Many of the strongest and best memories from my

childhood growing up in Juneau revolve around riding Alaska's ferries to swim meets to communities like

Petersburg, Sitka, and Ketchikan. And later, as an adult, I have traveled across Southeast on ferries dozens of times for family trips, to deliver orthopedic clinics and surgery to remote communities, for hunting, and for basketball games. Those trips opened my eyes to the astounding beauty and breadth of our state, and they introduced me to people from across the region. Ferries play such an integral role in the way of life in Southeast, and d...