ON PARADE – Children dressed as their favorite animals hold a Sitka Spruce Tips 4-H Club banner as they march down Lincoln Street on Earth Day, Monday. The Parade of Species was held in recognition of Earth Day. It was hosted by Sitka Conservation Society, University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service and the Sitka Sound Science Center. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Assembly its regular meeting Tuesday approved dou [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
“We want to hear from the public, what they value i [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Sitka schools were notified at around noon today that the city administrator had re [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
Sitka High’s track and field athletes faced off aga [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
Alaska is getting an infusion of nearly $125 million to build and [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
The Alaska Senate voted unanimously on Monday to make it easier f [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
The Alaska House’s Rules Committee has eliminated, at least temporaril [ ... ]
By DAVID A. LIEB
The Associated Press
A conservative quest to limit diversity, equity and inclusion in [ ... ]
By NATHANIEL HERZ
Northern Journal
Alaska’s three-member, bipartisan congressional delegation is sid [ ... ]
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
April 23
At 3:14 a.m. a downtown bar report [ ... ]
Vaughn Blankenship
Dies at Age 91
Vaughn Blankenship, a longtime Sitka resident, died Tuesday at SEARH [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
With about a month left before the end of the regular [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The city will hold a public meeting Wednesday for pub [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
With only days to go before the statewide Native Yout [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The Daily Sitka Sentinel and KCAW-FM Raven Radio won awards Saturday at the [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
To address a surge in mental health problems among young Alaskans [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
A bill passed Thursday by the Alaska House of Representatives wou [ ... ]
City to Conduct
Relay Testing
The city electric department is conducting systemwide relay testing th [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Another lawsuit that has implications in Southeast Al [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Assembly on Tuesday will consider final reading o [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
Competing in their first home games of the season, Si [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
Citing what they characterized as unacceptable risks to wildlife [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
The Yup’ik village of Newtok, perched precariously on thawing permafro [ ... ]
Daily Sitka Sentinel
Festival Hails New Digs in Old Hall
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
This weekend marks a milestone in the history of the Sitka Summer Music Festival.
A day after the Sitka International Cello Seminar final performance – “Cellobration” – 7 p.m. Saturday night, the festival will kick off its renovation project to turn historic Stevenson Hall into a year-round home base for professional and amateur classical music performers and students.
The event begins 4 p.m. Sunday at the Sheldon Jackson campus building, with brief comments from Mayor Gary Paxton, Nancy Yaw Davis, Board President Don Lehmann and Zuill Bailey, the artistic director of the music festival, who will talk about the history and future of the festival.
Seminar students will perform and drinks and appetizers will be served. Stevenson Hall will be open with plans for the renovation on display.
Starting Monday, staff and volunteers will begin moving items out of the building in order for the work to start. Some furniture and household items will be up for sale later in the week, said festival Executive Director Kayla Boettcher.
“The building will be empty by the 29th,” Boettcher said.
Nicolas Adler, Kristiana Ignatjeva, Hannah Shute, Sarah Miller, Aria Posner, Madelyn Kowalski, instructor Zuill Bailey, Chris Beroes-Haigis, Ivana Biliskov, instructor Melissa Kraut, Alexander Cousins, James Hettinga and Joseph Kunwoo Choi stand outside Stevenson Hall today. Student cellists will perform 7 p.m. Saturday at Centennial Hall at the “Cellobration” concert. Sitka Summer Music Festival will host an open house at Stevenson Hall Sunday at 4 p.m. (Sentinel Photo)
The effort to raise the $4.2 million in funds needed to purchase the historic building, and perform the needed work, has been a seven-year process.
A major change will be transforming the dorm-like rooms into rooms more suitable for professional musicians and students, Boettcher said. Interior changes will provide bathrooms for room suites and added sound proofing, since the rooms serve as rehearsal space as well as living quarters. There will be three accessible rooms downstairs.
“We’ve put a lot of attention toward accessibility, so people with mobility issues can visit or live there,” Boettcher said.
The vision of Bailey and the board is to create a space for residencies as well as for “intense learning experiences,” not only during the summer but throughout the year, available for students, pre-professionals, professionals and amateur adult musicians. Programs may have a statewide reach.
The intent is to not only accommodate current needs but facilitate SSMF’s growth, Boettcher summarized.
The nonprofit organization is still trying to raise $145,000 to reach its fundraising goal, and is continuing to seek donations.
“Our building designs and construction plans are complete with one exception,” Boettcher said, in a letter to members. “There has been some concern over the question of restoring or replacing the windows in this historic building.”
To that end, a meeting is planned here next week with State Historic Preservation Officer Judith Bittner and National Park Service historic architect Grant Crosby, Boettcher said.
“... We look forward to having a productive dialogue around this topic,” Boettcher said. “The Sheldon Jackson campus has a long history for Alaska and we want to respect and preserve Stevenson Hall’s history while still creating the facility we need for year-round programming and music.”
Login Form
20 YEARS AGO
April 2004
Michael Stringer, environmental specialist for Sitka Tribe of Alaska and a founder of the community garden, takes the concept of Earth Week literally. This weekend he hopes others will share his appreciation for “earth” and things growing in it by joining him in preparing the community garden just behind Blatchley Middle School for another growing season.
50 YEARS AGO
April 1974
Classified ads Houses for Sale: Price dropped to $36,500 for 2-story, 4-bdrm. carpeted home on Cascade. Kitchen appliances, drapes, laundry room, carport, handy to schools.