Retro Rockabilly Event at Alaska Raceway Park

 
 

Contributed by Michelle Lackey Maynor

A blast from the past is coming to a racetrack near you. The 11th annual Thunder Valley Flag Drags is gearing up for Saturday, June 27th at Alaska Raceway Park.

Flag Drags is a retro rockabilly event featuring a car show, concert, flag start drag races, tattoo contests and a pin up girl contest. Vehicle entries are restricted to 1974 or older vehicles. Trophies will be awarded for the best in each of 8 categories: Ford, Chevy, Mopar, Rat Rod, Stock, Modified Stock, People’s Choice, and new this year, Motorcycle.

A new twist on this vintage show is the entire festival will be held in the NASCAR oval track. Vendors, food trucks and music will be in the infield, with car show entries lined up around the track. Drags will be 200’ on the back stretch between corner 3 and 2.

The Glacier Blues Band from Eagle River will be performing Rockabilly, Rhythm & Blues and Classic Rock during the event. Cash prizes will be awarded for the Pin-up contest and the Tattoo contests.

Pits open at noon for set up, spectators can arrive at the yellow gate starting at 1:30. Car show entry is free for car and driver, spectators are $10 for adults, Military and Seniors just $5, and kids 10 and under are free.

Vendor space is still available. For more info or tickets check out www.raceak.com or contact Michelle at 907-355-7223.

Photos courtesy Tim Higdon Sr.

Affordable Blood Draw Event at Palmer Depot

 
 

Contributed by Jodie White

Alaska Health Fair is coming to your community! To meet the safety mandates from the CDC and the State of Alaska, this will be a by appointment only event. 

Health education and health screenings are the primary focus of our traditional health fairs. 

Alaska Health Fair, Inc. is a non-profit agency serving all Alaskans since 1980. Alaska Health Fair was founded on the dream of a physician who believed that the road to longevity rests in healthy lifestyles, which develop, in part, through education and screenings.

Health education and health screenings are the primary focus of our health fairs. We also offer affordable blood testing.

TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT, EVENT, OR FOR MORE INFO PLEASE CALL (907) 278-0234

See Health Fair Schedule at: www.alaskahealthfair.org

Palmer Midsummer Garden & Art Faire 2020

 
 

From the museum’s showcase garden to the Palmer quad, join us Saturday July 11th to celebrate Midsummer in Palmer! In the historic town center, the Palmer Museum Garden and Art Faire brings together master gardeners, dozens of local artisans, food trucks, and live music..

The faire has a thirteen year history, and this year marks the first that the Greater Palmer Chamber of Commerce will host the event.   While we strive to celebrate our local artists and businesses year round, this Palmer staple offers the chance to expose dozens of artists, musicians, and agricultural geniuses to locals and visitors alike. For the garden enthusiast, we have a day for you! Stop by booths hosted by the Mat-Su Master Gardeners, Aurora Gardens, and Wasilla Lights Farm for all the latest and greatest in valley gardeners. Get your hands dirty with workshops led by the UAF Experiment Farm, the Cook Inlet Bonsai Study Group, and more! Top it off by taking a stroll through Palmer’s showcase garden in full bloom, facilitated by the wonders of gardener Alicia Greene. For the art savant, you will be spoiled for choices! From glass blowing to pottery to watercolor, we have more than twenty art vendors and workshops scattered throughout the faire. Watch live renaissance painting by Palmer’s own Barbara Hunt, and check out the museum’s Artist of the Week in their temporary gallery.

For the family faire goer, face painting, live music, and delicious food vendors are at your disposal. Help us chalk the library sidewalk, explore over fifty vendors worth of fun, and enjoy the beauty of Palmer in the full throes of summer!

As you enjoy our lovely faire, take a moment to enjoy our lovely town as well! Cast an eye to the vibrant businesses of Palmer’s downtown, who welcome visitors and locals alike every day year round.

Take a stroll across the tracks down Alaska Street and soak in the pride and hard work of a vested community. The faire is free to the public, and open from 10a to 6p Saturday July 11th.

For more info, visit our website www.palmergardenandart.org or check

out our Facebook page @ Midsummer

Garden and Art Faire

The Musk Ox Farm Is Open!

 
 

Contributed by Kerry Nelson

As you all know, Alaska has been incredibly lucky to have had a low number of COVID-19 cases reported so far. Our geographic location, low population, wide open spaces, and the timing of the virus hitting the U.S. before the height of the tourist season has afforded us the ability to remain ahead of any major spikes that so much of the Lower 48 has been subjected to.

As we’ve moved forward into our most current relaxed phase of reopening, we have continued to practice diligent observation and precaution while making the right decisions for our organization.

We're so ox-cited to announce that the Musk Ox Farm will be reopening to the public! We are continuing to take the safety of our animals, staff and visitors very seriously - so while you'll FINALLY get the chance to come and see the fluff butts y'all love so much, there are important changes to our normal operations:

REOPENING Wednesday, June 17th!

HOURS: Wednesdays – Sundays, 2-6pm

TOURS BY RESERVATION ONLY: Book your tour online @muskoxfarm.org or call 907-745-4151

To start, we’ll have limited hours and tours will be by reservation only to help us maintain proper social distancing and allow our staff to thoroughly clean and sanitize between groups.

We have always put the health and safety of our musk oxen above all else as a top priority. Scientists have found that musk oxen have been included on the list of species to be at risk of contracting COVID-19. For that reason and for the health of our human herd we will have safety protocols in place as part of your visit with us.

We also continue to take our health as a staff very seriously. We're dependent on every single one of our permanent staff members to keep our nonprofit functioning during these difficult times. The health of our staff is paramount to the survival of our organization and our herd. A healthy staff = a healthy herd!

If our safety precautions seem like WAY too much to remember, don't fret! We know there's a lot to consider when venturing out these days, and it might seem like a lot. But, we're here to help! You'll be able to find all of this information on our website before your visit, and again when you book your tour with us. It should also be said that our safety protocols and hours of operation are subject to change at any moment due to the fluid nature of the situation. It's always best to check the latest information on our website before you head to the farm. If you have any questions or concerns about your visit - we're just a phone call or email away!

We’d love to see you here at the farm! The herd misses you & those new musk ox calves are just waiting to meet you.

muskoxfarm.org • info@muskoxfarm.org • 907-745-4151

Palmer View From Bugge’s Hill

 
 

Contributed by Richard Estelle

Over the years many photographers have captured the view we consider this month.  This photo was taken from the western side of John Bugge’s homestead, atop “Bugge’s Hill” where the Peak Inn is located today.  Interesting elements made the view popular—the homestead fields and log barn in foreground, the renowned “Matanuska Colony” community buildings in middle ground, and the rugged mountains that anchor the east end of the valley as a backdrop.  Commercial photographers, such as Hewitts of Anchorage, found the image made a popular picture postcard for sale to be mailed to folks “back home” or kept in family collections.

The Museum collection includes numerous photos similar to this one, taken at different times and different seasons over the years from the same viewpoint.  When viewed together, and arranged in the proper sequence, it’s intriguing to see the changes that are evident over time.  In that regard, understanding when things occurred—when buildings were constructed and are evident or missing in a photo, for example—is extraordinarily helpful in understanding when an undated photo was taken. 

We don’t have a precise date for when this month’s image was captured, but we can see several clues.  It’s obvious that summer is well along as snow on the mountains is essentially gone.  The water tower is in place and painted.  It was erected as a pre-fabricated “kit” sent up from the Seattle Boiler Works and welded together by a three-man local crew in summer of 1936.  We can see scaffolding is removed from the school building, indicating that the exterior construction that began in 1935 and extended into 1936 was completed.  The train depot (at center) was constructed in 1936 and appears complete.  The hospital (at right) was dedicated in May, 1937 and appears complete.

At the same time, numerous tents are still visible, left over from the “Tent City” days of the Colonist’s arrival in 1935.   Construction of    Koslosky’s new store, which opened in 1945 is not in evidence.  Nor is the Valley Hotel, constructed throughout 1947 for a dedication opening in 1948.  The hospital burned in spring of 1946.  Given the evidence above, we may assume the photo was taken sometime after 1936, perhaps as early as 1937.

Knowing the dates of when things happened, and relating that information to what appears in a photo, allows us to arrange this month’s image among the two dozen similar views in our collection, placing it sometime between summer of 1937 and spring of 1945.  Future discovery of when things happened (such as when that hump in the “Wasilla Road” at the right of the photo was flattened out), plus dates identified for those other similar photos, may help confirm a more specific date for this image.  By arranging this photo in the proper sequence with others allows us to better visualize how Palmer has changed and grown over the years. 

Riding in the Car With Your Dog

 
 

Contributed by Angie Lewis

Dogs either seem to love to ride in a car or they hate it passionately. Nothing in between. For those dogs who love car rides, they can often express their excitement in a less than safe manner.  If your pooch is unrestrained, he can become so excited by being in your car, that he paces back and forth, howling the song of the wild wolf all the while. This behavior can prove to be very distracting to the driver. To combat this behavior, take different routes to his favorite places, such as dog parks, trails or camping sites.  Dogs are very smart and will often recognize the direction in which you are heading. Take your dog with you more frequently, especially for short errands, thereby confusing your dog’s knowledge of your destination. 

Sometimes a dog will be fearful of car rides and demonstrates this fear by refusing to get in the car, drooling excessively, panting, yawning, whining, or shaking. If your dog really becomes upset, he may vomit or have diarrhea.  You can make a car ride more pleasant for a dog by exposing him to being in a car from puppyhood on – have your dog become accustomed to being in a vehicle.  Make car rides more fun by having frequent stops. Often, the only time a dog is in a car is when he is going to a vet or a boarding facility.  Make sure your pooch goes to a variety of enjoyable places.  That will help to remove any negative connotations that he might have with riding in a car.  Once you arrive at your destination, have short play sessions or walk your dog briefly. If possible, bring along a friend who can help your dog to relax while you are driving.  Use the same strategies for the ride home and then have another fun play session before rest time.

Some good advice for car rides with your dog are as follows:

Anxiety often leads to car sickness so make sure your dog’s stomach is empty or just allow for him to have a small amount of treats.

Create a safe space for your dog inside your car – this may be a crate.  The crate can be placed in the back of the vehicle or on the back seat, depending on size restraints.

Be sure to use a safety restraint, but make certain that it has been crash-test certified.

If your dog becomes nauseous frequently, cover the crate with a dark blanket and use a lavender oil to help deal with nausea.  Spray it around the car

If your dog’s fears of riding in a vehicle are extreme, consider using the help of a positive dog trainer to try and determine the cause of these fears.  Remember that this is probably not going to be a quick fix and will take time to be successful.  Now go for a ride with your pooch!

President of Alaska Animal Advocates

Palmer