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Wednesday
October 10, 2012
Settlers Cove: Aurora Borealis
Photograph taken Monday evening...
Front Page Photograph by JUSTIN BENNER ©2012
(Please respect the rights of photographers, never republish or copy
without permission and/or payment of required fees.)
Ketchikan: Rotary Clubs Present 1st Vocational Service Awards - The Rotary Clubs of Ketchikan, First City Rotary and Rotary 2000, teamed up with the Ketchikan Chamber of Commerce, and Senator Mark Begich’s office to host the first ever, community-wide, Rotary Vocational Month Awards.
Sweet Mermaids received the “Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award”
Shirley Solaas & Debi Hanas, Owners
Photo by Rosie Roppel
In previous years, First City Rotary has awarded a “Courtesy Clerk” award every December that included a certificate and $100 to a local employee in the customer service area of focus. However, on 2011, many of the nominations received were for those who owned small businesses that were new to the Ketchikan area. After a joint meeting between Rotary 2000 President, Wendy Olson, and First City Rotary President, Michelle O’Brien, the two clubs agreed that it would be a great avenue to expand Rotary awareness with a special ceremony in October, which is Vocational Month.
The two clubs coordinated to create two awards: “Excellence in Customer Service Award” and the “Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award”. The Ketchikan Chamber of Commerce approached the clubs to help host the event, and the staff of Senator Mark Begich (AK-D) agreed to also contribute to this important award.
On October 5th, a large audience of approximately 150 Rotarians and community members convened as Senator Begich gave the keynote address and the two clubs awarded Jose Crespo, of the New York Hotel, the “Excellence in Customer Service Award”, and Sweet Mermaids, a new local bakery and coffee shop, the “Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award”. - More...
Wednesday PM - October 10, 2012
Ketchikan: Police Seize Heroin, Two Arrested - Officers of the Ketchikan Police Department continue to put those interested in drug distribution on notice that they aren't welcome in Ketchikan.
Sunday, Ketchikan police executed search warrants on Kelli M. Lecornu, 19 years of age, and Curtis J. Demmert, 27 years of age, as they exited the M/V Columbia after arriving in Ketchikan.
The search by the officers revealed Lecornu and Demmert to be in the possession of 69 grams (approximately 2.5 ounces) of Heroin, valued at about $84,000, and with approximately $3,000.00 in cash. - More...
Wednesday PM - October 10, 2012
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Alaska: Superior Court Upholds Parental Notification Law - The Anchorage Superior Court Monday issued a decision upholding the Parental Notification Law, ruling that with minor modifications, the law satisfies the Alaska Constitution.
The law, enacted by voter initiative in August 2010, requires that the parent of any minor seeking an abortion be notified at least 48 hours before the abortion is performed, except in cases of medical emergency, abuse, or when a minor obtains court permission to have an abortion without parental notice.
The legal challenge to the Parental Notification Law was filed by Planned Parenthood of the Great North West (PPGNW), which claimed that the law violated their minor patients’ right to privacy, equal protection and due process, and that it was too vague for physicians to follow. PPGNW sought to enjoin the law in its entirety. In December 2010, the Superior Court enjoined some portions of the law, including civil and criminal penalties for non-compliance, but allowed the majority of the law to go into effect. - More...
Wednesday PM - October 10, 2012
Alaska: Alaskans Turn In 1,838 Pounds During Recent National Prescription Take-Back Day - Alaskans statewide turned in 1,838 pounds of prescription medication during the fifth Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back event on Sept. 29.
Until a safe disposal process for prescription medications is established nationwide, the DEA will continue to partner with agencies, like the Alaska State Troopers, to hold Take Back Days every six months.
In all, there were 35 Take Back locations in 24 communities around Alaska that participated in the event in September: Anchorage, Aniak, Bethel, Craig, Dillingham, Eagle River, Fairbanks, Emmonak, Fort Greely, Glennallen, Juneau, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Kotzebue, McGrath, Nome, North Pole, Palmer, St. Mary's, Seward, Sitka, Soldotna, Talkeetna and Wasilla. - More...
Wednesday PM - October 10, 2012
Alaska: Arctic summer wind shift could affect sea ice loss and U.S. & European weather - Changes in summer Arctic wind patterns contribute not only to an unprecedented loss of Arctic sea ice, but could also bring about shifts in North American and European weather, according to a new NOAA-led study published today in Geophysical Research Letters.
A research team led by James Overland, Ph.D., of NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle, Wash., examined the wind patterns in the subarctic in the early summer between 2007 and 2012 as compared to the average for 1981 to 2010. They discovered that the previously normal west-to-east flowing upper-level winds have been replaced by a more north-south undulating, or wave-like pattern. This new wind pattern transports warmer air into the Arctic and pushes Arctic air farther south, and may influence the likelihood of persistent weather conditions in the mid-latitudes.
“Our research reveals a change in the summer Arctic wind pattern over the past six years. This shift demonstrates a physical connection between reduced Arctic sea ice in the summer, loss of Greenland ice, and potentially, weather in North American and Europe,” said Overland, an oceanographer who leads the laboratory’s Coastal and Arctic Research Division. - More...
Wednesday PM - October 10, 2012 |
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Columns - Commentary
 MONEY MATTERS: BABY BOOMERS WAKE-UP CALL By Mary Lynne Dahl, CFP® - Most baby boomers can recall the 70’s, when things were groovy and the world was full of good vibrations. It was a cool time and retirement seemed so far away that nobody worried about it much. But guess what…..that day has started to arrive for a thunderous army of those folks who were cool during the 70s and 80s, who are turning 65 between now and the year 2025. US Census records indicate that almost 76 million births were registered between 1946 and 1964. Estimates are that even with normal mortality rates, a boomer will reach age 65 every 8 seconds from now until the year 2029.
For an awful lot of those boomers, the research out there is downright depressing, because studies consistently show that 60% of workers 55 or older have less than $100,000 accumulated for retirement and 31% of those same workers have accumulated less than $10,000! At the same time, pensions are almost a thing of the past and Social Security may have to undergo some significant changes if it is to survive for the generation to follow the boomers.
Unfortunately, of all workers surveyed, 64% answered that they believe that they are doing a good job of saving for retirement, but only 42% of those same workers have ever done any specific retirement planning. This apparent break from reality is disturbing, and indicates a major gap between understanding what is actually needed to retire and what is being saved/invested for exactly that same purpose. Most workers, if they save at all, are saving at a rate of about 3%, according to most studies. In fact, financial planners recommend savings rates of 10% for the younger set, going up to 20% in middle age, and 30% for anyone who has procrastinated clear into their 60’s.
In addition, further studies show that at least half of retired people report that their spending did not drop during retirement as much as expected, with 50% of retirees surveyed saying that their expenses were either the same or actually went up after retirement. This may be due to uninsured medical bills, or to leisure activities like travel, but regardless of why, it shows a clear disconnect between expectations and reality. - More...
Wednesday PM - October 10, 2012
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Political Cartoons
Big Bird Gets Political
By
Bill Day, Cagle Cartoons
Viewpoints
Commentary
Opinions/Letters
Basic
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Freedom of Speech
Questions, please contact
the editor at editor@sitnews.us or call 617-9696
Sitnews reserves the right to edit.
 The Bait-and-Switch on Alaskan Energy By
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski -
An alliance of environmental activists and Democratic politicians has spent decades blocking the efforts of Alaskans to access the rich energy resources of our state.
When Alaskans wanted to open the 1002 area of ANWR to exploration and production, opponents of progress stymied our efforts with fear-mongering and obstructionism. In so doing, they frequently pointed to the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska in the northwest corner of the state as a preferable location for drilling. This, they argued, would protect the coastal plain of ANWR. - More...
Wednesday PM - October 10, 2012
New Trade Agreement Could Hurt U.S. Companies By
Donald A. Moskowitz -
The Obama administration is currently negotiating another free trade agreement, which will increase the likelihood of awarding federal contracts to foreign companies located on the Pacific Rim. Countries in Southeast Asia will benefit by the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), add jobs, while the U.S. could lose more manufacturing jobs. - More...
Wednesday PM - October 10, 2012
Open Letter: Alaska Airlines & TSA By
Donna Lewis - I flew to Seattle urgently due to a family emergency last Wednesday. The cost of my ticket $508.40. Being in the frame of mind that I was, I had not thought to look in my "wallet" on Alaska Air to discover that there was a 30% discount, and unfortunately since I had already booked the ticket I was not able to use that discount. I booked my flight last night to return today and used the 30% discount with this return flight. This cost was a total of $364.30. All in total, my round trip ended up costing me a total of $872.70 and that was for flying in coach. - More...
Wednesday PM - October 10, 2012
Fair Tax Plan By
Roy T Newsom - The unemployment report at 7.8% with 32 days left before the election gives a false impression. Not counted were those who have stopped looking for a job, unemployment is closer to 14% with over 23,000,000 Americans unemployed or under-employed. - More...
Wednesday PM - October 10, 2012
Fair Tax By
Irving B. Welchons III - Both presidential candidates are making noise about how their tax plan will help you and their opponents will harm you. Neither of them has talked about a plan that has been put before congress that would eliminate the income tax, payroll taxes and the IRS. - More..
Wednesday PM - October 10, 2012
We strengthen ourselves by voting By Ishmael Hope -
In November of 1912, thirteen men and one woman gathered together in Juneau to organize the Alaska Native Brotherhood, which is now celebrating its momentous Centennial in Sitka where its first camp was organized. The Founders included Peter Simpson, Ralph Young, Frank Price, Paul Liberty, Seward Kunz, James Watson, Frank Mercer, Chester Worthington, James C. Johnson, George Fields, Eli Katanook, William Hobson, Andrew Wanamaker and Marie Orsen. The Founding Fathers and Mother of the Alaska Native Brotherhood likely couldn't have imagined in their wildest dreams the great achievements of the Brotherhood and the Sisterhood. They gathered together to protect their people, and they proved to be enormously successful. - More...
Friday PM - October 05, 2012
Matt Olsen for State Rep. By Karen Eakes - As a teacher in the School District, I have known Matt Olsen since he was an elementary school student at Valley Park School. As a parent, I have known Matt as a high school friend of one of our daughters and as a fine musician in the Concert Band. Then, years later I got to know him much better as an adult with a young family and a responsible job at the University. - More...
Friday PM - October 05, 2012
World Teachers' Day: October 5th By
Arne Duncan -
World Teachers’ Day gives us an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of teachers across the globe. Education is recognized worldwide as the most important driver of economic growth and social change, and teachers are the ones leading the way. - More...
Friday PM- October 05, 2012
City of Ketchikan Taxes By
Douglas Thompson - Well the city taxes are coming due once more. It is frustrating to give hard earned money to the city manager to waste. It is more so when one such tax is illegal. I refer to the city boat tax. A tax that the borough has dropped for its residents even though their boats may be in city harbors. Seems highly discriminatory although that is not why I refer to it as illegal. The city wishes us as citizens to follow its enacted statutes but they in turn do not seem to feel obligated to follow the higher laws that govern them (state and federal). - More...
Friday - September 28, 2012
TIME FOR ALASKA TO ALIGN WITH THE ASIAN MARKET By
Bill Walker -
Since the award of the AGIA contract, Alaska has funded Exxon/TransCanada in the amount of $188 million, yet Alaska has not been told the results of the first July 2010 open season. However, Asia’s strong demand for Valdez LNG was confirmed on September 14th when the Alaska Gasline Port Authority submitted nominations, on behalf of Asian buyers, in response to ExxonMobil/ TransCanada's AGIA second solicitation of interest. As discussed below, the Port Authority has made those nominations public in the hope of encouraging open discourse about what steps must be taken immediately to monetize North Slope gas. - More...
Friday - September 28, 2012
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