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P E N I N S U L A
Thursday, November 15, 2018 Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Vol. 49, Issue 40
In the news Space company plans first Kodiak launch KODIAK (AP) — Vector Launch Inc. is planning a commercial rocket launch at the Pacific Spaceport Complex, its first launch at the Alaska facility. The company based in Tucson, Arizona, informed the Federal Communications Commission of its plans, which aims to test its Vector-R rocket by April 2019, the Kodiak Daily Mirror reported Tuesday. “Vector is aiming to meet its goal of achieving the first orbital attempt of its Vector-R rocket,” said Shaun Coleman, the company’s chief sales and marketing officer. The two-stage rocket would not carry a payload during the launch, Coleman said. A little over two minutes after launch, the stages would separate and land off the coast of Kodiak. The flight is expected to last less than 10 minutes, and the maximum operating time should be less than 3 hours from launch activities. “This is an absolute worst-case estimate as operating longer than 30 to 60 minutes may require shut down of the transmitters due to thermal concerns,” the document states. Vector plans to conduct more launches from Kodiak Island if the test is successful, Coleman said. “Part of Vector’s strategy is to launch from multiple sites, not exclusively from Kodiak,” Coleman said. “Within a few years, Vector envisions launches from Kodiak, as well as Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, and Wallops Island in Virginia to name a few.” Vector has previously conducted various tests in Kodiak to prepare for a launch, said Craig Campbell, CEO of Alaska Aerospace Corporation. “They’ve been up here twice, doing pathfinders, bringing the rocket up and doing all the steps leading up to a launch,” Campbell said.
settles Invocation question lingers State political Borough Assembly to consider options at Tuesday meeting
sign lawsuit
By MICHAEL ARMSTRONG Homer News
By JAMES BROOKS Juneau Empire
At its Nov. 20 meeting, the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly will consider two questions for its invocation policy: • Should the assembly authorize the borough administration to appeal a decision by Anchorage Superior Court Judge Andrew Peterson ruling as unconstitutional the assembly’s policy for selecting invocation speakers? • Or, should it adopt a new policy that allows any speakers to make an invocation and eliminates the criteria Peterson said violates the Alaska Constitution’s establishment clause? On the agenda is Resolution 2018-053, which amends the invocation policy to make it constitutional, and Memorandum KPB-1949, whih authorizes an appeal. The memo appears on the agenda after the resolution, but assembly member Kelly Cooper of Homer said she will move to change the agenda so the appeal memo is considered first. Cooper introduced the new
how to run a small business. “I was going in blind,” Mann said. “Some of the things I needed to know, I literally did not know. I started picking people’s brains and started asking questions. That really helped me.” Kerkvliet said at the beginning of her business there was a lot of fear and uncertainty. “It can be scary to jump into becoming your own boss,” Kerkvliet said. “It’s a financial investment you’re going to make and it’s a risk you’re taking. That was my biggest personal obstacle, just making sure I was comfortable taking this leap of faith.” Panelists gave advice for new business owners in the Soldotna area. Anderson said to not be afraid to ask people questions
It’s an exit sign. On Tuesday, Anchorage Superior Court Judge Herman Walker Jr. approved a settlement concluding a lawsuit that challenged Alaska’s anti-billboard law. The settlement keeps the law in place, but the Alaska Department of Transportation is prohibited from enforcing the law as it applies to “small, temporary, political campaign signs … located on private property outside of any highway rightsof-way,” according to the text of the settlement. “We are happy with the resolution of this case, which ensures that the state can still properly enforce the prohibition on billboards while still allowing small political campaign signs on private property,” wrote Michael Schechter, the assistant attorney general representing the state, in an email to the Juneau Empire. The plaintiffs also receive $15,000 from the state to cover attorneys’ fees and costs. “The amount is significantly less than what the Plaintiffs would have claimed in fees if the case had continued,” Schechter wrote. The lawsuit had been brought by the American Civil Liberties Union’s Alaska chapter and a campaign group supporting Mike Dunleavy for governor. The two groups filed suit on behalf of a Palmer man who claimed the state removed his political sign but ignored a sign advertising a farmers’ market. Under state law, “Outdoor advertising may not be erected or maintained within 660 feet” of a state-owned roadway’s right of way. There are small exemptions for things like forsale signs, directional signs and landmark signs, but in general, Alaska forbids most kinds of outdoor advertising, including billboards. Restrictions of some kind have been in place since Alaska’s territorial days, and a 1998 ballot measure (largely a message of intent rather than actual
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The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly stands in silence while Assembly President Wayne Ogle offers an invocation before the meeting Oct. 23 in Soldotna. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/ Peninsula Clarion)
invocation resolution, and Assembly President Wayne Ogle and Vice-President Dale Bagley joined her. “Hopefully we can put this to
bed and we can get back to what we’re supposed to be doing,” Cooper said of her resolution. Last month, the borough lost a lawsuit against plaintiffs rep-
resented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska in a fight over its invocation policy, which allows certain groups and See KPBA, page A2
Soldotna entrepreneurs talk business By VICTORIA PETERSEN Peninsula Clarion
As part of Startup Week, the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce held a special small business panel discussion about owning and running a small business in Soldotna. The panel included Chad Anderson of Anderson Builders, Steve Beeson of Beemuns Variety, Alex Douthit and Kenai Peninsula Driving Instruction, Susanna Evins of Mountain Momma Originals, Alice Kerkvliet of Mykel’s Restaurant, Sue Mann of Artzy Junkin and Amie Hagen of Steamer Truck Consignment. The panel began by discussing the initial challenges of starting a business. Douthit had a unique set of hurdles given the nature of his business, which requires many permits.
The Soldotna Chamber of Commerce hosted a small business panel to discuss entrepreneurship in Soldotna as part of Startup Week in Soldotna on Wednesday. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)
“Since I’ve started we’ve had to help write a lot of policies for the state and different government agencies to get through that permitting process and make it happen,”
Douthit said. “The biggest hurdle with our business is governmental agency permitting.” Mann said her biggest challenge was figuring out
SoHi Arts and Crafts Fair set for weekend
Democrats now lead in critical Fairbanks races
There will be plenty of seasonal and year-round gifts on sale this weekend at the 23rd Annual SoHi Arts and Crafts Fair. With more than 35 vendor booths set up for the public, the event will take place at Soldotna High School on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is designed to raise funds for the Soldotna High football team, which has won seven straight Division II state championships. “There’s a lot of handmade items. It started out all handmade,” said event organizer Annette Weigel. “There’s some stuff for everybody. The cheerleaders will be running their concession stand and there will be a lot of artists, but most all of it is handmade.” Weigel has worked with Karen Williamson in helping organize the event for more than 20 years and said the team traditionally helps set up the event, while Weigel and Williamson line up vendors and schedule the best
By JAMES BROOKS Juneau Empire
By JOEY KLECKA Peninsula Clarion
Index
$1 newsstands daily/$1.50 Sunday
weekend for it to take place. Weigel said there typically is a bigger crowd on Saturday, but that leaves Sunday for those who want to browse without the crowd. “We have a lot of fun there,” Weigel said. “I enjoy it.” The fair will be set up in the SoHi commons area, a space the Weigel said has accommodated in past years 35 to 40 separate vendors, many of whom are local artists who produce crafts as a side business. She added that many of the creations are holiday related, giving interested parties a perfect opportunity to get some early Christmas shopping done. The event began as a fundraiser for the school PTA, but the football program eventually took the reigns and sponsored the event. SoHi head football coach Galen Brantley Jr. said the event typically raises more than $2,000 for the team, much of which goes to fund travel expenses. Brantley said the Stars’ 2019 schedule includes an out-of-state contest, the first for the Stars since playing in Crescent City, California, in fall 2017.
Democratic candidates lead two Fairbanks elections considered key for control of the Alaska House and Senate after additional ballots were counted Tuesday. Figures released by the Alaska Division of Elections show Kathryn Dodge, the Democratic candidate for House District 1, leading Republican Bart LeBon by 10 votes after remaining early and question ballots were counted. Scott Kawasaki, the Democratic candidate for Senate District A, leads Republican Senate President Pete Kelly by 152 votes. Entering Tuesday, LeBon led Dodge by 67 votes and Kelly led Kawasaki by 11 votes. “I guess I lost my lead,” LeBon said by phone Tuesday evening. “At this point, not much would surprise me, given that the initial vote.”
On the opposite side of the election, Dodge wrote by text message that she is “relieved to be in the lead” but is “back on pins and needles as we move on to count absentee ballots Friday.” According to figures from the Alaska Division of Elections, 241 fully accepted absentee ballots remain to be counted in House District 1 as of the end of the day Tuesday. In House District 2 (both House districts make up the Senate district) 158 fully accepted absentee ballots remain to be counted. Some absentee ballots were not completely accepted by the division, but it is not clear what their impact on the races will be. Those votes and any additional absentee ballots will be counted Friday, with the final tally scheduled for next Wednesday. Absentee ballots counted thus far have favored the Republicans.
That might be the case, Kawasaki said, but “the numbers that we have won by so far, I think the senator (Pete Kelly) would have to get an alarmingly large percentage that he didn’t receive yet.” Absentee ballots mailed internationally (such as those from soldiers and students overseas) can arrive up to 15 days after the election, as long as they are postmarked by Election Day. Barring a significant change, one or both races will be within the margin for a state-paid recount (20 votes or 0.5 percent). If a candidate still contests the result of the election, he or she could file a legal challenge. “This is too close to call no matter what people say, but we’re pretty optimistic where we’re at today,” Kawasaki said. Additional votes across the state were also tallied Tuesday, but attention focused on FairSee VOTE, page A2