News briefs
Valdez Star photo
UAA Chancellor Tom Case visited PWSCC Tuesday, meeting with staff, students and the public to discuss future developments at the college.
UAA Chancellor visits PWSCC
Valdez Star photo
Ronnie Houchin and Dawson Moore from Prince William Sound Community College jokingly try to enter the “Old Rexall Building” on Fairbanks Dr, where the college says it will temporarily move its Wellness Center. Wendy Goldstein said the move will occur the week of April 23-27, with a hopeful reopen date of Friday, April 27. The temporary move is needed because its current location is slated to receive a huge makeover, including the addition of a second story.
Tom Case, Chancellor of UAA, visited Prince William Sound Community College last week and promised “significant community input,” in the university’s quest to hire a new president of the school after it abruptly dismissed Doug Desorcie from the post earlier this year. The statement came during a poorly attended public meeting at the college Tuesday, April 10. Case said UAA is in the process of hiring several other top posts in the university system and expects the process for the PWSCC presidency to take up to a year. Wes Lundberg, the school’s dean, was named as acting president after Desorcie’s dismissal. In further news, the college announced it hired Jed Palmer as interim dean of instruction. Palmer is the current curriculum coordinator for Chugachmiut and former principal of Tatitlek School. He will begin work at PWSCC Monday, April 24.
Valdez may get new senator
Valdez and the proposed new District 6, which includes Chickaloon in the Mat-Su Borough, will have an open senate seat up for grabs if the new voting map submitted by the Alaska Redistricting Board passes court scrutiny. Rep. Eric Feige will still represent Valdez in the legislature.
“We will have an open senate seat,” Sheri Pierce, city clerk and top Valdez election official, said Monday night during the Valdez City Council meeting.
The new maps must pass the scrutiny of the state’s Supreme Court and then a review by the Dept. of Justice. Candidates for statewide office and election officials are hoping the process will be completed before June 1, the deadline to file the needed paperwork to run for either the House of Representatives or the Senate.