Peninsula Clarion, October 08, 2014

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Clinched

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Sports/A-10

CLARION

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P E N I N S U L A

Vol. 45, Issue 7

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014 Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

50 cents newsstands daily/$1.00 Sunday

Voters say no on ballot props

Question When do you think the central Kenai Peninsula will receive its first measurable snowfall? n Any day now n By Halloween n Not until November — or later To place your vote and comment, visit our Web site at www. peninsulaclarion. com.

By KAYLEE OSOWSKI Peninsula Clarion

Elections Kenai Peninsula Borough 2014 municipal election

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Unofficial results Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Tom Bearup........... 3,270 votes Carrol Martin.......................846 Mike Navarre...................4,794 Borough Advisory Proposition A A.1 (Limited animal control powers) Yes...................................2,772 No . ..................................2,831 A.2 (0.02 mill rate) M Yes...................................1,993 No . ..................................3,599 K Borough Advisory Proposition B (By-mail elections) Yes...................................3,046 No . ..................................5,786 Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly District 2-Kenai Grayling Bassett...................95 Blaine Gilman.....................482 Jake Thompson..................400 District 5-Sterling/Funny River Marty Anderson..................187 LaDawn Druce....................334 Stan Welles.........................493 District 8-Homer Kelly Cooper.......................862 Kenai Peninsula Borough Board of Education District 3-Nikiski Joe Arness.......................... 741 District 4-Soldotna Penny Vadla........................ 810 District 7-Central Bill Holt...............................551 Damon Yerly........................305 City of Kenai City Council (two elected) Mike Boyle..........................484 Henry Knackstedt...............504 Tim Navarre........................548 Holly Spann........................239 City of Soldotna Mayor Nels Anderson....................494 City Council Paul Whitney (Seat A).........461 Meggean Bos (Seat B).......466 Linda Murphy (Seat C).......467 Pete Sprague (Seat F)........507 Soldotna Proposition 1 (Financial disclosure for public officials) Yes......................................297 No . .....................................321

Index Opinion.................. A-4 Alaska.................... A-5 Nation.................... A-6 World..................... A-8 Sports...................A-10 Food...................... B-1 Classifieds............. B-3 Comics................... B-7 Check us out online at www.peninsulaclarion.com To subscribe, call 283-3584.

Photos by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion

Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Mike Navarre gives a speech after it became clear that he won a third term in office Tuesday in Soldotna.

Navarre wins re-election

Borough mayor fends off challengers to retain seat By KAYLEE OSOWSKI Peninsula Clarion

In the race for the Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor’s seat, unofficial results show incumbent Mike Navarre retaining his position with 53.52 percent of the vote. “I’m really happy right now with the results of the election,” he said. “And I’m happy for our community. … We have a lot of issues in front of us and I think I’m the best person to work with all the residents to try to ... plan for a bright future.”

Two candidates challenged Navarre for the job. Tom Bearup nabbed 36.51 percent of the vote and Carrol Martin captured 9.45 percent. Bearup carried the Anchor Point, Nikiski, Ninilchik, Sterling No. 2, Funny River No. 1 and Salamatof districts. “At this point it certainly looks good for (Navarre),” Bearup said. … “We’ve enjoyed the trip. We have worked hard and I congratulate (Navarre).” Bearup said, win or lose, he will continue to try to help as Borough mayoral candidate Tom Bearup watches guests at See MAYOR, page A-14 his election night party Tuesday in Soldotna.

Local voters said no to an animal rescue program and holding elections by mail. The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly put the issues on the ballot as advisory votes only. Just more than half of voters, 50.53 percent, said no Proposition A1, which asked voters if the borough should exercise animal control outside of cities. However, nearly 64 percent of said no to funding a program via a tax under Proposition A2. Proposition B asked if elections should be held by mail and about 66 percent of voters said no. Absentee ballots have yet to be counted. Peg Snyder, a member of the Domestic Animal Protection League that has been advocating for animal rights and campaigning in favor of an animal rescue program, said she is thankful to those who voted for the animals. Pushing for this cause “has been just a remarkable experience,” she said. Lance Briggs, who lives in the lower Kalifornsky Beach Road area, said he doesn’t see a problem with animal abuse or neglect in his neighborhood. Funny River voter Sean Owens was against animal control See PROPS, page A-13

Welles, Gilman take assembly seats By DAN BALMER Peninsula Clarion

Stan Welles and Blaine Gilman have come out ahead in their Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly races, while voters in Homer approved Kelly Cooper. After Tuesday’s preliminary vote count, Welles led the Sterling and Funny River district with 48 percent of the votes, with 493 votes. LaDawn Druce claimed 33 percent of the votes with 334 votes total. Marty Anderson collected 18 percent of the votes with 187 votes total

from the five of six precincts reporting. Cooper, who was running unopposed, carried the Homer district with 98 percent of the votes, receiving 831 votes total. Unofficial results have Gilman as the winner of the Kenai district with 49 percent of the 482 total votes. Jake Thompson received 41 percent and Grayling Bassett received 10 percent of the votes. Gilman said he saw the votes he received as a mandate for funding education to the cap.

He said the results were not a surprise as he sees the Kenai community as one that wants education properly funded. Moving into his term Gilman said he is going to fight for the platform he promised. He also said he is very thankful to the people that supported his election. Thompson ran on a conservative platform, touting fiscal responsibility. Bassett said he was looking to put his background in public policy to use in the public sector. This will not be Gilman’s

first time in public service. He served on the Kenai City Council from 2003-2005, a term he recalls as a contentious one. He, and the city, were dealing with the deficit left in sales tax revenue when Kmart went bankrupt and closed its Kenai location. Before the results were in, voters commented on the fresh faces running in the assembly elections. Ken Harper, a Kenai resident, said he was pleased with the new faces that showed up in this year’s elections. He said

he liked that younger candidates, Thompson and Bassett were running. He said with new candidates come the possibility of new ideas being put on the table. Sue Carter, a Kenai resident, said she voted for Blaine Gilman because she was close with his father, Donald Gilman, a former borough mayor. She said she believes Gilman will lead the community in a positive direction. “He supports families and education,” Carter said. See SEATS, page A-13

Holt wins Central Tim Navarre, Knackstedt school board seat lead Kenai City Council race By KELLY SULLIVAN Peninsula Clarion

Incumbents will fill the three seats on the Kenai Peninsula Borough School Board up for grabs in Tuesday’s election. Absentee ballots have not yet been counted but unofficial results show Penny Vadla, who ran unopposed in this year’s election, has been re-elected for the district of Soldotna. Joe Arness, also unopposed, will be representing the district of Nikiski on the board, and Bill Holt will be representing the central district. Vadla carried the Soldotna

district with 96.43 percent of the votes, of which she received 810. Arness captured 93.7 percent of the Nikiski district votes, of which he received 744. Bill Holt, beat out newcomer Damon Yerly for the Kasilof seat with 63.77 percent of the votes, of which he received 551, while Yerly had 35.30 percent of the votes, of which he received 305 votes. Arness was elected board president in his last term, and has a total of 23 successive years in public service. Vadla collectively has 11 years under her belt. See SCHOOL, page A-14

By DAN BALMER Peninsula Clarion

With nearly 1,800 votes cast in the Kenai City Council race, incumbents Tim Navarre and Henry Knackstedt won the two vacant seats according to unofficial results reported Tuesday night. Navarre received 30.61 percent of the votes to win reelection for a second term on the city council. Knackstedt edged incumbent Mike Boyle by 20 votes for the second council seat. Another challenger, Holly Spann, received C

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n Soldotna voters say no to proposition, Page A-14.

13 percent of the vote. Navarre said he appreciated the support from the voters. He said he felt confident that he represented his views well through debate and he felt the voters reacted favorably to his stance to support the veteran’s memorial issue. Tim Navarre celebrated with his brother Mike Navarre, who won a third term as Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor. “I was more anxious to see

his results because it was a race I felt ... had big implications for our community,” he said. “I look forward to another three years and being more proactive to address the issues that face our community.” Navarre said he is excited for Knackstedt to join the council. He said he has worked with Knackstedt through the city’s planning and zoning commission and believes Knackstedt will make a good council member. “He is very capable and ready to step into the council See KENAI, page A-13


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