Photo courtesy of Frank Quinn
A “Harvest Moon” hangs over Turnagain Arm on Saturday, Sept. 29.
By Shyla Malone
Turnagain Times
Hope Correspondent
A good dusting of snow accompanied by temperatures hovering around the freezing mark is a chilly reminder that winter is on its way. There’s a constant nip in the air, biting our nose and turning our cheeks rosy.
Wood smoke tickles our senses as it dances with the wind, while inside cozy fires warm our toes. Time to find that winter gear we stashed away last spring and dust it off. Find those ice scrapers and change our tires, our autos need their winter necessities to. Winter is knocking on fall’s door, saying move over I’m on my way.
Hope’s Health Clinic
The clinic and health services are progressing for Hope. Paul Genne’ and Angie Montayama, both residents of Hope, have been hired to work at the clinic. They are both in the process of going to EMT1 training through mid-November. When they pass, they will be trained at a higher level than is currently active in Hope.
Renovations to the building where the clinic will be located have begun in a log cabin owned by Alaska Dacha on the Hope Highway. An addition is being built to expand the current space.
The target opening date is January 1. The clinic will then be open on a daily basis for those who would like to tour it.
Specific details are being worked out as to appointments, hours of operation and duties of the employees.
There will also a contingent of volunteers to help with wellness checks on the elderly and those who may be chronically ill. These will be coordinated through the clinic and/or individual doctors.
Those interested in participating in the community wellness checks can contact either Rochelle Morris at 351-8641 or Dorinda Carner at 252-1044.
More details will be forthcoming as they develop, look for updates posted around town. If anyone has any suggestions or requests, please feel free to contact Rochelle of the Hope Health Clinic Committee.
Community Health Fair
This year the Health Fair is Saturday, Oct. 27 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Hope School Gymnasium.
offering health education stations including vision and hearing screening, glaucoma screening, colon care education, and blood pressure readings at no cost to Hope residents. Representatives from the Stone Soup Group, Soldotna Independent Living Center, Geneva Woods Health Care Services, Women Heart of Central Kenai Peninsula and SeaView Community Services will also be here.
Many of you took the opportunity of the comprehensive blood tests offered at the fair last year. The tests are easy, safe, and affordable. A chemistry/hematology profile is just $45. The A1C Screen for diabetes is $25.
If you are planning to get a blood test come early from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and be sure to fast; fasting means no food or drink, except water. The optimum fasting time for the Chemistry/Hematology profile is 12 hours. The confidential test results will be mailed to you in approximately two weeks. Testing is available only to adults over 18 years of age.
School News
Welcome to Hope School’s new principal, Micheal Hanson, who has been in the education field since 1991. She has been an elementary school special education teacher, elementary school teacher grades 2-5, and a teacher mentor/coach, Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Response to Intervention Coordinator, KPBSD District Test Coordinator, and assistant principal at Mountain View Elementary. Currently, along with Hope School, she serves as the KPBSD Response to Intervention Coordinator.
Dean Davidson will be teaching a small engine repair class this year. High school students will learn about carburetors and ignition systems and how to rebuild small engines. This is a hands on class and students are encouraged to bring in their own engines and learn to repair them in class.
The primary reading program will continue every day at 12:30 p.m. Volunteers can always come and listen to little guys/gals read. Show up at 12:20 p.m., and do not
worry, a child will be assigned to you. It is actually a lot of fun, and probably the best way someone can help a little person learn to read.
Polycom solutions in Hope deliver distance learning
The Challenge: To improve the delivery of education to pupils in remote areas and enhance effective learning at all levels. A student from Moose Pass is joining Hope students in the classroom this year. Using the Polycom systems installed in the two rural schools, the Moose Pass student connect with Mrs. T and interacts with Hope’s students. Video conferencing in this way allows the student to receive instruction by a qualified language arts instructor.
Church News
Church is every Sunday at 3 pm. The food bank is on Thursdays from noon to 1 p.m., and Bible study is at 3 p.m. on Thursdays.
