Sometimes the issues brought before the Talkeetna Community Council are controversial and require a lot of discussion. Three of the Council’s monthly meetings this year have stretched toward the late hours of the day while deliberating some of these issues, so the Council has resolved to schedule a special meeting to develop a consistent way to handle potentially divisive requests from community members.

Code-compliance disputes between neighboring land-owners, a request to support an exemption from the Historic District zoning ordinances, and a request to declare Talkeetna a Purple-Heart City are three topics brought before the council that could have implications for the whole community.  Unsure of how to fairly make a decision on individual requests that would set a good precedent, Council chairman Cary Birdsall proposed scheduling a special meeting to develop a way to deal with these issues. (more…)

The Talkeetna Bachelor Society has issued a statement about the death of Talkeetna resident Carl Ober:

The Talkeetna Bachelor Society Board of Directors is deeply saddened to hear of the untimely death of our fellow board member and friend, Carl Ober.

Carl was on the Alaska State Troopers helicopter Helo-1 when it crashed Saturday night near Larson Lake.  Both the pilot and state trooper aboard were also killed.

Carl was a dedicated member of the Talkeetna Bachelor Society for many years, serving a number of terms on the board and as board president in the early 2000s.  He was featured in many news articles about the Society and our annual Bachelor Auction, including in a spread in Gentlemen’s Quarterly a few years back.

“Carl embodied the spirit of the Talkeetna Bachelor Society,” says board of directors president, Todd Basilone, “He was the bachelor’s bachelor.  He worked hard for the society, believed deeply in our mission to support victims of domestic violence, and loved to throw a party.”

Carl volunteered in many ways for the communities of Talkeetna and Cantwell, both of which he called home.  When not volunteering, Carl was a dog musher, trapper, and carpenter, known among other things for his quality log furniture.  Carl loved to ride his snowmachine, tell visitors about life in small town Alaska, and flirt with the ladies.  He was known throughout the community for his unstoppable cheer and kindness towards others.  In the most recent edition of the Bachelors’ Male Order Catalog, Carl described himself in one word: Free.

The Bachelors are hosting an informal memorial get-together in the Talkeetna Village Park on Saturday, April 6, at 3 pm.  All are welcome to attend.

Here’s to happy travels, brother.  We’ll see you farther up the creek.

by Phillip Manning

At approximately 10:00 pm on Saturday, March 30th, the Alaska State Troopers dispatched their AStar helicopter, Helo 1, to assist a stranded snowmachiner in the Larson Lake area.  According to the trooper dispatch, the snowmachiner was picked up and the helicopter took off to rendezvous with medics at the Sunshine Tesoro.  Helo 1 never arrived, however, and a search and rescue operation began for the overdue helicopter.

On the morning of March 31st, a Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) aircraft spotted the crashed helicopter near the south end of Larson Lake.  RCC personnel searched for survivors, but none were found.  The pilot, one Alaska State Trooper who was assisting in the rescue, and the snowmachiner are known to have been on board.  The Department of Pubic Safety had not released the names of the crash victims as of the evening of March 31st. (more…)

KTNA is celebrating 20 years broadcasting to the Upper Susitna Valley by bringing you audio broadcast during the past two decades. We share the past with you on 88.9 FM every Friday at 12:35 right after Writer’s Almanac.

This week in March 2009, headlines in the state and across the country announced ash was dumped on the Susitna Valley. KTNA’s news producer Sue Deyoe hit the streets of Talkeetna to ask where she might find the dumping of ash,  and then spoke to the Alaska Volcano Observatory to get a better idea of what might occur in the future:

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The deadline to apply for your Alaska Permanent Fund is this Sunday. All applications must be filed by 11:59pm on March 31st. Please remember that you can support KTNA and many other local non profit organizations when applying for your permanent fund by contributing through the Pick, Click, Give program. Click here to apply http://www.pfd.state.ak.us/

Click here to support Dan Nelson’s(Talon’s dad) recovery fund due to a fire. He lost the second floor of his cabin.  The first floor and everything in it is wet and frozen.  Funds will be used to re- build the damaged part of his house, replace lost items and clear away the rubble.

The Talkeetna Community Council has had to delay full payment of  Community Revenue Share funds to several organizations, because the Council awarded more money than it had to spend.

Grants totaling $26,900 were announced in December. That was about $6,700 more than the Council had to spend from the fiscal-year 2011 funds.

The Revenue Share Committee asked Meals on Wheels, Sunshine Transit, the Food Pantry to delay collecting the full amount of their awards. With the exception of the Council’s SPUD Awareness campaign, all organizations have received a portion of their funding, and the remaining amounts will be added to future awards during the next round of revenue sharing grants.

KTNA is celebrating 20 years broadcasting to the Upper Susitna Valley by bringing you audio broadcast during the past two decades. We share the past with you on 88.9 FM every Friday at 12:35 right after Writer’s Almanac. This week, we hear from Sue Deyoe, news producer at KTNA in 2009, when she voiced a wrap-up story on the “Halloween Robbery” of 2007.

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At 9 pm Tuesday night fire services responded to a fire in progress in Moose Meadows. Acting Fire Chief Erik Denkewalter says one structure on the property was fully enveloped in flame by the time they got there. Fire crews from Talkeetna, Sunshine and Willow sprayed water and foam on the outlying buildings to help prevent the fire’s spread. Crews determined the fire was out at 1:30, though the main structure on the property was a total loss. Two vehicles on the property were destroyed as well. There were no injuries.
Mike Figley, the owner of the property, started building the house nine years ago. The structure that burned down was his family’s primary residence, and though they have a second structure on the property to live in, the contents of the house are a total loss. The home was not covered by fire insurance.

Figley says people have offered clothing and assistance. Members of the community have set up a donations page to help the family cover expenses for cleaning up the site and replacing lost essential items such as bedding, clothes, household items, and transportation.