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 City
Council Should Reject KPU Telecom Sale By Mike Harpold -
The Daily News correctly notes that the 13 vote margin in the
recent special election asking to sell KPU Telecom, an election
that turned out only 13 percent of the voters, was not a mandate.
Never the less, a decision was made, and the issue passes to
the city council which now must act in the interests of all the
people on our island. - More...
Wednesday - April 14, 2010
Ensuring
Accurate "TRIBAL" Counts By Marilyn Blair-Catron
- I think it funny how they are telling us to put in either KIC
or OVS in place of the names of our "Tribes." One being,
Ketchikan Indian Community and the other being the Organized
Village of Saxman. Do you see anything in those words helping
to "Ensure Accurate Tribal Counts?" I sure don't. -
More...
Wednesday - April 14, 2010
Married
Man's Trail By Susan Coady - I have lived in Ketchikan for
25 years. I spend my days with children. As the weather has improved,
I have been spending the days with the children doing as many
outdoor activities as we can. I have two very serious issues
that need to be looked at for the safety of our children. - More...
Wednesday - April 14, 2010
Sealaska
Land Bill By Chasina Worman - As an Alaskan resident and
commercial fisherman, I am writing to voice my opposition to
the Sealaska Bill (S.881) . This legislation will be detrimental
to Southeast Alaska. Sealaska has selected prime parcels, that
are currently public lands, that they would like. Some names
around Ketchikan that my family and I frequent and enjoy are:
Dog bay, Naha, Clover Creek, Shrimp Bay, Burns Narrow, Bostwick,
Gravel Point (Duke Isand), Chasina Pt., just to name a few. Plus
an additional 46 acres in Misty Fjords. This land will become
private and will be owned by a native corporation. This legislation
gives land that the public uses and enjoys to a timber centric
corporation. - More...
Wednesday - April 14, 2010
An
Open Letter to SEACC Concerning HR2099 & SB881 By Roger
DiPaolo - Dear SEACC Directors, I know that my fellow residents
of Edna Bay with whom I have spoken all feel exactly the same
as I am expressing in this letter to you. - More...
Wednesday - April 14, 2010
Sealaska's
Land Bill: Mediation to Nowhere By Alan Stein - On April
19th at Douglas Library across from Juneau, a mediation will
most likely occur between Sealaska Corporation on one side and
three green groups on the other. Mediating will be Bruce Bothello,
mayor of Juneau. - More...
Wednesday - April 14, 2010
THE
AMERICAN PUBLIC DESERVES ANSWERS ON S.881/HR.2099 By Myla
Poelstra - During recent discussions and debate across Southeast
Alaska over the merits of Sealaska's Land Bills, many issues
and concerns have come to light. While efforts have been made
by Senator Murkowski's staff to address region wide opposition,
cited by testimony given at Town Hall meetings of over 75%, many
problems remain and more questions are being asked about a proposal
to take highly valued public lands out of forest service management
domain and place them into the hands of a private corporation
known for it's egregious logging practices. - More...
Wednesday - April 14, 2010
Reduce
Oil Consumption To Counter Russian Resurgence By Donald A.
Moskowitz - During the past few years Russian oil revenues have
generated a surplus of $500 billion, and Russia is using this
money to rebuild and expand its military after many years of
neglect. - More...
Wednesday - April 14, 2010
RE:
Thanks for the Memories, Inga / Francine By Signe Markuson
- Not all the fisherman living in the houses at Bar Harbor were
POOR. My father Harold Markuson grew up in one of those homes
with neighbor and his best buddy Larry Erickson. - More...
Wednesday - April 14, 2010
Re:
The Real Issue By Marilyn Catron - I personally read Mr.
Hanger's original opinion regarding KPU's customer service. -
More...
Wednesday - April 14, 2010
Board
of Fish Deceit and the Company Line. By Lloyd Gossman - The
Board of Fish recently opened a commercial summer Dungeness crab
fishery that had been closed for nearly 25 years because of the
waste. They did this under the guise of needing to gather new
data. The fishery is going into its second season and no attempt
has been made to gather data. That is the deceit. - More...
Saturday - April 10, 2010
Ketchikan's
"Special" Election? By Robert D. Warner - Will
the Ketchikan City Council have the courage to recognize that
last Tuesday's special election was not a clear mandate from
city voters to sell KPU Telecommunications? Major questions about
this issue remain. - More...
Saturday - April 10, 2010
Mr.
McPherson to the AK High School Hall of Fame By Greg Buxton
Jr. - How awesome to find out about Mr. McPherson getting the
nod to the Alaska High School Hall of Fame! I was fortunate enough
to be taught by him for the first time back in 1980. I was just
learning to play the "drums" and had attended the Summer
Fine Arts Camp in Sitka, AK. I was truly a novice then, and Mr.
McPherson was extremely patient with me. He'd challenged us all
to put in the time to improve no matter what abilities we had
then. - More...
Saturday - April 10, 2010
Is
this fair? By Rob Holston - When Walmart showed interest
in "invading" Ketchikan there was much concern and
discussion. As in most small towns, the fear came mostly from
small business owners who had invested their lives and quite
possibly their homes and 80 hour work weeks into making their
businesses successful. The fear of unfair competition was at
the crux of the controversy. Walmart paid a fair market value
for the property, pays property tax & charges sales tax.
Walmart invested THEIR money. However, OceansAlaska uses tax
payer's money, public funding, to invest in their mega-tourist-atraction.
The government "gives" OceansAlaska 28 prime acres
for the government subsidized cost of $1 (ONE) US dollar! - More...
Saturday - April 10, 2010
S
881/ HR 2099, Response to Steve Lewis By Carol Cairnes -
Steve Lewis's solution is to pass the problem on to other folks
and keep this treacherous legislation alive. Value is not what
is due Sealaska under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act,
land is. The value rests in what Sealaska makes of it. - More...
Saturday - April 10, 2010
Coming
to you soon in a favorite waterway and anchorage near you!
By Betsey Burdett - Did you know that there is a company that
is applying with the State of Alaska to run an oyster farm and
hardening beaches in and on the Tatoosh Islands? They are called
Tatoosh Oysters, LLC and intend to put in floating docks, a floating
caretaker cabin, and utilize beaches as a hardening area. - More...
Saturday - April 10, 2010
Tea
Party Protest? By A.M.Johnson - As April 15th draws near,
I ask if the local Tea Party group will have a "Tea Party"
protest at the usual haunt of Jefferson and Tongass? I read of
many such events being planned and publicized across America
now to encourage interested citizens to participate. As frustrated
as I am towards the direction our Country is taking under this
administration, I would welcome a local opportunity to share
with like thinking Americans. - More...
Wednesday - April 07, 2010
The
Sealaska Lands Bill, S.881: A Problem with a Solution By
Steve Lewis - Senator Murkowski's Sealaska Lands Bill, S.881,
presents a problem to residents of SE Alaska. Few would suggest
that Sealaska should not receive the lands due it under the 1971
Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), but there are many
who feel that the current bill will cause serious damage to karstlands
and the underlying caves, create permanent rifts among Southeast
Alaskans, and provide Sealaska with more than it was due under
ANCSA. - More...
Wednesday - April 07, 2010
Sealaska
Landless By Vernon Grant - As a Sealaska landless shareholder,
this is my perspective on this landless issue. First of all if
we let the government slide on the promise to fulfill the ANCSA
that they have signed and left unresolved to be out voted by
communities that have not been awaiting the passed 40 years for
this land issue to be finalized, this will be a blow too our
own state and give way to a mind set that they can get away with
not upholding any and all promises made too any sect or bill.
- More...
Wednesday - April 07, 2010
Ice
Skating Rink and Dog Park By Tony Gwynn - I'm pretty sure
that most people in Ketchikan would love to have an indoor ice
rink and an indoor/outdoor dog park. Myself included. So I say
this next part with all due respect. If you are passionate about
an indoor ice rink or dog park then take the necessary steps
to create those two very worthwhile dreams!!! But please don't
steal the hard work and vision of the proposed Ward Cove indoor
recreation facility. - More...
Wednesday - April 07, 2010
Roy
McPherson By Jason Alderson - Way to go Roy!! Some of my
favorite memories are going into McPherson Music as a teenager
and looking at the drums! Even though I had long hair, jeans
with holes in them and a leather jacket (it was the 80's!!) Roy
and Tina always treated me with respect and worked with me so
that I could purchase the drums I wanted. - More...
Wednesday - April 07, 2010
KPU
TELEPHONE SALE: VOTE NO By Pete Ellis - So it is sort of
like voting to sell your birthright and the right to choose services
to be offered and their cost. A contrary vote is for the unknown.
A yes vote results in an inability to provide further input as
to any sales analysis, other than the limited opportunity to
appear before the Council and urge their rejection or further
negotiation of a sale proposal. Voting NO guarantees continued
control and input. - More...
Monday - April 05, 2010
Vote
"YES" to look for a buyer By Patti Fay Hickox -
Voting yes [on Tuesday, April 6th] only means the city can look
for a buyer for telecommunications. Ketchikan KPU cannot complete
against GCI, AT&T etc. in the telecommunications business.
We would need to buy massive equipment to keep up. This would
suck out all the money and some day we will have to sell because
GCI etc. has a lot more money to build these connections. We
cannot keep up with these big outfits. - More...
Monday - April 05, 2010
Monty
Hall and City Hall By Michael McNally - Sitnews readers of
a certain age will remember a once popular game show, called
Let's Make a Deal. The classic gimmick of the show was that contestants,
having obtained a prize of moderate value, would be offered a
chance to trade their prize in, sight unseen, for what was behind
door number three. The trick was, only the show s host, Monty
Hall, knew what was behind door number three and while it could
be a valuable prize the contestants also ran the risk of losing
what they had. It was an excellent gimmick for a game show, but
it is a poor way to conduct public policy. - More...
Monday - April 05, 2010
New
terminals in Metlakatla, Part 2 By Steven G. Booth - I would
hope that the M/V Lituya would be home ported in Ketchikan unless
and until appropriate security infrastructure is available in
Annette Bay with the scenario of dismantling the Chester Bay
Terminal. - More...
Monday - April 05, 2010
Sealaska
Bill, S.881 By Bob Claus - I thank Arne Fuglvog of Senator
Murkowski's office for traveling to Edna Bay and meeting with
the residents there. I was glad to have been able to attend as
well, and was impressed by the measured tone and thoughtful responses
opposing the Sealaska land selections on Kosciusko Island from
everyone who spoke. 100% of the community attended the meeting
and opposed S.881. I also heard a great amount of hope and optimism
for the future of Edna Bay and our other small communities surrounded
by the Tongass National Forest so long as they continue to have
community input through the forest planning processes. -
More...
Monday - April 05, 2010
S.881
is not the solution for Southeast Alaska By Sandy Powers
- Community hearings on Senate Bill 881/HR 2099 held in Edna
Bay and Point Baker/Port Protection last week reconfirmed that
a majority of Southeast Alaskans are opposed to this bill that
would give 80,000-some acres of public-owned, roaded National
Forest land to Sealaska Corporation. There was unanimous opposition
from these three communities, with residents from age 13 to 82
speaking passionately of how their lives and futures would be
forever adversely changed by this legislation. Hearings in other
communities throughout Southeast were held earlier in the month.
- More...
Monday - April 05, 2010
Taxpayers
asked again to bail out a Corporation By Judy Magnuson -
Why is the taxpayer again being asked to bail out a corporation?
Why are small communities, the public, and businesses that depend
upon public lands for their livelihood and recreation being asked
to give it up for a private corporation? Sealaska's Vice President
spoke in Ketchikan on March 31st , stating the Corporations need
for S-881 to pass quickly, because they only have two years of
timber harvest lands left. Whose fault is that? - More...
Monday - April 05, 2010
Roy
McPherson By Doug Edwards - Thank you for the excellent article
about Roy's induction into the Alaska School Activities Association
Hall of Fame. - More...
Monday - April 05, 2010
Fawn
Mountain Track and Field By Miguel Torres - I remember arriving
in Ketchikan during the summer 0f '06 and looking forward to
the upcoming Kayhi football season. Having lived in Texas for
many years and enjoying quite a few Friday night football games,
I inquired into the Ketchikan football tradition. I was referred
to Blaine Ashcraft, high school football and commissioner to
the Ketchikan football youth league. - More...
Monday - April 05, 2010
Performance
Scholarships Will Help to Improve our Schools By Larry LeDoux
- The Governor's Performance Scholarship proposal would award
substantial postsecondary scholarships to Alaska students who
take a challenging curriculum in high school and meet thresholds
for performance on grades and tests. The scholarships would be
used at Alaska institutions, both technical and academic. - More...
Monday - April 05, 2010
Holy
Name By Brandon Fast - I think more people should go to Holy
Name Catholic School. At Holy Name we have a bully free environment
and small class sizes. - More...
Monday - April 05, 2010
Health
Reform By Jim Kempsell - Lamentably, Socratic form of debate
(actually listening to an opponent, recognizing they may have
some valid points) is virtually non-existent in this age of sound
bites and "gotcha". - More...
Monday - April 05, 2010
Community
By Joey Tillson - The other day I had lunch with an out of town
friend. Her and I had gone to school together in Juneau for many
years and for 29 years of my life, I lived in Juneau but was
born in Ketchikan. It was wonderful to catch up with her and
discuss how our lives had changed and progressed. - More...
Monday - April 05, 2010
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