A common theme emerging from the interviews I’ve done is that my neighbors love living here because of the small town charm and breathtaking scenery. When talking with Larry Cobb recently, he expressed how he liked our small town and hoped that it would stay that way. While living in Montana, he was invited to Ninilchik to do some sport fishing in the spring of 1980.

“I never caught a king, but it didn’t take me long to figure out that this is where I wanted to live.” He said.

By the fall of that year he returned and made Ninilchik his home. Larry’s hunting and fishing guide service, Kings Run Charters, keeps him hopping in the summertime. He is also a home inspector for National Property Inspections. Larry met his wife Suzan here in Ninilchik and they were married in 1992.

Larry’s favorite quote is “If your conversation doesn’t change, your destination doesn’t change.” (H.A. Ironsides) He said he knew where he was headed when he faced his eternal destiny but when he found Jesus Christ as his personal Savior, his whole life and destiny changed. The Cobbs are active members of Calvary Baptist Church where Larry serves as a deacon.

Their son Jerremy lives in Anchorage and they have two daughters, Sarah, 13 and Mattie, 10 who are very involved in 4-H. Both girls own a horse and are members of the Trail Blazers 4-H Club. Sarah had the honor of receiving the Intermediate 4-Her of the Year award last year. Suzan is a seamstress and volunteers as the sewing project leader for their 4-H club. Both Sarah and Mattie are home schooled and help their mother with Brain Busters, an after school program which is free and open to all children at the Ninilchik Fairgrounds Health and Wellness Center each Monday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. This program encourages learning math, history, geography, and grammar while exercising to music. Recently, the Cobbs have added some new members to their household: a piglet named Hercules and a Nigerian Dwarf goat named Squinitzo.

Around Town:
Jean Shandy is looking for rooms available for sleeping quarters for the attendees of the American Legion Convention coming up on March 9-11. If you can help, please give Jean a call at 567-1031. Don’t forget that the Ninilchik Health and Wellness Center is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Have a wonderful week, and don’t forget to send us your news.

I found Nancy Leamon behind the bar in the Clam Shell Lodge where she works part-time. She came to Kasilof from her home in the Florida Keys after meeting a girl from Alaska back in “the sunshine state.” On her first visit, in 1998, she took a job working at Jersey Subs. Nancy returned every summer until making the move permanent about four years ago. Professionally, she has spent these recent years tending a local bar.
“Why,” said I, with visions of Florida Keys and open sunshine, “do you like Kasilof?”
“Everybody cares about everybody,” she explained. “Besides, Florida doesn’t have seasons. It’s hot and too hot! Here we have hunting season and fishing season, along with the real seasons.” Nancy enjoys fishing season, having spent time on friend, Kevin Fulton’s setnet site. Fulton fishes Humpy Point locations.
To back up her character analysis about caring people, Nancy tells how she built a house off Schaffer St., about mile 116 Sterling Hwy. “The community helped build it,” she said, smiling.
We’re not talking a cabin here. I saw the house, a spacious place with nice siding and a great view of Mt. Redoubt. My compliments to everyone who helped!
Nancy’s daughter, Jamie Leamon, got engaged recently. Jamie tends bar at the J Bar B Club. The younger Leamon splits her domicile between Alaska and Florida. In the south she spends time with Nancy’s Dad but Nancy thinks her married life might be spent mostly in Alaska.
Clam Shell Lodge is owned by Rose Moorefield, who relocated here from Hawaii after being a nurse for 25 years. Now a historic landmark, the “Clam Shell” was built in 1959 by Arlyn “Speed” and June Thomack on homestead property they bought from Per and Fran Osmer. Thomack’s had three children, two boys and a girl. The girl, Laurel, married Bert Watts, a fellow from the Kasilof neighborhood. Osmer’s had a small business at this site prior to the Thomack’s, but the building was moved and replaced by the Lodge. Thomack’s put in gas pumps and had a small garage for a few years. The main emphasis, though, has been a diner, bar and lodging. The Clam Shell continues to offer a social center for snow machiners, setnetters, clam diggers and tourists. After Arlyn’s death June married a man named Price.
Nancy Leamon keeps an upbeat outlook. She says, “Living out here in our small community is all about community & caring friends.”

Around Town
Congratulations to Jay Hakkinen for his great job at the Olympics! And to Lance Mackey for winning the Yukon Quest again and for setting a course record!

Neighbors, I’m always looking for Kasilof history. If anyone knows more about the Thomack family, please e-mail the details to me. I’m also wanting information on Kasilof artists or athletes. Thanks!

Mickey Endsley was very busy last week. He was not only involved in a large portion of the peninsula-wide senior Olympics, but he played pool at Hooligans to obtain points for Nikiski Senior Center.

He is an avid pool player, but understands he is among many talented players.             

“I love to play pool, but there are some great pool players,” he said.

As a retiree, he spends most of his time at the Nikiski Senior Center, where he sits on the board as current president. He also devotes his time to the Alaska Pioneers club, American Legion post 20, Kenai Moose Club and the First Baptist church of Kenai.

Endsley first visited his brother in Alaska in 1955. He later came to Alaska for work.

“After the service, I came straight back to Alaska,” he said.

He found work as a heat and frost insulator and became a member of the Insulators and Asbestos Union Local 97. His job took him all over the state as well as other states. On a work venture to Ohio in the late 1960’s, he met his wife, Joyce, and brought her back to Alaska. 

Endsley recalled working at the Standard Oil Refinery that once stood behind the Bernice Lake Powerhouse in 1962. He also has worked the other refineries in Nikiski.

He was also a part of the construction of the Carrs Mall in Kenai and the Alaska pipeline.

He chose to live in Nikiski because of the beauty of the area. He came to fill a job at Unocal and ended up moving.

“We like the area,” he said. “You fall in love with it.”

Around town

Best wishes to my father-in-law, Phil Smith, for his successful heart surgery in Anchorage. He is home now and will be riding his Harley sooner than we know it. ;)

My deepest regards go to the Traughber and Tauriainen families. Both Sharon and Ruth were special women to our town and our community.

Don’t forget to send me information about your visiting friends and family, organizations and events.
            Have a great week.

    Visions of a better life brought Alex Zerbinos and his father to Glenallen, Alaska in 1958 when Alex was 13. They had moved from New Hampshire to California to Alaska; Alex says that Glenallen summers were great, but the winters were cold.
    He left in 1966 for four years in the Navy Sea Bees, returning to work in construction and finish his education at UAF. After that, Alex did a bit of everything and all over Alaska. He moved to Soldotna in 1974 and worked for Yukon Office Supply as Service Manager until 1979 when he went to work for ACS, retiring after 25 years in 2004.
    His wife Meg, who was a veterinarian, came into his life when his dog was ill. She took care of the dog and love grabbed hold of Alex. They celebrated their 29th anniversary January 29th. Meg is now in training to become a chaplain with CPGH.
    I met Alex through a common love for motorcycles. He tells me that he began drooling over a coworker’s motorcycle in the parking lot at ACS. That friend taunted him and challenged him to buy one.
    He started out with a Yamaha Virago 750, and has since moved up to a Honda Goldwing 1500 SE edition. Alex works hard to promote motorcycle safety through appearances on local radio talk show programs and by receiving proclamations from the borough mayor each year.
    “Safety is my primary concern,” Alex says. He has backed up that statement by becoming an instructor for motorcycle safety courses, teaching beginners riders’ classes, advanced riders’ classes and experienced riders’ classes. Several classes have been scheduled this summer in the parking lot of the Soldotna Sports Center.
    Alex says he likes the nice, warm community of Soldotna, that feeling of belonging. He dislikes the short daylight hours of winter and the icy roads. “You can’t ride motorcycles in winter!” he says.
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AROUND TOWN:
    Good things come in twos: Happy 72nd birthday to Perry Hawkins and happy 50th anniversary to Perry and his bride, Bonnie - both tomorrow!

    When you harbor bitterness happiness will dock elsewhere. Spenard Builders Supply

When you walk into Sterling Elementary School the first smiling face you see is that of school secretary Krissy Mahan. There are 178 children at the school and Krissy knows them all by name. She also knows which ones are likely to leave their lunch on the bus or lose a mitten between the classroom and the playground. She knows because the kids have all learned that if something is wrong, Miss Krissy will help them fix it.

Krissy and her husband Jeff have lived in Sterling for 13 years.

They must have decided they liked it here because when it came time to build a bigger house they bought land off of Robinson Loop Road.

“It’s been a lot of fun getting to decorate the new house,” Krissy said. “I’m doing the kitchen in a strawberry theme.”

With their large family the extra room in the new house has been wonderful. Their oldest child Keny is a15-years-old freshman at Skyview High School. He played football and was on the wrestling team this year. Marissa is 11-years-old and Ciarra is 8 ¾. They both attend Sterling Elementary.

When you ask Krissy about her family you will not just hear about her kids and husband, but her furry and feathered family as well.

“We have five dogs: Moose, Shylow, Bruin, Tank and a new 13 week old German Shepherd puppy named Misha,” she said with a grin.

They have 2 cats named Suzie and Douglas, 4 hamsters and 12 chickens.

“We’re also baby-sitting 2 ducks for the winter,” she added.

Krissy is the Service Unit Manager for the Kenai Peninsula Girl Scouts. She enjoys planning and putting on activities for the girls.

When I asked what Krissy would like to see changed in Sterling her love of animals gave her an immediate answer.

“We need an animal shelter and some type of animal services. Right now if we have a stray dog show up on the playground all we can do is tie it up so it can’t get near the kids.” She said.

Around Town

Soldotna/Sterling Head Start would like to invite you to come have a “Luau
of a Time” at their Prime Rib Dinner, Auction and Show. It will be March
4th at 6:00 PM at the Sterling Senior Center. For more information and
tickets please stop by Head Start or call 260-7446.

Please wish Janice Smith a happy, happy birthday this Thursday.

While driving from Ninilchik to Homer, I’ve always been curious about the Ben Firth Studio located near Blackwater Bend. Ben Firth graciously agreed to meet me at the studio for a interview last week. I discovered that the Firths are a multitalented family who use the studio to display and sell their artwork which includes sculptures in antler, wood, and bronze as well as sketches, paintings, and prints. In the summer the studio is open to the public from Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., but during the winter months they are only open upon request.

Ben first came to the Kenai Peninsula with his father in1971. He pointed to a photo of a boy proudly holding a fish caught in the Anchor River and said, “I loved this place since I was a kid and it was a lifelong desire to be able to live here.” Ever since he was young, Ben looked up to artist Norman Lowell whose original homestead and art studio is located not far from the Firth’s studio. “It has been tremendous blessing to have Norman Lowell as a friend and neighbor.” He said.

Ben and his wife Melanie moved to Alaska from Pennsylvania soon after they were married in 1984. After living for several years in Fairbanks and then back in Pennsylvania, they finally settled in Anchor Point in 2001. Seven children grace their home whose ages range from 19 years to 21 months old. The Firths home school their children while encouraging them to pursue their artistic and musical talents. Their oldest daughter, Aurora plays the violin while Melanie enjoys playing the timpani in the Kenai Peninsula orchestra. Aurora’s artistic abilities are evident, as she has won the Junior Federal Duck Stamp art competition on the state level for 4 years. She placed in the top ten on the federal level in 2004. Her Junior Duck Stamp artwork is displayed at the Firth’s studio and you can view her 2005 winning submission on-line at www.r7.fws.gov/jrduck/bestshow.htm.

Ice sculpting is another family affair. Last year, Aurora and her father teamed up and carved an eagle, winning the State Ice Carving Competition at the Peninsula Winter Games. Did you happen to see their sea lion that won the state championship this year? The family is now preparing to go to the World Ice Carving Championship in Fairbanks next week. You can view the Firth’s carvings as well as the world champion sculptures from previous years at www.icealaska.com.

Around Town:

Birthday greetings go to Brenda Jackinsky whose birthday was on Sunday. William Anderson shares his birthday with President Washington and turns 16 tomorrow. Hannah Cozzini is having her 4th birthday on Thursday. Got news? Please send it our way!

            I had a very pleasant chat with Judene Van Cleave recently at her office at Offshore Systems Kenai on the bluff past Nikiski Middle-Senior High. With a very warm greeting from Innie, a Lhasa Apso, and Petie, a Shih Tzu, we sat down, talked and enjoyed her spectacular view.

            Van Cleave came to Alaska with her former husband in 1996 when she moved to Kenai from Salt Lake City. She said she was in awe of the beauty of the area and said the community was different that what she was used to.

            “The people are so kind,” she said.

            She later moved to Nikiski and works as office manager at OSK. The company provides support services to the oil industry for the boats that service the oil field platforms in Cook Inlet.

            Van Cleave is the current president of the Nikiski Chamber of Commerce and past vice president. She likes being involved in the community and seeing how good the community runs.

            “The people of Nikiski are in it are very active in chamber business,” she said.

            In her off time she enjoys crocheting. Her grandmother taught her at five-years old and she has made more than 50 large afghans to give to family and friends. She said crocheting for her is calming and provides her with a sense of accomplishment. She also enjoys reading suspense stories.

            She has two German Shepard’s, Sampson and Delilah, who keep her busy. Her two Manx cats are named Sweet Baby and Mr. Toes, because he has eight toes on his front paws.

            “My animals are my family,” she said. She also has two grown sons, Russ and Josh, who both live in Salt Lake City.

            Van Cleave also devotes many hours to volunteering. She is a mentor with Aspirations, a Kenai Peninsula Borough sponsored project at Nikiski Middle-High School. She spends time on a weekly basis with two ninth-grade girls.

            “I really get enjoyment out of that,” she said.

She also has volunteered for more than 68 hours for the upcoming Arctic Winter Games.

Around town

The Pampered Chef party scheduled at my house Wednesday is cancelled. Sorry for any inconvience.

Best wishes go out to Phil Smith. He is in the hospital in Anchorage.

Have a great week.

Meet your new neighbors, Bob and Marge Woods. Bob came to Kodiak the day after he graduated high school in 1941. Love for Marge drew him back to Colorado in 1942. They married at her parents’ home February 15th, packed up their 1934 Ford and moved to Renton, WA.

“People ask how we’ve put up with each other for 64 years. I tell ‘em that from the beginning we liked each other. That’s all it takes, doncha think?” Bob said.

1946 brought them to Anchorage, then Moose Pass in 1950 with their son and twin daughters. “The house with all of the bird houses on the garage? That was ours. Pictures of that garage are all over the world,” Bob said.

Their home was always open to kids. “When things got rough at home, they came to us,” Bob shared. Marge always had chocolate chip cookies. “Well, almost always,” Marge laughed. One day she was out of chocolate chips and made cookies without. This so disappointed one young man that he brought a carton the next time he visited and set it on the table.

“Aren’t you going to look, Marge? I think it’s for you,” Bob remembers saying. Inside she found 18 pounds of chocolate. “I made sure I always had chocolate chip cookies after that.” It wasn’t unusual for the post office to deliver mail to them addressed simply to “Moose Pass Cookie Palace.”

Retirement from Bob’s Towing in Moose Pass after 31.5 years brought them Soldotna, where they are closer to doctors and other amenities. Bob’s one complaint was that he couldn’t receive the local news stations on his TV. “It’s okay, though,” he said. “I’ve got plenty of video tapes - John Wayne’s my favorite.”

The Woods have 14 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren with another coming. They have a lifetime of stories - too much for this column. Give them a call and hear some more.

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The 3rd Annual Senior Olympic Games for seniors 55+ years of age will be held February 21st - 25th.  Contact your local senior center for more information.

Name-calling is the last refuge of a brain running on empty. Spenard Builders Supply

Most of Kasilof knows Assemblyman / Senator Paul Fischer. He is a host on the popular KSRM Radio “Sound Off” program and long time activist in the local Republican Party. Fischer may very well get elected to Kasilof’s Hall of Fame. But I wonder if folks know his accomplished wife, Joyce?

She married Paul in 1957 at Columbia, Pennsylvania. Children became a ubiquitous feature of their life. Not only because Paul taught school and they had a large family, but also because children’s health issues were paramount in their lives. Their first child was still-born. Joyce and Paul were planning a large family and these losses are especially hard for women, who carry the weight of any pregnancy.

Paul Jr. was born later, though, and filled a void which was followed by other births. Paulie was a happy, healthy son and entered kindergarten, being 5 years old. He excelled in class until about the middle of the year.

“His teacher was the first to notice,” Joyce said, with eyes still remembering. “She said, ‘I don’t know what is wrong with little Paulie? I ask him a question that I know he can answer, but he suddenly starts crying.’”

Shortly afterward, doctors removed a malignant brain tumor the size of an orange. With the first operation they tried to avoid any cutting harmful to mental faculties. But they had to go back in with a second operation to get more of the tumor. The post operation period was frustrating as Paulie didn’t respond much to therapy. Even in this Joyce is not bitter. In fact, she’s thankful that life didn’t end suddenly for him, as happens in some tragic accidents. She thought of a priest she had known who had terminal cancer.

“The priest was thankful to have time,” Joyce explained.

Fischer’s moved to Alaska with seven children in 1969 when Paul took a job with school administration. By 1970 they settled on the Sterling Highway in Kasilof, across from Decanter Inn, where they still live. They bought the property from Charles Star. In 1971, however, Paulie needed another operation. His feet had contracted so they decided to have the operation in Wilmington, Delaware at Dupont Institute.

Paul and Joyce had rented their house to a family before departing. Unfortunately, the people walked off without alerting Fischer’s. The plumbing froze, broke and turned into an ice machine as the water and weather both kept working. Damage was extensive! Learning that they didn’t have a livable house to return to, they took their show on the road. Packing in a Ford station wagon, Fischer’s embarked on a 46-state road trip to promote education and the National Cancer Society.

They called their expedition Discover America and Real Experience, or DARE, for short. By this time they had nine kids. Can you imagine a nine-kid, 46-state road trip with a schedule so squashed that it required departure sometimes as early as 3 or 4 a.m.? For Paul and Joyce, the memories of this trip run a little giddy as smiles stretch and heads shake in the scenery of old thoughts.

They told me about watching the Rose Bowl parade in Pasadena, CA. A local person befriended them and tipped them off. He reported that the throng of on-lookers would be so thick at parade time, the Fischer’s would need to sleep in the street to be in position for a descent view. And so they did. With nine kids and amid a New Year’s Eve night life that was as vigorous as it was nocturnal!

After visiting every state capital, save four, and many, many, national treasures, they returned to Kasilof, late in 1972. They had to do considerable work to the house Star had built. The original homesteader on this property was someone named Bonnin, though the spelling is uncertain. Paul and Joyce had one more child, and went on to careers. Paulie, 13 years after his first operation, passed away. Joyce served on the school board from 1977-85 and 1988-93. Paul served in the Senate from 1982-1992. The family ran a bakery in Soldotna from 1976-85 where Joyce enjoyed cake decorating. By the bakery days, their children had grown and were a real help in running the business.

Three of their children still live on the Peninsula and teach school. Mary, at Sears elementary, David at Kenai Middle School, and Matt at Skyview High School. Two other children are school teachers, “outside.”

Now Joyce has, Memorable Moments, a fascinating trophy / engraving shop she operates out of one end of their home. Her boys helped to remodel a nice display area and workspace. She showed me a laser engraver, a rotary engraver and a sand blaster, used to etch designs on glass. I saw wedding glasses and cake servers with names set in art work, as well as trophies, plaques and even balls with photographs sub-laminated into their surface.

In the end I saw a woman who has lived a meaningful life, endured hardship, dared to adventure, and now, a year from her 50th wedding anniversary, is still planning for the future.