Eagle Tree Removal
Dear Editor: I just read in this newspaper that Shee Atika Inc. is being investigated because of public concern for an eagle tree that was removed. The Shee Atika Inc. website claims that it was because the eagles were a high risk to aircraft, and it also claims it worked in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This is very ironic because according to the article printed by this newspaper, that very agency is investigating the eagle nest’s removal.
It is quite clear to me that Mr. Cameron, Shee Atika Inc.’s CEO/president/chairman, who is the primary person responsible, had this tree removed because he had applied for a subdivision to be built there. Additionally, the Shee Atika’s website states “no eagles were present, and no eagles were harmed during the nest removal process.” Yet according to this newspaper, the Planning Commission had reports of a juvenile eagle being spotted in this tree.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this breaks “The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 668-668c), enacted in 1940.” This is a U.S. Federal law that protects eagles from any and all harm. The act also protects nests whether eagles are present or not. “A violation of the Act can result in a fine of $100,000 ($200,000 for organizations), imprisonment for one year, or both, for a first offense.” (This is the URL for this information http://www.fws.gov/midwest/midwestbird/EaglePermits/bagepa.html).
I grew up on Alice Island, and I remember this tree from the time I was very small. I used to go there and watch the eagles’ activities and I really enjoyed it. This tree was not nor has it ever been a danger to aircraft. The eagles were just going about their own business of fishing.
I am greatly saddened by the removal of the eagle tree. The Shee Atika Inc. administration and board of directors have not acted on behalf of the shareholders, nor on behalf of the Tlingit/Haida culture.
I believe they should all be removed from their duties, and replaced by other individuals who actually have the best interests of the Shee Atika Inc. shareholders as well as the best interests of the Native people and everyone of Sitka at heart.
Norman Johnson, Tacoma, Wash.
Support Effort
Dear Editor: My daughter Kate (Katie) Griffin was raised in Sitka, graduating from Sitka High School in 2009. The education and experiences she had in Sitka prepared her for an amazing array of adventures and experiences, including her current passion, becoming a firefighter and paramedic. This March, Kate will be among the firefighters participating in the Scott Firefighter Stairclimb, a timed race up the stairs at the Columbia Center in downtown Seattle in full fire gear and SCBA. The climb includes 69 flights of stairs, 1,356 steps, and 788 feet of vertical elevation, all done wearing full structural firefighting gear. Kate will be climbing as part of a team from the East Jefferson (County) Fire and Rescue. The stairclimb supports the mission of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, a very good cause and a long-standing tradition for firefighters.
If you would like to support Kate’s effort, she would welcome your donation of any amount. She is a rookie and every show of support will help get her to the top. You can find out more or make a donation through Kate’s stairclimb website: http://www.llswa.org/site/TR/Events/FirefighterStairclimb?px=1810047&pg=personal&fr_id=1500
Thank you for reading my letter and my best to you, lovely Sitka. We all think of you so often!
Kristen Griffin,
P.O. Box 723, Coupeville, WA 98239
Common Core
Dear Editor: The Alaska Department of Education has scrapped the flawed invalid statewide common core standardized AMP test that failed over 80 percent of Alaska students last year. The federal Department of Education has said the data from the test maker is too corrupt to even be released. The Sitka School District will spend over a million dollars in the next two months giving flawed invalid AMP tests that will produce corrupt data. Parents need to demand accountability, Opt out of Amp Testing. Opt out forms can be found at http://tinyurl.com/RefuseAMP.
Ed Gray, Sitka
Super Tuesday
Dear Editor: 2016 is an exciting year for the U.S. presidential election and Alaska Republicans. Next Tuesday on March 1 is the Alaska Presidential Preference Poll. Registered Republicans can cast a ballot for one of the five remaining GOP presidential candidates in Room 106 at the University of Alaska Southeast, Sitka Campus, between the hours of 3 and 8 p.m. Alaska Republicans will join Republican voters in 11 other states on this day known as ‘‘Super Tuesday.’’ In most cases, states participating in Super Tuesday will award delegates to candidates based proportionally on the percentage of votes they receive. Alaska will send 28 delegates to the national convention. Visit alaskagop.org for more information or to find other balloting locations if you will not be here.
Lureen Stedman, Sitka
City Budget
Dear Editor: There is hope that the city of Sitka may survive without bankruptcy even if we are $160,000,000 in debt with looming deficits in the years to come.
Having attended the past two meetings of the Task Force appointed by the city Assembly and gone over the minutes of their 13 meetings I am assured we have people working on the problem.
One of the things I can’t figure out is the Task Force reluctance to bravely go where no one has gone before and delete all (or most) sales tax exemptions. One whole meeting was devoted to reviewing the 28 or 30 sales tax exemption categories. Yes, that is not a misprint. As many as 30 groups pay no sales tax which means roughly two-thirds of the entire retail sales in Sitka are not taxed. Part of that is due to the cap, but not as much as some think. The Task Force didn’t do well in recommending deletions of exemptions. I recommend you get a list of the sales tax exemptions from the finance directors office and see for yourself.
Everyone has to give a little in tight budget times. I as a senior citizen am willing to give up my 5 percent exemption, but I expect business to give up their 5 percent without a fuss. In dollars we seniors would be giving an estimated $500,000 to the city. Business will be giving three and a half million dollars ($3,500,000). Pretty amazing that business purchases amount to almost seventy million dollars ($70,000,000) of Sitka’s economy and they don’t pay any sales tax.
Some have said charging businesses sales tax is tax on tax. I disagree. It should be a cost of doing business in Sitka.
I challenge the business community to pitch in and do your part. We all have to live here and contributions should be commensurate with resources.
Bill Marx, Sitka
P.S.: Participate, don’t prevaricate. I urge everyone to go to the Task Force meetings on Monday evenings and let them know how you think the budget crises should be solved. If they don’t get new and challenging ideas from you they will continue with business as usual which means exploit the seniors and raise property taxes.
Family Fiesta
Dear Editor: Sitkans Against Family Violence celebrated its twenty-first Family Fiesta and Dessert Auction last Sunday at the ANB Founders Hall. The immense community support we received made this event extremely enjoyable and successful as a fundraiser.
We thank our sponsors, the Hames Corporation and North Pacific Seafoods, and the Mt. Edgecumbe High School kitchen for in-kind donations; Julie Schmitts and Ted Howard for wonderful live music; auctioneer extraordinaire Ken Fate for an entertaining and successful dessert auction; Karin Mullins and her kitchen crew Grace Brooks, Bridget Hitchcock, Charlie Morgan, Caitlin Lavorgna, Heather Riggs, Sarah Curley and Jamie Kane for cooking and serving delicious homemade food; three Mt. Edgecumbe High School students, Mary Levesque, Karen Boyer, Dave Levesque, Jim Clare, Larry Edwards, Kathy Branch, Molly Johnson, Claire Sanchez, Eleyna Rosenthal and Alyssa Russell for setting up and cleaning the hall, and support throughout the evening.
We express our deep gratitude to all the people who donated fabulous desserts, and want to particularly mention Sarah Ferrency and her family who delighted us with an array of outstanding desserts, like Pistachio Baklava Cake and one that looked like spring was just around the corner. As always, we are speechless about the high bidding by all of you, knowing that every dollar will support SAFV’s clients and programs.
A big thank you goes out to our local media, the Daily Sitka Sentinel, Raven Radio, KIFW and the Sitka Soup for promoting the event. Last, but not least, we thank the ANB Camp 1 and ANS Camp 4 for allowing us to rent the hall and kitchen. As a community, we can prevent and end domestic and sexual violence. Gunalcheesh.
Martina Kurzer,
Community Coordinator,
Sitkans Against Family Violence
