Alaska News

Letters to the editor (12/22/08)

Please leave Spenard Road alone

After reading the story on Spenard Road and then the editorial in Tuesday's paper I am astounded as to how out of touch your paper is with the people of Anchorage. Mr. Hunter must have spent a long time coming up with five people who are in favor. There is a petition signed by thousands of Spenard residents, employees and customers, as well as businesses who oppose this project.

I can't imagine how the Public Works Department can advocate for another three-lane project after the fiasco that was and is Arctic Boulevard. Is it that they know what is best for all of us because they work for the government? There must be some reason they are pushing ahead with the project. The only reasons I can think of are political and bureaucratic arrogance, neither of which are legitimate reasons to spend public money. Light poles in the middle of sidewalks? Who thought this up?

I live in the Spenard area. Those of us who work, play or travel through Spenard need to contact the municipality and tell them to leave the road alone. The rest of Anchorage needs to be aware the municipality intends to do this to a road near you soon. If we don't speak up now, the town will be in a self-imposed gridlock.

-- Lynn Brautigam

Anchorage

City bear cop won't solve problem

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Assemblyman Bill Starr is fanning the flames of a hot topic, getting prized front-page coverage, with his proposal to hire a city bear cop. Running for mayor, Starr?

It would be irresponsible for the Assembly to foster any false sense of security in Far North Bicentennial Park. Even a policy of zero tolerance for bears will not eliminate the risk of an encounter. People must take responsibility to educate themselves about bear behavior and be disciplined enough to put it to use, so they can participate in activities and manage risk at a level acceptable to them.

Kincaid Park can barely be called a city park, Bicentennial is definitely not! No one can expect to quietly run, ride, or walk up any of the Hillside trails in high grass any time, day or night, and not expect an encounter.

In the past 10 years, I have spent a great deal of time in Bicentennial and the evidence of bears and my encounters have not increased, just the public buzz. Yes, this summer had two sows with cubs that fished in the creek along Rovers Run and lower Spencer Loop trail.

Once the unacceptable behavior -- cubs running toward people -- was reported, the appropriate officials took appropriate action. Fish and Game loaded their 12-gauge.

-- Curtis Page

Anchorage

Don't take oil wealth for granted

I was glad to hear that the state Department of Natural Resources has offered a helpful suggestion to the three small oil companies attempting to drill in Cook Inlet. This is an apparent, and very welcome, about-face from DNR's recent decisions that do nothing but hinder oil development. Perhaps the cold cruel light of $30 oil will make them realize that this state can no longer take for granted the wealth that oil has provided.

-- Stephen Jones

Anchorage

Web site shuns negative input

Hmm ... the city has asked people who care about Spenard Road switching from four lanes to two lanes with a suicide lane in the middle to comment online at the zoning and planning section of the muni Web site.

I tried to provide input today and yesterday but the system is "down." They must not have liked what they were reading.

-- Dick Wright

Anchorage

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