‘Clean Air Fairbanks’ is an informal effort of people trying to raise awareness about the pollution problem and oppose Proposition A, said Sylvia Schultz, a local mom.
She said they have spent no money, but have invested time in trying to understand the issues.
The Woodriver site was chosen for a gathering in part because that is one of the neighborhoods where wood smoke pollution has become a major winter concern, she said, adding that this is not a school district event. She said the public is welcome to attend.
Schultz said the borough rules, approved by the assembly earlier this year, are a reasonable way of dealing with those who create a nuisance.
She said she is concerned about the health effects of wood smoke when people don’t act responsibly and worried about the potential impact on the economy if Proposition A is approved.
She started a website, http://cleanair fairbanks.wordpress.com, to post information on the issue.
The Woodriver PTA called this week for a “no” vote on Proposition A, saying the outdoor wood boilers near the school have led to “a drastic and well-documented increase in hazardous air quality at our school.”
“In the past two years, the school nurse documented an increased number of children suffering from burning eyes, asthma, and respiratory disorders. Children remained indoors for recess on many occasions because the air quality was so poor,” the PTA said.
“Despite numerous complaints from concerned parents, the borough has been powerless to stop the noxious substances spewing from a few chimneys. The recently implemented fine system appears to be the only mechanism that currently exists to motivate people to improve the situation,” the PTA said.
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OCTOBER SURPRISE? There is no snow in the 7-day forecast yet, but the first snow that sticks for the winter is usually on the ground by Oct. 18.
The National Weather Service said that while it was a sunny and dry September with 15 clear days and 19 days with temperatures of 60 or warmer, we also had one stretch where it was cold.
The temperature hit 1 below at Goldstream Creek and 3 above at Eielson Air Force Base, the lowest September temperature at Eielson in more than 70 years of recordkeeping.
The first frost of the year at the airport was Sept. 22, the fifth-longest growing season in Fairbanks history.
In October, as daylight diminishes, the average high temperature usually drops from 44 on the first day of the month, to 20 on Halloween. The average low on Halloween is 4 above.
“The average snowfall is 12.3 inches,” writes Rick Thoman, “though in recent years totals have frequently been much less.”
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KEEPING RECORDS: Fans of vinyl records plan to gather at Wood Center today from 5-10 p.m. as a variety of vendors have about 10,000 records for sale.
Vinyl records, for those of you who don’t know, require a record player.
Those who listen with care say a vinyl record on a good turntable will produce sound that in some ways is superior to a CD because it is not transformed to a digital sound.
A good turntable is one that does not require the listener to place a dime on the arm of the record player to keep the record from skipping.
For more information, call Glenn at 699-9737.
Dermot Cole can be reached at cole@newsminer.com or
459-7530.
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