Springtime Is Rhubarb, Aphids & Phlox

Contributed by Marilyn Bennett

The seeds I planted in March have produced plants that are ready to go in the ground as soon as I am sure they will be safe. Tulips are thrusting up out of the ground and our old faithful rhubarb is showing it will return bigger and better than ever. I have learned that there are 67 species of rhubarb but have no idea the name of the four in my yard. Apparently, the rhubarb plant originated in Tibet and China and came to Alaska when the Russian trader, Gregorii Shelikhov, brought it with him to Kodiak Island in 1784, I believe they used it to prevent scurvy. 

That reminds me that I had better hurry and remove and do something with all the frozen rhubarb in our freezer before I feel obligated to harvest the new crop, (Norwegian guilt).

But getting back to my seedlings. My daughter stopped by and noticed that I had an aphid infestation on almost all my new plants, “The Horror”. This started a day long project to find a remedy for the problem before it got totally out of hand. Luckily, I have a special man in my life who loves a challenge. Doug initially went to Palmer to get some sort of pesticide or treatment for the aphids. it was soon apparent that, except for extreme chemical bug killers, nothing suitable could be found in town. Thus, he had to go into Wasilla. He first stopped at MidValley Greenhouse to see what they might have.

It turns out aphid infestations are a problem around Alaska and especially in an area like ours with heavy birch tree populations. Of course, the woods surrounding our house is full of birches. The owner recommended a store in Wasilla that had natural treatments that weren’t regulated by the government since they didn’t contain man-made chemicals. The “Garden Supply” store he recommended on the Park Highway was not easy to find. It turned out to be an organic gardening supply outfit that caterers to the large cannabis growing business here in Alaska.

After discussing our “aphid problem” with a personable young employee there, he recommended the concentrate called “Plant Therapy”. It is expensive! A small 12oz. bottle of the concentrate cost $48 with tax. It contains soy oil that suffocates the aphids, peppermint Oil that repels bugs, citric acid that is an anti-fungal, natural soap that helps keep all the ingredients in suspension and ensures surface coverage, isopropyl alcohol that dehydrates insects rapidly, sodium citrate food grade that stabilizes the mixture and eliminates powdery mildew.

This mixture when spayed on the plant leaves, suffocates the aphids. Supposedly they haven't developed any immunities to the mixture’s ingredients. For aphids, they recommend doing this several times for a week or more!

Doug came home and we took all the plants outside and placed them on the lawn! After spraying all the plants thoroughly and leaving them out in the sun to dry out, we brought them into the garage for the night and repeated the application the next day. Thankfully, it seems to have totally taken care of the aphid problem.

I was especially concerned, as besides all the pansy, petunia and impatiens seedlings, I had several hanging baskets that had survived in my garage over the winter and I didn't want to lose them. But the most important plants were the four phlox plants that I had ordered from a greenhouse in Ohio and have been nursing along since March. These tall garden phlox were one of the mainstays of my garden in Minnesota, and so I was amazed that I could not find any garden center here in Alaska that carried them.

When I contacted Hirt's Gardens in Ohio on the first of March, I thought they would take my order and send the plants at a later date for me to plant. Imagine my surprise when they immediately mailed out four live plants, which I received on March 6th. The plants were only 4" high, but since I knew they would grow to 36", they needed some special attention as my shelves of grow lights were just not high enough. Doug went out and bought a couple of large sun lamps and set up a nice sunny area in the garage, just for my phlox. I am hoping they will be happy in my garden, although they are rated for zone 4. It seems that although we don't have the hot summers, the winters seem to be mild enough for them to thrive.

We shall see.

Other gardening items... I repainted the iron table and chairs that I had originally purchased when my granddaughters were little. They make a colorful addition to my garden, especially this early in the year when nothing has come up yet.

Hope the information on the aphids has been helpful. I am looking forward to another wonderful year of gardening.

Marilyn Bennett was a Master Gardener in Minnesota and is experimenting and learning about gardening in Alaska.

The Plan to Save the World

Contributed by Anonymous

Have you ever wondered why we go to war? Or wonder why you never seem to be able to get out of debt? Why there’s poverty, division and crime?

What if I told you there was a reason for it all? What if I told you it was done on purpose? What if I told you the ones corrupting the world, poisoning our food, and igniting conflict were themselves about to be permanently eradicated from the earth? You might think that an idealistic fantasy. Well, let me tell you a story…

We acknowledge there are criminals, of course… They’ll rob your house, steal your phone, and they’d murder you too if they think they can get away with it. We have all experienced criminals in one way or another. Criminals as you know, are those who choose personal gain over the rights of others and have no regard for the law.

But here is where you need to expand your thinking.

Criminals can also succeed in business and politics, and can be elected as our leaders. If a criminal could become the president, imagine what they could achieve. They could use the full wave of their executive power to commit much larger crimes, and ensure they and their friends were enriched to the fullest extent possible. A criminal president could create alliances with other criminal presidents, and then collaborate on more global criminal activities. Anything goes: drug running, human trafficking, anything that makes the big bucks.

The twentieth century was turbulent with war, economic disaster, famine and displacement. We accepted these things as just human nature, and simply the way the word works. Something inevitable, and due to the weaknesses of human nature that drive us to these actions. This is where we were all tragically wrong. You’re not a criminal. I’m not a criminal. How can we assume that it’s just human nature that is driving all this pain and misery? What if it wasn’t human nature at all, and was a result of something more deliberate? We were taught that capitalism was the cause of a rich-poor divide, and the reason for poverty, which in turn was the reason for war, crime and starvation. Others were taught that communism, a system of equal wealth, was really to blame for the mess.

But you see folks, it is none of these things. It is not in our nature to fight and be racist. It is not in our nature to rob others. What you must learn is that it was the criminals all along. Yes, they got power, more power than a criminal should ever have. They rose to the top of media companies that control our news and entertainment, they ascended to the top of the banking system, also to the Oval Office. To process, to the Vatican… to the crown. They crept in quietly. They became leaders of agricultural companies who have control over our food supply, also big pharmaceutical companies, the ones we trust to help us when were sick. Nobody stopped them, and they just recruited more criminals to help them. First, they accumulated the world's wealth, and invented a system of money called “Central Banking”, which lends money to governments with interest, placing countries into eternal debt. People's wealth got less, their wealth got more, much more. 

When a criminal is already as rich as they can get, then protecting their ill-gotten gains becomes a priority. Angry citizens who are tired of being poor become a major obstacle, and can revolt if they suffer enough. The criminals needed to prevent this, so they diverted attention to the last remaining competitor; the people of the world, you, and me. We were not happy being ruled by criminals and having to work three jobs just to survive. They know we won’t accept it. So they used the media to set black against white, woman against man, young against old, Muslim against Christian. They convinced us that we were the problem so that we would fight and destroy ourselves. To get the job done faster, they attacked all aspects of humanity that make us strong, like family. Using influence over culture they popularized lifestyle choices that lead to a surge in broken homes, lost youth, and substance abuse. I could talk all day about how they deliberately weakened us, and it would turn your stomach. We were just trying to get on with living. 

So where are all the good guys? Good people just wanna get married, have kids and enjoy their liberty. Well, there were good guys, many. One became the President of the United States in January of 1961. He knew about these criminally and wanted them gone. He knew their intentions for us all, and we wanted to fight them. Sadly, he had no idea how powerful they had become. Reagan also had good intentions for the American people. He knew this criminal mafia, controlled almost everything by this stage including the powerful rouge intelligence agencies. His economic policies were promising, but the criminals needed a weak America to hold onto their power. Reagan was shown with a bullet that a growing U.S. economy and prosperous citizens were not what the criminals wanted.

It was looking pretty grim for good people, every time someone wanted to stand up and do the right thing they got stopped. Were we ever to be freed?

These criminals are known as the Deep-State, or Cabal, because of how they control things behind the scenes. Every president after Reagan was one of these Deep-State criminals. And their empire got even stronger. With each bad president came new depths in which America and the world would sink. The world collapsed into darkness. Do you need me to tell you how? Destroyed factories, declining job numbers, sicker people, opioids, destruction of Iraq, Seria, Yemen, with pointless war. Displacement in the people of Europe, isis, terrorism, collapsed governments, poverty and genocide. Total misery. Do you think that was inevitable? Hell no. Here is where things start to take a U-Turn, and the full picture comes to be known. It will forever be regarded as the greatest story ever told. Here is the top line; some good people still held positions of power. They valued humanity and the rule of law, while the criminals discussed their game plan at the annual bilderberg meetings, the good guys were making plans of their own. The Information Age was coming to change history forever as the internet flooded into every home, and appliances became smarter, and when people started to carry tracking devices, an opportunity to end criminal control over the world was emerging. We became connected, trackable and servaled. But so did they. They became dependent, just like we did; E-mail, SMS, instant communication. It made crime much easier, but also put. them on a grid that if accessed by the right people would expose their crimes to the public and end their iron grip on us once and for all. In this new age of information, it was thought that the military should have its own intelligence agency to focus on cybercrime and espionage. They called this the NSA <National Security Agency>. Here we had every email, phone call, and text from every device, stored and archived. Whether it be someone setting up a doctor's appointment, or the Deep-State setting up a massive heroin purchase from the Taliban. In the right hands it will be enough information to expose the entire sinister criminal plot to rob us blind and wipe us out. 

Hold that thought now I need to explain the plan.

The good guys were devising a plan to reclaim the world from the cabal and return it to the people. It would involve alliances with multiple countries since the criminal had global ratlines, trade and other infrastructures that would need their cooperation. It came down to two choices for America: launch a military coupe to seize the government from whichever cabal puppet was in the White House at the time, or win legitimately, take control of the NSA and expose the criminals for what they are and arrest them all. Obviously the first option would be very concerning for the public. With people still preoccupied with cabal engineered social issues, they would likely revolt and hurt themselves and others. No. So they needed a candidate who could win and could win big. Many states like California had been so heavily inundated by criminals that even the voting machines were electronically rigged to switch votes any which way. It would need to be a very decisive victory. Good patriots in the U.S. military and their global partners asked trump to run for president so that they could take back the country legitimately without alarming the public. Trump was a good choice, obviously, because he overcame the voter-fraud and won, but he was a patriot, and he was loved and admired by the public. He was not interested in joining the cabal because they hated America and he did not agree with them on that point. As soon as he showed interest in taking power, they activated their media assets to viciously turn on him. That’s when we saw the sudden hatred emerge. Even when he won the cabal still had no idea what he was a part of, and the sophisticated plan that was about to unfold against them. Shocked at their loss they mobilized their full arsenal of intelligence, media, money, and technology to try to win back power. Their people at the top of the DOJ (Department of Justice) and FBI put together a plan to try and frame Trump and have him impeached, this is where we come back to the NSA again. The SMS messages and emails could be used to prevent Trump's overthrow. An entire book will be written about President Trumps’ victory, false flag terror attacks, downed planes, missile alerts, assassination attempts. Here is the point. We are experiencing a covert war of Biblical proportions, literally the battle between Heaven and Earth. Between the forces of Good and Evil. I can’t put it in simpler terms, but what I can say is that it appears the good guys are winning. 

The Cabal had complete control over North Korea, they hijacked the Kim Dynasty, took them hostage and worked together to build up a nuclear arsenal to threaten the world. Kim Jong Hun suddenly embracing peace was simply because the Deep-State were beaten and driven out. ISIS was also destroyed following Trump's win. We are all seeing the pattern now, that enough time has passed, that our biggest global concerns are starting to recede, and peace is returning. It is all evidence that the good guys are winning. But we’re still in the middle, while a lot is improving, it still puzzles people that many of these known criminals are still free. Especially the higher-ups like Hillary Clinton, the Bushes, and Obama. That is coming in the next chapter of the story. 

That’s why we have Q. The good guys with control over the NSA began the “Q intelligence dissemination program” to evoke the online grass-roots movement that came to be called ‘The Great Awakening’. It started in online internet channels and moved its way mainstream. Q has been a fun distraction for those who follow world events and desire truth. But it is about to begin a much more important and necessary phase; keeping the public informed when the Deep-State war breaks out onto the surface. By this, I mean high-profile arrests. Yes, folks, the criminals I’m referring to are famous politicians, actors, singers, CEOs, and celebrities. People who have earned our trust, respect and admiration. They have done very bad things, fully known and documented and they WILL be severely punished. Those of us who have followed Q from the beginning will be here here to help you make sense of the coming events. We were among the first to realize that our petty partisan divisions were just trivial distractions, and we were all enslaved by a hidden enemy. We realized that the problem was never capitalism or socialism, democrat or republican, black or white, Muslim or Christian, we know it was just very powerful criminals who just had too much power. Fellow slaves, it’s time to buckle your seat salts, recognize your enemy and embrace a future we all owe to the brave patriots who risk their lives to achieve this victory against the greatest force of evil the world has ever known. May God bless America.

God will judge our enemies. 

We will arrange the meeting.

Get Out & Get Your Free Hotdog!

Contributed by Lhing McNeal, Kabayan Inc. Filipino-American Community of Mat-Su

If you are hanging out by Wasilla Lake to catch some sun or having a picnic, stop by at the pavilion and get a free hotdog on us as part of our community outreach.

This event will be on Saturday, June 26, 2021, from 1pm to 3pm or until all hotdogs are gone. So, come on time before it runs out.

Though we finally are able to go out and getting used to a new norm, we will still be practicing social distancing and require a facial covering when you come and pick up your food. Don’t worry we will have masks available for you at the event.  

We hope you see you and enjoy a good afternoon by the lake. 

Ignoring the Elephant in the Room

Contributed by Doug Ferguson

Except for a small, but very concerned and aware minority, most Americans who don’t live in cities like Seattle, Portland, Minneapolis, and those on the Mexican border, are ignoring the early stages of a movement to promote conflict in society with the eventual goal of staging an actual modern Marxist style revolution. They ignore this in our own country, even though it is taking place in right before our very eyes, whether it be outside of our Valley, in Anchorage, or cities in the Lower 48.

They seem oblivious to the thousands of illegal immigrants crossing our southern boarder with the increase in violent crime, the doubling of drug smuggling, the abuse of children and the taxing of local resources that has resulted. Nor do they see in the centers of many of our once proud cities, the thousands of homeless tent camps lining the streets of large multi-ethnic and even commercial neighborhoods, those that haven’t already been physically destroyed or burned down by looting and rioting mobs. They ignore the majority of those few who did manage to be arrested for this wanton destruction having the charges against them dismissed by the current administration’s federal authorities.

They do not see the connection between these chaotic events and the conversely strict edicts and freedom robbing regulations now imposed affecting their own daily lives accelerated by the COVID crisis, plus new federal legislation that will make their lives even worse if passed.

Examples are: 1) Allowing mask edicts forever in public places; 2) Involuntary substandard remote schooling for our children; 3) New restrictive mandates dealing with travel and vaccinations; 4) Without public input, indoctrinating children in public schools and colleges that our country is based on racism; 5) Federal agencies like the FBI harassing those seen as political opponents as recently in our own Homer, Alaska; 6) House passed HR-5, the so-called “Equality Act”, allowing “transgender” males to compete in women’s sports;  7) Unconstitutional and also House passed HR-1 election law bill forcing our government into a one-party system if it passes in the Senate.

These destructive lawless events and their opposite, the draconian increase of regulations imposed on the average law-abiding citizen’s life around our nation, are too numerous to list even a fraction of them here. However, opposite extremes in the following two examples can give you the flavor of how this movement is working to try to divide our country and prepare it to submit to a Marxist, or at least a “One World” type modern takeover with a central, dictatorial government ruling our lives.

Last year, a number of small local restaurant owners in New York, Michigan, Connecticut, California and Minnesota were arrested as a result of defying their state’s draconian COVID “lockdown” restrictions while trying to save their businesses. Even as the COVID crisis is winding down, a most egregious cases of those owners is that of Lisa Hanson, who owns “The Interchange”, a breakfast and coffee bistro in Albert Lee, Minnesota, a small city of 17,000 near the Iowa state line. She was recently arrested and taken into custody for allegedly not responding to a court order. She is now out on bail and appealing her case along with 20 other counter-claims and lawsuits against over 30 individuals in the state of Minnesota alone.

At the opposite extreme, look at Portland, Oregon after the “George Floyd Peaceful Protests”. After over 100 nights of riots, looting and building burnings last summer, the cost to the city was an estimated $30,000,000, plus $2,300,000 more to federal property. The latter caused the Trump Administration to send in federal troops to protect it. At the time, 97 people were arrested with federal charges filed against them for the destruction. Since then, the Biden Administration has dismissed or deferred 58 of these cases with 32 pending without spending so much as a day behind bars. So far, only 7 have pleaded guilty, and only one of these is heading to prison, having been caught setting fire to the Justice Building in a video showing his name tattooed on his back!

Total riot costs across the country for the 2020-21 time period are estimated by insurance companies at over 2 billion dollars, the costliest in history with few rioters doing any jail time!

There are many groups besides our foreign enemies, including the “cancel culture” in our own media and big international companies, pushing for this radial change in our government. It doesn’t matter whether they want world-wide domination and power, or just believe in “Socialism” or “One World” government. They are all contributing to this divisiveness in our society. We should know from history that all previous attempts to achieve these ends, whether idealistic or not, have only resulted in cruel and deadly dictatorships. We have only to look at the tens of millions killed and imprisoned in China, Russia and other nations under communist rule during the past 100 years.  

We are at a turning point in our history as a country and as a civilization. If more citizens don’t start waking up and pushing back on these movements, we surely will see Orwell’s 1984 come to life. How? By getting involved and supporting politicians and leaders who promote legislation, lawsuits, education programs and demonstrations that counter these challenges to our democratic republic and freedoms in whatever legal ways we can, if it’s not too late already.

But first, we must see “The Elephant in the Room”!

Doug Ferguson is a retired engineer living in Palmer, Alaska who has had a lifelong interest in science, computer technology, history and, of course, American politics.

The Infrastructure Plan

Contributed by Hunter Hill

By now most of us have heard about the massive infrastructure plan that President Biden has released. You may have seen it as yet another bill that few actually care about, or maybe you see it as something that needs more discussion. Most people’s opinion on it can fall into the same two categories that most politics always end up falling in. If you lean to the Left, then you’ll probably say this is a great plan that will fix America’s failing infrastructure and it will help strengthen public transportation and help out the poor. If you lean towards the Right, you might either say that only rails, roads and bridges need to be our focus, or more likely you may think that it is simply another bill that wastes our tax dollars and that we should focus on it when the economy gets back up and running. But there’s another opinion that I hold that I rarely see discussed; one that is more complex and deals with how individual cities build themselves from the ground up.

Cities used to be built from the ground up with people making small bets in the community. They’d set up small temporary shacks to house their businesses that would grow increasingly popular and would slowly gain wealth. Eventually, they would build taller buildings that would be able to house more people and make it easier to run a business. Once the community produced enough wealth to afford it, they would invest in things like basic water and sewage services, fire and police, schools, and roads. As the city grows even more, the city could invest in more expensive things, such as a streetcar or niche services. This process would continue on because the way we used to build our buildings produced a steady return on investment that is a reliable way of building and growing a city. Many byproducts of this way of building included well maintained infrastructure, excellent walkability and the lack of need for the automobile.

Later on, we quickly turned away from this with the massive suburbanization of cities in the pursuit of the American Dream. Most of the city was zoned for single family homes and nothing else. Businesses had to be built away from residential areas for fear of people disliking a business in their neighborhoods. Those temporary businesses that were designed to be upgraded were prevented by zoning laws to continue upgrading, and thus were frozen in time. In residential areas, before a home is built, all municipal services are placed into the site so that it is shovel-ready. For the average American, this seems quite normal, and that there isn’t much harm in giving everyday Americans the ability to own their own property in a quiet neighborhood.

Those single-family homes have a small amount of taxable value, far too small to pay for the maintenance of the infrastructure around it. Gas tax, property tax and sales tax aren’t great enough either to pay it off either. Cities can easily afford it in the short-term because the funding mostly comes from the state and federal government, while maintenance is left entirely to the local government. Simply put, we can’t afford to maintain our infrastructure because there is too much of it. We need to slow down our building of new infrastructure and improve on what we already have available.

Some may reasonably say that people want to live in the suburbs and don’t want to give that up. People can still live in a suburban community if they wish to, but they should be expected to self-sustain themselves in terms of services that would otherwise be provided by the city. If you want to get a more in-depth explanation of all this, I strongly recommend reading the book Strong Towns by Charles Marohn, which discusses how we can revitalize our cities to become prosperous again.

Finally, what might President Biden’s Infrastructure do in this case? Wouldn’t that help solve the problems that I just talked about? Remember that several US presidents have proposed something similar to this, including Trump. This bill is designed to be a band-aid, where the federal government will likely use it to fix all that overbuilt infrastructure and possibly use it to build new infrastructure that they will not maintain themselves. My main fear is that, if the bill passes, that cities will see maintenance as something that can be paid for by the federal government.

$2.3 trillion is expected to be spent by this, but the return on investment will never be enough to justify the price tag. Pretty soon, we’ll have to do this again and again, where another massive bill that we can barely afford has to be proposed again so our infrastructure that we can’t pay off ourselves has to get maintained. If we want to fix these problems, we need to build upon what we know and on what we already have available. We must create wealth that is sustainable enough to give a reason to pay off the infrastructure we have.

14 Years of Making A Scene!

Contributed by Josh Fryfogle

Social media in print. That was the idea from the beginning, before that phrase - Social Media - became a household term.

I started publishing Make A Scene Magazine as a way for local musicians to take their fate into their own hands, promote their performances and projects, and to support each other by writing about each other. It wasn’t about “making it big”, but making a scene in our own community. Honestly, it didn’t go how I expected.

The core idea was to give the pages of a widely distributed paper to the people of the community, of whom musicians were few. First, the people of the arts community (a few were musicians) flooded my inbox with content. Then, non-arts content started coming in, leading to the eventual development of The People’s Paper. Even though my original idea was to allow local musicians an easy path to publishing their own words, the idea appealed to a much larger group of community members.

Recently we’ve taken over the radio station, 95.5 The Pass. It’s a commercial music station, allowing me to fulfill my original mission – to promote local music... to make a scene. We play local music on the air that I’ve curated, some of the best recordings of the best performances from the best Alaskan musicians I’ve found along the way. It’s a dream come true for me. 

But more than that, and true to our mission at Make A Scene, where we first converted a traditional medium into a social media platform on paper, the radio station receives content from you!

Any community member can contribute, just by picking up the phone! (907-373-0955)

A song request? Of course, but we also enjoy a public announcement, a poem, a joke, your favorite quote, or a word of encouragement for our continued effort to empower local voices like yours - while listening to an awesome mix of popular music (that doesn’t exclude local Alaskan artists.)

Fourteen years ago, I printed the first issue of Make a Scene. Like Facebook, or MySpace before them, Make A Scene Magazine gave a medium for community to communicate. But unlike those online platforms, my company was seeking to decentralize that platform into local-level intellectual action. Unlike those internet bottlenecks, my company was not about consolidation of power, or to create content that trades in outrage, but instead to create a locally-owned platform that truly respects the First Amendment in all its clauses, and thereby truly reflects the spirit of the People in my community. It’s altruism as an antidote to the corporate centralization of our culture.

We are social media in print, we are social media on the air - and it all started 14 years ago this month. Thanks for reading and writing.

Make A Scene.

8th Annual Rally 2 The Ranch

Contributed by Glenn Butts, aka The DUDE

8th Annual Rally 2 The Ranch
6/5/2021 – 10AM
Second To None M/C & CMA’s Midnight Son Riders Chapter 801
Northway Mall
3101 Penland Pkwy. Anchorage
Donations Welcome

On June 5th, we will be having a fundraiser/support rally for Nugen's Ranch, Adult Long Term Recovery Center.

It’s a great way to show support for the RECOVERY community, and have a good time while doing it. So, get your BIKE ready (even your car) and come out to Northway Mall to ride with us.

We will be stopping at three locations along the way, and it will be a poker run too. Also, there will be shirts made for the run, sold along the way. The profits from shirts go to support the rally to Nugen’s. 10am meet at Northway Mall, kick stands up at 10:30am.

Special thanks to:
Second To None M/C, they'll be leading the pack out to Nugen's Ranch, and putting on the poker run. And CMA’s Midnight Son Riders Chapter 801, for correlating the event.

Staring from Northway Mall
Arrive at 10am, Leave at 10:30am         

1st stop: Denali Harley Davidson
Arrive at 11am, Leave at 11:30am

2nd stop: Adult Teen Challenge             
Arrive at 11:45am, Leave at 12:00pm

3rd stop: Kink Three Bears Gas Station   
Arrive at 12:15pm, Leave at 12:30pm

Arriving at Nugen’s Ranch Center
1:00pm

 Rolling thunder for clients!

Announcement:
Due to the COVID 19, at least week before June 5th, please check our Facebook site, @Rally 2 The Ranch, for any and all updates, and if you wish to donate - a list of donation jars
throughout the Valley.

Meet Kiki & Kili

Contributed by Kelleigh Orthmann, Clear Creek Cat Rescue

Kiki and Kili are sweet, gorgeous 11-month-old calico sisters who were abandoned by their owner at the height of winter. That led to them losing their ear tips to frostbite and developing an understandably cautious attitude toward humans.

Once they get used to you, they love chin scratches and belly rubs and playing with anything on a string that they can bat around. These beauties deserve a loving home where they can feel secure. They tolerate mellow dogs who appreciate boundaries and would get along great with an older child who could enjoy lap time with them.

To meet Kiki and Kili, please call 980-8898. 

Jared the Giant, A New Children’s Book

Contributed by Sharon Aubrey, Relevant Publishers LLC

Jared the Giant, The Secret is the first book in a new children’s series, Jared the Giant, by Alaskan author, Sharon Aubrey. The first book is about a little boy named Jared who is afraid of spiders. Arachnophobia and fear negatively impact every aspect of his life. Jared runs away every time he sees a spider. With fear controlling his life, he feels powerless to live comfortably in his own home. Then one day, Jared's mother tells him a powerful secret that empowers him to transform into a giant. From his new perspective as a giant, Jared isn't afraid of tiny spiders any more. Suddenly, the spiders seem to be afraid of him!

Educational information on spiders is included at the back of the book to help children learn about spider anatomy, arachnophobia, the benefits of spiders, and identify six common spiders in their environment. This book is ideal for children ages Pre-K through second grade with a Flesh-Kincaid Reading Score of 2. Jared the Giant, the Secret is a great resource for homeschooling parents and parents whose children would like to learn more about spiders. Available in three formats: ISBN 9780990998495 (hardback), ISBN 9780999260517 (paperback), ISBN 9780999260500 (ebook).

Sharon Aubrey is the founder and managing director of Relevant Publishers LLC, an award-winning publishing house in Sutton, Alaska. She was also a homeschool parent at Mat-Su Central School in Wasilla for 15 years.

Art on Fire 2021

Contributed by Carmen Summerfield

Art on Fire 2021
6/26/2021 – 12PM
Valley Arts Alliance
Museum of Alaska Transportation & Industry
3800 W Museum Dr. Wasilla
Tickets: FREE Children (0-12), $10 Reg. Admission

It’s time for another hot, Hot, HOT Iron Pour! Yes, for the 14th year, the Valley Arts Alliance Art on Fire Iron Pour Art Fest will be held on Saturday, June 26, 2021 in Wasilla. The Valley will be buzzing with artists from across the country, as they gather to cast unique iron sculptures, create Raku pottery, and engage in other similar “fiery” events.

A team of skilled foundry men and women, consisting of Pat Garley, who owns Arctic Fires Bronze in Palmer, D’jean Jawrunner, a college professor from New Mexico who teaches metal casting, Donnie Keen a commercial foundry owner from Houston, Texas, and other local sculptors and skilled metal workers will demonstrate the fascinating 5000-year-old iron casting process using a custom designed furnace known as a cupola.

In the weeks preceding this event, Pat Garley will be offering workshops in metal casting and mold making at his studio in Palmer. These workshops will continue at the VAA Art on Fire Iron Pour Art Fest, when these molds are poured with liquid iron. See scenes of previous years events on our archives pages, www.ValleyArtsAlliance.com.

At this Art on Fire Iron Pour Art Fest, visitors can create their own small molds, for their own unique iron plaques. These small mold blanks, approximately 6 inches square, can be etched or “scratched” with a design which, when filled with molten iron, will render a unique keepsake. Known as a “scratch block”, these blanks are available for $10.

Throughout the day, artists will conduct Raku pottery workshops. Raku differs from other forms of pottery in that after a short firing, the “red hot” vessels are placed inside a metal can full of combustible materials, a process that draws the oxygen out of the glaze and is responsible for the unique and completely unpredictable Raku look.

The Association of Alaskan Blacksmiths will demonstrate blacksmithing techniques, Judy Vars will demonstrate Encaustic wax painting, and other fiery arts, such as glass flameworking, will also be demonstrated. Several local painters will setup their easels and demonstrate their work. Live music and food will be available throughout the day.

The VAA Art on Fire Iron Pour Art Fest will be held at the Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry, located at 3800 W. Museum Drive (near the airport) in Wasilla, from noon until 5pm on Saturday, June 26. The ticket price is $10, with children under 12 admitted free. Please join the fun! We hope to turn this day into an extraordinary Iron Pour Art Fest in the Valley!

Our Little Corner of Alaska

Contributed by Rachel Martinez 

My family of five have been living in Alaska for eight years and this coming June, we are headed out on a new adventure. We moved here from just outside the New York City area and will be heading to another coast, Florida! As our departure date grows ever closer, I find myself often reflecting upon the people and places my heart has come to dearly cherish and love.

This sweet little corner of the world is quite the special community. It carries the excitement, beauty, and awe of the great outdoors, a land unlike anywhere else. When friends and family come to visit, one of their first responses is, “Oh, I get it now. I get why you live here,” as they breathe in the glorious mountains that surround our valley.

Among the inspiring nature of Alaska, it is its people and community that makes this place even sweeter. The family style community, where you walk into the local coffee shop and wave to friends from church at one table, and friends from your spin class at the other table. It’s the kind of community where people choose to take the time to ask how the family is, to spend a little extra time waiting in line if it means hearing how the new job is or pausing at the grocery store to check in on the neighbor you haven’t seen in a while. It’s a community that by no means is perfect; it has flaws, potholes and dogs that pee on your flowers each spring, but it is one where the good far outweighs all that other stuff.

It is here, in this corner of Alaska, where I learned the beauty, value, importance and worth of small businesses (long before COVID entered our world). I think we all can think of our favorite local coffee hut that we drive through weekly for that cup of java (mine happens to be Perfect Start), or our favorite Little Miller’s ice cream location cause the Miller’s girls give a little extra ice cream on the cone there! Every time I choose to grab lunch from Hebrews Cafe or Cafe Dolce 907, I’m supporting family. I’m supporting my neighbors, my community, my Alaska. Whether it be a business that’s been around a long time, like Krazy Moose Subs, or a business celebrating its upcoming one-year anniversary, like Ema Rose Hair, I’m supporting my people. Whether it’s taking out of town friends for some pie up at Hatcher Pass Lodge, or meeting my friends to workout at Innergy, I partake in this family style community!

Perhaps it’s because in a few short weeks, my family and I will be driving away from this little corner of the world, however my heart is extra grateful for how this community truly embraces LOCAL. I’ve been making some extra trips to those favorite spots, popping into the Wagon Wheel and Poppy Lane Mercantile for one more Alaska shirt, going the long way so I can grab a sandwich at Vagabond Blues, or make sure to pull through my friends new Elwoods. It doesn’t take much to convince me to stop by one. more. time.

So, when it’s easy to just go about your day, maybe today, take the long way home. Stop by your favorite local business. Buy a coffee for a friend, mail a sticker to your mom, say thank you to local businesses that make our corner of Alaska so very special!

MATI Opens for 2021

Contributed by Nancy Hall, Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry

Great news. The Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry (MATI) will be open in Wasilla this summer. We will be open four days a week, Friday through Monday, starting Memorial Day weekend from 11am to 3pm.

We have several new and exciting additions to our museum. We recently received the Spartan aerial platform fire truck, originally used on Prudhoe Bay, then used by West Lakes Fire Department, who in turn donated it to us. The ladder extends an amazing 100 feet into the air. Imagine being on the platform that high in the air to rescue someone or to control the pressurized fire hose directed at a burning building. This Spartan truck joins our other many fire trucks located outside in the 15 acres adjoining our building.

Other new items are our picture boards where you can stick your face through the hole in the picture board and now you can take your picture. You can be a successful fisherman reeling in that giant fish. Pretend to be a pilot flying around the inside of the building. As a train conductor, you can signal the oncoming train. Or you can take a picture of mom and dad pretending to be a 1930 Palmer Colonist farm couple in the Alaskan version of American Gothic. Three picture boards are scattered outside located near the exhibit areas they most closely represent, and one is located inside the museum building.

See and learn the real history of Alaska. Inside the building learn about the bush pilots both male and female who explored and developed the Alaska we know today. They soared through valleys, over glaciers and around mountains to deliver mail and to provide supplies and to rescue people.  

On the floor inside, see the beautifully restored car that President Harding used when he visited Alaska in 1923 among many other restored cars. See the car that isn’t a Ford, Chevrolet or anything identifiable. So, the title says “homemade”. Al Gagnon used anything he could find to make the truck. He used pieces from tractors, mining equipment and anything else he could find. The story says there is even a spoon used to make the truck. Can you find the spoon?

The outside 15 acres have many exhibits. You can board the six cars of the train that was a WWII troop train, where you can walk through the history of mining in Alaska.  Throughout these cars you can see photos that introduce you to the struggles and hardships early miners suffered to extract gold, coal and 95% pure copper from mines throughout the state while living and working under the extreme Alaskan conditions. Under the pictures are the actual implements and equipment necessary to operate these mines and rail lines. Heading up these trains are two train engines, the 1500 and the X1000, that were used in the exciting 1985 movie the Runaway Train starring Jon Voight, Eric Roberts and Rebecca DeMorney.

Imagine fighting the tide and the role of the ocean in a double-ended fishing boat that doesn’t have an outboard or inboard motor. See some of the original snow machines, which are nothing compared to our new sleek versions.

Did you know the early railroads in Alaska included a school bus, ambulance and an auto-railer?

Farm equipment, the original Anchorage airport tower, radio and communication equipment, gold mining, Native crafts, experimental aircraft and other Alaskan historical memorabilia are only some of the other exhibits you can enjoy at our museum.

Come learn the history of our Alaska.

Palmer Museum of History & Art Photo of the Month: Anton Anderson, Engineer/Surveyor

Contributed by Richard Estelle, Palmer Museum of History & Art

Folks who have travelled to Whittier, Alaska, whether by train or car, did so by way of the “Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel”, so named for the man who designed and located that unique approach to the town. Folks who ride the Alaska Railroad train between Seward and Fairbanks do so over tracks largely located and surveyed by Anton Anderson. Those who visit the Palmer Community Center today travel among the Colony-era buildings and streets also located according to the architect’s plan by Anton Anderson and his survey crew.

Anton Albert Andrew Anderson was, by all accounts, a remarkable man. Born in 1892 in New Zealand of Swedish and Irish heritage, he immigrated to Washington State in 1914, where he became a civil engineer and surveyor. In 1916, he came to Anchorage to work for the Alaska Engineering Commission as an engineer during early construction of the Alaska Railroad, engineering and surveying much of the line, the bridges and buildings between Seward and Fairbanks as well as laying out the original Anchorage townsite. He no doubt played a principal role in designing and locating the railroad’s Matanuska branch line extending from its junction at the community of Matanuska to the coalfields of Chickaloon, establishing the rail access that would later play such an important role in locating and establishing the Matanuska Colony Project.

Following construction of the railroad, Anderson was involved in numerous other major projects, including construction of the first Eklutna hydroelectric power project below Eklutna Lake which included dams, tunnel and penstock, powerhouse and substations to provide electricity to Anchorage by 1930. Other major engineering and surveying activity took him throughout the Territory including leading involvement in locating and designing the two rail tunnels leading to Whittier, Whitter’s port facilities and the Hodge building (now Begich Towers), to open that port to rail access in 1943. He was significantly involved in construction of the Alaska Highway, the Richardson and Glenn Highways, the Haines Cutoff and the Tok Extension. He supervised the relocation of the railroad along Turnagain Arm when the adjacent Seward Highway was constructed.

When the Matanuska Colony Project was initiated, resettling Midwestern farm families in the Matanuska Valley in 1935, a whole new town was required. A major factor influencing the location of that town was proximity to good access for delivery of all the people, goods and equipment required to form a town from its beginning. The choice was to locate adjacent to the rail line Anderson likely identified through the Matanuska Valley almost twenty years before. Anderson was on the Colony project scene early, leading his survey crew in converting the architect’s vision for the new town into specific locations on the ground so men could quickly begin building the required structures for the new town.

Anderson went on to serve on the Anchorage City Council and as Mayor from 1956 to 1958. He passed away in 1960, leaving behind a remarkable legacy of enduring infrastructure for the people of Alaska, and a unique contribution to the community of Palmer.

Photos in the museum’s Anton Anderson collection indicate that Anton, his wife Alma and daughters, Jean and Patricia, came to the new Palmer site in 1935. (Their third daughter, Shelby, was born the following year in Palmer.) Some of those photos show the townsite when it was little more than a partially developed homestead brush field.

This month’s “Photo of The Month”, produced by Hewitt’s Photo Shop of Anchorage, shows Anderson and his survey team at their office tent in Palmer in 1936. They are identified, from the left, as Bill Cook, Bob Abernathy, Chief Engineer Anton Anderson, Oliver Kola, a man not yet identified, and Jack O’Malley.

Note: Some information for the above was taken from Wikipedia and from Bruce Parham, “Anderson, Anton A.,” Cook Inlet Historical Society, “Legends and Legacies, Anchorage, 1910-1940.”

Adult Education: Moving Beyond the GED

Contributed by Katie Stavick, Nine Star Education & Employment Services

With everything we have all endured during this past year - the devastating pandemic, crushing job losses and furloughs, an unprecedented mental health crisis, just to name a few - many people have been exploring their options for a more secure career moving forward.  

“Where do I begin?” “What resources are available?” “How can I make connections to the training or career I want?” It can be overwhelming, but there is help available through Nine Star Education and Employment Services in Wasilla.

According to the Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, adults who have earned their high school diploma or GED will earn thousands of dollars more in their lifetime than adults who don’t have this crucial, career-building education. Nine Star offers GED preparation classes designed to help students prepare for the GED and move forward. Reading, writing, math, science, and social studies are, of course, offered. But what about after the GED? Where can students find assistance moving forward?

Nine Star Wasilla is now proud to offer a Career Readiness Course! This 12-week course is designed to support students in obtaining, retaining, and advancing on the job. The program begins with an assessment of your current skills, interests and work values, career exploration, and training options to help move forward. We also work with you to create goals, assist with job search training, resume writing, interviewing, developing positive work habits and attitudes, education exploration, and stress relief.

Nine Star Education and Employment Services continues to offer GED preparation classes through distance education. And something new for the summer, Nine Star Wasilla is presenting “Summer Intensive Courses”.

Don’t let the title fool you. These courses are designed to keep students studying while also having the opportunity to enjoy the Alaskan summers we all love! Course offerings include Creative Writing Workshop, Greek Mythology, Book Club and the Vietnam War, with more course titles coming soon.

Contact Nine Star to learn more about GED preparation, career readiness, and summer intensives at (907) 373-7833. Don’t wait - you have your whole career ahead of you!

It’s Official! The MatSu Food Bank Has A New Building!

Contributed by Lauralynn Robison, MatSu Food Bank

It’s official… the MatSu Food Bank has secured a new building for the purpose of expanding our facility to better serve our growing Valley community. We are very excited for what comes next. This process has many moving parts, and will be done in multiple phases, over the new few months.

PHASE I: Moving of the warehouse is now completed.

PHASE II: This will not be taking place until later. The office portion of the building needs to be prepared for the new administrative offices and the newer pantry area. Our existing offices/pantry will remain at our location 501 East Bogard Road, until our new location is ready. We will let everyone know with ample time when this move takes place.

PHASE III: Once we are completely moved in and set up, there will be a “Formal Opening” Celebration with food trucks, prizes, viewing of the facility and silent auction for donations.

MatSu Food Bank is very delighted and thankful for everyone who are helping us make this endeavor happen. Visit our web page for details how to donate to help with our new location. “No One should go hungry!” Please take a minute to visit our web page https://www.matsufoodbank.org. See the many ways you can help us help our community. You can also follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MatsuFoodBank.

 Thank You for your continued support, we truly appreciate you, our community!

-       The MatSu Board of Directors, Staff and Volunteer

MatSu Food Bank’s “FOOD4KINDS” is Back!

Contributed by Lauralynn Robinson, MatSu Food Bank

The MatSu Food Bank is participating in the Summer Food Service Program, this coming summer 2021!  

MatSu Food Bank provides a wonderful program for the children in our Valley, FOOD4KIDS. Good nutrition is a building block for proper development that strengthens the immune system, enhances cognitive and physical development and increases concentration in school. Children who do not get the foods and nutrients necessary to maintain proper nutrition are denied all these benefits. At FOOD4KIDS, we believe in the power of food to change a child's life! FOOD4KIDS was designed to provide nutritional meals for the children in our Valley, during the summer months, while they are engaging outside with exercise and activities.  

FOOD4KIDS begins this summer on May 24th through August 12th, and will be available Monday through Friday. We are serving at Wonderland Park, Newcomb Park and the MatSu Food Bank’s Pantry (3 locations). If you are out with your children, getting some recreation time, stop by and collect a nutritional lunch, provided by our fabulous volunteers.

If you wish to volunteer for this event, please call or visit our office to sign up. We may be reached at (907) 357-3769 or visit our web page https://www.matsufoodbank.org.You can also follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MatsuFoodBank.

Meal Service Locations                Meal Service Times

Matsu Food Bank                           11:00AM to 1:00PM

Newcomb Park                      11:30AM to 1:00PM

Wonderland Park                            12:00PM to 1:30PM

The Value in Reading with Your Child

Contributed by Darean Doniz

Parenting is one of the most challenging, thankless jobs a person can have with the worst hours, pay and benefits possible. Zero. No money. Parents are often losing money trying to keep hungry and destructive forces of nature fed and entertained. Parents are often looking for better health benefits to keep their accident-prone dependents healthy and taken care of in times of injury doing the most unimaginably ridiculous things. They have terrible hours. Try 24/7 on top of the job meant to keep food on the table and medical expenses covered. And, to top it all off, parents are under constant scrutiny to be better, do better, and parent better. Keep a nice job, food on the table, a clean house, and happy, smart, healthy and entertained children. With Facebook, Instagram, and yes, even Pinterest, it is easier to compare your parenting skills with other parents’ skills and make yourself feel like you are constantly missing the mark.

We are listening. I and the other helpful staff at Gille Learning Center are not here to make you feel like you are failing. We are here to help and support you. Parenting isn’t easy. Having a healthy, smart and happy child isn’t easy. You cannot win every battle and do everything perfectly right. But there are some things you can do that will help you be an exceptional parent. One such thing that is relatively simple and straightforward to do most days if not every day is read with your child.

I will not promise that reading with your child will make them the smartest person in the world. I will not promise that reading with your child will take away all of their academic struggles. I will not promise that reading with your child will keep learning disabilities from occurring. But reading with your child is important and has value in many ways.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics as of their 2020 report, in the 2018-2019 school year 7.1 million students in public schools were receiving interventions for learning disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act known as IDEA. About 30% of those students were receiving services for specific learning disabilities of which dyslexia is the most prominent. Dyslexia affects about 5%-10% of the population and can be a nightmare for a child's educational achievement. It is a learning disorder caused by a lack of phoneme (the basic building blocks of language) awareness that prevents children from effectively learning to read and write. What is the number one prevention for dyslexia currently recognized?

You guessed it. Reading with your child daily from an early age, generally, from the time the child is born.

Reading with your child is important. Children learn language through exposure to the language. Not exposure on a tv screen that cannot respond to them, or from a tablet or video games that have the same problem, but from exposure with other human beings. One of the best ways to ensure that your child is getting that exposure is through daily reading and continual communication with your child. Reading with a child gives them quality time with their guardians whom they love and crave spending time with. Reading can teach children lessons about life, happiness and general knowledge they’ll need going into school. Reading promotes creativity and imaginative thinking in children. If reading is a part of a routine, such as a nighttime routine, it is one of the best ways to get your child to wind down for sleep and facilitate a better sleeping schedule making you and your child's life that much happier and easier. And, to top it all off, reading with your child allows you the opportunity to spend time supporting your child's growth and sharing new exciting adventures with them.

As previously stated, reading with your child will not 100% prevent learning disabilities and it can prove challenging for some parents who have very busy schedules. But it helps and it is worth the challenge.

Parenting is hard. Reading is important. Strive to read with your child daily. And remember, the Gille Learning Center staff will be there to help and support you on your parenting journey.

Thomas Paine: My Man of the Year

Contributed by Nan Potts

I often wonder, when the world falls into chaos and insanity, whatever happened to common sense?

In an age where the meaning of words and phrases change on a daily basis, thus causing confusion, frustration and conflict, let’s begin by defining some. Common sense: noun, sound practical judgment that is independent of specialized knowledge, training, or the like; normal native intelligence. (www.dictionary.com)

Well, that sounds straight forward. If we all step back and get a greater understanding of what’s going on around us (whether it be World, national or local events), I think we’d agree something is happening. But what?

We see continuous riots in certain cities, murders within ethnicities, assaults of one ethnicity against another and violent crimes rising across this nation. Why?

One could blame injustices for these occurrences. Okay, injustices should be dealt with. However, does that mean it should be dealt with by inflicting another injustice? Thomas Paine would disagree. 

You recall Thomas Paine’s essay -  “Common Sense; Addressed To The Inhabitants Of America, On the following interesting Subjects:

I. The origin and design of government . . .

II. Of Monarchy and Hereditary Succession

III. Thoughts on the present State of American Affairs

IV. Of the present ability of America . . .”?

If you don’t, you should.

When Paine first published his 46-page essay in January of 1776, and his new edition in February (adding specific monetary value to his proposal and addressing the Quakers), he listed grievances the American colonials had with King George III. He cited examples and evidence against the Crown’s interference in American matters and argued his solution with proposals how he foresaw the government of the New Continent. Simply put, it was a call to Independence. None refuted it. Why?

At that time, Americans were British subjects, which meant they were governed by British Law. Paine debated the idea that Americans knew best what was good for them and the colonies, not the abusive ruler living over 3,000 miles away.

As far as the colonialists were concerned, King George III was a tyrant. The more the Americans resented his authority, the more Parliamentary overreach and abuse from the Crown was put upon them.

Let’s pause here and define tyrant and tyranny - Tyrant: noun, a sovereign or other ruler who uses power oppressively or unjustly. Tyranny: noun, arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power; despotic abuse of authority. (www.dictionary.com)

King George is best known for the taxation he put upon the Americans. Yet his authority went far beyond his taxation without representation (breaking traditional English Law). Other acts included extortion by suspending the New York’s legislative assembly until it complied with quartering English troops, which was greatly resented. Now, England had a “standing army” in the Colonies which protected the King’s interests not the colonials’. The Americans’ rights, under English Law, were being denied and they no longer thought of themselves as Englishmen.

Rebellions resulted throughout the 1760s and early1770s. The most famous, the Boston Tea Party, 1774. And, as Parliament claimed legislative supremacy over its empire in response - it militarized the Massachusetts government, revamped her court system, erected a naval blockade to Boston and demanded the colonies provide for the regular troops.

Author, Thomas Wendel, Thomas Paine: A Call To Independence, states in his introduction, “The American patriots had come to believe that over the past decade there had developed in England a concerted conspiracy against liberty, a conspiracy formulated by wicked and corrupt ministers of the Crown who, through pensions and patronage, bribed a supine Parliament to do their bidding.”

What befell the Americans and the British are well archived in history. Tyranny was ousted and a new nation resulted. It promised a government for the people, by the people - life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I’ll leave that up to you to review.

Does Paine’s common sense apply to today’s events? It appears the echoes of the past carries sounds of resemblance. My common sense tells me there is tyranny at the root. Speculation can be made - monarchists, socialists, communists, fascists, anarchists, oligarchs, globalists and others. All of these have one thing in common: abuse of authority.

Paine’s following quote caught the woes of being under the rule of a monarchy and hereditary succession; England’s tyranny of the time. if one substituted any of the above-mentioned ideologies in its place, the quote would bear out truth. History has proven it so.

In short, monarchy and succession have laid (not this or that kingdom only) but the world in blood and ashes. “‘Tis a form of government which the word of God bears testimony against, and blood will retain it.” - Thomas Paine, Common Sense

Under the U.S. Constitution, “We The People” are the governing body. We select our local, state and federal representatives via votes. Why would any people wish government to intervene and takeover their lives, including their happiness? Yet this is happening. executive orders and edits may benefit society, temporarily. Too many, and just like our colonial founders, our rights (which are inalienable) are being gradually and insidiously stripped from us.

A true student of world history would agree that fear is the driving factor for authoritative control. When a people feel threatened and demand protection, they allow and tolerate a certain amount of control over themselves. And a tyrant, once in power, is in fear of losing that power. Look at Great Britain and its reason for the creation of serfdom - The Roman Empire (i.e. Britain) had been worked by gangs of slaves (of different ethnicities) and eventually broken up into peasant holds. “These peasants of the late Roman Empire, many of who were the descendant of slaves, came to depend on larger land owners and important persons for protection from state tax collectors and, later, from barbarian invaders and oppressive neighbors.” - www.britannica.com

Paine’s response to the folly of hereditary rights of kings can also be applied to corruption in any organization: “Most wise men, in their private sentiments, have ever treated hereditary right with contempt; yet it is one of those evils, which when once established is not easily removed; many submit from fear, others from superstition, and the more powerful part shares with the king the plunder of the rest.” - Thomas Paine, Common Sense

A common sense conclusion would be: If people are unwilling (to take responsibility) or unable (due to suppression and fear) to govern themselves, another person or persons will use their authority or power (suppression) over them to govern or control that population (oppression).

The current push of systemic racism and critical race theory are but distractions from government and Big Tech overreach in our pocketbooks and civil rights. The titles of proposed and passed bills in our Congress and Senate (COVID Stimulus and HR-1[The People’s Bill]) may “sound good”. However, a closer look into them (www.congress.gov and www.senate.gov) demonstrates so much pork and wasteful spending, they are on track to bankrupt this country and leave the debt for generations to come. This is not common sense.

Neither are the ideologies, created by intellectual thinkers who think their ideas are “special” and therefore they should be adopted. Ideologies based on how they feel things should be, not how they are, without practical experience of what they preach. Hence, Marx, Lenin and Hitler to name a few. Consider how those turned out?

“A government which cannot preserve the peace [or dismantles the peace], is no government at all, and in the case we pay our money for nothing…” - Thomas Paine, Common Sense

Ask yourself regarding the following if this rings of common sense:

•   A leader (who is white) calls for unity in this country, then names all white people - white privileged, white supremacists and domestic terrorists?

•   Penalizing law-abiding citizens by removing their rights to bear arms and protect themselves and their property, then allowing rioters, looters and lawbreakers to walk free?

•   Calling for reparations regarding unjust acts, done so long ago, that have been rectified.

•   One injustice being “righted” by another injustice (see the definition of revenge)?

•   The First Amendment right in this country, Free Speech, currently being censored?

•   Unruly and unlawful mob rule being allowed to threaten lives of fellow countrymen whose ideas differ from theirs?

•   Changing laws and definitions of words arbitrarily to suit a narrative?

•   To espouse false allegations and untruths, then repeating them loud and long enough that people believe they’re true? (see Saul Alinsky, Rules For Radicals)

•   People want socialism over capitalism, when socialism has always brought bloodshed, death and destruction to nations (a well-documented historical fact)?

•   That people must be taught and believe in unproven ideologies (i.e. Antiracism and critical race theory) because others say so?

•   To claim that humans are causing the Earth’s climate to change when the climate has been changing since the time of its creation?

•   Listening to biased media outlets instead of self-research to come to one’s own conclusion?

•   Paying unemployment benefits for workers not to work?

•   Printing money without value to stimulate the economy, leading to inflation?

•   Law and order being disbanded in the name of social justice?

The list goes on.

By applying common sense and having an understanding of history and human nature, one will find peace and prosperity lies within the liberty of individuals, groups and nations, to be productive.

Paine recognized this. The American colonies were prospering with a budding economy, creative ingenuity and resources. Britain was in debt and with dwindling resources, the expenses of maintaining her Empire tugged at her manpower and purse. In her desperate attempt to survive as the ruling nation on the planet, the King and his Parliament decided to use more control and rein in the rebellious colonies. The result, a rebellion with “the shot heard around the world”. The rest is history.

Yet, there will always be those who wish to throw off any form of authority or government - enter the anarchists. Anarchist: noun, a person who seeks to overturn by violence all constituted forms and institutions of society and government, with no purpose of establishing any other system of order in the place of that destroyed. (www.dictionary.com) I shake my head at anyone who declares there lies any common sense!

Rebellion and war are last resorts when diplomacy and communication breakdown. There has always been a very high price to pay in the devastation of lives and property. Is it worth it? Freedom of any sort, and the struggle to maintain it, by definition, comes with that price tag.

Looking through U.S. History, rebellions have happened more than once. It could happen again. Too, much government control put upon a people who have known liberty and whose rights are defined by our ruling document, the U.S. Constitution, is setting up similar conditions to those of King George’s.

Rereading Thomas Paine has pulled into perspective how dear our liberty in this country is. Just ask the people who are fleeing other countries to be here! Those living here and attempting to “change” it through senseless rioting and destruction, and by more and more government control, probably should go elsewhere. Common sense would ask, “Why are you here?”

Common sense would also ask, “Are you truly applying common sense or are you going along with the rule of the mob?” Mob: noun, Sociology. a group of persons stimulating one another to excitement and losing ordinary rational control over their activity. (www.dictionary.com)

Either way, “We The People” do have commonalities: we are freedom loving people and we are all Americans. It is amazing what a people can achieve when liberties are given. Why any people would want otherwise, even in fear, is beyond my kin. Common sense dictates otherwise, as well as Thomas Paine.

Authority

Contributed by Wes Keller

Our oldest grandchild is in Navy OCS (Officer Candidate School) getting “authority orientation” designed to convince him he needs to obey orders! As vets know, basic training is an “in your face” challenge to whatever you thought was your previous self-determined life. While basic training is a learning experience, it makes no claim to be an in-depth analysis of the nature and source of human authority — just a practical application at the level of “Yes Sir!” — “No Sir!”.

As the ditty goes, “It is ours to do or die… not to ask the reason why!” Finding our ultimate niche in the complex hierarchy of autonomous human authority varies in every culture and with every world view. Coming to terms with when/why to obey (submit), revolt, give orders, or expect obedience takes time and is called “wisdom” because it requires constant adaptation to deal with a myriad cultural “boundaries”. It is impossible to discuss the nature of authority in any culture without getting into religious/philosophical questions. This is because after each person decides whether Ultimate Authority exists, the next inevitable question is, “What is expected, what does He want? The question of faith in God is directly “in our face” for any consideration of authority. If a person decides there is no god — they are still part of the same authority equation when they use the word “should” or “shouldn’t”. Rules and authority are part of every human relationship.  

As proof we are all in this together, consider the universal human reaction when someone tries to make you do something you do not want to do. We all experience the feeling called “resentment”. The resentment, just a “feeling”, may or may not generate action. We all must cope with resentment starting from day one, when we encounter tension in relationships starting with our parent or guardian! It makes us smile to watch the “terrible two’s”, but the stakes get higher as each human matures. Some seem more naturally compliant than others, but nobody is exempt. One of life’s first lessons in reality, beyond “Mom”, is the painful realization others may not have our best interests at heart! In fact, military, government, and even family authority can prove to be abusive and profoundly devastating, even lethal. Consider how resentment naturally puts us on a quest to find some authoritative person or standard (rule) to insist or judge on what is “fair” as a fundamental response option next to physical force or revenge. It is simply not ‘human’ to instinctively squelch resentment — to forgive and forget. We must learn a preference for the selfless “golden rule”. Whether you think fairness (justice) is based on God’s law, or some humanistic evolving standard, we all long for equal justice before your approved version of “good” rules when we feel the “excitement of passion which proceeds from a sense of wrong offered to ourselves, or to those who are connected with us” (Webster’s 1828 definition). We rely first on our inner knowledge of good and evil to decide if resentment is a just response, but we also look for the authority of “law” to validate or squelch the feeling.  

Keep in mind America was spawned from resentment! The Declaration of Independence includes a robust list of complaints against the King. The fruition of the founder’s resentments include: the American Revolution, the Constitution, Bill of Rights… each allowing more freedom and prosperity than mankind had ever known! Our founders rationally justified defying the authority of Great Britain. They staked out a new national authority by positioning themselves under the moral authority of one true God! This is the way any legitimate authority is honored … “chain of command” to an ultimate authority. The Declaration of Independence clearly references what Jefferson called “Natural Law” sourced in “Nature’s God”. In the ‘cultural moment’ of global history, there was a consensus of belief in a “Supreme Judge” and in “Divine Providence” (also acknowledged in the Declaration of Independence) as the legitimate basis for a constitutional governing authority. Despite the best efforts of many in academia, America still stands on this foundation! The argument stating American government is intended to be “secular” because it was prohibited from “establishing” religion is rubbish. The Establishment Clause is a monument to the founder’s intent to limit the power of government — not to limit belief in God’s authority! America’s future ultimately depends on the faith (religion) of voters … it really is that simple! 

In light of America’s official standing, it is difficult to process the resentment we are seeing under the banners of Black Lives Matter, Cancel Culture, Woke, Identity Politics, Defunding Police, Critical Race Theory, even the general intolerance of “intolerance” feels as if the resentment is aimed at America ... at ourselves! It is difficult to imagine positive consequences resulting from this round of resentment, but the answer is not to squelch those involved beyond enforcement of our laws. The only valid answer must start with each voter so he or she selects representatives and laws truly “in the chain of command”.

Wes Keller | www.WesKeller.com