East Anchorage Book Club with Andrew Gray

Gretchen Wehmhoff, Chugiak-Eagle River assembly candidate

March 01, 2022 Andrew Gray Season 1 Episode 14
East Anchorage Book Club with Andrew Gray
Gretchen Wehmhoff, Chugiak-Eagle River assembly candidate
Show Notes Transcript

Many of us think of Eagle River-Chugiak as a conservative stronghold where an independent non-partisan candidate wouldn’t have a chance. However, the truth is that Eagle River-Chugiak, like most parts of Alaska, is a heterogeneous community with many different voices. Assembly Candidate Gretchen Wehmhoff is counting on that diverse population taking a chance on her. After 21 years as a teacher at Chugiak High School, she officially retired but has continued part-time teaching, both within the school district and at the University of Alaska Anchorage. In a somewhat unexpected turn of events, she became the co-publisher of the Skagway News and out of necessity has turned into an expert on that southeast community. In 2018, she was appointed to fill the seat left behind when Assembly member Amy Demboski went to work in Gov. Dunleavy’s administration, which means that Gretchen knows what she’s in for if she gets elected. NOTE: there are some sound issues with the first couple of minutes of recording, but they resolve after the first 3 minutes.

This is an abridged, lightly edited transcript of the East Anchorage Book Club’s interview with Anchorage Assembly candidate for District 2, Gretchen Wehmhoff, released on March 1, 2022.  

 

Andrew Gray 

So you are a lifelong Alaskan?

 

Gretchen Wehmhoff

I came here in 1965. I was six years old. And I started first grade at Willow Crest Elementary. So I've been here. This is my home. This is where I was raised.

 

Andrew Gray  

And you taught for 21 years at Chugiak High School?

 

Gretchen Wehmhoff  

Exactly. I taught for two years in Kenai; I was the drama teacher. And then I taught for a year at Dimond. And then 21 years at Chugiak High as the journalism teacher and the debate coach.

 

Andrew Gray  

You didn't grow up in Chugiak Eagle River area, you grew up in what we would call today anchorage proper. So what took you to Chugiak? What's your relationship like with that part of the municipality?

 

Gretchen Wehmhoff  

I started teaching and Chugiak in 1988. And in 1995, I got married and my husband and I moved out to to Chugiak, and he's from that area. I've been out there since then.

 

Andrew Gray  

So I know that you still do some teaching, but when did you retire?

 

Gretchen Wehmhoff  

You know, I've never really quit working. But I retired from teaching full-time at Chugiak in 2009. And since then, I’ve worked part time for the Anchorage School District. I've also been teaching for the university since ‘98, teaching communications classes; things like: how do we get along with people, public speaking, interpersonal communication, small group communication.

 

Andrew Gray  

And so you are publisher of the Skagway News?

 

Gretchen Wehmhoff  

Yeah, I’m co-publisher. I've been writing since I was little. I think I first to make my own newspaper when I was a kid. I started writing freelance for a few local papers out out in Chugiak. And I met a woman named Melinda Munson. And she was writing as well, and we ended up doing our own little Alaska Family Fun page for a while. Anyway, one day she sends me the Anchorage Daily News article talking about Larry Persaly giving away the paper. And she put cornered me one day, and said, “Let's send a note to him.” We did, and, you know, I have a lot of skills in layout and design. We both had printed works.  And we sent that in and pretty soon we are in kind of his top three. And when we learned we are his top three, we thought well, we better drive to Skagway. So we got in the car on a Monday and drove to Whitehorse. And the next day we spent in Skagway. It's like 800 miles.

 

Andrew Gray  

Had you been to Skagway before?

 

Gretchen Wehmhoff  

I had never been to Skagway before. And that was why it was important that we go. But that trip is what was the deciding factor for him because he figured that we had taken that initiative to actually go see it. And Melinda moved there. So I design the paper, I do the business, I do all the work that doesn't necessarily require me to be there. And then you know, four times a year, I spend a lot of time down there. It's a great town.

Andrew Gray  

So let's talk about Chugiak-Eagle River. I've interviewed some people who grew up in Eagle River prior to the big earthquake of ‘64 when they felt that they were very far removed from Anchorage, that they were in a rural, separate community. Obviously, nowadays, it's part of the municipality. It feels more integrated, but how far does the municipality actually extend?

 

Gretchen Wehmhoff  

Here's an interesting point. Before unification the municipality went all the way out to Knik River Road. Okay, and so if you were buying property in the Palmer area, off Knik River Road, you actually had to find the documents in the Anchorage area. But right now it ends right about where at the turn off for the old Palmer highway. 

Andrew Gray  

So let's talk about politics. How did you get involved in politics?

 

Gretchen Wehmhoff  

Well, I've always been interested. But my brother-in-law, Bill Stoltze, was a representative in my area. And, you know, I wasn't going to run against a family member. And as soon as he decided to run for Senate, I decided to run for state house. And so that was my first race in 2014. Okay. And, boy, that that was so different than what I anticipated. When I grew up my mother was a Democrat, and my father was a Republican. And our yard had both signs. You;d come down the road, and you'd see everybody in our yard. But here's what was different: It didn't matter. They had friends everywhere. We would have people over, and they would joke about it. It was it was fun. They didn't identify in such a way that they couldn't be friends.

 

Andrew Gray  

Did you run as nonpartisan?

 

Gretchen Wehmhoff  

No, I've been nonpartisan since I registered, okay. I mean, when you're 18, and your mom's a democrat, and your dad's Republican, what do you do? So I went independent. Back then independent was nonpartisan. But I decided to run as a Democrat because I needed help. I didn't know how to run. I didn't understand politics. And when I looked at the two parties at the time, I was definitely leaning more Democrat.

 

Andrew Gray  

What were the specific issues that caused you to lean more Democrat?

 

Gretchen Wehmhoff  

I'm strongly in favor of women's reproductive rights; that's a big deal for me. I totally believe that we should take care of people who need taking of, that are that are weaker, or less able. And I also believe in working together. But what makes me more to the middle is that I'm very much in sync with if there's a rule that the people of that area have created, whether it's a law or a comprehensive plan, an ordinance a norm, we have to honor that. I'm a rule follower. And if the rules not a good rule, I'm a rule changer.

 

Andrew Gray  

What are some specific rules that you think need changing?

 

Gretchen Wehmhoff  

Well, I think we have some issues out in Chugiak-Eagle River involving our permitting process for building homes. You know, people say there's not as much bureaucracy. And if we had to follow the code of the Anchorage Bowl, then it's gonna cost us $1000s.

 

Andrew Gray  

Code? Like earthquake code?

 

Gretchen Wehmhoff  

Earthquake code is not the issue. It’s having inspectors check homes and the plans, blueprints. In Anchorage, you actually have to have an inspector for the municipality deal with it, but not out there. 

Andrew Gray  

It sounds like you would like to add some of the requirements that are present in Anchorage?

 

Gretchen Wehmhoff  

I'd like to do that with the people of Eagle River, you know what I mean? I don't want to say, “Hey, guys, we're gonna do this to you.” It's got to be part of their comprehensive plan.

 

Andrew Gray  

I was trying to make the segue to talk about EagleExit. Instead of Eagle exit, instead of saying we're gonna pull away and do it our own way, you're saying actually, there are some things happening in Anchorage that are good, that we could benefit from if we implemented them.

 

Gretchen Wehmhoff  

Exactly. And, and I need to say this too. It is so easy for people to forget that Eagle River is part of Anchorage. EagleExit is a small group of people. They post signs around saying Eagle Exit, and they are what people hear. But it's a small group, not a large group. They have had trouble with funding. They have every right by all means to explore this. And they're trying to educate people and what they're thinking. But they're short on funding, and they're short on numbers. Meaning numbers like information, there's really not enough data coming from them to make anyone really say, “Well, okay, that's a great idea.” Many folks have assumed that Eagle Exit is what Chugiak Eagle River wants. Right now, we are so integrated. Our schools are integrated, our Public Safety's integrated, our housing rules are integrated. I mean, so much is integrated. That that separating from the municipality is it's a big deal. It's complicated.

I believe that the people out in Eagle River are totally capable of making really good decisions when they have good information. And they don't have good information now. No one has presented them with anything that says, “This is how it would work. This is what it would cost.” And until that happens, I think the discussion needs to just wait until those things happen. 

 

Andrew Gray  

Let's talk about the Assembly. So you replaced Amy Demboski when she left the Anchorage Assembly to go work for Governor Dunleavy.

 

Gretchen Wehmhoff  

Exactly. That was exciting. I was getting ready to run for assembly. There were 12 of us -- really great people too, and we all sat there in front of the assembly and answered questions. And one of the assembly members said they were going to prefer someone who did not run. So I had to make a choice. Do I want to take a chance of being selected? Or do I want to run? I knew that my chances of actually being on the assembly, getting that experience serving my community was better at being appointed than it was with running. So I committed at that time, and a lot of people later said, why'd you do that? You know what? I had to make a choice. And once I made that promise I couldn't run

Andrew Gray  

If you are elected this time around, the other assembly member from Eagle River would be Jamie Allard. Do you have areas of commonality with her?

 

Gretchen Wehmhoff  

I think we're both passionate about what we believe in. I believe that we could both be respectful to each other. Let's put it this way, if I'm on the assembly with Jamie I will do my best to establish a relationship with her. Because you have to if you want to get business done, you have to have relationships. And the first thing you do to kill a relationship is criticize it or say bad things about it, etc. Nowadays, we avoid relationships. If something comes up we don’t like, we delete it off a Facebook page; we don't want anyone to put it on our page, we think, “I don't want to talk to those people.”  When I ran for house, I was running for a seat that went around Knik Arm; it was mostly the valley and a third was Chugiak. I was the only Democrat, you know, that would go to all of the forums. I saw that as a challenge and an opportunity. Because if if you don't show up, where people don't expect you, they'll never learn about who you are, and what possibilities there are. And I felt that way about knocking doors. I was knocking on a door once in Wasilla, and this woman had some real cool stuff outside her door. And we talked for a while. And then she says, “I have to ask you. Are you a Republican or Democrat?” And I said, “Well, I'm registered Democrat.” And she said “Well, I can't vote for you because I'm pro-life.” And I said, “Well, you know what, if I win, I'm still going to represent you. Do you mind if I look at some of your stuff?” She was an antique dealer. And so we had this conversation. She probably never voted for me. But she met a Democrat at the time, who was kind. And I think that that's what we have to do: we have to show people that we can still respect each other. And I know that's very cliche, but it's so important. And so going to places that you are not comfortable is imperative. 

Amy Demboski and I have a relationship. It's always been good. Once we turn our faces away it's probably not, but I think that that when Amy was on the assembly I do believe she truly cared for Eagle River-Chugiak.

 

Andrew Gray  

Well, when Amy was on the assembly she had a very close working relationship with Christopher Constant.

 

Gretchen Wehmhoff  

I've never heard anyone on the assembly say a bad word about Amy. She was a good numbers person. She did her homework. There a couple times that we learned about things because she came out there with facts. One day she was out I was at the Chugiak Community Council meeting. And she was showing people how there was a plan to build an entrance every quarter mile to the park so that there'd always be an entrance. Well, that really affects people who live on hillside because they're up against the park. They may have property that they may want to split later for their children in this was going to impact them. So it was really good that she saw that. And I said, “Man, how did you catch that?” And she looked at me straight in the eye and she goes, “Trust no one!” I'll never forget that. 

Andrew Gray

I want to talk a little bit about your specific assembly race. There's something unusual that happened, which is, and you'll have to educate me a little bit. Crystal Kennedy endorsed someone that was not the Republican Party's favorite. And so there's actually been a little bit of turmoil. Can you talk a little bit about your current assembly race?

 

Gretchen Wehmhoff  

Yes, I can. There was a really amazing woman who actually used to be a student of mine at Chugiak High. School, Tiffany Lund. And I think, I hope she continues. She grew up in Chugiak, but she was new to politics. And she has children and has a lot going on. But she was very passionate and a good speaker. I know for a fact that both the mayor and Jamie contacted her, and she wasn't interested in their angle. And that caused them of course, to get someone to run, Kevin Cross. And I'm not so sure if it was a Republican thing; Tiffany’s a registered Republican. And it's a nonpartisan race. But that particular group of people, the mayor, and Jamie really got behind Kevin. And for some reason, and I don't blame her Tiffany decided it's not the year for her, but I hope she comes back because I think she'll be fantastic. But here we are, with a man who's only lived in Eagle River for 18 months. 18 months. And he could walk right into that assembly seat. And I couldn't let that happen. And I put my name in. I mean I have experience. I'm not afraid. And I think this time the support is going to be different because I know there are a lot of people in Chugiak – Eagle River who are not supporting him. And you know, the sad thing is, but it's real. There are some folks that say, “Gretchen, I can't endorse you; I can't give you money, because that's shows up publicly. But I will vote for you, and I'm talking for you.” You know, that's good. But in a way, it's sad. Sad that people feel they can't openly discuss who they're voting for. And that is something that was not the case, when I was growing up with my parents. Things were all out in the open for open for discussion. 

 

Andrew Gray  

Let's say you've got a sizable percentage of people who are willing to vote for you, on that mail-in ballot, in the privacy of their own homes and not tell anybody about it. Then when the results come out, you're gonna definitely have people out there who are going to be screaming: “No way this woman won!”

 

Gretchen Wehmhoff  

That's a really good point. I'm gonna say that the people of Eagle River – Chugiak are smart enough to know. They're smart enough to know that they want dignity; they don't want craziness. They want someone to represent them, and they don't want someone to embarrass them. And I don't know anything personally about Kevin. I mean, he’s probably a nice guy. But politically, he's not the person that needs to represent us. We need someone who's from Chugiak-Eagle River, who understands it, and who can work together. And right now I'm not hearing that from that campaign.

 

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