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Mona Painter/Turnagain Times Cooper Landing Fire Department volunteer Bill Fort hands Pat Fleetwood her “Excess Candle Permit” as Jacque Greenman, behind, watches. Pat and Jacque were celebrated at Sunrise Inn for their joint 165 years. |
By Mona Painter
Turnagain Times Cooper Landing Correspondent
Birthday party for two long-time Alaskans
Fifty people gathered at Sunrise Inn recently to celebrate the birthdays of Pat Fleetwood and Jacque Greenman thanks to Mary Louise Molenda and Mayme Ohnemus. The surprise came when two volunteer firemen, Bill Fort and Jerry Neis, appeared in a fire truck and rushed in to present the Excess Candle Permits, signed by Fire Chief Jerry James, to each of the women giving them permission to exceed normal candle limits. Everyone was cheering and laughing as the firemen stood by for the lighting and then had to finish blowing out the candles. After the no-host dinner party, cake and ice cream were served to the party goers and all the Sunrise Inn customers and still there was cake and ice-cream left over, which will be served at the museum’s Alaska’s 50th birthday party July 11.
Both Pat and Jacque are long-time Alaskans of over 50 years. Pat was a social reporter for the Anchorage Times and had her own column. Jacque played a key part in the planning and construction of Eagles View and Ravens View, the two units of senior housing in Cooper Landing.
Mayme said special thanks are due to Scott Davis, president of the Cooper Landing Emergency Services and firemen Fort and Neis who participated in the birthday event. “Just shows you,” Mayme said, “that our fire department serves the community in good times as well as in emergencies.”
Float-N-Fish takes the softball trophy
John and Heather Pearson’s Float-N-Fish won the annual coed softball tournament after two exciting games with Mountain Madness on the final night. Dan Michels, the tournament manager, presented the trophy, dripping with Kenai Princess Lodge paraphernalia, to captain Deanna Hoy and described Float-N-Fish as “the most improved team” in tournament history. Spectators were impressed by the sportsmanship and camaraderie displayed by both teams. Ten teams participated in this year’s ten-day tournament. Cooper Landing Emergency Services ran the concessions for nine days.
Russian River Sanctuary open to fishing
The Russian River Sanctuary opened June 15, and the fishermen are here to take advantage of good sockeye salmon fishing. The Sanctuary Area includes waters upstream from Alaska Department of Fish and Game regulatory markers located just downstream of the ferry crossing on the Kenai River to ADF&G regulatory markers located approximately 300 yards upstream of the public boat launch at Sportsman’s Landing (including the waters around the upstream end of the island near the Russian River mouth) and the Russian River from its mouth upstream 100 yards to ADF&G regulatory markers. A map of the area is provided on page 51 of the 2009 Southcentral fishing regulation booklet. The department has determined that the early-run sockeye salmon spawning escapement goal of 14,000 – 37,000 sockeye salmon will be achieved. The daily bag and possession limit remains three sockeye salmon. Please respect the riverbank restoration projects and stay on the established pathways in the Sanctuary Area, campground areas, and Russian River Ferry area.
M & M’s make Haines visit
Mayme Ohnemus and myself, the M & M’s, just returned from a short vacation in Haines staying with Jim and Marcia Turnbull who took us out on their boat in Lynn Canal to pick up crab pots, to help stow a 300 foot long gill net, to work as kitchen help at their Elk’s Club, to visit former Cooper Landing residents Steve and Alice Daly, and to collect probably 300 pounds of white rocks for our rock gardens. We had a great time and were so impressed with the scenic beauty of that whole area. We’re looking forward to showing off Cooper Landing to Jim and Marcia in August.