Ketchikan: Awards Presented to Members & Volunteer Fire Department - Members from the North Tongass Volunteer Fire Department were in attendance to accept awards at the 26th Annual South East Region EMS Council (SEREMS) symposium held in Juneau, on April 24, 2010.

Fire Chief David Hull (left) was in attendance to accept for North Tongass Volunteer Fire Department the EMS Service of the Year Award, Captain Jerry Kiffer (center) received the Neighbor Helping Neighbor Award, and Firefighter/EMT Greg Brown (right) received the Neighbor Helping Neighbor Award, Photo courtesy NTVFD

Firefighter/EMT Greg Brown (right) received the Neighbor Helping Neighbor Award for his life saving actions while responding to a cardiac arrest victim, due to in part to Greg's actions the patent survived his arrest and is recovering well.

Captain Jerry Kiffer (center) received the Neighbor Helping Neighbor Award for his dedication and commitment to the North Tongass Volunteer Fire Department. - More...
Thursday PM - May 06, 2010

Southeast Alaska: Man Sentenced to Five Years' Probation and 250 Hours of Community Work Service for Theft from Alaska Pacific Bank - United States Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced last week that Adam Jay Hendren, of Juneau, Alaska, was sentenced in federal court in Juneau to five years of probation and 250 hours of community service for theft, embezzlement, and misapplication of funds by a bank officer.

Hendren, age 36, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge John W. Sedwick.

According to court documents presented by Assistant United States Attorney Jack S. Schmidt, who prosecuted the case, Hendren was a bank officer of Alaska Pacific Bank who stole Alaska Airline Miles, worth $8,503, from Alaska Pacific Bank's corporate milage account. The defendant had used Alaska Pacific Bank's Alaska Airlines Milage account miles to pay for travel to and from the lower 48 for himself and his family over the course of a year. - More...
Thursday PM - May 06, 2010

Southeast Alaska: UAS Ketchikan Sponsoring 8th Grade Career Fair - Ketchikan and Craig 8th grade students will participate in an all-day career fair on Thursday, May 13th at the University of Alaska Southeast Ketchikan Technical Center and Schoenbar Middle School. The fair provides students with a variety of hands-on activities and showcases local career opportunities including fire, safety, law enforcement, maritime, construction, fisheries, nursing, and military. The fair focuses on the education and training needed for specific jobs and the potential wage earnings in various levels of jobs categories.

The career fair is a collaborative effort between UAS Ketchikan, Schoenbar Middle School, Craig Middle School, the Ketchikan Job Center, Ketchikan Police and Fire Departments, Alaska State Troopers, and the United States Coast Guard. - More...
Thursday PM - May 06, 2010

SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) Alicia Roberts Medical Center (ARMC) Clinic Administrator Donna Miller and SEARHC Community Health Care Services Medical Director Dr. David Vastola pose with the Outstanding Rural Health Organization Award presented to ARMC during the Alaska Rural Health Conference awards luncheon on April 28, 2010, in Anchorage. Photo courtesy  SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC)

Southeast Alaska: Alicia Roberts Medical Center wins rural health award - The SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) Alicia Roberts Medical Center in Klawock was honored with the Outstanding Rural Health Organization Award during the awards luncheon on Wednesday, April 28, at the Alaska Rural Health Conference in Anchorage.

The award honors a group or organization that has improved access to health services and information for rural people through innovative, comprehensive approaches, according to the Alaska Rural Health Conference website. Factors considered include outreach, preventive health and education, quality and efficiency of care, and strong community support and involvement.

"It was an honor and privilege to accept this award on behalf of all the staff at Alicia Roberts," said Donna Miller, RN, MPA, SEARHC Alicia Roberts Medical Center Clinic Administrator. "The staff at the clinic is committed to providing the best care possible to the residents of POW (Prince of Wales Island). With SEARHC and (SEARHC Community Health Care Services Medical Director) Dr. David Vastola's guidance, the clinic has been able to take advantage of various funding opportunities over the past several years to expand the scope of services provided at the clinic."

Fifteen years ago, the Alicia Roberts Medical Center (ARMC) was staffed by three community health aides who provided health care services to all of SEARHC's Native patients on Prince of Wales Island. The clinic was tucked into the back of a small building that now houses the Klawock Community Library. Services were very limited, but they expanded as mid-level and physician-level providers were added to the staff. SEARHC partnered with the Klawock Heenya Corp. to build a larger clinic, renovating a former grocery store. In 2000, ARMC suddenly became the only provider of emergency and after-hours care on the island, which brought a large infusion of non-Native patients to the clinic. - More...
Thursday PM - May 06, 2010

Scientists work at a dinosaur bone quarry on Alaska's North Slope. This site has yielded a large amount of horned dinosaur bones and bones from other dinosaurs, such as hadrosaurs and theropods. Photo by Tony Fiorillo.

Alaska Science: The killing field of northern Alaska By NED ROZELL - On a fine spring day about 70 million years ago, a few dozen duck-billed dinosaurs waded a channel of a great northern river. As they strode on two legs into the cloudy water, the man-size hadrosaurs had no idea how the sunshine was affecting the snowpack in the high mountains to the south.

A pulse of meltwater from the high country had swollen the river to much higher levels in the span of just a few hours. The dinosaurs ventured out too far, lost their footing, struggled and drowned. The river carried the bodies of the beasts downstream, depositing them at what is now a bend of the Colville River.

In a new paper, researchers write that large floods in ancient Alaska may be responsible for the impressive deposits of dinosaur bones they have found on Alaska's North Slope.

"The Cretaceous Arctic of northern Alaska may have witnessed the coastal plain being a seasonal killing field," wrote Tony Fiorillo, Paul McCarthy and Peter Flaig in an upcoming issue of the journal Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology.

Fiorillo, a frequent visitor to Alaska, works at the Museum of Nature & Science in Dallas. McCarthy is with the University of Alaska Fairbanks Department of Geology and Geophysics and the Geophysical Institute. Flaig studies at the Bureau of Economic Geology in Austin, Texas.

The researchers have spent many hours excavating bones and looking at soils and sediments on the Colville River and other places in Alaska. The dense concentration of the bones of young dinosaurs and fine river sediments at the Colville sites makes them think that sudden flooding events, possibly enhanced by non-permeable permafrost soils high in the ancient Brooks Range, may have led to the extraordinary beds of bones they have found. - More...
Thursday PM - May 06, 2010

Alaska Science: Scientists to study Western Alaska salmon declines - Scientists at the University of Alaska Fairbanks will spend two years studying declines and variability in Western Alaska king salmon runs thanks to a grant from the Pollock Conservation Cooperative Research Center.

The $435,000 project, led by professor Milo Adkison and assistant professor Larissa Dehn, includes a consortium of UAF fisheries faculty members from both Fairbanks and Juneau. Assistant professor Megan McPhee also received $180,000 in matching funds from the Alaska Sustainable Salmon Fund to augment the study.

The project contains multiple components, all focused on the health and ecology of freshwater king salmon runs and how these factors affect annual returns. One aspect will examine how king salmon grow during their freshwater phase and how growth affects survival to the age of reproduction. Another component will study how infection by a parasite called "Ichthyophonus" affects the health of freshwater-run king salmon. Although not harmful to humans, Ichthyophonus attacks the organs of the fish and causes reduced endurance and ability to spawn. - More...
Thursday PM - May 06, 2010

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Can't we work this out? In support of the Oceans Alaska Project By Jennifer Castle - I am a Mother with a preschool age child, I cannot tell you how much my son and other families enjoy the small aquarium tank outside the office in the mall. Seeing local sea creatures up close, and being able to ask questions and see them feed is a rare treat for adults and children alike. To me, this seems like just the beginnings of a wonderful relationship between Oceans Alaska and the people of Ketchikan. - More...
Tuesday AM - May 04, 2010

Borough property tax rate By Dave Kiffer - I was surprised to read, in a recent letter to SITNEWS, that the borough property tax rate will go up this year because of the replacement pool project. - More...
Tuesday AM - May 04, 2010

Re: Better management leads to lower taxes. By Ken Bylund - Mr. Dial... always refreshing to watch an effective observer criticize the devil; amazing how the majority of our species don't seem to notice as the current pack of predators skim ever increasing portions of our potential and freedom while they promote some feel-good give-away described as another crisis by our news creators; they and we have been mesmerized, ignoring that snakelike stealth of career politicians moving us toward absolute social fascism. - More...
Tuesday AM - May 04, 2010

Swimming Pool By Jon Hurley - I wish Mr. Dial would attend a swimmg meet with the wind blowing and the rain pouring down. I know that he would love to have the tar dripping on his head and the roof shaking. - More...
Tuesday AM - May 04, 2010

Open Letter To Ketchikan City Council: Ketchikan Public Library Concerns By Robert D. Warner - The following are basic questions that I feel need to be answered prior to any decisions being made on the future location of the Ketchikan Public Library. This is an important long term decision. The community will have to live with it for many years to come. We must not be pressured into hasty decisions by special interest groups. - More...
Tuesday AM - May 04, 2010

Talent on Revilla Island By Judith Green - Never a disappointment is the music community on our island. We have great talent and not just talent, as my son reminded me, but we have people in Ktn who 'inspire' and encourage all ages and abilities to share that which they have and enjoy. - More...
Tuesday AM - May 04, 2010

Thank You Ketchikan By Nicole Esau - Dear Ketchikan Residents, I have been living in Ketchikan for the last 5 1/2 years. I consider it my home. I recently was in a boating accident and spent 3 hours in the cold Gulf of Alaska on my way to fish herring and Salmon. I was traveling on the Northern Belle that went down quickly in the Gulf. It was a both horrifiy and life changing experience. I wanted to write because it was noted in several sources that I was from various places in the Northwest. I have been avoiding national media. - More...
Tuesday AM - May 04, 2010

Kayhi and Revilla Class of 2010 Graduation Party By Ginny Clay - Dear Parents of Graduating Seniors, as you know every year the parents get together and throw a graduation party for the Seniors, this year is no exception. There are many fun and exciting things planned for a wonderful event at the Plaza Mall on the night of graduation. BUT we need your help! - More...
Tuesday AM - May 04, 2010

Withdraw THE BILL By Alan Stein - The new article "Sealaska Logging in Tongass rainforest would imperil rare species" is a very good article with good illustrations. Great writer. - The new article "Sealaska Logging in Tongass rainforest would imperil rare species" is a very good article with good illustrations. Great writer. - More...
Tuesday AM - May 04, 2010

Open Letter to President Obama: Sealaska Land Bills By Gretchen Goldstein - Dear President Obama, thank you for your muscle and perseverance in getting us some health care reform. - More...
Tuesday AM - May 04, 2010

Something's Fishy Here By Terri Anderson - Just curious, I know a lot of people all over the country are starting to get a vibe, that maybe some or maybe a lot of our extreme environmentalists might be responsible for the two oil rig mishaps that have happened, with precision timing. - More...
Tuesday AM - May 04, 2010

RE: Trail Closure By Beth Doddridge - While I do understand the position this writer took I feel I must mention the many other trails that are available to the "public" she made reference to. - More...
Tuesday AM - May 04, 2010

"Ozzy" White Persian Found By Kathy Armey - Our beloved Ozzy went missing April 17th from 12 Mile North Tongass. We did everything we could think of to bring Ozzy home. My husband, Doug got a call yesterday and Ozzy was found under a trailer home at 12 mile. He's in pretty good shape for being out in the elements for two weeks.He's skinny, but otherwise okay, just needs a good brushing out and a bath. - More...
Tuesday AM - May 04, 2010

Gulf Oil Spill Response By Marie-Jeanne Cadle - Here is a number you can call if you are interested in volunteering or working on the gulf oil spill response. Right now they are taking names, skills, training and contact info. They do not have any info about housing, travel, compensation, etc. - More...
Tuesday AM - May 04, 2010

RE: Hope this resolves the issue. By Marilyn Catron - There is no need to asked to be excused for giving your opinion here Mr. Jarvi. Isn't that what it's all about? Viewpoints, Opinion Letters? - More...
Tuesday AM - May 04, 3010

Aircraft Carriers In Jeopardy By Donald A. Moskowitz - An article in the Navy Times entitled "Strike group mission expands far beyond simple escort" has me concerned. - More...
Tuesday AM - May 04, 2010

Let's get behind the aquarium By Larry Jackson - This letter is in response to the efforts of many in the tourist industry to thwart the aquarium's efforts to raise federal grant money.  Although I appreciate their concerns of public money being used in a quasi competitive endeavor I think their efforts are bit shortsighted.  - More...
Wednesday PM - April 28, 2010

Oceans Alaska Submitted By Kirk Thomas for Various Ketchikan Businesses - We, the undersigned, are writing you this letter to state our strong opposition to Oceans Alaska (formerly known as the Tongass Aquarium) becoming a shore excursion tour operator for cruise passengers here in Ketchikan, Alaska. Oceans Alaska has promoted and represented itself as a research, education and shellfish mariculture facility and has successfully applied for and been granted public seed money for all of the progress they have made thus far. - More...
Wednesday PM - April 28, 2010

Better management leads to lower taxes By Rodney Dial - Mr. Harrington, I am going to assume that your letter and assumption that taxes in Ketchikan would somehow be lower if we consolidated a simple attempt to goat me into writing a three page letter on why you are wrong. I will make that assumption because the only alternative is simply that you as a government official are attempting to mislead the public. - More...
Wednesday PM - April 28, 2010

Open Letter to the Ketchikan Borough Assembly Members By Rodney Dial - You guys know that as soon as you raise the mill rate and increase property taxes I am going to write a rather long letter detailing why several of you lied to this community about being able to afford a 23.5 million dollar pool with no tax increase. Right? - More...
Tuesday - April 27, 2010

Perserverance Trail Closure By Heather Muench - The Forest Service is planning to close the Perseverance Trail from May 15 to September 30 for trail reconstruction. While I support the much need trail work, I strongly object to the summer long closure. I agree the trail should be closed on days when helicopters will be moving material to and from the area; but not on other days. - More...
Tuesday - April 27, 2010

HEAD TAX: VERY BAD CHOICE OF WORDS By Charles Edwardson - It has always bothered me -- the term HEAD TAX. It sounds like a hunting trip. It should be labeled what it is a PORT AND HARBOR TAX. - More...
Tuesday - April 27, 2010

Taxes By Sonia Streitmatter - Tourism is a double-edged sword. - More...
Tuesday - April 27, 2010

Sealaska lands bill By Sarah Red-Laird - I still have a strong connection to Southeast Alaska, although I now live in Montana for school, through my friends and family that remain in the area, and through my crystal clear memories of all the years I spent there, especially those of my childhood on Prince of Wales Island.- More...
Tuesday - April 27, 2010

Sealaska lands bill By Judy Magnuson - Senator Murkowski stated not too long ago that the government was the largest land owner in Alaska. I wish to correct that statement. The PUBLIC, not the government, is the largest land owner in Southeast Alaska. We the people, native and nonnative own these lands, we have full use of these lands for any use compatible with public use of these lands. This is not an aboriginal rights issue, it is simply the right of citizens and taxpayers who have added value through their tax dollars, time and energy through their efforts to support, preserve, participate and have a say in the management of public lands. We have the right to retain those lands that belong to us and have cost us dearly during the last 40 years. Public lands, heavily invested in should not be given away to a private corporation in order that only a few may profit from them. - More...
Tuesday - April 27, 2010

High taxes in Ketchikan By John Harrington - It is interesting that Mr. Rodney Dial is complaining about the high taxes in Ketchikan. Our taxes are indeed too high. Those tax rates are higher than most consolidated city/borough governments in Southeast Alaska. When a group of us were attempting to consolidate the two governments, Mr. Dial led the charge to stop it by claiming it would raise our taxes. We had determined quite the opposite in our calculations. But Mr. Dial prevailed in his anti-consolidation efforts and now have received what he tried to avoid, higher taxes. - More...
Friday PM - April 23, 2010

Ketchikan is becoming more expensive every day. By Rodney Dial - As our national tax day passes, a few things you may want to consider regarding the future of your family's finances. The following is an excerpt from a Newsweek article posted on 4/15/10 titled "Today is the best tax day of your life", by Robert J. Samuelson. Newsweek tends to be a liberal leaning publication and this is not conservative hype. - More...
Friday - April 23, 2010

The times are a changing? By Reed Harding - As the country struggles in the turmoil of unprecedented healthcare reform by the current centrist administration many misguided individuals nash their terrible teeth and groan aloud "we don't want change". I awoke today and realized that I do not recognize my own country. Things have changed so much this past year I can't even point out what has actually changed. In fact, there could have been no change at all but that's not what everyone is saying so it must be a completely new country devoid of any principles and understanding that once existed. I can attest to the validity of the following piece as I wrote it rather than merely copying someone else's opinion. - More...
Friday - April 23, 2010

Sealaska lands bill By U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski - In a letter concerning the Sealaska lands bill printed on April 14, an Edna Bay resident stated that it was "stunning" that Sealaska had already filed for lands to complete its entitlement under the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), as if the matter of filing for lands meant that the current bill is not needed to complete rational land conveyances due Sealaska's 20,000 Alaska Native shareholders. That is not the case. - More...
Wednesday - April 21, 2010

Open Letter to the KGB Mayor & Assembly By Johnnie Laird - Mayor Dave Kiffer and Ketchikan Assembly, I am disappointed that you passed a resolution in favor of the Legislation and didn't join in solidarity in opposition with Sitka, Port Protection, Point Baker, Edna Bay, Hollis, Whale Pass, Thorne Bay, Craig, Naukati, Kake, The US Department of the Agriculture, The US Department of the Interior and many others. - More...
Wednesday - April 21, 2010

May is ALS Awareness Month: Let's STRIKE OUT ALS!! By Linda Kreider - May is ALS Awareness Month!! I will be representing Alaska for the 4th time since 2006, when this disease took my father away from me, my mother, brother and sister and the rest of our family. My sister-in-law, Teri Teal will be travelling with me this year for the 1st time! We leave Ketchikan on Friday, May 7 and will return May 12. We will meeting with our Senators and Representatives on Tuesday May 11. In the past few years, I have been able to have a State of Alaska Proclamation declaring May as ALS Awareness Month for the State of Alaska, and am hoping that we can get the City of Ketchikan, as well as the Ketchikan Gateway Borough to do the same!! - More...
Wednesday - April 21, 2010

Changes By A. M. Johnson - As the Country watches the huge social changes imposed by the current liberal administration, many are and more are, becoming concerned as to the Nation holding together with civility. I can not attest to the validity of the following piece, however, even if it were not written by the person listed, it still tells well!! - More...
Wednesday - April 21, 2010

Trails and drunks. By Patti Fay Hickox - Where are they going so fast? We only have about 30 miles of road. "What's the hurry, what is everybody hurrying for." Drivers do not stop for people in crosswalks. Remember when most of us walked and smiled and waved at the people going by in cars. People slowed down to wave at their neighbors. I came to Alaska to get out of the cities and a fast pace of life. Now Alaska is moving faster. Everybody going so fast they have no time for their neighbors. - More...
Wednesday - April 21, 2010

Re: Married Man's Trail By Laurie Hodne - It was funny timing when I sat down to look at the letters to the editor and the very same subject I was debating on writing about happened to be a "peeve" for someone else. I am not a frequent hiker on Married Man's Trail, but was there when I was searching for the Easter Treasure Hunt and was appalled by the trail and its lack of upkeep. Is that City property? - More...
Wednesday - April 21, 2010

Married Man's Trail and other stuff By Kara McElroy- Steele - Regarding Ms. Susan Coady's letter about Married Mans trail, I have two things to say. Back in the day (if you lived there for 25 yrs you should remember this), it was common place down on the Tongass dock, for homeless drunks to sit and sleep, behind it and in front of it (before it turned into Tourist Central!). You would also see them hangin out around the loop of bars all the way around the corner by Tom Sawyers. - More...
Wednesday - April 21, 2010

Thanks from The Mainframe LAN Gaming Center By Ryan Avila - I would just like to thank everyone who came down and supported our business this weekend. We hope to continue providing a safe environment for the youth of Ketchikan so that they have a fun alternative to doing drugs and drinking (which is a large problem in Ketchikan). - More...
Wednesday - April 21, 2010

Hope this resolves the issue By Paul Jarvi - Ms. Catron, Please excuse me for stating an opinion. - More...
Wednesday - April 21, 2010

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