Cruising the StacksBy Gwen Herrewig and
the Chugach Centennial Team
Special to the Turnagain Times
Theodore Roosevelt issued a presidential proclamation on July 23, 1907, to establish 4,960,000 acres as the Chugach National Forest for the conservation of fish and wildlife. This year, we will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Chugach, and a century of stewardship of the land and its resources.
Over the last century, boundaries and acreage of the Chugach has shrunk and expanded many times. Today, it encompasses 5.4 million acres and is the second largest National Forest in the nation.
The Chugach is perhaps best known as a great place to recreate; a place where you can fish, hike, camp, hunt, boat, ski, or snow machine. It is also a place where people work and live. Many South-central Alaska residents’ livelihoods, as well as life-styles, are affected by how the Chugach is managed. Our centennial celebration is not only about the forest, but also about the people that make the Chugach special: the communities that surround and reside within the boundaries, the people who work and play here, and those who love to visit.
We’re looking back at our past and forward to our future. This land, known as the Chugach National Forest, has experienced so much. As you travel through the Chugach, what lies beyond your view is the life that this place has lived, the people that have enjoyed its resources, and the happy or the troubled times they’ve seen. All areas have their history, but this country seems especially rich in character and adventure. To know where you come from is to appreciate even more where you have arrived.
We want to keep you informed of our centennial plans so that you can share in the excitement and fun. Our Centennial year will be filled with great activities that will explore the history and culture of the Chugach. If you have always wanted to learn more about this great natural resource this is the year and the century to do it. Please visit our website at www.fs.fed.us/r10/chugach/centennial for a list of upcoming events, an overview of history, a fun facts page, information for the media, and a chance for you to share your photos or to send an electronic postcard.
Come visit us in Girdwood at the Glacier Ranger District, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays or in Portage at the Begich Boggs Visitor Center, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. all summer long.
By Kris Malecha
Special to the Turnagain Times
Close your eyes and imagine the little peek of a tulip or crocus, working its way up to the sunshine; the snow is gone, the ground is warming up and even the air smells good. Does this sound like heaven to you? Then come on out and join Girdwood Beautification! This tireless group has been around since the late 80’s, working to spruce up, perk up and pretty up our little town. The volunteer committee has won awards for their creative work with plantings, and you can be a part of it! No experience required, there are plenty of gardening gurus to show you the ropes. All you need is a pair of gloves (and undoubtedly someone can spare you a pair of those), and a willing spirit.
The Girdwood Beautification Committee/Team will kick off the season with a Spring Spruce Up party on May 12. Join us at Glacier City Hall with your gloves, loppers, shovels and rakes at 9:00 a.m., and we’ll spread out among the 15 plus sites in Girdwood (most along Alyeska Highway), which we maintain and get things cleaned up and ready for spring planting. What could be more fun than getting together with other gardening gurus and “talkin’ shop” as each nip of the lopper makes Girdwood that much nicer to look at?
For even more fun, planting and caring for the planting beds will start the week of June 5. We are still in need of volunteers to adopt planter sites. This entails planting, weeding, watering, and otherwise maintaining a planter site until September. The planters provide splashes of color all over town, giving Girdwood that special something, a little pizzazz, shouting out to all who visit “we love our town!” Whether you have a lot of time or a little, have gardened all your life or never planted a bulb, the Committee would love to have you.
Not much free time to spare? Think about finding a friend to share in adopting a site. If you are new to Girdwood, here’s a great way to meet your neighbors. It’s also a wonderful family activity.
To volunteer or for more information call Volunteer Coordinator Carol Sanner at 783-2912. Jonnie Lazarus, Muni and Girdwood Parks and Recreation staffer, can also answer questions at 783-8146. Hope to see you on May 12.
By John Gallup, GBOS Chair
Special to the Turnagain Times
Girdwood is unique in many ways, including in its elected governance. We have the Girdwood Board of Supervisors which supervises and budgets for five departments which affect most Girdwoodians to one degree or another. The five elected positions supervise Roads, Public Safety, Land Use, Utilities, and Parks and Recreation. We have power to set our mill rate (and thus are part of setting the property tax rates for your property) and to spend the collected monies here in Girdwood. This makes the GBOS a little different than other community groups in Anchorage. We are also unique in that we serve as the Community Council for Girdwood, and like other Community Councils, we are advisory to the Anchorage Assembly.
We meet on the third Monday of every month at 7:00 PM at Glacier City Hall and would encourage anyone interested in the nuts and bolts of running our little town to drop in. There is almost always some interesting issue on the agenda.
Our current Supervisors are myself, John Gallup, Jim Henderson, Tim Cabana. We have sent the applications of Nick Danger, and Jake Thompson to the mayor’s office to fill the 2 vacant seats for which nobody filed in January.
This points out one of the problems the GBOS has had in the last several years—finding people willing to serve. We were fortunate to get resumes after the fact this time, but it is a steady job of recruitment on our parts which keeps the interest up. I would encourage anyone who is interested in serving Girdwood in this capacity to look ahead to filing for one of the three seats which will be up for election in April 2008.
So what does the GBOS do? The Roads Supervisor oversees the maintenance of 13.2 miles of roads. The maintenance itself is done by H.R. Redmond Co. with whom we communicate on a regular basis to ensure that problem areas are fixed and snow is removed in a timely manner. We are a Limited Road Service Area which means we will always do our best, but that nobody is guaranteed a perfectly groomed road or instantaneous snow removal.
The Parks and Rec Supervisor oversees a half-time employee, Jonnie Lazarus, who administers our Parks and Recreation grants and maintains our park facilities which include the recently completed children’s park, the skate park, the tennis courts, and the Frisbee golf course. The grants through Parks and Rec go to a wide range of Girdwood non-profits who do good work. Last year we (you-the taxpayers) underwrote grants to the new playground, Community Schools, and improvements to trails and other facilities around town.
The Public Safety Supervisor works closely with Fire Chief Chadwick and the state trooper’s post in Girdwood to provide public safety funding (for Fire and EMS) and address public safety issues which affect the community such as drunk driving, illegal camping and fires, abandoned vehicles, and wildfire fuels abatement.
The Land Use Supervisor stays in touch with all new development coming Girdwood’s way and works closely with the Municipality’s Planning Department and the Heritage Land Bank, which is the administrative body for all of the undeveloped Municipal lands in Girdwood (over 5,000 acres!) We also have a standing subcommittee of the GBOS called the Land Use Committee which serves as the main community forum for Land Use and related issues. The LUC meets on the second Tuesday of the month at 7:00 PM at Glacier City Hall. With all of the planned projects coming our way, this is a particularly exciting position to be in.
The Utilities Supervisor works with our civic utilities such as water, sewer, electric, telephone, cable, and solid waste. All of the development contemplated will need these utilities planned in, so this person will also be busy.
Serving on the Board has its rewards and its frustrations, like anything else. Fielding the 18th angry call from somebody who is stuck when it’s snowing 3 inches per hour is not what anyone would choose as an unpaid avocation, yet getting a chance with the simple raising of one’s hand to signify “aye” to help to fund the playground or the soon-to-be real Library/Community Center helps to balance things out. In terms of time, it can easily go up to nearly a full-time job if things are crazy, but it is never sustained for long at that level. Still, it requires a commitment of time and energy.
We even have our own website which has all of the GBOS minutes, GBOS agendas, and other important community announcements on it. Go to www.muni.org/gbos/ for the latest information. Our mailing address is Box 390 Girdwood.
The Girdwood Board of Supervisors will be contributing a monthly column in the Turnagain Times. Each Supervisor will have an opportunity to write an editorial or report on news from the GBOS.
Cruising the StacksBy Denise Dargan
Special to the Turnagain Times
As we bid farewell to a fantastic winter, spring weather and increased daylight help us embrace the promises of summer reading pleasures to come. Your local library has a wide assortment of materials, covering many formats, to suit library users of many interests. We invite you to check us out.
Construction of the new Gerrish Library and Girdwood Community Center is set to break ground on Tuesday, May 29 at 10:00 a.m. The new library and community center will be added to the renovated fire station that was completed in 1997
The project has been years in the making, but became a reality last fall when funding was secured from the Denali Commission and the Rasmuson Foundation. State funding was also secured by Representative Mike Hawker. A special Girdwood property levy is raising $1 million for the library and community center.
Anchorage Municipal Libraries is once again teaming up with local comic store, Bosco’s, for Free Comic Book Day. Come to any of the Anchorage Municipal Libraries on Saturday, May 5 and get your free comic book. Supplies are limited and will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. More information can be found about this event on the Anchorage Municipal Libraries’ website: www.anchoragelibrary.com.
The 2007 Anchorage Municipal Libraries’ Summer Reading Program, “Get a Clue about Your Library” will have its kick-off on May 19 at the annual Reading Rendezvous. This free, fun, family event will take place in the Cuddy Family Memorial Park, adjacent to the Z.J. Loussac Library in Anchorage from noon to 4:00 p.m. Reading Rendezvous activities are scheduled non-stop throughout that day.
Summer Reading Program registration will also be kicked off that day at all of the other Anchorage Municipal branch libraries. Children of all ages are invited to participate in this program that is designed to keep people reading throughout the summer months. Any reading—including the newspaper or comic books—counts toward daily totals. Young readers keep track of the time they spend reading or listening to books, and earn prizes along the way. Adult participants simply fill out a registration form and begin reading. After reading a book, fill out a review of the book and enter the review for one of several weekly prizes.
Our summer programs for children will include: the Lapsit program, a short story time for infants through age 3 and their caregivers, on Fridays, 10:00 a.m. to 10:25 a.m. (Note change of day and time for the summer session only). Preschool story time for children ages 3 to 5 and their caregivers is on Fridays, 11:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. These programs will begin on Friday, June 8, and will go through Friday, July 27. Summer Reading programs for school age children will be on some Wednesdays, 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. during June and July.
Some current and upcoming popular titles include: Blaze” by Richard Bachman; “Strike Force” by Dale Brown; “New England White” by Stephen L. Carter; “When Day Breaks: A Novel of Suspense” by Mary Jane Clark; “Double Take” by Catherine Coulter; “The Navigator” by Clive Cussler; “Falling Man” by Don DiLillo; “The Maytrees” by Annie Dillard; “Lean Mean Thirteen” by Janet Evanovich; “The Double Agents” by W.E.B. Griffin; “The Harlequin” by Laurell K. Hamilton; “The Good Guy” by Dean R. Koontz; “Once Around the Track” by Sharyn McCrumb; “The Gravedigger’s Daughter” by Joyce Carol Oates; and “Spare Change’ by Robert B. Parker.
The Gerrish Branch Library will be closed Saturday, May 26 in observance of the Memorial Day holiday.
Library information can be found at www.anchoragelibrary.org. Scott & Wesley Gerrish Branch Library specific information is include in a voicemail message at 343-4024.
By Philip Peterson II
Special to the Turnagain Times
We’ve come to the end of another one. The snow is going fast and our ski community is gearing up for its annual summer migration. Some will head off to work, others to travel, some will keep on doing what they’ve been doing. It’s a time of reflection, transition, and a fair bit of celebration.
Towards the end of the year, I flashed my press credentials to Alyeska’s pro patrol and (after lengthy badgering and cajoling) got the nod of approval to tag along for a North Face bombing run. It was an intense experience seeing the two-pound charges explode and watching as Christmas Chute was transformed into a surging river of slough. Between bomb blasts the radio would squawk from other patrollers, lifties, mountain hosts, trail crew, etc. all coordinating their efforts to make the mighty behemoth of Alyeska run.
The experience made me realize how many people in the Turnagain area have, in one way or another, built their lives around the sport of skiing. Some people crash on couches to save on rent, while others own giant houses, some make the daily commute from Hope and Sunrise when others are braving the tunnel from Whittier.
We head to the resort, and we head into the backcountry. From the Hollywood lines under the chairlifts to the hidden powder stashes, skiing is more than a sport for us, it is a way of life. There are lifties, challenge volunteers, doctors, lawyers, fishermen, Forest Service employees, teachers, salespeople, artists, guides, and countless others whose lives revolve around the sport. One guy went so far as to buy the resort itself.
Why do we do it? It’s different for everyone. Maybe you were weaned from the sledding hill too early and are trying to recapture that time in your life. Maybe it is an addiction to speed and powder skiing. Maybe you’ve chosen the sport to stay fit and healthy. Perhaps you just don’t have anything to do during the day and were looking for an expensive outlet for your extra cash. In my case, skiing was a natural compliment for late afternoon beer consumption. Whatever the reason it is a fine community.
I love to stand at the top of chair six and see the “hello’s” and high fives as the bull wheel delivers chair after chair of familiar faces to the top of the mountain. It is like a daily block party without the cheese dip. Come to think of it, I might suggest the addition of an appetizers table at the top, or a nice tray of hors d’oeuvres at a re-opened Nest. Grab a cocktail wiener from the platter before you drop in for another powder run.
While everyone scatters to the wind this summer, the resort is planning some ambitious improvements. I have it from a reliable unnamed source deep within the inner sanctum of Alyeska that snow making capabilities are to be extended to the top of the tram terminal and up to the Autobahn on the North Face. This will mean better early season conditions and earlier potential North Face openings. It sounds like some new faces might be added to the management team to bring in some fresh ideas.
Trying to capitalize on this opportunity I’ve sent in my resume’ along with my chief desire in resort improvements: life sized ice sculptures of each season pass holder to be placed at the top of the Head Wall each fall. I haven’t heard back from them yet, but I’m sure they’re as excited as I am.
Thanks to the massive snowstorms this winter, excellent touring conditions during the February drought, and a nice smattering of powder days since, I have had my fill of skiing for the season. I know the cravings will return sometime this summer. About early August, I’ll probably begin to wonder what sort of winter we’ll be having, dreaming of the big powder dumps, and of course looking forward to spending time with all of my ski buddies.
I’d like to raise a toast to all of you exceptional people who have organized your lives to be part of this outstanding community of mountain sliders. To bring it all home, I’ll leave you with a simple explanation of the ski-centered life by Girdwood resident, Jim Kennedy, “My life is better than your vacation.”
Between the PagesBy Chuck Hinson
Special to the Turnagain Times
Erik Larson’s infatuation with America at the turn of the twentieth century is almost as intriguing as the true stories he investigates (Thunderstruck, 2006, The Devil in the White City, 2003, Issac’s Storm, 2001). Here is a man who does his homework. And according to interviews, he does all research himself, preferring first-hand knowledge of each event. Working alone, hovering over ancient documents in archives and historical society files, Larson seems to live his work. His style has been described as factual, yet novelistic, “a historian…with a novelist’s soul.”
Whether reporting on the drama of the 1900 hurricane that slammed into Galveston, describing the remarkable buildup to the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893 or illustrating the despicable atrocities of cold-blooded killers, Larson almost forces us into his world, testing our patience with historical facts and details. Effortlessly, he pulls us into the intricacies of this time period, which can makes us feel like we lived it, right along with his characters. At least that’s the way it was for me.
When I read The Devil in the White City, I was expecting some history about Chicago, but I wasn’t prepared for the way the author made it come to life. Using real events as a stage, Larson follows Daniel Burnham, the primary architect for the World’s Fair held there and parallels his story with a much darker one, that of a serial killer. Critics loved the book. “Engrossing…exceedingly well documented…utterly fascinating…” (Chicago Tribune).
Larson describes how the World’s Fair of 1893, also known as the Columbian Exhibition (honoring the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America), became a strategy for Burnham and other Chicagoans who felt compelled to make a statement about itself, desiring to equate its level of power and sophistication to other cities like New York and Paris. For Burnham, along with his partner, the mayor, Fredrick Olmstead (who landscaped Central Park), George Ferris (as in Ferris wheel) and even Walt Disney’s father Elias, who worked as a carpenter on the project, the dream became reality and the fair set a new standard for the country.
Even though the historical detail seemed a little arduous at first, I relented halfway through. As I read on I realized how much the quotes and descriptions of events added to my understanding of the real life events. It also gave me more insight to Victorian propriety. For instance, it was interesting to me how, based on the niceties of the times, the young pharmacist could hide behind a thin façade of respectability to become the Jack the Ripper of Chicago without anyone questioning him, based solely on his charm and ingenuity.
In Thunderstruck, Larson “…again unites the dual stories of two desperate men, one a genius (Guglielmo Marconi, inventor of wireless communications) and the other a killer.” The killer in this case is Dr. H.H. Crippin, an alchemist, who in 1910 poisoned his wife and disposed of her remains. Marconi, like Burnham is struggling for perfection, while evil intentions lurk elsewhere.
Interestingly, in both novels, there is a third party that uncovers and exposes the crimes. It’s a detective in The Devil in the White City and a Scotland Yard inspector in Thunderstruck. This enables Larson to illustrate how events of the time, the allure of the Fair and the advent of a wireless system of communications, contribute to each parallel story (the murders). Ultimately justice is served in both cases.
Larson is a master at weaving hard facts into a novel format. Although the plots of the two novels are quite different, they take place in the same era. And their themes are so remarkably alike that reading them is like history repeating itself. It makes you feel like you are there.
Chuck Hinson is the owner of Girdwood Books and News
Dog Days Max the Dog recently spent some quality time with his friend, Skippy Dog. Born in Oregon, she is a long time resident of Girdwood. This furry, gray and white beauty resides with Cindy Nielsen and Michael Brooks.
A week ago I spent a relaxed winter afternoon with my dignified and interesting friend Skippy Dog. We spent some time in the meadow behind her house making paw prints in the snow, sniffing out hidden rabbit scents, and signing our names on bushes.
Then we headed for Skippy’s house, flopped down on the carpet and begged a few treats from Mama. Skippy lives with Mama and Treat Boy on lower Crow Creek Road.
Two hours later, while Food Lady drove me home, I was singing the “Skippy Rap” which I composed to remember all of Skippy’s incredible names: “Princess, Missy Miss, Three Tuffet Muffet,
Skipster, Baby Girl, Food-o-dile, Child.
These are names for a dog once wild.”
In her youth, Skippy was a free spirit, and roamed the streets of Girdwood at will. She lived in the trailer court across from the Old Post Office, where the clinic is now. If you remember the Mercantile before the “No Dogs on the Porch” sign, you may have met her. She spent a considerable amount of time on that porch successfully waiting for customers to give her a treat.
You see, Skippy has these eyes, Australian Shepherd eyes. Intimidating eyes, utilized by her ancestors to stare down sheep and cattle, communicating to the beasts what was expected. The look that also said, “I am not to be disobeyed.” Skippy alias Food-o-dile (rhymes with crocodile) turned those same eyes on the Merc’s customers with great success. Offerings of doritos, donuts and hot dogs added significantly to her fast growing bulk.
Then tragedy struck. At the prime of her obesity, when she was seven years old, her trailer court human died.
Out of this despair emerged Mama, who adopted this Princess. She put her on a sensible diet, an exercise routine of skiing, ice skating and hiking, and gave the Skipster plenty of love. The Food-o-dile thrived, going from size XXX to a size 10 dress size. She still uses her Australian Shepherd eyes to successfully score treats from Mama and Treat Boy, but now these treats are healthy, as in steak tips and green beans and little squeaky toys.
Skippy’s name “Three Tuffet Muffet” intrigued me. “Do you eat spiders?” I asked, flaunting my knowledge of English nursery rhymes involving arachnophobia.
“No,” she replied, rolling those famous eyes. “It refers to my three tuffets, or beds.” I struggled to my feet and the Three Tuffet Muffet led me on a tuffet tour.
On the tour I was shown three comfortable beds, each in a different room. I also discovered a nicely framed certificate bearing Skippy’s name. On it was printed “April 17, 2003, Official Canine Rolfer.” I was impressed. Actually, I had no idea what Rolfing was—I just liked the looks of that certificate. Skippy explained she once accompanied Mama to the Boulder Colorado Rolfing Institute, where Mama studied, and Skippy lay in the classroom absorbing knowledge. Both learned Rolfing (deep muscle massage) techniques, and received graduation certificates. Skippy continues to lie quietly and absorb knowledge, while Mama practices massage therapy at her business “Royal Touch Rolfing.”
Fourteen years old now, Missy Miss, alias Food-o-dile, alias Three Muffet Tuffet, alias all those other names in the “Skippy Rap”, holds down several jobs. She is companion to Mama and Treat Boy, provides entertainment, welcomes people and animals at the front door, and makes sure no food scraps hit the floor during mealtime. She has an expansive knowledge of Human language, and is extremely responsive to commands and requests: especially when they are accompanied by treats.
Her favorite book is “How to live with a neurotic dog” by Steven Baker. Skippy’s favorite quote is on page six, where the author states, “Dogs do not eat like pigs, they eat like dogs.” I’m with you, Baby Girl.