Wasilla’s City Election is October 6th and Every Vote Counts.

Contributed by JoLynn Bozer

With that said I’ll state my purpose. I am Jo Lynn Bozer running for Wasilla City Council. For those that haven’t met me here’s a little background.

I moved here 5 years ago from Virginia just 14 miles outside of what many currently refer to as the Beltway to be closer to family and I’m no politician. Being tenacious by nature I sold my home, packed everything I own and started my trek by car across country by myself seeking a better idea of life as it could be. Excited about what was ahead I felt no need to travel with a gun, pepper spray or a big dog although I look back in today’s atmosphere and wonder what I was thinking? Traveling with FAITH and a few snacks, I knew I could do this so that was my motivation to see this new adventure through. Five long days and thousands of miles later, I arrived in Seattle where I parked my car and flew the rest of the way to Anchorage. I didn’t have a passport so I couldn’t get thru Canada. I had a solution, my daughter and Son in law (Renee and Tim Burney) flew to Seattle, picked up my car and drove it back thru the Alcan. As I said, I’m tenacious and where there’s a will there’s a way and I was grateful to have made it that far while they enjoyed a little mini vacation.    

My most recent career spans over 20 years as a mortgage lender and as a REALTOR. In the lower 48 I’ve previously held positions as a Chamber of Commerce board member, President of Chamber’s Women in Business, charter member of Toastmasters, Iron County Homebuilders Association and also a small business owner.

As a Wasilla resident, I recently retired from the Valley Board of Realtors and prior to that I was also a small business owner in town.  I had the opportunity to meet and get to know many of you on a first name basis while listening to your needs and providing you with personalized gifting solutions. Not only did I enjoy what I was doing I quickly realized how rewarding working in our community would be. Alaska residents are strong, resourceful and remain that way by helping support each other. We’ve had a difficult year and it is going to take time to rebuild the losses so many business’s and families are experiencing. With everyone working together we can see this happen.  

I am passionate about supporting our first responders, my son’s a firefighter in Georgia, educators, senior needs, homeownership and community growth. My life has always led with a servant’s heart and I also openly stand strong for what I believe in. When I was young my grandmother used to say we are given two hands, one to take care of ourselves and one to serve the others. I believe her words, and If elected I look forward to serving our community to the best of my ability.

Questions  jolynn49@hotmail.com  or 907 521-4574

Back in School in the Mat-Su: What We Make of It

Contributed by Rachel Martinez

School is in session. Whether high school, elementary school, home school, brick and mortar or even online at home, school is here. Whether you are full steam ahead or taking the slower pace that homeschooling allows, the point is, all us families with kids are back, fully engaged in this school and education process. And for me, well, it seemed like a good time to start my graduate schooling as well.

Back to school can always seem a little chaotic; now add to it the reality that school this fall (this year) looks different. There are recognizable hints, familiarity that we all know. Yet, we also know, it just isn’t the same.  Whether it’s due to a new teacher, socially distanced desks, or an influx in homeschool families making materials hard to get your hands on, change is here and change is hard.

Every day, I get to talk with my daughters about their day. Our conversations fluctuate from the style of mask one wants to wear, to the “fun” hats with shields the other gets to wear; from the painting project to the new teacher; from 8th grade math to being the kindergarten secret student. The point is, I GET to have these conversations with my daughters. Though change is here and it is noticeable, what hasn’t changed is the time I have with my girls. 

Change is hard and if I am unwilling to face it, to walk through it with grace, humility, and openness, how will I lead my daughters through change?  How will I guide them to the other side of change? How will I show them that regardless of how one may feel about something, being willing to walk through it, being willing to sit in the uncomfortable and not avoid it, is the path to growth?  This strange season we all find ourselves in is an opportunity to teach my girls to find the ability to be kind, content, and joyful, not just when things are good, but especially when things are hard. This isn’t just for my girls either, I as well am learning through the change and that is how I grow.

What have you been learning through the change?

Alzheimers in the Mat-Su: Bill's Story

Contributed by Bill Brokaw

Aging and Alzheimer's caused Bill AND Pat Brokaw to move into the Palmer Vets and Pioneer's Home over TWO years ago. Bill is 84 years of age, while Pat is 81. Pat, the victim of Alzheimer's, is the reason that a new lifestyle was necessary for this senior couple. Pat's incurable disease caused her to lose her memory and her ability to knit, sew, crochet, write and all hand-coordinated activities in which she excelled before Alzheimer's.

Life in the home has been tough for both of them. Especially Bill, as his whole life has gone from the enjoyable retirement he had planned for, to a life of commitment to Pat's care. Fortunately, because of their veterans status, they both qualified for admittance to the Home, and have found their existence in this beautiful facility to be very satisfying.

Satisfaction for Bill is centered on seeing his wife get the 24/7 care she needs. Also, as an independent resident, he has the freedom for bicycling, bowling, church-going and in-home activities offered by the Pioneer Home. Satisfaction for Pat centers on food, a warm bed, wheel chair operation and the many visits from her husband. She gets extremely bored with non-structured time.

With this background information about Bill and Pat and their situation, we now need to look at the effect of the virus on both them and the Palmer Pioneer Home.

About the time the virus was causing many deaths in New York, Bill was trying to market a book he had written and had published titled, “Alzheimer's, Life's Darkest Disease”. The writing of this book was a consolidation of the many journals that Bill had written during the SEVEN years of his wife's walk down this dark trail of life. He suffered more than she did. The title of a more recently written book could be,”COVID-19, Life's Darkest Disease”.

Since there are going to be multiply books written about life with the virus, Bill is not going to write a book on the subject, but rather share a Virus-caused experience at the Home that affected both he and his wife. Being 84, and starting to feel a large touch of Dementia, Bill will share this memory before the terrible disease of Dementia takes over.

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“Saturday, August 15th, I was asked by a nurse to leave Pat's living area in the Home. I had my mask on, which was necessary when visiting her, but had never been asked to leave. It was then explained to me that a care-worker in the Home's adjoining hallway was found to have the virus. To protect all residents in the two hallways, both hallways were put on lockdown. I was then told that until all residents had been tested for the Virus, I could no longer visit Pat. I was not only unhappy about this decision, but also about an earlier mandate that curtailed my occasional visits to local restaurants, to my church and to my bowling team. And then on top of these NO-NO’s, I could not visit my wife. She is currently on Hospice, and like the Virus, life is very uncertain.

I was joyful on Monday, when learning that all residents and workers tests were negative. But, joy was short-lived when I was told that I could not go to Pat's living area, but had to rely on a nurse to bring her to my room for a visit. The nurse supervisor decided her nursing staff did not have the time to do that, so it was decided that I could visit Pat, but only in her very small room. And, of course, I had to wear my mask at all times. Since Pat dislikes being in her very small room, I knew our visiting time would be short-lived. Pat is a move-move type of person. She's always been that way in our 28 years of marriage. Since I started writing this, she has been moved to a much larger room. This room is located in a different area of the Home and allows her much more wheel-chair freedom.

Our home, even though only one worker has been found with the Virus, is now closed to all visitors. Residents can use their phones and talk to loved one through one of many windows. We do hope to have the results of our second test back in a couple days so visiting can be allowed again.

The following resident actions are cause for a 14 day quarantine:

•    Choosing to leave the building and go to a high environment such as a crowded restaurant, bar, or grocery store.

•    Going to a home or outside residence potentially coming into contact with family and others for a visit of any duration.

•    Meeting another person such as a relative outside the home.

One can see, from reading this writing, that the Alaskan Veterans and Pioneers Home located in Palmer, Alaska is doing an excellent job of setting a high example for keeping residents safe.

Special Thanks From Friday Fling in Palmer!

Contributed by Ailis Vann, Greater Palmer Chamber of Commerce

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When we began planning the 2020 Friday Fling season in January, we, like everyone else, had no idea that a pandemic would strike. It definitely threw a wrench in our plans, but we came together as an organization and decided that hosting a weekly outdoor market would be wonderful for our community on multiple levels. We have no regrets about our season, and as it comes to a close in the middle of September, we wanted to take a minute and reflect on the very different, yet successful season.

Events like Friday Fling, which will be celebrating 19 years in 2021, take a ton of planning to execute properly. Planning begins months in advance and we are a small team of one full-time employee and two part-time employees and an active board of directors. Planning the 2020 event during COVID-19, was challenging, but well worth it. Seeing people’s faces every week (even when they’re covered with a mask), the children enjoying the pony-wheel rides, fresh locally-grown produce, and hearing superb local music made all of the hard work worthwhile.

The Greater Palmer Chamber of Commerce loves holding events in our wonderful community because the community loves our events. We all work together, from store owners, to vendors, to volunteers, to create events that are fun for everyone, so we appreciate your patience while we adapted every week. We appreciate your feedback, positive and not so positive on the market so we could make changes and feel supported.

We couldn’t do what we do without the support of our community so whether you’re a once a season patron, a die-hard weekly patron, a vendor, a brick and mortar business owner, a sponsor, or anyone else that came out and supported us, thank you

Special thanks to Alaska Farmer’s Market Association for the generous grant we received so we could further highlight our local farmers and producers as well as have proper signage for Covid-19. If you’ve never heard of AFMA, please check them out. They do good work in our state to ensure we have great local markets for producers and farmers to sell their amazing products.

I’d like to thank my team members, Kalea Hogate, market coordinator, and Randi Bernier, office coordinator, for their hard work all season long. You gals are incredible and I’m so lucky to have you on the team! Thanks also to Engen Sundberg for helping us set up and take down the market each week, you’re amazing and made our lives easier!

And last, but certainly not least, thanks to Josh and Bryce at 95.5 The Pass. Josh curated our great music line up for the summer, and Bryce worked patiently with us to create radio ads.

We look forward to a less stressful 2021 season and we hope you’ll join us as we continue to celebrate, support and love on Palmer. When we all work together, anything is possible.

Mat-Su Gardening: Alaskan Wild Rose Hips

Contributed by Julie Cascio, Mat-Su District Cooperative Extension

The Alaska Wild Roses, Rosa aciculariso or Rosa nutkana share the small oblong fruit they produce this time of the year.

Fruit of Roses

In late summer, the bright red fruit of the wild rose bush, called hips, may be eaten. The fleshy rind surrounds many whitish seeds. The rind is hard, but softens after the first frost - the best time to eat them. The riper they are, the sweeter they’ll be. The stem, blossom end, and seeds of the rose hip should be removed before they are eaten. The seeds have two prongs that might lodge in the intestines and cause intestinal irritation. Remove them before using the hip, or strain through a fine strainer.

Rose hips are a great source of vitamin C. When compared to oranges, rose hips contain between 20 to 40 percent more vitamin C, 25% more iron, 28% more calcium and 25 times more vitamin A. This tiny fruit is also a good source of vitamin E, selenium and B-vitamins.

Rose hips may be used for tea, in baked products and in jelly. Or made into puree to make jams, marmalade and catsup. Dried rose hips may be added to cereal or pulverized and added to baked products.

Gather: Pick hips in an area free from pesticides, herbicides, automobile exhaust fumes or other contaminants. Wash them before use to remove dust, insect or animal debris

Clean and Store: Rose hips should be cleaned soon after collection. Remove the stem and blossom ends, wash the hips with cold water and set out to dry. They may be stored covered in the refrigerator for one week.

Freeze: Arrange fresh rose hips in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Place the sheet in the freezer. When frozen, transfer the hips to freezer bags or containers. Properly frozen rose hips will last up to two years.

Dry: Slit the fresh rose hips down the side and remove the seeds with the point of a sharp knife. This is easiest with slightly underripe hips. If the hip is are too underripe they will be hard to pierce and not yield any pulp. If overripe, the pulp will be mushy and difficult to separate from the seeds.

Spread hips with seeds removed on a tray in a well-ventilated room for a few days or in dehydrator at 135°F for a few hours, until crisp and brittle.

Rose Hip Juice: Wash and remove stem and blossom ends of hips. Combine 6 cups rose hips and 3 cups water in a saucepan. Bring quickly to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Strain the liquid through jelly bag or several layers of cheesecloth into a bowl. Discard the pulp. Freeze of can for long-term storage. Yield: 2 cups

Rose Petal Jelly

4 cups rose hip juice

6 cups sugar

1 package powdered pectin (1 ¾ ounces)

Sterilize pint or half-pint canning jars and prepare lids. Measure sugar and set aside. Measure the rose hip juice into a large saucepan. Add pectin and stir until dissolved. Place on high heat; stir constantly and bring to a full rolling boil. Stir in the sugar. Bring again to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and quickly skim off foam. Immediately pour jelly into hot canning jars, leaving ¼ inch head space. Wipe jar rims and add prepared two-piece lids. Process five minutes in a boiling water bath. Rose hip jelly may take up to one week to set. Yield: 10 cups

To learn how to prepare puree, make fruit leathers, and other recipes using rose hips, search for “wild roses” in cespubs.uaf.edu.

Shakespeare, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

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Seeking Candidates for Arts and Cultural Installations Advisory Board, United Way Mat-Su

Contributed by Michele Harmeling, United Way of Mat-Su

United Way of Mat-Su will convene an advisory board to assist in the procurement of art pieces to be installed near or on public right-of-way locations around the City of Palmer. We are seeking community-minded individuals with a passion for art, a love for the Mat-Su, and an active interest in improving our community. A history of active community engagement, particularly with the arts, is preferred.

The ideal candidate for the Advisory Board will bring with them a knowledge of the aesthetics, history, culture and geography of Palmer. Board members should be willing and able to commit 10-12 hours per month toward board activities, particularly during the initial phases of this project.

Board members will review initial proposals by local artists, narrowing their selection for finalists. Finalists will move on to further review. Advisory Board members should anticipate meeting biweekly during the RFP review period, with meeting schedules adjustable to reflect workload. Meetings may be conducted virtually. Knowledge of virtual platforms such as Zoom and conference calling will be helpful.

While Advisory Board members are welcome to submit art for consideration, any members doing so must recuse themselves of the review process.

Please submit a letter of interest via email to admin@unitedwaymatsu.org.

Questions? Call 745-5824 or email admin@unitedwaymatsu.org.

Stuff the Bus 2020: A Drive-Thru Day of Action

Our first Drive-Thru Day of Action was a resounding success.

Thanks to many local volunteers, partners and our Board members, we were able to pivot to an outdoor, contact-less event.

We are grateful for the awesome advice and assistance of the Menard Center staff in creating a traffic flow that allowed over 800 Mat-Su students to receive backpacks, school supplies and face masks to help them start the school year right. We know this year has posed many challenges, and we are so glad to have risen to this one with smiles on all faces and willing hands to help.

Sincere thanks to the following volunteers:

Sonja Nelson (MTA)

Stacie Stigar

Madeline Ortiz

Abuela and Abuelo Ortiz

Rhys Allen

Houston Allen

Madeline Emmi

Dakota Brown

Demara Crim

Alicia Fields & Family

Ana Arreola

Samantha Glick

Sarah Collins, Mat-Su Home Builders Association

Josie Pierson

Collette Cook

Kim Locke

Christian Mulkey, Mrs. Alaska America 2020

Sydney Lopez

Brenda McCain and Jo Pendleton, Willow CERT Team

Bill Morrow & the Mat-Su American Red Cross staff

Teresa Martinez & Dominic, UWMS Board of Directors

Tyler Healy, Lauren Hedgecroft, Rebecca Sullivan, Youth 360

First National Bank of Alaska Staff

We couldn't have done this without you! Your flexibility and willingness to “roll with the punches” during this unique event has made all the difference.

For more information on upcoming service projects and events, visit www.unitedwaymatsu.org

Find us on Facebook: @unitedwaymatsu

Palmer, Alaska: Taking Oxtoberfest Online with The Musk Ox Farm

Contributed by Kerry Nelson, The Musk Ox Farm

Oxtoberfest Online
October 1-31, 2020
The Musk Ox Farm
Tickets: $50
www.muskoxfarm.org/oxfest

Join the Musk Ox Farm & Alaska Farmland Trust as we take our annual Oxtoberfest FUNdraising event and celebration online this year!

Normally, we would be welcoming over 400 guests to the farm for a locally-sourced and crafted feast to support both of our non-profit organizations. Knowing that we could not host the event safely this year, we're taking it virtual! 

The tradition of Oxtoberfest has always been centered around celebrating the local harvest and supporting local Alaskan agriculture. While we may not be able to do that in person this year, we're so oxcited to honor the tradition by providing a way to not only virtually fundraise for our non-profits, but also to help foster support for all of the wonderful local farmers and small businesses that have been an incredible part of making this event possible for the past five years. 

Proceeds from your ticket go directly back to the Musk Ox Farm and Alaska Farmland Trust! For the farm, this has been the largest fundraising event of our year, with tickets selling out each of the past five years we’ve hosted it. The overwhelming response from the community has been incredibly beneficial to both of our non-profits in helping to raise funds and awareness of our missions and the work that we do.

The Musk Ox Farm was perfectly poised to take our educational programming and community space to the next level in our newly-renovated building right before COVID landed on our doorstep. We were forced to put the curation of our museum on hold, and take all of our education and outreach online. We’re confident that we’ll be back with a force for our local Alaskan and global communities when the time is right. With your continued support, that confidence becomes reality!  You’ll also help us continue to keep those musk ox bellies full.

YOUR $50 VIRTUAL OXTOBERFEST TICKET INCLUDES:

• A 6th Annual Oxtoberfest T-Shirt

• An Oxtoberfest Stainless Steel Cup

• An oxcellent Oxtoberfest Sticker

•    Automatic entry into a raffle to win some outstanding prizes!

tickets can be purchased online at muskoxfarm.org/oxfest or call 907-745-4151.

PURCHASE YOUR TICKET BY OXTOBER 1ST:

·         Get PRIORITY access to Oxtoberfest 2021 tickets a week before tickets go on sale to the general public! This event has sold out every year, selling out a month ahead of time in 2019. We anticipate tickets selling like hotcakes in 2021!

·         Receive the link invite for a super special Zoom LIVE concert on the farm with 12-piece traditional German oompa band to commemorate and kick-off the virtual Oxtoberfest celebration on October 3rd! 

BUT WAIT...THERE'S MORE! 

All ticket holders will have the option to get additional entries into the raffle through an Oxtoberfest-inspired scavenger hunt! For the entire month of Oxtober, you'll have the chance to complete your scavenger hunt oxtivities while supporting local businesses. Purchase a growler at Bleeding Heart Brewery, have dinner at Turkey Red, head to your nearest Farmer’s Market or farm stand, visit our friends at Bear Paw River Brewery – just a few of many things you can do to gain points towards more entries into the Oxtoberfest raffle, while helping support the folks who have made Oxtoberfest possible over the years!

STAY TUNED! 

Raffle prizes will include round-trip tickets on the Alaska Railroad from Anchorage-Seward, a staycation getaway at Mountain Field Farm, Musk Ox Farm Qiviut and MORE! You'll receive the details and instructions on the scavenger hunt once you purchase your ticket. We can't wait!

As always, all ticket proceeds will go directly back to both the Musk Ox Farm and Alaska Farmland Trust. Help us keep this wonderful celebration alive this year! Your support is needed now more than ever for our organizations to survive and thrive. Thank you!

Marilyn Bennett: Talking About Chickens

Contributed by Marilyn Bennett

Sometimes it helps to get away from the everyday bad, sad, irritating or obnoxious news and just have an old-fashioned talk about chickens.

On visiting my daughter and her husband in Valdez, I have been amazed at how they had turned their city lot into a small chicken farm. Yes, they fell prey to the craze that has been sweeping the country for the past 15 years of “Yuppy City Chicken People”. You might wonder how chickens can survive in Valdez under 10 feet of snow. Well, my son-in-law has built a chicken coop that is a marvel of covered patios, sheds and an overhead walkway leading the chickens into the greenhouse in the winter, thereby providing fertilizer for the summer vegetables.

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All seemed to go well with their chicken yard until this year when they decided to add several more chickens as the old hens were not laying eggs anymore. This time, they decided to order eggs so their three daughters could enjoy watching them hatch. The family enjoyed the new chickens until they realized that they now had four roosters. They tried to find good homes for the roosters, but were having poor luck as adult roosters are not a popular pet.

Having no other options, they decided to kill Blackie as he was a very loud and nasty character. To accomplish this, (being city folk), they purchased a chicken killing cone. The instructions on the cone were: “Simply place the chicken in the cone upside down and pull their head gently through the bottom opening so their beak is facing you, the chicken should pass out. Then cut the carotid artery on the side of the chicken’s neck.”

Well, the rooster refused to pass out and was not quiet about it's situation, which upset their seven-year-old, daughter who started begging and crying, “Mom, Dad, please. Can't we let Blackie live just one more day?" Of course, that was the end of further thoughts about killing any of the roosters.

Upon being told this silly story of the non-killing of Blackie it reminded my older daughter of a chicken story from her childhood in southern Arkansas. We had a campground on a lake and had chickens, ducks, geese, guinea hens and what-have-you. She remembered a time when her and I were down next to the lake to kill a chicken to keep the blood away from the house. I chopped off the head, but accidentally let go of her and she took off flying across the lake and we were left with just the head and never did recover the rest of the chicken. From then on, I cut off their heads where they would have lots of room to run if I was foolish enough to lose my hold on the chicken. My biggest disappointment with my chickens was that since they were free-range, they were slim and trim instead of fat and juicy, which didn't make for as tasty a meal as the chickens from the grocery store.

That story then reminded Doug of a rooster they had when he had a farm in upstate New York. Their chickens were free-range and one day, a very nasty rooster attacked his five-year-old daughter. Luckily, her older brother decided to defend his sister and threw a big rock at the rooster, which hit him in the head and killed him instantly. Roosters can be pretty dangerous because of their sharp spurs, if not trimmed back when they were young.

So many chicken stories. My granddaughters main interest in the chickens seems to be painting their toenails bright colors and giving them names. My daughter has even gone the extra mile of training the dog not to chase the chickens. I have a hard time getting my head around having chickens in the city, but each to his own. Then recently, I saw a video of a rooster chasing a dog around a pile of wood. Guess the rooster has gone from just being a meal to a source of amusement.

Regarding Blackie and the other three roosters, my daughter put a free ad in Facebook and they were all adopted and so got to live for at least another day.

If you have a chicken story you would like to share, it would be a good thing to do as then we can all relax, listening to chicken stories while helping ourselves to a nice hot bowl of chicken soup.

Alaskan Poetry & Prose: Agoramericaphobic by Robert Lyons

Contributed by Robert Lyons

Are we surrounded by wolves?

Our neighbors laying in wait?

Fellow countrymen hating freedom?

Evil deeds being done by everyone!

Are you scared?

Of being labeled or defined?

Signs pointing to derision

Irregardless of your decisions?

Enemies in your own cities?

What’s next? Barbarian horde?

Cannibal lore?

Painting signs above your doors?

Can we dishonor more, those who died before?

“There is nothing to fear but fear itself”

There comes a time to risk some hell

Venture outside your soft bellied shells

Take the offense without defensive ire

Learn a lesson while walking a mile

In shoes not worn out by being used

But broken in by freedom’s dues

One pair, two shoes

Together forward forging a path

Toward a more perfect Union

A great generation again at last

Alaskan Poetry & Prose: Oh Homer by Randi Perlman

Contributed by Randi Perlman

Oh Homer, you’re a salty old dawg, mornings as you shed your fog

to unveil nature’s gritty jewels beneath

Gulls hover o’er your spit of land, hoping for a helping hand,

a tourist’s crumb their screeches do beseech

Your constant heady ebb & flow, like visitors who come & go,

barely scratch the surface of your gems

Beach front strolls, otter rolls, great whales feed along your shoals

A place where road and limitations end

Seaside haven beckons all to admire and embrace the sprawl

of maritime environs in their splendor

Galleries display the wares of quirky artists as they share

their passion for the mountains, sea and harbor

Farmers markets, peony farms, a few of your more fragrant charms,

enough to keep one going dusk to dawn

Retreats, museums, healing spas, homesteaders then-now Hollywood stars

Dogged salmon back each year to spawn

World-class fishing = world’s best bait, luring anglers from every state,

a chance to wrest a giant from the deep

While salt-kissed breezes tinge the air in surrounds that serve to let you dare

to believe your prize is actually worth the keep

Savory offerings from the sea pair with brewery specialties,

fine wine is ne’er difficult to find

Small-town theater, first-class act, boutiques that draw you to their racks,

it’s always hard to leave it all behind

Lucky folx can sit and gloat while peering down upon the boats

that ply the coves and islands far below

Snuggled on the heights above, precariously perched upon a bluff,

defiant as the northwest winds do blow

Lashing rain and whipping gales force fishermen to down their sails,

persistence keeps your sandy spit intact

‘Til shimmering sun paints rainbow runs & mountains meet the sea as one

across the glittering Bay of Kachemak

Sandhill cranes expect the rains and dance amongst the greens & grains

with ancient callings none of us can know

As tide pools fill with claws and gills and then recede from shorebirds’ trills,

where DO those scaled and spiny creatures go??

Oh Homer, you’re a salty old dawg

Mornings as you shed your fog to un-shroud nature’s veil of mysteries

Your beaches are as hallowed turf do dance to the rhythm of the surf

and summon all to revel in your glories

Alaskan Poetry & Prose: That'll Do by Caitlin M.S. Buxbaum

Contributed by Caitlin M.S. Buxbaum

For Sigrid

I keep thinking
furniture means something
more than its utility
but sometimes
a chair is just a chair.

Alaskan Poetry & Prose: Perspective is Power by Josh Fryfogle

Contributed by Josh Fryfogle

Recently, I was at the gas pump, when I noticed this fly. He was just sitting there on the pump, watching me, so I watched him. The gas was pumping away, I was invading this fly's personal space, when I heard the click. The pump stopped exactly on $10, but I was filling up.

I stood there for a moment, wondering what went wrong. Putting the pieces together, I realized that I had not entered my PIN number after swiping my card. Apparently the fly caught my eye, and I didn't even notice.

I went inside to tell the attendants that the pump had stopped at $10.00 even, and that I had wanted to fill up. They asked if I had prepaid $10 in cash, and I hadn't.

But someone had.

I told them I would like to fix it, and they both looked perplexed. The young fellow behind the counter told me, “It's your lucky day.” I told him that somebody else paid for my gas and I would like to make it right. Both attendants agreed that they didn't know how to do that.

Now, we know that this is a relatively simple problem, except that their system doesn't make it readily apparent. They didn't know how to do it in the system.

I'm back out at the gas pump, struggling with what is the right thing to do in this corporate conundrum. As I put in my card info to finish topping off my tank, behind me I hear a man say, “I put 10 dollars in that pump and drove off…"

He was polite, an older gentleman with a kind spirit. He had prepaid and forgot to get his gas.

I smiled and told him my story, and how happy I was that I was still there when he came back. He was happy too, and I told him to pull up to the next pump and I would put ten dollars on my card in his tank, finally straightening out this minor moral dilemma. We talked, his name was Dave. While the $10 went over to $10.47, we got to enjoy the feeling of goodness between us, and we were both edified by it. Dave apologized, fishing fifty cents from his pocket, as we tried once again to get square with one another.

I owe Dave three pennies still, but we're both happy with that.

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Valley Recycling Music Festival Featuring Portugal. The Man

Contributed by Terry Koch

This year Recycle Revival 2020 is going virtual with a COVID-friendly livestream, social media fundraising event to support Valley Recycling.

Recycle Revival Music Festival is an annual fundraising event typically held the last weekend of September at Settlers Bay Golf Course. 

It includes a silent auction, local vendors, music, and recycled art. 

The livestream event will be featuring Portugal. The Man, Hobo Jim, Lulu Small, and much more!

Broadcast is happening on December 5th with an online auction November 7th through December 5th, 2020.

This event is sponsored by Subaru of America, Don’t Feed the Landfills, Denali Nat’l Park, Local Dispensaries, and some of our generous recyclers & supporters.

Alaskan Poetry & Prose: The Night Owl by Charles Dean Walker

Contributed by Charles Dean Walker

The night skies black with speck stars, holes in the universe.

In the atmosphere of earth, a light hue of colors river out. The colors spread throughout the clear Alaska skies. A soft heavenly light shown through. Inside the golden ray, was an animal kingdom.

Upon which the spirits in peace work an' play. Among these animals of many shapes, was an owl. This owl to the human eye has no defining color, shade, nor hue. It spreads its wings outward. He flaps rapidly, then like a bolt flies intently out.

The moon shines its light, as the owl looks upon the earth, his eyes an eagle. In all this, he watches an' sees all the actions of man. He breathes a dirty breath. A cough roughs out. On the ground snow blankets. Wilderness from afar. 

Dead trees, leafless covered in lines of snow from branch to branch.

Hungry wildlife still awake search for food. An arctic fox comes from the ground, she's in for the kill. The owl was pleased. Nature a seemingly dying thing, prevails in living. “This air’s still dirty, but cleaner than the cities. Mother cries, but I feel healing sometime,” the owl thought.

Somewhere in the Arctic, the owl lands his feet on an extended branch. The winds are rapidly wiping as he sits awhile. Though the weather is a fright from hell, he feels nothing. A spirit never feels any such thing, yet the living would feel a warm aura, commonly seen as a loving wrap. This feeling is only felt for a short distance at a time.

The owl thought to himself. “He's here for a specific reason, a person. Any person would do.

His intentions are to grab gently on the soul, with permission, so that whenever he's needed whether it be day or night. He must do this tonight, or else he'd be stuck in the lights yet another night.”

Unfortunately like a living bird, he too must rest, for but one hour. In any other occasion, this wouldn't be a problem, but with a limited timespan every action must be done precisely and calculated as much as possible. As the hour ends, he decides to fly up the air. Once airborne, his face will be bent down on civilization.

Somewhere just before a little town, a lone boy is walking through the woods. He's bundled up head to toe, with many layers of coat snow pants, an' snowshoes. A few trees stand cleanly frosted on each side of him. The owl quickly swoops down landing perfectly on the nearest branch. He lets out a hoot, letting the boy know his presence.

The boy taken aback at first looks upwards. He feels a warm aura around him. In his sights, a gentle, light brown owl. The owl slowly speaks, in order to let the boy process this unbelievable situation.

“I see your young heart is open,” said the brown owl in a pleased tone.

The boy still aback gasps, speechless. For a moment of his shock, he could only think. Then he finally says, “I must be dying!” The owl knew this would happen. “No, my boy. You're very much alive. Why, as much alive as I am a spirit,” he said in a cheerful understanding tone.

“B-bu-but how can this be?” the boy questioned in shock. The brown owl began to explain.

Few centuries ago, there lived a native tribe in pre-America, then called the New World. A strange man from a ship came upon this land. While here he seemingly befriended the local natives. The natives showed great kindness an' respect to him and his crew. They kept to their everyday customs. This man was pleased by the strange new people.

Soon, the man sailed his way back home.

When he returned, more of his people came too. They enslaved the peaceful natives. Horrible disease claimed many lives.

The natives had enough, so they escaped, running far off into nature.

The enslavers chased them down. The natives knew there wasn't hope left. They’d rather die, than be taken once again. So while at a giant cliff, they fell to their deaths.

In their death, something happened. Beams of a gold light illuminated from the ground. Out of these beams came three birds.

There was the raven, the black bird of death; the crow the black bird of ignorance and hate; then there was, I the owl. As the owl, I watch over the people and Mother as a guardian. My goal is to bring about hope and peace, to stop the ravens and crows.

“So, then why did you come to me?” the boy asked. “Because I've come to ask a favor of you. Let me grab on to your soul,” the owl said.

The boy couldn't believe this. “Let you grab my soul, but why?, I'm no devil,” the boy said fearfully. The owl quickly answered, “No, my boy. You misunderstand. You'll still have your soul, all I'd do is grab it gently to attach,” said the owl. The boy was puzzled now, “What do you mean by attach?" he asked. The owl thought this question reasonable. “My boy, when I attach to your soul, this will allow me to be called upon the earth day or night,” the owl said with importance. For many years, the owl has felt a great sorrow for the humans. For much of this time, he only wished he could help. He was only a bird though. There's not much he could do.

The boy thought deeply. Then agreed.

The owl flew to him, reaching out his feet.

They landed softly on the boy’s head. A blue hued beam shown brightly. Soon the owl’s body merged with the boy’s soul.

He then knew his name. “Chace,” he said to himself.

“Son, stretch out your arms,” said the Owl.

Chace did just so. Suddenly, giant translucent-white-as-clouds wings took formation. The Owl flapped his arms like a puppet. And at great speed, they together took flight.

Palmer Museum Photo of the Month: A False Image

Contributed by Richard Estelle

“A picture doesn’t lie,” the saying goes, but sometimes information interpreting a photo doesn’t get the story quite right.

This month’s photo was filed by a newspaper reporter from the States covering events associated with 1935 Matanuska Colony Project in Palmer. Many people “Outside”, particularly in parts of Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin where the colonists departed, were very interested in conditions and activities of the Colony. They relied heavily on journalists’ reports sent back to local newspapers for stories.

Of the many reporters that came to cover the story, some didn’t bother to ensure the information they were reporting was accurate, thus providing a distorted view to their readers. Newspaper accounts sometimes presented a much different picture than that of letters from colonists to family and friends back home, causing considerable confusion about conditions in the Colony.

Information sent along with this photo by the reporter is attached at left, and reads: “PALMER, ALASKA, MAY 24 – MATANUSKA’S FIRST LOG CABIN – Typical of the farm homes that will house the hundreds of government colonists in Matanuska Valley is this first log cabin built on the project. The settlers, emigrants from the Midwest, are living in a tent city temporarily.”

While many log homes were built as part of the Colony Project, those shown in this photo were not among them. In fact, they represent the endeavors of homesteader, Goren White, and his brother in establishing various cabins and outbuildings on their property, in the vicinity of present-day S. Valley Way and Cottonwood Ave. in Palmer. Their structures included a roadhouse, seen at the right in the photo, from which they also operated the Post Office for a time.

When Jim Felton acquired the property ion 1932, he established his store, including the post office which operated under the town name of Warton until it was changed to Palmer in 1935. The roof of Felton’s store building is visible in this photo, just behind the roadhouse. The people the photo are not identified.

The Matanuska Valley Historical Photo Project is an effort by the Palmer Museum of History and Art to promote and preserve the images and stories of the Valley. If you have photos or stories to share with us, please reach out at 907-746-7668, or to director@palmermuseum.org. You can view hundreds of our images online at www.mvhphotoproject.org. This project is sponsored by the generosity of the MTA Foundation.

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A Piece by Douglas Girard, Mat-Su Valley Artist

Contributed by Douglas Girard

I woke up freezing in the middle of the night. I put on an extra pair of socks, lay my jacket over my sleeping bag and curled up as small as I could, and fell back to sleep. A little while later, I was even colder than before. I sat up in my tent and reached around, looking for any piece of clothing I could lay on top of myself. My back hit the top of the tent. It didn't feel right; It was lower than it should have been and felt heavy. I unzipped the tent a little and peered into the semi-darkness. It was snowing heavily with large wet flakes. About 4 inches had accumulated and it showed no signs of slowing down. 

The night before, I had set up my tent next to the River Boite near the Italian town of Cortina d'Ampezzo. Before I settled down for the night, I had painted my last two paintings of the Dolomites. The first was painted facing the opposite bank. Warm light lit up the peak that soared above me turning the mountain shades of red and orange. I turned my easel to the south and painted my last painting of Mount Faloria. Golden light caught the rugged tips of its towers. Fresh snow, turning pink, helped emphasize every crack, groove and ledge of this exultant mountain.

 It was about 4:30 in the morning. A decision had to be made. Do I wait to see if the snow stops or do I leave before it gets worse? I had a small car with thin summer tires and the narrow mountain roads that led out of the high valley could prove treacherous. As quickly as possible, I packed up. Slowly and carefully, I edged the car across the narrow wooden bridge that led to the main road. As I entered Pieve di Cadore, the hometown of the Venetian painter Titian, the snow turned to rain. I was relieved and sad at the same time. I wouldn't be back for years and this mountain realm had changed me forever.

Two hours later, I was just outside Venice. The cold of winter had given away to the embracing sun of late summer. Just before Mestre, I took the A4 towards Croatia. I turned off the freeway and took a side road through towns whose names have a magical sound to them: Caposile, Cortelazzo Lido di Jesolo and finally Cavallino. Here I set up my tent in a very civilized campground. Each spot was divided by a short hedge and small lights accompanied the pathway to the showers. Stone Pine trees twisted and turned above my campsite and seemed like they were in a silent dance with each other. A short walk under the rhythmic pines and I was on the beach looking out across the Adriatic's lazy waves. In less than three hours, I had driven from winter in the foothills of the Alps to summer on a beach just outside the most romantic city in the world.

As I walked the main road to catch the bus to Punta Sabbioni the afternoon light spotlit a whole line of dancing pine trees. Their branches linked arms as they connected above and tangoed down the road. The bus followed their line dance to the Vaporetto port. The boat would take me on an exploration of the Venice Lagoon and to the islands of Burano, Murano and Torcello. On Torcello, in front of the cathedral dating to AD 639, I sat in the supposed throne of Atilla the Hun. This gave me a real sense of the ancient history of the lagoon islands.

More than history, I was captivated by the texture of the walls, columns, and stonework under my hands as well as the color of the light. Gliding over the placid lagoon waters at different times of the day filled me with excitement and inspiration. My favorite time was at sunset and dusk when a purple/peach color would envelop the whole watery landscape. Golden light caught the tops of trees and marbled facades. Slowly nature and the man-made melted together into a glorious symphony of color and shapes. Partly hidden between the tree trunks and beyond I could spot shrines, gardens, and sacred buildings. A sense of mystery and magical color pervaded all.

This is the inspiration behind this painting: "Island Shrine", oil on wood panel, 18" x 24", now available as a print at www.studiogirard.com. Please follow me on Facebook and Instagram @studiogirard.

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Suicide Prevention in the Mat-Su: Join MY House on STAY Day September 25th!

Contributed by Justin Pendergrass

Stay Day started three years ago on the first week of September after the staff at MY House watched the Netflix show, “13 Reasons Why”. During a staff meeting, a MY House employee suggested that they begin focusing on suicide prevention and 13 reasons why NOT.

The director of MY House brought in Justin Pendergrass to begin working on this campaign after connecting with him years ago on his own battle with suicide. The last three years, Stay Day has been used to connect those around the community and help raise awareness in a more uplifting and positive way. Stay Day has connected over 50 different businesses over the last three years and continues to grow each year, providing t-shirts that say, “Stay, Discover What You Are Made For” to community partners and businesses to help provide that positive message.

This year for Stay Day, we will be mixing things up to accommodate those in the community who are protecting themselves from COVID-19. We will still be providing shirts to community members, but we will not have an in-person meeting.

Instead, we ask that members of our community take a short 30-second video of why they stay on their phones and send them to Justin@myhousematsu.org to create a community video leaving a positive message. If you are a business please take photos of your team and you in the shirts Friday, September 25th and post them on social media tagging the MY House page. You can find us on Facebook throughout the month of September providing information on suicide prevention and telling stories of those who have made it through the fight.

For more information or to sign-up for t-shirts, please contact Justin Pendergrass at (907) 373-4357 or by email at Justin@myhousematsu.org. 

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Safe Alaskans: Helping Older Drivers Feel Comfortable & Confident in their Cars

Disclaimer: The content of this article is the opinion of the author alone. The People’s Paper & Make A Scene Magazine are open forums for the community, and do not endorse any specific candidate or content that is published by the author through the publications.

Contributed by Amy Brown, Center for Safe Alaskan

Older drivers are often the safest drivers. They are more likely to wear seatbelts, and less likely to speed or drink and drive. According to a survey from AAA, AARP and the American Occupational Therapy Association, 9 in 10 older drivers fasten their seat belts when behind the wheel and more than a third have taken driver improvement courses. However, older drivers are more likely to be killed or seriously injured when a crash does occur due to the greater fragility. Age also brings changes to vision, cognition, flexibility, and speed of reflexes. As such, new strategies or adaptive equipment may be needed to ensure safety and comfort.

CarFit is a program that can help improve safety of older drivers. It is a FREE driver safety program that guides senior drivers through a 12-point checklist to improve the fit to their vehicles, and to assess the driver's car for optimal safety settings. The program is a partnership between AAA, AARP, and the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) to enhance safety, comfort and provide the best protection for the driver in the event of a crash.

Findings show that senior drivers often experience safety-related challenges of improper or inadequate fit including:

·         Distance from steering wheel (59%)

·         Views from side mirrors (31%)

·         Seat height (28%)

·         Head restraint height (21%)

Some of the areas that CarFit assess are:

·         Seatbelt fit to ensure correct placement on the strong bones of the driver, not the neck or belly. ·         Properly adjusted mirrors to diminish blind spots.

·         The proper tilt of the steering wheel and positioning of the air bag: at least 10 inches between the chest and the airbag housed in the steering wheel.

·         A properly adjusted head restraint to prevent whiplash injuries.

·         A clear line of sight above the steering wheel and dash.

·         Easy access to the gas and brake pedal.

To ensure safety and convenience through COVID-19, we have created an easy-to-follow 12-part CarFit video series that you can watch from your computer or smartphone. The total time to watch all 12 videos is around 20 minutes. Viewers that watch all 12 videos will also be entered to win 1 of 10 $25 Fred Meyer gift cards! The drawing will take place on October 1st. To participate, please visit www.safealaskans.org/carfit.

If you have questions or require assistance at any time, please contact us at 907-929-3939 or email, info@safealaskans.org. For more information about the national CarFit program, visit https://www.car-fit.org/.

Center for Safe Alaskans is a non-profit agency funded through a grant from the Alaska Highway Safety Office. Safe Alaskans coordinates transportation safety programs locally for all ages to include CarFit, car seat and booster seat checkups and teen driving safety campaigns.

Amy Brown is the certified CarFit Project Coordinator for Center for Safe Alaskans and can be reached at amy@safealaskans.org.

Older drivers are often the safest drivers. They are more likely to wear seatbelts, and less likely to speed or drink and drive. According to a survey from AAA, AARP and the American Occupational Therapy Association, 9 in 10 older drivers fasten their seat belts when behind the wheel and more than a third have taken driver improvement courses. However, older drivers are more likely to be killed or seriously injured when a crash does occur due to the greater fragility. Age also brings changes to vision, cognition, flexibility, and speed of reflexes. As such, new strategies or adaptive equipment may be needed to ensure safety and comfort.

CarFit is a program that can help improve safety of older drivers. It is a FREE driver safety program that guides senior drivers through a 12-point checklist to improve the fit to their vehicles, and to assess the driver's car for optimal safety settings. The program is a partnership between AAA, AARP, and the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) to enhance safety, comfort and provide the best protection for the driver in the event of a crash.

Findings show that senior drivers often experience safety-related challenges of improper or inadequate fit including:

·         Distance from steering wheel (59%)

·         Views from side mirrors (31%)

·         Seat height (28%)

·         Head restraint height (21%)

Some of the areas that CarFit assess are:

·         Seatbelt fit to ensure correct placement on the strong bones of the driver, not the neck or belly. ·         Properly adjusted mirrors to diminish blind spots.

·         The proper tilt of the steering wheel and positioning of the air bag: at least 10 inches between the chest and the airbag housed in the steering wheel.

·         A properly adjusted head restraint to prevent whiplash injuries.

·         A clear line of sight above the steering wheel and dash.

·         Easy access to the gas and brake pedal.

To ensure safety and convenience through COVID-19, we have created an easy-to-follow 12-part CarFit video series that you can watch from your computer or smartphone. The total time to watch all 12 videos is around 20 minutes. Viewers that watch all 12 videos will also be entered to win 1 of 10 $25 Fred Meyer gift cards! The drawing will take place on October 1st. To participate, please visit www.safealaskans.org/carfit.

If you have questions or require assistance at any time, please contact us at 907-929-3939 or email, info@safealaskans.org. For more information about the national CarFit program, visit https://www.car-fit.org/.

Center for Safe Alaskans is a non-profit agency funded through a grant from the Alaska Highway Safety Office. Safe Alaskans coordinates transportation safety programs locally for all ages to include CarFit, car seat and booster seat checkups and teen driving safety campaigns.

Amy Brown is the certified CarFit Project Coordinator for Center for Safe Alaskans and can be reached at amy@safealaskans.org.

Alaska Vintage Market & Food Truck Fest: “Christmas in September”

Contributed by Ella Embree, Alaska Vintage Markets

Alaska Vintage Market & Food Truck Fest
9/18/2020 - 12PM, 9/19-20/2020 - 10AM

Alaska Vintage Markets
Alaska State Fairgrounds

2075 Glenn Hwy. Palmer
Cost: FREE (Ages 0-12), $5 Reg. Friday & Saturday; FREE (All Ages) Sunday

Come enjoy a fun weekend with friends and family! “Christmas in September” will include a visit from Mr. and Mrs. Santa Clause. Shop some of Alaska's trendiest small businesses, up-cyclers, designers and vintage collectors! We are also throwing a food truck festival with over 40 food vendors from all over Alaska, even Kenai and Fairbanks. It's going to be a blast!

Our purpose at Alaska Vintage Markets is to “Create a Space for Creative Alaskans”. We love supporting other local Alaskan businesses and we hope you can come out and support them as well! Some of the extra items you can enjoy: “Get your Family Christmas Photo on Hank the Moose”, “Create your own scarf or face mask using the Marbled Designs techniques”, “Get a Free color photo strip from our Photo Bus”, “Taste the harvest of fresh honey or chaga”, or “Take a special handmade unique gift for your loved ones (pens, pottery, art, leather goods, comic books from Tundra, earrings or fur Santas)”.

We are in the unheated barn, so dress warmly! We will have 20-foot walkways and space between vendors to enable social distancing. Food trucks will be generously spaced along the purple trail. Our vendors will be wearing masks, and we recommend that customers do too.

We have a Mommy and Toddler break room for tired shoppers. Weekend Pass is only $5 online at https://akvintagemarkets.ticketleap.com/christmasinseptember/ Or you can pay at the RED Event Gate. 

Friday, September 18, 12pm-8pm ($5 admission, 12 and under free)

Saturday, September 19, 10am-6pm ($5 admission, 12 and under free)

Sunday, September 20, 10am-4pm (Free admission all ages)

Free parking all weekend, enter at the RED EVENT GATE by the flashing sign.

Event is located at the Alaska State Fairgrounds

2075 Glenn Hwy.

Palmer, AK 99645

Thanks for shopping local!

Mat-Su Valley Projects: AARP Awards Three “Livability” Grants

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Part of Record-Breaking Nationwide Program  

Contributed by Michelle Harmeling, United Way of Mat-Su

AARP recently announced three Matanuska-Susitna Valley winners of 2020 Community Challenge grants. In the largest grant release to date, more than $2.4 million was awarded to 184 organizations nationwide. Grant recipients, including the United Way of Mat-Su, the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Cooperative Extension Service and the Mat-Su Trails and Parks Foundation, will implement “quick-action” projects to create more livable communities across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The funded Mat-Su projects are:

·         United Way of Mat-Su will work with older residents and local artists to design and create an art and cultural trail reflective of the community's history.

·         University of Alaska Fairbanks, Cooperative Extension will create a new area to grow fresh foods and demonstrate how to build a space that is inclusive of people of ages and abilities.

·         Mat-Su Trails and Parks Foundation will provide new, stocked lifejacket loaner boards at public-use ADA and accessible facilities to increase access to the outdoors and water recreation.

“We are incredibly proud to partner with Alaska’s grantees as they work to make immediate improvements in their communities, encourage promising ideas and jumpstart long-term change,” said Teresa Holt, AARP Alaska State Director.

“Our goal at AARP Alaska is to support the efforts of our communities to be great places for people of all backgrounds, ages and abilities. The coronavirus pandemic has only underscored the importance of this work.”

All projects are designed to achieve one or more of the following outcomes:

·         Create vibrant public places by improving open spaces and parks and activating main streets.

·         Deliver a range of transportation and mobility options by increasing connectivity, walkability, bikeability, wayfinding, and access a wider range of transportation choices.

·         Encourage the availability of a range of housing by increasing accessible and affordable housing solutions.

·         Increase civic engagement and demonstrate the tangible value of “Smart Cities” by bringing together local leaders and residents from all backgrounds to address challenges.

·         Support coronavirus response and recovery efforts by ensuring older adults’ access to information, essential services, and civic life.

The Community Challenge grant program is part of AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which helps communities become great places to live for residents of all ages. View the full list of grantees and their project descriptions at www.aarp.org/communitychallenge and view an interactive map of all of the Community Challenge projects and AARP Alaska’s livable communities work at www.aarp.org/livable.

About AARP:

AARP is the nation’s largest non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media.

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