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Friday
November 30, 2012
Kingfisher
This Kingfisher was photographed just after it swooped down and nabbed a little fish for breakfast.
Front Page Photograph by CINDY BALZER ©2012
(Please respect the rights of photographers, never republish or copy
without permission and/or payment of required fees.)
Ketchikan - Statewide: 2012 Edition of Alaska Community Fishing Fact Sheets Published - The statewide commercial fishing umbrella association United Fishermen of Alaska has released its updated set of data sheets for major Alaska communities and boroughs. The group is seeking to provide UFA groups, members, and the public with economic information to illustrate the industry’s significance in their communities.
“Last year we introduced this project and it has been very well received by fishermen, city officials, legislators and media. These statistics are important not only to our member organizations and coastal communities, but for talking points to assist professional fishermen in advocating at public meetings, in correspondence, and even in conversations with their neighbors,” said UFA President Arni Thomson. “Commercial fishing and seafood processing is often neglected in discussions about the relative importance of Alaska industries among policymakers and the public. UFA feels it is vital to our mission to bring this information out in a way that is clear and useful to help illustrate what the fishing industry brings back to the state of Alaska and its communities. Fishermen armed with the facts and figures about the value of their fisheries have become ambassadors for their industry,” Thomson concluded.
“The most commonly quoted number to gauge fishery economics is ex-vessel value, the price paid to fishermen at the docks prior to the fish and shellfish being processed. Quite often this value represents only half, or less, of the product value after it is processed, boxed and frozen. The value added processing (manufacturing) function then results in “the first wholesale value”, which approximates the export value of the product. At this point, it still does not include the value of additional jobs and income for transportation, distribution, and wholesale and retail sales and restaurant sales.
“Alaska’s seafood exports are valued at $2.5 billion in 2011, comprising nearly half of total state exports, according to an announcement by Alaska Governor Sean Parnell earlier this year. This is important to all Alaskans in terms of tax revenue contributions. In fiscal year 2011, the industry contributed over $70 million in state taxes and fees in addition to local fish taxes.
“Many tend to compare ex-vessel value to the total economic value of other industries, so the economic impact of the fishing industry is routinely devalued and seldom is it corrected.
“While some of the harvest in offshore waters is taken by larger vessels and entities, most commercial fishing operations in Alaska are small LLCs or family businesses, with significant local investment in vessels, equipment, permits, and years of professional experience,” Thomson said.
The community profiles include Anchorage, Cordova, Dillingham, Homer, Juneau, Haines Borough, Kenai, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Petersburg, Seward, Sitka, Wrangell, Aleutians West Census Area, Aleutians East Borough, Bristol Bay Borough, Kenai Peninsula Borough, Lake and Peninsula Borough, Unalaska-Dutch Harbor, Mat-Su Borough, Valdez, Bethel, Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Prince of Wales-Outer Ketchikan Census Area, Skagway-Hoonah Angoon Census Area, and Yakutat. - More...
Friday PM - November 30, 2012
Southeast Alaska: State Investigates Allegations of Forest Service Misrepresentations - The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has notified the United States Forest Service of its investigation into allegations that the Forest Service had misrepresented and omitted pertinent information from its application for permission to store logs from the Tonka Timber Sale during log transfer to Klawock. The Forest Service was notified of the investigation in a DEC letter dated November 19, 2012.
The DEC letter to the U.S. Forest Service was prompted by a Pothole Permit Termination Request filed by Earthjustice on behalf of its client, the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council (SEACC) in early October.
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“We strongly support the actions DEC’s has taken to protect the credibility and integrity of its permitting process,” said Buck Lindekugel, SEACC’s Grassroots Attorney.
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation stated in its letter to the U.S. Forest Service that the department is providing the Forest Service an opportunity to respond to the allegations and to provide a written response to DEC by December 19, 2012. DEC will use the Forest Service response and any other pertinent information on record in arriving at a decision regarding the request to terminate the general permit authorization.
According to the terms of the authorization by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, the U.S. Forest Service was permitted by the DEC to discharge bark and wood debris associated with in-water log storage in Alexander Bay, also called the Pothole. - More...
Friday PM - November 30, 2012
Alaska: More Troopers, Prosecutors, Investigators Included in Public Safety Budget – Yesterday, Governor Sean Parnell announced that his Fiscal Year 2014 budget proposal continues the administration’s commitment to ending the epidemic of domestic violence and sexual assault in Alaska. Now in its fourth year, the comprehensive Choose Respect initiative in FY 2014 will be reinforced with $14.8 million for prevention and education, support for survivors, and justice. More than 120 Alaska communities held Choose Respect events this year.
“All Alaskans deserve to be safe in their homes and communities,” Governor Parnell said. “We now understand the magnitude of the violence and have made significant strides in building pathways to prevention and healing.”
The governor’s budget request includes $2.8 million for 15 new state troopers to expand continuous coverage for the Railbelt, from the Kenai Peninsula to Fairbanks. The need for additional trooper coverage in the Railbelt is reflected by the growing population in the region and increased call volume. The budget also contains $824,000 for a new trooper post in Hooper Bay. - More...
Friday PM - November 30, 2012
Alaska: Board reviews Permanent Dividend Fund’s infrastructure investments and other programs - The Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation Board of Trustees held a regular meeting in Anchorage on November 28 and 29. The Board reviewed the Fund’s infrastructure program, heard presentations from other Fund managers and reviewed the Fund’s first quarter performance.
“APFC’s infrastructure program has been in place for several years and we are pleased with the diversification that it has added to the Fund,” said Board Chair Bill Moran of Ketchikan. “We have the foundation in place to begin the next phase of our program, implementing a co-investment alongside of our managers. This will allow our portfolio to grow at a lower cost, but with the same high quality of investments that are currently in place.” - More...
Friday PM - November 30, 2012
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Southeast Alaska: SEARHC opens Prince of Wales eye clinic in Klawock Mall - The SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) hosted the grand opening of the new SEARHC Prince of Wales Island Eye Care Clinic in Klawock on November 19th.
The new clinic space is located in the Klawock Mall (6488 Klawock-Hollis Highway, Space 4), between the credit union and the post office. SEARHC optometrist Dr. Annelle Maygren, OD, has been working out of the Alicia Roberts Medical Center since this summer, and the new location will allow her to offer a full range of eye-care services.
“We are very excited to have an eye clinic that can provide all of the needed eye care and eye wear services to the residents of POW all weeks of the year,” Dr. Maygren said. “I would like to thank all of the many people who worked so hard to help make the SEARHC POW Eye Clinic a reality.”
Two new optometry assistants — Vivian Stuart and Chrissy Hayes — have been hired to help Dr. Maygren in the clinic. The two assistants are being trained to help with eyeglass frame fitting, a service the POW optometry clinic hasn’t been able to offer in the past unless someone from the Sitka optometry clinic was in town. - More...
Friday PM - November 30, 2012
Ketchikan: An Evening of Jazz, Rock and Blues; The Sam Pitcher Memorial Scholarship Concert - The Windjammers, Soundwaves and Kayhi Jazz Band will present a jazz, rock and blues concert in the Kayhi Auditorium on Tuesday, December 4th at 7:00 p.m. This concert raises funds to help Sam Pitcher Scholarship winners attend summer music and arts camps. Thirty-nine music students have received this scholarship since 2004. Donations for the scholarship fund will be accepted at the door.
The Kayhi Jazz Band, directed by Deidra Nuss will open with "Blue Mambo" followed by "Hello, Dolly" from the Broadway musical first produced in 1964. "Blackbird" by the famous duo Lennon and McCartney was first recorded by the Beatles and produced by George Martin in 1968. "Count Bubba's Revenge", by contemporary composer, Gordon Goodwin is a swing-shuffle arranged by Ralph Ford.
The twenty-seven member Soundwaves Jazz Ensemble directed by Roy McPherson will start their set with "That's How We Roll" by Gordon Goodwin. Amber Junker will be featured on trombone in "Tomorrow" from the Broadway musical "Annie". - More...
Wednesday PM - November 28, 2012
Ketchikan: Ketchikan Community Concert Band Festive Holiday Concert - The 44-member Ketchikan Community Concert Band conducted by Roy McPherson, will perform on Sunday, December 9 at 3:00 p.m. in the Kayhi Auditorium. The band was formed in 2002, and the members are all local musicians.
Michael Valenti's "Carolina Seasons" follows "Alaska's Flag", which is played at every concert to honor our great state. "Tonadillas Suite" by Enrique Granados consists of three short movements representing stories of men and women of Madrid. "Let the Amen Sound" was commissioned by the Northshore Concert Band in Illinois, one of the oldest and most highly-respected community bands in this country. It will be recognizable to most, as the work is based on the chorale "Praise to the Lord". Gary Parks has arranged "Sing We Now of Christmas", "God Rest You Merry Gentlemen", "The Holly and the Ivy" and "Deck the Halls" into a medley entitled "Yuletide Tapestry". - More...
Wednesday PM - November 28, 2012
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Viewpoints
Commentary
Opinions/Letters
Basic
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Questions, please contact
the editor at editor@sitnews.us or call 617-9696
Sitnews reserves the right to edit.
 Property Taxes By
Mike Fay -
I was stunned last year when I got my tax bill for my 20-30' wood cabin way out in Misty Fiords on the Unuk River, almost $1000. That is of course after the Ketchikan Borough annexed the properties on the Unuk into the Borough just a few years ago. There is no fire service, no schools, no investment up there whatsoever and yet we are paying more and more every year. - More...
Friday PM - November 30, 2012
KSM mine threatens the Unuk river By
Victoria McDonald -
Alaskans agree that plentiful salmon runs are an important part of our lifestyle. But 2012 ended with another year of low king returns. Statewide studies are searching for answers but if we were able to ask a fish, they'd supply an easy answer: "We need clean water and healthy habitat". In southern Southeast, numerous salmon spawn in the Unuk River tributaries so it is essential that water quality be safeguarded in the Unuk and other mainland rivers. - More...
Friday PM - November 30, 2012
RE: There Once Was a Girl That Gave Up By
Bobbie McCreary -
Thank you! Jordan for sharing this very personal story of your own experience with suicide and the positive outcomes you have since achieved. This story will speak to many youth and young adults, and those of all ages, who have considered taking their lives. You have proven there is hope and a meaningful future for all... - More...
Friday PM - November 30, 2012
Tax & spend By
Ed Plute -
Wonder why taxes are going up when in the water division, for example, you have a $300,000 break-room which should not have cost any more than $10,000 max. If officials can afford to spend our money like this, why would they not dare think of raising taxes? Is everybody asleep in Ketchikan? Hold them accountable. - More...
Friday PM - November 30, 2012
The answer is NO! By
Rodney Dial -
In the news on November 26th, our Ketchikan City Manager Karl Amylon announced yet another large tax increase for the city. Apparently the property tax increase last year wasn't enough, or the shell game the City Council did when they made KPU the funding source for the non-profits, transferring hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenditures to our utility. - More...
Wednesday PM - November 28, 2012
SAYING SO DOESN’T MAKE IT SO By
Rebecca Knight -
The Tonka Timber Sale Record of Decision, signed in March 2012, culminated a multi-million dollar, three-year planning effort on Lindenberg Peninsula, just a short skiff ride from Petersburg. The protected waters of Wrangell Narrows allow safe access for local subsistence deer hunters during our notorious fall weather. Regionwide, one of the greatest threats to deer hunters is from boating accidents. - More...
Wednesday PM - November 28, 2012
RE: Dumping By
Laura Plenert -
Also, be considerate of other areas - like the "end" of the road, or the parking area available at the bottom of the Calanna Lake trail. It is disgusting to see people's trash just thrown in a public area. - More...
Monday PM - November 26, 2012
GAC pool By
Amber Williams-Baldwin
All last year swimming twice a week I had to sometimes wait 30 minutes for a " family room/ handicap room" . I am very happy that there're no stairs (except for the slides). If last year having two family rooms-handicap rooms wasn't enough, why would we only put in two again? Would anyone want to take their child out of a warm bath & let them wait 5,10,15-30 minutes to dry off? No? Then why didn't we put in several small just family rooms separate from handicap rooms? I think that was a HUGE mistake to both parties. - More...
Monday PM - November 26, 2012
Abortion, rights and choice By
Marie Zellmer -
I have been reading a lot about the abortion issue on Sitnews lately and I felt that I should add a little of what I know, personally. I will admit publicly that I have had two abortion procedures. Why? Is it because I don't like children? I can't afford to raise one, or have the guts to give it up for adoption? Or, because I am selfish and I don't want to have the responsibility of another life? The answer is no to all of these questions. - More...
Monday PM - November 26, 2012
RE: Fix It By
Laura Plenert -
Mr. Garcia, try talking to the store manager. I'm sure he would be able to help you. Bottom line, you cannot pay the lowest price and expect the highest quality. - More...
Monday PM - November 26, 2012
There once was a girl who gave up By Jordan Flory -
On September 13, 1995, that girl was born, bright eyed and innocent to the ways of the world. All was good. As she grew up she learned about the hardships of life. Not only did these hardships cause her to become numb and distant, she also felt that there was no way out. That no one understood. That NO ONE could help. Her heart felt cold and empty. Somehow, it didn’t matter how many friends she had. It didn’t matter that she had a loving supportive family waiting at home. She knew there were people to talk to, but she didn’t know that there were people who understood. Giving up on living was the only possible fix she could see. - More...
Friday PM - November 23, 2012
Dumping items over the 3rd Ave. bypass By
Vanessa Bruns -
I ask that the residents of Ketchikan be more thoughtful and respectful when they are wanting to dispose unwanted items. The 3rd Avenue Bypass is not a dumping ground. There have been many items thrown over the 3rd Avenue railing ranging from bicycles, household garbage, cans, bottles, insulation, animal remains from hunting or fishing trips, small appliances, and scrap wood to name a few. What individuals may not realize, there are houses below the Bypass. - More...
Friday PM - November 23, 2012
Unwanted Pregnancies By
Chris Elliott -
My apologies to Mr. Jarvi. When he asked Mr. Holston to "convince the males...not to start the problem...", I thought he was talking about males taking responsibility for birth control. In response to Ms. Irizarry’s comments, I say (sans sarcasm): While conceiving is a 50-50 proposition, in the case of an unwanted pregnancy, it is almost always the female who shoulders the responsibility for the child. - More...
Friday PM - November 23, 2012
Abortion By
Rob Holston -
Sorry Paul, I don't see the comparison of Roe V Wade with crossing Ketchikan Creek. I do see several valid comparisons between Roe V Wade being the "law of the land" and other "Laws of the Land" observed as pathetic reminders of our historical past & present. Here are a few: women are property; only property owners can vote; slaves can be purchased, held, sold or killed; natives can be killed or put on reservations; Jews can be killed (by the millions); pre-born children can be killed (by the 10's of millions). - More...
Friday PM - November 23, 2012
Fix-It By Joey Garcia -
Perhaps it is high time for me to reconcile my own with David Boone's opinion of "Fix It Right". It is a very sad note that in the electronics department of Ketchikan's Walmart, sans [sic] the smile of the employees to help out a customer. What it missed along this line is the knowledge of assigned people in their electronics IT department area. - More...
Friday PM - November 23, 2012
The old swimming hole By
A.M.(Al) Johnson - Back in the days of yore, prior to 'Indoor Swimming', a young lad grew up living on the south side of Ketchikan in the area of "Buggy Beach" a tidal pool, now referred to as "Rotary Beach'. For the first toddling years of living near this location, mother would take me wading, allowing me to chase beach crab, throw rocks and enjoy the feel of water. As I grew, the time to learn to swim was nearing and one day, while treading water behind a floating log, I slipped off in water at deep end of the tidal pool. Not knowing how to swim, and near the third time down, a local Boy Scout, Harry Johannsen saved my live. - More...
Tuesday AM - November 20, 2012
Re: Open letter to the Ketchikan Borough Manager By
Agnes Moran -
Thank you for voicing you concerns about the Gateway Aquatic Center (GAC). The issues you raise have been previously identified by GAC staff and they are actively working with the contractor to resolve them. - More...
Tuesday AM - November 20, 2012
Reproduction & Responsibilities By
Shari Irizarry - With all due respect and without expressing any opinion on abortion per se, I thought condoms, and "whatever else is available to men" were the answer to unwanted pregnancies. If you can't be bothered to use contraception, maybe you should consider the cost of child support for the next 18 years. Perhaps that would stick in your mind and make you a little more careful. - More...
Tuesday AM - November 20, 2012
Once again my point... By
Paul Jarvi -
I think Ms Elliott missed the point of my letter. Contraception is legal and the law of the land. Mr. Holston seems not to understand this point. - More...
Tuesday PM - November 20, 2012
Israel Will Strike Iran By
Donald A. Moskowitz - According to various intelligence agencies Iran could have nuclear armaments ready for use against Israel by early 2013. The devices could be nuclear bombs, or more likely, nuclear warheads on missiles. - More...
Tuesday PM - November 20, 2012
FIX IT RIGHT By
David Boone - I have been an appliance repairman for 40 years. My natural inclination is to fix things. As I look at the state of national affairs today, nothing seems to be working right. One hardly knows where to begin the repair. May I suggest tax reform? - More...
Tuesday AM - November 20, 2012
Stifling our economy By
John S. Fellows -
I am a retired foreman from the Dow Chemical Co. My political affiliation is independent. - More...
Tuesday AM - November 20, 2012
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