Daily Sitka Sentinel

July 10, 2013 Community Happenings

    By Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins
Alaska State Legislature
    The Alaska Legislature does two things: we write the budget and we write the law. I’m trying to break down the recent legislative session: last time I focused on the budget; this time I’ll focus on the law. Just what kind of legislation are those yahoos over in Juneau passing?!
What Happened?
    The first session of the 28th Alaska Legislature was prodigious. We passed bills the way Oompa Loompas make Wonka Bars. Not all of our legislation is necessarily quite as palatable, however. Here’s a grab bag of bills, either important or interesting:
    –A huge oil tax cut (about $4.3 billion over six years). The Alaska Legislature’s magnum opus of 2013, Senate Bill 21 has quickly assumed fame or infamy, depending on your perspective. You know mine!
    –Weakening cruise ship wastewater standards. The legislature passed a bill (HB 80) that exempts cruise ships from meeting Water Quality Standards at the point they discharge wastewater. Cruise ships are doing increasingly well with their discharge technology (especially for treating fecal bacteria), but they are failing to meet standards for copper, nickel, ammonia, and zinc. HB 80 effectively exempts cruise ships from those standards. (I voted against HB 80.)
    –Jay Hammond Day. Governor Hammond was a statesman; to me, he’s a role model. His passing in 2005 was Alaska’s profound loss. Jay Hammond Day (HB 130; I’m a cosponsor) is a small but deserved gesture to a great man.
    –HB 186. A bill that we wrote! It’s a non-controversial “housekeeping” bill (more in the next newsletter), but we made a law, and our legislative office is unabashedly proud. Governor Parnell signed HB 186 into law two weeks ago in Anchorage. I was there and greatly enjoyed the moment.
    –There was also a scrum of Railbelt-specific bills (natural gas trucking for Fairbanks; authorizing a small-diameter natural gas pipeline from the North Slope to the Railbelt) that are hundreds of millions of dollars in scope. I’ll skip them for this newsletter because they don’t directly affect Southeast (besides vacuuming up tremendous sums of money).
What Did Not Happen?
    More than one battle-hardened legislator has counseled me it’s more important to stop bad bills than pass good bills. You might also find validity in this wisdom after considering the following list, of stuff that did NOT happen:
    –School vouchers. School voucher advocates, who would like to allow public money to flow to private and religious k-12 schools, were not able to muster the votes to pass their constitutional amendment (SJR 9). (The Alaska Constitution expressly forbids the appropriation of public money to private education.) As a believer in the institution of public education, I am pleased SJR 9 is going nowhere fast.
    –Voter photo ID. House Bill 1 would require voters to present government-issued photo ID in order to vote. Not so easy if you’re an elder in Angoon (or Kipnuk) and the closest DMV is in Juneau (or Bethel). Keep in mind, also, that the Director of the Division of Elections has plainly stated that there is no history of voter fraud in Alaska. HB 1 — a solution searching for a problem — has stalled in the Judiciary Committee.
    –Omnibus permitting bill. Governor Parnell’s HB 77 basically makes it a whole lot easier to cut, dig, and drill — that is, the bill makes it easier for industry to get permits to develop resources. Conversely, HB 77 limits citizens’ say in how resources are developed, especially if the development affects watersheds. HB 77 will grease the skids for the Pebble Mine (I’m no fan), and for salmon streams statewide. HB 77 passed the House (I voted against it), and is stalled in the Senate, where it doesn’t have the votes to pass.
Stat Line
    I loved collecting baseball cards as a kid. I’ve come to wonder if one could do the same for legislators; there are all sorts of tantalizing stats: voting record, attendance, total minutes speechifying on the floor (I’d love to know which legislator is tops, and I certainly have a few guesses), cups of coffee consumed per committee hearing, and much more.
    Here’s your 28th Alaska Legislature by a few rudimentary numbers: Legislators introduced 306 pieces of legislation; 73 passed both the House and Senate. Thus far, Governor Parnell has kept his veto pen in its holster (0 vetos to date), a testament to lovey-dovey legislative-executive branch harmony.
    My personal stat line: 84 bills came to the House floor. I voted for 72; I voted against 9; I was excused absent for 3 votes.
    The Alaska Legislature did a lot of stuff this session, more than most people can remember ever before. Some of it was good. Some of it — including some monumentally big decisions — was less than good.
    Nothing piques my appetite for old fashioned hard work between the legislative sessions quite like “less than good.” We’ll be chomping on big legislative projects for the next six months here in Sitka!




Katharine Jefferts Schori

    Episcopal Church
    Presiding Bishop
    To Visit Sitka
    St. Peter’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Church will host the Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, on July 23. She will preach at 5:30 p.m. and the public is invited to attend.
    Members of Sitka’s clergy are invited to wear their clergy vestments in procession.
    Schori was elected presiding bishop in June 2006.  She serves as chief pastor and primate to the Episcopal Church’s members in 16 countries and 110 dioceses. She joins with other principal bishops of the 38-member Provinces of the worldwide Anglican Communion, seeking a common cause for global good and reconciliation, the church said.  
    The presiding bishop has been vocal about the Episcopal Church’s mission priorities, including the United Nation Millennium Development Goals, issues of domestic poverty, climate change and care for the earth, as well as the ongoing need to contextualize the gospel.
    Schori’s career began as an oceanographer. She holds a bachelor of science degree in biology from Stanford University, a master of science degree and doctorate in oceanography from Oregon State University, a master of divinity from Church Divinity School of the Pacific, and several honorary doctoral degrees.
    She was ordained as a priest in 1994 and ordained to the episcopate Feb. 24, 2001, in the Diocese of Nevada. She remains an active, instrument-rated pilot – a skill she applied when traveling between the congregations of the Diocese of Nevada.
    Schori grew up in the Seattle area and has spent most of her life in the West. She and her husband, Richard Miles Schori, a retired mathematician (topologist), were married in 1979. They have one daughter, who is a captain (pilot) in the U.S. Air Force.
    The community is invited to join in a potluck supper immediately following the service.
    ‘‘Please call St. Peter’s 747-3977, with any questions you might have, ‘‘ the church said.

    Youth Advocates
    Board to Meet
    Youth Advocates of Sitka’s board of directors will meet 5:15-7 p.m. July 15 at 805 Lincoln Street.
    Applications to the board will be accepted at the meeting, which is open to all. Those interested in becoming a board member are asked to contact Annette at 747-3687.

    Raven Board Meets
    Raven Radio’s board of directors will meet noon July 17 at the Raven building for a short meeting to terminate its TIAA-Cref 403(b) account.

    SSMF Director
    Guest on Radio
    Zuill Bailey, artistic director of the Sitka Summer Music Festival, will be the guest on Raven Radio’s “Deserted Island’’ 8-10 p.m. July 12.
    Listeners will learn which 10 songs Bailey would choose to have, and the reasons he selected them, if stranded on a deserted island. The show is hosted by Ken Fate.

    Food Safety
    Workshop Set
    A farm food safety workshop will be offered by the Alaska Division of Agriculture 6-9 p.m. July 25 in the upstairs classroom at the See House of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.
    The voluntary educational event is for farmers and gardeners who want to learn more about agricultural practices that help reduce the risk of food-borne illness, especially if they plan to sell or donate produce.
    For more information, contact Lisa Sadleir-Hart at 747-5985.

    Harp Sing Set
    The Second Sunday Sitka Sacred Harp Sing is set 3:30-5 p.m. July 14 at the Pioneer Home Chapel.
    Listeners, beginners and lovers of early American music are encouraged to attend. For more information, call 738-2089.

    Coho Clan Meets
    The Coho Clan picnic and meeting is slated 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. July 14 at Pioneer Park, next to Sea Mart.
    Coho Clan members are being encouraged to attend and take a dish to share.


    Tribal Council
    Meeting Slated
    The Sitka Tribe of Alaska Tribal Council will meet 6:30 p.m. July 17 at the Sheet’ka Kwaan Naa Kahidi.
    Agenda items include government-to-government updates and an MOA between Sitka Tribe of Alaska and the Sitka School District.
    A copy of the agenda will be available for pick up and review on July 15 at the STA offices, 456 Katlian Street.
    Address Corrected
    For Memorial Gifts
    Former Sitka resident Carmen Maria Benson, 82, died of natural causes June 29. She was residing in an assisted living home in Tampa, Fla.
    Services were July 3 at MacDonald Funeral Home in Tampa, with interment following at Rest Haven Memorial Park.
    Memorial gifts on behalf of Carmen can be made to the Sitka Assembly of God-Mission Fund, 214 Kimsham St., Sitka.

    Golf Tourney
    Slated July 21
    The Sitka Chamber of Commerce will hold its 5th Annual Golf Tournament July 21 at Sea Mountain Golf Course.
    It is sponsored by Alaska Communications. Registration is available online at www.sitkachamber.com on the Events Page or this week at the Sitka Chamber office in the Troutte Center. For questions,  contact Jennifer at 747-8604.

    TRX Series at
    Hames Center
    Kaylee Kraft is back at Hames Center to instruct two TRX series classes.   The series will run for six weeks, two days a week.
    The 5:30 p.m. Monday/Wednesday series runs July 15-Aug. 21. The 6 a.m. Tuesday/Thursday class runs July 16-Aug. 22.
    TRX is a resistance and strength building class and is open to all skill levels. Register at the Hames Center front desk or call 747-5080. 

    Silk-Screening
    Class at UAS
    UAS-Sitka Campus will host a serigraphy, or silk-screen, printmaking course with a new start date of July 15.
    Classes will run 6-9 p.m. Mondays, July 15-Aug. 12. Liz Zacher will instruct.
    The course is an introduction to various stencil making techniques, paper and cut stencils, and direct block out. The main emphasis is on photographic emulsion techniques using hand-drawn acetates, photo copies, computer printouts and photos. Instruction in emulsion procedures, ink-mixing, registration and printing methods will be given.
    To learn more about the class and a variety of other program, stop by the campus, call 747-7700, or go to www.uas-alaska.edu/sitka.

    Revitalize Sitka
    Meeting Tonight
    The Revitalize Sitka: Creating a Vibrant Downtown volunteer workgroup will meet 6-7:30 p.m. tonight at the Sitka Lutheran Church.
    Revitalizing Sitka’s downtown was selected as a top goal at the 2012 Sitka Health Summit Planning Day. For more information call Angela McGraw at 747-1737 or angelam@sitkahospital.org,

    Emblem Club
    Meets Thursday
    Sitka Emblem Club will hold a convention meeting 5:15 p.m. July 11 at the Elks Lodge. Members interested in helping organize are invited to attend.
    The regular monthly meeting will be at 7 p.m. All officers should attend this meeting. No other meeting will be held this month.
    Master Gardener
    Conference Planned
    A planning meeting for local activities related to the upcoming International Master Gardener Conference in Sitka is slated 5-6:30 p.m. July 11 at the UAS-Sitka Campus Room 110.
    The conference will be aboard the cruise ship Westerdam, which stops in Sitka 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Sept. 11
    For more information call the Cooperative Extension Service at 747-9440.

    Yoga Offered
    Yoga Union will offer a workshop with Tina Kauffman July 21-22. For more information call 738-2443 or email yusitka@gmail.com.