I live in interior Alaska by choice, having extricated myself from the hedonistic congestion and greed-driven rat race of the Lower 48.  I have two ideas.

1.  There is a medical clinic in the town where I live, owned by a very dedicated and capable doctor who has committed his life to this community.  He is a godly and selfless man, whose philosophy embraces prevention of disease and healing of physiological and psychiatric dysfunction through balanced nutrition, prayer, holistic wellness and clean living.  His personal preference is to employ surgical or pharmaceutical intervention only as the last resort, although he is willing to provide whatever ethical, legal and useful treatment approach his patients are receptive to. 

He provides excellent care at what I believe to be the last privately owned clinic in the State.  He works closely with the military personnel at the nearby Army base, as well as the civilian population from all walks of life.  He has a static patient base of several thousand, and he also sees hundreds of transient patients who work, travel or serve in the area for shorter periods of time.  He treats all his patients with dignity, honesty and professionalism without discrimination.  

His vision is to ensure that this same quality of care remains available to this demographic area long after he is no longer able to meet the medical needs of the community.  Due to the remote nature of his practice as well as the extreme shortage of medical providers available in the state of Alaska, he has not been able to secure the funding he needs to ensure the continuity of medical care in this community without yielding to the concessions which would be attached to corporate or government funding.  

Indeed, various corporate conglomerates and governmental entities have approached him with proposals to take over the medical care here, but wary of compromising the best interest and quality of care of the people he loves, he has so far declined.  He does not refuse such funding out of pride, politics or egocentricism, but out of a pragmatic and well researched understanding of the unique needs of this area which would not be best served by solutions appropriate to other demographics.

I would like to honor this man with the funding he needs to establish a  long-term sustainable system of private medical care tailored to the specific and unique needs of this area.  He could speak much more knowledgeably about what those needs entail, but I would guess that they would certainly include a small hospital, a rehab facility, a reliable and well-manned EMS network, a pharmacy and enough staff, Doctors and mid-level providers to be available for any trauma or medical need 24/7.

2.  I personally have a background in ministry and theater.  Although I treasure the rural nature of this area, I do recognize a need for free time to be channeled into constructive activities in this community. 

The old proverb states that idle hands are the Devil\'s workshop.  Bored young people everywhere are tempted to experiment with substance abuse, alcoholism, sexual promiscuity and crime, and my community is not immune to that problem.  Furthermore, due to the long winters, short daylight hours and geographical separation from cultural events and social support groups, it is common for individuals who move here for employment to struggle with depression.

In an attempt to address this need,  five years ago, I founded a community drama association.  We perform at least two original full-length stage plays per year and do not charge admission.  We are all volunteers and have been supported solely with donations.  Many have commented on the dedication to professionalism demonstrated by our group and have even compared us favorably with professional theatrical performances they have attended in places like New York and Branson, Missouri.

Most of our cast and crew have been young people with no prior experience, and I enjoy watching them grow and cultivate self-confidence, poise, discipline, team-work and other valuable skills that they will be able to take with them throughout their life and careers.  I\'m happy to be able to provide a healthy outlet for their creativity, and a social group for them to become part of.  Most importantly, our productions are always family friendly, with a solid moral theme not typical of the entertainment industry today.

Unfortunately, we do not have a building of our own, and the church that has graciously lent us the use of their facility is really not designed for theatrical productions. I regret that we cannot afford to reimburse them what they should rightfully receive for the wear and tear and inconvenience caused by our productions.

I have a dream of building a theater with state of the art facilities and equipment where we can rehearse without juggling schedules.  It would have such amenities as a shop for building props and sets, real dressing rooms and a studio where we could produce sound tracks and DVDs and audiovisual effects.  Furthermore, this facility would be made available for other community cultural events such concerts, recitals, and performances.

I have a dream of building this theater at the center of a \"family fun center\" complex.  Besides family  activities like miniature golf or laser tag, this facility would feature a snack bar and tea room that serves tasty but nutritious and organic snacks made from whole grains ground on site then baked in stone, wood-fired ovens, or picked from an indoor non-GMO garden that thrives under full spectrum lighting even in the darkness of Alaska\'s winter.  I see this facility also including a library full of real leather-bound books, such as literary and religious classics.  I envision a cabinet full of classic board and tabletop games inviting people to interact with each other and re-establish the old-fashioned form of social networking where individuals interact with other live human beings instead of an impersonal electronic device. 

I want this facility to include a prayer and meditation room where people can withdraw themselves from the rat race and cultivate their personal spiritual growth.

My goal is to: a) provide a safe, therapeutic haven with wholesome activities where youth and anyone else can stay out of trouble and network with others in a healthy setting.  b) to communicate hope and peace and a positive moral world-view through the medium of quality dramatic entertainment on stage and screen.  c)to educate, train, build character and inspire excellence in those who volunteer,  and d) to spread light and love to Interior Alaska and distribute it elsewhere via live touring drama teams and broadcast/electronic media.

Thank you for your consideration.  God bless you.

George Hosier

dotlaker@yahoo.com