40 dead
d Rea er v by o
0 5 2 , 6 le a p peo y! da
Vol. 49, Issue 185
In the news 2 small earthquakes hit Southwest Alaska, agency says CHINIAK — The U.S. Geological Survey reports that two small earthquakes have hit Southwest Alaska. At 1:43 p.m. Sunday, a magnitude 3.4 earthquake hit a spot in the Gulf of Alaska. The agency says the earthquake had an epicenter 147.4 miles southeast of Chiniak, a village of about 50 people. The agency says the earthquake had a depth of 3.7 miles. At 12:43 p.m. Sunday, a magnitude 3.0 earthquake hit the Aleutian Islands. The agency says the earthquake had an epicenter 87.6 miles southwest of Nikolski, a village of about 20 people. The earthquake had a depth of 21 miles. There were no reports of damage for either earthquake.
Single winner of Alaska ice-melt guessing game announced ANCHORAGE — Nenana Ice Classic organizers have announced this year’s winner for the guessing contest. Ice Classic manager Cherrie Forness says Anchorage resident Patricia Andrew was the only person to guess the exact time the ice officially went out on the Tanana River in Nenana. That happened at 12:21 a.m. April 14, the earliest in the contest’s 102-year history. The jackpot is $311,652. Forness says Andrew will receive $224,389.44 after federal taxes are withheld. There is no listing for Andrew in Anchorage. She could not be reached for comment. The payout will be made June 1. Each year, people buy tickets to guess when a tripod mounted on the frozen Tanana River will fall over as ice on the river breaks up. Forness estimates about 287,000 tickets were sold this year. —Associated Press
Index Local................A3 Opinion........... A4 Nation..............A5 Sports..............A6 Classifieds...... A7 Comics.......... A10 Schools.......... A11 Check us out online at www.peninsulaclarion.com To subscribe, call 283-3584.
NBA
Russian airliner makes fiery landing
Nuggets, Raptors win in playoffs
World/A5
Sports/A6
Cloudy 51/41 More weather on Page A2
CLARION P E N I N S U L A
Monday, May 6, 2019 Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
$1 newsstands daily/$1.50 Sunday
Assembly to discuss Moose Pass School HEA board By VICTORIA PETERSEN Peninsula Clarion
A resolution supporting the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s efforts to keep Moose Pass School operating in its current location will be heard at
Tuesday’s Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly meeting. The district has said if Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s proposed budget passes, it could result in the closure of six schools — in Moose Pass, Seward, Nikiski,
Homer, Soldotna and Anchor Point. Should Moose Pass School close, the roughly 16 students at the K-7thgrade school would be sent to schools in Seward, about 30 miles away. The Moose Pass School
is housed in a historic building, built in 1930 as the Moose Pass Territorial School. The school is also located within the Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area Corridor, which is a congresSee PASS, page A2
Fashioning a new business New clothing boutique opens in Kenai By VICTORIA PETERSEN Peninsula Clarion
Shop Talk Mother and daughter duo Amanda Reynolds and Melissa Williams are hoping to fill a gap in the local retail market with their new business, Plus by Design. The two are focusing on providing clothing, intimates, swimwear and more for women who wear larger sizes. The two have had their own individual business ventures, but wanted to find a business they could pursue together. The retail shop, located near Trading Bay Road in Kenai, opened its doors March 1. Clarion reporter VictoSee SHOP, page A3
Amanda Reynolds and Melissa Williams, a mother-daughter duo, are photographed on Monday, at their shop in Kenai. The two opened Plus by Design, a business focused on providing clothing and accessories for larger-sized women. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)
election results announced By Brian Mazurek Peninsula Clarion
The Homer Electric Association held its 69th Annual Meeting of the Members in Kenai on Thursday and elected three directors to the association’s board, two of which were incumbents. According to a May 3 press release from HEA, director Dan Chay of Kenai ran unopposed and was elected to another threeyear term to represent District 1, which covers Nikiski, Kenai and parts of Soldotna. To represent District 2 — which covers Soldotna, Sterling and Kasilof — incumbent Ed Oberts of Soldotna ran against Ed Schmitt of Soldotna. Oberts was reelected. Erin McKittrick of Seldovia ran against Gregory C. Martin, Jr. of Homer to represent District 3, which covers South Kasilof down to the Kachemak Bay Area. Voters elected McKittrick as the District 3 representative. According to the press See HEA, page A3
Flats Bistro showcases local musicians By JOEY KLECKA Peninsula Clarion
The Flats Bistro south of Kenai expanded its entertainment selection this spring, and may be bringing its late evening set list to its summer schedule as well. Since opening in 2014, the Flats has capitalized on its Kalifornsky Beach location, which looks out on the mouth of the Kenai River, to draw a local crowd looking for a relaxed atmosphere to unwind for the day. The establishment, owned by Luke Thibodeau, has traditionally hosted dinner music each night of the week. Starting in February, the
The Caper performs in front of a live audience in an undated photo at the Flats Bistro south of Kenai. (Photo provided by Luke Thibodeau)
restaurant and bar added late-night musical options to its menu. “It’s been a lot of fun,”
Thibodeau said. “My staff likes it, people just like an alternative, something else to do that focuses more on
a different environment.” Mike Morgan, a Kenai musician, is one of the local musicians to take advantage of the new playing arena. The longtime guitarist has been a regular on weekend nights, along with fellow peers Garrett Mayer, Matt Boyle and Derek Poppin. In addition to the usual dinner music that Flats has provided, the last three months have seen the addition of alternating Friday and Saturday night shows. Friday Night Live features an opportunity for anyone to show up to try their hand at playing in an open mic setting from 9 to 11 p.m. Saturday features scheduled professional bands
playing for an audience, also during the 9 to 11 p.m. time slot. Morgan said the later hours have been an attractive option to both customers and musicians alike. “The experiment has been a great success,” he said. “It’s a beautiful venue, and Luke and (Flats manager) Willow King have been terrific about accommodating the experiment.” Thibodeau said he tries to provide an alternative option to the bar scene that Kenai and Soldotna already have, something that locals can turn to for easy music and good food. “We try to find (musicians) who don’t play anySee FLATS, page A2
Tourist season could bring measles to Alaska By Ben Hohenstatt Juneau Empire
Measles coming to Alaska isn’t a far-fetched idea, health care professionals said. That’s because this year’s tourist season is expected to be particularly busy. This year there have been more cases of measles in the U.S. than in the past 25 years and there are communities around the world in the midst of measles out-
WE’RE MOVING TO YOU, SO YOU CAN FOCUS ON MOVING FORWARD
breaks. “In this day and age of frequent travel and international travel, it’s something that should always be on people’s radar,” said Alison Gaines, Public Health Center nurse manager. “With the amount of travelers expected in a season, it would not at all surprise me if we do see some measles in Alaska.” Measles is a highly contagious virus that can cause fevers, rashes, hospital-
izations and in rare cases deaths. There is cruise ship owned by the Church of Scientology that was recently quarantined near the Caribbean island St. Lucia because of a confirmed case of the measles. Last year, measles was found on an Alaska cruise ship, and in the past ships have been hotbeds of norovirus activity. There have been 704 cases of measles so far this year, Gaines said, and those
cases have been spread across 22 states, including Washington, California and Oregon. In 2019, 1.31 million cruise ship passengers are expected to Alaska, according to Cruise Lines International Association Alaska. Measles symptoms include fever followed by a rash, red and watery eyes, and recent travelers are encouraged to be extra wary of the disease, said Charlee Gribbon, infection preven-
tionist for Bartlett Regional Hospital. Measles is highly contagious and spread through the air, said Gribbon and Gaines. “Measles can last in the air for up to two hours after a person with measles is in the room,” Gaines said. It can also have a severe impact on people who do catch it. “It can be quite dangerous actually, particularly to See BRING, page A2
The new Northrim Bank branch in Soldotna is now open. Stop in and get 5,000 Alaska Airlines miles when you open a new checking account with a debit card and online banking.
Northrim.com | 562.0062