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CLARION
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P E N I N S U L A
TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2014 Soldotna-Kenai, Alaska
Vol. 44, Issue 197
Question Are you planning to do any traveling this summer? n Yes, we’ll be visiting other places in Alaska; n Yes, we’ll be traveling Outside; n No, there’s no reason to leave the Kenai Peninsula in the summertime. 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
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Marijuana measure opposition group announces M contribution K JUNEAU (AP) — A group formed to fight a ballot initiative that would legalize recreational marijuana use in Alaska said Monday that it’s gotten its first major contribution. “Big Marijuana. Big Mistake. Vote No on 2” said Chenega Corp. has committed $25,000 to the cause. The president and CEO of the Alaska Native corporation, Charles Totemoff, said in a news release that the issue is about the health and well-being of Alaskans. He said the contribution is an investment in Alaska’s future. The Alaska Democratic Party, declined to take sides on the debate at its recent convention. The Alaska GOP passed a resolution opposing the initiative at its convention earlier this month. The initiative, scheduled for the November ballot, would legalize and regulate recreational use of marijuana by those 21 years of age or older. Taylor Bickford, a spokesman for the ballot group behind the initiative, said marijuana should be taxed and regulated in a way similar to alcohol. He said by email that there’s no reason to allow “criminal organizations in the underground market to maintain monopoly control over this industry.”
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Blazes keep fire crews busy Wildfire threatens village of Tyonek
Funny River fire advances toward Tustumena Lake
By DAN BALMER Peninsula Clarion
A 5-acre wildfire near the village of Tyonek grew to 80 acres by 7:15 p.m. Monday. Just after 8:30 p.m., Sam Harrel, information officer with the Division of Forestry, said the retardant crews have been applying is working to slow the fire down. The blaze, fueled by high winds, was moving toward the village of Tyonek, which is located on the west side of Cook Inlet. Multiple fire agencies on scene are battling the blaze. Andy Alexandrou, public information officer with the Division of Forestry, Kenai office, said the fire could potentially reach the village, but some natural breaks and sloughs between the fire and the village help to slow the fire down. Harrel said smoke jumpers and two retardant tankers are working the fire, which is being handled by the Division of Forestry’s Mat-Su area personnel. The Midnight Sun Hotshot Crew is also on scene and the Pioneer Peak Interagency Hotshot Crew out of Palmer was en
Clarion staff report
Crews battled a wildland blaze near the Funny River Horse Trail, located at Mile 7 of Funny River Road, Monday evening. The fire had grown to more than 960 acres and was still spreading as of Monday night, said Andy Alexandrou, public information officer for the Division of Forestry. Photo courtesy Alaska Division of Forestry Firefighters from the Kenai area Division of Forestry and Above, this the Chena Interagency Hotshot Division of Forestry photo crew were working the fire. Sam Harrel, Division of Forshows smoke from the Funny estry spokesperson, said the Gannett Glacier Fire Crew out River Horse of Palmer was en route at of Trail fire Mon7:15 p.m. day evening. The fire, which is moving Left, emersouth toward Tustumena Lake, gency crews was reported at 4:15 p.m. Monstage at the day. As of 7:15 p.m., Harrel end of the said no structures were at risk. runway in TyDue to the fire’s proximity onek Monday to the Kenai National Wildlife afternoon. The Refuge water, instead of retarblaze grew dant is being used to fight the to 80 acres fire, Harrel said. He said at least by Monday one helicopter was dumping evening. Photo courtesy Pam Howard water on scene.
See FIRE, page A-7
Reports: Peninsula bears out and about Adele Bearup stands next to a commercial-sized dumpster, which was pushed over by bears. The Bearups live on Mile 91 of the Sterling Highway.
By KAYLEE OSOWSKI Peninsula Clarion
The local office of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has only received a handful of bear reports so far this spring. While reports number fewer than previous years, bears are out and going through people’s trash. Teea McBride, a Kenai resident who lives on Birch Street, said in an email Monday that a 5-foot tall black bear visited her yard recently and got into a bag of garbage. Tom Bearup, who lives at Mile 91 of the Sterling Highway, said bears tipped over and
Photo courtesy Tom Bearup
Woman walks 2 miles for help after JBER bear attack By MARK THIESSEN Associated Press
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON — Bloodied and dazed after being slashed by the claws of a brown bear, a woman struggled to walk 2 miles along a curvy, hilly trail to find someone to help her. The woman, who has asked that her identity not be released, was hospitalized in stable condition Monday, a day after the attack on an Anchorage military base, officials said. She suffered lacerations to her neck, arms and legs. The woman was jogging with her soldier husband Sunday morning on the northwestern part of the sprawling Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. The couple became separated,
The survival instinct for that woman is phenomenal.’ — Mark Sledge, JBER conservation officer and as she jogged down a hill near a bend, she came upon a bear leaving a trail at the same time. Air Force Maj. Angela Webb said they startled each other, and the bear, with two cubs in tow, assumed a defensive position in the largely wooded, remote area. “The bear attacked her, defending her babies, seeing her as a threat,” said Mark Sledge,
senior conservation law enforcement officer at the base. The bear knocked down the woman and took at least one swipe at her. Officials still haven’t interviewed the woman and don’t know if she was knocked unconscious or played dead until the animal left the area. Playing dead is the appropriate response when meeting a female bear protecting cubs, Sledge said. Authorities don’t know how long she lay there after the attack. At some point, the bloodcovered woman was able to start up the rough terrain for the road, about 2 miles away. “The survival instinct for that woman is phenomenal,” Sledge said. “The trauma that she went through and the walk See ATTACK, page A-7 C M Y
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went through his commercialsized Dumpster. Bearup found the mess Monday. “I mean the whole canister is in our front yard turned upside down,” Bearup said. He said two brown bears have been sighted in his neighborhood recently, so he figures they’re the culprits. He said they left some scratch
marks on the bin and scattered the trash around looking for food. Jeff Selinger, area wildlife biologist with Fish and Game, has received about four brown and black bear reports in the last week to 10 days, but he doesn’t have an exact count. He said the number is likely down due to a combination of factors. “I think more and more people are being pretty diligent about minimizing attractants,” he said. … “Another (factor) is we’ve had … relatively high (bear) harvests the last few years. That could be removing See BEARS, page A-7
Man arrested for firing from moving vehicle By DAN BALMER Peninsula Clarion
An Anchorage man is in jail after Alaska State Troopers allege he fired gunshots from a moving vehicle in the direction of houses while intoxicated on Kalifornsky Beach Road Sunday afternoon. Troopers arrested Darrel J. Shannon, 37, and charged him with misconduct involving weapons in the first, second and fourth degrees. Shannon was arraigned in Kenai District Court on Monday. Shannon was the passenger in a 2003 blue Ford Mustang Cobra convertible driven by Thomas J. Northcott, 56, of Soldotna. Troopers received a report from a resident in
the K-Beach neighborhood near Jones Road that someone was shooting a handgun out of the vehicle at about 3 p.m., according to a trooper’s complaint filed in Kenai District Court Monday. Trooper J.A. Woodruff conducted a traffic stop at Mile 20 on K-Beach Road and an investigation revealed Shannon possessed a Glock handgun that was missing two rounds. Northcott had a revoked driver’s license from a past driving while intoxicated charge. Troopers issued him a misdemeanor citation and released him to a responsible party, according to the affidavit. Shannon initially denied he fired the weapon, but later See GUN, page A-7