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Notebook
On ice
What’s in a name? That depends on the speaker
Brown Bears square off with Wild
Recreation/C-1
Sports/B-1
CLARION
Flurries 24/13 More weather on Page A-2
P E N I N S U L A
Friday-Saturday, January 10-11 Soldotna-Kenai, Alaska
Vol. 44, Issue 86
50 cents newsstands daily/$1.00 Sunday
HEA worker injured
Question Do you think the Legislature will have a productive session this year? n Yes; or n No. To place your vote and comment, visit our Web site at www. peninsulaclarion. com. Results and selected comments will be posted each Tuesday in the Clarion, and a new question will be asked. Suggested questions may be submitted online or e-mailed to news@peninsulaclarion.com.
In the news Parnell names new Public Safety commissioner
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JUNEAU (AP) — Gov. Sean Parnell has appointed a new Public Safety commissioner. Gary Folger, who retired from the department as a colonel last May, has been chosen to replace Joe Masters. Masters resigned in October after five years in the post. The appointment is subject to legislative approval. Col. Keith Mallard had been acting as interim commissioner. According to biographical information provided by the governor’s office, the 55-year-old Folger began his law enforcement career in 1979 with the Division of Fish and Wildlife Protection in Cantwell. Folger graduated from the Public Safety Academy in 1981, joined the Alaska State Troopers and rose in the ranks, being promoted to colonel in 2007 and overseeing the Division of Alaska Wildlife Troopers. While with the department, he also was a pilot and boat operator.
Inside ‘I am who I am. I am not a bully.’ ... See page A-6
Index Opinion.................. A-4 Police, courts......... A-5 Nation.................... A-6 World..................... A-8 Religion................ A-10 Sports.....................B-1 Recreation............ C-1 Classifieds............ C-3 Comics................. C-11
Check us out online at www.peninsulaclarion.com To subscribe, call 283-3584.
Lineman medevaced to Seattle after accident By MICHAEL ARMSTRONG Morris News Service-Alaska Homer News
A Homer Electric Association lineman was medevaced to Seattle on Wednesday night following an electrical accident. Jacob Adams, 33, of Anchor Point, is being treated at Harborview Burn Center, SePhoto by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion attle. “Our prayers and thoughts are with the lineman and his Heavy fog blankets portions of Kenai Thursday, including the airport where several flights were delayed. Airlines resumed family,” HEA spokesperson Joe normal operations by the afternoon. Forecasters are calling for a chance of snow today. Gallagher said. “We’re working very closely with Jacob’s family to make sure they have everything they need to get through the immediate circumstances.” Adams received an electriBy KAYLEE OSOWSKI In this Nov. 3, 2013 cal shock when he and two whose property would have Peninsula Clarion file photo, children other linemen were performing been affected by the SAD. “… maintenance work on electriplay on North I never see anybody walking cal equipment on Timmerman Aspen Drive in The Soldotna City Council down through there. … And I Soldotna. The city Court, a side street off Kay voted down a special assess- don’t really appreciate the way Court at the west end of Diawas considering ment district for North Aspen this whole thing’s been done.” a Special Assess- mond Ridge Road. Council member Linda MurDrive at its Wednesday night At about 4:35 p.m. Wednesment District, phy said she thinks the reasons meeting. day, a coworker made a Mayor SAD, for the All six council members for the SAD as listed in the day call on a radio in an HEA road which would resolution, make the improvevoted against the resolution. vehicle to the HEA dispatcher require residents The city received three let- ments a city project. to pay for a portion in Kenai, Gallagher said. The “I won’t be able to support ters expressing concerns about dispatcher called 911. The two of the improvecertain proposed improvements this resolution,” she said. “Howments made to the linemen provided immediate to the street as well as objec- ever, I would fully support the road. The Soldotna emergency medical care to Adtions to the project as a whole. administration coming back at City Council voted ams. The HEA dispatcher lost A petition signed by all but one the next meeting with an approradio contact with the lineman against the ordiof the property owners was priating ordinance and approval nance Wednesday. because he had stepped away to go forward with this project submitted. Photo by from the truck, but called on a At the meeting, the council as a city project.” Rashah McChesney/ cell phone to get further inforBased on the desires of the heard from six Soldotna resiPeninsula Clarion mation for emergency respondproperty owners, council memdents about the SAD project. ers. Alaska State Troopers and “I don’t think we need a ber Meggean Bos said she Kachemak Emergency Servicsidewalk on anybody’s side of would not support the resolues arrived at the scene shortly that alley that we have back tion. there,” said Clifford Hugg, See CITY, page A-12 See HEA, page A-12
Pea soup
Soldotna council votes down SAD
Spending in spotlight as state revenue dips By TIM BRADNER Morris News Service-Alaska Alaska Journal of Commerce
If Sen. Hollis French has his way, the convening of the Legislature Jan. 21 will be day one of the campaign to repeal the oil tax reform bill that passed last year. French, an Anchorage Democrat, will also be the Senate’s new Minority Leader after Sen. Johnny Ellis, D-Anchorage, who held that position last year, has stepped aside. French will use his position in the limelight to hammer away at Republicans
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and the state administration about Senate Bill 21, which Democrats call a “giveaway” to industry. Democrats will also hone in on an unexpected $2 billion drop in revenues this year, causing a drawdown on cash reserves. The state administration should have seen that coming and warned the Legislature before December, French said.
“The number one topic of the session will be the budget deficit. It will dominate the Finance committees and every other committee. On every bill, the question will be, can we afford it?” French said. On the House side — and the other side of the partisan aisle — Rep. Mike Hawker, RAnchorage, is more sanguine. He agrees the revenue decline is sobering but he sees a positive aspect — it will force a serious discussion among lawmakers about the state’s longterm financial situation. “The big issue will be the
level of the capital budget, which has been, frankly, out of control in recent years,” he said. The state has enjoyed multibillion dollar capital budgets in recent years but the drop in oil revenue — which actually started during the fiscal year 2013 that ended last June 30 — forced the Legislature to adopt a leaner capital budget last session for the current state fiscal year. The most recent, more drastic, revenue decline estimate released in December has caused Gov. Sean Parnell to propose
only a bare-bones capital budget for the fiscal year 2015 that begins July 1. Hawker said in an interview that tackling the operating budget that pays the ongoing cost of state programs will be much more difficult. “Every program has a constituency and it affects the lives of real Alaskans. This is much more difficult to turn around,” Hawker said. The operating budget constitutes the bulk of state spending and it has been growing steadily, in increments of 6 percent to See BUDGET, page A-12
Begich spokeswoman takes blame for misstatement By BECKY BOHRER Associated Press
JUNEAU — A spokeswoman for U.S. Sen. Mark Begich said Thursday that she misspoke when she said he missed a vote in Washington because he was traveling to the capital when, in fact, he was in Hawaii. The Associated Press asked spokeswoman Heather Handyside by email Tuesday why the Alaska Democrat hadn’t voted on whether to proceed to debate
on a renewal of benefits for the long-term unemployed. Handyside responded by email that he “wasn’t there. Is on his way back to D.C.” The vote was close, with six Republicans, including Alaska’s senior senator, Lisa Murkowski, voting with Democrats to advance to debate. Begich was one of three members, and the only Democrat, shown as not voting. The Hill reported Thursday that Begich missed the vote to deliver a speech Wednesday at
a conference in Hawaii hosted by the American Association of Airport Executives. Handyside said Thursday that she had not seen the speech on Begich’s calendar, though she said she thought it was planned quite a while ago. She said she was under the impression he would be back in Washington on Wednesday when she responded to the AP. She said Begich returned to Washington late Wednesday night. Handyside said Begich had C
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first gone to Hawaii to vacation with his family. In addition to the conference, she said he also met with Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie and had two fundraisers that she knew of. Alaska and Hawaii have a sister-state-like relationship, dating back to days of then-U.S. Sens. Ted Stevens of Alaska and Daniel Inouye of Hawaii. Begich campaign manager Susanne Fleek-Green said by email Thursday that the trip was paid for by Begich person-
ally and by his campaign, Alaskans for Begich. Begich, a first-term Democrat, is expected to face a tough re-election fight this year. Republicans have said they view the Alaska seat as key to their efforts to try to win back control of the Senate. Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell, former state Natural Resources Commissioner Dan Sullivan and Joe Miller are the highestprofile Republican candidates seeking the GOP nomination to challenge Begich.