By Rachel Cassandra and Colette Czarnecki
Colette Czarnecki, the current News Director at KSTK, has been working at the station for a month now. Alaska Public Media’s health reporter, Rachel Cassandra, sat down with Czarnecki at KSTK to learn a little more about the new Wrangell reporter.
Colette Czarnecki (CC): Originally I’m from Michigan. But I was in Colorado for three years. I was at grad school there. And I drove from Colorado to Bellingham, Washington, you know, packed up my car beforehand, tried getting rid of a lot of things, and hopped on that ferry with my dog. And we took the 39, 42 hour ferry ride up to Wrangell. And it was a really great, slow, adventure for transitioning here.
Rachel Cassandra (RC): Can you tell us a little bit about your dog?
CC: Yes. So her name is Alice. She’s eight years old. She’s my sweet little one. She’s a beagle-pitbull-lab mix and very sweet. However, she does have to be on leash because if there is prey, she will run.
RC: So, why’d you decide to come report in Alaska?
CC: It seemed like a great opportunity. I’ve never been to Alaska before. And over the past year, I’ve applied to a few different Alaskan positions and ended up in Wrangell.
RC: Yeah, I think it’s the best state to be a radio reporter. Personally, I love it. And you’ve had about a month here now. So what do you think of Wrangell so far?
CC: My first day on the job was November 20. And that whole week was- it was a lot. And I’m sorry for everyone who went through that and lost their loved ones.
I’ve been slowly acclimating to Southeast Alaska, Wrangell. It’s a nice sweet little small town and I like it. And it being winter, it feels like a warmish winter. But I feel like because it’s winter people are hibernating in their homes. It’s a nice way to just slow down a little and I’m excited to see how Wrangell is with all the other seasons.
RC: Great, and so, you’re newish to radio reporting. Can you talk a little bit about the things that you’ve reported on before you came to Wrangell?
CC: In Boulder, there was a police advocacy panel, specifically for certain underrepresented groups. What they do is give guidelines of how they want to see police reform and all that. I’ve also written about the digital divide, especially during the Coronavirus. And then after Boulder, I moved to the Four Corners area in southwest Colorado in Cortez, and I wrote about a lot of different things there, including a new sale barn. A sale barn is where people sell cattle and other livestock. And a bunch of other things, including, what’s going on in the community.
RC: Great. And can you talk about just some of the things that you value about being a journalist like how you see your role in the community?
CC: What I value about being a journalist is just trust and advocacy for the community. I know that trust isn’t instantly earned. So, I do look forward to building relationships with community members and experiencing and witnessing how Wrangell evolves throughout time.
RC: And what are some things you like to do when you’re not reporting?
CC: I love going on hikes. I just recently have tried to pick up crocheting again, but I failed. I’m sure I will try again. And I love baking and making food.
RC: And I heard that you spent a year studying herbalism in North Carolina.
CC: I did, almost 10 years ago. I forgot- that’s another hobby of mine. I am really into healing, how the body heals, and I enjoy making little herbal concoctions and I’m excited about seeing what plant medicine is here in Wrangell, and foraging too.
