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Petition could delay high
school bids
Invitation to bid on construction of the new Dimond Park high school may not
go out as planned, if a petition now being circulated is certified by the
first week in March.
The petition asks that the Assembly stop spending bond money on construction
of the high school until the conditions voters okayed in 1999 become a
reality.
Those conditions include a projected enrollment number that has not met
expectations.
The bids will be ready to be put out by March, however if the petition is
certified by March 1st, the bidding process could come to a sudden stop.
As Deputy City Manager Donna Pierce told the Assembly last night, the
petition specifically prohibits invitation for bids.
Pierce says, its the opinion of city staff, that it would not be proper for
the city to invite bids if the petition is certified and given that a
special election will be set on the question.
Pierce says to avoid litigation it would clearly be prudent to leave it for
the voters to decide.
The Assembly, last night, agreed to take up the question March 8th.
In necessary, the special election could be held as soon as May 4th.
If the voters approve the initiative, they would then have to decide what to
do with the bonds that have already been approved. That question would be
set for October's regular election.
Pierce say they could be spent on another school project or the remaining
unsold bonds be taken off the market.
However, to qualify for the 60 percent state reimbursement the bonds would
have to be dedicated to a school project by June 30th, 2005.
On the other hand, if voters turn down the initiative it would still mean a
delay in the bid schedule and, Pierce says, a substantial change in the
project schedule.
Site bids would be released in May, and site work would proceed this Summer.
Construction bids would likely be issued in October and the new high school
would likely open in the Fall of 2007.
The backers of the petition have until March 1st to turn in 2,408 signatures
of registered voters. The initiative could be certified by March 5th.
High school permitting schedule to proceed
Juneau city officials say the high school funding petition does not effect
permitting for the proposed new Dimond Park high school.
The Juneau Planning Commission will consider granting a Conditional Use
permit for the school at its meeting tonight. (Tuesday)
The permit also includes an associated auditorium and gymnasium.
Superintendent Peggy Cowen says they anticipate a productive and
constructive meeting and positive response.
Cowen says at a Planning Commission work session earlier this year, the
members in attendance were appreciative of the thoroughness of the design
work that had been done on the high school
The Planning Commission meets tonight at 7 in the Assembly Chambers.
Fisheries facility to proceed...plans call
for naming it after Senator Stevens
NOAA has certified that they do have qualified bidders for construction of
the Auke Bay Fisheries research facility.
Agency officials say several of the bids are competitive and within the
funding allotted for the project.
City Manager Rod Swope told the Assembly last night that unless something
totally unexpected happens, the city can expect the bid top be awarded
project March 6th and site preparation to start shortly thereafter.
He says NOAA has decided to name the fisheries research facility after
Senator Ted Stevens since he's been responsible for securing over 50 million
dollars in federal funding for the project.
Stevens has secured over 50 million dollars in federal funding for the
project.
The University of Alaska Regents moved 19 million dollars in funding for the
research facility up to their highest priority list.
The University of Alaska Regents moved 19 million dollars in funding for the
research facility up to their highest priority list.
Swope says the ribbon cutting ceremony has been tentatively scheduled for
this summer. It was initially scheduled to occur next month.
Father Oleska to talk about racism
The Juneau School District is sponsoring a meeting tonight (Tuesday) concerning the
challenges faced by students impacted by racism.
Mayor Bruce Botelho told the Assembly last night that its billed as an
evening with Father Michael Oleska. Botelho says Father Oleska is probably
the most renown person in Alaska in terms of cross cultural communications
and the topic of racism.
He says Oleska will present the concept of institutional racism. As part of
his presentation, Father Oleska will identify some of the barriers that
impede a school system from dealing with racism.
The meeting is from 6 until 8 tonight in the high school library.
Conference of Alaskans
convenes
A threshold, a ledge, and a fork in the road. That's how Governor Murkowski
describes the position of the "Conference of Alaskans."
Fifty-five delegates have gathered in Fairbanks in response to Murkowski's
call in his state of the state address.
For three days, they will consider the future of the permanent fund.
Governor Murkowski told the delegates this is their date with destiny. He
described the situation facing the state as an "allocation gap, not a
fiscal gap. Murkowski urged delegates to help get the state out of its
"unique trap."
The conference is scheduled to run through Thursday.
Weyhrauch named to Ways and Means post
The top announced goal for Juneau Representative Bruce Weyhrauch prior to
the start of this legislative session was finding a solution to the fiscal
gap.
He's in a better position to help achieve that goal now since he's been
named vice chair of the House Ways and Means Committee.
In the meantime, he's going to Fairbanks tomorrow to observe the Conference
of Alaska deliberations.
When asked about the recent poll that reveals most Alaskans favor an income
tax or taxing the oil industry before use of Permanent Fund earnings,
Weyhrauch says he doesn't want an income tax to get balled up politically
with use of the Permanent Fund.
He says he wants to solve the problem by using the funds that are available
whether that amounts to taxes or fund earnings.
Quake recorded near Homer
An earthquake rattled much of southcentral Alaska this morning.
The Alaska Tsunami Warning Center says the preliminary magnitude was
five-point-six.
Geophysicist Bruce Turner says the quake occurred at 11:34 a-m and was
centered about 25 miles southwest of Homer.
Turner says the quake was felt from the Kenai Peninsula all the way up to
the Mat-Su. There were no immediate reports of damage.
Game board to mull expanding predator
control
At its upcoming meeting in Fairbanks, the Alaska Board of Game will consider
expanding its predator-control program to include brown bears and more
wolves.
If the seven-member board includes bears, grizzlies could be killed in areas
where the human harvest of moose or caribou is considered too low.
At the meeting, which runs February 26th through March tenth, the board also
will consider other proposals.
They include whether to permit hunters to kill black and brown bear sows and
cubs, and whether to eliminate a buffer zone that protects two well-known
wolf packs from traps and snares near Denali National Park.
Matt Robus, director of Wildlife Conservation for the Alaska Department of
Fish and Game, told the Anchorage Daily News he expects an explosive
meeting.
IRS says thousands of
Alaskans due returns
Ninety-one-hundred Alaskans who failed to file a 2000 income tax return are
due a total of more than 13 million dollars from the Internal Revenue
Service. The I-R-S says the average refund is estimated at 529 dollars.
Man cops plea in rape death
A 26-year-old Anchorage man has pleaded no contest to raping and killing his
15-year-old niece. After entering his plea yesterday, Marshall Ahvakana was
sentenced to 60 years in prison for the 2002 death of Nancy Brower.
Anchorage man accused of
sexually assaulting two women
A 34-year-old University of Alaska Anchorage student is accused of sexually
assaulting two women at a party.
George Wood was arrested over the weekend and charged with three counts of
first-degree sexual assault and two counts of second-degree assault.
According to documents released Monday, Wood has a record of sex abuse.
Charging documents say about 50 people attended a party Saturday night at
Wood's home in the city's Mountain View neighborhood.
One female guest had too much to drink and lay down. She told police she
woke up to find Wood sexually assaulting her.
Later, another woman who was at the party showed up at the police station
saying she also had been assaulted. The woman told police she had kissed
Wood, but he assaulted her after she refused to let him remove her clothes.
Wood is being held on 20-thousand dollars cash bail.
Man charged with marijuana
possession on state ferry
A Juneau man was busted aboard the State Ferry Malaspina Sunday for
possession of marijuana.
James Pickle, 29, was turned over to State Troopers in Ketchikan after the
Malaspina's chief purser reported that he had found Pickle with marijuana.
Pickle was issued a summons to appear in court on a charge of misconduct
involving a controlled substance in the sixth degree.
Anchorage man accused of
sexually assaulting two women
A 34-year-old University of Alaska Anchorage student is accused of sexually
assaulting two women at a party.
George Wood was arrested over the weekend and charged with three counts of
first-degree sexual assault and two counts of second-degree assault.
According to documents released Monday, Wood has a record of sex abuse.
Charging documents say about 50 people attended a party Saturday night at
Wood's home in the city's Mountain View neighborhood.
One female guest had too much to drink and lay down. She told police she
woke up to find Wood sexually assaulting her.
Later, another woman who was at the party showed up at the police station
saying she also had been assaulted. The woman told police she had kissed
Wood, but he assaulted her after she refused to let him remove her clothes.
Wood is being held on 20-thousand dollars cash bail.
Murkowski, Flint Hills reach deal on
royalty oil
Governor Murkowski reached a deal with Flint Hills Resources that will allow
it to move forward with its plans to buy a North Pole refinery.
Flint Hills is trying to buy the Williams refinery, but the company needs
assurances from the state its got a steady stream of oil.
Murkowski says the state has agreed to sell between 24-thousand and
77-thousand barrels per day.
Terms of the deal include a 30-cent per barrel increase that could net the
state as much as eight (m) million dollars more per year for its oil.
There's also an agreement to keep average wholesale prices on gas sold to
Fairbanks even with those in Anchorage.
Flint Hills also plans to build a facility to process low-sulfer, clean
fuels in Alaska.
The contract will last five years with provisions for one-year extensions
over the next five years.
The Alaska Royalty Oil and Gas Development Board is expected to take up the
contract February 17th when it meets. If it's approved, it would then have
to be ratified by the Legislature.
Flint Hills Vice President Allen Wright says the refinery sale would become
effective once the Legislature approves the deal.
Equipment failure halts
Northstar oil production
B-P officials say an equipment failure has halted production at the
Northstar oil field -- and repairs could take as long as three weeks.
The failure occurred Sunday, interrupting the flow of an average 72-thousand
barrels of crude oil per day. That's about seven percent of all North Slope
production.
B-P operates the field, which is located on an artificial island in the
Beaufort Sea.
Company official Daren Beaudo says the problem was a failed compressor
motor. It's part of a chain of equipment that injects natural gas back
underground.
The shut-down is the second at Northstar since last fall when an electrical
transformer failed, bringing the field to a near halt for several days.
Northstar started production in November 2001. It contains an estimated 175
million barrels of recoverable oil.
Airline wants public's help
to add flights
Alaska Airlines wants to add four more Washington, D-C flights, and is
turning to its customers for help.
The airline needs federal permission for new flights, so it's asking
customers to write letters of endorsement.
The Seattle-based carrier already has three flights a day in and out of the
D-C area.
The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports the airline wants to add four new
daily round-trip flights between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
and the West Coast.
Two of the flights would originate in Seattle and two in Los Angeles.
The Seattle flights would provide service to Fairbanks and, seasonally, to
Juneau.
At Reagan National, Congress limits the number of flights to and from places
more than 12-hundred-and-50 miles away.
School Board votes to authorize vote on use
of former Anchorage Kmart
The Anchorage School Board has unanimously thrown its support behind a
proposal to turn a vacant Kmart building into an administrative center.
Anchorage voters will decide on the $30 million proposal in April.
Plan looks at expanding
recreation near Girdwood
Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich supports opening an area near Girdwood to alpine
and nordic skiing groups. A land-use plan is now being prepared and should
be available to the public in May. The plan could add more than 37-hundred
acres of new ski terrain.
(Copyright ©2004
Alaska Juneau Communications - KINY Radio)
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