The preserved polar bear and brown bear that have been displayed in the Kenai Municipal Airport for more than a decade are now the property of the City of Kenai, after the city council on Wednesday accepted a donation of the two bears.
An ordinance enacted unanimously authorizing the move says that Laurie Ramsey, a representative of the Warren E. Johnson Estate that previously owned the two pieces, wanted to donate them to the airport. Per an attached memo, the airport reached out to renew the display agreement and the estate indicated “they prefer to donate the bears.” The two are assessed at a combined value of $40,000, the polar bear at $25,000 and the brown bear at $15,000.
The pair have been displayed at the airport since 2014, the ordinance says, though Vice Mayor Henry Knackstedt said during the meeting that he thought they may have been around even longer.
“I’d just like to thank the Warren Johnson family and estate for the generous donations of two displays we’ve had there for quite some time,” he said. “They’re quite a fixture. They’re much appreciated by the public and certainly by the city.”
The ordinance was enacted unanimously without deliberation.
The full text of the ordinance can be found at kenai.city.
Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.
