By Mona Painter
Turnagain Times Cooper Landing Correspondent
Three dozen residents gathered at the community hall Sept. 25 to interact with representatives from Chugach Electric Assoc. Inc. and to conduct a full agenda of Cooper Landing Community Club (CLCC) business. Director of Government Relations and Corporate Communications Phil Steyer and Director of Line Operations and Maintenance Bill Bernier explained policy and procedures and answered questions for an hour. An 11- -and-a-half-hour power outage in September left some folks pretty upset because it took lineman so long to get here from Anchorage. A problem in Anchorage involving a fire caused the crew to be sent to that higher priority. Optimally, linemen should be able to get to Cooper Landing from Anchorage in three hours. They will consider sending linemen via helicopter. Problem trees along the line are being cleared. Mike Gephardt and Morris Morgan, the last of the resident linemen, were remembered with nostalgia.
Acting District Ranger Travis Moseley from the Seward Ranger District, Chugach National Forest, was present to meet local residents. He arrived early, helped set up chairs, and stayed through the entire meeting.
A $100,000 garage for the seniors’ van to be located on the senior campus off Snug Harbor Road, and $300,000 for the Cooper Landing Health Center, Inc. clinic were voted in that order for the 2009 State Capital Projects Priority List for the Kenai Peninsula Borough (KPB). Bob Baldwin introduced the idea of a satellite fire station at the east end of town and was invited to attend the next Cooper Landing Emergency Services board meeting by CLES President Scott Davis.
In anticipation of receiving $20,000 from the State of Alaska through the KPB, the CLCC adopted the recommendations presented from the board of the Cooper Landing Health Center, Inc. (CLHCI) for suggested uses: Cooper Landing Senior Citizens Corp. Inc. $2,000 for enclosing fuel tanks at Ravens View, AmeriCorps Raven, Recycle support $1,000, Chamber of Commerce for the Sports Show for community promotion $2,000, Cooper Landing Emergency Services for an on-board computer system $3,500, Community Schools for the health fair $2,000, CLCC for utility support $1,000, Cooper Landing Museum for facility support $1,000, and CLHCI $7,500 for design, budget and development of matching funds.
CLCC voted to support the designation of the north and south segments of the Sterling Highway as a National Scenic Byway. The Sterling Highway between the Mile 38 Y and Skilak Lake Road is designated a State Scenic Byway and because of that grant funds were made available to make the old school house and post office ready to be opened as the Cooper Landing Museum five years ago.
Shirley Wilmoth spoke about ideas for community get-togethers for fun and for raising funds for the non-profits after a brainstorming session she hosted the previous week with representatives from many local groups.
Members decided it was worthwhile to have the hall porch and log exterior refinished and to have the chairs and tables storage area inside reworked for easier use.
The Chamber of Commerce’s luncheon program at Sunrise Inn on Tues, Oct. 7 features representatives from the Denali, the Alaska Gas Pipeline project and is open to all interested.
Will Troyer is the guest speaker for the Cooper Landing Historical Society’s Oct. 18 meeting at the community hall beginning at 2 p.m. Will’s latest book, “Bear Wrangler,” is due out this fall from University of Alaska Press and he’ll present a slide show about the book. “Memoirs of an Alaska Pioneer Biologist” is the sub-title and the book is described: “This absorbing tale recounts the author’s moving experiences and harrowing adventures in the last vestiges of American wilderness.”