JUNEAU DAILY NEWS MINUTE

By Chris Burns - kiny@ptialaska.net


Monday, February 5, 1996 (c) Alaska Juneau Communications

*City crews have isolated a leaking water main downtown, but have yet to discover the exact location of the break. Public Works Director Ernie Mueller (muller) says the main started losing about 3,000 gallons a minute yesterday afternoon. The break is somewhere on Shattuck Way between Ferry Way and Front Street. The water has now been turned off in that area, and Mueller doesn't expect repairs to be effected until sometime tomorrow.
*Juneau Police were called to Harris Harbor yesterday morning by the friend of a man found dead there on his boat. Officials believe the 28-year-old died of natural causes, but an investigation continues. A woman called police yesterday morning saying she had been the victim of a sexual assault in her apartment Saturday night at the Chinook Apartments. Sergeant Kevin Siska says a man described by the woman was located and interviewed, and an investigation is still underway.
*The Juneau Borough Assembly takes up a resolution tonight which would make housing a top priority. The resolution includes creating a housing coordinator position, reviewing tax and zoning regulations, surveying available lands for low-income, single-family and multi-family housing development, and pushing ahead with a C.B.J. affordable housing loan program.
*The Coast Guard has announced that it is moving its voice booth' from Air Station Sitka to Juneau. The booth in Sitka currently handles public calls on VHF channel 16 and other communications for the West Side of Baranof Island. Those calls will now be routed to the Juneau communications station. The move is part of the federal government's downsizing and will result in the transfer of 4 telecommunication specialists from Sitka to other locations.
*An Army recruiting sergeant has kicked off something called 'Operation Valentine' where people from Juneau can send Valentines Day cards to American soldiers serving in Bosnia. The cards will be collected through February 20th, and can be dropped off at the Army Recruiting Office in the Mendenhall Mall Annex, or taken to any school.
*While lots of high technology filled Juneau late last week during Comtech '96, a good old-fashioned, hand written poem resulted in two Hewlett Packard Computer representatives becoming engaged. Jane Wither thought her boyfriend -- J.P. Wollersheim -- was away in New York giving a presentation. She was coaxed into sightseeing at the Glacier on Saturday, where a friend handed her a poem from her Wollersheim, who had secretly flown into Juneau. He then walked up behind Wither and popped the question -- she said 'yes.'