Peninsula Clarion, May 25, 2014

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At last! Connections, Ninilchik celebrate graduations Page A-6

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Sunday

Swift Records fall at state track and field meet

CLARION

Sports/B-1

P E N I N S U L A

MAY 25, 2014 Soldotna-Kenai, Alaska

Vol. 44, Issue 201

50 cents newsstands daily/$1.00 Sunday

‘Knocking at our back door’

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Above: Several dozen smaller fires flared up along the north shore of Tustumena Lake Friday as fire crews worked to contain the nearly 70,000 acre Funny River Horse Trail wildfire on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. Right: A tanker planeplane drops fire retardent along a fire break near Royce Road Saturday in Funny River. Below right: Erik Huebsch, homeowner in the remote Bear Creek subdivision, is bathed in an eerie orange glow as smoke from the nearly 70,000 acre Funny River Wildfire obscures the sun over Tustumena Lake Friday in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. The fire has burned within a mile of the cabins, though Huebsch said he is hopeful as the wind has changed directions.

$11.1 million to be split between commercial, sport, research By MOLLY DISCHNER Morris News Service-Alaska Alaska Journal of Commerce

The National Marine Fisheries Service and other entities have reached a decision on a regional split of the $20.8 million in federal aid for fisheries disasters, but how to spend that money is still being decided. Cook Inlet fishers, businesses and other organizations will receive $11.1 million in federal fisheries disaster aid for the poor salmon runs in 2012, according to NMFS spokeswoman Julie Speegle. Those in the Yukon-Kuskokwim region will receive $9.6 million, she wrote in a May 23 email. Congress appropriated the funds earlier this year in response to the disaster declaration made for poor king runs on the Yukon River in 2010, 2011 and 2012, the Kuskokwim River in 2011 and 2012 and for Cook Inlet’s 2012 salmon fisheries. Now, NMFS is working with 11 representative organizations to develop the spending plans, although they won’t be made public immediately, Speegle wrote. “Because the draft spending plans are pre-decisional, they are not available to the public,” Speegle wrote. In March, NMFS proposed 10 representative groups help develop the spending plans, and then a different group — the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission — help execute them. The agency took public comment on that structure, and decided to add an additional group to the mix. Speegle wrote that NMFS developed and finalized the list of representative groups in consultation with the State of Alaska and the state’s congressional delegation. The 11th group, the Kenai Watershed Forum, was added after the public comment

Photos by Rashah McChesney/ Peninsula Clarion

Fire keeps crews busy, area residents on alert By RASHAH McCHESNEY Peninsula Clarion

Fishery funds headed for Cook Inlet

n The Funny River Horse Trail fire now covers 106,871 acres and is 20 percent contained, primarily along the northwest and west flank of the fire. The fire information number is 907714-2484.

It’s dry in Funny River. The dust from the traffic — gawkers and homeowners alike — flies up and mixes with the smoke and ash from the Funny River Horse Trail wildfire casting a eerie, pallid glow over the normally serene out-of-the more than 1,000 homes were issued way community. The activity hub lies at the north an evacuation advisory Saturday end of a 96,000-acre wildfire where See FIRE, page A-2

See AID, page A-2

Inside today Smoky 63/40 For complete weather, see page A-14

Obituaries..................... A-3 Opinion......................... A-4 Graduations.................. A-5 Nation........................... A-8 World.......................... A-10 Court reports.............. A-12 Sports........................... B-1 Community................... C-1 Dear Abby..................... C-2 Crossword..................... C-2 Horoscope.................... C-2 Classifieds................... C-3 Mini Page...................... C-7 TV...................... Clarion TV Check us out online at www.peninsulaclarion.com To subscribe, call 283-3584.

Nikiski graduates Kenai Central grads overcome adversity ready to go explore By RASHAH McCHESNEY Peninsula Clarion

There was perhaps no better visual metaphor of Nikiski High School’s 37 graduates than the cluster of toy soldiers marching up Cory Carr’s graduation cap. As Carr moved around the room laughing, stooping to hug friends and smiling for selfies — the soldiers defied the inexorable pull of gravity and clung bravely to his head — much like the students at Nikiski have done after recent events. “You know, it has been a rough time and it’s just a testament to the community that they can come together like this,” said Nikiski Middle-High School Principal Daniel Carstens during the school’s Tuesday graduation ceremony. This year’s graduation was especially impactful for Carstens whose oldest son, Seth Carstens received his diploma. The elder Carstens said he held

himself together well until the school played its traditional senior photo slideshow during the ceremony. “The thing that really snuck up on me ... was when they showed the baby pictures. I had to catch my breath,” Daniel Carstens said. One of the highlights of his year, Daniel Carstens said, was sitting down with his 18-year-old son and having a long talk. “I was able to sit down about a week and a half ago and we talked about a lot of things,” he said. Portions of the ceremony were punctuated with laughter — especially as class president Richard Vollertson tried to balance out what he termed as valedictorian Michael Hollinger and class speaker Carla Jenness’ serious messages. Vollertson imitated late-night TV host Jimmy Fallon’s piano skit during his speech. “I’m just glad people were able to See NIKISKI, page A-5 C

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By KELLY SULLIVAN Peninsula Clarion

For graduating Kenai Central High School seniors, it is finally time to release the expeditionary within themselves. Shannon Evans said she is looking forward to dedicating time to travelling. Her trek will start with the University of Alaska Anchorage as home base, where she plans to study videography, which she hopes will be the foundation of a long running career. Eventually her mileage will span the state of Alaska, Evans said. She said she will notice the absence of her KCHS friends, however. In just two years at KCHS she has made some of the most solid friendships of her life. Olen Danielson said he would remedy his hankering for home by staying in touch with friends and family. Danielson will be moving more than 4,000 miles away to settle down on the LeTourneau University campus, in

Longview Texas, where he will study engineering. He said it is time to leave Kenai, but he said he certainly plans to return. “I don’t even know, wow, it’s already here,” Austin Frederic said, trying to put words to graduating from KCHS that evening. His transition into adulthood will start a little closer to home. Frederic will be attending Kenai Peninsula College in the fall for process technology. He said with friends moving away, it will be a rough transition into not seeing them daily. Friends Whitni Stockton, Makayla George and Falon McGahan waited together after the ceremony in the flowing crowd outside the Renee C. Henerson auditorium. They stood side-by-side scanning the friends and families watching the emerging red-gowned students looking for their own. Each of the three seniors will be in different places next year. See KENAI, page A-7


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