Monthly Newsletter
January 2022
Cooper Landing Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center
Happy New Year! Our community has another year to look back and review. There are still challenges that we are all facing with Covid. Now inflation is raising its ugly head. So let us be prepared with a positive outlook on the future so we can, as we have in the past, overcome and succeed. In the Crier was a notice about the Cooper Landing Advisory Planning Committee meeting and a proposal to add an exit onto the land Unit 395 aka Juneau bench from the new bypass. This is a very important issue as the land plan designated NO ACCESS from the new bypass other than the entrance to town. This will have an impact on development on borough property which might not be favorable to the community’s businesses. Please attend the zoom meeting on 1/5/2022. The Cooper Landing Crier on December 30 has the zoom information. The Chamber is very concerned about the closures of Trail River & Russian River campgrounds this upcoming year and the impact on our community and businesses. At our next meeting on January 13, 2022, we will be discussing writing a letter to Alaska Recreational Management and the US Forest Service about alternatives for access to our customers to the river, costs etc. If you have any suggestions, comments, plans for alternative parking areas for campers, please email them to me at wildman@ wildmans.org before our meeting. RV parking is going to be strained this coming summer with the continued work on the bypass and workers looking for spots along with the tourists. The new edition of the Upper Kenai River Guide is headed to the printers shortly. A big Thank You to all our members for the support of the Chamber with renewal of your membership and placement of ads for the 2022 edition. It is rewarding as a volunteer board to have your support.
Board Of Directors President Cheryle James Wildman’s 907-290-1213 Vice-President Carrie Williams Alaska Outdoor Woodstoves 907-598-1633 Treasurer Shirley Wilmoth The Hutch B&B 907-595-1270 Secretary Rose Hetrick Inn at Tern Lake 907-288-3667 Director Vacant
Looking forward to the spring, we want to ask all drift boat enthusiasts if they want to participate in a 2022 Regatta? Let one of the board members know if you are or we will be calling you soon to see if there is enough interest to go forward. Looking forward to a great 2022! Thank you,
Cooper Landing Chamber of Commerce PO Box 809 Cooper Landing, Alaska 99572 info@cooperlandingchamber.com
Cheryle James & Your Chamber Board
Newsletter Layout & Design by Best Route Productions
Welcome Our New Chamber Members!! This year we had three new members join the ChamberKenai River Sportfishing Association, Alaska Waste, and Andy’s Artwork. Please give them a warm welcome and check out their bios below.
Kenai River Sportsfising Association The Kenai River Sportfishing Association (KRSA) is a professional 501(c)3 charitable nonprofit organization headquartered in Soldotna, AK. Our mission is to ensure the sustainability of the greatest sportfishing river in the world – the Kenai. KRSA’s area of responsibility encompasses the Kenai River watershed, greater Cook Inlet Basin and Alaska. Contact us to learn more.
Contact: info@krsa.com 907-262-8588 www.krsa.com Kenai River Sportfishing Association January 2022 — 2
Alaska Waste Welcome Alaska Waste! Alaska Waste Kenai Peninsula provides trash collection in most communities in the Kenai Peninsula, including Cooper Landing. Contact them to learn more.
Contact: josuer@akwaste.com 907-283-9390 www.alaskawaste.com Alaska Waste
Andy’s Artwork Andy’s Artwork features oil based paintings of natural landscapes. Andy uses the alla prima technique, painting each canvas in one session. Contact Andy to learn more.
Contact: kloppeandy@gmail.com 907-802-1274 Andy’s Artwork
January 2022 — 3
Page 4
Cooper Landing Lynx News
January 2022
Games People Play! How about some Lynx Ball? Do you ever reminisce about games you played as a kid? Games like Tag, Hide-andseek, Capture the Flag, Kick the Can, and King of the Mountain. Or games like soccer, basketball, or football. If so, you just might like our newly created game, Lynx Ball. Soon to be a Cooper Landing Classic! During the cold months of November and December, Cooper Landing School students were looking for a new team game to play in the gym. So Mr. Gossard suggested we play a game he used to play as a kid, called Gator Ball. Gator Ball is a fast paced game, using a combination of rules from soccer, basketball, football, and rugby. The rules vary from place to place, so it is hard to say for certain what the “official” rules are. However, all versions are a mash up of other games.
In order to establish one set of cohesive rules for the game, Ms. Krissy and the 4th & 6th graders sat down and wrote Cooper Landing’s official rules. Being that we are playing the game with a wide variety of ages, our version needed to be fun for all skill levels. Our version morphed away from Gator ball, but came to be known as Lynx Ball. Students practice hand/eye coordination, utilize critcal thinking skills, and improve their cardiovascular fitness. Our rules may seem complicated when you first hear them, but they are actually pretty simple once you start playing. Each team has one goalie, a goalie box, and a score zone. The ball may be passed amongst team-mates with lots of basketball style passing. Players are allowed to take three steps after catching the ball, but the ball must be passed within five seconds. To score,
Center Line
Lynx Ball Playing Field Goalie’s Box
Score Zone
Goalie’s Box
No-Step Zone
you need to get the ball into the small four-by-four foot goal, which is guarded by a goalie. The hard part for the goalie is that they have to stay in a marked off area. They cannot just stand right in front of the goal. This game is exciting and a little physical. The kids dive for loose balls, post up to shoot, and even try to grab the ball from the opposition. The best part is that Ms. Krissy and Mr. Gossard get to play, too. Needless to say, it is a fun game and a great way to burn off some energy.
Above: The goalie stays within the goalie’s box to block the opposing team from throwing the ball into the goal zone on the wall outlined in red. Left: The blue team passes the ball to a team mate within five seconds of obtaining the ball. Far Left: Players scramble for the ball, careful not to step into the goalie’s box. If they do a point goes to the opposing team. Page 5
2022
Happy New Year! Cooper Landing Community Club Join us for our first meeting of the new year on Thursday, January 20th at 6pm on Zoom. Please submit any agenda items you may have. Annual User fees will be emailed out this month.
Contact Us: cooperlandingcommunityclub@gmail.com www. cooperlandingcommunityclub.com Cooper Landing Community Club
Community Club Meeting January 20th at 6pm Zoom Meeing ID: 896 2298 8377 Passcode: 5952169
January 2022 — 6
Thank You to Our Volunteers! The Cooper Landing Community Club would like to thank all of our Trail Committee volunteers that have been braving the conditions this winter. Your efforts and contributions make the Landing a better place to live and recreate! Thank you to David Story, Erik Route, Lou Prill, Kevin Ostrowski, Theo Lexmond, Janette Cadieux, Chris Degernes, and Ed and Sandra Holsten for your time and energy towards trail clearing, pruning, prepping and grooming Devils Creek, Crescent Creek and the Russian River ski trails. Also thank you to Gary Mitchell for plowing the bike path on Snug Harbor Road and Tommy Gossard for plowing the bike path along the Sterling Highway. Many in our community use and enjoy these trails and the path daily, and we appreciate your efforts! Want to help too? If you have time and energy to contribute, email us at cooperlandingcommunityclub@gmail.com.
Photo by: Best Route Productions
We are also accepting donations that go towards maintenance on the snow machines, grooming equipment, and gas. Thank you for your support and see you outside!!
Click here to Learn More Click Here to Donate
January 2022 — 7
Cooper Landing Gem News Do you have business or organization updates you would like to share with the community? All Chamber Members are invited to submit updates and information to the monthly newsletter. Contact us for more information. Contact Us
Happy Birthday 1/8 1/16 1/21 1/22 1/27 1/31
Kathy Recken Ernie Kleineick Ladonna Herbert Charlotte Osowiecki Tammy Robinson Robb Bear
Happy Anniversary 1/14 John and Brighid Corbey 1/19 Julie Rogers and Marypat Montana Rogers
Photo by: Best Route Productions
January 2022 — 8
January 2022 — 9
Photo by: Best Route Productions
Russian River Campground Closures for 2022 Text Pulled from the Chugach National Forest Webpage Beginning August 1, 2022, the Russian River Campground Road will undergo construction to redo a one-mile stretch of the road surface and reinforce portions of the hillside along the bank of the Kenai River. The road and campground will be closed to the public during the construction. During the closure, all vehicle and pedestrian access will be restricted and campground reservations on Recreation.gov will be unavailable. The Forest Service anticipates reopening the road and campground no later than June 1, 2023, prior to the opening of the sockeye salmon sport fishing season. Construction Overview Construction crews will rebuild and widen one mile of the access road, making it more stable and resistant to frost heaves. The project will expand the existing shoulder and include striping, new guardrail and pedestrian fencing. Once completed, the new road will be safer for cars, recreational vehicles and pedestrians. The construction will also reinforce sections of the hillside along the banks of the Kenai River, making them less prone to landslides and surface erosion. Reducing the long-term threat of erosion and landslides is essential to preserving the water quality for healthy salmon spawning and rearing in the Russian and Kenai Rivers. Click Here for More Information January 2022 — 10
2022 Cooper Landing Chamber of Commerce & CVB Please support our local businesses! 5 Dogs Fishing
(907) 598-3525
Grizzly Ridge
(907) 595-1260
Alaskan Angling Adventures LLC
(907) 595-3336
Gwin’s Lodge
(907) 595-1266
Alaska Heavenly Lodge
(907) 599-0022
Inn at Tern Lake (Moose Pass)
(907) 288-3667
Alaska Horsemen Lodge
(907) 595-1806
Jason’s Guide Service
(907) 351-3036
Alaska Waste
(907) 312-6267
Kahtnu Spirit Lodging
(907) 299-2855
Alaska Outdoor Woodstoves
(907) 598-1633
Kenai Cache Outfitters
(907) 595-1401
Alaska River Adventures
(907) 595-2000
Kenai Kayak Company
(907) 441-6753
Alaska Rivers Company
(907) 595-1226
Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area
(206) 920-9051
Alaska Troutfitters
(907) 595-1212
KPB Mayor –Charlie Pierce (Soldotna)
(800) 478-4441
Alaska Wildland Adventures
(800) 334-8730
KPBSD Superintendent
(907) 714-8836
Andy’s Artwork
(907) 802-1274
Kenai Peninsula Econ. Dev. Dist.
(907) 283-3335
Angle 45 Adventures (Hope)
(907) 782-3175
Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge
(907) 595-1425
Bean Creek Gallery
(907) 595-3488
Kenai River Drifters Lodge
(907) 595-5555
Bearfoot Publications
(907)320-1145
Kenai River Float-n-Fish
(907) 519-0048
Best Route Productions
(303) 570-2081
Kenai River Sportfishing Association
(907)262-8588
Bike Cooper Landing, LLC
(907) 231-6793
Kenai River Trout Anglers
(907) 599-0085
Blue Yeti Food Truck
(907) 231-6089
Kenai Watershed Forum
(907) 265-5412
Boatman’s
(907) 202-1004
Mystic Waters Fly Fishing
(509) 715-9697
Camp K on Kenai Lake
(907) 279-3551
Peninsula Axe Throwing
(716) 222-0556
Cooper Landing Brewery
(907) 276-5044
Professional Testing
(907)598-1633
Cooper Landing Community Club
(907) 595-2169
Prospector John’s Pan for Gold
(907) 598-1808
Cooper Landing Community Library
(907) 595-1241
Round Mountain Retreat
(907) 598-1333
Cooper Landing Community School
(907) 595-1244
Salmon Run Lodge
(907) 595-2197
Cooper Landing Emergency Services
(907) 595-1800
Seramur Home Services
(907) 599-0019
Cooper Landing Fish Camp
(907) 595-3474
Sharon Saunders, GRI, Realtor
(928) 706-8901
Cooper Landing Fishing Guide
(907) 599-0126
Sunrise Inn & Café
(907) 595-1222
Cooper Landing Rifle & Sportsman’s Club
(907) 599-0004
Tanisha Walters, L.Ac. Acupuncturist
(303) 482-7176
Cooper Landing Historical Society
(907) 598-1042
Talon Air Service, Inc. (Soldotna)
(907) 262-8899
Cooper Landing Senior Citizens Corp.
(907) 595-3000
The Hutch Bed & Breakfast
(907) 595-1270
Eagle Landing Resort
(907) 595-1213
Upper Kenai Cabins
(907) 595-3055
First National Bank Alaska (Soldotna)
(907) 260-6000
Wildman TR Inc.
(907) 595-1456
Fish & Sons Kenai Charters
(907) 598-1065
January 2022 — 11
January 2022 Sunday
Monday
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Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday 1
Light up the Landing Keep you lights on until Valentines! 3 4
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CLSCCI Board Mtg. (via conf.call) 1:30 pm 9
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Happy New Year! 5
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CL Advisory Planning Commission Mtg. (via Zoom) 6 pm 12
CL Chamber Mtg. 3:30 pm @ Wildmans 16
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Martin Luther King Jr. Day 24
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Community Club Mtg. (via Zoom) 6 pm 25
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Cooper Landing Library Hours • Monday: 1-3 pm •Tuesday: 1-3pm •Wednesday: 9-11am (pickup only) &1-3 pm •Thursday: 2-4 pm •Friday: 1-3 pm
Cooper Landing Chamber of Commerce Newsletter Graphics & Design by Best Route Productions