Guide to Anchorage Press Clips
I wrote a lot of articles in my tenure at the Press. Most were written under extreme deadline pressures; all were juggled with significant editorial responsibility. Here are some of the best, organized by category in chronological order.
Table of contents:
News Features
- The Amazing Neurophone Earthpulse Press (Angels Don't Play This HAARP) is releasing unproven inventions with books about their benefits. They claim this first one allows the deaf to hear and enhances learning. The sidebar covers a recent development. (9-5-96)
- A Cure for Autism? Alaska's groundbreaking work in providing effective, affordable treatment for autism has resulted in success rates approaching a cure for almost half of the participants. The Sidebar features a touching interview with a participating family. (8-8-96)
- Recycling Reality The Anchorage Recycling Center bends over backwards to collect our cans and office paper, yet they won't accept our plastics or green glass. Waste Management, Inc. explains the ins and outs of their trade. (4-25-96)
- What Happened to the Anti-Sales Tax Initiative? People were excited about the potential for a pre-emptive strike against future taxation in a time of shrinking budgets. Though the issue died with nary a whimper, our investigation reveals that the municipal clerk may be playing fast and loose with the Constitution. (4-11-96)
- Kompkoff Rejection Provides Valuable Lesson The local media let this one go with nary a comment, but Kompkoff's rejection from the Equal Rights Commission on the grounds that she took a position on two gay issues in her past was reprehensible. Here's the inside story on how the Christian Right comandeered city government to remove an eminently qualified representative. (3-14-96)
Meaningful Differences Surprise UAA Researcher Dr. Todd Risley spent years observing normal families interacting with their children. He found that income is strongly related to the amount of time spent talking to one's children, that this is one of the greatest predictors of intelligence, and that we can change the status quo. (2-1-96)
Kent Pollock Takes the Reins of the Anchorage Daily News. The California editor explains his philosophy of journalism and his feelings about the paper in this frank interview. Unfortunately, Pollock's frankness got him in a bit of trouble with his new staff when the article ran. (12-21-95)
- In His Own Words, Mayor Rick Mystrom explains why, for the third time in just over a decade, an Anchorage Mayor put one of the city's highest-yield assets on the auction block. This time, restrictions on the sale garnered the lowest bids ever. Although the city spent millions on the project, the voters once again rejected it. See the POL article for more background. (11-22-95)
- Love, Romance, or ??? is the truly inspired turn of phrase our Design Editor, Lucian Childs, came up with as the header for our personals - definitely the most controversial aspect of the paper. What are those people in the personals up to? Are they getting laid? All this and much more will become clear... (6-1-95)
- Of Thieves and Scoundrels Alaska's Child Support Enforcement Agency is well-known for using extreme tactics to get what they want. And in Fred's case, it seems they didn't let a little thing like the law get in their way. (5-18-95)
- Battle at Alpenglow tells the story of a local ski resort pushed to the brink of bankruptcy by lift safety regulations, and the lift maintenance contractors who ended up caught in the fray. (4-13-95)
- Taxed Into Oblivion? chronicles the debate over a proposed 6% alcohol sales tax during last April's Anchorage Municipal election. (3-30-95)
- Democratic Party Infighting assaulted me that day, totally unexpected. Soon, I found myself witnessing events that aren't supposed to leak out to the media... (3-23-95)
- Kelly Haney ran for Anchorage School Board in the April election. Few people believed that an 18-year-old High School student would beat long-time incumbent Joe Marks, but she did. Here she is, at the height of her campaign, speaking frankly with the Press about school, politics and sensitive teen issues. (3-9-95)
Sports Features
- Post-apocalyptic Biking at Jim Creek Gun-toting off-road maniacs in Palmer sure know how to party in a dust storm. But is this any place to be biking? (5-16-96)
- Skiing Turnagain Pass Climbing Turnagain Pass is a grueling way to spend a few hours. But with no chair lifts, hiking up is the only way to ski down. If only there weren't so many intoxicated snowmachiners... (1-18-96)
Music Advances/Reviews/Features
Art/Literature Advances/Reviews/Features
- Art of the Flesh Angela Ramirez' Body Art '95 introduced play piercing and fire play. Though many have deemed the show 'too much' for Anchorage, the high-quality production hosted by Out North Theater continues to evolve. (10-5-95)
- City Evicts Stonington Gallery to make room for its own ACVB. A divided community comments on the action. (9-14-95)
- In the Mind of Callahan John Callahan was rendered quadriplegic in a drunk driving accident 20 years ago. Today, he's a successful syndicated cartoonist who excels at pissing people off. (8-31-95)
- North of Eden Released Loose Affiliation's first book was a good read, and gave 35 unknown writers some exposure. Brian Hutton talks about the editing process the week before the group participates in the interdisciplinary arts gathering, Something With Words. (8-24-95)
- Lennon's Art Comes to Anchorage as colorized reproductions. In our companion Q&A interview, Yoko Ono explains to The Press why she colorized the art, and why Lennon's visual art is still important today. (8-10-95)
- "The Last Picture Show" marked the end of Hal Gage's "Gallery", the only all-photography venue in Anchorage, with a retrospective of the artists who were able to show during its brief history. Gage says he could have overcome a roof-crushing snow load, but not his landlord. (7-20-95)
- Linda McCarriston, a UAA professor and local poet, was featured in a nationwide Bill Moyer's special. The multi-part series ran on PBS, and the support in town was amazing. Cyrano's hosted weekly rebroadcasts of the show, and McCarriston spoke at a number of local bookstores. (6-29-95)
- Alan Parks' Streets Homer photographer Parks returned from Outside with thousands of images documenting life on the streets in Seattle and Mexico. The best were shown at local photography haven "The Gallery". Parks says he isn't afraid to set up shots in his quest for honest images. (3-2-95)
Theater/Performance Advances/Reviews/Features
My column Unfit to Print, and other editorials
*8-1-96 Sidewalk vendor crackdown Aug 1-7 96
The righteous path didn't become apparent to me until the next day - after I'd dumped my uninvited, mentally-ill houseguest on the street. (7-3-96)
Fake letters to the editor are bunk, I say. Institutionally-created 'public opinion' has become pervasive. Many organizations are defrauding the journalistic community in addition to their elected representatives. (6-27-96)
Theresa Obermeyer wasn't treated fairly when she was tackled by guards at the federal building while in transit to a public meeting. She may be opinionated, but like all of us still deserves First Amendment protection. (6-20-96)
Live free in juneau Alaska's state capitol has some of the most expensive housing in the nation, and a correspondingly high homeless rate. Despite the attraction of living in the world's most beautiful temerate rainforest, many of these people didn't choose their fate. (6-13-96)
Gunfight generates excitement, reflection When the gangsters caught an innocent volleyball player in the crossfire, I watched in horror from my office window. After bandaging the victim and identifying the perps, I realized I'd learned a bit more about drive-by shootings. (6-6-96)
Subsistence time-consuming yet rewarding Collecting wild foods is only about half the battle. Time spent in processing can be grueling, but the spritual rewards are worth it. (5-30-96)
Photo radar One step closer to bringing us to our knees, or typical Unfit to Print extremism. Probably somewhere in between, but no matter how you slice it, the arrival of Photo Radar in Anchorage can't be good - or constitutional. (5-16-96)
Trees aren't the only hazards in urban brushrunning, and two municipal agencies feel much differently when I tell them I've almost injured a few homeless people during early-morning escapades. (5-2-96)
Their sexist sign pissed me off Surely there are more important things in this world than gender-neutral language, but I wasn't about to tolerate their intolerance. This article sparked a great deal of media attention, and lost us a lucrative advertising contract. (4-25-96)
Spring bonfires return Yeah, there's nothing like hauling five gallons of gasoline and a dozen palettes out to the park and having a true, Alaskan-style bonfire. Too bad fires are illegal almost everywhere. (3-28-96)
Tough on crime bills mean more crime By pursuing a highly punitive strategy instead of focusing on the causes of crime, Alaska is setting itself up for an escalating crime rate on par with Lower 48 states. Governor Knowles, however, may have a solution. (3-7-96)
Schools should provide condoms A high-school survey showed that about half of sexually active teens use condoms - and no school in Alaska permits their distribution on campus. Not only do I see a connection, but the policy is clearly destructive. (2-29-96)
Black Thursday Plain and simple, the Communications Decency Act sucks. (2-15-96)
Proposed Tobacco tax may serve to reduce smoking, but will place a disproportionate and unacceptable burden on the poor. Surely we have more egalitarian options. (2-8-96)
*12-21-95 Dead dogs unfit Dec21-Jan3 96
Youth Involvement Day worked 400 kids from all grade levels came together to discuss social policy and forward their recommendations to the city. As the custodians of our future, we owe them our ears. (10-26-95)
*?*10-12-95 Prevo's church Oct 12-18 95
*?*9-21-95 My car broken into Sept 21-27 95
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