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Willow, Age 5
David, Age 7
Jonny, Age 9
Presley, Age 10
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Arts
Contributed by Marilyn Bennett This is the new series of paintings Marilyn Bennett is working on to honor the men and women who keep Truckin while she sits at home and paints. Marilyn is in her 80’s and began painting a few years ago when she moved to Alaska. She was inspired by the beauty of the mountains to try to capture the feeling on canvas. She noted that as the seasons changed the light and clouds against the mountains created a different picture each day.
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The grandeur and vastness of this land makes even huge semi-trucks seem small in comparison. Marilyn is not a seasoned artist but hopes this series of paintings will inspire others to look at this great land in many different ways. These paintings will be on exhibition at Sophia’s restaurant located at 9191 E Frontage Rd. off the
Palmer-Wasilla, throughout the month of April. Please come by, enjoy good Greek food and check out the
many paintings by several starving Mat-Su artists.
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www.MATSUOUTDOORSMANSHOW.com
Visit these great vendors, and more! At The Menard Center in Wasilla. March 25-27, 2022. Visit www.MatsuOutdoorsmanShow.com for more info.
Contributed by Matt Rowley Alaska’s diverse seasons come and go, each one of them offering countless opportunities to get outside and enjoy the things this tremendous state has to offer. As we emerge from winter hibernation, the Mat-Su Outdoorsman Show is coming to Wasilla – a rite of spring in southcentral Alaska, your first opportunity each year to hook up with the gear, clothing, toys, ideas, and information to help you get the most out of your outdoor Alaska experience. It’s also a great chance to fill up your summer dance card with charters, adventure trips, and other outdoor activities that make you happy.
This three-day event at the Menard Center offers something for everyone. Vendors will be there offering all manner of goods from RVs, boats, and other big boy toys, to knives, dog treats, sporting goods, wood carvings, survival gear, and other specialty items. If you’re looking for knowledge, there will be classes on where and how to catch halibut, self-defense training, career opportunities, outdoor survival, and dog training. Plus, you can learn about land and fisheries conservation, fire mitigation, and off-grid living. Don’t forget about the food! There is no excuse to go home hungry, as there will be a veritable smorgasbord of food trucks with a plethora of tasty eats
And speaking of community, you may have noticed that many of the Outdoorsman Show vendors are local small businesses, the lifeblood of our state. These are your friends and neighbors. When you buy from a small business, you’re not helping a CEO buy a third vacation home. You are helping a little girl get dance lessons, a little boy his team jersey, a mom put food on the table, a dad pay a mortgage or a student pay for college. Small businesses are the heartbeat of our neighborhoods, the spine of our local economy, and the spirit of our community. These are the vendors you’ll find at the show. The Mat-Su Outdoorsman Show will be held the 25th, 26th, and 27th of March. Adult admission is $7, kids under 8 are free, parking is free, and the show is always free for military. Visit MatSuOutdoorsmanShow.com for more info. We can’t wait to see you there!
www.MATSUOUTDOORSMANSHOW.com
available all weekend. Are you hoping for your chance to be a big winner and take home a big prize? Several nonprofits will be raffling exciting items like an Argo, guns, ATVs, guided hunts, and much more! Of course, you can’t win if you don’t play. Even if you don’t take home the grand prize, by participating in these raffles, you are still a winner, because you are contributing to these worthwhile causes that benefit our community.
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www.MATSUOUTDOORSMANSHOW.com
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Alaska Dive Search Rescue Alaska Motorsports & Equipr Camper Valley RV Caribou Vixens Vinyl Dependable RV Gold Star Alaska / ACI Boats Last Frontier Axe Co. Lone Pine Fabrication Robbie Carver Sherp of Alaska Susitna Energy Systems TrailTovz Off-Road
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Food Trucks Alaska's Yummy Choice Bitchin' Biscuits Duke's Sweets & Treats Expedition BBQ Grandma Wei's Dumplings Hillbilly Kooking Just Brew It Moosequito Eatery Nonkie Be's Cajun Faves Wisconsin Cheese Store
Seminars FREE SEMINARS are an important part of the Mat-Su Outdoorsman Show, and they will be happening throughout the weekend.
Fireweed Room
Susitna Room
Alaska Department of Corrections Recruitment Mar 25 1PM
Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan Mar 25 1PM,
Alaska Works Partnership Apprenticeship Mar 25 2PM,
Halibut 101 Mar 25 4PM,
Mar 26 2PM, Mar 27 2PM
Mar 26 2PM, Mar 27 2PM
Point Blank Introduction & Alaska Gun Laws Mar 25 4PM,
U.S. Army Careens & Enlistment Incentives Mar 26 1PM, Mar 26 1PM
Mar 26 12PM
Mar 26 4PM, Mar 27 1PM
Adventure Dog Club Mar 25 5PM, Mar 26 1PM, Mar 27 12PM
Hug-A-Tree and Survive! Mar 26 11AM
Home Security, The AAA Way Mar 26 12PM
Why Membership Matters Mar 26 3PM
Off-Grid Cabin Solar Systems Mar 26 3PM
Scope Mounting 101 Mar 26 4PM Grid Tie Solar Mar 27 3PM
This is your opportunity to learn from the experts on a wide variety of subjects like fishing tips and tricks, off-grid safety, career opportunities, fisheries conservation, firearm safety, and more!
www.matsuoutdoorsmanshow.com/seminars
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Poetry & Prose Contributed by Robert Lyons I never met a man not covered in sin, so since the beginning Ive listened only to the wind, The whims of beckoning beggars leaping at the lectern, dissecting this spin, never even in one ear went in, No authority but wilderness, my time spent on the heaven sent, the ravens caw, the witnessing of the tell-tale all. You must hear my call. My message clear and loud, but ignored as if I never made a sound, A soft wind, right above the ground. Whispering by the water, sliding out into the bay, then the high tide glides back in and none survive the day. Do not fear my word, fear Gods, for we are not done, all is okay, the herd rambles on, to the drone of the drumming songs, My spirit has been good strolling in these woods, but I am spurred on to these new neighborhoods’ and the posting of these words, I cannot stop it! It will not go; my soul is lifted and to the world I throw, truths that nobody seems to really want to know. Contributed by Katherine Baker I saw a mounted army, sped gallop with the wind, armies of previous war, which had already been, and as they closer came, observed this war, as same, cloaked in dark ill will, onward, onward, still.
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They’d vowed to fight and win, while they were yet alive, dead children, women, men, no victory survivedthese battles are not over, though never won by soldier, charged a bloody will, onward, onward, still.
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Poetry & Prose By Caitlin M.S. Buxbaum I didn’t question your motivation, or even the tank top you wore; things are getting heated out there. I did notice your man bun, may have imagined you to be our savior in these dark times, a new-age kind of Jesus sent to make light of our situation in the most non-invasive way: by building a body immune to our quarantine blues, stationed where we might see and be seen. Thank you, for being the progenitor of our faith that, when the snow melts away, our fears will follow it, and your son’s sacrifice will purchase our long-awaited freedom. timothy hay which is in another barn, across a sheet of ice. Hmmm. I asked the loader if he would bring the hay over to me, but he wasn’t interested in that. Contributed by Pamela Means This year’s ice and early thaw have made yards, streets and parking lots full of ice. Today is the day I can no longer put off getting feed. I have no chicken food for tomorrow, and I need several other things that require a trip to the backlot of the local feed store.
The first things I need are sourced out of this barn, so easily loaded but, I also need
Somehow the car did a slow pirouette headed back in the direction of the front of the store, and I just managed to stop it a little closer to the door and headed the other way. I think I impressed him and he loaded my bales, scratching his head as I slowly drove/ slid away. I’m sure there are many more stories about this year’s Ice Olympics. Difficulty - parking lot, lots of things to hit Speed - incredibly slow Control - none, some steering involved Score - amazing!
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I pick up cat food inside, pay at the register, then proceed round back to get the other things. There’s a man ahead of me getting 32 bags of Delta hay pellets. 32 at 50 lbs each - wow. They are just finishing stuffing a Ford Expedition full to the brim as I come past the gate. I noticed there’s only ice in front of the barn and slowed down, pumping the brakes until I made a credible stop before the barn door.
In fact, he questioned my plan for getting out of here. Plan? Plan, there’s no planning this stuff. I ventured out, slowly sliding and praying not to hit anything before we stop. I ended up closer to the hay barn, but still wasn’t close enough. I got back in, and God took over.
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Press Release Contributed by Rose Hendrickson When her 18-year marriage came to an end in 2016, lifelong artist Rose Hendrickson saw in that life change an opportunity to grow as an individual and as an artist. She enrolled at UAA Mat-Su College, and then two years later shifted to UAA Anchorage Campus. She graduated from Mat Su College with an Associate of Arts Degree, and then was awarded her Bachelor of Fine Arts from UAA of Anchorage. Her art exhibition, Seasoned Soul, is the culmination of this long term educational and experiential process. “I’ve been around the sun a few times…”
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Hendrickson is 67 years old, and returning to school was a challenge
that few people in her position attempt. But when she went back to school, she didn’t feel too old, rather, just the opposite. “I finally found my tribe!”, she said. With her degrees behind her, artist Rose Hendrickson has partnered with the International Gallery of Contempary Art Anchorage to host her exhibit, “Seasoned Soul”, in their new annex space. The exhibit consists of four separate sculptures that, together, form one larger, immersive piece. Born and raised in Alaska, Rose’s art is a reflection of the seasons as they unfold here around us. The life changes that come with time can sometimes seem harsh and difficult, but the Alaskan
spirit of the seasoned soul knows that Spring is just around the bend.
“Even the coldest depths of the whispering winter hold the promise of the coming spring.” Opening night is April 1st, 5-8 pm, and the exhibition continues throughout the month of April, harkening to the welcoming spring that quickens the soul with joy, and hope of new life. Check out her Facebook artist page search for ‘Rose Hendrickson Fine Art’ on Facebook. IGCA 425 D Street Anchorage, AK 99501 Rose Hendrickson 907-982-4578 damascus@gci.net
Arts