Cooper Landing Neighbors for Feb. 14, 2006

Theresa Norris first came to Alaska in the summer of 1965 to work as a counselor at St. Theresa’s camp near Soldotna, and love it. Theresa then spent time stationed in Chicago while working as a flight attendant for United Airlines before marrying Jerry Norris. Theresa and Jerry moved to Soldotna in 1967 and lived there a year before moving to Cooper Landing.

On June 15, 1969, when the Russian River fire was in the early stages, Theresa and friends hiked in with donated food for the Forest Service crew battling the blaze. They left the food at a designated spot and on their return the fire raged out of control and cut them off. From the camp on Lower Russian Lake, they watched planes dumping fire retardant and other planes bringing in firefighters from Montana.

The Norrises came as caretakers of a church property and Jerry worked on the power transmission line. In 1973, they brought property from Bill Knaak on Bean Creek Road. Jerry and Paul Smith spent three years building their two story log home. Theresa said she sanded logs, applied log sealer, and put up so much wallpaper with friend Mayme Ohnemus that they could have become professionals. When the Norris children were in school, Theresa was an avid volunteer. She was the ski instructor working with the kids on the ski hill behind the school and initiated ski trips for the student body.

After working at Through The Seasons in Soldotna, and at Kenai Princess Lodge, Theresa went to beauty college in Soldotna and now owns and operates Full Curl Beauty Salon from her home.

Around Town

Cooper Landing Senior Citizens Corp. Inc. meets Feb. 14 at the community hall for potluck lunch, business, and a program. On Feb. 15 at the hall the North and South Sterling Scenic Highway stakeholders meet to discuss goals, objectives, and priorities.

Sunrise View Subdivison Tract A was recently classified back to preservation by the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly. This is the subdivision addition that many came to know on hikes through Coyote Notch led by Theresa Norris.

Cooper Landing Neighbors for Feb. 7, 2006

Gary Mitchell

Gary Mitchell drives a 1969 candy apple red Corvette with a big block when the road conditions are just right and he’s not diving for gold.

Moving from Klamath Falls, Ore. to Fairbanks in the 1970’s with wife Jan, Gary went to work on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. From there the Mitchells moved to Anchorage and Gary worked on the North Slope spending twenty years in the oil and gas industry before retiring and moving to Cooper Landing.

Gary said when he and Jan first saw Cooper Landing. he knew this was where he wanted to retire. The beauty of the area, the fishing, and the outdoors drew him here. The Mitchells found property on Snug Harbor Road with a small cabin in the late 1970’s and later had a two-story home built. Ed and Pat Ground, Jan’s folks, lived in the house while the Mitchells were in Anchorage and Kristin and Kevin were in school. Kristin in now a manager for Southcentral Foundation. Kevin followed his dad and graduated with a mechanical engineering degree from Oregon Institute of Technology. Both live in Anchorage.

Retirement hasn’t slowed Gary down. He immediately started a carpentry business in Cooper Landing in his state-of-the-art workshop. Refurbishing antique wood furniture is a specialty. Then Gary got to know the late George Zimmer, longtime Cooper Landing gold miner. “George was my mentor,” Gary said. “I worked with him and he taught me about gold mining.” Currently, Gary is placer mining two locations. He dives in Cooper Creek and uses heavy equipment at Johns Creek near Jerome Lake.

Around Town

Sixteen members and several guests were at the Jan. 26 community club meeting. Representatives from the Department of Transportation and a consultant presented recommended safety improvements for Mile 50 to 58 of the Sterling Highway and received local feedback. Motions were approved regarding support for the school, for additional funding for the senior housing project, and for researching a local health clinic. A resolution passed concerning prescribed burns planned near the landing. The club is preceding with the cellular site request on the rifle range property.

Cooper Landing for Jan. 31, 2006

Jack and Carla Britton

Thirty years in the United States Air Force took Jack and Carla Britton around the world, but once they saw Cooper Landing in 1975 when they came to fish the Russian River, this was it.

When Carla’s family moved from Napa, Calif. to Manzanita, Ore. she met Jack in high school. They’ll celebrate fifty years of marriage in Dec. Leaving college for the USAF, the Brittons lived in Washington, Oregon, Florida, Germany, Virginia, and Alaska. Jack served two tours in Vietnam.

In Jan. of 1975, Jack and Carla with sons 16, 14, and 11 years old and their Bassett Hound, drove from Virginia to Alaska in a station wagon arriving on Super Bowl Sunday. Later, Lt. George’s baying could be heard up and down the Russian River, Jack said, as he trailed Carla and the boys. Chief Master Sergeant Britton was aircraft and munitions maintenance superintendent at Elmendorf Air Force Base. Carla worked in the BX and for Sears for twenty years.

In 1982 the Brittons bought the last lot for sale by Frontiers of Faith Ministries off Bean Creek Road. After Jack’s retirement in 1987, he worked at Prudhoe Bay and for the Alaska Dept. of Health and Social Services. They moved from Anchorage to their log home in Cooper Landing in 2000.

Carla talked to Cooper Landing acquaintances early on about life in the community. “I scouted it out and found we wouldn’t have any trouble staying busy.” Carla immediately became a library volunteer and joined the Sexy Senior Dumpster Cleaners. She’s a board member of the local historical society and the senior citizens corporation.

Jack was first elected vice president of the Cooper Landing Community Club in Jan. 2002 and continues to serve in that position. He is the primary driver of the seniors’ van transporting the Sexy Seniors to work Mondays and driving the bus to Soldotna and Kenai on Wednesdays.

“I love it here,” Carla said. “It’s the only place we wanted to live.” The distance to medical care is the only drawback. Knowing that the community is expanding, Jack would like slow growth.

Cooper Landing Neighbors Jan. 24, 2006

People in Cooper Landing a while know about Mayme Ohnemus and her active roles in Dall Homemakers, Cooper Landing Senior Citizens Corp. Inc., and the community club. She’s been president of all three. And founder and agent of the Sexy Senior Dumpster Cleaners. But there’s more.

Mayme’s Uncle Dick Goff lived in Anchorage, and his stories piqued Mayme’s interest in Alaska. Mayme and Duane were virtual newlyweds when they came from Oregon via Seattle to Anchorage in 1967. After Duane left on a barge headed for a Cook Inlet oil rig in 1968, Mayme worked in the leased restaurant at Sportsman’s Lodge. She worked 16-hour days for $50 a week.

Before settling here, Mayme worked at Penn’s Hardware in Soldotna and at the Royal Redoubt in Kenai with Nick Lean’s cousin while Duane was on an oil rig.

Later Mayme worked at Gwin’s Lodge. “Everybody closed down for Helen’s Christmas party,” Mayme remembers fondly. “Everyone. People from all the lodges came. Helen prepared all the food and she put out a big spread..” One of the things Mayme misses is that earlier community closeness and mingling of age groups. She believes changes came with VCR’s. Reception of one channel of television hadn’t kept people away from community movies and other functions, she said.

Mayme was teacher aide 1971-72 and started a baby pool, Winter Games, and helped with snow machine races to benefit the school ski fund. She helped form “The Force” youth group to harness the energy of kids into community service projects like shoveling driveways for seniors. She was an avid volunteer at Soldotna High School while son Iver was attending.

“The senior housing is a big plus for Cooper Landing,” Mayme said. I know she is proud of her early efforts toward that project. Another plus for the community could be the highway bypass, Mayme suggested.

Around Town

On the Jan. 26 community club agenda are Alaska Digitel’s request for pole space on the rifle range, North Sterling Highway scenic byway, Sterling Highway Safety Improvement Program, Cooper Landing health clinic, support for the school and more.

Cooper Landing Neighbors for Feb. 14, 2006

Theresa Norris first came to Alaska in the summer of 1965 to work as a counselor at St. Theresa’s camp near Soldotna, and love it. Theresa then spent time stationed in Chicago while working as a flight attendant for United Airlines before marrying Jerry Norris. Theresa and Jerry moved to Soldotna in 1967 and lived there a year before moving to Cooper Landing.

On June 15, 1969, when the Russian River fire was in the early stages, Theresa and friends hiked in with donated food for the Forest Service crew battling the blaze. They left the food at a designated spot and on their return the fire raged out of control and cut them off. From the camp on Lower Russian Lake, they watched planes dumping fire retardant and other planes bringing in firefighters from Montana.

The Norrises came as caretakers of a church property and Jerry worked on the power transmission line. In 1973, they brought property from Bill Knaak on Bean Creek Road. Jerry and Paul Smith spent three years building their two story log home. Theresa said she sanded logs, applied log sealer, and put up so much wallpaper with friend Mayme Ohnemus that they could have become professionals. When the Norris children were in school, Theresa was an avid volunteer. She was the ski instructor working with the kids on the ski hill behind the school and initiated ski trips for the student body.

After working at Through The Seasons in Soldotna, and at Kenai Princess Lodge, Theresa went to beauty college in Soldotna and now owns and operates Full Curl Beauty Salon from her home.

Around Town

Cooper Landing Senior Citizens Corp. Inc. meets Feb. 14 at the community hall for potluck lunch, business, and a program. On Feb. 15 at the hall the North and South Sterling Scenic Highway stakeholders meet to discuss goals, objectives, and priorities.

Sunrise View Subdivison Tract A was recently classified back to preservation by the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly. This is the subdivision addition that many came to know on hikes through Coyote Notch led by Theresa Norris.

Heather Pearson was darting between customers at Sunrise Inn while I interviewed her. “I love how quiet it is and how nobody is here in the wintertime. I love making our living in four months,” Heather said enthusiastically.

After reading James Michener’s Alaska, Heather knew she had to come to Alaska.

Heather moved to Cooper Landing in 2002 with a biology degree in stream and river ecology. Although she’s yet to find a job in that field, she still looking. She came here through an online job recruitment site and worked in the tackle shop at Gwin‘s Lodge. A handsome, blonde, fishing guide kept coming in to buy pencil lead weights. After Heather and John were married at Willie and Lovie Johnson’s wedding chapel in Cooper Landing, she found John had a tackle box full of those weights.

The Pearson’s operate a mom and pop guided fishing service, Kenai River Float-n-Fish, from a tipi on the Sterling Highway in the middle of town. They sponsored and played on a team in the 2005 community softball tournament and in the Upper Kenai River Drift Boat Regatta last June. Heather and friend, Dusty Byrd, were the first female team in the regatta. Heather served as treasurer for Cooper Landing Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau.

“There’s a good group of young people here,” Heather said. The community in general and the Kenai River keep the Pearsons here and they look forward to buying property in Cooper Landing.

Around Town

Al Hershberger, who came to the Kenai Peninsula in 1948, is the guest speaker at 2 p.m. at the Cooper Landing Museum Jan. 21 during the meeting of the local historical society. He’s put together slide show from earlier days on the peninsula. Refreshments will be served and the business meeting will be held after the program.

Karl Romig is the newly elected chair of the Cooper Landing Advisory Planning Commission. Other members: Jon James, Rob Bear, Dominic Bauer, Carrie Williams, George Siter, and Dodie Wilson. Meetings are on the second Wed. of each month at the community hall.

Catching fish with every cast in the Togiak River until he couldn’t move his wrists, Steve Skolnick decided this was it. Steve was in Togiak for his brother’s wedding in September 1985. His Alaska connection began en route from Dillingham to Togiak. The weather was sour, he said, but the pilot of the small plane was not concerned. Steve described looking down and seeing nothing but tundra.

“I didn’t know a place like this existed,” he said.

Steve returned to his lifelong home, Boston, and sold his landscaping business. He’d been working nights at a post office. He took the U.S. Postal Service clerk’s exam since his new sister-in-law was to be the Togiak postmaster. His test score allowed him to choose his location so in 1987 Steve moved to Togiak and went to work in the post office. Within a year he was postmaster and held that office until June 1992, when he became Cooper Landing’s postmaster.

In Togiak, Steve met his wife, Leah, who was the city clerk in a nearby office. He often went to her for change for the post office.

“Cooper Landing is a great little mountain town to live in,” Steve said, “and a fantastic place to bring kids up to the high school years.”

The Skolnicks recently moved to Soldotna, since their girls are active in high school and sports. Kelsey is a junior and Marisa a freshman at Skyview High School.

In 13 busy years here, Steve was fire department chief, an emergency medical technician, a member of the advisory planning commission, a community club officer, the Parent Advisory Committee president and for about 10 years was in charge of Little League. He is treasurer of the local gun club. In Soldotna he is an assistant KPHA hockey coach for the Lady Hawks and plays with the Rusty Blades.

Steve remembers when there were five times as many children in the Cooper Landing school.

“It would be nice to have year-round business. There’s only summer employment for younger folks. This is now basically a retirement community.”

Arlene Knock came to Anchorage in 1969 with her husband, Tom, and their three children and never wanted to leave. Tom worked for Conoco Inc. and the Knocks moved with his work previously to Wyoming, Colorado, North Dakota, Texas, Oklahoma and Canada. Tom discovered fishing opportunities in Cooper Landing and they started looking for property.

Meanwhile in Anchorage, Arlene was the school secretary at Wendler Junior High while the Knock children were growing up. Doug is a geologist for ConocoPhillips, Kelly is an accountant for BP Exploration and Geoffrey is a sales representative for Alaska Sand and Gravel.

In 1978, Arlene saw a newspaper ad for property on Snug Harbor Road in Cooper Landing and immediately called with an offer. The offer was accepted, but very soon they received a call telling them the property was going to auction.

“We put in a bid $500 more than our original offer and got the property,” Arlene said.

When Tom was ready to retire, they decided to move to Cooper Landing.

Ben Romig built their home in 1988 above the original cabin.

“It’s been a good move,” Arlene said.

The people, the beauty of the area, and the relaxed atmosphere are what Arlene likes best about living in Cooper Landing. On the other side: “I hate to see it develop too fast. It may need to slow down.” And driving 50 miles for “significant shopping” is a disadvantage, but not enough to consider moving, she said.

Arlene is the assistant librarian, secretary for the Cooper Landing Senior Citizens Corp. Inc.’s endowment fund and part of the Sew and Sews quilting group. She keeps up on what’s going on in the community by putting out a monthly calendar, which residents pick up at the post office.

The Knocks keep a condo in Anchorage and enjoy the opera and theater and visiting their children and grandchildren.

Traveling at least a month every year, they’ve been to Russia, Switzerland, boating on the Danube and Rhine rivers and most recently to Australia and to the Canadian maritime provinces.