Juneau Daily News Online

Tuesday,  January 22, 2002

Stevens addresses many issues in annual speech to lawmakers
Senator Ted Stevens says he would like to see a salmon summit, to get a better understanding of the economics and biology behind troubles facing the state's wild salmon industry.

In a wide-ranging speech before a joint session of the Legislature this morning, Stevens said long-term structural changes may be needed for the salmon industry to survive. He cited the Board of Fisheries' approval of the formation of a cooperative in the Chignik salmon fishery as the type of creative thinking needed to help the industry survive.

Stevens said the biggest challenge facing the nation and the state is the need to get the economy back on track. He said he and other lawmakers in Washington D-C will be looking at ways to help the tourism industry, which is facing a serious hit since the September eleventh terrorist attacks. Stevens says cruise ship companies have asked that Congress waive the Jones Act, to allow their vessels to operate between U-S ports on the West Coast.

The Senator also called on the lawmakers for continued support of lobbying efforts to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling.

Police investigate damage to downtown church
Approximately $2,500 damage was done to the inside of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church overnight. Juneau Police says the pastor found two people sleeping in the church and some broken furnishings.

Officers spoke with two men they found inside. They denied any involvement, and indicated there were several others who were in the church last night.

The men were released. Police say no arrests have been made at this time, but the investigation is continuing.

The church is located on the corner of Fourth and Gold Streets downtown.

Up to a foot of snow possible in Juneau by tomorrow evening
A winter storm watch for heavy snow has been issued for Juneau by the National Weather Service.

Forecaster Mike Mitchell says a storm developing in the Gulf of Alaska is pumping up warm, moist air over the cold air that's already in place across most of Southeast Alaska. He says they're looking for the front to start producing some steady snow late tonight and continue through most of the day tomorrow and possibly into tomorrow night. He predicts from 6 to 12 inches of snow by Wednesday evening.

A winter storm watch has also been issued for Gustavus, Angoon, Hoonah and Kake.

Meetings on developing tourism plan scheduled for Juneau Assembly
Work on Juneau's tourism plan will be moved along during two meetings this week.

The Assembly meets as the Committee of the Whole this evening to conduct a work session to review tourism planning options with CBJ contractor Egret Communications. A public forum and adoption of a tourism plan outline is scheduled Thursday evening.

CBJ Tourism Director Maria Gladziszewski says another web poll is planned once a draft plan is formulated.

Both meetings begin at 5:00 in Assembly Chambers at City Hall.

Aquaculture site for clam farming up for Planning Commission action
The Planning Commission takes up a conditional use permit for a geoduck and littleneck clam aquaculture site during its meeting this evening. The 40,250 square foot site is located in the state owned tidelands in Bridget Cove, across from Mab Island. The applicant is Thomas Manning. 

The commission meeting begins at 7 in Assembly Chambers at City Hall.

Calendar for next year on School Board agenda
The 2002 - 2003 school calendar comes up for first reading during this evening's Juneau School Board meeting. A work session is scheduled at 5:30 with the regular meeting convening at 6 in the District Office Board Room on Glacier Avenue.

Flag resolution wins quick approval by House panel
The House State Affairs Committee adopted a resolution today urging Congress to pass a constitutional amendment banning flag burning.

House Joint Resolution 30 urges Congress to pass an amendment that would undo a U. S. Supreme Court decision in 1989 that invalidated state flag desecration laws. The U. S. House has passed such amendments before. They've fallen a few votes shy in the Senate.

The measure urges Congress to pass House Joint Resolution 36 or Senate Joint Resolution Seven or similar legislation to allow for a constitutional amendment. The amendment would give Congress the power to outlaw desecrating the U-S flag.

The resolution now goes to the House Judiciary Committee for consideration.

Fast track supplemental not given much chance by Halford
Senate President Rick Halford doesn't give the Governor's $21 Million fast track supplemental bill much chance for legislative approval.

The appropriation measure calls for $10 Million each for marketing tourism and fish and a million dollars for ANWR lobbying. While he said he can't pre-judge what the finance committees will do, Halford said it will be hard to sell $21 Million in new expenditures. He added that the easiest sell will be the ANWR lobbying funds.

On another subject, Halford was asked about the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce opposition to the cruise ship passenger fee proposed by Governor Knowles. Halford said he's not surprised given the organization's opposition to the levy in the past. Halford supports taxing the cruise ship industry.

A chamber official says they would rather see a plan that includes a broad based tax and possible use of Permanent Fund earnings which would require everyone to contribute, rather than targeting one industry.

When asked if he views that comment as a break through of sorts, Halford said, "Everybody that's afraid of being at the front of the line will continuously say, I will go if everybody else goes, knowing that that will never happen."

Princess continues to rebuff Carnival bid
The parent company of Princess Cruises is resisting a takeover bid by Carnival Corporation, the world's largest cruise ship operator. P and O Princess Cruises P-L-C says the $5 Billion offer from Carnival is too low and is likely to run into problems over regulatory concerns. Princess officials say they will continue to pursue their own plan to merge with rival Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited.

Unattended death under investigation
Juneau Police are investigating the circumstances of a man's death, but believe it was accidental. An ambulance crew found 34 year old Troy Eric Winchester dead at a Valley residence at about 2:30 Monday morning.

After consulting, with the State Medical Examiner's office, a preliminary investigation suggests the death was accidental, although police are not saying at this time how Winchester died.

Toxicology screening results are pending. Police say that could take a couple of weeks An autopsy is not planned, according to Sergeant John Boltjes.

Permanent Fund second quarter numbers issued shows small loss
The numbers are in from the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation for the second quarter ending December 31st.

Fund official Jim Kelly said the return of minus .02 percent is actually a point and a half better than their target. He says that's better than most funds have done, so they feel pretty good about it.

He says the second quarter was a good one and erased losses experienced at the end of the first quarter on September 30th.

The market value of the fund's principal and earnings reserve as of the end of the year was $24.8 Billion which Kelly says was its value on June 30th.

Kelly also revealed the number they will use for inflation proofing the fund at the end of this fiscal year on June 30th. He says it will be 2.83 percent, down from last year's 3.37 percent

State gains money for seat belt campaign
The state has won a 365-thousand dollar federal grant to promote seat belt use. Surveys have found that 63 percent of Alaska residents use seatbelts, compared with 73 percent nationally. The goal of the program is to find creative, new approaches to increase seat belt use. Much of the focus will be on visible enforcement of seat belt laws and on public education. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is spending about 44 million dollars nationally on the program.

NPRA lease sale work begins
The federal government is starting the process to open more of the North Slope to oil exploration. The Bureau of Land Management is conducting meetings around the state to talk about opening ten million acres of the northwest corner of the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska to development.

The agency's Edward Bovey says meetings have already been held on the North Slope. The process is just beginning , so he says no lease sales would be held until 2004.

A sale three years ago led to successful discoveries by Phillips Petroleum. Last summer, Phillips announced that it had hit oil in five of six wells drilled in the northeast corner of the area.

UAS seeks campus improvement ideas
An improvement project is underway at the Auke Lake campus of the University of Alaska. Chancellor John Pugh says Grounds Manager David Lindrum is seeking suggestions for landscaping changes and improvements and for safe and convenient pedestrian access routes.

Pugh says the project is part of the school's plan to improve the campus as the Egan Library classroom addition and the outdoor pavilion are completed. Lindrum can be reached at 465-6496. 

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