Whitehorse Daily Star

February 27, 2009

• What zoo will the last polar bear die in? The Alaska brown has been labelled by those who hunt the black, grizzly and brown bears as the most dangerous bear to hunt in North America.
• Creating dark and light in black and white Catherine Deer is a well-known Whitehorse artist, active in the local art scene for more than 30 years.
• Looking at some series' earlier editions and beginnings Tripwire is an early entry in the Jack Reacher series
• APPLYING THE FINISHING TOUCHES Joseph Tisiga puts the final touches on the Dark Days sign
• Five minutes for neglecting rock'n'roll duty He definitely wasn't the shirtless dude at last Saturday's Leafs game
• Going to bat for a guardian of festivals and musical spirit More than two decades of music teaching and volunteering will be celebrated Saturday evening at the Westmark Whitehorse Hotel during a fundraiser for Richard Godson.
• Water well bylaw passed by council The city will soon be able to officially operate its new wells and water line in Riverdale.
• Former election candidate named Green Party critic Former Green Party candidate John Streicker was rewarded for his excellent showing in the October 2008 general election by being named the party's Arctic and Northern Affairs critic.
• TASTE IT, TEACH! Jennifer Norris, a teacher at F.H. Collins Secondary School, takes more than a few pies in the face.
• Yukon first nations join 2010 aboriginal pavilion The Council of Yukon First Nations (CYFN) has teamed with the Four Host First Nations (FHFN) to help create an aboriginal pavilion at the 2010 Olympics and Paralympics in Vancouver.
• Lang plans to lobby for boundary issue resolution An 1825 treaty between Russia and Great Britain established the border between what is now Alaska and the Yukon, along the 141st meridian.
• RCMP on the lookout for two wanted women The public's assistance is requested in locating three Yukoners wanted as of noon Thursday.
• Principals recognized for leadership excellence Two Yukon school principals have been recognized for excellence in leadership through nominations to the Canadian Association of Principals and the Learning Partnership's Outstanding Principals' Award.
• Student receives coveted scholarship William Linklater is the recipient of the 2009 Ni'inlii Njik Renewable Resource Management Scholarship.
• Another musher scratches from Quest And then there were two ...
• City writes off several uncollectible accounts The city has resigned itself to not receiving more than $4,000 it's owed from businesses and individuals.
• CYFN completes move into new offices Grand Chief Andy Carvill says there will be a ceremony to say goodbye to the headquarters of the Council of Yukon First Nations (CYFN) over the last couple of decades
• Quarrying plan takes another step The city has moved closer to taking rock out of a site off the Old Livingstone Trail after rezoning more than 92 hectares of land in the area. It made the decision at its Monday night meeting.
• Councillor drops opposition to house purchase After continually stating his opposition to the city's purchase of a downtown property, Coun. Dave Stockdale has changed his mind.
• Councillor drops opposition to house purchase After continually stating his opposition to the city's purchase of a downtown property, Coun. Dave Stockdale has changed his mind.
• Rancher believes he wasn't treated fairly Whitehorse-area rancher Jim Dillabough won a minor victory in Yukon Supreme Court this month, but still thinks the case against him was unfair and should never have been made.
• Tires may have played role in collision Range Road was closed between Porter Creek and the Northland Mobile Park for two hours Thursday afternoon because of a bone-crunching two-vehicle collision.
• Extra month added to bison season The bison hunt in southwest Yukon has been extended to March 31.
• Data on YTG's energy consumption are sketchy It's an old business adage that you can't manage what you don't measure.
• City official 'blown away' by turnout at OCP sessions Neighbourhood by neighbourhood meetings seem to be proving the most successful way to get people talking about the city's Official Community Plan (OCP ).
• City may apply new building requirements The 2010 building season could be very different than this year's.
• 'These charges never should have been laid' Ryan Leef may have made a "dumb mistake" when he put incorrect information on a hunting report, but he didn't willfully break the law nor try to deceive anyone, a territorial court judge decided Thursday afternoon.
• Wanted man is armed, dangerous and suicidal Local police suspect an American man wanted for several counts of sexually assaulting children may have been, and could still be, in the Yukon.

February 26, 2009

• Quest has been an emotional journey Colleen Robertia has a lot invested in the 26th Yukon Quest.
• Former C.O. was unhappy with investigation Ryan Leef, one of two former RCMP and conservation officers accused of breaking the Yukon's guided hunting laws, went to John Russell, the director of conservation officer services, to complain about the way the case was being investigated, a territorial court judge heard Wednesday.
• Yukon Energy donates first aid supplies Yukon Energy has donated several boxes of first aid supplies to the St. John's Ambulance Brigade in Whitehorse.
• Mobile Radio System gets funding The Yukon government has committed $12.2 million to the new Mobile Radio System (MRS) project, subject to legislative approval.
• Frozen sprinkler system causes thousands of dollars' damage Businesses inside Riverdale's Rendezvous Plaza were expected to spend much of today assessing damage, calling their insurance providers and cleaning up water which flooded parts of the building after a sprinkler froze.
• International Polar Year event planned The territory's International Polar Year (IPY) co-ordination office is planning a celebration/public education event for March 5.
• Judge dismisses one of two charges against outfitters The first of two charges against Ryan Leef and his company, Ruby Range Outfitters, was dismissed by a territorial court judge this morning for lack of evidence, letting co-accused hunting guide Greg McHale off the hook for the only charge laid against him.
• Boivin scratches; Jamaican finishes race As Jamaican musher Newton Marshall was getting closer to the Fairbanks finish line of the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race, Yukoner Kyla Boivin was turning back from Eagle Summit to scratch from the 1,600-kilometre race.
• All-season mining road sparks concerns Another proposal for a new mining road through wilderness is gathering public attention, particularly because of its all-season character.
• Police prevent suicide Whitehorse RCMP used a Taser weapon to stop a suicide attempt early this morning at a downtown hotel.

February 25, 2009

• Surnames formed in ice grace front of the Dawson City Museum DAWSON CITY - Les Noms A Coucher Dehors (The Names That Sleep Outside) is the title of a third frozen art sculpture by Nicole Dextras, the Klondike Institute of Arts and Culture's artist in residence.
• Spaghetti Bolognese, with a tall Heineken Veteran chef Louis Richer's column on food and drink, is published every second Wednesday in the Star.
• Sun Transit Disruptions Coming Soon Some telecommunications users across the North may be affected by brief service disruptions late this month and early next month, due to sun transit.
• Race-ending injury is burned in musher's mind CENTRAL, Alaska - Not being able to get on a sled for most of the 2008 mushing season was more than difficult for Julie Estey. It was a real void.
• Minister disappointed by lawsuit A lawsuit filed by the territory's French-language school board seeking full control over its education system is being described by Education Minister Patrick Rouble as "disappointing".
• Checkpoints vital for a trouble-free Quest DAWSON CITY - All the checkpoints along the route of the Yukon Quest are important to the smooth running of the event.
• Heritage society plans second festival The Whitehorse Heritage Festival Society has received funding from the territorial Arts Fund to host the second festival.
• City paves way for housing project The Yukon Housing Corp. has the city's go-ahead on the subdivision of a 1.81-hectare piece of land in Riverdale where it plans to build a 30-unit affordable housing building.
• Bison hunt strategy pending Wildlife officials were scheduled to brief Environment Minister Elaine Taylor this afternoon about how they plan to manage the last month of bison hunting.
• City to take disabled parking issue to AYC The city will seek the support of other Yukon municipalities in enforcing its own bylaw.
• Rendezvous had police officers busy After dealing with two stabbings, one at the local jail and one in a downtown residence, last Friday night, the RCMP spent a busy weekend doing check stops around the city.
• Ministers fell way short in offsetting carbon emissions As the federal government touts its "shovel-ready" spending to help boost the nation's fledgling economy, it appears Canada's Environment ministers didn't get the memo.
• Rendezvous deemed a roaring success "The weather gods were smiling" last weekend, bringing record crowds out to the annual Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous festival in Shipyards Park, says Rendezvous society president Marj Eschak.
• Ramifications of power rates decision unclear How electrical rates will be affected by last week's regulatory decision could take a little while to figure out, says the general manager of Yukon Electrical Co. Ltd.
• Neff really won, Quest victor says FAIRBANKS - Nine days, 23 hours and 20 minutes, that's how long it took Yukoner Sebastian Schnuelle to make Yukon Quest history.
• Whitehorse resident wins welcome mortgage relief The Star played a small role in locating the quarter-million dollar winner in Feb. 6's Super 7 lottery draw.
• Trial exploring guides' actions on sheep hunt Two guides and an outfitting company accused of breaking the rules while hunting Dall sheep near Kluane Lake are finally getting their day in court this week.