Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm Corridor Communities Association Report

By Mona Painter
Special to the Turnagain Times

President Jim Richardson chaired the recent Kenai Mountains – Turnagain Arm Corridor Communities Association meeting at Alyeska Resort Hotel on Saturday, Oct. 1. Other board members present were Treasurer Janet McCabe, Secretary Mona Painter, and Sue Cogswell. National Park Service Assistant Regional Director John Quinley, Heather Hall, Sue Kennedy, Rod Arno, and Turnagain Times Editor Ken Smith were also present.

Marianne Daniels and Karl Erickson from Girdwood and Doug Capra and Dan Walker from Seward were elected to the board. Keith Tryck from Girdwood and Chuck Bowman from Seward recently resigned due to job conflicts.

Projects approved by the board were the Seward Mariners’ Memorial, archaeology, ground work for the Hope Social Hall, and signage for the Girdwood’s Nordic Ski Club’s trail system. Funding from KMTACCA must be matched 50% for all projects. All proposed project sponsors must complete the required application responding to the criteria found on the website under “Grants.”

Contractual obligations are ongoing for the Moose Pass Waterwheel, the Seward Iditarod Trail Monument, and Cooper Landing Museum’s Slab of History. Finished projects include the Alaska App, the Seward Museum concept plan, Hope computerized photo catalog, Seward Nordic Ski Club’s gates and trail repair, and Whittier Museum’s pioneer interviews and exhibits.

KMTACCA is also looking at hiring an executive director in 2012.

From the KMTACCA website, www.kmtacorridor.org: The KMTA Corridor Communities Association was incorporated in 2000 and the KMTA National Heritage Area was established in 2009 to recognize, preserve, and interpret the historic resources and cultural landscapes of the Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm transportation corridor… The Association fosters planning and partnerships among the communities within the Corridor. The association also receives and administers funds, appropriated by Congress and other sources, to support communities in developing projects that recognize, preserve, and interpret the Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm’s rich and scenic heritage.