Peninsula Clarion, August 10, 2014

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Women get together to run for a cause

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Pug people

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Loving the funny-looking family dog, Bernie Community/C-1

CLARION P E N I N S U L A

AUGUST 10, 2014 Soldotna-Kenai, Alaska

Vol. 44, Issue 267

50 cents newsstands daily/$1.00 Sunday

Board bumps K-Selo school to No. 1

Not alone Group creates community for parents of special needs kids

By KAYLEE OSOWSKI Peninsula Clarion

By KAYLEE OSOWSKI Peninsula Clarion

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For parents of kids with special needs, running to various doctor appointments, activities and just completing everyday errands leaves little time for moms and dads to consider their own needs. In an effort to give parents a time to gather and talk about their lives and special needs children three Soldotna residents founded the Parents SPEAK — Special Parents Encouraging Amazing Kids — Support Group. The group began about a year ago stemming from Christo Vive International, a Christian-based foundation providing camp experiences around the world for kids with disabilities. Gene and Jordana Engebretsen, who live in Soldotna and are the founders and directors of Christo Vive, discussed with Peggy Larson, of Soldotna, other ways to reach out to the community. “My heart went out to parents,” Larson said. “I’ve always had a desire to work with parents of special needs kids because my husband and I have three adult kids who were all special needs and went through a lot when they were children growing up in Washington (State).” With that desire to provide support for parents, the group was born. “To be with other parents who are going through issues, too, is very encouraging because all of the sudden you all talk the same language even though your kids have different problems, you’re still going See SUPPORT, page A-2

Photos by Kelly Sullivan/ Peninsula Clarion

Traci Bicknell (right) chats with her daughters, Miranda, 19, and Kelsey, 18, seated at the table, who helped out with the six-family garage sale held at Bicknell’s mothers house, Saturday in Soldotna.

Above: Miranda Bicknell, 19, and her sister Kelsey, 18, chat in the garage at the six-family garage sale held at their grandmother’s house. Right: Preston Bicknell, 17, works on the dishes at mother’s house, Saturday in Soldotna. His mother Traci Bicknell said it is a chore he is having trouble learning because of his special needs.

A new building for Kachemak Selo school has knocked Kenai Middle School asbestos removal and office remodel project out of the No. 1 spot on the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s Six Year Plan for fiscal years 2015-2021. The KPBSD Board of Education voted to revision to the plan it approved in March at its Monday night meeting. The approval for the revision to the plan was presented as a laydown item through Superintendent Dr. Steve Atwater. According to a memo from Atwater to the board, the asbestos removal as well as the Homer High School re-roofing project, which was originally listed as the No. 2 priority on the KPBSD list, ranked as No. 33 and No. 44, respectively, on the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development list. The low state rankings make the projects unlikely to be funded, according to the memo. The memo states that moving the K-Selo new school project to the No. 1 position gives it an additional nine points. Board member Sunni Hilts said the project is large for a “very special kind of school” See LIST, page A-2

Alaska Supreme Court reverses food-tax referendum decision By MICHAEL ARMSTRONG Morris News Service-Alaska Homer News

In a decision that clarifies the rights of Alaska citizens to change law by initiative and referendum, the Alaska Su-

preme Court on Friday said the Kenai Superior Court and the Kenai Peninsula Borough Clerk erred when they rejected a 2010 proposed referendum by James Price, a Nikiski citizen activist. Price sought to repeal a 2008 Borough Assembly or-

Today’s Clarion Obituaries..................... A-3 Opinion......................... A-4 Alaska........................... A-5 Nation........................... A-6 World............................ A-9 Cops/courts................ A-12 Sports........................... B-1 Community................... C-1 Dear Abby..................... C-2 Crossword..................... C-2 Horoscope.................... C-2 Classifieds................... C-3 Mini Page...................... C-8 TV...................... Clarion TV

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dinance that allowed the borough’s general law cities of Homer, Soldotna and Seldovia ‘I’m very excited about the possibility to continue charging a year- to be able finally to allow the people round sales tax on nonprepared food items. The Supreme Court to have their say in this issue.’ decision in Price v. Kenai Pen— James Price, Nikiski citizen activist insula Borough et al. reverses a summary judgment by the Superior Court that said Price’s “I’m very excited about the boroughs,” unless the borough proposed referendum could not possibility to be able finally to assembly authorizes general proceed because it constituted “local or special legislation” in allow the people to have their law cities to do so. The cities say in this issue,” Price said of Soldotna, Homer and Selviolation of state law. in reaction to the ruling. “It’s dovia had requested the borlawfully appropriate for the ough to grant it the option to people to make this decision. tax nonprepared food. OrdiIt’s unfortunate they were not nance 2008-28 was passed 6-1 Do you think victims of allowed to make that decision by the borough in September before voters later approved a the Ebola virus should in 2010.” Kenai and Seward are home- referendum requiring that nonbe transported into the rule cities and allowed by state prepared food taxes be exempt law to levy and collect sales from sales taxes from Sept. 1 United States? taxes. Under Alaska Statutes, to May 31. Soldotna later used general law cities may only that power granted to it by the n Yes; or levy and collect sales taxes borough to make sales taxes on “in the manner provided for food year round. Homer put the n No.

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vote on the seasonal sales tax exemption to the people, and they chose to keep the seasonal sales tax exemption. Kachemak City near Homer also is a general law city, but it does not levy sales taxes. The borough has 10 days to decide how it wants to proceed, said Borough Clerk Jonni Blankenship, and borough attorneys are reviewing the Supreme Court decision to decide what action to take. In a decision written by Justice Craig Stowers, the Alaska Supreme Court not only considered the borough’s argument that the ordinance could not be changed by referendum because it was local or special legislation, but that it was unenforceable as a matter of law. The borough argued and the Superior Court agreed that See TAX, page A-2


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