Report from the State House
By Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins
Alaska State Legislature
For the last few weeks, Juneau has had the feel of a college town. I was not surprised to discover that many veterans of the legislature wryly refer to the months between January and May as the legislative “semester.”
I can appreciate the parallels with college. The uptempo pace of the Capitol is fueled by caffeine, gossip, and constant cramming – for the next hearing, press conference, or floor session. The Capitol is exhilarating and exhausting in equal measure.
Team Southeast Alaska
Every day, in our cozy broom closet of an office, I work with three thoroughly wonderful friends: Holly Smith, Nancy Barnes, and Tully McLoughlin. Along with a couple of other friends who work remotely, we’ve dubbed ourselves “Team Southeast Alaska.” We’re highly patriotic, and we’re at your service.
Clarence Jackson passes
Tlingit orator and elder Clarence Jackson “walked into the woods.” Former State Sen. Albert Kookesh described Clarence, a close friend, in an APRN story: “Very, very articulate. Not somebody who went to college, not somebody who went to law school, not somebody who went to graduate school. But somebody who went to the upper learnings of the Tlingit culture.”
I am not sure I’ve encountered a more riveting storyteller or orator in my life. He could – and did – hold audiences transfixed for hours with his humor, wisdom, and simple kindness.
Clarence’s passing creates a heavy silence across Southeast.
Back to the District
Prior to taking office, I encountered a deeply-rooted cynicism in the smaller communities of our district. If politicians ever bothered to show up, it always seemed to be right before an election to ask for votes.
I want to do the exact opposite. In December I visited Haines, Hoonah, Klawock, and Craig, and of course Sitka, my home. This last week included trips to Angoon and Hoonah for energy workshops with local leaders, and additional trips to Kake, Sitka and Haines are on the horizon. We’ll keep you posted on details.
“So, how do you like the job?”
Valentine’s Day is still a few days away, but I’m always pretty excited about the holiday. This year especially! I’ve got a downright hopeless crush on my job.
What is not to love? Every day I get to work hard and with good friends to make our small corner of the world a better place.
Postal Service
Dear Editor: The postmaster general is putting out a false ‘‘gloom and doom’’ report of the U.S. Postal Service.
In 2006, the post office was burdened with the ‘‘Postal Accountability and enhancement Act,’’ requiring the agency to PRE-PAY health care benefits for all employees who will retire in the next 75 YEARS. No other agency or corporation is required to do this.
Restore the agency’s access to its own postage money so we can have more and better mail service, including Saturdays.
Doris Smith, Sitka
Night on Broadway
Dear Editor: The spirit of Broadway is alive and well in Sitka, Alaska!
Thank you to the performers who combined their talents for a fantastic show Friday night to raise money for the next play by the Greater Sitka Arts Council’s Sitka Community Theater.
The evening wouldn’t have been possible without your willingness to belt out the tunes. Thank you to our generous contributors: Allen Marine, Sea Mart Watson Point Liquors and K & L Distributors. A huge thanks to the terrific staff at the Westmark Sitka, including Ron Hauck, Hillary and Chef Randy, who made every effort to make the evening special.
Thanks also to the Sentinel, KTNL-TV, KCAW-FM and KIFW-AM for their help publicizing the event. And to J Bradley and Ted Howard for sound equipment, as well as the numerous volunteers who helped make people comfortable.
And last but not least, thank you so much, Sitka, for coming out for the evening, applauding loudly and contributing to community theater.
We drew a lot of people, which we love, but we recognize it was also pretty crowded. So thanks, also, for your feedback – and your patience – as we work to make next year’s event even better. We hope to make the audience experience the best yet next year. Thanks so much, Sitka!
Sitka Community Theater,
a project of the
Greater Sitka Arts Council
Sitka Jazz Festival
Dear Editor: On behalf of the Sitka School District, Mike Kernin and I would like to thank the community of Sitka for its stalwart support of the 2013 Sitka Jazz Festival. This year’s festival has been described as one of the best on record, and this would not have been possible without the support of our many volunteers, donors, and supporters.
We are deeply grateful for the work of our volunteers: Carole Knuth for coordinating artist transportation, as well as many who donated their time and vehicles to transport our various guests and equipment to and from our concert venues – Kris Fulton, Bridget Kauffman, Kristin Homer, Karen Meizner, Gene Prewitt, Colin Herforth and Community Schools.
Hosting over 100 visiting students and artists would have been impossible without the support of our community and donors. Thank you to all of the Sitka High and Blatchley Middle School parents who opened their homes to our visiting students. Thank you also to the Sitka Fine Arts Camp, Sue Fleming, Mike and Iko Sullivan, and the Kernin household. A special thank you to Ron Hauk and the Westmark Sitka for stepping in to show some genuine Sitka hospitality to our visiting artists and the Greatlanders.
A festival of this magnitude requires a great deal of logistical support. First, a huge thank you to Jan and Terry Lovett, without whose organizational structure this festival would have been impossible. In addition, we are grateful to Twila Keaveny, Colin Herforth, Joe Montagna, Peter Apathy, Mike and Sheila Stenberg, Pam Kernin, the students and staff of both Blatchley Middle School and Sitka High School, Holly Keen, Christine Davenport, Bobbi Jordan, Bridget Kauffman, Teri Loree, PJ Ford Slack, Ben White, and many others for their help. Without the support of Mike Vieira and his team of student helpers, the festival would not have run so smoothly.
On the technical side we’d like to thank J Bradley, Bryan Lovett, Vince Agne, John Herchenrider, Jeanne Stolberg, Keith Giles, Juliet Agne, Stefanie Ask, Anthony Buchholz, Isaac Pike, and a number of student helpers who manned video cameras, guided performance groups and assisted with the stage crew.
Thanks to Sue Litman who, in addition to managing the festival’s finances, organized an army of volunteers as ushers, ticket takers, and CD sellers and to provide desserts for our hospitality room. Thanks also go to Jasmine Shaw for house managing all four of our evening concerts.
As always, our hospitality was one of the many favorite memories of our visiting artists. Our thanks go out to Pat Kehoe, Ludvig’s, Sitka Sound Seafoods, Rick Heim, Mike Sullivan, Rick and Suzan Armstrong, Sailor’s Choice Coffee, Northern Sales, Seamart, Carol Hughey, Laurie Seehafer, Lily Herwald, and the F/V Chaos for their donations and support. Thanks to Davey Lubin and Mike Stenberg for giving our artists an unforgettable wildlife cruise. Many thanks to Mary Beth Palof, White’s, and AC Lakeside for hosting our ice cream social.
A special thank you to David Lass for creating the amazing artwork that adorned our posters, programs, and festival passes. Thanks also to Martha at Robertson’s Gallery for framing the artwork for auction. Thanks go to Raven Radio, the Sitka Sentinel, the staff at Centennial Hall, our emcee Ed Ronco, and to Anne Brice for creating such wonderful audio postcards to celebrate this year’s festival.
Without the financial support of our donors, this festival would simply not be possible. We are especially thankful to the Westmark Sitka, Alaska Airlines, Sitka Charitable Trust, and Sitka C.H.A.R.R. as our “Giants of Jazz” for their charitable contributions. Thanks also to our Benefactors: Venneberg Insurance, Guardian Flight, Harris Aircraft Services, Holland America, and the Alaska State Council on the Arts for their financial support.
We are also indebted to many other donors, including but not limited to Allen Marine; F/V Coral Lee; ALPS Federal Credit Union; Paulla, Dave and Mossy Hardy; Foreign Automotive; Myron Fribush; Sitka Vision Clinic; Stereo North; Alaska Pacific Bank; and Alaska Marine Lines. A very special thank you to our grant writer Lisa Busch, without whom we would not have been able to hire the extraordinary artists who were our guests this year.
Of course, the festival would be nothing without the talents and experience of our visiting artists and educators. Thanks to the Jeff Colella Trio, Tom Scott, Katherine Kramer, Barbara Morrison, and the Greatlanders for their truly inspirational performances. Thanks to Bob Athayde, Ed Littlefield, and Vern Sielert for their exceptional work with our students. Thanks also to Adam Litten and all who performed and helped facilitate our after-hours performances at the Pub and at Ludvig’s Bistro.
Finally, a big thank you to the entire community for supporting this event. Sitka truly is a special place and the Sitka Jazz Festival is a special event because of all of you.
John DePalatis, Co-Director,
2013 Sitka Jazz Festival
