Join host Mike Chmielewski and his guest, Kelley Shoemake, Executive Director of the Greater Palmer Chamber of Commerce, as they discuss the 2026 Colony Days celebration.

Let’s have a parade! The Colony Days Parade will take place Saturday, June 13th, at 11:00am in Downtown Palmer! Be sure to come out and find a great spot to view the Parade, and enjoy! Can’t make the parade in-person? Listen to the livestream provided by Big Cabbage Radio by visiting their homepage www.bigcabbageradio.org.

They call it Fox Sauce. This dark red barbecue sauce comes in a vacuum sealed pouch. Our reporter found it at the Friday Fling last week.

We had to ask F.J. Kruger how he came to sell barbecue sauce in Palmer, Alaska. It’s a pretty good story. And like lots of good stories, it starts with a grandpa.

Grandpa Fox sat his granddaughter down for a talk one day. He had kept his recipe for barbecue sauce a secret since the 1970s. He decided to share it with her. And he encouraged his granddaughter to sell it to the world.

And that is how Fox Sauce was born.

Kruger says the recipe doesn’t fit into neat regional qualities. It’s not the vinegar-forward style of the Carolinas. It’s not overly sweet like Kansas barbecue sauce. It’s a uniquely Alaskan style.

Our Page Two reporter found the sauce mild. Even the original hot variety had the smallest kick. Kruger says the spice is there to enhance the flavor not to challenge anyone in a torture contest.

He notes that there’s a growing interest in barbecue in Alaska. He says people used to be intimidated by wood and charcoal grills. He notes that wood pellet grills are easier to use.

In other news burn permits have been suspended in the Mat-Su. This is due to increasing fire danger, lower relative humidity, and limited firefighting resources statewide. A burn permit suspension means no burning of burn barrels, debris piles, or lawns.

Campfires smaller than three feet in diameter for the purpose of warming, cooking, or signaling are allowed. Adequate clearance from combustibles is required. The campfire must be attended until cold to the touch. Any approved fire should be undertaken with caution and vigilance. The burn permit suspension will remain in place until conditions change.

The Palmer City Council meets in their chambers tonight at 6 p.m. Find the agenda at palmerak.org

The Matanuska Community Farmers Market opens tomorrow. Stop by the log church parking lot at 713 S Denali St between 4 and 7 p.m. Come on out for fresh, locally grown and produced foods, kids activities, plant starts, soup and spring rolls, and a good time.

Raised by Elephants brings their psychedelic, alternative, and experimental rock to the Palmer Alehouse on Thursday from 7 to 10 p.m. This is a free all ages show. Attendees under 21 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

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. Donate today at bigcabbageradio.org.

This Page Two article was reported by David Cheezem and produced by yours truly, Lee Henrikson. 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 June 9, 2026.

Streaming Tue Jun 9

Tune in to the audio or video streams of the Palmer City Council meeting at 6 p.m. on bigcabbageradio.org

On the radio this week

Tue Jun 9

Hear what’s going on in our Palmer Chamber of Commerce at 8 a.m. repeating at 5 p.m.

Wed Jun 10

Tim Huffman from Midnight Sun Beekeepers joins host Ken Hoffman on Ag Matters at 7:30 a.m. repeating at 5:30 p.m.

Aimee Young gives the monthly update on the UAF Farm and Extension Service along with her sage advice at 8 a.m. repeating at 5 p.m. This is airing a week late due to illness.

Fri Jun 12

Palmer Police Dispatch Supervisor Whitney Daw joins Mike Chmielewski on Inside the City at 8 a.m. repeating at 5:30 p.m.

Get an update on Valley Transit service to Anchorage on Valley Edition at 5 p.m. repeating Sat. at noon.

Sat Jun 13

Rachel Levitt and John Robertson review federal actions that impact Alaska on Home to Roost. Saturday at 12:30 p.m. repeating on Monday 5:30 p.m.

Join Dr. Jill Valerius and host Lee Henrikson as they continue to discuss vaping dangers and begin a discussion on prostate cancer screening.

Tracie is the Palmer Groundskeeper Foreman. She and her crew keep the hanging flower baskets in downtown Palmer blooming all summer long. The baskets hang on poles along Alaska Street from Fireweed Avenue to Blueberry Avenue. Additional displays adorn the visitor center, public restrooms, the Depot, and the temporary library. A total of 80 baskets brighten the downtown. 

Tracie has spent nearly 20 years tending the hanging flower baskets along Alaska Street. 

The baskets are sourced from Ewetopia Greenhouse in the Butte. Their bold, bright colors are designed to stand out against trees and buildings. Each basket contains 10 to 12 flower varieties. They create ever-changing displays as the season progresses. Early blooms give way to new varieties as summer unfolds. The baskets grow fuller and more colorful as time passes.

Maintaining the baskets requires work. The crew waters them three times a week: on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. They fertilize the baskets weekly. The baskets may need extra watering during warm or windy stretches to keep the densely planted baskets from drying out. Wind can be tough on the flowers, but the baskets are resilient and often bounce back after storms.

Beyond their beauty, the flowers support pollinators. Tracie sees bees among the blooms, especially around the visitor center and flowering trees throughout town. As different plants bloom in sequence—cherry bushes, rose trees, clover, and dandelions—they provide vital forage for pollinators across the community.

Palmer also features community food planters through the Grow Palmer program. These volunteer-supported beds are located along popular walking routes. They rely on residents to weed, harvest responsibly, and keep them tidy. Palmer Public Works waters and fertilizes the beds, but community participation is key. Other gardens, such as the one at the Palmer Museum of History and Art, are maintained through partnerships and contracts.

Tracie’s crew of six is soon to grow to seven or eight. They handle more than flower baskets. They mow city parks and sports fields weekly, maintain landscaping at city buildings and the airport, empty the public trash cans three times a week, and service the 13 dog waste stations across town. The crew really appreciates everyone who picks up after their pets.The volume of dog waste collected underscores how important those stations are for keeping trails and green spaces clean. 

The most rewarding part of the job for Tracie is her “victory lap.” She drives through the downtown after a week of mowing, trimming, and watering and sees Alaska Street manicured and vibrant before Friday Fling. Positive comments from tourists and locals make the hard work worthwhile.

Looking ahead, Tracie would love to expand flower displays beyond the downtown and update aging park equipment with newer, safer playground structures. She wants to explore adding flower baskets to the municipal golf course clubhouse.

Groundskeeping in Palmer is constant work. Grass and flowers grow fast with the long summer daylight. Tracie and her team take pride in keeping the city beautiful. If you see them out working, don’t hesitate to offer a wave or a thank-you.

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. Donate today at bigcabbageradio.org. 

Mike Chmielewski reported this story based on an interview last Friday. The full interview is on bigcabbageradio.org in Inside the City under Podcasts.

Page 2 is produced by yours truly, Lee Henrikson. 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 Monday June 8, 2026.

This week, we discuss new medicaid rules, new proposed mail-in ballot rules, and new threats to Alaska’s tourism industry. We also host two special guests for this week’s rendition of “Who Said It?’

Join host Mike Chmielewski on Valley Edition with his guest, Amy Bushatz with the Mat-Su Sentinel, as they discuss the Sentinel’s purchase of The Frontiersman and the future of the local print based news industry.

Join host Mike Chmielewski and his guest, Tracie, Palmer Groundskeeper Foreperson, as they discuss the hanging flower baskets and keeping Palmer beautiful.

The Sutton Community Hall Working Group wants to save the crumbling Sutton Community Hall.

The Hall wasn’t always in Sutton. It wasn’t always crumbling. The single-story wooden structure was built in 1927. It was a bunkhouse for the workers who built the Eklutna Power Plant. The building was moved to Sutton in 1954. A basement and foundation were added. The Sutton Community Hall hosted events and gatherings for decades.

The Alpine Civic Club has stewarded the property since 1959. The basement started collapsing as the building aged. The Club wanted to put it on a new foundation. However, they lacked funding to proceed.

The Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013. It had fallen into disrepair by then and was no longer used.

A push to explore whether the hall could be restored began in 2022. The Sutton Community Hall Working Group formed and came up with ideas for the building. They supported assessing contamination hazards and the potential for cleanup.

Richard Chiolero ran the Environmental Department at Chickaloon Village Traditional Council. He had an idea. He would research whether they could get funding through the Brownfield Program. The US Environmental Protection Agency (or EPA) had created the program to identify possible contaminated sites and provide a way to clean them up for re-use. It seemed a perfect fit.

Chiolero submitted a Draft Brownfield Assessment and Cleanup (DBAC) application to request funding. The Sutton Community Council provided a letter of support.

The EPA and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation provided the funding for samples to be collected and analyzed. Samples were taken inside the building, outside the building, and in the soil. They were sent to laboratories to determine whether there is contamination from oil, asbestos, lead, or other common contaminants found in old buildings. Another round of sampling may be done.

Engineers and architects have walked through the site. They noted weakness in the structural integrity. The building would probably not survive being moved again.

The Community Hall Working Group continues to assess information as it comes in. The next milestone will happen when laboratory results are completed, probably in the fall. A community meeting will follow. The community is working step by step with agencies to address the contamination and to envision a new use for this site. The Hall holds so much of the history of Sutton and the surrounding area.

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.(post on FB and Web/don’t read on air)

Please support Page 2 News. Donate today at bigcabbageradio.org.

This Page Two article was reported by Kendra Zamzow and produced by yours truly, Lee Henrikson. 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 June 5, 2026.

Acting Palmer City Manager Jude Bilafer joins Mike Chmielewski on Inside the City at 8 a.m., repeating at 5:30 p.m. 

Amy Bushatz talks about her acquisition of The Frontiersman and her plans moving forward with both The Frontiersman and the Mat-Su Sentinel on Valley Edition at 5 p.m, repeating at noon on Saturday.