Motion picture, TV title designer Fitzgerald to speak Saturday

Juneau Empire

JUNEAU - Wayne Fitzgerald, three-time Emmy award winning motion picture and TV title designer with more than 1,000 title designs to his credit, will speak at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 27, at the downtown library.

With more than 55 years experience in the film industry, Fitzgerald will discuss film history, short-story telling, the change in technology and maybe a few colorful Hollywood personality stories.

Some of his credits include: "Bonnie and Clyde," "A River Runs Through It," "What About Bob?," "Total Recall," "The Godfather trilogy," "Innerspace," "The Fly," "Rocky IV," "The Breakfast Club," "The Deer Hunter," "Sixteen Candles," "Footloose," "Splash," "The Big Chill," "Terms of Endearment," "Pennies from Heaven," "The Lord of the Rings," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "Ghost," "Basic Instinct," "Catch-22," "Apocolypse Now," "The Graduate" and "Pillow Talk."

Fitzgerald will show samples of his work and the original storyboards for a few films. For a list of some title credits, visit www.imdb.com/name/nm0280408/.

Wong KO's Flood in Main Event

Bartender stops serving drinks to win her first fight
By Courtney Nelson | For the Juneau Empire

Some bartenders serve hard liquor. Marlintini's Lounge bartender Shannon "Fighting Irish" Williams serves hard rights, or at least she did Friday night while filling in for another fighter.

Williams, 26, stepped out from behind the bar to battle newcomer Amanda Phillips, 21, whose scheduled opponent no-showed for the bout.

Williams defeated Phillips by unanimous decision in a fight that Williams dominated from the start. Williams stayed on the offensive and chased Phillips around the ring, landing head blows to get the win before heading back to tending bar.

In Friday's main event Ryan Wong, 31, stopped Norman "Thunder Punch" Flood III, 20, with a haymaker combination that earned Wong the win and left Flood on the floor with an injured jaw. Wong (3-1-0) planned on using his reach to grab the win and took a few rattling head shots early in round one. He then went after Flood (7-2-1) and fired off a huge right to the head, then landed a left haymaker to Flood's jaw, finishing him off with with a final hard right to clinch a first round victory.

In other bouts:

• Inoke Topui, a 21-year-old weighing 222 pounds, defeated James "The Beast" Roberts Jr., a 23-year-old from Klawock who outweighed Topui by more than 100 pounds. Roberts was undefeated going into the bout but Topui was lighter on his feet than the powerful Roberts. Roberts hung tight but Topui landed more blows to grab the win.

• National Guardsman and first time fighter Bailey Johnson, 22, of Angoon defeated schoolteacher and fellow first time fighter Patrick Murphy, 39. Johnson grabbed an early advantage by forcing Murphy to two standing eight-counts in round one. Johnson dominated from the sound of the bell and popped Murphy's head out between the ropes as he pummeled him. Murphy had a strong comeback in round two but the referee called the fight the same round after a third standing eight-count.

• Doug Chilton, 26, with three losses under his belt, grabbed his first win by defeating first time fighter David Young of Wasilla in a heavyweight fight when referee Joe Isturis awarded Chilton a second round technical knockout.

Brian Lauth, 18, defeated first-time fighter Anthony Davidson in another tough bout. Lauth had the reach advantage over Davidson, who stood strong at the end of round one by returning some hard shots. Davidson was delivered a standing eight-count in round two, but it was Lauth who eventually won the fight.

• Patrick Cummings, 22, of New Jersey, defeated James "Long John the X Warrior" Runge III, 27, of Dallas, in a close bout pairing first time fighters, friends and fellow Coast Guard workers. The match was even heading into round two when both boxers gassed. Cummings managed to throw some heavy leather, leaving Runge with a swollen eye. Cummings wants to fight again but said he felt bad for his friend, who was sitting with an ice pack over his eye. Runge also said he wanted to fight again sometime - but against a weaker opponent.

• Cameron Mitchell, of Juneau, defeated first time fighter Don "Damn Yaki" Johnson, of Yakutat, who waited until he was 47 to step into the ring. Mitchell was more spry that the stiff Johnson and the fight was called after Johnson was knocked down for the second time in round two.

The next fight night at Marlintini's Lounge will be Jan. 16.

Fight card results

Friday, Dec. 12

• Doug Chilton defeatsDavid Young

• Brian Lauth defeatsAnthony Davidson

• Patrick Cummings defeats James "Long John the X Warrior" Runge III

• Sharon "Fighting Irish" Williams defeats Amanda Phillips

• Baily Johnson defeats Patrick Murphy

• Cameron Mitchell defeats Don "Damn Yaki" Johnson

• Inoke Topui defeats James "The Beast" Roberts Jr.

• Wong defeats Norman "Thunder Punch" Flood III

Red Dog to Stay open all winter

New owners tempt locals with food and drink, a giant TV screen and Costa's brunch

By Courtney Nelson | For the Juneau Empire

After years of catering primarily to Juneau's summer tourists, the Red Dog Saloon is under new ownership and ready to fully embrace the locals. This year the bar and restaurant will be open all winter, offering good food and music - and the largest television screen in town.

"We have new, young, invigorated owners that really want to embrace the local crowd," said Red Dog's general manager Mike Denny.

In the past, the saloon hasn't always been a hot destination for Juneauites, as Denny recently found out.

Working the door incognito during this year's Boardwalk Boogie fundraiser, Denny said he was surprised by the number of long-term locals who commented that they'd never been to the Red Dog before.

"The locals don't come down in the summer because we are so crowded, then they forget about us in the winter," Denny said. "Last year we were closed for the winter while the liquor license settled, so locals don't know that we are now open year-round."

"It's a warm, inviting space, and if you have out-of-town guests it's kind of a must-see," he said.

Founded in the 1940s, the Red Dog has occupied several different locations downtown but has maintained its gold-rush theme. In the early days, "Ragtime Hattie" drew people in by playing the piano in white gloves and a silver-dollar halter-top. Now the red saloon-style doors, Alaskan beers, wildlife trophies and charismatic musicians - such as honky-tonk piano player Tag Eckles - uphold the frontier feel, making the spot a hit with the tourists and creating long lines in summer.

Realizing that the long wait kept the locals and their out-of-town guests away, the new owners came up with a plan.

"If there's a line to get in, just come to the front and say you're a local and they will let you in," Denny said.

There are five sets of new owners of the Red Dog, hailing from Juneau and Ketchikan. Juneau couple Eric and Tracy Forst are former owners of the Subway sandwich shop, and Eric Forst has been general manager of Gross Alaska Theatres for the past five years. Neale and Toni Murphy are owners of the Juneau Trading Company and Franklin Street souvenir shop Alaska-Juneau Mining Co.; and new partner Doug Trucano, also of Juneau, owns Trucano Construction. Two Ketchikan couples, Dave and Lori Coates and Gary and Meeta Jethani, complete the group.

A new menu was created by the management which Denny claims is excellent.

"We have a small menu because everything on the menu is good," Denny said.

After 16 poultry tastings, Denny said they settled on an organic roasted chicken dish.

"We serve dinner every night and feature a slow-roasted prime rib dinner on Friday, which is sliced at your table. All entrees come with soup or salad, our special sourdough bread and butter, starch and vegetable, and we have cheesecake for dessert," Denny said.

They also have cheese sticks, chicken wings and sliders to go with their full line of Alaskan beer.

Another draw is the likelihood of Collette Costa's involvement in the restaurant and bar. Although the dates haven't been firmed up, Costa was invited to host her Sunday brunch at the Red Dog beginning sometime early next year.

"The worst thing about Costa's brunch was that there were no mimosas and no Bloody Marys, so that's one of the beautiful things about this place - you can have a full beverage bar alongside Costa's famous brunch," Denny said.

Sports fans might enjoy watching football and hockey on the six-by-10 foot flat-screen television, which can also be used for PowerPoint presentations.

Although The Red Dog is already open and serving lunch at 11 a.m. every day through the winter, it will be closing at 6 p.m., for holiday parties for the next two weekends.

After that the doors will be open to welcome weekend revelers, Monday night footballs fans and hungry locals.

The Little Prince lands in Juneau

Theatre in the Rough stages classic novella

By Courtney Nelson | For the Juneau Empire

Seeing ourselves through the eyes of a child can give us a fresh perspective on our behavior. "Le Petit Prince," or "The Little Prince," a novella written by French author Antoine de Saint Exupéry in 1943, does just this.

Theatre in the Rough producers Katie Jensen and Aaron Elmore picked the adapted play as this year's winter performance more than two years ago because they thought the message of "The Little Prince" could benefit people in these uncertain times.

"The world is changing so much right now for everyone. We are all on a journey to find out what love means," Jensen said.

"The essential point the book points out is that, 'We cannot see well except with the heart, the essential is invisible to the eyes,'" Jensen said, quoting a poignant line spoken by the fox, played by Donnie Gott. Jensen directs the production and plays the role of the snake.

Though Jensen and Elmore picked up this book at different times in their lives, the messages had been simmering inside them for years. The book re-surfaced when the two were faced with a personal crisis and both turned to the book for guidance.

Jensen, who was initially lulled to sleep by her mother reading the book in French, was 8 when she read it for herself.

"I thought it was exotic; the concept of something being written in another language was amazing to me. The book was a touchstone for me through my adolescent years because it is not a children's book," Jensen explained.

Elmore agreed, saying some of the concepts in the book made his head hurt when he was an adolescent.

"It made me feel a little dizzy. The book was touching on things that were too big for my 19-year-old head," he said.

He says he never forgot another message from the book: "You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed."

The story of "The Little Prince" has held up in the 65 years since it was published, and it resonates with people of all ages. Leaving his very small planet that has three volcanoes, some trees and a rose, the prince embarks on a journey of understanding of the world around him. First he encounters the "men of planets," all played by Dan Reaume. The men of planets - the king who pretends to control the universe, the conceited man who only hears compliments, the drunkard who drinks because he is ashamed that he drinks, the businessman consumed with counting his money, the lamplighter who can never sleep because he has to work every minute and the geographer who never goes anywhere because he is not an explorer - all show reflective aspects of life and human nature.

The prince, played by 14-year-old Ian Andrews, meets the aviator, played by Elmore, after his plane crashes in the desert. He asks the aviator questions but doesn't answer any himself, instead demanding that the aviator draw him pictures.

Saint Exupéry drew on personal experience in writing the book: He and a navigator crashed in the Sahara in 1935 and were rescued four days later after they'd reached the point of dehydration and hallucination. And the author's own death in a plane crash in 1944, just one year after "The Little Prince" was published, was seemingly prophesized at the end of the book when the prince allows himself to be bitten by a snake, saying his body is too heavy to take back to his planet with him.

"Saint Exupéry wrote the original story in 1943, just one year before he disappeared after leaving an airbase on Corsica while flying recognizance missions for the French," Jensen said, adding that she likes that the author was a soldier and an artist, an unusual combination of opposing forces.

Although written during drastically different times, Jensen noted the striking similarities to current world events. The duration and spacing of the wars in the Middle East parallel the duration and spacing of World War I and World War II, Jensen said, in between which the book was written.

With an adapted play, Elmore and Jensen faced challenges in bringing the theatrical elements together. Elmore created a mystical set and the costumes have a certain fantasy element evocative of the story's other planets. Stage lighting was directed by Todd Hunt.

Jensen said the best part of the production for her has been working with the seasoned cast, and she mentioned that the original music composed by Bob Banghart and Patrick Murphy makes the piece extra special.

Jensen and Elmore hope audiences will come away from the performance realizing that the story is alive and just as relevant as it was 65 years ago, and that they will ask themselves essential questions.

"I want this to be the audience's journey," Jensen said.

TAKIN' A STROLL DOWN Soul Street

Hip-hop troupe uses eclectic music, humor and power moves to entertain

By Courtney Nelson | For the Juneau Empire

Hip-hop dancing to Beethoven? This Saturday night, the innovative Soul Street dancers will make that combination seem natural.

The dance troupe from Houston, will be in town to perform its energetic hip-hop and break dancing on Saturday, Nov. 22, at the Juneau-Douglas High School auditorium.

Pairing hip-hop with seemingly opposing music such as classical makes their style of dance unique, said co-founder Javier Garcia, adding that their performances are enjoyed by people of all ages.

"We use our crazy movements - breakin' and hip-hop, spinning on our hands and heads - and we do it to all types of music, ranging from past schools to old-school funk, breakin' to classical music, Earth Wind and Fire, Nat King Cole. And we are funny as well," Garcia said in a phone interview from his Texas home.

Soul Street is a new company, but the dancers have performed together for more than 10 years with the Fly Dance Company, which recently dissolved because owner Kathy Wood wanted to retire.

"She wanted to retire and the dancers wanted to keep dancing," Garcia said.

They decided to start a new dance troupe and needed a name. One night, as they were standing on a street in downtown Houston before a dance show looking at street signs, they realized that what they do is street dance from their souls, thus Soul Street was born.

Dancers Jesse "Germ" Garcia and Chris Cortez are now under the artistic direction of co-founders and fellow dancers Rock Williams and Javier Garcia. Williams specializes in "poppin' n' lockin'," Jesse Garcia is known for being musically moved, and Cortez is known for his power moves.

An article in the July 2004 issue of Dance Magazine described a performance by the Fly Dance Company: "Fly's concerts are a swift-moving mix of teamwork and solos. ... They build formations that require incredible strength and feed off each other's high energy."

The group's talents allow them to travel the world and dance together. In addition to touring, they dance for the Houston Rockets and take part in community outreach programs.

"I love it. What's better than getting paid to do what I love: travel the world with my friends," the 26-year-old Garcia said.

Of all the places he's traveled, Garcia said Alaska is his favorite. Three years ago, the dancers performed all over Alaska's Interior for a month.

"Alaska is different because of the big beautiful mountains, water, trees and northern lights, and it's an amazing place to see. The people show a lot of love. ... We showed each other our cultures; it was a beautiful thing. There was love everywhere we went."

The dancers will perform this weekend in Juneau, and then they will be back in January to tour the whole state for four weeks.

Garcia took up dancing at 15, after being influenced by friends who were dancers. He learned from them and over the next nine years layered these teachings with his own original moves and tricks, ultimately developing his own aggressive and progressive style. He has since performed with many hip-hop groups, including The Roots.

The dancers are self-taught, but supplement their dance with martial arts and gymnastics training. They aren't strictly opposed to taking more classical dance classes, but Garcia believes it would take away some of the rawness of their dance and risk making them more like everybody else.

Garcia said he is living his dream right now.

"I just want to continue doing concerts and tours and doing our one-of-a-kind outreach programs across the nation," he said.

The dancers relate to many of the same problems, he said, which makes Soul Street very effective at inspiring people considered "at risk," as these dancers once were.

"Some of us were brought up in pretty rough neighborhoods and have identity problems as well, so we use what we went through, and we show the kids if we can make it where we are now, then you can do the same thing."

In some of the programs, the dancers exhibit how the human body accomplishes amazing feats through a network of bones, joints, muscles and the brain. The dancers use props and high-energy dance pieces to show how signals from the brain tell muscles to react to control our bodies.

But Garcia says the main thing they want their dances to do is entertain.

"We just want people to laugh and have fun at the same time while enjoying an athletic dance form to all types of music. We don't get too deep with our material, we just want people to have fun. Laughing is good for the soul."

• Courtney Nelson can be reached at nelsonfamily@acsalaska.net.

'The Beast' was unleashed at Roughhouse Friday

Klawock's Roberts, weighing in at 300 pounds, wins second career fight against Feleti 'The Islander' Maka to stay perfect

By Courtney Nelson | For the JUNEAU EMPIRE

Eight tough bouts were fought at Marlintini's Lounge at Roughhouse Friday, with plenty of upsets and knock outs. Feleti "The Islander" Maka called in his Samoan dancers before his bout but it wasn't enough to stop James "The Beast" Roberts Jr. of Klawock in one of the best fights of the night. Roberts, weighing in at 300 pounds, won his second career fight to keep his record undefeated by following direction from his corner man.

"He told me to get Maka in a corner and tire him out so that's what I did" said the soft spoken boxer as his grandmother put a jacket around him so he wouldn't get a chill. Roberts, who seemed unphased by the hard shots Maka delivered, got his nickname "the Beast" from pinning the most guys in high school wrestling. When asked about his current training Roberts said, "I punched a punching bag but I ripped it open so I couldn't use it anymore."

Even though the Beast got the best of Alaska Airlines employee Maka, his three male relatives doing a traditional Samoa Haka dance to bring him in were a hit with the crowd.

Anthony Manacio, 26, defeated the 2007 lightweight division Southeast Showdown champion, and formerly undefeated Aaron "Red Baron" Tucker, 19, in an exciting bout that left Tucker shaking his head in disbelief. The fight was even after the first two rounds with Manacio, a former amateur boxer, pumped up and swinging his Popeye arms at the quick Tucker landing a hard right. Tucker tagged Manacio hard in round three and he answered with a left hook that dazed Tucker and ultimately earned Manacio the win.

The main event featured a rematch with a surprising win by 50-year-old Taku Fisheries employee Nestor Manuel Pinango against the much younger 20-year-old Norman "Thunderpunch" Flood III. Pinango had several falls and three standing-eight-counts by the middle of round two when the dominant Flood unexpectedly offered his chin to Pinango. Pinango accepted the invitation delivering about 20 hard shots directly to Flood's face to end the fight.

Al "Mean Machine" Valentine, 48, defeated "Crown" Royal Hudson, 18, via TKO 48 seconds into round three in another exciting bout. Valentine talked about his strategy before the fight saying he was going to try and take the control away from Hudson early. "He's going to come straight at me like he did last time and I'm just going to trade punches with him right off the bat and try and slow him down because he's real strong and I don't want him to accidentally feel like he's in control," he said. "I'm going to look for an opening and make him go backwards; whoever makes the other go backwards is probably going to win," said the experienced boxer. Valentine knocked Hudson down in the first round with a right upper cut and knocked him down again with a roundhouse left near the end of the third round. Hudson popped back up both times but retired after the second knock down.

Brian Lauth, 18, defeated the U.S. Air Force's Ryan "Team Swagger" Carrillo, 23, in a close bout pairing height against might. The tall Lauth had a considerable reach on the adrenaline-filled Carillo who was shorter and quick. Carillo's corner yelled "hit that body baby, hit that body" as Carillo attacked Lauth's middle with powerful punches in between quick upper cuts to the jaw. Carillo took round two with his quickness and landed head blows so it was anybody's fight going into the third round. Lauth and Carrillo traded blows but Lauth won by close decision and the audience booed their disapproval.

First-time-fighter Fred Grant Jr., 26, of Metlakatla jumped into boxing with both feet by fighting twice in one night, defeating fellow first-time-fighter Will "Diddy" Kinser of Arizona and then losing his bout to 22-year-old Cameron Mitchell. In the first bout Grant dominated from the bell getting Kinser in a corner and pummeling him until Kinser was delivered a standing-eight count. Kinser came back strong landing some head blows and dodging most punches. Round two Kinser found an opening and tagged Grant with a right hook that dazed him. Round three both boxers tired then Grant landed a huge right delivering a second standing-eight count to Kinser to earn the win.

Grant went on to fight the fast Cameron Mitchell who got the win by delivering multiple upward jabs with his weight forward. He sealed the win when he got Grant against the ropes after tagging him with repeated headshots in round three.

Archie Hunt defeated first-time-fighter James "Old #7" Lewis who had only sparred with his dad in the yard before. "It was a really different experience, being in the spotlight," said Lewis who wants to fight again.

The next roughhouse boxing will be On Dec. 12.

"Grease" is the word

By Courtney Nelson | For the Juneau Empire

Singing, dancing, a large cast, live music, vibrant costumes and professional coaches make for a theater production as well-oiled as "Greased Lightning."

Juneau audiences will have a chance to see these elements in action this weekend, when Northern Lights Junior Theatre presents the musical "Grease" in three shows at the Juneau Arts & Culture Center.

When co-producers Cinnamon Simpson and J. Althea picked the play for their fall performance, it was partly due to peer pressure. Althea and Simpson wanted a musical with a meaty topic that related to things children experience today. Peer pressure hasn't changed much since 1959, the year "Grease" is set, so the message holds up; children today still belong to different groups with stereotypes attached. In "Grease" there are the Pink Ladies and greasers, cheerleaders and honor roll kids, but Althea points out that the musical breaks those stereotypes by showing the same behavior on both sides.

"The honor-roll kids, which are the goody-two-shoe types, aren't really all that nice and can say mean things, like the character Patty Simcox," Althea said. "Rizzo turns out to be nice in the end and even offers to buy everyone ice cream." Though the greasers steal hubcaps, some express doubt about stealing.

"It's about social politics," Althea said, adding that the play "shows opposite ends of the spectrum and we see good and bad in both groups so who is to judge who?"

With 37 child actors in grades three through 12, the cast is the largest group the theater has ever had. Working with large groups of children can be chaotic, but Simpson and Althea have effective techniques to calm people down. During the dress rehearsal, lead characters Sandy Olsson, played by Aria Moore, and Danny Zuko, played by Jahbril Cook, were practicing the drive-in scene and, to everyone's amusement, one cast member's pants fell down. Althea counted down from 20 until everyone was focused again.

Alyssa Fischer, who plays Rizzo, the "bad" girl of the school, said she has really enjoyed the experience of working with Simpson and Althea.

"They are a yin and yang combination that balance each other out in a very good way" Fischer said.

Fischer said she had always been very shy but working with the directors helped her get past it.

"It gave me confidence to step out of my comfort zone and realize that I could sing and act."

Tinaya Harris, who plays Kenickie, Rizzo's boyfriend, had an added challenge of playing the opposite gender.

"I really enjoyed stepping out of myself for awhile," Harris said, and "being more guyish."

Aaron Abella, a big fan of both Althea, his first acting coach, and Simpson, said he has been challenged by multiple costume changes in playing Vince Fontaine, Teen Angel and three other roles. He said he dreams of performing on Broadway someday.

Moore, who makes her lead debut playing Sandy, also has fast costume changes and has loved the musical experience, saying she was reunited with old friends and met new ones.

Simpson met Althea when she began taking piano lessons from Althea 20 years ago and the duo have worked together many times since. "Grease" is Simpson's first co-director role and Althea's swan song for Juneau theater. Althea now works in children's theater in California and loves working with kids.

"I love seeing their growth and giving them something meaningful to do in their youth. The great job the kids did stacked up and even exceeded the plays I have worked on down south," Althea said of the Juneau performers.

Simpson said one of the greatest challenges she faced was recreating the look and feel of 1959. She said since she and the children weren't around then, it was difficult for them to imagine what life was like. The costumes, designed by Shelly Wright and then brought to life with the help of dedicated parents, helped to create an authentic '50s feeling.

Stage manager and acting coach intern Sarah Everett, a student at University of Alaska Southeast, said she has enjoyed the experience of working with the kids.

"They are a wonderful group of children to work with," she said.

Everett said she didn't see the original movie because her parents didn't approve of the adult content. Althea and Simpson dealt with the adult material by using a children's version of the musical, but still had to cut additional inappropriate content.

Opening night will be on Halloween, and people who come dressed in '50s attire could get a door prize.

• Courtney Nelson can be reached at nelsonfamily@acsalaska.net

Boozer Interview

My husband just interviewed Carlos Boozer in Utah. Check out what he says - Boozer interview.

Roughhouse Friday

Roughhouse kicks off 2008 season
By Courtney Nelson
For the Juneau Empire
Marlintini’s Lounge kicked off the 2008 Roughhouse Boxing season with six tough bouts. The main event was the quickest fight of the night with Bullwinkle employee Aaron “Red Baron” Tucker, 18, knocking out his friend Charles Paul Bagoyo, 21, forty seconds into round one. Tucker, the 2007 Southeast Showdown Champion, dominated Bagoyo by aggressively chasing him around the ring until he landed a hard right to the head that dropped Bagoyo to the mat. Tucker said his strategy going in was to “work on his gut, then make some power shots to the head.”
A bout with a thirty-year age gap featured Norman “Thunder Punch” Flood III, 20, defeating first-time-fighter Nestor Manuel Pinango, 50, via split decision. Flood had fists of fire early in the bout and dropped Nestor at the bell. Nestor, a Taku Fisheries employee, landed a hard left to Flood’s nose in round two. Flood looked tired in round three and Nestor was just getting warmed up landing three hard jabs to Flood’s middle then a huge right to his head but it was too late.
In the only MMA fight of the night, Roger “Barcode” Booth IV, a “Slaveway” employee fighting for the “almighty dollar” defeated Alaskan Brewing Company employee James Stern via TKO tap out 58 seconds into round two. Booth and Stern, both fighting MMA for the first time, came out swinging spending most of round one on their feet trading hard head shots. Booth Stern, bloodied and tired, tapped out after Booth had him in a head lock on the floor.
First-time-fighter Michelle Macasact, 23, of Ketchikan took a break from cocktailing at Marlintinis Lounge to defeat thirty-seven-year-old Angela “Grim” Anasogak, 6-2-0, by dominating Anasogak every round while wearing a mini skirt. Macasact, a stand-in for a last minute fight scratch, seemed seasoned and more energetic than the experienced Anasogak, going in with quick, clean shots to the head and then keeping her hands up in defense. Macasact said in a post fight interview that she wasn’t sure if she would fight again.
Twenty-two-year-old college student Cameron “El Moostache” Mitchell, 151 lb., defeated twenty-three-year-old Nathan Schroeder, 155 lb., via unanimous decision in a fight that went the distance. Mitchell came out strong, delivering multiple hard left jabs to Schroeder’s head in round one, then Mitchell tired in round two after Schroeder exploded from the bell with renewed energy. Mitchell ended the round with a hard left right combo to Schroeder’s head at the bell. Round three, both boxers tired but Mitchell hung on for the win.
James Roberts Jr. of Klawock defeated Walter “Showstopper” Brown in a close heavyweight bout that went the full three rounds. Roberts, whose strategy was to “go all out and knock him out,” delivered Brown two standing-eight-counts in round one but was sucking air in round two. Brown came alive landing multiple shots in round three but the blows seemed to wake Roberts and he battled back to hang on for the win.
The next fights will be held October 17th. Anyone interested in fighting can contact Bob Haag at (907)240-2530.

Bear trouble

There's an old Arabic saying, "never invite a bear to your garden."

When this bear came in to our garden to eat our raspberries, he stayed for over two hours roaming from front to back and then staring me down through the glass. He is so cute, but next summer, if he doesn't get shot first, he will come back quite a bit bigger and very comfortable and familiar with our garden. Ah, the unique things we deal with when living in Alaska.

Stay tuned

A new evolution of writings will come soon....

Fight or flight? Just stick it out

Is it me, or is panic running wild through the streets of Juneau? It seems like every other friend is loading a barge for other parts. There's no question these are strange and unsettling times, and almost sure to get stranger. I can certainly understand friends wanting to be closer to their families. Circling up to share the work, share the expenses, and reduce travel costs. But many people have told me they are leaving because they are worried about the price of fuel. And the avalanche certainly messed with everyone's sense of security.

But before you jump ship in a panic, ask yourself, where are you going that's better? California is on fire and it's only the first week of July. The midsection of the country was battling floods while tornadoes blew through Washington, D.C. Right now, Hurricane Bertha is headed for the East Coast. People in other regions have a lot of uncertainty hanging over their heads. Add to it the one certainty we all have, that fuel is going to go up, and it doesn't sound like the grass is any greener.

Every time I talk to one of my friends in other parts of the country, they say the same thing: "But you don't have to commute!" I know, we all gripe about the "long commute" from the valley to downtown, but for most of the country that is not a commute. And most people here haven't even begun to think about taking the bus or carpooling.

I know we live in a rain forest, that we don't have the option of solar anything in the winter, that it will snow. But our environment is still relatively stable. When you're planning, it's nice to have some things you can count on, even if it's that it's going to get very, very cold. So will it be fight or flight? I vote for fight.

Other things you can count on if you choose to stay and fight are: F ... Fresh air and fish. I ... Interconnection with friends near and far, thanks to technology, and connection to our neighbors. G ... A genuine life, polar fleece and Xtra-tufs work fine. ★ ... Help and heart through happiness and hardship. T ... Short travel times. Trees to fuel your wood burner.

When it comes to fight or flight, we've already shown the world that we can fight. Our 30 percent reduction in energy is, literally, the talk of the planet.

We know Alaskans are different. So you singles especially, stay and fight. Find someone who is resourceful and self-reliant to ride out this storm. What better attributes are there to have in a mate?

Of monks and men: Coffin combines boxing and Buddhism
By Courtney Nelson | For the Juneau Empire

Jaed Coffin is as complex as his dichotomous life. Not only was the 28-year-old a Southeast Alaska middleweight boxing champion in 2004, he's also an ordained Buddhist monk.

A boxing Buddha, if you will.

Coffin, who was The Island Institute of Sitka's April writer-in-residence, also authored a book about his time in a Thai monastery called "A Chant to Soothe Wild Elephants" released by De Capo Press.

Coffin left his hometown in Maine at 21 and returned to his mother's native village of Panomsarakram in Thailand to connect with his cultural origins and bring him closer to the spiritual foundations of his family and their village. He became ordained as a Buddhist monk while there to fulfill a familial obligation, as almost every man in his family had done, and to earn good karma for his family.

Coffin left the monastery and returned to the United States.

After a time of wanderlust which found him running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, backpacking through Mexico and traveling around the Lower 48, he eventually ended up in Alaska after kayaking solo from the San Juan Islands to Sitka.

"(It was a) spontaneous decision to buy a sea kayak and solo kayak from the San Juan Islands up to Sitka," he said. "When I got to Sitka I didn't have any plans to stay but a contact of mine suggested I get a job at the Native education program. I applied for the job, got it that day, then had a life in Sitka for a little while."

In addition to teaching, Coffin began boxing in Sitka. He trained with Victor Littlefield, who taught him "boxing is controlled aggression and the imposing of your will over someone else's."

This philosophy contradicted the Theravada Buddhist tradition he learned in Thailand where anything seen as a lack of self control "is considered antithetical to the monastic practice."

However Coffin, who fought as an amateur in the Lower 48, said he never felt out of control inside the ring.

"I don't think I've ever lost control in the ring," he said. "My first several fights at Roughhouse (at Marlintini's Lounge), you don't know what you're doing, so you dive forward and plunge forward and that's what most of those fights are like, you know, brawls.

"But I think the thing you learn as a boxer is just to keep control always, and that's what wins fights. Stay disciplined."

Coffin combined the opposing forces of stillness and action as well as Thai and American cultures which deepened his experiences.

Coffin has a deep commitment to the Buddhist tradition his mother brought him up in, but he left the monastery because he was more inclined to be a boxer than a monk.

"One very strong part of my personality is a desire to do things and try things which doesn't happen when you are a monk ... you have to stay put and sit still."

His experience in Thailand taught him discipline. Because he learned how to be still and meditate, Coffin believes it made him a better boxer.

"The notion of meditation when you fight is very important because boxers that have a lot of passion when they fight will tire themselves out and you have to really learn to be calm in moments of a lot of aggression, which is a unique combination."

Coffin retired from the ring due to a neck injury in 2007 after winning several amateur championships, including the 2006 Northern New England Golden Gloves title. Coffin suffered the injury while sparring in Maine.

He said the injury just made him sure he is supposed to be a writer.

Coffin wrote an article about Roughhouse boxing when he got back to Maine for his hometown paper, but he didn't consider it to be a book idea until his agent pushed him to think about his next project.

Coffin wrote 70 pages of a memoir, but admits his boxing book has taken a different turn since coming to Sitka.

"The fellowship with The Island Institute has changed everything for me because now I'm here and it breaks that bubble of imagination," he said. "When you are away you can think, wow, this is the world I imagined, but now that I'm here everything seems more visceral and more real and I went to the fights on (April 11) and that makes everything more present in my imagination. It complicates things but it will be a better book."

He's also writing an article on Southeast Alaska boxing for the New York Times new sports magazine, Play.

I can't read your mind! Or can I?

There are few things more irritating in a relationship than having your mate pout, "You should have known!" First they don't care where you eat, then when their chimichanga arrives, you should have known they wanted chow mein.

Experts say there is no room for mind reading in a relationship. Maybe not, but every car salesman or Casanova will tell you it's the nonverbal communication that seals the deal.

It doesn't take a crystal ball; the messages are always being sent. You just have to pay attention to body language to hear them. It will open up a whole new level of communication and give you an edge in the competitive world of dating.

Birds preen, so do we. If you see someone across the room tossing their head or brushing their fingers through their hair, they are preening for you. You'll know it's for you, because it will be accompanied by looks that linger a little long.

Preening might be followed by displaying. Men and women both thrust, wiggle and shimmy to draw attention to key body parts. Women show off all their territory, while men tend to suck in their guts, spread their legs, and focus on lower torso displays. Women are big on licking their lips.

Next comes contact. Is the handshake a two-finger-wimpy or a bone crusher? Clammy or dry? If it's a hug, is it cuddly, or stiff with back pounding like they expect you to cough up a furball?

We'll assume the initial contact got them to level two, or at least wasn't a complete turnoff, and now you're talking. Is he or she standing a little close, square on you, blocking out competition? Accidentally brushing you? Imitating your gestures or language and holding eye contact? Are those lips being licked? All signs of positive engagement. Nice. And flattering.

But is it real? I hate to inject a buzz kill, but while birds might not practice deceit in their mating dance, humans do.

We play some pretty dumb games - think chimichanga vs. chow mein. So listening to yourself is just as important as listening to them.

Pay attention to your gut, it has a savvy mind of it's own. You always want their smile to go all the way to their eyes. Half smiles, or twitches and ticks, should put you on high alert for deceit. Beads of sweat? Generally not a good sign. Nor are wandering eyes, answering their cell phone, or texting while you're talking. Knot in your stomach? Message delivered.

Now is the time to save yourself and your friends a lot of pain by sending a signal of your own. Fold your wings snugly across your lovely torso and break eye contact.

Then fly around and check out a different flock.

Learn to wait for the right moment

"I love the idea of 'the one,' but I actually believe that there isn't a Miss Right. There are 12,000 Miss Rights out there and it's all timing." - Matthew Perry.

Are there 12,000 in Juneau? Highly unlikely. But timing has been on my mind, because it's the spring equinox; it is one of only two days all year when dark and light find balance. Many people feel that is about on a par with how often their relationship strikes that fine balance. Just like the solstice, people in a relationship have those rare, totally aligned days. The rest of the time they are a little off-kilter but they've still got enough magnetic stick to keep 'em rocketing through space together.

I thought about testing Perry's timing theory, but I wouldn't know how to begin. Nevertheless, I did ask a whole lot of paired-up people when they knew their partner was "the one," and what part timing played in their overall hook-up scenario.

There were more than a few who felt "the one" had gotten away through bad timing. Generally because they moved away either because they got work, or they got deported. Or one of them was in a relationship with someone else.

But even when the timing did work out, it wasn't always a sudden, swept-off-their-feet, timing event. For a few people it took time to get to know each other. Or it took time for their lives to align. A few admitted that the hook-up timing corresponded exactly to the two minutes it took for the little pink lines to appear on the pregnancy test stick. It seems you can hurry commitment, but you can't hurry love.

As with all things love, there are as many stories as there are people in the city. Here is a sampling taken in the children's play area at the Mendenhall Mall. One woman said her future husband was "the one" when he picked her up for their first date piloting his own Cessna. One man provided the pregnancy stick story. Another man said he knew his wife was "the one" the moment he laid eyes on her walking her golden retriever.

One friend was introduced by a mutual friend to the love of her life while at The Viper Room in Los Angeles. At the time she was engaged to someone else, and he was just visiting from Boston with a girlfriend back East. For the next three years they asked the mutual friend about each other. Neither of them committed to someone else. Eventually, timing aligned their lives. She moved to Boston for school, and they were reunited, married and have two children.

My aunt in the California wine country has been dating someone she really likes, but he just left for a three-month Ayurvedic head massage course in India, and can't be reached. Their timing may be off, or it may just be slow. But whether or not he is massaging her head 20 years from now - only time will tell.

Happy spring!

What's your deal?

Like a high-stakes game of strip poker, people can reveal their cards slowly in the world of online dating. You can show your best cards first, while keeping some in the hole.

I have a friend who tried Matchmaker.com. I'll call her "Pink." Pink is a very attractive girl, so she laid down the Queen of Hearts. She posted pictures of herself doing guy-bait things such as fishing in a bikini and hiking in short shorts. For the intellectuals, she revealed her master's degree card.

Her mailbox filled up the first day, and after that she was always on a date - breakfast, lunch and dinner. Every time I talked to her, she was meeting a prospect for a drink. She met chiropractors, cancer survivors, certified public accountants, actors and architects.

On one date, she played her Red Bull and Absolute card. She got so inspired by a live dance performance, she dive-rolled onto the stage to join in. She scared off her date, but she convinced me to join Matchmaker.com for a free 30-day trial period.

When I joined the game, I anted up at my favorite sushi bar three times.

Card deal No. 1 was a 6-foot-5-inch Gap executive wearing a blue suit. He'd played the successful-and-stable card and bored me with thread-count talk over sashimi. I played my humor card. The sushi chef, like a dealer, watched our first date theater as he sliced our fish and chuckled at my stories. Then S&S card and I strolled the promenade under a lunar eclipse. He seemed like a decent hand, but not a winner. We ran into two of my sassiest friends who toyed with him mercilessly. He ran to his car as my friends heckled him. What a bust.

Deal No. 2 impressed me with a stunning photo, which after meeting him I realized must have taken a makeover team and Photoshop to pull off. I gave him a chance though (I was hungry). My sushi chef, Sinse, rolled his eyes as he heard me laugh at my same stupid stories. Photoshop guy fell apart and folded. His cards were so low, he actually cried about his mother at one point. After a disapproving double-eyebrow lift from Sinse, I got the name of Photoshop's photographer and recommended a good therapist.

Deal No. 3 was an actor who loved to break out into Shakespearean monologues. His voice boomed, which hurt Sinse's ears. I passed on his paint cards and decided to sit this one out.

Luckily, I let my trial Matchmaker.com membership expire and eventually booked a ferry ticket to Juneau. Alaska's capital is so small, chances are you will know the entire history of someone you see online. It's kind of like counting cards. You have a pretty good idea when to draw and when to pass.

But everyone is dealt a different hand, so why not have a single friend party? Everyone can bring a friend they aren't dating and shuffle the cards with no pressure.

And Pink? She went "all in." She's having her third child with her husband, who she met while vacationing in Paris. Now that's a royal flush.

Down the rabbit hole

By Courtney Nelson | Juneau Empire

If you're interested in being in a relationship but haven't had any luck, maybe it's time to take a trip down the rabbit hole. Maybe it's time to forget everything you think you know about love and relationships, and free-fall into the unknown like Alice in Wonderland.

First you'll need someone to lead you down the bunny hole. Find someone you trust. Someone who has what you want. Ask them to give you a few pointers on finding love. Sometimes a gentle but honest assessment from a mentor can push you outside your box.

Here is a case in point:

I went to a birthday party at Shoefly last month for a good friend. It quickly resembled the Mad Hatter's tea party.

I walked in and was handed a beverage. "Drink this," my friend said. Homemade birthday cake followed. "Eat this."

I found myself surrounded by whiskey, wine and wild female hockey players. The doors were closed, the party was private, and we started to try on shoes together.

At first we all gravitated toward practical shoes: brown clogs and rain boots. But then we began to encourage each other to try on more daring shoes. Soon boxes were exploding from the back, shoes with sequins, high-heels, feathers and jewels. Drinks flowed and there was whistling and laughter as we collectively turned into Juneau shoe divas.

How was this possible with icy streets outside? It was so impractical yet felt so good at the same time. The area around the large mirror soon resembled a fun house and a catwalk as we went from frump to fabulous, strutting around in divine design.

The birthday girl found herself a pair of red shoes she wouldn't have picked out on her own, and they went home with her with no hesitation. She wouldn't have bought them on her own, but when she put them on, we told her she had to have them. She walks differently now, with more of a strut.

I have another friend who never dresses up at all. Baggy pants and oversized sweatshirts are her standard wear. One day I approached her in class and pleaded with her to allow me to make her over. She agreed reluctantly, and I got to dress her up like my own Barbie, then took her to a masquerade ball at Jaded.

A masquerade at a masquerade. Red lipstick, a skirt, a sequined black top, her long hair released from its normal ponytail, and a black-feathered mask. Men were swooning the instant she walked in the door. I didn't talk to her all night, but she says she had a great time. She had never seen herself in that light.

So if you've had some love struggles, turn yourself over to a good friend or a smoking caterpillar for direction. See what happens. Try on a different aspect of your persona. See if there's a strut or some swoons lurking in your looking glass.