Alaska Man Monday - Owls, Booze, and New Year's Eve

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There’s a funny thing about the weather this upcoming week; while most of the lower 48 is plunged into the deep freeze, we will be enjoying a balmy (for January) week here in the Great Land as the polar vortex slams down on the central United States is actually drawing warm Pacific air up over south-central Alaska. So, folks who are currently shivering out the weather in places like Missouri would currently be able to come to Alaska to warm up.

Interesting. Speaking of Alaska:

A feathery Alaskan has been returned to his home.

Staff from the Bird Treatment and Learning Center in Anchorage released a northern saw-whet owl back into the wild on Saturday after it was rehabilitated.

The owl was delivered to Bird TLC by Anchorage resident Grace Ford, who found the bird after it struck her window. Bird TLC took the owl into its care, administered medical treatment and pain medication, and monitored its return to full health.

“Rehabilitators see this as an act of responsible stewardship,” said Laura Atwood, executive director of Bird TLC. “So, we’re giving back by helping these animals, who were inadvertently injured by human presence, and returning them to the wild.”

Staff at Bird TLC said they cared for this owl for about a week, making sure it could fly comfortably, and identify its prey.

Once the owl was deemed ready, Bird TLC invited Ford to join them in releasing the bird, who flew back to the trees of his home.

Saw-whet owls are interesting little critters. One of North America’s smallest owls, they live in the deep forests, and sometimes in winter, we hear their piping calls from back in the woods.

Alaska Man score: 5 moose nuggets. Well done to Bird TLC. Plus, we all love birds.

Next, an Alaska thing: A new policy will have restaurants, breweries, and bars in Anchorage conducting 100 percent ID checks before serving alcohol. Why? Well, Alaska does have a tippling issue, but the Great Land also does something different with the state ID cards and driver’s licenses.

An Anchorage ordinance will be going into effect in 2025, and Assembly members hope the new law will decrease the number of alcohol-related fatalities and accidents in the municipality.

State law mandates that individuals must be 21 years old or older to purchase or consume alcohol.

However, in December, the Assembly unanimously passed an ordinance requiring all restaurants, bars, and breweries to verify identification before selling alcohol.

Before approving the measure, the Assembly referenced a memorandum stating that between 2015 and 2019, an average of 562 people died in Alaska due to alcohol use, making it the second-highest alcohol-related mortality rate in the nation.

That same memorandum said according to data from Alaska’s DOT&PF’s Highway Safety Office, 29% of fatal crashes within the state happened in Anchorage.

What about the licenses?

In response to the mandatory ID checks, Johnson stated that this measure not only addresses underage drinking but also applies to individuals who possess “red stripe” driver’s licenses. A “red stripe” license is issued to those who have been prohibited by court order from purchasing alcohol due to past violent or reckless behavior.

According to the Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles, there are 2,110 “red stripe” licenses issued to residents of the Municipality of Anchorage.

I can attest that the local Three Bears outlets, both the big stores and the convenience stores, conduct a 100 percent ID check for booze purchases as a matter of corporate policy. I certainly look nothing like the pre-21 version of me, being distinctly aged nowadays, but they aren’t looking for my birth date; they are looking for that red stripe.

Alaska Man score: 2.5 of 5 moose nuggets. Public safety, sure, but I’m not sanguine about ever-more government intrusion. It sets off my inner libertarian. This one’s a mixed bag.

Now then, have a brief look at a New Year’s Eve in the Great Land: