Rev. Meredith Harber enjoys a s’more on a fall day in Alaska. (Photo by Meredith Harber/courtesy)

Minister’s Message: Finding peace in the in-between

I find myself anxious when I know that winter is coming — even though there’s lots that I love about winter.

Rev. Meredith Harber enjoys a s’more on a fall day in Alaska. (Photo by Meredith Harber/courtesy)
Pictured in an online public portrait is Anthony J. Dimond, the Anchorage judge who presided over the sentencing hearing of William Franke, who pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of Ethen Cunningham in January 1948.

States of Mind: The death of Ethen Cunningham — Part 5

A hearing was held to determine the length of William Franke’s prison sentence

Pictured in an online public portrait is Anthony J. Dimond, the Anchorage judge who presided over the sentencing hearing of William Franke, who pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of Ethen Cunningham in January 1948.
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Minister’s Message: Living wisely

Wisdom, it seems, is on all of our minds

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This excerpt from a survey dating back more than a century shows a large meander at about Mile 6 of the Kenai River. Along the outside of this river bend in 1948 were the homestead properties of Ethen Cunningham, William Franke and Charles “Windy” Wagner.

States of Mind: The death of Ethen Cunningham — Part 4

Franke surrendered peacefully and confessed to the killing, but the motive for the crime remained in doubt.

This excerpt from a survey dating back more than a century shows a large meander at about Mile 6 of the Kenai River. Along the outside of this river bend in 1948 were the homestead properties of Ethen Cunningham, William Franke and Charles “Windy” Wagner.
Charles “Windy” Wagner, pictured here in about the year in which Ethen Cunningham was murdered, was a neighbor to both the victim and the accused, William Franke. (Photo courtesy of the Knackstedt Collection)

States of Mind: The death of Ethen Cunningham — Part 3

The suspect was homesteader William Henry Franke

Charles “Windy” Wagner, pictured here in about the year in which Ethen Cunningham was murdered, was a neighbor to both the victim and the accused, William Franke. (Photo courtesy of the Knackstedt Collection)
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Minister’s Message: Comprehending a truth beyond knowledge

The love of Christ passes knowledge

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Nick Varney

Unhinged Alaska: Bring it on

It’s now already on the steep downslide of August and we might as well be attending a wake on the beach

Nick Varney
Virginia Walters (Courtesy photo)

Life in the Pedestrian Lane: As Time Goes By…

The world was endless with simply a dollar in an envelope

Virginia Walters (Courtesy photo)
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Minister’s Message: Entering rest

I asked a group of people to share their ideas of what they think of when they hear the word “rest.”

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William Henry Franke signed this draft-registration card in August 1942 in Massachusetts. At the time, he was serving with the U.S. Merchant Marine. Four years later, he would move to the Kenai Peninsula. In January 1948, he would kill Ethen Cunningham.

States of Mind: The death of Ethen Cunningham — Part 2

Conjecture about motive was rampant immediately after the shooting and in the months before Franke’s court date

William Henry Franke signed this draft-registration card in August 1942 in Massachusetts. At the time, he was serving with the U.S. Merchant Marine. Four years later, he would move to the Kenai Peninsula. In January 1948, he would kill Ethen Cunningham.
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Minister’s Message: The quest for unity

The solution for unity must be in terms of honoring God and God’s values

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Former Kenai resident and businessman Hal Thornton first arrived in Kenai on the evening that Ethen Cunningham was murdered. He described his experience with this event in the Kenai chapter of this memoir.

States of Mind: The death of Ethen Cunningham — Part 1

It may have seemed like an open-and-shut case

Former Kenai resident and businessman Hal Thornton first arrived in Kenai on the evening that Ethen Cunningham was murdered. He described his experience with this event in the Kenai chapter of this memoir.
Pigs race at the Kenai Peninsula Fair in Ninilchik, Alaska, on Friday, Aug. 11, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Pigs race at the Kenai Peninsula Fair in Ninilchik, Alaska, on Friday, Aug. 11, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai Peninsula Fair 2024: Back to the Last Frontier

Some of the highlights this year will include horse rides, hamster balls, pig races, rodeo and competitions

Pigs race at the Kenai Peninsula Fair in Ninilchik, Alaska, on Friday, Aug. 11, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Pigs race at the Kenai Peninsula Fair in Ninilchik, Alaska, on Friday, Aug. 11, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
On its last legs. When the Peninsula Clarion’s Ashlyn O’Hara captured this image of Good Time Charlies in 2022, the old bar and strip club was about to be demolished to make room for a highway-safety project.

A violent season — Part 7

No bar stands today north of the Sterling Highway and across from the Birch Ridge Golf Course.

On its last legs. When the Peninsula Clarion’s Ashlyn O’Hara captured this image of Good Time Charlies in 2022, the old bar and strip club was about to be demolished to make room for a highway-safety project.
A turtle is made out of kid-friendly snacks for Vacation Bible School. (Photo courtesy Meredith Harber)

Minister’s Message: We all need to feel loved and liked

Over the last few days, my church has hosted our yearly Vacation Bible School.

A turtle is made out of kid-friendly snacks for Vacation Bible School. (Photo courtesy Meredith Harber)
Harvey Dale Hardaway, seen here in his military uniform, was one of four men involved in a shoot-out at the Hilltop Bar and Café in December 1967. (Public photo from ancestry.com)

A violent season — Part 6

A disagreement over the payment for some food led to a shoot-out at the Hilltop Bar and Café

Harvey Dale Hardaway, seen here in his military uniform, was one of four men involved in a shoot-out at the Hilltop Bar and Café in December 1967. (Public photo from ancestry.com)
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Minister’s Message: Trusting in the will of God

Many people avoid having a relationship with God because of the trust issue

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Nick Varney

Unhinged Alaska: The rise and demise of the rodent

Husbands can make very rare and somewhat dim-bulb mistakes

Nick Varney
Virginia Walters (Courtesy photo)

Life in the Pedestrian Lane: Good old summertime

The lupines are crazy this year, as were the dandelions.

Virginia Walters (Courtesy photo)
This advertisement for the Hilltop Bar and Café, the successor to the Circus Bar, appeared in 1962. The names under “Beer and Booze” refer to co-owners Swede Foss and Steve Henry King. (Advertisement contributed by Jim Taylor)

A violent season — Part 5

Bush did not deny killing Jack Griffiths in October 1961, but he claimed to have had no choice in order to protect himself.

This advertisement for the Hilltop Bar and Café, the successor to the Circus Bar, appeared in 1962. The names under “Beer and Booze” refer to co-owners Swede Foss and Steve Henry King. (Advertisement contributed by Jim Taylor)