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Tips for the perfect blueberry pie
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CLARION
Rainy 63/52 More weather on Page A-2
P E N I N S U L A
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2014 Soldotna-Kenai, Alaska
Vol. 44, Issue 270
50 cents newsstands daily/$1.00 Sunday
Race for GOP Senate nod heated
Question Have you ever taken a class at Kenai Peninsula College? n Yes n No To place your vote and comment, visit our Web site at www. peninsulaclarion. com.
In the news
By BECKY BOHRER Associated Press
Brown bear sport hunting closure proposed for refuge
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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Tuesday announced a proposed temporary closure of sport hunting of brown bears on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. According to a press release from the refuge, the temporary closure would be implemented as a resource protection measure to ensure consistency with refuge purposes. The closure would be effective Sept. 1 through May 31, 2015. Additional information can be found at http://www.fws.gov/alaska/. Fish and Wildlife is accepting written comments on the proposed temporary closure. Written comments may be submitted by mail to: Refuge Manager, P.O. Box 2139, Soldotna, AK 99669; by fax to 907-262-3599 (attention Refuge Manager); or by email to kenai@fws.gov. Written comments will be accepted through August 27. Fish and Wildlife will hold public hearings to provide notice of and additional information on the proposed temporary closure. Hearings will be held at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Office, 1011 East Tudor Road, Anchorage on August 26, and at the Soldotna Sports Center, Kalifornsky Beach Road, on August 27. Both hearings will be held from 6-9 p.m. Fish and Wildlife will accept verbal and written testimony at the hearings. For additional information, contact the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge office at 907-262-7021. — Staff report
Index Opinion.................. A-4 Nation/World.......... A-6 Sports...................A-10 Food...................... B-1 Classifieds............. B-3 Comics................... B-7
Photo by Dan Balmer/Peninsula Clarion
State Senate District O independent candidate Eric Treider, right, and incumbent Sen. Peter Micciche, R-Soldotna, discuss their goals if elected during a debate Tuesday at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex.
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Senate candidates square off Forum highlights 20differences 14 between Micciche, Treider By DAN BALMER Peninsula Clarion
The two candidates for Senate District O met for the first time for a debate Tuesday and the only thing challenger Eric Treider and incumbent Sen. Peter Micciche R-Soldotna agreed on was that they both had very different visions for the future of Alaska. Micciche and Treider spoke at a joint luncheon of the Kenai and Soldotna Chambers of Commerce at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex Tuesday. Soldotna Chamber of Commerce President Ryan
2014 Kapp moderated the debate and asked each candidate a series of questions from legislative goals, to how they would vote on the ballot initiatives. Treider, who is running as an independent, will be on the Nov. 4 general election ballot while Micciche will be on the Aug. 19 primary ballot. Micciche said he would not campaign until after the primary, when the race will be decided
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with the general election. The differences between the two candidates became more evident with each question. While Treider admitted he did not have the experience working on local boards or commissions, Micciche referenced his past experience in local government from Soldotna mayor, council member and the multiple committees and service projects he has served on. “It takes a certain skill to be idealistic yet pragmatic,” he said. “I have a vision of utopia but I accept that is never go-
ing to happen. The job is to try to get us as close as possible. Those that get hung up on getting exactly what they want causes gridlock. Experience is pertinent to what I’m doing. I love my job.” Treider said his top legislative priority if elected would be to propose a rule change that would allow lawmakers to abstain from voting on matters with a perceived conflict of interest. Treider has been critical of Micciche’s voting record on oil and gas issues while working as superintendent of the ConocoPhillips See DEBATE, page A-14
ANCHORAGE — Needing to net six seats in November to regain control of the U.S. Senate, Republicans ought to be able to count on reliably conservative Alaska as something of a gimme. But they’ll first have to settle on a candidate. And as the Republicans on next Tuesday’s ballot snipe, bicker and fight their way toward the primary, some are worried their candidate — no matter who it might be — will emerge too weakened to defeat Democratic Sen. Mark Begich. “That’s the life of a Republican primary — bomb throwing for three months, and then you try to piece the candidate back together before the general,” said former Republican state lawmaker Andrew Halcro. In some ways, the same schisms dividing the party establishment and tea party supporters in the Lower 48 are playing out on The Last Frontier. Former state attorney general and natural resources commissioner Dan Sullivan has the backing of major Republican donors and Washington-based power brokers, including Karl Rove. The Marine reservist, who worked for the State Department in the George W. Bush administration, is the target of populist, socially conservative broadsides from tea party favorite Joe Miller, who pulled off a surprise upset of Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski in state’s See RACE, page A-14
APOC OKs opinion Text helps searchers locate hiker on ballot measures By EMILY RUSSO MILLER Morris News Service-Alaska
JUNEAU (AP) — The Alaska Public Offices Commission has approved an advisory opinion that found that lawmakers can use state resources, like their legislative websites, to make known their positions on referenda and ballot measures. Guidance on the issue was requested by House Speaker Mike Chenault and Senate President Charlie Huggins. The advisory opinion referenced a legislative ethics committee decision that found action to support or oppose an
initiative was related to lawmakers’ duties. But the advisory opinion said that in the future when lawmakers use state resources to take such positions, the use of state resources should be disclosed on an independent expenditure report and communications expressing an opinion on a ballot measure should include a “paid for” tag. The commission approved the decision on a 4-1 vote last week.
Juneau Empire
Searchers easily located a lost hiker stuck atop a mountain near the Mendenhall Glacier on Thursday when the 28-year-old man texted Alaska State Troopers a picture of his surroundings. Troopers showed the picture to a Temsco Helicopters Inc. pilot who was familiar with the area, and the pilot found the hiker in less than 30 minutes. “He seemed like he was pretty excited and grateful,”
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pilot Eric Main said of the hiker’s reaction when the helicopter picked him up. Troopers began searching for the hiker, whom they identified as Richard Lam, when Lam called them asking for help at about 4:45 p.m. Thursday. He was high up enough on the mountain to get cell phone service, said trooper spokeswoman Megan Peters. “We had another rescue in a similar area the week before where someone didn’t have cell coverage,” Peters noted in an interview. “They were further down in the valley, but (Lam) was high up enough
where his phone worked.” Lam reported that he had been hiking East Glacier Trail and Nugget Creek Trail, which begin behind the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center, and that he got lost and was stuck on a high ledge somewhere. He texted a picture of his location to Juneau-based trooper Christopher Umbs, who showed it to Temsco base manager and helicopter pilot Main. Main instantly recognized the area as Middle Basin, one of the drainages off Heintzelman Ridge that feeds into See TEXT, page A-14