Peninsula Clarion, January 18, 2015

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Find the Clarion’s 2015 recreation guide inside

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Ice time Brown Bears take on in-state rival Ice Dogs Sports/B-1

CLARION P E N I N S U L A

JANUARY 18, 2015 Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

Vol. 45, Issue 92

50 cents newsstands daily/$1.00 Sunday

Flying through history

Nikiski asks for trooper post Assembly to send request to governor, legislators By DAN BALMER Peninsula Clarion

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WWII-era planes still at work in Alaska skies

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n present day Alaska, World War II-era relics continue to fly the skies. Now, instead of being used by the military, private companies operate aircraft models such as the twin-engine, propeller-driven Curtiss C-46 Commando (first produced in 1940), and the larger four-engine Douglas DC-6 (first produced in 1946) in order to transport fuel and cargo to all regions of the 49th state. Although popular with the Alaska companies Everts Air Cargo and Everts Air Fuel, similar functioning planes are rarely found elsewhere in the world. While navigating Alaska’s rugged terrain and climate is impressive in itself, the history of these plane models, from playing integral roles in World War II and CIA missions to transporting world leaders, is equally extraordinary.

‘Flying the Hump’ Originally designed for the civilian sector, the C-46 was drafted into military service with the United States’ participation in World War II. During the war, many United States Army Air Force pilots participating in the China-Burma-India Theater, including former Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, were given the task of flying supplies from India to China in order to help the Chinese stave off Japanese forces. To do this, military planes, including the C-46, had to fly over the eastern Himalayas. This became known as “Flying the Hump” due the mountainous nature of the route. From 1942-1945, hundreds of planes and pilots were lost while fly-

Above: Spencer Wyman gives a fuel line to Zachary Sawyer as the two refill a WWII-era plane used by Everts Fuel Service on Tuesday at the Kenai Municipal Airport in Kenai. Left: A WWII-era plane nicknamed “Salmon Ella,” lands the airport on Tuesday. Everts Air Fuel operates several of the planes to deliver fuel and cargo around the state. Below: The cockpit of the C-46F “Salmon Ella,” built in 1945, doesn’t contain the computerized components found in modern planes.

ing the mountainous routes. In the early years of Hump missions, many pilots flew the Douglas C-47, but later the Curtiss C-46 was also used. Bill McKarns, a 92-year-old World War II veteran, flew 90 round trips on the Hump route between September 1944 and May 1945. McKarns said the C-46s had benefits. It was the largest twin-engine airplane in the world at that time and the improved engines allowed the plane to fly at altitudes of 25,000 feet, whereas previous cargo planes couldn’t reach such heights. “As it got perfected, it was a great airplane,” McKarns said. “I learned to believe in the dependability. It had better speed than the old (C-)47s.” McKarns said his most interesting flight took place on Christmas

See TROOPER, page A-5

Chenault questions board’s process By BECKY BOHRER Associated Press

JUNEAU — House Speaker Mike Chenault on Friday questioned the nominating process for Fish and Game commissioner and the treatment of finalist Roland Maw by the Board of Fisheries. The boards of fisheries and game met Wednesday to send a list of commissioner candidates to Gov. Bill Walker. The Fairbanks Daily NewsMiner reported the Board of Game voted to give Maw an interview but the

See FLY, page A-2

Story by Ian Foley v Photos by Rashah McChesney

See BOARD, page A-5

Homer lawmaker seeks marijuana delays

Today’s Clarion Obituaries..................... A-3 Opinion......................... A-4 Alaska........................... A-5 Nation........................... A-6 World............................ A-8 Police/courts............... A-10 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

In response to the rise of property crime in Nikiski last fall, the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly will vote on a resolution Tuesday to ask for a permanent Alaska State Trooper post for the area. Assembly members Wayne Ogle and Kelly Wolf sponsored the resolution, which calls for state legislators and Gov. Bill Walker to request the Department of Public Safety Commissioner reallocate trooper personnel to serve the Nikiski community. The nearest trooper post in Soldotna is 40 minutes away. A long response time to a community with two schools in the event of an incident is a significant concern of residents, Ogle said. With the oil and gas activity in Cook Inlet that brings population growth and with it the social impacts, public safety has been a major problem for quite some time, he said. “We had what the community considers an unacceptable rash of property crime that has deeply affected homeowners that are upset about it,” Ogle said. “We are asking the commissioner to reshuffle the deck and take a hard look at the allocation of troopers.”

Overcast 33/25 For complete weather, see page A-12 Check us out online at www.peninsulaclarion.com To subscribe, call 283-3584.

By BECKY BOHRER Associated Press

JUNEAU — A Homer legislator has proposed delaying regulations for marijuana concentrates to allow officials to focus this year on rules for the sale and growth of legalized pot and licensing of marijuana businesses. But Timothy Hinterberger, the chairman of the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana like Al-

cohol in Alaska, said the bill would “defy the will of the voters” and open the state to litigation, “which it would surely lose.” Republican Rep. Paul Seaton, the incoming chair of the House Health and Social Services Committee, said Friday that he wants regulations taken up in manageable units so there can be adequate time for consideration. The delay proposed in the C

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legislation, HB 59, would apply to marijuana concentrates and the chemical extraction of the psychoactive ingredient THC, he said. It would delay regulations related to the manufacturing, delivery, possession, sale, packaging or display of marijuana concentrates, calling for those rules to be finalized by November 2016 “in response to the difficulties other jurisdictions have found in unintended consequences of regulations

permitting marijuana concentrates,” according to the text of the bill. The bill also says in a section outlining its intent that during the delay, activities related to marijuana concentrates would remain illegal and may form the basis for revoking an establishment license or for the seizure or forfeiture of assets. Alaska voters last year approved legalizing the recreSee DELAY, page A-5


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