To that end, there are great opportunities to get engaged below. Please also join us in honoring the memory of one of our founding board members, John Havelock, and his contributions to ACG and Alaska. And be sure to check out ACG’s very short Can We Talk? video which features John, his enthusiasm for ACG, and good sense of humor - just look for the bow tie. 

Alaska Common Ground lost a great Alaskan, founding board member, and dear friend in August. John Havelock was right there to provide all the legal assistance necessary to get ACG started when Esther Wunnicke circulated the idea of a public policy organization back in 1991. He provided trusted guidance and council to ACG on a multitude of issues over the years and was particularly helpful each time the question of a constitutional convention was raised.

John’s view of Alaska was forward thinking and encompassed everything from privacy rights to broad community concerns and he shared his understanding of the needs of Alaska and her people without hesitation. His faithful support for ACG will be sorely missed and we are greatly enriched for having had him as our steady guiding light over the last 30 years. Please read more about John Havelock and his meaningful contributions to Alaska here.

Observers are split on the likelihood of that fourth special session producing a sustainable fix to the State of Alaska’s structural fiscal deficit. Read Cliff’s full report here.

Cliff Groh has been a board member of Alaska Common Ground for more than 20 years and in that role has facilitated many discussions on the state fiscal situation. As an individual he continues to be a strong advocate for solving the state’s fiscal problems and he writes an e-newsletter called “Fiscal Cliff’s Notes.” If you would like to receive it, please email him at cliff.groh@gmail.com or follow him here.

Every 10 years Alaska’s political boundaries are redrawn based on our most recent census data and this is happening now. Alaska Common Ground encourages our members and supporters to get engaged in this important process and look for an ACG event on this topic. In the meantime, find out more about the redistricting process here, including current proposed maps and announcements about an upcoming Meet the Maps event (October 1) and public hearings scheduled for communities around the state including Anchorage (October 4), Ketchikan (October 6), Petersburg and Wrangell (October 7) and more.

Speakers will discuss ongoing efforts to establish a Level 3 EV charging network on Alaska’s largest road network. More information here.

Hosted by AARP and Alaska Municipal League

The Nature Conservancy in Alaska hosted a series of discussions, hearing from Alaskan thought leaders in an array of sectors on the merits of action-oriented climate solutions.

Alaska Common Ground is delighted to share that between October 1st and December 31st, we will be the grateful recipient of Blue Market AK’s 1% Giving Back Program. Whether you are shopping for food, household cleaners, or other items – all products will be in reusable or repurposed containers and 1% of all sales will support ACG! Find more information at bluemarketak.com including its Anchorage location and store hours.

ACG is thankful to the owners of Blue Market AK for their generosity and for their leadership to reduce single-use plastics in our community. Blue Market AK was one of the sponsors of our Climate Action Plan Sector series, and cofounder Jennifer Gordon, was a panelist for the discussion on Consumption and Solid Waste. (Missed that event? Find it here.)

And be sure to check out all the other ways to support ACG here!