Brandi King is a 20-year-old student at Kenai Peninsula College. She is studying towards a degree in the fine arts and early childhood development.

“I am really happy with my choice to go to KPC. I have great teachers in the art department. It would be nice if it were a little cheaper though,” she said.

Brandi is also a teacher for the Kenai Montessori School. She teaches art to the 3 to 7 year old children.

In her spare time Brandi has written and illustrated several books for kids. Most of her illustrations are done in colored pencil and watercolors. She wrote her first book back when she was in the 9^th grade.

“Mostly I like writing adventure stories for young children,” she said.

Brandi has two cats named Radar and Sonar and a malamute dog named Mally. Her love of animals has also prompted her to become a member of the World Wildlife Fund.

“They use the money I donate to protect the worlds shrinking roadless areas and to help endangered species like the Panda,” she said.

When I asked Brandi to tell me about a memorable experience she recounted the time last summer when she had an unexpected visitor outside her cabin.

“I looked up and there was a brown bear in the yard. I didn’t know what to do so I just stood really still. After a little while it turned and ran off.” she said.

When I asked Brandi what she would like to see change in the area the only thing she came up with was that she would like to see some improvements to the local roads.

“Other than that, I like things pretty much the way they are,’ she said.

Around Town:

This week wish a happy birthday to Richard Wride on Thursday the 27^th and to Sylvia Fall on Sunday the 30^th.

If you have a birthday or anniversary you would like announced in the paper or any other community news for this section give me a call drop me an e-mail. I would love to hear from you.

From: “Joan Hansen” hansjoan@alaska.net>
To: news@peninsulaclarion.com>
Subject: KENAI NEIGHBORS COLUMN for APRIL 25, 2006
Date: Thursday, April 20, 2006 12:39 PM

KENAI NEIGHBORS COLUMN FOR APRIL 25, 2006       

      Lydia Chadwick is a fifth grader at Aurora Borealis School and is eleven years old.  One of her projects at school was to build a native dwelling for a social studies project. She chose to do a ‘long house’, and the day before Easter she and her dad were busily involved in cutting wood and finding glue sticks to achieve that goal. Her dad, Lee Chadwick, is a teacher at Nikiski High School, where he teaches computer science and social studies. He’s a busy man, but not too busy to help one of his many daughters with a project that involves power tools and building materials.
      Lydia is active in soccer, basketball and gymnastics with a strong suit in the uneven bars and the vault. Her favorite subject is art and she like working with charcoal pencil drawings.
      The day we visited, Lydia was helping her mother, Krista, teach the family and a friend how to make Ukrainian eggs, where one uses wax to produce intricate patterns on eggs. It is a painstaking process, but produces beautiful designs. Her mom managed to bake German pancakes while she instructed the girls, and this writer was privileged to sample one while it was warm, delectable and laced with fresh strawberries and real whipped cream, as I visited with Lydia.
       Lydia’s family has lived in Alaska for about nine years. They spent Christmas vacation in Paradox, Colorado at their grandparent’s home. One of Lydia’s friends in Colorado gave her a horse, and she loves riding it.
     This helpful young lady’s siblings include sister Eliza, age 15, Abigail, 13, Zoe,age nine, and busy little brothers Owen, five, and Tate, almost two years old. Lydia likes Kenai for many reasons, but mostly because “most of my friends are here”, she says.

AROUND TOWN:  Every year coach Jim Beeson contacts  me to give our readers a “heads up” about the fund-raising efforts of his Kenai Central High School football and basketball teams. This year all the boys are ready, willing and able to work for local residents with the goal of raising funds for summer camp. They will do about anything you need help with, says Coach Beeson. If you need the help of one worker  or a team of them to clean your yard, paint your garage, haul your winter, spruce up your business area,  sweep your parking lot, or anything else you need a hand with,  call the coach at 252-7524 or 283-7524 and he’ll send help.
   If you’re in the midst of spring cleaning and have discovered treasures you would be willing to part with, you could call the Kenai Senior Center and donate your goodies to their upcoming  Springtime garage and goodie sale to be held on May 4 and 5. Call 283-4156 to drop off saleable items or to arrange for a pick up.
     Happy birthday on Wednesday to Frank Konte, John Erickson, and Bob Fowler. Thursday: Ruby Cobos, Karen Ellis, Floyd Poage. Friday: Elsie Seaman.  A belated wish goes out to Mae Stanley, who celebrated her birth on April 22.

The captain of the 2006 Region champion Skyview High School ski team, Taylor Karnikis, is a natural leader. He was chosen to read the athlete’s oath in the Arctic Winter Games opening ceremony. Taylor competed in the Game’s biathlon and is dedicated to that sport, thanking Alan and Joan Miller of Sterling for inspiration and support. Now a junior at Skyview, he plans to be a college biathlete and dreams of reaching the Olympics.

Taylor is 6’-2”, handsome, polite, and friendly. Girls, are you paying attention? He is a member of the National Honor Society and plays tuba and bagpipes. In fact, he gathered nine people interested in bagpipes and taught chanter (instrument preparatory to bagpipes) lessons. Ironically, one of Taylor’s students is his school music teacher, Kent Peterson. Taylor has played for fire and police departments, weddings, parades, funerals, and other occasions. He thanks Steve Adams for teaching him the pipes.

As you might have guessed, Great Grandfather Taylor was born in Scotland, and is the lad’s namesake. Taylor was born in Washington where his Dad, Syd, operated Twin Rocks Enterprises, a logging business. His Mom, Sherry, was a cook on tug boats. Sherry also had a dogteam and raced occasionally. They lived on an island in Western WA. There, snow was low at best.

After visiting, they moved to North Coho in 1995. At the time, opportunity in the logging industry was tall and Sherry was eager for a place with snow seasons for her dogs. The family settled on Florence Ave. where Syd headquarters his logging business and Sherry later started Coho Micro Bakery. It makes healthy dog food out of salmon and markets the product statewide.

Taylor has extensive experience helping both parents. He also worked in sales at Sweeny’s Clothing. And for neighbor, Paul Gephardt, taking care of dogs. Gephardt’s 3rd place Iditarod finish this year put him in Nome with several dogs Taylor had cared for as pups.

Around Town

Kalifornsky Beach Road upgrade for miles 4.3 -11 is scheduled for completion this year but is not yet funded. Mile 0-4.3 and 11-16.2 are scheduled for next year.

“Go, Wesley!” I heard cheers coming from the Ninilchik School gymnasium as the 9-year-old fourth grader dribbled down the court and skillfully made a basket. Wesley’s competitive spirit was evident when he tenaciously held onto the ball while much taller players tried to steal it from him. I found out later that Wesley averaged eight points during the past three games that the elementary team played informally against Nikolaevsk School. The team, made up of 3rd through 6th graders, entertained the crowd by their enthusiastic sportsmanship.

Wesley Sherbahn is the son of Dave and Tammy Sherbahn and was born in Palmer. The Sherbahns moved from Northway to Ninilchik when Dave was hired to be our local Alaska State Trooper in February 2005. Wesley and his sister Shauna, a sophomore, both attend Ninilchik School. Besides loving to play basketball and football, he told me that he’s hooked on fishing. Great fishing is one reason he likes living in Ninilchik. He shared a special memory of the time he went fishing with his grandpa Sherbahn before he died in 2001. A photo he treasures keeps the memory alive.

When I asked him if he had any heroes, he paused and thoughtfully replied, “My dad.” Later he added, “It is cool being a trooper’s son.” Wesley’s mother works part-time at the Ninilchik Senior Citizens Center while working on her nursing degree. Wesley said that his favorite food is nachos, but he especially likes his mom’s shepherd’s pie.

Wesley’s favorite subject is science. When I asked what he wants to be when he grows up, without hesitation he declared, “a heart doctor.” When I inquired why, he said, “Because I want to help people.” If Wesley puts as much heart into his studies as I observed him playing basketball with last week, he will make a mighty fine cardiologist some day.
Around Town:
Brieanne Leman and Jammie McKeller have birthdays today. The following also have birthdays this week: Delbert Shay, Butch Leman, Courtney Waldsmith, Gregory Encelewski, Kaitlyn Nolan and Rosalinda Flores. Please let us in on your neighborly news.

            Colleen Jorgensen has witnessed many changed to Alaska since moving here with her husband and children in 1959. They came to reside in Kenai in 1965 and since then have built and lived in various homes in Nikiski.

            After first moving to the peninsula, Colleen, her husband, Wanless, and their five children came to reside at the Tee Pee Trailer Court that sat across from what is today API.

            The family later built a home on Daniels Lake, where Colleen and Wanless raised their family. The couple later built and lived in four other homes in Nikiski after their children were grown.

            Colleen found a job selling Avon in 1971 while her husband was sent across Alaska and the world for work as an electrician.

            She recalls that her youngest twin sons had to attend Kenai Central High School because a high school in Nikiski had not yet been built. While the boys stayed after to play sports at Kenai, she would go house to house selling Avon for something to do.

            “It gave me an opportunity to meet people,” she said.

            After a career selling beauty product to residents and forming many friendships, Colleen retired in January (2006) and now refers her customers to Marie Anderson, a friend and fellow representative.

            With the longer days and bright sunshine, Colleen said she is looking forward to more time this summer to walk and work in her flower garden. She has also been devoting time to organizing family photos.

            All but one of her five grown children lives on the Kenai Peninsula. She also has 17 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren living in the area.

            With all that family, Colleen said celebrations are abundant.

            “It is a birthday practically everyday,” she said.

            Today Colleen lives in a cabin near mile 32 of the Spur Highway, farther out than most. Yet she believes Nikiski is a great place to reside.

            “It is a very good place to raise kids,” she said.

Around town

Happy anniversary to Jim and Glenna Patterson on Friday (April 28). (reprinted from last week)

Happy birthday wished this week go to Bernie Titera on Sunday (April 30), and Ron Brown, Fred Korpinen and Jack Porter, all celebrate on Sunday (April 30).

Catherine DeLacee has lived in Soldotna for 22 years. Although she grew up in Iowa, she did some moving around. “It was the 60’s and 70’s you know? I was a gypsy, much to my mother’s despair,” she says.

After a decade and a half gypsy-ing around, she met her future husband, Dan Van Zee, who had served in the military at Fort Rich. “All he talked about was Alaska. He had a vivid impression of Alaska - he loved the Alaskan “go for it” viewpoint.  In the early 80’s I said, ‘let’s go see’, and so we came,” she said.

Dan had a friend from the service who still lived here and was able to get a job through that friend. “We always knew before we went anywhere what we would do, where we would work,” Catherine said.

“I (told my parents) I wanted to be a social worker when I was 18. Mom and Dad felt I wasn’t strong enough so I entered the corporate world,” Catherine said. “I was a stock broker; I was in the political world; we had a business. But I’ve always had people in my heart. I knew I wanted to directly help those who need help.”

Then a few years ago, their business closed. “I had less than $50 to my name.” While looking for work Linda Swarner told her about the MASST (Mature Alaskans Seeking Skills Training) program and asked her to work at the Food Bank. “She afforded me the opportunity to work in the social services sector,” Catherine says.

Catherine’s empathy skills come into good use every day. “When they come in (and tell me their story) I can say ‘I know how you feel’ and mean it,” she says. “I always wanted to be in social work. Sometimes we just have to grow and get enough life experience to fill our own dream job!”

Catherine and Dan have two children, a daughter in college in Minnesota and a son still at home. Dan works with marketing internet tourism now, and they have begun a new business, Alaska Playground Vacations.
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Maturity comes with accepting responsibility
Spenard Builders Supply

June Mallette and her parents, Frank and Frances Char, built Midville Grocery about 1967. The building was sold and became the Treasure Cache for years and now is TJ Seggy’s.

The Char/Mallette family moved from New Jersey in 1956 to homestead 7 miles south of Soldotna. June and her husband, Ed, built a large house on a hill beside the highway. The Sterling Highway was realigned however, and jumped to the other side of their house. The original gravel travel way became Reflection Lake Road and their house stood out starkly atop a large sand bank facing the new road. John Ulen, a friend of Mallette’s, eventually bought the house but it later burned down. A trailer house has replaced it.

Coincidental with construction of the grocery store, June and her dad started a Little League baseball team. One of the clearings made to fulfill homestead requirements was smoothed and put to good use. It lay right behind the store. The Falcons became the first central Peninsula team south of Soldotna. I had the personal pleasure of being on this team. Quite often June drove to Clam Gulch to fetch me for practice. And treated the whole team to hamburgers after games. For the community of youngsters, baseball became a central theme of life. After the season a huge barbeque was held and important people attended. At this gathering Fairbanks politician, Red Boucher, told June she was the first female baseball coach in the State. Her Dad should get quite a bit of credit, too, as I directly remember him teaching us how to play.

June has five children, Edmond, Doug, Wayne, Stacie, and by a later marriage to Sid Sherwood, Laura. Recently, Doug and his family moved to Utah. The others continue to make their home on the homestead. June worked for the Borough finance department for several years. Later, in 1994, she suffered a heart attack. She quit smoking then, but her road to recovery was uphill and steep. June was diagnosed with cholesterol emboli, a complication which required six months of hospital care. The unique disease put her in the burn care unit because of the deleterious effect on skin. Having no insurance, health costs were devastating. “The local hospital was fabulous to work with,” she reports. “But I’m still paying Providence.” June had three stents put in then and four added a few years later, in Seattle.

Edmond works for the City of Soldotna and owns the blue shop next to TJ Seggy’s. His home is the duplex across the highway and June has the house next door with the basement addition under construction. The buildings directly across from the store were Frank’s.

Frankie, June’s brother, was popular with baseball players. His brain had been damaged by forceps when he was born, though, and he passed away a few years ago.

Around Town

Tustumena School band members as well as K-3 students put on a great music festival April 19. Mick Audette is their accomplished instructor.

Parent volunteer preschool is now available at Tustumena School. Heidi Wong heads up the program on Mondays from 9:30 to 11:30. For more information you can call her at 260-8037.

Congratulation to Thomas Kircher for winning the 2006 Caring for the Kenai award. Thomas, the son of long time Cohoe Loop residents, Karl and Cindy Kircher, invented a great device for securing garbage hauled in pick-up trucks. Kirchers are temporarily wintering in Soldotna where Karl and Cindy work at Soldotna Middle School.

A group of women painters have been meeting at Kasilof Community Church. Ann Letzring would be a good source for more information.

Linda Vroman and her husband Steven have lived in Alaska for 25 years. Before that they lived in Oregon and Steve worked for Weyerhaeuser Lumber Company. When the whole logging industry in Oregon took a downturn due to the spotted owl fiasco, Linda and Steve decided to head north.

Thirteen years ago they moved to Sterling. Linda said they liked the community because everyone was so accepting of other people and were not judgmental. She also loves all the opportunities to be outdoors.

“As a photographer I can never get enough of the beautiful scenery,” she said.

Linda works as a Certified Resource Aide at the Sterling Elementary School. She works with individual students and small groups to improve their reading and math skills.

“I want the people of Sterling to know how much joy I get from teaching their kids. I love my job,” she said.
Linda has a dog named Muffin PFD. Muffin earned the second part of her name after it cost a whole permanent fund dividend to repair the damage done when she was stomped by a moose.

A moose also contributed to one of Linda’s most memorable moments in Alaska. One winter when her son was 5 there was a LOT of snow. It came within 2 feet of the top of the green house. While playing outside a moose chased Loren up on top of the greenhouse.

“I looked out and burst out laughing. The moose had him stuck on top of the greenhouse. It was sticking it’s tongue out and trying to get to him. It looked so funny,” she said
Loren, now 22 years old will be going to Air Force boot camp in Lackland Texas starting April 18th. After that he will be going to Biloxi Mississippi for tech school and job training. He will be studying electronic computer and switching systems.

Loren was married to Olivia Landeis on April 8th. She will be joining him shortly after he’s finished with boot camp.

“I’m happy he joined the service. It will enrich his life and give him lots of opportunities he wouldn’t have otherwise had, but I’m sad to see him go,” Linda said.

     There are 9 children in Jack and Ginger Johnston’s family. All of them are quite talented. I introduced you to Zeke back in January. Today I’d like you to meet one of his sisters.
     Kandis Johnston has been playing piano for a bit over 10 years. That itself may not  be impressive - until you realize she has just celebrated her sixteenth birthday. “Mom taught my sister Karis and then Karis taught me - until I passed her up. I guess I’m mostly self taught.”
     Kandis has had some formal training. She took lessons for a couple of years until her teacher moved out of the area. Kandis says, “Most of the time I haven’t had lessons and that’s bad. I’ve had no theory. I knew the basics but couldn’t advance by myself.” She has recently begun taking lessons from another teacher.
     “That’s a good thing,” she says. “I don’t like to do finger exercises. The teacher will make me work at those.”
     You would not know that she hates to do those finger exercises to hear her play. Kandis has played for Sunday morning worship services since she was about 13 years old. She also accompanies soloists and groups, both choral and instrumental. Recently she and her younger sister, Kara, played a flute - piano duet at Sovereign Grace Chapel, where their dad is pastor.
     I asked her if she enjoys playing and she gave one of her characteristic giggles. “It’s super fun. I love how music sounds. I like to challenge myself with harder things. If I hear someone trying fancy things - I want to try it.”
     When I asked what she liked about music she said that sight-reading is easy. “I really likes harder pieces, but I don’t like to make myself stop to work through the hard parts.” She says she’d rather play the piece straight through.
      Kandis is the fifth in the family and is in the 10th grade, home schooled by her mother, Ginger.
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AROUND TOWN:
     Learn to enjoy the little things because there are so many of them. Spenard Builders Supply

     Send your news, folks.