Ketchikan: A Tail of Hearts United For Animals In Need MARIE L. MONYAK - In Ketchikan, people tell and retell stories and occasionally they become distorted in the retelling. Locals and tour guides alike repeat the misinformation until it becomes accepted as fact. For years stories have been told about the Blackwell's that live on the corner of Deermount and Fair Streets next to City Park and much of it has been incorrect.

Bill and Darlene Blackwell had been raising their extended family on Deermount Street for many years, along with their numerous family pets and it's come to be known as the Blackwell Farm.

It's been said that the Blackwell's took in foster children or that all of their children are adopted which isn't exactly correct. Many people think the smallest of the three horses is the foal of the two larger ponies but since they're all males it's quite impossible! - More...
Friday - April 21, 2006

George Inlet Lodge owner, Carstens Jasper and Mike Round of SSRAA answering questions after the presentation. Photograph by Marie L. Monyak

Ketchikan: SSRAA Enhances Salmon Production in Southeast Alaska By MARIE L. MONYAK - Mike Round, Assistant General Manager of the Southern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association (SSRAA), treated the Greater Ketchikan Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday to an informative and entertaining presentation on the SSRAA operations, primarily Neets Bay.

Round's presentation was timely in that Southern Southeast commercial fishermen are gearing up for their summer season. SSRAA is one of five private, non-profit regional aquaculture associations in Alaska, funded primarily by a tax that commercial fishermen imposed on themselves to produce enough future generations of salmon to provide for an economically stable industry.

SSRAA operates 4 hatcheries in Southern Southeast; Whitman Lake, Burnett Inlet, Crystal Lake and Neets Bay. These hatcheries are responsible for the spawning, incubation and short-term rearing of the young salmon until they are ready for release in the wild where they forage in the ocean like any other wild stock until they return to spawn anywhere from 3 to 6 years later.

Round wanted to dispel certain misconceptions or misinterpretations that have caused confusion for many people. Round explained, "Whitman Lake is a kind of misnomer, I'd like to point out that it's actually Herring Cove." Most people in Ketchikan are not aware of Whitman Lake as it's off the road system but Herring Cove, south of Ketchikan, is well known to everyone and locals often refer to the hatchery as such. - More...
Friday - April 21, 2006

Top Stories U.S. News U.S. Politics Alaska Ketchikan

National: Bush's staff shuffle won't change much By MARC SANDALOW - here is a new chief of staff and a new budget director, and soon a new press secretary at the White House. Yet so far there is no sign of a new direction.

The changes in President Bush's inner circle over the past several weeks are the most dramatic of his presidency. They come at a time when his popularity is foundering, and even Republican loyalists are expressing alarm as they look toward the November election.

Yet the shuffle - which by most indications is not over - may not by itself reverse Bush's slide. Most observers agree that it is not the expression or even the execution of policy that has given Bush trouble. It is the policies themselves. - More...
Friday - April 21, 2006

National: Small farmers up in arms over livestock ID program By LANCE GAY - Ride a horse near someone's farm? You soon may have to record your trail ride for the Agriculture Department.

Are your kids involved in 4-H programs? You may soon have to register the animals they are raising and report to the government what shows the animals appear in. Keep a few chickens in the backyard so you can have fresh eggs for breakfast? You too could be affected by what officials are calling one of the most massive federal programs in history.

Dogs and cats aren't included, but the government has begun collecting information for its new animal identification program in order to better track disease. Even those not involved in farming could be affected.

The USDA says even those who raise animals only for show or use them for recreational purposes need to register. - More...
Friday - April 21, 2006

Alaska: Governor Promotes Alaska Seafood in London - Alaska Governor Frank H. Murkowski and a group of Alaska trade, fishery and tourism representatives hosted a media lunch and reception Wednesday at London's renowned Nobu restaurant. The governor also participated in a 'Discover Alaska' reception later that day.

The Nobu event was well attended by a wide range of guests, including over 30 members of the consumer and food press. At the luncheon, Alaska seafood menu items included halibut, black cod, crab and salmon.

The governor's 'Discover Alaska' reception attracted over 120 invited guests covering a wide range of interests, including seafood, oil, mining, tourism and other business sectors. Guests sampled a range of Alaska seafood throughout the evening. - More...
Friday - April 21, 2006

Alaska: New Program Opens Doors to Alaska for Koreans - A new cooperative program designed to promote and encourage Korean tourist travel to Alaska was announced on Monday by the Governor's Office of International Trade, the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and the Alaska Travel Industry Association.

The Alaska Explorer Visa Program will minimize paperwork and speed the visa appointment process through the use of 12 participating tour operators in Korea. Alaska-bound travelers will get a 30-day open appointment to allow them to apply for a visa on the day and time of their choice.

"One impediment to spending a vacation in Alaska is the perceived difficulty in obtaining a U.S. visa," said Governor Frank H. Murkowski. "The Anchorage Airport and Alaska Trade Rep. K. S. Kim did an excellent job working to open doors to Alaska and we look forward to welcoming more Korean tourists to our great state." - More...
Friday - April 21, 2006

Viewpoints Opinions/Letters The true hero, Bill Blackwell By Eric Muench - Sunday Addiction to oil By Joseph Prows - Sunday Comments By George Jackson - Saturday Timber Company Plans Spraying of Dangerous Chemicals By Jonathan Neiss - Saturday Medical Malpractice By Jane Marshall - Saturday $3.00 a gallon! By Marty West - Friday Release Election Records By Hunter Davis - Wednesday A fate worse than global warming? By John M. Crisp - Wednesday Cheap labor; Price of gas By Robert Glenn - Wednesday Litterbugs By Jenny Smiley - Wednesday Kind and Generous People By Jerry Cegelske - Tuesday PM The "Younger crowd By Rick Grams - Tuesday PM To All of my Eagle-Eyed Readers By Bob Ciminel - Tuesday PM RE: Plug Into Shore Power By Dave Kiffer - Tuesday PM Thought Provoking By A.M. Johnson - Tuesday PM Immigrants/Amnesty By Virginia E. Atkinson - Tuesday PM The Oil in the ground belongs to the people of Alaska, not BP By Samuel Bergeron - Monday AM Alaskans should not be overly concerned as bird migration resumes By Matt Robus - Monday AM Night of High School Music-ians! By Judith Green - Monday AM God Speed, Lisa By Dave Kiffer - Monday AM Aerial pesticide spraying of Long Island By Carrie L. James - Monday AM Re: Drug abuse affects everyone By Catlin Rettke - Monday AM Plug In To Shore Power By Steve Smeltzer - Monday AM Kudos to Sen. Ted Stevens By Rudy McGillvray - Monday AM Open Letter to Sen. Stevens By Mike Jones - Monday AM Abortion- Last resort, or murder? By Catlin Rettke - Monday AM Immediate crisis of rising and high CO2 By Russ George - Monday AM More Viewpoints/ Letters Publish A Letter Political Cartoonists Political Cartoons Ketchikan April 24, 2006, Monday, 5:30 pm - Special Assembly meeting/ work session to discuss the borough budget. Agenda & Information Packet April 25, 2006, Tuesday, 6:00 p.m. - Teleconferenced CONSTITUENT MEETING with SEN.STEDMAN, REP. ELKINS & REP.WILSON at the Legislative Information Office, 50 Front Street, Suite 203, Ketchikan. This is an informal teleconference for members of the community to discuss issues or concerns with local legislators. Contact the LIO at 225-9675 for more information. April Calendar Arts This Week Today's Forecast Ketchikan Weather Data Current AK Weather Map City Police Report AK Troopers Daily Dispatch Classifieds & Announcements April 2006 Click on the date to read the stories published on that day. S M T W T F S 26 27 28 29 30 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            Front Page Archives

Dave Kiffer: Take Off My Studs? Snow Way! - I suspect that about 80 percent of Ketchikan drivers broke the law last week.

I don't mean that we all drove 37.5 mph on that 30 mph stretch on south Stedman or 24.3 in the 20 mph school zone by the old Valley Park school, although I'm pretty sure we all did.

No, we all skipped the state imposed "take your studded tires off" deadline of April 15.

I'm sure that some of us were more concerned about the looming income tax deadline to notice. After all, the state of Alaska has never audited someone for taking off their tires a week or two late.

And perhaps some of us were a little lax with meeting the deadline because we are lazy (guilty as charged, your honor!). We're doing a lot of other things in mid April, like rubbing the winter cobwebs from our eyes and thinking about tackling our spring "Honey Do" list. - More...
Friday - April 21, 2006

Preston MacDougall: Chemical Eye on a Nuclear Earth Day - Thank goodness for global warming, otherwise I am pretty sure Hell would have frozen over recently. All those demons would have to go somewhere, and if you've seen any of the Ghostbusters movies - "Not good."

I jest, of course. Global warming is not something to be taken lightly. Still, except for the Ghostbusters part, the light-hearted opening to this commentary captures my initial reaction to some surprising, and very welcome, developments in the environmental movement.

What has put me in such a good mood for Earth Day this year? I recently learned that Patrick Moore, a prominent environmentalist, has joined the growing chorus of those who argue that, among currently available technologies, nuclear energy is one of the most environmentally responsible ways to meet the planet's enormous energy needs. Its main benefit is that it does not produce any greenhouse gas emissions. - More..
Friday - April 21, 2006

Star Parker: GOP's Contract with America hasn't run out of steam yet - There's a lot of talk these days of about the Democrats regaining control of Congress in the upcoming elections. Polls are showing as much dissatisfaction with Republicans as they showed toward the Democrats when Republicans gained control in 1994.

But there's a big difference between today's reality and the reality of 1994. And Republicans should note this.

The Contract With America that Republicans ran on in 1994 was more than a slick election gimmick. It set forth a clear vision about where the country needed to go and said that the Republican Party was prepared to be defined by this vision. - More...
Friday - April 21, 2006

Bill Steigerwald: Global Confusion - Six years of drought in Africa. Killer floods in Japan. Crop failures in Canada and Russia.

Average temperatures out of whack. Dramatic changes in polar ice caps. Animals populations threatened with extinction.

Top scientists warning of a coming global catastrophe. Our whole fragile blue planet in certain peril because of the junk being pumped into the atmosphere by evil humans.

These horrors sound like they were ripped from the pages of "Be Worried. Be Very Worried," the special report on global warming recently served up by Time magazine. Good guess, but not quite.

The above list comes from Time, all right. But it's not from Time's April 3 cover story. It's from the issue of June 24, 1974 -- the one that included a big article on the new ice age that "a growing number of scientists" were sure was already happening and would soon have serious if not devastating global consequences. - More...
Friday - April 21, 2006

Ann McFeatters: White House musical chairs - There is little that Washington loves more than a reshuffling at the White House.

This peculiar obsession used to drive President George H.W. Bush into frenzies of frustration. He would regularly and bitterly accuse the press of caring only about "who's up, who's down."

Now his son is hoping to milk the national passion for watching the bobble-head show at the White House.

The administration thinks its troubles will melt away with old faces in new slots. For starters, old face Josh Bolten, jerked from his position as keeper of the till to become chief of staff to replace Andy Card, has put the ubiquitous Karl Rove back on the campaign trail and is getting rid of the manipulative munchkin, Scott McClellan, as press secretary. - More...
Friday - April 21, 2006

John Hall: Oiling the axis of terror - After Hamas defended a deadly suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, Israel charged Iran, Syria and the Palestinian leadership with forming an "axis of terror" that would start the first world war of the new century.

Where have we heard that before? President Bush's 2002 "axis of evil" speech targeted Iran, Iraq and North Korea. That was the one in which he claimed Iraq was acquiring anthrax, nerve gas and nuclear weapons, which proved a bit exaggerated.

If anything, Bush, speaking only months after the 9/11 attacks, was more cheerful than the Israelis in drawing the security picture. - More...
Friday - April 21, 2006