Lieutenant Governor's Report - August 12, 2004

PRIMARY ELECTION NEWS: Remember, August 24 is Primary Election Day. You will have a choice of one of three ballots to vote at your local polling place or by absentee ballot. Contact the Division of Elections if you need an absentee ballot or other assistance. My article on “touch screen” voting equipment was recently published in newspapers around the State. I explained why the Division of Elections will not be using this new equipment for the August 24 election. You can read the full text of my article here.

WELCOME HOME TASK FORCE 1-501st : On Sunday I joined Army Major General John Brown and others at Fort Richardson to help welcome home soldiers from Task Force 1-501st Airborne. These brave men and women served for nine months in Afghanistan, saw significant action, but every soldier came home safely. Watching families reunite, in some cases fathers seeing their babies for the first time, was very emotional. We are fortunate to have these dedicated soldiers serving our country from Alaska.

DENALI COMMISSION MEETS: I met with my fellow commissioners on Monday and Tuesday to plan for the next phase of projects by the Denali Commission and its partner agencies. The City of Whittier hosted our Tuesday meeting and presented some of its plans for economic development in the beautiful Shotgun Cove setting. We heard updates on energy projects in the Middle Kuskokwim and Upper Yukon areas and results from a Teacher Housing Survey. It had been awhile since I had been through the 2-mile tunnel, a project that received engineering accolades.

SCHOOL PERFORMANCE UP: The Department of Education and Early Development recently announced that 58 percent of public schools had achieved their Annual Yearly Progress goals. This is up from 42 percent last year. When I was a legislator I supported measures to increase accountability in education to help improve results. Some of these efforts are paying off. You can learn more about this by visiting the Department’s website.

KEYSTONE PICNIC: Last Saturday I joined legislators and Borough officials to listen to property owners along Keystone Drive in Soldotna. These fine folks are working to improve access that will benefit their neighborhood and the hundreds of people who use the adjacent boat ramps into the Kenai River.

IT’S FAIR TIME: I enjoyed helping serve food at the Senior Luncheon while visiting the Tanana Valley State Fair in Fairbanks yesterday. The Alaska State Fair opens in Palmer on August 26—see you there!

FORE THE CITY: Bright and early last Friday I greeted golfers at the “Fore the City” Golf Classic at Anchorage Golf Course. This was a successful fundraiser for GraceAlaska, a charitable organization that supports the Downtown (Anchorage) Soup Kitchen and RightWay Auto, among other services. This is another admirable example of a successful partnership involving the faith community.

CELEBRATING MARRIAGE: On Sunday my parents, Nick and Marian Leman, celebrate 57 years of marriage. Congratulations, Mom and Dad!

UPCOMING EVENTS: On Saturday, I will speak to the Matanuska-Susitna Valley Board of Realtors. On Monday, I will participate in a groundbreaking ceremony at the Port of Anchorage for its next major expansion. I have numerous other engagements around the State next week, and will be listening to Alaskans share their vision of hope and opportunity.

You can email me at Lt_Governor@gov.state.ak.us, call at (907) 465-3520 or 269-7460, or write to: Lieutenant Governor Loren Leman, PO Box 110015, Juneau, AK 99811. Visit my web site at ltgov.state.ak.us. To subscribe or unsubscribe please email me or visit the subscription page.