Peninsula Clarion, December 18, 2014 by Sound Publishing

Encore

Fish ID

Triumvirate gets in Christmas spirit

Dolly or Arctic char, that’s the question

Arts & Entertainment/B-1

Tight Lines/A-12

CLARION

Breezy 32/27 More weather on Page A-2

P E N I N S U L A

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2014 Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

Vol. 45, Issue 68

Question How much do you recycle? n Everything that I can. n I recycle items accepted at borough transfer sites/stations. n I recycle a few things here and there. n I very rarely or never recycle.

50 cents newsstands daily/$1.00 Sunday

Local marijuana discussion begins Range of views shared at meeting Some look at business By DAN BALMER Peninsula Clarion

Cannabis proponents and opponents came together for a town hall meeting Tuesday in Kenai to begin the discussion of how the community can move forward after Alaskans voted to legalize marijuana. More than 120 people filled the Challenger Learning Center in Kenai to listen, and share information, experiences and

concerns about marijuana at a forum organized by the Kenai Community Coalition on Cannabis. Kenai Peninsula lawyers Eric Derleth and Marc Theiler formed the coalition to begin an exchange of information with community members and lawmakers as the state works to create regulations. Derleth opened the meeting with an outline of the initiative and presented his research on how other parts of the country

have developed regulations to address concerns like packaging and marketing that would keep marijuana out of children’s hands. “We want to be a more responsible industry and honor the values of people I’ve met in all the years I’ve consumed cannabis,” Derleth said. “We don’t want people running around endangering our community. We want to be a positive part of the

opportunities, impacts By BEN BOETTGER Peninsula Clarion

Attendees at the Kenai Community Cannabis Coalition’s town hall meeting at the Challenger Center last night represented a wide range of perspectives on the marijuana issue. Some were glad

Council gives OK to daycare

In the news Some fees at state parks rising Jan 1

JUNEAU (AP) — Fees for some activities at Alaska state park facilities are set to increase on Jan. 1. Daily parking fees at trailheads or other developed areas won’t change. The annual parking pass fee will increase by $10, with a second pass for the same family going up by $5. Annual boat launch fees will go up by $25, with a second pass for a family going up by $10. Overnight camping and boat launch fees will vary but generally increase by about $5.

By KELLY SULLIVAN Peninsula Clarion

After six months of debate, the city of Soldotna will be getting a new daycare. Following a second appeal to the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission, Robyn Schneider was given permission to open an in-home daycare facility, to be called Schneider’s Nest, on North Kobuk Street. The council granted the appeal for a conditional use permit that includes six recommendations by city staff and is contingent upon Schneider providing a site plan that is approved by the planning department, said council member Linda Murphy. The property is also unable to post any signs relating to the business that are not in harmony with the residential character of the neighborhood, she said. On Tuesday evening the city council, acting as the Board of Adjustment, reviewed Schneider’s proposal. Deliberations that included the council, city attorney Brooks Chandler and city clerk Shellie Saner were held in an executive session. Prior to the decision the board heard testimony from Schneider, residents in favor and against the daycare and city planner John Czarnezki. Staff recommended that the city reject the daycare, Czarnezki said. At a planning and zoning commission’s remand hearing on Oct. 28 Czarnezki had recommended granting Schneider permission to open the facility. The previous recommendation was based on five criteria including available parking, set drop-off and pick-up times to minimize the effect on residential traffic flow, limiting the

Correction A story in Tuesday’s Clarion on icy road conditions contained incorrect information. There were two accidents involving school buses near Homer on Monday. No students were on the school bus in the incident on North Fork Road. The other incident occurred at about 8:50 a.m. at Mile 164 of the Sterling Highway in Homer. A 16-year-old female driving southbound in a Ford F150 truck attempted to pass a school bus driven by Grace Poindexter, 60. The juvenile lost control of her vehicle and collided with the bus, according to a trooper report. Three students were on the bus at the time but no injuries were reported. A replacement bus came to pick up the students, who were en route to Homer Middle and Homer High schools, according to a release from the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District. The Clarion regrets the error.

Songs of the season

Top: Students from Mountain View Elementary School sing “All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth” to an attentive audience at Charis Place Assisted Living Wednesday in Kenai. Above: The second-graders sang Christmas carols at the Kenai Municipal Airport, Homer Electric Association, Inc., Charis Place Assisted Living and Walmart. Right: Alex Collett incorporated some dance moves into his caroling. Collett performed five carols with his classmates. Photo by Kelly Sullivan/ Peninsula Clarion

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to “come out” as recreational marijuana users. Others were prospective owners of marijuana businesses, and others were opponents of marijuana legalization who had come to make their opinions heard. Jennifer Anderson, a forensic and critical care nurse,

Gas pipeline coordinator office in Alaska to close By BECKY BOHRER Associated Press

JUNEAU — The office of the federal coordinator for Alaska gas pipeline projects is shutting down after not being included in the budget bill that Congress recently passed. Federal coordinator Larry Persily said he plans to have the office shut down by the end of February. The office was created in a 2004 law aimed at helping advance an Alaska gas pipeline

project that would serve North America. Market conditions led to that plan being scrapped in favor of a liquefied natural gas project that would allow exports to Asia. The state of Alaska, BP PLC, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil Corp. and TransCanada Corp. are involved in the effort. Persily said the lack of clear authority for his office to be involved with a new project was becoming more of an issue. Congress did not act to address that. Robert Dillon, a spokesman for U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski,

said Wednesday that the Senate version of the budget included funding for the office but it was dropped during negotiations with the House on a final package. Given that the project being pursued is not focused on delivering gas to the Lower 48, it made it harder to argue for funding for the office to be included, Dillon said. As the project progresses, he said Murkowski, R-Alaska, will make it a priority to ensure that permitting efforts are coorC

dinated. He said it’s not clear yet how she will do that. Right now, it’s not clear whether there will be a project. The partners have not reached a final decision point and are in a phase of preliminary engineering and design. Persily said the project ultimately will live or die based on its economics, not on whether his office exists. But he said his office helped to keep the public and federal agencies informed on what was happening with the project, even after the focus

shifted. Persily is looking for ways to preserve the work done by the office so it’s available if the office is revived later. The office has contracted with Alaska Resources Library and Information Services to maintain the searchable digital database of gas line documents going back 40 years, he said. A gas pipeline has long been a dream in Alaska as a way to provide energy, create jobs and help to shore up revenues in a state now heavily dependent on oil.

A-2 Peninsula Clarion, Thursday, December 18, 2014

CLARION P

E N I N S U L A

(USPS 438-410) Published daily Sunday through Friday, except Christmas and New Year’s, by: Southeastern Newspapers Corporation P.O. Box 3009, Kenai, AK 99611 Street address: 150 Trading Bay Road, Suite 1, Kenai, AK Phone: (907) 283-7551 Postmaster: Send address changes to the Peninsula Clarion, P.O. Box 3009, Kenai, AK 99611 Periodicals postage paid at Kenai, AK Represented for national advertising by The Papert Companies, Chicago, IL Copyright 2014 Peninsula Clarion A Morris Communications Corp. newspaper

Who to call at the Peninsula Clarion News tip? Question? Main number.............................................................................................. 283-7551 Fax............................................................................................................. 283-3299 News email...................................................................news@peninsulaclarion.com General news Will Morrow, editor ............................................ will.morrow@peninsulaclarion.com Rashah McChesney, city editor.............. rashah.mcchesney@peninsulaclarion.com Jeff Helminiak, sports editor........................... jeff.helminiak@peninsulaclarion.com Fisheries, photographer.............................................................................................. ............................ Rashah McChesney, rashah.mcchesney@peninsulaclarion.com Borough, courts..........................Dan Balmer, daniel.balmer@peninsulaclarion.com Education, Soldotna ................ Kelly Sullivan, kelly.sullivan@peninsulaclarion.com Kenai......................................... Ben Boettger, ben.boettger@peninsulaclarion.com General assignment............................... Ian Foley, ian.foley@peninsulaclarion.com Arts and Entertainment................................................ news@peninsulaclarion.com Community, Around the Peninsula............................... news@peninsulaclarion.com Sports............................................ Joey Klecka, joey.klecka@peninsulaclarion.com Page design........ Florence Struempler, florence.struempler@peninsulaclarion.com

Circulation problem? Call 283-3584 If you don’t receive your newspaper by 7 a.m. and you live in the Kenai-Soldotna area, call 283-3584 before 10 a.m. for redelivery of your paper. If you call after 10 a.m., you will be credited for the missed issue. Regular office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Sunday. General circulation questions can be sent via email to circulation@peninsulaclarion.com. The circulation manager is Randi Keaton.

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Classified: Call 283-7551 and ask for the classified ad department between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or email classifieds@peninsulaclarion.com. Display: Call 283-7551 and ask for the display advertising department between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Leslie Talent is the Clarion’s advertising director. She can be reached via email at leslie.talent@peninsulaclarion.com. Contacts for other departments: Business office.................................................................................. Teresa Mullican Production................................................................................................ Geoff Long Online........................................................................................ Vincent Nusunginya

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Protections blocked in Utah, but sage grouse work goes on By MATTHEW BROWN Associated Press

BILLINGS, Mont. — U.S. wildlife officials will decide next year whether a wide-ranging Western bird species needs protections even though Congress has blocked such protections from taking effect, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said Wednesday. They could determine the greater sage grouse is heading toward possible extinction, but they would be unable to intervene under the Endangered Species Act. The bird’s fate instead remains largely in the hands of the 11 individual states where they are found. President Barack Obama signed a $1.1 trillion spending bill late Tuesday with a provision that barred money from being spent on rules to protect the chicken-sized bird and three re-

lated types of grouse. Jewell said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will continue collecting and analyzing data on sage grouse. A decision on whether protections are warranted will be reached by the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, Interior officials said. Greater sage grouse range across 11 Western states and two Canadian provinces. Oil and gas drilling, wildfires, livestock grazing and other activities have consumed more than half the bird’s habitat over the past century. The spending bill provision on sage grouse came after Western lawmakers and representatives of the oil and gas and agriculture industries said a threatened or endangered listing would devastate the region’s economy. Jewell criticized what she called “political posturing” in Congress over the issue. She said the spending

prohibition would “undermine the unprecedented progress that is happening” as states and federal agencies craft sage grouse conservation plans. Population estimates for greater sage grouse range from 100,000 to 500,000 birds. They occupy 290,000 square miles of habitat in California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Alberta and Saskatchewan. Worries about a potential endangered species listing for sage grouse already prompted the deferral of sales on more than 8 million acres of potential federal oil and gas leases. Those parcels can be put up for sale once conservation plans for sage grouse are in place, which is expected sometime next year. The plans are separate from any endangered species protections. Wyo-

ming and Montana account for 55 percent of the birds’ population. Officials from the two states and others have pushed to keep greater sage grouse off the federal protected species list so they can retain control over the bird and its habitat. A spokesman for Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, a Democrat, said collaborative efforts to conserve the bird would continue. Spokesman Dave Parker said the spending bill provision was “really not delaying the work we need to do, to ensure Montana can protect the sage grouse.” Wildlife advocates remained wary. “Now we’re going to get our chance to see if the state, local and federal agencies can deliver on sage grouse protections in the absence of an Endangered Species Act listing,” said Erik Molvar with WildEarth Guardians.

Pregnancy-related infection kills orca By PHUONG LE Associated Press

SEATTLE — An endangered orca found dead off Vancouver Island in Canada earlier this month died after a failed pregnancy caused a bacterial infection, officials said Tuesday. Preliminary necropsy results show the 19-year-old killer whale known as J-32 was pregnant with a nearly full-term female calf that died, Fisheries and Oceans Canada said. “It appears that the baby was dead before the mom, and as a consequence of the fetal loss, there was a secondary bacterial infection of the lining of the uterus,” said Stephen Raverty, a veterinary pathologist with British Columbia’s Ministry of Agriculture who led the necropsy. The orca was a member of the southern resident killer whale population that spends time in the inland waters of Washington C

state and Canada. They are an “We not only lost her, but her four to six calves, but this whale endangered species in Canadian reproductive potential,” he said. had not produced a calf that surand the U.S. Orcas between the ages of 15 vived. The whale was malnourished, and 40 typically produce about About half of calves die. but scientists haven’t been able to determine yet whether that was related to the near-term stage of pregnancy, a secondary bacterial infection or other birthing comCompany Final Change Silver closed............ 15.73 +0.01 plications, Raverty said. +2.05 Dow Jones avg..... 17,356.87 +288.00 Tissue samples from the Agrium Inc............... 94.47 Air Group...... 56.03 +0.35 NASDAQ................4,644.31 +96.48 necropsy will be sent to eight dif- Alaska ACS...........................1.74 +0.00 S&P 500................ 2,012.89 +40.15 ferent laboratories across the two Apache Corp........... 60.20 +3.49 +0.53 Stock prices provided by the Kenai countries to help assess threats to AT&T........................ 32.67 +1.20 Peninsula Edward Jones offices. the orca population. A final re- Baker Hughes.......... 56.35 BP ............................37.69 +1.93 port is expected in the spring. Chevron.................. 106.02 +4.32 Those tests will look at the ConocoPhillips......... 66.94 +3.72 orca’s blubber, stomach contents, ExxonMobil.............. 89.02 +2.61 organs and genetics, and analyze 1st Natl. Bank AK...1,620.00 +0.00 Tuesday’s prices GCI.......................... 12.70 +0.08 pathogens or diseases. Halliburton............... 39.44 +1.33 Scientists want to know why Harley-Davidson...... 62.98 +0.28 North Slope crude: the calf died, why it wasn’t abort- Home Depot............ 98.94 +1.88 $57.57, DOWN from +2.93 ed and why the infection set in, McDonald’s...............91.65 +0.13 among other questions, said Brad Safeway....................34.74 $57.70 on Monday 82.88 +2.69 Hanson, a wildlife biologist with Schlumberger.......... West Texas Int.: Tesoro.......................74.53 +0.32 the National Oceanic and Atmo- Walmart................... 84.23 +1.27 $55.93, UP from spheric Administration who par- Wells Fargo.............. 53.79 +1.02 $55.91 on Monday Gold closed............ 1,186.55 -10.38 ticipated in the necropsy.

Wednesday Stocks

Oil Prices

Peninsula Clarion, Thursday, December 18, 2014

Obituaries Kevin Bagley Kevin Bagley left his beloved Alaska on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2014 after a valiant struggle with pancreatic cancer. He passed away at home with his daughter and parents at his side. A Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, Dec. 20 at 3 p.m. at the VFW in Soldotna. Kevin was the youngest of four children, born to Barb and Van Bagley in Idaho Falls, Idaho on June 12, 1958. He spent his youth in Ammon, Idaho attending Hillview Elementary, Ammon Junior High and Bonneville High School. He began his career with inventory and safety with K-mart. They transferred him to all of the problem stores including Burley, Idaho, Ontario, Oregon and later offered a job in Kenai. He then moved onto security manager at Gottschalks before becoming asset protection manager at Wal-Mart. Kevin was a quiet and private person who did his job as a single father raising his daughter Kari. No matter the circumstances Kevin always had the best sense of humor. But if you didn’t get his joke he was off to the next witty remark. When Kevin wasn’t working you could find him somewhere along the Kenai River fishing with his buddies in “paradise” as he called it. Kevin is survived by his daughters Kari Bagley of Kenai and Kacie Sanders, of Kennewick, Wshington; step-daughter Kimber Harmon of Idaho; sisters Vanya Graham and Carma Crotteau of Idaho Falls, Idaho; grandsons Kanyon Bagley, Gavin Knutson, and Drake Krumm of Kenai, and Jackson Sanders, Hunter Rosane, and Aidyn Sanders of Kennewick, Washington; and granddaughter Xoe Knutson of Kenai. He was preceded in death by his son K. Walker Bagley, and brother Clay Bagley. Arrangements made by Peninsula Memorial Chapel & Crematory. Please sign Kevin’s online guestbook at AlaskanFuneral.com.

Pearl Ruth Foster Former Soldotna resident Pearl “Ruth” Foster, 90, entered peacefully into eternal life with her Lord and Savior Jesus at her home in Lakeside, California on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2014, with family by her side. She will be greatly missed by her four sons, their wives, and the many grandchilC

dren and great-grandchildren she leaves behind. Ruth was born Sept. 30, 1924 in Imperial, California to Lee and Ruth Gates. She grew up in Lakeside, and graduated from Grossmont High School with the class of 1942. One of her many jobs was working at Solar Aircraft, as one of the original Rosie the Riveters. She married Charles Foster in 1956, and moved to Seward, Alaska shortly after. In 1960, while Charles was building roads near Soldotna in the newly developing Swanson River oil field, they decided to homestead between Soldotna and Sterling. Ruth moved out of her comfortable home and roughed it in a 24-foot camp trailer the first winter on the homestead, with no power or running water, with four boys sleeping from front to back inside the tiny trailer. She had very fond memories of those homestead days, and lasting friendships were made with her closest neighbors that became like family. Later in life, as her short term memory faded, she loved to tell stories from the homestead days. Ruthie loved to socialize. She was a very good hostess and enjoyed inviting friends and neighbors over for parties. She enjoyed playing cards and games with family and friends. Her family will always remember what a wonderful, distinctive laugh she had. In 1985 Charlie and Ruth moved closer to their birthplace in Lakeside. There, Ruth and Charlie built their last home together. Charlie spent weeks landscaping an old rock quarry with a dozer to transform it into a beautiful home site, while Ruth watered and nurtured hundreds of new trees and shrubs they had planted. They lived out their days in the warm southern California climate and always looked forward to hosting visits from family and friends wanting to escape the cold Alaska winters. Ruth was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Edward, her great-grandson Zachery Foster, and her husband of 53 years, Charles C. Foster. She is survived by her sister Ida Harris of Cody, Wyoming; sons Gary and his wife Kathleen of Yuma, Arizona, and Jeff and his wife Kathy, Jack and his wife Carey, and Steve and his wife Becky, all of Soldotna; as well as 11 grandchildren and 20 greatgrandchildren. Proverbs 31:28: “Her children arise and call her blessed.”

Robert E. ‘Bob’ Leuenhagen Longtime Alaskan and Nikiski resident Robert E. “Bob” Leuenhagen, 86, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2014 at Central Peninsula Hospital in Soldotna. Arrangements are pending with Peninsula Memorial Chapel.

Peninsula Clarion death notice and obituary guidelines: The Peninsula Clarion strives to report the deaths of all current and former Peninsula residents. Notices should be received within three months of the death. Pending service/Death notices are brief notices listing full name, age, date and place of death; and time, date and place of service. These are published at no charge. Obituaries are prepared by families, funeral homes, crematoriums, and are edited by our staff according to newspaper guidelines. The fee for obituaries up to 500 words with one black and white photo ranges from $50 to $100. Obituaries outside these guidelines are handled by the Clarion advertising department. Funeral homes and crematoriums routinely submit completed obituaries to the newspaper. Obituaries may also be submitted directly to the Clarion with prepayment, online at www.peninsulaclarion.com, or by mail to: Peninsula Clarion, P.O. Box 3009, Kenai, Alaska, 99611. The deadline for Tuesday – Friday editions is 2 p.m. the previous day. Submissions for Sunday and Monday editions must be received by 3 p.m. Friday. We do not process obituaries on Saturdays or Sundays unless submitted by funeral homes or crematoriums. Obituaries are placed on a spaceavailable basis, prioritized by dates of local services. For more information, call the Clarion at 907-283-7551.

Around the Peninsula Christmas Day Camp in Nikiski Nikiski Community Recreation Center is offering “Christmas Day Camp” for 1st through 6th grade boys and girls on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 19 and 20, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Enjoy holiday baking, arts and crafts and fun gym activities.

Sterling Community Center schedules activities

school district); swim 300 yards continuously using front crawl, breaststroke or a combination of both; within 1 minute, 40 seconds, swim 20 yards and dive 7 to 10 feet deep to retrieve a 10-pound block, swim back to the starting point with both hands on the block and exit the pool without using the ladder; and tread water for 2 minutes using only legs. Participants must sign up in advance. Call the pool at 283-7476 for more information.

Pinochle club has new venue

The Pinochle Club, formerly from Kasilof, will be playing at Hooligans Bar & Restaurant — Zumba is 10:30-11:30 a.m., Mondays in Soldotna Saturdays at 12:30 p.m. Bring a and Wednesdays, through December. Zumba partner and come along for some winter fun. involves dance and aerobic elements, incorpo- Questions? Call Jay Vienup at 907-252-6397. rating hip-hop, salsa, mambo, and martial arts. Open to the public. Free for SCC members, $3 Order of the Purple Heart to meet for non-members. The Military Order of the Purple Heart will — Gym-Walking at the Sterling Community Center is Mondays, Wednesdays, and hold its monthly meeting Thursday at 1 p.m. Fridays from 9-10 a.m. Stay active and meet at the Soldotna VFW. All Purple Heart veternew people; walk 19 laps and you’ve walked ans are welcome; spouses may become assoa mile! Open to the public. $3 for non-mem- ciate members. bers, free to SCC members). Please wear nonmarking shoes. Group discusses decisions for — Regular pickleball play times at the Sterling Community Center are Mondays, special needs children 1-2 p.m., and Thursdays, 6-8 p.m. Pickleball Are you sometimes overwhelmed with all is a game played on a badminton-sized court the decisions you have to make for your spewith a low net, whiffle ball, and oversized cial needs child? Which doctor? Which theraping pong paddles. Great for all ages. Open to pist? Which type of school program? And then the public; $3 for non-members, free to SCC those controversies all parents face regarding members. which healthy diet is best? Which immuniza— The Sterling Community Center has free tions and when is best? So many choices in days Dec. 29 through Dec. 31. Come use the today’s computer-age world of knowledge and facility for free during these three days! This not enough time to research them? Well, you is a great opportunity to try out a program, use are not alone. Come join the Parents SPEAK our computers, or just shoot some hoops dur- Support Group for an interesting discussion ing open gym. All facility users must fill out and find out how others make such choices: or have a completed non-member/guest form is there a right or wrong answer? The monthly on file. Children under 8 years old must be ac- Parents SPEAK Support Group is meeting companied by a parent or guardian. Hours are this Thursday, 6:30 p.m. at the Kenai River noon to 6 p.m. Find a schedule at www.ster- Center on Funny River Road across the street lingcommunityclub.com. from the Soldotna airport. For more information about our group contact Peggy Larson at: 260-3621 or 394-6310 or email me at peggyCinderella’s Closet suelee@gmail.com

accepting donations

Soldotna High School is collecting gently Have a photogenic pet? Send the used formal dresses, shoes, and accessories for Clarion a picture 2015 Cinderella’s Closet. This program helps Pet photos run on the Pets page every Tuesall area high school ladies with prom attire for free. Please email mbos@kpbsd.k12.ak.us for day. They can be color or black and white more information. All donations can be dropped and may include people. Limit one photo per household. They may be e-mailed to news@ off to the front office from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. peninsulaclarion.com, dropped off at the Kenai office or mailed to the Clarion at P.O. Box Lifeguard training offered 3009, Kenai, 99611. A brief explanation of the A Red Cross lifeguard class will be offered photo, the pet’s and owner’s names, owner’s at the Kenai Central High School pool from 8 address and phone number must be included. a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 22, 23, 29 and 30, and posPhotos with an address written on the back sibly Dec. 31. The cost for the class is $200. will be returned. For more information, call Participants must be 15 (16 to be hired by the 907-335-1251.

Community Calendar Today 8 a.m. • Alcoholics Anonymous As Bill Sees It Group, 11312 Kenai Spur Highway Unit 71 (Old Carrs Mall). Call 398-9440. 8:30 a.m. • TOPS AK No. 220 Kasilof weigh-in at CES Station 6, 58260 Sterling Highway. Meeting starts at 9 a.m. Call 262-7319 or 2523436. 10 a.m. • TOPS AK No. 164 Soldotna weigh-in at First Baptist Church, 159 S. Binkley. Meeting starts at 11 a.m. Call 262-7339. • Narcotics Anonymous PJ Meeting, 11312 Kenai Spur Highway, Unit 71, Kenai. Noon • Alcoholics Anonymous recovery group at 11312 Kenai Spur Highway Suite 71 in the old Carrs

A-3

Mall in Kenai. Call 262-1917. 5:30 p.m. • Free Seated Zumba Gold at the Kenai Senior Center. New participants, active older adults, and chair-bound or limited mobility participants are encouraged. 6 p.m. • Family Story Time (PreK and up) at the Soldotna Public Library in the Children’s Area. Bring the whole family out to listen to stories and sing songs. Younger and older siblings are always welcome with adult supervision. Call 262-4227. • AA Step Sisters women’s meeting at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, O’Neill Hall, 222 W. Redoubt, Soldotna. Call 262-2304. • TOPS AK 20, Soldotna, weighin at Christ Lutheran Church, 128 North Soldotna Avenue, Soldotna. Meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. Call

262-1557. • Celebrate Recovery, Midnight Son Seventh-day Adventist church on the corner of Swires Rd. and Kenai Spur Hwy in Kenai. Dinner is at 6 p.m.; Recovery Lesson at 6:30 p.m.; Open Share groups at 7:15 p.m. Email rking4@mac.com or call 260-3292. 7 p.m. • Narcotics Anonymous Support Group “Dopeless Hope Fiends,” 11312 Kenai Spur Highway, Unit 71, Kenai. • Square dance group at Ninilchik Senior Center. • Alcoholics Anonymous “Unity Men’s Group” meets downstairs the Salvation Army building in Soldotna. 8 p.m. • AA Attitude of Gratitude at URS Club, 405 Overland Drive. Call 283-3777. • AA North Roaders Group at North Star Methodist Church, Mile 25.5 Kenai Spur Highway. Call 242-9477. • Alcoholics Anonymous Ninichick support group at United Methodist Church, 15811 Sterling Highway, Ninilchik. Call 907-5673574.

The Community Calendar lists recurring events and meetings of local organizations. To have your event listed, email organization name, day or days of meeting, time of meeting, place, and a contact phone number to news@ peninsulaclarion.com.

A-4 Peninsula Clarion, Thursday, December 18, 2014

E N I N S U L A

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Opinion

CLARION P

kans. Now, it’s the one that may need rescuing. On Nov. 25, 2002, President George W. Bush signed the Homeland Security Act, creating the largest reorganization of the U.S. government since the creation of the Department of Defense. As part of the Homeland Security Act, authority over the U.S. Coast Guard was transferred from the Department of Transportation to the Department of Homeland Security. Twelve years on, we can safely say that this move has been a mistake. In recent years, we’ve seen the Coast Guard’s budget slashed even as its duties increase. It must now patrol an entire additional ocean — the Arctic — and it must do so with fewer ships, fewer aircraft, fewer personnel and less support from other government agencies. We have seen the Coast Guard’s ships suffer from deferred maintenance, and programs to replace the Coast Guard’s fleet have been repeatedly reduced to levels below what Coast Guard commanders have said they need. Juneau is home to the headquarters of Coast Guard District 17, which means we have been granted a frontrow seat to a tragedy. The men and women of the Coast Guard are as good as ever, but the support they receive — or in this case, are not receiving — is pitiful. The number of “cutter days” in Alaska — the days a ship works at sea — has fallen, according to statistics provided by the Coast Guard to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. So has the number of flight hours for the Coast Guard aircraft assigned to fisheries patrols. The Coast Guard desperately needs icebreakers for its Arctic and Antarctic missions, but seeking funding for new tools seems like a fool’s errand when the Coast Guard can’t even get the funding it needs to pay for its existing ones. Something must change. Congress seems intent to make immigration an issue in the coming year. Early this week, the U.S. Senate approved a House-created bill that funds government operations through September. The Department of Homeland Security wasn’t included in that timeline — it’s been funded only through February. With a Republican-dominated House and Senate beginning work in 2015, Congress wants to make immigration a political issue. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Border Patrol and the Immigration and Naturalization Service, will be its focus. That puts the Coast Guard in the crossfire. Alaska’s interests are best served by a strong and stable Coast Guard. The Department of Homeland Security can’t provide that security. Where, then, should the Coast Guard go? It belongs in the Department of Defense. Under the Defense Department, the Coast Guard would be assured of stable funding and a reliable network of support. The Coast Guard already works closely with the U.S. Navy, and it makes sense in terms of efficiency to move the two organizations closer together. Congress has been reluctant to cut funding for the U.S. military, even during the recent recession, and within the Department of Defense, the Coast Guard would be assured of financial stability — something long lacking. We doubt Coast Guardsmen would be fans of any move to put their agency within the Department of the Navy, but efficiency and security should take no back seat to inter-service rivalries. If the Department of the Navy is not a suitable home, the Coast Guard should be named a coequal service alongside the Army, Navy and Air Force. It already performs a job of equal importance, and it’s time that the Coast Guard received the credit it’s due. — Juneau Empire, Dec. 16

The left’s lawless shock troops

Anti-police protesters have found their enemy, and it is commuters and shoppers. The protest movement that has sprung up in the wake of grand-jury decisions not to indict police officers in the Michael Brown and Eric Garner cases is the antipolice version of Occupy Wall Street. It represents the same free-floating critique of “the system,” with the same strong whiff of lawlessness. Even when protesters aren’t burning out buildings (as they did repeatedly in Ferguson), even when they haven’t broken windows (as they have in Oakland and Berkeley), they have closed down intersections and bridges. In other words, even when they have been “peaceful,” the protests have involved coercion and illegal acts. Given the events of the past two weeks, you could be forgiven for thinking that the reason President Barack Obama says there is an infrastructure crisis in this country is that there aren’t enough bridges and tunnels for anti-police protesters to block. The logic of these actions is, to say the least, not obvious. Eric Garner didn’t die in the custody of commuters trying to exit New York through one of its bridges or tunnels. He wasn’t taken down during his arrest by cabdrivers trying to make a living in an already-gridlocked city. All of these ordinary people, who haven’t harmed anyone, are being inconvenienced for the sin of having somewhere to go. The left has long posited various means

of achieving social justice, from the general strike to consciousness-raising worker collectives. To these methods must now be added traffic congestion, as well as the staging of obnoxious spectacles Rich Lowry during the Christmas shopping season. If the road to police reform goes through the Disney Store in Times Square and other retail outlets around the country, the demonstrations have truly hit home. A professor at the City University of New York named Eric Linsker, who writes “f*** the police” in what he calls his poetry (Robert Frost he is not), took a more direct approach at the inaptly named Millions March NYC over the weekend. He allegedly seemed ready to throw a trash can on police from an elevated walkway on the Brooklyn Bridge. The old Pete Seeger progressive anthem was “If I Had a Hammer.” For Linsker, it isn’t an issue; he was reportedly found with a bag full of them. In the Brooklyn Bridge melee, two police officers who were there to ensure that the protesters’ civil rights weren’t violated were allegedly attacked, although accounts differ about what happened. (Maybe future ambiguity can be resolved by having violent agitators wear body cameras.) The spirit of at

least some of these protesters was captured in a chant caught on video: “What do we want? Dead cops! When do we want it? Now!” And this is a movement that has gotten broadly sympathetic press coverage. Imagine if tea-party rallies occasionally dissolved into acts of arson and property damage. Or if they involved disorderly acts in public spaces. Or if they featured chants braying for violence against their enemies. Back in the day, Sarah Palin merely put a target symbol on a map of congressmen she hoped to defeat, and it was taken as almost an incitement to murder. But these are all counterfactuals, because public disorder, lawlessness and intimidation are almost exclusively the tools of the left. This is because the left doesn’t put a high value on order and lawfulness, at least not when they are perceived to be obstacles to its goals; because it has a violent anarchist fringe that exists to rampage and break things whenever it gets the opportunity; because it has a romance for direct action; and because it tends to believe that the entire American system is rotten, and therefore any means justify the ends in attempting to upend it. It will take out its rage on any convenient target and expect — correctly — to get a free pass from the establishment media and liberal elite. Rich Lowry can be reached via e-mail: comments.lowry@nationalreview.com.

Push for Warren to run for president grows By CATHERINE LUCEY Associated Press

AP News Extra

DES MOINES, Iowa — Liberal activists eager to draft Sen. Elizabeth Warren into a run for president are working the ground in Iowa, the pivotal early-voting state where an organizing effort is already in place — for Hillary Rodham Clinton. MoveOn.org held a meeting Wednesday evening in Des Moines as part of its new “Run Warren Run” campaign. The group is trying to persuade Warren to seek the Democratic nomination in 2016, even though the Massachusetts senator has repeatedly said she is not running. “Elizabeth Warren has been fighting tirelessly against the Wall Street lobbyists, against the special interests,” Ilya Sheyman, executive director of MoveOn.org Political Action, told more than 75 people at a downtown coffee shop. “This is our moment to stand up and fight for her.” The Iowa event was the group’s first organizing meeting, and there will be a simi-

lar event in New Hampshire in January. The campaign is seeking staffers in both states and trying to build volunteer and donor support. Another grassroots group, Ready for Warren, has made a number of visits to Iowa since the summer. MoveOn plans to spend $1 million on its Warren effort. Another liberal group, Democracy for America, said Wednesday it will join the campaign and pledged $250,000. Such work has been underway for much longer on behalf of Clinton, who is expected to run but has not announced a decision. Ready for Hillary, which has no formal ties to Clinton, held its first Iowa meeting in January and has spent months appearing at party functions, holding house parties and recruiting volunteers, said the group’s Midwest organizing director, Derek Eadon. Enthusiastic crowds greeted Warren in Iowa in October when she came for Bruce Braley’s lagging Senate campaign and de-

Classic Doonesbury, 1979

livered vigorous speeches on income inequality and economic reforms. Jenni Scott, 49, a Democrat from Des Moines, came to the Wednesday event and said she liked Warren because “she’s not going to sell out to Wall Street.” Warren insists whenever she is asked that she is “not running for president.” And that, said Brad Anderson, a Democratic consultant who served as state director for President Barack Obama in 2012, is noticed in Iowa. “Anecdotally, socially and at holiday parties, Iowans are talking about people who have actually expressed an interest in running for the president,” said Anderson.

Letters to the Editor:

E-mail: news@peninsulaclarion.com Write: Peninsula Clarion P.O. Box 3009 Kenai, AK 99611

Fax: 907-283-3299 Questions? Call: 907-283-7551

By GARRY TRUDEAU

Peninsula Clarion, Thursday, December 18, 2014

. . . Views Continued from page A-1

community and I think we can be with everyone’s input.” After going over a drafted code of ethics and goals of the coalition, Derleth opened the floor to questions and comments from the audience. The first four people who spoke said they voted against legalized marijuana and each shared their concerns. Nikiski resident Larry Shafer wanted to know how marijuana could be transported to remote Alaska villages on a boat when the U.S. Coast Guard follows federal law. Shafer said he viewed marijuana as a gateway drug to harder illegal substances, something he has seen his stepdaughter fall into. Cliff Smith, a former marijuana user, asked if the marijuana sales tax revenues would outweigh the cost of addiction and other negative consequences. He said legalization could increase accidents on the job and the highways. “I used to smoke on a daily basis and it didn’t do me any good,” he said. “Two communities (Homer and Seward) voted for it. The rest of us didn’t want it. What’s wrong with letting those communities have it and wait and see the effects? I think we would be better off.” As the meeting progressed more marijuana advocates spoke up and shared their positive experiences of the medical benefits. Kenai resident Robyn Sullens said she came out about her marijuana use to her peers a few months ago during a chamber of commerce meeting. As a parent she said she didn’t smoke around her two children but explained to them that some adults use it in the privacy in their home because “not all laws are right.” With her kids now adults she said she has educated them on responsible safe use. “I’m a marijuana smoker asking for individual choice,” she said. “We don’t have to hide in our house and lie anymore.” Retired lawyer Chuck Robinson said he would like to see the coalition continue to educate people on marijuana because what he described as “superstition” about the drug has led to bad policy. He said the meeting felt similar to another social movement. “I don’t want to insult anybody but this reminds me of people coming out of the closet,” Robinson said. “I’m willing to come out of the closet.” Derleth said, “Chuck, are you gay?” Robinson replied, “No, but I’m high.” In response to some views

. . . Permit Continued from page A-1

Regulation still to be determined . . . Impact Continued from page A-1

By IAN FOLEY Peninsula Clarion

Kenai’s City Attorney Scott Bloom attended the Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center’s luncheon on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the regulation of marijuana in the city of Kenai. Bloom said that while there are many things the city of Kenai knows about the legalization of marijuana, there are also many questions that have yet to be answered. Due to Proposition 2, which was passed last November, marijuana for personal use among users 21 years of age or older will become legal in Alaska in late February 2015. Commercial sale, cultivation and manufacturing involving marijuana will become legal in early 2016. Bloom said that the State of Alaska has nine months from the effective date of the act to enact regulations and that the Alaska Alcohol and Beverage Control Board could be in charge of making regulations. However, a Marijuana Control Board may be formed instead.

“(The ABC Board) think that they’re the right board to handle it because they have the expertise based on their regulation of alcohol,” Bloom said. “They also think there is no way the state can move fast enough to create a new board and appoint people and get it up and running in time to meet the deadline imposed by the statutes.” On a local level, the city of Kenai will be able to impose local control over commercial sales, but there will be no local control over personal use. Regarding the commercial sale of marijuana in the city of Kenai, there are two ways to control it, said Bloom. “One is by a voter initiative,” he said. “So, anybody who’s a resident of Kenai can write an initiative, which is essentially a law, get 300 people to sign it, approximately, and that question will be voted on either at a regular or special election. Also, the Kenai City Council, by ordinance, can decide to regulate commercial sales of marijuana as well as cultivation and manufacturing.” Bloom said the city has the power to enforce a total ban of

commercial sales, or to allow certain types of commercial activities. The city will also be able to control where those types of activities are permitted. Statewide, smoking marijuana in public will be illegal, which is problematic, Bloom said. “The statutes don’t define public, and I think that’s one thing we need to get a handle on,” he said. Bloom said that other questions need to be addressed by the state. These include the enforcement of driving while under the influence, traveling with marijuana on boats and planes, and depositing money earned from commercial sales into banks. “One of the big differences between what we voted on in Alaska and what has been voted on in Colorado and Washington is, in Alaska, we only voted on a very bare bones framework for legalization,” Bloom said. “The details haven’t been worked out, yet.” Reach Ian Foley at ian.foley@peninsulaclarion.com.

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younger users, for whom it is replacing leaf-smoking as the method of choice. Following the legalization of marijuana in Washington and Colorado, there have been reports of explosions and fires caused by hash oil-making attempts in those states. Baker said that “done properly, it’s just as dangerous as filling up your car.” “Since Washington and Colorado made it legal, that (the danger of hash oil explosions) has been a huge bugaboo,” said Baker. “Butane hash oil sounds really bad to people ... But when it comes here, and when you hear ‘butane hash oil,’ don’t get scared. I’m definitely for education, not just ‘Oh, this is legal!’ and letting it go. Education — doing it right and being safe about it.” Shari Conner was among the attendees who did not support the legal use and distribution of marijuana. Conner, who works at Central Peninsula Hospital’s Serenity House addiction treatment center, said her experience working with drug-users has convinced her that marijuana legalization and distribution would be negative for the area’s youth. Working with marijuana users at Serenity House has made Conner skeptical of Derleth’s characterization of marijuana as a non-addictive drug. Conner said that another point of Derleth’s presentation — that legalization and regulation of marijuana would make it less accessible to youth than it presently is as a black market drug — was also inconsistent with her experience. Derleth related how illegal black market marijuana was easily attainable during his own youth in the late 1980s, while acquiring legal, regulated alcohol was more difficult. “Kids at the center have told us that alcohol is in fact freely available in their homes, sometimes from their parents” said Conner. “We’re worried now that they could start cannabis use through the same contact point.” Although Conner remained opposed to marijuana use, she said that the Community Cannabis Coalition’s potential to provide education about marijuana was greatly needed, and that the tone of the town hall meeting had been a pleasant surprise for her. “I thought the attitude at this meeting would be just like ‘Let’s start opening stores!’ But I really liked the emphasis on responsible use and education, which was very different from what I expected,” said Conner.

described herself as a cannabis supporter. Citing her experience as a nurse, she contrasted cannabis with other drugs, the users of which she has treated. “In my career as a nurse, I’ve never once detoxed someone from cannabis. I routinely detox people from alcohol, street drugs, heroin, or pills,” she said. Although Anderson herself is not a cannabis user, she said “I want to know that if I choose to smoke it— if I have a chronic disease or a terminal disease, that I can have access to it. That is my right as an American citizen. I don’t think anyone should tell me what I can or cannot use for myself.” To that end, Anderson and her husband are considering opening a medical cannabis dispensary when the state begins licensing marijuana establishments in 2016. “We had the opportunity to tour one in Washington this summer, we made some contacts, and I was really impressed by how professional it was,” Anderson said. Anderson said that medical marijuana could provide an effective alternative to addictive opiate-based painkillers. “My perspective is, I’ve seen it work medically,” said Anderson. “Being a nurse, I would much rather see people have access to that, and not just be limited to pharmaceuticals.” Currently, Anderson and her husband are waiting to see how state and local marijuana regulations will form before creating their business strategy. “We don’t really have any hard fast plans,” she said. “We do have some potential investors.” Other prospective marijuana entrepreneurs at the meeting were interested in recreational use. Les Baker, 21, of Soldotna, a college senior studying physical therapy, said that he makes and uses recreational butane hash oil, and may turn his hobby into a business when licensing begins. Hash oil, also known as concentrate or extract, refines the resin of the marijuana plant to concentrate the psychoactive chemical tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), creating a product that Baker said “is more intense (than weed), from 20 to 30 percent THC to 90 percent.” Butane gas is used in the process of separating the chemical THC from marijuana plant matter. Baker and meeting moderator Eric Derleth Reach Ben Boettger at ben. said that oil is an increasingly popular type of cannabis con- boettger@peninsulaclarion. sumption, especially among com.

of marijuana as a gateway drug that hinders people from being productive members of society, Robinson said his experience is an example of that being a false perception. Robinson was first exposed to marijuana while growing up in New York City. At age 14 he lived in a housing project in Brooklyn. He said he used to watch a heroin addict who would sit on a bench and doze off for long periods of time, which sold it for him how dangerous the hardcore drugs were. “If that’s all you’re going to do is nod off, I don’t want any part of it,” he said. “… The superstition that (marijuana) holds people back is simply not true. What holds people back is personality. … I would like to see this coalition educating the community, state, even the nation.” Kasilof resident George Pierce said it didn’t make any sense to him that alcohol and tobacco, which kill people can be legal, but marijuana, which is effective for treating cancer and other diseases, is illegal. “Voters voted for (marijuana) by a large margin,” he said. “It would be nice if our elected officials would honor the will of the people. It is really sad to see so many people misinformed. It’s not the evil weed everybody thinks.” Among those in attendance were state Sen. Peter Micciche,

R-Soldotna, House Speaker Mike Chenault, R-Nikiski, and Rep. Paul Seaton, R-Homer. Kenai Peninsula Borough government representatives included assembly members Wayne Ogle, Blaine Gilman, Kelly Wolf and borough Mayor Mike Navarre. Several Kenai city administrators and council members came to the meeting to hear from the public on the subject. Wolf said he came to the meeting to listen because he hasn’t heard from anyone in favor of legalization. A majority of the central Kenai Peninsula voted no on legalization a fact that cannot be overlooked, he said. “My concern is cultivation,” he said. “We have no zoning (for marijuana farms) in the borough. It terrifies me what our government may see if this goes forward.” Wolf said he is working to craft a borough ordinance that would make marijuana cultivation for intent to resale illegal and plans to bring it up as a voter initiative for the people to decide. While he doesn’t dispute the medical benefits of cannabis or have an issue with people growing for their personal use, large pot farms could have a negative impact of neighborhood property value, he said. Wolf said he plans to introduce the ordinance early 2015 and give the assembly time to

Debbie Goodrich said she was frustrated with the hoops Schneider has had to jump through. “It seems like every time you tell her to do something you move the goalpost, and she doesn’t have a chance,” Goodrich said. “She has done everything you have asked her to do and more.” Schneider said she is ecstatic about the decision regardless of how drawn out the process was. Once a permit is approved a 30day period follows when residents, city staff or Schneider can appeal the decision for a legal cause, she said. Schneider can now receive a certification through Thread, Alaska’s Child Care Resource and Referral Network, and it is likely the daycare will be in operation no later than early March, she said. “I want to work with the city, I want to work with my neighbors, I want to work with everybody,” Schneider said. “I love working with children and parents and want to help the community.”

Ferry project caught in flap over U.S. steel

number of children on the property, and setting an expiration date for the permit. Ultimately the commission was unable to get past the property’s proximity to the intersection of Redoubt Avenue and Kobuck Street. Schneider’s house is located 60 feet away from the busy intersection. “The proximity to the intersection is a safety issue that can’t be modified through conditions or other actions of the applicant,” Czarnezki said. “We feel the commission was diligent in their work and came to a reasonable decision.” Resident Sheila Casey came to testify against the facility because of potential safety issues more traffic may cause. Samantha Morris said the hours of operation would cause disruptions to the neighborhood and was particularly concerned about her son’s bedroom, which faces the street where headlights Reach Kelly Sullivan at kelly. would disrupt his sleep. sullivan@peninsulclarion.com.

Soldotna man gets sentence for tax evasion ANCHORAGE (AP) — A 60-year-old Soldotna man gets 16 months in prison and a $10,000 fine for federal tax crimes. The U.S. attorney’s office says in a release James R. Back also paid over $17,000 for costs of his prosecution and paid more than $113,000 in back income taxes. He was convicted on the seven tax crimes in October. Authorities said he earned more than $125,000 as a pipeline technician at Prudhoe Bay. Yet he claimed his wages were zero dollars in 2006, ‘07 and ‘08, and didn’t file returns from 2009-2012. Officials said during this time, he put more than $140,000 to a retirement plan, had investments worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, owned real estate and bought more than $400,000 in gold and silver bullion.

By BECKY BOHRER Associated Press

JUNEAU — A U.S. requirement that American steel be used to update an Alaska ferry terminal is causing some tension with Canadian officials, potentially threatening the project. The terminal is on Canadian soil, in British Columbia, but the land is leased to the state of Alaska. Under a 50-year lease signed last year, the state is to rebuild the terminal facilities and docking structure on that land. The vast majority of funding for the construction work is expected to come from the Federal Highway Administration, which has “Buy America” requirements for steel, iron and manufactured products used in projects it funds. The rest of the funding would come from the state. The requirement for materials produced in the U.S. can be waived in some circumstances, such as when use of domestic material would raise costs by more than 25 percent, U.S. products are in limited quantity, or their use “would be inconsistent with the public interest.” In a letter to Alaska Gov. Bill Walker this month, Gary Doer, the Canadian ambassador to the U.S., said applying Buy America restrictions to a project on Canadian soil is unacceptable. “More broadly, Buy America policies run counter to the economic interests of both the U.S. and Canada, as they deny our companies and communities the clear benefits that arise

discuss the issue. “I don’t want nine individuals to make the decision,” he said. “It needs to be decided by the people.” Theiler said while a lot of good dialogue was initiated during the first coalition meeting, he said he would have liked to hear more critical opposition. He said for the next meeting in January the coalition would put together an advisory board that would work in groups to address some of the concerns. Theiler said they would continue to invite elected officials, judges, law enforcement, healthcare workers and substance abuse counselors to get a better sense from professionals what unforeseen problems that be addressed. Between the comments heard at the town hall meeting and the decision by the Anchorage Assembly to kill the ordinance proposed to ban marijuana sales, Alaskans have made it clear they want to preserve their individual freedoms, he said. “The big thing we heard is educating people and we will continue to break down concerns people have and work toward solutions,” he said. “I’m hoping with Anchorage and what we had here sent a clear message to legislators.” Reach Dan Balmer at daniel.balmer@peninsulaclarion. com.

from our integrated supply chains,” Doer wrote. “In these tough economic times, Canada and Alaska should be working together to make the best use of taxpayer dollars and allow this project to benefit from unfettered access to the North American procurement market.” One option to resolve the issue would be a public interest waiver, Doer said. Walker responded this week that he didn’t consider a waiver request appropriate at this time,

but he pledged to work toward a solution in which Alaskans and Canadians could benefit from improved ferry system infrastructure as soon as possible. The bid opening for the project has been pushed to Jan. 6 to allow more time to reach a possible resolution. Reuben Yost, a deputy commissioner with the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, said the department doesn’t have experience with the kind of waiver

Doer suggested. Before the department would make an application, it would want to hear from the U.S. Transportation Department whether such a waiver could be successful, he said. The Canadian government has threatened to block the project if the state proceeds under the Buy America specifications, Yost said Wednesday. Asked if the state could lose the lease, Yost said the state isn’t contemplating that yet.

A-6 Peninsula Clarion, Thursday, December 18, 2014

Nation & World

53 years on, time right for United States, Cuba By PAUL HAVEN Associated Press

MEXICO CITY — After 53 years of hostility between the United States and Cuba, the timing to make amends was perfect for both governments. The breakthrough in USCuban relations came with the release of American Alan Gross and an unnamed US intelligence agent, and the freeing of three jailed Cuban agents. The longtime enemies announced they would move toward full diplomatic relations, and Washington said it would ease economic and travel restrictions. The surprise moves come as President Barack Obama is turning his attention to legacy issues, and Raul Castro is trying to boost his nation’s economic fortunes in the face of stalled reforms and falling oil prices that have hit his allies hard. “After today, everything changes,” said Carlos Alzugaray, a former Cuban diplomat who lives on the island and has close relations with the Castro government. “This promises to be the biggest shift in our relations in 50 years,” said Ted Henken, an analyst and author of “Entrepreneurial Cuba,” which examines the economic and social changes Castro has instituted since taking over from his more famous brother in 2006. Those changes have allowed Cubans to buy and sell property, purchase a car, travel abroad without permission, open their own businesses and hire employees. But the reforms have fizzled recently due to Cubans’ lack of cash. Cuba’s moribund economy

grew by just 1.4 percent this year, according to the government’s own estimates, and many private businesses that opened to fanfare in the last couple of years have closed. A recent foreign investment law so far has failed to attract much capital. Meanwhile, the dramatic slide in global oil prices has cratered the economy of Cuba’s main benefactor, Venezuela, which supplies the island with about $3 billion a year in heavily subsidized oil. Another key ally, Russia, also is in economic turmoil. “If you look around the world, (Cuba is) in urgent need of economic resources, hard currency. Russia’s under sanctions of course, Iran’s under sanctions, the Chinese are pretty hard-headed businesspeople,” said Paul Webster Hare, a former British ambassador to Havana. “So if they want to quickly turn on the tap of new hard currency, America is top of the list.” Cubans already receive about $2 billion in remittances from the United States each year, a number that is likely to go up due to the easing of economic restrictions, said Julia Sweig, an analyst at the Council on Foreign Relations. An increase in Americans traveling to the island, and new allowances that will let them bring Cuba’s famous rum and cigars back with them, will also be a welcome jolt. Another reason for Cuba’s openness could be more personal. Raul is 83, Fidel, 88, and both men are acutely aware they will not be around much

longer to oversee the revolution they led in 1959. President Castro has said he aims to step down in 2018 and wants to leave the country well on a path to reform — on his terms. Alzugaray, the former Cuban diplomat, said Castro could face opposition from hardliners, but that he has the political clout to deal with any dissent, something his successor might not. “This is Raul Castro we’re talking about, the historic second in command of the revolution, and that will be of influence with even the most hard line sectors,” he said. For Obama, the timing also is propitious. The announcement, which was immediately criticized by powerful CubanAmerican lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, came the day after Congress adjourned, and before Republicans take control of both houses in January. It also comes after investigations by The Associated Press revealed embarrassing covert programs by USAID, including an effort to set up a clandestine “Cuban Twitter” service, and another to co-opt Cuban hip-hop artists. The New York Times has also published a series of influential editorials calling for a change in Cuba policy. The head of USAID announced Wednesday that he is stepping down. Since the Democrats’ midterm election shellacking in November, Obama has been on a mission to demonstrate that he is not a lame duck, using his executive powers to make sweeping policy changes on immigration and the environment, and announcing

AP Photo/Jeff Flake

This handout photo from the Twitter account of Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz. shows Alan Gross arriving at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Wednesday. The US and Cuba have agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations and open economic and travel ties, marking a historic shift in U.S. policy toward the communist island after a half-century of enmity dating back to the Cold War, American officials said Wednesday. The announcement came amid a series of sudden confidencebuilding measures between the longtime foes, including the release of American prisoner Alan Gross, as well as a swap for a U.S. intelligence asset held in Cuba and the freeing of three Cubans jailed in the U.S. Gross’ wife Judy is at center.

a climate change deal with China. Analysts say ongoing negotiations could lead to a face-toface meeting between Obama and Castro at the Summit of the Americas in Panama in April, which Cuba has been invited to for the first time. Still, obstacles remain to normal relations (full diplomatic ties were cut in 1961). Washington still prohibits American tourism to Cuba, and the Obama

Administration cannot end the trade embargo without Congressional approval — something unlikely to happen while a Castro remains in control in Havana. Any final agreement likely will need to address compensation for Cuban exiles who lost property when they fled their homeland decades ago. For his part, Castro has made clear that his country remains committed to the Communist ideals of the revolution,

meaning a multi-party political democracy, free press and fullblown capitalism are not in the cards anytime soon. And while commercial ties may be strengthened, Obama will not be cutting any ribbons on a McDonald’s or Starbucks in Cuba in the near future. “He is creating the momentum that ultimately will lead to opening a Marriott,” said Sweig. “But we’re not opening a Marriott tomorrow.”

Federal Reserve to be ‘patient’ about a rate hike; stocks soar By MARTIN CRUTSINGER AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve is edging closer to raising interest rates from record lows given a strengthening U.S. economy. But it will be “patient” in deciding when to do so. That was the message sent Wednesday as the Fed ended a meeting amid heightened expectation about a forthcoming rate increase. At a news conference afterward, Chair Janet Yellen said she foresaw no rate hike in the first quarter of 2015. The Fed said in a statement that a “patient” approach to raising rates is consistent with its previous guidance that it would keep its key rate near zero for a “considerable time.” Yellen said the strength of U.S. economic data and the level of inflation, not a calendar date, will dictate when it raises rates. At a time of global economic turmoil and collapsing oil prices, she stressed that the Fed was making no policy changes. “The Fed is sending the message that the broader U.S. economy is on the path toward healing,” said Steven Ricchiuto, chief economist at Mizuho Securities. “They don’t know how fast it will heal, but it’s on the mend.” The Fed chair said she’s prepared to let the U.S. unemployment rate fall from its current 5.8 percent to exceptionally low levels because doing so could help cause inflation to rise closer to the Fed’s 2 percent target. Uncertainty about when the economy will fully heal from the ravages of the Great Recession, which officially ended 5½ years ago, is why the Fed’s policy statements remain vague, Ricchiuto added. “There was no signal that rates are on the cusp of liftoff,” noted Joseph LaVorgna, chief U.S. economist at Deutsche Bank. Stock investors applauded the Fed’s message. The Dow Jones industrial average, which had been up about 160 points before the Fed issued its statement, closed up 280 points. The stock market tends to applaud low rates because they make it easier for individuals and businesses to borrow and spend and they cause many investors

to shift money into stocks in search of higher returns. Most economists think the Fed’s first rate increase will occur in June as long as its inflation outlook doesn’t remain persistently below its target rate of 2 percent. In an updated economic forecast Wednesday, the Fed lowered its inflation forecast for next year to between 1 percent and 1.6 percent. Energy prices have plunged since the Fed last met in October, with oil reaching a five-year low. That price drop is reducing inflation further below the Fed’s 2 percent target, which could heighten the pressure to delay a rate hike until inflation rebounds. On Wednesday, the government said consumer prices rose just 1.3 percent in November compared with 12 months ago. But Yellen noted that oil price spikes in the past had only temporarily raised inflation and suggested that a corresponding drop will likely also have only a “transitory” effect on inflation. She was more optimistic about the benefits of lower oil prices for the U.S. economy. “The decline we have seen ... is likely to be on net a positive,” Yellen said. “It’s something that’s certainly good for fami-

lies, for households. It’s putting more money in their pockets... It’s like a tax cut that boosts their spending power.” The Fed’s statement was approved on a 7-3 vote. The three dissents reflected the sharp divisions inside the Fed as it transitions from an extended period of ultra-low rates to a period in which it will start to raise rates. The Fed has not raised rates in more than eight years. The dissents included Presidents Richard Fisher of the Dallas Fed and Charles Plosser of the Philadelphia Fed, who have long stressed the need for the Fed to prevent high inflation over the need to maximize employment. But Narayana Kocherlakota, president of the Fed’s Minneapolis regional bank, also dissented for a different reason. He thinks the Fed needs to do more to boost inflation to its 2 percent target level. The Fed’s decision to say both that it will be “patient” about a rate hike and that this is consistent with rates staying ultra-low for a “considerable time” was a surprise. Most economists had expected its statement to drop “considerable time” in favor of saying only that the Fed would be “patient”

AP Photo/Richard Drew

The facade of the New York Stock Exchange, Oct. 2. Global stocks were mostly lower Wednesday Dec. 17, 2014 as oil prices tumbled again while investors waited for a U.S. Federal Reserve statement on monetary policy.

in assessing the economy’s ability to withstand higher rates. Since the Fed’s last meeting, the job market and other sectors of the economy have strengthened. Employers added 321,000 jobs in November, sustaining the healthiest year for job growth since 1999. The current 5.8 percent unemployment rate is close to the 5.2 percent

to 5.5 percent range that the central bank considers maximum employment. The Fed’s key short-term rate has been at a record low near zero since December 2008. When the Fed does begin raising rates, the expectation is that it will do so gradually and leave consumer and corporate loan rates at historically low

levels for a while. In October, the Fed ended its bond buying program, which had been intended to keep down long-term borrowing rates. The bond purchases boosted the Fed’s investment holdings to close to $4.5 trillion — more than four times its level when the financial crisis hit in the fall of 2008.

Peninsula Clarion, Thursday, December 18, 2014

Pope played role in US-Cuba rapprochement

Around the World Freed American prisoner endured years of declining health, sinking spirits after 2009 arrest WASHINGTON — Alan Gross spent five years wasting away in a Cuban prison, losing hope that he would ever be free and at one point apparently contemplating suicide. He dropped more than 100 pounds, developed hip problems and lost most of the vision in one eye. On Wednesday, the 65-year-old American returned to Washington a free man. “It’s good to be home,” he said in brief remarks at his lawyer’s Washington office, where he stood in front of two U.S. flags and grinned, despite having lost teeth in prison. The former federal subcontractor arrested in 2009 was freed as part of a historic announcement that the U.S. would re-establish diplomatic relations with Cuba. His detention had been a sticking point in improving relations between the countries, and Gross spoke supportively of President Barack Obama’s move. He said history had shown that the nation’s previous approach to its old foe was ineffective. “Two wrongs never make a right,” Gross said. “I truly hope that we can now get beyond these mutually belligerent policies.”

Sony cancels ‘The Interview’ Dec. 25 release; theaters pull showings following threats NEW YORK — Sony Pictures has canceled the Dec. 25 release of “The Interview” after hackers threatened terrorists attacks and the largest multiplex chains in North America pulled the film from its screens. In a statement Wednesday, Sony said it was cancelling “The Interview” release “in light of the decision by the majority of our exhibitors not to show the film.” The studio, which has been shaken by hacker leaks over the past several weeks, said it respected and shared in the exhibitors’ concerns. “We are deeply saddened at this brazen effort to suppress the distribution of a movie, and in the process do damage to our company, our employees, and the American public,” read the statement. “We stand by our filmmakers and their right to free expression and are extremely disappointed by this outcome.” Earlier Wednesday, Regal Cinemas, AMC Entertainment and Cinemark Theatres — the three top theater chains in North America — announced that they were postponing any showings of “The Interview,” a comedy about a TV host (James Franco) and producer (Seth Rogen) tasked by the CIA to assassinate North Korea leader Kim Jung-un (played by Randall Park). Regal said in a statement that it was delaying “The Interview” ‘’due to wavering support of the film ... by Sony Pictures, as well as the ambiguous nature of any real or perceived security threats.”

Pakistan buries victims of school massacre as nation mourns young children

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PESHAWAR, Pakistan — As they buried their children Wednesday, the families spoke of their dreams. One boy had just gotten high marks on his midterm and hoped to become a pilot. A 13-year-old wanted to become a doctor. Another kid just loved playing video games with his cousins. At cemeteries across the Pakistani city of Peshawar, families lowered the rough wooden coffins of young boys and their teachers into the cold ground and gathered under funeral tents or at home, trying to comprehend the militant attack a day earlier on a school that killed 148 people, almost all of them young students. The Pakistani government and military vowed a stepped up campaign aimed at rooting out militant strongholds in the country’s tribal regions along the border with Afghanistan. In a sign of how deeply the attack shook Pakistan, the head of the military flew to Kabul and sought help from the Afghan government — which with Islamabad has long had a tense relationship — against militant commanders behind the attack, a Pakistani military official told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the press.. In downtown Peshawar, the family of Shyer Khan, a 14-year-old student killed on Tuesday, gathered to comfort his father, who was too overwhelmed by grief to talk. Shyer’s older brother, Muneeb, was in the auditorium when gunmen burst through the doors Tuesday morning, took the stage and began shooting randomly. He fell to the floor and pretended to be dead.

Barack Obama: As a black man he’s been mistaken for valet WASHINGTON — He may be president now, but Barack Obama says he’s a black man who has been mistaken for the valet and worries his daughters could face stereotypes. “There’s no black male my age, who’s a professional, who hasn’t come out of a restaurant and is waiting for their car and somebody didn’t hand them their car keys,” Obama told People magazine in an interview out Wednesday. That happened to him, he said. First lady Michelle Obama said her husband also once was mistaken for a waiter at a black-tie party and asked for coffee. She said even when she went to Target as first lady, a fellow shopper asked her to get something from a shelf. “I think people forget that we’ve lived in the White House for six years,” she said. “Before that, Barack Obama was a black man that lived on the South Side of Chicago, who had his share of troubles catching cabs.” The first couple spoke about their experiences with racism amid protests nationwide over the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner in State Island, New York. Mrs. Obama said they have long talked to their girls about racism and the issues that have been raised in the wake of the two men’s deaths. “These conversations aren’t new to us,” she said. “I mean, when you’re raising black kids you have to talk about these issues because they’re real.”

Doctor says Oklahoma inmate suffered in execution OKLAHOMA CIT — A doctor who examined the body of an Oklahoma inmate who died during a botched execution told a federal judge Wednesday that he is convinced the man suffered after being declared unconscious. Dr. Joseph Cohen, a pathologist hired by the inmate’s lawyer, said that recently released witness statements corroborate his belief that Clayton Lockett was conscious when given drugs to stop his heart and breathing. Several witnesses, including an Associated Press reporter, saw the inmate struggle against his restraints, mumble and try to raise his head. “Mr. Lockett had been deemed unconscious but became conscious again,” Cohen testified at a hearing on whether Oklahoma should resume executions Jan. 15 after a self-imposed moratorium. Death row inmates say they fear the state is conducting human experiments on them by using newly approved drug combinations during executions. — The Associated Press

By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press

VATICAN CITY — The crucial role played by Pope Francis in bringing Cuba and the United States together signals that history’s first Latin American pope has no qualms about putting the Holy See on the front lines of diplomacy, especially for a cause it has long championed. The Vatican said Wednesday that Francis wrote to President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro in recent months and invited them to resolve their differences over humanitarian issues, including prisoners. In addition, the Vatican hosted U.S. and Cuban delegations in October “and provided its good offices to facilitate a constructive dialogue on delicate matters, resulting in solutions acceptable to both parties,” the Vatican said. In his announcement, Obama referred twice to Francis and thanked him for his involvement, saying his “moral example shows us the importance of pursuing the world as it should be, rather than simply settling for the world as it is.” Indeed, Francis has shown he is willing to use his popularity and moral authority to do the unthinkable for a good cause. This past June he invited the Israeli and Palestinian presidents for a day of peace prayers at the Vatican, and before that agreed to requests to help facilitate talks between the Venezuelan government and opponents. Such Holy See interventionism harks back to the papacy of St. John Paul II, who is credited with having helped bring down communism in his native Poland by encouraging the Soli-

‘It’s typical of the man to have the courage to intervene personally, trying to contribute to doing something concrete, as we saw him do with the Mideast (prayer summit), without being afraid to take the risk.’ — Elisabetta Pique, Argentine journalist darity movement. John Paul in 1978 also sent an envoy to help Francis’ native Argentina and Chile reach a compromise on a territorial dispute. The two countries had been on the brink of war over the Beagle Channel and its islands. The Vatican under Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI kept a low diplomatic profile, but during his 2012 visit to Cuba, Benedict made clear the Vatican’s long-standing position that it believed the U.S. embargo was unjust and only hurt the most vulnerable on the island. “Cuba and the world need change, but this will occur only if each one is in a position to seek the truth and chooses the way of love, sowing reconciliation and fraternity,” Benedict said. The remark built upon the famed call of John Paul who said in his groundbreaking 1998 visit that Cuba should “open itself up to the world,

AP Photo/L’Osservatore Romano

In this photo provided by Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano, Pope Francis blows candles on a cake during his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Wednesday. Pope Francis got a cake, cards and a tango demonstration for his 78th birthday Wednesday, and 800 kilograms of chicken meat for the poor.

and may the world open itself up to Cuba.” Francis’ top diplomat is Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, until last year the Vatican’s ambassador to Caracas. Given his experience in the Caribbean, Parolin’s role in the U.S.-Cuba rapprochement was believed to have been crucial to the deal. U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, Kenneth Hackett, said in a statement to The Associated Press that a senior Vatican official had met with both sides “to help bring the negotiations to a successful conclusion.” He didn’t name the official. Elisabetta Pique, an Argentine journalist and author of the authoritative biography “Pope Francis, Life and Revolution,” said Francis had long been concerned about the effects of the U.S.-Cuba estrangement, given his position as a prominent

churchman in Latin America. He frequently stressed the need for cultural engagement and dialogue. She said it was widely understood that Francis and Obama spoke about Cuba when they met March 27 at the Vatican. “It’s typical of the man to have the courage to intervene personally, trying to contribute to doing something concrete, as we saw him do with the Mideast (prayer summit), without being afraid to take the risk,” she told The Associated Press. Perhaps coincidentally, the announcement was made on Francis’ 78th birthday, and Vatican officials had said to expect a “surprise” later in the day. Most reporters suspected he might invite some homeless people to dinner, not announce his personal involvement in a historic diplomatic breakthrough.

14 people charged in deadly 2012 meningitis outbreak By DENISE LAVOIE Associated Press

BOSTON — Mold and bacteria were in the air and on workers’ gloved fingertips. Pharmacists used expired ingredients, didn’t properly sterilize them and failed to test drugs for purity before sending them to hospitals and pain clinics. Employees falsified logs to make it look as if the so-called clean rooms had been disinfected. Federal prosecutors leveled those allegations in bringing charges Wednesday against 14 former owners or employees of a Massachusetts pharmacy in connection with a nationwide meningitis outbreak that killed 64 people. U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz called it the biggest criminal case ever brought in the U.S. over contaminated medicine. The 2012 outbreak was traced to tainted drug injections manufactured by the now-closed New England Compounding Pharmacy of Framingham. Barry Cadden, a co-founder of the business, and Glenn Adam Chin, a supervisory pharmacist, were slapped with the most serious charges, accused in the racketeering indictment of causing the deaths of 25 patients in seven states by acting with “wanton and willful disregard” of the risks. The other defendants were charged with such crimes as fraud and interstate sale of adulterated drugs. Ortiz said NECC was “filthy” and failed to comply with even basic health standards, and employees knew it. “Production and profit were prioritized over safety,” she said. More than 750 people in 20 states fell ill — about half of them with a rare fungal form of meningitis, the rest with joint or spinal infections — after getting steroid injections, mostly for back pain. Sixty-four died. In reaction, Congress last year increased federal oversight of so-called compounding pharmacies like NECC, which custom-mix medications in bulk and supply them directly to hospitals and doctors. Cadden’s lawyer, Bruce Singal, complained that prosecutors are trying to turn a “tragic accident” into a federal crime. “Not every accident, and not every tragedy, are caused by criminal conduct,” Singal state in a statement. Chin’s lawyer, Stephen Weymouth, said he was stunned that prosecutors charged his client with second-degree murder under the racketeering law.

AP Photos/Dedham Police Department

This booking photo Carla Conigliaro, the majority shareholder of New England Compounding Center who was arrested at her home in Dedham, on Wednesday. Conigliaro is among several arrested who face charges that tainted steroids manufactured by the pharmacy were blamed for a fungal meningitis outbreak that killed 64 people across the country.

“He feels hugely remorseful for everything that’s happened — for the injuries and the deaths — but he never intended to cause harm to anybody,” Weymouth said. “It seems to be a bit of an overreach.” Lawyers for the other defendants did not immediately return calls. John Nedroscik, 64, of Howell, Michigan, received the tainted steroids while getting treatment for damaged discs in his back. He contracted a fungal infection that caused an abscess on his spine. He spent nearly a month in the hospital for surgery to remove the abscess and then had to return frequently for a string of problems. He said he still takes pain medication and has trouble sleeping. “I still struggle with some stuff,” he said. But “it could have been a lot worse.” Cadden and Chin were ordered jailed for a bail hearing on Thursday. Gregory Conigliaro, who founded the business in 1988 with Cadden, his brother-in-law, was also among those arrested. The federal law used against Cadden and Chin, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, was originally aimed at organized crime but has been applied in white-collar prosecutions and many other kinds of cases over the years. Jeffrey Grell, a former prosecutor in Minnesota who is an expert on RICO, said it is unusual to use the law to prosecute a pharmaceutical company. But “here, you’ve got such a close link between the meningitis and the malfeasance at the laboratory, I can totally underC

This booking photo shows Douglas Conigliaro, owner and president of Medical Sales Management, who was arrested at his home in Dedham, on Wednesday. MSM shared ownership of New England Compounding Pharmacy, and its sales representatives sold drugs for the pharmacy. Conigliaro is among several arrested who face charges that tainted steroids manufactured by the pharmacy.

stand why the U.S. Attorney’s Office is using it in this circumstance,” he said. After the outbreak came to light, regulators found a host of potential sources of ontamination at the pharmacy, including standing water, mold and dirty equipment. The business filed for bankruptcy after it was bombarded with hundreds of

AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File

In this Nov. 14, 2012, file photo, New England Compounding Center President, co-owner, and Director of Pharmacy Barry Cadden takes the fifth amendment option and declines to testify on Capitol Hill in Washington before the House Energy subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing about the Fungal Meningitis Outbreak.

lawsuits from victims or their. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart Delery said the defendants showed “not only a reckless disregard for federal health and safety regulations, but also an extreme and appalling disregard for human life.” “Every patient should have the peace of mind knowing that their medications are safe,” he said.

A-8 Peninsula Clarion, Thursday, December 18, 2014

New York to ban fracking; environmentalists cheer By MARY ESCH Associated Press

ALBANY, N.Y. — Handing environmentalists a breakthrough victory, New York plans to prohibit fracking for natural gas because of what regulators say are its unexplored health risks and dubious economic benefits. New York, which overlies part of the gas-rich Marcellus Shale formation that has led to a drilling boom in Pennsylvania and other nearby states, has banned shale gas development since 2008, when the state began an environmental review of the drilling technique also known as hydraulic fracturing. Wednesday’s announcement, though not final, means a ban is all but etched in stone. “Never before has a state with proven gas reserves banned fracking,” said Deborah Goldberg, an attorney with Earthjustice, adding that the decision “will give courage to elected leaders throughout the country and world: Fracking is too dangerous and must not continue.” Industry and its supporters expressed outrage at the decision. “We are very disappointed that it appears the governor is unwilling to be a leader and is going to pass the buck at the expense of New Yorkers,” said Jack Gerard, president of the American Petroleum Institute. “This technology has been used for over 65 years in the United States. It’s been demonstrated repeatedly after drilling millions of wells that we’re able to do it while protecting the environment and protecting the people.” Environmental Commis-

sioner Joe Martens said Wednesday that he is recommending a ban, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, responded that he would defer to Martens and Acting Health Commissioner Howard Zucker on the decision. The Department of Environmental Conservation will put out a final environmental impact statement early next year, Martens said, and after that he will issue an order prohibiting fracking. About 30 anti-fracking activists cheered the decision at a rally outside Cuomo’s New York City office, chanting “Thank you, Governor Cuomo, for saving our air!” and “New York banned fracking — and next, United States!” Zucker and Martens on Wednesday summarized environmental and health reviews that concluded fracking carries risks that haven’t been studied enough. The drilling boom in the Marcellus Shale, which also runs under Ohio and West Virginia, was made possible by high-volume hydraulic fracturing, which releases gas from rock by injecting wells with chemically treated water at high pressure. The technique has generated tens of billions of dollars in industry profits and landowner royalties, and has reduced energy bills and fuel imports. But it has also brought concerns and sparked protests over air and water pollution, earthquakes, property devaluation and truck traffic. Zucker said he had identified “significant public health risks” and “red flag” health issues that require long-term studies before fracking can be called safe. He likened fracking to second-

AP Photo/Mike Groll

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joseph Martens, second from let, talks on hydraulic fracturing during a cabinet meeting at the Capitol on Wednesday, in Albany, N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration will move to prohibit fracking in the state, citing unresolved health issues and dubious economic benefits of the widely used gasdrilling technique.Acting health commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker is seated left.

hand smoke, which wasn’t fully understood as a health risk until many years of scientific study were done. Martens noted the low price of natural gas, the high local cost of industry oversight, and the large areas that would be off limits to shale gas development because of setback requirements, water supply protections and local prohibitions. Those factors, he said, combine to make fracking less economically beneficial than anticipated. Even if drilling were allowed in New York, it prob-

ably wouldn’t take off any time soon because of the uncertainty around regulations and legal challenges and the huge number of promising drilling locations that remain in Pennsylvania, David Spigelmyer, president of the industry group Marcellus Shale Coalition, said last week. The Marcellus Shale is enticing to energy companies because of its proximity to the major demand centers of New York City and New England, which is paying more for gas because of delivery constraints. But the

regulatory uncertainty remains too high to commit to drilling in New York, Spigelmyer said. In states where fracking is not yet allowed or is happening but is subject to criticism, New York’s move excited some antidrilling activists. “The more fracking expands, the more opposition grows,” said Sharon Wilson, of the group Earthworks, who has organized anti-fracking activists in Texas, California and Colorado. “Industry is its own worst enemy because they continue to deny the impacts.”

Fracking supporters decried the New York move. Karen Moreau, executive director of New York’s branch of the American Petroleum Institute, said the Cuomo administration is denying landowners the right to develop their mineral resources. “The secretary of energy, the U.S. EPA administrator and President Obama recognize the benefits of fracking, and yet the Cuomo administration simply did not want to anger their activist base,” Moreau said. Dan Fitzsimmons, president of the Joint Landowners Coalition, which represents leaseholders, accused Cuomo of appeasing “environmental extremists” for political gain. “Is our health department ignoring impacts of other energy options and suggesting that we continue with our reliance on coal and nuclear energy?” Fitzsimmons said. “Did our health department consider the health effects of poverty and unemployment?” Cuomo said he is expecting lawsuits will be filed “every which way from Sunday.” In California, energy companies have been using a type of fracking to extract oil for many years and are pushing to expand such drilling. Environmental groups hope the New York decision will influence Gov. Jerry Brown, who has largely supported fracking. A scientific study is due to be released next month. Californians will ask now, “If it’s not safe for New Yorkers, why should we think it’s safe for us?” said Charles Margulis, with the California branch of the national Center for Environmental Health, a nonprofit organization.

Sydney hostage, John O’Brien, planned daring escape By NICK PERRY Associated Press

SYDNEY — The siege at the Sydney cafe had been going on for more than five hours and 82-year-old John O’Brien had become convinced the gunman was insane and they would likely all end up dead. And so he made a decision, one he knew came with a cost: he was going to try to escape. O’Brien — a former professional tennis player who played at Wimbledon — looked at the gunman who was at the other end of the cafe, barricaded behind tables and chairs. The man had forced two or three young women to stand in front of him as human shields, so police snipers couldn’t take shots at him. O’Brien glanced up at Stefan Balafoutis, a lawyer, who was standing, as ordered, with his hands against the window. The younger man had his eyes closed. “I said to the barrister, look, this is not going to end well, this guy will never get out of here alive, and he’s going to take everyone with him,” O’Brien told The Associated Press in the first detailed account from a hostage who was held inside the cafe. He whispered his plan to Balafoutis. The lawyer replied: “Good idea.” O’Brien was exhausted and was wondering at times if he was in a dream. He hadn’t eaten since early in the morning, before their ordeal began, when he’d ordered a piece of raisin toast and a cappuccino. He thought the coffee at the Lindt Chocolat Cafe in Martin Place was creamy and delicious, albeit overpriced. He liked the chocolates on display, a point of difference at the cafe. He’d visit a few times a year, often after an appointment with his eye doctor like the one he’d had that morning. O’Brien was eating his toast when 50-year-old Man Haron Monis strode in, wearing a bandanna with Arabic writing. He pulled out a shotgun. O’Brien looked at it, thinking it was the size of a tennis racket. He knew right away the situation was dire. The gunman grabbed Tori Johnson, the 34-year-old cafe manager, ordering him to lock the door. O’Brien said Monis was immediately aggressive and belligerent. There were 17 people in the cafe that Monday who became the gunman’s hostages. Several were cafe staff in their early 20s. The customers included

AP Photo/Rob Griffith, File

In this Monday, Dec. 15 photo, a hostage runs to armed tactical response police officers for safety after she escaped from a cafe under siege at Martin Place in the central business district of Sydney, Australia. The siege at the Sydney cafe had been going on for more than five hours and 82-year-old John O’Brien had become convinced the gunman was insane and they would likely all end up dead.

three lawyers and four bank workers who had popped in from nearby offices. O’Brien was the oldest while Jarrod Hoffman, a 19-year-old university student and a cafe staffer, was the youngest. Monis ordered the customers to stand with their hands on the cafe window and to hold up a black Shahada flag with the Islamic declaration of faith written on it. O’Brien said he stood with his hands on the window for 30 minutes, or maybe 45 — it was hard to tell — before telling the gunman how old he was and saying he needed to sit down. It was his first challenge to the gunman’s authority and a bit of a ruse, he said. He felt stronger than he was letting on. He’s remarkably fit for his age. He still plays competitive tennis, and is among the best in Australia in his age group. As a young man, in 1956, he made it to the fourth round of Wimbledon. Monis complained but relented, allowing O’Brien and a few others to sit. The hours ticked by as the gunman tried to use the hostages to relay his odd demands on social media: to be delivered a flag of the Islamic State group and to speak directly to Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott. O’Brien would sometimes rest his head on the table. He thought about his wife, Maureen, whose brother had died two weeks earlier. He thought about his two daughters. And he thought about the gunman, who he became convinced was mad. O’Brien quietly slipped out of his seat and sat on the floor. He’d noticed that near the ca-

fe’s front doors, there was a gap between the wall and a large advertising placard, which was perhaps 10 feet (3 meters) wide and 5 feet (1.5 meters) high. He figured the gap was less than a foot (0.3 meters) wide but knew he had to squeeze behind the sign — and reach the button controlling the doors — if his plan was to work. After several tries, he got

behind the sign. Now the placard was obscuring him from the gunman. He lay down, and looked at the large green button on the wall. He wasn’t sure it would open the glass doors. If it didn’t, he figured, he would be seen by the gunman and killed. Also weighing on his mind was the thought of leaving the others behind. He didn’t want to, of course, and he had no way of knowing how the gunman might react. “I was terribly worried for them,” he said. But there was no turning back. He reached up and pushed the green button. A moment later, at 3:37 p.m., the doors opened and he was free. The images of O’Brien running toward the police in his blue blazer, glancing back with Balafoutis close behind, were played around the world. The men put their hands in the air as they reached the heavily clad officers. O’Brien took a step back out into the street, gesturing back toward the cafe, before an officer pushed him behind the front line and to safety. Over the following hours, several more hostages escaped. The siege ended just after 2

a.m. in a barrage of gunfire when police rushed in to free the remaining captives. Two hostages, including Johnson, the cafe manager, were killed. So was the gunman. Johnson would be hailed a hero, after reports he brought the standoff to an end by wrestling Monis for the shotgun,

saving the lives of most of his fellow hostages. O’Brien certainly considers Johnson a hero. He says he can’t sleep and he can’t stop thinking about Johnson and the other victim, Katrina Dawson, a 38-year-old mother of three. “They weren’t doing anything wrong,” he said.

Peninsula Clarion, Thursday, December 18, 2014

Sports

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Pelini leaves Nebraska football on sour note After signing on with Youngstown State, recent remarks from former Cornhuskers coach revealed By ERIC OLSON AP College Football Writer

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — On the day he was introduced as Youngstown State’s new head coach, the ugly nature of Bo Pelini’s departure from Nebraska was revealed. Pelini, who was fired on Nov. 30, lambasted Nebraska athletic director Shawn Eichorst in a profanity-filled talk during his final meeting with his players. The Omaha World-Herald on Wednesday reported that it had a writer listen to an audiotape of Pelini’s address to the players on Dec. 2 at a Lincoln high school. The university said in a statement that if the audiotape is authentic, “it only reaffirms the decision that he should no longer be a leader of young men at Nebraska.” “His habitual use of inappropriate

language, and his personal and professional attacks on administrators, are antithetical to the values of our university,” the statement said. “His behavior is consistent with a pattern of unprofessional, disrespectful behavior directed by Mr. Pelini toward the passionate fans of Nebraska, employees of the university and, most concerning, our student-athletes. This behavior is not tolerated at the University of Nebraska and, among many other concerns, played a role in his dismissal.” The newspaper didn’t say who audiotaped Pelini’s talk. The Associated Press left messages for Pelini and Youngstown athletic director Ron Strollo. Pelini was fired after going 9-3 this season and 66-27 over seven years. He also won a bowl game as interim head coach in 2003. Eichorst hired Mike

Riley away from Oregon State to replace Pelini. Pelini, 47, was under contract until February 2019, and the university must pay him a settlement of as much as $7.9 million. That amount will be reduced by an amount dependent on his salary at Youngstown State. According to a transcript of the audio, Pelini told the players he wasn’t surprised to be fired. “I didn’t really have any relationship with the AD. The guy...,” Pelini said before using two vulgarities for female genitalia to describe Eichorst. “And since I’ve been here — he’s been here for about two years — I’ve probably had a conversation with the guy a couple times. You saw him. He’s never been in the locker room. “At the end of the day, he was never going to support us... The scrutiny, the taking shots at you, and everything

else — when you aren’t getting support from your boss, it can be stressful,” Pelini said. “It was stressful on me, it was stressful on my family.” The university, in response to Pelini’s contention that he wasn’t supported, said, “Any assertions that the campus or athletics administration was not supportive of our student-athletes and our football program are flat-out false and are contradicted by the facts. “We are grateful that the new leadership in our football program is aligned with our values and will establish that you can be successful at Nebraska and that you can do it with integrity and class,” the university said in its statement. Pelini touched on administrative support early in his introductory news conference in Youngstown, Ohio, on Wednesday. Former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel is the university presi-

dent. “I believe I have a great situation here,” Pelini said. “Have a tremendous athletic director, a president who understands football, who’s going to support me, something I don’t know if I’ve ever had.” At Nebraska, Pelini drew detractors for his volatile temper. He was reprimanded by chancellor Harvey Perlman for sideline meltdowns during a loss at Texas A&M in 2010. Last year, Pelini found himself in a storm after the website Deadspin released audio of Pelini’s profanity-laced tirade against what he called fair-weather fans and two newspaper writers. Asked by reporters in Youngstown if accounts of his explosive sideline demeanor at Nebraska were blown out of proportion, Pelini said, “Did it ever get blown out of proportion? Yeah, a little bit.”

Bulldogs edged by Edgecumbe Staff report Peninsula Clarion

The Nikiski girls basketball squad opened up the new season with a 36-33 nonconference loss to Mt. Edgecumbe Thursday in Sitka. Senior Rachel Thompson had a big night, leading the Bulldogs charge with 20 points, while teammates Chena Litzen scored six and Allison Litke added five. The Braves were led by Tori Thomas with 11 points, while teammate Renatta Olson had 10. After a slow start, the Bull-

dogs held the Braves scoreless in the second quarter while notching 12 points, resulting in an 18-11 lead at halftime. However, Mt. Edgecumbe struck back, outscoring Nikiski 17-3 in the third to lead by seven points heading into the fourth. Even though Nikiski clawed several of those points back with a 12-8 effort in the fourth, the Braves held on for the win. Results from the Nikiski boys game were not available as the Clarion went to press. Check www.peninsulaclarion. com for updated scores.

Bruins get OT win By The Associated Press

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Loui Eriksson’s goal 1:30 into overtime gave Boston a 3-2 win over Minnesota on Wednesday night, only the second victory for the Bruins in eight games and the fourth loss for the Wild in the past six. Carl Soderberg, who set up the winner with a cross-crease pass in front of Wild defenseman Marco Scandella, scored early for the Bruins along with Patrice Bergeron. Jason Pominville tied the game in the third period, and Kyle Brodziak also had a goal for the Wild, but Niklas Backstrom was beaten in the net for the second straight night. He stopped 22 shots. Niklas Svedberg made 35 saves for the Bruins in just his second start in 11 games. He relieved Tuukka Rask, who lost in a shootout on Tuesday at Nashville. The Wild dropped to 12-2-2 against the Bruins. SENATORS 2, DEVILS 0 NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Craig Anderson made 34 saves, and Kyle Turris scored two goals as Ottawa blanked New Jersey. Anderson earned his third shut-

out of the season and 29th in his NHL career. He had struggled recently, going 2-6-2 in his previous 10 starts. New Senators coach Dave Cameron improved to 2-11 since he replaced the fired Paul MacLean. The Devils, whose losing streak was extended to five games, went 0 for 5 on the power play — stymied by Anderson throughout. Turris gave the Senators a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal 2:47 in on Ottawa’s first shot of the game. Turris was off balance as he deflected Erik Karlsson’s point shot past Cory Schneider for his first goal in 11 games.

STARS 2, CANUCKS 0 VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Kari Lehtonen made 27 saves for his second shutout this season and the 29th of his career as Dallas extended Vancouver’s losing streak to five games. Colton Sceviour and Antoine Roussel, into an empty net, scored for the Stars. Eddie Lack stopped 27 shots for Vancouver. Lack started for the first time since Dec. 7 in place of No. 1 goalie Ryan Miller, who gave up five goals on 23 shots in a 5-1 loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday. Lehtonen has four wins this month but came in with a 3.10 goals-against average on the season.

AP Photo/Mark Duncan

Atlanta Hawks’ DeMarre Carroll, center, shoots against Cleveland Cavaliers’ Anderson Varejao, from Brazil, left, and Kevin Love in the first quarter of an NBA basketball game Wednesday in Cleveland.

Red hot Hawks demolish Cavs Mack drops 24 points to propel Atlanta to 11th win in 12 games CLEVELAND (AP) — Shelvin Mack scored a careerhigh 24 points and the Atlanta Hawks routed the Cleveland Cavaliers 127-98 Wednesday night for their 11th victory in 12 games. Mack, a reserve guard who came in averaging 3.8 points, made all six of his 3-pointers as the Hawks went 16 for 28 from behind the arc. Trailing 50-38 midway through the second quarter, Atlanta outscored Cleveland 89-48 the rest of the way and sent the Cavaliers to their largest loss of the season. The Hawks, playing without leading scorer Jeff Teague,

avenged a 127-94 loss in Cleveland on Nov. 15, when the Cavaliers made their first 11 shots from 3-point range. LeBron James scored 21 points but didn’t play in the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers have lost three of four since winning eight straight. Al Horford scored 20 points for Atlanta, which had seven players in double figures and shot 64.5 percent from the field.

regulation expired, and Memphis outlasted San Antonio in triple overtime after blowing a 23-point lead. Zach Randolph had 21 points and 21 rebounds in the Grizzlies’ sixth straight victory. Vince Carter added a season-high 18 points for Memphis (21-4). Danny Green scored 25 points, and Tim Duncan had 23 points and 16 rebounds for San Antonio. His jumper rattled in to force the third OT, but he finished just 5 for 15 on free throws. Manu Ginobili added 21 points, but shot an airball on a 3-pointer in the final seconds for GRIZZLIES 117, the Spurs. San Antonio made a SPURS 116, 3OT season-high 17 3-pointers but SAN ANTONIO (AP) — was 13 for 27 on free throws, inMarc Gasol scored 26 points, including 5 for 15 by Duncan. cluding a banked-in 3-pointer as

Duncan hit a fallaway, higharcing jumper that bounded on the rim three times before dropping in to tie the game at 111 at the close of the second overtime.

RAPTORS 105, NETS 89 TORONTO (AP) — Kyle Lowry had 20 points and 12 assists, Jonas Valanciunas added 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Toronto used a big fourth quarter to beat Brooklyn. Amir Johnson and Patrick Patterson each scored 13 in the first meeting between the teams since Brooklyn’s one-point win in Game 7 of the first round of the playoffs last May. Patterson and Lou Williams See NBA, page A-10

Bears decide to bench Cutler, Clausen to get start Sunday By ANDREW SELIGMAN AP Sports Writer

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Multiple reports say the Chicago Bears are benching quarterback Jay Cutler and going with Jimmy Clausen. ESPN first reported Wednesday that the Bears were switching quarterbacks, with Clausen getting the nod over Cutler for Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions. The Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times, citing sources, also reported the switch. The Bears would not confirm the move. Coach Marc Trestman said earlier Wednesday he was not getting the most out of Cutler, but he did not mention benching the quarterback. He did not reveal the switch when asked about “Monday Night Football” analyst Jon Gruden calling for Clausen to relieve Cutler during Chicago’s loss to New Orleans. “Jon certainly has a right to his opinion,” said Trestman, who for

weeks defended Cutler’s spot as the starter. “And each and every week we go through our evaluations all the way around and as I said, Jon’s got a right to his opinion.” Cutler is coming off what might have been his worst game of the season on Monday, completing 17 of 31 passes for 194 yards. He threw three interceptions and was sacked a seasonhigh seven times in the 31-15 loss. He leads the NFL with 18 interceptions and 24 turnovers, certainly not what the Bears envisioned when they signed him to a seven-year contract after last season — or when they hired Trestman two years ago. The frustration has been mounting. Last week, offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer admitted he was a source behind a recent NFL Network report criticizing Cutler. Trestman arrived in Chicago with a reputation for getting the most out of quarterbacks. But it hasn’t happened with Cutler this season. “I think that’s evident I haven’t, up

to this point,” said Trestman, when asked if he’s gotten the most of Cutler. “Am I working at it? Yes. But we’ve seen moments, but we haven’t done it on a consistent basis. I can’t hide from that. I haven’t been able and we haven’t been able to do the thing that we want to get done. We’re working toward that. But the answer to that is obvious.” It’s not just Cutler who has struggled. There is a long list of reasons why the Bears are 5-9 and will miss the playoffs for the seventh time in eight years. Big changes could be coming after the season. Trestman might be coaching his final games, and there are questions about general manager Phil Emery. After all, he hired Trestman over Bruce Arians two years ago and put together a team that took a big step back after going 8-8 last season. Kromer and defensive coordinator Mel Tucker also could be gone. The defense has ranked among the C

league’s worst the past two seasons, but the biggest issue is the regression of the offense. The Bears have gone from second to 19th in scoring and have failed to hit the 30-point mark this year. “But it’s not all about Jay. It’s about our entire offense, working together to get it done,” Trestman said. Clausen, the former Notre Dame star, has appeared in three games this season and attempted nine passes. He was 1-9 in 10 starts as a rookie with Carolina in 2010 and threw for 1,558 yards that year. Carolina then drafted Cam Newton. The Bears signed Clausen in June, and he beat out Jordan Palmer for the backup job.

49ers axe McDonald SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Citing a pattern of behavior and offfield issues, San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke informed defensive lineman Ray McDonald

that he was released Wednesday amid a sexual assault investigation by San Jose police. Baalke spoke with McDonald and his agent by phone around 11:30 a.m. PST to let them know the defender is “terminated” “After the recent allegations concerning Ray McDonald, we as an organization notified him and his agent that he will be terminated, released immediately, effective immediately,” Baalke said. “While this organization has a strong belief in due process and has demonstrated that over time, Ray’s demonstrated a pattern of poor decision-making that has led to multiple distractions to this organization and this football team that really can no longer be tolerated.” Baalke said CEO Jed York and coach Jim Harbaugh also were involved in the decision. “We expect a lot from our players, hold them accountable for their actions,” Baalke said. “This is a situation that we can all learn from.”

A-10 Peninsula Clarion, Thursday, December 18, 2014

. . . NBA

Scoreboard basketball NBA Standings EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division W L Toronto 20 6 Brooklyn 10 14 Boston 9 14 New York 5 22 Philadelphia 2 22 Southeast Division Washington 18 6 Atlanta 18 7 Miami 12 14 Orlando 10 18 Charlotte 6 19 Central Division Chicago 15 9 Cleveland 14 10 Milwaukee 13 13 Indiana 8 18 Detroit 5 21

Pct GB .769 — .417 9 .391 9½ .185 15½ .083 17 .750 — .720 ½ .462 7 .357 10 .240 12½ .625 .583 .500 .308 .192

— 1 3 8 11

WESTERN CONFERENCE Southwest Division Memphis 21 4 Houston 19 5 Dallas 19 8 San Antonio 17 9 New Orleans 12 12 Northwest Division Portland 20 6 Oklahoma City 12 13 Denver 10 15 Utah 7 19 Minnesota 5 19 Pacific Division Golden State 21 3 L.A. Clippers 18 7 Phoenix 13 14 Sacramento 11 14 L.A. Lakers 8 17

.840 — .792 1½ .704 3 .654 4½ .500 8½ .769 .480 .400 .269 .208

— 7½ 9½ 13 14

.875 — .720 3½ .481 9½ .440 10½ .320 13½

Wednesday’s Games Phoenix 111, Charlotte 106 Atlanta 127, Cleveland 98 Utah 105, Miami 87 Dallas 117, Detroit 106 Boston 109, Orlando 92 Toronto 105, Brooklyn 89 Memphis 117, San Antonio 116,3OT Portland 104, Milwaukee 97 L.A. Clippers 102, Indiana 100 Houston 115, Denver 111, OT Thursday’s Games New York at Chicago, 4 p.m. New Orleans at Houston, 4:30 p.m. Milwaukee at Sacramento, 6 p.m. Oklahoma City at Golden State, 6:30 p.m. All Times ADT

College Scores EAST Delaware St. 72, St. Francis (NY) 64 Pittsburgh 65, Manhattan 56 St. Francis (Pa.) 67, Duquesne 52 SOUTH Arkansas St. 69, Mississippi St. 55 Auburn 80, Winthrop 62 Campbell 70, SIU-Edwardsville 65 Florida St. 93, North Florida 77 High Point 106, Ferrum 48 Jacksonville 68, Gardner-Webb 65 Louisiana-Lafayette 115, Milligan 76 Memphis 83, SC-Upstate 73 Murray St. 94, Alcorn St. 56 NC Central 108, Barber-Scotia 52 NC State 83, Tennessee 72 Old Dominion 58, Georgia St. 54,

OT UCF 75, Detroit 70 UNC Wilmington 73, Liberty 70, OT W. Kentucky 75, Chicago St. 60 Wofford 64, Charleston Southern 58

38 38 36 36 26 20 one

Indianapolis at Dallas, 12:25 p.m. Seattle at Arizona, 4:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 22 Denver at Cincinnati, 4:30 p.m. All Times ADT

Cent. Michigan 80, Northwestern 67 Cincinnati 71, San Diego St. 62, OT Green Bay 66, Morehead St. 50 Illinois 73, Hampton 55 Illinois St. 64, UT-Martin 54 James Madison 72, Ball St. 52 Kennesaw St. 90, Youngstown St. 84 Loyola of Chicago 83, Abilene Christian 44 Miami (Ohio) 71, Longwood 60 Michigan St. 66, E. Michigan 46 Nebraska-Omaha 92, N. Colorado 82 Ohio St. 97, NC A&T 55 Saint Louis 75, Texas-Pan American 69 Toledo 83, Robert Morris 57

Wednesday’s Games Ottawa 2, New Jersey 0 Boston 3, Minnesota 2, OT Dallas 2, Vancouver 0 Thursday’s Games Florida at Philadelphia, 3 p.m. Colorado at Pittsburgh, 3 p.m. Toronto at Carolina, 3 p.m. Washington at Columbus, 3 p.m. Anaheim at Montreal, 3:30 p.m. St. Louis at Los Angeles, 6:30 p.m. Edmonton at San Jose, 6:30 p.m. All Times ADT

SOUTHWEST

AMERICAN CONFERENCE

BASEBALL American League BOSTON RED SOX С Acquired RHP Anthony Varvaro from Atlanta Braves for RHP Aaron Kurcz and cash considerations. SEATTLE MARINERS С Acquired OF Justin Ruggiano from the Chicago Cubs for RHP Matt Brazis. Designated RHP Logan Bawcom for assignment. TORONTO BLUE JAYS С Agreed to terms with OF Ryan Kalish on a minor league contract. National League ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS С Agreed to terms with RHP David Hernandez on a one-year contract. CHICAGO CUBS С Named Dave Keller minor league Latin America field coordinator; Tom Beyers minor league assistant hitting coordinator; Rey Fuentes Latin coordinator-mental skills program; Darnell McDonald mental skills program coordinator; Mike Cather pitching coach and Leo Perez assistant hitting coach for Iowa (PCL); Guillermo Martinez assistant hitting coach for Tennessee (SL); Mark Johnson manager, David Rosario pitching coach and Chris Gutierrez assistant hitting coach for Myrtle Beach (Carolina); Jimmy Gonzalez manager, Brian Lawrence pitching coach, Jesus Feliciano hitting coach and Osmin Melendez assistant hitting coach for South Bend (MWL); Anderson Tavares pitching coach, Ricardo Medina hitting coach, Terrmel Sledge assistant hitting coach and Mike McNulty trainer for Eugene (NWL); Carmelo Martinez manager, Ron Villone pitching coach, Oscar Bernard hitting coach, Ty Wright assistant hitting coach and Toby Williams trainer for Mesa (Arizona); Armando Gabino pitching coach and Claudio Almonte hitting coach for the Dominican Rookie team; and Eduardo Villacis pitching coach for the Venezuelan rookie team. MIAMI MARLINS С Agreed to terms INF/OF Michael Morse on a two-year contract. SAN DIEGO PADRES С Agreed to terms with RHP Brandon Morrow on a one-year contract. Designated LHP Juan Oramas for assignment. FOOTBALL National Football League CHICAGO BEARS С Signed C/G Taylor Boggs to the practice squad. DENVER BRONCOS С Signed S Josh Bush from the practice squad. Signed G Jon Halapio to the practice squad. GREEN BAY PACKERS С Signed S Jean Fanor to the practice squad. MINNESOTA VIKINGS С Signed S Ahmad Dixon. Signed G Jordan McCray to the practice squad. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS С

MIDWEST

Ark.-Pine Bluff 61, Houston 56, OT Baylor 66, New Mexico St. 55 North Texas 78, Langston 65 SMU 67, Ill.-Chicago 46 Stephen F. Austin 66, Texas St. 60 Texas Tech 101, SC State 39 Tulsa 74, Missouri St. 70 FAR WEST Cal Poly 60, Northeastern 58 Denver 83, Texas A&M-CC 73 Incarnate Word 82, Grand Canyon 80 New Mexico 76, Cent. Arkansas 55 Oregon 79, CS Northridge 56 Pepperdine 53, Howard 45 Stanford 67, Loyola Marymount 58 UNLV 75, Portland 73, OT Washington 86, Grambling St. 38

hockey NHL Standings EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division GP W L OT Tampa Bay 33 20 10 3 Montreal 32 20 10 2 Detroit 32 17 7 8 Toronto 31 19 9 3 Boston 32 16 13 3 Florida 29 13 8 8 Ottawa 31 13 12 6 Buffalo 32 13 17 2 Metropolitan Division Pittsburgh 30 20 6 4 N.Y. Islanders 31 21 10 0 N.Y. Rangers 29 15 10 4 Washington 30 14 10 6 Columbus 30 13 15 2 New Jersey 33 11 16 6 Philadelphia 30 11 14 5 Carolina 30 8 19 3

Pts 43 42 42 41 35 34 32 28 44 42 34 34 28 28 27 19

WESTERN CONFERENCE Central Division Chicago 32 St. Louis 31 Nashville 30 Winnipeg 32 Minnesota 30 Dallas 30 Colorado 30 Pacific Division Anaheim 33

22 21 20 16 16 12 10

9 8 8 10 12 13 13

1 2 2 6 2 5 7

45 44 42 38 34 29 27

21 7 5

Vancouver 31 18 11 2 San Jose 32 17 11 4 Los Angeles 32 15 11 6 Calgary 33 17 14 2 Arizona 31 11 16 4 Edmonton 32 7 19 6 NOTE: Two points for a win, point for overtime loss.

football NFL Standings East W y-N. England 11 Buffalo 8 Miami 7 N.Y. Jets 3 South y-Indianapolis 10 Houston 7 Tennessee 2 Jacksonville 2 North Cincinnati 9 Pittsburgh 9 Baltimore 9 Cleveland 7 West y-Denver 11 Kansas City 8 San Diego 8 Oakland 2

L 3 6 7 11

T Pct 0 .786 0 .571 0 .500 0 .214

PF 442 302 327 230

PA 280 254 301 360

4 7 12 12

0 .714 0 .500 0 .143 0 .143

424 324 231 211

317 277 390 376

4 5 5 7

1 .679 0 .643 0 .643 0 .500

311 389 376 276

289 339 267 300

3 6 6 12

0 .786 0 .571 0 .571 0 .143

407 322 303 213

303 254 294 381

NATIONAL CONFERENCE East Dallas 10 4 Philadelphia 9 5 N.Y. Giants 5 9 Washington 3 11 South New Orleans 6 8 Carolina 5 8 Atlanta 5 9 Tampa Bay 2 12 North Detroit 10 4 Green Bay 10 4 Minnesota 6 8 Chicago 5 9 West x-Arizona 11 3 Seattle 10 4 San Francisco 7 7 St. Louis 6 8 x-clinched playoff spot y-clinched division

0 .714 0 .643 0 .357 0 .214

381 416 317 257

328 347 339 370

0 .429 1 .393 0 .357 0 .143

364 288 348 254

374 358 369 367

0 .714 0 .714 0 .429 0 .357

281 436 277 296

238 325 297 409

0 .786 0 .714 0 .500 0 .429

287 339 251 291

244 242 285 297

Thursday, Dec. 18 Tennessee at Jacksonville, 4:25 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20 Philadelphia at Washington, 12:30 p.m. San Diego at San Francisco, 4:25 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21 Baltimore at Houston, 9 a.m. Detroit at Chicago, 9 a.m. Atlanta at New Orleans, 9 a.m. Minnesota at Miami, 9 a.m. Cleveland at Carolina, 9 a.m. Green Bay at Tampa Bay, 9 a.m. Kansas City at Pittsburgh, 9 a.m. New England at N.Y. Jets, 9 a.m. N.Y. Giants at St. Louis, 12:05 p.m. Buffalo at Oakland, 12:25 p.m.

Transactions

Signed TE Steve Maneri. Placed DL Dominique Easley on injured reserve. Signed QB Garrett Gilbert to the practice squad. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS С Released CB Crezdon Butler. Signed DL Lawrence Sidbury. Signed DB Varmah Sonie to the practice squad. HOCKEY National Hockey League NHL С Fined Nashville F James Neal $2,000 for violating the league’s revised rule against diving and embellishing. BUFFALO SABRES С Sent C Mikhail Grigorenko to Rochester (AHL). CALGARY FLAMES С Signed coach Bob Hartley to a multiyear contract extension. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS С Reassigned G Scott Darling to Rockford (AHL). FLORIDA PANTHERS С Reassigned D Shane O’Brien to San Antonio (AHL). MONTREAL CANADIENS С Assigned F Sven Andrighetto to Hamilton (AHL). NEW JERSEY DEVILS С Activated F Patrik Elias from injured reserve. NEW YORK ISLANDERS С Placed RW Michael Grabner on injured reserve to Dec. 13. Returned D Griffin Reinhart to Bridgeport (AHL). MOTOCROSS FEDERATION OF INTERNATIONAL MOTORCYCLING DISCIPLINARY COURT С Upheld the 16 months suspension of motorcycle rider James Stewart until Aug. 11, 2015, for a failed drug test. OLYMPICS U.S. ANTI-DOPING AGENCY С Suspended track coach Jon Drummond for eight years. SOCCER Major League Soccer SPORTING KANSAS CITY С Signed F Dom Dwyer to a contract extension. COLLEGE CHOWAN С Named Melissa Nakasuji women’s lacrosse coach. CUMBERLAND (TENN.) С Announced the resignation of wrestling coach Todd Allen. Named Shaine Jaime interim wrestling coach. GEORGE MASON С Announced senior F Erik Copes has decided to leave the men’s basketball program. NORTH TEXAS С Named Chris Cosh defensive coordinator. NORTHERN MICHIGAN С Suspended women’s basketball coach Troy Mattson four games after he said Wayne State “cheated” when it signed transfer student Shareta Brown. PITTSBURGH С Fired athletic director Steve Pederson. Named Randy Juhl, vice chancellor for research conduct and compliance, interim athletic director and Joe Rudolph, offensive coordinator, interim football coach. SAMFORD С Promoted Tyler Shrout to full-time assistant baseball coach. Named Luke Murton volunteer assistant baseball coach and Matt Burns director of baseball operations. WISCONSIN С Named Paul Chryst football coach.

Continued from page A-9

each scored eight points in the fourth as Toronto outscored the Nets 29-16, taking advantage of six Brooklyn turnovers. Mason Plumlee had a careerhigh 23 points for the Nets, who made only five of 13 field goal attempts and five of 13 free throws in the fourth. Toronto, which leads the Eastern Conference at 20-6, reached 20 wins before Christmas for the first time in its 20-year history.

ROCKETS 115, NUGGETS 111, OT DENVER (AP) — James Harden scored 41 points, including eight in overtime, and Houston beat Denver after Arron Afflalo tied the game on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of regulation. Patrick Beverley sealed Houston’s seventh win in eight games by hitting four straight free throws in the final 17.8 seconds. Harden had a big game at the line, too, hitting 18 of 21. Dwight Howard scored 24 points and grabbed 16 rebounds despite a strained right knee that had him questionable for the game. Wilson Chandler had 23 points and Ty Lawson dished out 16 assists for the struggling Nuggets, who have dropped seven of eight.

MAVERICKS 117, PISTONS 106 AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) — Chandler Parsons scored a season-high 32 points and Monta Ellis added 25 as Dallas beat Detroit. Parsons fell two points short of a career high as he helped the Mavericks win a second road game in two nights. Dirk Nowitzki contributed 18 points and 10 rebounds, including seven points to help stem a late Detroit rally. Andre Drummond had 19 points and 24 rebounds, but couldn’t help the Pistons end an 11-game losing streak at home. Detroit’s last win at the Palace came on Nov. 7 against Milwaukee.

JAZZ 105, HEAT 87 MIAMI (AP) — Gordon Hayward scored 29 points, Enes Kanter added 18 and Utah overcame 42 points from Dwyane Wade to beat Miami. Alec Burks scored 12, Derrick Favors added 11 and Dante Exum had 10 for Utah, which won for just the second time in its last 14

games. Those two wins have come against last year’s NBA finalists, San Antonio and now the Heat — who are simply reeling at home.

SUNS 111, HORNETS 106 CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Reserve guard Isaiah Thomas scored 23 points, Goran Dragic had 20 and Phoenix snapped a sixgame losing streak with a victory over struggling Charlotte. Thomas was 7 of 13 from the field and had two key free throws in the final minute as the Suns erased an early 17-point deficit. Dragic, who missed the last two games with a back injury, played 38 minutes and shot 8 of 17. Gerald Green had 16 points off the bench and Eric Bledsoe chipped in with 15 for the Suns.

CELTICS 109, MAGIC 92 BOSTON (AP) — Rajon Rondo had 13 points, 15 assists and seven rebounds to lead balanced scoring that carried Boston past Orlando. Brandon Bass scored 18 points, and Jeff Green and Jared Sullinger each finished with 16. Kelly Olynyk added 15 points for the Celtics, who won their second in a row after a three-game losing streak. Nikola Vucevic had 18 points with 13 rebounds, and Tobias Harris scored 17 for the Magic, who have lost four of five.

TRAIL BLAZERS 104, BUCKS 97 PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — LaMarcus Aldridge had 23 points and 15 rebounds, and Portland pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat Milwaukee with both teams reeling from injuries to key players. Damian Lillard added 29 points and seven assists for the Blazers, who lost starting center Robin Lopez to a broken hand on Monday. Thomas Robinson, who started in Lopez’s absence, sparked Portland with 15 points and 16 rebounds, both season highs. Portland has won three straight and eight of 10.

CLIPPERS 102, PACERS 100 LOS ANGELES (AP) — Blake Griffin had 31 points and 16 rebounds, and DeAndre Jordan added 23 rebounds and 15 points in Los Angeles’ victory over Indiana. Chris Paul had 20 points and nine assists, helping the two-time defending Pacific Division champions win for the 11th time in 13 C games.

Pigskin Pick‘em

Peninsula Clarion, Thursday, December 18, 2014

By NOLAN ROSE For the Peninsula Clarion

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way, oh what fun it is to watch football on Sunday! Hey! I know that’s a brutal lyrical attempt, but you get the idea. It’s that time of year again when every football fan is wishing for a playoff appearance under the tree. Which teams will Santa Claus deem naughty or nice this season? The Raiders, Titans, Jets, Redskins, Jags, and the entire NFC South will certainly find lumps of coal in their stocking. The Seahawks, Packers, Cowboys, Broncos, Patriots, and Colts are all hoping for the latest in fine jewelry, even a fancy ring perhaps! Santa’s take on the column is still to be determined. A capable 8-62 mark in week 15 boosts our season record to 119-101-4. The current 54% tally is a positive number, albeit a bit uninspiring. Will Santa bring the Sultan of Sides a heavy dose of Yule Tide cheer this Christmas? Tennessee Titans @ JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS -3 What better way to start week 15 than a riveting Titans-Jags matchup! Thanks, NFL! These two powder-puffs have a combined 4-24 record. First downs will be celebrated with the same vigor as a newly crowned Super Bowl champion. In a coin flip of awful football favor the home side. Plus, Tennessee seems intent on losing, while Jacksonville has been oddly competitive in recent weeks. Jags win 24-13

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES @ Washington Redskins +8.5

C Y

Chip Kelly’s Eagles have really struggled of late, and now find themselves battling for a spot in the postseason instead of home field advantage with two weeks to go. Fortunately, for supporters of the national bird, Robert Griffin and the Native Americans are the cure-all for unwanted losing streaks. It’s hard to imagine the atmosphere is actually worse in D.C. now than it was a year ago when embattled former coach Mike Shanahan was M still waddling along the sidelines. Griffin recently claimed that “quitting” Twitter K would help solidify the team. When your franchise flop quarterback is insinuating that Twitter is an actual reason behind losing professional football games… Wow. Eagles win 29-16

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS @ Santa Clara 49ers -1 What a joyful time in the NFL. The evil nemesis of the Seattle Seahawks has perished! Only the ghost of Jim Harbaugh remains after his 49ers failed in Seattle 17-7 last Sunday. The loss marked the first time San Francisco has lost three straight contests under Harbaugh. The 49ers will make it four in a row this week with the San Diego Chargers in town. The Chargers can’t afford a seventh loss if they hope to remain in the AFC playoff race. Reaching double figures in points might be all the Lightning Bolts need against an anemic Colin Kaepernick. You’d expect a Philip Rivers led offense to reach that mark. Chargers win 21-13

MINNESOTA VIKINGS @ Miami Dolphins -7 I’ve been really impressed with the job Mike Zimmer has done with this Minnesota Vikings team. Zimmer, a longtime defensive assistant, has turned the Vikings defense into a very competitive group as expected, but the real progress has been on the offensive side of the ball. The Vikings, with very little NFL talent, have been remarkably respectable on offense, especially considering the loss of Adrian Peterson. Rookie quarterback, Teddy Bridgewater has been inconsistent, but has performed admirably overall. The Dolphins have finally turned into canned tuna. Last week’s crushing defeat in New England all but ended Miami’s season. Give me the touchdown and a Vikings side trending upward over a discouraged Dolphins team. Dolphins win 23-20

BALTIMORE RAVENS @ Houston Texans +6.5 I’d be all over this Texans side +6.5 had nerd quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick not been lost for the season to a fractured leg. It’s a disappointing injury for a team that has now lost its top two quarterbacks in a three week span. J.J. Watt and company will keep the Ravens attack in check, but Houston won’t hold up for four quarters with a third string quarterback throwing passes. This is a nice break (literally) for a Ravens team battling for a spot in the AFC playoffs. Ravens win 27-9

DETROIT LIONS @ Chicago Bears +7 Lions and Bears oh my! These aren’t your fathers Bears. Chicago has been in hibernation since the hiring of Captain Canada Marc Trestman as Head Coach. Trestman must be yearning for his glory

days in the Canadian Football League. It’s hard to understand why Detroit’s offense has struggled so mightily despite a plethora of talent on that side of the ball. Detroit’s struggles make laying a touchdown a bit unnerving, but there’s no way you can back the Bears right now with any confidence. Lions win 27-17

Cleveland Browns @ CAROLINA PANTHERS -3.5 I’m going to wait until the Johnny Manziel led Cleveland Browns score a point before siding with the Dawg Pound. Could Manziel’s first foray into professional football go any further astray? The Browns fell at home 30-0 to their rival Cincinnati Bengals. Keep in mind, The Browns defeated the Bengals in Cincinnati 24-3 with Brian Hoyer at quarterback earlier this season. In the NFL’s version of the Twilight Zone, the 5-8-1 Carolina Panthers are only a halfgame out of first place in the NFC South. The Panthers captured a much needed win a week ago despite being without Cam Newton, I expect a similar outcome this Sunday. Panthers win 21-17

ATLANTA FALCONS @ New Orleans Saints -6.5 We’re still firmly in the Twilight Zone! Contingent upon the result of the PanthersBrowns game, this could be a battle for first place in the NFC South, despite both teams posting losing records. I was off the mark with the Saints again last week. I haven’t taken the time to go back and look but my ATS record in Saints games is pathetic. I have no idea what to do with this bunch. I’m taking the road side plus the candy, which means bet the farm on New Orleans. Saints win 30-27

GREEN BAY PACKERS @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers +10.5 I would take the Packers minus 20. Star quarterback Aaron Rodgers struggled last week in frigid Buffalo where the Packers surprisingly fell 21-13. Before the loss Green Bay was favored by many to earn the NFC’s number one seed, now they sit in the sixth position of the hotly contested conference with two weeks to play. There is no way the Packers fail to qualify in what should be Rodgers’ second MVP season, and does anyone think the passer is capable of back-to-back duds right now? Tampa Bay is fighting hard for the draft rights to Marcus Mariota. A 13th loss is a must if the Bucs want to accomplish their goal. Packers win 41-13

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS @ Pittsburgh Steelers -3.5

This may come as a surprise to some, but I have the 8-6 Chiefs travelling to Pittsburgh and defeating the 9-5 Steelers. Both teams are desperate for a win, but an upand-down Steelers team is overdue for a dud performance. Kansas City can run the football, control the clock, and keep Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers offense off the field. Roethlisberger has a tendency to hold the football in the pocket. If the Chiefs jump out to an early lead, forcing Pittsburgh to throw frequently, Tamba Hali and Justin Houston, two of the top pass rushers in the NFL, will have huge games. This contest will likely come down to the final possession, and my money is on a late field goal stealing a victory for Kansas City, Chiefs win 23-20

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS @ New York Jets +10.5 Can the Jets just forfeit this game so we can all move on with our lives? Patriots win 30-0

New York Giants @ ST. LOUIS RAMS -5 The lambs failed my Seahawks fandom last Thursday, falling to the Arizona Cardinals 12-6, despite Arizona being forced to play fourth string quarterback Ryan Lindley. St. Louis should get back to winning football games this week with Eli Manning and the New York Giants in town. Manning has a long history of throwing the football to the wrong team under duress, and he’s in line to see a lot of pressure facing a very strong Rams front seven. A costly turnover will be the difference in an otherwise even affair. Rams win 26-20

BUFFALO BILLS @ Oakland Raiders +6 How many times do I have to say it? Nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills! In a must win situation, with the mighty Green Bay Packers in town, Buffalo pulled off an upset victory to remain in the AFC playoff hunt. Now, the Bills need to re-group and travel cross country to participate in a very winnable affair versus the Oakland Raiders. Oakland is in an interesting position. If the Raiders finish with the top pick in next year’s draft what will they do? Rookie passer Derek Carr has impressed, but is it enough to turn down Marcus Mariota? What does Carr’s trade market look like? What kind of loot could the Raiders bring in if they traded the rights to the number one pick? St. Louis netted three first round draft picks plus other goodies for Robert Griffin a few years ago. You have to think the price for Mariota would be

A-11

even higher. Oakland cannot afford to win this game. Bills win 21-7

Indianapolis Colts @ DALLAS COWBOYS -3 “Coin flips favor the home side” failed me a week ago when Dallas edged the Eagles in Philadelphia, but I’m applying the same theory this week when the Cowboys host the Indianapolis Colts in a gigantic contest. Dallas earned the NFC East’s top spot for now with last week’s win. Can the Cowboys take it a step further and claim the NFC’s top seed? With the hapless Washington Redskins looming in week 17, certainly the Colts present Dallas’ final hurdle. Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, despite all the wonderful play, has mysterious bouts of turnoveritis. If Luck plays a clean game the Colts will win, but lately the young passer has been unable to do so. Dallas’ uninspiring 3-4 home mark is a huge concern, but the Fighting Jerry’s will find a way on Sunday. (Don’t you think for a minute I’m not employing an anti-jinx play right here) Cowboys win 27-23

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS @ Arizona Cardinals +9 The top team (record-wise) in the NFC being a touchdown plus dog at home tells you all you need to know about Vegas’ thoughts on the Cardinals trotting out Ryan Lindley to throw passes. It’s amazing the Desert Bats are where they are in light of all the injuries to key contributors. Coach Bruce Arians has done a remarkable job of keeping this team afloat, but the latest injury to backup quarterback Drew Stanton will prove to be the straw that broke the Camel’s back. There’s just no way the Cardinals beat a red-hot Seahawks team with Ryan Lindley at quarterback. It’s impossible. Arizona will be hard pressed to post a single point on the scoreboard. Seahawks win 20-3

DENVER BRONCOS @ Cincinnati Bengals +3.5 Denver needs to win out and have the Patriots drop a game in the final two weeks to avoid travelling to New England to face Tom Brady and the Belichick’s in the AFC Championship game. The Cincinnati Bengals are a mysterious group. The team rests atop the AFC North with a 9-4-1 mark despite a very pedestrian plus-22 scoring differential. Statistically the Bengals are closer to a .500 team than they are a division leader. Relying on Andy Dalton to match Peyton Manning on the scoreboard is a fool’s folly. Broncos win 31-17

A-12 Peninsula Clarion, Thursday, December 18, 2014

Dolly or Arctic char, that is the question By DAVE ATCHESON For the Peninsula Clarion

“I cast out and try to be patient, waiting for my fly to sink. On my first cast I’m too patient and snag. On the next I begin my retrieve earlier, an excruciatingly slow retrieve, just a twitch of the line here and there to keep my fly undulating above the weed beds. It’s not long this time before a sharp tug interrupts me, my line snaps to attention, and a beautiful Dolly Varden breaks the calm surface of the lake not 10 feet away. And this one, for the lakes is big — one of those rare 20-inchers, dressed to the nines in its spawning regalia, pirouetting wildly around the canoe …”

his is an excerpt from an early article I did on lake fishing in the Swan Lakes/ Swanson River recreation area near Sterling. Since then, my friend, retired U.S. Fish and Wildlife biologist Jack Dean, has castigated me many times for misidentifying Arctic char (not only here but in my book “Fishing Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula”) as Dolly Varden. While it may be common for me to plead ignorance, in this case I might have good reason. Likely separated by an ancient common ancestor, these closely related look-alikes have even been mistaken, time and again, by fisheries biologists. Dean sites as an example the longstanding misidentification of anadromous fish in northwestern Alaska as Arctic char, only to later be reclassified as “Northern Dolly Varden.” And here, in the Southcentral Alaska, the tendency has been for biologists to call all char except lake trout, Dolly Varden. It’s no wonder we regular fishers are confused. Whether Dolly Varden, Arctic char, or lake trout, these subspecies are all part of the genus called char. We all know, however, that they are different fish. Worldwide, and in Alaska, Arctic char populations stretch farther north than any other freshwater fish. Dean, who has likely done more local research on these fish than anyone, tells me that they very seldom overlap with populations of Dollies and that any char caught within the Swanson River drainage is likely an Arctic char. “The chances,” he says, “are at least 50-to-one that this is the case.” Along with the Swanson River lakes, the other occurrence of Arctic char on the Kenai Peninsula is Cooper Lake. This limited distribution, says Dean, is difficult to explain. In the Swanson watershed this population may have originated from ocean-going, or anadromous, Arctic char that made their way into the lakes after the last glacier melt-off, some13,000 years ago. Another theory suggests that they may have even been present long before this, surviving in ice-dammed lakes. More difficult to explain, is the Cooper Lake Arctic char. Dean’s best guess is that they may have arrived toward the end of the last glacial period, via the Resurrection River, from the Seward side, and somehow made their way through a shallow mountain pass. In his studies Dean has found two color phases, along with a “dwarf” Arctic char in Cooper Lake and in the Swanson River drainage various sizes and a wide color range, along with what he calls his “yellow mystery fish.” This fish is, of course, yellow. It also has decidedly different fins and spots than other char he has encountered. More practical knowledge for sport fishers, especially those of us who enjoy seeing different fish and adding them to the list of species we’ve caught, is that these fish prefer cold water. Fifty-five degrees or colder, Dean informs me. That makes them easier to catch early or late in the season. During midsummer anglers will want to get deep, 25 feet or more, requiring a lot of weight even for spincasters and a heavy sinking line and weighted flies for fly fishers. Their preferred foods, says Dean, include

Photo courtesy Dave Wartinbee

An Arctic char caught through the ice.

Learn fly-tying with Trout Unlimited Kenai Peninsula Trout Unlimited’s popular “Tie One On” continues its winter season, with the next event to be held Jan. 6, at Kenai’s Main Street Tap & Grill from 6-7:30 p.m. Free fly tying instruction in a fun and comfortable environment, tyers of all ability levels, from brand new to advanced, and all ages are welcome; need not be a KPTU member to participate. Come enjoy a relaxing evening, order a burger and drink if you like, and benefit from some free fly tying instruction from local experts. snails, sticklebacks and sculpins. Our local Arctic char do not reach particularly large size. The largest taken in studies tipped the scales at just over 4.5 pounds, with most averaging about a pound. Mat-Su Valley lakes, on the other hand, many of which also have significant populations of Arctic char, see fish of much more substantial size, with the largest exceeding 12 pounds. While Arctic char, especially in the darker color phase, are difficult to differentiate from Dollies, with practice, Dean maintains, it can be done. Arctic char, he explains, have fewer but larger spots, a moderately forked tail, and a narrow caudal peduncle, which for the nonscientists among us is the narrow area between the fish’s tail and body. It’s easy to see Dean’s great love for the outdoors and his appreciation of these fish, which he calls “the canary in the coal mine.” They are often the first populations to succumb to predation from introduced species or to show the effects of climate change. That’s why, he contends, it’s so important for us to continue studying them.

Photo by Dave Atcheson

Paul Ostrander with a Kenai River Dolly Varden.

“There’s so much we don’t know,” he says, a childlike enthusiasm and wonder suddenly overcoming his weathered face. “We need someone young to come in and take over these studies. There’s just so much we don’t know.” Dave Atcheson is the author of the guidebook “Fishing Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula,” and National Geographic’s “Hidden Alaska, Bristol Bay and Beyond.” His latest book, “Dead Reck-

oning, Navigating a Life on the Last Frontier, Courting Tragedy on its High Seas” is now available in hardcover, online, and as an audiobook. For more info: www.daveatcheson.com. nnn Tight Lines publishes on the third Thursday of the month from September through April, and weekly from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Have a fish story, a photo or favorite recipe to share? Email tightlines@peninsulaclarion.com.

Arts & Entertainment Y

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Thursday, December 18, 2014

What’s Happening Best Bets n Kenai Peninsula Orchestra is pleased to present “An Evening of Christmas” on Friday at 7 p.m. at Renee C. Henderson Auditorium, Kenai Central High School. This program of holiday music features solos, ensembles, Central Peninsula Community Orchestra directed by Mellisa Nill, Redoubt Chamber Orchestra directed by Tammy Vollom-Matturro, introducing Kenai Peninsula Singers under the direction of Simon Nissen, and our always popular sing-alongs! Admittance is $10 for adults, $5 for children under 12 and $25 for families at the door.

Events and Exhibits n There are two December exhibits at the Kenai Fine Arts Center, 816 Cook Avenue in Old Town Kenai. “Dreams are Real,” a solo exhibit of works by Pati Deuter, and the “Annual Kids Art Exhibit” will both feature some exceptional local art. Art center hours are Wednesday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m. The Kenai Fine Arts Center will be open through Dec. 23 only to view these two great exhibits. Call 283-7040 for more information. n A exhibition of work by students Sue Covich, Jessica Isenman-Bookey, Alisah Kress, Chelsea Springer and Sandra Sterling is on display in the Gary Freeburg Gallery at Kenai Peninsula College through Jan. 1. The gallery is open from 8:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Friday. n The Triumvirate Theatre on the Kenai Spur Highway just north of Kenai presents two live shows during the holiday season. “A Charlie Brown Christmas” shows at 7 p.m. on Dec. 26, and 3 p.m. on Dec. Dec. 27. “A Christmas Carol” dinner theater presentation is at 6 p.m. Dec. 19-20. (These shows include a delicious holiday dinner). A show-only presentation of “A Christmas Carol” is at 7 p.m. Dec. 18. For tickets visit www.triumviratetheatre.org.

Entertainment

n A community choir, The Kenai Peninsula Singers, is open to everyone who wants to be there, whether it is their first time singing or they sang at The Met. The choir will rehearse every Tuesday night from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Kenai Central High School choir room. Call or email for more details: 907283-2125 or simjnissen@gmail.com. n Musicians and listeners are invited to attend a Blue Grass Jam at the Kenai United Methodist Church on Dec. 21 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. Participants are asked to enter through the church’s side door. For more information contact Jim Evenson at 776-8060. n A Clam Gulch Community Christmas Day Potluck will take place at 4 p.m. Dec. 25 at the Que’ana Bar, mile 122.5 Sterling Highway. Call 907-567-3454. n The Flats Bistro on Kalifornsky Beach Road has live music with Garrett Mayer on Tuesdays from 6:30-8:30 p.m. and Raymond Machen-Gray on Mondays from 6:30-8:30 p.m. n Veronica’s Cafe in old town Kenai has open mic from 6:309 p.m. Friday, and live music with The Charmers Daughters Saturday at 6:30 p.m. n Join Steve and Fern Holloway for karaoke every Saturday night at the Kenai Moose Lodge. Singing starts at 9 p.m. and everyone is welcome. n An all acoustic jam takes place every Thursday. The jam is at Christ Lutheran Church in Soldotna on the first Thursday of the month, and at the Kenai Senior Center during the rest of the month. Jam starts at 6:30 p.m. n AMVETS Post 4 is open to all military veterans and their families for support and camaraderie. Join us for Friday night See ARTS, page B-2

Photos by IAN FOLEY/Peninsula Clarion

The cast of A Charlie Brown Christmas sing on stage on December 12, 2014 in Kenai.

Triumvirate North going strong By IAN FOLEY Peninsula Clarion

A year after opening its doors, the Triumvirate North Theatre is still going strong, as it holds two Christmas-themed plays this holiday season. In December 2013, the theater opened with a performance of “White Christmas.” This season, the theater is having performances of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and “A Christmas Carol,” while the debut of “AnThe Triumvirate North’s stage nie” will take place early next before the performance of A year. Located in a renovated car Charlie Brown Christmas.

shop five miles north of downtown Kenai, the Triumvirate North is a non-profit, grantfunded organization affiliated with the Alaska Children’s Institute for the Performing Arts. Despite being part of a children’s organization, Triumvirate North puts on shows using casts of all ages. Children play the roles in some plays, such as “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” whereas in others, such as “A Christmas Carol,” adults are more involved. The Triumvirate has been in existence since 1998. It wasn’t until last year, however, that it

moved from its previous location in the Soldotna Mall to its current location in North Kenai. Joe Rizzo, the theater’s president, is proud of all the work done to make the Triumvirate North successful. “We work really hard to provide good entertainment,” Rizzo said. Kate Schwarzer, the director of “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” is also impressed with the way the theater turned out. “Look at this place,” See PLAY, page B-2

Raise your glass to toast Hollywood gossip Bookworm Sez A toast… You’ve been doing that often lately. A toast to friends and family around the table. To a new job, new baby, new marriage. To accomplishments made in the past and possibilities that lie in the future. Like you, your favorite actors enjoy raising a glass, too. And in the new book “Of All the Gin Joints” by Mark Bailey, illustrated by Edward Hemingway (c.2014, Algonquin Books

of Chapel Hill, $21.95, 336 pages), you’ll see how some stars’ tippling almost toppled them. Long before Hollywood even had a Boulevard, there were places to go for a drink. Built in the early 1900s, the Hollywood Hotel was the town’s first “proper nightspot.” Owner and chocolate heiress Almira Hershey “policed” her hotel, intending to serve nothing harsher than cocoa but Hollywood denizens found ways to drink there anyhow. Sometimes, they did it right in front of the

aging and near-blind Hershey. Bailey says that the Hollywood was where D.W. Griffith stayed before he realized that California filming would be cheaper (and probably more fun!) than in New York. His relocation west started the Hollywood movie-making craze. Surely, stars like Fatty Arbuckle drank at the Hollywood. Arbuckle was a big fan of scotch; so much so that he owned a car with both bar and bathroom aboard. John Barrymore, who was “famously See SEZ, page B-2

Poet’s

Corner

The Night Before Christmas By Dee Rusin, Kenai ‘Twas the night before Christmas And all through the house Not a creature was stirring Except that darn mouse He ate Santa’s cookies And left a big mess He climbed into stockings Stopped there for a rest When Santa came down The chimney with care That pesky ole mouse Was standing right there I jumped out of bed And stumbled around Just as I got where I heard a new sound Santa jumped back Spilling gifts from his sack The mouse ran away Santa flew to his sleigh The kids were awake now There’s no stopping it So I started the coffee And decided to sit The day started early And I said with a snap I’ll get that darn mouse When I set up a trap But for now I’ll relax And enjoy the day Merry Christmas to all And have a great day

Poems must include the writer’s name, phone number and address. They should be kept to no more than 300 words. Submission of a poem does not guarantee publication. Poems may be e-mailed to news@peninsulaclarion. com, faxed to 283-3299, delivered to the Clarion at 150 Trading Bay Road or mailed to P.O. Box 3009, Kenai, AK 99611.

AP Photo/20th Century Fox, Kerry Brown

This image released by 20th Century Fox shows Joel Edgerton, left, as pharaoh-to-be Ramses, and Christian Bale as Moses in a scene from “Exodus: Gods and Kings.” The film, directed by Ridley Scott, is set for release on Dec. 12.

‘Exodus’ a thrilling epic — but has its issues “Exodus: Gods and Kings” Twentieth Century Fox 2 hours, 30 minutes In the 1950s only white people were allowed to appear in movies, and only Charlton Heston was allowed to represent the Bible. As a result, all religious epics, despite taking place almost exclusively in the Middle East and Africa, were cast with entirely white, mostly British and American, actors. This helped perpetuate the idea that Jesus, his followers, and everyone else in the Ancient world were actually angloEuropeans. While there are a few people who still

R eeling It In C hris J enness believe this, today we know that people from the Middle East are Middle Eastern, that people from Egypt are, in fact, African, and that people from other races can, much to the surprise of Hollywood, act. Ridley Scott’s epic retelling of Moses

and the liberation of the Hebrews in ancient Egypt is certainly not a bad film. In fact, despite its problems, it is very effective, is full of both moving and thrilling moments, and does a much better job than the previous Biblical epic, “Noah,” of recounting a beloved traditional tale. In many ways, it represents old-school, big-budget moviemaking with a cast of thousands, amazing sets and locations, and grand-scale story telling. But along with the massive scope comes the bombastic, melodramatic dialogue, over acting, and the unfortunately whitewashed cast. See REEL, page B-2

B-2 Peninsula Clarion, Thursday, December 18, 2014

Naked Soul — poetry helps woman move toward healing By TONI ROSS Morris News Service-Alaska/For the Homer News

In the March 19, 2014, edition of the Homer News, a local woman submitted a couple of poems with the following words: “I am sharing in hopes of encouraging anyone who is suffering in silence to tell someone. With help you can find the light switch and even turn it on.” That woman was Shannon Schrader, who has lived on the Kenai Peninsula for 17 years. The suffering she spoke of was her experience with bipolar disorder. It’s been eight months since that letter appeared in the Homer News. Now, instead of just two poems printed in the local paper, Schrader, has published a book of poetry. “Up from Darkness” includes those first two, plus 16 more. Many are dedicated to the friends who have helped her on her journey. The book itself is dedicated to the oldest of her two sons, Harold, who Schrader says suffered the most from her mental illness. “How do you summarize putting your son through emo-

tional abandonment when going through bipolar depression?” she asks. Her bright blue eyes fill with tears and she adds, “He’s been so worried about me all his life, and finally, he doesn’t have to worry anymore.” The Mayo Clinic describes bipolar, also called manicdepressive disorder, as being associated with extreme mood swings ranging from euphoric to hopeless. The extreme changes may happen just a few times a year — or several times each day. Schrader describes her life, before getting help, like riding a train of success that would always derail. She hopes to encourage others to get help before the train wrecks. “I guess that’s my message,” she said. “Tell someone. Tell them. Because I never have, I just shut down.” Growing up between her divorced parents — one lived in California, the other in Anchorage — Schrader said that she was always able to leave when things went wrong. That pattern continued throughout her life. Relationships would end. Careers would end. The bouts of depression drove her to at-

tempt suicide. “Sometimes it just hits you when everything will be perfect,” she said of the depression. “I can’t even explain the sorrow …” Although Schrader, who is now 50, has suffered from bipolar disorder most of her life, she didn’t try to get professional help until she called the South Peninsula Behavioral Health Services Center six years ago. Even then, she just couldn’t find the words to express how she felt. She quit going for a time, until, desperate to stay alive, she went back. “I’d either cry or lie,” she said of the sessions with therapists. One night, when she couldn’t sleep — which is part of the disorder — Schrader wrote her feelings on a couple scraps of paper. The next time she went to her therapist, she took the scraps with her. She thought they would say she needed to be committed to a mental hospital. Instead, her therapist helped her name the poems and type them up — then encouraged her to share them with her psychiatrist, Dr. Charles Burgess, who has since retired from the Center.

“Dr. Burgess read them, and he told me that they were so profound, and that they explained my mental state so perfectly, that I could help others if I could find the courage to share (them),” said Schrader. “Poetry is the only way I could actually express my feelings,” she said. The idea for a book came about after she started sharing her writing with friends and family members. They told her that she could help others through her poems. “I don’t even know the correct poetry terminology,” she said, “I was like, ‘who am I to write a book?’” But people kept telling her she should do it. So this fall, she did. Through the online funding site, Kickstarter.com, Schrader raised $807 toward publishing the book, seven dollars more than her goal. Although the book is selfpublished, she is working with a publishing professional, who advised her, along with her therapist, to “out” herself as being bipolar. “It was a hard thing to overcome,” she said. She didn’t want to embarrass or shame her

family. “If even one person goes and gets help, instead of committing suicide, it’s worth putting myself out there,” she said, adding that she still doesn’t consider herself a writer. Schrader said that if a person feels like giving up, they need to tell someone. Just say the words, “I feel like giving up.” That’s where you start with it, she said. An estimated 2-3 percent of adults in the United States suffer from bipolar disorder, which puts them at a higher risk for suicide, substance abuse and high-risk behavior, according to Alaska Regional Hospital’s Web site. Now that her book is published, Schrader’s next project is a calendar that combines new poems with photos by friend and photographer, Jessica Rawls, of Raw Beauty Photography. Rawls provided the cover image, as well as several photographs, for poems in “Up from Darkness.” “She’s such an amazing, talented person,” said Schrader of Rawls and her work. “Up From Darkness” is available at the Homer Bookstore, in Soldotna at River City

Books and online at Amazon. The Kindle edition is also available online. For every other book purchased, Schrader will donate a copy. Because she is on disability, she can’t afford to print and give away all her books — which is what she would really love to do. Already, 80 books have sold, with 40 of them donated to individuals or centers that help people with mental health needs. Toni Ross is a freelance writer who lives in Homer. Naked Soul by Shannon Schrader No longer covered in a blanket of darkness, I stand for all to see, a fearless warrior, victorious in the battle to survive Can you see me? I will not hide. A flame grows inside me. My soul is on fire. Can you feel it? My passion for living? I am naked. And I am beautiful.

. . . Arts Continued from page B-1

tacos, or Saturday night steaks with Karaoke. Sunday afternoon its super hamburgers. Not a member? Stop by and we can show you how to become a part of this special veteran’s organization. AMVETS is located in the Red Diamond Center next door to IDEA Schools. n Sharpen your dart skills with a fun tournament every Sunday during the season at the AmVets in the Red Diamond Center. The number of players will determine the game. Sign up begins at 1:00 p.m. For more information call 262-3540. n Odie’s Deli in Soldotna has live music Friday from 6-8 p.m. and Pub Quiz night every Wednesday from 6-8 p.m. n The Bow bar in Kenai has karaoke at 9 p.m. Thursdays and live music Fridays, Saturdays at 10 p.m. n Hooligans Saloon in Soldotna has poker Tuesdays and Thursdays starting at 5:30 p.m. and live music Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. n The Duck Inn on Kalifornsky Beach Road has karaoke at 9 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and DJ Arisen on Saturdays. n Mykel’s in Soldotna has live music Thursdays from 6-9 p.m. with Robb Justice, and Fridays and Saturdays from 6:30-9:30 p.m. with Bob Ramponi and Dave Unruh. n The Duck Inn will have live music from 7 to 10 p.m. every Wednesday with Robb Justice and Trio. n The Pinochle Club, formerly from Kasilof, plays at Hooligans Bar & Restaurant in Soldotna Saturdays at 12:30 p.m. Questions? Call Jay Vienup at 907-252-6397.

Photo by IAN FOLEY/Peninsula Clarion

Triumvirate North Theatre is located in a renovated car shop five miles north of downtown Kenai.

Films n Call Orca Theaters at 262-7003 for listings and times. n Call Kambe Cinemas at 283-4554 for listings and times.

. . . Play Continued from page B-1

Down the Road

Schwarzer said. “Can you be-

n The Pratt Museum in Homer is open Tuesday-Sunday from lieve that this was an old car noon to 5 p.m. For more information and a schedule of events, shop?” While Schwarzer loves the visit www.prattmuseum.org. Submissions may be emailed to news@peninsulaclarion.com. The deadline is 5 p.m. Mondays.

. . . Sez Continued from page B-1

to the bar, author Mark Bailey pours readers a double shot of bad behavior from Hollywood’s yesteryear. The stories you’ll read here are widereaching (starting with Fatty Arbuckle and ending more recently), funny and just a little snarky, with the occasional pathetic tale thrown in for balance. Bailey’s also adept at revealing tiny secrets that will surprise even the most ardent fan. Add illustrations from Edward Hemingway, addresses of the clubs still standing, and recipes! and you’ll want another round. Hollywood watchers, trivia buffs, and movie fans will down this book in short order. Mixologists will want to try the ideas inside. Or, if you just like a nip now and then, grab “Of All the Gin Joints.” You’ll drink to that, too. If this book leaves you craving more juicy gossip, look for “Scandals of Classic Hollywood” by Anne Helen Petersen, a book about Fatty and Mae, Liz and Dick, Brando, Harlow, and Bow. And if you’re a classic movie buff, then grab “1939: The Making of Six Great Films from Hollywood’s Greatest Year” by Charles F. Adams. Don’t forget the popcorn!

indiscriminate” about where he relieved himself after imbibing, likely did both in the Hollywood. And so, undoubtedly, did W.C. Fields, who was known for his love of the bottle. Alas, the site of Tinsel Town’s first drinking establishment is now “an abominable megamall,” but the famous never let that stop them… Joan Crawford, for instance, traveled with her own liquor supply; several bottles of it, in fact. Humphrey Bogart was happy to drink any time except New Years Eve, because it was more fun to watch everybody else then. Louis B. Mayer once assembled a “Tracy Squad,” whose sole job was to rescue an inebriated Spencer Tracy. John Wayne, says Bailey, was one of the first people to drink margaritas. And when Lee Marvin got drunk (which happened regularly), he often couldn’t remember where he lived. As Hollywood scandal books go, “Of All the Gin Joints” is one of the more unique — and one of the more enjoyable. From La-La Land’s first The Bookworm is Terri watering hole to locales in Schlichenmeyer. Email her at which you can still belly up bookwormsez@yahoo.com.

new building, she does admit that there have been some issues with the venue, particularly a lack of dressing rooms. “One of the new Triumvirate things is to run into cast members putting on makeup or whatever, if you go to the bathroom,” she said. Despite some minor inconveniences, Schwarzer says the theater is good for the Kenai Peninsula. “This is a really great opportunity for kids to get involved in theater.” Schwarzer said that the children have been wonderful to work with. She said that in or-

. . . Reel Continued from page B-1

Eschewing the early scenes of Moses’ birth, his basket ride down the Nile, and his childhood, “Exodus” begins with Prince Moses and his best pal Ramses, son of the Pharaoh, preparing to make war on the Hittites. Following the battle, Ramses, rattled after a neardeath experience, allows Moses to go in his stead to inspect the slave community and to find out if their overseer has been stealing money. When he arrives, Moses is confronted by an elder Hebrew leader who informs him that he is not Egyptian as he had been led to believe, but, in fact, Hebrew. This, obviously leads to trouble, and eventually Moses finds himself exiled, living a new life as a shepherd many miles away. He’s content, until, that is, God decides to use C

der to have good performances, the children rehearse up to four times a week. “I don’t want to wear them out, but at the same time, practice makes perfect,” she said. “Generally, they’re an amazing group of kids and they have been working very hard.” The children are not the only reason for the theater’s success. Schwarzer said that the Triumvirate North’s president, Joe Rizzo, has also played a large part in the Triumvirate’s popularity. “I love Joe. He’s a really great guy. He’s got a ton of energy and that means a lot to me,” she said. State Sen. Peter Micciche, whose daughters are in “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” also gave credit to Joe Rizzo for not only helping form Triumvirate North, but for also teaching young, aspiring actors. “The Rizzos and the folks

from Triumvirate do amazing things with young people,” Micciche said. While Micciche enjoys Rizzo’s work, he wasn’t always so sure about the idea transforming an old building into a nice theater. “I’m fascinated with the way it turned out,” said Micciche. “When (Joe) Rizzo began looking at this building, I didn’t share his vision, and frankly, I’ve been to several shows here, it’s a beautiful building.” Micciche was appreciative of how the community supported Triumvirate North. “I’m grateful for all the sponsors that helped convert it into the building it is today,” he said. “It’s just a building generally filled with joy. Whether it’s kids practicing to be in a play, community members practicing to be in a performance, or people in the community here

enjoying a live performance — I can’t think of a more positive outcome.” Sophia Micciche, who plays Lucy in “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” said that being in the play was a lot of fun. She hopes to do more plays with Triumvirate North in the future. One of her favorite parts of being in the performance was working with her younger sister Lucia, who played the role of Snoopy. “She didn’t want to (be in the play) at first,” she said. “But, when I told her that she got a Snoopy costume and a doghouse — then she finally agreed.”

him to try and get Ramses, now Pharaoh, to listen to reason and set the Hebrews free. Anyone who’s been to Sunday school or watched late-night on Turner Classic Movies knows how well that turns out. Scott, in many ways, sticks to the straight and narrow with this story, deviating from the expected elements hardly at all. However, one aspect he opts to “make his own” is the appearance of God. In Cecil B. DeMille’s version, God was a burning bush and a disembodied booming voice. “Exodus” has the bush, but this time around God comes in the form of a 10-year-old boy and his discussions with Moses are decidedly two-sided. It might seem jarring to people of other generations, but echoing today’s humanist rational attitude, God isn’t necessarily omnipotent and Moses is not humbled. This didn’t bother me, but I can bet my grandmother would have been incensed.

As far as the spectacle goes, Scott hits it out of the park. The plagues are massive and harrowing and the parting of the Red Sea is as impressive as it should be, though somewhat different than what we’ve seen before. The plot feels a tad rushed, as though the screenwriters figured that we all knew was coming and that they needed to hurry up and get to the good stuff. The biggest problem, however, is the casting. I can’t say that any of the actors do a particularly bad job, but they just seem completely out of place. The Scottish, British and Australian accents and obviously bronzed skin on the “Egyptians” just feels wrong, and pointless. Sigourney Weaver has maybe two lines and maybe a minute of screentime and still sticks out like a sore thumb. Christian Bale didn’t bother me as much as the others, and I understand

the financial justification for hiring a big-name actor for a film of this scale, but were there no Middle Eastern or black actors to fill out the rest of these roles? I know there are — there are plenty of them in this movie, though none of them are ever allowed to speak. It’s pretty egregious. Making a modern comparison, having Australian Joel Edgerton, who I like a lot, play Ramses is like having Brad Pitt play Malcolm X. Ridley Scott is a great filmmaker and despite crafting an exciting, entertaining tale, he has a responsibility to do better by his actors, his audience, and history. Grade: B“Exodus: Goda and Kings” is rated PG-13 for some fairly gruesome violence including scary crocodile attacks.

For more information, go to: http://www.triumviratetheatre. org Reach Ian Foley at ian.foley@peninsulaclarion.com

Chris Jenness is a freelance graphic designer, artist and movie buff who lives in Nikiski.

CLASSIFIEDS C

Peninsula Clarion, Thursday, December 18, 2014 B-3

www.peninsulaclarion.com classifieds@peninsulaclarion.com

Classified Index EMPLOYMENT Agriculture Computing & Engineering Construction & Trades Domestics, Childcare, Aides Drivers/ Transportation Education Finance & Accounting General Employment Healthcare Hospitality & Food Service Manufacturing & Production Oil & Refinery Office & Clerical Personal Care/Beauty Professional/ Management Real Estate, Leasing, Mortgage Retail Sales & Marketing Schools/Training Tourism Work Wanted

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General Employment

VESSEL MANAGER

Cook Inlet Spill Prevention and Response, Inc.

(CISPRI) CISPRI is seeking a professional individual responsible for directing, monitoring, managing and administering to CISPRI's vessel operations. This position will report directly to the CISPRI General Manager. Desired skills for the position include: • Possess advanced knowledge of vessel engineering and shipboard components and managing projects • Must have knowledge of USCG regulations, ABS rules, state and federal vessel regulations • Alaska Marine experience is required • Advanced knowledge of general contract structure & terminology with excellent technical writing & communication skills • Possess good to excellent skills & use of general office equipment and computer software. • Must be self-directed and work well under pressure to meet deadlines Essential responsibilities of the position include:

• Manage vessel captains & crews to see that they are properly directed, managed/ trained. • Oversee the administration of vessel crew rotations, travel schedules, coordinating dock call outs,maintaining vessel/crew readiness for CISPRI or Member company support and needs • Develop, vet, bid and manage all shipyard specification and oversee all aspects of the shipyard scope of work • Ability to travel for shipyard dry-dock to oversee the vessel dry-dock work & deadlines • Responsible for overseeing all day to day vessel operations for safety and efficiency of work • Oversee and manage the vessel chartering program • Ability to work cooperatively with all company personnel • Area of responsibility is Cook Inlet. Alaska and the successful candidate will need to relocate to the Kenai, Alaska area

CISPRI is an equal opportunity, not-for-profit company, located in Nikiski, Alaska. Normal business hours are 8:00 - 4:30, Monday through Friday. In addition, employees are provided with cellular phones so as to be available 24hrs per day for emergencies. CISPRI offers a competitive salary, 105K-115K DOE, and a comprehensive benefit package. Job offers to be contingent on a medical exam (including drug screening) and background investigation. Qualified applicants can pick up a Job Application at CISPRI at Mile 26, Kenai Spur Highway, or call (907)-776-5129 to have an application faxed or e-mailed. Resumes, completed job applications and credentials can be submitted in person, faxed to 907-776-2190. E-mailed to: tpaxton@cispri.org Or mailed to: CISPRI Attention: General Manager, 51377 Kenai Spur Hwy Kenai, Alaska 99611 (907)776-5129 Fax (907)776-2190

TRANSPORTATION Autos Classic/Custom Financing Motorcycles Parts & Accessories Rentals Repair & Services Sport Utilities, 4x4 Suburbans/Vans/ Buses Trucks Trucks: Commercial Trucks: Heavy Duty Trailers Vehicles Wanted

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General Employment

BECOME AN OCEAN RANGER Help protect Alaska's environment and its people! Be an observer onboard cruise ships for the summer, monitoring State environmental and marine discharge requirements and identifying any potential safety, sanitation, and/or health risks. Compensation includes both salary and benefits. Minimum Qualifications: 1.) Designated Duty Engineer (DDE) or Third Assistant Engineer (3 A/E) or degree in marine safety and environmental protection from accredited maritime institution. 2.) American Maritime Officers (AMO) Union member. 3.) Pass criminal background check, able to enter Canada. 4.) Of sound physical condition and able to pass post-offer physical examination. 5.) Successful completion of Ocean Ranger training. To Apply: 1.) Online at www.Crowley.com/oceanrangers by 02/15/15. 2.) Email: marinejobs@crowley.com with questions. Alaska residents are encouraged to apply!

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EXPEDITOR This position facilitates and expedites the flow of materials & goods to and from various departments and vendors to meet the needs of the CISPRI. Desired skills for the position include: • High School Diploma or equivalent • CDL license is required; Class A license is preferred, or received within 6 months of hire date • 2 years of experience in related field • Knowledge in the operation of heavy equipment • Must possess and maintain a current Driver's License. • General knowledge and experience using the Microsoft programs • Strong written, verbal, and inter personal communication skills • Ability to lift 50 lbs. • Ability to work with minimal supervision

ADULT BASIC EDUCATION INSTRUCTOR Kachemak Bay Campus (KBC) in Homer is looking for an exceptional individual to serve as Adult Basic Education instructor in math, reading, writing, GED test preparation and ESL in an individualized and classroom format. This is a term 9 month position, 32 hours per week, starting Jan. 5. $22.68 per hour, grade 78, step 1, benefits and tuition waivers available. See list of responsibilities, qualifications and to apply online:

GENERAL TECHNICIAN WANTED Capable in gas drivability, electrical, and some heavy repairs. Must have experience. Certifications a plus. Busy high volume shop, excellent reputation. Top pay for the right person! Immediate opening. Apply by any of the following: eliteautoak@gmail.com Fax: (907) 262-4140 Call: (907) 262-2280 Or in person or mail to Elite Auto & Diesel Repair, 44515 Frontier Ave. Soldotna, AK 99669.

Apartments, Unfurnished

RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES AVAILABLE FOR RENT: ALASKA 1st REALTY 44045 Kalifornsky Beach Rd., Soldotna www.Alaska1stRealty.com, e-mail; Alaska1stRealtyInc@gmail.com, phone: (907)260-7653

www.kpc.alaska.edu - KPC employment

Applications accepted until position is closed. UAA is an AA/EO Employer and Educational Institution.

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Essential responsibilities of the position include:

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DIRECT SERVICE ADVOCATE Transitional Living Center Part Time

• Deal directly with CISPRI's vendors to ensure prompt and accurate delivery of goods to appropriate locations • Receive and inspect goods upon delivery, to verify delivered goods match order specifications • Handles any delivery inconsistencies or delays • Safely operates all CISPRI spill response and support equipment, vehicles, and heavy equipment (including cranes) • Position requires travel to communities/ areas of Cook Inlet, and possibly other areas within Alaska. Away from home travel may be required on occasional basis.

Organized, energetic and creative person to positively assist women and children residing in transitional / supportive housing. Excellent understanding of or working experience in domestic violence/sexual assault, and related victim issues. Must promote and model non-violent behavior, empowerment philosophy, positive parenting and direct communication. HS diploma or equivalent required, degree in related field preferred. Valid driver's license required. Resume, cover letter and three references to:

CISPRI is an equal opportunity, not-for-profit company, located in Nikiski, Alaska. Normal business hours are 8:00 - 4:30, Monday through Friday. In addition, employees are provided with cellular phones so as to be available 24hrs per day for emergencies. CISPRI offers a competitive salary, $20-$25 per hour DOE, and a comprehensive benefit package. Job offers to be contingent on a medical exam (including drug screening) and background investigation. Qualified applicants can pick up a Job Application at CISPRI at Mile 26, Kenai Spur Highway, or call (907)-776-5129 to have an application faxed or e-mailed. Resumes, completed job applications and credentials can be submitted in person, faxed to 907-776-2190. E-mailed to: tpaxton@cispri.org

Executive Director, The LeeShore Center, 325 S. Spruce St., Kenai, AK 99611 by December 24th, 2014. EOE.

Office & Clerical

CLASSIFIED INSIDE SALES REPRESENTATIVE The Peninsula Clarion newspaper has an opening for a Classified Inside Sales Representative. Experience in a business office environment, excellent customer service skills, knowledge of PC and Mac platforms as well as proper grammar and spelling skills are a must. The ideal candidate must dress professionally, be able to multitask, meet deadlines, do data entry and have a positive attitude. This person will answer incoming and make outgoing calls and must be able to work individually and as part of a team. This is a full-time position with benefits. Interested parties can submit an application by mailing it to: Peninsula Clarion Attn: Leslie Talent PO Box 3009 Kenai, AK 99611 E-mail resumes to: leslie.talent@peninsulaclarion.com

Or mailed to: CISPRI Attention: General Manager, 51377 Kenai Spur Hwy Kenai, Alaska 99611 (907)776-5129 Fax (907)776-2190

General Employment

NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE

Cook Inlet Spill Prevention and Response, Inc.

The Peninsula Clarion is an equal opportunity employer. Applications are available at our office on 150 Trading Bay Road in Kenai.

(CISPRI) ACCOUNTING COORDINATOR

Under general supervision assists in completing the financial functions for both CISPRI Operations & CISPRI Limited Partnership. This includes all aspects of general book-keeping, processing payroll, HR responsibilities, reconciliations, billings and other bookkeeping functions as assigned by the Accounting Supervisor & Business Manager.

Office & Clerical

Desired skills for the position include: • Excellent office skills, typing 50 wpm, 10-key filing, proof reading, and problem solving • Strong computerized bookkeeping/account ing knowledge • Considerable knowledge and experience in computer applications, especially using the Microsoft Office suite of programs • Multi-task orientated, efficient, organized and flexible • Strong interpersonal & communication skills; works cooperatively with all company personnel • Strong knowledge of payroll laws & regulations and Human Resources • Preference given to individuals with college-level hours of coursework in accounting and/or prior experience in bookkeeping / accounting with computerized accounting systems CISPRI is an equal opportunity, not-for-profit company, located in Nikiski, Alaska. Normal business hours are 8:00 - 4:30, Monday through Friday. In addition, employees are provided with cellular phones so as to be available 24hrs per day for emergencies.

Classified Inside Sales Representative. The Peninsula Clarion newspaper has an opening for a Clasified Inside Sales Representative. Experience in a business office environment, excellent customer service skills, knowledge of PC and Mac platforms as well as proper grammer and spelling skills are a must. The ideal candidate must dress professionally, be able to multitask, meet deadlines, do data entry and have a positive attitude. This person will answer incoming and make outgoing calls and bust be able to work individually and as part of a team. This is a full-time position with benefits. Interested parties can submit an application by mailing it to: Peninsula Clarion Attn: Leslie Talent PO Box 3009 Kenai, AK 99611 Email resumes to: leslie.talent@peninsulaclarion.com

NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE The Peninsula Clarion is an equal opportunity employer. Applications are available at our office on 150 Trading Bay Road in Kenai.

CISPRI offers a competitive salary, 45-50K DOE, and a comprehensive benefit package. Job offers to be contingent on a medical exam (including drug screening) and background investigation. Qualified applicants can pick up a Job Application at CISPRI at Mile 26, Kenai Spur Highway, or call (907)-776-5129 to have an application faxed or e-mailed.

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Resumes, completed job applications and credentials can be submitted in person at CISPRI, mile 26 Kenai Spur Highway or faxed to 907-776-2190.

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Property Management and Oversight Division 170 N. Birch Suite 101, Soldotna (907)262-2522 Mary.Parske@century21.com www.Century21FreedomRealty.com

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Apartments, Unfurnished KENAI DUPLEX apartment for rent on Walker Lane. Private fenced yard, one stall garage, w/d in unit. 2 bedroom 1 bath. $1250 per month includes gas, water, and trash. $600 deposit. Pets on approval with $200 deposit and $50 month. Prorated rent for December. Call Ryan

Apartments, Unfurnished REDOUBT VIEW Soldotna’s best value! Quiet, freshly painted, close to schools. 1-Bedroom from $625. 2-Bedroom from $725. 3-Bedroom, 2-bath, from $825. No pets. (907)262-4359. SOLDOTNA 1-Bedroom, 1-bath, apartment, washer/dryer No smoking/ pets. $750. plus electric & tax. (907)252-7355.

Homes STERLING Small, 2-bedroom, washer/dryer, $750/ month, plus utilities, gas, tax $15, $900 deposit. No smoking/ pets. (907)262-6093.

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150 Trading Bay Road, Suite 2 Kenai

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NBC Nightly Channel 2 Newshour (N) News (N) ‘G’ Alaska Weather ‘G’

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The Biggest Loser “Kauai People Magazine Awards The year in pop culture. (N SamePart 1” The contestants travel day Tape) to Hawaii. (N) ‘PG’ The National Christmas Tree The First Silent Night Origins Purdue 80th Anniversary Lighting 2014 ‘G’ of “Silent Night.” ‘G’ Christmas Show ‘G’

ABC News at (:35) Jimmy Kimmel Live ‘14’ (:37) Nightline (N) ‘G’ 10 (N) How I Met Your Mother ‘14’ KTVA Nightcast Anger Management ‘14’

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139 247

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138 245

(34) ESPN 140 206 (35) ESPN2 144 209 (36) ROOT 426 687 (38) SPIKE 241 241 (43) AMC 131 254 (46) TOON 176 296 (47) ANPL 184 282 (49) DISN 173 291 (50) NICK 171 300 (51) FAM

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205 360

(81) COM 107 249 (82) SYFY 122 244

How I Met How I Met How I Met How I Met Rules of En- Rules of En- Parks and Parks and Parks and Raising Hope Raising Hope Raising Hope 30 Rock ‘14’ 30 Rock ‘14’ Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother gagement gagement Recreation Recreation Recreation ‘PG’ ‘PG’ ‘PG’ LG Electronics “Gifts” ‘G’ Great Gifts ‘G’ Beauty Gifts “Emjoi” Hair Honora Jewelry Collection “Jewelry Gifts” (N) ‘G’ Late Night Gifts ‘G’ care and more; Emjoi. ‘G’ (3:00) Movie Project Runway All Stars Project Runway All Stars Project Runway All Stars Project Runway All Stars Project Runway: Threads Project Runway: Threads (:02) Project Runway All The designers create party The designers meet British “Luck Be a Lady” The design- The designers create looks for The designers must create This week’s designers are Stars The designers roll the dresses. ‘PG’ royalty. ‘PG’ ers roll the dice. ‘PG’ singles. (N) ‘PG’ final looks. (N) ‘PG’ competitive. ‘PG’ dice. ‘PG’ Law & Order: Special Vic- Law & Order: Special Vic- Law & Order: Special Vic- Law & Order: Special Vic- White Collar Neal designs a (:05) Covert Affairs “Gold (:06) CSI: Crime Scene In- (:06) White Collar Neal detims Unit “Florida” ‘14’ tims Unit ‘14’ tims Unit ‘14’ tims Unit ‘14’ new plan. (N) ‘PG’ Soundz” (N) ‘14’ vestigation ‘14’ signs a new plan. ‘PG’ Friends ‘PG’ Friends ‘PG’ Seinfeld “The Seinfeld “The Seinfeld ‘PG’ Seinfeld ‘PG’ Family Guy Family Guy The Big Bang The Big Bang Conan “Conan to Go” (N) ‘14’ Conan (N) ‘14’ Cougar Town Conan ‘14’ Opposite” ‘PG’ Hamptons” ‘14’ ‘14’ Theory ‘PG’ Theory ‘PG’ ‘PG’ ‘PG’ NBA Basketball New York Knicks at Chicago Bulls. From the United Center NBA Basketball Oklahoma City Thunder at Golden State Warriors. From Inside the NBA (N) (Live) NBA Basketball New York Knicks at Chicago Bulls. From the in Chicago. (N) (Live) Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif. (N) (Live) United Center in Chicago. College Basketball Connecticut vs. Duke. From Izod Center SportsCenter (N) (Live) SportsCenter (N) (Live) SportsCenter (N) (Live) SportsCenter (N) (Live) SportsCenter (N) (Live) College Football Awards in East Rutherford, N.J. (N) (Live) Women’s College Volleyball SportsCenter Women’s College Volleyball NCAA Tournament, Second 30 for 30 Two Points, The Grantland Basketball SportsCenter Featured (N) Semifinal: Teams TBA. (N) (Live) One Title Hour (N) Sports Unlimited World ExPlanet X Planet X Planet X UFC Reloaded “UFC 134: Silva vs. Okami” Silva vs Okami and Rua vs Griffin. The Rich Eisen Show ‘PG’ treme Square Square Square (2:00) “Wild “Happy Gilmore” (1996, Comedy) Adam Sandler, Christo- “Dumb & Dumber” (1994, Comedy) Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Lauren Holly. Funniest Commercials of “Dumb & Dumber” (1994, Comedy) Jim Carrey. Two witless Hogs” pher McDonald, Julie Bowen. Two witless wonders take a cash-laden briefcase to Aspen. the Year 2014 (N) wonders take a cash-laden briefcase to Aspen. (:15) “White Christmas” (1954, Musical Comedy) Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary “Miracle on 34th Street” (1947) Maureen O’Hara. An ad(:15) “Miracle on 34th Street” (1947) Maureen O’Hara, John Payne. An ad- “Holiday Inn” Clooney. Four entertainers try to save an innkeeper from ruin. woman’s boyfriend defends Macy’s Santa in court. woman’s boyfriend defends Macy’s Santa in court. (1942) King of the King of the The Cleve- The Cleve- American American Family Guy A retelling of “Re- Newsreaders The Heart, The Venture American American Family Guy A retelling of “Re- Newsreaders Hill ‘PG’ Hill ‘PG’ land Show land Show Dad ‘14’ Dad ‘14’ turn of the Jedi.” ‘14’ (N) ‘14’ She Holler Bros. ‘MA’ Dad ‘14’ Dad ‘14’ turn of the Jedi.” ‘14’ ‘14’ Monsters Inside Me ‘PG’ Monsters Inside Me “My Monsters Inside Me “The Monsters Inside Me ‘PG’ Monsters Inside Me “Holiday Monsters Inside Me “The Monsters Inside Me “Holiday Monsters Inside Me “I Smell Body is Rotting” ‘PG’ Brain Colonizer” ‘PG’ Special” (N) ‘PG’ Brain Colonizer” (N) ‘PG’ Special” ‘PG’ Like Death” ‘PG’ Liv & Mad- Liv & Mad- Hannah For- Shake It Sonny With a Kim Pos“Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure” (2011) Austin & (:05) Liv & Dog With a Jessie ‘G’ I Didn’t Do Good Luck Good Luck die ‘G’ die ‘G’ ever Up! ‘G’ Chance sible ‘Y’ Kyle Massey, Munro Chambers. Ally ‘G’ Maddie ‘G’ Blog ‘G’ It ‘G’ Charlie ‘G’ Charlie ‘G’ SpongeBob SpongeBob Sam & Cat ‘G’ Sam & Cat ‘G’ Sam & Cat ‘G’ Max & Shred Full House ‘G’ Full House ‘G’ Full House ‘G’ Full House ‘G’ Fresh Prince Fresh Prince Friends ‘14’ (:36) Friends (:12) How I Met Your Mother ‘G’ ‘PG’ ‘14’ “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas” (1999) “The Santa Clause” (1994, Comedy) Tim Allen, Judge Rein- “Fred Claus” (2007, Comedy) Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti. Santa’s ne’er- The 700 Club ‘G’ “Holiday in Handcuffs” Voices of Wayne Allwine. hold. An adman takes over for fallen Santa. do-well brother puts Christmas in jeopardy. (2007) Mario Lopez ‘PG’ (3:00) The Secret Santa ‘PG’ My Crazy Obsession Four The Great Christmas Light The Great Christmas Light The Great Christmas Light The Great Christmas Light The Great Christmas Light The Great Christmas Light Christmas fanatics. ‘PG’ Fight ‘PG’ Fight ‘PG’ Fight ‘PG’ Fight ‘PG’ Fight ‘PG’ Fight ‘PG’ Edge of Alaska “The Mother- Edge of Alaska Neil takes the Edge of Alaska “The Last To Be Announced To Be Announced lode” ‘14’ final steps. ‘14’ Stand” ‘14’ Anthony Bourdain: No Res- Anthony Bourdain: No Res- Anthony Bourdain: No Res- Hotel Impos- Hotel Impos- Booze Traveler “Austria Is No Reservations Snails; Anthony Bourdain: No Res- Booze Traveler “Austria Is ervations ‘PG’ ervations “Ozarks” ‘PG’ ervations ‘PG’ sible sible Good for You” ‘PG’ black pudding dim sum. ervations “Boston” ‘PG’ Good for You” ‘PG’ Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars Pawn Stars (:31) Pawn (:03) Pawnog- (:33) Pawnog- (:03) Pawn (:32) Pawn (:01) Pawn (:31) Pawn ‘PG’ ‘PG’ ‘PG’ ‘PG’ ‘PG’ ‘PG’ ‘PG’ ‘PG’ (N) ‘PG’ Stars ‘PG’ raphy raphy Stars ‘PG’ Stars ‘PG’ Stars ‘PG’ Stars ‘PG’ The First 48 A victim’s car The First 48 Shooting victim’s The First 48 Detectives re- The First 48 “The Hit List; Beyond Scared Straight A (:01) Beyond Scared Straight (:02) Beyond Scared Straight (:01) The First 48 “The Hit may reveal his killer. ‘14’ 911 call holds clues. ‘14’ spond to two homicides. ‘14’ Hand in Hand” ‘14’ gay teen beats a fellow class- A young rapper visits the clink. Daughter visits incarcerated List; Hand in Hand” ‘14’ mate. (N) ‘14’ (N) ‘14’ mother. ‘14’ Rehab Ad- Rehab Ad- Rehab Ad- Rehab Ad- Rehab Ad- Rehab Ad- Rehab Ad- Rehab Ad- Rehab Addict Rehab Ad- Tiny House Hunters Int’l House Hunters RenovaRehab Ad- Rehab Addict ‘G’ dict ‘G’ dict ‘G’ dict ‘G’ dict ‘G’ dict ‘G’ dict ‘G’ dict ‘G’ (N) ‘G’ dict ‘G’ Hunters ‘G’ tion ‘G’ dict ‘G’ dict ‘G’ The Pioneer Trisha’s Chopped “Season’s Chop- Chopped ‘G’ Chopped Holiday-inspired Chopped Celebrities compete Beat Bobby Beat Bobby Food Truck Face Off (N) ‘G’ Chopped Celebrities compete Woman ‘G’ Southern pings” ‘G’ dishes. ‘G’ for charity. ‘G’ Flay (N) ‘G’ Flay ‘G’ for charity. ‘G’ Shark Tank A dance fitness American Greed American Greed A Florida American Greed A short American Greed American Greed Paid Program Paid Program Paid Program Paid Program program. ‘PG’ lawyer steals billions. seller reaps millions. The O’Reilly Factor (N) The Kelly File (N) Hannity (N) The O’Reilly Factor The Kelly File Hannity On the Record With Greta Red Eye (N) Van Susteren (3:52) Fu(:23) Futura- The Colbert Daily Show/ (5:57) South (:29) Tosh.0 Chappelle’s Chappelle’s Key & Peele Key & Peele Kevin Hart: Laugh at My Daily Show/ The Colbert (:01) At Mid- (:33) Key & turama ‘14’ ma ‘14’ Report ‘PG’ Jon Stewart Park ‘MA’ ‘14’ Show ‘14’ Show ‘14’ ‘14’ ‘14’ Pain ‘MA’ Jon Stewart Report ‘14’ night ‘14’ Peele ‘14’ “Zombie Apocalypse” (2011, Horror) Ving Rhames. Survi- “The Crazies” (2010, Horror) Timothy Olyphant. A strange “The Cabin in the Woods” (2011, Horror) Kristen Connolly, The Almighty Johnsons (N) “Night of the Demons” vors seek an island refuge from zombies. ‘14’ toxin turns humans into dangerous lunatics. Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison. (2009) Monica Keena.

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(3:45) “Tapia” (:45) “The Interpreter” (2005, Suspense) Nicole Kidman, Sean Penn, Cath- The Newsroom Will and Mac (:05) “Rush” (2013, Docudrama) Chris Hemsworth, Daniel (:10) Real Sex Presents: (10:55) “Escape Plan” think about milestones. ‘MA’ Brühl. Grand Prix racers James Hunt and Niki Lauda share an Porn 101: XXXtra Credit (2013, Action) Sylvester Stal ! HBO 303 504 (2013) ‘NR’ erine Keener. A U.N. translator overhears an assassination plot. ‘PG-13’ intense rivalry. ‘R’ Porn festival. ‘MA’ lone. ‘R’ (3:00) “Bring Exodus: The Cheshire Murders A home invasion leads to three “47 Ronin” (2013, Adventure) Keanu Reeves, Hiroyuki The Come- (:35) “The Place Beyond the Pines” (2012, Crime Drama) Ryan Gosling, murders. ‘MA’ Sanada, Tadanobu Asano. Outcast samurai seek revenge on back ‘MA’ Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes. A biker robs banks to support his infant son. ^ HBO2 304 505 It On” (2000) Gods and Kings: HBO a treacherous overlord. ‘PG-13’ ‘R’ (3:15) “Dallas Buyers (:15) “Wedding Crashers” (2005, Comedy) Owen Wilson, (:15) “R.I.P.D.” (2013, Action) Jeff Bridges, Ryan Reynolds, “Hannibal” (2001, Suspense) Anthony Hopkins, Julianne (:15) Skin to (:45) Working M + MAX 311 516 Club” (2013) Matthew McCo- Vince Vaughn. Partygoers spend a wild weekend with a politi- Kevin Bacon. A slain cop joins a team of spirit lawmen. ‘PG- Moore, Gary Oldman. A disfigured victim of cannibalistic Dr. the Max ‘MA’ Girls in Bed naughey. ‘R’ cian’s family. ‘R’ 13’ Lecter seeks revenge. ‘R’ ‘MA’ K (3:00) “The (:35) “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” (2013, Biography) Idris Elba, “August: Osage County” (2013, Comedy-Drama) Meryl Homeland “Krieg Nicht Lieb” Sex With The Affair Noah and Helen Sex With Streep, Julia Roberts. A funeral reunites three sisters with ‘MA’ Sunny Mega- face a revelation. ‘MA’ Sunny Mega 5 SHOW 319 546 Cold Light of Naomie Harris, Tony Kgoroge. Based on the life of South Africa’s Nelson Day” Mandela. ‘PG-13’ their venomous mother. ‘R’ tron ‘MA’ tron ‘MA’ (3:30) “The Real McCoy” (:15) “Perfect Sisters” (2014, Suspense) Abigail Breslin, “Double Jeopardy” (1999, Suspense) Tommy Lee Jones, “Monster” (2003, Biography) Charlize Theron, Christina “Heatstroke” (2013, SusAshley Judd, Bruce Greenwood. Jailed for her husband’s Ricci, Bruce Dern. Aileen Wuornos kills seven men and lands pense) Stephen Dorff, Svet 8 TMC 329 554 (1993, Suspense) Kim Bas- Georgie Henley, Mira Sorvino. Teenage siblings plot to kill inger. ‘PG-13’ their alcoholic mother. ‘NR’ murder, a woman learns he lives. ‘R’ on death row. ‘R’ lana Metkina. ‘NR’

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B-6 Peninsula Clarion, Thursday, December 18, 2014

Open adoption could help grandmother stay in touch adopts the baby. This is often the best solution for everyone — especially the baby. Most states favor adoptions by family members. It could be a wonderful ending/ beginning for all concerned if that could happen in this case. — GRANDMA CLAIRE DEAR ABBY: I went through this with my daugh- Abigail Van Buren ter, who was not in a mental or financial position to keep the child. I was in the delivery room for the birth of all my grandchildren, but in order to distance myself from this child, I allowed the adoptive mom to go into the delivery instead, because it was important for her to bond with the baby. It was easier, in a sense, to distance myself from this child because of my daughter’s circumstances. I think about my grandson all the time, and I get pictures from the adoptive family. When the time is right, he will meet his biological family. My hope is that Un-Grandparent can trust the adoptive parents to

be the right ones and that they will do the right thing for the child. — CHRISTINE ON THE WEST COAST DEAR ABBY: I was neither willing nor emotionally able to raise my 13-year-old daughter’s child. There was an open adoption, with a family that had five children of their own, but neither my daughter nor I took the opportunity to get to know this child or his new family. My parents (the baby’s great-grandparents) made the effort to keep in touch and were welcomed with open arms. My parents brought ALL the children Christmas gifts, and my mother wrote to them often, visiting when they had a chance. So, if this is an open adoption, there is still the possibility for you to have as much contact as everyone is comfortable with. There is no such thing as too much love! — KATHRYN IN TEXAS Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www. DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

Hints from Heloise

Jacqueline Bigar’s Stars A baby born today has a Sun in Sagittarius and a Moon in Scorpio. HAPPY BIRTHDAY for Thursday, Dec. 18, 2014: This year you express a very quiet side. You might be holding back some feelings. Learn to express them in a way that others can hear. You will have spurts of creativity that actually might leave others in awe. How you choose to apply this talent could vary from person to person. If you are single, you will apply this gift to your love life. This could be a very exciting year, but know that you probably will need to make some choices. If you are attached, apply some of this energy to you relationship. As a result, you both will enjoy each other more. SCORPIO unnerves you, as he or she seems capable of seeing right through you. The Stars Show the Kind of Day You’ll Have: 5-Dynamic; 4-Positive; 3-Average; 2-So-so; 1-Difficult ARIES (March 21-April 19) HHHH You might find others to be unusually intense and demanding right now. Outcomes of difficult situations tend to have better results if you are able to relate to each party individually. You could gain a fresh perspective from these talks. Tonight: Happy to head home. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) HHHHH You might discover that an older relative or boss is on the warpath. Know when to duck, for your own sake. You seem to be gaining tremendous insight into someone else’s behavior and motives. Tonight: Defer to others, and you will have a better time. GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

Rubes

HHHH You could have a lot of ground to cover. Make a list, follow up on calls and leave messages. Be open to the idea of readjusting your schedule because of an important person or situation. Someone might reveal some important news by accident! Tonight: Get errands done. CANCER (June 21-July 22) HHHHH You easily could be provoked by a loved one. Try not to get upset. Look at it as if this person is going through a phase. This, too, will pass. Listen to a friend’s concerns, as he or she might be going through a difficult time. Tonight: Get into the holiday spirit! LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) HHHH You might be unusually concerned about someone’s mood. At the same time, you could be exhausted by everything that is occurring. If you detach, you’ll get a strong insight into what motivates this person. Stay grounded, and you will be a lot happier. Tonight: Be around people. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) HHHH You are likely to say what you want, especially in a situation where you have held back your feelings. Use whatever self-discipline you have, as you could say something you later regret. Stay out of problems, if possible. Tonight: Keep discussions light and easy. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) HHHH You might be unusually passive and/or insecure. Don’t let these feelings interfere with the holiday spirit. Understand that sometimes people don’t express their feelings in a way that is meaningful to certain people. Tonight: Wrap up your holiday shopping.

By Leigh Rubin

Ziggy

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) HHHHH Use your high energy and imagination to tear through your to-do list, and perhaps try to come up with a gift idea for a special someone. Try to read between the lines, as it will reveal much more of what is going on around you. Tonight: Your wish is someone’s command. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) HHHH You might be heading down two different paths. One seems very clear to others, yet the other involves an inner dialogue of sorts. You’ll want to be more direct, but perhaps you’re not ready yet. Test the waters first. Avoid being controlling! Tonight: Do only what feels right. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) HHHH If you expect some uproar to occur, you probably won’t be disappointed. You could change your response to others, and you might be get some mixed signals. Make a point of staying levelheaded when someone responds positively. Tonight: Where the action is. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) HHHH You have a tendency to waffle when you don’t see eye to eye with a higher-up. Try not to swallow any anger. A surprise could occur suddenly, which could force you to regroup. Tonight: Don’t stay up too late, even if a friend tries to convince you otherwise. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) HHHHH You have the ability to be totally emotional, empathetic and detached — sometimes all at once. With your unique sensitivities, try to stay centered and don’t push too hard. Your possessive side emerges with a loved one. Tonight: Let your mind relax to great music.

Read the time away Dear Readers: The big travel season is here, and that means time spent waiting in line or sitting on a train, plane or bus, or in a car. My late father (Mike Cruse, 19202006) would always save small-size magazines, ideal for “pass the time” reading, to take along — lightweight, and you can leave them behind on the plane or train for others, or in the sitting area for someone else to use. I still do the same, and give them to flight attendants and other passengers if they want them. — Heloise Santa’s footprints Dear Readers: Want a fun and cute way to show that Santa has visited your home? Using an old pair of slippers, place them on the floor, sprinkle baking soda over them, and then move to a new spot to make footprints. Go from the fireplace to the Christmas tree — Santa footprints! Afterward, just vacuum up the baking soda, and the carpet (or floor) will smell fresh. Baking soda is one of my favorite household helpers; it works everywhere while cleaning and deodorizing. I have compiled a pamphlet of my favorite money-saving uses. If you would like to receive a copy, send $5 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (70 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Baking Soda, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX, 78279-5001. Don’t forget to keep a box of baking soda handy in the kitchen to scrub the sink, sprinkle onto burned gunk in a pan (just cover with water) and to use in baking, of course! — Heloise

SUDOKU

By Tom Wilson

By Dave Green

4 1 6 8 5 2 3 9 7

2 3 9 1 4 7 6 8 5

8 7 5 6 9 3 2 1 4

5 8 3 2 1 4 7 6 9

9 4 2 7 3 6 8 5 1

7 6 1 5 8 9 4 3 2

1 9 4 3 2 8 5 7 6

6 5 8 4 7 1 9 2 3

Difficulty Level

3 2 7 9 6 5 1 4 8

2014 Conceptis Puzzles, Dist. by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Friday.

12/17

Previous Puzzles Answer Key

B.C.

Tundra

By Johnny Hart

Garfield

By Eugene Sheffer

Shoe

By Jim Davis

Take It from the Tinkersons By Bill Bettwy

7 2

2 5 9

Difficulty Level

6 3

9 2

8 1

7 12/18

By Chad Carpenter

By Chris Cassatt & Gary Brookins

Mother Goose and Grimm

By Michael Peters

2014 Conceptis Puzzles, Dist. by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

DEAR ABBY: I am writing this in response to “Un-Grandparent in Ohio” (Aug. 25), whose pregnant teenage daughter has decided to place her baby for adoption. My daughter and son-in-law adopted their newborn daughter in an open adoption. Each summer the adoption agency sponsors a picnic that is attended by birth and adoptive parents, grandparents and other family members — and, of course, the adopted child. During the rest of the year, our daughter sends the birth mother photos and letters, going through the same agency. I can only imagine the sadness Un-Grandparent is feeling. I hope her daughter has chosen an adoption agency like this one so she will be able to share in her grandchild’s life. — GRATEFUL ADOPTIVE GRANDMOTHER DEAR GRATEFUL: I welcomed feedback from readers about that letter and, as always, they provided Un-Grandparent with thoughtful advice. Read on: DEAR ABBY: I am a grandmother and an attorney. I have done a lot of guardianship work over the years and would like the grandmother to know that in many cases similar to hers, it is the grandmother who

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