Ketchikan: Library Site Petition Filed By "A Better Choice" Determined Legal - Katy Suiter, City Clerk, announced today that the blank petition filed in the Ketchikan City Clerk's Office on May 28, 2010, regarding a proposed amendment to the Charter of the City of Ketchikan relating to the location of a new public library has been determined, with the assistance of the City Attorney, to be legal and to have sufficient signatures.

Suiter stated in a memo to the Ketchikan Mayor and City Council that the Charter requires that the question be place on the ballot for the next regular election or special city election to be held not less than two months after final determination of the legality and sufficiency of the petition.

The language contained in the petition filed by "A Better Choice" reads: "If the City constructs a new public library after the effective date hereof, the library shall be located on City-owned property in the Downtown of the city, which is defined as the area boarded by Grant Street to the North, Front Street to the West, Mill Street and Totem Way to the South, and Creek Street to the East, to Part Avenue, thence to Grant Street".

The signed petitions were filed with the City Clerk's office on June 09, 2010, containing a total of 426 signatures. After careful review, the City Clerk's Office determined 355 of the signatures were established to be those of qualified City voters. - More...

POW: New State Scenic Byway on Prince of Wales Island Designated - The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) announced the designation of the Prince of Wales Island Road System as a state scenic byway.

Prince of Wales Island is located about 200 miles south of Juneau in Southeast Alaska and is accessible from Ketchikan by the Inter-Island Ferry Authority transiting along another scenic byway, the Alaska Marine Highways All American Road.

The island is 135 miles long, 45 miles wide and encompasses 2,577 square miles, twice as large as Rhode Island and slightly larger than the State of Delaware. About 6,000 people live on the island.

The island's communities include; Point Baker, Labouchere Bay, Port Protection, Whale Pass, Coffman Cove, Naukati, Thorne Bay, Klawock, Kasaan, Hollis, Craig and Hydaburg. There are four federally-recognized tribal governments on the island: Craig Community Association, Hydaburg Cooperative Association, Organized Village of Kasaan, and the Klawock Cooperative Association.

The island is considered unique because it features some of Southeast Alaska's best qualities such as a temperate rainforest, bountiful wildlife, native culture and historical artifacts.- More....
Thursday - June 17, 2010

Alaska: Three fishermen rescued after fishing vessel grounded in the Valdez Narrows - A Coast Guard Station Valdez small boat rescue crew safely recovered three fishermen off a beach in the Valdez Narrows Thursday after the Seward-based 58-foot fishing vessel Copasetic reportedly started taking on water and was intentionally grounded to prevent it from sinking or impeding vessel traffic in the area.

Jonathan Wilkie, Derrick Branson and Joshua Zimmerman, Seward residents, were rescued after Coast Guard Sector Anchorage Command Center received a call for help at 3:15 a.m. and immediately launched the Station Valdez rescue crew.

After reporting the vessel was taking on water, Wilkie, owner and operator, and his crew brought their vessel to the shore where they securely anchored and then abandoned ship. The crew used a small skiff on board to safely transit to the beach and await rescue. - More...
Thursday - June 17, 2010

Alaska: Four cases of paralytic shellfish poisoning reported in Alaska; Three with symptoms in Kodiak; one in Juneau - The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation announced Wednesday that four suspected cases of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) have been reported in Alaska. PSP is a potentially lethal toxin that can lead to fatal respiratory paralysis.

Three cases have been reported in Kodiak, one in Juneau. In Kodiak one patient with symptoms remains hospitalized in stable condition, and the other two with more mild symptoms are recovering at home. In Juneau, one patient with symptoms is hospitalized and in stable condition.- More...
Thursday - June 17, 2010

Alaska: UFA Announces New President Arni Thomson and Executive Committee Members - Effective this week (Tuesday), United Fishermen of Alaska (UFA) has elected Arni Thomson, Executive Director of the Alaska Crab Coalition (ACC), to lead the statewide fishing trade association as President for 2010 - 2011. Thomson has served on the UFA Board of Directors since 1997 as the representative of the ACC, and served as UFA's National committee chair since 2005. He also serves as the Shellfish Committee Chair for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI).

In preparation for taking this office Thomson moved to Anchorage as part of his commitment to being available to Alaska fishermen and state and federal officials. Thomson met with Alaska and national fishing industry representatives at the meetings of regional fishery management council chairs and NOAA aquaculture representatives in May, and has also recently visited Homer, Cook Inlet, Kenai, Soldotna, Sitka, and Juneau and met with representatives to discuss issues affecting their fisheries. - More...
Thursday - June 17, 2010

Alaska Science: Learning from whales and whalers on top of the world By NED ROZELL - "We're a long ways offshore," Craig George says. "The water beneath us is about 180 feet deep."

In late May, a chilly breeze cuts from the west as we stand on a platform of bluish white sea ice. "The Perch," a whale-watching tower located on a snowmachine cul de sac at the top of North America, is a small castle made of ice chunks and an impressive amount of labor. George, fellow biologist Leslie Pierce and I are at the ragged edge of sea ice that clings to the northern coast. Eiders, sea ducks almost as large as geese, bark in the cool air above the open water a few hundred yards ahead of us; the first loons to arrive this far north zip by on their way to summer.

George, a biologist with the North Slope Borough, located the Perch here so he and other biologists could count bowhead whales as they arc over the continent while migrating from the Chukchi to Beaufort seas. He and Pierce are pulling a four-hour watch from the Perch for the final time in a spring season during which Barrow whaling teams have harvested 14 bowhead whales.

Bowheads are magnificent creatures that may reach 100 tons and spend their long lives in cold northern waters. As discovered by George and others, some bowheads swimming by today may have also been passing this point when Thomas Jefferson slept in the White House.

Few people know as much about Balaena mysticetus as Craig George. He migrated to Barrow in the late 1970s and has studied the creatures since 1980, a time when scientists knew little about bowheads. The animals are so important for northern indigenous cultures that people evolved around using bowhead bodies for food, bowhead oil to light their lamps and bowhead bones to build shelters from the cold and constant wind. - More....
Thursday - June 17, 2010

Ketchikan: UAS Ketchikan Students Make Spring 2010 Honors Lists - The University of Alaska Southeast Ketchikan students who have made the UAS Chancellor's and Dean's lists for the Spring 2010 Semester have been announced.

On the the Chancellor's Honor List are Robert Boyd, Terilyn Hamilton and Forest Haven made the Spring 2010 semester Chancellor's List. A student must be admitted to a program, earn a 4.00 grade point average, and complete at least 12 credit hours during the semester to make the Chancellor's Honor List. - More...
Thursday - June 17, 2010

Ketchikan: Diabetes Educ Classes Offered by KGH - Dawn Teplick, RN, Diabetes Educator for Ketchikan General Hospital will be leading a series of Diabetes Education classes from 4-6 p.m. on four consecutive Tuesdays, starting July 13th.

The classes will cover a range of information and offer learning, sharing and support for people living with diabetes. Erica Luther, RD, will also be a class instructor.

The dates and topics for the classes in the series are: - More...
Thursday - June 17, 2010

Real Time U.S. Debt Clock http://www.usdebtclock.org/ Public Service Announcements Public Meetings & Info Ketchikan Animal Control Adopt a Dog Adopt a Cat Adopt Another Animal Ketchikan Borough Assembly Agenda and Information Packets Live video stream of current meeting Assembly Meeting Minutes Calendar Ketchikan Planning Commission Agenda, Information Packets & Minutes Ketchikan City Council Agenda & Information Packets Ketchikan School Board Agenda & Information Packets Gravina Access Project SEIS Alternatives Development Gravina Access Website Ketchikan Jobs Ketchikan Police Reports AK Troopers Daily Dispatch Today's Forecast Satellite Today's Weather Images Marine Forecasts AK Weathercams Ketchikan Weather Data Current AK Weather Map CLASSIFIEDS Publish Publish Your Ad Click Here CLASSIFIEDS' CATEGORIES Announcements and       Help Wanted For Sale / Free Stuff Garage Sales Homes / Apts/ Property Pets Wanted Lost & Found Publish Your Ad Front Page Archives April - June 2010 S M T W T F S 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 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 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17     More Front Page Archives

Proposal to purchase property for Fire Station 7 By Dave Hull - In reference to Mr. Rodney Dial's questions regarding the proposal to purchase property for Fire Station 7, he asks that I answer questions he poses in his letter to the editor. For the record, these are excellent questions that I am sure are being asked by many. I encourage others to call, write or stop by and talk. - More...
Thursday PM - June 17, 2010

Let Everyone Vote By Penny Hamlin Connelly - I have been a townie pretty much my whole life, taking for granted being able to vote on all issues concerning the city and the borough. Imagine my surprise when I moved out North a few years ago, went to vote, and discovered part of my election ballot was missing. I went into total Ketchikan Culture Shock. "What do you mean I don't get to vote on city issues?" Took me awhile to get over it, but I did. - More...
Thursday PM - June 17, 2010

Library By Mark Johnson - The Library has served us very well since it started way back when in 1901 now it's time for us to serve it well and build the new building. Now we'll get much of it paid for with matching funds that we will lose at the rate we are going and that is not going to get us anything. The current building is too small so moving to a new site is the only real option. The downtown site that was the main street school has been rejected twice already. There are problems with all the sites we could have a library on, not one of them is perfect and no place we choose to build can be, but we have a site picked and money in the bank as well as plans in the works. - More...
Thursday PM - June 17, 2010

S.881: Same Pig, Different Sunglasses and Wig By Sandy Powers - The proposed revisions of the rehashed Sealaska bill S.881 reflect but little difference from previous versions. Some of the selections of the high-value roaded timber got switched with other selections of high-value roaded timber. Parts of north POW were spared immediate impact but Edna Bay, Hollis, Thorne Bay and other areas were hit as hard or harder in return. Some brand new areas were added, such as two tidal energy sites and two geothermal sites. A hydroelectric site is still proposed for Josephine Lake. 190,000 acres of additional LUD-II style lockups on Kuiu, Prince of Wales, Kosciusko, Kupreanof and a couple other islands recommended by staffers, and no doubt SEACC are thrown in for good measure. How ironic - the very groups and politicians who call for transparency and public involvement now eagerly override those guiding principles when it serves their own personal interests. The revision claims new protection for karst, but the Forest Plan already identifies and protects karst. This politically motivated bill hatched up behind closed doors only panders to the special interests of a private corporation and foundation-funded green groups. - More...
Thursday PM - June 17, 2010

Re: Tax Payers Revelation By Peggy Green - I think Don Borders makes perfect sense in his article regarding the Library, and other Government offices. I too think that the Borough offices should utilize the Ward Cove property. - More...
Thursday PM - June 17, 2010

Federal Government Unprepared for Disasters By Donald A. Moskowitz - Our federal government under two administrations has dropped the ball with a major regional problem and unfortunately the Gulf oil spill debacle succeeded the hurricane Katrina debacle in the same region of the country. Where are FEMA and other government agencies when these problems occur? - More...
Thursday PM - June 17, 2010

Re: A letter to North Tongass residents By Daylene Currier - I applaud Rodney Dial's ambition and his open-mindedness to this issue. So many people argue about what is right and wrong, and of course, theirs is the only opinion that ever matters. - More...
Thursday PM - June 17, 2010

A letter to North Tongass Residents By Rodney Dial - My wife and I work 2 jobs each, 7 days a week. We are trying to be responsible citizens providing for our families, and preparing for our future. It's a challenge to say the least when just providing simple things like braces for our children costs $800 per month. - More...
Tuesday - June 15, 2010

Library Site By Suzan Thompson - Being old enough to remember when the downtown core was a thriving, vibrant business and residential district, and having a lot of nostalgia for the days when there were about fifty little mom-and-pop businesses down there which were open all year long, I was one of those people who really wanted to see the library stay downtown. However, after having been to almost all the meetings where the location of the library was a topic of discussion, and having listened to all the public comment and all the pros and cons, even I am finally convinced that the Copper Ridge site is the better choice. - More...
Tuesday - June 15, 2010

Tax Payers' Revelation By Don Borders - The current outcome of the various state primaries for political seats have reflected the voices of the people concerned with the excess big government spending by electing conservative primary candidates. Elections this fall are going to be an eye-opener for the current elect. - More...
Thursday - June 10, 2010

YES! The Public Library Should Stay Downtown By Robert D. Warner - Three cheers to the grass roots folks responsible for the petition drive to keep the Ketchikan Public Library in the downtown core area. It just makes good sense that a public vote on the issue would be the first step in deciding possible locations for the public library. I find it most unfortunate that this critical step was never taken or encouraged by city and library managers. As a result, significant funds have been spent and public frustration aroused with little accomplished. We are very fortunate that this group moved forward to ask city residents where they would like to locate their public library. - More...
Thursday - June 10, 2010

Summer Dungeness fishery By Mike Moyer - It's a serious issue that demands serious attention and we need to have the resource on our minds. Being a commercial fisherman is a good thing. I come from a commercial fishing family and am proud of that. - More...
Thursday - June 10, 2010

Democracy Is Messy By Samuel Bergeron - Winston Churchill said "Democracy is the worst form of government except for all the others that have been tried". I'm grateful I live in a country that allows its citizens to criticize and challenge its government. The decision to start a ballot initiative to require the City to build a future library on property it already owns and keep it in downtown Ketchikan was well considered by our group. We are made up of planners, builders, citizens, land developers, local business leaders, realtors and concerned community members of both the City and Borough. We are united in the concept that the library should be centrally located downtown so all of the public has convenient access. After all, it is a Public Library. - More...
Wednesday PM - June 09, 2010

Lower property tax rate is good for all By Rodney Dial - On Tuesday as I was reading the paper you could have knocked me over with a feather after I saw that the Borough Assembly reduced the mill rate (they had been discussing raising it). As a frequent critic of local government I feel that it is only right to say "thank you". - More...
Wednesday PM - June 09, 2010

Thank you By Becky Burnham - Thank you to the officers and volunteers who risked their lives to save our friends (and my bridesmaid), Stacie Cavner's, life, and the lives of all who could be saved in the plane. - More....
Wednesday PM - June 09, 2010

Capital Budget By Maj Gen Thomas H. Katkus - Alaska requires infrastructure to reach resources and improve the economy. Governor Sean Parnell created the Alaska Military Force Advocacy and Structure Team (AMFAST) to provide recommendations for cooperative projects that support and expand the military industry in our state. As chairman of the AMFAST, I am pleased to tell you that our short-term strategic plan has already yielded success! - More...
Wednesday PM - June 09, 2010

Library Location By Amanda Kiely and Drew Lindner - The purpose of a public library is to provide its patrons with resources, information, and materials. As of late, though, it seems this central objective has been completely lost in the debate over where to build our new library. - More...
Wednesday PM - JUne 09, 2010

Military support and Tanana Bridge project By Maj. Gen. Thomas H. Katkus - The State of Alaska and the communities of Fairbanks and North Pole should join me in thanking Rep. Mike Kelly and Governor Sean Parnell for supporting the rail bridge over the Tanana River. This bridge is the first step in completing our rail connection to Fort Greely and to Canada. More importantly, it provides dependable year-round access to the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex. This training area is one of the largest in the country. Reliable access provides an exceptional opportunity to all branches of our military to exercise and train in a realistic and challenging environment without public disruption. - More...
Wednesday PM - June 09, 2010

Dungie clarification By Chris Snyder - Apparently Mr. Moyer misunderstood the relevant gist of my letter. So, I repeat: "...if there are legitimate conservation issues, then by all means lets restrict crabbing--for everyone." That is not a question. It is a statement. - More...
Monday - June 07, 2010

COURTESY By Cecelia Johnson - My family and I were out enjoying the sunny weather recently and took a drive out North. We stopped in a store to purchase a refreshing bottle of water and snacks. An unnamed store has a very rude clerk. This individual's whole persona exhibited ill manners! We need Mystery Shoppers. Another Northend store clerk was also very rude. I purchased an item and received a "look of disdain" with no thanks before I walked out! - More...
Monday - June 07, 2010

RE: Library Location By Pat Long - Kudos to Nathan Brooks for a well thoughtout and reasonable letter. - More...
Monday - June 07, 2010

Library Location: Ballot initiative By Chris J. Herby - It seems that here in Ketchikan there always needs to be a divisive issue to keep everyone from getting bored. This year's issue appears to be the location of the proposed new library. - More...
Friday - June 04, 2010

Library Location By Nathan Brooks - There are many generations of my family living in Ketchikan. There are always issues in any community which cause conflicts and differing opinions. However, Ketchikan is reaching a level of constant conflict which is making it difficult for me and mine to want to live here any longer. - More...
Friday - June 04, 2010

Ketchikan City Council and private business By Charles Edwardson - I would like to retract any statements about the Ketchikan City Council meddling and intervening in the private sector. I criticized them for meddling and intervening in a cab company's request to invest their own money to improve their own business, - More...
Friday - JUne 04, 2010

Bill Walker for Governor By Lawrence "Snapper" Carson - As Alaskans we have a lot to be thankful and grateful for. What a beautiful place to work, play and live. Its stewardship should be of utmost importance to all us. We have the opportunity this year to elect a governor who has the interest and ability to make Alaska a better place for all Alaskans. His name is Bill Walker, he was born in Alaska and has worked and raised his family as a life long Alaskan. - More...
Friday - JUne 04, 2010

Memorial Day By Joel W Jackson - This past Monday my family and I had the honor of attending Ketchikan's Memorial Day services at our local cemetery. It is a tradition that my mother passed on to me and I have tried to pass on to my children. - More...
Friday - June 04, 2010

Crab Question By Mike Moyer - To answer Chris Snyder's' question: Yes there are legitimate concerns over the handling of crab by the commercial fleet during the summer months and increased mortality occurs during this time. It is known that simply handling crab causes stress and increases mortality. Handling crab during the summer months during molting and mating increases that mortality even more. The numbers of crab handled by commercial boats would obviously be greater than sport fishers because they are using more pots and trying to target more crab. - More...
Friday - JUne 04, 2010

Real Men By Al Johnson - My comment to Representative Ethan Berkowitz, "Real Men do not KILL Babies". - More...
Friday - June 04, 2010

Re: Dopey Mushers By Alan R. (Rudy) McGillvray - What a wonderful thing is propaganda. Mr. William R. Hearst launched a propaganda assault against hemp (marijuana by another name) because he could make paper more cheaply using wood pulp instead of hemp pulp. He and Harry Anslinger of the FDA, (a tool of a tax and spend rich Democrat, J.P. Morgan, who was Sec. of the Treasury at the time) saw a way to turn a whole class of people into criminals. So they all launced a propaganda campaign against Pot, hemp, marijuana, and managed to turn public opinion, against a mostly harmless substance, that did not even approach illegality or harmfullness of heroin, but through their propaganda campaign, managed to turn it into something even more powerful than heroin. Peoples' perception. - More...
Friday - June 04, 2010

Commander-In-Chief Went AWOL By Donald A. Moskowitz - As a Navy veteran, I am appalled President Obama, our Commander-In-Chief, did not lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day 2010. Instead, he went on vacation. - More...
Tuesday PM - June 01, 2010

Library Location By Chris Elliott - It would be interesting to know what the community's reaction was when the new high school was built at the top of that huge hill "out the road" (Fourth & Madison). -More...
Tuesday PM - June 01, 2010

Gulf Oil Spill By A.M.Johnson - Just a thought. Do you suppose that Cletus and Barney, a couple of rednecks, hold the solution to cleaning up the oil spill? - More...
Tuesday PM - June 01, 2010

Slow moving vehicles By Kim Morton - Just wanted to post a rant about the slow moving eclectic golf carts that I have ran into out south and now out by Wal-Mart. I am pretty sure these cars need to stay in town and seeing them driving down the road when it's supposed to be 50 mph is frustrating to say the least. - More...
Tuesday PM - June 01, 2010

Illegal Immigration Healthcare Costs Affect YOU! By Elizabeth Lee Vliet, M.D. - The national spotlight is on Arizona for doing what the Federal government and previous Governor Napolitano refused to do: rein in an invasion of illegal aliens bankrupting our state (Arizona). At an August 2009 healthcare Town Hall in Phoenix, legislators said that more than half of Arizona's 4 billion dollar budget deficit was the result of paying for three areas of services to illegal immigrants: education, healthcare, and incarceration. - More...
Tuesday PM - June 01, 2010

More Letters/Viewpoints
Webmail your letter or
Email Your Letter To: editor@sitnews.us