By Mona Painter
Turnagain Times
Cooper Landing Correspondent
Photo courtesy of Tommy Gossard
Michael Daquioag, “Mr. D,” in drumming practice with kids from Cooper Landing, Moose Pass, and Hope as they rehearse for their April 9 community performance.
Kids and Adults Learned Many Drumming Styles
Mr. D took kids and adults, gave them congas, bongos, tubanos, djembes, timbales, and a whole lot of other music makers and with a great deal of expression taught some very different kinds of music during his week in Cooper Landing.
Michael Daquioag's group, Kodiak Island Drummers, KID, is a group dedicated to teaching musical expression to kids through the art and fun of hand drumming. It was a blast!
The final performance on Friday night, April 9, was played before a large audience in the darkened gym with the performers bathed in red-orange lights.
First the kids in younger and older groups and then the adults, of all ages, played to the crowd. Mr. D was his usual energetic and teasing self as he moved from group to group, up and down, and in the audience to bring up to the front those a bit reluctant to join in. Musicians and audience enjoyed a potluck dinner after the performance. There's already talk about having Mr. D back next year.
Compliments to Heather Harrison for the Easter Egg Hunt
Heather Harrison did a good job organizing and directing the Cooper Landing Chamber of Commerce sponsored Easter egg hunt April 3 for a bunch of little kids and some larger ones on the grounds around the community hall.
Mayme Ohnemus reported on numbers of grandchildren accompanied by grandparents, as well as parents, as they searched for the elusive eggs. A very large mud puddle was also a temptation as well as a pitfall for several of the kids.
Cooper Landing Walkable Community Projects Adopted by Borough
Thirty-five residents went to the April 6 Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly meeting to support adopting the Cooper Landing Walkable Community Project as an appendix to the transportation section of the borough's comprehensive plan. Several people spoke in support of the Walkable Community Project with one person speaking in opposition.
This project has been the subject of many public meetings for more than a year now and has gained quite a following.
Unfortunately, it seemed as though a couple of the borough assembly members got the Walkable Community Project confused with the local trails committee work and the supporters weren't able to correct the misconception during the meeting.
Ordinance 2010-13 passed and will be added as Appendix K.
Chamber of Commerce Fundraiser Supports Health Care Clinic
The Cooper Landing Chamber of Commerce fundraiser to bring a health care clinic to the community was a big draw at the chamber's booth at the Great Alaska Sportsman Show in the Sullivan Arena recently.
The large poster showing the five prize packages drew visitors' attention. Guided Fly-In Fishing and Bear Viewing from Talon Air Service for 2, Saddle-Paddle Trip from Alaska Horsemen Trail Adventures for 2, Kenai River Scenic Float Trip for 2 from Alaska River Adventures, Kenai River Scenic Float Trip for 2 from Alaska Wildland Adventures, and $100 Dinner Certificate at Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge will be awarded to the five names drawn July 6 at the Chamber's log cabin.
Tickets are $4 each or three for $10. Several people volunteered at the chamber booth over the four days, but the Williams family worked it from beginning to end.
Hundreds of blue balloons and boxes of lollipops were given away as well as many of the chamber brochure maps and individual members brochures and rack cards.
