Where have 40 Years Gone?
Photo by Bryan Goff on Unsplash
March 15, 2023
Dr. Vickie Willis
Literally, just after graduation from chiropractic school, we packed up our young family: a 10-month-old boy (Colby), I was pregnant (Galen), and we hit the road leaving Glen Ellyn, Illinois in a half-ton pick-up with a camper top that was packed to the brim to fulfill our dream of moving to Alaska.
We started our adventure with our compass set for the panhandle because I am from Rhode Island and wanted to settle by the water again. At that time in the state, however, there was a severe housing shortage everywhere, and there were no rentals to be found.
In Wrangell and Petersburg, we found that because we were young and poor, being right out of school, buying property on the panhandle was way out of our price range, so we ended up taking the ferry as far north as it went and started driving.
We kept going north to Fairbanks and found the same problem of no rentals but met Dr. Spaulding, who had been in practice for years. He gave us some antiquated physical therapy equipment to help us get started wherever that turned out to be, and we got back on the road.
We had friends in Seward, so then turned south to check out the Kenai Peninsula and maybe Kodiak, still trying to get by the water. After striking out again, we decided to go to the only other region on the road system that we hadn’t tried, east to the Interior.
Exhausted from all of the driving by the time we got to King Mountain Lodge, we finally decided to splurge and stay for the night. The owner of the lodge recommended Glennallen because he knew of Faith Hospital (now Cross Road Medical Center) and one of the providers at the time, Dr. Van Camp, and thought he would help us get started.
The next morning, March 26, 1983, encouraged, we set out again headed for Glennallen. When we arrived a couple hours later, we decided to spend the night at the only place to stay in town, the ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ (rebuilt and now Blackburn Apartments).
At that time, there was even less here than now, so after seeing the sights and visiting the 2 stores in town, Park’s Place or Partner’s General Store, we looked around to see if there would be a place to rent to practice as we were told that the apartment we were in for the night was available for a longer rental.
We found a place for the clinic at Florence Clayton’s, at the corner of the Glenn Highway and Co-op Road. Again, encouraged because this was the first place we had been able to find anywhere to live, let alone practice, we settled in for an evening of decision-making and rest, thinking that we would decide to go or stay in the morning.
The orange bath water was a little discouraging, and at that time, there were only two TV channels available, neither of which we could get on our little TV with an old rabbit ear antenna, two possible negatives in our decision-making.
By the time we finally got Colby in bed, however, we were able to get our old radio to work and found KCAM, the only radio station here at that time. It just so happens that that night was the first night of the old ‘Heart Auction,’ named for the cause the money was raised for, the Heart Association. The announcers were: Paul Lewis, Park Kriner, Rolly Vasquez, and I think Jim Marchini (let me know if I am right, Jim). The auction was so entertaining and fun that we came up with our decision-making plan. We decided that we would donate a chiropractic exam and treatment. If there was interest, we would stay, if there was no response, we would leave the next day- before it got light if it was really embarrassing!
Dallas walked down, made our donation then walked back while we anxiously awaited our fate. The response was crazy! Anyone who was here then remembers the auctions in those days, as those guys were so fun! By the time Dallas even got back to the hotel, they had made such a big deal out of it that we donated more, and we were busy before we even had our place secured to practice!
From there, the rest is history, as they say. The next morning, we went down and rented Florence’s place, unpacked the old equipment that we had accumulated, and started seeing patients before we had even re-modeled. Luckily, we had brought some old curtains to separate space for rooms which back then was an OK thing to do because people were so desperate for care.
In August of that year, 1983, we moved out to Tolsona Lake and started our new home. In September of that year, while I was home recuperating from having Galen, the furnace at the clinic caught on fire.
Luckily being in downtown Glennallen, only half of the building burnt. The remaining half of the building is still on the corner today.
A couple years before we got to Glennallen, during pipeline construction, there had been a husband/wife chiropractic team practicing in the ‘old Catholic church.’ When it burnt down, the couple left, so people were sure that was also going to be our way of heading out of town as well. Instead, we remodeled again.
We stayed in that building until August of 1987, when we moved to our current location while I was home recuperating from having our third son, Kade.
By the time my oldest kids were in kindergarten and second grade, I was privileged to work with Donna Tollman and many others to reignite the youth hockey program, which flourished throughout the years the kids were in school in Glennallen. As any hockey lover knows, it was fun in so many ways, including the hockey trips and learning to skate myself. The kids still all play hockey, as does my granddaughter, who gets to play against the kids of our Glennallen kids who played at that time, so we still all get together at hockey tourneys throughout the state.
In addition to the practice in Glennallen, we have also had satellite clinics in Tok, Dillingham, and Dutch Harbor. Throughout that time, I stayed in Glennallen and periodically practiced in Tok. Patients from Tok and Northway still travel to Glennallen to see us, as well as patients from Valdez and as far as Anchorage, because of the unique things we have done. Of the many places we have practiced, some of the highlights have been the privilege of working with MSTC in Mentasta and Chistochina, as well as working with CRNA and their six villages.
This year also marks the 40th Anniversary of the 4th of July Copper Basin Fun Run. I inherited that race the second year I was here, not knowing at all what I was getting into. At that time, I didn’t even like running and was far too busy to take up the sport. It started with a handful of participants and has increased to just under 120 participants the year before Covid. This year we are planning a bigger event for that so plan to join us virtually or in person!
The biggest questions I get these days are about when I am going to retire. I am never really sure if I should take that as a hint to give it up, but I still haven’t come up with the answer. Instead of over twelve-hour days, I now work more reasonable over eight-hour days, so feel semi-retired if that counts.
Since I still really like what I do and the new pace instead, I have decided to go back to school taking more classes in Functional Medicine, and am very excited about all that I am learning!
Reflecting over the 40 years in the region, I would say that I/we have always been blessed to have the best staff available. I also consider myself very blessed by the support we have enjoyed from all of the communities throughout the Copper River Region and to have such a great community to live in and to raise kids. One benefit with kids is that I never really had to worry about where they were after school because I got lots of reports of ‘sightings’ throughout the week.
We are going to celebrate turning 40 and celebrate you, to thank you, our supporting community with different activities and awesome prizes over the next few weeks. We are very excited to start with a ‘Spring Into Fitness 40 Day Challenge.’ Everyone can participate, whether you are working on your own fitness project or want to use one that we have put together. (Details will be on our Facebook page “GlennChiroStaff”).
We are starting with this challenge because, after 40 years, we want to celebrate our resounding theme over the 40 years which is feeling better at any age... we are all getting better, not just older, right?! We hope you can join us as we celebrate 40 years in the area, our patients, and our great community support!
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