03/20/2012 01:00 PM Senate TRANSPORTATION

                 HB 246-NAMING CERTAIN BRIDGES                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:03:47 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR KOOKESH announced that the  first bill before the committee                                                               
would be CSHB 246(FIN).                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
RACHEL  KALLANDER, Staff,  Representative Bill  Thomas, explained                                                               
HB 246  on behalf  of the  sponsor. The  bill would  name fifteen                                                               
bridges and two airports after  prominent Alaskans. She read from                                                               
the following sponsor statement:                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Cordova is located in the Copper River Valley and its                                                                      
     residents have a strong sense of duty, duty to country                                                                     
     and duty to their people. It is that sense of duty                                                                         
     that has spurred the people of Cordova to serve in                                                                         
     every major war of the 20th century. It is also that                                                                       
     sense of duty that compelled an Eyak elder to nearly                                                                       
     singlehandedly preserve the Eyak language for future                                                                       
     generations. It is also this sense of duty that                                                                            
     prompted the City of Cordova to ask the state to name                                                                      
     15 of its unnamed Cordova-area bridges after some of                                                                       
     their finest residents.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     In honor of the brave young men who served and made                                                                        
     the ultimate sacrifice for their country, the City of                                                                      
     Cordova has requested that 14 of their unnamed bridges                                                                     
     be named for each of the sons that they have lost.                                                                         
     They are:                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     World War I                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     James Bennet                                                                                                               
     William M. Jones                                                                                                           
     Steve Green                                                                                                                
     Lucian Platt                                                                                                               
     Matthew Anderson                                                                                                           
     W.H. Mumby                                                                                                                 
     John W. Jones                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     World War II                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Patrick B. Burchett                                                                                                        
     Norman D. Osbourne                                                                                                         
     Leonard F. Olson                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Vietnam                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     David Henry Elisovsky                                                                                                      
     David Allen Lape                                                                                                           
     Warren Allen Paulsen                                                                                                       
     Michael Dean Banta                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     The City of Cordova has also requested that the bridge                                                                     
     over the Eyak River be named after Marie Smith Jones.                                                                      
     Marie Smith Jones was an Eyak elder who worked                                                                             
     tirelessly to preserve the Eyak language. She left                                                                         
     behind one of the most comprehensive records of any                                                                        
     aboriginal language that exists today.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:05:56 PM                                                                                                                    
CYNTHIA  ERICKSON,  staff,  Representative Alan  Dick,  presented                                                               
information related to HB 246.  She related information about the                                                               
Koyukuk  Station  Veterans'  Airport   and  the  Minto-Al  Wright                                                               
Airport.  The  Koyukuk Airport  is  located  on the  Yukon  River                                                             
thirty miles  west of  Galena and 290  air miles  from Fairbanks.                                                               
The   original  village   of  Koyukuk,   primarily  all   Koyukon                                                               
Athabascan Indians,  was established around  1867. It used  to be                                                               
called  Koyukuk Station,  because a  military telegraph  line was                                                               
constructed  along  the North  side  of  the Yukon,  and  Koyukuk                                                               
became the site of the  telegraph station. In naming the airport,                                                               
the  residents  also  wish  to honor  the  many  Native  military                                                               
veterans who have served their country.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
She related  that the Minto-Al  Wright Airport is named  after an                                                               
Athabascan aviator  born in 1925  and raised in the  Minto Flats.                                                               
Al Wright  joined the  army and  afterwards obtained  his pilot's                                                               
license with the G.I. Bill.  She related her experience last year                                                               
interviewing Al Wright who is 86 and still flying.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:08:27 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR KOOKESH asked if there was any opposition to the bill.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MS. KALLANDER said no.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
JERRY MCCUNE,  President, Cordova Fishermen United,  testified in                                                               
support of HB  246. He called the legislation a  good approach to                                                               
honor fallen veterans and Ms. Jones.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR KOOKESH closed public testimony.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:09:55 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  MENARD  moved  to  report  CSHB  246,  version  M,  from                                                               
committee  with  individual   recommendations  and  the  attached                                                               
fiscal note.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KOOKESH announced  that without  objection, CSSB  246(FIN)                                                               
was reported from the Senate Transportation Standing Committee.