Empire Archives is a series printed every Saturday featuring a short compilation of headline stories in the Juneau Empire from archived editions in 1984, 1994 and 2004.
This week in 1984, the assistant superintendent of the State Correctional Center at Lemon Creek has resigned effective at the close of business today, Corrections Commissioner Roger Endell said this morning. Gary Kidd, 34, who started at the prison as a correctional officer a little more than eight years ago, will leave the Department of Corrections. Kidd was appointed assistant superintendent in November. The resignation comes five days after the escape of four maximum-security prisoners from the jail and the death of another inmate early the following morning. Contacted at home, Kidd said he offered his resignation knowing that while he might not be asked to resign, he might face demotion as a result of the escapes. “There’s always got to be a scapegoat and I figure I’m it,” he said.
Original Story: “Escapes spark one resignation,” by Christopher Jarvis. 7/30/1984.
This week in 1994, the city-borough Assembly has donated an additional $129,000 to the campaign to dissuade voters from moving the capital to Wasilla. The latest contribution to the Alaska Committee brings the city’s total to about $150,000 — all of the money the municipality had set aside for the campaign. The committee plans to ask for more money later, co-chairman Geron Bruce told the Assembly on Monday. “We’re starting to incur some major expenses.” The Assembly could approve more funding later, but it would have to come from elsewhere in the budget. Campaign manager Marilyn Heiman said the latest contribution should last until September. The city contributed about $900,000 to help keep the capital the last time the issue went before voters in 1982.
Today the Assembly has generated controversy recently by spending $50,000 to advocate for a new bond measure to help fund a new City Hall last year and publishing a so-called information guide about a ballot measure limiting cruise ship traffic in Juneau, although the latter did not involve any funding approved by the Assembly.
Original Story: “Capital group funding: City OKs $129,000 to fight ballot issue,” by Tim Huber. 8/2/1994.
This week in 2004, the community is evenly divided over whether Juneau should add fluoride to its drinking water, judging from a fluoride study commission’s first public hearing Wednesday night. Supporters on both sides cited academic papers and shared personal research. Dentists overwhelmingly spoke in favor of fluoridation. “According to the Consumer Reports, fluoridation is a safe, economic and beneficial way to prevent tooth decay,” said Kristen Schultz, who has worked as a dentist for eight years. Resident Birger Baastrup said he doesn’t think fluoridation is necessary to prevent cavities. Growing up in Denmark, Baastrup said the Danish government didn’t add fluoride to the water. Instead, fluoride was applied to schoolchildren’s teeth in a mouthwash twice a year. After hearing testimony from 22 people and receiving loads of documents, the commission decided to sift through the studies and examine their validity. Commission members also encouraged residents to submit more scientific papers to them before their next meeting, on Aug. 11.
Today Juneau’s water is not fluoridated after the city stopped doing so in 2007. Studies published since then have shown increases in tooth decay procedures locally, as predicted by supporters of fluoridation.
Original Story: “Community divided over whether to fluoridate water,” by I-Chun Che. 7/30/2004.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at mark.sabbatini@juneauempire.com or (907) 957-2306.
