On Palin, swine flu sunshine and media

Walking down the bike path on Wednesday I ran into an aquaintance who, knowing I’m a gossip/news hound, told me Sarah Palin and all of her friends had basically trashed Girdwood after judging the Slush Cup last weekend.

The wheels, of course, started spinning.

Who can I interview to confirm this story? I wonder if anyone has pictures? This was, I convinced myself, the kind of thing I needed to be covering to really further my career as a journalist.

I could already envision the headlines spread across snarky political rags everywhere. I had already “failed” by not being a diligent reporter, as one of the few in Girdwood, on the Ted Stevens debacle. I thought perhaps I could redeem myself with this juicy bit.

Now, switching gears slightly.

I just returned from a long trip down South. On the return flight last weekend, I was on a plan with a passle of drunk, sunburned middle-aged vacationers fresh from–you guessed it–Mexico. This after extended layovers with nothing better to do than be indoctrinated by every news channel out there about how swine flu, originating in Mexico, would more or less be the end of us all.

At that time, I think there were about 150 deaths attributed to the virus in the densely populated Mexico City area.

Now, consider this: there are approximately 36,000 deaths from the “regular” flu every year.

Need we really be taking things to the hysteria level? I would guess probably not. So what’s the deal? Slow news day? Come on. Are you telling me that a national news outlet such as CNN or MSNBC or Fox News doesn’t have the resources to find something else interesting going on somewhere? No, of course they do, but they have to keep up with the Joneses on the Story du Jour or get left behind. And so, each network not only tries to keep up, but TRUMP the other networks in “more in depth coverage”, IE; digging up more shocking facts (whether or not they’re actually in context,) to create compelling TV, if not quality news sans hysteria.

It all boils down to the fact that media, ESPECIALLY main stream media, is in a terrible state. But what’s more is that I wonder whether or not the nature of news, just news (“Just the facts, Ma’am,”) is even possible anymore regardless of how widely read it may be.

When small town reporters such as myself are facing such quandries as to whether or not to blow out of proportion a Governor’s partying gone awry so that they can, perhaps, pay their bills and move out of obscurity, you realize the constant assault of ethical questions we face. And these are perhaps not the best sampling of those questons, but are somewhat representative.

I wonder if a Journalism degree would help me in this matter at all.

Always a new adventure.

That title that you see there is so much more than a title. It is my four word manifesto. I scribbled it out in a now ragged notebook sometime after dropping out of high school, and sometime before coming to Alaska for the first time. Oddly enough, six years later, it still holds true for what I want my life to be, for how I want to do things and how I want to see the world and face each new day.

It’s a good enough way to go about things.

I bring it up now because today reminds me of it. A spring-time heat-wave in Alaska, sunburns and beers and front porch-sitting and BBQ and friends while the snow is still piled in all the lesser-traveled corners of town and a thick layer of ash lingers.

It reminds of my trip home, a month-long sabbatical in the deep South, so different and all at once so very much the same.

I feel at the corner of something; on the cusp, the verge, teeter-tottering into something bigger than myself. The same quickening that keeps me going through the Long Winters and the Longer Summers, from one season to another always on the lookout. Waiting.

This little town is a good place full of good people and promise bigger than itself. It is more, even, than the sum of all its parts. This is that sense of place my teachers used to tell me about.

I ought to be doing something with it.

Greenest newspaper in America?

While printed publications around the world are folding like a house of tree-devouring cards, I’m making an attempt to go green in the news industry. Without forsaking the tactile pleasure of paper between a readers’ fingertips.

The Chugach Chronicle, launched last month, is a one-sheet weekly focusing on community news in Girdwood, AK. (For those of you unfamiliar, yeah, Ted Steven’s Veco chalet is here.) The paper is completely written, produced and printed right here in Girdwood, (pop. 2,000) using a laser jet printer and recycled content paper. Since space is of the essence, I like to call this blogging for print-junkies–just the essentials with leads to more content and details online.

I think I probably have a pretty good shot at claiming “greenest printed newspaper in America,” but I’m having trouble coming up with proof. Have you heard of any other print publications like mine? (The Ester Republic, perhaps?)  I guess it kind of harks back to old school Zines, except with completly legit, quality content.

I think it could be the future of newspapers. I’d love to hear what you think.

The Girdwood Scene: February 5, 2009

(The version appearing in the February 5 issue of the Turnagain Times had to be edited for space, here’s the full version. You can always find the Scene online here.)

You can quit calling me out every time you see me somewhere with a beer in hand. I know, my unintentional New Year’s Resolution didn’t last very long.

I had the best of intentions, as I suppose that whole resolution thing generally implies, but I got a little lonely and started checking in at the old haunts again every now and again, just to see how everyone’s doing and catch up. I even closed the Sitzmark one night. I guess it was kind of a refresher course on partying, because I felt like I’d been hit by a truck the next day.

The bottom line is that all was not lost, despite my resolution respite. I now go out less, and leave, generally, earlier. It was something that needed to happen. I couldn’t identify with how the “other half” of Girdwood lived for a while, but now I can.

I stay busy, I get up before noon, and I even work really early in the morning at MoJoe’s coffee a couple of days a week.

It’s working for me.

Now, getting down to the nuts and bolts of the column, Maxine’s is getting ready to change up their menu again so go check out what’s new. Coast Pizza is up and running again under new ownership, and the Turnagain House will be opening back up in time for Valentine’s Day. Monday night Wii tournaments have become a well-established weekly event at the Silvertip, but due to the slow season lately they will be closing on Wednesdays for the next few weeks.

If I’m missing anything, let me know!

Girdwood a gold mine for Valentine’s Day gifts

Maybe I shouldn’t, but I’m inclined to give those that live around here a little more credit when it comes to creativity in the gift-giving department. This year is your chance to branch out beyond cheap chocolate and a plastic rose, or one of those cheesy teddy bears or a Hannah Montana valentine taped to the bathroom mirror. (Ok, the last would probably get some creativity points from me…)

The point is, though, that Girdwood is a veritable gold mine of good gifts, if you think about it and take advantage of what’s around.

Local artisans are perhaps the most unique and original option, with possibilities ranging from pottery and glasswork items (Check in at the local shops, including GCVA,) to custom printed sappy t-shirts (Danny at the Laundromall) and the hand made hats found in many local restaurants.

Girdwood 2020 will even be auctioning off the last remaining original chair from Chair 3 at their annual Valentine’s Day banquet at the resort. Tickets are available at Grrdwood Pets for $100. You need not be present to win but if you want to be, log onto girdwood2020.org to buy tickets to the banquet while they’re still available.

Another good option is a gift certificate. Aside from a gift certificate to a favorite restaurant or shop, try calling one of the numerous local massage therapists or Malia at the hair salon to keep pampering your sweetie after the day is done.

Or if you wanted to get really creative, call Andy at Alaska Backcountry Access and see if you can still set up a moonlight dog sledding tour. (Call 783-3600.)

If you think the way to a man’s—or woman’s—heart is through her stomach, of course there are countless local places to go for a nice, and probably candlelit, dinner. Beyond that, I know a girl would always appreciate a pint of her favorite ice cream from The Ice Cream Shop, or a custom made dessert from Luigi. (Contact him through the Silvertip.) If a morning latte or mocha is more their cup of…tea, coffee cards are also available at The Tramway Cafe at the hotel, the Java House, The Grind, and MoJoe’s.

To cover the V-Day basics, Girdwood Books & News has a selection of greeting cards and Grrdwood Pets & Green Goods will have long stem roses and pre-made gift baskets.

Thursday, February 5

• Winterfest starts at Alyeska. Thursday Night 2-for-1 lift tickets starting at 4 p.m., town league races from 6-8p.m. and DJ dance night at the Sitzmark. More information online at alyeskaresort.com

Friday, February 6

• Open Mic Night with Dan Lesperance at the Silvertip in Girdwood. 7 p.m. – 10 p.m.
• Gil Rodruigez, down home country and folk, at Maxine’s in Girdwood. 8 p.m. – 11 p.m.
• Winterfest 2009 Kick Off Party with the Rabbit Creek Ramblers at the Sitzmark. 10 p.m. – 2 a.m. $3.00 cover.

Saturday, February 7

• Girdwood Center for Visual Arts opening reception in Girdwood. 6:30 p.m.
• Jerrod Woods, acoustic favorite from Anchorage, at Maxine’s in Girdwood. 8 p.m. – 11 p.m.
• Winterfest continues at Alyeska. Kid’s Night Out at the Daylodge from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. $10 cover for children ages 2 to 12. Races, demos and competitions all day. The Junta wraps it up at the Sitzmark from 10 p.m. – 2 a.m. with a $3.00 cover.

Monday, February 9

• Land Use Committee Meeting at the Library and Community Center in Girdwood. 7 p.m.
• Wii Bowling Tournament at the Silvertip in Girdwood. 8 p.m.

Wednesday, February 11

• Open Mic Night with Julia Dykstra at Maxine’s in Girdwood. 8 p.m. – 11 p.m.

Thursday, February 12

• DJ Dance Party at the Sitzmark in Girdwood. 10 p.m.
• Jon Carpenter, blues, at Maxine’s in Girdwood. 8 p.m. – 11 p.m.

Friday, February 13

• Open Mic Night with Dan Lesperance at the Silvertip in Girdwood. 7 p.m. – 10 p.m.
• Rick Brooks, acoustic act from Anchorage, at Maxine’s in Girdwood. 8 p.m. – 11 p.m.
• The 11:20s and Backstrap at the Sitzmark. 10 p.m. – 2 a.m. $5.00 cover.

Saturday, February 14 – Valentine’s Day

• Spiff at Maxine’s in Girdwood. 8 p.m. – 11 p.m.
• The 11:20s at the Sitzmark in Girdwood. 10 p.m. – 2 a.m. $5.00 cover.
• DJ Cross at Chair 5 in Girdwood. 9 p.m.
• Girdwood 2020 Annual Banquet at the Hotel Alyeska in Girdwood. $80 ticket includes four-course meal, wine and entertainment. Silent and live auction, no host bars available throughout the evening with guest speaker John Byrne III. Reserve your tickets online at girdwood2020.org or call Julie at 783-0226.

Monday, February 16

• Girdwood Board of Supervisors Meeting at the Library and Community Center in Girdwood. 7 p.m.
• Wii Bowling Tournament at the Silvertip in Girdwood. 8 p.m.

Wednesday, February 18

• Open Mic Night with Julia Dykstra at Maxine’s in Girdwood. 8 p.m. – 11 p.m.

Rachel Drinkard lives, works and goes out in Girdwood. In fact, she hardly ever leaves the place. To catch up between issues, check out her blog at www.anarchyintheak.com, or if you have any events you would like to see included in the next issue, please e-mail them to RachelDrinkard@yahoo.com.

“Homestead” Updates

We have crickets.

About 400 of them, to be exact, living in a converted aquarium in our kitchen, munching on egg cartons and wilted broccoli and “cricket chow” and having little cricket sex in the dirt.

They chirp and squeak and hum and buzz and I wonder if maybe Julie’s efforts to produce locally grown food for all the Girdwood cricket-eating pets may have gone too far.

But then again, I want worms, so who am I to bitch? (And secretly, I kind of like their cricket sounds.)

I made up a bunch of the wallets last week, but am still working out some more details and experimenting. I’ve tried heat sealing the edges, working on the theory that if it closes the coffee bag for sale, it ought to hold in the money. All I have is an old iron long-ago borrowed from the Laundromall (thanks Danny) and it just isn’t really cutting it. I’ll try to track down Carol Sanner at Glacier Valley Roasters to see if her fancy coffee bag sealing machine makes any difference, but I’m also going to try sowing the edges, which is what the original instructions called for.

I rinse my hair with something that comes out of a vodka bottle.

But it isn’t vodka. I’ve been stashing emptied glass liquor bottles around for months and the latest use for one was an Apple Cider Vinegar rinse in a Raspberry Smirnoff bottle. It’s quite pretty, actually. I infused the ACV with a good dose of vanilla and some cinnamon sticks and it smells delicious. It makes me want to eat my hair, but not in that gross 6th grade chew on your hair while you do your homework kind of way.

I think I’m also going to do a green tea and lemon rinse in another bottle. I’m excited by the idea of having the shelf in our shower look like a liquor cabinet! Tat just about combines everything in life that I love.

Other Stuff:

Still no worms. Will be ordering seeds from Johnny’s and Denali Seed Company for GRRdwood Green Goods. Plotting a bunch of other stuff to carry, too, including lots and lots of worms for other people to make worm bins, and mushroom growing kits. (Normal non-hallucinogenic mushrooms, thankyouverymuch.)

What else do you think we should offer once we get more space? (Hopefully soon!)

I set up the “greenhouse” on the upstairs landing yesterday. I’m going to experiment with lighting for seedlings. I’ll have one level with an LED grow light set-up, one level with regular full-spectrum compact flourescents, and hopefully I’ll be able to splurge on some good grow lights for the third level.

I love experiments!

Still trying to figure out the chicken thing. Maybe I could do an industrial strength chicken tractor. (I really want an excuse to use these awesome tin shingles made out of aluminum cans.) If worse comes to worse, maybe I could have a house chicken like on Friends.

Waste Not, Want Not

Excuse me if I’m not making sense. Long day, but I have things on my mind and might as well type it out now before going to bed instead of lying in bed and thinking about how it’s keeping me from sleeping!

We haven’t switched over to the Glacier Valley Farm (local) box over the Full Circle Farm (not local)  box yet, and this is why–Julie doesn’t like potatoes very much and I just can’t stomach cabbage, and this time of year in Alaska, that seems to be a good deal of what eating local means if you didn’t put up a bunch of food over the summer.

So, instead, we’ve stuck with FCF and as a result, we get a lot of organic vegetables grown in the Pacific Northwest (and as far away as Mexico, according to the sticker on last week’s Avocados,) that go bad really quickly. As in quicker than we can eat them, or even give them away. As in smooshy when we open the box!

The amount of wasted food is driving me mad. I’m ready to, personally, swear off fresh fruits and veggies for the winter. I actually tend to function very well on canned and frozen fruits and veggies, aside from that occassional urge for some fresh fruit or need for celery or onions or carrots for various dishes that I tend to make more frequently.

So, I’m going to jump on the “Green Challenge” band-wagon on this one and follow along with The Food Waste Reduction Challenge found on Crunchy Chicken. Haven’t told Julie yet. She’ll be okay with it, though. I know she will.

As a secondary measure, I’ve been talking a lot of smack about the homemade worm bins lately, but after reading about using 5-gallon buckets instead of rubbermade containers to make your own, I’m sold. I don’t know if everyone realizes it, but 5 gallon buckets are typically readily available from any area restaurant upon request. That fulfills my desire to recycle AND compost, all for basically nothing.

And I know I’ve seen people offering worms on Craigslist….

So far, here’s what I can ascertain from research. (I would post sources, but I’m picking up bits and pieces widely, so just consider this a compilation of other blogs and resources.)

• Shredded newspaper, ripped up corrugated cardboard and used paper towels (the regular, non-icky-cleaner ones) will be great for “brown” waste and bedding aspect of things.
• Nested 5 gallon buckets will be good, but I’ll probably out-grow this quickly and need more room, especially since I have unlimited access to paper, cardboard (brown waste) and coffee grounds (green waste) and could foreseeably provide for as many worm bins as I have room and worms for. The compost should not be allowed to build up to deeper than 12″ to 18″ to prevent compression and such.
• If bins are opened daily to add more worm food, air holes are really not neccessary, which should help with any renegade smells. If it turns out I do need them, they should be easy enough to add later.
• I should definitely add a screen of some sort to the drainage holes on the bottom to prevent the rascals from crawling out. Provided I do the screen, there really seems to be no real strict size for the drainage holes.
• Red Wriggler worms are the best.
• Use dechlorinated water to dampen bedding material to the consistency of a wet sponge before adding the wormies to it.
• For the sake of the smell factor, again, avoid feeding meats, very fatty foods, or dairy products to the worms. They might like it, but your nose won’t. Otherwise, don’t add too many citrus peels at once because the worms will leave them to decompose a little longer than other things. Pretty much anything else is fair game.

Ok, just found that almost all of my tips from here on out are coming from the All Things Organic series on vermicomposting. So just read that.

UAA Proposed Girdwood Renewable Energy Center | Interim Report 2009

Girdwood Renewable Energy Center – January 2009 Report

This report outlines the research and development on the expansive Renewable Energy Center proposed for Girdwood. The UAA School of Engineering has presented this report to Gordwood 2020 and will present it to the Girdwood Board of Supervisors tonight, and presented an earlier version to the public at the Girdwood Library and Community Center in late October.

The next public meeting is being scheduled for late February or early March.

Trailer | Homegrown Revolution – The FILM

A new flick from Path to Freedom.(I’m kind of a fan.)

more about "Trailer | Homegrown Revolution – The …", posted with vodpod

The Long-Awaited Update

So, it’s been a while, huh?  Well, it’s not that I haven’t been working on things, that’s for sure.

Since my last post in December, here’s a sampling of what’s been happening:

• Doug Wu decided he needed to take some time off from efforts with GREASED so he could get back on track with a few other things and handed management of the group over to me.
• I decided to re-name it Sustainable Girdwood because I got tired of explaining what GREASED meant.
• I started spending most of my time and energy into figuring out if a not-for-profit structure was appropriate for the group, and after deciding that indeed it is, I began trying to figure out how to achieve that status.
• Discovered it’s REALLY hard and time consuming to do it right and decided recently that it’s taken entirely too much time and attention away from the important stuff–IE; making Girdwood a sustainable community.

So, that pretty much brings us up to date. Here’s what’s going on now:

• Looking into the possibility of using an existing nonprofit’s status for the first few years. (Which, come to find out, is how most nonprofits start, apparently.)
• Working on fleshing out SustainableGirdwood.com. Goal is to make it first and foremost a community resource for all things “Green”.
• Working with the UAA School of Engineering team that’s proposing a multi-million dollar renewable energy research and development center in Girdwood.
• Fleshing out the possibilities of a few projects for S.G., including but not limited to: in depth research and continued feasibility studies on recycling in Girdwood, a Girdwood-based AK grown/made food co-op featuring everything from fruits and veggies to meats and cheeses and eggs and milk, working up a proposal to turn all the public garden space (large concrete culverts turned on end) into edible landscaping this summer, researching measures to make Forest Fair a more socially and environmentally sustainable event.

Personal in home efforts to live a more sustainable life lately include:

• Still buying as much as possible local, organic, and bulk in that order of preference.
• Using almost all locally made and all-natural beauty products including soap, lotions, shampoo bar, herbal infused ACV rinse, and lip balm. Still use Vitamin E for a lot of my moisturizing efforts, an occasional tooth brushing with baking soda, olive oil for an extra rich body moisturizer, and still sometimes use plain Apple Cider Vinegar for my hair rinse. Most of the local products are from Alpenglow in Homer and some of the soaps from Mineral Creek Essentials in Valdez.  I really want to get the glacial facial mud mask from Alaska Glacial Mud Company in Cordova.
• I make business cards out of all of our cardboard packaging and wallets out of coffee bags I collect from various coffee shops around town. (Everyone in town uses Alaska or even Girdwood roasted organic coffees!) I plan on selling these on Etsy after a few refinements are made, pictures soon! I’m also planning an elaborate collection of designer recycled dog food bag purses (Check out Solid Gold’s packaging.  It’s very cool, and they’re an awesome company,) and will shortly be making authentic Alaskan trapper hats out of re-used flannel and uber soft and warm (new) fleece. Also developing a few other innovative ideas to re-use items in great commercial products.
• Yeah, basically I re-use everything I can for something or other. The only packaging I can’t bring myself to re-use is anything that contained raw meat. Having things go in the trash can drives me insane and fuels an unhealthy desire to take on more projects, probably way more than I can reasonably handle. For example, I’m still trying to figure out how I can have chickens without the bears eating them, for example, so they can eat all my green waste and turn it into eggs. I’m also envisioning a pretty amazing hydroponics system for the more hot-weather garden plants and baby greens utilizing plastic bottles and re-purposed plastic tubs and buckets, and studying a home made composting worm bin set-up using similar products so they can eat our compost until I figure out the chicken thing.

So yeah, I’ve been neglecting the blog.

What I learned about recycling in Girdwood and Alaska

Alaska RecyclingSo, doing a little research about potential recycling programs in Girdwood, this was what I found out:

• There was recycling available in Girdwood around five or so years ago and it was quickly shut down due to contamination in the bins. (Poor sorting, et cetera.) The same problem has happened recently with other Anchorage area recycling bins, including the glass bin in the Northland Mall area.
• Glass and newspaper stays in state, glass to be turned into blasting mediums and septic fill and newspaper for items such as insulation and hydro-seeding mulch. Everything else is shipped South and good riddance, the last think AK needs is a smelter pumping out all those pollutants. (Double edged sword? You betcha’.)
• Aluminum is up to $0.22 per pound, compared to about $0.05 in previous weeks and last summer’s high of about $0.58 per pound.
• Alaska Metal Recycling recycled 140 million pounds of cars last year. Random, but pretty damn cool.
• There are no sorting facilities for recyclables in Alaska, which makes proper sorting by individuals even more vital.
• After a brief and successful stint of glass recycling on the UAF campus in Fairbanks, the program was discontinued because Anchorage’s Glass Recycling Facility at Point Woronzof started charging them? Curious.
• World-wide, recycling has taken a major blow since the economy started to take a turn for the worse with huge lay-offs in the industry and everyone being encouraged to horde their recyclables as long as possible in hopes of prices rising to at least break-even levels.

So, after that little run-down of recycling current events, here’s some ideas for Girdwood.

• Initiate a privately run (by non-profit GREASED) recycling program with a full-time employee to sort and transport the materials to the proper drop-off.
• Donations needed: connex, location, vehicle or use of, bins, compactor or monetary donations to purchase one.
• Initiate composting program in Girdwood to utilize certain household and business food (and coffee!) waste.
• Look into the potential for using the same van/vehicle used for proposed Valley/Girdwood Food Co-Op to transport some recycled materials to eliminate “empty truck” syndrome and increase efficiency.
• Initiate quarterly household hazardous waste drives.
• Look into the potential for selling sanitized glass bottles for a nominal fee to local small-scale/home breweries.

Early stages of research, any input or advice?