Report ‘outside the box’

To the editor:

I’m writing this letter today first to say thank you for printing the first article in a long, long time that is outside the box for your paper. Your profile on the new rock climbing gym in Wasilla was refreshing and gave me some faith that the paper will write about more than police blotter, standard high school athletics and the often reported Mat-Su marijuana busts.

For a few years now there has been a groundswell of change happening in our little cities of Palmer and Wasilla, and throughout the core area of the Valley. Our community is one of the youngest in the nation, and those residing here often like to do more than simply fish, hunt, play hockey, watch Mat-Su Miners baseball and discuss high school athletics. There’s nothing wrong with these pursuits, and I participate in them as well, but your paper is leaving out a large portion of the population — scores of individuals who like to climb, mountain bike, kayak, BMX, skateboard, backcountry ski, sled ski, snowbikes or simply volunteer to make our community a better place.

In the past three years, you have failed to advertise two large ski movie events, a bike film festival fundraiser, community information about race events, the potential new bike park in Palmer, expansion of rapidly growing local small businesses devoted to recreation and healthy activities, ever increasing networks of mountain bike, hiking and multi-use trails and numerous other events that do not fit in to the “Valley life” often reported in the Frontiersman.

Those of us who participate in these activities, businesses and volunteer events aren’t seeking recognition or a pat on the back, but we would like our community to know about what “else” is going on in the Valley. With your help, we can make the Mat-Su an even better place to live. We are teachers, volunteers, business owners and parents. Please do your best to cover all aspects of our Valley, and not just the cookie-cutter definition of Alaskana depicted on the Discovery Channel.

I understand you can’t cover everything, but there’s still room for more. Thanks, and I look forward to reading more articles regarding healthy, outside-the box-living in the Valley.

Ed Kessler

Palmer