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6
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Vol. 49, Issue 200
State
Homer theater starts summer season
Area teams ready to chase crowns
Arts/A8
Sports/A6
58/41 More weather on Page A2
W of 1 inner Awa 0* 201 Exc rds f 8 o e Rep llence r in or ti * Ala n ska g ! Pres s
CLARION P E N I N S U L A
Club
Thursday, May 23, 2019 Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
$1 newsstands daily/$1.50 Sunday
Borough Assembly moves to boost KPC funding
School district employees approve strike A week after contract negotiations with the school district hit a standstill, peninsula educators and staff have voted to strike. In a Facebook post published Wednesday night, the Kenai Peninsula Education Association reported that more than 75% of certified staff voted “yes” on a walkout. For over a year, contract negotiations between the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District and the Kenai Peninsula Education Association and Kenai Peninsula Educational Support Association have snagged on the rising cost of health care. A previous agreement effective through June 2018 remains in use for employees without contracts. In its Facebook post, the Education Association said that the bargaining team will continue to negotiate with the school district. Employees and the associations will choose a strategic time to start the strike, according to a presentation posted on the Education Association’s Facebook page on Sunday. The association will hold meetings over the summer to prepare employees on how to strike successfully. The associations are required to give the district a 72-hour notice ahead of any strike. District employees cannot be fired for participating in a legal strike. — Staff
Jury convicts 2 in 2018 robbery of credit union ANCHORAGE — A jury has convicted two men of robbing an Anchorage credit union. Thirty-year-old John Pierce and 46-year-old Michael Wayne Moore were convicted Tuesday in federal court of robbing a Credit Union One branch in March 2018. They face up to 25 years in prison and another seven years for brandishing guns during a robbery. Prosecutors say Pierce entered the credit union on Eureka Street near 36th Avenue wearing a mask and carrying a handgun and a black gym bag. He walked out with about $15,000. — Associated Press
Index Local................A3 Opinion........... A4 Sports..............A6 Arts..................A8 Classifieds.... A10 Comics.......... A12 Check us out online at www.peninsulaclarion.com To subscribe, call 283-3584.
Partly cloudy
By VICTORIA PETERSEN Peninsula Clarion
The class of 2019 listens to the choir perform during the Kenai Central High School 2019 graduation in Kenai on Tuesday. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)
Onward and upward Kenai Central High School grads begin new adventures By Brian Mazurek Peninsula Clarion
For Kenai Central High School’s graduating class of 2019, going above and beyond was practically
par for the course. In this year’s graduating class, six seniors earned the title of valedictorian. Maria Salzetti, Damien Redder, Dominik Efta, Vi-
talia Strait, Sarah Foutty and Kyaran Matturro all shared the honor — and the podium — during the graduation ceremony on Tuesday night at the Kenai Central High School’s
Renee C. Henderson Auditorium. During her speech, Strait talked about overcoming difficulties large and small both in high See KCHS, page A5
A close-knit class bids farewell River City Academy graduates 12 students By JOEY KLECKA Peninsula Clarion
The class of 2019 from River City Academy in Soldotna may be small, but ask any of the dozen graduates about their schooling and they’ll respond that less is more. The graduating class of 12 from River City Academy turned their tassels to the right and received their diplomas in a ceremony Tuesday evening at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex, opening the next chapter of their lives. With such a small, but close-knit, graduating class, the amount of personal face time spent
See CITY, page A5
River City Academy valedictorian Steven Hunter Smith (front) awaits the presentation of diplomas Tuesday at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)
The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly passed an amendment to the FY 2020 budget to increase funding for Kenai Peninsula College at Tuesday night’s meeting. Mayor Charlie Pierce’s proposed budget includes $800,000 for the Kenai Peninsula College, a $17,755 decrease from the FY 2019 budget. The reduced allocation diverges from the formula that has been used in the past to calculate funding for the college. Since 1992, the borough has provided KPC with over $12 million via a 1/10th mill rate assessed on property values, according to a March resolution from the borough supporting the Kenai Peninsula College. Assembly member Hal Smalley introduced the amendment asking that the post-secondary budget be increased to the 1/10th mill rate — from $800,000 to $847,186 — after members of the community provided testimony about the importance of funding the college. “We’ve heard this evening of the benefit of that funding that goes to KPC — Homer campus as well as the extension site in Seward,” Smalley said. Cheryl Siemers, Kenai Peninsula College’s assistant director for academic affairs, spoke in support of increasing the post-secondary budget to meet the 1/10th mill rate. “Your dollars help us See KPC, page A2
Ninilchik graduates reflect on small school experience By Megan Pacer Homer News
In a short but sweet ceremony Tuesday night, four teenagers walked across the stage and into the next phase of their lives at Ninilchik School. Valedictorian Tala Hadro, salutatorian Garrett Koch, Isabella Koch and Jacob Shell all had good things to say about growing up in a small town and learning in a small school. They felt the more personal relationship with teachers and the deep sense of community there were important and valuable. Hadro was sure to sneak in one last “dad joke” during her speech before her high school career ended. She reminded the graduates that, no matter what they do and where they go, they will always have a home in Ninilchik — somewhere to go for
dress was given by Josh Demlow, a teacher and coach. After watching a slideshow that showed the students as they progressed from childhood, the graduates handed out flowers to special members of the audience who have helped them along the way: parents, teachers and friends. Hadro will spend the summer working at the Ninilchik Fairgrounds thrift store before heading to University of Alaska Anchorage to complete her bachelor’s degree in nursing. “I’m super excited for it,” she said. Hadro grew up in Fairbanks for most of her life. Isabella Koch helps Garrett Koch perfect the finishing touches before they walk into “So having the change their graduation ceremony Tuesday at Ninilchik School in Ninilchik. They are two of from a really big school to a four total Ninilchik graduates this year. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News) small school where I could classmates that their best while flipping over his piece be more one-on-one with help and safe haven. During his own speech, days are not behind them, of paper during the speech: teachers, and just meet some Garrett Koch reflected on but ahead. “There’s always a back of the most diverse students He shared one impor- side.” the ups and downs of high (was good),” she said. See SMALL, page A5 school, but reminded his tant life lesson he’s learned The commencement ad-
A2 | Thursday, May 23, 2019 | Peninsula Clarion
AccuWeather® 5-day forecast for Kenai-Soldotna Today
Friday
Some sun, then increasing clouds Hi: 58
Saturday
Partial sunshine
Lo: 41
Hi: 57
A little morning rain; cloudy
Lo: 42
RealFeel
Hi: 55
Monday
Showers around in the a.m.; cloudy
Lo: 44
Hi: 55
Lo: 42
Hi: 56
10 a.m. Noon 2 p.m. 4 p.m.
49 52 56 54
Today 5:05 a.m. 10:58 p.m.
Sunrise Sunset
Last May 26
New June 3
Daylight Day Length - 17 hrs., 53 min., 11 sec. Daylight gained - 4 min., 22 sec.
Alaska Cities Yesterday Hi/Lo/W 47/38/r 62/43/pc 35/28/pc 63/39/pc 47/41/sh 54/41/c 72/49/c 69/39/pc 50/43/sh 47/42/r 70/45/c 78/48/pc 73/43/pc 71/39/s 65/51/c 54/35/pc 64/48/pc 63/50/s 56/39/pc 52/38/c 60/45/pc 47/45/sh
Moonrise Moonset
Tomorrow 5:03 a.m. 11:01 p.m.
First June 9
Today 2:56 a.m. 9:16 a.m.
Kotzebue 45/34
Lo: 43
Unalakleet 50/41 McGrath 63/45
Full June 17 Tomorrow 3:24 a.m. 10:27 a.m.
Yesterday Hi/Lo/W 47/37/pc 71/39/pc 65/50/s 49/35/c 71/48/c 75/47/pc 66/40/pc 60/49/pc 48/32/pc 47/36/pc 53/36/c 58/49/pc 60/50/pc 66/38/pc 74/40/s 72/48/pc 53/41/pc 59/42/pc 65/35/pc 53/38/c 67/41/pc 54/48/c
City Kotzebue McGrath Metlakatla Nome North Pole Northway Palmer Petersburg Prudhoe Bay* Saint Paul Seward Sitka Skagway Talkeetna Tanana Tok* Unalakleet Valdez Wasilla Whittier Willow* Yakutat
Anchorage 57/45
City
Albany, NY Albuquerque Amarillo Asheville Atlanta Atlantic City Austin Baltimore Billings Birmingham Bismarck Boise Boston Buffalo, NY Casper Charleston, SC Charleston, WV Charlotte, NC Chicago Cheyenne Cincinnati
71/45/pc 79/40/pc 85/40/s 78/58/pc 91/73/pc 74/47/s 94/73/pc 73/49/pc 62/41/c 90/70/s 51/43/r 60/47/sh 69/56/pc 68/42/sh 40/31/sn 87/72/pc 89/51/pc 80/68/r 82/49/pc 43/30/pc 82/59/c
72/56/t 72/44/s 79/56/t 83/61/s 91/72/s 75/65/c 92/74/pc 85/68/t 57/43/sh 92/72/s 62/46/c 69/48/c 69/58/pc 73/52/t 43/34/c 89/67/pc 87/65/t 87/69/pc 75/54/pc 43/33/c 83/64/t
City
Cleveland Columbia, SC Columbus, OH Concord, NH Dallas Dayton Denver Des Moines Detroit Duluth El Paso Fargo Flagstaff Grand Rapids Great Falls Hartford Helena Honolulu Houston Indianapolis Jackson, MS
79/53/t 92/69/pc 85/53/c 71/50/s 89/64/pc 73/55/c 51/30/pc 72/52/pc 68/52/sh 50/43/r 93/63/s 52/46/r 46/35/sn 76/50/sh 64/39/c 76/46/pc 62/41/r 88/73/pc 90/80/pc 76/54/c 91/73/pc
80/55/t 92/70/s 82/58/t 71/55/pc 89/75/pc 82/59/pc 47/37/sh 72/59/c 78/53/t 60/42/pc 86/61/s 63/46/pc 45/24/sn 73/50/pc 65/39/c 69/58/t 61/40/sh 89/74/pc 89/75/pc 80/62/pc 91/68/s
City
Jacksonville Kansas City Key West Las Vegas Little Rock Los Angeles Louisville Memphis Miami Midland, TX Milwaukee Minneapolis Nashville New Orleans New York Norfolk Oklahoma City Omaha Orlando Philadelphia Phoenix
First Second
6:23 a.m. (18.1) 7:42 p.m. (16.5)
12:52 a.m. (4.1) 1:23 p.m. (-0.2)
First Second
5:42 a.m. (16.9) 7:01 p.m. (15.3)
12:19 p.m. (-0.2) --- (---)
First Second
4:20 a.m. (10.0) 5:55 p.m. (8.0)
11:17 a.m. (-0.5) 11:13 p.m. (3.7)
First Second
10:37 a.m. (27.3) 11:37 p.m. (27.3)
5:06 a.m. (5.9) 5:43 p.m. (0.2)
Deep Creek
Seward
Anchorage
Almanac Readings ending 4 p.m. yesterday
Temperature
From Kenai Municipal Airport
CLARION E N I N S U L A
Kenai Peninsula’s award-winning publication (USPS 438-410)
The Peninsula Clarion is a locally operated member of Sound Publishing Inc., published Sunday through Friday. 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 Copyright 2019 Peninsula Clarion
Who to call at the Peninsula clarion News tip? Question? Main number ........................................... 283-7551 Fax .......................................................... 283-3299 News email.................. news@peninsulaclarion.com
General news
Erin Thompson Editor ....................... ethompson@peninsulaclarion.com Jeff Helminiak Sports & Features Editor .........................jhelminiak@peninsulaclarion.com Victoria Petersen Education .................. vpetersen@peninsulaclarion.com Joey Klecka Sports/Features ............. jklecka@peninsulaclarion.com Brian Mazurek Public Safety...............bmazurek@peninsulaclarion.com Kat Sorensen Fisheries & City .......... ksorensen@peninsulaclarion.com Tim Millings Pagination ....................tmillings@peninsulaclarion.com
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Publisher ...................................................... Jeff Hayden Production Manager ............................ Frank Goldthwaite
Precipitation
From the Peninsula Clarion in Kenai
24 hours ending 4 p.m. yest. . 0.00" Month to date .......................... 0.47" Normal month to date ............ 0.60" Year to date ............................. 2.51" Normal year to date ................ 3.67" Record today ................ 0.69" (1995) Record for May ............ 2.77" (1966) Record for year ........... 27.09" (1963)
Juneau 56/43
(For the 48 contiguous states)
Kodiak 54/42
101 at Presidio, Texas 16 at Bridgeport, Calif.
High yesterday Low yesterday
Yesterday Today Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W
92/73/pc 73/54/pc 91/81/s 67/57/pc 89/60/pc 68/56/t 84/67/c 89/69/pc 89/76/s 93/51/s 82/47/sh 63/47/r 92/72/pc 90/79/s 74/54/s 72/59/s 84/54/c 70/52/pc 91/70/s 75/54/pc 77/60/pc
88/64/s 74/66/c 87/79/s 69/57/pc 89/67/s 65/54/sh 88/71/t 90/70/s 89/77/pc 90/69/pc 72/49/pc 65/50/pc 92/68/s 90/74/s 74/63/c 88/73/pc 84/69/c 70/62/c 90/68/s 80/66/c 78/61/pc
Sitka 48/45
State Extremes
Ketchikan 57/48
79 at Eagle 28 at Barrow
Today’s Forecast
City
Pittsburgh Portland, ME Portland, OR Rapid City Reno Sacramento Salt Lake City San Antonio San Diego San Francisco Santa Fe Seattle Sioux Falls, SD Spokane Syracuse Tampa Topeka Tucson Tulsa Wash., DC Wichita
Yesterday Today Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W
80/47/c 68/49/pc 74/51/sh 49/32/sn 60/40/sh 77/49/pc 55/43/sh 91/73/pc 65/58/sh 67/52/pc 73/33/pc 74/51/pc 58/46/sh 70/51/c 71/41/pc 94/76/s 75/52/s 79/59/s 86/58/t 72/57/pc 75/44/pc
80/57/t 63/51/pc 79/52/s 54/39/c 66/46/sh 77/55/pc 56/48/t 90/73/pc 66/57/sh 69/54/pc 69/35/pc 77/53/s 65/54/c 75/52/pc 76/53/t 94/72/s 74/68/t 77/53/s 87/71/c 87/71/t 78/68/t
City
Yesterday Today Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W
Acapulco Athens Auckland Baghdad Berlin Hong Kong Jerusalem Johannesburg London Madrid Magadan Mexico City Montreal Moscow Paris Rome Seoul Singapore Sydney Tokyo Vancouver
90/76/pc 77/61/pc 59/51/pc 102/69/s 59/55/r 85/77/t 91/62/s 70/47/s 73/51/s 84/50/pc 46/38/r 88/59/s 66/45/pc 78/57/pc 72/46/pc 67/55/pc 79/54/s 89/79/pc 75/59/s 74/61/pc 68/50/pc
85/76/t 81/62/s 65/50/pc 105/77/s 68/50/pc 86/78/t 97/73/s 74/50/s 73/51/pc 85/59/pc 41/36/r 82/57/t 67/54/sh 74/49/r 72/56/t 69/53/pc 82/57/s 89/77/t 73/57/s 77/63/s 68/54/s
A surge of warmth will help to fuel severe weather, including isolated tornadoes, across New York state and the mid-Atlantic today. Severe weather will also ignite from the Texas Panhandle to eastern Nebraska.
Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation
Cold -10s
Warm -0s
0s
Stationary 10s
20s
. . . KPC Continued from page A1
fund a place rich with education for these students so they don’t have to leave,” Siemers said. “They can get a quality education that I would say exceeds other locations.” The Kenai Peninsula Borough and the city of Valdez are the only municipalities that provide funding for their college campuses. Borough contributions have helped fund programs like an adult GED program and Jump Start, a tuition waiver program for high school students. During the public testimony, several employees, former students and community members also spoke in support of college funding. Julie Cottrell has been attending Kenai Peninsula College since she was a student at Homer High School in the 1990s. After high school graduation, Cottrell said she was encouraged to attend college out of state. After one semester at the University of Montana Missoula, Cottrell came home. “I hated it,” Cottrell said. “I felt like I had failed and had lost my chance at a successful future. I knew I wanted to get a college degree, so I started taking classes at Kachemak Bay Campus down in Homer. That campus gave me the opportunity to pursue a degree in higher education, even though a traditional school did not work for me. I eventually completed my bachelor’s and master’s degrees through the University of Alaska.” Cottrell said she would not be where she is today without Kenai Peninsula College. Before voting, assembly member Paul Fischer said he was disapointed
Showers T-storms 30s
40s
50s
Rain
60s
Flurries
70s
80s
Snow
Ice
90s 100s 110s
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2019
Weather(W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.
P
High .............................................. 63 Low ............................................... 34 Normal high ................................. 58 Normal low ................................... 38 Record high ...................... 69 (2006) Record low ........................ 27 (1985)
Valdez 52/41
High yesterday Low yesterday
World Cities Yesterday Today Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W
2:43 a.m. (4.0) 3:14 p.m. (-0.3)
National Extremes
National Cities Yesterday Today Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W
7:36 a.m. (18.8) 8:55 p.m. (17.2)
Glennallen 47/38
Cold Bay 52/42
Unalaska 49/43
Low(ft.)
First Second
Seward Homer 49/41 54/43
Kenai/ Soldotna Homer
Dillingham 54/38
High(ft.)
Kenai City Dock
Kenai/ Soldotna 58/41
Fairbanks 70/50
Talkeetna 60/43
Bethel 58/42
Today Hi/Lo/W 45/34/pc 63/45/pc 58/48/sh 49/34/c 70/49/pc 68/45/c 61/43/pc 52/44/pc 39/32/c 42/36/c 49/41/sh 48/45/pc 57/47/r 60/43/pc 70/48/sh 67/46/c 50/41/sh 52/41/sh 61/42/pc 47/38/sh 61/43/sh 50/43/sh
Prudhoe Bay 39/32
Anaktuvuk Pass 61/40
Nome 49/34
* Indicates estimated temperatures for yesterday Today Hi/Lo/W 48/37/c 57/45/pc 34/31/c 58/42/sh 52/42/c 51/40/sh 65/47/pc 58/41/pc 54/38/sh 49/44/c 70/50/pc 79/53/t 47/38/sh 58/38/c 60/47/sh 54/43/sh 56/43/sh 57/48/sh 58/33/c 55/38/sh 54/44/pc 54/42/pc
Tides Today
Seldovia
A morning shower; otherwise, cloudy
Sun and Moon
The patented AccuWeather.com RealFeel Temperature® is an exclusive index of the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body.
City Adak* Anchorage Barrow Bethel Cold Bay Cordova Delta Junction Denali N. P. Dillingham Dutch Harbor Fairbanks Fort Yukon Glennallen* Gulkana Haines Homer Juneau Ketchikan Kiana King Salmon Klawock Kodiak
Sunday
Utqiagvik 34/31
that more students didn’t come to speak in support of Kenai Peninsula College. “I was disappointed we had mostly employees here tonight, and not students,” Fischer said. “That weighed my vote a little bit.” The amendment to increase funding to meet the 1/10th mill rate is included in the FY 2020, which will have another public hearing and be voted on at the June 4 meeting. The public will have an opportunity to comment during the meeting.
In brief Dead gray whale is Alaska’s 3rd this year ANCHORAGE — A third gray whale has been found dead in Alaska. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says a gray whale was spotted Tuesday on Kodiak Island. Carcasses also were found this spring near Cordova and south of Anchorage. NOAA in release says the dead whale on Kodiak was along a rocky shore below a steep cliff and inaccessible for a necropsy. The agency says it’s not unusual to have two or three gray whale strandings by late May in Alaska. However, they’re part of an unusually high number of gray whale deaths along the West Coast. At least 60 dead gray whales have been found dead from Mexico to Alaska. — Associated Press
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Peninsula Clarion | Thursday, May 23, 2019 | A3
Dr. Ray Hippchen
Around the Peninsula
May 16, 2019
Dr. Ray Hippchen passed away on May 16, 2019, in Soldotna, Alaska. Dr. Hippchen was born and raised in Buffalo, New York. He attended the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he received degrees in Pharmacy in 1957 and Medicine in 1961. He worked as a licensed pharmacist while attending medical school. Following graduation, Dr. Hippchen was engaged in the practice of Pediatrics for 40 years. In 1959 he married the love of his life, Olga Cid, who predeceased him in 2006 after 47 years of marriage. They were blessed with three children, Susan Naveiras (Manuel), John Hippchen (Tamara) and David Hippchen (Kanjana). Ray also leaves behind 8 grandchildren: Nicholas and Matthew Naveiras; Erik, Alyssa and Heather Hippchen; and Tyler, Olga and Alaska Hippchen.
Alaska Anchorage votes to adopt climate plan ANCHORAGE — The Anchorage Assembly has adopted a climate action plan setting goals for the Alaska city. Alaska Public Media reported Wednesday that the city officials voted Tuesday to adopt the 100-page document outlining aims such as reducing carbon emissions by 80% within 30 years. The measure passed 8-2 with both Eagle River assembly members opposed. The action plan is primarily a set of non-binding proposals to guide municipal entities toward more environmentally friendly policies. All 22 members of the public who testified at the meeting favored the measure. Many spoke about the evidence of climate change observed in their lives such as warmer winters, worsening tree pollen, invasive insect species and heightened wildfire conditions. Others speakers focused on technical elements of the plan including greener transit infrastructure and renewable energy options.
Alaska university power plant tests draw neighbor complaints FAIRBANKS — Tests of a new power plant at the University of Alaska Fairbanks caused increased noise that brought complaints from neighbors. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported Tuesday that the weekend testing in the newly constructed plant was louder and longer than expected. A university official says the plant ran a boiler at nearly full power to test a turbine, which produced additional steam that required venting. The university did not anticipate the level of noise that came from the plant or that testing would last several hours. The official says the university received phone calls from members of the surrounding community, while a May 20 letter to the editor in the newspaper said the venting disrupted a regional high school track and field championship.
Fairbanks man sentenced to 45 years for home invasion murder FAIRBANKS — A 42-year-old Fairbanks man convicted of murder in a December 2015 home invasion has been sentenced to 45 years in prison. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports Steven John Hartman was convicted of killing 57-year-old Ron McKnight at McKnight’s home. A man who participated in the robbery, 21-year-old Noah Griffith, was sentenced Monday to five years in prison. Hartman pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for killing McKnight. Hartman also pleaded guilty to conspiring to kill Griffith. Prosecutors say he put out a death contract on the younger man when he learned Griffith would testify against him. In the home invasion, investigators concluded that Hartman fired three bullets into McKnight’s head and recruited Griffith to help rob McKnight of money, drugs and guns. Griffith pleaded guilty to robbery, burglary and theft. —Associated Press
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Domestic Violence On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. During one year, this equates to more than 10 million women and men. Contact The LeeShore Center Crisis Line at 283-7257 if you need help. The LeeShore Center is proud to be a United Way agency
Dutch Oven Gathering
the Super Saturated Sugar Strings, Noah Proctor and Kelly Baber from Soldotna, Susan Mumma and Daryl and the Scribs from Seldovia. Happening at the same time is the 5th annual Higgy’s En Plein Air Art Festival with Emil Vinberg and Jen Jolliff as Headliners. Both events have free workshops along with musical busking, a song circle with the performers and other activities to make this a truly memorable weekend! Tickets are $40 for an all festival Adult pass, Teens $16., under 12 free. More info on Facebook- Seldovia Summer Solstice Music Festival or the seldoviaartscouncil. net.
The Last Frontier Dutch Oven Society is hosting an event on Thursday, May 30, for anyone with an interest in Dutch oven cooking and wants to enjoy a meal prepared by participants. The site is the Nels and Carla Anderson home, 303 Diane Lane, Soldotna. If you are new to this cooking style, feel rusty and need instruction, or want to prepare a dish onsite, come at 5:30 p.m. Otherwise, bring a prepared Dutch oven dish or any side dish of your choosing and arrive at 2nd Annual Disability Pride 6:30 p.m. No supplies needed. Children are welcome. Call The Kenai Peninsula will celebrate its 2nd Annual Pride 953-8421 for more information. Celebration on Saturday, July 20 at the Soldotna Creek Park from 12-4 p.m. This is a national event, which celebrates the Memorial Day Events signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Disability The American Legion Post 20, VFW 10046 and Am- Pride is seeking sponsors for this event and extends a warm vets Post 4 will host the following Memorial Day events on invitation to you and your business to participate. We hope Monday, May 27: 10:30 a.m. Avenue of Flags Kenai Cem- to hear back from you by June 3. Contact Maggie Winston etery; 12 p.m. Leif Hansen Park Memorial Ceremony, guest at 907-740-0410 or Nikki Marcano at 907-262-6351. Donaspeaker World War II veteran Bob Harrison and Senator Dan tions can be mailed to Independent Living Center at 47255 Sullivan; 2 p.m. Soldotna Cemetery Memorial Ceremony. Princeton Ave., #8, Soldotna, AK, 99669.
Book to Action Climate Series
Free Picnic at the Food Bank
In partnership with the Soldotna Library and KenaiChange, Cook Inletkeeper is excited to host the third event in a Book to Action Climate Series on Thursday, May 23 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Soldotna Public Library. This series uses the bestselling book “Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming” to focus on climate action and local solutions. May’s topic is transportation and will include a panel discussion focused on public transit on the Kenai. Refreshments will be provided. The series is held the fourth Thursday of each month. Future topics will include Food and Agriculture, Built Environment, and Community Action. For more information contact laura@inletkeeper.org.
Join us for the Kenai Peninsula Food Bank Spring Festival and Fundraiser on Friday, May 31 from noon to 7 p.m. This is a community event for all ages and an opportunity for us to thank you, our neighbors, for your support. There will be a free barbecue/picnic, games, music, cake walks and bucket raffles. There will be prizes for the kids and even a clown making balloon animals. A no host beer/wine garden will be from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and if you donate a food item you will be entered the drawing for a special prize.
Soldotna Senior Center Luau Fundraiser
Soldotna Senior Center will be hosting their annual Hawaiian Luau fundraiser on Saturday, June 15, starting at 5:30 p.m. This event is open to the public. Enjoy a fun filled evening starting with a wonderful Hawaiian feast, continuing with fabulous hula dancing demonstrations by the Pua Mae Ole hula dancing troupe, and wrapping up with our outcry auction. There will be many silent auction items available for bidding, as well as door prizes given throughout the night. Tickets are $26 for adults and $13 for children under 12. For tickets and reservations, please call 262-2322.
Flotilla events notice
The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, Kenai Flotilla, will be conducting a “FREE BOAT/VESSEL SAFETY CHECK” at Fred Myers parking lot located at 43843 Sterling Highway in Soldotna on Friday, May 24 and Saturday, May 25 from 10 a.m.-4 pm. This event is to inform boaters and boat owners to check and equip their boats with safety equipment in compliance with the state and federal regulations. Boats that pass the check list will receive a vessel safety check decal. Contact the Vessel Exam Officer, Jon Bartelds 907-398-9933 for more information.
Sterling Senior Center breakfast
The Sterling Senior Center is serving breakfast on Saturday, May 25 from 9 a.m. to noon. Menu includes bacon, sausage, pancakes, scrambled eggs, and biscuits and gravy. Adults $10, children $5. All proceeds benefit the center. Everyone welcome. Further info, call 262-6808.
2019 TriTheKenai Triathlon
The 2019 TriTheKenai triathlon is set for Sunday, June 9. This event is a great beginner triathlon for adults (15+) and youth (6-14) and includes both individual and team events and for the serious-minded triathlete. We offer the more challenging intermediate distance event. The nonprofit TriTheKenai is a great family fun community event and this year our charity of choice is the Soldotna Montessori Food Box program. If you are not a racer, we are always in need of volunteers on race day. Contact Janice at volunteer@ trithekenai.com. Get all the event details or register at www. trithekenai.com or email me at wahoo@trithekenai.com or call 252-0558.
Fishing Vessel Drill Conductor class
The Alaska Marine Safety Education Association (AMSEA) will offer a Fishing Vessel Drill Conductor class in Homer on May 25 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The class will be conducted at the Best Western Bidarka Inn, 575 Sterling Highway. This class is free to commercial fishermen, thanks to support from the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community & Economic Development, the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health, and AMSEA members. The cost is $175 for all others. Interested mariners may register at www.amsea.org or call 907-747-3287.
Kenai Performers’ summer drama camp Junior session, ages 5-7, June 17-June 28, MondayFriday, 10 a.m.-noon. Fee: $250. Senior session, ages 8-18, June 17-July 13, Monday-Friday, 12:30-4 p.m. Fee: $450. Location: 43335 K-Beach Road (backside of Subway). Early enrollment discount if fee is paid by June 1. For more information or to register, call Terri at 252-6808.
Nikiski community council meeting
Mouth to Mouth Wild Run and Ride
Novice rally obedience class
Tribe to participate in Summer Food Service Program
Registration now open for 2019 Mouth to Mouth Wild Nikiski community council meeting rescheduled Thurs- Run and Ride. The 6th annual Mouth to Mouth will take day, May 23 at 7 p.m. at fire station #2 in the conference place on Memorial Day, Monday, May 27. A 10-mile beach room. Voting on bylaws. run or fat bike ride between Kasilof and Kenai River mouths begins at 2 p.m. at Kasilof River Special Use Area off Midnight Sun Soiree Kasilof Beach Stub Road and ends at Kenai South Beach The LeeShore Center invites you to join us at the Ke- parking lot off Cannery Rd. Registration at 12 p.m. 3 mile nai Elks Lodge Saturday June, 8 6-11 p.m. for the Midnight beach run from Cannery Road Beach to Kenai River mouth Sun Soiree with Prime Rib Dinner, Silent Auction, Split the and back begins at 3 p.m. at Cannery Road beach access Pot, Raffle, Door Prizes, Live Music and Dancing. Tickets off Dunes Road. Registration at 2 p.m. Register online at are $60 per person or $110 per couple and available at The https://inletkeeper.org/m2m/. Advance registration $30 ($25 LeeShore Center or online at www.leeshoreak.org. roceeds for Cook Inletkeeper members), day of registration $40 ($35 to help fund construction of a heated storage building. For for members). more information contact the LeeShore Center at 283-9479. Peninsula Dog Obedience Group will be offering a novThe Kenaitze Indian Tribe is participating in the U.S. ice rally obedience class and a conformation class starting Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Proon May 29. For more information, contact us at rael@ptialgram. Meals will be provided free of charge to all eligible aska.net or visit our facebook page (PenDOG). children participating in the Tribe’s summer programs. To KDLL Spring Membership Drive be eligible to receive free meals at a residential or non-resKDLL Public Radio has its Spring Membership Drive idential camp, children must meet the income guidelines from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 23 and 24 and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for reduced-price meals in the National School Lunch May 25, with special, original programming, live music and Program. Children who are part of households that receive a raffle for concert tickets. Tune in at 91.9 FM or listen on- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, or line at www.kdll.org. Call 283-8433 for more information or benefits under the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, or Temporary Assistance to Needy Families visit KDLL 91.9 FM on Facebook. are automatically eligible. Acceptance and participation 2019 Celebration of Birds requirements are the same for all regardless of race, color, The Keen Eye Bird Club is hosting Saturday bird walk national origin, sex, age or disability. For more informaopportunities led by local bird enthusiasts. Schedule fol- tion, please contact Teresa Smith, Kenaitze Indian Tribe lows: May 25 Kenai Wildlife Refuge Walk, 8-10 a.m.; June Early Childhood Manager, at 907-335-7260. 1 Bishop Creek/Stormy Lake Walk 8-10 a.m. Families en- Kenai Watershed Summer Camp couraged. Weather appropriate clothing is suggested. For Come join the Kenai Watershed Forum for a session of more information refer to the Kenai Peninsula Birding Fes“Wilderness, Wildlife & Wonder” summer camp. There tival Facebook Page or call 262-7767. will be several locally focused, science and environmentalTrump immigration policies and Alaska themed sessions for kids aged 6-12. Nurture your child’s Margaret Stock, immigration expert/attorney, will talk sense of curiosity and uncover the wonders of the natural about changes in immigration law and policy that have been world through active play, exploration, games and art. All implemented since President Donald Trump took office, sessions will involve fostering a connection to nature through and how these changes affect Alaskans on Thursday, May a hands-on, immersion in the outdoors, allowing them to see, 23 from 6-8 p.m. at the Christ Lutheran Church in Soldotna. feel, smell and directly experience flora and fauna of the KeChanges include the slowing of legal immigration, increas- nai Peninsula watershed for themselves. Megan Pike is our es in denials of visa petitions and citizenship applications, new camp director. She comes to the peninsula from Maine reduced refugee numbers, and the growth in detention of with a background in adapted outdoor education and recreasylum seekers. Hosted by Many Voices. https://www.face- ation. Join Meg and get your kids in touch with their wild side! Registration is open online at www.kenaiwatershed. book.com/events/325949158103118/ org.
LeeShore Center monthly board meeting
Al-Anon support group meetings
The LeeShore Center will be holding its monthly Board Al-Anon support group meetings are held at the Central meeting at The LeeShore Center on Wednesday May 29. The meeting is open to the public and begins at 6 p.m. For Peninsula Hospital in the Kasilof Room (second floor) of the River Tower building on Monday at 7 p.m., Wednesday at 7 further information call 283-9479. and Saturday at 9 a.m. Park around back by the ER and Seldovia Summer Solstice Music Festival p.m. enter through the River Tower entrance and follow the signs. Into its 20th year, the Seldovia Summer Solstice Music Contact Tony Oliver at 252-0558 for more information. Festival is happening June 20-23 in Seldovia and is building 2019 Women On Target Clinic schedule to be an event to remember. The headliners are the Sahnas Go to our events and sign up on Eventbrite “get tickets” Brothers and Suzanne Lansford who play a blend of Greek, Latin, and Flaminco guitar music with the added flair of and review the instructions on Facebook-Kenai Peninsula Suzanne Lansford’s excellent fiddle accompaniment. The Women on Target. You must be 18 years of age. June 8: Intro second headliner is Tumbledown House Band, which per- to pistol; June 29: Intro to pistol; August 2: Intro to Rifle. formed at Salmonfest 2018. Also appearing from Alaska is Sponsored by Friends of the NRA, Kenai Peninsula SCI and the Emily Anderson Band from Fairbanks, Kat Moore from Snowshoe Gun Club.
Opinion
A4 | Thursday, May 23, 2019 | Peninsula Clarion
CLARION P
E N I N S U L A
Serving the Kenai Peninsula since 1970 Jeff Hayden Publisher ERIN THOMPSON......................................................... Editor RANDI KEATON....................................... Circulation Director FRANK GOLDTHWAITE......................... Production Manager
What others say
A call for adequate public funding, not philanthropy Around the turn of the last century,
the steel magnate Andrew Carnegie paid to build 1,689 libraries across the United States. Many are still in use, celebrated as monumental works of philanthropy. They should be seen as monuments to the failure of public policy. The United States could have built a lot more libraries by taxing the incomes of Carnegie and his fellow Gilded Age plutocrats, but, at the turn of the last century, there was no federal income tax. Now history is repeating itself. A new generation of plutocrats has amassed great fortunes, in part because the federal government has minimized the burden of taxation. Americans once again are reduced to applauding acts of philanthropy necessitated by failures of policy. Robert Smith, a wealthy financier, announced on Sunday during graduation ceremonies at Morehouse College that he would repay the student loans taken by the 396 men in this year’s graduating class. The promise, which may cost Mr. Smith up to $40 million, was an act of generosity gratefully received by the new graduates of the historically black, all-male Atlanta college. But their gratitude underscores the reality that hundreds of thousands of other members of the class of 2019 will be carrying unrelieved burdens of debt as they begin their adult lives. On average, recipients of bachelor’s degrees in 2016 left school owing about $30,301, according to the most recent federal data. Parents on average incurred another $33,291 in debt. The substitution of philanthropy for public policy is most glaring in the realm of health care, where it has become appallingly common for Americans to beg friends and strangers for the money necessary to pay for treatment. The fundraising website GoFundMe estimates that it hosts about 250,000 fund-raisers for medical expenses each year. Over the past nine years, the site has processed about $5 billion in donations — about a third of which went toward medical expenses. The site’s chief executive has said that GoFundMe wasn’t developed as a substitute for health insurance, and he regrets the necessity. “We shouldn’t be the solution to a complex set of systemic problems,” he said. “They should be solved by the government working properly.” The same dynamic is at work in higher education. Since 2001, a handful of elite institutions led by Princeton University have committed to tap their endowments to provide funding for students to graduate without loans. Last year, Michael Bloomberg pledged $1.8 billion to Johns Hopkins to reduce the reliance of Hopkins students on borrowed money. But most American colleges, including Morehouse, lack the resources to make such a commitment. This is not merely a problem for students and their families. Economic growth requires an educated work force. Americans who entered their working primes in the 1990s were far more likely to have college degrees than their peers in other developed nations. Now the United States has fallen behind much of the developed world — and one reason is that the average cost of obtaining a college degree is among the highest for any developed nation. The sea change at American public colleges and universities is particularly striking. Over the last quarter century, average tuition rose by 85 percent, adjusting for inflation, while average state spending measured on a per-student basis declined by roughly 5 percent. A number of the Democratic candidates for president have proposed large increases in federal funding for higher education to offset the rise of tuition costs and the decline of state funding. The problem facing policymakers is not merely a lack of will, but also a lack of money. The federal government collected 16.5 percent of the nation’s economic output last year — well below the 17.4 percent average federal share over the last half century. The primary reason for the shortfall, of course, is the steady reduction of income taxation. No one has
All hands, all lands solutions needed campgrounds in Denali State Park and the Lake Nancy Recreation Area were closed over concerns that fire-prone and falling trees posed a safety hazard for recreationists. Homeowners can get ahead of the beetle by making sure their spruce trees are healthy. Special pesticides and beetle pheromone traps can help keep the beetles at bay. But, but once a tree is infested, it is gone. After infestation, the only option is to remove the dead tree, which can be costly, technically challenging, and time consuming, especially when working across multiple jurisdictions and landscapes. As we learned 15 years ago, an “all hands, all lands” approach is needed to deal with large volumes of tree mortality. The Kenai Borough pioneered a number of programs that proved effective for weathering the previous beetle outbreak. For example, by pooling federal, state, tribal, and local resources, the Borough mapped the location of spruce mortality, identified areas at high-risk for wildfire, and subsidized a portion of the cost of tree removal for private landowners. To prevent hazard trees from falling onto highways — which are also critical evacuation routes during wildfires — the Borough and its partners cleared one-hundred foot corridors along 235 miles of road rights of way. A similar effort was completed for electrical transmission lines on the Peninsula. Additionally, wildfire hand crews were hired off-season on the Kenai to get a jumpstart on felling dead trees. Over 20 salvage timber sales were issued along with initiatives to replant over half a million acres. Impressive fuel breaks were built near communities to buffer against the spread of wildfires, some of which were
later attributed to saving Soldotna from being overrun by the 193,000-acre Funny River Fire in 2014. We know that similar proactive efforts are needed again. Thankfully, MatSu Borough officials have established the Mat-Su Spruce Beetle Task Force, which is working to ensure communities are made defensible against this heightened wildfire risk. A host of projects are being explored to help accelerate hazard tree removal, including contracting with more timber companies to cut down infested trees and the implementation of special firewood collection programs. I believe the federal government also has an important role to play. Last week, I chaired a hearing of the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee to review the U.S. Forest Service’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2020. I raised this matter with the Chief of the Forest Service, Vicki Christiansen, and pushed back on proposed cuts to the agency’s Western Bark Beetle Initiative, which assists with insect monitoring across the nation. Chief Christiansen agreed that the beetle outbreak is serious and informed me that her agency will be transferring $2 million in carryover funds to the Alaska Division of Forestry for spruce beetle mitigation. The funding will cover some of the initial tree removal and wildfire prevention projects needed in the Mat-Su, on the Kenai, and in state parks. The spruce beetle outbreak is certain to worsen this year, but looking at the lessons learned on the Kenai, we have a roadmap for leveraging stakeholder resources and defending our communities and property from this latest invasion.
Recently, I heard a story. A story about a 17-year-old girl who tried to make the wise reproductive choice to seek contraception and prevent unwanted pregnancy. She was turned away from that choice by abortion protesters at Planned Parenthood. Now reading that, you may assume this letter is about how that made me feel, that it’s about how Planned Parenthood changed — and very likely saved — my life once, but it’s not. This issue is not about my feelings — or yours. It’s not about religion, politics, or even your stance on abortion. It’s about facts, like the fact that this year alone — which is less than half over — our local Planned Parenthood has helped 350 women prevent abortion by seeking safe contraceptive options. That they’ve screened 250 locals for life-threatening
cancers, preserving life in our community. That they’ve prevented the outbreak of disease in that community by treating people for sexually transmitted diseases all while educating those same local people how to stay healthy, keeping our community healthy. That they’ve fostered trust and support in our community for the transgender movement, so that everyone can feel a part of our community, and that they’ve helped 50 women get proper prenatal care to ensure they have healthy babies — by choice, on their terms. It’s about the fact that our Planned Parenthood did all these things without performing a single surgical abortion — because our Planned Parenthood doesn’t offer that service. Our Planned Parenthood is an integral part of our community that has endured years of protest in the interest of preventing a service that it does not even offer. I ask that our community act like one. A community supports its people
by setting aside their personal feelings and looking at the facts, looking at what’s best for the community. You can pray to end abortion — just do it from your churches, your homes, and your hearts — not from the steps of Planned Parenthood. Should that request fail, and the protests continue, I want the men and women of our community to know that there are those among us that still stand with Planned Parenthood — and you — that are willing to walk with you into the building if you’re uncomfortable or feel threatened by the barrage of judgment and pamphlets. Just call 1-800-769-0045 and ask for a volunteer escort. I have no association with Planned Parenthood beyond being a volunteer. I do appreciate them providing the data for this letter on request, though.
benefited more from that trend than financiers like Morehouse College’s 2019 graduation speaker. Mr. Smith co-founded the private equity firm Vista Equity Partners, which invests in software companies, and he has amassed his fortune thanks in part to a provision of federal tax law known as the “carried interest loophole” — a provision he has publicly supported. Private equity firms skim a percentage of the returns from the investments they manage. That
money is their compensation, but instead of being taxed as earned income, at a rate of up to 37 percent, it is taxed as investment income, at a rate of no more than 20 percent. The loophole is projected to cost the government about $15.6 billion in lost revenue between 2016 and 2025. President Trump promised to close it during the 2016 campaign, and he promised to close it as part of his 2017 tax bill. But he did not keep that promise. Instead, the White
House and congressional Republicans honored the wishes of the finance industry. Closing that loophole would be a much better graduation present for the class of 2019. An affordable college education should not require an act of largess. It should not require our applause. It merely requires adequate public investment, funded by equitable taxation.
A laska V oices S en . L isa M urkowski Southcentral Alaska is experiencing a spruce bark beetle outbreak, the likes of which we have not seen since the late 1990s. Over the past two summers, the U.S. Forest Service documented 910,000 acres of spruce beetle infestation in the Susitna River Valley and on the Kenai Peninsula. The number of acres affected will most certainly increase after the next round of monitoring flyovers scheduled for this summer. The spruce beetle is a winged, quarter-inch size insect that is native to Alaska and normally plays a natural regenerative role in our forests feeding and breeding on wind-blown, fallen or injured trees. But warmer winters have created the right conditions for a population boom, causing the beetles to attack nearby living mature trees making them more vulnerable to fire. Alaskans have done battle with the spruce beetle before. The previous outbreak occurred mostly on the landscape of the Kenai Peninsula and peaked in 1999 before tapering off by 2004. When it was over, more than three million acres were ravaged. The beetle left behind stretches of brown-needled trees along the Glenn Highway and south to Cooper Landing and Kenai. This time, the beetle’s rate of spread appears to be outpacing the last outbreak, with the Mat-Su Valley hit particularly hard. You can spot beetle kill in neighborhood yards, along power lines and major roads. Last month, popular
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski is chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Letter to the Editor Stand with Planned Parenthood, help our community stay healthy
— Amanda Cunningham, Soldotna
— The New York Times, May 20
Peninsula Clarion | Thursday, May 23, 2019 | A5
Class of 2019
. . . KCHS
Class of 2019 • Kenai Central High Shcool HONORS KEY
Continued from page A1
school and beyond. “We have to be greater than what we suffer,” Strait said. “The rocks on our path could be pebbles, like scrambling to finish homework before the bell rings … Or they could be boulders, like health issues or losing a job. The important thing to remember is that we have to work past them, every day, in order to get to the rest of the path.” Before the ceremony began, several students spoke about their high school experiences and what they plan to do as they enter college or the professional world. Maddie Galloway has plans to fly to Europe for a few months and get a little bit of world traveling done before returning to Alaska. After that, Galloway said she will likely attend University of Alaska Anchorage on a scholarship and hopes to one day open her own restaurant. Mickinzie Ticknor also plans to attend University of Alaska, but Ticknor is more interested in being a nurse than running a restaurant. Ticknor spent a semester studying nursing at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland last summer, and she said that after that experience she has every intention of staying in Alaska. “Other places are too hot,” Ticknor said. “I went to Maryland and almost had a heatstroke.” When asked what she’ll miss the most about high
H Honor Graduate * National Honor Society
Valedictorian Vitalia Strait gives a speech during the Kenai Central High School 2019 graduation in Kenai on Tuesday. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)
school, Ticknor answered candidly: “The security of not failing at adulthood.” Not all the students will be sticking around the state to further their education. Valedictorian Kyaran Matturro will be heading to Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, to pursue a degree in engineering, although she hasn’t quite decided what field of engineering she’ll be entering. Matturro said that she will miss her friends and being outdoors in Alaska, but where she’s headed there will be plenty of Colorado wilderness to appreciate. Andrew Carver plans on heading to Yakima, Washington, to attend Perry Technical Institute and begin his career path as an electrician. Carver may return to the peninsula after that, but said that he’ll go “anywhere
that wants me.” When asked what he’ll miss most about high school, Carver’s response was simple: “Everything.” Delbrian Parfitt will be headed to Kenai Peninsula College in the fall to complete his general education requirements, and from there he will either pursue further education in music or creative writing. Parfitt plays the alto sax and has already started writing a novel, and gave a shoutout to his band director Deborah Sounart and 11th grade language arts teacher Meredith McCullough for helping him find his passions in life. “They’re the reasons for the path I’ve chosen,” Parfitt said. All told, 108 students graduated from Kenai Central on Tuesday night, including six foreign exchange students and nine Honor Graduates.
Class of 2019 • River City Academy Amelia Ellis Johnson Edmund Ellis Johnson Tyler Leo Kincaid Maria Solstice Maes Carter K Mahan Kaylin Savannah Morrell Timothy Kenneth Justice Opheim
. . . City Continued from page A1
with teachers and mentors is much greater than the typical high school experience, and that is one of the biggest advantages that graduates said attracted them to the school to begin with. “There’s just such a sense of community and a personalized way to learn,” said salutatorian Kylin Welch. Welch joined valedictorian Steven Hunter Smith as leaders of the class of 2019, sporting the top two highest grade point averages among their peers. Smith was revealed during the ceremony to be a UA Scholar recipient. The UA Scholars program is a $12,000 scholarship from the University of Alaska school system that is awarded to students in the top 10% of their class. Smith acknowledged that the low student numbers of River City Academy helped shape him to be the person he is, explaining the extra personal attention he got from teachers at the school propelled him to higher learning and the relationships he forged over the years with his fellow peers. “We all pretty much grew up together since seventh grade,” Smith said. “For the most part, we’ve stayed together.” Smith isn’t the first of his family to represent his school as valedictorian — older sister Kaylee Smith beat him to the punch — and plans to study mechanical engineering at
Athalia Beth Quiner Ricci Dean Sackett Steven Hunter Smith Donavan Matthew Stocks Kylin Lee Welch Keeley Sage Withrow
UAA, Smith said “I believe with hard work and dedication, anything can be achieved,” he said. Welch has combined classes at Soldotna High School and Kenai Peninsula College with his classes at River City Academy to earn his diploma, and said he plans to study for a general business degree before deciding what he really wants to do with it. Welch echoed the emotions of Smith when asked how it feels to be finished with school and ready to take on the world. “It’s pretty unbelievable,” Welch said. “I didn’t expect this day to come so fast.” The first speaker of the ceremony, guest speaker Deanne Pearson, made her presence known with an intriguing speech about the class of 2019. Pearson, a math teacher at the school, included an amusing array of mathematical methods and literary examples to explain what the class of 2019 meant to her and the community, and added several impactful quotes that she hoped would inspire the dozen students. “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world,” read one such quote. At the end of her address, Pearson yielded the podium to a number of senior class speakers, with seven of the 12 making relatively short concessions to what attending River City Academy has meant to them. “It’s really nice to go to class and be able to tell your teacher like, ‘Oh,
Damien Thomas Adami Sharmaine Joy Aguilar Peter Ian Anderson Breanna Jewell Ashley Logan Blain Baker Jillian Grace Berg Savaya Marie Bieber Francesca Nicole Bolton Alden Joseph Bookey Brian Jacob Booth Olivia Lynne Brewer Brittany Rose Burcham Jaycie Shyanne Calvert * Justinrey Poage Campos Jerrik Ross Carlstrom Andrew William Carver Livai Isac Castrellon Emma Elaine Caughran Daniel Francisco Cazares Alyxandrhea Joann Cook Alexus Rain Coray Sophie Lucile Crawford Maxim Ray Custodio Trevor James Debnam H McKenna Rae Dodd Kateryna Domanska Sarah Mykal Drury Dominik Jonas Efta H Kalob Jennings England Alexis O’Hara Erlich Devin Christopher Every Haley Anna Every Connor Josh Felchle Sarah Anne Foutty H James Val Freeman Jude Patrick Gabriel H* Maddison Galloway Francisco Gamen Munarriz Shane Christian Garrett Troy Madison Gilbert Jacob Daniel Grant Tristan Sartor Groom Joshua Galen Grosvold Reya Danielle Hale Ashley Marie Hamilton Hunter Lauren McKay Hanson * Wyatt Mathew Harvey Jacob Eli Howard Maxwell Clayton Howland Gabriella Hunt Faith Joy Ivy Jessy Catherine Jeffries *
Class of 2019 • Ninilchik School
Tala Hadro, valedictorian Garrett Koch, salutatorian
. . . Small Continued from page A1
you wouldn’t believe what I learned today’,” said Athalia Beth Quiner, one of the graduates. The greater personal attention of the smaller class size also helped graduate Donavan Stocks, who joined several of his classmates Tuesday in making an impromptu speech at the lectern. Stocks said the four years he spent at River City Academy helped connect him to the right people, who could help him figure out what he wants to do in life. “Honestly I never thought I’d get here right now,” Stocks said. “I went through a lot of rough times and worked through that last little bit of (few weeks) to finish it.” Stocks said for now, he plans to head south to the Lower 48 to find opportunities as a welder. In his brief speech he thanked the people in his life who supported him throughout his high school years. Fellow graduates Kaylin Morrell, Timothy Opheim, Keeley Withrow, Maria Maes and Smith and Welch gave equally heartfelt speeches. “Just wing it,” Stocks responded when asked how he sees his way of life. “I try to do the best to do as much as I can.” The ceremony Tuesday also paid tribute to a respected teacher, Carol Hutto, a River City science teacher who passed away in June 2017. The entrance table that held bright, silver balloons in the shape of the numbers 2019, also featured a photo and remembrance card for Hutto.
Kylie Sheree Jones Sam Kala Kaaihue Jacob Isaiah Keels River Rhiley Kitchens Clayton Shawn Koroll Brandon Tyler Kroto Kylan Jessie Lakshas Rayce Sorel Lee Thomas Victor Levy-Canedo Amelie Lichtblau Kodie Marinna Vienna Lingenfelter Brendon Kayne Little Keaton Wesley Logston James Anthony Lott Corbin James Lyon Elias Fletcher Wayne Machen-Gray Marissa Estelle Matthews Kyaran Anne Matturro H* Hayley Nicole Maw Bailey Ryan Maxson Tyrone Michael McEnerney Kaden Majorich McKibben H Travis Michael McKinley David Isaac Menadelook Nasma Miraji Sara Lee Ann Moore William Robert Morrow * Carolyn Sweeney Morton Jacob Lewis Nabholz Charnchon Nammoon Natalia Genevieve O’Toole Hannah Shaylyn Olson Delbrian Rojas Parfitt Raven Eileen Patrick * Elisabeth Jane Peterkin Naomi Audrey Pollock Leinani Melody Rapoza Damien James Redder H* Sirinda Rongsakul Maria Theresa Salzetti H* Yareth Santana Gabriela Duarosan Saravia Brooke Mehce Satathite Treava Ann Schmitter-Schrier Brianna Noelle Stanton Alexander James Stockton Zachary Isaiah Stockton Vitalia Leota Strait H* Mickinzie Nicole Ticknor Adam John Trujillo Savin Wane Van Sickle Jarett Ryan Wilson
Shell said his plans for after high school are in the midst of changing. “I’m kind of taking a summer off to think about it,” he said. Shell said he appreciated the people in Ninilchik the most throughout his time there.
Isabella Koch Jacob Shell
“I’ve made a lot of friends in this school and, you know, I’m going to be friends with some of them still,” he said. Isabella Koch plans to get right to work, and possibly take some online college classes later this fall. She appreciated the small class sizes at Ninilchik as well. “I liked how it was small and you got one-on-one contact with the teachers, and they could help you out more personally,” she said.
Garrett Koch is headed to Southwest Oregon Community College this fall where he will continue his basketball career. He plans to study business marketing analytics. The sense of community in Ninilchik is something that sticks out in Garrett’s mind. “From the minute I stepped in, my teachers really accepted me and the community really helped me out,” he said.
Remembering THOSE WHO SERVED
All of us at Peninsula Radiation Oncology Center remember and honor those who served our country. We wish you and your loved ones a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend.
Peninsula Radiation Oncology Center offers cancer patients on the Kenai Peninsula the ability to receive leading-edge radiation
therapy, without the burden of traveling far from home. If you or a loved one are facing a cancer diagnosis, we are here to help.
For more information, call 907.262.7762 or visit
PeninsulaRadiation.com. 907.262.7762 | 240 Hospital Place | Soldotna, Alaska 99669 |
A6 | Thursday, May 23, 2019 | Peninsula Clarion
Sports
Past experience doesn’t predict future results Area soccer teams take nothing for granted vs. familiar foes By JEFF HELMINIAK Peninsula Clarion
The five Kenai Peninsula teams that qualified for the Division II state soccer tournament, which will be played today through Saturday in Anchorage, have opponents ranging from Thunder Mountain and Ketchikan in Southeast to North Pole in the Interior. And, believe it or not, nearly all the local schools have faced their first-round opponents already this season. The exception? The Kenai boys, who oddly enough have not faced Grace Christian of Anchorage, the firstround opponent located closest to the peninsula. While all this familiarity tempts one to believe the first-round games are predictable, the fact that these nonconference contests
between teams that are so far apart are jammed into a short season means the regular season results may be unreliable. Take the Soldotna girls first-round contest against Palmer. The Stars beat the Moose 6-1 on May 3. “I don’t know if it was just coaching talk, but my understanding is they had a couple players that didn’t play that game because they were preparing for conference-related stuff rather than nonconference-related stuff,” Soldotna girls Jimmy Love said. Another example comes from the Kenai girls and their opponent, North Pole. The Kards topped the Patriots 2-1 on April 13. “These teams will travel down here on these big sweeps and play all these games,” Kenai girls coach
Dan Verkuilen said. “You never know how tired they are or if they have all of their players.” Homer boys coach Warren Waldorf also points out that a lot can change in four weeks of the soccer season as teams go from gyms and snow-rimmed fields in early April to playing four games a week in early May. With so many games in a short period, some games get overlooked. This won’t happen at state. “We have to show up and play our absolute best, because everybody there will be doing the same thing,” Love said. The following is a closer look at the games: No. 2 Kenai boys vs. No. 7 Grace, 7 p.m. at West See KICK, page A7
Homer’s Phinny Weston (right) and Kenai’s Travis Verkuilen battle for the ball during the championship boys soccer game of the Peninsula Conference tournament on Saturday at Homer High School in Homer. The Mariners won 1-0. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)
Area baseball teams need to play better than seeding By JOEY KLECKA Peninsula Clarion
If recent history is any indication of what to expect at the Southcentral Conference baseball tournament, then peninsula teams should be licking their chops this weekend. In the nine-team tournament that starts today at Redington and Houston high schools, teams from Soldotna, Kenai Central and Homer will be looking to spoil the party. None of the three schools were able to secure a top-five seeding — although SoHi took the brunt of misfortune by finishing last in
a three-way tiebreaker for fourth. However, a bad seeding didn’t stop the Palmer Moose from busting up the bracket last May, when the seventh-seeded Moose walked off with the Southcentral Conference title and a spot to state. In fact, neither of the top two teams entering the 2018 tournament were able to secure one of the two automatic bids to state. The tournament sends the top two finishing teams to the state tournament. The championship game is 7 p.m. Friday night, and the loser of that game will face the last team standing from the losers-out bracket for the second
Bucks need bench help vs. Raptors MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Bucks are back in Milwaukee looking to regain momentum in the Eastern Conference finals. Coach Mike Budenholzer believes the play of his bench will be a major factor in what happens in Game 5 on Thursday. The Bucks reserves played so well in the first two games of the series that the teams’ apparel shop unveiled a “Bench Mob” T-shirt, celebrating the efforts of Malcolm Brogdon, Ersan Ilyasova, George Hill and others. Milwaukee’s bench outscored Toronto’s reserves 130-78 through the first three games of the series. But it was the Raptors’ bench, led by forward Norman Powell’s 18 points, that decided Game 4 — scoring 48 points Tuesday as Toronto evened the series at 2-2. “They need to play well,” Budenholzer said Wednesday of his reserves. “I think our whole team, whether it be the bench or the starters, needs to be better defensively. I think there’s things offensively where the bench can, you know, just like the rest of us, we have to execute a little bit better. ... this series, the benches have been critical and very influential and credit to Toronto’s bench, particularly. They really stepped up and had a huge game, and we need that from our group.” Serge Ibaka gave the Raptors a lift off the bench Tuesday with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Fellow Toronto reserve Fred VanVleet added 13 points and six assists. Their efforts came as the Raptors got only 19 points from a hobbled Kawhi Leonard. Raptors coach Nick Nurse is confident his bench will continue to play well in Milwaukee because of Toronto’s style of play. “That’s really kind of our system, would be that we create opportunities and everyone’s involved and everybody’s touching the ball,” he said. “Everybody’s moving and cutting. It’s kind of a free-flowing, open system. “If we play with the effort we’ve put in the last two games, actually three of the four games in the series, we are going to have a really good chance to win,” Nurse said. “We are going to put ourselves in position to win, and I don’t think it’s any tricky schemes or fabulous game plans. I think it’s our players playing their butts off, really.” Brogdon, who returned from a foot injury in the Eastern Conference semifinals, missed his first seven shots Tuesday night and finished with just four points. None of the Milwaukee reserves scored in double digits. “It was disappointing, but I mean, the series is 2-2,” said Bucks forward Kris Middleton, who finished with a game-high 30 points.
automatic ticket to state Saturday at noon. Soldotna finished 4-4 in conference play to grab the No. 6 seed, and will get its region tourney started today at 1 p.m. with a meeting with No. 3 Kodiak. The Homer Mariners finished 3-5 in league play to grab the No. 7 seed and will face No. 2 Colony today at 4 p.m. Kenai Central finished 1-7 in conference play to get the No. 8 seed and will play Redington in a play-in game today at 10 a.m. The winner will move on to face topseeded Wasilla, which finished a perfect 8-0 in region play.
Soldotna head coach Robb Quelland said the seeding positions don’t matter to him and the team, which is rolling into the tournament looking cleaner and crisper than the SoHi team that began the season. “We’re probably playing the best baseball we have all year,” Quelland said. “We showed last week that we finally got it together, we got our stuff together and figured out where our lineup is strong. Our defense is strong and our pitching is strong.” SoHi lost out on a three-way tie in the standings to Palmer and Grace Christian after recording
two losses to Grace and splitting a pair of games with Palmer this season. SoHi went 0-3 against the Bears this season, first losing 6-5 to Kodiak in an April tournament, then falling 5-4 and 9-6 on Kodiak’s home turf in early May. Quelland said he feels confident in turning the tables on Kodiak after three closes losses, but it’s likely going to come down to pitching. “Every team has one or two guys, and if you get that guy, it’s a hard game,” he said. “If you get past him, then you’ll be getting See BALL, page A7
Scoreboard Basketball NBA Playoffs CONFERENCE FINALS (Best-of-7; x-if necessary) Monday, May 20 Golden State 119, Portland 117, OT, Golden State wins series 4-0 Tuesday, May 21 Toronto 120, Milwaukee 102, series tied 2-2 Thursday, May 23 Toronto at Milwaukee, 4:30 p.m. Saturday, May 25 Milwaukee at Toronto, 4:30 p.m. All Times ADT
Hockey NHL Playoffs STANLEY CUP FINALS (Best-of-7; x-if necessary) Monday, May 27 St. Louis at Boston, 4 p.m. ADT
Baseball AL Standings
East Division W L Pct GB New York 31 17 .646 — Tampa Bay 28 18 .609 2 Boston 26 23 .531 5½ Toronto 20 29 .408 11½ Baltimore 15 34 .306 16½ Central Division Minnesota 32 16 .667 — Cleveland 25 23 .521 7 Chicago 22 26 .458 10 Detroit 18 28 .391 13 Kansas City 17 32 .347 15½ West Division Houston 33 17 .660 — Texas 24 23 .511 7½ Oakland 25 25 .500 8 Los Angeles 22 26 .458 10 Seattle 23 29 .442 11 Wednesday’s Games Minnesota at L.A. Angels, ppd. Oakland 7, Cleveland 2 Kansas City 8, St. Louis 2, 1st game Texas 2, Seattle 1 N.Y. Yankees 7, Baltimore 5 Boston 6, Toronto 5, 13 innings Miami 6, Detroit 3 Tampa Bay 8, L.A. Dodgers 1 St. Louis 10, Kansas City 3, 2nd game Chicago White Sox 9, Houston 4 Thursday’s Games N.Y. Yankees (Tanaka 3-3) at Baltimore (Bundy 2-5), 8:35 a.m. Boston (Weber 0-0) at Toronto (Feierabend 0-1), 8:37 a.m. Miami (Richards 1-5) at Detroit (Boyd 4-4), 9:10 a.m. Minnesota (Perez 6-1) at L.A. Angels (Harvey 2-3), 12:05 p.m. Tampa Bay (Snell 3-4) at Cleveland (TBD), 2:10 p.m. Chicago White Sox (Giolito 5-1) at Houston (Martin 1-0), 4:10 p.m. All Times ADT
NL Standings
East Division W L Pct Philadelphia 28 21 .571 Atlanta 27 23 .540 New York 23 25 .479 Washington 19 30 .388 Miami 15 31 .326 Central Division Chicago 29 18 .617 Milwaukee 29 22 .569
GB — 1½ 4½ 9 11½ — 2
Pittsburgh 24 22 .522 4½ St. Louis 25 24 .510 5 Cincinnati 22 27 .449 8 West Division W L Pct GB Los Angeles 32 18 .640 — San Diego 26 24 .520 6 Arizona 25 25 .500 7 Colorado 22 25 .468 8½ San Francisco 21 27 .438 10 Wednesday’s Games Milwaukee 11, Cincinnati 9 Kansas City 8, St. Louis 2, 1st game San Diego 5, Arizona 2 Colorado 9, Pittsburgh 3 Miami 6, Detroit 3 N.Y. Mets 6, Washington 1 Tampa Bay 8, L.A. Dodgers 1 St. Louis 10, Kansas City 3, 2nd game Chicago Cubs 8, Philadelphia 4 Atlanta 9, San Francisco 2 Thursday’s Games Washington (Strasburg 4-3) at N.Y. Mets (Matz 3-3), 8:10 a.m. Colorado (Senzatela 3-3) at Pittsburgh (Lyles 4-1), 8:35 a.m. Miami (Richards 1-5) at Detroit (Boyd 4-4), 9:10 a.m. Philadelphia (Nola 4-0) at Chicago Cubs (Lester 3-2), 10:20 a.m. Atlanta (Gausman 2-3) at San Francisco (Bumgarner 3-4), 11:45 a.m. All Times ADT
Blue Jays 5, 13 inn. B 002 000 110 001 1—6 10 0 T 000 100 111 001 0—5 11 0 Porcello, Workman (7), Barnes (8), Walden (9), Brasier (11), Hembree (12) and Leon; Sanchez, Hudson (7), Law (8), Giles (10), Biagini (11), Cordero (12) and Maile, Jansen. W_Hembree 1-0. L_Cordero 0-1. HRs_Boston, Chavis (10), Betts (8), Devers (6). Toronto, Tellez (9), Smoak (7), Guerrero Jr. (5).
Royals 8, Cardinals 2 KC 016 000 100—8 8 1 SL 000 000 020—2 4 1 Keller, McCarthy (8) and Gallagher; Wacha, Helsley (5), Gallegos (7), Webb (9) and Wieters. W_Keller 3-5. L_Wacha 3-2. HRs_Kansas City, Soler (11).
Rays 8, Dodgers 1 LA 000 001 000—1 5 1 TB 000 100 70x—8 10 0 Hill, Floro (7), Ferguson (7), Stripling (8) and R.Martin; Stanek, Y.Chirinos (2), Kolarek (6), Pagan (6), Sadler (8) and d’Arnaud, Kratz. W_Pagan 1-0. L_Floro 1-1. HRs_Los Angeles, Muncy (10). Tampa Bay, Kiermaier (4), Pham (6), Garcia (8).
Athletics 7, Indians 2
Marlins 6, Tigers 3
Oak. 211 101 100—7 13 0 Cle. 000 000 020—2 8 1
Mia. 000 001 320—6 11 1 Det. 111 000 000—3 10 0
Montas, Petit (7), Rodney (8), Trivino (8), Soria (9) and Hundley; Rodriguez, Otero (5), Clippard (7), T.Olson (8) and Plawecki. W_Montas 6-2. L_Rodriguez 1-4. HRs_Oakland, Canha (7), Hundley (2). Cleveland, Bauers (5).
J.Urena, Brice (7), Guerrero (8), Romo (9) and Alfaro; Norris, Farmer (7), Alcantara (7), Reininger (9) and Hicks. W_J.Urena 2-6. L_Farmer 2-3. Sv_Romo (8). HRs_Miami, Cooper (1), Anderson (4).
Rangers 2, Mariners 1
Cardinals 10, Royals 3
Sea. 000 000 100—1 7 2 Tex. 100 001 00x—2 8 0
KC 002 010 000—3 8 0 SL 320 001 40x—10 12 0
Gonzales, Biddle (8), Bass (8) and Narvaez, T.Murphy; Chavez, Sampson (2), Jurado (8), Kelley (9) and Kiner-Falefa. W_Sampson 2-3. L_Gonzales 5-4. Sv_Kelley (4). HRs_Texas, Pence (10).
Bailey, Sparkman (2), J.Lopez (4), Lovelady (6), Barlow (6), Boxberger (7), Wi.Peralta (8) and Maldonado; Wainwright, Gant (6), Miller (7), C.Martinez (8), Brebbia (9) and Molina. W_Wainwright 4-4. L_Bailey 4-5. HRs_Kansas City, Dozier (10). St. Louis, Wong (6), Ozuna (14), Carpenter (6), Fowler (4).
Yankees 7, Orioles 5 NY 041 110 000—7 13 1 Bal. 001 130 000—5 7 0 Sabathia, Kahnle (6), Ottavino (7), Green (8), A.Chapman (9) and G.Sanchez; Straily, Ynoa (5), Fry (7), Kline (7), Armstrong (9) and Severino. W_Sabathia 3-1. L_Straily 1-4. Sv_A.Chapman (13). HRs_New York, Estrada (3), Torres 2 (12), Sanchez (15), LeMahieu (4). Baltimore, Martin (1), Nunez (9).
White Sox 9, Astros 4 Chi. 010 106 010—9 10 1 Hou. 000 300 001—4 12 1 Nova, Osich (8), Vieira (9), Colome (9) and McCann; Cole, James (6), Devenski (7), Bra.Rodgers (8) and R.Chirinos. W_Nova 3-4. L_Cole 4-5. HRs_Chicago, Tilson (1), Jimenez 2 (5), Abreu (12). Houston, Bregman (15).
Red Sox 6,
Brewers 11, Reds 9 Cin. 051 020 100—9 11 0 Mil. 013 205 00x—11 13 0 Castillo, Lorenzen (3), Hughes (5), Wa.Peralta (6), Hernandez (6), Stephenson (7) and Barnhart, Casali; Davies, Burnes (4), Ju.Guerra (5), Claudio (7), Jeffress (7), Hader (8) and Grandal. W_Ju.Guerra 2-0. L_Wa.Peralta 0-1. Sv_Hader (12). HRs_Cincinnati, Dietrich (12), Barnhart (4). Milwaukee, Moustakas (12), Hiura (2), Grandal (9).
Padres 5, Diamondbacks 2 Ari. 000 001 001—2 6 0 SD 311 000 00x—5 12 0 M.Kelly, Sherfy (2), McFarland (5), Hirano (7), Y.Lopez (8) and Avila, C.Kelly; Lauer, Wingenter
(8), Warren (9), Yates (9) and Hedges. W_Lauer 3-4. L_M.Kelly 4-5. Sv_Yates (20).
Mets 6, Nationals 1 Was. 100 000 000—1 3 1 NY 000 000 06x—6 7 0 Scherzer, Ross (7), Grace (7), Barraclough (8), Doolittle (8), Ja.Guerra (8) and Suzuki; deGrom, Gsellman (7), Gagnon (8), Bashlor (9) and Nido, Ramos. W_Gagnon 3-0. L_Barraclough 0-1. HRs_Washington, Eaton (4). New York, Davis (1).
Rockies 9, Pirates 3 Col. 303 030 000—9 16 0 Pit. 020 001 000—3 8 0 Gray, Shaw (8), Diaz (9) and Wolters; DuRapau, Kingham (1), Holmes (5), Feliz (9) and E.Diaz. W_Gray 4-4. L_DuRapau 0-1. HRs_Colorado, Wolters (1), Murphy (3). Pittsburgh, Bell (15).
Cubs 8, Phillies 4 Phi. 102 000 010—4 13 0 Chi. 003 040 10x—8 8 0 Irvin, E.Garcia (5), De Los Santos (7) and Realmuto; Hamels, Chatwood (5), Cishek (9) and Contreras. W_Chatwood 3-0. L_Irvin 2-1. HRs_Philadelphia, McCutchen (7). Chicago, Baez (12), Rizzo (12), Almora Jr. (5).
Transactions BASEBALL American League BALTIMORE ORIOLES — Designated RHP Yefry Ramirez for assignment. Claimed RHP Chandler Shepherd off waivers from the Chicago Cubs and optioned him to Norfolk (IL). Transferred RHP Alex Cobb to the 60-day IL. CHICAGO WHITE SOX — Recalled RHP Thyago Vieira from Charlotte (IL). CLEVELAND INDIANS — Designated OF Carlos Gonzalez for assignment. Recalled C Eric Haase from Columbus (IL). LOS ANGELES ANGELS — Placed C Kevan Smith on the 7-day IL. Selected the contract of C Dustin Garneau from Salt Lake (PCL). MINNESOTA TWINS — Released RHP Addison Reed. NEW YORK YANKEES — Optioned LHP Nestor Cortes Jr. to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (IL). SEATTLE MARINERS — Assigned RHPs Nick Rumbelow and Mike Wright outright to Tacoma (PCL). TAMPA BAY RAYS — Sent 3B Matt Duffy to Durham (IL) for a rehab assignment. TEXAS RANGERS — Placed OF Willie Calhoun on the 10-day IL. Recalled OF Delino DeShields from Nashville (PCL). National League ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS — Selected the contract of RHP Jose Cuas from Long Island (Atlantic). CHICAGO CUBS — Placed LHP Xavier Cedeño on the 10-day IL. Recalled RHP Rowan Wick from Iowa (PCL).
COLORADO ROCKIES — Placed RHP Wade Davis on the 10-day IL, retroactive to Sunday. Selected the contract of RHP Jairo Díaz from Albuquerque (IL). Placed LHP Tyler Anderson on the 60-day IL. NEW YORK METS — Placed OF Brandon Nimmo on the 10-day IL, retroactive to Tuesday. Designated RHP Paul Sewald for assignment. Selected the contract of OF Rajai Davis from Syracuse (IL). Traded OF Keon Broxton to Baltimore for international bonus pool money. WASHINGTON NATIONALS — Optioned INF Adrián Sanchez to Harrisburg (EL). Reinstated 1B Matt Adams from the 10-day IL. Selected the contract of RHP Kevin McGowan from Sugar Land (Atlantic). Announced LHP Dan Jennings elected free agency. FOOTBALL National Football League ARIZONA CARDINALS — Released WR Malachi Dupre. Signed DL Terrell McClain to a one-year contract. BUFFALO BILLS — Claimed OT De’Ondre Wesley off waivers from Indianapolis. Signed TE Mik’Quan Deane. Released OL Blake Hance and S Abraham Wallace. CINCINNATI BENGALS — Waived TE Andrew Vollert. Signed OT Justin Evans. OAKLAND RAIDERS — Released QB Landry Jones. Signed TE Erik Swoope. TENNESSEE TITANS — Agreed to terms with DL Jeffery Simmons. WASHINGTON REDSKINS — Placed LB Reuben Foster on injured reserve. Signed LB Jon Bostic. Canadian Football League EDMONTON ESKIMOS — Signed DL Kyle Cerge-Henderson and DB Bryce Bartlett. SOCCER Major League Soccer PHILADELPHIA UNION — Signed D Jack Elliott through the 2021 season. SEATTLE SOUNDER — Announced the retirement of D Chad Marshall. COLLEGE MINNESOTA INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE — Announced it will remove St. Thomas (Minn.) as a member in two years for competitive purposes. CHARLESTON SOUTHERN — Named Saah Nimley assistant men’s basketball coach. CONNECTICUT COLLEGE — Named Reuben Burk men’s soccer coach. IOWA — Named Billy Taylor assistant men’s basketball coach. MICHIGAN — Named Juwan Howard men’s basketball coach to a five-year contract. NEW JERSEY CITY — Announced the retirement of assistant director of athletics and compliance officer Ken Heaton. OHIO STATE — Announced junior men’s basketball F Justin Sueing is transferring from California. TARLETON STATE — Named Mike Sirianni baseball coach. WISCONSIN — Named Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton assistant women’s basketball coach.
Peninsula Clarion | Thursday, May 23, 2019 | A7
. . . Kick Continued from page A6
The Kards, the defending state champs, are making a fifth straight appearance at state. While Kenai (10-4-2) didn’t play Grace, Homer topped the Grizzlies 2-1 on April 13. “Juneau, Thunder Mountain, Kenai and Homer are all within a goal of each other,” Waldorf said. “Ketchikan’s within a goal and we got Grace by a goal. It has the potential to be a hard-fought tournament with low-scoring games.” Kenai had a run of threestraight conference titles snapped Saturday with a 1-0 loss to Homer in the title game, but coach Shane Lopez still feels good about the way his team is playing. “We have a lot of guys that have been to this tournament before,” Lopez said. “These guys know how to focus on the game, rather than everything surrounding it.” Seniors Damien Redder, Tomas Levy-Canedo, Connor Felchle, Travis McKinley and Adam Trujillo all will lead the team. Even juniors like Travis Verkuilen, goalie Braedon Pitsch and Nate Beiser have all seen plenty of championship soccer. No. 3 Homer boys vs. No. 6 Ketchikan, 5 p.m. at West The Mariners (12-4-2) and the Kings battled to a 1-all tie on April 18. Homer will play at state for a sixth time in eight years. Homer did win the first conference title in school history Saturday, and managed to do it without Daniel Reutov, who was injured in the semifinals and has 19 goals
. . . Ball Continued from page A6
other teams’ second or third guy. “We’re built for the tournament, we have three or four guys that can go.” The Stars have gotten through the regular season relying on the arms of senior Jeremy Kupferschmid, Tanner Ussing and Chris Jaime. Quelland said while Kupferschmid has provided a lot of innings of reliable pitching, Ussing and Jaime have been pleasant surprises in the rotation. Ussing had been recovering from an injury while the younger Jaime has earned his way into the fold with solid pitching. Davey Belger and Brennen Werner have also gotten in games this year on the mound, but Quelland said he wants to see his starters pitch efficiently and deep into games. In their batting lineup, the Stars will rely on big bats from Kupferschmid and senior David Michael, who plays at shortstop. The 1-2 punch of Kupferschmid and Michael have been tough outs this year, and Quelland said they’ve been backed up by an improving cast of names such as Ussing, Jacob Boze and Trapper Thompson. The Homer baseball team may not have the region record to show for it, but the Mariners do have something
and 10 assists this season. Waldorf said Reutov is day to day. Waldorf likes the resiliency of his team. With just 11 players in the varsity mix, Homer played the second most games in Division II and had the best goal differential at plus-37. The coach said Clayton Beachy has been a revelation at goalie, while Ethan Pitzman and Avram Salzmann are rock solid at center defense. Dexter Lowe and Austin Shafford have been engines in the midfield, while younger players like Phinny Weston and Eyoab Knapp are coming on strong. Even Waldorf’s wife, Debbie, is a big fan of this team. Waldorf has been coaching soccer since the 1980s, so his wife has seen more than enough soccer and normally passes on attending games. “This team is exciting and fun to watch,” Waldorf said. “This is our sixth trip to state in the last eight years, and it’s the first one she’s going to watch. Who knew?” No. 2 Soldotna girls vs. No. 7 Palmer, 3 p.m. at Eagle River Making a seventh state trip in the last nine years, Love likes the way his team (13-5-2) is playing heading into the tourney. The Stars defended their Peninsula Conference crown Saturday by topping Homer 4-0. “I think last weekend was the best for, not just consistency, but overall play,” Love said. “We’ve done really well for a game here or there, but we haven’t played two games back to back that way.” Freshman Rhys Cannava had seven goals in two games at conference, and Love said players like Meijan Leaf, Ryann Cannava and Journey Miller are doing a great
else on their side — the team is hoping to become the second straight No. 7 seed to upset the bracket for a Southcentral Conference championship, just like Palmer did last year. “I use that for motivation,” said Homer head coach Rich Sonnen. “Try to keep the guys positive, hope for an upset along the line.” But first, Homer has to contend with second-seeded Colony. In their lone meeting this year, the Mariners lost 7-0 to the Knights on May 11. Sonnen said he’s uncertain if Homer has the depth to cruise through the field, but for the Mariners, it’s all hands on deck. “We plan every game like there’s no tomorrow,” he said. “There’s no saving guys.” Sonnen said in the loss to Colony, he saw his team putting the ball in play, but the Knights defense was gobbling up everything for outs. It was the same way against Palmer earlier in the year, Sonnen said, when Homer left the bases loaded in the final inning and lost by one. “We were just a little short,” he said. “But who knows? Maybe we’ll get on a roll at the right time like Palmer last year.” Homer enters the tournament with momentum after toppling Kodiak 12-2 last weekend in a regular season game. Sonnen said he hopes
job setting her up. “Outside midfielders, outside defenders, all those ladies can shoot the ball if the opportunity arises,” Love said. “Although people are looking at one player, we’re deeper than one player.” Love also has been splitting time between Katie Delker and Margarida Mendoca in goal and is comfortable with that arrangement. SoHi allowed no goals at the conference tournament. “We don’t want to overlook any opponent,” Love said. “That’s when you get surprised. If you don’t walk into a game with butterflies and nerves because you beat them before, you end up walking off the field on the wrong side of the result.” No. 3 Homer girls vs. No. 6 Thunder Mountain, 1 p.m. at Eagle River The Mariners (12-4-4) are making their first trip to state since 2007. They had a scoreless tie with the Falcons on April 20 and defeated them 1-0 on May 10. “We’ve struggled to score against them and it’s going to take more than one goal at the state tournament to defeat Thunder Mountain,” Homer head coach Mike Tozzo said. The Mariners will task freshmen Sela Weisser and Kappa Reutov up front with finding the back of the net. The good news is senior goalie Ali McCarron should be back for the tourney. McCarron left the conference championship with an injury. Even so, Tozzo has been giving Paige Jones a crash course in goalkeeping this week because he learned it’s vital to have a backup with those skills.
to see the hot sticks continue, namely lower lineup names like Koda Wood and Austin Dash. If the lower end of the lineup can get on base, Sonnen said the top batters like Harrison Metz, Austin Ceccarelli, Seth Adkins and Mose Hayes could have a field day. Metz, Hayes, Adkins and Cecceralli also make up the core of the Homer pitching rotation, and Sonnen said the Mariners will need quick innings out of them to move through the tournament. “They’re pretty consistent producers,” he said. For the Kenai Kardinals, who must win a playin game with Redington to match up with No. 1 Wasilla, it all comes down to the old cliche of “taking one game at a time.” And as one of the bottom seeds, Kenai can play with nothing to lose. That’s what makes head coach Luke Oliver confident the Kards can make a run through the tournament, even if it means through the second-chance, loser-out bracket. Oliver said for Kenai, the battle will be keeping the pitching down to a lower pitch count, in order to make the Kardinals’ top arms available on day three if possible. That and the hope that Kenai’s bats will come alive for a Cinderella run to Saturday’s championship. “I was helping coach that (2012) legion team that won
The coach added senior Brenna McCarron will have to have the games of her life at center midfield, while defenders Kimberly Lynn and Daisy Kettle must remain aggressive. “The girls are just ecstatic,” Tozzo said Monday. “We had a great practice today. They had big smiles on their faces. They’re having a blast and if we could make some noise at the state tournament, that’d be fantastic.”
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Avisail Garcia and Kevin Kiermaier each hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning to power the Tampa Bay Rays past the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-1 on Wednesday night. ATHLETICS 7, INDIANS 2 CLEVELAND — Frankie Montas pitched six scoreless innings, Mark Canha homered and drove in three runs and Oakland extended its winning streak to six games with a win over Cleveland.
YANKEES 7, ORIOLES 5 BALTIMORE — Gleyber Torres hit two of New York’s five home runs off Baltimore’s beleaguered pitching staff, and survived a shaky outing from CC Sabathia.
ROYALS 8, CARDINALS 2; CARDINALS 10, ROYALS 3 ST. LOUIS — Marcell
Ozuna and Matt Carpenter botched a double play. went deep as part of a fourRANGERS 2, homer barrage and St. Louis MARINERS 1 split a doubleheader with Kansas City. ARLINGTON, Texas — Hunter Pence homered, Adrian CUBS 8, PHILLIES 4 Sampson had another impresCHICAGO — Cole Hamels sive long outing for a victory struggled in his first start after not starting, and Texas against his original team, Al- beat slumping Seattle to combert Almora Jr. hit his first ca- plete a three-game sweep. reer grand-slam and Chicago PADRES 5, rallied from an early three-run DIAMONDBACKS 2 deficit with three homers in beating Philadelphia. SAN DIEGO — Left-hander Eric Lauer pitched seven BREWERS 11, REDS 9 strong innings for his first win MILWAUKEE — Yasmani in seven starts and Greg GarGrandal homered during a cia had three hits, scored twice big rally and started a bizarre and drove in a run as San Didouble play on a pitch that got ego beat Arizona to complete a past him and bounced to the three-game sweep. backstop, helping Milwaukee MARLINS 6, TIGERS 3 outlast Cincinnati. DETROIT — Garrett Cooper BRAVES 9, GIANTS 2 hit his first major league home run in the sixth inning, leading a SAN FRANCISCO — Dancomeback as Miami won its fifth sby Swanson and Freddie Freestraight by beating Detroit. man hit back-to-back homers in the second inning and AtlanMETS 6, NATIONALS 1 ta scored six unearned runs in the inning after San Francisco NEW YORK — Juan Lagar-
GIRLS Thursday’s games Game 1 — Juneau vs. Kodiak, 11 a.m. at Service Game 2 — Kenai vs. North Pole, 9 a.m. at Eagle River Game 3 — Homer vs. Thunder Mountain, 1 p.m. at Eagle River Game 4 — Soldotna vs. Palmer, 3 p.m. at Eagle River Friday’s games Game 5 — Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 9 a.m. at West Game 6 — Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 11 a.m. at West Game 7 — Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 9 a.m. at Service Game 8 — Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 11 a.m. at Service
No. 4 Kenai Central girls vs. No. 5 North Pole, 9 a.m. at Eagle River The Kardinals (6-5-4) are at state for a sixth straight year thanks to an at-large berth. While Kenai did finish third at conference, the Kards didn’t allow a goal in the tournament. “Our defense is one of the best in the state,” Verkuilen said. “They’re very tenacious and do a great job on the ball, and have all season.” The Kards have allowed 14 goals in 15 games. The only team better is Juneau-Douglas, which has allowed four goals in 17 games while scoring 94. That explains why the Crimson Bears are the top seed. Verkuilen said goalie Kailey Hamilton and the four defenders will have to continue to play well, while Olivia Brewer and Bethany Morris will be key in the midfield. The coach said the Kards must get over bumps and bruises, and also won’t be able to arrive in Anchorage until Wednesday night despite having the early game. But Verkuilen said the team should be ready. “Today in practice, you could
state,” Oliver said. “It seems like the hot bat comes up and wins the tournament all the time.” Oliver referenced the 2012 Legion AA Twins squad that lost the first day of the state tournament, then rallied through the secondchance bracket to win it all. Oliver was an assistant coach on that team. Kenai beat Redington this year 23-15 in a May 11 slugfest, so the Kardinals already know how to score on the Huskies, but Oliver said for the second time around, it’ll be about holding Redington back on defense. “Honestly I have no idea,” he said about today’s rematch. “The players and I were talking once the bracket came out, and I told them, I was making the big point of yes, we beat them, but we still can’t look past them.” Oliver said the top of Kenai’s batting order has really meshed well in recent games and is looking stout, but he would like to see the lower half of the lineup get on base, or at least get “productive outs,” as Oliver called it, meaning move the runners on base over. That was put in practice last weekend when Kenai was able to forge a tie with Kodiak after three innings of play before dropping the contest. The Kenai rotation has featured a heavy dose of Harold Ochea and Parker Mattox this year, while receiving spot appearances
Rays blow past Dodgers By The Associated Press
Division II state soccer tournament
es hit a go-ahead, three-run double off Washington closer Sean Doolittle, Rajai Davis capped the six-run eighth inning with a three-run homer in his first at-bat for the Mets and New York rallied for the victory.
ROCKIES 9, PIRATES 3 PITTSBURGH — Josh Bell reached the Allegheny River on the fly for the second time in two weeks, the only notable blemish for Colorado in its win over Pittsburgh.
RED SOX 6, BLUE JAYS 5 TORONTO — Rafael Devers homered in his third straight game, Michael Chavis hit a tiebreaking homer in the 13th inning and Boston beat Toronto.
WHITE SOX 9, ASTROS 4 HOUSTON — Eloy Jiménez homered twice and Chicago turned the first triple play in the majors this seasonn. Charlie Tilson’s first career homer was a grand slam in Chicago’s six-run sixth inning.
Saturday’s games 4th/6th place — Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 9:45 a.m. at Eagle River 3rd/5th place — Game 7 loser vs. Game 8 loser, 9:45 at West Championship — Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 2 p.m. at Service BOYS Thursday’s games Game 1 — Juneau vs. Palmer, 5 p.m. at Service Game 2 — Monroe vs. Thunder Mountain, 7 p.m. at Service Game 3 — Homer vs. Ketchikan, 5 p.m. at West Game 4 — Kenai vs. Grace, 7 p.m. at West Friday’s games Game 5 — Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 1 p.m. at Eagle River Game 6 — Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 3 p.m. at Eagle River Game 7 — Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 5 p.m. at West Game 8 — Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 7 p.m. at West Saturday’s games 4th/6th place — Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 8 a.m. at West 3rd/5th place — Game 7 loser vs. Game 8 loser, 9 a.m. at Service Championship — Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, noon
see they’re finishing with their finals and that there was a renewed energy,” Verkuilen said Monday.
from Caleb Smtih and Simon Grenier. Oliver said the offense will need to come from Ochea, Smith, Sam Berry and Knox Amend, all of whom are capable of putting the ball in play for scoring opportunities. 2019 Southcentral Conference tournament Held at Redington/Houston HS Thursday’s games Game 1 — Kenai Central vs. Redington, 10 a.m. Game 2 — Soldotna vs. Kodiak, 1 p.m. Game 3 — Palmer vs. Grace, 1 p.m. Game 4 — Wasilla vs. Game 1 winner, 4 p.m.
Game 5 — Homer vs. Colony, 4 p.m. Game 6 — Game 1 loser vs. Game 5 loser, 7 p.m. Friday’s games Game 7 — Game 2 loser vs. Game 6 loser, 10 a.m. Game 8 — Game 2 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 10 a.m. (semi) Game 9 — Game 3 loser vs. 4 loser, 1 p.m. Game 10 — Game 4 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 1 p.m. (semi) Game 11 — Game 8 loser vs. Game 9 winner, 4 p.m. Game 12 — Game 10 loser vs. Game 8 winner, 4 p.m. Game 13 — Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 7 p.m. (championship) Saturday’s games Game 14 — Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner, 9 a.m. Game 15 — Game 13 loser vs. Game 14 winner, 12 p.m. (2nd place)
Today in History Today is Thursday, May 23, the 143rd day of 2019. There are 222 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On May 23, 1934, bank robbers Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker were shot to death in a police ambush in Bienville Parish, Louisiana. On this date: In 1788, South Carolina became the eighth state to ratify the United States Constitution. In 1814, a third version of Beethoven’s only opera, “Fidelio,” had its world premiere in Vienna. In 1915, Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary during World War I. In 1939, the Navy submarine USS Squalus sank during a test dive off the New England coast. Thirty-two crew members and one civilian were rescued, but 26 others died; the sub was salvaged and re-commissioned the USS Sailfish. In 1944, during World War II, Allied forces bogged down in Anzio began a major breakout offensive. In 1945, Nazi official Heinrich Himmler committed suicide by biting into a cyanide capsule while in British custody in Luneburg, Germany. In 1967, Egypt closed the Straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping, an action which helped precipitate war between Israel and its Arab neighbors the following month. In 1975, comedian Jackie “Moms” Mabley, 81, died in White Plains, New York. In 1977, Moluccan extremists seized a train and a primary school in the Netherlands; the hostage drama ended June 11 as Dutch marines stormed the train, resulting in the deaths of six out of nine hijackers and two hostages, while the school siege ended peacefully. In 1984, Surgeon General C. Everett Koop issued a report saying there was “very solid” evidence linking cigarette smoke to lung disease in non-smokers. In 1993, a jury in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, acquitted Rodney Peairs of manslaughter in the shooting death of Yoshi Hattori, a Japanese exchange student he’d mistaken for an intruder. (Peairs was later found liable in a civil suit brought by Hattori’s parents.) In 1994, funeral services were held at Arlington National Cemetery for former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Ten years ago: Former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, 62, leapt to his death amid a widening corruption scandal. Charles Donald Albury, co-pilot of the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan, died in Orlando, Florida, at 88. Five years ago: A 22-year-old armed with knives and a gun went on a rampage near the University of California, Santa Barbara; Elliot Rodger killed six students and wounded 13 other people before taking his own life. In a report potentially exposing the Catholic Church to new legal arguments by clerical sex abuse victims, a U.N. committee found that the Vatican did exercise worldwide control over its bishops and priests, and had to comply with the U.N.’s anti-torture treaty. One year ago: NFL owners approved a new policy allowing players to protest during the national anthem by staying in the locker room, but forbidding players from sitting or taking a knee if they’re on the field. A federal judge ruled that President Donald Trump violates the First Amendment when he blocks critics on Twitter because of their political views. For the first time in the 36 seasons of TV’s “Survivor,” the season finale ended in a deadlock, and a tiebreaker was needed to crown Wendell Holland as the champ. Today’s Birthdays: Actress Barbara Barrie is 88. Actress Joan Collins is 86. Actor Charles Kimbrough is 83. International Tennis Hall of Famer John Newcombe is 75. Actress Lauren Chapin is 74. Country singer Misty Morgan is 74. Country singer Judy Rodman is 68. Chess grandmaster Anatoly Karpov is 68. Boxing Hall of Famer Marvelous Marvin Hagler is 65. Singer Luka Bloom is 64. Former baseball manager Buck Showalter is 63. Actor-comedian-game show host Drew Carey is 61. Actress Lea DeLaria is 61. Country singer Shelly West is 61. Author Mitch Albom is 61. Actor Linden Ashby is 59. Actress-model Karen Duffy is 58. Actress Melissa McBride is 54. Rock musician Phil Selway (Radiohead) is 52. Actress Laurel Holloman is 51. Rock musician Matt Flynn (Maroon 5) is 49. Singer Lorenzo is 47. Country singer Brian McComas is 47. Actor John Pollono is 47. Singer Maxwell is 46. Singer Jewel is 45. Game show contestant Ken Jennings is 45. Actor LaMonica Garrett is 44. Actor D.J. Cotrona is 39. Actor Lane Garrison is 39. Actor-comedian Tim Robinson is 38. Actor Adam Wylie is 35. Movie writer-director Ryan Coogler is 33. Golfer Morgan Pressel is 31. Actor Alberto Frezza (TV: “Station 19”) is 30. Folk/pop singer/songwriter Sarah Jarosz (juh-ROHZ’) is 28. Thought for Today: “Life is like a game of poker: If you don’t put any in the pot, there won’t be any to take out.” -- Jackie “Moms” Mabley (1894-1975).
A8 | Thursday, May 23, 2019 | Peninsula Clarion
Arts&Entertainment
What’s Happening
Pier One season opens with Wilde play
Events and Exhibitions n In partnership with the Soldotna Library and KenaiChange, Cook Inletkeeper is excited to host the third event in a Book to Action Climate Series on Thursday, May 23 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Soldotna Public Library. This series uses the bestselling book “Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming” to focus on climate action and local solutions. May’s topic is transportation and will include a panel discussion focused on public transit on the Kenai. Refreshments will be provided. The series is held the fourth Thursday of each month. Future topics will include Food and Agriculture, Built Environment, and Community Action. For more information contact laura@inletkeeper.org n Registration is now open for Kenai Performers’ Summer Drama Camp. Junior session, ages 5-7, June 17-June 28, Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-noon. Fee: $250. Senior session, ages 8-18, June 17-July 13, Monday-Friday, 12:30-4 p.m. Fee: $450. Location: 43335 K-Beach Road (backside of Subway). Early enrollment discount if fee is paid by June 1. For more information or to register, call Terri at 252-6808. n Into its 20th year, the Seldovia Summer Solstice Music Festival is happening June 20-23 in Seldovia and is building to be an event to remember. The headliners are the Sahnas Brothers and Suzanne Lansford who play a blend of Greek, Latin, and Flaminco guitar music with the added flair of Suzanne Lansford’s excellent fiddle accompaniment. The second headliner is Tumbledown House Band, which performed at Salmonfest 2018. Also appearing from Alaska is the Emily Anderson Band from Fairbanks, Kat Moore from the Super Saturated Sugar Strings, Noah Proctor and Kelly Baber from Soldotna, Susan Mumma and Daryl and the Scribs from Seldovia. Happening at the same time is the 5th annual Higgy’s En Plein Air Art Festival with Emil Vinberg and Jen Jolliff as Headliners. Both events have free workshops along with musical busking, a song circle with the performers and other activities to make this a truly memorable weekend! Tickets are $40 for an all festival Adult pass, Teens $16., under 12 free. More info on Facebook- Seldovia Summer Solstice Music Festival or the seldoviaartscouncil.net. n Creative entries for the Salvage Art Exhibit are encouraged to be displayed at the Kenai River Festival June 7-9 This event is cosponsored by ReGroup and The Kenai Fine Art Center. For more information or to volunteer to help at any of these happenings call 252-2773. n Come in and see the Kenai Fine Art Center’s May exhibit, “Of Stone,” by Alanna deRocchi and Jonathon Green. This dual artist exhibit will showcase two artists that are currently instructors at UAA. A combination of immense pottery and printwork that melds natural and architectural elements. The Kenai Fine Art Center is located across from the Oiler’s Bingo Hall and next to the Historic Cabins. 283-7040, www.kenaifineart.com. “Of Stone” will hang until June 1. See EVENTS, page A9
Poet’s
Corner A Remarkable Return As I walked in the warmth of summers air. With much anticipation and hardly a care. Above a brilliant sky of blue. Where majestic and graceful eagles flew. I seemed surreal or or just a dream. As I headed toward this magnificent stream. Whie it might been late at night. The midnight sun provided plenty of light. I arrived at a sight to behold. As countless numbers of salmon rolled. Soon I began to fling my line. With a bit of adrenaline and a clear mind. Within minutes there was nonstop action which made it easy to see why so many of us share this love and passion. I became part of a spectactular aerial show. While I admired the strength and determination of this worthy foe. As I walked out with my limit of fish. I found myself thinking about one wish. When the spring season brings a warming sun. I hope and pray for another strong run. There is no doubt this is one of Earth’s greatest treasures. One that is irreplacable and impossible to measure. — Grant Christopher, Kenai 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.
The cast of “An Ideal Husband” pose for a photo during a rehearsal on Sunday, at Pier One Theatre in Homer. (Photo provided) By Michael Armstrong Homer News
Along with king salmon fishing, the opening of shops on the Spit and school ending, add another sure sign of the start of summer: the first Pier One Theatre play of the season. On Friday, Homer’s little red theater on the Spit features this year’s opening show, Oscar Wilde’s “An Ideal Husband.” The show
continues Saturday and Sunday and May 30, 31 and June 1. Pier One has done several productions of Wilde’s well known “The Importance of Being Earnest,” but Pier One artistic director Jennifer Norton said she wanted to do a Wilde play equally witty but more serious. “This one is a little bit more political,” she said. “It’s about a politician who has skeletons in his closet. He’s been mostly blame
free throughout his political career. He did this one foolish thing in his younger days that’s coming back to haunt him.” First performed in 1893, “An Ideal Husband” takes place at a London dinner party. It concerns Sir Robert Chiltern, a member of the House of Commons, played by Mike Tupper; his wife, Lady Chiltern, played by Adele Person; Sir Robert’s bachelor friend, Lord Arthur
Goring, played by Connor Schmidt, and an unwelcome guest, Mrs. Chevely, the ex-fiance of Lord Goring, played by Alison Rambo. Mrs. Chevely knows a dreadful secret about Sir Robert and how he earned his wealth. She blackmails him into supporting a fraudulent scheme. Meanwhile, Lady Chevely also seeks to win back Lord Goring’s affection. “It’s about redemption, our imperfections, the folly of youth, the standards our political figures should be held to,” Norton said. “An Ideal Husband” also presents several new actors to Pier One. Some have previously had small, nonspeaking roles, while for others this marks their Homer stage debut. One actor, Emily Munns, who plays Miss Mabel Chiltern, returns to Pier One 11 years after attending its summer Youth Theatre Camp. The play also features seasoned Pier One actors such as Peter Norton — Jennifer Norton’s father — and Brian Duffy. Laura Norton, Jennifer’s mother, directs the play, and Rachel Friedlander is the assistant director. Along with “An Ideal See PIER, page A9
‘Silence of the Lambs’ author returns with ‘Cari Mora’ By Colette Bancroft Tampa Bay Times
My skin was crawling by page 7. It’s been 13 years since Thomas Harris last published a novel, but in “Cari Mora” the creator of Hannibal Lecter shows us he still knows how to send ice down our spines. Four of the five previous novels by Harris, a former journalist, feature Lecter, the fiendishly brilliant serial killer and sometime cannibal. Two of those books, “Red Dragon” and “The Silence of the Lambs,” changed the paradigm for thrillers with their frightening journeys inside the minds of serial killers, and they remain two of the scariest books I’ve ever read. “Cari Mora” has an allnew cast of characters and is set primarily in Miami Beach, where the very private Harris reportedly lives. The title is the name of its main character, a 25-yearold refugee from Colombia with a harrowing backstory. “At the age of eleven,” Harris writes, “Cari had been taken from her village at gunpoint and conscripted into FARC, the Fuerzas Ar-
madas Revolucionarias de Colombia.” After five years as a child soldier, Cari escapes —at terrible cost. Now she is “staying in the U.S. by the skin of her teeth with a Temporary Protected Status. The U.S. president could cancel everyone’s TPS at any moment in a fit of pique, if the president knew what a TPS was.” Cari has many skills — among them the ability to assemble, lock and load an AK-47 in 45 seconds —but what she really wants is to go to veterinary school and buy a little house of her own, with a mango tree in the yard. In the meantime, to support herself and several family members, she works multiple jobs. The most important one (for the purposes of the plot) is her position as caretaker at a beachfront mansion that once belonged to infamous Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. In real life, Escobar did own a waterfront Miami Beach mansion in the 1980s that was confiscated by the U.S. government. After passing through several owners, the house was
This cover image released by Grand Central shows “Cari Mora,” a novel by Thomas Harris. (Grand Central via AP)
razed in 2016, and during demolition two safes were found hidden under
its floors. One was stolen; the property owners kept See BOOK, page A9
Smith’s fine in ‘Aladdin.’ Another guy’s the problem
This image released by Disney shows Mena Massoud as Aladdin, left, and Will Smith as Genie in Disney’s liveaction adaptation of the 1992 animated classic “Aladdin.” (Daniel Smith/Disney via AP) By Mark Kennedy The Associated Press
It’s pretty clear after watching the new live-action “Aladdin” that doubts about Will Smith’s casting as the Genie are overblown. It’s the guy behind the camera who should be doubted. And stuffed into a small lamp forever. Guy Ritchie — that lover of gritty gangsters and violent action — was always an odd choice to helm a big Disney romantic musical and proves utterly the wrong guy here. “Aladdin ,” in his hands, is more like “The
Mummy” than “Frozen.” This is an “Aladdin” with a torture scene and pointlessly artful fast-slow-motion action scenes. Going into it, Smith was the question mark. How can you possibly have a real actor play the shape-shifting, manic spirit that Robin Williams so wonderfully voiced in the animated film? Smith struggles at first before perhaps listening to his own character’s advice: Be yourself. Ritchie, who directs and is a co-screenwriter alongside John August, has basically taken the 1992 film’s
structure, added elements from the Broadway musical and made some nice script tweaks, most impressively by adding a second love story and updating Princess Jasmine from pretty eyewitness to fierce participant. The script also doubles down on the notion that everyone seems trapped in roles they are born into. Mena Massoud gamely plays the title character, a street urchin with good hair who falls for the free-spirited princess and has his life changed with one rub of a magic lamp. Naomi Scott is the princess and she is a worthy Disney heroine for 2019 — funny, strong, brave and with a sinfully good voice. The key Alan Menken melodies from the original film — including “Friend Like Me,” ?Prince Ali” and “A Whole New World” — are all here, as well as “Speechless,” a new song written by Menken and Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (“La La Land”), performed by Jasmine. It’s terrific and may finally replace “Let It Go” as the go-to Disney anthem. The film’s other highlights are Michael Wilkin-
son’s lush costumes, a parade of entirely digital animals — including the fantastically realized Abu the monkey, Rajah the tiger and a hugging magic Carpet — and breakout performances from “Saturday Night Live” alum Nasim Pedrad as a handmaiden and Billy Magnussen as a prince. Choreographer Jamal Sims combines hip-hop and Bollywood in glorious mashups. But the production design by Gemma Jackson is pure Middle Eastern-South Asian kitsch — complete with the expected food stalls, crumbling walls and constant bustle. (Let’s face it, all vaguely Middle Eastern urban scenes haven’t changed much since “Raiders of the Lost Ark”.) And a real stumble is made in the Cave of Wonders, which is horribly under-realized — it looks like a cat threw up gold coins and rubies. Marwan Kenzari is a younger Jafar than we are used to but he’s evidently been told to go full-psychotic by the end, including screaming like he’s in “The Wrath of Khan” as thunder roars and his eyes bulge. See MOVIE, page A9
Peninsula Clarion | Thursday, May 23, 2019 | A9
James Gunn says he’s a better person after being fired By MIKE CIDONI LENNOX AP Entertainment Reporter
LOS ANGELES — It’s been a roller-coaster year for James Gunn, who was fired from “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” over old tweets in July, and rehired this March. But the writerdirector who shepherded the first two “Guardians” films to critical and box office success said the experience has been an educational one. “I’m a better person than I was a year ago,” Gunn told The Associated Press on Saturday. “It’s made me more creative and focused on the things that really matter to me, which are my friends, my relationships and the movies that I’m making.” Although even after his firing, Gunn didn’t exactly have a fallow period as he was hired fairly soon by Marvel’s rival to work on the
sequel to “Suicide Squad.” Now, Gunn is fully back in the public eye promoting the horror film “Brightburn,” which he produced, and resuming work on the third “Guardians” movie. The ordeal has made him thankful for his friends who have supported him throughout. Actress Elizabeth Banks, who stars in “Brightburn,” is one of those in the circle of people he can go to. “There’s a lot of things that people talk about Hollywood-cutthroat this and Hollywood-bad that and all the things that are terrible about Hollywood. But the truth is … I have one really good gift … I’m attracted to really good people and I have chosen to put wonderful people around me, whether it’s the actors I work with, the crew members I work with, my, you know, the writers I would
deal with, the studio people I deal with,” Gunn said. “There’s a lot of really good people in this industry.” The 52-year-old found himself under intense scrutiny last year when tweets from nearly a decade ago in which he joked about subjects such as pedophilia and rape resurfaced because of far-right propagandists Mike Cernovich and Jack Posobiec after Gunn was critical of President Donald Trump. Gunn apologized for his tweets, but Walt Disney Co. chairman Alan Horn said that they were inconsistent with the studio’s values. Both fans and his cast including Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel and other stars rallied behind him in the wake of the firing last July. “Although I don’t support James Gunn’s inappropriate jokes from years ago, he is a
This image released by Sony Pictures shows producer James Gunn on the set of “Brightburn.” (Boris Martin/Sony Pictures via AP)
good man,” Pratt said. But it was still somewhat surprising that Disney backtracked and this March announced that Gunn had been reinstated as the writer and director of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.” Marvel Studios President
Kevin Feige told the AP last month that he was glad it happened. “It was the right thing,” Feige said. “It was something that Alan Horn at Disney really believed was the right thing to do.” The “Guardians” cast
was similarly pleased. “It’s awesome. I’m really, really, really happy,” ‘Guardians’ actress Pom Klementieff said at the premiere of “Avengers: Endgame” in April. “He’s an amazing human being, and he’s the best director.”
An emotional send-off for lovable geeks of ‘Big Bang Theory’
This photo provided by CBS shows Melissa Rauch, from left, Simon Helberg, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Jim Parsons, Mayim Bialik and Kunal Nayyar in a scene from the series finale of “The Big Bang Theory”. (Michael Yarish/CBS via AP) By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. AP Entertainment Writer
LOS ANGELES — “The Big Bang Theory”
closed out its run as television’s top-rated comedy with an emotional final episode that saw some big changes for the show’s
. . . Events
n Margaret Stock, immigration expert/attorney, will talk about Continued from page A8 changes in immigration law and policy that have been implemented since President Donald Trump took office, and how these changes affect Alaskans on Thursday, May 23 from 6-8 p.m. at the Christ Lutheran Church in Soldotna. Changes include the slowing of legal immigration, increases in denials of visa petitions and citizenship applications, reduced refugee numbers, and the growth in detention of asylum seekers. Hosted by Many Voices. https://www. facebook.com/events/325949158103118/
Entertainment n Vagabond Inn will feature live music by Melster Blues Band on Friday, May 24 and Saturday, May 25. Music starts at 9 p.m. both nights. n The Flats Bistro in Kenai presents live dinner music every Thursday and Friday from 6:30-8:30 p.m., featuring Garrett Mayer on Thursdays, and Mike Morgan on Fridays. The Flats Bistro also presents after-dinner music on alternate Fridays and Saturdays from 9-11 p.m. This Friday, May 24, 9-11 p.m., “Open Mike” Morgan hosts “Friday Night Live” featuring special guests Willow King, Audra Faris, Mark Hutton, Tammy Vollom-Matturro, Sue Biggs, Jack Will, Lee Johnson, and even more of your favorite local music makers! Watch this space for more music at The Flats. For reservations call The Flats Bistro at 907-335-1010. n Acapulco, 43543 Sterling Highway in Soldotna, has live music at 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. n A bluegrass jam takes place on the first Sunday of the month at from 1-4 p.m. at the Mount Redoubt Baptist Church on South Lovers Loop in Nikiski. n Veronica’s in Old Town Kenai has Open Mic from 6-8 p.m. Friday. Call Veronica’s at 283-2725. n The Alaska Roadhouse Bar and Grill hosts open horseshoe tournaments Thursday nights at the bar on Golddust Drive. For more information, call 2629887. n An all acoustic jam takes place every Thursday. The jam takes place 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 has reopened in its brand new building on Kalifornsky Beach across from Jumpin’ Junction. Eligible veterans and their families are invited to stop by to find out more about AmVets and their involvement in the Veteran community. For members and invited guests, Friday night dance to “Running with Scissors,” and Saturday Burn your own steak and karaoke with Cowboy Don. 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.
group of geeky misfits. The long-running series on CBS concluded with two final episodes, “The Change Constant”
. . . Book
and “The Stockholm Syndrome,” in an hour-long finale Thursday evening. The series exited the airwaves with the most episodes for a multi-camera series ever with 279 episodes. It edged past NBC’s “Cheers,” which aired for 12 seasons and 275 episodes. Thursday’s finale was followed by a behind-thescenes look at the show in “Unraveling the Mystery: A Big Bang Farewell” with Johnny Galecki, who played Leonard, and Kaley Cuoco, who played Penny, as hosts. During the finale, the show’s friends took one last trip together to support married couple Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Amy (Mayim Bialik) after they won the Nobel Prize in physics. The couple waited anxiously by the phone while friends prank called them before receiving the actual decision.
the other but reportedly have not yet opened it. (The lot is currently on Continued from page A8 the market for $15.9 million.) In Harris’ fictional version, there’s a rumor that Escobar buried treasure beneath the house: $25 million in gold bars. That rumor is enough to draw two treasure hunters, and both of them need Cari’s help, since she knows the house and its considerable quirks. One is a powerful crime lord called Don Ernesto, who lives in Baranquilla, Colombia, but has a long reach. The other is a Paraguayan named Hans-Peter Schneider. He’s “tall and pale, totally hairless,” a specialist in sexual trafficking for customers with particularly depraved tastes, although he’ll do just about anything for money. When he first sees Cari, he thinks, “It would be a waste to throw her away. With those interesting scars he could get a lot for her. Maybe $100,000 … that’s with all her limbs and no tattoos. If he had to customize her for top dollar, with the downtime, it would be more.” If you’re getting a whiff of Hannibal here (that’s the point on Page 7 when my skin began to crawl), you’re right. Cari is introduced to Hans-Peter as the new renter of the house, and her reaction is elemental: “But when Cari shook his hand in the kitchen, she caught a whiff of brimstone off him. Like the smell of a burning village with dead inside the houses.” Hans-Peter and his “jailbird” crew claim they’ll be shooting a movie in the house, but Cari doesn’t believe it for a minute, even before they start using a jackhammer on the floors. She’s already friendly with Don Ernesto’s Miami crew, who have a certain honor among thieves (and who are all a little in love with Cari). They come to scope out Hans-Peter, and one of them, an old man named Benito who actually worked for Escobar back in the day, is standing in the yard when a spot near the seawall collapses. Thinking fast, Benito pokes his cellphone into the hole to take photos that reveal a cave carved under the patio by the water. Under the house’s foundation is a “shiny cube larger than a refrigerator. … Beside the cube, at water’s edge, were a human skull and the back half of a dog.” The race to claim what’s in the safe —after figuring out how to get past its lethal security systems and whatever toothy creature is lurking in the water outside the cave’s mouth —kicks into high gear, leaving a bloody wake. Harris builds the plot skillfully, with violence and betrayal punctuated by moments of calm and reminiscence. The contest for the gold turns into a fight for survival that rockets to the final pages. “Cari Mora” is a pulse-pounding thriller, and Cari is an engagingly badass character. But is Hans-Peter a next-gen Hannibal? Alas, no. He’s certainly dreadful, sadistic and relentless. But he just doesn’t have Lecter’s complexity and intelligence, his sophistication and startling contrasts — Hannibal was a character who could repel and seduce at once, and that was what made him so deeply, unforgettably creepy. It’s not just the liver, it’s the nice Chianti.
The final episodes were filled with a few surprises including news of Penny’s pregnancy, a surprise cameo from Sarah Michelle Gellar and the elevator finally being fixed after it had been broken for much of the series. It included a scene in which Bialik, who is a neuroscientist in real life, urges young girls to pursue careers in science during her Nobel acceptance speech. “Little girls who dream about science” should ignore naysayers, she said. The often self-absorbed Sheldon followed with his own heartfelt speech about the importance of friendship in the series’ emotional conclusion. “The Big Bang Theory” debuted in 2007 and overcame early doubts to become a cult classic after some questioned the show’s chances of survival. With its live audience and
use of multiple cameras, the series is a throwback to comedies from the early days of television, but its formula proved popular. The show was led by a crew of nerdy misfits starring Parsons, Cuoco, Galecki, Bialik, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar and Melissa Rauch. It won 10 Emmy Awards, including four for Parsons. The comedy leaves on a high as one of television’s most popular shows. Last week’s episode was the most-watched program on broadcast or cable TV with 12.5 million viewers, beating out HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” which ends its series on Sunday after an eight-year run. Parsons has said the end of the series feels like a “real rite of passage moment,” which was full of memories and some tears. Galecki said the show has touched “so many hearts.”
. . . Pier
Husband,” the first plays of the season are classic plays: Peter Clapham’s “Little Continued from page A8 Women,” showing in early June, and William Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing.” While Pier One has had several Broadway musicals over the years, this year’s musical production is the Shakespeare, with songs of the era arranged and compiled by Susan Biggs. A small orchestra performs. “It’s a musical; it’s just a small musical,” Norton said. The second half of the Pier One season features more contemporary works. In July is Alan Ball’s “Five Women Wearing the Same Dress,” written in 1993 by the screenwriter who wrote “American Beauty” and created the television series “Six Feet Under” and “True Blood.” In August, Pier One shows Steve Martin’s “Picasso at the Lapin Agile” and Kieran Lynn’s “Breaking the Ice.” As in previous years, this summer also includes Youth Theatre productions. In early August is “The Jungle Book” and on June 20 and 21 is a Skills Camp showcase. Also returning is Johnny B with his “Rhythm of the North” multimedia show on weekdays through the summer and Outrageous Jazz by Karen Strid-Chadwick and Friends on June 22 and 23. For showtimes and prices, visit www.pieronetheatre.org. Shows are at 7:30 p.m., with tickets $15 general admission, $14 seniors, $13 Raven’s Club, $10 youth and $55 family. Tickets are on sale at the Homer Bookstore and on the Spit at Sea Lion Art & Lodging. Reach Michael Armstrong at marmstrong@ homernews.com.
. . . Movie Continued from page A8
Even so, he now has a backstory and some nice lines, including “Steal an apple, you’re a thief. Steal a king-
dom, you’re a statesman.” Smith’s Genie is a martini-drinking, yoga-posing, needy showoff with a top knot and an armful of popular culture references (“The crowd goes wild!” he says). When he’s blue, he’s purely a visual effect and trying too hard to be the late Robin Williams. When he’s normal, he’s Smith — and better. A scene in which the Genie tries to help the tongue-tied Aladdin at court is Smith at his funniest in years. But everywhere else you feel a restless Ritchie. He has fallen in love with making things explode in a burst of sand. He breaks the fourth wall in one moment and never returns. He creates an abrupt, out-of-left-field fantasy sequence for “Speechless” and never repeats it. He is very good at action — and even mocks the art form when he makes a pile of spice shudder as something massive approaches, like in “Jurassic Park” — but can’t decide on a consistent visual style. He seems bored by quiet moments. Even his romantic “A Whole New World” carpet ride — a slam dunk for any filmmaker — is made somehow harrowing. The film’s lurch from one direction to the next is capped off by a disastrous remix of “Friend Like Me” that plays over the end credits, with Smith resurrecting his ’90s friendly rapper while DJ Khaled keeps screaming “Another one!” Again, Menken, Pasek and Paul — some of our greatest theatrical songwriters — are on deck here. It’s the last of many clumsy touches, but not in a charming way. “Aladdin,” a Disney release, is rated PG for “some action/ peril.” Running time: 128 minutes. Two stars out of four.
Peninsula Clarion | Thursday, May 23, 2019 | A9
James Gunn says he’s a better person after being fired By MIKE CIDONI LENNOX AP Entertainment Reporter
LOS ANGELES — It’s been a roller-coaster year for James Gunn, who was fired from “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” over old tweets in July, and rehired this March. But the writerdirector who shepherded the first two “Guardians” films to critical and box office success said the experience has been an educational one. “I’m a better person than I was a year ago,” Gunn told The Associated Press on Saturday. “It’s made me more creative and focused on the things that really matter to me, which are my friends, my relationships and the movies that I’m making.” Although even after his firing, Gunn didn’t exactly have a fallow period as he was hired fairly soon by Marvel’s rival to work on the
sequel to “Suicide Squad.” Now, Gunn is fully back in the public eye promoting the horror film “Brightburn,” which he produced, and resuming work on the third “Guardians” movie. The ordeal has made him thankful for his friends who have supported him throughout. Actress Elizabeth Banks, who stars in “Brightburn,” is one of those in the circle of people he can go to. “There’s a lot of things that people talk about Hollywood-cutthroat this and Hollywood-bad that and all the things that are terrible about Hollywood. But the truth is … I have one really good gift … I’m attracted to really good people and I have chosen to put wonderful people around me, whether it’s the actors I work with, the crew members I work with, my, you know, the writers I would
deal with, the studio people I deal with,” Gunn said. “There’s a lot of really good people in this industry.” The 52-year-old found himself under intense scrutiny last year when tweets from nearly a decade ago in which he joked about subjects such as pedophilia and rape resurfaced because of far-right propagandists Mike Cernovich and Jack Posobiec after Gunn was critical of President Donald Trump. Gunn apologized for his tweets, but Walt Disney Co. chairman Alan Horn said that they were inconsistent with the studio’s values. Both fans and his cast including Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel and other stars rallied behind him in the wake of the firing last July. “Although I don’t support James Gunn’s inappropriate jokes from years ago, he is a
This image released by Sony Pictures shows producer James Gunn on the set of “Brightburn.” (Boris Martin/Sony Pictures via AP)
good man,” Pratt said. But it was still somewhat surprising that Disney backtracked and this March announced that Gunn had been reinstated as the writer and director of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.” Marvel Studios President
Kevin Feige told the AP last month that he was glad it happened. “It was the right thing,” Feige said. “It was something that Alan Horn at Disney really believed was the right thing to do.” The “Guardians” cast
was similarly pleased. “It’s awesome. I’m really, really, really happy,” ‘Guardians’ actress Pom Klementieff said at the premiere of “Avengers: Endgame” in April. “He’s an amazing human being, and he’s the best director.”
An emotional send-off for lovable geeks of ‘Big Bang Theory’
This photo provided by CBS shows Melissa Rauch, from left, Simon Helberg, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Jim Parsons, Mayim Bialik and Kunal Nayyar in a scene from the series finale of “The Big Bang Theory”. (Michael Yarish/CBS via AP) By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. AP Entertainment Writer
LOS ANGELES — “The Big Bang Theory”
closed out its run as television’s top-rated comedy with an emotional final episode that saw some big changes for the show’s
. . . Events
n Margaret Stock, immigration expert/attorney, will talk about Continued from page A8 changes in immigration law and policy that have been implemented since President Donald Trump took office, and how these changes affect Alaskans on Thursday, May 23 from 6-8 p.m. at the Christ Lutheran Church in Soldotna. Changes include the slowing of legal immigration, increases in denials of visa petitions and citizenship applications, reduced refugee numbers, and the growth in detention of asylum seekers. Hosted by Many Voices. https://www. facebook.com/events/325949158103118/
Entertainment n Vagabond Inn will feature live music by Melster Blues Band on Friday, May 24 and Saturday, May 25. Music starts at 9 p.m. both nights. n The Flats Bistro in Kenai presents live dinner music every Thursday and Friday from 6:30-8:30 p.m., featuring Garrett Mayer on Thursdays, and Mike Morgan on Fridays. The Flats Bistro also presents after-dinner music on alternate Fridays and Saturdays from 9-11 p.m. This Friday, May 24, 9-11 p.m., “Open Mike” Morgan hosts “Friday Night Live” featuring special guests Willow King, Audra Faris, Mark Hutton, Tammy Vollom-Matturro, Sue Biggs, Jack Will, Lee Johnson, and even more of your favorite local music makers! Watch this space for more music at The Flats. For reservations call The Flats Bistro at 907-335-1010. n Acapulco, 43543 Sterling Highway in Soldotna, has live music at 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. n A bluegrass jam takes place on the first Sunday of the month at from 1-4 p.m. at the Mount Redoubt Baptist Church on South Lovers Loop in Nikiski. n Veronica’s in Old Town Kenai has Open Mic from 6-8 p.m. Friday. Call Veronica’s at 283-2725. n The Alaska Roadhouse Bar and Grill hosts open horseshoe tournaments Thursday nights at the bar on Golddust Drive. For more information, call 2629887. n An all acoustic jam takes place every Thursday. The jam takes place 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 has reopened in its brand new building on Kalifornsky Beach across from Jumpin’ Junction. Eligible veterans and their families are invited to stop by to find out more about AmVets and their involvement in the Veteran community. For members and invited guests, Friday night dance to “Running with Scissors,” and Saturday Burn your own steak and karaoke with Cowboy Don. 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.
group of geeky misfits. The long-running series on CBS concluded with two final episodes, “The Change Constant”
. . . Book
and “The Stockholm Syndrome,” in an hour-long finale Thursday evening. The series exited the airwaves with the most episodes for a multi-camera series ever with 279 episodes. It edged past NBC’s “Cheers,” which aired for 12 seasons and 275 episodes. Thursday’s finale was followed by a behind-thescenes look at the show in “Unraveling the Mystery: A Big Bang Farewell” with Johnny Galecki, who played Leonard, and Kaley Cuoco, who played Penny, as hosts. During the finale, the show’s friends took one last trip together to support married couple Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Amy (Mayim Bialik) after they won the Nobel Prize in physics. The couple waited anxiously by the phone while friends prank called them before receiving the actual decision.
the other but reportedly have not yet opened it. (The lot is currently on Continued from page A8 the market for $15.9 million.) In Harris’ fictional version, there’s a rumor that Escobar buried treasure beneath the house: $25 million in gold bars. That rumor is enough to draw two treasure hunters, and both of them need Cari’s help, since she knows the house and its considerable quirks. One is a powerful crime lord called Don Ernesto, who lives in Baranquilla, Colombia, but has a long reach. The other is a Paraguayan named Hans-Peter Schneider. He’s “tall and pale, totally hairless,” a specialist in sexual trafficking for customers with particularly depraved tastes, although he’ll do just about anything for money. When he first sees Cari, he thinks, “It would be a waste to throw her away. With those interesting scars he could get a lot for her. Maybe $100,000 … that’s with all her limbs and no tattoos. If he had to customize her for top dollar, with the downtime, it would be more.” If you’re getting a whiff of Hannibal here (that’s the point on Page 7 when my skin began to crawl), you’re right. Cari is introduced to Hans-Peter as the new renter of the house, and her reaction is elemental: “But when Cari shook his hand in the kitchen, she caught a whiff of brimstone off him. Like the smell of a burning village with dead inside the houses.” Hans-Peter and his “jailbird” crew claim they’ll be shooting a movie in the house, but Cari doesn’t believe it for a minute, even before they start using a jackhammer on the floors. She’s already friendly with Don Ernesto’s Miami crew, who have a certain honor among thieves (and who are all a little in love with Cari). They come to scope out Hans-Peter, and one of them, an old man named Benito who actually worked for Escobar back in the day, is standing in the yard when a spot near the seawall collapses. Thinking fast, Benito pokes his cellphone into the hole to take photos that reveal a cave carved under the patio by the water. Under the house’s foundation is a “shiny cube larger than a refrigerator. … Beside the cube, at water’s edge, were a human skull and the back half of a dog.” The race to claim what’s in the safe —after figuring out how to get past its lethal security systems and whatever toothy creature is lurking in the water outside the cave’s mouth —kicks into high gear, leaving a bloody wake. Harris builds the plot skillfully, with violence and betrayal punctuated by moments of calm and reminiscence. The contest for the gold turns into a fight for survival that rockets to the final pages. “Cari Mora” is a pulse-pounding thriller, and Cari is an engagingly badass character. But is Hans-Peter a next-gen Hannibal? Alas, no. He’s certainly dreadful, sadistic and relentless. But he just doesn’t have Lecter’s complexity and intelligence, his sophistication and startling contrasts — Hannibal was a character who could repel and seduce at once, and that was what made him so deeply, unforgettably creepy. It’s not just the liver, it’s the nice Chianti.
The final episodes were filled with a few surprises including news of Penny’s pregnancy, a surprise cameo from Sarah Michelle Gellar and the elevator finally being fixed after it had been broken for much of the series. It included a scene in which Bialik, who is a neuroscientist in real life, urges young girls to pursue careers in science during her Nobel acceptance speech. “Little girls who dream about science” should ignore naysayers, she said. The often self-absorbed Sheldon followed with his own heartfelt speech about the importance of friendship in the series’ emotional conclusion. “The Big Bang Theory” debuted in 2007 and overcame early doubts to become a cult classic after some questioned the show’s chances of survival. With its live audience and
use of multiple cameras, the series is a throwback to comedies from the early days of television, but its formula proved popular. The show was led by a crew of nerdy misfits starring Parsons, Cuoco, Galecki, Bialik, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar and Melissa Rauch. It won 10 Emmy Awards, including four for Parsons. The comedy leaves on a high as one of television’s most popular shows. Last week’s episode was the most-watched program on broadcast or cable TV with 12.5 million viewers, beating out HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” which ends its series on Sunday after an eight-year run. Parsons has said the end of the series feels like a “real rite of passage moment,” which was full of memories and some tears. Galecki said the show has touched “so many hearts.”
. . . Pier
Husband,” the first plays of the season are classic plays: Peter Clapham’s “Little Continued from page A8 Women,” showing in early June, and William Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing.” While Pier One has had several Broadway musicals over the years, this year’s musical production is the Shakespeare, with songs of the era arranged and compiled by Susan Biggs. A small orchestra performs. “It’s a musical; it’s just a small musical,” Norton said. The second half of the Pier One season features more contemporary works. In July is Alan Ball’s “Five Women Wearing the Same Dress,” written in 1993 by the screenwriter who wrote “American Beauty” and created the television series “Six Feet Under” and “True Blood.” In August, Pier One shows Steve Martin’s “Picasso at the Lapin Agile” and Kieran Lynn’s “Breaking the Ice.” As in previous years, this summer also includes Youth Theatre productions. In early August is “The Jungle Book” and on June 20 and 21 is a Skills Camp showcase. Also returning is Johnny B with his “Rhythm of the North” multimedia show on weekdays through the summer and Outrageous Jazz by Karen Strid-Chadwick and Friends on June 22 and 23. For showtimes and prices, visit www.pieronetheatre.org. Shows are at 7:30 p.m., with tickets $15 general admission, $14 seniors, $13 Raven’s Club, $10 youth and $55 family. Tickets are on sale at the Homer Bookstore and on the Spit at Sea Lion Art & Lodging. Reach Michael Armstrong at marmstrong@ homernews.com.
. . . Movie Continued from page A8
Even so, he now has a backstory and some nice lines, including “Steal an apple, you’re a thief. Steal a king-
dom, you’re a statesman.” Smith’s Genie is a martini-drinking, yoga-posing, needy showoff with a top knot and an armful of popular culture references (“The crowd goes wild!” he says). When he’s blue, he’s purely a visual effect and trying too hard to be the late Robin Williams. When he’s normal, he’s Smith — and better. A scene in which the Genie tries to help the tongue-tied Aladdin at court is Smith at his funniest in years. But everywhere else you feel a restless Ritchie. He has fallen in love with making things explode in a burst of sand. He breaks the fourth wall in one moment and never returns. He creates an abrupt, out-of-left-field fantasy sequence for “Speechless” and never repeats it. He is very good at action — and even mocks the art form when he makes a pile of spice shudder as something massive approaches, like in “Jurassic Park” — but can’t decide on a consistent visual style. He seems bored by quiet moments. Even his romantic “A Whole New World” carpet ride — a slam dunk for any filmmaker — is made somehow harrowing. The film’s lurch from one direction to the next is capped off by a disastrous remix of “Friend Like Me” that plays over the end credits, with Smith resurrecting his ’90s friendly rapper while DJ Khaled keeps screaming “Another one!” Again, Menken, Pasek and Paul — some of our greatest theatrical songwriters — are on deck here. It’s the last of many clumsy touches, but not in a charming way. “Aladdin,” a Disney release, is rated PG for “some action/ peril.” Running time: 128 minutes. Two stars out of four.
A10 | Thursday, May 23, 2019 | Peninsula Clarion
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Peninsula Clarion | Thursday, May 23, 2019 | A11
THURSDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING A
B
5
(8) CBS-11 11 (9) FOX-4
4
(10) NBC-2
2
(12) PBS-7
7
4:30
5 PM
Chicago P.D. A killer targets How I Met the police department. ‘14’ Your Mother ‘14’ The Ellen DeGeneres Show KTVA 5 p.m. (N) ‘G’ First Take Two and a Entertainment Funny You Should Ask 4 Half Men ‘14’ Tonight (N) ‘PG’ Judge Judy Judge Judy Channel 2 ‘PG’ News 5:00 2 ‘PG’ Report (N) NOVA “Lost Viking Army” The BBC World News ‘G’ 7 Great Heathen army. ‘14’
CABLE STATIONS
(23) LIFE
108 252
(28) USA
105 242
(30) TBS
139 247
(31) TNT
138 245
(34) ESPN 140 206 (35) ESPN2 144 209 (36) ROOT 426 687 (38) PARMT 241 241 (43) AMC 131 254 (46) TOON 176 296 (47) ANPL 184 282 (49) DISN 173 291 (50) NICK 171 300 (51) FREE 180 311 183 280
(56) DISC 182 278 (57) TRAV 196 277 (58) HIST 120 269 (59) A&E
118 265
(60) HGTV 112 229 (61) FOOD 110 231 (65) CNBC 208 355 (67) FNC
205 360
(81) COM 107 249 (82) SYFY 122 244
303 504
^ HBO2 304 505 + MAX
311 516
5 SHOW 319 546 8 TMC
329 554
6:30
7 PM
7:30
Wheel of For- Grey’s Anatomy ‘14’ tune “R&R” ‘G’
8 PM
MAY 23, 2019 FR
8:30
(:01) Station 19 ‘14’
Last Man Last Man The Good Wife “Heart” Alicia The Good Wife “Doubt” TenStanding ‘PG’ Standing ‘PG’ welcomes Peter home prop- sion builds between Will and erly. ‘PG’ Alicia. ‘14’ KTVA 6 p.m. Evening News Big Bang (:31) Young (:01) Mom ‘14’ Life in Pieces Theory Sheldon ‘PG’ The Big Bang The Big Bang Paradise Hotel “Episode 107” One single has to leave the Theory ‘14’ Theory ‘14’ hotel. (N Same-day Tape) ‘14’ Channel 2 Newshour (N) PBS NewsHour (N)
9 PM
9:30 10 PM 10:30 11 PM 11:30
Shark Tank A boutique shave ABC News at (:35) Jimmy Kimmel Live ‘14’ (:37) Nightline (N) club for women. ‘PG’ 10 (N) (3) AB Dateline ‘PG’
DailyMailTV (N)
Pawn Stars “Hot & Colt” (6) M ‘PG’ Elementary A popular model KTVA Night- (:35) The Late Show With James Cor (8) CB is attacked. (N) ‘14’ cast Stephen Colbert ‘PG’ den Fox 4 News at 9 (N) TMZ (N) ‘PG’ TMZ ‘PG’ Entertainment Two and a Tonight Half Men ‘14’ (9) F
Red Nose Day Fundraising and fun. (N)
Hollywood Game Night A night of games for a good cause. (N) ‘14’ Father Brown The father of a Death in Paradise The outgo- Doc Martin “Sons and Lovwriter is found dead. ‘PG’ ing governor is poisoned. ‘PG’ ers” Louisa considers a career change. ‘PG’
DailyMailTV (N)
Impractical Jokers ‘14’
Channel 2 (:34) The Tonight Show Star- (:37) Late News: Late ring Jimmy Fallon (N) ‘14’ Night With (10) N Edition (N) Seth Meyers Midsomer Murders Former Amanpour and Company (N) socialite and Lothario. ‘PG’ (12) P
Mom ‘14’
Mom ‘14’
Mom ‘14’
Last Man Standing
Mom ‘14’
Mom ‘14’
Mom ‘14’
Mom ‘14’
Wife Swap “Chauhan vs. “Rush Hour 3” (2007) Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker. Carter and Wife Swap “Chauhan vs. (38) PA Lenoir-Johnson” (N) ‘PG’ Lee battle Chinese gangsters in Paris. Lenoir-Johnson” ‘PG’ (2:00) “Total “Escape Plan” (2013, Action) Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger. A “Taken” (2008, Action) Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace. Slavers (:05) “Taken” (2008, Action) Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace. (:05) “Focus” (2015) Will (43) A Recall” security expert must break out of a formidable prison. kidnap the daughter of a former spy. Slavers kidnap the daughter of a former spy. Smith, Margot Robbie. Samurai Jack American American Bob’s Burg- Bob’s Burg- Family Guy Family Guy Rick and Robot Chick- Squidbillies The Boon- Bob’s Burg- Family Guy Family Guy Rick and Robot Chick (46) T ‘14’ Dad ‘14’ Dad ‘14’ ers ‘PG’ ers ‘PG’ ‘14’ ‘14’ Morty ‘14’ en ‘14’ ‘14’ docks ‘MA’ ers ‘PG’ ‘14’ ‘14’ Morty ‘14’ en ‘14’ River Monsters “Electric Ex- River Monsters “Mongolian River Monsters “Jungle Ter- Fish or Die “The Four Norse- Jeremy Wade’s Dark Waters River Monsters: Legendary Locations “European Myster- Jeremy Wade’s Dark Waters (47) A ecutioner” ‘PG’ Mauler” ‘PG’ minator” ‘PG’ men” ‘14’ “Toxic Invader” ‘PG’ ies” Europe’s greatest aquatic mysteries. ‘PG’ “Toxic Invader” ‘PG’ Big City Jessie ‘G’ Jessie ‘G’ Coop & Cami Jessie ‘G’ Jessie ‘G’ Sydney to the Sydney to the Jessie ‘G’ Jessie ‘G’ Sydney to the Coop & Cami Miraculous: Bunk’d ‘G’ Andi Mack ‘G’ Bizaardvark (49) D Greens ‘Y7’ Max ‘G’ Max ‘G’ Max ‘G’ Ladybug ‘G’ The Loud The Loud The Loud The Loud The Loud Henry Dan- “Elf” (2003, Children’s) Will Ferrell, James Caan. A man Friends ‘14’ Friends ‘14’ Friends ‘14’ Friends ‘14’ Friends ‘14’ Friends ‘14’ (50) N House ‘Y7’ House ‘Y7’ House ‘Y7’ House ‘Y7’ House ‘Y7’ ger ‘G’ leaves Santa’s workshop to search for his family. “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” (2011, Adventure) Johnny Depp, Penélope Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger (:01) “Hercules” (1997) Voices of Tate Donovan. Animated. The 700 Club “The LEGO Movie” (2014) (51) F Cruz. Capt. Jack Sparrow searches for the Fountain of Youth. “Blue Note” (N) ‘14’ The strongman becomes a Greek hero. Voices of Chris Pratt. (3:00) 90 Day Fiancé “Break- Say Yes to Say Yes to Say Yes to the Dress ‘PG’ My 600-Lb. Life “Supersized: Vianey & Allen’s Story” (N) ‘PG’ Untold Stories of the E.R. Untold Stories of the E.R. My 600-Lb. Life ‘PG’ (55) ing Point” ‘PG’ the Dress the Dress “Wipeout!” ‘PG’ ‘PG’ Naked and Afraid Pop-Up Naked and Afraid Pop-Up Naked and Afraid Pop-Up Naked and Afraid Pop-Up Naked and Afraid “Surviving Starvation and Inner Struggles” Naked and Afraid Pop-Up Naked and Afraid ‘14’ (56) D Edition ‘14’ Edition ‘14’ Edition ‘14’ Edition ‘14’ Survivalists take on Namibia. ‘14’ Edition (N) ‘14’ The Dead Files ‘PG’ The Dead Files ‘PG’ The Dead Files ‘PG’ The Dead Files “Hotel Horror and Family Harm” A hotel is The Dead Files (N) ‘PG’ The Dead Files ‘PG’ The Dead Files ‘PG’ (57) T overrun with ghosts. (N) ‘PG’ American Pickers “Risks and Swamp People “Rolling With Swamp People “Tag Out or Swamp People “Voodoo Swamp People “Crocogator” (:03) The American Farm (:05) Swamp People “Tag Out (:03) Swamp People “Croco (58) H Rewards” ‘PG’ the Punches” ‘PG’ Die Trying” ‘PG’ Python” ‘PG’ (N) ‘PG’ (N) ‘PG’ or Die Trying” ‘PG’ gator” ‘PG’ The First 48: Gangland The First 48: Gangland The The First 48: Gangland The First 48: Gangland A Secret Life of a Gang Girl: (:01) The First 48 A Tulsa, (:04) The First 48 A generous (:03) The First 48: Gangland Killing of a motorcycle club shootings of a father and a Shootings in Cleveland and night out leaves an innocent The Untold Story (N) ‘14’ Okla., man is shot and killed. man is murdered. ‘PG’ A night out leaves an innocent (59) A president. ‘14’ veteran. ‘14’ New Orleans. ‘14’ man dead. ‘14’ ‘14’ man dead. ‘14’ Beach Hunt- Beach Hunt- Beach Hunt- Beach Hunt- Beach Hunt- Beach Hunt- Beachfront Beachfront Christina on House Hunt- House Hunt- Hunters Int’l House Hunt- House Hunt- Christina on House Hunt (60) H ers ‘G’ ers ‘G’ ers ‘G’ ers ‘G’ ers ‘G’ ers ‘G’ Bargain Bargain the Coast ers (N) ‘G’ ers (N) ‘G’ ers ‘G’ ers ‘G’ the Coast ers ‘G’ Beat Bobby Beat Bobby Beat Bobby Beat Bobby Chopped Veal burgers; des- Chopped Jumbo shrimp; pork Chopped “Feel The Burn” ‘G’ Beat Bobby Beat Bobby Beat Bobby Beat Bobby Chopped “Feel The Burn” ‘G’ (61) F Flay ‘G’ Flay ‘G’ Flay ‘G’ Flay ‘G’ sert burgers. ‘G’ spare ribs. ‘G’ Flay (N) ‘G’ Flay ‘G’ Flay ‘G’ Flay ‘G’ Shark Tank Pet-safe bug Shark Tank ‘PG’ Shark Tank ‘PG’ Shark Tank ‘PG’ Shark Tank ‘PG’ Shark Tank A $4 million in- Paid Program Paid Program Paid Program Paid Program (65) C ‘G’ repellents. ‘PG’ vestment. ‘PG’ ‘G’ ‘G’ ‘G’ Tucker Carlson Tonight (N) Hannity (N) The Ingraham Angle (N) Fox News at Night With Tucker Carlson Tonight Hannity The Ingraham Angle Fox News at Night With (67) F Shannon Bream (N) Shannon Bream (:10) The Of- (:45) The Of- (:15) The Office “Stress Re- (5:50) The Of- (:25) The Of- The Office The Office The Office The Office The Office Klepper (N) The Daily (:36) South (:06) South (:36) South (81) C fice ‘PG’ fice ‘PG’ lief” ‘PG’ fice ‘PG’ fice ‘PG’ ‘PG’ ‘PG’ ‘PG’ ‘PG’ ‘PG’ ‘14’ Show Park ‘MA’ Park ‘MA’ Park ‘MA’ “Unlocked” (2017) Noomi Rapace, Orlando Bloom. A CIA “The Scorpion King” (2002) The Rock, Steven Brand. A “The Mechanic” (2011) Jason Statham. An elite hit-man Happy! Amanda’s blessed (:01) “Push” (2009) Chris (82) S agent must prevent a biological attack on London. warrior battles an evil ruler and a sorceress. teaches his deadly trade to an apprentice. day arrives. ‘MA’ Evans, Dakota Fanning.
Mom ‘14’
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(3:20) “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” REAL Sports With Bryant VICE News (2018, Adventure) Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Gumbel ‘PG’ Tonight (N) Howard. ‘PG-13’ ‘14’ (3:40) What’s My Name: Mu- “Collateral” (2004, Suspense) Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, hammad Ali ‘14’ Jada Pinkett Smith. A contract killer uses a cabdriver for his jobs. ‘R’ (3:00) “Frantic” (1988, Sus- “The Snowman” (2017, Suspense) Michael Fassbender, pense) Harrison Ford, Betty Rebecca Ferguson. A detective plays cat-and-mouse games Buckley. ‘R’ with a serial killer. ‘R’ (3:00) “Rent” (2005, Musical) (:15) “The Catcher Was a Spy” (2018, Suspense) Paul Rosario Dawson, Taye Diggs. Rudd, Mark Strong. A baseball player becomes a spy during ‘PG-13’ World War II. ‘R’ (3:00) “Diary of a Mad Black “Baby Driver” (2017, Action) Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Woman” (2005) Kimberly Lily James. A doomed heist threatens the life of a young Elise. getaway driver. ‘R’
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PRE
“BlacKkKlansman” (2018, Comedy-Drama) John David (:15) Game of Thrones Noble families in the (:40) Gentleman Jack A REAL Sports Washington, Adam Driver. Ron Stallworth works under cover seven kingdoms of Westeros vie for control of widowed clergyman eyes Ann Gumbel ! H to infiltrate the KKK. ‘R’ the Iron Throne. ‘MA’ Walker. ‘MA’ Chernobyl Valery lays out a (:05) Barry Wyatt On Tour With On Tour With (:15) “The Nun” (2018, Horror) Demián Bichir, Taissa decontamination plan. ‘MA’ “berkman/ Cenac’s Prob- Asperger’s Asperger’s Farmiga, Jonas Bloquet. A priest and a novitiate encounter a ^ H block” ‘MA’ lem Areas Are Us Are Us demonic nun in Romania. ‘R’ “The Invasion” (2007, Science Fiction) (:40) “The Day After Tomorrow” (2004, Action) Dennis (:45) Warrior “The Tiger and (:35) “MaNicole Kidman. An epidemic of alien origin Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ian Holm. Global warming leads to the Fox” Lee’s past catches chete” (2010) + M threatens humanity. ‘PG-13’ worldwide natural disasters. ‘PG-13’ up with him. ‘MA’ ‘R’ “The Kingdom” (2007, Action) Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, The Chi “Showdown” Brandon Desus & Mero Our Cartoon Desus & Mero Brendan Jennifer Garner. Federal agents seek a terrorist cell in Rimakes a deal with Emmett. “116” (N) ‘MA’ President ‘14’ “116” ‘MA’ Schaub-Be 5 S yadh, Saudi Arabia. ‘R’ ‘MA’ Surprised “Saw” (2004, Horror) Cary Elwes, Danny (:45) “Saw II” (2005, Horror) Donnie Wahlberg, Tobin Bell, “Saw III” (2006, Horror) Tobin Bell, Shawnee Glover. A doctor must kill his cellmate or his Shawnee Smith. A detective must save his son from a mad- Smith. A doctor becomes a pawn in Jigsaw’s 8 T family will die. ‘R’ man’s sadistic game. ‘R’ latest game. ‘R’
12
Notices
CAB
Last Man Last Man Last Man Last Man Last Man Last Man Married ... Married ... How I Met How I Met Elementary ‘14’ (8) W Standing Standing Standing Standing Standing Standing With With Your Mother Your Mother LOGO by Lori Goldstein “All Easy Pay Offers” (N) (Live) ‘G’ IT Cosmetics “All Easy Pay Clarks Footwear (N) (Live) ‘G’ IT Cosmetics “All Easy Pay (20) Q Offers” (N) (Live) ‘G’ Offers” (N) (Live) ‘G’ Celebrity Wife Swap Wives Celebrity Wife Swap ”Big Little Women: Atlanta Bump- Little Women: Atlanta Juicy Little Women: Atlanta Minnie (:05) Little Women: LA Male (:05) Little (:19) Little (:01) Little Women: Atlanta of former “The Bachelor” Ang” Raiola and Alana Stew- man and Abira collaborate. gives the Cheeks a timeout. accepts Odell’s comedy chal- entertainment perks up a hen Women: At- Women: LA Juicy gives the Cheeks a (23) L stars. ‘PG’ art. ‘PG’ ‘14’ (N) ‘14’ lenge. (N) ‘14’ party. (N) ‘14’ lanta ‘14’ ‘14’ timeout. ‘14’ Law & Order: Special Vic- Law & Order: Special Vic- Law & Order: Special Vic- Law & Order: Special Vic- Law & Order: Special Vic- Law & Order: Special Vic- Modern Fam- Modern Fam- Modern Fam- Modern Fam (28) U tims Unit ‘14’ tims Unit “Mood” ‘14’ tims Unit ‘14’ tims Unit ‘14’ tims Unit ‘14’ tims Unit ‘14’ ily ‘PG’ ily ‘PG’ ily ‘PG’ ily ‘PG’ American American Family Guy Family Guy Seinfeld “The Seinfeld “The Seinfeld “The Seinfeld “The The Big Bang The Big Bang The Big Bang The Big Bang Conan (N) ‘14’ Seinfeld “The Seinfeld “The Conan ‘14’ Dad ‘14’ Dad ‘14’ ‘14’ “Blind Ambi- Soup” ‘PG’ Secretary” Switch” ‘PG’ Label Maker” Theory ‘14’ Theory ‘PG’ Theory ‘PG’ Theory ‘14’ Race” ‘PG’ Scofflaw” ‘PG’ (30) tion” ‘14’ ‘PG’ ‘PG’ NBA Tip-Off NBA Basketball Toronto Raptors at Milwaukee Bucks. Eastern Conference Inside the NBA (N) (Live) Animal Kingdom “In the Bones Serial killer strikes. ‘14’ Bones The murder of a young Bones The murder of a young (31) (N) (Live) Final, Game 5. (If necessary). (N Subject to Blackout) (Live) Red” ‘MA’ British heiress. ‘14’ British heiress. ‘14’ College Softball College Softball NCAA Tournament, Super Regional: Teams SportsCenter (N) (Live) SportsCenter With Scott Van SportsCenter (N) (Live) SportsCenter (N) (Live) SportsCenter (34) E TBA. (N) (Live) Pelt (N) (Live) (3:00) Professional Fighters Collegiate Esports Champi- Art of Conver. NFL Live UFC Fight UFC Main UFC Unleashed (N) ‘14’ Now or Never UFC Fight UFC 232: Jones vs. Gustafs (35) E League (N) (Live) onship (Taped) Flashback Event (N) Flashback son 2 (3:00) College Baseball ACC Tournament, Day 3, Game 1: College Baseball ACC Tournament, Day 3, Game 2: Teams TBA. (N Same-day Tape) College Baseball ACC Tournament, Day 3, Game 3: Teams TBA. (N Same-day Tape) (36) R Teams TBA. (N Same-day Tape)
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A12 | Thursday, May 23, 2019 | Peninsula Clarion
Man tells wife his travel plans on need-to-know basis when he does. The problem is, I live paycheck to paycheck, and there is no retirement plan. What little money I had saved went out the window when I got a divorce a few years ago. I know I need to quit and go somewhere that offers REAL benefits, but I feel like leaving will cre- Abigail Van Buren ate a huge rift. I adore the patients, and I know they will ask him what happened. I don’t want to seem ungrateful. I know it’s my fault for not demanding more earlier. I get depressed when patients tell me about their retirement plans, or I hear about his. I will be working until I die. I’m afraid he will take the staff out for a nice lunch to celebrate my 30 years, and I will be so sad or bitter that I won’t be able to hide it. -- LIVING PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK DEAR LIVING: Talk to your boss about your dilemma NOW. In light of the fact that you have worked for him for so long, perhaps he will consider instituting a retirement plan now. If he is unwilling, then it’s time to look for other employment with better compensation
Hints from Heloise
Rubes
By Leigh Rubin
goal. You have been circling this goal, but you need to be more active than you have been. Listen to someone at a distance who can and will make a difference. Open up to a potential change. Tonight: Squeeze in some exercise. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) HHH Deal with a situation that inspires creativity and some detachment. You could be surprised by a partner’s reaction and your decisions surrounding his or her reaction. You might want to find out what is drawing this strong response. Tonight: Be a duo. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) HHH You are coming from a strong position. You might not want to change directions, but a roommate provides an excellent reason to do just that. Keep your eye on a domestic matter that could change suddenly. Tonight: Work with a disruption. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) HHH You might want to proceed in a different direction after a lengthy conversation. You might wonder how good an idea might be. Go with the moment and understand what this situation is drawing. Tonight: Join friends. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) HHH Be aware of the costs of proceeding as you have. You do not want to be surprised or find you cannot handle what is tossed on your plate. Let go and understand what is happening. A child or loved one does the unexpected. Tonight: Stay centered. Treat a loved one to a favorite dessert. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) HHHH Beam in much more of what you want. You could feel stressed out by a lot of what is occurring around you. Your domestic life takes a surprising twist. Adjust to the unexpected around your domestic life. Tonight: Stay close to home. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) HHHH Your conversations could be pivotal in making a decision. Your upbeat attitude helps someone else speak his or her mind. Understand the depth of what this person is saying. A friend might encourage you to halt and reassess an important matter. Tonight: Move with the moment. BORN TODAY Actress Joan Collins (1933), TV personality Drew Carey (1958), musician Jewel (1974)
Ziggy
A PRESSING MATTER, AND PUMICE POWER Dear Heloise: I read your column in the Statesman Journal, and I’d like to share these hints with your readers: We use cotton napkins instead of paper napkins. After washing them, I spread them flat to dry, even stacking them because they dry quickly. Once folded, they pass as ironed napkins. Also, if all else fails when getting out a grease spot, I vigorously rub hand cleaner with pumice into the spot. It contains a degreaser. -- Cindy U., Salem, Ore. Pumice is made from volcanic ash; it has a rough and grainy texture! -- Heloise SEPARATE SHEETS Dear Heloise: Reader Trish S. in Texas needs to shop online (for extra fitted bottom sheets because they seem to wear out more quickly). Big-box stores may only sell sets. I always buy separates for my queen bed; I use a fitted queen bottom and a king flat sheet so it covers two people. -- Laurie K., Simi Valley Calif. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ‘BRING’ AND ‘TAKE’ Dear Readers: The words “take” and “bring” both imply movement. The difference is where. Mom probably said, “Don’t forget to take your lunch to school, and bring me your report card!” Alliteration can also help you remember the correct word: “Take to” and “bring back”! -- Heloise
SUDOKU Solution
3 5 4 9 7 2 8 6 1
8 1 7 3 5 6 2 4 9
6 9 2 4 1 8 3 5 7
1 2 3 6 8 4 7 9 5
7 6 5 1 3 9 4 8 2
4 7 6 8 9 1 5 2 3
Difficulty Level
B.C.
2 8 1 5 6 3 9 7 4
5 3 9 2 4 7 6 1 8 5/22
2
9 7 6 1 6 4 8 4
3 9 1
9
8 6
Difficulty Level
7
4
8 6 3 2 3 5 7 8 5/23
By Johnny Hart
By Tom Wilson
Tundra
Garfield
9 4 8 7 2 5 1 3 6
By Dave Green
2019 Conceptis Puzzles, Dist. by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
Jacqueline Bigar’s Stars HAPPY BIRTHDAY for Thursday, May 23, 2019: This year, you experience new possibilities coming into reality. Greet a fast change with optimism. You might need to oversee this situation more than usual. If you’re single, you break past patterns and create a fast change in your love life. Make no commitments unless you are serious and only after a given amount of time. If you’re attached, the two of you draw the unexpected in your domestic life. Maintain your home and stay sensitive to your sweetie. AQUARIUS can be more willful than you think. 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 A meeting could prove more important than you think. What you hear works. You might need to make a major adjustment. Use care around finances because a mistake could easily be made. Tonight: Where your friends are. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) HHH Be careful with finances. You could feel as if someone is holding you back. Remember that you are your own person and can take a leap of faith. A boss or another higher-up could make an unusual demand. Tonight: Where the action is. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) HHHH One-on-one relating draws success no matter the reason you are spending time with this person. You hear news from a distance or about a potential trip. Your in-laws could be involved. Go with an unusual opportunity. Tonight: Follow the music. CANCER (June 21-July 22) HHHH Defer to one person you work well with. Fatigue could be a strong element in making a decision. Take some distance from the issue, nap and then take another look. Tonight: Say yes to an offer that’s too good to be true. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) HHHH You might feel as if you are juggling too much for your taste. What you do with the present situation could change because of several close associates and their decisions. Do not feel locked. Look to adapt to a change. Tonight: Put up your feet and relax. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) HHH Follow through on a long-term
By Eugene Sheffer
and hope you can find a match even if it means missing the luncheon. DEAR ABBY: Please enlighten me on etiquette. My friend and I were out to lunch. While we were sitting there, she got on Facebook and posted about it. I think it was rude of her not to ask if I minded. It’s not a secret, but why put it on Facebook? I don’t understand why people think they have to advertise everything they do. Do they do it because they want to feel important? -- OLD-FASHIONED WOMAN DEAR OLD-FASHIONED: I am sure some of them do. Others may do it because they want to memorialize the occasion or think others are actually interested. If you preferred that she not do it, you should have spoken up, told her you are a private person and asked her to please not mention your name or post your image in the future. READER ALERT! If you know a student who would like to enter the $5,000 Dear Abby College Columnist Scholarship Contest, see the information at DearAbby.com/scholarship and learn more. The deadline is fast approaching. 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.
2019 Conceptis Puzzles, Dist. by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
DEAR ABBY: I could use your advice on training my husband. He refuses to enter his work travel schedule on the household calendar. He snapped at me this week when he finally revealed that he was leaving Sunday. It took three more days to get the date he was coming back. It was like pulling teeth. It left me with only two days to decide how to enjoy the time alone. I suspect that he’s withholding his travel data to keep me from enjoying myself too much while he’s gone. I think it’s disrespectful to keep your wife in the dark until just a day or two before you leave. I need a way to motivate my man to share his travel dates earlier. I’m at the point where I’m tempted to ignore him and his travel since he is acting more like a child than a husband. I’m not his mommy, and I need to break his mean streak. Advice? -- KEPT IN THE DARK IN LOUISIANA DEAR KEPT: Stop putting yourself at your husband’s mercy. You are both adults. If you need a break and would like to schedule appointments, see a play, visit with friends, go on a trip, whatever -- schedule it regardless of when your husband will be traveling. And ENJOY yourself. DEAR ABBY: I have worked for the same doctor for 29 years. My 30-year anniversary is approaching. People think I should be ready to retire
Crossword
Shoe
By Jim Davis
Take it from the Tinkersons
By Bill Bettwy
By Chad Carpenter
By Chris Cassatt & Gary Brookins
Mother Goose and Grimm
By Michael Peters