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CLARION
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P E N I N S U L A
WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2014 Soldotna-Kenai, Alaska
Vol. 44, Issue 186
50 cents newsstands daily/$1.00 Sunday
School district revises strategic plan
Question Where do you think Wildlife Troopers should deploy additional enforcement on the Kenai Peninsula? n Commercial fisheries n Personal-use fisheries n Sport fisheries
By KAYLEE OSOWSKI Peninsula Clarion
Achieving some goals is going to take more time. At its Monday night meeting held in Seward the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education unanimously approved revisions to the district’s Strategic Plan for fiscal years 20132017. The plan was adopted in September 2012 and progress of goals is reported twice a year, but the plan is rarely revised, Pegge Erkeneff, KPBSD spokesperson said. The board held a work session about the plan on April 15 to discuss administrative recommended changes to the plan, which focuses on academic success, organizational excellence and community and family engagement. The adopted revisions to the five-year plan delay the timelines of six goals. Due the lack of an electronic method to gather and separate information about all the ways student engagement is happening, the goal of student engagement has been delayed to FY15. “Every school is supposed to be increasing student engagement, but we’re working on a way to be able to know that’s happening,” Erkeneff said. New evaluation systems that are being implemented measure student engagement based on attendance, student growth from year-to-year, how students do their work, group
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.
In the news HEA schedules outage for Soldotna/K-Beach
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Homer Electric Association is planning a scheduled outage for the Soldotna and K-Beach Road area Thursday morning. According to an HEA press release, the outage will begin at approximately 3 a.m. and last about 10 minutes. The outage is taking place in the early morning hours in order to minimize the impact on residential and business members. The areas affected by the outage will be: n City of Soldotna, from the HEA Generation Plant on the Sterling Highway and Boundary Avenue west to Skyview High School and all arterial roads, including Funny River. n Kenai Spur Highway from the Sterling Highway “Y” intersection to Knight Drive. n K-Beach Road from the Sterling Highway intersection in Soldotna along KBeach Road and all arterial roads to Helmsman Avenue (approximately Mile 13.5). HEA will be making automated calls to all members that will be affected by the planned outage. HEA says the planned outage is necessary to complete work on the installation of a new transmission line between Nikiski and Soldotna. HEA members are reminded to protect all sensitive electronic equipment in your home and business. For additional information, call 1-800-478-8551. — Staff report
Index Opinion.................. A-4 Nation.................... A-5 World..................... A-9 Sports................... A-11 Food...................... B-1 Classifieds............. B-4 Comics................... B-8 Check us out online at www.peninsulaclarion.com To subscribe, call 283-3584.
Celebrating salmon
Top: Malaina Maal, 8, a third-grade student from Soldotna Montessori, tries to identify several species of fish inside of an aquarium set up at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s annual Salmon Celebration Tuesday at Johnson Lake Campground in Kasilof. Above: Jakob Murphy looks into Cadence Campbell’s bucket as the two McNeil Canyon Elementary School thirdgraders carry rainbow trout down to Johnson Lake for release. The release was part of the event. Right: Salmon swim in an aquarium set up for viewing at the event. Photos by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion
See PLAN, page A-14
Vets join Honor Flight Group to visit Washington, D.C., memorials By DAN BALMER Peninsula Clarion
Nikiski resident Robert Harrison had always wanted to visit the National World War II memorial in Washington, D.C., but at the age of 87, he didn’t know if he would get the chance in his lifetime. Harrison served in the U.S. Army as a medic during WWII and cared for the wounded when they returned home from battle. When he heard about the Last Frontier Honor Flight,
a nonprofit organization that takes veterans on an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington D.C. to visit the war memorial, he jumped on the opportunity. Harrison is one of six WWII veterans from the Kenai Peninsula who joined up with 50 veterans from across Alaska for a four-night trip to the nation’s capital. Harrison joined Leon Merkes of Sterling, Willard Jorgensen of Kenai, Bob Breakfield of Soldotna, and Nikiski residents Bud Gilbertson and Dick Weaver.
The veterans departed from Kenai Municipal Airport to Anchorage Tuesday where they caught up with the rest of the group and will spend the night in Portland, Ore., where they will attend a dinner banquet before flying to Washington, D.C., Wednesday morning. Veterans will have a guardian with them as they tour the memorials dedicated in their honor, said Chuck Cook, honor flight organizer on the Kenai Peninsula. “This is a way for us to See HONOR, page A-14
Photo by Dan Balmer/Peninsula Clarion
Dick Weaver, Bud Gilbertson and Robert Harrison, all of Nikiski, board a flight to Anchorage Tuesday morning at the Kenai Municipal Airport. The men are part of a group of six World War II veterans from the Kenai Peninsula traveling to Washington, D.C., with 50 other veterans from Alaska.
Watchdog to review Legislators recap session Pebble Mine study By BECKY BOHRER Associated Press
JUNEAU — A watchdog plans to review the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s handling of a report on the potential effects of large-scale mining on a world-premier salmon fishery in Alaska’s Bristol Bay region. Congressional requests and hotline complaints prompted the audit, Ashley Sellers-Hans-
en, a spokeswoman for the EPA inspector general’s office, said Tuesday. It will look at whether the EPA followed laws, regulations and policies in developing its report, according to a memo from the office. The state of Alaska and the owner of the proposed Pebble Mine, Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd., were among those who requested the inspector general investigate the EPA’s See STUDY, page A-14
By DAN BALMER Peninsula Clarion
Four Kenai Peninsula legislators noted accomplishments on an education bill, natural gas pipeline project and reform on public employee and teacher retirement plans among other highlights from the 28th Legislature during a joint chamber luncheon Tuesday at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. Sen. Peter Micciche RC
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Soldotna, Reps. Kurt Olson R-Soldotna, and Paul Seaton, R-Homer, and Speaker of the House Mike Chenault, R-Nikiksi, shared an overview of their efforts in Juneau during a session that ran five days over. Sen. Cathy Giessel, RAnchorage, was unable to attend due to an Arctic Policy Commission meeting. Seaton said House Bill 278, the Education Opportunity Act, was a big piece of the legislative puzzle.
“We went over time but we did so because it’s much more important to pass things correctly than to do them quickly,” he said. “I hope everyone understands getting things done right is important.” Micciche said he was pleased with the compromises made between the House and Senate to pass the education bill. He said $300 million funding over the next three years was much needed and See RECAP, page A-14