Apply for a Community Assistance Program Grant now (formerly called Revenue Share Grant). The application deadline is July 31st, 2022.
Projects must be for Willow public and community benefit.
Submissions must include a description, budget, explain how the project will benefit the community, and describe support or collaborations with existing community members or organizations. Download the application here:
Find links to Disaster Assistance Information for people affected by the McKinley Fire with resources for debris removal, housing assistance, relief supplies, casework and more here: https://akfireinfo.com/2019/08/29/disaster-assistance-info-for-people-affected-by-the-mckinley-fire/
Several local organizations need your help to continue the fire relief effort. Pick an organization that matches your interest or skillset and get started here:
Please read this update on donations for fire relief efforts:
When anticipating an evacuation, it is handy to have a checklist to follow (if time allows) just to make sure you don’t leave out anything and give your home a better chance of surviving a fire. The International Association of Fire Chiefs uses the following guidelines for wildland fire evacuation. Learn the language and actions in each step and be prepared when alerts go out.
Find more information here:
Ready
BE READY – Talk to Local fire department personnel about preparing your home for wildland fire threat. Work to prepare your property by creating defensible space.
Set
SET – Be alert. Prepare a “go kit” and include items such as:
Create your own action plan:
Go
On The Web
AK Fire Info – This site is updated as often as new information is available from the Alaska Interagency Coordination Center (AICC). The aim is to provide one website where the best available information and links related to fire can be accessed. The agencies that support this site are the BLM Alaska Fire Service, Alaska Division of Forestry, US Forest Service, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.
On Facebook
Alaska DNR – Division of Forestry (DOF) provides regular updates on Facebook.
On YouTube
McKinley Fire Info channel on YouTube
By Phone
The McKinley Fire Update line is (907) 313-9826
Questions By Email
Send questions by email for the Deshka fire to [email protected] and for the Mckinley fire to [email protected].
For Highway Conditions
Visit 511.alaska.gov for highway conditions statewide and to register for text/email highway updates.
Nixle is a Community Information Service that sends geographically relevant information over your cell phone by text message, by email, and over the web. Your account can be customized so you receive the information that matters most to you. Only authenticated agencies and community organizations can securely publish information. There are four types of messages; Alerts (many would refer to this as an emergency type alert), Advisories (less urgent need-to-know information), Community Information (day-to-day neighborhood to community-level information), Traffic (very localized traffic information). Sign up here: https://local.nixle.com/register/
Please note: Do not rely solely on Nixle alerts to decide when it is time to evacuate. Always be aware of conditions around you during wildfires and use common sense.
Residents play a key role in reducing wildfire damage. Learn about choices you can make around your property that can make a difference. The best gift a homeowner can give a firefighter is defensible space.
After a disaster, such as a wildfire, you may feel sad, mad, guilty, or numb. You may have trouble sleeping, be constantly “on the lookout” for danger, or be jumpy, irritable, or angry. These are all normal reactions to stress. This is a difficult time, but there are things you can do to help cope with the stress and stay healthy even during the cleanup time that follows.
Find information to help yourself and children recover emotionally from wildfires here:
MSB Code 3.15.075 allows for the reassessment of property damaged by fire and an adjustment of taxes for an owner of taxable property within the borough. If your property sustained damage due to fire and that loss exceeds $1,000 you may apply for the reassessment of your property. Find information and application to download here: https://www.matsugov.us/reassesment
Wildfire smoke is a mixture of gases and fine particles from burning trees and other plant materials. This smoke can hurt your eyes, irritate your respiratory system, and worsen chronic heart and lung diseases. Take action to protect yourself and your family from wildfire smoke with these resources:
Voting for WACO Board Members is in the Willow Community Center on April 3, 2019, at the following times:
Ballots will be counted on April 3rd, 2019 at the Annual General Meeting and results announced.
Please bring some form of identification to prove residence within WACO boundaries (utility bill in your name with home address, Alaska voter registration, drivers license).
VICE CHAIR
TREASURER
AT-LARGE REPRESENTATIVE – Two positions available.
WES MCCLURE
I’m the father of four children and have three grandchildren all of which call Willow home. My residency here dates back to the mid-eighties and have lived in my current home for over ten years. I am the founder and president of Willow Ice and have also served the carnival committee. I have always called Willow home and believe all the above shows my commitment to this town and desire to make improvements. I also have an opinion on many matters with a different way of looking at things which allows me to bring up points that tend to get overlooked. Thanks for your consideration.
JOHN SPITZBERG
My name is John Spitzberg and I am running for a seat on the WACO Board. I have lived in Willow for three years and love it, the people, the beauty of the land and even the moose who come into my yard to bother my dogs. I have five throwaway dogs. I have taught school in the Bush in five or six villages and worked as a social worker in Bethel, Alaska. I am retired presently. I am a military veteran of 14 years. I am a member of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), serve on the Board of the Willow Dog Mushing Association and belong to the writer’s group at the library.
Thank you for considering me for a member at large position on the WACO Board. If elected I shall devote my energy to the Board and community, listen to what people say and act accordingly.
BARBARA ENSLEY
I am interested in one of the At-Large Representative positions with WACO. Willow felt like home to me long before it became my actual home and official residence of record. In the early years, coming out to Willow from Anchorage to stay with various friends at their cabins, I felt myself starting to relax as I passed the Big Lake turnoff and arriving in Willow would generate a sigh of relief. I could breathe easier; stress melted away; I could relax.
My husband, Robert, and I and purchased our diamond-in-the-rough property in Willow in early 2013 and, after much demolition and debris removal, completed construction of our home in early-2017. Though I still commute Monday through Friday for work, it is now between Willow and Wasilla (and not between Willow and Anchorage), and each and every day I still get that sense of home as I near Willow at the end of my workday.
I am putting my name in the hat for At-Large Representative because I want to become more knowledgeable of Willow as a complete community. There are many amazing folks in our area and I look forward to the opportunity to learn and support and give back to my community.
Entry Fee: $2 for each event
Age Restriction: 18+ years old
Event Details:
Broadly defined, homesteading is a lifestyle of self-sufficiency. At the Willow Winter Carnival, homesteaders compete to prove their self-sufficiency and skill with wood chopping tools.
Awards: For each event, compete to win in the Men’s or Women’s categories. Or, prove your homesteading excellence and participate in all 5 events to compete for the Best Overall trophy. First place finishers in each category win $50!
Garret and Tiffany Davidson
Garret is a Captain with the Caswell/Willow Fire Depts. and organizes Fire Safety days for the elementary school annually. He has regularly volunteers for Winter Carnival and other community events. Tiffany has been instrumental in PTA activities including leading fund raising projects and holiday events for the kids. She volunteers to support the Fire Dept. and the Winter Carnival each year. Garret and Tiffany are known for the countless times they have offered a helping hand to their neighbors and members of the community throughout the year.
Steve and De Wilcenski
Steve and De Wilcenski live in the area of the current ice jam and flooding disaster. They have been working tirelessly to support their neighbors, They have worked diligently to keep channels of communication open and get essential information to their neighbors under difficult circumstances, They have helped getting supplies for them by taking trips by sled over trails. This has been a difficult time and Steve and De have stepped up to help the Willow community in the true Alaskan spirit.
Sharlene Stephens and Jason Crockett
Pick up a ballot or print your ballot at home and drop it in the ballot cans at any of these 4 locations:
Voting is open until Friday, January 17th, 2020.
Thank you for helping continue this Willow tradition of recognizing those who have contributed to our community!
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