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Wednesday
September 04, 2013

Living High In Alaska
While hiking in the John Mountain, Upper Mahoney area, this adorable baby mountain goat was photographed with its mother. Male mountain goats are called Billies, the females are called Nannies, and the babies are called kids. The diet of the mountain goat consists of sedges, forbs, low-growing shrubs, blueberries, hemlock, and lichen. The hooves have a hard keratinous sheath and a soft embedded pad that enable the goats to gain purchase on the smallest of granite cracks while simultaneously gripping maximum surface area.
Front Page Photograph by MIKE SMITH ©2013
(Please respect the rights of photographers, never republish or copy
without permission and/or payment of required fees.)

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Southeast Alaska: RESPONSE TEAM STILL TRYING TO FREE ENTANGLED HUMPBACK - A humpback whale that first became entangled in fishing gear 12 days ago near Petersburg remains heavily wrapped in netting west of Juneau. Over the past several days, teams from Juneau have mounted multiple disentanglement response efforts, and have been able to remove some of the gear entangling the animal. Unfortunately, a significant amount of gear remains.

Entangled humpback whale with gillnet near its blowhole.
Photo: NOAA Fisheries

"This is a difficult entanglement. Much of the gear is underneath the whale, so it is challenging to access both visually and physically," said Aleria Jensen, NOAA's lead for the Alaska Marine Mammal Stranding Network. "We are now discussing the best course of action forward and gathering additional resources."

The team is waiting for calm seas later in the week to launch another response. It is hoped the extra time will also allow the whale to relax so that it might be more approachable.

Ed Lyman, NOAA's West Coast Entanglement Response Coordinator, has been advising the response and assisting the Alaska team with satellite telemetry updates. "The animals don't always understand that you are there to help them. This animal has been distressed and markedly evasive, so we are also giving it some space and time in hopes that it will calm down before we take additional action." - More...
Wednesday PM - September 04, 2013

Southeast Alaska: Missing hunters located near Klawock - Alaska State Troopers in Klawock received a report of two overdue deer hunters allegedly hunting in the Upper Steelhead area of the Tongass National Forest on Prince of Wales Island. It was reported that David Duncan, 38 years old of Craig, was hunting with his brother, Berton Duncan, 24 years old of Craig, and had advised family that they would be returning from their hunt by the evening of Friday, 8/30/2013.

Family advised the Troopers that the brothers had not yet returned and their vehicle had been discovered undisturbed on a logging road in the Upper Steelhead area. Family told Troopers that both brothers were avid hunters and had grown up hunting in many areas of Southeast Alaska. Neither had any medical conditions and both had basic survival equipment in their packs.

Alaska State Troopers contacted the Klawock Search and Rescue Team who responded to the scene and deployed a haste team. Troopers also contacted the US Coast Guard which deployed a Helo to Prince of Wales to begin an aerial search.

At approximately 1:00 AM Saturday the USCG Helo located the brothers when Berton Duncan deployed a flare gun near the top of one of the Upper Steelhead Area Mountains. - More...
Wednesday PM - September 04, 2013

Alaska - Nationwide: EPA reaches settlement with Safeway to reduce emissions of ozone-depleting refrigerants nationwide; Largest case ever under Clean Air Act’s ozone protection requirements - Safeway, the nation’s second largest grocery store chain, has agreed to pay a $600,000 civil penalty and implement a corporate-wide plan to significantly reduce its emissions of ozone-depleting substances from refrigeration equipment at 659 of its stores nationwide, estimated to cost approximately $4.1 million, in a settlement agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Justice. Up to 133 Safeway stores in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington are included in today’s settlement.

The settlement involves the largest number of facilities ever under the Clean Air Act’s regulations governing refrigeration equipment.

The settlement resolves allegations that Safeway violated the Clean Air Act by failing to promptly repair leaks of HCFC-22, a hydro-chlorofluorocarbon that is a greenhouse gas and ozone-depleting substance used as a coolant in refrigerators, and failed to keep adequate records of the servicing of its refrigeration equipment. Safeway will now implement a corporate refrigerant compliance management system to comply with federal stratospheric ozone regulations. Safeway will also reduce its corporate-wide average leak rate from 25 percent in 2012 to 18 percent or below in 2015. The company will also reduce the aggregate refrigerant emissions at its highest-emission stores by 10 percent each year for three years. - More...
Wednesday PM - September 04, 2013

Alaska: Nome could soon get power from geothermal energy By JULIE ESTEY - Nome, Alaska, could soon be known as the first community in the American Arctic to get its power from geothermal energy, thanks to a partnership among the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the City of Nome, and local native corporations and nonprofits.

A USGS crew member guides a drilling rod into place during the 2012 exploration program.
Photo courtesy of ACEP

After several years of research, a project team this week is drilling a large-diameter exploration hole in an effort to verify the size and extent of the geothermal resource at Pilgrim Hot Springs, which is 60 road miles from Nome. Once completed, a successful flow test would confirm the hot springs contain sufficient quantity of hot water to support construction of an on-site power production facility and transmission lines to Nome.

Research in 2011 and 2012 by the UAF Alaska Center for Energy and Power and the UAF Geophysical Institute indicated that the hot springs was likely to have adequate water temperatures to generate power. Projections show that Pilgrim Hot Springs has the potential to generate at least two megawatts of electricity, which is sufficient to satisfy a sizable portion of Nome’s needs. - More...
Wednesday PM - September 04, 2013

Alaska Science: Fifty years of far-north biology By NED ROZELL - While waiting for the talking to begin in darkened auditoriums, I sometimes scan the room, counting heads. “I’ve interviewed him, and her, and him. And her.”

For 50 years, scientists at UAF’s Institute of Arctic Biology have been studying creatures great and small, including the wood frog.
Photo by Ned Rozell

At last week’s dedication of the Institute of Arctic Biology’s lovely new building on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus, I saw more than a dozen people who have appeared in this space since fall 1994 (when I took over this column from Carla Helfferich).

I’ve written a lot of words about these biologists because we still know so little about far-north creatures and how they survive here, and Institute of Arctic Biology people have discovered things we did not know. One example is where chickadees roost during winter (often in tiny holes in birch trees, Susan Sharbaugh found). Another is that our rugged version of Alaska wood frogs can survive colder temperatures than Lower 48 wood frogs, which live as far south as Georgia (Brian Barnes and his physiology class uncovered that one).

Barnes, who also discovered that Toolik Lake ground squirrels’ body temperatures sometimes dip below 32 degrees Fahrenheit (getting the ground squirrel on the cover of Science magazine), is the director of the institute. As part of the 50th anniversary celebration of that organization, Barnes challenged 24 current and former researchers to sum up their research in just 15 minutes of stage time. - More...
Wednesday PM - September 04, 2013

Front Page Photograph by MIKE SMITH

The Rugged Peaks
This beautiful mountain goat was photographed during a hike by the photographer in the John Mountain, Upper Mahoney area. The mountain goat or “rock goat” is characterized by having relatively short horns and a fondness for living in rugged terrain. Mountain goat hooves are specially designed for climbing in steep rock, and slippery terrain. Overall, there are estimated to be 24,000–33,500 mountain goats in Alaska. A majority occur in southeast Alaska (13,500–20,000). Mountain goats are confused with Dall sheep, but goats have black horns, and there are no Dall sheep in Southeast Alaska.
Front Page Photograph by MIKE SMITH ©2013
(Please respect the rights of photographers, never republish or copy
without permission and/or payment of required fees.)

Columns - Commentary:

jpg Dave Kiffer DAVE KIFFER: Born to Be Mild - One of the personal benefits to this year’s spectacular summer weather has been my ability to put more than 1,500 miles on my motorcycle.

Yes, I can hear all the “iron butts” out there scoffing. Heckfire, they can put on that many miles in a “day and a half.”

All I can say is (a) not on a Harley Sportster and (b) not in Ketchikan!

I noted last year that my darling wife Charlotte has always been skeptical about the utility of a motorcycle in Ketchikan. I believe her direct quote was “You want to spend $10,000 on something you will get to ride twice a year???? Are you crazy????”

Well, yes. But that is a subject for a different column.

Our compromise, of course, was that I would only spend $5,000 for something that I could ride “twice a year” significantly lowering the cost per mile of said “mid life crisis.”

My part of the deal would be that I would stop whining about not having a motorcycle and I would stop spending hundreds of dollars a month on motorcycle pin up magazines.

Okay, so I am still buying motorcycle pin up mags. - More...
Wednesday PM - September 04, 2013

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Labor Day Message By Gov. Sean Parnell - While many have the day off, plenty of Alaskans will show up for work – cashiers, technicians, medical professionals and pipeline workers. Our public safety network – troopers, police officers, firefighters and EMTs, members of the Guard and other military service members – are all on the job, keeping Alaskans safe. - More...
Monday PM - September 02, 2013

A view worth capturing By Marshall H. Massengale - Every once in a while, the KPU Webcam manages to catch a view worth capturing as a feature photograph for publication on the SITNews Website. Here is attached one that I captured this morning at 7:42 AM Local Time this morning 9/2/2013 from KPU Cam 1. The sunburst from behind Deer Mountain illuminates all the back space behind the cruise ship docked at Pier 1, providing something of a surreal dreamscape. - More...
Monday PM - September 02, 2013

Pot Meet Kettle By Chris Elliott - Mr. Hanger, I'm sure the local Native American & Filipino communities are thrilled with your unflattering characterization of them as little more than tough thugs. Your sensitivity is astonishing. - More...
Monday PM - September 02, 2013

Re: Let's prioritize wild Alaska salmon By Mike Svenson - After reading Heather Hardcastle's letter on the Tongass, I have a question for her. She wants all activities out of the Tongass and the fishermen will receive all the benefits of this. Limited entry was started in the mid 70s because there was not many fish. - More...
Monday PM - September 02, 2013

RE: Parrots By Duane Hill - Thank you, but let's not allow the discussion to be diverted to one of race or ethnicity, and who did what to whom. That is a "no win" discussion. If he wishes to push the issue in that direction, I'm certain that some lawyer would be happy to take a libel suit on spec, especially if I offer to cooperate for a split just large enough to cover my expenses and lost wages. - More...
Monday PM - September 02, 2013

Keeping Whales, Sea Lions, and People Safe By Jon Kurland - Here in Alaska, we live with some of the most incredible wildlife in the world. Wildlife viewing is part of what makes our corner of the planet so special and draws so many visitors to our state. - More...
Thursday PM - August 29, 2013

Let's prioritize wild Alaska salmon By Heather Hardcastle - 2013 is turning out to be a banner year for salmon in Southeast Alaska. This year’s staggering salmon returns are a reminder the Tongass is the country’s preeminent salmon forest. As Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell tours Southeast Alaska this week, I urge him to do all he can to ensure the nation’s largest national forest is managed with wild salmon as the highest priority. - More...
Thrusday PM - August 29, 2013

Re: Parrots & Stand Your Ground By Alan R. McGilvray - In the defense of Mr.Duane Hill, against Mr. David Hangar, I would like to take issue with Mr.Hangar's view that Mr. Hill is a racist, cracker type of individual. - More...
Thursday PM - August 29, 2013

Accusation of racism By Duane Hill - 1) I challenge anyone to find something racist in any of my comments here. - More...
Thursday PM - August 29, 2013

RE: Parrots By Laura Plenert - Mr. Hanger, are you as outraged about the murder of the Australian student in Oklahoma??? - More...
Thursday PM - August 29, 2013

Alaska’s strong economy impacts ‘Alaska-hire’ zones of underemployment By Dianne Blumer - While much of the Lower 48 is still recovering from a devastating recession, Alaska’s economy remains stable, and our employment numbers are strong. Alaska’s unemployment rate for 2012 was 1.1 percent below the national average. - More...
Tuesday PM - August 27, 2013

In General... By Karen Hollywood - I would first like to thank you for being here for so many years, for giving us a forum to air our concerns and gripes, as well as a consolidated unbiased "Online Ketchikan Newspaper". - More...
Tuesday PM - August 27, 2013

PARROTS By David G. Hanger - We got it, Duane Hill. You are a racist, incapable of independent thought, who parrots the views and opinions of extreme right wing fruitcakes like Rush Limbaugh and Frank Taaffe. You are not in any sense a civil rights activist, as is blatantly expressed by your cracker point of view. - More...
Tuesday PM - August 27, 2013

Egypt - Turn Off The Money By Glenn Mollette - The United States and our President must come together today and stop all money flowing from our hard earned tax dollars to Egypt. Yes, I am talking about your money and your children's money and your grandparent's hard earned tax dollars flowing into Egypt at the rate of 1.5 billion dollars each year. Since 1948, we have given over 71 billion dollars to Egypt. That is more money than we have given to any nation, except Israel. - More...
Tuesday PM - August 27, 2013

Elimination of statewide Alaska Hire By Andree McLeod - A sweeping change happened when Gov. Sean Parnell, through his Deputy Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development, ended statewide Alaska Hire requirements for public works contracts. With one stroke of the pen, a statewide Alaska Hire policy that's been in place for the last 25 years to serve the interests of Alaskans and their families was made null and void by the elimination of Alaska Hire preferences in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, and other communities. - More...
Wednesday PM - August 21, 2013

Tour Companies By Marlene Steiner - I don't know how many years that Herring Cove has been dealing with Tour Companies and cabs taking people down Powerhouse Road during the summer months and letting these people they haul go on private properties or walk on the highway to and from the bridge. It getting to the point where these drivers park half way on people's properties or block where someone cannot get off Powerhouse Road if they want to leave. Now they are going on property when fenced off and when clearly marked. - More...
Wednesday PM - August 21, 2013

KPU Late Charges By Gladys Natkong - I also wrote a letter about the "late charges". My Ketchikan Public Utilities electric bill fell late in Dec. after my daughter forgot to tell me that the KPU worker came and told me to have my payment in by noon. It was 12:26 and I was still getting ready to go. My late charge was $350.00 and was told that if my payments were paid on time it would be applied. I am also on a fixed income. All totaled I paid close to $1000.00 to have my lights turned back on. They knew I have a grandchild living with me and it was Christmas. We went without lights for 3 weeks. - More...
Wednesday PM - August 21, 2013

RE: Guns: Stand Your Ground By Larry Meehan - I would ask that Mike Harpold look at the last three words in his 2nd paragraph,"When I could". - More...
Wednesday PM - august 21, 2013

Stand your ground By Duane Hill - The opposition to "Stand Your Ground " laws makes me wonder about those opposed. No part of any of these laws requires a person stand his ground, just as no part requires a person be armed. - More...
Wedneday PM - August 21, 2013

Trayvon Martin's death By Duane Hill - Criticism aimed at George Zimmerman is based on GZ not profiling or stereotyping Trayvon Martin as being the depraved and violent criminal he proved to be. GZ "should have known better" (Why?) than expect TM to act as a responsible and civilized human. As a result, GZ ended up flat on his back with TM beating the snot out of him, with a cement sidewalk behind his head so he was taking head injuries. There was no playground monitor or school teacher around to tell TM to behave, not that the 17 year old criminal would have obeyed. Then Trayvon Martin told George Zimmerman that TM was going to kill GZ. - More...
Wednesday PM - August 21, 2013

VOTE YES ON HOSPITAL BONDS By Bill Tatsuda - PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center, Ketchikan’s largest private employer with over 400 good paying jobs, is very important to our local economy and quality of life. The key to the hospital’s viability is its ability to perform surgeries, which bring patients to the hospital facility thus generating enough revenue to keep the hospital open. The current operating rooms are too old, too small, and inadequate to carry the hospital far into the future. Recruiting and retaining top surgeons in Ketchikan will become more and more difficult if not impossible unless new, larger, modern, state of the art surgical suites are added. The viability of our hospital depends on accomplishing its planned expansion. - More...
Thursday PM - August 15, 2013

Obamacare is not ready: Alaska declined to create an exchange, for good reasons By Gov. Sean Parnell - As governor of Alaska, I have a responsibility to carefully review federal policies and consider how they will impact the 49th state. - More...
Thursday PM - August 15, 2013

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