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             The Pacific Marine Expo was held last week in Seattle, wrapping up on Thursday. The annual event is like a larger version of Kodiak’s Com Fish Alaska in the spring. Dillingham driftnetter Verner Wilson, who’s off-season job is with the World Wildlife Fund, attended this year and helped staff a booth on the tradeshow floor.
             The booth he worked at was for the Fish Basket Coalition, which seeks to protect Bristol Bay’s salmon fishery from non-renewable resource extraction proposed for the area.
             He said there was plenty of support for the Save Bristol Bay cause, and thousands of postcards were handed out for fishermen to send to the president, their senators and congressmen.
             The many conference topics ranged from vessel stability to marketing, how proper fish-handling can boost their value, and the screening of a movie about Coast Guard rescues. Among the lecturers was University of Alaska economist Gunnar Knapp, who gave a talk regarding the economic importance of Bristol Bay’s salmon industry to the West Coast states, where many of the boat-builders, processors and fishermen are based.

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            We spoke recently with the new Kodiak Chamber of Commerce economic development specialist, Joe Bailor. He’s worked for the City of Kodiak and the Kodiak Island Housing Authority, and took the job with the chamber this fall.
            Today, we hear more about Bailor’s thoughts on developing new business in Kodiak, and the community’s storefront and housing shortage.

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            The Kodiak Bears won six weight classes at the Robin Hervey Wrestling Tournament over the weekend, against the Palmer Moose and Chugiak Mustangs.
    Jenny Valdez won her weight class at 98 pounds, Joel Valdez won at 106 pounds, Andrew Caballa at 113, Eddy Burris at 126, Cameron White at145 and Kerry Powers at 182 pounds.
    The tournament only featured two visiting teams this year, as the small school season was changed and their region tournaments were this weekend.

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           An Air Station Kodiak helicopter crew medevac’d a crewman from the 1,000-foot cargo vessel Cosco Long Beach, about 200 miles south of the island Thursday afternoon.
    Watchstanders at the Coast Guard 17th District command center were contacted by an agent for the ship in Vancouver, British Columbia, at 11:30 yesterday morning, requesting the medevac of a 50-year-old crewman reportedly suffering from abdominal distress. The container ship was directed to change course toward Kodiak to reduce the distance the MH-60 Jayhawk would have to fly. A C-130 was also launched.
            The man was hoisted at 2:53 p.m. and transferred to Kodiak emergency medical services and taken to the hospital for further medical treatment.
            The Cosco Long Beach then resumed its voyage to Prince Rupert, British Columbia.
            Weather on scene during the time of the medevac was 10 to 20 mph winds and 10-foot seas.