TO OUR READERS AND ADVERTISERS:
For the duration of the COVID-19 disaster emergency declared by federal, state and local authorities, the Sentinel is taking additional measures to reduce virus exposure to its employees and contractors as well as to the public, while continuing to publish a daily news report for Sitka.
To the extent possible, Sentinel news and sales staff will be working from home.
For the protection of our carriers, home delivery of the newspaper will be stopped effective Tuesday, March 24.
The Sentinel will continue to publish on its website sitkasentinel.com. Access to the website will be free to all users. The Sentinel also will produce a print edition Monday through Friday. It will be available to all readers without charge, at locations throughout town.
Initially, these locations are those where the Sentinel’s newspaper vending machines are already in place. The coin mechanisms will be disabled or the doors removed to permit easy access. The Sentinel will work with the stores where the paper is usually sold to designate a place inside or outside the store where the free edition can be made available.
Home delivery subscriptions are on hold, and after the end of the disaster emergency, subscriptions will be extended at no charge for the number of days that there was no home delivery.
The Sentinel will make its print edition available to the public as early in the day as possible, with all personnel taking precautions to prevent spread of the virus.
The Sentinel is calling upon its customers to observe the COVID-19 emergency precautions already in place, particularly in maintaining a six-foot social distance from others at newspaper distribution sites.
Following is the statement issued by the Sentinel on March 16, stating the Sentinel’s emergency procedures, which remain in effect.
The Sentinel office at 112 Barracks Street is closed to the public.
We encourage people to use the phone, email or the U.S. Postal Service as much as possible. There is a slot in the front door of the office for ads, news items and payment checks. Emails may be sent to news@sitkasentinel.com and the phone number is (907) 747-3219.
- Thad and Sandy Poulson