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CLARION P E N I N S U L A
Sunday, December 9, 2018 Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Vol. 49, Issue 60
In the news State Rep. Knopp leaving GOP caucus in bid for coalition KENAI — State Rep. Gary Knopp will not be part of any majority party in the Alaska House’s upcoming session. KINY radio reports the Kenai Republican announced Saturday that he is parting with the GOP caucus in hopes of forcing a consensus among lawmakers. Knopp’s decision leaves the Republicans and Democrats in the House in a 20-20 split. Knopp, who won the seat held by retiring Republican Rep. Kurt Olson in 2016, says a coalition is needed to ensure the House will function. He says with a 21-member majority, everyone would have to be in agreement on every decision. The Legislature will reconvene Jan. 15.
Alaska high court appoints special master in ballot dispute JUNEAU — The Alaska Supreme Court has appointed a special master to weigh ballot questions raised by a Democratic state House candidate. Democrat Kathryn Dodge is challenging the result of a recount that showed her losing by one vote to Republican Bart LeBon in a Fairbanks House race. The Supreme Court appointed Anchorage Superior Court Judge Eric Aarseth as a special master to conduct hearings and any other proceedings necessary to issue a report by Dec. 21. The court sets out a filing schedule for any objections to Aarseth’s findings and oral argument for Jan. 8. Dodge has asked the court to rule by Jan. 14, the day before the new legislative session begins. — Associated Press
Kenai OKs new fire engine Hilcorp contractor employee dies on North Slope By KAT SORENSEN Peninsula Clarion
The Kenai City Council has authorized the purchase of a new fire engine for the Kenai Fire Department, to be built by Hughes Fire Equipment, Inc. in Florida. The council unanimously approved a resolution Wednesday night authorizing the purchase with about $581,000 from the city’s Equipment Replacement Fund.This price tag includes the total amount of the vehicle, about $27,000 as a contingency and $9,000 to travel to the facility before, during and after the engine’s Kenai Fire Department is photographed earlier this year. Kenai construction. City Council has authorized the purchase of a new fire engine See FIRE, page A3 for the department. (Photo by Erin Thompson)
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An employee of Hilcorp Alaska drilling contractor, Kuukpik Drilling, was fatally injured at Milne Point on Alaska’s North Slope on Thursday night, Lori Nelson, manager of public affairs for Hilcorp Alaska, said in a statement. “We are deeply saddened by this news and our thoughts and prayers are
with their family and loved ones,” she said. The cause of the incident is unknown at this time, but Hilcorp and Kuukpik are working with agencies to conduct a full investigation. “The safety and protection of our personnel and community where we operate is our top priority,” Nelson said. Drilling operations have been suspended where the incident took place.
limits use of cruise passenger fees by Juneau
By VICTORIA PETERSEN Peninsula Clarion
Doug Hogue, the owner of Kenai River Brewing Company, said he has always hated pumpkin beers. Two local home brewers recently changed his mind with a recipe for an Imperial Chocolate Pumpkin Stout Beer. “They came in and we brewed it together,” Hogue said. “I love this pumpkin beer.” Residents can taste this beer, and other seasonal beers like their Spruce Tip Double IPA and their Winter Warlock malt-based, English-style beer at the Kenai River Brewing Company taproom. Winter brings several locally brewed seasonal beers and ales for residents to enjoy during this special time of year. Just down the street from Kenai River Brewing Company is St. Elias Brewing Company, where brewer and part-owner Zach Henry has created three specialty beers for the winter season. The Whipsaw Double IPA has twice the hops and showcases Columbus, Mosaic and
A bartender pours a beer at Kenai River Brewing Company on Saturday in Soldotna. Kenai River is serving a chocolate pumpkin porter beer as part of their seasonal offerings, (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)
El Dorado hops, Henry said. The Ladybug Lambic has been aged for two years in oak barrels. Henry said it was made with red and black currants. “It’s a nice refreshing fruit
beer,” Henry said. The Chocolate Raspberry Porter is an English-style porter made with cocoa beans and has notes of chocolate and raspberry.
Henry said all these seasonal beers can be found at the taproom and can be taken home in a growler, or a crowler, which is a 32-ounce can, equal to See BREW, page A3
‘Very low’ chinook forecast for Taku River Numbers released last week by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game forecast “very low” numbers of chinook salmon will spawn this summer on the Taku and Stikine rivers. This is the fourth straight year that too few salmon were expected for there to be an allowable catch.
“It’s been trending down for quite awhile,” said David Harris, area management biologist for Juneau for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game commercial fishers division. “Hopefully things start to improve.” ADF&G expects 9,050 adult chinook will spawn on the Taku River, which means there is no allowable catch expected because the ex-
pected number is well below the escapement goal range of 19,000-36,000 fish, according to the report. The report forecasts 8,250 chinook will spawn on the Stikine River, which is below the escapement goal range of 14,000-28,000 fish. “Due to the very low forecasts and recent poor runs to these transboundary rivers, all salmon fisheries in Districts 8 and 11 will have extensive
conservation measures in effect through the duration of the chinook salmon runs in 2019,” states the ADF&G report, which was issued by the division of commercial fisheries. Escapement goal ranges represent the number of chinook the ADF&G estimates are needed to keep the run healthy. This is the fourth year in a row that the ADF&G has See TAKU, page A3
JUNEAU(AP) — The use of fees collected from cruise ship passengers by the City and Borough of Juneau must be connected to the ship, a federal judge has ruled. The cruise industry had challenged the legality of $8 per passenger fees and alleged the city spends the money too freely, Coast Alaska reported. The money has gone toward building bigger docks for cruise ships but also for such things as extra crossing guards, public bathrooms and a sea walk that runs past the downtown docks. The city even used some of the money in fighting the lawsuit. U.S. District Court Judge H. Russel Holland ruled Thursday that while Juneau can keep collecting the fees, their use must constitute a service to the ship. For example, he said a gangplank would be a service to the vessel, but sidewalk repairs and access to the public library’s internet that passengers share with the general public likely would not be. City Manager Rorie Watt said officials were reviewing the ruling. The city recently began soliciting public proposals for how to spend the next round of cruise passenger fees. “We’re going to be closely reading Judge Holland’s order in figuring out what our next steps are,” Watt said. See CRUISE, page A3
DNR commissioner rescinds Anchorage Assembly adoption of new Kachemak approves $1B sale Bay parks management plan of city-owned utility By MICHAEL ARMSTRONG Homer News
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The new Department of Natural Resources commissioner on Friday rescinded a last-minute adoption of the Kachemak Bay State Park and Kachemak Bay State Park Management Plan. In a determination issued Dec. 7, DNR Commissioner Corri A. Feige clarified the status of the plan adopted by former DNR Com-
missioner Andrew T. Mack on Dec. 2. Mack, former Gov. Bill Walker’s commissioner, adopted the plan the day before Walker’s administration ended on Dec. 3. However, Feige wrote in the determination that because of office closures related to the Nov. 30 earthquake, Mack did not issue a notice of his action. Feige became commissioner after Gov. Mike Dunleavy was inaugurat-
ed on Dec. 3. “No action has been taken to implement the December 2nd Plan,” Feige wrote in her determination. In her determination, Feige also reinstated the former 1995 management plan. Kachemak Bay State Park and Kachemak Bay State Wilderness Park will continue to be managed under the guidelines of the 1995 plan and pending completion of the See PLAN, page A3
ANCHORAGE (AP) — The Anchorage Assembly has signed off on a $1 billion deal for Chugach Electric Association to buy the city-owned electric utility. The city officials unanimously approved the sale of Municipal Light and Power on Tuesday, sending the deal to the next step — gaining approval from the Regulatory Commission of Alaska, the Anchorage Daily News reported . The parties plan to file with
the commission by the end of January, said Julie Hasquet, Chugach Electric’s director of corporate communications. It could take six months or longer to get the deal approved. “It will be a significant filing with a lot of material the RCA will need and want to see,” Hasquet said. Anchorage voters approved the deal in April. The transaction is not expected to cause layoffs or increase base electric See SALE page A2