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FAIRBANKS -- If you live in the Steese or North Star fire service areas, check with your insurance company to see if you have a rate decline coming.

The ISO fire ratings for both areas are improving. ISO rates fire protection on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being exemplary.

Most of North Star is moving Jan. 1 from 8B to 4, which is the level that Lakloey Hill has long enjoyed because of its hydrants. The Steese area is changing Dec.1 from an 8B to a 5.

Micheline Patterson of Ken Murray Insurance said, “We have seen some pretty nice refunds being issued to clients with the new protection class change, a little extra money for Christmas.”

“Some even call to make sure the refund is really theirs,” she said.

Not all insurance companies set their rates based on the ISO ratings. For instance, State Farm uses its own loss records as a measure of insurance risk and classifies areas by Zip codes.

Patterson said some insurance companies won’t change their rates until the policies are renewed, while others are making the change and issuing refunds.

“It is a good idea to call your insurance agent no matter where you live. The Chena-Goldstream Fire Department and Ester fire departments have been re-classified and if the homeowner did not call their agent and advise them of the change they may still be paying the higher rate,” she said.

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STILL GOING: A reader called to say that the Japanese man who is walking and pulling a small trailer that looks like an outhouse made it to Eielson Air Force Base on Sunday. I’ve been told that the man intends to walk to the North Slope.

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CELL TOWER: The borough is late in drafting rules on regulating the placement of cell phone towers, but it is slowly moving in that direction. The details have yet to emerge.

Meanwhile, the borough has no business approving the cell phone tower that was put up in the Birch Hill Cemetery. The city and borough mayors need to speak up.

Why?

When the city gave away the cemetery, it included a stipulation that the land was to be used for cemetery purposes.

A cell phone tower does not fit within that description.

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ROVE ON PALIN: GOP strategist Karl Rove writes in Newsweek about how the party will find its future leaders.

“Republicans believe in markets, so why not let the marketplace of ideas, performance and persuasion naturally winnow the field? Gov. Sarah Palin will be held to a higher standard than she was during her nine-week vice presidential campaign; voters want to see if she can improve her game. She’s smart, but it’s unclear she can attract to Alaska advisers who will make her into a durable player on the national scene,” said Rove, the former adviser to President George W. Bush.

He said that Palin and others who may be interested in running for president should be active in the 2010 elections and help rebuild the party.

The challenge for Palin will be how she can do that and focus on her job in Alaska, where growing financial problems will require a full-time governor.

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PAY RATES: The matter of having public officials decide how much to pay themselves and those who follow in office is always a dicey matter.

To provide one degree of separation, the Legislature brought back a panel to consider the right pay rates.

The governor named former Sen. Mike Miller of North Pole to the new State Officers Compensation Commission.

The others on that group include former Sen. Rick Halford, public policy analyst Gordon Harrison, Kenai City Manager Rick R. Koch and Anchorage businessman Tom McGrath.

The Legislature created the group earlier this year to review pay for top state officials, including the governor and legislators. The group would recommend changes that would take effect unless the Legislature rejects them.

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BALLOT COUNT: There are 52 ballots to be counted this week as part of the final tally in District 7, but only 49 of the voters are eligible to vote in the House race between Rep. Mike Kelly and Karl Kassel, according to Shelly Growden of the state elections office.

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LIONS SHARE: With the Borough Assembly’s approval, the Lions are moving to get a plaque in place, since the pavilion at the Fairbanks Lions Recreation Area is now named after Clarence Beers and Bill Zimmer, says Lion Jim Matthews.

If you have a column suggestion or a comment, contact me at cole@newsminer.com or 459-7530.