Regular Election October 02, 2018 Absentee in-person voting began on Sept. 17, 2018. SitNews Online 2018 Forum Instantly publish your comments, questions, join discussions... Ketchikan City Council Candidates 3-Year Term, 2 Seats to Fill Janalee L. Gage Filed 08/01/18 Candidate's Statement 09/03/18 Sam Bergeron Filed 08/23/18 Candidate's Statement 09/13/18 Dragon London Filed 08/24/18 Candidate's Statement   Spencer Strassburg Filed 08/27/18 Ketchikan City Mayor 3-Year Term, 1 Seat to Fill Unchallenged Robert (Bob) Sivertsen Filed 08/01/18 Ketchikan Assembly Candidates 3-Year Term, 2 Seats to Fill Watch the Chamber's Borough Assembly Forum 09/05/18 YouTube Courtesy KPU TV Dan Bockhorst Filed 08/01/18 Candidate's Statement 09/11/18 Austin Otos Filed 08/02/18 Candidate's Statement 09/09/18 Danielle "Dani" Pratt Filed 08/22/18 Candidate's Statement 09/19/18   Sven Westergard Filed 08/24/18   James Montgomery Filed 08/24/18 Felix Wong Filed 08/27/18 Candidate's Statement 09/17/18 Ketchikan School Board 3-Year Term, 3 Seats to Fill Matt Eisenhower Filed 08/10/18 Candidate's Statement 09/13/18 Sonya Skan Filed 08/13/18 Candidate's Statement 09/11/18 Rachel Breithaupt Filed 08/17/18 Candidate's Statement 09/07/18 Bridget Mattson Filed 08/20/18 Candidate's Statement 09/20/18 Lana Boler Filed 08/21/18 Candidate's Statement 09/21/18

Ketchikan: Ketchikan Borough Addresses Vigor Shipyard Layoffs - Today, Ketchikan Borough Manager Ruben Duran announced that on September 13th, 2018, Ketchikan Gateway Borough representatives met with officials from Vigor Alaska, the City of Ketchikan, and the Alaska Industrial Export Authority (AIDEA) to discuss the projected layoffs recently announced by Vigor and efforts to mitigate job losses at the Ketchikan Shipyard.

During the September 13th meeting, Vigor Executive Vice President Adam Beck reaffirmed Vigor’s commitment to remaining in Ketchikan. The company is wrapping up work on the second Alaska Class Ferry construction project and does not have enough work to maintain the current workforce. Vigor estimates it will lay off up to 80 workers. AIDEA stated that it has and will continue to work with Vigor to ensure the health of the Ketchikan Shipyard, which is owned by AIDEA.

Vigor Alaska officials informed Ketchikan shipyard workers at a meeting in August they were expecting to lay off 50-80 workers between October and the end of the year. The reason cited by Vigor was the lack of new construction projects. Vigor employees at the Ketchikan shipyard are wrapping up construction of Alaska Marine Highway System’s two newest day ferries. The two ferries will serve travelers along the Lynn Canal route between Juneau, Haines and Skagway.

In response to the Vigor's layoff announcement, the Ketchikan Borough has developed a plan to address these concerns. Borough officials were recently invited to attend a meeting with members of the White House administration on October 23rd, 2018 to discuss Alaska issues. On September 19th, the Ketchikan Gateway Assembly authorized Assembly Member Rodney Dial to use this opportunity to attend the meeting and serve as the official Borough spokesperson regarding Federal policy issues, including those in support of the shipyard.

The Ketchikan Borough is seeking an emergency exemption to the small business set aside regulations, which prevent Vigor from pursuing maintenance and repair work on Federal naval vessels, including U.S. Coast Guard vessels. Current regulations require USCG vessels homeported in Ketchikan to travel hundreds of miles to access alternate shipyard facilities that qualify for the small business set aside. An exemption to the small business set aside regulation would support jobs in Ketchikan, improve operational readiness of the U.S. Coast Guard and could potentially save the Federal government funds by eliminating travel expenses.

According to today's news release, the Ketchikan Borough has long advocated for the continued build out of the Ketchikan Shipyard and the completion of the Ship Conversion Hall as well as the homeporting of the NOAA Vessel Fairweather in Ketchikan. Both could greatly improve the financial outlook and competitive advantage of the Ketchikan Shipyard. - More...
Thursday PM - September 20, 2018

Ketchikan: 2018 Recreational Season Monitoring Complete for Ketchikan Beaches - The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has completed the 2018 Ketchikan BEACH Monitoring Program for coastal areas in Ketchikan, Alaska.

A full report on 2018 monitoring will be available by the end of the year. Bacteria monitoring is planned for 2019 to help further determine bacteria sources, and to support the development of solutions and implementation of bacteria source reduction measures within Ketchikan.

Enterococci levels continue to exceed the recreational standards at several beaches:

• South Point Higgins 
• Thomas Basin
• Rotary pool, 
• Mountain Point (cultural foods location)
• Herring Cove. 

The Department of Environmental Conservation recommends that when swimming in these areas, people should shower after contact with the water.

Fecal coliform bacteria levels were above state limits protecting consumption of raw fish and shellfish at five beaches (Shull, Sunset, Seaport, Mountain Point cultural foods, and Herring Cove). When fishing in these areas people should rinse fish/marine foods with clean water and cook seafood to a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit to destroy pathogens.

Enterococci and fecal coliform bacteria can come from any warm blooded animal, including birds, seals, and dogs, as well as humans. Potential sources of these bacteria in Ketchikan may include wildlife and pet feces, human waste from private and municipal treatment systems, sewer line leakage, and/or boats in harbor areas. Contact with water impacted by enterococci or fecal coliform bacteria may cause stomach aches, diarrhea, or ear, eye, and skin infections. 

As part of a statewide recreational beach monitoring program, marine water samples have been collected weekly from May 17 to September 12 at the 11 beaches listed below. - More...
Thursday PM - September 20, 2018

Photo of the Month Ketchikan: Cruise Ship Schedule 2018(pdf) Courtesy Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska - claalaska.com Ketchikan: Public Meetings Ketchikan: Upcoming Events Historical Ketchikan June Allen Dave Kiffer Louise B. Harrington Ketchikan Weather Ketchikan's Forecast Weather History Sept. 2018 August: Precip Stats:  Actual Month Total: 2.16 in Average Month Total: 9.91 in Ketchikan's Historic Weather Nat Weather Service KTN Ketchikan Tides & Currents Sunrise - Sunset Ketchikan Search the News Ketchikan Alaska

Alaska: Proposed Pacific Salmon Treaty Agreement Announced; Includes Improvements in Modeling, Mitigation, Stock Assessments, and Implementation Funding By MARY KAUFFMAN - The Pacific Salmon Commission has recommended to the governments of Canada and the United States a new 10-year conservation and harvest sharing agreement under the Pacific Salmon Treaty.

With the current harvest sharing agreement set to expire on December 31, 2018, Canadian and U.S. representatives on the Commission met regularly over the course of two years for extensive negotiations leading to the new 10-year proposal.

The bilateral Pacific Salmon Treaty governs the shared harvest and conservation of Pacific salmon species along the Pacific Northwest coast. Treaty-based agreements for harvest sharing and fishery management between the United States and Canada are renegotiated every ten years, with the last renegotiated annex signed in 2009.

The 2018 recommended agreement, announced on Monday, September 17, 2018 includes additional funding for Treaty implementation, accountability provisions to ensure management is based on standardized and unbiased science, and renewed commitments from both the United States and Canada to apply appropriate management measures to transboundary and coast-wide salmon stocks.

“It was gratifying to know throughout the negotiations that conservation of coastwide salmon stocks was the highest priority of every commissioner,” said NOAA Fisheries’ Bob Turner, U.S. Commissioner and current Chair of the Commission.

“I’m pleased the Commission was able to bring forward this recommendation, and that the Parties were able to reach an agreement that we feel will support the conservation and long-term sustainability of this important resource” said Rebecca Reid, Canadian Vice-Chair of the Commission and Regional Director General, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Region.

The proposed agreement covers highly-migratory salmon stocks from Cape Falcon, Oregon in the south to Southeast Alaska in the north, including Pink, Coho, Sockeye, Chum and Chinook salmon.

Among the changes recommended by the Commission are new conservation objectives for several salmon populations, as well as a renewed commitment to science and stock assessment to inform decision-makers in both countries. The proposed agreement also includes harvest reductions for Chinook fisheries in both countries that will help protect stocks while providing sustainable harvest opportunities for First Nations, Indian Tribes, and commercial and recreational fishers in both countries.

The Pacific Salmon Treaty agreement between the U.S. and Canada determines shared harvest levels for British Columbia, Alaska, Washington, Oregon and Idaho, and for the first time since the creation of the Pacific Salmon Treaty in 1985, the 59-member Alaska Treaty Team unanimously supported the Alaska position contained within the ten-year conservation and harvest recommendations.

In the new 10-year recommended agreement, Chinook harvest share reductions are as follows:Alaska will take a 7.5% reduction; Washington and Oregon will take a variable 5-15% reduction depending on the stock; and Canada will take a 12.5% reduction.

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) welcomed the announcement this week of the Pacific Salmon Treaty agreement between the U.S. and Canada.

Murkowski said, “Coming to an agreement like this no easy task, so to know that the renegotiated Pacific Salmon Treaty agreement received unanimous support from the Alaska Treaty Team, for the first time in history, is extremely telling. While this agreement is not perfect, I know our Alaskan negotiators worked very hard over these past few years to represent Alaskan’s interests. I expect that all parties will continue the cooperative efforts to maintain a conservation-based salmon management system." - More...
Thursday PM - September 20, 2018

Southeast Alaska: Southeast Conferences Announces Southeast Alaska Community and Business of the Year Awards - Ketchikan laid out the red carpet for over 300 members of Southeast Conference participating in the organization’s 60th Annual Meeting, held last week. During the event Southeast Conference announced the 2018 winners for the Southeast Alaska community and business of the year. These awards celebrate outstanding achievements by companies and municipalities making positive economic impacts in the region.

The Southeast Alaska Community of the Year for 2018 is Kake. Robert Venables, Executive Direct of Southeast Conference explained why Kake received the award. “Kake is one of those communities that does so much with what they have. It takes all elements of a community working together to make things happen. Plaques were given to both the Organized Village of Kake (OVK) and the City of Kake to recognize the accomplishments of both local governments in Kake. Many years of hard work paid off in the last year or so with so many incredible things coming together making Kake our 2018 Southeast Alaska Community of the year.” Multiple significant community efforts culminated in the last year, including the following:

• Cannery: The Organized Village of Kake is working to turn its historic cannery into a tourist destination. The tribal government has already worked to save the buildings in the complex. Now, the community is adding plumbing, electricity, public bathrooms, and a commercial kitchen. It will have performances and vendor space, enabling Kake to earn income from tourism and raise the community’s profile among tour groups.
  
  
• Gunnuk Creek: Energy costs are high in Kake. Gunnuk Creek is a hydroelectric plant for Kake that is ready to be built and has been included in the governors capital budget. Gunnuk Creek will convert a dam built last decade to provide water to Kake into a hydroelectric provider. It will provide more than half of Kake’s electricity once completed.
  
  
• Hatchery: The penstock from Gunnuk Creek will also provide water for the local hatchery. A regional aquaculture association bought Kake’s fish hatchery last year and is planning to have salmon in the building this fall. The new program will supply chum and king salmon to two different areas near the town.
  
  
• New Diesel Power Plant and Tank Farm: The rest of Kake’s electricity will come from its new diesel power plant, which was recently upgraded to be more efficient and completed in October 2017. Next to it stand a new fuel tank farm that was completed in October 2017. The new structure replaces a tank farm that was there for over 100 years. These projects could not have been completed without the great work of IPEC.
  
  
• Ferry Terminal: Kake received new ferry terminal building finished in Spring 2017, including a new ramp. Prior to this there was no terminal building in the community.
  
  
• Boat Harbor and Launch: Kake’s new Boat harbor was also completed in 2018. The original harbor was built more than 40 years ago, but it fell into a state of immediate disrepair, as there was not a breakwater. While Kake eventually received funding for a breakwater, the original damaged floats had never been replaced. The project provided brand new floats and a new boat launch for the community.
  
  
• Additional Projects: Also in the past year or so, Kake received $4 million in funding for sewer and water to replace old infrastructure; roads were completed with blacktop; OVK is in design for a biomass district heating that will use locally sourced biomass that will create jobs and displace imported diesel; Kake received $1,00,000 for picnic area at Seal Point; Kake received state and federal to funds to widen a road; they completed a remodel on their community hall; and in 2019, the community will receive funds to repair the airport.

City of Kake Vice Mayor, Paulette Jackson was on-hand to receive the award. “This was an amazing accomplishment for the City of Kake, the Organized Village of Kake, and Kake Tribal Corporation. Together we have accomplished amazing things. On behalf of our community I accept this award.” - More...
Thursday PM - September 20, 2018

Southeast Alaska: Coast Guard suspends search for a missing man in Kake - The Coast Guard has suspended the search this evening for a missing 55-year-old male who reportedly fell from a pier in Kake, Alaska.

"Suspending a search is one of the hardest decisions we make in the Coast Guard,” said Cmdr. Byron Hayes, Sector Juneau search and rescue mission coordinator. "The decision is made with great care and deliberation, and with heavy hearts for the family and friends of the missing man.”

Wednesday, 9/19/18, at about 8:51 PM, Ketchikan State Trooper dispatch personnel received a report that Reginald Skeek Jr, 55 of Kake, had not been seen since approximately 3:30 PM Wednesday. 

According to the Trooper Dispatch, Skeek was reportedly seen at the liquor store prior to his disappearance.  It was reported that community members were already out searching. Two Village Public Safety officers were advised and joined the search efforts but were unable to locate Skeek. 

On Thursday, a review of surveillance footage from the Kake Liquor Store showed an unidentified individual falling off the dock into the water behind the liquor store around 1:00 PM on Wednesday.  The VPSOs and two AWT troopers continued search efforts as additional troopers and the Coast Guard assisted in the search.  An ROV was used in the search. - More...
Thursday PM - September 20, 2018

Alaska: Stand for Alaska APOC Complaint Alleges Violations by Opposition - The Stand for Alaska-Vote No on 1 campaign said today it has filed a complaint with the Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC) alleging that several groups campaigning in support of Ballot Measure 1 have violated Alaska campaign finance laws and regulations.

The complaint, filed this afternoon, asks APOC to hold an emergency hearing within 48-hours to consider expediting consideration of the formal complaint alleging violations of Alaska campaign laws. In its filing, the group says quick action on the complaint is warranted because the groups supporting Ballot Measure 1 are acting “to withhold from Alaska voters the source of their funding which they have used to advocate in support of Ballot Measure 1.” The No campaign says the proponent’s failure to disclose campaign donors could cause “irreparable harm” by denying voters vital information they need to know before they vote November 6.

Much of the formal complaint targets an Alaska environmental advocacy and lobbying organization called The Alaska Center. The complaint asserts that The Alaska Center has failed to report both the full amount and the true source of the campaign contributions it has received to fund its campaign activities and that, based on its campaign activities, it has violated state campaign law by failing to file as a “group,” which requires additional disclosures under state law.  The filing also says that The Alaska Center and two other entities engaged in supporting Ballot Measure 1 - Stand for Salmon and Yes for Salmon - have actively coordinated in their campaigns and should be registered collectively as one group.  The complaint also alleges that the Stand for Salmon organization has failed to use the required “paid for by” disclosure statements in its paid advertising. 

Ryan Schryver, Director of Stand for Salmon responded to a request by SitNews to comment on the APOC compliant filed by Stand for Salmon on Thursday. This story was updated Friday, 09/21/18 to include his comments.

Schryver said, "These are baseless allegations from a struggling campaign. They’ve spent millions of dollars on commercials trying convince Alaskans to vote against our own economic best interests but Alaskans aren’t buying what they’re selling, so now they’re trying to change the subject."  - More...
Thursday PM - September 20, 2018

RICH MANIERI: Of Course Democrats Are Playing Politics on Kavanaugh Nomination - It would nice if once, just once, our Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress could take a break from giving each other noogies and spend their energy trying to find the truth. 

You remember the truth. At the moment it's gasping for air beneath a heap of political agendas.

Unfortunately for the American people, the Brett Kavanaugh fiasco only highlights the inability of our elected representatives to agree on much of anything, up to and including ordering lunch.

At issue is what to do about the accusations that Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump's most recent Supreme Court nominee, sexually assaulted a woman when he was in high school. Kavanaugh's accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, alleges that Kavanaugh pinned her down, tried to remove her swimming suit and put his hand over her mouth when she tried to scream. Kavanaugh says it never happened.

Republicans are accusing Democrats of "playing politics" with the accusations partly because the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., sat on the information for two months until an opportune time for its release, which turned to be near the end of Kavanaugh's confirmation process. 

Well played, senator, as if the information wasn't important when Feinstein received it. And now, at least to Democrats, it's the most important piece of information in the world.

Of course, the Democrats are playing politics. And if you're a Republican and you don't believe your party leaders would do the same thing if the situation were reversed, you'd better sit this one out.

I don't know what Kavanaugh did or was capable of doing 35 years ago when he was 17. I do know this sort of alleged, abhorrent behavior seems to be inconsistent with what we've learned about his history and character.

I also know that his accuser should be taken seriously and not condemned for coming forward. And now Republicans, including the president, want Ford to testify before the Senate committee to gauge whether the allegations against Kavanaugh are credible. But it's still unclear if Ford will take Republicans up on their offer to tell her story. - More...
Thursday PM - September 20, 2018