Make A Scene Magazine October 2023

PAGE 2

Arts depicting backpacks and all the stuff you might need. The message that we all need to prepare seemed apparent to these young scholars.

Contributed by Debra McGhan Sometimes drawing a picture pays off. It sure did for the more than 100 children who entered the 15th annual Mat-Su Emergency Preparedness Expo poster contest. Everyone who submitted a poster on what it means to be prepared for emergencies and disasters received a free ice cream cone from McDonalds. The top posters in five age divisions were selected as grand champions, with another four selected as runners-up for special recognition.

MID-OCT 2023

Ercilia Trevino, the only entry received in the 16-18 age division, said she actually decided to enter on a last minute whim. “I volunteered to help at the Expo and saw that no one had entered my age division. They had everything we needed to make a poster right there so I thought about what emergency preparedness means to me and decided to sit down and draw a picture. I never expected to actually win a prize.”

The prize, thanks to the American Red Cross, Alaska Safe Riders, and the Matanuska Valley Federal Credit Union, consists of a Community Service award, a three-day family emer-

gency kit, and a $50 gift certificate presented by the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Mayor, Edna DeVries and Assembly and Emergency Operations Center Specialist and Event Coordinator, Talon Boeve.

Six-year-old Chole Cole said her family had seen bears at their cabin this summer and on the trails. She thought it important for people to be prepared in the event they have a wildlife encounter. Lots of people agreed, giving her poster the most people’s choice votes for the 5-6 year old age division.

Aiden Watson, a second grader, said he had been thinking a lot about all the disasters happening around the world right now. “I thought about the big fire in Hawaii and wondered what my family could do to be better prepared,” he said. “You have to pack the right stuff and know where everything is if something happens. I really don’t think people take this seriously enough.” The seven year old won top place for his division thanks to his poster showing a family preparedness kit.

Lots of children agreed with Watson, submitting various versions of posters

Linda Murrell, the poster contest coordinator, said submissions were actually down this year so there was a lot of opportunity for kids who took the creative incentive and entered a poster. Even so, judging proved tough with many good drawings to choose from. A Judge’s Choice award recognized all the runners-up posters.

Everyone involved with the contest encourages all the youth of the MatSu Valley to start thinking about what being prepared really means to you for next year’s contest.

Trevino, the 16-18 year-old category winner, said attending the Expo has become an annual event for her. “I had never heard of this Expo until some people came to our school last year looking for volunteers and told us about it,” she explained. “I’m in the National Honor Society and we need to do community service so I thought I’d volunteer. I liked it so much I jumped at the chance to volunteer again this year. And now, not only did I earn community service hours, I won a prize for drawing a picture about what I would do to be prepared for an earthquake. And that felt pretty good too.” Which seems like the perfect conclusion.

Winners: 5-6 years: Chole Cole, age 6 7-9 years: Aiden Watson, age 7 10-12 years: Castle Carpenter, age 12 13-15 years: Cody Athens, age 14 16-18 years: Ercilia Trevino, age 17 Runners-Up Entries: 5-6 years: Haylie Henderson, age 5 7-9 years: Ariana Cole, age 9 10-12 years: Sonya Saxon, age 11 13-15 years: Brody Clark, age 13

MAKE A SCENE MEDIA COMPANY WWW.MAKEASCENE.MEDIA | 907-373-2698 We’re more than a community paper! We also run 95.5 The Pass KNLT-FM, and offer other media services too!

HOLIDAY CHEER STARTS HERE!

MAT-SU MARKETPLACE @ MENARD SPORTS CENTER NOVEMBER 4 - 10AM-5PM NOVEMBER 5 - 11AM-5PM

Over 100 mini specialty shops with literally thousands of holiday gift ideas! $5 for adults, kids 12 and under free.

Sunday free for Military with ID or anyone who brings 2 cans of food for donation.

Arts Contributed by Charice Chambers Palmer Senior Center In 1963 Ken Harris received an unexpected gift from his parents, a set of oil paints accompanied by many blank canvases crying to be filled with images, color and design. With his mother’s encouragement, Ken began painting. He had always loved doodling and drawing images of his surroundings, so painting was a natural next step. Blank canvases were quickly filled by the young artist with a myriad of images and designs. By the time Harris was 14, he was competing in his first art show. So began Harris’s love affair with a paint brush.

With both high school and community college training behind him, Harris was led to Brazil where he worked with Wycliffe Bible Translators as a graphic designer and illustrator. Because the country’s indigenous people had a rich oral tradition, though no written linguistics, bringing the Bible to them was a challenge. It was Harris’ job to illustrate books designed to develop literacy in the indigenous population.

Between working on literacy books and illustrating an indigenous dictionary, Harris met and married coworker Connie Stuart. The couple continued working as missionaries in Brazil until a health issue forced a return to the US. Ten years later, the couple relocated to Australia, where once again they worked for Wycliffe Bible Translators. Professionally, Ken continued working as a graphic designer. He also worked with watercolor.

He had been impressed with the power and flow of watercolors from his middle school days. There his art teacher had introduced him to its nuances. As time passed, Harris continued experiencing watercolor’s attraction: the ebb and flow of pigment suspended in and mixed with water. That fascination has continued to this day.

Harris has a foot in both California, the land of his birth and youth, and Alaska, the state of his heritage. As a child, he discovered a pair of ice skates hanging in the back of a closet, and asked his mother what they were. She explained that they were used to skate on Alaska’s frozen lakes. It was the first time that Harris realized he had an Alaskan heritage.

Time and his daughter’s choice to make Alaska her home provided the impetus for Harris’ move to the 49th state. He and his family currently reside in Palmer.

Alaska provides rich and exciting subject variations for Harris’ brush. He currently produces a wide variety of watercolor printed notecards, including an exciting new collection perfect for holiday giving. This summer his enthusiasm for Alaska’s plethora of wildflowers resulted in a very popular collection of notecards that also included iconic scenes of the Matsu valley.

Harris gains his inspiration from the French Impressionists, painter Andrew Wyeth, as well as watercolor artists John Singer Sargent and JMW Turner. Harris has shared his love of art through watercolor, drawing and painting classes which he taught through Vanguard University.

Harris’ popular notecards may be found at The Gift Shop at Palmer Senior Center as well as other outlets. The shop is open Monday through Friday, 11 am to 3 pm in the senior center building at 1132 S. Chugach Street (across from and adjacent to Palmer Senior Middle School). We are always looking for new volunteers. Stop by and talk with us about volunteer opportunities. The Center appreciates and encourages support from the community. The support you provide by gift shopping and volunteering with us, helps us to continue enriching the lives of Palmer’s senior population.

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Books

MID-OCT 2023

Contributed by Ann Fox Chandonnet For three decades Ann Fox Chandonnet was one of the most active, widely read and highly regarded journalists in Alaska. She turned out poetry books, cookbooks, a tourist guide, a history of Eklutna Village, and food histories from her Alaska homes in Kodiak, Juneau and Chugiak. Thousands of Alaskans read her features week after week in the “Anchorage Times.”

The Shape of Wind on the Water : New and Selected Poems ( Loom Press, 2023) is a generous, career spanning, collection of Chardonnet’s poetry. While settings of the poems range from New England to Maui, poems from her thirty-four years in

Alaska are at the heart of the book.

Chandonnet recalls experiences from Sitka to Barrow (Utqiagvik).

“Iris at Last” is my favorite amongst the fifty-one new poems gathered here.

The poem, written for Shem Pete, the deceased (1989) esteemed Denaina Athabascan culture bearer, is insightful and beautifully done.

The section of selected poems includes offerings from six long out-of-print poetry books and an essay. I most welcome the inclusion of ten poems from Ptarmigan Valley : Poems of Alaska ( 1980) since the copy of this erstwhile collection that I purchased at the Book Cache more than forty years ago is falling apart. Two poems about her father “Snow Water Under Culverts” and “Peavey: A Letter,“ both rising from Dracut, Massachusetts childhood memories, are particularly affecting. In these and other poems from her perspective as a mother, daughter, wife, and community member, Chandonnet’s clear, wellchosen images allow these poems to resonate. ” September 15, 12:04 p.m.

(Chugiak)” made me smile with her observations at the community post office.

The Shape of Wind on the Water : New and Selected Poems is filled with accessible, clearly written poems. This is a book many Alaskans, even those who do not consider themselves regular poetry readers, will enjoy.

October 16, 2023 9AM Junior Nordics Registration Mat-Su Ski Club Government Peak Recreation Area PO Box 364 Palmer, Alaska, 99645 matsuski.org (907) 982-0612

October 18, 2023 at 5PM-8:30PM Yoga & Beer Williwaw Social 609 F St, Anchorage, AK 99501-3533 events@williwawsocial.com (907) 868-2000 October 20, 2023 at 4PM 4-H Find-Out Night Mat-Su/Copper River 4-H District Matanuska Experimental Farm and Extension Center 1509 S Georgeson Dr, Palmer AK, 99645 kmhogate@alaska.edu (907)745-3679 October 21, 2023 at 12PM-6PM (12PM-1PM for Twindly Families) Friends of Twindly Fundraiser Twindly Bridge Charter School Curtis D Menard Memorial Sports Center 1001 S Clapp St. Wasilla, AK 99654 kami.heisterman@matsuk12.us October 21, 2023 at 12PM-5PM 2023 AK Ski Swap AK Ski Swap Alaska Airlines Center 3550 Providence Dr, Anchorage, AK 99508-4636 akskiswap.com Tickets Online at myconsignementmanager.com October 26, 2023 at 6PM The Mighty Monster BooFest Alaska State Fair Raven Hall at Alaska State Fair Grounds, Palmer, AK 99645 Cost: $40 & DD Tickets are $10 Purchase Tickets at https://bit.ly/3gEhz9S

October 28, 2023 at 6PM Mat – Su Ski Club Annual Social and Fall Meeting Mat-Su Ski Club GPRA Chalet 10690 N. Mountain Trails Drive, Palmer, Alaska 99645 matsuski.org/annual-meeting-social/ (907) 982-0612 October 28, 2023 at 6PM-10PM Thrive Halloween Party Youth-6th Grade & Up Teeland Middle School 2810 N Seward Meridian Pkwy, Wasilla, AK 99654 To RSVP Text “Event” at (907) 7455826 October 28, 2023 at 10AM-2PM National Drug Take-Back Day DEA National Take Back Palmer & Wasilla Fred Meyer Locations October 29, 2023 at 10AM-5PM Alaska’s Outdoorsman Expo & Gun Show Curtis D Menard Memorial Sports Center 1001 S Clapp St., Wasilla, AK 99654 For more information Contact Jeremy Wise at (907) 310-3602 October 31, 2023 at 6PM-7PM 14th Annual Trunk or Treat 2023 CPKids-Raspberry Change Point Church 6689 Changepoint Dr, Anchorage, AK 99518 cpkids@changepointalaska.com (907) 646-4800 November 3rd & 4th 10AM-6PM Christmas Open House The Wagon Wheel Marketplace 701 E Parks Hwy Wasilla, AK 99654 wagonwheelmp@gmail.com (907) 671-0189

November 9, 2023 at 10:30AM Breath Easy Brunch American Lung Association Alaska Aviation Museum 4721 Aircraft Dr, Anchorage AK, 99502 Jessica.Frey@lung.org (907) 644-6404 Cost : $100 November 11, 2023 at 6PM 2nd Annual Guns N Hoses Fundraiser Hockey Game Mat-Su Amateur Hockey Association Curtis D Menard Memorial Sports Center 1001 S Clapp St, Wasilla, AK 99654 valleythundergirls@gmail.com (907)232-1063 Cost: $10. Kids 12 & under are Free November 17-19, Friday 2PM-7PM, Saturday 10AM-6PM, Sunday 10AM4PM Alaska Vintage Holiday Market & Food Truck Fest 2075 Glenn Hwy, Palmer, AK 99645 Cost: $5 For Tickets Visit: AlaskaVintageMarkets.com November 19, 2023 at 10:15PM Matanuska Susitna Orchestra Benefit Concert Clear Creak Cat Rescue & Matanuska Susitna Orchestra The Glenn Massay Theater 8295 E College Dr. Palmer, AK, 99645 clearcatrescue.org/ (907) 980-1730

MID-OCT 2023

November 4, 2023 at 10AM-5PM & November 5, at 11AM-5PM Mat-Su Marketplace Curtas D Menard Memorial Sports Center 1001 S Clapp St, Wasilla, AK 99654

November 4, 2023 at 10AM – 5PM 1st Saturday Vendor Market Borough Gym Building 350 E Dahlia Avenue, Palmer, Alaska 99645 1stsaturdayvendormarket@gmail.com (907) 715-2018

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Calendar of Events

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Coloring Page

MID-OCT 2023

SEE PAGE 8 FOR WONKATOBER CONTEST INFO!

Send in your coloring page and you can win a gift card to a local business!

PAGE 7

Funnies

EST. 2007

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ON PAGE 8

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ART MUSIC EVENTS POETRY THEATER & MUCH MORE!

17,000 COPIES PER ISSUE, 16 YEARS IN PRINT.

Madison, 10

Ben, 4

Paxter, 9

Adele, 6

PAGE 8

Theater Contributed by Garry Forrester

MID-OCT 2023

The Broadway sensation, Into the Woods, is coming to the Valley! James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim take everyone’s favorite storybook characters and bring them together for a timeless, yet relevant, piece...and a rare modern classic. The Tony Awardwinning musical is both enchanting and touching. The story follows a Baker and his wife, who wish to have a child; Cinderella, who wishes to attend the King’s Festival; and Jack, who wishes his cow would give milk. When the Baker and his wife learn that they cannot have a child because of a Witch’s curse, the two set off on a journey to break the curse. Everyone’s wish is granted, but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later with disastrous results. Along the way, many other well-known make-believe folks show

up like Little Red Riding Hood, The Wolf, and Rapunzel…just to name a few. One of Sondheim’s most popular works, Into the Woods is a musically sophisticated show with a blend of memorable melodies, readily identifiable characters, and a touch of dark comedy. Join some of your favorite fairy-tale characters on the wonderful and surprising journey Into the Woods!

The Glenn Massay Theater and Valley Performing Arts are proud to present this one-of-a-kind musical to the Valley community. This production has been created by dozens of extremely talented local cast and crew members and is one you don’t want to miss. Patrons are encouraged to buy their tickets early since sold-out shows are expected!

Into the Woods opens October 20th and runs through November 5th. Ticket prices are $25 Regular Admission, $23 Seniors 65+/Students 18 and younger,

and UAA Students with a current Wolf card can attend free. The production will be at The Glenn Massay Theater, 8295 E. College Drive, on the Mat-Su College Campus off of Trunk Road in

the Valley. Purchase tickets online through links at vpaalaska.org or glennmassaytheater.com. Be sure to follow both organizations on Facebook at: glennmassaytheater and vpaalaska.

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Writing

It’s hard to connect to our kids sometimes, especially our teens.

They’re trying to figure out what it means to be a person, test-driving how to make decisions, and pushing our patience.

When you have a creative child, things get a little more complicated.

You never know what mess you’re going to walk into. “Do the dishes,” could turn into a sword fight with a dragon you can’t even see. “Vacuuming the floor” can take two hours because your daughter was “somewhere else.”

You’re fighting to keep a roof over her head and she’s burning out your vacuum because her head’s in the clouds!

Too often, in our efforts to make sure they’re ready to take on the world, we strip away the parts of them that challenge us the most. Our

strong-willed children who challenge us with every single micro decision?

We tell them to behave. Not because it’s right but because, dang it, we need one freakin’ second of reprieve!

We just need her to grab her freaking bag, put on shoes that actually make sense – seriously? Crocs when we’re tramping around in cold mud? – and get in the car so we’re not late. We feel the penalty for that. They don’t.

I wish, however, I’d been allowed to maintain a little bit of my fire as a kid so that maybe I’d have been more successful sooner as an adult. I wish I’d been able to be a little more headin-the-clouds so that I didn’t have to wait until I was in my forties to have this extreme burst of creative energy.

I’m a USA Today Bestselling Author. I write a lot of content between novels, articles, blog posts, short stories, character interviews, etc. But that didn’t start until I was much older.

A group of us are putting together a writer’s conference for teens. Our mission is to keep their passions ignited while empowering their pens as they pioneer their paths. We understand that raising creative kids is hard and

giving them the tools they need to succeed is even more difficult. So, with that in mind, we’re collecting a wide range of speakers who will talk about everything from world building to the effects of a healthy diet.

January 13 – January 15, 2024, we’ll be at the Menard Sports Center from 11am – 5 pm. Some of the topics we’ll cover are: How to structure a novel – USA Today Bestselling Author F.J. Blooding Making your book bingeworthy – the machine, Ines Johnson Writing a short comic story – USA Today Bestselling Author Russell Nohelty Build your own traditionally bookbound journal – Taylor from Black Birch Books How to write martial arts realistically – Lauren from Shoshindo of Alaska Defying genre – the legendary Susan Kaye Quinn Audio editing, acting, and more – Bradford Jackson from Bradford Jackson Films There is so much more we’re offering! This is just a taste. We’ll also discuss the entire industry of professions

available which include editing, ghost writing, formatting, website design, videography, marketing, graphic art, business modeling, and so much more! We’ll discuss how to create great characters, amazing worlds, and fantastic stories.

Most of all, we’re empowering them – and reminding ourselves – how to have fun with publishing. The speakers we’re bringing on board are just as excited to talk about the good part, which is something we sometimes overlook. Creating. Telling stories.

Making a powerful difference.

If you have a teen between the ages of 13 and 19, check out our conference and see if this might be a good fit for your teen. Find out more at InkblotWriters.com.

And don’t miss the NanoWrimo events that we’ll be posting through the month of November! Don’t know what NaNoWriMo means? It’s National Writing Month, which is hosted in the month of November. You and your kids are invited!

There’s so much happening and it’s going to be amazing!

MID-OCT 2023

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www.susitnabrewing.com

Film

5120 S BIG LAKE RD. 907-892-2336

Contributed by Sierra Winter Smith

MID-OCT 2023

907-775-1877 curtisnickerson@icloud.com

As the leaves begin to fall and the crisp air shocks us in the morning, many Alaskans start gearing up for another wonderful winter sports season. Snowmobilers, snowmachiners, skiers, snowboards, kite surfers, winter campers, and more. We daydream about the bluebird days when the untracked snow covers backcountry Alaska. We all look forward to exploring. We look forward to winter.

At Awaken Productions we like to capture this love and ambition through film and look forward to bringing you another great season of our Awakening of Winter Events. This year we are hosting two film premiers where winter sport enthusiasts (and anyone else who wants to join) come together to watch Alaskan-made films and reunite a community of people unified in the snow.

Soft Showing || The Breeze Inn || Seward Alaska Our first event is on October 28th at the Breeze Inn in Seward Alaska.

We welcome you to join us for some sneak peeks of the film, a costume contest, great door prizes, and fun.

Book a room at The Breeze Inn for the night by calling 1-907-224-5237 and mentioning the promo code SIERRAWINTER for a discount. This event will not show the full film and admis-

sion is FREE. Premier || Hilltop Ski Area || Anchorage Alaska Our second and main event is on November 11th at Hilltop Ski Area starting at 5:00 PM. Come early to grab some food, and some great beverages from Magnetic North Brewing Company, meet our event vendors, view sled wraps by Sierra Winter, win great door prizes, watch some short films from Alaskan Film Makers, and see the full Awakening of Winter film, created by producer Josiah Smith. Tickets are $10.00 and they can be purchased in advance at https://awakenproductionsak.com/ or at the door.

Win Door Prizes We have a long list of sponsors who have donated wonderful door prizes that will be given away at both events. All participants will be given one door prize entry upon arrival and additional door prize tickets can be purchased at the event. You could win amazing prizes like a BCA 2.0 Avalanche Float Bag donated by Chaz Limited Collison Express, Discounted

Sled Wrap Services from Artwork by Sierra Winter, Goggles from 509, and so much more.

Sponsor List Chaz Limited Collison Express, Artwork by Sierra Winter, Magnetic North Brewing Company, Hilltop Ski Area, The Breeze Inn, Deviant Ink, Anchorage Yamaha Polaris, 509, Ak Roam, Gryme Habits, Bald Mountain BNB, Alaska Avalanche Schools, L and M Artistry, 907 Snow Riders, The Hungry Deckhand, Turnagain Soft Core, Eightfifty Co, 509, State Farm, Sledderbox, Alaska Goldens Co, Cardboard Films, TOBE, G3 Kreations, 907 Films, Blue & Gold, Black Water Railroad, Backcountry Bombsh3lls, She Rides, and more!

Awaken Productions Website: https://awakenproductionsak.com Instagram & Facebook: @awaken.ak Artwork by Sierra Winter Website: https://artworkbysierrawinter.com Instagram & Facebook: @artworkbysierrawinter

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 environment, adress medicals 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 Desgin, and LIFE Connect. We also have Sarah’s House, 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 assistance programs, such as The Locker, to provide personal care and basic house hold cleaning items, and Scarlet Tapestries which offers basic sewing skills instructions. We are a 501c3 nonprofit organization.

Alaska Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired Seniors www.alaskabvi.org (907) 771-4322 The Alaska Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired provides blind and low vision Alaskans tools to eliminate vision loss as a barrier to employment, independent living, and community participation. It is the only statewide training and resource center for vision rehabilitation. In the Mat-Su Valley we sponsor two monthly support groups for socialization and informational activities, titled “Living Well with Vision Loss”, meeting at the Wasilla Area Seniors and the Palmer Senior Center.

Low Vision Clinics demonstrating low vision devices and home assessment visits for independent living are offered to those who qualify and who have uncorrectable vision loss.

Matanuska Electric Association Charitable Foundation (MEACF) www.mea.coop/mea-in-the-community meacontact@mea.coop (907) 761-9300 $1.6 million and counting! This is the financial impact MEA’s members have had in our community since 2011 when MEACF introduced Operation Roundup. To scratch the surface on those impacted by your generosity are our seniors, recreation, local agriculture, family services, food pantries, and everything in between.

We want to continue adding to this lost, so if you know of an organization interested in applying for the MEACF grant and has a specific project in mind, please check us out online for the application process - including financials. Grants are capped at $10,000 and are approved at each quarterly MEACF meeting. Individual grant requests are now completed through Connect MatSu; individual grant requests regarding a disability can contact Access Alaska.

Alaska Community Development Corporation www.alaskacdc.org (907) 746-5680 Alaska Community Development Corporation is a nonprofit agency located in Palmer, AK. Our focus is housing assistance for low-income households in Alaska.

We offer housing assistance to the Matanuska-Susitna Borough and most areas in Southcentral Alaska and to rural areas in Southeast and Southwest Alaska. Our housing assistance includes home weatherization; housing accessibility improvements for seniors and disabled households; & homeownership assistance including home purchase assistance, home building assistance and home loan packaging.

Our housing assistance helps to keep people safely in their homes and helps low-income households move into home ownership. All assistance is free to eligible households.

Connect Mat-Su www.connectmatsu.org (907) 373-2628 Connect Mat-Su is a program of the Mat-Su Health Foundation that provides access to information and referrals specific to the local community.

Assistance is available in the areas of care, education, food, health, housing, legal services, social connection, transportation, work, and more. It is a network that is both a physical and virtual resource center linking residents to the things needed to thrive physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally.

Mat-Su Health Foundation www.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 www.healthymatsu.org to learn about scholarship and funding opportunities.

MYHouse Mat-Su Youth Housing www.myhousematsu.org (907) 373-4357 MYHouse 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 job education services on site.

Onward & Upward www.onwardandupward.org email: info@onwardandupward.org (907) 953-5360 Onward & Upward is an evidence-based, accredited, 501c3 nonprofit organization based in the Mat-Su Valley.

Our mission is to establish a culture of “One Health” in Alaska through evidence-based action. We accomplish this by engaging our students in adventurous, inspiring, meaningful, and empowering experiences with varying degrees of challenge methodically designed for positive growth and development.

We offer a diverse range of course offerings from open enrollment summer adventure courses, professional development courses, to year-round after-school and homeschool opportunities. Check out our website at www.onwardandupward.org for more information!

Special Olympics Alaska Mat-Su Community Program (907) 631-8591 www.specialolympicsalaska.org The Special Olympics Alaska Mat-Su Community Program is an accredited program of Special Olympics Alaska, Inc., a 501c (3) nonprofit whose mission is to provide year-round sports training and competition to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In the Mat-Su Valley, there are 137 active Special Olympics Alaska athletes and 56 Unified partners (non-disabled peers) that train and compete in 12 sports year-round.

There is no cost to participate for qualifying athletes.

For more information on the Mat-Su Community Program, please call 907-631-8591, email matsu@ specialolympicsalaska.org or visit us on social media @soakmatsu.

United Way of Mat-Su (907) 373-5807 www.unitedwaymatsu.org 550 S Alaska St., Suite 205 Palmer AK United Way of Mat-Su strives to make our community a place where all individuals can thrive. We focus on the building blocks of education, financial stability, health for all, providing resource assistance, community collaboration and advocacy, outreach and engagement across the health, human, and social services spectrum.

Early childhood and family support, youth programs, grants for non-profits, and disaster relief; Mat-Su Valley Resource Guide; volunteer opportunities; Stuff the Bus; Project Homeless Connect, and more. Call for more information on Thrive Mat-Su Mat-Su Coalition, Early Childhood Partnership, Youth 360, and the Alaska Wellness Coalition.

Valley Charities, Inc. www.valleycharities.org 400 N Yenlo Street, Wasilla AK Valley Charities, Inc: Connecting those who need help with the help they need. Valley Charities, Inc. (VCI) oversees a locally owned non- profit Thrift Store, turn-A-leaf.

VCI Re-entry Program assists ex-offenders to become successful citizens helping to stabilize a home, work, per-

sonal needs, and basic council. Our Homelessness Prevention Program provides financial assistance creating housing stability for Valley residents.

Lastly, our Durable Medical Equipment Lending Program supports our residents with short term equipment loans to help with their recovery from illness and injuries.

Housing Assistance: 907-354-4660; Re-Entry Assistance: 907-232-7125; Durable Medical Equipment Lending Program, see our website: valleycharities.org 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 at www. valleyartsalliance.com Valley Recycling Valley Community for Recycling Solutions www.valleyrecycling.org (907) 745-5544 REFUSE, REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE! Drop off your clean, separated recycling Mon-Fri 9:30 to 5 and Saturday 8 to 5. We accept cardboard boxes, aluminum beverage cans, magazines, this newspaper and more!

We are located at 9465 E Chanlyut Circle, near the MSB Central Landfill, just past the MSB Animal Care Shelter. Follow the smells. And follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Become a member, visit our classroom, schedule a field trip, find out more about volunteer opportunities and ways you can make a difference in your community. #dontfeedthelandfills. Go to our website for more details.

Wasilla Area Seniors, Inc. www.wasillaseniors.com (907) 376-3104 Wasilla Area Seniors mission is to provide for the lives of seniors living in the Matanuska Susistna Valley and to enable seniors to live as independently as possible for as long as possible.

WASI provides services, resources, and activities to promote health and independence such as Club50 Fitness Center. Club50 is for individuals 50 years of age and older and provides clean, accessible exercise equipment and offers a variety of FREE fitness classes for seniors of all skill and mobility levels.

For more information, give us a call or find us on Facebook.

PAGE 12

Poetry & Prose

A DAY IN THE LAND OF WINTER

A RAVENS TALE

My body is pain, I feel it in my bones.

A vibration that flows through me, high and low.

Wet cold weather, brings on a deep ache

Dancing with the North star Haunted by a shadow A visitor unbidden Telling tales Stories of life full and frenzied He draws them to my ears Rarely altering the course His visage unmarred Mizar and Alcor Trifled and unfinished Waiting to be called Singing to Aurora A shade A familiar spirit With the tome Of winter canons Brief returns the rave

Contributed by Improbable Scribe

Lean into vulnerability, lean into strength Lean into Love, confidence and purpose to Find my Joy, right there within me already I use herbs, to drug the pain and grief I listen to the body, to keep the noise low enough That the mind and emotions are peaceful and able to ‘people’. (Peopling: The ability to interact with others.)

It diminishes when busy, the mind involved in what’s in front of me.

Missing, blocking out the children’s shrilling Over stimulated in body and mind.

Start making mis-steps, but it all came right in the end.

I use plant medicine to help me sleep, herbs of drowsy, relaxing Am I feeling the pain and sadness? From another room?

Is there profit to feeling the whole of the pain? Quick, sharp and over except, it never seems to be over. I awake each day, with my failures, with my success - opened my eyes on earth again What a stupendously blessed day it was! There was fog Real “pea soup” fog, driving careful Headlights on (Oops, not that guy- they’re running dark) As I turn West onto the highway, the eastern light of the autumn sun Shines behind me, the fog surrounds me It lifts and flow and becomes A rainbow arch, A violet and green tunnel I smile, I laugh, how beautiful Rainbows under deep dark clouds I feel blessed, to be here to feel here In the Land of Winter

MID-OCT 2023

~Improbable Scribe

SAD CLOWN

Contributed by W. S. White

THE CALLING

Contributed by Katherine Baker There is a chance for victory, in images our minds conceive.

Achievement of longevity, taps dreams of possibilities.

Created goals which never tire, benefits of much acquired.

Pictures of the future desired, becomes in us awakened fire.

Visualize the life you choose, subservient, how can you lose?

A purpose for us does so soothe, our callings which we can’t remove.

Contributed by Robert Lyons I’ve steadfastly and faithfully warned them all ,but still, we fall.

I witness the thrall of the hedonistic elite.

Dancing in the halls as death bells toll.

Ignoring it all and feeding upon the weak.

Seeking pleasure thru the people’s agony.

I speak to no relief.

Sad beyond belief.

POTENTIAL

Contributed by Fred Glover Flotsam on the sea of life A promise made that was not kept Could have been a shooting star They burn out quickly, leaving not a scar Dreams of what could have been Reality intrudes and testifies to what is now Like a snake that sheds its skin Leaving behind vacuous cells That are blown away by a soft mild spring wind What could have been, what might have been; We’ll never know Now, buried deep in the world’s land fill

Mysticism

Contributed by Nan Potts

Contributed by Brittani Krebs

HALLOWEEN CONJURINGS I recall at Halloween time, When kids and their folks, Would dress in their prime As ghouls, ghosts and witches, A nonsensical mime.

Made-up we were, prowling around, Hero’s and villains, Witches abound, We, having great fun, Our glory, resound.

Halloween, as history goes, Has a conjuring, Most everyone knows, And with various themes, Some cultures juxtapose.

Yet, Halloween glowed for us kids, A time to act out, Our mystical ids, And frolic for treasure, Scurrying home when time bids.

I have observed, Halloween change, It’s now “insulting”, Evil, wicked — strange, Odd, to hear from adults, Who once played this exchange.

Why would folks wish to revolt, A kid’s right to play, And squash our eve’s bolt?

Who traded innocents, Let kids be, devilish dolt!

THE WHEEL KEEPS TURNING

PAGE 13

Poetry & Prose

Hello everybody! Welcome to my column. Each month I will draw a Major Arcana tarot card which represents one of many possible paths to follow. Major Arcana cards represent the archetypical themes of life, presenting the overall possible experiences.

Deck: Mermaid Tarot by Leeza Robertson Illustrations by Julie Card: The Wheel of Fortune #10 The wheel of fortune is a celebration and reminder that things are constantly changing in life. Time marches on all around us as we continue on in this physical body. As life continues to ebb and flow remember that if you are struggling now, it is only temporary. Trying to control the wheel and stop it from turning is impossible. People come and go from our lives, situations evolve; continuing to expand, and change happens for us and all around us.

Change can be scary, even positive change. Fighting the change and leading with our ego causes more turbulence and struggle for ourselves. Allowing ourselves to release the idea of being able to control everything brings inner peace. Releasing our worries, and our fears, by trusting that it will all work out, in one way or another, lifts the weight of the world off our shoulders. The relief it brings is worth facing those thoughts and overcoming them. Sometimes when we are hoping for a specific solution, it’s far too easy to then become attached to a specific outcome. This blocks the ability to see other perspectives and possible paths for reaching the end goal.

As the wheel of life turns, acknowledge that after all the lessons and hardships, that we’ve made it through, things are turning in our favor. It is time to reap the harvest of our rewards. Good fortune and abundance are imminent. Trust and believe in all the good we deserve. More info? Contact Brittani with Grace at (907) 308-9135.

THE WICKED WITCH OF TALKEETNA Contributed by Wendy Brooker

MID-OCT 2023

The Wicked Witch of Talkeetna crowed, “I’d rather trick than treat ya!”

She tells tales (in the alley) as tall as Denali and in any game – cheats – so she’ll beat ya ~

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Books

Contributed by Frankie Jo Blooding Really, it came down to one of two choices: remain in the castle as a veritable prisoner or wander this crazy land in search of a child.

Red opted for the latter.

Muggs met her at the large front door to the castle, her white feather and lace dress immaculate, a white and silver parasol in hand.

Red stopped, her boots clicking a fine clomp on the gray tiles. “I had thought we were on a mission to save a child, sister, not an outing to the garden.”

Muggs winced a pretty smile but looked deeper into the large room be-

MID-OCT 2023

Contributed by Eric and Doylanne Wade Let’s imagine a North America red squirrel running along a gnarled spruce branch, a slalom route taken many times before, its movement unique among other tree dwellers, its explosiveness eye blinking. It leaps to a higher branch and stops in a heartbeat. It wastes no energy, every twitch purposeful. With its head rock-still, it can scan the surroundings with excellent color vision. Its pale-yellow lenses function much like sunglasses. It can

hind them. “This is Wonderland, sister, not the English countryside.”

Red rolled her eyes and gestured to the door. “Shouldn’t we be going, then?”

“Not quite as yet.” Muggs took in a large breath and let it out. “You need a guide.”

“A guide?” Red smoothed her scarlet leather tunic over her dark pants. It felt quite remarkable to be in pants again.

She wasn’t entirely sure why her sister had relegated them to the Victorian era of fashion, but Red much preferred the twentieth century, thank you very much. “Are you afraid you’ll get lost? I thought these were your lands by design, though I don’t understand what

that means entirely.”

“They are, but I am not going with you, if you must know.” Muggs paced away. “I have other things to attend to, dreamers to take back home and such.”

“Oh,” Red said, pulling her head back, her hands out, a dark twisting of inferiority spiraling like a vacuum in her chest. “Lah-dee.”

Muggs let her parasol fall as she slumped her shoulders. “Oh, Dot.” Red rolled her eyes and headed for the open door.

“How are you going to find the child on your own?”

Red didn’t stop. “I’ll figure it out, I suppose. Or I won’t. Either way.”

“Dottie!”

Red stopped and thumped her fist against the metal door. Why did she pause? Why did she care? The best part of feeling nothing was not caring. Not caring. So, why wasn’t she leaving?

“Am I la’e to the party?” a man asked behind her.

Red turned and saw a man in brown trousers and a green jacket with long tails. His dark hair curled up and around the brim of his wide-topped hat.

He raised dark eyebrows at the White Queen.

She flattened her lips and tipped her head in Red’s direction.

He pushed his shoulders back and bowed with a flourish of his hat. “Hatter, at your service.”

Red blinked coolly. “Your name is Hatter.”

“No.” He straightened and put his hat back on. “But it’s wha’ I allow people t’ call me.”

“And what would your real name be?”

“Would ya prefer I called you by your real name, or by the name ya chose for ye’self?” His dark eyes held hers.

A corner of her lips rose in a half smile. “Indeed.” She turned to her sister.

“Can we be off now? Or must we wait for an entire circus to join us?”

“I’m the only guide you’ll require.”

Hatter brushed past Red on his way out the door. “Now, then, if you’re quite ready, I’d say we should be off. Yeah?”

A full smile found its way across her lips as she followed, a slight saunter to her gait. “Where are we going?”

He stopped at the last silver step and scoped out the countryside.

The bulbous trees from earlier were gone, leaving a rolling hillside landscape of green grass and tall flowers of varying colors, mostly yellows, reds, and blues. Bugs flew about, buzzing from one flower to the next…

focus across the retina, meaning it processes superb vision out the sides of its eyes. Humans have peripheral vision, but with a marred, out of focus image, whereas, a red squirrel can clearly see the designs of a fluttering butterfly off to its side without moving its head.

The squirrel appears to be weightless. It bounds into the autumn air to another branch and runs to the spruce tips and balances there on the slender ends, hind feet gripping the waving and bouncing boughs. A nine-ounce, diminutive super athlete, all muscle, speed, and agility, masters the high-

bar of the wilderness, the wobbly tip of a white spruce. At birth it weighed half an ounce, a helpless, hairless peanut with little chance to ever leave the nest. Its eyes stay closed for nearly a month.

This squirrel is from the order Rodentia, family Sciuridae, and its scientific name is Tamiasciurus hudsonicus. It’s the only squirrel I’ve seen at our place in the boreal forest in interior Alaska, but there is another. Flying squirrels also live in the trees here, but after years poking around in the woods, I’ve never seen one, so I’ll let them be and

focus only on the hudsonicus. I’ve seen dozens of them through the years, dashing through horsetail and rose bushes to tree trunks, dodging spruce grouse along the way.

My imaginary squirrel picks its way to a dense growth of spruce cones and begins biting through the soft stems and tossing the cones to the ground, sometimes in clusters of three or four, each landing with a soft thud near the base of the tree, a unique sound in the forest.

The story continues in Frankie Jo’s Storyland on Substack, a reading app where authors share stories, chapters to new books, author and character interviews, articles, and more! Continue reading A Red So Wild Parts 1 & 2 at https://fjblooding.substack.com/.

CONTINUES ON THE NEXT PAGE

EXCERPT FROM SQUIRRELLAND CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

its feet. It grabs a band of cones and darts to a midden at the base of a spruce. The eagle, soon to become a As it jerks its head to toss the cones, dot in the blue, follows the cumulus the hair on its head is illuminated by into the distance.

With danger momentarily absent, a ray of sunlight, revealing the color the squirrel sings, yes sings. I’ve never that explains its name, a burnt red, heard a squirrel sing but can imagine warm, earthy color. Its belly is white, it. A story passed down by distant anas are the circles around each eye. cestors in southwest Alaska tells the Its tail, often stretched for balance, is tipped with dense gray and black hairs. These tail hairs have bands of color, meaning a strand of hair has different colors.

I haven’t noticed much variation in the coloring of red squirrels. They all look about the same to me, donned in a rich coat with a remarkable ability to disappear in a shadow.

They do, though, appear in different sizes. Young squirrels, not long out of the nest, look like little adults.

After throwing a dozen clusters from the tree, the squirrel descends, again dashing, jumping, and freezing in its steps. On the ground now with the cones at its feet, it pauses to eat one. Above the tree canopy, a bald eagle catches a thermal beneath a cumulus cloud and soars, turning, dipping, and radically climbing and most certainly story of a squirrel (it could have been a red squirrel) that sings to a raven looking for something to eat. The blocking access to its den. The raven squirrel, now on its haunches, holds a cone in its hands and pulls away begins to dance to the squirrel’s song, the scales (also called bracts) with its and the squirrel slips inside. incisors, eating the seeds beneath.

Its fourth finger, commonly referred This story is recounted in a reto as the ring finger by humans, is its markable book, Nunakun-gguq longest, presumably the extra length Ciutengqertut, TheySay They Have helpful while gripping branches. Soon Ears Through the Ground: Animal Essays from Southwest Alaska. a small pile of spruce scales form at

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