I used to really like the military. It was a natural transition after college. A beautiful way to spend one’s 20s. Now that I’m in a leadership role, with no friends, and no real colleagues (in my very niche career field), I have no idea what to do with myself.

So I am a little taken aback by Alaska Club. We were never asked if we were married, but we were open and upfront about being married partners, specifically stating during the membership sign-up that my husband and I were looking to sign up. I did notice the membership consultant skimmed over the married part of the application as he was scrolling through it (I figured it didn't matter since we were applying for a couples program), and he didn't bother asking to confirm whether we were or were not. He was by no means rude or anything, but the situation was very much preventable.

Imagine our surprise, after more than a week, when my husband inquired about our membership cards and was told that our application was 1) placed on hold because we had to sign an affidavit for an unmarried couple's application, 2) there's nothing they can do because the application was processed (like what? I thought it was on hold?), and 3) if we didn't want to sign the affidavit, we had to send a copy of our marriage certificate? (We were told it was too late to change the application, and we needed proof we married AFTER THE FACT?) If the application was processed erroneously and then placed on hold for processing, why would they not correct the sales consultant's mistake instead of requesting a gay married couple to furnish proof of marriage by asking for a marriage certificate when this was not a requirement when we signed up for it, and I assume not a requirement for any heterosexual identifying marriages? Also, who in the world brings a marriage certificate to the club, let alone a gym?

AIO? Has anyone signed up and was asked to provide a marriage certificate as proof of marriage? I sent an email to accounting last week and it's been crickets. Has anyone had issues with how they handle things?

Trick or Treat!

Its closed lol but the prices were actually displayed

I have no idea where to post this but my partners car just got stolen and I thought posting here might raise awareness in case any of you have seen this car. it had to happen between sunday 25th and monday 26th around boniface pkwy and E northern lights blvd please dm if any of you have information or have seen the car. This is his only car and we really cant afford to buy another car, we have reported it but it was useless since its under their parents name so they gotta report it first.

Case number: 26-0028118

Free rides to the polls 10/30,10/31, and 11/3! Call 1-888-857-3421 Stand Up Alaska and Indivisible are the organizations behind the free rides.

Opinion: Five things to know about Anchorage’s fiscal future

Anna Brawley and Erin Baldwin Day

Let’s be real: The Municipality of Anchorage doesn’t have the resources it needs to deliver the services residents want and deserve. We are nearing a breaking point decades in the making, and it’s time to decide what we’re going to do about it.

Over the coming months, we’re asking you to join the conversation about our fiscal future. To do that, here are five things you should know about where we’ve come from and how our budget has changed.

The muni’s budget has been capped for 40 years

The year is 1983. With 231,000 residents, Anchorage is growing rapidly. The trans-Alaska pipeline is flowing, and so is the money. The municipality’s budget is $194 million ($655 million in 2026 dollars), and 42% of it is funded by the state of Alaska.

Amid an explosion of population growth, capital investments and government spending, voters enact the tax cap.

Enshrined to this day in our municipal charter, the cap limits the municipality’s budget to no more than the previous year’s budget, adjusted for inflation and population change.

Today, Anchorage has 291,000 residents, a sprawling footprint to maintain, a $666 million municipal budget and only $1 million to $4 million from the state. Capped for the past 40 years, the Muni has cut staff, trimmed or eliminated services and chased funding to fill the gaps in our strained budget.

Cutting spending and taxes means cutting vital services

Over 60% of the municipal operating budget funds three departments: the Anchorage Police Department ($145.9 million), Anchorage Fire Department ($123.3 million) and Maintenance & Operations ($117.8 million).

Most of the budget is spent on labor — the people who work every day to run government, from fixing light poles to answering emergency calls. A meaningful property tax decrease will cut departments that keep our community safe and open for business.

No two service areas are the same
When the city of Anchorage and Greater Anchorage Area Borough unified in 1975 to become the Municipality of Anchorage, a core merger dispute was resolved by a system that shapes our government to this day: service areas.

The basic concept is that certain geographic areas vote to fund certain public services. Voters in the Anchorage Roads & Drainage Service Area may approve bonds to improve streets, roads and sidewalks within the area. Smaller areas, like the Glen Alps Limited Road Service Area, approve their own mill rates to fund their own road maintenance.

The amount we all pay to fund the municipality’s general government — libraries, planning, administration, municipal prosecutors, etc. — is very small. A typical tax bill is mostly levying dollars that can only be used in a particular service area for the area’s functions: police, fire, parks, building safety or roads.

For 50 years, the service area concepthas allowed communities to vote themselves into the level of government they want and retain a measure of local control. As a result, not everyone pays for the same services, and some people use services and amenities they don’t pay for.

The state doesn’t pay our bills anymore

Remember when we mentioned that 42% of the municipal budget in 1983 was funded by the state of Alaska? Its contribution helped build new things and maintain them too. But in 2026, that rate is down to 0.05%.

Our three big problems are related

We have three big problems: 1) we have billions of dollars in backlog as the port, schools and municipal facilities, stormwater drainage, pipes and roads are all reaching the end of their lives; 2) we built a sprawling city without enough housing to sustain it; and 3) our current budget structure doesn’t have enough flexibility to address today’s reality. Each problem stands as a barrier to the next, but to solve one nearly solves all three.

Of the 346 U.S. cities with a population over 100,000, we rank No. 1 in geographic area and No. 75 in population.

We have fewer people paying for more infrastructure, and that infrastructure is reaching the end of its life expectancy. We built a city we can’t afford to maintain, and now we have a lot of work to do with about a billion dollars we don’t have.

The math starts to change when we add more housing to the existing footprint of our infrastructure. Housing that fills in the gaps along our roads and utility lines increases the tax base that funds that infrastructure. Taxpayer density brings financial stability; more housing means more people pay their share in the long run.

But we don’t live in the long run. We live today.

Today, the cost of keeping our streets safe is bursting under the tax cap. Without further investment, the only option is less — of everything.

Today, the municipality is facing tough fiscal decisions, and we’re asking you: What level of service are you willing to fund through your local government?

You can weigh in at the MOA Fiscal Future Summit on Oct. 30 at the University of Alaska Anchorage Student Union. Doors open at 9:30 a.m., and while it’s not required, register today to get event updates and reserve your lunch.

Or … take this short survey.

Anna Brawley is chair of the Anchorage Assembly and represents District 3, West Anchorage.

Erin Baldwin Day represents District 4, Midtown Anchorage, on the Assembly.

I've seen the Alaskan mentality summed up by, "Leave me alone, but let me know if you need anything."

I ended up on the side of the highway in my van this morning (pretty sure it's the transmission 😭).

In the short 20mins I was there, 2 different people pulled over to check on me and make sure I had someone coming to my rescue.

It's a small thing, but it was really kind of them to take a minute out of their commute to make sure a stranger wasn't totally stranded.

I've been twice to the midtown mall and the wait was over an hour. I don't have that kind of time.

Any suggestions?

My recently former landlord is giving me the run around on returning my security deposit, and my next step is to file a complaint with the courts. I've never gone through this process and am looking at the handbook right now.

Just looking for advice on how to navigate this. Do I need an attorney? Should I hire a process server? I understand my rights as a tenant, but want to be informed before I begin filing.

Hello fellow Alaskans.

Are you one of the people that goes 10 miles under the speed limit on the Seward highway, but then speeds up at the passing lanes racing all the people behind you forcing anyone that wants to pass to go 95 miles an hour, only to drop down to 10mph under once the passing lanes end?

Alternatively, are you one of those people that goes under the speed limit for miles but then when a car closes on you, you speed up to match their speed or even race them?

If so, please take a few moments to answer these questions.

1. Why it be like that?
   
2. Do you think this is a game?
   
3. Is everyone else in the world some sort of clown to you?
   
4. Is there a link between this behavior and what seems to be a preference for Subaru?
   
5. Are there any resources or services that you feel would be helpful and eliminating this (silly goose) behavior?

Thank you for your time and attention to this issue

Anywhere to watch the World Series in Anchorage? (professional baseball - MLB). Peanut Farm and Buffalo Wild Wings are my thoughts, but was not sure of any other options.

What a lovely library we have here in Anchorage. Here are all the resources I found for anyone in need of support.

Somewhere reliable for just a cut and doing Bangs… scared of ulta cause last time I went there my hair was not great

Lotta people on Facebook marketplace that just don’t respond. Do you guys get your firewood from anyone consistent?

I have two young pups and their health and care is paramount to me. We moved here at the end of August, would like some trusted recommendations from some Anchorage locals. Thanks!

The former chief executive of a $25bn US gas export venture has accused Russian energy giant Novatek of secretly controlling the project, triggering the mass resignation of the company’s leadership over fears it is violating US sanctions.

The company, Polar Train LNG, is developing a gas export terminal on Alaska’s North Slope, part of a Trump administration initiative to expand US energy exports to Asia and strengthen its position in global energy markets. The venture was launched with the involvement of Gentry Beach, an investor with ties to Donald Trump’s family.

It has also featured in high-level negotiations between Washington and Moscow over potential business deals that could help secure an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to people familiar with the discussions.

Polar LNG was launched in March with plans to repurpose a partially constructed Novatek gas terminal for installation in Alaska. The company sought permission from US sanctions authorities at the Treasury department to negotiate with the Russian group but had not yet received approval.

Joel Riddle, Polar LNG’s American chief executive, told the FT that he discovered Novatek was already financing the venture and directing its operations before the necessary approvals were obtained. He resigned in September, followed by almost the entire executive leadership team, including chief financial officer Dan Chandra, executive vice-president Jim Smith and executions manager Jody Trantham. The allegations raise questions about the extent to which Russian commercial interests are already seeking a foothold in the US energy industry before any agreement has been reached.