Anchorage Daily News

Group pushing for Valley YMCA wants public input on programs

A community group working to establish a YMCA in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough is seeking public input on what programs it should offer.

Led by Wasilla resident Kerri Whittecar, the Mat-Su YMCA project's goal is to raise the $450,000-$500,000 in seed money needed to begin the nonprofit organization. The group is being advised in part by Larry Parker, director of the Anchorage YMCA, and the national YMCA office.

The Anchorage Y dates back to the 1950s and is the only community Y in the state, Parker said.

Typically, a building follows the beginnings of a new YMCA by several years. A building that goes in first can lead to failure for the organization if the programs aren't strong enough to support it, he said.

"My first Y we didn't have a building and I worked out of the back of my Bronco," Parker said. "We went into schools and worked in the offices of other organizations if we needed them. From a program standpoint that's how new Ys start."

Whittecar said that because YMCA is community-oriented, programs will be implemented based on what the public wants. As one example, she envisions partnering with other Valley nonprofits to offer before- and after-school child care.

The group is asking for pledges with an ultimate goal of $1 million.

The YMCA is the nation's largest provider of child care, according to its Web site.

A future center could also include a swimming pool, computer room, a gym and places for teens to hang out, Whittecar told the Daily News in January.

To participate in the survey, visit www.matsuymca.org.

Public meetings coming to weigh improvements to Denali road

DENALI -- The National Park Service will hold a series of public meetings next month to discuss improving the Denali Park Road from Mile 80 to Mile 84.

That section, which cuts through rugged terrain west of the Teklanika River, has had the fewest safety improvements since it was built in the 1930s, according to a Park Service press release.

The agency is working with the Federal Highway Administration.

Proposed work includes strengthening road edges to reduce the risk of collapse, formalizing existing pullouts and adding new ones, and improving the road surface.

The Park Service will develop a "reasonable range of alternatives" through an environmental assessment this fall.

The agency holds a public meeting from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 10 at the Murie Science and Learning Center at Mile 1.3 of the park road. For more information, contact Steve Carwile at steve_carwile@nps.gov or 1-907-644-3612.

Talkeetna Lakes Park scheduled to be opened officially Tuesday

Talkeetna Lakes Park will officially open Tuesday, with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 3 p.m.

The 1,000-acre park is the tenth and newest park within the Matanuska-Susitna Borough.

Originally created as a non-motorized park, the area boasts trails for hikers and bikes, as well as a chain of lakes for canoe enthusiasts.

This summer, the Youth Conservation Corp from the Upper Susitna Soil and Water Conservation District added mountain biking features and put finishing touches on the trail as part of phase one.

A $50,000 grant has been awarded to continue work on the trail next year, according to a release from KTNA, Talkeetna's community radio station.

The park's trail head is located on Comsat Road just south of Talkeetna, at Mile 12 on the Talkeetna Spur Road.

Planning panel looking for ways to boost pubs, wineries in city

PALMER -- A catchy item surfaced on last week's agenda for Palmer's planning and zoning commission: Adding brewpubs and wineries as permitted uses in commercial zones.

No, that doesn't mean Moose's Tooth or Robert Mondavi are banging down the door, said Sandra Garley, the city's community development director.

Instead the commission will formalize some ideas on how to encourage brew pubs and wineries to locate in Palmer in the future. Both the city's comprehensive plan and a University of Washington study encourage the city to expand its list of allowed uses to things that would attract people downtown, Garley said. "A pub was one of the things they said, 'This feels like it would be a good fit.' " City staff probably won't present anything to the commission until October, she said.

-- Anchorage Daily News

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