Photo courtesy of Shannon Roy
Nova River Runners ran their last Six Mile Creek trip on Sunday, Sept. 13.
By Bianca Durrant
Turnagain Times Hope Correspondent
School News
The Hope School PTA will be hosting two bake sales a month throughout the school year. They will take place at the post office on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month from 11:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m. In addition, the PTA will host a monthly community dinner to take place every third Wednesday of the month. The first dinner fundraiser will take place on Sept. 23 at 5:30 p.m. at Tito’s Discovery Café. The evening’s main course will be an authentic Italian Spaghetti meal. This will be a triumphant event for the taste buds, to be sure!
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game will be at the Hope School the week of Sept. 21-25 with a fish tank so that the children can raise some salmon roe that will later be released in Seward on Oct. 14.
The public health nurse will be at the school on Oct. 2 from 12:30-2:00 p.m.
There is currently a need for substitute teacher(s) at the school. The Kenai Borough is offering classes on four different dates for substitute teacher training. Those dates are: Sept. 21 and 22, Oct. 21, and Nov. 18. If you have any questions about substitute teaching, please contact April at 783-3202.
The Hope School children have requested that Hope Happenings give two very big thank yous on their behalf. The first goes to the Rasmussen Foundation which granted the children $300 that went towards their field trip to view The Lion King production in Anchorage. The second goes to the Kent and Melanie Bowman of Bear Creek Lodge who graciously treated the kids and staff to a delicious lunch last week. Thank you for making a difference!
All community members are invited to participate in the Hope school in any capacity. If you have a special skill or talent that you would like to share with the children, it would be most appreciated.
Hope/Sunrise APC Meeting
The Hope/Sunrise Advisory Planning Commission met on Sept. 10. Among other things, the commission reviewed a letter from Marcus Mueller, Land Management Officer for the KPB Borough. Mr. Mueller’s letter answered several questions the HSAPC had on the logistics for a”lottery”style land sale. The HSAPC is recommending that the Kenai Peninsula Borough conduct a lottery type land sale when they release the lots for the two subdivisions being developed in Hope. This recommendation developed as a way to even out the stakes amongst prospective buyers with varying degrees of purchasing power. A main goal for Hope in getting these lots sold is to welcome not only second home buyers, but also full-time community members. Having a lottery style land sale will make that a more plausible outcome.
Seaview’s Final Night of the Season
Yes, the time has come Hope folks. That beacon of freedom and beauty, the Seaview, is preparing to close its doors for the season. Melissa Mitchell will grace the deck with her voice-like-butter on the final night, Sept. 19. Thank you Renna and we will see you next year!
New Antique Shop in Sunrise
Communiqué Antiques is the name of Sunrise’s newest business. Owned by Valerie DeFrance, this classic roadhouse shop has a bit of everything, including furniture and silver, but they specialize in communication artifacts such as telephones, typewriters, and radios. Take a peek for yourself, Communiqué is open Saturday and Sunday 11-7 a.m.
Many Businesses Shift to Winter Hours
With this Indian summer sun it is hard to believe that winter’s precursor, the Rainy Season, is just around the corner. Many Hope businesses are now operating with winter hours. The Discovery Café will be open Thursdays –Sundays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Alaska Dacha, our local convenience store, will be open Thursday-Monday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Hope/Sunrise Historical Society Presentation
On Sept. 12 George Darrow presented a program sponsored by the Hope/Sunrise Historical Society on the “Shenandoah”, a confederate battleship that attacked Yankee whaling vessels in Alaskan waters during the Civil War. At that time, whales were being harvested for their oil and by attacking the whaling ships the confederate forces were striking an economic blow to the Yankees. The presentation was enjoyed by all and the atmosphere could not have been cozier. Billy Miller started a nice, warm fire in the bunkhouse, where the program took place. After the presentation, Ann Miller formally thanked all the knowledgeable museum volunteers who answered many a question during the busy summer months.
SAGA Volunteers Build Wood Shed
Young adults involved in SAGA made their way to Hope late August to build the library a wood shed. SAGA is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving communities in Alaska through service learning. Approximately eight young volunteers worked through the ins and outs of building a shed during the course of the project. Grounds for Hope provided refreshments to the volunteers and now, thanks to the volunteers’ efforts, the library has a wood shed!
Food Bank
Tom and Joyce Burgin facilitate a community food bank for residents in need. The food bank is at the Hope Christian Church and it is formally open every Wednesday from 10-11 a.m. in the morning. If you are a resident needing to use the food bank outside of the regular hours, please contact Tom or Joyce at 782-1002.
