By Mona Painter
Turnagain Times Cooper Landing Correspondent
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Mona Painter/Turnagain Times John and Carrie Williams fill another basket with halibut while shoppers choose garage sale items under the big tent during the fund raiser Aug. 23 and 24 for the Cooper Landing Health Center, Inc. |
Carrie Williams, President of the board of Cooper Landing Health Center, Inc. (CLHC Inc.) praised the work of volunteers Jerry and Cheryle James and crew, Brandon and Heather Harrison, Anna Wheeler, Marjorie VanKooten, Shirley Knapp, Lori Bartlett, and Jane Behlke for their contributions toward the successful two-day garage sale and halibut fry fund raiser for the local health center. Carrie and her husband, John, cooked many baskets of fish and chips for those shopping under the big yellow and white tent set up between Wildman and Espresso To Go on Aug. 23 and 24.
Monies earned from the event brought the fund total to $3,200, which will be used in support of matching funds for grant requests. Petition signatures are now at 275, with 53 letters of support from individuals and 11 from government and non-profit groups.
The intent of CLHC Inc. is to build a clinic in the most fiscally responsible way to give people of all ages from Cooper Landing, Moose Pass, Hope, and Sunrise quality and affordable health care.
This effort began last Oct. with a series of public meetings which led to assessing needs, establishing a non-profit corporation, working with Stan Steadman of the Central Peninsula Community Health Center and Regan Mattingly of Alaska Primary Care, and developing a plan for the facility. CLHC Inc.’s request for a conceptual planning grant is coming before the Denali Commission on Sept 8. CLHC Inc. is looking forward to becoming qualified to receive federal funding through Section 330 Public Health Services Act, receiving land from the Kenai Peninsula Borough, and getting capital funding from the state legislature for building the clinic.
Mayme Ohnemus, Sexy Senior Dumpster Cleaners agent, introduced out-of-town guests who joined the SSDC in the eleven year appreciation luncheon at Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge on Aug. 28: Representative Paul Seaton and his wife Tina, Kenai Peninsula Borough Chief of Staff Tim Navarre, KPB Solid Waste Dept. employee Juleen Borden and her husband Bing, and Jack Carver from Alaska Waste. Many thanks were given to SSDC for their different roles, to the Adopt-a-Highway crew of Nick Lemieux, Jan Mitchell, Chris Farrington and John and Fay Corbey, to Gary Galbraith of Alaska Rivers Co. for special float trips and financial donations to Cooper Landing seniors, and to all the SSDC sponsors. On Sept. 11, Gary Galbraith will take SSDC and friends on a Kenai River float through the canyon. Call Mayme for details and to reserve a spot. I should have taken notes when the bear stories were told during lunch. They aren’t having problems lately since all the Dumpsters are now the bear resistant models and a few trouble bears have been removed.
Cooper Landing School opened with ten students. L.A. Perkerson, through Community School, will teach yoga classes at the community hall beginning Sept. 20. Four people applied for the two vacancies on the Cooper Landing Advisory Planning Commission. The Cooper Landing Volunteer Fire Dept. put out a fire at the organic site up Snug Harbor Road. An, as yet, unknown person burglarized the community library recently. The community club’s Sept. 25 agenda includes local trails, capital projects, and the Snail-a-thon/Waikiki Beach.