Tag Archive for: anchorage

The Critical Elections Ahead

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[cs_content][cs_element_section _id=”1″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”2″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”3″ ][cs_element_text _id=”4″ ][cs_content_seo]The stakes have never been higher for Anchorage: We are in the midst of a Mayoral crisis rife with acrimony, discord, and incompetence.
By now, you might have read several news articles covering the stories from the mayor’s office–accusations of unlawful treatment of employees, unethical hiring practices, and we all know about the massive delays of the most basic winter service of snowplowing. The administrative dysfunction affects all of us who live in Anchorage, and it is not what commitment and compassion look like in public service. That’s why it’s so crucial that Anchorage maintains an Assembly majority that will act as a measured and necessary check on the actions of the mayor’s office.
This year, there are consequential Assembly elections in every district in the municipality, school board elections (all school board seats are “at large,” meaning they cover the whole city instead of being separated into districts), and important ballot propositions and bonds. This year, The Alaska Center is proud to endorse five outstanding candidates for Anchorage Assembly who are already deeply invested in this work. Chris Constant for Downtown Anchorage (District 1 seat B) and Felix Rivera for Midtown Anchorage (District 4 Seat G) are incumbents who have proven time and time again that they are passionate and committed to serving Anchorage. Anna Brawley for West Anchorage (District 3 Seat E), Karen Bronga for East Anchorage (District 5 Seat H), and George Martinez for East Anchorage (District 5 Seat I) are new candidates who show their commitment to serving their neighbors through community councils, in schools, and as volunteers.
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You have the opportunity to support candidates who support clean air and water, healthy communities, and a strong democracy. Those candidates, in turn, will have the opportunity to hold the mayor accountable, enact common-sense policies like family leave for municipal employees, and make Anchorage better for all of us. The stakes of this election are too high to sit out. You’ll receive your ballot in mid-March; make sure to return it by April 4th. Go to akcenter.org/elections if you have any questions!  ​
Originally published on March 21, 2023 by the Sol de Medianoche News.

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Big Energy for Clean Energy

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October is “National Energy Awareness Month,” designated by a decree from the late president George Herbert Walker Bush in 1991. We at The Alaska Center believe that every month gives us reason to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy production, considering what is at stake without a rapid global transition to low-carbon energy sources. The recent storms that battered the Bering Sea and Norton Sound region point to the urgency. Energy awareness also saves homes and businesses money and creates local jobs.

Collective work to create a more energy-aware state includes new additions to our Solarize programs, celebrating the first deal under Anchorage’s Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy program and CPACE’s expansion to the Mat-Su Borough, helping steward public involvement in the Fairbanks Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.

Solarize Fairbanks facilitated two communities this season, University Heights and Denali, with 94kW purchased and over 16 homes and businesses solarized. That brings the initiative to just under a megawatt, rising at 893.35kW purchased and installed across the Interior. The team hosted community listening sessions during September to gain valuable feedback on evolving the Solarize model for 2023.
Solarize Mat Su held its first campaign this year! We facilitated programs in the Palmer and Sutton/Chickaloon communities. Installations are still underway, but at least 35 homes have Solarized. We will have an end-of-year celebration for those communities participating when installation season is over, expected in late October to early November.

Solarize Anchorage and Solarize Mat Su will start the 2023 season on October 6th with a kickoff webinar>>

Rachel Christensen and Chris Pike with The Alaska Center for Energy and Power will walk you through how your community can Solarize. Solarize Mat-Su will also be hosting an informational session in Talkeetna at the Denali Education Center on October 13th at 6:00 pm. We are currently planning many community events throughout October and November, so if you are interested in attending one, please head to our Facebook page to stay up to date!

The first Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy loan closed in Anchorage this fall. This program, adopted by municipal ordinance and authorized by state law, attaches an energy efficiency or renewable energy project loan to a property instead of an individual and allows the owner to pay the loan back as a line on their property tax bill. The project’s energy savings are often equal to or greater than the annual loan repayment charge, making the program cash neutral. The Mat-Su Borough Assembly is currently considering adopting CPACE. Our work hosting the Alaska Municipal Climate Network has helped local government leaders connect on policies, including CPACE, which we hope to see expand to local governments statewide.

Climate Action starts at home, the individual business, and the local government level. We are pleased to support the creation of a Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) within the Fairbanks North Star Borough. Throughout this fall, our Interior Community Organizing Manager, Alyssa Quintyne, along with other The Alaska Center staff, will be working with Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition and other community leaders to ensure that the public has all of the tools they need to support the creation of a CAAP to guide energy decisions at the borough. Find more information, meeting dates, and links to the draft CAAP visioning document here>>

Throughout October and the rest of 2022, The Alaska Center will be focused on moving the ball forward on energy, with energy.
Thank you. Have a restorative energy weekend.
-The Alaska Center Team

Why do you celebrate Juneteenth?

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[cs_content][cs_element_section _id=”1″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”2″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”3″ ][cs_element_text _id=”4″ ][cs_content_seo]This weekend, Alaskans and others across our country will commemorate and celebrate Juneteenth. Juneteenth marks the date in 1865 when enslaved people in Texas finally learned they were free, two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Juneteenth is a time to recognize and amplify Black excellence. It is also a call to action: that we must engage in anti-racism in every aspect of our lives to push back against the continued oppression of white supremacy throughout our education, government, and legal systems and throughout our communities. And it is a reminder of the growth and healing we are capable of when we learn about our true histories.
Juneteenth is also a time to reflect upon the importance of prioritizing freedom from over freedom to. For decades “states” and plantation owners thought they had the freedom to enslave human beings for profit. But we all must have freedom from enslavement, violence, misinformation, colonization, government retaliation, and brutality of any kind; and fight for freedom from attacks on our genders and identities.
Juneteenth is an opportunity to lift up all voices and ensure everyone can access and participate in the decisions impacting our communities and lives. To have a true democracy, all Alaskans must be able to vote and be reflected by the leaders we elect.
The Anchorage Juneteenth Citywide Celebration will be the largest ever, starting with a Freedom Rally at 12:30 pm on Saturday, June 18th at the Delaney Park strip. There will be over 100 vendors, games, and activities for the whole family, entertainment, dignitaries, a parade, a pageant, speakers, and more! We will be there running the KidZone (lots of fun activities!), and helping voters understand the new Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) system. We need more volunteer help, please email info@akcenter.org if you can join us for a shift!
In Fairbanks on Saturday, we’ll be at NAACP’s Freedom Day from 10 am to 2 pm at Allridge Park. This picnic and party will have food, vendors, cultural presentations, and activities for the whole family.
We hope you can join us at these events or others in your community, celebrating freedom, standing in solidarity with others, and speaking truth to power toward a thriving, just, and sustainable future. See you out there!

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