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Photo by Tyler Rhodes HOLIDAY LIGHTS—The lights overhanging Nome’s Front Street show a bit of holiday cheer Tuesday morning. C VOLUME CVII NO. 49 DECEMBER 4, 2008 How long before you can drive to Nome? State Department of Transportation studies connecting to Nome state’s highway system By Diana Haecker Community and resource devel- It has been talked about for 30- opment are the drivers of the study, some years, but now the Alaska State and, according to DOT officials, the Department of Transportation and project originated within the North- Public Facilities has marching orders ern Region’s office of the DOT, iden- to study the viability of a transporta- tifying it as a possible Roads to tion corridor between the Alaska Resources candidate. “The DOT highway system and the 300 miles of Northern Region put together a pro- roads around Nome. posal in February 2007, and the DOT Since August, the DOT has been commissioner thought it was a actively pursuing the so-called worthwhile project and gave the go- Western Alaska Access Planning ahead,” said DOT spokeswoman study, which encompasses the area Meadow Bailey. west of the Dalton Highway, north A press release said the routes of the Yukon and lower Tanana would be identified based on poten- River basins and south of the tial economic benefits, topographic Brooks Range. Part of the study and environmental constraints, and will be to determine if it will be a land management considerations. highway, rail or just telecommuni- Planning-level estimates will be cations corridor over a length of prepared for design, construction approximately 600 miles. “Our and maintenance. The study will in- primary focus is geared toward the clude review and updates of rele- development of a highway, but our vant information from previous study may dive into how a rail may publications and studies. play into it,” said the DOT’s Cotter said that the study follows Northern Region area planner a twofold approach to identify dif- Patrick Cotter. ferent possible routes: The road The study looks at economic ben- should facilitate access to the state’s efits and costs, identifies possible resources, as in oil, gas, minerals, routes and recommends future ac- gold, timber, fisheries and tourism. tion, he said. The second consideration was that The DOT awarded a contract to infrastructure could be key in trans- DOWL HKM, an engineering firm porting fuel to bush villages as well owned 51 percent by NANA Re- as resource development and the job Photo by Tyler Rhodes gional Corp., to conduct the study. creation going hand in hand with it. HAPPY THANKSGIVING—Harry Karmun is all smiles as he delivers another round of turkey to the serv- The study’s release is slated for De- ing line while he volunteers at the Community Thanksgiving Dinner held at the XYZ Center last Thursday. cember 2009. continued on page 4 Nomeites gather for turkey and trimmings at annual community Thanksgiving By Tyler Rhodes servers, ranging in age from their early teens to munity Thanksgiving Dinner last Thursday. sands of scoops of side dishes, 100 volunteers Harry Karmun blasted through the XYZ not-so-early adulthood, awaited the replace- The numbers tell the tale of another suc- and 200 people fed. Center’s kitchen doors, a steaming bowl of ments armed with long spoons and tongs. cessful year in the approximate decade of Those 200 diners battled chilly tempera- turkey leading his charge. It was a scene to be repeated several times community dinners—a dozen turkeys, four On the other side of the room a line of throughout the day during Nome’s annual Com- hams, pounds and pounds of potatoes, thou- continued on page 24 Utility loses one big customer Rock Creek Mine at full production would have spread costs thinner for ratepayers By Tyler Rhodes NovaGold announced it was sus- as was planned. The mine was ex- In this first week of December, pending operations at its Rock Creek pected to purchase a significant Nomeites were still likely digesting Mine just outside of Nome and elim- their Thanksgiving turkey and trying inating 100 positions at the project. continued on page 4 to swallow the prospect a major em- Nome’s utility service provider, ployer shedding 100 jobs at the start Nome Joint Utility System, is one UNPLUGGED—The Rock Creek of the holiday season. entity that will feel the ripple effect Mine won’t draw as much power On the last Monday in November, of the mine not going into production as was earlier anticipated. Rhodes Photo by Tyler Visit the Nugget on line at www.nomenugget.net e-mail [email protected] 2 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2008OPINION THE NOME NUGGET Letters Dear Nancy and Readers, trian walking in the street. So give woman I saw that had a child in her my thanks to Bob Walsh for his brief Thus he follows honest Eugene It is time for my annual rant about us all a break by switching off the lap and a cell phone to her ear, to ne- stay with NSEDC. I’ll never forget Asicksik, who will have more op- parking in Nome. It is again a re- high beams and just having the park- gotiate parking as well. sitting at the plant one night this fall, portunities, I’m certain. John Jeme- minder to those who park in front of ing lights on. Speaking of the Post Office, I hate watching him and the manager land a wouk, who formed a great crew, and Hanson’s to PLEASE turn off your On a related note, we all have got- to raise a stink, but the Post Office 1,000,000 lb. market for Norton last but not least Robert Foote, headlights while parked. If you feel ten used to the illegal double parking stinks, and I am not referring to the Sound Pacific Cod. The fresh fillet NSEDC’s founder. All of them did the need, leave on your parking in front of the post office, but what Postal employees; it is the building the buyer from Amsterdam hovered their very best, and left untainted by lights. Your headlights blind traffic gets me is those who double park itself. On one hand you have people over was, he said, the high point of greed. None retired wealthy. I pay on 4th Avenue, trying to cross outside a perfectly good open space. going around and cleaning with what his trip to America. Parasite free, special respect to Mr. Foote and his Bering. It makes it difficult to deter- It is just a sign of laziness. You not smells like diesel fuel, but on Mon- great texture. It could be the neces- wife Vivian, from whom all else has mine if there is traffic coming from only block access to that perfectly day it was also smelling like naphtha sary third leg for our multispecie flowed. that direction or just someone good parking space for everyone, but or even airplane glue. It was helpful plant to stand on. Dan Harrelson once demonstrated parked. The same goes for those you also block the unfortunate driver to a certain extent, because I was Bob was competent, and belongs his managerial incompetence at our people who drop off others, and park that is parked behind the empty able to fly out of the PO without my to a generation that understands the Housing Authority. It was shut down facing traffic, with headlights glar- space, as he has to be able to turn out feet touching the ground. But now I meaning of ethical conduct and fidu- by HUD as a consequence. Norton ing. Is that person parked, on the really wide to get past your big auto- am addicted; if I don’t go into the PO ciary responsibility. Apparently these Sound still suffers from an acute wrong side of the road, or what? motive butt. I have witnessed last every day, I start suffering from with- virtues, which served him admirably housing shortage as a result. The Au- What makes it even worse is when week two people just park out in the drawal. Can you vent that stuff out, in running a division of the State thority has never truly regained its there is a car traveling in the same di- street and not even try to get into the or clean after hours, I am sure there Government of Alaska, and in serv- footing. Thanks to Dan Harrelson. rection as the illegally parked car, space at the curb. Of course it was are some folks getting headaches ing a powerful United States senator, Harrelson’s act as VPSO stinks to four headlights will hide any pedes- going to be really hard for the one from the fumes, and no telling how were a threat to the sustained control high heaven too. Bulldozing the trail many workers there are being ex- of NSEDC by those of different mo- my boy was run over on, a year later, posed to dangerous odors. tivation. after the court investigator asked him Letters to the editor must be signed and Tom Guilliam He deserved much better, and I to preserve it, destroying evidence include an address and phone number. Nome wish him the best. Better yet, why for a trial. The drug dealing in White Dear Nancy, not give the man the authority and continued on page 20 Thank yous are considered ads. I would like to publicly express independence to do his job. A Look at the Past Editorial Hard Scrabble Road Itʼs hard and bumpy, but weʼve scraped and scratched our way- down this road before and we have learned that history has a way of repeating itself.