Ben Boettger

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Twenty three days into his job as Kenai City Manager, Paul Ostrander speaks about Kenai issues to a Kenai Chamber of Commerce audience during a talk on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017 at the Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center. (Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion).

Ostrander speaks about Kenai issues

After 23 days as Kenai City Manager, Paul Ostrander spoke about his view of Kenai’s finances, policies, and future obstacles to an audience of Kenai… Continue reading

Twenty three days into his job as Kenai City Manager, Paul Ostrander speaks about Kenai issues to a Kenai Chamber of Commerce audience during a talk on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017 at the Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center. (Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion).
Kenai National Wildlife Refuge intern Kyra Clark rakes masses of the invasive waterweed elodea from the Soldotna-area Sport Lake on Tuesday, May 16. Behind her, staff from the Refuge, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, and the Kenai Watershed Forum prepare to launch the two boats that will target elodea with the herbicides diquat and fluridone. Following Tuesday’s herbicide discharge into Sport Lake, Refuge biologist John Morton said there’s a three-day safety restriction on drinking the lake water, but none on swimming or fishing. He also cautioned against sprinkling the herbicide-treated water on lawns or gardens. A second round of diquat and fluridone will be put into Sport Lake in September, Morton said, to contnue killing elodea through the winter. (Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion)

Photo: Raking the lake

Kenai National Wildlife Refuge intern Kyra Clark rakes masses of the invasive waterweed elodea from the Soldotna-area Sport Lake on Tuesday, May 16, 2017. Behind… Continue reading

Kenai National Wildlife Refuge intern Kyra Clark rakes masses of the invasive waterweed elodea from the Soldotna-area Sport Lake on Tuesday, May 16. Behind her, staff from the Refuge, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, and the Kenai Watershed Forum prepare to launch the two boats that will target elodea with the herbicides diquat and fluridone. Following Tuesday’s herbicide discharge into Sport Lake, Refuge biologist John Morton said there’s a three-day safety restriction on drinking the lake water, but none on swimming or fishing. He also cautioned against sprinkling the herbicide-treated water on lawns or gardens. A second round of diquat and fluridone will be put into Sport Lake in September, Morton said, to contnue killing elodea through the winter. (Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion)

Cook Inletkeeper scientist will head to Antarctica

Early next year, 80 female scientists plan to set sail from Ushuaia, Argentina, for Antarctica. Among them will be Homer’s Sue Mauger, Science Director of… Continue reading

Kenai airport struggles to perfect land agreements

The Kenai Municipal Airport earned a fifth of its revenue recorded in the city's present budget from payments made by businesses that lease the hundreds… Continue reading

Photo by Ben Boettger/Peninsula ClarionThis icon of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane sits behind the altar of Kenai's Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary Russian Orthodox Church and was torn when a cross fell on it during the Jan. 24, 2016 Iniskin earthquake. It was photographed on Monday, Oct. 31 in Kenai. The church is raising funds to send the icon to a conservator in Colorado who will repair the rip, as well as an earlier candle burn above and to the right of the rip.

Earthquake-damaged icon to be repaired

When the Kenai Peninsula was shaken by the 7.1 magnitude Iniskin earthquake in the early hours of Jan. 24, one of the many things to… Continue reading

Photo by Ben Boettger/Peninsula ClarionThis icon of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane sits behind the altar of Kenai's Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary Russian Orthodox Church and was torn when a cross fell on it during the Jan. 24, 2016 Iniskin earthquake. It was photographed on Monday, Oct. 31 in Kenai. The church is raising funds to send the icon to a conservator in Colorado who will repair the rip, as well as an earlier candle burn above and to the right of the rip.

Kenai’s Russian Church to install fire system

Kenai’s Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary Russian Orthodox Church is filled with religious art and historical artifacts, is built of logs, and hosts weekly… Continue reading

Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion Father Andrew Thomas of Kenai's Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary Russian Orthodox Church speaks to the small congregation gathered for Divine Liturgy in the St. Nicholas Chapel on Saturday, Dec. 19 in Kenai. Behind him stands Father Victor Nick of Ninilchik. "There is no other church like this in Alaska," Father Thomas said of the chapel, which was built in 1906 over the graves of three missionary monks who came to the Kenai area in the mid-1800s.

Divine Liturgy for St. Nicholas held in Kenai’s historic chapel

The rough wooden interior of St. Nicholas chapel was lit by a hissing gas lantern as Father Andrew Thomas, priest of Kenai’s Holy Assumption of… Continue reading

Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion Father Andrew Thomas of Kenai's Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary Russian Orthodox Church speaks to the small congregation gathered for Divine Liturgy in the St. Nicholas Chapel on Saturday, Dec. 19 in Kenai. Behind him stands Father Victor Nick of Ninilchik. "There is no other church like this in Alaska," Father Thomas said of the chapel, which was built in 1906 over the graves of three missionary monks who came to the Kenai area in the mid-1800s.
Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion Electrician Richard Cutter crawls through the roof space of Kenai's Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary Russian Orthodox Church while installing a new fire supression system on Thursday, Oct. 6 in Kenai.

Kenai Russian Orthodox Church gets new fire supression system

A system designed to extinguish fires without damaging the Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary Russian Orthodox Church’s collection of icons, art, and archived documents… Continue reading

Ben Boettger/Peninsula Clarion Electrician Richard Cutter crawls through the roof space of Kenai's Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary Russian Orthodox Church while installing a new fire supression system on Thursday, Oct. 6 in Kenai.

Kenai airport commission hears further details of PRL airship

With a first-generation hybrid airship planned to start work in 2019 for transportation and contracting company PRL Logistics, both the airship’s range of missions and… Continue reading

This map of the city-owned wooded strip between the Kenai Spur Highway and Lawton Drive shows Kenai city manager Paul Ostrander's compromise in a land use debate between residents to the south seeking to preserve the strip as a buffer from the highway and business owners who've sought to develop it. Under Ostrander's plan, which the Kenai city council will discuss in a May 15 worksession, the blue areas would remain in city ownership while the yellow areas would be put out to bid for private acquisition. This map was taken from the Kenai Peninsula Borough's parcel viewer and modified by the Peninsula Clarion with information from the Kenai City Council.

Lawton Acres plan to be discussed

The 30-year debate over Kenai’s Lawton Acres — a wooded city-owned strip by the Kenai Spur Highway that business owners have sought to develop and… Continue reading

This map of the city-owned wooded strip between the Kenai Spur Highway and Lawton Drive shows Kenai city manager Paul Ostrander's compromise in a land use debate between residents to the south seeking to preserve the strip as a buffer from the highway and business owners who've sought to develop it. Under Ostrander's plan, which the Kenai city council will discuss in a May 15 worksession, the blue areas would remain in city ownership while the yellow areas would be put out to bid for private acquisition. This map was taken from the Kenai Peninsula Borough's parcel viewer and modified by the Peninsula Clarion with information from the Kenai City Council.

Hilcorp’s Anna Platform restarted

Hilcorp’s Anna Platform has resumed work after having been shut down since a suspected oil release April 1. An Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)… Continue reading

Kenai planning and zoning commission passes comprehensive plan

The Kenai City Council’s vote is now the last requirement before the city’s new comprehensive plan becomes final, following the draft plan’s unanimous approval from… Continue reading

This satellite map provided by the City of Kenai and modified by the Peninsula Clarion highlights in green the two property parcels that Kenai administrators plan to rezone as commercial. The Kenai Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously voted against the rezone on Wednesday. In the future, the city council will hold a final vote on the rezone.

Kenai Planning and Zoning supports new airport zone, rejects commercializing 2 Spur highway lots

When Kenai’s airport rezone plan goes to the city council for a final vote, one measure will have the blessing of the Planning and Zoning… Continue reading

This satellite map provided by the City of Kenai and modified by the Peninsula Clarion highlights in green the two property parcels that Kenai administrators plan to rezone as commercial. The Kenai Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously voted against the rezone on Wednesday. In the future, the city council will hold a final vote on the rezone.

Kenai Airport land policy irks some locals

Much of what is now central Kenai was a military airfield during the 1940s and ‘50s. One of its legacies is a large holding of… Continue reading

Kenai council manages land

At their Wednesday meeting the Kenai City Council held two closed executive sessions about purchases of city land. One was an ongoing issue — the… Continue reading

Possible Lawton Acres sale brings up old arguments

Possible Lawton Acres sale brings up old arguments

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to remove a potentially misleading reference to the clearcutting of the Spur-fronting lot bought by dentist Todd Wortham.… Continue reading

Possible Lawton Acres sale brings up old arguments

PRL Logistics seeks to buy Kenai-owned mansion

The Anchorage-based contracting and transportation company PRL Logistics is offering to buy a four-story, 7,556-square foot mansion on Kenai’s south beach from its owners, Kenai’s… Continue reading

The facade of Kenai’s former Regal Kambe Cinema — now known as Kenai Cinema after being purchased by Ashland, Oregon-based Coming Attractions Theatres — shows signs of impending changes on Monday, May 8, 2017 in Kenai, Alaska.

Kenai movie theatre to see changes

Kenai’s Regal Kambe theater has changed owners — from the nationwide Regal Entertainment Group to the northwest regional chain Coming Attractions Theatres — and will… Continue reading

The facade of Kenai’s former Regal Kambe Cinema — now known as Kenai Cinema after being purchased by Ashland, Oregon-based Coming Attractions Theatres — shows signs of impending changes on Monday, May 8, 2017 in Kenai, Alaska.
Kenai National Wildlife Refuge intern Kyra Clark (left) and Kenai Watershed Forum Invasives Specialist Jennifer Peura bag clumps of elodea pulled out of Sport Lake’s boat launch area on Thursday, May 4 near Soldotna. Refuge and Watershed Forum staff pulled about 30 trashbags of the invasive waterweed from Sport Lake on Thursday and tentatively plan to begin treating it with herbicide on May 16. (Photo courtesy of John Morton/ Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)

Sport Lake elodea treatment could start May 16

A popular Soldotna-area lake infested with the invasive water-weed elodea may be getting its first dose of herbicide sooner than expected. The Alaska Department of… Continue reading

Kenai National Wildlife Refuge intern Kyra Clark (left) and Kenai Watershed Forum Invasives Specialist Jennifer Peura bag clumps of elodea pulled out of Sport Lake’s boat launch area on Thursday, May 4 near Soldotna. Refuge and Watershed Forum staff pulled about 30 trashbags of the invasive waterweed from Sport Lake on Thursday and tentatively plan to begin treating it with herbicide on May 16. (Photo courtesy of John Morton/ Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)

1 of 3 incumbents unseated in HEA election

In an election that concluded Thursday, Homer Electric Association members chose between six candidates for the three open seats on the cooperative’s board of directors.… Continue reading