newsminer.com

For his first train ride, 5-year-old Mathias Speer rode the last passenger train through the Moody Railroad tunnel just days before the tunnel was blasted into oblivion.

His mother used to ride that same train to Denali when she was a little girl before the George Parks Highway was constructed.

“They put the highway in when I was 5 years old,” Amy Reisland-Speer said. “I used to take the train. I vaguely remember it.”

Amy’s family owns Denali Grizzly Bear Campground. Long before it became a family business, it was just a homestead. She apparently traveled there often as a child.

So it was special for her to share that same experience with her son.

“I kind of got teary-eyed,” she said. “I took tons of video and pictures.”

She and her son boarded the train at the Healy Siding and got off at Denali National Park. The ride, she said, was wonderful.

“We stopped and looked at Dall sheep and slowed way down for the tunnel,” she said.

Train workers kindly paid Mathias lots of attention, she said, as did some of the other passengers. One lady even shared a map and some old postcards with him.

“Mathias loved it,” she said. “It was really great. Outstanding.”

Just a few days later, the tunnel disappeared with a giant blast, ending an historical era on that stretch of track. All three tunnels, originally constructed in 1921, on that stretch of track, have now been removed for safety reasons.

Get fit

Next week is the time to get fit and learn about healthy choices at the Tri-Valley Community Library as part of National Library Week.

Some exciting activities are planned, including a special preview of “Letterboxing,” which will launch in the Denali Borough at the Denali Health Fair on May 3.

Check with the library for times and more information, but here’s what is planned so far:

• A special arthritis exercise class by Bridget Borg, who has been specially trained.

• A healthy chef competition. If you know someone who should participate in this, contact the library as soon as possible. Chef candidates are being courted and can sign up now.

• Ruth Carson is a longtime physical therapist who moonlights as a cabaret singer. She also happens to be part-owner of Jazzercise in Fairbanks. She will spend the day in Healy on Thursday introducing some students to Jazzercise and hosting an early evening Jazzercise class for community members. Watch for details.

Special quilts for special kids

Every year, the incredibly talented Denali Quilters participate in the Linus Project, a national program to create quilts and donate them to children in need.

This year, 25 beautiful quilts made by Denali Quilters are going to the Court Appointed Special Advocate office in Fairbanks for distribution.

“We made about 25 quilts for children who are in state custody for various reasons,” said Denali Quilter Jan St. Peter, who will present the quilts today, to CASA Director Jane Atkinson, at the Light of Hope Conference in Fairbanks. The quilts will be displayed in the dining area of the Carlson Center.

McKinley Village Community Club

Things are hopping at the McKinley Village Community Center, and tonight is a chance to find out what is going on. Come to the club meeting at 7 p.m. at the community center.

Community club volunteers recently received approval of a matching grant from the borough — the total grant, with match, is about $17,000 — to prepare to renovate and expand the tiny playground at the community center.

At this annual meeting, there also will be discussion about combining the community center and fire boards; and information about an ordinance Mayor Dave Talerico is preparing for the May meeting of the Denali Borough Assembly. The ordinance would formally define the intended public use of the community center/fire hall property. That has apparently never been done and would preserve the property for community use.

Trail access

Anyone closely following the issue of trail access and Ahtna lands might want to attend a workshop at 7 tonight at the Cantwell Lodge Cafe. Trail nominee forms will be available there.

The Bureau of Land Management has extended its public comment period on this issue and also has scheduled a public hearing in Cantwell, which seems to be the focus of most of the attention.

Public easements on federal land along the Parks Highway near Cantwell are scheduled to be transferred to Ahtna Native village corporations.

The comment deadline is May 16, instead of April 28. BLM also will host a meeting at the Cantwell School gym from 4-7 p.m. May 1 to take public comment and answer questions about establishing easements across land that will be transferred to Ahtna as part of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.

As part of the ANCSA settlement, the BLM is working to ensure that there are public easements reserved for people to reach state land. BLM asks the public to tell them what trails they use now to help figure out where to retain easements.

Anderson School potluck

Anderson School is hosting a special potluck at 5 p.m. Friday to celebrate several things: the school’s accreditation, the end of a two-week gymnastics camp and completion of the glass mosaic project, which is close to being hung in the school entryway. Student success during the past school year will also be celebrated.

Come at 4 p.m. to see student gymnasts in action, thanks to gymnastics coach Katie Stainbrook.

Region II Music Festival

There are some very talented young musicians in the Denali Borough. Some of them got to shine at the Region II Music Festival in Nenana last weekend, which brought students from 14 schools together.

For two days, the young musicians competed, played music together, and prepared for a Saturday night concert that included everyone.

Named to the Honor Choir: Grace Lake, Cora Braun, Anastasia Brease, Emily Brease, Ashley Sauvey, Brad Lewis, Paulee Newton, John Gebauer, Jack Reeves, all of Tri-Valley School; Heidi Miller, Brittany Berry, Katrina Miller, Sean McKenzie, Cody Rathbone, all of Anderson.

Named to the Honor Band: Bekah Ziegman and Lucca Giannechini, both of Tri-Valley School.