Photo by Peggy Fagerstrom CLEAN UP CREW— Ravens at work cleaning up the goodies and leftovers at the Iditarod dog lot on River Street. C VOLUME CXI NO. 13 MARCH 31, 2011 Council wants bike path on Bypass Road By Laurie McNicholas ing, delineators, signs and seeding. The Nome Planning Commission She said the current completion date has recommended that the General for the portion from East N Street to Permit issued to the City of Nome by the Nome-Council Highway is July the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers be 31, 2011. expanded to include land on the Knodel said when the city agreed north side of the Nome Bypass Road to take ownership of the Bypass corridor, the 21st Century Subdivi- Road from the state, there was no sion and along the Nome-Teller Public Safety Building or hospital Highway corridor, City Manager adjacent to the road, and trucks are Josie Bahnke reported to the Nome still using the road. When construc- Common Council on Monday. tion of the new Norton Sound Re- Bahnke said the five-year permit will gional Hospital is completed, expire June 26, 2011. hundreds of employees and patients The USACE issued the General will use the Bypass Road for access Permit under the Clean Water Act to to the facility. Photo by Sandra Medearis authorize the placement of dredged Bahnke’s report notes that funding and/or fill material and structures for the Bypass Road upgrade in 2006 HOME GONE—John Hager’s house burned to the ground Sunday. Several agencies fought the blaze into wetlands, for activities associ- included a pathway on the north side for hours on two occasions. Hager was at work when the fire started. ated with residential, public and of the road. “The pedestrian/bike commercial development projects in path was submitted by the City of Nome. Bahnke said the additions Nome to be included in the recommended by the planning com- Statewide Transportation Improve- House fire hard to douse mission and a map revised by the ment Program (STIP) but did not city engineer will be presented to the score high enough for inclusion,” council for approval. Bahnke added. She said she is talk- By Sandra L. Medearis had to return 12 hours later when the fire, letting off a Councilwoman Mary Knodel said ing with DOT planner Alexa Greene John Hager lost his house and his dog Sunday morning pillar of smoke and sparks, threatened to rekindle again she had read with interest Bahnke’s about the STIP and will discuss other when a fire leveled his two-story yellow house on Lester around midnight. report to the Planning Commission options with her. Bench Road in the vicinity of Anvil Mountain Correction The ashes and debris continued to smoke and smolder on the Bypass Road upgrade project. In 2007 the city and DOT signed a Center. into Monday’s mid-afternoon. Hager, who owns a jani- Bahnke told commissioners on memorandum of agreement stipulat- Nome Volunteer Fire Department, joined by state per- torial business that has him working nights, came home March 8 that the Alaska Dept. of ing that the city would own and sonnel providing water, fought the blaze for three hours Sunday morning and discovered the fire and his dog per- Transportation has completed con- maintain the Bypass Road, Bahnke Sunday, starting shortly after 11 a.m. according to a spec- ished. struction of the Bypass Road portion tator. Firefighters, other crews and emergency responders continued on page 16 of the project except for final grad- Michael Brawner selected as Nome Public Schools’ next superintendent By Laurie McNicholas contract as NPS superintendent to He holds a Specialist in Education mer business manager for NPS and The Nome Board of Education begin July 1, according to a press re- and Masters in Education from Ten- for the Petersburg School District unanimously selected Michael lease from Bill Gartung, NPS human nessee State University and a Bach- told him about the NPS Strategic Brawner as the next superintendent resources coordinator. Brawner will elor of Science in Liberal Arts from Plan. “I thought the community, of Nome Public Schools on March replace Jon Wehde, who has resigned Excelsior College. board and faculty must be a good 24. Brawner has served as middle as superintendent effective June 30. Brawner taught computer science team, so I want to join to help the school principal, activity director Brawner and two other finalists for seven years at Hendersonville team help the students,” he added. and assistant superintendent of the for the position—Joe Banghart, Idi- High School in Hendersonville, TN. Petersburg School District since tarod School District superintendent “The last three years I was also an NPS reading initiative 2009. He has accepted a two-year from 2004 to 2010, and Steven Gast, Admin Designee,” he wrote in an During a group question and an- principal of Nome-Beltz Junior/Se- email to the Nugget. “My public swer session with Brawner at the nior High School—presented brief school admin experience began at community forum, school board presentations to about 50 Nome res- that time.” member Barb Nickels noted that idents at a community forum March Brawner’s first administrative post NPS recently set a major goal for 90 On the Web: 23 at Nome Elementary School. was as principal of an elementary percent of third graders to read at or www.nomenugget.net Each candidate then met with a se- school in Carthage, TN, from 2005 above grade level by the end of the ries of three smaller groups to an- to 2006. He served as principal of a 2014 school year. “What do you E-mail: swer questions from NPS school school with 530 students in Kinder- think?” she asked. [email protected] board members, faculty and the pub- garten through 8th grade in Celina, “I implemented that goal five lic. TN from 2006 to 2009. Then he was years ago in Tennessee,” Brawner Raised in a farming area in Macon looking for enrichment and was replied. “We followed a basic catch- County, Tennessee, Brawner served drawn to Alaska because he loves to up growth plan. We took the philos- for nine years in the U.S. Air Force, hunt, fish and hike, he told the audi- ophy and made it ours.... We started and he is a Gulf War veteran. He ence at the community forum. all the way back with the Imagina- said he began to teach at the junior Brawner said he became interested tion Library.” Michael Brawner college level while in the military. in NPS when Jenny Martens, a for- continued on page 4 2 THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011 OPINION THE NOME NUGGET Letters Dear Nancy, have to buy two bags (because there to KNOM. They said anyone could company now). To GCI, whatever blue/gold and the phrase, “Proud I keep marveling at Nadja was only four pieces in each), but it call in and make a request, so I tried their reason, I disagree. First, you Sponsor of the Iditarod” affixed. Roessek’s remarkable photo of John also cost me $20. Oh, and I get 36 and they didn’t answer and didn’t an- only get the different services (de- Each banner measures approxi- Baker coming into Nome, which ran regular rolls of tissue for $40. It was swer. My friend says, “Yeah they pending on how much you’re willing mately 8 feet long and 3 feet wide across the top of your front page. It’s either that, or buy 24/18 pack of reg- say that, but they don’t answer, or to pay), then you get dropped calls, and has brass grommets in each cor- amazing. She’s captured the entire ular tissue for $19 or 4 to 6 pack for they try to rush your call!” Why and I’d bet anything they are so ner for attachment and tie down. team and musher, Cape Nome in the $10. Seriously, we used to have to bother if you’re going to be that money hungry they charge both The banners are valued at $175 distant background and town in the use catalogs or something to wipe way? phones for the call. each for a total loss of $350. near background, with the sun with. We get enough of those in our I want to thank the people in Steb- Guess I’d better quit for now. Due to the high winds experienced streaming through the team and mail, is that what they want us to bins, and my cousins in Shaktoolik, Happy spring everyone. Remem- over the weekend, it is unclear across the ice. What a Great Race, a use? for making my kids and I feel wel- ber—stay safe and tell people where whether the banners were stolen or great town, and a great photo! My daughter and I were having an come while we are there. I sure ap- you’re headed if you’re traveling). may have come loose during the Sue Steinacher argument about why (even though preciate it. I also really appreciate Love you. wind storm. Nome, AK there were a couple of days of spring the Health Aides and PA as well as As always, If you have any information as to break) she had to come back from Anna, for being there for us. For car- Karen Nanouk the whereabouts of these items, Stebbins—“at least the kids/people ing enough for all of us and to go be- Unalakleet, AK 99684 please notify the Nome Police De- Hi everyone, don’t judge you there for who your yond their call of duty—thanks! I partment at (907) 443-5262.