Make A Scene Magazine February 2019

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Families & Children: Denali Family Services

FAITH:

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.

OTHER Mat-Su Health Services, Inc.

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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.

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 schoolage 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 907-222-2331 or eolivares@denalifs.org.

Mat-Su Health Foundation healthymatsu.org (907) 352-2863 The Mat-Su Health Foundation offers financial and strategic support to well-managed 501(c)(3) organizations that offer services and practical solutions to significant health-related problems impacting the citizens of the Mat-Su Borough.

The foundation also offers academic and vocational scholarships to Mat-Su residents who wish to pursue health and wellness related careers.

Pets & Animals: 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.

ARTS: 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

CONSERVATION: Valley Community for Recycling Solutions www.valleyrecycling.org (907) 745-5544 RECYCLING – It’s not just for hippies anymore!! Everyone in the Mat-Su valley can recycle. Drop your stuff off Tues – Fri 10:30 to 6 and Sat 10:00 to 3:30. Recycle cardboard, magazines, this newspaper and more at your community recycling center. Remember to REDUCE, REUSE, and then RECYCLE! Your community recycling center is located at 9465 E Chanlyut Circle, next to the MSB Animal Shelter at the MSB Central Landfill. Volunteer opportunities available. Make a difference in your community!

Check out our website for details, follow us on Facebook. www.valleyrecycling.org - Call us at 907.745.5544 with questions or comments.

EMPLOYMENT SERVICES: 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 high-school 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)

FAITH: 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.

HOMELESS YOUTH: 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.

SOCIAL ADVOCACY: 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 907521-2949. Find us on Facebook facebook.com/ wasillahomelesscommitteepage

SENIOR EDUCATION: REDUCING MATH ANXIETY Feb. 12, 19, 26, Mar. 5, 12, 19 – 3:00 PM Senior Education Wasilla Area Seniors (WASI) (907) 376-3104

CELEBRATE RECOVERY Feb. 16, 23, Mar. 2, 9, 16 – 7:00 PM - Palmer Alaska Celebrate Recovery Church on the Rock 619 E Scott Road, Palmer (907) 982-0400

WOMEN’S CELEBRATE RECOVERY 12 STEP GROUP Every Thursday Feb. 14, 21, 28 Mar. 7, 14, 21 – 6:30 PM Celebrate Recovery Church on the Rock 619 E Scott Road, Palmer (907) 982-0400

BUTTE ELEMENTARY PTA INDOOR GARAGE SALE 02/16/2019 – 10:00 AM Butte Elementary PTA Butte Elementary School 4006 Butte Rd, Palmer (907) 715-8580

GATHERING OF REMEMBRANCE 02/15/2019 – 3:00 AM Ancora Home Health and Hospice 2851 E Palmer-Wasilla Hwy Suite 7 & 8, Wasilla (907) 671-2391 ancoraalaska.com BIG CABBAGE RADIO’S VALENTINE DANCE WITH WINTERLAND THE BAND 02/15/2019 – 6:00 PM Big Cabbage Radio Klondike Mike’s 820 S Colony Way, Palmer (907) 745-8981 THE SAVANNAH SIPPING SOCIETY 02/15/2019 – 03/03/2019 Fridays & Saturdays @7PM, Sundays @2PM Valley Performing Arts 251 W Swanson Ave. Wasilla $17 Students/Seniors, $19 Regular Admission valleyperformingarts.org

THE MUSIC OF STAGE AND SCREEN 02/17/2019 – 3:00 PM Friends of the Palmer Library Mat-Su Orchestra The Palmer Depot 610 S Valley Way, Palmer friends.pplak.org MATT THE ELECTRICIAN AT VAGABOND BLUES 02/19/2019 – 6:30 PM Hatcher Pass Discovery Booking Vagabond Blues 642 S Alaska St, Palmer (920) 915-5694 LIQUID BLUE LIVE IN CONCERT 02/22/19 – 7:00 PM Glenn Massay Theater 8295 E College Dr. Palmer General Admission $10 MSC Students $5 (907) 746-9300

THE ALASKA RAILROAD FUR RONDY EXPRESS 02/23/2019 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM & 3:00 PM - 5:30 PM The Alaska Railroad Anchorage Depot 411 W 1st Ave, Anchorage 1-800-544-0552

“BAND CLASSICS” CONCERT 03/02/19 – 7:30 PM Mat-Su Concert Band Glenn Massay Theater 8295 E College Dr. Palmer $15 General Admission $7 for Students, Kids Under 5 FREE matsuconcertband.org

BOOM TOWN ROLLER DERBY BREW BASH 02/23/2019 – 6:00 PM Boom Town Roller Derby Menard Sports Center 1001 S Clapp St, Wasilla (907) 355-6323 boomtownrollerderby.org

AK TUESDAY NIGHT FIGHTS 03/05/2019 - 7:45PM-10PM (Doors open at 6:45 PM) AK Entertainment, LLC. Menard Sports Center 1001 S Clapp St. Wasilla Tickets: $18 Regular Admission, $30 Table Seats (907) 232-3727 aktuesdaynightfights.com

ROCK THE RESILIENCE 02/25/2019 – 6:00 PM No More Mat-Su The Glenn Massay Theater 8295 E College Dr. Palmer www.facebook.com/ events/2041019599317236 AMERICA SAVES! WEEK February 27 - March 2, 2019 Alaska Cooperative Extension Service Mat-Su Cooperative Extension Service Facebook www.uaf.edu/ces/matsu MARCH TO HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH March 1-31, 2019 MY House, Wasilla 907) 373-4357 PRESERVING FOOD AND MAKING JELLY AND JAM 03/02/2019 – 10:00 AM Alaska Cooperative Extension Service Matanuska Experiment Farm 509 S Georgeson Rd. Palmer(907) 745-3360 http://bit.ly/AKFoodPres

CANNING FISH IN JARS 03/09/2019 – 10:00 AM Alaska Cooperative Extension Service Matanuska Experiment Farm, Kerttula Hall 509 S Georgeson Rd. Palmer (907) 745-3360 bit.ly/AKFoodPres CITY OF WASILLA 102ND BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION 03/09/2019 – 5:00 PM City of Wasilla Curtis D Menard Memorial Sports Center 1001 S Clapp St, Wasilla (907) 357-9100

CANNING FRUITS (AND TOMATOES) 03/16/2019 – 10:00 AM Alaska Cooperative Extension Service Matanuska Experiment Farm, Kerttula Hall 509 S Georgeson Rd. Palmer (907) 745-3360 bit.ly/AKFoodPres NORTHERN LIGHTS VALLEY KNITTERS GUILD MEETING 03/16/2019 – 1:00 PM Northern Lights Valley Knitters Guild Meridian Point Building 865 North Seward Meridian Pkwy, Wasilla GARDEN DESIGN (PERMACULTURE) 03/21/2019 – 6:30 PM Seeds and Soil-Organics Wasilla Museum & Visitor Center 323 N, Main St, Wasilla seedsandsoilorganics.com THIRD THURSDAYS WITH EXTENSION 03/21/19 – 6:00 PM UAF Cooperative Extension Service Matanuska Experiment Farm, Kerttula Hall, #208 1509 Georgeson Rd, Palmer (907) 745-3360 uaf.edu/ces/districts/matsu/

MARCH MARIMBA SHOWCASE 03/09/2019 – 6:00 PM Percussion in the Valley 13372 Crowther Road (907) 631-8079 percussioninthevalley.com

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FEBRUARY MEMBERSHIP MEETING - ‘STARTING FROM SEED’ BY TEENA GARAY 02/16/2019 – 2:00 PM Eagle River Elks Lodge 17111 N Eagle River Loop Rd. Eagle River (907) 354-5660 akrockgardensociety.org

SUSITNA VALLEY NATURALS GRAND OPENING Feb 16 - Mar 24 10:00 AM Susitna Valley Naturals - Fine Goods & Local Favorites Susitna Valley Naturals Talkeetna location (907) 733-2317 susitnavalleynaturals.com

www. MAKEASCENEAK .com

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Community Events

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Music Contributed by Todd Farnsworth, Owner of Wood & Wire Guitars & Music Lots of things are great in cars: the perfect tunes for driving, spare change for tipping baristas, your dog riding shotgun – you get the picture. Heck, most of those things are even fine to leave in there overnight. Sure, probably not your pup, but your music? Spare change? Even your favorite pair of shades. But, your favorite guitar? Definitely not.

In response to Humidity and your Guitar (see last month’s issue), it seemed appropriate to talk about whether or not you should leave your guitar(s) in your car (and the duration, if so). Realistically, this should be a short article, because the answer is short: leave them in there for as long as you’d like to be left in there (even with a coat in winter, and without in summer).

To make a short story long, winter is harsh enough on your instruments. Why would you leave your precious baby in the car? Things shrink up, cracks happen (both superficially and the wood itself ), glue joints become brittle and likely to pop. Not to mention the ever-present possibility of theft.

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Summer in a car is no better on your guitar. Sure, we like the warmth, but just like you wouldn’t leave a human baby in the car, you shouldn’t leave your stringed baby either. Heat is to glue; what Kryptonite is to Superman. Think about all those glue joints: bracing, bridges, fretboard, laminates...the list goes on. And theft would seem even more likely in summer.

The truth is we’re probably all guilty of leaving them in the car at some point. Perhaps it was after a late-night gig and you just don’t have it in you to deal with it. Maybe you had one too many and passed out before taking them out. Whatever the reason, it gets easier each time, and every time it’s damaging your instrument. And all of this certainly applies to other instruments.

I’ve said it before – I repair guitars for a living, so by all means, neglect your one true love.

It’s how I pay my bills and keep my shop doors open to the Palmer community. Just don’t be surprised when you run into trouble with your guitar in cars.

Contributed by Scott Taylor Featuring Grammy-winning musicians and outstanding vocalists, Liquid Blue is bringing their high-energy blend of pop music’s greatest hits to the Glenn Massay Theater on Friday, February 22.

The Concert begins at 7PM. Tickets available online at glennmassaytheater.com, by phone at 907-746-9300, or at the box office.

Admission: General Admission $10 MSC Students $5 www.glennmassaytheater.com

Contributed by Patricia Chesbro Our lives are stories, waiting to be told. That is why the Palmer Museum of History and Art (PMHA) sponsors Untold Stories. Similar to Anchorage’s Arctic Entries or The Moth, our episodes feature local storytellers in a cozy setting. In January, our narrators took us on a chilly dogsled ride, helped us to feel the ’64 earthquake on Anchorage Fourth Avenue, and shared vignettes of life in Cordova through a child’s eyes. Throughout the nine episodes, audiences have laughed, cried, and marveled at the exploits and coincidences of our neighbors’ lives.

PMHA is looking for storytellers for its April 7, 2019, episode, “All Shook Up.” Though perhaps inspired by our November 30 shaker, there are many ways we can be “shook up.” Perhaps dancing to the Elvis song or perhaps in an unexpected turn of events or

Contributed by Michael Consalo Make A Scene Magazine, The City of Wasilla, Ohana Media Group and Michael C Marketing are working together to provide our community with another amazing summer concert series, “Music in the Park”.

The popular FREE concert series at Wonderland Park kicks off again, with four Fridays in June from 6-9pm: June 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th! Food trucks, prizes, vendors, and live music are all totally free.

Best of all, here’s your chance to be a huge part of its success…

perhaps on a scary airplane ride, most of us have been shook up from time to time. Those stories are begging to be told. And Untold Stories is the place to tell them.

We know it may be scary to tell a story in front of an audience.

However, we have scheduled in two coaching sessions to help narrators get comfortable with their performances. Then, on April 7, the Palmer Depot will host the event from 6-8 PM. Thalia said, “Everybody has their own story; everybody has their own journey.” Consider sharing part of your journey in the next episode of Untold Stories. Submit your story outline to director@palmermuseum. org by March 8, to be considered for this episode’s roster. Coaching sessions are required, and are held on March 27 and April 3 at the Museum.

popular poster submission contest.

With that in mind, we are looking for local artists that would love to have their art showcased around the Valley, by painting, drawing or graphically designing our poster for 2019. This poster is meant to be a representation of “Music in the Park” and will be the main “branding” across all the social media and print ads over the course of the next few months. This year’s theme is “Community Connectedness”.

Are you an artist? Do you love the Mat-Su? Submit your art to us and we will have the masses vote on the best artwork over the month of March. Please submit any entries to Michael C Marketing – consalobliss@ yahoo.com or call (907) 203-0621 for details about sponsorship, vendor space, or donations. Thank you to everyone that has made this event successful in the past!

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Formerly “The Pass at the Park”, Music in the Park is continuing the tradition of having local art and music come together, in an attempt to build connectedness in a world of division. We’re hoping to increase activities related to art, art vendors, and continue the already

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Community

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Music

Contributed by Drewcilla Holifield “Band Classics” Concert 03/02/19 – 7:30 PM Mat-Su Concert Band Glenn Massay Theater 8295 E College Dr. Palmer $15 General Admission $7 for Students, Kids Under 5 FREE Some of the finest music ever written for band will take center stage at an upcoming performance by the Mat-Su Concert Band.

The “Band Classics” concert is at 7:30 PM on Saturday, March 2, at the Glenn Massay Theater in Palmer. Concerts have an admission: tickets are $15 for general admission; $7 for students; and children under 5 get in free. Tickets are available for purchase at www.matsuconcertband.org The “Finale” of what’s known as the Organ Symphony by Camille Saint-Saens – his Symphony No. 3 in C minor – features a glorious, cathedral-sized organ part. The composer said of this, his last symphony: “I gave everything to it I was able to give.

What I have here accomplished I will never achieve again.”

The timeless music of Leonard Bernstein comes to life with selections from “West Side Story” that includes melodies from “I Feel Pretty”, “Maria” and “One Hand One Heart.” Set in the 1950s on Manhattan’s West Side, but based on William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”, the musical tells the tale of Tony and Maria, members of rival gangs whose love turns to tragedy.

The band is excited to perform Gustav Holst’s “Suite in E-flat for Military Band”, which is considered one of the cornerstones of the concert repertoire, written specifically for band. Triumphant yet moving, the piece features delicate wind solos and sonorous horns as well as rousing melodies – plus a rare bass drum solo.

Also on the program is “Manhattan” by Philip Sparke, a tribute to a weekend in New York City that was commissioned by the U.S. Army band, for their solo cornet player. This will be performed by our band’s own U.S. Army Band standout, William Rabun.

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There’s some Sousa in the mix too – but you’ll have to come to the concert to see which selections emerge.

The band got its start in 1984 as the Mat-Su Community Band, formed by Matanuska Music owner Hank Hartman. Other directors have included Neil Long and Phil Munger.

Current director, Gleo Huyck, is a retired music educator and private instructor.

Under Huyck’s baton, the band performs a wide-ranging selection of challenging music. The band this season numbers about 70 amateur musicians who assemble every Monday night for rehearsals at Palmer High School.

Contributed by Charice Chambers Kate Wattum was about to retire and was looking for something to do in her next life phase that would be exciting, entertaining and helpful to the community. Several years before, she had purchased both sheep and alpacas for her farm.

Like a good farmer, she harvested her animals’ fur and planned to have it processed so that she might make some unique home-grown knitted projects. To her great surprise, she was forced to send her fiber “outside,” wait over ten months for its return as yarn, and she had to spend over $1200.00 in the process. There was simply nowhere in the state to get the job done.

So, the search began. Kate envisioned a complete mini fiber mill in her future, one that could process as little as a few pounds of fiber or as much as 100 pounds. To that end, she researched manufacturers, ultimately visiting and then purchasing a mill in Nova Scotia. Her choice was predicated on the facts that the manufacturer was warrantied, had mills around the world and provided training and support to mill operators.

Her mill was installed in the fall of 2015 on her five-acre farm near Fairbanks. From the beginning, it was a family endeavor. Even father, Ben Wattum rolled up his sleeves and worked the machines following long commutes from Palmer.

Next, the fiber is carded, a process that blends and homogenizes it. Here, other fibers may be added

to it, to help it hold together or to give it different attributes. The carder is the heart of the mill. Next, the roving, as it is now called, is put in the drafting machine, where it is stretched and blended.

The machine aligns all fiber in preparation for spinning. Now, the fiber is ready to spin into strands of varying thicknesses and is wound onto bobbins. On the plyer machine, several strands can be combined to create multi-ply yarns. Finally, the finished yarn is transferred to cones where the yarn can be left or fashioned into skeins in preparation for use.

Wattum opened Coyote Trail Farm and Fiber Mill in January of 2016, following a great deal of training, practice, advice and assistance of the local fiber community. There was a tremendous amount to learn. Today, the mill processes much of the animal fiber produced in the state. She is working with clients in New York, Texas, Missouri, and Oregon as well. Locals appreciate the generally two-month turn around for processing, and the delivery service offered in much of the state saves them both time and money.

In promoting her business, Wattum has traveled extensively throughout the state including Nome Tuksuk Bay and even Nunivak Island. As a result, she is processing large amounts of qiviut (musk ox fur). Often referred to as the Cadillac of furs, qivuit is a highly sought-after commodity. Wattum’s mill has become adept at handling the fiber, dying it in rich deep hues. In addition to qivuit yarn, Wattum is extending the fiber’s uses by turning out beautiful musk ox fiber rugs made from qiviut guard hairs that had previously been discarded.

Mat-Su Senior Services Gift Shop is proud to be one of two retail outlets for Coyote Trail Farm and Fiber Mill’s products. MSSS features a variety of yarns for knitting and crocheting in numerous colors. Yarns feature merino, Shetland, and Suffolk wools from Palmer and Wasilla as well as alpaca from Anchor Point, and, of course, multi-colored qiviut yarn. For those wanting a finished Alaskan woolen product, reversible, double-sided hats are available in a double rainbow of colors.

Mat-Su Senior services gift shop is located at 1132 South Chugach Street in Palmer.

Open to both seniors and public Monday through Friday, from 10 am to 2 pm.

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Turning mounds of dirty animal fiber into beautifully dyed finished yarn is quite an involved process. First the fiber is washed: soaking, washing and rinsing repeatedly depending on lanolin content. Then, it is dried. Next, it goes through the picking machine where it’s separated, and conditioner is added to it. Some fibers possess a dual hair requiring separation. It’s put through a unit, which allows the heavy hair to drop out, and the clean, fine fiber comes out the unit’s other end.

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Arts

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Music

Literature Contributed by Dan Walker

Contributed by Michael Consalo

Sixty years after the family left Sugar Tree Ridge, Ohio, I unexpectedly received a shoebox full of letters penned in 1958 by my parents, as they traveled north to Alaska. The letters prompted me to write this memoir, an exploration of memory and reflections on a time when my family built a home, lived off the land, and learned the ways of the north country. Available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble as well as locally at Cover to Cover Books in downtown Seward. signed copies from the author: www.danlwalker.com; call me or email, Dan Walker: 907-224-3848 dlwalker@gci.net

As a musician, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve spent several hours, hauling equipment, setting up microphones, practicing, and dialing in sound for a 4-hour gig. These gigs are fun, but long, and require equipment, which costs money. These gigs are already hard to pull off, so when the pay comes, it always seems tough to split 4 or 5 ways… What if there were an opportunity to get double the money in half the time?

Well now there is…

At the end of April, Make A Scene Magazine and Michael C Marketing are teaming up again for the “Who Let the Girls Out Talent Show” This event gives performers the opportunity to win $500 for one song!

Second takes home $300 and third place still gets $200 in cash for one song! This is the opportunity of the year, for those of you with musical skill!

We’re looking for 10 performers, with various talents, to fill our roster.

The talent show will be held during one of the busiest events in downtown Palmer during Who Let the Girls Out at the Valley Hotel Caboose Lounge. Interested performers should call Michael C today at (907) 203 0621. Forget the hours and hours of travel and packing for a long gig and show us what you’ve got!

Sign up today for the Who Let the Girls Out Talent Show!

Call (907) 203 0621 or email consalobliss@yahoo.com

– Nick Jans, contributing editor to Alaska Magazine and author of A Wolf Called Romeo, called Letters for Happy Valley, “Emotional, unforced, and grounded, Letters from Happy Valley is destined to be an Alaska classic.”

– Dan Seavey, author of The First Great Race: Alaska’s 1973 Iditarod, called it a ‘literary triumph’.

Letters from Happy Valley: Memories of an Alaska Homesteader’s Son Author: Dan L. Walker ISBN: 978-0-9986883-2-9 Price: $17.99

Poetry & Prose Contributed by David Jenkins

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After an interminable slumber, I rolled over to my side And lazily opened my eyes to unveil a brilliant sight, within a narrow field of view.

Peering through a windowpane, gleaming with condensation.

There were layers upon layers of trees, coated in a winter morning’s frost… a sea of spruce, shrouded in an amber haze.

For a moment, I was lost.

My eyes gazed for a minute or two, swaying from the left to the right – surveying… absorbing the entire scene.

It never ceases to stun me; exiting a dream.

Then, averting my eyes from the wall or ceiling to find nature’s painted canvas… so placid, alluring.

For only a second, yet it feels like an eternity.

Captured in this momentarily perpetual perplexity.

When does the dream end, and reality begin?

It all seems so palpable, Yet – is any of this real, or am I still dreaming?

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Museum

Contributed by Richard Estelle When most people think of a saw, they envision a tool for cutting wood, metal, or employed by a butcher for cutting meat.

However, in our Museum collection, we have a saw used by farmers for cutting haystacks.

When grass is cut for hay and stacked in piles, or “haystacks”, to dry and for temporary storage, the top of the stack is mounded to shed rain. As the hay is piled up to form the stack, the grass stems overlap each other in random fashion. With time, hay in the upper part of the stack compacts that below, producing a rather compact mass. When hay from the stack is taken to feed livestock, the easiest way to do so would be to take it from the top, un-compacted layers. However, this would open the stack to rain and deterioration of the hay below. So, the needed hay is removed from the compacted sides of the stack, a more difficult and time-consuming effort.

To many folks, its use is not self-evident when they first see this tool currently on display here at the Museum, and some would guess it to be some kind of wicked combat weapon. With an overall length of 35 inches, the blade is capable of cutting to a depth of about 25 inches. The in-line and offset handles give control of cutting at any angle. Wooden handles were originally formed around the metal handle cores but have been lost from our saw. The sharpened, somewhat rounded teeth acting much like knife blades, are more effective in cutting across hay stems than the pointed teeth of a wood saw that would catch on the stems and push them aside.

The design of this tool has been so successful in serving its purpose that it is still used today on some farms to cut apart large round hay bales, or large rectangular bales, into smaller portions as needed for feeding.

Some folks recall from their youth using a tool like the one on display for an altogether different task, that of cutting ice from ponds to supply ice boxes and cold storage facilities in days before refrigeration was common.

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One might envision that some long-ago farmer, frustrated with having to laboriously pull or rake the required amount of hay from the stack each day, may have attacked it with an ax or hoe and discovered that cutting the grass stems was more productive than trying to pull them out. Armed with this awareness, in 1871, George Weymouth of Dresden, Maine

patented this “hay saw” or “hay knife” designed to do just that. Soon thereafter, the Hiram Holt Co. of East Wilton, Main began manufacturing and marketing this tool as the “Holt Lightning Hay Knife”

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Poetry & Prose

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Poetry & Prose

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Arts

Contributed by Carmen Summerfield On a recent trip to Amsterdam, I visited the 7th annual Amsterdam Light Festival, which happens every year, December through January. This festival is a showplace for contemporary international artists, architects and designers to display their unique sculptures with light. These creations are then displayed around downtown Amsterdam and can be accessed via a self-guided walking tour as well as a boat tour.

One of my favorite sculptures was the biggest spider I have ever seen, called “Spider on the Bridge”.

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This monumental sculpture is by the French collective Groupe LAPS, and consists of no less than eighty spiders, each 6-feet wide, made of tubes containing LED light. The light is programmed in such a way that the spiders appear to be actually crawling around, which brings them to life and creates a cross between sculpture and stop-motion animation.

Music

Unfortunately, my pictures don’t convey this motion, but seeing it in person made me think I was in a sci-fi movie!

The French Groupe LAPS is a collective of artists who are interested in using light in urban environments to tell stories. Comprising video makers, artists, musicians and lighting experts, the group create technical pieces that enchant audiences. Groupe LAPS’ work swings between reality and fiction, and their fleeting installations always have longlasting impacts.

Our modern society is fascinated by gigantic spiders. Think of Aragog and his spider family in Harry Potter, or the evil Shelob in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. And who could forget my sculpture “Cabby Long Legs” at the 2008 Alaska State Fair?

Now I have something to look forward to when the days get shorter in December.

Should we create some unique light sculptures here in the Valley? Don’t miss this opportunity to support the arts in the Valley!

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Theater Contributed by Garry Forrester

In this delightful, laugh-a-minute comedy, four unique Southern women, all needing to escape the sameness of their day-to-day routines, are drawn together by fate and an impromptu happy hour, and decide it’s high time to reclaim the enthusiasm for life they’ve lost through the years.

Over the course of six months, filled with laughter, hilarious misadventures, and the occasional liquid refreshment, these middle‐aged women successfully bond and find the confidence to jumpstart their new lives.

Together, they discover lasting friendships and a renewed determination to live in the moment — and most importantly, realize it’s never too late to make new old friends. So, raise your glass to these strong Southern women and their fierce embrace of life and say, “cheers!”

The Savannah Sipping Society opens February 15th and runs through March 3rd, 2019. Ticket prices are $19 Regular Admission, $17 Seniors/Students.

This is another hilarious production by Jesse Jones, Nicholas Hope and James Wooten – writers for the hit TV show, The Golden Girls, as well as VPA’s previous productions of The Dixie Swim Club and The Hallelujah Girls.

The show will be on stage at Valley Performing Arts, 251 W. Swanson Avenue, Wasilla. The dinner theatre performances at Evangelo’s Restaurant on March 7th, 8th and 9th have already SOLD OUT!

Be sure to follow us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/Valley‐Performing‐Arts

MID-FEB 2019

Call VPA at 373‐0195, visit our website www.valleyperformingarts.org, or come by the office, Monday through Friday, 9AM to 3PM, to purchase your tickets.

9th AnnuAl EvEnt!

You’re Invited!

All Around PAlmEr!