Sunday Odds and Ends

Erin and Hig celebrate FINALLY crossing Icy Bay on the North Gulf of Alaska coast


Tom Macchia from the Green Party of Alaska sent out an e-mail with Green Hatred Disorder attached to the Yahoo Alaska Greens discussion group. Exactly the sort of thing I like. Thanks, Tom.

When Erin McKittrick and Bretwood Higman arrived in Cordova last week, after finishing the amazing Icy Bay to Cordova leg of their trek along our wild coast, I e-mailed Erin. I'm hoping to do an interview with them when they cross the road system, as they come through more accessible parts of our state, on their way to Unimak Island, via Pebble Mine.

Erin e-mailed back, saying, "We'd love to meet up and would be happy to be interviewed. We're heading right through Palmer (planning to come down the Matanuska River), so that might be the easiest place?

"Can't say exactly when we'll be there, since weather and terrain seem to make us always even more unpredictable that we think... Probably sometime in early January. We're planning to take a longer layover in Anchorage - at least a week - so it should also be quite easy to catch us there."

I hope to get back in touch with Erin and Hig after they arrive in Valdez. I may even go over there to meet them. If they're going to be in Anchorage for a week or so, I'm hoping we can find lots of ways to support their endeavor. If there isn't a slide show already set up for them, I'll make sure that happens and that the word gets out.

With all the national attention lately on Christopher McCandless and the book/movie Into the Wild, I'm sort of surprised about the lack of attention being paid to this young couple's epic journey. They're like the opposite of that guy.

Robert Dillon at An Alaskan Abroad wrote the best article yet, for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, about aspects of Republicans who are eyeing the congressional seats now held by Ted Stevens and Don Young. Actually, come to think of it, his is the ONLY good article about the GOP field in those races.

Dillon also adds further information that backs my contention that Markos Moulitsas had his head up his ass when he wrote his DailyKos article last week about the United 2000 poll Kos commissioned pitting Ethan Berkowitz against Don Young and Mark Begich against Ted Stevens.

Kos had written, "Begich won't announce any candidacy until sometime between March and May. But if he bows out of the race, he'll do so before the end of the year. So if we hear nothing in the next three weeks, we're home free and Republicans will face yet another top-tier battle in their fight to limit their losses."

Dillon notes, "Begich has not made up his mind on whether he’ll run. Daily Kos incorrectly reported last week that Begich would announce by the end of the year if he was not running to give other Democrats time to gear up before the June 2 filing deadline. However, Begich’s spokeswoman, Julie Hasquet, said the mayor has never made such a statement publicly."

I'll have more to say about why Kos jumped the gun on his incomplete and anti-progressive poll, and who might have pressured him to do so, uh, maybe before the end of the year.

The Seward Historic Preservation Commission is pitching for the City of Seward and other entities to raise the town's profile for artistic uniqueness.

A rich history is being told on walls scattered around Seward, and the city's Historic Preservation Commission wants the city and state to acknowledge it.

Paintings honoring the town's unique history have been appearing on buildings since 1999, thanks to a group of artists known as the Seward Mural Society.

The group's artwork is why the Seward Historic Preservation Commission has recommended to City Council that Seward be designated as the Mural Capital of Alaska and that it in turn submit a request to the state to endorse the designation.

Look out, Homer.....

Steve Aufrecht at What Do I Know? sort of interviewed the ADN's Kathleen McCoy last week about the possibility the ADN will feature more blogging by bloggers in the community and around the state. His interview is well worth the read, and I have as high a regard for Kathleen as does Steve.