Friday, May 12, 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

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.

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.

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

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

Is this bill for real?
The Albacco (or Tobacohol) Bill will encompass many issues that concern some Alaskans. Since now we know that tobacco most probably kills, it’s hoped that the alcohol add-on will skate through on this cancerous plant’s back.

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!

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.

Poppies a way to honor millions
Are you aware of the meaning of the little red poppies that you see around during May and what they represent?

Reader looking to fix problems
OK, everyone who voted for Frank Murkowski for governor please stand up.

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.

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?”

Capital budget holds plenty for peninsula
Alaska lawmakers this week said yes to the state’s largest-ever capital budget, and while it included a lengthy list of projects big and small for Kenai Peninsula communities, members of the peninsula’s legislative contingent expressed a measure of chagrin over its enormity.

Skateboard park to reopen
With the apparent arrival of spring weather, Soldotna officials decided Wednesday night to reopen the city’s skateboard park, even before taking steps to help alleviate problems that have plagued the popular attraction.

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.

Photo feature: Heat wave?
Evelyn Howell walks past an optimistic thermometer on a building that houses Kenai Electric and CNK Computer Solutions in Kenai. It was warmer Thursday and forecasters are calling for sunny skies through the weekend.

New technology helps link prints to McCormack
A crime scene expert who processed latent fingerprints at the scene of the Opal Fairchild murder 21 years ago developed and documented more than 29 prints. More than 14 years passed before any of those prints were matched to a suspect.

Council surprises SoHi senior with $2,000
One of about a dozen high school students attending the Soldotna City Council meeting Wednesday evening got quite a surprise — a $2,000 surprise, in fact.

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.

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.

Peninsula projects, communities to benefit from budget
Under the capital spending bill sent to Gov. Frank Murkowski this week, Agrium USA will get $5 million to further a feasibility study of a proposed coal-gasification plant that would turn Beluga coal into natural gas and electricity to supply feedstock and energy to the Nikiski fertilizer complex.

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.

New festival takes wing; bird watchers offered venue
“This spotting on the flank is pretty definitive of this bird,” Todd Eskelin said, aiming his laser pointer at the belly of a bird displayed digitally on a screen at the Cook Inlet Aquaculture Building on Wednesday morning.

Investing in the future of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge — youth
Those of you who are tuned into the latest happenings in the halls of congress know that national security and disaster relief have been on the front burner for some time now. With a large percentage of the nation’s tax dollars going to fight the war on terrorism, and recent national and international disaster relief efforts, many natural resource agencies are feeling the financial pinch. “Do more with less” has become the phrase of the day. To ensure that we are prepared to deal with the many needs of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, in light of diminishing human and financial resources, we need to make some careful investments in the future.

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
Mother’s Day brunch setCPHC board meeting slatedSummer camp set to entertainCancer awareness walk plannedBrain injury awareness walk set to take offDog jog slated

Conference soccer tournament takes just 2 days
After cramming a regular season into a couple of weeks, soccer teams will now cram a Northern Lights Conference Tournament into a couple of days.

Region II track athletes qualify for state
Cook Inlet Academy’s Holly Kopp, Brooke Forsi and Nate Byrd, and Ashley Bartolowits of Ninilchik, assured themselves of berths at the state track and field championships by winning events at the Region II meet Wednesday and Thursday at Susitna Valley High School in Talkeetna.

Region III athletes hope temps rise with importance of meet
Athletes from the Kenai Peninsula are about ready for a nice weekend and are keeping their fingers crossed in the hopes that the weather for this weekend’s Region III meet in Palmer will be just as sunny and warm as forecasters have predicted.

Church Briefs
Yard sale fundraiser setAddictions group meetsBaha’i classes setFarewell for Pastor Nichols setMatrix Church to meetKenai Aglow meeting slatedClothes availableSoldotna Aglow to meet

The best gift — eternal love
Three brothers were trying to determine the best gift to give to their aging mother. Each had done well and prospered in their respective career, so they could afford a nice gift.

Sports Briefs
Peninsula wrestlers bring home hardware from state tournament