PALMER BUZZ: A look back at the biggest Palmer stories of 2017

At the top of the list is definitely “A Wedding of Three Hearts”—when Palmer Alaska Picker proprietors married on a lovely Palmer field in the summer. Unbeknownst to the bride, a certain gentleman was invited to the wedding. He wasn’t just any gentleman; he was a young man, a donor recipient, who had received her deceased son’s heart. This was perhaps the most heartfelt story, shared round the world.

The ‘Five Little Girls’ resonated to all—with the tragic trailer fire in the Butte. It was the saddest story, and whether you knew the children or not, it impacted everyone. Not even the amazing generosity of Palmer friends and strangers could soften this horrible blow, but the efforts did help the family weather the storm in a very small way.

Another fire took headlines in Palmer: “Local Automotive Shop destroyed by Fire to be Rebuilt.” This, of course, was in February when the downtown Jenski Auto shop burned to the ground. Although tragic, no lives were lost and firefighters were rightfully heralded as heroes who kept the fire contained. Just like the phoenix from the ashes, the auto shop is being rebuilt in an interesting form.

“A Sculpture for David,” was a tremendous story which recounted the effort to remember and honor David Grunwald, who was brutally murdered in 2016. Artist Holly Gittlein designed and built the Eternal Flame, which brought art and love together in this sculptural piece. Located visibly from the Old Glenn highway, it reminds us everyday of a young man who will never grow old.

“Miners With A Mission” was a happier story telling the tale of the local baseball team’s rise and win in Palmer’s heart.

“The Return of Palmer’s Red Ball” was an iconic story about the well-loved Palmer water tower, receiving its finial “cherry on top.”

“Growing Alaska” was a story that discussed the rise and popularity of farming at all levels in the state and Palmer specifically.

“Graffiti Busters” was a story about a selfless father who got angry about crude graffiti taggers in our town. He brought the whole community out to de-tag the playground; his perseverance reminded everyone that we each have a stake; action is better than complaints.

Big stories about the Palmer Pioneer and Veterans Home and the opening of new Fred Meyer store were on the front pages. And then there were tiny little stories including “Pho comes to Palmer.” There were the stories of regional weed sales and abundant and successful microbreweries. There was the story of pig picking potlucks, wine walks and rhubarb rumbles. Palmer’s Happy Runs, Cow Couch, mushroom proliferation and recycling successes were all sweet stories of the year. Stories about old Palmer tractors, book releases, fire safety, marches, avalanche warnings, and trap houses were also signs of the times. We lost more than a few really good Palmer people this year and those obituaries were notable and memorial.

Palmer has a lot going for it and it’s hard to stay on top of all the statistics, rankings, sports heroes, school successes, dance and theater performances, Untold Stories, music and art festivals, city news, store openings, art developments and volunteer efforts.

Frankly, the Palmer area could fill its own newspaper with updates in 99645, including events at the Glenn Massey Theater, college classes, Palmer golf course, retail and airport development, Kiwanis and Rotary, police beat, MEA & MTA, churches and Chamber of Commerce.

There’s lots to write about in our little region of the world. Some stories were totally missed and I promise to do a better job next year. Please feel free to alert the Palmer Buzz and the Frontiersman staff—so we can deliver!

The Facebook version of the Palmer Buzz continues to be a very robust site with much active interchange and discussion. It’s a full time job keeping it fresh and deleting the snark. There’ve been many interesting conversations cycling through the page. It has taken more than a little grooming over its first two years. Some uniformed folks are convinced that it is a Palmer group celebrating bees, because of the name Buzz. Likewise, some folks are wary because they feel the Palmer Buzz is a marijuana outlet, again, just because of the word Buzz…in the title! I assure you, it is neither. The Palmer Buzz is devoted to all things Palmer; if bees or pot are part of the story, they will be mentioned— but so will bears, flags, sandwiches, unusual cloud formations and remarkable puddles.

Writing for you is a responsibility I love. I try to keep it tight and truthful. Thanks to the help of our Frontiersman publisher and editor, reporters, and all the newspaper staff, the newspaper version of the Palmer Buzz will continue strong. Let’s go 2018……this Palmer place is buzzing.