Daily Sitka Sentinel

June 25, 2020, Letters to the Editor

Foundation Funding

Dear Editor: On behalf of Sitka Legacy Foundation, I’m writing to thank all of our local donors for their continued generosity. Your contributions have allowed us to leverage $346,000 in matching incentives from The Alaska Community Foundation and Rasmuson Foundation since 2013, including $95,000 in 2020 alone. As a result of your support, we have awarded $25,000 in grants to local organizations this year, and we are looking forward to making more awards this fall. 

Sitka Legacy Foundation has received gifts from more than 135 households and businesses in Sitka, and we are grateful to each and every one of you for your past and present support. 

We’d like to thank one donor in particular for a recent contribution. The board of The Island Institute made a gift of $10,000 in remaining assets to Sitka Legacy Foundation. While we are sad to see this organization come to the end of its life, its work of promoting resilient communities and sense of place through conversation, literature and art will live on through their generous gift to our permanent endowment for Sitka. Thank you, Island Institute, and we also appreciate founders Carolyn Servid and Dorik Mechau for your vision.

Finally, thanks to the staff and volunteer board members of all of our local nonprofit organizations who are working hard to ensure that our community sustains critical services during and after the pandemic, including meal programs, child care, youth and elder services, arts programs, and so much more. We are here to support your efforts. To find out more about how we support Sitka, please visit our website, sitkalegacy.org. 

Mike Venneberg, Chair,

Sitka Legacy Foundation

 

Statue Removal

Dear Editor: The removal of obnoxious statues obliterates history. We must remember that Baranof was a genocidal profiteer working for a greedy autocrat. If future generations forget this, they become vulnerable. 

Elizabeth Peratovich was a liberator. Her contribution to social justice was immense. We should give a statue of Elizabeth the prominent position occupied by the scoundrel Baranof. We should keep his statue in a secondary location, so that those who would learn the lessons of history may be reminded of him. 

John Welsh, Sitka

 

Baranof Statue

Dear Editor: I have lived in Sitka since 1962, graduated from Sitka High, and married my high school sweetheart about 55 years ago. In the past I have worked at First National Bank of Alaska for over 30 years and then worked in real estate. I eventually opened Davis Realty, which was recently sold and I have retired.

My parents, who have passed, were Ned and Betty Blatchley.

Many of you know my past history here, but some do not.

I am writing this tonight with a sad heart after reading the front page of the Sentinel. For some 60 years I have loved this community and the people who live here. I have the greatest respect for the Hameses in taking their time and funds to have the Baranof statue built and installed. I also have the greatest respect for the Native people and their background. I consider all the above as my friends and great citizens of Sitka, and I believe we should all support each other.

I would like to see a Native statue either at Harrigan Centennial Hall or where it feels right for the Native community. Even if history tells us of bad things that happened years ago on both sides, we do not have to and don’t want to relive that.

Here is what I don’t want to see happen. Sitka is a very special place, and fighting and hurtful words on both sides will do so much harm. We are a community and we should treat each other with respect and caring.

History is important, but it happened many years ago. Right and wrong were probably done on both sides.

Please let Sitka not become like what is going on down south, with mean politics and citizens fighting, doing harmful, destructive things, turning to hate in our community.

Please consider the feelings of all Sitkans and let’s do it right. And take care to not change this wonderful city into something none of us want.

Thank you for your consideration.

Nancy Blatchley Davis, Sitka