Community events throughout the year remind us why we live, work and play in the Mat-Su Valley

Ask any Valley resident why they live here, and they'll likely tell you it's the sense of community that Anchorage doesn't have, or that it is the people who you meet every day, or the recreational opportunities that abound.

In 2002 there were a lot of community-related stories that made us laugh, made us cry and made us proud of where we live. Here, chronologically, are a few of the community events, people and happenings that people talked about in 2002:

January

Early in the year, the Stargate Observatory opened at Burchell High School, giving the Valley a high-powered telescope to see deep into space.

"As far as I know, it's the largest observatory at a high school in America," said science teacher Tim Lundt, who was instrumental in getting grants and overseeing the construction. "It's a great thing to have available to the students, and to the community. This is a chance for the kids to get into astronomy and apply their knowledge to research projects. It's a great opportunity for them."

February

In early February, Mat-Su College had a milestone graduation. The first graduate of the college's new Microsoft Information Technology Training Academy was Michael Carney. He earned a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer credential.

Students were also hard at work for Valley Performing Arts, as Colony Middle School art students worked on the set of "Private Lives." They painted, sewed, upholstered and built much of the set.

In late February, there was a race to remember for Gil Hjellen and his granddaughter, Laura Wesser. Together, they raced 100 miles on skis in the dead of winter.

Gil, an endurance race veteran, said he was nervous.

"It's amazing -- I'm more nervous now than I have been before any other competition," Hjellen said as a light snow fell. "I didn't expect to be nervous, either."

Upon finishing, Wesser became the youngest female finisher in the race's history, and they became the first-ever third-generation finishers. And after two of the competitors scratched, Hjellen became the oldest finisher in the 2002 race, while Wesser was the youngest.

March

Big Lake's Martin Buser won the Iditarod in record time, but it was the week after the race that Buser enjoyed the most.

While in Nome, Buser became an American citizen. Following that, he and his family embarked on a seven-day trip down the Iditarod Trail via snowmachine, as part of a family vacation.

"I have the greatest office in the world, the great outdoors," Buser said. "For seven days, my boys and my wife got to see what life is like in my office."

April

In April, the Mat-Su Valley hosted the first job fair here, and it was a rousing success. People from around the Southcentral Alaska region convened to meet with prospective employers, and to find out how they can better market themselves.

May

In May, the history of the Upper Susitna Valley was published by author Ken Marsh. A River Between Us chronicles the history of the area, from the gold mining days to the present day. Marsh self-published the book in his Trapper Creek home.

In mid-May, David Pelto directed his last play at Colony High School. After a 24-year career of teaching and directing school productions in the Valley, Pelto retired -- both as a teacher, and as a school play director.

June

Ten students from Cottonwood Creek Elementary won $10,000 for their school by winning a movie contest for the Oscar Mayer company, but they missed out on the Weinermobile. As it turned out, the Weinermobile made its way to every state winner's school -- except Hawaii and Alaska.

While the Weinermobile didn't come to Alaska, a group of dedicated volunteers did. World Changers brought together 163 people to help renovate 12 Valley families' homes.

"We've been putting up siding, painting, doing the Sheetrocking, even putting on a new roof," said Kyle Kennedy of World Changers. "We've been doing basically every type of construction, even a handicap ramp."

Throughout the summer, support for another Valley project grew. The War Dogs Memorial, organized by Valley veteran advocate Leo Kaye, is still in the planning stages, but support has been growing.

July

The first-ever Rock the Vote concert was held July 12 on the Alaska State Fairgrounds. Organized by local politician Randy Lorenz, the event was a 12-hour concert featuring local bands. Throughout the event, local political leaders talked to the youth about how important it is to vote, as well as signed up young voters.

"More and more, youth out here don't feel appreciated," Lorenz said. "They feel like they don't have a voice, that their one vote doesn't really do anything. That's when I tell them about the house seat that has 1,000 young voters in it. If they all came to the voting booth, they don't need the help of anyone else to elect the person they want. That is real political power, and they don't even realize it."

During the middle of July, grasshoppers invaded Palmer, and people scrambled to learn more about the insects. On the other end of the Valley, the grandson of the author of Tisha worked to get his grandmother's first book, Dark Boundary, reprinted. Brian Johnson published the book and marketed it to bookstores around the state during the summer.

As the month closed, Camp Abilities came to Palmer. The camp was for blind and visually-impaired students, and it was a hit. Campers played beep baseball, rode bikes, swam and participated in a number of sports they normally don't get the chance to in normal gym classes.

"The benefits of this camp are tremendous," said Margaret Webber of Alpine Alternatives. "It empowers the kids to be around other blind students, and to socialize and interact."

August

Before leaving for college, the four members of the band Foreign got together to jam once again. Casey DenBleyker, Jake Davies, Nathan Chud and Pete Tegeler put out their second album in 2002, a 14-track testament to God, which serves as a music ministry.

Another ministry was active in August, as the Salvation Army got a facelift from a group of people from the Tustin Ranch (Calif.) Salvation Army Church. An eight-man construction group worked on the Mat-Su Valley Corps, making renovations and repairs as needed.

"My father was a building contractor and he wanted to see a little bit of Alaska, so he came up here 14 years ago and got it started," said Dick Davenport, the foreman of the eight-man group.

Marion Sindorf, a 76-year-old Valley resident, made national history when she joined the U.S. Dressage Federation's century club, in which there must be 100 years between rider and horse. She rode Suavicito, a horse owned by Laurie Collins, to get into the record books. She plans to do it again this coming summer.

September

Albert Verrall of Palmer enjoyed the start of fall with two whopper fish stories -- both of which were true. He caught a 21.31-pound silver salmon and took second place in the Seward Silver Salmon Derby, and then caught a 21.76-pounder two weeks later to take the Valdez Silver Salmon Derby's top prize. Together, he collected $15,000.

"You know, me and some of my buddies have been fishing since the 1950s and we had never even seen a 21-pound silver," Verrall said. "And then I caught two in 14 days. It's unbelievable.

"I could go golfing right now and I'd probably hit a hole-in-one, you know?" Verrall said. "Everybody said I need to go to Vegas."

The book Alaska Native Ways debuted in September, and local author Phil Kelly provided the text to go with the award-winning photographs for one of the chapters.

In late September, the Dr. Myron F. Babb Arboretum hosted an open house in downtown Palmer to officially open the arboretum.

October

In early October, the Valley said good-bye to Tom Sokolowski, who retired from the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center after 21 years.

Another Valley resident hit a milestone, as Carl Fritzler celebrated his 90th birthday. He's been a Wasilla resident since 1932.

Wasilla resident Leonard Nugen also achieved a milestone. At age 78, he received his official high school diploma. A World War II vet, Nugen never went back to school to get his diploma. Instead, he received his from Gov. Tony Knowles.

"I've thought a lot about this over the years, but I just didn't think it would ever happen," Nugen said. "This really means a lot to me."

The month ended with a rousing success for a local charity. Halloween Hollow, an event held by the Special Santa and Toys for Tots program, was a hit as thousands of children came to the event at the Alaska State Fairgrounds, donating toys for Christmas as admission.

November

With Veterans' Day on Nov. 11, one veterans' group took over the responsibility of organizing the event. The Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 891 was formed early in the spring of 2002, and only got stronger as the year continued.

Palmer's Richard D'Allesandro published a historical calendar and took to the road in his 1968 Chevy pickup, distributing calendars and marketing it around the country.

December

The year came to a close with big news for Wasilla and Palmer high school automotive shops, as they received certification from the National Automotive Technology Education Foundation and the Automotive Youth Educational Systems.

Palmer's Joe and Cheryl Hommes had a memorable December, as their first book Storybook Culture was released by a national publisher, just in time for the holiday shopping season.