Local News
National Parks to Remain Closed Through Shutdown
Washington, D.C. (AP) & Anbara Times - The shutdown of all “non-essential” government agencies has taken its toll on the National Park Service and Anbara’s two national parks. Effective Monday morning Old Volcano National Park on Asuncion Island and Magdalena Ridge National Park on Isladoro will be closed to the public. In Old Volcano National Park, highway 220 between Pershing and Murphy Falls will be closed to thru traffic until the park reopens. Volcano City residents have limited access to the highway. Ansel Adams Memorial Parkway/Interstate 15, which runs through Magdalena Ridge National Park, will remain open to the public, but Highway 101 will be closed until the park opens. Land’s End residents will have limited local access to the highway. Highway 102 to Gabriela Lake and Tupereau Falls is also open to local access only.
Simmonds to Get Mall of America II?
Simmonds, January 5 - The recently closed Nordstrom Municipal Airport has been chosen as one of three possible sites for a new supermall to be developed by the owners of the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. Fahrzi Development, who own and operate the Mall of America and West Edmonton Mall, in Edmonton, Ontario, made the announcement today from its headquarters in Toronto. San Bernardino, California and Tempe, Arizona are also semi-finalists for the proposed mall. The airport site, which has remained relatively unused since the airport closed to international air traffic in 1994 with the opening of Nord-Far International Airport, has been for sale since the fall of 1995. The 30,000 acre site is located just 12 miles from downtown Nordstrom and 2 miles from the Asuncion Strait is considered one of the island’s most lucrative development sites. Touted as the “Mall of the Pacific,” the proposed mall would be the second largest in the United States with over 700 stores in a single building covering a space of over 1.1 million square feet. La Grande County, which owns the property, has offered to sell the property to Fahzri at a discounted price in exchange for a commitment to aiding the state’s economy. Fahzri announced that it would make announce the finalist on March 31.
Island’s First Subway Line to Be Dedicated April 14
Nordstrom, March 10 - Nordstrom mayor John Sonneholm announced the completion of the first portion of a subway line linking Spiral Center and downtown Nordstrom to the State Fairgrounds and Baker Street. Final preparations are now being made to ensure that the line is operational in time for an April 14 dedication ceremony. Normal usage of the Subway will begin Monday, April 15. Sonneholm and Governor Molly Dunn will preside over the public dedication. The $25 million project constructed by Faulkner-Cruz and Metro of Switzerland is part of an ambitious plan to link the state’s four largest metropolitan areas by rail. The new east-west Red Line subway is one of two subways currently being built in the Victory City. The Red Line begins downtown on the corner of 3rd S. and Stanley AF and terminates at the Baker Street Market. Stations to open April 15 include Stanley, Calderon BB and 8th S., Dominica BX and 14th S., Prather Central at Miller CI and 35th S., Jungle Lake at Caraveschi DL and 42nd S., Free Lake Park/State Stadium at Lakeview Blvd. SW and Hamilton S., and Fairgrounds/Baker Street at Lakeview Blvd. SW and Simmonds Ave. During non-event days the State Fairgrounds will offer $5 commuter and carpool parking for downtown commuters. The Red Line will eventually extend west to the Nord-Far International Airport terminus and connect with a commuter train linking the airport with downtown Farret. Plans are currently being finalized to extend the Red Line east across the strait to Queensbury and San Telos in conjunction with the restructuring of the Nordstrom-Queensbury Bridge. A second Blue Line is scheduled to be partially open by May of 1997. The north-south line will eventually link the Municipal Ferry Terminal in Hilander with downtown Nagocia and the Mission Forts. The first phase of the Blue Line will open between The Palisades, Spiral Center the Nordstrom Zoological Gardens and Nordstrom Municipal Airport, the proposed site of the Mall of the Pacific. Nordstrom’s subway system is part of a greater plan initiated by Governor Molly Dunn, a democrat, and Anbara Senate majority leader Grant McMurray (R-Portsmouth) to provide direct railway links between Nordstrom, Hilander, Nagocia, Farret, Sydney, and Oceanville. On March 3 the democratic-controlled House passed an appropriations billing to provide funding for a high-speed train linking Oceanville with the Red Line in San Telos and Sydney with Farret and the Blue Line in Nagocia. The measure is now being debated by the Senate and will likely be ready for the governor’s signature before the legislative session ends March 21.