SPRING/SUMMER 2009
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NO-MONEY FUN
It's the kind of fun you can have on a tight budget. In these tough economic times, there may be fewer money-making opportunities but there are still plenty of opportunities for enjoying our community and taking care of each other. We don’t always need money to have fun. We need imagination, each other, a dash of humor and a heap of smart solutions. Here are some down-home ways to savor the summer while saving.
RIDE A BIKE
Team A::B::C (Agnew::Beck Cyclers) is ridin’ to work Friday, May 15, for Bike To Work Day! Our very own diehard, year-round bike commuter, Tomas, whose personal motto is “Go big or go home,” says he pedals to work to “Save the world,” (tongue in cheek). He helped found the Bicycle Commuters of Anchorage, which supports a bike-friendly city with a vision of a sustainable, green Anchorage.
clean up
A::B picked up the muck at Fish Creek again this year as part Creek Cleanup hosted by Anchorage Waterways Council. We also tended to the Fish Creek Trail we adopted nearby aaaaand, earned the Colossal Cleaner award at the Creek Cleanup Celebration! The judge mentioned “colorful rubber boots and a great attitude.” Thanks AWC!
visit your library
Anchorage's 21st Century Libraries community plan comes as U.S. libraries are experiencing a big increase in library card registration. That increase is reflected in Anchorage too, according to Anchorage Public Library Director Karen Keller. “From program attendance to circulation and library cardholders, the numbers are on the rise in every category," she said. Aiming to put the public back in the term "public library," you're welcome to a Summit at Z.J. Loussac Public Library May 19 to hear library experts and offer ideas about how libraries can better serve Anchorage.
play at the park
Sand Castle Beach Party, Skyhoundz Canine Frisbee Championships and Archery are all free programs brought to you by Anchorage Parks & Rec. That's the muni department which maintains, count ‘em – 224 parks and 250 miles of urban trail. Parks & Rec is updating its strategic plan for the next five years right now, and needs your feedback to help them prioritize into 2014. Take an online survey and let them know what you think about the city’s 11,000 acres of parkland and many recreation programs.
share a sound story
Share a story about Prince William Sound. The region has seen sweeping changes in the last several decades, due in part to historic events such as the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill. Changes in population, visitation, habitat and ecology have compelled research and study, inspired art and writing and provided adventure and solace. Sound Stories aims to collect these experiences in the words, images and science of the people who live in, work in and love the Sound.
springboard into action
Residents of Anchorage’s Mountain View neighborhood are gearing up for some serious grassroots community action. In their hands is the Mountain View Neighborhood Plan: Springboard for Action. People who care about this incredibly diverse community are organizing events and projects.
- Celebrate Summer! – A neighborhood block party, August 8, will showcase the area’s verve, and they need volunteers. (Visit the project website and get involved!). With the help of the Anchorage Community Land Trust, the community is creating a neighborhood plan that can be formally adopted by the municipality.
- Scope the Art! – Scope the Mountain View art scene at the MTS Gallery, 3142 Mountain View Drive, at the former Mobile Trailer Supply property. The nonprofit org, Trailer Art Center, is also programming the new Mountain View Multidisciplinary Art + Culture Center at one of the ACLT’s properties.
invent something
Create something new where nothing existed before. FDR’s Works Progress Administration birthed many public buildings, roads, bridges and schools, as well as large arts, drama, media and literacy projects and also worked to feed children and redistribute food, clothing and housing. Graphic artists designed some very cool posters for the people to showcase all of these projects. What kind of creative are you?
- Buy Handmade, Buy Local! – Check out etsy.com, a grassroots kind of commerce, and new opportunity for small businesses. Search for items made in Alaska to support local creators.
volunteer
- Mentor! – Refugee Assistance and Immigration Services (RAIS) needs family mentors, English tutors, classroom volunteers, driving teachers, people to help with special projects, transportation aids. Contact Melissa Bartley of Catholic Social Services with questions. She’s available to present about the refugee assistance program to organizations.
- Spring Clean! – Donate mattresses and other furniture or kitchen items to RAIS. Collect donations at your office or in your neighborhood. Last month, they assisted refugees arriving from camps in Bhutan, Somalia, Sudan and The Democratic Republic of Congo. They report: “Our first Somali family arrived (parents, four children and grandma). They have never experienced a westernized lifestyle and have had to learn a lot very quickly! Learning how to use locks, refrigerators, riding in cars have all been firsts for them these few weeks.”
- Stock the Community's Cupboards! – The food pantry at St. Francis House accepts food donations, as does the Food Bank of Alaska. Financial donations go a long way since the Food Bank can purchase food for $0.18 per pound. They're providing lunches to kids in 23 rural villages this summer: Fresh milk, tuna, sausages, raisins and applesauce. In rural Alaska, 22 percent of adults and 24 percent of children worry about where the next meal will come from.
- Honor Newcomers! – Lend a hand at the June 19 picnic in honor of Anchorage’s refugees at Mountain View’s Lions Park. The World Refugee Day event from 4-7 p.m., will feature traditional dances, kids booths, music, awards and a mean barbeque to welcome and celebrate our community’s refugees. Donate food before the event or master the BBQ grill. Contact Karen Ferguson at Catholic Social Services to volunteer.
be a neighbor
Thanks to everyone who supported the two Sudanese families who lost their duplex to a house fire in March. Tor Gach, Nyekan and their six kids now live in Mountain View. Nyarep and her eight kids rent in Airport Heights. The all say a big thank you for the clothes, toys, furniture, dishes and bedding people donated. The Southern Sudanese American Community Association (SSACA) in Anchorage supports refugees from Sudan and other African nations. This network of families cares for each other fiercely and shares their resources and culture with friends and neighbors. Leader, Bajek Deng, says the group shuttles members of 15 families to and from work in a van but they've struggled to afford gas money consistently. “We never want to see any of our people homeless or begging on the street. We work and help each other out,” Bajek said. “What we have, we share.” If you’d like to support SSACA, they could use some gas cards to help transport folks to work. Contact Bajek Deng, 907.720.6309.
Conserve
Our Bristol Bay buddies use Bokashi buckets to ferment their compost. Using a federal Indian General Assistance Program grant, they bought these buckets for the entire village and report that it works great! (link to AB BBNA-IGAP webpage if/when we have it) Unlike traditional compost or worms, these buckets compost everything (meat, bones, dairy) and produce a liquid that can unclog your drain! Read more about what rural Alaskans are doing to conserve in the NYTimes.
Grow something
Whether cultivating your own food, flowers or houseplants, gardening can be a fun, low-cost way to celebrate summer and make friends with other garden-lovers.
- Plants + Supplies – Visit the Mann Leiser Memorial Greenhouses. Check out impressively huge plants and chirpy birds in the aviary. You might even score some starter plants of your own from the free clippings box.
- Become a Master – The Alaska Master Gardener Association offers free classes in exchange for a promise: Pay back the hours by teaching other aspiring master gardeners.
- Seed + Feed – Share your seed packets with neighbors whether they are mere lettuce mixes or luxurious blue Himalayan poppies. And keep your extras in a cool, dark place for next year. Also, check out Alaska Fish Food (it’s organic, Alaskan, and a little goes a long way).
- Got Worms? – They transform trash into filthy rich compost for your plants, provided you can keep them warm in the winter.
