On Nov. 18, 1986, Douglas residents withstood 70 mph winds that cut all power in the area for at least six hours in the night. A strong gust had pushed the power lines into each other, causing them burn, break and take away all of Douglas Island’s power. In addition to the power, the wind knocked over a large tree, crushing two cars parked in the street.
After considering a negotiation the previous night, the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly approved the purchase of the Juneau Cold Storage Dock, which spanned from Marine Park to the ferry terminal and was owned by Sealaska Corp. The $470,560 that the Assembly purchased the dock with allowed them to tear down the cold storage, which was what they had planned to do. Since the elimination of the storage would leave local fishermen with no ice supply until a new fisheries terminal was built, the issue caused debate among fisherman, with one stating he would sue if the plan was approved. Although the purchase was already approved, Mayor Ernie Polley requested that an alternative solution be made for the ice situation before any action is taken against the cold storage.
Meanwhile, the Alaska State Museum was recently found to have abestos in its insulation system. Since the abestos was not too farspread, the Division of Alaska State Museums deemed the building safe and able to remain open. The Department of Transportation, which maintained the collection of buildings, meanwhile, looked for a contaimnent solution.
“This Day in Juneau History” is compiled by Empire free- lancer Tasha Elizarde, who sums up the day’s events — 30 years ago — by perusing Empire archives.
