New Manager’s Hopes High
For Hames Center’s Wellbeing
The new Hames Center manager, Paige Craig, sees the future of the center as the place where Sitkans want to spend their free time, adding to community health and wellness.
‘‘In five years I hope that the Hames Center has the best exercise equipment the industry has to offer and that it’s well taken care of and consistently updated,’’ Craig said. ‘‘The Hames Center will utilize all the space available, making more rooms and assets accessible to members. I hope the facility has group fitness classes and personal training that meet the needs of all members regardless of age and fitness level.’’
Paige is from Montana but has spent a lot of time in Sitka visiting family over the years.
‘‘Although I wasn’t born and raised in Sitka, my family roots in Sitka are strong,’’ she said.
Her grandfather Larrae Rocheleau was the president of Sheldon Jackson College in 1993 and 1994. Her uncle Rich Krupa played basketball for SJC in 1990-1994. More recently, her mother Susan Craig taught math at Blatchley Middle School in 2015-2017.
In the summer of 2019, Craig worked for Jarred Rivera at Grind Fitness and spent time working with young athletes in the community.
‘‘I’ve spent every summer in Sitka for the past five years, and I’m excited to finally call Sitka my home,’’ Craig said.
In Montana, Craig finished graduate school and worked as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor at the University of Montana.
‘‘I grew up as an athlete, and played every sport I could including basketball, cross country, track and field, softball, and golf,’’ she said. ‘‘While playing college basketball I became more interested in strength and conditioning than I did the sport of basketball. I spent a lot of time in the weight room trying to improve my athletic performance and wanted to learn everything I could about weight lifting and the science behind it.
‘‘After I finished my athletic career, I needed to create a new relationship with exercise that was enjoyable and didn’t revolve around punishment or athletic goals,’’ she said. ‘‘I’ve realized that for general health and fitness, you don’t need specific goals and a strict regimen. Exercise should be used as a way to improve overall health (physical and mental) and it can be enjoyable.’’
Craig has worked with a variety of populations, including athletes, non-athletes, special needs, youths, teens, and adults. She said she recognizes the value in maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle to improve quality of life and understands the social, mental, emotional, and physical benefits of exercise. She also recognizes that every individual has different exercise goals.
‘‘I am most excited to be able to interact with members of the community, meet new people, and share/trade information about health and fitness,’’ she said.
If she had one piece of advice for Sitkans wanting to get or stay in shape it would be to ‘‘start today.’’
‘‘It’s easy to find excuses and set your goals to the side,’’ she said. ‘‘Write down your goals and get started on them as soon as possible. Doing something is better than nothing. Everyone was a beginner at some point, so don’t let exercise or the gym intimidate you.’’
In her spare time Craig spends time with friends and family and loves the outdoors, camping, hiking or golfing.
Her favorite post-workout snack? ‘‘A banana with peanut butter or almond butter!’’
Life Celebration
For Zane Bacon
Slated Sunday
A celebration of the life of Zane Joel Bacon, 46, will be held 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 15, at the Halibut Point Recreation Area main shelter.
Zane passed away on April 9, 2020, in Anchorage.
Those attending the celebration of life can take a side dish or dessert to share. Call Melissa at 907-419-0144 or Charlie at 907-738-1024 with questions. If you have any photos of Zane and would like to have them shown at the services please send them to Melissa at 601 Monastery Street, Sitka, or m.bacon0912@gmail.com.
Sitka Student Honored
For Community Service
Sitka High senior Darby Osborne is among seven teens being honored for outstanding community service across the state through Alaska Communication’s Summer of Heroes Program.
All will be awarded $1,500 scholarships for their efforts. Additionally, as part of the program Alaska Communications will donate $15,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs-Alaska to further support youth development in the state.
‘‘Osborne is a motivated teen who lends her support to many efforts, but her primary focus is to educate others about climate change in her Sitka community,’’ Alaska Communications said in an announcement naming her. ‘‘Her efforts bring a youth perspective to issues that come before city leaders.’’
Osborne serves on Sitka’s Climate Action Task Force, which researches climate change issues and makes recommendations to the local Assembly. She is a founding member of Youth for Sustainable Futures, which testifies about how local policies that address climate change can be adopted to positively impact the community.
She also is a member of the Peer Education Program that teaches students about healthy relationships, works with the Sitka Youth Leadership Committee that focuses on family violence prevention, and stepped forward as the youngest election poll worker when there was a citywide shortage.
‘‘Darby is known as a considerate person who builds bridges to help others,’’ Alaska Communications said.
This fall, she will serve as vice president of the National Honor Society, facilitator for the Youth for Sustainable Futures group and remain a key member of the Sitka Youth Leadership Committee.
From improving their school climates and connections to building bridges to help others despite their own hardships, finding their voice for others and honoring their culture, and even learning new skills specifically to support those in need, Alaska youths are doing heroic acts in their local communities, the program said.
Other winners include: Nychè Andrew, 18, Anchorage; Jade Balansag, 18, Wrangell; Logan Ehrhart, 14, Anchorage; Stellen Johnson, 18, Anchorage; Jayvyn Kalbfus, 16, Anchorage; and Selena Payment, 16, Soldotna.
Osborne is the daughter of Doug and Jami Osborne.
Wearable Art
Designers Called
It’s time for designers to begin thinking about their Wearable Arts Show pieces.
The preliminary deadline for designers and their models is Jan. 7. Forms can be found at www.sitkaartscouncil.org. Final registration is Jan. 21. The dress rehearsal is 7 p.m. Feb. 25 with show times at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Feb. 26.
For more information contact Greater Sitka Arts Council at www.thinkarthinksitka@gmail.com.
Bowls, Chowder
To Benefit BHV
Hand-crafted bowls and Ludvig’s chowder will be for sale to benefit Brave Heart Volunteers.
The event is 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (or until sold out) on Saturday, Aug. 21, at Ludvig’s chowder cart at the Sitka Sound Science Center.
For a suggested donation, of $35 to $75, patrons can select their favorite bowl, and chowder and bread will be included.
Free, Reduced
Price Meals On
Applications for free and reduced- Sitka School District are available online at https://www.schoolcafe.com/.
Parents can apply online and should do so soon to ensure all paperwork is completed.
Households that were eligible last school year for free or reduced-price lunches will need to reapply each school year to verify households continued eligibility.
Questions about the school lunch program may be directed to Leslie Young at the district office 966-1249 or lunch@sitkaschools.org.
Tribal Council
Meets Aug. 18
Sitka Tribe of Alaska Tribal Council will meet 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 18, via Zoom.
The council will review the second reading of the Drug and Alcohol Ordinance. Those wanting to make a public comment can attend the Zoom meeting. The link is on the STA webpage at www.sitkatribe.org.
To make a written comment, e-mail Anne.Davis@sitkatribe-nsn.gov no later than noon Aug. 18. The ordinance revisions are posted on the STA webpage at www.sitkatribe.org. Printed copies may be picked up by request at the STA Administration office at 456 Katlian Street.
Climate Connection: Alaskan Communities Need Climate Mayors
Energy is a big foundation for any discussion about climate change. Powering our homes and businesses, our vehicles, our ever-present devices relies on energy. Over the past 40 years, we have seen renewables go from “too expensive” to too cheap and cost-effective to ignore. But as we know, in Alaska there is always a lot of work needed to make sure we deliver workable solutions for all of our communities.
The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report confirms that we need to make the necessary changes a lot faster – within 10 or so years – and with a big infrastructure bill passing the Senate this week, we are a step closer to being able to start the work. Thank you Senators Sullivan and Murkowski and to all of the people who phoned, wrote and lobbied for support for climate action in the bill over the past three months! Money is good, but money is not the only thing we need to make the switch to carbon neutral energy systems.
As a community we need to figure out what we want our future systems to look like, and how to make it happen using as little fossil fuel as possible. What will be our “carbon budget” for achieving our goals?
We’re lucky to have information, expertise, skills, entrepreneurship and vision in our little community to help us find solutions. As Kay Kreiss noted in last week’s column, we need to use these community assets so that we are prepared with “shovel ready” plans that have broad support when funding opportunities suddenly come up. Some coordination, like we have received through the unified command for COVID-19, would be very useful, but perhaps we also need guidance from cities whose leadership is already working on this important task?
The leadership of 470 U.S. cities, including Fairbanks North Star Borough and Anchorage, are already getting support through a network of “climate mayors.” Amongst other things, this group is getting ready for the switch to electric vehicles (EVs), and share what they’re doing in a climate action compendium that can be downloaded at https://climatemayors.org/climate-action-compendium/.
There is also a global network for mayors and other local government leaders who have been active for over a decade that provides support to its members. Check out https://www.c40.org/ for more details.
We have recently seen how hard it has been to adjust to a new situation, and the efforts it has taken to keep us safe. Responding to climate change is going to be more challenging still. Sitka’s leadership has taken the first step of acknowledging the problem by declaring the need for an emergency response to climate change. Setting up the Sitka Climate Task Force to help them do more is another good step, but now we need our leadership to be ready to ask for – and receive – help from the community and from further afield, as they have done with the pandemic. What do you say, Mayor Steve?
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Leah Mason is a member of the Sitka Citizens’ Climate Lobby and continues to ask that we #PutAPriceOnCarbon.
