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 "Unofficial"
actions do NOT represent Ketchikan By Andy Rauwolf - I am
writing you in regard to recent "unofficial" actions
of a political nature taken by Mayor Weinstein and my concern
for the potential consequences that our community may be faced
with. - More...
Wednesday - October 15, 2008
What
price mediocrity? By Agnes Moran - In the Ketchikan Gateway
Borough School District the price is $1,229,476.00. That is the
amount the district has appropriated for the Tongass School of
Arts and Sciences for this school year. $1.2 million buys a school
that is failing our students so badly that it is in danger of
Federal Intervention because of failure to make Adequate Yearly
Progress in some areas. The costs don't end with the annual appropriation
because once the students escape Tongass School; additional funds
have to be spent to bring a significant percentage of the Tongass
students up to the level of their peers. Tongass School is the
only failing elementary school in the school district. - More...
Wednesday - October 15, 2008
Eyes
and Ears on the Executive and Legislative Branch, but what about
the Judicial Branch? By Courtney Larsen - Much attention
has been given regarding several positions within our U.S. executive
branch, and our U.S. and Alaska State legislative branch; but
little if any has addressed our Alaska State judicial branch,
despite that many of judges-both at the Alaska Supreme, Superior,
and District Court levels-are up for possible reinstatement (or
possible retention) this November. Much has been highlighted
about possible corruption and deception in these other two former
branches, but the possibility of the equivalent has not been
readily highlighted in the latter. - More...
Wednesday - October 15, 2008
Gas
Prices, Gouging? By John Flood - In response to the price
gouging comments, there is a simple complaint form specifically
for the price gouging of gasoline on the Department of Energy's
website, it only takes a minute to fill out. - More...
Wednesday - October 15, 2008
RE:
Meandering By Jose Garcia - This is in response to SitNews
Viewpoints "Meandering..." by Donita O'Dell and "What
is Crab Mentality?" by Heizelle Jones, respectively: - More...
Wednesday - October 15, 2008
City
taxes and you By Rodney Dial - Have you ever wondered how
much City tax you pay on a gallon of heating fuel? As of today
(10/13) a local fuel vendor is selling #2 heating oil for $3.79
per gallon. With City tax included, the cost you pay is $4.02
per gallon (23 cents tax). As the cost per gallon increases,
so does the tax. - More...
Monday PM - October 13, 2008
WIDER
SIDEWALKS! By Dave Kiffer - Michael Spence raised a very
interesting point on the SITNEWS candidates forum right before
the election and I didn't have a chance to answer it, but I would
like to do so now. - More...
Monday PM - October 13, 2008
Part
of the problem By Daphne Schnur - A few years back I called
Animal Control about dogs tearing up my yard. I was told if I
caught the dogs and secured them that someone from animal control
would pick them up during normal business hours. I assured the
person on the phone that if they just drove by my house at any
given time they could fill up their vehicle all day long with
unlicensed dogs at the very least. - More...
Monday PM - October 13, 2008
Gas
and Diesel Gouging By Jeff Hendrickson - I, too, have been
wondering why our fuel prices are not dropping as the rest of
the country has been? I was talking with my mom and dad a couple
days ago and they said the price of unleaded gas is now under
$ 3.30 per gallon and the price of diesel is under $3.50 per
gallon in Hoodsport, Wa. and both are dropping steadily. Why
is it that ours isn't dropping? - More...
Monday - October 13, 2008
Price
of fuel in Nowhere AK By Jon Van Essen - Well I guess the
fuel distributors here in town need to make up for their losses
in the stock market the past few weeks, I see the price is on
the rise today (1 penny) while our fellow citizens in the lower
48 are enjoying the large drop in the price for a barrel of oil.
If you go to Gasbuddy.com you will see what I'm talking about.
Here are a few examples of how we compare around the nation when
it comes to the price for a gallon of gas. - More...
Monday PM - October 13, 2008
Price
gouging?? By Larry Kwasney - Help! Help! Help! Please report
this to the state troopers. I went to the gas station to fill
up my truck and I was raped at the gas pump. I know there are
laws against price gouging, but why aren't they in effect here
in Ketchikan? - More...
Monday PM - October 13, 2008
AG's
'spinning' is just embarrassing By Sen. Kim Elton - Sometimes
the practice of law must be like wearing a hospital gown--pirouettes
can expose your bum. - More...
Monday PM - October 13, 2008
RE:
Teenage Drivers By Sarah Corporon - While it may be true
that SOME teen aged drivers are irresponsible, I find it unfair
to lump ALL teen aged drivers into the "irresponsible category".
- More...
Monday PM - October 13, 2008
Gas
Prices By Vanessa Nowland - I heard on the radio that fuel
at a 7/11 in Oklahoma City is $2.57 per gallon - almost $2.00
less per gallon than in Ketchikan! - More...
Monday PM - October 13, 2008
Gouged
in Alaska By Karen Ramsey - I've been thinking that if I
owned a gas station in Ketchikan I would break free from the
pack of price-fixers in our town (and no one can convince me
that there isn't price-fixing going on, however illegal it may
be) and drop my prices by oh, maybe 25 cents a gallon just to
start. If we had one brave gasoline dealer charging us $4.10
for a gallon of unleaded instead of the $4.34 - $4.37 still being
charged by the seven or so stations we have in our little captive
island market, what do you think the result would be? Drivers
would flock to the station charging the least. - More...
Thursday PM - October 09, 2008
Oil
Prices: Gouging at Alaska Pumps By Lisa Hydock - I would
like to know what is being done about the price gouging at the
gas pumps in Alaska. The price of oil per barrel on the market
closed at about $88 in the last few days. The all-time high was
$147 per barrel earlier this year, when our price per gallon
went up to $4.65. The price has come down to $4.35 per gallon,
very slowly, and over a couple of months time.(8cents thanks
to Gov. Palin) Friends and relatives in the lower 48 are reporting
prices as low as $3.05 per gallon. My question is WHY is Alaska
so much higher? Before the severe spike in cost, we were paying
around $3 per gallon. So, across the nation, gas at the pump
is significantly less than Alaska prices. I've lived in Alaska
for more than twenty years and have never experienced this much
greed. - More...
Thursday PM - October 09, 2008
Vote
Begich for U.S. Senate By Charlotte L. Glover - Some years
ago I was privileged to hear Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich speak
to the Alaska Library Association. At the time, I was struck
by his easy manner, his thoughtful comments on the political
issues of the time and his sincere interest in educational issues
that matter most to me. I've followed his career in the years
since, and met him recently in Ketchikan, and am pleased to give
him my vote for U.S. Senate. - More...
Thursday PM - October 09, 2008
Kudos
to Parrot By Jack Slaght - I whole heartedly agree with Katie
Parrot's assessment of where we currently stand with respect
to our region's economic, political, environmental, and individual
state of affairs. She correctly identifies our collective reality
as being one where we live in wooden houses, burn fossil fuels,
we can look around us and see plenty of healthy forest (including
younger stands of timber). I would add that in spite of all the
radical environmentalist doom & gloom that has been thrown
out for the "public" to digest for a couple of decades,
we still retain good fish & wildlife habitat throughout Southeast
Alaska. - More...
Thursday PM - October 09, 2008
Pets,
Children, Speeders on NPH By Suzan Thompson - The writers
of recent letters addressing the pet, child, traffic problems
on North Point Higgins all make excellent points. Ms. Bailey
and Ms. O'Bryan are absolutely correct that there are far too
many dogs allowed to run at large on this busy road. Ms. Shull
is also correct when she says that speeding drivers are a big
problem and I agree with her suggestion that if residents consistently
call to report speeders when they see them, there may be some
stepped-up enforcement. The State Troopers have always been willing
to respond quickly to reports of reckless driving whenever I
have had to call them. As far as I'm concerned, they can park
in my driveway all day long and write tickets until they run
out of ink. If it checks the tendency of drivers to drive 42
in a 25 mph zone because they're never sure if there's a Trooper
up ahead, that's great. - More...
Thursday PM - October 09, 2008
Speeding
Drivers By Jonna Cragun - While we are on the subject of
speeding drivers I would like to mention what I observed this
morning. I live on Roosevelt, south of town and this morning
I was disgusted to observe a newer model, tan/champagne, Chevy
SUV (Tahoe?) driving in front of my house at what must have been
at least 40 miles per hour. This is a rough patch of road and
obviously he was late for work or some other gambit of life that
was important enough to risk the life of our local children.
I don't care what his problem was I do however have a serious
distaste for his arrogance. - More...
Thursday PM - October 09, 2008
Nowheresville
By Virginia E. Atkinson - The past few years Alaska has been
famous for "The Bridge to Nowhere or A road to Nowhere".
Can tell it's almost election when certain topics resurface.
Why is it that paople make noise about the same issues before
election? Like it's going to do any good. So the bridge didn't
go through, big deal, not everyone wants "change" but
will only talk about it for a few more decades. Maybe the next
generation will actually do something about it. Sometimes next
year the Waldon Point Road will start its final phase and be
paved, to nowhere. The Waldon Point Road project is funded by
the military. While on the subject of nowhere how about a faster
ferry boat to "nowhere" Uncle Sam or Aunty Sarah? Can
you spare a few million dollars for it? - More...
Thursday PM - October 09, 2008
Boarded
Windows- What's up Downtown Steering Committee??? By Bobbie
McCreary - As most of you are aware, for the past 5 years Ketchikan
Youth Intitiatives has coordinated an effort to develop a themed
approach to painting the boarded windows of Diamonds International,
usually in collaboration with students from Revilla High School
and then completed with a community wide event to complete the
art project to brighten up our downtown in the Winter. We have
received many compliments on this effort (some years more artistic
than others!) Three years ago this project expanded to a series
of murals installed on the boarded windows of the Bernard Passman
building, created by Revilla students under the direction of
local artist and muralist, Mary Henrikson. - More...
Thursday PM - October 09, 2008
Thank
you By Charles Edwardson - First I would like to thank everyone
who voted either for me or the candidate of your choice, I lost
by eight votes, that is what I was told when I contacted the
city clerk. I had to inquire about the procedure and was given
a brief overview of the process after specific inquiries, my
specific questions were addressed. Nothing was volunteered so
for those of you who wish to run in the future you have to look
for information yourselves. - More...
Thursday PM - October 09, 2008
Higgins
Beach Purchase By Chris Barry - So all you silly people voted
yes to buy a beach. Why? It can't be because we have no other
beaches. I mean, c'mon, we only live on an island. How many beaches
do we need? - More...
Thursday PM - October 09, 2008
RE:
Obama/Biden By Kris Hansen - I admire Katie Parrott's opinion,
the democrats are behind many of the blunders that have happened
upon Alaska. Ketchikan had a Pulp Mill somewhere around mile
4 of North Tongass. Roy Nathan may not remember that. Nathan,
it is the ghost town of derelict buildings at Wards Cove. It
it is where Ketchikan, post canneries, developed a year round
economy (the tourist and fisheries only sustain k-town and Sitka
for about 5 months of the year the mill was 12 months). It is
humbling to reflect on the thousands effaced by the sustainability
act (basically no logging act) that a Democrat decided upon many
years ago. I know that my brother in law and many others had
to go back and spend federal dollars to attend college to earn
a living again (another portion of the huge deficit we have because
of the political armies we have put into D.C.). - More...
Thursday PM - October 09, 2008
Property
Taxes By Laurie Price - Oh what a wonderful borough we live
in! A place where your house can burn to the ground and you can
loose everything and still get the joy of paying taxes on a home
that is no longer standing or unable to be inhabited. - More...
Thursday PM - October 09, 2008
Dog
problem ciy wide By Stacey Hallmark-Morales - I agree with
the other letter writers about the dog problem at South Point
Higgins. I do not want to run over someone's dog if they are
running loose and have encountered problems in the past over
this. The thing is - I believe this is a city wide problem that
is just that - a problem. - More...
Thursday PM - October 09, 2008
Investigative
reporting? By Thomas Thrush - What exactly does looking good
and helping neighbors have to do with investigative reporting
Mr. Bolling? If the politicians and the media (investigative
reporters)would spend more time asking about policies and what's
good for the country instead of manufacturing and dragging someone
name through mud, we might be better informed to vote. - More...
Thursday PM - October 09, 2008
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