Cooper Landing News:

Mona Painter/Turnagain Times Maggie Porter, sitting in the big chair, was treated to a baby shower on Feb. 25, hosted by Deanna Hoy. Several of the guests were coaxed away from the veggie pizza, hot artichoke spread, and chocolate-peanut butter cheesecake for a photo.

By Mona Painter
Turnagain Times Cooper Landing Correspondent

Maggie Porter was the guest of honor at Deanna Hoy’s home Feb. 25 when friends and family gathered for her baby shower. Maggie, her husband Jason, and four-year old son Quinn are former Cooper Landing residents now living in Girdwood. Jason is chef of The Pond at Alyeska Resort. Jason’s mother, Melanie Bowman, brought deep fried garbanzo beans which we ate like peanuts, a dinner garnish created by Jason. People sometimes think Cooper Landing is strictly a retirement community, but the group quickly named 13 pre-schoolers with the girls outnumbering the boys nine to four. Less than a week old, 10 and one-half pound Connor Judy made a welcome appearance for his Aunt Maggie.
Erick Romig, UAA freshman, is skiing cross country on the Anchorage Junior Olympic team and will take part in the 2008 USSA Cross Country Junior Olympic Championships on the Kincaid Park trail system in Anchorage competing with athletes from around United States. Races will be held over several days beginning March 10. The Nordic Skiing Association of Anchorage, Inc. and the Municipality of Anchorage are hosting these national championship events. Erick skied for Skyview High School and was a top competitor in the junior boys division of the Mt. Marathon race held in Seward on July 4. His parents, Karl and Cindy Romig, own and operate The Shrew’s Nest in Cooper Landing.
The Cooper Landing Gun Club invites the community to their open house party Sat., March 8 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Their new clubhouse and classroom is finished and open for inspection while enjoying refreshments. “Bring your shotgun for a round of trap. Prizes to the best shot,” reads part of the invitation. The gun range is on Bean Creek Road just before the cemetery.
Cooper Landing School, the Parent Advisory Committee, and community volunteers are taking reservations and preparing for the annual St. Patrick’s Day dinner, on March 13, at Sunrise Inn, a school fundraiser for extracurricular activities. The dinner will be in the Irish tradition with desserts, bake sale raffle, and lots of photo opportunities. The first person to arrive with green hair gets a free dinner.
The community is invited to the school on March 14 at 1:45 p.m. for a Spring Trio music program, the first of the Cooper Landing Community Schools programs. Virginia Morgan on piano will perform with Mari Jamieson on viola and Heidi Senungetuk on violin.
Spring Stamp Camp is scheduled for March 13 through March 16 all day and into the evenings at the community hall. Tables are available for donations to help pay for fuel and electricity. Visitors are welcome. Some people will be making rubber art stamped greeting cards and comb-bound journals, while others will be working on scrapbooks or photo albums. Contact Deb Carlson for more information.
Cooper Landing Senior Citizens Corp. Inc’s. ham dinner catered by Arden Rankin Holbrook March 1 was a huge success with more people coming for dinner than were expected from advance ticket sales. Pots of tulips decorated the tables and were taken home by the lucky person in the numbered chair at each table. Fierce bidding on special pies brought out several competitive spirits.