Sitka Herring Festival
Dear Editor: Thank you to everyone who attended the Sitka Herring Festival community potluck on Friday, April 4. There were some great dishes made for the potluck, and great entertainment! A huge thank you goes out to Madonna Moss and Thomas Thornton for their donated time and energy to give two amazing talks, and thank you to Tom Begich and Sarah Sledge, whose herring song was fantastic!
Our silent auction went fantastic, thanks to 3 Guys by the Church, Sitka Rose Gallery, Artist Cove Gallery, Sitka Maritime Heritage Society, Rob Miller, Raven Art, Foggy Lens Photography, Lisa Teas, Russian American Company, Fishermen’s Eye Gallery, and Fred Hope.
Congratulations to Ella Refschaw, who won our Herring Derby, with a fish weighing 0.710 pounds! Thank you to everyone who participated in the derby, and to everyone who donated prizes. Donators include: Murray Pacific, Stereo North, The Cellar, Old Harbor Books, Russell’s, Orion Sporting Goods, Agave Restaurant, AC Lakeside, Sea Mart, Brenner’s Fine Clothing and Gifts, Pizza Express, Harry Race Pharmacy and Photo, Chocolate Moose, Ben Franklin, SEARHC Safety Program and Hames Center.
Thank you to all our partners, who helped make the whole festival an event to remember: Sitka Tribe of Alaska, Sitka Conservation Society, University of Alaska Southeast, Sitka National Historical Park, Alaska Native Brotherhood, Cape Decision Lighthouse Society, Alaska Raptor Center, Sitka Maritime Heritage Society, Sitka Historical Society, Sitka Community Schools, Sitka Sound Science Center, and the Greater Sitka Arts Council.
Lastly, big thank yous go out to Jeff Budd, Jeanne Stolberg, Lillian Feldpausch, Heather Riggs, Chris Whitehead, Courtney Johnson, Thomas Gubatayao, Melody Kingsley, Kelly van Frankenhuyzen, Kitty Sopow, Alexa Sample, Brian Richardson, Heather Hanson, Alli Gabbert, Jess Acker, and Jeff Feldpausch. I couldn’t have pulled this event off without the help of some amazing volunteers.
Now, to start planning for next year. Hope to see many of you there.
Jessica Gill, Coordinator,
Sitka Herring Festival
Sitka High Prom
Dear Editor: Sitka High School parents, Sitka High School teachers, Sitka High prom committee students, Sitka Fine Arts Camp staff, Officer Davis, Gale, Roger and Ms. Otis, thank you so much for providing such a lovely venue for the Sitka High prom. What a wonderful team of students, volunteers, parents, chaperones and others working together to provide the Juniors and Seniors of Sitka High School a night to remember.
On our walk-through, Ms. Karen Macklin and myself were thrilled to meet Ms. Otis. Ms. Otis, Sitka’s link to Alabama, is the generous woman who helped make the Otis Theatre a reality. What was she doing on Saturday? Well, she was cleaning up the stage, adding curtains, and helping make the area perfect for the evening’s festivities.
Thank you also to everyone who volunteers at the old Sheldon Jackson campus. You have given new life to wonderful buildings that are part of Sitka’s history. The setting at Allen Hall, even with rain, provided for a magical night. The work of many, including our amazing AmeriCorps Volunteer, Kelly, set the stage for a night to remember.
Thank you, again, and especially to the class of 2015 who may have just started a new tradition.
Karen Macklin, Dr. PJ Ford Slack
Sitka High School
AFS Activity
Dear Editor: Last weekend three intrepid AFS exchange students spent part of their day, before their one and only high school prom, cleaning Swan Lake by kayak as part of the International Day of Service. Salma from Indonesia, Fisca from Ghana, and Daliya from Russia endured some rainy Sitka spring weather to perform this community service, and they did it with a smile.
We are grateful to Lynne Brandon from the city parks department for providing gloves and cleaning equipment, and Connie Kreiss and Floyd Tomkins for the use of their kayaks. Anyone interested in learning more about going on an exchange or hosting an exchange student is welcome to contact Connie at 747 6395.
Rebecca Himschoot, Sitka
WhaleFest Cruise
Dear Editor: This year’s 2014 Sitka WhaleFest Food-Web Cruise was an unbelievable success. A fantastic breakfast buffet, donated by members of the community, accompanied several hours of wildlife viewing. The volunteers on board were amazing, the passengers were engaged, and the sea life was active in anticipation of the coming herring run.
The Food Web Cruise was not only a successful fundraiser, it was an excellent opportunity to engage the public and appreciate the wild beauty of Sitka Sound and our community connection to the marine environment. Thank you to Sandy Kincheloe, Linda Waller, Dana Pitts, Larkspur Café, Tory O’Connell, Ella Lubin, Sea Mart, Trish White, Amy Sweeney, Susan Standford, Judy Johnstone, Jane Eidler, Lauren Wild, Alice Johnstone, Michael Mausbach, Paulla Hardy, Amy Bastien, Cheryl Call, Bill and Nancy Yaw Davis, Adam Taylor, Jacqueline Grebmeier, Lee Cooper, Matt Goff, Mandy Lindeberg and Allen Marine.
The Sitka Sound Science Center and Sitka WhaleFest are pleased to announce the dates and theme for next year’s WhaleFest, ‘‘Gizmos & Gadgets: The Technology That Rocks Our World.’’ See you Nov. 6-9, 2014!
Madison Kosma for
The Sitka WhaleFest Team
Just Desserts
Dear Editor: The Sitka Skippers would like to thank Allison’s Wonderland, the Back Door Cafe, Chocolate Mousse, Ludvig’s Bistro, the Nugget Restaurant and all the Skipper families and friends for their generous and delicious dessert donations. Also, thank you to all of the Sitkans who attended. Our Elks fundraiser dinner and auction was a HUGE success.
Susie Belisle, Stephanie Peterson, Kerrie Dozois, Monica Eastham,
Lisa Hutton, Adora Dumag,
Erica Pearson, Alyssa Reines,
fundraising committee for the
Sitka Skippers Jump Rope Team
