Seeking stories of strange encounters

Hi folks,

My name is Matt and I’m a TV researcher from Cardiff in the U.K. We are currently looking for stories and reports of sightings of anything unusual or supernatural that you might have seen in Alaska.

So if you’ve got a story about a time you saw bigfoot, a ghost or maybe something weirder like the Mothman or a sea monster then please get in touch, even better if you’ve got a photo or video of your encounter!

Please send any sightings/reports/evidence to [email protected] and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

We are looking for people who would be comfortable talking on camera as well, so please bear in mind we might be asking to come and interview you!

Thanks in advance, look forward to hearing your experiences!

Matt Ashwell

Cardiff, United Kingdom

Petition to remove Eskimo mascot

A petition is calling for Stillwater’s Eskimo Joe’s restaurant to change its name and remove the mascot. The petition on Change.org states “Eskimo Joe’s has been a beloved but racially insensitive Oklahoma brand since it was established in Stillwater in 1975.” It also said minorities should not be used as “as caricatures or used as mascots” and the petition claims that “these depictions parallel the racist ads, mascots, and cartoons of Native Americans, Asians, and Africans.” The petition goes on to state that they are not asking for the restaurants, Eskimo Joe’s and Mexico Joe’s, to be done away with, but for them to be re-branded without the imagery of the restaurants’ current mascots. To read the full petition, go to Change.org.

Gilbert Keywehak

Mt. Pleasant, MI

Call for Statewide Nominations for YWCA Alaska Women of Achievement 2020 Awards

Greetings fellow Alaskan!

I hope this letter finds you well. 2020 has proven to be a defining year! Amazing leaders rise in extraordinary times and I am excited to announce the opening of nominations for the 2020 YWCA Women of Achievement.

This competitive award recognizes and celebrates women leaders in Alaska. We need your help to identify these amazing leaders! The 2020 YWCA Alaska Women of Achievement Awards will recognize and honor ten (10) women who have demonstrated qualities of leadership and excellence in their professional and personal endeavors, while embodying YWCA Alaska’s mission of eliminating racism and empowering women.

Surely, you know a woman in our community that fits in that category! This is your opportunity to recognize and celebrate her accomplishments by nominating her for the 31st YWCA Alaska Women of Achievement Awards!

Please see the nomination form for criteria on which nominees will be evaluated and the nominating instructions. All nominations must be received at YWCA Alaska’s office by 5 p.m., Friday, August 14, 2020.

This year, the YWCA Alaska Women of Achievement Awards Ceremony will be hosted virtually, in an online platform. We want to support the wellness of our community by practicing social distancing, while still celebrating the women who empower us all and that make our community a better place. The ceremony date is Thursday, November 5, 2020. Additional details for the event will be available in the weeks to come. However, if you or your organization are interested in sponsoring this event – please contact Melanie Leydon at [email protected] or call 907-644-9600 ext. 1002.

Thank you in advance for helping us pay tribute to the incredible women in our community who are making a difference and inspiring others! If you have any questions, or for more information about YWCA Alaska, please visit www.ywcaak.org.

Angie Astle, President

YWCA Alaska Board of Directors

Anchorage, AK

Healthcare leaders urge Alaskans to “Step up, mask up”

To All Alaskans,

Alaska’s more than 65 hospitals and nursing homes share a common mission: to provide quality health care to Alaskans whenever they need it. During “normal” times, our ability to live up to this mission is never in doubt. But these are anything but normal times. As health care leaders from across Alaska, we are alarmed at the recent increase in COVID-19 cases and concerned about the threat posed to our entire health system unless we reverse this trend and once again flatten the curve.

Alaskans succeeded at minimizing and flattening the initial curve in Alaska. Unfortunately, today is a new day, and we find ourselves at a crossroads. We now have more active cases then ever – nearly twenty-five times the number of cases than when we started to reopen communities in May. There is only one way to change this.

We urge individual Alaskans to act – and act now – to help avoid the kinds of public health disasters now occurring in other parts of the nation. Please wear a mask, wash your hands frequently, practice social distancing, keep your bubbles small, and avoid unsafe activities like large gatherings.

Our system indicators tell us that at this moment, Alaska’s hospital capacity is manageable and ready to absorb increases. We have surge plans in place, ready to deploy at a moment’s notice. But COVID-19 is a numbers game that is more difficult to beat the longer you play. More cases ultimately lead to more hospitalizations, more deaths, and higher risk to our most vulnerable in nursing homes and in our communities.

While some may not be concerned about getting sick themselves, they may unknowingly be a carrier and risk infecting others as they go about their daily lives, even when gathering with friends and family. Wearing masks and following CDC guidelines is essential if we want to make it through this pandemic without devastation. The sooner we all do this, the sooner we can move past this public health crisis and begin to fully recover as a society.

Collectively, we employ more than 10,000 healthcare workers at our hospitals and nursing homes. They are skilled, dedicated professionals who work tirelessly to heal and save lives. They are Alaska’s health care heroes – the ones you can count on when you need them. Now, they need you to do your part to protect them and their ability to care for us all.

The only way to beat this pandemic is to do it together, as Alaskans.

Alaska State Hospital & Nursing Home Association

Anchorage, AK

Example: 9075434113