Ketchikan Borough Election
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Employment: Manager of the Rainbird Solutions – Photographer, Artist, Multimedia design, Advocate, Prime For Life Instructor, and Part time Uber Driver
Community Involvement: SILC (Statewide Independent Living Committee) PRR (Promoting Respectful Relationships), D.A.R.T (Disability Abuse Response Team) SATF (Substance Abuse Task Force) First City Players, Main Street Gallery, KRBD, Nonprofit Collaboration Committee.
Education: B.S. in Multimedia Design and photography (Otis Parsons school of design and AI of Pittsburg)
Hometown: Ketchikan Alaska
Age: 52
Wow! It has been three years... since I first ran for Ketchikan City Council. I would like to thank each and every one of you who put your trust and faith in me. It has been a journey, and a challenge which I have enjoyed.
It has been a pleasure working and advocating for all of you, our community and our residents. The past 3 years have been full filling, but we still have a lot of work to do. I am here for you - running for another 3 year seat in October.
As a young person I took this sense of community for granted, I thought Ketchikan’s caring community was everywhere. Like many young people, I couldn’t wait to go to the big city and I left to attend college in Los Angeles. I learned a lot in those years about what Ketchikan had, still has and what the world didn’t have. I realized I grew up in privilege - that not everyone has what we have here in our town.
I grew up with a strong understanding of Civic duty, and community. I work daily for the betterment of Ketchikan. Ketchikan is my family. I believe there is more to life, to community than going to work and bringing home enough money to survive. Our Elders have given us a legacy and a task to care for and nurture our heritage and community. They worked hard to build this town so that we could have a better life. It is our responsibility to carry that dedication to community into the future for generations to come. The fruits of their labor can be seen in the library, museum, home healthcare, pioneer home, and arts. Ketchikan realizes the importance of caring for our elders so they can retire here and remain with their families and friends comfortably. I do too.
I will continue to advocate for our elders, the disabled, and those who are having a hard time finding affordable housing. It is well past time to look and begin working on a solution regarding the issues of rising cost of living in Ketchikan. It is important to me that our community is given a choice to remain in their homes, here in Ketchikan.
No one should ever have to move, be separated from family, or be placed outside the state due to health, disability, or the inability to pay to live here. This was an important issue for my Great-Great Grandmother and Grandfather in the 1920’s and should be the top priority of ours today.
Ketchikan is a community built strongly on citizen involvement. Volunteers, elders, moms, dads, work tirelessly to keep our history and culture alive. There are amazing talented individuals who get up every day to improve Ketchikan’s way of life. Our Nonprofits, Educators, and Volunteers are the life blood of our community and we need to honor them. Marie Heckman, and Harriet Hunt, Betty King, are just a few of those amazing elders of the past. These women gave us a library, museum, theater, animal shelter, and paved the way for what we call home today.
Over the past three years, the State of Alaska has cut funding and our belts are getting tighter and tighter.
We are at a cross road regarding larger cruise ships, infrastructure, building bigger berths for bigger and bigger ships. How are we going to serve all these additional people? When will we have the courage to stand up and say, it time to cap the number of passengers per day, so that it is beneficial to our visitors as well as all of Ketchikan and not just a handful of corporations, or individuals?
Ketchikan’s business district has changed over the past several years. There are more locally owned year-round shops that need our support. These business owners generously donate for multitudes of fund raisers; construction owners, and labors donate their skills and time, Religious organizations, social services, planners and environmental groups all have a stake in the issues before us. I support the nonprofits, locally owned businesses, city employees, borough employees because they are what makes Ketchikan the greatest place to live.
I am proud of our diverse culture, programs, and the individual talent that surrounds us and Ketchikan. This is the life blood of wellness, economic value, and what makes Ketchikan stand out. We cannot afford to lose them.
We are a community that participates in creating a healthy environment. We understand the importance of teaching our youth everything from maritime skills, aviation, to coaching youth sports, arts, healthy eating, and the workings of our government. Many of us sit tirelessly on a municipal advisory committee.
I have seen what communities without a strong belief in community involvement, volunteer service, nonprofits, and arts programs look like. It is not an option. Our Children benefit from seeing us working hard to build and improve our communities through volunteer work. They learn from us as I learned from my family.
I want to serve this community I want to be your voice and your advocate.
I know how hard it is to get up in front of a group of people to voice my concerns and speak regarding issues that affect us all. In a climate where it seems to be okay to mock, ridicule, and bully, to quiet those we do not agree with, I am very confident. I am a strong believer in listening to everyone with respect and understanding. I may not agree with you but you will always have my ear for your opinions. I promise to work passionately and courageously to be your voice at the table. It is through our voice that we have a democracy.
I look forward to continuing to work for our community I am humbled and grateful for all of your support, it truly means the world to me.
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(APOC Requirement) Paid for by: Janalee L. Gage - Candidate for the Ketchikan City Council - 2512 Third Avenue - Ketchikan, Alaska 99901
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