HPR Traffic Safety
Dear Editor: The recent bicycle-vehicle accident at the intersection of Halibut Point Road and Peterson Street is a sobering reminder that we can all help to prevent these kinds of accidents. And this section of road – roughly the HPR stop-light to Peterson Street – is especially problematic. Including the most recent accident, there are at least four bicycle-vehicle accidents on this section of road in recent memory, one of which resulted in a bicycle fatality. Instead of analyzing the details of these accidents in order to assign responsibility, I believe we should focus on how all of us – pedestrians, motorists, bicyclists can prevent these accidents and take an active part in improving safety.
For example, southbound motorists can be more aware of the changing dynamic of leaving the “outskirts” of HPR and entering downtown. The first requirement to stop after travelling several miles is not a stop sign or light, but a very poorly marked pedestrian crossing after cresting a hill. That crossing should be repainted, and we should consider ways to make that crossing more visible.
One idea would be to install a “hawk crossing,” which is the type of light that hangs over Sawmill Creek Road near Indian River. This crossing has a high level of pedestrian traffic, which I assume is because of the vicinities of Blatchley and Sitka High. Those schools, and even nearby businesses like McDonald’s could provide educational outreach about where to cross and even proper biking rules.
Everyone in our family is an active bicycle commuter. When biking, we strive to be highly visible, highly defensive (as in I assume no one sees me), follow the rules of the road (never ride against traffic), and wear a helmet. As bicyclists, we can help motorists be safer by following these general principles. In order to promote bicycle safety, we should consider offering a “defensive bicycling class,” and provide incentives for participation. Incentives could range from a free bike raffle to coupons at local businesses to some kind of student benefit. I think we should even consider encouraging the police department to pull over violators of either bicycle or vehicle infractions and require the violators to take such a class.
There are probably many other solutions to improve safety along this stretch of road. All of us should encourage and support the city and Assembly, the police department, and any volunteers to develop a lasting solution.
Scott Harris, Sitka
Assembly Issues
Dear Editor: More entertaining than ‘‘Downton Abbey.’’ Faster than a speeding bullet. A huge hunk of city land at the park sold in ONE “reading” last night by our overworked Assembly. Sold, not leased, despite the fact there was confusion about how much land for how much money and where the lots were located. I thought surely the Assembly would request – at least – a tour of the park. I was wrong.
Hmm. I wonder if the marijuana “ordinance” will fly through that fast? I can see it now: Sitka: pot capital of Alaska. Little old ladies hustling off the tour ships to find the pot shops. Puffing their way home, pleased the taxes helped fund our gravel roads. We are looking for a magic “brand,” right?
How about Sitka takes a stand of not being a pot stop. Has the state mandated that we locally have to sell the stuff? Is there any option? What’s the rush? I haven’t even had a cookie yet.
Our poor kids, parents, teachers. In addition to social chaos, bullying, digital mania, and the other known traumas of growing up, they will have to add monitoring marijuana. Another chance to be bad before 21.
Here’s hoping fish keep rolling in from our troubled oceans for Silver Bay Seafoods. And here’s hoping that pot doesn’t.
Nancy Yaw Davis, Sitka
Health Assessment
Dear Editor: The Sitka Health Summit and Sitka Health Needs and Human Services Commission would like to thank the community of Sitka for last week’s highly successful community health assessment training, held on Jan. 20 and 21 at Harrigan Centennial Hall.
Thank you to the 30-plus Sitkans who attended over the course of the two days. Thank you to training faciliator Jayne Andreen, from the state Department of Public Health. Thank you to SEARHC catering for providing refreshments, to Centennial Hall staff for support, to KCAW and the Sitka Sentinel for promotion. Thank you to Dan Etulain for filming and broadcasting the training.
Last week’s training was preparation for Sitka’s first MAPP comprehenseive community health assessment. Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships is a strategic planning approach to community health improvement that will help our community identify and use our resources wisely, assess our unique circumstances and needs, and form effective partnerships for strategic action.
Over the course of the following months, Sitkans will work together to craft as clear a picture as possible of our community’s health landscape, compile a community health database, and formulate action plans for community health improvement. Funding for the MAPP is a grant from the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, through SEARHC. It will be coordinated by the Sitka Health Summit.
Again, thank you, everyone for a great training. If you would like to learn more about the MAPP, contact Sitka Health Summit Executive Director Melissa Marconi Wentzel, 738-0462 or director@sitkahealthsummitak.org. Working together, we can all create a healthier Sitka.
Melissa Marconi Wentzel,
Executive Director,
Sitka Health Summit
State Budget Cuts
Dear Editor: In just a couple of weeks in office, Gov. Bill Walker has taken some admirable steps to get Alaska’s fiscal house in order and deserves recognition for his efforts at reducing our budget deficit. Cutting budgets can be an extremely painful process, but in this case it is a necessary evil. I was especially happy to see six large boondoggle projects put on hold and possibly killed.
However, I’m concerned Gov. Walker may have cut too much in one particular area – clean energy programs. Energy efficiency and weatherization programs help reduce energy costs for Alaskans while at the same time creating jobs and spurring economic growth in communities that desperately need more of both. Energy efficiency and weatherization programs are especially needed in the smaller, rural communities of Alaska, where they still use expensive diesel fuel for electricity because they can’t link into a nearby intertie.
Clean energy is important to Alaska because we need to diversify our energy portfolio. Wind energy is readily available in many parts of the state, and it comes with a stable price and indefinite supply. I live in Sitka, where we have small-scale hydroelectric power to reduce our energy costs. Elsewhere in Alaska we also have geothermal energy in places such as Chena Hot Springs, and even solar and biomass energy. In the near future we may have tidal power for our coastal communities.
Many Alaskans look at Norway for an example on how a country has maximized its oil and gas resources to create a huge permanent fund for its citizens, one that’s several times the size of Alaska’s even though it started later. But there’s another reason we should look to Norway as an example, and that’s because the country now gets more than half of its power from clean and renewable energy sources.
Making good use of available clean and renewable energy sources helps reduce our state’s reliance on highly polluting fossil fuels, and it helps us protect the environment at a time when climate change is having great impacts in rural Alaska. Energy efficiency and weatherization programs reduce the costs of energy and the amount of energy used. These programs should be funded and I encourage Gov. Walker to find a way to return them to the budget.
Charles Bingham III, Sitka
Common Core
Dear Editor: the U.S. Department of Education and corporations have partnered to fundamentally change the way children are educated in the U.S.
The purpose of this national-corporate education model is to transfer local control of education to U.S. Department of Education and to allow corporations to access $500 billion in untapped profits (Rupert Murdoch).
The national-corporation education reform taking place is about control and money. Common Core and standardized testing are about making children common and standard.
On Thursday the Sitka School District is getting children AMPED UP. Celebrating making Sitka children common and standard. My Sitka student will not be getting AMPED UP on Thursday. In early December I submitted on opt-out form notifying the Sitka School District I would be opting my Sitka student out of Common Core and standardized testing.
Ed Gray, Sitka,
Alaskans Against Common Core
National Opt-Out
