Del’s Place
Dear Editor: Congratulations and my profound thanks to the community of Sitka for the creation of ‘‘Del’s Place’’ in Allen Hall at Sitka Fine Arts Camp. I am Del’s widow and am visiting my brother, David Steward, and his wife Marge here.
Together, you have created a stunningly beautiful place! I appreciate it not only for its beauty, but also for the huge amount of time, effort and skill provided by members of your community which brought Del’s Place into being.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart! I hope you reap great benefits not only from what you have created, but also from the community you have developed through building it!
I look forward to visiting Del’s Place again and again – as often as I can visit Sitka. Many, many blessings,
Ruth Shirley, Corvallis, Oregon
Sitka Cost-of-Living
Dear Editors: I frequently field questions from visitors who are investigating the prospect of living in Sitka. First, they are concerned with the cost of living. Rents in Sitka actually are in line with rents nationwide. Home prices are far above average. Grocery prices are off the high end of the charts.
The second area of concern to visitors is the quality of the schools. I am able to describe why the schools are a strong offset to the cost of food and shelter. I can add that Community Schools and the Fine Arts Camp add tremendously to the value of the schools. Further, I point out that excellent health care is readily available.
Really, the question is whether one would rather save on housing and food and live where the schools are a disaster and the neighborhood is risky, or would one rather accept what it costs to live with quality and safety where the cost of living is higher. If getting what you pay for is the real definition of living economically, then Sitka is an all time great deal.
Supporting the schools, health care and the arts makes economic sense. Our main values are not only altruistic, but are key to our economy. We cannot afford to undercut the Sitka’s economy by neglecting to raise the revenue needed to pay for core services. It is a mistake to call education, arts and health superfluous. They absolutely are what we are all about.
John Welsh, Sitka
