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Ketchikan: Alaskan cruise industry began transforming 50 years ago; Italia, Spirit of London, Island Princess were among the first of the bigger cruise ships By DAVE KIFFER - By 1967, visitors had been coming to southern Southeast Alaska for more than 80 years, but compared to the visitor industry of 2017, tourism was still in its infancy.

Several small cruise ships had begun serving the area but most had no more than a couple hundred passengers. Only when the P&O Line Arcadia which arrived in 1970 with 1,300 passengers did the ships begin to resemble the leviathans that would arrive in the late 20th Century.

Steamers had been arriving in Southeast Alaska since the 1880s, but they were tiny compared to the current wave of ships and, most often, they carried people who were interested living and working in the Last Frontier rather than just looking at the scenery.

There certainly were tourists on those early ships (See "A Famous Artist Runs Aground in Loring," SITNEWS, Feb. 13, 2007), and most communities in the region already had curio and jewelry shops to entice the visitors. But most of the steam ship arrivals centered on commerce as the Inside Passage was the only way that goods, services and people traveled between Southeast Alaska and the rest of the world.

But in the 1950s, world wide economics dealt a blow to the steamship industry and air travel began to make its mark. In the early 1960s, the new state of Alaska began ferry service between Southeast Alaska, British Columbia and Washington also cutting into the sea based private commerce in the region.

By the 1960s, the only non-ferry ships regularly arriving in Ketchikan were Canadian ones; The Princess Patricia and the Prince George. (See "Canadian Liners Once Served Ketchikan," SITNEWS May 23, 2011).

But the Princess Patricia, a small coastal ship that carried less than 100 passengers, would be a harbinger of what was to come, even if it didn't seem so at the time. 

As is the case today, wintertime was not a busy visitor season in the 1960s and with the state ferries taking over the role of carrying goods, services and residents, the Prince George and the Princess Pat were usually laid up between November and April.

It was a Los Angeles entrepreneur named Harvey McDonald who seized on the idea of using the Princess Pat for three-day excursions between Southern California and Mexico in 1965.  

McDonald eventually expanded his operation and obtained larger ships, which had something the northern sea sailing Pat did not, air conditioning.  But in honor of the Pat, he named his new "line" Princess Cruises, which through clever marketing and a popular television show would eventually become, arguably, the most famous cruise line in the world.

In 1967, Princess Cruises chartered the MV Italia, a 492-foot, 425-passenger ship that was caught up in a bankruptcy proceeding. Initially, Princess operated the Italia in Europe and then Mexico, but by 1969 it was making regular visits to Southeast Alaska, frequently having to anchor up in harbors because it was too big to fit at some of the existing docks. Informally, the ship was called the Princess Italia, but the name was not changed on the bow and stern because it was a rental that was eventually returned to its Italian owners in 1973. - More...
Saturday PM - July 01, 2017

In recognizing Solomon Atkinson on the Senate floor, U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan san Atkinson has spent nearly his entire adult life serving our country with honor and dignity and now serves his community in Alaska tirelessly.

Atkinson was born in 1930 to Harris and Elizabeth Atkinson in Metlakatla, Alaska located on Annette Island on the Inside Passage, where so many Americans take cruises to see the glaciers and the whales. It is home to the only federally recognized Indian reservation in our State.

Sullivan said Atkinson could have continued to live in Metlakatla, where he was a commercial fisherman as a young man, but, like so many patriotic Alaskans, he chose to leave his home and join the military. Sol joined the U.S. Navy, and for 22 years - from 1951 to 1973 - he had by anybody's standards a remarkable patriotic military career.

In 1953, Atkinson volunteered for the Navy's legendary Underwater Demolition Team and was deployed to the Pacific, including Korea. Sullivan said, "Some history buffs will know and recall that the Underwater Demolition Team, the UDT, was the precursor to the present-day Navy SEALS - frogmen, as they liked to call themselves. In fact, Sol was on the very first Navy SEAL team created by President Kennedy in 1962, and I have a copy of the SEAL Team One plank owners certificate, commissioned on January 1, 1962, with Sol's name proudly displayed."

Atkinson became a Navy SEAL - the first Navy SEAL, literally. Sullivan said, "He became a SEAL team training instructor, training new Navy SEAL recruits. He was affectionately referred to as “the Mean Machine” by the Navy SEALs. He also had the honor of training 48 astronauts, including Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Jim Lovell, just to name a few, in underwater weightlessness simulations. His prized possession is a framed plaque bearing the signature of all those astronauts, all those American heroes whom he trained."

Atkinson completed three combat tours in Vietnam. By the time he retired from the military, he had earned numerous awards and medals for personal valor, including the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. - More...
Saturday PM - July 01, 2017

The Act (Public Law 110-82) authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $1 coins with reverse designs bearing images celebrating the important developmental and historical contributions made by First Peoples to the United States. 

“Elizabeth and Roy Peratrovich stood up to fight the unfair, inhumane, and degrading treatment of Alaska Native Peoples, and their efforts towards positive change reverberate to this day,” Governor Bill Walker said. “Their words and actions continue to be an inspiration and reminder of the power that all people have to impact their government; this honor is truly deserved.”

In 1945, the Peratroviches testified in front of the Territorial Legislature, reminding lawmakers of the Bill of Rights and the inherent equality of all people. The body was considering anti-discrimination legislation during a time when discrimination was widespread, and storefronts and businesses displayed “No Natives Allowed” signs. Elizabeth was the last to testify on the Alaska Anti-Discrimination Act, and witnesses say her passionate testimony ultimately led to the bill’s passage nearly 20 years before Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Elizabeth and Roy Peratroviche were deeply involved in their community, and served as grand presidents of the Alaska Native Sisterhood and Alaska Native Brotherhood respectively. They also helped the American Red Cross raise funds during World War II.

In a prepared statement U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski said, “Elizabeth Peratrovich stood up for those who needed a voice, when she witnessed significant discrimination against Alaska Natives. Her message was clear and powerful – that we must strive for equal rights for all citizens. This is great news for the Peratrovich family, Alaska Natives across the state, and for all of us as Alaskans.” - More...
Saturday PM - July 01, 2017

Alaska: Governor Signs $4.9 Billion Operating Budget Bills Into Law - Friday, Governor Bill Walker signed into law House Bills 57 and 59, approving the $4.9 billion operating budget bills the legislature passed for fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018), without vetoes. State spending for department operations has been cut $145 million from the previous year, and total state spending on the operating budget has been cut $1.9 billion since fiscal year 2015—a 27 percent decrease in three years. Overall state spending has been reduced 44 percent in the past five years.

In passing its budget this year, the legislature set permanent fund dividends at $1,100 for each eligible Alaskan—and chose to pay for the $2.5 billion deficit entirely from savings. That leaves only $2 billion in the state’s main savings account - which pays for response to emergencies, like earthquakes, fires, and floods. - More...
Saturday PM - July 01, 2017

Alaska: EPA Moves to Rescind 2015 "Waters of the U.S." Rule - The Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Army, and Army Corps of Engineers announced Wednesday they are proposing a rule to rescind the Clean Water Rule and re-codify the regulatory text that existed prior to 2015 defining "waters of the United States" or WOTUS. This action would, when finalized, provide certainty in the interim, pending a second rulemaking in which the agencies will engage in a substantive re-evaluation of the definition of "waters of the United States." The proposed rule would be implemented in accordance with Supreme Court decisions, agency guidance, and longstanding practice.

"We are taking significant action to return power to the states and provide regulatory certainty to our nation's farmers and businesses," said Administrator Scott Pruitt. "This is the first step in the two-step process to redefine 'waters of the U.S.' and we are committed to moving through this re-evaluation to quickly provide regulatory certainty, in a way that is thoughtful, transparent and collaborative with other agencies and the public."

This proposed rule follows the February 28, 2017, Presidential Executive Order on "Restoring the Rule of Law, Federalism, and Economic Growth by Reviewing the 'Waters of the United States' Rule." The February Order states that it is in the national interest to ensure that the Nation's navigable waters are kept free from pollution, while at the same time promoting economic growth, minimizing regulatory uncertainty, and showing due regard for the roles of Congress and the States under the Constitution. To meet these objectives, the agencies intend to follow an expeditious, two-step process that will provide certainty across the country.

The proposed rule would recodify the identical regulatory text that was in place prior to the 2015 Clean Water Rule and that is currently in place as a result of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit's stay of the 2015 rule. Therefore, this action, when final, will not change current practice with respect to how the definition applies.- More...
Saturday PM - July 01, 2017

ANTHONY JOHNSTON: 4 ways the Supreme Court could rule on Trump's travel ban - The Supreme Court has decided to hear two legal challenges to President Donald Trump’s revised “travel ban.”

Among other things, the executive order Trump signed in March temporarily bars entry of nationals from six predominantly Muslim countries: Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

In cases arising out of Maryland and Hawaii, lower courts had blocked applying the ban to all nationals from the six countries. Now, under the Supreme Court’s June 26 order, family members, students, employees and others with “a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States” will be allowed entry. At the same time, the Supreme Court will allow part of the travel ban to go back into effect for “foreign nationals abroad who have no connection to the United States at all.”

The Supreme Court will hear the combined cases in October after the justices return from summer recess. Its decision will be its first major encounter with a president who criticizes the courts as political. As a professor of constitutional law who studies law and politics, I see four ways forward for the Supreme Court in these cases. - More...
Saturday PM - July 01, 2017

DANNY TYREE: Low-Impact Dirt Naps: Are They Right For You? - "Where have all the graveyards gone? Gone to flowers every one. Oh, when will they ever learn?" ---- Pete Seeger and Joe Hickerson.

"Well, excuse me for living!" That phrase is so 20th century! In the 21st century, we're moving toward "Well, excuse me for dying."

Yes, green burials and conservation burial grounds show prospects of catching on like cremation as end-of-life options.

If you're unfamiliar with the concept, green burials are an attempt to decrease our carbon footprint and exist more harmoniously with nature. Among other distinguishing characteristics, they call for no toxic embalming fluid, no metal casket and no concrete vault.

Conservation burial grounds also discourage traditional tombstones, opting instead for small, unobtrusive flat pieces of naturally occurring limestone or even GPS mapping of the cemetery. The latter should be okay unless our friends in Russia or China carry out some mischief with our satellites. ("Why are you standing naked on my great-grandfather's grave? I know I'm in the right place. I can feel his restless spirit. What do you mean, that's just your hot tub agitator?") - More...
Saturday PM - July 01, 2017