After nearly six months of planning and development, Koahnic Broadcast Corporation (KBC) can deliver many of its programs to CIRI shareholders wherever they live via its new web site at www.knba.org. The site offers web users the opportunity to hear KBC's national Native radio programs, tune into KNBA 90.3 FM (the country's first urban Native radio station), learn about upcoming media training events, post notices about upcoming events, and discuss news, cultural issues and Native music.

Web listeners will be able to listen to the award-winning KNBA 90.3 FM and its innovative programming 24 hours a day. Visitors to the web site can hear programs such as "Stories of Our People," "Native Word of the Day," and the "KNBA Morning Line with CC," Anchorage's favorite radio personality. And, of course, listeners can find the KBC-produced news program, "National Native News," both live and archived on the site and participate in the nationwide talk show, "Native America Calling," by listening live on the web. For more information about what's available, the site also contains KNBA's program schedule for a complete lineup of each day's offerings.

Cassandra Shumate, KBC's director of marketing and development, said the web site is a great way to stay in touch with Alaska and Native issues. "In addition to all our great regular programming, the web site allows us a way to webcast special programs, like our annual AFN coverage, all over the globe. This is a real service to those people outside the Southcentral Alaska listening area."

In addition to the radio station, web users can get information about KBC's national radio programs and find stations in their area that broadcast "National Native News," "Native America Calling," and "Earthsongs." The KBC Training Center will post announcements about its upcoming training programs, allow on-line registration and even archive samples of student radio productions. In the next month, the application form for the 2000 Alaska Native Youth Media Institute will be available for high school students interested in learning about radio and other media as a career option. The new KBC web site will be updated regularly and expanded over time.

Cook Inlet Housing Authority will host a housing seminar for low-income Alaska Natives and American Indians on February 8. The seminar will feature information on CIHA's First Home Program, designed to assist low-income Alaska Natives and American Indians with a poor credit rating.

The program hopes to place 75 families in new homes for the upcoming spring. The seminar will start at 6:30 p.m. at the Marriott Residence Inn, located at 1025 E. 35th Avenue. For more information, call 276-8822.

Again this year, Cook Inlet Tribal Council provided Alaska Native families living in Anchorage with Christmas dinners, toys and clothing during the holidays, thanks to generous donations made by CIRI directors, staff and other donors.

According to Helen Marrs, director of community relations for CITC, "Providing 100 families with Christmas dinner is our objective each year. The amount of the donations we receive determines how many people can be helped. On behalf of the CITC Board of Directors and our executive director, I extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who donated to the program. It is their generosity, combined with the volunteer effort of many people, that makes this program so successful."

This year, the gift basket program helped more than 300 CIRI shareholder and Alaska Native families, including elders and children, residing in the Cook Inlet region.

The Alaska Native Heritage Center is featuring a variety of special programs concerning the many Alaska Native cultures each weekend throughout the winter.

"The Center continues to be open to the public this winter as an option for weekend activities in Anchorage, where all can discover the richness and diversity of Alaska's Native cultures," said Margaret Nelson, the Center's president and CEO. "Join us on Saturdays and Sundays this winter to interact with one of five featured cultural groups demonstrating, performing and teaching. And you can also join us for skating on our outdoor lake."

Through April, the Center will be open on Saturdays and Sundays from noon until 5 p.m.

For more information about the various programs, visit the Center's web site at www.alaskanative.net, e-mail info@alaskanative.net, or call the Center at (907) 330-8000.