2023 String Cheese Incident

2023 String Cheese Incident

Contributed by The Alaska State Fair

Creative vibes from this innovative, independent band

One of America’s most significant independent bands

Live music vibe innovators

A musical Incident not to be missed

Over their 30-year career, The String Cheese Incident (SCI) has emerged as one of America’s most significant independent bands. Born in 1993 in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, SCI has since released numerous albums, such as Untying the Not, Rhythm of the Road, and Song in My Head, featuring fan-favorite songs including “Sirens,” “This Must Be the Place,” “Get Tight” and “Rosie.” The band has also put out several DVDs and countless live recordings from their relentless tour schedule. In addition to their commitment to musical creativity and integrity, SCI has also been recognized for their community spirit, philanthropic endeavors and innovative approach to the business of music.

The String Cheese Incident

2023 AT&T Concert Series 

Saturday, September 2 @ 6pm 

ConocoPhillips Borealis Theatre

Lawn Area $59 concert only, $69 with Fair admission

Reserved Area $79 concert only, $89 with Fair admission

Fair admission additional. Convenience fees apply. Please note there is no seating at this concert. Tickets with Fair admission offer ends August 17.

https://www.alaskastatefair.org/site/

Over their 30-year career, The String Cheese Incident (SCI) has emerged as one of America’s most significant independent bands. Born in 1993 in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, SCI has since released numerous albums, such as Untying the Not, Rhythm of the Road, and Song in My Head, featuring fan-favorite songs including “Sirens,” “This Must Be the Place,” “Get Tight” and “Rosie.” The band has also put out several DVDs and countless live recordings from their relentless tour schedule.

In addition to their commitment to musical creativity and integrity, SCI has also been recognized for their community spirit, philanthropic endeavors and innovative approach to the business of music.

With the internet as their tool, SCI was among the first artists to disseminate information online, such as tour dates and release information, to their growing fan base. Rather than focusing on “the bottom line,” SCI put their music and their fans first, opening a ticketing company, a merchandise company and a fan travel agency to best serve their community. The band’s record label, SCI Fidelity Records, embraced downloadable music and file sharing, delivering SCI’s “On The Road” series, where every show the band plays is made available for download.

Early on, the band took a serious interest in giving back to the communities that they visited, and they were among the first performers to encourage “Green” shows and tours.

All the while, the band has stayed committed to music as a creative endeavor in their recordings and live performances. The list of SCI’s special guests and collaborators is long and diverse. Their annual events, such as Electric Forest, Halloween and New Year’s Eve, have helped redefine the concert experience and have garnered the band a reputation as live music vibe innovators.

2023 Mat-Su Employer Expo

2023 Mat-Su Employer Expo

Contributed by Lana Kosek

 

Be fully prepared to visit your Mat-Su Job Center early and often for assistive workshops, career counseling, typing assessments, use of computer/copier resources and so much more.

All job center services are at no cost to you! We are an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services upon requests to individuals with disabilities.

More than 100 companies are expected at this year’s 2023 Employer Expo! Interact with employers hiring for entry-level, technical, professional and seasonal positions. Speak with university, vocational tech school, apprenticeship and union representatives. If you arrive early, be enthusiastic, ask questions, show initiative, collect business cards, network with others, and take notes. Come dressed for success, bring plenty of resumes, have your 30 second pitch ready and put your best foot forward. 

The Employer Expo takes place Wednesday, March 29th from 10A to 3P at the Curtis Menard Center, 1001 S Clapp St, Wasilla. For more information, contact the Mat-Su Job Center at (907) 352-2500 or you can scan the QR code on page 4 of The People’s Paper!

The Gift of Giving

The Gift of Giving

Contributed by Charice Chambers

 

The Palmer Senior Center is in a financial crisis. Things are so desperate that we have suspended the congregate lunches that have become so important to area seniors for both nutritional and socializational reasons. For many the luncheon meal served at the Center represents the only hot meal of the day. We are asking you to help not only to bring back this important activity, but help maintain the many additional services that the Center provides for our seniors. One of the ways to help the Center is to make your gift purchases at our gift shop!

One of the best kept secrets in the Valley is the Palmer Senior Center gift shop. It is filled with an amazing collection of goods, both consignment and retail. The shop was created as a showcase for senior artists and crafts persons as well as non-senior Alaskan artists. Because it was designed to bring high quality giftables to a senior population, the end price needed to be appreciably lower for seniors who were most often on limited fixed incomes. The good news is that the shop is open to the public who can also take advantage of high-quality merchandise at lower-than-average prices. The bad news is, of course, the off-the-beaten-path location of the gift shop. It is housed in the Palmer Senior Center across from and adjacent to Palmer Junior Middle School, definitely not in the city’s shopping district. The even worse news is that the gift shop is open on a limited basis: Tuesday through Friday from 10 am to 2 pm. This makes shopping with us a problematic activity. Because we are staffed entirely by volunteers, the open hours and days cannot be altered. So, we ask you to go a bit out of your way and expand your time schedule to shop with us as a means of helping the Center. All revenues from the gift shop, after costs, go to Palmer Senior Center. Please take time to come and shop with us. Each time you do, you will be assisting the Senior Center in fulfilling its mission to enrich the lives of Palmer’s senior population. 

Much can be found within the walls of the gift shop from perfectly balanced ivory handled hunting knives to intricately wrought gold gemstone earrings. Locally hand-crafted baskets of all sizes line the shelves, unique Alaska hug dolls nested in many. There is a small but robust children’s department filled with handcrafted layettes, booties of all sorts of design including roller skates and cowboy boots. Knitted elephants, cows and bears perch on miniature chairs amongst a myriad of rainbow hued hand crocheted and knitted hats and dresses. Child themed art of all types stands ready to grace the walls of a baby’s room. The shop also features local native art. A large selection of ivory necklaces, seal skin wallets and cell phone cases, beautifully beaded medicine pouch pendants, tulip pouches, and a variety of beaded earrings featuring a plethora of themes fill the cabinets. Native carvings and skin art dominated by a pair of Shaktoolik Pass spirit masks line the shelves. Soaps, creams, lotions and potions to allay the itch and pain of many skin ailments, stock the racks as well. Nearly all are Alaskan produced.

The home goods department features hand embroidered tea towels, crocheted cotton wash cloths, a variety of aprons, placemats and table runners, microwave hot bowl holders, all wool artist produced dryer balls, mugs, cups and tumblers, and even locally sourced honey. The talents of many seniors are exhibited in the collection of quilts and throws displayed throughout the shop. Wall hangings featuring moose, wolves, sled dogs and other Alaskan themes festoon the walls. The gift shop also houses art prints, original art and a constantly changing array of John Gould’s vision of Alaska photos stunningly rendered on aluminum sheeting.

Perhaps the most dominant feature of the gift shop is its wildly colorful array of kuspuks. With the largest collection of these native garments in the state, many customers make the senior center’s gift shop a destination. Most of these distinctive garments are designed and executed by seamstress Bobbi Lewis. Kuspuks are available in a wide variety of colors, sizes and styles from traditional to contemporary.

There is something for virtually every taste at the gift shop. Please consider making a purchase at the gift shop as one of the many ways you can help to support the mission of the Palmer Senior Center. Give the gift of giving: delight a friend with that perfect something while giving to a senior through your purchase!

We are located at 1132 S. Chugach Street.

 Boating safety class via Zoom, April  1-2

Boating safety class via Zoom, April  1-2

Contributed by Doris Thomas

US Coast Guard Auxiliary

EAGLE RIVER - "Boat America," a six-lesson course for recreational boaters, will be offered via Zoom the mornings of April 1 through 2 by the Eagle River Flotilla, United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.

The class meets from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday and Sunday. Students may complete the optional final exam online at home after the class.

Subjects covered include small boat handling, trailering, legal requirements including Alaska boating law, navigation rules, emergency procedures and personal watercraft considerations. The cost is $25, which includes the textbook and Eventbrite fee. 

Course information is at this link: http://wow.uscgaux.info/pe_class_flyer.php?unit=NAT&course=26972

and the direct Eventbrite registration link is https://www.eventbrite.com/e/boat-america-tickets-494453542857.

The Zoom link will be provided after the student registers. Early registration is encouraged so the flotilla has time to mail the textbook to the student before the class.

Anyone who has questions or can’t register online may contact the flotilla at (907) 694-3570 or cgauxeagleriver@gmail.com. 

This course meets the requirements for safety certification in many states and some insurance companies will offer a discount to skippers who have completed the course.

And You Get a Gravel Pit… And You Get a Gravel Pit

And You Get a Gravel Pit… And You Get a Gravel Pit

Contributed by Tim

 

Members of the Borough Assembly are pushing a gravel pit ordinance that will make it easier for anyone to start a gravel pit on their property; potentially next to you or down the street. This ordinance (OR 22-131 ) would increase the size of permissible gravel pits from the current 2,000 cubic yards per year to 10,000 cubic yards per year without requiring public comment, review or permitting. 10,000 cubic yards is about 1,000 dump trucks of gravel removed per year.

This ordinance first came up months ago and was greatly opposed by Valley residents and businesses at an Assembly meeting. The Assembly ignored those voices, adjusted some numbers on the ordinance and sent it to the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission voted to skip any public comment and send it back to the Assembly for a vote last week. After significant opposition at that meeting on March 7th it has been tabled for March 21st.

Under the current gravel pit application process, permitting, review and public comment are required for a pit that is over 2,000 cubic yards and 80-85% of those applications are approved. 

The proponents of this ordinance in the Assembly have not provided any reason for it. There is no shortage of gravel in the Valley; we send a lot of it to Anchorage every year. They have only deflected concerns about dust, traffic, property value, animal habitat destruction, aesthetics (GIANT UGLY HOLES) and water quality. Most of those deflections include phrases such as “most likely” and “probably wouldn’t”; they have not provided any solid evidence to discredit these concerns.

The current process includes a public hearing for adjoining residents to speak to the impacts on their property. It allows for rules to mitigate the impacts of the added traffic, noise and dust. It includes a review to ensure operators have a proper reclamation plan. It requires gravel pit operators not leave excessively steep slopes, that they have a plan for safe roadway operation and that groundwater and drinking water are protected.

If there is no problem, why do we need a solution? The potential reasons are suspicious. Do the proponents have an immediate special interest or pressure through outside partners? Is there a future plan and this ordinance is just a step toward a bigger outcome?

We elect local leaders to deal with problems and concerns in our community, to work for us, in our best interests as residents, taxpayers, and as a community. They should not be using their place on an elected board for personal or business benefit, at the local level or even the state level.

This ordinance has no purpose for our community.

The Borough Assembly meets on March 21st to vote on this ordinance. If you feel you and the members of our community should retain our right to review and comment on gravel pits in our community you need to speak up. Here’s how you can do that:

Email your Assembly members: https://www.matsugov.us/assembly

Attend the meeting on March  21st and speak directly to them.

Call in during the meeting: 1-855-225-2326; Press *3 when you hear the clerk announce they have opened the public hearing for the legislation (OR 22-131).

Clean Air Challenge 2023

Clean Air Challenge 2023

Contributed by The American Lung Association 


On May 13th more than 200 hundred bicyclists will gather in Talkeetna, Alaska for the Clean Air Challenge, in which participants unite to ride for one cause—lung health. The lifesaving ride will benefit the American Lung Association and their mission to improve lung health and help prevent lung disease. 

The Clean Air Challenge is the largest annual fundraiser for the American Lung Association, Alaska. Each year we challenge riders of every age and skill level to join us as we ride our bikes from the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge up the Highway toward the majestic Denali Mountains and back. Each rider commits to raising at least $350 in fundraising, but many go far beyond that point to help continue funding for the organization’s vital lifesaving work. The more money raised the more lives we save in our community! Participants that raise over $500 will receive a night stay at the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge the night of the event and participants who raise over $800 receive a two-night stay at the lodge during the weekend of the event.  

The American Lung Association’s work directly touches more than 34 million Americans each year including roughly 100,000 Alaskans living with lung disease. Saving lives through a pioneering model of research, education and advocacy, the Lung Association focuses on defeating lung cancer, creating a tobacco-free future, championing clean air for all and improving the quality of life for those with lung disease and their families.  

Learn more about the Clean Air Challenge on May 13 and register atwww.cleanairchallengeak.org. or contact the Alaska Office at HeatherL.Johnson@lung.org or Jessica.Frey@lung.org   

When you cant breathe, nothing else matters.

Celebrate St Patrick’s Day Weekend with Alaska Celtic Pipes & Drums in Concert Saturday March 18 at 4:00PM

Celebrate St Patrick’s Day Weekend with Alaska Celtic Pipes & Drums in Concert Saturday March 18 at 4:00PM

Contributed by Richard Christiansen

 

You don’t have to be Irish to love Bagpipes on St Patrick’s Weekend, but this Band might just have you dancing a wee jig– Alaska Celtic Pipes & Drums present the Wearin’ O’ the Green Concert at 4:oopm on Saturday afternoon, March 18, 2023 at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, 18444 Old Glenn Highway in Chugiak, (on Old Glenn Hwy, between North and South Birchwood exits.) 

The Wearin’ O’ the Green Concert promises to deliver yet again a brilliant performance by an award-winning local Pipe Band, with piping and drumming from the entire ensemble, as well as solos, and smaller groups of pipers and drummers within the Band. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Weekend with a Band that’s “Piping Hot!” 

Based in Chugiak/Eagle River, Alaska Celtic Pipes & Drums are very active in the greater Anchorage area, the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, and throughout South-Central Alaska, and have great fun teaching, performing, and competing. The Wearin’ O’ the Green Concert is a special Concert for St. Patrick’s Weekend so don’t forget: “the Pipes, the Pipes are calling…” Prepare to be amazed! If you love Bagpipes or Pipe Bands this Concert is a must-see! 

After winning 1st place People’s Choice Awards in Band Competition Events at the 2021 and 2022 Alaska Scottish Highland Games, and after winning 1st Place overall for Band Events at the Fall 2022 World Online Piping & Drumming Competition, Alaska Celtic Pipes & Drums are looking forward to celebrating an exciting St. Patrick’s Day weekend with our community!

Admission is free, but donations are always sincerely appreciated, with proceeds to benefit Alaska Celtic Pipes & Drums’ Education Fund, and the church youth group. Contact the Band via email at jungstensgericht@yahoo.com , or phone 907/315-9838. Phenomenal!

Alaskan Mother of 8 Fighting Stage IV Cancer

Alaskan Mother of 8 Fighting Stage IV Cancer

Contributed by The Joy Davidson Fundraiser

 

ALL ALASKANS - Joy Davidson, a wife to her husband Joel and mother to her eight children (ranging from a freshman in college to 3-years-old) has been diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer which has metastasized. 

To spend time with Joy is to discover what you love about your own life, and to find a friend in her means that she will ferociously defend your beloved roles as sincerely as she does her own. She does not speak poorly of others, even in the face of profound betrayal and disappointment. Do you know how rare that is? She loves her town, her mountains, and her church so dearly. Rarely have we witnessed her needing the help of others - she's normally tending to them, with a most generous heart. We have countless visions of her pounding the pavement, the snowbanks, and city hall, fearlessly building up a culture of life. Her deepest happiness is her large family. Their traditions and hospitality mark the seasons for other families, as we trust they will for many years to come. 

We are asking for prayer warriors to storm heaven for miraculous healing for Joy but we are also asking for financial help for their family during this time. Joel is self-employed running The Alaska Watchman and Joy homeschools 7 of her 8 kids full time. 

The Davidsons will be hit with a lot of medical bills as well as travel costs as Joy is hoping to seek treatment in the Lower 48. These funds will help immensely with Joel taking time off of work + all the bills and extra costs that will pile on. 

Even the smallest donation adds up! During this season of Lent we ask you to consider directing your almsgiving & generosity towards this incredible family who is truly entering into the desert with Our Lord. Please share this fundraiser far and wide so we can get as much support as possible for this family! 

If you are local to the Valley/Anchorage area and would like to help physically please see the emails below. 

Dani Witczak (meals) akwitczaks@gmail.com

Mary Ellen Grandel (household tasks) marygrandel@rockemail.com

Theresa Imlach (prayer warriors) theresaimlach@gmail.com 

Classes are Expanding at WASI

Classes are Expanding at WASI

Contributed by Sally Barnes

 

Club 50 at Wasilla Area Seniors is interested in talking to any volunteers that have experience in teaching fitness classes geared towards seniors such as dance or martial arts.

We previously had classes in Line Dancing and Kung Fu. The seniors LOVE these classes, and the participation was great.

If you or someone you know has a few hours a week to spare, please consider sharing your knowledge.

Our current class schedules are as follows:

Monday

8:30 am Strong Seniors – In person and via Zoom

10:00 am Strong Seniors- In person

11:15 am Let's Walk DVD

1:00 pm YOGA Therapy

 

Tuesday

10:00 am Bingocize

11:00 am Workout YOGA

1:00 pm Tai Chi

 

Wednesday

8:30 am Strong Seniors – In person and via Zoom

10:00 am Strong Seniors- In person

11:00 am Workout Yoga

 

Thursday

11:15 am Let's Walk DVD

1:00 pm Tai Chi

2:15 pm NIA

 

Friday

8:30am Strong Seniors – In person and via Zoom

10:00am Strong Seniors- In person

10:00am Bingocize

11:am Workout YOGA

 

Please note: ALL Strong Senior, Tai Chi and Bingo Cize classes are FREE! Our low monthly rates make it possible for all seniors, age 50 and older, to enjoy our clean facility with awesome instructors. Please come join us to try any class for free. For more information, contact CLUB50 at 907-206-8807. We are open Monday through Friday from 8am until 4pm.

45 Years of Serving the Valley and Alaska

45 Years of Serving the Valley and Alaska

Contributed by L&B Color Printing

L&B Color Printing was started in 1978 by Lavon and Betty Barve (L&B). Originally on the right side of Knik on Railroad Ave., They later purchased the property at the corner of Denali Ave. and Railroad Ave. They moved their presses and other equipment to the new location. Business was good and there was a need to expand the building to allow for more presses and other equipment. For a while they even operated an antique store out of one portion of the shop. 

It was a family-run business which Lavon and Betty operated with their children, Mary, Lance, and Judy. 

Lavon was also an avid dog musher for many years, winning the Yukon Quest and finishing in the top ten of the Iditarod many times. Later, when Lavon would be a checkpoint official during the Iditarod, Betty and the crew would “hold down the fort” keeping the shop going and cranking out customers orders.

Technology changes and L&B Color Printing changed with it. In the beginning everything was cut and pasted together. Typesetting would be done on what was called a Compugraphic Typesetter. What few fonts were available were on strips that would be placed into the machine. The typed project would come out on a special film that was developed. Special tape was used to put borders around items. Then the project would be shot with a camera and the image on the negative would be burned onto a metal plate for each job. The plates would be put onto the offset printing press and the items printed. 

Desktop publishing came later and L&B has gone through their share of computers as technology has changed. Later silvermaster technology was used for simpler jobs. It would shoot the image that had been printed on paper by the computer and place it directly onto a paper plate that the machine developed and then it could go straight onto the press. 

Metal plates were still used for more complex projects. L&B Color Printing later acquired computer to negative technology that would send the images directly to film that would be developed and burned onto metal plates. Gone were the days of having to send full color projects to a special shop in Anchorage that would produce color separated negatives for the shop to use for color plates. L&B could output straight from the computers to four negative films with the colors already separated. 

Silvermaster and metal plates have given way to polyester plates that are printed directly onto from the computers and straight onto the presses. Today, L&B Color Printing even uses a digital press that prints full color projects directly to the desired paper for projects up to 13”x26”.

When L&B Color Printing started, it used a couple antique letter presses in addition to its offset presses. One was set up to do die cutting such as windows on presentation folders. The other was specially set up to put numbers on raffle tickets and forms. Each item had to be placed onto the press individually, get numbered and removed. Now L&B has a machine that feeds them though at a much faster speed, that is when the items aren’t being automatically numbered as they are printed on the digital press. One of the circa 1910 letter presses still sits on display at the shop.

With time L&B Color Printing added equipment for cutting vinyl letters for vehicles and such. They also added two large format printers. One is used for printing blueprints, indoor wall menus as well as large pictures and posters for mounting on foam board. The other specializes in printing outdoor items such as banners, vehicle magnets and more.

Besides growing technologically, L&B Color Printing has grown in its reach within the state. It now has customers all over Alaska that place orders to be picked up when someone is coming through Wasilla or even mailed directly to them in their own town. 

Just as technology changes, children grow up and start families of their own. Mary now lives in Florida with her family which includes grandchildren. Lance still lives and works in Alaska and has his own grandchildren. Judy continues to work at the shop though and her son, Lavon’s grandson, James Charles, runs the presses.

In 1992, Lavon Barve was recognized by the Alaska State Legislature for being the first and continuously running print shop in Wasilla. That was 31 years ago; but Lavon and his print shop are still going strong. L&B Color Printing and Lavon have served Wasilla, the Valley and the rest of Alaska for 45 years. The Barves look forward to serving Alaska for many more years to come.

Call for 2023 Ten Most Endangered Historic Properties Nominations 

Call for 2023 Ten Most Endangered Historic Properties Nominations 

Contributed by Trish Neal

 

Anchorage – Preservation Alaska (Alaska Association for Historic Preservation) announces the call for nominations to its annual Ten Most Endangered Historic Properties list for 2022. The program celebrated 30 years during 2021. 

The program calls attention to threatened properties that define our great state, the people that live here and the identity that we share. Nominations may call attention to buildings, sites, ships, boats, cemeteries, as well as totem poles. If the property is endangered and of historic importance, it is eligible to be nominated to the program. 

The nominations for this program may be submitted by individuals, agencies, or organizations from throughout Alaska. There is no limit to the number of years that a property may be listed on the annual list. If the property has been listed previously and is still considered endangered, Preservation Alaska encourages an updated application with photographs to be submitted. 

Heightened awareness often leads to increased support for the conservation of endangered historic properties, which are assets important to tourism, economic development, and the cultural heritage of Alaska. Preservation Alaska has been identifying the Most Endangered Historic Properties since 1991. 

The deadline for nominations to Alaska's Ten Most Endangered Historic Properties for 2023 is April 10, 2023. Applications can be downloaded from https://alaskapreservation.org or request the form by email at AKPreservation@gmail.com The list is announced each year the first weekend of May as part of Historic Preservation Month but will be announced on Sunday, April 30, 2023. 

The Ten Most Endangered Grant Program funds hands-on preservation work on endangered properties and serves as seed money to leverage funding from other sources. Those properties listed on the 2023 list will be eligible to apply for a small grant to assist with their project. Announcements of the grant winners are done during the organization’s annual meeting in November. These grants are made possible by local sponsorships of the program. The 2023 sponsors are: Nvision Architecture, Kuchar Construction, LLC, HZA Engineering Solutions, Northern Air Cargo, Enterprise Engineering, Inc. BBFM Engineers, Inc., RSA Engineering, Inc., and LCG Lantech, Inc. 

To make a tax-deductible donation to this Grant Program or learn more about Preservation Alaska, please contact Trish Neal at 907-929-9870 or AKPreservation@gmail.com or visit their website www.AlaskaPreservation.org.  

Founded in 1981 as a private, nonprofit corporation, dedicated to the preservation of Alaska's prehistoric and historic heritage as manifested in its built environment. Preservation Alaska aids in historic preservation projects across Alaska and monitors and supports legislation to promote historic preservation.

Consign49 Spring 2023 Consignment Event April 13th-17th

Consign49 Spring 2023 Consignment Event April 13th-17th

Contributed by Ryanne Ori


Do these sunny, longer days have you in the mood for warmer weather along with a seasonal closet refresh?  How would you like to shop from a selection of thousands of high-quality clothing and décor items at 60-90% off retail prices, while also directly supporting local community members!  Spring is just around the corner, and so is the 20th semi-annual Consign49 Consignment Sale!

Consign49 hosts a community consignment event each spring and fall, in which over 300 local community members bring new and gently used clothing, accessories, and home décor items together to form a large-scale resale pop-up.  Each consignor individually prices and prepares each item, and items are dropped off approximately one day before the sale begins.  Consign49 Team Members then organize all items, so everything can be easily shopped according to category and size.  There is also a dedicated boutique section, in which local boutiques have discount and clearance items for sale.  In addition, there is a “vendor row” where local businesses will have booths for sharing their products and services.

Consign49 is a smart, sustainable way to shop, earn money, and extend the life cycle of high-quality items! Consignors are motivated to do some spring cleaning, while also earning some extra cash.  Shoppers get to browse a huge selection of brand names and much needed seasonal items, for a fraction of retail prices.  Additionally, many items that go unsold at the end of the event will be donated to local charities in need.  For the spring event, a large portion of donations will be going to the My House Foundation to support programs for homeless youth in the Mat-Su Valley.

The Consign49 Spring 2023 Consignment Sale will be held April 13-17 at Raven Hall at the Alaska State Fairgrounds in Palmer, Alaska.  Admission and parking are free, all major credit cards are accepted, and dressing rooms will be provided. Event hours are 9am – 8pm, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and from 9am – 7pm on Sunday.  On Sunday, April 16th, many remaining items will be marked half-price, depending on whether the individual consignor has chosen to put the item into the half-price sale.  Additionally, this spring event marks the 10 year anniversary of Consign49 events!  The spring event will be extended to Monday, April 17th from 9am – 3pm for a special anniversary sale event.  Any remaining sale items will have even further discounts applied!

If you are interested in becoming a consignor at the event, please go towww.consign49.com for more information.  Consignor spots are limited and will be on a first come basis.  Please send an email to info@consgin49.com for more information.

Contributed by Ryanne Ori

Owner, Consign49

Pups Needing a Loving Home

Pups Needing a Loving Home

Contributed by Alaska Animal Advocates

 

These adorable puppies need either a permanent home or a temporary foster home.  They are about 9 weeks old. They have been vaccinated and dewormed.   

They still need to be spayed/neutered and microchipped. They are energetic, loving, and so ready to be a part of a family of their own. 

Come meet these babies with Alaska Animal Advocates. 

Call Angie at Alaska Animal Advocates at (907) 841-3173

FAIR ISLE KNITTING WORKSHOPS AT THE MUSK OX FARM

FAIR ISLE KNITTING WORKSHOPS AT THE MUSK OX FARM

Contributed by The Musk Ox Farm

 

Palmer, Alaska – The Musk Ox Farm offers its first Fair Isle Knitting workshops!

Beginner Fair Isle Knitting Workshop

March 11, 2023 - 10am-12pm

This workshop is designed specially to help knitters learn Fair Isle technique! Reservations are required. Registration includes knitting kit with pattern and Musk Ox Farm qiviut blend yarn. Workshop Instructor: Ruth Hirsiger. Price range: $100-$135.

 

Intermediate Fair Isle Knitting Workshop

The Musk Ox Farm, Palmer AK

April 15, 2023 - 10am-12pm

Learn to knit our iconic Musk Ox Herd Headband! This ox-clusive pattern is available only through this workshop. Reservations are required. Registration includes knitting kit pattern and Musk Ox Farm qiviut blend yarn. Workshop Instructor: Ruth Hirsiger. Price: $135.

 

Visit muskoxfarm.org/events for more details and registration.                                  

Class sizes are limited. Register today!

Successfully raising the distinctive Arctic ungulate since 1964. The Musk Ox Farm, a 501(c)(3) organization promotes gentle musk ox husbandry, qiviut production, and education to the public.

Featured Artist of the Month. Glenda Field

Featured Artist of the Month. Glenda Field

Contributed by Jeanette Tingstrom, The Wagon Wheel Marketplace


If you have been to The Wagon Wheel Marketplace you have probably seen the art works of Glenda Field.  Chances are that you may even own something she painted.

Glenda spent many years in Fairbanks Alaska where she embraced her teaching career.  While there, in the early 1980's, Glenda took an art class from the now famous Bob Ross (the Joy of Painting).  She tells me that it was always in her heart to paint, but she never really got into painting until she retired from teaching.  She and her husband now live in Wasilla where Glenda enjoys painting in her beautiful art studio.  

Glenda primarily paints with acrylic and watercolor.  She has hosted art classes here at the shop and also has her art displayed in The Aurora Gallery in Anchorage.  At the Wagon Wheel Marketplace we feature her greeting cards, a variety of small original canvas paintings, hand painted glass that include wine & beer glasses, oil decanters, butter dishes and more.  One of my favorite cards (they are all pretty) is a Christmas Chickadee she painted at one of our Open House events a few years ago.   

Happy Painting Friends, it's never too late to start!

Fishing and Magicomedy in Alaska

Fishing and Magicomedy in Alaska

Contributed by Curtis Nickerson the Magician

 

MAT-SU - In 1973, during the Vietnam War, I was given the option of being stationed in Alaska or Vietnam. My Sergeant boss had a friend at the base where assignments were made, and he gave me the choice between Eielson or JBER. Being someone who enjoyed trout fishing, I had hoped for an assignment in Montana or other stateside bases with great fishing spots, but ended up in the desert near Tucson, Arizona.

When I arrived in Alaska in May of 1973, it was a completely different world. As a non-resident, the only place I could hunt was on the airbase, which extended almost 80 miles eastward to the Charlie River. I spent many weekends that first summer exploring the dirt roads in my used 4-wheel drive scout, and even encountered a porcupine while hunting for black bears near a tree with claw marks.

One of the most famous fly fishermen in the mid-twentieth century was Lee Wulff, who was born in Valdez, Alaska in 1905. He was known for advocating for ethical fishing standards such as "catch and release" and for creating the Wulff flies, one of which was the Royal Coachmen - a popular dry fly used by many fishermen.

Years later, on a vacation in upstate New York, I stayed at a Rockefeller family resort on the upper Beaverkill river. While not catching anything on the hotel's private river frontage, I was directed to fish the water just above which belonged to the Joan Wulff fly fishing school. Joan, Lee Wulff's widow, was a champion fly fisherwoman and they both lived near the river in the 1920s. It was then that I caught a nice rainbow on a wet fly.

My father introduced me to fly fishing for the first time in 1964 on the main Beaverkill river in upstate New York. On that May day, a species of large white mayflies were hatching, attracting the trout to the surface. Luckily, I had a white miller pattern and managed to hook a nice brown trout, but had trouble coordinating hauling in the line with one hand while pulling the rod back and grabbing the net with the other. Despite the line getting tangled in a tree, it was still a memorable fishing experience.

I inherited shares in Dick's Sporting Goods from my mother's acquaintance, Dick Stack. His son, Edward Stack, expanded the business to over 700 stores. I suggested they acquire Sportsman's Warehouse in Alaska and was pleased to see Edward Stack funding a girls' hockey team in Anchorage during a presentation. They won the national championship with the company's possible travel arrangement.

In the early 1960s, I started buying magic props in Binghamton and performed a magic act during two vacations. People still fondly remember those tricks. I moved my belongings, including props and a menagerie of animals, from Fairbanks using a U-Haul. I had taken a break from performing to read Dickens books, cut firewood, and care for my pets.

One day, I went to Meta Rose Square, where the mall owner, Harold, was intrigued by the cocktail glasses I was purchasing for a trick. He hired me for my first valley show at the mall on Halloween. The audience was young children, and a theatrical company in Anchorage built two sections of stage for the show.

I was surprised to find a group of young children seated around my stage in Anchorage. A local theatrical company had built two sections of stage over two feet high for me. I went on to perform at birthday parties, schools like Iditarod, restaurants, and banquet halls at Lake Lucille Inn.

One year, I got the opportunity to use the big Dante Water Fountain finale, but the original equipment and costumes had deteriorated. Luckily, Nick Rugerrio, the builder for the Old Blackstone shows, made a new setup for me. I performed a couple of shows in Anchorage with my new wife, the last of which was at the gym of Nikiski high school. However, it was too much effort for the money, so I didn't pursue an inquiry from Wasilla Middle, which was not far away. 

In 1992, I started the state's first Doordash-like service called Alaska Delivery Service, and due to exclusive commission contracts with dozens of restaurants, I was tied up 7 nights a week for 14 years. Although it wasn’t very busy, I managed to save money by printing and mailing menu books once in a while. My day job was as a Laidlaw school bus driver, and later, I worked outdoors at the airport in Anchorage, which was so easy that I commuted for 20 years.

After retiring this summer, I received a call for an adult birthday party in Anchorage this September, and I was glad to answer. I performed some of my old tricks from 1972, which were appreciated by magicians who weren't necessarily focused on impressing their peers with originality or difficult manipulations. The audience seemed to enjoy the show.

Free Dental/Vision/Medical Exams at this Pop-up Clinic

Free Dental/Vision/Medical Exams at this Pop-up Clinic

Contributed by Dr. Patrick Campaign

 

As a lifelong Anchorage resident and optometrist, I take pride in caring for my fellow Alaskans. Over the years, I have tended to thousands of people through medical eye examinations and volunteering.  During that time, I’ve always wanted to do a large humanitarian event to help my fellow neighbors.  After being homeless for a time myself, I understand the concerns which Medicaid and state programs do not cover, and especially for people who cannot afford healthcare, dental or vision services. 

After years of planning and coordination, we are finally going to make that happen. 

Remote Area Medical – RAM® – a major nonprofit provider of pop-up clinics delivering free, quality dental, vision and medical care to those in need – will hold a free, two-day clinic on April 15-16. RAM will be set up at the O’Malley Sports Complex, located at 11111 O’Malley Centre Dr., Anchorage, AK 99515. This clinic is in collaboration with the Mountainview Lions Club Foundation. 

All RAM services are free, and no ID is required. Free dental, vision and medical services will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. The patient parking lot will open no later than 11:59 p.m. (midnight) on Friday night, April 14, and remain open for the duration of the clinic. Once in the parking lot, additional information regarding clinic-opening processes and next steps will be provided. Clinic doors open at 6am 

Services available at the free RAM clinic include dental cleanings, dental fillings, dental extractions, dental X-rays, eye exams, eye health exams, eyeglass prescriptions, eyeglasses made on-site, women's health exams and general medical exams.

Due to time constraints, patients should be prepared to choose between DENTAL and VISION services. Medical services are offered, in addition to dental or vision services, free to every patient attending the clinic. If you are interested in joining me in helping others, we need volunteers of all types, medical or nonmedical.  If your church would like to help supply food for volunteers, please reach out.

For more information, to donate or to volunteer, please visit www.ramusa.org or call 865-579-1530. A big thank you for assistance by the Providence Health Foundation, Credit Union One, Frontier Eye Care and many others!

God is Your Home

God is Your Home

Contributed by Katherine Kammermeyer

 

Guilt,

You can hide and wilt

Under the weight of pain

Sob until you are robbed of breath

And drift into a temporary death

For one day, you will gain

Strength and Growth,

And wisdom new

Let the tears out

Raise your head to the sky and shout

Don’t let your mind doubt

That God is there

Even when life isn’t fair

He will be able to fare

Every hurt and every care

 

You aren’t alone

God is your home