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Orange zest and extract bring this literary-inspired treat to life. Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion

Life

Whimsy and magic

This literary-inspired treat is perfect for Christmastime festivities.

Photo from the Alaska State Library historical collection
In Kenai, circa 1903, this trio was photographed on a well-used trail. Pictured are George S. Mearns, future Kenai postmaster; Kate R. Gompertz, Kenai resident; Hans P. Nielsen, superintendent of Kenai’s agricultural experiment station.

Life

The experiment: Kenai becomes an agricultural test site — Part 3

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Presidential Executive Order #148, in January 1899, had set aside 320 acres of land near Russian…

This 1903 photograph of mostly Kenai residents shows (back, far left) Hans Peter Nielsen, first superintendent of Kenai’s agricultural experiment station. Nielsen began work at the station in 1899 and resigned at the end of the 1903 season. (Photo from the Alaska State Library historical collection)

Life

The experiment: Kenai becomes an agricultural test site — Part 2

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Presidential Executive Order #148, in January 1899, had set aside 320 acres of land near Russian…

Served together on a bed of greens, these pickled eggs and beets make a light but cheerful lunch. Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion

Life

A wealth of eggs for good health

Pickled along with roasted beets and dill, these eggs have a cheerful hue and bright aroma.

This E.W. Merrill photograph shows Charles Christian Georgeson, special agent in charge of all agricultural experiment stations in Alaska, starting in 1898. (Photo from Alaska History Magazine, July-August 2020)

Life

The Experiment: Kenai becomes an agricultural test site — Part 1

Individuals deciding to explore Kenai’s historic district might start their journey by turning off the Kenai Spur Highway…

This dish, an earthy and herbaceous vegetarian reimagining of the classic beef wellington, is finished nicely with a creamy maple balsamic sauce. Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion

Life

A special dish for a special request

This mushroom wellington is earthy and herbaceous, and its preparation comes with much less pressure.

This virgin blueberry margarita made with blueberry flavored kombucha is perfect for sipping while playing cards.  Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion

Life

Sweet fruit for sober fun

Blueberry kombucha gives this virgin margarita complexity in flavor and a lovely purple hue.

John W. Eddy was already a renowned outdoor adventurer and writer when he penned this book in 1930, 15 years after the mystery of King David Thurman’s disappearance had been solved. Eddy’s version of the story, which often featured wild speculation and deviated widely from the facts, became, for many years, the accepted recounting of events.

Life

King Thurman: An abbreviated life — Part 6

AUTHOR’S NOTE: The fate of King David Thurman, a Cooper Landing-area resident, had finally been learned in February…

Public photo from ancestry.com
James Forrest Kalles (shown here with his daughters, Margaret and Emma) became the guardian of King David Thurman’s estate in early 1915 after Thurman went missing in 1914 and was presumed dead.

Life

King Thurman: An abbreviated life — Part 5

AUTHOR’S NOTE: King David Thurman left his Cooper Landing-area home in late July 1914 for another season of…

These heart-shaped chocolate sandwich cookies go perfectly with a glass of milk. (Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion)

Life

Chocolate cookies for a sweet treat

A healthy layer of frosting makes these sandwich cookies perfectly sweet and satisfying.

File photo.

Life

Minister’s Message: Memento mori

In the early centuries of Christianity, the Desert Fathers — Christian monks who withdrew into the wilderness —…

Emmett Krefting, age 6-7, at the Wible mining camping in 1907-07, about the time he first met King David Thurman. (Photo from the cover of Krefting’s memoir, Alaska’s Sourdough Kid)

Life

King Thurman: An abbreviated life — Part 4

AUTHOR’S NOTE: In 1913, King David Thurman, a Cooper Landing-area resident who often seemed one step ahead of…

Bulgogi kimbap is a favorite lunchtime staple and easy travel meal. Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion

Life

Kimbap when craving Korean food

Bulgogi kimbap is a favorite lunchtime staple and easy travel meal.

The cast of Kenai Central High School’s upcoming production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” pose for a photo on Nov. 6, 2025. The play will open on Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. Photo courtesy of Travis Lawson

News

Kenai students prepare to open ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

The play will premiere Friday at Kenai Central High School, with additional showings the following weekend.

File

Life

Minister’s Message: Considering the saints

This week, in many Christian churches, we celebrated a tradition called All Saints’ Day. It’s a time in…

There are two ways to make this complex and lovely sauce, which pairs sweetly with ice cream. Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion

Life

Dulce two ways

This dessert sauce can be eaten by the spoonful, but it’s best over ice cream.

This is part of the intake data entered when, in 1913, King David Thurman began his 50-day sentence in the Seward Jail for violating Alaska’s game laws. A 1911 attempt to nail Thurman for such a violation had failed.

Life

King Thurman: An abbreviated life — Part 3

AUTHOR’S NOTE: King David Thurman, a miner and trapper who lived and worked in the Cooper Landing area…

Photo from the L.H. Peterson Collection, Lot 8749, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Simon Wible’s mining camp on Canyon Creek, August 1911, four years after the summer in which Emmett Krefting met King David Thurman here.

Life

King Thurman: An abbreviated life — Part 2

AUTHOR’S NOTE: King David Thurman came to Alaska seeking gold. One of the earliest specific records of his…

File

Life

Minister’s Message: The ‘Unholidays’

“This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.” Mark 7:6

Roasted pumpkin seeds are packed with healthy fats and antioxidants and are a perfect snack for fueling growing brains and bodies. Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion

Life

Seasoned seeds to snack on

Roasting pumpkin seeds reduces food waste and creates a perfect treat for fueling growing brains and bodies.