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Southeast Alaska: Highlighting the Prince of Wales Annual International Marathon; 2019 POW Island Marathon Will Happen May 25th By GRETCHEN KLEIN - Houston Laws, who now lives in Juneau, is a testament to how one goal of running a single marathon can lead to accomplishment after accomplishment and lead to great achievements in Ultra-Marathons!

Houston Laws Photo Courtesy Gretchen Klein

After participating in 12 years of wrestling in Southeast and becoming a State ranked wrestler, Houston had a vision to celebrate his 17th birthday by completing the Prince of Wales Marathon in 2003.

“The weather was unseasonably hot that weekend” Laws laughed as he reflected on the painful experience of staggering into the finish line tent for hydration and recovery support after completing the daunting 26.2 miles.

The “marathon” was created in commemoration of the fabled run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides who ran from the Battle of Marathon to Athens and reported a great victory against the Persians.

“It probably wasn’t the smarter move without some long runs before hand, but it was an amazing experience!” Houston recalled and indeed a great birthday present to himself that he will always remember.

After seeing how “the 12 communities of POW come together to put on this race and everyone pulling together in unity” Laws was called back to the Island and raced again in 2011—this time more prepared with miles of road under his shoes. Lining up with the runners in Hollis, along with Jeff Rhodes, the traditional shot-gun fired signifying the start of the race and off they went. Laws and Rhodes worked their way together along the scenic highway and helped each other out in the last four miles of the race with Houston finishing first and Jeff shortly behind in second.

It was then in his early 20's while working at Juneau's Bartlett Hospital that he decided to switch into over drive and focus on ultra-marathons. Houston and his friend were talking one day and decided that it would set personal records to be one of the few individuals who ran all four 100 miles races in Alaska.

They had to chart out the races that would be approved and train for it. In 2014 Houston, decided to push his body to the limits and set his eyes and feet on the Klondike Race in Skagway. After speaking to race officials they allowed this one to be used for competition.

“Each 100 mile race is unique due to the weather conditions and terrain” Houston said and “preparing for a 100 mile race, you have to run four days a week with 20-23 mile runs so your body gets used to it.” Fortunately, his job at the hospital which is 3 days on and 4 days off allowed him to exercise and in addition to having a dog running business, Houston conquered any excuses not to practice and train. In just one year and with his sted-fast dedication, Laws crushed four 100 mile tracks all before the age of 30!

Advice from Houston for Marathon runners:

“Each race is unique” drink water but don’t over-hydrate.

Houston gets his electrolytes from the foods he eats and prefers Whole Food Bars.

Audio books are great for running 20-30 miles, so make running fun again!

Houston had a “Dog Running Business” when he was training for 100 miles races. He would run every where including errands, grocery stores, picking up the dogs, and taking them on training sessions with him.

“Each race was unique. One was in freezing temperatures in Susitna, Alaska and another was in SE to accomplish the four, 100 milers in 1 year. He finished some in 33 hours and another in 18 hours. It’s important to make sure you have your back back with food and water to carry you through 24 hours, and making sure you are taking in the food and water you need hourly. Eat every hour and drink every 30 minutes when doing 30 or 100 mile races.” - More...
Wednesday PM - February 06, 2019

This bipartisan package of more than 100 public lands, natural resources, and water bills was reintroduced by Murkowski and former ENR Ranking Member Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., in January 2019. Yesterday, Murkowski, Cantwell, and ENR Ranking Member Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., secured an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 99-1 to take up the package on the Senate floor.

During her speech, she said, “This package is the result of multiple years of regular order process in the committees of jurisdiction, most notably the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. It is the result of months of intense bicameral negotiations with now-Chairman Raul Grijalva and now-Ranking Member Rob Bishop of the House Natural Resources Committee." - More..
Wednesday PM - February 06, 2019

Despite historic events of that trip, including that the President called Bristol Bay one of the United States' "most important natural resources," within days, that humpy became the nationwide story of President Obama’s visit to Alaska. Featured from KDLG to The Guardian, coverage of the Presidential trip to the north quickly spread far and wide, and always included a picture of him with that spawning humpy.

Such is the nature of viral internet content. What “goes viral,” when internet content is shared rapidly from one user to the next, is highly unpredictable. But it’s easy to recognize once it’s happened. Though Alaska has its fair share of viral-worthy content created almost daily, it’s the infamous salmon-related content that never seems to die. 

Few would consider a humpy spawning on President Obama a highlight, nor do many Alaskans celebrate the regrettably viral stories concerning Alaskan tapeworms, which we’re all still trying to forget. 

Last fall however, an annual tradition at Katmai National Park became viral, which may more closely reflect the type of salmon-related content that Alaskans might join in sharing.

Starting back in 2014, in order to bring attention to hyperphagia, the phase when brown bears gorge themselves on sockeye to prepare for hibernating over winter, a visual media specialist ranger in Katmai National Park created “Fat Bear Week.” The ranger posted pictures of the largest bears in the park feasting at Brooks Falls and had the internet vote to crown the fattest. 

In 2018, a tweet paired with a meme depicting the future-winner, Bear 409, with the caption “THICC” set off a tweet-storm and media frenzy that induced calls to the park from The New York Times and The Washington Post. By the time it was all said and done, 2018’s Fat Bear Week had a combined reach of over 823 million. - More...
Wednesday PM - February 06, 2019

Weather: 2018 fourth warmest year in continued warming trend, according to NASA, NOAA; Warming trends are strongest in Arctic - Earth's global surface temperatures in 2018 were the fourth warmest since 1880, according to independent analyses by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Global temperatures in 2018 were 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit (0.83 degrees Celsius) warmer than the 1951 to 1980 mean, according to scientists at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York. Globally, 2018's temperatures rank behind those of 2016, 2017 and 2015. The past five years are, collectively, the warmest years in the modern record.

"2018 is yet again an extremely warm year on top of a long-term global warming trend," said GISS Director Gavin Schmidt.

Since the 1880s, the average global surface temperature has risen about 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1 degree Celsius). This warming has been driven in large part by increased emissions into the atmosphere of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases caused by human activities, according to Schmidt.

Weather dynamics often affect regional temperatures, so not every region on Earth experienced similar amounts of warming. NOAA found the 2018 annual mean temperature for the contiguous 48 United States was the 14th warmest on record.

Warming trends are strongest in the Arctic region, where 2018 saw the continued loss of sea ice. In addition, mass loss from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets continued to contribute to sea level rise. Increasing temperatures can also contribute to longer fire seasons and some extreme weather events, according to Schmidt. - More...
Wednesday PM - February 06, 2019

Pacific Northwest: Climate modeling shows significant shifts in 21st century Pacific Northwest coastal forests - A changing climate in the 21st century will significantly alter the coastal forests of the Pacific Northwest, according to modeling by Oregon State University researchers.

Vegetation is projected to change from predominantly conifer to predominantly mixed conifer and hardwood forests, according to modeling results in a study published in the journal PLOS ONE.

Much of the current forests can be expected to eventually be replaced by trees better adapted to future conditions, according to the MC2 Dynamic Global Vegetation Model focusing on the Pacific Northwest west of the Cascade crest.

Widespread maladaptation could lead to plant mortality, which would reduce timber available for harvest. An increase in hardwoods could result in a decline of mature evergreen trees for harvest, according to the study authors. Projected impacts on forests could affect fresh water supplies, wildlife habitat quality, and recreation. It is reasonable to anticipate that climate-driven stress will make these forests more susceptible to disease and pests, the authors wrote.

"The bottom line is that forests on the western side of Oregon and Washington will be under a lot of stress in the future," said the study's lead author, Tim Sheehan, a doctoral student at OSU. "Our findings point out the seriousness of climate change and the importance of working to limit climate change as much as we can, as well as to look at the region and identify those areas that are either more or least susceptible to climate change, to better target management activities." - More....
Wednesday PM - February 06, 2019

PETER ROFF: Say ‘No’ to New Loopholes in the Tax Code - There’s nothing wrong with being wealthy. What matters is how one got to be that way. Far too often the economic elites and the political well-connected manage to exploit their power and status to enrich themselves at the expense of the average taxpayer. It’s called “crony capitalism” and there’s too much of it.

There are some people who describe these activities as being well within the confines of the free market. They’re not. The playing field is not level, people do not enjoy equality of opportunity and, with a gaggle of lobbyists working on their behalf, these faux capitalists influence their cronies in government to twist regulations and laws to their advantage. As a result, policies designed to improve the well-being of the average American worker are bastardized into giveaways to big special interests while members of the working class suffer.

There are countless examples of this trend. One of the most troubling involves (or rather devolves) from the 2008 financial crisis. Sensing an opportunity to line their own pockets while acting in consort with the government, institutions throughout the financial sector began expanding the banking industry, offering new products and providing lucrative home loans to more applicants than ever before. These decisions culminated in a catastrophic financial collapse that threatened America’s entire economic substructure. - More...
Wednesday PM - February 06, 2019

RICH MANIERI: Republicans and Democrats Really Do Agree on Immigration - Just when I was convinced that Republicans and Democrats in Congress couldn't order a pizza without a six-month debate, there's this.

I've discovered that members of both parties do agree on some things, such as immigration, though getting them to admit as much will be the tricky part.

Consider this statement:

"Even as we are a nation of immigrants, we are also a nation of laws. Undocumented workers broke our immigration laws, and I believe that they must be held accountable - especially those who may be dangerous."

President Trump, right? Who else would say something like this other than Trump himself or one of his MAGA hat-wearing disciples? Who, other than a true xenophobe, would say such a thing?

I have the answer. 

President Barack Obama, in 2014. - More...
Wednesday PM - February 06, 2019

MICHAEL SHANNON: Why Electing Leftists Is Bad for the Birth Rate - Virginia's unborn are discovering what can happen when leftists take over state government. Although Democrat's 'compassion' for illegals and murderers knows no bounds, the defenseless unborn take it on the chin.

This wouldn't have happened if Trump had lost to Hillary. After the president threatened to drain their habitat, Swamp creatures in the Old Dominion united to elect leftists. If bears responded to the potential loss of habitat like Swampists did, park rangers would be forced to issue AR-15s to Yellowstone visitors.

Seventy-one percent of Hillary's voters turned out in Virginia's 2017 off-year election. Republicans in the House of Delegates lost an unprecedented 14 seats and 11 were incumbents. All but one of the flipped seats were either in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., the government installation-heavy Norfolk area, government-centric Richmond and isolated Communist cells in the university towns of Lynchburg, Roanoke and Blacksburg. - More...
Wednesday PM - February 06, 2019

Political Cartoon: Quiz
By Rick McKee ©2019, The Augusta Chronicle, GA
Distributed to paid subscribers for publication by Cagle Cartoons, Inc.