September 10, 2014 Community Happenings

Details

Category: News

Created on Wednesday, 10 September 2014 11:59

Hits: 6259

    Drama, Debate
    Meet Saturday
    The Sitka High School drama, debate and forensics team will host the first meet of the season at SHS on Saturday, Sept. 13.
    The community is invited to watch the rounds of competition throughout the day, or the command performances at 6:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center.  Admission is free.

    SHS PAC Meets
    Sitka High School will hold a parent advisory meeting 6-7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, in the school library.
    Per parent request the group will discuss the SHS facility use, open gym  and the Sitka School District facility use fee schedule.

    ‘Doc Talk’ Series
    Set for Tonight
    A free presentation by Dr. Sul R. Thorward, a doctor of behavior health and psychiatry at SEARHC, will speak 7 p.m. tonight at the Hames Center. Thorward’s topic will be ‘‘Feeling ‘Down’ During the Darker Days of Winter.’’
    The program is part of the 10-week Doc Talk series. Log on to the Website www.hamescenter.com or call 747-5080 for more information.
    No pre-registration is needed.
    The series will run Sept. 10-Nov. 19 and will be held at the Hames Center. Healthy snacks and refreshments will be provided beginning at 7 p.m.

    Panikhida Memorial
    40 Day Service Set
    For Phillip Nielsen
    A panikhida memorial service for Phillip Nielsen will be Sunday, Sept. 14, after the regular 9:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy service at St. Michael’s Cathedral with Father Michael Boyle officiating.
    A luncheon will follow church services at the ANB Founders Hall at approximately 1 p.m.
    Phil’s friends and family are invited, and may take a salad or dessert to share. Those with questions may contact Lillian at 752-0867.

    Sitka Sprouts
    Program Slated
    Sitka Sprouts will kick off 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16, at the Sitka Sound Science Center.
    The center program is free and open to kids ages 3-5 and their parents. The seeds of science will be planted through stories and crafts.
    For more information contact Ashley at 747-8878 ex. 22 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .


    Backpack Blessings
    Volunteers Sought
    Blessings in a Backpack provides select children enrolled in the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program with kid-friendly food to eat over the weekend.
    The group is seeking volunteers to to donate about an hour per month to pack bags of food for weekly distribution to students at Keet Gooshi Heen and Baranof elementary schools. Packing will likely be on Sunday afternoons.
    The first pack will be Sept. 14. Those willing to help may call Kathy at 747-8710.

    Harp Sing Set
    The Second Sunday Sitka sacred harp sing is set 3:30-5 p.m. Sept. 14 at the Sitka Pioneers Home Chapel.
    No experience is necessary. Listeners are encouraged to attend. For more information call 738-2089.


    Dementia Impacts
    To be Discussed
    Brave Heart Volunteers invites volunteers, caregivers, health providers and community members to the fourth session of a six-part series exploring how dementia affects the senses noon-1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19, noon-1 p.m. at the Pioneers Home Manager’s House. A light lunch will be provided.
    Lois Denherder, occupational therapist, and Father Michael Boyle, speech therapist, both from Oceanside Therapy Services, will explore factors associated with eating and taste, how they overlap, and offer tips for caregivers to use to improve the dining experience for someone living with dementia to promote independence for as long as possible. 
    For more information call Brave Heart Volunteers, 747-4600.

    Activities Set at
    National Park
    Ranger-guided schedules this week include the following:
    Thursday: 9 a.m. Battle Walk; 10 a.m. Totem Walk; and 1:30 p.m. Discovery Talk: ‘‘Pinks and Chums and Kings, Oh My! Salmon in the Indian River.’’
    Friday: 9 a.m. Battle Walk; 3 p.m. Totem Walk; 1 p.m. Discovery Talk: ‘‘Climate Change.’’
    Saturday: 10 a.m. Garden Party at the Russian Bishop’s House; and noon Totem Walk.
    All ranger-led tours meet at the Sitka NHP visitor center on Lincoln Street.
    For more information about the ranger-guided tours at Sitka National Historical Park, call the visitor center at 747-0110.

    Kaya Duguay
    Is National Merit
    Award Finalist
    Kaya J. Duguay, a senior at Sitka High School, has been named as one of approximately 16,000 Semifinalists in the 60th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.
    The high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth about $33 million that will be offered next spring.
    To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. About 90 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and more than half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title.
    About 1.4 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2015 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2013 Preliminary/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.

    Chookaneidi to Meet
    Chookaneidi meetings are planned 6 p.m. on both Tuesdays and Thursdays at 205 Baranof Street.
    Contact Heather Powell at 738-5555 or Paddy Hansen at 738-1070.

    Conquer Chiari
    Walk Sept. 20
    The Sitka Conquer Chiari Walk Across America will be held noon Sept. 20 at the Moller Field track. Registration is to be held at 11:30 a.m.
    All are invited to participate. The walk length is flexible. A minimum donation of $25 is suggested by local organizers. Participants are being asked to pre-register online at www.conquerchiari.org. Contact Hillary Martin at 738-0314 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
    The event is being held to raise awareness of Chiari malformation and to raise money for research. The 2013 event was held in 61 locations, involved more than 11,000 participants, and raised more than $568,000. Eighty percent of money raised goes to research.
    Chiari malformation is a neurological disorder where the brain descends out of the skull and puts pressure on the spine. It affects about 300,000 people in the United States of all ages and races.

    Student Photo
    Day at Blatchley
    School photos will be taken Monday, Sept. 15, at Blatchley Middle School.
    The school said that the students have received their photo order forms which will need to be filled out and returned to the photographer on photo day.
    Photos also may be ordered online at www.akcampusphoto.com using the event code school-BW33-14.

    SAFV Training
    Slated Sept. 13
    Sitkans Against Family Violence will continue free community training 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 13 with a workshop on women’s advocacy, and a presentation on underserved populations.
    Presenters are SAFV’s Executive Director Vicki D’Amico and Youth Development Specialist Elena Gustafson.
    In the afternoon, Christine Pate, director of Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault pro bono mentoring program for the Legal Advocacy Project, will talk about confidentiality and legal advocacy.
    Kathy Branch from the Office of Children’s Services will talk about mandatory reporting, and Gustafson from 6 to 9 p.m. will address the impact of domestic violence on children. Gustafson’s presentation also includes a segment on teen dating violence.
    Sessions are open to the public at the Unitarian Fellowship Hall at 408 Marine Street. Parking is available behind the building with access from Spruce Street. The public an attend any and all. A detailed schedule is available at www.safv.org, click the ‘‘upcoming events’’ tab, or on Facebook. Call 747-3370 for more information.

    Jars Needed
    Sitka Conservation Society is accepting pint- to quart-sized canning jars for a community event.
    4-H youth volunteers will learn to harvest apples and make applesauce, which will then be donated to various community nonprofits. Jars may be dropped off at the Sitka Conservation Society, located at 201 Lincoln Street, Suite 4, above Old Harbor Books.

    Troll Fishery
    Updates Given
    The Southeast/Yakutat commercial troll fishery has been extended through 11:59 p.m. Sept. 30, to catch all species except king salmon, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game said.
    The areas of frequent high king salmon abundance will remain closed.
    The extension is based on projections by the department that escapement goals will be met after considering harvest and effort. The wild coho salmon abundance and wild commercial harvest are projected to be 4.30 and 2.32 million respectively. The total all-gear commercial harvest is projected to be 3.1 million.
    The Hidden Falls THA will remain open to trolling for all species except king salmon through 11:59 p.m., Oct. with restrictions.
    The Deep Inlet THA will remain open to trolling for all species according to the rotational schedule described in a news release issued on Sept. 1.
    The winter troll fishery will open according to regulation at 12:01 a.m. on Oct. 11. The Winter Troll Fishery Management Plan will be available by early October in all ADF&G area offices and on the troll fishery website.
    Contact Fish and Game for further information.

• < Prev
• Next >