A formal pinning ceremony for University of Alaska Anchorage Associate Degree Nursing Program Ketchikan graduates was held on Friday, Dec. 7, at the US Coast Guard Station Crow's Nest. Ten registered nursing students received their pins. The pinning is a long held traditional nursing ceremony.

Chere Klein developed a the successful company "Wetlands Delineation & Design Services" in 2000 while working full time, and raising two girls as her husband is frequently gone with his business. She's a lifelong Alaskan, originally born and raised on a "bush" homestead in Southeast Alaska.

University of Alaska Southeast Ketchikan assistant professor of computer networking Rick McDonald has co-authored Network Fundamentals: CCNA Exploration Companion Guide, published in October 2007.

What goes around comes around is demonstrated so clearly between matches in Big Brothers Big Sisters.

On Nov. 4, approximately 37,000 athletes participated in the ING New York City Marathon. And while completing the race is exciting by anyone's standards, it was an especially memorable experience for Bill Elberson of Ketchikan.

Association of Education of Young Children would like to first, thank the fine staff at the Children's Library for their over-whelming support of Family Nights in Ketchikan. As an outside looking in it is just amazing how special our local community support is throughout the year.

There is an old story about a storm and a beach full of stranded starfish. It's overwhelming. How can you help them all? The answer, of course, is that you can't; but for a few starfish - you can work wonders.

Ann Fama RN, CCRN, is a charge nurse for the ICU and medical surgical unit at Ketchikan General Hospital. She is married to Peter Fama and has three sons, Jake, Joey and Nick. She has been a registered nurse for 28 years and is a 1979 graduate of Marquette University School of Nursing with a BSN.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded $83,833 in an Assistance-to-Firefighters Grant to the Metlakatla Volunteer Fire Department in Southeast Alaska.

Gov. Sarah Palin, Senate President Lyda Green and Speaker of the House John Harris recently announced their appointments to the Citizen's Advisory Commission on Federal Areas.

Aluminum Chambered Boats was awarded a $9.88M contract in June to provide the United States Coast Guard with 47 rigid hull inflatable boats for their Cutter Boat-Large fleet. On Oct. 16, the first vessel passed USCG's stringent acceptance trials, which included such items as weight, range, and electrical requirements.

Ketchikan kicked off its annual Halloween festivities a few days early. Ketchikan's First Halloween Ghost Town Party was Friday, Oct. 26, and the first stop was Ketchikan Visitor Bureau.

Karen Eakes is sxecutive director of Patchworks in Ketchikan. Here are her answers to five questions.

The Women In Safe Homes Board of Directors holds its third annual Tux N' Tips Celebrity Server Competition at 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, at Steamers Restaurant. D

Applications are now being accepted for volunteer positions on the Ketchikan State Parks Citizen Advisory Board. The board advises state park staff on a variety of issues affecting the management of Ketchikan State Parks.

It was a dark and misty night, and haunted ghosts and ghouls crept stealthily through the streets, as children ran to and fro. Nothing gets better than Halloween as we all enjoy flowing amounts of cavity-inducing candy, donning gruesome masks and silly costumes and participating in themed festivities.

Penetration into the Alaskan market has created substantial growth for ACB. Now all recreational and sport fishing boaters, lodges, and sightseeing guides will have the convenience and pleasure of doing business directly with Ed Purvis...

All Southeast communities are invited to attend the Ketchikan Community Health Fair from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, at the Plaza Mall. Special hotel rates are available to outlying communities.

Volunteer efforts continue as the South Tongass Volunteer Fire Department executes Phase I of the new community fire station project. For the past two weeks, site clearing occurs between the hours of 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Saturday with an hour off for lunch.

"Sha'aam-dza waan," meaning, "wishing you well," in Shm'algyack language, is how teacher Wilma Baines-Chahim ends her goodbyes. She is one of concerned educators preserving the 'Tsimshian culture and heritage through teaching the language at Richard Johnson Elementary School in Metlakatla.

Six thousand lumpia - 500 dozen, that was the goal reached Oct. 10, during Ketchikan General Hospital's LumpiaMania.

Kayla Looper of Ketchikan has been diagnosed with acute leukemia. She is in seventh grade and a little sister in Big Brothers Big Sisters.

The Kayhi Lady Kings Soccer Team is not only strong on the field, but they are winners off the field as well.

Evergreen Motors is officially now Skinner Sales of Juneau. On Wednesday, September 26 at 5pm there was an open house for Chamber members. Pictured from left: new ManagementtTeam is Mark Flora, Rob Skinner and Mike Chrisman.

Alaska State Chamber of Commerce named Tongass Substance Screening as the 2007 Bill Bivin Small Business of the Year at their 48th Annual Convention and Trade Show in Anchorage. The Bill Bivin Small Business of the Year Award, established in 1993, pays tribute to businesses that exemplify leadership, ethics and organization.

Rob Skinner of Skinner Sales and Services, left, presents a gift of $25,000 to Marc Wheeler, executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southeast Alaska, aboard the Golden Princess as part of a kick-off campaign party for the United Way. Skinner said he has supported BBBS for 30 years and wanted to make a contribution in honor of his recent business accomplishments.

On Tuesday, Aug. 21, the South Tongass Volunteer Fire Department held its ground breaking ceremony for the new Fire Station Building Project. Members, officers, families and friends gathered at the new Seawatch Drive location. Representing the State of Alaska was Russell Kelly, special staff assistant to the Office of the Governor.

This spring, "Big Sister" Katy and "Little Sister" Rosemary sang the 'Friendship' song from the musical, Anything Goes, at a Monthly Grind. The words aptly describe their Big/Little relationship:

The Pennock Island Challenge was started in 2004 and features an 8.2 mile course around Pennock Island.

Juried Art Show at the Mainstay Gallery

When John and Jillian Malouf first started Alaska Amphibious Tours in 2001, they never looked back and they never rested on their laurels.

Tongass Substance Screening, a division of TSS, Inc. has achieved its goal of becoming a nationally Accredited Collection Facility. As an Accredited Collection Facility, TSS is dedicated to providing its clients with superior collection services, which ensure the integrity of the specimen and the privacy of the donor.

The sun is out, slowly heating up the humid air of downtown Ketchikan and the local students are ready for the thrill of a jump from the boardwalk of the Thomas Basin harbor. The chilly water of the harbor, from the incursion of cold Ketchikan stream water nearby only seems to add to the excitement. The students, from left, are Mary Keele, Adam Peterson, Kyrie Chandler, David Anderson, and Jamie Bar.

Blueberries and giggling feet-what do they have in common, anyway? Ketchikan offers fun community events during the month of August with art festivals including the Blueberry Arts Festival and the 10th annual Gigglefeet Dance Festival, sponsored by the Ketchikan Area Arts & Humanities Council.

"Every day spent with Ashlyn is an adventure," said Big Sister Gina.

Healing Soles led the way to help continue medicine and care to those serviced at Ketchikan General Hospital.

The University of Idaho has inked some 2,000 students to the spring 2007 Dean's List.

The Alaska State Council on the Arts recently awarded $545,674 in grants at their annual meeting, held June 15-16, in Sitka.

The Tongass National Forest is the recipient of national "More Kids in the Woods" grant to hold a culture camp with the Ketchikan Indian Community. U.S. Forest Service Chief Gail Kimbell made the announcement during a ceremony Tuesday in Washington, D.C., where she emphasized the importance of building environmental literacy and reconnecting kids with the outdoors.

The storytellers were warming up!

Seventy-two runners and walkers hit the pavement Saturday morning, May 12, at Totem Bight in brisk over cast skies for the challenge of the Totem to Totem 13.1 mile run and walk.

It took a year to raise the funds and a year to design and build the suite, but the Ketchikan General Hospital's Women's Diagnostic Imaging Suite opened May 11.

Kenny Pearson was nominated and won the Governor's Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Award, which will be presented April 23, in Anchorage. Ketchikan Youth Court director Gretchen Klein nominated him for the honor saying:

"It was just one of those days that ended up being a great time!"

Airlift Northwest Alaska has announced the appointment of two base managers for its operations in Alaska. Lisa Hollis will lead the Juneau base and Rose Goure will lead the Ketchikan base.

The scholarships will be awarded to students attending an accredited university or vocational school in the 2006-2007 academic year and studying resource or general business management.

A kick-off meeting for youth interested in the newly developed job readiness initiative nicknamed "The Pipeline" was held Jan. 31, at the Job Center. An amazing number of youth and young adults aged 14-24 showed up, and apparently not just for the free pizza. Fifty-six filled out the application for the newly launched training and mentoring program.

The SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium Breast and Cervical Health Program will feature the Ketchikan Theatre Ballet for "An Evening of Dance" at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 1, at the Craig High School Auditorium.

You may be key to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ketchikan, finding other "Bigs" in town. There are about 20 prospective local "Littles" waiting to be matched with "Bigs," and probably you or some of your neighbors, friends and relatives would be just great with those "Littles."

"Big" Howard and "Little" Kody were matched within the Community Program of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southeast Alaska in Ketchikan for four years, and their friendship is still going strong. Kody's mother says, "He's ecstatic that Howard is continuing the friendship even though Kody has turned 18."