Who ruled that newspaper publishers can’t hold public office and continue to operate their newspapers? Lew Williams, Jr. was Mayor of Petersburg while he published the Petersburg Press from 1956-1966. His son Lew III is currently in his third term as Ketchikan’s Mayor and he and sister Tena Williams publish the Ketchikan Daily News. Council news and opinions are published with full transparency and integrity by KDN staffers.

This writer served on the planning and zoning commission for eight years and continued to editorialize on planning and zoning issues during that time.

As long as notice is given citing a potential conflict of interest to the readers, and the newspaper continues to publish opposing viewpoints on all topics before the assembly, I see no problem with Tom Morphet serving on the borough assembly, if elected.

There is no need for Morphet to remove himself physically and financially from the Chilkat Valley News, which he owns.

I’ll miss Karen Garcia’s exemplary news coverage.

Ron Loesch, Publisher

Petersburg Pilot

P.S. I disclose that our company is paid to print the CVN each week.

Author