The end of 2024

2024 has only a few breaths left. Let’s take a look at what happened this year and the best things and worst too.

Palmer schools successfully instituted school day student phone restrictions which had been great for students, teachers and community. Kids are interacting more in both classrooms, and less distracted in in hallways. It is a hopeful reconnection between students and each other and their teachers during the school day.

Two delicious and successful Farm Markets have flourished in Palmer. The Wednesday afternoon Matanuska Community Market across from the Log church and Moonstone Farm on the Colony Church homestead on Thursdays and Saturdays. Bushes Bunches, on Old Glenn, near Clark Wolverine has made a comeback with supplying farm fresh items, milk and eggs. NonEssentials, in downtown, has fresh Alaska Milk available too. Both delicious cookies and homemade ice cream shops have helped to fill the speciality sweet tooths in our town.

This past year the Beautiful Glenn Massey Theater at the college has hosted many excellent theater productions and musical offerings through out the season. Weekends in Palmer are full of music and fun. Bands play freely and life seems better with community music. 203 Kombucha and Klondike Mike’s/Garcias are wonderful stages along with the Palmer Fishhook Bar, Ale House, and sometimes the Musk Ox Farm, Bleeding Heart, and Mat Brewery.

Our State Fair too has upped the Musical offerings in addition to all the wonderful things at the fair. And the centerpiece at the fair this year was a full grown train topiary. The locomotive with animal friends, was remarkable and definitely deserves local applause and recognition.

The Arctic Winter Games of 2024 were amazing and unforgettable. So many volunteers assisted in this effort to welcome the athletes and assist in the events. In addition, it is noted that this year we saw crazy aurora borealis from downtown Palmer! Plus all the fine Christmas Lights

Coffee spots are all over town with everyone having a favorite. We offer a special shout out to Reboot which is closing its doors. We also say goodbye to Peak Outpost, Photo Design, Cobb Street and the Gallery.

The future looks full of resolution of the Palmer library turmoil, parking politics, Friday fling uncertainty, book removals, railroad crossings, city council recalls, city manager hiring and firing debacle. All of these issues have been filled with understandable angst, confusion and emotion. Hurt feelings, reactive retorts, and unkind grievances have also been aired. I believe we all hope for a resolution without tempestuous and hateful rhetoric spiced up with conspiracy theories.

There will be some interesting new things on the horizon including the relocation of Poppy Lane, possible Barbecue restaurant, new meat plant, library possible construction, expansion of Skeetawk, glass recycling, inclusion of the Ten Commandments and other words of Wisdom, musk ox babies, the return of the swans, geese and small birds, expansion of Food Truck Court and collective events, full menu at new Garcias/Klondike Mike’s, Sweet Gypsy’s big beautiful second dining space, “Make A Difference” good community efforts,

Best of luck to the new fabric store, Stitch’n Time and other brandy new enterprises. Sadly I don’t know of others but I am sure there are some that should be mentioned. In a future column the crowd-sourced comments will all be included!

We are a better community because of all the volunteer services that are offered year round by our many service organizations which include the Rotary, the Lion’s Club, the Kiwanis Club, Palmer Chamber, many faith organizations, the Friends of Libraries, the PTA’s, the Trail volunteers, the recycling community, the neighborhood watches, the boy-scouts, the girl-scouts, the 4H groups, the Garden clubs, and the Explorers. Palmer Public Works, Palmer Police and Fire, Alaska State Troopers are always out there making our lives safer and better. Our official city employees have many responsibilities that few of us understand but that is because the city is running well. It is only when things break down, that we see the problems and the challenges. Our Mayor and City Council elected officials sit through hours and hours of discussion, public hearings in addition to special meetings and private study of the issues. For this, ALL of them deserve our thanks and respect. Palmer’s boards and commissions are also full of dedicated citizens attempting to improve or maintain a quality of life for ourselves and neighbors.

Barbara Hunt is both Palmer writer and artist. She works hard to keep the robust pulse of Palmer, Alaska. She shares the good stuff in the weekly Palmer Alaska Buzz Column in the Mat Su Valley Frontiersman and daily on the Palmer Alaska Buzz Facebook Group. Contact at bhunt@mtaonline.net or text 907.315.3222