Ketchikan: Significant Snow Accumulation Brings Challenges; Citizens asked for assistance during dig-out - Yesterday's snow brought difficult travel issues to say the least. Getting around town was hazardous for the average commuter but made extremely difficult and dangerous for emergency equipment and responders said Jim Hill, Chief of the Ketchikan Fire Department.

Hill said, "The Ketchikan Fire Department had eight emergency calls for assistance during the day Sunday. Four calls were non-medical related calls, including one call for 'people trapped on an elevator' which was quickly remedied when power was restored. There were four calls for medical assistance with off-duty personnel with four-wheel drive vehicles and snowplows helping ensure a rapid response."

Over the next few days Chief Hill said the Ketchikan Fire Department asks local citizens to "help us help you" during this period of cold weather and significant snow accumulations. City of Ketchikan street crews are busy clearing stockpiles of snow and plowing your streets. Remember Hill said, if you just shovel your snow into the street, it will just get plowed into your neighbor's driveway and can make driving hazardous in front of your house.

The City of Ketchikan Department of Public Works will be clearing snow in the downtown area Monday. They will be working throughout the next several evenings. The areas they will be concentrating on for the next couple days will be: Main Street, Mission Street, Dock Street, Grant Street, Mill Street and Bawden Street.

Here are a few things you and your neighbors can do to help all of us get through this period of nasty weather said Hill: - More...
Monday - December 29, 2008

Fish Factor: Seafood forecasters predict rough ride By LAINE WELCH - It's tough to make business plans when the economy is being buffeted by forces beyond your control. And most forecasters predict the rough ride will last at least through the rest of the coming year.

Here are some outlooks for the prospects and challenges facing important Alaska seafoods provided by longtime analyst Ken Talley, editor of Seafood Trend:

Wild salmon supplies will increase, especially for the lower-priced species, less so for the high end products. The big task for marketers will be to keep prices from sliding.

Farmed salmon will be less available, due in great part to financial troubles and disease problems that continue to plague the Chilean industry. Production there could fall 25%-40% after the upcoming coho and steelhead harvests. This could mean reduced exports to the U.S. market, especially if buyers are unwilling to pay higher prices. Farmed Atlantic salmon from Norway and Canada will fill some of the void.

Groundfish supplies will be down for some important volume leaders, notably, Alaska pollock harvests which will decrease from 1.2 million tons to 815,000 tons. Demand could remain so strong that producers could move away from surimi production to pricier fillets. As for cod, Talley said "the problems in this cash-intensive business have more to do with the inability to finance production and inventory than any problem with demand."

Halibut will remain at the top of the fresh market, but frozen halibut will see lower prices even with a lower catch limit, which is expected to drop about 10.6% in 2009. This should keep fresh prices at high levels as it moves away from retail and further towards white tablecloth restaurants. - More...
Monday - December 29, 2008

Alaska: BOND SALE ADVANCES POINT MACKENZIE PRISON PROJECT; PRISON CONSTRUCTION FUNDING CONFIRMED - With the sale of $240 million in municipal bonds, construction will begin this spring on the Department of Corrections' newest facility, the 1,536-bed Goose Creek Correctional Center, located at Point Mackenzie in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough.

The facility ­ designed to house sentenced inmates ­ is projected to open in late 2011 or early 2012.

"In selling bonds in a stressed economy, we were patient and waited until conditions were right," said Commissioner Joe Schmidt.

"I don't want to celebrate a new prison, because the health of a community is not indicated by the size of its prison system. But I am pleased that we will be bringing corrections jobs home from Arizona," the Commissioner said. "I'm pleased that we will be providing construction jobs for Alaskans. And it's my hope that when this prison opens it will help successfully reintegrate offenders to be part of a productive workforce." - More...
Monday - December 29, 2008

DAVE KIFFER: Visits by Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, or the Tooth Fairy - Spoiler Alert!: If you or anyone else in your family still believes that Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy still visits your house please don't read this. Or at least don't leave it up on your home computer where someone else can read it!

The Tooth Fairy visited our house a couple of weeks ago.

Sort of.

My seven year old lost a tooth and dutifully placed it in a baggie under his pillow. This has happened several times in the past and each morning he awakes and finds the money that the Tooth Fairy has left behind.

It's a good system. It's been working for generations in our family.

But not this time.

As usual, I snuck into his room early in the morning but it was a little too dark to see and he was obviously on the wrong side of the pillow for an easy transfer of the money/tooth. I went back out into the hall and turned on a light and stealthily snuck back in and effected the transfer.

Or so I thought.

The next morning Liam was very upset and told his mother that "Daddy" had "turned on a light" and snuck in and replaced the tooth.

She quickly told him that we had gotten an urgent message from the Tooth Fairy and that Daddy was asked by the TF to get the tooth.

He was pretty skeptical, but at that age you still at least want "to believe" so he toddled off to school. It also had to help that since Daddy didn't have any small bills in his wallet, the "tooth fairy" had left him $10!

That afternoon, I got on the computer and created a gmail account from the "Tooth Fairy" and sent us the following email.

"Dear Kiffer Family,

Please put $10 for me under Liam's pillow. I can not make it to Alaska tonight because there was a really, really, really big youth hockey tournament in Canada today and I am having to pick up hundreds of teeth. I promise to be there next time.

Love,

The Tooth Fairy.

Liam seemed genuinely surprised and pleased to see the email that afternoon. Fortunately, he didn't notice the time it was sent was several hours after the "tooth fairy" had visited!

It was a bit of work on my part to keep the "dream" alive, but then my parents once went to a lot of trouble for me in a similar situation (see below). - More...
Monday - December 29, 2008

Public Meetings Ketchikan Borough Assembly Agenda and Information Packets Ketchikan City Council Agenda & Information Packets Ketchikan School Board Agenda & Information Packets Ketchikan Police Report - Updated AK Troopers Daily Dispatch Today's Forecast Satellite Today's Weather Images Marine Forecasts Ketchikan Weather Data Current AK Weather Map CLASSIFIEDS Publish ad Please select the proper category before posting. CLASSIFIEDS' CATEGORIES Announcements and       Help Wanted For Sale / Free Stuff Garage Sales Homes / Apts/ Property Pets Wanted Lost & Found Local Services Publish your ad December 2008 Front Page Archives S M T W T F S 30 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 31       More Front Page Archives

Thank you to N.T.V.F.D & Pt. Higgins Elementary By Jessica Peavey - I want to say a huge thank you to the North Tongass Volunteer Fire Department for adopting our family this year for Christmas. Also, a big thank you to Pt. Higgins Elementary for thinking of our family when it came time to choose! - More...
Tuesday AM - December 23, 2008

In the Eyes of Santa By Santa - I had the privilege of visiting your fair town of Ketchikan recently for a beautiful tree lighting ceremony! In this year of many firsts, it was wonderful to hear that Ketchikan was reviving a fabulous tradition inviting me to light the town Christmas tree! As I approached the dock in the city's fine Fire Engine, what to my wandering eyes appeared? A sea of smiles from children of all ages waiting in joyful anticipation. As Mayor Weinstein and Mayor Kiffer joined in, we three announced with glee the lighting of your most beautiful Christmas tree! - More...
Tuesday AM - December 23, 2008

Elections By Cecelia Johnson - The Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) council elections are upcoming and gives you a chance to have a voice in who you think could fulfill a leadership position. With this privilege think and vote for: - More...
Tuesday AM - December 23, 2008

Cheapest gas By Katie Parrott - Just FYI to those of you concerned with gas prices, Gas at Last by Tatsuda's has gas for $1.99/gallon, as of Monday night. (But they don't have a sign, so you have to look on the pumps to confirm the price.) It might be the cheapest gas on the Rock right now. Does anyone know of another station, out North or South maybe, with cheaper? I say let's only patronize those stations that are offering the lowest price. Maybe it will drive the other prices down even more. - More...
Tuesday AM - December 23, 2008

Keep Looking Up By Ardath Piston - I would like to thank all of the people involved in putting up the Christmas tree downtown. If one parks their car and walks over to it, they might be amazed at what they can see in our night sky. Just last week we were fortunate enough to view not only a magnificent full moon, but also a meteor shower. Such a display puts things in perspective. - More...
Tuesday AM - December 23, 2008

Ketchikan Community Chorus Chrismas Program By Judith Green - On Sunday afternoon, a lovely cold clear afternoon, and wonderful choral music was heard at the Presbyterian Church by the Ketchikan Community Chorus, directed by Steve Kinney.
There were solos and a men's quartet along with the full chorus. At the end of the program the audience was invited to join the chorus in singing Handel's Hallelujah Chorus and some traditional Chrismas songs. - More...
Tuesday - December 23, 2008

If You Don't Volunteer, You Can't Complain! By Charlotte L. Glover - I was glad to see Diane Naab's letter explaining the position of the downtown Christmas tree. I attended the tree lighting ceremony with two very excited little boys. We enjoyed the singing of the Tongass School, the free refreshments and we were happy to be out of the rain in the spacious covered shelter. The free holiday stockings full of fruit, nuts and toys were deluxe.Those of us who actually PARTICIPATED in the event had nothing but happy smiles on our faces. I think the Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Steering Committee did a fabulous job at kicking off our holiday season. And I know Sockeye Sams and Tongass Trading sure did not mind the many of us who took time to shop that afternoon while we were on the dock! - More..
Tuesday AM - December 23, 2008

Christmas lights By Dalton Fox - I would like to express my apprieciation for the great job Northland services does in decking out there building for Christmas. I have always been an fan of their great decorations.I want to say I also enjoy so many of the beautifully decorated houses as we commute around Ketchikan. - More...
Tuesday AM - December 23, 2008

Christmas tree By Trygve Westergard - I would like to recommend a place for the Christmas tree if we have to move at again. What about the little park where the eagle is? That way it can be seen by both lanes of traffic. - More...
Tuesday AM - December 23, 2008

While you're talking about trees... By Kimberly Groves - I have read many letters concerning the placement of the town Christmas tree. This really has nothing to do with that, as I no longer live in Ketchikan, so I do not know the current location of the Christmas tree, as opposed to where it should be. - More...
Tuesday AM - December 23, 2008

Gas Prices By Travis Tippetts - How long have these high gas prices been the topic of every water cooler conversation? If asked, I dare say that most every resident would rate this as their number one issue. Is the gas issue not news worthy! How many powder puff articles have we been bombarded with while this "real" story is being ignored. I feel the media is negligent in the covering of this story. Where are the tough questions and raw information that will let us make an educated decision as to any price gouging? Power is in an informed public. People perpetuating injustices thrive in information vacuums. - More...
Tuesday AM - December 23, 2008

Price gouging-grab your ankles By Dr. Ed Fry - Even though we live in Florida, we often think about Ketchikan daily because we have a prestnet that started her life there. - More...
Tuesday AM - December 23, 2008

Price Gouging? By Robbie King - I just moved to Ketchikan from Minnesota in September. It is my understanding, (and I may be off here) that there was a petition and even a city council meeting talked about how high the prices were. The outcome of which was a few choice people saying that the gas stations wouldn't do that and then they quoted exactly what the people who mark the prices told them. - More...
Tuesday AM - December 23, 2008

Good Job By Cecilia DuPree - Way to go Ken Horn and supporters of lower gas prices! My pocket book thanks you! - More...
Tuesday AM - December 23, 2008

Protest By Jerilyn Lester - I want to thank Ken Horn for organizing the gas price protest and for calling me to let me know about it. It went off without a hitch in spite of the cold. There were lots of car horns in support and several people stopped to talk to us about their thoughts and to say thanks. Well it worked!!! - More...
Tuesday AM - December 23, 2008

Gas prices By Harold Carpenter - As a by-product of higher fuel prices, how have your other prices reacted? Here outside, groceries & other consumer prices all rose in proportion to fuel because of production & transportation costs. - More...
Tuesday AM - December 23, 2008

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