Whitehorse Daily Star

March 6, 2006

• Ta'an Kwach'an court fight set to go on Ta'an Kwach'an Chief Ruth Massie and the Ta'an council are in for another court battle over Massie's position as acting chief.
• Mushers hail officials' goal to enrich Yukon Quest purse The Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race says it will work to increase its $125,000 US purse for next year.
• Absence of water use licence fees explained The age of the Yukon Electrical Company Ltd.'s (YECL) water licences in the McIntyre Creek area of Whitehorse is likely the reason the Yukon Water Board has not issued an invoice for water licence fees to the company since 1999.
• Mayor taken aback' by generating plans Plans to pursue an industrial development in the Porter Creek greenbelt by a Riverdale man who has long been opposed to green space development raises 'credibility' issues.
• City chooses new director The city has officially named Brian Crist as its new director of operations. Crist, the now-former manager of the Department of Public Works, was the city's acting director of operations before receiving the nod from city council to take on the role full-time.
• Pedestrian struck while crossing street Crossing Second Avenue turned into a trip to Whitehorse General Hospital for a pedestrian early Friday afternoon.
• Rangers tackle simulated air disaster The comprehensive Canadian Ranger exercise Friday and Saturday is being called an outstanding success by Warrant Officer Ken Sollazza of the First Canadian Ranger Patrol Group.

March 3, 2006

• The Colourful Five Per Centô He moved buildings and was good at it One of the most interesting people I ever met, he was also one of the kindest.
• Bookends The adventure of the Space Age Marie Celeste by Jack McDevitt A science fiction/mystery novel, Polaris is one of the nominees for this year's Nebula Award, presented annually by the membership of the Science Fiction Writers of America.
• Photographer's subjects have weathered storm DAWSON CITY 'I'm interested in what falls though the cracks,' says Evelyn Pollock in the pamphlet that accompanies her exhibition of photographs at the ODD Gallery.
• Fourth concept enters greenbelt debate After discovering that it has not paid its water licence fees for several years, the Yukon Electrical Company Ltd. (YECL) has publicly expressed interest in the controversial Porter Creek greenbelt.
• Fairclough says Hardy admitted to burn-out Mayo-Tatchun MLA Eric Fairclough says it isn't him who's tired, it's NDP Leader Todd Hardy.
• Drug-free schools are a right: parent Tanya Mickey wants to keep drugs out of her son's school and believes the Dogs for Drug Free Schools program could be the right step toward that.
• Youth charged with impaired driving after vehicle hit pole A local youth won't be driving for at least three months after pleading guilty to impaired driving.
• Film could be entered in festival A film featuring local youth could be part of the Waterwalker film festival later this year.
• Oil has spilled from pipeline ANCHORAGE (AP) An unknown quantity of crude oil spilled Thursday from a pipeline on Alaska's North Slope. Fumes were preventing crews from cleanup work.
• Artist hopes new plate design will fly A longtime Whitehorse artist/businessman is advocating that the territory come up with a new licence plate to reflect the true nature of Yukoners: artistic, environmentally aware and modern.
• Airplane crash' is a mock disaster More than 60 Canadian Rangers from Haines Junction, Carmacks, Carcross and Atlin will be involved today and this weekend in a simulated emergency response to a plane crash on Fish Lake.
• Dogs for Drug Free Schools program touted If what Medicine Hat Police Service Sgt. Randy Youngman has witnessed in his Alberta community is any indication, bringing the Dogs for Drug Free Schools program to Whitehorse could be a way of addressing the drug issue at Porter Creek Secondary School.
• Family nears a half-century of mining VANCOUVER 'Mother Nature hides her treasurers well. I love digging around in her garbage pail,' exclaims Hans Barchen with a wide smile. He has reason to smile. This garbage pail is a gold mine in central Yukon where the Barchen family has mined for almost 50 years.
• Duct-taped face required for man's frigid odyssey A German cyclist finished an incredible feat last week, biking 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles) from Whitehorse to Tuktoyaktuk in 14 days.
• Arkell-area development urged City council needs to think affordable housing when considering the impacts of its zoning bylaw, members of council heard this week.
• The ship is like a little village' While HMCS Whitehorse was busy conducting sea floor mapping off the west coast of Vancouver, three crew members were in Whitehorse last week to fly the colours and help with recruitment.
• Be mindful of clean air, council warned City council should consider air pollution when permitting heavy industry to be located downwind from a residential area.
• Minister, officials to attend major mining gathering Energy, Mines and Resources Minister Archie Lang and senior officials will be attending an international mining convention, trade show and investors' exchange in Toronto next week.
• Dawson's CFYT may reclaim the airwaves DAWSON CITY Ashley Doiron shivers a little under her toque, standing in the studio at CFYT-FM's second-floor offices.

March 2, 2006

• They are not martyrs': NDP leader Mayo-Tatchun MLA Eric Fairclough has now also been removed from the Yukon NDP caucus.
• New taxation system advocated In the interest of fairness, Whitehorse has to come up with a new way to tax the city's home owners.
• RCMP boost their profile in McIntyre subdivision area To improve visibility and accessibility, the Whitehorse RCMP detachment has moved its satellite office in the McIntyre subdivision into the main administration building of the Kwanlin Dun First Nation.
• January was a balmy month It's hard to imagine with the recent -30 C nights, but most of the Yukon recorded above-normal temperatures in January.
• Workplace literacy project gets funding The territorial government has announced nearly $130,000 in funding for a workplace literacy project that's being made available to staff of Yukon first nation governments.
• Kids witness meeting of two cultures A few handfuls of Yukon toddlers had an international experience Wednesday morning.
• Ride Yukon planners expect huge turnout More than 200 people are expected to take part in this year's Ride Yukon event, set for June 22-25 under the theme motorcycles, music and midnight sun.
• Food receipts plummeted last summer Food services in the Yukon had a disappointing season last summer, according to the Yukon Bureau of Statistics (YBS).
• Cardiff hails departure of dead weight' NDP MLAs and party executives are firmly standing behind party leader Todd Hardy's decision to oust Gary McRobb and Eric Fairclough.
• State pipeline pact is good news': Lang The Yukon government says it welcomes the news that the State of Alaska and Alaskan North Slope producers have reached agreement on a natural gas pipeline contract for the Alaska Highway Pipeline Project.