The Lumberjack - Issue 8 - Fall 2013

Page 1

LUMBERJACK The

JackCentral.com

NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT

INSIDE A&E: Costume fashion show p. 30 News: Gov. shutdown in Flagstaff p. 11 Sports: Volleyball p. 22

VOICE SINCE 1914 • VOL 100 • ISSUE EIGHT • OCT. 10 - OCT. 16, 2013

BIA FINED FOR NEGLECTING DRINKING WATER STANDARDS

T

TOP: After the Oct. 5 scrimmage, Suns forward Channing Frye signs autographs for a young Suns fan. Once the scrimmage ended, the team did a 30-minute autograph signing for their fans at the Walkup Skydome. BELOW: Suns Head Coach Jeff Hornacek talks to the media about the team following the scrimmage. (Photos by AJ Jeske)

Suns reconnect with community following nine-year absence

T

BY MAX COHEN

he Phoenix Suns training camp has returned to the city of Flagstaff from Sept. 30 to Oct. 5. This is the first time since 2004 Flagstaff has held this distinction. “We were obviously humbled and excited and welcome them with open arms,” said NAU vice president for Intercollegiate Athletics, Lisa Campos. “We have a tradition and a history with the Phoenix Suns, so to have them back on campus is just great exposure, not only for Flagstaff, but for the university.” According to Campos, NAU was an ideal location for athletes to train due to the high altitude and the facilities. Numerous world-class athletes, includ-

BY WILLIAM BROWN

he Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently fined the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) $136,000 for neglecting water safety standards on the Hopi reservation. The BIA was fined specifically for allowing the arsenic levels in the drinking water, which is supplied by their facility in Keams Canyon, to exceed safe standards and not properly monitoring or arsenic and other compounds. The fine is in addition to an order issued to the BIA in 2011, after which the BIA spent nearly $1 million installing an arsenic treatment system. Howard Shanker, a lawyer who often works with Native American tribes and specializes in water issues, said he is pleased by the EPA’s action. “I think it’s good that the EPA is holding the BIA accountable to be providing clean drinking water for Hopi,” Shanker said. “It’s nice that the BIA can’t get away with violating drinking water standards just because it’s a federal agency.” Lionel Puhuyesva, director of water resources for the Hopi reservation, said he thinks the action the EPA has taken gives the tribe an edge for the future. “I believe that [the fine] put us at more of a level where people can see that this is a serious issue and there are penalties for not being in compliance with it,” Puhuyesva said. Arsenic is naturally occurring, but less than ten micrograms per liter is allowed in drinking water. Long-

ing Olympic swimmers, cyclists and runners, have been drawn to Flagstaff for this very reason. “There has been quite a long history in Flagstaff of elite athletes coming up to our elevation to do training and incorporate that high-altitude training into their regimens,” said Joanne Hudson, public relations specialist with the City of Flagstaff Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Athletes just find that coming to Flagstaff, where you have the elevation and you have people who live here and are experts on training here to work with, is just a great benefit for them.” The support of the fans and the local community may have helped be a service to the team, which looks to surpass last season’s record of 25-57. “Whether it’s the Olympians [or] whether it’s

see HOPI page 6

[a] professional team, such as the Phoenix Suns, the northern Arizona and Flagstaff community really embraces all this diversity that we were able to offer to folks to come train,” Campos said. The Suns have a long history of training at the Mountain Campus. The first training camp hosted by the city of Flagstaff took place in 1986. This was the training camp where Jeff Hornacek, the current head coach for the Phoenix Suns, and assistant coaches Kenny Gattison and Mark West trained when they were members of the NAU team. Campos started talks a few months ago to bring the Suns back to Flagstaff. “We have a lot of contacts, mutual contacts besee SUNS page 9

Go to Jackcentral.com for daily updates, multimedia packages, extra content and stories before the issue hits the stands.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.