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Tuesday
February 14, 2012
Thomas Basin Morning
Front Page Photo By CINDY BALZER
Ketchikan: Community Connections awarded almost $3 million in direct loans for new building - The Alaska Congressional Delegation recently announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development has awarded $2,900,00 in direct loans to Ketchikan-based Community Connections to purchase a new building in order to consolidate and continue to provide services.
New building
Graphic courtesy Community Connections
Community Connections has provided services for 25 years in Ketchikan and Prince of Wales including an early learning program, children's mental health services, developmental disabilities services and older Alaskans and adult resource services.
According to information provided on their website, the organization’s growth has forced the agency to find a building that will accommodate all of their programs and support their ability to continue to provide the highest quality services. Community Connections plans to open the new office in Ketchikan in 2012. The new building will be able to house programs under the same roof supporting the collaboration that needs to occur between programs who share customers, and leads to more efficiency and effective communication. Therapy spaces in the new building will be adequate to meet the needs of customers and customers will have more choices regarding where services occur and there will be space to support services in the new building.
Community Connections, the 4th largest private employer in Ketchikan, has provided services for 25 years in Ketchikan and Prince of Wales including an early learning program, children's mental health services, developmental disabilities services and older Alaskans and adult resource services. - More...
Tuesday AM - February 14, 2012
Alaska: Poverty in Alaska - Data from the American Community Survey, collected between 2006 and 2010, show 9.5 percent of Alaskans lived in poverty over that period, according to the February issue of the Alaska Trends magazine. Unlike many other states whose poverty rates rose during the recession, Alaska’s percentage was not statistically different from the 9.4 percent in poverty in 2000, as measured by the decennial census.
In both 2000 and the 2006–2010 period, the poverty rate for Alaskans was noticeably lower than for the nation as a whole. The U.S. rate climbed from 12.4 percent in 2000 to 13.8 percent during 2006–2010. Alaska’s poverty rate was also well below those of Washington (12.1%), Oregon (14.0%), and California (13.7%).
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Alaska’s lower poverty rates were reported to be mostly the result of the state’s relatively high per-capita income, which ranked ninth in the U.S. in 2010. However, Alaska also has a higher-than-average cost of living, which makes the comparison less meaningful than it would be if living costs were a consideration.
Married couples in Alaska — with and without children — had the lowest poverty rate from 2006–2010, at 2.6 percent. The rate among married couples with children under the age of 18 was slightly higher, at 4.0 percent.
At the other end of the spectrum, female heads of households with young children and no husband had the highest poverty rate at 41.4 percent. Many of these women were likely single mothers, but this category also includes grandmothers and other women raising children who aren’t their own. - More...
Tuesday AM - February 14, 2012
Southeast Alaska: Klawock hosts Living Well Alaska chronic disease classes - Do you or a loved one have a chronic disease, such as arthritis, diabetes or heart disease, and do you feel limited by it? Do you feel like you’re spending too much time with the doctor or at the hospital? The Living Well Alaska workshops will teach you how to self-manage your disease so you start to feel better.
“Chronic conditions oftentimes leave people and their loved ones so overwhelmed that they are unable to fully enjoy their lives,” said Julie Sturtevant, RN, CDE, SEARHC Diabetes Case Manager at the Alicia Roberts Medical Center. “It’s our hope that by SEARHC partnering with the Southeast Senior Services Klawock Senior Center and the State of Alaska Chronic Disease Management Program to offer the Living Well Alaska workshops to POW communities, we can empower people and help them feel better about their lives. Research on this program has shown participants are able to manage their symptoms better and communicate more easily with their doctors and loved ones.” - More...
Tuesday AM - February 14, 2012
Alaska: Walmart Foundation Now Accepting 2012 Grant Applications From Alaska Non-Profits – The Walmart Foundation’s Alaska State Giving Program is now accepting grant applications from non-profit organizations across the state. The minimum award for each grant is $25,000. The application deadline for the first round of 2012 grants is March 2, 2012.
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The Walmart Foundation is focused on funding much-needed community programs, especially those that address hunger, homelessness, education, job training and other basic needs. Organizations must currently operate under the tax-exempt status Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
"We are proud to support non-profit organizations in the communities we serve and we encourage Alaska non-profits to apply before the March deadline,” said Marlene Munsell, Walmart Alaska market manager. “The Alaska State Giving Program is a way to focus our contributions and make them count throughout the state.” - More...
Tuesday AM - February 14, 2012
Columns - Commentary
 TOM PURCELL: Sexes' Differences Good for Valentine's Day - Get this: men and women are different.
Italian researchers made this "groundbreaking" discovery in a recent study.
According to Psych Central, the study, led by Marco Del Giudice, Ph.D., of the University of Turin, used "new and more accurate methods to measure and analyze personality differences."
Researchers administered personality tests to more than 10,000 people -- approximately half men, half women -- that assessed 15 personality traits, such as warmth, sensitivity, perfectionism and so on.
Here's where the study is unique: By assessing multiple traits rather than individual traits, as prior male-female studies have done, the researchers concluded there are significant differences between the sexes.
And in my humble opinion, nothing illustrates those differences better than Valentine's Day.
I'm certainly no expert on what women think, but doesn't Valentine's Day fill most women with hope?
They dream of romance, surprise and having sweet nothings whispered into their ears -- and if such things happen, they hope their husbands don't find out!
Most men have the opposite point of view. To us, Valentine's Day is a contrived undertaking that makes mandatory the things -- flowers, dining out, expensive jewelry -- that should be reserved for the times when we do something really stupid and are desperate to make up. - More...
Tuesday AM - February 14, 2012
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 RE: Serving in Congress should be an honor, not a career. By
Tyrell Rettke -
Those are some decent ideas, but your contention that the current congress won't initiate them is correct as well. It will take the citizens stop voting in the same status qua to replace congress. Getting people to run is a hard thing. Having run for local office I can tell you that it can feel like getting beat up at times, and we play pretty nice here in Ketchikan most of the time. On a state level (To get into the US Congress), its a whole new level, and the money required is exponentially greater. Here in alaska with Less than a million voters, its not so bad, but still requires getting around the state a lot, and being able to campaign while not working (so having your living expenses covered.) This is part of the reason why we end up with the same type of people in office, wealthy people who have made something of themselves in business or otherwise (For better or worse). - More...
Saturday AM - February 11, 2012
Prince George By
Tom Meikle -
I recall clearly seeing the hulk of the poor Prince George under tow as the Adelaide made her way up to Prince Rupert; we were likely in narrow Grenville Channel, since we passed fairly close. One of my shipmates (name long gone) had been on the George during the burning, and was horrified to see his old ship in such horrible shape. He was badly upset, to say the least. - More...
Saturday AM - February 11, 2012
Support Our Teachers! By
Cherry Rice -
Our Ketchikan teachers need a fair contract. I am very concerned about the lack of support for our teachers in this community. The teachers are the ones who are educating the future for our country, state, and our town. Public education is essential and we need to support it. These people give tirelessly to our kids , even after their scheduled work day is long over. It is not unusual to go by any public school on weekends and see several cars in the lot. These are YOUR teachers at work for YOUR students. There is no harder job than a public school teacher’s. I am very proud of what they do. They never give up on a difficult student who may have given up on his or herself. The teachers are doing their best to turn all students into successful learners. - More...
Saturday AM - February 11, 2012
Boat Tax By
Glen Thompson -
The boat tax (like sales and real property taxes) is levied by both the City of Ketchikan and the Ketchikan Gateway Borough. The two bodies agreed several years ago to try to have coordination between the taxes levied so that the administration would be consistent on an area-wide basis. - More...
Wednesday AM - February 08, 2012
Thank you Ketchikan By
Travis Taylor - My family moved up here to Alaska nearly 5 years ago. Since then I have been involved in many things such as basketball, football, baseball, and wrestling. At first I was very new to the idea of having to raise large amounts of money just to go play sports, but quickly realized how expensive it is to travel. I have had a great experience up here with sports and this town. - More...
Wednesday AM - February 08, 2012
Giving Grind for Peratovich Family was a great success!!! Thank you! By
Sally & John Burch - Saturday's Mardi Gras Giving Grind was awesome! - More...
Wednesday AM - February 08, 2012
Ketchikan School Board Budget Cuts By
Emilee Johnson - I am writing to you today to address my concern about the decision to cut AP classes as well as the band, art and culinary programs to account for the possible budget cuts. I am currently a college student and can speak from a personal level on how important these components are to students futures as well as the academic standing of the school. - More...
Wednesday AM - February 08, 2012
Open Letter: SB 121 By
Cherry Rice -
Governor Parnell, I hope you will reconsider your position on Senate Bill 121. SB 121 is not a going back to the old defined benefit system. Instead, SB 121 is a compromise that provides retirement security. Retirement security is extremely important to bring the best and brightest people to the state.This will be at no additional cost to the state or other employers. - More...
Wednesday AM - February 08, 2012
Serving in Congress should be an honor, not a career By
Billy D. Clifford - Many of us have received email and comments from our friends about excellent ideas to repair our broken Congress. For example: - More..
Wednesday AM - February 08, 2012
Newt's Court Proposals Dangerous By
George Kiser - Newt Gingrich apparently thinks the Founding Fathers made a terrible mistake when they established an independent court system. Under his proposals, judges would please the President, Congress, and the public -- or suffer the consequences. Presidents could ignore court decisions they dislike. Congress could haul judges before it to explain their decisions and jail non-compliant judges, and unpopular judges could be fired and their courts abolished. - More...
Wednesday AM - February 08, 2012
Governor Parnell Urged to Reconsider his Position on Pension By
Barb Angaiak - I am very disappointed in Governor Parnell’s refusal to consider returning to a defined benefit pension plan for state employees. I strongly urge Governor Parnell to reconsider. The legislation SB 121 is not a return to the old defined benefit system. SB 121 is a compromise that creates less of a benefit but provides retirement security at no additional cost to the state or other employers. - More...
Saturday AM - February 04, 2012
Ketchikan School Board Cuts By
Frances Gierard - I am an alumnus of Ketchikan High School and am now attending college in Seattle. I have heard that you are considering cutting some elective courses at Kayhi. I am hoping to change your mind otherwise. - More...
Saturday AM - February 04, 2012
Talk about cold! By
Jeff Orr -
I am not very happy with the State of Alaska Court system, nor the current Guardian for my adult brother who has down's syndrome. The AK court system sent a Court Visitor to do a report on his living conditions while he was living with my Mother, who adopted him over 42 years ago. In this report the Court Visitor bashed my two brothers who live in Ketchikan and excluded them from being able to apply for guardianship for our brother. What is worse is the Guardian decided to take our brother while my Mother is in the hospital! Talk about cold! - More...
Saturday AM - February 04, 2012
The Capuchin monkeys' Scam By Margaret Cloud - Someone has recently listed some capuchin monkeys. This ad is a scam. I responded to the ad to see what I would receive. Here is the reply: - More...
Saturday AM - February 04, 2012
Compact fluorescents (CFLs), LEDs, and halogens By
Shelley Stallings -
From wikipedia: In December 2007 (during the Bush Administration) , the federal government enacted the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which contains maximum wattage requirements for all general service incandescent lamps producing from 310 2600 lumens of light.[38] However, these regulations never became law, as another section of the 2007 EISA bill overwrites them, and thus, current law, as specified in the U.S. Code, "does not relate to maximum wattage requirements."[39] - More...
Saturday AM - February 04, 2012
RE: In the Dark By
Scott Cragun -
Regarding A.M. Johnsons reply to my letter regarding incandescent light bulbs, I would like to point out that the production of the incandescent bulbs may have ceased in the USA but they continue to be produced in Japan and in Europe in wattages less than 100 and will/could be until 2014. These bulbs are also imported into the USA where it is legal to sell them until 2014. - More..
Saturday AM - February 04, 2012
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Valentine's Surprise
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