Page 2 Tues. Aug. 25: Shakespeare and Water Balloons
Aug 25, 2026
Do you need a break from the Fair vibes? Are you feeling more Renaissance Fair than State Fair? Then head over to Palmer Shakes and Bakes on Saturday afternoon.
Palmer Shakes and Bakes evolved out of Shakespeare in the Park at Arts in the Garden last month. MASCOTarts presented the event. MASCOTarts stands for Mat-Su Community Theatre Arts.
From Shakespeare in the Park they imagined…
Shakespeare, of course.
Shakespeare and food trucks.
Shakespeare and sword fights.
Shakespeare and community groups.
And so Palmer Shakes and Bakes was born. The main attraction is the Shakespeare play “Much Ado about Nothing” at 12:15 p.m. and at 4 p.m. The show runs about an hour. It has an Alaskan twist and is set in an Alaska port town. If you’re feeling feisty, you may want to attend the afternoon show. The audience will be encouraged to throw tomatoes, or in this case water balloons, at the actors.
Come from Away actors will showcase songs from the upcoming musical. Come from Away opens at the Glenn Massay Theater next weekend. The actors will also do a sword fight demonstration.
In between shows, join in peasant dancing, engage a soothsayer, or really get into the spirit of the day in the foam-sword “fight pit”.
You can enjoy a gyro (yee-roh) from Andiamos food truck or a vegan dessert from the Giggling Fox food truck while you stroll around to the community booths. The Palmer Folk Art School will demonstrate blacksmithing. The Steel Ravens stage combat group will be on hand. Visit with the CreativiTea Alaska writing group and other artists, crafters, and creative groups.
You can wander in and out of events at your leisure.
Palmer Shakes and Bakes runs from noon to six p.m. this Saturday in the green space beside St. John’s Lutheran Church on East Elmwood Street in downtown Palmer. MASCOTarts and the Palmer Arts Council created this free event. Contact Allen Stout for more information at astout@mascotarts.org or 907-707-9854.
Page 2 airs weekdays at 7 a.m., 9 a.m., 11:50 a.m., and 6 p.m.
Tune in at 89.7 in Palmer, 89.5 in Sutton, 88.3 in Chickaloon and Glacier View or online at bigcabbageradio.org.
Please support Page 2 News and Big Cabbage Radio. Become a member: Donate today at bigcabbageradio.org.
Kendra Zamzow reported this Page Two article and yours truly, Lee Henrikson produced it. If you have an idea for a Page 2 topic, please email us at page2@radiofreepalmer.org.
That’s it for today and the news on Page Two on Tuesday August 25, 2026.
Your Health: Bone Health #4
Aug 24, 2026
Join Dr. Jill Valerius and host Lee Henrikson as they conclude a 4-part discussion on keeping healthy bones
Osteoporosis is a bone disease that affects some 500 million people worldwide and is a major cause of pain, disability and loss of independence in older adults. Worldwide, one in three women and one in five men aged over 50 will sustain an osteoporotic fracture
image/text credit: International Osteoporosis Foundation
Page 2 Mon. Aug. 24: School District Update from Deputy Superintendent Katie Gardner
Aug 24, 2026
Katie Gardner is the Deputy Superintendent for Business and Operations for the Mat-Su Borough School District. She talked with Emily Forstner about the district finances, staffing, school nurses, legislative priorities, and enrollment last week on Valley Edition.
Gardner oversees the areas of the district that are not instructional. That includes finances, facilities, technology, and many of the services that keep schools operating every day. She also supports the school board as it makes decisions about both operations and instruction.
She has been connected to the district for most of her life. She was a student here. She was a student worker in high school and college. She started working full-time for the district in 2004 after graduating from college.
She says that one of the biggest issues the district is dealing with is funding from the state.
The Legislature approved additional money for K-12 education this year. About two million dollars for the district is confirmed to help with higher energy costs.
Additional funding is expected. The legislature set aside 115 million dollars for K-12 education statewide. The amount the district receives depends on state oil revenue.
That calculation is expected by the end of the month. The district expects about 16 million dollars. But this is one-time money. And that’s important.
Gardner expects that money to come through this year. However, the district does not want to use one-time revenue to pay for ongoing expenses. It might not have that money next year.
Instead, it is looking at immediate needs and one-time projects. That includes things like infrastructure and roof replacements. It wants to use the funds to help lower expenses in the long run.
Gardner is concerned about finding sustainable funding for public education over the long term. That’s the bigger challenge.
School nurses are another important issue for the district.
The Mat-Su Health Foundation stepped up and provided funding for about 16 school nurses for one year. That gives the district time to develop a long term plan.
The district is testing different models for providing health support in schools. It will form a committee comprising school nurses, administrators, and medical professionals next month. The committee will look at what health services schools need and what level of staffing is sustainable.
The school board made classroom teachers the top staffing priority last year. Teachers are at the heart of the district. The district has a strong teacher retention and recruitment. It’s doing a good job of having teachers in classrooms when school begins.
That doesn’t mean other employees aren’t important. The district needs people keeping the heat and lights on. It needs technology, transportation, meals, payroll, maintenance, and many other services.
Enrollment is a challenge. It has declined over the last three years. Gardner noted that the district was about 600 students below its projection at the time of the interview.
She explained that enrollment projections use a two-year cohort-survival model that examines changes at each school and grade level. State funding is tied to student enrollment so accurate projections are critical to the district’s budget.
Gardner recognizes the people who work behind the scenes.
She likes to think her team is invisible. If people don’t hear about them, that usually means everything is working.
They keep the internet running. They maintain the buildings. They provide meals. They process registrations and handle the business of the district.
They make sure schools are ready when the students walk through the doors.
And that is what they are here to do: support students and schools.
The full interview with Deputy Superintendent Katie Gardner is on bigcabbageradio.org in Valley Edition under podcasts. The School Board meets in a work session on Wednesday to talk about legislative priorities.
Page 2 airs weekdays at 7 a.m., 9 a.m., 11:50 a.m., and 6 p.m.
Tune in at 89.7 in Palmer, 89.5 in Sutton, 88.3 in Chickaloon and Glacier View or online at bigcabbageradio.org.
Please support Page 2 News and Big Cabbage Radio. Become a member: Donate today at bigcabbageradio.org.
Mike Chmielewski reported this Page Two article and yours truly, Lee Henrikson produced it. If you have an idea for a Page 2 topic, please email us at page2@radiofreepalmer.org.
That’s it for today and the news on Page Two on August 24, 2026.
Image credit: matsuk12.us
Home To Roost #68
Aug 22, 2026
Tariffs, trees, and Tina Peters. John and Rachel look at why Alaska parents are paying more for school supplies, what the Trump administration’s plan to scrap the Roadless Rule could mean for the Tongass and Chugach National Forests, and why using federal dollars to pressure Colorado into freeing convicted election official Tina Peters set a worrisome precedent for a state as dependent on Washington as Alaska. Then they head to Article IV and the Constitution’s Property Clause—the remarkably short provision behind some remarkably large arguments over who gets to decide what on federal land.
Valley Edition: Katie Gardner, Deputy Superintendent of Business & Operations for Mat-Su Borough School District.
Aug 22, 2026
Join host Emily Forstner as she interviews Katie Gardner, Deputy Superintendent of Business & Operations for the Mat-Su Borough School District. Listen in as they discuss the funding issues facing the school district.
Inside The City: Jude Bilafer, City of Palmer’s Director of Public Works Department.
Aug 21, 2026
Jude Bilafer, the Director of Public Work’s joins host Mike Chmielewski on Inside The City to discuss the ongoing and future plans of thePublic Works Department.
In Summary: August 19th, 2026
Aug 21, 2026
Emily Forstner talks with Mike Chmielewski about the August 19th, 2026, Mat-Su School Board meeting. School has started! Eyes out for kids at the bus stops!
image Credits: Mat-Su School District/ Mississippi Dept of Transportation
Page 2 Fri. Aug 21: Cutting crashes that involve pedestrians
Aug 21, 2026
More than half of all car crashes in the Mat-Su Borough involve pedestrians and cyclists. In fact, two-thirds of the most serious accidents involve pedestrians and cyclists. This happens on roads with no separate path.
And these crashes are not scattered across the borough. 61% of accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists happen less than a mile from a school.
Those numbers are part of a bigger picture.
The borough public works department has worked for years to improve safety around schools and at the most dangerous intersections and roads in the Mat-Su.
That effort just got some serious backing. The borough was awarded a $12.8 million federal grant called Safe Streets and Roads for All, or SS4A in addition to $3.2 million in local funding.
The data that helped win the grant came from the Mat-Su Comprehensive Safety Action Plan, or CSAP. Work on the safety plan began with a smaller Safe Streets grant in 2024. The Mat-Su Borough Assembly approved the safety plan last year.
The borough public works department could then apply for a larger, more competitive Safe Streets grant after the Safety Action Plan was approved by the Assembly.
Jamie Taylor is the program manager for the Safe Streets grant for the borough. On her desk sits a thick four-inch notebook on the Safety Action Plan.
She says the funds will go toward six projects identified in that notebook. Four of the projects are school-area specific.
Shaw Elementary will see a roundabout at the intersection of Wasilla-Fishhook Road and Paradise Lane. The work includes a separated path and sidewalk between Charley Drive and Wasilla-Fishhook.
The underpass of the Parks Highway and the railroad tracks from Newcomb Park to Railroad Avenue in Wasilla will be improved. Additional improvements along Bogard Road and Crusey Street are planned as well.
Colony Middle and High School will get a separated pathway along the east side of 49th State Street. New crosswalks will be added. A special rapid flashing beacon will be installed at the southern driveway into Colony High.
Auklet Avenue in Palmer will be paved. It connects to the underpass of the Glenn Highway that leads to Bogard Road. A new sidewalk will be built on the north side of Arctic Avenue from Gulkana Street to Academy Charter School.
Along with the four school projects, a fifth project continues the Comprehensive Safety Action Plan work. Officials from the Mat-Su Borough, Alaska Department of Transportation, Alaska State Troopers, and the Mat-Su Borough School District hold monthly meetings.
Crystal Smith is the school district transportation supervisor. She notes that everyone at that table lives in the Valley. She says many schools were built with almost no safe walking infrastructure. Her hope is that every student has the option to walk to school safely.
The grant also provides for more signs on pedestrian pathways throughout the borough that say no motor vehicles. A lot more signs. Taylor says it’s in response to a steady stream of complaints.
She notes that signs or not, it’s against Alaska Administrative Code to ride a motorized vehicle on a pedestrian pathway. Enforcement is a problem. Most pathways sit outside city limits, and the Alaska State Troopers are thinly staffed in the borough.
None of this happens overnight. Funding comes in phases: permitting, then design, then construction. Residents won’t see the results for a year or more.
“There’s so many moving parts,” Taylor says.
She likes that the borough isn’t just patching things up after something goes wrong. It’s working toward the future.
However, the grant does not cover long-term maintenance. That responsibility falls to the cities and the borough.
Full details on both the Mat-Su Comprehensive Safety Action Plan and Safe Streets and Roads for All grant can be found at SS4A.matsugov.us.
Page 2 airs weekdays at 7 a.m., 9 a.m., 11:50 a.m., and 6 p.m.
Tune in at 89.7 in Palmer, 89.5 in Sutton, 88.3 in Chickaloon and Glacier View or online at bigcabbageradio.org.
Please support Page 2 News and Big Cabbage Radio. Become a member: Donate today at bigcabbageradio.org.
Emily Forstner reported this Page Two article and yours truly, Lee Henrikson produced it. If you have an idea for a Page 2 topic, please email us at page2@radiofreepalmer.org.
That’s it for today and the news on Page Two on Friday August 21, 2026.
Photo: Jamie Taylor holds up the Comprehensive Safety Action Plan notebooks. Photo by Emily Forstner.
Internet Weather Report: August 19th, 2026
Aug 20, 2026
Join host Mike Chmielewski with Peter House from Deep Tree as they discuss current cybersecurity threats and how much AI is a current threat in the cyber world
Page 2 Thu. Aug. 20: It’s Fair Time!
Aug 20, 2026
School has started, the weather has headed downhill, and the Fling has Flung. Unless you live under a rock, you know what happens next… Here’s a hint. There’s been a lot of activity on the Alaska State Fair Grounds.
That’s right, it’s Fair time. The Fair opens tomorrow. It runs from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day except Tuesdays and Wednesdays through Labor Day. Today is the last day to purchase discounted admission tickets. Head over to alaskastatefair.org to get some.
There are plenty of contests, events, and concerts to behold at the Fair. And don’t forget the food.
Tomorrow’s events include a hot-dog eating contest and a scarecrow building contest. Safari Sam and Oscar the Ostrich return to stroll around the Fair grounds and tickle your funny bone every day. Robbie the Magician will roam the grounds and amaze you with his magic. There are still tickets for the AJR concert tomorrow night. They take the Borealis stage at 7 p.m.
The 4H Horse Show happens all weekend. Events are on Friday at 6 p.m., and on Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m at the France Equestrian Center. The show includes live arena riding, showmanship, and educational components like horse judging and hippology. Stop by and encourage our outstanding 4H youth.
Stepping away from the Fair for a moment, NOLS is holding its Outdoor Equipment Gear Tag Sale on Saturday. The sale returns after a three-year hiatus. It features used expedition gear and new merchandise with discounts up to 50%. The sale is at the NOLS campus at 5805 North Farm Loop Road. It runs from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Scroll down on the NOLS Alaska Facebook page for information. NOLS stands for National Outdoor Leadership School.
The Mat-Su Trails and Parks Foundation is looking for volunteers to work on the Gold Cord Lake trail in Hatcher Pass on Saturday. The goal is to improve trail tread and drainage. Work will involve completing a rock causeway. Hiking is moderate with no more than one and a half miles total hiked. Volunteers meet at the Independence Mine State Historical Park parking lot in Hatcher Pass at 9:30 a.m. and finish at 3:30 p.m. Visit alaska-trails.org for more information.
Heading back to the Fair, Megadeth takes the stage at the Borealis Theater on Saturday night at 7 p.m. Megadeth has been a major force in heavy music for more than four decades. They are considered a pioneering band of thrash metal. Get tickets at alaskastatefair.org.
Come meet Twiggy on Sunday at the Fair. She is the most famous aquatic squirrel in the world This pint-sized performer delights audiences as she zips across the water on tiny skis. Come see her balance, speed, and charm. She performs this unforgettable act at 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 5 p.m. starting on Sunday at the Alaska’s News Source Corral.
Ziggy Marley plays at the Borealis Theater Sunday night. He is a nine-time Grammy Award winner, Emmy Award winner, musician, producer, activist and humanitarian. Ziggy built a legendary career that spans nearly four decades. He is the eldest son of Bob and Rita Marley. He continues a musical legacy rooted in reggae history while forging his own creative path. He takes the stage at 6 p.m. Buy your tickets in advance and plan to arrive at the fair early for this show.
The food, the fun, Twiggy and Ziggy! The Fair! Another great weekend in the Greater Palmer Metroplex.
Big Cabbage Radio will be broadcasting from the Fair every day. We are in the back right corner of Raven Hall from noon to 5 p.m. drop by say hi and meet some of your favorite Cabbagers.
Have a great day and a better tomorrow.
Page 2 airs weekdays at 7 a.m., 9 a.m., 11:50 a.m., and 6 p.m.
Tune in at 89.7 in Palmer, 89.5 in Sutton, 88.3 in Chickaloon and Glacier View or online at bigcabbageradio.org.
Please support Page 2 News and Big Cabbage Radio. Become a member: Donate today at bigcabbageradio.org.
Keith Peticolas reported this Page Two article and yours truly, Lee Henrikson produced it. If you have an idea for a Page 2 topic, please email us at page2@radiofreepalmer.org.
That’s it for today and the news on Page Two on Thursday, August 20, 2026.
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