Join host Ken Hoffman and his guest, Dwane Ballou of Oceanview Gardens in Wrangell, Alaska, as they discuss agriculture in Southeast Alaska.

Image Credit: Oceanview Gardens

Anthony Irsik planned on going dipnetting in Kenai yesterday. He gathered his equipment: dipnet, waders, mosquito repellant… and his chess set. Chess set?

Chess is a big part of Irsik’s life. It’s a demanding game. It’s full of nuance and planning. 

Irsik is co-leader of the Palmer High Chess Club. He coaches the Colony High Chess Club. And he’s the president of the Palmer Chess Club.

The Palmer Chess Club is a big deal. They meet every Tuesday from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at 203 Kombucha. The evening starts with a game. Irsik tries to pair newer players with the right partner. Someone who will mentor the new player.

People of all ages and experience levels with chess come. They fill every available table some nights. 

People watch each other play. They dissect the game afterwards: What went right. What didn’t. Sometimes a member brings a book to share about strategies or end games.

The games take a twist as the evening winds down. They play what Irsik calls “variants.” 

For example, one or both players will be blindfolded. Players have to memorize every move to keep track of the game. 

In another variant, players pair up to play two against two. One person on each team decides which chess pieces to move. The other person moves the pieces. But that’s all. They can’t tell each other what to do.

The game goes well if the teammates know each other, know how they think, and know the strategies they like.

Irsik’s mother introduced him to chess as a kid. She gave him a children’s book with chess pieces as characters. He doesn’t remember much about the book except that the queen was snooty. 

The book included basic information about chess. It sparked an interest. Irsik got serious about the game in college. He remembers losing games. Before that, only his grandpa beat him consistently.

Irsik doesn’t like losing, especially if he thinks he made a dumb mistake. He loses gracefully. He takes his dose of humble pie and moves on. He says, it’s fun pushing pieces with a tight-knit community of chess players.

Irsik is a grad student. He specializes in Alaskan history. He hopes to write a book about the history of chess in Alaska one day.

Watch for the chess tournaments coming up. The Mat-su Freestyle Chess Tournament happens in September. Colony High sponsors a “Pawn-kin Pie” tournament around Thanksgiving. And the Mat-Su Chess Classic happens next spring. 

In the meantime, anyone can join the Palmer Chess Club on Tuesdays at 203 Kombucha from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

Turns out, Irsik was at the meeting last night. His fishing trip to Kenai got cancelled. 

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. 

Did you know you could donate a car to Big Cabbage Radio? Or a truck? Or a boat? Just go to bigcabbageradio.org and click the donate a car button. 

David Cheezem 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 Wednesday July 15, 2026.

Photo : Anthony Irsik (seated, left) playing against Grand Master Bryan Smith (standing, right) at the 2025 Bear Paw Festival. Photo Credit: Caroline Huling

Join host Mike Chmielewski and his guest, Kelley Shoemake, Executive Director of the Greater Palmer Chamber of Commerce, as they discuss being a Chamber member.

Image Credit: Greater Palmer Chamber of Commerce

Let it rain! Citizen scientists all over the country are collecting the rain drops. And hail pellets. And snowflakes.

This is CoCoRaHS, the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network. Its mission is to increase the number of people having fun measuring precipitation. Rain, hail, and snow are all types of precipitation.

People like you measure and map precipitation. Kids can do it. Seniors can do it. Anyone who can find a clear spot to put up a rain gauge can do it.

Have you been frustrated when the weather forecast is wrong? Mountainous areas and microclimates make it challenging to know where the rain is going to fall. Rain is coming, but will it soak the land at the 3,000 foot level or the 300 foot level? That makes a big difference in who gets wet.

More data improves forecasts. And the best way to get more data is to have more people collecting it with rain gauges in their backyards.

It’s important that people are collecting data with the same equipment in the same way. CoCoRaHS helps with this. Each person that signs up is entered into a national network. They buy an inexpensive standardized rain gauge. The gauge is simple and tough. It has no moving parts.

Slideshows and short videos show you how to set up your gauge; how to measure rain fall; how to measure the size of hail; and how to measure snow depth and water content.

You submit data through a website or an app. You can enter as much or as little information as you want. You can report air temperature, whether it was windy when the precipitation began, whether the streams are low or high, and even the birds or animals you see.

The information is uploaded to a national map. You get instant gratification when you see your data on the map. You can compare your results to others’.

This information is important. The National Weather Service uses it to improve forecasts. That’s right. Your data can help make the forecast in your area more accurate! The data is also used by emergency managers, people tracking snowpack and river levels, and others.

It’s ok if you’re gone a lot and can’t read the gauge every day. You can enter a “multi-day accumulation” report when you get back.

You can still use interactive maps on the CoCoRAHs website even if you aren’t reporting precipitation.

What if you heard a storm was heading towards Montana where your brother lives? CoCoRAHs maps show you what people are reporting. You can see how heavy and widespread the rain is.

You can settle an argument with a friend about whether it snowed more in Palmer or in Buffalo. Go to the CoCoRAHs Station Explorer. You can even read personal notes about how precipitation is affecting a local area.

Only three stations in the Mat-Su have reported regularly over the last three months. These are station MS-30 in Palmer, MS-31 in Wasilla, and MS-22 in Chickaloon. Go to cocorahs.org to check them out.

And while you are there, sign up to be a CoCoRAHs observer. We can all use better weather forecasts.

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.

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 Tuesday, July 14, 2026.

The City of Palmer will hold elections on Tuesday, October 6. Three City Council seats are up this year: two three-year terms and one one-year term.

The candidate filing period runs from 8 a.m. next Monday to 4 p.m. on July 31.

Candidates must select one race. Those seeking a three-year term compete for the two available seats. The top two vote-getters win.

Candidates for the one-year seat run in a separate contest. The highest vote-getter wins.

A candidate can win by a single vote. In the event of a tie, the City Clerk will flip a coin to determine the winner.

Candidates must be registered voters in Palmer city limits. They must have lived in Palmer for at least a year as of the filing date. They must submit complete nomination paperwork by the July 31 deadline. This includes at least 20 signatures from registered Palmer voters. Candidates are encouraged to collect 25 to 30 signatures in case some signatures are not valid.

Candidates may pick up nominating petition packets from the Palmer City Clerk Office or download one from palmerak.org/elections no earlier than July 20, 2026.

A list of certified candidates with their contact information will be posted on the city website. Candidates have a few days to withdraw after the filing period closes. Anyone wishing to run as a write-in candidate must also register during the filing period.

Campaigning is straightforward. Candidates may go door-to-door, distribute literature, and put up campaign signs. Signs require a free permit from the Palmer Community Development Department. They must comply with placement rules.

Palmer municipal elections focus on city issues. Voter turnout is low at around six percent in council-only elections. Candidates play a major role in encouraging residents to vote. This includes personal outreach, signs, and community events. The city promotes elections through its website, social media, and public notices.

Early voting is at Palmer City Hall during the two weeks prior to Election Day.

On election day polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Matanuska-Susitna Borough building and the School District Administration Building..

Residents may request an application to vote absentee by mail from City Hall or the city’s website. Absentee ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received by the Friday following the election to be counted.

The canvass board oversees final vote counting. They review absentee ballots, verify voter eligibility on the question ballots, and audit election day results. All valid ballots are counted with electronic tabulation equipment. The canvass board meetings are open to the public. Residents may observe the process. They may not see any confidential voter information.

Johnson emphasized that residents should vote even if they are unsure whether they live within Palmer city limits. Election officials cannot turn eligible voters away. The officials can issue a questioned ballot if necessary. This process can also update a voter’s registration after a recent move within the city.

Residents must be registered to vote thirty days before Election Day. That’s September 6 this year. Residents can check their voter registration at myvoterportal.alaska.gov. They can update their registration at voterregistration.alaska.gov.

Johnson’s final message is simple: every vote matters, especially in local elections where a small number of ballots can decide the outcome. She encouraged all eligible Palmer residents to vote and make their voices heard.

In other news, the Palmer City Council meets tomorrow night at 6 p.m. in the Palmer Depot.

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.

This Page Two article was reported by Mike Chmielewski 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 Monday, July 13, 2026.

image credit: City of Palmer

Join John and Rachel this week as they review how congressional resistance to Trump has saved Alaska’s Ocean Station Papa and how it might also improve Alaska’s housing supply. We also discuss how the Supreme Court’s lifting of limits on political party assistance to federal candidates will likely land in Alaska.

Image Credit: Connect Mat-Su

Image Credit: Mat-Su Solid Waste Division.

The City Clerk’s Office serves as the official record keeper for the City of Palmer and plays a vital role in supporting transparent, efficient local government.

Image Credit: City of Palmer