Borough advances Save America’s Treasures grant work on SS Nenana while options to sell or lease are explored

Fairbanks — Borough staff told the Historic Preservation Commission on June 3 that they provided information to the North Star Community Foundation to complete a Save America’s Treasures grant application for the SS Nenana and that the borough is simultaneously exploring whether to lease or sell the historic sternwheeler to local preservation groups.

Tom Hewitt, an assistant in the mayor’s office, said the borough supplied “everything we think was required for that application” to Pete Penny of the North Star Community Foundation and expected the foundation to submit the application before a soft May 31 deadline. Hewitt said the borough also asked the foundation to place a discussion about taking the vessel on its board agenda so the foundation can consider acting either as the Friends group’s fiscal agent…