For only the second time in 20 years the ALO news missed a month, and this two month edition comes just prior to a 77th birthday which likely explains the reason (old age laziness). There were extenuating circumstances, such as a couple weeks spent in England and a short trip to California, but loyal readers now get two months for the price of one. It could be called a PFD sale, which non-Alaskans might not understand. Each year the State doles out a check to every resident from its Permanent Fund which is an oil funded investment account. This year’s check of $1,700 per person was sent out in October, and companies in Alaska advertise PFD sales to lure buyers eager to spend their windfall. The Permanent Fund is fueled by royalties paid by the oil companies for the extraction of crude oil from state land. Alaska citizens are fiercely protective of the fund, and vocally oppose any effort to alter the pay out plan. The ironic part of the public support for this program is the fact that the most vocal supporters of the dividend plan are the same folks who proclaim they are opposed to any form of socialism, despite the fact that the PFD is pure socialism.
This edition of the news comes to you from Minnesota, where a Halloween blizzard dumped snow on the farm.
It won’t match the snow dumped in Anchorage already (several inches) but October snow is not that common in Minnesota. After a wet summer, vegetation on the farm is abundant after two years of dry weather. It takes a couple of days to mow the various trails on the farm, and once mowed the trails become a highway for wildlife which normally prefers easy traveling between bedding and feeding areas. This year the deer population is very high, perhaps the most ever, and with mating season underway, the trails get lots of use by wandering bucks. Eight trail cameras capture photos of deer, turkeys and other critters and are serviced every day. A spotlight tour every evening also reveals where nocturnal animals are spending their time. On one recent evening, the spotlight flashed on a truck parked on a lonely corner of the farm, facing directly at the spotlight with the light illuminating the cab of the pickup at a distance of about 100 yards. Immediately there was hurried movement in the cab. As the spotlight moved closer, a man opened the driver side door while a woman remained on the passenger side. After a bit the man approached. He was asked what was going on. “We are just hanging out.” It was explained that he was hanging out on private property. “My friend Jamie Patterson said he owned this property.” He was told that his friend was not the owner. “OK well we were just leaving.” He ran back to the truck and departed, leaving the clear impression that he and the many bucks roaming the farm have something in common.
A recent fire in a rural Alaska jail caused a death of a prisoner, which resulted in a call from a news reporter doing a story on rural holding cells. She wanted to learn what she could about the type of facilities commonly used for such jails. That brought to mind a couple of old time recollections from the ALO archive. One time a legal trip to the village of Scammon Bay in winter was complicated by a storm that halted air travel. At that time, Scammon Bay had no public lodging but the local mayor took pity on the Public Defender in town working on a case and offered up the jail as overnight accommodation. The jail was equipped with a bed, a honey bucket and heat and not much else. It provided shelter for two nights, and a daily trip to the store provided the bare minimum for food and beverage needs. The arrival of a prisoner on the second night was a surprise, but with two cells there was still a bed for the tourist. Sound proofing would have helped however, as the prisoner was drunk and loud.
Sound proofing would have helped the other time a jail was used as a hotel as well. A weekend fishing trip to Quinhagak in the 70s was extremely successful until a storm prevented the mail plane from picking up passengers on Sunday. The community jail had about 4 cells, and the mayor once again offered it up for lodging. Sue was dubious but with sleeping bags and pads is was likely to be as comfortable as the tent had been on the Kanektok River. A nearby cell was occupied by another stranded fisherman, who happened to be the Bethel District Attorney and his girlfriend. All was well until the middle of the night when the rather loud sounds of amorous activity resonated from a nearby cell. It seemed to be a fairly clear case of prosecutorial misconduct.
In keeping with this theme, an old story involving Dan Boyette seems to be in order. Dan organized the trip to England, which was a walking tour of the Cotswolds involving 8 people who were subjected to a large number of stories during the walks, which sometimes lasted all day. You might say there was a captive audience on the trail, and Dan was the star of several of the stories. In the 1980s Dan owned a duplex in Bethel and at one point he rented it out to a group of cab drivers who were recent immigrants from Eastern Europe. They were full service cabbies, and in Bethel that sometimes included providing easy access to booze and drugs for their customers. One time when Dan was in New Jersey visiting his family word spread in the neighborhood that his renters had expanded the services they offered to customers by installing a prostitute in the duplex. Some suggested that the cabbies had not done adequate market research because commercial sex did not seem to be a growth industry in Bethel. The news of this endeavor traveled fast, and some of Dan’s neighbors were not happy with the situation. Of course Dan was a good friend and this news was received with a chuckle at ALO. Someone suggested a call to Dan to alert him, but a better plan was hatched. There was a Western Union telegraph office in Bethel at that time, and the following telegram was thoughtfully composed. TO DAN BOYETTE. HOOKER OPERATING IN DUPLEX. NEIGHBORS IRATE. PLEASE ADVISE. FROM MYRON ANGSTMAN. His Mom’s street address was affixed, and despite the extra cost, hand delivery was requested. The telegram was sent and his response was eagerly awaited. He sent an appropriate response and later noted that the telegram was delivered to his Mom’s house just as the family was sitting down to dinner. Dan’s Mom Betty, always a a sporty lady, laughed hardest of all.
The England trip revealed a few interesting points. English hikers are very friendly and welcoming to Americans, and they love to walk with their dogs. They love it even more when Americans fawn over their dogs, which happened often. Hyde Park, London's answer to Central Park in NYC, even allows loose dogs which was the highlight of daily walks there. Dogs are also allowed in pubs and some restaurants, which is at it should be. The English have opinions about American politics and in many conversations it was clear they uniformly disapprove of Trump. After several trips to Great Britain it is obvious that England has done a better job than the US with diversity and poverty. London is a city that seems to work despite a multitude of languages and cultures living side by side. And best of all, England still has an abundance of small shops and businesses without the giant malls and box stores that dominate retail in America.
ALO Update
ALO has settled a flurry of cases in recent weeks. One case against an assisted living home in Anchorage alleged negligence in the care of an elderly dementia patient. She fell numerous times, and her last fall resulted in a brain injury and death. During her last hospital visit doctors determine there had been numerous recent falls prior to the fatal one. Pictures showed huge bruises and swollen areas about the woman’s head. This all happened during covid and the victim’s family was not able to visit and were not kept informed of the situation. The last of several cases involving sexual abuse by a Matsu School district teacher was resolved favorably for an ALO client. Another settlement involved a dog bite at a summer camp, where a young aggressive dog was allowed to run with elementary age kids in an open play area. The final settlement involved a young boy who was coerced into sexual activity by another young person at a child recreation facility while not actively supervised.
Mandatory Moose & Other Characters
Two months of News means two Mandatory Moose. One is a bull being a bull on busy Spenard Road in Anchorage,
and the other is a cow ruining Halloween.
This video from Kodiak shows city bears doing their thing.
There are many deer on the Minnesota farm, but this hasn’t happened yet.
And people often ask how antlered animals manage to get through tight spaces. Here’s how.
They are smart.
The season is over at Tikchik Narrows Lodge, but images from the past season still show up on social media. Here is a glimpse of Andy fishing posted by one of the guides.
Life at Long Pond Elk Farm
Finally a bit of reflection on farm activities. Over 70 years ago the main activity for the resident farm kid was wandering with a dog, marveling at Mother Nature. 70 years later it’s the same routine. At 5 miles a day of walking, plus many more by golf cart, most of the farm is covered every day and Mother Nature still is the focus. With lots of preserved habitat the wildlife is more abundant now than is was 70 years ago, and with a cell phone, even a hike in the woods is considered practicing law. There may be other ways to maintain an acceptable level of physical and mental fitness, but nature walks seem to work .
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