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Monday
January 27, 2014
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Ward Lake: Heron in Hiding
Herons are a widespread family with a cosmopolitan distribution. They exist on all continents except Antarctica, and are present in most habitats except the coldest extremes of the Arctic, extremely high mountains and the driest deserts. Almost all species are associated with water, they are essentially non-swimming waterbirds that feed on the margins of lakes, rivers, swamps, ponds and the sea. (Source Wikipedia)
Front Page Photograph By SUSAN HOYT ©2014
(Please respect the rights of photographers, never republish or copy
without permission and/or payment of required fees.)
Ketchikan: How Radioactive is Our Ocean? No visible or proactive leadership role by AK DEC in monitoring radiation By MARY KAUFFMAN - Nearly three years after the tsunami that resulted in Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant accident, questions remain about how much radioactive material has been released and how widely and quickly it is dispersing in the Pacific Ocean and our northwestern coast line.
New citizen science campaign aims to collect ocean samples and fund radiation analysis -- WHOI senior scientist Ken Buesseler has collected and analyzed the seawater surrounding the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant since the 2011 disaster. As the low-level radiation travels across the Pacific, Buesseler has launched a crowd sourcing campaign and website to monitor radiation levels along the West Coast of North America.
Photo courtesy of Ken Buesseler, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
In a presentation last week to the Alaska Senate Resources Committee, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Larry Hartig's overview noted the state has found no reason for concern. Hartig also reported to the committee last week that the DEC is not carrying out fish testing for radiation with his report indicating there may well be more radiation risk in a banana than in tuna.
In an interview with the Juneau Empire, Hartig pointed out that Alaska DEC tests fish regularly, not just for radiation,“We try to test for things that we think present real risk, like mercury.” The commissioner added he was concerned that people were being misinformed and not taking into consideration scientific research.
Regarding the spread of misinformation, Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins of Sitka says the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation has not played a visible nor a proactive leadership role in monitoring radiation concerns. He wrote in a recent newsletter, "...We absolutely need to cautiously monitor the situation. There are legitimate reasons to be concerned about Fukushima, and the Department of Environmental Conservation should play a visible, proactive leadership role. It has not. Unchecked by fact, fear-mongering Facebook posts that make the entire Pacific Ocean look as though it's practically boiling with nuclear radiation are stirring up paranoia."
Referencing scientific information provided by marine chemist Ken Buesseler of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), Kreiss-Tomkins wrote, "Facebook is good for photos of your best friend's impossibly cute newborn baby. But for Fukushima information, take it from Dr. Buesseler of Woods Hole: the Pacific is safe and so is our seafood."
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Although the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, nor any U.S. government or international agency is monitoring the spread of low levels of radiation from Fukushima along Alaska or the West Coast of North America, marine chemist Ken Buesseler at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) has been gathering samples -- some from as close as half a mile from the damaged reactors -- and has been analyzing this seawater for Fukushima contaminants since 2011.
In January 2014, the Center for Marine and Environmental Radioactivity (CMER) at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), a private non-profit marine research and education organization, launched a project to involve the public in gathering seawater samples and raising funds for analyses that will provide the latest information about radiation levels in the ocean. This data will be published on a website, “How Radioactive is Our Ocean?”
The world’s oceans contain many naturally occurring radioactive isotopes, as well as the remnants of nuclear weapons testing from the 1960s. Starting in 2011, fallout, runoff, and continued leaks from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Japan added to this baseline and sparked fears of wide-ranging impacts to the marine ecosystem and human health.
Although Buesseler does not expect levels to be dangerously high in the ocean or in seafood as the plume spreads 5,000 miles across the Pacific, he believes this is an evolving situation that demands careful, consistent monitoring to make sure predictions are true. - More...
Monday PM - January 27, 2014
Alaska: Comprehensive Education Bill Introduced by Gov; Bolsters School Choice, Provides Better College and Career Readiness Opportunities, Offers Three Year Increase to BSA - Governor Sean Parnell introduced a comprehensive education bill on Friday that seeks to bolster parental choice in charter and residential schools, increase the base student allocation (BSA), and improve high school graduates’ readiness for postsecondary education and the workforce.
“Alaska’s future depends on excellent schools for our children, and we must continue to create educational opportunity for all students, so they are well prepared for success,” Governor Parnell said. “No one knows better how to help a student succeed than his or her own family. The measures in this bill will increase opportunity for families to make wise choices regarding their student’s education in the public school system; ensure that the essential needs of Alaska’s students are met; provide flexibility in assessing achievement and the earning of necessary educational credits to suit an individual student’s needs; and incentivize broader opportunities for students as they prepare to enter Alaska’s workforce.”
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Governor Parnell’s bill strengthens parental choice and student opportunities by increasing support for charter and residential schools. The bill would require school districts to determine funding for students in a charter school in the same manner they would for students in any public school within the same district, including funds for special needs, pupil transportation, and vocational education. To help remove barriers for charter schools, and to create a public record for accountability, the bill would require the local school board to approve or deny charter applications in writing, and provide findings of fact and conclusions of law. The bill would also give charter school applicants that have been denied a charter by their school district the ability to appeal to the commissioner of Education and Early Development.
In an effort to increase opportunity for new residential schools, the governor added a provision to his bill establishing an annual open application period. The legislation also includes an increase to the state per-student stipends for room and board in district-operated residential schools to better reflect true costs, and relieve some of the financial burden on these schools.
The bill would increase the BSA used in the formula for state funding of public education over a three-year period. While education funding related to many essential needs, like rising energy costs, has increased, the BSA has not been raised in several years. The increase proposed was based upon percentage increases in recent public employee contracts. - More...
Monday PM - January 27, 2014
Alaska: TWO NEW FAST RESCUE BOATS FOR M/V COLUMBIA - Willard Marine, a 56-year-old builder of composite and aluminum boats, has delivered two rescue boats for the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS). AMHS operates a state-owned commercial fleet of 11 vessels that run along a scenic 3,500-mile route from Washington state to the Aleutian Islands.
“The AMHS has chosen Willard Marine as their preferred U.S. supplier for their ferries, confirming that our quality, purpose-built design continues to be the first choice for FRBs in the SOLAS market,” said Ulrich Gottschling, president of Willard Marine.
Under the contract, Willard Marine is supplying two U.S. Coast Guard-approved SEA FORCE® 670 SOLAS fast rescue boats (FRBs) for the 418-ft. passenger/ro-ro ferry M/V Columbia. - More...
Monday PM - January 27, 2014 |
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Update in Progress
 Focus on maintaining political clout By Tom Schulz -
All too often we only hear bad news in the media. The fact is that lots of good things are happening in Southeast Alaska thanks to work by our Senatorial delegation and some local representatives. - More...
Wednesday PM - January 22, 2014
Let me know when the war on drugs starts By Ken Lewis - Drug Problem? Come on people, problems should be solved not managed. What came first the drug test, or the American who chose not to do dope? With all due respect to those who think drug testing little pockets of certain types of employees is the solution to the problem, you're wrong. If drug testing were a solution to our state/national drug problem, DMV would be used and make drug testing mandatory to operate a vehicle. Time out, not fair, what about my rights, can you hear them marching in solidarity. Them being the ones not tested, who think its funny to see a highly paid ball players go down the tubes for failed Pee-Pee samples, and then excuse the coolness of the other entertainers and artists that blatantly use enough dope to kill a horse. - More...
Monday PM - January 20, 2014
State Legislative Seat By Peter Bolling - Dan Ortiz, a resident of Southeast Alaska for almost 50 years, is running for the District 36 House seat. I can think of no better person to represent the diverse communities of Southern Southeast Alaska. Dan has lived in Ketchikan and Hydaburg and his work has brought him often to Metlakatla and Wrangell. - More...
Monday PM - January 20, 2014
Delete some Federal Holidays By A.M. Johnson - There is little doubt among my acquaintance that I harbor fear from my Government. There is excess overreach by the Federal government into our personal lives far beyond what Natural Law represents. when something comes along that tugs at my frustration with a bit of common sense it is accepted with as a moment of fresh air. The Governor of Maine, Paul La Page is purported to have said in a public speech regarding following Federal laws. - More...
Monday PM - January 20, 2014
Open Letter: LAND USE; WATER RIGHTS By Rick Gustin -
To all Senators and Representatives who have supported HB77 or may support it's Senate bill counter part, I wanted to see if I could change your mind on how you vote regarding HB77. I understand the previously stated reasons for supporting this bill. I get that industry and perhaps some of the people in state government see our current permitting system as, complex, sometimes confused, perhaps at times overbearing and above all slow. I realize that many state employees and business leaders would like to see quicker more wide spread resource development throughout the state. This is seen as providing more jobs and more revenue for the state which is seeing declines in tax revenue and jobs in the oil industry. I totally get all of that. I also feel that there are many citizens of this state, that do not understand the permitting process, may not care about it, but do care about the natural resources that they use each year, (may take them for granted but will sure bitch like hell if they are gone). - More...
Monday PM - January 20, 2014
10% “Tithe” Tax By Stephen C. Eldridge -
Mr. Brooks and the FairTax machine continue to spew out mere propaganda! The “Fair Tax” is a Fraud – we need a 10% “Tithe” Tax! - More...
Monday PM - January 20, 2014
Stop wasting our time By James R. Donnell -
A 2011 study by noted economist Art Laffer estimates that U.S. taxpayers wasted 3.16 billion hours and shelled out $431.1 billion just to comply with the income tax code. This excludes the opportunity costs due to lost productivity, and it costs our economy $216.2 billion annually. - More...
Monday PM - January 20, 2014
WHAT CAN YOU DO? By Diane Gubatayao -
Last October, Dr. Andre Rosay from the UAA Justice Center released data from the Alaska Victimization Survey done here in Ketchikan. Shockingly, the results revealed that 50% of adult women in Ketchikan report being victims of domestic or sexual violence in their lifetimes. That means, statistically speaking, that one out of two women that might be shopping at the store, or attending a Kayhi basketball game, or living in your neighborhood, has been a victim of DV or SA. One out of two! Most of us know someone who has been a victim, and we often ask ourselves, “what can I do?”. - More...
Wednesday PM - January 15, 2014
Open Letter: Unemployment By Forrest A. Mackie - Attn: Lisa Murkowski and Don Young and all Alaska Yahoo politicians; I am an unemployed yahoo who worked the better part of my life working my way up to one of the best jobs at Ketchikan Pulp Company! KPC was the largest employer in this territory and later the state, and the fishing and the logging and the pulp industry were the largest revenue producers for 30 plus years!! Now I am 70 years young, and due to the whim of you politicians that I watch on TV, now I am constantly disgusted by what I see going on in the Whitehouse in the guise of politics. I am totally bewildered at what I see!! - More...
Wednesday PM - January 15, 2014
US Congess shows its True Colors By Michael Spence -
Having just read about the approval of the budget omnibus bill in which the US House of Representatives approved a "over 1 Trillion Dollar" spending bill out of which there is 520 billion dollars in discretionary defense related spending. - More...
Wednesday PM - January 15, 2014
There's a FIX to the U.S. decline in the Economic Freedom Index By Wiley Brooks -
The 2014 Index of Economic Freedom reveals that the United States has dropped out of the top 10 freest economies in the world. Five years ago the U.S. was ranked 6th. Now it is 12th. The FIX is called the FairTax. - More...
Wednesday PM - January 15, 2014
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