Photo by Diana Haecker CABARET—Lizbeth Coler leads all of this year’s Cabaret participants Saturday night in singing “Under the Boardwalk” at the Mini Convention Center. C VOLUME CVIII NO. 5 JANUARY 31, 2008 Blizzard, winds, cold temps pummel Nome By Diana Haecker gusts of 56 mph—following the ini- A reminder of nature’s power hum- tial warm-temperature snow dump in bled area residents last week as a unique the morning and then the sudden blizzard moved through the region, temperature drop around noon. leaving the northern parts of Nome A spec of blue sky could be seen in without power for hours as tempera- the short period of time when the low tures dropped sharply from 32 dgrees F system passed and the Siberian Express to the single digits in a matter of hours. came rolling in. A very slight southeast The combination of weather wind lazily kicked around some snow, events sneaked up on the National but soon, racing clouds covered the sky, Weather Service, which didn’t fore- cast the high-velocity winds—with continued on page 4 Ice and winds wreak havoc on power lines By Sandra L. Medearis Center, Lester Bench, Martinsonville, Utility board members out in the Tripple Creek, Nome River, Snake Jan. 22 blizzard said strong winds River and the Rock Creek Mine— twanged power lines in 10- to 15-foot into darkness, scrambling utility arcs between power poles. The storm crews to restore power and heat. Photo by Diana Haecker that came up without warning The temperature dropped from 31 GOT THE MOVES— Little Jonathan Smith, a week shy of his second birthday, put on quite an accom- wreaked havoc with the utility sys- degrees F at mid-morning to 5 degrees plished performance, dancing with the King Island Dancers during last Friday’s spaghetti feed fundraiser tem and put northern areas of the and went down to 0 by suppertime. for 2-year-old Vivienne Heers. Heers is heading out to Michigan for heart surgery. service grid—Icy View, the high school, Anvil Mountain Correctional continued on page 3 Common Council: Grownups can travel helmet-free By Sandra L. Medearis store it on the machine. It is a tempting object for a collective decision, Trainor said. times interrupted Trainor in his spiel, assuring The Nome Common Council passed a new thieves,” he said. He uses his ATV to drive to work. Wearing a helmet to set an example for him that the Council had amendments to satisfy ATV and snowmachine law affecting city Kids should wear helmets because their par- youngsters? No way, Trainor said. Instead, par- most of Trainor’s objections, as though they streets Monday night. The new rules, however, ents tell them to wear them, not because of a ents take charge, as in, “I don’t wear a helmet. were a done deal. These amendments, however, lack some controversial elements. law, he said. You will wear a helmet because I am in charge had not been discussed in open meeting. Chick Trainor told the Council Monday These parents, these kids nowadays, Trainor of you until you are 18,” Trainor said, reading Two controversial issues and some inconsis- evening that the ordinance requiring adults to wear went on. “It is a parent’s responsibility and no from his notes, lest he omit any outrage. tencies in wording were taken out: helmets when driving ATVs or snowmachines one else’s.” It is not the village or even the po- “A $50 fine and impoundment is absurd,” Helmets and protective eye-wear for adults— within the city limits “made him hit the roof.” lice department’s responsibility. A town com- he continued. “A helmet is a nuisance. There is no place to mittee should be the deciders if it came down to Council Member Stan Andersen several continued on page 4 NSEDC recruits Romenesko, Walsh as CEO candidates By Laurie McNicholas Harrelson welcomed Rome- Nome’s former city manager nesko to the board meeting Jan. 24 Randy Romenesko and well-known in Anchorage as a former city former Nomeite Bobby Walsh, both “I was shocked and flattered to get an manager of Nome who had re- recruited as potential candidates for cently retired. Romensko ex- chief executive officer of Norton plained that he had not retired but Sound Economic Development Cor- invitation to submit an application.” had taken time out because man- poration, spoke as invited guests at a aging 55 staff and 60 volunteers in meeting of the NSEDC board last – Former Nome City Manager Randy Romenesko the city fire and ambulance depart- week in Anchorage. ments takes a toll. A Nome resi- The board has begun a selection dent for 25 years, he served five process to replace Eugene Asicksik, after 12 years in the position. Asick- for 11 years until October 2006, board chairman Dan Harrelson of who resigned as CEO Dec. 31, 2007 sik served as both president and CEO when NSEDC’s directors elected White Mountain as president. continued on page 20 Visit the Nugget on line at www.nomenugget.net • e-mail [email protected] 2 THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2008OPINION THE NOME NUGGET Letters Dear Editor: Nomeites. keep us all up to date on conditions. miles to a gallon. Well, I say to big- profit organization for help to get the I was reading the editorial from I enjoy the paper on line and read YOU ARE ALL MUCH APPRECI- oil and career politicians, (for listen- tribal council to see this need. All I the paper on Jan. 24 about the spirit it every week. ATED! ing to big-oil) it is time for you to got was, “It is up to the tribal coun- of the north and needed to add my When we went to Nome in 1947 Most sincerely, reconsider your objectives before cil to ask for help.” What happened two cents worth. It was a very good my dad went up there to work at the Karen McLane you all start another war over some- to good old fashioned honest help? piece and I enjoyed it. It brought Nugget. I left the summer after I Nome thing we don’t need. Why didn’t they want to honestly back many good memories. graduated Nome High in 1963. We now have the technology to help our tribal council? It is because I grew up in Nome in the ‘40s ‘50s Tom Boucher class of “63” Dear Editor, extract fuel from ordinary tap water they want to get the grants for us so and early ‘60s and the way you de- Seattle, WA While briefly watching Governor and even saltwater. If you go to they can look good and needed by scribe it, the spirit of the people Palin’s state of the state address, I http://wsrock.tomhoward.hop.click- the “Natives” in rural Alaska. doesn’t seem to have changed much came to realize the relationship be- bank.net you will find that numerous The time has come to prepare in the last 50 years. Back then most Dear Editor: tween our current government and patents have been issued for this yourselves for the next human evo- of the snow removal was done by I want to send a big thanks to the the big oil producers (big-oil). I was technology. Why don’t the masses lution, fully integrated honesty and one man, “High Blade Harry.” I’ve NJUS workers who stayed out in reminded of the announcement of know about this? It is because big- pure love. If you do not change your almost given up telling stories about stormy weather to get power back to the company chosen to build the gas oil and career politicians have kept ways, you will go down in history as the winters in Nome. People don’t Icy View last week. Also to the dis- pipeline and the work involved. BP the information from us. the disgusting, ugly, parasitical de- believe the stories because they can’t aster preparedness people who came then aired a commercial which This information being withheld stroyers of human values. Your chil- relate it to anything down here. by with evacuation notices during seemed to be hinting that they may reminds me of rural Alaska’s non- dren and their children and theirs, There was nothing like a good snow- the storm and the radio stations for build the gas pipeline without the profit organizations that were estab- etc., will see you in that way and storm to bring out the best in staying with us during the storm to State’s permission/blessing, and lished to help the “Native tribes” to never want to mention your name. ConocoPhillips’ advertisements of be successful. I can imagine the We, as conscientious humans must their gas pipeline saying that it is the main offices of these nonprofit or- strive to create new values for our- Letters to the editor must be signed and Federal Government who decides on ganizations having nice buildings selves and others. the pipeline. It reminded me of the and office furniture while our local Alaskans, turn off your TV and include an address and phone number wars in the Arabian countries and tribal organizations remain leasing start reading. When surfing the In- elsewhere. office space. ternet read some information instead Big-oil is very influential in our At the 2007 AFN Convention, it of playing games. The Internet has current government. Why would we was said that over 70 percent of the loads of information. Use your go to war against a country in the tribes are not successful.