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Monday
February 03, 2014
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Ketchikan Lake from Minerva Mt.
Front Page Photograph By LAURA JACKSON ©2014
(Please respect the rights of photographers, never republish or copy
without permission and/or payment of required fees.)
Ketchikan: Ketchikan Resident Appointed Rotary District Governor For 2016-2017 - Michelle O’Brien, of First City Rotary in Ketchikan, has been appointed to serve in the volunteer post of Rotary District 5010 Governor for Alaska and the Yukon for the years 2016-2017.
Michelle O’Brien apppointed Rotary District Governor for 2016-2017
Photo courtesy Rotary Club of Ketchikan, First City
As District Governor, she will assist in coordinating the volunteer efforts, community and international service projects, as well as other Rotary initiatives, such as Youth Exchange, for approximately 39 Rotary clubs throughout Alaska and the Yukon. Her current title will be Rotary District Governor Nominee Designate until July of 2014. The last Ketchikan Rotarian to be appointed to this position was Bill Holman in 1991-1992.
Upon learning of her appointment, O’Brien commented, “Rotary is pivotal in providing avenues of service for bettering the lives of individuals both locally and globally—from local scholarships, local projects such as the food pantry at Schoenbar, rebuilding Rotary Beach, and many more…people are the reason we are successful. ‘Relevant, exciting, and surprising’—that’s what makes Rotarians special and why our membership has surged in the past two years here in Ketchikan. Because we have vibrant members worldwide, we are able to not only serve our local communities, but to achieve such things as nearly eradicating polio. It’s my goal to assist and support our Rotary Clubs around one of the world’s largest districts to realize that they can make a difference on a daily basis. In my mind, it’s all about the enthusiasm. When you get folks excited, the possibilities are endless.” - More...
Monday PM - February 03, 2014
Ketchikan: Ketchikan Man Charged with Meth Possession, Sales, and Felony Possession of a Concealable Firearm By MARY KAUFFMAN - The Ketchikan Police Department announced today that a warrant was issued for Michael T. Miller charging him with four felony counts related to Methamphetamine possession and sales as well as felony possession of a concealable firearm.
A federal arrest warrant was issued on January 8, 2014 for Miller for multiple federal probation violations. Ketchikan Police Officers arrested Miller at a North Tongass Highway business where Miller worked and was also residing. At that time, Ketchikan Police Officers found Miller to also be in possession of drug paraphernalia.
The Ketchikan Police conducted a search of Miller’s business and residence on January 9th. According to information provided by Sgt. Andy Berntson, due to the large and complicated nature of the search K-9 Booker was deployed, and located a bag containing approximately 4 grams of Methamphetamine along with evidence of sales inside of a closet. Also located among Miller’s belongings and drug sales related items was a loaded Glock .40 caliber handgun with a concealed carry holster and two loaded extra magazines. - More...
Monday PM - February 03, 2014
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Alaska Science: Climate researcher says there’s still time, but not much By NED ROZELL - Painting the breeze one dozen at a time, monarch butterflies once fluttered across the meadow of James Hansen’s Pennsylvania farm. Now, the climate activist and his wife are lucky to see one. Monarchs are threatened by lack of the only food — milkweed — they eat as caterpillars. Herbicides, land clearing and other people-related activities may be dooming the monarchs.
Climate scientist James Hansen speaking at the Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco in December 2013.
Photograph by Ned Rozell
“I wonder if we are witnessing the extermination of a species,” Hansen, the 73-year-old longtime NASA researcher said to a crowd of about 3,000 people in San Francisco’s Moscone Center. Hansen was the headline speaker at the Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, attended by more than 20,000 scientists in December 2013.
Hansen used “extermination” for its implication that people have a choice on some matters, such as the survival of more complicated species.
“There is still an opportunity for humanity to exercise free will,” he said. “It’s still possible to get on a different path, but not if we don’t try.”
Hansen was talking about the warming effects of increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the result of fossil fuel emissions. He spoke to the crowd of scientists in San Francisco about the perils of pushing our planet into a state that will be at best uncomfortable for humans.
After a 46-year career with NASA during which he studied, among many other things, the clouds of Venus, Hansen retired in April 2013. One of the reasons is because government employees are forbidden from suing the government.
Hansen is part of a lawsuit against the United States in which plaintiffs argue the government is obligated to protect the atmosphere from harmful greenhouse gases. He and many others see Earth’s 30-mile shell of life-enabling vapors as a public trust.
“Today’s adults must deliver to their children and future generations an atmosphere as beneficial as the one they received,” Hansen wrote in a recent paper he co-authored with 17 scientists titled Assessing “Dangerous Climate Change:” Required Reduction of Carbon Emissions to Protect Young People, Future Generations and Nature.
In his talk, Hansen pointed out that humanity cannot keep operating as it is and expect a friendly planet. There will simply be too many greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, preventing heat from wafting out to space and further weighting the planet’s energy imbalance. In an ideal state, Earth radiates as much energy to space as it absorbs from sunlight. - More...
Monday PM - February 02, 2014
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Alaska: Arctic lake ice cuts winter ice season by 24 days - Arctic lakes have been freezing up later in the year and thawing earlier, creating a winter ice season about 24 days shorter than it was in 1950, a University of Waterloo study has found.
Researcher Claude Duguay stands on the cracked ice of an Arctic lake. University of Waterloo researchers have found the Arctic winter ice season is about 24 days shorter than it was in 1950.
Photo credit: Claude Duguay/University of Waterloo
(CNW Group/University of Waterloo)
The research, sponsored by the European Space Agency ESA and published in The Cryosphere, also reveals that climate change has dramatically affected the thickness of lake ice at the coldest point in the season: In 2011, Arctic lake ice was up to 38 centimetres thinner than it was in 1950.
"We've found that the thickness of the ice has decreased tremendously in response to climate warming in the region," said lead author Cristina Surdu, a PhD student of Professor Claude Duguay in Waterloo's Department of Geography and Environmental Management. "When we saw the actual numbers we were shocked at how dramatic the change has been. It's basically more than a foot of ice by the end of winter."
The study of more than 400 lakes of the North Slope of Alaska, is the first time researchers have been able to document the magnitude of lake-ice changes in the region over such a long period of time.
"Prior to starting our analysis, we were expecting to find a decline in ice thickness and grounded ice based on our examination of temperature and precipitation records of the past five decades from the Barrow meteorological station," said Surdu. "At the end of the analysis, when looking at trend analysis results, we were stunned to observe such a dramatic ice decline during a period of only 20 years." - More...
Monday PM - February 03, 2014 |
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the editor at editor@sitnews.us or call 617-9696
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 POST OFFICE BLUES By David G. Hanger -
I realize that Darrell Issa and a handful of his right wing cronies, starting with the insane mandating of financing 75 years of retirements in advance, are doing everything in their power to destroy the U.S. Postal Service, but I do not see that as reason for local postal employees to enhance the prospects of that demise by providing such lousy customer service. - More...
Monday PM - February 03, 2014
Case Number 14-001 the Rezoning of Residential land in town to Heavy Industrial and Unrestricted Commercial By Theresa Hamilton -
My husband and I purchased this property so that we could eventually develop the land for our future. Our construction business may be small, but we do work hard like everyone else and we depend on our land for our future. - More...
Monday PM - February 03, 2014
Rezone 14-001 By Ernest Hamilton-
For the inquisitive in mind to consider and to those interested here are some facts concerning the request for rezoning and in rebuttal to the Ellis letter. If in fact the home was bought some 25 years ago then these people have been living with the continuous construction process while the now Copper Ridge was being developed. - More...
Monday PM - February 03, 2014
Drug informants get off scot-free! By Bonnie Abbott -
I want to add something to my recent letter and apologize to KPD & Andy Bernstein for not adding in my letter that the KPD has no choice NOT to use informants because our town is so small they need to do so, to catch the big dealers!!! It's a cycle and I know they know it, but what else can they do? There is no other option! - More...
Monday PM - February 03, 2014
Rezone of Quarry area case number 14-001 By Peter Ellis and Roz Ellis
- Wake Up, Wake Up all residents of the area surrounding the quarry where the city library is located. Hamilton has once again requested a rezone of some 14 acres from residential to commercial and Heavy Industrial. Just imagine what could appear if his request is granted. Did you choose to live in or near an industrial area? The subject area is not within the city limits and thus no permitting process is required. the Borough, according to the Borough Attorney, has no permit process either which permits Hamilton to do whatever he pleases if rezone is granted. - More...
Saturday AM - February 01. 2014
Drug Problem Worsening in Ketchikan By Bonnie J Abbott -
I am replying to the letter thanking Andy Bernstein for his great work the last couple years in Ketchikan! I also believe he has worked very hard along with Charlie Johnson. These two work together and both deserve a thank you from many!! What I do think is that this man does not know, accordng to his letter, that his information is not correct, pertaining to the out of town scum that are giving drugs to our community, it isn't accurate. - More...
Saturday AM - February 01, 2014
United Citizens for Better Water By Amanda Mitchell -
We are a group of local citizens concerned about our drinking water and our city's planned use of Chloramines in March. We would like to see a filtration system put in place so that our water system will require fewer chemicals and have less byproducts. - More...
Saturday AM - February 01. 2014
The Rezoning of Residential land in town to Heavy Industrial and Unrestricted Commercial By Amanda Mitchell -
I am concerned again about the attempt to rezone our valley into heavy industrial. This issue keeps reappearing and is making residents weary of the constant disregard of their health and rights on their own property. Who wants to live in an industrial area? - More...
Thursday AM - January 30, 2014
Drugs in Ketchikan By Bonnie J Abbott -
I completely agree with Kevin Kristovich's letter on Sitnews, but I also believe first time offenders should have a chance to go to treatment and better themselves! Addiction is a Disease as Cancer is!! It needs to be treated properly by an addiction specialist, not out-patient either!!! - More...
Thursday AM- January 30, 2014
Chloramine in Our Drinking Water: Coming to a Faucet Near You By Amanda Mitchell -
Chloramine is extremely toxic to marine life, reptiles and amphibians. There is a potential that our local marine life will be directly affected and harmed. Chloramine can have a half-life of up to 23 days. It has already been seen that if a pipe does rupture it can kill the local fish. Cedar Rapids was fined for killing the fish when a water main broke. The original paper article said only ‘chlorine’, but further investigation concludes that Cedar Rapids was specifically using chloramine. San Mateo private utility was fined for chloraminated water contaminating Polhemus Creek killing the Steelhead. And there are more examples out there. - More...
Thursday AM - January 30, 2014
Chemical in water By Ed Plute -
We now have a new chemical that will be added to our water. It is chloramine. I've heard if they use this chemical Wal-Mart will not take Ketchikan fish. - More...
Thursday AM - January 30, 2014
Re: Focus on maintaining political clout By A.M. Johnson -
Regarding all the wondrous accomplishments of having Senator Bewitch reelected. "My Good Friend"(That is how the political opposition always addresses the other side!) Mr. Tom Schulz District 36 Chair Ketchikan, Alaska. - More...
Thursday AM - January 30, 2014
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