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Ketchikan: 2021 Year in Review: COVID keeps its ‘grippe’ on Ketchikan tourism By DAVE KIFFER - Forget Groundhog Day, 2021 was Groundhog Year with a second successive cancellation of the majority of the cruise ship season because of COVID 19 concerns and the Canadian extension of a ban of cruise ship operations in its waters.

Some cruise ships did visit Ketchikan before the end of the season, but visitation was down more than 90 percent compared to 2019. Independent tourist visitation was up, but the percent of cruise passengers that arrived in 2021 was slightly more than 100,000, about 8.6 percent of what it was 2019.

The good news was that Ketchikan and Alaska were at the vanguard of distribution of COVID 19 vaccines, when vaccination was open to all adults beginning in mid-March. Alaska was the first state to open vaccination to all adults. By the end of the year, approximately 65 percent of Ketchikan residents had received vaccinations.

Unfortunately, the so called “Delta Variant” hit Ketchikan hard in the late summer, causing a large spike in cases and six additional deaths, including five at the Ketchikan Pioneer’s Home and two in the hospital’s long term care unit. By the end of the year, 15 Ketchikan residents had died of COVID 19 since the beginning of the pandemic. Thirteen of those deaths occurred in 2021, according to state health officials.

At the end of the year, the Omicron variant was hitting cruise voyages hard in other parts of the world, raising concerns that 2022 might not be the comeback year that many were hoping for.

The other major story in 2021 was the tragedy that hit the First City in the summer when a flightseeing plane crashed leaving Misty Fjords, killing the pilot and five passengers in early August.

JANUARY

Maybe it was an omen, but numerous residents reported seeing a bright light, thought to be a meteor, sailing over Gravina Island, shortly after dark on New Year’s Eve. After the year that 2020 was, everyone hoped it was a good sign.

Nicholas Burbary, 41, and Madalyn Carraway, 5, were identified as the victims of a fatal house fire on Denali Avenue on Dec. 30.

On New Year’s Eve, Charan “Birdie” Bird, 72, was struck by a truck while crossing Tongass Avenue near A and P. She died in Seattle four days later.

Between 100 and 200 vehicles took part in a parade and rally In Ketchikan that was dubbed a “Patriot’s Parade.”

The Borough Assembly blazed through its first meeting on the year in 23 minutes. It was the briefest regular assembly meeting in four years.

Ketchikan’s first baby of the year was Eli Turner born on January 6 to parents Desiray and Joshua Turner.

Crowley Fuels was fined $1.3 million by the EPA for violating regulations at its Alaskan facilities, including nearly 40 violations at its operations in Ketchikan.

Once again, the weather was a little different on different sides of the Tongass Narrows. Several wind storms blew through the community in early January. The highest recorded winds at the airport were 60 mph, but winds above 80 mph were recorded at Salmon Landing near Thomas Basin.

Ketchikan School superintendent Beth Lougee took a leave of absence after her husband, David, a superintendent in Chevak, died of COVID 19 at the Ketchikan hospital. A month later, Beth Lougee was hospitalized with COVID 19 and medivaced to Seattle. Lougee returned to work in March but then announced she was resigning in April. Melissa Johnson replaced her for the rest of 2021.

Petro Marine announced that was buying competitor Crowley Fuels. Crowley had previously purchased Anderes Oil in 2013.

Sealaska announced that it was transitioning out the timber industry into other areas and would be closing down Ketchikan-based Sealaska Timber later in 2021. Sealaska Timber had been major economic force for the regional Native corporation for more than 40 years.

The Race to Alaska event for 2021 was cancelled.

Chuck Denny and Dennis Spurgeon were honored by the borough for more than 40 years with the South Tongass Volunteer Fire Department.

Kayhi senior Robert Cope-Powell was selected to the 260-member All-National Honor Choir Ensemble.

Gloria Burns, Trixie Bennett and Marcie Fields were elected to the Ketchikan Indian Community’s Tribal Council.

A house was destroyed by a fire in Forest Park after stove ashes were left in a cardboard box. The family members escaped the blaze.

Nearly 70 wolves were trapped during the 21-day wolf trapping season on Prince of Wales Island.

An Alaska Airlines flight from Seattle to Ketchikan was delayed when a passenger was arrested after phoning in a threat to the plane.

A Cessna 170 flying from Ketchikan to Port Angeles crashed offshore of Port Angeles. The pilot, from Kodiak, was presumed dead. NTSB officials later said the plane most likely ran out of gas because the distance was outside the Cessna’s normal flight range.

FEBRUARY

Canadian officials announced that the COVID 19 related cruise ship ban instituted in 2020 would continue until February of 2022, potentially preventing the 2021 cruise ship season in Southeast Alaska. The ban applied to all ships with more than 100 passengers wishing to transit Canadian waters.

NTSB officials said that it appeared that a sudden shift in wind direction could have been a factor in a fatal plane crash near Metlakatla in May of 2019. Officials say that the wind shift could have caused the Beaver to be landing downwind rather than the preferred upwind. The pilot and passenger, Ron Rash and Sara Luna, were killed when the plane flipped over near the Metlakatla seaplane base. It was Luna’s first ride in a float plane. She was an epidemiologist on a work trip.

Tlingit master carver Nathan Jackson was named a United States Artist Fellow and awarded $50,000 by United States Artists of Chicago. In 2020, Delores Churchill of Ketchikan was awarded a similar fellowship.

The Tatsuda family announced that it was not going to rebuild the store that was destroyed by a landslide nearly a year before, ending 114 years in the Ketchikan grocery business.

Kayhi senior Henry Clark was named the Alaska Drama, Debate and Forensics Student of the Year, the first time a Ketchikan student had been so honored. Overall, the KHS DDF team finished second at the state tournament.

Naomi Michelsen’s “Kaaesi Training and Consulting” was one of two Alaska winners of $25,000 from the Spruce Root Path to Prosperity program. Kaasei was one of 11 finalists in the program which encourages small Alaska start-up businesses.

Dr. Ernie Meloche received a grand send off from more than 50 people when he retired after 32 years of service in the Ketchikan Medical Center emergency room. - More...
Saturday PM - January 01,2022

Fish Factor: “Picks and Pans"... A no holds barred look back at some of fisheries 2021's best and worst happenings By LAINE WELCH - Since 1991 the weekly Fish Factor column has highlighted Alaska’s seafood industry with its annual “Picks and Pans - a no holds barred look back at some of the year’s best and worst happenings, and my choice for the year’s biggest fish story.  Here are the choices for 2021, in no particular order: 

Most business potential – Seaweed mariculture. The market value of U.S. seaweed is pegged at $41 billion by 2031 . Driving the demand is increased use in pharmaceuticals, health supplements, as a natural thickening agent and in animal feeds. 

 Best fish invention - Lightweight, collapsible slinky pots for catching black cod that solve the problem of whales stripping as much as 75% of the pricey fish from longline hooks.  

 Biggest fish booster - The Covid pandemic continues to push record sales of all seafood with no end in sight. Pre-Covid, most Americans only ate fish and shellfish at restaurants. Now they are buying seafood to cook at home; Online sales also have soared and are expected to grow.

 Best fish fighters - Reps. Sarah Vance of Homer, Kevin McCabe of Big Lake, Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins of Sitka. They’ve put partisan politics aside to protect Alaska’s fishery resources.

Best fish knowledge builders - Alaska Sea Grant

Best fish feeder - Sea Share, with over 250 million fish servings to U.S. food bank networks since 1994.

Loudest fish sucking sound -The bulk of Alaska’s catches and revenues go to Washington state residents who in 2020 took home a .78 share of the $981 million dockside value of all groundfish caught in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska.  Seattle is home port to about 300 fishing vessels and all but 74 make their livings in Alaska.  

Most wasted fish opportunity – Not utilizing the three billion pounds of fish heads, skins, oils, innards, shells, etc. that are discarded after processing. Using such “wastes” could add an additional $700 million or more each year in value  to Alaska. Cod skins, for example, produce about 11% collagen; nearly 20% for salmon skins.  Speaking of which …

Biggest fish WTF?  Icelandic company Kerecis received a third six-figure grant from the U.S. Defense Department  to create bandages from intact cod skins. The collagen and omega 3s promote regrowth of healthy human tissue. 

Most earth-friendly fishing town - Kodiak, for generating nearly 100 percent of its electricity from wind and hydropower, and for turning its fish wastes into oils, meal and fertilizer.

Best little known fish fact - Alaska’s commercial fisheries division budget also pays for the management of subsistence and personal use fisheries.

Best Alaska ocean watchers - Alaska Ocean Observing System – sea ice, water temperatures, ocean acidification levels, AOOS tracks it all.

Best daily fish news sites- SeafoodNews.com, Undercurrent News, SeafoodSource

Best healthy fish watchers- Cook Inletkeeper, SalmonState

Best mainstream fish pushers- Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) 

Best fishcrat – Sam Rabung, ADF&G director of the commercial fisheries division

Fish head scratcher - Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle? University of Alaska’s College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences in Fairbanks?  How much budget is spent on getting scientists/students to and from the far away sea life they are studying?  

Best go to bat for their fishery- Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association, funded by a 1% tax on fishermen’s catches. Partnerships with Seattle’s new Kraken hockey team, Bambino’s Baby Food and snazzy, non-stop annual promotions at targeted U.S. regions push the “brand.”

Worst ongoing fish inequity- The U.S. continues to buy millions of pounds of seafood from Russia while that country has banned purchases of U.S. seafood since 2014. Russian seafood imports to the U.S. since than have increased by nearly 175%.

Best fish planet advocate- Net Your Problem  by Nicole Baker-Loke which has so far facilitated the recycling of more than one million pounds of Alaska fishing nets and gear from Southeast to Dutch Harbor. The plastic gear is remade into pellets and fibers and turned into new products.

Biggest fish fakes - Plant-based seafoods such as “vegan shrimp” and “Toona.” Also, after nearly three decades of roadblocks, five tons of genetically modified salmon (Frankenfish) was sold by restaurant supplier Samuels and Son Seafood of Philadelphia. Up next- fish fillets grown in labs from their own cells will hit U.S. markets in 2022. The growers tout cell-grown seafood as having no environmental pollutants such as mercury or microplastics, with a longer shelf life and no genetic engineering.

Best AK fish writers- Elizabeth Earl, AK Journal of Commerce, Margie Bauman, Cordova Times.

Worst fish travesty- Cuts to commercial, sport and subsistence catches while millions of halibut get dumped as bycatch in bottom trawl fisheries. Alaska can’t lay claim to having the “world’s most sustainably managed fisheries” until it gets its bycatch act in order.

Best fish assists- Every one of the biologists across the state at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Best building future fishermen- Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association in Sitka. Crew apprenticeships, fishing loans with pay back based on catches, collaborative research are some ALFA initiatives for young fishing entrants.

Fishing towns that celebrates their fishing industry the most- Sitka, Cordova. - More...
Saturday PM - January 01, 2022

2022 Sam Pitcher Memorial Scholarship Recipients Announced
L to R: Trinity Jackson and Sophia Cook
Photo by Jamie Karlson ©

Ketchikan: 2022 Sam Pitcher Memorial Scholarship Recipients Announced - The Sam Pitcher Memorial Scholarship Fund announced that two Schoenbar Middle School students have been selected to receive 2022 Sam Pitcher Music Scholarships. Sophia Cook and Trinity Jackson are both 7th graders and are both strong vocalists. Although they are both somewhat new to their instruments, Schoenbar music teacher Jamie Karlson says, “Both students are natural leaders (even as 7th graders) and are not afraid to get up in front of a group of their peers to lead (conduct the band, lead vocal warm ups, etc.)”

Sophia Cook plays the flute with the school band and sings with the choir. She hopes to increase her skills and ability to solo on both the flute and as a vocalist with the classes available at Sitka Fine Arts Camp. Sophia is the daughter of Tiffany Stone Cook and Tim Cook.

Trinity Jackson plays saxophone, piano, percussion, and is a vocalist. She also hopes to increase her skills with the classes she’ll take at Sitka Fine Arts Camp. Trinity is the daughter of Michelle and Andy Jackson.

$700 scholarships are being awarded to both students on the basis of merit, goals and musicianship. A Ketchikan Area Arts and Humanities Council advisory committee consisting of eight people, including Sam’s mother, select scholarship recipients.

The Sam Pitcher Music Scholarship Fund was started following Sam’s death in 2003 at age 16. Sam’s passion was music. He participated in all the Kayhi bands, the McPherson jazz bands, and The Rubber Band. Sam attended both The Sitka Fine Arts Camp and Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan. Scholarships are for Ketchikan students in grades 7 – 12 to attend summer music programs like the ones Sam enjoyed. - More...
Saturday PM - January 01. 2022

When not in Ketchikan, Dr. Huffer remains relatively close and continues to support patients through telemedicine. Dr. Huffer has practiced medicine in Alaska for since 2008, and he previously worked closely with PeaceHealth's recently retired Dr. Schoenrock.

Dr. Huffer earned his medical degree from Colorado School of Medicine. He completed his residency in urology from the University of New Mexico. Dr. Huffer treats all issues related to the urinary system including the adrenal glands, kidneys, bladder and urethra. He appreciates the breadth of practice involved in treating urologic issues.

“Urology,” according to Huffer, “is a great fusion between primary care and surgical subspecialties where I am able to treat chronic conditions while maintaining a continuity of care for my patients.” - More...
Saturday PM - January 01, 2022

Ketchikan: Matanuska Delayed Until January 31st; Ketchikan shipyard welders worked extended hours to replace and repair damaged steel, other repairs remain. - Welders in the Ketchikan Shipyard worked extended hours to replace and repair damaged steel on the M/V Matanuska, a critical component in the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS). The ship serves Bellingham, Juneau, Haines and Skagway, among other communities.

Unfortunately, due to the extent of additional repairs and vendor delays, the ship’s expected returned to service is now Monday, Jan. 31.

The delay will cause a Jan. 24 cancellation to the M/V Matanuska sailing to Bellingham. Passengers may rebook on a later sailing or seek alternative arrangements to reach their destination. AMHS reservation staff will be reaching out to affected passengers to provide assistance. - More...
Saturday PM - January 01, 2022

Plastic in the rain of Southeast Alaska
BY NED ROZELL
Viewed through a microscope, a tiny blue plastic fiber that fell within a raindrop in the Thane area of Juneau, Alaska, lies on filter paper.
Photo courtesy of Sonia Nagorski

Southeast Alaska: Plastic in the rain of Southeast Alaska BY NED ROZELL - “We found microplastics in every single rain sample (gathered in Juneau),” Sonia Nagorski told a group of people listening to her talk at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in New Orleans on Dec. 13, 2021. 

Nagorski — a professor at the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau — was presenting using her computer while she sat in Alaska’s capital city during the New Orleans conference. Not long after she disappeared from the screen, she replied to a list of questions emailed to her:

What inspired you to do this study?

“When I started reading about plastics being detected virtually everywhere on Earth — from the bottom of the Mariana Trench to the Arctic Ocean, in rivers, lakes, and even in the air we breathe — I wanted to know how much was in Juneau.

“In the fall of 2019, I taught a new course on plastic pollution. I had twice as many students as expected. I decided to make use of the high number by sending everybody out to various environments in Juneau to collect samples.

“We collected water and sediment from various streams, lakes, and beaches; from the Mendenhall and Herbert glaciers, and we collected rainfall. 

“We were amazed by how many small plastic fibers and fragments we easily found, especially considering we were seeing only a fraction of them using our fairly simplistic methods. In 2020-2021, I collected rain and snow samples with a couple of students, and added to the dataset I built with the class.”

What is a microplastic?

“A piece of plastic less than 5 millimeters in size, about the length of a grain of rice or smaller. So, you can see those that are at or close to 5 millimeters, but it’s very difficult to see much smaller than that without close inspection or a microscope.”

How does a Clorox bottle or a scrap of plastic wrap become a microplastic particle?

“Plastic doesn’t really biodegrade, at least not on the scale of centuries or maybe even millennia. Instead it mechanically breaks apart into smaller and smaller pieces as it’s tossed around by waves, water or wind, or driven over by vehicles. It can also become weakened and fragmented when baked in the sun.”

How did microplastics get everywhere on Earth, even Alaska?

“Microplastics are either intentionally manufactured so small, or come from larger plastics that break apart into smaller and smaller pieces over time. Humans are pretty much everywhere, and we bring plastics with us. Plastics are also dispersed via the atmosphere and ocean currents. - More...
Saturday PM - January 01, 2022

JASE GRAVES: 2021 WAS THE YEAR OF THE JAB - Yes, it’s that time again when I reminisce about the important events that have transpired over the past 12 months, like how in the world I grew so much ear hair in one year.

My elders have often told me how fast time flies, but I never really believed them until I began to feel like I was shaving about every 30 minutes. Now, another year has already come and gone, and I still haven’t found time to teach our pets to use the toilet or develop a vaccine for love handles.

And speaking of vaccines, the COVID-19 shot, jab, dose, puncture, skewering, or whatever you want to call it (and still get censored on Facebook), has really been the story of 2021. In fact, thanks to the COVID-19 vaccine, we now have another controversial topic to avoid discussing at our family gatherings – along with politics, religion and the correct pronouns to use for that emu in the Liberty Mutual Insurance commercials. - More...
Saturday PM - January 01, 2022

TOM PURCELL: HAIL TO OUR EVERYDAY LOCAL HEROES  - A recent Reddit thread discusses the lack of heroes in modern society, but the truth is we have plenty of heroes.

It’s true that in the Internet era, historic figures we once considered heroic are being reevaluated as their past misdeeds and personal peccadilloes are revealed.

Celebrities we once admired suffer a fall from grace as their off-camera misbehavior is discovered and publicized.

Religious institutions have devalued their moral capital and fomented heartbreak as their years of scandals and cover ups are made public.

When I was growing up in the ‘60s the mantra of parents to their kids was “maybe you’ll grow up to be president one day.” - More...
Saturday PM - January 01, 2022

MICHAEL REAGAN: GOOD RIDDANCE, 2021 - It’s New Year’s again and time to hope for a happier future.

Last year at this time we were hoping for a better year in 2021, but that sure as heck didn’t work out, did it?

Forget the damage done to the economy by the hapless and relentlessly clueless “Joe Biden” regime.

Forget the Biden-made disasters at the Mexican border and in Afghanistan.

The worst mistakes the Biden administration made were in its failed “War on COVID.”

Biden, Dr. Fauci, the blue state governors, the CDC and the government’s so-called public health experts were wrong about everything – the high cost of lockdowns, the efficacy and safety of vaccines, the protection provided by cloth masks, the benefits of social distancing, boosters, mask mandates, vaccine mandates….

What’s left? - More...
January 01, 2022

FINANCIAL FOCUS: What are your financial resolutions for 2022? Provided By BEN EDWARDS, AAMS®- As you know, 2021 was full of challenges. We were still feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic when supply chains shut down and inflation heated up. So, if you’re like many people, you might not be sorry to see the year come to a close. But now it’s time to look ahead to a brighter 2022. And on a personal level, you may want to set some New Year’s resolutions. You might resolve to improve your health and diet, and possibly learn some new skills, but why not make some financial resolutions, too?

Here are a few ideas to consider:

• Prepare for the unexpected. If you haven’t already created an emergency fund, now may be a good time to start. Ideally, you’d like to have three to six months’ worth of living expenses in this fund, with the money kept in a low-risk, liquid account. (If you’re retired, you may want your emergency fund to contain up to a year’s worth of living expenses.) Once you’ve got this fund established, you may be able to avoid dipping into long-term investments to pay for short-term needs, such as costly home or auto repairs or large medical bills. - More...
Saturday PM - January 01, 2022

POLITICAL CARTOONS

Political Cartoon: New Years' boulder
by John Cole©2022, The Scranton Times-Tribune, PA
Distributed to subscribers by CagleCartoons.com

Political Cartoon: After New Years - January
by Daryl Cagle©2022, CagleCartoons.com
Distributed to subscribers by CagleCartoons.com

Political Cartoon: 2022 Forecast
by Monte Wolverton, Battle Ground, WA
Distributed to subscribers by CagleCartoons.com

 Political Cartoon: New Year Together
by Gary McCoy, Shiloh, IL
Distributed to subscribers by CagleCartoons.com

Political Cartoon: COVID deja vu 2022
by Dave Granlund, PoliticalCartoons.com
Distributed to subscribers by CagleCartoons.com

Political Cartoon: Biden and the Inflation Flamethrower
by Dick Wright, PoliticalCartoons.com
Distributed to subscribers by CagleCartoons.com