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Wednesday
February 12, 2014
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Refuge Cove
A peaceful scene after an eleven inch snowfall over a two day period.
Front Page Photograph By KAREN HORN ©2014
(Please respect the rights of photographers, never republish or copy
without permission and/or payment of required fees.)
Southeast Alaska: Clover Bay Lodge pleads guilty of feeding bears - During the summer of 2013, Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Ketchikan post, conducted an investigation into an alledged illegal sport fish activities at Clover Bay Lodge located on Prince of Wales Island.
The investigation resulted in the Clover Bay Lodge being charged for intentionally feeding bears, using the edible meat of sport caught salmon as bait, furnishing sport caught shellfish to clients, and taking over limits of halibut. - More...
Wednesday PM - February 12, 2014
Southeast Alaska: Company Receives Major Economic Development Loan - Baranof Island Brewing Company was granted a $350,000 development loan Tuesday by the Mayor and City Assembly of Sitka. The loan was granted from The Southeast Alaska Economic Development Revolving Loan, also known as the Stevens Fund.
This loan will allow the microbrewery to purchase a new grain mill and establish a beer-canning line.
Baranof Island Brewing Company was founded in 2009 by Rick and Suzan Armstrong, in a garage 2 miles outside of downtown Sitka. According to Mr. Armstrong, “Right now, our 310 gallon system is simply not large enough to meet the growing demand for craft beer from Sitka.” Mr. Armstrong notes that demand for Baranof Island Brewing Company beer has been growing, and last summer, the company was only able to fill half the Alaska orders for its various styles. “With growing Alaska demand and with our expansion into Washington State” Mr. Armstrong said, “this loan is crucial to help us scale up our production facilities.”
The Armstrong’s predict that new grain mill will increase current efficiency and will allow for 1,356 extra gallons of beer to be produced per month. New fermenting tanks will also be on the shopping list. These new tanks will allow the fermenting and conditioning process to occur in the same tank, reducing labor and cleaning costs. - More...
Wednesday PM - February 12, 2014
Alaska: Economic Threat of Pirate Fishing: Senators Stand up for Alaska Fishermen, Coastal Communities - With the pirate fishing industry costing coastal Alaskan communities millions of dollars, U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich stood up today for Alaska fishermen who play by the rules and coastal communities.
Senator Murkowski (R-AK) testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations about the multi-million dollar economic threat posed by illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing to Alaska’s seafood industry, and the need for Senate ratification for the Port State Measures Agreement. Murkowski’s testimony took a unique and personal tone when she recounted that her own son is just returning to port after a season fishing crab, saying that strengthened laws have resulted in “a much better world for our crabbers and fisherman than just years ago.”
“It is important that Alaskan and U.S. fishermen have a level playing field when it comes to our fishing opportunities. Russian IUU crab has been a serious problem for Alaska since at least 1990,” said Murkowski.
Murkowski went on to say that “as is true for most commodity markets, crab prices are driven by supply. IUU crab lowers the market price to fishermen and processors, and tax revenues to the State of Alaska. The estimated impacts of IUU crab to harvesters since 2000 is about $560 million, with an additional cost to crab processing ports of over $11 million in lost landing revenues. These are real dollars that we are talking about and this has a real impact to Alaska.”
“Two of the treaties before you today, the Port State Measures Agreement and the Convention on the Conservation and Management of High Seas Fisheries Resources in the North Pacific Ocean, are of particular interest to my state’s fishermen," said Murkowski. "I believe the treaties before you will enhance the effectiveness of U.S. authority to deter IUU activities.”
In addition to discussing the economic threats posed by IUU fishing, Senator Murkowski also strongly reminded the Foreign Relations Committee that illegal shipping activities are also taking an additional moral toll due to human trafficking.
As Chairman of the Senate subcommittee with official jurisdiction over oceans and fisheries, U.S. Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK) today also stood up to the pirate fishing industry - which has cost coastal communities millions of dollars – and defended Alaska fishermen who play by the rules. - More...
Wednesday PM - February 12, 2014
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Alaska: Obama Arctic Plan Falls Short Says Treadwell – Alaska Lt. Governor Mead Treadwell today told a gathering of oil and gas experts at an Arctic technology conference that President Obama's recently released implementation plan for the nation’s Arctic strategy misses the mark.
"The White House plan does not move us toward more certainty on development,” Treadwell said. “Arctic offshore oil and gas development is occurring, just not in the U.S. You’d think we would have figured out how to offer certainty to investors by now.”
Treadwell said he is especially surprised the federal government wants a new study on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. The 32-page Implementation Plan on the National Strategy for the Arctic, released in January, calls for "an assessment of the capacity and integrity of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System and technological information needed to pursue a regionally tailored approach for potential future offshore leasing by the end of 2016.”
"I can answer that question right now,” said Treadwell. “The integrity of the Alaska pipeline is just fine, but it’s running one-quarter full. We know what the capacity of TAPS is. We should be talking about ways to fill it, not study it.” - More...
Wednesday PM - February 12, 1014
Alaska: Four Alaska fishing vessels resolve seafood waste violations to protect marine environment - Three companies that operate four seafood processing vessels in federal waters off the coast of Alaska have agreed to comply with Clean Water Act permits that limit the discharge of pollutants from seafood waste. Golden Fleece, Inc., Blue North Fisheries, Inc. and The Fishing Company of Alaska, Inc. agreed to settle violations of Clean Water Act permits with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and pay fines.
“Seafood processors have to monitor treatment systems and wastewater,” said Jeff KenKnight, manager of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Compliance Unit at the EPA in Seattle. “Permits require monitoring to ensure wastewater treatment systems are running properly and so we know the nature of pollutants entering the ocean.”
The four vessels process Pacific cod, Pollock and/or flat fish and discharge millions of pounds of seafood waste each year into the Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska and North Pacific Ocean. The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System general permits for seafood processors in Alaska are intended to protect marine habitat and species. - More...
Wednesday PM - February 12, 2014
Alaska: Annual Hide and Horn Auction Will Serve Up Furs, Bear Hides, Moose-Antler Bumper Crop and More – Bear hides, moose antlers, caribou racks and more will go up for sale later this month at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Annual Hide and Horn Auction in Anchorage.
“We have more than 60 sets of moose antlers to auction this year,” said Jim Holmes with the Division of Wildlife Conservation in Anchorage. “That’s more than we’ve ever had before.”
That’s good news for artisans and casual collectors seeking antlers for carving or for display. In addition, more than 60 black bear and brown bear hides, several sets of Dall sheep horns, and a few miscellaneous furs including lynx, beaver and river otter will also be auctioned.
More antlers and hides than usual were received this year at the department’s Anchorage office when several outlying Fish and Game offices and Alaska State Trooper posts happened to simultaneously clean out and ship inventories collected over the past two or three years.
“That doesn’t always happen,” said Holmes. “The stars just kind of aligned this year and it’s going to be pretty impressive to see.”
Hides and horns sold at the auction are salvaged from road kills, defense-of-life-or-property incidents, and seizures by Alaska Wildlife Troopers during investigations. Items are sold to ensure they are not wasted and proceeds are applied against costs accrued in processing, preserving, shipping and handling. - More...
Wednesday PM - February 12, 2014
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Science: Giant mass extinction may have been quicker than previously thought By JENNIFER CHU - The largest mass extinction in the history of animal life occurred some 252 million years ago, wiping out more than 96 percent of marine species and 70 percent of life on land - including the largest insects known to have inhabited the Earth.
Multiple theories have aimed to explain the cause of what's now known as the end-Permian extinction, including an asteroid impact, massive volcanic eruptions, or a cataclysmic cascade of environmental events. But pinpointing the cause of the extinction requires better measurements of how long the extinction period lasted.
Now researchers at MIT have determined that the end-Permian extinction occurred over 60,000 years, give or take 48,000 years - practically instantaneous, from a geologic perspective. The new timescale is based on more precise dating techniques, and indicates that the most severe extinction in history may have happened more than 10 times faster than scientists had previously thought. - More...
Wednesday PM - February 12, 2014
Science: Plastic shopping bags make a fine diesel fuel, researchers report - Plastic shopping bags, an abundant source of litter on land and at sea, can be converted into diesel, natural gas and other useful petroleum products, researchers report.
The conversion produces significantly more energy than it requires and results in transportation fuels – diesel, for example – that can be blended with existing ultra-low-sulfur diesels and biodiesels. Other products, such as natural gas, naphtha (a solvent), gasoline, waxes and lubricating oils such as engine oil and hydraulic oil also can be obtained from shopping bags.
A report of the new study appears in the journal Fuel Processing Technology.
There are other advantages to the approach, which involves heating the bags in an oxygen-free chamber, a process called pyrolysis, said Brajendra Kumar Sharma, a senior research scientist at the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center who led the research. The ISTC is a division of the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois. - More...
Wednesday PM - February 12, 2014
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Viewpoints
Commentary
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Questions, please contact
the editor at editor@sitnews.us or call 617-9696
Sitnews reserves the right to edit.
 Explanation please! By Kasia Polanska - Recently, I was surprised to learn that the new Ketchikan Theater Ballet artistic director, who was hired just this past summer, would not be returning to the school after only a few months with KTB. When I called the KTB office to find out why, I was told that the reasons were unknown. According to the information that I have received since then, the now former KTB artistic director was fired by email, without warning, and without the possibility to discuss the reasons in person. - More...
Wednesday PM - February 12, 2014
Open Letter to the U.S. Postal Service By Damon Knight -
The simple fact here, is that our mail delivery has gone from great, to good, to bad (and even horrific) since LOCAL mail sorting was stopped in Ketchikan. - More...
Wednesday PM - February 12, 2014
Postal Service Reform Bill By Donald Bodda -
I have to agree with the bill for getting the US Mail delivered more promptly - it was a big win for Alaska. - More...
Wednesday PM - February 12, 2014
Rezoning By Marty West -
I see merit on both sides of this argument. My question is – what does it mean to have a “heavy industrial” and “unrestricted development” zone? - More...
Wednesday PM - February 12, 2014
How Much Do You Care!!! By Bonnie J Abbott -
I had some interesting things happen recently, after my letter in SitNews, I was approached by several, all said the same thing, but I knew none of them. Three different stores, in one week. What they said was surprising to me. What they said is how much they agreed and like my letters recently in SitNews and all said keep up the good work Bonnie! I haven't heard that much in my life so it felt good to have strangers approach me and let me know how much it meant to them. - More...
Wednesday PM - February 12, 2014
Property Taxes? By Dennis Gudgeon -
Can anyone explain to me how my property value is able to go up $32,800. in one year's time when I haven't done any improvements to the property? - More...
Monday PM - February 10, 2014
Astounded by the Gov.'s Remarks By Glen Thompson - The following are my personal opinions and do not represent the Ketchikan Gateway Borough in any way: I just listened to Governor Parnell interview with KRBD in Ketchikan regarding an unplanned visit to our fair city. I was astounded by his remarks. After over six years of appeals to the legislature and the administrations of both Governor Parnell and Governor Palin, the Ketchikan Gateway Borough filed a last resort lawsuit to challenge the constitutionality of state statutes that require a local contribution for schools. - More...
Monday PM - February 10, 2014
Ketchikan Postal Services By Ron Haberman - I would like to take this opportunity to respond to a letter to the editor regarding the U.S. Postal Service written by David G. Hanger of Ketchikan and published on Feb. 3, 2014. First, the U.S. Postal Service’s goal each and every day is to better serve the changing mailing and shipping needs of American industry and the American public without burdening the American taxpayer. Contrary to Mr. Hanger’s statement, the Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies solely on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. To that end, the Postal Service has been very aggressive in reducing costs, including decreasing its annual cost base by $16 billion and reducing the size of its career workforce by more than 200,000 employees since 2006. - More...
Monday PM - February 10, 2014
Postal Service By Norm Noggle -
I haven't ever written offering my appreciation for the work of a politician. However, I must give thanks to Sen. Begich for his recent work to get our mail delivery system back in order. According to what I read today, he has a firm commitment from the Postal Administrator that our local mail will no longer be routed thru Juneau and sorting will be done in Ketchikan. - More...
Monday PM - February 10, 2014
Postal Fix By Suzan Thompson -
I'd like to thank Senator Begich for his quick intervention in the postal problems plaguing Ketchikan and other Alaskan communities. When a United States Senator listens to his constituents and acts quickly and decisively to fix a problem, government works. - More...
Monday PM - February 10, 2014
Thank You By Rob Holston -
To all of those who attended the Celebrate Life Banquet, Thank You. - More...
Monday PM - February 10, 2014
Case Number 14-001: A request to rezone Low Density Residential acreage to General Commercial and Heavy Industrial By Karen Ramsey -
I believe the initial zoning of this particular parcel as low-density residential was a mistake and thus am in favor of Paul and Theresa Hamilton’s rezone request being considered by the borough planning commission Tuesday, 2/11/14. My husband works for P & T Construction, so the decision will have a direct impact on me and my family. Les Ramsey started working for P & T after having worked 15 years for South Coast, Inc., which shut down in 2002. In the ensuing years, Les helped build the Third Avenue Bypass and the airport taxiway working for construction companies based in Juneau. When P & T Construction of Ketchikan hired Les I was relieved because it seemed Les would enjoy secure local employment again. P & T has a good, dependable employee in Les, and we appreciate his year-round employment. We Ramseys are stable, hard-working, tax-paying citizens who would like to continue our humble lifestyle and plan for our future in Ketchikan. - More...
Monday PM - February 10, 2014
Industrial Activity around Bear Valley By George & Sandy James -
For a matter of record, we are against the rezone of 1000 block Third Avenue, Case #14-001. It seems every year our Bear Valley neighborhood has to come before the Planning Commission because someone keeps trying to rezone for heavy industrial. - More...
Monday PM - February 10, 2014
Bear Valley rezoning By Brent Connor -
While I don't know the Hamilton's real well, I do know who they are. They are some of the hard working people you see working projects all over the island, helping to improve quality of life for all of us. People like this are literally the backbone of the community. - More...
Monday PM - February 10, 2014
Rezone #14-001 By Harlan & Megan Heaton -
We support the rezone of case #14-001, from residential to heavy industrial and unrestricted commercial development, requested by Paul and Theresa Hamilton of P & T Construction Co. - More...
Monday PM - February 10, 2014
Regarding rezoning #14-001 By Kathy Paulson -
As 20 year residents of Upper Main Street we also hear a lot of noise. On any given day at our house we can hear pile driving on Berth 1, the Lumberjack Show (cheering and chainsaws), cruiseships tying up at 5 a.m. (we also can smell their breakfasts if they are moored at Berth 3), back up alarms on tour buses, traffic on the 3rd Avenue Bypass, floatplanes, fog horns, generators on boats moored at the Casey Moran float, etc. - More...
Monday PM - February 10, 2014
CASE 14-001 Rezoning By Darlene Breitkreutz -
I am totally in favor of rezoning the industrial area at Ketchikan's Copper Ridge Road. We also built in the area some 25 years ago and we KNEW there was an industrial zone nearby but we loved the area. Before P & T Construction, Lybrand had been on that property for years and he was burning, blasting, moving rock, and doing whatever he needed to do to make a living. People who have developed and built homes in the surrounding area did in fact know they were near an industrial area. - More...
Thursday AM - February 06, 2014
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
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