Fort relic discovered on burn pile - page 7 Chilkat park cabin overnights? - page 6 Serving Haines and Klukwan, Alaska since 1966 Chilkat Valley News Volume XLIV Number 32 Thursday, August 14, 2014 $1 VETERANS MOVE IN DOWNTOWN Assembly flip-flops on tour moratorium Says it may deter cruise ships By Karen Garcia complete information” when she A moratorium on Chilkoot voted for the moratorium, and that River corridor tour permits ended she felt the borough “may have Tuesday after the Haines Borough overstepped our boundary” by Assembly reversed its July 29 trying to manage state property. decision and issued a canoe The July 29 public hearing tour permit to Alaska Mountain on the AMG permit application Guides. drew comments from several The assembly voted 4-2 to tour operators supporting reconsider the motion passed the moratorium. Tuesday’s at the July 29 meeting, which reconsideration came without postponed action on the AMG public notice. AMG owner Sean permit and placed a moratorium Gaffney was the only member on Chilkoot River corridor of the public to comment on the permits until a management plan reconsideration. addressing carrying capacity is Assembly members defended established for the area. the reconsideration as a last- Assembly members Joanne minute decision, though manager Waterman and Debra Schnabel David Sosa sent an email to opposed the reversal of the assembly members at 8 a.m. moratorium and issuance of the Tuesday recommending the AMG permit. moratorium “be lifted at the Haines Assisted Living community relations coordinator Tara Bicknell, left, speaks with Sally Lix at Schnabel balked at the earliest opportunity.” the Soboleff-McRae Veterans Village building this week. Lix and husband Bob Lix are moving into reversal, upset by the assembly’s “I feel that the assembly had a two-bedroom unit. Seven of 11 units were occupied this week. Story, page 5. Tom Morphet photo. unwillingness to stick to its not been provided with a full guns. “We’ve been having this understanding of the situation conversation for decades and no when the decision on a moratorium was made,” Sosa wrote in the Collision may bring felony charge one has the backbone to make the decision to stop expanding,” she email. “This was in part caused By Karen Garcia The trailer completely separated evidence enough to mount a case. said. by my not fully understanding A Haines man faces a felony from the man’s vehicle while The driver also was cited for Assembly member the sensitivity of the issue, the assault charge after the trailer he he was passing Mary Jones, operating an unsafe vehicle and Diana Lapham initiated the tourism director’s newness to was towing broke loose, seriously 67, of Hastings, New Zealand failing to register the trailer. reconsideration, saying the her position, and (Gaffney) not injuring a bicyclist near 5.5 Mile and husband Allan Jones, 73. Alcohol was not a factor in the moratorium “will create an engaging with assembly members Lutak Road. According to troopers, the collision. atmosphere to the cruise ships individually before the assembly State trooper Dru Neason said runaway trailer struck Mary Jones The Joneses had rented bicycles that they’re not welcome.” he would pursue third-degree from behind, resulting in a head from a business in town and Lapham said she “did not have See REVERSE page 9 assault and reckless driving injury that required a medevac weren’t on a tour, Neason said. charges against the 54-year-old transport to Bartlett Hospital in Third-degree assault is a Class man, whose ATV utility trailer Juneau. C felony and carries a maximum was not designed for road use, was The unmatched trailer hitch sentence of up to $50,000 in fines attached to a wrong-sized ball and and ball and the absence of a and/or five years in jail. Reckless lacked a safety chain. safety chain allowed the trailer driving is a misdemeanor which Festival ready to go “He was operating a vehicle to come loose and hit Jones, can result in up to $1,000 in fines that shouldn’t have been on the Neason said. and/or one year in jail. road,” Neason said this week. The trooper said he discussed “I wouldn’t expect (the but where are bears? The accident occurred at 10:10 the charges with the district maximum sentence) in this a.m. Aug. 6. attorney, who agreed there was particular case,” Neason said. By Tom Morphet bears at the festival Friday On the eve of the Chilkat night, including six years Valley’s first bear festival, of data from radio-collared one group of guests was Chilkoot bears. Voters to decide oil tax Tuesday conspicuous by its absence By the third week in By Karen Garcia while opponents argue the tax otherwise be using to fund early this week: bears. August, there are usually In Tuesday’s primary election, breaks are necessary to incentivize schools, infrastructure and other “The bears aren’t here,” four or five bears along the Alaskans will be asked whether production and make Alaska projects. said Ann Puffer, an organizer river, Crupi said. Numbers the state should repeal a recently- competitive with other areas. In response to the claim that of the two-day event that increase until peaking in mid- passed bill granting tax breaks to Representatives from both production declined under ACES, starts at Harriett Hall Friday September, when 15 or more oil companies. sides spoke during a July 11 French said oil production has evening. “Speedy (a 10-year- individuals can be counted on They’ll also decide who will Haines Chamber of Commerce been declining in Alaska since the old sow ear-tagged #235) is a single night, he said. square off for several top-level lunch. Democratic Sen. Hollis late 1980s, well before ACES was the only one that’s been active Worries about missing statewide offices in November. French, who is also running for implemented in 2007. at the river this year.” bears aren’t unique to Haines Ballot Measure 1, also known lieutenant governor, spoke in French referred to the decline in But don’t worry yet, it’s this year. Yakutat residents as Proposition 1, would repeal favor of Proposition 1 (“Vote oil production as “a geophysical still early in the bear season, are saying the same thing. Senate Bill 21. The Alaska Yes”). Mark Morris, a Juneau- fact of life.” “That’s what oil fields said Anthony Crupi, regional Sightings may be low because Legislature passed the bill in based consulting engineer, spoke do,” he said. bear biologist for the Alaska warm spring temperatures 2013, but residents collected against it (“Vote No”). French said he would rather Department of Fish and generated abundant vegetative enough signatures statewide to French, who helped craft promote “strong investment in Game, who has studied brown browse. get a veto referendum on the 2014 Alaska’s Clear and Equitable Alaska” instead of “strong profits bears along the Chilkoot River Also, last year’s pink salmon primary ballot. Share (ACES) tax that SB 21 for oil companies” by allowing since 2000. return on the Chilkoot River – Residents can cast their ballots replaced, said according to an oil companies to “buy down” tax “This is about when things at 8,195, the lowest number between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. at the Alaska Department of Revenue rates by investing in the state. start to pick up. At this point since 1996 – wasn’t good for American Bald Eagle Foundation study, the state would have lost $8 He also pointed out that in the year, we typically have cub survival. Chilkoot pink in Haines or the Klehini Valley billion in revenue between fiscal ConocoPhillips made more one or two bears. I know we escapement has averaged Volunteer Fire Department in years 2007 and 2013 if SB 21 had money per barrel under ACES have two adult females out 49,000 since 2000, Crupi said. Mosquito Lake. been in place instead of ACES. than it did anywhere else, with there and at least one cub,” As of press time Supporters of Proposition French argued if SB 21 is the company making an average said Crupi, who will share 1 claim SB 21 amounts to a kept in place, the state will information about the local See BEARS page 12 “giveaway” to the oil companies, lose valuable revenue it could See OIL TAX page 12 Page 2 Chilkat Valley News August 14, 2014 To list an event in Save the Date, phone 766- Letters to the Editor Save the Date 2688 or email [email protected]. Do your research before voting on Prop 1 Thursday, Aug. 14 Tuesday, Aug. 19 I see lots of yard signs saying, “It is our oil,” and that is correct. Julio Toribio Seibukan Jujutsu workshop Statewide Primary Election, polling places The question is, do we want to sell it or do we want to keep it? It is the and demonstration, 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Chilkat open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. voters’ choice. Oil companies are consumers just as we are. How do Center. Call 314-0904 for more information. Wednesday, Aug. 20 Haines Borough Planning Commission you like being dictated to by our local oil distributor, freight company Rattletrap Ruckus, 7 p.m. at the Chilkat 6:30 p.m. in assembly chambers. or utility? meeting, Center lobby. Sponsored by the Haines Arts We have little choice. Unlike us, the oil companies can buy oil where Friday, Aug. 15 Council. it’s cheapest. They have a lot invested in infrastructure, but without Celebration of Bears Festival, 11 a.m.