The People's Paper June 2021

Portugal. The Man Return to Alaska ON PAGE 10 OF MAKE A SCENE MAGAZINE

Contributed by Meg Voss The Alaskan Scottish Club will host the 40th Annual Scottish Highland Games, held June 26th & 27th at the Alaska State Fairgrounds in Palmer.

Gates open daily at 8am.

Over 100 adults from 10 states and 17 athletes in the junior classes will be competing this year. Throughout the day, athletes will compete in many events that include the caber toss, stone throw, weight over bar, challenge stone, the grueling Farmer’s walk, and sheaf toss (28# bale of hay is thrown for height). All are sure to be crowd pleasers. As in most years, many of the athletes will break event records during the Games in their classes.

Guests attending the Games will also enjoy shopping with over 90

vendors with unique wares & food, 4 educational scotch tastings (buy early-the tickets sell out fast), Tall Tales, Gathering of the Clans in the Celtic Village, relaxing in the tea tent, and many other fun activities. And of course, cheer on your favorite team during the Tug ‘O War and take pictures with the Coos Cow. Come early and stay all day long!

Admission into the Games includes special musical concert performances throughout both days by “Celtic Aire” and the “Harp Twins”. Identical twin harpists, Camille and Kennerly Kitt, mix their virtuoso harp skills with studding com-plex arrangements of rock, metal, Celtic, Renaissance, and soundtrack classics – as well as Celtic Nordic inspired original songs.

The Harp twins deliver exciting, comedic, and interactive family-

friendly performances that will not be forgotten. Celtic Aire is the premier Celtic and folk ensemble of the United States Air Force. The group is comprised of five musicians playing bagpipes, percussion, mandolin, fretted, and traditional Irish instruments. Celtic Aire has devel-oped a large repertoire of Celtic folk songs, Irish reels and jigs, pub songs, and even cover versions of pop songs. Celtic Aire travels nationally & internationally to support diplomatic and troop morale initiatives.

Jeni McDaniel, Executive of The Alaskan Scottish Club has this to say about the 2021 games: "We are so excited to be back this year and will be showcasing local and amateur status athletes. Plus, all the other events the community has grown to love will be held throughout our 2-day schedule. There’s something for the entire family.”

More information and advance tickets available online at www.alaskanscottish.org Family Pack Tickets (2 adult, 2 youth) Both days: $40 Single day: $30 Single Tickets – Both Days Adults: $20 Youth (5-16): $10 Single Tickets – One Day Adults: $15 Youth (5-16): $5 Prices do not include online convenience charge.

PARKING IS FREE! Daily updates can be found on Highland Games’ Facebook page.

COMMUNITY

MAT-SU VALLEY, ALASKA

PAGE 2

There will be the usual 100 to 120 participants of all ages and categories at the Miles 4 Meals event, all determined to compete, have fun and embrace being supportive of the senior generation of Alaskan past contributors.

Contributed by Carol Rice, Wasilla Area Seniors, Inc. WASI 2021 Miles for Meals on Wheels 5K 6/26/2021 Wasilla Ares Seniors, Inc. 1301 S. Century Cir. Wasilla FREE Admission, Fundraiser As we all are struggling to figure out how to return to a sense of normalcy post pandemic, the Wasilla Ares Seniors, Inc. (affectionately known as WASI) is taking the proverbial “bull by the horns” stance and reaching out to the community for support as the burgeoning Mat-Su Valley Senior population continues to grow more than anywhere else in the State of Alaska, So-o-o, on Saturday, June 26th, WASI once again is donning comfortable footwear to run, walk or roll in their biggest annual fundraising event of the year, at the Wasilla Senior Center Campus: The 2021 Miles for Meals on Wheels Event!

The Century Circle starting line is in front of WASI’s gazebo and goes to the Minnetonka Road up KGB Road’s

Contributed by Michelle Overstreet, Wasilla Noon Rotary Club The Wasilla Noon Rotary would like to invite the community to join in congratulating eight high school senior scholarship winners in both “Leadership” and “Service Above Self” categories to assist students in pursuing their higher education goals.

A total of $22,000 was distributed to the winners from across the Valley.

Funds to support the scholarships were raised at the 2020 Rotary Uncorked event. The event grossed over $100,000 and allowed the Wasilla Noon Rotary to provide the largest scholarship distribution ever to high school graduates. Funds also support MY House programs for homeless youth. Thank you to everyone who donates, attends and participated in Uncorked - your support is life changing for the youth in our community!

Special shout-out to The People’s Paper, an annual supporter of Uncorked and MY House homeless youth programs, and to the rotarians who so generously give of their time and talent to make the scholarships and the event happen.

bike path and back (a distance of 3.10 miles total). It can be run, or walked at your preferred pace, or wheeled in either your wheelchair, or bicycle, (yes, including 3-wheelers) in whichever category you are qualified. Water stations are along the route and safety measures will be in place in case of any mishaps. A welcome change from the past year of inactivity and isolation. Time to get those neglected vital muscles back in shape and/or socialize for a worthy cause. The goal is to raise $75,000 for our Meals on Wheels program, “Together we can deliver.”

I have watched over the past five years as all this bustling and enthusiasm has annually taken place and have been amazed at how this whole event evolved, up to my retirement from volunteering last spring. However, as a lifetime member of WASI and advocate of all the wonderful things that the leadership and staff provide for the Senior community in the Valley; (including the new building on WASI’s campus soon to open offering new much in demand senior housing *see WASI’s Website for more details) it is enough to give a person hope for the future in such precarious times!

This year, eight scholarships were awarded to the following winners: In the Leadership category: Margaret Ludwig, $4,000 Leigha Peace, $3,000 Jillian Holland, $2,000 Elena Jones, $2,000

One of these participants, 53-yearold Mathew Hoffman, not yet a senior, “Matt” as he likes to be called, has “no ankle” due to a devastating fall he took 14 years ago where having his whole foot structure demolished, had three spinal surgeries and six reconstructive surgeries on his left leg and foot. A rod connecting his knee to his foot apparatus was installed, allowing Matt to appear whole, with severely limited walking capabilities. In Matt’s words, he is determined, “Coming from a family of veterans of World War II and the Korean War to continue to give back to veterans, homebound seniors and the disabled, receiving daily hot meals delivered to their homes.” He exercises daily preparing for the upcoming event and has a smile on his face in anticipation. Matt has collected over $400+ from sponsors supporting his efforts. “This will be my last time participating, I think; but I’m so proud I can help.” he says.

Another individual crucial in the development of WASI from the beginning, beloved Mary Sears, finally recovered after grueling surgeries that she has only just recently come back from “the brink” and is again, not unlike Matt, dedicated to investing in the Mission of WASI. There are many people like Matt and Mary who make a commitment every year to be part of this event and help fundraise to help end senior hunger in the MatSu Valley.

Remember that you can do the race virtually in your space between now and the 26th, or you can join us here at WASI on Saturday the 26th. So, put on your tennis shoes, register and join us for our 2021 Miles for Meals on Wheels 5K. Register online at www.wasillaseniors.com or stop by our office at 1301 S. Century Circle, Wasilla. If you have any questions call Marlene at 376-3104.

In the Service Above Self category: Hailey Olson, $4,000 Kayla Kyrisch, $3,000 North Brubaker, $2,000 Nicole Bell, $2,000

COMMUNITY

MAT-SU VALLEY, ALASKA

PAGE 3

Contributed by Marilyn Bennett The “Who” is a fun group of people from the area who love to give speeches, want to love getting over being afraid of giving speeches, or just want to improve their communication skills.

The “Why” is that meeting once a week and giving speeches or evaluating others tends to improve one’s speaking skills while having a good time.

What is a Toastmaster? Traditionally, it is “one who presides at a dinner, introduces the after-dinner speaker and proposes the toasts”. It is also any member of an international educational organization of over 16,000 local clubs, all dedicated to helping their members improve communication and leadership skills. Palmer Toastmasters Club is the local group in the Matanuska- Susitna Valley.

The first Toastmaster meeting was set up to help the person presiding over the dinner to gain confidence in speaking before an audience. The organization has grown into a worldwide network of clubs with a formal do-at-your-own-pace education program. Members work together to develop our communication and leadership skills.

Our educational program, called “Pathways” is made up of several paths which are designed to fit into the varied needs of members. This

Contributed by Robin Minard, Mat-Su Health Foundation Chief Communications Officer

The Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) and its community resource network, Connect Mat-Su, are once again open to the public. The physical location at 777 N. Crusey St. in Wasilla closed in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but services were still provided via telephone and online. Lower coronavirus case rates in Mat-Su coupled with the availability and effectiveness of vaccines allowed reopening as an important step in making it easier for Mat-Su residents to access the assistance and resources they need to live healthy lives.

The Mat-Su Health Foundation building is open Monday – Friday,

program brings Toastmasters into the modern age. People want to improve public speaking for different reasons.

Some come to learn new leadership skills. Some want time in front of the camera in a non-threatening atmosphere. There are excellent speakers and hesitant speakers, and all can improve with practice in this welcoming environment.

There are currently 11 pathways: Dynamic Leadership Effective Coaching Engaging Humor Innovative Planning Leadership Development Motivational Strategies Persuasive Influence Presentation Mastery Strategic Relationships Team Collaborations Visionary Communication Each person picks which path seems to suit his or her needs the best. As

from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Some tenants in the building have reopened as well, while others are offering services in alternative ways or requiring appointments. Consumers are advised to check with individual service providers to learn their status.

About Mat-Su Health Foundation: Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) is the official business name of Valley Hospital Association, Inc., which shares ownership in Mat-Su Regional Medical Center.

In this capacity, MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital to protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare institution. The MSHF mission is to improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in the Mat-

you can see, there are a variety of different paths to better reflect our dynamic society Discover more about Palmer Toastmasters at our website: www.palmer. toastmastersclubs.org. Join one of our meetings in person on the 1st and/or 2nd Tuesday of each month in the conference room at Turkey Red (550 S. Alaska Street in Palmer) at 6PM or online via Zoom every Tuesday night at 6PM. We start on time.

For the Zoom link, visit the meeting directions tab at our club website: www.palmer.toastmastersclubs.org.

We are a friendly group of positive Valley people who meet to help each other grow and have fun together in the process. We invite you to get to know us better by joining one or more meetings as a guest.

Su and the tools it uses include grantmaking, convening of local partners, and policy change. The foundation’s work has resulted in significant improvements in systems that support the health of Mat-Su residents in areas such as behavioral health, child welfare, crisis response, community connections, workforce development, transportation, housing, and senior services.

More information is available at www.healthymatsu.org.

COMMUNITY Contributed by Kerry Nelson, The Musk Ox Farm We just wrapped up the combing season here on the Musk Ox Farm, and our herd is feeling great with their new summer hairdos! We’re feeling pretty great too, with another amazing qiviut harvest of nearly 350 pounds! Why all the fuss over qiviut? One of the world’s rarest fibers, qiviut is finer than cashmere, eight times warmer than sheep’s wool and hypoallergenic. Such a lightweight, smooth fiber feels like a cloud against your skin.

The Musk Ox Farm is a non-profit organization dedicated to gentle musk ox husbandry for the promotion of qiviut production and public education. We are currently the only facility in the entire world working to domesticate musk oxen for their fiber. Musk oxen naturally begin shedding their qiviut underwool in the spring as a response to the lengthening daylight. In the wild, it will slowly fall off of them in sheets, fluttering away in the arctic breeze or catching on the shrubs and sedges.

Some who live near wild herds will go out and collect qiviut from the tundra or may comb a musk ox hide out after a successful hunt.

Here on our farm all the way down in Palmer, things are done much differently. Our herd will also begin to shed in the spring, typically beginning in April and lasting well into May or early June. When we spot the first few tufts of qiviut beginning to peek out from

the guard hairs on our animals, we give them a little test comb during their routine weekly weigh-ins. This gives us a good idea of how far along in the shedding phase each animal is, as we want to be sure their qiviut is fully releasing from the skin. We don’t want to be pulling out that beautiful underwool until it’s ready for us!

Once an animal is ready for combing, we’ll begin the process of bringing them into the barn for their salon sessions. This involves our herd manager, summer interns, combing tools, and (most importantly) treats! Gentle, stress-free handling is a key part of our mission, so we respond to each musk oxen’s individual needs. Some animals will let us comb them for an hour, happily munching away on treats. Others are more skeptical and annoyed at the whole process, and might grace us with a whole five minutes of their presence to be combed.

MAT-SU VALLEY, ALASKA

So, what happens to all of that beautiful fluff? Some of it is offered as raw for our brave spinning friends out there. The rest is processed into pure or blended qiviut yarn or made into a variety of wonderfully soft, warm garments for all of you to enjoy. You can find our qiviut offerings in our gift shop or online! Stop on by to see us, or better yet, schedule a tour while you’re at it! That way, you can personally thank our musk oxen for giving us the gift of their luxurious underwool.

ONLINE: www.muskoxfarm.org/shop IN STORE: 10AM - 5PM, 7 Days/Week TOURS: By reservation on the hour, 10AM - 5PM. Book ahead online at www.muskoxfarm.org/farmtours or call 907-745-4151.

Rather than force our animals to be combed any longer than they want to, we respect their comfort level and allow them to return to their pasture.

This just means that they’ll have shorter, more frequent hair appointments in the barn! With around 80 musk oxen to comb, spring is a busy time for farm staff. They sleep, dream, eat qiviut. (Yes, quite literally eat it at times - that fiber gets everywhere!) All of the work that we do with our herd the rest of the year comes down to this one brief moment of fantastic fiber harvesting.

Contributed by Robb Robbert, Wasilla-Knik Historical Society Knik Museum Annual Picnic & Musher Induction 7/18/2021 – 1PM Knik Museum Mile 13.9 KGB, Wasilla FREE Admission The Knik Museum, Mile 13.9 KGB, is

Contributed by Nancy Chavez, IditaWash Laundry & Showers What is one of the most valuable things in life? It’s not money, property or possessions. It can’t be bought or sold, and we always need more of it. That’s right it’s… time. Having more time to do the things you love with the ones you love.

If you’re looking for a way to make more time for yourself and others, then you will benefit from using drop-off laundry service.

What is drop-off laundry service? It is a convenient laundry service for your machine washable clothing and linens.

Contributed by Lauralynn Robison, MatSu Food Bank Board member Summer in the Mat-Su Valley is in full swing… This means a lot of families and children are out enjoying much needed play time in our local parks. The MatSu Food Bank provides a wonderful program for the children in our Valley, FOOD4KIDS. So far this summer, we have been providing nutritional lunches

PAGE 4

This service is also often called “Wash and Fold” or “Fluff and Fold” because we wash, dry and fold your laundry after you drop it off at our laundromat. The best part is it only takes four minutes of your precious time, two minutes to drop it off and two minutes to pick it up.

How do you use drop-off laundry service? Just bring your laundry to IditaWash Laundry & Showers in downtown Palmer. Your friendly and helpful laundry attendant will collect your contact information and preferences for water temperature, detergent, softener and drying options. Remove bulky items

for hundreds of children every week.

Good nutrition is a building block for proper development that strengthens the immune system, enhances cognitive and physical development, and increases concentration in school.

Children who do not get the foods and nutrients necessary to maintain proper nutrition are denied all these benefits.

At FOOD4KIDS, we believe in the power of food to change a child’s life!

like comforters (which are charged bythe-piece) and weigh the rest of your regular laundry. They will accept your payment in cash or credit card and get started on your laundry. When your laundry has been washed, dried and folded, you will receive a text message or phone call to let you know your order is ready to be picked up. It’s that easy!

You may think that this comes at a premium price – but you would be wrong.

This service is offered at an affordable rate, so that everyone can enjoy the lifestyle they deserve. The intention is to provide useful, top-quality laundry

FOOD4KIDS was designed to provide nutritional meals for the children in our Valley, during the summer months, while they are engaging outside with exercise and activities and it’s FREE! FOOD4KIDS began this summer on May 24th and will continue to run through August 12th, is available Monday through Friday at (2) parks, Newcomb Park (11:30am-1pm), Wonderland

open. Wednesday – Sunday, 1:00pm 6:00pm, from Memorial Day through the Sunday of Labor Day weekend.

Please join us for our annual picnic, musher induction and free admission day on Sunday, July 18th, from 1:00pm 4:00pm. We will be inducting photographer, Jeff Schultz, into the Mushers Hall of Fame.

services to those in the community.

Idita-Wash also offers coin-op washers, dryers, showers, ergonomic laundry folding tables, laundry carts, a kid’s area and Wi-Fi. Are you ready to save time, stress less, and complete all your laundry in four minutes? Give the team at Idita-Wash Laundry & Showers a call to learn more about their services and about how they can help you.

As your friendly and efficient laundry team in the Mat-Su Valley, we hope to see you soon!

Idita-Wash Laundry & Showers is located at 1150 S Colony Way in downtown Palmer next to the UPS Store in the Colony Plaza (the old KeyBank plaza). Open 7am - 9pm (8pm last wash starts). Contact us at (907) 745-7111, iditawash@mtaonline. net, www.iditawash.com or on Facebook.

Park (12pm-1:30pm) and at the MatSu Food Pantry (10am-1pm). If you are out with your children, getting some recreation time, stop by and collect a nutritional lunch. Our wonderful volunteers are available at all three (3) locations to help you get lunches for your children.

Our motto is “No One Should God Hungry”. We look forward to seeing you.

Have a fabulous summer and be safe.

POLITICS & OPINION Contributed by Wes Keller Alaska’s healthcare system is amazing. I can vouch for almost ‘magical’ healthcare innovations, which likely expanded my life. Most recently, I found myself at the door of the Alaska Heart and Vascular Institute asking for help.

I cannot over-state the 5-star review.

Nobody could make surgery fun; but within one editorial cycle, I am on my feet with good reason to believe I will be catching salmon when they get here in July - far better than anticipated! This was not my first rodeo with a critical, expensive, health crisis. Twenty plus years ago, I learned first-hand about Alaska’s oncology care when they applied the then-latest cures to change a traditionally incurable, 5-year prognosis into an unexpected remission. I give a shoutout to the army of health care providers who give of themselves to serve other people, to alleviate pain and suffering.

Thank you!

I wish I felt as optimistic about the health of Alaska’s healthcare system as

I do my own health, I admit I do not! I happen to have a long history of being deeply engaged in Alaska healthcare politics, serving numerous years in legislative health committees and the Alaska Health Commission. I’ve had the privilege of working with “giants” of virtue and intellect and watched their recommendations ignored and overruled. I have seen the gross underbelly of human nature (greed and selfinterest) evident within our healthcare system, just as it is evident in every human institution in a republic! It may not be worse (or better) than other human institutions, but the solution/ prevention is always the same - grass roots sincerity.

Clearly, our society is a much nicer place to be when people choose to serve others. Our “happiness” depends a lot on the efforts of health care providers, policeman, preachers, teachers, soldiers, Dads, Moms, and every individual who has decided to make the world a better place by devoting to these and other occupations/roles. Government is intentionally sidelined here! Choosing to serve others, to love sacrificially, to forgive, or extend mercy are all religious

MAT-SU VALLEY, ALASKA

decisions, which our government was forever banned from - authoritative establishment of religion, in other words, government enslavement! Our founders were phenomenal! They did a very good job of putting us all “at the mercy” of what they called “Divine Providence”.

We now go to extremes to ensure each person’s religious freedom. In the big picture, I am convinced the People in America have historically demonstrated selfless compassion and commitment to serve others — the evidence being our world-wide model institutions. The “golden rule” has been venerated in America unlike any other nation. The “golden rule” is arguably globally accepted as the universal apex of human morality.

Review and adjust your world view as you see fit. Our society depends on it. As goes the consensus of “We the People”, so goes the nation and our great institutions. Unexpected sickness can make us tougher - or it can destroy us when we deliberately avoid obvious conclusions. American Constitutionalism bet everything the majority would make the right choices. Neither this editorial, nor any public-school teacher or

PAGE 5

professor, has any right to judge you or coerce you on your religious decisions! My best advice to you: Seek out whoever has demonstrated care for you and listen carefully before you make up your own mind on any sectarian or denominational question.

There is no formula to ensure a ‘godly’ human institution! The best blueprint was laid out in our American Constitution with its complex and inefficient systems of checks and balances. The primary goal of our government was to ensure freedom, life, liberty, and expression of truthful data. Perhaps our modern erosion of checks and balances denies the darker side of human reality and risks far more than we thought!

Even this erosion could be insignificant in the face of a truly “righteous” voting majority - “righteous” being what the founders based called “Nature’s Law”.

The health care system that has just served me so very well, is admittedly the product of a confusing mixture of capitalism, government, corporate and individual greed and religious values (love, forgiveness, mercy, joy, peace, kindness, self-control, etc.). These ingredients have been mixed over time.

and students in high-poverty districts receive more.

districts; this contrasts with regressive funding, in which low-poverty students would receive more per student.

Instead of pouring even more money into high-poverty districts without any notable improvements in outcomes, funding students instead of systems would improve educational opportunities for students of all ages and income levels.

The “Making the Grade 2020” report reveals that Alaska provides 73 percent more in per-pupil funding to highpoverty districts than to low-poverty districts. In other words, each student in a high-poverty district receives almost 1.75 times the amount that a student in a low-poverty district receives. According to the report, Alaska’s poverty rate of school-age children is 13 percent, which is lower than 30 other states.

The second-most-progressive funding system exists in Utah, which provides 53 percent more in per-pupil funding to high-poverty districts than to lowpoverty districts.

Contributed by Sarah Montalbano, Alaska Policy Forum Advocates of higher school spending often frame the problem as a no-brainer solution to assist struggling students.

However, the school funding issue in Alaska is far more complicated… A

recent report by the Education Law Center, titled “Making the Grade 2020”, reveals that Alaska already has the most progressive school funding in the nation. Progressivity in school funding means that high-poverty students and districts receive more money, per student, than students in low-poverty

The report also classifies Alaska as a “high effort” state, which means that Alaska spends a larger-than-average share of overall GDP to support PK12 education. While Alaska’s average per-capita education spending is the sixth highest in the nation, standing at $16,689 per student in FY18, students in low-poverty districts do not receive this amount toward their education,

Alaskan students face unique challenges, and per-capita education expenses may necessitate higher spending than in other states. However, Alaska’s education outcomes are dismal in comparison to other states that spend less overall and have less progressive spending to high-poverty districts. The map from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) shows that Alaska’s test scores in 2019 8th Grade Reading were significantly lower than 47 other states, with similar results for other grades and subjects. Shouldn’t students in highpoverty and low-poverty districts alike be seeing improved outcomes with increased funding?

Though enhancing the education of students in high-poverty districts is a noble goal, and one worth pursuing, it would be better served by funding students directly. For being the most progressive ‘funder’ of education, student outcomes do not reflect that. It would be better to fund the students more directly because families rather than school boards know best what will work for them. If the tax dollars that would otherwise be funneled into bloated public schools and their administration were funding students rather than systems, every Alaskan student would have the opportunity to engage in education the way that works best for them.

If the pandemic has had any positive aspects, it has shown that private schools, tutoring, online learning, micro-schools, homeschooling, or any combination are all valid options for students to gain an education that works best for them.

POLITICS & OPINION

MAT-SU VALLEY, ALASKA

PAGE 6

nomination was one of those crucial times. Murkowski’s approval of Haaland will cost Alaska billions of dollars. It may make her popular with the D.C. cocktail party crowd, but it seriously hurts us back here at home.

Contributed by Kelly Tshibaka In many ways, Alaska’s lands are sacred; they have been blessed with rich resource endowment, which have always been the key to our subsistence and economy. The problem is that environmental extremists, now given renewed power by President Joe Biden’s administration, have prevented us from realizing our true potential of rising prosperity, self-sufficiency and economic independence, balanced with environmental conservation.

Alaskans deserve a U.S. senator who will fight for an Alaska-centric agenda that will unleash our enormous energy potential to create jobs and lower our fuel costs, not one who bows down to extremists and enables a radical D.C.based agenda that wants to turn our state into a national park for the rest of the country. My energy platform will promote environmentally responsible growth and job creation in the energy industries which drive the Alaska economy.

Permitting processes for oil and gas leases on public lands are onerous and time consuming, taking years to complete. In the case of access to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), federal regulatory restrictions were in place for 60 years before President Trump cleared the way for energy production. Biden then suspended oil and gas leases in ANWR on his first day in office.

When bureaucrats don’t support something, they love to drag out the process. “Go slow” means “no go”. It

costs our companies a lot of time and money, which often makes projects cost prohibitive, preventing Alaska workers from earning money to support their families. When I’m your senator, I will call for permitting processes to be completed within a defined time frame.

As your senator, I also will advocate for Alaska and First Alaskans - not the federal government - to own a majority of the land in Alaska. Alaskans should have the right to access and develop resources on the federal land within our state. President Trump was in the process of transferring 28 million acres of land to Alaska before Biden took office and promptly stopped the plan.

To make matters worse, Biden’s Interior Secretary, Deb Haaland, has started the process of seizing 44 million more acres, trying to take more land from Alaskans and federalizing nearly 73% of the state.

We are owed land by the federal government, it’s as simple as that.

Alaskans know best how to manage and responsibly develop our land and resources. No D.C. insider cares about the Alaskan environment more than the Alaskans who live and work here.

We also develop resources in a more environmentally responsible way than the other countries from which the U.S. imports when the Biden administration prohibits Alaskan energy production. As your next senator, I will fight for timely completion of environmental and other regulatory reviews required for us to access and develop federal land. I also will demand the timely and orderly conveyance to Alaska of its public lands for potential development of natural

resources.

Additionally, I will oppose carbon taxes on energy industries because it will increase costs on hardworking Alaskans who struggle to pay their bills. Carbon capture and sequestration technologies are much preferable to a carbon tax, because the private sector can develop and employ them to better deal with pollution, rather than simply making energy more expensive for Alaskans.

Our incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski has expressed openness to a carbon tax, as recently as October 2020, and it’s not the only area where she is failing us.

President Trump’s policies were demonstrably beneficial to Alaska, but Murkowski openly opposed him, both in his first election in 2016 and in his re-election campaign in 2020. This open antagonism of a president who was good for Alaska is not the kind of leadership our residents want. Nor does it help Alaska for Murkowski to openly support the Biden administration that is anti-mining, anti-oil and gas, and antiAlaska.

Worse, Murkowski was the deciding vote in the Senate committee which advanced Haaland’s nomination for Interior Secretary. This means Murkowski is personally and singularly responsible for the imposition of the radical environmental agenda relentlessly targeting Alaska and opposing fossil fuel development in America.

A senator’s real value is in the big moments, the critical votes, and Haaland’s

privileged white identity.

Contributed by Gene Scriblerus, 2018 It is said that there are no two snowflakes exactly alike. Certainly, that is a romantic notion that has never been empirically proven, nor can it be. But it does foster contentment in the social turmoil of identifications. Cultural persuasions and lineages, digital passwords, addresses, birth certificates and social security numbers are such dehumanizing handles that never apply to the beauty and individuality of snowflakes.

This is a description of the transit through space and time around the globe, of an individual that became as cosmopolitan, as any identity possibly could. The name of our wayfarer is Sophie S. Snowflake. Sophie rested from the winds of change on many mountaintops and even passed eons of time, compressed within glaciers. During those ages of reflection, Sophie was onto ontology; that is the questions of existence.

Sophie didn’t abandon the molecular structure within snow when melted, but chose to transit deep ocean currents and tides as water molecules. Our Sophie wasn’t muddle puddle shallow.

No, Sophie had oceanic depth, given her wide range of travel and experience in different guises. Then through evaporation, Sophie again morphed into a snowflake, blown about above Mother Earth.

At night when Sophie was in the upper reaches of the atmosphere, the stars were sparkling like diamonds and Sophie, while celebrating astral awareness would sing, “Twinkle, twinkle, little star

how I wonder what you are, who you are, why you are. Twinkle, twinkle, little star how I wonder what I are.”

Gender pronouns never occurred to Sophie.

Sophie barely evaded sudden melting, by departing from atop Indonesia’s Krakatoa, hours before it erupted and was heard all the way to southern China. Escaping westward, Sophie came to a well-deserved rest amongst the Snows of Kilimanjaro. Another rest atop an Eskimo igloo in Alaska added to Sophie’s Call of the Wild sophistication. Multiple times, Sophie was blown by stratospheric jet streams, around the world. Sophie gained cultural insight, by being part of a Scandinavian sculpture.

But now it is time to examine more of the details about Sophie, apart from her travels. That exactness explains the predictable, occasional snowflake avalanche of community disorganizing that occupies parks and or smashes all below. Sophie is a nickname otherwise known as Sophist. Sophist S. Snowflake also had a middle name that had assonance with the other two, Socialist. So, Sophist Socialist Snowflake is now more exactly identified.

Sophist Socialist Snowflake participated on the set of Doctor Zhivago, tormenting Omar Sharif trekking through winter wasteland to see his girlfriend, Lara.

There were many other socialist and anarchist snowflakes that participated in the Soviet Socialist disaster, besides our Sophie. And Sophie never was deluded about the antithesis to snowflake

The black coal and oil that endured for a time vilification and rejection, by the carbon phobic was part of Chicken Little angst about the melting of dear Sophist Socialist Snowflake and the peril it would bring to privileged white polar bears. White Sophie always had liberty to move about, while black carbon was feared, segregated and sequestered. Sophie eventually realized what a scam it was to vilify carbon, in all its variations as petrochemicals. Certainly, there was no shortcoming of empathy amongst snowflakes, for celebration of sustainable petrochemical atmospheric diversity. Sophie was the epitome of a progressive.

Sophie came to realize that white included all the colors in the light spectrum, so snowflakes always were the most inclusive and had the greatest diversity. And it was snowflakes that spread light, and made the rest of the world realize diversity, because the sun never set on the Snowflake Empire.

Eventually Sophie’s positive persona in Bing Crosby’s White Christmas contrasted with the negative stereotyping of black coal in Santa stockings. Opening presents under a chain saw clear cut pine tree was a celebration of capitalist accomplishment. That was before plastic, petrochemical, alternative, imitation trees competed with natural, organic clear cutting and strip mining. Strip mining would prove to be the solution to Smokey the Bear’s admonition, “Only you can prevent forest fires.”

But with time universal elemental rights, articulated in Paris and London, were applied to the periodic table, a Russian construct prior to the Soviet Socialists. Black carbon no longer suffered Christmas stocking denigration. And

Murkowski also has failed to gain Alaska’s entry into an offshore revenue sharing agreement. Under the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas share hundreds of millions in revenues annually, which also support environmental conservation programs.

Alaska has never been included in such an arrangement, which would have provided much-needed incentive for offshore exploration and production in Alaska. An energy revenue sharing pact for Alaska, similar to the one enjoyed

by Gulf of Mexico states, would have grown the state’s economy, created jobs, and protected the environment.

All Alaskans ever want is fairness and the opportunity to access what is rightfully ours. The Gulf compact has been in place for 15 years and Lisa Murkowski has been in the Senate that entire time.

Why was Alaska never brought to the table?

Alaska was once a place that afforded people abundant opportunity, but those days seem distant because of federal government overreach and overregulation, something our current senator has failed to adequately address. I have a fire in my heart to rebuild Alaska, and I believe that embracing the blessings of our bountiful natural resources is the key to that future.

Kelly Tshibaka is a Republican candidate for the United States Senate in Alaska.

This piece ran originally in the Anchorage Daily News.

black bears got just as much empathy and attention as white polar bears.

No longer was the slanderous Carbon Apocalypse Symphony heard drowning out Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. And there never was a silent spring.

But now we must bring Sophie up to date. A wind of change took our globalist socialist Sophie airborne to the Himalayas. Our adventurous Sophie came to rest on a mountain peak with a flattened top used for meditation, near a Buddhist monastery. It was as Shangri La a setting as there could be. A grander scene for an end to Sophie’s quest through ontology was not to be found.

Once Sophie had landed and had a moment to settle in for a rest, she reflected on what she had heard about the recent fashionable fad of veganism amongst the humans. It was pitched as morally superior not to digest other creatures.

But Sophie was so ancient from eons of consciousness participation; she was slow to embrace change, needing time for reflection.

After the wind died down and the monks came out into the brilliant sunlight, reflected off of Sophie and all the other snowflakes, they formed a circle on the peak and sat down for yoga meditation. A particularly pudgy monk sat down directly on Sophie, aka Sophist Socialist Snowflake, and assumed a full lotus.

The obese monk had quit cheeseburgers and taken up veganism, after reading a Mother Earth News article about replacing meat with simpler protein in beans. As The world turns, we end our primal, precious snowflake identity odyssey. Sophie was warmed into water, bound again to return to oceanic inclusion, through overwhelming, consciousness liberating carbon as in sustainable methane flatulence.

POLITICS & OPINION Contributed by Nan Potts Let’s face it, deceit has gone on this planet since it began.

It can be observed in both the plant and animal kingdoms. For example, you recall your high school freshman biology classes where you learned how plants and animals disguise themselves to look like dangerous organisms, so predators won’t eat them? Or, how predators deceive their prey by giving off an enticing odor or mimic a call to lure their dinners to them?

Well, it seems the human race excels in perfecting deceit. And, applies it quite liberally!

So, let’s clarify some definitions so we’re clear in their meanings for this discussion: Deceit - noun, the act or practice of deceiving; concealment or distortion of the truth for the purpose of misleading; duplicity; fraud; cheating.

Deception - noun, something that deceives or is intended to deceive; fraud; artifice.

Liberal - adjective, (often initial capital letter) noting or pertaining to a political party advocating measures of progressive political reform.

Liberal - noun, a person of liberal principles or views, especially in politics or religion.

Liberal - adjective, given freely or abundantly; generous. - (www.dictionary. com) Deceit can be observed to serve to protect and assist a species to survive or to avoid harming an individual, physically or emotionally. Societies allow certain types of deceit in order to perpetuate a myth or fantasy to excite, motivate and entertain children, i.e. Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and others. But many of these characters and traditions turn out to have a historical origin or intent - to tell a story and achieve a goal.

Other types of deceit are designed to diminish some in order to empower others.

Have you ever had someone relate an incident where they, either intentionally or unintentionally, left out some important information? It probably led to an egregious misunderstanding or fight.

Have you ever experienced hearing or reading a news headline, only to discover the headline had nothing to do with the story? Yet because the headline hooked people’s attention, it continued to be promoted as truth?

Ever heard or read an OPED (Opinion/

Editorial) piece where several days later the writer did a complete reversal without fully substantiating his/her reasoning?

Frustrating, isn’t it?

Of course, we all make mistakes. Hopefully, we decide to take responsibility for them and “‘fess-up”, making amends when necessary.

Lately in the world, we have been exposed to many, if not all, of these types of deceits: Omitted information - misleading False information (unintentional) - mistakes False information, altered truth (intentional) - lies Using false information repeatedly to forward an agenda - altered truth Redirecting information in order to confuse - flip-flopping Blaming others - a distraction from themselves Excuses - distraction If you step back and look to understand history, you’ll see every time there was a major conflict there was deception. Especially, in the beginning. I’ll not conduct a history lesson here, that’s up to you. But consider these Historical events: The Event

The Deception(s) The Political Goal(s) The American Revolution The colonists were British subjects under British law.

Take away their rights American Civil War The South had the right to self-govern/ economics/etc. Abolishment of slavery The Russian Revolution Bolsheviks promised protection of people from rulers. Seize State power World War I The War to End All Wars (Mutual Defense Alliance) Slovaks, part of Serbia Nazi Germany Germany was victim of Allied and Jewish aggression.

Hitler’s rise to power World War II (Europe) Invasion of Poland, propagated lies of Allies and Jews World domination World War II (Pacific) Surprise attack on Pearl Harbor

Control of Asian oil Chinese Revolution CCP and Nationalists join to fight against Japan, WWII CCP to control China Venezuela Spent oil money for major social programs, help the poor.

State control I won’t deceive you… There was much more occurring than these deceptions for event to unfold. These are just a few examples of how deceit was used

MAT-SU VALLEY, ALASKA

to achieve a goal. Usually, the power to control, due to fear of those not controlled.

When information is narrowly focused, people can be duped into erroneous trains of thought (from omitted information or false information) resulting in inaccurate conclusions. People have a tendency to latch on to false ideas so deeply, when the truth is revealed they either deny it and take it to their grave or will attempt to hide from it because it’s too overwhelming. Eventually, it catches up to them and they succumb (i.e. The fall of Nazi Germany).

Currently many of our media outlets are vomiting false and omitted information.

It makes one wonder, what is the truth?

What are sources of reliable information? When you do research, using reliable sources other than popular media outlets, you may be surprised how common this is and how hard it is to get the actual story. This is art of deceit - to verification impossible, so you give up trying.

Take our current political environment with its turmoil: ANTIFA Black Lives Matter Socialism Defund the Police Critical Race Theory WOKE-ism Racism Is there any deceit within these ideologies? What do you think are their goals?

Closer to home for me, a friend duped me into getting vaccinated for COVID. My friend kindly put together a group adventure trip and requested a private tour at a local company. This was a special opportunity. The coordination emails repeated, “You must be vaccinated to ride the bus [for the tour].” Later, I discovered it was NOT mandatory for the tour. My friend felt compelled to have everyone one on our tour vaccinated, “to protect our guide”, although our guide was already vaccinated. The Deception: liberals and liberal thinkers appear to have the best interests of others in mind. The Goal: to control or manipulate others in order to feel safe.

I’m not opposed to vaccines, but I do like to do due-diligence on health care issues. There has been very little data on all three vaccines. If you read your post-vaccination paperwork, it will say, “The Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine has not undergone the same type of review as an FDA-approved or cleared product.” It also states, “The Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine is an unapproved vaccine… In an ongoing clinical trial, it [J, COVID-19] has been shown to prevent COVID-19 following a single dose.” The duration of protection is unknown. Plus, there are risks. Note, these are for all COVID vaccines. Even

PAGE 7

the CDC admits all the vaccinations are currently in the largest clinical trial — the World.

While deceit and deception will continue to plague this planet, it is up to us to be able to differentiate between truth and falsehoods. Being willing to spend time investigating and educating ourselves regarding issues, whether past or present, and logically evaluating the information. Conclusions may differ. Yet, the truth should lay within the commonality of each. Logic eventually wins over irrational fear, even though along the way may lie the bodies from collateral damage. Logic — noun, the science that investigates the principles governing correct or reliable inference (www.dictionary.com).

We humans are fallible. History has proven it. Fallible — adjective, (of persons) liable to err, especially in being deceived or mistaken (www.dictionary. com).

Deceit and deception are recognized…

“The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they’re ignorant; it’s just that they know so much that isn’t so.” - Ronald Regan “Intellectuals may like to think of themselves as people who “speak truth to power” but too often they are people who speak lies to gain power.” - Thomas Sowell “One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It’s simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we’ve been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.” - Carl Sagan “If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed.” Adolf Hitler “Liars are the cause of all the sins and crimes in the world.” - Epictetus “The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate.

In fact, violence merely increases hate...

Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” - Martin Luther King Jr. …But it continues, liberally. You may disagree with me - but then, you may actually be deceived!

POLITICS & OPINION Contributed by Larry Wood The Constitution is the supreme law of the land, not an afterthought, not a resolution, the supreme law.

No local code, state statute, federal code or regulation supersedes the Constitution.

Government should serve, not dictate, and, yes, regulate; but always be subject to the limitations on government power in the Constitution. Government should never go beyond those limitations established in the Constitution.

Government should never violate the constitutional rights of the citizen under any circumstances.

Yet, the COVID-19 pandemic emergency response has done exactly that and gone far beyond the limitations upon government to the shock and dismay of most who understand that the Constitution limits government, not “We the People”.

Since the beginning of the pandemic response, the emergence of Marxist thought and goals have been open and blatant. The rise of Marxism is demonstrated by the cancel culture, the 1619 Project, critical race theory, open discrimination, the LGBTQ agenda and a two-tiered criminal justice system.

The rise of open Marxist ideology has come with a marked change in the Democrat Party. Where there was once negotiation, bipartisanship for common goals, and open discourse over the

direction sought for the country, there is now absolutism and outrage against one’s sensibilities and values. Sit down and shut up, or else.

We now see this open intransigence in the attitudes, policies and conduct of school board members, city council members, and borough assembly members that mirror the attitude of Pelosi et al in Congress. It is almost as if they are reading from the same agenda.

The contempt for the opposition was no more apparent than in the Anchorage Assembly members outrageous comments and conduct since the imposition of the pandemic emergency by Governor Dunleavy in March 2020.

The rise and acceptance of the communist fronts of ANTIFA and BLM are troubling. This was demonstrated in the violent, destructive riots across 19 American cities in 2020 and the lack of response by government. Riots that had adequate funding, central planning, logistics, communications, and coordination - the piles of bricks, buses for transport, food, medical support and encrypted communications. There was nothing spontaneous about the riots then, or now.

Another communist shill has arisen in the Mothers for Social Justice, which is associated with BLM. Mat-Su Mothers for Social Justices is an Alaska iteration of this communist effort to overcome all opposition by whatever means is possible. Three out of six Palmer City Council members are purported to be members.

MAT-SU VALLEY, ALASKA

How does one tell a communist/Marxist? They lie. Truth is nowhere in the equation.

There is no respect for “We the People” on the part of many of our local elected officials. It is as if the Marxists holding elected office believe that they will not be replaced in 2022.

Worse, is the assault on our kids. Their opportunities are becoming more limited. They are being subjected to concepts that have nothing to do with education, but everything to do with the Marxist agenda to destroy the family and undermine the ideals that are this country.

Everyone forgets Marxism is a failed ideology and that communism requires a dictatorship of the proletariat--us. The globalist one world government is just another lie of many fostered over the years to enslave the weak and the gullible. There is no utopia at the end of the destruction, killing, and maiming that comes with every communist revolution. Under communism, there is no private ownership of property, and all are the subjects of the state, the state being supreme in all things.

God, morality, ethics, integrity are casualties of Marxist thought.

What did the Russian Revolution of 1917 bring? Tyranny, misery, and oppression. Russia starved, millions died as a result of the farmers’ lands being taken and turned into collectives. A bountiful nation went hungry. After WWII, that “success” was extended to Eastern Europe. Venezuela is the most recent example, and Zimbabwe before

PAGE 8

that.

Why are people listening to the lies?

Why do those voting for these ideologues want failure?

Where are we headed?

Not to a communist utopia, because that has never existed and will never exist. The end game there is the tyranny of the many by a few.

There is hope, the Arizona audit of the November 3d election in Maricopa County reached another milestone. At least eight states have sent delegations, including Alaska, to observe the audit.

Several state legislatures are now pushing for audits, including Georgia.

As more states stand down their emergency proclamations, more people are standing up against the cancel culture, critical race theory, the misrepresentation of history that is the 1619 Project and the LGBTQ agenda.

The Republican Party needs to get with the program and fight the war for this nation’s soul in earnest. The Alaska Republican Party needs to back local candidates at every level.

MAGA supporters need to get involved in the Republican Party by volunteering as precinct chairs and to support MAGA candidates.

If the Republican Party does not contest every elected office from the bottom up, we may very well be headed towards a kinetic civil war.

ing the police. It looks like a precursor to anarchy.

Contributed by Katherine Baker If you want to know where Washington, DC honed its’ smearing skills, look no further than the politicians. The Republicans, not wanting to become a smear target of extremist Democrats told the people-everything is fine (2020 election process) - nothing to see here (2020 election process) and swept it all under the carpet and certified the election, playing directly into the Democrats’ hands. The Republicans, a law-and-order party couldn’t reward the bad behavior of January 6th, so they rewarded the bad behavior of the Democrats instead. The Democrats had the Republicans between a rock and a hard spot. The Democrats responded by immediately blaming Trump and his Republican base. And since the 2020 election gave Democrats the results they wanted-they had no issue w/the election because it was advantageous for them. It does seem Democrats have tipped the scales in an organized and orchestrated method, getting their activists to get Democrat votes by any means necessary, using every angle and process weakness available AND the leftist activists seem to have done just that. Democrats sticking together in lockstep. Democrats helping Democrats. Democrats having each other’s backs. A thumb on the free and fair election scale.

The people were trying to voice their concern regarding election voting integrity - the very foundational base of the peoples’ representative power.

The privileged political elitist class, in both parties came together to sweep any dissent, suspicion or spotlight coming from the people under the carpet. Politicians syphoning away the peoples’ power, by blaming the people, finger-pointing the people as being the problem. (How messed up is that?)

Who incited the January 6th disruption of a peaceful protest at the Capitol Building? The Democrats hysterically

yet emphatically blame Trump with an emotional button pushing, loud tsunami head spinning nonstop noise.

We’ve all heard them. That makes me think the Dems by beating that drum so radically, are trying to pepper a trail. Are they trying to distract attention away from what they are doing and onto Trump? And then from inside all of this political theatre, Liz Chaney steps forward as the drama queen poster child.

Rather than representing the will of the people, in a who’s your daddy moment, Chaney chooses to represent her own entitlement.

Washington DC learned how to spin and confused and silence opposing voices when they coordinated the sweeping of the Kennedy Assassination under the carpet. But that doesn’t make the problem go away-it only grows and spreads it like a virus. By sweeping under the carpet repeatedly, Washington DC has forgotten how to represent the people and are slowly and stealthily stealing away the peoples’ foundational base of power-fair and free elections.

The foundation of representative government. No small concern. Certainly not one that should be easily dismissed because politicians don’t want to deal with it.

Liz Chaney, Congressional Representative of Wyoming, has declared that the conservative Republicans are now the radicals in the USA (spin) and that Republican politicians fear for their lives! (Evidently in Liz’s fake newly spun reality, conservatism is the new radicalism and socialist fascism is the new American political norm - sounds like the 2021 Democrat socialist elitist wish list.)

Liz Chaney isn’t stupid, so what is happening? Is she a covert Democrat?

Or perhaps she is vengefully trying to further divide the country and the GOP? Or is it a smear campaign so she can retain her entitlement along with

her political power, clout and influence?

Or is she simply throwing a privileged elitist political class tantrum? She said Republican politicians are afraid of their Republican supporters who killed no one on January 6th. The only one killed was a protester-yet no one in Washington, DC seems to care about that life.

Those protesters, at least the majority, only wanted a lawful, legal and constitutional election and a Congress who wouldn’t sweep facts and reality under the carpet. No one listened to their concerns. No one heard them. No one represented them. They had no voice.

The people were frustrated, and some were angry. They wanted Congress, who is suppose to represent them to do so, rather than representing the twisted global interests of Russia and China and their puppet nations of Iran and North Korea, etc.

Ironically, meanwhile, the so-called peaceful protesters of Portland and Seattle have elitist political class privilege bestowed upon them. They are under the protection of the Democrats. Those rioters have burned and destroyed federal government property-(did any property get burned down or destroyed at the Capitol Building on January 6th?).

They have burned and destroyed both small business property and corporate property. From their own lips, the Portland and Seattle protesters hate cops w/the kind of passion normally seen in criminals and organized crime.

Portland and Seattle and other Democrat city supported protesters have beaten and killed cops, and have beaten and killed Trump supporters, small business owners and security personnel. Yet the Democrats won’t let the police stop the unlawful activities in Portland and Seattle, won’t let the police arrest them and the DAs won’t prosecute them. Meanwhile Democrat politicians pursue early prison releases, no cash bail requirements and defund-

The Democrats’ policies are stretching the country like taffy to its breaking point. The Republicans have enabled it by sweeping all the Democrats’ corruption (2020 election) under the carpet.

We have watched the smear campaign of the Democrats against Trump rage on for years. The Democrats have been throwing anything and everything at Trump hoping something. anything, would stick and incite the people against Trump.

Interestingly. there’s already talk that Liz Chaney may run for president in 2024 perhaps the Democrats and their media mob are trying to incite division and infighting in the GOP or maybe there’s hoping and anticipation in Washington.

DC that Trump will crash and burn and collapse under the heavy baggage of the Democrats’ smear campaign and false narratives against Trump. It seems they are viciously looking for Trump’s breaking point.

The majority of Americans aren’t persuaded by who Liz Chaney’s dad happens to be. or her imaginary entitlement. To most Americans what matters is who Liz Chaney is. The USA has never been and was never intended to be a country run by an elitist political class or political family dynasties. What has always made America great is being the global exception. Our system may not be perfect, but it is the best on the planet. The 1776 revolutionaries got it right. Globalism, which is the ‘new reality’ term for worldwide communismhas never gotten it right. Globalism destroys our American way of life, our culture, our form of government and our constitution.

There is a privileged class in America, however it isn’t based on race, it’s based on foreign political ideology that is contrary to our founding and our constitution. God bless us. God bless the United States of America.

POLITICS & OPINION Contributed by Mike Coons As you all know, I am a huge supporter of Kelly Tshibaka for the US Senate. I want to lay out a few issues that you may or may not know about Kelly, Lisa, and this upcoming rank choice voting.

First off, Kelly Tshibaka: Watch her video announcing her running: https://www.facebook.com/ watch/?v=3902358839820651 You might have heard of her while she was Commissioner of Administration.

Kelly was a guest speaker at the March Matsu Chapter of AMAC Action meeting. If you missed the meeting, you can watch it on my Facebook Page, “Coons, Mike”. https://www.facebook.com/politadick/videos/493430208687445 Kelly has an impressive resume and a record of fighting against government waste. She stands up to the insiders and is willing to fight against intense pressure. This was evident during the confirmation hearings when liberal representatives resorted to wrong, personal attacks because they couldn’t attack her for the work she has done.

Bottom line is, Kelly Tshibaka, took her training and years of experience at the DOJ and other federal agencies as an inspector/investigator and used that to seriously look at the ways all the agencies she dealt with were working.

Was that agency/department using the dollars in a wise and fruitful manner?

Was there duplication of effort with other agencies/departments that could be combined to save time and money?

Was there waste? Could procurement of like items of all or many agencies/ departments be combined, thus saving time and money? These were and are just a few things Kelly Tshibaka has

done over the past two years as our commissioner and 17 years before that, in DC. That said, Kelly Tshibaka can and will take that knowledge and training and use it as our US Senator to ensure that our taxpayer dollars are being used to the full benefit, with the least fraud, waste and abuse as possible. Then of course there are other issues that will make Kelly Tshibaka an outstanding US Senator for the great state of Alaska! We must have a senator that will fight back against the new administration’s attack on our state lands and resources, while they want to make Alaska into one big “park”. We must have the votes of conservatives to stop the Senate from going along with those attacks and theft of our lands. Today, the Senate is so called 50/50. For the next two years, it is iffy what will happen. Schumer may get rid of the filibuster and then pass all sorts of laws that will have grave impact to our lands and to us, Alaskans/ Americans.

Another issue of course, that is near and dear to all, is our 1st and 2nd Amendment rights! No way can I or anyone predict what this next two years holds. All I can say is, “God help us all!” With Kelly Tshibaka in the Senate for the last two years of Biden/Harris or Harris/new VP, along with hopefully the Senate being taken back with a clearer majority and maybe less RINOs, our God Given Civil Rights can be maintained and if need be “returned”. It will take having Kelly Tshibaka and more senators like her to save this nation from certain take over by Communism!

Yes, I am, like all of you, very concerned that we may or may not have a nation in two years. That does not mean we give up the fight for a real true con-

MAT-SU VALLEY, ALASKA

servative to replace the likes of Lisa Murkowski!

Lisa Murkowski has voted with the socialists for the past two years far too many times. She, in my opinion, flat out lied to President Trump on many occasions of her support of his policies.

Lisa has voted for every Biden cabinet nominee, be that the most recent, the far-Left associate attorney general Vanita Gupta. Of course, her votes on Obamacare, Justice Kavanaugh, and voting to impeach President Trump after he was out of office are just three of the most terrible votes! I will not go further on Lisa because we all know her record, which Kelly Tshibaka will be highlighting each and every day as facts, and Lisa will call “negative campaign ads”.

I was talking to Suzanne Downing about Kelly and the upcoming race. Suzanne pointed out an error I had about Ballot Measure 2 “rules”. The “Dark Money” is only stopped for state races!

This has NO impact on federal races.

Thus, campaign donations to both Lisa and Kelly can and will come from “outside”. Thus, rest assured that the likes of Senator Mitch McConnel and Chuck Schumer, along with the dark money from George Soros, Environmentalist PACs, etc. will be going to Lisa. Fortunately, Kelly in my opinion, based on the latest news that people on President Trump’s campaigns will be supporting Kelly Tshibaka and the money that will be coming from that direction!

That does not mean we, Alaskans, can sit and wait and watch without spending our capitol in support of Kelly Tshibaka! Lisa has a war-chest of $1.2 million to start. She has not built that up for a couple reasons. Didn’t figure she would have to use it or (as I’m told),

PAGE 9

donors who are fed up with her and not donating! Make no mistake about it, the Dark Money will come in and I would bet that a lot of that money will be from socialists that believe Lisa will cave in the future!

So, in closing. Kelly Tshibaka needs campaign volunteers to help her get out the facts to as many Alaskans as we can over the next two years. That means, letters to the editors, supporters on Facebook, Parler, Gab, Twitter (if they don’t toss you), talking to your friends so they tell their friends to vote for Kelly Tshibaka in November of 2022! There will be other means to help ,but as I said on the campaign funding, Kelly will need money for ads for print, radio and TV, and getting the message to Alaskans. We have 142,000 mature Alaskans, 60 years and above.

If we got $10 dollars each, that would be $1.42 million! Not bad for just one demographic! NRA members, who last I heard Alaska had the highest percentage in any state, the North Slope workers, the fishery workers, small business and so many others can make a difference in having a campaign that has the means to really take the fight to Lisa Murkowski and WIN! If you like what I have written, the quality of Kelly Tshibaka and want to take back our state and federal government, then go to www.kellyforak.com, read what Kelly says in the website and donate your time, money and support!

Let me leave you with this. I’m not rich by any means, I have a tight budget and since I’m retired a very unforgiving budget, but I am and will be putting as much time, effort and yes money toward the removal of Lisa Murkowski and replacing her with an outstanding Alaskan that is not beholden to any outside dark money, lobbyist and socialist! I fully and completely support Kelly Tshibaka, I ask that you do too!

COMMUNITY and Trucks on display in the Main Arena at the Menard Sports and Events Center.

Doors open at 4 p.m. on July 2nd. Their motto: “Just Havin’ Fun!” and fun is what you will have when you bring mom and the kids to this free event. if you would like to enter your car in the show, please pre-register by email: ak49statestreetrodders@gmail.com or call 907-7613553. Street Rodders is a family-oriented car club that was established by people who have a desire and passion for their cars, and their trucks.

On July 3rd: Kip Moore and Ashley McBryde with Special Guest Kendell Marvel perform this acoustic show.

Doors open at 5 p.m. and concert starts at 6 p.m. This is an all ages show but kids must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Beer garden and food available for purchase. Menard Outdoor Arena, by Erickson Unlimited. For tickets: www.ericksonevents.com

Unity In Our Community! That’s the theme for the 2021 City of Wasilla’s Independence Day Parade and festivities as they celebrate a long awaited 4th of July Independence Day since 2019. Yes, all of the City’s traditions of the Parade, Mayor’s Picnic, and Fireworks are coming back bigger than ever! Plus, some

Contributed by Heidi Zimmerman, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Nearly 600 Vietnam veterans, including one from Alaska, will be inducted into the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s (VVMF) In Memory Program for 2020.

The program honors Vietnam veterans whose lives were cut short as a result of their service after they returned home from Vietnam.

On October 15, 2021, VVMF will host its 2020 In Memory ceremony on the East Knoll of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, where the names of each of the 591 honorees for 2020 will be read aloud.

The ceremony was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic.

new and exciting additions!

Kicking off at the Menard Sports and Events Center: Starting on July 2nd at 4 p.m. through the 4th of July 4 p.m. The 49th State Street Rodder’s will have some of the coolest Vintage cars, Classics, Customs, Rods, Relics and Rust Buckets

“For many Vietnam veterans, coming home from Vietnam was just the beginning of a whole new fight. Many never fully recovered, either physically or emotionally, from their experiences.

As these veterans pass, it is our duty and solemn promise to welcome them home to the place that our nation has set aside to remember our Vietnam veterans,” said Jim Knotts, president and CEO of VVMF. The plaque that honors these veterans was dedicated as a part of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial site in 2004. It reads: In Memory of the men and women who served in the Vietnam War and later died as a result of their service. We honor and remember their sacrifice.

2020 In Memory Inductee from Alaska:

July 4th Activities and Events: 11 a.m. Parade ‘Unity in our Community’ theme To enter: call 907-373-9010.

App deadline July 2nd 12 p.m. More info www.cityofwasilla.com for parade route.

the Carhart Brothers, sponsored by MTA. HeatSource Mechanical is sponsoring the Hot dog eating contest. Preregister that day for kids and adults! There will be corn hole games, and games for the kids, snow cones, cotton candy, popcorn provided by Cross Country Church.

Sunrise Rotary is doing the cooking!

Please leave your pets at home.

5-9 p.m. Fun at Five with live entertainment by Against the Grain, thanks to MTA. Great variety of music and beer garden. Free event. Beverages for purchase. Green Pavilion Iditapark 11 p.m. The MAC Federal Credit Union FIREWORKS! Aurora Pyrotechnics will shoot off some amazing fireworks! Near Wonderland Park in Iditapark.

Thank you to our sponsors: MAC Federal Credit Union, Fred Meyers, Carrs Safeway, Frito Lay, MTA, Three Bears, Gorilla Fireworks, Pepsi, Enstar, Vend Alaska Anchorage, Cross Country Church and Sunrise Rotary Club. *Hand washing stations, and hand sanitizer will be provided.

1-3 p.m. Mayor’s Community Picnic: Come one , come all! All are invited to Iditapark (Lucille and Nelson) for FREE hotdogs, chips, drinks, and live music by

The City of Wasilla wishes everyone a safe, and happy Independence Day! Always drive and drink responsibly.

Raymond E. Lyons Jr., U.S. Army Houston, Alaska October 29, 1949 – May 15, 2019

veterans. For more information on the In Memory program or to apply to have your loved one honored in 2022, please visit: www.vvmf.org/inmemory.

VVMF has created a personal remembrance page for each honoree online in the In Memory Honor Roll at www. vvmf.org/honor-roll. Their photos are also displayed around the country when VVMF’s mobile exhibit, The Wall That Heals, is on display in an honoree’s home state.

The 2020 In Memory ceremony will be shown live on VVMF’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/VietnamVeteransMemorialFund) beginning at 10 a.m. ET on October 15, 2021. The In Memory program was created in 1993 and has since honored more than 5,100

About the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) is the nonprofit organization that founded the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (The Wall) in Washington, D.C. in 1982. VVMF continues to lead the way in paying tribute to our nation’s Vietnam veterans and their families. VVMF’s mission is to honor and preserve the legacy of service in America and educate all generations about the impact of the Vietnam War and era. To learn more about VVMF, visit www.vvmf.org or call 202-393-0090.

COMMUNITY APPAREL & CLOTHING All Seasons Clothing ........ 357-0123 D’s Tuxedo ........ 707-6585 Mila’s Alterations ........ 830-8339 ART & CRAFTS Artists Uncorked… 982-2675 The Gallery ........ 745-1420 BOOKSTORE A Black Sheep Shop ......... 376-8198 Black Birch Books ...... 373-2677 Fireside Books ........ 745-2665

Contributed by Cindy Calzada, Alaska Whole Life Festival Alaska Whole Life Festival August 6-8, 2021 Alaska Whole Life Festival Palmer Train Depot 610 S Valley Way Tickets: TBD

The Alaska Whole Life Festival, Alaska’s Premiere Metaphysical & Holistic Healing Arts Festival, is coming to Palmer this summer.

SAVE THE DATES: August 6, 7 & 8, 2021 at the Palmer Community Center/Depot.

CREATIVE ENTERTAINMENT Artists Uncorked ........ 982-2675 EDUCATION Learning Essentials ........ 357-3990 FOOTWEAR Northern Comfort ........ 376-5403

Contributed by Kiki Keller, Valley Charities, Inc. Ladies First Presentation 6/26/2021 – 11AM Alaska Breast and Cervical Services of Ladies First turn-A-leaf Thrift Store FREE Event

On June 26th, from 11:00am – 3:00pm, you’re invited to join us at turn-A-leaf Thrift Store for an afternoon with Mat-Su Coordinator, Courtnee Vanord to learn more about Alaska Breast and Cervical Services of Ladies First.

Ladies First helps eligible Alaskans get

HEALTH & WELLNESS All About Herbs ........ 376-8327 Just Botanicals ....... 414-3663 Lone Wolf Aura ........ 631-0482 HOME DÉCOR Peak Boutique ........ 746-3320 PIZZA Humdingers Pizza ........ 745-7499 PHLEBOTOMY SERVICES Valley Phlebotomy ........ 376-6435 PRINT SERVICES The UPS Store ........ 746-6245 REPAIR, RESTORATION Comtronics ........ 373-2669 S&S Drilling ...... 746-0225 Steve’s Toyostove Repair ..... 376-9276 The Powdercoat Shop .... 841-1300 SPECIALTY GIFTS Alaska Midnite Scents ........ 357-7364 Non-Essentials ........ 745-2258 The Wagon Wheel ........ 357-8980

PAGE 11

Check out our website at www. alaskawholelifefestival.com and see our Facebook page, “AlaskaWholeLifeFestival”, for detailed information and participating vendors.

For information on how to participate in the festival email: calzada@mtaonline.net.

breast and cervical health screenings.

Enrollees can get free mammograms and pap tests. Ladies First also pays for diagnostic tests when needed, and helps women get referred for financial support if they need treatment.

CAFÉ & COFFEE Alaska Artisan Coffee ........ 745-5543 Gathering Grounds ........ 376-4404 Vagabond Blues……..745-2233 CANNABIS RETAILER Matanuska Cannabis Co. ...... 745-4211

MAT-SU VALLEY, ALASKA

Thousands of Alaskans can qualify for a free pap test and mammogram: If you are an Alaska resident, aged 21-64; you meet Ladies First income guidelines (See Income Chart): you don’t have insurance: your insurance has a high deductible that you cannot pay, or your insurance doesn’t pay for breast and cervical health screenings.

Contributed by Teresa de Lima

It is a human right to breathe clean air, drink clean water and not be trespassed against in your own home by toxic “neighbors”.

May 2021 marked ten years since I, a private citizen, petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region X regarding coal ash and fallout from the smoke stacks of a power plant in Fairbanks. In September of 2011, an EPA site investigator came to our house to meet me before going over to the power plant. Some days later a team of samplers showed up to take soil samples and surface samples from our

home and from 7 neighboring structures that were interested. Months and months later a report was prepared.

The report is 1,704 pages long. The State of Alaska’s response to me was cavalier.

When I first spoke to the EPA, they suggested I also get in touch with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which I did. Side note- Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has a great website in which one can look up all of the elements relative to coal combustion. You see, any time coal is burned, waste is produced. It’s a dirty non-stop cycle. And it’s harmful to human health.

It’s been a while since I’ve been in Fairbanks and I am looking forward to seeing the Golden Heart City. It’s where I was born. It’s where my mother was born. Many years of family history on First Ave where Gramma and Grampa bought their house in the 1920’s. Many friends that I miss greatly. Restaurants that I love. The cemetary on Yankovich where my family lies.

I’m curious to see what projects that the power plant and others have to address disposal of coal ash. I really want to understand, how it can be considered ‘beneficial use’ to dump hot coal ash on the tundra? For this reason I write this article. It is important for you to know.

For now, Teresa

Contributed by Cathy Mosher, Janet Johnson & Julie Endle

of professional roles with the intent of growing opportunity through entrepreneurship.

7pm. We are having our Chili Cook-off on Saturday, September 18th at Palmer Depot. We are looking for chili cooks.

We would like to thank all who attended our May 14th event, “Spring Forward to Freedom”, with our guest speaker Kelly Tshibaka, who is running against Senator Lisa Murkowski.

The winner of the cook-off will receive a trophy with their name on it. The winner is picked by popular vote of the public. Do not forget to put it on your calendar! Hope to see you there.

Our July 15th membership meeting will be on honoring our military veterans.

It will be at Sunrise Grill, Palmer Alaska starting at 7pm. We hope you can make it.

See us on our Facebook page: Valley Republican Women of Alaska and visit our webpage: www.vrwak.com

THRIFT SHOPS Steam Driven Boutique ........ 376-4404 Turn-A-Leaf Thrift Stores ........ 376-5708 TOYS Just Imagine Toys ........ 357-1543 Learning Essentials .......... 357-3990

Valley Republican Women of Alaska Membership Meeting 6/17/2021 – 7PM Valley Republican Women of Alaska Sunrise Grill 918 S Colony Way, Palmer FREE Admission Nicholas J Begich III will be our speaker this month. We will be meeting at the Sunrise Grill June 17th. It is good to get there around 6pm to order dinner and socialize, the meeting will begin at 7pm. He is a lifelong conservative and a Republican. Nick has held a variety

Our August 19th meeting will be at Sunrise Grill, Palmer Alaska, starting at

Cathy Mosher cmosher@mtaonline. net

COMMUNITY

MAT-SU VALLEY, ALASKA

PAGE 12

the snack sack program in the near future.

THANK YOU to all 2021 Week of Caring projects and partners!

Week of Caring was a success, with volunteer groups fanning out to assist partners across the Valley, from Big Lake to Hatcher Pass! Our volunteers raked, shoveled, gardened and beautified for a variety of partner agencies: Family Promise Mat-Su, Skeetawk, MatSu Senior Services, The Children’s Place, Hagen Park in Palmer, Girl Scouts Camp Togowoods and the Alaska Wild Bird Rehab Center.

Volunteers are the backbone of this annual week of service, and we can’t thank each and every one of our volunteers enough! Our partner agencies are so grateful for your help and impressed with the progress you made. Interested in volunteering for Week of Caring or other UWMS volunteer opportunities throughout the year? Register via the website: www.unitedwaymatsu.org/ volunteer

Contributed by Michele Harmeling, United Way of Mat-Su Summer is here, and we’re happy to see that life is, as much as possible, returning to normal. We encourage our friends and neighbors to continue caring for their health and the health of their loved ones, getting outdoors, and keeping up to date on guidelines as we transition into this new phase of the COVID-19 situation.

There is great progress being made on big projects here, even as others wrap up. Read more below to find out what we’re up to in parks and playground improvements and working on our Arts and Cultural Trail installations, as well as looking back at recent events like “Week of Caring” and our beloved ECP Meals for Mat-Su Littles snack sack program.

We thank you for your stalwart support, and most of all, for your continued resilience. #wegotthis #wearematsu Emergency Food & Shelter Awards Announced: United Way of Mat-Su is pleased to announce funds recipients who were selected during Phase 38 of the Emergency Food and Shelter grants program. Recipients are selected by a local board consisting of national, community and borough representatives and faith-based partners.

Wasilla Area Seniors: $10,000 for served meals Family Promise: $18,750 for served meals, shelter, rent/mortgage assistance, utility assistance Frontline Mission: $13,051 for served meals Upper Susitna Food Pantry: $5000 for food Connect Mat-Su: $4950 for shelter, rent/ mortgage assistance, utility assistance Meals for Mat-Su Littles Program WrapUp: It’s hard to believe that we have finished the last day of our Meals for MatSu Littles snack sack program.

Over the past six months, an intrepid group of volunteers, with generous support from Mat-Su Health Foundation, has packed, loaded and delivered over 4,000 snack sacks to 16 childcare centers across the Valley. In addition, whatever was had to spare has been donated to agencies like Alaska Family Services domestic violence shelter, Family Promise Mat-Su, friends and neighbors in need.

The importance of this program during COVID-19 cannot be overstated, but it should be mentioned that the feedback we’ve received indicates that the need in the community for weekend food security will not disappear because COVID-19 begins to die down. The families assisted by Meals for Mat-Su Littles overwhelmingly have said that these

snack sacks give them peace of mind above and beyond: “As the mother of a traumatized child who uses food as a security, I was so happy for her to have these! She loves the options and LOVED sharing the things she didn’t like. I feel like it made her feel secure enough to share. Thank you!”

“We appreciated the snack bags so much and grew to depend on them! Thank you for choosing such healthy options. We even had some gluten free stuff that was greatly appreciated…”

“These snacks have been excellent especially after school and on the weekends.

They provide me more time to make a better meal for my kids.”

“This program helped me so much this year especially during the five months that my food benefits were delayed so food was scarce. Thank you so much for this program.”

“These snack sacks were a LIFE SAVER! Single mama of three kiddos. Bills add up! It helped with snacks, additions to meals, and made for awesome on-the-go breakfasts.”

Over 500 local daycare-aged children benefited from the hard work of so many local helping hands. Thank you to all who helped out, from the bottom of many hearts, for making this such a resounding success. We hope to renew

Parks and Playgrounds Projects: This summer’s big parks and playgrounds project is to give small local Hagen Park a big face-lift! UWMS and volunteers from Palmer Rotary recently began work to install two climbing domes at Hagen. With this first phase finished, we will soon begin work installing a full-size play structure. We are excited to see Hagen Park come to life with play equipment that all can enjoy.

Special thanks to Palmer Community Foundation, Thrive Mat-Su and Palmer Rotary for supporting this great project!

Hagen Park is located between Eagle and Dolphin Avenues in Palmer. Stop by and check out our progress throughout the summer!

PETS & ANIMALS / COMMUNITY

MAT-SU VALLEY, ALASKA

Contributed by Kelleigh Orthmann, Clear Creek Cat Rescue Beautiful Sahara is a tabby/tiger girl with a sweet face. She is shorthaired and very neat. She’s maybe 3 or 4 years old.

Sahara is a quiet girl who likes a quiet home. She is especially fond of women and, in particular, those who will share her love of the gentle and beautiful things in life. She enjoys the companionship and love of her people, and happy evenings

Contributed by Angie Lewis, Alaska Animal Advocates President Summer should be a time of enjoyment for you and your dog, but all too often, this is a time of year when situations arise that can endanger your dog. There are only a few safety practices that need to be followed to ensure you and your dog have a wonderful time this summer.

Don’t leave your dog in a vehicle, not even with the windows opened: Dogs can’t perspire the way humans do and have a very hard time cooling off in a hot car. The temperature in a car can rise to 120 degrees in just a few minutes. This can lead to the death of your dog.

Don’t drive with your dog in the back of a pickup: Your dog is a member of the family and should be treated as such. If you had to suddenly hit the brakes, your dog might literally fly out of your truck bed. Let her sit in the cab with you, or if nothing else, put her in a secured crate in the back of your truck.

PAGE 13

at home getting cuddles and sweet talk. She also loves the yard where she can wander around without having to fight for survival, and maybe nap under the lilac tree.

A simple, mellow life is all she asks for with a happy family. She is fine with a small, relaxed dog; we don’t know about cats. But a kind, loving person to be her own is a must.

To meet Sahara, please call 9808898.

Recognize lawn and garden dangers: Plant food, fertilizer and insecticides can be lethal for your dog. Keep them under lock and key. Try to use organics.

Dehydration: Make sure your dog has plenty of water and shade to help her remain cool and hydrated.

Exercise: Hiking with your dog is a wonderful experience, for both you and your dog. Be sure to limit exercise on a really hot day, particularly for older dogs or dogs with thick coats.

Provide enough rest time and ample water. Remember, asphalt can be very hot and actually burn your dog’s paws.

Lakes: Not all dogs are natural born swimmers and can easily drown.

Monitor your dog to make certain of her skill level as a swimmer. Be cautious about beavers, who can be very dangerous to dogs.

Fleas and Ticks: This is not as big a problem in Alaska as it is in other parts of the country. If you use products for fleas and ticks, check with

your veterinarian. Some over-thecounter treatments can be toxic, even when used as directed.

Summer Events: Be mindful of taking your dog to summer events such as concerts, fairs, or other crowded places. These can be stressful for some dogs, and they may run the risk of getting lost. Know your dog and what might be uncomfortable for her.

Other Revelry: Some dogs are very frightened of the loud sounds of fireworks and firearms. Dogs are best kept in the house for these celebrations and activities. These dogs may become so stressed that they may need medications to help them cope.

Lost dogs: Make sure your dog is micro-chipped and that the contact information is current. In addition, your dog should wear a collar with an identification tag.

Now go out and enjoy your summer, along with your dog friend, but do it safely.

Contributed by Lhing McNeal, Kabayan Inc. Filipino-American Community of Matsu Zumba in the Park Mat-Su - promoting a healthy lifestyle through dance.

And here we go! Zumba is back and it’s FREE!

Finally, we can enjoy the outdoors again!

Come join the part fitness but mostly fun Zumba and enjoy dancing to the international rhythm of meringue, salsa, cha cha and other pop music.

Our Zumba class is suitable for all ages and abilities and all participants must sign a liability waiver before joining a class (only sign up once), kids are also welcome to join but all minors must be accompanied by an adult. The class varies from low to medium-impact movement to help loosen up those joints and it’s always a good thing when we break a sweat.

We will provide bottled water for you

to stay cool and hydrated during this fun workout.

Every time you attend a class, you will earn a ticket, and at the end of the season on August 28, 2021, we will have a raffle drawing and you can get a chance to win a 3-month Gold Family Membership, a $500 value sponsored by The Alaska Club and other prizes. Prizes will be void if you did not sign a liability waiver. Check our

Facebook event, “Zumba in the Park Mat-Su”, for more updates.

Find our liability waiver at our Kabayan website at www.kabayaninc.com under the program menu Health & Wellness or through this link https://form.jotform. com/211362304846047

Have a happy summer and we will see you at the park.

COMMUNITY Contributed by Debbie Filter, Trapper Creek Community Services Assoc., Inc.

Featuring Goat Yoga Classes - Share your yoga experience with frolicking baby goats!

15th Annual Fireweed Festival 7/24/2021 – 11AM Trapper Creek Community Park Mile 115.2 Parks Hwy, 9971 E. T.C. Park Cir. Trapper Creek FREE Admission

They need exercise too! Registration by July 15th.

Celebrating 15 years of community…

tccommunityservices@yahoo.com 907-733-7375 or call/text Debbie at 907-355-7147. Sponsored by the Trapper Creek Community Services Assoc., Inc.

Live Music – Family Fun – Hands-on Arts and Crafts - Wilderness Skills Shared Knowledge

Held at the Trapper Creek Community Park, Mile 115.2 Parks Hwy, 9971 E. T.C. Park Circle.

MAT-SU VALLEY, ALASKA

PAGE 14