October 15, 2104 Community Happenings

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Category: News

Created on Wednesday, 15 October 2014 10:18

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    Alaska Day Open
    House at Fire Hall
    The Sitka Fire Department Volunteer Association will host an Alaska Day open house 11 a.m. until parade time Oct. 18 at the Sitka Fire Hall.
     The Seattle Firefighters Bagpipe Band will perform during the open house.

    ANB to Meet
    Alaska Native Brotherhood Camp 1 will meet 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 27, at the ANB Founders Hall.
    All members are being encouraged ot attend.

    Sheldon Jackson Museum
    To Exhibit Snow Goggles
    The October Artifacts of the Month at the Sheldon Jackson Museum are three pairs of snow goggles and a visor.
    All four pieces of eyewear were collected by Sheldon Jackson between 1890 and 1891, are made of driftwood, and illustrate ingenuity, craftsmanship, and the great variety of designs, the museum said.
    Snow goggles protect the eyes from harmful rays of the sun and were especially important to people of the Alaskan and Canadian Arctic in the late winter and spring when the amount of sunshine increased. That time of year potent ultraviolet rays reflect on the snow and ice resulting in greater potential for burned retinas and snow blindness, a painful, debilitating condition. Snow goggles’ narrow slits reduce the amount of glare that can reach the wearer’s eyes yet provide a great range of vision.
    Snow goggles have traditionally been made in a variety of styles and usually differ according to place of origin. The greatest difference among the goggles lies in the shape of the framework, the shape and size of the eyeholes, inclusion or exclusion of a visor, and shape of the inner notch or groove for the nose.
    The interior of the goggles also differed in the depth of the notch or groove inside them for the nose. Goggles are often unornamented and plain, but are sometimes painted black or red, like two of the pairs featured among the October Artifacts of the month. A cord made of fabric or sinew and sometimes with or without beads would extend from one side of the goggles to the other for securing across the back of the head.
    These snow goggles and visor may be seen at the Sheldon Jackson Museum until Oct. 31. The museum’s winter hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. General admission is $3 and free for those 18 and under and Friends of the Sheldon Jackson Museum or Friends of the Alaska State Museum.
    In his monograph, ‘‘The Eskimo Among Bering Strait,’’ Edward William Nelson describes variations in snow goggles he collected during the late 19th century in the lower Yukon, Norton Sound, Norton Bay, Cape Darby, Kushunuk, Point Hope, Port Clarence, Dimoede Islands, and St. Lawrence Islands.

Visiting Writer’s
One-Act Play
To be Read
Dipika Guha. (Photo provided)

    The Island Institute will host a live reading of playwright Dipika Guha’s one-act play, “A Brief History Of America,” at the Yaw Chapel on Thursday, Oct. 16. Dipika Guha is in Sitka for an artist residency until mid-November.
    The play, which spans 50 years, is about immigration, love, loss and the true meaning of home. The play won a “Script Space” development opportunity through the Tobacco Factory Theater in the UK in 2012. At the time of the award, the theater described the play as featuring “a superb sense of place. Dipika’s atmospheric and poetic three-hander is a meditation on identity and nationhood that negotiates difficult and complex subject matter with skill and delicacy.”
    Three local actors will read the play together after a brief rehearsal with Dipika, and a Q&A period will follow. The public portion of the event begins at 6 p.m., concluding by 8 p.m. The Yaw Chapel is on the SJ Campus, and limited parking is available at the Hames Center.
    Her residency with the Island Institute is made possible through the Rasmuson Foundation’s Artist in Residence Program. More information about her work can be found at www.dipikaguha.com or www.islandinstitutealaska.org.

    Natural History
    Seminar on Tap
    The next Natural History Seminar will feature Dr. Michael Lanno presenting ‘‘Life, Death, and Life of the Crawfish Frog: Bringing a Species Back from the Brink” 7:30 p.m. Oct. 23 at UAS-Sitka Campus, room 220.
    Lanno is a professor of anatomy and cell biology at University of Indiana school of medicine.
    He has published more than 130 scientific articles and seven books, including “Leopold’s Shack and Ricketts’s Lab: The Emergence of Environmentalism” through the University of California Press.
    In 2001, Lanno received the Parker/Gentry Award for Excellence and Innovation in Conservation Biology from The Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL.
    The seminar series is supported by a grant from the Sitka Alaska Permanent Charitable Trust to the Sitka Sound Science Center and by the University of Alaska and support from the USDA Forest Service. Contact Kitty LaBounty at 747-9432 with questions.

    Army Band Concert
    Set for Thursday
    Soldiers of the 9th Army Band arrived Wednesday morning to attend Alaska Day Festival activities. Their major concert at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, at Centennial Hall offers a program of Americana ranging from patriotic songs to big band pop dance tunes.  Free of charge, the concert is always a popular event.
    Band Commander Michael Krzmarzick leads these 22 soldiers who will provide varied ensembles for dance music at the Ball on Friday, Oct. 17, and appear in the parade on Saturday, as well as provide ceremonial music at Sitka National Cemetery and the Transfer Re-enactment on Castle Hill.
    The Army Band and their instruments return on Sunday by Alaska Airlines to Fairbanks and their post at Fort Wainwright.
    Local military liaison for Alaska Day Festival is MaryLou Vilandre, 747-8086.

    Army Troops
    In Sitka for
    Alaska Day
    Soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, U.S. Army Alaska, will arrive Thursday morning by Alaska Airlines for Alaska Day Festival activities.
    Led by First Lieutenant Michael Lopez, the 13 comprise squads to carry the Colours and fire salutes. Their Sitka duties include the Saturday memorial service at Sitka National Cemetery, the Alaska Day parade, and the Transfer re-enactment ceremony on Castle Hill.
    They return Sunday to Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson near Anchorage.



    Bonnet, Beard
    Winners Told
      Event coordinators Sharyn and John Ferrick Sunday evening transformed Centennial Hall with onion-dome lighting and starry night wall hangings for the Alaska Day Festival Variety Show to an approving large audience seated at cloth-covered tables.
    Program entertainers were mentioned in Monday’s Daily Sitka Sentinel caption with photos of entrants for bonnet and beard judging.
    Named winners by the team from Sitka Elks Lodge were Helen Cunningham, “Most Authentic Bonnet”; Ann Werner, “Prettiest Hat”; Stephanie Jester, “Best Dead Animal Decoration”; and Robin McNeilley, a Keystone Kop “Original.”
    The Emblem Club members judged Ian Workman to have the “Longest Beard”; Ron Conklin, “Most Alaskan”; a not-identified man, “Most Original”; and “Best Effort” by youngster Jayden Workman.


Greater Sitka Legacy Fund announce first cycle of community grantees
    The Advisory Board of the Greater Sitka Legacy Fund has announced awarding grants totaling $5,000 to Sitka nonprofits. This is the first cycle of the grants.
    The grants will come from Sitka’s success at the 2013 Community Asset Building Challenge from the Rasmuson Foundation.
    Nonprofits receiving funds are:
    –Sitkans Against Family Violence received $500;
    –Girl Scouts of Alaska received $250;
    –Betty Eliason Child Care Center received $1,500;
    Greater Sitka Arts Council received $550;
    –Sitka Local Foods received $550;
    –The Island Institute Inc. received $550;
    –Catholic Community Services received $1,000.
    In 2013 more than 120 Sitkans invested nearly $27,000 to the community foundation fund resulting in a Rasmuson Foundation matching grant of $50,000 deposited in the Sitka fund endowment. Greater Sitka Legacy Fund also received $5,000 from Rasmuson Foundation to use for community grants in Sitka.
    Due to the Greater Sitka Legacy Fund success in 2013, the Rasmuson Foundation has invited Sitka to do it again – to raise at least $25,000 in 2014, to be rewarded with another $50,000 from Rasmuson to kickstart the fund to a total of at least $150,000 at the end of 2014.
    The Greater Sitka Legacy Fund is nearly halfway to raising the $25,000 needed in 2014 to make the $50,000 Rasmuson Foundation match.             Contributions may be made at http://greatersitkalegacyfund.org/
     The board thanked the 2013 founding members of the Greater Sitka Legacy Fund for making the community grants possible.
    GSLF advisory board members are Willow Moore, Trish White, Connie Sipe, Karen Grussendorf, William Davis, Mike Venneberg and Mollie Kabler.


IMG 0744-001 Connie Sipe GSLF, Rose MacIntyre Girls Scouts, Mollie Kabler GSLF, Shanna Tadic Trevor Tadic, Tammy Thom, Betty Eliason Childcare Center


IMB 0771 Connie Sipe GSLF, Lione Clare, Ellen Frankenstein, Lisa Sadleir Hart Maybelle Filler Sitka Local Food Network , William Davis GSLF, Mollie Kabler, GSLF



IMB 0775 William Davis GSLF, Sandi Koval, Swan Lake Senior Center, Vicki D’Amico Sitkans Against Family Violence, Peter Bradley Island Institute, Karen Grussendorf GSLF

    Seattle Bagpiipe
    Band Returns
    For Alaska Day
    The stirring sound of drums and bagpipes will be heard again during Alaska Day Festival as 15 members of the Seattle Firefighters Pipes and Drums Band make the rounds.
    While in Sitka the group will visit schools, then make an appearance at the Alaska Day Ball at Centennial Hall on Friday night, Oct. 17, and in the parade on Saturday afternoon as well as at the Pioneers Home.
    Prior to the parade, they will be honored at a fire hall open house 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., hosted by local volunteers.
    Several familiar faces are returning from past years. The group includes pipe major Luke Schultz and pipers Mark Colley, Greg Elder, Andrew Hewitt, Mark Place, Garth Stroyan, Craig Warren, and Mike Mihata. Drum major Tyson DePoe comes with side drummers Cory Bostick and Kawika Jarman. Raul Deming carries the bass drum with tenor drummers Smokey Simpson and Brandon Freeland. Jay Robinson assists the troupe.
    They will return to Seattle on Sunday morning by Alaska Airlines.
    In addition to their work in regional firefighting tasks and medical emergencies, members of Seattle Firefighters Pipes and Drums Band take part in numerous parades and ceremonials such as funerals and tournaments.
    For support to help bring the pipe band to Sitka, appreciation is expressed to numerous individuals and organizations along with Westmark Sitka Hotel and several local clubs and restaurants at which the group will make appearances.
    Others who wish to help share the costs are invited to contact local organizer Lisa Langenfeld at 747-3456.

    BMS Carnival
    Set for Oct. 25
    Blatchley Middle School will host its annual carnival 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 25. Face-painting, a cake walk and carnival games are slated.

    BIHA to Meet
    Baranof Island Housing Authority Board of Commissioners will meet 5 p.m. Oct. 21 at 245 Katlian Street.
    The public is welcome to attend.



    Pool Closure
    Blatchley pool will be closed 7-10 p.m. both Friday, Oct. 17, and Saturday, Oct. 18, for a Sitka High swim meet.
    The pool will reopen to the public 2-3:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19.


Free F/V Drill Conductor Workshop for Commercial Fishermen
The Alaska Marine Safety Education Association (AMSEA) will offer a 10-hour Fishing Vessel Drill Conductor workshop in Sitka on Thursday, November 6, 2014 from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM at the Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association (NSRAA), 1308 Sawmill Creek Rd. Instructor, Rick Petersen, will cover cold-water survival skills; EPIRBs, flares, and maydays; man-overboard recovery and firefighting; immersion suits and PFDs; emergency drills, helicopter rescue, life rafts, and abandon ship procedures.
The workshop meets the training requirements for documented commercial fishing vessels operating beyond the federal boundary line. It is offered to commercial fishermen at no cost, thanks to funding from the United States Coast Guard. To register or get more information, contact AMSEA at (907) 747-3287 or www.amsea.organizer Lisa Langenfeld at 747-3456.

    BMS Carnival
    Set for Oct. 25
    Blatchley Middle School will host its annual carnival 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 25. Face-painting, a cake walk and carnival games are slated.

    BIHA to Meet
    Baranof Island Housing Authority Board of Commissioners will meet 5 p.m. Oct. 21 at 245 Katlian Street.
    The public is welcome to attend.


    Pool Closure
    Blatchley pool will be closed 7-10 p.m. both Friday, Oct. 17, and Saturday, Oct. 18, for a Sitka High swim meet.
    The pool will reopen to the public 2-3:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19.

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