School Board
Dear Editor: This letter is in response to the article “Time for Best Guesses Nears for School Board,” published on April 14. My quoted observation that the head of the Citizens’ Task Force is the CEO of Sitka Community Hospital was in no way intended to impugn or malign the character of Mr. Allen. I have known Mr. Allen personally for many years and have no reason to question his integrity. I appreciate the service he is providing to Sitka, both at Sitka Community Hospital, and in his capacity with the Task Force. I also deeply appreciate the time and effort put forth by all Task Force members in attempting to help Sitka move forward in these difficult times, and I have no qualms about their collective integrity.
My comments reflected the overarching frustration that I feel as someone who values education above most other public services, but who sees a different prioritization reflected in some choices made by our elected leaders. Here I refer primarily to our state Legislature, as our Assembly has repeatedly demonstrated that they also value our children and their future (which is our collective future as a community and as a state). I hope to see that priority reflected broadly in the decisions made by our elected representatives as we struggle to address the challenges in front of us. While the recommendations of an ad hoc committee are certainly of high value, the ultimate decision-making falls on our democratically elected representatives.
The responsibility for advocating for our priorities falls on all of us. A specific opportunity for this advocacy arises with the Alaska Senate Finance Committee’s consideration of SB 207, the passage of which would pass an additional nearly $600,000 liability for Teacher’s Retirement Savings (TRS) to our district in FY17. The burden would be progressively more than that each year. This would have tremendous impact on our district, and would potentially bankrupt many smaller districts in our state. There is still time to contact that committee with your thoughts – e-mail addresses and phone numbers are readily available on the legislature’s website: http://w3.legis.state.ak.us/
These thoughts are my own, and do not necessarily reflect the Sitka School Board in its entirety.
Jennifer McNichol, Sitka
Assembly Ruling
Dear Editor: I felt more than a little blind-sided by the Assembly’s recent action to include commercial drivers in the rush to ban cell phone use by drivers. Would it have been too much trouble to notify, or consult, the people whose economic lives are impacted by this senseless hysteria? Instead of leaving us 10 days to find a substitute mode of communication?
Like the state Legislature, I do not recognize the necessity of a ban that goes beyond texting. Modern automobiles all have power steering. The concept of requiring two hands on the wheel is an outdated notion. And, one impossible to enforce. The important concept is two eyes on the road, so you can see all the unlit bicycles, gasoline skateboards and one segway darting on-and-off the streets, sidewalks and crosswalks.
Yeah, especially after they excluded taxi, delivery and truck drivers; you would have thought we’d get a little heads-up about sneaking the amendment in, when there must be only about six bluetooth devices in stock in Sitka.
It sure would be nice to have an Assembly, and police department, working with local business, instead of against us.
Sigurd D. Rutter, Sitka
Brave Heart Volunteers
Dear Editor: April 10-16 is National Volunteer Week. On this special occasion, we want to express how grateful we are to the work volunteers accomplish on behalf of Brave Heart Volunteers and how proud we are to have an organization that is supported by one of the most powerful means of affecting change – volunteerism.
Volunteer action is driven by passion and empathy. Volunteers work for change, and not out of self-interest or external incentive, but because they are moved by a cause. They believe that giving back with their time, energy, and attention is a great way to leave the world better than they found it. We are incredibly lucky to be in Sitka, where volunteerism is a strong value at the heart of our community.
Being a volunteer-based organization amplifies our impact. It is what allows us to provide a companion for elders living in isolation and gives spouses, children, and caretakers welcomed respite from 24-7 caregiving. Our volunteers provide presence and companionship during our neighbors’ later years and at end of life, an invaluable gift that we all hope to receive when our time comes.
With gratitude and respect for all our volunteers.
Sherie Mayo, Board Chair,
Brave Heart Volunteers
Childhood Nutrition
Dear Editor: President Obama and our Congress could give a powerful Mothers and Fathers Day gift to the world this year.
When world leaders gather at the Nutrition for Growth Summit later this year, President Obama should be there to commit $500 million toward nutrition-specific efforts in the last year of his administration. And Congress should support this investment as well.
Almost half of all early childhood deaths are linked to some form of malnutrition. Proper nutrition during the window starting with a woman’s pregnancy and ending with a child’s second birthday sets children on a path toward reaching their full potential. These “1,000 days” have a profound impact on a child’s life, from their brain development to their IQ to their immune system to their growth. What happens in those first 1,000 days starts either a vicious or a virtuous cycle.
There is a generation of children around the world counting on our leaders to do what it takes to help make the unnecessary scourge of malnutrition a thing of the past. We cannot afford to let them down.
For more information visit: www.results.org
Sitka RESULTS:
Michele Friedman,
Scott and Patty Harris,
Mary Soltis, Libby Stortz,
Mayor Mim McConnell,
Nancy Knapp, Krisanne Rice,
Cheryl and Dave Vastola,
Sara Bergendahl,
Jody Smothers-Marcello
