Looking back in Fairbanks — May 15
Published Thursday, May 15, 2008
10 YEARS AGO
May 15, 1998 — It’s not exactly a room with a view, but considering the option, inmates aren’t completely unhappy with the new living quarters at Fairbanks Correctional Center. “We need some Hawaiian Tropic,” one inmate said jokingly. He and 27 other inmates moved into a tan-colored 20-by-60 tent, raised Monday at the back of the prison. Rows of bunk beds line the tent. The air is noticeably stuffy near the middle. “There’s no running water in here,” said tent resident William Biederman, who has completed a felony sentence and is serving time for a misdemeanor offense. “This is Third World. We’re living like villagers. We broke the law, but we’re not supposed to be housed like this.”
25 YEARS AGO
May 15, 1983 — Firefighters dread alarms at large buildings in downtown Fairbanks. In particular, they worry about fires at the Northward Building and the Polaris Building. The two structures were built in the 1950s, before building codes requiring sprinkler systems and self-closing doors were in effect. The Northward Building has a ceiling sprinkler system in the basement and the first two floors. The Polaris has sprinklers only on the ground level and first floor. “Both are very hard for a small fire department, because it takes a lot of people to fight fire in a large building,” Assistant Fire Chief Jay Morris said. A deliberately set fire swept through the top floor of the Northward Building on Wednesday, injuring three people.
50 YEARS AGO
May 15, 1958 — Two tots, 4 and 5 years old, apparently wreaked havoc yesterday afternoon by setting fire to a trailer and attached wanigan at 12 Mile Richardson Highway, according to Territorial Police. Police said they were called at 12:20 p.m. when the North Pole Fire Department found itself unable to control the flames that engulfed the mobile housing unit of Raymond Shore and his wife. Con Miller of North Pole had discovered and reported the fire, which caused an estimated $1,000 in damages, including the furniture still in the unit.
75 YEARS AGO
May 15, 1933 — Col. O.F. Ohlson, general manager of the Alaska Railroad, who spent several weeks in Washington on government railroad business, arrived in Fairbanks yesterday afternoon and left early this morning for Nenana. Accompanying Ohlson was Harold W. Snell, freight and passenger agent of the Alaska Railroad, with headquarters in Chicago. Snell has taken the place of G.P. Dickens, who has been assigned to handle Alaska exhibits at the 20th Century Progress Expedition in Chicago.
Community Discussion
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The Polaris sprinkler system, HA! Just a couple years ago (2001)after the Polaris was closed, the building was still hooked onto the utilidor (?spelling) using steam to heat the building. When the heat was shut off NO ONE thought about the sprinkler system! Golden Heart knew that they had a leak somewhere in town but they could not figure out where the leak was for a week. It took the water pouring out the front door onto the street for them to figure out where it was. Makes me think that they should have installed the sprinkler on the top floor and let it run through the whole building, maybe we wouldnt have this eye sore sitting empty today, it would have burnt down already!
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