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Tuesday
May 20, 2014
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Illusion
This cruise ship and float plane are much further apart than what they appear to be in this photograph. Although the Tongass Narrows is very busy during the summer season, this is not even close to being a near-miss.
Front Page Photo By Steve Speights ©2014
(Please respect the rights of photographers, never republish or copy
without permission and/or payment of required fees.)
Southeast Alaska: Southeast Alaska Field Classes Offer Lecture Halls Like No Other – Over the past several years small and mobile groups of university students from around the country have been plying the waters between the outer coast of Prince of Wales Island and the mouth of the Stikine River in Southeast Alaska. Explaining that they are “a rapid response learning force,” students have dedicated their summer months to participating in rigorous academic study, community interactions and long-term ecological research.
Program alumni Lidia Johnson and Trenton Doyle, Tatoosh executive director Peter Chaille, program alumni Louis Lin and Kristen Walz (left to right) kayak around Prince of Wales Island.
Photo courtesy of Tatoosh School
The Tatoosh School, founded in 2011, is a nonprofit, university-level school provides lecture halls unlike any other with classrooms in the towns, oceans, and forests of Alaska's Inside Passage From owner-led tours of the largest (and some of the smallest) mills in Alaska to conversations with conservation leaders, monitoring large-scale river restoration projects to kayaking through narrows overflowing with salmon, Tatoosh students live what they learn from the people and places they visit. Field courses provide undergraduates with a foundation and a drive to understand and apply frameworks in ecology and governance to the places they call home.
Erin Steinkruger, Tatoosh School Program Manager, describes the experience as “abroad without being abroad, the School’s action-oriented curriculum is designed around the concepts of transference, problem solving, and civic engagement.”
In a major boost for further development of these types of programs, the Tatoosh School received a $50,000 gift, launching a major effort that since February has raised over $128,000. With a goal to exceed $190,000 in 2014, these funds are dedicated to further develop new course offerings, increase scholarship support for students and facilitate the improvement of a base camp on Prince of Wales Island, in the heart of the School’s course area.
“We could not be more humbled by the incredible support at a local, regional and national level and the endless possibilities available for students through partnership and collaboration,” said Peter Chaillé, the executive director of the school. “Formal and informal partnerships are no small part of what Tatoosh is all about, as is evidenced by the long and diverse list of those who visit with students over the course of their summer experience, over 80 hours are volunteered by guest lecturers and community members each year!” - More...
Tuesday - May 20, 2014 |
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Ketchikan: Nine graduate from Ketchikan Construction Academy - The Southern Southeast Alaska Technical Education Center located in Ketchikan announced the graduation of nine students May 3, 2014 from the Ketchikan Construction Academy. - More...
Tuesday - May 20, 2014
Brandon Demmert, Laura Bartholomew, Wilbur Young, Bonnie Morris, Kirk Robertson and Dustin Armey.
Back row: Clayton Milton, Jake Whitesides, and Albert Shields III.
Ketchikan: Five graduate from Safe and Competent Worker Program - The Southern Southeast Alaska Technical Education Center announced the graduation of five students from the Safe and Competent Worker series May 9, 2014. - More...
Tuesday - May 20, 2014
David Howard and Jerry Ruaro.
Back Row: Santanna Atkinson, Laura Bartholomew and Davante’ Guthrie.
Alaska: It's National Safe Boating Week - The U.S. Coast Guard 17th District will join the rest of the nation this week in observing National Safe Boating Week Monday through Friday to encourage safe boating practices and prevent recreational boating accidents.
“Alaska’s weather can change with little to no warning and it’s important for boaters to plan appropriately before heading out to enjoy Alaska’s pristine waters,” said Mike Folkerts, recreational boating safety coordinator, Coast Guard 17th District. “The Coast Guard encourages mariners to always wear their life jackets, have a reliable means of communication onboard their vessel like a VHF radio and to file a float plan with friends, family or their local harbormaster before leaving port.”
National Safe Boating Week is organized by the National Safe Boating Council with many partner agencies in the U.S. and Canada, including the Coast Guard Auxiliary, United States Power Squadrons, BoatUS, the American Canoe Association, and local groups to encourage safe boating practices and educate the public. This week is timed to coincide with Memorial Day weekend, one of the biggest recreational boating weekends of the year.
The Coast Guard released its 2013 Recreational Boating Statistics last week, revealing that boating fatalities last year totaled 560 nationwide, the lowest number on record. The report states alcohol use was the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents. Where the cause of death was known, 77 percent of fatal boating accident victims drowned; of those drowning victims, 84 percent were not wearing a life jacket. In Alaska, deaths and accidents in 2013 totaled 10 fatalities, the lowest since 2009. - More...
Tuesday - May 20, 2014 |
Low Tide Graffiti
Holy Name’s 3rd and 4th grades had their beach day on May 16th at Rotary Beach. The tide was very low in the morning when the classes and escorts arrived, and the photographer found that someone had left a message in the sand to greet the group.
Front Page Feature Photo by BILL BOLLING ©2014
Alaska: Alaska Unmanned Aircraft Test Site 2nd to Become Operational - The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration announced that the University of Alaska’s unmanned aircraft system (UAS) test site is the second of six test sites to become operational.
Earlier this month, the FAA has granted the University of Alaska Fairbanks a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA) authorizing flights by an Aeryon Scout small UAS for animal surveys at its Pan-Pacific UAS Test Range Complex in Fairbanks. The COA is effective for two years. The team began the wildlife flight operations on May 5th
“Alaska has a history of innovation in manned aviation, and now they are bringing that pioneering spirit into the unmanned aircraft arena as well,” said U. S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “We look forward to the contributions they and the other test sites will make toward our efforts to ensure the safe and efficient integration of UAS into our nation’s skies.”
The main purpose of the Alaskan wildlife operation is to show how a UAS can accurately locate, identify, and count large wild animals, such as caribou, reindeer, musk ox and bear for survey operations requested by the state of Alaska. Flights are taking place at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Large Animal Research Station (LARS).
“The test site program is forging ahead just as we expected,” said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta, who was in Alaska today. “The University of Alaska Fairbanks program is important because it includes a diverse set of test site range locations in seven climatic zones, so it will give us a wealth of data to help develop appropriate safety regulations and standards.”
This site also will collect safety-related operational data needed for UAS integration. Since the research station is located within five miles of Fairbanks International Airport, the flights will evaluate procedures for coordination with air traffic controllers, as well as the type and frequency of operational data provided to them. This information will help the FAA analyze current processes for establishing small UAS airworthiness and system maturity. - More...
Tuesday - May 20, 2014 |
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Science: One of oldest human skeletons in North America is discovered - The discovery of a near-complete human skeleton in a watery cave in Mexico is helping scientists answer the question, "Who were the first Americans?" The finding, reported in the 16 May issue of the journal Science, sheds new light on a decades-long debate among archaeologists and anthropologists.
Deciphering the ancestry of the first people to populate the Americas has been a challenge.
On the basis of genetics, modern Native Americans are thought to descend from Siberians who moved into eastern Beringia (the landmass connecting Asia and North America) between 26,000 and 18,000 years ago. These people, the earliest Americans, then spread southward.
Despite widespread support for this idea, the ancestry of the earliest Americans is still debated because the facial features of the oldest American skeletons don't look much like those of modern Native Americans.
"Modern Native Americans closely resemble people of China, Korea, and Japan," James Chatters, lead author on the study, said, "but the oldest American skeletons do not." They have longer, narrower crania than later Native Americans, and smaller, shorter faces, too -- more closely resembling modern peoples of Africa, Australia, and the Southern Pacific Rim. "This has led to speculation that perhaps the first Americans and Native Americans came from different homelands," Chatters continued, "or migrated from Asia at different stages in their evolution."
Complicating the puzzle, it's been very difficult to find intact Paleoamerican skeletons for study.
"Paleoamerican skeletons are rare for several reasons," Chatters explained. "The people themselves were few; they were highly nomadic and seem to have buried or cremated the dead where they fell, making the locations of graves unpredictable; also, geologic processes have destroyed or deeply buried their graves." - More...
Tuesday _ May 20, 2014 |
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 RE: Kayhi Sports Schedules By Ken Lewis - In response to Burt Hooton's letter: I like it. But can't have an much of an opinion about some of it. So I will talk about the baseball part. In 1991 local Little League went from a pennant race format, 1st half winner plays 2nd half winner best of three games. To what we see today, an all teams welcome tourney to determine a regular season champ. I hated the new format when it was changed, and it seems to have been promoted to the HS level, as a way to determine the best team. I don't blame coaches or players because of this All welcome format. But Please understand this about a SE tourney, just because it looks good for basketball don't make it right for baseball. Five guys start a hoop game, the center does not have to rest his arm the next night. Therefore that center plays every game all season long. That's great for the player. - More...
Tuesday - May 20, 2014
Legalize Marijuana By Anthony M. Johnson - I am writing this letter in response to Ms. Abbott. I’m also a lifelong Ketchikan resident raising children in this fine rainy town. I’m completely in support of legalizing Marijuana. I don’t smoke it, however for my children’s sake I do support the legalization of it, please read on… - More...
Tuesday - May 20, 2014
No smoking in restaurants - yes!! By Cherry Rice - Yep, I'm one of those ex-smokers who can't stand the smell of cigarette smoke. I am thrilled to hear of restaurants banning smoking! - More...
Tuesday - May 20, 2014
Ostracize Bigots By Donald A. Moskowitz - The despicable remarks by Robert Copeland, a police commissioner, Wolfeboro, NH; Donald Sterling, owner of the Los Angeles Clippers; Kanye West, singer; Louis Farrakhan, spokesman for Nation of Islam; Clevin Bundy, Nevada rancher; and Glenn Miller, Kansas killer and Ku Klux Klan member; show there are still ignorant radicals in this country. - More...
Tuesday - May 20, 2014
University of Alaska Board of Regents Should Halt Southeast Timber Sale By Rebecca Knight - Two timber sales scheduled by the University of Alaska near the southeast island communities of Petersburg and Kupreanof are stirring up controversy and local opposition. The sales, known as the South Mitkof and Wrangell Narrows East timber sales could log up to 17 ½ million board feet of mostly old growth trees on 1,066 acres. That's roughly the size of over 800 football fields. - More...
Saturday - May 17, 2014
Kayhi Sports Schedules By Burt Hooton - How extremely disappointing it is to see that there are three varsity sports HOME games being played at the same time Friday night. What a terrible situation for the fans, parents and players of these games. - More...
Saturday - May 17, 2014
RE: Biggest Economic Punch, Commercial or Recreational Fishing? By Doug Burkman - Did not the author leave out the impact on the resource, which is the biggest $ return per pound of fish? Commercial or Recreational? How about in terms of recreation hours per pound of fish? I, personally, would rather catch my own fish for consumption? I would rather not buy my salmon or any other wild fish in a store. Maybe there are some that would think driving to the store to buy fish would be recreation. - More...
Saturday - May 17, 2014
Shooting farmers? By A. M. Johnson - The following inquiry was submitted to all three of our Congressional members. A response was requested via Representative Young's site and an expectation of a response from both Senator Murkowski and Begich is in order. Hearing none in a reasonable period of time will have that fact submitted to the voting public via your fine publication.- More...
Saturday - May 17, 2014
Marijuana Legal? By Bonnie J Abbott Allen - I am writing to reply to some of the letters SitNews has received from Ketchikan residents who believe marijuana is OK and should be legalized! - More...
Saturday - May 17, 2014
Consequences of Marijuana Abuse By Marvin Seibert - I would recommend people read what the National Institute on Drug Abuse has to say about the effects and addiction to Marijuana. - More...
Saturday - May 17, 2014
Smoking Bans By Bill Kerschner - I am a longtime Republican Conservative and a business owner. I recently vacationed in the beautiful State of Alaska and hope to visit again. I strongly support Smoking Bans, especially for restaurants and other work places. - More...
Saturday - May 17, 2014
Inflation, wage slavery, greediness By Lois Morgan - You go David Hanger. Your thoughts and figures need to be read by every working stiff, and by every ethical voter. - More...
Saturday - May 17, 2014
THE TIME VALUE OF MONEY,
Or How the Rich Are Destroying the American Middle Class By David G. Hanger - For the past several months I have conducted a simple, one-question test that I have presented to dozens of local individuals, all but two of whom answered extremely inaccurately. What this test has demonstrated is a clear disconnect that most of you have in understanding the value of money. The consequences of this lack of cognition are fundamental and quite serious. - More...
Tuesday PM - May 13, 2014
AN OPEN LETTER TO CITY COUNCIL By Teri J. Wilson - I am sick to death of anti-smoking laws, expecially those making smokers unwelcome. In Ketchikan, I am now recduced to eaing at Cape Fox, since all other restaurants have chosen to go non-smoking. Since these business owners have chosen this, as is their right, it's entirely up to them, and no doubt is a boon for the non-smokers. I, however, also choose not to patronioze a place that makes me unwelcome, that is MY RIGHT.. - More...
Tuesday PM - May 13, 2014
Ferry Fare for Lituya By Norma Lankerd - This letter is in regards to the ferry Lituya that runs between Metlakatla (Annette Bay) and Ketchikan on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. I know when they put in the road the plans were to make trips 3 to 4 times a day (7 days a week) so people from here can seek employment in Ketchikan and travel back to Metlakala at the end of the day. - More...
Tuesday PM - May 13, 2014
FACT: Marijuana does cause violence! By Marvin Seibert - I have seen comments that Marijuana does not cause violence. Just look to Denver Colorado where it is not legal. One example is the Headline Denver man accused of killing wife after eating marijuana candy formally charged with murder The last I checked killing your wife is an act of violence. - More...
Tuesday PM - May 13, 2014
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