Announcement Ketchikan School Superintendent Harry Martin has announced the School District will be dismissing school an hour earlier Wednesday due to the weather and road conditions.    Top Stories U.S. News U.S. Politics Alaska Ketchikan

Ketchikan: Weinstein Longest Serving Ketchikan Mayor By DAVE KIFFER - When Bob Weinstein completes his current term as Ketchikan City Mayor in 2009, he will be the longest serving mayor in Ketchikan's history with 12 years in office.

Actually, he's already the longest serving city mayor and only Jack Shay - who has served as both city and borough mayor - has been "mayor" for more years than Weinstein.

Traditionally, Ketchikan city mayors only served one year terms before facing re-election or reappointment from the city or town council. It wasn't until 1961 when Ketchikan City Mayors began to be elected for three year terms.

Mike Martin, one of the founders of Ketchikan, is generally considered Ketchikan's first "mayor" but he never actually held that position. When the first town government was formed in 1900, Martin was the first council president. He was also council president two more times in 1903 and 1904. Documents from the time refer to Martin as the "ex officio" mayor. Ketchikan would wait until 1909, when Jacob Pittenger was the first council president to be officially called "mayor."

Pittenger was also the first "mayor" to win three consecutive terms. Pittenger was followed in 1911 by one of the real "heavyweights" in early local politics. Thomas Torry (see accompanying story) was elected for two terms in 1911-1912 and then won six consecutive elections between 1921-1926. Mike Heneghan was also a constant force in city government, serving four different terms as mayor between 1913 and 1928.

Jack Talbot had a similar run, serving several different mayoral terms - five - between 1936 and 1950.

But, in general, Ketchikan mayors, at least in the early days, tended to serve one or two terms and then either leave office or spend more time on the city council.

The list of Ketchikan city mayors over the years is a "who's who" of familiar local names: Ellis, Gilmore, Ziegler, Hunt, Freeman, Hardcastle, Pinkerton, Beegle, Spaulding, Beck.

There have been two sets of father/sons who have served as Ketchikan city mayors, Forrest and Dale Hunt and Oral and Chuck Freeman.

After statehood, the city mayor terms expanded to three years and Ketchikan also began getting multiple mayors because the new borough government also had a one (although not at the beginning. The first borough "mayor" was Bob Ward, who was officially called the borough chairman).

Prior to Weinstein, the mayor who had the longest consecutive service streak was Borough Mayor Carroll Fader who served three terms - nine years - from 1975 to 1984. Jack Shay is the only person who has served as both Borough Mayor and City Mayor and he - like Weinstein - was also elected to four terms. - More...
Wednesday AM - November 29, 2006

Alaska: ALASKA FISHERMEN TO PAY $254,500 PENALTY FOR FISHERIES VIOLATIONS - NOAA Fisheries Service has assessed a $254,500 civil penalty and permit sanctions against the owner, manager and three captains of the FV Alaska Juris, a catcher/processor fishing boat operating in Alaskan waters.

NOAA Fisheries Service is charging that from October 2001 through March 2004, Alaska Juris Inc. and the Fishing Company of Alaska, through its agents, committed numerous violations, including: tampering with or destroying observer's samples and equipment; failing to provide observers a safe work area; failing to notify observers prior to bringing fish aboard to allow sampling of the catch; failing to provide reasonable assistance to observers; and interfering with or biasing sampling procedure employed by observers. - More...
Wednesday AM - November 29, 2006

Alaska: Marathon Oil Company settles PCB Violations off Alaska Coast - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Tuesday that Marathon Oil Company has agreed to pay nearly $38,000 for alleged PCB violations at its facility at the Spark oil platform off the coast of Alaska.

EPA is citing the company for violating the federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) by failing to properly register and store two PCB transformers for disposal and reuse. EPA alleges that these two PCB transformers have been improperly stored for several years.

According to Daniel Duncan, EPA's Region 10 PCB Program Coordinator, "Facilities that store PCBs need to be aware of their notification and storage obligations under TSCA. We'll continue to review the reports filed under the PCB regulations to determine proper compliance with the storage and disposal rules." - More...
Wednesday AM - November 29, 2006

Alaska: Governor Welcomes Strykers Back to Alaska After Extended Deployment - For some this is their second homecoming in four months, but this one feels much better. Soldiers with the U.S. Army 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, based out of Fort Wainright, Alaska, have finished a 16-month deployment supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Regarded as the most effective brigade in theater, the 172nd served in Mosul and in Baghdad, one of the most dangerous areas of the country. - More...
Wednesday AM - November 29, 2006

Ketchikan: Ketchikan General Hospital Foundation Gift of Healing 2007 - New Technology & Equipment Campaign Underway - Patients from infants to elders will benefit from the Ketchikan General Hospital Foundation Gift of Healing 2007 fundraising campaign. The Foundation Board of Directors has chosen equipment that will improve patient care and complement current technology available in Ketchikan.

This year's campaign seeks to raise funds for three infant warmer-resuscitator units and a mobile digital mini c-arm for Ketchikan General Hospital (KGH). Funds raised through charitable, tax-deductible gifts given to the KGH Foundation will be used to purchase this equipment. - More....
Wednesday AM - November 29, 2006

Pat Stack of of Seven Year Cold Photo By Susan Batho and Bill Hupe

Ketchikan: November Grind & Dessert Festival By SUSAN BATHO & BILL HUPE - The irressistable aroma of dozens of delicious desserts greeted visitors to the November Monthly Grind at the Saxman Clan House. And if that wasn't enough to make the capacity crowd come out into the cold, wet weather, the half dozen performances that accompanied the wonderful intermission fare was certainly reason enough.

After a group calling themselves the 'House Band' warmed the audience up, the emcees for the night took the stage: Sean Hovik, Patrick Troll, and Mitch Puera, who also performed later in the evening as the group North Sea. The trio certainly had an interesting take on their job, performing the announcements rap style, leaving many of us in stitches as they rapped the fire exits. - More...
Wednesday AM - November 29, 2006

Southeast Alaska: LeConte Delayed In Returning To Panhandle Run - The Alaska Marine Highway System will continue to use Allen Marine vessels Aquilina and Glacier to serve the Northern Panhandle route through Dec. 3 while work is completed on the M/V LeConte.

The LeConte was expected to return to service on Dec. 1, but logistical problems have delayed the return, said AMHS General Manager John Falvey. The LeConte is now expected to return Dec. 4. - More...
Wednesday AM - November 29, 2006

Humpback whales have brain cells also found in humans A humpback whale passing through the Ketchikan area displays its flukes. Front Page Photo Carl Thompson

Science - Technology: Humpback whales have brain cells also found in humans - Cetaceans, the group of marine mammals that includes whales and dolphins, have demonstrated remarkable auditory and communicative abilities, as well as complex social behaviors. A new study published online November 27, 2006 in The Anatomical Record, the official journal of the American Association of Anatomists,compared a humpback whale brain with brains from several other cetacean species and found the presence of a certain type of neuron cell that is also found in humans. This suggests that certain cetaceans and hominids may have evolved side by side. - More...
Wednesday AM - November 29, 2006

Science - Technology: Violent videos affect teen brain functions, study shows By LEE BOWMAN - A new study that examined brain function in 44 teens after they played videogames found that those who played violent games have lingering effects on brain functions that heighten emotional arousal and suppress self-control and concentration.

"Our study suggests that playing a certain type of violent videogame may have different short-term effects on brain function than playing a non-violent, but exciting, game," said Dr. Vincent Matthews, a professor of radiology at the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis. - More...
Wednesday AM - November 29, 2006

Political Cartoonists Mission complete By: Larry Wright, The Detroit News Read Today's Political Cartoons, Click Here Viewpoints Opinions/Letters Basic Rules New city sales tax By Renee Schofield - Wednesday AM Re: Cabals By Jim Dornblaser - Wednesday AM RE: Bridges in Alaska are just as important By Rob Glenn - Wednesday AM Letting down the children... By Frances C. Natkong - Wednesday AM Thanks to all By Joan "Trixie" Hurliman - Tuesday AM Rural Residents Soaked Again By James Anderson - Tuesday AM Bridges in Alaska are just as important as elsewhere By Ed Brown - Tuesday AM Bridge!! By Forrest Mackie - Tuesday AM Federal Budget and Pay for Performance By Alan Lidstone - Tuesday AM RE: It may not be to 'nowhere'... By Karen Pitcher - Monday PM Giving During the Season of Hope. By Richard Zellmer - Monday PM Re: President Bush Fails to Learn the Lessons of Vietnam By Ken Bylund - Monday PM Build a cheaper bridge, roads By Robert McRoberts - Monday PM "Cabals" By Al Johnson - Friday PM KHRA Toy Run Dance By Dan Hart - Thursday PM Thanksgiving Thanks By Valerie Cooper - Thursday PM Middle of Winter - Newtown Parking still an issue! By Bobbie McCreary - Thursday PM It may not be to 'nowhere', but it's still an outrageous waste. By Peter Stanton - Thursday PM Elections: Consolidation and Otherwise By Dave Kiffer - Thursday PM Who pays for your bridge? By Rob Glenn- Thursday PM No Bridge in Ketchikan By Don Hoff Jr. - Thursday PM President Bush Fails to Learn the Lessons of Vietnam! By Robert Freedland - Thursday PM Open Sign Policy By Dave Price, Rick Ruaro & Dennis Pope - Wednesday AM Same sex Schoenbar By Anita Hales - Wednesday AM Ketchikan's Bridge Needed By Forrest Mackie - Wednesday AM Consolidation Ballot By Dayle Amundson - Wednesday AM Consolidation By Glen Thompson - Sunday PM Consolidation By Al Johnson - Sunday PM Clear the Air, then Solve Pension Crisis By Sen. Bert Stedman & Sen. Lyda Green - Sunday PM Sharing the land By Craig Moen - Sunday PM More Viewpoints/ Letters Publish A Letter Ketchikan Ketchikan Police Report AK Troopers Daily Dispatch Today's Forecast Satellite Today's Weather Images Marine Forecasts Ketchikan Weather Data Current AK Weather Map CLASSIFIEDS Auto-post your ad in the proper category, or email your ad & photos to ads@sitnews.us  CLASSIFIEDS' CATEGORIES Announcements For Sale / Free Stuff Garage Sales Homes / Apts/ Property Pets Wanted Lost & Found Local Services SitNews Archives November 2006 Click on the date to read the stories published on that day. S M T W T F S       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     More Front Page Archives

Alaska: Governor Murkowski Announces Appointments to Permanent Fund, Aerospace, Game Boards - Alaska Governor Frank H. Murkowski announced Tuesday the following appointments to three boards. Over the past four years, Murkowski has appointed more than 730 Alaskans to serve on the numerous boards and commissions supporting state programs and agencies. In addition, members of his cabinet have served on a multitude of boards and commissions, and Murkowski has nominated numerous Alaskans to federal commissions, with appointment by federal cabinet officials.

Permanent Fund Corporation: William G. Moran, Jr. of Ketchikan was appointed to one of four public member seats on the Permanent Fund Corporation Board of Trustees for a term ending July 1, 2010. Moran is the president of First Bank in Ketchikan and holds a BBA from the University of Notre Dame. Financial disclosure is required. - More...
Wednesday AM - November 29, 2006

Alaska: Hard-drinking lab rats give clues to binge drinking By CINTHIA RITCHIE - The chubby male in the corner couldn't wait to hit the drinks. He paced. He squirmed. He scratched his potbelly.

"Hold on," University of Alaska Anchorage psychology research student Noelle Borgardt yelled as she screwed the cap off a large bottle of Everclear. "I'm whipping up the drinks right now."

The impatient male, actually a rat, shoved its pink nose through the cage and quivered.

"In the mornings, I'm basically a bartender," Borgardt said, pouring alcohol into a graduated cylinder. "But for the rats, it's night. It's time to get in the car and find a drink." - More...
Wednesday AM - November 29, 2006

Alaska: Soldiers get second-chance permits By ALEX deMARBAN - Jason Christianson's plans for a once-in-a-lifetime hunting trip in the Alaska Range fizzled in July when the Pentagon announced his yearlong service in Iraq would extend another four months.

The platoon sergeant was crushed, in part because his planned September sheep hunt near Tok wouldn't happen, said Heather, his wife and hunting partner.

"All talk of the hunt stopped," Heather said by phone from Fort Wainwright. "It was like his whole demeanor changed."

Thanks to a recent state Board of Game decision, the couple can track sheep after all. - More...
Wednesday AM - November 29, 2006

National: Environmentalists challenge pesticide rule By MICHAEL DOYLE - The Bush administration pleased farmers and frustrated environmentalists by declaring that pesticides can be sprayed into and over waters without first obtaining special permits.

The heavily lobbied decision is supposed to settle a dispute that's roiled federal courts and divided state regulators. It's popular among those who spray pesticides for a living, but it worries those who fear poisoned waters will result. - More...
Wednesday AM - November 29, 2006

National: Poison linked to former spy's death is available through Web By KEAY DAVIDSON - It's one of the deadliest imaginable poisons, a radioactive substance about 100 billion times as deadly as cyanide - and a Web site run by a physicist and flying-saucer enthusiast offers to sell you a trace amount of it for $69 and send it via the U.S. Postal Service or UPS.

Contrary to early news reports, polonium-210 - the poison suspected in the death of an ex-Russian spy in England - is not some exotic material available solely from nuclear laboratories. The isotope is available from firms that sell it for lawful and legitimate uses in industry, such as removing static electricity from machinery and photographic film. - More...
Wednesday AM - November 29, 2006

National: Supreme Court battle considers regulation of greenhouse gases By MICHAEL DOYLE - The Supreme Court's hottest environmental case of the year pits California against Texas.

It's also Washington state vs. Idaho, scientists vs. car dealers and, it may seem, the world against the White House, as the justices on Wednesday consider a crucial question in the effort to combat global warming.

The question is this: Can the federal government regulate the so-called greenhouse gases many experts blame for rising global temperatures? The Bush administration says no. California, Massachusetts, Washington, 15 other states and their allies insist otherwise. The final answer is now up to the court's nine justices. - More...
Wednesday AM - November 29, 2006

National: GOP moderates will work with congressional Democrats By LAUREN SMITH - Congressional Democratic leaders acknowledge they will need some Republican support to get major legislation approved in the next session. But with so many moderate Republicans ousted in the midterm elections, it remains to be seen whether the new lineup will be able to govern in the middle.

"The centrist's role and the centrist voice in the political process has unfortunately been diminished because of ideological divisions and partisanship, and has created a huge political chasm in the political process," said Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, one of the few GOP lawmakers from New England to win another term.

Republican Rep. Chris Shays is not only the last Connecticut Yankee of his party in the House, he's the only Republican left in the chamber from New England. The state's other two GOP representatives, Nancy Johnson and Rob Simmons, viewed as moderates on most issues, both lost to Democratic challengers. - More...
Wednesday AM - November 29, 2006