Christmas Dinner
Dear Editor: The community Christmas dinner at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Founders Hall was a lively event, and a packed house with much good will, merriment, and community closeness.
One guest stated, ‘‘It feels like family.’’ Truly, an event that takes a whole community to make it happen from the donors to the diners, and all the volunteers in between! The Alaska Native Brotherhood Camp 1 and Alaska Native Sisterhood Camp 4 would like to acknowledge and thank the many who made it possible. The partnership with the Salvation Army, Capts. Matt and Charleen Morrow, and their crew David, Maya, John, Mareah and Brian Nakowski cooking and making up the plates, and donating food, and as part of that crew tirelessly working the kitchen John Murray, Bron Walton, Paul Cotter, Jim and Sharon Corbett, with a special shout out to Jim Corbett who took care of the pots and pans which did not go unnoticed! With thanks to delivery stand by cabbie: Mike Peters. Thank you all!
Blessings to Paul Chulik, ANB chaplain, for the opening prayer, and sister Bertha Karras for the closing prayer.
Grateful appreciation to our donors: Arnold family, Northrim Bank, 3-5 Preschool, Hames Corporation, Shee Atika, Sitka Woman’s Club, Sitka Tribe of Alaska, the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, Evelyn Johnson, Nancy Yaw Davis, Florence and Melvin Pick, Mike Mayo F/V Coral Lee, Baranof Island Housing Authority, Amy L. Volz and Sam D. Skaggs, Charles and Christine Horan, Loyd and Julie Platson, Sealaska Corporation, St. Peter’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, Harry Race Pharmacy’s soda fountain tips, and the cash donations at the dinner that were not asked for, but were freely given, many thanks to all for the continued financial support. A special thanks to Northern Sales, Kevin Boddy and Willy Schamtz, for the food service items.
Without the help of fishermen friends who know how to deftly wield a knife for hours on end, this time peeling potatoes, yams, carrots, and chopping a number of veggies, a heartfelt thank you to Gary and Phyllis Mulligan and John Skeele and Beth Caffery for the food prep, with an assist from Debe Brincefield.
Set-up and decorating: Chad Titell, Ann Marie Johnson, Damian and Bryan, Victoria Martin, Jerry Brower, Sharyn and John Ferrick; Galen Needham for the cedar boughs, and her crew of set-up helpers and decorating the tree: Ajax, Keri, Ryker and Jamison; a special thank you to Hector Barragan for donating a pizza to these volunteers, as the evening wore on. Welcome committee: Ann Marie Johnson, and sons Bryan and Damian, and the elf of the stairs, Hali Wood.
And Capt. Charleen, Alene Henning and Linda Bergdol-Schmidt of the Salvation Army for their generosity in providing toys for the children, and Ann Marie and Victoria for wrapping them all!
Our local talented musicians who led and filled the hall with Christmas carols with other voices unnamed: Flo Benton, pianist, Al, Ann and Becca Hass, Jim and Rhonda Rogers, and Clyde Young, thank you!
Turkey donors: SEARHC’s Pat Brady, Bob Sam, Peter Apathy, Harvey Brandt; and ham donor: Raven’s Way, added greatly to the feast!
Dessert donors making Christmas Day sweeter: Evelyn Johnson, two full trays of cookies, Bunny Blackbird, Keet Dundas, Amy Phillips and Vickie Keele, thank you!
A total of 26 turkeys roasted by: Andy Elam, Linda ‘‘LJ’’ Smith, Phyllis Mulligan, Nancy Furlow, Al and Ann Hass, Vickie Keele, Grace Larsen, Max and Bonnie Cotrell, Karen Lucas, Debe Brincefield, Charleen Morrow, Martina Kurzer (and cranberry donation), Harriet McClain, Linda Waller, George Chappell, Beth Caffrey, and Jim and Sharon Corbett, many of whom cooked two.
The amazing servers and volunteers: Mary Bear, Max Kritzer, Lori Braha, Ralph Junker, Clyde Young, Paul Carter, Darren Heath, Petra Lechner, Diane Moore, Jennie and Willis Paul, Julie Bailey, Annalee, Cynthia, Boady, Kira, Dawson, Gustav Bruhl, Jeff, Lakota Harden, Helen and Mitchell Sachsenmaier, and Cephas for being there.
Santa, his elves and his dog: David Rice, Joy and Hali Wood, and Helen Sachsenmaier, with a scratch behind the ears to John Morrow the Christmas dog! Jeff Hole for the loan of an elf suit, and Sitka Tribe of Alaska for the Santa suit.
The company was entertained by the grace of a surprise visit from Stormy Powell and her troupe of traveling musicians: Tristen, Juanita, Lilly, Gerald and Xandra who marvelously preformed Christmas songs on their instruments, and then broke into traditional Tlingit drumming, singing and dancing, Gunnal cheesh!
Darrell Winsor for fixing the oven, Ray Nielsen for hall care-taking, George Chappell, ANB president, for his continued maintenance of the physical premises, doing all the shopping, not to mention being such a great leader of Camp 1, and Rachel Henderson for managing the holiday dinners account.
Greatly appreciated: LaNelle and Tom Bacon, who took care of the trash cans, and the cleanup crew: a special thanks to sister Grace Larsen, ANS President, for helping out from beginning to end, and leading the sisterhood so graciously the last couple years, Karen Lucas, Ray Howard, Lori Braha, Joy and Hali Wood, and the angel who dropped in when we were on our last legs, Jonathon Zambrana, who put the finishing touches on the kitchen clean up.
Finally, we would like to thank the community of Sitka for coming out on Christmas Day to celebrate the season, and we would thank you, dear Editors Thad and Sandy Poulson, and Cyndi Cassedy, for the many announcements in the Daily Sitka Sentinel for this event. Gunnal cheesh ho, ho, ho!
George Chappell,
ANB Camp 1 President
Grace Larsen,
ANS Camp 4 President
Karen Lucas,
ANS Camp 4, Camp Council
Carbon Offsets
Dear Editor: Thanks to everyone who donated to the Sitka carbon offset fund that started earlier this year.
Your financial support, combined with contributions from the Baranof Island Housing Authority meant a local family got a modern heat pump installed and made the switch from an oil-based heating system to one fueled by clean, renewable, local electricity. This one switch is saving tons of greenhouse gas from going into our atmosphere.
Because of thoughtful donors like you and the instrumental support of the Island Institute and Sitka Conservation Society we have great way for people to take action at www.sitkacarbonoffset.com. If you are concerned about Climate Change and support a just transition to clean, renewable, local energy please consider making a donation. Thank you.
Sitka Health Summit’s
CO2 reducers group,
Doug Osborne,
Chandler O’Connell,
Libby Stortz, Michelle Putz,
Sam Pointer, Judy Kearns-Steffen
and Barbara Bingham
