The AnchorED City

S3:E2 - The Hydra of Homelessness: Anchorage’s Homeless History w/ Nancy Burke Anchorage has been dealing with complex social issues like homelessness for a long time. In this episode we learn more about how the city has responded to homelessness over the years from my guest Nancy Burke. Burke has been involved in responding to homelessness for many years and is currently the Special Assistant for...

S3:E1 - The Hydra of Homelessness: Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue, Solving Homelessness is a Hard Thing To Do A pope, a mayor, and an archbishop walk into a podcast. That sounds like the set up for a joke. It’s not. However, in this episode you find out what a Pope, a mayor, and an Arch Bishop – not to mention a rose garden and the mythical beast the Hydra - have to have to do with homelessness i...

BTS 11: EMERGENCY - BACK TO SCHOOL – ENCORE:  A Long Drive To School: A Trailer Park And Its School Zoning   The distances that the youth from the Dimond Estates neighborhood travel to school has been inequitable for years, but in light of the current bus driver shortage in Anchorage it has become a matter of discrimination. Here is our encore presentation of “A Long Drive To School: A Trailer Par...

BTS 10: Summer Music Special Songs are one way to tell a story. In this episode we will talk to a couple musicians (Andy Ball of Rival Dads & Hollis Bryan) who are telling stories through song in Anchorage.   For More: Rival Dads: https://www.facebook.com/Rival-Dads-100769102397143 @rivaldadsmusic https://www.instagram.com/rivaldadsmusic/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/musicpunks   Hollis Bryan:...

BTS 9: Turning the Tables w/ Julia O’Malley: The Imagine Project On our last episode we heard from Julia O’Malley about the stories of Anchorage’s pandemic year that she is compiling. On this episode we turn the tables and Julia interviews Joel Kiekintveld and Jessica Louwerse about the Anchorage Urban Training Collaborative’s Imagine Project.   For More: https://www.anchorageutc.org/allpeople

Over the past couple of years the world has experienced a global pandemic. The stories of the pandemic and its effects are as varied as the people that lived through the COVID era. On this episode we are thinking about the pandemic stories of Anchorage with journalist Julia O’Malley. For More: https://www.adn.com/tags/neighbors-stories-from-anchorage-s-pandemic-years/ https://www.juliaomalley.com/

BTS 7: 4th Ave. & E St. – The Intersection of Black History Month & Fur Rendezvous February is Black History month. In Anchorage February also means it’s time for the Fur Rendezvous. At the corner of 4th avenue and E street those two things come together.   Resources used to make this episode: https://www.furrondy.net/ https://www.furrondy.net/historical-timeline/ https://www.furrondy.net/history/...

BTS 6: Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a Christmas Episode! If you were watching TV in the 1950’s and an episode of Superman came on you would have heard the famous introduction to the show yelled by a crowd gazing heavenward: “Look up in the sky! It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s Superman.” But it’s not just superheroes that draw our eyes to the sky, so does Christmas - especia...

Thanksgiving Leftovers This is a bonus Thanksgiving Leftovers episode. There were a couple of short stories that we uncovered in putting together our Hope City episode last week that were just too good to not tell.    Resources used to make this episode:   Barry, M.J., 1973. A history of mining on the Kenai Peninsula. Alaska Northwest Publishing Company, p. p.31-32.   https://www.hopeandsunrisehis...

Hope City Stop me if you’ve heard this one. It’s a story about a King and his gold. A tale of a ghost town that was once the largest city in the territory. A drama with the speed and power of a cannonball. And it all takes place just 25 miles from Anchorage as the crow flies.   Resources used to make this episode:   Olthuis, Diane, 1999. Historic Building Survey Report: Hope, Alaska. Hope and Sunr...

Moving Toward More Diverse Representation: w/ Austin Quinn-Davidson &  E.J.R. David   If you follow the news in Anchorage you might be aware that the City Assembly and the Mayor are currently at odds. One of the many areas of conflict is around the newly created position of Chief Equity Officer. What might get missed in the news coverage is the underlying issue of how Anchorage can be represented...

Anchorage, Boston, Elections and All Male Mayors   Anchorage and Boston don’t have a lot in common, but they do share one interesting overlap – a long history of only having male mayors. In this episode we consider Anchorage’s political history from its first vote in 1915 (to name the city) up to the most recent mayoral election.     #allpeople All during this season of the AnchorEd City Podcast w...

Following in Zach’s Steps: Community Minded Businesses in Anchorage   In our last episode we learned about ZJ Loussac, a business man in early Anchorage who retired to be a philanthropist and had a deep love for the city.   On this episode we are hearing from three Anchorage business leaders following in the community building spirit of Loussac.   With: Tim Gravel: President, Kaladi Brothers Coffe...

Giving It All Away: Billionaires In Space And The Anchorage Public Library   Billionaires have been in the news a lot recently because they have been racing to space. But have you ever heard of Chuck Feeney, a man that gave away his fortune? Do you know why the Anchorage Public Library is named after ZJ Loussac?  The answer has much more to do with Feeney than it does zero-g joyrides.     #allpeop...

“It’s Unacceptable To Be Sex Trafficked, But It’s Acceptable to Buy Sex”: Escaping Sex Trafficking In Anchorage   Alaska is a sex traffickers paradise. And we live in country where is seems that “It’s Unacceptable To Be Sex Trafficked, But It’s Acceptable to Buy Sex.” Into that world step the courageous helpers at Priceless and Covenant House Alaska. We talk to both organization on this episode.  ...

Ronald McDonald, Camping Permits & a Radio Ad: Anchorage’s Sex Industry History   Anchorage has a long history with the sex industry dating back to the city’s founding. In this episode we explore that history. But what does Ronald McDonald, camping permits and radio ads have to do with that? Listen to find out.   #allpeople All during this season of the AnchorEd City Podcast we are exploring place...

Dialogue over Difference: Three Inspiring Conversations   This episode is a collection of three short interviews. Each interview highlights religious leaders engaged in dialogue despite their differences. These interviews are examples of how Anchorage is becoming the way it is supposed to be for all people.   With: Rick Benjamin: Director of Organizational and Spiritual Wellness, Hope Community Re...

Divine Discord: Religious Division in Anchorage   You may have heard it said, “Religion has been the cause of all the major wars in history” and while that is an overstatement there is a lot of conflict in the area of religion. In this episode we will consider religious division in Anchorage.   #allpeople All during this season of the AnchorEd City Podcast we are exploring places in the city where...

“We have to go to them”: The Klatt Elementary Back-to-School Picnic   On this episode we take a trip to the Klatt Elementary Back-to-School picnic and discover why that barbeque, in an unused lot, on a dead end street, is not a dead end in itself, but rather a new beginning.   Featuring: Mary Wood – Klatt Elementary Assistant Principle Genevieve Stephens - Klatt Elementary Librarian Alicia Busick...

A Long Drive To School: A Trailer Park And Its School Zoning   Students in Dimond Estates neighborhood travel further to than the vast majority of students in the city to get to school – maybe further than any others. Why? Listen and find out. **Our apologies for the missed edit around 3:50 of this episode.**   #allpeople All during this season of the AnchorEd City Podcast we are exploring places...

There is something about gathering together over a meal that is part of being human, but a dinner party can turn into a fight club if the wrong topic comes up. This season on the AnchorEd City Podcast we are throwing the worst dinner party in the best way. The topics for this season include: race, religion, sex, politics and business, but we plan to discuss them in the best possible way, using hos...

This is an encore release of our first episode as we get ready for season 2. Season 2 starts Monday Sept. 6   Episode 1 notes: The AnchorEd City podcast is connecting with Anchorage’s soul through her history, stories, and people.  But how do you do that?  One way is to be like Mr. Rogers & Sesame Street. This episode introduces The AnchorEd City Podcast. #allpeople AnchorageUTC.org/allpeople  

Between the Seasons 5: Safe at Home: Baseball in Anchorage – Part 2 w/ Katie Ringsmuth   In this Between the Seasons episode we will continue talking baseball in Anchorage with our guest Katie Ringsmuth.  Katie is the Alaska State historian, a professor of History at the University of Alaska Anchorage. She is a baseball fan who curated the exhibition  Home Field Advantage: Baseball in the Far Nort...

The comedian George Carlin once commented that the object of the game of baseball is “To go home. And to be safe – Safe at home”  Over the past 106 years many have made Anchorage their home. In this episode we will consider baseball’s role in making people feel safe at home in Anchorage.   Resources Used In Making This Episode:   Anchorage Historical Walking Tour Sign – at the Oscar Anderson House...

The AnchorEd City Podcast is currently between seasons. This is the third of our Between the Seasons episodes.  We will be doing a number of episodes from time to time as we wait for Season 2 to begin in the fall.   The mission of this podcast is to connect with Anchorage’s soul through her history, stories, and people. This episode focuses on the people part of that mission as we talk with Dr. Ze...