Christmas Boat Parade SEAPRO, Ketchikan Fire Department, and maybe a few others, will resurrect the Christmas Boat Parade on Wednesday the 23rd announced Fire Chief Jim Hill. Look for (at least a couple) decorated boats on the Narrows starting at about 3:30 in the afternoon Wednesday.

Ketchikan & Statewide: Statewide Unemployment Rate at 8.7 Percent in November; Ketchikan's Unemployment Rate Rises to 8.6 Percent - Alaska's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 8.7 percent in November according to the labor report recently released by the Alaska Department of Labor.. October's preliminary rate of 8.9 percent was revised down two-tenths of a percentage point to 8.7 percent.

Ketchikan non-seasonally adjusted unemployed rate rose to 8.6 percent, up from October's unemployment rate of 7.7 percent -- an increase on nine-tenths of a percentage point.. Of Ketchikan's civilian workforce, 664 were reported unemployed in November. This was an increase in the number reported in October. The number of civilian workers reported as unemployed in October was 613.

According to Dan Robinson, an economist with the Alaska Department of Labor's Research and Analysis Section, the Alaska's rate remains well below the national rate, which fell two-tenths of a percentage point in November to 10.0 percent.

According to the report released by Robinson, Alaska's statewide rate has been up and down for much of 2009, due more likely to statistical variability than real economic swings. November's rate is only slightly higher than March's 8.4 percent, and October's large increase of six-tenths of a percentage point was moderated by the subsequent downward revision.

The bottom line, in terms of what the unemployment rate is saying about the state's labor market, is that things don't appear to be getting significantly worse or better reported Robinson.

Robinson stated as is often the case, the job numbers reveal a clearer picture of what's happening with the state's economy. Total payroll jobs in November were down by about 3,300 compared to November 2008, a decline of 1.1 percent. Nationally, the over-the-year job losses in November remained noticeably higher at 3.4 percent. - More...
Monday - December 21, 2009

Alaska: Alaska Region Forest Service and State ADF&G Seek Concurrence to Protect Fish Habitat and Fish Passage - Alaska Forest Service Regional Forester Denny Bschor signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game that outlines protocols for gaining concurrence in conducting instream activites on the Tongass and Chugach national forests December 18.

The memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed by ADF&G Commissioner Denby Lloyd December 10. Both agencies have the common goal of protecting fish resources on Alaska's national forests while continuing a long-standing cooperative relationship. The Forest Service and ADF&G's Division of Habitat will work together to reach concurrence on all instream activities and to maintain fish passage in all fish-bearing water bodies on national forests in Alaska.

The agencies make commitments to protect fish habitat and fish passages and use a collaborative process to reach concurrence prior to conducting instream activities under the MOU. They also pledge, when practical, to develop general concurrences as addendums to the MOU and to resolve disputes regarding instream activities in a timely manner and to only elevate the dispute within the agencies as a last resort. - More...
Monday - December 21, 2009

National: Pelosi snares millions in earmarks for her area from defense bill By JOE GAROFOLI - The Department of Defense didn't ask for money to update the old officers club in San Francisco's Presidio into a visitors information center and exhibition space. Neither did any other member of Congress -- except House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Her $5 million-earmark request for the Presidio Heritage Center was approved by the Senate on Saturday as part of the $626 billion defense appropriations bill, the largest of the end-of-year government spending measures.

The bill, which includes $128 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, is expected to be signed by President Barack Obama.

Pelosi's request was one of 1,720 earmarks worth $4.2 billion in the measure.

That comes on the heels of Congress passing a $447 billion spending bill Dec. 13 that included 5,224 earmarks totaling $3.9 billion, according to Taxpayers for Common Sense, a watchdog group. The earmarks include $54 million for a flood-control project that will raise two trestles used by the Napa Valley Wine Train. - More...
Monday - December 21, 2009

National: Americans seek cheaper medical care abroad By CAROLYN LOCHHEAD - Critics of health care reform often point to desperate Canadians who head south for surgery to escape waiting lists. But a bigger trend points in the opposite direction: Americans heading overseas to escape the exorbitant cost of U.S. care.

John Freeman, 61, of Reno, Calif., needed a coronary bypass. He had dropped his catastrophic insurance coverage because the $320 monthly premium was eroding his retirement savings and the $5,000 deductible left him with big bills.

Facing a $100,000-plus operation, he thought he had two choices: "submit or die."

A friend pointed him to a third choice: World Med Assist, which lined him up with a heart surgeon in Turkey. The all-inclusive cost: $18,000. He had the surgery last spring and "unreservedly" recommends the care.

Once a cottage industry, medical tourism may be on the cusp of a big expansion as governments from India to Singapore are investing in state-of-the-art hospitals, vying for a global market.

Deloitte Consulting estimated that 560,000 U.S. residents went abroad for care last year. The firm thinks that number will rise to 1.6 million by 2012, with patients getting discounts of up to 90 percent on procedures from liver transplants to hip resurfacing. - More...
Monday - December 21, 2009

BILL & JOE STEIGERWALD: G. P. Bear goes to Washington: The true story of a freedom-loving carnivore - George Orwell used satire and talking pigs in "Animal Farm." Now, with the recent Copenhagen climate conference, ClimateGate and the coming ice age, veteran libertarian journalist Bill Steigerwald shamelessly steals Orwell's idea and uses talking polar bears to poke fun at global warming alarmists and their fellow travelers in Washington and the media.

Twisting the title of director Frank Capra's movie masterpiece to his own ends, Steigerwald and his son Joe have created "G.P. Bear Goes to Washington: The True Story of a Freedom-Loving Carnivore."

A 12-part serialized "docu-fable," "G.P. Bear Goes to Washington" features real issues and real people. It stars Grandpa, a magical, media-savvy and proudly skeptical polar bear who understands his species is in far greater danger from the interventions of the federal government, Barbara Boxer, Al Gore, Leonard DiCaprio and overzealous wildlife scientists than from anthropogenic climate change. - More...
Monday - December 21, 2009

DALE MCFEATTERS: Health-care debate is far from over - Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid has taken a lot of abuse, much of it from the liberal wing of his party for his handling of health-care reform, but in the end he held together his 58 fractious fellow Democrats plus two independents to clear the way for passage of the Senate version of the bill by a largely symbolic Christmas Eve deadline.

As much as a weary public might wish it would be, the debate is not over. Health-care was hardly "rushed" through Congress as the Republicans charge. This is just one act in an ongoing debate that goes back to the Truman administration.

Still to come is a joint House-Senate conference committee where representatives of the two bodies meet to reconcile their different versions of the same bill. The conference committee is an obscure process to outsiders but it's not unknown for bills to emerge substantially changed from what went in.

The more expansive $1 trillion House version includes a so-called "public option," a government-run insurance program to compete with private plans, and weaker restrictions on taxpayer funds going for abortions. The precarious Senate margin is hostage to lawmakers who say they will jump ship if the conference changes the bill substantially.

If the conference produces a bill that becomes law, it is only the beginning of a long process to refine and fine-tune the health care system. There are too many unknowns. The two bills do not seriously attempt to control costs, and some of the financing mechanisms may be wishful thinking.

The Congressional Budget Office says the $871 billion Senate bill will actually reduce the deficit $132 billion over 10 years, but that depends on Congress cutting $480 billion in Medicare payments over that time, cuts Congress may be unwilling to make when faced with them. - More...
Monday - December 21, 2009

Public Meetings & Info Ketchikan Borough Assembly Agenda and Information Packets Ketchikan Planning Commission Agenda and Information Packets Ketchikan City Council Agenda & Information Packets Ketchikan School Board Agenda & Information Packets Gravina Access Project SEIS Alternatives Development Gravina Access Website Ketchikan Jobs Ketchikan Police Reports AK Troopers Daily Dispatch Today's Forecast Satellite Today's Weather Images Marine Forecasts AK Weathercams Ketchikan Weather Data Current AK Weather Map CLASSIFIEDS Publish Publish Your Ad Click Here CLASSIFIEDS' CATEGORIES Announcements and       Help Wanted For Sale / Free Stuff Garage Sales Homes / Apts/ Property Pets Wanted Lost & Found Publish Your Ad Front Page Archives Sept. - Dec. 2009 S M T W T F S   31 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 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 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 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 More Front Page Archives

Let's Plan for Success! By W. Richard Harney - This is a personal invitation to join the KGB Planning Department's Unofficial Site. The Planning Department encourages everyone to become a member and help continue to improve the Ketchikan Gateway Borough as a vibrant and productive place to live. - More...
Tuesday AM - December 15, 2009

City Council Community Agency Funding By Kathleen Light - Last Thursday night the City Council decided to cut funding to the community agencies by 50% (except the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau). That, of course, includes the Arts Council. - More...
Tuesday AM - December 15, 2009

Win Afghanistan War By Donald A. Moskowitz - President Obama and many of his followers have dwelled on the past and attempted to blame George Bush for the country's ills. The Obama Administration has been in charge for almost a year and should have made more progress towards solving our problems, especially with a Democratic controlled Congress since 2006. It is the easy way out to blame others for problems. Bush could have blamed Clinton for decimating our military, but he didn't. - More...
Tuesday AM - December 15, 2009

Pay raises, and other goodies By A. M. Johnson - I submitted the following to our Alaska Congressional members. The Constitution of the United States prohibits Congress from passing any law that exempts Congress from being included. The Congressional majority is shredding that precious Document at every turn. - More...
Tuesday AM - December 15, 2009

RE: Stimulate not Obliterate By Linda Abbott - I am responding to the letter from Rhonda Green. I am the wife of Van Abbott, KPU Telecommunications Division Manager. - More...
Tuesday AM - December 15, 2009

RE: Stimulate not Obliterate By Robert S. Jones -Ms. Green's letter brought to light some very serious concerns that need to be addressed regarding Ketchikan Public Utilities / Telephone Division. - More...
Tuesday AM - December 15, 2009

Dog Park By Jeremy Reed - I have two Golden Retrievers and anyone who lives in Ketchikan knows how hard it is to find a place that accepts dogs, especially dogs of a large breed. - More...
Tuesday AM - December 15, 2009

Christmas Decorations By John and Mindy Lloyd - Happy Holidays. My family and I decorate our yard every year for the people who live in Forest Park and in Ketchikan.. We lost a lot of displays last year due to the snow and have yet to repair them. But sadly tonight (12-14-09) when our daughter got home she noticed our penguin blow up missing!!! - More...
Tuesday AM - December 15, 2009

The Year in Rebuke: An Open Letter to Obama Voters By Katharine DeBrecht - Last year at this time, you were giddy beyond words for your part in a historic election. You were utterly smitten with the first bi-racial President-elect of the United States. Like a child on Christmas Eve, you could hardly contain yourselves waiting for that Inauguration morning when this messianic figure would leave the columns in Denver behind and deliver unto you your wildest dreams once in the White House. - More...
Tuesday AM - December 15, 2009

Open Letter to the Elected City Officials and Manager By Rodney Dial - Please stop insulting the intelligence of your citizens by justifying a property tax increase based upon the mill rate being unchanged for many years. As you know property taxes increase as home / property assessments increase, even if the mill rate remains unchanged. - More...
Thursday - December 10, 2009

Stimulate not Obliterate By Rhonda Green - I've got an idea. Instead of putting the sale of Ketchikan Public Utilities Telephone Division up on the block again, voters could vote to restructure the KPU Telephone organization. - More...
Thursday - December 10, 2009

Ward Cove Useage By Kathy Yates - I just read the Environmental Fact Sheet dated May 2009 by the EPA which has the headline: Ward Cove Sediment Cleanup: Monitoring Complete, Objectives Achieved . The report references the work that was performed in 2000-2001 stating: Regular monitoring of the sediments has taken place since the cleanup was completed. Results show that cleanup goals have been met. Environmental conditions have greatly improved. Findings show that no further monitoring is necessary . A good read of the current fact sheet would indicate that the area is now feasible for use. Perhaps we should all go read the information put out in 2007 and 2009. I did see that there will also be a five year review in 2010 so maybe that report would be the one to review once it is complete. - More...
Thursday - December 10, 2009

Prison in Ward Cove By Kara Steele - I think a prison in Ward Cove is a great idea! Look at Spring Creek prison in Seward - farther south, look at Walla Walla Washington. Both have each, huge prisons housing some of the worst offenders. - More...
Thursday - December 10, 2009

Ward Cove Worries By Robert McRoberts - Well it's been a time since I wrote but I want to get some concerns I have out on the table, I will try to make it to the planning meeting. I seem to feel the planning committee has not been looking at what is happening on the north end of town. Over the last few years the south end of town has made some rather large clean up of sewer in our neighborhoods. Now it's time to start getting the north end cleaned up. There are yards out there that stink of sewer water. Their pets roll in the water and then bring the stuff back into their homes. Some people don't have the money to pay for water deliveries and draw water out of nearby streams with their house up stream.It has now gotten to where we are going to be forced to put in sewer lines out that way. But where will it all go? - More...
Thursday - December 10, 2009

Obama's 15 Months of Fame By Katharine DeBrecht - When President Obama appeared on The Jay Leno Show in March, one of his myriad and unprecedented appearances by a US president, he said that Washington was a "little bit like American Idol where everybody's got an opinion." Hmmm. Maybe we need an Idol Czar. - More...
Thursday - December 10, 2009

School Police Officer By Kara McElroy Steele - Just a quick comment for the issue of having a police officer in Ketchikan High School. As a graduate of Kayhi in the 80's, it takes only a minute or less to see how our lives have changed over the years. The drugs are worse, kids are taking guns and knives to school, or in the latest case up here in Anchorage....a father looked into his high school son's back pack and found home made pipe bombs. Who took care of it? The on site police officer and the Dad. - More...
Thursday - December 10, 2009

Re: Customer Service! By Christina Martinez - To the lady that wrote about the good customer service she was provided, I think time after time we are ridden with the fact that there is this one place that we receive excellent customer service and other places where we're not. - More...
Thursday - December 10, 2009

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