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Archived: 12/01/2001 at 06:51:52
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Rate increases
proposed for Juneau docks and harbors
The CBJ Docks and Harbors Board approved a list of rate increases at Thursday night's meeting. Port Director Joe Graham says the Harbor Board has looked at
two issues. They are fairness and equity and generating additional revenue for
projects the board has developed through the capital improvement process.
Graham says since most rates have not changed in the last 15 years, the board
believes that they don't reflect the true costs. He says they hope to identify
those costs during the public hearing process.
Increases include the cost per linear foot of a vessel, the residence surcharge,
an increase in launch ramp fees for annual commercial tour-charter vessels and
commercial freighters, and the daily and monthly transient electricity fees.
The board has scheduled a public hearing on the proposed rate hikes for December
27th.
Local government
leaders decide on legislative priorities
The Alaska Municipal League wrapped up its annual Local Government Conference in
Anchorage today. Its Board of Directors hammered out a platform of legislative
priorities before adjourning, according to Mike Scott who chairs the
organization's Legislative Committee.
Scott says there are three overall priorities. One calls on lawmakers to adopt a
balanced fiscal plan for the state. The second calls for issuance of general
obligation bonds to fund capital projects. The third priority calls for
increasing public participating in state and local government. In part, Scott,
says delegates want to accomplish the last priority by healing racism and
improving urban-rural relations among other initiatives.
Scott says the league's legislative priorities will be delivered to the
Legislature's Fiscal Policy Caucus tomorrow in Anchorage where it is meeting and
to the full Legislature when next year's session convenes in Juneau.
Lighthouse association to get Pt.
Retreat land
A provision in the Congressional conference committee's Transportation
Appropriations report transfers about 15-hundred acres adjacent to the Point
Retreat Lighthouse to the Alaska Lighthouse Association.
That word today in a press release issued by the office of Senator Ted Stevens.
The lighthouse is located at the tip of Mansfield Peninsula on Admiralty Island.
Language in the report transfers all property under lease as of June 1st of last
year to the association as authorized in a previously approved law. Under terms
of that law, its expected that public access to the property for recreation,
hunting and fishing will be largely unchanged, according to Stevens's press
release. The conveyance was opposed by conservationist, hunting and fishing
organizations, and the Forest Service.
Another provision in the conference committee report allocates $10 Million to
the Inter Island Ferry Authority on Prince of Wales Island for the Coffman Cove
facility.
Airline defends engineer dismissed from
crash probe
Alaska Airlines is defending an engineer who was dismissed from the panel
investigating the crash of Flight 261. Company president Bill Ayer says the
engineer, Eiji Sugi, is owed a debt of gratitude for his work, looking into
whether a grease failure led to the malfunction of a tail mechanism.
All 88 people on board died when the M-D-83 crashed in January of last year off
Southern California. The National Transportation Safety Board dismissed the
engineer, saying he had delayed and frustrated the investigation.
Airliner dumps fuel near Fairbanks
State and federal officials say 30 tons of fuel recently dumped by an Air France
jet near Fairbanks probably evaporated before it reached the ground.
The pilot released the fuel November 17th after losing a wheel on takeoff from
Fairbanks International Airport. Officials say the pilot didn't want a plane
full of fuel to make an emergency landing. State environmental officials say the
fuel was dumped from an elevation of about 12-thousand feet.
Time to guard against frozen pipes
With the advent of cold weather, city water utility officials are recommending
that Juneau residents guard against frozen pipes.
Dean Nordenson of the CBJ Water Utility Division was a guest on KINY's Capital
Chat this morning. He summarized five basic steps that should be taken to guard
against frozen pipes. They include disconnecting, insulating, sealing vents,
heating your home, and watching the weather.
Otherwise, he says it will cost you. Residents calling the utility to thaw pipes
will pay $178 the first hour and then $125 for each subsequent hour.
Nordenson says there's still time to make preparations. He says the frost is
down 4 to 6 inches depending on where you're home is at in the borough. The
water utility maintains eight temperature probes which measure down to five feet
where most water lines are buried. He says the temperatures are ranging at that
level now to between 43 to 46 degrees, which he says is plenty warm.
It can get bad, like the winter of 95 and 96 when two city mains froze.
Nordenson says the frost went down seven feet that winter.
Tourism officials say funding for media
campaign is needed
Alaska travel industry leaders say next year's tourism season will be a disaster
unless the Legislature approves millions of dollars in emergency funds. They are
calling for 12-point-five million dollars in state funds -- most of it for a
media marketing blitz.
Child death rate study for Alaska
released
Injuries are the leading cause of death for Alaska's children and adolescents.
However, the state's child injury death rate decreased by 20 percent during the
last decade. That's according to a study released by the Department of Health
and Social Services.
Martha Moore is with the Division of Public Health and one of the authors of the
study. She says about 80 children die from injury each year in Alaska and over
1000 are hospitalized.
Moore says the top five causes of death from injury are suicide, traffic
crashes, homicide, drowning, and fire. She notes that falls, suicide,
traffic accidents, sports, and bicycle injuries are the top five causes on
injury hospitalizations in Alaska.
Alaska now
ranks fourth in the nation in the rate of child injury deaths instead of the
first place position the state held over the last decade.
Exxon Valdez plaintiffs seek reversal of
ruling
Plaintiffs in the five billion dollar Exxon Valdez oil spill damage case have
asked the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for a hearing by all the judges of the
Court. A three-judge panel ruled three weeks ago that the punitive award was
excessive. Plaintiffs want that overturned.
Move to suppress comments made in
Anchorage murder case
An attorney for Anchorage murder suspect Joshua Wade is asking a judge to
suppress incriminating comments by Wade that were secretly taped by two friends.
Defense attorney Cindy Strout says the friends agreed to tape the conversation
after police threatened to send them to prison for 300 years if they refused to
cooperate.
Caribou hunt limited
State game managers say the Fortymile caribou herd is too close to the Steese
Highway and too convenient for hunters. So they've barred caribou hunting within
a mile of the road and limited the hunt to just two days, Saturday and Sunday.
The quota for the winter hunt is 315 animals.
Toy collection going slow according to
organizers
The Great Alaskan Toy Drive sponsored by the Alaska Army National Guard and KINY
and KSUP Radio is looking for more donations.
Captain Joel Gilbert is spearheading the guard's effort. His troops are checking
drop off boxes set up all over town to collect donations, but he says, for the
most part, they have found the boxes empty. He's asking people to get their
donations in as soon as possible.
In the meantime, some toys have been sent to Juneau from the Operation Santa
Claus toy drive in the Anchorage area. They will be transported to Metlakatla,
Hydaburg, and Angoon . He says there's a Blackhawk helicopter load of toys each
community. Like last year, the toys will be flown to those communities in a
Blackhawk helicopter.
Poetry topic of lecture series
The season's last Evening at Egan presentation in entitled "This Notes for
You: English Poetry and the Quest for Authenticity".
University of Alaska Southeast assistant professor of English, Jim Hale says the
title of the lecture comes from a Neil Young song. Hale says he'll be talking
about the need for poetry to refresh itself to remain authentic.
The lecture gets started at 7 o'clock tonight at the Egan Library on the UAS
campus. It's free and open to the public.
© Alaska Juneau Communications
- KINY Radio News)
