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 …
Tag Archives: Alaska
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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Grandpa Kev’s (Grumpy) After-Christmas Sale
by Kevin Burton Your favorite retail outlet will be having an after-Christmas sale just now. It’s sort of their version of New Year’s resolutions, you know, out with the old, in with the new. They won’t spare the hype, the bold print or the volume. God help you if you miss this sale! …
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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 …
Of Long, Long Trains And Trains Under Water
by Kevin Burton “There’s something magical about train travel for just about everybody,” writes the Interesting Facts website, “whether you’re an engineering nerd, a hopeless romantic, a world traveler, or an easily excitable 8-year-old.” The longest train ride I have taken so far was (round-trip) from Wasilla, Alaska up to Denali National Park. …
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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 …
Do You Still Write Personal Letters?
by Kevin Burton Here’s a shoutout to Angie in Michigan, Linda in England and to hundreds of others who made this post possible. It’s World Letter Writing Day according to the National Day Calendar. I am still a practitioner of the art. Back in the day, I was an extreme practitioner. A …
Thursdays With Mom: Golden Memories
by Kevin Burton I took custody of the gold yesterday. Didn’t make me any richer, not in the monetary sense anyway. The transaction took place at my mother’s apartment at an assisted living facility twelve miles north of where I live. I go there to visit her just about every Thursday. We are …
Thanking God For Closed Doors
by Kevin Burton One of my frequent prayers is that God will “open the doors that need to be open and close the doors that need to be closed.” This is a necessary prayer because I can’t see around time corners to see the future and I’m not always so good at the …
Saginaw USA, Why Not Exactly?
by Kevin Burton I think I’ve found America kids! This after considerable searching. You’ll never guess where. Listen to this: “The Saginaw Valley Rail Trail is one of Saginaw County’s gems, stretching 11 miles from St. Charles to Saginaw. It incorporates a number of natural features including: seven bridges over various rivers …
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