Programs

Today we’re playing Christmas music. Now, we could spend time talking about the songs you’ve already heard a hundred times, or we could do something different. Don’t get me wrong we like the classics, but today we’re going to uncover some Christmas gems. And to do that I’ve brought in Town Square 49 regular Spencer Shroyer, aka DJ Spencer Lee. Listen Now:

Downton Abbey, the most popular program on PBS, returns for its 5th Season Sunday, January 4 at 8;00 pm on Alaska Public Media. This Emmy® and Golden Globe® award-winning hit drama of intimately interlaced stories centered on an English country estate is the highest-rated drama in PBS history.

Drones. These unmanned flying robots — some as large as jumbo jets, others as small as birds — do things straight out of science fiction. Much of what it takes to get these robotic airplanes to fly, sense and kill has remained secret.

This is the epic story of one of the most amazing evolutionary journeys ever taken by a species. Thousands of years ago, as humans began to settle in villages, the wolf emerged from the wild and made the startling leap to “man’s best friend.”

Always one of “our favorite things,” PBS continues the cherished tradition of ringing in the New Year at the opulent Musikverein with the Vienna Philharmonic under the baton of guest conductor Zubin Mehta, and featuring everyone’s favorite Strauss Family waltzes accompanied by the beautiful dancing of the Vienna City Ballet. Stage and screen legend Julie Andrews returns as host.

Shakespeare Uncovered continues with a second season on PBS, beginning Friday, January 30 at 8:00 pm and continuing the following two successive Fridays. Episode one showcases Midsummer Night's Dream starring Downton Abbey's Hugh Bonneville.

Front Row and Center returns for a new season with the series' eclectic signature of industry veterans mixed with a new generation of chart-toppers. The lineup of 10 episodes includes an Oscar-nominated rock band, guitar legends and, for the first time, country hit-makers. It will follow Austin City Limits on Saturday nights at 11:00 beginning January 3.

Every community has a place, where people gather and stories are told. The east coast has stoops, the south has porches and in Alaska we have Arctic Entries. Here, Alaskans share their personal stories – funny, sad and sweet. This week, the theme is “getaways” – stories of going undercover, finding paradise and getting the hell outta Dodge. KSKA: Tuesday, Dec. 30, at 2:00 and 9:00 p.m. Listen now:

It’s been more than 70 years since Unalaska came under attack during World War II, but you don’t have to look hard to find the remnants. The community is littered with old gunnery installations, battered Quonset huts and bunkers – some of which are being preserved for posterity. But there’s history, and then there’s hazard, and the shells and bombs that keep washing up on Unalaska’s shores fall somewhere in between. Download Audio

Haines seems like a quintessential Southeast Alaska town. There are eagles, bears, salmon, big mountains and rough water. It’s a picture-book no stoplight, no movie theater, low crime type of community. But there’s a seedier and eclectic side of Haines that emerged late this winter: the underground puppet scene. Download Audio

As art aficionados know, anything aesthetic is the first thing cut at school board meetings—art is considered a frill! This month’s line-up ought to send the naysayers rethinking. Read more

Now that the holidays are over and my handmade gifts have been delivered I can start posting some more patterns. Earlier this winter I became mildly obsessed with the brioche stitch. I found this lovely tutorial and pattern for a cowl and I came up with a simple headband/turban using the same stitch. Read more

On April 1, 1946, the sea floor ruptured just south of Unimak Island in the Aleutian Islands. Seawater displaced by the giant earthquake sent a 100-foot wave into the Scotch Cape lighthouse on Unimak, destroying the concrete structure and killing the five men inside. They never knew what hit them in the 2 a.m. darkness. Read more