Triumphant return: New governor hosts celebration in Wasilla

The week-long, state-wide inaugural celebration for new Gov. Mike Dunleavy made a stop in Wasilla Tuesday evening. National, state and local dignitaries celebrated alongside Mat-Su Valley residents.

The Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center played host to about 300 people who were served cake and pumpkin pie with fruit punch while listening to speeches from all four area mayors, U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, former Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan and new Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer. Governor Dunleavy addressed the crowd at the end.

Wasilla Mayor Bert Cottle emceed the first part of the festivities. The Colony High School ROTC presented the colors while Teeland Middle School choir sang the National Anthem and the Alaska State Song.

The four mayors each spoke on behalf of their municipalities congratulating the new governor on his victory.

“By choosing you the people of Alaska has chosen a path of change, openness and optimism,” Houston Mayor Virgie Thompson said.

“The city of Palmer was wise in their choice of voting you in and standing beside you and helping to elect you. We look forward to working with you in any way we can to move Alaska forward,” Palmer Mayor Edna Devries said.

Offering congratulations from the Mat-Su Borough Mayor Vern Halter stated, “We’re very proud. We feel he is one of our own. He’s from the Mat-Su. We’re very happy with some of his selections for the cabinet and commissioners. We would like our road projects to go forward and get some fish back and we have confidence that is going to happen now.”

Cottle concluded the mayor speeches.

“Governor Dunleavy you will be our Governor for at least the next four years and I’m confident for the next four years. We are here to support you and whatever you need we will be here for you,” Cottle said.

Former State Senator Lynn Gattis then took over the emcee role for remainder of the program. Sen. Dan Sullivan addressed the crowd before leaving for a flight back to Washington D.C.

“I always love being back in the Valley. As I like to say some of the most patriotic people in the entire country are here. Where we grow very large vegetables and very tall politicians including our new governor,” Sullivan said.

The crowd applauded loudly with their approval.

“I want to begin by congratulating Gov. Mike Dunleavy and Lt Gov. Kevin Meyer and very importantly the impressive team in terms of cabinet members they are already assembling. I would also like to thank Gov. Walker for his service for our state,” Sullivan said. “I know we’ve had a trying week. I know how shook up many of us were and still are. As Alaskans as they’ve done countless times in the past we came together and represented what is best about America. You knocked on doors checking on your neighbors. And incredibly our young students were calm in very dangerous situations no doubt saving lives. The indomitable spirit of Alaskans has been on full display for the rest of the world to see. From almost the minute it happened we had a federal government from the President, Vice President, Secretary of Transportation and the Head of FEMA they have been reaching out to us. They are going to help. Thank God we didn’t lose any lives. With Gov. Dunleavy and his team, we will work on building an even better Alaska. One of the things I think is great about Mike Dunleavy is he is an optimist. We have our challenges but when you look at advantages our state has relative to any other state or any other place in the world there is so much positive that out weighs the negative.”

After presentations from athletes and board members from the Mat-Su Special Olympics and the Wasilla Historical Society, former Gov. Sean Parnell took the stage.

“On Monday about one thirty in the afternoon I hit the State of Alaska website and there was a picture of Governor Dunleavy and Lt Governor Meyer and I took a screenshot. I then sent it to a friend who replied it’s a new day in Alaska. I said Thank God it is a new day in Alaska,” Parnell said.

Then Parnell went on to lead the attendees in a prayer.

After Parnell former Anchorage mayor Dan Sullivan addressed the crowd.

“A year ago my friend Sean Parnell and I were brought up on similar stages but instead of accepting the mantel of governing Alaska we were congratulating Bill Walker and Byron Mallott. I’m convinced it might have been a good thing for Alaska in a lot of ways because we saw the contrast in bad governance versus good governance. I’m serious about that. We now have a boiler plate in what not to do in governing the great State of Alaska,” he said.

Sullivan went on to criticize the Walker administration for what he deemed was high spending in a budget crisis.

Meyer took the podium next and reiterated the feeling of optimism.

“We’re going to serve all Alaskans whether it’s the small rural village of Noorvik of five hundred people or you live in Anchorage,” Meyer said.

He thanked his family for attending the swearing in ceremony. And promised this administration would be family first.

Meyer then introduced Dunleavy who took the stage to the music of “Yankee Doodle Dandy.”

“It’s been an amazing year and an amazing week. An amazing year because of the campaign,” Dunleavy said.

He went on to say how great it was to be back in Wasilla and then spoke of trying to being sworn in at his wife Rosie’s home village. Weather didn’t allow it to happen so he swore in at Kotzebue then made it to the Noorvik.

“This week has demonstrated to me why I love Alaska and love Alaskans,” Dunleavy said referencing the Nov. 30 earthquake. “When I got outside of the house what I saw was truly amazing. What I saw was neighbor helping neighbor. The traffic lights were out in downtown Anchorage and people weren’t fighting each other to get through traffic. People were helping each other. The police were very busy throughout the town and in some spots, I never saw a police officer because they were out doing their jobs. What I did see was Alaskans pulling together. Somebody said how do you feel becoming governor and the first thing handed to you is an earthquake? What I was first handed again was a glimpse of what Alaska is all about. People helping each other and that is part of the optimism of why I really believe in this state.”

Dunleavy then stated that his team will be going to Washington DC next week to meet with the President’s cabinet and that Dunleavy’s administration has been working with the Alaska U.S. delegation to get Southcentral Alaska back to where it was. Dunleavy thanked the state workers for the efforts.

For the past eighteen years the Dunleavy’s have been Valley residents.

“I want to thank the residents of the Mat-Su. We won this election by about 24,000 votes. We beat our opponent in the Valley by over 20,000 votes. This is where it happened,” Dunleavy said.

He concluded his speech thanking God that we didn’t lose any people but recognized that the Mat-Su Valley was hard hit by the earthquake.

“We’re going to get through this. I am incredibly optimistic and that is why I ran for governor. With all of the resources we have there is no reason why Alaska cannot be the greatest state in the greatest country on the face of the earth,” Dunleavy said.

Notable quotes from those in attendance;

“I’m very much looking forward to working with Governor Dunleavy because the platform he ran on about changing Alaska for the better. My job is to work with those who are in the department. We do have work to do because it is the biggest budget in the state,” Adam Crum, Commissioner of Health and Social Services

“My concern is that Gov. Dunleavy believes that crime can be solved by repealing SB91. I believe we need to move upstream and find out what that is all about. I believe it’s fueled by substance abuse, mental health and poverty. Unless we start tackling those problems, we’re still going to have the same issue,” Michael Carson, Chair of the Mat-Su Opioid Task Force

“I’m excited we can get a lot of things done in the Mat-Su that we haven’t been able to move. We have a lot of important projects not only for the Mat-Su but for the state and I hope we can start moving them,” Jim Sykes, Mat-Su Borough Assembly Member for District 1

“He’s a great new Governor. He’s already made it to Norvik,” Frances Dunleavy, brother of Gov. Dunleavy.

“I was fairly disconnected because I was down in the lower 48. I really don’t know much about Alaska other than my knowledge of Michael so I was very supportive of him. Negative press is politics so you really can’t worry about that,” Frances Dunleavy said in regard to the negative campaigns about his fundraising for his brother’s campaign.

“Super excited to have hometown Gov. Dunleavy from the Mat-Su to lift up all the great things about our region and our state and to really help us build our economy and build our health. I was excited to meet Adam Crum the other day. It’s impressive to have so many members of Governor Dunleavy’s administration from our community. This is where Alaska grows,” Elizabeth Ripley CEO of the Mat-Su Health Foundation.

“I’m old enough that I will say this, ask me in a year and I will give you an opinion. Until they sit in the chair you just don’t know. I’ve known Mike Dunleavy. I use to shoe his horses. He is the right guy but there is a lot of things that one man can’t change,” George Mckee, Mat-Su Borough Assembly Member for District 3.