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Ketchikan: Basic Hunter Education Course March 23rd & 24th - The Alaska Department of Fish and Game will offer a Basic Hunter Education Class in Ketchikan March 23rd and 24th. Course graduates will receive a Basic Hunter Education Certificate which is recognized anywhere in the United States.

Many hunts especially in other states require this certification before obtaining a hunting license. This course will be given during two sessions, one evening session Friday from 5:30pm until 9:30pm, and Saturday morning from 9:00 am until 1pm. Both sessions will be conducted at the Ketchikan Rod and Gun Club. This course is recommended for anyone wanting to learn more about hunter safety and provides a Basic Hunter Education Certificate recognized nation-wide.

This class is a self-study course and provides the student with material to study at their own pace. After completing their workbook they will participate in 4 hours of classroom instruction and another 4 hours of field and range time. - More...
Tuesday AM - March 20, 2007

Ketchikan: Airlift Northwest appoints base managers for Alaska - Airlift Northwest Alaska has announced the appointment of two base managers for its operations in Alaska. Lisa Hollis will lead the Juneau base and Rose Goure will lead the Ketchikan base.

According to Shelly Deering, Director of Clinical Operations for Alaska, Airlift Northwest has added the base manager position in each community to assure the highest level of service to people in southest Alaska who need critical care air medical transportation.

"When a patient is critically ill or injured and needs to be flown to specialized medical treatment, we want to be sure that patient receives the best care possible," Deering said. "Lisa and Rose will focus on base operations allowing our nurses to give their full attention to treating the patient and keeping family members and medical staff informed."

The primary duty of the base managers is to assure that highest attention is given to safety and patient care. They also are responsible for communication with local hospitals, medical personnel and emergency responders. Because Airlift Northwest is a nonprofit organization with community service as part of its mission, the base managers oversee education and training seminars that Airlift offers to the public and the medical community, as well as participation in events like health fairs and partnerships with other organizations on health-related projects.

Hollis has practiced critical care nursing for 24 years and has worked in facilities around the country from major trauma centers to small community hospitals. Goure has 23 years in nursing at both the University of Washington Medical Center and Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle. - More...
Tuesday AM - March 20, 2007

Alaska: PERS REPORTS DOUBLE DIGIT EARNINGS - The Alaska Retirement Management Board reports double-digit earnings of 15.16% for the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) for the calendar year ending December 31, 2006 said Gary Bader, Chief Investment Officer for the Department of Revenue. The Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) earned 15.18% for the year.

The returns placed the PERS in the top 18% of public pension funds in the Callan universe. Callan Associates is one of the country's largest pension plan consultants.

Emerging markets was the top performing asset class, earning 30.55% followed by international equities with 26.64% and real estate with 20.84%. Private equity gained 19.08%, domestic equities gained 14.61%, and fixed income gained 4.69%. The funds' Other category, which includes agriculture and energy, gained 12.78%. - More...
Tuesday AM - March 20, 2007

Alaska: Game board approves trapping of wolverines By GEORGE BRYSON - One of the wildest, most solitary creatures in Anchorage's backyard - the wolverine - may find itself a little more solitary next year. And dogs that accompany skiers and hikers into the backcountry might not fare so well either.

That's how state biologists assess the Alaska Board of Game's little-noticed decision this month to permit wolverine trapping in portions of Chugach State Park.

But a majority of board members agreed with member Bob Bell, who argued that wolverines are so secretive and scarce it's nearly impossible to spot one as part of a wildlife-viewing experience, but they do have value for trappers.

Among the dozens of actions taken during the board's 10-day spring meeting were several that directly affect residents and wildlife in Anchorage, including decisions to allow a spring brown bear hunt in Chugach State Park and beaver trapping near Birchwood.

While the Anchorage office of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game supported the bear hunt - anticipating a harvest of no more than one to two mature males a year when the grizzlies emerge from their dens - it opposed citizen requests for beaver trapping in Birchwood and wolverine trapping in the park.

State biologists objected to the latter principally because there are hardly any wolverines in the park to begin with - perhaps as few as a dozen - and their numbers are already being depleted by trapping pressure on the outskirts of the park.

According to area biologist Rick Sinnott, a 1995 aerial survey (the most recent study available) estimated that there are between 11 and 23 wolverines in the entire 1,900 square miles of state game management unit 14C - an area as large as the state of Delaware - which encompasses Anchorage, Chugach State Park and the sprawling backcountry to the east. By comparison, the game unit is home to about 1,800 moose, 200 to 300 black bears and 55 to 65 brown bears, Sinnott said. - More...
Tuesday AM - March 20, 2007

Beached Plane at Shoals Point Assisted by USCG Crewmembers from the Coast Guard Cutter Anacapa and a transiting Air Station Kodiak HH-65 assist the owner of a small plane which landed on the beach at Shoals Point Sunday. Official U.S. Coast Guard photo

Alaska: Beached Plane at Shoals Point Assisted by USCG - According to information released by the United States Coast Guard, an Air Station Kodiak HH-65 Dolphin helicopter transiting to from Canada to Sitka overheard an Emergency Locating Transmitter (ELT) as they were nearing Sitka. Shortly after hearing the signal and attempting to use their direction finding equipment to locate the source, a radio call came in from a small plane which had landed on the beach at Shoals Point on Sunday.

The owner of the plane was radioing to the 110-foot Coast Guard Cutter Anacapa, which was patrolling Sitka Sound, to see if he could get some assistance to move his plane up the beach away from the tideline. The two persons on board the plane were unharmed. - More...
Tuesday AM - March 20, 2007

Ketchikan: The Arts This Week - This week in Ketchikan, join Lorraine Torrence & Rainy Day Quilters for a trunk show of quilts and fashions on Thursday, March 22nd, Holy Name Church Parish at 7pm. Friday, Saturday and Sunday Lorraine will be teaching classes featuring her techniques. Sign-up at Silver Thimble and Rainforest Crafts, all are welcome, 225-5422 or 247-2738 for more info or to register.

First City Players presents Rock 'N Roll Over Dead, their annual murder mystery. A former Rock & Roll star tries to make a come back but is fatally foiled. Come try your hand at detective and find out "whodunit?" Drinks will be served starting at 6:30pm, and the yet-to-be-identified perpetrator will kick into high gear at 7pm on March 23 and 24, 2007. Don't miss it; mystery at the Cape Fox Lodge, call for reservations at 225-8001.

Steppin' Out '07 returns to the Ted Ferry Civic Center on Saturday, March 24th. The Ketchikan Community Chorus and Lush Life present an evening of Jazz favorites and "Made In The USA", an American Pop medley featuring the talents of your friends and neighbors. The fun begins at 7:30pm, tickets are on sale now at the Arts Council, McPherson Music, from chorus members and will be available at the door. Call 247-2356 for more information. - More...
Tuesday AM - March 20, 2007

Viewpoints Opinions/Letters Basic Rules Taxes and Bus Service By Rodney Dial - Tuesday AM KANAYAMA BEGINNINGS By Bill Tatsuda - Monday AM Downtown Sitka By Sarah Corporon - Monday AM Looking for photo of an old boat (the "Famous") By Heidi Ekstrand - Monday AM Gun Safety By Kerry Watson- Monday AM Gravina By Eric Tyson - Monday AM EIS hearings in Saxman By Anita Hales - Monday AM Defensive Driving in the Snow By Chris Elliott - Monday AM Too many pit mixes in town By Tammy Sivertsen - Monday AM Daylight Savings Time By Ken Levy - Monday AM Gravina Views By Robert McRoberts - Monday AM AIRPORT SHUTTLE By Ken Levy - Monday AM LIFE LESSONS By Jeff Wahl - Monday AM Israel-Finding Peace with its Arab Neighbors By Tom Proebsting- Monday AM More Viewpoints/ Letters Publish A Letter Ketchikan Ketchikan Police Report AK Troopers Daily Dispatch Today's Forecast Satellite Today's Weather Images Marine Forecasts Ketchikan Weather Data Current AK Weather Map CLASSIFIEDS Auto-post your ad in the proper category, or email your ad & photos to ads@sitnews.us  CLASSIFIEDS' CATEGORIES Announcements For Sale / Free Stuff Garage Sales Homes / Apts/ Property Pets Wanted Lost & Found Local Services March 2007 S M T W T F S 25 26 27 28 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 29 30 30 Front Page Archives

Michael Reagan: Who Hates America? - If you believe the media and the cry-baby left, the entire world hates the United States of America. I don't believe that. The reality of it is they don't hate us; they just love our money and wish they could get their hands on more of it. That's all the rest of the world ever cared about.

Sure, a lot of the French hate America, but they hate every nation that isn't France.

Lefties across the globe hate America because they are insanely jealous of our prosperity and our standard of living, but they are not anything like a majority.

Ask yourself this: If America is so hateful, why does half the world want to come here to live in such a hateful country?

If you really want to know who really hates America don't look abroad. Look right here in the United States for the real hate-America crowd; look at the left-wing crazies who run the Democrat party.

Think about it. America is at war. Tens of thousands of Americans in the armed forces are fighting that war, and more than three thousand of them gave their lives battling the terrorists sworn to destroy this nation.

Yet aside from Osama bin Laden and his crew of merciless killers, the people most dedicated to seeing the United States defeated in a battle for the future of the world are the liberal Democrats now feebly trying to run the Congress.

You really have to hate America and its people to lust after the defeat of your own country. - More...
Tuesday AM - March 20, 2007

Tom Purcell: Taxing Quotations - I stumbled across something on the IRS Web site I never expected to see: quotations from great minds on taxes.

The first two agitated me:

"Taxes are what we pay for civilized society.'' - Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., U.S. Supreme Court justice

"The power of taxing people and their property is essential to the very existence of government.'' - James Madison, U.S. president

Hey, fellows, I don't mind paying taxes for a civilized society. It's paying for the uncivilized part that grates on me. And I'm happy for the existence of our government, but, goodness, why does its existence have to be so big?

Here is a telling quotation from Frederick the Great, an 18th-century Prussian king:

"No government can exist without taxation. This money must necessarily be levied on the people; and the grand art consists of levying so as not to oppress.''

Yes, Freddy, levying without oppressing is a grand art - much the way it is an art for a loan shark to break five fingers without harming the wrist. - More...
Tuesday AM - March 20, 2007