WILLOW AREA COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION, INC.

Your local forum for discussion, participation and comment in matters of concern to the community. WACO promotes the social, cultural and economic welfare of the Willow area.
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This website is a service for the community of Willow, Alaska. Find WACO meeting minutes and agendas as well as information about committees, the community center and, local groups. Committee and group news or announcements are also posted as received. View the calendar for the schedule of local activities/events.

WACO meetings are the first Wednesday of every month at 7:00 PM at the Willow Community Center.

WACO Meetings

WACO Community Meeting

The first Wednesday of each month at 7:00 PM

Willow Community Center

Latest News

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VOTING FOR OPEN WACO BOARD POSITIONS ON APRIL 5th. START TIME TBA. HERE ARE BIOS FOR THOSE RUNNING:

WACO Election, April 5th 2023

Candidates for Vice Chair (choose one):

Christine Stitt (incumbent)
Greetings,

My name is Christine Stitt and I am running for the continued position of Vice Chair for WACO.

I have been involved with many aspects for our community, including being a MAL, V Chair, and Chair for WDMA for a period of 9 years. I have also served on the WACO Board for the last 5 years being the MAL and stepping into the V Chair position almost 2 years ago. I have also been involved with creating the Willow Jr 100 and the Willow 300/150 over the past 16 years. I am active in helping out with the Holiday Dinner and Carnival.

I have been blessed to be a member of this wonderful community and getting to know all of its great residents as well.

I hope to be able to continue helping our community by being voted in as V Chair again for another 2 year term. I have been able to with assistance from board members see several jobs completed for our WCC, including new floor, new curtains, and auditorium painted. It would be an honor to serve my community for another term as your V Chair.

Sincerely,
Christine Stitt
V Chair WACO

Candidates for Treasurer (choose one):

Maura Shea
I’m a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Internal Auditor and have an MBA. My work experience includes stints as business manager for two clinical research facilities in New Orleans, 5 years as a financial accountant for the Alaska Railroad and 5 years as the Chief Financial Officer for Alaska Chadux Corporation.

I’ve lived in Willow since June 2018 and joined the WACO Board as an At-Large member in February 2022. I helped get the Willow Pickleball Club started in December 2021 and enjoy playing with all the new friends I’ve made. I’m a member of the Willow Trail Committee and have been involved with a number of WACO projects.

I think my work experience and time already spent on the Board will allow me to perform the Treasurer’s duties, including providing general financial oversight, financial planning and budgeting, and financial reporting. I would appreciate your vote.
Maura

Candidates for At Large Representive (choose two):

Barbara Ensley

My husband, Bert, and I have been full‐time residents of Willow for several years and after we finished building our house in 2017, we both felt strongly that we should be involved with our community and with WACO. Bert is very active with the Willow Trail Committee, attending their monthly meetings, grooming winter trails, and doing maintenance of WTC’s equipment. I was first elected for an At Large Representative position in 2019 and re-elected in 2021. Since 2019 I have been involved with various
committees – scholarship committee; community enrichment; Willow Winter Games; Willow Winter Carnival – and in 2020 became chair for WACO’s charitable gaming activities. I would be honored to be re‐elected for another two years in one of the two vacant At Large Representative positions. Thank you.

Al Felt
Barbara and I have been Willow residents since 2011 and property owners since 2002. We came to Alaska as an Air Force family retired and settled in Anchorage. As we traveled Alaska we found Willow as our place to live. Here I've had the pleasure of standing in the cold, recycling at the transfer site, snowmachining through Willow swamp, and in every occasion we found new friends. For the past three years I have been the treasurer of WACO, the heart of Willow. If selected as the at large Representative 2, I look forward to supporting your community.

Rodney McCambridge
My name is Rodney McCambridge and I am running for an at large representative position on the WACO board.
Prior to moving to Alaska, I lived in Southern Oregon where my day job allowed me to work with community groups. In 2020, I assisted the community and other outreach groups to locate victims of the wild fire that tore through the towns of Phoenix/Talent Oregon. It included, connecting fire victims to organizations (FEMA, State Insurance ORG, etc) for local assistance on housing, clothing, meals and medical.
In 2021, my wife and I purchased our home on Willow Fishhook Rd and completed our move to Alaska permanently in June of 2022. We have been settling in nicely and we are enjoying exploring our surroundings.
I have been attending meetings of the WACO Board, trained and joined the CERT team, and volunteered for some of the local events here in Willow. I believe in looking at what has worked in the past and building off that. I look forward to the opportunity to join the WACO board and to grow in our new community. Which is our new home.
I would appreciate your vote on April 5th 2023, win or lose I will still be here for our community.
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Thank you to every Willow resident for helping make this year's Carnival so much fun!! It was so good to see everyone, to laugh & enjoy all the events together after the covid years apart. Special thanks to all of you who helped-it takes our whole community to be able to invite all of Alaska to come join us!!'
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1 month ago
Willow Area Community Organization

BE A PART OF THE WACO BOARD! ... See MoreSee Less

BE A PART OF THE WACO BOARD!

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ICE HOCKEY INVITATIONAL at the school &
PIKE FISH DERBY weighin at the community center parking lot!
Sunday Feb. 26
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Comment on Facebook

Thanks for organizing the hockey games. I think that was the last official carnival event. 😉 Fun game tonight.

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Photo Contest winners, Mini Raffle winners & Major Raffle winners all happening at the Carnival!!
Saturday Feb. 25
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Comment on Facebook

How do we find out the winners

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Thank you for your interest in the Kick Off Dinner. All available tickets have been sold. There is a beautiful Silent Art Auction in the auditorium as well as the dinner. Please come see & bid on the art, and stay for the fireworks which will start between 7:15 and 7:30 tonight.'
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NEEDED TONIGHT!
Extra hands for post fireworks cleanup!
The more hands the quicker!
Come to the lakes edge and bring a headlamp!
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Kickoff Dinner ticket sales have been sluggish and as a result, food has been purchased only for 125 people. There are approximately 40 left as of this evening. Tomorrow I will be pulling the tickets from the library when it opens and will pull any remaining tickets from Newman's at 3p. At that time I will know the final count of available tickets (if any) and will have a FB announcement sent out about ticket sales at the door. If you want to join the dinner, which will be delicious, I strongly encourage that you go get the tickets at Newman's before 3p... Otherwise watch for a FB announcement very shortly after 3p. Thank you, Linda Oxley, Carnival Committee ... See MoreSee Less

Comment on Facebook

I need 4 tickets I’m on my way to anchorage but will be back around 3.

I need 3 tickets!

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Comment on Facebook

BTW, there are short cuts marked along the way.

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Comment on Facebook

Come support the team that supports you! Dance, eat & meet the men & women that work hard to help this community in so many ways. 🤓🤙🚒🧯🌮🌮🌮🇺🇸

oh what FUN that will be! 😉

🎼🙂

Adult only or is it family?

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EXCITED TO KICK OFF THE 2023 WINTER CARNIVAL WITH A FEAST AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER!

THIS MEAL WILL FEATURE ROAST BEEF!

Kids under 8 eat free, no ticket necessary.
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EXCITED TO KICK OFF THE 2023 WINTER CARNIVAL WITH A FEAST AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER!

THIS MEAL WILL FEATURE ROAST BEEF!

Kids under 8 eat free, no ticket necessary.
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