Viewpoints Opinions/Letters Alaska's teacher certification system needs to be based on a framework of standards and performance by Roger Sampson - Tuesday Proposed teacher licensure system is flawed by Bill Bjork - Tuesday More Viewpoints/ Letters Publish A Letter Feb- March 2005 Click on the date for stories and photos published on that day... S M T W T F S     01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 01         Front Page Archives

National: Bush to hold steady on private accounts by Bill Straub - President Bush is still pushing hard to overhaul the Social Security system despite a lukewarm public reception and an effort by some nervous congressional Republicans to formulate a compromise with willing Democrats.

For the fourth time, Bush on Saturday used his weekly radio address to tout his vision for Social Security. Later this week he will travel to New Jersey and Indiana to sell his proposed transformation. - More...
Tuesday - March 01, 2005

National: High court tackles Ten Commandments issue By Michael Collins - The U.S. Supreme Court will step into an emotionally charged battle Wednesday by hearing arguments in two cases that could determine whether hundreds of Ten Commandments displays may remain on public property across the country.

One of the cases originated in Kentucky, where elected officials in two rural counties posted privately donated, framed copies of the Ten Commandments in their courthouses.

The other involves a 6-foot granite monument that has been located for decades on the grounds of the Texas State Capitol. The monument is inscribed with the Ten Commandments and is in the shape of the tablets that some religions believe God gave to Moses. - More...
Tuesday - March 01, 2005

Ray Troll Photo by Carl Thompson

Ketchikan: Ray Troll Defends the Practice of Fish Worship Part II By Sharon Lint - Speaking at the Alaska Discovery Center Friday evening, Ray Troll said being around native culture has also influenced some of his art. He befriended Israel Shotridge, which ultimately led to Ray's poster showcasing the Chief Johnson Totem Pole. In the poster, he included all the characters that were on the pole and tried to duplicate its story within his work.

"The idea occurred to him to have me do a poster which would be given out at the potlatch when the pole went up," Ray explained. "I met with his familyand I began to understand the ownership of stories, and the whole story about the creation of salmon. . . this is a real privilege to [have been] able to do this . . ."

Around that same time, he became fascinated with the history of Southeast Alaska. He found a special interest in the arrival of the Russian people to this area and the story of how cultures collided in 1802 and 1804. To portray the battle of Tlingit warriors who attacked the Russian-Aleut settlement of St. Michael's, he created "The Battle of Old Sitka." - More of Part II...
Tuesday - March 01, 2005

'Ground Cloud' Front Page Photo by Paul Perry

Alaska: Has REI grown too big for its britches? By Craig Medred - When kayaker Andy Ryan in Seattle - REI member 348240 - got the runaround from America's largest consumer cooperative, climber Neil O'Donnell in Anchorage - REI member 1228171 - got mad.

And therein lies a story, but first a little background.

As many know, REI is the acronym that grew into the common name for one of America's largest outdoor retailers. The company started in 1938 as Recreational Equipment Inc., a Seattle-based consumer cooperative.

On paper, it remains a cooperative. And in its self-promotion, REI makes almost as big a deal of this as it does of its social consciousness and environmental awareness.

"Being a cooperative business remains central to REI," the company proclaims on its Web site. www.rei.com. "While nonmembers are welcome to shop at REI, only members enjoy special benefits, including an annual member refund on eligible purchases." - More...
Tuesday - March 01, 2005