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.
This week in 1985, three firms have submitted bids to provide statewide television coverage of the upcoming session of the Alaska Legislature and all say they will work to make sure more people see the telecasts. The bidders included one company from Anchorage and two from Juneau offering to cover the 120-day session for between $291,958 to $399,050. All three companies filed detailed proposals of how they will provide a daily 30-minute program Monday through Thursday during the legislative session as well as a half-hour week-in-review program on Friday. A request for proposals drafted by the Legislative Affairs Agency also calls for live coverage of major speeches such as the governor’s budget message and the annual State of the State address. A recent study by Senate leaders showed state-funded coverage was not watched by many Alaskans because it was broadcast at inconvenient times and was not well promoted.
Today Gavel Alaska is a stalwart broadcast and web presence that covers all official session-related meetings as well as other events such as press conferences and hearings during interim periods, which are archived and free to the public.
Original Story: “Three companies compete for legislative television contract,” by Bruce Scandling. 11/7/1985.
This week in 1995, Juneau’s housing market is still tight, but a tiny crack in available rentals appears to have opened up for the moment. Although some places are being rented as soon as they are advertised — and sometimes before — others are remaining vacant for a few extra days or weeks. A four-bedroom house in the Mendenhall Valley renting for $1,755 a month has been available for the last week or so, said Richard Kinney, property manager for Crawford Real Estate. He said a contract is expected to be signed today, but the lull was unusual. Much of the reason may be simply be that Juneau is between the summer tourism season, which brings extra workers to town, and the legislation session, he said.
Today the market is still tight to the point of crisis — especially for affordable housing. Among the most affordable listings online during the past week was a three-bedroom, cabin-style residence in the valley for $2,800 a month.
Original Story: “Rental market loosens slightly,” by Mark Sabbatini. 11/10/1995.
This week in 2005, an internet fad has taken root in Juneau with online teenagers planning parties and bragging about drugs and alcohol use. Hundreds of local teenagers regularly access Internet sites that provide free personal Web pages connected to a network where people can post pictures, write Web logs (or blogs), provide contact information, create personal profiles, and have friends and strangers leave messages. “Miller Light has waaaaay more taste than Bud Light,” wrote one 16-year-old from Juneau under a photo posted of him presumably drinking a beer. A 16-year-old Juneau girl wrote: “I wanna boy so drunk he doesn’t talk Monday.” Parents Unite, a newly formed Juneau parent-advocacy group, has asked the School Board to ban access to the sites on school computers because of material they say is inappropriate. Three of the Web sites have grabbed the parent group’s attention: myspace.com, xanga.com and livejournal.com. Each has its own style and features, but each carries local students touting drugs and alcohol, and candidly discussing the entire spectrum of teenage issues.
Original Story: “Teen angst advertised,” by Eric Morrison. 11/6/2005.
