Whitehorse Daily Star

April 22, 2004

• NDP demands answers from Taylor The Yukon government can't keep its story straight about why the Justice minister is being kept mute on a controversial court matter.
• Accused, victim good people,' mayor says A Watson Lake resident accused of shooting another man in that community will make his first appearance in a Whitehorse courtroom Friday morning.
• Vehicle thief rams fence A local highway construction company's fence is sporting damage after one of its own vehicles was driven through it.
• Stolen credit card used to order 17 dinners A lost credit card receipt and a taste for Chinese takeout appear to have landed a man with a long list of fraud charges.
• Phosphorus affecting habitat, board told The release of phosphorus from the Icy Waters fish farm on Fish Lake Road is altering the natural habitat downstream, according to submissions from the territorial government to the Yukon Territory Water Board.
• Land council gains members Two Yukoners have been appointed to the Yukon Land Use Planning Council, Energy, Mines and Resources Minister Archie Lang said recently.
• Heritage provides economic boost The president of the Yukon Historical and Museums Association hopes a recent study will encourage territorial government officials to take a second look at its preservation and development of historical and heritage sites.
• YOUNGSTER FIVE DAYS IN BUSH Five days lost in the bush last week didn't bother a resourceful 12 year-old Upper Liard youngster. Although he suffered frostbitten toes, he says, 'I wasn't scared. I've been hunting since I was a little kid.'

April 21, 2004

• Author Laisha Rosnau didn't see writing as a career DAWSON CITY When she was young, Laisha Rosnau didn't think there was any future in being a writer, so it took her a while to get around to it. Not that she didn't like stories, and even making up things. That started fairly early. She put it this way during our e-mail correspondence for this article.
• Author Greg MacArthur writes to decipher life, as a kind of therapy DAWSON CITY Greg MacArthur describes the writing life as a kind of personal therapy.
• Reading opened path to Frank Clifford's writing career DAWSON CITY Like many a writer, Frank Clifford found that reading was one of the gateways to his chosen profession.
• School savours annual bison feast The Elijah Smith Elementary School will tuck into its annual bison feast Thursday evening.
• Yep, we have a serious problem' The sudden disappearance of northern pike from Watson Lake remains a mystery, says a fishery technician with the Department of the Environment. 'It's wierd,' Aaron Foos said simply, summing up how the namesake of the community went from a destination for anglers in search of trophy pike to a lake without a trace of a single pike in one year.
• Second-degree murder charge laid after man shot in Watson Lake cabin A Watson Lake man is accused of murder after another local resident was shot in a cabin northwest of town.
• Jenkins, Duncan disagree on debt to Dawson City While the government points out money is owed to Dawson City by the recently-deposed mayor, the Liberals noted a debt to the town by its MLA Tuesday.
• Park owner eyes expansion Whitehorse Savings, which owns the Lobird Trailer Park, is continuing to expand its property.
• Justice department lambasted by chief judge The top territorial court judge has accused the Justice department of 'total indifference' to the mentally ill people in its care at the Yukon jail.
• Minister muzzled as controversy rages The NDP is wondering why the Yukon Party is muzzling Justice Minister Elaine Taylor on a justice issue.
• Rotary Centennial Bridge campaign starts The Rotary Clubs of Whitehorse are inviting Yukon businesses and individuals to help build the Rotary Centennial Bridge by 'purchasing a plank.'
• Corner devices would help visually-impaired walkers Crossing the street in Whitehorse isn't an easy task if you're blind or visually impaired.
• Transportation study sets out top concerns Eighteen months after work began, city council is being asked to adopt the transportation study it hired UMA Consulting of Victoria to do.
• Suspense the theme in theatre company's plans Landmark Cinema's chief operating officer is remaining quiet about why no work has been done on its proposed site for a 22,000-square-foot, six-screen cinema which had originally been due to open last December.
• Francophone centre looks to expand The Franco-Yukonnaise Centre could be getting bigger if city council permits an encroachment agreement to go ahead for the Strickland Street building.
• Group cannot intervene in appeal of Morris case An Edmonton-based group fighting for aboriginal women's rights has been denied intervenor status in the appeal of Daniel Morris' sentence.

April 20, 2004

• Hospital, staff headed to conciliation Whitehorse General Hospital and its staff are heading to conciliation after the workers rejected the employer's most recent contract offer.
• Tactical unit sent to Watson The Yukon RCMP's tactical unit has been deployed to the Watson Lake area today after a report of a shooting.
• Psych assessment contracts verbal, not written YTG The Yukon government wasn't able to file with the court the written contracts between itself and Outside forensic psychiatry facilities because there are none on paper.
• Transit group queries Outside conciliator The city might be doing public consultation on transit, but the Transit Improvement Committee has been left wondering why the city is using a conciliator from Outside for the initiative.
• Minister told to legally justify firings The NDP wonders if the Yukon government obeyed the law in firing Dawson City's mayor and council.
• This week celebrates volunteers People from across the Yukon are being asked to share stories of kindness and generosity as part of National Volunteer Week, April 18-24.
• Show a smash hit even without Williams With a sold-out house and then some, the F.H. Collins Secondary School grads' annual fashion show was a theatrical and financial success without Robin Williams.
• Grand chief named to communities committee Ed Schultz, the grand chief of the Council of Yukon First Nations, has been named a member of the External Advisory Committee on Cities and Communities.
• Drinking and Driving now illegal As of 4:55 p.m. Thursday, it was illegal to drink liquor in moving motor vehicles in the Yukon.