KODIAK — After more than a year of restoration, the Kodiak Maritime Museum’s Thelma C is ready for its new home on the Kodiak waterfront.

On Saturday, volunteers finished cleaning the Thelma C restoration site at Kodiak College, preparing the wooden fishing boat for storage until construction is finished on a permanent display stand downtown.

“We’re buttoning her up,” said Kodiak Maritime Museum executive director Toby Sullivan. “We’re going to shrink wrap the whole boat with this hard plastic shell stuff and then we’re going to take the building down.”

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FORT YUKON — The threat of flooding in Fort Yukon is mostly over, but residents of the town northeast of Fairbanks remain vigilant.

Fort Yukon flood coordinator Velma Carroll said she posted people in certain areas to monitor the flood waters after reports came in Thursday evening that water was flowing through the woods near town, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported. That way, she said, if the situation worsens the 600-person community will know about it quickly.

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ANCHORAGE — Students in a remote Inupiat Eskimo village in northern Alaska received three fewer weeks of school because of a severe shortage of treated water.

The fall semester was postponed five weeks in Kivalina last year after late summer storms damaged a water supply pipeline that left the school without clean water.

Students were able to make up two weeks of the lost time because school days were lengthened by 30 minutes, Northwest Arctic Borough School District superintendent Norm Eck said Friday.

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KODIAK — Ground was broken Thursday on $80 million in renovations at Kodiak High School.

Architect Tony Yorba, borough Assemblywoman Chris Lynch, school board member Norm Wooten and Superintendent Steward McDonald all turned the dirt in a ceremony for what is called the most expensive construction project ever in the history of the Kodiak Island Borough.

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KENAI — Five people have become ill after drinking raw milk from a Kenai Peninsula farm, the second such outbreak in the last four months, the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services said.

A similar bacterial infection sickened more than 30 people in February, the Peninsula Clarion reported.

In both instances, the campylobacter infection started at Peninsula Dairy in Kasilof, a raw milk-cow share operation, said Laura Carpenter, a department of health spokeswoman.

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Michael Brown.

People who buy houses in a Community Land Trust are homeowners. Ownership, investment, and equity all play a role in C-L-T’s, even though buyers pay neither full market value for their homes, or receive full market value when they sell.

It works because buyers purchase only the structure they live in, and agree — in advance — to divide any gains with the trust. That formula is the key to maintaining affordability over time.

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When you start talking about providing affordability, or low-cost housing, in a community, there’s always a little pushback. Not In My Backyard comes to mind, along with resistance to anyone’s tampering with the open market.

Michael Brown, with Burlington Associates in St. Joseph, Minnesota, says CLT’s don’t deserve either.

“It’s a criticism that is levelled — I would argue — pretty unfairly against community land trusts.”

Community Land Trusts use a combination of public and private resources to subsidize the construction of — or acquisition of — homes at full market prices. Then, two deeds are drawn up — one for the home buyer and one for the trust, which retains ownership of the land.

Home buyers lease the land, but the rest is up to them.

“The expectation from the outset is made very clear with homeowners, that they own their homes. They must operate as homeowners, which means that the CLT is not the landlord.”
The Community Land Trust, in the form of an executive director, does keep an eye on the property, and stay in contact with the homeowner. Maintaining the home at the standard of the neighborhood is part of the purchase agreement between a CLT and a buyer. Brown says in the vast majority of CLT purchases, the buyer is delighted to be able to buy a home he or she might not otherwise be able to afford, and upkeep is never an issue.

Once in a while, a trust might have to intervene, to enforce the agreement. Anything from mowing the lawn to terminating the lease.

“It’s very much a last resort initiative, but it’s there as a protection not only for the CLT homeowner, but also the neighborhood. It doesn’t happen very often, but it does.”
Brown says there’s no way to tell a CLT home from neighboring properties. It’s not a low-income housing project. It’s also not designed as an anti-poverty program.

“Given the cost of housing in a market like Sitka, to make a home affordable to a household that’s extraordinarily low-income, that’s poor — to bridge those gaps is not likely to happen.”

Brown says Community Land Trusts support the social fabric of neighborhoods and communities by creating an ownership opportunity for people who are on their way to the open market, but not quite there.

“Third-grade teachers, to social workers, to people that work in local factories, local businesses. People who are working who by definition are moderate income, but when they go to the bank they’re $30- or $40- or $60-thousand short of being able to qualify for a mortgage.”

Home ownership has long been regarded as a way to build wealth. In Sitka, a relatively stable market has done just that for many people. Brown says a Community Land Trust is also about sustainability.

“The question I often ask is, What about your children? What about your grown children? Will they be able to afford to buy a home in the community in which you live? I would also ask the questions for homeowners lucky enough to own their own homes, Would you be able to afford to buy your home right now, at the price that it is? So when we take a look at it that way we begin to realize that there are lots of productive members of our community who, based on their income, and income alone, simply can’t afford to buy a home. And that’s typically who a community land trust tries to serve.”

The Sitka Community Development Corporation is planning to create a Community Land Trust under its existing structure. Brown, who has family in Juneau, has put in a bid on serving as the SCDC’s trust consultant.

Kay Simmons captured this picture Thursday night’s sunset behind the Cable House, which is home to our studios. Thanks, Kay!

Clothes gathered by the Kids in Distressed Situations program head to Sitka social-service groups. Photo by United Way staff.

A nationwide program is shipping new clothes to needy children in Southeast communities.

New York-based Kids in Distressed Situations sends several shipments a year to Anchorage-based Cook Inlet Tribal Council. The clothes are then delivered to organizations around the state.

Jennifer Treadway coordinates the program for United Way of Southeast Alaska.

“They take any of the clothes that didn’t sell. It’s like (the clothes have) Kermit and no one wants Kermit, they want Mickey Mouse,” Treadway said. “It’s all new clothes; none of it is used.”

Shipments can also include children’s books, baby products and toys.

Treadway says the program also covers older children.

Boxes of clothes are stored by World Wide Movers, waiting wait to be shipped to social-service groups. Photo by United Way staff.

“Our more recent shipment was a lot of children’s pajamas. But it also included some name-brand athletic T-shirts with different colleges (names). And the shipment before that was a bunch of shoes similar to Ugg boots, which was definitely geared toward teenage girls,” she said.

The Juneau-based United Way chapter works with member agencies and The Salvation Army to get the items to kids in need. They include low-income and homeless families, victims of domestic abuse and children with incarcerated parents.

Alaska Airlines, Alaska Marine Lines and Worldwide Movers provide free shipping and warehouse storage.

Cook Inlet Tribal Council estimates the program serves about 8,000 families statewide.

This month, KIDS clothing went to: Aiding Women in Abuse and Rape Emergencies (AWARE), Catholic Community Service, Helping Hands, Sitka Counseling and Prevention Services, Sitkans Against Family Violence and St. Vincent de Paul, as well as Salvation Army Corps Community Centers in Haines, Hoonah, Juneau, Kake, Ketchikan, Klawock, Petersburg, Sitka, and Wrangell.

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Sheldon Jackson Museum curator Jackie Fernandez and artist Peter Williams outline this summer’s Visiting Artist Program. The program will begin this Saturday with a lecture by Williams called “Subsistence: Sustainable and Spiritual Economics” (2PM Sat May 25, SJ Museum. Free.) Learn more about the Sheldon Jackson Museum.

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58th Sitka Salmon Derby kick-off this weekend. AK-Class ferry architects now recommend covered decks. Ketchikan unveils decorated tour buses.

Dean Adams joined the crew of a wooden halibut schooner in Alaska.  Adams wrote about his experiences in “Four Thousand Hooks” and spoke on Morning Edition. Adams052413

Marvin Oliver and Memo Jauergui join other artists and members of a dance group to bless the new Salmon Run painted bus.

One of Ketchikan’s many nicknames is “Salmon Capital of the World,” so when the Ketchikan Gateway Borough Transit Department decided a few years ago to paint some of its buses, a salmon theme seemed appropriate.

Ketchikan artist Ray Troll hooked the contract for the first bus, which has been in use since 2009. On Monday, the borough unveiled the second of its three planned painted buses.

Ketchikan’s newest addition to the Salmon Run fleet of buses started its newly decorated life with drumming, dancing, singing and praying during the dedication ceremony on a blessedly warm, sunny day outside the borough’s offices.

Washington-based Northwest Coast artist Marvin Oliver snagged the contract for this second painted bus, and he used traditional form-line design techniques for his interpretation of the salmon run. Oliver had help from Memo Jauergui, who also assisted Ray Troll on the first bus-painting odyssey.

Memo Jauergui dances in front of the new Salmon Run bus.

Jauergui was among a group of people waiting outside borough offices for the bus, and the primary artist, to arrive. The team of artists finished the job in what seemed to an outsider like record time, but what do I know?

“We were working long, long hours – pulling 13-14 hours day since Monday or Tuesday,” he said. “When you see the bus you’ll see why, because there’s a lot of line and it’s got to be right.”

Oliver was a little late to the dedication, but that’s OK, because the bus was a little later.

“I got lost, and I think the bus got lost,” he said, hurrying up to the crowd.

Oliver says he’s pleased with how the bus turned out, but it’s not done, yet. They still have to add some eggs to the design.

“These eggs will be — little salmon eggs – will eventually be attached to the bus,” he said. They’re cast glass with dichroic, so they’ll change colors as you drive by, so it’ll be kind of a nice little touch.”

Eventually, the bus rounded the corner, and singing from the dance group on board could be heard over the engine.

As the bus pulled in front, and opened the doors, the group danced its way off, continuing the song in front of the vehicle.

Oliver donned a cedar bark hat, and thanked everyone who helped on the project. Her gave his trademark Northwest Coast-design wool blankets to each of his assistants. They then took turns introducing themselves in the traditional manner – giving their names and family backgrounds.

Then, there was more singing and dancing. That was followed by a prayer, led by Nahaan, who goes by one name.

The artists who worked as a team to paint the new Salmon Run bus stand together.

Transit Director Kyan Reeve says that one big reason for the Salmon Run buses is easy identification.

“We’re really excited about it,” he said. “It’ll make it very easy for the hundreds of thousands of visitors that ride our system, make it real easy for them to identify the system, which is always the toughest part, knowing which bus to get on.”

The borough provides a free summertime shuttle between tourist attractions in downtown Ketchikan. The city’s many summer visitors also join residents on the regular system for a small fee.

Dancers sing and drum during Monday’s dedication ceremony for the new Salmon Run bus.

Petersburg artist Ashley Duross has been busy this past year. Along with teaching at the high school, she’s been pursuing a Master’s Degree in the summertime and, of course, painting. Duross is known for her abstract works. Since last June, she produced 12 new paintings in oil and acrylic that go on display tonight at the Clausen Memorial Museum. Matt Lichtenstein stopped by and asked Duross about her about her inspiration for the solo exhibit called “Work Shifts”.
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Ashley Duross’s solo exhibit of new paintings opens tonight at five with an artist’s reception at the Clausen Memorial Museum.

Earlier this month, a number of Petersburg residents joined hundreds of other visitors in Wrangell for the Shakes Tribal House rededication. Among them was the Petersburg Public Library’s Cultural and Education Coordinator Jessica Ieremia who was excited to witness the historic event. Ieremia brought back some of the sounds and voices for this audio essay on the experience:
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Photo by Jessica Ieremia

Photo by Jessica Ieremia

JUNEAU — It appears someone registered to vote in Alaska and another state cast ballots in both states during the November election, an Alaska elections official said Thursday.

Division of Elections Director Gail Fenumiai said the matter was sent to the criminal division of the Department of Law for review earlier this month.

“At this point in time, it appears to be the same person,” Fenumiai told The Associated Press. “Signatures look the same. Other information matches. And I believe it’s the same person.” She declined to identify the other state.

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HONOLULU — Hawaii is expected to keep its 22,500 active-duty soldiers, but the future of the Stryker Brigade, a team of soldiers equipped with the namesake armored vehicles, needs to be evaluated as the Army downsizes and changes its focus, according to the head of the U.S. Army of the Pacific.

“We have three additional Stryker brigades at Fort Lewis (Wash.) that we didn’t have 10 years ago,” said Lt. Gen. Frank Wiercinski, who will soon step down as head of the Fort Shafter command. “That’s a lot of Stryker brigades.”

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Sport fishing seems to have picked up by some accounts in the Petersburg area just in time for the 32nd annual Salmon Derby. The four-day Chamber of Commerce event usually draws hundreds of anglers from Petersburg as well as out-of-town visitors. This year, anglers are limited to one king salmon per day under state rules.

KFSK file photo

The derby entrants with the biggest fish can win a variety of prices including five or ten thousand dollars if they catch one of the elusive tagged fish. Volunteers quickly caught, tagged, and released the two tagged kings in Frederick Sound Wednesday morning. Matt Lichtenstein spoke with Derby Committee Chair Ron Loesch about the upcoming contest, which starts Friday morning:
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Last year’s first place winner was Petersburg’s Thomas Cumps who landed a 45-point-6 pound King Salmon.

The terminus of Le Conte Glacier near Petersburg hasn’t moved much since last year. That’s according to the annual survey by Petersburg High School Students and their science teacher Victor Trautman. At the same time, according to Trautman, the massive field of ice is thinning further back into the mountains.

Petersburg High School Glacier Survey Class. Photo courtesy Victor Trautman.

This is the 30th year for the program which was originally started by now-retired teacher Paul Bowen. The class has since taught generations of students about glaciology and survey techniques. The work includes mapping points at the terminus and then plugging that data into complex calculations to come up with the results.

LeConte Glacier 2013. Photo courtesy Victor Trautman

Trautman and some of his students recently spoke with Matt Lichtenstein about the project and their findings:
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Along with teacher Vic Trautman, we also heard from students Sam Marifern, Fran Abbott, Krissa Davis, Sierra Strueli, and Eva Kowalski.

You can look back over 30 years of the school’s glacier survey data by following this link.

The Petersburg Borough is forming a new sales tax review committee. The group will take a closer look at the sales tax rate, the many sales tax exemptions in town and tax-free-days. That last issue has generated some debate at recent local meetings and it prompted the borough assembly to call for the new committee this week. Matt Lichtenstein reports:
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Environmental groups are trying to raise awareness about plans for new, open-pit mining operations in the Stikine river region of British Columbia. They’re particularly concerned about the potential for mine pollutants to impact fisheries downstream in Southeast Alaska. Representatives from Rivers without Borders and the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council are giving presentations on the issue for fishermen and other members of the public in Petersburg this week. Matt Lichtenstein asked for a preview:
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The 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty says that waterways shared by the US and Canada –quote- “shall not be polluted on either side to the injury of health or property on the other.” The treaty also established an International Joint Commission of US and Canadian Representatives. They’re tasked with addressing cross-border issues like water quality.

Rivers without Borders and SEACC will talk about plans for mining development in the Stikine region of British Columbia Wednesday at seven in the Petersburg assembly chambers. They’ll follow that up with a question and answer session Thursday night at the same time and place.