By Mona Painter
Turnagain Times
Cooper Landing Correspondent
Photo courtesy of Mayme Ohnemus
March 10, St. Patrick's School fund raiser dinner workers left to right: Yvette Galbraith, Becky James, Julie Seramur, Mike Williams, Kyle Milne, Shelbe Holben, Jimmy Holben, Jimmy Milne, Linnaea Gossard, Clara LaRock, Tommy Gossard, Virginia Morgan, Susanna LaRock, and Alex Kime. Not pictured: Rick Holben, Hannah Norris, and Ashley Gurnsey.
Winter Activities
Sunday afternoon I headed for the Master Gardener's third class at the community club. The sun was shining on two inches of fresh snow. Two young snowmachiners were poised to cross the highway behind me. The next thing I knew they were racing along the pathway heading toward Snug Harbor Road. As I crossed the bridge, I saw two boats in the open water above the bridge; two fishermen were whipping lines while standing in the frigid water. A small, dark fish house on the ice was probably farther from the open water than it appeared. All that was left to complete the picture was the presence of the swans we've been watching around the bridge, but they were busily feeding down river. Only in Cooper Landing, we like to think.
Master Gardeners in Training
Tom Jahns, Cooperative Extension Service Agent from Soldotna, is teaching our class. He's been doing this for over 20 years on the peninsula and has wonderful pictures including slides of the most innovative planters including an old silver casket and filled tires called “Redneck Raised Beds.” Examples of everything from the ridiculous to the sublime. Fourteen of us are taking this 40-hour class and some are already planning a community compost project. We now know how many pounds of coffee grounds we need in relation to kitchen scraps, leaves, and shredded paper.
School Fund Raising Dinner Big Success
The St. Patrick's fund raising corned beef dinner March 10 was a big success for the school extra-curricular coffers. A Community Crier went out from Cooper Landing School to thank Mary Louise Molenda, all the people who bought dinners and otherwise contributed, and Alex Kime from Alaska Horsemen who brought his horse and carriage to Sunrise Inn for rides with a donation to the school. We didn't see many who would brave the 10-degree weather for the open buggy ride, but it looked like fun. Randy Bates, the cook, deserves lots of applause. The corned beef was the best.
Stamp Camp Coming
Stamp Camp will be in full force at the community hall next week from Friday through Sunday morning from early hours till late night. There are still a couple tables available for a small fee for scrapbookers, rubber stamp artists, and that type of craft. Contact Deb Carlson if you are interested. Everyone shares in bringing meals and snacks, too.
Community Club Meeting Scheduled
Cooper Landing Community Club meets Thursday, March 25, at 7 p.m. at the community hall. Look for the agenda in the community bulletin board at the post office and on the Community Crier. Part of the agenda includes updates from all the local groups and non-profits.
Classes in Drumming Offered
Through an Artists in Residence grant, the director of the Kodiak Island Drummers will be spending April 4 through April 9 at the school teaching drumming to children and adults. Several kinds of drums will be provided. Call Tommy Gossard at the school, 595-1244, to sign up or for more information.
Drivers Training Session in April
Community School is offering the AARP Driver Safety Program on Friday, April 9 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. AARP members pay $12 and it's $14 for non-members. Reasons to take the course includes having two points removed from your driving record, and having a ticket dismissed if the court okays it. For those over 55, you may get a reduction in your auto insurance after you complete the program. Contact tommyginny@arctic.net or at 595-3094 to register.
