BASKETBALL PLAYER—Melvin Brown, son of Mrs. Emily Ivanoff
Brown, of Kotzebue, attended Mt. Edgecumbe High School, Sitka,
where he played three years varsity basketball, was a track man
four years, made AllStur Southeast Alaska team I960. He made All
Star Fairbanks City League team in 1961. Since 1961, he has been
a member of the University of Alaska varsity team.
r _%
I
BASKETBALL FLAYER—Ron Leask, son of Ronald Leask, of
Metlakatla, attended Sheldon Jackson High School in Sitka where
he played three years of basketball. For the past two years he has
been a member of the University of Alaska varsity team.
CONFERENCE HELD . ...
Alcoholism—A Major Problem in Alaska
Alcoholism is one of the major
problems of Alaska and yet the state
and its people are doing very little
about it.
This was the conclusion of the
state's first conference on Alcohol,
• held last July 16-20 on the campus
of Sheldon Jackson Junior College
at Sitka.
Governor William A. Egan sent
a telegram to the conference con
; gratulating it for providing leader
ship in combatting the problems of
, alcoholism.
“We know now that the alcoholic
should not be treated as a social
outcast, but as one who is ill with
j a disease." Governor Egan said,
j The conference came to the con
j elusion that an effective program
of alcohol education, research and
treatment should be launched and
developed in the state.
As a result of the conference, in
formation units have been set up
] at Anchorage, Seward, and Juneau
! and one is scheduled to be formed
in Fairbanks soon, in cooperation .
with the National Council on Alco
holism.
Here is the body of an official
statement drafted by the conference.
“We hope that the Governor will
appoint an official commission or
study group committee to explore
the extent and distribution of alco
holism in Alaska, to discover what
resources now exist to help alcoho
lics. to outline the types 6f addi
tional resources and facilities need
ed. and finally to make proposals
to the Governor and legislature for
such action as may be indicated.
“We hope the Alaska Council of
Churches will encourage the con
gregations of Alaska to- study this
problem, to interest all the groups
within their fellowships including
men’s clubs, women’s societies,
church schools, and youth groups in
this vast area of human need and
join in services of hope and help
for alcoholics.
“We hope that other churches, not
The Whole Community
Involved in Alcoholism
-
By Paul L. Winsor
(Remarks of Hon. Paul L. Winsor,
Commissioner of Health and Wel
fare of the State of Alaska, before
the First Alaskan Institute on Alco
holism, held under the auspices of
the North Conway Foundation at
Sheldon Jackson Junior College,
July 17, 1962.
The term "Whole Community” is
' by inference all-encompassing — by
: your leave. I will only attempt to
involve myself in a small segment
I of tlT^. whole community — that
I small segment being represented by
I the Department of Health and Wel
j fare — and its direct involvement
I in the problems of alcohol and the
impact of its use upon the people
who are in one way or another —
faced with these problems and come
to us for help.
* * •
The Division of Youth and Adult
Authority, responsible for providing
custody for state prisoners and pa
role and probation supervision for
such prisoners, has on its caseload
many individuals, both adult and
juvenile, who have come into con
flict with the law because of exces
sive use of alcohol. Of course, not
all these individuals can be con
sidered alcoholics, but their offenses
can be traced directly to alcohol.
During the calendar year 1961
the importation of taxable alcoho
lic beverages into the state of Alas
ka was as follows:
FAREWELL DANCE — On the eve of their departure to the lower states for appearances in many
large cities, Helen and Chester Seveck performed in a Uvfcly and vigorous Eskimo dance. The Sevecks
are slated to spend 6 months touring the lower states. They hinted that they might even visit Europe.
—Times Staff Photo
Hard Liquors and Spirits — 475.
358.94 Gallons
Beer — 2,530,627.01 Gallons
Wine — 155,945.88 Gallons
Considering the relatively small
portion of the state <approximate
ly a quarter million) this is a large
consumption of alcoholic beverages.
Considering further that close to
50'; of the total population is un
der 21 years of age, the per capita
consumption tends to be alarming.
Recently the Division of Youth
and Adult Authority did a study on
ways and means of curbing delin
quency in Eskimo communities. In
talking to council members, teach
ers, police, parents, etc., the chief
complaint was found to be juvenile
drinking. The juveniles themselves
admit to drinking out of sheer bore
dom and because it is easy to ob
tain. They explain that there is
always an available adult willing
to give or purchase whiskey for
tnem.
Alcohol has a prominent role in
many law violations. Many of the
cases in inferior counts are on
charges of drunk and disorderly. In
oppriximately 70rr of all criminal
cases referred to Youth and Adult
Authority for probation investiga
tion in 1961 drinking was contri
buting factor in the commission of
the offense. The percentage is prob
ably higher if all court cases were
couted.
Using a city of 9.000 population as
an example, the 1961 police statis
tics show the following arrest pat
terns:
1. Plain Drunk . 100
2. Disorderly Conduct
Involving drinking .420
3. Driving While
Intoxicated .. 43
Total 563
There is a great deal more that
could be and should be known about
the use of alcohol in Alaska and
much more of what is known is
not readily available for any com
prehensive planning for an attack
on this problem. Even on the basis
of what We do know, it is apparent
to me that the State government
cannot and probably should not be
entirely responsible £or working
on this problem.
The fact that this group has gath
ered is clear evidence that you all
share this view and it is heartening
to me to see so many people willing
to devote so much time to consid
eration of the problem and it is cer
tainly my hope that something of
value to Alaska, and particularly
to its citizens whose functioning is
impaired in some way by alcohol,
will come out of the conclusions
reached by this group.
members of the Council, but sharing
with them in a deep concern for
human welfare, will engage in simi
lar activities.
“We are grateful for all those
persons, churches, and agencies,
both governmental and private, who
are now trying to help in particu
lar express our thanks to the mem
bers of Alcoholics Annoymous for
their continuing and, we hope, en
larging ministry to alcoholics and
their families.
“We are grateful to God for this
Institute, for the stretching of our
minds and the stirring of our
hearts.”
Eider Ducks ...
(Continued from Page 1)
subsistence regardless of the sea
son, after 138 Eskimos at Barrow on
May 31, 1961 protested the arrest of
two hunters there. The Eskimos en
mass descended on the game war
dens at Barrow's Top of the World
Hotel and asked to be arrested too.
After a controversy which lasted
I several months. Udall and Clarence
l Pautzke, U. S. Commissioner of
Fish and Game, gave the green light
to natives to take the ducks for
food.
Eskimos and Indians have brought
out in conference that most ducks
have flown south when the season
opens in Alaska.
Federal and state court officials
were in a quandry today over a
second game case involving Char
lie David, the second chief of the
Tetlin Reservation.
Chief David is charged with kill
! ing a cow moose.
In late September David was
hunting when he spotted three
■ moose. Two of the moose were side
by side and through error he hit 1
the moose without horns.
He turned himself in to the State,
Game office voluntarily and report
ed the mistake. He said the game
] warden assured him that no action
, would be taken.
Later, the Deputy Magistrate at
Tok arraigned Charlie and gave
him 30 days in jail suspended, pro
vided he pay a $30 fine within 60
days.
Chief Charlie has indicated hi3
desire to appeal the decision at
Fairbanks, but the State Fish and
Game Department does not have
a record of the purported violation.
Because the shooting took place
on the Tetlin Reservation federal
and state court officials have indi
cated they are not sure who has
jurisdiction in the case.
A local attorney has indicated he
may defend the case without
charge.
National Council
Aids Alaska
In Alcohol Program
By Mrs. Marty Mann
National Council on Alcoholism
One of the major functions of
the National Council on Alcoholism,
is that of assisting communities to
mobilize against alcoholism.
By this we mean the creation of
a voluntary organization of citi
zens who will undertake a broad
community program about it.
Obviously if such a group is go
ing to be organized it must have
some idea of what it hopes to ac
complish and we have set up major
points which we feel should be
the objectives in any given com
munity.
They are:
1. An intensive educational cam
paign in your own area.
2. The persuasion of general hos
pitals to accept alcoholics in the
acute stage of their illness for em
ergency treatment.
3. The establishment of an Alco
holism Information Center.
4. The procurement, usually from
a state program, of an out-patient
diagnositc and treatment clinic for
alcoholism.