Mountain Goat
Hearing Listed
The Sitka District Ranger, under authority granted by the Federal Subsistence Board, will hold a public meeting 7 p.m. Thursday, July 15, to give information and solicit comments to help guide federal subsistence mountain goat management in Unit 4.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game will review the current management strategy, and present information related to mountain goat harvest and population trends at the Sitka Ranger District, 2108 Halibut Point Road.
Visitors who have not been vaccinated are requested to wear masks when entering the building and follow social distancing protocols. Those unable to attend in person may call in by dialing 888-844-9904 and entering the passcode 5936793#.
Lutheran Volunteers From
Texas to Help Sitka Church
Jon and Glena Pfennig of Austin, Texas, will serve Sitka Lutheran Church as volunteers this summer. They will share the Gospel, greet tourists, provide visitors with snippets of Lutheran history and, they said, enjoy Sitka’s cool summer weather.
Retired for several years, the Pfennigs make their home at Longhorn Village. They recently arrived on a Lindblad cruise ship and plan to provide a second round of volunteer service to Sitka Lutheran before flying out in early July.
Both are University of Texas graduates. An award-winning attorney, Jon practiced law in the public and private sector for 50 years and provided public service through many civic organizations over the years. His service to the church includes being an assistant minister, doing transition coaching for congregations and serving on his congregation’s church council.
Glena served as a communication specialist in her 37-year career while working in advertising, writing newspaper articles, public relations, sports stories and publishing in many different areas. Her career included a 20-year stint with Exxon. While there she won a national press award for her historical writing and publishing.
Both enjoy Texas sports, travel (especially cruise ships), photography and reading. Sitka ranks high among their favorite travel destinations which include everywhere from Germany to Antarctica.
Proclaiming the Gospel, helping with garage sales for Youth Mission Travel, and explaining Sitka Lutheran’s rich Finnish-Lutheran history to tourists are among the duties assigned to them while in Sitka.
Regular Sunday morning worship services are held at 10:30 a.m. in the sanctuary at Sitka Lutheran and through Zoom support. The Rev. Sandra Rudd is pastor of Sitka Lutheran Church.
For information call the church office at 747-3338, visit the church’s web site at http://www.sitkalutheranchurch.org/ or e-mail the office at slc.admin@acsalaska.net.
July 3 Fundraiser
At ANB Hall
The Alaska Native Brotherhood Camp 1 will sell clam chowder with biscuits, sisterhood stew and Sailor Boy pilot bread 11 a.m. until sold out on July 3 at the ANB Founders Hall.
Stew and Chowder will be $3 a bowl. Desserts are $3 each. Beef sticks will be sold for $3 each.
Volunteers and donations are needed to help volunteer chef Mario of the Filipino Food Wagon.
‘‘Please come and support us with this fundraiser,’’ a press release said. ‘‘ANB helps out everyone in our community, especially at Thanksgiving with a free community dinner and Christmas dinner and party with gifts and Santa Claus.’’
To donate or volunteer, call Harriet at (907) 744-6912 or Liz at (907) 738-2836.
Bike and Hike
On Shelikof Set
Sitka Trail Works will host a bike and hike trip to Shelikof Beach, on the outer coast of Kruzof Island, on Sunday, Aug. 1.
The group will take an Allen Marine boat to Mud Bay, then bike 6 miles on the road before hiking the final 1.3 miles to the beach.
The boat leaves Crescent Harbor at 7 a.m. Participants are to take their own bikes, food, water and extra layers appropriate for the weather.
‘‘It’s recommended that you tune up your bike beforehand,’’ STW said in a press release.
Tickets cover the cost of transportation and support the mission of Sitka Trail Works. For information visit SitkaTrailWorks.org or Facebook.
July 3 Fundraiser
At ANB Hall
Alaska Native Brotherhood Camp 1 will sell clam chowder with biscuits, sisterhood stew and Sailor Boy pilot bread 11 a.m. until sold out on July 3 at the ANB Founders Hall.
Stew and chowder will be $3 a bowl. Desserts are $3 each. Beef sticks will be sold for $3 each.
Volunteers and donations are needed to help volunteer chef Mario of the Filipino Food Wagon.
‘‘Please come and support us with this fundraiser,’’ a press release said. ‘‘ANB helps out everyone in our community, especially at Thanksgiving with a free community dinner and Christmas dinner and party with gifts and Santa Claus.’’
To donate or volunteer, call Harriet at (907) 744-6912 or Liz at (907) 738-2836.
Quilt Classes Slated
In-person fall quilt classes are being offered by Ocean Wave Quilters in August and September.
‘‘Dresden Houses’’ will be taught 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 28 at the Methodist Church basement. The cost is $50 for OWQ members and $60 for non-members. An optional extra day is planned on Aug. 29 to work on the project with no formal instruction.
‘‘Casting Shadows’’ will be taught 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 4, also at the church. The cost is $50 for members and $60 for others. The class technique will use Colleen Wise’s method using real leaves and spray bleach to create leaf shadows. Sept. 5 will be an optional day to work on the project with no formal instruction.
Space is limited. Registration is open at Abby’s Reflection.
Participants are to take their own lunch. No potluck is planned because of COVID-10 precautions.
Maintenance Project
At Science Center
Sitka Sound Science Center will perform maintenance on the Indian River intake for the Sheldon Jackson Salmon Hatchery beginning June 30.
Taking into consideration environmental factors such as the salmon spawning cycle and summer water levels, the science center will perform the work through July 5.
The permitted work will require the use of a variety of heavy construction equipment as gravel build up is removed and armor rock repositioned to ensure the continued integrity of the dam.
Those with questions about the work can contact Lisa Busch, executive director, information@sitkascience.org.
Electrical Outage
Listed June 25-26
The city electric department is scheduling an outage 6 a.m.-10 a.m. Friday, June 25, and 7-10 a.m. Saturday, June 26, that affects the Gilmore, Morn and Twin Islands.
Crews will be performing maintenance work.
Planned Electrical
Outage Saturday
The city electric department is scheduling an outage 7-10 a.m. Saturday, June 26, that will affect all islands south of the Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport as crews perform maintenance work.
Help Given for
Transport to Library
Sitka Public Library has funds available to assist community members in accessing transportation to and from the library.
Call 747-4020 or email library@cityofsitka.org. The program is made possible through a donation from the Friends of Sitka Public Library.
Harbor Mountain
Road Closure Set
Harbor Mountain Road will be closed at Harbor Mountain picnic area beginning June 28 as Sitka Ranger District personnel conduct trail maintenance.
A helicopter will be working in the area from the Harbor Mountain trailhead at the end the Harbor Mountain Road to approximately mile 1.1 on the Harbor Mountain trail. The work is expected to last two days, weather dependent.
The trailhead and trail will be inaccessible to hikers while the helicopter is working, but access to the picnic area will not be affected by the closure.
Hikers starting at the Gavan Hill end of the trail are advised by the Sitka Ranger District not to proceed past the alpine shelter as they will not be able to through-hike to the Harbor Mountain trailhead when the helicopter is working.
The closed segments of the road and trail will be reopened after helicopter operations have been completed. Additional trail work is scheduled on the trail between July 26 and Aug. 16, but public access shouldn’t be limited during that time.
For information, contact Mike Mullin at 747-4274.
For interviews and information to be used for publication, contact the Tongass Public Affairs Officer at 907-617-2063.
