Proposed Donlin Mine

Dear Governor Walker,
It was nice to visit with you for the short while you were in Bethel for the meet and greet. I was grateful for the opportunity to speak with you personally about the need for an in-state long term mental healthcare facility for both youth and adults.
I had other issues I would have liked to discuss with you regarding our tribes, tribal courts, etc., but most importantly about our salmon and the fishing restrictions we are dealing with and the proposed Donlin gold mine. I mentioned some of my concerns to your lovely wife, Donna.
I was heartened when I read in the Sunday, Anchorage Daily News, that you and Lt. Governor Byron Mallott were urging a halt to the Pebble review process. I had so hoped this would be an indication that you were also looking at the proposed Donlin gold mine and would apply the same standards to this project. My hopes were dashed when I listened to the news today only to hear that the gubernatorial candidates supported this proposed mine.
With all due respect, Governor, I urge you to read the attached letter that I sent to the DEC last month. The looming specter of this mine creates such dark fear in my entire being.
Everything we are and have been, depends on our ability to live off the land, air and water. Nothing is more important to our survival than this. The mine is a threat to all of us and what we depend on. No promises, assurances, surety bonds will ever replace what we stand to lose should any failure occur.
Furthermore, Governor, I am also very concerned that you have been talking to the Chinese government about expanding our seafood exports to them. It is so wrong that my People and others living in rural Alaska live with threats to our food security every day and yet the State of Alaska is pimping our food to a country that was recently caught with 80 million tons of salmon bycatch. Salmon that was basically stolen from those who depend on it most of all. How many people would 80 million tons have fed?
I thank you for your time.
Gloria Simeon
Bethel, AK

Calista annual meeting
In spite of all the news articles regarding the lack of leadership from the Board of Directors and top management (staff), we lost the one seat we were looking to replace in Unit 3.
Marcie (Kristovich) Sherer, who has been on the board of Calista previously, replaced Bobby Hoffman, and that was a surprise… to me, at least. I’ve heard conflicting reports as to how this changes the dynamics of a non functioning board (and then trickling down to staff) to a functioning one but I am hoping (and praying) that Marcie heard how Calista’s shareholders feel about the incompetency of its President and CEO.
If you were able to be there in person, you would have witnessed… no one at the podium. George Guy nor the President and CEO of our Corporation had the guts to stand up to take charge of the meeting.
If we had competent leadership none of this would have happened. We would have heard the occasional, ongoing, ohhh-is-me person up there that made no sense but the meeting would have functioned properly. We desperately need the likes of Gene Peltola to run Calista and we really need to have Wayne Don reinstated as the board chair.
Anna Sattler
Anchorage, AK

Scott Hawkins withdraws from Republican Gubernatorial Primary
Republican candidate for Governor Scott Hawkins today (June 28th, 2018) announced that he is withdrawing from the race.
In the fall of 2017, I jumped into this race to make a difference and to win. I believe our message of fiscal responsibility, changing Juneau, and promoting conservative policies to attract good jobs and retain good people indeed made a difference. I’m proud that this campaign had a positive impact on the race.
But I have concluded that recent developments in the race, particularly the last-minute entry of Mead Treadwell, significantly diminished my ability to win the primary. I was looking forward to facing Sen. Mike Dunleavy, head-to-head. The two of us offered Republican primary voters different visions for Alaska as we engaged in a friendly, respectful airing of our ideas on the campaign trail. Mead’s entry into the race significantly complicated this contrast.
Without doubt, I will be supporting the eventual Republican nominee. Alaska is at a crossroads, and there is simply too much at stake. There is far more that unites Mike, Mead and me than divides us. Four more years of Bill Walker or four years of Mark Begich will do nothing to improve Alaska’s jobs climate and fiscal plight.
I would like to thank my volunteers and financial supporters from the bottom of my heart. Your financial contributions and the time you devoted volunteering for the campaign mean so much to me. This has been a team effort.
And this effort is far from over! We will continue to build a movement for positive, conservative change in Alaska. So, please stay tuned! In the coming months, I will be launching a new effort to promote conservative policies and change in Alaska.
Scott Hawkins
Anchorage, AK

Mark Begich for Governor
I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of hearing from Alaskans who feel like our state is headed in the wrong direction. It’s a big reason why I decided to jump into the race for Governor.
I hate to say I’m not alone — a recent poll showed that 65% of people think the state is on the wrong track. We are facing some serious challenges in Alaska. We have a crime problem. We have an unemployment problem. We have an education problem.
These are serious problems and Alaskans are right to be concerned. Every day, I meet hardworking folks who remind me determination, innovation, and some good old-fashioned elbow grease goes a long way. When we see a problem, we waste no time getting to work to solve it. When we see neighbors in need, we all pitch in to help.
July is a critical month in this campaign and we have a lot of work to do — getting our new office up and running, putting together a team of staff and volunteers, and getting our message out to Alaskans all across the state. This month will be all about growing this campaign to full scale.
It’s going to take a lot of work — and yes, money. I hope you’re willing to pitch in to help my campaign today.
I’m excited to get to work. I hope you’re as excited to join me!
Mark Begich
Anchorage, AK

Stand for Salmon
Yesterday didn’t feel like a holiday to me. With some of the world’s richest corporations and dirtiest industries pouring millions of dollars into a campaign to stop Alaskans like us from standing up for our fisheries and way of life, I couldn’t just sit by and enjoy the day. There is too much work to be done.
That’s why I did not take the 4th of July off this year. Instead, we hit the streets to talk to people about what Stand for Salmon means for Alaska’s future.
And, after lots of reflection with our small team yesterday, we set the ambitious goal to get 1,000 Alaskans to donate to Stand for Salmon before July 15th. We chose this number because it’s time to show that for every one massive foreign corporation donating millions to our opposition, there are hundreds of Alaskans that have our back. There’s no doubt that corporations are trying to buy this election and silence our voices — but it’s time to show how much power we have, too!
…Help us hit more doors and talk to more Alaskans face-to-face about the issues they care about and the future they want to see for Alaska. Thank you for your commitment.
Ryan Schryver, Director
Stand for Salmon