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Back in his younger days (the late 1940s), Willard Dunham drove a tour bus full of steamship passengers out of Seward to the Cooper Landing area, including a stop at what was then called Mud Lake. (Photo from his online 2019 obituary)

Life

‘What’s in a name?’: Reviving a forgotten past — Part 1

AUTHOR’S NOTE: This is the first of a series of articles concerning places and landmarks on the Kenai…

John P. Holman poses with his first Dall sheep ram, shot in 1917 while being guided by Ben Swesey in the Kenai Mountains. (Photo from Holman’s 1933 hunting memoir)

Life

Ben Swesey: More to the story — Part 4

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Seven years after his friend William Weaver nearly drowned in Kenai Lake while returning from guiding…

These stuffed cabbage rolls are a wholesome and traditional dish. Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion

Life

A wholesome tradition

These cabbage rolls can be made with ground meat or extra-firm tofu as a vegan substitute.

This image is the only confirmed photograph of guide Ben Swesey discovered by the author. The photo, from John P. Holman’s 1933 hunting memoir, “Sheep and Bear Trails,” shows Swesey working to remove the cape from a Dall sheep ram shot by Holman in 1917.

Life

Ben Swesey: More to the story — Part 3

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Danger was inherent in the job. Although his fellow hunting guide, William Weaver, had narrowly escaped…

Sesame seed buns made from scratch elevate a meal. Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion

Life

A taste of Americana

Like all great things familiar and traditional, these sesame seed buns were born of a woman’s labor.

Nián gāo is a traditional Lunar New Year treat enjoyed in China for over two thousand years. Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion

Life

A Lunar New Year’s treat

This sweet, steamed rice cake is chewy, gooey and full of positivity.

This excerpt from a U.S. Geological Survey map shows the approximate location of Snug Harbor on lower Kenai Lake. It was in this area that William Weaver nearly drowned in 1910.

Life

Ben Swesey: More to the story — Part 2

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Michigan’s hard-luck Swesey clan sprang into existence because of the misfortunes of the Basom clan. All…

This screenshot from David Paulides’s “Missing 411” YouTube podcast shows the host beginning his talk about the disappearance of Ben Swesey and William Weaver.

Life

Ben Swesey: More to the story — Part 1

More than a hundred years after Ben Swesey and Bill Weaver steered an outboard-powered dory out of Resurrection…

This dish is creamy, rich and comforting, and gets dinner time done fast. Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion

Life

Full of mother’s love

This one-pot dish is creamy, rich and comforting, and can be ready in 30 minutes.

Photo by Clark Fair This 2025 image of the former grounds of the agricultural experiment station in Kenai contains no buildings left over from the Kenai Station days. The oldest building now, completed in the late 1930s, is the tallest structure in this photograph.

Life

The experiment: Kenai becomes an agricultural test site — Part 8

Over the past 50 years or more, the City of Kenai has attempted on several occasions to capitalize…

These gyros make a super delicious and satisfying tofu dish. Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion

Life

A new addition to the menu

Tofu gyros with homemade lentil wraps are so surprisingly satisfying and add extra fiber and protein to a…

Photo courtesy of the Arness Family Collection L. Keith McCullagh, pictured here aboard a ship in about 1915, was a U.S. Forest Service ranger charged with establishing a ranger station in Kenai, a task that led him to the agricultural experiment station there and into conflict with “Frenchy” Vian and his friends.

Life

The experiment: Kenai becomes an agricultural test site — Part 7

AUTHOR’S NOTE: After the agricultural experiment station in Kenai closed May 1, 1908, Alaska station supervisor C.C. Georgeson…

These treats are full of fiber and protein and contain less sugar than a Nutri-grain bar, so you can feel good about spoiling yourself a little. Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion

Life

A treat for a new start

These cosmic brownies are a healthier, homemade version of the usual cafeteria currency.

Sterling resident Jonny Reidy walks 11 miles from his dry cabin to his part-time job at Fred Meyer on Dec. 15, 2025. Reidy aims to walk 1,000 miles by midsummer, and he’s asking people to pledge donations to food banks for every mile he travels. Photo courtesy of Jonny Reidy

News

Sterling man is walking 1,000 miles for hunger awareness

Jonathan Reidy asks people to pledge donations to local food banks for every mile he walks.

This twisted pastry is complex and unexpected and a perfect place to practice boldness. Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion

Life

Going boldly with pastry

All kinds of flavor combinations taste great layered between crispy, buttery phyllo.

The cover of The Clenched Fist, the memoir by Alice M. Brooks and Willietta E. Kuppler concerning their 1911-14 teaching tenure in Kenai

Life

The experiment: Kenai becomes an agricultural test site — Part 6

AUTHOR’S NOTE: By 1907, the end of the line had nearly arrived for Kenai’s agricultural experiment station, which…

This yellow split pea curry is mild and rich with coconut milk and spices and makes a complete meal when paired with steamed rice. Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion

Life

Food to fuel growing minds

This yellow split pea curry, paired with steamed rice, is a complete meal and the perfect fuel for…

Prof. C.C. Georgeson, circa 1910s, inspects an apple tree on one of his Alaska agricultural experiment stations. (Image from the Rasmuson Library historical archives at the University of Alaska Fairbanks)

Life

The experiment: Kenai becomes an agricultural test site — Part 5

AUTHOR’S NOTE: A presidential executive order in January 1899 had set aside 320 acres of land near Russian…

In his 1903 report to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Prof. Charles Christian Georgeson included this photograph of efforts to break recently cleared ground at Kenai’s agricultural experiment station. The man behind the bull was either station superintendent Hans P. Nielsen or his assistant Pontus H. Ross.

Life

The experiment: Kenai becomes an agricultural test site — Part 4

AUTHOR’S NOTE: A presidential executive order in January 1899 had set aside 320 acres of land near Russian…

This recipe makes a boatload of soft and delicious cookies, perfect for sharing at Christmastime. Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion

Life

Christmas cookies for a shared tradition

These cookies are so soft and delicious, it’s no wonder they’re part of a family Christmas tradition.