Sports

The author is seen here skiing a little easier at Trail Lake near Seward. (Photo provided by Kat Sorensen)

Tangled Up in Blue: Grooming the trail

During my first winter spent cross-country skiing in Soldotna, I often found myself struggling to glide along the trails at Tsalteshi. I was learning, fumbling… Continue reading

The author is seen here skiing a little easier at Trail Lake near Seward. (Photo provided by Kat Sorensen)
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Peninsula swimmers shine at virtual meet

The four Kenai Peninsula Borough School District high school swimming teams held a virtual meet Friday. The meet served as a preview of a meet… Continue reading

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Kenai Central's Bethany Morris attacks Soldotna's Sierra Kuntz on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai volleyball caps undefeated season with district title

Great volleyball teams adapt quickly. The Kenai Central volleyball team wanted to win the Division II state volleyball tournament this season. That tournament did not… Continue reading

Kenai Central's Bethany Morris attacks Soldotna's Sierra Kuntz on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai River Brown Bears forward Max Helgeson chases the puck along the boards against the Fairbanks Ice Dogs on Friday, Nov. 22, 2019, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Brown Bears open season with victory

The Kenai River Brown Bears started the 2020-21 season with a 3-0 victory at the Chippewa (Wisconsin) Steel on Friday in Wisconsin. Luke Pavicich made… Continue reading

Kenai River Brown Bears forward Max Helgeson chases the puck along the boards against the Fairbanks Ice Dogs on Friday, Nov. 22, 2019, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna High School senior swimmers are honored Oct. 30, 2020, at Soldotna High School. The seniors, from left to right, are Nathan Pitka, Emma Snyer, Deloma Watkins, Kat Gross and Brandon Christenson. (Photo provided by Luke Herman)

Soldotna High School honors senior swimmers

Staff report The Soldotna High School swim team honored seniors Nathan Pitka, Emma Snyder, Deloma Watkins, Kat Gross and Brandon Christenson on Oct. 30 at… Continue reading

Soldotna High School senior swimmers are honored Oct. 30, 2020, at Soldotna High School. The seniors, from left to right, are Nathan Pitka, Emma Snyer, Deloma Watkins, Kat Gross and Brandon Christenson. (Photo provided by Luke Herman)
Kenai Central's Erin Koziczkowski puts up a block on Nikiski's Camry Ellis on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020, at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai, Homer win on 1st day of borough volleyball

By JEFF HELMINIAK Peninsula Clarion At a tournament where almost everything is a bit different, the dominance of the Kenai Central volleyball team remains the… Continue reading

Kenai Central's Erin Koziczkowski puts up a block on Nikiski's Camry Ellis on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020, at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
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Out of the Office: Two weeks

I’ve been thinking a lot about the 1986 film “The Money Pit” lately. If you’re around my age, I’ve probably lost you already. But if… Continue reading

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Fairbanks Ice Dogs defenseman Jasper Lester and Kenai River Brown Bears forward Porter Schachle battle along the boards Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Season preview: Brown Bears have plenty of firepower at forward

When Kevin Murdock was hired as the head coach of the Kenai River Brown Bears before the 2019-20 season, his biggest task was to rebuild… Continue reading

Fairbanks Ice Dogs defenseman Jasper Lester and Kenai River Brown Bears forward Porter Schachle battle along the boards Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
The view looking north toward the pass from just above Juneau Lake. (Photo by Jack Carroll/Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)

Refuge Notebook: Finding refuge in the forest

As a park ranger for the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, I get to spend a lot of time on the refuge’s trails and in the… Continue reading

The view looking north toward the pass from just above Juneau Lake. (Photo by Jack Carroll/Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)
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Kenai, SoHi to host borough volleyball tourney

Kenai Central and Soldotna high schools will team to host a Kenai Peninsula Borough volleyball tournament Thursday and Saturday. Homer, Kenai Central, Soldotna, Nikiski and… Continue reading

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Victor Rodriguez is awarded the Alaska Fighting Championship bantamweight title on Feb. 26, 2020, at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo courtesy of Maria Bundy)

Yanez stops Rodriguez in 1st round

By JEFF HELMINIAK Peninsula Clarion Adrian Yanez of Texas defeated Soldotna’s Victor Rodriguez by technical knockout 2:46 into the first round Saturday at a UFC… Continue reading

Victor Rodriguez is awarded the Alaska Fighting Championship bantamweight title on Feb. 26, 2020, at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo courtesy of Maria Bundy)
Peter Morgan of the Kenai River Brown Bears celebrates his goal with teammates Ryan Reid, Porter Schachle, Cody Moline and Dylan Hadfield on Friday, Nov. 15, 2019, against the Springfield (Illinois) Jr. Blues at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Brown Bears wrap up exhibition season

By JEFF HELMINIAK Peninsula Clarion The Kenai River Brown Bears completed their exhibition season with two games Friday and a game Saturday at Richfield Ice… Continue reading

Peter Morgan of the Kenai River Brown Bears celebrates his goal with teammates Ryan Reid, Porter Schachle, Cody Moline and Dylan Hadfield on Friday, Nov. 15, 2019, against the Springfield (Illinois) Jr. Blues at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai River Brown Bears forward Max Helgeson chases the puck along the boards against the Fairbanks Ice Dogs on Friday, Nov. 22, 2019, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Brown Bears top Ice Dogs in exhibition

The Kenai River Brown Bears defeated the Fairbanks Ice Dogs 5-4 in overtime in an exhibition Thursday at the Richfield Ice Arena in Minnesota. Peter… Continue reading

Kenai River Brown Bears forward Max Helgeson chases the puck along the boards against the Fairbanks Ice Dogs on Friday, Nov. 22, 2019, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Eivin Kilcher with his children and their flotsam treasures on Ushagat Island in August 2020. (Photo by Eve Kilcher)

Refuge Notebook: Flotsam ‘treasure’ harbors wealth of wildlife knowledge

This August, Eivin Kilcher was beachcombing on Ushagat Island when he saw something unusual. “I was thinking, whoa, that looks like a massive-something-important.” He and… Continue reading

Eivin Kilcher with his children and their flotsam treasures on Ushagat Island in August 2020. (Photo by Eve Kilcher)
The author and her voting sticker. (Photo by Kat Sorensen)

Tangled Up in Blue: I voted

I feel like I’ve been talking about voting for weeks, months … maybe more like 1,451 days, but I can’t stop talking about voting. I… Continue reading

The author and her voting sticker. (Photo by Kat Sorensen)
Homer’s Carter Tennison rushes past Nikiski’s Charlie Chamberlain and Koleman McCaughey on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at Nikiski High School in Nikiski, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

All-Peninsula football awards released

Kenai Peninsula athletic directors and football coaches came together to release the All-Peninsula Football awards Wednesday. The coaches voted on the awards after the athletic… Continue reading

Homer’s Carter Tennison rushes past Nikiski’s Charlie Chamberlain and Koleman McCaughey on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, at Nikiski High School in Nikiski, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai River Brown Bears forward Laudon Poellinger jumps on the boards to celebrate his first-period goal against the Fairbanks Ice Dogs with Brandon Lajoie and Ryan Reid at the Soldotna Sports Center in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Bears top Wilderness in scrimmage

The Kenai River Brown Bears moved to 3-0 in exhibitions with a 2-0 victory over the Minnesota Wilderness on Friday in Cloquet, Minnesota. The Bears… Continue reading

Kenai River Brown Bears forward Laudon Poellinger jumps on the boards to celebrate his first-period goal against the Fairbanks Ice Dogs with Brandon Lajoie and Ryan Reid at the Soldotna Sports Center in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Kasey Renfro and Seth Payment show off their tier rock wall on Skyline Trail. (Photo provided by Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)

Refuge Notebook: Skyline gets much-needed upgrades after the fire

Skyline Trail was the top priority for getting trail work done and getting the trail reopened for the public to enjoy. Skyline is arguably our… Continue reading

  • Oct 22, 2020
  • By CHRISTA KENNEDY Kenai National Wildlife Refuge
  • Refuge Notebook
Kasey Renfro and Seth Payment show off their tier rock wall on Skyline Trail. (Photo provided by Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)
A section of the Diamond Creek beach has built up, with plants growing where 10 years ago there had been bare mud, as seen here on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020, near Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

Out of the Office: Annual CoastWalk beach trek reveals changes, transformation

Volunteers in annual Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies program clean up, monitor beaches

A section of the Diamond Creek beach has built up, with plants growing where 10 years ago there had been bare mud, as seen here on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020, near Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)