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What has happened?
By Jill Crowder-Hockema

 

July 26, 2005
Tuesday


What has happened to Ketchikan? Do the tourists really come to Alaska to buy jewelry from the Caribbean? I was in Ketchikan twice in May and each time I grew more disgusted with all the jewelry stores. I refuse to walk into these places. Do people know that the money doesn't stay in the community but is sent out? As far as I could tell, they don't hire local people either. What happened to the authentic Alaskan stores?

We had some friends that took the inside passage cruise and they were very disappointed in Ketchikan. They said it didn't feel Alaskan at all.

I grew up in Ketchikan and have lived elsewhere for almost 10 years. Each time I return home I am more sad to see the changes in the downtown area. In the winter, it's like a ghost town. Why are the people of Ketchikan allowing the Caribbean's to buy everything up or is it the cruise ship companies that are?

Jill Crowder-Hockema
Fritz Creek, AK - USA

 

 

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