OPINION: Assembly’s port renaming delays are perplexing and unnecessary

It is with a great deal of disappointment, confusion and concern that we have now experienced three delays, labeled “indecisions,” on the part of our Anchorage Assembly to proceed with the naming of our port the Don Young Port of Anchorage.

The most recent occurred on Dec. 19, when it was “postponed indefinitely,” then the very next day slated for reconsideration at the upcoming Jan. 9 meeting. How ever are we to interpret this situation?

Our entire congressional delegation, the unanimous support of the four-person, bilaterally appointed naming panel, the legendary 50-plus-year history of port and waterway support personified by Young is so incredibly obvious, as well as documented and well known to most Alaskans. What can be this Assembly group’s “indecision” problem?

Congressman Don Young, my husband, was widely respected, appreciated and supported on a truly bipartisan basis in the U.S. Congress. It was his unwavering dedication to whatever it took to protect and secure Alaska’s interests that made him so very special. He dedicated his life and his career for half a century to his commitment to our state. All our ports and all Alaska waterways today are long-time beneficiaries of the funding he obtained and the legislation he sponsored over these many years.

As an aside, and on a more personal level, Young so enjoyed being the only licensed mariner in the entire 435-member US Congress. It coincided well with his total Alaskan persona.

As a point of clarification, ports are typically named for the cities, not the state in which they may be located. In a state like ours, where there are as many as 17 other marine cargo sites (and our number is growing), naming our facility the Don Young Port of Anchorage is the clearest, most specific, accurate, and most correct choice.

We can only hope and pray that on Jan. 9, the Anchorage assembly members responsible for passing this ordinance can get it right and the Don Young Port of Anchorage finally becomes a reality. How interesting — and, I believe, easy it could be if only all Alaskans had an opportunity to vote.

There has never been, nor will there ever be in any of our lifetimes (and quite possibly beyond), anyone more deserving of this honor on any level than my husband, Don Young. In many ways, he was and remains the personification of a true port for our city and certainly for Alaska. That the Port of Anchorage should bear his name is a most appropriate and respectful tribute to his inspiring legacy and to the gift he was to Alaska. I plan to attend in person the Jan. 9 Assembly process. Along with many other Alaskans, I hope to see my sweetheart justifiably honored by the final passage of the ordinance naming the Don Young Port of Anchorage.

Anne Garland Young, RN, is the wife of former Congressman Don Young.

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