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CLARION
Partly sunny 58/39 More weather on Page A-2
P E N I N S U L A
MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2014 Soldotna-Kenai, Alaska
Vol. 44, Issue 208
Behind the scenes
Question Who is your preferred candidate for U.S. Senate? n Mark Begich n Joe Miller n Dan Sullivan n Mead Treadwell n Other 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.
50 cents newsstands daily/$1.00 Sunday
Supply personnel keep firefighters fit to fight Funny River Horse Trail wildfire By RASHAH MCCHESNEY Peninsula Clarion
On a cool, wet morning at a temporary open-air warehouse in Soldotna, Tom Vangs directs warehouseman Scott Johnson as the two stack firehose onto a pallet to be wrapped and shipped back to a firefighting supply warehouse in Alaska. Vangs, a cache demobilization specialist from Ontario, Oregon, is one of several people who run the supply chain that supports firefighter efforts to control the Funny River Horse Trail wildfire — a burn that has consumed more than 193,000 acres of Kenai National wildlife refuge land and threatened several communities along the Sterling Highway and Funny
River Road. Now, as the wet weather continues, warehouse workers are receiving nearly as many supplies as they send out each day and efforts to demobilize the hastily set-up supply ware-
house run alongside continued daily orders from firefighters still working to strengthen fire lines and ensure that the wildfire is under control. Each day, the Alaska InterSee SUPPLY, page A-14
Wildfire more than half contained Wet conditions continued Sunday as fire crews working on the Funny River Horse Trail wildfire continued to work on containing the controlled edges of the 193,000 acre wildfire. Rain and strong winds stalled worked Saturday after crews lost electrical power and trees were blown down along the fire line, according to an Alaska See FIRE, page A-14
Photo by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion
(left) Scott Johnson, of Ninilchik, and Tom Vangs, of Oregon, stack firehouse on a pallet in the temporary warehouse set up to supply firefighters working on the Funny River Horse Trail wildfire Friday in Soldotna.
On the issues
In the news Minor eruption at active Alaska volcano C
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ANCHORAGE — Authorities at the Alaska Volcano Observatory say elevated surface temperatures suggest the Pavlof Volcano is having a low-level eruption with lava at the surface. They said Saturday that satellite imagery shows a steam plume and a pilot reported a gas and ash plume drifting north about 8,000 feet above sea level. The 8,262-foot volcano is one of the state’s most active volcanoes. It is located about 625 miles southwest of Anchorage. An eruption last year prompted regional airlines to cancel flights to nearby communities.
Inside ‘I predict there will be more money spent in our Senate race by super PACS than there will by campaigns.’ ... See page A-14
‘The families, I’m sure, would like that closure.’
Senate candidates weigh in on outside money By BECKY BOHRER Associated Press
Fair play, carnival amusements Photos by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion
Top: Kelley Clark and Mark-Anthony Landford, 6, of Nikiski race backwards on a ride at the Golden Wheel Amusement’s carnival Sunday in Kenai. The fair will be in town until Monday. Right: Rubber duckies float down a trough of water in the “Pluck-a-Duck” game. Far right: Andrew Sickel, 18, of Nikiski, takes aim at a stack of bottles. Below: Brett Krogseng, 3, pulls a duck out of a trough to get a prize
... See page A-6
Index Opinion.................. A-4 Nation.................... A-6 World..................... A-7 Sports.....................A-8 Classifieds........... A-10 Comics................. A-13
Check us out online at www.peninsulaclarion.com To subscribe, call 283-3584.
JUNEAU, Alaska — This year’s U.S. Senate race in Alaska is the first major race here in the super PAC era. Independent expenditure groups, which can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money, and other outside groups are running ads or reserving air time ahead of the Aug. 19 primary. All the campaigns contacted — Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Begich and Republicans Joe Miller, Dan Sullivan and Mead Treadwell — agreed to participate. The campaigns were asked via email what impact they thought independent spending would have, whether they would refuse backing from outside groups and what they’d do as a senator to address campaign finance laws. Their responses have been edited for length. —Sen. Mark Begich, firstterm incumbent: “Independent, individual Alaska voters will decide our future, not these Outside groups back by billionaires. As Alaskans, we value actually knowing our elected officials. That’s why I love having impromptu town halls at Andy’s Hardware in Anchorage, Foodland in Juneau, the corner gas station or wherever Alaskans meet as I travel around our state. Unfortunately, Citizens United has opened the flood gates to a new tidal wave of Outside, corporate money that is trying to mislead and divide Alaskans along strong partisan and ideological lines. (Recently), Outside groups that See MONEY, page A-14
US defends captive swap with Taliban, critics stir By LOLITA C. BALDOR and CALVIN WOODWARD Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Five years a captive from the Afghanistan war, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is back in American hands,
freed for five Guantanamo terrorism detainees in a swap stirring sharp debate in Washington over whether the U.S. should have negotiated with the Taliban over prisoners. U.S. officials said Sunday that Bergdahl’s health and
safety appeared in jeopardy, prompting rapid action to secure his release. Republicans said the deal could place U.S. troops in danger, especially if the freed detainees return to the fight — one called it “shocking.” Arizona Sen. John McC
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Cain said of the five detainees, “These are the hardest of the hard core.” Gen. Joseph Dunford spoke of the excitement that spread through U.S. ranks when the sergeant’s release was confirmed. “You almost got choked
up,” he said. “It was pretty extraordinary.” Tireless campaigners for their son’s freedom, Bob and Jani Bergdahl thanked all who were behind the effort to retrieve him. “You were not left See SWAP, page A-14