Alaska Digest for 3/3/11

Temperatures across the Anchorage map are, well, all over the map - if you get my drift. It's 21 degrees at the airport. My house, some 7 miles away (as the eagles fly) showed 1.4 degrees this morning, and it's below zero in a few spots.

The good news is that it will be sunny & 27 again today, as we're in a rut - a good rut - these days. However, Mr. Accu-Oops says we could see 50 to 60 mph wind gusts this afternoon.

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A Little More Excitement Dept: Since yesterday's moose encounter (here) apparently wasn't enough excitement for our parking lot, we had a truck explosion this morning. I was a firefighter, and have seen cars burst into flame on many occasions. It's almost always with a whoosh as the flames suddenly expand. This one actually went boom.

Bad cell phone picture, taken toward the end of the event.

The flames & heat partially melted the rims & tires on the car to the right of the truck, as seen here.

The truck's a total loss and the car cannot be driven, but here's what you need to know about Alaskans. While the owner was taking pictures (after the fire was out), two people walked up and offered their car keys so the two affected drivers could get home. And no, neither works with them.

I love Alaska.

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Mixed Results Dept: According to the Daily News:

Reported crimes in Anchorage fell in five key categories last year, including murder, forcible rape and burglary, according to data reported to the FBI by the Anchorage Police Department.

At the same time, reports of larceny and aggravated assault increased in 2010.

It is interesting to note that gang-related crime, a major concern in recent years, is suddenly either way down, or isn't being reported by the talking heads in local media.  

Read more at the link.

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Anticipation Dept: With the ceremonial start of the Iditarod only some 48 hours away, racing fever is growing. The vets have given the dogs one last pre-race checkup, yesterday, and now the final meetings & the mushers' banquet remain.

The downtown start will be 10 a.m. Saturday. Mush!

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On-Again, Off-Again Dept: A few years ago, the Mat-Su Borough and assorted State departments approved the construction of a new mega-prison in the boonies. (Because that borough is over 20,000 square miles, there are a lot of boonies. It's the size of West Virginia. Just sayin'.)

At more than 1,500 beds, the Goose Creek Correctional Center will be Alaska's biggest prison by far. If and when it opens, the state expects to bring home some 1,000 inmates now housed in a Colorado private prison and relieve crowding in regional prisons around the state. Goose Creek is about 80 percent complete and expected to ramp up gradually starting in March 2012.

(Read more at the link, if you wish.) Now, however, at least one State legislator is questioning the cost of operating the facility, and wondering aloud whether it would be best not to complete it.

Perhaps it's a symptom of being a relatively young state, but I notice Alaska has a history of diving into HUGE projects, and only questioning the cost when the things are finished ... or nearly finished.

As example, one of Anchorage's largest church buildings was erected by the city as a cannery, on spec - and then put on the market. It sat vacant for years. Finally, they sold it to the church for a tiny fraction of its original cost.