Buy Local
Dear Editor: I want to take this opportunity to commend the City Assembly for adopting the “buy local” ordinance adopted on Feb. 25, and further to thank the Assembly and city administrative staff for following through on implementing the email notification system that is a key part of the ordinance.
The email notification system in effect gives a “right of first refusal” to local businesses to competitively bid to provide goods and services for city needs and projects.
I also want to strongly encourage local business owners, private contractors, and others who can provide goods and services to the City of Sitka to sign up to receive email notifications which will regularly make available information of what the city would like to purchase locally if possible. Signing up is simple to do on the city website.
Finally, I want to invite all businesses to join me in setting a standard of excellence to make the cost of goods and services, and help and supportive services outstanding so that buying locally becomes the standard not the exception.
Rob Parker, Sitka,
Alaska Computer Center
Vice Principals
Dear Editor: I notice that the school district is seeking to fill un-needed vice principal positions. Save the money. These schools are not big enough to need a vice principal. The principals can handle this. If necessary, give the principals a 15 percent raise. Vice principals are for schools in the 1500-4000 student range. At that school population, a vp is needed to run herd on discipline. Save or add a teacher with the money that would have been wasted on vice principals. Thanks.
John Welsh, Sitka
Library Funds
Dear Editor: Thanks to the efforts of the Friends of the Library, $5,500 was raised toward the library expansion project. Jan Love, Curt Ledford, Sarah Bell, Barb Bingham and Jane Eidler provided crepes, pancakes and all the fixins’. The Teenage Advisory Board, after an overnight lock-in activity, mustered enough energy to rearrange the library, cafe-style. Joanna Perensovich and Brooke Schafer ably organized the silent auction of artwork and collectible cookie jars. Bakers Lorraine Lil, Angie Schieler, Jan Love, Alice Johnstone, Jane Eidler and Roger Hames (though we think it was Mary) brought wonderful cookies to put into the cookie jars for the lucky winners.
Once again, Gus Adams put out a challenge to the group to match his $1,000 contribution, and thanks to all the Friends in attendance, his match was met and then some.
The meeting was led by Friends President Kari Sagel, with additional information provided by project manager Matt Christner and landscape architect Monique Anderson.
Only $120,000 to go.
Sitkans make the best friends forever.
Sarah Bell,
Kettleson Memorial Library
Money Smart Week
Dear Editor: Yep, another one. We are full of gratitude.
This was the first year that Kettleson Memorial Library, in conjunction with Jasmine Shaw of the University of Alaska Cooperative Extension Service, offered a series of programs related to personal money management during Money Smart Week, a national program started by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
Thanks to the following people who offered their time to provide information on a variety of topics: Joe Meador on taxes, Sandi Riggs of ALPS FCU on budgeting and debt management, Jay Sweeney on developing a personal investment strategy, and Cynthia Gibson of Waddell and Reed on retirement planning.
Courtesy of First Bank, ALPS Federal Credit Union and First National Bank Alaska, savings banks were given to all the children who came to storytime that week. 10th.
Thanks to all who gave of their time and energy.
Sarah Bell,
Kettleson Memorial Library
Letter Response
Dear Editor: I am writing in response to a letter written by John Welsh in the April 21 publication of the Daily Sitka Sentinel.
In his letter about the U.S. Forest Service, Mr. Welsh over-looked a number of positive contributions that the employees of the Sitka Ranger District, USFS contribute to our community.
Currently, the SRD staff consists of less than 24 permanent employees who oversee 1.7 million acres of your Tongass National Forest. Along with supporting sustainable land management techniques to our national forest, SRD employees are an integral part of the Sitkan community.
SRD employees continually partake in outreach education programs for our youth, teaching them about local flora and fauna, and natural environmental processes such as stream functions, salmon life cycles, and forest health and development. Just recently, SRD employees organized their annual Earth Day clean-up for a selected area in and around Sitka. This year, they and other members of the community collected over 800 pounds of trash along the Benchlands and Halibut Point Road. Many SRD employees have offered their help with the Sitka Mountain Rescue team to help support their efforts in time of need. SRD employees also work with local conservation and natural resource groups to enhance and monitor restoration efforts throughout the district.
Additionally, SRD employees lead monitoring projects on several sockeye populations for all Sitkans to sustainably harvest from. The employees of the SRD also provide the opportunity for us to plan “weekend get-aways” with over 20 remote cabins and mooring buoys located throughout the Sitka Ranger District.
The employees of the Sitka Ranger District are not only making efforts to maintain our national forest for future generations, but have proven to be caring and contributing members of the Sitkan community.
Mariah Leeseberg, Sitka
