Landslide Risks
Dear Editor: After seeing the landslide on Kramer that killed three people in the middle of the day it’s hard to believe the Assembly is willing to let people build more houses in this area if they will just sign a waiver saying they are aware of the risks. Building a house in the Benchlands is like playing Russian Roulette with a fully loaded pistol. It is not a matter of will another landslide ever occur, but when is the next landslide going to destroy and kill.
While having homeowners sign a waiver saying they know they are building in a high risk landslide zone may make some Assembly members feel better the waivers will not protect babies and children living or visiting there, or members of the public that might be visiting, walking or driving through these dangerous areas.
The city had a major geologic soils study of the Benchlands done in 2005 which revealed a long history of landslides there. The study even recommended the city not build where the two men were killed when the house they were in was buried by the landslide. The Assembly cannot let people build houses in these high risk landslide areas.
The truth is many homes in Sitka are presently at risk of being destroyed by a major landslides. The Assembly should be taking steps to protect the public by removing homes from high risk areas rather than allowing more homes to be built in dangerous areas where they know large numbers of people will be killed.
The Assembly must be proactive and be seeking grant monies to developing city land so people could relocate out of these danger areas rather than letting more homes be built in them rather than following their wait-and-see attitude. When the landslide risk maps come out it’s likely many people will lose the insurance on their homes and see their homes become worthless overnight.
The city has hundreds of acres on the north end of town that some want to protect as green space for the proposed Cross Trail extension. The Cross Trail should be relocated upland and some of this land opened up and developed now for safe housing so people can start removing themselves from the high risk landslide zones.
Clyde Bright, Sitka
Wedding Vows
Dear Editor: Thank you! Thank you! To Pastor Perry Comos, who did the great honors of marriage for us, Mr. and Mrs. Judson and Nancy Thomas, at the Pioneers Home Chapel Saturday, June 10, and for the Sitka Sentinel, who did a fantastic advertisement of us on their newspaper.
Thank you to Pioneers Home for allowing us to use their chapel for our marriage.
Thanks a million for all our family and friends who showed up at our wedding and for the gifts and cards and well wishes. For our wedding and all blessing of God who brought us together, and one more, thanks to those who couldn’t come but because of work schedules had to work.
Mr. and Mrs. Judson Thomas
