JUNEAU DAILY NEWSMINUTE

By Chris Burns - kiny@ptialaska.net

Wednesday, January 10, 1996 (c) Alaska Juneau Communications

*Local reaction to Governor Knowles' State of the State address last night has been positive. Juneau Representative Caren Robinson was pleased that Knowles announced he would present new legislation to fight domestic violence. Representative Kim Elton says he heard good news for jobs and Alaska families. And Senate Minority Leader Jim Duncan believes we'll know a lot more about how the Governor's plans will affect Juneau after Knowles delivers his budget address tomorrow night.

*The Governor ordered state flags lowered to half mast today in memory of 74-year-old Mike Rose, a former legislator from Anchorage who died on Monday. Rose was active in Alaska mental health issues including the lands trust.

*A public meeting is being held tonight to begin discussions on possible development plans for West Douglas Island. The C.B.J. and Goldbelt, Incorporated, want local residents' input on the area from the end of the road to Point Hilda. The architectural firm working on a master plan says the land is ideal for housing and other facilities because of the view, and its openness to sunshine.

*Most Alaskans are unaware of the effort Juneau has made over the past year to make the Capital City more accessible. A Cromer Group study of 600 state residents shows that less than half know about the equipment and other additions to Juneau Airport to increase air access, and only about a quarter were aware of the gavel-to-gavel coverage of the Legislature. Over half of Alaskans believe better ferry service would help them get to Juneau, while about 45-percent liked the idea of a road connection to the state highway system.

*The University of Alaska Southeast reports early registrations for Spring Semester have surpassed last year by a considerable margin. Numbers for both full and part time students were up. Open registration for the January 16th start of the semester begins tomorrow at the Auke Lake campus, and Friday students can register at the Bill Ray Center downtown.

*Meeting planners anywhere in the world can now look over Juneau's Centennial Hall without ever leaving their home or office. A new World Wide Web site has gone online with the layout, rates, and images of Juneau's biggest convention facility. Also new on The Net this week, Ketchikan Pulp Company has introduced its home page. K.P.C. offers a company history, information on its products, environmental controls and Tongass National Forest management issues.