Southeast Alaska: Ferries LeConte, Fairweather Return to Service Following Overhauls - The Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) ferries LeConte and Fairweather are set to return to service following regularly scheduled overhauls.

The Fairweather, a 235-foot catamaran type vessel, is slated to return to the fleet beginning Oct. 29, when the ship will sail roundtrip between Juneau and Haines, while the LeConte will begin sailing again Nov. 1.

Dry dock inspections were conducted on the fast vehicle ferry while the ship remained in Ketchikan. It also underwent inspections and repairs to its bow thrusters and jets. Several upgrades were also completed to the ship's navigational and safety equipment.

Crews finalized a $790,000 overhaul to the LeConte. Those upgrades included dry-docking for regulatory compliance inspections, various improvements in the ship's navigational and safety equipment, life saving gear and general machinery.

During the ships' absences, substitute service was provided by two Allen Marine vessels, the St. Aquilina and the Glacier.

Sailings aboard the Glacier and St. Aquilina have been added for Oct. 29 and 30 to cover the last weekend prior to LeConte's return. - More...
Thursday - October 29, 2009

Alaska: Legislation That Restores ATG Retirement Benefits and Ensures Fair Retirement Benefits for Federal Workers in Alaska Signed into Law - Despite opposition from the Obama administration to restoring retirement benefits for Alaska Territorial Guard (ATG) members, President Obama on Wednesday signed into law a wide-ranging defense bill that resumes payment of the retirement benefits, announced U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.

The 2010 Fiscal Year Defense Authorization bill that Obama signed also will ensure pay and retirement equity for federal employees in Alaska, Hawaii and the U.S. territories.

"I have worked hard all year to get the ATG retirement benefits restored, despite strong objections by the Obama administration, and I was pleased to see the President, in the end, sign this bill that recognizes these brave men's service during World War II," Murkowski said.

"With the passage of time, people forget that Alaska was invaded by Japanese forces while elements of the regular military were engaged elsewhere. The Alaska Territorial Guard was our primary defense against further incursions into our Great Land. The members of the Alaska Territorial Guard agreed to put their lives on the line to defend Alaska. Their sacrifice and commitment to the defense of America was no less significant than that of our active duty forces. It is appropriate that our Nation honor their service by restoring their retirement benefits."

Restoration of the ATG retirement benefits brings to a successful conclusion an effort by Murkowski and Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, to restore the benefits to some two dozen ATG members who defended Alaska during World War II. - More...
Thursday - October 29, 2009

Alaska: Alaska's young fishermen to gather to become savvy businessmen, chart industry future - Eric Lian was 12 years old when he began commercial salmon fishing on his dad's purse seiner in Prince William Sound, Alaska. His dad, Phil, now a veteran of 50 fishing seasons on the sound, urged him not to take up fishing as a livelihood. Working at sea is dangerous, and unpredictable salmon prices make it a boom and bust industry, he said. Those warnings grew especially strong in the years after the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill.

"My father started fishing on the sound when he was just a young boy," recounted Lian. "He went through the good times and the bad times; he saw it all. Then the spill happened, and what Exxon did to fishermen really took the wind out of his sails. He was really pessimistic about me getting into fishing after that."

So Lian went to college, and in 2007 he graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in political science from Washington State University. He also learned to weld at Bellingham Technical College, a skill he knew would come in handy back home in Cordova.

After school, he did a number of jobs around the sound. But none lasted. Salmon fishing also was in the midst of one of its bust cycles; prices were way down and the runs were weak. But it also was a great time to buy into the fishery, as permit prices were the lowest in decades. So he bought himself a boat and a limited-entry salmon gillnet permit for Prince William Sound and Copper River Delta.

Lian knew how to catch fish, thanks to a childhood spent on his dad's seiner, but there were aspects of the industry he realized he needed to know more about if he was to be successful in the long term.

"There's a lot to know about running a business, there are more regulations on running and operating a boat now," said Lian. "Just getting into the fisheries, buying a boat and a permit, is really expensive. And then there are the fisheries regulations, the management, and the politics. It's just so much more than netting fish and selling them to the processor."

The Cordova District Fishermen United (CDFU), the local fisherman's association, recognized Lian as an up and coming leader in the industry. In 2007, CDFU sponsored Lian's participation in the Alaska Young Fishermen's Summit. Organized by the Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program, the two-day summit brings young fishermen together with leading experts in business management and finance, marketing and fisheries management. - More...
Thursday - October 29, 2009

Ketchikan: Change Your Clocks, Check Your Smoke Alarms!! - Alaska State Fire Marshal David Tyler along with the Ketchikan Fire Department and North Tongass Volunteer Fire Department are reminding Alaskans to check the batteries in their smoke alarms when they change their clock from Daylight Savings Time this Sunday.

Many homes have smoke alarms with 9-volt batteries that should be replaced at least twice annually. Daylight Savings Time serves as a reminder to check your smoke alarms and change the batteries. Long-life lithium batteries have a life span of up to 10 years, so you may not need to replace this type of battery as often.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) suggests that 90% of American homes are equipped with smoke alarms but more than 50% of them are not in proper working condition. "The key is to take a few minutes to check, test and clean your smoke alarm to make sure it is functioning properly, and what better time to do this than when you change your clock from Daylight Savings Time", Tyler said. - More...
Thursday - October 29, 2009

Health - Safety: CPSC Warns: Don't Be Haunted by Burn and Laceration Hazards this Halloween - Soon the ghouls and goblins of Halloween night will prowl neighborhood streets in search of treats. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) wants to ensure that candle flames from jack-o-lanterns, decorative obstacles on the porch or lawn, and sharp edges on costumes and accessories don't keep kids from enjoying this annual tradition of trick-or-treating.

Incidents involving burns from flammable costumes and lacerations related to pumpkin carving lead the list of Halloween-related injuries.

"Using inherently flame-resistant fabrics in home-made costumes and using battery-operated candles when decorating the house for Halloween can help keep children safe," said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. - More...
Thursday - October 29, 2009

DALE MCFEATTERS: Time to cash out on Daylight Saving Time - You did remember that you are to fall back this weekend, didn't you?

Daylight Saving Time ends this weekend, at 2 a.m. Sunday morning. You need not get up for it. Setting the clocks back one hour can be done the night before or the morning after. Your call entirely.

It is hard to believe, especially as how quietly this weekend has sneaked up on us, that Daylight Saving Time was once an enormously controversial concept. Benjamin Franklin thought it up in 1784 but it took another 132 years and a world war before anyone tried it. - More...
Thursday - October 29, 2009

Public Meetings & Info Ketchikan Borough Assembly Agenda and Information Packets Ketchikan City Council Agenda & Information Packets Ketchikan School Board Agenda & Information Packets Gravina Access Project SEIS Alternatives Development Gravina Access Website Ketchikan Ship Calendar 2009 pdf Jobs Ketchikan Police Reports AK Troopers Daily Dispatch Today's Forecast Satellite Today's Weather Images Marine Forecasts Ketchikan Weather Data Current AK Weather Map CLASSIFIEDS Publish Publish Your Ad Click Here CLASSIFIEDS' CATEGORIES Announcements and       Help Wanted For Sale / Free Stuff Garage Sales Homes / Apts/ Property Pets Wanted Lost & Found Publish Your Ad Commercial Ads Front Page Archives Sept. - Oct. 2009 S M T W T F S   31 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29     More Front Page Archives

Congressional leadership By Shelley Stallings - Regarding Senator Murkowski's op-ed, if Congress would take a leadership role in solving climate change issues, the EPA would not have to step in and do your job for you. Congress, both Democrats & Republicans have "dragged their feet" for years in implementing the legislative changes we need to protect us from the affects of changes in the atmosphere brought on by rapidly increasing carbon emissions due to population increases and industrial expansion. For you to attempt to put the blame on the EPA is disingenuous at best. - More...
Tuesday - October 27, 2009

In response to "Tolerance of Others" By Roxanne Abajian - Good Grief... Are you kidding me? - More...
Tuesday - October 27, 2009

Ward Cove Park for Innovative Economic and Environmental Renewal (PIEER) By Alethea Johnson , Larry Jackson, Katie Jo Parrott, Wayne Weihing & Joanna Desanto - Twelve years after the closure of the Pulp Mill, Ketchikan is still grappling with how to handle Ward Cove. The Borough Assembly is poised to dispose of Ward Cove as quickly as possible and we understand their urgency. After all, we have been "sitting" on the property for a long time and it costs the Borough money every day to maintain it. One of the options under consideration is auctioning it off in pieces without any overall plan. But Ward Cove's greatest potential will not be realized by a scattershot approach to development. Rather, what would most benefit this community is a creative and comprehensive plan for the long term use of Ward Cove that encourages stewardship of the property. - More...
Friday - October 23, 2009

Fire Safety Education By Liz Hook - I would like to send a thank you out to all the firefighters who donated their time to help run the Fire Safety Trailer this last month. I think it is wonderful that our local firefighters consider it to be their duty to teach fire safety education to all members of our community; not just the members who happen to live in their service area. - More...
Friday - October 23, 2009

Cut Exports of Rare Earth Minerals By Sen. Lisa Murkowski - Clean energy technologies face a range of obstacles. The credit crunch has slowed capital investment, disputes have arisen over which lands are suitable for infrastructure, and the electric grid has sometimes proved incapable of handling new generation. Over the long run, however, our most difficult challenge may be our most fundamental: ensuring a stable supply of the raw materials needed to manufacture clean energy technologies in the first place. - More...
Friday - October 23, 2009

Tolerance of others. By Charles Schilli - Mr Schenk, I have difficulty in finding anything hateful in Mr Johnson's post. What he is saying is, in fact, in line with many things I have run into as a live aboard. - More...
Friday - October 23, 2009

Simple Minded Labels By Charlotte Tanner - Thank you James Schenk. - More...
Friday - October 23, 2009

Haloacetic Acid By Peggy Ayers - In response to Kirk Amundson's letter regarding haloacetic acid; this link is very interesting and may provide some answers for him. -More...
Friday - October 23, 2009

Open Letter: KPU By David G. Hanger - Upon further reflection I have concluded that our telephone conversation of last Thursday afternoon is so fascinating the whole town ought be in on it. Let us begin by pointing out that I called about the fact that you lied to GCI when they contacted you to transfer my account by claiming my ancillary phone numbers had been reassigned, when in fact you knew they had not been re-assigned; merely the beginning of the grotesque retaliatory tactics your company has engaged in. My call, after the concerned intervention of our mayor, was to reverse your previous nonsense of lying to GCI about my phone numbers, and to arrange for said numbers to be transferred to GCI. - More...
Tuesday - October 20, 2009

Congress, not the EPA, Should Lead Climate Battle By U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski - Congress is currently engaged in one of the most complex policy debates of our time -- how best to mitigate climate change without harming the economy. - More...
Tuesday - October 20, 2009

Drinking Water By Vanessa McElory Alderson - In response to Kirk Amundson's "Drinking Water" request, per a report on the U.S. Department of the Interior's website (they manage water in the western states), Haloacetic Acids may cause an increase in cancer. - More...
Tuesday - October 20, 2009

Simple minded Labels By James Schenk - I oppose the kind of hate you have so deliberately set out like most of your conservative ilk who have no manners and indeed, go out of your way to insult people with racial and mean attacks, as you have published here. - More...
Tuesday - October 20, 2009

Conservative vs. Liberal By A.M. Johnson - Often there is debate on what differentiates a Conservative from a Liberal persona. the need has become paramount with the current political scene being played out by our current President and his Congress. - More...
Monday - October 19, 2009

Fighting at bus stops By Kara (McElroy) Steele - My question to Karen Brown is WHY didn't you call 911 immediately seeing this all unfold??? That's where it apparently needs to start, then on to the parents about their children's behavior at the bus stop. Unfortunately this has been going on for sometime if they think they can do that openly around others. Next time call the police, and make sure they pursue on to the parents to start reeling in their kids. - More...
Monday - October 19, 2009

Disenrollment By Alice and Gene Sloan - If a family must move from their tribal area to find work, why must they be removed from the rolls? If a spouse chooses to live near their partner's family in a different community as many do, why should they be disenrolled/disenfranchised? In this vast world that is becoming smaller everyday with communicaton and travel, why must this type of action be taken? - More...
Monday - October 19, 2009

KIC Election October 19th: No to Proposition 2 By Axel & Kathleen Svenson - Get out and vote at the KIC Special election at the Mall Monday, 8 - 8! This election is crucial for all tribal members. The silence surrounding the election, and particularly the silence on Proposition 2, should speak volumes to you. This silence is a big red flag waving to all concerned. - More...
Saturday - October 17, 2009

WARD COVE FOCUS GROUP By Rob Holston - A group of local interested citizens met for nearly 2 hours on Oct. 13, 2009 at the offices of R&M Engineering to discuss Ward Cove. Trevor Sande provided maps of the pulp mill side of the cove with subdivision and roadway boundaries indicated. The subdivision plan had been previously prepared for a past owner of Ward Cove. - More...
Saturday - October 17, 2009

Thank you all for a Successful Car Show By Laurel Bray - The Ketchikan Kruzers Car Club would like to extend a huge thank you to the Ketchikan Plaza for allowing us, along with the Ketchikan Harley Riders Association to have a car/bike show inside the Plaza on October 10th and 11th. To Judy and Dave Zenge and your Plaza staff, we can't thank you enough for helping us make this a successful show. Who would have thought 20 cars could fit inside the Plaza. We asked the public to vote for their favorite cars, by Saturday night we had a 3 way tie for all 3 places. We continued the voting on Sunday and the winners were: - More...
Saturday - October 17, 2009

Kids at bus stops By Karen Brown - Every morning I take my foster grandson to the bus stop. We sit and wait until the bus leaves for Fawn Mountain. In the last few mornings we have watched children from the Houghtling Bus Stop. We have watched them fighting with each other. One morning, one little boy was being sat on while others were "tickling" him, rocks are thrown at kids and at other people's property. There are a lot of children here and some are rather small and can't fight back. My daughter went over and rescued the little boy who was being sat on, the day before or sometime last week she spoke to them about throwing rocks at each other and property. - More...
Saturday - October 17, 2009

Drinking water By Kirk Amundson - This is to ask a few questions -- what cancers does haloacetic acids cause??? How many years does this take to cause cancer??? Why are we spending 4.2 million if we don't know if this is going to fix the problem??? - More...
Saturday - October 17, 2009

Focus on the positive By Ivy Rose - I have tried really hard not to write any opinions on Sitnews and to say what is on my mind, but after reading so many of the letters written -- and granted the letters are just opinions -- it made me think. What if when we get put into situations that we don't like or agree with, we look at the situation as a whole? - More...
Saturday - October 17, 2009

Afghanistan Debacle On The Horizon? By Donald A. Moskowitz - President Obama is trying to decide our military strategy in Afghanistan. He is mulling over input from his civilian and military advisers, and members of Congress, but he cannot make a timely decision because of his lack of military and national security experience. His community organizing background is not very helpful in this situation. - More...
Saturday - October 17, 2009

RE: LAWYERS AND MEANINGFUL HEALTH CARE REFORM By Chris Elliott - Great letter! Between tort reform and making insurance companies compete across state lines, we'd have a winner! - More...
Saturday - October 17, 2009

LAWYERS AND MEANINGFUL HEALTH CARE REFORM By Andy Rauwolf - Thirty years ago my family doctor explained to me that one of the biggest reasons he had to charge so much for his services was because of the high cost of his malpractice insurance. Since that time this problem has only gotten worse. - More...
Tuesday - October 13, 2009

Noise Complaint? By Terri Wenger - Well today was a rough one and it's not over yet. We have had a car alarm going off for over 4 hours, and still going. There has been more than one complaint to the police department. A car alarm is loud and very irritating. Migraine Headache Style. But our police department can't do anything about it, why? I have a scanner and believe me the petty tattle telling that goes on and our police have to respond to is terrible in this town. This isn't petty, why can't you file a noise complaint on car alarms? Why do people use car alarms in this small town? - More...
Tuesday - October 13, 2009

Ridiculous policies By Holly Finley - Oh Lordy don't get me started on how ridiculous KIC's policies are, perhaps they should take some notes from the Native hospital in Anchorage where I've had the pleasure of being taken care of completely by the doctors and staff. - More...
Tuesday - October 13, 2009

High Costs & Judgmental Medicine By Charles Moon - I am so sad that Mr. Parks feels the way he does about his medical care. The fact that he is alive and able to write his opinions means the system worked for him. I am sure Mr. Parks has a family and friends that love him. There is no price that can be put on a human life. I could have been his nurse at KGH or on the ambulance that saved his life. - More...
Tuesday - October 13, 2009

Littering By Dustin Hofeling - To the person(s) who sees fit to throw their McDonald's wrappers out their window on Ketchikan Lakes Road every single day - shame on you! How can you be so disrespectful of other people's property, the land, and our city? - More...
Tuesday - October 13, 2009

Customer Service By Holly Finley - Poor and negligent customer service is on the rise. I understand we all have our days and your energy affects those around you, having said that, I'm not getting paid to shop at your store, however you are getting paid to provide a service. That is your purpose. If you are going to do a job, do it well. A smile and good manners goes a LONG way. - More...
Tuesday - October 13, 2009

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