It is extremely difficult learning to live without the love of your life, especially if you have had thirty-six years together. Sometimes I can’t figure out if I’m coming or going. Life has changed and continues to change daily. Grief is something I have had little experience with. I don’t suppose anyone trains to handle grief; one simply has to experience it to learn how if will affect one’s life. Mike and I have lived in Girdwood for 24 years. We have always loved living in Girdwood. It truly is a lovely place in so many different aspects. However, the people, the Girdwoodians, are what makes living in this little valley so special and helps make grieving a bit less painful.
Thank you friends and neighbors for helping me through my loss. So many of you have reached out and shared yourselves in many precious ways. I wish I could repay every one of you so that you would know how much your kindness has meant to me. I sincerely pray our Father will return what you have given, pressed down, shaken together and running over, blessing you in ways beyond comprehension as only He can!
Thank you from the depths of my heart!
Carol Howerton
Girdwood
Yep, I love Alaska. I care, I appreciate, I believe in, I… I… I…, Alaska the beautiful – it’s like watching a child grow. So goes Alaska. As with a child comes the time only the women’s touch can direct and put them on a good track. What is necessary? We all are so lucky to have her to clean House and Senate, if necessary. Bet you know who she is? We are so fortunate.
Ed Martin Sr.
Cooper Landing
We want to take this opportunity to thank the community for the help we received in producing the 21st annual Girdwood Fine Arts Camp. This year’s Arts Camp “campus” expanded to fill the Challenge Building, Glacier City Hall, The Meadows Community Center, and the Bennett’s Girdwood Home. We had 70 students ages 5 through 75 plus. In addition to the two regular sessions, we added two art studio intensives, and an adult sumi-e ink class.
Our public art project was a Picassiette (stolen plates) mosaic on the big concrete planter at the intersection of Alyeska Hwy and Egloff Drive. All last winter and spring local folks donated broken pottery and local restaurants gave us their chipped dishes. The children smashed the crockery and sorted the pieces by color before sticking them up to form circular designs surrounded by a field of white. The mosaic reads well from a distance and is very intriguing from up close. This work inspired interest in putting mosaics on the other planters around Girdwood.
The show of student work on Aug. 11 was attended by a large percentage of the community. The young artists were allowed to choose the work that demonstrated their artistic growth and the children were proud to show what they had accomplished. The youngest artists performed two plays at the Marlow Pavilion. Printed Images and bound books from the Digital Photography session were on display, and the movie was shown three times throughout its premiere night. The Arts Camp is a tremendous undertaking for a small organization and we could not do it without the help of many, many people.
These fine folks made donations of art supplies, building use and scholarships for deserving and talented local children: The Girdwood Forest Fair Committee, The Alaska State Council on the Arts, Dennis Maloney, Dr. and Mrs. James O’Malley, Dr. Jeff Demain, Girdwood 2020, Senator Con Bunde, Girdwood Rotary, Challenge Alaska, The Meadows Community Center, KEUL, Tim and Linda Bennett, Girdwood Center for the Visual Arts, Ann and Dick Riordan, Obedi’s Fine Arts and the Parks and Recreation Dept. These local restaurants donated lunches for our artist/instructors: J J’s Cafe, The Bake Shop, Coast Pizza, The Merc, Alpine Diner, The Double Musky Inn, The Silver tip Cafe, the Java Haus and Jack Sprat.
Thank you to our volunteers Ida Daily, Ruth Kircher, Amy Johnson and Betsy Connell. A big thanks to Teela Photography for documenting the events during the entire two weeks. Special thanks to our Volunteer Fire Department and Alpine Air who assisted with our Video intensive (the video, “The Time Twister” is available for check out at our local library!).
There will be show of student-created art from the digital photography Intensive on display at Maxine’s beginning Sat., Oct. 6 with an opening reception that evening. Instructor Kali Bennett will be offering an intensive next summer.
We are grateful for everyone’s help and we are encouraged to begin working towards Arts Camp number 22.
Thankfully,
Thalia Wilkinson, Sarah Cronk, Directors Girdwood Fine Arts Camp
Recently my wife and I had a negative experience using the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel going into Whittier. We sent the followin g letter to the Facilities Manager. We would like the Turnagain Times to publish a copy in hopes of publicly challenging some of the management policies.
We had an unfortunate experience traveling through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel last week. We were driving a van from Bear Valley to Whittier. One rear bench seat was removed from the locking device and stowed face down. We only had seats for eight people and we only had two persons in the van. In order to use the disabled upside-down bench seat, we would have had to use a socket wrench and two people to attach it. The bench seat was cargo.
The attendant originally charged us for Class A. Then as we drove to the Staging area, the attendant called his supervisor. The supervisor chased us down like criminals. In a confrontation manner, the supervisor declared we owed for the Class B2 vehicle. We returned to the toll both and paid the $35.00.
We see several problems:
1. Whittier is very dependent on tourism dollars. We believe friendly customer service is vital for the success of Whittier. The first impression of Whittier should be a positive and inviting one. Confrontational attitudes are usually unnecessary and certainly counter-productive.
2. The definition: “Vans…designed to carry more than nine…” appears to need clarification. Many vans have fold-away seats that are designed to carry more than nine, but look like they carry fewer than six. Having attendants make arbitrary decisions about the Class A and Class B2 designation seems to create chaos. Perhaps a management team could look how to solve this conflict. As it stands, defining the difference between Class A van and Class B2 van doesn’t seem to be working very well.
3. This issue has very little to do with safety. The safety of the passengers using the tunnel is not affected by this problem.
We certainly have no power to argue with the tunnel personnel. The tunnel is the only access. Hopefully, tunnel personnel can create a welcoming atmosphere and overtly show travelers that Whittier wants people to visit.
James Wyatt
Johnson City, TN
“You are known by the company you keep,” someone said. This summer while in remote Prince William Sound at our Salmon gill net camp in Preston Cove, I was very thankful to know Kerri Dorius and the Girdwood Clinic. Our family harvests sockeye salmon 40 nautical mile out of Whittier; moreover, the combination of old gill nets, slick fish and sharp knives has created many incidences over the years requiring medical expertise—mine this summer was minor, my nephew Andy’s knife puncture way to close to his femoral artery in 2005 was not. Regardless, the Girdwood Clinic’s efficient and fast help mitigated fishing-related injuries. Without you, not only would injuries be more dangerous (given additional travel time and bureaucracy in Anchorage), but you also give us a very high level of professional security that words can’t express, especially when in the bush.
On behalf of my family and myself, I remind this wonderful community how fortunate we are. Kerry, a big thanks to you and all your team!
Warm regards,
Tobias J. Preston
Girdwood
Once again, the volunteers in Girdwood Beautification have pulled off another blooming summer. On behalf of the community, I’d like to recognize the following people who dedicated their time to planting and caring for the roadside planters and landscapes: Rick Aspiotis, Retaining wall and pathway frontage, Betty Charnon/ Maggie Donnely, Park at Alyeska Highway, Kerry and Chuck Dorius Girdwood Clinic Corner of Hightower, Catherine McDermott Hightower Trio, Terry and Judy Onslow Monarch Mine, Susan Opalka Opalka Driveway, Susan Opalka and Boy Scouts Dredge Bucket at School, Denise Dargan and Camille Siefert Library, Rich Parry and Girdwood Fire Dept. Fire Dept., Deb Essex Water Bearer Extraordinaire, Alison Rein and Family Crow Creek Road.
We also thank the Municipality and it’s Parks and Recreation staff (Jonnie Lazarus) and GBOS for funding the high quality plants provided each year.
My apologies if I omitted mention of anyone else who assisted.
Girdwood Beautification exists because of volunteers. Do not expect that all these folks will continue to provide you this enjoyment forever.
We need new people to step up and help. If there’s one non-controversial public project in the valley, this is it, so plan on lending a hand next spring or summer to keep this going. If you don’t volunteer, you might get a call, anyway.