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Former CBJ managers and contractors urge second look at high school plan
Two former Juneau City Managers and a group of local contractors are
asking the Juneau Assembly and School Board to take another look at the
plans for the new Mendenhall Valley High School.
Last year, Juneau voters approved $63 million dollars in bonds for
construction of the new high school
and renovation of the current high school.
The latest estimates put the cost of building a new high school in the
Valley at about 63 million dollars, with 60 to 70 percent of construction
costs reimbursed by the state.
Former City Manager Dave Palmer is leading an effort to reexamine the costs
of operating the new school.
Palmer told the Assembly last night (Monday) he's not convinced the school
district can afford to operate a second high school. He says he's not
out to stop the new high school, but he wants people to get a clear picture
of what kind education the community will have.
Palmer says he wants the educational programs spelled out. What classes and
sports will be duplicated and what will be offered at only one high school
are among questions he wants answered.
And Palmer questions where the money for operating the school will come
from. He says the School District can't afford to keep the teachers they
have right now.
Under the school district's current budget proposal, 19 elementary and
middle school and 7 high school teachers could be laid off before the start
of the next school year.
Before last year's vote, district officials have said a projected increase
in future enrollment would generate additional state revenue to fund
operating costs.
However, the number of students has actually declined. The school district had projected high school enrollment for the fall of
2004 at 2150 students. That's now been revised down to 1,740 students.
Former City Manager and former Assembly member John MacKinnon also urged
reconsideration. He said its time for cooler heads to consider the fiscal
problems.
Local contractor Dave Hanna presented a letter to the Assembly signed by
over 30 local construction companies and contractors asking that no further
permits be granted for the new school.
Hanna says declining enrollment and declining contributions from the state
question the feasibility of going ahead with the project.
The Assembly agreed to hold a joint meeting with the School Board the first
part of next month to discuss the issues brought up at last night's meeting.
Planning Commission incumbents okayed at second glance
The Juneau Assembly, last night, unanimously approved the reappointment of
three incumbents to the Planning Commission.
Jim Scholz, Mark Pusich and Jacquelyn Fowler will serve another term.
In December, after listening to testimony from several members of the
public, the Assembly voted to send the nominees back to committee for
further consideration.
The public testimony revolved around whether Commissioner Scholz, who's also
a businessman and a member of the Juneau Chamber of Commerce, could be an
impartial member of the commission.
By its vote, the Assembly expressed confidence that Scholz could be fair
and impartial.
Ordinances up for action okayed by
Assembly
The Assembly approved an ordinance appropriating nearly $491,000 as partial
funding for construction of a new water line to north Tee Harbor.
This money is provided through a DEC grant and underwrites construction of
about 16,000 feet of new waterline from Point Stephens Road to Cohen Drive.
The plan calls for doing the work in conjunction with reconstruction of the
roadway in the area by the state.
Its anticipated a bid for phase one of the project will be awarded in the
Spring. Phase two, calling for extension of the service to homeowners in the
area, is expected in 2005.
The Assembly also approved an ordinance amending the traffic code regarding
speeding in a school zone.
It makes city code consistent with state regulation.
As a result, fine money would go to the city's general fund rather than
state coffers.
Sponsors of cruise ship initiative will
hold off vote for two years
The initiative aimed at imposing taxes and greater regulation on the cruise
ship industry won't appear on this year's general election ballot.
Under state law they have one year, or until late October to gather the
signatures.
Gershon Cohen, one of the sponsors from Haines, says they opted to continue
the effort rather than risk turning the booklets in now and losing all of
the signatures gathered so far.
Sponsors blame the state for delaying certification of the initiative. The
language was initially rejected after the petition was submitted in April.
Before the new language was approved, sponsors didn't get the petition
booklets until late October.
By mid-October they figured the Lieutenant Governor's office would not
certify the effort at all. So they were surprised and not prepared to gather
a sufficient number of signatures in time.
Cohen says they'll work to get the initiative on the 2006 ballot.
Governor delivers annual address to
lawmakers tonight
Governor Frank Murkowski will deliver his joint State of the State and
Budget address to a joint session of the Legislature beginning at seven this
evening.
The 19th annual reception welcoming lawmakers to the Capital at Centennial
Hall begins at 5 p.m.
It was originally scheduled to begin at 5:30, but changed when the Governor
Murkowski moved up the start time of his address.
Definition of "rural" before
subsistence panel
The Federal Subsistence Board is holding a work session in Anchorage
tomorrow in attempts to come up with methods that could be used to decide
which communities can be considered rural.
Under federal regulations, rural residents have a priority when harvesting
fish and wildlife for subsistence on federal public lands.
But federal law does not specify how rural is defined.
The panel will review research for which it contracted the University of
Alaska's Institute of Social and Economic Research to complete.
The board's Maureen Clark says the panel will make no decision at this
meeting. She says its an issue that will be before the panel and regional
advisory councils over the next couple of years.
Copies of the report are available at the Office of Subsistence Management
and at http://alaska.fws.gov/asm/home.html
Wednesday's meeting begins at 1 p.m. at the BLM Campbell Creek Science
Center.
Man killed in traffic accident near
Palmer
A two vehicle accident on the Old Glenn Highway this morning killed one
person and injured another.
Greg Wilkinson of the Alaska State Troopers says the accident was occurred
at about eight a.m.
He says their initial investigation reveals a 1998 Ford pickup truck was
northbound on the Old Glenn when the female driver lost control on a curve
and slid into the southbound lane striking a 1991 Chevrolet pickup driven by
25 year old Randolph Gibson of Anchorage head-on.
Gibson was declared deceased at the scene The woman, who has not been
identified, was transported to Valley Hospital with a possible broken arm
Gibson was wearing his seatbelt. It wasn't known if the other driver was
wearing hers.
An investigation is continuing.
Man arrested after crashing his car
into fence at Governor's House
A Juneau man was arrested yesterday morning after driving his SUV into the
front fence of the Governor's House.
27 year-old Robert E. Riggs was arrested for driving while intoxicated.
After hitting the fence, Riggs parked his Chevy Blazer in the mansion's
driveway on Calhoun Street, where he was taken into custody.
Police say Riggs' blood alcohol content was three times the legal limit of
point zero -eight.
The fence sustained about $500 damage. There was about $1,000 damage to his
Blazer.
Riggs was booked into Lemon Creek Correctional Facility with bail set at
$1000.
There was another traffic incident in the Food Land Shopping Center parking
lot yesterday afternoon. Police say a man was experiencing a medical problem
while driving his pickup and hit five other vehicles.
There were no injuries and damage was
not extensive, according to police.
Fund trustees want investment
flexibility
The trustees of the Alaska Permanent Fund want to change the rules for how
they can invest the money.
There's more than 27 billion dollars in the fund, used to hand out an
annual check from oil money royalties to each Alaskan.
State law sets out what sort of investments the trustees can make to grow
the fund.
Now, the trustees and staff managers want more flexibility. For instance,
they'd like to invest more than 55 percent of the fund in stocks, or perhaps
go into alternative investments such as hedge funds or futures contracts.
Trustees meeting in Juneau yesterday voted to offer legislation to lawmakers
this session. The legislation would do away with the limits on stocks, and
increase the portion of the fund that can go into alternative investments.
Pogo mine obtains wetlands permit
Pogo gold will be allowed to fill in 300 acres of state-owned wetlands near
Delta Junction.
The decision by the U-S Army Corps of Engineers moves the Pogo mining
project forward. Pogo is considered a world-class deposit. Its reserves are
valued at two-point-three (B) billion dollars.
It is expected to cost 250 million dollars to develop, and would employ
up to 300 people year-round.
Pogo last month received nearly all the state permits needed to go forward
with the project. Its expected to go into production in late 2005.
Three caught in Anchorage pizza delivery
heist and kidnapping
Three people were arrested early this morning by Anchorage Police in
connection with the robbery and kidnapping of a pizza delivery man.
Department official Anita Shell says incident began at about 2:30 on West
33rd Avenue. She says as he got out of his vehicle, a jeep with three men
inside pulled up behind him.
One pointed a gun at him and demanded his money and car keys. He was ordered
into the jeep. Shell says they drove around the block while counting the
stolen money. He was ordered to deliver the pizza and to give them that
money also. He refused and jumped into his car, while the suspects drove
off.
The delivery man followed them while calling police, but lost them. While
talking to a police officer he flagged down, the jeep drove by and sped off.
The jeep was found abandoned in the parking lot of Center Bowl at Minnesota
and Spenard. A witness directed police to a gas station across the street
where the suspects were found.
Arrested there were the suspected gunman, 23 year old David Middleton, and
his accomplices, 19 year old Jose Ruiz-Rodriguez and a 17 year old male
juvenile.
The adults were jailed at the Anchorage jail on $50,000 bail and the
juvenile was taken to the McLaughlin Youth Center.
The handgun, which was stolen, was found in the parking lot of the bowling
ally. The jeep had been stolen the day before from a towing yard.
Shell says the delivery man was shaken up but was not injured.
Two nabbed in Anchorage robbery case
Anchorage police say a pair of 18-year-old suspects are in custody following
a robbery attempt Sunday night. Police say Timothy Weston and Aaron Furber
are charged with robbing a Quiznos restaurant in South Anchorage.
Exit exam graduation policy decided in
Anchorage
Anchorage high school students will be allowed to walk across the stage at
graduation, even if they have failed the state exit exam.
The Anchorage School Board yesterday approved the policy change. And the
district will not distinguish between seniors who have earned a high school
diploma by passing the exam and those who will receive a certificate of
achievement.
This is the first year that students will have to pass the exams in reading
writing and math to get a diploma.
Roughly 20 percent of seniors have not yet passed the test.
Juneau home building design team headed
to Las Vegas
Members of the student chapter of the National Home Builders Association at
Juneau Douglas High School are headed to Las Vegas this weekend for the
annual residential construction competition.
Instructor Craig Mapes said on KINY's Capital Chat this morning that this
year's competition calls for designing a 1761 square foot home to be built
in New Jersey.
The team members are Shannon Door, Matt delaBruere, Mary Kotyk, Devon Kibby
and Tracy Lazaro.
Last year's team took second place. The 2002 team took top honors.
Kleedehn wins Cooper Basin 300
Canadian musher William Kleedehn crossed the finish line first to win the
Copper Basin 300 Sled Dog Race.
Kleedehn finished the 300-mile race in Glennallen at 10-22 a-m Monday.
In a surprise second-place finish, Zack Steer of Sheep Mountain, edged out
four-time Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race winner Martin Buser of Big Lake.
Steer, who won the Copper Basin last year, finished at 12-26 p-m, about two
hours behind Kleedehn and 16 minutes ahead of Buser.
By early today (Tuesday), 20 teams had crossed the finish line. Lance Mackey
of Kasilof was fourth, followed by Allen Moore of Two Rivers, Sebastian
Schnuelle of Whitehorse, Yukon, and John Schandelmeire of Paxson. DeeDee
Jonrowe of Willow, the 2001 winner, came in eighth.
Several teams were still out on the trail.
Kleedehn, who lives in Carcross, Yukon Territory, finished third in last
year's Copper Basin 300 and was second in 2002.
(Copyright ©2003
Alaska Juneau Communications - KINY Radio)
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