Education Options in Palmer July 23rd, 2009
Palmer has so many different education options for your children. Public, private, charter, religious, correspondence and home schools can all be found here. 
Elementary Schools:
Butte Elementary School
Swanson Elementary School
Sherrod Elementary School
Amazing Grace Academy
Matanuska Christian School
Academy Charter School
Middle Schools:
Academy Charter School
Amazing Grace Academy
Matanuska Christian School
Palmer Junior Middle School
Colony Middle School
High Schools:
Colony High School (between Palmer and Wasilla)
Palmer High School
Matanuska Christian School
Mat-Su Career Tech High School
Alternatives:
Fronteras Spanish Immersion School
GILA (Galena Interior Learning Academy) Career-Oriented Boarding School
I.D.E.A. (Interior Distance Education of Alaska) – State Wide Program
Alaska Job Corps
Mat-Su Central School – Correspondance
Valley Pathways
Twindly Bridge Charter and Home School
Raven Correspondence School
CyberLynx Correspondence School
And, of course, home schooling is still an option here in the great state of Alaska!
Events in Palmer! July 23rd, 2009
And people say Palmer isn’t busy… this Friday holds three community wide events!
1. Open house at Alaska Job Corp! This starts at 11AM, at the Job Corp headquarters, near Palmer Junior Middle School. Click here for a map.
2. Fresh Veggies at Friday Fling! The Dinkels (won many prizes for giant vegetables and the Alaska State Fair, included the giant cabbage weigh-off grand prize) have a booth, as well as the Kenley family and a couple others. Check them out! Support local farmers and enjoy local produce!
3. Palmer Pride Picnic, 4 PM at the Palmer Train Depot. Bring your family, get to know new people and visit with old friends!
Banks in Palmer Alaska July 17th, 2009
No need to drive all the way to Wasilla for your personal banking, Palmer has 5 different banks of its own, right here in downtown!
A Wells Fargo Branch, on S Bailey St
First National Bank, on Evergreen Ave
Matanuska Valley Federal Credit Union, on S Bailey St
Key Bank in Key Bank Plaza
Alaska USA Federal Credit Union on the Palmer-Wasilla Hwy
The Stamp Cache: Creativity in Palmer July 10th, 2009
I asked Linda Pendergrass, a resident of Alaska for the last 40 years and owner of the Stamp Cache, why people should come to the Stamp Cache instead of Walmart or Joann’s Fabrics. “Personal care, for one thing,” she said. “A lot of people go to Walmart or other chain stores, buy something and don’t really know how to use it properly.” Here, if you have a question, she has an answer. She’ll show you not only how to use the item correctly, but you can also view countless examples of cards and papers 
with the effect displayed.
The Stamp Cache offers something you can find nowhere else in the state of Alaska. Great Impressions puts out a different Stamp of the Month item each month and you can find it right here!. Linda offers classes in card-making using that specific stamp, while teaching you different techniques. They even have a variety of other stamps that match that specific Stamp of the Month theme. July’s theme is Fairy Tales.
Different classes are offered every month for mini-scrapbooks and Stamps by Judith projects. To view to the entire list of classes and times, visit the Stamp Cache’s website, www.StampCacheAlaska.com
There’s a large collection of Alaskan-themed stamps, including a stamp declaring “Hello from Palmer!”. Bears, wolves, moose and more are found on this display, waiting for you to stamp them on a card for out of state family and friends.
Not only does the Stamp Cache carry stamps, you also can find a huge variety of printed, patterned and colored papers, markers, chalk and alcohol inks, punches and more.
If Anchorageites drive all the way out, it must be great! Linda told me that a large percentage of her customers actually come from Anchorage, because the Stamp Cache is so unique and has a different, better variety than the few stores there. But why not help local businesses and show a fellow Palmeranian our support?
Don’t feel like you have a creative side? Not ‘artsy fartsy’? No problem! Take one of the classes and you may discover a different side of yourself! If you need some ideas, ask Linda, she’s full of creativity and knowledge! August’s theme is Wildflowers…
Vagabond Blues June 30th, 2009
Vagabond Blues is one of my favorite places in 
downtown Palmer. It’s a great cafe with fresh food and delicious drinks, located on S Alaska St, in the Koslosky building. I go there and work on my computer all the time; they offer wifi through MTA.
Not only is Vagabond Blues a great coffeehouse, it’s also a well-known musical venue. With concerts ranging in genre from bluegrass to metal, V-Blues does its best to keep the music as diverse as our community. The performances are reasonably priced, some are even free. Many local artists are known to come and play as well as groups from out of state.
Soups, salads, breads, all made here in Alaska, if not in V-Blues’ own kitchen, are just part of the menu. They use as much local produce as possible, and offer vegetarian, gluten-free and vegan options as well as “normal” food. If I want something more than a cookie, I’ll usually buy a cup of soup and a hunk of fresh bread for around $6. The soup is always hearty, flavorful and filling and the bread, delectable.
All ages come to Vagabonds to chill. Some order full meals, others (like me) get something simple like an americano and a jumbo chocolate chip cookie, made fresh each morning right there in the kitchen. You can find groups of students from the local schools in the large booths, laughing and talking about the day at school. Elderly couples and families hold meetings and bible studies earlier in the mornings. The atmosphere is very relaxed; with the radio on all the time (but turned down low), smiling baristas and giggling babies of patrons that make you feel at home. 
Drop in for a tasty morsel, stay an hour, chat with friends, stay late! It’s open until 8 Mon-Sat and 6 on Sundays. Vagabond Blues is part of what makes Palmer, Palmer. It’s a comfy, slow-paced, community gathering place. Come be a part of it!
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