Empire Archives is a series printed every Saturday featuring a short compilation of headline stories in the Juneau Empire from archived editions in 1985, 1995, and 2005. The stories include names, AP style, and other content of their eras.
This week in 1985, in the first instance of 1960s-style activism in Juneau in decades, seven protesters were arrested Wednesday evening after refusing to end a sit-in in the offices of the state’s congressional delegation. An eighth protestor was arrested later in the Federal Building lobby.
They were protesting U.S. policy in Central America.
The protesters, members of Alaskans for Peace in Central America, were among more than 900 people arrested in a dozen cities Wednesday during a nationwide “peace vigil” called to protest a vote Wednesday in the U.S. House, which approved aid to the Contra rebels fighting against the current government in Nicaragua.
About 63,000 people across the country signed pledges of resistance against American involvement in Nicaragua.
The bulk of the protesters came to the Juneau offices of Rep. Don Young and Sens. Ted Stevens and Frank Murkowski, all Republicans at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday to begin a 24-hour vigil to call attention to Reagan administration foreign policy in Central America.
The protestors sat in the fourth-floor conference room-office used by congressmen when in Juneau. They caused no problems for the two-member staff of the delegation, who work in connecting officers, said the delegation’s special assistants Gen Dickey and Lucy Hudson.
Original Story: “Eight arrested protesting U.S. policy,” by Chuck Kleeschulte. 6/13/1985.
This week in 1995, Kake Tribal Corp. wants Congress to consider a land swap that would give the Native corporation about 2,500 acres of the Tongass National Forest, including land at Berners Bay to help Coeur Alaska Inc. develop its Jualin gold mine.
For its part, the Native corporation says it won’t log its 3,200 acres of land at the Gunnuk Creek watershed in Kake, which supports a hatchery and is the sole water supply in the Tlingit community of about 800 people on Kupreanof Island, 95 miles southwest of Juneau.
“It reminds me of the old vaudeville act where a person holds a gun to their head and says, ‘Do as I say of I’m shooting the hostage,’” said Dana Owen, spokesman of Friends of Berners Bay, an environmental group that claims some 400 members in Juneau and opposes the land trade.
Gordon Jackson, president of Kake Tribal, said the corporation is only seeking its “fair share” under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.
“Our objective is to create a greenbelt to protect the water supply and the hatchery for the community,” Jackson said. “In exchange, we’d like to have some usable land.”
About 15 percent of Kake Tribal’s 23,040 acres transferred under ANCSA has been lost to development because of government regulations put in place after the law was passed in 1971, the corporation said.
Original Story: “Native group pushes land swap,” by James MacPherson. 6/20/1995.
This week in 2005, with unpredictable snowfall, Eaglecrest Ski Area needs a mid-mountain lift, according to supporters.
For the past few years, Eaglecrest Ski Area has had a late season, thus generating less revenue. Eaglecrest officials said a mid-mountain chairlift would allow the ski area to open earlier.
Eaglecrest is asking the Juneau Assembly to buy a used chairlift with $800,000 from a percent sales tax, which is up for renewal. The total cost of the chairlift is $900,000, with $100,000 coming from fundraising campaigns.
The lift would be near the top of the existing Hooter chairlift and reach the summit of the East Bowl.
“The chairlift would be 400 feet higher than the current chairlift and allow us to open the upper mountain between Thanksgiving and Christmas,” said Kirk Duncan, manager of the ski area. “We would be less reliant on our manmade snow and offer more consistent opening days.”
Original Story: “Eaglecrest seeks $800K for chairlift,” by I-Chun Che. 6/15/2005.
• Contact Natalie Buttner at natalie.buttner@juneauempire.com
