCorps will be at the Anchorage Public Library July 24 through the 28th for in-person recordings.Sign up HEREHOST: Ammon SwensonGUESTS:Sandy Clark, CEO of StoryCorpsVanessa Meade, Co-lead of Operation Mary LouiseLINKS:StoryCorpsMilitary Voices InitiativeAlaska Public Media Military Voices Operation Mary Louise]]>

Despite the May snowfall, it is definitely growing season in Anchorage. On this episode of Hometown Alaska host Dave Waldron and two master gardeners discuss the challenges and rewards of gardening in our northern climate, answer some listener questions and do a little gardening trivia. Later in the show we visit an apple orchard with the president of the Alaska Pioneer Fruit Growers Association to find out what goes into the growing process this time of year. HOST: Dave WaldronGUESTS:Emily Becker and Nick Riordan, master gardenersDr. Mark Wolbers, President, Alaska Pioneer Fruit Growers AssociationLINKS:Alaska Master Gardeners AnchorageAlaska Master Gardeners Anchorage FACEBOOKUniversity of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension ServiceAlaska Pioneer Fruit Growers AssociationALSO FEATURED: State of Art: Anchorage Community Theater’s ‘Wait Until Dark’]]>

Nearly 61 thousand households in Anchorage have pets. That works out to about 105 thousand dogs and 88 thousand cats. That’s a lot of animals — and a lot of animal waste. And pet ownership doesn’t just impact the people who live with the creatures. Caring for pets is both challenging and rewarding for veterinarians and their staff, too. This week on Hometown, Alaska, we’re talking to veterinarians about their mental health and pet care basics as well as taking a trip to the dog park to see how your actions affect everyone downstream.HOST: Anne HillmanGUESTS:Dr. Judy Montalbano and Dr. Tracy Ward, veterinarians, The Alaska State Veterinary Medical AssociationCherie Northon, Anchorage Waterways Council, Executive DirectorLINKS:The Alaska State Veterinary Medical AssociationASPCA Animal Poison Control (888) 426-4435Anchorage Waterways CouncilBROADCAST: Monday, May 8th, 2023. 10:00 am – 11:00 a.m. AKTREPEAT BROADCAST: Monday, May 8th, 2023. 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. AKT]]>

Alaska education has predominantly aimed its resources at younger generations to build them up early. Unfortunately, this can leave out older citizens who may be yearning to re-engage education and discover new skills, activities, and friendships. Since 2007, OLÉ! has existed in Anchorage as a non-profit organization aimed at providing older Alaskans aged 50 and up an opportunity to continue their education in creative and engaging ways. President board Gretchen Bersch and curriculum committee chair Bill Cole join host Justin Williams on Hometown, Alaska to discuss how OLÉ! began, obstacles they have had to creatively overcome and the mental and social importance of education in Alaska for its older citizens. HOST: Justin WilliamsGUESTS:Gretchen Bersch, Board President, OLÉ!Bill Cole, Curriculum Committee Chair, OLÉ!LINKS:OLÉ! websiteOLÉ! courses OLÉ! registrationBROADCAST: Monday, May 1st, 2023. 10:00 am – 11:00 a.m. AKTREPEAT BROADCAST: Monday, May 1st, 2023. 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. AKT]]>

HOST: Dave WaldronGUESTS: Laura Atwood, Executive Director, Bird Treatment and Learning CenterKatie Thorman, Rehabilitation Assistant, Bird Treatment and Learning CenterChandelle Cotter, Education and Behavior Curator, Bird Treatment and Learning CenterGirdie, Crow, Bird Treatment and Learning CenterLINKS:Bird Treatment and Learning CenterBird TLC FacebookBird TLC Instagram]]>

HOST: O'Hara ShipeGUESTS:Robin “Lamia Lexicon Monroe” O’Donoghue, Drag PerformerZaide “Dela Rosa” Manzano, Drag PerformerKendra Arciniega, Owner of Arciniega Street ProductionsMercedes Arciniega, Owner of Arciniega Street Productions]]>

There is a drink that some say is slowly but surely gaining popularity in America.That drink is sake. This week on Hometown Alaska we'll learn how to drink it, pair it, and even cook with it as part of sake week: a six day event taking place in Anchorage and Girdwood.

HOST: Justin WilliamsGUEST: Erin Baldwin Day, lead organizer of Mutual Aid Network of AnchorageLINKS:Mutual Aid Network of Anchorage websiteFacebookInstagram]]>

HOST: Anne HillmanGUESTS:Austin Quinn-Davidson and Meg Zaletel, Anchorage AssemblyLINKS:Information on the upcoming electionBallot trackingInformation on the Anchorage Assembly]]>

HOST: O'Hara ShipeGUESTS: JT West, 907 Pro Wrestling AcademyJared Cox, pro wrestlerLINKS:907 Pro Wrestling Academy WEBSITE907 Pro Wrestling Academy FACEBOOK]]>

HOST: Dave WaldronGUESTS: Melanie Cross and Christy Hedrick, Fur Rondy Melodrama co-producersLINKS: TICKETSFur Rondy Events: Melodrama ]]>

HOST: Anne HillmanGUESTS: Carl Jacobs, Anchorage School Board memberAndy Ratliff, Anchorage School District Chief Financial OfficerLINKS:Anchorage School DistrictAnchorage School BoardASD School Bond InformationContact Anchorage School Board]]>

HOST: Anne HillmanGUESTS:Rachel Bernhardt and Julie Raymond-Yakoubian, Alaska End of Life AllianceKris Green, Death CafeLINKS:Death Cafe, AnchorageAlaska End of Life Alliance:Death DoulasFuneral HomesAlaska Laws and RegulationsHospice and Palliative CareAdvanced DirectivesGrief and Bereavement SupportHome FuneralsOther Alaska End of Life Alliance resourcesFive WishesGUEST SUGGESTED READING:"Notes for the Everlost: A field guide to grief" by Kate Inglis"The Year of Magical Thinking" by Joan Didion]]>

GUEST HOST: Dave WaldronGUEST: Cody Carver, Program and Events Manager at the Anchorage Museum LINKS:Anchorage MuseumPass the Mic exhibit]]>

HOST: Anne HillmanGUESTS:Barbara and Ethan Jacko Atwater, mother/son writing partners, authors of multiple children’s books and moreSara Juday, co-president of the board, Alaska Center for the BookLINKS:Alaska Center for the BookRead Alaska Native reading challenge resourcesThe American Indian Library Association]]>

HOST: Anne HillmanGuests: Abdelqader "Abdoo" Ezzedine, New Habitat for Humanity homeownerJohn Frommer, Consruction Manager, Habitat for HumanityJasmine Boyle, Chief Operating Officer, Rural Alaska Community Action Program, Inc. (RurAL Cap)Colleen Dushkin, Association for Alaska Housing AuthoritiesLINKS:Habitat for Humanity, Anchorage RurAL CapAssociation for Alaska Housing Authorities]]>

HOST: Justin Williams GUESTS: Dr. Elizabeth Whitney, executive director, Alaska Museum of Science and NatureDr. Kristine Crossen, president, board of directors, Alaska Museum of Science and NatureLINK:Alaska Museum of Science and Nature ]]>

Host: Anne HillmanGUESTS:Gail Fenumiai, Division of ElectionsJeannette Lee, Sightline InstituteLinks:Division of Elections websiteMake a Plan to VoteLearn about ranked choice votingCandidate Comparison ToolAlaska Public Media elections coveragePARTICIPATE:Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)Send e-mail to [email protected] before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).LIVE: Monday, October 31, 2021 at 10 a.m.RE-AIR: Monday, October 31, 2021 at 8 p.m.PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.]]>

HOST: Justin WilliamsGUESTS:Tiffany Hall, executive director of Recover AlaskaDr. Vivian Gonzales, professor of psychology at the University of Alaska AnchorageLINKS:Recover AlaskaRethinking Drinking: Website created by National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Provides information on drinking to help people assess their drinking and tools to change drinking habits.Checkup and Choices: Offers check-ups (assessment with feedback) for alcohol, opioids, cannabis, and stimulant use. You can choose to begin an intervention based on the results to help you reduce use and consequences. Not free, but much lower cost than traditional treatment, self-guided, and has evidence to support it’s effectiveness in helping people reduce their substance use and consequences.Smart Recovery: Free mutual support groups that are an alternative to AA or NA. Provides general mutual support meetings as well as meetings specifically for vets and first responders, LGBTQ+, friends and family, and people under 30.]]>

This week Hometown Alaska hosts three writers telling significant parts of Alaska’s story.The idea for our show began with the hope of bringing Alaska’s current writer laureate, Heather Lende, to the mic, and picking her brain for what we should be reading this winter. We called, she agreed, but we have ended up with so much more.Since Heather took the state writer mantle for 2021-23, she has made her mission to bring forward other voices from Alaska. When I called to invite her to Hometown Alaska, all we talked about were other writers she wanted to share.We have two such voices with us today: journalist and writer Laureli Ivanoff of Unalakleet – whose essays and reflections have appeared in The New York Times, High Country News, Alaska Dispatch and elsewhere; and Leigh Newman of Connecticut, author of a memoir about growing up in Alaska, and her new book, a short story collection called “No One Gets Out Alive,” about women navigating male-dominated Alaska.HOST: Kathleen McCoyGUESTS:Heather Lende, Alaska's Writer LaureateLaureli Ivanoff, authorLeigh Newman, authorLINKS:Heather Lende author website“Heather Lende, whose memoirs chronicle life in Haines, is named Alaska State Writer Laureate,” ADN, May 13, 2021Laureli Ivanoff writing portfolio websiteLaureli Ivanoff, “The Bearded Seal my Son May Never Hunt,” NYTimes, 10.20.2018Leigh Newman, author website with details on her memoir, “Still Points North,” and her short story collection, “No One Gets Out Alive.”Leigh Newman talks about “Still Points North,” on The Rumpus Interview]]>

The Last Frontier is known for its appreciative beer subculture. The craft has been honored here and its processes mimicked in garages and storefronts alike. Alaska Beer Broads is an all-female, Alaska-based group consisting of beer enthusiasts from all over the state who connect and meet up at beer events to support local businesses and talk beer. D’Lany Nichols is their creator, and between podcasting, event coordination, taste tasting and leading the group, she always has her toes dipped into the local scene, expanding her expertise and celebrating the established culture.HOST: Justin WilliamsGUEST: D'Lany Nichols, Alaska Beer BroadsLINKS:Alaska Beer Broads:FACEBOOKINSTAGRAMPODCAST]]>

Business and the economy are ever-changing in Alaska. As life becomes more expensive and old models of creating revenue streams are met with apprehensive resolve, two local entrepreneurs set out to change the business landscape of the Last Frontier. Sourdough Dan Morris is the owner of Alaskan Footprints food tours. He offers historical insight, humor and delicious delicacies in his treks, setting a fun pace for both local Alaskans and tourists to experience downtown on foot.Atlas Katari is the founder of Anchorage Independent Worker Alliance. They are dedicated to connecting like-minded entrepreneurs in the city together to change the way we live as individuals, and build as a society. This week on Hometown Alaskan we will explore the purposes of their journeys, and the end result that will hopefully inspire a generation to step out of the shadows and into their dreams.HOST: Justin WilliamsGUESTS:Segment 1:"Sourdough" Dan Morris, Alaskan Footprints food toursSegment 2: Atlas Katari, Anchorage Independent Worker AllianceLINKS:Alaskan Footprints food toursAnchorage Independent Worker Alliance Facebook pageAIWA co-working eventsLISTEN:FIRST AIR: Monday, September 19, 2022 at 10 a.m.RE-AIR: Monday, September 19, 2022 at 8 p.m.PODCAST: Available after the program.]]>

With winter coming on, maybe you need a cozy, creative activity you can do with friends that adds up to something beautiful?Poster for this year’s Great Alaska Quilt Show, their first after a 2-year absence. Photo courtesy of ALCQ.Today’s Hometown Alaska introduces the Anchorage Log Cabin Quilters Guild. Their unjuried annual Great Alaska Quilt Show is Sept. 17-18. With something like 100 quilts on display, and another 50 small quilts up for auction, you can get a good idea of what this group does. The annual fundraising event is free to attend and has moved from the old Conoco Phillips building to a new location, First United Methodist Church at 725 W 9th Avenue. Parking is also free.Today’s program was prerecorded for scheduling reasons so we won’t be taking your calls. Join us to meet quilters and find out why this craft and art became their passion.GUESTS:Peggy Brewer, current president of the ALCQPat Sims, charter member of the ALCQ, started in 1979Lynne Seitz, Comfort Quilts program coordinator for ALCQSheila Toomey, publicity, ALCQLINKS:Contact email for Anchorage Log Cabin Quilters Guild:[email protected]“It ain’t your grandma’s quilting bee anymore,” Senior Voice, Aug. 1, 2022.Anchorage Log Cabin Quilters Guild blog, scroll topics at the top of the page.ALCQ Meetings and Fun Page, blog page for details on their many local service projects.ALCQ Facebook page10 Decades and Counting, images of ALCQ 2015 centennial project, Anchorage through the decades in quilted images.The history of quilting, Wikipedia.PARTICIPATE:Today’s podcast was prerecorded so we won’t be taking calls during the program.Send e-mail to [email protected] before, during or after the broadcast.Post your comment or question below.FIRST AIR: Monday, September 12, 2022 at 10 a.m.RE-AIR: Monday, September 12, 2022 at 8 p.m.PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.]]>

So, here’s one new thing: This fall, UAA, our hometown university campus, is offering its first marijuana information class, open to students and community members. How and why did the university decide now was the time to bring this topic to campus? We’ll meet the professor who successfully made the case. She’ll curate the course, using local subject experts to do the teaching. We’ll also meet a regulator, the new director for the Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office (AMCO). We’ll learn how much money the industry brings into the state, and what some of the regulatory challenges are. One factoid: this office regulates about 2000 alcohol licensees, and between 400-500 marijuana licensees. And we’ll visit a vertically integrated cannabis company, called the Secret Garden. There, a local Anchorage workforce of 40-plus grows and harvests plants, manufactures products like edibles and oil-filled cartridges, and staffs a busy retail store open seven days a week.

The night of Soviet killings of January 13, 1991 in Vilnius, Lithuania. An unarmed Lithuanian citizen stands against a Soviet tank. Wikimedia Commons image by photographer Andrius Petrulevicius, Lithuanian Central State.Svaja Worthington was only five years old in 1944 when her family walked away from their Lithuanian home in the face of Russian brutality. During World War II, Lithuania had been occupied first by the Soviet Union and then by Nazi Germany. Towards the end of the war in 1944, as the Germans were retreating, the Soviet Union reoccupied Lithuania. And, as with events in Ukraine today, there was active resistance.Some of Svaya’s relatives were taken to Soviet gulags. Her family left everything, walking behind a cart carrying their belongings, with a cow trailing behind. They spent years as refugees, finally coming to the United States — first New Jersey and then Illinois, where a relative resided. Svaya grew up there, graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and went on to graduate school in literature and teaching at the University of New Mexico. There, she met her future husband, a park ranger, who took her to Alaska.The Little Lithuanian Museum & Library in Chugiak. It is open to the public free of charge June through September.Today, Svaya curates a tiny museum celebrating Lithuanian history and culture located in the hills of Chugiak. It includes—among many historic and cultural artifacts—an old leather suitcase of family clothes from that cart in 1944. All is preserved in a tiny yellow house she bought and moved near her home in Chugiak. She opens her museum free to the public by appointment, June through September.Lithuania’s history is rich. As her website explains, at one point in time, “Lithuania was the largest principality in Europe known as the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, extending from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea and to within 100 miles of Moscow. Lithuanians were the last Pagans to be converted to Christianity in Europe, and to this day Lithuania is a fascinating blend of Paganism and Christianity.”Learn more on today’s program, when Svaya will relay her family’s story, her reasons for creating this museum, and much more about this Baltic state’s rich and independent history. Join us.HOST: Kathleen McCoyGUESTS:Svaya Worthington, curator of the Little Lithuanian Museum & Library in ChugiakMary Kancewick, attorney, poet, of Lithuanian descent, links indigenous rights with Lithuanian drive for sovereigntyLINKS:Little Lithuanian Museum & Library websitePARTICIPATE:Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)Send e-mail to [email protected] before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).LIVE: Monday, June 6, 2022 at 10 a.m.RE-AIR: Monday, June 6, 2022 at 8 p.m.PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.]]>

The Spenard area of Alaska is known for its eclecticism and diversity amongst its people, businesses, and artistic sensibilities. Long has it been the host of Tommy’s Burger Stop, Chilkoot Charlies, Center Bowl, and more currently The Drip, the city’s first black-owned coffee hut. It’s no wonder that this area specifically also openly celebrates American jazz culture, and has instituted an event to partake in its music. Established in 2008, the Spenard Jazz Fest will celebrate its 15th anniversary in Anchorage this year. Alaska-based musician Yngvil Vant Guttu has been pivotal in the scene for years and will be one of many artists gathering in Spenard to perform on the 4th of June. Here, she and fellow artist Corinthia Rabb help facilitate the discussion on the importance of Jazz on a national scale and a local one to support the culture and the Fest in the heart of Spenard.HOST: Justin WilliamsGUESTS: Yngvil Vant Guttu, Corinthia Rabb, and Karl WilhelmiPARTICIPATE:Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)Send e-mail to [email protected] before, during, or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).LIVE: Monday, May 23, 2022, at 10 a.m.RE-AIR: Monday, May 23, 2022, at 8 p.m.PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.]]>

Used with permission from Anchor Gardens, a free mentoring service for gardeners aimed at building tighter neighborhoods and folks who know how to grow food.Depending on where you live, the snow is finally mostly gone. The sun is back, the earth is warming, we’ve had a little rain. The seed starts on the dining room table are about to climb out of their tiny four-packs and walk to your back yard or patio. It’s time to garden.Anchorage is abundant with garden resources, from commercial nurseries, Cooperative Extension Service, municipal composting, nonprofits like the Alaska Botanical Garden, Yarducopia (share your yard with a gardener who doesn’t have one), municipal community gardens and more.On today’s Hometown Alaska, we’ll introduce you to a free garden mentoring service with high ambitions. It aims to build community by connecting new gardeners with “old” gardeners, right in the same neighborhood. Their goal is to have a coach or coaches in every community council district in Anchorage. So when you get home with your flat of veggie starts and flowers and don’t know where to begin, you know who to call. Or when you realize your soil needs enriching. Or when it’s time to put the garden to bed for the season.Anchor Gardens also has a deeper mission. Its founders take Alaska’s food insecurity issues very seriously. They aim to make sure Alaskans know how to grow their own food, and how to keep their garden soil healthy.We’ll meet a founder of Anchor Gardens, and several mentors. Your questions and comments are welcome throughout the program. Just dial us at 550-8433 to ask your garden questions. And check out our list of useful links on the page below.Here’s to your gardening success!HOST: Kathleen McCoyGUESTS:Cindee Karns, Anchor Gardens cofounder, permaculture practitionerStefanie Gorder, Anchor Garden coach, Sand Lake areaFred McLeary, retired service veteran, Anchor Garden coach, Russian Jack areaLINKS:Anchor Gardens on FacebookAnchor Gardens own websiteAnchor Gardens origin story web pageApplication to join Anchor Gardens web pageYarducopia, Anchorage-based support for organic, regenerative, neighborhood-based gardening, websitePARTICIPATE:Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)Send e-mail to [email protected] before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).LIVE: Monday, May 16, 2022 at 10 a.m.RE-AIR: Monday, May 16, 2022 at 8 p.m.PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.]]>

Photo via PexelsThe fight against youth homelessness oftentimes feels like an invisible war. We see adults commonly wandering the streets in makeshift families, on the path to survival and, ideally, long-term aid and access to shelter. Rarely, however, will we see teenagers on those same streets, as a lot of cases of homeless individuals under the age of eighteen go untracked and unreported. In Alaska, we hope that means they’ve found help in the form of Covenant House or other organizations. Oftentimes, however, it may simply mean they’re doing whatever it takes to survive.On this episode of Hometown, Alaska, Zoryna Lealai, a youth advocate for the Anchorage Youth Task Force, and Julia Terry, co-director of the organization Choosing Our Roots, will be joining the discussion on exposing and combating youth homelessness, while providing a very personal perspective on the issue. What organizations are out there shedding light on, and actively engaging in, the fighting against youth homelessness? HOST: Justin WilliamsGUESTS:Zoryna Lealai, Youth advocate, Anchorage Youth TaskforceJulia Terry, Co-director, Choosing Our RootsPARTICIPATE:Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)Send e-mail to [email protected] before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).LIVE: Monday, May 9, 2022 at 10 a.m.RE-AIR: Monday, May 9, 2022 at 8 p.m.PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.]]>

Graphic from World Health Organization in its public campaign against disinformation.Here’s a new word for you: infodemic. The World Health Organization coined the term and centered a recent global conference around coming to terms with a glut of mis- and dis-information that is harming public health.Click here for a full-size version of the poster. From the News Literacy Project.While this is a global issue, and links below will take you to the WHO’s many universal resources, a local group has been fighting inaccurate information on Facebook pages. Called the Alaska Public Health Information Response Team, it enlists UAA strategic communications students to spot the bad information, and local health professionals to intervene with posts on Facebook that introduce accurate information.The effort is more than two years old, and continues. On today’s Hometown Alaska, we’ll meet some of the participants. They’ll offer insight into the fight against mis- and dis-information, how it so easily spreads on social media, and how you can navigate those troubled waters yourself, like how do you handle disinformation within your own family and circle of friends?We’ll also hear from Steve Johnson, coach of the UAA debate team, on how disinformation is threatening democracy. He shares the best book he’s read on the topic, “The Constitution of Knowledge: A defense of truth” by Jonathan Rauch. This portion of the program was pre-recorded.So, join us with your questions and comments by dialing 550-8433 during the show, Monday April 25, 10 am-11 am.HOST: Kathleen McCoyGUESTS:Dr. Jennifer Meyer, assistant professor in the College of Health, UAADr. Joy Mapaye, professor in Journalism and Public Communications, UAADr. Tom Hennessy, epidemiologist, Affiliate Faculty, College of Health, UAAAlexandra Edwards, research professional and project manager, Center for Behavioral Health Research and Services, UAASteve Johnson, UAA debate coachLINKS:Links that explain the infodemicWorld Health Organization’s 2021 conference on infodemiology, website with resourcesUS Surgeon General’s Advisory on Building a Healthy Information Environment, report and 1-page summaryWHO video discussion with experts on the evolving issue of disinformation, 1-hour video discussionThe Debunking Handbook, created by academics around the globeVaccine Misinformation Management Guide, from Unicef, First Draft, Yale Institute for Global Health, and The Public Good ProjectsPractical tips when dealing with disinformationHow to speak up without starting a showdown, poster, from newslit.org7 tips on dealing with disinformation, WHOWhen Your Family Spreads Misinformation, The Atlantic MagazineWHO information on common myths around Covid, webpageCalling BS, a free online course from University of Washington on how to detect and deal with disinformation, course syllabusFirst Draft News, a nonprofit working with journalists and the public on managing disinformation, websiteShots Heard Round the World, nonprofit organization supporting community organizations experiencing public backlash when they present accurate information; includes a toolkitLocal, national coverage on responding to disinformationAlaska public health experts are taking the fight against COVID 19 misinformation to Facebook comment threads, ADN, 2.9/2021UAA students and faculty collaborate to curb the spread of COVID-19 misinformation, Green & Gold News, 4.19.21Covid Mythbuster! Dr. Todd Wolynn takes on anti-vaxxers with science, singing and a dose of silly, People MagazineAbout “The Constitution of Knowledge: a defense of truth” by Jonathan Rauch, The Brookings InstitutePARTICIPATE:Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)Send e-mail to [email protected] before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).LIVE: Monday, April 25, 2022 at 10 a.m.RE-AIR: Monday, April 25, 2022 at 8 p.m.PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.]]>

Image from FlickrThe month of April is many things to many people: Aries season, Easter eggs, spring cleaning. To a lot of people in Alaska, though, April is also Sobriety Awareness Month. Alaska’s history with alcoholism and recovery runs deep, and three local recovery heroes join host Justin Williams to share their encouraging experiences.HOST: Justin WilliamsGUESTS:Wes BrewingtonBlaze BellRalph SaraPARTICIPATE:Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)Send e-mail to [email protected] before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).LIVE: Monday, April 11, 2022 at 10 a.m.RE-AIR: Monday, April 11, 2022 at 8 p.m.PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.]]>

Community Health Workers with the Alaska Primary Care Association are deeply involved in the communities where they work. As such, they can be trusted guides to help under-served communities find better access to healthcare. With each client, CHWs educate and offer information and access to Covid vaccines. (Photo courtesy of Alaska Primary Care Association)Community Health Workers are relatively new to Alaska. They come from the communities they serve. They get specialized training in communication and health systems, and their mission is to help guide people toward the health care they need.Today that includes helping clients overcome COVID vaccine hesitancy. That resistance exists for many reasons: misinformation, mistrust and even indifference. Community Health Workers, or CHWs, talk through those issues.On today’s Hometown Alaska, we meet two local workers in Anchorage. We’ll learn how they use “motivational interviewing” to have those difficult conversations with their clients.This program is a part of Alaska Public Media’s Talk to Your Neighbor initiative, bringing trusted voices and good information to the community about the coronavirus.As always, your questions and comments are welcome. Please join our conversation by dialing 550-8433.HOST: Kathleen McCoyGUESTS:Chahrlie Crooms, Community Health Worker – Certified Peer Support SpecialistLinda Tulimasealii, Community Health Worker – Certified Peer Support SpecialistRJ Fontaine, Health Promotions Coordinator, Alaska Primary Care AssociationLINKS:Alaska Primary Care Association, websiteAnchorage Project Access websiteMotivational Interviewing explained, websiteHow the virus is contagious, site recommended by CHW Chahrlie Crooms, websiteCommon questions about the coronavirus, answered in plain English, another site receommended by CHW Chahrlie Crooms, websiteHow can I talk to my friends and family about getting vaccinated for Covid 19, recommended by RJ Fontaine, websiteHealth Misinformation Toolkit, recommended by RJ Fontaine, websiteFacebook, APCA Community Health Workers siteLinked In, APCA Community Health Workers sitePARTICIPATE:Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)Send e-mail to [email protected] before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).LIVE: Monday, March 28, 2022 at 10 a.m.RE-AIR: Monday, March 28, 2022 at 8 p.m.PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.]]>

The Fairview Community Recreation Center recently opened an indoor playground (Photo courtesy of Anchorage Parks and Recreation).The Fairview Community Recreational Center has been a community staple in the city for many years. The team behind the center bring a shining light into Fairview, and the recent inclusion of a new indoor playground is sure to leave an even brighter legacy for its residents. This episode discusses the impact, history, and legacy of the Center.HOST:Justin Williams GUESTS:Teri Desi: Recreation Superintendent, FCRCDorena Bingham: Recreation Supervisor, FCRCTaylor Keegan: Landscape Architect, Municipality of Anchorage PARTICIPATE:Send e-mail to [email protected] before, during or after the live broadcast.Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).Prerecorded Show will air: Monday, March 21, 2022 at 10 a.m.RE-AIR: Monday, March 21, 2022 at 8 p.m.PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.]]>

Book cover of “Black History in the Last Frontier” by University of Alaska Anchorage history professor Ian Hartman.It’s February and Black History month is in full effect in Alaska. But what if educators here emphasized Black achievements and observed our darker history all year around? How would that affect economic diversity in Alaska, and raise the standard for how we observe and celebrate black culture? Hear this discussion on Black history and education in Alaska.HOST:Justin WilliamsGUESTS:Taylor Mitchell, Alaska Coalition for BIPOC EducatorsKen Miller, Denali FSP Fundraising ConsultantsBrian Belcher, Born and raised in Anchorage Alaska. Brian is a peer support specialist for Alaska Behavioral Health and a tumbling instructor at Studio 49 school of dance. Brian got into the peer support field because of his own recovery. Brian has been a part of the cheer and dance world for many years now and has trained and performed with Studio 49 and Momentum Dance as well as Alaska Athletics.LINKS:NAACP and Alaska Public Media readings of “Black History in the Last Frontier”Talk of Alaska: ‘Black in Alaska’ aims to increase African American visibilityHometown Alaska: Three local pastors respond to Henry Louis Gates’ ‘The Black Church’Hometown Alaska: Juneteenth: What, why and beyond ]]>

Former high school seniors Kayden King, Shaun Peter, and Thomas Phelan in Bethel. (Katie Basile/KYUK)On this week’s Hometown Alaska, Anchorage teens describe how they have suffered, endured, and even grown through living under the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ll hear from teens at the Alaska Teen Media Institute, Covenant House and MHATS, which stands for Mental Health Advocacy Through Storytelling, a student-founded and student-run non-profit in Anchorage.ATMI students began creating a series called “Podcast in Place, Youth Stories from Quarantine” recorded in their own homes due to constraints under COVID. Topics include individual student reactions to school closings and uncertainty, to interviews with Alaska’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Anne Zink, and a multi-generational family interview (grandparents, their daughter and their grandchildren) about coping with vaccination information and commitment.Two Covenant House students talk about the emotional impact of isolation, and the loss of work due to restaurant closures during the pandemic.The MHATS teens describe their commitment to better mental health education for young people in school, and their own ups and downs moving through the pandemic.In all cases, these students were changed by the experience of living through COVID. They also represent an age group, according to the CDC, that has the lowest rate of vaccination and booster compliance.This program was prerecorded for scheduling reasons, so the hosts won’t be taking your calls during the program. However, we still want to hear from you. Please call our 24/7 recorded line (550-8480) and tell us about your own experience. Were you hesitant to get vaccinated or boosted? What helped you overcome that hesitation?This program is a part of Alaska Public Media’s “Talk to your Neighbor” project, offering trusted voices and accurate information to listeners on the Covid vaccination. APM has partnered with 20 community groups to help overcome vaccination hesitation.HOSTS: Kathleen McCoy and Daisy Carter of ATMIGUESTS:Caelan Voss, aka Peanut, Covenant HouseGrace Margeson, Covenant HouseAbby Laufer, MHATSIvy Marshall, MHATSTara Skidmore, MHATSDaisy Carter, ATMI and Alaska Public Media, co-host and guestLINKS:“Teens and Covid-19 vaccinations: it’s complicated.” American Association of Medical Colleges blogpost.CDC January 2020 vaccination, rates of infection per 100,000, CDC websiteMental Health Advocacy Through Storytelling, MHATS, websiteVaxteen, “young people taking responsibility for their own health to put an end to preventable diseases,” websitePodcasts in Place: Youth Stories from Quarantine,” ATMI website with podcastsAlaska Teen Media Institute, homepagePARTICIPATE:Today’s program was prerecorded so hosts cannot take live calls. However, we still want to hear from you. Dial 550-8480 and leave a recorded message, 24/7.Send e-mail to [email protected] before, during or after the live broadcast.Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).Prerecorded Show will air: Monday, February 21, 2022 at 10 a.m.RE-AIR: Monday, February 21, 2022 at 8 p.m.PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.]]>

Seawolf, logo for UAA athletics,courtesy of UAA.The UAA Women’s basketball program is elite. Conference champs, sweet 16 appearances, perennial national championship contender, and of course – mayhem! What makes them so successful? How much attention are they getting locally, and nationally? Should they be getting more attention given their success? And what does the future hold for UAA basketball? This episode answers these questions and more as we chat with Head Coach Ryan McCarthy and senior players Tennae Voliva and Lauren Johnson.HOST:E.J. DavidGUESTS:Coach Ryan McCarthy was born in Anchorage, and is the winningest active coach in NCAA Div. II, making him one of the brightest coaching talents in the entire NCAA. Coach McCarthy has taken the UAA Women’s program to unprecedented heights in 10 seasons, producing almost 250 wins and just 40 losses. He has won the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and NCAA West Region coach-of-the-year awards many times. McCarthy graduated from NNU in 2006 with a B.S. in social science education and is the proud father of two children, Donovan and Aurora. He and his wife Jenna, a former collegiate star at Florida Gulf Coast University, were married in 2019. Tennae Voliva is a senior and a captain of the UAA women’s basketball team. Tennae is a homegrown, local talent, playing for East High School where she scored more than 1,000 career points in four varsity seasons. She was named in the Second Team All-State team as junior and senior. Tennae was an honor roll student at East, and continues to be an excellent student at UAA where she obtaining her Masters degree in Clinical Psychology. Lauren Johnson is a senior guard for the UAA women’s basketball team. Lauren is from Minnesota, where she was a team captain for her high school team. After high school she played for North Dakota State College of Science, a nationally-ranked junior college squad. Lauren is a nursing major.LINKS:UAA Women’s BasketballNewsweek: “Alaska-Anchorage: The Best Women’s Hoops Team West of UConn and the Yukon“]]>

Andrea Noble, executive director of the Alaska State Council on the Arts, has one word for the Alaska artists and arts organizations now tackling Year Three of life under Covid: “Resilient. They just don’t quit.”On today’s Hometown Alaska, we’ll hear from five arts groups on how they have adapted and persisted. What lessons did they learn? How did they change their process? What worked, what didn’t work? Were there unexpected silver linings? Unexpected disasters? How has their attitude shifted from year one to year three? Oh, and what do they hear from their audiences?If you are an artist, actor, musician, painter…. how are you faring? What have you learned? And if you are from the audience, how has the loss of arts affected you? What do you miss the most?Please join our conversation on how the Arts persist in the time of Covid, and why we care.HOST: Kathleen McCoyGUESTS:Sherri Burkhart Reddick, Executive Director, Anchorage Symphony OrchestraJudy Berry, Marketing and Development Director, Anchorage OperaJason Hodges, Executive Director, Anchorage Concert AssociationEnzina Marrari, Program Officer, Rasmuson FoundationMatt Fernandez, Executive Director, Anchorage Community TheatreLINKS:Anchorage Symphony Orchestra websiteAnchorage Concert Association websiteAnchorage Opera websiteRasmuson Foundation Individual Artists Awards programAnchorage Community Theatre websiteAlaska State Council on the Arts, Adaptation and Innovation Grant ProgramKRBD radio report on Ketchikan’s Blueberry Arts Festival, KRBD website“Lost Art: Measuring Covid-19’s devastating impast on America’s creative economy,” Brookings Institute study, 8.11.2020“Analysis: Covid 19’s Impact on Arts and Culture,” Data and Assessment Working Group Weekly Report, www.arts.gov, 1.4.2021PARTICIPATE:Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)Send e-mail to [email protected] before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).LIVE: Monday, February 7, 2022 at 10 a.m.RE-AIR: Monday, February 7, 2022 at 8 p.m.PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.]]>

Anchorage-based entrepreneur LeeAnna Chronister is a mother and artist who has operated several small businesses and community projects (Image provided by LeeAnna Chronister)The gig economy isn’t exactly a new income stream for individuals, but the paradigm shift of the market due to COVID and other factors have launched gig work and entrepreneurship into an undeniable macrolevel behemoth. One artist and businesswoman shares her story of how she established her brand to The Last Frontier and how we can support self-employed creatives.HOST:Justin WilliamsGUEST:LeeAnna Chronister is an Anchorage-based homeschool mother, wife, photographer, author, and graphic designer. She has owned an operated several small businesses and community projects, including her current AlaskaLeeAnna art studio & design business.PARTICIPATE:Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)Send e-mail to [email protected] before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).LIVE: Monday, January 31, 2022 at 10 a.m.RE-AIR: Monday, January 31, 2022 at 8 p.m.PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.]]>

The opening image to a slideshow in Spanish aimed at providing accurate information to the Latin community on Covid and vaccinations. Find the full slideshow here.January 2022 marks the world’s third year working to overcome the Coronavirus pandemic. For many different and valid reasons, people hesitate to get vaccinated. Yet broad and successful vaccination rates are necessary to avoid giving the virus time to mutate and create another variant, as it has done with Omicron.Alaska Public Media has joined 20 community groups —including cultural, informational, and health organizations—working to ensure vaccine-hesitant Alaskans can find accurate information from community members they trust. APM will offer a series of programs called “Talk to your Neighbor” to highlight this community outreach, and to provide a channel for Alaskans to ask their own questions and tell their own stories.Today you will hear about a nonprofit network that provides donated medical care to the under-served. A network member will tell of a new cohort of community health workers going to neighborhoods and social service settings to help individuals find medical care, including good information on Covid and vaccinations.We’ll also hear from a medical doctor. He sometimes sits with vaccine-hesitant patients. He understands this is a difficult conversation, and offers some perspective on how to proceed — always with a great deal of respect. Finally, a social media expert will share insights on where faulty information comes from, how it spreads on social media, and ways the sometimes dire tone of information may be turning off some in the audience.“Talk to your Neighbor” programming will be archived on this webpage as it develops. Programs are planned on Hometown Alaska, Line One and Alaska Insight.Listeners are invited to share their thoughts and concerns during today’s program by dialing 907-550-8433. In addition, APM added a recorded phone line to take your questions, concerns and stories 24/7. That number is 907-550-8480. Your input may influence future programming.Please join us, and help us deliver the information you need.HOST: Kathleen McCoyGUESTS:Melinda Freemon, executive director, Anchorage Project Access, a community partnerMari Selle, chief of staff, Alaska Primary Care Association, instigated that agency’s community health worker cohortDr. Phillip Mendoza, physician, board member of Enlaces, a community partnerPedro Luis Graterol, social media specialist, Sol de Medianoche, a community partnerLINKS:Covidatos, a Spanish-language website with accurate information on Covid 19 and vaccinationsAnchorage Project Access, a nonprofit network linking the under-served to health careAnchorage Project Access Covid 19 site, dealing with some common misperceptions about the vaccinesAlaska Primary Care Association, APA member, a nonprofit working toward healthy communities through effective health care facilitiesAPCA’s Community Health Worker program, explainedSol de Medianoche, a bilingual community newspaperEnlaces, a nonprofit that “works to advance social justice and equity for Latinos and Hispanics in the North.”Mountain View Health Services, a nonprofit community health clinic in Mountain View‘Talk to your Neighbor,’ Alaska Public Media programming related to this community outreach addressing vaccine hesitancyMis- and Disinformation resources, part of the “Talk to your Neighbor’ programmingFinding credible information on Covid 19 vaccines, CDC guidance on evaluating informationPARTICIPATE:Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)Send e-mail to [email protected] before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).LIVE: Monday, January 24, 2022 at 10 a.m.RE-AIR: Monday, January 24, 2022 at 8 p.m.PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.]]>

In this 2007 photo, a sailor shares his Thanksgiving meal with his baby son at a special event aboard the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan in San Diego. Storekeeper 1st Class Andy Zhang serves his son alongside 500 of his fellow crew members and their families during the special holiday event. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Camarynn Miller.Arguments over mandates, pandemic death, disruptive politics, climate change disasters. We’ve seen them all this year; we’re worn out. The battles and struggles will continue, but this week’s Hometown Alaska seeks to console. Our topic today is celebrating our good habit of gathering together for food and camaraderie, whether that is Christmas, birthdays or Sunday supper. Our guests are convinced that cooking and serving food to others is an act of love, and that this good habit might help us over hurdles we face.Last summer, PBS offered a 3-part series on food called Food is Love. The chef behind the series, Lasse Sorrensen, said this about the title:“When you put food on the table and break bread, you become a peacemaker. I’ve always said that even though as people, we are different, we all need to eat. And when you have something good to eat—when you break bread and have a nice glass of wine and a wonderful meal—it brings you together. You’re open to new ideas and other people’s ideas and suggestions, and it’s a form of love. …I’ve always believed that when people enjoy their dinner together, it opens up their hearts to new ideas and to new cultures.”Here is cook and writer M.F.K. Fisher on food as love:“…but I still think that one of the pleasantest of all emotions is to know that I, I with my brain and my hands, have nourished my beloved few, that I have concocted a stew or a story, a rarity or a plain dish, to sustain them truly against the hungers of the world.”― The Gastronomical MeJoining us to talk about the powerful human nourishment found in food is pop-up co-host chef Judith Mack. When I called and described the show I hoped we could do, she embraced the concept and even offered a recipe (Italian fig cookies, see links for the recipe) she loves. We also found community members whose experience resonated with the healthful experience of gathering together for food.We hope you have stories or memories of the foods you prepare or share with loved ones. We all eat; if our guests are correct that food can bring us together despite everything working to pull us apart, then let’s sit down and eat! We’d love to hear from you.CO-HOSTS: Kathleen McCoy with chef and teacher Judith MackCOMMUNITY CALL-IN GUESTS:Zoi Maroudas, CEO of Bambinos Baby Food, member of the Greek and Italian cooking family of Pizza Olympia.Omid Rahmanian, from Iran, taught with his wife, Parisa, a community cooking class featuring Persian cuisine, offered through a Keys to Life community programNyabony Gat, South Sudanese, born in Ethiopia and raised in the U.S.; Health Education Coordinator with Alaska Primary Care Association (APCA)/AHEC and Peer Leader Navigator Program Coordinator at the Alaska Literacy Program.LINKS:Essay: “Ruth Reichl on M.F.K. Fisher’s Lifetime of Joyous Eating,” Literary Hub website 2019Podcast: “Soul food and the stories it tells about America,” with poet and author of the ‘Soul Food Love’ cookbook, Caroline Randall Williams, Vox Conversations website 2021Recipe for Cuccidati, Italian fig cookies, shared by Judith Mack7 inspiring quotes about food and love, The Knot website17 quotes about food and love, Your Tango websiteKeys to Life Alaska, community website focused on empowerment and inclusivity, previous host of community cultural cooking classes.PARTICIPATE:Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)Send e-mail to [email protected] before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).LIVE: Monday, December 20, 2021 at 10 a.m.RE-AIR: Monday, December 20, 2021 at 8 p.m.PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.]]>

Red Cross nurses in the Philippines. (Photo via WikimediaCommons)If you’ve ever been to a hospital or a medical clinic or some type of medical facility, which most of us probably have, you may have noticed that a lot of health care workers are Filipino. They can be doctors, or home care providers, or some type of health care worker, but most of them are nurses. This is not just your imagination, as statistics show that Filipino nurses do compose the largest share of immigrant nurses in the United States. In fact, the Philippines is the world’s biggest supplier of nurses. In this episode, we talk to some Filipina nurses – members of an organization called Philippine Nurses Association of Alaska, Incorporated – to hear their journeys and experiences in the American healthcare system – particularly during the time of COVID – and how this impacts their families, and the entire Filipino American community. HOST:E.J. DavidGuests: Lorna Hermogino Garcia, Founder and first President of the Philippine Nurses Association of AlaskaMaribell Salanguit, Current President of the Philippine Nurses Association of Alaska.Belena Hernandez Futch, Member of Philippine Nurses Association of AlaskaLINK:“Empire of Care: Nursing and Migration in Filipino American History”Why the US has so many Filipino nurses – VOXPARTICIPATE:Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)Send e-mail to [email protected] before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).LIVE: Monday, December 6, 2021 at 10 a.m.RE-AIR: Monday, December 6, 2021 at 8 p.m.PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.]]>

The Anchorage landfill countdown on the municipality’s web page shows less than 50 years of capacity. Recycling and composting keeps reusable items out of the landfill. What do you need to know, and where can you find out?UPDATE: Since the recycling/composting program aired Monday morning, here’s a bit of useful info for Mat-Su Valley residents interested in curbside recycling. Alaska Waste began curbside recycling in the Valley last February, including within the city of Palmer, in an effort to divert recyclables away from the landfill. Here’s a link to their FAQs. We’ve added them to the list of useful links below. Thanks for calling, Alaska Waste!And here’s a next level question. We love our dogs, but how do you keep Fido’s poop bags out of the landfill? Well, you could ask a Denali National Park Ranger.So, going green is in the news every day. Alaska Airlines just announced it won’t use plastic water bottles anymore, opting instead for water in a box made with some recycled material. Global leaders are in Glasgow talking about their carbon-reduction commitment. Greta Thunberg, a Swedish teen, has strong words from her generation to others about taking responsibility.So what can we do? Recycle and compost. Yet questions abound: why can’t I put glass in my curbside recycle bin? Do I have to take labels off cans and bottles? Is it true that you can recycle pizza boxes, even the greasy-cheesy ones? Can you compost meat scraps? Why can’t all 1-2 plastics recycle? And what compost/recycle mistakes should you know to avoid so you don’t contaminate the process?To answer your questions, we have experts from Valley Recycling in the Mat-Su, Anchorage Municipal recycling programs, and a National Park Service Ranger with experience composting their working sled dogs’ waste, instead of adding it to a landfill. Now there’s an idea.Have questions about recycling or composting? Bring ’em on! Your questions and comments are always welcome.HOST: Kathleen McCoyGUESTS:Randi Perlman, Interim Director Valley RecyclingSuzanna Caldwell, Anchorage Municipal recycling and composting programsSarah Hayes, National Park Service ranger with experience at the Denali Sled Dog KennelsLINKS:Municipality of Anchorage: what can you recycle and where, websiteValley Recycling, website and Facebook pageValley Recycling, information handout on what you can recycle and howAlaska Waste offers curbside recycling in the Mat-Su Valley, FAQ from websiteDenali National Park sled dog kennels, website (where all dog poop is composted)Composting Dog Waste, from 2005, 11-page PDF, USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Fairbanks Soil and Water Conservation District (thanks to Sarah Hayes for sharing this)Scoop the Poop, Anchorage Waterways Council effort to keep dog waste out of the watershed, webpage and short videoPodcast of U.S. municipal recycling facility managers on current challenges (25 min), audio podcastFree resources on composting, Good Earth Garden School, websiteHow to compost in winter, Marion Owen garden column, websiteJoy of Composting, Facebook page hosted by Marion Owen in KodiakPARTICIPATE:Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752 (statewide) during the live broadcast (10-11 a.m.)Send e-mail to [email protected] before, during or after the live broadcast (E-mails may be read on air).Post your comment or question below (Comments may be read on air).LIVE: Monday, November 8, 2021 at 10 a.m.RE-AIR: Monday, November 8, 2021 at 8 p.m.PODCAST: Available on this page after the program.]]>