Daily Sitka Sentinel from Sitka, Alaska • Page 8

Page 8, Daily Sitka Sentinel, Sitka, Alaska, Friday, August 30,1996 State Wants to Revoke Certificate of Ex-Supt ANCHORAGE IT ANCHORAGE (AP) The state wants to revoke or suspend ex-Adak Superintendent Ed Gilley's administrator certificate because of his hiring and management practices, according to a complaint made public after a freedom of information request by the Anchorage Daily News. The state Department of Education filed the request Aug. 7 with the state commission that enforces ethicaland legal standards for educators. The agency's complaint, filed by state Education Commissioner Shirley Holloway, alleges improprieties in the hiring or employment of Gilley's stepson, Gary Giddens; the superintendent's executive secretary and later business manager, Joyce Hunt, and former Adak Region School Board president Rick Ellis. In the complaint, Holloway --Gilley used the privileges of his job for private gain in his treatment of his stepson.

--He displayed incompetence in hiring, advancing and paying Hunt because she lacked qualifications for the jobs she filled. --He incompetently promoted Ellis from assistant maintenance director to director for "outstanding 'performance" over a six-month period during which Ellis took at least two leave; and paid Ellis more than $54,000 for a six-month period in J996. Ellis was. president; of the Adak School Board when Gilley was hired as superintendent in 1989. 1 Gilley left his Adak job in June and became superintendent of the Kashu- School District based in Chevak, a village in Western Alaska! TeenAecused Gilley was reached in Chevak on Thursday, but said he would have'no comment until after his case is heard by the state Professional Teaching Practices Commission.

The Department of Education began investigating salaries, bonuses, travel, hiring and other spending practices of the Adak Region School District i early June. Questions arose after. Gilley told state officials the district should remain open several more months to be eligible for federal funding. That came two years after the last student had left the Adak school system and as the Navy closing the Adak Naval Air Station and was sending children and military spouses off that mid-Aleutian Island. But the district itself remained open until this summer, when it was ordered to close its offices by a state court.

The Professional Prac- Commission can reprimand educators or suspend or revoke their certificates if they act illegally, violate ethical or professional standards or engage in misconduct. If Holloway agrees, the commission can revoke a superintendent's certificate to be an administrator in Alaska public schools. The commission cannot release information on the case until its staff investigates and decides whether to make formal charges. In filing the Department of Education complaint, Holloway cited "nu- merous instances of what I consider improper employment practices and improper expenditures of public mon- ev." WILL SMITH BILL PULLMAN Sean Connery Gage Rated Show Times: Sun. Matinee 4:30 Times: Thtirsr-Sun.

Sun. Matinees 4:30 She said in a letter to the teaching commission that she evi- dencejustifies revoking or suspending Gilley's certificate. Gilley. hired Giddens, his stepson December 1994 as a $20-per-hour maintenance helper. The school district reimbursed Gilley for a $1,993 round-trip ticket between Tennessee and Alaska, which Giddens used to fly to Alaska from his home.

The district "paid $720 for Giddens to take asbestos arid'" hazardous waste training. Two months after signing 'the contract to hire Giddens, Gilley told the school board his stepson had been hired, and terminated. The February 1995 board minutes quote Gilley as saying, "The conditions in Adak are difficult," and "Some people just cannot handle that type of environment." Crab Harvest To Double KODIAK (AP) Bering. Sea crabbers will be looking for more-than double the amount of snow crab this winter. The harvest level for Opilio tanners more commonly called snow crab has been boosted to 117 million pounds.

That's up from 50.7 million pounds last season. 7 A substantial 330 million pounds of snow crab was taken from the Bering Sea in 1991. Surveys have shown that snow crab populations have been rebuilding after bottoming out a few years ago. Snow crab' numbers have nearly doubled in' the past year, biologists said. The snow crab fishery opens in mid-January.

Processor Fined KENAI (AP) A Kenai-based fish processor has been fined $1,500 with $1,000 suspended for dumping waste water into the Kenai River. Dragnet Fisheries pleaded no contest last week in Kenai District Court count of unpermitted discharge of domestic waste water. The violation was uncovered when state personnel spotted some- discharges that were traced by a dye test to a foreman's quarters at the processor's facility next to the river, officials said. The state Department of Environmental Conservation earlier had ordered Dragnet to fix the discharge problem before resuming use of the quarters. A search warrant indicated that the' quarters were in use and that waste water was being improperly discharged.

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Sitka Branch 747-3272 MEMBER FDIC In the complaint, Holloway said, "In my view, this expenditure was for the personal benefit of a family member, as there is no shortage "of iridivid- uals in the fulfill the duties a maintenance has office box 'in Coker Creek, b'uXrio phone list-; ing. He could not be reac)ied; Ellis 'was hired as assistant: mainte- nance director and; six rribtitlis was promoted; tQ; director of nance. He said in a letter to Gilley iri May 1996 that, his promotion was "due to my outstanding performance for the previous; and as a result of observing and evaluating my maturity and effectiveness in accomplishing the He was absent tvvo of those months, for a hunting trip and a family emergency, Holloway: tb- promote Ellis based rpn hisYemp'loy-- ment History is ah example of his dis- totting Ellis'" performance'evaluation, in violation, of state regulations; "Incredibly- me district saw. fit to evaluate and promote Ellis pnVthe basis of the previous six months work during which time Mr. Ellis was absent for a six-week hunting: for 25 daysVof-famiiy' the state's "I guess'the only riling 'that's; misleading there (in the complaint) is that it makes it sound like I wasn't ever there," Ellis said probably thinking: like -a Monday- through-Friday r) Ellis said he worked seven days a week while on Adak; pensatory that he took during the hunting trip and emergency leave.

While it may have, looked like.he was promoted on the basis of little experience, Ellis said he had extensive managerial experience during his 22 years in the Navy. The complaint noted that 7 Hunt, the third employee cited, originally 1 was hired as a general laborer in August" 1 1994 and was "promoted at an incredibly fast pace to positions for- which she is not qualified." She went from laborer to secretary to director of personnel betsve'en Au. gust 1994 and October 1995. of this year, she was named acting business manager 'and was promised an additional $1,667 per month. Man Charged in Fatal Shooting PALMER (AP) An 18-year-old has been-charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of a Willow, man last Daniel told''-Alaska Troopers, he broke home of David Hamilton, 36, planning to steal money and marijuana, according to a charging-documerit filed Wednesday Superior Court in Palmer.

But he shot and killed-- Hamilton during a confrontadon shots were fired by both men, tne" document said. State troopers were' called to Hamilton's home on Hatcher Pass Road early on July 26 where they found Hamilton dead of a gunshot wound to the face. About an hour later, Nikstaitis showed up at Columbia Alaska Regional Hospital with a gunshot wound to the arm. He told Anchorage police at the time he was shot by two Hispanic men who tried to rob him, but officers were unable to find any evidence to back up his story, court documents said. Hours to Change Gate hours to Starrigavan Campground will change beginning Sept.

2. The bayside loop will close to vehicle-based camping that day and the bayside gate will "be closed to motoi vehicles and remain closed until spring. Foot traffic and hike-in camping will be permitted. The estuary loop gates will be open 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily between Sept.2-29.

For further updates call the Forest Service's prerecorded information line, 747-6685. TheTesseract Plans Book Sale The Tesseract, located in the Sitka Teen Resource Center, is planning a 50 percent off book sale Sept. 2-16. All mass paperbacks will be sold for half price. Selected titles will be sold for 25 cents.

Coffee and espresso drinks will be served Thursday through Sunday only- Those interested may stop by any time the Teen Center is open. JO Raises Funds Junior Olympic Softball members are raising funds by giving away two round-trip-Alaska tickets for domestic travel, or $250 cash. Chances are available at $5 each at Aurora Business Supplies, Rock Rack or North Star Business Center, or by calling Deanna Harmon at 747-3023. The winner will be selected Sept. 2.

Board to Meet Members of the Sitka School Board will hold a regular meeting 7 p.m. Sept. 3 in the district office board room. to be Tried as Adult (AP) Alaska State Iroppersjfsayva boy accused of a Fairbanks trooper on -Thursday will face charges in adult David Kriutson made a court appearance following his arrest earlier, in Kriutsdn was charged with 'attempted 'first-degree murder arid first-de- Youths: tried: in adult court may. be to longer terms than those imposed by Juvenile A youth was arrested on burglary charges.

Trooper John Roberts, -39 struck twice in the left leg and once in the chest after lie responded to reports of burglaries thefts at about 6 a.m. was hospitalized in good Investigatbrs say Roberts spotted two youths walking at a riearby'iriter- section and called. out to: them when Knutsori allegedly drew a semiautomatic handgun and fired several times, wounding the trooper; 7 Roberts did not return was. able' to radio for help as the two boys ran into the woods, troopers said. Authorities say Khutson.

out of the woods; to surrender when more officers arrived. A search by Fairbanks police and the troopers' emergency response team was launched for the second boy, who was found at a local home. Mike CorldU tnird unnamed teenager may also: be involved in a crime spree that preceded the shooting. Corkili said it was the first trooper 'shooting in Fairbanks in more than two years. ANCHORAGtAP) Ketchikan Pulp Co.

has-agreexi to pay a $359,000 fine to; setde; a'cpmplaint that; the illegal incinera- tor on: environmental, bfficialsr said Thursday. agreement filed in U.S. in 'An'chorage. The -Ehyifohmehtal- Protection Agency said in a that Ketchikan used: the wood incinerator without van EPA permit. The agency said the company kept using the incinerator even after it ordered, to.stop.

Ketchikan -Pulp Used the incinerator 1980s and again in 19901992 before-dismantling the device in The- company never applied for. CTA Agrees to Pay Annette Incinerator Cpmpany president Ralph Lewis said use of an EPA-apprbyed wood waste boiler that replaced the incinerator demonstrated Ketchikan Pulp's 'Commitment to enviroriirierital ptotec- an By-not applying for a federal" permit, the incinerator at a sawmill on the Indian Reservation violated, the. Clean, Air Act. Puip said 'it from pursuing a permit because it sure that the Clean Air Act applied orrsovereign Native lands. "Many new have on-line; to 'improve the.

efficiency of woodwaste incirieratioW and air-qualify he said in a. news release. "These projects set a trend for our future operations." EPA said it got involved in the case when residents complained of thick smoke filled with particulate matter corriirig' from the incinerator. Book Group Mcts Sept 10 The Wonieii's Book Group will meet at 1 p.m. Sept.

10 at the Pioneers Home manager' house to discuss "Ice House" by Miriette Walters. Books for October through next May will be selected at the 'meeting. McDonald's of Sitka has the Disney 25 th Anniversary Glasses for sale! With the purchase of a large sandwich, a large sandwich extra value meal or a happy meal Open Regular Hours Labor Day Happy Labor Day to everyone! Or $1.59 by themselves! Local sea otter trip Sunday, Sept. 1 5 p.m. 8 p.m.

Tickets available at Jenny's Garden in the Lahmeyer Building or leftover tickets will be available at Crescent Harbor 4:30 p.m. Sunday. and under.