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Coloring Page
Abel, Age 5
MID-SEP 2020
Izabella, Age 10
Thomas, Age 9
Ava, Age 11
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Coloring Page
Send in your coloring page and you can win a gift card to a local business! MID-SEP 2020
When sending your coloring page please include your name, age, and a good return address!
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Alaska Animal Advocates www.alaskaanimaladvocates.com (907) 841-3173 Alaska Animal Advocates is a non-profit group of dedicated volunteers who are devoted to enriching the lives of companion animals in Alaska. In order to do this, we will place homeless pets in loving environments, address medical concerns, spay or neuter, microchip, vaccinate, and offer training as is needed. We believe that every animal deserves a loving home, for his/her entire life and Alaska Animal Advocates will provide the resources to make this happen. In order to make this mission possible, we need the help of volunteers and foster homes.
Connect Palmer Inc. www.ConnectPalmer.org (907) 746-9675 Connect Palmer is a Christ Centered Training Center and Housing for Women located in downtown Palmer. Connect Palmer’s two primary programs are God’s Work Design, and LIFE Connect. We also have Sarah’s House, which a Safe and Caring place for ladies, without homes, to live while they participate in our back to work and life skills programs. We also offer different community assistant programs, such as The Locker, to provide personal care and basic house hold cleaning items and Scarlet Tapestries which offers basic sewing skills instruction. We are a 501c3 nonprofit organization.
Denali Family Services
MID-SEP 2020
291 East Swanson Ave. Wasilla, AK 907-222-2331 or eolivares@denalifs.org Denali Family Services provides therapeutic foster care to Alaskan children with mental health needs. If you are committed to working with a team, receiving training and implementing positive interventions to school-age children and teens, we need your talents and skills. We are in search of professional, therapeutic foster parents who are willing to make a commitment to the children of Alaska by providing a stable home environment. For more information, please call or email our Foster Care Recruiter, Ernestina D. Olivares, at 907222-2331 or eolivares@denalifs.org.
Matanuska Electric Association (MEA) Charitable Foundation www.mea.coop/mea-in-the-community/round-up meacontact@mea.coop 907-761-9300 Since 2011, the MEA Charitable Foundation has given grants to fund projects impacting libraries,
playgrounds, seniors, veterans, recycling, at-risk youth, and much more. In 2019, MEA Charitable Foundation reached over $1,000,000 in contributions to the community with Operation RoundUp® Program! Organizational grants are capped at $10,000. Please remember to check our website for requirements and submit your completed application — including financials! For meeting and reviewing grants, MEACF operates on a quarterly cycle.
Mat-Su Health Foundation healthymatsu.org (907) 352-2863 The mission of the Mat-Su Health Foundation is to improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in the Mat-Su. The tools we use include grantmaking, convening of local partners, and policy change. We have generated significant improvements in systems that support the health of Mat-Su residents in areas such as behavioral health, child welfare, crisis response, community connections, workforce development, transportation, housing, and senior services. Visit healthymatsu.org to learn about scholarship and funding opportunities.
Mat-Su Health Services, Inc. www.mshsak.org (907) 376-2411 Dedicated to improving the health of our community, one person at a time – through affordable medical, dental and behavioral health care.The clinic is a Federally qualified Health Care Center and we accept Medicare, Medicaid, and most other third-party insurances. For those who qualify, there is a sliding scale payment, based on household income. We offer early morning and evening appointments appointment. You can also contact our 24/7 behavioral crisis intervention line by calling the main number: 376-2411.
Mat-Su Regional Adult Basic Education (Nine Star) MatsuAdultEd@ninestar.com (907) 373-7833 Mat-Su ABE provides basic education in math, language arts and English as a second language (ESL), aiming to raise student skills beyond the highschool level in order to pass tests like the GED, enter training programs or college, and advance on the job. Enrollment is open to all adult residents of Alaska, year-round. Youth Employment for ages 16-24 not in school -- get a job, keep a job, advance on the job. Nine Star 300 N Willow 373-3006 (in the MYHouse building)
Mat-Su Youth Housing (MY HOUSE) myhousematsu.org (907) 373-4357 MY House is a homeless youth drop in center with two for-profit businesses that train and employ homeless youth. Gathering Grounds Cafe is a coffee shop with homemade soups, sandwiches, salads and baked goods. Steamdriven is a trendy thrift shop featuring Steampunk items made from repurposed donations by our youth designers. Fiend2Clean and Young People in Recovery offer support for substance abuse recovery with activities and events. We offer transitional housing for qualified 18-24 year olds, Outreach services to connect homeless youth, organizations and groups to services, and access to Public Health and NineStar job/education services on site.
Valley Arts Alliance www.ValleyArtsAlliance.com Valley Arts Alliance, bringing the community together through the arts... We are a place for both new and established artists of all types—painters, sculptors, musicians, and those involved in the performing arts—to network and to experiment with new ideas and media. We work with local libraries, schools, museums, art councils, and music and art groups to create more venues for the arts, and to help promote art related events. Join us at our informal weekly meetings, every Thursday @ 11 at Sophia’s Cafe, 9191 E Frontage Road, Palmer-Wasilla Hwy. Check out our archives www.ValleyArtsAlliance.com
Valley Charities, Inc. www.valleycharities.org Valley Charities, Inc. has proudly served the Mat-Su Valley Community for over sixty years. Our purpose continues to be “Connecting those who need help with the help they need” specifically and directly within the Mat-Su Valley. We provided community services through our turn-A-leaf thrift store, medical equipment loans, Housing and Safety Grant Programs. We have expanded our services and partnerships to reach additional families in the Mat-Su needing support beyond clothing vouchers and Medical Equipment loans when an unexpected crisis arises.
Valley Community for Recycling Solutions www.valleyrecycling.org (907) 745-5544 RECYCLING: Be part of the solution. DROP OFF: The community recycling center is located at 9465 E Chanlyut Circle, next to the MSB Animal Shelter at the Central Landfill. Follow the smells. NEW HOURS: Drive through drop-off open Tues
– Fri 9:30 - 5:00 and Sat 8:00 to 5:00. Recycle cardboard, aluminum cans, magazines, this newspaper and more. Remember to REDUCE, REUSE, and then RECYCLE! ONLINE: Visit our website for more details, follow us on FaceBook and Instagram. To learn more, visit our classroom. Volunteer opportunities available. Make a difference in your community!
Valley Interfaith Action (VIA) www.valleyinterfaithaction.org (907) 230-1006 To address quality of life issues for all residents of the Mat-Su Borough, utilizing the faith values of our members, developing community-wide interest and mobilization around quality of life issues. Through training, leaders address community problems by providing forums for discussion, researching alternative solutions, and working as facilitators with residents and leaders for institutional change.
Wasilla Homeless-Committee www.wasillahomeless-committee.org (907) 521-2949 Wasilla Homeless-Committee is a 100% volunteer organization funded by private donations and regular fundraising events. Our sole purpose is to assist the homeless, those at risk of homelessness, and others who do not meet the criteria for help that is required by other advocacy agencies in the valley. Wasilla Homeless-Committee provides case management, housing search assistance, move in assistance, job search assistance, clothing, furniture, help with transportation, and resource guidance for homeless and disenfranchised in the Mat-Su Valley. Visit our website for application, or call 907-5212949. Find us on Facebook facebook.com/wasillahomelesscommitteepage Mat-Su YMCA Families & Children matsu@ymcaalaska.org (907) 203-9046 Our Mat-Su YMCA provides affordable and quality licensed child care services throughout the Valley. Our summer camp of 2020 is ending in both Wasilla and Palmer. Before/After School programs are beginning in several elementary schools throughout the Valley. If you would like to advocate for a program at your school, please go to our website: www.matsuymca.org to complete our brief survey with your needs. We are standing with our community families and the MSBSD to support both Before/After school programs as well as School camps if/when our Covid 19 threat level changes and parents need care for their children.
Send in your coloring page and you can win a gift card to a local business!
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Coloring Page When sending your coloring page please include your name, age, and a good return address!
MID-SEP 2020
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Activities
We have media products for almost every need, creating earning potential that’s huge for a qualified sales person. 95.5 The Pass KNLT, The People’s Paper & Make A Scene Magazine are only part of what our multimedia company offers. Web Design, Graphic Design, Event Management & Planning, Video Production, and much more.
Community Contributed by Josh Fryfogle
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…”
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.
He was polite, an older gentleman with a kind spirit. He had prepaid and forgot to get his gas.
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 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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Events
Contributed by Ella Embree, Alaska Vintage Markets
MID-SEP 2020
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 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 akvintagemarkets.ticketleap.com/ christmasinseptember. Or you can pay at the RED Event Gate. Thanks for shopping local!
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Arts
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.
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.
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
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
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.
MID-SEP 2020
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.
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.
light spotlit a whole line of dancing pine trees.
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Poetry & Prose brown owl in a pleased tone.
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.
MID-SEP 2020
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
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.
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Community
Contributed by Ailis Vann, Greater Palmer Chamber of Commerce
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
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.
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.
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!
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
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.
MID-SEP 2020
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.
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.
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Poetry & Prose 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
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
MID-SEP 2020
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
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.
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Community
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. This year Recycle Revival 2020 is going virtual with a COVID-friendly livestream, social media fundraising event to support Valley Recycling. 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. MID-SEP 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.
Photography
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.