MASCOT's Friend steps down

Executive Director of MASCOT, Lou Friend, has resigned his position.  He gave his immediate resignation last week at the monthly MASCOT transit board meeting.

In September, the Wasilla-based transit authority, announced a $400,000 budget cut and fired nine employees.  Most of those employees were union cardholders and were senior employees with MASCOT.

The Teamsters have filed a grievance with the National Labor Relations Board.  The grievance states that the employees were not given ample notification or opportunity to negotiate terms and conditions of the labor contract.

Since that time, Friend has said it is in the best interest of MASCOT for him to step away.

Friend was in contact with the Sunshine Transit committee periodically to discuss the possibility of lending a vehicle for use in Talkeetna.  It is unknown at this time when those discussions might continue.

The interim director of MASCOT will be LaMarr Anderson, who worked previously for the organization and had left earlier this year.