Letters to the editor

Vote yes to support the library

To the editor:

I have discovered the best kept secret in the Mat-Su Valley. The libraries! As a newly appointed board member at-large, I have had the wonderful opportunity to explore each library and all the services they provide. Each library is unique to their community, providing invaluable services that connect family, friends and community. The residents of the City of Palmer have the opportunity to ensure that their local library continues being a pillar in their community. On the October 3rd ballot, you will have a choice. I encourage each voter/resident to investigate Palmer's history of being a good steward of bond obligations. The City has done a good job with your money and with that information, vote YES!

Marty Kincaid,

Palmer

A letter to the MSBSD School Board

To the editor:

You have created a solution looking for a problem with the Library Citizens Advisory Committee (LCAC) and Board Policies 9110 Board Membership and 9323 Meeting Conduct.School board members were worried that the Student Advisory Board Representative (SABR) was being influenced by "outside organizations", yet those same members are letting Moms For Liberty tell them what books to remove from the school libraries. Restricting access to information is banning books pure and simple. Silencing MSBSD student voices is unconstitutional.

May I suggest a first step towards restoring trust in the school board? Remove the board member of the Mat-Su chapter of Moms For Liberty from the Library Citizens Advisory Committee and have the SABR Ben Kolendo as a member of the LCAC instead. As the MSBSD students are being affected by books being removed from their school libraries,as their voices are being silenced and their access to information is being restricted-shouldn't they have a seat at the table?

Mary Robinson,

Wasilla

Concerned about rising cost of prescription drugs

To the editor:

The rising cost of prescription drugs has taken its toll on Alaskans. In recent years many patients with chronic conditions have seen the price of their prescription drugs rise and others have seen treatments for their condition finally brought to market only for them to have outrageous price tags attached.

Patients have sat idly by as drug makers have arbitrarily hiked prices on prescription drugs each and every year, oftentimes in two batches per year. This year, brand name drug companies hiked the price of 587 drugs in January and on 200 drugs around the mid-year mark, in June and July.

While lawmakers have begun to take action around the pharmaceutical industry’s incessant price increases, drug companies now seem to be targeting higher and higher launch prices for new medicines. An analysis by the Wall Street Journal found that launch prices on brand name pharmaceuticals almost tripled from 2011 to 2022 and a Reuters analysis found that the median annual price among drugs that came to market in 2022 was more than $200,000.

Drug makers are able to engage in these practices, in part, because of their gaming the U.S. patent system, which prevents generic and biosimilar competition from entering the market and driving down prices.

To help prevent this, Alaska Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan should lend their support to the Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act of 2023. This bipartisan legislation would prevent many of Big Pharma’s favorite practices that they employ to game the patent system and help usher in more generics and biosimilars to market.

Ending Big Pharma’s abuse of the U.S. patent system is an important step to lowering prescription drug prices for Alaskans.

Carrie Parvin,

Wasilla

Support libraries

To the editor:

Libraries are important for a plethora of reasons. Here are just a few:

Access to information

Libraries provide a wide range of resources such as books, magazines, newspapers, and digital materials that allow individuals to access and expand their knowledge. They are often repositories of important historical and cultural documents, making them valuable for research and education. They even have books on CD, movies and TV shows on DVDs, and the latest craft how-to’s and cookbooks.

Promoting literacy and education

Libraries play a crucial role in promoting literacy, especially among children and disadvantaged communities. They offer reading programs, workshops, and educational resources that foster a love for reading, improve literacy skills, and enable lifelong learning. They even have Book Clubs that you can join, free of charge.

Equal access to information and lifelong learning

Libraries provide free or low-cost access to information and resources, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their economic or social background, has the opportunity to learn and grow. This helps bridge the digital divide and promotes equal opportunities. They offer a wide range of educational and self-development materials, including books, courses, and workshops. They encourage individuals of all ages to continue learning, exploring new interests, and expanding their horizons. When my husband and I decided to raise chickens last spring, we checked out books from the library to educate ourselves. Whenever I want to try a new cuisine or a new craft, I head to the library first.

Community gathering spaces

Libraries serve as community hubs where people can gather, connect, and engage with others. They often offer meeting rooms, host events, and provide a comfortable environment for studying, working, or simply relaxing. Local city councils, gardening clubs, knitting groups, game nights, movie nights, travel presentations, concerts, teen clubs, homeschool programs, and on and on, meet at your local library! Our local library is where I initially made friends when we first moved to Sutton.

Preservation of knowledge

Libraries play a vital role in preserving and archiving books, documents, and other cultural artifacts. By safeguarding this knowledge, libraries contribute to the preservation of human history and heritage for future generations. My husband even came across a picture of his uncle operating a barge in Bethel 50 years ago in a random book in our local Sutton library.

Support for local businesses and entrepreneurs

Libraries often provide resources and services to support local businesses and entrepreneurs. They may offer business databases, market research tools, and workshops on various business topics, helping individuals and small businesses thrive in their communities. Our Sutton Library is where people sign up to work at the recycling center at our local transfer station. It’s where we have a Holiday Bazaar for folks to sell their wares. In the summer, you can even find plants and vegetables for sale.

Digital literacy and technology access

Libraries provide access to computers, internet, and other digital resources, helping individuals develop essential digital literacy skills. This is particularly important for those who may not have access to technology at home, allowing them to apply for jobs online, complete school assignments, and access online services. Our library was a haven for me when we were having an addition put on to our house last summer. I work from home as an instructor for UAF and the noise drove me to the library to work in a quiet room with a window looking out over their courtyard, filled with beautiful flowers.

Safety

This may be the most important reason why libraries are important. While libraries are not substitutes for shelters, counseling centers, or long-term systemic solutions to homelessness, they are vital to public health and safety, offering people experiencing homelessness a safe and dignified space throughout the day. When I was growing up, I spent many hours in my local library because I needed a place to escape the abuse at home and the bullying at school and on the playground. I could stay as long as I wanted, no questions asked. It was where I discovered Laura Ingalls Wilder and National Geographic World Magazine for kids.

If you haven’t been to your local library lately, go. Tell the librarians how thankful you are for their dedication and hard work. Support the library by using it. If you are in Palmer, support City of Palmer Proposition No. 1, Palmer Public Library General Obligation Bonds by voting yes on October 3rd. It is the single most important free resource available to you!

Kathy Kysar,

Sutton

Society of Mayflower Descendants celebrating anniversary

To the editor:

The Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of Alaska will celebrate its 60th anniversary on Saturday, October 14, 2023, at its annual meeting in Anchorage, Alaska. We invite current, former, and any potential new members who are descendants of someone who came over on the Mayflower to Plymouth, MA in 1620, to join us. There will be a luncheon, business meeting and talk by Mayflower historian, author, and genealogist, Caleb Johnson. Copies of his books will be available for sale and autograph. Cost to attend is $15 and lunch is available for an additional $25.

To pre-register for the meeting, please contact Treasurer Lezlie Wilfer at 49wilfer@gmail.com by October 1. For information about lineage research to join the Alaska Mayflower Society, please contact Historian Sidnie Kruse at kruse@ptialaska.net.

Lezlie Wilfer,

Treasurer, Alaska Mayflower Society