Flower Shops Anchorage AK

Anchorage AK Press

Murder trials and flowers: Judge Volland's legacy in Alaska

ANCHORAGE -Judge Philip Volland is famous for his courtroom sentencings. He chooses his words carefully, each one seems agonized over, deliberate and thoughtful. And then there are the flowers in his courtroom. Beautiful pinks and greens, there’s always an orchid. After serving on the Anchorage Superior Court since 2002, he was appointed by Gov. Tony Knowles, Volland retired this month. Volland was among the highest-rated judges according to the lawyers who appeared in his courtroom. The Back Story: Volland came to Alaska from crowded New York, just before the rush of the pipeline, eager to get away from the city. “Alaska got a hold of me and didn’t let go,” Volland said. At the time he was stationed in Fairbanks, as a clerk, and would fly to rural parts of the state for legal work. He would sleep in schools, the storage rooms of shops, anywhere he could. He says he was treated kindly and was always amazed at the generosity of people who would stop by with food. Volland never planned o... http://www.ktuu.com/news/news/murder-trials-and-flowers-judge-vollands-legacy-in-alaska/35146864

Governor's housing summit seeks solutions

Experts from around the state gathered in Anchorage Wednesday to hear and share information on a variety of topics related to housing in Alaska. Governor Bill Walker convened the summit, which included sessions on housing concerns in rural Alaska, and boosting private sector investment. Download Audio Elizabeth Schultz, the governor’s laisson for community and non profits, says housing problems are not limited to the state’s homeless population, and include overcrowding in the state’s rural areas, limited options for seniors and a shortage of affordable family housing, which can be a barrier to potential job-seekers in the state. “We’ve got passionate advocates that have been working in non profits for years to end homelessness and to draw attention to those issues, but we are realizing now that these housing issues are broad in scope and affect every economic strata in the state, so we need to start thinking of creative solutions.” Jack Hebert  is the CEO of the Cold Climate Housing Research Center. He says thousands of bush... http://www.alaskapublic.org/2016/01/06/governors-housing-summit-seeks-solutions/