PUBLISHER’S NOTEBOOK: Feeding the kids!

At the Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce weekly luncheon, this past Tuesday, the meal was provided by The Mat-Su Food Bank. Eddie Ezelle, Executive Director of the Mat-Su Food Bank spoke briefly about the Food 4 Kids program and more specifically their summer program to bring meals to kids while they are out and about doing various activities. The lunch provided to us at Chamber was a typical lunch served through this program. The meal included tuna salad with a roll, carrots, celery, an orange, and milk. It was a satisfying meal. The Mat-Su Food Bank provides lunches for any child, eighteen or under during set times and locations over the summer months starting on May 22^nd and ending on August 18th. The schedule is listed below. There are no income requirements or forms to fill out. Kids show up at the locations, Monday through Friday, during the available time and get a meal, it’s as simple as that. Even though it’s a USDA program that is passed through the state. These funds do not cover all of the meals served. They need the community’s help through donations. Some stats that Eddie shared with us are 42% of the clients using the food bank are eighteen and under and 12% of those are under the age of five. The ability to feed kids during the summer when they are not able to get a meal during the day because school is out is essential. If you would like to donate to the program you can get more information at matsufoodbank.org or call 357-3769. Here is the schedule for this summer. Those who attended the luncheon generously opened their wallets and donated to the program.

Food 4 Kids lunch schedule Monday -Friday starting May 22nd;

Newcomb Park 12pm-1:15pm

Wonderland Playground 12pm-1:15pm

Carter Park 12pm-1pm

Iditapark Skate Park 1:30pm-2pm

Wasilla Food Pantry 11:30am-1pm

Talkeetna is gearing up

I spent the day in Talkeetna on Tuesday. The locals are gearing up for the big tourism push and it sounds like it could be a better than average season. As my colleague and I walked through the town and stopped at various establishments I was so impressed with how open the folks were. What great ambassadors for the Mat-Su Valley to travelers from all over the world. Sounds like the first bus is set to hit the week of the fifteenth of May and the town is going to kick things off with the Talkeetna Fly In. A three-day event, May 19th-21st with a variety of activities, food, events, camping and a good time to come together. The major organizing sponsor is the Alaska Airmen Association with a good list of other sponsors and through their generosity the event is entirely free. We’ll have a preview story in this Sunday’s edition of the Frontiersman.

Destination Mat-Su

The Frontiersman’s annual Summer Activity Guide has morphed into a full glossy magazine titled Destination Mat-Su. The printed copies are being distributed now. The 36-page magazine contains features on local activities, businesses and great photography. You can view the magazine on our homepage at frontiersman.com. I’m proud of the work our team put into this magazine and very appreciative to the advertisers who supported this effort. A special thank you to Casey Ressler from the Mat-Su Convention and Visitors Bureau for his suggestions on content and his introductory column. We are distributing the magazine all over the valley, Anchorage, Girdwood, Whittier and into Seward. We will also distribute the digital version via social media and placing display advertising in target areas in the lower 48. The tourism industry has been hit hard by the state’s budget cuts and we at the Frontiersman are doing our part to help bring awareness to the fact the Mat-Su Valley has a lot to offer the vacationer and a trip of a lifetime doesn’t have to be an expensive endeavor.

Thank you for reading the Frontiersman