Ketchikan Public Utilities Photo by Dick Kauffman

Ketchikan: New Digital TV Service Expected to Launch Sept. 1st - KPU Telecommunications, the city-owned telephone company in Ketchikan, plans to launch its new Digital TV service on September 1, 2005. Van Abbott, Division Manager of KPU Telecommunications, told SitNews Wednesday they expect the new equipment to arrive tomorrow. Currently KPU Telecommunications offers telephone service and high-speed Internet to its business and residential customers.

Following a public process that ended approximately two months ago, TUT's' Astria(R) video headend was selected by KPU Telecommunications for delivering digital TV over the City of Ketchikan's DSL network to offer to its 7000 subscribers. - More...
Wednesday - May 18, 2005

Alaska: Stevens explains what is included in Highway Bill for Alaska - Tuesday the United States Senate passed H.R. 3, the Safe Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2005 (SAFETEA) or the Highway Bill.  The legislation includes significant provisions which effect Alaska including funds for the National Park Service roads, an increase in the funding for the Alaska-Canadian Highway as well as the Alaska Marine Highway System, and the Denali Commission.  The bill also includes the Surface Transportation Safety Improvement Act of 2005 which includes items that pertain to Alaska. - More...
Wednesday - May 18, 2005

Alaska: Governor Signs Six Bills - Alaska Governor Frank H. Murkowski signed six bills Tuesday... - More...
Wednesday - May 18, 2005

Alaska: Legislature Approves 250,000 acre University Land Grant - The Alaska Legislature has approved a bill to convey 250,000 acres of land to the University of Alaska. The House approved the conference committee report for House Bill 130 on Monday. The measure passed the Senate on Friday. - More....
Wednesday - may 18, 2005

Ketchikan: Fraternal Order of Eagles #162 Installs New Officers - The Fraternal Order of Eagles #162 recently held their installation of new officers ceremony. Paul Bermudez was elected Aerie President and Betty Baxter as Auxiliary President.

A dinner honoring all Past Presidents followed the installation of new officers ceremony. Those honored were Marry Singer, Marg'e Hink, Stephanie Sherva, Nancy Ball, Dan Ball, Dale McDaniel,Walt Norum and State Hall Of Famer, Maury Ingman. - More...
Wednesday - May 18, 2005

Tagging fresh Copper River salmon Photo courtesy CDFU

Alaska: Copper River salmon just landed; for the first time in history, branded. - In good timing with recent publicity surrounding the fraudulent sale of farmed salmon on the market in New York, Copper River is leading the pack as the first region in Alaska to conduct a tagging promotion of its kind said Rochelle van den Broek who is the Marketing Coordinator of Cordova District Fishermen United.

Just launched Tuesday following the first Copper River commercial fishery opener of the season (May 16), all genuine salmon harvested on Alaska's Copper River are branded with a tag of authenticity to provide consumers with proof of origin, and to eliminate mislabeled salmon said Broek.  The first shipment of freshly branded Copper River salmon have already left Cordova on the jet, on the fast track to eagerly awaiting distributors and consumers in the lower 48 and overseas, she said.

Broek said each year several million pounds of Copper River salmon are sold to consumers worldwide, though only approximately 1 million salmon are harvested on the Copper River.  In an effort to eliminate imposter salmon in the market place, and in collaboration with processors and direct marketers of Copper River salmon, all Chinook, Sockeye and Coho salmon are to be branded with the new tag of authenticity. Tags will be applied during processing and will lie flat during packaging clearly displaying our new Copper River salmon logo. - More...
Wednesday - May 18, 2005

Nizki Island in the western Aleutians is one of many islands to which birds are returning after the removal of foxes. Photo by Ned Rozell

Alaska: Arctic foxes made Aleutians less green By NED ROZELL - The Aleutians would probably be a lot greener if it weren't for the arctic foxes people planted on them, researchers have found.

In a study published in Science magazine in March 2005, scientists from California, Montana and Alaska compared islands with and without foxes in the Aleutians. They discovered that islands with foxes are covered mostly with tundra, while fox-free islands have patches of lush grasslands. The major difference in types of greenery could be the lack of seabirds on islands with foxes, coupled with the fertilizing power of the birds' guano on fox-free islands.

Foxes and their fur became a cash crop in the Aleutians after sea otters disappeared due to overhunting in the 1800s. Russians and later American fur traders would drop as few as a pair of arctic foxes on islands and that pair would multiply to a trappable population within a few years. By 1936, at least 190 islands in the Aleutians had imported foxes living on them, according to Edgar Bailey of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who wrote a report on the subject in 1993. - More...
Wednesday - May 18, 2005

Viewpoints Opinions/Letters RE: Cruise Ship Wake, incident Ryndam By Marvin Davis - Wednesday Bridge to the AIRPORT By Jackie Williams - Wednesday Apology accepted By Albert K. White - Wednesday Anchor Babies By Jack M. Moutrie - Wednesday More Viewpoints/ Letters Publish A Letter Oops at Newsweek By: Tab, The Calgary Sun Distributed exclusively by Cagle Cartoons, Inc. Political Cartoonists Ketchikan Editorial Cartoonist Roger Maynard May 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 29 30 31         Front Page Archives

Will Durst: Frequently Asked Questions about the President's Social Security Reform - Q. So what's going on with that whole privatization of Social Security thing these days?
A. Excuse me, but it's that whole PERSONALIZATION of Social Security thing now.

Q. What's the difference?
A. Nothing really. The second one tested better. Privatize - bad. Personalize- good. Liberate - gooder. Lottery win - goodest. - More...
Wednesday - May 18, 2005

Dick Morris: On CAFTA, Dems Must Choose Unions or Hispanics - The Bush administration is planning to submit CAFTA - the Central America Free Trade Agreement - to the Congress for approval. Democrats and labor unions are indicating their usual opposition, and a fight reminiscent of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) battle over trade with Mexico in the early '90s seems about to begin.

But the battle comes at a critical time for the political parties, since the Hispanic vote has come dramatically into play in the recent presidential election. While Al Gore beat Bush by 65 to 35 percent among Hispanics, Kerry won by only 55 to 45. Hispanics cast 10 million votes in 2004, so the gains Bush made over his 2000 vote share amount to a 2 million vote swing in his favor. Since Bush won by only 3.1 million votes in 2004, the importance of the Latino vote is apparent. - More...
Wednesday - May 18, 2005

Michael Reagan: It Depends on Whose Ox is Being Gored - The day after the story broke about Newsweek publishing an inflammatory - and bogus - story accusing our military of desecrating the Koran, reporters at the daily White House press briefing reacted in rage. But their rage was not against Newsweek, for in effect inciting riots that killed at least 16 or 17 and injured scores more, but instead at the White House for daring to criticize Newsweek.

Asked one reporter: "With respect, who made you the editor of Newsweek? Do you think it's appropriate for you, at that podium, speaking with the authority of the president of the United States, to tell an American magazine what they should print?" - More...
Wednesday -- May 18, 2005

Joseph Branco: Google-Search Experts - The speed and ease of Internet capabilities makes it possible to do quick research on practically any conceivable topic from the history of World War II to Britney Spear's favorite make-out position. This sophisticated tool is an appropriate companion for fact-finding missions and research projects of all kinds. However, like wandering through a library void of clearly defined indicators between fact, fiction, non-fiction, reference, or fantasy, the Internet resource and the information it provides must be scrutinized with an impartial and unbiased mind in search of the truth. - More...
Wednesday - May 18, 2005