Quyana for your support

Native Village of Hooper Bay, City of Hooper Bay, and SLC, Youth and Elder Group, Qungasvik, Wellness Center, and numerous volunteers, held the annual Louis Bunyan Festival on April 6, 7, 8, 2017. Thanks to all your effort, the Louis Bunyan Festival turned out to be a successful event!

We would like to thank the following companies/individuals for your support for this year’s event- Joseph Lake Sr., Crowley Fuel, Hooper Bay CVRF CSR’s, Nathan Lake Sr., RAVN Alaska, Nanuk’s Creations, Robin Jack, Henrietta Long, Alaska Commercial Co., Sam’s Club, Ryan Air, and Donlin Gold! Thank You all for your donations!

We would also like to thank our guests for coming to Hooper Bay to share with us your beautiful dances! John Pingayak’s Group, Chevak Traditional Group, Hooper Bay Elder’s Group, and Native Youth Survivor’s Group, and also to Valerie Pingayak’s kids for sharing their story with Hooper Bay! Quyana Cakneq tailuci maavet Naparyarmiunun.

Native Village of Hooper Bay
Hooper Bay, AK

Let’s Keep in Touch

Hello – It is the 5th of May and we continue our work. The Senate Finance Committee has been reviewing HB 111: Oil & Gas Production Tax: Payments: Credits all week. A conference committee on SB 26: APPROP LIMIT & PER FUND: DIVIDEND; EARNINGS, has been appointed. The members are Senator(s) MacKinnon/Chair, myself and Egan, Representative(s) Seaton, Foster and Thompson.

On HB 57: FY18 Operating Budget, our Legislative Finance Office has produced 39 pages of differences between the Senate and the House. The conference committee has not yet been appointed for this bill keeping us out of the 24-hour rule. Work also continues on HB 115: Income Tax; PFD Payment/Credit, in the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee.

Earlier this month, I was appointed as an Alternate Senate member to the Alaska Seafood Marketing Board (ASMI). The board will be meeting in Juneau next week. As a fisherman, I have always been a strong advocate for our State’s fishing industry and will continue to do so. In addition, I have been reappointed to the Alaska Energy Authority/Renewable Energy Fund Advisory Committee. Reducing the high cost of energy in Rural Alaska has been one of my top priorities for a number of years. We have accomplished reducing diesel usage in some communities but we still have a ways to go.

On a lighter note, spring has definitely arrived in Juneau, goats are on the mountains and we saw the arrival of the first cruise ships this week.

Senator Lyman Hoffman
Juneau, AK

Secure Your Future with National Social Security Month

For more than 80 years, Social Security has helped secure today and tomorrow with information, tools, and resources to meet our customers’ changing needs and lifestyles.

In April, we celebrate National Social Security Month and encourage you to know your Social Security by exploring what you can do online at www∙socialsecurity∙gov. Social Security is collaborating with groups and organizations around the country to host numerous events and activities to raise awareness about our many valuable benefits, services, and programs.

What Social Security Offers

Easy accessibility: www∙socialsecurity∙gov is available 24/7 with detailed information, publications, Frequently Asked Questions, and other resources for almost any circumstance. Whether you want to estimate the amount of your future Social Security benefits, replace a lost Social Security card, or apply for retirement, disability, or survivors benefits, www∙socialsecurity∙gov is your reliable source for information to help you and your loved ones.

Convenient services: Our convenient and secure online services at www∙socialsecurity∙gov/onlineservices put you in control. You can apply for Social Security benefits, check the status of your application or appeal, get an instant benefit verification letter, verify your lifetime earnings, block electronic access to your information, and so much more — all without having to visit a local office or calling to speak to a representative.

Secure interaction: One of our most important responsibilities is protecting your personal information and your financial contributions. We use state-of-the-art systems for this, conduct continuous reviews to help us ensure proper payments, and much more. And we work hard to educate everyone on best practices for protecting their Social Security number.

We’re committed to safeguarding the information and resources entrusted to us. Are you looking for secure access to your Social Security information? Visit www∙socialsecurity∙gov/myaccount and create your personal my Social Security account.

Join our efforts to promote National Social Security Month. Share our message: “Get to know your Social Security and see what you can do online” by sharing our social media posts on Facebook and Twitter. Or you can create your own message expressing the success you’ve had with our many services and programs. We’re here for you, through life’s journey, at www∙socialsecurity∙gov.

Robin Schmidt
Social Security Administration
Alaska Public Affairs Specialist

SB91 or corruption

This letter is in regards to the new law SB91, which is good to those that were excessively sentenced for their crimes, compared to the lower 48 states. As some of us know some have been over-charged or railroaded through the system. As we know through the media and sources the Fairbanks Four were railroaded even though there was not substantial evidence to prove their guilt with overwhelming evidence. Not just the Department of Corrections is/or corrupted, they should look into the court system when they’re dealing with minorities or citizens of America that are frowned upon. Thank you.

Michael Joseph Nicolai
Kwethluk, AK