Monday, December 14, 2009

No Holds Barred

Sheakley wins main event; spectator ends up in the ring throwing leather

Fans at Roughhouse boxing at Marlintini's Lounge were chanting "Hoonah" after the main event, which featured Hoonah's Elijah Sheakley, 31.

He brought his record to 8-2-0 with his win over Brian Lauth, 19, after three 90-second rounds.

Round one was even, then Sheakly poured it on in round two, delivering a huge right to Lauth's head before they both tired. Lauth found strength and finished the round punching out. In round three, Sheakley went after Lauth, who answered by racking up his own points. Sheakley tagged him with some heavy leather and Lauth was delivered a standing eight count.

"It was a good fight," said Lauth, who had the reach.

Sheakley's mom said in a post fight interview that she trained her son to be a fighter since he was little.

Sheakley squeaked the win away from Lauth despite a smoking habit.

"I smoke 20 cigarettes a day," Sheakley said after the bout.

In the semi-main event MMA bout Shaun Guthrie, 28, hailing from Ketchikan, defeated Klawock's Steven Roberts, 19, a student who likes to fight.

Guthrie dominated Roberts when their fight went to the mat. Roberts went for Guthrie's ankle to try and drop him every time. Guthrie countered to get him in a choke hold and ultimately won the bout by tiring him out.

In a heavyweight MMA fight, 222-pound Pat Willis, 20, a Gastineau Humane Society employee looking for fun and Christmas money, got his holiday wish with his win over Hawaii's 189-pound Kenneth Horton, 21, just over a minute into round one. After trading power on the mat, Willis who said he watched a lot of MMA in preparation for the fight, got Horton, a ten-year friend, into a guillotine and it was over.

"It was good to release a lot of pent up anger," said Willis who plans on fighting again.

Sitka's Selina Slack, 26, defeated her cousin, Mary Ferguson, 23, in an unconventional fight. Slack had an opponent back out at the last minute, so Ferguson, there to videotape, offered to fight her.

"I never trained to box but I have a punching bag at my house I work out on," said Ferguson who hung on all three rounds despite being a first-time fighter.

Ferguson threw some heavy leather, but Slack was more seasoned and out-tagged her cousin with body shots.

First-time fighter Ron Skoog, 25, defeated Logan Henkins, 27, in a bout that was called by split decision. Skoog had the reach but Henkins was more seasoned with a record of 2-4-0. Skoog was only in the ring three seconds when he knocked down Henkins, who was delivered a standing eight count.

Henkins fired some rocket punches, but Skoog managed to dodge them until Henkins found a sweet spot and dropped Skoog for a standing eight count. He still managed to grab the win.

Juneau's Michael Friedrichs, 20, defeated New Orleans' Tawn Green, 24, by a split decision. Friedrichs fought barefoot against the stocky Green, and all three rounds were very evenly matched. Friedrichs was quicker but Green ultimately landed more punches.

In another heavyweight MMA fight, Arizona's 220-pound Marques Jackson, 22, defeated 313-pound James "The Beast" Roberts, 24, from Klawock, to stay undefeated at 2-0-0. Roberts said he was going to work out more before attempting MMA again.

"I was barely hanging on," Roberts said about the third round when Jackson had him in a choke hold.

The next fights will be held Jan. 22nd.

Results from Roughhouse boxing at Marlintini's Lounge:

•Ron Skoog defeats Logan Henkins.

•Michael Friedrichs defeats Tawn Green.

•Pat Willis defeats Kenneth Horton.

•Marques Jackson defeats James "The Beast" Roberts.

•Selena Slack defeats Mary Ferguson.

•Shaun Guthrie defeats Steven Roberts.

•Elijah Sheakley defeats Brian Lauth.

•More photos on B8.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Tree tips: Trimming for the over-thinker

Artificial or real? Douglas or Spruce? Store-bought or self-cut? White lights or multi-colored?

Every year the choices grow when it comes to filling your home with holiday cheer. For the environmentally savvy, there now are greener choices you can make for tree decorating, such as LED lights and homemade organic cranberry and popcorn garlands that complete the circle of life when you then throw them on your lawn afterward for the eagles and ravens.

But let's start with the tree.

Artificial or real?

Christmas trees are biodegradable, and while they are growing they decrease carbon dioxide in the air and provide soil and water retention so they're probably more eco-friendly. They also smell good.

Pine scents are refreshing and uplifting, engaging our neglected olfactory glands. Magical memories of scampering out of bed in footed pajamas to see presents under the tree and a half-eaten cookie, can certainly lift one's spirits.

However, if the scent of pine sends you searching for an inhaler or reminds you of holiday family feuds, then artificial might be the way to go. Many fake trees contain lead, so make sure to read the labels. Artificial trees are less expensive, easier to store and mean you won't have to vacuum up pine needles. Just don't let your toddler teethe on the branches.

And some people choose to use a wreath for a pine sent and simply decorate a tree outside.

"I think to avoid house fires, people should decorate a tree in their yard then they won't have to cut one down," said Juneau's Tiffany Rutherford.

Making space

Christmas trees usually force us to do a little rearranging to make room. Moving furniture around, vacuuming in corners and changing things up can be very therapeutic for the psyche. We are making room for a tree, which symbolizes generosity and magic.

Douglas Fir, Pine, Spruce ...

If you go for a fresh tree, the Douglas fir is known for its strong fragrance and needle retention, while spruce tips tend to fall off and others have especially sharp needles. Ask questions before you buy or cut.

But once you pick a tree, it's all about fresh water. Cut off an inch from the bottom right before you bring it inside for maximum water absorption. Add a little sugar to the base, mist the tree periodically and try to place it away from heat sources.

Safety

Toddlers and cats may be small, but they can take a tree down with one yank. To avoid this, make sure to get the right size base and don't move the tree once it has been secured in the stand. Secure the tree discreetly with fishing line or a festive garland attached to a secure object in the room for even more stability.

An inner glow

Put on some festive holiday music to soften the nightmare of untangling your lights from the year before. Now your blank tree canvas is ready to paint with your personality and your story.

The lights should go on first, then the tree topper, followed by garlands and then finally the ornaments.

LED lights are 80 percent more efficient than regular lights, so they are another eco-friendly choice. One hundred lights per foot of tree is ideal, and pick one type and use it for the whole tree.

Zig-zag the lights in and out of the branches to create depth so it will create a glow from the inside out. Have the lights lit so you can track your progress and avoid dark patches. Place the topper first to avoid the ladder scene where someone topples over onto a decorated tree filled with glass balls while placing an angel.

Garlands

Ribbon, tinsel, beads, popcorn, berries or any glittery material adds to the magic of a tree. If you make popcorn garlands, make sure they are stale before you thread them with a needle, and the cranberries should be frozen.

Traditional style says to swag the garland on alternating branches or doubling and tripling them up with different colors. Don't be limited to what has been done before; forge a new Christmas tradition for yourself. I have a friend who made wish lists on a string from magazine cut-outs. Another used Mardi Gras beads for sparkle and fake flowers another year.

Decorating

While decorating your tree, hang heavy ornaments first on inner sturdy branches and then fill in with smaller ones.

Telling family stories about the origins of your handmade ornaments, ones bought on vacation and others with special meanings can be priceless.

Sometimes less is more when it comes to decorating, and the tree comes to life with the spirit of the season.

Juneau resident Kay Redlinger Knapp had such a tree.

"We went up to a cabin one year to ski over Christmas and couldn't imagine lugging a tree along," she said. "But you got to have the pine smell. So we lopped a chunk off a tree and called it our 'Christmas branch,' stuck it in a can and loaded the poor thing with decorations, including lights and a star made of tinfoil. Best tree ever."

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

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Upcoming attractions at the Nickelodeon

Theater adds live music and Saturday matinees to its offerings

The Gold Town Nickelodeon is branching out.

Beginning this month, Juneau's art-house movie theater, under the new ownership of Mark Ridgway, will feature kids cinema treasures and live music. It will continue the evening showings of independent, foreign and documentary newly-released films for which it is known, offering the kids movies as 1 p.m. matinees.

"Kids and adults of all ages are invited," said Colette Costa, who is running the films.

And on Monday, Dec. 7 the Nickelodeon will present its first concert, music duo Lindy and Kris Eli Jones. The couple, who live in Haines, describe their music as acoustic Americana; their all-original music is played on guitar and stand-up bass. Both Joneses are honored to be the first live music act to grace the intimate 70-person occupancy theater.

"Mark Ridgway is really making it into a small venue and we are totally psyched to be the first group to play there," said Kris Jones in a phone interview from Haines. "We're really excited about the direction the theater is going."

Kris Jones came to Juneau about 10 years ago during Folk Festival knowing only one person: Lindy. She showed him around and they eventually started dating and are now married. They have a CD, recorded in one morning after heavy snowfall led to their house collapsing and they needed to raise money for repairs. They sold over 800 copies - and fixed their house.

The duo sing about topics like traveling and being away from loved ones; Kris Jones spent 10 seasons (May through July) as a bird field biologist after graduating from the University of Missoula. His jobs with the Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service required him to go to remote places like west Montana and the deserts of west Texas and count how many different bird songs he could hear. Working in what he called "wide open spaces" gave him solitude and the chance to reflect, which ultimately led to his own song writing.

"I worked in the middle of nowhere and the solitude helped things become clear. I call it dirt-road music," said Jones.

After their concert at the Nickelodeon, the couple is heading to the hill county outside Austin, Texas. Kris Jones said he's looking forward to hanging out with and being inspired by the many songwriters who gather in Texas dance halls and honky tonks.

The Jones' concert begins at 6:30 p.m Monday and will go for about two hours. Admission is $10.

Over the weekend and throughout the month the theater will be showing kids Christmas specials for viewers of all ages. The Friday midnight movie is a double Christmas feature of "A Charlie Brown Christmas", and "Scrooged." Saturday's matinees will be a double header of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" followed by "The Muppet Christmas Carol." The following Saturday, Dec. 12, they will have a showing of "A Year Without Santa Claus" and "Rudolph."

Saturday, Dec. 19, they will run "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," and "A Christmas Story." Slated for the weekend after Christmas is "Miracle on 34th Street," and "Frosty the Snowman."

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Raise the Roofer

Solomon stuns heavyweight champ

A heavyweight champion was defeated and boxers released aggression by fighting it out in Friday the 13th Roughhouse Boxing action at Marlintini's Lounge.

In the main event, Jesse "The Roofer" Solomon, 27, upset the 2008 Southeast Showdown Heavyweight Champion Toni Talamai, 24, after three 90-second rounds that wore down the former champ. Talamai used his brute force to take the first round, and Solomon was issued a standing eight count by referee Joe Isturis after a fall that Solomon says was a slip. Round two went to Solomon, who was lighter on his feet and had more endurance to bounce around the ring and tag Talamai, who was gassed. Talamai had little left for the third round, which allowed Solomon to get him into the corner and deliver repeated head shots as Talamai's corner yelled, "Toni you've got to throw."

Klawock's Steven Roberts, 19, quickly defeated first-time fighter Don Sapinoso, 35, New York, N.Y., in an MMA bout that was over 37 seconds after it began. Roberts exploded from the bell, attacking Sapinoso, who dislocated his ankle earlier. Roberts got Sapinoso on the ground, then flipped him backward in an arm-triangle choke. Sapinoso tapped when he was pinned and choked by Roberts. Sapinoso, despite losing, said it was an awesome first time and called the fight his aggression therapy. He explained that instead of taking out his aggressions and going to jail, he can release them in the ring.

Juneau's 169-pound Thomas McDonald, 29, defeated Juneau's 252-pound Dillon West, 21, by forcing West to tap out 38 seconds into round one.

"I broke his thumb and overwhelmed him," said McDonald, now 2-0-0, who said he used the "rear naked choke" to take down West, who was up a couple of weight classes. "He was really heavy," said McDonald, who said he likes to fight for the adrenaline rush and to release trapped aggression.

U.S. Coast Guard heavyweight John Wendelschaefer, 30, weighing 220 pounds and hailing from Georgia, defeated a fellow Coast Guard co-worker, 238-pound Marcos Andujar, 40, of Puerto Rico, in an adrenaline-filled "newbie" match. Wendelschaefer attributed his win to his cardio endurance from working out at Pavitt Health & Fitness and learning Muay Thai. He said Andujar was tough and vowed to never underestimate his opponents.

"He hit me with some good shots," said Wendelschaefer, who went looking for a bout at Marlintini's to test himself. He was paired with Andujar because they were both first-time fighters. They traded heavy blows in the first two rounds, but Andujar couldn't keep the adrenaline running, saying after the fight with a shrug, "I ran out of gas."

In another MMA fight, Mike Jepson, 22, a student from Ketchikan, defeated 21-year-old Sean Prebeg, a Breeze-In employee, in a bout that went the distance. Prebeg was aggressive in round one, pinning Jepson's arms to prevent punches while lying on this back. Round two was even with both fighters trading some hard shots. Jepson grabbed more points by tagging in round three to earn the decision.

Heavyweight, 318-pound James "The Beast" Roberts, 24, defeated first-time fighter, 272-pound Donald Williams Jr., 27, in a fight Roberts dominated from the bell. Roberts threw some hard shots, issuing a standing eight count to Williams, who stayed tough through round one. Early in round two, Roberts tagged Williams with a hard right, heavy-leather hook that sent the first-time fighter to the mat, where he retired.

Tyler Papasodora, 19, 146 pounds, grabbed his first win by defeating first-time fighter, 129-pound James Willson, 22, in a lopsided bout. Papasodora clearly dominated the first round, delivering Willson a standing eight count before he could even throw a punch. Referee Joe Isturis called the fight in round two.

The next Roughhouse Friday will be Dec. 11 with an awaited Selena Slack bout on the card.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

'Little Shop of Horrors' opens at Juneau Douglas High School

Musical production not to be confused with "Rocky Horror Picture Show"

In time for Halloween, the Juneau Douglas High School drama department - headed by Michaela Moore, Richard Moore and Lucas Hoiland - will present the musical, "Little Shop of Horrors." Originally a 1960's film, the production was made into a musical in the early '80's, then into a not-so-successful film remake in 1986.

"'Little Shop' is a fun musical with lots of entertaining, witty music and humor," Moore said. " We knew that these students would get a kick out of doing this show."

Moore said many have confused "Little Shop of Horrors" with the racier cult classic "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," and expressed concern about inappropriate content. Both are vintage-type horror movies so it's easy to see the mix-up.

"Please do not throw food at or shout at the performers," Moore joked. "This isn't 'the Rocky Horror Picture Show.'"

Moore says there is some adult content in the script but believes it to be a suitable family show.

"The musical and the movie have different endings," she said. "Even though the play is about a man-eating plant, and she does eat four people during the course of the play, it is always done without blood, and it's tongue in cheek, which fits the style of the play extremely well. Plus, you can't help but like the plant, even though you know that it is trying to take over Seymour, the shop, and then the world."

"Little Shop of Horrors," set on skid row, is about a clumsy flower assistant named Seymour, played by freshman Aaron Abella, who cross-breeds a butterwort and Venus Flytrap cultivating a blood-thirsty plant. His love of the plant, named Audrey 2 after the girl he has a crush on, drives him to kill humans to feed it and keep it alive.

Director Moore believes Audrey 2 to be a symbol of the unbridled greed that accompanies the great American dream and the high price we are willing to pay.

"It is a cost that effects many innocent as well as guilty people," she said. "This play makes us stop and think about our lives and how we are living them."

Abella said he was very nervous during the auditions for the role of Seymour, but Moore, who said Abella is a standout when he gets on stage, said she couldn't tell. Moore said Abella is not only very talented, he's also a great kid who listens to what everyone has to say. Moore added that Abella makes Seymour likeable, which is key to the role.

Seymour's Audrey 2 was created by Roblin Gray Davis from Perseverance Theatre, who pitched in at the last minute when a vendor refused to ship to Alaska. Davis designed all four puppets needed to play the progressively growing Audrey 2.

"He is a creative wonder with putting these monsters together," Moore said.

Once the puppets were created, Emily Smith and Jasmin Evans worked together to make the plant come alive. Smith plays the puppet voice of Audrey 2 and Evans is the puppeteer. Normally the voice is played by a male voice but they thought Smith was perfect for the part.

"We thought that it (a female voice) brought a whole new level to the internal battle that Seymour wages within himself," Moore said. "It lends a level of jealously between the plant and Audrey that isn't there when the plant is the voice of a man. Smith and Evans are so well in tune that if Emily says anything over the microphone Jasmin moves the puppet's mouth and body as if she (the plant) is talking."

Another successful team was Shanae'a Moore and Zoey Wilson, both former Juneau Dance Unlimited dance students who stepped up to create the choreography for the Doo Wap girls. The girls developed a taste for choreography when they were asked to work with cast from "Jekyll and Hyde" last season; both girls were injured, at separate times, and choreographing gave them a way to still be involved with dance.

Moore and Wilson said they couldn't believe how well they worked together and how much fun they had doing choreography.

"The Doo Wap girls bring the show to a psychedelic groove," she said. "They are the modern embodiment of a Greek Chorus and sing and dance in sort of the style of Diana Ross and the Pips."

Senior Callie Cummins plays her first lead role at JDHS as Audrey. Moore said she was proud of Cummins, who made the commitment to be in the play before she was given the lead role because she really wanted to be involved.

Lucas Hoiland designed the set that captures the skid row look where the Little Shop of Horrors is located.

"This is the biggest and most detailed set Hoiland has designed for one of our shows," Moore said. "Some students came in over the summer to paint all the individual bricks."

Unable to find a pianist for the play, musical director Richard Moore had to reluctantly replace the orchestra with a musical soundtrack and a digi machine, which his wife Michaela controls from the booth.

That wasn't the only obstacle for this production: Sickness, a shorter production time and longer rehearsal schedules were some of the other challenges facing the crew but Moore says great teamwork helped them reach their goals.

Moore hopes the production will inspire discussion.

"Are we living a fruitless life of materialism, or a life full of love and compassion for our fellow man?" she said. "(In the end) the chorus begs the audience not to feed the plants of greed and materialism and power."

Monday, September 14, 2009

Life after tragedy




Amid swirling speculation in the aftermath of a tragic Dec. 10 shooting, victims' families endured in silence

Chase Schneider didn't know he'd been shot until he was lying on the floor, unable to move. His whole body felt like it was asleep and his blood was on the wall near the kitchen counter where he'd been drinking juice. The shooter was Kevin Michaud, 15 at the time.

"I saw Kevin take the magnum out of his backpack on the way from the school bus to his house and put it in the front of his pants," Chase said, recalling the events of Dec. 10, 2008. There were five boys at the Michaud home the afternoon of the shooting, but only Kevin, 14-year-old Aidan Neary and Chase, then 14, were in the room when the gun went off.

Inside the Michaud home, Chase remembers Aidan, who'd had gun safety training, taking the bullets out of the gun because Kevin was acting irresponsibly and pointing it at people. Chase said Kevin put a single bullet back in the gun and began pointing it at different things again.

"I told him to knock it off, that he was being stupid - moments later the gun fired," Chase said, now 15. The bullet struck the side of Aidan's torso and continued on to strike Chase.

"No, I counted!" Chase remembers Kevin yelling. Hours later, Aidan died.

Dareen Puhlick, Chase's mom, said it was a miracle her son survived.

"Chase was hit in the back, in the spine. He could have died from his injuries or been paralyzed. It is just a miracle that Chase is doing OK. His doctors say it's a miraculous injury," she said.

The bullet itself will remain in Chase's body as a painful reminder.

"The bullet is lodged in his spine, but bullet and bone fragments are very close to the spine that are causing him most of his pain. These fragments are the most dangerous because they are not lodged so they can move around in the body and possibly cut into organs," Puhlick said. "He's on a seizure medication that helps to diffuse the spinal cord nerve from firing."

He's trying to be a normal teen but Puhlick says it has been difficult.

"He's not a typical teenager anymore - he can't do the things he used to do."

Virulent speculation

The police's initial public account said all five boys at the house were "playing a game with a single bullet." Many observers concluded incorrectly that they were playing Russian roulette, which conflicted with Chase's account.

Patrick and Mary Neary, whose son Aidan was killed, knew that as leukemia survivor who underwent years of painful treatments, the idea of Aidan playing a game with his life didn't fit. They found the initial reports distressing, but when Chase returned from a Seattle hospital, he told investigators his account.

"Really the only witnesses in the room were Chase and Kevin because Aidan and Chase were in the ambulance and the other two boys weren't in the room, so when the police came and asked what happened - it came from Kevin. That's what he said. I will never know from Aidan what happened and that's really difficult for me," said Mary Neary. "We knew people had misconceptions about what happened. They made comments to us and we were not really able to talk about it. We of course wanted our son to be remembered honorably."

Juvenile legal proceedings are closed and confidential, so during Michaud's adjudication the families were unable to refute the speculation or clarify the initial police and news reports.

The juvenile justice system doesn't mete out punishment in the traditional sense but deals with treatment and remediation programs. Kevin was ordered to two years in a lockdown juvenile treatment facility, the system's most severe response.

The Michauds declined to comment for this story. Puhlick and the Nearys said the Michauds expressed their regret in person right after the incident, but the families haven't spoken since. Both Puhlick and the Nearys are pursuing civil suits against the Michauds. Their lawyers advised them on what they could and could not legally discuss with the Empire.

Puhlick said the initial report of a "game" also created awkwardness in the community and she felt her son was judged and labeled as a bad kid.

"I wanted to stand up for his rights because he was a victim, not a participant," she said.

Warning signs

In retrospect, the warning signs were there.

After the shooting, Chase said he and Aidan were aware that Kevin had taken loaded guns to school at least twice. Chase spoke with Kevin about how much trouble he could get in.

"Kevin said the guns made him feel safe," Chase said.

The families believe the boys were protecting Kevin by not mentioning the guns.

"None of these boys talked about him having guns; we only heard that he was depressed," Puhlick said.

Chase told his mother that Kevin "would just go on and on about how sad he was, and I didn't know what to do."

"Just listen and be a friend; you don't have to say anything," was her response.

Gunplay was not on the parents' minds.

"I was concerned about a lot of things having to do with teenagers, but for some reason guns hadn't crossed my radar," Mary Neary said. "I thought, like many Alaskan families, there are guns in the house but they are under strict lock and key."

Aidan also had mentioned Kevin's demeanor to his parents.

"Aidan told me earlier that Kevin was depressed, and in my mind I thought, that's too bad, because most teenagers do go through depression at some point - we all know that - it just never occurred to me that there was anything dangerous," Mary Neary said.

Accident vs. mistake

The police reported the incident as an "accidental shooting," which Patrick Neary thinks is a mischaracterization.

"Accidents are unforeseen occurrences with adverse outcomes, and mistakes are choices that are made that have adverse outcomes. People like to dispel their responsibility by labeling things as accidents when in reality, if you look at things that could have been a different choice, we realize that it was a mistake," he said.

The Nearys and Puhlick know this is a tragedy for all the families involved but they try to stay positive. Patrick Neary hopes Kevin won't be "inhibited by a stupid mistake he made in his teens - that he is truly transformed and takes responsibility for his actions. We don't want to minimize the seriousness of what he did, and have it seem in any way that it was a small thing."

Puhlick and the Nearys said they want Kevin to get the help he needs and make something of his life.

"I'm sure they are suffering and they know their son in a way that no one else does, I know they want to protect him and they love him and in a way they've lost him - I feel for them," said Mary Neary. "We don't know what the best possible thing is in the long term, it is what we had hoped for - I hope that it is good for him and his family in the end of this, I know that it is very empty for us."

Lessons

Both Puhlick and the Nearys kept close tabs on their kids, and yet the tragedy raised the question if they could have done more to avert it.

"Listen to your kids and take them seriously with everything - their friends and what is going on in their lives," Puhlick said. "I knew where Chase was going after school. I knew who he was with. We knew the parents; we would go to the house and check to see if they were there."

Mary Neary also kept close tabs on her son.

"We were always checking up with the Michaud family and the status of the boys. I had gone to their house; I had gone there to check on the boys and see what they were up to. When they would spend the night, I would always go over to give him his toothbrush but also to check and make sure the parents were home. Aidan had given us no reason not to give him a little freedom, which was what he really wanted as a young boy. I'm not saying that was a mistake. I'm not sure what we could have done differently."

Patrick Neary said everyone should remember to treat each other well.

"I think it is important for people to treat each other with love and respect at each and every moment because you never know if that will be the last time you see them," he said.

Aidan was a blossoming writer and a musician, his parents said. The day before he died, he and a friend recorded a music track.

"The recording got interrupted because his friend's mom came to pick him up," Patrick Neary recalled. They planned to continue the next day.

• Courtney Nelson is a writer living in Juneau and a five-year friend of Dareen Puhlick.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Princess Farhana a Pleasant surprise

Renowned dancer to put on workshops, perform

Internationally known dancer Princess Farhana will make her first trip to Juneau to perform and teach workshops in belly dance and burlesque this weekend. Some of her moves have never been taught here before, such as her abdominal and fan dance techniques.

Princess Farhana, born Pleasant Gehman, has many talents, but it was her published writing, not her dancing, that first captured the attention of Juneau resident and dance workshop coordinator Shawn Damerval. Damerval picked up a copy of Gehman’s first book of short stories, “Escape from Houdini Mountain,” in a bookstore. Damerval was intrigued.

“The stories were so amazingly outrageous I figured that, despite the ‘fiction’ listing, no one could possibly have made this stuff up,” Damerval said. A few years later, Damerval searched for instructional sword dancing videos and pulled up two of Gehman’s nine instructional videos, “Raks al Sayf” and “Twin Blades,” and introduced herself to Gehman online.

Damerval contacted Gehman again after watching director Steve Balderson’s documentary film starring Gehman called “Underbelly.” They became friends and hatched a plan to bring Gehman to Juneau.

“She tells me about life as a glamorous globetrotting Hollywood babe, and I tell her about what it’s like to live at the foot of a glacier and hike and fly airplanes around the most beautiful place in the world,” Damerval said.

Gehman’s roots were far from Hollywood, but she says they were her early influences.

“I loved ballet dancers, The Rockettes, the Miss America Pageants, and all the 1940s-era Sinbad and Ali Baba movies I saw on television,” Gehman said. She was raised on a Revolutionary War era farm in New York with seven other siblings born to her entertainment writer father, and her ex-Broadway singer and dancer mother. She was supposed to be a boy.

“My name was supposed to be Andrew, but I was a girl and the first thing my father said was, ‘Oh what a pleasant surprise!’ So after about a week, with no decision on a name, and because of my Pennsylvania Dutch heritage they named me Pleasant,” Gehman said. All but one of her siblings are working in the entertainment industry.

After years in the 1980’s-era L.A. punk scene as lead singer of the “Screamin’ Sirens,” and creator of the underground paper “Lobotomy,” from 1977-1981, Gehman became a professional belly dancer in 1991. A chance encounter with a woman who asked her if she was a belly dancer after watching her on a rock club dance floor led to lessons and a passion for the dance. She was recognized as “Oriental Dancer Of The Year 2006” by Zaghareet Magazine, and in 2007 was nominated for “Best Instructor” and “Best Interpretive Artist.”

She added burlesque to her repertoire in 1995, joining the troupe “The Velvet Hammer,” which Gehman described as a traveling circus.

“The Velvet Hammer was not only my sister burlesque dancers, but also a full band, comedians, magicians, puppeteers, aerialists plus all of our costumes and large props — it was nuts. We did some shows where we rented a huge bus and it was just insane — champagne popping, people dancing on top of the seats, practical jokes, yelling and screaming and constant laughing.”

She is currently working on a collection of short stories about her experiences on the road.

“Since my all-girl punk band the 'Screamin’ Sirens,' I have been on the road constantly for thirty years. Believe me, I have some wild stories,” said Gehman, who also judges burlesque competitions such as The Miss Exotic World Pageant.

Pleasant soon layered belly dance with sword balancing.

“All my life, just for fun, I balanced things on my head — stacks of books while running up the stairs — for no reason. The first time I saw a belly dancer performing with a sword, I said, ‘I can do that!’ My husband at the time gave me an antique sword for my birthday, and in the middle of my party, tipsy on margaritas, I put it on my head and danced around for 45 minutes straight, to the amazement of everyone, including myself. After that, there was no turning back,” Gehman said.

She recently coached jazz dancer Tracey Phillips in sword work and belly dance technique and choreographed her sword-dancing scene in “Charlie Wilson's War.”

Living in the ‘underbelly’ of Hollywood wasn’t always glamorous and Gehman struggled with self-esteem issues, but she directed that energy into being an activist for positive body images.

“I think in our society, women are held to a very unrealistic and almost impossible-to-attain commercialized body standard, and the result is that many women do not appreciate their own natural and individual beauty,” Gehman said. “Images that are manipulated through photo-shopping, air-brushing, great lighting and professional hair and make-up teams are an unrealistic standard of perfection, but when we see them, we think we don't “live-up” to that impossible standard, and feel low self-esteem.”

Gehman thinks belly dancing can help.

“Belly dancing looks beautiful on women of all ages, weights, shapes and sizes. One of the things I adore about going to Egypt is that all the women seem so comfortable in their own skin. Actually, in most countries outside of the USA and Western Europe, having curves and little jiggly bits is considered beautiful,” Gehman said.

Gehman recently went to Egypt for the Ahlan Wa Sahlan Festival and had her most memorable dance moment to date.

“I danced in Cairo to a full Arabic band playing Om Kalthoum ... I got chills the moment my music started.”

With the success of “Underbelly”, director Steve Balderson asked Gehman to star in his new upcoming movie “Stuck!,” a tribute to 1950s noir black and white women-in-prison films. “Stuck” will be released in 2010.

Damerval is looking forward to Gehman’s visit, made possible by sponsors.

“After the success of the Dolphina workshops and shows last year, we thought it might be fun to have Plez come up this year. I approached VivaVoom Brrrrlesque in Anchorage about co-sponsoring her trip, and they were very excited at the prospect. Then Noodle of Doum agreed to host her workshops as a sponsored group of JAHC, so everything really started falling into place to make it happen. Everyone I’ve talked to who has taken a workshop with her says she's just fabulous, and I’m really excited to have her come here,” Damerval said.

Her performance will be at 9:30 p.m. Friday at the Rendezvous with Noodle of Doum and Patshiva. Tickets are available at the Rendezvous or Hearthside Books. Her workshops start at 11 a.m. Saturday, running until 7 p.m. Private or small group lessons will be available Sunday at the University of Alaska Recreation Center Dance Studio. These are sponsored by UAS and, while the lessons are open to anyone, UAS students and faculty (with ID) will receive a discounted rate. Registration information (including online registration) and detailed class descriptions at http://www.pierglass.com/noodle/events.html.

Damerval said the classes will be meaty enough for experienced dancers but good for beginners as well.

“We’re also gearing these workshops towards people who are not necessarily experienced dancers but who think it would be fun to try — in fact, one of the reasons behind having a discount for groups of four is we wanted to encourage people to get together and bring their friends to try something new and exciting.”

Monday, June 22, 2009

Hands-in experience

Kids cram a semester's worth of learning into a two-week excursion at Marine Science Camp

Middle schoolers Lynzey Culver and Chelsea Brown emerged from the waters of Bridget Cove with more than a dozen different marine species in their seine. There was a buzz of excitement amidst the buzzing of nearby horseflies, as fellow students waiting at the shore excitedly transferred the sea life into buckets for closer examination.

It was week one of the TAKU Marine Science Summer Camp, and the kids were learning about sea life hands-on. The camp, which packed a semester of learning into a two-week excursion, wrapped up Thursday night with final group presentations at Thunder Mountain High School.

TAKU, an acronym for tradition, accountability, knowledge and understanding, merges marine science with traditional native knowledge to educate high school-aged students. Incoming freshmen can earn a half credit in school by completing the program.

"Learning about sea life and the environment hands-on is great. I've never experienced anything like this before," said Brown, one of the program's 30 participants. "It's better than the classroom because here we remember everything."

Returning camp director Alberta Jones created the program with the help of National Oceanic Atmospheric Association fisheries lab, state Fish & Game, the University of Alaska Southeast and local Alaska Natives. The camp was free to the students, who had to apply. This was the final year of funding for the program, but Jones is hopeful it will continue.

Students practiced field research techniques at local beaches, and then were required to record, analyze and interpret their findings. Among assignments were gathering various types of bivalves to check for paralytic shellfish and red tide poisoning, ocean acidification experiments, animal dissection and beach seining. Participants also toured the new NOAA facility and took a trip on a research vessel.

Students weren't let completely off the hook from traditional learning methods. Each kept a journal, used to answer that day's question. Example: "What is the ecological and cultural significance of eelgrass and seaweed?"

"We give a different essential question every day because it gives them a writing prompt and they have to think hard about it," said Juneau-Douglas High School Special Education teacher Gene Randall. Randall said they picked Bridget cove because of the eelgrass beds, which act as a protective nursery for juvenile marine life, such as Dungeness crab.

"We try to make a real personal connection," said Randall who has mentored all three years of the program. The ratio of students to mentors this year was 4-1.

Camper Ryan Hicks for one appreciated the personal attention.

"They want to connect with us - bond with us - and they let us do activities instead of watching. I used to step on muscles on the beach and pop seaweed, but now I realize they are animals," Hicks said.

First year camper Tyler Meyer found a way to put his video gaming skills to use while aboard the research vessel Stellar. Meyer and two other students guided a camera-laden, four-foot long remote operating vehicle through the water to observe the sea life below. The students watched from a monitor as the ROV cruised along at depths ranging from 20- to 100-feet deep, revealing sea pens, sea whips, crabs and bottom-feeding fish (and the occasional coral reef that needed to be negotiated).

"Operating the ROV was more fun than video games, and I'm learning about what's under the water," Meyer said.

Rhyan Holmes found the seal dissection interesting, and was a bit surprised by what she found: seaweed.

"It was kind of odd because seals don't usually eat seaweed, they eat fish," Holmes said, also pointing out the seal's cultural significance. "First they told us why the seals are so important to the Tlingit's and how they use all the different parts of the seal; they even make jewelry out of the bones."

High School teacher Jonathon Smith considers this year's camp a success.

"I think (the) camp went really well. You can see as the students present their final projects, they are really into it and they are having conversations at amazing levels with scientists," he said. "I had one parent tell me their child learned more in this camp then they did in an entire year. The thing I see as a high school teacher, is these kids come into the school with a greater sense of confidence, which is really important for retention."

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Juneau: Really hard to get to, really hard to leave

Living in a rainforest that averages 220 rainy days per year creates a desire to escape to warm places. Mexico, Hawaii, and Orlando are popular destinations, but many residents can't afford to spend a lot of money on leisure travel. Here are some tips for airline adventure, without breaking the bank.

Alaska Airlines credit card

A must have for any Juneau resident looking for a change of scenery is an Alaska Airlines credit card. The card earns you a free ticket after accumulating 25,000 sky miles. Work the system by funneling all monthly household bills and every possible purchase through this card for maximum miles, and an annual companion fare ticket can be purchased for $50 along with a paid fare. Every year many expire because the airlines rarely mention them, so folks don't know or forget they have a ticket. People can use someone else's companion fare, but the person donating the coupon has to purchase the primary ticket as well.

Being flexible saves cash

Web specials are another cheap way out, but require spontaneity and time constraints. Sign up for the weekly Insider Newsletter from Alaska Airlines, which notifies mileage plan users about hot deals from Juneau. Frequent traveler Juneau's Yumi Arimitsu shared her big tip that also involves being footloose.

"If they are looking for volunteers because they overbooked your flight, run to the ticket counter. Do not think about it just do it - it will always work out in the end. Recently they (Alaska Airlines) started giving $400 vouchers instead of free roundtrips, but it is still worth it. Sometimes I have made it back to Juneau at the same time or just a few hours later by being rerouted, and it saved hundreds of dollars on my next ticket."

In addition to spontaneous travel using web specials, and bumping yourself off flights, being open to different days keeps green in your pocket.

"Being flexible on your dates is another good way to save money because it is cheaper to fly on certain days," said Carrie Baxter Graham of Paradise Beach Tanning & Travel Salon.

Before using a mileage ticket or purchasing one, always check to see the going rate for buying miles. It costs $687.50 to purchase 25,000 miles, which might save money depending on ticket prices.

Make sure and travel light since airlines are starting to charge for checked luggage.

Bait and switch

Once you get to Seattle or another city that offers other airlines, there are a handful of smaller carriers like Virgin America, Jetblue, and Southwest that can get you to cities for under $100 each way. Alaska Air code-shares with several of its partners so always check the routing on their partners' Web site as well because sometimes Delta or Northwest will charge less for the same seats Alaska is charging.

The more the merrier

Vacationing with ten or more friends will get you a discounted rate if all passengers are traveling on the same dates to the same destination said Christy Virgilio-Ciambor, of Simpatico Travel. "For example, if 10 people are renting a house in Hawaii - discounts can sometimes be up to 20 percent off what you see online."

If you are the romantic partner of a frequent work traveler, tag along on their trips where the room and car are already provided.

Virgilio-Ciambor also recommends Vacation Rentals By Owner (VRBO), found at http://www.vrbo.com, which offers rental by owners all over the world. Home Away, www.homeaway.com, insures your rental (under $5000) for free.

Early bird gets the package

Graham thinks packages are the way to go financially. "You can book about a year in advance and packages can include air, hotel, car, transportation to and from the airport, and activity at your destination. People are required to put a deposit down within seven days of booking, which varies with consolidators, but any where from $100.00 to $200.00 per person is about average. Final payment is usually not due until 60-30 days prior to departure." She pointed out that by planning a year in advance people can budget an extra payment in their bills and have the vacation paid for before they leave.

"Packages offered through various wholesalers, and travel agents usually have more-valued added perks and can even offer a better rate on a particular hotel since they contract a year out," said Virgilio-Ciambor.

Making reservations online can also save greenbacks. Travelocity.com, and travel bidding on sites like skyauction.com, priceline.com and hotwire.com, can make things affordable by naming your price. Sign up with a company like airfarewatchdog.com who will alert travelers via email of fare reductions.

Graham believes in travel agents over Internet use however.

"By letting a travel agent do the research for you they can help you find the best deal possible. Booking on the Internet is not always the best deals and you have to pay for your hotel, car, and condo right then and there."

The path less traveled

Shoulder season travel can be a wonderful time for escape. Our family went to Disneyworld in Orlando Florida at the end of April, beginning of May and we had the place to ourselves. Room rates were better, crowds were tolerable and the weather was great.

Pair off-season travel with an unusual destination and expect deals. Take Iceland for example.

"There are some phenomenal introductory fares on Icelandair direct out of Seattle and they are offering special add-on rates with Alaska Air," said Virgilio-Ciambor. "It's an incredible destination and a great springboard to some other European cities, as Icelandair allows free stopovers in Iceland in both directions."

A subscription to Budget Travel for $12 a year contains discounted packages and suggested itineraries. For European destinations, Virgilio-Ciambor suggests checking http://www.karenbrown.com.

"Karen Brown has searched the world for the best B&B's, inns etc and offers a variety of price ranges."There are lots of other ways to travel cheap. For the teen with everything, try a global volunteer vacation where you pick an impoverished country and go build a house or teach English there as a family. Travel green and join the ecotourism movement, or go on a bicycle vacation. For real savings, always stay in a place with a kitchen. And don't forget to use your Alaska Airlines card for the groceries.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Is Facebook replacing face time?

Juneau residents find old and new friends are just a click away

Whether people tend to avoid new technology or embrace it, the online social network Facebook can't be ignored. The world's largest networking Web site is slowly but surely replacing face-to-face interaction, especially in Juneau, where residents often live thousands of miles from family and friends.

With five million new users joining Facebook each week, its user demographic is shifting from college-age students to teenagers, 30-somethings and retired adults. As users become more connected to friends, family and the community through online networking, more people are replacing face time with Facebook.

Many Facebook members say the Web site is addicting. Online networking can create a sensation of time and space collapsing when in the same day a person can connect with their second-grade crush, old employers, high school and college classmates, and professional colleagues.

According to the marketing research company Comscore, the average user is on Facebook 169 minutes each month. Some refer to the program as "crackbook."

Facebook's mission appears benign, claiming the sharing of information intends "to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected." Many Juneau residents, who live in relative isolation from friends and family Outside, have become well-versed in the benefits of Facebook.

Meilani Schijvens, a busy Juneau mom with two small children, said she absolutely loves Facebook. It allows her to use any extra minutes to catch up on people she cares about, Schijvens said.

"It's such an easy way to get in touch with people - no looking for lost e-mail addresses. It's an easy way to share pictures of my growing little kids. I'm in touch with all of my cousins for the first time ever and I'm in touch with people from all the different stages and ages of my life," Schijvens said.

Some people say they've learned much more about their friends' similarities by seeing what others are doing. This sparks new conversations and connections, thus deepening relationships.

But as millions of people flock to the site to reunite, share, learn and reminisce, those who don't join for various reasons often feel left out. Julie Johnson, a self-proclaimed "techno-phobe," is one Juneau resident who hasn't been ensnared in the Web.

Johnson has historically resisted technology. She doesn't have a cell phone, rarely sends e-mails and is resentful of pressure to join Facebook. Call her old-fashioned, she said, but she likes to send and receive meaningful pictures and packages through the U.S. Postal Service and receive life news over a cup of coffee.

Johnson is not alone but is quickly becoming the minority - a fact that frustrates her. She recently went on vacation with family. By the time she returned home, developed her film and was ready to mail her letters, the vacation was old news. Her family had posted their photos on Facebook during their first day back. Friends already were commenting on the great photos of Johnson on her vacation - photos she hadn't seen yet and probably wasn't going to unless she joined Facebook.

If Johnson had joined Facebook, her family could have "tagged" her in the photo, and she would have been notified automatically via e-mail. If people haven't posted anything more embarrassing than had a big hair portrait from the '80s, photo taggings can be fun; for others, they're a source of anxiety.

Gone are the days of tearing up or deleting a bad bathingsuit shot for posterity. "It's fun to have people post old photos. It's like looking through an old photo album with an old friend," said Kristin Cox, adding "and anyone else who is interested can see too."

Schijvens echoed this sentiment, saying she looks forward to seeing older photos. "Good thing for me, I looked better then than I do now."

Another busy mom, Tiffany Smith, said she wasn't afraid of photos because she "doesn't tend to work very hard to hide things that people may find unflattering. I just don't much care. I am who I am."

Others expressed a desire to keep the past in the past. Some people said they came to Juneau from another town where they had a reputation they would like to forget. They didn't want the past haunting them in their new life. Others expressed similar worries about a college concert photo or something similar resurfacing for their children to see.

Some college-age people who have grown up with Facebook are posting images of drinking and partying that might haunt them in the future - such as when a prospective employer is researching them on the Internet, or after they've just won eight gold medals. A good rule of thumb for Facebook: Don't post anything that couldn't be a newspaper headline. That brings up another issue: authenticity.

Some users say Facebook is like being invited to a party where you can only be nice, because you can only "like" a comment someone posts. Some users tend to share too much information, but there are others who tend to reveal very little. Many Juneau users don't want to be Facebook friends with co-workers in order to keep their work and personal lives separate and avoid awkward situations.

Christy Virgilio-Ciambor of Juneau has had awkward experiences with past romantic relationships and sharing on Facebook.

"Ghosts of boyfriends and girlfriends past can be odd because even though we're all friends now, there's a limit to how much I want them to know about my life and vice versa," she said.

With 175 million users networking on Facebook, it's become a target for nasty viruses that can crash computers. Facebook applications can plant cookies that are tracked down by hackers who access log-in information to target other Facebook users.

Using Facebook as a tool for community connection takes discipline and an awareness of what one might be disconnecting from when they log on. It takes work to not discriminate against non-users and make the effort to maintain connections with people who aren't using Facebook. Cox confessed, "It does eat up a lot of time when I could be doing something else, like writing a snail mail to my grandma who isn't my Facebook friend."

• Courtney Nelson is a writer living in Juneau.

Showtime at Southeast Showdown

Talamai, Guthrie, and Jackson take titles at Rough House Friday


Bailey Johnson, Shaun Guthrie and Tongan Toni Talamai all grabbed respective title belts at the 2009 Roughhouse Boxing Southeast Showdown Friday at Marlintini's Lounge.

Angoon's Johnson, 18, first defeated Leon Paul, 21, and then topped Aaron "The Red Baron" Tucker to earn the event's lightweight title belt and $500 prize money. Johnson defeated Leon Paul by finding some openings to the head and delivering hard right upper cuts and left jabs to his much shorter opponent. Johnson ended round one with a shot that had Paul shaking his head. In round two, Paul was delivered a standing-eight-count after Johnson tagged Paul with a right haymaker that had Paul hanging on the ropes trying to recover and Joe Isturis called the fight.

Johnson, 4-0-0, defeated defending champion Aaron "The Red Baron" Tucker, 13-3-0 in one of the main events of the night. Johnson had the edge after he drew a bye and Tucker was the only fighter who had to fight three bouts. The fight was pretty even until Johnson tagged Tucker in round two and dropped the champion to his knees. Tucker retired as Johnson stayed perfect.

"I think this was the best fight of the night," said promoter Bob Haag.

Shaun Guthrie, 27, weighed in at 172 pounds to defeat Brian Lauth, 18, for the middleweight champion belt and Southeast Showdown Champion. Lauth towered over Guthrie who threw uppercuts to reach the tall Lauth. Both boxers gassed out in round three and the close decision went to Guthrie.

Aaron "The Red Baron" Tucker advanced to the semifinals with his earlier win over Fred Grant Jr. who was tagged with a hard head shot by Tucker early in round one then both boxers traded some hard shots. In round two, Tucker landed the first blow and then dropped Grant for a standing eight-count. Grant answered by clocking Tucker with a right hook that woke him up and Grant found himself on the mat after back to back right hooks. After Tucker dominated the tired Grant, Grant was delivered a standing eight-count and Tucker took the win.

Aaron "the Red Baron" defeated then defeated Michael Guthrie in the very next fight with the match starting off even from the start. Then Tucker landed some hard rights to the exhausted Guthrie who retired about halfway through round one. Michael Guthrie was tired because, directly before facing Tucker, he defeated Charles Paul Bagoya in a bout to advance to the semifinals. Guthrie dominated Bagoya in round one, tapping a sweet spot in the temple to drop Bagoya. Guthrie pummeled Bogoya in round two, tapping him in the forehead and sending him reeling backward. Joe Isturis called the fight after Bogoya was visibly unable to continue.

Nick "the Nightmare" Morgan advanced after easily winning his first bout against eighteen-year-old Clifford "Bad News" Brown. Morgan started off strong by tagging Brown in the eye who then retreated behind his gloves while his fans yelled "punch out." Round one ended as Morgan was reprimanded for punching Brown in the back of the head and Brown retired before the second round began.

Road to the heavyweight title

Tongan Toni Talamai, 23, a heavyweight aspiring professional boxer and Alaska Airlines employee defeated James "The Beast" Roberts Jr. of Klawock in a fight Talamai dominated from the start. Talamai used Roberts' head as a punching bag as Roberts absorbed lots heavy leather before he was delivered a standing-eight-count. In round two, he was issued another standing eight-count and referee Joe Isturis recommended he retire, though Roberts refused. Roberts was knocked to the mat and Talamai grabbed the win.

Talamai went on to defeat Nick "The Nightmare" Morgan 14 seconds into round one by tagging Morgan repeatedly then dropping him with a heavy leather right hook to the temple. Talamai grabbed the heavyweight championship title belt with the win.

Ryan Wong defeated Michael Henderson who came at Wong like a freight train from the bell getting Wong against the ropes early and landing some hard shots to his face. Referee Joe Isturis broke them up and then Wong answered with a right haymaker that sent the solid Henderson barreling into the ropes for a standing eight-count. Round two started with Wong landing a right haymaker to Henderson's temple, barraging him hard shots and then sealing it off with another haymaker and another standing eight- count.

"Keep your eyes on him and cover your head," Henderson's corner yelled. Henderson stayed focused and delivered a right-left combination that sent Wong to the mat. Wong recovered by dominating the third round and, as Henderson tired, Wong found an opening delivering his third standing eight-count. Wong scratched his next fight, dropping out of belt contention.

Friday, April 17, 2009

What to Wear in Juneau

United Way puts on a fashion show
By Courtney Nelson
For the Juneau Empire
An open invitation by the United Way’s campaign director Cachet Garrett for a philanthropist to “discuss significant giving” might pay off. Marlintini’s Lounge owner Ethan Billings read this and stepped up with an idea for a fundraising fashion show and live auction. “I read the article and started thinking about ideas and came up with something like Wearable Art, but different,” said Billings, who projects this event will raise $10,000 between ticket sales, liquor sales and donated live auction items.
The fashion show planning committee formed uniting Billings and Garrett and representatives from Shoefly, Choco, Gottshalks, Laisne, The Wedding Shoppe, and AK Dames, who donated their time and ideas. The result is an upscale, fashion show called “What to Wear in Juneau, AK” with VIP seats, swag bags and a live auction. The event, which begins with cocktails at 8, and the show from 9-11:30 p.m., will be hosted by Ben Brown and Collette Costa. There will be an intermission performance by Rumbalaska, a salsa dance team formed by salsa instructors Heather Haugland and Antonio Diaz.
Billings created a large catwalk that runs 60 feet across the club. If this event is a success, Billings will consider doing an annual spring and fall fashion show. “I think it will be great to promote local clothing stores and other local businesses as well as raise money for the United Way,” said Billings. Marlintini’s is donating 30% of liquor sales to the cause.
Travis McCain at AK Litho donated printing costs and Shyla Germain designed the tickets. Other contributing businesses are Sequence, Nugget Alaskan Outfitters, Night Moods and the Alaskan Brewing Company, which will be modeling their new barbeque apron. “It’s pretty spectacular, its got a bottle opener on it with a retractable chord, an insulated bottle holder, an oven mitt, and multiple pockets - it’s the perfect thing for spring” said Christy Virgilio-Ciambor, marketing coordinator for the Alaskan Brewing Company. The brewery will also model t-shirts and hats that will be auctioned off to benefit the cause they find important. “The United Way tackles a lot of issues here in Juneau - children’s causes, housing issues, they really give where they can,” said Virgilio-Ciambor.
Some of the 50 models scheduled to appear on the runway will have their hair styled by Gail E. Marvin of the Cutting Edge. “I might do a funky color like primary red on a model that will be a style and fashion statement,” said Marvin. In addition to wild hair, men and women’s sleepwear by Night Moods will be modeled including a satin pajama set for men and chemises, robes and pj’s for women, “things people will feel comfortable wearing in public,” said spokesperson Kathy Buell. They also think it’s an important cause. “The United Way helps a lot of causes here in Southeast Alaska so we want to give back,” said Buell.
The United Way supports 38 non-profit organizations in Juneau so many businesses said they were happy to help, especially since non-profit organizations have seen a decrease in donations lately. A complete list of their partners can be found at www.unitedwayseak.org.
In addition to the fashion show, clothes, shoes, purses, hand-made garters, gift certificates to Rejuvenation Salon and Spa, The Cutting Edge, Paradise Beach Travel and Tanning, Sunburst on the Wharf and Alaska Industrial will be auctioned off.
Seating is limited, there are 300 tickets and they are available at Shoefly, Choco, Alaska Dames and the United Way office. General Admission tickets are $20, VIP tickets are $30 and include a swag bag.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

'Superman" breaks MMA record


Rookie Manacio V dispatches Johnson in record 11 seconds in Rough House fight

Anthony "Five" Manacio V, 23, a first-time fighter with a six-year wrestling career, stunned the crowd with his Rough House Boxing record breaking win over fellow first-time fighter Andrew "Anderson" Johnson, 21, just 11 seconds into the bout. With Superman tattoos on his arms, Manacio beat the previous MMA record of 17 seconds by using what he called his "Superman" punch.

"Basically you just use your legs as leverage and jump up and hit him in the face," Manacio said after the win.

Adrenaline-filled from the bell, Manacio, cheered on by his sparring partner brothers, rushed his opponent. Then, using his powerful leg muscles, he sprung up against his taller opponent, tagged him in the head and dropped him with the first punch. After five more hard shots to the head, referee Joe Isturis called the fight.

"I feel awesome," Manacio said after. "I wanted more, but I guess things just happen."

In the only other MMA fight of the night, Manacio's older brother Anthony "Four" Manacio IV, who served a year in Iraq as a gunner but now works for the Alaska Marine Highway System, lost a fight to Aaron "Bloody Red Baron" Tucker in a bout where the fighters spent most of the time on the ground exchanging power positions. The closest bout of the night, Tucker squeaked out the win by tiring Manacio out.

"He was just holding me down and I got too tired," Manacio explained.

In another close bout, Juneau's Cameron Mitchell, 2-0-0, remained perfect with his win over Hoonah's Mitchell Zarazua, who picked up his first loss bringing his record to 2-1-0. Zarazua, who studied Mitchell's fights, planned to block Mitchell's signature right uppercut by switching forward standing foot. Mitchell's stance, usually his right glove up around his head and left glove at his side with some jabs thrown with his southpaw, left Mitchell's head open. His corner yelled repeatedly, "Hands up, hands up." Both boxers traded hard blows in extended rounds but the close win went to Mitchell.

Shaun Guthrie, 27, defeated Ketchikan's TJ Jackson, 21, and dominated the first two rounds, tiring him out. Jackson, who'd never gone the distance in a bout, gassed out and retired before the third round.

Angoon's Alexa Elisoff, 24, with two losses, defeated first-time fighter Francine "Shorty" Brown, 22, of Angoon to grab her first win. To give her strength, Elisoff said she thinks about her deceased brother, Ryan Elisoff, right before her fights.

Round one was pretty even. Then Elisoff delivered Brown a standing eight-count in round two, and Brown answered by throwing punches after the bell. Elisoff dominated the last round, but both boxers were sucking air.

In a heavyweight bout featuring fighters from Angoon, 274-pound Thomas "Tommy Guns" Parkin, 22, a first-time fighter, defeated 288-pound Thomas Adam Jack, 25, by dominating from the start. Parkin exploded from the bell and tagged Jack in the temple. A barrage of punches got a standing eight-count delivered to Jack. Right before the bell, Parkin landed a right hook that dropped Jack to the mat. Joe Isturis stopped the fight before the second round.

In another heavyweight bout, 4-2-0 James "The Beast" Roberts, 24, of Klawock, defeated Clifford "Bad News" Brown, 19, with a record of 1-0-0, which started off strong for Brown. Adrenaline filled Brown dominated the first part of the round landing two big haymakers to Roberts head. Roberts answered with his own big right that left Brown looking a little dazed and the two remained pretty even.

Brown had a rocket-right uppercut that seemed to have minimal effect on the solid Roberts. Resembling the tortoise and the hare, Brown darted around the solid and steady Roberts who ended up with the win by crowd decision.

Charles Paul Bagoyo, 21, with a record of 2-2-0, defeated 18-year-old Michael Trull, 1-0-0, in a bout where both boxers traded hard head shots in round one, with Trull leading. Before the start of round two, Trull stood up to fight and collapsed to the mat with a concussion. Trull was carried out on a stretcher and taken to Bartlett Regional Hospital where he was treated and released. Trull's mother Carla Vulgamore reported the next day that he suffered a concussion but was doing better. Trull will not be boxing next month.

The main event featuring a rematch match with Ryan Wong and Inoke Topui was canceled when Topui scratched before the bout.

The Southeast Showdown is scheduled for May 8, and mixed martial arts will be held May 15.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Is Facebook replacing face time?

Juneau residents find old and new friends are just a click away

Whether people tend to avoid new technology or embrace it, the online social network Facebook can't be ignored. The world's largest networking Web site is slowly but surely replacing face-to-face interaction, especially in Juneau, where residents often live thousands of miles from family and friends.

With five million new users joining Facebook each week, its user demographic is shifting from college-age students to teenagers, 30-somethings and retired adults. As users become more connected to friends, family and the community through online networking, more people are replacing face time with Facebook.

Many Facebook members say the Web site is addicting. Online networking can create a sensation of time and space collapsing when in the same day a person can connect with their second-grade crush, old employers, high school and college classmates, and professional colleagues.

According to the marketing research company Comscore, the average user is on Facebook 169 minutes each month. Some refer to the program as "crackbook."

Facebook's mission appears benign, claiming the sharing of information intends "to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected." Many Juneau residents, who live in relative isolation from friends and family Outside, have become well-versed in the benefits of Facebook.

Meilani Schijvens, a busy Juneau mom with two small children, said she absolutely loves Facebook. It allows her to use any extra minutes to catch up on people she cares about, Schijvens said.

"It's such an easy way to get in touch with people - no looking for lost e-mail addresses. It's an easy way to share pictures of my growing little kids. I'm in touch with all of my cousins for the first time ever and I'm in touch with people from all the different stages and ages of my life," Schijvens said.

Some people say they've learned much more about their friends' similarities by seeing what others are doing. This sparks new conversations and connections, thus deepening relationships.

But as millions of people flock to the site to reunite, share, learn and reminisce, those who don't join for various reasons often feel left out. Julie Johnson, a self-proclaimed "techno-phobe," is one Juneau resident who hasn't been ensnared in the Web.

Johnson has historically resisted technology. She doesn't have a cell phone, rarely sends e-mails and is resentful of pressure to join Facebook. Call her old-fashioned, she said, but she likes to send and receive meaningful pictures and packages through the U.S. Postal Service and receive life news over a cup of coffee.

Johnson is not alone but is quickly becoming the minority - a fact that frustrates her. She recently went on vacation with family. By the time she returned home, developed her film and was ready to mail her letters, the vacation was old news. Her family had posted their photos on Facebook during their first day back. Friends already were commenting on the great photos of Johnson on her vacation - photos she hadn't seen yet and probably wasn't going to unless she joined Facebook.

If Johnson had joined Facebook, her family could have "tagged" her in the photo, and she would have been notified automatically via e-mail. If people haven't posted anything more embarrassing than had a big hair portrait from the '80s, photo taggings can be fun; for others, they're a source of anxiety.

Gone are the days of tearing up or deleting a bad bathingsuit shot for posterity. "It's fun to have people post old photos. It's like looking through an old photo album with an old friend," said Kristin Cox, adding "and anyone else who is interested can see too."

Schijvens echoed this sentiment, saying she looks forward to seeing older photos. "Good thing for me, I looked better then than I do now."

Another busy mom, Tiffany Smith, said she wasn't afraid of photos because she "doesn't tend to work very hard to hide things that people may find unflattering. I just don't much care. I am who I am."

Others expressed a desire to keep the past in the past. Some people said they came to Juneau from another town where they had a reputation they would like to forget. They didn't want the past haunting them in their new life. Others expressed similar worries about a college concert photo or something similar resurfacing for their children to see.

Some college-age people who have grown up with Facebook are posting images of drinking and partying that might haunt them in the future - such as when a prospective employer is researching them on the Internet, or after they've just won eight gold medals. A good rule of thumb for Facebook: Don't post anything that couldn't be a newspaper headline. That brings up another issue: authenticity.

Some users say Facebook is like being invited to a party where you can only be nice, because you can only "like" a comment someone posts. Some users tend to share too much information, but there are others who tend to reveal very little. Many Juneau users don't want to be Facebook friends with co-workers in order to keep their work and personal lives separate and avoid awkward situations.

Christy Virgilio-Ciambor of Juneau has had awkward experiences with past romantic relationships and sharing on Facebook.

"Ghosts of boyfriends and girlfriends past can be odd because even though we're all friends now, there's a limit to how much I want them to know about my life and vice versa," she said.

With 175 million users networking on Facebook, it's become a target for nasty viruses that can crash computers. Facebook applications can plant cookies that are tracked down by hackers who access log-in information to target other Facebook users.

Using Facebook as a tool for community connection takes discipline and an awareness of what one might be disconnecting from when they log on. It takes work to not discriminate against non-users and make the effort to maintain connections with people who aren't using Facebook. Cox confessed, "It does eat up a lot of time when I could be doing something else, like writing a snail mail to my grandma who isn't my Facebook friend."

• Courtney Nelson is a writer living in Juneau.

Juneau to be featured in Discovery Channel special

Avalanches, bear encounters, moose collisions, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are some of the topics featured in a new Discovery Channel special, "Alaska: Most Extreme." Premiering April 16, the show will air in the middle of a week of programming called "Alaska Week," which begins April 12 and runs through April 17.

The one-hour special features Juneau in an opening piece about avalanches and what it's like living in their shadow.

"The first story is about avalanches and features Juneau's position as the large urban avalanche danger-zone, in essence," said David Huntley, executive producer of Moore Huntley Productions who produced the show for the Discovery Channel.

"Juneau's focus is as an urban area at risk of having avalanches hit in different ways, by threatening neighborhoods but also the dependence on transmission lines coming up from Snettisham Power House. This is such an amazing story to tell because I don't think many people in the lower 48 know that. They might know that Juneau is not connected to the outside with a road, but I don't think they know the history of avalanche danger," said Huntley.

After producing and working on many shows about Alaska subjects and topics over the last 20 years, and intensively for five or six years now, Huntley wanted to look closer at people and their daily interactions with nature.

"Moore Huntley Productions has been producing programs for the History Channel, National Geographic and now for the Discovery Channel, and what I keep finding is there are more and more interesting stories about the people and the environment in Alaska that I don't have a chance to tell" Huntley said. "So we proposed this to the Discovery Channel as a highlight show looking at the many ways the environment affects life and work in Alaska, and surprisingly how many superlatives or extremes exist and affect daily life."

Huntley, who is drawn to the north because of its history and layers, was introduced to Alaska in 1991 while working in the Aleutians on the PBS science magazine show "Scientific American Frontiers" with Alan Alda.

"I went out to the story in the Aleutian Islands about the ancient technology of the baidarka and got stuck on Adak Island for a week because of fog - the plane couldn't get in. It was your typical Alaska experience, and right then I was just kind of hooked with the land and the people and the interaction between the two."

While Moore Huntley Productions acknowledge their home base in Massachussettes is about as far away as you can get from their subject, Huntley Moore embeds themselves in different communities for months at a time, which creates ties to different entities.

"We created close relationships with people from past documentaries with Alaska Light and Power (AEL&P), the Department of Transportation, Alaska State Troopers, the Coast Guard, and different organizations, and we kept in touch," Huntley explained.

It was these relationships that led to the story about the avalanche in Juneau.

"Last April when the transmission towers were knocked down, we went and filmed and it was one of the stories we suggested we should follow up on - and it unfortunately happened again this winter, so we were able to go out with the AEL&P crews when they were starting to work on repairing it," he said.

Huntley and his crew also rely on headlines from the Juneau Empire and other newspapers to lend authenticity to the segments. Some of the headlines are from the downed power lines, bear attacks in Anchorage and Mount Redoubt erupting.

"One thing we really try to do in our programs is relate to topical events, news and stories that affect everyone's lives, so throughout this show we have a number of stories that were newsworthy. We cite a lot of past events and news stories to make the case stronger that these are not isolated incidents but things that happen over and over again."

It is these conditions that sparked the idea for a show focusing just on the extreme environment and the challenges they pose.

"Having the highest mountains in North America, some of the coldest and harshest winters - the most snowfall ever in one place is Thompson Pass outside of Valdez - so having spent so much time in Alaska and learning so much about it and spending so much time with the people there, I started finding that all these extremes really speak to the challenges of living and working in Alaska," Huntley said. "The number of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and all those kinds of things sparked the idea of doing a show about the different extremes and the ways in which people have to deal with keeping the roads open and keeping the electricity on."

For more information about the show, visit www.discovery.com/alaskaweek.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

The Circus




Ladies and gentlemen, step right up



International All-Star Circus offers a combination of big top wonder and theater

A traveling circus will perform four shows over spring break, one on Monday and three on Tuesday, at Juneau's Centennial Hall. But don't expect to feed peanuts to the elephants, because this modernized circus features "people entertaining people."

Doug Harris, managing partner of the International All-Star Circus, explained that there are two types of circuses these days: "Ours, which is more 'cirque,' which is a combination of circus and theater; then there is the old style which uses trade animals."

According to ringmaster and producer Cornell "Tuffy" Nicholas, he is bringing this show to Alaska because, after many great experiences touring here, he knows that "Alaska loves a circus."

"I love the people," Nicholas said. "The landscape is beautiful, and I love the whole frontier aspect."

Harris agreed saying the Juneau Convention and Visitors Bureau "showed great enthusiasm and we've felt the warm hospitality before we've even arrived."

Nicholas said he thinks Juneau will appreciate their circus.

"It's an all-star line-up filled with the finest acrobats from the last ten years, all rolled into one great show," he said.

Because he was born into a family of circus performers, Nicholas would know talent if he saw it. His father was a ringmaster for 27 years with the Ringling Brothers, and his German mother was a bear trainer.

Growing up in the circus, Nicholas said he dabbled in all circus arenas over the last 30 years performing on trampoline, trapeze, teeter board and highwire, and working with elephants, lions and tigers. He also performed magic and eventually began managing and producing performances.

"Just don't ask me to be a clown or a juggler," he said jovially.

Some of Nicholas' 20 hand-picked performers include the famous Flying Wallenda family, consisting of Rick Wallenda; his sister, Rietta; Rietta's daughter, Lyric, who perform on an ariel perch; and Bri, a 10-year-old who, according to Wallenda, is the "youngest daredevil in the history of highwire."

Rick Wellenda said he spotted Bri's talent right away.

"Bri asked if I would train her, and I saw she was a natural, so one day I put her in the pyramid," he said.

Rick Wallenda comes from five generations of acrobats and trapeze artists. His grandparents started the original act in 1928, which they performed in the Ringling Brothers Circus. Wallenda now owns Henrietta Place, a family training complex in Florida, which started off as 22 acres. Then his family began selling off bits and pieces until it was an exclusive all circus neighborhood.

Another young performer is fifth-generation contortionist Amanda Bautista, 19, who's been performing the same routine since she was nine and began practicing when she was 3 years old by mimicking her older sister. Her parents and brother performed on the flying trapeze, while other siblings did hand balancing and juggling.

Bautista, who is visiting Juneau for the first time said she's never wanted to find out what work would be like outside the circus. But at her young age, she has already traveled extensively abroad and has stayed in all the United States except Alaska.

Nicholas said there is something for everyone and something for all ages at their two-hour circus. In addition to the acrobatic skills and contortionists, there will be clowns, magicians, trampoline, rolla bolla, Spanish web, Lyra (flying through the air while suspended on a large hoop) and other balancing acts. The motorcycle on a highwire act had to be excluded from Juneau shows due to restrictions.

Circuses began in London 1782 and the International All-Star circus credits circus popularity to its simple universal appeal.

"lt (circuses) was a truly popular-egalitarian-form of entertainment, enjoyed by all, regardless of race, language, age, education or class. Requiring great skill, benefiting from creativity and originality, circus nevertheless needs no sophistication."

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Freaky Fight Night



Jackson's one-punch knockout highlights Roughhouse night

It was another freaky Friday the 13th at the monthly Roughhouse fights in Marlintini's Lounge, and the knockouts and knockdowns were abundant.

In the quickest bout of the night - and fastest fight most fans had ever seen - 26-year-old T.J. Jackson went in with a 1-0 record and stayed perfect. Jackson made a knockout look easy when he clipped first-time Angoon fighter Derek Totenoff, 22, in the head with a huge right hook that tipped him to the mat like timber. The quick work turned into easy money for Jackson when Totenoff was unable to continue after the fight's opening seconds.

Later, Roger "Barcode" Booth IV, 30, weighed in at 170 pounds to defeat Shaun Guthrie, 27. Guthrie came out strong on offense in round one, but Booth answered with a thunderous left that instantly dropped Guthrie to the mat. The pair then wrestled for control before Booth delivered a swift kick to Guthrie's groin at the bell.

Guthrie was able to take down Booth in round two, but the elder fighter was able to escape by rolling out. In round three, the fighters spent most of their time locked up on the mat while trading submission holds and plenty of blows. The decision eventually went to Booth, who later said he and Guthrie will fight again in May.

Toni Talamai, 23, a heavyweight hailing from Tonga and aspiring to be a professional boxer, got a good start on his new career path with his win over Coast Guard veteran Ryan Wong, 32. Talamai had Wong against the ropes early in the first round, delivering solid jabs whenever he found an opening. In round two, Wong was able to land a few of his signature haymaker rights to Talamai, but the younger fighter seemed unphased and Wong never seemed to get on solid footing in round three. Wong later said his younger opponent "got some good shots in."

McDonald's employee Aaron "Red Baron" Tucker, 19, a boxer trying his first MMA fight, got the best of undefeated MMA fighter Wayne "Koosh-Da-Ka" Fu, 58. Tucker really liked MMA, despite taking a hard shot to the eye, saying it involved more strategy and was more "intense" than boxing. Fu, a wood carver, said he wanted a rematch with Tucker.

"Tucker got the best of me tonight, but I know I can do better," he said.

First-time fighter Michael James Trull, 18, defeated fellow rookie boxer James "The Bulldog" Bouschor, 24, by exploding at the bell and attacking Bouschor, who repeatedly had to spin away from the aggressive Trull. Early in round two, Trull delivered a standing-eight count to "The Bulldog," who recovered only to have Trull find another opening with his left hook. The blow tapped a sweet spot, as Bouschor fell to another standing-eight-count and retired before the third round.

Rudy Vonda, 44, defeated Casey "Little Big Man" Yakovik, 18, by executing his "attack the body strategy" which he revealed in a pre-fight interview. Vonda pummeled his opponent's torso from the beginning, sending Yakovik to his knees after a hard stomach shot. Both boxers stayed even in round two, with Vonda's plan of attack keeping him confident. Vonda finally worked Yakovik into a standing-eight-count in round three and referee Joe Isturis called the fight, giving the win to the elder Vonda.

Klawock's James "The Beast" Roberts Jr., defeated Metlakatla's Michael Henderson, 28, via split decision in a heavyweight bout that went the distance. Henderson dominated round one by using the athleticism from his basketball playing days and out-jabbing the relentless and steadfast Roberts. The Beast went to work on Henderson in round two, though, pushing him against the ropes and delivering several hard head and body shots. Roberts held his ground in the center of the ring while Henderson was on the move and ultimately won the split decision by being more aggressive.

"I'm just going to try to outlast him," Roberts said before the fight. "I was told he doesn't have much wind."

First-time MMA fighter Anthony Manacio IV, 25, who works for the Alaska Marine Highway, defeated Bullwinkle's employee Tyler Papasodora, 18, in a bout that the elder fighter dominated from the start. Manacio knocked Papasodora to the ground and delivered several hard shots to the head until the younger fighter tapped out early in round one.

Heavyweight Clifford "Bad News" Brown, 18, of Juneau, defeated first-time-fighter Rodney D. Jackson, 39 of Kake with Jackson receiving "Bad News" in the form of a standing-eight-count after a head pummeling. Jackson stayed tough through a barrage of hard head shots, but retired before the start of round two.

The next Roughhoust Friday Night Fights will be held April 10th at Marlintini's Lounge.