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SitNews - Stories In The News - Ketchikan, Alaska
Wednesday
September 26, 2018

Front Page Feature Photo By TERRI JIRSCHELE

Harvest Moon
The "harvest moon" is the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox (22nd - 23rd of September), coming anywhere from two weeks before to two weeks after that date. The name is recorded from the early 18th century. The autumnal equinox in Ketchikan was Saturday - September 22nd and this Harvest Moon was visable through the clouds on Monday, 09/24/18, the date of this photo.
Front Page Feature Photo By TERRI JIRSCHELE ©2018



Regular Election
October 02, 2018

Absentee in-person voting began on Sept. 17, 2018.


Ketchikan City Council Candidates
3-Year Term,
2 Seats to Fill

jpg Janalee L. Gage

Janalee L. Gage
Filed 08/01/18
Candidate's Statement
09/03/18

jpg Sam Bergeron Sam Bergeron
Filed 08/23/18
Candidate's Statement
09/13/18
jpg Dragon London Dragon London
Filed 08/24/18
Candidate's Statement
09/20/18
jpg Spencer Strassburg Spencer Strassburg
Filed 08/27/18
Candidate's Statement
09/23/18

Ketchikan City Mayor
3-Year Term, 1 Seat to Fill
Unchallenged
jpg Robert (Bob) Sivertsen Robert (Bob) Sivertsen
Filed 08/01/18

Ketchikan Assembly Candidates
3-Year Term,
2 Seats to Fill
Watch the Chamber's Borough Assembly Forum 09/05/18
YouTube Courtesy KPU TV

jpg Dan Bockhorst Dan Bockhorst
Filed 08/01/18
Candidate's Statement
09/11/18
jpg Austin Otos Austin Otos
Filed 08/02/18
Candidate's Statement
09/09/18
jpg Danielle "Dani" Pratt Danielle "Dani" Pratt
Filed 08/22/18
Candidate's Statement
09/19/18
  Sven Westergard
Filed 08/24/18
jpg James Montgomery James Montgomery
Filed 08/24/18
Candidate's Statement
09/23/18
jpg Felix Wong Felix Wong
Filed 08/27/18
Candidate's Statement
09/17/18

Ketchikan School Board
3-Year Term,
3 Seats to Fill
jpg Matt Eisenhower Matt Eisenhower
Filed 08/10/18
Candidate's Statement
09/13/18
jpg Sonya Skan Sonya Skan
Filed 08/13/18
Candidate's Statement
09/11/18
jpg Rachel Breithaupt

Rachel Breithaupt
Filed 08/17/18
Candidate's Statement
09/07/18

jpg Bridget Mattson Bridget Mattson
Filed 08/20/18
Candidate's Statement
09/20/18
jpg Lana Boler Lana Boler
Filed 08/21/18
Candidate's Statement
09/21/18

Alaska: Formal Apology Presented to Alaska Native Peoples by Federal & State Agencies; Agencies acknowledged harmful impacts of past bird harvest prohibitions - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) formally issued an apology to Alaska Native peoples for the unintended consequences of implementation of migratory bird harvest prohibitions. 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game formally apologized to Alaska Native peoples Thursday, September 13, 2018. The apology recognized hardships Alaska Native families experienced from implementation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the 1960s and 70s.

"This moment ... can bring healing, and healing is what needs to happen for Natives throughout the State," said Gayla Hoseth, AMBCC Native Caucus Co-Chair and Bristol Bay Regional Advisory Committee Representative.

The Alaska Migratory Bird Co-Management Council (AMBCC) was formed in 2000 and consists of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Alaska Department of Fish & Game, and representatives of Alaska's Native population.

Council members honored many Alaska Native leaders who worked to change the Act during the ceremony. The apology was presented at the Alaska Migratory Bird Co-Management Council at their fall meeting by USFWS Regional Director Greg Siekaniec and Alaska Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Sam Cotten. 

In the apology letter to Indigenous Peoples of Alaska, Siekaniec and Cotten wrote, "On behalf of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, please accept our sincere apology for any harm that past harvest regulations has caused to you and your families. Our predecessors’ regulations were shortsighted in that they caused long term and unnecessary pain. We ask for your forgiveness as we continue our journey for healing together. Learning from past mistakes, we look forward to continuing to work together with Alaska Native peoples for the conservation of the bird resources that are dear to all of us and to support traditional subsistence cultures and ways of life." - More...
Wednesday AM - September 26, 2018

Fish Factor: Are Offshore Fish Farms in Alaska's Future? By LAINE WELCH - Offshore fish farms could soon dot the sea scape along with those oil and gas platforms being proposed for U.S. waters by the Trump Administration.

The fish farms, which would be installed from three to 200 miles out, are being touted as a way to boost seafood production, provide jobs and reduce the nation’s $16 billion trade deficit due to America’s importing nearly 90 percent of its seafood favorites. 

The U.S. Commerce Department is holding meetings around the country through November to talk about its strategic plan for getting aquaculture off the ground. At a recent session in Juneau, NOAA Director Chris Oliver said that wild harvests simply can’t keep up with global demand.

“Aquaculture is going to be where the major increases in seafood production occur whether it happens in foreign countries or in U.S. waters,” Oliver said.

“Aquaculture would seem like an ideal industry for the country, since it has the second-largest exclusive enterprise zone in the world – meaning it has proprietary marine resource rights over an area totaling roughly 4.4 million square miles in three oceans, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico,” wrote Seafood Source. However, the U.S. is a bit player in the burgeoning global industry. 

In 2015, the U.S. produced just 0.4 percent (426,000 MT) of global aquaculture harvests, putting it in 18th place and trailing such countries as Ecuador, Malaysia, and North Korea. In contrast, the U.S. ranks No. 1 in the world in poultry and beefproduction.

The potential is not lost on America’s big food producers. 

A new trade group called Stronger America Through Seafood has emerged to promote the push to farm the seas. It’s backers include Cargill, Pacific Seafood, Red Lobster, High Liner Foods, Sysco and Seattle Fish Company. 

“There is no clear framework for allowing offshore aquaculture development, so while the rest of the world is growing and evolving and exploring the open ocean as an opportunity to farm our own fish, the U.S. continues with business as usual,” said spokesperson Margaret Henderson. “And as our population and our appetites increase, we become increasingly dependent on foreign production.”

The group has come out in support of  a bill pending in the U.S. Senate called Advancing the Quality and Understanding of American Aquaculture (AQUAA) Act that would streamline the permitting process for offshore aquaculture projects.  The Act says it would create an Office of Marine Aquaculture within NOAA and provide a “one-stop shop” for federal approval of fish farm permits and “to the extent practicable,” avoid, minimize, or mitigate adverse impacts to the marine environment and wild fisheries.

During the Juneau session, Under Secretary of Commerce Timothy Gallaudet cited climate change in his pitch for the fish farms.

“Some of the changes in the environment are affecting fish stocks,” he said, “They are either moving or they’re not thriving and so aquaculture, done the right way and scientifically based, provides a means for employment of fishermen who are losing some of their gain through these changing conditions.”

 Sam Rabung, director of the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game’s aquaculture division, respectfully disagreed.

“I think it’s safe to say that we’re going to fight pretty hard to maintain the state’s opt-out option,” Rabung said, “and maintain the ability to prohibit finfish farming off of Alaska.” - More...
Wednesday AM - September 26, 2018



Photos of the Month

Ketchikan: Cruise Ship Schedule 2018(pdf)
Courtesy Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska - claalaska.com

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Alaska

 

Alaska: Landmark report on active faults and seismic hazards in Alaska released - Alaska experiences more earthquakes than any other state in the nation and is one of the most seismically active regions of the world. According to a recently released report on active faults & seismic hazards in Alaska, since the advent of instrumental monitoring of global seismicity, 11 percent of the world’s earthquakes have occurred in Alaska. During the last century two of the ten largest earthquakes in the world and nine of the ten largest earthquakes in the United States were in Alaska.

This newly released report by the Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys and Alaska Seismic Hazards Safety Commission summarizes the current state of knowledge of active faults throughout Alaska.

This is the first report of its kind for Alaska. It was spearheaded by the Alaska Seismic Hazards Safety Commission, which recognized the growing need for a comprehensive, one-stop information resource summarizing the known sources of seismic hazards in Alaska.

Alaska is the most seismically active region of the United States and large damaging earthquakes pose significant risks to the state’s infrastructure and inhabitants according to the report. Despite the hazards associated with high rates of tectonic activity, geologic information on the relative activity of young faults in Alaska is sparse.

“This report will provide guidance for future earthquake research in Alaska, serve as a resource for seismic hazard studies, and complement the Alaska Quaternary fault database,” said lead author Richard Koehler, earthquake science professor at the University of Nevada and former earthquake hazards manager for the division.

In Southeast Alaska, active seismic sources include the Fairweather–Queen Charlotte fault system, the Chatham Strait section of the Denali fault, the eastern end of the Transition fault, and other potentially active faults mapped in bedrock ( see graphic). The highly active right-lateral Fairweather–Queen Charlotte transform fault system marks the bound-ary between the Pacifc and North American plates and constitutes the locus of much of the region’s seismicity. Earthquakes are generally shallow crustal events along right-lateral strike-slip faults with more than 400 greater than or equal to 4.0 magnitude events and 20 strong earthquakes, greater than or equal to 6.0 magnitude, in the last 60 years (Alaska Earthquake Center, 2016).

According to the report, the Fairweather–Queen Charlotte fault in Southeast Alaska has generated several major destructive earthquakes in the last century including the 1949 Moment Magnitude 8.1 earthquake on shore of the Queen Charlotte Islands, the 1958 Lituya Bay earthquake Moment Magnitude 7.9 on the northern part of the system, and the 1972 Moment Magnitude 7.3 earthquake west of Sitka. The Lituya Bay earthquake triggered a massive landslide into Lituya Bay that generated a 1,772-foot-high wave and the 1972 earthquake was felt to distances of nearly 620 miles. - More...
Wednesday AM - September 26, 2018

Alaska: State Report Analyzes Flu Data from 1918 Influenza Pandemic; Commemoration Activities Include Emergency Preparedness Activities - The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services Section of Health Analytics and Vital Records released a new report this month on persons who died during the 1918 and 1919 influenza pandemic in Alaska. This report, done to mark the 100th anniversary of the pandemic, also known as the Spanish flu, is the first complete analysis of Alaska death certificates for pandemic flu data.

The first wave of the pandemic skipped Alaska, but the second wave devastated Alaskans after infected steamship passengers arrived in Nome on Oct. 20, 1918. From Nome, the virus spread rapidly across the Seward Peninsula and then throughout Alaska, killing large numbers of people and in some cases wiping out entire villages. According to the new DHSS report, over 80 percent of all pandemic deaths were Alaska Native people.

The death toll worldwide was estimated to be 50 million people, with about 675,000 of those deaths in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“It’s hard now to imagine the magnitude of the suffering caused by the pandemic flu to Alaskans in 1918 and 1919,” said Dr. Jay Butler, Alaska’s Chief Medical Officer and Director of the Division of Public Health. “This analysis pays tribute to this incredibly difficult time in Alaska’s history and reminds us that we need to be prepared for the next pandemic when it comes.”

This DHSS analysis also predicts, based on 2016 population data, how many people would die in Alaska if a similar pandemic were to occur today. If we had a flu season with the same rate of death as the epidemic wave in the late fall of 1918, the estimated number of deaths would be 11,970 Alaskans. - More...
Wednesday AM - September 26, 2018


 

Alaska: Findings of Investigation of Alaska Psychiatric Institute Released - The Alaska Department of Law and Alaska Department of Health and Social Services have released the findings of the independent investigation into employee safety and workplace retaliation at the Alaska Psychiatric Institute. DHSS Commissioner Valerie Davidson requested the investigation in March after concerns of workplace safety at API were brought to her attention.

Under the supervision of Attorney General Jahna Lindemuth, Anchorage attorney Bill Evans conducted an independent investigation into whether safety, retaliation, or hostile work environment issues exist at API.

“No employee should feel unsafe when they go to work,” said Commissioner Davidson. “Thank you to Attorney General Lindemuth and Mr. Evans for looking into the issue of employee safety and the work environment at API. Most importantly, thank you to all the API employees who came forward with their concerns. Without you we could not make positive changes at API to protect our staff and our patients.”

Investigation Findings

While Evans did not find evidence of organized retaliation or a hostile work environment toward employees who voice concern about workplace safety, he did find that API presents an unsafe work environment for its staff.

“Through the course of my investigation, it became evident that multiple inter-related problems plague the operation of API,” said Evans. “These issues are contributing both directly and indirectly to the legitimate perception of an unsafe work environment.”

Problems with employee scheduling, use of on-call personnel, employee qualifications, and a cultural divide on the use of seclusion and restraints are some of the reasons Evans identified for API’s unsafe work environment.

While they do not meet a legal threshold, Evans also found that practices of favoritism by API’s nursing administration, poor relations with union representatives, and overall low employee morale left the impression of retaliation and a hostile work environment by staff. - More...
Wednesday AM - September 26, 2018


 

Southeast Alaska: Sitka Man Sentenced for Possession of Child Pornography; Defendant’s Child Pornography Collection Spanned Over 30 Years - U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that Robert Edgar Farquer, 69, of Sitka, was sentenced on September 20th by Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess, to serve eight years in prison, followed by a life term of supervised release, for possession of child pornography.   

According to court documents, Farquer became the subject of a federal investigation when, in May 2016, FBI agents obtained 46 files containing images of child pornography from an IP address, and again in June 2016, when an additional 169 images were downloaded from another IP address.  The investigation revealed that the IP addresses were associated with Farquer at his residence in Sitka. 

On July 12, 2016, a search warrant was executed at Farquer’s residence, where agents discovered a collection of child pornography materials that spanned decades stored throughout his apartment and filled the back of a small pickup truck.  During an interview, Farquer admitted to downloading child pornography files online, and that he had received child pornography materials as early as 1988 via the mail.  The agents seized hundreds of pieces of electronic media and discovered thousands of images of child pornography in other various media.  - More...
Wednesday AM - September 26, 2018

Southeast Alaska: Skagway Man Sentenced for Theft of Government Funds - U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that a Skagway man has been sentenced in federal court for theft of government funds.

Carey L. Dorn, 67, of Skagway, Alaska, was sentenced last Friday by Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess, to serve five years of probation, and was ordered to pay $78,811.68 in restitution to the United States Railroad Retirement Board (RRB).

According to court documents, from January 2011 through December 2013, Dorn received $78,811.68 in overpayments from RRB Employment Disability that he was not entitled to because he knowingly failed to file accurate reports of his employment and income earnings during this time period. 

In 2005, Dorn had become injured on the job with the U.S. Railroad and was allowed to take an early retirement in March 2007.  As part of the conditions of Dorn’s early retirement benefits, he was required to accurately report his employment and income to the RRB.  - More...
Wednesday AM - September 26, 2018


 
COLUMNS/COMMENTARY

jpg Tom Purcell

TOM PURCELL: Spendthrift Idioms Define Congress - "Republicans like to talk about fiscal discipline, but when they have control of Congress they spend like drunken sailors!" 

"Ah, yes, you speak of the recent $150 billion spending bill that does some good things for veterans, but is loaded with goodies and pork - as though the Congressional Budget Office hasn't warned that our annual deficits will exceed $1 trillion in 2020 and will increase our debt by $12.4 trillion by 2028!"

"That's a lot of cabbage. That's why every idiom that ever described reckless spending applies to Congress. To borrow from Ben Franklin, Congress and our hard-earned tax dollars are soon parted!"

"That's regrettably true. Despite record economic growth and an increase in government revenue, the federal deficit through August was $224 billion more than it was last year at this time."

"Well, as they say in Congress, easy come, easy go!"

"What's worse: Congress isn't just spending our money carelessly, it's spending the money of millions of Americans who aren't born yet."

"You mean Congress is spending like there's no tomorrow?"

"Exactly. And tomorrow looks dire where debt is concerned. Since 2002, our politicians have increased the debt by nearly $15 trillion. We've been spending, on average, roughly $930 billion per year more than we take in in tax receipts. These debt increases cannot go on forever."

"You mean that at some point, Congress is going to run out of blank checks?"

"That's right. Massive borrowing provides more money for Congress to spend now, but, says the independent Congressional Research Service, it comes at the cost of higher taxes and diminished economic growth for future generations."

"I worry about my kids and my kids' kids, but I'll be long gone by the time my kids' kids' kids get stuck with the tab!"

"We're already stuck. According to J.P. Morgan Asset Management, personal household debt - mortgages, credit cards, car loans, etc. - averages about $126,000. Meanwhile, our federal debt, currently $21.5 trillion, will average $127,000 per household by the end of this year!" - More...
Wednesday AM - September 26, 2018


Political Cartoon: Fair to Kavanaugh
By Rick McKee ©2018, The Augusta Chronicle, GA
Distributed to paid subscribers for publication by Cagle Cartoons, Inc.

      

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jpg Letter / Opinion

Freight rates becoming an economy killer for Ketchikan By Chris Herby - I want to thank Mike Painter for his letter regarding our freight situation in Ketchikan.  I also have wanted to get this discussion going for quite some time now.  I think there must be an enormous amount of penned up frustration about this around the community.  There is no doubt that we were all totally sold out by the State of Alaska and the Attorney General when they allowed one barge line to get a monopoly on our freight and hold us all hostage. 

I have been a business owner in Ketchikan since 1986. From that time and into the 90’s we always had AML and Boyer competing for our freight business.  We were paying right around 3 cents per pound for less than container load freight.  Then Northland bought out Boyer.  No problem, freight was still competitive.  Then the State allowed AML to buy out Northland and basically obtain a monopoly.  They brought in Samson to give the appearance of competition. Nothing but a sham considering AML hauls Samson freight on AML barges.  How is this competition?  - More...
Wednesday AM - September 26, 2018

jpg Letter / Opinion

Vote Skan, Breithaupt, and Wong By Peter Stanton - I am writing to express my wholehearted support for three of the candidates in the upcoming local elections: Sonya Skan and Rachel Breithaupt, both running for the School Board, and Felix Wong, running for reelection to the Borough Assembly.

Our community needs to strike a balance whenever we select representatives for our local governments. We need bold leaders who are unafraid to speak their minds and who are willing to take action in times of crisis. However, we also need leaders who are compassionate and considerate listeners. - More...
Wednesday AM - September 26, 2018

jpg Letter / Opinion

Matt Eisenhower for School Board By Austin Otos - In a time of crisis, strong leadership brings stability. With sexual misconduct, unfinished teacher contracts, and recalled public officials looming over Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District, I believe Matt Eisenhower brings stable leadership to the school board.
 
As a young person running for office, I’ve looked to individuals that have experience in their fields in order to acquire more knowledge about the subject. When I first reached out to Matt, he gave me good insight into how our local education system operates. This in-depth knowledge about the functioning of our public-school system has lead me to believe that the school board must be represented by people like Matt who have experience in public education. - More...
Wednesday AM - September 26, 2018

jpg Letter / Opinion

Brett Kavanaugh By David G Hanger - Flash: By his own confession Brett Kavanaugh has totally disqualified himself from consideration as either a serious individual (in any sense of the term) or as a nominee to the Supreme Court. By his own admission he is a sexually repressed Victorian prude whose lack of experience combined with his incredible sexual inexperience completely disqualifies him from making any evaluation or decision about the sexual behavior of any other human being. And this cherry boy is what the Federalist Society and the extreme right wing wants to decide how every woman in this country must behave.

Cherry boy would have you believe that he spent four years in high school and seven years in college, and in all that time never had any consequential social intercourse or sexual intercourse with any female whatsoever. This is a clown in serious need of counseling because university is not a candy store, it is a candy factory. The fact that this fool did not (by his own admission) mix it up with the young folks around him means that he has already flunked two-thirds of the college experience. (First lesson, and one several local notables flunked terribly, is there are a whole lot of other smart people out there.) - More...
Wednesday AM - September 26, 2018

jpg Letter / Opinion

Thank you, Southeast Conference By Rep. Dan Ortiz - Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the Southeast Conference Annual Meeting right here in Ketchikan. Ketchikan was an incredible host for hundreds of conference attendees; thank you to all the local volunteers. The conference even included a community reception and tours of the shipyard, the OceansAlaska hatchery, PeaceHealth, and the opening of the UAS-Ketchikan Maritime Center.

Topics ranged from our ferry system to the visitor industry to our tribal governments. All of the discussions were helpful for me as a legislator to learn and be reminded of Southeast Alaska’s top priorities and how we can accomplish them. - More...
Wednesday AM - September 26, 2018

jpg Letter / Opinion

Open Letter: John Kerry and friends By A.M. Johnson - Senator Murkowski, is any of the following true? If so and you did nothing, you know now. If you knew and did nothing, which sort of says "Go along to get along", I would not be surprised. - More...
Wednesday AM - September 26, 2018

jpg Letter / Opinion

Roadless Rule: Phony Forest Service Process By Norbert Chaudhary - The decision was already made before the “Roadless Rule Process” even started. - More...
Friday AM - September 21, 2018

jpg Letter / Opinion

Political Challenge By Mike Painter - Now that I’ve dusted off my pencil & paper, I have an issue that I’ve long wanted to bring up for discussion. - More...
Friday AM - September 21, 2018

jpg Letter / Opinion

Austin Otos for Ketchikan Borough Assembly By Matt Eisenhower -Austin Otos is exactly the kind of person our community needs today for our Borough Assembly. He is thoughtful, careful, hardworking, and cares deeply for this community. Most importantly, Austin will represent young voices in our community. - More...
Friday AM - September 21, 2018

jpg Letter / Opinion

A vote for Austin Otos By Dan Ortiz - There are at least five quality candidates running for two Borough Assembly seats in the upcoming municipal elections. We owe each candidate a debt of gratitude for “putting themselves out there”. The lone incumbent, Felix Wong, has served the public well and done a great job in the role and deserves each voters careful consideration. - More...
Friday AM - September 21, 2018

jpg Letter / Opinion

Vote for Dan Bockhorst By Mike Painter - I served 4 terms (12 years) on the Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assembly and I was one of the Assembly Members that hired Dan Bockhorst as Borough Manager. I was on the Assembly the entire time that Bockhorst was Borough Manager. - More...
Monday PM - September 17, 2018

jpg Letter / Opinion

Dan Bockhorst protects your family checkbook By Gary Wilken - I served in the Alaska Senate for twelve years (1997-2008). Whenever I needed help on a legislative matter involving local government, I turned to Dan Bockhorst. Dan played a pivotal role in my successful effort to reduce the State education tax on borough governments by one-third (Chapter 95, SLA 2001). To date, this tax reduction has saved Ketchikan Borough taxpayers $19.5 million without reducing vital funding to your Ketchikan schools. If the law remains in place, these savings will continue to grow. - More...
Monday PM - September 17, 2018

jpg Letter / Opinion

Younger Representation in Government By Austin Otos - As our political class ages, I have seen government slowly start to move away from representing younger demographics. The majority of young people, like myself, are interested in politics and want to be part of the political conversation. Even though we may seem disconnected through our usage of technology, we nonetheless share a common concern with older generations when it comes to long-term employment, access to housing, and affordable healthcare services - More...
Monday PM - September 17, 2018

jpg Letter / Opinion

Open Letter: Sen. Murkowski By Laura Plenert - Please remember Senator Murkowski that you are the Senator for ALL Alaskans, NOT JUST the Alaska Federation of Natives. - More...
Monday PM - September 17, 2018

jpg Letter / Opinion

No to Kavanaugh By Hallie Engel - I want to ask your readers to call their senators, Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, and ask them to vote against Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court. - More...
Monday PM - September 17, 2018

jpg Letter / Opinion

Navy In Dire Straits By Donald Moskowitz - As a former Navy enlisted and Naval officer who served on 13 ships, including destroyers, radar pickets, aircraft carriers and auxiliary ships, I am concerned with the lack of readiness of the Fleet. - More...
Monday PM - September 17, 2018

jpg Letter / Opinion

Vote Dunleavy for Governor; Shaw for House;
Bockhorst for Borough Assembly
By Rodney Dial - Friends, I have been on the Borough Assembly for a few years now. I was convinced to run by citizens who believe our community is becoming too expensive, especially for our elderly and our young. I told you that if you elected me I would not vote to raise your property or sales taxes and would work to make government more efficient. I have kept my word. - More...
Wednesday AM - September 12, 2018

jpg Letter / Opinion

LiSA’S CHOICE By David G Hanger - Only two things of real consequence have emerged from the Brett Kavanaugh hearings: 1) First is the fact that Kavanaugh repeatedly lied to Congress about his criminal involvement in and use of stolen government documents during the Bush Jr. administration. These repeated lies to Congress are sufficient in and of themselves to impeach this extremist ideological cretin from his current judgeship, and definitely disqualifies him for consideration as a legitimate Supreme Court Justice; 2) There are no laws telling a man what he can do with his body, a simple fundamental fact. Yet Kavanaugh, despite his denials to the contrary (all lies) does not believe that Roe v Wade is the law of the land, and is in fact looking forward to the opportunity to overturn Roe v Wade at the earliest moment possible. - More...
Wednesday AM - September 12, 2018

jpg Letter / Opinion

RE: The Crisis at Waterfall By Dan Bockhorst - Regarding Austin Otos’ September 3 letter to the Editor, it’s best not to create false expectations. Mr. Otos indicates that the “Ketchikan Gateway Borough could allocate money from PILT (payment in lieu of taxes)” to construct a $1 million water tank to enable the North Tongass Fire Service Area to provide better fire protection past the Waterfall bridges. - More...
Friday PM - September 07, 2018

jpg Letter / Opinion

Salmon Hatcheries Support Alaskans, and Feed the World By Casey Campbell & Mike Wells - When the Good Friday earthquake shook Alaska in 1964, the damage wasn’t confined to buildings and homes. In some coastal areas, the land and ocean floor were uplifted dramatically impacting the productivity of aquatic habitat for decades. - More...
Friday PM - September 07, 2018

jpg Letter / Opinion

RE: Establishing Basic Protections for Salmon By Owen Graham - Earlier this week I read an Opinion piece in Sitnews about the need to increase habitat protections for Alaska’s salmon. The article alleged that cumulative impacts on salmon can be seen in the watersheds around Southeast and in the salmon returns and harvests. That is incorrect; although salmon populations fluctuate from year to year, both the salmon escapements and salmon harvests in Southeast are much higher now than in the 1950s when most logging and other development commenced in Southeast Alaska. - More...
Friday PM - September 07, 2018

jpg Letter / Opinion

Kavanaugh Bad for Alaska’s Tribes By Richard (Chalyee Éesh) Peterson - On Tuesday, September 4th, the Senate Judiciary Committee began confirmation hearings for Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump’s nominee to the United States Supreme Court. His confirmation is being painted as inevitable, and it will be unless our Alaska Senators take action to stop it. - More...
Friday PM - September 07, 2018

jpg Letter / Opinion

Dumping AT&T cell phone service - going with Consumer Cellular. By Rob Holston - For many years, as business owners, my wife and I used AT&T cell phone service for ourselves and a few key employees.  We were very pleased until several months ago when I suddenly suspected that my iPhone had developed some sort of internal short!  I was suffering from one dropped call after another....... come to find out my wife’s phone had the same problem and ANYONE I’ve talked to re AT&T cell service seems to have the same problem.  “You can hear them and they can’t hear you” is the common theme. - More...
Friday PM - September 07, 2018

jpg Letter / Opinion

Establishing Basic Protections for Salmon By Joe Mehrkens - Wild salmon stocks are under attack from all sides: ocean warming, habitat loss, over exploitation and pollution. While Alaska has enjoyed the benefit of good fisheries management, the cumulative impacts are taking its toll. Both professionals and non-professionals can see it in the watersheds around Southeast and in the salmon returns and harvests. One gillnetter moored across from me said he had only netted 7 Taku sockeyes this season. Simply stated, the risks of kicking the salmon can down the road makes a Yes on Ballot Measure 1 both critical and timely. - More...
Monday PM - September 03, 2018

jpg Letter / Opinion

The Crisis at Waterfall By Austin Otos - The two waterfall bridges located on North Tongass Highway are a prime example of neglected local infrastructure that needs to be completely rebuilt in order to allow for basic access to the property owners that live beyond them. - More...
Monday PM - September 03, 2018

jpg Letter / Opinion

Statement of Withdrawal By Ghert Abbott - I decided to run on March 25th as a result of Representative Ortiz’s then failure to put forth a clear, comprehensive plan for both the protection and increase of the permanent fund dividend. On August 23rd, Representative Ortiz published a plan calling for a lower draw on the Earnings Reserve, a lower state share of said draw, a greater system of non-regressive revenue in order to support essential pubic services and a larger PFD, and a commitment to make increasing the PFD a top priority as the state’s fiscal situation improves. These proposals, if fully enacted, would mean a moving away from the horrifically unfair PFD tax imposed on us by Senate Bill 26. - More...
Monday PM - September 03, 2018

jpg Letter / Opinion

Tribute To CAPT John McCain, USN By Donald Moskowitz - John McCain was shot down over Vietnam in October 1967 after completing over 20 missions. He was a prisoner of war until 1973. While McCain fought in Vietnam our fearless President got four college draft deferments. After graduating in 1968 Trump visited a doctor who provided him with a letter stating he had bone spurs in a heel and this enabled him to get a medical deferment from the draft. He later said the bone spurs were "minor". - More...
Monday PM - September 03, 2018

jpg Letter / Opinion

Some things to think about By A. M. Johnson - Political activity of recent months surely has raised questions, caused consternations, given rise to conspiracy theory among other categories of politics mechanics. - More...
Monday PM - September 03, 2018

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