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SitNews - Stories In The News - Ketchikan, Alaska
Thursday
May 21, 2009

Front Page Photo By Debbie Anderes and Lucas Lahmeyer

Black Bear
Debbie Anderers and her nephew Lucas Lahmeyer were out in their yard Tuesday morning when suddenly they noticed something in the tree. A black bear was sitting about 25 feet up a tree as if whale watching from the South Tongass view. The bear was there for several hours before sliding down the tree, taking a leisurely stroll around their yard, and finally wandering off. Anderers said the only evidence left Tuesday evening of the bear's visit were a couple big piles of bear scat left behind for them to clean up.
Front Page Photo By Debbie Anderes and Lucas Lahmeyer



  

Ketchikan: Ketchikan Community Concert Band: A Celebration of Alaska's Fifty Years Of Statehood -- Friday, May 22, 2009 - The Ketchikan Community Concert Band will highlight Alaska's 50 years of statehood by opening the concert on Friday with "Alaska's Flag." Other Alaska-themed songs include "The Forty-Ninth Star Concert March" and "Great Land," which was written by local composer, Allen Larsen, and dedicated to his friend, Shawn Sande. This piece was first performed at Larsen's alma mater, Tulane University, and later at the Southeast Alaska Music Festival by the Ketchikan High School Wind Ensemble.

Ketchikan Community Concert Band: A Celebration of Alaska's Fifty Years Of Statehood -- Friday, May 22, 2009

Jolene Pflaum will be the featured trombone soloist in Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's "Concerto for Trombone and Band"
Photo courtesy McPherson's Music

Other compositions reminiscent of the Alaskan life-style include "The Sea Treaders" by W. Francis McBeth, and "Tales of Sea and Sail" by Larry Neeck. "The Sea Treaders" was commissioned in 1995 by the US Naval Academy Band for their 150th Anniversary and "Tales of Sea and Sail" is based on sea chanteys from the 1800's such as "Shenandoah" and "Blow The Man Down."

As a tribute to the United States Coast Guard, the band will perform "Semper Paratus," the official Coast Guard march, written by Captain Francis Saltus Van Boskerck in Unalaska in1927.

Jolene Pflaum will be the featured trombone soloist in Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's "Concerto for Trombone and Band," written in three movements. This was a forgotten manuscript discovered in Russia in 1951, and is now one of the most popular works for trombone. A senior at Ketchikan High School, Pflaum is a very accomplished musician, and has been very involved in the Ketchikan music scene for many years. She has played in the Southeast Alaska and State Honor Bands, and is planning to attend the University of Idaho to pursue veterinary medicine. She will also be playing the tuba in the other pieces performed by the band.

"The Girl with the Flaxen Hair" by Claude Debussy is a beautiful arrangement done by Philip Sparke. "Sure On This Shining Night", a Samuel Barber composition is arranged in a very expressive and lyrical style by Richard Saucedo. Both of these pieces by classical music composers, are arranged for concert band in an orchestral style, highlighting the sonorous sounds of the modern concert band. - More...
Thursday - May 21, 2009

Alaska: Governor Maintains Stance on Stimulus Funds, Favors Local Control on Building Codes - Alaska Governor Sarah Palin announced today that, as previously stated, she will veto the $28.6 million in federal "stimulus" funds tied to adoption of building codes by municipalities.

"Alaskans and our communities have a long history of independence and opposing many mandates from Washington, D.C.," Governor Palin said. "This principle of maximum self-government for local communities is also set out in our constitution. There isn't a lot of support for the federal government to coerce Alaska communities to adopt building codes, but lawmakers can always exercise checks and balances by overriding my veto.

"Our 18 boroughs and unified home-rule municipalities, 145 incorporated cities, and individual Alaskans will continue to be free to fully exercise their discretion regarding local building codes. I do not support coercing our local communities to adopt building codes, which then act as a mandatory tax on Alaskans building or renovating homes or businesses."

The governor also noted her commitment to reduce energy costs with ongoing efforts. The FY2010 capital and operating budgets include $25.5 million for Alaska Energy Authority projects, $25 million for renewable energy, $38 million for power cost equalization, and $26.4 million for heating assistance, in addition to hundreds of millions of dollars in conservation efforts.

"When combined with the significant investments in the current fiscal year, including $260 million for weatherization, $100 million for home energy rebates, and $100 million for renewable energy projects, our commitment is clear," Governor Palin said.

The governor asked for clarification from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on the requirements for acceptance of the funds in a letter from Chief of Staff Mike Nizich to Energy Secretary Steven Chu, dated May 14. - More...
Thursday - May 21, 2009

National: CBP Private Aircraft Electronic Manifest Requirements Begin - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) began requiring advance passenger and pilot information on private aircraft entering and departing the United States on May 18th. This requirement seeks to enact greater post-9/11 security for non-commercial flights.

CBP issued a final rule on November 18, 2008, titled Advance Information on Private Aircraft Arriving and Departing the United States, which requires pilots of private aircraft to provide advance information on a flight's departure, arrival and passengers, no less than 60 minutes prior to departure. Compliance with the new regulations is mandatory beginning May 18, 2009, 180 days from the date the rule published to the Federal Register.

The rule expands existing general aviation regulations by requiring pilots of private aircraft to send CBP the electronic manifest data for flights arriving into or departing from the United States. Filing of manifest data can be done through the Electronic Advanced Passenger Information System (eAPIS) or an approved alternate system. - More...
Thursday - May 21, 2009

   

Alaska Science: Fungus gnats survive winter half-frozen By NED ROZELL - A few winters ago, Todd Sformo was out gathering hibernating insects from the woods near the Fairbanks International Airport. He searched for dead balsam poplar trees, looking for a beetle that spends its winters under the loose bark, exposed to the frigid air.

Fungus gnats survive winter half-frozen

Todd Sformo collects fungus gnats from the bark of a dead balsam poplar tree.
UAF photo by Todd Paris.

When he found a few of the beetles and placed them in plastic containers, he noticed thousands of wispy flies sharing space beneath the bark. He collected a few of them, even though he wasn't sure what they were. He had a few spaces available in a cooling chamber he was using to check the cold tolerance of the beetle, so he thought, "Why not test the mystery insect, too?"

As sometimes happens in science, that chance decision led to a discovery. The second bug, a fungus gnat, survives the winter by allowing half of its body to freeze. The other half, including its head, stays thawed.

"It's simultaneously freeze-tolerant and freeze-avoiding," said Sformo, who is pursuing his doctorate at the University of Alaska Fairbanks' Institute of Arctic Biology in the lab of Professor Brian Barnes. "The Journal of Comparative Physiology B" will soon feature Sformo's paper on the fungus gnat.

Most insects that live this far north use one of two strategies to endure the frigid air of an Alaska winter. They either allow their bodies to freeze, removing water from within their cell walls to prevent ice crystals from puncturing them, or they flood their bodies with their own varieties of antifreeze before the cold air oozes over Alaska. The fungus gnat Exechia nugatoria does both. Scientists know of no other insect doing this, although years ago Keith Miller of UAF found a couple of insects that also showed two freezing events in the lab.

Sformo uncovered the fungus gnat's secret while he studied the red flat bark beetle's incredible resistance to freezing, which shares the fungus gnat's wintering tree. A few years ago, Sformo and others found that the beetle could withstand minus 240 degrees Fahrenheit without perishing. That is a bit of a head-scratcher when you consider the lowest temperature ever recorded on the planet was minus 129 degrees Fahrenheit. Why would a creature invest energy in a mechanism that protects itself from air that cold? - More...
Thursday - May 21, 2009

      

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Viewpoints
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letterFourth of July By Tom LeCompte - My letter may be moot as Independence Day is on a weekend this year, but I've always advocated having Fourth of July Fireworks at Midnight between the third and fourth. - More...
Thursday PM - May 21, 2009

letterIn the wake of the Queen By Bill Meck - I hopped in the trusty 19' Glasply Wednesday to make a run for a friend from city float to the airport as a favor. There was a little chop but overall still a nice day. I pulled out in the channel and saw the usual cruise ships and float planes taking off from their piece of the narrows. Then I took note of the Alaska Queen paddle boat lumbering dead center in the channel heading towards her port. I was able to stay clear as she was in front of Safeway. However after I dropped of my pal she was next to the shipyard. Between her, an incoming Beaver and the airport ferry my options were severely limited. - More...
Thursday PM - May 21, 2009

letterFreedom to Decide By Preston Clark -I am a Vet and I believe those of us who have gone off to protect have done this to give people the right to say or do as they wish. - More...
Thursday PM - May 21, 2009

RE: Foster Care in Alaska By Cherry Ferry - Way to go, Mr. Jackson! I applaud you for putting the harsh reality of "Greed" out there. It's very sad times we live in, even though as Americans - we are spoiled and have many opportunities. But, the fact remains - it is very hard for those of us who haven't had the luxury of a somewhat decent childhood to make a better life for ourselves. And, the people who never have experienced such don't get it. You have to live it to really understand it. Compassion and genuine caring out of the kindness of the heart is becoming a lost act in today's society. It does have a lot to do with money. - More...
Tuesday PM - May 19, 2009

letterKPU TELEPHONE DIVISION SALE By Sharon J. Wolfe - I am writing to voice my opinion on this matter because I feel I have to as a concerned citizen. I base my opinion on inside knowledge as a small community member, as well as observance of recent public meetings and information gained from many employees that I know. - More...
Tuesday PM - May 19, 2009

letter Congratulations! By Frances Natkong - Congratulations, Anna Frisby! You more than deserve the award for 2009 Health Aide of the Year! You do so much for the people of Hydaburg. - More...
Tuesday PM - May 19, 2009

letter DO I HAVE TO SECEDE, TOO? By David G. Hanger - Mr. Bylund, I don't need you to tell me the U.S. military is an equal opportunity employer; I have three honorable discharges. Nor do I mind being called a liberal, but to an extent that may be faulty labeling. Certainly in this instance I am definitely taking the conservative point of view. I am standing in defense of flag and country against boneheads who want to secede, have a civil war, and kill all those disagree with them. Folks apparently like you, Mr. Bylund. - More...
Tuesday PM - May 19, 2009

letterLetter of Resignation By Samuel Bergeron - To the Mayor and City Council and citizens of Ketchikan,

Effective 5-18-09, I reluctantly resign my seat on the Ketchikan City Council. I do so with a heavy heart. When I left on work assignment in Kazakhstan, I was supposed to be working in the large metropolitan areas that had good high speed internet service. Due to a change in my work assignment, I will not be able to continue participating without impacting my work. My current assignment is in a location that does not have internet and is remote. I said before I left that if it became impractical for me to continue to participate, I would resign. The circumstance has arisen that makes it impossible for me to continue. - More...
Monday - May 18, 2009

letterThe Boys and Girls Club has a new home. By Chris Corrao - After months of searching the Boys & Girls Club has now opened in our new location 645 Jackson Street (more commonly known as the National Guard Armory). - More...
Monday - May 18, 2009

letterCruise Ship Tax By Vic and Judi Vreeland - On September 13, 2006, you published our letter concerning the cruise ship tax. We were opposed to it and said; - More...
Monday - May 18, 2009

letter Last Knot on the Rope to progress. By Don Borders - While Ketchikan stands sliding on the slippery slope, fixated with both hands firmly grasping the last stop, it has its back to the deep waters. The cruise lines dropped one of its ships visiting our little town, while adding one more to Anchorage. Sure, they cited the cost of oil to run the ships, but in thought, it must take more fuel to get the added ship visit to Anchorage. The fact two of our local governments chose to spend the cruise ship passengers' tax on stuff not adhering to the imposed head tax guidelines must have been their problem. That is one aspect of the last knot. - More...
Sunday - May 17, 2009

letterOpen Letter: Dungeness crab fishery By Rep. Kyle Johansen & Rep. Bill Thomas - We are very concerned with the decision by the Board of Fish (Board) to open the commercial Dungeness crab fishery in Districts 1 and 2 of Registration Area A from June 15 to August 15 (summer season). - More...
Sunday - May 17, 2009

letter Foster Care in Alaska By Lisa Bezenek - I certainly hope the state will look into this information Mr. Jackson presented, and somehow have Mr. Jackson's college fund be funded from that large amount of money per month. What a great thing for him to come to the public with information most people hide from or just ignore. - More...
Sunday - May 17, 2009

letterRental costs in Ketchikan By Heather Wills - Let me tell you about us. I stay at home during the week and waitress on the weekends and he works full time at the hospital and is going to school for Nursing. I consider us to be very good renters. We have two small children, no pets, we don't smoke or stay out late, don't play loud music, always pay our rent on time and take very good care of our little apartment. - More...
Sunday - May 17, 2009

letterTongass National Forest By Charlotte Tanner - Mr. Stump you are indeed an articulate, and well written person. - More...
Sunday - May 17, 2009

letter Appeasement Jeopardizes National Security By Donald A. Moskowitz - President Obama is making mistakes impacting our foreign policy. - More...
Sunday - May 17, 2009

letter RE: Foster Care in Alaska By Charlene Burns - I am sorry that Mr. Jackson has been hurt by this news of the mass amounts of money that is being used in some facets of our foster care system. I would be just as devastated as you are if I had found out similar news about my caregivers.  - More...
Thursday - May 14, 2009

letterRE: Foster Care in Alaska By Melissa Muller - I have lived and worked with the youth, in Ketchikan, for the past eight years. Treating their mental health. At RYC, some of the kids come in because they are having difficulty navigating adolescence with their families. These kids are placed at RYC by their parents. - More...
Thursday - May 14, 2009

letterRental Costs in Ketchikan By Maria Neufeldt - There have been several letters about "slumlords" in Ketchikan. Well I have the other side. Is my rent higher here than in Oregon? Of course. The cost of living is about 30% higher here overall than Portland. - More...
Thursday - May 14, 2009

letterCoastal Alaska Forest Regrowth By Keith Stump - In response to Charlotte Tanner's second request that I answer or otherwise enlighten her: "Over-mature forests" include "dead and decaying" trees, and healthy, growing trees. They are marked by a canopy populated by gray, dead wood, and distinguished from a "mature forest" by the substantial percentage of dead and dying trees and more technically by the comparative lack of increase or decrease in wood fiber. "Over mature" is a term used to describe a forest, not a tree. A standing tree can be dead or dying (i.e. decaying, rotting in part). A tree fallen and turning to rot on the forest floor is not an "over-mature tree," it's a dead tree, but it would possibly be in an over-mature forest. - More...
Thursday - May 14, 2009

letterRE: ON SECESSION By Eileen Small - A discussion of history is always a good thing in my opinion since, as they say, those who don't study history are destined to repeat it. Slavery was, infact, a great evil in the world. This includes wherever it existed in America in our past and in places where minorities (such as women) are enslaved today and where innocent civilians are tortured and beheaded for quasi religious reasons by Al Quaeda and the Taliban such as in Iraq and Afghanistan --- and where our current elected U.S. President and Congress seem to have HUGE issues in showing a little backbone when dealing with these oppressors. - More...
Thursday - May 14, 2009

letterRE: ON SECESSION By Jeremy Price - I am sick to death of secession being painted as such a dastardly act, when come to think of it, our nation was born from secession. - More...
Thursday - May 14, 2009

letterResponses to my letters By Charles Edwardson - For some reason some of my letters make it to this publication and some do not. I do not know if they are screened or not but it seems that some of my more polite letters make it on right away and some of the more sarcastic letters do not make it at all. In any case sarcasm is not a reason to discount the content of an opinion. - More...
Tuesday - May 12, 2009

letter The Theft of Taan ta Kwaan Lands in Ketchikan By Aan Kadax Tseen aka Don Hoff Jr. - The low tidelands around Ketchikan, Alaska belong to the Taan ta Kwaan (Sea Lion People), also known as the Tongass Tribe. Encroachment or theft of Native lands in Ketchikan actually started during the Alaska gold rush in the late 1880's with so-called mining claims like Venetia Lode and Schoenbar Lode. It was during this time that Alaska Natives were unable to make mining claims on their own lands, because they were not citizens of the United States. - More...
Monday PM - May 11, 2009

letterANOTHER CLIFF HANGER by Ken Bylund - Mr. Hanger, do you believe that defending your political religion with the fervor of Pope Gregory IX is persuasive, or productive? Many, especially non-partisans, non-believers [like me] have had enough of this religious inquisition rhetoric from all sides... leaves a bitter history, all this constant sniping, the compulsive disorder to shout down, accuse, and pitch divisive epithets; peculiar [as it is repulsive], is the tone, that hollow echo of past totalitarianism. My recommendation; provide logical, persuasive arguments for specific concepts, [scientific method] to be studied, tested, and proofed; resist all the blustery energy aimed at destroying the reputations of them who disagree with you [not very scientific]. Listen and think about what skeptics are saying, much of it is justifiable, offer reasonable, constructive alternatives. - More...
Monday PM - May 11, 2009

letterThank You By Julia Guthrie - My son Christopher R. Stacy was involved in a single car accident on South Tongass Highway on May 4th. My family would just like to thank the South Tongass Fire Department, the Alaska State Troopers, the Ketchikan General Hospital, Guardian Flight, Harbor Veiw Medical Center, our friends and family, and all the people of Ketchikan who offered their support to our family. - More...
Monday PM - May 11, 2009

letterFoster Care in Alaska By Mary Ida Henrikson - I must respond to Matt Jackson's letter. First it must have been devastating to learn that money was the motivation in your foster care. Your letter describing your conclusion is full of emotional pain and confusion. - More...
Monday PM - May 11, 2009

letter$414,000.00 plus $30,000.00 By Bob Jackson - The people I have talked with believe the council made a costly mistake in the decision to move KPU customer service out of its current location. - More...
Saturday - May 09, 2009

letterKPU Telecom Sale By Michael Naab - Reading the recent letters from Charles Edwardson and Rudy McGillvray, one might assume that the sale of KPU's Telecommunications Division is a foregone conclusion. Not so. Here are some facts: - More...
Saturday - May 09, 2009

letterDungeness Crab in Southeast Alaska By Jackie Tyson - Briefly, I was at the Petersburg Board of Fish (BoF) meeting. I spoke for the people of Whale Pass who wanted to keep the little bay in front of their town closed to commercial crabbers. My husband was trying to get a small area in the Wrangell Narrows by Petersburg closed to Dungeness because it's so depleted. We were shot down. It was not pretty. - More...
Saturday - May 09, 2009

letter Foster Care in Alaska By Matt Jackson - Today, I learned what really makes the "youth treatment system" go 'round in Alaska. It's not love, it is not about the kids, and no one cares about us. It is the money. I won't go into the many grievances Residential Youth Care and foster care have committed against me. Rather, today I will only talk about the numbers.  - More...
Saturday - May 09, 2009

letterSpeed Limits By Libby Oaksmith - I have read the previous two letters and agree with both of them. In 2000, I wrote a letter to the Daily News asking drivers to please slow down. I too live in the same area as Jennifer, only right across from the ball park. - More...
Saturday - May 09, 2009

letterON SECESSION By David G. Hanger - Eileen Small would have us believe that there exists a binding contract between the state of Texas and the United States that allows Texas to secede from the United States if it so desires. That so-called contract language dates to 1845 and was voided and superseded by what is known as the American Civil War. You might have heard of it, Eileen. - More...
Saturday - May 09, 2009

letterOur children's children's Forest By James Schenk - I have been to the Maybeso experimental forest! For such a place to be chosen as an example of a good one, is beyond my belief. The alder after 60 years in the Maybeso is still profuse, the reprod which was never properly thinned makes human and animal passage difficult at best. The reasoning of destroying our forest for profit of corporations and publicly funded logging should be as dead as a spawned out salmon. - More...
Saturday - May 09, 2009

letterCoastal Alaska forest regrowth By Louise Clark - I feel an obligation to add my opinion to this discussion of old growth ugly versus new beautiful human managed forests because it is refreshing to know that man in his ultimate wisdom is better at this than God or mother nature.  - More...
Saturday - May 09, 2009

letterCoastal Alaska Forest Regrowth By Charlotte Tanner - Thank you Mr. Stump for your attempt at "enlightening" me. I tend to agree with you on your assessment of your grandmother, she is over mature. Just as a tree that has fallen and decayed on the forest floor for a few decades could be called over mature, but to call a standing tree "over mature" is rather pre mature in my humble opinion. - More...
Saturday - May 09, 2009

letterSidewalk congestion By Julie Grimmer - This morning at the tunnel, I witnessed two women get on their small electric wheelchair-type vehicles and zoom on to downtown, using the sidewalk. Now, these 2 were not handicapped in any way. I saw both of them walking around their vehicles prior to using them, stooping down, one even running down the street to get something. - More...
Saturday - May 09, 2009

letterSlumlords By Cecelia Johnson - On rent and landlords I really need to add my two cents. I am a homeowner but have been involved with social services which I was an advocate. - More...
Wednesday - May 06, 2009

letterCoastal Alaska Forest Regrowth By Keith Stump - Charlotte Tanner has requested me to enlighten her with locations of "better, greener, healthier forests" in Southeast Alaska. OK. First, check out Maybeso Valley on POW where the Maybeso Experimental Forest is located. It was used for experimental logging by the U.S. Forest Service when large-scale logging first began to provide the timber contracted to the two long-term (50 year) sales to the two pulp mills build in the 1950's (Ketchikan and then Sitka). To evaluate and better understand the effects of more significant harvesting of timber (particularly the effects on salmon streams),and the natural regrowth capabilities and processes in Southeast Alaska, over four miles of forests on both sides of the Maybeso Creek were clear-cut logged, and within that area a square mile (after being was first clear cut logged) had all remaining trees (down to just sprouts) removed. In that regrowth (or second generation forest), you will uniformly find an overall "greener" forest canopy (over sixty feet tall about ten or twenty years ago) without the grey dead tops of dead or dying trees found in the or climax forest that was there when the logging began. - More...
Wednesday - May 06, 2009

letterOld Growth Trees - worthless? By Shelley Stallings - About the only sentence in Mr. Dornblasers letter I can find any agreement with is the one which states that trees, like all living things, grow, mature, then die. After that it becomes more complicated and most of these issues have be hashed and re-hashed many times over in the media and at countless USFS public meetings. - More...
Wednesday - May 06, 2009

letterTake the Money By Rick Ferguson - I think our governor should get off her high horse and take the money. - More...
Wednesday - May 06, 2009

letterHELP SAVE OUR DUNGENESS!!!!! By Kimberly Peters - The Alaska Board of Fisheries has decided to open commercial Dungeness fishing in the Ketchikan area on June 15th, 2009. This just happens to be when the crabs are breeding and have soft shells, this hasn't been done since the 80's because they almost WIPED the species OUT!! - More...
Monday - May 04, 2009

letter25 MPH speed limit neighborhoods By Michael Moyer - I will have to agree with Jennifer Tavares that there is no intelligent reason why the neighborhood streets of Ketchikan should have speed limits as high as 25 mph. I live on upper Water Street and I have witnessed near fatal accidents with pedestrians there including a child who was simply stepping out of his street side home directly into the path of an on-coming car. - More...
Monday - May 04, 2009

letterRe: KPU (Telephone Division) By Alan R. (Rudy) McGillvray - It has never been incumbent upon the City Council to do anything in governing Ketchikan that would REALLY benefit its citizens and or customers. KPU Telephone Division is the only division in KPU that makes more money than it spends; that would be called, by any other name, PROFIT. KPU Telephone Div, is constantly called upon to give monies to the Electrical Division, if you read the minutes of City Council Meetings very carefully you will note that on occasion the Council is asked by the Managers of KPU to do so and they do. - More...
Monday - May 04, 2009

letterRE: Enlightment By Jim Dornblaser - Ms. Tanner, I find your choice of words ironic. - More...
Monday - May 04, 2009

letterHigh Rent?? By Sonia Streitmatter - I am a homeowner who currently has renters in my home. I'm fairly new to the game (just a few months), but I have to say if anyone thinks I am making money off the deal, they are just plain wrong. The rent covers the mortgage payment, the property manager's fee and the little bit extra goes to paying the increase in insurance from a homeowner's policy to a landlord's policy. If there is anything left, it will go towards a fund for repairs/alterations. - More...
Monday - May 04, 2009

letterKetchikan Tea Party By Eileen Small - I thought Mr. Hanger's tirade against Ms. Emmert's letter in support of the nationwide tea parties to be a tad elitist and unjust--a characteristic which that writer shares with many of our currently elected officials and a fact that helped incite the grass root protests leading to the tea parties. I know I am not a racist but I can see unnecessary spending occur and I hate to see my kids and others' kids paying for debts occurred in this generation. Frankly, I hate to pay for it either and if I wanted to own Chrysler or GM I'd buy stock personally! I guess I can determine right from wrong. Why is the "race card" always played when someone disagrees with liberal politics? I think it is silly--sort of like grade schoolers calling each other baby- name-insults on a playground! I don't think Ms. Emmert is a racist either and I am certain of one more thing that neither she nor I are: WE AREN'T SOCIALISTS!!!  - More...
Monday - May 04, 2009

letterIranian Nuclear Missile Threat By Donald A. Moskowitz - Iran tested the launch of a Scud missile from a ship in the Caspian Sea, which was designed to provide the capability of launching intermediate range missiles from cargo ships sitting off coastlines. Also, within a few years Iran will have long range missiles capable of striking North America. - More...
Monday - May 04, 2009

letter Airline Travel Costs By Jerilyn Lester - I have to agree with Chas Edwardson on this one, if Alaska Airlines thought in terms of volume instead of gouging each individual that crossed the Narrows it would be better all around. - More...
Monday - May 04, 2009

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SitNews
Stories in the News
©1999 - 2008
Ketchikan, Alaska

M.C. Kauffman, Webmaster/Editor,
Graphic Designer & Publisher
editor@sitnews.us
907 254 1948

In Memory of SitNews' first editor,
Richard (Dick) Kauffman

1932-2007

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Online since 1999

 Articles & photographs that appear in SitNews may be protected by copyright and may not be reprinted or redistributed without written permission from and payment of required fees to the proper sources.

Alliance Realty LLC - Ketchikan, Alaska

Ketchikan General Hospital

Lighthouse Services - Ketchikan, Alaska

Tongass School of Arts & Sciences

Tatsuda's IGA - Ketchikan, Alaska

Talbot's Building Supply

Tongass Business Center

BOBWIRES - Ketchikan, Alaska

Saltery Lodge

Water Tap - Ketchikan, Alaska

Steve Lankerd Studio

Ketchikan H2)

L Coady Art & Design, LLC

Tongass Forest Enterprises

KFMJ - Ketchikan, Alaska

Parnassus Books Ketchikan, Alaska

McPherson Music - Ketchikan, Alaska

Family Night

The Home Office - The Local Paper; Ketchikan, Alaska

  
North Tongass Volunteer Fire Department

Visit our new
website at
www.northtongassfire.org
  

Carl Thompson's Photographs - Ketchikan, Alaska

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