Tongass Narrow's Sunrise
Photo taken Sunday
Front Page Photo by BILL MECK

On January 27, 2011, Thomas Alan Dye, 55, a resident of Ketchikan, Alaska, was sentenced by United States District Judge John W. Sedwick. He was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $257,000 to the Veteran’s Administration, to serve three years of supervised release, and to write letters of apology to the Veteran’s of Foreign Wars Post in Ketchikan, to the Order of the Purple Heart, and to the Commanding Officer of the Naval Special Warfare Command. Dye also abandoned his interest in the two firearms he possessed at the time of his arrest.

According to information presented to the court by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel R. Cooper, Jr., Dye, who previously served for seven years with the United States Coast Guard from which he received an honorable discharge, falsified his military discharge record (Form DD-214) to include medals, licenses and certificates which he had never earned or been awarded. The false medals included the Bronze Star with the “V” device for valor, the Purple Heart, the Good Conduct medal, and various medals and devices for service in Viet Nam. The false DD-214 also claimed that he had attended and received certificates of completion from the Basic Underwater Diving/Underwater Demolition School, the U.S. Coast Guard Motor Life Boat School, and the U.S. Air Force Survival School. Dye also falsely claimed designation as a Sea Air Land (SEAL) Special Operator, and as a U.S. Coast Guard Motor Surf Coxswain.

Using the false DD-214 and other documents as a basis, Dye claimed that he suffered post traumatic stress disorder by reason of combat service as a SEAL operator in Viet Nam at the Parrot’s Beak on November 22, 1972. Dye falsely claimed a service-connected disability for this non-existent combat service, and the Veteran’s Administration paid Dye $257,000 on the false claim from May, 1992 to November, 2008. - More...
Monday PM - January 31, 2011

Alaska: Governor Denounces Decision on Alaska ‘Wild Lands’ - Alaska Governor Sean Parnell expressed grave concerns Thursday about a recent decision in December by U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to evaluate 87 million acres of federal land in Alaska as potential “wild lands.” That designation would effectively allow the federal government to create more wilderness in Alaska without congressional oversight.

Secretarial Order 3310 issued December 23, 2010 by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar directed the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), based on the input of the public and local communities through its existing land management planning process, to designate appropriate areas with wilderness characteristics under its jurisdiction as "Wild Lands" and to manage them to protect their wilderness values.

"Americans love the wild places where they hunt, fish, hike, and get away from it all, and they expect these lands to be protected wisely on their behalf," said Salazar. "This policy ensures that the lands of the American public are protected for current and future generations to come."

In comments submitted recently to the Department of the Interior, Governor Parnell said Interior’s wild lands designation will diminish access to federal lands and cost jobs.

“Putting such a sweeping initiative in place overnight, with no congressional direction and no advance consultation with affected states or the public, is unfathomable,” Governor Parnell said. He noted that Alaska lands have been repeatedly studied, with large areas placed off-limits to resource development.

“Congress passed the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) of 1980, which studied public lands in Alaska and set aside 57 million acres as wilderness. Nearly every Interior secretary since ANILCA was passed has chosen not to conduct further discretionary wilderness inventories in Alaska, and has recognized the importance of a public process and discussion with state leaders. I will not allow such disregard for Alaska and its citizens to stand unchallenged.”

In addition to the flawed process, the governor noted specific concerns: - More...
Monday PM - January 31, 2011

Northwest: Obama's speech rankles northwest salmon supporters By CRAIG WELCH - - He may not know his kings from his silvers or a humpy from a chum, but President Barack Obama's mention this week of the Northwest's signature fish seems to have resonated with the public -- though probably not as he'd hoped.

While many laughed at the president's comic reference to salmon in his State of the Union address Tuesday night, many of those familiar with the troubled seagoing species applauded, and then groaned.

During a portion of the speech dedicated to reorganizing government, Obama highlighted what sounded like government redundancies. He mentioned that 12 federal agencies deal with exports and five "entities" deal with housing.

And he followed those statements with this: "Then there's my favorite example: The Interior Department is in charge of salmon while they're in freshwater, but the Commerce Department handles them when they're in saltwater. I hear it gets even more complicated once they're smoked." - More...
Monday PM - January 31, 2011

National: America’s Native Peoples Urged to Fight for Share of Federal Dollars - In the face of fresh efforts to reduce federal spending, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said Thursday that America’s Native peoples must be prepared to fight hard for federal dollars that go towards the Indian Health Service and other federal Indian programs which have suffered from chronic underfunding.

“In an era in which the federal spending pie is shrinking, competition for a slice of the pie will be fierce,” Murkowski said. “But our resolve to fight for the funding levels must remain high. We cannot be deterred in our fight to achieve the funding levels our Native people deserve.”

Murkowski made her remarks to a gathering of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI). Alaska’s senior senator delivered the congressional response to the annual ‘State of Indian Nations Address’ delivered by the Honorable Jefferson Keel, President of NCAI. - More...
Monday PM - January 31, 2011

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