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 Library
- What is Best ? By George Tipton - This issue has been looked
at for years but finally a local group with the HELP of the Foraker
Group has come up with alternatives and solutions. They looked
at varying options with certain criteria so that all situations
could be scored against equal comparables. I have been involved
with these reviews on many proposed projects including the Weiss
ballfields, the Indoor Rec Center, the new School, just to name
a few. I do not advocate any particular location but look at
the facts and history of a given situation. In 2004 & 2007,
the City put out RFP's for Library locations. The criteria changed
from approx. 16,000 sq. ft. to 23,000 sq. ft. There was no real
reason given for the change but the City Council, including Mr.
Bergeron accepted it - a mistake. - More...
Saturday AM - August 21, 2010
Allow
for a Location That Fits the Purpose By Alethea Johnson -
I support the City's Proposition 1 because it gives the City
Council power to choose a location for our new public library
that will benefit the most residents of Ketchikan. The main purpose
of the library is to meet community needs for information, programs
and gathering spaces. Our public library should be centrally
located, as large as we can afford, and easily accessible for
all. - More...
Saturday AM - August 21, 2010
Yes
on #2 By Mike Harpold - Every time I look out my front window
at the Old Main School site, I appreciate the vision of the early
leaders of our community who built the community's landmark school
there. The site's present use as a parking lot is a pretty humble
comedown. It would be a shame for our generation to pass up this
opportunity to use the site for our library. I was disappointed
that the arts and humanities people didn't choose it for a performing
arts center. Someday, an outfit like Marriott is going to purchase
the site and put up a multi-million dollar hotel. - More...
Saturday AM - August 21, 2010
Support
Walker for Governor By Bob Fultz - We're at a cross roads
with our State's future that needs your serious attention. Make
a left and go down status quo road, also known as Route PP (Palin
Parnell) to nowhere. With that in mind, brace yourself for a
very rude awakening in the very near future as huge tax hikes
will be necessary to make up for the revenues lost as the crude
goes dry and other resources aren't developed necessary to run
the State and other services we use and need. Take a right instead
and head back to the road to prosperity that those of us that
were around in the 70's and 80's enjoyed. - More...
A
Tribute to "Uncle Ted" By Alice R. Brusich - Following
the news of the death of Ted Stevens, my mind went on a trip
down memory lane of my association with him from 1959 til' now.
We first met at Washington D.C. in 1959 when I was there on official
business with NAPUS (National Association of Postmasters of the
United States) as secretary of Alaska Chapter #51; Alaska was
just becoming a state. He was always gracious to me when I visited
the Capitol as a representative of NAPUS or otherwise. - More...
Saturday AM - August 21, 2010
Thank
You By Joe Miller - Thank you all for the warm welcome I
received from you when I was in your lovely town. I enjoyed meeting
and talking with each of you. Each warm handshake and cheerful
smile meant a thousand words. It would be an honor to be your
next US Senator. - More...
Saturday AM - August 21, 2010
Library
Location By Glenna Bauer - I truly appreciate and use the
Ketchikan public library. I am curious how the building of a
new library at the Copper Ridge site, with potential outside
financial assistance (other than our taxpayer dollars) can be
held hostage by a group of self serving downtown business owners?
What do they do to promote local use of the downtown area? On
a recent Saturday, with no cruise ships in town, several of these
key players in the ABC group were closed. What a coincidence!
Here I thought they were all about serving the community of Ketchikan!
Good thing I have now reconsidered my shopping options and will
only purchase goods at stores owned and run by locals that are
open year round, and are not open only for the tourist trade.
- More...
Saturday AM - August 21, 2010
RE:
A Vote For Joe Miller is a Vote for the Constitution By Paul
Jarvi - Ms Emmert: I get it Joe Miller is a "constitutional
conservative." I believe he supports the original document
and the 27 Amendments. - More...
Saturday AM - August 21, 2010
Library
-- More Info Please By Catherine Brown - When we voted on
the new swimming pool I was very pleased with how things were
handled overall. Designs were drawn up for each option with its
corresponding cost estimate and the people had more information
upon which to base their decision. - More...
Saturday AM - August 21, 2010
Thank
You By Vicky Newlun - Ketchikan taxpayers thank you for providing
the outstanding parks and public access areas that are accessible
to our community. As a dog owner, my dog counts on his daily
walks. Fortunately for us, our community makes available countless
walking areas to choose from. Many of the public access areas
are equipped with doggie clean up bags that are very much appreciated.
- More...
Saturday AM - August 21, 2010
Time
to Take a Stand By Nellie Miller - My heart goes out to and
I agree with Kysa Barrett's letter regarding the abuse suffered
by her son at daycare. My daughter was abused by her babysitter
when only one and 1/2 by locking her in a windowless bathroom
and turning off the lights. I found out one day when her older
sister explained what was happening. I asked police at the time
and they told me that unless there were physical indications
nothing could be proved - her word against a 5 yr-old's. Of course,
they never went back there again. That was about 13 years ago,
and she still can't sleep without a light on! - More...
Saturday AM - August 21, 2010
Right
Cost at the Right Time By Heidi Ekstrand - This coming Tuesday
I will vote "Yes Please" on the library Proposition
1 to allow the city to build a new library anywhere within the
city limits. And I will vote "No Thanks" to Proposition
2, which restricts a new library to a very limited section of
the downtown core area on city-owned property. - More...
Thursday AM - August 19, 2010
Vote
Yes on Proposition 1 & No on Proposition 2 By Chris J.
Herby - Our local election on August 24th is going to decide
something very important for our community. There are two ballot
propositions that will determine the location of our new public
library if one is built. It is unfortunate that only city residents
can vote on this important issue. All of the residents of the
Borough help pay for it and also have access to it. Even though
it is unfortunate Borough residents can't vote on it, I still
feel it is very important to build it in a location that all
residents can have reasonable access to it. - More...
Thursday AM - August 19, 2010
Time
To Take A Stand By Kysa Barrett - Imagine for a minute:
You get off work and you go to pick up your child from the babysitter.
When you arrive the babysitter warns you that your two year old
has a bad rash on his face. He hears you and runs to you, arms
open. You look at your two year old and one entire side of his
face is bruised. There's no rash, just severe bruising, and a
bleeding cut under his eye. You take your boy to the ER because
you KNOW these are injuries. Two doctors tell you your child
is suffering from head trauma and the impact needed to leave
the marks he had should have broke his neck and killed him instantly.
He says that you are lucky he's alive. You file a report and
she admits to what she has done. She is charged with a class
C felony assault, but the trial gets pushed 15 months out and
the babysitter gets to walk free until then. This seems completely
unjust! - More...
Thursday AM - August 19, 2010
The
Logical Library Location By Heather Muench - On August 24th,
voters will choose our new library location. One choice is a
location within city limits, for which the City Council has chosen
Copper Ridge, located on a neighborhood road near a major thoroughfare.
The other, advocated by the ABC group, is to restrict the library
to a heavily congested area downtown. - More...
Thursday AM - August 19, 2010
YES
on Proposition 1, NO on 2 By Kathy Flora - How wonderful
it would be to have the library in the same neighbourhood as
two elementary schools, Schoenbar Middle School, the Rec Center
and our new pool. - More...
Thursday AM - August 19, 2010
Library:
Head Tax Money By Ace Chenhall - The statement made in "License
to Spend" that head tax money could be used to fund a library
goes way beyond deceptive, it's an outright lie. That money can
only be used for tourist related development, which the library
certainly is not. - More...
Thursday AM - August 19, 2010
The
Better Choice: Weighing in on the Library By Katie Parrot
- I agree wholeheartedly with John Scoblic. I also agree with
Susan Peters when she writes: "As a successful private developer
would say, 'The three most important ingredients of any project
are: location, location, location.'" A bank that is poorly
located will not prosper, nor a food store or an apparel shop.
Neither will a public library. Acquiring anything less than the
best site will prove a false economy in terms of the life-cycle
costs of the library. Anything less than the best site will also
hinder public use of this important community resource, except
that we differ significantly in our ideas about what site fulfills
this ideal." (Susan, I recommend reading Eric Muench's insightful
and well-written letter posted on Sitnews.) - More...
Thursday AM - August 19, 2010
Lisa
Murkowski must go By James Bounds - Lisa Murkowski would
not be a U.S. senator from Alaska if were not for her father
Frank Murkowski appointing her when he was governor of Alaska.
Lisa is a very bad choice to be re-elected as Alaska U.S. senator,
and she has to go... - More...
Thursday AM - August 19, 2010
Letter
to city voters By Drew Lindner - I use the library at
least once a week and have been closely following the debate
over a new library. We need a new library and most everybody
agrees on this point. - More...
Thursday AM - August 19, 2010
Library
Location By Orrin A. Chenhall - After reading everyone's
letters, hearing radio call-ins and talking to people throughout
the community; the picture is starting to come into focus: Our
library is seen either as an essential public facility that requires
the most convenient access for the most amount of people, or
as a tourist attraction, there to give the impression of a "vibrant"
downtown so that visitors feel like they are in a real community,
as opposed to some quasi "Alaska Land" amusement park.
- More...
Thursday AM - August 19, 2010
Why
I support Joe Miller for US Senate! By Sandra Rusin McCray
- For many months now I have become more and more concerned about
the direction I see our country going. I was sitting one evening,
wondering out loud, why is no one doing anything about it. -
More...
Thursday AM - august 19, 2010
RE:
Public Library By Suzan Thompson - Don Hoff Jr.'s letter
to Sitnews last week states, in part: "I've been reading
the debates on the public library for some time now... here is
what I know. The present library was designed to add additional
floors for growth. It would be common sense to add an upper floor
to the existing library and would be affordable to the taxpayer."
- More...
Thursday AM - August 19, 2010
AFA
does not issue rankings By Patrick Vaughn - What was the
basis for Mr. Eastman's statement that "the American Family
Association recently ranked Murkowski the third most anti-family
Republican in the Senate?" - More...
Thursday AM - August 19, 2010
Troops
Are Hamstrung By Donald A. Moskowitz - General Stanley McChrystal
was replaced by General David Petraeus because of insubordination
expressed by General McChrystal's staff to a Rolling Stone reporter.
- More...
Thursday AM - August 19, 2010
Bedbugs
By Steffani Schwierking - Bedbugs are definitely a problem and
can create a great deal of financial and mental distress, especially
among the elder. The cause of bedbugs though is not the over
crowding of apartments. Overcrowding has occurred before the
infestation began in the Tongass Towers or Marine View Apartments.
Most overcrowding is due the economy and cost of living, so families
are helping out other family members or friends are trying to
get by. - More...
Thursday AM - August 19, 2010
Sitnews
By Jacy Pierson - I would like to say how much I appreciate all
the hard work that goes into Sitnews. I find myself going there
daily if not more, just so I can look through everything. You
do a great job and I thought I would remind you. I love to share
the website with all my friends and family near and far. - More...
Thursday AM - August 19, 2010
Library
Location By John Scoblic - I'm the father of four children
who are all enrolled in Ketchikan schools. I'm writing because
we rarely use the public library anymore because we avoid the
downtown area for so many months of the year. - More...
Monday PM - August 16, 2010
License
to Spend By Diane Naab, Susan Peters, John Hill, Lani Hill,
Terral Wanzer, Mary Wanzer, Steven Reeve, Len Lawrence, Patrick
Jirschele, Terri Jirschele and Samuel Bergeron - Why would the
government decide to buy property in a rock pit, build a library
and spend millions doing so when they have two excellent choices
for the library on property they already own? Because they make
bad decisions, that's why. - More...
Monday PM - August 16, 2010
Library
Location By Scott Willlis - In response to Eric Muench's
letter about a new library location: Touching that you remember
Ketchikan in the past. The Ketchikan you remember is no more!
Until the Citizens wake up and actively seek input into the new
library location, this current City Council board under the direct
control of the City Manager (That's correct! The City Manager
directs the City Council, and like the good Obama supporters
they are, they do as exactly as they are ordered.) - More...
Monday PM - August 16, 2010
Proper
Planning for our Library By Susan Peters - Soon the City's
registered voters will have the opportunity to vote for the location
of the new library. We all are very anxious to have a new library
building or remodeled existing building. Now that funding may
become available very soon we need to be ready with a good plan.
Planning is a crucial component with establishing the site for
this facility. A simple search on-line will bring up extensive
information on the importance of the location of a library. Currently
the government body responsible for this decision has no planning
department nor have they engaged our Borough's Planning Department
to help with this decision. - More...
Monday PM - August 16, 2010
Downtown
Library Creates the Community's Future By John Hill - I strongly
support a downtown location for our library and encourage voters
to vote yes on Proposition 2. Vibrant and healthy downtowns are
not an accident or an "impulse" as other writers suggest;
they are a result of good planning and leadership by local officials.
Healthy downtowns are not "nostalgic" or "quaint"
either. They are long-term economic powerhouses as demonstrated
by thousands of communities across the nation. - More....
Monday PM - August 16, 2010
Keep
the Library Downtown By Lani Hill - I love this town and
support a downtown library. There are so few towns in which you
can walk to parks, grade schools, daycares, churches, shops,
police station, post office, fire station, bus stops, apartments,
condominiums, houses, museums, marinas, the public library, and
various other businesses and services. You can even walk to Tatsuda's
grocery if you won't have too much to carry afterward. - More...
Monday PM - August 16, 2010
Wake
Up Alaska - Murkowski is a Democrat! By David Eastman - Did
you know the American Family Association recently ranked Murkowski
the third most anti-family Republican in the Senate? She scored
20% lower than one Democratic Senator and only 5% higher than
Harry Reid! - More...
Monday PM - August 16, 2010
A
Vote For Joe Miller is a Vote for the Constitution By Connie
Emmert - "Some people do not seem to understand fully the
purpose of our constitutional restraints. They are not for protecting
the majority, either in or out of the Congress. They can protect
themselves with their votes. We have adopted a written constitution
in order that the minority, even down to the most insignificant
individual, might have their rights protected." - Calvin
Coolidge - More...
Monday PM - August 16, 2010
Thank
you for your hospitality and kindness By Bill Walker - Last
weekend, Donna and I made our fourth trip to Southeast this year
and were fortunate to travel to POW. The trip began like
an adventure novel. As a life-long Alaskan, I have grown
accustomed to preparing for the unexpected. When we were
told that poor weather required that we fly into Hollis instead
of Craig, I knew we were in for an adventure. The
flight over by float plane was non-stop breathtaking beauty and
flying into Hollis gave us the opportunity to have a scenic 30
mile drive across the Island to Craig. It's been eight
years since my last trip to POW but I was reminded that it is
one of the most beautiful places in Alaska. - More...
Thursday PM - August 12, 2010
Stop
the Free-Wheeling Spending By Sam Bergeron - The Ketchikan
policy makers at the City and Borough have too much power. They
can indenture us for life with 4 votes. The White Cliff building
sale, then the subsequent lease backs to the Borough for $42,000.00
a month, with an escalation clause, is but one example. On the
City side, the Berth 4 construction and 30 year lease, is another
example of both bodies going way beyond the scope of what their
powers should be. - More...
Thursday PM - August 12, 2010
Why
Can't We Have Fair Elections in Ketchikan? By Robert D. Warner
- For a number of years I have been wondering why Ketchikan cannot
have fair and honest elections. All too often there are direct
attempts to confuse the voter. Such practices are discouraging
and likely are primary reasons for low voter turnout. This current
vote on the public library is an excellent example. - More...
Thursday PM - August 12, 2010
Library
Location Can't Recreate The Past By Eric Muench - Ketchikan
must make a far reaching decision in the August 24 primary election.
Should our needed new library be built in a location favored
by the City Council, or should it be forced into a restricted
area of downtown? - More...
thursday PM - August 12, 2010
Walker
for Governor By Andy Rauwolf - Sometime in the next ten years
oil will stop flowing from the Alaska pipeline. Oil revenues
comprise over 80% of our state operating budget. Experts now
say that an in-state gas pipeline is the best alternative for
our state. Bill Walker is the only man running who has the plan
and the know-how to get an in-state gas pipeline built in time
to offset some of the revenues which will soon be lost. - More...
Thursday - August 12, 2010
Murkowski
has been a champion for patients with ALS By Linda (Teal)
Kreider - I have been going to Washington DC since 2006, when
my father Mel Teal, was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou
Gehrig's Disease. My friend, and former Ketchikan resident, Jenny
(Gore) Dwyer and her husband, Pat, who also has ALS, have joined
me as well. Jenny was recently named "Advocate of the Year"
for ALS, and Senator Murkowski was there to see her get the award.
Senator Murkowski and her staff have always taken the time to
listen, and I greatly appreciate all that she has done for Alaska,
especially her continued support for ALS. Without her support,
we would have never seen the ALS Registry Act passed. - More...
Thursday PM - August 12, 2010
Joe
Miller for U.S. Senate By Andy Rauwolf - I've noticed many
signs in and around Ketchikan supporting Lisa Murkowski. Many
are in yards of friends and fellow conservatives I've known and
seen eye-to-eye with for years. Her state campaign manager is
doing a great job and is a friend of mine, and until a couple
of years ago I would also be sporting her signs on my property.
But I have to question her voting record. - More...
Thursday PM - August 12, 2010
Neighborhood
swimming pools By A.M. Johnson - Enjoy looking for solutions
other than throwing big bucks at them, I came across this "Out
of the Box" solution.Use your imagination! We could have
these throughout the Borough. - More...
Thursday PM - August 12, 2010
Chloramine
By Linda Corwin - Many people across the lower 48 and in
other countries consider Chloramine to be a Pandora's Box. I
have listed here only some of the things that have been observed
after chloramination of water supplies. - More...
Thursday - August 12, 2010
Are
we invaded by bedbugs? By Jose S. Garcia - When I came home
today, I was surprised that a two-page letter was hung on every
door of the Tongass Towers Condominium which gave notice to report
any infestation of bedbugs in the area. - More...
Thursday - August 12, 2010
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