Daily Sitka Sentinel

May 8, 2020, Community Happenings

Climate Connection:

The house we pay attention to....

By Leah Mason

The past couple of weeks brought us face to face with our beliefs about what is “necessary” to live our best lives. I had a colleague say he was glad to “see” me when we were in the same building for the first time since March. I didn’t stop to chat because I had a deadline, but I was thinking… “Damn!” I just ‘saw’ you yesterday.”  I haven’t felt so connected to my workplace community as I have since Zoom became our “common room.”

At a recent Unitarian Universalist Zoom gathering, a member did a photo presentation on the subject of isolation. It showed some of the most geographically isolated places that he’s visited. Easter Island, the Falkland Islands, the Faroe Islands, Pitcairn Island, Perth (on the west side of the world’s biggest island - Australia). All had different ways of being isolated and we all took different things from comparing our own isolation to these places.  My thought was that isolation is a mindset. These places were beautiful, fertile, and heavily connected in a lot of ways to the rest of the world - through tourism in most cases. What seemed to connect these places was the focus on what is missing, rather than what is present.  

In Sitka, we talk about “lack” a lot. A lack of road. A lack of Taco Bell. A lack of sun. Which is funny, because most of us refuse to drive the 14 miles of road that we have on the basis that going even 5 miles is an epic journey! We have it pretty good. If the world as we know it is ending, Sitka is where I want to be when it happens. We have everything we need, if we adjust our focus and priorities. The quilters have mobilized to make masks, and the conservationists have provided food to people who need it. Businesses have adjusted their self-service model for curbside and home delivery. We’re changing our ways to get to the end of the CORVID-19 tunnel. Imagine fixing our minds and our energy on getting to the end of the fossil fuel tunnel? Saying no to sacrificing our grandparents now, is good practice for the return of the business-as-usual call to sacrifice the future of our grandchildren for an economy that has shown us that it literally doesn’t care if we live or die. 

The lockdown has shown us that by working with our community we can meet our own needs, we can reorder our priorities, we can change our ways. We can learn new tricks. We can make a difference. Taking on the challenge of not going back to business-as-usual is the topic of May’s Drawdown Learning Circle. If you would like to join us for a discussion of the Drawdown EcoChallenge, email nosam.m.hael@gmail.com to receive an invitation to the Zoom meeting at 5:45 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, May 21.  I look forward to continuing to work with you all on living our best lives in the best place in the world.

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 Leah Mason is not really an optimist, but she is a member of the Sitka Citizen’s Climate Lobby, so I guess that says something. #WeCanDoThis.

Abalone Harvesters Get

 Regulations Reminders

With spring low tides and warming weather, personal use and subsistence harvesters are getting reminders on regulations and best practices surrounding abalone harvest.  

Abalone may be harvested only by Alaska residents under personal use and subsistence regulations. For personal use fishing a sport fishing license is required. Non-residents may not harvest or possess abalone.

The bag and possession limit for abalone is five per person.  Each person retaining is required to harvest their own abalone.   For instance, a diver may not harvest more than their own limit despite others participating in the harvest that remain on the surface.

‘‘Anecdotally, Pinto abalone around the Sitka Sound seem to be in a period of increasing abundance indicating that recent reductions in sea star and sea otter populations along with the the long closure of commercial fisheries, may just now be bearing fruit,’’ said Alaska Wildlife Trooper Tim Hall. ‘‘Alaska is the last place on the west coast where any pinto abalone harvest is allowed.  During this harvest, it is especially important to observe best practices and undertake only legal harvests.’’

Abalone are required to be three and one half (3.5) inches, or (89mm), in greatest diameter of shell.  The greatest diameter is a straight-line measurement across the widest part of the shell. 

Hall said the best measuring tool is a 3.5 inch “go-no go” gauge, which is similar to a measuring gauge for crab, or a caliper type gauge. These tools allow a harvester to check size, often without removing the abalone from its rock.

 Measuring for legal size needs to be completed immediately and before any undersize abalone become part of the harvester’s possession.

‘‘Please take the time to read the regulations, and behave ethically and legally, to enjoy and conserve this unique resource,’’ Hall said.

Contact Alaska Wildlife Troopers Sitka Post (747-3254) or Alaska Department of Fish and Game (747-6688) with any questions.”

Wearable Art Show

Deadline Given

Artists and designers who plan to participate in the Greater Sitka Arts Council’s Wearable Art runway show are reminded of the preliminary application deadline of May 31.

 Applications can be found at www.sitkaartscouncil.org.

Wearable Art 2020 is scheduled for Sept. 19 with two shows at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. The theme is “Silver Linings,” but designs are not restricted to the specific theme.

Contact the Greater Sitka Arts Council at thinkartthinksitka@gmail.com or message via Greater Sitka Arts Council Facebook page for more information.

 Donuts & Diplomas

For Eighth-Graders

The annual Rites of Passage Ceremony for Blatchley Middle School eighth-graders may look a little different this year, but staff members plan to honor the class just the same.

On Friday, May 22, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. BMS staff will be in front of the school holding Rites of Passage certificates and an individually wrapped donut  for each member of the class.

 ‘‘We ask that eighth-graders and their families pull up to the front of the school where they will be greeted and  cheered by staff and receive their certificate,’’ the school said in a press release today. ‘‘We know this is very different froml proceedings but wanted to do something to honor our eighth-grade students.’’

Climate Lobby

Meeting May 9

Sitka Citizens Climate Lobby will  meet virtually on Zoom 9 a.m. Saturday, May 9.

The national meeting speaker is Dr Natasha DeJarnett of the National Environmental Health Association. She will talk about public health, COVID-19 and carbon pollution.

The local Sitka meeting starts at 9:45 a.m. To get directions to both Zoom meetings, email at sitkaclimatelobby@gmail.com by Friday evening.

 ‘‘During this Covid-19 crisis, we are comforted by the values and community of Citizens Climate Lobby,’’ the group said. ‘‘All are welcome to participate and find out what you can do during social distancing about global warming.’’

Wearable Art Show

Deadline Ahead

Artists and designers who plan to participate in the Greater Sitka Arts Council’s Wearable Art runway show are reminded of the preliminary application deadline of May 31.

 Applications can be found at www.sitkaartscouncil.org.

Wearable Art 2020 is scheduled for Sept. 19 with two shows at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. The theme is “Silver Linings,” but designs are not restricted to the specific theme.

Contact the Greater Sitka Arts Council at thinkartthinksitka@gmail.com or message via Greater Sitka Arts Council Facebook page for more information.

Kindergarten

Registration Open

Online kindergarten registration is still available on the Sitka School District website on the Baranof Elementary School page, sitkaschools.org/page/3326. 

Parents are asked to register as soon as possible so the district will know how many students to plan for next year and to be able to create balanced classrooms, a news release said. 

 Children who are 5 years old on or before Sept. 1 are eligible to attend kindergarten. 

Safe Stores

Initiative Set

The Sitka Health Summit Coalition, in partnership with the Sitka Chamber of Commerce, the State of Alaska Division of Public Health Nursing, and financial support from Sitka Legacy Foundation, is collecting information on the needs of local businesses as part of the Safe Stores, Shoppers and Workers initiative. 

The goal of the project is to support businesses in reopening and operating safely during the pandemic by providing information and some free supplies customized to the needs of each enterprise.

 Business participation is completely voluntary – the Health Summit will provide assistance, not directives. 

To make this project as helpful as possible, organizers are asking store owners, managers and employees to complete a brief online survey at sitkasafestores.com. Survey responses will be accepted until 5 p.m. May 11. For information, contact Doug Osborne at 738-8734, douglaso@searhc.org.