Business columns & opinions from Anchorage, AK

Business Columns

Chris Stephens: Constructing new buildings with no setback is mistake

Anchorage is a special place with a natural setting rivaling that of any other city in the world. The development of our city should embrace this wonderful asset. Instead we are making a terrible mistake by adopting a development idea from the Lower 48: constructing buildings right next to the ...

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LYNNE CURRY

Lynne Curry: You can decide whether your job is lousy

Q. I work in a humiliating job. Part of what makes it lousy is my boss thinks customers are holy. If any of them has an issue with any of us, he automatically takes the customer's side. I just got written up for giving a woman customer an "evil eye."
LAINE WELCH

Laine Welch: Project aims to boost energy efficiency of fishing vessels

Volunteers are needed to test new "do-it-yourself" energy audits on fishing boats.
LYNNE CURRY

Curry: If you don't look the part, you don't get the job

Do you have to "look the part" to get and keep a job?
LAINE WELCH

Laine Welch: Halibut catch cut less than feared but prospect poor

Halibut catches weren't slashed as much as people feared, although they still continue on a downward trend -- and the outlook is grim.
BARBARA AND CLAIR RAMSEY

Barbara and Clair Ramsey: One word fits '12 real estate market: stable

As we look ahead to 2013 and consider what may happen with local residential real estate, let's first look back at the results of 2012. Keep in mind that your individual situation may well be different from the overall market. And because the Anchorage market isn't huge, small swings in numbers ...
LYNNE CURRY

Curry: Encourage workers to get flu shot, stay home when sick

Q. Our office looked like a ghost town last November. A couple employees came to work with the flu and before the month was over nearly every employee had caught it. This morning "Robert" showed up looking like death warmed over. He's been coughing nonstop and working on the same report all day...
TIM BRADNER

Tim Bradner: Gas storage project gets first winter of operation

Able to keep your house warm during that long, December cold snap? Send a thank you note to state Rep. Mike Hawker, House Speaker Mike Chenault and other Southcentral legislators.
LAINE WELCH

Laine Welch: Opponents gear up to block FDA approval of Frankenfish

Fishing groups, consumers and health organizations are launching a final push to keep genetically modified fish off American dinner plates.
LYNNE CURRY

Lynne Curry: Employees wanted extra holiday time off

Q. My office manager just forwarded me a series of emails our administrative assistant sent one of our accounting people. Both ladies have spouses who work for overly generous employers who gave employees Dec. 31 as well as Jan. 1 as paid holidays.
LAINE WELCH

Laine Welch: Salmon permits lose value

The market for Alaska salmon permits is up and down but sales of catch shares are in a stall.