Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Legislators anger reader
The latest revelations about lack of ethical behavior and criminal activity among Alaska’s legislators are nothing new. What is new is the bribers have gotten caught, have seemingly decided to finger the bribees and hope for leniency in exchange for their cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice.

VA nurses honored for work
This week (May 6-11) the Alaska VA Healthcare System honors the dedicated men and women we in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) consider to be the compassionate backbone of the veterans health care system: our nurses.

Reader: We’ve got too much to lose
I was surprised and pleased to see the editorial concerning the presence of the Chuitna mine (Clarion, April 29). There was a small meeting about this subject with the EPA and two of the mining reps at the Kenai Peninsula Borough Building in July 2006 that I attended.

Wagoner: Saddened, sickened, but not surprised
On May 4, three more indictments and arrests came crashing down in Juneau.

Mental health providers seek to ‘bring kids home’
Mental health care providers and social services workers from around the Kenai Peninsula gathered Friday to talk about how they can “Bring the Kids Home.”

Start your soapboxes
Like a scene from the Hollywood blockbuster, Kenai had action that was “Fast and Furious” on Saturday, as the city held its first ever All-American Soap Box Derby (AASBD) race.

Budget grows, enrollment doesn’t
Editor’s note: The following is the second in a series of stories examining school funding. Tuesday’s story focuses on how teachers make ends meet in the classroom.

Schools look for savings at college level, too
Thinking creatively about providing supplies isn’t a trait relegated to primary or secondary educators. It’s also practiced at the college level.

Learning to keep up with supply demands
Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of stories examining school funding. Wednesday’s story is about the “cap” — the amount a local government can contribute to its school district — and how that affects the Kenai Peninsula Borough.

Gibson sentenced to 5 years
The 37-year-old Sterling man who pleaded “no contest” to fatally stabbing his brother 2 1/2 years ago, was sentenced Monday to five years in prison with one year suspended. Upon release he will be on probation for four years.

Looking for an answer: Cooperative Extension Services seeks support to continue
What do Land Resources, Home Economics, Youth Development, Buildings and Energy, Nutrition, and Agriculture Technology all have in common?

Education takes a village: Communities count, and we need to count on communities
When I was in school, things were very different. Nearly every child had parents who loved them and read to them before tucking them into bed. When they woke up, they had a healthy breakfast and went off to school ready to learn. They had access to health care and safe, comfortable homes.

Peninsula People
Area students graduate from college Jensen earns scholarship Baalke recognized for academic achievement Holland named club sweetheart VFW scholarship awarded

Community Events
Breastfeeding class offered Community ping-pong offered Summer food program offered Classes set to reunite Military reunion planned Working digital cameras, photo printers sought Alzheimer’s information available Social Security reps to visit peninsula

Around the Peninsula
Nutrition classes available Disable vets cancel meeting Borough to collect ice jam debris Garage sale fundraiser planned Motorcycle fundraiser goes full throttle SoHi baccalaureate set Youth club plans closure Free vision screening offered Women go on the defensive Teens for rent

Around the Peninsula
Studded tires must be gone today Cowboy up Genealogy library begins summer hours Kenai Shorebird celebration set CIRCAC to meet Safety Day, Les Anderson Day set for Saturday 4-H tree sale ready to grow Developmental screenings offered Swim lessons make a splash Soldotna library seeks volunteers

Peninsula Reflections
I chose this picture because more than 50 years later we in Cooper Landing are still seeing bears! We had a big brown at our house two nights ago and last night (May 10) on the way home from Soldotna, near the Russian River confluence, a black bear crossed the highway in front of us.

Births
Family ties

Middle school track results posted
The Kenai Peninsula Borough Middle School Track Meet was held Friday and Saturday at Skyview High School. The results follow:

SoHi soccer squads sweep Skyview
In what has become an average performance, the Soldotna boys soccer team used an array of attackers to defeat host Skyview 4-1 on Monday in Northern Lights Conference action.