Photo by Diana Haecker READY TO ROLL—Iron Dog team 11, consisting of Nome’s John Bahnke III and Kiana’s Brad Reich, wait their turn on east Front Street Feb. 14 to start the second half of the snow- machine race. The duo finished the grueling race in sixth place, and Bahnke was the first racer from Nome to see the checkered flag in Fairbanks. C VOLUME CVIII NO. 8 FEBRUARY 21, 2008 Rock Creek opponents vie for new day in court By Diana Haecker ley, seven miles north of Nome. A group fighting a permit given The lawsuit, first filed in No- to Alaska Gold Company’s Rock vember 2006, resulted in a volun- Creek mine has again taken the tary withdrawal of the permit by issue to court. the Corps. The permit was re-is- Trustees for Alaska filed a re- sued in March without any public quest for a rehearing Feb. 19 with involvement, and the plaintiffs the federal 9th Circuit Court of Ap- filed a second lawsuit to again peals regarding its ruling to uphold challenge the permit. the Army Corps of Engineer’s wet- A district court judge dismissed lands permit issued for the Rock the lawsuit entirely last summer, and Creek mine near Nome. the plaintiffs filed an appeal with the The Trustees are a law firm rep- 9th Circuit Court. resenting Nome residents Jana Var- In September, a three-judge panel rati and Sue Steinacher, as well as heard oral arguments and issued a a citizen group called The Bering ruling in January that upheld the Strait Citizens for Responsible Re- Corps’ permit source Development. Last week the Trustees filed a re- The plaintiffs had challenged the quest for a rehearing. Trustees attor- federal Army Corps of Engineers’ ney Vicki Clark told The Nome decision to issue a Clean Water Act Nugget, “We feel that the court ap- Section 404 permit that allowed the plied a narrower rule than exists gold company to destroy 346.5 acres of wetlands in the Snake River val- continued on page 4 Fairbanks diocese files for bankruptcy By Diana Haecker molestation and rape. Last week, the Catholic Bishop of While the Jesuits reached a $50 Northern Alaska announced his in- million settlement with the plaintiffs, tent to file for reorganization under settlement talks with the diocese did Chapter 11 of the federal bankruptcy not prove as fruitful. code in the next five weeks. Bishop Donald Kettler said in a The filing for Chapter 11 comes statement that settlement efforts have amidst a slew of legal claims against been hampered by “the reluctance of Catholic priests, staff and volunteers, a key insurance carrier to participate who allegedly committed more than meaningfully in the process.” That 150 counts of sexual abuse against carrier has been named as CNA, a boys and girls. Chicago-based company. Co-defendants are the Catholic Chapter 11, under the U.S. bank- Bishop of Northern Alaska and the ruptcy code, permits reorganization Jesuit Order of Alaska and Oregon. of any business with unsecured The cases stemmed mostly from debts of at least $336,000 or se- abuse allegations against priests cured debts of at least $1 million. Photo by Diana Haecker stationed in rural areas of Alaska When a business is unable to pay IRON DOG WINNER—Eric Quam of Eagle River prepares to leave Nome Feb. 14 for the second half and span a time period from the debt or its creditors and files for of the 25th Tesoro Iron Dog snowmachine race. Quam and his partner, 2005 Iron Dog champion Marc 1950s through the 1980s. Nome Chapter 11, it is usually an attempt McKenna of Anchorage, captured the victory. The duo arrived in Fairbanks on their Arctic Cats with a Catholic priest and KNOM radio to stay in business while a bank- trail time of 42 hours, 33 minutes and 58 seconds. For Iron Dog race coverage, see page 8. founder Jim Poole is accused of multiple counts of child sex abuse, continued on page 5 Change allows election of any NSEDC board member as paid president Action ends board chairman and president Dan Harrelson’s 15-month long conflict of interest By Laurie McNicholas month-old conflict of interest for Board Chair- to read, sign and adhere to NSEDC’s “Conflict Manual.” Norton Sound Economic Development Cor- man and President Dan Harrelson of White of Interest Statement of Policy,” which lists During the directors’ annual review of the poration’s board of directors has amended the Mountain. In October 2006 the NSEDC board among areas of greatest concern, “Sitting as a “Conflict of Interest Statement of Policy” last company’s conflict of interest policy, which is in- elected Harrelson as corporate president and director while employed by or providing serv- November, Harrelson stated that he is under tended to prevent board members from working agreed to pay him an annual salary of more than ices under an exclusive contract to NSEDC or contract with NSEDC as president. Subse- for the company as paid employees, to allow any $80,000 in the position. The board re-elected any NSEDC subsidiary.” The signed state- quently The Nome Nugget asked Harrelson, director to serve in a paid position as president. Harrelson as board chair and president at the an- ments are made available to NSEDC’s auditors, “Does that policy apply to your dual role as The action, taken at a quarterly board meet- nual directors’ meeting Nov. 2, 2007 in Nome. according to the company’s “Board of Direc- ing last month in Anchorage, ended a 15- At its annual meeting each director is asked tors/Officers Rules, Regulations and Polices continued on page 6 Visit the Nugget on line at www.nomenugget.net • e-mail [email protected] 2 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2008OPINION THE NOME NUGGET Letters Dear Editor, absence the caribou have returned to the recent activity-taking place by their own welfare. (I stand to be cor- gry. We are not the only ones that Subject: Caribou this area to find their feed replen- the Reindeer Herders Association. rected if this is entirely untrue). face hunger. When the caribou are The past couple of years have ished. Now we are faced with a dilemma We are at such a great disadvan- herded off to the hills they have to been very challenging for the hunters Area hunters noticed the slow re- possibly brought on in part by the tage with the price of gas, oil and run away from their grazing. of the southern Seward Peninsula, turn of the caribou to the region, and Reindeer Herders Association. With parts for our snowmachines needed I do not hold it against the reindeer particularly for the western side of it. eventually they returned in big num- the capability of tracking the caribou for transport. Coupled with the herders for protecting their liveli- There are some factors such as bers. When they did we took as movements with radio and satellite longer distances and harsh condi- hood, but they are doing it in a fash- weather conditions, lack of snow and many as we could and in a short time collars, the reindeer herders can pre- tions required to travel now, we are ion that is forcing the majority of the ice and the lack of animals that have we were able to fill our freezers with vent caribou from approaching their put at greater risk of returning home village population to rely on welfare. returned to the area in prior years. the much-needed meat supply for the reindeer grazing ranges. How is this safely with the much needed meat This is our livelihood as well; we are Those of us who havelived here all whole year. They returned year after done? Primarily by means of aircraft supply for the year. Furthermore, dependent on the caribou for sus- our lives and the elders we learned year, and we were witnesses to the rather than traditional ways. Anyone with the high rate of unemployment taining our subsistence way of life. from have witnessed the return of caribou even taking up airport space that has been around caribou knows in the villages we are not able to af- And they are well respected in our caribou after many years of decline. in several of the villages during the how easily spooked they become ford the high price of reindeer meat communities. Before their return I had the privilege busiest time of day. On some occa- when we get within hearing range of and for that matter the meat prices at Ironically the Reindeer Herders and honor to go out with my peers sions, people had to run the caribou them. They immediately take off the store. In comparison, we can Association was initially incorpo- and elders many miles beyond a day off the runway so the planes could running up the hills where grazing is yield more meat per pound in terms rated so that they could provide trip to hunt the caribou. What I no- land. After a few years the caribou less likely to occur where it is rocky. of dollars with caribou than with any much needed affordable meat for the ticed then is that the tundra was were staying longer; in spring when As businessmen the reindeer other meat source that is bought. famished people of our region. But much more barren than the tundra in their antlers were starting to grow herders are given protection by our Are the activities of the reindeer at the high rates we pay for the rein- this area.