Daily Sitka Sentinel

September 11, 2015 Community Happenings

Emblem Club

Meets Sept. 17

Sitka Emblem Club will meet 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, at the Sitka Elks Lodge for a business and social meeting. Initiation will be held.

2 Yoga Workshops

Set for Weekend

Ellen Sevigny will lead two separate yoga workshops Sept. 12-13 at Yoga Union, a nonprofit organization.

On Saturday, Sept. 12, she will teach a Pranassage Yoga class (yoga-assist-massage) from 3-4 p.m. Cost is regular drop-in rate for Yoga Union. On Sunday, she will teach a “Yoga for Inner Transformation” workshop 9-11 a.m. The workshop includes yoga practice, yoga philosophy, presentation, discussion, guided relaxation and journaling.

Contact Ellen at 207-664-9220 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with questions.

Affordable Cottages

To be Discussed

The Sitka Community Land Trust invites the public to learn more about its Old City Shops Affordable Cottage Community Project at a community presentation 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, at Kettleson Library.

Light refreshments will be provided. For more information, contact Randy Hughey at 738-2999.

The proposal can be viewed at facebook.com/Sitka-Community-Development-Corporation or www.sitkaaffordablehousing.org

Unitarians Gather

The Sitka Unitarian Fellowship will resume its weekly meetings on Sunday, Sept. 13.

The Fellowship is a liberal spiritual community welcoming all persons.

Sunday’s program will be the ‘‘Water Ceremony’’ for in-gathering after the summer break. Participants are to take a small amount of water or a stone or shell to represent sharing a meaningful place or event from their summer.

The gathering begins at 10:30 a.m., with the program beginning at 10:45 a.m. Soup and bread follow the program at noon. The Fellowship Hall is located at 408 Marine Street, with parking behind off Spruce Street. For more information, call 747-3702.

Harp Sing Sunday

The second Sunday Sitka Sacred Harp Sing is scheduled 3:30-5 p.m. Sept. 13 at the Pioneers Home Chapel. No experience is necessary. Beginners and listeners are welcome. Call 738-2089 with questions.

Cohos to Meet

The Coho Clan will meet 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, at the main Coho Clan house.

The clan is preparing for its next potlatch and will practice songs. All members are reminded to attend.

Boy, Girl Scouts

Set Registration

Boy Scout and Girl Scout registrations will be 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, at Blatchley Middle School.

Girl Scouts is open to girls in kindergarten through 12th grades. The fee is $20.

Boys in first through 12th grades can register for Boy Scouts. The fee is approximately $12.

Adult volunteer leaders and co-leaders are needed for bothy groups.

For more Girl Scouts information contact Rose MacIntyre at 966-2599 and for Boy Scouts, Jennifer Brown, 907-957-6953 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

SHS Teacher

Given Yale

Educator Award

Ariel Starbuck, Sitka High School Spanish teacher, has been recognized by the Yale Office of Undergraduate Admissions as a recipient of the 2015 Yale Educator Award.

The Yale Educator Recognition Program recognizes outstanding educators from around the world who have supported and inspired their students to achieve at high levels.

Matriculating students are invited to nominate high school educators, and a committee composed of Yale admissions officers reviews the nominations individually and designates recipients. Of this year’s 276 nominees, who represent 40 states and 15 countries, 51 teachers and 28 counselors were selected to receive the award. In August, the winners were sent engraved desk sets and congratulatory letters, and administrators of the high schools were notified of their achievement.

‘‘The Yale Admissions Office attributes the exceptional quality of the Yale student body to educators like these recipients of the 2015 Yale Educator Award, who shape their students long before they attend Yale,’’ a press release from Yale said. ‘‘The admissions office is proud to thank these and all educators for their ongoing effort s in motivating and supporting the students.’’

Starbuck was nominated by Sitka High graduate Kaya Duguay, a freshman at Yale.

A REVIEW:

Brothers Find

Way Together

Smelcer, John, Savage Mountain. Leapfrog Press. 158 pages. Softbound. $12.

This is listed as a Young Adult book, but I’m not sure. For some completely unknown reason, Father is unrelentingly hateful towards his two sons. He refuses to give them any credit at all for anything. The two brothers don’t get along. Sebastian, the junior in high school, gets straight A’s and the approval of all.

James, the freshman, while also at Latham High in Fairbanks, Alaska, gets terrible grades and into fist fights with other students.

Their father is widely respected in town as a wonderful man; a high school sports hero, followed by a splendid war record. Mother is a shadowy person, ruled by Father.

Then the boys decide to climb nearby Mount Sanford, over 16,000 feet and a tough one to scale. This is the place where the story becomes interesting. Your reviewer found the previous part to be unrealistic for several reasons. 

Why is the father so worshipped in town? Surely the mother had a friend to confide in, or neighbors heard the shouting. People might be sympathetic towards the hero, but word gets around.

And why has the older brother seemingly abandoned the younger one? Wouldn’t he at least have tried, if not always, sporadically? Instead, he says he’ll give a ride on his great new motorcycle to James, then abandons him, laughing.

But once the boys tackle Mt. Sanford, it becomes clear that Smelcer knows his mountain and mountaineering, not to mention how to cross a creek in flood. The book suddenly rings true and our interest is engaged. 

So, if you want to read the first chapter or so, your reviewer recommends turning to the last chapters for real excitement and far more realistic brothers.

–D. L.

Food Drive for

Salvation Army

To restock the Salvation Army’s food pantry, from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12, at Sea Mart, members of Sitka Lutheran Church invite the community to buy and donate extra items of non-perishable groceries.

This collection is part of a nationwide “God’s Work – Our Hands” public service activity by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Space Remains on

Sitka Skippers Team

A few spots still remain in the Sitka Skippers Jump Rope Team beginners class. 

Those interested are invited to try out 5-6 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 14, in the Keet Gooshi Heen gym.

Jumpers must demonstrate 25 single consecutive jumps.

Retuning jumpers who missed registration can call Twila Keaveny at 738-3050 or drop by try outs on Monday.

Blues Band to Play

At Boot Running

The Sitka Local Foods Network announces that the Sitka Blues Band has signed on to perform at the Running of the Boots fun run 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, Sept. 26. 

Call 752-0654 for information or check out the Network’s web site.