Ketchikan has job potential. Alaska had 21 years of job gains up until 2009. After a year without, Alaska added 1,800 jobs in 2010 and 5,200 in 2011, according to the Alaska Department of Labor.

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Former Ketchikan resident Mike Thomas, 47, died Dec. 20, 2011, in Mohave, Ariz. He was born in Salem, Ore., on Nov. 25, 1964, but was raised in Ketchikan.

Another sign that summer is coming to an end is the annual arrival of flu vaccines.

According to Alaska health officials, doses of the seasonal flu and swine flu vaccines are expected to arrive on time for distribution in mid-September.

We all remember the swine flu, right? That horrible pandemic? The one that wasn't nearly as bad as everyone predicted it would be?

Anyway, the pandemic is over, by decree of the World Health Organization, but the virus is still out there, so vaccines for swine flu will be available, too.

Most people will need one dose of seasonal flu vaccine - either by injection or nasal spray - according to state officials. Officials have recommended, though, that some children between 6 months and 8 years get vaccinated for both the seasonal and swine flu.

Vaccinations help, but they are no guarantee of good health. We can get the flu even after we've had the shot, so it's important to take other precautions. For example: Wash your hands often, cough or sneeze into your sleeve and maintain a clean environment at work and at home.

And if we do end up with the flu - or even a cold - we should stay home. Rest is the best treatment for an illness, work (or school) will survive without us for a day or two, and staying home is the best way to keep a virus from spreading.