Feb 28, 2013 Letters to the Editor

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Category: Letters to the Editor

Created on Thursday, 28 February 2013 00:23

Hits: 1962

        Shooting Clinic

Dear Editor: My daughters and I participated in the NRA Women On Target Instructional Shooting Clinic Feb. 17. This was an excellent course, covering basic firearms safety with an introduction to revolvers. Alaskans live in a culture and state where firearms are prevalent in homes, skiffs, and four-wheelers. They are prevalent on camping and hiking trips. We use them for hunting, bear protection and self-protection.
    This course is ideal for those new and tentative around firearms as well as those with experience. It is ideal for young people who may find themselves in a situation where firearms are not handled or used safely. The safety skills reinforced in this class will give them a foundation for making wiser decisions.
    We want to thank instructors Ken Cramer and Dave Hardy, Women on Target coordinator Debbie Stilson, and over a dozen members of the Sitka Sportsman’s Association who served as volunteer coaches on the range. Thank you too, to the Sitka Sportsman’s Association, for the use of their excellent facility. Finally, thanks to the Friends of the NRA who provided funding for this course.
Krisanne Rice, Mamie Clare, Sitka,
 and Frilly Utami
(Indonesian AFS Exchange Student)

Post Office

Dear Editor: The question ‘‘Do We Really Want to Live Without the Post Office?’’ is played out in a wonderful site available at http://www.esquire.com/features/post-office-business-trouble-0213)
    Watch the video full screen. It is full of important facts. It is well done and mind-boggling. Don’t miss it.
Doris Smith, Sitka

White E Contribution

Dear Editor: On behalf of the fabulous children at Mt. Edgecumbe Preschool I would like to thank the White Elephant Shop for a very generous contribution to our scholarship fund. We believe that every child should have the opportunity to be part of a vibrant early learning community and our scholarship fund provides assistance to families who would otherwise be unable to afford the cost of tuition. Hooray for the White E!
Lori Whitmill, Director,
Mt. Edgecumbe Preschool


REPORT FROM THE SENATE:
 
By Sen. Bert Stedman
Alaska State Legislature
    In my role as chairman of the Energy Council, I had the opportunity to visit Western Canada during the week of Jan. 28-Feb. 1 for multiple energy related meetings with Canadian officials. Joining me on the trip was Oklahoma Sen. Cliff Branan and our first stop was in Regina, Saskatchewan, where we toured the Petroleum Technology Research Center and visited the SaskPower headquarters. SaskPower is the principal electric utility in Saskatchewan and is currently developing one of the world’s first and largest carbon capture and sequestration projects at their Boundary Dam Power Station. The president and CEO, Mr. Robert Watson, provided a presentation on this new technology which I found extremely promising.
    Later that same day we stopped by the capitol to meet with the Speaker of the Provincial Legislature, Mr. Don D’Autrement. Our next stop was in Edmonton where we met with Alberta Energy Minister Ken Hughes and other high-ranking government officials. We had numerous productive meetings to discuss comparable energy development challenges facing Alberta and Alaska and ways the two governments can work together to promote mutually beneficial solutions.
    Our last stop was in Calgary where we sat down with numerous company executives from Canadian oil and gas corporations. We also met with Mr. Peter Kujawinski, the U.S. consul general in Calgary, and Mr. David Collyer, president of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. These are just a few of the highlights of what I considered to be a very successful and enlightening trip. I look forward to continuing this dialogue with my Canadian counterparts to identify ways we can work together to satisfy our mutual energy goals.