Photo by Diana Haecker QUYANA—The Wainwright Dancers entertained a full house Oct. 23 during evening performances of Native dance groups called Quyana at last week’s annual AFN convention in Anchorage. C VOLUME CVIII NO. 44 OCTOBER 30, 2008 Energy crisis takes center stage at AFN By Diana Haecker in rural Alaska and take action by in- Anchorage’s newly built De- fusing funds into renewable energy na’ina Convention Center set the programs and capping fuel prices. stage for the 2008 annual conven- Loretta Bullard, president and tion of the Alaska Federation of Na- CEO of Kawerak Inc., stepped in tives, touting the theme of front of the microphone during dis- “Reaching for the stars—Native as- cussions and suggested a program to pirations for the 21st century.” cap fuel prices delivered to the vil- Reaching for the stars, however, lages to match urban prices, with the was an ambitious goal as discussions price difference picked up by the centered more on earthly matters feds or state agencies. Villagers at- such as the rural energy crisis and in- tested to fuel prices of up to $8 per creased migration of residents from gallon during the convention, while the villages to urban centers in the price at the gas pump in Anchor- Alaska. How to keep homes warm, age read $3.56. As petroleum prices villagers in their region and reason- went down last week, Anchorage gas ably priced gas in the tanks of 4- stations could go down with their wheelers and snowmachines was the prices, but villages and regional hubs question at hand. In the final hours of that have to bring in fuel by barges the convention last Saturday, AFN in the summer time are locked in to challenged state and federal govern- ment to declare an energy emergency continued on page 6 Fried equipment puts the brakes on Rock Creek production Mine hopes to be back online by the end of the week By Tyler Rhodes at Rock Creek at the mill,” said Rock NovaGold’s Nome Operations Creek’s general manager Jim Mallory. has hit a snag as it ramps up produc- Mallory said Oct. 27 that new re- tion at the Rock Creek mine. sistors are on site and assembly con- As the company works to bring its tinues. He expected by the end of the first producing mine up to full steam, week the replacement parts would be an integral piece of the puzzle failed installed, allowing production at the Oct. 9, suspending production at the mine to resume. Photo by Janeen Sullivan mine ever since. Under normal operation, the re- EYES ON THE PRIZE—Skylar Buffas shows no fear while trying to capture the elusive floating dough- “The starting resistor assemblies for sistors are used only while the ball nut at the Nome-Beltz Junior Carnival Saturday at the National Guard Armory in Nome. the mill motors had failed during ball mill operation, producing the shutdown continued on page 4 Council welcomes new member Foster, City Manager Bahnke By Laurie McNicholas bonds,” he said. Utility Revenue Anticipation partment of Transportation and Public Facilities Nov. 10. They include an ordinance authorizing Members of the Nome Common Council Note 2008A was for $4.6 million, he noted. and the City for the Nome Police Department the City to issue its Port Revenue Refunding welcomed newly elected Councilman Neal The Council split over a resolution author- to provide airport services. The state will pay Bond 2008A for up to $5 million to refund the Foster and new City Manager Josie Bahnke to izing an exception to the Nome Code of Ordi- up to $5,000 a month for the services. City Port Revenue Bond 1986 Series A. This their meeting Monday and expressed apprecia- nances for the Fifth Annual Nome North Open To meet a state statutory requirement to par- ordinance amends Ordinance No. 0-85-1-1 and tion to Mary (Bourdon) David for her public Dart Tournament Oct. 31 through Nov. 3 at the ticipate in the FY 2009 Alaska Shared Fisheries authorizes a second amendment to a tripartite service to Nome residents as an elected Coun- Arctic Native Brotherhood Club. Mayor Business Tax Program, the Council adopted a agreement among the National Oceanic and At- cil member from 2004 to 2008. Denise Michels voted affirmatively to break a resolution certifying that the municipality did mospheric Administration, the Alaska Munici- The Council approved a resolution authoriz- 3-3 tie vote and allow the club to stay open and suffer significant effects from fisheries busi- pal Bond Bank and the City. ing sale of Utility Revenue Anticipation Note sell intoxicating liquor from 1 p.m. Oct. 31 till ness activities during calendar year 2007. The Other ordinances moved from first reading 2008B for $5.3 million to purchase diesel fuel 5 a.m. Nov. 1, reopen three hours later at 8 a.m. Council also approved a three-year agreement to second reading Nov. 10 are amendments to for electric power generation. The note is and remain open till 5 a.m. Nov. 2, reopen that with Appraisal Company of Alaska for ad val- the City of Nome FY 2008 general fund mu- payable solely from the revenues of Nome Joint day at 8 a.m. and stay open till 5 a.m. Nov. 3. orum tax services effective through FY 2011. nicipal budget, capital projects fund budget, Utility System. It is the second City note for ANB Club manager Larry Clark said he ex- special revenue fund budget, Port of Nome fuel this year and is needed to meet added de- pects 60 local dart players and 40 others from Ordinances moved to second reading fund budget and construction capital projects mand from the Rock Creek Mine, Utility Man- across Alaska to participate in the tournament. Council members unanimously approved fund budget. ager John Handeland told the Council. “This Council members approved a one-year mem- first readings of several ordinances and sched- will take us up to the capacity we can sell for orandum of agreement between the Alaska De- uled them for second readings and final action continued on page 5 Visit the Nugget on line at www.nomenugget.net • e-mail [email protected] 2 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2008LOCAL THE NOME NUGGET Letters Teller man sentenced for manslaughter Dear Nancy, Governor Palin cited Barack I’m a registered Republican. This Obama’s ties to Bill Ayers of Weath- By Tyler Rhodes different. wish he were still here. We’re all still year I’m voting for Obama. I have ermen infamy. What of it? John Mc- A Teller man was sentenced to 16 Judge Esch said part of his rea- hurting. It’s very painful. We’re just watched with growing dismay as the Cain himself called Ayers “a years in jail, with five years sus- soning in imposing a sentence to- trying to hold on with what we’ve anti-Obama rhetoric denigrated to washed-up terrorist.” Does anyone pended, for the death of Patrick ward the upper end of the range was got now.” blatant racism and fear mongering. know that Sarah Palin’s evangelical “Rudy” Pushruk just more than a that Dickson repeated his attack after Esch gave Dickson an opportunity The deal breaker for me was the in- minister participated in a witch- year ago. initially being pulled off Pushruk. He to speak on his own behalf before terview of Congresswoman Michelle hunt? Yes a witch-hunt. Who is the As Superior Court Judge Ben also cited Pushruk’s initial attack on imposing the sentence. A long si- Bachman, R— Minnesota who real terrorist? Whether Muslim Fun- Esch handed down the sentence to Dickson as a significant provocation lence hung in the courtroom before called for an investigation into anti- damentalist or Christian Evangelical, Eli Dickson Oct. 27, a number of and a mitigating factor. Dickson answered in a wavering American activities within Congress. both groups scare the hell out of me. Pushruk’s family sobbed in the Before issuing the sentence, Esch voice that he had nothing to say. This is not the America I want. All you have to do is look into their Nome courthouse’s benches. allowed Pushruk’s family members As Dickson was escorted out of Representative Bachman cited a eyes and see that it is a closed sys- The tears weren’t only reserved to address the court. Dean Pushruk, the court, his family urged him to be comment made by Michelle Obama tem that you’re dealing with. for the Pushruks. Dickson broke the victim’s brother, spoke of a tight- strong. in which she stated it is only recently I have a laundry list of things that down as Esch told him he would be knit family that has experienced sev- Dickson only replied with the that she became proud of her coun- the Republican Party has done spending the next 11 years in prison, eral losses in the last few years. same phrase he had been repeating try. I love my country and I find wrong within the last several years; followed by five years of probation. “When we lost Rudy…it’s been re- since Esch had issued the sentence. nothing wrong with Michelle’s com- too long to go into this short letter. “It’s too long, man. It’s too long,” ally tough for all of us,” he said. “I “It’s too long. It’s too long,” he said. ment. Democracy is an ever-evolv- For those Republicans who are going Dickson said repeatedly through ing institution.