In a letter to his wife Abagail, John Adams, the second president of the United States, foresaw a grand celebration of America’s independence, which occurs on the Fourth of July.
The eyes of the nation are on Seattle’s Capitol Hill Organized Protest zone, or CHOP, a gathering of radicals who have an agenda to push.
Sonny Chichenoff’s kids and kid grandkids will have to give him two cards on Father’s Day.
Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin’s murder of George Floyd, an African American man, triggered mayhem across the nation, inspired a number of peaceful marches and demonstrations that drew attention to the motto that “Black lives matter,” and raised awareness of systemic racism and the…
April was Child Abuse Prevention month. Intending to bring more awareness to cases of child physical and sexual abuse and neglect, members of the Kodiak Area Native Association’s Kodiak Child Advocacy Center (KCAC) placed colorful pinwheels on the lawn near the city Police Department headqua…
If it wasn’t for the restrictions imposed by the threat of coronavirus, I’d visit Neil Sargent on May 25 to wish him a happy birthday.
This past Sunday, May 10, mothers were thanked, embraced and bestowed with flowers in appreciation of doing one of the most important jobs in the world: being a mother.
Hunkering down during the coronavirus crisis gives us a lot of time for reflection. Lately I’ve been thinking about the Kodiak people who have departed this life, taking some of the color and charm with them.
This Sunday, April 19, the Orthodox faithful will be proclaiming the message of Pascha (also known as Easter), which is the brightest holiday of the year. The proclamation says, “Christ is risen, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.”
“We’ll get through this together” is a motto that reminds us that the fight against the devastating coronavirus is not a solitary battle. It takes a household, a neighborhood, a community, a country and the global community to work together to find treatments, vaccines and practices that c…
Local churches have turned to social media to reach their people in a time when gatherings of more than 10 are discouraged.
The World Health Oganization has declared the coronavirus outbreak an international emergency. On a local level, the threat of the virus has altered our lives. It has made us more aware of hygiene, has limited our visits to crowded events and has changed the way we greet each other.
Guest priest Fr. David Subu of St. Mary’s Orthodox parish of Falls Church, Virginia, gave the homily at Holy Resurrection Cathedral on the Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee, based on Christ’s parable that distinguishes self-righteous pride from God-fearing humility. His sermon set the tone…
When we lost Dr. Bob Johnson, we lost not only a big piece of history but also an advocate for the preservation of our local history.
Wednesday’s blizzard shut down roads, schools, places of business and important events, such as Ed Apperson’s 90th birthday party. If you don’t know who Ed Apperson is, you should. You can get an idea of his significance by looking at a statue of him at the Alaska State Parks Abercrombie Par…
When Ron and Vanessa Bryant leave the island Jan. 30 for St. Louis, Missouri, they’ll be saying goodbye to a host of friends, a house and familiar places,
Much of the news this past week has been dominated by United States conflicts with the government of Iran. Older folks such as myself, recall the tense situation in the late 1970s when the Shah of Iran was ousted and militant students stormed the US embassy in Tehran, demanding the extraditi…
2020 came crashing into the lives of this island community with furious mayhem and heavy sorrow wrought by the sinking of the F/V Scandies Rose off Sutwik Island on the Alaska Peninsula.
Judi Kidder is an activist who initiates projects that address her pet causes, such as keeping Kodiak litter-free and helping the homeless.
It may appear that The Kodiak Assembly of God church has not changed much over the years. It is still located on East Rezanof. Each week the church marque features a Bible verse or Christian saying. But the scrutinizing eye will notice its new name — Oceans United. The church on East Rezanof…
Ever since she was a 20-something lass living in Ireland, Peggy Cross has been on the move. Her first big journey took her across the Atlantic on the ship, the St.Mary, to the United States, where she settled in Seattle, Washington. There she met Junior Cross while she worked in a restaurant…
Mike Olsen couldn’t have picked a nicer day to turn 50. It was a beautiful sunny Saturday in July when family and friends gathered around him and his sister, Cherise — who also was turning a corner in years — to congratulate them. The party took place at the Buskin beach house on a bluff ove…
As I sat mesmerized by the battle scenes in the film “Midway,” which aired at the Orpheum this past week, I couldn’t get my mind off of Bill Ross, a World War II veteran who died last month at age 99.
If the congregation of Community Baptist Church is interested in creating a classy eye-catching website, they have the right man to do the job. In fact, he’s got his own office in the church.
I never knew Pete Walter Muller, the young man who died in an ATV accident in the village of Larsen Bay on Oct. 19. But I did know family members. His mother, Mary Nelson, was a little girl when I went to the villages of Larsen Bay and Karluk to write stories for the Kadiak Times. I also got…
There was a time when Kodiak had more bars than churches. But through the years, the scales have been tipped in favor of the Almighty. Some of the churches are relatively new to the neighborhood. Others, such as St. Paul Lutheran Church, have some history here. At least 50 years of it.
There’s nothing better than a warm handshake, a friendly smile and words of welcome to the newcomer to the island. That kind of reassuring greeting is what my wife, Kathy Rostad, fondly remembers of David Eluska, Sr., when she first stepped foot in the village of Akhiok. She had just been hi…
When the first Orthodox missionaries from Russia came to evangelize the people of Alaska, they traveled in precarious ships during long, trying voyages that tested the durability of the vessels and the men they carried. The Russian dignitaries coming to Kodiak this week to celebrate the 225t…
I can’t tell you how many times I have watched people get teary-eyed and emotional when they talk about leaving Kodiak for good.
KODIAK — “We all should be like Margaret Hall,” Pat Branson told the crowd attending Margaret’s 100th birthday party Saturday at the Afognak building. Branson, director of the Kodiak Senior Center, worked with Margaret, who was on the board of directors.
Jami Gibson has been on both sides of the mentoring aisle. While an inmate at Hiland Mountain Correctional facility in Eagle River, she was part of the Transformational Living Community where she was mentored by Kristine Gugel, Mentor Net coordinator.
Editorial note: The Kodiak Daily Mirror staff’s thoughts and prayers are with Mike Rostad following his medivac off-island earlier this week. The following column was submitted to KDM in February.
Fellowship celebrated its 7th anniversary with joy and jubilation at the waterfront church on Sunday, Jan. 24.
“Sole survivor” has a formidable sound to it. The last man standing; the only one remaining from a sinking boat or a bloody battle.
Fisherman Curt Waters seeks to be about his Father God’s business by showing the love of Christ in any way he can. He’ll hand a latte to an unsuspecting person, telling him that God told him to do so. If someone is having a bad day or suffering from a particular ailment, Waters unabashedly p…
KODIAK — Early next month, students and chaperones from Kodiak Island villages will come to town for the very first Regional Learning Academy sponsored by the Kodiak Island Borough School District and Rural Schools and various partners.
In some ways, Fr. Wallace “Chip” Mills emulates Dr. Albert Schweitzer, one of his role models. Schweitzer gained notoriety as a doctor and musician, and he was also a student of theology, an explorer and adventurer.
On September 8, late in the salmon season, boats gathered near Harvester Island for a solemn occasion. Friends and family of Steve Polson spread his ashes in a place he loved. The ceremony took place after a memorial service at the American Legion.
The flashing Christmas lights on our neighbors’ window frames, roof dormers and fascia seem in place, now that snow is frosting the spruce branches and roof tops on the evening before winter officially begins. The sound of shovels scraping against cement and wood and children gleefully greet…
The late geography and history teacher Doug Dawson would have saluted Abbey St. Clair.
Churches don’t have a monopoly on gift-giving. There are numerous secular service organizations and individuals with no church affiliation that dig deep into their wallets, pantries, freezers and closets in order to make Christmas brighter for the less fortunate. It’s a generosity that is pe…
KODIAK — The only way Mike York’s two friends could get him to the hospital was to lure him outside of his house, ambush him in a bear-hug lock and force him into his pickup.
KODIAK — Woody Island, a seasonal haven for campers, retreat-goers and land owners, is now a residence for year-long islanders. These new occupants will be happy with a field of grass, a sack of feed, shelter from the storm, and a gentle touch of human kindness from time to time.
KODIAK — With a keen realization that you can’t take life for granted, Donna Bell gratefully counts her blessings this Thanksgiving. She treasures each heartbeat, savors every sunset and seasonal change on the mountains and appreciates all of the organs and limbs of her body, even though the…
KODIAK — Kathrynn Hollis-Buchanan pops up everywhere. She’s at the Kodiak College teaching accounting and helping out at Kodiak Furniture and the Spa, as well as volunteering at KMXT and the Kodiak Christian School.
KODIAK — For Matthew Van Daele and his wife, Mary Ruskovich, bears have been a significant part of their nine-year marriage. The couple met as students at the University of Idaho (Moscow) on the day that Matt was training bear cubs for a research project.
Serving inner-kids in Florida, victims of a war in the Congo and the persecuted Christians in Nepal has steeled the faith and softened the heart of Kodiak Assembly of God youth minister Borghy Holm.
KODIAK — Back in the day, Al Burch, Jim Major and Bix Bonney were household names in Kodiak. Al and his brother, Oral, ran the big boats, Dusk and Dawn, and later operated a draggers association. Jim and Bix were cannery operators. Giants of a bygone era.
KODIAK — Hannah Fish has a passion for helping people, and El Salvador was the ideal place to put that empathy into action.
KODIAK — Jeannine Marsh’s life changed drastically with the death of her adoptive father, Joe Jensen in February. Five days after Joe’s death, Jeannine’s life changed even more. She got a call from Diane Nichols of Nashville, Tennessee, who claimed that the two were half-sisters sharing the …
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