Voters opt for change in primary election Girdwood

T U R N A G A I N
turnagaintimes.com
VOL. 19 NO. 15
FREE
TIMES
Serving Indian, Bird, Girdwood, Portage, Whittier, Hope, Cooper Landing & South Anchorage
August 18, 2016
Voters opt for change GBOS unswayed by Alyeska’s
in primary election
push for trooper police option
By Ken Smith
Turnagain Times
This year’s primary election
proved to be one of change for
the Alaska Legislature as a half
dozen incumbents went down in
defeat. Whether state lawmakers lean to the right or become
more bipartisan will ultimately
be determined in November in
the general election as the future
state legislative body faces the
daunting task of overcoming a
budget deficit of $3 billion.
The primary election held
Tuesday saw voters seeking
change as they headed to the
polls. Fifty Alaska House and
Senate seats were up for re-election, and a dozen races were
expected to be close, including
House District 28 left open by
long-time incumbent Rep. Mike
Hawker, who retired this year.
The district represents South
Anchorage and Turnagain Arm.
In the District 28 race, Republicans Ross P. Bieling
and former South Anchorage
Assembly Member Jennifer
Johnston went head to head.
Johnston, who served nine
years on the Assembly representing South Anchorage and
Turnagain Arm, won with 57
percent of the votes to Bieling’s
42 percent. Johnson will face
Democrat Shirley Cote, who
was unopposed, in the general
election.
The incumbent upsets began
with Senate District D, as Rep.
Lynn Gattis of Wasilla, who
moved from the House to seek
a Senate seat, was defeated by
Wasilla City Councilman David
Wilson. Wilson had 52 percent
of the votes to Gattis’ 47 percent. No candidates ran on the
Democratic ticket.
For House District 9, which
includes Valdez, George Rauscher edged first-term incumbent
Jim Colver 52-47 percent. No
Democratic candidates ran.
In Southwest Alaska, running
for House District 38, incumbent Bob Herron lost to fellow
Democratic challenger Zach
Fansler 56 to 43 percent. No
Republican candidates ran in
By Jon Scudder
Turnagain Times
Representatives of Alyeska
Resort attended Monday’s Girdwood Board of Supervisors’
meeting and strongly urged the
board to consider the troopers as
the preferred option instead of
the Whittier Police Department.
Alyeska Resort’s management team was led by Director
of Marketing Eric Fullerton,
Vice President of Finance Mandy Hawes, and Mountain Service Manager Brian Burnett.
The group addressed the board
and presented a two-page,
10-point open letter to the community, which can be read on
page 11 of this issue of the Turnagain Times.
“We feel the issue as it was
presented in May was dismissed too readily with the state
troopers,” said Fullerton, as he
addressed the board led by cochair Jerry Fox, who was chairing the meeting due to co-chair
Sam Daniel being out of town
and participating via conference
See Page 3, Primary Election
call. “Alyeska Resort believes
that the trooper option has not
been sufficiently presented to
the community of Girdwood,
following the troopers matching the price of Whittier’s
three-year proposed contract for
$618,000.”
Fullerton went on to state that
he believed a hurried vote was
taken at the May GBOS meeting before the proposed trooper
option could be thoroughly discussed. “We don’t feel the option was properly vetted or given the due process, and we are
requesting the GBOS to amend
the existing motion made in
May to allow comparing the
trooper option.”
Also attending the meeting
was Deputy Director for Trooper Operations Andy Greenstreet, and Deputy Director
for Administration Major Jeff
Laughlin, Whittier Police Chief
Dave Schofield and Anchorage
Municipal attorney Bill Falsey.
In addition, Bill Evans and John
Weddleton from the Anchorage
Assembly were in attendance
and several candidates for the
state Legislature.
Fullerton expressed concern
about troopers’ Girdwood Post
closure. “The life blood for
Whittier, Girdwood and the
Kenai Peninsula is at risk,” he
said. “The Girdwood post is a
critical middle ground for protection, timely response for our
tourists, commerce and heaven
forbid the safety of Girdwood’s
children getting bused to Anchorage.”
Alyeska Resort’s statement
ignited a barrage of questions
bringing the trooper option back
to the forefront of public debate
for local police services. All
of the public safety guests answered multiple questions from
the community and were unanimous in wanting what Girdwood desires for public safety,
stating the facts, as they sincerely believed, not trying to sway
opinion in either direction.
“I’m glad to be part of this,
said trooper Greenstreet. “I’m
encouraged that there is so
much public debate, public
See Back Page, GBOS Meeting
Girdwood Clinic offers childhood and adult vaccinations
Alaska Immunization Program provided as part of ‘National Immunization Awareness Month’
By Jon Scudder
Turnagain Times
August is “National Immunization Awareness Month”.
To help keep Turnagain Arm
residents safe from illnesses
and current on vaccinations,
the Girdwood Health Clinic
is participating in the Alaska Immunization Program
(AIP).
“This program distributes
adult and childhood vaccines
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
ANCHORAGE, AK
PERMIT NO. 353
ECRWSS
Postal Customer
to program participants like
our own community health
center,” said GHC staff
nurse Clare Jackson, who is
also the Clinical Director of
Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement. “Immunizations are very important
in the prevention of serious
illness and disease. In recent
years, the United States has
seen a rise in the number of
vaccine preventable diseases such as mumps, measles,
Inside this Issue
KMTA.................................................2
Letter To The Editor............................3
In Memoriam.....................................4
South Anchorage News......................6
Cooper Landing News........................7
Mountain News..................................8
Lively Arts...........................................9
Trooper Report.................................10
and pertussis. Alaska has
a large volume of visitors
every year coming from inside and outside the United
States.”
Jackson said immunizations keep Alaskans safe
from exposure to these illnesses. The State of Alaska
Epidemiology Bulletin reported a case of mumps in
2014 in a woman who traveled outside of the country
and came back to Alaska
with the disease.
“While this isn’t fuel for
panic it does speak to the
issue of exposure,” added
Jackson. “This illness traveled from another part of
the world and found itself
See Page 4, Alaska
Immunization Program
Photo courtesy of Girdwood Health Clinic
Girdwood resident Jim Kennedy receives an intramuscular
injection from Girdwood Health Clinic practitioner Ken
Waugh on Aug. 15. The clinic is participating in the Alaska
Immunization Program this month.
Page 2
Turnagain Times
August 18, 2016
Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm
National Heritage Area
DISCOVER THE STORY
Youth interpret past at Hope Historical Museum
By Lia Slemon
Special to the Turnagain Times
The town of Hope is at the
end of a road in a mountain
valley, but its historical museum is the starting point for
several young people’s community roles. Youth serve as
tour guides at the Hope and
Sunrise Historical and Mining
Museum.
As Hope’s museum has expanded in size, so have the
number and age of its hosts.
Nearly 15 summers ago, the
museum’s first 15-year-old
tour guide started work after
Diane Olthuis, the Hope Museum Director, noticed his strong
stage presence in the school’s
Christmas play. She invited
him to assist the adult volunteer museum host. He learned
a guide script and the Youth
Museum Program was born. It
has grown primarily as youth
and their families seek out the
opportunities guiding provides.
“Most of the children are
motivated by the prospect
of tip money,” Olthuis said.
“They also take great pride in
being needed and being an expert on Hope history.
Olthuis has brought on seven helpers this season. In addition to guiding visitors, the
youth are extra hands-on-deck
for the multi-building museum
campus, whether spotting wasp
nests or counting museum donations. The professional-looking artifact photographs on the
museum’s interpretive signs
were taken with help of youth
guides.
On a recent Friday afternoon, 9-year-old Brodie Schell
readily welcomed museum
guests and confidently guided a small group around the
museum campus. Schell, who
started working at the Hope
and Sunrise Museum when he
was 7, pointed out clues to the
structures’ short- and long-term
past.
“See those beams under the
porch,” explained Schell, “that
shows you that the building
was moved here.”
Schell enjoys all aspects of
his museum work, particularly
“meeting people who share my
heritage,” a mix that reflects
some of the diversity of Hope
visitors: Chippewa, German,
Cherokee, and Irish.
Schell spends some of his
tip earnings on sustenance for
afternoons at the museum, including pie from Tito’s Cafe.
Olthuis pays the youth for their
work in grounds keeping. She
Courtesy Cooper Landing Museum
Does this place matter?
Photo courtesy of Lia Slemons
Brodie Schell is one of several youth tour guides at the
Hope Museum this summer.
is appreciative of several museum development projects that
youth have enabled. A 12-yearold boy wrote the children’s
museum scavenger hunt.
Olthuis describes the youth
program as a win-win. “The
guides become very knowledgeable and proud of Hope
history and Hope today,” she
said. “Many times, visitors
have approached me after a
tour to praise the child who
led them. More than once, I’ve
been told that it was the best
tour that they ever had.”
The Hope and Sunrise Historical and Mining Museum
have grown under the guidance
of a dedicated volunteer board
and financial support of Kenai
Mountains-Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area Museum
Development Grants.
Visitors are welcome every
afternoon from noon to 4 p.m.,
from Memorial Day to Labor
Day. Admission is free and donations are welcome. Tips for
excellent guides are also appreciated.
Schnell encourages visitors
to his museum. “Come here to
learn about Sunrise and how
Hope used to be. It is interesting, and you’ll know more the
next time someone asks!”
The KMTA National Heritage Area provides grants for
historic preservation and other
educational projects that bolster awareness of the area’s
scenic, cultural, historic, and
recreational resources. For
more information, visit www.
kmtacorridor.org.
The Alaska Office of History and Archaeology is updating the statewide historic
preservation plan and wants to know what historic places matter to you. Share
your thoughts on significant landscapes, buildings, trails, and sites in two ways:
1) Photo sharing campaign #ThisPlaceMatters Alaska
(http://arcg.is/1TvORj2)
2) Complete an online survey (www.surveymonkey.com/r/AKHPP)
KMTA encourages participation of National Heritagea Area communities
as a way to strengthen community identity and attract investments.
Photo courtesy of Kaylene Johnson
A tour guide describes some of Hope’s history to visitors.
By Phone:
(907) 783-1135
By Email:
[email protected]
By Mail:
P.O. Box 1044
Girdwood, Alaska
99587-1044
T U R N A G A I N
TIMES
Owner
Publisher & Editor
Ken Smith
Associate Editor
Jon Scudder
Production Artist
Opus Studio, Inc.
Serving Indian, Bird, Girdwood, Portage, Whittier, Hope, Cooper Landing & South Anchorage
The Turnagain Times is published the first and third week of each month by Midnight Sun Communications, LLC, Girdwood, Alaska.
© 2016 Midnight Sun Communications, LLC
Turnagain Times
August 18, 2016
Page 3
Opinion
Critical election year for Alaska to get out of fiscal crisis
“Everybody talks about the
weather, but nobody does
anything about it.”
This quote is often, (probably erroneously,) attributed
to Mark Twain. Regardless
of authorship, the same could
be said of the current Alaska
fiscal picture.
At this point, it isn’t altogether clear whether most
Alaskans have realized the
deepening financial fix we
are in. Many of our elected legislators seem to be
more worried about getting
re-elected than taking the
difficult steps it will take to
even begin to recover from
this crisis.
Although Gov. Walker, in
seeming frustration with a
stagnant Legislature, has taken a bold stand, by, at least,
presenting a list of possible
solutions to address the predicament, his proposals have
been met with singular resistance to each aspect of his
plan.
Using part of the Permanent Fund Dividend, instituting new income or sales taxes and even meager cuts to
an ever-ballooning state budget have either been met with
silence or outright derision.
In this election year, nobody
in Juneau seems willing to
have even a slightly unpopular opinion on what will certainly be some painful steps
to begin a recovery.
This coming November, it
will be instructive to see how
many of our present legislators can breeze through being re-elected. In most cases,
these are the very leaders
who have gotten us into this
mess to begin with. It may
very well be that most voters
have not yet quite realized
how dire our financial condition has become.
Further more, all the talk
about diversifying our economy, mentioned in so many
campaigns before our last
elections, seems to have
quietly gone away. Without
finding a way to attract new
industry to our state, we will
doubtless be confined to our
dependence upon our petroleum industry to fill our state
coffers. It should, by now, be
painfully clear to even the
most casual observer, that the
days of our “All Eggs - One
Basket” financial model simply can not continue.
In the coming legislative
session, it will be paramount
that we have leadership in
Juneau who will have the
courage to break the deadlock and work together. The
questions we must all ask of
ourselves is: Do my district’s
legislators show signs of taking this predicament seriously? How have they worked to
deal with our fiscal situation
in the past? Should they be
re-elected?
By press time for this edition of Turnagain Times, the
Primary was still looming
before us. By the time you
read this, we will already
have decided who will be
running for what office in the
coming weeks leading up to
the November elections, and
the leaders we select will be
deciding perhaps the most
important issues in the history of Alaska.
As we move closer to the
November election day, we
must be keeping close tabs
on what the candidates are
proposing to address our financial dilemma. Playing
partisan politics and doing
nothing are no longer an option.
Cathy Giessel was unopposed,
and no Democratic candidates
were on the ballot. She will face
independent candidate Vince
Beltrami in the general election.
Tom Begich won easily in his
Democratic run for Senate District J securing 62 percent of the
votes. His challenger Ed Wesley
had 37 percent. There were no
Republican opponents for District J in the primary.
As expected at the federal level, Congressman Dong Young
and U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski,
easily defeated their respective
opponents.
Murkowski is seeking her
third full-term. She faced three
challengers: Paul Kendall,
Thomas Lamb, and Bob Lochner. Murkowski had over 71
percent of the votes. She will
face Ray Metcalfe who garnered
over 50 percent of the votes to
win his race. Former lawmaker Metcalfe and University of
Alaska Anchorage professor
Edgar Blatchford, who received
33 percent of the votes, vied for
the Democratic ticket, and Libertarian Cean Stevens ran unopposed.
A third contender for the Senate race is wild card contender
Margaret Stock, running as an
independent. She was uncontested in the primary. Stock is
an immigration attorney and
MacArthur Fellowship winner.
U.S. Rep. Don Young is seeking his 23rd term in Congress
and easily won, carrying 77
percent of the votes. He was
challenged by three candidates:
Gerald Heikes, Jessy Tingley,
and Stephen Wright.
Young will face Steve Lindbeck, a high profile retired public radio executive. He had had
56 percent of the votes to second place challenger Lynette
Hinz’ 16 percent, and William
Hibler came in third with over
12 percent.
Also running for Young’s
seat were two Libertarians: Jon
Watts and Jim McDermott. McDermott won with 12 percent of
the votes to Watts’ 5 percent.
Ron Holmstrom
Primary Election
Continued from page 1
this race.
Nine-year incumbent, Wes
Keller of Wasilla, was defeated
by David Eastman for House
District 10. Eastman had 46 percent of the votes to Keller’s 33
percent.
Former Anchorage Assemblyman Chris Birch defeated
Rep. Bob Lynn of South Anchorage for House District 26.
Lynn had been in the Legislature for seven terms. Birch won
with 58 percent of the votes to
Lynn’s 41 percent. He will face
Democrat Bill Goodell in the
primary.
Former Anchorage School
Board member Natasha von
Imhoff won the competitive
race for Senate District L receiving 47 percent of the votes.
The race was one of the most
expensive with three GOP contenders seeking a seat vacated
by Rep. Sen. Lesil McGuire,
who retired. Jeff Landfield, a
telecommunications sales representative, and Craig Johnson,
who vacated his House seat,
challenged von Imhoff. Johnson
came in second with 29 percent
and Landfield third with 22 percent. von Imhof will face Democrat Forrest McDonald, who
defeated Roselynn Casey with
63 to 36 percent of the votes.
For Senate Seat N, which represents South Anchorage and
Turnagain Arm, Republican
Letter to the Editor
Girdwood Clinic’s Kerry Dorius was a valuable medical professional
To the Editor:
Recently I was informed
that Kerry Dorius the long
time nurse practitoner of the
Girdwood Health Clinic has
resigned as of Aug. 1. This
is certainly sad news for the
Girdwood and Turnagain communities to loose such a valuable medical professional that
has served our community so
well. I have known Ms. Kerry
Dorius for more than 15 years
when she moved to Girdwood
and became the nurse practitoner for the Girdwood Clinic.
I was CEO of Alyeska Resort and our guests and em-
ployees were frequent clients
of the Girdwood Clinic. Prior
to that there was an MD from
Providence Hospital that operated the Girdwood Clinic but
it was considered not profitable and so the doctor left and
Ms. Dorius had the challenge
to operate the Clinic.
In my opinion, she not only
had an excellent knowledge
of the medical profession
but performed her job with a
wonderful positive attitude
and made the clients feel welcome and appreciated. Since
Girdwood had many young
and some old people that did
not have health insurance she
treated many folks and gave
them great medical care at big
discounts.
When my wife Nina had terminal cancer and was at home
in Girdwood she made often
house calls after the Clinic
closed. I personally have taken my medical exams on an
annual basis from Ms. Dorius
and was impressed with her
excellent medical treatment. If
there was some medical treatment that the Clinic could not
handle, she made sure to refer
me to the Doctors and specialists in Anchorage.
The Girdwood community is
very lucky to have had such a
dedicated RN and nurse practitioner as Ms. Kerry Dorius. I
know it was difficult to operate the Girdwood Clinic profitable, but Ms. Dorius worked
long hours with a small staff
and constantly made efforts
to upgrade the Clinic and it’s
equipment to provide better local health services. Ms. Dorius
also worked on getting more
grants to support the Clinic.
Our late Senator Ted Stevens
also used the Girdwood Clinic
and was also very impressed
with Ms. Dorius and was able
to get the old U.S. Post office donated for the use as the
Girdwood Health Clinic.
Also Ed Rasmuson and the
Rasmuson Foundation made
available several major grants
for the Girdwood Health
Clinic because they were
impressed with Ms. Dorius
personal qualifications. Ms.
Dorius was also instrumental last year to get the Federal
Major grant of $1 million to
support and expand the clinic
and it’s medical care services.
I wish Ms. Dorius well and
know we are all are going
to miss her at the Girdwood
Health Clinic.
Chris von Imhof
Girdwood
Page 4
Turnagain Times
August 18, 2016
Alaska Immunization Program
Continued from page 1
on our doorstep. In a more
local context, we observed
several cases of flu within
Girdwood last year. We are
happy to offer the seasonal
flu vaccine and protect of
residents from influenza.”
She said Alaska is considered a universal state, so all
children are guaranteed vaccines through either private
insurance or state funded
supply. This means children
can be immunized whether
they are insured, uninsured
or underinsured.
“AIP is such a great program because it eliminates
the barrier of cost as a deterrent for vaccination,” said
Jackson. “Parents should
never let cost stop them
from getting their children
vaccinated or seeking care
when their children are ill.”
And the same goes for
adults. “As a federally-funded community health center GHC is working hard to
make care more assessable
and affordable for the Turnagain Arm area,” stated
Jackson.
“Our Certified Application
Counselor, Linda Mankoff,
also helps people get access
to affordable healthcare such
as marketplace policies,
Medicaid, and enrollment
GHC sliding scale. GHC has
worked very hard to develop
a sliding scale program that
all people are eligible to apply for. All of these are tools
that allow patients to be proactive about their healthcare
and not stress about cost.”
She said people often attribute getting vaccines with
childhood but it is important for adults to stay current as well. Adding that
eligible adults are also covered through AIP. The state
provides all of the routinely
scheduled vaccines recommended by the Center for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). GHC follows
the CDC guidelines for adult
and childhood immunization
schedules in addition to offering seasonal flu vaccines,
according said Jackson.
For seniors and adults 50
and over, there’s the Zoster vaccine for shingles. An
estimated 1 million people
gets shingles every year,
according to the CDC. This
reporter speaking from eyewitness experience of the
affliction, the vaccination is
the preferred option. There
is the Pneumococcal vaccine, which prevents infections in the lungs and bloodstream. Additionally, more
than 60 percent of seasonal
flu-related hospitalizations
occur in people 65 years and
older.
Getting vaccinated according to the recommended immunization schedule
is one of the most important
things all of us can do and
especially parents at this
time to protect their child’s
health, according to a news
release from the National
Public Health Information
Coalition.
Additionally, many states
require children who are entering childcare or school to
be vaccinated against certain
diseases. Colleges and universities may have their own
requirements, especially for
students living in a dormitory. Parents should check
with their child’s doctor,
school or the local health department to learn about the
requirements in their state or
county.
In partnership with the
Alaska
Department
of
Health and Social Services,
Mountain-Pacific
Quality
Health and other state partners are working statewide
with health clinics, providers and healthcare partners
in supporting their immunization programs.
“This campaign is designed to inform, educate
and motivate all Alaskans
to take immunizations seriously to prevent illness
and pre-mature death,” said
Preston Groogan, Immunization Project Manager.
More information is at their
website,
www.mpqhf.org
or by calling toll-free (877)
561-3202.
“Back-to-school is a great
time of the year to evaluate
where your child may be in
their vaccine schedule,” said
Jackson. “We encourage
people to stop by the clinic anytime to inquire about
their current vaccination
records. Our staff will be
happy to review records and
to determine if any vaccinations are due.”
When children are not
vaccinated, they are at increased risk for disease and
can spread disease to others
in their play groups, child
care centers, classrooms and
communities – including babies who are too young to be
fully vaccinated and people
with weakened immune systems due to cancer and other
health conditions.
According to Jackson, one
vaccine the GHC often administers is Tetanus-Diph-
theria or Tetanus-Diphtheria-Pertussis.
“Girdwood is a town
full of hard-working and
thrill-seeking, active individuals. These vaccines are
often given after a severe
cut or burn to prevent tetanus infection. We see our
fair share of fish hook injuries and lacerations due to
a fall while hiking. Adults
should get a tetanus booster
every 10 years so make sure
to know when you had your
last.”
Preventative medicine is
also important to maintaining good health throughout
a person’s life. She said
locals don’t miss the opportunity to stop by the Girdwood Health Fair on Oct. 8
at the Girdwood Community
Room. The fair offers several screenings for free or low
cost.
“Girdwood
residents
should take advantage of this
fair to get their eyes examined, blood pressure check,
mammogram scheduled or
even a get flu shot to name a
few of the services offered,”
Jackson said. People can
stop by the clinic for more
information or refer to the
Alaska Health Fair website,
www.alaskahealthfair.org.
~ In Memoriam ~
~ In Memoriam ~
JEAN SERA REDMOND
AUGUST (GUS) ZACCARO
Jean Sera Redmond, age 83, passed away at home in
Girdwood, Alaska on August 4, 2016.
Jean was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on July 13, 1933.
She graduated from Roosevelt High School in Honolulu.
She moved to Girdwood in 1962.
Jean was an owner/partner of the construction company
H.R Redmond Co. She loved to fish, work in her garden,
travel and spend time with her family and friends.
Jean is survived by her daughter Lisa (Mark) Schlereth;
sons Erik Hansen, Robert Redmond, Steve (Debbie)
Redmond, James Redmond, Richard Redmond, William
Redmond; grandchildren Alexandria Schlereth, Avery
Schlereth, Daniel (Bree) Schlereth, Shaelee Hansen, James
Redmond, Raymond Redmond and great grandchildren
Quinn Schlereth and Layton Leeper.
A Celebration of Life Party will be held on Saturday,
August 27, 2016 from 2 to 5 PM at the Mace Residence,
359 Toadstool Drive, Girdwood, Alaska.
August Zaccaro past away on July 6, 2016 at his
home in Mt. Shasta, Calif. He was 89.
August was born March 11, 1927 in Bressanone,
Italy. His parents were Maria Schram Zaccaro and
Luigi Zaccaro.
August was conscripted by the German and Italian
army at the age of 16 into WWII. Following the war
he emigrated to the United States in 1956. He lived
in New Jersey until 1958 when he traveled west to
Sun Valley, Idaho where he was employed on the Ski
Patrol. He then moved to Kalispell, Montana where
he was employed by the U.S. Forest Service. There
he met his wife, Edna Faye Windiate. They were
married in December 1959.
August and Edna traveled the Alaska Highway
in 1960 where they filed on homestead land in Dot
Lake. They lived in the Interior until 1963 when
they moved to Anchorage and subsequently to Girdwood in 1968. They both worked for
Alyeska Resort until the mid 1980’s. During his twenty-year career with Alyeska Resort,
August was head of the ski patrol and was an avalanche technician. He also worked as a
heli-ski guide for Far North Ski Guides, Inc.
In addition to his work for Alyeska Resort, August and Edna owned Alyeska Chalet
Builders, a contracting firm in Girdwood. The company built several homes in the early
years of Girdwood.
In 1987, August moved to Mt. Shasta where he resided until his death.
August is survived by his ex-wife, Edna, and four children: Marco Zaccaro of Girdwood,
Maria Zaccaro of Portland, Oregon, Lara Hildreth of Anchorage and step-daughter, Cindy
Buchanan of Seattle. He is also survived by seven grandchildren: Brent and Christina
Buchanan, Cabell and Sage Hildreth and Dessa, Brenner and Leland Zaccaro.
August’s ashes will be brought back to Girdwood.
July 13, 1933 – August 4, 2016
March 11, 1927 – July 6, 2016
Turnagain Times
August 18, 2016
Page 5
Hope Happenings
By Jeannine Jabaay
Turnagain Times
Hope Correspondent
The community of Hope is
beginning to see the end of
the summer season. With the
changing of the leaves, the
notable reduction of the salmon in the rivers, and the end
of much-anticipated annual
events such as the Whitewater and Bluegrass Festival and
the square dancing weekend
in the Social Hall, eager visitors have only a few precious
weeks to soak in the hustle of
Hope’s many seasonal adventures. While cross-country
skiing and snowshoeing are
waiting on the horizon, there
is still plenty of summer and
early-fall activities.
Happy 50th Birthday
to the Resurrection
Pass Trail!
In 1966, just 50 years ago,
the 39-mile Forest Service
Pass Trail between Cooper
Landing and Hope was established. As many avid hikers’
favorite, Resurrection Pass
Trail offers day or multi-day
hiking and biking adventures.
The trail climbs from 500 to
2,600 feet and features eight
public use cabins that can be
reserved for nightly use, most
which have bear resistant
food lockers.
While traveling the path,
many will linger to fish in
Trout, Juneau, and Swan
Lakes, climb any of the ridges that line the trail and take
in Alaska’s amazing views,
or simply relax on a state
cabin front porch. The trail
follows the narrow Resurrection Creek valley through a
spruce and birch forest, past
gold mining areas, and gradually climbs into an alpine valley. Snow can be found in the
pass until mid-June, so the
trail can be muddy following
the early summer melt off. A
vehicle shuttle is required for
a one-way hike.
The trail is open to motorized vehicles every other
winter; 2016-17 is a non-motorized use year for the trail.
Resurrection Pass Trail is
host for arduous races such
as two annual events that just
wrapped up in early August
– the Soggy Bottom bicycle
race and the Res Pass Ultra
foot race, 2 of the most grueling races in Alaska. Happy
birthday, Resurrection Pass
Trail! Hope loves you.
Hope Welcomes the
Heart of the City
Hosted in downtown Hope
in the Social Hall on Saturday, Aug. 27 at 3 p.m., the
entire community and any
visitors to town are encouraged to visit the Heart of the
City Church’s service. This
off-beat church is known
for its tattooed, ear gauged,
long-haired hippie congregation that welcomes people to
join just as they are. If you’ve
been looking for a refreshing
judgement free church service, this event is for you.
Mobile Mammography
is Coming to Hope
If you are a woman age 40
or older and due for your annual screening mammogram,
give Providence Imaging
Center a call at 907-212MAMM (6266) to schedule
this important 15-minute test.
Preregistration is requested. The Mobile Mammography trailer will be in Hope
on Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 3
p.m. at the Hope Library on
2nd Street.
A Library Thank You
A special shout out to Luisa Yoter who very graciously agreed to paint a beautiful
sea life display on the Hope
library’s gift shop front window. This artistic and fun
addition is a great addition
to the gift shop’s small town
charm and a photo opportunity for visitors in town. Thank
you, Luisa!
Hope Summer Market
Continues
Hosted by Tito’s Discovery Café, and laid out on the
beautiful field behind the little
restaurant, the Hope Summer
Market will continue through
Sept. 3 each Saturday from
noon to 5 p.m. This quaint
market is in its first summer
and has quickly become a
town staple. Be sure to stop
by and check out the local’s
wares when you’re in town!
Visit Facebook.com/HopeSummerMarket for more information.
Museum Remains
Open – But the
Season is Ending
Soon
If you haven’t stopped by
the Hope and Sunrise Historical and Mining Museum
located on Second Street in
downtown Hope, then time is
running out and is a must-visit while in Hope. The interactive displays are only made
better by the welcoming hosts
and historians, including several local Hope children who
will walk you from area to
area explaining the significance of different buildings,
mementos, and memorabilia.
The museum is open most
days through Labor Day from
noon to 4 p.m. The clock is
ticking – Sept. 6 will be here
before you know it. Interested in becoming a member?
Single membership dues are
$10 per year or $100 for life.
Seaview Music
The iconic Seaview Cafe’
and Bar is beloved by Hope
locals and visitor alike. Open
Wednesday through Sundays
with live music on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays,
this boot stompin’ local bar is
the place to be for a cold beer,
good tunes, and great food.
Want to feel like a local and
hear some great (and sometimes maybe not so great)
tunes? Then stop in on Thursday evenings with Andy Mullen who hosts Open Mic Jamn
Night inside the Seaview bar.
Grab a rain stick and join
along!
For the second time this
year, the Hope Social Club
(formerly referred to as the
Melissa
Mitchell
Band)
is gracing the deck at the
Seaview. Almost synonymous for happiness and energy is Melissa Mitchell and
her posse of musicians who
seem to genuinely really enjoy their tune and one another. Here for 2 nights, the
Hope Social Club will get
you moving and smiling and
most likely dancing. Be sure
to stop by on Friday, Aug.
19 from 7-11 p.m. and Saturday, Aug. 20 from 8 p.m. to
midnight for some of the best
music you’ve witnessed in a
long time.
It isn’t over until it’s over,
and on Friday, Aug. 26 the
musical group, Reverend, will
Chase Christie and the Quick
and Easy Boys follow playing
in Hope on Saturday, Aug. 27.
The drink will be flowing and
the food will be served until
11 p.m. each night. So be sure
to catch some of this season’s
final tunes at the Seaview.
Back to School Days
Are Here Again
School days are upon us,
kids! Aug. 23 marks the first
official day for Hope’s school
kids to head back to class at
the town’s K-12 school. Gone
are the days of sleeping in and
fishing all day. But, since the
salmon have mostly stopped
running in the Resurrection
Creek, that is just as well.
Ms. T and Ms. Barron have
been setting up their classes,
and are ready to welcome the
class of 2016-2017. Students
who need current immunizations or physicals are encouraged to obtain them at the
Girdwood Health Clinic.
Jeannine Jabaay/Turnagain Times
Daring adventurist take on the whitewater rapids of Six
Mile River on pool floaties during the Whitewater and
Bluegrass Festival Aug. 13.
Page 6
Turnagain Times
August 18, 2016
South Anchorage News
By Amy Newman
Turnagain Times
South Anchorage Correspondent
The gloomy, rainy weather
we’ve had the past few weeks
is proving to be the perfect
segue from summer to back
to school. The kids are getting used to being cooped up
inside, and their growing frustration - and the ensuing arguments over toys and whose
turn it is to choose what TV
show to watch – is making me
a tad bit too excited to drop
them off that first day, even
though the start of school signals early mornings and the
daily drudgery of packing
lunchboxes for another nine
months. Like most summers,
we didn’t get to do nearly everything we’d planned, but
there’s always next year (or
the coming weekends, if the
rain decides to go away).
Opa! Sweets, treats
and more at Alaska
Greek Festival
Flaming cheese isn’t on the
menu, but there’ll be plenty of
music and dancing, traditional
Greek foods, a silent auction,
marketplace and more at the
22nd annual Alaska Greek
Festival, happening this weekend, Aug. 19-21. This funfilled event will once again be
held at the Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church,
located at 2800 O’Malley
Rd. Parking is available at
the church lot, across the
street at Abbott-O-Rabbit Little League, and at Hanshew
Middle School (a free shuttle
will transport you to church
grounds and back). View the
complete event schedule as
well as a list of all the food
available for purchase, at
http://akgreekfrestival.com.
The fun starts at 11 a.m. each
day.
Create your own
masterpiece
Paint nights are the “in”
thing right now, and there’s
two opportunities to create
your own, one-of-a-kind
masterpiece in South Anchorage this month. Space is
limited on both, so make sure
to register ahead of time.
The first is a watercolor
painting class at Anchorage
re:MADE on Saturday, Aug.
20. Part store, part creative
space, re:MADE provides
artists, neighbors and volunteers a collaborative space to
upcycle items for donation,
as well as a retail space to resell quality items at affordable price. During this fourhour class, artist Patty Kilson
will guide students through
the process of creating a jellyfish. The $50 fee includes
all the supplies you’ll need,
and is open to adults and
older teens. The class runs
from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., with a
break for lunch. Visit http://
www.anchorageremade.com/
painting.html to register.
On Aug. 22, join host Bobbi Lackey at Seward’s Folly
Bar & Grill for Paint Nite,
a national group that helps
local artists host painting
classes. Using acrylic paints,
Bobbi will walk students
step-by-step through the process of creating a Hibiscus
and Hummingbird portrait
on a 16 x 20 canvas. The $45
fee for the two-hour class includes all the materials you’ll
need, including a smock. Because alcohol will be served,
the event is open only to that
age 21 and above. You can go
to their website to register.
Homeless Animals
Day at the Alaska Zoo
Join the Alaska Zoo, Alaska Mill & Feed, Friends of
Pets, the Alaska Humane
Society and more at Homeless Animals Day at the
Alaska Zoo on Sunday, Aug.
21 from noon to 4 p.m. The
event celebrates the work of
local animal organizations
working to find homes for
animals in need with booths,
photos and information on
Photo courtesy of Justin Hancock
Weeks of rain has made for lush greenery and a rushing waterfall at McHugh Creek.
animals available for adoption and a donation center.
Get $2 off regular zoo admission if you bring an item
to donate for either the zoo
or one of the partner agencies. Visit their website for
organizations and suggested
donation items.
First day of school
blues
Fall is technically still a
month away, but the first day
of school begins next week,
and that means the unofficial
end of summer. The Anchorage School District begins
the 2016 -17 school year on
Monday, Aug. 22, when it
welcomes all students entering grades 2-12; kindergarteners and first graders
get an extra week of freedom – school doesn’t start
for them until Monday, Aug.
29. And make sure to check
your school’s calendar for
any back-to-school events;
many have an ice cream social or other event a few days
before the school year starts.
Southside Block
Party
A year after the South
Restaurant complex opened,
South Anchorage finally has
an answer to downtown’s
SoNo District – the SoLo
District, for South of Lowe’s.
And they’re celebrating with
a block party on Saturday,
Aug. 27 from 2-6 p.m. at the
South shopping complex. In
addition to live music, South
Restaurant will host a beer
garden, each store will have
a special promotion or event,
and one person will go home
with a $1,000 prize package.
Make sure to like the SoLo
District’s Facebook page for
updates and more details.
Turnagain Times
August 18, 2016
Page 7
Cooper Landing News
By Susanna LaRock
Turnagain Times
Cooper Landing Correspondent
5th Annual Salmon
Cook-Off Fish and
Fun for Everyone
The crowd began to form
at around 6:30 p.m. outside
of the Cooper Landing Community Hall on Friday, August 12 in anticipation of one
of the best events of the year.
Everyone was hungry and
excited to taste all of the creative salmon dishes prepared
for the 5th annual Cooper
Landing Salmon Cook-Off.
The judges got a private
tasting before ticket holders
flooded in and learned about
the delicious salmon dishes.
Since the beginning of this
event, it has been a favorite
with Cooper Landing locals;
it started as a fundraiser put
together by some wonderful Kenai Princess Lodge
employees to show appreciation for the use of the
library. Since that time the
fundraising has been spread
to different non-profits in the
community.
This year the proceeds
went to help pay for the volleyball court being built at
the community hall. Locals
are happy to support Cooper Landing non-profits, but
this event gets its popularity
from the salmon. With salmon in abundance and Cooper
Landing being a subsistence
community, locals love to
learn about new and exciting
ways to prepare a favorite
source of food.
The dishes ranged from
salmon chowder to salmon
Rangoon. The 1st place winner and the Cooper Landing salmon cook of the year
was Jeff Whalen. He prepared salmon Rangoon with
a sweet chili dipping sauce.
The second place winner
was Elizabeth Frey, who
made a salmon chowder with
little salmon shaped puffed
pastries. Jeff Elliot and Mike
Adams tied for third place,
and Mike Adams won the
People’s Choice Award with
his salmon ceviche. Guests
were entertained in the tent
outdoors, with a dance floor
for line dancing, to the music
of Mario Carbone. It was a
wonderful evening with fish
and fun for everyone.
No Book Book Club
The Cooper Landing Community Library is hosting
the No Book Book Club
Saturday, Aug. 27 at 7 p.m.
This is a book club for people who are too busy to read
the book and would like to
skip straight to the film version, or for people who did
read the book and can’t wait
to see if the movie is any
good. The film being shown
for this month’s meeting is
Lord of the Flies. This is a
free showing; film goers
should be 18 or older. Bring
your own popcorn and your
favorite drink.
Booty Camp Back by
Popular Demand
Summer is coming to an
end, and tried and true Cooper Landing Community
School classes are coming
back. Melissa Fish, certified
personal trainer, will be start-
Susanna LaRock/Turnagain Times
Cooper Landing locals enjoy salmon and great music at the 5th annual Cooper
Landing Salmon Cook-off.
ing up Booty Camp on Monday, Aug. 29. Every Monday,
Wednesday and Friday from
3:15-4:15 p.m., Melissa will
be leading high intensity intervals and metabolic training drills. The cost will be
$5 for drop-ins or $35 for a
ten class punch card. Participants should wear non-marking shoes and be ready for an
intense workout.
tember. Tanisha is teaching
to all ages and fitness levels
Tuesdays, Thursdays and
Fridays from 9:30-11 a.m.
at the Cooper Landing Community Club. Classes are
$10 for drop-ins or $75 for
a ten class punch card. Participants can bring their own
mats or use those that are
available at the community
hall.
Ashtanga Yoga
Continuing
Fishing at the End of
August
Cooper Landing Community School will continue to host Tanisha Walter’s
Introduction to Ashtanga
Yoga classes throughout the
months of August and Sep-
Sockeye salmon fishing on
the Upper Kenai and Russian
Rivers is slowing down. Water remains higher than average on both rivers presenting
a challenge to many anglers,
though some are reporting
catching their limit near the
confluence. Coho Salmon
fishing is starting to get good
on the upper Kenai river as
the run of Coho are starting
to come in. Trout fishing
has been good with trout
following salmon upstream
and feeding on their eggs.
Anglers are reminded to be
aware of the regulations in
the area, be aware of fellow
anglers, and be bear aware.
When processing a catch, it
is advised to process in designated areas, cut the carcass
up into small pieces, and
throw the pieces into fast
running water. Enjoy fall
time on the river and fish on!
Wolf pup arrives at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC) welcomed a 3-month-old female
wolf pup to its campus this
July, which doubles the size of
its current pack. Bri, a Tundra
wolf, will expand the program
potential for the Alaska Wildlife
Conservation Center’s educational department. Her natural
social personality has already
cultivated strong relationships
with animal care staff.
Bri was born at Triple D
Game Farm, an accredited zoological facility in Montana,
for the specific purpose of becoming an ambassador for her
species. She will join Deshka,
a 1-year-old female tundra wolf
who arrived on campus in the
summer of 2015, in educational programs that present to the
public the importance of wolves
in Alaska’s ecosystem to ensure
protection of her wild counterparts.
Wildlife Center Staff are
elated about the growth of the
campus pack. Due to their pack
instincts, wolves thrive in group
settings. Bri’s arrival will increase the level of enrichment
in both wolves lives and will
encourage positive socialization
habits, which are essential to becoming an educational program
animal. Bri was successfully
introduced to Deshka on July
25, and has acclimated well to a
habitat on exhibit to the public.
Frequently, animals that come
in from the wild often do so with
extreme injury; either physically, emotionally or sometimes
both. Providing opportunities
for these animals to have enrichment through AWCC’s training
program is always a goal for
staff, however this must be car-
ried out slowly as to not induce
additional stress to the animal.
The safety of staff and wildlife
is always of the utmost importance and can dictate what level
of enrichment will ultimately
be possible for each individual
animal.
“Bri’s and Deshka’s educational potential is evident after
Bri’s arrival and easy acclimation onto our campus. The
Alaska Wildlife Conservation
Center will continue to increase
the wolves’ capabilities in an
attempt to enrich their lives
and the lives around them,”
said AWCC Executive Director
Mike Miller.
Educational animals under
Wildlife Center care, such as
Snickers the porcupine, provide
an example for what an animal
in human care can ultimately do
for their wild counterparts.
Photo courtesy of Chandelle Cotter
The beautiful and graceful young female wolf pup, Bri,
arrived at the Alaska Wildlfie Conservation Center in
Portage last month. She was born at Triple D Game Farm
in Montana for the purpose of becoming an ambassador
for her species.
Page 8
Turnagain Times
August 18, 2016
Mountain News
By Ben Napolitano
Special to the Turnagain Times
9th Annual Blueberry
Festival Aug. 20 and 21
Blueberries, Mother Nature’s
fruit snack grow right here in
our back yard. These delectable little treats are perfect
for pancakes, baked goods or,
how I prefer them, in the raw
right off the plant while I’m on
a hike. They’re a staple to our
summers in this beautiful state
and you can always tell when
the bears have been scarfing
them down. Yes, the blueberry
is an awesome little super food
that packs a powerful punch
of antioxidants, vitamin K and
Riboflavin (which helps you
metabolize fats, carbohydrates
and proteins) besides just being
delicious.
To celebrate blueberry season being upon us Alyeska Resort is hosting the 9th Annual
Blueberry Festival Aug. 20 and
21 in the hotel courtyard. This
family friendly event features
FREE live music from noon
to 8 p.m. headlined by Grant
Farm, events, over 50 craft
vendors and food vendors, and
everyone’s favorite, the beer
and wine garden. Both days at
Blueberry Festival will feature
the very popular pie eating contest for kids and adults, front
and center in front of the stage.
Sunday morning, bring your
running shoes for the Blueberry
Stomp 6k run. The course takes
runners through the wooded
Nordic ski trail with a start/finish line at the Arlberg “T” intersection. The event is free to run
and is always a good time.
Visit the calendar of events
next time you check out www.
alyeskaresort.com for details
on the weekend’s bands and
events.
Join the late night crowd for
a free after party on Saturday,
Aug. 20 hosted at the Sitzmark
Bar & Grill with headlining
band Grant Farm! The Boul-
Summer concertS
all ShowS Start at 10pm | free!
Sat. auguSt 20
blueberry festival after party with
grant farm
folk & bluegraSS
Sat. auguSt 27
Super Saturated
Sugar Strings
mountain bike festival:
fri. September 2
eternal cowboys
Sat. September 3
motor city Soul
fri: $2 tacoS
Sat: $8 burgerS
There’s a New
Mountain-top Bar in
Town
The brand new Bore Tide
Bar is now open! The Bore
Tide Bar is a modern yet casual addition to a local favorite,
with small bites and sandwiches available from inside the bar.
You can also purchase your
meal at the Deli and then join
us at the bar to relax. Enjoy a
signature cocktail like the Turnagain Tea, the Alpenglow or
the Tide while checking out the
views of the Turnagain Arm or
grab a pint of Alyeska Brewski
after a hike up The North Face
Trail as your mountain-top reward! Whether it’s a hike or
a tram ride to the top, this bar
(and the views) is always worth
the trip to 2,300 feet above sea
level.
Alyeska Bike Festival –
A Great Way to end the
Downhill Season
alaSkan folk
SpecialS!
der, Colorado based band is a
mix of Americana/Blues and
rock who has built a growing
fan base on the nation’s club
and festival scene since its
founding in 2009 by vocalist
and National Flatpicking Guitar Champion Tyler Grant. Built
on the fundamentals of love,
family, and music, the band is
a sure bet for fans of high-energy, authentic artists as diverse
as Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell, and Phish. Comprised of
zany, creative and highly musical comrades, Grant Farm
members include Grant (aka
“The Champ”), Adrian “Ace”
Engfer (bass and vocals), Sean
“Magic” Macaulay (drums)
and Kevin “Money” McHugh
on keyboards. Also from the
festival, the Sitzmark will have
Hannah Yoter & Silas Hoffman
perform an opening set.
trivia
friday nightS
7pm | free
beSt deck in girdwood | open fri-Sun at noon | theSitzmark.com
$5 altoS margaritaS all Summer
By the time this edition
of Turnagain Times hits the
stands, mountain bikers will
have just three weekends remaining in the Alyeska Bike
Park slated to cease operations
on Sept. 5 (Labor Day) which
is a bonus Monday of riding for
those who don’t have to work
or go to school. That’s ten total days to get in as many laps
as possible before you have to
start pushing your bike up hill
to get your downhill jollies.
The final weekend of biking
will be featuring the 4th Annual Mountain Bike Festival
sponsored by Monster Energy
and New Belgium Brewery.
This event is taking place over
the final four days of bike park
ops. Day users and season pass
holders alike are invited to
join in on all the FREE events
throughout the weekend starting Friday afternoon with a
Photo courtesy of Ben Napolitano
Around 200 runners took on the Alyeska North Face trail for
the annual Alyeska Mountain Run on Aug. 13. The fastest
time was a blazing 23:37 by Eric Bjornsen for the men’s and a
crushing 28:36 for Christy Marvin for the women.
chainless downhill race. Events
continue on Saturday with the
infamous Pond-Crossing, an
event that tests riders balance
and nerve on a very unstable
bridge across The Hotel Alyeska pond, then dry off for the
state championship downhill
biking race! Sunday morning
brings another round of the
Alyeska Enduro and the afternoon brings the popular Whips
and Tricks competition to the
BCQ jump-park making the
Sitzmark deck the perfect observation point for kids getting
upside down and going BIG!
Monday is the final day of
riding for the bike park and to
celebrate a great year Alyeska is giving riders a chance to
win a free season pass to the
bike park for the 2017 riding
season. One pass will go to the
rider who logs the most vertical for the day, so grab your
bike, crank out laps and win a
pass. All events are FREE with
a season pass or lift ticket and
riders can stop by the Alyeska
Daylodge to sign up or to get
more info.
Alyeska Climbathon
Climbs for a Cause
The rules are simple, climbers
have ten hours to hike up Alyeska’s North Face Trail, ride the
tram down and repeat as many
times as possible. Sounds easy
right? Well, maybe the first
couple laps are. The 9th annual
Alyeska Climbathon is taking
place from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on
Saturday, Sept. 10. This endurance competition is unlike any
other mountain run, marathon
or endurance event in the state,
mainly because there is never
any real relief from the vertical
climb and the steepness of the
trail. Participants are constantly climbing up the North Face
Trail and this year they’ll be
climbing to raise money for Let
Every Woman Know, a GYN
cancer treatment, research and
prevention organization that
helps women from all over the
state of Alaska.
This year’s event will be
capped at 300 participants who
will be climbing for a cause!
The 2015 event raised over
$70,000 for its beneficiaries
which included the Girdwood
Health Clinic & Let Every
Woman Know all of whom are
dedicated to the fight against
ovarian and cervical cancers.
Each lap is counted as 2,000
vertical feet in elevation gained
and each lap has been given the
name of a prominent Alaskan
peak (until you get above 10
laps) ranging from Matanuska Peak to Mount Hunter to
Moose’s Tooth and of course
the coveted goal of Denali in
a day which is accomplished
by cranking out 10 laps. A
small handful of climbers complete eleven and even twelve
laps which have been named
Aconcagua and Chamlang respectively. Up until this point
however no climber has completed thirteen laps for a total
of 26,000 vertical feet.
The first person to hit thirteen laps not only has calves
and quads of steal and incredible endurance but they also
get to name the lap (a good
one would be Annapurna III
which is almost exactly at 26k
in elevation). The tram will
be running at winter speed
for this event which is about
a three and a half minute trip.
The tram will also be departing every ten minutes instead
of every fifteen; this altered
operating schedule will allow
participants for maximum ontrail time.
For more information on
Climbathon, to sign up or to
sponsor a climber, please visit
www.alyeskaclimbathon.com.
Turnagain Times
August 18, 2016
Page 9
Lively Arts
By Ron Holmstrom
Turnagain Times Correspondent
With summer winding down,
most local theatre production
companies are gearing up for
their fall seasons. We will be
reporting on these schedules
here in the weeks to come.
Meanwhile, though, downtown
at Cyrano’s Theatre Off-Center Playhouse, history is being
made. Or, at least, revisited.
Earlier this year, while riding
to a meeting at the Institute of
the North together, Sandy Harper, Paul Brown and Ira Perman
were discussing Brown’s work
on the documentary, Alaska,
the World and Wally Hickel,
when the beginnings of an idea
took place. What about a stage
play about a chance meeting
between former Alaska Governors Wally Hickel and Jay
Hammond?
Sandy Harper is the Artistic
Director Emeritus of Cyrano’s,
Brown was co-founder of Alaska Repertory Theatre and Ira
Perman was the first Executive
Director of the Anchorage Concert Association and now heads
up the Atwood Foundation. The
wheels began to turn.
Harper contacted Alaska
playwright Dick Reichman to
pitch him about penning this
play based upon that fictional
meeting. Reichman began immediately to develop the play.
Now, several months later, the
play is finished, actors have
been hired, an opening date has
been selected and rehearsals begin this week.
After putting out the call in
Alaska and nationwide for actors to portray these two Alaska icons, imported actors Matt
Miller and Bill Murphey have
been selected to play Hickel
and Hammond, respectively.
Reichman will direct this world
premiere production of his play,
The Ticket.
Speaking with Reichman
about the production, he told us,
“This play is historical fiction
about an imaginary meeting
between Hickel and Hammond
preceding the 1990 Alaska gubernatorial election,” he said.
“They had been political opponents and certainly had different
concepts about man’s relationship to the earth. One, (Hickel,)
sees new ground to develop,
while the other, (Hammond,)
sees wilderness to preserve.”
“At first, I wondered, how
can this work?” Reichman continued. “Who would be interested in watching two old farts
talking? But I was inspired by
the play Freud’s Last Session,
another two-man play about a
fictional meeting between Sigmund Freud and writer C.S.
Lewis (Reichman had once
portrayed Freud in a production
of that play). That play worked
Photo courtesy of Cyrano’s Off-Center Playhouse
Dick Reichman a popular actor and playwright in
Anchorage (above playing Sigmund Freud in Freud’s
Last Session). Reichman penned a new play The Ticket
that opens Sept. 9 at Cyrano’s Off-Center Playhouse.
like a charm, so I kind of used
that structure and I hope it
works as well here.”
I also got to speak with Sandy
Harper, who is retiring this year
as Managing Artistic Director
of Cyrano’s. Harper told me
that, “This is part of my transitional legacy at Cyrano’s,”
she said. “This will be the final
production in which I have my
hands on the artistic input of the
play. Since both men are still
in the living memory of many
Alaskans, we will have conversations after each performance
in which audience members
will be encouraged to share stories about the two men. Opening night, that discussion will
be led by Cindy and Malcolm
Roberts, who were dear friends
of Wally Hickel. Malcolm was
Hickel’s right-hand-man for
much of his political career.”
Dick Reichman also said that
although these men are best remembered by Alaskans, prior
knowledge of them isn’t necessary to enjoy this production
of two men with quite differing ideas of how things should
be done. Since both men were
feisty, opinionated and a bit
stubborn, this is undoubtedly
true. Remember, Hickel was
fired from his post as U.S. Secretary of the Interior by President Nixon for his, (Hickel’s,)
very public dissenting views on
the Viet Nam War.
Having long been a fan of
Dick Reichman’s work as a
playwright, I am very much
looking forward to this production. Set in the time leading up
to the 1990 gubernatorial election, the two men argue about
oil, the environment, the Permanent Fund, ending poverty,
the role of government and,
ultimately, growing old! Most
of these topics remain quite
topical, especially in this year’s
struggle with declining oil prices and a very grim Alaska economy.
The Ticket will open at Cyrano’s on Friday September 9.
For more information and to
book tickets, go to the website
at cyranos.org.
As always, thank you for following my column here each
edition and please stay tuned
for news about all the upcoming
productions in our lively arts
community. And please tune in
each Thursday at 9 p.m. to my
segment on FOX-4 News, Your
Entertainment Link.
Page 10
Turnagain Times
August 18, 2016
Trooper Report
The Alaska State Troopers
reported the following incidents. Any charges reported are
merely allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent
unless and until proven guilty.
Missing Person, Search
and Rescue
GIRDWOOD— On Aug. 4
at around 6:36 a.m., troopers
received a report that Bradford
Broach, 46 of Allen Texas, was
missing. His family reported
that he hadn’t been heard from
since Tuesday, Aug. 2. Bradford
was supposed to arrive home
in Texas on Aug. 4 and failed
to board his flight home at the
Fairbanks Airport.
An investigation revealed
Bradford stayed at the Alyeska
Resort Hotel in Girdwood and
was heading out on a hike of the
Winner Creek Trailhead near
the base of the tram at Alyeska
Resort. Bradford’s belongings
and rental car were located at
the Alyeska Resort. Alaska
Search and Rescue Dogs and
the Alaska Mountain Rescue
Group were requested to assist
troopers in the search for Bradford in the Winner Creek Trail
area.
On Aug. 5, the search continued for Broach, including the
use of a Helo 3 helicopter.
Motor Vehicle Collision Damage
INDIAN—Aug. 5 at approximately 4:10 p.m., troopers were
notified of a vehicle to vehicle
collision near milepost 103.5 of
the Seward Highway in Indian.
An investigation at the scene
revealed that Paul Scholten,
age 49 of Hamilton, Mich., was
driving his 2011 Ford F-150
pickup and attempted to turn
right into the Indian House
Restaurant. Charlie Tittanom,
age 63 of Anchorage, was also
traveling southbound in a 1991
GMC tractor trailer behind
Scholten. Tittanom was unable
to stop his vehicle prior to striking Scholten’s vehicle causing
minor functional damage to
both vehicles. Commercial Vehicle Enforcement responded to
the scene and conducted further
investigation in Tittnom’s vehicle. No injuries were reported,
all parties reported wearing their
seatbelts and alcohol is not believed to be a factor.
Recovered Stolen
Vehicle
INDIAN—Aug. 5 at approximately 4:44 p.m., troopers were
notified of a suspicious vehicle
on Reindeer Circle in Indian.
An investigation revealed that
the 2011 two tone red and black
Ford F-250 Super Duty pickup
had been stolen in Anchorage
on Aug. 4 and reported to the
Anchorage Police Department.
The vehicle was returned to its
owner who responded to the
scene. If you have any information on this or any other crime
please notify the Anchorage
Police Department at 907- 7868500, the Alaska State Troopers
at 907-262-4453 or Anchorage
Crime Stoppers at 907-561STOP (7867)
DUI
GIRDWOOD—Aug.
5
around 10:20 p.m., Soldotna
Public Safety Dispatch received a REDDI complaint on
a green Subaru traveling southbound from milepost 106.5 of
the Seward Highway. Troopers
responded to the scene, located the vehicle and stopped it
near milepost 89 of the Seward
Highway. An investigation revealed that the driver, Dagny
J. McHugh, age 47 of Anchorage, was intoxicated. McHugh
was arrested at the scene, and
transported to the Anchorage
Jail where she was held on
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Road Maintanence Department
To report a road problem please call:
343-8374
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DUI
GIRDWOOD—Aug. 6 at
about 4:22 a.m., Soldotna Public Safety Dispatch received a
REDDI complaint on a silver
Kia Optima near milepost 108
of the Seward Highway. Troopers responded to the scene, and
contacted the driver, Pharaud
Jean-Gilles, age 26 of Anchorage. Investigation revealed that
Jean-Gilles was intoxicated.
Jean-Gilles was arrested at the
scene, and transported to the
Girdwood Trooper Post where
he was processed and charged
with DUI. Jean-Gilles was provided transportation back to
Anchorage and released.
Motor Vehicle Collision
- Damage
INDIAN—Aug. 6 at approximately 5:06 p.m., troopers
were notified of a vehicle to
vehicle collision near milepost
100 of the Seward Highway
in Indian. An investigation
revealed that Cameron Mitchell, age 31 of Anchorage, was
driving his 2013 Toyota Tacoma pickup southbound on
the Seward Highway and was
attempting to turn left. Travis Higginbotham, age 22 of
Eagle River, was also driving
southbound in a 2013 Nissan
X-Terra and failed to observe
Mitchell’s vehicle stopped in
the roadway waiting to turn
left. Higginbotham struck
Mitchell’s vehicle to the rear
causing disabling damage to
Higginbotham’s vehicle and
functional damage to Mitchell’s. Vulcan Towing and Recovery responded to the scene
for Higginbotham’s vehicle.
No injuries were reported and
all involved parties reported
wearing their seatbelts. Alcohol is not believed to be a factor.
Warrant Arrest
MILE 87 SEWARD HWY—
Aug. 6 around 7 p.m., Soldotna
Public Safety Dispatch received
a REDDI complaint on a red
1998 Oldsmobile Bravada traveling northbound from milepost
75 of the Seward Highway.
Troopers responded, located
and stopped the vehicle near
milepost 87 of the Seward Highway. Investigation revealed that
the driver, Curt Friedmann, age
58 of Anchorage, had an outstanding warrant for his arrest
for Failure to Appear on the
original charge of Indecent Exposure and Criminal Trespass.
Friedmann was arrested at the
scene without incident, transported and remanded to the
Anchorage Jail where he was
held on $500.00 C/C bail. Friedmann’s vehicle was towed from
the scene by Southside Towing.
Man in Town Square
Park Taken into
Custody
GIRDWOOD—Aug. 6 at
about 5:12 p.m., troopers responded to the area of the Town
Square Park in Girdwood for a
reported disturbance. Troopers
contacted a subject who was
suffering from mental health
issues who was taken into custody for an emergency mental
health evaluation.
Motor Vehicle Collision
– Injury
MILE
83.1
SEWARD
HWY—Aug. 10 at 1:17 p.m.,
troopers responded to a report
of a motor vehicle crash with injuries at mile 83.1 of the Seward
Highway. The crash investigation determined Steve Sands,
age 52 of Bonney Lake, Wash.,
was operating a mid-2000’s
model pickup truck traveling
southbound. Muse Ali, age 65
of Anchorage, was operating a
mid-2000’s mini-van taxi with
four adult female passengers
traveling southbound in front of
Sands’ vehicle. Sands attempted
to make a pass on multiple vehicles traveling southbound.
As Sands attempted to merge
back into the southbound lane,
the right front corner of his vehicle clipped the left rear corner
of the mini-van taxi. Both vehicles spun out of control and
went off the northbound side of
the highway. Sands was uninjured. Sands’ vehicle sustained
less than $500 of damage and
was drivable. Sands was issued
a traffic citation for the crash
and released at the scene. The
taxi vehicle sustained more than
$500 damage and was not drivable. The taxi vehicle was towed
from the scene. Ali sustained
non-life threatening injures and
was transported by ambulance
to an Anchorage area hospital.
The four passengers in the taxi
were uninjured. The taxi company dispatched another taxi for
the passenger and transported
them to their destination. Alcohol was not a factor.
Found Property
HOPE—Aug. 11 at 9:27 a.m.,
hours, a Hope resident reported
to the troopers that she found a
gun cabinet and two small safes
about a half-mile down an unnamed dirt road near the Hope
Highway and Seward Highway
Junction. The gun cabinet is a
Stowline Outers black metal
gun security cabinet that would
hold approximately six to eight
rifles. The first safe is a SentrySafe Extra Small Privacy
Lock Chest model 0500. The
second safe is a SentrySafe Medium Key Lock Security Safe
model X055. All three items
were forced open and empty.
The investigation is continuing.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Alaska
State Troopers at 262-4453.
Classified Advertising
Up to 25 words for $20 • 25¢ each additional word
Email: [email protected]
Tel: (907) 783-1135
P.O. Box 1044, Girdwood, AK 99587
All classified ads must be paid in advance either by including payment when placing the ad or
charging it to a VISA or Master Card. Please mail, email or fax your order with payment.
JOB OPENING: The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is seeking a Director of
Operations. This is a senior management position. Please review the full job description. at
https://www.alaskawildlife.org/jobs/. Send your resume and cover letter to Tom Yeager, Director of
Operations at [email protected] August 26.
Furnished apartments for rent in Whittier: Studio $900, 1BR $1,100 , 2BR $1,450,
3BR $1,800. Utilities included. Call (907) 472-2398.
Girdwood Lots for Sale: All utilities, in flat, sunny locations with best views.
Call Tim at (907) 632-8467.
Turnagain Times
August 18, 2016
Page 11
Paid for by Alyeska Resort
P.O. Box 249
1000 Arlberg Avenue
Girdwood, Alaska 99587
August 8, 2016
Community of Girdwood:
As you may be aware, Alyeska Resort believes that the better policing option to transition into a Girdwood police model is to contract with
the Alaska State Troopers (“AST”) and not the Whittier Police Department. While we acknowledge that Whittier has shown good faith
efforts to negotiate a contract with Girdwood, we do not believe that such should be the reason to choose the poorer of the two options.
In an effort to understand what AST is offering, representatives of Alyeska Resort met with representatives of AST and the Public Safety
Department on August 1, 2016 for a couple of hours. The result of that meeting is that the Resort does not believe that the Community of
Girdwood really understands what AST is offering and what issues will be created by Girdwood contracting with Whittier. Following are a
few facts and issues we learned from the meeting with AST. Our understanding is:
1. If a contract were entered into with AST, AST would assign six (6) Troopers the Girdwood Post, three (3) of the Troopers would be Bureau of Highway Patrol Troopers and three (3) Troopers would be general Troopers; the Girdwood post at the Tesoro would stay open;
2. AST would commit to a three (3) year contract at $620,000 a year. There would not be additional charges for serious crime investigation,
no additional costs for prisoner transport, fuel, cars, or helicopter, the $620,000 would be essentially for salaries and benefits and the cost to
keep the AST Post in Girdwood open;
3. Contracting with AST would make available to Girdwood all AST resources, including serious crime investigations, search and rescue,
helicopter, and crime lab. If Whittier had to pay for these AST services, if offered by AST, the cost of a Whittier contract could exceed the
$615,000 per year contract price. The importance of this is immediately evident in the resources that AST is providing with respect to the
lost hiker on the Winner Creek Trail. Could or would Whittier provide those services? Would AST charge Whittier for such services if
Girdwood contracted with Whittier? What would be the cost for such services?
4. If Whittier contracts with Girdwood, AST would likely provide support to Whittier for investigative services, including serious crimes,
and special cases for only a couple of years and after the first year, AST would likely expect Girdwood to contribute to the costs of those
services up to the maximum of the established mill levy cap;
5. A contract with AST would result in at least the status quo of service, but likely improved services. While AST could not commit to a
Girdwood response time, AST would commit to a greater presence in the community at places (including school) that the community
would request and have after hour Troopers on call in South Anchorage 24/7. AST is willing to engage in community policing activities
such as coming to the school and helping establish a Neighborhood Watch;
6. The training that Troopers receive is longer and more in depth. While all officers in Alaska are required to attend one of three police
academies in Alaska, Troopers have an additional training period of (3) three weeks and are provided better hands-on experience more
quickly before being assigned to a rural area;
7. We were informed that because of the way Alaska law is written, a police department could hire anyone with a modicum of training as a
police officer and give that person a year to go through an academy. It would be possible for a police department to hire seasonally and hire
persons as police officers that don’t get through the academy and then lay them off before the end of the year period;
8. If AST lays-off the three (3) Troopers and then the Community of Girdwood attempts to go back to AST because of a problem with
Whittier or an early termination of a Whittier contract, it would be unlikely that AST could make the same offer because AST would have
to hire and train three (3) Troopers which could take up to 18 months;
9. Significant concerns with a Whittier contract include, but aren’t limited to, 911 calls and dispatch, prisoner containment and prisoner
transport, costs of future serious crime investigations; and
10. AST is willing to commit to what it offered previously and enter into a three (3) year contract. It is believed that Whittier would like to
be able to terminate the contract upon notice, possibly as little as thirty (30) days’ notice.
Are we certain that the $615,000 paid annually to Whittier by Girdwood residents will pay only for public safety in Girdwood or is a significant motivation of Whittier to enter into a contract with Girdwood to supplement Whittier revenue?
For these and other reasons, Alyeska Resort believes that contracting with AST for three (3) years while Girdwood investigates whether
it can establish its own police department is the better option. There are just too many uncertainties and unanswered questions with a
contract with Whittier. Once a mutually acceptable contract with Whittier is agreed to by the Municipality of Anchorage on behalf of Girdwood, the AST option is likely lost. Alyeska Resort believes that the AST option has not been sufficiently presented to the Community of
Girdwood. A hurried vote was taken at the May GBOS meeting before the proposed AST option could be thoroughly discussed. At a minimum, it is our belief that there should be a properly noticed town meeting where all of the facts concerning a proposed Whittier contract
and the AST option can be fully laid out and another vote taken.
ALYESKA RESORT
Page 12
Turnagain Times
August 18, 2016
GBOS Meeting
Continued from page 1
concern and just the back and forth. I think it shows a
healthy community. I want to make it clear that it is up
to the people to decide. I’m not here to represent one
side, or the other side. I wear this uniform. I am passionate about this uniform. I’m passionate about what
the troopers do. I think we do it very well. I think we do
it better than anywhere else in the country.
He then opened the floor to community questions. An
audience member asked whether there was anywhere
else in Alaska where the community paid for trooper
services.
“Currently, there are no other communities that are
entertaining this type of contract services,” Greenstreet
responded. “However, I believe there are other communities that are watching closely what happens here.”
Chief Schofield then took the podium. He was responsive to the audience questions and fielded many
questions including communications, training qualifications, response times, and how he manages his patrol
officers. He said Whittier and all of his officers have
attended some type of training academy and are sworn
or certified, depending on their training levels, which is
similar to Anchorage and other communities. He said
their patrolling would vary between the two cities so
they maintain situational awareness. The only time they
would be on the highway is when commuting between
the two cities or refueling vehicles.
Girdwood resident, Mike Edgington, asked about
the amount of citations and distribution of fines. “Not
much, Schofield responded. ”I think last year, in all the
citations, we saw less than $5,000 come into Whittier.
We write primarily on state code.” He added that money
from fines goes to the state and Whittier only receives a
small percentage back as a service fee.
“Girdwood needs to decide what’s good for Girdwood,” said Schofield. “I don’t think any agency
represented here has a 100 percent fit for Girdwood.
There’s things the troopers bring to the table that Whittier doesn’t have, and there’s things Whittier brings to
the table that the troopers don’t. The two agencies are
different. At the end of the day, whichever agency you
go with is going to try and give you the absolute best
service.”
The audience had diverse views about the police options available, and opinions were mixed. After hours of
listening to discussion about the troopers and the Whittier option, Fox ended the public safety discussion as
the meeting approached 11 p.m. The GBOS remained
steadfast with the Whittier option, making no motions
for future consideration, and continuing to move forward with the Whittier contract.
“I want to thank the resort for their input, and I know
they are as concerned as everyone else is in Girdwood
that we have the best public safety option,” said Fox.
“I am concerned about one thing that keeps coming up
though. It’s this misunderstanding that the GBOS did
not present in May the Alaska State Trooper proposal.”
He added, “The public comments at this meeting were
overwhelmingly negative to the Alaska State Trooper
proposal. Objections to the proposal included slow response time by the Troopers, Girdwood not wanting to
pay for Troopers patrolling the highway, and a lack of
community policing if it were a state function.
“I based my vote on the input that I received from the
community,” he further stated, referring to the unanimous vote in favor of the Whittier Police Department at
the May GBOS.
The second draft of the police contract was released
this week, further cementing Whittier police services.
Daniel spoke on the status of the contract. “I’m very
proud of the facilitation and community support we’ve
received. I feel this has been a community-driven pro-
cess that really allowed for a lot of good input from the
community at large.” He also thanked all the representatives from the agencies. “They have worked diligently
on behalf of Girdwood to craft a contract.”
Regarding the future of police services, Daniel added, “There will be a resolution which will go forward
tomorrow night at the Whittier City Council meeting by
way of the draft contract we have at this point. Whittier has a two-stage process, so this has to appear under
old-business this month, the month of August, and will
get their final approval at their meeting in September,
which will be the day after our monthly meeting.”
The approval would come days prior to the Troopers
final month of local service for Girdwood, which concludes at the end of September.
The proposed Whittier Police contract is for three
years; however, there is 30-day termination option for
either party. The monthly rate would be about $51,500
based on the annual contract rate of $618,000.
The contract states, that if it were terminated for no
cause, an increased financial penalty would be incurred
to compensate for expenses for the police department
such as phone service upgrades.
Also during the meeting, Fox announced the new
Girdwood Public Safety Committee, and the resolution
confirming them, which passed unanimously. The committee is made up of volunteers: Michelle Weston, chair
Mike Opalka, Mike Edgington, and Mandy Hawes. If
there is a tie in a vote, it will be broken by the GBOS
chair of public safety, Tommy O’Malley.
Public comments about the contract or public safety
can be sent to the Public Safety Committee at the email
address: [email protected].
“The process to find police services in Girdwood has
been the most open and community involved process
that I have ever seen in this community,” said Fox.
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