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Crooner
Game 7
Country singer brings show to Kenai
Bruins, Canadiens square off in NHL
Arts & Entertainment/B-1
Sports/B-1
CLARION
Sunny 65/36 More weather on Page A-2
P E N I N S U L A
THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2014 Soldotna-Kenai, Alaska
Vol. 44, Issue 193
50 cents newsstands daily/$1.00 Sunday
Spring is in the air
Question Should the Kenai Peninsula Borough collect a bed tax to fund tourism promotion efforts? n Yes; or n No.
Pollen has allergy sufferers suffering
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.
By KELLY SULLIVAN Peninsula Clarion
In the news Body found floating in lake near Tyonek
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TYONEK (AP) — Alaska State Troopers say a body found in a lake near Tyonek is believed to that of a man missing since late October. Troopers in a Wednesday web posting say the body was found floating in the lake Tuesday evening. The cause of death wasn’t immediately determined, but troopers say nothing suspicious was observed. The body will be sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Anchorage for an autopsy. Authorities say they believe the remains are those of 45-year-old Eugene Bismark of Tyonek, who was reported missing Oct. 25. Tyonek is located on the northwest shore of Cook Inlet, about 45 miles southwest of Anchorage.
Photos by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion
An Arctic Tern perches on a rock on the Kasilof River Sunday. It is one of dozens of species of birds that can be seen by visitors to the Kenai Peninsula Birding Festival today through Sunday held in various locations throughout the central Kenai Peninsula.
For the birds
Birding festival lands on central Kenai Peninsula By RASHAH McCHESNEY Peninsula Clarion
It’s the seasons for tweeters, warblers, coo-ers, whistlers, trillers, chirpers, and peepers on the Kenai Peninsula to become the focus of hundreds of birders, amateurs and seasoned veterans alike, who visit for annual birding festival. As the festival grows, so do the activities. This year a guided tour on horseback and a performance by members of the Kenaitze Indian Tribe join the growing list of local birders and businesses eager to show off the area’s winged wonders at the Kenai Peninsula Birding Festival.
Today
Clarification In Monday’s Clarion an article about non-departmental organizations seeking funding from the Kenai Peninsula Borough identified Central Area Rural Transit System as an on-demand car service. CARTS is the public transportation provider for the Central Peninsula providing a door-to-door demand response service.
Index Opinion.................. A-4 Business................ A-5 Nation.................... A-6 World..................... A-7 Sports.....................A-8 Arts........................ B-1 Classifieds............. B-3 Comics................... B-8
The festival begins Thursday with a float trip down the middle Kenai River for those who registered. Five drift boats, each with a local birder on board, will Angus Burke, 10, takes a drink while looking at the PEEPs art show entries May guide festival-goers down the river. 2 at the Kenai Fine Arts Center in Kenai. Burke entered a mixed-media piece de“They get to see the Kenai River when picting a hawk made from broken glass and tin cans. The show will be on display See BIRD, page A-10 through the end of May.
See POLLEN, page A-10
State Democrats prepare for convention By BECKY BOHRER Associated Press
JUNEAU — Don’t expect fireworks when the state Democratic Party convention gets underway in Nome on Thursday — there will be no real drama among the top-ticket races. Democrats have already endorsed U.S. Sen. Mark Begich for re-election in what is ex-
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pected to be a hotly contested, nationally watched race that could decide control of the Senate. And the party has backed Byron Mallott for governor. Neither is expected to face much of a challenge during the August primary. Mallott is the scheduled keynote speaker for Saturday; Begich isn’t expected to attend in person.
Party chairman Mike Wenstrup said one of the major goals of the convention, which runs through Sunday, is to continue building the party’s grassroots network heading to the November elections. The party is stressing doorto-door campaigning “by Alaskans,” he said — drawing a contrast between the Democrats’ approach and that of Republi-
cans. The Republican National Committee has pledged an unprecedented level of investment in the state this election cycle, including field offices and precinct-level ground work. RNC co-chair Sharon Day even spoke at the GOP’s recent state convention, issuing a call for unity and engagement in a bid to win those top-tier seats. When asked if the Demo-
crats have requested help from the Democratic National Committee, Wenstrup said his party has been working hard on Begich’s re-election and building itself up for the last several years. “We don’t really need the DNC to come in and, you know, bail us out, as the RNC seems to be doing for the Republican party,” he said. See DEMS, page A-10
Resetarits brothers’ Beaver Loop meeting slated trial could be delayed By DAN BALMER and MICHAEL ARMSTRONG Morris News Service-Alaska
Check us out online at www.peninsulaclarion.com
With spring coming into bloom, allergy patients have been reporting an increase in symptoms over the last few weeks, according to Dr. Kristina James, allergist at the Peninsula Allergy and Asthma Center. As seasonal temperatures rise and seasons change, pollen counts become integral information for Kenai Peninsula community members suffering from springtime allergies. When allergists know what type of pollens are present and their levels in the air, they can better advise patients on how to handle being around the allergens, James said. James said if someone is experiencing symptoms such as runny nose, itchy eyes and skin and trouble breathing to increase the dosage of their medication, or to reduce exposure. Pollen counts are higher in the morning so James recommends doing things outdoors later in the day. She also said to shower or wash hands after activities like gardening and immediately change your clothes, so pollen isn’t brought indoors. Currently there is no pollen counter set up in the central Kenai area, James said. Installing a pollen counter requires a proper site, James said. A flat roof surrounded by trees is necessary for making accurate counts, but her offices only have a flat roof. The staff at the Peninsula and Allergy and Asthma Center is currently working toward having a counter set up by next springtime,
A June 2 trial week date for Anthony Resetarits and Joseph Resetarits could be delayed again, Judge Carl Bauman said Monday at a hearing in Kenai Superior Court. At issue are delays in having iPhone brand cell phones decrypted by Apple Inc. Some iPhones seized by
Alaska State Troopers have security codes that owners haven’t provided, and for privacy reasons Apple has to process the cell phones. At a February hearing, Joseph Resetarits’ attorney, Michael Mobley, said that could take up to six months. Phillip Weidner, Anthony Resetarits’ Anchorage attorney, also has filed motions to dismiss the indictment against his See TRIAL, page A-10
By DAN BALMER Peninsula Clarion
A public meeting on the proposed Beaver Loop Road improvement and pedestrian pathway project will take place today from 6-8 p.m. at Kenai City Hall. Representatives from the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities and consultants from Kinney Engineering will present their design plans to the public. ImC
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provements being considered include widening the road’s shoulders, raising the roadway surface, constructing of a pathway off the road, replacing culverts and reconstructing ditches, according to a DOT&PF. The 3.75 mile stretch of Beaver Loop Road connects the Kenai Spur Highway and Bridge Access Road and the rehabilitation project would affect more than 100 area properties. Some electric, water and sewer utilities along the road may
have to be relocated, according to the project document. Before any recommendations are made, the public will have an opportunity to provide input and feedback on the design at the meeting. DOT is also accepting written comments during the environmental studies period and will need those turned in by June 13. For more information or to submit comments visit: www. beaverlooproad.com.