Hope Happenings

Fayrene Sherritt/Turnagain Times Hope and Cooper Landing students (above) dissect owl pellets recently at the Cooper Landing school.

Fayrene Sherritt/Turnagain Times Mt. Redoubt erupted last month, spraying ash along Turnagain Arm. Effects of the ashfall can be seen in Tito’s Discovery Café parking lot (right).

By Fayrene Sherritt
Turnagain Times Hope Correspondent

Community Easter Dinner Fund raiser
The Hope Christian Church will be preparing a dinner of baked ham, smashed sweet potatoes, fresh asparagus or dill beans, salad and dessert at the Hope School Tuesday, April 7 at 5:30 p.m. The dinner is a fund raiser for the Hope students and for their spring field trip. Hope students will help with the set up of tables and will assist in the serving of the dinner. Cost is $8.00 for adults $6.00 for children. For more information call Shirley Wisdorf at 782-3739.

Hope students look for donations for Spring Field Trip to Maui
The Hope students are looking for airline mileage and/or companion tickets donations. Please contact Angie Motoyama at Hope School 782-3202 if you can help. The students will be staying at the Boys and Girls Club for free and have researched several educational activities to do during their stay. This year the trip is planned after school closes from May 24-29. Ten students plus several adults are planning to make the trip. With help on airfare, this trip will cost about the same as a local trip here in Alaska.

Trip to Seward High School April 15
Hope students are on the road again, this time to Seward High School to participate in a boating safety class “Kids Don’t Float.” Alaska State Parks is sponsoring this and their staff will be teaching students from Hope and Cooper Landing about boating safety, the importance of wearing a personal floating device, and what to do if someone falls into the water from a boat or kayak. The park staff will bring an inflatable kayak and gear to help simulate boating accidents. The students will be using the swimming pool at the Seward school to learn about how to get out of the water and prevent drowning. The Hope students will follow up with a trip to the Sea Life Center.

Hope Inc. Meeting
The quarterly meeting of Hope, Inc. will be held Saturday April 18 at the Hope Social Hall at 7. If you would like to add something to the agenda, please add additional items to any of the posted agendas or contact Shawn Butler, Rochelle Morris or Greg Kaser.

Hope Chamber meeting
The Hope Chamber meeting will be held Saturday, April 11 at 11 a.m. in the Hope Community Library. Gina Motoyama and Bianca Durrant will have information on the Chamber’s new web site. Once the information has been reviewed, the site will be posted on the web. Any Chamber member who hasn’t yet turned in their information, please contact either before the Chamber meeting.
The annual dues of $25 can be paid at the meeting or before. Anyone who would like to join the Chamber, please attend the meeting. The new 2009 brochure, with map and listing of Chamber members, will be finalized by the end of April for printing. Once the brochure is printed, it will be available for all members and will be displayed in several locations for visitors to use while in our community.

Subsistence information sharing meeting
Chugach National Forest subsistence staff met with Hope residents March 27 to explain subsistence regulations and to answer questions related to the federal subsistence application process. Topics covered included: What does the “rural designation” meant to you? What is the subsistence program and how does it relate to ANILCA. How to be involved in the Federal Subsistence Board Regulation process? How to make changes to the Federal Subsistence Regulations to provide for subsistence hunting and fishing opportunities around Hope and Sunrise. And motorized use for accessing subsistence activities. The materials and regulations shared at the meeting can be viewed at the Hope Library. Proposal for changes to the harvest of wildlife regulations must be submitted by April 30, 2009. For more information call Bobbie Jo Skibo at 907 288-7739 or email at bskibo@fs.fed.us.
To make the process easier for Hope residents, the Chugach Forest subsistence staff will be in Hope Wednesday April 15 between 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Hope Social Hall. Residents are encouraged to stop by to pick an application for subsistence fishing. With completed applications, done that night, the staff will issue subsistence fishing permits. This will make the permit process much easier for residents as they will not have to leave Hope to obtain the permit.

Hope Library Board welcomes Britteny
Ketterman as new board member
March 28 the Hope Community Library held a board meeting at the Hope Library. A discussion on grant projects, the Library’s needs for the next year and how to fund them was held. The Board voted to re-apply for a State Library grant. This grant will help pay operating expenses, books, possibly new computers and software. Vice President Sharon Wheeler will manage this grant. The Library Board officers will be Lisa Simono-President, Sharon Wheeler-Vice President, Susan Anderson-Treasuer/Library Directory, Fayrene Sherritt-Secretary and Board members: Gail Dalrymple, Maggie Holeman and Britteny Ketterman. Bob Sherrick will continue providing computer assistance. A meeting is planned for April 11 at 10 a.m. at the Hope Library to discuss fund raising activities. All are welcome to attend.

Wildfire season begins April 1
Information about burning permits and wildfire season is available from the Alaska Divisions of Forestry web site: forestry.alaska.gov/burn. Per Alaska Statue, wildfire season begins on April 1 each year. The agency is notifying the public that burning permits are required for most areas for open burning of brush, grass, slash, and yard debris. Fire Management Officer, Tom Marok, reminds residents, “Although many areas still have snow cover, it’s important to understand that nearly all early-season wildfires on the Kenail Peninsula burn around patches of snow, catching people off guard… Therefore, as the snow begins to melt, fire awareness should elevated.” Permits for small pile burning are available online. Large burns require an inspection by Forestry prior to permitting; call 260-4260 or 235-7734 to schedule an appointment on the Kenai.

Food Bank and Community Breakfast
The doors open at 8 a.m. each Wednesday morning and breakfast is served until 10 a.m. All are welcome to come. Following the free breakfast, the Hope Christian Church Food Bank is open Wednesdays 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Any residents needing to take advantage of the food pantry, outside the regular hours, please contact Burgins at 782-1002.

Photos:

Fayrene Sherritt/Turnagain Times

Hope and Cooper Landing students (above) dissect owl pellets recently at the Cooper Landing school.

Mt. Redoubt erupted last month, spraying ash along Turnagain Arm. Effects of the ashfall can be seen in Tito’s Discovery Café parking lot (right).