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🌱 Patch AM: How will two sudden child care closures reshape Anchorage families’ routines?

Spotted on the Anchorage calendar: Shorts Block: Doc Shorts 2

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Thursday December 11th Patch AM
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Greetings Anchorage! Your go-to source for what's happening in town is here. Stay in the loop and read on. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • How will two sudden child care closures reshape Anchorage families’ routines?
  • What new youth housing is planned for this cleared Mountain View lot?
  • How will Anchorage’s new microunits change homelessness this winter?

Also on today's calendar: Living Alaska Events: Premier Shopping & Marketplace Bingo Series and 5 more events.

Find out what's happening in Anchoragefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: What did one tuna say to the other after getting caught stealing files from work? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Anchoragefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Thursday: Mostly sunny and very cold, with a high of 12 and low of 6 degrees. ⛄️ Brr!
  • Friday: Partly sunny, temps: high: 18, low: 11.
  • Saturday: Sunshine and frigid, with a high of 15 and low of 8 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Boys and Girls Club to abruptly close 2 Anchorage child care programs (alaskapublic.org) — Two Boys and Girls Clubs child care programs in Anchorage, at Turnagain Elementary and Woodland Park, will shut down on Dec. 24, with staff layoffs two days later. The closures deepen Anchorage’s ongoing child care crunch, as providers struggle with delayed reimbursements, rising costs, and funding shortfalls, leaving families to seek new options through referral services like thread.
   

2. Mountain View building comes down to make way for new housing for youth (alaskasnewssource.com) — A long-vacant Mountain View building on Peterkin Avenue has been demolished to clear space for “Happy Healing Homes,” a planned transitional housing campus for at-risk youth in Anchorage. Backed by Flower Community Development Corporation and municipal demolition funding, the project aims to add modular homes and a service center offering job training, education, and health support, though it’s still in the fundraising phase.
   

3. Construction wrapping up at Anchorage's new ‘microunit' community (adn.com) — A new microunit community in Campbell Park is nearly ready to offer 32 tiny “recovery residences” for Anchorage residents experiencing homelessness and substance use disorders. Built with opioid settlement funds and private grants, the project will provide six- to 12-month stays with treatment before residents move to permanent housing. Final approval of a behavioral health provider is expected in January.
   

4. Woman Mauled by Bear Reunites With Alaskan Rescuers (newser.com) — Anchorage first responders who rescued a hiker mauled by a brown bear on the Anchorage Hillside this summer have reunited with her at a local fire station. The 67-year-old retiree, badly injured but now recovering, publicly thanked medics, firefighters, and dispatchers who hiked into the Chugach Mountains and coordinated her complex rescue after she called 911 from her Apple Watch.
   

5. Congress reauthorizes program that sends money to schools near national forests (adn.com) — Anchorage schools are in line for continued federal Secure Rural Schools funding after Congress reauthorized the program through 2026, with payments due within 45 days of enactment. The money, shared with districts near the Tongass and Chugach forests, helps support education and local infrastructure in Anchorage and communities across Alaska as they cope with limited local revenues.
   

📸 Around Anchorage

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📣 Anchorage Shout Outs!

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🗓 Events Nearby

    Thursday December 11
  • Preschool Storytime
    Sutton Public Library , 11301 Chickaloon Way , Sutton
    11:00 am
    • Friday December 12
  • Stay and Play at Chugiak-Eagle River
    Anchorage Public Library (Chugiak-Eagle River Library) , 12001 Business Blvd , Eagle River
    11:00 am
    • Sunday December 14
  • Zoo Lights — The Alaska Zoo
    Alaska Zoo , 4731 O'Malley Rd , Anchorage
    5:00 pm
    • Monday December 15
  • Recycle Sutton
    Sutton Transfer Site , 15625 North Glenn Highway , Sutton-Alpine
    2:00 pm

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • The Home Depot, Inc. posted a job opening for Lot Associate in Wasilla. Apply here.
  • McDonald's posted a job opening for Mc Donald's Restaurants Crew Starts at $16/hr dayside, openers, closers Anchorage, Palmer, Kodiak, Eagle River, Wasilla in Wasilla. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Anchorage here.

Ok Anchorage! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I could get canned for this!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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