Card of Thanks
Dear Editor: It has been almost a month since all of us who knew and loved Napoleon have seen his smiling face. I want to thank everyone who has stepped forward and helped me during this time. I do not want to say any names because those who helped are too numerous and I may not remember everyone. I want to thank the Sitka Community Hospital and ambulance staff who treated Napoleon before we went to Seattle. I want to thank the neighbors, friends, and family who helped by donating miles to get me home and his family here. I want to thank the friends, neighbors, family, and community members who helped me give him his Viking Celebration of Life – there was so much to do, and I really want to thank everyone who just got everything done. Nothing was left to chance – everyone who helped or donated just stepped in and accomplished everything. I would like to thank the people who helped me in the days after his celebration when there was still so much to do – it truly is amazing how much Sitka takes care of its own.
The amount of people who have come forward to express their love of Napoleon is overwhelming. The hugs, cards, and phone calls I have gotten from people, even people I don’t know, to pay their respects has been an honor for me to listen to and accept. Napoleon loved Sitka – the air and the eagles and the ocean – but above all else, he loved the people of Sitka. Every day he would come home and tell me all the people he saw; who had new babies, who got new yard fixtures, and who had the worst stairways into their houses. He loved his job and he loved everything and everyone he came across. We are all truly blessed to have been in his circle of light while he was here, and I for one feel like a better person for having had the amount of time with him that I did.
Lastly, death is never expected, but unfortunately it happens to the best of all people, as we found out with Napoleon. I want to encourage everyone to take a few minutes to discuss with their loved ones their end-of-life wishes and not leave anything to chance.
Chaix Johnson, Sitka
Biting Dogs
Dear Editor: I am writing this letter to express my concern about an ongoing issue in the 1500 block area of Edgecumbe Drive. After my coworker was bit by a dog requiring a visit to the ER, I felt compelled to write a letter to the editor. She was simply walking on the sidewalks of Edgecumbe Drive on her lunch hour when she was attacked and bitten by a dog. After discussion with her and others, we found out that we know of at least four other instances of this same dog aggressively going after people walking by on the city sidewalk in proximity to the house where it lives. I would like to know how the city handles cases like this. Does the city have liability for injuries sustained by property owners’ dogs biting people on city sidewalks?
I know the majority of pet owners are responsible pet owners, but it speaks sadly on our community when parents are specifically redirecting their children from this area of Edgecumbe Drive out of fear for their safety.
Deanna Rogers Bennett, Sitka
