- 1991

A five-year killing spree over several states ended in March when Juneau police arrested a former Oregon truck driver, 28-year-old John Fautenberry, after receiving a tip from Oregon authorities.  However, it was too late for a Greens Creek miner who was robbed and stabbed to death in his Mendenhall apartment by the murderer.  Charged with robbery, murder, theft, and credit card fraud, Fautenberry was sentenced to 99 years without parole, in addition to awaiting trial for murder in Ohio, with a possible death penalty outcome.

The Juneau mining scene faced new uncertainties when low silver prices forced cutbacks in employment and outlays for the Greens Creek Mine.  Starting in April some employees found themselves with a 25 percent pay cut with reduced hours and elimination of some commuting subsidies previously a part of their benefits.  Meanwhile, the proposed gold mine openings for the Kensington venture at Berners Bay and Echo Bay’s AJ mine re-opening downtown continued to face scrutiny by government agencies and the public vis a vis lengthy permitting processes required prior to operation.  Draft Environment Impact Statements (DEIS) were in process for both groups and municipal authorities were beginning their own reviews of the projects for local permits.  Public debate continued to weigh the balance between economic benefits and social and environmental impacts of the projects.

Public debate was also very heated on a school board proposal in April to open an after-hours health clinic at the high school.  Issues of health care, education, and morality drew fierce charges during public testimony, particularly in regards to birth control and abortion counseling.  The school board defeated the proposal in September in a close decision.  Planning for a new middle school in the Lemon Creek area also faced several unexpected obstacles.  The proposed site behind the Switzer Creek trailer park was declared to be a protected wetlands by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in March, causing an additional outlay of over half a million dollars to do additional assessment and planning and at least a six-month delay before the necessary permit was granted.  The total cost appeared to be several million dollars greater than the $18.6 million bond issue approved by voters, so the school board hoped to get special appropriation from the legislature to begin construction on the facility which was targeted to open in fall 1994.

During the 4th of July week, Juneauites were encouraged to visit a special traveling display featuring an original copy of the nation’s Bill of Rights from the Virginia state archives, one of 15 originally made.  The exhibit was on a 50 state tour and used state-of-the-art technology to illustrate principles of the bill and celebrate the 200th anniversary of its signing.

The CBJ assembly approved an ordinance January 7 to allow qualified non-profit organizations to be exempted from borough property taxes.  DIPAC, the private non-profit salmon hatchery, was one of the first beneficiaries of the change, as its director stated that without the exemption, they would have had to borrow to pay those taxes, but emphasized that once they “get on their feet” financially, they would be willing to “pay our share” to the community. The city library, responding to the rapidly expanding computer age, introduced an electronic bulletin board, from which library patrons could check out over 2,800 software programs which they could then download for personal use on their own computers for free or a nominal rate.

Both Juneau police and local state troopers received video cameras in December donated by a national insurance company and the MADD organization – Mothers Against Drunk Driving – as part of a nationwide effort to reduce drunk driving.  Suspected drunk drivers stopped by enforcement officers would be video-taped to help provide better evidence for court cases, and having the cameras in patrol cars hopefully would also serve as a deterrent to drinking and driving when the public realized their chances of convictions would be much enhanced with that kind of evidence.

Police and state Fish & Game personal also faced another perennial problem: bears. By the end of October, 15 black bears had been destroyed as garbage nuisances and six others killed in car accidents; 24 were given free rides out of town, but several returned; two people were injured during a surprise bear encounter in the Lemon Creek area; one orphaned bear cub wandered into Bartlett Memorial Hospital and was shipped to a South Dakota animal park while another cub was given to a Russian town.

Juneau consumers were encouraged by several developments to provide savings in a few of their personal budget items, at least for a while.  Cable activists prevailed in a protracted move to get cable television service rates reduced to more reasonable fees.  In July, the Alaska Public Utilities Commission ordered Cooke CableVision to reduce its installation charges by almost 90 percent, prompting a rush by residents to hook up and enjoy their monthly $5 monthly viewing rate.  Air travelers benefitted from a rate war when Anchorage-based Mark Air entered the Juneau market in November to compete against Alaska and Delta airlines.  For several weeks, travelers could get Juneau-Seattle round-trip tickets for $200, half price of the lowest discounted tickets at the time.

show less