OPINION: Park bonds can help solve Anchorage’s outmigration problem

I dreamed of living and working in Alaska as a young man; I came up in the 1980s to work and finally moved here in 2005 with my wife Cyndie. Dr. Cyndie Fox practiced at Providence until she retired in 2020. Both of our sons have since moved to Anchorage and are raising their families here.

We found our place, but I have to tell you, Anchorage wouldn’t be as enticing if the grandchildren were calling us away. We are lucky that our children have found their professional homes here, and that they are drawn to this community too. In recent years, we have gathered the family to discuss our philanthropic giving together -- an exercise that brings us closer and is a kind of family fun that I recommend. It seems we all agree on playgrounds these days, and we invest as a family in the Anchorage Park Foundation.

I used to serve on the Anchorage Park Foundation Board, along with a couple of other boards in town, so I have a sense of how these community projects come together. I’ve seen neighbors raise money for dog parks, I’ve seen Youth Employment in Parks connect trails and make them more sustainable, and I’ve seen the skating community support new outdoor skating rinks. The Rasmuson Foundation deserves our thanks as solid funders of community-identified projects all over town.

The hunting and fishing, trails and playgrounds help to keep three generations of Foxes here today. My company, Fairweather, employs about 200 Alaskans and we are always recruiting talent. Cyndie and I met a number of the families who visited when considering a position with Providence Alaska Anesthesia Group. Quality of life makes a difference in where people choose to live. Cyndie and I have seen firsthand that public investment in our outdoor infrastructure is important to attracting and retaining a talented workforce.

My whole family supports the park bonds. This year it is Proposition A. We want the Coastal Trail to connect to the Ship Creek Trail. We are happy to see more investment in the Campbell Creek Trail. We will go anywhere they put a new playground. Frankly, we’d like to see Fairview and Spenard get their recreation centers cared for and are glad the kids of Fairview have an indoor playground to enjoy all year round.

Cyndie and I appreciate the work of the Anchorage Park Foundation for many reasons. We enjoy the trails and playgrounds too.

Prop. A Parks and Recreation Bond Projects:

• Campbell Creek Trail rehabilitation and wayfinding, $300,000

• Peratrovich Park upgrades, $700,000

• Ship Creek Trail, $250,000

• Athletic field safety improvements, $200,000

• Chester Creek Complex safety, security and ADA upgrades, $100,000

• Playground development, all-inclusive, $300,000

• Far North Bicentennial Park bridge replacement, $150,000

• Russian Jack Springs Park safety and ADA improvements, $300,000

• Fairview Recreation Center improvements, $500,000

• Spenard Recreation Center improvements, $200,000

• Tony Knowles Coastal Trail to Ship Creek Trail connection, $150,000 (local match to $9.5 million in federal funds)

• Fish Creek Trail to the ocean, $150,000 (local match to federal funding)

• Cuddy Park Ice Oval warming chalet, $300,000

• Mulcahy Stadium improvements, $350,000

Total: $3.95 million

Rick Fox serves as the Senior Vice President and GM of Chouest, and CEO of Fairweather, an Alaska company. Rick is also a former board member of the Anchorage Park Foundation. Cyndie Fox is an Anchorage anesthesiologist, and her love of hunting in Alaska can be seen on the pages of Hunt Alaska Magazine. Dr. Roger and Allison Koos Fox and their two sons have lived in Anchorage for over 10 years. Dr. Rabun and Dr. Patricia Fox and their son have lived in Anchorage for almost four years.

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