Whitehorse Daily Star

July 4, 2006

• Rail would have branches from Carmacks The $5.5-million study looking at the feasibility of building a rail link between Alaska and the Yukon has been completed. But the full results are not yet being released to the public.
• Electrical crew comes to eaglets' rescue Heavy rains damaged an eagle's nest at the Millennium Trail pullout on Robert Service Way, causing two baby eagles to fall out of their nest last Thursday.
• Lightning sparks fires in Watson Lake area The Canada Day long weekend was quiet fire-wise throughout most of the Yukon except for Watson Lake, where a rash of lightning ignited several new fires.
• Lightning played havoc with NWTel services A lightning strike that occurred last Thursday has left Northwestel Inc. high-speed Internet customers in Watson Lake without phone and Internet service.
• Contaminated lands site pondered A local company is looking to operate a new contaminated lands site in Whitehorse.
• Riverdale burglar gets house arrest A local man will spend the next three months under house arrest after pleading guilty to charges of breaking into a Bates Crescent home, stealing a truck and having a firearm obtained in an offence, court documents state.
• China understands free market system: diplomat To many, China the largest communist country in the world is showing more capitalist colours than anything else these days.

June 30, 2006

• The adventure of the autistic investigator by Mark Haddon Fans of Sherlock Holmes will immediately recognize the title of Mark Haddon's clever and engaging novel.
• Band Valle Son returns to the land of the midnight sun If you hear shaking maracas, the strumming of Latin guitar or an over-abundance of Spanish, don't fret. That's Valle Son, Whitehorse's adopted Cuban band.
• Natasha Nettleton makes music that cries for triumph For some reason, Natasha Nettleton's debut album Save a Place reminds me of legendary '70s bands like Fleetwood Mac and Anne Murray.
• Paul Robeson tribute album praises peace, life and freedom Paul Robeson was a black American renaissance man of the 1950s and '60s who was an internationally known actor, singer, writer, athlete and peace activist.
• Local artist plans several activities this summer Winter is an underrepresented season in landscape painting. It will open at 2:30 p.m. Monday, July 3, at the Cranberry Bistro in Whitehorse.
• Weather may hike forest fire prospects With a cool, damp June coming to a close, the long weekend weather is promising some sunnier and slightly warmer conditions in southern Yukon, at least for a few days. But with warmer conditions comes a drier forest.
• House numbers arrive in Mayo Mayo residents are getting something they've never had before, something that will make them a lot easier to find: house numbers.
• Area bridge work delayed Resurfacing the Lewes River Bridge (Yukon River Bridge) has been put off this year to pry money lose for continued work on the Teslin River Bridge at Johnson's Crossing.
• Museum enjoyed good financials DAWSON CITY The Dawson City Museum has concluded another busy year which saw its attendance figures go up by 15 per cent and its annual deficit drop from nearly $40,000 to just over $11,000.
• Australian TV filming here A television star and her crew from Down Under will be filming North of 60 Saturday.
• Government issues local mumps alert The government will offer a vaccination opportunity for all Yukoners, up to 36 years of age, to receive a second dose of mumps vaccine in the form of Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine.
• Preserve's bills are high, but so is optimism The Yukon Wilderness Preserve is continuing along with its vision. Improvements have been made to the fencing, and its visitor program was expanded this year to include opportunities for tourists visiting the Yukon in the winter.
• Architectural firm wins lucrative award A local architecture firm has won a prestigious award worth $50,000 for its extraordinary design.
• Reviving a centuries-old construction craft LEWES LAKE It's like a giant wooden constructor set, each piece cut and fit together with intricate joints, precision-carved to fit just right and held together by pieces of doweling the size of broom handles.
• Man with horrendous' record goes to ARC A man convicted of sexual assault has been released to stay at the Adult Resource Centre (ARC) in Hillcrest until the appeal of his sentencing can be heard.
• New council runs into four-way stop sign DAWSON CITY The most contentious item on the agenda for this week's first meeting of Dawson's new council was a four-way stop that has recently bisected Fifth Avenue at Harper Street.
• Saturday heralds six-per-cent GST Even though the federal government's GST reduction will take effect on Saturday, some local businesses are finding it difficult to adjust.
• May proved to be an arid month The Yukon was dry in May this year with a tongue of dry air moving into the territory from the Inuvik area and down the Dempster Highway,
• MP endorses Tories' bullet to nation's long-gun registry Yukon MP Larry Bagnell says he will likely vote in support of Conservative government legislation that will eliminate the long gun registry, depending on what form the final bill takes, he said Wednesday.
• Girl was on a mission' When Farley Hayes saw a little girl walking down Centennial Street toward Wann Road, he knew he had to help.
• Woman honoured for saving canoeist Canada Day will be an important one for Lou Drake.
• Charges pending after Faro inferno Charges are pending in connection with the two fires in Faro late Tuesday night.

June 29, 2006

• I figure Faro was blessed,' councillor says A suspicious fire in an unoccupied Faro apartment building Tuesday night could easily have spread into a residential section of town if not for the community response, says town councillor Michelle Vainio.
• Dawson sewage issue back before judge Once again, there's a question on whether the court-imposed 2008 deadline for Dawson's sewage system to be built will be met, territorial court heard Wednesday.
• Long power failure upsets business owner An equipment failure on the power line near the Yukon River Bridge turned the lights out on 500 households and businesses for more than four hours Wednesday.
• Lower Bench fate troubles greenery advocate In line with the results of last Thursday's greenbelt referendum, city council must come up with a planning study and green space map for proposed development in Porter Creek's Lower Bench before consulting the public.
• Exhibit highlights highway An archival web exhibit on the Alaska Highway opened earlier this month at the Yukon Archives.
• Mining exploration to soar Investment in mineral exploration is expected to be even higher than expected, according to numbers released this week by the Yukon Chamber of Commerce.
• Yukoner saluted for indigenous leadership Ecotrust will present the 2006 Buffett Award for Indigenous Leadership to Guujaaw (Haida) of Skidegate, B.C.; at a ceremony in Portland,Ore., on July 19.
• Host kit ready for overnight guests To help deter drinking and driving and make get-togethers safer, the Yukon Liquor Corp. is offering a Good Host Kit for unexpected overnight stays.
• Group's supervisory order overturned A local engineer will no longer have someone watching over his shoulder as he does his job.
• YTG broadens motor vehicle services The Yukon government is expanding motor vehicle services in Carmacks and the surrounding area.