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Monday
November 25, 2013
First Snow
Ketchikan received its first significant snow of the season last week. The snow scene as viewed from Berth 4 in the Newtown area, just before the tunnel.
Front Page Photograph By PAM BUSHNELL ©2013
(Please respect the rights of photographers, never republish or copy
without permission and/or payment of required fees.)
Southeast Alaska: Congress Honors Tlingit Code Talkers, Forgotten Heroes of Both World Wars - The Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska along with 32 other tribes from across the nation received the highest honor bestowed by Congress, the Congressional Gold Medal, for their critical service and unrecognized role as Code Talkers during both World Wars.
Commander William “Ozzie” Sheakley represented the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska at Wednesday’s Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony Honoring Native American Code Talkers
Photo courtesy Alaska Delegation
Years overdue, Congressional Gold Medals honoring the unrecognized code talkers who used their native languages to transmit secret messages in both World Wars were presented a decade after the Navajo Code Talkers were honored with the same distinction.
The honor bestowed upon Alaska’s five Tlingit Code Talkers on November 20th represents Congress’ “highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions.
The five Tlingit men, all deceased, who were honored with silver medals are Robert Jeff David Sr (Haines), Richard Bean Sr., George Lewis, and brothers Harvey Jacobs and Mark Jacobs Sr. (Sitka & Angoon).
The Tlingit and Haida tribes were represented at the ceremony hosted in the United States Capitol by three Alaskans; Commander William “Ozzie” Sheakley, William Thomas Jr., and Jeff David Jr. – a Tlingit code talker descendant. In addition to the 33 gold medals presented to tribes around the nation Wednesday, more than 200 silver medals were presented to the code talkers and their families.
“The critical role these men played in sparing the lives of fellow servicemen is remarkable,” said Representative Don Young (R-AK). “By communicating in spoken code at places like Iwo Jima and Normandy, these fine men forever changed history. Because of them, we were able to relay real-time information on enemy positions, provide directions to troops on the ground, and gather intelligence that helped us end a dark time in the world’s history.”
“These Tlingit soldiers bravely passed along our nation’s secrets at a very difficult time, but their story should not be a secret to Americans today,” said Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). “Alaska’s World War II history is far too often an untold and unappreciated part of our nation’s history. Our territory was occupied in the Aleutians, our first people represented the Alaska Territorial Guard and our Code Talkers stepped forward with a willingness to defend a nation they had yet to fully belong to. I thank them and their people for their courage and commitment,” said Murkowski. - More...
Monday PM - November 25, 2013
Ketchikan: Meth investigation leads to arrests - Wednesday, officers of the Ketchikan Police Department, with assistance of the F.B.I. and a local Ketchikan resident, completed an investigation of a group of suspects involved in alleged Methamphetamine importation and distribution from the state of Washington. Multiple search warrants were executed to include a hotel room, a vehicle, and a boat.
According to information provided by Sgt. Andy Berntson of the Ketchikan Police Department, arrested and charged with multiple outstanding extraditable arrest warrants out of the state of Washington for Robbery, and felony Fugitive from Justice, was Cayse R. Sivertsen, a 32 year old man. Sivertsen, a Washington resident with Ketchikan ties, is alleged to have participated in the importation and distribution of Methamphetamine with Kim M. Johnston, a 45 year old woman, a Washington resident. - More...
Monday PM - November 25, 2013
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Fish Factor: Fishing life attracts more Alaskans By LAINE WELCH - More Alaskans are taking to the fishing life, as indicated by upward ticks in harvesting jobs for three years running.
That’s according to the November Alaska Economic Trends by the state Labor Department, which provides a look at the numbers of “boots on deck” by region and fishery. A first: economists Jack Cannon and Josh Warren also looked at how much time is put into fishing pre- and post-season prep work and clean up, and what jobs fishermen do during the off times.
Some highlights: Each month last year, on average 8,189 fishermen plied the waters of the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea, an increase of 122 jobs from the year before, and up 318 jobs since 2010.
Of the 31,800 people who fished in Alaska last year, about 22,000 were crew members and 9,800 were permit holders. The crew tends to be young, with an average age of 34; over a third were between 21 and 30. Permit holders were considerably older, at 47 on average.
In terms of average monthly jobs more than 56 percent were in salmon harvesting; groundfish and halibut fisheries followed at 15 and 12 percent, respectively.
Statewide, 57 percent of harvesting jobs take place between June and August.
By far, most of the harvesters were male at 86 percent; 85 percent of permit holders were men, as were 88 percent of crew members.
Averaged over the year, monthly fishing jobs were highest in Southeast Alaska (2,299); followed by the Aleutians (1,661); Southcentral (1,408); Bristol Bay (1,365); Kodiak (881) and the Yukon Delta at 372 jobs.
A fishing job demands a lot of gear work and clean up before and after each trip and/or season. The economists asked more than 9,000 permit holders in a survey to specify the time their crew spent on this “work on the edges” – it generated an additional monthly average of 385 jobs.
About a third of both halibut and salmon permit holders worked other jobs last year. At the other end of the scale, 10 percent or less of groundfish and sablefish harvesters held a payroll job in 2012, due in part to longer fishing seasons.
In a final question, permit holders were asked: “What factors could allow/cause you to increase the number of crew used to fish this permit?” A 60 percent survey return produced these top answers: Increase in catch: 71.3%; Increase in fish dock price: 41.2%; Advancing age: 38.4%. - More...
Monday PM - November 21, 2013
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Alaska: EXPENSE ACCOUNT CHANGE ADOPTED; Returns state legislative office expense policy to transparent practice of receipt submittal – Representative Mike Hawker, Chairman of Legislative Council, announced that a new policy adopted Thursday will bring transparency and accountability to the way state legislative office expense accounts are managed. Under the new policy, office expense accounts can be used only for documented office expenditures, and not as supplemental legislative salary.
“The intent of the statute authorizing office expense allowances was not to provide additional compensation to legislators,” Hawker said. “I believe the Council took the proper action [Thursday] restoring full accountability for these public funds.”
Legislators receive an annual allowance for office expenses; senators receive $20,000 per year and representatives receive $16,000. The existing policy, established by the previous Legislative Council, paid the allowance amount to legislators as additional salary, with no requirement to track or publicly report how the funds were spent. Historically it was considered acceptable to take all or a portion of the office account as income, in light of low legislative salaries and the myriad costs associated with legislators’ official duties. Legislative salaries increased recently to $50,000 per year. - More...
Monday PM - November 25, 2013
Columns - Commentary
 JEFF LUND: Starting from square one - Over my ten year teaching career (two months in to year eleven I moved, now I’m a long-term substitute), I have constantly implored my students to be honest with themselves.
I told them if they have dreams of going to college, but as a sophomore they are carrying a 2.4 grade point average, college might end up being just that, a dream. Unless, of course, they consider the future, engage and get to work.
I take my own medicine too.
Before I moved back, my lifetime blacktail resume was exactly one deer long. It was once upon a hot August afternoon in the alpine of an almost snowless peak. After smoking the first shot from 250 yards, I put one on the 2x3 with a borrowed .270. The buck then hopped over the ridge on its three good legs and settled onto a ledge halfway down a steep incline I’d barely be able to navigate myself let alone with a dead animal. This second shot had to be true, or it would roll, and roll, and roll, and roll. Thankfully I dropped it and proceeded to slide down the steep slope to gut it. I had help, but she was 18-years old and had never gutted a deer either, though she loved to hunt and had already killed twice as many deer that day as I had in my life. Her dad waited on the ridge and gave his surgically repaired hips a break while we dragged the animal up the incline. Upon inspection, he complimented me on removing everything well, except the heart, a lung, and the urine bag. Thankfully nothing was being pumped or leaking at that point. - More...
Monday PM - November 21, 2013 |
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 The New Rain Gauge By Pamela Davies -
As much as I wish I still lived in Ketchikan, I do not. I was born and raised to love the rain, and this story really sparked my interest... My first thought was, "Awesome! I love art!" My immediate thought after that was, "what a waste of money!!!" Don't get me wrong, the tourists need SOMETHING to look at, I guess. Why not our beautiful city? - More...
Monday PM - November 25, 2013
Running as a Democrat By A.M. Johnson - Been waiting patiently for a Democrat to announce his or her running for the Alaska State House. As I await I have given thought to the changing political scene where the Independent Party has attracted a logically thought of Democrat contender while the Democrat Party standing silent with no contender. That requires action. Given an open forum as well as an open candidacy I am giving thought to registering and running as a Democrat. You may ask why. As an example I am so taken with the Democrats Alternative Health Care progress as an example demonstrate the wonders of Big Government, I'd be jumping right in advocating the State of Alaska participate to the tune of Billions of our fiscal holdings. - More...
Monday PM - November 25, 2013
Save the Republic By Glen E Terrell -
This is OUR COUNTRY! We don’t have to accept the trash coming out of Washington DC that’s being presented to us as “the fruit of the government of the greatest nation on Earth.” The president’s approval rating is 37% and that of Congress is about 9%. Collectively those we have elected to govern us are unfit to do so. It’s time for “change that really matters.” - More...
Monday PM - November 25, 2013
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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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