10 years ago
Paper budgets move into borough history
If you’re looking for a printed copy of the Haines Borough’s budget for the coming year, one will be available at the public library and one will be at the borough office.
Chief fiscal officer Jila Stuart said she and manager David Sosa have decided to discontinue making print copies of the document that details how the local government spends about $12 million per year.
“By putting it online and sending it out online, it’s available for the world at any time. If someone wants a paper copy, they can print one. People have printers. They can print their own,” Sosa said.
Staff previously created electronic and paper copies per requests from assembly members. “Most assembly members wanted electronic copies. This year we’re just completing the transition,” Stuart said.
One reason for the switch is that the document is increasingly printed in color, which is expensive and time-consuming to create on paper, Stuart said.
“Lots of paper copies are expensive to produce and we want to make sure that we are doing our best to not waste resources,” Sosa said.
When asked whether not providing paper budgets wouldn’t reduce access to information, Sosa said it wouldn’t. “I think that makes it more widely available than people feeling they have to scramble for a limited number of paper copies,” he said.
Sosa said the administration will try to get feedback on how easy the document is to work with and make adjustments like digital bookmarking if necessary. “As we move forward, we want to make it easier to use,” he said
20 years ago
Legislature backs road
Freshman legislator Bill Thomas of Haines sided with House Republicans last week in voting to support an east-side road up Lynn Canal form Juenau to Skagway.
The Legislature took action Monday, the last day of comment for the project’s Environmental Impact Statement, without the benefit of any committee hearings or public input.
Haines’ representative in the state, Democrat Albert Kookesh of Angoon, voted with his party in opposing the resolution, which includes language “supporting the efforts of the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities to improve transportation to and from Juneau and supporting development of the East Lynn Canal Highway.”
Kookesh said that although he’s heard a variety of opinions on the topic from residents of Lynn Canal, his vote reflects the official position of both the Haines and Skagway municipal governments.
Most frustrating, he said, was how the matter was broached without any opportunity for comment or preparation.
“What really ticked me off was, we walk into the Senate in the morning and see a resolution on the table… if we’re going to have a resolution come out of the Senate, I want to have input, I want the people of my district to have input,” Kookesh said. “The public process was flawed”
Members of the House of Representatives voted 26-14 along party lines to back the measure.
Juneau Rep. Beth Kerttula voted against the resolution and offered three amendments, all of which failed.
She suggested inserting language acknowledging that the hasty action “usurps the public process” and goes against public sentiment. She also proposed that the words “even though the last vote on this issue showed Juneau voters supported improved ferry service instead of a road” be added.
Thomas voted against those amendments but did support an unsuccessful effort to add language to the resolution stating “Even though other Southeast communities have opposed the alternative supported by this resolution, preferring continuation of mainline Alaska Marine Highway Service in Lynn Canal.”
Thomas said afterward the resolution put him in a difficult spot. “It’s the kind of position where you are damned if you do and damned if you don’t.”
Although the Haines Borough Assembly and City of Skagway have expressed opposition to the road, Thomas said other constituents in his farflung district have weighed in with different sentiments.
“Haines is split 50-50, Skagway’s 50-50, but all the other communities want improved ferry service,” he said. “The road loosens up ferries for other communities in Southeast which I represent.”
I’m sure everyone is not going to be happy, but when you represent mass numbers of other people you have to look around,” Thomas said.
He said his support for an eastside road, which he described as a “road to resources,” is conditional.
“What I said (on the House floor) was that I do not support it going all the way to Skagway. Stop it at Katzehin… That way it will provide equal access to Haines and Skagway and have shuttle ferries serve those communities in the north.”
He said the road would offer employment opportunities for residents at the Kensington mine.
“I support a road for Kensington, and roads for jobs,” he said.
Thomas said DOT’s preferred road plan offers protection for commercial fishermen.
“I’d been fighting it until I got what I wanted… there are no boat ramps” that would allow competing growth in sportfisheries,” he said.
Sue Libenson, local spokesperson for the Alaska Coalition, said Thomas’ vote was disappointing.
“(It’s) an insulting setback to the business,borough assembly members, and other members of the community who have worked hard for years to make improved ferry service to Haines a priority. This sends a confusing message to state and federal lawmakers.”
The EIS identifies the state’s preferred alternative as a 68.5 mile, two-lane road extending from berner’s Bay to SKagway with a shuttle ferry serving Haines. Cost: $281 million.
U.s. Rep. Don Young has included $15 million for the road in a federal transportation bill now under consideration in Congress.
30 years ago
KHNS eyes automation, cutbacks as public funds shrink
Anticipating deep cuts in state and federal funding, KHNS is preparing for a future with automation.
After hearing a dismal financial forecast from interim station manager Hal Turner last week, the KHNS board of directors approved spending $10,000 for equipment that would make the station easier to run with reduced staff.
Turner told the board to expect $40,000 to $90,000 less public funding next year, depending on how drastically Congress and the Alaska Legislature reduce funding for public broadcasting.
“My best guess, as of this hour, is $65,000,” Turner said following the board’s monthly meeting. “It would not surprise me if it’s higher.”
The stations’ current annual operation budget is about $367,000 Turner said. “It’s not a pretty picture.”
The state legislature is considering elimination of funding for radio stations not providing “sole service” to an area, and cutting money to sole service station by 25-percent,” Turner said.
KHNS’s current status as a sole service provider could be jeopardized when a new Christian station comes on air, noted board chair Heather Lende. KHNS has agreed to lease the tower space to the station, which already serves several communities in Southeast.
But public broadcasting proponents haven’t conceded yet. About 30 percent of those calling in for a legislative budget teleconference Saturday in opposition to the proposed broadcasting cuts.
Turner said that even if KJNS weathers proposed cuts this year, the station should prepare fo ra future without public funding.
“Our long-term plan needs to include that in five years or so, there will be no public funding,” Turner told board members. “Thes state is now controlled by urban Republicans, who are anti public broadcasting… It appears on the state level, they’re going to follow the feds and zero out public funding over the next three years.”
In the current fiscal year, $174,000 (47 percent) of KHNS’ funding came from the state with federal support totalling $115,000 (31 percent), Turner said. About 20 percent of the station’s funding comes from underwriting and local memberships.
Led by House speaker NEwt Gingrich (R-Georgia) and Sen. Larry Pressler (R-S.D.,) who wishes to eliminate funding for Public Broadcasting, Congress appears likely to rescind 15 percent of CPB’s funding for the next fiscal year, which was already appropriated under a two-year funding package. The following year, the corporation would see another 30 percent reduction, under current proposals.
Facing an uncertain future, the KHNS board last week voted to purchase an automation system that would allow automatic recording of satellite programming a playing of compact discs. It also offers the capability to pre-program public service announcements, listener personals and new programs.
“It’s going to save us money in the long run,” Turner said, adding: It’s not only going to save us money, it might keep us operating.”
In recommending the purchase of the automation equipment, Turner told the board, “No matter what happens to funding, this equipment will be required for the station to operate in the future. If everything falls apart, remember that the corporation owns all the equipment, even if it was purchased with grant money.”
The equipment will be purchased from the station’s contingency fund.
No specific staff cuts have yet been discussed, Turner said, acknowledging the proposed cuts could reduce the local station to local access repeater status. “This is a direct quote from the (Alaska Public Broadcasting Commission),” Turner said.
Lende said what will the current situation appear bleak, it maybe provide board members win an opportunity to find out priorities of local listeners.
In a written report to the board, Turner raised the spectre of a nonpublic KHNS. “As a last resort, I think a plan should be in place to take KHNS private.”
40 years ago
Weather in all extremes didn’t keep nearly one hundred participants of last weekend’s alaska Radio Conference from calling the confab one of the best in years. The heavy snow on Sunday may have delayed several flights out of Haines, but National Public Radio (NPR) science reporter Laurie Harrett felt that she could go back to her Los Angeles office secure in the feeling that she had accomplished her goal.
Ms. Garrett’s primary objective in coming to the Haines conference was to collect tape for an “All Things Considered” feature on changing attitudes toward the environment in Alaska. She planned on using many recent Haines issues as a case study for controversies throughout the state.
The NPR reporter was just one of 16 workshop leaders who conducted seminars ranging from field reporting, computers, and bad sound to comedy writing, bilingual bicultural reporting, and “life after public radio.” Other national figures included Dan Coffey (a.k.a. Dr. Science), NPR foreign correspondent Scott Simon, Native journalist Peggy Barryhill, Lucasfilms sound engineer Randy Thom, and Satellite Program Development Fund Director Sandra Rattley.
The conference attracted newspersons and radio personalities from the 15 Alaskan public radio stations. Although the focus was on news-related issues, many participants were involved in Dan Coffey’s comedy theatre workshop, which culminated in a live radio broadcast Saturday night, March 30. One comedy workshopper, Dan Minuskin, said that his most significant lesson was that “comedy is serious business.”
Ms. Garrett’s NPR new piece involved 10 other Alaskan reporters, audio engineer Kim Aubrey and Star Wars sound man Thom. Garrett and her army of journalists inundated the Haines in an effort to collect interviews from people representing many perspectives on the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve and the Haines Tate Forest. She was hoping to capture “the essence” of what a small Alaskan community thinks about major land issues.
Garrett and Aubrey were able to complete the entire project by Saturday night, but when asked if she would provide a preview of the tape, the NPR science reporter replied: “I’m leaving town before we let anybody hear this one. “
The “All Things Considered” feature on Haines is due to be aired on national radio either this week or next.
Other workshop leaders at the conference included Corey Flintoff, Steve Heimel, and Carlos Raven, all staff members of “Alaska News Nightly.”
Despite the extreme weather conditions from balmy spring sunshine to near blizzard conditions, most conference participants agreed that Haines hosted an outstanding conference.
Maybe local businesses participated in making out-of-town guests feel welcome. The KHNS staff worked for months in advance to keep the conference running smoothly and facilitated a number of special events including a Thursday night reception and a Saturday night square dance.”
50 years ago
The Haines Volunteer Fire Department was kept very busy during March. In one instance, they put out a fire which broke out in Jack Streu’s garage. According to Fire Chief Frank Wallace, excess fibreglass was put into a flammable container and covered; it generated enough heat to cause the fire.
Wallace warns that excess fiberglass resin should be allowed to cool before being discarded.
A faulty oil-fired water heater caused a blaze which destroyed the Jim Horton residence.