Jenny Willoughby

Talkeetna residents are reimagining the skatepark located just south of the downtown area. A broken ramp and other pieces were recently removed to help envision new features in the old space.

Trapper Creek now has two first responders and a rescue truck for responding to emergencies in the area.

Borough Assembly members voted in October to display various historical documents, including the Ten Commandments, Magna Carta, and Bill of Rights in the Mat-Su Borough’s Dorothy Swanda Jones Building. In what is now a traveling exhibit, the documents will be printed on retractable banners that can be moved to schools and libraries.

Mat-Su Borough Clerk Lonnie McKechnie says many ballots have yet to be counted following the November 5th election.

Attorneys from the State of Alaska responded to proposed solutions for public access at Benka Lake in Talkeetna. In this last correspondence, the State says the solutions proposed by the Brunzes, private landowners fighting to close the boat ramp and public access, are unworkable.

A real-time winter maintenance dashboard showing the Mat-Su Borough’s plowing progress goes live this week.

Mobile home parks have been allowed under the multi-family development permit process, even after the Mat-Su Borough Assembly eliminated the mobile home park ordinance in August. They could be placed on permanent foundations and still be acceptable in a multi-family development. But the Assembly’s intent was to eliminate the ability of mobile home parks to be built, whether on wheels or permanent foundations.

The Mat-Su Borough Assembly certified the election results at a special meeting on Tuesday. Mayor Edna Devries will retain her seat. Incumbent District 7 Assemblymember Ron Bernier pulled aheadwith 3,128 votes against Sheena Fort. She received 2,703 votes.

The Mat-Su Borough Assembly accepted $700,000 in State grant funds for the design of a new Fire, EMS, and Rescue facility in the core of Willow along the Parks Highway. This new building is expected to replace an outdated and undersized facility. The new building is expected to better meet the needs of the growing population.

The Mat-Su Borough Assembly approved a contract to perform a condition assessment on Talkeetna’s water distribution system. The assessment will help evaluate the current status of the system, the useful life of it, and how much funding might be needed to support it in the future.