Dave Kiffer - Alaskan Poet, Historian, Humorist

  IN THE TIME OF ICE AND SNOW . (Copyright 2021 by Dave Kiffer) . Life was in black and white then, The blurry, faint figures forever fixed Against the brilliant, white lake ice. . Trees leaning in heavy, wet snow Hugging the shoreline like onlookers Crowding nearer to an invisible fire. ' A single black dog charging the scene, A cloud of snow trailing behind, His breath, the cold, rising into memory.

  Deadly December Two shipwrecks in 1979 took 40 lives, Caused largest oil spill before Exxon Valdez It is not unusual for large storms to rage in Dixon Entrance every winter. But two storms that hit the boundary waters between Alaska and British Columbia in December of 1979 were unusually large and unusually deadly. Two ships foundered and 40 people died in those storms. One also caused the largest marine oil spill the state had suffered before the Exxon Valdez went aground in 1988. The first storm was on December 2-5, 1979. According to National Weather Service, it had sustained winds of 50 knots with gusts to 70 knots (80 mph). Waves were estimated at 30-40 feet. Caught in the storm was a 30-foot gillnetter trying to go from Prince Rupert to a small Native village to the north. The Salinta apparently lost steerage in the storm and eventually ran aground near Tree Point, some 40 miles south of Ketchikan. There were 10 people crammed on the ...

  SOUTHEAST   LOG   12-31-21 Immigrant need rises PRINCE RUPERT - The number of immigrants seeking assistance from local settlement officials has increased dramatically since the beginning of the year. In January there were five people seeking assistance with English language development, citizenship and other areas. As of mid-December the number was 30. THE PRINCE RUPERT NORTHERN VIEW Little Norway, or Big Norway? PETERSBURG - In a normal year, Petersburg get just about 9 inches of snow by mid-December each year. This isn't a normal year. Petersburg has 63 inches of snow thus far. Only two years, 2006 and 1946 have ever topped that. THE PETERSBURG PILOT Moseley wins Clark Award SKAGWAY - Eric Moseley has won the 35th Annual Helen B. Clark Award for Skagway Community Service for his work helping residents deal with the euthanization of their pets. His wife Katherine Selmer Moseley won the award 12 years ago for her work establishing the Paws & Claws Anim...

  SOUTHEAST   LOG   12-24-21 Arrest in school threat KITIMAT - A unnamed person from outside the community has been arrested after posting shooting threats online last week. RCMP responded to each of the local schools until it was determined that the threat came from outside the community and there was no danger to local students. THE KITIMAT NORTHERN SENTINEL Missing persons list JUNEAU - State officials have updated the unresolved missing person's list which goes back to 1960. More than 1,200 people are on the list, including 131 from Juneau. THE JUNEAU EMPIRE Hospital still on track TERRACE - The new MIlls Memorial Hospital should be mostly complete by September of 2024, officials say. The old hospital will be torn down in 2025 after the new $625 million facility opens. THE TERRACE STANDARD Moore named Friend of the Fleet SITKA -James Moore has been trolling in Alaska for more than half a century. Earlier this fall, the Alaska Trollers Association named ...

  SOUTHEAST LOG 12-18-21 Baby comes early    CRAIG - A birth on Prince of Wales is a rare occurrence, most island families have their children in Ketchikan or elsewhere. But when Jill May's baby Solona decided it was "time" there was no time to transport. As a result, the PeaceHealth Clinic, SEARHC and Guardian all worked together to make sure the child was delivered safely. THE PRINCE OF WALES iSLAND POST    Ferry return planned    PRINCE RUPERT – Residents are looking forward to the return of the Alaska Marine Highway System next year. Service is expected to resume on May 1, local officials say. THE PRINCE RUPERT NORTHERN VIEW    Heavy early snow    SITKA - It is shaping up to be a white winter thus far. More than 20 inches of snow has been recorded. THE DAILY SITKA SENTINEL    Pass poet passes    WHALE PASS - Residents are remembering one of the community's most colorful ...

  SOUTHEAST LOG 12-11-21 Bars, nightclubs closed     PRINCE RUPERT - The province has closed all bars and nightclubs in the north and northwest health areas through the end of January. The COVID 19 restrictions will also limit the size of all indoor gatherings including those in private homes. THE PRINCE RUPERT NORTHERN VIEW    Pay to park    PETERSBURG - It now costs money to park at the James A. Johnson Airport. The first hour is free, but it is a dollar an hour afterwards. To park for six days or less it will cost $7 per day and anything over six days will cost $5 a day. THE PETERSBURG PILOT    New dock agreement reached    SKAGWAY - The borough and the state have signed an agreement for a new multi-use ferry dock. The proposed dock will also be able handle some of the summer visitor industry traffic. The old dock was built in 1978, sank in 2014 and was refloated but needs replacement. THE SKA...

  2021 Year in Review   By Dave Kiffer For the Daily News After a year in which many Ketchikan residents hoped that the local economy would rebound after the cancellation of the 2020 cruise ship season, the number 8.6 percent stood out. That was the percentage of cruise passengers that arrived in Ketchikan in 2021 compared to 2019, according to the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau. COVID 19 remained the big story in 2021. Even after ships began arriving again in mid-summer, the number of ships and the passenger loads were well below the 30-40 percent that most had predicted. It wasn't that many years ago that a season with 100,000 cruise visitors would have been a decent amount. But not in 2021. Although it is not possible to come up with specific numbers, local businesses did report a significant number of independent tourists and lodge and hotel business was steady. But those waiting for a turnaround in in the cruise industry were left looking ahea...

2021 Year in Review   2021 Year in Review:   COVID keeps its ‘grippe’ On Ketchikan tourism       Forget Groundhog Day, 2021 was Groundhog Year with a second successive cancellation of the majority of the cruise ship season because of COVID 19 concerns and the Canadian extension of a ban of cruise ship operations in its waters. Some cruise ships did visit Ketchikan before the end of the season, but visitation was down more than 90 percent compared to 2019. Independent tourist visitation was up, but the percent of cruise passengers that arrived in 2021 was slightly more than 100,000, about 8.6 percent of what it was 2019. The good news was that   Ketchikan and Alaska were at the vanguard of distribution of COVID 19 vaccines, when vaccination was open to all adults beginning in mid-March. Alaska was the first state to open vaccination to all adults. By the end of the year, approximately 65 percent of Ketchikan residents had received vac...