High school principal fined for attracting garbage bears in Anchorage
Originally published Friday, May 9, 2008 at 8:10 a.m.
Updated Friday, May 9, 2008 at 11:36 a.m.
ANCHORAGE — A high school principal in Anchorage has been cited for improperly storing garbage.
Dan Gallego, the principal of Bartlett High School, is facing a $310 fine for having exposed trash that attracted at least one bear on Tuesday night.
Gallego is the first person to be fined under an increased rate that went into effect this week. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game tripled the fine for keeping unsecured garbage from about $100 to $300 to provide more incentive to get people to properly store their trash.
The black bear was found eating from an open trash bin at the school, said Anchorage-area wildlife biologist Rick Sinnott.
Bartlett officials reported bears in the area earlier in the week. When Sinnott arrived late Tuesday, he saw the black bear eating out of an open trash bin near the main entrance of the school, which has had a number of bear issues during the past year, he said.
There were three open trash containers and at least 10 open trash barrels — mostly near entrances and ball fields — that still had food inside, he said.
“There was food all over the place. It was no mystery why the bears were there,” Sinnott said. “In a case like this where we talked to the principal in his office a number of times and there was still trash all over the place, I think we are well within our rights to cite the head guy.”
Superintendent Carol Comeau said Gallego had told her about the citation and that the district plans to pay it.
School officials are planning to meet with Alaska Waste, the private trash collection company, and wildlife officials to determine which schools have potential bear problems, Comeau said. Officials may try to change pickup days and get more secure trash receptacles.
Comments
Sounds like Bartlett High School's principal needs a crash course in common sense. Troopers should have issued a citation for each of the offending containers. Especially since bears had been reported earlier. What was the principal going to do - besides hold a meeting - wait for a mauling inside the building before he felt compelled to become responsible?
I don't think the principal takes out the trash. The janitors do that. Other than being guilty for not having a class on trash removal for the janitors I don't think he deserves a personal fine.
The principal of a school is ultimately responsible for their building. That is Dan Gallego's job. A capable man would have communicated with the Maintenance Director and the Superintendent of the fact that he had been warned to clean up and worked to do it. He ignored the authorities and that is why he was fined.
He won't take responsibility for his lack of action. He is passing on the cost of the fine he created to the Anchorage School District.
He knew there were bears in the area this week. He knew that he was instructed to make arrangements to clean up. Does he value the lives of the students and staff that he is entrusted with? What is he teaching his students?
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