RE: Stand Your Ground By Gene Peterson - I appreciate Duane Hill's remarks on 'Stand Your Ground.' I considered writing something similar, but realized that the effort would be wasted on the folks in front of the Federal Building. - More...
Tuesday - July 30, 2013

Natural solution for eliminating Tansy Ragwort By Margaret Cloud - Pulling tansy is a time consuming practice and is not 100% effective.  In addition to the pulling of the plant with its root wad, using a biological control is also necessary.  I brought this to the attention of the Alaska Department of Transportation, the borough, and the community the first year that I spotted a very small amount of tansy along side the highway at the big curve at Ward Cove.  I was ignored and now tansy is in a much larger area. - More...
Tuesday - July 30, 2013

Is conservation versus native rights really the debate? By Naazia Ebrahim - As always in Southeast Alaska, it is pouring rain when we hop into our bright orange dinghy. We're two days into a nine-day circumnavigation of Baranof Island, and the yacht that I share with four other Forest Service rangers has anchored overnight in Red Bluff Bay – so named for the sheer, reddish-brown cliffs of its northeast ridge. - More...
Tuesday PM - July 30, 2013

K-Town shines By A.M. Johnson - Great story regarding the emergency housing for the Alaska Little League’s Major League champions when a change in travel plans brought the South Anchorage’s Abbott-O-Rabbit Little League Team to Ketchikan in today's Ketchikan Daily News (Sports) 7-30-13. I would like to add complementary comments regarding the Ketchikan team, coaches and parents who participated in the recent tournament in Wrangell. - More...
Tuesday PM - July 30, 2013

RE: Wrong solution By Lucy Leitz - Unfortunately the only solution to the problem bear is euthanasia. It will not go away or stop its behavior. The dump bears were transported as far as Cleveland Peninsula at great cost and the bears eventually came back to Ketchikan. They continued their garbage eating behavior. They were disposed of in a humane manner by ADF&G. - More...
Tuesday - July 30, 2013

RE: Bridge By Norma Lankerd - I've been to the east coast for visits and they do have such BRIDGES that have a bridge that does OPEN up in the middle to allow such ships through at a certain time of the day, and yes it does back traffic up but in the long run I COULD SEE a bridge from Annette Bay to Ketchikan that would be connected to somewhere. - More...
Tuesday - July 30, 2013

RE: The Gravina Bridge... By Paul Jarvi - Mr. Spence, don't worry about a bridge. It is dead-on-arrival. - More...
Tuesday - July 30, 2013

The Gravina Bridge could Shrink Ketchikans Port and its Economy By Michael Spence - In 1983 I attended my first Gravina Access meeting in Ketchikan municipal chambers, representing marine pilots in the region. I did so again in 2013. Thirty years ago, it was not feasible for the community of Ketchikan to build such a crossing. It still is not, for the following reasons. - More...
Saturday - July 27, 2013

The Secret Ballot Is No longer Sacred By Richard Jackson & Martha A. Johnson - The KIC Recall Committee for Responsible Leadership is very disappointed in the recent decision of the seven KICTribal Council members who chose to ignore a valid recall petition submitted on behalf of 243 Tribal Members in the July KIC Tribal Council meeting. The recent KIC Tribal Council press release was rife with inaccuracies and is what would best be described as political "smoke and mirrors". - More...
Saturday - July 27, 2013

Misinformation about halibut catch sharing plan By Tom Gemmell - There has been a lot of misinformation going around about the halibut catch sharing plan (CSP).  In an effort to correct this the Halibut Coalition prepared a commentary on Mr Medred's article in the Alaska Dispatch published on July 20 and other online publications. - More...
Saturday - July 27, 2013

"Stand your ground" By Duane Hill - Was a 17 year old thug in training. An aggressive athlete, skilled in MMA type fighting, constantly in trouble, kicked out of school for being in trouble and making trouble, kicked out of his foster mother's home, kicked out of his mother's home, he finally ended up living with his father's current girl friend while his father left town. He was found to have women's jewelry in his backpack at school, along with a heavy screw driver suited for use as a pry bar. His cell phone had messages about him beating people, including a bus driver, plus photos of property missing from the condo next door to where he was staying. - More...
Saturday - July 27, 2013

Shane Howard White Skateboard Park By Bobbie McCreary - Ketchikan's Shane Howard White Skateboard Park development is underway!  A long time coming. Stop by the site (corner of Park Avenue and Schoenbar) and take a look at what a beautiful site this park is being built on!   Our contractors, Liquid Stone Designs, LLC, (Lori and Jason) are doing an incredible job of planning the site development, leaving a fringe of trees and shrubbery between the park and Ketchikan Creek, and maximizing every inch of space for skateboarder “heaven” skatepark. - More...
Saturday - July 27, 2013

Apologies By Victoria McDonald - I wrote a letter concerning tansy ragwort, incorrectly stating that the solid waste facility did not incinerate invasive plants. Lenny Neely, supervisor at the solid waste facility, informed me that toxic plants such as tansy ragwort or Japanese knotweed are incinerated, although they must be bagged. - More...
Saturday -July 27, 2013

Kake Access Project By David Beebe - The Western Federal Lands Highway Division has released its Draft Purpose and Need Statement of the Kake Access Project. The Statement and public meeting comes at the worst possible time -- at the height of seasonal commercial fishing activities, and signals predictably negative consequences for the three directly affected Southeast communities and the region as a whole. - More..
Wednesday - July 24, 2013 .

Classics a'la Carte III By Lallette Kistler - If you like classical music, wander down to Holy Name Church Friday night July 26th at 7:30. Classics a'la Carte III, a concert to benefit Ketchikan Performing Arts Center, will feature a great mix of instrumental and vocal music. - More...
Wednesday - July 24, 2013

Ketchikan needs to get rid of tansy ragwort By Victoria McDonald - For the past 5 years I have been pulling tansy ragwort out by the roots. It is especially noticeable aroung Ward Cove and spreads further each year. Nathan and Dorica Jackson have been pulling the plants even longer but the plants spread beyond our ability to pick. We now are concentrating on the south end of town where tansy has taken hold but not spread as much. Because of its toxicity, we wear gloves, long shirts and pants. It's a plant to be taken seriously. - More...
Wednesday - July 24, 2013

The Wrong Solution By Cheryl Henley - I have lived here for 45 years. I have no expertise what- so -ever on the subject of bears that bother and scare because of the stupid actions of some people. What happened to the dump bears we used to see there? Didn't they move them to other parts of the island? What does the department estimate for numbers of bears living in this area? - More...
Wednesday - July 24, 2013

Ketchikan's Good Samaritan By Andrew and Kathleen Smith - We’d like to express our gratitude to the Good Samaritan who stepped up to pay the twelve dollar entry fee for our visiting family of four at the pool recently.   That was extremely generous and sincerely appreciated by all. - More...
Wednesday - July 24, 2013

We are not all... By A.M. Johnson - Arriving back in K-Town and reading recent issues of the Ketchikan Daily News, I saw a front page photo of a sign holder that has taken the liberty to make a public statement that would include me without my permission, classifying me as a "Trayvon Martin". - More...
Wednesday - July 24, 2013

Alaska Wild Salmon Not Good Enough? By Peggy Ayers - Just a note from a former Ketchikan resident. Having read the article from Fish Factor just want to say that I recently purchased canned Alaska salmon from the Walmart store in Mt. Zion Illinois, where I currently reside. - More...
Wednesday - July 24, 2013 

KIC RECALL By Eliasica Timmerman - The Tribal Council meeting on Monday July 8th was very important and informative. The recall committee was there to address their petition, but did not stay to hear or ask any questions on the matters they are concerned about. I stayed until 11pm to listen to all the department reports. - More...
Saturday PM - July 20, 2013

Thank You By Connie Sue Knutsen - My husband Greg Knutsen and I wish to thank all those who helped care for him from his recent fall in June. We sure appreciate the South Tongass Fire and Rescue, and all those at the scene. Also the emergency room techs here in Ketchikan were wonderful and professional in his care and getting him to the medivac to Seattle. His care helped keep him from major damage. - More...
Saturday PM - July 20, 2013

The Abominable Snowden By Donald A. Moskowitz - Edward Snowden is not a human rights activist, he is a loathsome (abominable) traitor and spy. - More...
Saturday PM - July 20, 2013

End the IRS By Beverly Martin - Lighting fireworks on the 4th didn't restore freedom taken by the tyranny of the IRS. Reading the Declaration of Independence underscored this nation's return to conditions founding fathers found intolerable: government use of fear to take property and control citizens. - More...
Saturday PM - July 20, 2013