Andrew Wellner, Frontiersman, published June 17, 2010

WASILLA — Valley issues played a central role Thursday as gubernatorial candidates Ethan Berkowitz and Bill Walker faced off at The Alaska Club in Wasilla.

The debate was the second in a series of political events put on by the Greater Palmer and Greater Wasilla chambers of commerce. It was the second gubernatorial event, featuring two of the 11 men still running for the seat. First on the list of Valley topics was Port MacKenzie. The candidates were asked if the project to bring a rail line to the port should receive continued funding and if they felt there is a need for two ports — Port MacKenzie and the Port of Anchorage — in the upper Cook Inlet.

Walker, a Republican, said he felt the rail extension was a worthy project and that Gov. Sean Parnell should have left the money appropriated for it intact instead of vetoing $22 million of the $57 million the Legislature allotted. He mentioned a trip he took to Port MacKenzie to see Alaska coal loaded onto a ship heading to Japan. “It was an extremely exciting time to be on the cutting edge of development in this state,” he said.
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