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Wednesday
September 25, 2019
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MS Roald Amundsen
The world's first hybrid powered cruise ship, the MS Roald Amundsen, is named after the pioneering Norwegian-born polar explorer who led the first expedition to traverse the Northwest passage in 1911. The ship, built in Poland and Norway, is the first of a new generation of greener Hurtigruten (Norwegian Coastal Express) expedition cruise ships. The state-of-the-art vessel utilises battery power to help it cruise around the world. Its sister ship, the MS Fridtjof Nansen, is due to launch in 2020.
Photographed at dock in Ketchikan this week.
Front Page Feature Photo By STEVE SPEIGHTS ©2019
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Southeast Alaska: Judge Issues Preliminary Injunction Halting POW Timber Sale in Tongass National Forest; Initial phase of logging project placed on hold a day before bids were scheduled to open Posted & Edited by MARY KAUFFMAN – Monday a federal judge issued a court ruling halting the initial phase of the largest timber sale approved by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) in 30 years, at least until the court case is resolved. The USFS has a 15-year plan to log more than 42,500 acres of temperate rainforest on Prince of Wales Island in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest. The plan also includes the construction of 164 miles of new roads through public lands. Most of the trees targeted for logging are old-growth, meaning they have been standing for hundreds of years.
Monday’s ruling, by a federal district judge in Alaska, grants a preliminary injunction blocking an initial Twin Mountain timber salesale that would have auctioned off 1,156 acres of what the plaintiffs say are old-growth trees. More than 10 miles of new roads would have been constructed along with this sale. If not for this court decision, USFS would have opened timber industry bids on these ancient stands of trees on September 24. Next, the judge is expected to issue a final ruling on the merits of the case no later than March 31, 2020 before the next logging season starts.
Quoting a news release from Defenders of Wildlife, most of the trees targeted for logging are old-growth, and may have sprouted as saplings many centuries ago.
Audubon, along with Earthjustice, Alaska Rainforest Defenders, Southeast Alaska Conservation Council, Defenders of Wildlife, Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, Alaska Wilderness League, National Audubon Societyand Natural Resources Defense Council filed a lawsuit challenging the Prince of Wales project back in May. Monday’s ruling grants a preliminary injunction that blocks the initial sale that would have auctioned off 1,156 acres of old-growth trees.
The USFS would have opened timber industry bids on September 24, 2019 if it weren’t for this injunction, putting the old-growth trees on Prince of Wales and the wildlife that rely on them in imminent danger according to the plaintiffs.
“The timber sale units are flagged and ready for logging. Without this preliminary injunction, we would not be able to stop the timber harvest, and we know from past activities that many of the ancient cedars and spruce would be logged before the court comes to a resolution,” said Natalie Dawson, executive director for Audubon Alaska. - More...
Wednesday PM - September 25, 2019
Southeast Alaska: SECOND PHASE OF EPIGENETICS STUDY TO COMMENCE IN HOONAH; Research to focus on Hoonah residents – Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) and Hoonah Indian Association (HIA) will begin the second phase of a collaborative genetics study next week that explores how historical trauma associated with European colonization may have changed the DNA of Native people.
The study, Epigenomic Effects of European Colonization on Alaska Native Peoples by the Malhi Molecular Anthropology Lab at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, is seeking to combine advances in technology with community-based research to study the biological basis shaping adverse health outcomes resulting from the many changes since European contact with Indigenous peoples of the Americas. The first phase of research for the project was completed June 17-21, 2019, in Juneau. In order to accommodate additional volunteers, two days have been added in Juneau, Sept. 26-27, 2019. The team will start phase two in Hoonah Oct. 1-4, 2019.
European colonization had a profound, global impact in terms of its demographic, environmental and genetic effects on populations worldwide. The social, economic and demographic effects of European colonization are well studied, but the biological consequences are less well understood, wrote Ripan Malhi, principle investigator and professor of genomic biology at the university.
“This is important because the effects of European colonization and the chronic stress generated by changes from traditional lifestyles are hypothesized to contribute to health disparities and psychosocial stress of indigenous peoples today,” Malhi wrote.
Participants will be asked to give a blood sample and take a survey, which will include questions about general well-being, demography, community events participation and traumatic experiences. Due to the sensitive nature of the survey questions, counselors from Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) will be on hand if a participant feels the need to pause the survey to talk to them.
The team will also ask community members about their participation in cultural events, eating traditional foods and engagement in subsistence activities. All of these things may modify or buffer against any potential DNA effects seen with historical trauma. - More...
Wednesday PM - September 25, 2019
Alaska: New Investigative Report on Drinking Water Contamination in Alaska Released Posted and Edited By MARY KAUFFMAN - The Alaska PFAS Action Coalition (APAC), Gustavus PFAS Action Coalition, and Alaska Community Action on Toxics (ACAT) held a news conference today in Anchorage to release an investigative report identifying the discovery of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at over 100 individual sites in nearly 30 locations across Alaska.
According to the Alaska PFAS Action Coalition, ten Alaska communities have PFAS in their drinking water at levels deemed unsafe by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and it is likely that the number of communities with contaminated water will grow as more sampling is conducted throughout the state.
PFAS, a group of unregulated substances linked to adverse health outcomes, including liver and kidney damage, reproductive and developmental harm, immune system impairment, and certain cancers, has been found in groundwater and public drinking water supplies in communities throughout Alaska. An increasing number of states have responded to the latest scientific understanding concerning the adverse health effects of PFAS exposure by establishing health protective regulations more stringent than EPA’s health advisory levels for PFAS in drinking water sources. Meanwhile, the State of Alaska under the Dunleavy Administration has rolled-back protections and site investigations.
Many water sources across the state are contaminated by perfluorinated alkylated substances, commonly known as PFAS chemicals, according to the new report prepared by the Alaska Community Action on Toxics, Alaska PFAS Action Coalition, Gustavus PFAS Action Coalition, and Fairbanks W.A.T.E.R. (“Wake Up Alaskans to the Toxic Environmental Reality.”)
PFAS chemicals are contained in fire-fighting foams used on military bases and in airports in Alaska for many years, as well as for other commercial purposes. They are often known as “forever chemicals” because they persist and accumulate in our bodies and in the natural environment. Repeated exposure is known to cause significant health problems, including various types of cancer, endocrine and thyroid disease, liver damage, and pregnancy induced hypertension.
The following Alaska lawmakers released statements on the new report’s findings:
Alaska Sen. Jesse Kiehl (D-Juneau) said, “I proudly worked with the Department of Environmental Conservation this year to secure money to find out how far the problem goes. Now it’s time to decide the next steps to protect Alaskans’ health and safe drinking water. The recommendations in this report should kick off some serious conversations that lead to action.” - More...
Wednesday PM - September 25, 2019
Alaska: U.S. Secretary of Commerce Approves Disaster Declarations for American Fishing Communities - Today, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced his determination that commercial fishery failures occurred for multiple fisheries between 2017 and 2019 in Alaska, California, Georgia, and South Carolina, while further finding that a catastrophic regional fishery disaster occurred for Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama due to extreme flooding events in the Gulf of Mexico.
“Fishing is the cornerstone of countless coastal economies and has been a way of life for generations of Americans,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “This determination acknowledges the critical role fisheries play in our communities, and the risks they face from natural disasters and other causes beyond their control.”
Fisheries help power coastal economies, providing jobs for fishermen, fish processors, and other maritime industries. However, these key resources can also be vulnerable to the effects of natural disasters and other circumstances beyond the control of fishermen and fishery managers that can cause sudden and unexpected losses, leading to devastating impacts to businesses and the surrounding communities.
These determinations make these fisheries eligible for NOAA fisheries disaster assistance. For fiscal year 2019, Congress appropriated $165 million for fishery disasters. The Department of Commerce is determining the appropriate allocations of these funds to eligible fisheries.
Alaska Congressman Don Young (R) praised the decision by Secretary of Commerce Ross to issue a disaster declaration for the multiple fisheries failures in Alaska, California, Georgia, and South Carolina.
Quoting a news release from Young, this determination makes affected Alaska fisheries eligible for disaster assistance from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In 2016, fishing communities in the Gulf of Alaska were devastated by poor pink salmon returns, and continue to recover from the damage inflicted by low salmon and cod populations. - More...
Wednesday PM - September 25, 2019 |
Brown Mountain Road landslide
Ketchikan Misty Fjords Ranger District Brown Mountain Road landside.
Photo credit: Jim Lewis |
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Ketchikan: Brown Mountain Road Landslide - A landslide occurred on the Ketchikan Misty Fjords Ranger District Brown Mountain Road (Forest Road 8005100) on Saturday, September 21. The slide starts immediately below the road about a quarter mile before the Dude Mountain trailhead.
The road is still passable but use caution or avoid the area. More evaluation and possible culvert installation is planned. A news release will announce if the road is closed for repairs. - More...
Wednesday PM - September 25, 2019
Alaska: Alaska’s minimum wage set at $10.19 for 2020 – The Alaska minimum wage will increase from $9.89 to $10.19 in 2020. Voters passed a ballot initiative in 2014, which requires the minimum wage to be adjusted annually for inflation.
Alaska Statute 23.10.065(a) requires the Alaska minimum wage to be adjusted using the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for urban consumers in the Anchorage metropolitan area (Anchorage CPI-U) for the preceding calendar year.
The Anchorage CPI-U increased 3.0 percent in 2018, rising from 218.873 to 225.545. As a result, the minimum wage will rise 30 cents per hour to $10.19 effective January 1, 2020. - More...
Wednesday PM - September 25, 2019
World: New Report: Earth’s oceans and frozen spaces paying price for ‘taking the heat of global warming - Our oceans and frozen spaces have been “taking the heat” for global warming for decades, climate experts said on Wednesday, warning that without a radical change in human behaviour, hundreds of millions of people could suffer from rising sea levels, frequent natural disasters and food shortages.
The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report highlights the urgency of prioritizing timely, ambitious and coordinated action to address unprecedented and enduring changes in the ocean and cryosphere.
The report reveals the benefits of ambitious and effective adaptation for sustainable development and, conversely, the escalating costs and risks of delayed action.
The ocean and the cryosphere – the frozen parts of the planet – play a critical role for life on Earth. A total of 670 million people in high mountain regions and 680 million people in low-lying coastal zones depend directly on these systems. Four million people live permanently in the Arctic region, and small island developing states are home to 65 million people.
Global warming has already reached 1°C above the pre-industrial level, due to past and current greenhouse gas emissions. There is overwhelming evidence that this is resulting in profound consequences for ecosystems and people. The ocean is warmer, more acidic and less productive. Melting glaciers and ice sheets are causing sea level rise, and coastal extreme events are becoming more severe.
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The IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, approved on September 24, 2019 in the 51st Session of the IPCC in the Principality of Monaco, by 195 IPCC member governments, provides new evidence for the benefits of limiting global warming to the lowest possible level – in line with the goal that governments set themselves in the 2015 Paris Agreement. Urgently reducing greenhouse gas emissions limits the scale of ocean and cryosphere changes. Ecosystems and the livelihoods that depend on them can be preserved.
"The open sea, the Arctic, the Antarctic and the high mountains may seem far away to many people,” said Hoesung Lee, Chair of the IPCC. “But we depend on them and are influenced by them directly and indirectly in many ways – for weather and climate, for food and water, for energy, trade, transport, recreation and tourism, for health and wellbeing, for culture and identity.”
“If we reduce emissions sharply, consequences for people and their livelihoods will still be challenging, but potentially more manageable for those who are most vulnerable,” Lee said. “We increase our ability to build resilience and there will be more benefits for sustainable development.”
Knowledge assessed in the report outlines climate-related risks and challenges that people around the world are exposed to today and that future generations will face. It presents options to adapt to changes that can no longer be avoided, manage related risks and build resilience for a sustainable future. The assessment shows that adaptation depends on the capacity of individuals and communities and the resources available to them.
More than 100 authors from 36 countries assessed the latest scientific literature related to the ocean and cryosphere in a changing climate for the report, referencing about 7,000 scientific publications.
The IPCC Special Report is a key scientific input for world leaders gathering in forthcoming climate and environment negotiations, such as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference (COP25) in Chile in December
“The world’s ocean and cryosphere have been ‘taking the heat’ from climate change for decades, and consequences for nature and humanity are sweeping and severe,” said Ko Barrett, Vice-Chair of the IPCC. “The rapid changes to the ocean and the frozen parts of our planet are forcing people from coastal cities to remote Arctic communities to fundamentally alter their ways of life,” she added.
“By understanding the causes of these changes and the resulting impacts, and by evaluating options that are available, we can strengthen our ability to adapt,” she said. “The Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate provides the knowledge that facilitates these kinds of decisions.” - More...
Wednesday PM - September 25, 2019 |
Analysis: Trump, Ukraine and a whistleblower: Ever since 1796, Congress has struggled to keep presidents in check By JENNIFER SELIN - George Washington, hero of the American Revolution and the country’s first president, in 1796 withheld documents the House of Representatives had requested from him regarding treaty negotiations with France.
Washington thought that giving the House papers respecting a negotiation with a foreign power would be to establish a dangerous precedent.
Washington’s reluctance to hand over these documents has echoed through time, in conflicts between Congress and Presidents Monroe, Jefferson, Adams all the way to Presidents Coolidge, Kennedy, Nixon and Reagan, among others. For the most part, members of Congress still must rely on the president and his administration for information in the areas of foreign relations and intelligence.
In the latest version of that long-running tension between Congress and the president over power, Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire is scheduled to testify on Sept. 26 before the House Intelligence Committee.
The testimony is part of a chain of events that began in mid-August of 2019 when an anonymous whistleblower filed a complaint with the inspector general for the intelligence community, who is tasked by Congress to identify problems in the national intelligence agencies. The complaint related to reports that President Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his family. The developing conflict between Trump and Congress has involved, among other aspects, a struggle over who can have access to crucial documents.
The Intelligence Committee will no doubt use Maguire’s testimony as a preliminary step in the formal impeachment inquiry announced by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, on Tuesday.
Questions about the degree to which the legislative and executive branches of the U.S. government should share power have arisen throughout the nation’s history. While a simple view of the American Constitution revolves around the idea that the federal government is divided into three coequal branches, this understanding is incomplete.
The Founders struggled with problems related to the separation of powers. The text of the Constitution, combined with subsequent legal analysis, shows tension between a desire to separate the branches and the need to integrate the federal government’s core functions.
Foreign relations and national security issues like those underlying the Ukraine conflict only exacerbate this tension. - More...
Wednesday PM - September 25, 2019 |
Political Cartoon: A Different Whistleblower
By Jeff Koterba ©2019, Omaha World Herald, NE
Distributed to paid subscribers for publication by Cagle Cartoons, Inc. |
My Thoughts on the Borough Mayoral Race By John Harrington - Three candidates are running for Ketchikan Borough Mayor: Sidney Hartley, Rodney Dial, and Michelle O’Brien.
Sidney Hartley I don’t know. However, it is always encouraging to see the younger generation taking leadership roles in local government. I would have preferred that she had served before in an elected position. But if she is elected, the Borough Clerk, Kacie Paxton, will be of invaluable assistance, along with the Borough Manager and Attorney. If she seeks their advice she will do fine.
Rodney Dial and I had our first political interaction during the Charter Commission days (ancient history to some). We had a series of very public and somewhat heated interchanges on the value of consolidation. Even though there was a lot of negativity in our discussion. It never reached the point of personal attacks. After the election, we continued to have a few contacts; then he was elected to the Assembly where we served together for a year. I came to appreciate the depth of his knowledge and his willingness to consider other opinions. Rodney’s recent work on the Assembly and with our Congressional Delegation has impressed me.
Michelle O’Brien and I had several very positive contacts when she worked for K.P.U. I found her delightful to work with. Her service with Rotary by all reports is exemplary. However, in serving with her in elected office I have developed a very different impression. In my 34 years of service in local and state Assemblies, Commissions, and Boards, I have never served with anyone more poorly suited for political office. She talks about collaboration, but then becomes verbally vindictive when someone disagrees with her. - More...
Wednesday PM - September 25, 2019
Dial for Borough Mayor & Landis and Bynum for Assembly By Harlan Heaton - Collective bargaining, I have always believed that the primary goal of the school board is to do what is best for our current and future students of the school district.
In the last round of teacher contract negotiations, the school district hired a consulting firm to help with this process. This firm knows all the available information as to the cost of living in every city in Alaska and what other districts are paying. Look at the map, Ketchikan is not Juneau or Fairbanks, we should be on the lower end cost of this scale in the state. During negotiations the talks were stalled when the union felt it was not making progress. It was at this time that Sid Hartley, Austin Otis and others decided to break the deadlock by recalling the school board president and two other members. The plan worked. Get rid of the more conservative members that were looking out for the children, teachers and taxpayers. Now the teachers have a contract that the local property tax payers and the state can't afford to pay.
Now Governor Dunleavy is trying to balance the state's budget. The Governor has been saying for months now that the state is in debt and there will be several areas that the budget will be cut.
Governor Dunleavy has asked everyone in the legislature and the local governments to come up with ideas to help fix this problem. Once again Sid Hartley took this statement and instead of coming up with ideas to help the Governor fix the problem, she joined another recall petition. I guess until the permanent fund is gone maybe understanding will come that you can't fix the budget crisis by recalling everyone you have a disagreement with. Austin Otis and Sid Hartley have a common thread, don't work with anyone that disagrees with them. - More...
Wednesday PM - September 25, 2019
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WITH RODNEY IT’S ALWAYS WAY TOO MUCH ABOUT RODNEY By David G Hanger - I have no idea who the two ladies are running for the office of Borough mayor, but I would like to encourage all of you to take a long, long look at both of these women, and to pick one of them to be the next Borough mayor. Rodney Dial does a very good job of banging the drum loudly for Rodney Dial, but the really big problem with this guy is it is always “I”, “I”, “I”, “I”, “me”, “me”, “me”, and never “we.”
Ambition is not necessarily a bad thing, but with Rodney ambition seems always to be driven toward satisfaction of the personal vanity of Rodney, and that is not a good thing, nor a beneficial thing for what are supposed to be community interests.
A brief analysis of Rodney’s declaration of candidacy should tell you all you need to know about this guy. He goes out of his way to claim credit for himself for a bunch of things that were done collectively, i.e. by a whole group of people. So there is no sizzle there at all, but rather a clown jumping desperately into a spotlight that belongs to a group instead of an individual.
His bio-data in his candidacy announcement distorts more than it distinguishes. He took a few college courses. He is a grade schooler with very limited formal education, and his claims to even comprehending research techniques or probability analysis are all bogus for the simple reason these are not taught until the graduate level of college is attained. Most of his “research” is loaded. - More...
Wednesday PM - September 25, 2019
Transportation off the 'Rock' By A. M. Johnson - Let's talk leaving the 'Rock' under the various modes of transportation available and estimated cost related to same.
I find myself in the need of medical appointments in Seattle that encompassed a period of time that warrants the taking of our auto for transportation to these medical appointments as well, to visit various family members in the neighboring states.
With the new, pricing formula for the Alaska Marine Highway (Ferries) in effect I wandered in to the local terminal office to inquire on a very early booking to avoid the penalty pricing of the current detrimental formula only a government entity could create.
For myself, my wife, a 17' car and a four berth room, (No I don't need four berths, however at our age the top bunk is out of consideration!) the one way cost is North of $2100.00. Double that to return plus meals so you are looking at $4500.00. Then to our dismay, I would have to book a week early to allow meeting the medical appointment date(s) and on the return, spend an extra week in Seattle, as the ferry would be sitting idle or other wise employed.
I will leave you to consider all the extra incurred cost to meet this situation. So- the ferry is out. - More...
Wednesday PM - September 25, 2019
VOTE NO ON PROPOSITION 2; THIS FIBER OPTIC PROPOSAL IS SO SILLY IT IS STUPID By David G Hanger - KPU wants to blow $11.5 million of your dough (and increase prices accordingly) on what effectively is an act of petulance on which it is guaranteed in advance there will be NO RETURN ON INVESTMENT.
Bob Sivertsen does not know squat about telecommunications, period. All he is spewing is the nonsense Herr Reichskanzler Amylon has given him to spew, and it comes close to being pure nonsense.
I do not know squat about telecommunications either, but I know how to pick up a phone and call some real experts who are not trying to fleece you for $11.5 million.
The key concept to grasp is LOW EARTH ORBIT SATELLITES, a vast multitude of which have already been launched, and I am told by the experts these will displace fiber optic cable and pretty much everything else commencing now. - More...
Wednesday PM - September 25, 2019
Vote Yes on Proposition 2 By Bob Sivertsen - The purpose of this letter is to encourage voters to ‘Vote Yes’ on Proposition 2 – a Revenue Bond for construction of KPU Telecommunications’ undersea fiber optic cable to Prince Rupert, BC - in the municipal election scheduled for October 1, 2019.
I encourage you to visit KPU’s webpage for a review of frequently asked questions/answers about the project and the Revenue Bond.
Notably, a Revenue Bond cannot and does not rely upon property taxes – Proposition 2 will not increase or otherwise have any impact upon property taxes.
Rather this $11.5 million infrastructure project that is designed to pay for itself via cost savings. Simply put, by owning its own cable, KPU will be able to stop ‘renting’ Internet capacity from a competitor, and will use the savings to make the annual bond-payments. - More...
Saturday AM - September 21, 2019
Ketchikan officials concerned over Ward Cove private cruise project By A.M. Johnson - Want to see a community greed opportunity?? You see it with the City of Ketchikan, my home town. Stay tuned as private enterprise provides these new docks and then after all the bitching by the city, they will begin the process of annexing the borough boundary from the current city limits to include not only the Ward Cove area, the new docks, but continue out to include Air Marine Harbor ending at Sunset Drive.
Unfortunately as the annexing of the Shore Line Drive area, those residents pay the high property tax and receive very little in return, save for fire protection, from a distance, like wise will be the new annexation having no direct benefits that would prove a positive as the fire protection is more readily available via those “Volunteer” fire personnel who live in the Ward Cove area. - More...
Saturday AM - September 21, 2019
Open Letter: Objections to Ward Cove Proposal By Cruin MacGriogair - To whom It May Concern: (Letter sent to Army Corps of Engineers)
I am writing as a resident of Ketchikan Gateway Borough, to notify you of my concerns and objections to the “Ward Cove Proposal” to build a large cruise ship dock in Ward Cove, North of Ketchikan, which would accommodate the largest cruise ships, with preferential docking for Norwegian Cruise Line ships.
Even though my own business (a small private tour company) will be undamaged, or possibly enriched, by this development, I object to this development on three grounds: - More...
Saturday AM - September 21, 2019
Rodney Dial for Mayor of Ketchikan By Barry A. A. Dillinger - It’s not very often that I feel compelled to personally do something about the local political process outside my normal civic duty of voting. Normally, I read the platforms and I keep up with the local scuttlebutt, but I generally don’t voice my support through lawn signs, bumper stickers or letters to the editor. I’ve lived in Ketchikan for the past three years and something has changed. I saw an extremely dysfunctional relationship between the city Borough Assembly members and others in the local governmental system and noted that much of it centered around one person. More on that in a moment. - More...
Tuesday AM - September 17, 2019
Ketchikan's Sales Tax Cap By Janalee L Minnich Gage - I have been on the Ketchikan City Council since 2015, however my comments here as a community member. I am not speaking for other council members or the council. I appreciate all the thanks for my last letter regarding the Berth issues. I got more questions asked of me, so I am taking them one at a time - picking them apart for you- from my perspective utilizing information, and evidence available. - More...
Tuesday AM - September 17, 2019
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We Believe in Ferries By Sidney Hartley - Since 1948, travelling by ferry has been a vital piece of Alaskan livelihood and, as such, a way for Alaskans to be connected to one another. In 1963, the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) was born, providing Alaskans a link to our neighboring communities and Canada. There has been a saying in Alaska that, it’s a small world in big Alaska. That’s because, it’s hard to travel from one community to another in Alaska without running into someone we know, and sometimes even a relative. We’re all family here, and that unique piece of our home is largely due to our ferry system, connecting us to places and people that may not otherwise have a method of travel (especially from/to remote parts of Alaska). Additionally, the AMHS employs roughly 430 Alaskans, and provides transportation to nearly 350,000 passengers and 100,000 vehicles annually. - More...
Tuesday AM - September 17, 2019
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Opposed to development of the waters over the superfund MOU at Ward Cove By Betsey Burdett - I am writing to voice my opposition to the development of the waters over the superfund marine operating unit (MOU) at Ward Cove. I hope you will comment to the Army Corps of Engineers concerning the permit application by Power Systems and Supplies of Alaska, Godspeed, Inc., and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Ltd. The comment period was extended until September 19, 2019 so that agencies (EPA, DEC, etc.) and the public (us!) would have time to respond. Information disseminated thus far has come from the above companies. You can search the cleanup at Ward Cove from the EPA website. The more I look into this, the more astounded I am that the Army Corps has received only two requests for a public hearing as of this writing. Do we care about our water? Do we have time to comment about this? If you want to comment you just have a few days. - More...
Saturday AM - September 14, 2019
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Unlocking Arctic Energy Is Vital for Alaska - and America By U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski & Dan Sullivan, and Congressman Don Young - This week the House of Representatives is set to consider measures that would restrict America’s future energy supply, including one that would block responsible development in northeast Alaska. As the state’s congressional delegation, we are unified in strong opposition and believe passage would be a reckless strategic mistake. - More...
Wednesday PM - September 11, 2019
"Traitor Teachers" By Kathleen Yarr - "Traitor Teachers" have been forwarding Ketchikan Education Association President email to me. (Emailed on school email. Huh. Wonder if that’s okay?) Regardless, this is evidence the KEA is not quite the rock-solid, union monolith KEA would like to think they are.
With a whiff of ..... displeasure, President Lundamo mentions I was a para (Implication: Who will run for school board next? A janitor? I hope so.) Lundamo then goes on to gently correct the record on the National Teachers Association-Alaska’s position on pregnancy, which they support providing the mother supports her pregnancy. - More...
Wednesday PM - September 11, 2019
Trade War Hurting Farmers By Donald Moskowitz - President Trump is trying to attain trade equity with China, but his trade war is having a devastating impact on U.S. farmers, which could lead to long term losses of the Chinese market for our agricultural products since they are being replaced by competing countries. The $12 billion farmers subsidy is just a temporary reprieve for farmers. - More...
Wednesday PM - September 11, 2019
Why would you want to opt out of KEA? By Kathleen Yarr - Teachers: What could you do with an additional $1,123 dollars a year? And paraeducators, an additional $582 a year? You could save that money by 'not' opting into the Ketchikan Educational Association (KEA). For those of you who appreciated the Trump Tax Cuts, here’s a way to put some more money in your paycheck. - More...
Tuesday AM - September 03, 2019
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Enthusiastic for Tourism By Chelsea Goucher - The primary mission of the Ketchikan Chamber is to advocate for a healthy business climate, sustainable economic growth, and a rich quality of life in Ketchikan. In accordance with this mission, the Chamber's Board has determined that now is the time to make crystal clear our enthusiasm for tourism. We applaud the Ward Cove Group's efforts to support this industry through the construction of new cruise ship berths north of town, and we are encouraged that this is being done through private sector investment in our community. In equal measure, we stand behind the efforts of our municipal governments to improve public infrastructure and ensure that locals and tourists alike experience Ketchikan at its very best. - More...
Tuesday PM - August 27, 2019
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Who is OURPORT? By Janalee L Minnich Gage - While I have been on the Ketchikan city council since 2015, in this statement I speak for myself as a member of this community. I do not speak for other members of the council or the council as a whole.
Community Members are very busy, and expect their elected officials to do the job of planning and administering the City. I believe everyone on this council truly has the community’s best interest at the heart of their decisions. However; there are people and groups that would like to skew the facts, so that we don’t see the truth, or that what they get is more beneficial to their pocketbook not the community as a whole. - More...
Tuesday PM - August 27, 2019
Defend Alaska Against Foreign Corporate Interests By Dr. Al Gross - The proposed Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay is the epicenter of crony capitalism, and the poster child for what’s wrong with politics. - More...
Tuesday PM - August 27, 2019
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Funding Our School Budget to the Cap By Sidney Hartley - John Dewey once said, “Education is not preparation for life; it is life itself.” When we look at our Ketchikan School District, we need to be asking ourselves if we are breathing enough life into the future of our children. Last year, by no easy task, Ketchikan Education Association (KEA) successfully reached a negotiated agreement with the school board to provide Ketchikan educators with competitive pay and affordable health insurance. KEA’s effort to negotiate an agreement spanned three years, and required robust, committed meetings with an all too dismissive school board president and certain other board members. Amidst the advocacy and protest for the board to hear the concerns of our educators last summer, (then) school board president Shaw resigned in response to facing the recall petition I spearheaded, along with incredible support of eight other co-sponsors: Matt Hamilton, Austin Otos, Kevin Staples, Lindsey Johnson, Jackie Yates, Penny Johnson, Cassidy Patton, and Christine Furey. - More...
Tuesday AM - August 27, 2019
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Vote Sid Hartley for Ketchikan Borough Mayor By Lance Twitchell - I am writing to endorse Sid Hartley for Ketchikan Borough Mayor. I trust her leadership completely, and feel she is by far the greatest candidate for the Ketchikan Gateway Borough. She brings with her great patience, genuine interest to listen to people, an ability to find the middle ground between groups with differing interests, and a mindset that is inclusive and holistic. In this era of American politics, where issues are decided by the intentions of large special interest groups and political alliances, Alaska is in need of leadership that will take a close look at the issues before making a decision. Ms. Hartley is exactly the candidate that our state needs, and will bring good things to Ketchikan, especially in terms of sustainable tourism decisions, embracing language revitalization at a community level, protecting the stability and safety of schools, and making stronger moves to ensure environmental protection without harming the economy. - More...
Tuesday AM - August 27, 2019
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