Readers write: Letters to the editor, Oct. 28, 2015

I am the principal of Nuniwarmiut School on Nunivak Island. We are a small school that has faced declining enrollment over the years, nevertheless we have “put on our thinking caps” to overcome reduced teaching staff and revenues. We still have managed to remain one of the highest-performing schools in the Lower Kuskokwim School District.

We have managed because we persevere. With three teachers for 12 grades, and 40 students, we think of ourselves as three one-room schoolhouses connected together. Our high school students get instruction from our one high school teacher, video teleconference teachers, and UA Distance learning when needed. We are not limited by space and time. While one group of students gets video teleconference instruction in physical science, another group gets instruction in algebra. The teacher moves from group to group monitoring each remote teacher’s presentation and assisting students as needed. The students realize their part. They tune in and hang in. When they don’t understand a lesson they stay after school under the instruction of the VTC teacher and hosted by the local teacher who stays after school out of the goodness of his/her heart.

In our school, time must be three-dimensional. The idea of a linear class period is just not possible. RTI (response to instruction) occurs simultaneously with direct instruction and it is not easy, or pretty, but it works. For some reason that I can’t totally understand, our multi-grade classrooms outperform many of the state’s single-level classrooms. That brings me to the point of this letter.

The point of this letter is that there is hope for education in Alaska. Small schools have proven that we can do more with less. As various legislators around the state toy with the idea of closing small schools in order to buttress old-school institutional behemoths, perhaps it’s time to think three-dimensionally in urban settings as well. How can we even consider closing rural schools without expecting the same efficiency in urban schools?

The new Alaska normal is neither pretty nor easy, but we can make it work. We must commit to the integrity of funding for all students (rural and urban) and learn from one another as we move together into a new era. Small schools have led the way in innovation and perseverance and are a precious resource as Alaska re-imagines justice for all students.

— Walter Betz

Mekoryuk

For those who did not know Pop Carr, this park was designated in his name in the early 1960s. Those who remember this fine gentleman know he took personal joy at greeting folks at the first Carr’s store at 13th and Gambell. He especially greeted the kids with a stick of gum. During the ’60s I worked in the food industry and was greeted by Pop Carr weekly.

One big debt of gratitude to all the folks involved with brushing up the park on Tudor behind Willow Crest Elementary School. It’s a tribute to a great Alaskan with a heart of gold. Thanks again to the Alaskans that honored Pop Carr. Enjoy his park.

— Ken Krasselt

Anchorage

Like many Americans who watched some or all Hillary Clinton’s testimony in front of the so-called Benghazi Committee last week, I wondered in what direction the right-wing spin machine was going to proceed this time. After an 11-hour marathon session in which nothing new turned up, I concluded that Ms. Clinton’s testimony was clear, convincing and consistent, while her GOP inquisitors came off as sweaty, twitchy and shrill.

On Saturday morning, in the pages of this paper, I saw that direction, in the shape of Ms. Christine Flowers’ column: straight down into the cess-pit. Oh, I already knew that she would resurrect Bill’s sexual conduct, now 20 years old, although why this should be Hillary’s fault, I can’t imagine. I guess that standing by your man, and re-building a marriage are values that only count if you are a Republican. However, in her zeal to press the attack, Flowers reprehensibly went after Chelsea Clinton, calling her “the Arkansas version of the virgin birth.” This was pointless, cruel and shrewish, and ADN shouldn’t have enabled it by publication. Though I am a Democrat, I have never met any of the Clintons, but from afar, Chelsea seems like a poised, accomplished young woman in her own right, despite having to grow up in that fishbowl. Using her in crazy, politically driven speculations about her parents’ private lives is just plain wrong.

In continuing her headlong dive into regions of shame never before plumbed, Flowers claims that Clinton “presided over the murder of an Ambassador.” This is easily recognized as false and outrageous hot air, serving no purpose other than to fan the destructive flames of partisanship that right-wing windbags so love. However, those fires are now burning at the fabric of our country, and this willful self-destruction reduces our national stature and effectiveness, at home and abroad. At what point are decent people going to refuse to abide the sly, and yet so public innuendo that an American secretary of state “presided” over our own Ambassador’s murder?

Contrasting the public statements of these two people over the last few days, I am certainly glad that it is Ms. Clinton who is running for president, and not Ms. Flowers.

— Joseph Albrecht

Anchorage

In response to two letters, (Randall Plant, Oct. 22; Jay Lawrence, Oct. 27), I think this is great dialogue to have regarding an ever-increasing problem of rapidly rising health insurance costs in Alaska. While both may disagree with my assertion that rapidly rising costs were born out of the ACA, that is a hard pill to swallow given the fact that premiums for individuals in the 55-60 age group have jumped from $700 range to over $2500 range (after Jan 1, 2016) inside of two years.

Both are correct about the small pool of individual purchasers, but the way the ACA was written allowed for insurance companies to charge what they feel is needed (and not challenged by the state evidently) to cover their costs in a small pool market. The high cost of health care in Alaska is also obviously driving this ship as well.

As pointed out by Mr. Plant regarding Lower 48 costs, the same plan for my wife and I in Idaho is just short of $800 per month, one-third the cost! I had the chance to talk with both Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan in Kodiak prior to the election and expressed these same frustrations and figures. I have since reached out to Mr. Sullivan with no response.

Let’s hope this discussion continues until those in the individual market can enjoy the same reasonable market rates for group plans.

— Preston Rudderow

Anchorage

I believe the report on the West-Chugiak championship game should have talked more about why Chugiak lost and their mistakes and how the West team took advantage of their mistakes — and also talk about how Chugiak and West got over their problems to get to that game. But overall it was a great article.

— Sam Brandeberry

Anchorage

In Alaska I think we should be more careful about moose safety and not leave out consumables. I don’t think we should leave out pumpkins because it attracts wildlife. Instead we could maybe use other decorations or plastic pumpkins rather than a normal pumpkin.

I think this issue should be addressed and taken care of every Halloween.

— Daniel Kling

Anchorage

The Alaska section Oct. 26 headline reads “Shooting subject who prompted major Anchorage manhunt appears in court,” and goes on to describe how this teen shot two others, caused a lockdown of a neighborhood and a local hospital. At the bottom of the page reads a column “On Halloween, it’s OK to embrace the killer instinct” where Jill Burke has angst about allowing her child to assume the character of a “bloody, vengeful killer for Halloween.”

Jill should resolve her angst by referring to the article headlining that page. Jus’ saying.

— Karen Rey

Anchorage

This is a two-fold letter. What is wrong with people here? First off, why would any Alaskan want to raise taxes on people when these incompetent legislators cannot or will not spend within their means? This state got by on $9 a barrel. We can get by on $50 a barrel.

Secondly, why do people who are afraid to drive keep moving to the Valley? What is wrong with these big babies? Either learn to drive the speed limit or move to Anchorage. These people need to either be ticketed for driving inappropriately or put in jail. That is all. Go Cowboys!

— Frank Wright

Wasilla

According to a Wall Street Journal article, “Natural-Gas Market Goes Cold” by Nicole Friedman (Oct. 26), “U.S. natural-gas price tumbled (10 percent) to its biggest one-day percentage drop since February 2014 on expectations of a deepening supply glut.” November natural gas futures contracts broke below the key support of $2.20 / MMBtu on Oct. 26. It appears obvious to me that the price trend is clearly down toward $2 / MMBtu.

So, Gov. Walker proposes that we buy out TransCanada’s share in a gas pipeline? What happens with all of our money if that pipe does not get built? Is TransCanada so willing to give up their share, quickly, before it’s worth nothing! One thing is sure — the experts at TransCanada know much more that our best legislators.

Our good governor needs to take off his oil and gas blinders, and diversify our economy away from oil and gas. Alaska’s top priority should be to build a deep-water Arctic port, and to build a road and railway to it to take advantage of new polar shipping traffic that is exponentially increasing, now. The Russian Federation has been building their Arctic ports at Anadyr and Provideniya (near the Bering Strait) to take away our market share, while we sleep.

— Daniel N. Russell

Willow