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Non-Profit Directory
Non-Profit’s Help Our Community! www.makeasceneak.com/nonprofitdirectory
Non-Profit Organization? Join our growing list for as little as $15.00/mo! Families & Children: Family Promise Mat-Su www.familypromisematsu.com (907) 357-6160 A community response for families without housing. Family Promise Mat-Su, “FPMS” uses area churches for shelter while providing meals and case management to help homeless families move back into housing and self-sustainability. In addition we provide state funds(BHAP) for homeless prevention.
OTHER Mat-Su Health Services, Inc. www.mshsak.org (907) 376-2411 Dedicated to improving the health of our community, one person at a time – through affordable medical, dental and behavioral health care.The clinic is a Federally qualified Health Care Center and we accept Medicare, Medicaid, and most other third-party insurances. For those who qualify, there is a sliding scale payment, based on household income. We offer early morning and evening appointments appointment. You can also contact our 24/7 behavioral crisis intervention line by calling the main number: 376-2411.
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Valley Fiber Arts Guild www.valleyfiberarts.org The Valley Fiber Arts Guild began in 1983. Our purpose is to provide educational and cultural enrichment for the community by promoting a greater interest in the fiber arts. Fiber arts include spinning, weaving, knitting, crochet, dying, felting, lace making, and more! Monthly gatherings are held at the Palmer Public Library on the first Saturday of the month from September-April at 10am-11:30am. Tuesday is UnFinished Objects Night. Join us every Tuesday night 5ish-8pm at Vagabond Blues Cafe in Palmer! Come spin, knit, crochet, or visit while having some coffee and getting some free instruction!
Families & Children:
ARTS:
Denali Family Services
Valley Arts Alliance
291 East Swanson Ave. Wasilla, AK 907-222-2331 or eolivares@denalifs.org Denali Family Services provides therapeutic foster care to Alaskan children with mental health needs. If you are committed to working with a team, receiving training and implementing positive interventions to schoolage children and teens, we need your talents and skills. We are in search of professional, therapeutic foster parents who are willing to make a commitment to the children of Alaska by providing a stable home environment. For more information, please call or email our Foster Care Recruiter, Ernestina D. Olivares, at 907-222-2331 or eolivares@ denalifs.org.
www.ValleyArtsAlliance.com Valley Arts Alliance, bringing the community together through the arts... We are a place for both new and established artists of all types— painters, sculptors, musicians, and those involved in the performing arts—to network and to experiment with new ideas and media. We work with local libraries, schools, museums, art councils, and music and art groups to create more venues for the arts, and to help promote art related events. Join us at our informal weekly meetings, every Thursday @ 11 at Sophia’s Cafe, 9191 E Frontage Road, Palmer-Wasilla Hwy. Check out our archives www.ValleyArtsAlliance.com
Mat-Su Health Foundation
Valley Community for Recycling Solutions
healthymatsu.org (907) 352-2863 The Mat-Su Health Foundation offers financial and strategic support to well-managed 501(c)(3) organizations that offer services and practical solutions to significant health-related problems impacting the citizens of the Mat-Su Borough. The foundation also offers academic and vocational scholarships to Mat-Su residents who wish to pursue health and wellness related careers.
Pets & Animals: Alaska Animal Advocates www.alaskaanimaladvocates.com (907) 841-3173 Alaska Animal Advocates is a non-profit group of dedicated volunteers who are devoted to enriching the lives of companion animals in Alaska. In order to do this, we will place homeless pets in loving environments, address medical concerns, spay or neuter, microchip, vaccinate, and offer training as is needed. We believe that every animal deserves a loving home, for his/her entire life and Alaska Animal Advocates will provide the resources to make this happen. In order to make this mission possible, we need the help of volunteers and foster homes.
CONSERVATION: www.valleyrecycling.org (907) 745-5544 RECYCLING – It’s not just for hippies anymore!! Everyone in the Mat-Su valley can recycle. Drop your stuff off Tues – Fri 10:30 to 6 and Sat 10:30 to 3:30. Recycle cardboard, magazines, this newspaper and more at your community recycling center. Remember to REDUCE, REUSE, and then RECYCLE! Your community recycling center is located at 9465 E Chanlyut Circle, next to the MSB Animal Shelter at the MSB Central Landfill. Volunteer opportunities available. Make a difference in your community! Check out our website for details, follow us on Facebook. www.valleyrecycling.org - Call us at 907.745.5544 with questions or comments.
EMPLOYMENT SERVICES: Mat-Su Regional Adult Basic Education (Nine Star) MatsuAdultEd@ninestar.com (907) 373-7833 Mat-Su ABE provides basic education in math, language arts and English as a second language (ESL), aiming to raise student skills beyond the high-school level in order to pass tests like the GED, enter training programs or college, and advance on the job. Enrollment is open to all adult residents of Alaska, year-round. Youth Employment for ages 16-24 not in school -- get a job, keep a job, advance on the job. Nine Star 300 N Willow 373-3006 (in the MYHouse building)
FAITH: Valley Interfaith Action (VIA) www.valleyinterfaithaction.org (907) 230-1006 To address quality of life issues for all residents of the Mat-Su Borough, utilizing the faith values of our members, developing community-wide interest and mobilization around quality of life issues. Through training, leaders address community problems by providing forums for discussion, researching alternative solutions, and working as facilitators with residents and leaders for institutional change.
HOMELESS YOUTH: Mat-Su Youth Housing (MY HOUSE) myhousematsu.org (907) 373-4357 MY House is a homeless youth drop in center with two for-profit businesses that train and employ homeless youth. Gathering Grounds Cafe is a coffee shop with homemade soups, sandwiches, salads and baked goods. Steamdriven is a trendy thrift shop featuring Steampunk items made from repurposed donations by our youth designers. Fiend2Clean and Young People in Recovery offer support for substance abuse recovery with activities and events. We offer transitional housing for qualified 18-24 year olds, Outreach services to connect homeless youth, organizations and groups to services, and access to Public Health and NineStar job/education services on site.
SOCIAL ADVOCACY: Wasilla Homeless-Committee www.wasillahomeless-committee.org (907) 521-2949 Wasilla Homeless-Committee is a 100% volunteer organization funded by private donations and regular fundraising events. Our sole purpose is to assist the homeless, those at risk of homelessness, and others who do not meet the criteria for help that is required by other advocacy agencies in the valley. Wasilla Homeless-Committee provides case management, housing search assistance, move in assistance, job search assistance, clothing, furniture, help with transportation, and resource guidance for homeless and disenfranchised in the Mat-Su Valley. Visit our website for application, or call 907521-2949. Find us on Facebook facebook.com/ wasillahomelesscommitteepage
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Museum
Changing the Face of Power: Women in the U.S. Senate Exhibit 8/14/2017 – 9/25/2017 Palmer Museum of History & Art 723 S Valley Way, Palmer FREE Event Ahtna Language & Sewing Bag Workshop 9/8/2017 – 12PM Palmer Museum of History & Art 723 S Valley Way, Palmer FREE Event Untold Stories: “Reunions, Revivals and Redemptions” 9/17/2017 – 6PM Palmer Museum of History & Art United Protestant Church 713 S Denali St. Palmer Tickets: $10 Students, $15 Adults As we attempt to fit in as many activities as possible during these precious remaining weeks of summer, the Palmer Museum of History and Art has you covered. From a new, exciting traveling exhibit and an Alaska Native workshop to our next episode of Untold Stories, you will have plenty of opportunities to get together with friends and family and celebrate before the weather starts to turn!
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Starting Monday, August 14th the Palmer Museum of History and Art will be featuring Changing the Face of Power: Women in the U.S. Senate, the Museum’s newest traveling exhibit from Texas, courtesy of Humanities Texas. Melina Mara, artist behind the exhibit, began photographing the thirteen women in the US Senate in 2001 and continued to do so until 2003. Her documentation of the role of women in the Senate brings to light the problem of representation in politics. In addition to Mara’s honest
photographic portrayal of female senators, White House journalist, Helen Thomas, conducted interviews with ten senators. These interviews have been turned into two audio presentations that accompany the exhibit and will be available to the public. In a time when political tensions run high and identity politics are taking a spotlight, Changing the Face of Power: Women in the U.S. Senate provides an insight into the challenges faced by women in the Senate and the struggle faced by women on a daily basis. The exhibit is an educational and empowering experience for people of all backgrounds and should not be missed. Changing the Face of Power will be on display at the Palmer Museum from August 14th through September 25th and is available free to the public. The Palmer Museum is also the only venue to be hosting the exhibit during its visit to the state of Alaska. As part of the Museum’s end of summer programming, museum staff is excited to announce a free Ahtna Language and Sewing Bag Workshop sponsored by Chickaloon Village Traditional Council’s Nay’dini’aa Xuk’anotta Nene’ Project (Nurture the Land and People Project) scheduled for Friday, September 8th from 12:00PM 2:00PM at the Palmer Museum. Guests will have the rare opportunity to immerse in an Ahtna cultural tradition while learning the language that is associated with it. Supplies are limited so to ensure your participation, we ask that you reserve your space early by contacting the Chickaloon Village Cultural Development Coordinator, Melissa Shaginoff, at melisas@chickaloon.org. For those
who are unable to secure a spot, please consider on still attending, as guests will be allowed to observe the workshop and still gain instruction. The month of September also brings our fifth episode of Untold Stories on Sunday, September 17th from 6:00PM - 8:00PM. To help enhance this September’s episode and enrich the experience, we have moved our storytelling location to the United Protestant Church (Church of 1000 Logs) in Palmer. During the event, seven storytellers will share their stories about “Reunions, Revivals and Redemption.” Our local Palmer Downtown Deli will also be available during the evening, selling refreshments and some heavier food options so our guests can enjoy a light dinner during the show. Tickets are available at the Palmer Museum and B Bella Hair Salon and are $15 per adult and $10 per student with a valid ID. Our Untold Stories storyboard is still accepting story submissions for the event and will continue to do so through September 4th. Be sure not to miss out on this growing Palmer tradition and/or for your opportunity to join our list of celebrated storytellers. For more information, please visit our event page on our website at www.palmermuseum.org/ untold-stories/. With so many activities to do and so
little time, we hope you make plans to join us in celebrating the end of summer and look forward to seeing you during this Alaska State Fair season! For details about the Palmer Museum and our upcoming events, please visit our website at www.palmermuseum.org. The Palmer Museum of History and Art is a non-profit museum that serves the community of Palmer in preserving and sharing the history and art of the Palmer region. The museum’s collections contain items that best depict region’s art history, exploration, settlement, agriculture, and trade, cultural and social development. During the summer, May 1st through September 30th, the museum also serves a Palmer’s Visitor’s Center and is open seven days a week from 9:00AM - 6:00PM. The museum also operates during the winter months from October 1st through April 30th, Wednesday through Friday, 10:00AM - 5:00PM and second Saturdays of the month, 10:00AM 6:00PM.
Contributed by Lucas A. Fisher To her dismay, Clementine, a prisoner aboard the floating human ship named the Cloud, was stuck in her nightmares. After the Practitioner forced her consciousness into a deep nightmare with an umbrella for a guide, she found herself led into a living fear.
Contributed by Larissa Peltier Karice crept into the stable. She peeked past the stalls to where her mother had tied up the pony. The pony neighed, frightened by the thick chains that fastened down its slim legs. Beija walked briskly out of the stable. Karice ducked behind a stall while her mother passed and stayed there, her six year old body small enough to curl into a little ball. She waited silently. Her mother returned with a bowl full of one of her floral smelling brews. Karice dared not look, but she could hear.
Karice got up on her knees and peeked over the doorway of the stall she hid in.
Down stairs and through work chambers of desks with drawings, she hit a dead end, grey and dull surroundings and no escape behind her. She prayed once more. Her nightmare rounded the corner whispering sweet lullabies into her mind. The ink from his stature flooded her insides. As slow as sludge, Clementine broke free with mental, sheer willpower. The creature heeded her commands. Now in control of her own dream world, she banished it. The dead end faded away in show of a spotlight on a talisman with a singular marking of a rune. An item which no other child could reach. Upon touch, Clementine arose from her dream and into
Karice took in her breath sharply, amazed at what she saw. Instead of a pony, there was a beautiful horse shackled - a horse with an ivory horn twisting out of its forehead. Its coat gleamed white and an aura of light surrounded the creature. Karice stood up. She stepped to the horse, unable to resist a closer look. The horse breathed hard and the whites of its eyes showed, but it didn’t squeal as it did with her mother. Karice put out her hand and touched its velvety nose. The horse calmed at her touch and Karice smiled. Beija stormed into the cottage. “Damn that beast,” she muttered. It had shied away from her like she was fire. What good was it to her if she couldn’t get close to it? She yanked a volume from her collection of Memories. The old books were the knowledge from generations of scholars that were written down to be passed on to those who sought greater understanding. They were incredibly valuable and luckily for Beija, few people knew it so she was
the chaotic and strange world that is home. The Practitioner still sat across the Stalker and in his plump chair. Unaware that time in her head was exaggerated compared to the real world and clutching the ancient oaken amulet, she was held down with magic. Clementine’s new and mysterious finding broke his spell in an orange glow. Her immunity to his pull gave her permission to flee from the door whence she came. His feeble age against Clementine’s malnutrition produced a weak chase on foot down corridors the guards from earlier had passed. Through each twist in direction, she felt a twinge of pain in her. Skinny and bony are tough attributes to run with. She wished and prayed for food mid-flight when the talisman shone once more, revealing a shimmering path only
able to gather many in her possession. She flipped through the pages of her volume of The Memory of Enchanted Creatures. “Equines,” she read. “Pegasus, the winged mount of the Age of the Sphinx. The beast could traverse a fathom within a day by riding the high winds of the sky.” No, that wasn’t what she created. Beija flipped the page. “Unicorn, the virgin’s slave. A single horn on the head that by touch alone can impart healing to the sick, injured and forlorn. The beast is only recognizable by women and can only be approached by the pure of heart.” Beija pursed her lips; she certainly was no virgin and as for her heart, well that was debatable. But the horn, Beija’s eyebrows lifted. Then she turned around and headed back to the stable, hefting up an axe on a chopping block outside the cottage door as she passed. “It’s only the horn I need,” she said to herself. Karice was overjoyed. Her father had
the bearer may see. It led into strange cold hallways compared to the vibrant setting where she eventually escaped the Practitioner. Amidst a rainbow of colors, the trail ended in a bedroom chamber for the least important workers in the lowest deck of the Cloud. In its simple one room of metal walls with no decor and only a dresser and bed, a plate of cold pasta, a stale roll and coffee cake (a piece) looked savory. Clementine scurried up the metal legs of the bed. She devoured the cold noodles with sauce and scarfed up the coffeecake. In pure delight and energy, she leaped onto the roll for a bite. Then the confines of a claw snagged her.
brought a pony home for her and her mother had enchanted it into a beautiful horse. She couldn’t wait to ride it, and thought of the wild flowers in the meadow braided into her horse’s tail. The horse snorted into her hand and licked her hair. Karice looked down. It must be hungry. She looked at the chains that clasped around the horse’s hooves. They looked out of place on such a fine animal. And the grass was green outside. Karice knelt down and unclasped the locks. Then her mother strode in. “Karice! What are you doing?” Beija snapped. The young girl turned around startled, too frightened to speak. Then the unicorn squealed and ran past Beija, out of the stable doors. Beija dropped the axe in her hand and glared at her daughter. The unicorn escaped, but Karice did not.
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The pony protested with a snort, but the brew was forced down its throat. The chains clinked as it pulled against them. Then the pony squealed, loudly. Karice jumped at the sound, but she remained where she was, her heart pounding hard. Karice heard the rustling of her mother’s skirts. The rustling stopped, and once again Beija strode out of the stable.
bits inched towards each other, she took off over the empty shoes, not glancing back at the character rebuilding.
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With breaths of anxiety and sharp pain, she made eye contact with a man who had no skin, only a colorless dripping essence at the end of a narrow hallway. Who was this man? Was it even a person? Her anger overcame fear as she charged the creep with the umbrella, lodging itself within its chest where a heart should be. In a deep, empty laugh, it shook Clementine as she opened the umbrella, splattering this figment of pigments around her. While the
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Creative Writing
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Entertainment Contributed by Carmen Summerfield
www. MAKEASCENEAK .com
Alaska Home Companion - A Frontier Variety Show Auditions 9/7/2017 – 11AM Valley Arts Alliance Sophia’s Café 9191 E Frontage Rd. Palmer FREE Event Alaska Home Companion - A Frontier Variety Show 10/7/2017 – 7PM Valley Arts Alliance Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry 3800 W Museum Dr. Wasilla Tickets: $15 Would you like to share your stories about the best, the worst and the silliest of everyday living in Alaska? Coming soon, is the sixth season of the Alaska Home Companion - A Frontier Variety Show! The 2017 Wasilla episode will be broadcast live on Saturday, October 7th from the historic Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry (MATI) gallery next to Wasilla International Airport. We are planning an encore episode to be broadcast live from the Sutton Public Library in November. The Alaska Home Companion - A Frontier Variety Show is the Valley Arts Alliance rendition of a live radio broadcast from the golden age of radio, with skits, music and dance acts, similar to the popular Prairie Home Companion radio show on NPR. For those of you who haven’t seen or heard one of our episodes, the Alaska Home Companion - A Frontier Variety Show features interesting stories by Alaskans about the best, the worst and the silliest of everyday living in Alaska. In previous episodes, we heard from the Roving Reporter, Guy d’North, and the Sommelier, as well as news from Lake Willowa and Mukluk Radio. The 2017 season is our sixth year producing the Alaska Home Companion - A Frontier Variety Show and we will continue with new music and dance acts, occasional impersonations of local celebrities, and will be occasionally broadcasted live by Radio Free Palmer on 89.5 FM.
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Auditions will be held Thursday, September 7th at our weekly meeting at Sophia’s Café, 11am until 1pm. Sophia’s Café is located at on the Palmer-Wasilla Highway at 9191 Frontage Road, phone 745-9001. If you can’t attend the auditions, please contact Carmen at www.ValleyArtsAlliance.com. So mark your calendar! The Wasilla episode of the VAA Alaska Home Companion - A Frontier Variety Show will be broadcast at 7pm Saturday, October 7, 2017 at the Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry in Wasilla. Tickets are $15 and are available at the door. A cash bar will be open during the event.
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Arts & Entertainment
www. MAKEASCENEAK .com AUG 2017
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Story-Telling Contributed by Betty M Pierce
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Untold Stories: “Reunions, Revivals and Redemptions” 9/17/2017 – 6PM Palmer Museum of History & Art United Protestant Church 713 S Denali St. Palmer Tickets: $10 Students, $15 Adults “His face was disfigured, a bomb attack or a house fire? Dark skinned with glasses that didn’t hide that one of his eyes was really wrong; wrong color (darkish all the way through, no white showing), wrong eye lid and no eye lashes. I was bent on getting my prescription, the Walgreens in a sketchy part of Anchorage is a study in human nature at 9pm on a Saturday night, certainly not where I normally hang out. But that’s another story. So in line, before I got up to this man, the pharmacy tech, it registered that he was severely damaged. How severely I wasn’t really able to take in until I was across the counter from him. His countenance did not match his face, maybe that’s why I felt comfortable with him, and when he asked for my insurance card and ID, I didn’t flinch. His outstretched hand had fingers like an oven mitt, the skin swollen and almost unrecognizable and as I handed him my cards, he smiled at me. He looked like he could be from the Middle East and so in my mind, I had this horrible bomb and/or war story scenario about him, trying to make sense of what I was seeing. His smile and his attitude, despite what he must see in people’s eyes every time he had a new patient, touched me. Many people, when sick already and having to wait for their prescriptions, can be rude and thoughtless. I wondered about the things this man has
probably had to put up with. He had issues with talking as well, so I had to really listen to understand him. I think it was because half of his mouth was different. When he was working with me, I was amazed at his attitude. I went into this Walgreens sick and feeling sorry for myself and then here was this man. I looked him full in the face and gave him my best smile, overcoming the urge to look away and he smiled back. Redemption, was what this man had...” One small sample of what you might hear at the next Untold Stories in Palmer...
Untold Stories is a storytelling event held three times a year in Palmer to support the Palmer Museum of History and Art. The idea was conceived in 2016, borrowing heavily from other popular storytelling shows both near and far. Seven storytellers are chosen and their story must be true, fit the theme and not last longer than seven minutes. Our next show is September 17, 2017 and the theme is “Revivals, Reunions and Redemptions”. Submissions are being accepted until September 4th. Submit your true story too.
the United Protestant Church in Palmer. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students with ID. You can buy tickets at the Palmer Museum or BBella Hair Design in Palmer.You may also call the Museum and purchase your tickets over the phone with your credit card at 746-7668. Reunite: to come together again Revival: renewed interest in something Redemption: the process of redeeming. Redeem: to make worthwhile, to buy back, to free from captivity by payment/ransom -Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary Untold Stories looking for stories of reunions, revivals and redemptions. Consider submitting at www.palmermuseum.org by Sept 1st. Share with your community to benefit your community!
As befitting the theme, this evening will be held at
SUBMIT YOUR OWN EVENTS & ARTICLES ON OUR WEBSITE
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Poetry
www. MAKEASCENEAK .com AUG 2017
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Calendar of Events AUDITIONS FOR THE ALASKA CHILDREN’S CHOIR 8/8/2017 - 9/2/2017 - 3PM Alaska Children’s Choir Trinity Lutheran Church 10355 E. Palmer-Wasilla Hwy. Palmer FREE Event - (907) 982-5467 alaskachildrenschoir@yahoo.com WWW.alaskachildrenscho.wixsite.com
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CHANGING THE FACE OF POWER: WOMEN IN THE U.S. SENATE EXHIBIT 8/14/2017 – 9/25/2017 Palmer Museum of History & Art 723 S Valley Way, Palmer FREE Event, www.palmermuseum.org CARIBBEAN CUISINE COOKING CLASS 8/18/2017 - 6PM Nourished Health Coaching Services 6330 N. Britchenstrap Dr. Palmer Cost: $60 - (907) 982-9933 nourishedak@gmail.com www.nourishedak.com MAT-SU RESORT AUGUST CONCERT SERIES August 18-19, 2017, 2017 - 7PM Mat-Su Resort 1850 E Bogard Rd. Wasilla FREE Admission - (907) 357-5000 WORLD DAY FAMILY FUN RUN MATSU 5K RUN/WALK & KID 1-MILE RUN 8/19/2017 - 11AM Filipino-American Community of Mat-Su- Kabayan Inc. Palmer Public Library 655 S Valley Way, Palmer Cost: $10-$75 – (907) 322-9463 NEIGHBORHOOD MEMORY CAFE 8/22/2017 - 1PM Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska Wasilla Area Seniors Inc. (WASI) 1301 S. Century Cir. Wasilla FREE Event - (907) 746-3413 jdowning@alzalaska.org www.AlzAlaska.org ALASKA STATE FAIR 8/24/2017-9/4/2017 Weekdays @12PM, Weekends @10AM Alaska State Fair Alaska State Fairgrounds 2075 Glenn Hwy. Palmer Admission: $7-$60 www.alaskastatefair.org
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HOME FREE CONCERT 8/24/2017 - 7PM Alaska State Fair ConocoPhillips Borealis Theatre 2075 Glenn Hwy. Palmer Tickets: $25 www.alaskastatefair.org HOUSE CONCERT WITH JAZZ ARTIST SCOTT COSSU 8/25/2017 - 7PM Anchorage Democrats Anchorage - House Show
www. MAKEASCENEAK .com Heritage Heights Dr. Anchorage Cost: $50 hannah.vknapp@gmail.com LIVE MUSIC AT THE MOOSEHEAD SALOON IN PALMER August 25-26, 2017 - 10PM Moosehead Saloon 808 S Colony Way #200, Palmer FREE Admission RODEO ALASKA CHAMPION’S TOUR FINALS August 26-27, 2017 - 2PM Alaska State Fair Alaska State Fairgrounds 2075 Glenn Hwy. Palmer Tickets: $10 Youth (6-12), $15 Adults www.alaskastatefair.org JOSH TURNER CONCERT 8/26/2017 - 7PM Alaska State Fair ConocoPhillips Borealis Theatre 2075 Glenn Hwy. Palmer Tickets: $35 Lawn Area, $55 RSVD Seating www.alaskastatefair.org IGGY AZALEA CONCERT 8/27/2017 - 6PM Alaska State Fair ConocoPhillips Borealis Theatre 2075 Glenn Hwy. Palmer Tickets: $40 Lawn Area, $55 RSVD Seating www.alaskastatefair.org EXPLORING DISABILITY RESOURCES EXPO 8/28/2017 – 12PM LINKS Mat-Su Alaska State Fair 2075 Glenn Hwy, Palmer FREE Event THE FAB FOUR: THE ULTIMATE TRIBUTE CONCERT 8/28/2017 - 7PM Alaska State Fair ConocoPhillips Borealis Theatre 2075 Glenn Hwy. Palmer Tickets: $25 Lawn Area, $35 RSVD Seating www.alaskastatefair.org AARON WATSON CONCERT 8/29/2017 - 7PM Alaska State Fair ConocoPhillips Borealis Theatre 2075 Glenn Hwy. Palmer Tickets: $25 Lawn Area, $30 RSVD Seating www.alaskastatefair.org JUDAH & THE LION CONCERT 8/30/2017 - 7PM Alaska State Fair ConocoPhillips Borealis Theatre 2075 Glenn Hwy. Palmer Tickets: $25 www.alaskastatefair.org SCBWI ILLUSTRATOR GET TOGETHER 8/31/2017 - 6:30PM Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators
Barnes and Noble 200 E Northern Lights Blvd. Anchorage FREE Event alaska@scbwi.org www.alaska.scbwi.org LECRAE CONCERT 8/31/2017 - 7PM Alaska State Fair ConocoPhillips Borealis Theatre 2075 Glenn Hwy. Palmer Tickets: $30 Lawn Area, $45 RSVD Seating www.alaskastatefair.org DEMOLITION DERBY 9/1/2017 - 6PM Alaska State Fair Alaska State Fairgrounds 2075 Glenn Hwy. Palmer Tickets: $8 Youth (6-12), $12 Adults www.alaskastatefair.org THIRD EYE BLIND CONCERT 9/1/2017 - 7PM Alaska State Fair ConocoPhillips Borealis Theatre 2075 Glenn Hwy. Palmer Tickets: $35 Lawn Area, $55 RSVD Seating www.alaskastatefair.org ALL STAR MONSTER TRUCKS September 2-3, 2017 Saturday @1PM & 4PM, Sunday @3PM Alaska State Fair Alaska State Fairgrounds 2075 Glenn Hwy. Palmer Tickets: $10 Youth (6-12), $15 Adults www.alaskastatefair.org DOOBIE BROTHERS CONCERT 9/2/2017 - 7PM Alaska State Fair ConocoPhillips Borealis Theatre 2075 Glenn Hwy. Palmer Tickets: $45 Lawn Area, $65-$85 RSVD Seating www.alaskastatefair.org FIRE ON THE HILL - WATCH THE STATE FAIR FIREWORKS ON TOP OF THE HILL! 9/2/2017 - 8PM First Baptist Church of Palmer 1150 E. Helen Dr. Palmer, on the hill above the Noisy Goose FREE Event - (907) 745-4483 amanda.knighten@fbcpalmer.com www.fbcpalmer.com TERRY FATOR CONCERT 9/3/2017 - 6PM Alaska State Fair ConocoPhillips Borealis Theatre 2075 Glenn Hwy. Palmer Tickets: $35 Lawn Area, $75 RSVD Seating www.alaskastatefair.org DNCE CONCERT 9/4/2017 - 3PM Alaska State Fair ConocoPhillips Borealis Theatre 2075 Glenn Hwy. Palmer
Tickets: $45 Lawn Area, $60 RSVD Seating www.alaskastatefair.org ALASKA HOME COMPANION A FRONTIER VARIETY SHOW AUDITIONS 9/7/2017 – 11AM Valley Arts Alliance Sophia’s Café 9191 E Frontage Rd. Palmer FREE Event – (907) 745-9001 www.valleyartsalliance.com 3RD ANNUAL ARTIST RETREAT September 8-10, 2017 Valley Fine Arts Association 12 Mile Lake, Hatcher Pass Cost: $60-$350 www.valleyfineartsassociation.org AHTNA LANGUAGE & SEWING BAG WORKSHOP 9/8/2017 – 12PM Palmer Museum of History & Art 723 S Valley Way, Palmer FREE Event www.palmermuseum.org VALLEY FIBER ARTS GUILD MEETING 9/9/2017 - 10AM Valley Fiber Arts Guild Palmer Library Meeting Room 655 S Valley Way, Palmer FREE Event - (907) 745-4690 MS SUPPORT GROUP MEETING: MS FLARE TRIGGERS & HOW TO AVOID THEM 9/12/2017 - 4PM My. Source. in the Valley MTA Sports Center 1507 N Double B St. Palmer FREE Event - (907) 707-8750 Check us out on Facebook SOCIAL SECURITY PLANNING: MAXIMIZING RETIREMENT INCOME September 12, 14, 16, 2017 - 6PM Vicki Thompson Northern Trust Real Estate 205 E Benson Blvd. #100, Anchorage FREE Event - (907) 350-2809 vicki.thompson@alaskanascent.com ALASKA FALL WRITING & ILLUSTRATING CONFERENCE September 15-16, 2017 - 8:30AM Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators BP Energy Center 900 E Benson Blvd. Anchorage Cost: $105 Members, $155 Non-Members alaska@scbwi.org www.alaskawritersguild.com UNTOLD STORIES: “REUNIONS, REVIVALS & REDEMPTIONS” 9/17/2017 – 6PM United Protestant Church 713 S Denali St. Palmer Tickets: $10 Students, $15 Adults – (907) 746-7668 www.palmermuseum.org
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Contributed by Vic Kohring On occasion, something unusual occurs in my life that’s too eye opening to be a coincidence. My agnostic friends (most of my friends are Christian) laugh off such incidents to happenstance or something accidental without any connection to God. But I’ve been subject to them literally dozens, if not hundreds of times, and am convinced there’s a reason behind it and therefore should not be shrugged off as a fluke or random occurrence. During the depths of my legal woes in recent years, I needed an escape to get my mind off the government savagely bearing down on me. A good friend, Werner Schuster of Palmer and the owner of Wolf Country USA, offered to take me halibut fishing at Deep Creek, so I took him up on it. The timing couldn’t have been better as I was in a pressure cooker of unbearable stress. Something needed to give and fishing was the perfect antidote. So I took the three hour
While on the water in Werner’s 19foot skiff, fishing was slow, although we were enjoying the sunny, warm weather and calm bluish-gray water of Cook Inlet about a mile off shore. An orca even surfaced fifty feet away to our delight. Werner was using his brand new deep sea fishing rod with a sparkling chrome-plated reel for the first time. The set-up cost him over $500.00 he explained, no small investment. It was a Cadillac of fishing poles. After a couple hours without even a nibble, Werner decided to take a short break and placed his pole down to grab a soda from the cooler. Seconds later - wouldn’t you know Werner got a bite. Some would chalk it up to Murphy’s Law - the second he set his pole down was the very moment a fish struck. Werner’s pole was yanked overboard as he lunged forward trying to grab it, resulting in a few colorful words. The pole dropped ninety feet to the ocean floor and seemed gone forever. We had a depth-finder, so we knew the precise
distance to the bottom. I continued fishing as Werner sat discouraged. Then five minutes later, I received a firm tug on my line, my first hit of the day. After setting the hook, I began to reel in the fish. It seemed enormous as it pulled hard. Initially I guessed it was seventy-five pounds, perhaps a hundred or more as it felt so heavy. After a fifteen minute struggle, a halibut broke the surface. But to my surprise, it was a little chicken maybe twenty pounds at most. I was perplexed as I expected much more. So why did it pull so hard and feel as if I hooked a small whale? As I hauled the fish aboard and reached for its mouth to remove the hook, I noticed something peculiar. There were two hooks, not one. Attached to the second was a line that went straight back in the water. So I began to pull on it with anticipation, wondering if there was something on the other end. Sure enough, after another fifteen minutes and a big pile of accumulated filament on the boat’s floor, a fishing pole appeared. To our amazement, it was Werner’s, the very
pole he lost minutes before. We were astounded! After the halibut bit Werner’s line and “stole” his pole, the same fish turned around unfazed and went after my bait. When you consider the enormity of the ocean floor and all the fish and critters that abound down there, it was a remarkable occurrence. One in a thousand at least. This also explained why the fish appeared so heavy as I was pulling in not only my halibut, but a second rod and reel off the bottom. A true miracle. A small one, but nevertheless, a miracle. Forget the agnostics and naysayers. Even if such miracles are minor, they make life easier and more interesting. But more important, they remind us of God’s presence. Werner is no longer with us and I miss him as he was a good man. But what a memory to leave behind of our friendship. And what a way to top off our fishing trip before my return to the ugly reality of fighting off a rabid group of federal prosecutors in a case now known as the biggest political scandal in Alaska’s history.
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ONS”
drive south to try my hand at halibut for a day.
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FLARE
Trinity Lutheran Church Ministry Hosts A Public Meeting To Address Housing Concerns In The Mat-Su
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ating
FAITH
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Music Contributed by Radio Free Palmer
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The Super Saturated Sugar Strings will take the stage at the Glenn Massay on Friday, September 22nd at 7:30pm for the annual Shred the Cabbage fundraiser for Radio Free Palmer/ Big Cabbage Radio. Tickets at $20 each will be available in late August online, at Fireside Books and at Radio Free Palmer. Fun, great music, a silent auction and more. About the Super Saturated Sugar Strings: Powerful, funky and alt-folky, the Super Saturated Sugar Strings have a very nostalgic, yet contemporary sound; rich with vocal harmonies, string melodies and an element of carnival sideshow. Their gypsy-country vibe has won the group high honors and has stirred a fervent congregation of dedicated fans. The group formed in 2011 and includes Kat Moore on vocals, piano, keyboard and percussion, Carlyle Watt on vocals, guitar and percussion, Theresa Watt on cello, Miriah Phelps on violin Logan Bean on trumpet and Kevin Worrell on bass. Logan Bean and Kevin Worrell grew up in the Valley. About Radio Free Palmer (aka Big Cabbage Radio): The Valley’s community radio station exists to tell the stories of the Valley. Volunteers produce shows, staff the office, stream meetings, engineer shows, fundraise and more because radio is contagious and fun. Our mission is to build, inform and celebrate community through local radio. We are thrilled to have our annual fundraiser with Supersaturated Sugar Strings. Check Facebook and www.radiofreepalmer.org for details.
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Charity
The group formed in 2011 and includes Kat Moore on vocals, piano, keyboard and percussion, Carlyle Watt on vocals, guitar and percussion, Theresa Watt on cello, Miriah Phelps on violin Logan Bean on trumpet and Kevin Worrell on bass. Logan Bean and Kevin Worrell grew up in the Valley.
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Radio
Contributed by Candy Miller 1. Rhubarb Cake or Cupcakes • 1 ½ cups brown sugar (Try 1 cup.) • ½ cup oil (May use half applesauce.) • 1 egg • 1/4 tsp. salt • 2 cup finely cut rhubarb • 1 cup sour milk/buttermilk or yogurt/milk combo • 1 tsp. baking soda • 2 cup flour (Wheat flour is fine.)
In a medium bowl, combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Press into bottom of greased 11x7 inch baking pan (with your hand covered with plastic sandwich bag). Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.
Filling: • 2 eggs (lightly beaten) • 3/4 cup sugar (or less) • 1/4 cup flour • 1 tsp. vanilla • 3 cups rhubarb (fresh, finely cut or frozen, pre-cut) While crust is baking, combine eggs, sugar, flour and vanilla into a bowl and stir in rhubarb. Pour over pre-baked crust. Continue to bake for 35-40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack and cut into small squares. (Yum! Very tempting to keep tasting small squares!)
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Mix 1 ½ Tbsp. sugar and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the top of the cake batter before baking. Some recipes double this
cinnamon/sugar amount. Bake at 350 degrees in a greased 9x13 cake pan for 25 minutes. 2. Rhubarb Squares (A favorite recipe!) Bottom Crust: • 1 cup flour • 1/3 cup powdered sugar • 1/4 cup cold butter (Cut into mixed flour and sugar till resembles coarse crumbs.)
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Food