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Photo by Nikolai Ivanoff FALL STORM— The first fall storm began hitting the shores of Norton Sound and the Seward Peninsula on Monday. A gold mining jackup rig weathered the storm at West Beach. C VOLUME CXV NO. 34 August 27, 2015 Council: Imported pot in, utility rates up By Sandra L. Medearis on the issues yielded mixed results. About 15 people attended Nome When the marijuana measure Common Council’s regular meeting came up, several persons, notably on Monday evening, an unusually Tim Smith and Jim Stimpfle, impor- high number to participate in the tuned the Council to delete a clause panel’s open meetings. limiting marijuana for sale within The attendance was due to public city limits to “Nome grown.” The hearings and final votes on some ap- Council went for it, striking down parently red button topics on the that section of the ordinance, voting agenda: Marijuana regulations, a 4-1 on a motion by Jerald Brown. noise ordinance, firearms law and a Matt Culley cast the lone ‘no’ vote. utility rate hike. Also, several relatives came along Pot sales to back an appeal by Nancy Banning import of marijuana for Mendenhall for the Council to ap- sales within the city limits would en- prove a variance to building regula- courage a large marijuana and mari- tions previously denied by Nome juana products store to open outside Planning Commission. Soapboxing before the Council continued on page 4 Savoonga man found guilty of rape, assault By Diana Haecker hol and marijuana to minors. A party held at Calvin Akeya’s According to court testimony dur- home in Savoonga in March 2014 ing a jury trial held from August 18 went terribly wrong for two women until August 20 in Nome, Akeya – one adult and a minor - whose lives served homebrew alcohol to several were changed that night. people, including minors, and al- Last week, Akeya, 47, stood trial lowed them to smoke marijuana in of raping one woman that night and his home in the dry community of of reacting violently when a minor Savoonga, on March 27, 2014. confronted him about what he had- Court testimony revealed that done. Akeya then raped an incapacitated Akeya was charged with eleven woman, assaulted a 14-year-old girl counts of sexual assault in the first and also sexually abused her in the and second degree, of assault in the second degree. The girl is a relative. third degree and of several charges After three days of hearing testi- relating to producing homebrew in a dry community and furnishing alco- continued on page 4 Photo by Angela Hansen NOME MADE— Kim Knudsen, author of the cookbook “Nomemade”, agrees that in her garden “Nome grown tastes better” Knudsen’s garden was one stop on last Sunday’s Garden Tour. See story on page 8/9. Fall storm signals end of summer By Sandra L. Medearis Peninsula this is when fall starts—in kok said when contacted Tuesday An early fall storm lit into the Se- August. morning. ward Peninsula coastal areas Mon- The early fall storm could give In Nome, Harbormaster Lucas day and was still sloshing rain any community with a south facing Stotts was out and about Monday af- expected to soak the fall colors off shore line a good dowsing with sev- ternoon making sure port users had the tundra continuing through eral inches of rain and strong winds, their vessels in good places and tied Wednesday. Robert Murders of National Weather up. Small craft in the Small Boat Around Nome and on the Seward Service, Nome office, said Monday Harbor were lined up hugging the afternoon. That included the Yukon- south wall. Kuskokwim Delta, Scammon Bay, Tuesday morning, Stotts was out On the Web: Pilot Station, Savoonga, Golovin and again assisting owners of small Teller. skiffs and crafts that were sinking; www.nomenugget.net Tuesday morning Teller had high however no larger dredges were in E-mail: water, Nick Topkok said. trouble according to staff. The Bering Strait coast and south The weather did not come with a [email protected] St. Lawrence Island were under high specific low-pressure system but surf advisories Tuesday through from a series of lows from the south- Wednesday morning. Kivalina, as west Bering Sea. These were com- well as the Noatak and Kobuk val- bining with a high pressure system leys were under flood watch also. present over the weekend forming a Photo by Diana Haecker “We are watching the high water, pressure gradient bringing southwest READY FOR SCHOOL— First grader Izaya Longley enjoyed his but no flooding this morning. I hope wind “pretty much in a straight line first day of school on Monday, August 24, at the Nome Elementary there won’t be any flooding,” Top- continued on page 4 School. 2 THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015 OPINION THE NOME NUGGET OP-ED: Debate on oil tax reform is needed By Rep. Les Gara acumen was correct. The public They’re wrong. We need an Oil Pro- lion Susitna Dam. want oil tax reform. I appreciate vibrant discussion on won’t pay money that in effect sub- duction Tax that earns Alaskans Sure, Alaska gets a royalty, and oil Finally, big oil companies aren’t public policy. But some are propos- sidizes a major oil industry short- enough - a fair share - that we both companies pay a small corporate tax, making their normal $2 plus billion ing revenue plans that notably ask in- payment to Alaskans for our oil. get fair revenue to help fund public and property taxes that go mostly to in annual Alaska profits at low oil dividuals to pay, and leave Alaska’s Want a few facts showing why the safety, education and savings, and local governments. But the Produc- prices. But they’re doing fine. three major oil companies, who 2013 oil tax rollback pushed by Gov- can afford more smartly crafted de- tion Tax has been Alaska’s mainstay Conoco is the only company that re- profit handsomely even at low oil ernor Parnell, some legislators and velopment incentives to spur new for state revenue. veals its Alaska profits. SEC filings prices in Alaska, out of plans to ad- the major oil companies went too North Slope production. Finally, let’s take a few red her- show they made $340 million in dress our fiscal gap. That’s a recipe far? Today a meager 4 percent Produc- rings off the table. profits the first half of 2015 in for a public backlash. The Production Tax rate on all oil- tion Tax rate applies all the way up Those of us who want our oil tax Alaska, more than they made in the It’s good to put everything on the fields started after 2002 is so low it to $80 or $90/barrel on big, prof- fixed also proposed balanced re- rest of the world combined. They table for people to debate, so policy- produces a NEGATIVE “net present itable oil fields. Alaska’s Production forms to the older law, ACES. The lost over $700 million just in the makers can listen. It’s wrong to value” for Alaska today. Even if oil Tax is even lower, or negative on retort that we simply want to “return Lower 48. Prudhoe Bay, Alpine and write off receiving a fair share, or as prices returned to $110/barrel, these post-2002 oilfields. to ACES” ignores production tax and Kuparuk are among Conoco’s most the Alaska Constitution says, the and all new fields, including ANWR Alaskans deserve a discussion incentive bills I, Democratic and Re- profitable fields. “maximum benefit” to “the public”, if it’s ever opened, will pay a Pro- with reliable experts, rather than the publican legislators have proposed. We should never be scared of pub- for our oil. An open discussion isn’t duction Tax that produces a near zero “experts” who misleadingly danced Some say we narrowly voted to lic opinion. Let’s have an open de- one that tells hard working Alaskans or negative net present value for around hard questions and served as keep this law last election. But we bate, not a stifled one. and those who struggle to pay for Alaska. Private companies don’t sell shallow cheerleaders for Parnell’s voted in the low-turnout primary, not heat that they should pay, but that the their products that cheaply, and we 2013 plan. And we all need to work the general election when Alaskans Rep. Les Gara is a Democratic oil industry should be left with a shouldn’t either. on eliminating government waste, would have said Yes to repealing this Member of the House Finance sweetheart deal on the oil Alaskans Under current law Alaska will like continued spending on a $6 bil- law. Current polls show Alaskans Committee own in common. owe companies roughly $600 million I was fortunate to become friends more in state-paid oil tax credits for with, and get to listen to Former 2015 and 2016 than we get paid in Governor Jay Hammond. He used to Production Taxes. That’s a recipe for A Look at the Past say that before you tax Alaskans, or crippling schools, law enforcement consider PFD cuts, you get a fair and emptying our savings. share for Alaska’s oil. Whether you Some say changing tax credits to agree with his politics, his political small explorers is the full answer. Letters to the editor must be signed and include an address and phone number. Thank you notes and political endorsements are considered ads. Editorial The Task of Education The aroma of Lysol scrubbed floors, the smell of new textbooks combined with newly painted walls indicates the start of a new school year.