Work near Windbreak generates questions

WASILLA — It seems Mayor Dianne M. Keller’s comments at a recent city council meeting are making some residents take notice.

Evidence of the rumor mill’s effects were apparent last week. Deputy Chief Greg Wood with the Wasilla Police Department said people spotted a handful of Wasilla officers working on equipment on one of the department’s communications towers near the Windbreak Café. An Anchorage officer contracted to Wasilla’s communications company was also present.

Since then, “We’ve had several calls here from people worried that we maybe did a raid at the Windbreak,” Wood said.

Similar calls were fielded at the Frontiersman this week.

The comments he’s referring to were made at a June 30 city council meeting in which Keller defended actions that led the council to call for her resignation regarding her dealings with Meritage Development LLC, a company working to develop two tracts of land close to the Windbreak. Addressing Annette Andres, owner of the Windbreak, Keller accused the café owner of making “degrading” statements about her. Andres had received a letter threatening eminent domain if she didn’t cooperate with plans for nearby Sun Mountain Avenue. The letters prompted the investigation. Keller has said from the start she was reacting to safety concerns regarding the road.

Keller said that if she were the type of person Andres thought she was, she would have directed Wasilla police officers to run breathalyzer checks on anyone exiting the café, but she didn’t.

Calls to the restaurant turned up no sign of a raid and attempts to reach the café’s owners were not successful as of press time.

Officers conducting the maintenance work were not on Windbreak property, Wood said, adding the work had absolutely nothing to do with the café.

“We were working on some equipment out there and that’s it,” Wood said. “This stems, I believe, from the mayor’s comments.”

Wood said it’s likely Keller’s comments, which may have been taken out of context and sprinkled with a little imagination from Wasilla residents, have been spun through the local rumor mill, turning a maintenance call into something more sinister in the minds of some.

“We don’t do business that way and we’re going to continue to abide by the laws ourselves and continue to do right by the community,” Wood said.

Since that June 30 meeting, Woods said he doesn’t believe police have fielded any calls for service from the restaurant.

“If we do have a call we’ll respond and deal with it like we normally do,” Wood said.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiers-man.com or 352-2270.