Cooper Landing News:

Mona Painter/Cooper Landing Shirley Knapp is making sure Robert Gibson eats his sourdough pancakes at the Cooper Landing Senior Citizens Corp. Inc.’s fund raising breakfast Jan. 26 in the community hall while his friend, Todd Donahue, looks on. Other members of the breakfast crew pictured are Jacque Greenman, Anna Wheeler, Paula Davis, Arlene Knock, and JB Weber. Joyce Koppert, Marjorie VanKooten, and Anne Engbers also helped.

By Mona Painter
Turnagain Times Cooper Landing Correspondent

Cooper Landing Senior Citizens Corp. Inc., CLSCCI, netted about $600 from their pancake breakfast on Jan. 26. CLSCCI puts on several breakfasts during the year, but this is the first in Jan. Considering the cold weather and many people being away, it was a success. They will have a general meeting and potluck at the community hall on Feb. 12, and a fund raising dinner at the hall on March 1. CLSCCI hopes to hear soon that their grant application for the next phase of senior housing construction has been approved by Alaska Housing Finance Corp. In the meantime, these seniors just keep on working.
At a workshop meeting of the Cooper Landing Advisory Planning Commission, CLAPC, on Jan. 26, members of the community said they didn’t think the 1996 Land Use Classification Plan For Borough-Owned and Borough-Selected Lands needed to be redone although updates showing subsequent subdivisions, new topographical information, and the like need to be added. Marcus Mueller, from the Kenai Peninsula Borough Planning Dept., provided information regarding the gravel site off Snug Harbor Road, and general thoughts about future subdivision development and comprehensive planning. It looks like the current material site may be expanded by two and one-half acres toward the east and this could provide material for about five years.
Cooper Landing Community Club voted to give $2,400 to the Cooper Landing Gun Club to pay off the new classroom club house and to erect a gate to better control shooting at the Bean Creek rifle range. The CLGC board meets Feb. 16 following a trap shoot at the range. Finding another suitable location for the rifle range was discussed briefly at the CLAPC and CLCC meetings. Gun club members have looked for years for another site and their new facility is built to be moveable. The range has been in that location well lover 50 years while the community has grown around it. The gun club offers many programs to Cooper Landing and surrounding communities as well as a site for USFS and Alaska State Troopers for training.
Yvette Galbraith spoke for the Parent Advisory Committee and Cooper Landing Community School Program. Profits of over $800 were made from enchilada sales and tickets for the St. Patrick’s Day dinner on March 13 at Sunrise Inn will be available in about three weeks. The community school program is possible through the Birch Program and an AmeriCorps member provided by RurAL Cap. Yvette said preliminary activities will be available this spring such as a health fair, a talent show, and cooking courses. Residents are encouraged to fill out the community school participation sheet with information and suggestions for classes in the fall.
Robert Gibson spoke about the Cooper Landing Wildlife Community Conservation Program which will be administered through the Cooper Landing Chamber of Commerce. An application for a $100,000 grant from Conoco Phillips is in the works for funding for bear resistant containers and educational materials. Larry Lewis from the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game is helping with this program. The Chamber of Commerce is also working toward the sportsman’s show in April in Anchorage and will have two booths representing our community.