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Ketchikan: WISH Awarded $704,569 Grant from AHFC To Renovate Former KRYF As New Safe Shelter Posted and Edited By MARY KAUFFMAN - To address increased needs and challenges of serving Ketchikan’s at-risk and homeless population during the COVID-19 crisis, Alaska Housing Finance Corporation recently announced the award of a federally-funded grant that will help Women In Safe Homes renovate a new shelter for families and individuals experiencing domestic violence/ sexual assault and offer a rapid rehousing and homeless prevention program to the community at large.

“As winter sets in and temperatures drop, it is critical for AHFC to be able to support nonprofits that provide essential housing services to keep at-risk Alaskans and those impacted by loss of income due to COVID-19 safe and warm,” said AHFC CEO/Executive Director Bryan Butcher.

Butcher said, “These grants will enable WISH, with assistance from the City of Ketchikan, to offer a way out for survivors of domestic violence/sexual assault while also addressing homeless prevention in a community whose economy is experiencing significant hits.”

COVID-19 restrictions have reduced WISH’s bed count at its emergency shelter from 32 to 15 and forced the organization to suspend its ability to accept homeless individuals and families.

Ketchikan does not have a shelter dedicated for homeless families but in partnership with the city, WISH is renovating the former Ketchikan Regional Youth Facility. The funding from AHFC will remove the need for WISH to sell its current shelter and enable it to offer additional shelter services. $400,000 will be used to operate a rapid rehousing/homeless prevention program that could support up to 33 families for up to six months.

“Ketchikan's economy is seasonal, with the majority of citizens working April through September. The loss of the tourist season, coupled with a poor fishing season, has left many families and individuals in a precarious financial position. Access to ESG-CV funding will provide a bridge for some of these families to get them through to the next tourism and fishing season,” said WISH Executive Director Agnes Moran.

Moran said, “Ketchikan has not had this type of funding before and we are thrilled to be able to provide access to safe and stable during these challenging times." - More...
Monday PM - November 30, 2020

Alaska: Trump administration denies permit to controversial Pebble Mine proposal in Bristol Bay Watershed By MARY KAUFFMAN - Trump administration’s U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced it has denied a permit for the proposed Pebble Mine in Alaska, determining that “the applicant’s plan for the discharge of fill material does not comply with Clean Water Act guidelines” and concluding that “the proposed project is contrary to the public interest.”

The Pebble project is a proposed open-pit, large-scale mine in the Bristol Bay region of southwest Alaska. Earlier this summer, the Army Corps determined the project would impact several thousand acres of wetlands and waters and roughly 120 miles of streams in the Koktuli River Watershed. The Army Corps determined the project “cannot be permitted” as proposed and directed Pebble to submit a plan for in-kind and other compensatory mitigation within 90 days. Pebble reportedly did so, but the agency found that the project remained “contrary to the public interest” and therefore denied the permit.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ denial concludes the permitting process on the application submitted by the Pebble Partnership in December 2017.

“For the United States to turn its back on an opportunity to develop these minerals here at home in a manner that US regulators have agreed is environmentally safe and responsible, and to do so for purely political reasons, is not just short-sighted,” said Northern Dynasty President & CEO Ron Thiessen. “It’s self- destructive.”

Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. announced that on November 25, 2020, its 100%-owned, US-based subsidiary Pebble Limited Partnership received formal notification from the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) that its application for permits under the Clean Water Act and other federal statutes was denied. The lead federal regulator found Pebble’s ‘compensatory mitigation plan’ as submitted earlier this month to be ‘non-compliant’, and that the project is ‘not in the public interest’.

Northern Dynasty called the decision politically motivated and said it is fundamentally unsupported by the administrative record as developed by the USACE through the Environmental Impact Statement (“EIS”) process for the Pebble Project. Northern Dynasty confirmed that the Pebble Partnership will appeal the USACE permitting decision within the 60-day window provided for it to do so.

Quoting a news release from Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd., "Presiden-elect Biden's campaign recently said his administration would support boosting domestic production of copper and other metals necessary for the production of clean and renewable energy technologies, and a transition to a lower carbon future.”

The Corps announced in August that the project could not be permitted “as currently proposed” and required Pebble Limited Partnership to create a new compensatory mitigation plan. Since then, technical experts concluded that it would be nearly impossible for the company to meet those mitigation standards. In the meantime, Pebble’s reputation took a hit with the release of the Pebble Tapes, which led to CEO Tom Collier’s resignation. 

Executive Director of the Alaska Wilderness League Adam Kolton said, “The Pebble Mine was always the wrong mine in the wrong place. The fact that President Trump resurrected and promoted it prior to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ultimately denying the permit isn’t worth dwelling on. What matters today is that the world’s most productive salmon fisheries are safer and the tribes, fisherman and communities that depend on a healthy Bristol Bay can breathe a sigh of relief." 

Kolton said, “The credit for this victory belongs not to any politician but to Alaskans and Bristol Bay’s Indigenous peoples, as well as to hunters, anglers and wildlife enthusiasts from all across the country who spoke out in opposition to this dangerous and ill-conceived project. We can be thankful that their voices were heard, that science counted and that people prevailed over short-term profiteering.” - More...
Monday PM - November 30, 2020

Ketchikan: KETCHIKAN COMMUNITY COVID-19 RISK LEVEL REDUCED TO MODERATE - Today the Ketchikan Emergency Operations Center (EOC) lowered the Risk Level to Level 2 - Moderate. Quoting a news release, Ketchikan has done a great job responding to the COVID-19 mitigation recommendations. "We appreciate the sacrifice of the community to remain in Level 3 through the Thanksgiving Holiday. Your hard work has paid off and we are able to lower the Risk Level.

As of this morning, Ketchikan had no new positive COVID-19 cases since November 25th; however, later today one new case was reported.The number of community spread cases in the past seven days is two and the number of travel-related cases in the past seven days is three. The positivity rate (percentage of postivie test conducted) is currently at 1.19%.

The one new case of COVID-19 reported in Ketchikan today sought testing at a local clinic due to experiencing symptoms. This person has been notified of the positive result and has been instructed to isolate. The source of the contact of the virus is under investigation. - More...
Monday PM - November 30, 2020

Alaska: State of Alaska Announces $113 Million Settlement with Apple Over iPhone Throttling; A Whopping $25 for Settlement Class Action Members Releasing Claims Posted and Edited By MARY KAUFFMAN - Acting Alaska Attorney General Ed Sniffen, along with a coalition of over 30 other attorneys general led by Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, and Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill, announced a $113 million settlement with Apple, Inc. regarding Apple’s 2016 decision to throttle consumers’ iPhone speeds in order to address unexpected shutdowns in some iPhones.

Based on the multistate investigation, the attorneys general allege that Apple discovered that battery issues were leading to unexpected shutdowns in iPhones.  Rather than disclosing these issues or replacing batteries, however, Apple concealed the issues from consumers.  Apple’s concealment ultimately led to a software update in December 2016 that reduced iPhone performance in an effort to keep the phones from unexpectedly shutting down.

The attorneys general allege that Apple’s concealment of the battery issues and decision to throttle the performance of consumers’ iPhones led to Apple profiting from selling additional iPhones to consumers whose phone performance Apple had slowed. - More...
Monday PM - November 30, 2020

Coast Guard Meritorious Advancement in Ketchikan
Chief Petty Officer Nathaniel O’Connell and Petty Officer 1st Class Sean Crocker pin Petty Officer 2nd Class Alta Jones, a boatswains mate advancing to Petty Officer 1st Class, at Coast Guard Station Ketchikan, Alaska, Nov. 25, 2020. Jones was meritoriously advanced to 1st class for her outstanding contributions and accomplishments both on and off duty.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Jessica Fontenette

Rear Adm. Matthew T. Bell, Jr., the 17th Coast Guard District commander, meritoriously advanced Petty Officer 2nd Class Alta Jones, a boatswain’s mate at Station Ketchikan, to Petty Officer 1st Class in recognition of her outstanding contributions and accomplishments both on and off-duty. 

“Petty Officer Jones is a tremendous leader who embodies the Coast Guard's core values of honor, respect and devotion to duty,” said Bell. “Her example is an inspiration to others and I’m extremely pleased to recognize the outstanding role she plays in both the Coast Guard and the community of Ketchikan.”

Jones was recognized for exceptional proficiency while conducting Coast Guard operations and responding to a 250-ton vessel dragging an anchor. After arriving on scene and overcoming 115-mph winds, she was able to safely maneuver the much larger vessel into an area of safety, ultimately preventing a major pollution incident and saving the two lives aboard.

Additionally, Jones was recognized for performing duties well beyond her normal paygrade and filling critical leadership vacancies at Station Ketchikan. Serving as both the operations and training petty officer, she dedicated off-duty time to assist station members with enlisted performance qualifications, and aided in service-wide exam preparations. Jones’ efforts resulted in the qualification of 10 communication watch standers, 12 boat crewmembers, six engineers and three coxswains, subsequently enabling Station Ketchikan to meet all operational readiness requirements. - More...
Monday PM - November 30, 2020

Fish Factor: Fishing Updates; Sea cuke cures; Bambino's By LAINE WELCH - Lots of fishing updates and wrap ups continue across Alaska from Ketchikan to the far reaches of the Bering Sea. And lots of outlooks for next year’s fisheries are starting to trickle in from state and federal managers.

The Pacific halibut fishery for this year, for example, ended on November 15 and early estimates peg Alaska’s take at just under 15 million pounds out of a 16 million pound catch limit.

Results from the yearly halibut survey have raised cautious hopes for a possible uptick in some fishing regions in 2021.

“Pacific halibut appears to be holding its own, with an encouraging — if small — indication that overall weight of Catch Per Unit of Effort (CPUE), a proxy for abundance, went up by 6% coastwide, reported Peggy Parker, executive director of the Halibut Association of North America.

CPUE refers to a standard “skate” of gear that is 1,800 feet long bearing 100 hooks. Of note, the total weights per skate increased by 24%.

The final halibut catch limits for next year will be revealed at the International Pacific Halibut Commission virtual meeting set for January 25-29 and the fishery will open in March. The deadline to submit halibut regulatory proposals is December 26.

Homer held onto its title of America’s #1 halibut port for landings, followed by Kodiak and Juneau.

Alaska’s sablefish fishery (black cod) also ended on Nov. 15 with 71% of its 31.7 million pound quota crossing the docks.  Kodiak, Seward and Sitka were the top ports for landings.

Another blockbuster sockeye run is projected for Bristol Bay next summer, topping 51 million reds if projections by the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game hold true. That means the fishery will average over 48 million reds annually for the past 10 years. The 2021 forecast calls for a sockeye catch of 36.35 million fish.

ADF&G also is predicting an “average” pink salmon harvest for Southeast Alaska next year of 28 million fish, below the 10-year average of 34 million but better than the 2019 catch of 21 million.

Meanwhile, Southeast trollers are still out on the water fishing for winter Chinook salmon.

A few areas of the Panhandle remain open for pot shrimp and the harvest had reached 540,670 pounds.

Divers also continue pulling up geoduck clams; they have also taken 1.2 million pounds of sea cucumbers out of a 1.7 million pound catch limit.

The region’s Dungeness fishery is ongoing through November 30 and nearly 200 crabbers have landed 6.4 million pounds in the combined summer and fall fisheries.

A sea cucumber fishery at Kodiak and the westward region has a small quota of 165,000 pounds. A herring food and bait fishery opened on Nov. 14 at Kodiak with a 319 ton limit.

The nation’s biggest fishery – Alaska pollock – just wrapped up in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska until January 20, producing over three billion pounds of the popular whitefish.

Cod fishing is mostly over for the year except for a small reopener in the Gulf on Nov. 23 for pot or jig boats. Other boats also continue to target various rockfish and flounders.

Catches for 2021 Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska fisheries will be revealed when the North Pacific Fishery Management Council meets virtually from Nov. 30 to December 12.

Bering Sea crabbers have taken 99% of their 2.38 pound red king crab quota. They also are tapping on over 2 million pounds of Tanners and more than 6 million pounds of golden king crab. - More...
Monday PM - November 30, 2020

Chris Miller: Photographing Bristol Bay
By BJORN DIHLE
Gillnetters at work in Bristol Bay.
Photo by Chris Miller©

Alaska: Chris Miller: Photographing Bristol Bay By BJORN DIHLE - Photographing commercial fishing takes a special sort of person—one who doesn’t mind the salty spray of waves, the blood and slime of fish and the “colorful” nature many fishermen possess. Chris Miller, an acclaimed photographer who lives in Douglas, Alaska, is such a man. Some say Neptune himself molded Miller in his own form and set him forth on his destiny to roam the oceans with a camera in one hand and a trident in the other. When asked about this legend, Miller gets a faraway look as he stares out on the ocean.

“I’m a fisherman. I’ll only lie to you,” he says.

It was a debt no honest man could pay that first brought Miller to Bristol Bay. He’d just graduated school and was wondering what his next step in life would be, as well as how to pay off college debt. Going fishing seemed like the natural thing to do. He’d grown up in Southeast Alaska and, since high school, deck-handed on gill-netters and seiners on the waters near his home. He’d heard stories of Bristol Bay’s sockeye fishery—how it was the biggest in the world and a crew member could make good money during the six-week long season. He packed his raingear and camera and bought a plane ticket to King Salmon. Even though he was no stranger to the hard work and stress involved in fishing, Bristol Bay came as a shock.

“My mouth was open half of the time during those first few days. It was insanity,” Miller said.

There were boats everywhere, setting their nets atop of each other and on the verge of ramming each other. The scene was more akin to sharks in a feeding frenzy than the “gentlemen’s fishery” Miller was used to in Southeast Alaska. Miller soon learned that despite what appeared to be chaos, somehow it all worked.

Between picking a seemingly endless procession of fish from the net and being sleep-deprived, Miller became fascinated with Bristol Bay. Maybe it was the flood of salmon, or the surrounding wild country inhabited by a dense population of giant brown bears, or the interesting people who lived and worked in the region. Since then, he’s returned 14 seasons and counting.

One of the big reasons Miller keeps coming back is photography. - More...
Monday PM - November 30, 2020

Syun-Ichi Akasofu’s Alaska journey
By NED ROZELL
Akasofu works at his office in the building on the Fairbanks campus named after him.
Photo by Ned Rozell

Alaska: Syun-Ichi Akasofu’s Alaska journey By NED ROZELL - On a December night more than 60 years ago, a 28-year-old Japanese student touched down in Fairbanks, Alaska. He set down his suitcase as he stepped off the plane and looked northward, hoping to see the aurora borealis.

On Dec. 4, 2020, Syun-Ichi Akasofu will celebrate his 90th year on the planet. Akasofu has lived in Fairbanks ever since that frigid evening of his arrival, back when Alaska was not even a state.

Here, he became an authority on the aurora and, after that, the director of the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He later used his reputation and connections to establish the International Arctic Research Center. His look-away-from-the-crowd nature once made a writer describe him as Alaska’s climate-change skeptic.

Wearing suspenders and a button-up dress shirt, Akasofu would — every weekday until the 2020 pandemic — drive three miles into the university for a few hours. His work space is a cubicle in the Akasofu Building. That sun-catching, metal-and-glass structure on the highest part of the Fairbanks campus houses a science institute — the International Arctic Research Center — that would not exist without him.

Akasofu’s Alaska journey began when he wrote a letter to Sydney Chapman, a British space physicist who lived a reverse-snowbird existence, living in Fairbanks in the winter and Boulder, Colorado, in the summer.

University of Alaska officials had persuaded Chapman, an authority on the electrical activity in the thin air a few hundred miles above our heads, to come to Alaska. He said yes, but only if he didn’t have to be an administrator and could work on his studies.

Akasofu was interested in the aurora and was having trouble understanding a space-physics paper Chapman had written.

Chapman replied to Akasofu’s letter. He answered a few Akasofu’s questions and asked if the young man might want to answer some himself, in Alaska. Chapman included a check for $500. Akasofu spent the money on a ticket to Alaska.

That $500 gamble paid off for Chapman, who was looking for graduate students to populate the Geophysical Institute.

Akasofu looked at films of aurora from stations all over the top of the globe. He saw how the aurora was an oval, rather than a perfect-circle halo around Earth’s poles, which was the theory at the time. He later noticed nightly patterns of auroral explosions, which he called “substorms.” Akasofu’s 1964 paper on substorms, co-authored with Chapman, became a classic scientists still cite today.

Despite establishing a paradigm, Akasofu said he is not a fan of scientific theories set in concrete. He once challenged students and researchers to trust their instincts. - More...
Monday PM - November 30, 2020

FINANCIAL FOCUS: Financial Moves for the Recently Divorced Provided By Ben Edwards, AAMS® - Divorce is common in our society, but that doesn’t make it any easier to navigate. If you’ve recently finalized a divorce, you’ve likely been coping with uncertainty and tension, but you can still avoid turning an already difficult situation into one that’s even more challenging. How? By making the right financial and investment moves, including the following:

• Establish your separate financial presence. Even when you were married, you and your spouse might have maintained some separate accounts. But if you only had joint accounts, now is the time to open your own checking, savings and credit accounts.

• Update your budget. It’s likely your budget needs updating. Your household income may be lower or may need to be adjusted for alimony or child support (paid or received). Additionally, your living expenses may have shifted, either higher because you’re no longer splitting expenses such as housing or utilities, or possibly lower because you're no longer supporting your ex’s spending habits. Understanding your new budget will help you feel better informed about your financials options and more in control of your new situation. - More...
Monday PM - November 30, 2020

DANNY TYREE: COMMERCIAL RADIO TURNS 100: WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE MEMORIES? - Did you realize that commercial radio got its start on November 2, 1920 when legendary KDKA in Pittsburgh broadcast the results of the Harding-Cox presidential race?

Almost overnight, radio transitioned from domination by ham operators to an actual business with schedules, programming and sponsors.

Now the world has experienced an entire CENTURY peppered with FDR’s “Fireside Chats,” serialized “Captain Midnight” adventures, the original soap operas, traffic and weather reports, Top 40 countdowns, sportscasts (I still remember hearing Hank Aaron break Babe Ruth’s home run record), catchy advertising jingles, truckdriver-oriented DJs, small-town birthday listings and all the other auditory events that make life worth living.

I was just lucky to be BORN into such an amazing world. In his carefree bachelor days, my father surely considered climbing the radio transmitter tower and hurling himself to his doom after hearing one too many heavy-rotation plays of that early “earworm” song “RaggMopp” by the Ames Brothers (“R-A-G-G M-O-P-P RaggMopp!”) I hope Dad was polite when he told the DJ where he could put his “stacks o’ wax.” - More...
Monday PM - November 30, 2020

Political Cartoon: Black and blue
By Adam Zyglis ©2020, The Buffalo News, NY
Distributed to subscribers for publication by Cagle Cartoons, Inc.