by Kevin Burton Residents of one Alaska neighborhood in my newspaper’s coverage area sought to correct a flooding problem by putting rocks in a river. Riprap, they called it, which is, as I would learn, “a foundation or sustaining wall of stones or chunks of concrete thrown together without order.” From that …
Category Archives: Alaska
How I Rode Cold Notes Straight To The Top
by Kevin Burton Today we finish up the Dictionary Scoop website’s list of jargon phrases used in journalism. As I did yesterday, I will add to the list. “Above The Fold” is a term that refers to stories and pictures that appear in the top half of the front page. It’s the part …
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Cruise Ship Tourism Threatens Alaska’s Capital
by Christian Karim Chrobog The Guardian “The noise never stops,” says Karla Hart, her voice competing with the hum of approaching helicopters. “I can feel them before I see them.” She looks at her phone to check a website that monitors air traffic and identifies operators. Hart wants to know whether the pilots are adhering …
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How Walla Walla, Other Cities Were Named
by Dictionary Scoop Sometimes, names reveal much about the history of the lands as native communities and original settlers knew them. Arguments, infestations, practical arrangements, mythology, and landscapes, all inspired the current denominations of these ten cities that are thriving today. 1-Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania Punxsutawney’s name might bring a certain charming groundhog to mind, but its …
50 Years Ago, Terry Jacks’ “Season In The Sun”
by Kevin Burton When you move into a house, you see it and feel it in a way all your own. You inhabit that space with your special vitality. The way others see that space, if they see it at all, may be interesting, but it lays no lasting hold on you. …
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I Wish You Christmas Merriness, With Jesus
by Kevin Burton Well, the big day has come, and I wish you a Merry Christmas! This covers today and all Christmases. Even after I die, if you’re still chugging along and remember me, remember that old Kev wished you a Merry Christmas. But on this Christmas Day I have a bigger …
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Students Sue District Over Free Speech
by Katie Stavick The Frontiersman Wasilla, Alaska – Two students filed a lawsuit against the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District Nov. 30, stating that the district has violated their right to free speech. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are Ben Kolendo and Quinlen Schachle, both seniors in the District-Kolendo is a senior at Career …
A Taboo Subject: The Mental Health Of Pilots
by Catherine Ho San Francisco Chronicle An off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot’s attempt to shut down the engines on a San Francisco-bound commercial flight last month has drawn renewed attention to airline pilot mental health — a topic long considered taboo in the industry but one that has generated more scrutiny in recent years since the …
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Dogs In Alaska Being Killed With Meth
by Kevin Burton Three dogs have died so far, as someone in Palmer, Alaska is poisoning dogs with methamphetamines. Katie Stavick of the Frontiersman newspaper, posted a story on it April 5. “Dogs have many titles-man’s best friend, loyal and trusted companion, and beloved member of the family. That’s what makes a …
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