Ketchikan: White Cliff Reopens; Building was West End School for nearly 80 years By DAVE KIFFER - With the reopening of the old White Cliff school as a new office building housing the Ketchikan Gateway Borough offices and other commercial tenants this month, a building that has been an important part of the community's history now has an opportunity to be an important part of its future.

By the mid 1920s, Ketchikan was the largest city in Alaska with a population of well over 5,000.

The canned salmon industry was driving most of the post World War I growth. By the early 1930s, there were would more than a dozen canneries along the community waterfront and a dozen others in the Southern Southeast region of which Ketchikan was the economic hub.

For more than twenty years, the community had a single large school, Main School, which housed grades 1-12 on a hill on Grant Street above town. Even though the old wooden original Main School had been recently replaced by a three story concrete structure, it was clear to city leaders that another school was needed, particularly for Ketchikan's rapidly expanding West End.

At the time, there were several smaller schools around the area, including ones in Saxman and Wacker City (in Ward Cove). There was even a school operated by the territory of Alaska at Charcoal Point (near the current site of the Alaska Marine Highway Terminal). At the time, the city limits officially ended at Washington Street, and Charcoal Point was for non-city residents only.

First Classes on Oct. 17, 1927

In 1926, the City of Ketchikan purchased a two acre parcel from Louis Nadeau's White Cliff patented gold claim. Warrick construction began work on the building in the summer of 1927 and the first classes were held on Oct. 17, 1927.

With construction ongoing, only the students in grades 1-4 were in the building the first year. It was decided that all elementary aged children who lived west of Quinn Street would go to the new White Cliff School, while elementary school children on the other side of the line would stay at Main School with the junior high and high school students. - More...
Friday - April 10, 2009

Alaska: ALASKA AIRLINES UNVEILS UNIQUE LIVERY TO CELEBRATE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF STATEHOOD - A specially painted Alaska Airlines jet adorned with a Sitka high school student's winning design touched down in Sitka, Alaska, Thursday morning, to celebrate 50 years of Alaska statehood. The unique livery on a Boeing 737-400 aircraft dubbed the "Spirit of Alaska Statehood" was created by 16-year-old Hannah Hamberg. It features a musher and sled dog, state ferry, Native Alaskan canoe, bear and whale, along with the statement, "We're all pulling together."

Hamberg's design was selected from among thousands of submissions by students across Alaska in a statewide "Paint the Plane" contest. Judged by a panel of Alaskan artists and other dignitaries, the design will fly throughout Alaska Airlines' network of 59 cities.

"This was an amazing opportunity to share Alaska's unique heritage with people throughout the state and across the country," said Hamberg. "Growing up in a small town in Alaska, I've seen how Alaskans work together and help each other. This artwork is a tribute to our ancestors who helped shape Alaska over the past 50 years." - More...
Friday - April 10, 2009

Alaska: State Senate Passes Bill to Raise Minimum Wage - The State Senate passed Senate Bill 1 Wednesday, which would increase Alaska's minimum wage for the first time in more than six years.

"Alaska's workers have gone far too long without a reasonable minimum wage," said Senator Bill Wielechowski (D-Anchorage), a prime sponsor of SB 1. "Especially in these hard economic times, we need to ensure that our lowest-paid citizens can earn a decent living."

Under the bill, Alaska's minimum wage would increase from $7.15 an hour to 50 cents above the federal minimum wage on January 1, 2010. Alaska's minimum wage was last raised in January 2003. Had it kept pace with inflation, it would be about $8.46 today.

"Alaska's cost of living is one of the highest in the nation," said Senator Joe Thomas (D-Fairbanks) another prime sponsor of the bill. "Despite this, 19 states have a higher minimum wage than Alaska, including California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. In July of this year, when the federal minimum wage increases to $7.25 an hour, ours will be lower than 39 other states, unless this bill is signed into law." - More...
Friday - April 10, 2009

Alaska Science: Seward devastated during 1964 earthquake By NED ROZELL - Tammy Wisdom of Baker City, Oregon, wrote and asked if any Alaska Science Forum readers knew of her grandfather, Alva "Al" Wisdom. Al Wisdom died in Seward in 1964 as a result of a wave generated by the Good Friday Earthquake. This request inspired some readers to share their own stories of Seward during and following the earthquake.

Larry Werner of Anchorage, 61, was a junior in high school when the earthquake struck Alaska on March 27, 1964. He remembers trying to flee Seward with his mother in her car because "everything was on fire."

Werner and his mother drove down Third Avenue, then the only way out of town, to find that a wave had deposited railroad cars, parts of houses, and other debris on the road. Werner said he saw Al Wisdom on a bulldozer, trying to clear the road.

"I ran over and talked to Al on the Cat," Werner said. "He said, 'Check back in a little while, it's going to take a while to clear through this mess.'"

Werner and his mother then drove to their home, on higher ground, and that move probably saved their lives. Perhaps 20 minutes later, a tsunami created by the earthquake swept over Seward again.

Waves from a variety of sources-the underwater landslide beneath Seward's waterfront, the sloshing effects in Resurrection Bay, and from the displacement of water from the earthquake fracture on the floor of Prince William Sound-devastated Seward, wrote Richard Lemke, who visited the town right after the earthquake and wrote a report for the U.S. Geological Survey. Lemke wrote that people saw the first of the waves right after the earthquake, at 5:36 p.m., and the waves "continued to arrive fairly regularly . . . until at least 11:30 p.m."

Monty and Florita Richardson moved to Seward in 1957. They were there on March 27, 1964, and still live there today. Like most Seward residents, they were trying to escape the fires caused when the first waves hit. - More...
Friday - April 10, 2009

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Ward Cove and our "burro" leaders By Lawrence "Snapper" Carson - Hurrah to Chas Edwardson! Isn't it wonderful to see local government at work and what wonderful ways to spend our tax money. If you want to have a bad day drive out to the old pulp mill site and look arround. Sunken and abandon historical boats, sinking old logging camps, sunken barges and a mill site that resembles Berlin after the war. - More...
Friday - April 10, 2009

Tax Day Tea Party in Ketchikan By Connie Emmert - I'm writing to let everyone know that there is a Tax Day Tea Party scheduled to be held on Wednesday, April 15th between 4:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on the corner of Jefferson and Tongass. This is a peaceful protest against the stimulus package and bailouts that are burying us and our children in debt. - More...
Friday - April 10, 2009

Ketchikan Tea Party? By Richard Easbey - Here is some information I found about a Tax Day Tea Party here in Ketchikan: Ketchikan is having a tea party on April 15th at 4:00 to 6:30 pm at the corner of Jefferson and Tongass! - More...
Friday - April 10, 2009

Tax Tea Party By Larry Fischer - I would be interested in attending a tea party. If anyone is planning to organize one please list the details, perhaps others here in Ketchikan would also be interested. I'm tired of our Govt. spending this money like it was theirs! - More...
Friday - April 10, 2009

Clotheslines By Elaine and Steve O'Brien - Using a clothesline instead of a dryer would save huge amounts of energy. But it is against the law for Americans to line dry their laundry! - More...
Friday - April 10, 2009

Shotgun Approach To Economy - The Bailouts By Donald A. Moskowitz - The President is using the last $100 billion from the $700 billion bailout for banks to continue to loan money to them, and he desires an option for another $250 billion. The optional $250 billion should not be approved and the $100 billion in loans should have significant restrictions. - More...
Friday - April 10, 2009

Thanks to KPU and a heads up to others By MJ Cadle - Recently I discovered the power line coming from the pole to our house was seriously damaged and the insulation burned off. Checking the power line to our house was not something I ever thought of or heard that I should do but I would suggest that home owners, especially older home owners, do so. It is so easy to do and the consequences if you have a damaged line could be devastating. - More...
Friday - April 10, 2009

Thanks By MJ Cadle - I would like to thank Robert Renninger of Software Engineering of Alaska for saving me during my recent computer crisis when both my work computer and mirrored backup drive crashed fatally within days of each other leaving me without access to client files or my photos - both necessary for me to work.
- More...
Friday - April 10, 2009

It's More Than Just The Head Tax By Shauna Lee - I have read all the letters recently regarding the head tax, and whether it has an effect on a ships decisions to re-locate their vessels to other ports. I believe that people are missing the larger picture on issues that face the cruise industry. - More...
Monday - April 06, 2009

On track for a greener, cleaner, and brighter future in Southeast Alaska By Lindsey Ketchel - The recent sunshine is just one thing for Southeast Alaskans to smile about. In the past few weeks, both the Alaska Legislature and U.S. Congress have taken bipartisan actions that will boost the Southeast Alaska economy and steer our region towards a greener, cleaner, brighter and more sustainable future. - More...
Monday - April 06, 2009

ANCSA PROMISES By Diane Hoisington - I was born, and lived in Southeast Alaska. My parents, were also born, and lived in Southeast Alaska. Now both my mother and father are both gone. Let's admit. there comes a time (the last 38 years have been a long time) to end the wait for the Southeast Alaskan Settlements Act which was promised to the Alaska Natives. - More...
Monday - April 06, 2009

Timber Industry Retooling By Evan Hjerpe - Sen. Murkowski's press release advocating her Southeast Alaska Timber Industry Retooling and Restructuring Act ( Murkowski Proposes Southeast Initiative to Aid Regional Economy, 4/2) misrepresents many facts, leaving me concerned that her bill may miss the mark. The Murkowski press release incorrectly attributes the decline of the timber industry in Southeast Alaska to a litany of federal forest policy changes. In fact, the decline of the timber industry is due to a number of market-driven factors and a long history of unsustainable high-grading of the biggest and best trees. The timber industry in Southeast Alaska has always been affected by inherent competitive disadvantages. Because of rugged terrain and distance from markets, logging, manufacturing, and transportation costs have always been high. Southeast Alaska's forests are also dominated by tree species with lower value in timber markets, which means higher lumber production and processing costs. These factors, and the collapse of the lumber export market to Japan in the 1980s, have caused the decline of Southeast Alaska's timber industry. - More...
Monday - April 06, 2009

Response to Mr. Currall By Dan Ortiz - I do indeed stand corrected in the light of the U.S. Justice Department's decision to remove the judgement against former Senator Ted Stevens. An independent jury did find our former longtime and effective Senator guilty of all charges against him, but evidently with faulty presented evidence. Being that the Justice Department was being headed by a President Bush appointee and going on the assumption that their duties require them to act in a non-partisan manner regardless, I had no reason to believe that justice was not done at the time. However it's apparent, that wasn't the case. - More...
Monday - April 06, 2009

Palin and White Cliff By Chas Edwardson - I literally (no joke) laughed out loud all by myself drinking coffee in my kitchen at 5am after reading the "Palin opens new White cliff School article " (Ketchikan Daily news article dated March 31 2009). I waited to write this comment until today April 2 2009 to see if it was as funny as the first time I read it --"it was". - More...
Monday - April 06, 2009

Re: UAS library movies questioned By Donita O'Dell - I am a full-time student at UAS, and although I also work full-time and therefore do not get to participate in any day-time recreational activities on campus, I have a hard time understanding Mr. Warner's concern about brown-bag lunch movies once in a while. The truth is that most students could use more breaks from the never-ending cycle of studying, researching, writing, and tests -- not a moratorium on the occasional fun activity. The library is the perfect location on a very small campus for just such an activity. And, should a student need peace and quiet to study at that particular time, the Learning Center offers just such an environment a mere five steps from the Library. - More...
Monday - April 06, 2009

Outrageous spending By Jon Boyd - Obama keeps throwing our money away. Who does he think he is? America is in a recession. We need to be saving money, not spending it. - More...
Monday - April 06, 2009

Shouldn't Alaskans get deals too? By Kimberly Morton - It's been a while since we have taken a vacation off of the rock. I always seem to browse the internet to find a special that Alaska Air might have, sometimes the extra few dollars saved on a ticket can mean a nice break away from island life. - More...
Monday - April 06, 2009

Head Tax By Suzan Thompson - Mr. Edwardson is correct in his assessment that Alaska's $50 head tax is being used by some of the cruise lines as an excuse to pull a few ships from the Alaska run in the next year or two, and that it has little meaning for the average tourist. Try checking out www.cruisecritic.com. Click on Boards, and then under Ports of Call, click on Alaska. On about page 6, there are two threads dealing with this topic. Nearly all of the cruisers who responded to this topic clearly stated that a fifty-dollar tax had absolutely no effect on their decision to cruise or not cruise to Alaska. Several of them said they had no idea there even was a $50 tax. They are far more concerned about the rising cost of the airfare to get to their embarkation points in Seattle and Vancouver than they are about this fee. - More...
Thursday - April 02, 2009

Tour Ship Head Tax By Lloyd B Ruaro - I have worked for Holland America corporate office for 5 years. I believe that they are bluffing that a head tax deters people from booking a cruise to our great state. - More...
Thursday - April 02, 2009

Head Tax By Susan Hoyt - Silly people. Do you possibly think that maybe the cruise ships are pulling out because there is a decline in the amount of people traveling these days?(Due to the economy ) - More...
Thursday - April 02, 2009

Shotgun Approach To Economy--The Budget By Donald A. Moskowitz - The Obama Administration is throwing many hundreds of billions of dollars at a multitude of programs, hoping for economic success. It appears the thrust of the policies encompass Rahm Emanuel's philosophy of "not letting a crisis go to waste". - More...
Thursday - April 02, 2009

U.S. Drops Case Against Former Sen. Stevens By Nathaniel Currall - Mr. Ortiz may wish to reconsider his lesson to the community of Ketchikan about politics, law and "Loyalty" in light of recent events. - More..
Thursday - April 02, 2009

WE ARE THE GOVERNMENT By Jacquie Meck - Gosh, I guess some people realize that WE ARE THE GOVERNMENT. We own it we pay for it .... out of every paycheck we make, and here in Ketchikan pretty much every service and product we buy and use. - More...
Thursday - April 02, 2009

Re: The Mayor Responds By Ken Bylund - Thank you for your response to Mr. Dial's, Questions for the Mayor, and clarification as to where you stand on these issues. I'm certain that everyone in this Borough would like to have that new library, a new heated swimming pool, and performing arts center [aka tourist restrooms], and skateboard park... etc., we really do. We want our citizens to enjoy all the pleasures of a prosperous and vibrant city/state. - More...
Tuesday - March 31, 2009

Ketchikan "Tea Party"? By Eileen Small - I have been hearing that many communities across the USA are planning "tea parties" to protest government spending, etc on "Tax Day" (April 15). - More...
Tuesday - March 31, 2009

Tour ship head tax By Chas Edwardson - I doubt very highly that a fifty dollar head tax was a big factor in Princess Cruise's visitations or lack of. And now that they have made this public announcement about this (devastating tax), other cruise lines will make this claim to reinforce Princess' claims in an effort to put that fifty bucks back in their pockets. - More...
Tuesday - March 31, 2009

Big numbers By Mike Sallee - OK, I won't argue with Mr. McGillvray, but for the edification of the rest of those perusing this column, in America a billion is 1 followed by nine zeros, a trillion is 1 followed by twelve zeros. - More...
Tuesday - March 31, 2009

The Mayor Responds By Dave Kiffer - Dear Rodney, Thank you for writing and expressing your concerns.

As you noted, I can't answer all of your questions but I will try to respond to the ones that I can. - More...
Monday - March 30, 2009

Mr. Dial's letter and a few of my own thoughts. By Derek Andrews - I think I have found the person I will write-in for mayor at the next election, if he is not going to run. Library project is wasteful in these economic times and that art should be funded by the private sector. The role of government should be to minimize expenses and focus those resources they do use to the greater good of the populous. - More...
Monday - March 30, 2009

RE: Time for some climate realism By J.A. Rasmussen - Kudo's to Rep. Gato for publishing his opinion about man-made global warming. - More...
Monday - March 30, 2009

NIGHTCRAWLERS By David G. Hanger - Escalation is wise only when you know you have a winning hand, so let this serve as warning to you AMHS employees who have been spying for your tax-cheating guru, Martin A. Kapp, that not only are you playing a very bad hand, you are also playing a very dumb one. If you want my address so you can get Marty Kapp to jump all over me with his threats of lawsuits, etc., rather than crawling around in the night and getting it wrong, you could simply ask. But no, just like your guru, you crawl around in the mud and hide from the light. - More...
Monday - March 30, 2009

RE: Cruise Ship Head Tax By Dustin Hofeling - In the words of Chris Barry: "Silly people." Now you see what happens when taxes are increased. The cruise ships are pulling vessels. - More...
Monday - March 30, 2009

Problem Bus Driver By Bryan Oftedahl - This is for the fellow customers of Ketchikan's public transit system. Is it really just me or is there one bus driver in particular who never seems to care about us? I have seen this bus driver fly right past bus stops with people waiting to get on and out of the rain yet he doesn't even flinch. I've been on the Blue Line while he skips going up to Wal-Mart so I have to wait while he goes out to Totem Bight then get dropped off on Shoreline Dr. (so long as he doesn 't skip that one too) and walk through the freezing snow to get to Wal-Mart. I've sat on Green Line and witnessed him go right past three people standing at the Baranof/ Tower Rd. stop. One day a woman came running up to the bus when he was waiting to pull back into traffic from the Plaza stop and she knocked and I mentioned that somebody was knocking on the door but ignored me and the woman, he refused to sacrifice a couple of seconds to open the door. - More...
Monday - March 30, 2009

UAS Library Movies Questioned By Robert D. Warner - Recently I have noticed that the UAS Ketchikan Library is offering a series of "brown bag lunch" movies. The movies are scheduled from noon to 1:15 p.m. in the library.- More...
Monday - March 30, 2009

Administration's Shotgun Approach To Economy - Part 1 of 3-The Stimulus By Donald A. Moskowitz - The recently enacted $787 billion economic stimulus plan designed to create jobs includes about $300 billion in tax cuts for individuals and businesses, which will not create jobs because companies are not hiring and consumers are saving their money, not making purchases they can postpone. The Commerce Department recently reported a U.S. savings rate of 5%, which is the highest since 1995. - More...
Monday - March 30, 2009

Up to here with...well I simply can't say. By Marina Keirn - In response to the "dog poop" concern: I too am disgusted with the various "piles" deposited around town. - More...
Monday - March 30, 2009

Dog Droppings By Hal Smith - Thanks Carrie Mueller, someone is finally saying something about the dog poop on the sidewalks by the Mary Frances Building. - More...
Monday - March 30, 2009

Re: A Trillion dollars By Rudy McGillvray - Dear Ken, and everyone else who doesn't know that a trillion dollars is not what you think it is. - More...
Monday - March 30, 2009

Re: Thanks to Young Democrats By A. M. Johnson - My error, without the Mark Steyn column involved, my letter to the Editor regarding thanks to young Democrats for their assumption of future fiscal indebtedness was left off or out of my post.  - More...
Monday - March 30, 2009

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