TRUCK FIRE – Firefighters knock down a fire in a Ford Explorer truck in Arrowhead Trailer Park in the 1200 block of Sawmill Creek Road Saturday evening. One person received fire-related injuries and was taken to the hospital, Sitka Fire Department Chief Craig Warren said, and the truck was considered a total loss. The cause of the fire is under investigation, Warren said. The fire hall received the call about the fire at 5:33 p.m., and one fire engine with eight firefighters and an ambulance were dispatched, he said. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
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Alaska Beacon
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Heritage, Cultural
Tourism Event
Here this Week
The ninth annual Heritage and Cultural Tourism Conferen [ ... ]
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 15
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Sentinel Staff Writer
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Climate Connection -- Cruise Tourism Choices
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Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 14
An Austin Street resident said a c [ ... ]
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Alaska Beacon
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Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 13
Vehicles left parked at Sealing Co [ ... ]
SFS, Coliseum
To Show 15 Shorts
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The public is invited to a discussion Thursday on the [ ... ]
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Outer Coast executive director
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Vigil on Saturday
At Roundabout
Community members are invited to attend the weekly Voices for Peace vi [ ... ]
Daily Sitka Sentinel
October 4, 2019, Community Happenings
Climate Connection: Carbon Footprint Part 2
By Lisa Sadleir-Hart
Last week, I shared that if everyone lived like me it’d require 2.1 earths, and we’d overshoot what the earth can regenerate by the first day of summer (6/21) each year. Additionally, I learned that my household requires 398 trees annually to offset 28 tons of carbon dioxide. These were “come to Mother Earth moments” for me as our household is highly carbon conscious, AND it’s insufficient given the current climate emergency. So here are my top 7 actions to help my household reduce my carbon emissions.
1. Reduce the number of times I fly each year and fly like a NERD (new aircrafts/economy class/reduce number of connections/direct flights). I think realistically I can drop 1 trip per year and then offset the carbon emitted by making a per trip donation to Sitka’s Carbon Offset fund (https://www.sitkacarbonoffset.com/)
2. Encourage others to purchase an electric vehicle. We’ve driven our Leaf for 6+ years and/or bike commuted. Because Sitka’s got clean hydropower, our household has made significant carbon savings and want to get this message out.
3. Install a programmable thermostat and lower it by 2 degrees in the winter. Each degree of reduction saves .06 tons of CO2 emissions. I can always add a layer.
4. Commit to yearly preventative maintenance on our heat pump. Since we’ve had it done this summer, our heat pump is running more efficiently and putting out more heat. (https://sway.office.com/NNPUeERtb4CaNQiI)
5. Replace our 20 plus-year-old appliances with Energy Star appliances over the next 2 years. This will not only save us money to run them, but may also provide us with tax credits and further reduce our emissions(https://www.energystar.gov/).
6. Commit to Meatless Mondays and maybe add another day each week. We already eat a mostly plant-based diet with small amounts of fish and we can do more. Every day of the week one commits to no red meat reduces carbon emissions by .4 metric tons.https://www.meatlessmonday.com/.
7. Reduce food waste - I’ve talked about this before in Climate Connections and know it will save our household money that we can put toward improvements to our large production garden or more organic food. We already compost all of our produce waste so this won’t be too hard to pull off.
Transportation, home heating and food/food waste are the top 3 carbon producers for the majority of households. So consider taking a deep look using a carbon footprint calculator and then commit to reduce and offset your carbon emissions so that generations to come can enjoy this amazing world. Challenge family members or neighbors and get the kids involved to lighten the load and make the work more joyful; plus it improves accountability.
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Submitted by Lisa Sadleir-Hart, volunteer Sitka Chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby
Cancer Support
Group to Meet
Sitka Cancer Survivors Society invites the public to a cancer support group meeting 3-4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20, at Mt. Edgecumbe Medical Center in the fourth floor boardroom.
The group welcomes cancer patients in treatment or recovering and their family members.
Contact Diane Linn at 512-659-3156 with questions.
The group meets the third Sunday of the month.
Cycling Club
Ride on Oct. 12
The Sitka Cycling Club’s next group ride will be 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 12. Cyclists will leave from the new Salty Spoke Bike Collective, in the back of the Hames Center.
The route will go from Indian River Road to the Sitka Cross Trail to Kramer Avenue and then back into town. The ride will stop at a couple of points to show the new paths that are part of the proposed Sitka Cross Trail mountain bike enhancement project. For more information go to sitkacycling.wordpress.com.
Woman’s Club
Meets Oct. 5
Sitka Woman’s Club will meet noon Saturday, Oct. 5, at Westmark Sitka. Those with questions may call Robin at 752-8575.
The non-profit, community service organization meets monthly Sept. through May.
Unitarians to Meet
Suzi McClear will present a program on Norse Mythology at Sunday’s meeting of the Sitka Unitarian Fellowship. ‘‘Mythology is Religion in Story Form’’ is the topic.
Gathering begins at 10:30 a.m., with the program beginning at 10:45. Soup and bread follow at noon. The Fellowship Hall is located at 408 Marine Street, with parking behind off Spruce Street. All are invited to attend. For information, call 747-3702.
Wildlife Tour
On Boat Oct. 26
With support from Allen Marine, the Sitka Rotary Club will hold its third wildlife tour of the waters surrounding Sitka on Saturday, Oct. 26.
Embarkation will commence at 12:30 p.m. at Crescent Harbor. The vessel will depart promptly at 1 p.m. and will return at 4 p.m.
Seating is available for 140 guests. Ticket prices are: under age 5, free; ages 5-12, $15; ages 13-20, $35; ages 21-64, $45; and ages 65 and older, $35.To purchase a ticket, post on Sitka Rotary Club or Sitka Duck Race Facebook groups, or call John Weitkamp (818) 207-2993, email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or post on his fb page.
Volunteers Sought
By Credit Union
ALPS Federal Credit Union is seeking volunteers for its supervisory committee. Contact Cathy Hazel for more information at 738-0450.
College, Career
Fair on Oct. 10
Students, parents and other community members are invited to attend the College and Career Fair Oct. 10 at Sitka High School.
More than 50 representatives from various career technical schools, universities and military service branches will be in attendance.
The schedule for students, by grade, is: 10-10:50 a.m., juniors; 10:55 a.m., lunch, seniors; 1-1:40 p.m., sophomores; and 2-2:40 p.m. freshmen.
Class Dismissed
Early on Oct. 18
Sitka School District will be dismissing classes in all schools early on Friday, Oct. 18, in observance of Alaska Day. Lunches will be served.
Schools will be dismissed as follows: first grade bus pick-up, 11:45 a.m.; kindergarten parent pick-up, noon; grades 2-5, noon; Pacific High School, 12:30 p.m.; Blatchley Middle School, 12:45 p.m.; and Sitka High School, 12:50 p.m.
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20 YEARS AGO
March 2004
Businesses using the Centennial Hall parking lot testified Tuesday against a proposal to charge them rent in addition to the $200 annual permit fee. City Administrator Hugh Bevan made the proposal in response to the Assembly’s direction to Centennial Hall manager Don Kluting to try to close the $340,000 gap between building revenues and operational costs.
50 YEARS AGO
March 1974
Alaska Native Brotherhood Grand President William S. Paul Sr. will be special guest and speaker at the local ANB, Alaska Native Sisterhood Founders Day program Monday at the ANB Hall.