Contributed by Mike Dryden, Wasilla City Council Member
Wasilla City Council Meeting
4/9/2018 – 6PM
Wasilla City Council
Wasilla City Hall
290 E Herning Ave. Wasilla
FREE Event
Wasilla City Council Planning Commission Meeting
4/10/2018 – 6PM
Wasilla City Council
Wasilla City Hall
290 E Herning Ave. Wasilla
FREE Event
Wasilla City Council Budget Meeting
4/11/2018 – 6PM
Wasilla City Council
Wasilla City Hall
290 E Herning Ave. Wasilla
FREE Event
Breaking news: Winter will soon end, and we can begin to gripe about breakup. Aviod the rush on wiper fluid, buy now. For the Wasilla City Council, only two meetings are scheduled from March 15th-April 15th . The first regular April meeting will be on April 9th with a tentaive budget meeting on April 11th. Don’t forget the planning commission meeting on April 10th. Agenda details are online on the City’s website. Some of the highlights on the Council’s agenda for the coming 30 days are routine housekeeping items like funds transfers and amendments to the 2018 budget.
Numerous youth activities are scheduled at our wonderful city library. Gather at the library for special events like Toddler Storytime, Preschool Storytime, Baby Laptime, Homework Help, Science Saturday, Tech Thursday and Lego Day. More details are online and at the library’s reception area. The staff at the library have something going on for the kids every week, so please visit the city’s newest attraction. The Alaska Writers Guild Mat-Su will be meeting at the library twice a month. No membership is required to partipate and is open to all ages.
Ice at the Menard Complex ends on April 15th, and summer activities begin which are posted on our City's website. Senior walkers have a special rate and can walk free, from 7:30am-8:30am, Monday-Friday. Wednesday from 12:15pm-12:45pm, everybody can walk with Classic Country’s Kathy Mitchell free. Get fit and outlive your detractors. Spend your kids’ inheritance. You owe it yourself. Some of the special events happening at the Menard Sports Complex are the return of Tuesday Night Fights and an indoor intro to football camp. Many special events are on the agenda at the center, so check it out. Go to your Facebook and send the Menard a friend request to stay abreast of all upcoming events.
I was threatened with a trip to the woodshed if I didn’t mention the Museum’s activities. An Introduction to Dog Mushing 101 began Friday, Feburary 2nd and will run for six weeks. This class is open to those newly-arrived residents who haven’t fully filled out their Mat-Su Valley Cheechako card. If you didn’t understand the last sentence, then attendance is compulsory. Starting April 14th, it’s all about seeds and soil. The Museum has classes for adults and kids. Remember, it’s never too soon to introduce your kids to sustainablity and the joy of gardening. On another note, the Museum staff is collecting any items, photos or oral history on any Wasilla history. Check out the Museum’s website for details.
A regular council meeting is scheduled for April 9th, at 6 PM or 1800 hours for you military types. Regular agenda items include reports from all department heads, a spokesperson for the Friends of the Library and a report covering student activities from Katelyn Boswell, a student attending Wasilla High School. An update on activities at WASI rounds out our regular reports. The Council is knee-deep into the annual budget process, so check the calender for special budget meetings. This is where we make the decisions for the coming year’s spending.
As always, the public is invited to express their opinion in the public arena. Seasoned visitors have been known to avail themselves of all of the opportunities on the agenda. The number of opportunities to speak for three minutes ranges from three trips to the microphone to as many as there are items discussed in the meeting.
As I have stated in the past, your participation in your city council meetings is the grassroots of American democracy as envisioned by the Founders. The City Council will let you opine without regards to your address. All input is welcomed and considered. My email address is mdryden@ci.wasilla.ak.us.
In closing, let me wish each of you and your loved ones a wonderful end to winter. A nasty winter can make you long for a pothole. 2018 looks to be a great year for Wasilla, Alaska and the nation, so let’s be thankful and joyous we live in such a great place.
Until next month, be safe and well-informed, and God bless America.
Author’s Note: The above column represents, unless otherwise noted, the opinions of Mike Dryden and not necessary the City of Wasilla or any other organization with which he is associated. But it should be. Dittos.
Editor’s Note: This article will be published after the March 12th meeting. However, the minutes are presently available at www.cityofwasilla.com.