Web posted Sunday, June 4, 2000
Kenai Peninsula town finds niche as peaceful and buzzing community

"Welcome to Anchor Point."

Campers line the beach at Anchor Point on Memorial Day weekend. Photo by M. Scott Moon

Travelers headed north or south on the Sterling Highway can't miss the colorful signs that roll out the welcome mat for this little community at Mile 157 on the Sterling Highway.

To be more technically exact, Anchor Point is situated at 59 degrees, 48.1 feet north latitude and 151 degrees, 50.2 feet west longitude. It has a reputation for being North America's most westerly highway point.

Gold lettering on the signs marking the entrance to Anchor Point clearly says the welcome is first class. The eagle and mountains silhouetted along the top of the sign are a clue to the wildlife and incredible scenery found here.

According to local historians, Capt. James Cook recorded comments about the hospitality of local natives when he and his crews on the Resolution and Discovery sailed Cook Inlet in 1787 in search of the Northwest Passage. He also is credited with giving the community its name after losing a large kedge anchor to the inlet's strong currents.

In the 1940s, a wave of missionaries and homesteaders gave the population a boost and it has been growing ever since. Postmaster Mary Isley said there are 1,500 boxes in the 2-year-old post office. Nine hundred are rented year round and summer visitors help fill the remainder.

Pennie Peters waits to guide visitors during a volunteer shift at the Anchor Point Visitor's Information Center next to Chapman School on the Sterling Highway. Photo by M. Scott Moon

Visitors are attracted here for a number of reasons, including salmon and halibut fishing, abundant wildlife and the some of Alaska's best scenery.

However, the locals make Anchor Point home for a variety of reasons.

"Alaska sounded attractive," said Sara Clemson, who migrated north from Pennsylvania with her husband, Dave, and their young family in 1948.

Their first home in Anchor Point was a U.S. Army tent, which sometimes provided shelter for as many as 11 people from two other families.

Since then, the Clemsons have traveled the world as teachers, developed school curriculums and produced award-winning films on teaching mathematics.

When Sara talks about the early years, her eyes sparkle with memories.

"I remember the profound silence was such a wonderful thing," she said. "After the children were in bed, I'd take the sled and dogs out for even a 10-minute run and just enjoy it. It was very beautiful."

One of Anchor Point's newer residents is Sue Fritsch, who arrived a month ago from Oregon, after a nine-year stop in Anchorage.

"I came for the peace and quiet," said Fritsch, who previously did project control for Alaska's oil industry. Since coming to Anchor Point, Fritsch has found a way to make a living off other's people interest in the area by opening a real estate business.

Providing a safety net for the community is the Anchor Point Fire Department on Milo Fritz Road. Their 40 emergency medical technicians and 20 firefighters responded to 150 emergency calls and 50 fires during 1999, according to dispatcher Lora Craig.

Just down the street is the little community library, offering books and a selection of videos. It's housed in the same building as Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 10221.

The senior center is a going concern. Housed in a beautiful 3-year-old log structure, it already is feeling growing pains. The activity list goes on and on and includes weekly bingo games, concerts, community meals and jam sessions for local musicians. It also sponsors Helping Hands, an organization that gives assistance to neighbors in need of help.

Suzi Kendall and Rosa Jaime cheer for business during a car wash to raise funds for a Lighthouse Community Assembly mission to Mexico. "We know everybody who drives by," Jaime said. Photo by M. Scott Moon

For the community's younger residents, there's Chapman School, with grades kindergarten through eight. Fred Deussing has been the principal for three years.

"The staff adopts every kid that comes through the door," Deussing said.

He praised parents for their involvement in school activities and bragged that Chapman students had the district's highest fourth-grade reading scores.

The Anchor Point Chamber of Commerce's Information Center also is a good place to find out more about the community nestled between Ninilchik and Homer. Chat with Joanne Collins for up-to-date community events. The center's hours are 8 a.m. until noon, Monday through Friday.

"Or whenever we can get volunteers," Collins said.

Eric Alexander drives a tractor out of the surf after launching a boat full of anglers. The fishing season keeps he and others at the Tractor Factor busy. Photo by M. Scott Moon

Its Web site at www.xyz.net/~ apcoc/ offers history of the area, a schedule of events and links to lodging and fishing charters.

Fishing is a big draw for visitors, who can either fish out on the inlet or along the Anchor River. Inlet fishing already has started and king salmon season on the river begins the last of May. The river season continues for five consecutive weekends.

Derbies throughout the summer draw fishing enthusiasts and keep the energy level high. Be sure to check state rules and regulations before dropping a hook in the water.

Stan Harrington is a local expert on the subject of the kind of fish being caught, how big they are and what kind of tackle was used to catch them. He dispenses expert advise from the Anchor Angler and also can be heard during the summer on Kenai Peninsula radio stations KGTL, KWAV and KPEN.

Fishing along the river is one thing. Launching a boat off the beach is another. Tractor Factor, owned by Joe Allred, stands ready to assist with a fleet of tractors. Watching Allred and his crew is well worth the short drive down to the beach.

The question of what to do with the day's catch is easily answered. If not cooked immediately over an evening campfire, it can be packaged to take home. Local businesses are equipped to cut, wrap and freeze either seafood or game during hunting season. And, if combing local waters and beaches for fresh seafood isn't appealing, but eating it is, a selection of fish and shellfish can be purchased in Anchor Point.

Visitors to the Anchor Point Senior Center peruse the goods during a recent flea market. The center plans on hosting another market on the Fourth of July.

There are a variety of places for visitors to hang their hats for the night, including state- and privately owned campgrounds and RV parks, a hotel and several bed and breakfasts.

Camp hosts at Anchor River State Park help campers get situated, answer questions and keep the park clean. Some camp hosts also are visitors to the area, like Ralph and Linda Livingway at Slide Hole Campground. They claim Hender-son, Nev., as home, but are full-time RV-ers taking advantage of Alaska's camp host program to spend part of their summer in Anchor Point.

Anchor Point Senior Center on Milo Fritz Road also has opened up its parking area to campers this summer. They're targeting campers 55 years old and older, but center secretary Jacque Metzler said they might make exceptions.

Mary McAnelly, reservationist for Anchor River Inn, will be happy to put a roof over your head if you don't have a tent or camper. The inn, run by the Clutts family, also offers a restaurant, lounge and gift shop and has a long history in the area.

Just up the street, Peggy Campbell's Anchor Point Road House serves hot meals and offers showers to wash away the sweat and grime from catching a world-class salmon or halibut and a laundromat to clean the sand out of jeans and sweatshirts.

The Blue Bus has a fast food menu, several businesses provide groceries for those wanting to fix their own meals, and more than one merchant can brew that necessary morning cup of java.

If local hospitality inspires a change of travel plans, Mary Kalugin-Clutts at the newly opened Anchor Point Travel can make revisions.

Whether Anchor Point is the destination for travelers or a rest stop while driving the Sterling Highway, it's a spot not to be missed. Great fishing, fresh breezes off Cook Inlet, the spectacular Alaska Range on the far shore and the eagles soaring overhead all are reasons to stop.

Driving away, visitors will find the goodbye as warm as the greeting. On the backside of the welcome sign is the community's farewell.