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A FUTURE DISAPPOINTMENT AVERTED By
Jerry Cegelske -
A woman who just recently moved to Ketchikan stopped by the office and asked about volunteering to help clean up trash in our community. I told her about some of the past projects that have been done on Revilla road, North and South Tongass, and within the City with the High School. After talking for awhile, she left her name and a phone number after I explained that much of the work would start in April before the leaves were on the trees and brush. - More...
Monday PM - February 20, 2012
'Just Another Routine Fright North' By
Marshall H. Massengale -
Although I'm a lower 48er, I always enjoy reading Dave Kiffer's columns his frequent digressions and occasional misspellings and other grammatical faux pas notwithstanding. But it seems every so often, hizzoner the author takes a cut or two at the "hometown airline." - More...
Monday PM - February 20, 2012
Old grunt squashing By David G. Hanger -
In general terms, Mr. Bylund, you are correct. It is considered bad form to compare anybody to Hitler. But if someone is acting like a damned Hitlerian, I am not going to hesitate to point that out very succinctly. About monsters I do not think one should be polite for even a nanosecond. Depriving U.S. citizens of 1.5 billion man years of life I consider absolutely monstrous and insane. Doing that by manipulating governmental policy is evil. Congressman Paul Ryan wants to destroy the safety net completely, on the essential premise of Ayn Rand’s philosophy that those in need should perish out of hand as an inconvenience to the rest of us. “Let parasites perish as they should.” - More...
Monday PM - February 20, 2012
The End of Liberty Is Here By
Katheryn Burson -
The NDAA passed without hearings, thereby cementing the U.S. as a police state giving law enforcement the right to detain and imprison us WITHOUT charges or due process. Police brutality is being covered up by grabbing of citizen’s cell phones & cameras to prevent filming. - More.....
Monday PM - February 20, 2012
Nightmare in Coffman Cove By
Guy Lane -
My family & I moved to Coffman Cove from the Kenai Peninsula after Coffman Cove resident and City Council member Elaine Price agreed to sell property that was 75 feet from the salt water & 65 feet from a salmon stream and on the main paved road just as you enter Coffman Cove. We also rented a small trailer from Council member Elaine Price while we were to work on the property until spring. We thought this was a dream come true, until we arrived in Coffman Cove with all of our personal goods, equipment and tools and ready to work. Upon starting to clear the land we discovered a massive industrial contaminated toxic dump with logging equipment, log trucks, pickups, large fuel tanks, boats, garbage, misc. debris and many 55 gallon barrels of petrolium products (some were damaged and empty and some were full, some were leaking). The ground smelled so bad that my family would not even go on it. - More...
Thursday AM - February 16, 2012
Environmental Baseline Document By
Tim Bristol,
Bob Waldrop, &
Kimberly Williams -
As leaders of Alaska-based organizations representing the interests of Bristol Bay residents, commercial fishermen, and sportsmen throughout the state, we are writing to provide some perspective on this week’s unveiling of an “Environmental Baseline Document” by the Pebble Limited Partnership in a series of presentations to agencies and government officials in Anchorage. The general public, including the people of Bristol Bay have been excluded from attending or participating in the meetings but have been able to watch through an on-line web cast. After objections were raised to this exclusion PLP staff decided to allow one representative from each Bristol Bay tribe to attend. As PLP moves to hold these "factual conversations" excluding the public and those interested in the Pebble debate doesn't help generate the needed discussion about protecting the headwaters of important salmon and other fresh water fish habitat. - More...
Thursday AM - February 16, 2012
Oxymoron By A.M.Johnson - The oxymoron for today 2-11-12,is the announcement by Candidate Romney proclaiming that he is the most conservative candidate, then appointed Senator Lisa Murkowski as a part of his Alaska Presidential effort. - More...
Thursday AM - February 16, 2012
Pinocchio Politics By
C.C. Rice - I was appalled at the message White House Chief of Staff, Jacob Lew delivered about Obama care’s mandate of insurance coverage with respect to religious freedoms. The spin he put on it about giving women choices, is simply more of their Pinocchio politics. This is about the government over stepping its power and breaching the first amendment that prohibits the making of any law impeding the free exercise of religion. And when asked where the government had the right to do that, Mr. Lew said the administration granted itself the power in the Obama-care legislation…the one they “had to pass so they could see what was in it” (-Pelosi). - More...
Thursday AM - February 16, 2012
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
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