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Photo by Peggy Fagerstrom INTO THE STORM—Continuing on to Fairbanks, Iron Dog racers depart Nome in a group on Thursday, Feb. 24 on the way to Unalakleet for a restart. C VOLUME CXI NO. 9 MARCH 3, 2011 Huntington and Olds make 2011 Iron Dog a re-run of 2010 win Wild weather defines tight race to finish By Tyler Rhodes going over much of the course—the in Wednesday and only gathered Proving their 2010 Iron Dog tri- racers are normally held at bay in steam as time went by. By Thursday, umph was no fluke, Polaris riders Tanana to allow for a mid-day finish the driving winds and snow had al- Tyler Huntington and Chris Olds bat- on Saturday. tered the landscape and made for tled their way through severe The race that runs from Big Lake nearly impossible if not deadly rid- weather and extremely tight compe- to Nome before taking a U-turn and ing conditions at times. Wind-driven tition to repeat as champions in the then continuing on to Fairbanks nor- waters on the Bering Sea pushed race that bills itself as the longest, mally takes seven days— that in- massive chunks of sea ice onto the toughest snowmobile race on the cludes a long layover in Nome. Norton Sound coast and created open planet. Despite heavy snow slowing teams leads of water and overflow. As the duo crossed the finish line down in the first half of the race, it As the storm raged on Thursday in downtown Fairbanks a few min- appeared that the 2011 Iron Dog morning, race directors abandoned utes shy of 6 p.m. Saturday night, the would proceed near its normal pace the planned 8 a.m. start. After a mid- win was as much about beating the as racers started roaring into Nome day meeting it was decided that rac- trail conditions as it was besting the Feb. 28. ers would travel in groups under a other competitors. The fact that the Mother Nature, however, had “yellow caution flag” to Unalakleet finish came in the evening bore tes- other plans as she unleashed her full continued on page16 tament to the slow and treacherous fury in the form of a storm that blew Governor asks legislature to fund three-year arctic ports study Council proposes Wednesday evening meetings By Laurie McNicholas with the U.S. Army Corps of Engi- of an ordinance authorizing disposal City Manager Josie Bahnke said neers, according to a statement of of municipal property by use permit Nome will be able to develop a port need accompanying the funding re- to the Nome Rotary Club for the East master plan if the Alaska Legislature quest. A deepwater arctic port would End Park and held a public hearing. approves Gov. Sean Parnell’s provide a new, northernmost port for Adam Lust asked the council to sup- amended FY 2012 capital budget, the U.S. Coast Guard to protect and port the land use agreement between which includes an appropriation of patrol the state’s arctic waters. the city and the Rotary Club for $972,000 from the general fund to USCG icebreakers and other vessels maintenance and enhancement of the the Dept. of Transportation and Pub- require a minimum of -35 feet. Ad- park. lic Facilities for an arctic ports study. ditional funding of $1 million in each Kirsten Bey of the Nome Kennel Bahnke told the Nome Common of the years FY 2013 and FY 2014 Club also voiced support for the Ro- Council at a meeting on Monday that will be required to complete the tary Club’s plans to develop the park the governor submitted the amended study. Half the funding for FY 2013 for local recreational uses. She said budget to the legislature on Feb. 16. and FY 2014 would come from fed- the Kennel Club has had no good The appropriation would fund the eral receipts and half from the state spot to start dog team races for the study and mapping of potential arctic general fund. past couple of years due to widening deepwater port sites in conjunction The council heard second reading continued on page 4 City council hears Sitnasuak’s revised state office building proposal for justice center By Laurie McNicholas ownership of Sitnasuak Native Corp. tions, Legislative Affairs Agency, A concept for housing most Nome was presented to the Nome Common Dept. of Fish and Game, Dept. of offices of state agencies in two Council at a noon work session on Commerce, Community and Eco- buildings on Front Street under the Feb. 25. Crystal Andersen Booth, nomic Development, Dept. of Labor Sitnasuak’s board chair and interim and Division of Public Assistance. president outlined basic elements of Booth said the proposal “leaves On the Web: the plan. DOT where they want to be, leasing www.nomenugget.net Sitnasuak proposes to construct a from the school.” Offices of the justice center for the court system, Dept. of Transportation and Public E-mail: district attorney, public defender, Facilities are located on the Nome- [email protected] state troopers and Division of Motor Beltz High School campus. Vehicles, Adult Probation Office and Booth provided printouts of a Office of Children’s’ Services on an PowerPoint presentation that calls empty lot Sitnasuak owns next to the for a 20-year, government-to-gov- Photo by Peggy Fagerstrom Bering Straits Native Corp. building ernment lease for the proposed jus- HIGH FASHION– Carolyn Schubert wears the parka and muk- on Front Street. Booth said the cor- tice center and the existing Sitnasuak luks that her mother Frances Johnson made in the Traditional At- poration would then backfill its ex- Building. The document says the tire Fashion Show at the Bering Strait Regional Conference held in isting office building on Front Street Nome. with offices of the Division of Elec- continued on page 4 2 THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2011 OPINION THE NOME NUGGET Ulu News By Sen. Donald Olson District T legitimate voice for local communities in development deci- ture and approved by the governor. If successful, the changes Alaska State Legislature sions. will allow local community members, those who live within Alaska Coastal Management Program Currently, the legislature is again reviewing the program for close proximity to our Alaskan coastlines, to have a strong voice several reasons. It will sunset in July of this year if no action is in management decisions that affect their area. The Alaska Coastal Management Program, commonly re- taken and the program will terminate. Recent reports submitted ferred to as the ACMP, was first established in 1979. In the past, by the legislative audit division suggest a number of needed im- Yukon River Drainage Fisheries Association the program allowed coastal districts to create district manage- provements. As your senator, along with other bush legislators, I attempted to fly to Mountain Village for the annual Yukon ment plans, which guided regional development. The plans I am seeking more local control. Some possible amendments we River Drainage Fisheries Association in mid-February but the were to be consistent with state and federal law. Once a plan would like to see in the ACMP revert back to prior 2003 modi- unpredictable Alaskan weather prevented me from making it to was approved, all development projects within the district must fications. I support the need for an expanded range in enforce- the meeting. Fortunately, a staffer of mine who is from Moun- comply with the plan. The State of Alaska received $2.6 million able policies in district management plans that guide tain Village, Loren Peterson, was able to get there early enough in federal funding annually for administration of the ACMP. development. For instance, the Department of Environmental and attended the meetings throughout the convention. Some of these funds went to local districts for work on coastal Conservation Carve-out prohibits local districts from enforcing The issue of bycatch continues to be a huge concern and from management in their area. any policies on air and water pollution. Understanding the cul- my understanding, an Incentive Plan Agreement has been im- In 2003, Governor Frank Murkowski limited the role of local tural values and lifestyles of my constituents and our depend- plemented to reduce the cap on bycatch fishing in the Bering communities and their meaningful participation in the pro- ence on our subsistence and responsible stewardship of our local Sea to 60,000 Chinook salmon. This now applies to all pollock gram. He eliminated the Coastal Policy Board, which included resources, it seems only sensible to offer local policy enforce- fisheries in the Bering Sea, not only covering a certain block members from communities across the state. This board had ment. I also like the idea of reinstating the Coastal Policy Coun- just above the Aleutian Chain, which was the case in the past. oversight of the Department of Natural Resources’ management cil with memberships from different regions of the state. The This change should allow for further escapement of the Chinook of the program and final approval of each district’s plan. Gov- diversity of this council would allow impartial authority over- salmon to return to their spawning grounds along the Yukon ernor Murkowski also significantly limited what could be in- seeing statewide policies. cluded in the plans. The net effect of these changes removed a Hopefully, these amendments will be enacted by the legisla- continued on page 13 There were no letters to the editor this week A Look at the Past Editorial Secrets? Itʼs so important for governments to maintain transparency and an open public process.