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CLARION P E N I N S U L A
DECEMBER 28, 2014 Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Vol. 45, Issue 75
50 cents newsstands daily/$1.00 Sunday
‘Overwhelming’ support for family after crash More than $25,000 raised in 24 hours for mom, daughter severely hurt in Christmas Day wreck By Rashah McChesney Peninsula Clarion
To contribute:
Well-wishers have donated more than $25,000 in 24 hours to an Anchor Point woman and her 11-year-old daughter who were hospitalized with life-threatening injuries following a Christmas Day wreck near Anchor Point. Mathany Christine Satterwhite, a pregnant 29-year-old woman, and her daughter Angelica Haakenson were both flown to Anchorage for medical treatment after Satterwhite’s truck broke down on the side of the Sterling Highway as the two headed home from a Christmas dinner. Another Anchor Point resident, Nathan Sargeant, had stopped in front of Satterwhite’s truck to jump-start it when a third vehicle slid into them. Satterwhite, standing in front of the truck connecting jumper cables, was thrown into the ditch
n A Wells Fargo bank account has been set up in Angelica Haakenson’s name. The number is 2413583861. n Her GoFundME account can be found at gofundme.com/cj001c n Letters can be sent to Angelica Haakenson at Children’s Hospital at Providence, 3200 Providence Drive, Anchorage, AK, 99508
by the impact. Angelica, however, was pinned between the truck and Sargaents van. She had to be extricated, suffering multiple spinal fractures and ultimately loosing both of her legs above the knee during an emergency surgery a few hours later, said her aunt Emily Haakenson. The driver of the vehicle that collided with the
two stopped vehicles was another Anchor Point man, Larry Pyatt. He and Sargaent suffered minor injuries in the crash, according to an Alaska State Troopers report. As word of the accident spread, family members set up accounts for donations and friends began organizing art auctions and charity events to benefit the two. More than 350 people donated $26,400 in 24-hours on a GoFundMe donation page that Emily Haakenson set up. Angelica’s goofy grin dominates the page, which has been shared more than 1400 times. “Thousands of people have come forward offering what they can to contribute to (Angelica’s) recovery,” Emily Haakenson wrote in a message. “Whether it’s a prayer, well wishes, lodging, food, rides, plane tickets, donations, or one of the many, many other ways people have offered to help, we cannot express enough how See WRECK, page A-2
Remembering the fire W C
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hen the Funny River wildfire broke out on May 19, the wind-driven blaze threatened thousands of homes between Funny River and Tustumena Lake. It took several million dollars and nearly 800 personnel to contain the northern and western edges of the blaze and steer it further into the wildlife refuge, away from local communities.
All-told, the fire consumed nearly 200,000 acres of Kenai National Wildlife Refuge land. For some residents of the Kenai Peninsula, the looming threat was a wake-up call, a reminder that living near the 1.92 million acre Kenai National Wildlife Refuge requires heightened fireawareness. “People kind of know it in the back of their minds, but I think there’s still a sense of ‘this isn’t going to happen to me,’ said Kenai Peninsula Borough Health and Safety Officer Brad Nel-
Looking back on
2014
son. “But sometimes it does happen to you.” The Funny River Wildfire wasn’t the first wildfire to threaten Kenai Peninsula residents. A lighting-sparked fire burned several thousand acres on the Southern Peninsula in 2005. Another in 2007 burned about 50,0000 acres and nearly 200 structures. In 2009, the Shanta Creek Wildfire started on the Kenai Peninsula Wild-
fires refuge and it burned more than 13,000 acres. The population continues to grow on the Kenai Peninsula — up from about 25,000 in 1980 to nearly 60,000 in 2010, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. The fire season, and dangers associated with it, arrives at about the same time every year and for some of those new to the area, the fires come as a surprise, others are prepared. “We’ve seen
people prepared to bug out at a moment’s notice,” Nelson said. “They’ve got their clothes and important belongings in one spot, ready to be taken quickly.” The borough’s Rapid Notify Self Registration for emergency notifications, an automated phone alert system for emergency notifications, saw a rush of new users during the fire. See FIRE, page A-2
Photo and story by Rashah McChesney In this May 23, 2014 file photo Erik Huebsch clears debris from a pump settled into Tustumena Lake where it provides water to his remote access cabin Friday May 23, 2014 in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge.
Lawmakers call on Walker to reign-in budget Governor faces $3.5 billion budget deficit, dropping oil prices in current fiscal year By DAN JOLING Associated Press
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Alaska’s legislative leaders are calling in Gov. Bill Walker to immediately address budget worries brought on by the falling price of oil. Legislative leaders called for a hiring freeze in all departments, limits on state employee travel and an accounting of spending through the fiscal year’s first six months to deter-
mine if agencies have resources that could be reduced. In a letter dated Tuesday, Senate President-elect Kevin Meyer, House Speaker Mike Chenault and the co-chairmen of the House and Senate finance committees said the most critical issue before the Legislature is Alaska’s long-range financial outlook. “The immediate concerns of a $3 billion deficit and our ability to protect the state’s credit rating from damage and dete-
Today’s Clarion Obituaries..................... A-3 Opinion......................... A-4 Nation........................... A-6 World............................ A-7 Sports........................... B-1 Community................... C-1 Weddings...................... C-1 Dear Abby..................... C-2 Crossword..................... C-2 Horoscope.................... C-2 Classifieds................... C-3 Mini Page...................... C-7 TV...................... Clarion TV
Some snow 35/31 For complete weather, see page A-10 Check us out online at www.peninsulaclarion.com To subscribe, call 283-3584.
rioration will take center stage when the Legislature convenes in January,” they wrote. Walker spokeswoman Grace Jang said by email Friday that Walker appreciated the letter and shared a concern for action. Walker and his budget team have been in almost daily meetings, she said. “He will ask commissioners, state employees and the public to weigh in on where we should make cuts,” Jang said. Walker on Dec. 15 submitted
a stripped-down capital budget as a starting point for addressing the bleak revenue forecast. The state is projecting a $3.5-billion budget deficit for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, amid lower-thanexpected oil prices. The state project a $3.2-billion hole for 2016 even at the levels laid out in reduced budget submissions. Walker’s operating budget, required to be submitted by Dec. 15, was prepared by his predecessor, former Gov. Sean
Parnell, and Walker has not endorsed it. After collecting suggestions from the public, he plans to submit revised spending plans by Feb. 18. The legislative leaders called for changes to be made sooner. “Once the gavel falls on January 20, we have 90 days for consideration of the people’s business,” they wrote. “Both Houses of the Legislature consider the fiscal crisis as our top priority.” The legislative leaders asked
Few apply for Fish and Game commissioner’s job By Rashah McChesney Peninsula Clarion
A scheduled meeting to sort through candidates for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game commissioner’s appointment has been canceled due to the low number of ap-
plicants. Four people met the Dec. 22 deadline to apply for the position including Alaskans Roland Maw and Sam Cotten and two out-of-staters, Zachary Hill and Greg Woods, said Executive Director of the Alaska Board of Fisheries C
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Glenn Haight. “There is a fairly small number of applicants (4), and it was felt the simplest and cleanest way to run the process was to handle everything through the Joint Board,” Haight wrote in an email. See COMMISSIONER, page A-8
Contributed photo by Emily Hakkenson
Kenai shelter closing drop-off kennels By Ian Foley Peninsula Clarion
The Kenai Animal Shelter’s after hours drop-off kennels will no longer be available for use as of December 31. The outdoor kennels, which have been available for over a decade, allow people to dropoff stray or unwanted cats and dogs when the shelter is closed. The kennels are being removed because people have provided insufficient information about the animals. Also, weather conditions could be dangerous to animals left outside. According to information released by the City of Kenai, the shelter took in 326 animals in 2013 from the after hours dropoff kennels alone. Currently, there are three kennels for dogs and two for cats. Kenai Animal Control Officer Stacie Mallette said that the kennels were originally intended as a last resort for when someone needed to put an animal in a kennel quickly. However, she said that it has become an easy way for people to get rid of a pet. “The drop-offs are very handy, but they aren’t being used effectively,” Mallette said. Mallette said that when people leave animals in the after hour kennels, they rarely leave information about the pets, which makes adopting them out to a suitable family more difficult. If provided with information such as the animal’s age, temperament and health, Mallette said that the shelter could place the animal in a family more easily. “The more information we have on an animal, the quicker we can adopt it out,” Mallette said. When no information is provided, the shelter doesn’t know if an animal is unwanted or a stray. If there is no information, the shelter brings the animal in and keeps it at the facility it for 72 hours before adopting it out in case an owner claims it. Another reason for the kennel’s closure is to prevent animals being exposed to dangerSee SHELTER, page A-2