FISHING— Joe Garnie of Teller rows out at Grantley Harbor to check the fish net for the catch of the day. See the complete fish report of salmon runs on page 6. Photo by Nils Hahn C VOLUME CXII NO. 29 July 19, 2012 Early morning fire rips through center of Teller By Sandra L. Medearis ing came out to join the night owl the scene via phone around 5 a.m. in the former Blodgett store, Teller There were no injuries. Aside The cry came early Thursday kids in the street to watch a red-hot “They had two hoses in the ocean, Commercial Co., on the main drag from the buildings, the village lost its morning through summer’s open blaze progress through three ad- then the pump went out. The whole around 2 a.m., tore through two front-end loader, essential for clear- windows in Teller village, 70 miles journing wooden buildings one-by- town is looking around for equip- more empty buildings and finished ing roads for the school bus and or so from Nome. one. Then the fire burned down the ment. I’m looking for cam-locks and with a building housing the Mary’s clearing the way for garbage and Fire! Mary’s Igloo Traditional Council. pump fittings right now to help get Igloo Traditional Council that col- sanitation operations. Joe Garnie, Teller city official, got That collapsed just before 7 a.m. ac- some connections together. It’s lapsed at 6:50 a.m. The Teller Nome Volunteer Fire Dept. per- the news by phone. cording to onlookers. The fire started melted a plastic tank across the Catholic Church across the street sonnel who arrived in Teller on “I got the call around 3 a.m. I between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. street. Blodgett’s store has burned from the conflagration escaped the Bering Air and additional crews who grabbed the dozer and we pushed “They’re afraid the whole town is down and it is in the adjoining build- fire. came up the road from Nome by ve- fuel tanks, and a shed full of propane going to go. The wind is blowing to- ings.“ The store, founded by the late hicle fought the fire. They snuffed it tanks away from buildings,” he said. ward the church. They were wetting The four structures belonged to Bob Blodgett, had been closed for 10 Teller residents who were sleep- it down,” Jim Stimpfle reported from the Blodgett estate. The fire started to 15 years. continued on page 16 Council postpones banning Benchoff from port By Sandra L. Medearis the resolution to allow Benchoff to This week finds miner Mike Ben- remain in the harbor with a new choff still in the small boat harbor deadline of Aug. 15. puttering on the tugboat Rustler de- However, for the Port Commis- spite an attempt by the Nome Port sion and Council, the devil may well Commission to get him and his ves- be in the details. Whereas the City’s sel voted out of the port forever. practice in notifying the public about The port panel forwarded a reso- upcoming meetings is to tape papers lution to the Nome Common Coun- and agendas to the door of Nome cil following a July 11 special City Hall, state law demands due meeting that would authorize the process in that when a meeting is to port director to hire contractors to re- discuss an individual’s rights, the in- move Benchoff’s tug boat Rustler dividual must be noticed of the meet- and clean up oil and other hazardous ing. Otherwise, it is possible that the substances, authorize the city attor- action taken could be voided. ney to file suit against Benchoff to Passage of the resolution calls for collect the costs as well as ban him Benchoff’s banishment and that it’s from using or accessing the Port of in the “best interest of the City and Nome. City and port administrators Port of Nome to permanently pro- say Benchoff has failed numerous hibit Mr. Benchoff from accessing deadlines to remove his boat and be- the Port in the future.” longings as well as violated the Port According to the resolution: “Mr. Photo by Jim Stimpfle of Nome tariff—and he owes the Benchoff is hereby banned from THE BLAZE—The Teller fire on Thursday, July 12 consumed three buildings including the former Teller Port around $3,500. using or accessing the Port of Nome Commercial Co., then destroyed the building housing Mary’s Igloo Traditional Council records and office However, rather than rubber property for any reason. The City equipment. stamp the resolution at a July 12 spe- Policeen- Department is directed to cial meeting, the Council amended continued on page 4 Port money: Now is the time to make contacts By Sandra L. Medearis Fuhs spoke with the Nome Port The Arctic Port Study will look at nomenal amount of money over per year. Planned center dock con- City of Nome’s port advancement Commission late last month, saying industry needs. The U.S. Coast shipping routes going through the struction pencils at about $13 million and port development consultant that critical dates were coming up Guard and NOAA want to co-locate, Panama Canal, Fuhs observed. Ac- for construction estimates. Replacing Paul Fuhs has given the City admin- this fall in the statewide port picture but don’t want to pick a port based cording to his figures, the number of the barge ramp on the west side of istration good marks in creating an and Nome should get ahead of these. on political considerations. The AP transit voyages increased from four the port has an estimated cost of $3 atmosphere for receiving port ex- Fuhs, once Nome’s city manager and Study has a minus 35-foot Mean in 2010 to 34 in 2011, along with a million. Extending and dredging a pansion funds and courting con- former Dutch Harbor port head, ad- Low Water design basis. During pro- similar increase in volumes of cargo. deep-water port comes out anywhere struction on a deep water port to vised the port commission that the duction, Shell will have three ice • Mineral development. from $50 million to $200 million. service expanding resource develop- City should step up lobbying and get breaking tender vessels working • Population growth from eco- The City has a current bonding ca- ment in the northern seas. budget requests in well in advance of from an arctic port 10 months per nomic development. pacity of $3 million, Fuhs told com- the governor’s capital budget in Oc- year. There will be a need for in- • Increased transshipment of local missioners. tober. There would be a public hear- creased spill response capabilities, goods with lightering to smaller Nome needs to make a drive to ing on target ports in October and Fuhs noted. communities. get federal and state funding to make On the Web: target ports identified in November Nome can show the traffic de- • Increased risk of oil spills and these dreams come true, Fuhs said. for further study. The study on an op- mand for a larger port, Fuhs said. He maritime accidents for which Nome “You can pay for the ramp with www.nomenugget.net timum port placement plan com- listed changes that would occur in could be a service port and emer- the revenues you have while interest E-mail: prises the Arctic Port Study the next 10 years underscoring gency response center with equip- is low. Bond banks want to see some [email protected] underway by the U.S. Army Corps of Nome’s importance as a deep-water ment and boats at ready local skin in the game,” he said. Engineers and Alaska Dept. of Trans- port city: • Increased traffic with gravel and Fuhs cautioned that Port Clarence portation. • Offshore and onshore oil devel- ore shipments stemming from high and other northern points are in the Nome needs to provide informa- opment. mineral prices. running to be selected for funding as tion to DOT and legislators, and • Northern Sea Route that runs to • Support for fisheries and off- a deep-water port. Nome should make all the favorable connections Europe across the top of the northern shore mineral research. know the wisdom of staying on good possible to show that Nome’s port is hemisphere from Vladivostok to Expanding the port will cost terms by considering formation of a reliable, with continued ability to Scandinavia along the north of Rus- money. The Port of Nome budget serve industry critical to Nome. sia. This route would save a phe- shows a surplus of about $350,000 continued on page 5 2 THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2012 OPINION THE NOME NUGGET A Look at the Past: Letters Dear Editor, late brother Patrick “Rudy” Pushruk The 1900 Nome Gold Rush I disagree with Joe Garnie’s letter. were living and each had the rein- By Laura Samuelson, Director, the lives of successful beach miners off at the knee. One man fainted Ever since the passing of my late deer herd. Carrie M. McLain Memorial in the Nome gold rush era as well as dead away. Terrible sight. Sent for a uncle Wilfred and aunt Cathy As a past Teller Traditional Coun- Museum an insight into the Eskimo people doctor and he came in half an hour. Kakaruk, longtime owners of the cil/Board member and as a current In our continuing effort to rein- who lived at the Penny, Cripple and Did all in human power, but he sank Kakaruk herd in Teller, it has been a enrollee, I feel that the Teller Tradi- carnate the spirit of the 1900 Nome Sinuk Rivers at that time.