Dear Editor: The words of a retiree from my dream job still echo in my mind: “do something different somewhere you don’t belong and love it! Work on a fishing vessel in Alaska!” I personally watched too much “Deadliest Catch” with my dad as a kid...

Dear Editor: Human trafficking was in the news more in 2025 than ever before, but many of us think that this is something that doesn’t – that couldn’t – happen in our community. Unfortunately, that’s not reality, even in our lovely city of Sitka....

Dear Editor: Yesterday, an ICE agent killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good during an ICE operation in Minneapolis. While Trump described Ms. Good as “very disorderly, obstructing and resisting,” video footage, bystanders, and elected officials...

Dear Editor: This year, Brave Heart Volunteers would like to offer an ongoing space for our community to come together for grief support. Every second and fourth Tuesday,   7-8:30 p.m., the upstairs grief room in our office at 120 Katlian...

Dear Editor: The Trump regime has invaded Venezuela, kidnapped its leader with no due process, and announced plans to occupy and “run” the country. And if he gets away with Venezuela, Trump is already threatening Mexico, Colombia, Iran and...

Dear Editor: I am unable to be Zey’s adult volunteer this year for the sales of Girl Scout cookies.  If you are interested in becoming a Girl Scout troop leader for Sitka or become an adult volunteer to oversee Zeylinn and her cookie sales,...

Dear Editor: Community members are invited to participate in a New Year’s Day vigil to commemorate the second anniversary of Sitka’s weekly peace and democracy vigil, Thursday, January 1, noon to 1 p.m., at the roundabout.  Originally...

Dear Editor: I wrote earlier this week to encourage Sitka to support local programs targeting food insecure households.  Another program I’m supporting this holiday season is the SAFV Food Box program.  SAFV is currently serving an...

Dear Editor: As part of my holiday giving, I am supporting programs that directly benefit food insecure households in Sitka. One is Blessings in a Backpack which feeds 84 children in Sitka each week. Blessings in a Backpack mobilizes communities,...

Dear Editor: This letter is long, long overdue. I have written some variation of this letter in my head dozens of times, and it is also true that I could have written a letter to you every year for the past 27 years. It has been a great delight...

Dear Editor: As the year draws to a close, we’re reminded of the strength that comes from community. While the holidays look different for everyone, no one should have to face hardship alone. At SAFV, we are here every day offering safety,...

Dear Editor: Solstice is just around the corner. During this dark time of reflection and hope, we are feeling so much gratitude for this amazing community. We are also facing difficult decisions. Last weekend we joined our friends, neighbors,...

Dear Editor: In 2015, Mount Denali was reconnected to its ancient and historic ties through the name that Athabascan Natives have referred to the mountain as, for hundreds of years. President Trump stands to change the name back to a man who may...

Dear Editor: As Alaskans, we know how quickly the calendar turns. Before we blink, 2025 will be in the rearview mirror. If you’ve been thinking about saving for your child’s future education, now is the time to act, and there’s a compelling reason...

Dear Editor: I would like to thank everyone who made the 17th season of Girls on the Run a success this fall! Twenty-five third- through fifth-grade girls spent 10 weeks building confidence and self-esteem while forming new friendships and...

Dear Editor: The proposal to remove permanent commercial office space for a seasonal bus terminal is a perfect distillation of the lack of interest in the well-being of year-round residents and businesses. It is also an extraordinarily high...

Dear Editor: Every summer in late July, my family prepares for the sockeye run. For a couple weeks, our lives revolve around the tides, conditions, weather, and fish. We spend long days processing salmon: cutting, filleting, smoking, drying,...

Dear Editor: I’ve grown up in Sitka, and one of the best things about living here is how close the community feels. You recognize people around town, everyone knows everyone, and it really feels like home. But lately, that feeling is fading...

Dear Editor: Did you know that men and boys are at greater risk of death at EVERY stage of life as compared to women and girls? This is largely due to the pressure on men and boys to conform to unrealistic standards of what it means to “be a man.”...

Dear Editor: At Saturday’s Winter Blues Monthly Grind, audience members were asked to contribute haiku poetry. Haiku is a form of poetry, originating in Japan, that generally is in three lines, 17 syllables and follows a 5, 7, 5 pattern. (There...