A two-year study to put the Mat-Su valley’s open spaces and natural resources into economic terms will be paying a visit to Talkeetna this week. The University of Alaska Anchorage’s Institute of Social and Economic Research is conducting a study that aims to place dollar values on the natural assets of the Mat-Su, agricultural areas, forests, wetlands and estuaries, open space and recreational land, and hopes to provide comprehensive economic data to support natural resource management and conservation projects. (more…)

October is National Farm to School Month, and to celebrate, Talkeetna Elementary opened its doors on Tuesday night to invite the community to sample a variety of locally-grown healthy dishes prepared by the kindergarten-through-sixth grades of Talkeetna Elementary. (more…)

Talkeetna Community Council Board Elections were held on Tuesday night, and each candidate running for the Board of directors was elected. Melis Coady, RG Denny will join the board, and Mary Farina, Robert Gerlach, Whitney Wolf have been reelected for two-year terms, and Carey Birdsall and Rick Schreiber will continue to serve their terms. 94 people voted in the local elections.

For Borough-wide elections, 16% of eligible voters in Talkeetna turned out, 9 % of Trapper Creek voters, and 8% of Sunshine voters made it to the polls. District 7 Representative  Vern Halter retained his seat on the Mat Su Assembly after running un-opposed.
Mayor Larry DeVilbis edged out challenger Mark Masteller with 61 percent of the vote in that race.

Host Lorien Nettleton talks to Mat-Su Borough Manager John Moosey, Assistant  Manager George Hayes, Borough Representative Vern Halter, and Talkeetna Water/Sewer Board co-chair Karen Schapansky talk about flood recovery and water/sewer issues in the KTNA studio. The program was about an hour long.

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Host Lorien Nettleton gathers a handful of artists in the studio, two-by-two, and a couple people well-known in the local arts community: art auction coordinator Nick Condon, and man of many artistic hats, Tony Crocetto.

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KTNA’s news producer Lorien Nettleton talked to Talkeetna Public Librarian Ann Yadon and Friends of the Talkeetna Library spokesperson Sandra Mathiesen about current Library programs, why the community has supported a new facility, and the kickoff music fundraiser by the Friends of the Talkeetna Library at the Fairview Inn, ongoing ’til late tonight (Wednesday).

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KTNA news producer Lorien Nettleton talks with NSI executive director Joe Page, and Alaska Folk School director Diane Ziegner about NSI’s history, and its programs, the Alaska  Folk School, Build-A-Plane, the CEAL Academy, and Classroom with a View. We hear about NSI’s plan for a permanent home, some past and future folk school classes, and…the first annual Cardboard Boat Regatta next month! The hour-long program aired live from the KTNA studio.

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KTNA’s morning news, weather forecast, Denali echoes, and announcements for October 10th. Host is Will Peterson. Headlines – Library can try for grants, Mat Su Assembly says.

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Tomorrow, Tuesday October 4th, is the regular Mat-Su Borough election.

On the ballot are two bond propositions:  a transportation system bond totaling over 32 million dollars, with a fifty percent match from the state, and a five-year bond for educational and school-related capital improvements, totaling over 214 million dollars, with 70 percent debt service reimbursement from the state. (more…)