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Native language council seen as hope for indigenous culture

A new Alaska Native Language Council has the potential to bring threatened languages back from the brink of extinction, say experts in the field.

“Our hope is that we can really create living languages, and advocate for the importance of the languages,” said Lance Twitchell, an assistant professor of Alaska Native languages at the University of Alaska Southeast.

Alaska’s Native languages are in various states of decline, with only about 200 fluent Tlingit speakers left, while there are more than 10,000 speakers of Central Yup’ik.

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Short-staffed Skagway Post Office awash in mail

Skagway is looking for new postal employees. The post office there has three vacancies, hampering its operations.

City Manager Tom Smith got a look at that last weekend.

“I went there to pick up my own mail on Saturday, there must have been 20 people waiting to pick up packages,” at the understaffed office, he said.

“It was a fairly significant wait,” he said.

The town with less than 1,000 year-round residents gets very busy during the summer as tourist season heats up, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski heard an earful on a visit last weekend.

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Alcohol industry gets more 'collaborative' regulator

Gov. Sean Parnell has signed into law a bill moving the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board from the Department of Public Safety to the more business-oriented Department of Commerce, Community & Economic Development.

The agency move has been pushed by the alcohol industry, and opposed by non-profit and advisory groups dealing with alcohol’s impact and treatment.

House Bill 125, signed by Parnell on Friday, was sought by the industry, which wants the ABC board to focus more on working cooperatively with the industry.

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Juneau legislative seats uncontested again

Friday’s state election filing deadline passed with uncontested primary races in three of four Southeast House districts, including both Juneau races, but an intriguing multi-way contest is shaping up in Ketchikan.

And in some of the Southeast races outside Juneau the fall general election will likely hold some exciting races as well.

Neither of Juneau’s two representatives, Democrat Beth Kerttula in the new House District 32 or Republican Cathy Munoz in new House District 31 are facing either primary or general election challengers.

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State gives land sought by Juneau to Petersburg

A new Petersburg Borough won approval from the Local Boundary Commission Friday, including in the new borough land that had been sought by Juneau.

The LBC voted 4-1 to approve the dissolution of the city of Petersburg, and formation the new Petersburg Borough with boundaries objected to by Juneau and other neighbors.

Under the LBC plan, Hobart Bay and Endicott Arm, two areas sought for inclusion in the City and Borough of Juneau by CBJ officials would instead become part of the new Petersburg Borough.

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Unions raise concerns with Labor head's education, experience

Alaska’s new labor commissioner, who state officials say attended the University of Alaska Southeast, now appears to not have finished high school.

Dianne Blumer, appointed commissioner of the Department of Labor & Workforce Development by Gov. Sean Parnell, has a GED certificate, or high school equivalency diploma, obtained by those who don’t complete high school for one reason or another.

Parnell spokeswoman Sharon Leighow confirmed some details of Blumer’s educational background this week, nearly two weeks after her appointment.

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Court rejects Petersburg's last appeal

The Alaska Supreme Court has rejected a last-ditch redistricting appeal from Petersburg, and said at least this year’s elections should be conducted with Petersburg part of Juneau-based legislative districts.

The court made its final action Wednesday.

“I guess we’re not surprised,” said Kathy O’Rear, city clerk in Petersburg.

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UAS appoints two top leaders

The University of Alaska Southeast has named two at the school to top leadership posts, including a dean and a new vice chancellor.

Both of those named to the new positions were already at the school.

Joe Nelson, now dean of enrollment management, has been named vice chancellor of enrollment management, by Chancellor John Pugh Wednesday. His new position begins Sunday.

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Governor acts to create Native language council

Gov. Sean Parnell has signed into law a bill creating an Alaska Native Language Preservation and Advisory Council.

Senate Bill 130, which passed nearly unanimously, was sponsored by Sen. Donny Olson, D-Nome, and Rep. Alan Dick, R-Stony River, with Juneau’s Sen. Dennis Egan and Reps. Cathy Muñoz and Beth Kerttula all signing on as co-sponsors.

Muñoz had been a prime sponsor of similar House legislation as well.

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Permanent fund looks to capitalize on housing crisis

The time is right to buy houses, the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. thinks.

It will soon be buying hundreds, if not thousands, of foreclosed properties, said Executive Director Mike Burns.

The permanent fund’s board of trustees, meeting in Anchorage last week, decided to make a bold move into some of the nation’s most distressed housing markets, from San Diego to Tampa.

“We are going to places that have been hit the hardest,” Burns said.

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