|
Bader tapped
for state treasury job...Cowan to run school district
Gary Bader has been appointed as the state Treasury Division's new chief
investment officer. That announcement today from Revenue Commissioner Bill
Corbus.
Bader will oversee public employee retirement fund investments as well as
the state's general fund, the two billion dollar Constitutional Budget
Reserve and other public funds.
The 58-year-old Bader is the current superintendent for the Juneau School
District. He has also served ten years as trustee for the Alaska State
Pension Investment Board.
Bader replaces Lee Livermore, who leaves on January 17th. Bader will begin
work on February First.
The Juneau School Board must now start the search for a new
superintendent. Bader says Assistant Superintendent Peggy Cowan has agreed
to serve as acting until the position is filled on a permanent basis.
High school design plan up for public
hearing tonight
A public hearing on the proposed high school at Dimond Park will be
conducted this evening by the Assembly Public Works and Facilities
Committee.
Jeannie Johnson chairs the committee. She says the purpose is to take
public testimony on the schematic design for the school proposed by the
district.
She hopes this is the last committee meeting before the proposed plan is
forwarded to the full Assembly.
The public hearing is from 5 to 7 in Assembly Chambers at City Hall.
Airport Board to listen to proposal for more study money
The Juneau Airport Board of Directors meets this evening.
Patty DelaBruere of the Airport Manager's Office says the panel will take
up under new business a staff recommendation for an increase in passenger
facility charge funding for the airport feasibility study. The proposal
calls for increasing the funding level to $200,000. She says the request
is in response to the board's desire to accelerate the timetable for an
upgrade to the new terminal.
An update on security screening is planned. That will specifically involve
the new bag screening operation that took effect the first of the year.
Also up for discussion tonight is the long term solution for baggage
screening which airport staff hopes is resolved before the busy summer
season begins.
An update from the Finance Committee is also on the agenda.
The Airport Board meeting begins at 7 p.m. in Aurora Room at the Airport.
Approaches for stemming future move
initiatives under discussion
Juneau leaders are looking at ways to avoid a capital or legislative move
initiative in the future.
Senator Kim Elton talked about one alternative while a guest on KINY's
Capital Chat today. He points to a measure introduced by Ketchikan
Representative Bill Williams in the last legislature. That bill would
require sponsors to gather a percentage of signatures from each of the
state's 40 House districts before an issue could be placed on the ballot.
Elton says he talked to Williams about re-introducing the measure shortly
after the legislative move initiative was defeated by voters last
November.
.
Elton says he could foresee the Legislature embracing a less stringent
approach that would to require a certain percentage of signatures from
each one of Alaska's four judicial districts.
Mayor Sally Smith said on Capital Chat Tuesday that she senses that steam
is building for that approach. The mayor says a constitutional convention
to invoke such a change is a less desirable approach.
Connor tapped to run native corporation
timber company
Sealaska Timber Corporation has a new President and CEO. Jim Connor was
elected to head the company by the S-C-T Board of Directors.
The company is based in Ketchikan and manages harvesting and marketing of
Sealaska's timber assets.
Most recently, Connor was Vice-President for Re-engineering for Solid Wood
for MacMillian Bloedel Limited. He spent 29 years with the British
Columbia company.
Connor replaces Rick Harris as the S-T-C chief executive. Harris was
recently promoted to Executive Vice President of Sealaska where he will
concentrate on implementing the corporations' strategic plan.
Get Nailed campaign nails 16 drunk
drivers
Alaska State Troopers have
released the results of their two-week campaign to crack down on drunk
drivers this holiday season. Troopers made 462 traffic stops, issued 106
citations and made 16 drunken-driving arrests. The "Drive Hammered -
Get Nailed" campaign was wrapped up this past weekend.
Venue for Gold Medal is likely JDHS gym
Not only will the Gold Medal Basketball Tournament be staged in Juneau in
March, the likelihood is that it will be held at the high school gym.
That according to JDHS Principal Deb Morse during her daily program on
KINY this morning. She says a proposal to use Dzantik'l Heeni instead is
purely a backup plan in the event that renovation work at the high school
makes such a move necessary.
Juneau Lions Club President Eunice James Lee, whose organization sponsors
the tournament, said there was a rumor floating around that the tournament
would not be held this year. putting that rumor to rest.
She figures the possible move from the high school to Dzantik'l Heeni was
the source of the rumor.
JDHS men hoops team on the road
The Juneau men's basketball team is back in action this evening following
the Capital City Classic over the holidays.
The men won the classic and are now on the road. They play Service in
Anchorage today. They start play tomorrow in the Dimond Tournament in
Anchorage.
Today's game will be broadcast on KINY. Tip off is at 7:30.
The women's team swings back into action January 17th and 18th when it
hosts Dimond of Anchorage.
Snow back on track in Valdez
Valdez had been in a snow drought for much of the winter.
But a big dump of snow in the past week has the Prince William Sound
community back on track to receive its average annual 30 feet of snow.
The community received more than eight feet of snow in nine days from
December 29th to January sixth.
The Richardson Highway is reopened after being closed for much of Monday
after an avalanche in Keystone Canyon, 20 miles north of Valdez. Three
other avalanches were triggered and cleared by road crews.
As of yesterday about 123 inches of snow has fallen in Valdez.
Dog reported dead in Oregon race
A dog died this week while competing in the Atta Boy 300 sled dog race in
Oregon.
The dog belonged to Melanie Shirilla of Lincoln, Montana. Shirilla, who is
married to four-time Iditarod champion Doug Swingley, is one of the top
contenders in the race.
The dog died Monday during the first stage of the race -- a 45-mile loop
around Mount Bachelor. An autopsy revealed no problems, so the cause of
death remained unknown. The dog passed the pre-race veterinary check-up,
in which the vets check for medical problems, such as heart murmurs.
The director of the race says there was no mistreatment of the dog.
Experts say it's rare for a dog to die while pulling a sled.
Shirilla could NOT be reached for comment.
Alaska Juneau Communications - KINY Radio News) |
