Recent Articles
Does This Look Familiar? AMHS Sea News Features Seldovia!
by Jenny Chissus
The AMHS is beginning to feature many of the ports of call in their newsletter “Sea News” – and they are starting off this month with our beautiful community of Seldovia! Click on the image to the left or CLICK HERE to go directly to the AMHS spotlight page for Seldovia!
If you are interested in subscribing to the Sea News Newsletter – with lots of information about the Alaska Marine Highway, you may CLICK HERE to go to an opt in page to sign up!
Thanks AMHS for your service to Seldovia, and for spreading the word about our great community and the many events going on in Seldovia this summer!
Port Graham Hatchery Soon to be Contributing to Cook Inlet Salmon Fisheries
by Gary Fandrei
NEWS RELEASE: After a two-year long process, the Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association has taken over ownership of the Port Graham Hatchery in lower Cook Inlet, with plans to begin pink salmon operations this summer. At full production, the Association expects salmon returns to Port Graham Hatchery to generate an ex-vessel value between $2.2 and $5.6 million dollars annually.
“This is a great opportunity not only for the Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association, but also for the community of Port Graham, and other Cook Inlet salmon users. We are excited to be the new owners of the Port Graham Hatchery and look forward to working with our neighbors in Port Graham,” said Gary Fandrei, the Association’s Executive Director.
The Port Graham Hatchery was built in 1991 and then rebuilt after a fire destroyed the building in 1998. Due to the fire and other issues, operations were inconsistent Continue Reading
Kachemak Bay State Park & Wilderness Park Public Scoping Open House
For more information – click here!
KPBSD and KPC Announce New Efforts to Make it Easier and Less Expensive to Take College Classes
Press Release – by Peggy Erkeneff
Soldotna, April 7, 2014—JumpStart opens to juniors, and includes bus transportation from high schools to KPC. Kenai Peninsula College (KPC) and Kenai Peninsula Borough School District (KPBSD) officials jointly announced two new initiatives will enable more high school students to take KPC courses at reduced tuition rates.
Beginning with the fall 2014 semester, high school juniors will be able to take advantage of the JumpStart program that had previously only been available to high school seniors. Students can enroll for up to six credits each semester starting the fall semester they become juniors. Tuition cost is $55 per credit versus the regular rate of $174.
Funded by a 1/10th mill rate on borough property taxes, JumpStart has been in existence for many years. Opening the program to juniors means that high school students will be able to take up to 30 credits (one full college year) at the reduced rate—by the time they graduate from high school.
Students and their parents can potentially save $3,570 on their first year of college compared to regular University of Alaska rates. [See the attached tuition comparison chart on page three of media release]. These courses are dual credit meaning students taking the KPC courses receive both high school and college credit if they successfully complete the course(s) with a “C” or better. Course credits earned at KPC through the University of Alaska are typically transferable to accredited colleges and universities throughout the United States.
Transportation
Secondly, KPBSD will transport KPC enrolled students from all central peninsula high schools to KPC’s Kenai River Campus in order to take courses. Buses will arrive at Kenai River Campus (KRC) at 9 a.m. and the last departure will be at 1:30 p.m. Nikiski students would depart their high school and KRC 15 minutes earlier.
The shuttle service will provide continuous service between the schools throughout this period meaning a student could take one or two classes at KRC and return to their high schools to continue their high school classes. Bussing students on the southern peninsula to KPC’s Kachemak Bay Campus is still being discussed with high school administrators and transportation providers.
“I get many requests from parents asking that the JumpStart program be opened to juniors,” said Gary J. Turner, KPC director. “Due to the declining number of high school seniors, we looked closely at our borough budget and the projected number of seniors the district is anticipating, and determined we can afford to do this with the same amount of funds.” The borough budget request sent by KPC to the mayor and assembly has been revised to include juniors.
“Access to KPC courses has always been a challenge to our students without transportation,” said Dr. Steve Atwater, KPBSD superintendent. “We believe that by providing a shuttle, many more of our students will be able to take these dual credit classes and save a considerable amount of money on their college education. I am thrilled to learn that our juniors will now be eligible to use the JumpStart support for taking KPC classes. This is a necessary and positive change to help our graduates prepare for life after high school. I offer thanks to our borough for their continued support of KPBSD and KPC.”
Registration
Registration and advising for high school students at the Kenai River Campus (KRC) in Soldotna will be held from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., April 26, and from 3-5 p.m., April 28. Students who do not enroll during these “early bird” sessions will be able to receive advising from 1-4 p.m., August 13, and enroll in classes from noon-5 p.m., August 15 and from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., August 21 and 22.
High school students can receive advising and register at the Kachemak Bay Campus (KBC) in Homer from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., April 21 – August 22.
Contact:
Gary J. Turner, KPC Director, 907-262-0315, gjturner@kpc.alaska.edu
Pegge Erkeneff, KPBSD Communications Specialist, 907-714-8888, Pegge@KPBSD.org
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