Brave Heart Bowls
Dear Editor: We are extremely grateful to all the community members who made the 9th Annual Brave Heart Bowls fundraiser such a huge success!
To all of you, who bought a ticket, thank you. Your attendance at the Bowls fundraiser goes a long way. Money raised allows us to provide free services to your neighbors, individuals, and families living with chronic or terminal illness, recovering from hospitalization, experiencing grief or bereavement or who are at end of life. We hope you enjoyed your experience at Bowls and will come again next year.
By our count, there were well over 200 community members who contributed in some way. We are grateful for each and every one of the talented and generous potters and artists, musicians, cooks, bakers and volunteer workers who made the event possible. A special thanks to the artists of the Chair-ity live auction: Steve Lawrie, Kristina Cranston, Leslie Ann Touzinsky, Dorothy Olsen, Sandra Rudd, Eric Haseltine, Stacy Johnson, DJ Robidou, Tommy Joseph and Carin Farley; and to our wonderful auctioneer, Dave Miller and our master of ceremonies Rob Woolsey and the SitNiks. Also, thank you to our corporate sponsors: The Hames Corporation (Sea Mart, Market Center and Cascade Convenience Store) and White’s and Harry Race Pharmacy.
This event would not have been possible without the tremendous help and support of the University of Alaska, Southeast and Assistant Art Professor, Liz Zacher.
Finally, an appreciative thank you to all the local businesses that helped us raise money, advertise, sell tickets or helped supply the Bowls event: accommodating hosts Harrigan Centennial Hall; Old Harbor Books for ticket sales; Wild Arts Gallery and Homeport Eatery for displaying chairs; KD Painting LLC for displaying the BHV Banner; Westmark Hotel and Sitka Spruce Catering for donating chaffing dishes; and Sitka Pioneers Home, Baranof Island Brewing Company, Fish Eye Coffee and Lakeside for lending us supplies.
The silent auction could not have been done without generous donations from Abby’s Reflection Apparel and Quiltworks, Agave, Alaska Pure Sea Salt, Allen Marine Tours, Aquatic Alaska Adventures, Backdoor Cafe, Balanced Practice, Bayview Pub, Biorka Bed and Breakfast, Ben Franklin, Botanika Spa, Brenners, The Cellar, Chocolate Moose, Coliseum Theater, Down to Earth-You Pick, Fairweather Prints, The Fishermen’s Eye Gallery, House of Liquor, Mountain Miss, Murray Pacific, Old Harbor Books, Orion Sporting Goods, Raptor Rehabilitation Center, Robert Rose, Russell’s, Salon 264, Silver Basin, Sitka Rose Gallery, Sitka Spruce Catering, Spenard Builders Supply, Jeanne Stolberg, The Fishermen’s Eye, Wild Arts Gallery, Yoga Union, and Wild Rose Studios.
On behalf of those we serve, thank you again Sitka!
The Staff of Brave Heart Volunteers Willow Moore, Jessica Gibson,
Julie Simpson, Bonnie Cottrell,
Erin Matthes and
Shoshauna Schmidt
Heartfelt Thanks
Dear Editor: We, the family of Scotty Falzerano, would like to extend our deepest and most heartfelt thanks to the community of Sitka for their kind support and outreach to us in this unspeakably difficult time.
We would first like to express our gratitude to the Sitka Mountain Search and Rescue team and community volunteers for spending days in the cold, and the rain in a sincere and dogged search for our boy.
We would also like to thank those businesses who lent their financial support and donations in our time of loss; we thank the Cellar, Pizza Express, and Tongass Threads for their generosity which enabled us to take care of the affairs we needed to take care of.
We would also say a big “thank you” to the New Archangel Dancers and Sitka Sound Seafood (Pacific Seafoods) for their help in providing food for the reception.
We thank those who brought meals to Scotty’s large surviving family, many of whom came from a great distance, as well as those who lent financial help toward the expense our family incurred from this deep, sudden, and unexpected loss.
Last but not least, we would like to thank all of the family, friends, and community members who lent and still lend their prayers and support for our family as we continue this difficult process of grieving.
If we left anyone out of our thank you, it is not our intention.
Words cannot express how grateful we are for the outpouring of love in our community, which was one bright beacon we were able to see throughout this hard time. Thank you, Sitka.
The Family of Scotty Falzerano
Heleena and Ron van Veen
‘Meth’ Response
Dear Editor: I am writing in response to Nancy Yaw Davis’ letter from Friday. She asks “What is Meth?’’ That is a question on a lot of minds these days.
As Sitka’s health and wellness facility, Hames Center is hosting Eileen Gallagher who will share her expertise in neuro/biological effects of methamphetamine on the brain, resulting behaviors, and other specifics regarding this drug and its impact. It will be an hour lecture, with 30 minutes of Q/A to follow, this Sunday at 3 p.m.
The event is free to the public, thanks to Eileen and concerned donors that want to make sure our town is educated.
Cindy Edwards
Hames Center Director
Legacy Fund Goal
Dear Editor: The Greater Sitka Legacy Fund was created in early 2013. It is the only community-wide foundation fund in and for the benefit of all Sitka. Our mission is to promote our community’s self-sufficiency and resiliency, whatever needs the unknown future may bring. We have started a core endowment fund, managed by the Alaska Community Foundation.
In 2013, GSLF is in a “two-to-one” match challenge: if we raise $25,000 before New Year’s Eve, the Rasmuson Foundation will gift the endowment with $50,000 – and extend the challenge to do the same in 2014. The goal is to have at least $150,000 invested in the endowment by end 2014.
Gifts made in 2013 range from $20 to $3,000 – and every donor becomes a founder.
As of Dec. 8, GSLF has received about $20,000 in generous gifts from nearly 60 people, businesses, and organizations – who are now 2013 founding members of the Legacy Fund. Special thanks for large gifts go to the Hames family, Petro Marine Services, McDonald’s of Sitka, Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins and Rob Allen and Robin Sherman.
To see a complete list of donors to date, and to read more about the Sitka Legacy Fund, the initial advisory board, and Alaska Community Foundation, please visit the website:
www.greatersitkalegacyfund.
Please become a 2013 founding member. Instructions for giving, including secure online giving, are to be found at www.greatersitkalegacyfund. Or call any advisory board member to make a gift or ask questions.
Greater Sitka Legacy Fund is still seeking $5,000 before the end of December – to ensure we make the goal and receive the “two-to-one” match from Rasmuson.
The GSLF Initial Advisory Board:
Bill Davis, Ph.D., Mollie Kabler,
Karen Grussendorf, Willow Moore,
Connie Sipe, Trish White
Christmas Bazaar
Dear Editor: The 2013 Annual Christmas Bazaar was our biggest and best in its 33-year history. Sitka Counseling would like to say a big thank you to all Sitkans for showing their tremendous support for our organization and the bazaar. We could not have completed this year successfully without our wonderful vendors, staff and especially the community!
The day was filled with smiling faces, it was obvious you enjoyed yourselves as much as we did. We would like to thank Sea Mart/Hames Corporation, Ron Pratt, Sitka High School, Harry Race, Jackie House/Eagle Eye Photography, Marcel and Connie LaPerriere and the Harrigan Centennial Hall staff for their donations which made this event a huge success. All of us at Sitka Counseling look forward to next year. Happy holidays.
The Staff of Sitka Counseling
Christmas Dinner
Dear Editor: The Alaska Native Sisterhood Camp 4 invites all to the Community Christmas dinner, a tradition they have held for many years, to bring community together to celebrate the season. All are welcome on Dec. 25 from 1 to 3 p.m. for a traditional Christmas dinner at the ANB Founders Hall.
Anyone who would like to volunteer to set up, clean up, serve, kitchen help, or other needed activities can call to sign up. Monetary donations are needed for food and toys, and can be mailed to ANS Community Christmas Dinner, c/o K. Lucas, 224 Katlian, Sitka, AK 99835. Checks can be made out to ANS with ‘‘Christmas Dinner’’ in the memo line. Donations are being sought to feed an estimated 300 people who come together every year, people alone, families, homeless, student groups, to visit, commune, serve and be served.
This year plans include Tlingit and traditional caroling, a children’s Christmas pageant (all children welcome to participate), the Russian Orthodox Choir, other entertainments, and a surprise visit from Santa with gifts for the children. For further information call Katherine Howard, ANS sergeant at arms, 752-3420 or Karen Lucas, co-chair, 747-7803.
Karen Lucas for the Community
Christmas Dinner Committee
Skiff Hunting
Dear Editor: This past week I was on a beach on Kruzof Island. A skiff with four people came along ‘‘Skiff Hunting.’’ They saw me and came straight towards me, gun pointed at me. Realizing I had become their target, I wave. Abruptly they turned away. The people then waved back. The fourth, being the ‘‘shooter,’’ did not wave as they had their hands full holding the rifle.
I would like to remind people that shooting from the skiff is illegal. Get some binoculars and confirm that what you see is actually something you want to harvest.
Evening Grutter, Sitka
By Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins
Alaska State Legislature
In one of my favorite Calvin and Hobbes comics, Calvin engineers a duplicator and creates five copies of himself.
Our district, District 34, is composed of 14 communities, from Metlakatla in the south to Klukwan in the north; it’s the size of New Jersey. I love all 14 communities, but the inevitability of a big rural district is that it sometimes feels as though you’re being pulled in 14 directions at the same time. A duplicator would be handy!
Normally I write for our district-wide audience, but as Tip O’Neil once said, “all politics is local.” To wit, this newsletter is a Sitka special.
Aliens in Whiting Harbor
The closest aliens have come to landing in Alaska has been Sitka’s Whiting Harbor. D. Vex (Didemnum vexillum), the infamous tunicate that is colonizing the sea floor of Whiting Harbor, is an alien species with a terrible and powerful superpower: it rapidly reproduces, smothering and extinguishing almost all other sea life. It’s also very hard to kill. Given an alternative to D. Vex, I’d almost prefer a UFO.
Progress is being made. In fact, today and tomorrow Sitka ADF&G staff and Tammy Davis (who works in Juneau and is responsible for combating invasives statewide) are removing the last floating structure from Whiting Harbor.
The Legislature also appropriated $500,000 to eradicate D. Vex in Sitka. While there’s money available, it’s been a challenge to turn the money into results. This summer, ADF&G put the project out to bid. Partly because of the state’s clunky and stringent procurement policy, no one submitted a bid. Since the failed RFP and as of press time, ADF&G is close to inking a contract with an organization that will make haste and attempt to eradicate the tunicate. Let us hope!
Finally, it is worth noting that many who work on invasives have noted the Sitka Harbormaster Stan Eliason is arguably the most proactive and engaged among harbormasters in Alaska. Between Tammy, Stan, and others, we’re fortunate to have a lot of good people working on a very tough problem.
Obamacare Questions and Answers
Crystal Bourland is a healthcare “navigator” working for the United Way out of Juneau. Her job is to help people — you! — and answer their questions about Obamacare. She does a superb job and is nice enough that she could fit in as a cast member on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.
It’s not just me saying it. Here’s an anthology of rave reviews since the last newsletter: “She’s great!” said one. “Very helpful,” said another, a self-employed fisherman. I was stopped on an Alaska Airlines flight last Friday by someone else who said that Crystal had helped her get insurance and thought that she was “really great” and “extremely helpful.”
There’s no denying it: Crystal is a gem. So, still have questions? Crystal is doing a videoconference presentation at Kettleson Library tomorrow (Tuesday), 5-6 p.m. Or, email her (cbourland@ak.net). Or, call her (523.1147). She’s here to help.
Airlift Northwest
Did you have medevac insurance with Airlift Northwest? As you may know, the Alaska Division of Insurance shut down Airlift Northwest just a few weeks ago.
I’ve heard from folks in Sitka and Haines who are affected. If you are, too, email Tully on my staff: tully.mcloughlin@akleg.gov.
My staff and I are working on the issue and learning more. We’ll keep you in the loop as we do.
Transportation Forecast
Sitka is in the midst of a construction renaissance. HPR is going to get a $21 million rebuild. $2 million is scheduled for the Cross Trail, including a connector to Pherson Street. And there’s the $24 million Katlian Bay Road project, for which funding approved by voters with the 2010 bond package.
Are you an affected property owner, or have concerns or ideas about these projects? At any point (although earlier is better), email me at rep.jonathan.kreiss-tomkins@akleg.gov and I can connect you with the DOT project manager, and other Sitkans who might be in a similar position as you.
The Amazing SHS Swim Team
On a fairly regular basis, someone does something amazing in Sitka. I remember when I became an Eagle Scout (hardly amazing, but nonetheless), Rep. Peggy Wilson sent me a nice little note. I’ve tried to take after her.
When the Sitka High Swim Team capped off an absolutely remarkable season, I dashed off a note (with age-relevant cultural references). I was asked by a few swim-team parents to reprint the letter in the Sentinel:
I love the movie 300 with all that Frank Miller graphic novel-cum-motion picture magic. You know that line, as King Leonidas kicks the messenger into the well, “This is Sparta!”? Well, I feel that the members of your team could say, “This is the Sitka High School Swim Team!” and it would be equally awesome. (By the way, in no way do I condone kicking messengers to their death.)
Why? Because you all took on those big, beastly Anchorage (and Fairbanks and Juneau) high schools five times the size of SHS and beat nearly all of them. And if there were any moral justice in the universe, you would’ve beaten all of them. Including Dimond.
Seriously, though. You have everything to be proud of. Yours was a season to be remembered: third fastest 400 free relay time in state history; an All-American performance in the 100 back; four new school records...
Most of all, your resilience and positivity after the questionable 200 free relay DQ at regions and the heartbreaking 0.09 seconds in the 400 free relay at state, speaks volumes — more than any state championship.
I have spent a lot of time recently thinking about the relationship between statesmanship and sportsmanship — the same fundamental quality expressed in two different contexts. If our political system had half the statesmanship as you and your teammates have demonstrated sportsmanship, we would have much to be proud of.
