Daily Sitka Sentinel

November 17, 2017, Community Happenings

Sitka Pharmacies

Added to Network

Of United Way

White’s Pharmacy and Harry Race Pharmacy of Sitka have been added to a prescription program in partnership with United Way.

The pharmacies can now process prescriptions under the program.

“No one should be forced to choose between paying for food, rent or medicine because of the high cost of prescriptions. That’s why we’ve partnered with FamilyWize to distribute free prescription discount cards to everyone in Southeast Alaska,” said Wayne Stevens, president/CEO of United Way of Southeast Alaska.

“People in Southeast Alaska have already saved just by using the FamilyWize card and mobile app.”

FamilyWize cards can lower the cost of medicine by an average of around 40 percent for people without insurance or who take medications not covered by their plan, Stevens said.

“So many people are struggling with the high cost of medicine and need help right now. The Free FamilyWize Prescription Discount Card can provide immediate savings on prescription medicines, with no eligibility requirements or hidden fees,” said Susan Gilmore, executive director of Community Engagement at FamilyWize.

Consumers can print a card from FamilyWize.org, call 1-800-222-2818 to request a card to be sent to them, or download the free FamilyWize app.

United Way Partner agencies providing services in Sitka include: Sitka

Association for the Education of Young Children; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska; Boy Scouts of America, Great Alaska Council; Boys & Girls Club; Catholic Community Service; Girl Scouts of Alaska; Salvation Army of Southeast Alaska; Sitkans Against Family Violence; Sitka Counseling and Prevention; SEARHC; and Southeast Alaska Independent Living.

Read Down Fines

At Public Library 

Children and young adults with library accounts may read-down their overdue fines at Sitka Public Library by reading to themselves or to another child in lieu of paying the fine owed every day of the week.

Those interested in reading will get $1 taken off of their fines for every 15 minutes that they read. All reading activities must take place at the library and any print media will be accepted, including children’s books, magazines and newspapers.

For more information, call the library at 747-8708.

Yakutat Youths

Make Ornaments

For Gov’s House

Students in the Yakutat Community Health Center’s after-school program last week created the first of many ornaments for the Good Neighbor Tree, a Sitka spruce from Yakutat that will be delivered to the Governor’s House for display later this month.

The ornament making was led by counselors Milo Valle and Nichole Rowley of the Yakutat Tlingit Tribe.

The tree project is meant to highlight the relationships between the U.S. Forest Service, Alaska Native peoples, the State of Alaska and rural communities. These ties enable cooperative management of forest resources for maximum benefit to the diverse needs of industries, communities, and the public, while providing opportunities for scientific research, workforce training and jobs to the communities of Southeast Alaska, a press release from the Forest Service said.

For more information, contact the Yakutat Ranger District at 907-784-3359.

Youth Basketball

Registration On

The Baranof Ballers youth basketball club, for those in kindergarten through eighth grade, has open registration Nov.15-Dec.16.

For more information and to register online visit baranofballers.org. The six-week session starts Jan. 8. In-person registration and FAQ session is 1-3 p.m. Nov. 25 at Blatchley Middle School Commons.

Unitarians Meet

Rich McClear will speak on “Teaching Radio in Emerging Democracies” at Sunday’s Unitarian Fellowship meeting. Fellowship begins at 10:30 am, with the program at 10:45 a.m.  

All are invited to attend. Bread and soup follow at noon. The Fellowship Hall is at 408 Marine Street, with parking behind off Spruce Street. 

Alaska Day Panel

To Meet Nov. 21

Alaska Day Festival planners will meet 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 21, at  Centennial Hall to review the recent mid-October activities. 

Suggestions will be heard for planning the 2018 commemoration of the 1867 purchase transfer of Russian claim in Alaska to the United States at Sitka. Regular meetings resume in January on the third Tuesday of the month to propose a theme and elect festival leadership.

Persons having comments about festival activities or new volunteers are invited to attend the meetings or contact Chairman Ted Allio at 747-5124, Vice Chair Steve Dalquist 752-0750, Treasurer Joan Berge 738-2640, or Secretary Elaine Strelow 747-3469. The festival’s mailing address is P.O. Box 1355, Sitka.

Pink Salmon

Forecast Given

The pink salmon harvest for next year in Southeast Alaska is predicted to be in the average range, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said.

The point estimate is 23 million fish (80 percent confidence interval: 3-44 million fish). An actual harvest of 23 million pink salmon would be below the recent 10-year average harvest of 38 million pink salmon, but near the average even-year harvest since 1960 (25 million), the department said.

The 2018 pink salmon harvest forecast was based on the average of five recent even-year harvests (2008, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016). 

A brief discussion and description of the forecast methods can be found at: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/fishing/PDFs/commercial/southeast/2018_se_pink_salmon_harvest_forecast.pdf.Department staff will be available to discuss this forecast and plan for the 2018 season at the SE Alaska Purse Seine Task Force Meeting scheduled for Nov. 28 in Ketchikan. In addition, staff from the NOAA Auke Bay Laboratories plan to attend this meeting and present their 2018 pink salmon harvest forecast for Southeast Alaska.

Museum Closure

Listed For Holiday

The Sheldon Jackson Museum will be closed on Nov. 23 in observance of Thanksgiving Day.

Winter hours will resume Nov. 24. They are 10 a.m.-noon and l-4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. The museum is closed on holidays.

The cost of admission is $5, and $4 for seniors. Visitors 18 years of age and younger, Friends of Sheldon Jackson Museum, and those with passes are admitted free. For information call  747-8981.

Cancer Support

Group to Meet

Sitka Cancer Support Group will meet 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18, at the Brave Heart Volunteers in the Manager’s House of the Pioneers Home on Seward Street.

The group gathers to share experiences of the past and present, and talk about the future. Those in cancer treatment, cancer survivors and families are invited to spend some time with others who understand what they are going through.

The support group is sponsored by Sitka Cancer Survivors Society. Call Mary Beth with questions, or transportation to the meeting, at 623-0842,

Quilt Raffle Set;

Tickets on Sale

The Sitka Cancer Survivor Society will sell quilt raffle tickets at the annual Sitka Counseling Christmas Bazaar  9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25, at Centennial Hall.

The raffle tickets on sale are for a “Rainbow Shades’’ queen quilt and “Little Dresses’’ lap quilt, both by Ocean Wave Quilt Guild, and handmade moccasins by Linda Janacek.

Tickets are $5 eacht. Proceeds help fund mini-grants for those dealing with cancer. The drawing will be Dec. 3.

Those who are dealing with cancer can apply for a mini-grant. Contact Candi Barger at Sitka Realty for an application and information. 

GCI Receives

Industry Award

For Innovation

For its work improving aviation safety in Alaska, GCI – the state’s largest technology and telecommunications company – has been awarded the Competitive Carriers Association’s 2017 Industry Innovation Award.

GCI partnered with the Federal Aviation Administration nearly a decade ago to install weather cameras on hundreds of remote towers throughout Alaska, helping reduce weather-related aviation incidents.

“We’re honored to receive this year’s CCA Industry Innovation Award, recognizing the steps being taken to make Alaska’s skies safer,” said Pam Lloyd, vice president of GCI Government, Healthcare, and Education.  “Alaskans depend on aviation services more than most and, because of our partnership, Alaska pilots will continue to get the vital weather information they need to stay safe.”

GCI provides statewide internet connectivity that makes it possible to easily transmit images from the weather cameras to dedicated virtual private networks. The company also leases space and power to the FAA and delivers 24/7 support for technical issues. 

Currently 960 FAA weather cameras are located throughout Alaska, many of which are located on GCI towers and facilities. Images can be viewed on the FAA website at http://avcams.faa.gov.

CCA’s Industry Innovation Award for carriers is presented to companies that make an outstanding innovative contribution to the wireless industry.

Hames Center to Be

Open Thanksgiving

The Hames Center will be open 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. A Sweatsgiving workout class will be offered 9-10:15 a.m. and will consist of 30 minutes of spin with Linda and 30 minutes of total body conditioning with Hillary.

For more information or to sign up call Hames Center at 747-5080 or visit www.hamescenter.org