By Willow Hetrick
Turnagain Times
Moose Pass Correspondent
Moose Pass Summer Solstice Festival
We celebrate the beginning of the summer with the annual Moose Pass Summer Solstice Festival. This year the Festival will be held June 23-24. This annual event not only welcomes summer and the longest day of the year, but also is the largest fundraiser for the operation of the town’s Community Center, Volunteer Fire Department and EMS team.
The festival is filled with gift and craft booths, games, food court, auction and a variety of music occurring throughout the two-day festival. On Saturday the community will be at the town center from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and on Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. The Moose Pass ladies donate their famous baked goods to be sold at the bake sale, which will last all weekend. The town center will be full of vendors offering a variety of one-of-a-kind goods.
There will be locally made arts, crafts, and jewelry not often found anywhere else! The kids will be able to play carnival games for prizes, paint their faces, and make a variety of crafts if they so please. Locals will be running the BBQ and will be cooking up burgers, hot dogs, and chicken served with homemade side dishes. T-shirts and beer mugs designed by local artists will also be for sale on both days.
Moose Pass Summer Solstice Kayak Race
Teams of two and singles alike are welcome to enter in the race from downtown Moose Pass to the railroad trestle and back to Moose Pass via kayaks on Trail Lake. The race will be on Sunday June 24 at 2 p.m. Participants must provide their own boats. There is no entry fee, and there are great prizes to be won! Please contact Marion Glaser atmarionglaser@gmail.com or Willow Hetrick at willowhetrick@gmail.com for more information about the race.
Moose Pass Farmers Market Seeks Vendors
A Farmers’ Market will be starting up in June at the Trail Lake Lodge-Fridays 1:30-6:30 p.m. We’d also love to have musicians play. Teens welcome to have a table. This is a great way to make some extra income and for community to gather! We need at least five produce sellers, artists, crafters, bakers, carvers, photographers, and flower/plant vendors to make this a go. Call Lori 907-347-7572 for details or email geo.lori@yahoo.com.
Beginner Yoga Kicks Off in Moose Pass
Rachel Schubert will be teaching beginning yoga at the Moose Pass Community Hall on the following dates: June 11, 21, 25; July 5, 9, 19, 23; August 2, 6, 16, 20, 30; and September 13, 17, 27.
Classes will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Moose Pass Community Hall. Bring your own yoga mat a few extras are at the hall).
Rachel Schubert wrote: “I have been practicing/studying yoga for 12 years. I took a few Kripalu classes in college and have studied Hatha independently. I have been practicing the Primary Series of Ashtanga for about a year and a half. I completed a 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training registered and accredited by Yoga Alliance in Goa, India in February of this year. The primary asana focus was Ashtanga Primary Series as taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, with a vinyasa flow emphasis.
“Please let me know if you have any questions. I am requesting that people bring their own mats to class. I would like to meet with you at the Community Hall to get a feel for the atmosphere etc. If people have questions they can email me atmodi27@hotmail.com.”
Forest Service Trail Updates
The Seward Ranger District’s Kenai Lake Work Center Trail technicians continually provide winter trail updates that will be in winter issues of the Turnagain Times so read bi-weekly for the latest updates on the Chugach trails.
Trail News
By Irene Lindquist
Carter Lake Trail, continuous snow begins at mile 1. At Carter Lake, the snow is between 2-5’deep. Creek crossings are running high; expect to get your feet wet. Crescent Creek trail has been cleared of fallen trees to the lake. There are patches of snow from mile 3.5 to 6.5. Grant Lake Mine Road and Portage trails have been cleared of fallen trees. Primrose trail has been cleared of fallen trees to mile 2. From this point snow is continuous to Lost Lake. Upper Russian Lake Trailhead on Snug Harbor Road is clear of snow. Clear of fallen trees to mile 2, several patches of snow 2 feet deep. Here is a list of trails you might want to consider taking snowshoes with through the weekend: Resurrection Pass north between mile 18-22. Johnson Pass north from mile 3-10. Carter Lake to Crescent Saddle cabin. Travel to Lost Lake via Primrose or Lost Lake Trails.
With the exception of Lost Lake/Primrose, most trails on the Seward Ranger District with late snow should be manageable this weekend for foot travel. Mountain Bikes will want to wait another week or two before venturing across Resurrection, Johnson, or the Iditarod Trail between Primrose and Bear Lake. Crescent Creek trail is currently a good ride to the lake. Johnson Pass trail has been cleared of trees on the north end to mile 6, and on the south to mile 4. Resurrection Pass Trail north is clear of down trees to mile 6, anticipate the rest to be cleared through the weekend and early next week. Russian Lakes trail will be cleared of trees by tomorrow late in the day. Palmer Creek Road has snow/avalanche debris blocking the road for travel beyond approximately mile 4. Also, Johnson Pass trail will be a while. The trail crew may begin logging out more trees later this week, but still anticipate mud/snow near the lakes, and lots of down trees. Gull Rock is not recommended for mountain bikes, some sections are good, but many are not, lots of exposed rocks and roots.
Kenai Peninsula Borough Report
By Sue McClure
At our regular meeting we first heard quarterly report presentations from both the KPB School District and South Peninsula Hospital. School Superintendent Dr. Atwater reported that 641 students graduated this year from high school, a higher number than last year. Also, 39 teachers retired (5.78 percent of the certified staff), and student transportation has been fully funded for the coming year. Our students tested well above the average on state tests.
South Peninsula Hospital continues to expand its services and is doing well financially. We had seven ordinances up for public hearing, and enacted all of them by unanimous consent. Ordinance 2011-19-86 accepted a grant of $432,837 from the State of Alaska Homeland Security and Emergency Management for the Road Service Area to complete a catch basin and culvert drainage project on Beach Drive at Lowell Point.
Ordinance 2012-13 stated non-objection to the Lowell Point Volunteer Fire Department being recognized by the State. This is in anticipation of the June 30 abolishment of the Lowell Point Emergency Service Area. The ordinance, which involved the most time, was Ordinance 2012-19, the fiscal year 2013 budget.
After a number of amendments, which included officially accepting the school funding level at $43,000,000, adding $60,000 to the Kenai Peninsula Tourism and Marketing Council (by a 6-3 vote), and adding $200,000 for potential assembly legal council (also by a 6-3 vote), we unanimously enacted the budget. Details will be available on the borough website. We passed six resolutions on the consent agenda.
Resolution 2012-050 set the mill rate for property taxes at the same level as last year, $4.50, and kept all service area mill rates the same except for CES and the Seldovia Recreation Service Area. We also approved the sublease agreement between Central Peninsula Hospital and RSB Evolution to provide radiation oncology services in an addition to be constructed at CPH. We had already funded the construction of this facility from CPH funds.
We moved 10 ordinances on for public hearing at the July 3 meeting. Included in this group is Ordinance 2012-19-02 accepting and appropriating $19,790.10 for the Bear Creek Fire Service Area from Alaska DNR for equipment.
Also, Ordinance 2012-23 would set up an auction of properties obtained by the borough from tax foreclosures. Our next meeting is June 19, and among the four ordinances scheduled for public hearing is Ordinance 2012-15, the final ordinance in the abolishment of the Lowell Point Emergency Service Area, which authorizes the grant of assets to the Lowell Point Volunteer Fire Department.
As always, you can reach me at 224-6784 or smcclure@borough.kenai.ak.us. The borough website is www.borough.kenai.ak.us. Our meetings may be heard on 88.1 FM, and information is available at the Seward Annex office in the Sea View Plaza.
