First Bank Donation
Dear Editor: We would like to thank First Bank for their third year of supporting Sitka SAIL by matching funds donated by Sitkans. First Bank will provide a ‘‘one to one’’ match of up to $2,500. The donated funds will be used towards SAIL program activities in Sitka.
The matched funds will go towards the Sitka Outdoor Recreation and Community Access program as well as supporting other activities, including the Senior Outdoor Adventure and Recreation program. There are multiple ways to double your donation including stopping into First Bank and filling out an envelope at our display box, dropping off a donation at the SAIL office, or donating online at the SAIL website and indicating your donation is for the First Bank match promotion. Matched donations to SAIL through First Bank will end Feb. 28.
We appreciate the generous community support of SAIL programs and activities in Sitka. To learn more about SAIL activities, please call: 907-747-6859 or email Tiffany at tjustice@sailinc.org. Happy Holidays!
Robert Purvis,
SAIL Board Member
Tiffany Justice,
Sitka Program Director
Conflict of Interest
Dear Editor: Be it in Washington or Juneau, politicians, seem to be embroiled in a new ethics scandal every time I open the paper, so it is nice to have some good news to share with my fellow Sitkans:
Do you believe legislators who have conflicts of interest should stop voting on those interests? Would you like to see legislators pass a budget in one hundred and twenty days, or lose their per diem for the rest of the session? Do you think lobbyist should be barred from wining and dining our representatives in Juneau? If so, you will be excited to hear that the petition packets for the Alaskans for Integrity Initiative have arrived in Sitka!
If we can gather 612 signatures before the legislature convenes next month, we will have done our part to put the power to require ethical behavior in Alaska politics into the hands of the voters next election. It can be pretty frustrating to hear of corruption in our government and feel powerless to stop it, but here is your opportunity to take meaningful action for change.
Join us Wednesday, Dec. 20, at 7 p.m. at the library to learn how to be a signature gatherer or to just sign the petition. Look for signature gatherers downtown between now and Christmas and encourage your fellow voters to sign.
If we pitch in to collect signatures in support of this initiative. we might have a future where, in addition to the reforms above, foreign-influenced corporations can no longer finance Alaska campaigns, and the state stops footing the bill for legislators to vacation overseas.
This is a non-partisan initiative authored by Anchorage Independent Jason Grenn, Anchorage Republican Bonnie Jack and Sitka Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins. If you would like to collect signatures, but can’t make the meeting Wednesday, call or text me at (907)738-0497. We appreciate your help!
Stacey Wayne, Sitka
Yupik Dancers Support
Dear Editor: The Mt. Edgecumbe Yupik Dance Group would like to personally thank those who donated to our Reno, Nevada, trip. The Hames Corporation, Sitka Tribe of Alaska, Alaska Native Brotherhood Camp 1 and the Alaska Native Sisterhood Camp 4.
It was definitely a learning experience for us. We enjoyed learning about the various Native American cultures spread across the state of Nevada. We also enjoyed sharing our Yupik culture with their communities.
Without the support from our sponsors, we would not have been able to experience this amazing cultural exchange. We are forever thankful for those who helped us along the way: all the donations and overall support from the community funds us for these trips.
Again, thank you to those who gave us money. We could not go on these trips without the support.
Leann Francis, President,
Mt. Edgecumbe High School
Yupik Dance Group
