Matanuska Maid? Readers sound off...

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I've been receiving a number of emails from readers who are asking for an update on the disposal of assets at Matanuska Maid.

Here are the latest reports I've received from email:

Tina Otto, Ass't Attorney General handling the Creamery Corporation's affairs, gave her two week notice.

(Note: We reported this item prematurely six weeks ago but today the govenor's office has confirmed this is true.)

Peter Ginder, the private corporate attorney for Mat Maid also resigned.

Alaskan auctioneers have filed protests for a lack of RFP posted that appears to be falling on deaf ears, just like everything else associated with this mess. The bid was awarded to an outside company.

Auction set for May 22.

Additional comments by emailers:

Heard Ron Alleva is fighting tooth and nail over the auction business. He showed up with a 40 page bid the night of the meeting after hearing about the auction by chance. The meeting ran so long in executive session that Kristan C. asked to reconvene the next morning at 8:00. He drove back out, they went into executive session, knowing why he was there and that he had a presentation, they came out of executive session and they said they had awarded the bid to out of state companies and that was that! How do they get away with this????

One of the large tanks out of Mat Maid is sitting strapped to a flat bed trailer parked on the farm of Bob Havemeister. Did he pay for it? Was it leased? Why didn't Northern Lights Dairy have an opportunity to lease any of this stuff? This board does nothing but steer things to friends and family and absolutely no accountability.

Hope Lyda Green's audit gets to the bottom of why Tina Otto gave her resignation this week and also why the corporate attorney, Peter Ginder also resigned. No one finds this odd?

Just as in the continuing Mat Maid Debacle. First Sara's NEW carefully hand selected dairy board votes in nearly a 50% increase in milk checks for her neighbors. Then the blame game started as her new board lost record amounts of money. Then massive amounts of equipment were taken out of Mat Maid and delivered to the new dairy in Mat Valley. Former farmers are the new owners with no skin in the game. It is done just to bolster up 4 farmers. No help is being given to Norther Lights Diary who are innocent victims of this giveaway. Then the Chairwoman of the board hears Lyda Green wants to do an audit revolving around her new board activities and she quickly cuts a contract with Mikunda Cottrell BEFORE getting board approval for the audit and the $27,000 it costs. It was not an audit and only used to slander former management and boards. The latest on the auction bid being given to two California companies who would be unfamiliar with "the Alaska Factor." One firm just applied for their Alaska Business License and the other still does not have one. Protests were filed by local autioneers and denied by the Ass't. State's attorney General stating that Mat Maid was a private corporation and could do whatever they wanted. Two days after she wrote the letter dismissing their protests, she resigned her position after months of trying to keep this bunch inside the law. She knows the truth. If the private corporation status is true, why was a STATE board allowed to take TOTAL control of Mat Maid in June 2007? It was being run as a state agency without a doubt. Including accepting a $600,000 Appropriation from the STATE coffers. It was being run first by a new board memebr and then a Dept. of Commerce employee. Thatis not what happens within a private corporation. What connection does this board have with those two California auction companies? If there was originally an RFP put out last fall to sell both the Anchorage property and the Palmer property under State Procurement Law, why suddenly are they hiding behind the "private corp" status and NOT doing an RFP for local autioneers to dispose of what little equipment remains? This should have also been put out for bid. In the meantime, this same board voted in yet another $39,000 to pay for milk because this new dairy plant was not ready to accept local milk. This start up business has been fully funded by the Feds and the State of Alaska. To have that much equipment given to them on a next to nothing lease without anyone else having the opporunity to bid on them smells fishy. Awfully fishy. Everyone is related, old friends, daughter in laws, babysitters...all protecting each other. Meanwhile....the "farm has been given away" with minimal return to the state for the assets. And these are the same folks who will scream "BUY ALASKAN." Kindof Hypocritical, wouldn't you say? This State SEAL business smacks of the same kind of behind the doors kind of deal. What a waste of money. BTW,the new Matanuska Creamery does not have an Alaskan business license either. I guess they all are above the law.

Re Mat Maid The story noted:

"He drove back out, they went into executive session, knowing why he was there and that he had a presentation, they came out of executive session and they said they had awarded the bid to out of state companies and that was that! How do they get away with this????"

If in fact they came out and announced they had made a decision in executive session (and assuming the Mat Maid Board is not exempt from the Open Meetings Act (AS 44.62.....), they can't:

1. make a decision in executive session.
2. come out of executive session and essentially confirm a decision they had made already (I think there was a case in Anchorage- Brookwood Homeowners Association vs Municipality??) that went to the Alaska Supreme Court a number of years ago on that point.

Unfortunately, the solution is a lawsuit by an aggrieved party, or some publicity and questioning by someone like you (not that it appears anyone who claims to believe in open and transparent decision making is listening).

Andrew Halcro's blog


	$650,000 Federal grant matched? Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 2008-04-15 18:03. The $650,000 Federal Grant money given to the new dairy in Wasilla was to have had "matching funds." Has this bunch used the approx million dollars in equipment they are leasing from the Creamery corporation (Mat Maid)for next to nothing as their "match?" What an easy thing to do. That grant money was challenged last year about how it was awarded. It was to go to "further the dairy industry as a whole for the State of Alaska." Instead it went to two private entrepeneurs who will be buying only Valley milk. The Alaskan USDA office wanted to make sure that the Federal loans that are still out by dairy farmers can be paid . Lisa Murkowski got one million dollars for loan write downs for these 4 farms a couple of years ago and still they were not "in compliance." This new grant money will help ensure that the local USDA office will not be caught with egg on their faces if those loans were to go into default. The whole bunch appears to be in cahoots. There is a hidden agenda to get what they want. Word from the front....Plastic blow molding equipment has arrived to be installed into this new operation. The current board refused to sell the plastics blow molding plant as an operating entity even though there were buyers with cash in hand. Instead, it is being broken all apart to sell at auction next month. Was this done to allow the new Matanuska Creamery TOTAL CONTROL of the jug market? The land and building will be sold separately. Will the City of Palmer be taking that? So, in the meantime, it will leave Mr. Beus, Mr. Wells and Ms. Olson contolling all the plastic jugs being sold in the state. Buyers will be held hostage to their pricing. And so the story continues........ » login or register to post comments


	An apology is long over due from our Governor to JVT Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 2008-04-14 21:09. Mr. Joseph Van Treeck is due an apology, long over due, by our Governor. This incredible man was at the helm of Matanuska Maid for over 20 years. With each Administration, came challenges and currents not known to most CEO's. The Matanuska Maid business model is unusual in that the State of Alaska is the shareholder operating a private corporation. With no State support or subsidy, or access to capital, he provided jobs to over 65 employees, gave the remaining farmers a place to sell their milk (even though he paid them three times the rate for milk than was paid for milk shipped from the lower 48), and pumped 15 million dollars annually into our State Economy. This Administration (the Governor), the current Board of Agriculture and Conservation, and the Creamery Corporation Board should be ashamed of themselves for throwing management, prior boards, and this fine genteleman under the bus. What a sad day for all of us when great achievements happen because of GREAT HUMAN BEINGS, then they are thrown out in order to make the Head of State look good, or to cover up wrong doings here in the Valley: Matanuska Creamery formerly DBA The South Central Co-Op...Kristan Cole, Franci Havermeister, Ray Nix...questions about equipment & Federal Grants still are not being addressed. If these tactics continue, believe me, we all loose! Be concerned when an individual with these credentials is thrown to the wolves in order to make our Governor and her Hand Picked Board look good. BE VERY CONCERNED!!! Be sure to look over your shoulder. » login or register to post comments


	Sour Milk while Churning for Hope...Connect the Dots! Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 2008-04-14 12:12. Follow the resignations, the asset disposal, and all of the negative attacks on prior management and prior boards: This smells sour of corruption and mismanagement by the current appointed Boards which are headed by Kristan Cole, Chair of the BAC and Chair of The Creamery Corporation. Since the five members of the Board of Agriculture and Conservation are also the same five members on the Creamery Corporation Board of Directors, who has oversight of this Matanuska Maid Debacle? I understand that the Department of Natural Resources Director Irwin sent a memo to the BAC instructing the Board to follow all State Procurement Laws. Why are they not following his orders? Where are the Board Minutes for the BAC 2008 on the Division of Agriculture Web Site? There are no postings of the minutes since 2007. What are they hiding? When will the Legislative Audit of Matanuska Maid Dairy be posted for the public to review? I understand that the audit was sent to two agencies for their response. The first, was to the Department of Natural Resources which has oversight of the BAC. It was also sent to the Department of Commerce. Why would the Department of Commerce be sent a copy for review and comment? Search Matanuska Maid Dairy on andrewhalcro.com and you will find six pages of history since June 2007 regarding this Dairy Debacle. The other Media folks are trying to re-write history and fabricate this story for some unknown reason. But, for those interested in knowing the TRUTH and being informed, come here and read on at andrewhalcro.com. » login or register to post comments


	Smoking Gun...The "IRWIN MEMO" Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 2008-04-19 08:26. The Tom Irwin Memo (Initialed by Dick Lefebvre, Deputy Commisioner at DNR, the same person who one year ago stood in the Craig Tryyten home and said "THE BEST THING IS FOR MAT MAID TO HAVE AN ELECTRICAL FIRE AND BURN DOWN"---in front of many witness attending an agriculture meeting) states "In order to streamline the interaction and lines of communication and to focus the planning efforts of the various agriculture constituencies, I am recommending the Board Agriculture and Conservation assert itself into the primary role as both the Board for the BAC and also the board for the Creamery Corporation. The BAC should, in accordance with the Creamery Articles and Bylaws, insert it's own members as the Board of Directors. Among other efficiencies, this will allow for concurrent meetings and faster response times to changing industry needs. Upon seating themselves as the Creamery Corporation Board, the BAC should immediately determine if the budgeting activities of the Corporation should be submitted through the Executive Budget Act and if the Creamery Corporation should conduct its business in a manner consistent with other state-owned corporations, including compliance with open meeting laws, public notice requirements and the procurement law." "I will expect and require an open process by which stakeholders in the industry and the general public will have ample opportunity to provide insight, ideas, commentary, and critique so that at the end we achieve the very best for agriculture." The two boards ARE the same and up until recently they were operating this way just as instructed in this memo--public notices, open meetings, etc. They did NOT dispose of equipment properly with a competitive bid as well as the way the auction bid was handled. No public notice was given whatsoever. Assets have been steered quietly to a new dairy operation. Many ideas have been offered and offers made to purchase... all which have been ignored and shut out by the 5 volunteer board members who all have big conflicts of interest with 4 dairy farmers and the governor. This board and Mr. Lefebvre need to be questioned. » login or register to post comments


	Dick Lefebvre...Where is your Business Plan? Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 2008-04-19 15:11. With Agriculture floundering administration after adminstration due to a lack of a long term plan, Dick Lefebre, DNR was working on "the plan." Last June 10 in the Fairbanks New-Miner he was quoted as saying "We're putting together a draft at this point, and then we are going to take it to the public." He would not name those who made up the working group crafting the plan,but he said it compromised was compromised of at least one Legislator, several producers and farmers, personnel from UAA and its Cooperative Extension Service and the FFA. He stated that the current report owould use the findings from an earlier report to outline strategies and recommendations for the industry as well as "some guidance for funding." Lefebvre said the resport would be ready within one month (which would have been July 2007). No report has been seen and nearly a year has come and gone. This is an ongoing issue decade after decade. Scott Miller, former President of the Delta Farm Bureau said "Most of us have been down this road so many times it just seems like a broken record." Dick....is your report nearing completion? » login or register to post comments


	PALIN PALS PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 2008-04-16 21:40. It is telling when Palin's pals in the Valley were able to lease all the equipment and trucks they wanted for a nominal lease. Northern Lights Dairy just had to purchase two trailers from the California Auction House that belonged to Mat Maid. How come they were not able to get a cheap lease also? They are dairy farmers as well as processors. How come no one can lease all the blow molding equipment and water bottling equipment? These favors only go to a chosen few by the Palin appointed board. Crooked, crooked, crooked. When is the audit come out and uncover all this corruption? » login or register to post comments


	Father-in-law of Director of Agriculture? Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 2008-04-14 09:42. Isn't Bob Havemeister the father in law of the new Dirctor of Agriculture? Yes, someone should find out how he acquired that tank out of Mat Maid! State statutes say anything over $1,000 in value has to be put out for competitive bid. It doesn't appear that happened. Who is watching over this board? Anyone? » login or register to post comments


	A REFRESHER COURSE ON THE TRUTH. Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 2008-04-14 09:37. We are disgusted that this Mat Maid story continues to be "spun" the way the governor wants it to be recorded in history. From the start , last June 13, we were at Mat Maid to witness what happened inside. It seemed everyone, DNR officials, security people, all the news channels and the Governor and her family knew they were going to arrive at Mat Maid at noon. Meg Sapleton, the governor's right hand gal at the time, reported that she had made an appointment for a tour "the night before and it had been confirmed." Check the phone records, folks.....there was NO call or appointment. That very night the Governor was on KTUU urging the public to go to the Westmark Hotel the next morning to bring ideas on how to save Mat Maid. So the Governor was well aware of this pivotal meeting where the board was to vote again on whether to remain open or close down. Inside Mat Maid the next morning we were notified very late in the morning that the governor and a "small group" would be arriving at noon for a tour. We told Kris Perry that our plant manager was out of state and the CEO was at the Westmark so therefore there would be no authorized person available to give the tour. We asked it it could be put off a few hours or resceduled for another day. They arrived anyway with a very LARGE group of people and several news cameras everywhere. It was nothing short of a dog and pony media frenzy. As our CEO was in executive session we were unable to get ahold of him. He was caught blindsided. Meanwhile Todd Palin was growing quit agitated. The news crews left. Our CEO called back up to the plant around 12:35 to say he was out of executive session and would be at the plant in 7-8 minutes. It was at that point, Mr. Palin instructed the entire group to "load up and leave." So...were they really there for a tour? It appeared not if they could not wait a few minutes. It was a PR stunt gone bad. Truly is a shame she did not get to meet Mr. VanTreeck. One of the finest business people in the state. By then word had been relayed from Meg Stapleton (who witnesses say was seen in the hallway at the Westmark Hotel lurking outside the executive session) calling back up to Dick Lefebvre DNR on the whereabouts of Mr. VanTreeck, our CEO that the board had once again voted to close Mat Maid down to stop the bleeding. For those of us there, it appeared this was a very calculated, well timed ambush. Why was the governor not at the Westmark speaking her mind instead of at Mat Maid for an unplanned tour? She placed herself there, anticipating the vote would come back that the board had changed their mind and would keep the plant open. We contend that perhaps she placed herself there to announce that the plant would stay open and she could take full credit for the reversal and shake the hands of all our employees. We think she was shocked that a board would say NO to her requests. It backfired, therefore, they scattered as soon as the news came back up from the Westmark. She couldn't wait even 7-8 minutes. The plan failed. So the spin on this story began. The farm rallies began, the promises began and the cover-ups began. Anyone who knows Joe VanTreeck knows of his integrity, fairness and impeccable career. Sarah Palin never once called to speak to him, but spent plenty of time with 4 farmers to hear only their side. Decisions to come were based on emotion only, not good business practices. VanTreeck's job was to run Mat Maid successfully for 22 years and keep the plant going. When market conditions changed that, the board did the responsible thing and voted to close. This dairy has been studied to death for years and every single group knows the challenges faced. Competition over the years has changed, and with the high $$$ paid for these farmer's milk, it made Mat Maid milk too high priced in the marketplace to survive. The Governor's new board also concluded this SAME thing 7 months later after spending millions more to bolster up 4 farmers. To watch this plant be infiltrated by a task force who was sent in to find any kind of dirt (they found none), to watch a sales manager who had worked for the company for 22 years be intimidated and harrassed to the point of resigning, to watch media reports full of out and out lies, to watch management with good reputations being thrown under the bus, and to watch the bones be stripped and given to a handful of Valley folks, is sickening. The disposal has been anything but fair. This new board has acted irresponsibly and minimized the value of the assets in their actions. Their first responsibility was to the health of the corporation who's single shareholder is the State of Alaska. By disposing of most of the equipment the way they did and now this controversy over the auction, it is clearly being steered by 5 volunteers who have absolutely no experience in agriculture. Conflicts of interest everywhere you look. For this governor to tout ethics is a joke on this issue. It was a sham, smoke and mirrors, corruption---- call it what you will. It is not a pretty story. It is an embarrassment and therefore the cover-ups had to begin. There is a small army of us who know the truth, including the two legal counsel for Mat Maid who just resigned. In time it will all come out. Andrew Halcro is our voice to the TRUTH. For this we thank you, Andrew. » login or register to post comments


	Mr. Palin ....."load up and leave" Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 2008-04-15 23:37. Todd Palin has no more authority than my 10 year old grandchild has to instruct any member of the public to do ANYTHING about state facilities. What the blue blazing hell is going on here. I am sure that some where in the past that federal monies were utilized in the operations of MatMaid. If so, I insist that the FBI be called in for an investigation of the operations and that includes any involvement with Sarah Palin and her co-conspirators. TRUTH TRUTH TRUTH!!! » login or register to post comments


	Joe VanTreeck. Man of Integrity Submitted by J.D. (not verified) on Mon, 2008-04-14 11:40. Having worked for Joe VanTreeck for over 10 years, I can tell you the employees all knew he stood for honesty and integrity and treated us all like family. To see what has happened in the press and comments by this administration is truly sad. It was all a hidden agenda and only one side of the story ever got told. We all have moved on but with good thoughts about a wonderful boss. All our best to him. » login or register to post comments


	Joe VanTreek, Here -here Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 2008-04-14 18:37. Anyone having had the pleasure of meeting or working with Joe VanTreek knows that his caliber is of the very highest integrity. This State has been lucky to have had him at the helm of Mat Maid for over 20 years injecting millions into this economy. Kudos to him. Those who know him do not believe what has been said. » login or register to post comments


	Investigation........... Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 2008-04-13 21:36. Well, it appears before the final version of Lyda Green's audit is complete, Tina Otto and Peter Ginder should be questioned about what is going on with this "closed door board." As the legal counsel for Mat Maid, to have them both out of the way, it appears "anything goes." With the Creamery Board being the same 5 people as the Board Of Agriculture there has been no checks and balances since last June. Now NO attorneys on the scene.............There is SOMETHING going on. Kristan Cole stated way back in June or July 2007 that this duplicate board "had taken complete control over Mat Maid." Running ti like a State Agency. The auctioneers here should know that DNR officials were NOT running Mat Maid as a private corporation then. There is just something not right about not giving Mr. Alleva a chance to present his bid after waiting two days to speak. WHY? Only NOW do they want to hide behind the "private corporation" status. » login or register to post comments


	DNR Transition Report to Governor Palin, Dec. 2006 Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 2008-04-19 10:52. In the Alaska DNR Transition Team report submitted to Governor Sarah Palin dated December 19, 2006 it is quoted "The Board of Agriculture is not as effective as it could be addressing and resolving the state's agricultural issues. It was created with the intent of involving farmers with real Alaska farming experience in the management of the Agriculture Revolving Loan Fund and its assets, while helping develop growth-minded agricultural policy. It is difficult to get appropriately qualified members to sit on the board." This seems to apply to the current board. » login or register to post comments

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Time To Go Tom!

Matanuska Maid? Readers sound off...

Comment viewing options

$650,000 Federal grant matched?

An apology is long over due from our Governor to JVT

Sour Milk while Churning for Hope...Connect the Dots!

Smoking Gun...The "IRWIN MEMO"

Dick Lefebvre...Where is your Business Plan?

PALIN PALS PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT

Father-in-law of Director of Agriculture?

A REFRESHER COURSE ON THE TRUTH.

Mr. Palin ....."load up and leave"

Joe VanTreeck. Man of Integrity

Joe VanTreek, Here -here

Investigation...........

DNR Transition Report to Governor Palin, Dec. 2006