Daily Sitka Sentinel

Sitka’s Fourth – With Precautions – a Success

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer

Sitka’s Fourth of July celebration was without a lot of traditional events, but it did have contest winners.

The Chamber of Commerce announced several of them in the “Share Your Spark” Fourth of July decorating contest.

The Chamber’s executive director, Rachel Roy, said she was pleased to see the high participation levels in the contest. Many traditional Fourth of July events were canceled, changed or curtailed in line with COVID-19 concerns, but the Chamber devised or promoted a few events that could be done while observing precautions.

Besides the decorating contest, there was an Old Car Parade through town that residents could watch from home; ribbon cuttings to celebrate the opening of new businesses - The Raven’s Hook craft store and Sitka Bulk Goods – and the Rotary Club annual duck race. (Those winners are listed in a letter to the editor on Page 2.)

“We had lots of positive reports” on the “Share the Spark” event, Roy said. The event encouraged Sitkans to decorate storefronts and homes, clean up a stretch of road or beach, and participate in acts of volunteerism.

“This is something we can look at doing next year. It was a positive, feel-good event,” Roy said. “People stopped me on the street, ‘I’m really glad you did something for the Fourth.’”

Fireworks explode low over Sitka Channel Friday night as Sitkans watch from their boats and shore. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)

She added there is no shortage of ideas for expanding on the theme and categories for next year.

Silver Basin took the title in the Business category, with its red, white and blue fish window display. The store wins lunch for the staff at Subway.

Honorable Mention in the Business category went to Harry Race Pharmacy, for its “then and now” photo display.

The Alaska Raptor Center took top prize in the Best Nonprofit category for its display that included a live eagle. The organization also cleaned up the beach at Halibut Point Recreation Area. The center wins a lunch for the staff at Pizza Express.

Sitka Rotary Club sponsored the prizes for the businesses.

The prize for Best House went to Carrie Spackman, at 313 Eliason Loop. She won a $75 gift card to Sea Mart, sponsored by First National Bank Alaska.

Honorable mention in the category went to Mary Suminski at 120 Patterson Way.

Roy said Jessie Natkong won the top place in the apartment/duplex category for going “all out, over the top” at her apartment at 223-B Lance Drive.

Also in the apartment/duplex category Sara Peterson captured honorable mention with her decorating at 112 Herb Didrickson Street.

Some 19 old cars participated in the Old Car Parade that serpentined through a number of Sitka streets. The 90-minute event was organized by Jeff Budd.

“I was heartened by the people on the side of the road (watching the parade) and the number of cars, too,” Budd said.

He thanked Karen and Dan Jones for their work helping organize and recruit for the car parade. He added that he was pleased that people seemed to know what was going on, and stopped to let the parade through at the intersections where there were no traffic controls.

“I thought that was darned decent,” he said.

Another triumph? “No cars overheated.”