Home2

Nick Varney

Reeling ‘Em In: Nick offers tips on how to fillet a silver

Its always great to receive emails from our out-of-state visitors, especially when it’s their first trip to Homer and they are trying to get some… Continue reading

Nick Varney
Pilot and biologist Dom Watts collects bees at Twin Lakes as part of the refuge's pollinator survey. (Photo by Matt Bowser/USFWS)

Refuge Notebook: A summer on the refuge — Valuing a wildflower to the value of a system

I’ve never been one to be partial to favorites. But, on an overcast and rain bath morning in mid-July, while walking with one of the… Continue reading

Pilot and biologist Dom Watts collects bees at Twin Lakes as part of the refuge's pollinator survey. (Photo by Matt Bowser/USFWS)
People camp above a river on Sunday, July 31, 2022 near Hope, Alaska. (Ashlyn O'Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Out of the Office: Festival season

Something nobody told me about Alaska is how many festivals there are in the summer. Having moved to the Kenai Peninsula in the middle of… Continue reading

People camp above a river on Sunday, July 31, 2022 near Hope, Alaska. (Ashlyn O'Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
This version of Swedish meatballs features larger meatballs made of all beef instead of the traditional beef/pork combination. (Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion)

Meatballs and weddings

When my husband and I got married, Swedish meatballs were served as part of our dinner spread

This version of Swedish meatballs features larger meatballs made of all beef instead of the traditional beef/pork combination. (Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion)
A sign at the Kenai Art Center is seen on Sunday, May 9, 2021. (Camille Botello / Peninsula Clarion)

Art center seeking pieces for upcoming auction

The deadline to donate is 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27

A sign at the Kenai Art Center is seen on Sunday, May 9, 2021. (Camille Botello / Peninsula Clarion)
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ive. (Photo via Amazon.com)

Off the Shelf: A familiar folktale

“The Snow Child” tells a whimsical, yet supremely real tale of heartache on the Last Frontier

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ive. (Photo via Amazon.com)
Kate Troll (Courtesy Photo / Kate Troll)

Opinion: The real ‘at last!’ on climate change

In Alaska, the Inflation Reduction Act offers come game-changing features.

  • Aug 17, 2022
  • By Kate Troll
Kate Troll (Courtesy Photo / Kate Troll)
People gather in Ninilchik, Alaska, on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, for Salmonfest, an annual event that raises awareness about salmon-related causes. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Unhinged Alaska: Bones

Just as we approached Ninilchik, we remembered that the Salmonfest would be in high gear

People gather in Ninilchik, Alaska, on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, for Salmonfest, an annual event that raises awareness about salmon-related causes. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Nick Varney

Reeling ‘Em In: More tips from Nick on catching silvers

Now, here are a few more suggestions on how to pop those coho tumbling around the lagoon.

Nick Varney
Some great examples of genetic diversity with Kenai River king salmon populations. (Photo by Ken Gates)

Refuge Notebook: Where have the big Kenai River kings gone?

Over the years, fishing for king salmon has provided many anglers with great memories and stories to tell their friends and family. Oftentimes these stories… Continue reading

Some great examples of genetic diversity with Kenai River king salmon populations. (Photo by Ken Gates)
Bradley Walters leads the pack up Angle Hill on Wednesday, July 18, 2018, at the Salmon Run Series at Tsalteshi Trails. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Out of the office: Race thyself

During the pandemic, I questioned the value of regular community racing and the numbers show I wasn’t the only one. The five-race Salmon Run Series… Continue reading

Bradley Walters leads the pack up Angle Hill on Wednesday, July 18, 2018, at the Salmon Run Series at Tsalteshi Trails. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
The procedure for this quick kimchi is much less labor-intensive than the traditional whole head method, and takes less time to ferment, making it ideal for first time kimchi-makers. (Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion)

Garden fail — but kitchen win nonetheless

This quick kimchi technique is less labor-intensive than the traditional method

The procedure for this quick kimchi is much less labor-intensive than the traditional whole head method, and takes less time to ferment, making it ideal for first time kimchi-makers. (Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion)
Kate Lochridge stands by one of her paintings for a pop-up show of her work on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, at the Homer Council on the Arts in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by MIchael Armstrong/Homer News)

Pop-up exhibit shows culmination of art-science residency

The exhibit by Kate Lochridge came about after her internship this summer as a National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration Ernest S. Hollings Scholar and Artist in Residence

Kate Lochridge stands by one of her paintings for a pop-up show of her work on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, at the Homer Council on the Arts in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by MIchael Armstrong/Homer News)
Jessica Cook, left, and Les Gara stand in the Peninsula Clarion’s offices on Thursday, June 30, 2022, in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Jessica Cook, left, and Les Gara stand in the Peninsula Clarion’s offices on Thursday, June 30, 2022, in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
The official ballot for the Aug. 16, 2022, Special General Election features ranked choice voting. (State of Alaska Division of Elections)

Voices of the Peninsula: Check out the ballot before you vote

This kind of ballot is not something you have seen before.

  • Aug 8, 2022
  • By Alex Koplin
The official ballot for the Aug. 16, 2022, Special General Election features ranked choice voting. (State of Alaska Division of Elections)
Nick Varney

Reeling ‘Em In: Hints from Nick on catchin’ cohos

Silvers loathe direct sunlight and are spooked by shadows

Nick Varney
A copy of “Once Upon the Kenai: Stories from the People” rests against a desk inside the Peninsula Clarion’s offices on Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022, in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Off the Shelf: Hidden history

‘Once Upon the Kenai’ tells the story behind the peninsula’s landmarks and people

A copy of “Once Upon the Kenai: Stories from the People” rests against a desk inside the Peninsula Clarion’s offices on Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022, in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Take a number. The "patients" wait briefly in the trap box before being seen and released upstream to continue their migration. (Photo by Ryan Hagerty/USFWS)

Refuge Notebook: Anatomy of a fish weir — Keeping a finger on the pulse of Alaska’s salmon runs

During a routine physical exam, your doctor checks your vitals: Weight, heart rate, blood pressure and so on. Annual visits establish a baseline of personal… Continue reading

Take a number. The "patients" wait briefly in the trap box before being seen and released upstream to continue their migration. (Photo by Ryan Hagerty/USFWS)
Mt. Redoubt rises above Cook Inlet and the Anchor River drainage as fireweed is in bloom, as seen from Diamond Ridge Road on Friday, July 22, 2022, near Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

Out of the Office: Take the long way around

“Slow Down. What’s the hurry?” reads an inscription on the Reuben Call bench at the end of the Homestead Trail of Diamond Ridge Road. I… Continue reading

Mt. Redoubt rises above Cook Inlet and the Anchor River drainage as fireweed is in bloom, as seen from Diamond Ridge Road on Friday, July 22, 2022, near Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)
Michael Heimbuch attends a memorial service for the late Drew Scalzi on Aug. 5, 2005, at the Seafarers Memorial on the Homer Spit in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

Point of View: King salmon: The clash of culture and science

People do some pretty awful things to king salmon stocks

Michael Heimbuch attends a memorial service for the late Drew Scalzi on Aug. 5, 2005, at the Seafarers Memorial on the Homer Spit in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)