Recent Articles

High Winds Causing Multiple Power Outages along the Peninsula

| May 31, 2014 | 0 Comments

by Joe Gallagher

HEA Press Release Banner

Sunday, June 1, 10:00 am – HEA crews completed restoration work related to Saturday’s wind storm at approximately 5:30 am Sunday.  HEA would like to thank its members for their patience during the storm-related outages.  If you do not have power at this time please call the outage hotline at 1-888-8OUTAGE. 

Saturday, May 31, Noon – HEA crews are responding to a large number of power outages today.  The outages are the result of strong winds that are continuing to hit the Kenai Peninsula this afternoon.   As of noon there are approximately 4,000 HEA members without power.  Outage areas include:

  • Large section of the City of Soldotna
  • Forest Drive/St. Theresa (between Soldotna and Sterling)
  • Skyline Drive (Soldotna)
  • Strawberry Road (Soldotna)
  • Aliak/Magic Ave. (Kenai)
  • Halibut Cove
  • Nikiski area (Holt Lamplight, Swanson River Oil Field)
  • Riverview Ave./Kobuk area (Soldotna)
  • Tote Road area (near Kasilof)

In addition to these outages, there are several smaller scattered outages across the Peninsula.  HEA crews are working to restore power as soon as possible, but due to the number of outages and the strong winds, the duration of the outages is likely to be extended.

If you do not have power, please call the outage hotline at 1-888-8OUTAGE.

Funny River Fire Update

| May 31, 2014 | 0 Comments

FunnyRiverFire54PercentALASKA INTERAGENCY INCIDENT MANAGEMENT
TYPE 2 TEAM
Rob Allen, INCIDENT COMMANDER
FIRE INFORMATION
PHONE: (907) 714-2484
FACEBOOK: Alaska Interagency Incident Management Team
INCIWEB: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3878/

EMAIL: funnyriverfire@gmail.com
10:00 AM May 31, 2014

FUNNY RIVER FIRE UPDATE 
193,243 acres with 54% containment

Alaska Lieutenant Governor Mead Treadwell will be visiting the ICP this afternoon and available at the 1:30pm Media briefing. 

Fire crews took advantage of the cool and damp conditions as they continued to “mop-up” (extinguish all burning material) up to 300’ from the firelines. Fuels dried considerably on Friday with Chinook winds affecting the Eastern edge of the fire area. Isolated pockets on the east side of the fire displayed very active backing despite 40mph easterly winds and limited precipitation. Crews have tied in the line to Star Lake and are now mopping up the area near Kasilof. Fire containment is now 54 percent, with 751 firefighters working to keep the fire away from populated areas. 

Wolf PupsToday crews will continue to “mop –up” on the west side of the fire in the Kasilof and Sterling Highway areas (up to 500’ from firelines) and in the Funny River Road area. Containment lines on the north side of Torpedo Lake and north side of the Kenai River will be improved and strengthened. Hotshot crews will also continue building fireline south of the fuel break in the Browns Lake area. Structure protection continues in the Tustumena Lake, Kenai Keys, Private Allotments and the Wilderness Adventure Lodge, Skilak Lake areas. 

Even with the current weather and level of containment, several consecutive days of heavier rain are still needed to alter the overall fire activity. Residents can expect to see smoke from inside the perimeter of the fire into the summer. 

Early Friday and Saturday mornings, a team from the university’s Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration flew a ScanEagle aircraft over the fire. The aircraft, equipped with infrared image sensors and cameras, found hot spots within the fire perimeter allowing line firefighters to monitor the areas. 

Residents and visitors are urged to continue to use extreme caution with anything that could ignite a fire. Visitors and area residents are reminded that fire crews, air and ground equipment are working in the areas of the Sterling Highway and Funny River Road. 

Daily advisories on smoke conditions are available from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation at http://dec.alaska.gov/Applications/Air/airtoolsweb/Advisories

Kenai Peninsula Borough Office of Emergency Services has set up a call line to help homeowners with fire preparedness. Residents can call (907) 714-2495. Information is available at http://www.borough.kenai.ak.us/emergency-mgmt/fire

Seldovia Beach Volleyball

| May 31, 2014 | 0 Comments

by Jen Giles

Mixed Six VolleyballJuly 5th the high school mixed-6 volleyball team will be hosting a fundraiser volleyball tournament at the Outside Beach to help pay for new uniforms. Last year was our first year with a mixed-6  team and we managed to scab together uniforms with basically anything that was red and had a number on it- this ranged from old girls’ jerseys to red t-shirts and tape. If we hope to join the lineup of State contenders next year I want us to look the part and represent our community well.

My hope is to make this a fun annual event, with future proceeds benefiting the Booster Club. The tournament will be set up as a buy in single elimination bracket, winner and runner up taking home generous cash prizes.  To make the winnings enticing and the event profitable I am asking for help from the community to come up with the prize money. Any donation, big or small, will be a huge help in making this tournament a success. Donations would also be appreciated for food to host a barbeque in addition for participants and spectators as a sort of “concession stand.”

Most importantly I want people to come out and participate. The goal is to have a 16 team bracket of 2 man teams (high school age and up) playing on two courts for an afternoon filled with action, and hopefully some sunshine!

To make a donation or to sign up a team please contact me, Jen Giles at 399-3563. Thank you in advance.

Ukulele Concert Saturday Night, with More Summer Concerts to Come!

| May 30, 2014 | 0 Comments

by Susan Mumma

russ teachingI am starting this year’s Crazy Crow Concerts with that zanny guy from Fairbanks, Ukulele Russ.  He is a wonderful uke player and will give us a concert Saturday night, May 31st at 7:30pm here at the Seldovia Rowing Club ( ready or not).  I will have some desserts, but pot-luck desserts are welcome.  Please bring your kids because this will be a special treat.  $15 is the suggested donation, but bring whatever you can to help support Russ who does play uke for a living!
Please RSVP ..if we get tons of people we might need to expand somewhere or get more chairs.    907-299-1612 or 234-7614
Ukulele Russ is also going to be giving a workshop about ukulele playing on Sunday at 2:00pm at the Seldovia Rowing Club. Bring your own uke if you have one, and we do have some to loan if you don’t.  I guess we have enough extras  for about 17 people!!!  This is going to be really fun. Wouldn’t it be great if Seldovia could have its own Ukulele Orchestra?   Let’s help the Ukulele Club of Seldovia make this happen.  It will be $10 if you didn’t attend the concert, but free if you did.  (I hope that is ok with Russ!)
check out www.crazycrowproductions.wordpress.com  for more about Russ and this summer’s Crazy Crow  events, and check out below for the summer concerts coming up!

concert list

In Honor of Mary

| May 29, 2014 | 0 Comments

by Jenny Chissus

We are so proud of our friend and local Seldovian, Mike Webber who will be participating again this year in the Relay for Life, to honor his wife of almost 50 years, Mary, who lost her battle with melanoma over 5 years ago.

“I’m participating in Relay For Life to help raise funds to fight this beast that is destroying lives and in some way, impacting all of our lives.  I’m asking for your help and support in any way you choose to participate.  Thank you!”

You may click here to go directly to Mike’s Relay for Life website to make your donation.

Mike's Relay

King Salmon Derby for Motorized Boats

| May 28, 2014 | 0 Comments

by Tim P. Dillon
Chinook Challenge