My first trip to Sitka was back about 1975-76 when I was with a traveling music group (I played viola in Anchorage Youth Symphony and we put a 80-90 piece orchestra on the stage at Harrigan Centennial Hall). I wasn't a great athlete as a kid, but I played several sports (I even ran cross country, many, many pounds ago). I'm a published writer and photographer. I enjoy the outdoors, especially when I can hike into the woods with a camera or go fly fishing. I'm an avid reader (2-5 books a week). I have fairly diverse tastes and I'll try a lot of different things.
Music
I listen to a lot of music (I had to buy a separate hard drive for my iTunes). My favorite music types fall into the roots music category -- blues, folk, bluegrass/old-timey music, reggae, ska, jam bands, etc. I really love the blues, there's something about the raw emotion in it that makes it seem real to me. I also listen to classical, jazz, Latino, classic rock, adult alternative and other forms of music. About the only types I don't like are the really heavy metal/death rock groups, most hip hop/rap (though I can listen to old-school rappers like Gil Scott Heron who weren't suburban punks pretending to be from the hood), and most modern country music (I'd rather listen to classic country like Hank Sr. than the pop country spewed by Hank Jr., and don't even try to get me to listen to hacks like Lee Greenwood).
Movies
I tend to like the smaller, character- and plot-driven movies than the big Hollywood blockbusters. When I lived in bigger communities with better movie theaters, I usually found I'd already seen most of the Oscar or Golden Globe films, including a lot of the foreign ones. I like to see a bit of originality in movies, so I tend to avoid a lot of the sequels of mediocre movies that seem to be such a staple for our local theaters.
Television
I usually watch live sports, movies or comedy. I don't watch much network TV besides news and sports, but I do watch cable. I try to watch The Daily Show and The Colbert Report every day on Comedy Central. Most of the time, the TV is playing in the background while I'm working on the computer and it's not my main focus. I also use the Music Choice stations that come with the cable package.
Books
I read 2-5 books a week, with mysteries, Alaskana, nonfiction and contemporary American literature (within the last 100 years) being my staples. Some of the books I've read in the past couple of weeks include "Lost Angel" by Mike Doogan (a mystery set in Alaska), "Banker to the Poor" by Muhammad Yunas (Yunas won the Nobel Peace Prize with his Grameen Bank, which makes small loans to slum dwellers), "The Zahir" by Paulo Coelho (an English translation from the original Portuguese) and "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson (about hiking the Appalachian Trail).
Heroes
I have a lot of people I admire, but I don't know if any of them are what I'd call "heroes."
University Of Alaska Anchorage
Anchorage, AK
Graduated: N/A
Student status: Alumni
Degree: None
Major: history/photography/motion picture
Clubs: Just taking fun classes since I already had a degree (this was Anchorage Community College at the time, before it was absorbed by UAA)
1985 to 1987
The University of Edinburgh
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Graduated: N/A
Student status: Alumni
Degree: None
Major: Economics/business/history
Minor: geography/Scottish culture
Clubs: Part of overseas study program with Lewis & Clark College of Portland, Ore.
1984 to 1984
Lewis & Clark College
Portland, OR
Graduated: 1985
Student status: Alumni
Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Major: Communications (Mass Media emphasis)
Minor: Western European Studies
Clubs: college orchestra and choir, various sports teams, overseas study program (spent 1984 at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland), KLC radio, Pioneer Log newspaper, dorm council and RA
1980 to 1985
Bartlett High School
Anchorage, AK
Graduated: 1980
Student status: Alumni
Degree: High School Diploma
Major: College prep
Clubs: music, sports, foreign languages, Junior Achievement, etc.
I've been a copy editor, sports editor and reporter. I spent 17 years working in the newspaper industry, but now I work in public relations for a tribal health care organization.
Charles's Companies
SEARHC (SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium) Sitka, Alaska US Corporate Communications Specialist
November 2005-present
Juneau Empire Juneau, Alaska US Sports Editor
1999-2005
Alaska Newspapers Inc (chain of rural weeklies that sent me to several Bush Alaska communities) Anchorage, Alaska US Reporter/Photographer/Editor
1996-1999
The Frontiersman Wasilla, Alaska US Sports Editor
1992-1995
The Anchorage Times Anchorage, Alaska US Sports Reporter
1988-1992
Charles is in your extended network. Posted at 6:42 AM Jan 23, 2008 view more
About me: I am a longtime Alaskan who moved to the Southeast island community of Sitka in November 2005. Even though I know a lot of people, I'm still a bit of an outsider in the community. I figure this MySpace profile might help someone with similar interests find me.
You also can find me on Facebook.You also can find me on Flickr.
I was born in Arizona, but I grew up in Alaska (Anchorage) and I've lived and/or worked in just about every corner of the state. Other than going to college in Portland, Ore., and Edinburgh, Scotland, I've been in Alaska since I was 7 years old. I guess that's long enough to be considered a sourdough, not a cheechako.
When I moved to Sitka, I made a career change. I'd been a newspaper journalist for 17 years, usually covering sports or rural Alaska issues. Now I work for a tribal health organization (I write newsletters and press releases and help with health promotion campaigns). Sitka's a small town (only 8,800 people), so there aren't many secrets. Wouldn't you like to discover mine?
According to the Myers-Briggs Personality Sorter I am an ENTP. Click here for more information on the ENTP personality type.
(By the way, I lost about 40-50 pounds in 2006, but my weight plateaued in 2007. I'm hoping to start losing again in 2008, and have made some progress. I'm always looking for a walking partner. Let me know if you have some good local hikes we can do together.)
*** A WORD ABOUT FRIEND REQUESTS, I RECENTLY CHANGED MY PRIVACY SETTINGS TO REQUIRE PEOPLE WANTING TO ADD ME AS A FRIEND TO KNOW MY LAST NAME OR E-MAIL ADDRESS. I GOT HIT BY A COUPLE OF SPAM-BOTS, AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THE PEOPLE REQUESTING ADDS WERE REAL PEOPLE. IF WE DON'T ALREADY KNOW EACH OTHER AND YOU THINK YOU'D LIKE TO ADD ME AS A FRIEND, PLEASE INCLUDE A BRIEF LETTER OF INTRODUCTION AND I'LL LET YOU KNOW HOW TO GET PAST THE PRIVACY SETTINGS. THANKS ***
Who I'd like to meet: I'm interested in meeting folks about my own age for a bit of socializing. I'm not a smoker or drinker, but I am a hard-core night owl and the only businesses open late at night in this town are bars. I do go to the bars (usually Victoria's Pour House, because it's a non-smoking bar), but it would be nice to find some other options when it comes to finding things to do in Sitka.
I'm also single, which means I wouldn't mind finding a few female friends. Eventually I'd like to settle down with the right woman, but I'm not the type to rush things, either. While I wouldn't mind adding a bit of romance to my life, I'm also comfortable with being friends first and letting things run their course. If we're not meant to be intimate, then I won't push things and ruin what might still be a good friendship.
*************** Happy Holidays! *************** It sure has been cold over here! Hoping it will warm up for some snow on Christmas Day. How have you been?
Charles, thanks for mentioning that the Sparrow Quartet was on World Cafe. I found a link to the audio on NPR's website and thoroughly enjoyed their interview and music, I sure do love that old time gal, yessir i surely do.
