(Note: All phone numbers begin with 907 unless otherwise listed. All Web sites begin with http://, which is not needed to link to sites.)

U - V

U.S. Forest Service: The federal agency in charge of the Tongass and Chugach National Forests in Alaska:  Contact: 225-3101; www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongass/  Spokesmen: Dennis Neill, Ketchikan, 228-6201 (office) or 723-7099 (cell); Kent Cummins, Sitka, 747-4295 (office) and 738-3089 (cell); Ray Massey, Juneau, 586-7876 (office) and 209-2094 (cell).  Juneau Ranger District: 747-6671  Petersburg Ranger District: Patty Grantham, district ranger, 772-5900, Charlie Streuli (STREW-lee), 772-5882  Sitka Ranger District: 747-4220  

United Fishermen of Alaska : Commercial fishing organization including most gear groups as organizational members.  Contact: 586-2820; www.ufa-fish.org  President: Bob Thorstenson  Director: Mark Vinsel

University of Alaska Southeast : The collective name for the regional branch of the University of Alaska . Campuses are in Juneau , Sitka and Ketchikan . UAS on is OK second reference.  Contact: 465-6258; www.uas.alaska.edu/  Chancellor: John Pugh  Media contact: Kevin Meyers  Sitka campus: 747-6653.  Ketchikan campus: 225-6177, Karen Polley, campus director

Visqueen: Brand name for clear heavy plastic commonly used in Southeast. Uppercase for the product. Otherwise, say something like “heavy plastic sheeting.”

Votes: Use numerals and always put the larger number first. “The bill passed the House 31 to 9.” Or “The amendment was voted down 5 to 4 .” 

W

Washington : Differentiate between Washington state and Washington , D.C.

Washington Fish Growers Association: Washington state fish farming group.  Contact: (360) 273-5890; Dan@wfga.net  Director: Dan Swecker 

Web addresses: Web addresses of any length are difficult to communicate via the radio. For ease, skip the “http//” at the start, which search engines always insert. Look for the simplest version of the address. You often can delete “/index.htm” at the end. Extra-long addresses should be skipped. Instead, suggest key words that can be put into a search engine that will pull up the site. Make sure to try them first. Spell out punctuation in scripts. Example: The document is at W-W-W-dot-D-O-T-dot-ferry-slash-home.

White Pass and Yukon Route : Name of the Skagway railroad. Now a tourist attraction, formerly a gold rush transport route, later a freight and passenger route. Once ran to Whitehorse.  Contact: 983-2214; www.whitepassrailroad.com/  President: Gary C. Danielson, 983-2214

Woewodski Island : (wuh-WAHD-skee) Site of a potential mineral mine in between Mitkof and Kurpeanof Islands .

Wrangell: First-class city of 2,100 near the mouth of the Stikine River, 95 miles northwest of Ketchikan .  Contact: 874-2381; www.wrangell.com  Mayor: Valery McCandless  City Manager: Bob Prunella  Economy: Former timber town, still home of Silver Bay Logging mill. Fishing, tourism and government are also part of the picture.

X - Z

Xtratuf: The proper brand name of the popular rubber boots. Pronounced “Extra-Toughs.”

Yaakoosge Daakahidi: Juneau ’s public alternative high school. The school’s Tlingit name means the “house of knowledge.”  Contact: 586-5742  Principal: Laurie Scandling, a former public radio reporter.

Young, Rep. Don: Alaska’s lone U.S. representative.
Phone: (202) 225-5765
Press officer: Grant Thompson, (202) 226-2193