Susanna LaRock/Turnagain Times
Kids in P.O.P. Club stand in front of Recycle Center with the can crusher. From Left to Right: Jimmy Milne, Clara LaRock, Linnaea Morgan Gossard, Ashley Gurnsey,Cooper Morgan Gossard, and in front Axel LaRock (P.O.P.’s youngest member).
By Susanna LaRock
Turnagain Times
Cooper Landing Correspondent
P.O.P. Club Protects the Planet While Helping to Raise Money for the School
The kids in Cooper Landing are up to something this summer. They’ve started a club under the guidance of RAVEN AmeriCorps member Susanna LaRock and BIRCH AmeriCorps member Virginia Morgan. Clara LaRock, a local fifth grader, came up with the name. The kids call their club P.O.P., which stands for Protectors of the Planet.
All summer they’ve been meeting on Friday afternoons to have lunch together, discuss ways they can help protect our planet, and do a planet protecting activity. They have watered at the Community Garden, learned about composting and helped maintain the community compost pile, bagged plastics at the Recycle Center, and Friday, July 23, they met to crush cans for The Great Aluminum Can RoundUp.
Cooper Landing School has been collecting cans all summer long in order to participate in a nation wide event to encourage recycling and raise money for the school. The community has helped by bringing their cans to the recycle center, and even local businesses have been doing their part. Sacket’s, Sunrise and Wildman’s have all been collecting aluminum cans.
Carrie Williams has been storing cans in her shop anticipating the first weigh in for the fundraiser. When Carrie said that her shop was getting filled with cans, the P.O.P. Club answered with a call to action. They got together and crushed cans to make room in Carrie’s shop for more cans. The kids in P.O.P have been learning all summer long about the importance of protecting our planet, about how they can make a difference, and about how fun and rewarding it can be to help out in your community. Some of the projects they’ve done have not been easy, but P.O.P members have found that anything can be fun if you do it with friends and remember that you are working together to make a difference.
The summer is winding down, but P.O.P. Club members still have one activity on their list of things to do this summer. They have decided that, for their end of the summer activity, they would like to go to the Cooper Landing Museum and learn more about the history of our town. Mona Painter will host the visit in mid August. For more information about P.O.P. Club call Susanna LaRock 598-1133.
Local Author to Give presentation and Book Signing at Cooper Landing Library
Local Author Will Troyer has written three very interesting and popular books: From Dawn to Dusk Memoirs of an Amish Mennonite Farm Boy, Into Brown Bear Country, and his latest, Bear Wrangler: The Memoirs of an Alaskan Pioneer Biologist. August14 at 1:30 p.m., Troyer will be doing a presentation and book signing at the Cooper Landing Library. All are welcome to come and enjoy; listen to a fascinating local author, and bring your copies of his books for signing.
Spot Light on Cooper Landing August 18 and 19
Mayme Ohnemus, with the help of many community volunteers has organized a two-day event to show off the wonderful non-profit organizations working in Cooper Landing. There is such an abundance of organizations throughout Cooper Landing that are mostly run by volunteers. Mayme has invited an array of influential people from all over the Kenai Peninsula, including Candidates in the upcoming election, to meet at the Community Hall on Bean Creek Road on Aug. 18 at 1 p.m. and board busses for a tour of Cooper Landing.
The tour will include stops at the Gun Club, School/ Community School, Chamber of Commerce and RAVEN AmeriCorps office, Emergency Services, Senior Haven/Community Garden, Camp Fire USA/Camp K, the Museum, the Community Hall, the Community Health Clinic, and the Library.
The evening of Aug. 18 at 7 p.m., there will be a Meet the Candidates event sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and the Community Club, and held at the Community Hall. Dessert and coffee will be served and people will have a chance to meet the candidates for the upcoming election. On August 19 all are invited to an Appreciation Day Luncheon at noon at Kenai Princess Lodge. The Sexy Senior Dumpster Cleaners are celebrating 13 years of volunteer service.
There will be a Lunch Buffet for $15 per person. Mayme asks that anyone planning to attend calls her at 598-1017.
Second Run of Sockeye are in the Sanctuary
The second run of sockeye salmon have made it into the sanctuary; which means we should be hearing echoes of, “Fish on!” throughout the valley. This is also good news for trout fishermen, as the trout follow the salmon up the river eating their eggs. It’s a good time to get out your egg patterns and chase a Rainbow Trout or a Dolly Varden.
