Letters to the editor

Please be David’s voiceTo the editor:

Soon, in the Third Judicial District Courts at Palmer Alaskans will see their judicial system at work. Justice most certainly has not been swift. Five years and seven monthes after David Grunwald was murdered, executed with a handgun, the last two of his murderers will finally be sentenced. I pray Alaskans have not forgotten David. I pray Alaskans have not forgotten his brutal, execution style murder.

But one defense attorney wants you all to forget, sit down and shut up. His motion has successfully silenced the voices of David’s extended family, muted David’s friends and muzzled David’s community. Only David’s immediate family, along with one or two aunts, will be permitted to give victim impact statements. As if no one else was affected.

I ask Alaskans these questions: Were you affected by David’s callous murder? Did your neighbor move away from Palmer or out of Alaska because of it? Did you fear for the lives of your own family members? Do you care now if these pitiless murderers receive the sentences they deserve?

From my perspective, David is gone from this earth. His life, once full of hope and promise, was stolen from all of us. David Grunwald no longer has a voice. WE must be his voice. David’s family, his friends, and his community must be his voice.

The State of Alaska does not recognize David’s friends as victims of his brutal murder. They do not recognize his church family as victims either. The State of Alaska does not recognize David’s cousins as victims of his horrific murder. The State of Alaska does not recognize your community, David’s community as victims of his vicious murder.

I urge all Alaskans to make note and take action. Is this the direction your state should take? Write your victim impact letters and send them anyway. Send a copy to your representatives. Call for change in the law. Go to the courtrooms and be seen! Sentencing hearings June 15, 16, 17 and again June 21, 22, 23. Please be David’s voice.

Katherine Mayo,

Manassas, Virginia

Need more information about the exploration rights to mining district

To the editor:

Even if one supports the Estelle mining district in the Susitna Valley, a logical question is why did Alaska grant the exploration rights to the Australian company, Nova Minerals (OTC: NVAAF) ? Among other reasons, consider three causes for concern:

Leadership: Avi Kimelman, the former Chairman was “convicted of insider trading and market manipulation offenses” in March 2021, (https://www.miningmonthly.com/investment/news/1421121/former-nova-resources-boss-convicted-of-insider-trading). In addition, the most recent chairman just “stepped down, effective immediately”, in March, 2022,with no reason stated. The Interim Chairman lists a decade of experience in “micro-cap finance.”

Track record: From its annual reports dating back to 2014, the company does not appear to have commercialized any other similar mining projects.

Financials: According to Yahoo Finance (seehttps://finance.yahoo.com/quote/NVAAF?p=NVAAF) ticker symbol OTC: NVAAF), Nova Minerals’ current stock price (May 16, 2022) is $0.45 per share. Over the past five years it has ranged from approximately a low of $0.02 to a high of $1.39. The company notes 180,202,285 shares outstanding as of the end of 2021. In 2020, Nova raised $23 million at a share price of $0.17. Last fall, it succeeded in raising only half as much, at about $12 million, at a share price of $0.11. This does not indicate a bullish market sentiment. Furthermore, Nova’s financial statements reveal a cash burn for salaries and expenses very close to what it raises from penny stock investors. One might conclude that it is a year-by-year operation dependent on penny stock issuances to meet expenses.

We encourage interested readers to follow the links above, draw their own conclusions, and then ask questions of their political representatives and the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority https://www.aidea.org/ about their vetting process as to their vetting process.

Bryan and Laura Emerson,

Willow

First walk off for AT&T employeesTo the editor:

Between 4:30 p.m. June 6 and 4:30 p.m. June 7 AT&T Alaska had empty campuses. For 24 hours, the largest telecom company in Alaska was severely unmanned. This is a result from the refusal for out of state executives to negotiate a fair contract for approximately 175 Teamsters who make up AT&T electricians, engineers, warehouse workers or mechanics. The AT&T maintenance workers walked off the job in a display of solidarity in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau on an unfair labor practice (ULP) strike, protesting company continuously changing work conditions without negotiating.

The work group is severely frustrated at, yet another unilateral change made by the company absent notice or bargaining. This continuous pattern of changing working conditions absent bargaining is creating angst and acrimony within the bargaining unit and sparked today’s ULP strike.

“Our members’ contract with AT&T has expired and the company has not yet agreed to a contract that provides a fair return on their work,” said Eileen Whitmer, President of Local 959. “When working under an expired contract, federal law requires that the company bargain with workers’ representatives before changing working conditions. AT&T is making unilateral changes to working conditions and our members have the right to engage in concerted protected activity to protest AT&T’s unlawful conduct.”

AT&T has yet to set dates to come back to the bargaining table to resolve this conflict. Please stand with Alaska workers and visit akteamsters.com/teamstersconnected/ to support Alaskan workers.

Patrick Fitzgerald,

Anchorage