Elise Sereni Patkotak

I went to the same school from pre-kindergarten through 8^th grade. I spent more time than I can calculate hiding under my desk from a nuclear attack. Of course, if that didn’t work for nuclear war protection, there was also going out to the hallway and facing the wall while holding our hands over our heads. Either way, according to Sisters Angelina, Beatrice, Gaetano and all the rest of the Salesian nuns that taught me, we were safe. And if they said we were safe, we were.

I think if I were a child today, there would not be Continue reading →

Reading about the push to turn the old ANMC land into something more useful and attractive brought to mind my first night in Alaska.

It was Oct. 1, 1972. I had cried my way from New York City to Anchorage while a very unhappy parrot was in the cargo hold. I have no idea how Adeline made it safely to Anchorage under those conditions, but she did. She was a tough old bird.

I was picked up by an IHS employee and dropped off at the front desk of visitors’ quarters. I stood there holding the cage with Adeline in Continue reading →

In what now seems like a distant past, I was a Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) with the Alaska Court System. My caseload was pretty much troubled teenagers from North Slope villages. Most had been in state custody on and off throughout their lives and now were old enough to truly express how those years affected them. It was not pretty. These were children who had already been damaged by their parents and, to some extent, by a state system that kept giving them back to those parents instead of working on a more permanent solution.

All of this is to Continue reading →

Here’s one of those issues that sit right in front of our faces without us even noticing that it’s worth questioning. So, I present to you my current conundrum because why should I be the only one stuck on this question.

Why are eyes and teeth excluded from health care? They are a tag on to what is considered important for your health. Being able to see or eat is apparently not considered in that category but gosh, doesn’t it seem as though they should?

If you are experiencing eye or teeth issues, those issues can quickly become overwhelming in Continue reading →

I received a phone call from a gentleman who wanted me to save America from President Biden. I laughed so hard I thought I was going to throw up. I finally asked if he could tell me who the Republicans were planning to run for president if I helped him do that. He couldn’t answer; or maybe he just didn’t want to answer.

This year’s midterms seem to be hinging on the Supreme Court’s religious ruling that a woman’s right to see her doctor in private without the government interfering is somehow illegal. No word yet on when the Supremes, Continue reading →

So, I have for a very long time ignored the urge to write a column about Sarah Palin because 1. She didn’t need the extra publicity and 2. She seems to do enough damage to herself without me piling on. But there comes a point where I can no longer ignore the urge. I have to ask how anyone – and I do mean anyone – can possibly think this woman is a good representative of Alaska and its values.

So here I am, writing that column.

People have sent me videos of her during one of her many ramblings. Continue reading →

So, I’m guessing I’m not the only person receiving calls from pollsters looking for hints as to what might emerge from the crowded fields of political candidates in this year’s elections. We all knew it was coming. We’ve all been through it before. Our phones ring off the hook with people asking us who we plan to vote for, what we plan to vote for and, of course, the very popular question being asked by people seeing the signs – who’s Kelly?

I am, for the most part, retired and I have lots of time to respond to these calls. Continue reading →

Here’s what I am so tired of hearing. First you hear the gunshots – if not literally at least figuratively as there is yet another report of a mass shooting somewhere in America. Then come the devastated local officials to explain that they had no idea it could happen in their town. Then come the politicians to offer prayers and sympathy – a phrase which now just makes me want to gag. And then finally come the statements from NRA owned politicians about how this is not about guns but about mental health. And then comes… nothing.

Anchorage recently was Continue reading →

Here are words I never thought I would think, let alone say out loud. I am starting to have some respect for Mike Pence. Don’t get me wrong. His politics generally appall me. His attitude towards women rolls out of a century that can’t even be identified. And on most days, he resembles a walking Viagra ad. But he not only apparently believes in our Constitution, he will stand up to a bully to protect it.

Trump is obviously the bully to whom I refer. And in case you ever wondered what an adult bully sounds like, check out Trump’s Continue reading →

I have spent what seems like the last few decades wearing a mask, being careful about handwashing, avoiding crowds when possible. I have been vaccinated and boosted and all but screamed to the heavens to keep me safe from Covid. Then, one day I went to a store and forgot my mask. This occurred long after masks were no longer required so I figured what could a quick unmasked trip in the store hurt.

Yep, you guessed it. Three days later I woke up with a headache that made me feel as though my head was going to explode. This Continue reading →