BIG RIGS – Max Bennett, 2, checks out the steering on a steamroller during the 3 to 5 Preschool’s Big Rig fundraiser in front of Mt. Edgecumbe High School Saturday. Hundreds of kids and parents braved the wet weather to check out the assortment of machines, including road building trucks, a U.S. Coast Guard ANT boat, police cars and fire department rigs. Kids were able to ride as passengers on ATVs. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
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By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
A number of participants at Thursday’s community me [ ... ]
By CLAIRE STREMPLE Alaska Beacon TJ Beers stood across the street from the Capitol in a nav [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
When it rains hard enough in the Prince of Wales Island town of C [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
A designated wilderness area in Southeast Alaska’s Tongass National Fo [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
Julie Kitka, the longtime president of the Alaska Federation of Natives, [ ... ]
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
April 12
At 5:18 p.m. a caller asked for a [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Sitka Tourism Task Force reviewed a number of recomme [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
Almost exactly a century ago, the engines of four modi [ ... ]
By RACHEL BECKER
Alaska Beacon
In a devastating blow to California’s fishing industry, federa [ ... ]
By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy said a poll shows there is strong su [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
The Alaska House of Representatives on Thursday rejected a long-a [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
When the federal government established an Arctic Domain Awareness Cente [ ... ]
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
April 11
At 2:14 a.m. a report was logged t [ ... ]
Card of Thanks
Dear Sitka, I would like to say thank you for the outpouring of love and support for t [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
High school musicians and directors from around South [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
Recent changes in the collection of recyclable materia [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
Opening the softball season strong at a tournament in [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
The Alaska House of Representatives has voted to provide state fu [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
An Alaska conservation group has released a new series of reports [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
Sixty years after North America’s most powerful earthquake on record r [ ... ]
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
April 10
A dog was reported running loose i [ ... ]
Big Rig Event
Set Saturday
For All Ages
All types of vehicles, food and activities are planned for the [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
After hearing testimony from a number of residents, t [ ... ]
Daily Sitka Sentinel
CARES Fund Plan On Assembly Table
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Assembly at tonight’s special meeting will review the local budget for the CARES Act funds that will be distributed to Sitka businesses, nonprofits and other entities.
The city received some $14 million from the federal program to offset the economic effects of COVID-19 on the community.
So far, some $4.5 million has been allotted for utility and moorage assistance for residents and businesses, and the application period for both programs will be open through the end of this month.
At a June 18 special meeting, the Assembly received a city Working Group’s budget and distribution plan for the rest of the funds. The Assembly made a few changes and sent the document back to the Working Group for fine-tuning.
Tonight’s meeting starts at 6 p.m. at Harrigan Centennial Hall, where face masks are recommended but not required. The meeting room is set up for social distancing, and remote access to the meeting will be available on YouTube and the city website.
City Administrator John Leach said he’s hoping to get final approval on the Working Group’s budget so it can come back in ordinance form for adoption at the July 14 and July 28 meetings.
The budget and distribution proposal for Sitka CARES funds:
Category 1: Utility/Moorage Assistance - $4.5M (program active)
Category 2: Business and Nonprofit Grants - $5M
– $2,500 grant for businesses/nonprofits with 2019 revenues under $100,000
– $5,000 for businesses/nonprofits with 2019 revenues of over $100,000 but less than $250,000
– $7,500 for businesses/nonprofits with 2019 revenues of over $250,000 but less than $500,000
– $10,000 for businesses/nonprofits with 2019 revenues of over $500,000
– Special option: “The gross revenue for my business or nonprofit does not appropriately capture the scope of the services my business or nonprofit provides to the community and I would like the Assembly to consider, in public session, awarding at a higher level.”
Category 3: New City Funded Programs - $2.5M
- Childcare $500,000 (possible per child subsidy, additional funding to increase capacity)
- Food security $200,000 (partnering with STA, SCS, USDA grants, ensuring local meal and pantry programs covered as well)
- Support for behavioral/mental health $300,000 (Possible organizational voucher/subsidy per uninsured client served)
- Housing support $750,000 (Crisis/emergency, Re-housing, transitional)
- Transitional Employment Program $750,000 (Unemployed/under-employed hired to work on projects in Sitka)
Category 4: City Impact/Mitigation Spending - $1M
- Mitigation/preparation
- IT
- Protection of employees and public
- Ensure continued services in event of shutdown
- CARES spending consultation
- Cover significant portion of cost of public safety
Category 5: Sitka School District Request - $430K (already awarded)
- Americorps volunteers and laptop purchases.
- SSD has requested that they return the Secure Rural Schools funding for fiscal year 2020 ($229K) to the CBS, and we increase their CARES request by an equivalent amount to $660K.
Category 6: Contingency - $627,653
- To be available if a known or unknown urgent COVID need arises. If not spent, could go either toward another round of utility subsidy or to the city’s public safety costs.
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20 YEARS AGO
April 2004
Responding to the requests of athletes, coaches and parents, the Sitka School Board voted unanimously Monday against a proposal that would have changed Sitka High School’s classification from Class 4A, which includes Juneau and Ketchikan, to the 3A, which has schools with enrollment of 100 to 400 students.
50 YEARS AGO
April 1974
Memories of Sitka’s first radio station have been revived by a St. Louis, Mo., man who was one of the founders. Fred A. Wiethuchter recently wrote a letter to “Mayor Sitka, Alaska” asking about the town since he was here during World War II. He was an Army private at Fort Ray when he was attached to Armed Services Radio Station KRAY and WVCX ....
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