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P E N I N S U L A
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2014 Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Vol. 45, Issue 72
Halibut charter rules tightened
Question How should municipal governments address regulation of commercial marijuana facilities? n Government bodies should enact ordinances. n Proposed regulations should be put to a vote of the people. n Local governments should wait for the state to set regulations.
NPFMC makes changes after overages in 2014 By DJ SUMMERS Morris News Service-Alaska/ Alaska Journal of Commerce
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council passed tighter restrictions for the 2015 charter halibut fisheries in Southeast and the central Gulf of Alaska. The changes approved Dec. 11 will retain the two-fish daily bag limit for the central Gulf, or Area 3A, fished out of Southcentral ports and Kodiak, with the first of any size and second not to exceed 29 inches while adding a new rule prohibiting trips on the Thursday of every week between June 15 and Aug. 31. Charters will be limited to one trip per day and anglers limited to five fish per year. The halibut charter fishery
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In the news At least 2 dead in crash in Denali National Park M K
ANCHORAGE (AP) — At least two people have died in a two-vehicle collision at Alaska’s Denali National Park and Preserve. Park spokeswoman Kathleen Kelly says the Monday morning crash occurred on the Parks Highway about 1.5 miles south of the park entrance. One of the vehicles was fully engulfed in flames and the front of the other vehicle, a pickup truck, burned. Those killed were the two drivers, and Kelly said the bodies will be sent to the state medical examiner’s office for autopsies. It’s unknown if any others were involved in the crash. There are no known witnesses to the accident, which Kelly said occurred on clear road conditions. Because the crash occurred within park boundaries, the National Park Service is leading the investigation rather than state troopers, who are assisting.
Inside ‘But even it, as any human body, can suffer from ailments, dysfunctions, illnesses.’ ... See page A-6
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in Southeast, or Area 2C, will have a one-fish daily bag limit with a reverse slot limit of 40 inches or shorter and 80 inches or longer, an increase from the 2014 slot limit of 44-76. Halibut between 40 inches and 80 inches are required to be released carefully to the ocean. Both management measures exist under the catch sharing plan that went into effect in 2014, which divides the halibut harvest as a percentage between sport and commercial sectors and also allows charter vessels to lease halibut quota from the commercial fleet. The new management measures are an attempt to keep charter fisheries within their allocations, which has been a problem in Southeast where See HALIBUT, page A-10
Walker continues to fill out cabinet
Photo by Kelly Sullivan/ Peninsula Clarion
Night lights
Tara Chipman said it takes her family about three hours to complete their annual Christmas decorations, pictured here on Monday on Rogers Road in Kenai. Halloween and Christmas are the two holidays Chipman “decks out” the house for, she said. The interior of the home receives attention as well, she said.
JUNEAU (AP) — Gov. Bill Walker is continuing to fill out his Cabinet, naming Heidi Drygas to be state labor commissioner. Drygas previously served as general counsel for the Alaska District Council of Laborers. Walker said Drygas has extensive experience in labor relations and will be an asset to his administration. Drygas replaces Dianne Blumer. Her appointment is subject to legislative approval. Walker also announced that
Larry Hartig would remain as commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation. Walker cited Hartig’s commitment to public service and knowledge of environmental and natural resource issues. Hartig has held the position since 2007. Walker named Darwin Peterson as his legislative director. Peterson most recently served as chief of staff to Republican Sen. Bert Stedman of Sitka. Walker made the announcements by news release on Friday.
Local congregation celebrates Hanukkah By IAN FOLEY Peninsula Clarion
This Hanukkah, members of the Briat Elohim Reform Jewish congregation are meeting to celebrate the holiday with friends and family. While the congregation is still growing, it has come a long way since its members first began meeting nearly 30 years ago. Paula Bute, who helped organize the congregation, said she started looking for other Jews in the community soon after her son was born in 1979. In 1983 her family celebrated Ha-
nukkah with another family for the first time and after the Passover Seder in 1985, she helped organize a congregation. “We decided we wanted to have services, but we had no money and we had no building, so we formed a committee to approach churches to see if they would let us use their basements on Friday nights, which is usually not busy in churches,” Bute said. Bute said that many church leaders had to talk to boards of governors or higher-ups for approval. She said that out of the blue,
they were offered space at Kenai’s Our Lady of the Angels Roman Catholic Church. “All of a sudden, we got a call from Father Wells from the catholic church, whom we had not approached,” she said. “He contacted us and said ‘I hear you’re looking for a place to meet. I don’t have to ask anybody’s permission. You can start meeting here on Friday nights — for free.’” The group continued to meet at the church for 15 years. In 2006, they acquired their own Submitted photo building on Echo Lake Road Members of the Briat Elohim congregation gather to celebrate See LIGHT, page A-10 Hanukkah.
Mother, daughter find success after adversity By IAN FOLEY Peninsula Clarion
Soldotna residents Kiowa Richardson and her mother, Betsy Laws, are no strangers to adversity. Despite years of hardship that included an abusive relationship, a life-threatening accident and poverty, the two are currently enjoying considerable success. Richardson currently attends the United States Air Force Academy while Laws works as a nurse at the oncology unit at the Central Peninsula Hospital. Laws also donates her By Ian Foley/ Peninsula Clarion time to local charities. Betsy Laws and her daughter Kiowa Richardson look through In 2008, wanting to espictures of their old cabin on Monday in Soldotna. cape an abusive relationship,
Laws took her daughter and moved from Pennsylvania to a 252-square-foot cabin on small piece of land that she had purchased near Sport Lake Road in Soldotna. Laws said that at the time, she had about $200 to her name and had to get food from the food bank. Additionally, the property she had purchased was in disarray and lacked many modern comforts. “When we moved back to Alaska, life was a little challenging, because we moved into a little one-room cabin without plumbing and it was pretty rough looking,” Laws said. “It was a place to come to as a refuge. It might have looked ugly,
but it was our home.” Even though the family didn’t have a lot of money, TV or running water, Laws and Richardson said that they had each other. The two cleaned up the property and were proud of their modest home. In May of 2011, Laws was hospitalized after a propane leak in their shower house caused an explosion, leaving her with burns on 17 percent of her body. Laws said that after the accident, people around the community were eager to help her build a new and improved house. At 832 square feet, she said the new house is like a See SUCCESS, page A-10