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P E N I N S U L A
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015 Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Vol. 45, Issue 126
Question Do you agree with the University of Alaska Regents’ decision to raise tuition? n Yes, it’s appropriate given the anticipated budget shortfall. n No, it’s not fair to students.
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Cultivation measure turned down Assembly won’t send commercial marijuana growing ban to voters By KELLY SULLIVAN Peninsula Clarion
The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly voted down a proposition that would have asked eligible voters outside of incorporated cities if the commercial cultivation of marijuana should be illegal in the borough’s unincorporated areas. More than 90 people testified on the
measure. Attendees were spilling out of the assembly chamber exits, waiting for their three minutes to speak in support of or opposition to what Assembly President Dale Bagley termed the “main event” at Tuesday’s meeting. Regulations for commercial marijuana cultivation facilities are currently being developed by state officials. Language in the ballot initiative that legalized marijuana for recreational use
allows for municipalities to regulate aspects of manufacturing, testing and sales of the product. Assembly members Kelly Wolf, Blaine Gilman and Stan Welles voted in favor of the measure. A site in Homer was established in assembly member Kelly Cooper’s office so residents could comment on the measure telephonically. Sue McClure said the same courtesy was extended in
Seward, but she did not receive enough interest. Cameron Baxter, a Homer resident, was the first to speak. He said he uses a specific strain of medical marijuana to treat painful spasms. The drug is fast acting, calming the convulsions within 15 minutes, whereas untreated it takes up to two hours, for which he may be bedridden. A commercial facility would
Bear scare
To place your vote and comment, visit our Web site at www. peninsulaclarion. com.
In the news Minority lawmakers push back on education proposal
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JUNEAU (AP) — A House subcommittee has proposed deeper cuts to the state education department budget than those put forth by Gov. Bill Walker, prompting objections from the Democratic-led minority. The subcommittee’s recommendations include eliminating state support for the early-childhood Best Beginnings program, cutting funding for a broadband initiative approved by the Legislature last session and a cut equal to the 2.5-percent raises previously approved for department employees. The recommendations, finalized Tuesday night, will go to the House Finance Committee for consideration as it crafts its version of the operating budget. Whatever passes the House would have to be considered by the Senate. Reps. Sam Kito III of Juneau and Dan Ortiz of Ketchikan questioned the rationale behind some of the proposed cuts. Ortiz, a former teacher who is politically unaffiliated, said he strongly objected to adding back $50,000 to a program that provides support for education about minerals while proposing cuts to pre-kindergarten and other programs. Walker had proposed eliminating $100,000 for the Alaska Mineral and Energy Resource Education Fund. Kito, a Democrat, acknowledged the need to make the state’s savings last and to be careful in what the state spends. But he said it’s important that the Legislature focus on education, including early childhood education. If the state doesn’t make that investment early on, it will wind up paying more later, he said.
Index Opinion.................. A-4 Nation/World.......... A-5 Sports.....................A-6 Arts........................ B-1 Classifieds............. B-3 Comics................... B-6 Check us out online at www.peninsulaclarion.com To subscribe, call 283-3584.
See BAN, page A-8
Family has close encounter on Skilak area trail By RASHAH McCHESNEY Peninsula Clarion
Photo courtesy Furie Operating Alaska
The first production platform to be installed in Cook Inlet since the mid-1980s arrived in Kachemak Bay last September. The Furie Operating Alaska platform was completed in Ingleside, Texas, last summer, and began its journey from Corpus Christi to Alaska through the Gulf of Mexico and the Panama Canal on June 4, 2014. It will be installed over the company’s Kitchen Lights Unit No. 3 this year.
Inlet gas estimate increased By TIM BRADNER Morris News Service-Alaska/ Alaska Journal of Commerce
State geologists have now increased the amount of natural gas they believe can be economically produced from known fields in Cook Inlet. The state Division of Oil and Gas concluded, in a recent study, that there may be 440 billion cubic feet more gas in the Inlet’s gas fields than previously estimated. About 1.1 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas reserves were estimated in a 2009 resource assessment by the division, and the new figure is about 1.54 trillion cubic feet of gas, according to Paul Decker, acting director of the state Divi-
sion of Oil and Gas. Decker presented the estimates in a briefing to an energy task force of Commonwealth North, an Anchorage-based business and public policy group. The estimates are derived from data available to the public from a handful of the Inlet’s larger producing gas fields and do not include resources that could be added from three recent gas discoveries where the estimated volumes are still confidential, Decker said. It’s not known, however, whether the new estimates mean there’s enough gas in the Inlet to supply future utility needs, a possible restart of the Agrium fertilizer plant near Kenai and possibly supplying gas to Fairbanks. That will probably take continued exploration and investment in
the producing fields, Decker said. Gas from the North Slope will still be needed someday, he said. The increase in estimated reserves is good news, though, because just a few years ago the regional utilities were seriously worried about depleted supply from the region’s gas fields. Imports of liquefied natural gas were being studied as a short-term solution. What turned things around was the entry of Hilcorp Energy into Cook Inlet and that company’s investment and aggressive redevelopment of the Inlet’s older fields, Decker said. The apparent shortage also stimulated state geologists to reassess what they knew about the Inlet. Both the 2009 resource estimate and See GAS, page A-8
An idyllic hike along the Upper Kenai River Trail ended in a hasty retreat for a group of hikers who encountered a bear. The persistent predator followed them all the way back to their car at the base of the trail. Soldotna man Robert Hughes said he fired several warning shots at the bear, but none produced a noticeable impact and the animal followed his family and a family friend for several minutes as they made their way back down the trail. Hughes said he, his son Michael Hughes, and a friend climbed a ridge at about 5:30 p.m. on Sunday looking for Michael’s wallet, which had been lost earlier. The group left Hughes’ wife Geraldine Hughes at the bottom of the trail as they searched. “It was kind of getting darker up there and we’d been up there for about 10 minutes, wandering around, and I kind of got that feeling that I was being watched. The hair on the back of my neck stood up,” he said. “I told the boys it was time to go.” As the three turned to walk down the trail, Hughes said they See BEAR, page A-8
Prisoner attack results Soldotna council postpones in additional charges By RASHAH McCHESNEY Peninsula Clarion
A fight between three prisoners being transported to court from the Wildwood Pretrial facility resulted in more charges for two of the people involved. According to charging documents, police say Alyssa Espinoza instigated a fight between AJ Duvall and her co-defendant Tyler Lewis after she called Lewis a “rat” and told him he should not talk to the cops or take a deal being offered to him in their case. Espinoza encouraged Duvall to attack Lewis and Duvall head-butted Lewis several times as the three rode in a Kenai Judicial Services van, according
to a police affidavit. Espinoza then thanked Duvall who left Lewis with a bloody laceration above his right eyebrow and bruising on his face and head, according to the affidavit. Espinoza is facing seven felony charges for burglary, theft, first-degree vehicle theft and misconduct involving weapons in a case with Lewis that involved the burglary of a shop off Gas Well Road in Soldotna. Duvall, of Nikiski, was arrested in October after an extensive manhunt by Alaska State Troopers. He had a $3,000 warrant out for his arrest for a parole violation and was charged with fourth-degree misconduct
marijuana ordinance vote By IAN FOLEY Peninsula Clarion
While marijuana is now legal in Alaska, the city of Soldotna is waiting a little longer to clarify some city laws regarding the drug. On Wednesday, the Soldotna City Council postponed the vote on ordinance 2015-004 until March 25. The vote was postponed in order to have all council members be present, as well as have time to hold a work session regarding the ordinance. If passed, the ordinance would outlaw the use of marijuana in public places, as well
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as inside motorized vehicles including cars, boats and planes. It would also designate the city council as the local regulatory authority. The ordinance also defines “marijuana” to include all parts of the plant of the plant, as well as seeds, oils, extracts and several other products derived from the plant. One of the most contentious parts of the ordinance is its definition of “in public” which is defined as, “in or upon any government-owned property, as well as any place that the public or a substantial group of persons has access.” The ordinance goes on to
list numerous examples of public places ranging from waterways and shorelines to trails and streets. If the city fails to change its definition of public in the future, city law will be guided by the state’s Alcohol Beverage Control Board’s emergency regulatory decision on Tuesday. That regulation defines “in public” to mean “in a place to which the public or a substantial group of persons has access and includes highways, transportation facilities, schools, places of amusement or business, parks, playSee VOTE, page A-2