Whitehorse Daily Star

March 1, 2006

• Available Light Film Festival hits Whitehorse screens Cinephiles in Whitehorse have a reason to be excited these days.
• Ousting knee-jerk and vindictive': McRobb NDP Leader Todd Hardy has kicked longtime Kluane MLA Gary McRobb out of the party's caucus.
• Jenkins given 30 days to repay loans Klondike MLA Peter Jenkins has been given 30 days to pay back $281,000 of the $308,000 he owes in Yukon government loans or he could lose his Eldorado Hotel in Dawson City.
• Greenbelt open houses start The Yukon government (YTG) had its first of three open houses to decide the future of the Porter Creek greenbelt Tuesday afternoon and evening.
• Youth's bullet penetrated house A youth who was set to face trial on three firearms charges opted Tuesday to plead guilty to shooting a rifle through a house.
• Dancer enjoyed northern foray One of the few male belly dancers in Canada performed in Whitehorse last weekend.
• Parents want more teachers for high school Parents who have students attending Porter Creek Secondary School could soon be calling on their MLAs to deal with staffing issues at the school.
• Work underway on $35-million bridge Work to replace the Donjek River Bridge has begun under a $35-million contract awarded last month to CMF Construction Ltd. of Nanaimo, B.C. Darren Butt, a spokesman for the Department of Highways and Public Works, said Tuesday the work already underway involves clearing and grubbing to prepare the bridge approaches.
• Trek Over the Top arrives in Dawson DAWSON CITY The first wave of this year's Trek Over the Top adventure has already made in through Dawson, hard on the heels of the diverted Yukon Quest dogs.
• KVA board seeks new revenue sources DAWSON CITY Things got more than a little tense at the recent annual general meeting of the Klondike Visitors Association.
• Olympics kindled memories for ex-tech When former CBC radio technician Tim Kinvig tuned in to watch the recent Olympics, he couldn't help but think about his days as part of the crew that helped broadcast the 1982 Commonwealth Games and both the 1984 summer and winter Olympics.

February 28, 2006

• McLean Lake called natural choice for quarry The city should permit a concrete batch plant and quarry operation near McLean Lake's Sleeping Giant Hill because it's been proven environmentally sound and has already been planned for.
• Musician tapped to promote Taiwan beer Yukon recording artist Matthew Lien has been recruited by Taiwan's largest brewery to be the new celebrity face of Gold Medal King, the latest brand of Taiwan Beer manufactured by the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corp.
• I did the best I could': Lantern winner At the start of the Yukon Quest's awards banquet last Saturday night, no one seemed to know who Regina Wycoff was.
• Cathers, child care providers to discuss $1.3 million Health and Social Services Minister Brad Cathers will soon be meeting with territorial child care providers to determine how to best use more than $1.3 million in federal child care money.
• Satirist witnessed festival's zaniness Political satirist Rick Mercer says he knew he'd love Whitehorse even before he arrived in the Yukon.
• Smoke, noise, water quality concern residents Members of the McLean Lake Residents' Association oppose plans permitting the building of a concrete batch plant and quarry near their area.
• YTG wants funds for two sewage projects The Yukon government has requested that Ottawa approve its half of funding for a new sewage treatment systems in Carmacks and Dawson City.
• First nation says it wasn't consulted The Kwanlin Dun First Nation (KDFN) was not properly consulted on plans to permit a concrete batch plant and quarry operation in an area which could negatively impact their land claim settlements near McLean Lake.
• Man guilty of sexual assault An argument that a cat could have possibly touched a young girl twice on the vagina in the same time frame is far-fetched, territorial court Judge John Faulkner said this month in finding a Burwash Landing man guilty of sexual assault.

February 27, 2006

• Fentie watching for N.W.T. resource deal Prime Minister Stephen Harper and and his Conservative government have a vision for the North, says Premier Dennis Fentie.
• Search is on for boat in Alaska UNALASKA, Alaska (AP) The search continued Friday for a missing fishing vessel and its two crew members off the coast of Unalaska.
• Yukon population rises The territory's population rose by 1.5 per cent between 2004 and 2005.
• Banquet, congratulations cap 2006 Quest Saturday officially marked the end of the 23rd Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race with dinner and celebration.
• Thousands witnessed a chilly Rendezvous From hairy legs and colourful tattoos to the Sam knighting and Queen crowning, it was a busy weekend for thousands of Yukoners and visitors who took in Sourdough Rendezvous festival events.
• Teenager bolts from courtroom A young girl was literally running from the law last Thursday when she was told by Justice of the Peace Dean Cameron she was in the custody of the court.
• Greenbelt meetings will begin Tuesday The Yukon government (YTG) will hold three public meetings this week to decide the future of a controversial Porter Creek greenbelt.
• Yukoners invited to explore their college The Yukon College Spotlight on Education and Careers, set for Tuesday, is an open house for Yukoners to explore their college and their future.