To the Editor:
I was unable to attend last weeks meeting on the future of our Girdwood Forest Fair.
However I was able to observe it on our TV Channel 6, and I was glad to see and listen
to the lengthy deliberations.
I remember the early years when it started and what a wonderful community event
and fundraiser it was. My wife Nina had all her young Girdwood dance students in costumes perform on the stage, and residents and visitors alike loved the homespun atmosphere.
I like to compliment our Alaska State troopers for their diligent support, our local fire chief Bill Chadwick and his dedicated team of volunteers helping to protect our community. I would especially like to recognize a fine gentlemen who has served our community for many years as a dedicated volunteer. Jay Bell explained the history and purpose of the Girdwood Forrest Fair in very eloquent terms, and I hope we can keep this a community event, but make sure it is properly planned as family fair.
Jay is a wonderful example of a dedicated Girdwood community volunteer..
However due to the high cost to organize this event, to provide proper security and hopefully make a reasonable profit to give back to community charities, I would recommend to charge a fee to cover many of the operating costs including parking, shuttle service, security clean up etc. Of course children and maybe locals should be free.
I hope we can continue our Girdwood Forest Fair, but with the “ Growing pains “ we
have to make to some changes, popular or not to continue this popular Girdwood Fair.
Thank you,
Chris von Imhof,
Girdwood, AK
To the Editor:
Our Rotary Club is saddened to hear that the annual Forest Fair will not take place. We understand that there were several issues needing attention that became apparent at last year’s event, and that an equitable solution to these problems could not be found in time to guarantee a safe and successful Forest Fair.
In addition to our disappointment at the general festivities, we are also disappointed that we will not have the opportunity to do our own fundraising during the Fair. This fundraising has been a significant source of funds which we have donated to worthy causes both in Girdwood and around the world.
Not wanting to always “hit up our neighbors”, we have found that drawing from the huge crowd of mostly civil fairgoers has kept our Club financially healthy, thereby enhancing our contributions to our Valleys’ needs. Most recently we have helped fund the Girdwood Valley Transit, the annual Health Fair, many Holiday food Baskets and Angel tree gifts, Summer Art Camp, to name just a few. Many people, from local athletes or high school students doing community service projects here or overseas, also come to us as they search for funds.
Our Rotary Club’s motto is “Service above Self”. We look forward to pitching in over the next year with the rest of the community and encouraging our local government to help find a solution that can bring back the Forest Fair in a safe and festive way, so that we may all benefit.
Jody Liddicoat
Girdwood Rotary Club President
To the Editor:
The issue of extended Anton Anderson Tunnel hours in the late fall/winter and early spring is again at hand and before you in the proposed budget. As you may recall, I have written to you in the past about this critical need for our community. The tunnel is simply the main artery to our community’s life. The reduced hours during the late fall, winter and early spring severely restrict the natural flow of life into, and out of, Whittier. As I pointed out in past, correspondence, during cold weather or “high wind” winter days, the tunnel is actually open for a maximum of 90 minutes (5 minute openings) per day!
Our community is ideally situated to not only provide recreational access to the state’s major population center (Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley), but also is key to freight operations by virtue of its proximity to Anchorage and its deep water, ice free location. Several businesses have expressed interest in locating to Whittier or expanding their businesses to run throughout the entire year.
In our most recent Whittier City Council meeting, Resolution 888-08, asking for extended tunnel hours, was introduced and passed unanimously. This resolution not only speaks for Whittier residents, but for those who live on the other side of the tunnel with personal or business interests in Whittier.
Personally, I own and operate Prince William Sound Eco-Charters, a small fishing, sightseeing and general transportation business based in Whittier. At the present time, it isn’t until May 1 that charters can realistically begin taking folks out fishing, simply because a normal charter day begins at 7 a.m. or 8 a.m. and ends between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. If tunnel hours allowed, several of us could easily begin our seasons in mid March (during a more “normal” snow year), when available daylight reaches 12 plus hours.
Whittier can’t realistically develop a “winter king” fishery, encourage snow machining, ask visitors to come here for a good dinner “on the ocean”, develop cross country skiing on some of the snow covered islands or coastal areas around Prince William Sound, encourage a longer boating and business season, etc. with the restricted access we now have.
Our school students and residents could easily take advantage of recreational and educational opportunities around Girdwood with longer tunnel hours. Attendance at meetings focusing on the Seward Highway, tourism, health and welfare, etc. would be much more doable if we could get out earlier, and return later, in the day. Whittier residents could also consolidate trips into Anchorage to accomplish more (good jobs, doctor visits, shopping, movies and dinners out, visits with family and friends, etc.) with different tunnel hours, thereby reducing stress and travel costs. As it is now, I can assure you that trying to make that last tunnel in at 5:30 p.m. causes at least some to exceed posted speed limits—and not by a little bit!
With modernization projects planned in Whittier, longer tunnel hours could allow workers with special skills needed for these projects to commute from the larger, surrounding communities. In fact, with the relatively low cost of living here, Whittier may be able to offer some an attractive place to live and that may help us improve conditions here even more. Hopefully, some of these “new” folks can help on committees, commissions and other volunteer projects. I’d bet we’d also have more folks interested in serving on the City Council too.
Again, thanks for taking the time to read this. Hopefully, this will be the last letter I’ll have to write on this issue.
Respectfully,
David Goldstein,
Whittier, AK
To the Editor:
Summer hiking and biking season is fast approaching and we will soon be enjoying all of the trails in the Valley! Please respect the delicate state of our trails as the snow melts and the trail access improves. The tread on all of our trails is soft, wet and easily damaged! Please refrain from riding on any of the trails until the beginning of June. Let’s give our trails a chance to dry up before we start riding on them. We would like to suggest that you do not take your bike on any dirt trail until after National Trails Day (June 7). Bike traffic too early can create erosion issues all summer long. Also, skirting these wet areas will negatively impact the surrounding vegetation and be an eyesore for years to come.
Consider using the Bird-Gird Bike Path while you await dryer woodland trails; the avalanche debris has been removed, and sweeping is underway.
Girdwood Trails committee intends to repair the bridge over the railroad tracks this July; we’ll be seeking your help! Stay tuned.
Thanks for your understanding and we look forward to seeing everyone out on the trails this summer. Join us at our monthly meeting the first Tuesday, 7 p.m. at Glacier City Hall.
Best regards,
Girdwood Trails Committee
To the Editor:
Once again, thanks for publishing an interesting and informative newspaper. Keep up the good reporting.
And once again, I fell off my earmark when I read in your May 1 issue about $2.4 million of my hard-earned tax money spent by Ted Stevens to “upgrade” the Crow Creek Road. Yikes, and apparently nobody can figure out who asked for it. However, it is no mystery to me. I wrote to you once before about a $1 million grant for some trails in the Girdwood area, and this one smells the same.
I got back on my earmark okay but then came to the part about the Roundhouse Museum and fell right off again. $2 million to rehabilitate a shack that was built for a few hundred dollars? Give me a break.
So this go-around works out to $4.4 million of my hard-earned tax dollars. The U.S. government is spending my money like a drunken sailor with apologies to all you sailors out there, but you know what I’m talking about. Yes, you do.
Whitham D. Reeve
Anchorage, AK