Midtown Edition

I’ve never done it but from what I’ve been told, what I’ve read and reported over the years, climbing Mount McKinley is incredibly difficult no matter what time of year it is — just ask Lonnie Dupre.

The vast majority of climbers seeking to reach the 20,320-foot summit make their attempts in April, May and June, when there’s plenty of daylight to climb by. While the weather on McKinley can always pose a threat to life and limb, the mountain’s winter conditions can be more ferocious than any other time of the year.

I don’t know if you’ve been following Dupre’s adventures but I have, with amazement.

For the third January in a row Dupre has tried to become the first solo climber to conquer the mountain in January, during the dead of winter. On Thursday he reached the 17,200-foot mark. He dug a snow cave to sleep in and gather his strength, which he’d need for that final push to the top.

But rest doesn’t come easy that high up, especially when you’re cold. Dupre told his support crew in Talkeetna Sunday morning that it was 35 degrees below zero in his cave.

After a conversation with his assistant Dmitri von Kline, Dupre said the combination of bone-chilling cold and high altitude had sapped his strength beyond being able to scale the final 3,000 feet to the summit and descend back to a nearby base camp.

The two decided it would be better for Dupre to head down instead of up. It’s always better to live to fight another day.

For the third January in a row, weather has kept Dupre from his dream. It is still an amazing adventure story. It’s man versus a mountain — no, strike that, THE mountain.

For more than three weeks, Dupre has been alone on that giant, frozen land mass. For more than three weeks he’s battled vicious winds and fended off the biting cold.

Because he’s climbing by himself, Dupre is not tied off to another climber who could stop a fall should he slip on the ice and snow-covered slopes.

It takes a special person to handle that kind of challenge and adversity. Some might suggest that you have to be a little bit crazy to put yourself through that.

He may not have made it to the top this time, but I think what Dupre did is amazing, climbing that high by yourself in such an unforgiving and hostile place.

What an adventure.

I’ve always been fascinated by the story of Lance Armstrong – how in 1996 it looked like cancer would claim his life, but with the help of doctors and treatment he beat the disease.

What followed was a historic run of seven Tour de France cycling championships. However, he wasn’t just a champion cyclist; to so many of us who’ve had our own battles with cancer, Lance Armstrong was a beacon of light, an inspiration.

My fight with cancer came in 1999. It wasn’t much of a battle when compared to what others go through. I had surgery, some radiation and now I take a pill a day. No biggie, thanks to my wonderful doctor.

But cancer can also take a psychological toll. It rocks your world when you hear you have it. No matter what your doctor says after he tells you that you have cancer, all you remember is that you have cancer.

For me and many other people, that’s where Lance Armstrong became our hero. He destroyed the disease and then laughed at it as he rocketed through European mountains on his bike. Armstrong became a symbol of strength.

But to me, his biggest accomplishment was creating the Livestrong Foundation. He was the face of an organization that raised hundreds of millions of dollars for cancer research. It was his comeback story that drove that important cause.

Of course, there was the other story about Lance Armstrong playing out at the same time: the one that said he was a cheater, a doper who bullied his teammates into doping. I didn’t want to believe that story, and the fact that there didn’t seem to be any hard evidence made it easier to deny.

That was until a few months ago, when the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency laid out its case against Armstrong. Not only was Armstrong doping according to the federal agency, it appeared that he was the head of some kind of syndicate.

After years of denials and threats against his detractors Armstrong announced a couple of months ago that he would no longer fight the allegations. He basically admitted the story was true.

This week he’ll appear with Oprah Winfrey in what’s already being called a “no-holds-barred” interview. Maybe we’ll get some answers about what he did and why. I doubt that will happen. Instead it will be a more of a public-relations ploy to repair his damaged reputation. Whatever it turns out to be, it won’t change the damage he’s done.

When Lance Armstrong went from hero to villain there was much more at stake than just Lance Armstrong’s reputation.

Did anyone get any sleep last night? I got a little in between our lights flashing off and on, the shingles rolling across the roof like tumbleweeds and the house being jolted by giant gusts of wind. Our home went through more turbulence than most airplanes I’ve traveled on.

A couple of days earlier our weather team at Channel 2 began predicting that a storm packing powerful winds and rain would hit us.

Meteorologist Mitch Sego and all the weather department’s computers sit right outside my office door. It’s really cool. I can yell out to Mitch to ask him about what the weather will be doing at a certain time and he tells me what to look for. He’s like my human weather app.

Tuesday morning, Mitch was giving me a kind of play by play of what this storm was doing. It was traveling across western Alaska, then it had to make a turn towards the Anchorage area. If and when it did, all that wind would be funneled through the many mountain passes along Turnagain Arm and the Hillside — then bam! (I added the “bam,” not Mitch. I’m pretty sure “bam” is not technically a weather term although in cases like Tuesday night it should be.)

Mitch says some gusts may have reached 130 miles an hour. He says that’s unofficial. Certainly we surpassed 100 mph in many parts of town.

Our newsroom is still gathering information about damage. Lots of electrical lines are down. There’s damage to homes. We lost a lot of trees. Thankfully, there were no reports of injuries. Most folks had the good sense to stay inside out of harm’s way.

Besides the ferocity of the storm, the thing that bothers me most is its timing.

A neighbor of mine follows the weather closely for our neighborhood. He has all the gear to measure wind speed, precipitation and other elements then dumps the information into a computer. He keeps incredible records. For instance, he once told me that our neighborhood
averages six storms a winter — between October and April — where the wind exceeds 60 miles an hour.

Over the past few winters I’ve noticed an increase in the number of wind events. I can’t say how many, maybe just one or two but I know we have more powerful storms during winter then before.

I’m just going by memory here but, I can’t ever remember a storm as powerful as Tuesday’s hitting in September. November, January, yes. First week in September, no!

We’ve all been watching the crazy weather happening Outside. Droughts, floods, record heat, wildfires: they are experiencing it all down there.

I just hope our storm was a freak of nature. Add that to our cooler than normal summer and last winters’ record snowfall. I hope it’s not the beginning of some wacky weather trend for us.

I’ll go ask Mitch.

So what are you doing next Tuesday? I know, who can think that far ahead when all of us have so much going on in our lives. There’s work, the household chores, the kids. Then there’s getting the kids ready to start the new school year, buying school supplies and new clothes.

Then on top of that we’re all trying to squeeze the last bit of outdoor fun from a quickly fading summer season.  Talk about pressure. With all that happening there’s a good chance many Alaskans don’t realize an important election is looming. Yep, next Tuesday the state holds its primary.

If history holds true the chances or you being run over by a horde of voters stampeding to the polls are slim, really slim. Like winning the Powerball lottery slim. For instance two years ago in the last primary only about a third of the Alaskans registered to vote cast ballots. Those who didn’t missed an opportunity to weigh in on a truly great contest between Republicans Lisa Murkowski and Joe Miller. Miller won the GOP primary by less than one percentage point, just 2,006 votes. That of course set the stage for Murkowski’s historic right-in campaign in the general election.

In 2008, about 40% of voters turned out. That’s not too bad for a primary, but again, those who didn’t show missed a good one. Longtime incumbent Don Young barely got by a challenge by fellow Republican Sean Parnell. Young beat Parnell by only 304 votes. That’s less than half a percentage point. A little higher turnout and we might be calling him Congressman Parnell right now.

An even closer race occurred in the 2006 primary. Statewide 35% of the voters cast ballots, but in the Senate District “S” race out in the Bethel area the turnout was even lower, only 29% Republicans Willy Keppel and Norman Ayagalria were in a neck and neck race for their party’s nomination. After a recount Ayagalria was declared the winner by a mere six votes. If just a few more friends and a cousin or two cast ballots then perhaps the outcome is different
for Keppel.

So next Tuesday, despite all the things going on in life, we should all try to find a little time to cast a ballot in the primary. Your vote does count.  Just ask Willy Keppel and Congressman, err, Governor Parnell.

Tuesday night Municipal Clerk Barbara Gruenstein offered her resignation to Assembly Chairman Ernie Hall. He accepted. So after nearly nine years on the job Gruenstein will step down and the search begins to find her replacement.

As clerk, Gruenstein handles many important issues, but her most visible task is organizing and overseeing city elections. She managed nine elections during her career, but unfortunately it will be the one held last month on April 3 that Gruenstein will be most remembered for. In that one, more than half the precincts across town ran short of ballots, creating long lines and confusion at the polls. Many voters had to wait to cast a ballot. Some weren’t able to vote at all.

If there’s one thing the government has to do right, it’s run a good election. The most important feature of a democratic society is being able to freely choose who will lead us, and if mistakes are made that keep people from casting a ballot — even if it’s just a handful of people — the credibility of our election system is called into question. People must have confidence that they can exercise their right to vote and that their votes will be counted.

That confidence was shaken by the events of April 3. Once we learned the scope of what happened, I knew it was just a matter of time before Barbara Gruenstein would be out as clerk. I think Gruenstein did a great job. I dealt with her many times over the years on a number of issues. She was always professional and knowledgeable. It was Gruenstein who played a key role in bringing the Assembly into the 21st century by putting its agenda and meeting results online for all to access them. She also helped simplify Anchorage’s election boundaries. However, when the city ran out of ballots someone had to be held accountable.

I spoke with Gruenstein on the phone the day after she submitted her resignation. I asked her if she was pressured into resigning. Gruenstein refused to comment on that, but did say, “The clerk serves at the pleasure of the Assembly,” and that resigning was the right thing for her to do. She seemed at peace with her decision.  

As for what happened on election night last month, she says, “The answer is simple. Enough ballots were purchased for the election — just not all were delivered to the right places.” Gruenstein isn’t blaming anyone for the mishap. She won’t point fingers. That’s not her style. But, as the person in charge she is the one held responsible.  I think it was brave of Gruenstein to resign. I also think it was something she needed to do. Her resignation will speed up the healing process.

There is still an investigation under way to determine what exactly happened on election night. Hopefully that will bring answers and the city can get on with correcting what went wrong. Those steps, and new leadership in the clerk’s office, will be major steps towards restoring faith in the city’s ability to hold an election.

Along the Glenn Highway where it intersects with the Parks there’s a yellow sign with black lettering that reads “Give Moose a Brake.” Then it has the latest tally of moose killed in crashes with cars and trucks.

According to the state more than 400-moose have been whacked by drivers in the Valley so far this winter. That number doesn’t include Anchorage nor how many have been run over by Alaska Railroad trains. Fish and game biologists tell Channel 2 reporter Jackie Bartz that the death toll is the highest since the winter of 1989.

The reason for the abnormally high number of moose are dying this winter is simply because of all the snow we’ve had. Right now our snowfall is the fourth highest on record. That’s brought more moose closer to where people live. Like people, moose seek the path of least resistance when traveling around. That’s why you see so many moose on bike trails, roads and railway beds this winter. Those paths are plowed and make for easier walking and for finding food. That in turn increases the odds of moose colliding with cars.

Those crashes have put a dent in the area moose population and increased the danger for drivers. People have been hurt and on rare occasions killed when their car slammed into an animal that can easily weigh well over 1,000 pounds.

This past weekend the Alaska Moose Federation, a group dedicated to ensuring a healthy moose population in Alaska, created the first of 20 feeding stations by dumping bales of fermented grass near Big Lake and Houston. The federation asked for and received permission from the state to do this. The aim is to lure moose away from roadways, specifically the Parks and eventually the Glenn.

I’ve met some of the moose federation folks. They’re nice people who are dedicated to their cause. While the cause is a good one, some very knowledgeable wildlife people will argue that feeding moose sends the wrong message to the public. Wild animals shouldn’t be fed because they’ll become dependent on hand outs. A couple of weeks ago a game biologist in Anchorage had to put down a moose because people in a neighborhood were feeding it. The animal started associating people and food. It began getting aggressive with people. The moose was put down before it hurt someone.

Sorry to say we probably have another six weeks or so of winter. Undoubtedly more moose will be hit by cars before breakup comes. I hope the feeding station idea works and the moose federation is able to reduce some of the carnage.

But I think the best way to avoid killing more moose is for all of us to be extra alert and even more cautious when we’re driving. Remember they are out there and closer to the road then normal.

And do what the sign says, give moose a brake.

There was a lot going on this weekend so it’s possible you might have missed this. It’s not very often that the entire Alaska legislature agrees on something but it happen recently.

Lawmakers in the House and Senate approved a citation honoring Channel 2 Chief Meteorologist Jackie Purcell. Anchorage Representative Berta Gardner proposed the idea and it took off from there.

Representative Gardner gave Jackie the citation this weekend in our newsroom. It notes Jackie’s 20-plus years of broadcasting in Alaska and what she does for the community.

I know I’m a little biased when it comes to this because I’ve worked with Jackie for a long time so I think if anyone deserves recognition from the legislature its Jackie. She works hard and really frets over the weather. Jackie knows how important the weather is to Alaskans and she, along with her colleagues Tracy and Mitch, try their very best to be right.

I can also tell you that just about every week she’s reading to school kids, presiding over spelling bees or hosting a formal gala of some kind.

But what is truly amazing is how close the relationship is between her and our viewers. She’s been coming into Alaskan homes for awhile now which makes for that deep connection. After all, people across the state have practically watched her grow up. Our viewers think of her as one of the family.

It’s very nice to see that the legislature agrees.

Do you remember Marko Cheseto? He’s the University of Alaska Anchorage student and elite cross country running star that suddenly disappeared on a Sunday afternoon last November.  

He got up and left his apartment near campus and wandered in the frigid winter weather for a little more than two days. Friends and search teams combed the woods around campus during that time. Hope of finding Marko alive was fading each passing hour.

Then, on early Wednesday morning Marko cold and dazed, walked into the lobby of a hotel on Elmore Drive. He was safe, but his legs were frozen. They were so badly frostbitten that doctors were forced to amputate.

In our newsroom and with people I spoke with, the feeling was thank goodness Marko is alive and safe but what a tragic story it is that he lost his legs. A great runner without his legs. So sad. What a tragedy.

Recently photojournalist Carolyn Hall and I got sat down for a series of interviews with Marko. We asked if he’d tell us his story about what happened. Why did he leave his apartment? What was troubling him so much that he wandered off into the bitter cold? How are you coping without your legs? What does the future hold?

But when we met with Marko he set us straight. It was clear that his story isn’t sad. That it isn’t about a tragedy instead it’s about triumph and inspiration.

Marko suffers from depression. A debilitating episode was triggered last February when his cousin, fellow countryman and teammate committed suicide.

William Ritikwiang was from the same village as Marko. They were close. He followed Marko to UAA.

Marko says it wasn’t until the day before William died that he realized he was so troubled. The pressures of school and athletics combined with the pressure of financially supporting his family back in Kenya had overwhelmed William.

In the weeks and months following William’s death Marko began blaming himself for what happened. He told us that if he hadn’t helped his cousin come to Alaska William would still be alive.

He also agonized over not helping William with his problems sooner even though he never knew William was so troubled.

The feelings of remorse began building up in Marko until, as they did in William, they became too much to handle. That’s when Marko ventured off into the cold and snow last November.

Since then Marko is getting counseling. He’s put what happened to William in perspective. He still thinks about him but understands there was nothing more he could have done.

As for his legs he now walks on prosthetics. It’s amazing to see his progress. You would never know what he’s been through when you watch him walk. He has even bigger plans. He wants to run again. That will take more healing and special prosthetics but, the hope is that Marko will be running again later this year. It will be another obstacle conquered.

It’s that message he wants to share with the community, especially kids. He plans to speak at schools telling kids that obstacles can be overcome if you set your mind to it.

It’s obvious that Marko has set his mind to overcome the obstacles in his life.

A program note:

You can hear Marko’s story and his message this Thursday at 6 and 10 on Channel 2 News.