Anchorage News Edition
of Continental Newstime newsmagazine
VOLUME XII NUMBER 1 NOVEMBER 1, 2024
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This is not the whole newspaper, but a special complimentary, on-line edition of the general-interest newsmagazine, Continental Newstime. The rest of the newspaper includes national and world news, newsmaker profiles, commentary/analysis, periodic interviews, travel and entertainment features, a science column, humor, sports, cartoons, comic strips, and puzzles, and averages 26 pages per month. Continental Features/Continental News Service publishes, on a monthly rotational basis, special, complimentary on-line newspapers: Washington DC News Edition, Chicago News Edition, Honolulu News Edition, Atlanta News Edition, Anchorage News Edition, Boston News Edition, Seattle News Edition, Miami News Edition, San Diego News Edition, Rochester (N.Y.) News Edition, Minneapolis News Edition, and Houston News Edition.
- Anchorage News Edition of Continental Newstime
- Editor-in-Chief: Gary P. Salamone
- Continental Features/Continental News Service
- 501 W. Broadway, Plaza A, PMB# 265
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* Congressional News Briefs … Senator Dan Sullivan, building on passage of his and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse’s Save our Seas (SOS) 2.0 Act in 2020 to eliminate plastic pollution and ease the effect on the environment, has written Secretary of State Antony Blinken, pressing the Biden-Harris Administration to make improvements in the international plastics treaty United Nations countries are negotiating. In particular, Senator Sullivan voiced alarm that treaty language that has come to light seems to reflect vague requirements and costly efforts that miss the mark on solving the problem of plastic waste. The Senator asserted, “Since this treaty has no enforcement provisions and relies on the good faith and self-reporting of signatory countries, the treaty needs to be common-sense and future-looking, building on reducing demand for single-use plastic, on technical innovation, and on implementing measures that enhance the circularity of plastic.” His goal, one backed in a similar letter supported by 27 Congressmen, led by Texas’ Dan Crenshaw, is for the Administration to use its influence to obtain an agreement that the U.S. can support and one that will produce a lasting solution to end plastic pollution. The Senator takes issue with the move by the Biden-Harris Administration to bar Congressional consultation and to allow “the more ideological and extreme members of the Council on Environmental Quality and the White House” to derail the sound negotiating position of the U.S. State Department. The effects of this interference, he says, have been “measures that disadvantage the United States without really addressing the problem at hand,” provisions that world leaders say they will honor and later find inconsistent with their national interests, limitations on U.S. plastic production that “merely shifts production to other areas such as China or the Middle East,” disincentives to U.S. innovation in plastic products, and treatment of plastics-producer China as a developing country eligible for financial assistance. Plus, talk of a global ban glosses over the conflict with U.S. law, the Toxic Substances Control Act. With the final negotiating round scheduled for later this year, the Senator predicts that the Administration will be hard-pressed to achieve bipartisan ratification in the Senate if the treaty stems from “the pressure of far-left environmental activists.” Sullivan reminds that so much has been accomplished already, since the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, under the Save our Seas 2.0 Act, has awarded $375 million in infrastructure and recycling programs for local communities; also, public-private partnerships include the Save Our Seas Initiative of the U.S. Agency for International Development (AID) to reduce the flow of ocean plastic pollution in 25 cities across 10 nations, as well as AID’s CIRCLE (Catalyzing Inclusive, Resilient and Circular Local Economies) Initiative and the State Department’s End Plastic Pollution International Collaborative. Besides, the Act created the Marine Debris Foundation, a charitable non-profit organization now located in Juneau, to reinforce the work of such entities as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in dealing with marine debris. Meantime, Alaska Representative Mary Sattler Peltola, referencing massive flooding of Juneau on August 6, remarked, “Relieved to see Juneau’s disaster declaration approved, but there’s so much work left to be done.” In turn, Senator Lisa Murkowski observed, “Having seen the wreckage from these floods firsthand, I stand firmly with the people of Juneau. As the community wrestles with the potential of additional flooding, this declaration comes at a critical time for recovery efforts in our state’s capital.” However, public officials note that releases from Suicide Basin of glacial-lake water inundating areas along Mendenhall Lake and River have been a common occurrence since 2011. Elaborating, Senator Sullivan adds, “The damage to homes and property in the wake of the record-breaking flooding in Juneau this August is extensive. While there was thankfully no loss of life, the Mendenhall Valley community faces an overwhelming recovery process. I appreciate FEMA’s approval of Governor Dunleavy’s request for a federal disaster declaration, which I pushed for several times with [the] FEMA Administrator.” He continued, “These FEMA funds will allow critical federal funding to supplement the incredible state and local efforts that are already underway. My team and I are also continuing to work with the Army Corps of Engineers for a long-term engineering solution to prevent this kind of destruction of homes and livelihoods in the future. The outburst flooding caused by the Mendenhall Glacier every summer is not sustainable.” Approval of the disaster declaration means distribution of both individual and public assistance in Juneau. In other developments, Representative Peltola has expressed disappointment that the Biden Administration and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has failed to follow through on enforcement of negative International Fisheries Management certifications of 14 nations, including Russia and China, to ban imports of foreign-caught fish, instead of merely denying those nations port-entry privileges. Responsible for enforcing the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act’s ban on illegal, unreported, or unregulated (IUU) fishing and bycatch of protected marine life devoid of effective
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mitigation, NOAA Fisheries had determined that Russian-flagged and Chinese-flagged fishing vessels had engaged in IUU fishing practices and Mexico, for example, had engaged in both IUU fishing practices and loggerhead-sea-turtle bycatch. In all, NOAA negatively certified 17 nations, also including Algeria, Barbados, Côte d’Ivoire, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Namibia, Senegal, Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, and Turkey. Representative Peltola, reacting to what she regarded as a halfway measure, said, “I have worked tirelessly to educate our government on the threat that foreign fishing practices pose to our fisheries–that’s why I pushed the Administration to issue an Executive Order banning Russian-caught fish last year. This is a step towards protecting our North Pacific Ocean and ensuring the well-being of Alaskan fishing families, but more must be done.”
* State Government News Briefs … Governor Mike Dunleavy, at the close of Red Ribbon Week yesterday, urged “all Alaskans to participate in drug-prevention-education activities, not only during Red Ribbon Week, but also throughout the year, making a visible statement that we are strongly committed to protecting Alaska’s youth from the dangers of substance misuse through a drug-free lifestyle.” Speaking of protecting Alaska’s posterity and America’s future generations, not long ago the Governor raised the alarm about “a series of Russian and Chinese operations near Alaska.” He explained, “Once again our military has had to respond to activities by our nation’s adversaries. Russian and Chinese incursions into U.S. zones off Alaska have become an increasingly frequent occurrence. Alaska’s strategic position on the globe gives the United States an advantage in the Arctic and the Pan Pacific, but we need leaders in Washington to recognize that Russia and China are increasing their military presence in the region, and the U.S. must increase its military investment in Alaska if we are to continue to ensure protection of our people and resources.” Just weeks ago, in marking Alaska Territorial Guard Day, he reminded that, “by Alaska State Statute, October 18th of each year is designated for honoring the valiant service and sacrifice of Alaska Territorial Guard members in defense of Alaska and the United States during World War II.” And by 1947, an estimated 15,000 Alaskans had volunteered to patrol and protect about 5,200 miles of Alaskan, and U.S., coastline.
* Municipal Government News Briefs … Mayor Suzanne LaFrance, recounting the work accomplished during her first 100 days in office, reports that her Administration has ordered $3.75 million of graders and other snow-removal equipment, planned to earmark $2.39 million in proceeds from sale to the Port of Alaska of the Sprung Structure [available for storing road sand] to deal with homelessness during winter weather, abated nine homeless encampments to promote public safety, relocated 27 people from homeless camps into Next Step Initiative housing, incorporated public comment into municipal priorities, implemented paid parental leave, made some allowance for tele-work, established a Salary Solutions Team to ensure Municipal wages are competitive, formed a Snow Communications Team to coordinate public information, funded a 400-bed Winter Shelter Plan to keep people out of the cold, introduced Anchorage Police Department HOPE Teams made up of social-work navigators and crisis-intervention officers, addressed wildland-fire concerns in the central Anchorage Bowl area, and submitted the proposed 2025 budget to the Municipal Assembly. With respect to the 2025 budget proposal, the Mayor has committed to full funding of the Anchorage Safety Patrol, around-the-clock crisis-response services of the Anchorage Fire Department’s Mobile Crisis Team, dependable snow removal and retention of road-plowing operators through pay raises, improvement of road safety through advocacy for $4.5 million in traffic-regulation measures, and activation of the Anchorage Child Care and Early Education Fund to improve access to child care. The next regular meeting of the Municipal Assembly is set for November 6th beginning at 5 PM. When the Assembly last met, on October 22nd, it took up a Consent Agenda, including adoption of a Resolution recognizing October as Pedestrian Safety Month and acknowledging the work of the Center for Safe Alaskans; approval of a not-to-exceed award of $7,143,239.21 to Allied Universal Security Services to furnish security-guard services to the Municipality for five years; award of a $1,821,641 contract to Caliber Construction for the Bragaw Water Rehabilitation Project; approval of a Resolution appropriating an anticipated $91,969 Homeland Security Department grant to the Port of Alaska for its Port Security Program; and approval of a Resolution authorizing issuance of no more than $250 million in Port Revenue Bonds to refinance certain outstanding debt and to further fund Capital Improvements and related expenses of the Don Young Port of Alaska. In other business, the Assembly was poised to consider an Ordinance directing the Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility to decouple the Municipality’s access to drinking water from the 1991 Eklutna Fish and Wildlife Agreement, upon which the Governor acted earlier in the month to establish a final fish and wildlife protection program in connection with the impact of the Eklutna Hydroelectric Project; and, among other business, consideration of an Emergency Ordinance allocating no more than $10,130,000 to repair damage to municipal infrastructure, including Old Fire Station #11, caused by the 2018 Point Mackenzie Earthquake.
* School District News Briefs … The Superintendent of the Anchorage School District, Dr. Jharrett Bryantt, informs that, this evening, the District intends to release a preliminary list of schools for closing, combining or repurposing. He says, “The intent of rightsizing our facilities’ footprint is to improve academic offerings across the District, despite declining enrollment and stagnant levels of recurring revenue from the State.” Thereafter, during the period November 12-November 18, the District will conduct a series of Community Conversations to obtain feedback. Once the School Board has approved a Rightsizing Plan, the District’s Talent Management Team will work closely with staff to prioritize the preferences for school placement of affected staff. Meantime, the School Board conducted meetings of its Governance Committee, its Communications Committee, and its Finance Committee yesterday.
* Weather … The National Weather Service reports that current conditions at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, as of the morning of October 28, are snowy, with wind out of the west-northwest at 6 miles per hour and a daily high temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Over-night low temperatures are expected to range between 17 degrees and 32 degrees through November 2nd and daily high temperatures are expected to drop to 29 degrees on October 30th and rise first to 32 degrees, then 36 degrees, before reaching 39 degrees on November 2nd. Rain, snow or snow showers are forecast each day, except October 30th, when partly-cloudy skies are expected. Look for wind direction to change to 4 miles per hour out of the south, wind out of the northwest at 4 miles per hour, wind out of the east at 4 miles per hour, and wind out of the east-southeast at 5 miles per hour on November 2nd.
* Sports … Following Seawolves victories against Warner Pacific in basketball on October 25 (80-55) and on October 26 (88-50), the University of Alaska-Anchorage Men’s Basketball Team visits Billings, Montana today for a 3 PM tip-off against St. Edward’s, tomorrow for a 1 PM tip-off against Texas A&M International, and November 3rd for a 1 PM tip-off against the University of Mary. In Women’s Basketball, the Seawolves host Simpson tonight (7 PM) and tomorrow (4 PM) at the Alaska Airlines Center, before traveling to Rocklin, California for a 2 PM tip-off on November 8th against Jessup University, and the Women’s Volleyball Team plays tomorrow, beginning at 7 PM, hosting Montana State University-Billings in the Alaska Airlines Center. In Men’s Hockey, the Seawolves, returning to action on November 15th (7:07 PM) and November 16th (5:07 PM), host the University of Alaska-Fairbanks at the Avis Alaska Sports Complex.
Please E-mail continentalnewstime@gmail.com for a copy of cartoonist Mic Williams’ feature, “All Micks D’Up.”
One of the questions Ralph Nader is yet to answer about his book, “Let’s Start the Revolution”:
“Can that ‘left/right coalition’ you mention hang together once formed on certain issues when one side fails to rein in its desire to initiate new spending programs and the other side objects that it’s their money that is to be spent?”
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* Proverbs (chapter 28/verse 22): “He that hastes to be rich has an evil eye, and considers not that poverty shall come upon him.” hastes=hurries.
[A timely warning against get-rich-quick schemes]
A free copy of the Etna, California News Edition of Continental Newstime [dated August 14, 2020] containing the newspaper feature of outdoor writer Lee Snyder is also available by
E-mail request to info@continentalnewsservice.com
*Free
Marion, Montana News Edition
of Continental Newstime newsmagazine
VOLUME I NUMBER 1 AUGUST 17, 2022
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This is not the whole newspaper, but a special complimentary, on-line edition of the general-interest, periodic newsmagazine, Continental Newstime. The rest of the newspaper includes national and world news, newsmaker profiles, commentary/analysis, periodic interviews, travel and entertainment features, an intermittent science column, humor, sports, cartoons, comic strips, and puzzles, and averages 26 pages per month. Continental Features/Continental News Service publishes, on a monthly rotational basis, special, complimentary on-line newspapers: Washington DC News Edition, Chicago News Edition, Honolulu News Edition, Atlanta News Edition, Anchorage News Edition, Boston News Edition, Seattle News Edition, Miami News Edition, San Diego News Edition, Rochester (N.Y.) News Edition, Minneapolis News Edition, and Houston News Edition.
Marion, Montana News Edition of Continental Newstime
Editor-in-Chief: Gary P. Salamone
Continental Features/Continental News Service
501 W. Broadway, Plaza A, PMB# 265
San Diego, CA 92101
(858) 492-8696
E-mail: info@continentalnewsservice.com
* Congressional News Briefs … Marion’s agent in the U.S. House of Representatives, Matt Rosendale, decided he was not going to sugar-coat House Bill 5376. While House Democrats said they were acting to pass the “Inflation Reduction Act,” the Congressman contended that legislation increasing the size of government, raising taxes on hard-working Americans and spending billions of taxpayer dollars on the Left’s Green New Deal was actually an “Inflation Acceleration Act” and he cast a vote against the bill. Warning that the spending would “cripple our nation’s budget,” he noted that the legislation “will also raise an army of 87,000 IRS agents to squeeze more taxes out of already-hurting American families. With frivolous spending and an enlarged, aggressive IRS, the only climate that will be changing over the next year will be the economic climate, and it will get worse.” He offered this solution: “To reduce inflation, Congress must freeze spending, a concept the Left does not understand. Reining in federal spending and reducing taxes to lower inflation will reaffirm confidence in those investing in our economy.” On his part, Senator Steve Daines, commenting on the $739-billion, so-called Inflation Reduction Act of President Joseph Biden and Senate Democrats that he opposed, asserted that Senate Democrats voted against Daines’ amendment to eliminate policies that would increase costs on Made in Montana energy and other amendments that would render the bill “less painful for Montanans.” He characterized, as “supersizing the IRS,’ the plan to hire more than 80,000 Internal Revenue Service agents “to audit small and medium-size businesses and assert control over the lives and finances of Montanans.” He termed a subsidy for “rich people” the provision to offer $7,500 tax credits to individuals making up to $150,000, so they can purchase expensive electric vehicles. Considering the bill “a slap in the face of Montana families,” the Senator added, “The Democrats’ reckless tax-and-spend bill is bad for Montana families, bad for Montana energy jobs and bad for Montanans’ pocketbooks.” Working with Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth and Hawaii Senator Mazie Hirono, Senator Daines has introduced bipartisan legislation, known as the BABES (Bottles and Breastfeeding Equipment Screening) Enhancement Act, to require the Transportation Security Administration to clarify and update guidance, every five years, on handling breast milk, baby formula, and other related nutrition products based on consultation with leading maternal-health experts. Calling the legislation a “Bill to Support Montana Moms,” Daines informs that companion legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives, and the measure is endorsed by such organizations as the March of Dimes and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Senator Jon Tester, in turn, as the Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, announces that the $792.1-billion Defense Appropriations Bill earmarks almost $182 million for Montana priorities, saying, “This legislation will keep America safe by investing in Malmstrom Air Force Base, giving our troops a well-deserved pay raise [4.6 percent], ensuring our servicemen and women are well-equipped with the most up-to-date technology, and shifting resources towards programs that’ll maintain our fighting edge over adversaries like China and Russia.” For example, over in Columbia Falls, uAvionix is due to receive $7 million to develop Future Tactical Unmanned Aerial System communications. In addition, he reports that, for Montana, the American Rescue Plan Act means $266 million to deliver high-speed Internet to rural areas of the state, something that is “one of the biggest keys to success for Montana’s students, families, and small businesses.”
* State Government News Briefs … Governor Greg Gianforte has expressed the view that the Montana Supreme Court, after upholding a district-court order temporarily blocking three pro-life bills he signed into law—the Court should not delay bringing into line its 1999 ruling in Armstrong v. State with the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision finding that there is no constitutional right to abortion and that the states are entitled to restrict abortion. In other developments, the state legislature has highlighted a recent report by the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology that acknowledges findings of the Department of Environmental Quality that the ingestion of too much manganese through drinking water may be harmful, at the same time the Bureau notes that the mineral, naturally present in many common foods, is essential for proper nutrition and that too little may be harmful, as well. Some research shows that adults and children drinking water with high manganese concentrations for sustained periods may suffer from memory and attention problems and motor-skill deficits. But, since most Montanans tap groundwater supplies for their drinking water, they mainly avoid high levels of manganese. Those that do not? The Bureau’s Ground Water Assessment Program reports that 7 percent of the water samples it tested exceeded the recommended health-standard limit for
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adults and children older than 6 years of age. Checking 3,858 water samples from across the state, the Bureau gives assurance that manganese concentrations were low and safe for 85 percent of the well samples it analyzed and that lower concentrations were recorded in samples from western Montana aquifers; higher concentrations, in the eastern part of the state. Specifically, certain aquifers near Flathead Lake, north and west of Great Falls, and in the Missouri River Valley yielded more samples with elevated manganese concentrations. The Safe Drinking Water Act categorizes manganese as a secondary water contaminant, like iron, pH and sulfate, meaning it is safe to drink, but may damage water equipment and transmit an unpleasant odor and taste. The state legislature reports that 380 Montana schools, to date, have tested water fixtures for the primary water contaminant, lead and are implementing remedies for contaminated fixtures.
* County Government News Briefs … The Flathead County Board of Commissioners [Brad W. Abell, Pamela Holmquist, and Randy Brodehl], at its last meeting on August 11, considered six different lakeshore permits, including one at McGregor Lake, one at Flathead Lake, and another at Whitefish Lake; conferred with Erik Mack, of the Planning & Zoning Office, who reported an uptick in zoning violations; discussed giving authorization to publish a Notice of Public Hearing on Road Abandonment concerning an unnamed portion of road off Highway 93 West; took up the matter of authorization to publish a Call for Bids for the estimated $120,000 Fall, 2022 Pavement Striping Project; was due to hear from Liz Wood, of Mountain Climber Transit, on ridership increases, and from Ashley Cummins, Director of the County Library, who reported approximately 1,000 daily patron visits system-wide and who provided an update on the Library Board vacancy; planned to meet with Sheriff Brian Heino; and, among other County business, was tasked to sign a Behavioral Health Hospital Provider Agreement with Logan Health.
* School District News Briefs … The Marion Elementary School District, with the library closed during the summer due to remodeling, plans a Back to School Kick Off Event on September 1, with school starting on September 6. Earlier this month, the District posted a notice that it was hiring for full-time teaching positions in physical education and in the sixth-grade classroom. The School Board is scheduled to meet again on September 12. Meantime, in the Kalispell Public Schools District, Flathead High School announces that classes resume either on August 31 or September 1, depending on the grade level.
* Sports … The Flathead High School Boys Varsity Football Team is set to play Skyview on August 27 at 7 PM and is due to visit Gallatin on September 2 for a 7 PM kickoff.
* Weather … The National Weather Service reports that current conditions 17 miles west-southwest of Kalispell, as of 3:15 PM on August 17, are sunny, with a temperature of 90 degrees Fahrenheit, relative humidity of 15 percent, barometric pressure of 29.95 inches, visibility of 10 miles, wind out of the south-southeast at 3 miles per hour, and a dewpoint of 36 degrees. The over-night forecast calls for clear skies, northeast wind of 3 to 5 miles per hour and a low temperature of about 55 degrees. Tomorrow, look for sunny skies, with a daily high temperature of about 91 degrees, calm wind becoming east-northeast wind of about 6 miles per hour in the morning. Thursday night, expect mostly-clear skies, with a low temperature of about 56 degrees and northeast wind of 3 to 6 miles per hour.
* Community Calendar … August 19—Pachyderm Meeting of Flathead County Republicans (12 Noon-1 PM) at the Eagles (37 First Street W, Kalispell); August 27—Pheasants Forever Chapter #138 Banquet (5 PM-9 PM), at the Fairgrounds; September 16/17—Quilt Show, at the Fairgrounds; September 17—Glacier Rabbit Show, at the Fairgrounds; September 30—Kalispell Ski Swap, at the Fairgrounds.
Dry Tortugas [Reprinted and Updated] by Lee Snyder
Named “Las Tortugas” (the turtles) by 16th-century Spanish explorers who found the harmless reptiles nesting on its shores, the Dry Tortugas is a collection of several sandy spits and tree-dotted islands. Fort Jefferson, once famous as a 19th-century “American Devil’s Island,” remains one of the world’s largest brick structures. The red brick fort is most famous as the jail where Dr. Mudd was held after treating Lincoln’s assassin for a broken leg.
Fort Jeff, past National Monument, is now part of Dry Tortugas National Park, which, together with the water and island reefs, is one of this nation’s most remote and unique units of our National Park system. While sharks are still occasionally found swimming in the moat, tourists are more likely seen snorkeling around the fort’s outer boundary viewing a dazzling array of fish, coral and sponges. Today, the Coast Guard’s close scrutiny of increasing public pressure allows visitors to see what underwater Florida is supposed to be. Divers claim the park waters are the liveliest anywhere in the state. “Little Africa,” an unspoiled section of coral reef near Loggerhead Key, the largest island in the chain, boasts expanses of staghorn and elkhorn coral more like those found in Caribbean than in Florida waters.
Nearly 27,000 people—mostly fishermen, yachtsmen, and divers—visit the park by boat each year.
But, for a six-week period, the bulk of the visitors attend for another reason. Spring in the Tortugas is definitely a birdwatcher’s delight. Florida’s peninsular shape is like an appendage reaching out into the ocean. Its islands are the first safety offered travelers crossing the Gulf of Mexico…. The “funneling effect” allows for close inspections of the birds in their most colorful breeding plumage—an opportunity that draws enthusiastic birders from all over the world….On any given spring day in the Tortugas, birders with four, five and six hundred birds on their lists are found. Listers with seven and eight hundred on their lists are usually there as guides, having visited the islands years before. But, even so, an errant species from South America, the Bahamas or Cuba could fly by adding to all lists.
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