Rob Holston has filed to run for a three-year term on the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School Board. There are two seats up for grabs in the upcoming municipal election and four candidates are running. 

KRBD’s Hunter Morrison spoke with Holston about his goals and priorities if elected to office. 

Morrison: What are you running for, and why are you running?

Holston: I’m running for the school board three-year term. I will challenge the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District status quo of current graduation requirements and curriculum offerings to ensure that each student has their best interest in academic achievement, health and longevity, career and technical, and industrial as well as the arts, and that these subjects will be balanced in their approach, thus ensuring each student’s best chance at enjoying a long, healthy, and productive life. A vote for me is a vote in support of this statement.

Morrison: And could you elaborate a little bit more on some of your priorities?

Holston: I certainly could. Let me first give you a bit of background on myself. My formal education consists of a PhD – public high school diploma, from Polson, Montana, where I was an honorary graduate. An associate of arts degree from Flathead Valley Community College, where I served as the student body president. A bachelor of music, P.E., and health education degree from the University of Montana. After that, I’ve earned over 100 credits in continuing education units and professional development hours, mostly in school administration from the University of Alaska. I hold a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton Master Captain’s license, and I recently completed a Cleveland Clinic course on diabesity entitled “Improving Patient Outcomes in Diagnosis and Management: Obesity and Diabetes Masterclass.” I’m a Vietnam veteran of six years, a graduate of the Montana Military Academy. My highest rank was second lieutenant, and I was then the RedEye Missile Commander there in Montana. My employment in Ketchikan began in 1981 as a teacher, and I drove a school bus for one year. Currently, I’m employed as a guest speaker aboard cruise ships, and tomorrow I’ll be in Juneau. They fly me up there to jump on a cruise ship, and the following day I’ll be in Skagway, then Glacier Bay National Park. 

And you ask about the focus of why I’m running. I think the school district has failed in a lot of ways, besides what everybody knows about their adeptness of balancing the budget, their fiscal responsibilities falling by the wayside over the past three decades. We really can’t blame the current school board. Matter of fact, they’ve done a lot of the heavy lifting by closing two schools. I hate to see them go. I had two children that were in the first year’s opening of Point Higgins School. So, what’s to become of those two schools? That’s part of our priority list, but I also see we are failing in health and physical education offerings. It’s just one semester each, and the reason I say we’re failing Alaska-wide, 23-25% of our graduating seniors can’t even qualify to join the army because of their inability to be physically in shape. Most of that problem is obesity. So I’d like to see a curriculum that addresses that.

Morrison: Gotcha. If you’re elected, what is something that you would like to do on the school board?

Holston: Well, like I mentioned earlier, I will challenge the current curriculum. I see in looking at the curriculum that we have four years of English required in high school. That’s after they have had nine years of English. We start English in kindergarten, and so I don’t see why we have to have that much literature – Renaissance European literature, like Shakespeare, is taught in two or three of the four years. I’m not against Shakespeare. I’m just saying there are other things, and I will be offering the school board a bibliography of things that have to do with health and longevity. 

I also think, like any business, the school should be run like a business. I have owned and operated several businesses here in Ketchikan: Alaska Home Fishing Bed and Breakfast Lodge, operated that very profitably for about 18 years. Then my wife and I started the Lighthouse Totems and Eagles excursion, which we operated for 18 years and sold successfully to an entrepreneur here in Ketchikan, a young man who’s doing very well. And then we started Ketchikan Photo Safari, which we ran for two years prior to COVID; two years during COVID, one year after COVID. Then we sold it. These businesses are sold at a profit. I’m also the founder and current secretary of the Guard Island Heritage, the local lighthouse organization, and we have $55,000 or more in the bank, and most lighthouse organizations are struggling with bake sales and car washes. So, I feel like I have fiscal responsibility and a business background that the school board could use.

Morrison: Gotcha. Could you elaborate a little bit more on like prior leadership roles, community engagement roles that make you equipped for this role?

Holston: Oh, absolutely. I’m a lifetime member of the Tongass Historical Society, a 30 plus year director of the Singing Christmas Tree. I’ve been a health and longevity advocate most of my tenure here in Ketchikan, and I’m a member of the Assembly of God Church. I’m the Alaska State Director of Gideon’s International, and I’m a weekly volunteer at the Ketchikan Pioneer Home for the last two and a half years. I play live music there for their ice cream socials.

Morrison: Aside from what you’ve already mentioned, what is something that you’d like listeners to know about you?

Holston: I’d like them to know that if a person doesn’t have their health, what else really matters? What’s more important to a 50-year-old graduate of Kayhi, knowing Shakespeare or being healthy? And I trust that 90%, maybe 95% of people quizzed about that, if they’re 40, 50, 60 years old, will say being healthy. Now you can ask AI that question, and it will say this: “Survival comes first. A person must be alive and healthy to experience the world. Foundation of daily life. Good health allows a person to work, spend time with family, and enjoy hobbies. No replacement. No amount of literary knowledge can substitute for physical well-being and life itself.” Literature and learning, AI says this: “Optimal enrichment. Knowing Shakespeare adds cultural and intellectual value to a person’s life, but can be learned at any time during a person’s life. They can study literature at any age, but they need their health to do so.” Thank you, AI.

Editor’s note: Rob Holston does not hold a PhD, or Doctor of Philosophy.

Hunter Morrison is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution.

The post Rob Holston files to run for Ketchikan’s school board appeared first on KRBD.

Frances Klein has filed to run for a three-year term on the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School Board. There are two seats up for grabs in the upcoming municipal election and four candidates are running. 

School board members are responsible for overseeing the district’s budget, adopting policies and approving staff contracts. 

KRBD’s Hunter Morrison spoke with Klein about her goals and priorities if elected to office. 

Hunter Morrison: Why are you running?

Frances Klein: I am running because, as of the middle of the month [August], no one was, and so as I was looking at just the fact that there really wasn’t anybody running for two open seats. And thinking about the experience that I have with education and the potential that I see in our district, I figured that if I had the time and availability and the skills that I should step up and make use of those. 

Morrison: And could you elaborate on why you’re running a little more?

Klein: Yeah, so I have a background in education. I’ve been a teacher and working in education for over 15 years at this point. And as I look at the makeup and background and experience of the current school board, I see people with a lot of great business experience and community leadership experience. But I think that one of the areas where we could use some additional background is in actual working in education, being a teacher, being in the classroom, so that as the board is talking about policy and talking about the things that affect their employees, the teachers, the paraprofessionals, that there is able to be a voice there saying this is how these policies will affect the board’s employees. Technically, the board has one employee, the superintendent, but the district employs a lot of people in our community, and I think we could have a benefit from having someone who can speak to the experience of being a teacher in the district. 

Morrison: If you’re elected, what is something that you would like to do on the school board?

Klein: I think obviously the biggest concern currently for the district is financial stability, and we have had a tough few years with having to make cuts. I was one of the 70 teachers cut in the last round of cuts due to budget, right? And that was tough for the district. It was tough for the people that were cut. It’s going to be really tough on the kids coming up this year with bigger class sizes, different schools. And if we want to have the school district recover and provide quality education, we need a stable budget. And there’s not an easy fix to that, and it’s not going to be, unfortunately, probably not a next year fix. But I think there are things that can happen with the budget that would allow a recovery process to start, so that we can start stabilizing the budget, stabilizing the district, and then looking towards positive growth.

Morrison: What leadership roles or community engagement roles makes you equipped for this role?

Klein: So I think some of the other candidates running have a lot of really great backgrounds in like board memberships, community leadership roles. I don’t have those experiences, but I have a lot of experience working in schools, knowing how schools function or can function, a lot of background in understanding what the legal requirements are, right? And so being able to speak to, as a member of the board, hear the things that we need to do in order to ensure that our schools are meeting their legal requirements for kids, and then I think as well that ability to speak to the policies and influence policies that will make the school district a good employer and a place that people want to work.

Morrison: What is something that you would like listeners to know about you?

Klein: So, I’m a graduate of the Ketchikan School District. I was the class of 2007 at Kayhi. I was in whatever the last class was at Schoenbar before they tore it up and remodeled. I went to White Cliff, and I went into education because I was really lucky to go to school here, and I was lucky to have great teachers. And so I have seen the best that this district can offer. I know how good it can be. I had great experiences in music and in sports, and Ketchikan is a great place to grow up, and it’s a great place to go to school. It has been a great place to go to school, and I would really like for it to go back to being a great place to go to school. I think we’ve got a community of really active, interested, engaged parents, and really fun kids. My son’s in second grade, and so I spend a lot of time at the baseball field. I spend a lot of time at the rec center. I work currently with Resilient Youth and Community, and so I spend a lot of time with high school kids, seeing all the cool things that they’re doing. This community, you know, has a lot to offer, and it would be great to have a school district that is able to give as much back.

Hunter Morrison is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution.

The post Frances Klein on her decision to run for Ketchikan’s school board appeared first on KRBD.

Longtime Ketchikan City Council member Judy Zenge is running for reelection. Zenge is currently vice mayor and has served on the council for over a decade. 

She is running for a three-year term on the council. There are 3 three-year seats up for grabs in the upcoming municipal election. 

KRBD’s Hunter Morrison sat down with Zenge to talk about why she’s running — and what she hopes to accomplish if reelected. 

Hunter Morrison: Why are you running for city council? 

Judy Zenge: Well, you know, I think that now that we’ve seated a manager, we can get down to work. I mean, we’ve had a lot of really good people working as acting [managers], but now we have one that we’ve seated. He’s familiar with the community. He’s taking this seriously. I think I have something to offer there. 

Morrison: And could you elaborate on some of your priorities? 

Zenge: First and foremost, of course, there’s a budget, and the hospital lease review. I think that’s going to take some work. I’d really like us to focus on this debate on tourism. You know, I was instrumental in starting the tourism advisory board, which I think, once it’s all set up, is going to be great. I think we need to look at the numbers. Do we really need to limit it, or do we just need to learn how to manage it better? I think those are very important questions that we need to answer. Community grants — the number is increasing. We need to take a look at how we’re going to fund that. And yeah, those would be the main ones. And of course, there’s homelessness. There’s a plethora of topics that we are going to have to cover this year, and none of them are going to be easy decisions. 

Morrison: Gotcha. And you know, during your time on the council, what is something that you’ve done that you’re proud of? 

Zenge: You know, I don’t know that I’ve done anything personally. I think as a group, we focused on a lot of things. I think this year, one of the things that I’m really excited about is the tourism advisory board. I’m excited about the work that we’ve started doing on the hospital lease review. That’s going to take some time, and of course, seating the new manager would probably be my top priority. Being a part of that was really important. 

Morrison: And outside of your tenure on the council, what other community engagement roles, leadership roles make you equipped for this role? 

Zenge: You know, I’ve worn a lot of hats in this community. I’m a court reporter. I’ve been a guardian ad litem, a court visitor, small business owner, a foster parent. I advocate for seniors. I’m the mall manager, and I’ve been a councilwoman for 12 years. So I think if you combine all of that and all the different folks that I’ve had the opportunity to deal with and talk to and advocate for, I think I have the experience to continue my work, and I enjoy the work. 

Morrison: And outside of what you’ve already mentioned, what is something that you’d like listeners to know about you? 

Zenge: I come prepared to every council meeting. I take the work seriously. I’m very approachable. People come into my office all the time to discuss various things. I’m going to vote for the community. I’m very independent. I look at each issue separately, and I go out and do my homework. And I still love this community.

The post Ketchikan City Council member Judy Zenge files for reelection appeared first on KRBD.

The deadline to submit public comment on a proposed plan to repeal the Roadless Rule has been extended. 

The Roadless Rule is a 2001 environmental conservation law that protects 45 million acres of national forests across the country from logging, including over nine million acres of the Tongass. Last month, the United States Department of Agriculture filed a plan to repeal it. The agency said in a press release that the rule is a barrier to wildfire risk reduction work. The rescission would increase logging opportunities, aligning with the Trump administration’s goals to increase natural resource extraction in Alaska. 

That set off a 30-day federally mandated public comment period, allowing the public to submit feedback on the plan, which will be used in developing final rulings and environmental analyses. The public comment period was initially scheduled to end Sept. 21. That deadline has now been pushed to Oct. 6. 

The new public comment deadline is now after federally mandated subsistence hearings that are scheduled for later this month. Subsistence hearings are legally required under ANILCA, or the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, to evaluate impacts on subsistence uses. They are required if proposed plans are expected to significantly restrict subsistence practices in the project area — like in the Tongass and the Chugach National Forests. 

The testimony at these hearings will be included in the record and considered for the final ruling.

There are two in-person subsistence hearings scheduled in Alaska, including one in Ketchikan on Sept. 29 at the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center from 5-7 p.m. And another is scheduled for Oct. 1 in Anchorage at the Loussac Library from 5-7 p.m. Two statewide virtual hearings are scheduled for Sept. 30. More information on those hearings can be found on the Forest Service website.

The post Federal government extends public comment period for proposed Roadless Rule rescission appeared first on KRBD.

Ketchikan Borough Assembly member Kathy Bolling has filed to run for reelection in the upcoming municipal election. There are three 3-year seats up for grabs.  

The assembly serves as the legislative power of the borough, and is responsible for approving an annual budget and establishing policy for the borough.  

KRBD’s Hunter Morrison spoke with Bolling about her goals and priorities if elected to office. 

Hunter Morrison: Why are you running?

Kathy Bolling:  I am running because I think I’m an even better candidate than I was when I first started three years ago. And I did wait to file, just to kind of keep the game open to encourage people to think about running for elected office. We need local folks to dip their toe in or just jump in the water and give elected work a try. 

I do have some priorities. I think that’s going to be your first question. I think the number one thing for me is we just completed the comprehensive plan that’s supposed to be good for another eight, nine, ten years, and I don’t want it to molder on the shelf. It was a community-wide effort, we created goals and strategies to reach those goals, and I don’t want them on a binder on the shelf. Some of the things that stood out to me, like transportation and public facilities, is strengthening our regional and inter-island connectivity. Under housing, partnering with employers for their workforce housing solutions, I think is one way we can really solve the crunch, especially in summer, if the workforce can provide some of their own housing.

So under the health and wellness section, there’s childcare, which may not leap to most people’s minds at first, but it’s vital to the economy and to our workforce. And we have a running summer playground, which actually, way back in the day when the city had parks and recreation, I ran the summer playground program. So it’s been around a long time, near and dear to my heart. And in the past, we also had community schools programs. We had other ways to provide childcare in town. We don’t have that now, but what if we expand that summer playground program, which is always at capacity? What if we expand it to provide latchkey care during the school year? I think that’s something I’m going to work on. 

And trails. I just drove by coming from the university to KRBD, drove by the Third Avenue Bypass, and I’ve been a real advocate for reopening the Rainbird Trail, the southern end, so people can hike up and hike over to a platform and just look down over downtown and look out. You can practically see Nichols Passage from there. It’s just the most breathtaking view, and so that is being worked on. We just actually approved a little expansion to the contract so they could helicopter some extra materials up there. So that is happening. And speaking of priorities, I can’t not mention tourism, right? We’re all impacted by it, and it is in the cruise line’s best interest to work with their destinations, such as us, and it’s in our best interest to make sure that they hear us and that we decide what is manageable as a host, and set up expectations for our guests. 

And I’ll just segue quickly into a story about Ketchikan. Several years back, “Ask UAS [University of Alaska Southeast] did a panel of women in Ketchikan in the 50s and 60s. And we had Alaire Stanton, and Cathy Bellon, and Elinore Jacobsen,  and Ernestine Henderson, and I know I’m going to forget some other names, Merta Kiffer. Anyway, one of them began to talk about, it might have been Ernestine, talk about when the mill came in and how the mill people were not welcomed by the locals. They were not happy with this inundation of all these people coming into town. They weren’t happy, really, about this new industry and the impact it made, in the downtown area. And in 1965, the mill went on strike. Mill workers went on strike, and suddenly the merchants weren’t getting the money in, and they realized that they were really interdependent on each other, and they figured it out. And I think we can figure it out. So, Ketchikan, we’ve done it before. We can do it again.

Morrison:  Gotcha. What is something that you have done during your tenure on the assembly that you’re proud of?

Bolling: Well, what stands out in my mind is my effort to really make us accessible. Like, I see people come to the podium that I grew up with, or I know their kids, or I knew their parents, or our parents knew each other, and I want them to really feel welcome. It’s so important. I know that people don’t like to write letters or come to the podium, but it’s just me. You’ll stop and talk with me at the grocery store – I want it to kind of feel the same way. And I’ve made a concerted effort to keep people in the loop of what I’m up to, what I’m thinking, and what I’m learning, especially when I’m traveling for the borough on the borough dime, right? When in Anchorage at the Alaska Municipal League, or when I’m in DC, I made short videos and posted them on my Facebook page, which is public, so I think anyone can see them. And then I began doing them from the front seat of my car, and I do that because we have two rambunctious dogs and a few insistent cats, and I just found it easier to just go sit in my car to record them. So I call them from the front seat, but I just try to present information. I’m not trying to sway anybody, just to be informative, because most people are not watching the three-hour-long borough meetings, right? So I think it helps bridge that gap and helps people know what’s going on.

Morrison: And aside from your time on the assembly, what other leadership roles, or community engagement roles make you equipped for this role?

Bolling: Gosh, well over the last 30-some years, I’ve sat on nonprofit boards. I was on a governor’s task force. I’m currently on the Ketchikan Community Foundation Board. I have a supervisory position at the university [University of Alaska Southeast] where I work, and I’ve completed the National Association of Counties High Performance Leadership Academy. That was a several months long intensive course for government employees and local officials. I’ve won an award for being the outstanding Alaskan in the area of substance abuse prevention and education. I put my energy where my heart is, and as an assembly member, I work to make Ketchikan a place where everyone is valued and supported. And that might sound like a slogan, but that’s actually how I live my life. So, I also do my part by serving on the museum advisory board, the library advisory board, the investment committee for the borough, and the joint cooperative relations committee, where the city and borough governments sit down and work things out.

Morrison: Gotcha. Aside from what you’ve already mentioned, what is something that you’d like listeners to know about you?

Bolling: Well, I listen to KRBD, and thank you all for listening to KRBD. It’s a great example of how we have journalists as our neighbors, and it’s so important. Local news media keeps us all informed of local happenings. No other entity can do the job the way our local radio stations do, and the newspaper can. I just think it’s so important, working in the field of information, because I’m a librarian, it’s so important to know your sources and be able to go back to primary sources. When you post things, you have a responsibility to post where you got the information, where other people can also find it, and that is a way of being transparent. And there is an obligation when you provide information to delineate this is my opinion based on this, and these are the facts and not to present assertions as facts. So we have to be respectful of the people that we’re communicating with.

Something about me: my husband and I have five grandchildren, four of whom are enrolled in our local school district. So I am very motivated to ensure that Ketchikan’s a place where they can thrive, and we can age gracefully. That’s really of the greatest importance. And I want a Ketchikan where they can stay, and build their own families in homes that they own, and that’s what I want for everyone.

Hunter Morrison is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution.

The post Borough assembly member Kathy Bolling files for reelection appeared first on KRBD.

First-time candidate Ashley Snyder has filed to run for a three-year term on the Ketchikan City Council. 

There are four council seats up for grabs. Three of them are for three-year terms, and one is a one-year term. There are seven other candidates vying for a three-year seat. 

KRBD’s Hunter Morrison sat down with Snyder to talk about her priorities and decision to run. 

Ashley Snyder: I am running for city council because I think I bring a unique and fresh perspective, and hope to collaborate well with the existing city council. I don’t own a business here in town. I’m not planning any big projects that need community support. I just believe in community-driven policy and listening to the people of Ketchikan while making big decisions that impact them. 

Hunter Morrison: Could you elaborate on your priorities?

Snyder: So, some of the priorities that have come up when talking to the residents of Ketchikan, friends and others, was sustainable tourism. We all know that tourism is our bread and butter, but maybe there’s a way we can find a little bit more balanced approach there. My husband and I moved to Ketchikan because we missed living in small towns and wanted that feel again, and I really want to help uphold that here in Ketchikan. 

Morrison: If elected to the council, what is something that you would like to do? 

Snyder: It would be working on that actually, sustainable tourism, and just trying to get everyone on board with the same plan. That’s really my goal in that area. 

Morrison: What other leadership or community engagement roles make you equipped for this role?

Snyder: This is my first foray into government. That said, I’ve been serving my community as long as I can remember. I was that kid that was the officer in like every organization growing up, just because I wanted to be involved in everything and I was drawn to lead. I’ve volunteered all over the state for nonprofits, Girl Scouts of Alaska, Girls on the Run, and I used to lead women-only hikes. So nothing tested our leadership more than leading three to 25 women through bear country and having a good time together. So it may not be the most traditional path, but it’s definitely leadership. 

Morrison: And aside from what you’ve already mentioned, what is something that you’d like listeners to know about you? 

Snyder: That I’m a good listener. I’m really excited to connect with people here in town and find out what they want and need. My goal is to be that person that everyone’s willing to and wants to and feels comfortable reaching out, and talking to, emailing, and having their priorities heard.

The post Ashley Snyder files to run for Ketchikan City Council appeared first on KRBD.

To submit a local photo, send it to photo@krbd.org. You can vote for your favorite Photo of the Day submission by going to our Facebook page and hitting “like!” We announce a new winner each week, and the winner gets a bag of Raven’s Brew coffee (prize must be picked up at the station).

The post Southern Southeast Alaska Photo of the Day appeared first on KRBD.