Hometown, Alaska

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Hometown, Alaska features conversations with local civic and cultural leaders, educators, and community members making an impact on their city.

Listen to Hometown, Alaska on KSKA FM 91.1 in Anchorage, AK.
Mondays at 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Hometown, Alaska: What is Anchorage’s winter shelter plan?

Temperatures are dropping quickly and hundreds of Anchorage residents are currently living unsheltered in camps and on the street across the city. What’s the plan to keep them safe this winter and beyond? Join host Anne Hillman as she speaks with three city leaders who are working on this problem.

Hometown, Alaska: Discussing mental health awareness and suicide prevention

The stigmas and statistics of mental health awareness are important issues for Alaskans, especially as it relates to suicide prevention. On this episode of Hometown, Alaska host Justin Williams leads a conversation about how to discuss mental health and suicide prevention with Blaze Bell of Standing Together Against Rape and Recover Alaska as well as Shana Cooper of the Alaska Native Justice Center. They share their professional insight and personal experiences to explain how to approach these issues and share what resources are out there.

Hometown, Alaska: The past, present and future of Rugby in Alaska

On paper, the objective of rugby is simple—carry a ball across the scoring zone to secure more points than your opponent. It sounds easy enough. In reality, 300-feet and 15 burly athletes looking to knock you off your feet at every turn make scoring a point a Herculean task. But therein lies the joy of being a rugby player. On this episode of Hometown, Alaska host O'Hara Shipe discusses the sport with leaders of the Alaska Rugby Union.

Hometown, Alaska: Celebrating 45 years of KSKA

45 years ago KSKA flipped a switch and became the very first public radio station in Southcentral Alaska. On the next Hometown, Alaska we revisit some of the station's best memories with KSKA’s original general manager and the station's longtime program director of nearly 40 years.

Hometown, Alaska: Exploring community, culture and food with the podcast ‘A Piece of Kake’

Kake, Alaska is currently populated by about 500 people but it’s the hometown of many more. This week on Hometown, Alaska we take a trip on a seal hunting vessel and into a kitchen as we explore the community through interviews about its past and present with the hosts of the podcast "A Piece of Kake."

Hometown, Alaska: Turkish flavors delight in Anchorage

Zeynep Kilic was born and raised in Turkey. A former professor of the now-defunct sociology program at the University of Alaska Anchorage, Kilic is now an accomplished film director, as well as the new owner of the recently rebranded and reopened Turkish Delight, a restaurant specializing in authentic Turkish cuisine. On this episode of Hometown, Alaska we will hear about  her history and relationship surrounding the food she makes and loves, and what approaches she takes for her favorite dishes.

Hometown Alaska: Comedian Paula Poundstone hates promoting herself

Known for her witty observations on NPR’s Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me and her really large family of pets, Paula Poundstone will be performing in Anchorage later this month.The author, podcaster and expert dog-waste-remover joins host Anne Hillman to discuss her comedy, her home life, and more.

Hometown, Alaska: The 3 Barons Renaissance Fair is a potent elixir of history, fantasy and fun

If you happened to be driving down Tudor Road in Anchorage last weekend you may have noticed a throng of people dressed in armor, medieval gowns and maybe even a dragon suit. That’s because we are in the midst of the Three Barons Renaissance Fair which runs through this weekend. On this episode of Hometown, Alaska host Dave Waldron speaks with a long-time board member about the fair and moderates a debate between the three Barons as they vie for the public's support to rule the realm of Hillshire.

Hometown Alaska: StoryCorps’ Military Voices Initiative comes to Anchorage

StoryCorps’ mission is to share and preserve humanity’s stories to build empathy and a more compassionate world. As part of their Military Voices Initiative, StoryCorps partnered with us at Alaska Public Media to record veterans, active members of the armed forces or their families to document their stories. On this episode of Hometown Alaska, producer Ammon Swenson discusses the Military Voices project with the CEO of StoryCorps and learns about the women's veteran organization Operation Mary Louise.

Hometown Alaska: Gardeners and growers

Despite the May snowfall, it is definitely growing season in Anchorage. On this episode of Hometown Alaska host Dave Waldron and two master gardeners discuss the challenges and rewards of gardening in our northern climate, answer some listener questions and do a little gardening trivia. Later in the show we visit an apple orchard with the president of the Alaska Pioneer Fruit Growers Association to find out what goes into the growing process this time of year.