Ketchikan: Pioneers of Southeast Alaska: Patrick J. Gilmore, Sr. - A Feature Story By LOUISE BRINCK HARRINGTON - The hand-written letters arrived in County Galway, Ireland, describing the wonders of a place called Ketchikan-a seaside town with forests, mountains, streams, friendly people and promise for the future. Best of all, everything in Ketchikan was green, as green as the hills of Ireland! - More...
Wednesday - January 17, 2007

South Tongass Volunteer Fire Department In Need of Adequate Station Front Page Photo Courtesy STVFD

Ketchikan: South Tongass Volunteer Fire Department In Need of Adequate Station By MARY KAUFFMAN -The square foot challenged South Tongass Volunteer Fire Department has increased its membership over the years and additionally has seen an increase in the various firefighting equipment needed to serve the South Tongass community.

Since its formation in 1981, South Tongass Fire Chief Scott Davis said department members have increased 800%. Davis said, "When the South Tongass Volunteer Fire station was built in 1981 there was little or no consideration of building standards and codes, and no room for addition to new areas." He said, "With the numerous regulatory items and equipment required of a fire station today, the square footage to house this equipment does not exist in the current facility." Davis described the current station as "not a 'friendly' building to visitors, guests, or the public."

2007 KIC Election Results TRIBAL COUNCIL PRESIDENT RICHARD H. JACKSON   272 More Election Results...        Top Stories U.S. News U.S. Politics Alaska Ketchikan

"With all of the regulatory equipment such as a Bio Hazard area, the square footage does not exist in the station," said Chief Davis.

Davis said the current station lacks room in the meeting area for training the 40 members in the volunteer organization. Chief Davis said, "The 2006 International Fire Code indicates that 20 square feet per person is required for our classroom. Given the 600 square feet available, this is quite simply not enough room for our members!"

The South Tongass Volunteer Fire Department facility is located on a blind corner in the Mountain Point area south of Ketchikan, Alaska. Chief Davis said the station's location on a blind corner does not meet the Alaska Department of Transportation standards for safety visibility for on-coming traffic to the fire station entrance.

Other basic necessities such as bathroom facilities and kitchen facilities are lacking in many areas said Davis. - More...
Wednesday PM - January 17, 2007

Alaska: Senator Stevens Discusses Issues Facing Alaska, New Congress (SitNews) - Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) sat down with Washington D.C.-based Alaska reporters to discuss a wide variety of topics as the 110th Congress begins. Alaska's senior senator spoke about the Alaska issues he believes big and that will come before Congress in 2007.

Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) sat down with Washington D.C.-based Alaska reporters to discuss a wide variety of topics as the 110th Congress begins. Alaska's senior senator spoke about the Alaska issues he believes big that will come before Congress in 2007.

Stevens told reporters Tuesday that he does not hold much hope that a new land management plan for the Tongass National Forest will contain enough of an increase in logging to help the Southeast Alaska's timber industry.

Stevens said, "Once I look back, I was criticized for having supported to compromise that led to the Tongass Land Management Plan legislation." He continued, "And the criticism was valid because they said that I had trusted the people involved in terms of making the commitments to withdraw land. Once that land was withdrawn, those same people starting attacking the land that had been set aside for timber harvest areas and for multiple use." Stevens said, "I really don't think they are going to stop attacking any concept of multiple use of that forest land in Southeast Alaska."

Stevens also said he supports President Bush's new plan for the Iraq War to increase U.S. troop presence there. Senator Stevens said he doesn't anticipate that Alaska troops will be asked to return for another tour because of the surge unless the war drags out another two or three years. "I don't think it will," he said.

Stevens also spoke about other issues such as over-fishing by bottom trawlers in international waters and increasing mileage standards for new automobiles (CAFE) will also be on his to-do list this year.

Joining in the effort to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Senator Lisa Murkowski on Wednesday introduced energy efficiency legislation to promote the development of additional forms of renewable energy and to pave the way for improved fuel consumption by vehicles. The bill, the Renewable Energy, Fuel Reduction, and Economic Stabilization and enHancement Act of 2007 ­ the REFRESH Act ­ will reduce carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel usage by approximately 530 million metric tons in the United States by 2025 ­ a 7 percent cut over what emissions otherwise may be that year.- More...
Wednesday PM - January 17, 2007

Alaska: Majority Leadership Outlines Key Issues; Ethics, Budget, 90-day Session Highlight List - The Alaska State House Majority leadership outlined what they believe will be the key issues taken up over the course of the 25th Legislature during a press conference Tuesday afternoon.

The five-member leadership said the Majority is looking forward to forming a good working relationship with members of the House Minority, the Senate and governor's office, while tackling an aggressive agenda of legislation and work on the operating and capital budgets. Leadership members also say that they hope to be able to work within a 90-day time frame, to better prepare for a 90-day session as mandated by a recently passed voter initiative to shorten the session by 31 days.

House Speaker John Harris (R ­ Valdez) said that ethics reform and disclosure need to be addressed, including expanding reporting requirements for lawmakers and clarifying the definition and descriptions of what constitutes ethical behavior.

"The real test for us will be whether or not we can communicate with the public about what ethics for lawmakers are," Harris said. "We can tighten the regulations, make the process more transparent, and give the people all the information they need to come to their own conclusions regarding the actions of an individual lawmaker. But we also have to keep in mind that we need to keep the process manageable to insure that the average Alaskan will still be willing to run for public office. - More...
Wednesday PM - January 17, 2007

National: Fiery phone underscores inherent danger of any portable power source By CARL HALL - Those portable electronic devices in our pockets and purses can do a lot more than make phone calls these days. They can browse the Internet. They can send and receive e-mail. They can play songs and music.

And they can spontaneously combust.

Luis Picaso, 59, was in critical condition after a cell phone caught fire in his pants pocket Saturday night while he was asleep. The accident set Picaso's fast-burning nylon clothing ablaze and left him with second- and third-degree burns over at least half his body, authorities said.

Bill Tweedy, a spokesman for the Vallejo (Calif.) Fire Department, called it a freak accident. - More...
Wednesday PM - January 17, 2007

International: Protecting a 'vital' link in the Arctic food chain By KATHERINE HARDING - The Beverly and Qamanirjuaq barren-ground caribou herds have roamed Canada's Arctic and northern prairies for thousands of years, but little is still known about these large antlered mammals.

And it is this lack of hard information, especially about how many still exist, that troubles some when it comes to the topic of allowing proposed uranium testing in the Northwest Territories' Screech Lake area - approximately 60 miles southwest of the world-famous Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary. - More...
Wednesday PM - January 17, 2007

Great northern ice shelves a shadow of former selves A MODIS image of the breakage of the Ayles Ice Shelf, now an iceberg the size of Manhattan, acquired on August 13, 2005. Image courtesy of NASA.

Alaska: Great northern ice shelves a shadow of former selves By NED ROZELL - One hundred years ago, when explorer Robert Peary picked his way over the northern coast of Ellesmere Island, he mapped unusual fields of ice that were both floating in the ocean, and attached to the shore. These ice shelves totaled about 3,475 square miles, which is almost enough ice to cover Rhode Island.

Today, the ice shelves in Canada's Arctic now measure about 386 square miles. That's a 90 percent ice loss since Peary's time, and scientists recently announced the 2005 separation of another large chunk, known as Ayles Ice Shelf, which is now a Manhattan-size iceberg floating in the Arctic Ocean. Winds and ocean currents might carry that iceberg near the northern coast of Alaska sometime within the next decade.

Some Alaska scientists have spent time on the ancient and remote fields of ice on Canada's northernmost islands. Martin Jeffries of the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks camped for weeks on Ellesmere ice shelves in the 1980s. Today, Derek Mueller, a postdoctoral researcher working with Jeffries and who spent time on the ice shelves in 2002 through 2004, is combing through satellite images to understand more about changes in the remaining ice shelves, most of which are in northern Ellesmere Island fjords and bays. - More...
Wednesday PM - January 17, 2007

Ward Lake - Trumpter Swan Front Page Photo & Swans Photo Gallery by Jodi Muzzana

Ketchikan - SE Alaska: The BIG Campaign effort doubles the number of men recruited - The BIG Campaign, the first coordinated media and outreach campaign intended to increase the number of volunteer Big Brothers and Big Sisters in Southeast Alaska, resulted in a record number of inquiries and new matches between adults and children around the region.

Since August, 2006, 236 people contacted the agency about volunteering as mentors in the
program, a 34% increase over the number of inquiries during the same time last year. So far, 66 percent of those people have completed the interview process and have been matched or are ready to be matched with a Little Brother or Little Sister. During The BIG Campaign, 115 new matches were made across Southeast Alaska, helping the agency make a record-breaking 288 new matches in 2006.

"We not only exceeded our campaign goal for total inquiries, but we are thrilled that one hundred of the inquiries came from men," said Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southeast Alaska (BBBS) Executive Director Marc Wheeler. "That's double the number of men who showed interest in becoming a Big Brother a year ago." The agency usually has a larger number of boys than girls waiting to be matched. Thanks to The BIG Campaign, many waiting boys are now being matched with male mentors. - More...
Wednesday PM - January 17, 2007

Viewpoints Opinions/Letters Basic Rules Racism Report Card By Carol Christoffel - Wednesday PM Proposed container fee legislation will increase cost of groceries By Bill Tatsuda - Wednesday PM At what price glory? By Valerie Cooper - Wednesday PM The Internet Economy By Rick Grams - Monday PM Tribal Council Vacant Seat By David Jensen - Saturday PM Proposed addition of a paid firefighter/EMT II position By Kevin C. Murphy - Saturday PM Simple Request By Joe Johnson - Saturday PM The tides are changing By Myrna Gardner - Saturday PM NTVFD...Show us the numbers! By Ed Fry - Wednesday PM Tribal Members, It's Time for Change By Albert White - Tuesday PM ACCOUNTABILITY STANDARDS By Peter Ellis - Tuesday PM NTFD -Tax Cap - Consolidation By Cheryl Henley - Tuesday PM Micro-managing the war By Anita Hales - Tuesday PM Shut Down Of Airport Shuttle By Ken Levy - Tuesday PM NTVFD/I was wrong By Mary Henrikson - Tuesday PM Litter on Ketchikan's roadways By Kathie Morris - Tuesday PM More Viewpoints/ Letters Publish A Letter Ketchikan Ketchikan Police Report AK Troopers Daily Dispatch Today's Forecast Satellite Today's Weather Images Marine Forecasts Ketchikan Weather Data Current AK Weather Map CLASSIFIEDS Auto-post your ad in the proper category, or email your ad & photos to ads@sitnews.us  CLASSIFIEDS' CATEGORIES Announcements For Sale / Free Stuff Garage Sales Homes / Apts/ Property Pets Wanted Lost & Found Local Services January 2007 S M T W T F S 31 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31       More Front Page Archives

Jason Love: Massage - Sullivan, Jedi Masseuse, changed my beliefs about the universe.

It felt awkward to undress in a small back room to be fondled by a stranger. Wait a minute -- that part was fantastic. The awkward thing was letting go. What if she laughed at my lower body, which resembles that of a chicken?

Fortunately, this masseuse was not a cheeky bum looker. Stephanie was a professional, strong like Mother Earth, like someone whose license plate reads, "Healng Is."

A vanilla candle lit the room while Enya chanted in the background. It was like an ad for AA: "Even if you live in a cubicle under fluorescent lighting, there is hope..." - More...
Wednesday PM - January 17, 2007

Kenric Ward: Left out of immigration debate: You - As the immigration debate resumes on Capitol Hill, Americans will hear everyone's voice - except theirs.

Labor unions, big business, chambers of commerce, university think tanks, religious organizations, social-service agencies, La Raza - all support liberalized immigration policies, including amnesty. The only "debate" is over how many illegals get a pass to citizenship and how fast.

Democrats promise to pass a "comprehensive" (i.e., generous) package that will be even more wide open than the one approved by the Senate last session.

If lawmakers make good on their pledge, the Heritage Foundation figures that 67 million more foreigners will enter the United States in the next 20 years. That surge surely excites multiculturalists and capitalists eager for an endless flow of cheap labor.

But Americans have a different desire.

In opinion poll after opinion poll, U.S. citizens say they want less immigration, not more. They want existing laws enforced, not nullified. - More...
Wednesday PM - January 17, 2007

Daryl Cagle: The New York Times and Cartoons - Last week The New York Times ran one of my cartoons. The cartoon showed three kids on a couch with their laptops and iPods, one says, "Check out Saddam hanging. Ouch. That's gotta hurt." The next one says, "He's so dead." The third one says, "Let's look again at Britney Spears with no underwear." The caption reads, "The death of newspapers." It is a cartoon that plays well with newspaper editors who are obsessed with the crass, unedited Internet that is destroying their business.

The Times ran my cartoon in their weekly round-up of editorial cartoons where they edit the cartoons to remove the artist's signature and attribution. Typically, the Times will print the artist's name and attribution alongside the cartoon, as with the two cartoons above mine where the artist, his newspaper and syndicate are credited. But in my case, only my name is given, no credit is given to MSNBC.com, my publication of record, which was erased from my cartoon and omitted from my attribution. - More...
Wednesday PM - January 17, 2007

Rob Holston: Going Smoke-free - Westin Hotels announces smoke-free lodging and many of us breathed a sigh of relief. Beginning in January of 2007, the Westin Hotel and Resort chain becomes the first major chain to ban smoking in their rooms, restaurants, lobbies and public areas. Westin states that at some locations, over 90% of check-ins are requesting non-smoking rooms. Their response to these requests comes as a welcomed change that will grab the attention of travelers and other lodging chains as well. Please support businesses that take bold steps to provide a healthier environment for you, your family and the general public.

Remember when certain airlines went smoke-free? As customers appreciated this smoking ban and began to gravitate towards this higher level of service, it didn't take long before the other airlines followed suit. Likewise in the hotel industry, as customers not only applaud this welcomed change, but back up their voice vote with bookings, it should not be long before other competitive hotel and motel chains go smoke-free.

Who are the real winners here? Travelers of course, including smokers. That's right, Westin discovered that smokers were among those requesting non-smoking rooms! Could it be that smokers also don't like the smell of old stink? It's obvious too, that non-smoking guests checking into Westins will be delighted to know that all rooms are now smoke-free. I am every pleased for the employees working at Westin, especially the room cleaning staff. The Westin staff will enjoy a cleaner environment in which to earn a living. Let's hope that Westin takes the precautions to completely clean and repaint or re-paper the rooms and replace or thoroughly clean all fabrics, such as bedding, drapes, curtains and floor coverings. - More...
Wednesday PM - January 17, 2007