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P E N I N S U L A
Sunday, December 15, 2019 Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Vol. 50, Issue 60
In the news
Powerful Native corporation to leave group ANCHORAGE — A powerful Alaska Native corporation is withdrawing from the Alaska Federation of Natives at the end of this year, KTOO Public Media reported. Arctic Slope Regional Corp. Director of Communications Ty Hardt wrote in a statement issued Friday that the organization’s board of directors voted unanimously to end its membership in the federation on Dec. 31. “With this decision, ASRC intends to focus on the various needs within Alaska’s North Slope, where there is an increased degree of alignment as well as additional efficiencies related to shared geography and other interests,” Hardt said. The corporation had been in talks about withdrawing “for more than a year,” according to the release. The statement didn’t detail the problems or disagreements between the corporation and the federation. The Utqiagvik-based company serves Iñupiat shareholders living primarily in Alaska’s North Slope. It is the largest corporation based in Alaska. KTOO reports that the corporation and tribal organizations have had disagreements on the issues posed by climate change. During the most recent federation convention in Fairbanks, a resolution on whether to declare a climate emergency stalled for more than an hour, with many of the most vocal opponents hailing from the North Slope region. Arctic Slope would be the only Alaska Native corporation in the state not to be a member of federation, which is the state’s largest Native organization, KTOO reported.
State proposes copying prisoner mail to stop drug smuggling ANCHORAGE — Alaska prison officials have proposed giving inmates copies of their incoming mail rather than originals to crack down on smuggling, officials said. See news, Page A3
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Assembly approves disaster funds In addition to extending the emergency declaration, the Assembly voted unanimously to appropriate $280,000 to make necessary repairs to public infrastructure. By Victoria Petersen Peninsula Clarion
Emergency funds have been made available to repair damages caused by several recent winter storms. During a special assembly meeting Friday, the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly voted unanimously to extend the borough’s emergency disaster declaration and to appropriate $280,000 to make necessary repairs to public infrastructure caused by storms that brought
high winds, rainfall, snowfall and power outages to much of the Kenai Peninsula. Dan Nelson, emergency manager for the borough, spoke about damages caused by the winter storms to the assembly. Most of those impacts were in the southern peninsula, where heavy rainfall flooded streams and rivers, plugged culverts, caused mudslides and damaged both borough and state roadways. Photo courtesy of Kenai Peninsula Borough Office of Emergency Management
See funds, Page A3
Dorothy Drive near Anchor Point was damaged during the recent stormy weather.
Soldotna mayoral election Tuesday
A visit from Santa
By Victoria Petersen Peninsula Clarion
and parole officer with the Department of Corrections, conducted a training course on trauma-informed care. The training provided was the same training given to criminal justice professionals and is certified by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Stuart is one of the only
The city of Soldotna will be electing a new mayor Tuesday. After the Sept. 10 death of Mayor John Nels Anderson, the city council declared the mayor’s seat vacant. At their Sept. 26 meeting, they called a special election to elect a new mayor Dec. 17. Two Soldotna residents have launched campaigns to run for mayor, Pete Sprague and Charlene M. Tautfest. Tautfest has lived in Alaska for 25 years, according to the candidate information form available on the city’s website. She has a degree in business administration from the University of Alaska Anchorage. She is currently serving on several boards, including the Alaska Mental Health Board, Alaska Coalition on Housing and Homelessness and the Governor’s Council on Disabilities and Special Education. She’s a member of the Rotary, Republican Women of the Kenai and serves as a director of the Peninsula Community Health Services of Alaska. Sprague has lived in Alaska for 44 years, according to his candidate information form. He served as Soldotna’s mayor between 2015 and 2017 and on the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly from 1998 to 2010. He also served on the Soldotna City Council from 1997 to 1999 and again from 2011 to 2015. He has a bachelor’s degree in history from the State University of New York at Albany. Sprague is retired from the U.S. Postal Service and is a current member of the Soldotna Historical Society.
See shelter, Page A2
See election, Page A3
Brian Mazurek / Peninsula Clarion
Easton Symonds tells Santa Claus what he wants for Christmas during Christmas Comes to Nikiski at the Nikiski Community Recreation Center on Saturday. Easton was a little shy about giving Santa his wish list, but readily said “Yes!” to every suggestion that was offered to him, including a race car and a remote-control helicopter. Christmas Comes to Nikiski also featured a craft fair with more than 30 local vendors as well as free cookie and ornament decorating for the kids.
Volunteers get training for emergency cold-weather shelter By Brian Mazurek Peninsula Clarion
Advocates are a few steps closer to developing an emergency coldweather shelter on the Kenai Peninsula. This weekend about a dozen volunteers participated in two days of training that prepared them with the skills and knowledge needed to staff an overnight shelter for
homeless families on the peninsula. Friday’s training consisted of basic first aid, including CPR and naloxone administration, as well information on proper sanitation and biohazards. Leslie Rohr, executive director of Love, INC of the Kenai Peninsula, said that the CPR training was not the official certification course, but it did give volunteers the opportunity to practice on a dummy. On Saturday Jodi Stuart, probation
Charges head to House; Trump cries anew: ‘Hoax’ By Lisa Mascaro and Mary Clare Jalonick Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Democrats propelled President Donald Trump’s impeachment toward a historic vote by the full U.S. House as the Judiciary Committee on Friday approved charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. It’s the latest major step in the constitutional and political storm that has divided Congress and the nation. The House is expected to approve the two articles of impeachment next week, before lawmakers depart for the holidays. The partisan split in the committee
vote — 23 Democrats to 17 Republicans — reflects the atmosphere in Congress. The Democratic-majority House is expected to approve the charges against Trump next week, but the Republican-controlled Senate is likely to acquit him after a January trial. Trump is accused, in the first article, of abusing his presidential power by asking Ukraine to investigate his 2020 rival Joe Biden while holding military aid as leverage, and, in the second, of obstructing Congress by blocking the House’s efforts to probe his actions. “Today is a solemn and sad day,” Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., told reporters after the session, marking
the third time in U.S. history the panel has voted to recommend impeaching a president. He said the full House would act ”expeditiously.”’ At the White House after the votes, Trump denounced the inquiry and actions against him, using the terms he’s relied on for months. He referred to the impeachment effort four times as a hoax, twice as a sham and once each as a scam, a witch hunt and a disgrace. He described his actions as perfect three times and said four times he did nothing wrong. When he had asked Ukraine to “do us a favor” in the July phone call that sparked the impeachment inquiry, he said, the “us” referred to the U.S., not a political favor for himself.
Trump noted that he watched “quite a bit” of the previous day’s proceedings, and he derided the government officials who testified that he pressured Ukraine. He claimed he actually was benefiting politically from impeachment. Voting was swift and solemn Friday, with none of the fiery speeches and weighty nods to history that defined the previous two days of debate, including 14 hours that stretched nearly to midnight Thursday. Nadler abruptly halted that rancorous session so voting could be held in daylight, for all Americans to see. See impeach, Page A2