Photo by Diana Haecker READY SET GO— Twenty-four high school cross-country runners from Unalakleet, Kotzebue, Chevak and Nome competed in last weekend’s Nome Invitational. See story page 9. C VOLUME CXII NO. 35 August 30, 2012 Firefighters douse blaze in Alaska Gold Dredge #6 By Sandra L. Medearis Nome’s other famous landmark, his- that rolled out of the bottom of the machinery and old stuff, extremely we had water issues Saturday night,” The Nome Volunteer Fire Dept. toric White Alice repeater antennas dredge Saturday evening and also es- unsafe conditions in a dredge more Johnson said, explaining the return saved one of Nome’s famous land- at Anvil Mountain, helps airplane pi- caped from the top. than 80 years old and nothing done trip to douse the dredge Sunday. marks and navigational aids over the lots, boaters, snowmachiners and Nevertheless, fighting the fire was to it in 20 years. Johnson explained that the de- weekend. hikers find their way. tricky and dangerous, Johnson said. “We tried to use a master stream partment’s new fire truck uses a NVFD responded twice to put out The fire lighted up only a small Firefighters used water and special directly from the truck, but we ran large volume of water with powerful a fire on the historic Alaska Gold area at the bottom floor of the dredge foam for fighting petroleum-fed out of water so quick it wasn’t funny. pumps and empties quickly unless it Dredge 6 near West Beach Saturday in the trommel area — a screened, fires. We have pumps that pull 400 gallons is attached to a hydrant or two. “We evening and again Sunday when rotating cylinder that sorts ore — “We tell our guys ‘we aren’t a minute, but that truck holds 1,500 went back Sunday with a Honda smolder tried to turn up the flame maybe a 10 feet by 10 feet, accord- going to kill a firefighter just to put a gallons, so we pumped that thing dry pump and ran a line directly off the again. ing to NVFD Chief Matt Johnson. dredge out,’” Johnson said. “Just ac- in a minute and a half. We sent five dredge into the trommel area and just Dredge 6, tall and visible from Grease, rubber belts and other petro- cessing the building was the hardest guys in there with two hand lines distances on land and sea, along with leum products made the black smoke part. We were dealing with a lot of (water hoses). continued on page 4 “The fire was so deep-seated and City needs help in spending $200,000 By Sandra L. Medearis of PLS Construction, submitted a The Nome Common Council base bid for $91,000, plus $13,000 danced a light agenda Monday night, for work on the bell tower, the only stopping briefly over a contract to bid response, according to City staff. paint Old St. Joe’s, missing pull tab Several people took the podium game reports, a new liquor license during public comment to make sug- and the opportunity to spend Nome’s gestions on the spending of the an- $200,000 annual community share nual community share from Norton from NSEDC. Sound Economic Development The council tabled a bid to paint Corp. NSEDC is one of six regional Old St. Joe’s Hall meeting house corporations established to run six pending more information and a Community Development Quotas in “running it by” the City’s contract the western Alaska fisheries to make architect, Terry Hyer. sure villages get a cut of the fishing Jared L. Miller, the sole member continued on page 4 Photo by Greg Smith ON FIRE—Police and firefighters suspect arson in the Saturday night fire at Dredge #6. Statoil plans oil exploration in Chukchi Sea as early as 2015 By Diana Haecker pany headquartered in Norway, op- Statoil’s employ, signed in guests A delegation of Statoil represen- erates in 36 countries and in 2009 and three Inupiaq interpreters were tatives came on Nome last Monday they opened an Anchorage office on hand in the eventuality that an for a community meeting and to in- with the intent to explore for oil in Elder needs translation. Also, a pro- form the Nome public about their the Arctic. Statoil bought federal off- fessional photographer brought in plans to drill exploratory wells at shore leases in the Chukchi Sea in from Anchorage roamed the meeting their offshore leases in the Chukchi 2008. The Amundsen and Augustine venue, taking photos of presenters Sea. leases are located 113 miles north- and listeners alike. Statoil, a multinational oil com- west of Wainright and about 156 Lars Sunde, Statoil’s Alaska ex- miles Westnorthwest from Barrow. ploration manager, began his power The meeting drew about 40 Nome point presentation reiterating that On the Web: residents plus Senator Donny Olson Alaska’s Arctic is an important and his wife Willow to the Mini Con- emerging area for oil and gas explor- www.nomenugget.net vention Center, who came to hear ers and that this fact isn’t lost on Sta- E-mail: Statoil’s plans, eat dinner and get toil. “We feel that with our some door prizes. The set up was technological expertise and knowl- [email protected] complete with a buffet of fried rice, edge we are a good fit for Alaska,” chicken and beef dishes, finger Sunde said. The Arctic warming foods, sushi, salads and desserts. The trend is opening access to significant tables were set with white linens, resources of energy and oil compa- decorative artificial flowers, cloth nies are jockeying for position to Photo by Diana Haecker napkins and silver ware. Alaska Na- jump on the opportunity. Experts es- FLOWER POWER— Katie Kelso holds flowery gifts from Garden tive ladies from Barrow, now resid- Tour organizer Cheryl Thompson, after the annual Garden Tour, ing in Anchorage and being in continued on page 5 on Sunday, August 26. See story and more photos on page 7. 2 THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2012 OPINION THE NOME NUGGET Letters Dear Editor, I’d like to see this tradition continue thing to guarantee that our salmon shown any interest at all? Rather than Smith posted of the meeting he was In regards to what has been going for future generations. stocks will survive into the future. holding our hand out we should be ejected from and threatened with ar- on with the Kakaruk Herd. My name Please have a little patience with us Unfortunately, we the people, the proactive and demanding accounta- rest. It was a public meeting in Nome is Frank Lee one of the owners of the and let this process continue it’s course real owners of NSEDC, sit by qui- bility. and Mr. Smith had every right to be Kakaruk Herd. As far as I am con- so we can put in a manger so well all etly accepting a mere pittance annu- As a member community of there and to speak his mind. He can- cerned the Bureau of Indian Affairs can enjoy once again the round-up sea- ally to keep our mouths shut while NSEDC they are supposed to serve not and should not be barred from and the Reindeer Herders Association son and butchering season. millions of our one time million dol- us and be accountable to US? It al- future meetings. As a citizen of did what they thought was right for the Sincerely, lars are being spent to buy outsider most seems as though the tail is wag- Nome he has every right to be pres- interest of the herd and all the owners Frank Lee,Co-owner interests in the lower Bering Sea and ging the dog though! ent, just as he has every right to at- of the Kakaruk Herd. For years I have Frank Lee #277321 the Aleutian Chain. This incident with Mr. Smith is tend the City Council meetings. pushed to have the last manger taken Hudson Correctional Center Facility The very few people that have another example of inexcusable dis- They are supposed to be PUBLIC! off because of the lack of communi- 3001 N. Juniper Street stood up for our NW Alaska Salmon respect to a citizen of Nome. I might They should be OPEN and citizens cation to the owners, B.I.A., R.H.A., Hudson, Colorado 80642 Stocks are being forced out of add that Mr. Smith has almost single have every right to question their ac- and any other agency that is involved NSEDC meetings that supposedly handedly been the ONLY voice that tions! And get ANSWERS! Not pub- with the reindeer industry. Yes, I am To the Editor, are determining the future of our Nome has had. Mr. Smith is right! lic humiliation and banishment! not happy with how BIA or RHA de- Norton Sound Economic Develop- NW Alaska fish stocks. Over $7.2 For almost all these years he is the Their PUBLIC business is OUR cided to put Tom Gray as the manager ment Corporation has continuously million have been spent to suppos- ONLY voice Nome has had during business and must be conducted without giving ay notice to any of the represented that they are our Public edly enhance our Salmon stocks and NSEDC local meetings. NSEDC has openly and under the light of day! Kakaruk herd owners. At this time Fishery Representative for our what does NSEDC have to show for tried to shut him up over these years, Anyway that's what I think! BIA and RHA needed to put a manger Salmon (anadromous) Fisheries.