In gear
Wire Communications Inc. has opened a Fairbanks office at 611 30th Ave. The telephone number is 907-451-9473, and the fax number is 907-451-9476. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. The Alaska-owned and operated electrical company also provides cabling and interconnect business telephone systems and services. Mark Johnson has been hired to manage the Fairbanks operations. Johnson most recently worked as business manager for the Prince William Sound Community College in Valdez.
Kudos
Pat Riley of Anchorage's Rain Proof Roofing was presented the Hard Hat Award for 2000 at the recent annual meeting of Associated General Contractors of Alaska. Other award winners included: supplier of the year, Mark Houle, Spenard Builders Supply; subcontractor of the year, Hardrives Inc., Anchorage; volunteer of the year, Dave Argetsinger, Argetsinger & Kulawik, Anchorage; and associate of the year, Aurora Construction Supply Inc., Anchorage. Excellence in Construction awards were presented to Unit Co., Alcan General Inc., Kiewit Construction Co., Kiewit Pacific Co. and Fike Brothers.
The Anchorage Home Builders Association recently presented its 2000 New Construction Real Estate Agent/Broker Awards. Recipients were Prudential Vista Real Estate for new construction brokerage of the year in the more than 50 agents category; Prudential Vista Real Estate Eagle River for new construction brokerage of the year in the under 50 agents category; Kirk Moses of Prudential Vista Real Estate as overall new construction agent of the year; Ev Honneger of Prudential Vista as overall selling agent; Nancy Held of Century 21 Buyers Best Choice as buyers' agent; and Keith Facer of Prudential Jack White as rookie of the year.
DAT/EM Systems International has received a Top Ten award for its user-friendly and informative Web site from Tenlinks.com, an online directory that catalogs and ranks more than 10,000 sites in more than 400 subjects. The company Web site, (www.datem.com), will be featured on the top 10 list for AutoCAD add-ons in the mapping and geographic information systems section within the Tenlinks Web directory.
The Alaska State Fair received six awards from the International Association of Fairs and Expositions at its recent annual convention in Las Vegas. The Alaska State Fair, competing against 760 fairs and expositions of all sizes from the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, received the Hall of Honor Communications Best of Show Award for marketing and communications excellence. In its size category of fairs with 250,000 to 500,000 people attending, the fair received Hall of Honor Communications Awards for best color newspaper ad; multipage publication; brochure/flyer; advertising specialties/merchandise and media guide/press kits.
Global Finance magazine ranked Wells Fargo the "safest bank" in North America in its November issue. The ranking was based upon long-term certificates of deposit ratings from the world's three major rating agencies: Fitch IBCA, Moody's and Standard & Poor's. National Bank of Alaska, a part of Wells Fargo & Co., will change its name and convert its computer systems to Wells Fargo late in the second quarter of 2001.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will name its next fisheries research vessel after Alaskan Oscar Dyson and homeport it in his home town of Kodiak. Dyson, who was dedicated to managing and improving the fishing industry, worked in the industry for a half century and served on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council for nine years. Dyson died in October 1995. The new vessel to be named for Dyson will be capable of supporting resource surveys and accommodating new technologies.
Sundries
Alaska Housing Finance Corp.'s board of directors has approved two loans totaling $29,670,000 for multi-family housing under AHFC's Multi-Family, Congregate and Special Needs Loan Program. The first loan for $11,870,000 will provide long-term financing for the acquisition and rehabilitation of 406 units at 905 Richardson Vista Road. A second loan for $17,800,000 to Highlands Luxury Apartments LLC will provide financing for a newly constructed 180-unit apartment complex at East 56th Avenue and Petersburg Street.
The Smithsonian Institution's Arctic Studies Center has received a $408,000 grant for collaborative research with Alaska Native elders. The project, undertaken in partnership with the Anchorage Museum and funded by the Rasmuson Foundation, Phillips Alaska Inc. and the Museum Loan Network, will lead to future exhibitions and an educational Web site.
