Hello from Iditarod, exciting race time

Alyse Galvin who is running against Don Young and should win is someone whom will fight for us out here in the delta. I personally know her and we talk regularly. She is against Pebble and really wants to help the bush. She will probably reach out to you soon. You will like her.

Grant Fairbanks

Bethel, Alaska

A LETTER TO CALISTA SHAREHOLDERS

March 12, 2020

Dear Shareholders,

Calista Corporation is closely monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and adjusting our business practices, travel, and event schedules.

Among the steps taken, we have indefinitely postponed our Board’s Shareholder Relations Committee meetings scheduled in the Region in the coming weeks.

It is crucial to understand that many rural Alaska villages do not have running water, reliable internet access, and easy access to hospitals. Furthermore, with a lack of adequate housing, it is difficult for village residents to remain at a distance from ill people who are coughing or sneezing.

This makes it all the more important for all of us to do everything we can to limit the spread of this virus, and to continue advocating for better sanitation, improved infrastructure, housing, and health care facilities in our communities.

We strongly encourage all of our Shareholders to love and protect each other by following public health advisories and recommendations from local, state and federal agencies and tribal organizations.

Here are some good resources:

CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/

State of Alaska: http://coronavirus.alaska.gov/

Quyana, from all of us at Calista Corporation.

Calista Corporation

Anchorage, AK

Alaska Air Cargo Operational update

How COVID-19 coronavirus is impacting our operation

There is no doubt that you are being impacted in one way or another by the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak just as we are here at Alaska Airlines. While this is a dynamic situation, we want to take a moment to provide you with the latest information on how this is expected to impact our operation.

Here’s what you can expect from us:

In March and April we will make some reductions to our schedule, focusing on high frequency routes where we can easily accommodate both passengers and cargo arriving at their destination in a timely manner. In May we anticipate a 3% reduction in flying. You should expect little impact to the capacity you utilize on a daily basis for cargo needs. While changes should be minor, we advise you to check flight schedules prior to booking.

Keeping your cargo moving in a safe and timely manner is our top priority. Our team has safety measures in place to help prevent the spread of the virus in our facilities and keep our employees and customers safe. Contingency plans for staffing and support are at the ready should the need arise.

We’re committed to monitoring the situation and providing solutions that help limit disruption to your freight moving across the country. For the latest schedules and capacity constraints please reach out to your sales representative.

For those of you traveling on Alaska Airlines, you can read more about our efforts to ensure a clean, safe and comfortable journey, as well as our updated travel policies here.

Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions by sending us an email.

Alaska Air Cargo

Seattle, WA

Thank you for your support of early childhood education

On behalf of the 155 members of the Alaska Council for Exceptional Children (AkCEC) statewide, we would like to acknowledge and appreciate the efforts of this Legislature to support early childhood education, reading instruction and intervention, support for struggling schools, and parent connection.

As you may or may not know, the Council for Exceptional Children, which includes the Alaska state unit, is our nation’s oldest advocacy agency for students with special needs and special education teachers. AkCEC has been in existence since 1989.

As such, we would like to express our cautious support for Senate Bill 6, the Alaska Reads Act. We do have a few concerns about the bill. They are as follows:

•The lack of provisions for cultural relevancy for our rural Alaska students. As you know, students in rural Alaska villages face many challenges and disadvantages, largely due to location and limited access to educational resources and services. Thus, they often score lower than the state-and national average on state testing. With approximately 3O% of Alaska’s children attending village schools, and 32% of AkCEC membership employed by rural school districts, we want to ensure that any interventions mandated by the state are accessible and relatable to ALL of Alaska’s students.

•The prescriptive nature of the bill, particularly under Section 18 “Reading Intervention Programs”. We feel that the methods addressed in the bill are very specific, which does not lend itself to differentiation easily. As special education teachers, we know firsthand that a one-size-fits all approach does not work. We urge you to trust teachers’ knowledge and decisions while simultaneously providing big-picture guidance. Additionally, it appears to take away the choice for homeschool families.

•We are concerned that the possible retention rate could lead to larger class sizes and, by extension, larger caseloads for special education teachers. The aforementioned prescriptive nature of the bill could lead to more students unnecessarily referred for special education services. According to the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, approximately 19,500 students in our state are already receiving disability diagnosis. Students of color, including Alaska Native students, are at a high risk for disproportionality for retention and special education referrals.

As a whole we support the passage of the Alaska Reads Act. We particularly appreciate the exemptions provided for students with IEPs and special needs, and for the creation of a Teacher Retention Working Group. We strongly suggest that, while putting this bill through the legislative process, you actively seek out teacher, including special education teacher, guidance and advice every step of the way.

Lisa Villano, President

Alaska Council for Exceptional Children

COVID-19 Update for Alaska USA Members

The health and safety of members and employees is very important to us and we want to share information on how we will continue to serve you amid concerns of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

We are closely monitoring the spread of the COVID-19 and following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and local government agencies in the communities we serve. We are communicating with our employees to keep them informed of our plans and ways they can protect members and themselves. We have also enhanced the cleaning of high-touch areas in our facilities.

Alaska USA branches are currently open for business. Alaska USA also has convenient options you can take advantage of to conduct business and process your transactions:

24/7 toll-free Member Service Center 

UltraBranch 24-hour access by Internet or phone

Alaska USA Mobile App

More than 55,000 surcharge-free ATMs worldwide with the Allpoint® ATM network

Alaska USA is committed to helping members during hardships, including those caused by COVID-19. If you need assistance, we encourage you to call 800-525-9094 or 907-563-4567 to speak with a member service representative to discuss options available.

We will continue to provide updates on our home page. Alaska USA encourages you to stay informed about COVID-19. For more information, visit the CDC’s website.

Follow guidance from the CDC to protect yourself and others:

Clean your hands often

Avoid close contact with people who are sick

Stay home if you’re sick

Cover coughs and sneezes

Wear a mask if you are sick

Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily

Beware of scams. Unfortunately, fraudsters are taking advantage of the COVID-19 scare to prey on consumers using fear and urgency tactics. They may mimic communications from expert sources such as the CDC, the World Health Organization or other “official” sources. Do not respond to, click any links, or open attachments you receive from suspicious emails or texts. Alaska USA will never call or email you asking for your account information. When you call the credit union, you will be asked questions to verify your identity.

Thank you for being a loyal member of Alaska USA.

Alaska USA Member Service Center

Anchorage, AK

Example: 9075434113