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Ketchikan: The Aussie who loved Ketchikan; For 40 years, Len Laurance was The Ketchikan Visitor Industry By DAVE KIFFER - It is likely the most famous story in the history of the Ketchikan visitor industry.

At a Ketchikan Chamber of Commerce meeting in the early 1970s, Len Laurance said that eventually Ketchikan would host more than one million cruise ship passengers each season.

The proclamation, made at a time when less than 70,000 cruise passengers visited the First City, was met with guffaws by the audience.

But Laurance, who died at 88 on April 8, was right. In both 2018 and 2019, Ketchikan had more than one million cruise visitors and would likely have had more than 1.3 million in 2020 if not for the COVID 19 pandemic that shut down the entire Alaskan cruising industry.

In an interview in 2014, Laurance said his projections were simply based on a 10 percent increase every year.

"It took a while for most of Ketchikan to recognize the benefits of tourism," he said in 2014. "I could see the cruise industry was going to get bigger and bigger. I thought it had unbridled potential. It still does."

In his more than 50 years in the First City, Laurance was synonymous with visitor industry. He was a member of the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau board for 40 years. Into his 80s, he was still marketing Taquan Air, the Rainforest Sanctuary, The Discovery Center and the Inter-Island Ferry. Family members report that some of his last thoughts were of ships arriving at the downtown docks.

When Laurance, who grew up in Perth in Western Australia, arrived in Ketchikan in 1963 the visitor industry primarily consisted of intercoastal Canadian steam ships that brought a couple of hundred passengers to the First City once or twice a week in the summer. When he finally retired and moved to Bellingham in the late 2010s, as many as six ships a day were arriving, bringing more than 10,000 passengers.

Laurance was born in Perth in 1932.

“The weather there was like San Diego,” he said in 2014. “I was into typical teenager things, mostly the sun and surf.”

He was part of “Australian Surf Life Saving Movement,” which he compared to a “volunteer lifeguard service" and had an early interest in marketing. His father, a banker, supported Laurance's desire to "see the world" and in his early 20s, he hopped a steamship with the intention of indeed seeing the world. It didn't quite work out that way.

First, he stopped in Honolulu to visit an Australian friend and that led to a year-long sojourn selling "trinkets." His familiarity with swimming and diving also led him to reef diving to get the shells to sell.

The high point - literally - of his time in Hawaii was when he worked for an aquatic show. Laurance's main duty at the show was to ride a bicycle off a 10-foot tower into the water to amuse the viewers. The bicycle was on fire at the time.

"it wasn't as dangerous as it sounds," he said decades later.

Laurance also spent time in Hawaii running a snack bar and a charter fishing business.

After a year in Hawaii, he was on his way again, ending up in Vancouver, B.C. He worked for a flooring business and also sold frozen and canned foods to supermarkets. His sales area included Northwestern BC and it was in Smithers that he met his future wife, Judy, a nurse. Eventually, Laurance was transferred to Calgary, Alberta, which proved a little too far from the ocean for the young couple.

"We put in ad in (a local paper) that noted that we an 'adventurous couple' were looking for an opportunity," he said.

Among the responses was one from the Ketchikan and Northern Terminal in Saxman. They jumped at the chance to come to Alaska. The original three-month contract became a permanent one when Laurance was hired full time. The company folded in 1965 and Laurance went to work for the Alaska Steamship Company which handled most of the cargo shipping for the region.

As the Southeast Regional Manager for ASC, Laurance was tasked with improving the company's fleet of aging World War II era cargo ships into a modular tug and barge operation. He was with Alaska Steamship for six years before opening his own travel agency, Alaska World Travel.

“I had become friends with Chuck West of Westours,” Laurance said. “He said ‘If you want to learn the travel business, start off as a travel agent.’”

It also helped that during that time, Laurance became the local agent for both Westours and one of the Canadian steamships, the Princess Patricia.

Laurance would remain at the helm of Alaska World Travel for the next 26 years. - More...
Tuesday PM - April 20, 2021

Fish Factor: Demand for Snow Crab "Insatiable" By LAINE WELCH - “Insatiable” is the word being used to describe the demand for snow crab as the world’s largest fishery got underway on April 5 at Eastern Canada. And while more snow crab will be available this year, buyers expect a tight supply.

Global seafood supplier Tradex  said snow crab and other “premium crab” saw huge growth at retail in 2020 and demand is even higher this year.

Seafoods like crab and lobster are now perceived as being affordable to buy and cook at home compared to the cost in restaurants. Tradex spokesperson Tasha Cadence said that shift has spawned a new pandemic-inspired word by market experts.

“It’s ‘premiumization,’ or customers recognizing a higher value for a product and paying a higher price,” she said, referring to comments by industry veteran Les Hodges in his April Crab Update.

The combined Canadian catch for snow crab through September, most of which is sold to the U.S., tops 157 million pounds, 11 million pounds higher than 2020. The Canadian crab comprises 62% of the U.S. market share, according to Urner-Barry which has provided information for the food industry since 1858.

Prices for snow crab to Canadian fishermen were reported by Undercover News  at a record $4.56US, adding that they could top $7 a pound.

Russia is the second largest snow crab producer with a harvest of nearly 98 million pounds in its year round fishery this year. Much of the product goes to markets in China, Korea, and the U.S., where imports in 2020 were up by 80% to 42 million pounds valued at nearly $341 million.  “And with the Russian quota increasing almost 35% in 2021, there is anticipation that even more snow crab from Russia will come into the U.S.,” said Urner-Barry in its spring report.

Alaska is the world’s third largest snow crab producer with a catch this year of 45 million pounds for the fishery that began on October 15 and ends in mid-May. The crab, which weigh 1.2 pounds on average, are sold primarily in frozen leg clusters and sold to markets in the U.S., Japan and China for reprocessing.

Advance prices to fishermen for Alaska snow crab were reported at $3 a pound but lengthy sales negotiations are likely to push that higher.

Alaska’s snow crab fleet of about 60 boats received a record average advance price last year of $3.15 a pound for a 34 million pounds harvest valued at nearly $106 million.

If all the snow crab catches come in as planned, it will add up to more than 300 million pounds for global markets this year, a 13 million pound increase over 2020.

And while Alaska is deservedly famous for its crab – meaning snow, king crab, Tanners and Dungeness – it’s a small player providing just 6% of global supply. - More...
Tuesday PM - April 20, 2021

Alaska: Governor Unveils Alaska Tourism Marketing and Aid Package - Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy recently announced an Alaska tourism aid package, including a robust national marketing plan, as the state’s annual $4.5 billion tourism economy is in jeopardy. The announcement was made in a press conference at the Alaska Native Heritage Center surrounded by cultural tourism businessowners and is part of Governor Dunleavy’s larger proposal designating federal American Recovery Plan Act (ARP) funds.

“Due to the impact of this pandemic resulting in demand destruction and the decisions by the federal government regarding the cruise industry, we need to aggressively market Alaska,” said Governor Dunleavy. “Alaska is a COVID-safe destination. We lead the nation in all the important health metrics that count. Our response has been top notch and has always put Alaskans first. By assisting our economy in this manner, we would ensure Alaska’s businesses and communities have a future.” - More...
Tuesday PM - April 20, 2021

Alaska: Governor Joins Florida Lawsuit Challenging CDC Cruise Industry Shutdown to Defend Alaskan Tourism Businesses, Families, and Workers -  Governor Mike Dunleavy has announced the State of Alaska is joining a Florida lawsuit against the Federal Center for Disease Control (CDC). The lawsuit challenges the CDC’s job-killing shutdown of the cruise industry through its Conditional Sailing Order on the grounds that it goes beyond the scope of the CDC’s legal authority. The Conditional Sailing Order also fails to recognize the cruise industry’s voluntary safety measures and the safe resumption of cruising in other countries. Over 400,000 passengers have returned to cruising in nearly a dozen other countries, resulting in less than 50 confirmed cases of COVID-19. 

Nor does the Conditional Sailing Order take into account the high vaccination rate of Alaskans, the effectiveness of the vaccines against COVID-19, and the low COVID-19 hospitalization rates in Alaska. CDC’s Conditional Sailing Order treats the cruise industry, and the jobs and businesses that depend on tourism, differently from other travel sectors like air or rail. The Order also requires expensive and time-consuming “trials” for ships before they could return to service. But as it has shown in other countries, the cruise industry knows how to protect passengers, crew, and port communities.  - More...
Tuesday PM - April 20, 2021

Alaska: Two Matanuska Crewmembers positive for COVID-19; No close contacts between crew and passengers  - On Saturday, April 17, while underway from Bellingham to Ketchikan, a member of the Matanuska's engineering crew began showing symptoms of COVID-19. The ship's captain followed the AMHS COVID-19 mitigation plan and quarantined the crewmember in their cabin with the ventilation system turned off. When Matanuska arrived in Ketchikan on Sunday, the crewmember was transported to Ketchikan Hospital, where they tested positive for COVID-19.

AMHS coordinated with the Ketchikan Emergency Operations Center and Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) to conduct additional testing and contact tracing. No passengers were identified as close contacts, and testing located one additional positive case among the engineering crew. - More...
Tuesday PM - April 20, 2021

New KFD Ladder Truck
Photo courtesy Ketchikan Fire Department

Ketchikan: Monday morning Ketchikan Fire Department took delivery of the new ladder truck which has been in the making for several years. The new truck is a Pierce Ascendant 100' Aerial Tower which was delivered by the AMHS Ferry the Kennicott.

The Tower can reach heights of 100' vertically and 93' horizontally, it offers maneuverability and greater visibility with a smaller body profile. Its integrated ground pads eliminate time spent throwing ground pads, so setup at an incident is streamlined and faster. The platform has a 1,000lb tip load capacity and up to 20-degree below grade operation. It can deliver up to 2000 gallons per minute of water from the platform.

Firefighters spent part of their day exploring the new fire truck in preparation for outfitting it with firehose and equipment. In the next few weeks training on the truck will be a fire department staple according to the Ketchikan Fire Department's FaceBook page
Tuesday PM - April 20, 2021

Alaska: DEC Expanding Testing of Alaska Seafood for Gamma Radiation Posted & Edited By MARY KAUFFMAN – The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is expanding testing for gamma radiation in Alaska seafood through funding from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The expansion includes collecting more samples, in more locations, and testing additional species to evaluate for gamma radiation and potential local environmental contaminants. 

Alaskans were understandably concerned when news sources reported last week that the Government of Japan plans to release treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant in two years,” said DEC Commissioner Jason Brune. “Over 50 percent of our nation’s seafood comes from Alaska’s waters and we want to re-assure markets that this resource is of the highest quality.”

DEC has been monitoring for radiation in Alaska seafood since the initial Fukushima incident occurred in 2014. 

“To date, we have not detected any radionuclides associated with Fukushima, and going forward we will be expanding radiation testing to further ensure these products are safe,” said State Veterinarian Dr. Bob Gerlach. - More...

Tuesday PM - April 20, 2021

Southeast Alaska: Conservation and climate groups call on USDA to end taxpayer subsidies for Tongass logging - A coalition of conservation and climate organizations have submitted a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, asking his agency to “take the fiscally responsible step of prohibiting federal funds from being used to pay for, subsidize, design, study or construct roads for logging in the Tongass National Forest.”

The Tongass National Forest is the cornerstone of Southeast Alaska’s economy, attracting people from around the world for world-class recreation, hunting, and sport and commercial salmon fishing. In recent years, the tourism and commercial fishing industries that depend on a health Tongass have generated $1 billion apiece in annual economic benefit. The timber industry, on the other hand, presently provides less than 1% of jobs in the Southeast economy. Despite that reality, the Tongass timber program has cost the American taxpayer $600 million in the last two decades. The letter states: 

"For decades, the timber industry in the Tongass National Forest has benefited from hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies. If all roadbuilding, maintenance, and timber sale costs in the Tongass are taken into account, subsidies for logging Tongass timber have cost taxpayers approximately $600 million over the last 20 years, largely due to the cost of designing, building and maintaining new logging roads. The Forest Service loses approximately $600 for every thousand board feet of timber that is sold from the Tongass, and current plans call for the Forest Service to offer timber sales of nearly 300 million board feet over the next five years. Considering historic averages, these planned sales would cost taxpayers more than $180 million, with costs from maintenance and upkeep accruing years into the future." - More...
Tuesday PM - April 20, 2021

Ketchikan - Statewide: Alaska Mental Health Trust Awards More than $1.2 Million in Grants Statewide - The Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority awarded more than $1.2M in grants to organizations across the state in the third quarter of fiscal year (FY) 2021.

In Ketchikan, Community Connections ($100,000 for Rock Wall Stabilization and Mitigation Measures) and Ketchikan Wellness Coalition ($52,500 for Ketchikan Reentry Coalition Housing Project) are among the recipients.

Trust grants are awarded throughout the year to Alaska nonprofits, Tribal entities, state and local government agencies, and service providers. This quarter’s grants, part of the Trust’s approximately $25M annual grant program, fund beneficiary-supporting programs and initiatives that align with the Trust’s mission and values. Beneficiaries include Alaskans who experience mental illness, substance use disorders, developmental disabilities, Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias, and traumatic brain injuries.

“Trust funds can help beneficiary-serving organizations increase capacity, pilot new programs, and creatively serve vulnerable Alaskans,” said Mike Abbott, CEO of the Trust. “We are grateful to be able to support so many partners with Trust resources and know that these organizations play a critical role in improving outcomes for our beneficiaries.”

Many of the projects that are awarded Trust grants will also receive funding from the philanthropic community, private donations, earned revenue, and other community support. The total value of the projects funded by the Trust this quarter is approximately $12.9 million. - More...
Tuesday PM - April 20, 2021

Ketchikan: KETCHIKAN COMMUNITY GARDENS ARE GROWING - How can I grow anything in this wet rainforest!? This may be the common refrain we hear, but there is a solution! The Building a Healthy Community Task Force, under the umbrella of Ketchikan Wellness Coalition (KWC), is launching a network of Community Gardens and educational resources around Ketchikan. Two sites are being launched this spring: The Commons Community Garden at ADDRESS and Clover Pass Community Garden at ADDRESS. Additionally, the Seed Vault providing a diversity of seeds viable for the Southeast Alaska climate is now available in The Commons building next to the Commons Community Garden. Additional gardening resources will be added to this space as the Community Gardens project grows. The gardens and resources are community and volunteer led and have the goal of increasing food security, improving knowledge on how to grow in the Ketchikan climate, and building community connections.

Ketchikan residents can sign up for their own plot in one of the community gardens. Applications are open and will be assigned at the end of April. Plots are approximately 4’ x 12’, with options for smaller pots and climbing plots. All plots will be “ready to plant” with soil prepared for growing.

Space for the Commons Community Garden is provided by Tongass Federal Credit Union. The materials for the garden beds, shed, and other expenses have been funded by a grant from the Ketchikan Community Foundation. This location is perfect for container gardening and showcasing what can be grown in a half sunny/half shady spot – which we all know is typical of most spaces in Ketchikan! - More...
Tuesday PM - April 20, 2021

MONEY MATTERS: BITCOIN EXPLAINED By MARY LYNNE DAHL , Certified Financial Planner™ - Have you thought about investing in a cryptocurrency, like Bitcoin or something similar? Enough people are doing this that it is now being used as an investment. I have done a previous column about cryptocurrencies (also called digital currencies) such as Bitcoin in prior issues of MONEY MATTERS, which I recommend that you read, but it has been long enough in the past that much has changed and now is a good time to revisit the subject, so here goes.

Bitcoin, like all digital currencies, is controversial. It is interesting, however, because it is based on rapidly changing technology that some people believe is capable of eventually replacing “reserve currency”, like the US dollar. Those who agree with this are generally technology experts while those who disagree are generally financial experts, which does explain the controversy to some extent. Regardless, there are definite pros and cons to the concept of digital money, or cryptocurrency.

First, however, it is helpful to understand just what it is and how it works. Bitcoin is just one of thousands of cryptocurrencies to be invented in recent years. It is based on algorithms that rely on math to function. There is no real asset behind it, and there are not paper records on it. It is not a credit card or regular (reserve) currency that is valued in dollars or yen, or Deutsche marks, or krona, or any national reserve currency. It is a digital currency that is created and stored in what is called “block chain”. - More...
Tuesday PM - April 20, 2021

FINANCIAL FOCUS: Set milestones on road to financial security Provided By BEN EDWARDS, AAMS® - The road to financial security, like many long journeys toward important goals, can be filled with ups and downs. The financial markets can be volatile, shaking up your short-term investment results, and illness or downsizing may temporarily disrupt your career – and your earnings. In fact, just 46% of adults feel financially stable, according to a survey by Morning Consult and Edward Jones. Still, there’s much you can do to gain stability – and you can chart your progress by marking three important milestones:

• Building a foundation – You need to base your financial stability on a strong foundation, which means you must start accumulating the necessary resources. Start by creating an emergency fund, which can help you deal with unexpected costs, such as an expensive car repair, without taking on additional debt. Try to put away anywhere from about $500 to one month’s worth of living expenses, with the money kept in a liquid account – one that’s separate from an account you use for your everyday spending. Later on, you’ll want to expand this emergency fund, but, for now, even this amount can help.

You can also take other steps to build your financial foundation. Try to put in enough to your health savings account (HSA) and your 401(k) to earn your employer’s matching contribution, if one is offered. And if you can, pay down high-interest, nondeductible debts. - More...
Tuesday PM - April 20, 2021

Political Cartoon: Cops Under Attack
by Dick Wright©2021, PoliticalCartoons.com
Distributed to subscribers for publication for Cagle Cartoons, Inc.

Political Cartoon: Boycotts and Cancelling
by Gary McCoy©2021, Shiloh, IL
Distributed to subscribers for publication for Cagle Cartoons, Inc.

Political Cartoon: George Floyd Legacy
by Dave Granlund, PoliticalCartoons.com
Distributed to subscribers for publication for Cagle Cartoons, Inc.

Political Cartoon: End of the Afghanistan War
by Jeff Koterba©2021, CagleCartoons.com
Distributed to subscribers for publication for Cagle Cartoons, Inc.