Big Brothers Big Sisters
Dear Editor: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska is committed to the youths of Alaska. We have been changing the lives of Alaska’s children since 1972 by providing professionally supported one-to-one mentoring relationships that last a lifetime. We remain committed to the vision established in 2007 when Big Brothers Big Sisters of Anchorage, Greater Fairbanks, and Southeast merged to create Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska.
In a time of reducing federal and state grants, we are unfortunately no longer in a position to make new matches between children and volunteers in the communities of Haines, Homer, Hoonah and Sitka after May 31, 2018. This change will provide the opportunity to harness the organization’s energy and financial resources on the commitment to youths in Alaska in the long-term, as well as maintain existing matches.
We will continue making new matches in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau and Mat-Su Valley. Steps we are taking now are expected to complete the organization’s current strategic consolidation and better position us for future growth. We would like to express our continued gratitude for the generosity and commitment of our donors. The mission to connect children and youths with adult mentors is only possible because of their support.
Youths and volunteers currently matched in those communities will continue to receive support from BBBSAK as they have in the past. The current staff has been given the opportunity to continue on a part-time basis and a dedicated staff specialist will be focused on serving the communities of Haines, Homer, Hoonah and Sitka.
BBBSAK looks forward to working with communities on a closer basis as resources are available. We thank the communities for working with us during this time of change to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported relationships that change their lives for the better, forever.
Heather Harris, CEO,
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska
Carbon Fee
Dear Editor: Thank you for the opportunity to publicly thank the city Assembly for the recent adoption of a resolution that will be sent to Alaska’s Members of Congress in Washington, urging them to support the passage of a national carbon fee and dividend policy, widely held to be a viable first step in curbing the dangerous amounts of carbon emissions flowing into our atmosphere. I was heartened and encouraged by the serious consideration given to both the elements of the proposed policy, and to its value and relevance to our immediate future.
The fact that support for it wasn’t unanimous spurred valuable debate, and the fact that a second resolution was introduced supporting a different approach to reducing carbon and greenhouse gasses, are both indications that our Assembly members recognize the seriousness of the environmental crisis we are facing, and are willing to do something about it. Their decision also adds Sitka (first in Alaska!) to a growing number of cities and municipalities across the country, now at 83, including San Francisco, Philadelphia and Portland, who have approved official resolutions calling for a national carbon fee and dividend policy (or the equivalent).
Thank you to Kevin Knox for the lion’s share of drafting the resolution, and to Bob Potrzuski for co-sponsoring it. Thank you to Mayor Matt Hunter, Steven Eisenbeisz and Ben Miyasato for being strongly in favor. Thank you to Aaron Bean for crafting his preference for a different solution into a second resolution, and to Dr. Richard Wein for his “due diligence” on the issues and ultimate support of the original version (which passed).
Put simply, the carbon fee and dividend policy in question is structured so that a fee will be placed on carbon emissions at the source: mine, wellhead or port of entry; the entire fee, less administrative costs, will be rebated to all households on an equal basis depending on family size; a tariff will be imposed on imports from countries without a fee on carbon. Information on the policy (and those like it) is easily found online (search “carbon fee and dividend.”) Both resolutions may be found on the city website in the meeting details for the March 13 Assembly meeting (and will be available there for the next week or so).
Barbara Bingham,
Citizen’s Climate Lobby
Playground
Dear Editor: You may have noticed that construction has begun on the playground at Crescent Harbor. Over the past few years, the Sitka Community Playground volunteer group (in partnership with the City of Sitka and Southeast Alaska Independent Living) has been working hard to plan for a playground that is fun, vibrant, culturally diverse and accessible to all Sitka kids. We are forever grateful to the many organizations, businesses and individuals that have donated money, time and energy to our project.
Through grants and donations, including in-kind labor, we have raised $763,000! We were able to order every piece of equipment that we wanted because of the generosity of our grantors, 126 individuals and over 30 businesses!
Last week, the playground at Crescent Harbor closed and the preparation of the site began. We are now planning for “build week” when the manufacturers of the equipment send a team of people up to Sitka to oversee Sitkans putting the equipment together! This is scheduled for June 14-18. If you have any questions or want to help build the playground, send us a message on our Facebook page, or call me or Kay at 747-1771.
We are very excited for our grand opening which will occur sometime in early July. Thank you for your patience while the playground is closed.
Bridget Hitchcock, Sitka
