Show support for Palmer parks on Monday

Frontiersman editorial board

Under the banner P.A.R.C.S., for Parks, Arts, Recreation Sports and Culture, a small group of people have cobbled together a plan to transform the Alaska Railroad corridor through Palmer into a park strip. PARCS has helped secure federal funding for the project, and the city is more than likely to manage construction contracts if given the opportunity.

And there is a pretty big if. Just what, and how much, of anything can be built depends largely on the management of the Alaska Railroad Corp.

Members of the Palmer city council have invited Alaska Railroad CEO Patrick Gamble to meet with them and take a walk along the right of way. The meeting has been scheduled for Monday at 2 p.m. It could be an important day for the PARCS plan, and we think it will be an important day for the community.

The railroad right of way is currently a combination of eyesore, public nuisance and weed farm. There's no question a park strip with amenities could be built there. There's no question the park could be designed to allow for a new rail line if one should ever become economically viable. There's also no question that Valley people turn out when given the opportunity to help build a park for their community.

We suggest that people who are interested in turning an eyesore into something Palmer can be proud of should show up to meet Gamble on Monday -- not to criticize the railroad, but to show him people care about the quality of life in Palmer and are willing to pitch in to help improve it.

It would be nice if we could start tearing up tracks Monday, but that's not going to happen. What Gamble needs is a message-- the Alaska Railroad hasn't been an active part of Palmer for years, and we'd like our town back.

TGIO (Thank God It's Over)

At long last, the Mat-Su Borough election has ended and winners have been declared.

Candidates are taking down election signs, while the business of the borough returns to normal. Or, as normal as borough business gets. More than 1,500 ballots were hand-counted under the watchful eyes of some very dedicated individuals and two errors were found -- not a bad accuracy rate.

In Houston, the election hasn't ended. A candidate has contested the results and vote-counting effectively ends until Houston clerk Daleann Pond completes her investigation.

Pond said she hopes to report her findings to the council Oct. 16, but the certification process can be postponed up to three times, so candidates may be biting their nails until November awaiting the outcome of the election.

We hope the situation will be resolved in a fair and impartial manner, and the lives of the Houston candidates, voters and clerks can return to normal as well.