Sitka State Parks
Dear Editor: The State Parks in Sitka are slated to be closed due to finances. Cutbacks are being made in other areas but not to the extent of Sitka and Valdez.
Due to the isolation of Sitka’s population Sitkans depend on the parks and trails to recreate. In the spring the lower grades of the schools use the beaches to study tide pools. They also have picnics and enjoy games. These activities take place at Halibut Point Recreation Area. The latrines will be closed. There will be no garbage pickup.
There will be no garbage pickup at the boat launch and the latrine will be closed.
The trails will not be maintained. There could be blow-downs and washouts. Many organizations and churches have annual picnics at Halibut Point Recreation Area. The gate will be locked. It will be necessary to carry all provisions to picnic areas.
Please call our representatives and ask for financial consideration to keep our parks and trails open and maintained. Petitions have also been placed around town.
Dorothy Thomsen, Sitka
Electric Cars
Dear Editor: Eighty-cents a gallon “gas” – you have to be kidding.
Earlier this week, the Sitka Sentinel had a front page article on rising electric rates in Sitka. Did you know that even with higher electric rates, drivers in Sitka can enjoy very low “gas prices” when driving all-electric vehicles?
That’s right! Electric cars are not only better for the environment, but they can also be better for your wallet.
Let’s compare the cost of driving an electric vehicle versus a conventional gasoline vehicle. The all-electric Nissan Leaf can travel 100 miles on 34 kilowatt-hours. That translates to right around $4 to drive 100 miles.
The owner of a conventional gasoline vehicle, on the other hand, can expect to pay $20 to drive the same 100 miles (assuming gas is $4 per gallon and the average vehicle gets 20 miles per gallon).
What does this information tell us? It’s five times more expensive to fuel a conventional vehicle than an electric vehicle – even with the recent drop in gas prices.
With an electric vehicle, paying for “gas” is cheap. Driving an all-electric vehicle here would cost you $0.80 per gallon, a price not seen in Sitka for many years.
Sitka is a perfect place to own an electric car. Sitka’s limited road system and short daily driving distances mean that most drivers could conveniently charge-up their car each night, reducing the need for public charging stations in town.
If you are in the market for a new car and are able to purchase an all-electric vehicle, why not get ahead of the curve and become a Sitka trendsetter!
Dave Nicholls, Sitka
