Dave Kiffer - Alaskan Poet, Historian, Humorist

  By Dave Kiffer For the Daily News A century ago this month, the Ketchikan City Council took its first steps to create Ketchikan's first subdivision. By the early 1920s, Ketchikan had already begun branching out north and south of the Downtown core. But land remained hard to develop along the shoreline. Houses and roads and businesses had to be built on pilings, an expensive and slow process. Local officials began looking at ways to move inland, if possible. Some houses and businesses had already started to move up Ketchikan Creek but it was basically no easier to build there than it was along Tongass Narrows. Joe Mahoney was a prospector who had come to Alaska during the 1897 Gold Rush and ended up in Ketchikan. One of the areas where he had claims was in the upper Ketchikan Creek area. Other miners also staked claims in that area, most notably James Davis who had 37 claims up there, according to Alaska state historian Rolfe Buzzell in a 1993 historic asse...

  When "54 - 40 or fight" Was the presidential c ry In the 1844 United States Presidential election, all eyes were towards Southeast Alaska. Well, not really Southeast Alaska. The eyes were toward the boundary of Russian America and the "Oregon Territory." And, actually, most of the eyes were on Texas, but the election slogan of Democratic candidate James Polk of Tennessee was “54 - 40 or fight.” Which, as all cartographers know, is the latitude that runs roughly through the center of Dixon Entran ce. Confused? It all goes back to “Manifest Destiny.” In 1844, the idea that America should expand to “from sea to shining sea” was a popular one in the half - century - old republic. Those in the S outh favored the annexation of Texas, which had been “indep endent” from Mexico since 1836. Southerners saw the annexation as a way to add political power to the pro - s lavery side in the debate that was fracturing America into north and south.   Th at annexa...

  No more ice will suffice! Well, it appears that we have survived the "Great Freezer Burn of Christmas 2021." I have to say appears because, as I write this, there is still some snow on the ground, the roads are still a little slippery and more than a few parking lots remain as impassable as Antarctica. But the relentless sub-freezing temps have gone and the rain is gradually washing away the three plus feet of snow that has been lingering for more than a month. In short, we have survived our taste of what winter is normally like in the rest of Alaska. I don't say that with tongue in cheek. Every time someone posted something about the local weather in the past month, someone else snarkily replied "well, you live in Alaska, right?" I guess that's the equivalent of assuming that everyone who lives in Southern California stars in the movies. Of course, everyone in Southern California wishes they were in the movies, but that is another subject all...

  SOUTHEAST LOG 1-29-22 Paper to be delivered by mail JUNEAU - About a third of the Juneau Empire's circulation will now be handled by the US Post Office. Paper officials say that they have had trouble finding delivery people for areas in the community and the mail distribution will begin later this month. THE JUNEAU EMPIRE Couple celebrates 70 th  anniversary SITKA -  Vaughn and Marian Blankenship were married in Seattle on Jan. 12, 1952. This month they celebrated their 70 th  wedding anniversary with family members in SItka. THE DAILY SITKA SENTINEL: Health Center damaged by snow YAKUTAT - Officials say it will likely cost "millions of dollars" to repair the recently opened Community Health Center. The center was heavily damaged when more than six feet of snow fell in a storm in early Januiary. KCAW-SITKA  Gyms reopen PRINCE RUPERT - Gyms and fitness centers have reopened for the first time sin...

  SOUTHEAST LOG 1-22-22 Mayor to step down PRINCE RUPERT - Mayor Lee Brain announced last week that he will not seek reelection this year. Brain was the youngest mayor in town history when he was elected in 2014. THE PRINCE RUPERT NORTHERN VIEW Teen program closed WRANGELL -The Alaska Crossings program that takes at-risk teens on guided wilderness expeditions will be closed in Wrangell and merged with a similar program in Sitka. The program - managed by SEARHC - had been based in Wrangell since 2001. THE WRANGELL SENTINEL Hunter fined for illegal sheep kill WHITEHORSE - An Alaskan hunter is looking at a $12,000 fine for illegally shooting a dall sheep just over the border in Canada. The hunter claimed it had been shot on the Alaskan side of the border and later posted a picture on Facebook. Canadian officials examined the photo and found digital data that indicated the photo had been taken on the Canadian side. THE WHITEHORSE DAILY STAR ...

  SOUTHEAST LOG 1-15-22     Petersburg Pilot sold after four decades    PETERSBURG - After 45 years, Ron and Anne Loesch are retiring as owners and publishers of the Petersburg Pilot. On January 1, the newspaper was sold to its general manager, Orin Pierson. THE PETERSBURG PILOT    ‘Sobering center’ reopens    JUNEAU - Officials say the community "sobering" center is working well this winter. The facility has moved back into the Dan Austin Center near the airport after operating in Centennial Hall for the past year. THE JUNEAU EMPIRE    National champ bodybuilder    WHITEHORSE - Local woman Chelsea Mooney is the top amateur female body builder in Canada. Mooney recently won the CPA National Pro Qualifier in Toronto and says she is looking forward to competing as a professional body builder in the future. THE WHITEHORSE DAILY STAR    Tis the season    JUNEAU - Police are investigating a rep...