Glenn Highway signs set to be unveiled Friday

June 7, 2005

DAWN DE BUSK/Frontiersman reporter

PALMER - In 1960, John F. Kennedy visited the Valley, announcing his presidential campaign and accepting a giant cabbage grown in the area's fertile soil. That year, residents were busy celebrating the 25-year anniversary of the Palmer Fair.

That's one snippet of information tourists and locals can obtain from new interpretive panels being installed this summer near the Alaska State Fairgrounds.

As part of Colony Days festivities, a dedication ceremony unveiling the seven interpretive signs begins at 3 p.m. Friday at the South Palmer Station. Lt. Gov. Loren Leman plans to speak at the event.

Some members of the Wasilla and Palmer city councils and the Mat-Su Borough Assembly have also been invited to the unveiling. Sen. Lyda Green, R-District G, is scheduled to make an appearance, and Henry Hanka, with the National Byways Resource Center, will also be on hand.

A $140,000 grant from the National Scenic Byways Program funded the project to design the informational panels and create an inventory of other sites along the Glenn Highway that warrant recognition with future signs, according to Debbie Rinckey.

"It took about a year to complete the panels. That includes public comment, design, wording and manufacturing," Rinckey said.

She said the unveiling is among the events listed for Colony Days celebrations in Palmer.

For tourists taking a road trip along the 187-mile Glenn Highway, the panels will pinpoint scenic pull-offs, describe the kinds of wildlife and species of flowers they might encounter, and explain how the glaciers have carved the landscape. The Scenic Byways Web site recommends taking at least eight hours to drive the highway and enjoy all the potential stops.

One panel, entitled "Nature's Playground" mentions Chugach State Park and suggests activities - such as hiking, biking, kayaking and berry picking - in which to engage while traveling along the Glenn Highway. These outdoor activities are easily accessible from the highway.

Another panel, called "A Way of Life," provides travelers with a map of the highway and highlights places to visit from Anchorage to Chickaloon, such as the Anchorage Museum of History and Art, Alaska Native Heritage Center, Alaska State Fairgrounds, Elmendorf Air Force and Fort Richardson Army bases, the Native Village of Eklutna, Chickaloon Village Traditional Council, and Alpine Historical Park.

In June 2002, U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta designated the Glenn Highway as a National Scenic Byway. For more information, check out the Web site www.byways.org or www.alaska.gov/scenic.

Contact Dawn De Busk at

352-2252, or dawn.debusk@

frontiersman.com.