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Gear - What to take on-shoreUnited we standA Break in the Mat-Su weatherCaptain's CornerSafetyThe 'democratic' process in actionWinning the Cultural WarCaptain's Corner - Holiday IssueSafety Gifts for ChristmasTo Our Nations Vets - The Alaska Boating Association says, Thank You!University of Alaska Professor receives National Recognition for Geoscience Education VideosWhat has gone wrong?Where oh where have the fish gone ???by Todd Clark, 8/20/2000As boaters we have many motivations. For some it may be the thrill of speed over open water. It may have more to do with sport than utility. For others it has more to do with access to your favorite fishing spot or a way of avoiding the highway. In the fall it may be a method of gaining access to game. For some it may be the love of water and being around it. This article focuses on a utility perspective, particularly for hunters.With today’s highway system crowded with anglers and hunters competing for the same resources, many take to the waterways. The same competition exists along the waterways, although maybe not as bad as on the highways. Taking your boat off the beaten path and then taking to foot may be the ultimate in “getting away from people”. There are few salmon fishing holes worth the effort of walking to that you couldn’t get to with a boat. However, when considering moose or caribou hunting and certainly sheep or goat hunting, the willingness to leave the boat is potentially rewarding. Minimal gear certainly makes sense anytime you are required to pack and store it. For boaters it becomes a question of how much space you have and how well you would like your boat to perform. Gear of course has two attributes: space and weight. If you are successful fishing and especially if you are hunting, you need to consider the weight you must haul on the way back. The remainder of this article focuses on my opinion of the gear you’ll need for the walk-in portion of your hunt. When sheep or goat hunting you’ll find yourself climbing perhaps several thousand feet and several miles from where you started walking. Light gear is the key. It doesn’t really mater if you weight 125 pounds or 275 pounds. The lightest gear and the least amount of gear, allow you to go farther and faster. I’ve found that the best way to lighten my gear is to leave it at home. Rather than buy a titanium cook pot, don’t bring a cook pot. No stove is always lighter than an expensive back packing stove. Well, you get the idea. The problem is that no equipment manufacturers seem to cling to my idea of the perfect gear – less of it and cheap. The only expensive gear I believe in is optics and firearms. Your tent, sleeping bag and pack will probably be less than $200 each. Everything else is relatively cheap. To build a packing list, consider what you need to bring down your game, field dress it and haul it back. Next consider that in order to survive comfortably (even overnight) you need shelter, water and food. Finally consider what you need to survive if you get into trouble. You’ll additionally need first aid, the ability to create a fire and some method of signaling for help. The basics of survival include shelter, fire, water, food, signaling and first aid. My total gear for four days including food but excluding my rifle, ammunition and binoculars is less than 25 pounds. Food for four days is about 5 ½ pounds. My tent is just over 3 pounds. My sleeping bag is less than 4 pounds. My pack weights 5 pounds. The rest of my gear is less than 7 pounds. It’s more about what not to bring than what to bring. A sleeping pad is the perfect piece of gear to illustrate the point. Your average sleeping pad is over a pound to carry several miles and haul up a mountain. I’m so tired by the time I’m ready to sleep that I couldn’t care less if I have a sleeping pad. I know some of you are thinking, “but it’s only a pound”. Every pound adds up, so you need to take stock. Also remember the considerable weight you’ll be hauling out if you are successful. Items of comfort are not worth it when considering the poundage going uphill and returning with meat and other recoverables. I quit bringing a stove in favor of food that doesn’t require cooking. It’s faster, no fuel odor and it saves a tremendous amount of weight. I’ll talk more about my choice of food later. In Alaska, in the fall you need to consider the dangers of hypothermia. Sometimes a hot beverage or soup could bring you back from “the edge”. Since a bic lighter won’t heat a cup of water, I resorted to military Hexamine tablets. Hexamine is a solid fuel pellet that burns hot for about 5 to 10 minutes. Bring a metal cup, Hexamine tablets, and some tin foil for a windshield and maybe some wire to keep your cup positioned above the tablet. I spent a few minutes to bend some coat hanger into a stand for my cup. The whole contraption including a cup, Hexamine, the wire stand, tin foil and a packet of instant Lipton soup weights about 5 ounces. You can bring along instant coffee as well. This stove will boil two cups of water within ten minutes. It may be necessary to use two Hexamine tablets to get the desired results. For shelter I carry a three pound one man tent. I always got stuck with carrying my seven-pound North Face two-man tent while my hunting partner would carry unnecessary gear and no tent. So I resorted to the one-man variety. I’ve considered going to a bivy sack that would be even half that weight. For a sleeping bag I decided that down insulation, while the lightest isn’t worth the risk of getting it wet. Down has no insulating properties when wet. I used to carry a 4-pound LiteLoft 15 degree mummy bag. The 15-degree bag wasn’t warm enough on cold trips and LiteLoft is not the lightest synthetic insulation available today. I’ve recently gone to a 3 pound 10 ounce 0 degree bag made of Polarguard 3D. Down bags are only a couple of ounces lighter when comparing bags of the same dimensions. I use an external frame pack that weights about 5 pounds. It has a capacity of 4500 cubic inches. I opted for a pack bag with only two pockets and shaped like a big sock. I bring so little gear that I keep it in two Ziploc bags in the main compartment or in the two long side pockets. The one large main compartment works well for hauling meat. I haven’t found an internal pack with the same capacity that weighs less. The external frame is of course more versatile. Be sure to invest in a very waterproof pack cover. On a recent trip with two companions, it rained very hard and started sleeting by evening. My companions opted to walk out rather than spend the night. When we got back, my gear and sleeping bag was completely dry, thanks to my pack cover. Each of my two companion’s gear was completely soaked including their sleeping bags. It probably would not have been a safe night for them when considering the dangers of hypothermia. For clothing, I make sure that everything I wear is either polypropylene (poly) or some amount of wool, right down to my underwear. Avoid cotton altogether. Once wet, cotton never dries while poly will wick moisture and dry very easily even after being soaked. The only spare clothing I bring is a pair of poly socks and poly underpants. I used to bring spare poly fleece pants and other spare clothing, but once I switched to the dry ones the wet ones would remain wet and then both pair would be wet (and heavy). If I leave the wet fleece on, it dries much faster. If you get hypothermic, pitch a tent, get out of the wet clothing and into your sleeping bag. I also like to bring a poly headband that I can slip underneath my waterproof hat on a cold day. A light pair of fleece or neoprene gloves can keep your hands warm and may protect them when on rocky terrain or struggling through alder patches. I bring some cheap and light raingear that packs up small. It works great as long as you don’t sweat too much while wearing it. Probably the most significant factor is my choice of food. The food I bring offers the most calories per ounce and requires no cooking or utensils. You need to be careful when considering the lightest food with the most energy. We can’t all survive on pure butter and sugar. My food list for four days provides 129 calories per ounce average. This gives me over 2800 calories per day. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends a diet of no more than 30% fat, 10% protein the about 60% carbohydrates of with less than 10% of that should be simple sugars. This diet is aimed at long-term health and weight control. Many doctors and other schools of thought differ from these FDA recommendations. For a short trip into the hills with a pack, your dietary needs don’t need to be strictly per the FDA recommendations. One gram of fat offers 9 calories of energy compared to 4 calories for protein or carbohydrates. Alcohol produces 7 calories per gram (but I can’t bring myself to carry cans of beer up the hill). I like to bring food that’s a little high in fat like nuts and salami or pepperoni and etc. The salami and pepperoni should be in 8-ounce packages to avoid spoilage. Don’t open the packages until you are ready to eat them. For carohydrates I bring Pilot Bread. Other foods that work well include string cheese or cream cheese in individual packages and fig bar cookies or some dried fruit. I avoid sugary foods. This meal plan is high in fat, has about an average amount of protein and the remainder is carbohydrates. In addition, I bring some multivitamins just to help keep things in balance. Needless to say, I spend a lot of time looking at the packing labels when packing my food. Look at the calories per ounce and the amount of sugar, protein, fat and carbohydrates. I haven’t even considered bringing freeze-dried food. It’s heavy per calorie and requires a stove and cooking gear. For water, I like to bring a water bag or bottle with a “bite” hose on it. The hose can hang over your shoulder and you can take a sip anytime your thirsty. When climbing, it’s important to stay hydrated. Bring a water filter that protects against giardia and viruses since you can’t tell if any water is infested or safe to drink. Get water when you can because it’s often not available at high altitudes. For hunting you need of course your rifle and ammunition. If you jam your rifle in the dirt, you’ll wish you had some sort of barrel swab. I have a lightweight piece of cable that can be passed through the barrel. You’ll also need a hunting knife (I like to bring a spare) and a small game saw for cracking the pelvis and etc. Be sure to bring a sharpening steel. I prefer a lightweight diamond steel made mostly of plastic. Bring a light game bag to keep the flies of the meat while in transit. You can have other games bags back at base. I like to bring a scope and tripod to leave at base. When sheep hunting, you need to know what mountain to hike up. Preferably you would hike up a mountain with sheep on it. Binoculars are a real wild card. They can be cheap or expensive, light or heavy. They can be light and not work well in low light conditions or heavy with large objective lenses. They can weight from ½ pound to 2 pounds. I’ve heard more than one person say, “Purchase the most expensive optics you can afford”. I subscribe to this philosophy, I just can’t afford the ones I’d like. Bring a map of the area you’ll be traveling and be sure to know the hunting regulations in your area especially considering drainages when sheep or goat hunting. Of course remember your hunting license, tags and any required permits. If you get in trouble you’ll want a first aid kit and a signal mirror. I reduce the first aid kit to the minimal items I’ll need. I don’t bring an entire jar of aspirin for example. You’ll also need the ability to start a fire. I like to bring a lighter that’s made of clear plastic so I can see how much butane is left. Bring some waterproof matches for backup. Other items in my pack include a half a roll of toilet paper, my toothbrush and a small tube of paste. I bring a good compass and a watch with an alarm. I don’t usually bring bug dope, but always wish I had. I like to have a wad of twine for tying on meat or other purposes. Finally, It’s worth bringing a camera. I like to be able to record my moments. I bring a disposable outdoor camera and keep it in a plastic bag. I’ve ruined a decent compact camera from too much rain and moisture. I’ve tried the waterproof disposable cameras, but they are heavier than the non-waterproof counterparts and they take lousy pictures. The simple, cheap and light outdoor disposables take decent picture and have recorded a lot of miles. by Todd Clark, 8/20/2000When considering access to our precious waters and lands, we’ve never been more threatened. Lakes, rivers, trails, and now even the ocean is off limits to user groups who aren’t effective fighting for their rights. These battles are won long before our leaders come together to vote on bills and ordinances. If you wait to speak your peace during public comment, you’ve waited too long. The war is often lost by the time the bill or ordinance is drafted. The time to act is now, prior to elections. The best way to preserve access to the Alaskan wilderness is to get the right people elected. Boaters whether on ocean, river or lake, large craft or personal craft, need to work together this fall to ensure your candidates make it to office. Organizations to get involved with include the Alaska Boating Association, The Alaska Outdoor Council, The Alaska Snowmobile Association, or the Personal Watercraft Club of Alaska and there are others. Elections are in October. Please, get involved now!by B.J. Bjorgan, 2/9/2000The Matanuska - Susitna Borough’s Lake Management mania had a startling; but overwhelming welcome, turn of events. The hot topic of the evening was the Nickolson Lake Management Plan. For those who have not been following these Mat - Su events, it has been a process to say the least. Because of a few misguided plans, there are many people in the Mat-Su Borough that can only sit and watch their favorite boat grow old without being in the water. But, there are others who, after years of water skiing at speeds in excess of 60+ mile per hour, can sit back and enjoy the ‘quiet’ life. Must be tough to get old. But enough of personal conjecture, it has been, none the less, a battle back and forth between the people who want to enjoy the Mat - Su lakes and those who don’t want you to. A recent Tuesday evening; however, saw a break in the weather. A plan was developed that was fairly realistic. Below is the lead testimony given during the public hearing phase of the process. “Good evening Mr. Mayor and Assembly members. My name is Don Sherwood, and I would like to take a moment of your time to address a subject and the proposals that have been on going here in the Matanuska - Susitna Borough for a number of years, lake management plans, in particular the Nickolson Lake Plan. Lake management plans are developed for a variety of purposes. Most of the time it is the lake front property owners who request a management plan because of the increased lake usage and the conflicts that arise among the various user groups. You have two primary ways to approach and address their concerns. One is to petition method and the other is as your have before you, the lake management plan approach, which encompasses the local property owners and residents who are impacted by the lake users. With this scenario, all the concerns are addressed with the various inholders and users participating in hands on round table discussions. therefore, coming up with a fair and equitable compromise to meet the needs of all concerned participants. On page 19 & 20 {Nickolson Lake Management Plan} under ‘implementation’, the motorized and access issues have been approached with all concerns looked at with an on-site study done by some lake front property owners with comments by Alaska Department of Fish and Game as shown in the blue binder which has been given to you. In the binder, you will see less than 1% of the time spent is water skiing from May through September. It could even be said that the use of motorized equipment, from airplanes, snowmachines, and power boats would be approximately 3 % of the time year around. The motorized users, which are also lake front owners, have come up with compromises that take away the current status of full usage by all for twenty-four hours a day, to a proposed ‘time share option’ which includes three days a week motorized and prohibits personal watercraft (jetskis), includes ‘quiet hours’, no wake zones, plus four days a week ‘no wake speed’ on the entire lake. This is by far a fair compromise to all residents involved and meets the just need of all the lake users. The time spent on research (bank erosion by waves) by Mr. Mark Cottini, who is a civil engineer, and other fellow owners shows that a great deal of thought and foresight has been put forth in the plan for the future of this lake. As a Matanuska - Susitna Valley property owner and taxpayer, I hope that we can have access to our public waters under a sound and equitable management plan such as the one before you tonight. I strongly support passage of this plan tonight. Thank you.” It is almost encouraging to see that there is hope for the political process in the Matanuska - Susitna Borough. A refreshing breath of reality and common sense showing itself makes one almost believe that common ground can be found and that rational and well founded conclusions can be reached. It early in the season yet; however, I have heard from more than one source that there is a fledgling hope of optimism starting to develop and with continued support and encouragement from the users and the non-users, civilized co-existence can flourish in ‘our’ great State. Way to go Mat - Su Valley. Your Chamber of Commerce can be proud of you. For those of you who don’t know Mr. Sherwood, he has been an avid outdoorsman for many years here in Alaska. Some say record books were kept that far back to say exactly when his enjoyment of Alaska started. I believe at that time you had to go to Fairbanks through Glenallen, the only way to the Susitna River was going down Willow Creek and there wasn’t a lot of paved road north of Wasilla, and most of the lakes in the Mat - Su Borough were only accessible by aircraft with floats or a very good pair of hiking bootby Cliff Judkins, President ABA, 7/16/1999Matanuska Borough Lake Management (or Borough Harassment of Power Boaters) continues on its predictable course. At a hearing held on June 15th the Borough Assembly adopted two ordinances that lake front property owners and those living within 600 feet of a lake to continue to exert unnecessarily restrictive control on state waters. The first Ordinance (99-102) provides provisions for initiating and amending a Lake Management Plan. This ordinance requires the signatures of 50% of the legal owners of all parcels within 600 feet upland of the lake or the signatures of 50 property owners within 600 feet of the lake which ever is less to initiate or amend a Lake Management Plan. This ordinance gives complete control of local lakes to the property owners around them. No other group or individual can initiate, or propose an amendment, to a lake management plan. The people of the state have been totally disenfranchised by the Mat-Su Borough. The second Ordinance (99-103) establishes “guidelines” to be followed when developing lake management plans. The original purpose of this ordinance was to standardize lake management plan criteria and eliminate the confusion caused by different rules applied to different lakes and to let people know in advance what guidelines were available for different size lakes. The ordinance that was advertised and introduced for public hearing contained no horsepower limits and dealing with lakes of fewer than 75 acres, 75 to 150 acres and over 150 acres. The ordinance was amended at the public hearing to provide for a 10hp motor restriction on lakes up to 200 acres. With the adopted wording property owners within 600 feet of a lake may propose limiting boats to 10 horsepower on lakes up to 200 acres. To date the assembly has catered to the wishes of lake front property owners in almost every case. Property owners around lakes up to 75 acres may recommend time-sharing. Property owners around lakes 0ver 75 acres shall recommend time-sharing. Time sharing means the retriction would not apply on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and three-day federal holidays. I am sure glad that the assembly eliminated all of the confusion and multiplicity of options with this new ordinance! You will still need a set of instructions to figure out what you can and can not do on each lake within the Mat-Su Borough. I would suggest that lake boater go elsewhere, however Mat-Su has all the lakes! The plan is to print the text of these ordinances elsewhere in the Drift, provided space is available. I met with State Parks and State Fish and Game Representatives at the mouth of Willow creek to revisit the idea of a boat launch at that site. A launch here would alleviate the congestion on Willow Creek and crowding at the Deshka Landing. Even with the Deshka Landing working three abreast at the ramp there is an hour long wait to get your boat out of the water on Sunday afternoon. I know the idea of another boat launch in the area will upset some people; however the congestion and overcrowding at existing facilities seems to justify the need. It is interesting to note that boat ramps in many states are built by the state and are open to the public free of charge. Those of you that drive airboats should take notice of the airboat restrictions in the Wood-Tikchik State Park. The Park Management Council (made up of area residents) is undertaking an update and revision of the existing management plan. State Regulation 11ACC 20.380 became law in May of 1985. This regulation which opens the Park to the use of powerboats with the exception of airboats will be considered in the update process. During the pre 1985 deliberations “public concerns arose concerning airboat engine noise and its potential impacts on wildlife. Additionally, the potential impacts of airboat operations in shallow bay bird nesting areas was cited.” Note the use of the word “potential” in these statements. There were no facts or scientific date to prove these “potentials” in 1985 and there are none now! Written testimony on this issue should be addressed to Dan Hourihan, Wood-Tikchik Area Ranger, 3601 C Street, Suite 1200, Anchorage, AK 99503-5921. You can phone Mr. Hourihan at (907) 269-8698. Written testimony would be more effective. For those of you that have not noticed-the weather is beautiful, the fish are biting and the nights are warm on the rivers don’t miss it, get out there and enjoy yourself, readjust your priorities to the important things in life! Summer is here, get those boats out and get ready to have some fun!!! Join the Alaska Boating Association and help us promote safe, responsible, accessible boating for everyone. See ya’ll on Step . . . Cliffby Mark Tietzel, 7/16/1999BE PREPARED For many, Memorial Day weekend was the kick-off for the boating season. For your own safety it is wise to be prepared for your first boating outing. Inaddition, Boating Enforcement Officers may be out in force in order to help assure that you and your boat are prepared. Some of the safety equipment that they may be checking for includes: PERSONAL FLOATATION DEVICES (PFD’s, life preservers, float coats, etc) One for every person onboard, of the proper type and size. PERSONAL FLOATATION DEVICE actually worn by children under the age of 13. THROWABLE FLOATATION DEVICE (Seat cushion, life ring, etc) SIGNALING DEVICE (Horn or Whistle capable of a 4 second blast and audible for at least 1 mile. EMERGENCY SIGNALING DEVICES (Flares, Sky Rockets, Smoke Bombs, etc) Note: These devices carry an expiration date and must be current in inorder to be acceptable. FIRE EXTINGUISHER (Required for boats of a certain length) VENTILATION SYSTEMS for boats with enclosed engines or enclosed fuel tank spaces. Optional equipment for special operation includes: NAVIGATION LIGHTS for operation after sunset and before sunrise. Items listed above may be the minimum legally required list of equipment to have onboard. Other recommended equipment might include: Paddle or oar Anchor and rope Bow lines and stern lines First-Aid kit Tools of the proper size and assortment Flashlight with fresh batteries Matches inside a weatherproof container Jumper cables Spare parts (duct tape, electrical, bailing wire, and assorted hose clamps at minimum) Prior to trailering there are a number of recommended checks including: Starting battery charged Fuel tanks full Coolant and oil levels at proper level Steering, shift and throttle cables free Engine drain plug reinstalled Hull drain plug available Ignition key available Winch line secure Trailer license tabs current Bilge pump operable The final step of preparation is to file a Plan with a family member, friend or neighbor. The Plan should contain the best estimate of times and destinations expected to be followed. If there might be alternate destinations, they should be listed. Now if something unexpected should happen inspite of the level of preparation, search and rescue personnel willby Randy "Bj" Bjorgan, 7/16/1999The 15th of June was a proud day in the Matanuska - Susitna Valley Borough Assembly Chambers. One saw what one of their own call the ‘democratic process’ in all it’s living splendor. Yes, the night in which the above to ordinances were passed. Many people came to speak to the two issues that were advertised for public comment. They were the purposed ‘guidelines’ and initiation procedures for lake management plans as adopted the the Mat-Su Borough Planning Commission. They went through the public comment process, debated, and adopted what they felt a package based on the outline presented by the assembly in their tasking, the peoples comments, and a bit of common sense. The ABA commends the Planning Commission on their process and actions. The Assembly as scheduled, held the public hearing on both ordinances. Comments were presented for both sides of the issues. It was quite evident that it was divided between the ambitious and playful generation and those who want to spend a few years living on a golden pond in Alaska as it was in the 1930’s when no one was here. Unfortunately, times are changing, population growth is moving farther out from the urban areas, and with the outdoor recreation available, they want to take part in the fun; so, times are changing. After public testimony ending, the Assembly then proceeded to completely change both ordinance from what they originally were, prevent any further public discussion regarding the new changes and pass the above two ordinances. Basically, if you have either of these two pieces of equipment {A personal watercraft or a large horsepower [larger the 10 h.p.]} and want to use them for recreation, you are NOT WELCOME in the Valley. Take your money and spend it elsewhere, the Valley doesn’t want it. I will have to give the Assembly credit, because the majority of them danced to the music orchestrated by a few individuals, who have had their recreational fun on the Valley water resources, and want now to have a quite life experience. The Matanuska - Susitna Borough Rest Homes. Sure, why not ! And by the way, once this happens, you can do away with the Assembly, and turn the Valley management over to the Palmer Senior Center, and they can set up some home health care plans for all the Valley residents. The various Chamber of Commerce groups in the Valley don’t have to worry about promoting their grand Valley. It’s being done for you !by Charlton Heston, President NRA, 7/16/1999“Winning the Cultural War” by Charlton Heston President, National Rifle Association of America Harvard Law School Forum, February 16, 1999 I remember my son when he was five, explaining to his kindergarten class what his father did for a living. “My Daddy,” he said, “pretends to be people.” There have been quite a few of them. Prophets from the Old and New Testaments, a couple of Christian saints, generals of various nationalities and different centuries, several kinks, three American presidents, a French cardinal and two geniuses, including Michelangelo. If you want he ceiling re-painted I’ll do my best. There always seem to be a lot of different fellows up here. I’m never sure which one of them gets to talk. Right now, I guess I’m the guy. As I pondered our visit tonight it struck me: If my Creator gave me the fit to connect you with the hearts and minds of those great men, then I want to use that sane gift now to re-connect you with your own sense of liberty …. Your own freedom of thought… you own compass for what is right. Dedicating the memorial at Gettysburg, Abraham Lincoln said of America, “We are now engaged in a great Civil War, testing whether this nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure.” Those words are true again. I believe that we are again engaged in a great civil war, a cultural war that'’ about to hijack your birthright to think and say what resides in you heart. I fear you no longer trust the pulsing lifeblood of liberty inside you … the stuff that made this country rise from wilderness into the miracle that it is. Let me back up. About a year ago, I became president of the National Rifle Association, which protects the right to keep and bear arms. I ran for office, I was elected, and now I serve… I serve as a moving target for the media who’ve called me everything from “ridiculous” and “duped” to a “brain-injured, senile, crazy old man.” I know … I’m pretty old… but I sure Lord ain’t senile. As I have stood in the crosshairs of those who target Second Amendment freedoms, I’ve realized that firearms are not the only issue. No, it’s much, much bigger than that. I’ve come to understand that a cultural war is raging across our land, in which, with Orwellian fervor, certain acceptable thoughts and speech are mandated. For example, I marched for civil rights with Dr. King in 1963 – long before Hollywood found it fashionable. But when I told an audience last year that white pride is just as valid as black pride or red pride or anyone else’s pride, they called me a racist. I’ve worked with brilliantly talented homosexuals all my life. But when I told an audience that gay rights should extend no further than your rights or my rights, I was called a homophobe. I served in World War II against the Axis powers. But during a speech, when I drew an analogy between singling out innocent Jews and singling out innocent gun owners, I was called an anti-Semite. Everyone I know knows I would never raise a closed fist against my country. But when I asked an audience to oppose this cultural persecution, I was compared to Timothy McVeigh. From Time magazine to friends and colleagues, they’re essentially saying, “Chuck, how dare you speak your mind. You are using language not authorized for public consumption!” But I am not afraid. If Americans believed in political correctness, we’d still be King George’s boys – subjects bound to the British crown. In his book, The End of Sanity, Martin Gross writes that “blaantly irrational behavior is rapidly being established as the norm in almost every area of human endeavor. There seem to be new customs, new reules, new anti-intellectual theories regularly foisted on us from every direction. Underneath, the nation is roiling. Americans know something without a name is undermining the nation, turnning the mushy when it comes to separating truth from falsehood and right from wrong. And they don’t like it.” Let me read a few examples: At Antioch College in Ohio, young men seeking intimacy with a coed must get verbal permission at each step of the process from kissing to petting to final copulation … all clearly spelled out in a printed college directive. In New Jersey, despite the death of several patients nationwide who had been infected by dentists who had concealed their AIDS – the state commissioner announced that health providers who are HIV-positive need not…. Need not… tell their patients that they are infected. At William and Mary, students tried to change the name of the school team “The Tribe” because it was supposedly insulting to the local Indians, only to learn that authentic Virginia chiefs truly like the name. In San Francisco, city fathers passed an ordinance protecting the rights of transvestites to cross-dress on the job, and for transsexuals to have separate toilet facilities while undergoing sex change surgery. In New York City, kids who don’t speack a word of Spanish have been placed in bilingual classes to learn their three “R’s” in Spanish solely because their last names sound Hispanic. At the University of Pennsylvania, in a state where thousands died at Gettysburg opposing slavery, the president of that college officially set up segregated dormitory space for black students. Yeah, I know… that’s out of bounds now. Dr. King said, “Negroes.” Jimmy Baldwin and most of us on the march said, “black.” But, it’s a no-no now. For me, hyphenated identities are awkward … particularly “Native-American.” I’m a Native Americian, for God’s sake. I also happen to be a blood-initiated brother of the Miniconjou Sioux. On my wife’s side, my grandson is a thirteenth generation native American … with a capital letter on “American.” Finally, just last month…David Howard, head of the Washington D.C. Office of Public Advocate used the word “niggardly” while talking to colleagues about budgetary matters. Of course, “niggardly” means stingy or scanty. But within days, Howard was forced to publicly apologize and resign. As columnist Tony Snow wrote: “David Howard got fired because some people in public employ were morons who (a) didn’t know the meaning of niggardly, (b) didn’t know how to use a dictionary to discover the meaning, and (c) actually demanded that he apologize for the ignorance.” What does all of this mean? It means that telling us what to think has evolved into telling us what to say, so telling us what to do can’t be far behind. Before you claim to be a champion of free thought, tell me: Why did political correctness originate on America’s campuses? And why do you continue to tolerate it? Why do you, who’re supposed to debate ideas, surrender to their suppression? Let’s be honest. Who here thinks your p0rofessors can say what they really believe? It scares me to death, and should scare you too, that the superstition of political correctness rules the halls of reason. You are the best and the brightest. You, here in the fertile cradle of American academia, here in the castle of learning on the Charles River, you are the cream. But, I submit that you, and your counterparts across the land, are the most socially conformed and politically silenced generation since Concord Bridge. And as long as you validate that … and abide it … you are – by your grandfathers’ standards - - cowards. Here’s another example. Right now at more than one major university, Second Amendment scholars and researchers are being told to shut up about their findings or they’ll lose their jobs. Why? Because their research findings would undermine big-city mayors’ pending lawsuits that seek to extort hundreds of millions of dollars from firearm manufacturer. I don’t care what you think about guns. But if you are not shocked at that, I am shocked at you. Who will defend the value of academia, if you supposed soldiers of free thought and expression lay down your arms and plead, “Don’t shoot me.” If you talk about race, it does not make you a racist. If you see distinctions between the genders, it does not make you sexist. If you think critically about a denomination, it does not make you anti-religion. If you accept but don’t celebrate homosexuality, it does not make you a homophobe. Don’t let America’s universities continue to serve as incubators for this rampant epidemic of new McCarthyism. But what can you do? How can anyone prevail against such pervasive social subjugation? The answer’s been here all along. I learned it 36 years ago, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., standing with Dr. Martin Luther King and two hundred thousand people. You simply … disobey. Peaceably, yes. Respectfully, of course. Nonviolently, absolutely. But when told how to think or what to say or how to behave, we don’t. We disobey social protocol that stifles and stigmatizes personal freedom. I learned the awesome power of disobedience from Dr. Kin … who learned it from Gandhi, and Thoreau, and Jesus, and every other great man who led those in the right against those with the might. Disobedience is in our DNA. We feel innate kinship with that disobedient spirit that tossed tea into Boston Harbor, that sent Thoreau to jail, that refused to sit in the back of the bus, that protested a war in Viet Nam. In that same spirit, I am asking you to disavow cultural correctness with massive disobedience of rogue authority, social directives and onerous law that weaken personal freedom. But be careful … it hurts. Disobedience demands that you put yourself at risk. Dr. King stood on lots of balconies. You must be willing to be humiliated … to endure the modern day equivalent of the police dogs at Montgomery and the water cannons at Selma. You must be willing to experience discomfort. I’m not complaining, but my own decades of social activism have taken their toll on me. Let me tell you a story. A few years back I heard about a rapper named Ice-T who was selling a CD called “Cop Killer” celebrating ambushing and murdering police officers. It was being marketed by none other that Time/Warner, the biggest entertainment conglomerate in the world. Police across the country were outraged. Rightfully so – at least one had been murdered. But Time/Warner was stonewalling because the CD was a cash cow for them, and the media were tiptoeing around because the rapper was black. I heard Time/Warner had a stockholders meeting scheduled in Beverly Hills. I owned some shares at the time, so I decided to attend. What I did there was against the advice of my family and colleagues. I asked for the floor. To a hushed room of a thousand average American stockholders, I simply read the full lyrics of “Cop Killer” - very vicious, vulgar, instructional word. “I GOT MY 12 GUAGE SAWED OFF I GOT MY HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF I’M ABOUT TO BUST SOME SHOTS OFF I’M ABOUT TO DUST SOME COPS OFF…” It got worse, a lot worse. I won’t read the rest of it to you. But trust me, the room was a sea of shocked, frozen, blanched faces. The Time/Warner executive squirmed in their chairs and stared at their shoes. They hated me for that. Then I delivered another volley of sick lyric brimming with racist filth, where Ice-T fantasizes about sodomizing two 12-year old nieces of Al and Tipper Gore. “SHE PUSHED HER BUTT AGAINST MY…..” Well, I woun’t do to you here what I did to them. Let’s just say I left the room in schoing silence. When I read the lyrics to the waiting press corps, one of them said, “We can’t print that.” “I know,” I replied, ‘but Time/Warner’s selling it.” Two months later, Time/Warner terminated Ice-T’s contract. I’ll never be offered another film by Warners, or get a good review from Time magazine. But disobedience means you must be willing to act, not just talk. When a mugger sues his elderly victim for defending herself … jam the switchboard of the district attorney’s office. When your university is pressured to lower standards until 80% of the students graduate with honores … choke the halls of the board of regents. When an 8-year-old boy pecks a girl’s cheek on the playground and gets hauled into court for sexual harassment … march on that school and block its doorways. When someone you elected is seduced by political power and betrays you … petition them, oust them, banish them. When Time magazine’s cover portrays millennium nuts as deranged, crazy Christians holding a cross as it did last month ... boycott their magazine and the products it advertises. So that this nation may long endure, I urge you to follow in the hallowed footsteps of the great disobediences of history that freed exiles, founded religions, defeated tyrants, and yes, in the hands of an aroused rabble in arms and a few great men, by God’s grace, built this country. If Dr. King were here, I think he would agree. Thank you.by Cliff Judkins - ABA President, 12/18/1998At last we will move into our new house next week!!!! (I think). We made our first snowmachine trip of the season last Sunday. I think first snowmachine trips should be made on Saturdays so that one can lay on the couch on Sunday and recuperate with a hot drink and a football game. This gets harder on the old bod every year-- at least for those of us in the over 30 (or so) group. Mat-Su Lake Management activities are still taking up a lot of time. It seems that the majority of the Borough Assembly would like to see a solution to Lake Management that would the issue to rest in a manner that would provide for a reasonable measure relief to user conflicts without getting snarled up in a continuos stream of highly emotionalized meeting for every lake. Some lake management plans take over two years and 10 or more meeting. Some are even taken over by professional facilitators higher by the Borough in an attempt to control emotional outbursts (shouting matches). On behalf of the ABA, I have suggested that the Borough adopt an ordinance that does not ban any user groups from borough lakes; but, rather it would provide rules designed to reduce user conflicts. These regulations would incorporate the following: 1. Enforcement would be on a complaint basis i.e. if no one complains about an activity it is not in violation. 2. Quiet hours-- say from 11PM to 8AM. This would deal with repetitious noise (say 86 decibels at the property line of the complainant). 3. No wake zones around critical habitat. The borough would have to place buoys to designate these zones. The critical habitat areas would be determined by professional, scientific means. 4. A "floating" no wake zone around non-powered craft. This is real simple-- when you see a canoe in your path steer clear of it. 5. No wake zones within 100 yards of any shore line except when pulling a skier off the shore or a dock. This would provide a calm water zone for non-motorized craft, water fowl, shoreline facilities etc. These are real simple to understand rules. They are mostly common sense and with the complaint requirement they will not affect unpopulated lakes or lakes where activities are not bothering anyone. The most asked question is how are you going to enforce these regulations. Just like any of the other regulations that have been promulgated for valley lakes. The question is are the motorized users willing to abide by some common sense-common curtsey rules on these neighborhood lakes? If they are not we are going to have a hard time keeping them open to us. If you have an idea, don't keep it to yourself. Let us know. Merry Xmas from the Pres...by Mark Teitzel, 12/18/1998If you store your boat outside and haven't drained the water cooled manifolds or sand trap reservoir, if so equipped, in the case of an inboard engine or tipped your outboard to a vertical position in order to allow complete draining, it is probably too late to worry about it until spring when temperatures once again rise above freezing. At that time it will be necessary to install the manifold plugs and/or close he drain valves for those inboard engines requiring manual draining. Outboard engines left tilted up can be tilted down and checked for any water that drains from the housing which would have earlier been frozen into ice. The same holds true for any water left in the hull of the boat. It is now undoubtedly frozen and whether it caused any damage will only be discovered come spring. Hopefully batteries and electronic equipment with a liquid crystal display have been removed from your boat if stored outside. This will prevent freeze damage to the battery should it become discharged to the point of freezing and potential damage to liquid crystal displays. These steps are probably the minimum required to get through the winter without damage to your boat and boating equipment. Proper maintenance and safety go hand in hand. Proper maintenance can help prevent equipment failure which, depending upon the timing of the failure, can result in an unsafe situation. With Christmas coming, now is probably a good time to get some safety or maintenance related gifts on your Christmas list. Examples range from a completely new boat, if you happened to leave both your existing hull and engine full of fresh water, to individual items such as bearing buddies for your trailer, a portable weather radio that is autotuned to the weather channels, first aid kits, emergency signaling kits, new floatation devices, new tool kits, spare part kits (spark plugs, air filters, fuel filters, etc), or complete survival suits. These are only a few ideas. For more ideas just visit one of the business members of the Alaska Boating Association. With proper selection, a Christmas gift will result in a safer and more enjoyable boating experience come summer. (Editor note: along with the milk and cookies, leave a note for Santa and invite him down for a fishing trip this summer. I'm assuming that you have the text file for your article at Mat-Su Bjby Father Denis Edward O'Brien, USMC, 12/18/1998" It is the soldier, not the reporter, Who has given us the freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, Who has given us the freedom of speech. It is the soldier not the campus organizer, Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier, who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, Who allows the protester to burn the flag."by Alaskan Prosp. Pub. Co., 12/18/1998Dr. James A. Madonna, Profession of Mining Extension at the University of Alaska was awarded the 1998 National Telly Awards for two geoscience eductation videos. The Telly awards were founded in 1980, to showcase and give recognition to non-network and cable TV commercials. Subsequenstly the competition was expanded to include recognition for excellence in film and video productions. Over 10,000 nominations for awards in three major categories were submitted in 1998. Dr. Madonna’s awards were for "The Art of Mineral Identification", which covers, in detail, the systematic methods of identifying ore and rock forming minerals and "The Art of God Identification" which covers the terminology and process of differentiating gold from other minerals. The video productions are self-teaching guides produced in cooperation with Alaskan Prospectors in Fairbanks, Alaska in response to needs expressed by many home-schoolers, prospectors and members of the general public who have a desire to lean mineral identification techniques; but, do not have access to formal geoscience courses and training. Submitted by Alaskan Prosp. Pub. Co. , 504 College Rd, Frbks, AK 99701by Randy Bj Bjorgan, 12/18/1998Many years ago the following oratory was presented after one of our nations greatest tragedies: Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.: Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is all together fitting an proper that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hollow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. the world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us, the living, rather, to be dedicated, here, to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us; that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have anew birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. Many of you remember studying, evaluating, or even memorizing the above words that were first spoken November 19, 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln after the Battle of Gettysburg. Why the history lesson? Very simple. After the display during the last four weeks prior to November 3rd, it makes one wonder if we’ve have totally forgotten where we’ve came from and those who have given the ultimate sacrifice so that we can enjoy the freedoms we have today. I was beginning to believe we had flashed by in time to a point in history just prior to the above words. Only this time, instead of lead and powder filling the air, and thousands of America’s finest young men never to draw another breath, who fought so bravely for the rights and freedoms of mankind, it was actions and words that did far more devastation than the Civil War could even imagine. After hearing some of the campaign retoric, I do not have to wonder where today’s youth obtain some of their attitudes and misconceptions of reality. With what they hear coming from what is supposed to be responsibble adults, it’s no wonder they have no concept of truth, some sembalance of deciency, and some realization of acceptable behavior. I am not sure if maybe the examples set by some of our national leadership has filterd down through the polictical ranks and been misinterpreted as acceptable behavior and a standard of conduct to be propogated and used in the endless badgering of the voting populus. The attitude prevelant is that, ‘if you lie to the public long enough, and with all ‘honest’ sincerity, they will start to believe it. I am extremely happy that enough of the Alaskan voters saw through the title wave of political propaganda (aka unadulterated bull pucky) nd had the courage to withstand the incessent barrage of inuendos, misconstuded attitudes, out of context quotes, and bold face lies that flooded the various communication mediums utilized during the campaigns (that’s using the term VERY loosely), and vote to preserve the unity within the legislative branch of OUR State government. My sincere thanks to you all for your effort ! But, let us not let it end here. We have enabled a fine group of individuals to return to Juneau to continue the progress made last session. Let us all, open a communication channel with our respective elected officials, and maximize utilization of it ! Let them know where and how you stand on various issues; let them know when you support issues; let them know why you don’t support certain issues and ask them why they are pushing the issue; and also, tell them, Thanks when an issue near and dear to your heart makes it onto the Governor’s desk. During this up coming legislative session, it will be extremely imperative for you to develop this communication channel. With the continuous decline in oil prices, the revenue to the state coffers is following the same course.by Bruce Knowles, 12/18/1998Fishermen in and around Cook Inlet experienced another summer of closures and restrictions. The major difference was that this year it was not only the average Alaskan. For once, commercial fishermen were forced to set on the beach due to lower than expected returns in Cook Inlet. This was the first time in recent history the Cook Inlet Salmon Management Plan had worked as advertised. Commercial fishermen were not given consecutive back to back openings. This allowed returns in the northern district of Cook Inlet to have some of the largest runs for Pink and Chum salmon in recent history. You may ask, "How did our salmon stocks get into the conditions that they are currently?" The current Cook Inlet Salmon Management Plan is older than most Alaskans. This plan gives a commercial priority (this is the only priority of its’ kind in Alaska) from the first part of July through the middle of August on stock migrating in and through Cook Inlet. This means as consumptive users we come after them on the priority list. Many time the oops method of management has been used by the commercial fish division. They allow commercial fishing to continue until they see that some escapement goals are not going to be met. Then they say that "Oops we have to close or restrict everyone." A group of people from around Cook Inlet that are tired of being restricted from catching the fish whether it is with a net or hook and line, have formed the Cook Inlet Public Fisheries Council. This council is dedicated to bringing sound and reasonable management to Cook Inlet salmon. Our goals are: To remove the commercial priority from Cook Inlet to give all users an equal access to the resources. Establish new escapement goals that will insure strong salmon returns in the future. Limit the amount of time commercial fishermen can fish in a week. Develop a Cook Inlet Coho Salmon management that will restrict the harvest of Cohoes by commercial fishermen. If we are to be successful we need your help. The current Board of Fisheries wants to hear from the average fisherman as they feel that special interest groups are already well represented. They have started holding hearings at night so that the average guy or gal that has to work all day will have an opportunity to come in and speak. They take your comments very seriously. They review oral and written comments presented to them. The Board will be holding hearings on Cook Inlet salmon management strategies in February of 1999; they will take testimony in Wasilla on February 13th and 14th. Then they will move to Soldotna for more testimony and deliberations from 16-28 February. It will have a very large impact on the Board. I would like to encourage everyone who reads this article to write or contact the Board and voice your concerns on salmon management problems. Let them know that you support the goals listed above. It will have a great impact on the Board. While you’re at it let them know you appreciate all their work. Note these letters have be into Juneau no later than 22 Jan. 1999. The mailing address for the Board is: Alaska Department of Fish and Game Board Support Section P.O. Box 25526 Juneau, AK 99802-5526 The Alaska Boating Association has joined us in pursuing of our goals. If you would like to join our organization you can contact us at the following address: Cook Inlet Public Fisheries Council P.O. Box 549 Soldotna AK 99669 907-262-8588 or Bruce Knowles P.O. Box 873206 Wasilla, Alaska 99687 907-745-4965 |
