“What it offers me is access to the real Alaska. Hunting, fishing, flying my airplane. Anchor Point is a tight knit group of folks that are concerned about our neighbors. That’s a nice thing for seniors to have.”

According to the 1990 U.S. Census, the Kenai Peninsula Borough had a total population of 40,802, with 1,987 or 4.8 percent 65 or older. Anchor Point claimed a bigger percent of the senior citizen pie. The community’s overall population at that time was 866 residents, with 62 or 7.2 percent 65 or older.

Ten years later, the borough’s population had grown to 49,691, and the 65-and-older crowd had jumped to 3,649 or 7.3 percent. During that same 10-year time span, Anchor Point’s population had grown to 1,845, with 129 or 6.9 percent 65 or older, an increase of senior citizens equaling 108 percent.

As the broker for Trails End Realty, Sue Fritsch has been observing Anchor Point’s growing senior population.

“They’re buying property, some are building homes, some need a place to put the motor home. I’m seeing a lot of that,” Fritsch said, adding that new residents come from both in and out of state.

“It’s the fishing. They like the view. Our weather is somewhat warmer in the wintertime than Kenai and Soldotna. This is not as populated as Anchorage. And there’s more things to do.”

At the heart of the senior citizen community is Anchor Point Senior Citizens Inc. The log building serving as APSCI’s base of operations was built in the 1990s on Milo Fritz Avenue. The land on which it sits was purchased in 1992, with a $100,000 grant from the Alaska Legislature; that grant was later used as matching funds to obtain a $200,000 Community Development Block Grant to construct the current structure. It includes office space, a room for a pool table, a crafts room, a kitchen with a walk-in freezer and cooler and seating capacity for 75.

A list of those who played an integral part in APSCI’s development reads like a who’s who of Anchor Point history. Repeatedly named in articles chronicling the organization are Sherman and Vi Chapman, Col. Ben and Virginia Talley, Larry and Inez Clendenen, Frances Brymer, Bob Brown, Ruth Zozula and more. In 1996, APSCI reported 40 paid members. Today, it has some 200 members, said Kenny Ireland, APSCI’s board president.

This active group cooks breakfast for the public one Sunday a month and dinner every Thursday. The “Crafty Ladies” make items to sell in several Anchorage outlets and have brought in as much as $25,000 in a year, according to member Sara Clemson. A scrapbook group has recently formed and craft classes include beading, painting and leatherwork.

APSCI participates in the community’s Memorial Day and Snow Rondi activities. It organizes a holiday bazaar in November, plays an active part in the community’s disaster response and operates Helping Hands, a nonprofit charitable organization that provides clothing, furnishings and furniture for victims of fires as well as others in need. An outdoor raffle is held each year. This year’s includes a four-wheeler, a hunting rifle and other prizes, with tickets selling for $10 each of three for $25.

“If I remember right, we make somewhere around $10,000-$15,000 if all the tickets sell,” said Ireland, who moved to Anchor Point from Seldovia in 1990, to start his own business. He retired about three years ago, but chose to stay in the area.

“I just like the area, the people, being close to the ocean, the things I can do here that I can enjoy now that I couldn’t enjoy while I was making a living,” Ireland said.

APSCI members Dave and Sara Clemson each came to the area more than 50 years ago. Sara homesteaded in 1948 and Dave in 1950. They moved away from the area for a time but then returned in 1994 after retiring.

“Anchor Point is sort of the banana belt. It doesn’t have the extreme weather like Fairbanks has. It’s not as expensive as Homer. Soldotna is close. And I wanted to be where I can see the ocean and the mountains,” Sara said.

Being active with the senior center is a way to serve the community, according to Dave.

“A common characteristic of Helping Hands and disaster response is the community finding within itself a means and ability to take care of itself,” Dave said.

The dream of constructing senior housing took a major step forward recently when Alaska Housing Finance Corporation announced its intent to award $1.2 million to APSCI to construct a four-unit complex. Another $498,000 has been requested from the Denali Commission.

On another front, steps are being taken to bring a health clinic to the community, spearheaded by Anchor Point resident Ken Markve.

“The increased number of seniors, of course, means an increased need for a health clinic,” Markve said.

Four sites are being considered for the clinic, including one offered by APSCI.

Ole Olsgard, 57, is one of APSCI’s newest board members.

“I’ve used the Kenai Peninsula for 30 years as a bedroom community,” said Olsgard, a retired oilfield employee. “I made my money at Prudhoe Bay and came here to spend it. Now it’s time to put something back into the community.”

In return, APSCI offers Olsgard that sense of community.

“When I retired from Prudhoe Bay, I left my work group and that camaraderie behind,” he said. “As a substitution for me, that need transferred to my friends and neighbors.”

That fits in with Ireland’s vision for APSCI.

“We try to give a place to come and have a good time,” he said. “We try to make it fun, enjoyable, so people can get acquainted with each other.”

Board members Dick and Carol Whitney, former Washington residents, extend that benefit to living in Anchor Point, their home since 1996.

“It’s the serenity of a small village, a quiet and slower life,” Dick said. “We came out of the Seattle and Olympia area where, if you got on the road, you couldn’t stop for 40 miles.”