JUNEAU DAILY NEWS MINUTE
By Chris Burns - kiny@ptialaska.net
Tuesday, January 30, 1996 (c) Alaska Juneau Communications
*The Coast Guard has called off the search for the crew of the
127-foot crabber F/V Pacesetter which disappeared in the Bering
Sea Saturday. No sign of the 7 missing men was found. A Coast
Guard spokesman says search conditions were excellent in the 500
square mile area covered south of the Pribilof Islands. The
vessel and most of its crew was homeported in Seattle. The only
Alaskan aboard was identified as Elias Pena of Anchorage.
*Pat Buchanan calls it the first victory in the first battle of
1996. He's referring to his win in the Alaska Republican straw
poll. Buchanan was followed by Steve Forbes, with Bob Dole a
distant third.
*Juneau police arrested a drunk, 19-year-old man last night at
the wheel of a stolen car on the Douglas Bridge. Another teenager
in the car was charged with a minor consuming, and 2 others with
them were interviewed and released. J.P.D. got on the trail after
a call from Mapco saying the car had stopped there for gas, but
took off without paying.
*Senator Frank Murkowski is steamed at the Clinton Administration
over mining laws. Murkowski says his resources committee took the
president's wishes into account in revamping the 124-year-old
laws, but then had the bill vetoed. The legislation, however, was
a rider on a budget bill the president wouldn't go along with.
Murkowski believes changes in the Mining Act of 1872 would result
in millions of dollars for Alaska.
*Members of the new Alaska Salmon Coalition say that it will take
all gear groups working together to fight the fish allocation
battles which lie ahead. The group of sport and commercial
fishermen, processors and Southeast Alaska communties was
recently formed to present a united front in court proceedings
and treaty negotiations.
*Plans to airlift cement to the 1,800-foot level of Mount Roberts
for the tramway project were postponed this morning because
temperatures did not rise as much as predicted. The concrete pour
has been on hold during the bitterly cold weather but was finally
scheduled to get underway this morning. The cement supplier
requires at least 20-degrees above zero before it can deliver the
mix.
*Some of the Goldbelt shareholders who will be employed by the
Mount Roberts Tram when it becomes operational will be taking a
special visitor industry course at U.A.S. beginning in March. The
university, Goldbelt and Tlingit-Haida Tribes of Alaska have
teamed up to provide the classes.