Opening Day at Alyeska one week away

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T U R N A G A I N
VOL. 14, NO. 22
TIMES
Serving Indian, Bird, Girdwood, Portage, Whittier, Hope, Cooper Landing & Moose Pass
Opening Day
at Alyeska one
week away
November 17, 2011
HEAD TO HEAD COMBAT
November 23 begins the new
ski season, but for season pass
holders it starts a day earlier
By Ken Smith
Turnagain Times
Ski enthusiasts needn’t wait much longer as
opening day at Alyeska Resort is Wednesday,
Nov. 23. Lifts will begin operating at 10:30 a.m.
The snow depth as of this writing was 62 inches
at the top of the mountain, 27 inches midway
and 17 inches at the base.
For season pass holders, there will be a special
opening Nov. 22. It’s a new approach to thank
the skiers who purchased a pass, said Sandy
Chio, director of marketing for Alyeska Resort.
In years past, an annual season pass holder party
was held at The Hotel Alyeska serving pass
holders a free dinner, but management decided
to take a new approach this year.
“We put ourselves into the season pass holder’s shoes and thought, what’s better than a free
Photo courtesy of the Alaska Conservation Center
A young bull elk jumped the fence into the musk ox pen at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Monday, Nov. 14. He used his dagger-like antlers to chase off the musk ox
from the hay until the older bull musk ox finally sent him on his way. The elk later rejumped the fence back to his enclosure with a little help from Mike Miller, director of the
center. Mike and his assistant then used their snow machines to transfer all the bull elk
into the pen with the breeding bull elk and cows.
See Back Page, Opening Day at Alyeska
Girdwood task force shares vision for recreation center
By Celina Sumner
Turnagain Times Correspondent
The Girdwood Recreation
Task Force held a public
meeting on Thursday, Nov.
10, to begin discussions on a
potential recreation center in
Glacier Valley.
The Girdwood Recreation
Center Task Force is headed
by Lynne’ Doran and is comprised of community members
who represent various organizations and businesses in
town.
The preliminary meeting
was informational, and task
force members asked those
in attendance to think about
where they would want a recreation center, as well as what
they would like in such a facility. Representatives from
the YMCA, the school district
and the municipality were
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
ANCHORAGE, AK
PERMIT NO. 353
ECRWSS
Postal Customer
also present to provide additional insight into cost and
feasibility.
“Build it to serve you, not
because it looks pretty,” said
Anchorage Parks and Recreation director John Rodda. “It
all costs money at the end of
the day.”
Rodda reiterated that the
community should think
about what functions they
would like to have in a center
and how it would all work together.
“Pools and ice rinks cost
a hell of a lot of money to
operate,” said Rodda.
Anchorage YMCA executive director Larry Parker was
on hand to advise on the idea
of having the recreation center
run by the YMCA.
He really wanted those in
attendance to start off with the
YMCA song and dance, but
Inside this Issue
Around the Arm ........................2
Paddy Waggin’ ..........................3
Hope Happenings .....................4
Cooper Landing News ...............5
Moose Passings........................6
FVCS News ...............................9
Trooper Report .......................10
Forest Service Grants .............11
let everyone off the hook and
went into details.
He said that in most cases,
a YMCA starts from within a
community and usually begins
with programming and then
a facility comes later because
they are costly to maintain and
operate.
He said the benefits of
a YMCA-operated facility include: a staff on hand to
help with start-up, insurance,
payroll and other administrative information, and the
YMCA has 100 plus years of
experience, and members can
utilize YMCAs allover the
country.
Anchorage School District
Superintendent of Support Services Mike Abbott was present
to provide information on
combining recreation services
with the Girdwood K-8 school
facility improvements.
The Girdwood School has
been approved to receive an
expansion, new gymnasium
and classroom spaces. Abbott
added that the school district
has an obligation to operate
during school hours, but the
community could have afterhours and weekend access.
This drew some criticism from
meeting attendees because
many said the facility should
be more accessible.
The facilitator of the task
force meeting, Dennis McMillan, presented a break down of
capital and operations costs.
He explained that the community would have to raise money
through donors and fundraising
to start building a facility. He
added that there would have to
be earned revenue, including
usage charges, that would help
with operations costs.
McMillan then had those in
attendance break into groups
for about 30 minutes to discuss
what kinds of services and activities they would desire in a
recreation facility, and what
kind of structure they envision.
Each group seemed to have
lively discussion, and wrote
their visions on a large sheet
of paper, which was presented
by a representative from each
group.
Each group said they would
like a workout facility with
cardio machines and weights,
a pool, ice rink and walking
track. Other ideas included a
climbing wall, bowling, gymnastics equipment, saunas and
a teen youth center.
Location ideas included investigating potential Heritage
Land Bank land, the South
Town Site and near the Girdwood School.
Attendees also discussed
other organizations in Girdwood that may be part of the
new recreation center. Those
included the Girdwood Center
for Visual Arts, Little Bears
and Four Valleys Community
Schools.
John Burns, owner of
Alyeska Resort, helped to get
the ball rolling on fundraising with a donation of $1,000.
The estimated cost of the
recreation center is between
$15 and $20 million. In comparison, the library/community center building cost $6
million.
In addition to donors, user
fees and fundraisers, the task
force proposed a multi-year
property tax increase – the
same way the library/community center was paid for and
has now been paid off.
The task force is actively
seeking community input on
the potential Girdwood Recreation Center. There is a survey
on their Website: www.GirdwoodRecCenter.com.
Donations can be mailed
to: Girdwood Inc., P.O. Box
1102, Girdwood, AK 99587.
Page 2
Turnagain Times
November 17, 2011
Around the Arm
By Paddy Notar
Turnagain Times Correspondent
Have you ever been craving
eggplant parmigiana or eggplant in general? It might just
be that you are craving the
nicotine. Eggplant has the
highest count of natural nicotine out of any food. Tomatoes
and peppers contain nicotine
as well, but the little purple
guy is the one that you have
just once and think about it
again and again.
Alyeska Resort is still
selling season passes in the
Harding Room from Nov. 19
through Nov. 27, 8 a.m. until
6 p.m. The official start of
the ski season is Nov. 23. The
Glacier Express and the Sitzmark will also be opening up
for seven days a week of fun.
Here we go. You can also grab
Thanksgiving dinner at the
Pond Café on Nov. 24. The
seatings are at 1, 3, 5, and 7
p.m. accordingly. Call 7542237 to make reservations.
It’s buffet style and comes
with all of the fixins.
The Jack River Kings play
on Nov. 25 from 10 p.m. – 2
a.m. at the Sitzmark. They
are one of the best bands Anchorage has to offer and they
put on a great show. Nervis
Rex plays on Nov. 26, from
10 p.m. – 2 a.m. It’s always
a good show. Cover is $5 for
both. On Nov. 30 the Sitzmark is playing a snowboarding movie TB20 from 7 p.m.
– 9 p.m. Grab a burger after
S eason’s Greeting’s
* Do you have trouble finding that perfect gift for that hard-to-buy-for person on your holiday list?
*Frustrated with frenzied crowds and shopping malls?
*Would you like to shop in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere?
Join us for the
2011 Holiday Bazaar
Sponsored by the
Girdwood PTA
Saturday, December 3rd
12pm-5pm
@ Girdwood School
Unique Gifts from Local (and not-so-local) Artists
Sweets and Treats and Yummy Baked Goodies
Alaskan Book Fair
Children’s Booths for “Young Shoppers”
Live Holiday Music from Sherry Dugan’s Piano Students
Raffle Tickets
Delicious baked goods at PTA Café
Visit with Santa (2pm-4pm)
Fresh wreaths & centerpieces for your Holiday Decorating
you hit the slopes and enjoy
the film. The cinematography
with snowboarding movies
is always nice to watch and
there’s nothing like the Sitz.
Jack Sprat is also having
a Thanksgiving dinner. It’s a
four-course meal for $49 per
adult. You get soup, salad,
turkey and dessert. Kids under
10 pay $20 for their meal.
Speaking of Thanksgiving,
turkey is $1.19 a pound at
Carr’s on Huffman. Grab one
bird, stuffing, potatoes, cranberry sauce that looks like the
can it came in, and whatever
else you want and donate it
to the Food Bank of Alaska.
Give a family a Thanksgiving they thought they’d
never have. You’ll live longer
knowing you did something
good.
Isn’t it about time that
the DOT towed that blue car
around mile 107.5 on the
side of the road on a hill by
the southbound lane of the
Seward Highway? That thing
has been there for about 10
weeks. It’s been tagged, but
no one seems to want to finish
the job. Whoever tows it first
gets a free cup of coffee at
Essential One on me. I’ll
even throw in a bear claw.
Take advantage of the
winter rates and drive down
to the Inn at Whittier. They’ve
got a beautiful view of the
water, and we now have the
local prices we always dreamt
of. Do try the spicy shrimp in
garlic sauce or the steamed
mussels in tomato broth,
garlic, and banana peppers.
The sauce for the mussels is
a nice change from the white
wine, garlic sauce that everyone seems to serve with these
mollusks. I love that word
mollusks.
I heard Maxine’s closed
down and gave the employees
about four days notice. Nice
thing to do to people around
the holidays. They couldn’t
give the staff 30 days notice
so they would have time to
find another job? Really?
Happy Thanksgiving. White
or dark meat? Sweet potatoes
or mashed potatoes? How
about some apple pie? By the
way, you’re fired. I’m not impressed.
Who was the first President to make Thanksgiving
a holiday? Answer: Franklin
Roosevelt was the President
who signed the bill to make
Thanksgiving a national
holiday on the fourth Thursday of every November.
Abraham Lincoln asked on
Oct. 3, 1863, during the Civil
War, that the fourth Thursday
in November be set aside for
the union to give thanks, but
no bill was passed by Congress.
President Andrew
Johnson was the first to sign
a law giving Federal workers
the day off with pay. If he
weren’t dead, and ran again,
he’d definitely get the union
votes.
That’s it. The snow is
falling, the roads are slick,
and you need to take your
time to get to wherever you’re
going. We’ve had enough of
talking about people that died
because of reckless driving.
Be careful and drive according to the conditions of the
road. Be late and be safe if
necessary. Your family and
friends will thank you.
Happy Thanksgiving and
remember to give. It’ll make
your holiday that much better.
Email me at:
paddytimes@gmail.com.
Read the Turnagain Times online:
www.turnagaintimes.com
The Turnagain Times is
published the first and third
week of each month by
Midnight Sun Communications,
LLC, Girdwood, Alaska.
By Mail:
P.O. Box 1044
Girdwood, Alaska
99587-1044
Publisher & Editor
Ken Smith
Production Artist
Matthew Bailey
Serving Indian, Bird, Girdwood, Portage, Whittier, Hope, Cooper Landing & Moose Pass
By Phone:
(907) 783-1135
By Fax:
(907) 783-1136
By Email:
info@turnagaintimes.com
© 2011 Midnight Sun
Communications, LLC
November 17, 2011
Turnagain Times
Opinion
PADDY WAGGIN’
I had the most bizarre dream
the other night that the late
Andy Rooney spoke to me
about bartenders in Alaska. It
was in that Andy Rooney voice
that you always heard on “60
Minutes.” I’d like to share it
with you.
Mr. Rooney passed away
Nov. 4, a little over a month
after he announced on the
show that he would no longer
be writing the television essays
that made him a household
name. He was 92 years old, and
I write this column in honor of
one of the greatest columnists
of our time.
Mr. Rooney’s narrative in
the dream went something
like this:
Did you ever see a worse
state than Alaska to be a regular
in a bar? I haven’t. It’s like the
bartenders own the place. And
every one of them talks about
their TAMS card and how they
have some sort of obligation to
not let you have fun. What is a
TAMS card anyway? You pay
money, take some course like
basket weaving 101, and they
give you this card. Who cares?
When did bartenders start to
become bar owners? It’s kind
PADDY
NOTAR
of ridiculous.
I watched a friend of mine get
cut off by a bartender because
he was being too loud. Imagine
that. People at bars can actually
get too loud? My friend, we’ll
call him John, was rooting for
his team on TV. He yelled at the
officials for making, what he
thought, were bad calls. John
obviously loved his team. We
all have a favorite team that
we defend to our death. All of
a sudden the bartender walked
over, like a soldier ready to
discipline a prisoner in Guantanamo Bay, took his drink
and threw it in the sink. When
John asked what the problem
was, the bartender responded,
“You’re 86’d.”
I was 86 once. I had a birthday party with a couple of
friends and we toasted with
Page 3
champagne. I also got a Timex
watch that I still wear today.
But I’ve never been 86’d. To
be honest with you, I never
even heard of the term until
I came to Alaska. Where I
come from, if you’re being too
loud, the bartender tells you to
keep it down, which is almost
never. And if you’re taking a
cab home they’d never throw
your drink in the sink. The
sink is for washing dishes, not
for swallowing your beer. The
bars in Alaska are a lot like
church. Keep it down, please,
the priest is giving his sermon.
What I really don’t understand are the people that own
these establishments. They just
accept their staff as if they’ve
been assigned to them by some
socialist government and they
have no other recourse. If I
owned a place and someone
treated one of my regulars
rudely, I’d fire them. After all,
the regulars are the ones who
pay the bills when times are
tough. And, trust me, times are
tough. Besides, there are a lot
of people looking for work.
Finding a bartender or server
isn’t like looking for gold.
They’re everywhere.
The regulars are the ones
who have their names embossed on a brass plate that
sits atop the bar by their usual
seat. These are people that
remind you of the TV show
“Cheers.” They bring laughter
into your day and you enjoy
their company. Better yet, they
enjoy each other’s company.
But not here in Alaska. Regulars get yelled at, they have
bartenders threaten to 86 them,
and they are lucky if they see
a TV, let alone get to yell at it.
Bartenders in Alaska consider
regulars to be just “plain annoying.” But they never seem
to complain about the bloated,
drunken, tips they receive.
When I was 24 years old
we used to go to a place a few
blocks from my parents house.
It was an Irish bar. Anyone who
knows someone who is Irish
knows they can get loud. We
walked in and saw the retired
police detective, now turned
bartender, yelling for the Red
Sox to beat the Yankees. He
couldn’t stop watching the
game. Whenever the Red Sox
got a run he poured a shot of
whiskey for everyone in the
place. It was a fun pub to hang
out at. People were talking,
yelling, and having a good
time. Some people even ate.
I think potato skins were the
new appetizer on the menu.
Who doesn’t like potato skins?
I like anything that’s covered
in bacon.
Sometimes there would be
a fight. He’d break it up and
throw the guys out. The next
time he saw them, he’d talk to
them about it, and the two guys
would end up apologizing and
having a beer together. But
nobody was told to not come
back forever. You’d have to
murder somebody to be 86’d.
So what is it about Alaska
bars and the servers thinking
they own the joint? I don’t
know, maybe it has something to do with feeling powerful. There are a lot of people
in history that tried to wield
power because it made them
feel safer. Mussolini, Stalin,
and a few others come to mind,
but none of them were bartenders or servers.
Personally, I think it’s the
owner’s lack of disciplining
their employees when they go
over the top that makes the
bars so inhospitable at times to
patrons. Maybe the bartenders
need to stop feeling so jealous
that we’re sitting where they’d
like to be. After all, the people
I see that should be cut off and
86’d the most are the bar staff
when they’re off duty. They
can barely stand up most of
the time and are usually the
ones getting free drinks after
they’ve had one too many.
But then again, if you think
their fellow staff or owners are
going to tell them that, you’re
probably dreaming.
Girdwood Fire Department provides important home safety service installing carbon
dioxide and smoke
alarms
work she put into this and
getting us all together. Thanks
goes out to all the volunteers:
JoJo, Stevie and Marty for
the pit maintenance, Jenny
Blair for the T-Shirt design,
BBQ master Chris Foster and
to the clean-up crew. Buddy,
Darrian and Ryan. Thanks to
all of you.
Congratulations to champs:
“Your Momma” JoJo and Jon,
this year’s winner.
God Bless you all.
Letters to the Editor
Thanks to Whittier fire
responders: Whittier
Volunteer Firefighters,
Girdwood Fire Dept.,
and the Anton Anderson Tunnel Fire Team
To the Editor:
After watching the outbreak and response to the
Outpost fire in Whittier on
Oct. 25, thanks, congratulations, and kudos are in order
for all who responded.
This fire broke out in an increasing storm and conditions
were extremely challenging
with high winds and waves
breaking over the responders
while controlling the fire. That
the fire did not spread to any
other structures is testament
to the effectiveness of the response.
Though tragic that Whittier
lost its’ liquor store, significant other damage was prevented due to the efforts by
our firefighters.
Many thanks to all.
Peter Denmark
Alaska Sea Kayakers
Thank you for community support in loved
one’s passing
To the Editor:
The Sherwood Family
would like to extend our
thanks to all of those that
helped us in our time of need.
When our dad, husband, son,
uncle, friend, Don Sherwood
II, passed away a year ago
the support this community
showed us was incredible.
Your words, meals, cards, and
smiles were much appreciated. We are blessed with an
awesome volunteer Fire Department, they were compassionate, and respectful on the
most difficult night of our
lives.
Pastor Jim Doepken is a
true gift to the community of
Girdwood. He is solid as a
rock in the midst of a tragedy
giving guidance and support
every step of the journey. To
my sisters in our bible study
group thank you for letting my
cry and pray with you, I have
clung to your words and our
shared faith.
Our friends in the Alyeska
Ski Club have stood by us all
year making sure we always
had someone to eat and ski
with. I especially want to
thank the Ingrim family for all
their help arranging the memorial service and adopting
me as part of your family.
Thank you to the Alyeska
Resort for your assistance
with the memorial service and
lodging as well as Bud and
Carol; I am so thankful to have
you as neighbors. Thanks for
housing our family for us.
Thank you again for all
your love and support.
Terry Sherwood and the entire Sherwood Family
To the Editor:
Big thank you to Steve Bartholomew and his volunteer
crew of Firefighters for installing a carbon dioxide alarm
and smoke alarms at my house
this last week. My family is
now safe and sound. This free
program is available to all
homes in Girdwood.
I urge my neighbors to take
part in this program. Just call
the Girdwood Fire Department
(783-2511) to set up a time for
them to come over. Thanks
again to our proactive Fire Department who are showing their
dedication towards keeping our
community safe.
Tommy O’Malley
Girdwood
Thanks to all for annual “Tommy Boren’s
horseshoe Tourney”
To the Editor:
We would like to thank
the “Girdwood Family” for
putting on the 5th annual
“Tommy Boren’s horseshoe
Tourney” on Aug. 28.
A big thanks goes out to
Gretchen for putting this
event together and all the hard
Marti, John and Buddy
In memory of Tommy Boren
RIP
Page 4
Turnagain Times
November 17, 2011
Hope Happenings
By Shyla Malone
Turnagain Times
Hope Correspondent
Our winter wonderland is
here to stay! Since the first
snowfall a few days before
Halloween, it seems to have
snowed every other day,
giving us a mess of snow.
Although it may be messy,
it is certainly fun to play in.
Hope was busy this weekend
with lots of skiers, from
cross-country to Skijoring,
and a few snow machiners.
People were out reveling in the beauty of winter.
If it’s not snowing then it
seems to get really cold out
there, so bundle up and stay
warm. When you’re out and
about, sometimes a nice cup
of something warm to drink
is a good idea as well. So get
out there or sit by your warm
cozy fire and take in all the
joys winter has to offer.
Veteran’s Day at the
School
On Friday Nov. 11, Veteran’s Day we had a small
round table celebration/discussion to learn more about
some of our local Veterans.
Leonard Booth, Hugh
Moore, Peck Hassler, Skip
Dent, Wild Bill How, Billy
Miller, and Larry Anderson
were some of our Veterans
who attended to tell us their
story of how, when and where
they went into the military
Service.
Their stories were very informative and interesting, and
I would like to thank them for
coming to the school to tell
those stories, even though I
know parts of them had to be
hard to recall.
We served refreshments
for our Veterans and guests,
which included Pumpkin
Bars made by River Skarren,
Mrs. T and Shyla Malone,
also there was fudge made
by Ben Peck, as well as a few
other tid bits.
It was a unanimous idea
to wait on our Pledge Of Allegiance that morning so that
we could say it with those
Veterans who came to our
school.
I would like to thank all of
our veterans and guests who
stopped by the school on Veterans Day, and every Veteran
who served our Country Well.
School News
On Nov. 16, there will be a
fundraising chili dinner held
at the school by Sara Fortin
and Angie Motoyama, at 6
p.m. The price will be $8 for
adults, and $5 for children.
Dinner will include corn
bread, green salad, dessert
and beverage. We hope to see
every one there as this will be
a great meal and a good time.
Recently someone mailed
back some historical items
that they had taken home from
Hope in the 1960s.
Upon receiving this box,
Diane Olthuis, brought it
to the school and handed it
to Ben Peck. Inside was a
letter, an old dog collar and
a whip. The collar was metal
reinforced with straw, which
is a very unusual artifact from
Hope. Ben found out from the
letter where these artifacts
came from and who owned
them. Calvin Dreier, once
owned the cabin ruins on the
corner of B STREET and 2nd,
in the 1960s.
The cabin was partially
underwater and abandoned.
Ben’s research led him to a
newspaper article and a photo
of Cal, and his dog hooked up
to a sled, hauling firewood. At
the conclusion of the project,
Ben wrote a paper for Mrs. T
and put a thank you note in
the mail. The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s,
media specialist wants to do a
story on Ben’s research.
Hope students went to
Unlimited Calling.
Local.
$
Long Distance.
Everyone still needs a home phone. For reliability, sound quality, and
security, nothing is better. And at $19.99 a month for unlimited local
and long distance calling, you can’t afford not to get GCI Unlimited Home.
XXXHDJDPN…
Price does not include taxes and fees.
a month
Whittier on Wednesday, Nov.
9, to see student magician,
Eric Gilliam. Hope, Cooper
Landing and Moose Pass students joined other students,
and host-school Whittier.
Winter Walking - anyone
can
come.
Mondays,
Wednesdays, and Fridays,
1:15 to 2 p.m. walk with Lisa
in the school gymnasium.
Monday through Friday at 11
a.m. join Lisa and walk from
the school parking lot down
around town and back up the
hill. Wear cleats outside and
tennis shoes for the gym.
Ameri-corp
According to the National
Institute on Aging, senior
citizens should really be
exercising to improve their
endurance, strength, balance
and flexibility at a minimum
of three times per week. Lisa
Simono thought it would
be a good idea if we started
Saturday morning exercise
class for four weeks, here in
Hope. If you enjoy the class
and after four weeks you want
to expand it to three days a
week, great and if some of
you want to continue coming
one day a week, then that is
fine as well.
The first class was held on
Saturday, Nov. 5 at 10 a.m.
in the school gymnasium.
You should wear comfortable clothing and shoes with
flat, non-skid soles. A physical therapist is coming from
Providence Hospital to evaluate the strength and balance
of each participant that way
we will know where we are
starting and can tell when we
make progress.
Providence Hospital partnered with us and provided
the exercise bands, pedometers, and exercise mats we’ll
be using. The exercises, designed by the National Institute on Aging, are easy and
enjoyable. Together, we can
improve our endurance, upper-body strength, lower-body
strength, balance and flexibility. Everyone is invited and the
class is free. If you have any
questions please contact Lisa
Simono at 907-301-2499.
If you have any old computers or electronics and would
rather recycle them instead of
throwing them away, please
bring them to Angie Motoyama at the Hope School,
and she will take them to the
proper recycling facility.
Angie Motoyama also has
or can get applications for
energy and heating assistance. If you are interested
please contact her at the Hope
School 782-3202.
Church News
Church is every Sunday
at 3 p.m. The food bank is
on Thursdays from noon to 1
p.m., and Bible study is at 3
p.m. on Thursdays.
Library News
There will be a book club
Starting in January if you
are interested please contact
the Library. The library is
open everyday from Noon
to 3 p.m., depending on volunteer schedules. A list of
Volunteers and their schedules is posted on the libraries
front door and on the bulletin
board of the Post Office.
Poem Of The Month
Freedom
Freedom is what you make
of it,
however those who partake
of it,
are sometimes looked bad
upon,
by others who think they
obtain it,
however what they don’t
realize is
that pure freedom has no
prejudice
and has no price in this life of
money.
-T. Bones Malone
Coldwater, Mississippi
Other News
The annual Christmas
potluck/party will be held on
Dec. 17 at the Hope Social
Hall. I hope to see you there.
Most of our local businesses have switched to their
winter hours so I thought I
would list those hours:
Tito’s Discovery Cafe is
open from Friday-Sunday,
9 a.m.-6 p.m. and Mondays
from 4:30-8 p.m. for football.
Sweet Moe’s is open on
the weekends from 10 a.m. to
2 p.m. They will be serving
breakfast and lunch, and continue to have their ice cream
and candy.
The AK Dacha is open
from Thursday-Monday from
10 a.m.-5 p.m. and will be
taking turkey orders at the
store for Thanksgiving and
Christmas. If you are interested or have any questions, please stop by the store
and see Rochelle or call the
Dacha at 907-782-3223.
November 17, 2011
Turnagain Times
Page 5
Cooper Landing News
By Susanna LaRock
Turnagain Times
Cooper Landing Correspondent
Happy Birthday to
Betty – Former Post
Master is 90 years old
Betty Fuller, long time
Cooper Landing Resident and
former Cooper Landing Post
Master turned 90 years old
on Nov. 11, and what a celebration she had. Being that
Betty was the Post Master
in Cooper Landing for over
29 years, Barb Atkinson and
Mary Dreifuerst thought that
it would be nice to celebrate
her birthday by asking for as
many birthday wishes as the
community could send by
mail.
Barb and Mary sent a
request to the community and
the Cooper Landing community responded. Barb and
Mary wanted to reach a goal
of 90 Birthday cards sent to
Betty by Nov. 11. According
to Barb Atkinson, Betty received over 125 cards from
community members.
Betty holds a special place
in the hearts of long time residents of Cooper Landing,
who remember her for the
way that she made the post
office the social hub of the
community. She had a table
and chairs in the post office,
and she always had a pot of
coffee brewing.
Community
members
would meet there for coffee
and to talk about local happenings. Betty Fuller is a
very special member of the
Cooper Landing community,
and her 90th Birthday was a
momentous occasion thanks
to all of the Cooper Landing
community members who
used the United States Postal
Service to let her know how
much they think of her.
Booty Camp Is Back
For those of you who don’t
know, Booty Camp is back!
Melissa Jean Shirley and
Natalia Aulenbacher are instructing at Cooper Landing
School Gym on Tuesdays and
Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. This
class is for all levels of fitness
and men and women are encouraged to join at $2 per
class it’s affordable and fun.
Get out your tennis shoes and
your workout clothes and get
in shape this winter.
Pilates Classes
Continue
Local Pilates instructor
Shannon Bauer has left for
the winter, but Pilates classes
continue. Classes are scheduled in the Cooper Landing
School Gym Tuesdays and
Thursdays at 3:30 p.m. and
are being conducted with an
instructional video.
The Walkers are Making Tracks in the Gym
For community members
who enjoy walking, but don’t
enjoy trudging through snow
or slipping on ice, there is
walking scheduled every day
at the Cooper Landing School
Gym. Bring your walking
shoes and join the walkers
every morning at 8 a.m..
Enjoy walking and get some
much needed winter activity
out of the weather.
Photo courtesy of Mike and Linda Gephart
Betty Fuller celebrates her 90th birthday Nov. 11.
Changes to Library
Schedule for the
Winter
Cooper Landing Community Library will be open an
additional 4 hours per week
throughout the winter. For
the remainder of the month
of November the additional
hours will be Wednesday from
11am-1pm and Saturday noon
to 5 p.m. There is flexibility on
the additional hours and community input is encouraged as
it is important for the library to
meet community needs. Please
feel free to stop by the library
or contact Katie Thomas with
your suggestions for times that
would best meet your needs.
Page 6
Turnagain Times
November 17, 2011
Moose Passings
By Willow Hetrick
Turnagain Times
Moose Pass Correspondent
Moose Pass School
Halloween Carnival
The Annual Moose Pass
Halloween Carnival, sponsored by the Moose Pass
Sportsmen’s Club and the
Moose Pass PTA, and continues to successfully raise
monies for the student activity fund. Money raised by the
event will be used to take local
students on field trips and to
pay for special programs.
This year’s Carnival was
only possible through the
hard work of Moose Pass
School teachers, teacher’s
aides and staff, along with
PTA and community volunteers. Seward high sophomores Kara Knotek and
Brooke Estes who live in
Moose Pass helped spearhead
the Halloween carnival at the
Moose Pass School this year.
The girls said they didn’t
want to see the annual tradition die and jumped in to help
organize it. Other Moose Pass
teens on hand to help decorate
and run the games were Sam
Stauble, Jaz Odhner, Miles
Knotek, Hannah Norris, Alex
Estes, Lindsey Kromrey, and
Laura Kromrey.
Seward Ranger District
Winter Trail Updates
By Irene Lindquist
Snow is slowly making
its way down the mountains. Classic skiing is possible (and good) at Trail River
Camp Ground if you stay on
the road. This location received about 10” of snow the
last few days. The ground is
not frozen, we don’t have an
ice layer yet, skate skiing is
not possible until the snow is
packed down. All other access
points to Seward Ranger District winter used trails received approximately two
inches of snow. Summit Lake
parking currently 9” of snow,
and quickly adding more as
you climb in elevation.
This is the time of year
when various road/camp
ground access gates are
closed. This week will see
the closures of gates at
Palmer Creek Road, Russian
River Camp Ground, and
Trail River Camp Ground.
Tern Lake day use area gate
will remain open this winter
(a first) for easier parking to
access the Old Sterling Hwy.
for winter activities. One-way
distance from Tern Lake
to a mile beyond the Crescent Creek Trailhead where
plowing begins is six miles.
Lakes are not frozen; this has
been a warm October.
Watch the weather if you
dare drive beyond winter
maintenance areas, you could
well get snowed in: Trails are
maintained until the last mile
to Resurrection North Trailhead out of Hope, last mile
to Crescent Creek Trailhead
on Quartz Creek Road, and
beyond the winter parking lot
at mile nine of Snug Harbor
Road. Happy Travels in your
quest for snow!
Kenai Peninsula
Borough Assembly
Report
By Sue McClure
At our only meeting in the
month of November, we unanimously passed six ordinances
and passed four resolutions
on the consent agenda. One
of those resolutions certified the 2011 mayoral runoff
election results, declaring
Mike Navarre to be the new
Borough Mayor. The final
vote count was Navarre 5054
and Sturman 4529. Mayor
Navarre will be sworn in later
this week. We also officially
set the composition of the assembly and school board at 9
seats, the result of the October
e
t
u
m
m
Co l y
e
s
i
W
Photo courtesy of Iva Cooney
Mr. Bickling, Moose Pass, Cooper Landing and Hope
Schools Principal, wins a cake at the popular cake
walk.
4 election vote.
Ordinance
2011-19-22,
accepting and appropriating
$99,272 from the US Department of Interior for stream
channel and elevation modeling in the Seward Bear Creek
Flood Service Area unanimously passed. Ordinance
2011-35, which amended the
language setting an 8-year
upper limit of assembly
service without a 180-day
break, also passed unanimously. We postponed an ordinance clarifying borough
road closure procedures to our
next meeting.
One resolution and two ordinances were withdrawn by
Mayor Carey, dealing with
two new positions for the
River Center, and appropriating funds for replacement of
the Homer High School track.
We also tabled Resolution
2011-104, which would move
funds for repairs to the Administration building. It was
thought that the new mayor
might revisit these items.
Several communities were
added to the capital project
priority community meeting
schedule for 2012, including
Lowell Point. In his report,
Mayor Carey included a notice
that the Old Mill Subdivision
buyout project has succeeded
in acquiring five homes along
Lost Creek.
The bids for removal of
four of those structures will
begin in the spring, with
project completion by late
summer. Salvage opportunities will be the responsibility
of the contractors that achieve
the bid. Our next meeting will
occur on Dec. 6.
Two ordinances up for
public hearing at that meeting
include Ordinance 2011-19-24
appropriating $100,000 from
the general fund to fund restoration projects at anadromous
stream crossings, and Ordinance 2011-10-25, accepting
and appropriating cruise ship
passenger tax proceeds to the
cities of Seward and Homer.
As always, more information
on borough assembly meetings or other borough business may be obtained at www.
borough.kenai.ak.us, or at
the Seward Annex office in
the Sea View Plaza. I may be
reached at 224-6784 or smcclure@borough.kenai.ak.us.
ALPINE CAFÉ & BAKERY
at Tesoro Mall in Girdwood
Tel. 783-2550
Open 7 days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Proudly serving:
PEOPLEMOVER.ORG/SHAREARIDE
d
e
v
a
s
e
W
you a seat
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Don’t forget to taste our Mexican food:
Tacos, Burritos,
Tostadas, Tostodos and more.
The best bakery in Girdwood!
November 17, 2011
Turnagain Times
Page 7
Out of the Town: Anchorage Bowl Arts & Entertainment
By Robin Rosemond
Turnagain Times Correspondent
Record snow and winter
fun is predicted. Snow City
Cafe’s First Friday Dec. 2
show is titled Arctic Zodiac.
It’s sure to be a cosmic exhibition by Kari Glass and Robin
Rosemond. These two artists
are collaborating and serving
up a combination of painting,
sculpture, story telling and the
Chinese Horoscope.
Come find out what Arctic
animal you are. The First
Friday evening will also
feature Brian Hutton, Eddie
Lee, The Elly Maze with
Sean Ruddy and Damian
Mousseau, as well as the illustrious and talented singer,
Marian Call. Please come
at 5:30 p.m. and support the
art, artists and music! Don’t’
be late! The show will hang
through December at Snow
City Café, 1034 W 4th
Avenue. For more information: 272-2489.
One of the coolest people
I know in Alaska is Duke
Russell. He cuts me slack, he’s
funny and I like his art. When
I first came to Alaska to live,
Duke drove me around on a
very snowy day and showed
me Spenard. It was momentous. Duke is having his first
solo show in a six years and
I’m telling you to get on out
to Middle Way Café and see
his new work. The opening is
Dec. 9. From 6-9 p.m., you
can hang with the beautiful people and check out the
art in a fabulous Anchorage
eatery. We will all be there!
Middle Way Café, 1300 West
Northern Lights. For more information: 272-6433.
It’s that time of year when
Nutcracker comes around.
You should go see it. It’s
the last year of the Eugene,
Oregon version and the whispers are that next year it will
be The Cincinnati Ballet
Company who’s invited
to come to the Great Land
and perform the traditional
Christmas classic. For more
information: 263-ARTS.
The International Anchorage Film Festival is coming
Dec. 2, and it’s opening night
is the same night as the Arctic
Zodiac happening at Snow
City, but guess what? The
IAFF party actually begins
later, so you can attend both
of theses exciting cultural
and social events. The IAFF
promises to be great again this
year and I encourage you to
go the IAFF website and get
filled in on the amazing films
and when they’re screening.
The kick off party is at the
Bear Tooth and the opening
night movie, Inuk is an original road-movie shot on the
Greenland sea-ice. Inuk is
both an authentic story of
Greenland today, a country
torn between tradition and
modernity, and a universal story about the quest for
identity, transmission and
rebirth. The film is intensified by the exceptional performance of the non-professional Inuit actors: teenagers
from a home for neglected
Inuit children and local seal
hunters. It’s been reported
that the actors will attend the
screening at the Bear Tooth.
Be there! Bear Tooth, 1230
W 27th Avenue. For more information: 276-4200.
My restaurant pick, OEC
Revolving Sushi, was a pleasant surprise for me. The
popular revolving sushi bar
has taken over a big space in
the Northern Lights Shopping
Center. It’s fun. The concept
and the cuisine. I walked in
and sat at the revolving sushi
bar that is amusing. I immediately felt at home. A young
lady sitting near me at the bar
recognized me from my job
as a stagehand at the PAC.
Her name was Julie and she
and I struck up an easy conversation and had a wonderful lunch together.
I enjoyed all the sushi
that I tried, but the Jalapeno
Popper Japanese style was so
delicious I could have eaten
ten. The stuffed mushrooms
are also a must. I had a blast
and the hot sake went down
smoothly. I think you could
easily jump in your cars right
now and head over there.
OEC Revolving Sushi, 1200
W. Northern Lights Blvd. For
more information: 277-7655.
Robin Rosemond/Turnagain Times
Write to me: rosebud61155@
mac.com or check out my
blog: www.rosemondpost.com.
The Sushi Jalapeno Popper is a spicy delight at Anchorage’s new OEC Revolving Sushi Bar at the mall
at REI on Northern Lights Blvd.
Bryan Epley
Broker and Partner
CDPE, CLHMS, CRS, Cyberstar, e-PRO
Sharnee Epley
Associate Broker and Partner
www.GirdwoodHomes.com
907/783-2010
Double Musky Inn
Cajun Cuisine
Girdwood, Alaska
Since 1962
“Laissez les bon temps rouler!”
Closed Mondays
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday .................. 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Friday, Saturday, Sunday ........................ 4:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Page 8
Turnagain Times
November 17, 2011
Mountain News
Amy Quesenberry
Special to the Turnagain Times
will also open daily starting
Wednesday at 10:30 am.
Snow Film Series
Continues
Sitzmark Winter
Opening
Alyeska’s Snow Film
Series continues to bring top
ski, snowboard and snowmachine movies to Girdwood. Saturday, Nov. 19 at
the Sitzmark will be a special
presentation of Matchstick
Production’s Attack of La
Nina, featuring footage of
the Alyeska Resort gap jump
from last spring. Show time is
at 7 p.m. and admission is $5.
The next film in the series will
be Standard Film’s TB20 on
Wednesday, Nov. 30.
The Sitzmark will open for
the 2011/12 winter season on
Wednesday, Nov. 23. Open
daily at 11 a.m., this slopeside bar and grill is a great spot
for lunch or dinner and every
weekend find great local and
national acts live on the Sitzmark stage. Upcoming concerts feature Jack River Kings
on Nov. 25 and Nervis Rex on
Nov. 26. Notable shows this
winter include Lez Zeppelin,
Great American Taxi, Lucero,
Pato Banton and Peter Rowan.
Live music begins at 10 p.m.,
21 and over only. Advance
tickets to all Sitzmark concerts are available online or by
calling 907-754-2275.
Season Pass Holder
Appreciation Day
As a thank you to 2011/12
Season Pass Holders, Alyeska
Resort will open the ski area
on Tuesday, Nov. 22, one day
before opening day, just for
pass holders. Lifts will run
from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., conditions permitting. Afterwards,
head over to the Sitzmark
where DJ Cross will be spinning from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Opening Day
Crews have been working
around the clock to get the
lifts and trails in great shape
and the wait is almost over!
Alyeska Resort will open
for daily skiing and riding
on Wednesday, Nov. 23
from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Glacier Express Cafeteria
Thanksgiving Feasts
Alyeska Resort gives you
two reasons to let us do the
cooking this Thanksgiving.
For a casual gathering perfect
for families, The Pond Café
will once again be offering
their traditional Thanksgiving
Buffet with seatings at 1 p.m.,
3 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Price
for adults is $38, ages six to
12 is $16 and kids age 5 and
under are free. Reservations
are highly recommended, call
754-2237 or reserve online at
OpenTable.com
For our local foodies,
Seven Glaciers will open for
the winter season on Wednes-
Photo courtesy of Michelle Cosper
Mountain crews prepare to transport the new bull wheel up the mountain for
installation on Chair 6. The project was a success and Chair 6 will be up and
running for Opening Day on Nov. 23.
day, Nov 23, featuring Executive Chef Jason Porter’s
creativity and flair for rustic
comfort food. On Thursday, Nov. 24, guests will be
able to select items from the
new winter menu as well as
special Thanksgiving offerings. Please call 754-2237 for
reservations or go online to
OpenTable.com.
Powder Passes
Available
Make sure to get your
Powder Pass or Midweek
Powder Pass before opening
day. These flexible pass
options provide direct-to-lift
access and a savings over
the regular day ticket price.
Powder Passes are non-transferable and limited to one user
per day. Pass holders can also
reload additional days and
roll over unused days to next
winter.
Passes can be purchased
either online, at the Tram
Ticket Office or by calling
754-2275. Ticket Office hours
are 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily.
Military Mondays
Alyeska Resort thanks
members of the Armed Forces
for their service with five days
of free skiing this season. The
first Monday of each month
offers free lift tickets and 50
percent off gear rentals (ex-
cluding demos) with valid
military ID. Look for lunch
specials at Glacier Express
and the Sitzmark and special
room rates will also be available. Offer valid for military
personnel, veterans and immediate family members. Call
754-2275 for more info.
Women’s Midweek
Mini Clinic
Get some fresh air and exercise this winter while improving your skills during the
popular Women’s Midweek
Clinics. The program gets
started with a two-day miniclinic on Dec. 7 and 14. Early
registration is required and the
registration deadline is December 1. Four-week Wednesday sessions will take place in
February, March and April.
Check online or call 754-2280
for more information.
ANCHOR INN
For reservations call 1-877-870-8787
Vacation Condos for rent • Hotel Accommodations
Affordable Rates • Satellite TV • FREE Parking
Phone in Room • Full Service Restaurant • Laundromat
Cocktail Lounge • Grocery Store • Gifts & Souvenirs
Free Shuttle Service Call for details
Why stay elsewhere when the Anchor Inn offers
inexpensive, attractive lodging, close to
Girdwood, by beautiful Prince William Sound!
Phone: 472-2354 Fax: 472-2394
P.O. Box 750 • Whittier, AK 99693
email: info@anchorinnwhittier.com
November 17, 2011
Turnagain Times
Page 9
FVCS News
By Catherine McDermott
Special to the Turnagain Times
Learning Beyond the
Classroom
Twice a year the Girdwood School changes up the
curriculum for a few days to
cultivate educational opportunities beyond the classroom.
This fall, FVCS provided the
funding support, and Girdwood School teachers hosted
what are known as “intensives”: focused time on alternative subjects that capture
the children’s imaginations
and get them out of the traditional classroom.
This popular program had
students learning how to make
cheese, learn to cook, practice yoga, make pottery and
other art projects, geocaching
around the valley, mountain
biking local trails, and making
and firing off rockets. FVCS is
able to provide support for enrichment needs for these types
of programs to reach K-8 aged
children, including homeschoolers.
Please contact us if you
want to learn more about our
enrichment program.
New Computers and
Software for FVCS
Please swing by the Community School office next
month to check-out our much
needed and much anticipated
new computers and printers.
We have been operating with
computers and equipment
from an ancient civilization
for many years, and we have
been hampered by technology to meet our grand goal of
having a totally new registration system and software.
These new machines will
help us reach phase two, allowing FVCS to provide fast
and easy on-line registration,
program tracking, and information management. Staff is
getting trained early December, and we will go live with
this new system in time for the
Winter/Spring Session. Again,
thank you to the Rasmuson
Foundation for partial funding
of this goal.
Spring Classes
The current session ends
end of January, and we are beginning to program our next
set of classes. Please share
your passion, talent, and interests by teaching a class for us.
We welcome any class ideas,
and look forward to putting together 80 plus classes for the
community to choose from.
You do not need to be a professional or experienced, you
simply need to desire to share
and provide an opportunity for
our community. Contact us for
more convincing and encouragement.
Sports Swap Success
A few weekends ago FVCS
took over the Alyeska Daylodge and invited community members to swap skis,
bikes, helmets, boots and all
other types of sporting equip-
ment. We had over 120 volunteers and our most successful
Sports Swap to date.
Thank you to all who took
the time to shop, volunteer,
and help us with this important fundraiser. We look
forward to doing it all again
next year, so hold on to that
old equipment!
Family First Dentistry
The new home of the
Girdwood Dental Center
The Doctors, “T”, and the rest of our staff are
here to welcome you in Dr. Joe’s absence.
Thank you Girdwood
for a great year!
Ne
Pat w
& C ients
hi
We ldren
lcom
e
Total Patient Care
4050 Lake Otis Parkway, Suite 210
Anchorage, AK 99508
www.familyfirstdentistry.com
Ph: (907) 562-2820
Fax: (907) 562-6781
Call “T” for an
appointment
IV Sedation
Implants
Invisalign
Teeth Whitening
Smile Design
Same Day Crowns
Same Day Wisdom Teeth
NOTICE OF A SPECIAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2011
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Special Municipal Election, in accordance with Chapter 2.06 of the Whittier Municipal Code, will be conducted on
Tuesday, 06 December 2011 in Whittier, Alaska.
BALLOT ISSUES
The following proposition and the following Seat for the City Council will be on the ballot:
Proposition #1
Rate of property tax increase to eight-tenths of one percent (8 mills)
Seat F (3 year term)
QUALIFICATIONS OF VOTERS
A person may vote only if:
1. He/She is a United States citizen;
2. He/She is 18 years of age or older;
3. He/She has been a resident of the State and of the Municipality in which he/she seeks to vote for at least 30 days prior to the election; and
4. He/She has registered to vote 30 days prior to the election as required under AS 15.07 and is not registered to vote in another jurisdiction.
POLLING PLACE AND TIME
The voting polls will be at the Cullum Room on the 1st Floor in the Begich Towers (BTI) and the polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Tuesday,
06 December 2011.
ABSENTEE VOTING
Absentee balloting is provided for any fully qualified elector who expects to be absent from his/her City election precinct for the entire time the polls are
open on Election Day or who will be unable to vote by reasons of infirmity, illness or physical handicap. A voter may request an absentee ballot by mail
from the City Clerk, P.O. Box 608, Whittier, AK. 99693. The request forms are available at the city clerk’s office. The original, signed, written request must
be received in the office of the City Clerk by 5:00 pm, 28 November 2011. To request an absentee ballot and vote in person, an individual must present
himself/herself in the office of the City Clerk between the dates of 21 November 2011 and 05 December 2011, during scheduled business hours, 8:00 am
to 5:00 pm, Monday - Friday (except holidays) and no later than 12:00 noon on Monday, 05 December 2011.
Page 10
Turnagain Times
November 17, 2011
TROOPER REPORT
The Alaska State Troopers
reported the following incidents. Any charges reported are
merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent
unless and until proven guilty
Motor Vehicle Collision
Mile 105.4 Seward HWY—
November 11 at around 12:56
p.m., Troopers received the
report of a single vehicle rollover near mile 105.4 of the
Seward Highway. An investigation revealed Robert Munsey,
age 52 of Utah, was traveling
North on the Seward Highway
when the rear tires of his vehicle,
a 1998 Ford Ranger pickup, lost
traction causing the vehicle to
spin out of control. Munsey was
unable to regain control, slid off
the highway, and overturned.
Munsey reported wearing his
safety belt and received no injuries. Damage to the vehicle was
estimated at $5,000. Greatland
Towing responded and towed
the vehicle from the scene of the
crash. Alcohol was not a factor.
Felony DUI, Violating
Conditions of Release
and Driving While
License Revoked
GIRDWOOD—November
13 at approximately 11:47 a.m.,
Troopers responded to a report
of a vehicle in the ditch at the
intersection of Alpine Meadows
and Vail Drive in Girdwood. The
driver was identified as Chad
L. Hull, age 32 of Anchorage.
An investigation revealed Hull
was driving while impaired by
alcohol and drove into the ditch.
Further investigation revealed
that Hull had two prior Felony
DUI convictions – his license
is revoked and Hull is currently
on Felony Probation. Hull was
arrested for Felony DUI, Violating Conditions of Release and
DWLR. Hull was transported
and remanded to the Anchorage
Jail. Bail was set at $20,000 and
court approve third Party.
Motor Vehicle Collision
MILE
101
SEWARD
HWY—November 10 at
around 10 a.m., the Troopers
responded to a two vehicle collision located near mile 101
Seward Highway. An investigation revealed Marina Lee
Brooks, age 18 of Homer, was
driving a 1989 Chevrolet Celebrity northbound when she
lost control of her vehicle, slid
into the opposing lane of travel
and struck a 1998 Toyota Landcruiser driven southbound by
Geoffrey I. Baker, age 35 of
Anchorage, head-on. Brooks
was transported to Providence
Hospital in Anchorage for
Classified Advertising
Up to 25 words for $20 • 25¢ each additional word
Email: info@turnagaintimes.com
Tel: 783-1135 • Fax: 907-783-1136
P.O. Box 1044, Girdwood, AK 99587
All classified ads must be paid in advance either by including payment when placing the ad or charging it to a VISA
or MasterCard. Please mail, email or fax your order with
payment.
Studio, 1, 2, and 3 bedroom apartments for rent in Whittier. Off-season rates: Studio $800, 1BR $1,000, 2BR
$1,300 and 3BR $1,600. Utilities included. Call 472-2398.
treatment of minor injuries.
Baker was not injured. Both
vehicles were totaled. Brooks
was issued a citation.
DUI
GIRDWOOD—November
10 at approximately 8 p.m.,
Troopers responded to a report
of a vehicle in the ditch near
the Alyeska Highway and Timberline Drive in Girdwood. On
scene, Troopers contacted the
male driver of the vehicle and
identified him as Chad Germaine, age 38 of Girdwood.
Germaine was found to be operating the vehicle while under
the influence. Germaine was
arrested for DUI. Germaine
was remanded at the Anchorage Jail where he was held on
a $1,000 bail.
Driving While License
Revoked
GIRDWOOD—November
15 at around noon, Louis A.
Garcia, age 50 of Girdwood,
was contacted by Troopers on
Linblad Way in Girdwood,
during a traffic stop. It was
discovered that Garcia was
operating his vehicle with a
revoked license. Garcia was
arrested and transported to the
Girdwood State Trooper post.
Garcia was later released on
his own recognizance with an
assigned court date.
November 17, 2011
Turnagain Times
Page 11
Forest Service Grants benefit community projects
By Carol Sanner
Special to the Turnagain Times
So much is said about the
ineptness of big government
and how it doesn’t serve the
people. But isn’t Government
“we the people”? Well, right
here in our little communities of Girdwood and Cooper
Landing, one federal agency
along with concerned citizens
has proven that government
does work “for the people.”
A federal law called the
Secure Rural Schools Act provides grants to local communities, which border national
forests by returning portions
of revenues from the sales
of natural resources, such as
timber and minerals.
Locally, this translated
to about $688,000 in 20102012 for the Kenai Peninsula,
which borders the Chugach
National Forest (CNF).
In 2010, the USDA-Forest
Service, represented by the
Seward and Glacier Ranger
Districts convened a 15person Kenai Peninsula Resource Advisory Committee
(RAC) made up of residents
from communities adjoining
the Chugach. This committee consists of representatives
of various industries, local
government and volunteers,
stretching from Girdwood to
Seward, Moose Pass, Cooper
Landing, Kenai and Soldotna. It includes four representatives from Girdwood and
one from Cooper Landing.
The four from Girdwood are
Diana Livingston, Jonnie
Lazarus, Larry Daniels, and
Carol Sanner. Sandra Holsten
represents Cooper Landing.
Starting in November 2010,
the RAC began meeting with
CNF staff to identify projects,
which had to meet the Federal
Law’s criteria of benefitting
recreation, watershed protection, fish and wildlife habitat,
or maintenance/ improvement
eberle
of National Forest roads on
the Chugach near adjoining
communities. The Girdwood
delegation set to work, polling
GBOS, Trails, and Land Use
committees, CNF staff, and
other community groups for
project opportunities that met
those criteria. Fortunately,
we have active groups who
already had several projects
on the shelf awaiting funds.
This made it easier to match
the projects to the available
grants and rapidly get them
submitted. In February 2011,
the RAC worked with CNF
staff, presented projects to the
entire committee and received
approval for most of the projects we proposed, staying well
within the budgeted funds.
One project already completed this August was the
redecking of the Crow Creek
Bridge near the Girdwood
Gold Mine. Years of hauling
heavy truckloads of rock and
general traffic damaged the
bridge surface and guardrail.
This long-overdue maintenance project languished due
to indecision among agencies
over its ownership. Local residents of upper Crow Creek
had spent years trying to
get agencies to address the
bridge’s maintenance to no
avail. Happily, with about
$30,000 from the Secure
Rural Schools program, the
RAC and CNF were able to
coordinate with the Municipality and AK Dept. of Transportation (ADOT&PF) on this
project. ADOT&PF’s Bridge
Maintenance crew efficiently
completed the work in a week.
Other projects in our area
which are funded and in
various states of progress
are: Salmon habitat restoration projects on the Kenai
River, East Fork Cr., and
Portage Valley; Winner Creek
Trail mountain bike connections to the new Nordic ski
trails; area-wide invasive
species weed management;
Winner Cr. Hand Tram engineering evaluation and long
term maintenance plan; stabilization of historic cabins
at Moose Pass and Cooper
Landing; Crow Creek Road
maintenance between the
Crow Cr. Bridge and Crow
Pass Trailhead; Trail improvements along Stetson Creek
near Cooper Landing; and
wildfire fuels reduction near
Cooper Landing.
Most of the projects
include partnerships with volunteer conservation groups,
as well as local governments,
non-profit organizations, and
youth employment groups.
Some will be contracted out
by the Forest Service.
The fate of future funding
of the Secure Rural Schools
Act beyond fiscal year 2012
is uncertain. It has recently
been in the news, since it is up
for congressional reauthorization this term. However, there
has been much opposition
Next meeting Monday, November 21
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from Tea Party conservatives
in Congress that it is wasteful
spending. Alaska’s congressional delegation is on record
as supporting the law’s reauthorization.
In the meantime, the funds
received by the Kenai Peninsula RAC to date have been
fully committed to benefit our
local communities and natural
resources. For project details
and status updates, contact the
Glacier Ranger District office
at 783-3242.
Ask your family and
friends to join you
this Thanksgiving at
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Page 12
Turnagain Times
November 17, 2011
Opening Day at Alyeska
Continued from page 1
meal?” said Chio. “The easy
answer for our pass holders
was a bonus ski day before
the public gets to ski. Thus,
Season Pass Holder Appreciation Ski Day was born. We
hope to see our friends, old
and new, out making turns on
Tuesday and après ski at the
Sitzmark.”
The early winter in Alaska,
complete with very cold
weather along with a large
snowmaking crew has allowed
Alyeska to hit the same opening
date in November the past few
years. The early opening sets
Alyeska apart from Lower 48
ski areas.
“Mother Nature decides
how much of the mountain
gets open, of course,” said
Chio, “but for early season
conditions, the skiing should
be fantastic at the higher elevations.”
Chio couldn’t say at this
time as to what terrain will be
open; she said that decision
will be made early next week.
“Right now, the terrain accessed from Chair 6 is in
great shape,” she said. “We
are assessing the mid-to-lower
mountain.”
As for new trails and features this year, avid skiers will
find new hidden stashes in
the mid-mountain area where
there is a good amount of new
gladed terrain. That terrain,
said Chio, is due to the amount
of tree removal and trail cleanup for the downhill mountain
biking season.
But the newest feature that
will be most visible to skiers is
the changes made to Chair 6.
“The biggest news is the
brand new bull wheel that was
installed in Chair 6,” said Chio.
“We are excited to have Chair
6 in the best condition ever.”
She added that after-skiing
entertainment at the Sitzmark
will feature the strongest music
line up the mountain-base bar
has seen in recent years. The
live music starts on Thanksgiving weekend. Shows start at 10
p.m. and are ages 21 and over.
The full schedule is on the resort’s website: www.AlyeskaResort.com.
Chair lifts run from 10:30
a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily (conditions permitting) until April
when lifts will open at 11 a.m.
and stop at 6 p.m.
The day lift tickets rates have
not changed from the last three
years. An adult lift ticket is $60.
LUNCHTIME MUNCHIES
Ken Smith/Turnagain Times
A young Dall sheep ram feeds on the stems of a small bush near the edge of the Seward Highway.
.
Season Passholder
Appreciation Ski Day
Tuesday, November 22 | Lifts open 11 am - 3 pm*
All 2011/12 Season Pass Holders are invited to a bonus day of skiing!
Apres Ski with DJ Cross at the Sitzmark from 3 to 7 pm
*Conditions permitting
It’s Not Too Late to Save!
©Simon Evans
Take advantage of Alyeska’s special season pass discounts.
Perfect Family Discount: Buy one adult pass at full price
and receive up to TWO kids at 50% off.
Buddy Discount: Buy two passes at the same time and save!
opening
day
november 23!
Flexible & Convenient: Ten X Powder Pass $500
Midweek (M-F) Ten X Powder Pass $400
Buy Online or Call 754-2275
Upcoming Events
Thanksgiving Feasts for All
Thursday, November 24
Seven Glaciers
Preview Chef Porter’s new menu & Thanksgiving Day Specials
Family Fun at The Pond Café Buffet
Seatings at 1, 3, 5 & 7 pm
19 ...................Snow Film Series: MSP’s Attack of La Nina
22................Season Pass Holder Appreciation Ski Day
23 ...................OPENING DAY!!!
24 ...................Thanksgiving Feasts at Alyeska
25....................Live at the Sitz: Jack River Kings
26....................Live at the Sitz: Nervis Rex
30 ...................Snow Film Series: Standard Film’s TB20
For a full list, check the Calendar of Events online.
Reservations: 754-2237
Details & Menus Online
907-754- 1111
alyeskaresort.com