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P E N I N S U L A
Tuesday, September 25, 2018 Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Vol. 48, Issue 307
In the news 2 Fairbanks hunters killed in airplane crash FAIRBANKS — A crash of a small airplane killed two Fairbanks men on a hunting trip. Alaska State Troopers say an airplane belonging to 45-year-old Timothy Sonnenberg was spotted crashed and burned south of Gold Creek. Sonnenberg and 43-yearold Jason Roberts were reported overdue on Friday morning from a hunting trip to the Nenana River. A pilot reported the crash Saturday. A military helicopter reached the site Sunday and crew members confirmed two bodies in the wreckage. Troopers say efforts to recover the bodies are underway. The state medical examiner will conduct autopsies.
Troopers find Fort Wainwright soldier’s body in car FAIRBANKS — Alaska State Troopers say they found the body of a Fort Wainwright soldier who had been missing for nearly a week. The Fairbanks Daily News Miner reports Alaska State Troopers were at Harding Lake on Saturday investigating a report of an apparently abandoned vehicle. A statement by the Alaska State Troopers says the vehicle belonged to Mason Heimer. His body was found in the vehicle. Troopers say no foul play is suspected. Heimer’s next of kin has been notified. His body has been sent to the Alaska State Medical Examiner’s office for an autopsy. Heimer’s father, Doug, travelled from Texas to help local law enforcement agencies look for his 22-year-old son. He says Heimer lived on Fort Wainwright, where he was a construction engineer and had been stationed for eight months. — Associated Press
Inside ‘I don’t know when we’re going to overthrow them. It could be in a few days, months or a couple of years, but it’s going to happen.’ ... See page A6
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In race for House, Galvin looks for upset By JAMES BROOKS Juneau Empire
When Don Young was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1973, Alyse Galvin was 8 years old. Forty-five years later, the 53-year-old Galvin is attempting to unseat the longest actively serving member of the House. It’s not an easy task: Since winning that first election, Young has defeated 46 other opponents, often by wide margins. Thus far, Galvin has held her own against the experienced Young. According to Federal Elections Commission reports, Galvin has more campaign cash on hand. Through Aug. 1, Galvin has raised $601,000 for her campaign and spent about $349,000. During the same period, Young has raised $801,000 and spent about $636,000. In a Sept. 17 debate hosted by the Anchorage Chamber of
“I’m running because I want to make sure that we have a place where my children and your children can be living in a sustainable state where they feel that they can find a place to their way to a good job,” Galvin said, adding that preserving Alaska’s “fresh water and fish and air and incredible trails” is also important. Links to the capital city
Alyse Galvin, indpendent candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, right, speaks with Marilyn Orr during a “town-hall-style coffee and conversation” on Friday in Juneau. Galvin is running against Republican incumbent Rep. Don Young. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
Commerce, Young appeared to be caught off guard by Galvin at one point and echoed President Donald Trump by referring to Galvin as a “nasty woman.” Galvin promptly shared a video of the exchange in fundraising
emails. Polling released thus far gives Young the edge in the head-to-head matchup on Nov. 6, but Galvin would earn the victory if she convinces enough voters in the remaining month
and a half before Election Day. Before heading to the Anchorage debate, Galvin made a campaign stop in the capital city and spoke about campaign issues with Empire editor Emily Russo Miller.
A mother of four, Galvin holds a degree from the University of California San Diego. She is married to Pat Galvin, who was revenue commissioner under Gov. Sarah Palin and now works as an oil executive. Before becoming commissioner, Galvin worked for the state in other roles and brought his family to Juneau. For two years, Alyse Galvin and her four children lived in the capital city and formed ties they still have. Galvin is the godmother of Callie Conerton and has been a See HOUSE, page A2
Fireweed Guild weaves festival Garden club grows
more than flowers
By KAT SORENSEN Peninsula Clarion
Local fiber enthusiasts are getting their shears and crafting tools ready for this weekend’s Fireweed FiberFest at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. On Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Fireweed FiberFest will host a celebration of natural fibers for the “serious and curious,” said event organizer Nancy Field of the Fireweed Fiber Guild, the event’s hosts. Admission is free and open to the public. “Our guild has quite a few members from Sterling, Ninilchik, Anchor Point, Nikiski and more,” Field said. “So we are getting together and showing some of our products, how are products are made, how we spin yarn.” FiberFest will include vendors, food booths, different classes for children and adults and livestock exhibits. “I’m really jazzed about it because we have a lot of talented artists on the peninsula,” Field said. “It’s a great way for them to launch their stuff.” In addition to vendors, there will be a cord-making class from 1 to 3 p.m. and a fur-dyeing class from 3 to 4 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday for an additional fee. Supplies are included with the fee. The festival will host a sheepshearing demonstration at 3 p.m. each day and there will be
By VICTORIA PETERSEN Peninsula Clarion
Karen Porter, a member of the Fireweed Fiber Guild, prepares some fibers while spinning yarn with other guild members Friday, Aug. 18, 2017, at the 2017 Kenai Peninsula Fair in Ninilchik. The guild will host the Fireweed FiberFest on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 29 and 30, at the Soldotna Sports Complex in Soldotna . (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)
other livestock on hand, including cashmere goats and Angora rabbits, so festival goers can have a better understanding of where natural fibers come from and how they are taken from each animal. “Each vendor will also have a demonstration going on at different times,” Field said. “There will be some activities for children too. Both of those will be ongoing through the day on both days.” The Fireweed Fiber Guild has hosted large events in the past, but Field said they are excited to have one large event in
a centralized location, allowing members from across the Kenai Peninsula to attend and share their fiber crafts. The guild meets once a month throughout the year, with schedule changes in the summer and around holidays. “It’s about networking and socializing,” Field said. “We teach each other how to work with different fibers, what to do with different fibers. We’ll get together, dye with different techniques… We just love to teach people. We’re fiber enthusiasts — people who love natural fibers.”
Since 2007, the Central Peninsula Garden Club has been educating and connecting gardeners in the area. Renae Wall has been serving as the nonprofit’s president for three years. She said the group has been steadily growing over the last several years. “Originally we met in the Cook Inlet Aquaculture building and that served us well, but we outgrew it and moved to the Peninsula Grace Church,” Wall said. “We’re starting our second year there. It’s really nice. I think space was a limitation for people, between finding parking and a place to sit. It’s a good problem to have.” Today, the program has more than 200 members. They offer monthly programs, workshops in May, summer garden tours, a yearly plant sale and more. Q: What is the mission of the Central Peninsula Garden Club? A: To educate and exchange reliable information about all aspects of gardening on the Kenai Peninsula. Q: What can people expect from the monthly programs?
Shop Talk A: The monthly programs run from September to April on the second Tuesday of the month. It’s focused on a different topic every month. Our last one was about growing fruit trees. In October we will be learning about growing corn on the Kenai. We have programs on starting seeds, growing perennials, what to do to your soil to improve it, how to preserve your harvest and more. It’s different every year. Anywhere from 80 to 100 people show up. There are always refreshments and door prizes and it’s really a social thing. People really enjoy getting to know other gardeners. It’s a good way to network and get out. Q: How has the club changed since starting in 2007? A: When the club first started it sounded like it was more focused on flowers, landscaping and gardening. Now with the increase in high tunnels, there’s just been a lot more interest in growing food. We’ve had a lot more programs about growing food than we did at the beginning of the club. See SHOP, page A2
Man charged with murder in 10-year-old girl’s slaying By RACHEL D’ORO Associated Press
ANCHORAGE — An Alaska man tied to the disappearance of a 10-year-old girl who was later found dead was charged Monday with her slaying. State prosecutors charged Peter Wilson of Kotzebue with first-degree murder, kidnapping, sexual abuse of a minor and tampering with evidence Monday in connection with the death of Ashley JohnsonBarr. An autopsy revealed signs of strangulation and sexual abuse, and DNA evidence also linked him to the crime, according to prosecutors.
Wilson, 41, pleaded not guilty Friday to federal charges of making false statements as FBI agents and others searched for Ashley in Kotzebue, a remote Inupiat town on Alaska’s northwestern coast. The girl disappeared Sept. 6. Her remains were found eight days later in rugged tundra accessible only by a fourwheeler or on foot. The charges come after Ashley’s family had asked that any further legal action be delayed until after the girl’s funeral Saturday, said John Skidmore, criminal division director for the state Department of Law. Wilson took a cellphone from Ashley and lied when
This undated file photo shows Ashley Johnson-Barr. (Scotty Barr via AP)
he said he had found it on the ground, according to an indictment filed last week from a federal grand jury. The in-
dictment also says Wilson lied about knowing the girl and using a four-wheeler the day she vanished. Ashley had her cellphone with her when she was last seen playing with friends at a park. The phone was found later that day in the pocket of a jacket belonging to Wilson, a woman named in an FBI affidavit only by the initials of JJ told authorities. The woman said Wilson often stayed at her home. Wilson told authorities that he found the phone on the ground about a half-mile from the park. On the afternoon the girl went missing, Wilson also dis-
appeared with a four-wheeler for about two hours, according to authorities. The FBI affidavit said the girl’s body was found on tundra outside Kotzebue, in an area concealed by thick alder and willow brush. After the girl disappeared, Kotzebue residents helped search for her, holding vigils at the park where she was last seen. Similar prayer vigils were held across Alaska. The FBI sent 17 agents to help investigate. Kotzebue is 26 miles north of the Arctic Circle and 550 miles northwest of Anchorage. It serves as a regional hub for northwest Alaska villages.