Group beautifies Palmer High School

Palmer -- The Moose Gardeners, a group of Palmer Parent Teacher Organization members and a number of Palmer High School students, have spent countless hours this summer in the dirt and rock, landscaping the two drive entrances to Palmer High School.

"This week we are going to rake and grass seed [the second drive]," said Ann Knobbe, one of the volunteers who has helped with the landscaping project. Knobbe said 75 adult volunteers and 67 student volunteers have helped with the project. There have been 20 work sessions, two to three hours a session, since May 10.

"Some helpers came a few times, where others have helped at almost all of the sessions," said Knobbe, who added that having the student involvement was a real plus to the project. "We really want to stress being a good neighbor to our youth, that it really does feel good to make a difference."

Knobbe said many people in the neighborhood around the school have stopped by and thanked the Moose Gardeners for sprucing up the landscape near the road, making it a more pleasant drive. But Knobbe said landscaping has not just been for beautification; by clearing the brush away from the entrances and replacing it with low-trees and shrubs, it has made turning in and out of the school parking lot much safer.

There are three landscaped areas at the Palmer entrances, two at the first entrance and one at the second.

"The project is bigger than we anticipated, but we're really excited," Knobbe said.

Talk about landscaping the entrances began at the P.T.O. meetings more than a year ago, but it was a $4,500 grant from the Matanuska-Susitna Borough that jump-started the project this May. The group also received donations from a number of different local companies, including Cruz Construction and Central Paving and Gravel.

"As school funding gets less and less, the maintenance on our building is really a problem," Knobbe said. "We want to try to make a difference here."

Diane Meekin coordinated most of the project, and was able to secure the many donations the group received. Knobbe wanted to thank her on behalf of the P.T.O.

"She has done such a great job," Knobbe said. "We are really grateful."

The main work on the project should be done this week, then it's just a matter of watering and protecting the grass until fall.

"We will do the upkeep through the summer," Knobbe said. "Hopefully the school will take over in the fall."