04/01/2008 01:30 PM House FINANCE

SENATE BILL NO. 158                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     An  Act  designating the  bridge  on  the George  Parks                                                                    
     Highway directly  north of the Alaska  Native Veterans'                                                                    
     Honor  Bridge  as   the  Shirley  Demientieff  Memorial                                                                    
     Bridge.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:51:32 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR   ALBERT   KOOKESH,   SPONSOR,   described   Shirley                                                                    
Demientieff  as instrumental  in  the naming  of the  Alaska                                                                    
Native  Veterans' Honor  Bridge which  goes over  the Tanana                                                                    
River  next to  Nenana.  That bridge  spans  the river  from                                                                    
Nenana to  an island.  Another, smaller  bridge goes  over a                                                                    
slough from the  island to the north side of  the river. The                                                                    
legislation  would  designate  the smaller  portion  of  the                                                                    
bridge as the Shirley Demientieff Memorial Bridge.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Senator   Kookesh  called   Shirley  Demientieff   a  strong                                                                    
supporter of  veterans. Shortly  after she  successfully led                                                                    
the campaign  to name  the Veterans'  Honor Bridge,  she was                                                                    
diagnosed  with cancer  and died.  The Fairbanks  Daily News                                                                    
labeled  Shirley  Demientieff  as   a  bridge  between  many                                                                    
troubled lives." The Sponsor thought  it appropriate to name                                                                    
the  north section  of  the  bridge after  her.  She was  in                                                                    
charge of a  search and recovery team and  her intention was                                                                    
to  work to  recover  the body  when a  person  died on  the                                                                    
river.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Senator Kookesh  explained that the  fiscal note  for $7,500                                                                    
was for signs on and around the bridge.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:55:31 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Meyer acknowledged  the  fact that  this bill  was                                                                    
Senator  Kookesh's  first and  only  bill  in his  long  and                                                                    
successful career in the Legislature.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Representative Crawford voiced his support for the measure.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
JERRY   ISAAC,  TANANA   CHIEF  CONFERENCE   (testified  via                                                                    
teleconference), testified  in support of the  bill honoring                                                                    
the  life of  Shirley  Demientieff. He  described  her as  a                                                                    
person who  served and  cared for  others. The  Tanana Chief                                                                    
Conference   and  many   other  Native   organizations  have                                                                    
benefited from  her active  engagement and  participation in                                                                    
forums  focusing   on  improving  the  well   being  of  the                                                                    
communities. As an Indian  Welfare Specialist, she protected                                                                    
children  from harm  and helped  parents get  back on  their                                                                    
feet  and reunite  with their  children. She  found adoptive                                                                    
homes  for  Native  children   and  fostered  many  children                                                                    
herself. She  worked through  the Tribal  Enrollment Program                                                                    
to  connect long  lost descendants  with their  families and                                                                    
tribes. Her  voice and perspective helped  develop and guide                                                                    
new policies and services that  continue to benefit those in                                                                    
need. The  Tanana Chief Conference  joins the large  body of                                                                    
Alaskans throughout the  state to have been  touched by this                                                                    
strong, loving and caring  Athabascan woman: mother, sister,                                                                    
auntie,  friend  and  proponent for  those  who  had  little                                                                    
voice. She held a place in her heart for every Alaskan.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Issac proposed  that  it is  only  fitting that  Alaska                                                                    
retain a place for her above  the river of the interior, for                                                                    
that  is where  she lived  her life  of service.  She was  a                                                                    
loving  and compassionate  bridge that  connected people  to                                                                    
each other  and worked for  all Alaksans. The  Tanana Chiefs                                                                    
Conference respectfully  asked to unanimously move  the bill                                                                    
out of Committee and strongly support its passage.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:59:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
PUBLIC TESTIMONY CLOSED.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Meyer asked  where she  was from.  Senator Kookesh                                                                    
replied  that  the  Demientieff families  are  largely  from                                                                    
Nenana. She  spent her  last years  in Fairbanks  for cancer                                                                    
treatments.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Stoltze MOVED  to REPORT SB 158  out of Committee                                                                    
with individual recommendations and attached fiscal note.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SB  158 was  REPORTED  out  of Committee  with  a "do  pass"                                                                    
recommendation  and  with attached  fiscal  note  #2 by  the                                                                    
Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.