Thursday, May 11, 2006

At work with: Izaak Limbert
  Izaak Limbert works on a UPS van on a recent Saturday at Alyeska Sales and Service in Kenai. UPS vans, when they need maintenance, always arrive on Saturdays. Photo by John Hult Name: Izaak Limbert

Business Briefs
Chambers set schedules McDonald’s sales to assist cancer victims Mother’s Day fundraiser set Veggie oil workshop ready Les Anderson Day arrives Wednesday Travel workshop planned Capital workshop set Healing touch class set Burton recognized First National Bank shareholders grab dividend Keeper tweaks name

What’s Happening
Best Bets Events and Exhibits Entertainment Films Down the Road Anchorage Events

Mission accomplished: Action-thriller ‘Cruise’s’ back for successful return
OK, I’ll admit it. I’m a sucker for Tom Cruise movies. I know, I know, he’s kind of a wacko. He abruptly divorces one of the most beautiful and talented women in Hollywood, he rails against psychology, he jumps all over Oprah’s couch; the guy’s got some issues.

Art Briefs
Pier One Theatre holding auditions Homer Council events add up Drama camp deadline looms Sing from the Heart seeks voices Dance club seeks members Carving workshops slated Kenai Fjords to feature kids’ art Arts scholarships available River festival booths up for grabs Kenai photos wanted

Spring jazz concert brings swingin’ sounds to peninsula
Judging by types the concerts typically pitched by the Performing Arts Society, one may imagine the group as one populated by classical music fans who promote classical music shows for other classical music fans.

Don’t weep for ‘big oil,’ weep for state’s future
Despite the “snake oil” ad campaign don’t say “Poor Big Oil!” and weep for them.

Easter egg event didn’t need to hunt for support
This letter is to offer heartfelt thanks to the area businesses and individuals that sponsored and or contributed to the annual Wolk family Easter egg hunt, a Kasilof charity event enjoyed by many children and made possible through the efforts of community volunteers.

Wake solution questioned
I just read the letter to the editor from Floyd Heimbuch about using hovercrafts on the Kenai (Clarion, May 8), and I have yet to stop laughing about it.

Weather doesn’t deter support
We would like to thank all the volunteers, athletes and spectators who participated in the 2006 Middle and High School Borough Track Meet. Even though the weather was poor, the participation was wonderful!

Stevens, Young need to focus on what’s best for Alaska
Throughout the past several weeks, Senator Ted Stevens and Congressman Don Young, both representing Alaska, have created amendments in an attempt to end America’s first offshore wind farm, Cape Wind. Cape Wind Associates is attempting to build several wind turbines off of the coast of Cape Cod in Massachusetts.

Hard work helps festival take flight
What a pleasure it was to once again coordinate the Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival this year. An event of this size takes the support, hard work, dedication and enthusiasm of an amazing team of volunteers, community members, local and statewide businesses, individuals and organizations and staff.

Illegal immigration solution: Mexico as our 51st state
Out of the mouths of babes. My son Brandon and I were talking recently about the illegal immigration problem and possible solutions, and he said why not bring Mexico in as the 51st state?

Reader: ‘We’ should buy Heritage Place
The Clarion’s current poll question, “Should the borough buy Heritage Place?” is poorly worded because whether or not the borough should buy Heritage Place is not the fundamental question we must answer. The question is in fact, “Should the borough manage the care of its most helpless residents?”

Reader: Emergency response center needed
Just a few years ago CES signed on and the Borough went ahead with the project using funds they received from Homeland Defense and CES. I am not sure where the million dollars came from that was earmarked for the Command Center through the CES. The new chief and the service board for CES would like to copout and spend it on projects that make them look good on paper but will not help the borough if there is ever some unforeseen disaster.

Soldotna youth may ollie up by month end
With snow falling as recently as Sunday, young people likely are not in too much of a hurry to try stunts on the ramps at the Soldotna Skateboard Park, but the park could be open before the end of the month.

Final moments: Details of what could have happened told in trial
Details about what may have occurred in the last moments of Opal Fairchild’s life emerged from witness testimony on Tuesday as jurors listened to descriptions of the wounds found on Fairchild’s body and of evidence found in her home.

Bill providing earlier fire season signed
Alaska’s official fire season will begin a full month earlier under a bill signed into law by Gov. Frank Murkowski last week.

Auctioneers honored for volunteerism
Norm Blakeley isn’t quite sure why he and his wife, Barb, were recently selected to receive a First Lady Volunteer Award for 2006, but a simple glance at the list of Kenai Peninsula organizations they’ve helped yields a possible answer.

Are 3 crimes linked?
Assistant District Attorney Scot Leaders probed for similarities between three 1985 crimes in an effort to link the Opal Fairchild murder to two violent robberies, as he questioned witnesses Wednesday.

James Scott Hecks
Seldovia resident James Scott Hecks died Friday, April 28, 2006, from pancreatic cancer at South Peninsula Hospital in Homer. He was 38.

Ethel May Mullins
Soldotna resident Ethel May Mullins died Saturday, May 6, 2006, following a lengthy battle with cancer at Central Peninsula General Hospital in Soldotna. She was 85.

Around the Peninsula
Contra dance, auction scheduled Yard sale fundraiser set Ancestor research help available Swim lessons available Chore, respite services available Kenai shorebird festival continues Rowing classes set to stroke

Around the Peninsula
KPBSD programs committee to meet Historical society to meet Basketball camp a slam dunk Mother’s Day brunch set Softball meeting ready to swing CPHC board meeting slated Lacrosse club seeks members Foster care, adoption workshops available

Kenai boys, Skyview girls finish with wins
The Kenai Central High School girls soccer team fell into an early hole and couldn’t quite get out of it Tuesday in a 2-1 loss to Northern Lights Conference-Southern Division foe Homer at Kenai.

SoHi plays tough on softball field
The Soldotna High School softball team showed it belonged in the league Tuesday, going into extra innings before state power Homer prevailed 4-3 in a Northern Lights Conference game.

Around the District
Boyle fundraiser continues Aurora Borealis Charter Connections Cook Inlet Academy IDEA Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Science Kalifornsky Beach Elementary Kenai Central High Kenai Middle Kenai Montessori Kenaitze Cuya Qyut’anen Head Start Mountain View Elementary Nikiski Middle-High Redoubt Elementary Sears Elementary Soldotna Elementary Soldotna High Soldotna Middle School Soldotna Montessori Charter Sterling Elementary Tustumena Elementary

Kids learn about life in the water in annual salmon celebration
A school year of study culminated with a celebration of salmon last week for elementary school students from across the Kenai Peninsula as they gathered at Johnson Lake State Recreation Site.

No name but plenty of friends
From the looks of things at last week’s city council meeting in Kenai, one of the town’s little creeks may not have a name, but it has no shortage of little friends.

Summer session to offer gardening, return of fishing academy
Local gardening expert Tom Jans will offer two courses in organic gardening during KPC’s summer session. A two-credit class will be offered in June and a three-credit course in July and August.