Fairbanks Daily News-Miner from Fairbanks, Alaska • Page 1

Strike may hit UA ByDERMOTCOLJE Staff Writer Students at the University of Alaska's community college campuses around the state may be faced with a strike next week. The Alaska Community College Federation of Teachers (ACXh 1) will announce Tuesday whether it will call a strike against the UA or continue negotiations, according to Hadene Schroerier, spokeswoman for the union. The ACCFT, which represents 260 community college teachers at 10 campuses, has been negotiating for a new contract with Ihe university since last December, but the two sides have been unable to come to terms. John Nelson, chief negotiator for Ihe union, said in Anchorage Friday that if a strike is called, the union has enough support to shut down nine of the state's 10 community colleges, including the Tanana Valley Community College in.Fairbanks. There are only about 10 ACCFT members in Fairbanks, but Nelson said he believes there are "a lot of students that just would not cross the picket lines." University President Robert Hiatt responded by saying "I think that's vastly overestimating their power and mniim authority.

I don't think they can shut down the one in Anchorage even." There are more than 200 teachers at the community college here, but all except 10 work part-time and arc ineligible to become union members. Most of the unionized faculty members leach at the Anchorage Community College. Hiatt said if there is a strike it will not result in any campuses being shut down. "We're not anticipating any real problems," he said. The university's major goal is to "keep the students from getting hurt too much," and colleges students will be taught by other teachers or shifted to different classes in case of a strike.

Negotiating teams (or the union and university are scheduled to meet tonight in Anchorage. Dave Scott chief negotiator for Ihe university, said Ihe UA introduced what It considers its "best possible offer" at the last meeting between the two groups Tuesday. But the union and the university still disagree on about 75 per cent of the contract and as Nelson put it "I would say we did not make progress the last time we met." The major areas of disagreement include working con- (Scc STRIKE HIT, page A-3) Daily News "America'sFarthest North Daily Newspaper" Vol. LXXIV Someone's idea of a joke? The manager and employes at Pike's Landing Bar will tell you it's bizzare having a dead and frozen black horse delivered to Iheir fronl door about 12:30 a.m. Friday.

"I've been in the bar business for 30 years and I've seen a lot of things but, I've never seen anything like that," said bar manage, Wayne Bruha. Mary Lydic, the night bartender, first reported animal careas to the Slate Troopers around 12:50 a.m. when a customer came into the bar and told her there was a dead horse at the door. Troopers investigated and told Lydic the management would have to be responsible for disposing of the carcus. They suggested the Animal Control Shelter be called.

"They called me at 1:30 a.m. and asked me what to do," Bruha said. "1 told them to let me go back to sleep first and I'd take care of it in the morning." Bruha said lire marks were visible in the snow where a truck had driven up to the building to unload the animal and that the incident had to have taken place sometime shortly after midnight and before 12:30 a.m. when the customer saw it. "I think someone was playing a late Halloween joke on us," Ihe manager said.

"They had to have six or eight men to get it unloaded, or else they had a crane." Someone found out about the horse-Bruha doesn't know who-- and at 8:30 a.m. Friday he got a telephone call from a woman who wanted to buy the horse to use as meat for her dog sled team. "I sold il to them for SlOO and they cut it up and took it out of here this morning," Bruha said Friday. 25c Per Copy A I A ALASKA, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1976 52 Pages No. 263 tV'.

i No change following tally of absentees AFTER THE WHALE HUNT--If you thjnk butchering a moose or caribou is the hardest part of a hunting trip, just imagine the task at hand for these Barrow Eskimos shown butchering a whale near Barrow this fall. When this photo was taken, three whales had been caught and butchered on the same day, with nine whales caught during the season to that point. ll'tiolo by Leslie Nalcaslilnia I Cab killer sentenced to life term Forecast (he Fairbanks area calls for increasing cloudiness light snow this afternoon. Low lonight near 10. High Sunday in Ihe mill 20s.

Oullook tor Sunday: cloudy and mild. At 10 a.m. today Ihe temperature was minus winds were calm and the barometer was 20.62 and (ailing. Friday's high was 5 ami the overnight low was minus 7. Record high lor Iliis dale, set in is 3-1 and Ihe record sel in 19iifi, is minus Sunrise Sunday-will IK at 7:59 a.m.

and sunset will lie at p.m. for a total of 7 hours 12 minutes of daylight, a loss of 7 nn'miles over today. By JOANNE BROWN Staff Writer Anthony "Tony" Lee Brown was senlenced Friday to life in prison for tirst-degree murder and 15 years for 'armed robbery. The sentences will run concurrantly. Brown, 22, was found guilty of both counts by a unanimous verdict of a 12- man jury, Judge James Blair said when he pronounced (he sentence after an emotional and (earful 90-minute appeal by Brown's family for the court's mercy in sentencing.

Brown's 20-year-old wife, Sherrie, became so distraught while testifying lhat her husband was "the wrong man," the court called a recess. One by one Brown's attorney, Richard Dryden Burke, paraded the mother, father, a sister and his Anchorage landlords to Ihe stand lo lell the same story of a "kind, gentle, Christian young man who was helpful to everyone." Yet there was enough evidence, Blair said, presented in the trial to convict Brown of Vpremeditaled murder in cold blood" of, Eric Christiansen, 23, a Checker Cab Co. driver near Fairbanks last May 20, Dist. Ally. Harry Davis asked for the life sentence, describing Brown as a a i a professional criminal" who committed the worst lype of murder for financial gain.

Blair sairt lhat rehabilitation of Brown would lake "a long lime" and a report from the superintendent of (he Fairbanks Correctional Center, Ted Corey, indicated Brown's behavior observed in a controlled situation suggested lhat rehabilitation would take several years before Brown could be returned to society svith assurance that he would not be convicted of a second felony. Davis convinced the jury, i Brown's September trial, that Ihe accused did shoot anil rob the young cab driver on May 20, that he hitched a ride on a school bus to the i i of A a a approximately 3 Mile Sheep Creek Road where Christiansen's body was found shot through the back of the head at the ear around noon lhai day, thai it was a drug related-crime and that Brown was "hungry for money." Police found hashish oil and about $40 on Brown. Blair lold the court during Ihe sentencing Itoat Brown was very young and he realized how emotionally upsetting it was to Brown's family, "however, I am sure somewhere Eric Christiansen has a family who grieves his death and they can'l be here to testify to their loss." The counting of 1,975 absentee ballots Friday nighl did not change (he results of the slalc tlouse and Senale races in Fairbanks. The ballots were run through (he Airport bond may be OKed A A --An airport construction (rand issue has jumped back into the win column following the tabulation of a batch of absentee ballots and more relurns from isolated bush communities. Bonding Proposition No.

8 now has 49,905 voles for and 47,919 votes against. The proposal gained more lhan 2,000 votes Friday with the tabulation of 752 absentee ballots and from 31 additional precincts. But another 14,000 or so absentee ballots and returns from precincts are yet to be tabulated, and Elections Divisions officials said Ihe counl probably will not be complete until nexl Wednesday. The latcsl returns also appeared lo have sellled the outcome of Iwo olher bond issues, guaranteeing victory for one and defeat for another. Bonding Proposition No.

1 for $7.1 million for regional firefighter (raining centers now leads with 49,071 votes for and 46,716 votes against, boosting ils winning margin from less than 100 votes lo more lhan 2,000 since election night Tuesday. However, Bonding Proposition No. 3 lo provide million for parks and rccrealion now appears destined for dcfeal wilh 47,178 votes for and 48,175 against, a difference of more than 1,500 votes. The latest counl also guaranteed anolher term in Ihe Senate for Dcmocral George llohman of Bethel who had been locked in a close race wilh a write-in candidate, Harold Napoleon. With only seven of 5-1 precincts in the sprawling Southwest Alaska Senale district yel lo be heard from, llohman had 1,347 voles to 1,073 Napoleon.

Municipal Utilities Syslem computer Friday night after elections officials checked them that day. The winners and the order of finish remained the same in both races. Still lo be counted arc aboul 400 more absentee ballots plus up to 415 which could arrive in the mail by next Wednesday. The final lally will be taken Ihcn. Elections officials also are considering about queslioned ballols, of which aboul 1,000 probably will be declared valid, according lo an elections spokeswoman.

Neither count is expected to affect the outcome of these races. The tally now shows only a slim margin between wrile-in candidate Mike Bradncr and Democralic nominee Dick Greuel in Ihe state Senale race. The lalesl eleclion count in Ihe Senate race shows Glenn Hackney (R) with U.614 voles, followed by Mike Bradner (D) with 4,036, Dick Greuel ID) wilh 4,021 and Don Wrighl (1) with In Ihe House race the vote lolals are as follows: Sieve Cowpcr (D) Sally Smilh ID) Larry Carpenter (R) (D) Fred Brown (D) Don Bennett I 7.84.3; Jim O'Sulltvan Bob Betlisworlh (R) Sam Barnes (R) Selwyn Carrol (R) Bruce Boyd (D) Mill Mayr 5,538 "Whenever I calcb i fish like Ihet one in Barrow, I Ihrow 'em back in and tell 'em lo come back next year." Safeway, Post Office moving What future for downtown? By TONY EBERSOLE Staff Writer Retail merchants downtown are watching wilh considerable inlcrcsl several real cstale moves lhal could have a much greater impacl on shopping trends in Ihe core area than the prostitutes and drunks who kept customers away this summer. The government offices in Ihe Federal Building at 2nd and Cushman are moving lo new facilities on lath Avenue nexl summer. The Post Office is looking new office space and will move from the Federal Building in about a year.

Nfeanwhlle, Safeway is abandoning ils giant store downtown (or space in the Benlley Mall on College Road, which opens nexl March. At leasl one olher downlown slore also is moving into the mall and several others are opening annex stores (here, keeping a "wait-and-see" walch over their downtown operations. Viewed separately, the moves would not alter business much in Ihe downtown core. But add them to the opening of two new shopping malls-- Bentley and University Center on Airport Road-- next spring, and to what some consider Ihe deteriorating atmosphere along 2nd Avenue, it could change the flow of shoppers into downtown. "It takes all of thai draw to make il worthwile," said Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce General Manager Wally Baer, "when one or two (major businesses) leave, ilhaslohurt." The key to how dramatically tlie picture changes appears to bo Ihe Posl Office and where it relocates.

It has been one of Ihe major drawing cards tor Ihe area, wilh its 2,375 post office boxes and central mailing facilities. Most merchants agree thai while people goto (he area simply lo pick up their mail, Iheyollen slay in the area to shop. Poslmasler Olis Dean said Ihe federal agency is currently looking at Ihree different siles in the area between 1st and 9th avenues and Noble and Barnette streets lo relocate. He said Ihe move will probably take place sometime within the next 18 monlhs. It is still uncertain what will happen to the existing Federal building.

The First National Bank reportedly has expressed interest in the building facilities or land. Several downtown businessmen have recommended the Post Office relocate in the Safeway building, but Sen. Ted Mevens reportedly lold Ihe group lhal the 30,000 square feel there is more than Ihe Post Office needs. The Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce Board also was divided on where to urge relocation of Ihe facilities. In an 8 (o 7 vo(e last Monday, (he board recommended the Post Office find new quarters in the downtown core area, between 1st and 7lh avenues, and Noble and Barnelte.

Chamber President Jeanne Wilson cast Ihe deciding vole for Ihe core area, "because 1 pick up my mail downlown, and want lo continue doing so," she said. Olher major business also are concerned aboul Ihe future of downtown. Ross Sandier, manager of Nordstrpm's, acknowledged that company officials have discussed long-range plans in view of what happens in the core area The company sees itself with two choices, Sandier said, "lo build on our existing site (behind Ihe Federal Building) or move to a mall." "Right now we're Just trying go get some feelings of what Is going (o happen downtown. We're very concerned with the future of the area," he said. At least four other smaller businesses apparenlly share Nordstrom's concerns.

The Owl Tree, Ihe Card Center the Fabric Cenler and the Book Bin are all opening annex stores in Ihe Benlley Mall nexl year, and reportedly have told mall owners they will "see what happens" I i operations. Other major retail outlets will slay no matter what occurs. They include Penney's, Norland's and Big Hay's. Kerm Hamilton, manager of Penney's, said the company has achieved sales this year comparable lo last year's record sales, but foresees a gradual decline nexl year because of Ihe wind- down of the Irans-Alaska pipeline project. The lull should last aboul 16 to 18 monlhs, he predicted, and business should pick up again when the contracts for the gas pipeline are awarded.

"This town is going to continue to grow," Hamilton said, "and there should be enough business for everyone," but added lhat wilh the movement of the Posl Office and exit of Safeway, "we'll just have to see what happens. It's one of those things you just can't predict." Steve Van Sanl, manager of (he Bentley Mall and employe of Barsa (See WIIA FUTURE, page A-3) EXITING--This sign at the Federal Building post office tells the story: the Post Office will move from the Federal Building sometime next year. The Post Office will relocate somewhere near downlown but its move, along with a move by the Safeway Store, is causing apprehension among downtown merchants. Here, Pat Gentz helps customers at the General Delivery window. Sin ft photo by Chris.