TO THE SEA–Chunks of ice broke free and floated down the Nome River near mile 10 on the Kougarok road, on Thursday, April 21. Photo by Maisie Thomas C VOLUME CXVI NO. 17 April 28, 2016 Common Council honors Cussy Kauer for service to Nome By Sandra L. Medearis fee for each structure. The law if perform audit services for spending $63,000, according to Julie Liew, fi- included the 100 year All-School The Nome Common Council in- passed would require owners of va- year 2016. The company has since nance director, meaning that this Reunion; inaugural balls for gover- troduced an ordinance amending and cant structures to register them 2008 audited the City’s books to year’s $58,000 is in the ballpark. nors, Midnight Sun Parades and adding another section to City laws within 90 days of the first day of va- check internal controls and compli- The Council spared no ink or many other receptions for local, a requirement that owners and man- cancy. Failure of owners to register a ance with provisions of laws, regula- praise in passing a resolution 6-0 state, federal and international digni- agers of vacant properties register property, keep contact address cur- tions, contracts and grant honoring Caroline “Cussy” Reader taries and restoration of Old St. them with the City. The measure re- rent or maintain or secure property agreements, noncompliance with Kauer for service and commitment Joseph Hall, the naming of Anvil quires owners to make arrangements would result in fines. Each 30 days which could have material effect on to the City of Nome. Kauer began City Square and location of the for their perpetual maintenance and of infraction of the ordinance would financial statements and on each work in the city clerk’s office in world’s largest gold pan and the file information on contacting them be a separate offence with a separate major program in accordance with 1974 and attained controller status in bronze statues of the Three Lucky in case of emergency—for sake of penalty. the laws. The service will cost an es- 1982 and served until May 2012, Swedes. utility shutoff, fire safety and police The Council unanimously ap- timated $58,000, excluding out-of- employed with City of Nome for 38 Kauer serves as chairwoman of reasons. proved a resolution Okaying a con- pocket expenses. The full cost years. the Museum and Library Commis- Owners must pay a registration tract with Altman, Rogers and Co. to usually comes to around $62,000 to The resolution credited Kauer sion, which shepherded the design with many volunteer services on be- and realization of the Richard Foster half of her love for Nome—as a Building, site of the Carrie M. sampling—research and preserva- McLain Memorial Museum, the tion of death records for 100 years of Kegoayah Kozga Library and the Nome gold rush residents and of the Katirvik Cultural Center. Nome Cemetery and continuing “I want to add something to the fi- stewardship of the cemetery and bur- nancial part,” Councilman Stan An- ial plots; played an essential part in dersen piped up. “For 30 some years Nome’s centennial celebration that continued on page 4 NJUS installs fluoride- monitoring device By Sandra L. Medearis adopted a resolution setting aside Fluoride, which has been shut off funds in a Reserve-Savings Account on weekends due to a shortage of at its meeting April 19. In addition to personnel will begin to flow into the $108,000 NJUS must hold in re- drinking water seven days a week. serve for three prior federal Dept. of NJUS has received and installed Agriculture loans, the board mem- a device to continuously monitor flu- bers directed John K. Handeland, oride. The device has been inte- utility manager, to transfer and addi- grated into the SCADA computer tional $500,000 from 2015 opera- control system. This unit has to run tions to the new account. for a time for calibration and to be The board has directed its plan- verified against actual readings, ac- ning discussions to the 2016 fuel cording to Handeland. Once the de- purchase expected to arrive mid- vice is adjusted and on the job 24/7, summer after ice departure leaves the necessity to shut down the fluo- navigable waters off Nome. Nome ride system during weekends should Joint Utility System has made Photo by Kimberly Clark end. Continual fluoridation is re- arrangements to purchase 2.2 million REACHING HIGH— Ivory Okleasik competes in the One Hand Reach during the State Native Youth quired by a City of Nome ordinance gallons to feed generators heating Olympic Games. Okleasik was one of nine athletes from Nome competing in the statewide competition, held As the utility continues its recov- and lighting Nome during the cold in Anchorage last week. See story on page 9. ery the crunch of a cash shortage last winter months, the maximum year, the NJUS Board of Directors continued on page 5 Museum group readies facility for grand opening in fall By Sandra L. Medearis the complex that will serve as the off-site as well as unidentified ob- A panel that serves the preserva- home for Kegoayah Kozga Library, jects that lack documentation. Addi- tion of history and culture in Nome Carrie M. McLain Memorial Mu- tionally, staff has identified, met recently to note milestones seum and the Katirvik Cultural Cen- catalogued and packed more than 95 along the way to opening the ter, operated by Kawerak, Inc. donations, bringing the number of Richard Foster Building to commu- Amy Chan, museum director, processed museum items to 12,200, nity use. gave commission members an up- according to Chan, but only two- The Museum and Library Com- date on the Herculean task of docu- thirds of museum objects have been mission convened April 20 around a menting and managing a catalogued and packed. long table in the sunlight of the comprehensive collections inventory As of April 15, about 275 boxes glassed-in Richard Foster Room in with the museum consumed at the with securely packed museum ob- same time with final design for the jects occupied the old museum, wait- Introductory Museum Exhibit. ing to move to the Richard Foster On the Web: The staff has accomplished a first Building. draft text of 140 pages, stemming The Introductory Exhibit has five www.nomenugget.net from the museum’s responsibility for main themes—The National Land- E-mail: researching, writing and securing all scape, Tent City, Building A Town, [email protected] exhibit elements. The task includes Staying Connected, and Nome selection, identification and descrip- Today and Tomorrow. This Phase I tion of every artifact, graphic, cap- exhibit will have over 300 artifacts, tion and label, and audio-visual 100 historic photographs, 12 display element within the exhibit. cases, a video theater, flipbooks, Photo by Sandra L. Medearis Over the past quarter, the museum hands-on props and other interactive FIELD OF BLUE—Mayor Richard Beneville and Director Amy has processed to take inventory on features. Phillips-Chan of Carrie M. McLain Memorial Museum show an antique objects that have resided in storage Alaska flag that Beneville brought to the April 20 meeting of the Nome continued on page 4 at the old Front Street museum and Museum and Library Commission. 2 THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2016 OPINION THE NOME NUGGET U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry signs Paris Agreement on climate change On Earth Day Friday, April 22, vocate in Rio in 1992 when we held we will live up to our responsibility sage that it sends to the marketplace. the one before that the third hottest U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry the first Earth Summit. To say the to future generations and together, It is the unmistakable signal that in- on record. And now we know that signed the Paris Agreement on Cli- least, it has been an interesting jour- citizens of the world, we will work to novation, entrepreneurial activity, the this year is already on track to be the mate Change during a ceremony ney of 46 years to this podium today. save our planet from ourselves. allocation of capital, the decisions warmest of all, and last month, held at the United Nations in New And after many COPs, many miles Now, that was a special moment that governments make, all of this is March, was the hottest recorded York City. Sec. Kerry delivered the traveled – and many more debates – in the plenary at Le Bourget, one of – what we now know definitively is March in all of history. This past following remarks to the U.N.: it’s fair to say that all of us could feel one that I am confident those who what is going to define the new en- winter, the maximum extent of Arctic “I was a young organizer and an extraordinary sweep of emotion were privileged to be there will never ergy future – a future that is already sea ice was the lowest ever reported speaker, not so long back from Viet- and joy at the moment in Paris when forget. being defined but even yet to be dis- – breaking the record that was set nam, on the first Earth Day in 1970. 196 nations simultaneously said a re- So for certain, today is a day to covered. The power of this agree- just one year ago. And I was a young senator and ad- sounding yes, we will do our part – mark and to celebrate the hard work ment is what it is going to do to So the urgency of this challenge is done by so many to win the battle of unleash the private sector, and it is al- only becoming more pronounced.