January 07, 2006
Saturday

I am starting to see change. Mr. Grams, I had came forward with the most realistic plan to help the local economy that has ever been put out. No one has said any thing bad about it because we are all winners if we put use to a good plan. I thought maybe someone from Cape Fox would step up and say we have land for sale. I am surprised you are not jumping on this. Are you afraid you will have to pay taxes on your land? Have you guys given up on hydro-power? Seems to me it's needed. My plan could use your help here. If you sit back and hope nothing is going to happen so only you can live off your land, opportunity will pass you by. Your people would enjoy a little prosperity again. Your land has been one of the draw backs to moving on. You should be utilizing it. You are the largest land owners. Put the money away for your children's education or something. With that said I can now move ahead. As Kevin Mackey has said, there is time when you need to over speak your elders. 
 
If we can open up our island in stages we will not be hashing up the land in one big blast - it needs to be done in steps. Let's connect what we have out there, then we can improve and go on farther. The roads were connected on P.O.W. by logging and time and then developed into highways. The same aspect should be used, only a lot smaller impact to the world. By not making the place a clear-cut but to help on the cost of such a great project. Just in the first steps we will give the loggers a little work at clearing the right of ways, and many construction workers would follow them into the woods shaping the ground into the path to the rest of the world. If we get it punched in, we can then come back and address the bad areas. Put in campgrounds, trails. we would instantly be enjoying what we have to offer to the rest of the world. A lot of you all say this will never happen. Well until you stand up and say we want access to our backyard it will not. And is this not what this money is really for - improving roads. We have to come together as one. This bridge is only going to benefit a very few. Accessing our back yard will benefit every one who enjoys living in Alaska. If you're successful, it's probably because you spent your money wisely as a community. It's the same deal.
 
You can not be afraid of environmentalist not allowing this. We all are environmentalist, since that's why we live in this rain forest. Is it not? I would love to paddle a kayak around the Misty's, run the Unick river. but it's such a pain and a big expense to do these things. One of the coolest places in Alaska that I have been is up the Stikine some eighteen years ago. Thanks Mike Otasen. Ever since then I have wanted to discover the Unik, the Chikamun. but it's such a task and a large cost. I understand only a few like to see others in outdoors so they try to keep it locked up for themselves. By putting in this road, older people, handicapped, young children and the whole family can get out and enjoy the beauty we have here. We could then maintain the intertie and maybe even afford to finish it. Homestead's in George inlet could get a local dock to make things just a bit easier running the tourist around a loop to lessen the traffic on the highways. This makes all the land in George inlet so valuable. A big ship dock for loading exports from Canada and what goods we could produce here - lumber from our mills. This state sold its soul when they let us export round logs. Where was Don Young then?
 
Projects like the aquarium need to happen now to make this place even more interesting. Last winter my daughter and I visited the aquarium in New Port Oregon, one in California by some big rock, and the big one - Sea World - the day a baby orca was born in captivity there. They would not let us watch but it got to take few laps with mom. Sure it would be based on tourist but it would keep people busy all year. Kids love to walk under water while the fish swim over and under you. The San Diego Zoo was cool. Maybe we could let a few garbage bears hang out in a big fenced-in area and throw them trash. But all aside, some of you have made this bridge way more important than the things that will really help our economy. We can not fix our roads because the state has made every thing so expensive. They could not just grind them up and repave. Some of you blame maintenance for not doing a good job, but they can't keep up when these roads are so far gone. It would be nice if they quit digging the ditches so deep. I watched a few tourist on mopeds trying to get out of one.
 
So it's a new year and we're still talking the same old stuff. But I feel the bridge is the wrong way and I want to enjoy what we have (or don't yet have). You can complain about the tourist but that's where the monies is coming from. We could dry up and become a village with no work and complain about that. But heck, what do I care. I well be working no matter what happens just because I am good at what I do.

So have a nice year to all and don't S.O.B.

Robert McRoberts
Ketchikan, AK - USA

About: Robert McRoberts is the owner of a local construction company with 25 years experience building roads on Revilla.

 

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