Letters to the editor

Tim Hale cleans house

To the editor:

As part of his MatSu Borough Assembly District 1 campaign in 2019, Tim Hale asked if there were problems or community concerns he could address if elected to the assembly to represent my district in the Butte. I responded that my number one concern was the ever-expanding drug house in our neighborhood that was impacting our community’s quality of life. Dubbed the “Butte Compound,” our neighborhood witnessed this hub for squatters and drug activity take root somewhere in or around 2013. There were shootings. There were accounts of loose pitbulls at the compound and neighborhood children being chased on their bicycles by the squatters who shouted profanities and threats. There were explosions and fires on more than one occasion and growing concerns over the waste and hazardous material leaking from the compound. Our community increasingly grew helpless as we watched the compound spiral further out of control each year, with waste encroaching upon neighboring properties and the number of squatters growing. Pleas and cries for help to different agencies including AST, the MatSu Borough, and even the DEC seemed to spurn no forward momentum.

After relaying my concern to Tim on that day in 2019, he replied that he would address this issue that had been plaguing our community for over six years. Following this conversation, I saw Tim working alongside community members as part of a grassroots effort to dismantle the compound following his election. The work was grueling and tiresome, but thanks to this group of extremely dedicated community members spearheaded by Butte resident Mike Morrow, the Butte Compound was largely dismantled in 2020. Tim was able to assist with securing $10,000 in clean-up funds from the MatSu Borough as part of this effort. The local wrecking yard donated time and equipment to haul junked vehicles from the property. Morrow knows there is still much work to be done to clean up the destruction left behind, and his goal is to see the approximately 7.5 acre plot of land ultimately be developed into a community park. I have no doubt that Tim Hale will continue to assist with this effort should he win re-election. He worked hard to deliver on his promise, which in turn improved the safety and quality of life for many Butte residents within his district. He proved himself to be a dedicated community leader and has earned my vote!

Kelly McDonald,

Palmer

The Senate must vote on the PUMP Act immediately

To the editor:

Everyday, Alaska’s mothers return to work after giving birth only to find that workplace policies block them from providing nutrition to their infants. Alaskans lack basic legal protections for lactation breaks, as do one in four working women of childbearing age nationwide. The PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act (S. 1658/H.R. 3110), championed by our own Senator Murkowski, would remedy this.

The PUMP Act would ensure that millions of families currently left out of the nation’s workplace lactation law finally get the support they need to continue breastfeeding. The bill passed the House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support, but has been waiting for a Senate vote for over a year. Millions of working parents are struggling to feed their babies.

Here at the Alaska Breastfeeding Coalition, we see the impact of this delay firsthand. The risk of not breastfeeding includes increased rates of serious illnesses for both mother and baby. Far too many families can’t continue breastfeeding after returning to work as a direct result of discriminatory policies in the workplace. A basic human right to receive essential nutrition is being denied to thousands of infants every day. Combined with the infant formula shortage, families across Alaska are in crisis.

The Senate must vote on the PUMP Act immediately so that families aren’t forced to choose between a paycheck and the nutrition and immune support their baby needs.

Jasmine Esmay, BSN, RNC-OB, CLC, IBCLC

President, Alaska Breastfeeding Coalition