Valley residents honored for advocacy

ANCHORAGE — Sometime about three years ago, then-Mayor Verne Rupright turned to now-Mayor Bert Cottle and told him to fix a program that grew out of funding cuts.

“Basically, he turned to me and said ‘Hey Bert, fix it,’” Cottle said.

That fix-it moment turned into recognition this weekend, when organizers of the 35th Annual National Crime Victims Rights Week honored Cottle with the Advocacy Award Saturday for his efforts to re-establish the Sexual Abuse Response Team for the Mat-Su Borough.

The team is a collective entity of health care providers and law-enforcement officers designed to serve victims of sex assault in the Valley. Members of the team receive specialized training and equipment that, prior to Cottle’s efforts, sometimes resulted in victims driving themselves to Anchorage to receive treatment. That led as many as a third of sexual assault victims to seek treatment elsewhere, Cottle said.

Cottle was quick to share the honor with the rest of the team, saying it was a joint effort of the Mat-Su Borough, the school system, then-Gov. Sean Parnell, and the three borough cities. Officials intend to seek a continuation of funding for the Team this year, Cottle added.

The issue was needed in part because victims of sexual assault are disproportionately female, he said.

“I’ll be honest with you … you at least have a mother, right?” he said. “You at least have a sister, and maybe you have a daughter. Hopefully, it won’t be personally one of us, but it could be on of our immediate families. I want everything in place to where they’re treated with dignity and respect. I don’t know why anybody wouldn’t want this in place.”

Jeanine Sparks, Counseling Coordinator of the Mat-Su Borough School District, praised Cottles efforts.

“He (Cottle) was tireless in his advocacy,” she said. “Prior to the opening of the Mat-Su SART program in October 2014, victims had to go to the SART program in Anchorage. Having a local SART program demonstrates value and respect to victims of sexual assault. Mayor Cottle is worthy of being recognized for leadership and pivotal role in creating the Mat-Su SART program.”

Cottle wasn’t the only honoree from Wasilla.

Nancy and Royal Bidwell received the Phoenix Award. The Bidwell’s started the Forget Me Not Foundation to end drunken and impaired driving in the state of Alaska. The foundation has published two collections of personal accounts with impaired, and distracted driving designed to raise awareness among youth and the general public.

The award, which honors victims which have risen above tragedy to create something positive, has a special poignancy: Nancy Bidwell lost her teenaged daughter, Shelly Reed to a drunk driver on Nov. 5, 1983.

Presenter Kaylie Klaysmat praised the Bidwells’ community efforts.

“She (Nancy Bidwell) is able to use her own experience to empathize with others whose lives are disrupted by impaired and distracted drivers and is quick to reach out to offer assistance and compassion to the victims of impaired driving crashes and their families,” she said. “It is not uncommon to see Nancy and Royal visiting victims in the hospital or supporting families in court when cases go to trial.”

Victims for Justice Deputy Director Erick Cordero said the Bidwell’s dedication to victims’ rights stands out in his years of service in the public safety arena.

An additional local resident, Wasilla resident Lori Houston, a licensed clinical social worker, was nominated for the James Gay Award, established to recognize people who exemplify professionalism in the filed of Victim’s Services.

The awards were announced at a banquet May 2 in Anchorage.

Contact Brian O’Connor at 352-2269, brian.oconnor@frontiersman.com, or on Twitter @reporterbriano.