Ventures Offers
Summer Events
The summer Ventures program is accepting registrations for students ages 5 to 12.
Activities offered will be thematic-based to help students relate basic academic skills to real-life everyday ideas, the Sitka School District program said.
Weekly themes will include: worst case scenario, engineering projects, candy science, team sports, pirates, how is that made, be a rock star, Star Wars, creating a carnival, spy training, fairies and dragons, hiking, biking, field trips, exploring Sitka, science investigation, practical jokes, movie, radio and special effects, water play, team building and art.
Special events will include a food fight, treasure hunt, kids carnival and a family luncheon. Students will participate in a variety of quiet, physically demanding, and indoor- and-outdoor activities.
Students will need to take a daily sack lunch that does not need to be cooked and extra warm clothes. Those who ride a bike or scooter must wear a helmet.
Many schedule options are available. Ventures works with local and state agencies for parents who need additional funding.
Call 966-1317, email
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, stop by Baranof School Room 17, or check out the website at sitkaschools.org/ventures.
Mark Sixbey. (Photo provided)
Tsimshian Artist
To Show Skills
At SJ Museum
As part of the Native Artist Demonstrators Artist Residency Program, Tsimshian artist Mark Sixbey of the Wolf Clan will work in the museum gallery 10 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m. May 24-29.
Sixbey, of Metlakatla, is a young carver who focuses on traditional Tsimshian woodcraft, including miniatures, totem poles, paddles, rattles, drums, house models and bentwood boxes. He is also a painter. He will focus on making components of a miniature village during his residency.
Sixbey is a former Marine with two deployments to Iraq as a field reporter for DoD television and newsprint. He received orders to serve in 2004.
His parents mailed him six small blocks of alder wood and some carving knives during his first deployment. He carved two small poles during his only three-day weekend and sold it upon his return to Seattle in March of 2005.
He later came across one of the poles at the Snow Goose Gallery and added paint and refined its features. Sixbey has since moved back to Alaska with an honorable discharge and continues to carve.
The Native Artist Demonstrators Program is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Friends of the Sheldon Jackson Museum.
On Dean’s List
Seattle Pacific University has announced that Jenner Michael Johnson of Sitka has made the winter quarter dean’s list.
Students on the dean’s list have completed at least 12 credits and attained a 3.50-or-higher grade point average. The Sitka High graduate is the son of Marty and Tina Johnson.
Reading Program
Launched at Library
Kettleson Memorial Library is launching the “Fizz, Boom, Read!” summer reading program with a kick-off event 10:30 a.m. May 31.
The reading program is open to young people, babies through young adult, with programs, prize drawings, story hours and more.
The May 31 event will feature the Steven Puppets and their Beauty and Beast. Registration will remain open through the summer.
The library welcomes children of all abilities and all programs are free of charge.
Reading Buddy
Meeting on Tap
Kettleson Memorial Library’s adult reading buddies volunteers will have a brief meeting session 10:30 a.m. June 7 at the library.
Following the training, at 11 a.m., adults will meet their Reading Buddies and their parents. New volunteers are being urged to attend the meeting.
Babies and Books
Sets Annual Event
Sitka Babies and Books will celebrate at the annual party and early literacy summer reading program registration with a Trickle, Drip, Drizzle, Splat party 10:30 a.m. May 24 at Kettleson Memorial Library.
The party will include readings, games, activities and snacks. Every child registered will get a free book written by local author Jami Guinn Osborne.
The event is free, but registration is required to get the book. Registrations for the early literacy summer reading program will continue through the summer.
Jump Rope
Clinic June 14
The Sitka Skippers will hold a jump rope clinic 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. June 14 in the Blatchley gym.
The $40 fee includes a healthy snack mid-morning and a custom-fit jump rope to keep. Those who attended the previous clinic can take their Skipper-issued jump rope to receive a $5 refund Saturday morning at check-in.
Sign up is at Sitka Community Schools. Call Twila at 966-1441 for more information.
Honoring Event
For Bradshaw
The Sitka School Board will honor Supt. Steve Bradshaw 4:30-6:30 p.m. May 30 at the Westmark Sitka conference room.
Bradshaw has worked for the Sitka School District or 16 years, 13 as superintendent.
All are invited to ‘‘share stories and say good luck on his new adventures,’’ the school district said.
1980s Sitka High
Reunion on Tap
Sitka High School class of 1984 welcomes all schoolmates and faculty from the 1980s to join them at reunion activities July 3-5 in Sitka.
The reunion will kick off Thursday, July 3, with a dinner at The Pub at 5:30 p.m. followed by dancing, socializing, and watching the fireworks.
On Friday, July 4, the group will tour Sitka High, the Fortress of the Bear and the Raptor Center; meet in front of the Coliseum Theater for the parade; and attend dinner at 6 p.m. at the Sea Mountain Golf Course.
On Saturday, July 5, a family picnic at the Halibut Point Recreation Area main shelter is planned. Attendees should take food and beverage. An Allen Marine cruise will follow at 7 p.m. The cruise is being donated by Dave Allen.
All activities are pay-as-you-go so people can pick and choose what to attend. However, a head count is needed for the dinners on July 3 and 4. Call or text Susan Ginn at 907-738-4842 with any questions or to sign up for the dinners. Classmates can also connect with the group and get information on Facebook at “Sitka High, Class of ‘84 reunion.”
Prenatal Class
Rescheduled
The prenatal class through Mountainside Family Healthcare originally scheduled for May 17 has been rescheduled to 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. June 7.
Organizers apologized for any inconvenience the change may cause.
Artwise Order
Deadline Near
Baranof Elementary School parents and students are reminded to order their Artwise by May 20.
The PAC appreciates expressed appreciation for participants’ support.
For more information go to the link below, choose the child’s teacher, and select the child’s artwork: http://www.artwise.com/organization-artwork/organization_id/37.
Call Kat Richards at 738-8772 with any question.
Work Party Set
At SJ Campus
Saturday volunteer work parties continue on the SJ Campus, focused on restoring and improving the quad buildings.
Participants will meet at Whitmore Hall at 9 a.m. May 16, break for a hot lunch at noon, and continue until 3 p.m. Saturday’s crew will paint inside and out. All are welcome to join at any time. Call Sitka Fine Arts Camp office 747-3085 with questions.
Garden Care
Topic of Class
Garden maintenance will be the theme of the third round of classes in the Sitka Local Foods Network’s new garden mentoring program.
This year, the SLFN education committee chose two families from a list of first-time gardeners to mentor for the summer. The two families agreed to allow other first-time gardeners to attend the six proposed classes at their homes, in exchange for help building their gardens from more experienced Sitka gardeners.
The free classes are open to all first-time gardeners and are similar at each location. Those wanting to participate only need to sign up for only one class. New classes will be added as summer progresses.
The first class was on garden preparation, and the second class was on planting. During the third round of classes on garden maintenance the group will review choosing easy vegetables to plant and how to plant them, and then discuss and do garden maintenance – weeding, thinning, spacing plants/transplanting, inspecting for good and bad bugs, disease, slugs, deeper watering, hilling/propping up potatoes, etc.
If new people attend, leaders will review garden preparation as well.
The two garden maintenance classes will be: 4 p.m. Sunday, May 25, at Tami O’Neill’s house, 2309 Merganser Drive; and Friday, June 6, 4:30 p.m. at Anna Bradley’s house, 4764 Halibut Point Road.
For more information, contact Michelle Putz at 747-2708 or
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David Avraham Voluck. (Photo provided to the Sentinel)
Sitka Tribal Judge Receives
ABA Award for Rural Work
The Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska has announced that Magistrate/Judge David Avraham Voluck has received the 2014 Alaska Bar Association Board of Governor’s Judge Nora Guinn Award.
The award seeks to recognize extraordinary and sustained efforts to assist Alaska’s rural residents, especially its Native population, in overcoming language and cultural barriers to obtaining justice through the legal system. Voluck is the first Tribal judge to receive the honor.
The Alaska Bar Association presented the award to Voluck on May 9, citing his 20 years serving rural and urban Alaska Natives in many different roles, including tribal judge, Indian law professor, author and special counsel. Voluck’s work includes connections to the Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, Aleut, Eyak, Aleutiiq, Yupik, Dena’ina, and Inupiat communities.
“With so much work yet left to do to improve true justice for Alaska Natives, I view the Judge Nora Quinn Award not so much as an accomplishment, but instead a call to action,” Voluck said.
He asked members at the Alaska Bar Convention to embrace their privilege to serve in Alaska where great cultures meet and can mutually enrich each other and to join in redoubling the effort toward safety and justice for rural Alaskans.
Voluck serves at the tribal trial court level, presiding over cases involving child support, paternity, child welfare, domestic violence, probate and civil disputes. Those who have a matter that may be properly handled in Tribal Court, may contact the court clerk at 907-463-7165 for assistance with forms and filing.
Happy Health
Hour at Library
As part of the UAF Cooperative Extension Service’s Happy Health Hour series, Kate Idzorek will give a video conference presentation titled ‘‘Food Safety for events and Entertaining’’ 5:30-6:30 p.m. May 19 at the Kettleson Memorial Library.
For more information contact the Cooperative Extension Service Sitka District office at 747-9440.