Rural debate counts — Census may change federal subsistence picture in Alaska

By Jenny Neyman

File photo by Patrice Kohl, Redoubt Reporter. A sockeye salmon hurls itself out of the water this summer in its effort to make it up the Russian River Falls to spawning grounds. There is no state fishery at the falls, but subsistence fishing is allowed for residents of communities designated as rural by the Federal Subsistence Board.

Redoubt Reporter

Management of fishing and hunting in Alaska involves a lot of counting — how many fish are caught or sheep are shot, how many days harvest is allowed, how many barbs are on a hook, how many tines on a rack of antlers. In 2010, the granddaddy count of them all — the U.S. census — will count people, not fish or wildlife, but could impact how many people are able to utilize expanded hunting and fishing opportunities in the state.

“It could go either way, and it’s not just fishing. It’s all subsistence hunting and fishing,” said Mike Crawford, chair of the Kenai-Soldotna Fish and Game Advisory Council.

Harvesting fish and game in the state of Alaska is subject to two spheres of regulation. State oversight comes through the Board of Fish and Board of Game regulatory processes with management by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The state’s emphasis is on management of resources for sustainable yield and upholding the state constitution’s mandate for equal access to resources by all Alaskans.

On federal lands and water within Alaska, such as national wildlife refuges and national parks, the harvest of fish and game is subject to an additional, federal layer of oversight and regulation, under the Federal Subsistence Management Program, with the Federal Subsistence Board and Regional Advisory Councils providing an avenue of input by the public (as well as the National Marine Fisheries Service regulating halibut harvest, and other federal agencies governing specific species). Federal management follows the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, which requires that rural residents be given a priority for subsistence uses of fish and wildlife on federal public lands and waters.

The rural subsistence priority on federal lands in Alaska has been a source of much contention, debate and legal action since its inception.

In 1989 the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that ANILCA’s rural priority violated the Alaska Constitution. That decision limited the rural subsistence priority just to federal lands and waters within Alaska — about 60 percent of the land in Alaska, or 230 million acres — but did little to limit debate over the issue. As this decade’s census gets under way, it’s an opportunity for the decades-old debate to rekindle.

Making it count

In 1990, the Federal Subsistence Management Program started a review of Alaska communities to determine which were rural, and therefore entitled to a subsistence harvest priority on federal lands. Basically, everywhere in Alaska was designated as rural except for specific higher-population areas — including Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Valdez, the Wasilla area and most of the Kenai Peninsula, excluding Ninilchik, Cooper Landing, Hope and some areas outlying Homer.

Federal subsistence regulations require that communities’ rural/nonrural status be reviewed every 10 years, starting with 2000 U.S. census data and following with the 2010 census.

How those numbers come out could affect whether additional Kenai Peninsula communities are granted subsistence harvest rights, or whether currently entitled communities lose that priority.

Changes in the numbers of subsistence users on federal lands spark far-reaching debate over the methods and allocations of subsistence harvests, and the effect those may have on fish and wildlife stocks, state management efforts and the harvest opportunities of nonrural Alaska residents.

But it isn’t just the existence of the rural subsistence priority on federal lands fueling argument. How those rural/nonrural decisions are made has also been a sticking point.

“Probably one of the touchier points of ANILCA is they don’t give a definition of what a community is,” Crawford said. “I don’t live in Soldotna, but I’m not in Ninilchik, either. But the area that Ninilchik covers for subsistence use is larger than city limits. And I’m not trying to pick on Ninilchik, but where do you draw the line outside of a community? Where all of a sudden do you become rural? How do they decide that this trail or this road divides a community? So why is Ninilchik considered rural and Clam Gulch is considered part of the Soldotna community?”

Fish and Game advisory committee lands new members

By Jenny Neyman

Redoubt Reporter

While success at hunting and fishing is largely due to knowledge, skill and experience, a certain facet is plain old luck. But there wasn’t much luck required for the majority of nominees for open seats on the Kenai-Soldotna Fish and Game Advisory Committee on Monday night, because they ran unopposed.

Two at-large seats, one personal-use seat, one sportfishing guide seat, one commercial fishing seat, two alternate seats, one commercial fishing alternate seat and one sportfishing alternate seat were up for election.

The only seats facing a challenge were the alternates, with three nominees running for two spots. Board rules state that alternates may not hold commercial fishing or sportfish guide permits, and may not vote unless other board members are absent.

“In four-plus years I’ve been on this committee, I’ve never seen the alternate not get to vote, so this is an important seat,” said Mike Crawford, committee chair.

Michelle Maher, of Soldotna, and Dan Foust, of Kenai, were chosen over Larry Shafer, of Kenai, by the about 130 voters out of the about 150 people in attendance at the Soldotna Sports Center conference room Monday for the two, one-year alternate seats.

Maher said she is an avid bowhunter and waterfowl hunter who moved to the Kenai Peninsula 13 years ago and is a member of the National Rifle Association, Ducks Unlimited, Safari Club Unlimited and the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep.

“I’ve harvested more animals than I can count on my hands or my feet worldwide,” she said. “I would like to see some things on the peninsula change. Harvest limits for brown bears … I would love to see that go up.”

Maher said she’d also like to see moose-hunting season be extended, and she is interested in fishing.

“Mostly, I would like to see the harvesting of fish getting done around here. I’m a big believer in fish harvesting, whether you are commercial harvesters or sport,” she said.

Foust said he is an avid bowhunter and rifle hunter, fisherman, member of the NRA and volunteer for the 4-H Club.

“I’d like to see more programs geared toward youth around the Kenai. We need to bring the young people up, get them into the hunting and fishing and teach them how to do it and do it right,” Foust said.

Job skills on(the)line — Polish online presence when seeking work

Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a series of stories examining social technology use on the central Kenai Peninsula.

By Jenny Neyman

Redoubt Reporter

As technology continues to worm its way further into today’s society, the resulting mash-up has ever-expanding consequences for social interactions, education, politics and professional life.

These days, finding a job in “real life” requires at least some involvement online, whether it’s searching for openings, filling out electronic applications or just noting a contact e-mail address. Woe and unemployment be to those who don’t realize the power and pitfalls their online presence can have over their work prospects.

“Once you make that transition, you’re in your senior year of college or actively job hunting, you need to rethink your online information that’s out there, on Myspace or Facebook, your e-mail address, your cell phone and voice mail. You need to start changing your image, not so much as a college kid but as a professional who wants a job, especially in this economy. Anything you can do to give yourself an advantage, you need to think about,” said Kelsey Ciufo, human resources recruitment specialist for the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District.

KPBSD is the largest employer on the peninsula, and processes about 5,000 applications for employment each year, Ciufo said. These days, the process is carried out online. Job openings are posted online, the application is filled out online, resumes and other supporting documents are uploaded and submitted electronically. Even reference checks are conducted electronically, with applicants submitting e-mail addresses for their references, and the district inviting the references to fill out a confidential online survey about the applicant.

In a district as spread out as KPBSD, covering 25,600 square miles, and dealing with so many applicants, both in the district, in Alaska and Outside, having an online application process has greatly facilitated efficiency, Ciufo said.

“It cuts down on time for everyone. They’re not having to come in and get a paper application and come back to turn it in, or mail it to us or fax it in. We don’t have to store all the paper applications. It’s better tracking — we can see when a person created an application and updated it. And principals who aren’t in the central area don’t have to drive all the way in to look at files. They’ve got view access wherever they are,” she said.

The system also allows for a wider pool of applicants, she said. In the paper days, someone may learn of an opening the final day of the application period and there wouldn’t be time to request an application, fill it out and submit it by the deadline.

“Now if they see a job in the morning and it closes at 5 p.m. it’s definitely possible to get their information in time,” she said.

Most major companies and school districts are using online application programs, Ciufo said. KPBSD is the first school district in the state to use the AppliTrack program, which is now used by Anchorage, Juneau, Fairbanks and several smaller districts, she said. The program also is linked to education employment networks Outside, so a teacher that had applied for a job in Illinois, for example, could forward the same application to a district in Alaska and just update information specific to that position.

But for all the benefits the Internet brings to employment, there are some major pitfalls when applicants fail to treat their job search efforts online with the same professionalism they would in person.

When online media is used primarily for social interaction, such as personal e-mail accounts and social networking sites like Facebook or Myspace, job hunters don’t always realize that different standards are necessary for using the Internet for professional purposes.

“It’s incredibly important. You have to think of it as an application. Even though they’re online, you still need to use correct spelling, grammar and punctuation. It’s not an e-mail where you can abbreviate things or not capitalize or not pay attention to grammar,” Ciufo said. “I find it more with people who aren’t familiar with the online application systems. They don’t capitalize, or they use all capital letters when filling out online applications. They don’t use any punctuation or don’t spell-check. It’s like they’re writing an e-mail to a friend, when you should treat it like you would a normal, written application.”

Whoever is doing the hiring may have different thresholds for how many errors they will tolerate in an application, but chances are, especially for jobs in education, there won’t be much grace granted.

“Some principals look through applications and give maybe two mistakes. After that they won’t even look at an application anymore. They can’t get past that you didn’t take the time to spell-check or use correct punctuation. You could be best teacher in the world but they won’t know it from your application,” she said.

Radio Web streaming hits log snag — Public stations stymied by digital transmission reporting requirements

By Jenny Neyman

Photo by Jenny Neyman, Redoubt Reporter. Mary Anderson DJs her “Saturday Night Special” show on Saturday night at KDLL public radio station in Kenai. The station is currently only available to hear over the airwaves. It would like to add a Web stream over the Internet but complicated digital transmission reporting requirements stand in the way.

Redoubt Reporter

For “Radio Justice” on KDLL public radio, serving the central Kenai Peninsula, the goal is sharing the love for independent musicians in Alaska. Hosts Robb Justice and David Edwards-Smith offer up live performances and conversations with local and visiting musicians, keep tabs on the evolving music scene in the state, play tracks from albums made by Alaskans — in general, spread the word that Alaska’s music scene is alive, well and vibrant.

The problem is, only listeners within the central peninsula are getting that message. And not even everyone within broadcast range, at that.

“There are people that can’t get their reception here. There are quite a few places, once you get into Cooper Landing and stuff like that, where you can’t get the show,” Justice said.

The solution Justice, many other volunteer DJs and listeners would like to see — rather, hear — is Web casting, so KDLL’s broadcast could be heard anywhere by anyone with an Internet connection.

“I am for that 100 percent. I’ve been trying to get Allen (Auxier, KDLL station manager) to do it since I started working out there,” Justice said. “I’ve got a lot of friends in Minnesota, Montana and all over that badger me about how much they would like to be able to listen to a podcast (a downloadable recording that can be played on a computer or portable music device) of the show. And also, I think it goes both ways as far as being accessible to people outside the state and people here who just can’t get good radio reception. It’d be a big benefit to just the peninsula, too.”

And elsewhere in Alaska. Justice and Edwards-Smith routinely play music from musicians in Anchorage, Fairbanks and points elsewhere and between.

“People in Fairbanks could be listening to the show when their stuff is on. We could really potentially generate a substantially larger listening audience to our show and the station,” Justice said. “We’re definitely working with quite a few different people who know their stuff is being played on the radio but don’t even have an option to listen,” he said.

KDLL broadcasts a mix of local and syndicated content. There are news programs from National Public Radio and Public Radio International, nationally syndicated entertainment shows like “World Café,” “Car Talk” and “Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me!” a local news show and content from KDLL’s sister station KBBI in Homer.

The syndicated content already is available to listen to and download online. But KDLL-specific content, including the volunteer DJ shows, can only be heard by those close enough to the station to tune in.

Auxier said the station would like to make the leap to the Internet, but has a little weight and a giant stumbling block holding them back.

Art Seen: Fine lines — Artist treads borders between emotions, similarities, difference

By Zirrus VanDevere, for the Redoubt Reporter

"Dance," by Carol Walkiewicz.

I like the way my gallery space feels with Carol Walkiewicz’s exhibit filling it. Her work is naturally emotive, but this body of work is especially so.

Whether she is creating about movement on the sea, or movement in the financial markets, her intuitive and emotionally descriptive character seems to always be in action, assessing and describing, encircling and playfully questioning.

In her artist statement, Walkiewicz, of Kenai, declares, “I find my feelings and emotions are embodied in this body of work. My perspective of motion is up and down, good and bad, opposites and different — yet similar; they relate to one another, separated by only a thin line, from positive to negative. … I chose clay and paintings as the mediums to express my work; clay representative of solids and paintings as fluid. … I incorporated repetition, back and forth motion — like the struggles as one moves through life.”

She seems to reach out to the viewer with the supra texture and earthy tones of her creations. The work asks be touched, in a way; to be understood, or at least recognized as a statement in the world.

"Flood Water," by Carol Walkiewicz.

The statement appears to be entirely personal at the same moment it could be perceived as being about ALL things, in any time or space. There is a zenlike movement that flows through this work, and experiencing it backward is as fluid as forward (as if there were such a thing) so that one remains with the sense that it continues in space and time beyond the confines of a small exhibit room.

One piece in particular speaks to me. It’s a triptych executed in clay. It’s called “Financial Markets,” which I would expect to have a different flavor than so many of the natural-feeling pieces she puts out. The lines and shapes flow and dance, and it is done in the same subtle cobalt blue, rich browns and deep brick reds that you generally find in her paintings.

I read that as a statement about our human dealings. We like to categorize and separate things, but Walkiewicz may be declaring with this exhibit that what we do as humans is a natural event. Natural events have their ebb and flow, and their own particular place in this world.

Zirrus VanDevere is a local mixed-media artist and owns Art Works gallery in Soldotna. She has bachelor’s degrees in fine arts and education.

Swept away — Early Kalifornsky Beach Road took homesteaders over rushing Slikok Creek

Editor’s note: This is the second part of a two-part story concerning the genesis of Kalifornsky Beach Road. Last week, part one followed homesteader Grant Phillips as he and a friend marked the snowy trail that Cat skinner Morris Coursen would later turn into a rough road through the wilderness. This week, part two follows Phillips as he and Coursen build the road and Coursen attempts to help the Phillips family find safe passage over Slikok Creek.

By Clark Fair

Photo courtesy of Grant Phillips. From left, Lawrence McGuire, Marvin Smith, Grant Phillips, his daughter, Lynn, just visible in front of him, and son, Craig, stare across breakup swollen Slikok Creek on April 26, 1956, as Cat skinner Morris Coursen (visible just over the head of Smith) uses his D-7 to shove fallen spruce trees into the creek to form a bridge. Once enough trees were in place, Smith and Phillips drove supply-laden vehicles across to drive on to Phillips’ homestead on the lower Kenai River.

Redoubt Reporter

On moving day, Thursday, April 26, 1956, Lawrence “Mac” McGuire was among the Soldotna residents eager to tag along and watch the action — mostly because he felt that Grant Phillips and his family were going to fail.

“The old-timers down there said it couldn’t be done,” Phillips remembered. “They said, ‘Kid, you can’t make a road back there.’”

So, just to be sure they were right, a few of the “old-timers,” McGuire chief among them, rode along, atop Marvin Smith’s old Army surplus 6-by-6 truck.

The road already existed, however — sort of. Just three days earlier, Cat skinner Morris Coursen had followed Phillips’ and Smith’s winding trail of colored toilet-paper flags as far west as Slikok Creek, which, despite the lateness of the season, was yet to flow with spring runoff.

At the creek, Coursen had tapered and smoothed the high banks by using his D-7 to grind through the frost. When he was finished, he had a suitable ramp down into and up out of the creek bed. From Slikok, they had then “walked” the Cat back to town for refueling.

The following day, they had returned to Slikok and, noting that the water was beginning to rise, had dropped some spruce trees into the creek bed to allow the 6-by-6 and Phillips’ Jeep to more easily cross. They then began following trail markers toward the Phillips homestead property along Mile 8 of the lower Kenai River. As they neared the property, they turned to see the truck and the Jeep rolling slowly over the swath Coursen had cut through the woods.

Smith was driving his 6-by-6, while his neighbor, Ira Little, drove the Jeep, and both vehicles were loaded down heavily with supplies. At the property, the men unloaded the vehicles, and Coursen parked his Cat where he intended to do some of the requisite homestead clearing for Phillips after his family and the other supplies were brought in the next day.

Afterward, as they drove slowly all the way back to town, Phillips said he planned for the big move the next morning, but it was not to be.

That Wednesday, when he drove over to Kenai to pick up the remainder of his lumber order, he learned that it hadn’t yet arrived from Seward. By the time it came in, it was already afternoon, and Phillips was concerned that the warming weather would make the route too soft for the heavy loads.

Excerpts from the diary of his wife, Lois, show how the move got under way on Thursday:

“Up at 3 a.m. Marv cooked breakfast and we ate with him. Cross the bridge (in Soldotna) at 4:15 a.m. Left Mac’s place about 4:30 a.m. (Slikok) Creek had broken loose and washed out most of the tree/dirt bridge Morris had made Tuesday, so Morris had to hop across on remaining trees in creek and go after his Cat at our homestead.”

After a record winter snowfall and a cool April, spring breakup was suddenly in full force, according to Grant: “When we pulled up to Slikok Creek, it was running bank to bank, full of water.”

Slick move — Hard water, stiff breeze don’t mix

By Christine Cunningham, for the Redoubt Reporter

Photo courtesy of Christine Cunningham. Christine Cunningham goes for a wind-driven ride with her capsized ice shanty while ice fishing on Dec. 24.

It might as well have been a sunny March day heading out to the lake. It wasn’t a “White Christmas” in the strict interpretation that only counts snow falling, and not the snow already on the ground, although that snow was quickly being rained away from the lake’s steep banks. There wasn’t any snow on the glasslike surface of the lake.

I’ve never felt the term hard-water fishing made much sense, because it doesn’t evoke the image I know of ice fishing, that being snow-covered lakes where the illusion of water is furthest from my mind as I peer into black holes that burrow down 3 feet in the ice.

The lake looked like hard water, though. The last currents were memorialized around protruding rocks, but the rest of the lake was a mirror reflecting every cloud in the sky from its surface.

My fishing partner and I were both wearing bunny boots, not known for their traction, as we slid out onto the lake like Bambi and Thumper. About 30 yards out the ice began to give under our feet and, finally, we broke through a patch of overflow just as the lake began to calve. A lightening-strike sound of crack whipped through my spine.

“Is this safe?” I asked.

I don’t know why I ask questions like this. They’re the kind of questions that come from landscapes covered with warning signs because, without warning signs or someone stating obvious danger, there’s no liability.

“The ice is probably at least 9 inches,” he said.

I consulted my mental ice-depth safety chart, recalling that 4 is safe for a chalk-line drawing of a person and 9 is safe for a similar sketch of a white truck. I remembered following a set of brown bear tracks across a lake just creek side. I figured that if the ice could hold a grizzly bear, it ought to be able to hold a girl, even if I’d gained a few pounds.

I figured wrong.

“Doesn’t seem safe,” I said, as ice water sloshed over the toe tops of my boots.

Out for a dipper — Common birds aren’t commonly seen in Kenai area

By David Wartinbee, for the Redoubt Reporter

Photo courtesy of David Wartinbee. An American dipper is seen on the bank of the Kenai River near Soldotna Creek during the Christmas Bird Count in December. The birds are common but can be difficult to spot.

On a chilly Saturday morning in the middle of December, a group of local bird enthusiasts embarked upon the nationwide Winter Bird Count sponsored by the National Audubon Society. While it was still dark outside, areas to be surveyed were plotted out and divided among the participants.

As in several previous years, my assigned area covered much of the city of Soldotna. As the sun rose, we all headed out to chronicle birds we might find during the day.

Getting to see certain species of birds depends on a lot of luck and, of course, the areas where one looks. This year, almost all the hotspots from previous years were duds. There seemed to be fewer active bird feeders and the river was pretty well covered with ice so waterfowl were hard to come by. The most frequently seen bird in town was the common raven, and that should surprise no one.

But on a section of the Kenai River across from Soldotna Creek Park was a long, narrow ribbon of open water. Even though I was looking from the other side of the river, I was able to spot one of my favorite birds, the American dipper, also known as the water ouzel.

The American dipper, Cinclus mexicanus, is widely distributed throughout North America. These small birds were also a favorite of John Muir, who wrote extensively about them in his book “The Mountains of California” back in 1894. He described finding them along a variety of watercourses, especially those with frequent falls and splash zones. He also noted their most interesting trait of walking into the water and feeding on aquatic insects.

The dipper is about the size of a small thrush with the body shape of a stout wren. It has a short, stocky neck and a short, almost stubby tail. Like a wren, they are active as they hop from stone to stone, bob their tail up and down and duck under the water to feed. When not feeding, they spend considerable time preening and oiling their feathers.

Self-protection — Be on guard against increasing threat of identity theft in Alaska

By Jenny Neyman

Photo by Jenny Neyman, Redoubt Reporter. Tara Sims, Alaska public relations manager for the Better Business Bureau, gives a presentation on identity theft at the Aspen Hotel in Soldotna on Friday, as part of a consumer protection seminar put on by AARP. In the foreground is Ann Secrest with AARP.

Redoubt Reporter

Vicki Johnston Freese and her husband, Richard, of Sterling, thought they knew how to protect themselves from identity theft. Don’t give out your Social Security number. Shred bank statements and personal information before putting paper in the trash. Check credit card bills regularly to spot fraudulent charges.

They learned several years ago that they didn’t know enough, but the preventative steps they did take at least made it so their brush with identity theft wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been.

Whenever Richard Freese used his credit card, he was careful to always get the receipts and make sure his card number wasn’t left behind on any copies, Vicki said. But while taking a class at a college in the Lower 48 years ago, he used the card at the cafeteria. The cashier took down the number, gave it to her boyfriend and they went on a spending spree, at the Freeses’ expense.

They kept an eye on credit card statements, so they caught the $5,000 in fraudulent charges within a month, contacted the credit card company immediately and were able to get the matter squared away.

“I got that one cleared up really quick, but it made me worry about it,” Johnston Freese said.

She is a member of AARP and got a flier in the mail from the organization advertising a seminar in Soldotna on Friday and Saturday on consumer protection and investor education, including a session on avoiding identity theft. It was organized by AARP with several partners to help present information, including becoming a homeowner and keeping that investment safe, by NeighborWorks Anchorage; information on the Regulatory Commission of Alaska; weatherization and the energy rebate program, from Alaska Housing Finance Corporation; and a daylong session Saturday on investor education.

Johnston Freese was there Friday taking notes and gathering information — especially on weatherization, the rebate program and avoiding identity theft — for herself, family members and a friend.

“They’ve been really good presentations. I feel like if I walk off and end up with questions I feel like they gave us information to know where to go to find out what we need,” she said.

Identity theft was particularly of interest to her.

“I know what we are thinking of, but I want to know what we’re not thinking of. I know there’s more,” she said.

Indeed there is, said Tara Sims, Alaska public relations manager for the Better Business Bureau. Just as identity theft scams keep evolving, so do the steps consumers need to take to avoid those traps. And Alaskans, in particular, need to be wary. There were 490 identity theft complaints in Alaska in 2008 alone, which is an increase of more than 100 from 2007, Sims said.

“There is an increase in identity theft going on. It is definitely a growing problem,” she said.

Plugged In: All I want next Christmas, or sooner — sharp lenses

By Joseph Kashi, for the Redoubt Reporter

There are some things that spouses, friends or relatives never get quite right as gifts. Items that only you know that you really need and that only you can buy without concern. Blindingly bright ties. Dull brown sweaters. Red sports cars. Camera lenses.

Now that your holiday gift wrap debris has been carted off to the landfill, or at least should have been by now, it’s time to fill in the gaps between what Santa brought you and what Santa should have brought you.

I know better than to offer fashion or automotive advice to anyone, so, over the next few weeks, we’ll take a look at some digital camera lenses that are probably quite a bit better than whatever shipped with your camera.

No matter how expensive your camera body might be, your final images are only as good as the glass that focuses light on your sensor. In the digital photography realm, only dSLR cameras and the new small Micro Four-Third cameras, like the Olympus E-P series, can use interchangeable lenses. All other digital cameras are limited to whatever lens is permanently attached at the factory. Many traditional types of film cameras, though, do accept interchangeable lenses.

Original equipment manufacturer (OEM) camera vendors like Canon, Nikon, Olympus and Pentax always make a range of lenses to fit their cameras, and the camera vendor’s own lens lines are usually our first thought when considering a second lens. However, OEM lenses are often not the most cost-effective choice. Before making any optical purchases, it’s worth researching lenses made both by the manufacturer of your camera body and also by good third-party manufacturers.

Quality third-party manufacturers, mostly Tamron, Sigma and Tokina, make a complete range of lenses in versions for most major camera bodies and most budgets. Often, compared to a particular OEM lens, comparable top-end, third-party lenses are as good, or better, optically, and usually sell at a significantly lower price.

Tamron and Sigma are independent companies while Tokina is owned by Hoya, a major optical manufacturer that also recently acquired Pentax. All have been in business since the 1970s or earlier. Of course, you’ll need a version that fits your own camera and that is fully compatible electronically and mechanically.

Making the Grade: Learning creative thinking to last a lifetime

By Dr. Terese Kashi, for the Redoubt Reporter

The need for creative thinking permeates the lives of nearly every child and adult. From the oilfield technician who devises an improved mechanism to creative writers or working scientists, lifelong creativity is central to improving our lives and our performance on the job.

How do we encourage creativity from childhood through mature adulthood? What seems to be the magic that keeps creativity alive over the years? There are many ways to do this, some of them surprising upon first impression.

When we think of creativity in children, their first drawings and artworks usually come to mind. These are among the first obvious examples of children’s delight in exploring the world around them. Other proven creative linkages may not be obvious upon first glance.

The M.I.N.D. Research Institute has been conducting neuroscience research for almost 20 years. Among its research results are studies that show the importance of music training as a basis for developing strong mathematics skills, because music training enhances certain brain pathways critical to mathematics. The research results have been so compelling that the state of California has adopted the institute’s program for its schools.

Yet, in many places, traditional kindergarten through 12th-grade fine arts education has over time been confronted with increasing challenges, especially during tough economic times. When education funding decreases, many people perceive an apparent conflict between arts education and general skills education. When education funding becomes more limited, kindergarten through 12th-grade instructional programs become increasingly stressed.

In order to deal with financial shortages, classrooms often focus upon the most basic academic subjects. Even more pressure for measurable academic success occurs as a result of the federal No Child Left Behind act. Compounding the problem of diminishing funding levels has been federally mandated yearly progress monitoring. As a result, art education is usually forced even lower as an educational priority. Unfortunately, neither federal law nor education funding formulas take into account the practical benefits of developing creativity, particularly for improved mathematics and science skills.