Community Playground
Dear Editor: It’s been almost five years since we had the grand opening of the Sitka Community Playground. It has been so great to see so many kids enjoying it. We are very grateful for all the individuals, businesses and organizations that donated money or time to the playground. We appreciate each and every donation we received, from $5 donations to $10,000-plus donations. And we appreciate each and every act of volunteerism, from making a lasagna or pie at a fundraiser, to helping put equipment together during the “volunteer build week.”
Recently, we put up our beautifully designed “donor fish” for monetary or in-kind donations of $500 or more. You can find them “swimming” along the fence that borders the Sitka Sound Science Center hatchery. Thank you to Charlie Skultka for designing the fish! Thank you to Mike Vieira and the Sitka High School shop students for fabricating the fish. And, thank YOU, SITKA, for helping make an ADA-accessible, safe, and vibrant community playground a reality!
Bridget Hitchcock,
Sitka Community Playground
Kids Fishing Day
Dear Editor: The Sitka Rotary Club, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and U.S. Forest Service would like to extend thanks to the attendees and sponsors of the 82nd Annual Swan Lake Kids Fishing Day.
The event took place on June 10 from 9 a.m. to noon. Eighty-four kids registered and 65 fish were weighed and measured. Sizes ranged from 6.5 to 13.9 inches. Prizes were awarded for the first fish and largest fish in each age category. Random weight prizes were announced at the end.
Prizes for first fish were awarded to Violet Sheperd, Adam Weidener, Mandy Wright, Marty Vinson, Lia Figuerola and Carver James. Largest fish prizes were awarded to Dakota Smith, Quinn Jones, Cata Locricchio, Logan Neels, Annalee Eells, and Jebow Nabua. Hidden weight prizes were awarded to Luna Eells, Solaris Hoffay, Lincoln Eells, Colton Morales, Baker Matz, Jacob Roy, Able Balovich, Cephas Sachsenmaeir, Brandon Doyle, Emily Doyle, Willa Larson, Francis Haag, Violet Westerhoff, Sally Kyle, Clara Scotchmer, Luke Klakring, Coen Kitka, Gage Peters, Ruby Dunn, Masie Urias, Neveah Urias, Wyatt Kirkness, Malochai Gregory, Karver Bezezekoff, Brady Smith and Ricky Urias.
Thanks goes to Sitka Sound Seafoods for lending fish totes each year for gear and fish transport. Thanks also to our generous local vendors for prize donations.
A very special thanks goes to the U.S. Coast Guard for their time and expertise! On the morning of May 22, the U.S. Coast Guard flew 300 lively rainbow trout, captured by ADFG and USFS, from Sukoi Lake, on Kruzof Island, to Sitka. Their low flyover of the lake on Kids Fishing Day was also a hit!
Sitka Rotary Club,
Alaska Department of Fish & Game,
and U.S. Forest Service
