© Frontiersman 2014 Mat-Su Valley SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2014 | FRONTIERSMAN.COM VOLUME 66, NUMBER 157 75 CENTS Published for the Mat-Su Valley and Fred Nunley of Wasilla. Houston nixes rezoning BY BRIAN O’CONNOR trial to act as a screen between the said one possibility for construc- the future, said Knikatnu President Frontiersman.com 560-acre heavy industrial parcel tion there is a light-bulb factory to Raymond Theodore� Inside and some of the neighbors, and produce environmentally friendly “This is just a first step,” he said� HOUSTON — The city council amendment which failed during LED lights� The company’s overrid- This is one of the biggest parcels here voted 5-2 Thursday to reject a an August planning commission ing concern was to be good neigh- we have in the Valley� We’re trying contentious rezoning measure� meeting� bors, said Richard Porter, executive to do something for our people� I Had the measure been approved, Deputy Mayor Lance Wilson and director of the Knik Tribal Council� don’t think that’s wrong�” it would have rezoned two parcels Mayor Virgie Thompson were the “What we would start to find Residents, like Charlotte Den- of property from residential agri- only two council members to vote out is that our grandfathers raised nis, were skeptical� They pointed cultural — the zoning classifica- in favor of the rezoning� us the same way,” he said� “I think to the 11 enumerated uses of heavy tion for many surrounding proper- Representatives from the prop- when you guys see this, you see the industrial facilities in city ordi- ties — to heavy industrial� Deputy erty’s owner, Alaska Native Cor- scary thing of heavy industry, but if nance and say they wouldn’t want Mayor Lance Wilson had offered poration Knikatnu, Inc�, requested you look at this, we have the same any of those facilities as neighbors� an amendment to zone the small- the zoning in order to develop the values as you guys�” er, 80-acre portion as light indus- property� Company officials have The corporation was looking to See REZONING, Page A3 Another PALMER ART WALK Assembly full weekend Valley teams face candidates tough tests in week 5� PAGE B1 discuss tourism BY BRIAN O’CONNOR State Supreme Frontiersman.com Court WASILLA — Tourism Court upholds and economic development suspension for are one and the same, candi- Palmer judge� dates for borough assembly PAGE A8 told a forum Friday after- noon� Candidates for the fourth and fifth borough assembly districts met at Evangelo’s for a forum hosted by the Mat-Su Borough Conven- tion and Visitors Bureau Friday� Fifth district candi- date Bill Kendig put it best on an answer to an audience question on supporting cruise ships� “That’s going to fuel our tourism more, which fuels our small businesses, which is the backbone of our econ- omy,” he said� Kendg and District 4 Full steam incumbent Steve Colligan agreed that cruise ships were ahead essential to growing the The 557 Restoration economy, and supported Co� volunteers allowing them to dock at Port MacKenzie in the future� “still think they can� ” Dan Mayfield, in the PAGE A11 unenviable position of answering the question first, said he would require time to do some research� “The port is more indus- Weather CAITLIN SKVORC/Frontiersman.com trial, so my off-the cuff Nicolas McCaslin, a Beatles fan extraordinaire, performs his favorite tunes outside B Bella in the Koslosky HIGH: 60 Center for this month’s Palmer Art Walk. See TOURISM, Page A10 LOW: 40s Scattered showers� Var� wind to 10 mph� Full forecast, PAGE A2 Houston firefighter homeless after blaze BY BRIAN O’CONNOR had safely stored inside the residence in Frontiersman.com case they did ignite, but that the fireworks neither ignited nor played a role in the fire’s Index MEADOW LAKES — A Thursday ignition� morning fire left a Houston firefighter and The Houston Fire station, unlike some A section his girlfriend homeless and injured a fire- other facilities, has no quarters, so the Red Around the Valley � A2 fighter responding to the blaze, authorities Cross was temporarily housing Stiles at a Faith � � � � � � � � � � � � A5 said� local hotel Thursday afternoon� Opinion � � � � � � � � � A6 The fire happened about 8 a�m� along Stiles’ sister, Katheryn Baker, whose fam- Obituaries � � � � � � � A8 North Finsbury Lane, according to bor- ily had suffered a house fire of their own Police Beat � � � � � � � A8 ough Deputy Emergency Services Direc- within the last year, had been keeping some tor Clint Vardemann� No one was injured of her property at the Finsbury Lane house� Business � � � � � � � � � A9 before firefighters arrived, but the mobile “She still had a bunch of her property Valley Life � � � � � � A11 home that burned, which belonged to there and she was going to move it into her Houston fire fighter Shawn Stiles, was a house,” he said� “I guess the fire had other B section complete lost� plans�” Sports � � � � � � � � � � � B1 “It happened so quickly that the smoke Firefighters at the Houston station were Puzzles � � � � � � � � � � B3 alarms didn’t have a chance to go off before accepting small items for donations� Baker Classifieds � � � � � � � B4 the house was engulfed,” Stiles said� had established a campaign on the popular Stiles said he’d recently returned from crowd-sourcing charity site www�gofund- the Bristol Bay Borough, where he had been me�com, which had raised about $110 of a working as a firefighter� Officials were still stated goal of $3,000 by Saturday afternoon� investigating, but Stiles said he’d been told “His home is now gone,” Baker wrote� a malfunctioning natural gas heater was “He lost all but a few items of clothing� Photo Courtesy GoFundMe.Com most likely the cause� Stiles said he’d pur- Luckily, every one made out alive, and Firefighters from Central Fire and Rescue work to chased the house within the last year� that’s a lot to be thankful for�” extinguish a blaze Thursday morning that left Houston Some reports incorrectly said fireworks firefighter Shawn Stiles homeless. A GoFundMe have played a role in the blaze� Stiles said Contact Brian O’Connor at 352-2269 or brian.oconnor@fron- campaign established by Stiles’s sister had raised $110 he warned responders about fireworks he tiersman.com Saturday afternoon. Looking for a primary care provider? Same- and next-day appointments are often available. Medicare friendly. Call 352-1300. Dianne Maythorne, ANP-C Advanced Family Nurse Practitioner-Family Practice 1700 E. Bogard Rd., Suite 100 • Wasilla SolsticeFamilyCare.com Most insurance plans welcome. 78443_MATS_Maythrn_10_125x2c.indd 1 8/5/14 5:03 PM Mat-Su Valley VALLEY LIFE SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2014 PAGE A11 KNEEJERK CHRONICLES IF YOU REBUILD IT, THEY WILL COME By Tim Johnson Making a separate peace Old soldiers don’t die — they just redeploy — Anony- mous Curmudgeon This is about two old soldiers who knew of each other� In 1983 one drove down a remote road in North Dako- ta� At a roadblock a gunfight ensued� Two law enforce- ment officers died and he fled� He died in another shootout in Arkansas� His name was Gordon Kahl� I once found the other old soldier on another remote road and that is my favorite memory of him� This is his story� Courtesy photo In 1984 I was driving on a The partially restored Engine No. 557 has been moved outside while volunteers work to restore the tender car that will carry the coal to gravel road in North Dakota fire the historic steam engine. and saw a car at the side of the road� I stopped and walked to the driver’s side of the car to offer aid� I was delighted to see my favorite uncle� I had just arrived from Alaska and had not seen him in years� He was reading a newspaper and my aunt was knitting� They seemed per- FULL STEAM AHEAD fectly relaxed� Volunteers with the 557 Restoration Co. still ‘think they can’ I asked if they needed help� My uncle replied “no” BY ERIN SHAVER and went on to say that the For the Frontiersman car had a habit of quitting once in a while but could be restarted in a few minutes� WASILLA — Every boy is interested in trains, quips Jerry Cunnington, He reasoned that he now volunteer for the Engine No� 557 Restoration Company, “I’m out here had sufficient evidence to playing with a toy train� This one just happens to be on a one-to-one scale�” “puzzle through” and cor- At the old Kenai Supply building just off the railroad tracks in Wasilla, rect the problem in his own volunteers are there most days, cleaning, building, learning and storytell- garage� He was 77 years old ing their way through the restoration of Alaska’s last steam locomotive� and as strong as ever� He was If there were a proverbial hump, halfway, or middle point in restoring a skilled farmer, trapper, car- an old steam engine, the 557 Restoration Company is pretty much at that penter, and mechanic� juncture� But don’t tell them that� They are just a bunch of old boys hav- My uncle and my father ing a little fun� were two of the most peace- “Most of the people I see are regular� Some of them come in almost able people I have known� They were quiet, steady every day,” says Doug VanWingerden, retired machinist and regular men who had “made do” volunteer� “It’s amazing� Some have a real affinity to railroads, they build and “puzzled through” all models, and it’s a natural fit� Others just like to come down here and be of their lives� My uncle and part of something�” Gordon Kahl were both It’s been exactly two years since the 557 Restoration Company began North Dakota farm boys the formidable task of deconstructing and reconstructing a 70-year-old who fought in World War II� Courtesy photo steam engine� And two summers from now, they hope to see it running Each was an expert gunner Engine No.