Help for Sibayans
Dear Editor: As many may have heard by now, a tragic accident struck a very kind family, the Sibayans, who many of us know from places like Sea Mart, AC Lakeside, the hospitals, the Pioneers Home, Subway of Sitka and Harry Race Pharmacy.
Fred’s two daughters and their loving pets were coming back from a tournament in Fairbanks when they were involved in a serious car accident that killed Fred’s youngest daughter, Karina, who worked the counter at Harry Race, and left his other daughter, Kaylen, seriously injured, and killing their two dogs.
This family is a very close-knit, loving family and when a tragedy like this strikes, the whole community feels the effects. I know I had the pleasure of the family’s kindness when I needed help painting my house. Michael rounded up his family members, including Fred, and gave me a hand, doing a super job. I know others may very well come under the spell of kindness.
Karen Case has a box for donations at Subway. There is an account set up at ALPS Credit Union in the name of Karina and Kaylen Fund.
Lucy Williams, Sitka
Showers for Needy
Dear Editor: As the pandemic continues to disrupt our normal lives, the Sitka Homeless Coalition has continued to offer reliable access to shower and laundry services for needy Sitkans. We have been able to maintain this project only through the support of our community.
Most recently we have received anonymous donations of cash and supplies. Subway of Sitka has been relentlessly generous, providing us with hot coffee. We are grateful for this steady support.
Dorothy Orbison
For Sitka Homeless Coalition
Music Festival Support
Dear Editor: As we near the end of August and head into autumn, we’ve been taking some time to reflect upon the generous support we have received through the summer. During this profoundly strange time with no in-person events, we have enormous gratitude for the resiliency of our audience members and artists, who still found ways to come together in a virtual world to appreciate and celebrate chamber music. Our website metrics indicate that hundreds of people viewed each of our online concerts in June! We also restructured the 7th annual Sitka International Cello Seminar, and were delighted to enroll 19 young cellists from across the country in our online learning experience.
The financial contributions from sponsors and donors are making all the difference in holding us steady until we can gather together in person again. We would especially like to recognize the following entities for contributing to our restructured Festival: Shee Atika Corporation, ALPS, Sitka Alaska Permanent Charitable Trust, and the Sitka Music Festival Foundation. We had a lot of fun with our reinvented “drive-thru” crab feed, which would have been impossible without the help of Tim Ryan and Sitka Sound Seafoods, Sea Mart, Watson Point, Allen Marine, and UAS, plus the incredible sponsorship of Arrowhead Transfer and Alaska Marine Lines. All of these contributions plus the individual donations we continue to receive are critical to our survival this year – we literally cannot make it through without your help!
We are now in the process of refining our plans for the Autumn & Winter Classics series that is usually presented in Anchorage. These concerts will also be presented online, and we’re excited to reveal the details to you soon! Please stay tuned for more information, and join us for monthly concerts starting in October.
The absence of in-person events this summer has made us even more appreciative of how special these gatherings are. Our concerts are not only an opportunity to hear some of the world’s finest chamber music right here in Southeast Alaska, they have also served as an important community gathering space for nearly 50 years. We are truly humbled by this, and deeply grateful for the support you have given and continue to give to our organization. Thank you.
Zuill Bailey, Artistic Director
Kayla Boettcher, Executive Director
Sitka Music Festival
A Vote for Alyse
Dear Editor: I have been an Independent for 10 years because I prefer representatives who make their own decisions rather than take orders from party higher-ups. This November I will be voting for an Independent who has thought for herself her entire life: Alyse Galvin, who is running to represent our state in the U.S. House of Representatives.
A third-generation Alaskan, Alyse grew up in a family that struggled with abuse, addiction, and mental illness yet she managed to break the cycle. She has not stopped working since her first job at eight years old, later running two small businesses and managing a hotel after becoming the first in her family to graduate college. In 2014 she started an education advocacy group called Great Alaska Schools, which saved over $200 million in budget cuts to Alaskan public schools. She then collaborated with lawmakers and governors from all parties to keep education a public priority.
For me, Alyse’s hard work and the challenges she has overcome all lead to an enthusiastic YES on my ballot. I have met Alyse before, and she answered all my concerns with a steady, focused gaze and thoughtful responses. Vote for Alyse so she may do this for all Alaskans from her seat in Congress.
Dorrie Farrell, Sitka
