Local Briefs
Meeting to focus on wharf proposal
JUNEAU - The city is sponsoring a meeting Wednesday about a proposal to widen the north ferry dock downtown.
The project will extend the wharf by 32 feet toward the shore to better accommodate pedestrian traffic and cruise ship gangways, according to Tim Montgomery, city docks and harbors project manager. The changes to the wharf also will better meet requirements for the Americans with Disability Act, he said.
The project is scheduled to start in January and end by May 1. The work will include some pile driving, he said. The cost is expected to be about $900,000, with funds coming from the cruise ship passenger fee, Montgomery said.
The meeting is at 7 p.m. in the Assembly chambers.
Forum seeks input on high school test
JUNEAU - The state Department of Education will hold a public meeting Wednesday evening to gather opinion on waivers and appeals for the state's high school exit exam.
The meeting is scheduled for 7-9 p.m. at the state Board of Education meeting room in the Goldbelt Building, 801 W. 10th St.
Alaska students, starting in 2004, must pass the Alaska High School Graduation Qualifying Exam to get a diploma.
A law amending the exam, passed earlier this year, called on the Department of Education to recommend procedures and criteria for waiving some students - those who transfer to Alaska schools late in high school and those with "rare and unusual circumstances" - from having to take the exam.
The department also was asked to recommend an appeals process for students who fail the exam.
Agency spokesman Harry Gamble said the department will take the public comments into consideration as it crafts recommendations for waivers and appeals, due to reach the state Legislature by Feb. 15, 2002.
The Juneau meeting is the last in a series held in cities around the state, including Anchorage, Fairbanks and Bethel.