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, the weather is dreary, Front Street’s a mess and Marine Park, damaged in November’s storm, is still awaiting repairs, but the 1985 tourist season was to begin this afternoon with the arrival of the first cruise ship of the year. Exploration Holiday Cruises’ 295-foot North Star, with 158 passengers aboard, was to dock at 2 p.m., inaugurating a season during which 14 major cruise ships will visit the capital city 218 times. Three smaller vessels will also make regular calls. They will bring up to 126,000 tourists to Juneau by the time the North Star makes her last visit on Oct. 3.
Today more than 1.6 million cruise ship visitors have arrived in Juneau each of the past two years and preliminary estimates are that total will be surpassed again this year. Up to five large cruise ships dock in Juneau a day — under a voluntary limit agreed upon by city and industry officials — during the season that extends from April to October.
Original Story: “Tourist season gets early, if rainy, start,” by Chuck Kleeschulte. 5/14/1985.
This week in 1995, owners of the Greens Creek mine announced today that the Admiralty Island project will reopen with full production expected by January 1997. Clynton Nauman, Greens Creek general manager, said rebounding world mineral prices and a new richer-than-expected ore body prompted the decision by the mine’s joint-venture partners, Kennecott Corp. of Salt Lake City and Hecla Mining Co of Idaho. The company said it will spend $87 million over the next two years developing a new ore body and returning the mine to full production. Low ore prices forced Green Creek Mining Co.’s silver, gold, lead and zinc mine to close in April 1993, leaving more than 200 employees without jobs. The mine, about 25 miles west of Juneau, was the largest source of silver in North America and had been the city’s largest private employer, with $10 million to $13 million annual payroll.
Today the Hecla Greens Creek Mine remains open and last November got authorization from the U.S. Forest Service to extend production for 12 to 18 years — until at least until at least 2043.
Original Story: “Greens Creek mine to reopen,” by James MacPherson. 5/17/1995.
This week in 2005, the city of Juneau should spend $1.5 million to move forward a Gastineau Channel bridge crossing to north Douglas Island, according to a city-appointed task force. The West Douglas Development Working Group presented a list of six priorities for the channel’s second crossing, which has languished for 20 years, to the city’s Committee of the Whole on Monday night. The bridge doesn’t have a price tag yet but could cost tens of millions of dollars. “It has become more of an immediate need, lately,” due to Juneau’s land squeeze, said Linda Thomas, chairwoman of the task force. She said the prospects for federal funding are “encouraging” because Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, has taken it up as his third-highest priority bridge project in Alaska.
Today the second Juneau-Douglas crossing is well into the evaluation stage for a preferred route — with construction potentially completed by 2030 — but the projected cost has ballooned to $400 million or more.
Original Story: “Panel offers proposals for 2nd crossing,” by Elizabeth Bluemink. 5/17/2005.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at mark.sabbatini@juneauempire.com or (907) 957-2306.
