Nn 6.18.09:Layout 1
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Photo by Peggy Fagerstrom TO THE RESCUE—Search and rescue volunteers Tom Vaden (left) and Kevin Knowlton paddle a Zodiac through a wave while Shane Smithhisler operates a wave-runner on their way to pluck fishermen Travis Murphy (right) and his partner from their overturned boat Sunday evening in Bering Sea just behind Front Street. For more, see the story below. C VOLUME CVIII NO. 24 JUNE 18, 2009 Festival offers a marathon of fun By Tyler Rhodes shop with the band at Nome Ele- Whether or not its namesake mentary School at 1:30 p.m. makes an appearance, Nome will be Kids of all ages can come and treated to a nonstop lineup of events hear the hard-driving bluegrass of this weekend for the annual Mid- the Juneau-based band at 7:30 night Sun Festival. p.m. Friday when they play a con- Celebrating the more than 21 cert at the elementary school. The 1/2 hours of sunlight that Nome show then heads to Airport Pizza receives around the summer sol- where local musicians are encour- stice, the festival encourages aged to grab their instruments to Nomeites to join in a parade, come pick tunes with the band plunge into the Bering Sea, get on starting at 10 p.m. stage to perform music and navi- The athletic set can get a healthy gate homemade rafts down the start to the weekend with the annual Nome River. Anyone that makes it Gold Dust Dash race. Racers and through each and every event of- walkers can sign up to register be- fered should receive an award for tween 7:30 and 7:50 a.m. at East stamina come Monday. Beach. The 4-mile race starts at 8 The fun begins Friday with the a.m. and runs along the coast to the start of the Nome Midnight Sun Folk Nome River and back. Up for grabs Photo by Denise Olin Fest. It’s the kids who get the first are gold nuggets for the top male SUMMER ON THE BEACH—Tiffany Ongtowasruk, 10, sets to building a sand castle June 11 on East End crack at this year’s guest performers, and female finishers. Beach. With the sun making only brief appearances this spring, Nomeites have flocked to the beach on the The Great Alaska Bluegrass Band. The festival hits the streets Sat- rare occasions when the skies are clear and the mercury climbs above 60º F. Kids are invited to come to a free, hour-long dance and music work- continued on page 5 Rescuers reel in fishermen from the sea Quick response plucks two from overturned flat-bottom boat just offshore Nome’s Front Street By Tyler Rhodes quick response en masse around 7:30 p.m., Nome resident Dave McDowell was able to face,” McDowell said. Two fishermen were rescued just off the launching a jet ski and an inflatable Zodiac see the scene unfold at Polar Cafe. “They had McDowell said he looked out the window shore behind Nome’s Front Street Sunday boat to reach Travis Murphy and his fishing come out to check the net,” he said. and saw two people on a capsized boat. He evening after they were spotted sitting atop partner from Sitka. Neither the Nome Police McDowell was sitting across the room used a pair of binoculars to get a closer look. “It their overturned boat. nor Volunteer Fire departments were able to when he noticed the tourists seated at the was pretty obvious we needed to call 911,” he The pair were approximately 50 yards off- identify the second fisherman. table by the window pointing out toward the said. McDowell made the call. shore when rescue crews reached them. According to the police department, the fisher- sea. “I saw them looking up and pointing at Rescue personnel from Nome launched a men were out in a boat owned by Phil Pryzmont. something with kind of ‘that look’ on their continued on page 4 Two perish in plane crash near Elim Two Oregon men are dead fol- found the next day east of Bald allows its passengers to sit side-by-side lowing a June 9 plane crash that oc- Head Mountain where medical per- in the cockpit is billed as an “all- curred just outside of Elim. sonnel from Elim were able to around sport airplane with excellent According to Alaska State Troop- reach the victims and confirm their cross-country capability, fine aerobatic ers, pilot Bruce Harden, 69, and his deaths that evening. qualities and superior handling,” ac- passenger Lonny Draheim, 54, both of Harden and Draheim were flying cording to Van’s Aircraft website. Brookings, Ore., died in the incident. in a homebuilt Van’s RV-7 aircraft Doherty said the duo had stopped The wreckage of the plane was from Galena to Nome to visit Jay in Galena for fuel after leaving from Wieler, according to Wieler’s sister, Delta Junction the day of the crash. Janice Doherty. She noted that the Both men were pilots who had been On the Web: crash occurred on Draheim’s birthday. flying for decades. Harden had pre- www.nomenugget.net A Trooper aircraft and an Army Na- viously lived in Alaska. tional Guard Blackhawk helicopter No cause for the crash had been re- E-mail: from Nome searched for the missing ported as of press time Monday. The [email protected] plane to no avail June 10 before re- Nome Nugget’s efforts to contact the sponders in Elim found the downed air- National Transportation Safety Board craft. Troopers reported that poor were not successful as of press time. weather with fog, reduced visibility and low clouds hampered search efforts. TRAGIC SCENE—An Alaska The two gentlemen, who were close State Trooper examines the wreck- friends in Brookings, had left Oregon age of a Van’s RV-7 that crashed June 1 to fly together to Alaska in the into a hillside outside Elim June 9. experimental aircraft. The plane which Two Oregon men died in the crash. Alaska State Troopers Photo courtesy of 2 THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2009 OPINION THE NOME NUGGET Alaska News Briefs Compiled by Diana Haecker age. The U.S. Department of Justice investigation of public corruption in Palin favors leaving it up to local last week said prosecutors had failed Alaska. Kott and Kohring were con- governments to install building Kott and Kohring released from to turn over favorable evidence be- victed in 2007 and sentenced to six codes or not. federal prison fore the former legistors’ 2007 trials and three and a half years of jail Legislative leaders last week sent a Former state Representatives Vic on bribery, extortion and conspiracy. time, respectively. Both were found letter to U.S. Energy Secretary Kohring and Pete Kott returned to On June 10, the 9th U.S. Circuit guilty of taking bribes from oil serv- Steven Chu, asking to keep the Alaska Alaska after their release from prison Court of Appeals in San Francisco ices VECO boss Bill Allen as a bill state’s option to receive the money News Briefs on June 12. Kohring and Kott were ordered both men released from came up to raise state taxes on oil and to hold open the application released under orders issued by prison. On June 5, the US Attorney companies. process until legislators reconvene in courts in San Francisco and Anchor- General Eric Holder filed papers in January. Then they would consider a the US Court of Appeals in San Fran- The energy-strings-attached battle veto override. They also inquired in cisco seeking to release Kott and continues the letter whether a legislative reso- Kohring. Similar to the arguments to While state legislators seriously lution would be acceptable in lieu of Letters dismiss all charges against former mull the possibility to override Gov- the governor’s certification of the ap- US Senator Ted Stevens, the feds say ernor Sarah Palin’s veto to refuse plication for the money if the Legis- Dear People, for all the youth in our region and that prosecutors withheld informa- $28.6 million in federal energy stim- lature overrides the veto, but Gov. Hello, my name is Oscar Anaso- state to respect and obey all laws. tion from the defendants. ulus funds, Palin insists in having Palin refuses to complete the appli- gak, Jr. I am from Koyuk, Alaska— Prison is no place to be. You all have “After a careful review of these found proof of the strings attached to cation. born and raised. I have met a lot of something very precious right now, cases, I have determined that it ap- the funds. The U.S. Department of “We ask your understanding — and you people from all over the region your FREEDOM. Please enjoy your pears that the department did not Energy said that these energy funds patience — while we resolve an in- and state. This may come as a sur- lives, respect everyone, obey the provide information that should have are tied to the statewide adoption of ternal disagreement over the funds,” prise to many, but currently I am laws and live free. been disclosed to the defense,” new federal energy-efficiency codes, the legislators said in their letter now incarcerated at Spring Creek Being in prison you have very Holder said in a statement. “The de- the 2009 International Conservation signed by Senate President Gary Correctional Center in Seward. limited rights, freedom and privacy. partment’s mission is to do justice, Code for residences and the 2007 Stevens, House Speaker Mike I am very ashamed for what I did, This is absolutely no place to end up not just win cases, and when we American Society of Heating, Re- Chenault, Senate Finance Co-chairs both to the victim, myself and for living.