Daily Sitka Sentinel from Sitka, Alaska • Page 5

Landlubbers Turned Into Fish Observers Daily Sitka Sentinel, Sitka, Alaska, Monday, August 7,1995, Page 5 By DANIELLE STEVENS Anchorage Daily News An AP Alaska Member Exchange ANCHORAGE (AP) Clark Husted ran his finger over the head spine knobs of. a fish covered with an orangish slime. Six knobs in all. That makes it a yelloweye rockfish. The 25-year-old fisheries major is learning more about fish spines, fish species and other fish stuff than most people would ever care to know.

But Husted loves fish. He practically gushes about them. He traded a job selling fish in Los for the chance to be an observer on commercial fishing vessels, making about half that a month collecting fish data while living under dangerous conditions with a crew that just might hate the very sight of him. He didn't seem to be too worried during a training session in Anchorage last week. "Sure- it's dangerous," he said.

"But you always have the idea in the back of your mind that it's not going to happen to you." Husted and about 20 others are being trained as observers for the bot- tomfish industry by the North Pacific Fisheries Observer Training Program through the University of Alaska Anchorage. The 4-year-old program preps mostly college-age people to track bottomfish, crab and scallop catches aboard U.S. vessels in the Bering Sea or Gulf of Alaska. The'job is critical. Observers' work is one of the top reasons Alaska's bil- Iion-d611ar''fisheries remain abundant, said Clarence Pautzke, executive director of the'National Pacific Fisheries Management Council, the 15-member board that regulates the harvests of bottomfish in the 200-mile U.S.

zone off Alaska. "If we don't have observers out there, managers kind of fly in the blind," Pautzke said. The data observers provide is a cornerstone of the increasingly com- Pink Salmon Arriving Late KODIAK (AP) the pink salmon run in Prince William Sound is said to be about I0 a days behind schedule, and Observers are preparing for a large run that could arrive all at once. "We're hot afraid of a bust," said Dan Sharp, a state fisheries biologist in? Cordova. "The fear is the pinks come in eh masse and overwhelm plex system to keep fish populations healthy.

Their information, with other studies, helps the council decide safe catch levels for different species and when a harvest should be shut down. About 50 to 100 observers undergo training in Anchorage each year. Many of those who join the program are from the Lower 48 about 90 percent and about 30 percent are women. And many haven't a clue what a pollock is (For others in the same boat, it's a bottomfish of the cod family.) The program is designed to change that through 15 days of lectures, movies and hands-on demonstrations. But nothing can fully prepare these young recruits for 40-foot ocean waves, 16-hour workdays counting fish and a hateful crew.

That's a worst-case scenario but it's not an impossibility. "You don't really have a clue what you're doing until you do it," said Paula Cullenberg, director of the training program and a former observer. "It's such an unknown for people." New observers do know their objective: To record the amount of fish; ensure prohibited trawl species such as halibut are thrown back, and verify catch quotas. Observers also document rules violations by fishermen, which can cause Hikers Foil Bear Attack was opened for the-first time on Friday at the southwest entrance to the sound, and Sharp said he was expecting a catch of about 1.5 million pinks. The fishery also will provide more information on the potential run strength for wild and hatchery-raised stocks, he said.

A harvest of 18 million pink salmon has' been forecast for Prince William Sound this summer. ANCHORAGE (AP) Two hikers successfully fought off a bear without being injured Denali National Park's back country Wednesday. The two said they tried to play dead, but ended up wrestling with the bear for what they estimated to be 25 minutes before escaping. The bear did make off with a backpack. "The-two of us locked arms because it began dragging me away," said Glenn Cooperrider.

"At the same time it got on top of me and was biting at stuff in the pack. I pulled out my 4-inch hunting knife. I actually tried to use it, but I didn't make contact with the bear." The bear, described as a 200-pound grizzly with a dark muzzle and estimated to be 3 or 4 years old, is suspected of circling a different group of hikers earlier in the day, according to park officials. "It certainly is aggressive behavior that causes us some concern," said KenXehrer, the park's chief ranger. The area of the attack, near Stony Creek, was Wednesday and two of the park's bear specialists were sent in to track the bear.

They hope to collar the bear and monitor it, relocate it or try adversity training. The adversity training involves, hazing or harassing the bear until its curiosity about hikers and their packs is replaced with fear. Cooperrider, 20, said he and friend Frances Stone, 22, were hiking about five miles up Stony Creek when they realized they were being followed. conflict. Most fishermen support the program but some don't, Cullenberg said.

The observer works, eats and sleeps alongside crew members who, on small boats, can be like a family. The observer becomes a "fish cop," monitoring their moves. Most crews are now familiar with the program and treat observers well, she said. There have been cases of sexual harassment, and recruits are briefed about such potential abuses. They're also given a secret radio code to use if in danger, Cullenberg said.

About 60- to 70 percent of the observers return for another shift, Cullenberg said. The program is trying to recruit more Alaskans. Cullenberg said she is working with University of Alaska campuses in Anchorage and Fairbanks to allow students to earn class credit for the program. She's also trying to encourage Bristol Bay residents to take biology courses to qualify. Participants need a bachelor's de- State Sued For Denying Same-Sex Marriage License ANCHORAGE (AP) Two Anchorage men have sued the state's Bureau of Vital Statistics for denying their application for a same-sex marriage license a year ago.

Jay Brause and Gene Dugan filed the suit in Superior Court in Anchorage Friday. They contend the denial violates the state constitution's equal protection clause. The pah: say they took the action to overturn an administrative memo issued by Superior Court Judge Karl Johnstone in 1993. In that memo Johnstone said the state's statutes as well as the historical foundations of marriage did not allow for such unions. Al Zangri, the chief of the vital statistics bureau, said Friday the state 4 Attorney General's Office also has advised him that same-sex isn't Legal in Alaska.

CITY BOROUGH OF SITKA SITKA PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA FOR MONDAY, AUGUST 7,1995 HELD IN THE CENTENNIAL BUILDING 330 Harbor Drive, Sitka, Alaska 7:30 P.M. I. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL II. CONSIDERATION OF THE MINUTES OF JULY 17,1995 III. OLD None IV.

NEW, BUSINESS A. Public hearing and consideration for a general permit request for a single family dpck filed Dy Spike Arnold for 119 Knutson Drive. The property is otherwise known as Lot 7, Block 1 of Knutson Subdivision. B. Public hearing and consideration of a general permit request for a single family dock filed by Bert Roylance for llo Cedar Beach Road.

The property is otherwise known as Lot C-l of Amended Ray Perkins Subdivision. C. Public hearing and consideration of a final subdivision plat for a planned unit development condominium project for 222 and 224 Lance Drive filed by Vernon Nelson. The property involved is Lot 12A of a Replat of Lots 11 and 12 of Niesen Addition No. 2.

D. Public hearingand consideration of a conditional use permit request for a commercial rental used in conjunction with a charter business filed oy John and Caren Yerkes for Lot 1 of Dove Island. E. Public hearing and consideration of variance requests filed by Joe Ashby to reduce the seaward setback to two feet for a house addition ana to reduce a front setback to one foot to rebuild a shed. The property is located at 1808 Sawmill Creek Road which is otherwise known as Lot 28 of Rosi Ashby Subdivision.

F. Public hearing and consideration of a variance request filed by Ed and V. DISCUSSION ITEMS Discussion on building permits and site plan requirements for island Vf. PLANNING DIRECTOR'S REPORT VII. PUBLIC BUSINESS FROM THE FLOOR VIII.

COMMISSIONER COMMENTS IX. ADJOURNMENT Published: August 1,2,4, 7,1995 POLICE AND FIRE COMMISSION PUBLIC NOTICE The Police and Fire Commission will meet on Monday, August 7,1995, at 7:00 p.m. in the Rousseau Room of the Centennial Building. Items on the agenda include: Cascade Creek Road speed limit; proposed parking changes at ANB Harbor and the Lincoln Street ramp; proposed increased parking time limit in the downtown area; the downtown parking pian; and a request to move speed bumps on Kogwonton closer to tne Pioneers Home. The public is welcome to attend.

Published: August 4,7,1995 INVITATION TO BID FURNISH SAND MUNICIPAL LANDFILL The City and Borough of Sitka will receive bids until 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, August 15,1995, at the officeof the Municipal Clerk, 100 Lincoln Street, Sitka, Alaska 99835, where the bids will be publicly opened. This Invitation to Bid consists of furnishing 1200 tons of minus street sand to be delivered to the Municipal Landfill. Specifications and Instructions to Bidders are available free of charge at the office of the Director of Public Works, 100 Lincoln Street, Sitka, Alaska. 99835. The City and Borough of Sitka reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive informalities.

CITY AND BOROUGH OF SITKA By: Larry Harmon Director of Public Works Published: August 7,9,11,1995 mamage Rescue Costly WHITEHORSE, Yukon (AP) The cost of rescuing four Austrian tourists off Mount Logan last weekend $7,000, says the rescue team's helicopter pilot The men were flown off the mountain after two were trapped in a near- fatal avalanche. They harnessed them- selves to arable suspended from the helicopter "and were lowered nearly two miles during the rescue operation July 29. The bill will be covered by insurance purchased by the men's climbing association, as is often the case with European and Japanese climbers, said pilot Doug Makkonen. This season 115 people in 28 groups have tried to climb Mount Logan, Canada's highest peak at 19,850 feet In Alaska 1,244 people have tried to climb Mount McKinley this season. There have been 12 major rescue operations and six deaths.

Contract Issued WASHINGTON '(AP) New equipment for an increasingly popular satellite navigation system is expected to be accurate enough to pinpoint the location of airplanes, trucks, ships and even car drivers within seven yards. The government awarded a $475 million contract Thursday for development of 36 ground stations in the tracking system, which will initially be used at airports, including Anchorage International Airport. "This is the beginning of a new era," in which the Global Positioning System svill be the primary means of navigation in the country, Transportation Secretary Federico Pena said. Wilcox Electric will develop the new system, which uses signals from 24 Defense Department satellites. GPS receivers have become widely used in recent years by everyone from ship and airline captains to hikers in the backwoods.

The receivers compare signals from the satellites and pinpoint the position of the user. Current equipment is only accurate to within about 100 yards. gree in natural sciences. The first U.S. observers tracked foreign vessels, such as Russian and Japanese fleets that dominated the fishing scene off the Alaska coast in the late 1970s.

Because observers tracked only foreign fishing, the program died when U.S. fleets took over the fishery in the late 1980s, Pautzke said. No one wanted to pay for a new program, leaving the fisheries council with no way to track catch levels. By 1990, fishermen agreed to pay for an observer program, Pautzke said. They began contracting with companies to hire the observers.

This year, the federal government took over paying the companies with money collected from a 2 percent tax levied on the value of fishermen's harvests. Meghan Roxby of Maine joined the program this summer to make money for veterinary school, and, like most of the others, is looking for adventure. The 22-year-old recently graduated from Yale with a degree in biochemistry and knew nothing about fish -until a few weeks ago. "I'm a little out of my depth," she said, studying the fin of a stiff pol- lock, just one of many laid out on a table as an instructor explained how to identify the different species last week. The recruits need to recognize up to 60 species to track whatever might be dragged up from the ocean depths.

In Court Michael Murr, 25, was sentenced to 30 days in jail, with 27 suspended, and fined $500, with $250 suspended, for driving while intoxicated. He pleaded no contest to the charge and was found guilty by the court. His driver's license will be suspended for 90 days, concurrent with administrative revocation. He will be on probation for 18 months. He was ordered to report to the Sitka Council on Alcoholism and Other Drug Abuse, complete alcohol information school and pay fees.

David M. Rooney, 35, was given a suspended imposition of sentence for criminal trespass in the second degree. He pleaded no contest to the charge and was found guilty by the court He will be on probation for six months. He is to pay a $75 fine. Peter D.

Chesledon, 36, was fined $100 for unlawfully sportfishing with more than one line. Police Blotter Emergency Calls At 12:30 Friday an ambulance wasrSent to Sitto Community Hospital and a patient was taken to an Airlift Northwest flight. 1:34 p.m. Friday an ambulance was sent to Sitka Community Hospital and a patient was taken to an Airlift Northwest flight. At 7:30 Friday an ambulance was sent to Sitka Community Hospital to assist the hospital staff with a patient.

At 7:43 p.m. Friday an ambulance was sent to 120 Patterson Way and a patient was taken to Mu Edgecumbe Hospital. 7:18 a.m. Saturday a fire truck was sent to Baranof Elementary School, but it was a false alarm. At 11:15 a.m.

Saturday an ambulance was sent to Sitka Community Hospital and a patient was taken to an Airlift Northwest flight. At 1:46 p.m. Saturday an ambulance was sent to 316 Cascade Street and a patient was taken to ML Edgecumbe Hospital. At 4:32 a.m. Sunday an ambulance was sent to 36 Shaffer's Trailer Court and a patient was taken to Sitka Community Hospital.

At 7:21 a.m. Sunday an ambulance was sent to the police department and a patient was taken toMt. Edgecumbe Hospital. Coast Guard A. Coast Guard Air Station Sitka helicopter Saturday afternoon picked up three hunters who were stranded on Pinnacle Peak on Chichagof Island.

William Whitehead, Dio'Whitehead and Salman Holland had planned to return Wednesday, but requested assistance when the weather worsened. The helicopter picked them up and brought them to Sitka, a Coast Guard spokeswoman said. Church Meeting St. Michael's Cathedral parish council, Sisterhood and choir members are to meet 7 p.m. Tuesday at the church to plan for a farewell dinner for Bishop Gregory.

The dinner will be held later this month. The following calls were logged by Sitka police by 8 a.m. today: Aug. 4 A dog owner was cited for allowing the pet to run at large and failure to acquire a dog license. A ferry employee reported someone had carved words into some boards at the terminal.

Damage was estimated at $200. Police were asked by Angoon authorities to interview two suspects on a case of furnishing alcohol to minors. A resident reported his Norvo bicycle had been stolen from Katlian Street. A hotel employee asked for police assistance in getting three unwanted guests to leave. The three were reported to have damaged a room they were staying in the previous night and were told not to make a mess in the second room.

A maid reported similar damages in the second room, so the manager asked the three to leave. Two were intoxicated and unable to leave, so the third said he would take care of the other two. Police stood by while the three got into a taxi and departed. A resident signed a citation against a driver for failing to yield at a stop sign. Intoxicated persons reported to be causing a disturbance near ANB Harbor were able to care for themselves when police arrived.

They left the area. Two persons were firing guns on Aleutski Island said they were unaware of local and state laws regarding firearms. They agreed to comply with the law. A youth home employee said a resident did not show up at a designated meeting point. Police were asked to watch for her.

A mother reported her 16-year-old daughter was missing and may try to get on the ferry, Wrangell authorities asked police to interview a sexual assault suspect. A resident reported his girlfriend had broken down his door during an argument, but that he did not want to press charges. The woman went home, and the man left for the bar. Both had been drinking. Juveniles making noise on Burkhart Street at 11:46 p.m.

agreed to leave the area. Aug. 5 A man playing his stereo loudly in the 2300 block of Halibut Point Road agreed to turn down the volume. A juvenile babysitting two young children who were disturbing neighbors said she would take care of the problem. Police told a-mari- who was? arguing; with a woman hot to return to her residence for the night.

Officers were unable to locate a man reported ro be violating a domestic violence order. A resident reported a 50-gallon fishing tote used to store and carry ceremonial items for the Coho clan was missing. Estimated value was $200. Juveniles reported to.be fighting on Seward Street said two men had had a disagreement earlier but had left the area. Officers told a juvenile who had been asked not to return to a restaurant to stay out.

Men reported to be fighting in a downtown bar left the area after police arrived. A pilot reported he was cut off in the channel by a wave runner. He said he was unable to identify those involved in the incident. Police asked a group of juveniles Sitka Police Eugene William Fred, 33, was charged with criminal trespass in the first degree. reported to be disturbing hotel guests with their noisy conversation to leave the area.

Police are investigating a report of a felony assault. Aug. 6 A resident told police his ex-wife had been forging his name on several checks, and had admitted to this activity. He said he would handle the problem civilly, but wanted police to have a record of the incident. Police talked to a boat skipper who was intoxicated and wanted a vessel that was not moored properly to be moved so he could get under way.

Police advised the man to wait until he was sober to operate his vessel. The owner of the other boat, who also had been drinking, said he would move his vessel in the morning after he was sober. No further police assistance was required. A man reported to have kicked in his girlfriend's door left the residence before police arrived. The woman was advised of the services offered by SAFV.

A woman said a strange man had entered her bedroom and claimed two men were chasing him. He was arrested for criminal trespass. A resident reported a Norco Bigfoot bicycle and a purple Huffy bicycle had been stolen from a Seward Avenue residence. A 4-year-old girl reported missing, was located at a church. The woman who was with the child said she thought the mother knew the child had left because the child had waved and.

said good-bye before leaving the house. A resident reported his Scott 10- speed bicycle had been stolen from his Burkhart Drive residence. A resident reported her 14-year-old son had assaulted her and had broken several windows and a stereo inside the home. Police are investigating the matter. A resident reported her vehicle sustained about $1,000 in damage when an unknown vehicle struck the rear quarter panel.

A resident turned in an insulin kit found on O'Connell Bridge. Officers advised four juveniles making noise on Cascade Creek Road at 9:41 p.m. to leave the area. A resident 'in the 2300 block of Halibut Point Road reported someone, had pushed in her trailer window, but nothing inside the residence appeared to have been disturbed. Police are investigating a report of a knife assault people who refused leave area after the hosts spoke to them, agreed to leave when police arrived.

Police are investigating an incident in which a man was reported to have broken a window during a fight Aug. 7 Police told a man having a loud party on Tlinget Way that he would be arrested for disorderly conduct if police received another complaint about him. Officers responded to an alarm, at the Sitka National Historical Park at 2:45 a.m. A neighbor said the alarm goes off every night at the same time. A park employee was notified of the situation.

OTON Custom Framing Prints Available. Plus Free pickup delivery for all your framing needs 105 Monastery. Across from the Baranof School Playground 747-4910 Dr. Gregory Dostal will offer a clinic in Plastic, Reconstructive Hand Surgery August 14 15 at Sitka Community Hospital. Please call his Juneau office for appointments at (907) 586-3072 between 8:30 a.m.

4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Still foxy at Love, the girls. Certified Nurse Aide Tr; A Career Opportunity Begins September 25, 1995 For more information contact: University of Alaska Southeast Sitka Campus 1332 Seward Avenue Sitka, Alaska 99835 (907)747-6653 inmg.