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SitNews - Stories In The News - Ketchikan, Alaska
Thursday
November 21, 2013

Front Page Photograph By PHILLIP MARTIN

Perseverance Lake Reflections
A trail that winds through an old growth forest with dense undergrowth for 2.3 miles one way ends up at Perseverance Lake. The trailhead is located approximately 8 miles from Ketchikan on the North Tongass Highway, across the road from the Ward Lake Recreation Area...
Front Page Photograph By PHILLIP MARTIN ©2013

(Please respect the rights of photographers, never republish or copy
without permission and/or payment of required fees.)

 

Kayhi Kings choose respect

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Alaska: DNA found in Russia suggests first Americans walked through Siberia to Alaska - Results from a DNA study of a young boy’s skeletal remains believed to be 24,000 years old could turn the archaeological world upside down – it’s been proven that nearly 30 percent of modern Native American’s ancestry came from this youngster’s gene pool, suggesting First Americans came directly from Siberia, according to an international research team.

DNA found in Russia suggests first Americans walked through Siberia to Alaska

Remains of 24,000 year-old Mal'ta Boy
Photo courtesy of State Hermitage Museum in Russia

The DNA work performed on the boy is the oldest complete genome of a human sequenced so far, the study shows. Also found near the boy’s remains were flint tools, a beaded necklace and what appears to be pendant-like items, all apparently placed in the burial as grave goods.

The discovery raises new questions about the timing of human entry in Alaska and ultimately North America, a topic hotly debated in First Americans studies.

“Though our results cannot speak directly to this debate, they do indicate Native American ancestors could have been in Beringia - extreme northeastern Russia and Alaska - any time after 24,000 years ago and therefore could have colonized Alaska and the Americas much earlier than 14,500 years ago, the age suggested by the archaeological record.”

Kelly Graf, assistant professor in the Center for the Study of First Americans and Department of Anthropology at Texas A&M, is part of an international team spearheaded by Eske Willerslev and Maanasa Raghaven from the Centre for GeoGenetics at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark and additional researchers from Sweden, Russia, United Kingdom, University of Chicago and University of California-Berkeley. Their work, funded by the Danish National Science Foundation, Lundbeck Foundation, and the National Science Foundation, is published in the current issue of Nature magazine.

"Representing the oldest anatomically modern human genome reported thus far, the MA-1 individual has provided us with a unique window into the genetic landscape of Siberia some 24,000 years ago", says Dr. Maanasa Raghavan from the Centre for GeoGenetics and one of the lead authors of the study. "Interestingly, the MA-1 individual shows little to no genetic affinity to modern populations from the region from where he originated - south Siberia."

Instead, both the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes of MA-1 indicate that he was related to modern-day western Eurasians. This result paints a picture of Eurasia 24,000 years ago which is quite different from the present-day context. The genome of MA-1 indicates that prehistoric populations related to modern western Eurasians occupied a wider geographical range into northeast Eurasia than they do today.

The most significant finding that the MA-1 genome reveals is its relation to modern Native Americans. This relative of present-day western Eurasians shows close affinity to modern Native Americans, but surprisingly not to East Asians who are regarded as being genetically closely related to Native Americans. - More....
Thursday PM - November 21, 2013


Biology:
Dogs likely originated in Europe more than 18,000 years ago, UCLA biologists report By Stuart Wolpert - Wolves likely were domesticated by European hunter–gatherers more than 18,000 years ago and gradually evolved into dogs that became household pets, UCLA life scientists report.

Dogs likely originated in Europe more than 18,000 years ago

Wolves
Photo courtesy UCLS

"We found that instead of recent wolves being closest to domestic dogs, ancient European wolves were directly related to them," said Robert Wayne, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology in UCLA's College of Letters and Science and senior author of the research. "This brings the genetic record into agreement with the archaeological record. Europe is where the oldest dogs are found."

The UCLA researchers' genetic analysis is published Nov. 15 in the journal Science and featured on the journal's cover.

In related research last May, Wayne and his colleagues reported at the Biology of Genomes meeting in New York the results of their comparison of the complete nuclear genomes of three recent wolf breeds (from the Middle East, East Asia and Europe), two ancient dog breeds and the boxer dog breed.

"We analyzed those six genomes with cutting-edge approaches and found that none of those wolf populations seemed to be closest to domestic dogs," Wayne said. "We thought one of them would be, because they represent wolves from the three possible centers of dog domestication, but none was. All the wolves formed their own group, and all the dogs formed another group." - More...
Thursday PM - November 21, 2013


Columns - Commentary

jpg Doug PattonDOUG PATTON: The Fifties Ended on November 22, 1963 - We humans like to divide time into neat little boxes based on dates, but the case can be made that the styles, policies, manners and mores of one ten-year period usually spill over into the next.

The 1929 Wall Street crash would not be fully felt for a few years, thereby carrying much of the "roaring twenties" into the next decade. The deprivation of the Great Depression lingered well into the 1940s as America was forced to gear up for and win World War II. And because that war put everything else on hold for most Americans, the forties didn't really end for many people until Elvis Presley introduced Rock-and-Roll to a publicly reserved generation in the mid-1950s.

Similarly, even though it has been described in so many ways — a national tragedy, the end of the age of innocence, the death of Camelot — I have always thought of November 22, 1963, as the end of the 1950s.

All one has to do is watch the first two seasons of the historically accurate AMC program "Mad Men" to see that even in cutting-edge New York City, the period from 1960 to 1963 was still solidly grounded in the 1950s.

The World War II generation was in charge, men still wore hats with their suits, and even though the civil rights battles that began in the 1950s were still boiling across the south at the time of JFK's death, the legislation that would attempt to deal with those problems was yet to come. And The Beatles were still three months away from their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, thereby replacing the American doo-wop groups that had dominated the music of the fifties.

I was a 15-year-old sophomore at Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on November 22, 1963. Like most Americans alive at the time, I remember exactly where I was when I heard the news. I was walking down the hall between classes when someone said, "Hey, Kennedy got shot!" - More...
Thursday PM - November 21, 2013

      

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letter RE: Alexander Archipelago Wolves By Duane Hill - Alaska natives chased the glaciers up and ate fish. Wolves did not show up until after the deer established themselves. In other words, humans were here first, wolves are an invasive species. - More...
Thursday PM - November 21, 2013

letter Alaska’s busy week: Demonstrating its contempt for Alaska Natives By Mark Trahant - The State of Alaska had a busy week. There are only so many ways to demonstrate contempt for Alaska Natives. Yet the state seemed to find many ways. Logic be damned. - More...
Thursday PM - November 21, 2013

letter Random Acts of Kindness By Janet Engle - That is such a great act; pretty sure I know who did it as it was someone's birthday celebration, but so cool. - More...
Thursday PM - November 21, 2013

letter Ketchikan Rain Gauge By Debby Ward - I so agree with Sheri, What are these people thinking!! $96,000 for a rain gauge... You have got to be kidding me, Not to mention the $6,000 + they already paid some one to say we should hire outside the state, Really!! - More..
Thursday PM - November 21, 2013

letter Obamacare By Duane Hill - Mr Noggles certainly likes the understatement. As of 18 Nov, the number of people who had their insurance CANCELLED was over 5 million. The number able to sign up was around 50 thousand, or one percent. The whole idea is incredibly stupid as any young person who signs up for this mess is an idiot. - More...
Thursday PM - November 21, 2013

letter Support for Citizen's comment - KIC By James Llanos Sr - On 11-18-2013, several people rose and talked to the Ketchikan Indian Community (KIC) Council to make comments.  Some commented on a need to provide better or more services, some about programs.  Once speaker, David Jensen, rose and talked to the KIC Council about their responsibility and duties as Council people of the Tribe.  He spoke about having a need for everyone to work together and that if they as individual Council persons exceed their authority, rules, regulations and Tribal laws then they are submitting themselves as being liable and subject to lawsuit as individuals.  He is right, I have seen this in other Tribes across the nation.  The Tribes lawyers are then unable to defend them as individuals since they go beyond their authority.  - More...
Tuesday PM - November 19, 2013

letter Random Acts of Kindness By Julia Zink-Kubley - I am along time resident of Ketchikan, born and raised here. It was on a cold and raining day this week while sewing in my Sew Suite and recovering from a (mild) case of the shingles that a young lady knocked at my door. She explained that it was her birthday and that to celebrate she was doing random acts of kindness. She handed me a large gift bag with necessary items in it. I thanked and wished her a Happy Birthday and waved to the group of friends down on the sidewalk. - More...
Saturday PM - November 16, 2013

letter The Arctic Opens Up By Donald A. Moskowitz - The article "Icy Frontier" in the October 2013 Military Officer magazine outlines the need for the U.S. to become more involved in the Arctic region. - More....
Saturday PM - November 16, 2013

letter Rain Gauge By Sheri Robertson - It's incredible how much money Ketchikan individuals pay out for nonsense items and I believe this is one of them. Like paying $96,000.00 for a Rain Gauge, REALLY...????? - More...
Saturday PM - November 16, 2013

letter Rain Gauge By Laura Plenert - Perhaps the "$95,000.00 Rain Gauge debacle" will replace our spot on the map as the "bridge to nowhere" town.  Nothing wrong with the old one.  Thousands of people love it and have their pictures taken in front of.  I'm betting they would continue to take their pictures in front of it. - More...
Saturday PM - November 16, 2013 

letter Rights of Persons with Disabilities By Debbie Nance - We’ve just celebrated Veterans Day where we honored men and women who fought to preserve freedom and the sovereignty of the United States.  I am so thankful for what they do and have done. 

It has come to my attention that our US Senators are considering passage of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and that both of our Alaska US Senators support the ratifying of this dangerous treaty.  This treaty essentially threatens the sovereignty of the United States, one of the things that our Veterans fought hard for.  This treaty would give the United Nations authority over US citizens.  It would give the UN the right to make laws that would supersede US laws. - More...
Saturday PM - November 16, 2013

letter The Philippines' Wild Wild West By Joey Garcia - The recent rampaging typhoon, triple that of Katrina, name Yolanda within the Philippines area of responsibility,. or Haijan internationally, tested the 1,107 island group in their skills, not only with the present political scandal called the Pork Barrel Scam that up to the present, the Senate investigative arm called the Blue Ribbon Committee seemed helpless against a woman dubbed as the queen of this pork barrel scam operations, and the diplomatic covers of named 3 Senators and 12 members of Congress. - More...
Saturday PM - November 16, 2013

letter Alexander Archipelago Wolves By Rebecca Noblin - Thank you very much for your good story about our Alexander Archipelago wolf letter. I have one point of correction. You correctly note that we assert the wolf “is a unique Alaska subspecies of gray wolf.” But in the next paragraph you say, “Not everyone agrees that the Alexander Archipelago wolves are a unique species.” We are not arguing that they are a unique species, but a unique subspecies of the gray wolf. And as you go on to point out, the state of Alaska agrees that the Alexander Archipelago wolf is a subspecies of the gray wolf. There is agreement all around on this point. - More...
Saturday PM - November 16, 2013

letter Last U.S.lead processing smelter and Affordable Health Care Act By A. M. Johnson- Recently a letter of concern regarding the eminent closing of the last U.S. lead processing plant due to overbearing EPA edicts was submitted to Representative Don Young requesting a response preferably by email as that is a requirement of the Representative's web site to facility submitting a letter to his attention. - More...
Saturday PM - November 16, 2013

letter The Skatepark is Happening! By Bob Fultz - The Shane Howard White Memorial Skatepark is nearing completion. After years in the making, Ketchikan is about to become the proud owners of a 21st Century skatepark that meets the criteria of all skaters - skateboarders, inline skaters and scooters.  Best of all, a 24/7 streaming web camera system will make use of the park totally transparent, available at any time—promoting  safe and appropriate usage - accessible for your viewing pleasure by going to www.kyiyouth.org from the convenience of your computer or smart phone. Very nice huh! - More...
Wednesday AM - November 13, 2013

letter Thank you By Kathy Paulson - I hiked the Carlanna Lake Trail this morning and was once again reminded how lucky we are to live here. Thank you to all involved in building and maintaining our trail system. I appreciate being able to hike so close to town. - More...
Wednesday AM - November 13, 2013

letter New Rain Gauge By D.A. Johnson - I read with interest the plan to replace the rain gauge on the dock for $96,000.00. How a panel of local Arts people decided to hire some artist from somewhere overseas to paint it and erect it. Is this town INSANE? People talk about out of control spending on the Federal level, and it is right here in Ketchikan. - More...
Wednesday AM - November 13, 2013

letter Open Letter: Obamacare - NOT AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE ACT - By Laura Plenert - I am a normal, average, healthy American/ Alaskan. I have paid for my own Health Insurance for the past 4 years as a conscience choice. It has gone up incrementally each year with NO changes in coverage. I CHOSE the plan, it suited me had everything I wanted/needed, it was affordable and it met my needs (I DO NOT NEED OR WANT PRENATAL OR CHILDBIRTH COVERAGE AND DO NOT WANT TO PAY FOR SOMETHING I WILL NEVER USE). - More...
Wednesday AM - November 13, 2013

letter RE: Affordable Care Act By Norm Noggle - As we have seen, the implementation of the Affordable Care Act has been less than stellar. Yes, there are people who are going to pay more as the act stands now. Is that a good reason to throw out an entire law that has been voted on and approved by the Senate, House, and President. I don't think so. - More...
Wednesday AM - November 13, 2013

letter KTUU By Robert Finlay - As a locum tenens practitioner, frequenting these communities, it has been only a negative experience I have had with GCI.  They do not seem to play nicely with anybody.  My AT&T iPhone doesn’t work due to greed, and despite paying dearly for the use of phone, and supposedly getting cable news, at least they did not replace KTUU with FOX NEWS. - More...
Wednesday AM - November 13, 2013

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