LT. GOVERNOR'S REPORT

Loren Leman
State of Alaska Lt. Governor

Juneau, AK
May 5, 2005

IN THE STRETCH: 
The Legislature is approaching the 121-day deadline for completing its important work on budgets and other legislation. The last scheduled day of the session is Tuesday, May 10.  Legislators work hard but don’t always get recognized for their dedication. Because this is the first session of the 24th Legislature, all the bills that do not pass by Tuesday will still be available for consideration next January.  This is the time of year when decisions seem to be made on the spur of the moment, but in fact, the Legislative leadership and the Administration have already identified critical issues and are working to resolve remaining challenges.

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER: 
Today is National Day of Prayer, declared by a joint resolution of Congress in 1952 and established in 1988 as the first Thursday in May.  Many people from the Legislature, Administration and the Juneau community gathered on the Capitol steps at noon today to pray for our country, our State and our communities. Thank you Pat Stringer, State Coordinator, and many others who helped make this event possible.

BIKERS’ BLESSING: 
It was a new experience for me to “Bless the Bikes” at The Gathering, a municipality-wide motorcycle event Saturday morning in Anchorage.  I enjoyed visiting with the bikers, many of them friends of ours, who come from all walks of life and professions.  More than 1,000 bikes were present in the Anchorage City Church parking lot—where some daring riders demonstrated their talents and the capabilities of their machines in an exhibition.  After the blessing, I rode in a sidecar to the Veteran’s Memorial on the Delaney Park Strip.  May 1-7 is Vietnam Veterans Recognition Week.

DAY IN DILLINGHAM: 
I spent the rest of Saturday in beautiful weather in this Bristol Bay community on the Nushagak River.  I toured school and hospital facilities, met with friends of the domestic violence shelter, and then gave the keynote address for the Fire Department annual awards dinner.  Dillingham is working on diversifying its economy and providing opportunities for young people. Fishing is still king, but new opportunities in mining, oil & gas and tourism are developing.  Thank you to Ron Bowers, local emergency medical services provider, for arranging this trip.

DAY OF VICTORY: 
May 8, the day that became known as V-E Day ended World War II 60 years ago when the Allies celebrated victory in Europe followed by victory in the Pacific.  “Freedom prevailed when millions were liberated from oppression and tyranny was replaced by democracy,” President Bush said while proclaiming 2005 as the National Observance of the 60th Anniversary of the End of World War II.

RUNNING FOR HEART HEALTH: 
My daughter Nicole and several of my staff participated in the 5k Heart Run in Anchorage on Saturday.  This event attracted nearly 8,000 runners and walkers, raising money for a worthy cause.

CARING FOR THE KENAI: 
I was impressed with the participation by more than 500 high school students in this 15th annual environmental awareness and natural disaster preparedness program.  Friday I assisted with the Caring for the Kenai  awards program in Kenai, joining coordinator Merrill Sikorski, Kenai Mayor Pat Porter, sponsors Unocal and Agrium, teachers, parents and students.  Congratulations to Kenai student, Hannah Watkins, for her winning entry.  On another note, thank you to the many firefighters who brought the Homer fire under control.  This is the worst wildfire in Alaska yet this season.

CAPITOL CLASS: 
Jennifer Ryznar brought her class of 23 Montessori School first-graders to my Capitol office for a short civics lesson and to talk about Alaska History.  My "Little Brother" Aakash is in this class.  Many of his fellow students have never visited the Capitol and had many questions about the building.  They were particularly fascinated with the vault in my office that dates to territorial days .

A SPECIAL CINCO DE MAYO: 
Today is abbreviated 05/05/05.  Enjoy it. This date won’t come around for another century!

MAY WE REMEMBER OUR MOTHERS: 
|Sunday is Mothers’ Day, a great opportunity to honor women who are mothers.  I am thankful for my mother, Marian Leman, who turned 86 yesterday, and for my wife, Carolyn, the mother of our three children.