Daily Sitka Sentinel

March 14, 2023, Community Happenings

Health Summit

Meeting Slated

The Sitka Health Summit Coalition will host a special in-person meeting noon-1:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 15, at the UAS-Sitka Campus.

The gathering is open to the public and will serve as the monthly Wooch.een (together in Tlingit) health networking and learning meeting.

The purpose of the gathering is to discuss recent transitions and get ideas about the future of the networking meeting, the remaining RWJF Culture of Health Prize money, the annual planning day, and the coalition itself.

The Sitka Health Summit started in 2006 and will conclude this year, restructure or continue depending on staffing, organizers said. For information go to sitkahealthsummit.org. 

Sitka CLT Sets

March 20 Meet

The Sitka Community Land Trust will meet 6-8 p.m. Monday, March 20, at the Hames corporate office conference room at 208 Lake Street, Suite B.

The public is being encouraged to attend. The SCLT is a non-profit organization that relies on community support and participation. For information, contact JJ Carlson at 907-738-4190. 

City Destroys

Derelict Vessel

The City and Borough of Sitka destroyed a derelict vessel at the Gary Paxton Industrial Park today.

‘‘Vessels can be dangerous if they sink in the harbor system,’’ the city said. The harbor department processes them by removing fuel, oils, and other HAZMAT prior to crushing. Aluminum and metals are recycled.

For information, contact the harbor department at 907-747-3439.

Exhibit 

To Honor

The Bealers

“The Squirrel & the Bear: Eric & Pam Bealer’s Life in the Tongass,” featuring an exhibition of paintings by Stephen Lawrie with writings by Maite Lorente, will be open April 7-21.

The exhibition will inaugurate two weeks of celebrating the Bealers’ lives through their legacy gift to Sitka Conservation Society.

The grand opening will be 5-8 p.m.  Friday, April 7, at 221 Harbor Drive, in the Venneberg building.

Alongside the exhibition, a Bealer ‘‘Landscape Reinterpretation’’ will be shown at Sitka Rose Gallery.

Guided group visits will be available through appointments with the artist. An evening session dedicated to Eric Bealer’s wood engravings is scheduled 6 p.m. April 19. And on April 21, a talk about Sea Pony Farm property, a contribution from artists Pam and Eric Bealer to SCS’s Living Wilderness Fund, will be at 6 p.m. at the Mean Queen downstairs. Music, anecdotes about Pam and Eric, art and pies to celebrate their lives will be part of the evening.

Those with questions about the exhibition and visits can call  at (907) 738-7574 or go to stephenlawrie.com.

‘Amelie’ Set Help

Needed Saturday

GSAC Sitka Community Theater is looking for volunteers to help put up the set for the musical “Amelie,” starting at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Performing Arts Center.

The set is the Monmartre neighborhood of Paris, complete with apartments, store, cafe and Parisian skyline. The musical will be staged March 24-26.

Organizers say any skill level and amount of time volunteers have will be welcome. Volunteers are asked to bring work clothes and gloves if you have them. Screw guns are particularly welcome. Coffee, snacks and donuts will be available.

Enter through the performers entrance at the back of the high school. 

Bowhunter Ed

Field Day Offered

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is offering the field day portion of the bowhunter education course 9 a.m.-2 p.m. April 15 at the Sitka Sportsman’s Association, 5211 Halibut Point Road.

Students must complete the online Bowhunter Education course prior to registration. The course consists of 6-8 hours of modules and a test. The course costs $30 and can be accessed at https://www.bowhunter-ed.com/alaska/. After passing the online course, students will receive an email with a field day qualifier number.

After one to three days, students can sign up for the field day qualifier with their given number at the ADF&G website at https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=huntered.field.

The field day consists of a brief review of key safety issues, a blood trailing exercise, and the proficiency shoot.

Students must provide their own archery equipment. They can use a rangefinder, and no minimum draw weight is required. Broadheads are not allowed. Bowhunter certification is required for archery-only hunts and for any hunter born on or after Jan. 1, 1986, that will be bowhunting big game.

Contact the Sitka ADF&G office at 747-5449 with any questions.

Easter Workshop at

Centennial Hall

Children and their families are invited to a free Easter workshop, hosted by the United Methodist Church, 2-4:30 p.m. Sunday, April 2, at Centennial Hall.

Crafts, an Easter puppet show and popcorn will be presented by Sitka churches in rooms one and two.

Call Marcia Hirai (360-481-1505) or Mary Stevens (907-752-2048) with questions.

Herring Protectors

Walk, Run April 8

The third annual Herring Protectors fun run/walk will be held 10 a.m. Saturday, April 8. It begins and ends at Whale Park.

Registration starts at 9 a.m. The 5K fun and two-mile walk is along the ocean. The event is free; however, T-shirts are available for $20 and donations to the Herring Protectors will be accepted. For information, call or text (907)735-5515.

Tribal Council

Meets March 15

Sitka Tribe of Alaska Tribal Council will hold its regular monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 15, at 204 Siginaka Way, third floor executive board room, or by Zoom.

The meeting agenda and Zoom link are available on the STA webpage at www.sitkatribe.org. The council will review on third reading, revisions to the Baranof Island Housing ordinance. A copy of the ordinance is available upon request or on the webpage.

Those who wish to comment can request to be added to the agenda by emailing: anne.davis@sitkatribe-nsn.gov, no later than Tuesday, March 14.

Energy Audits At

March 18 Expo

A certified energy auditor from Anchorage will be in Sitka March 16-23 for Transition Sitka’s Electrification Expo.

The audit cost is based on square footage and a federal tax credit is available for 30% of the cost up to $150. To sign up, or get more information, contact Carol Voisin at cjvoisin@yahoo.com or attend the expo 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 18 at Centennial Hall to meet him.