Heartfelt Thanks
Dear Editor: Sitka Community Hospital acknowledged February as Heart Health Month with events throughout the month. One Sitkan, Tama Bevan, singlehandedly conducted fundraising for heart health. Her fundraising efforts included hand crafted beaded “from the heart” zipper pulls sold at the hospital gift shop and at Hames Center. These accents are not only fashionably stylish, but are a gentle reminder to the wearer to take care of their heart health. The other fundraisers she coordinated were two “spin-a-thons” with the help of Hames Center and Spin teachers Linda Speerstra and Cindy Edwards. The teachers donated their time and the riders donated funds and got great exercise while learning about the importance of exercise and education!
Ms. Bevan donated proceeds from her efforts, a total of $1,500 to the Sitka Community Hospital Foundation. The Foundation will use this money towards the purchase of additional equipment for the SCH Cardiac Rehab program. Sitka Community Hospital and SCH Foundation express our heartfelt thanks to Ms. Bevan for her initiative, efforts and generosity.
Sitka Community Hospital is proud to offer Cardiac Rehab services to all Sitkans needing heart conditioning or rehab after a cardiac event. For more information about SCH’s Cardiac Rehab program, please call 907-747-1771.
Thanks again Ms. Bevan and to all who participated in her fundraising efforts. Your support helps keep needed health services here in Sitka.
Wishing you good health.
Ann Wilkinson
President, SCH Foundation
Art of Health Thanks
Dear Editor: The Sitka Health Summit and the Greater Sitka Arts Council would like to thank the community of Sitka for enthusiastically supporting our first collaborative art exhibit and fundraising silent auction!
“The Art of Health” is an exciting partnership between the Health Summit and Arts Council that explores themes of health and wellness through art. The exhibit and silent auction features 20 works by local artists on display and open for bids through April 30 at the Homeport Eatery.
Each piece expresses aspects of the artist’s relationship with health and wellness, and hopefully inspires others to consider how art impacts their own sense of wellbeing. The event kicked-off Friday (3/13) night during the Arts Council’s annual Art Walk.
Thank you, everyone, for coming out for it. The turnout was great, and we greatly appreciate the community’s outpouring of support for local arts and health.
We would also like to thank Teal West and the Homeport Eatery for hosting the event and long-term exhibit/auction. We would like to thank Seamart Quality Foods for donating the refreshments and Harry’s Custom Services for designing the signage. We would like to thank the Daily Sitka Sentinel, KCAW-Raven Radio, KIFW, and the Sitka Soup for publicity.
We would like to express deep appreciation for the amazing local artists who contributed their works: Janet Berlin, Norm Campbell, Kija Elstad, Laura Kaltenstein, Ashia Lane, Sarah Lawrie, Steve Lawrie, Katie Mulligan, Cara Murray, Eddie Petru, Viviane Faith Prescott, Amy Sweeney, Tracy Sylvester, and Chad Vickery.
We would like to give a huge thank you to everyone who came out to appreciate the art and to support the Arts Council and Health Summit with their bids. And, many thanks in advance to those of you who will visit the exhibit and bid in the future. The exhibit and bidding will run through April 30. With appreciation and thanks, Melissa Marconi Wentzel/Executive Director, Sitka Health Summit and Sarah Lawrie/Executive Director, Greater Sitka Arts Council. I would also like to personally thank Sarah Lawrie and Chad Vickery for hanging the exhibit.
Melissa Wentzel
ELECTRICAL RATES
Dear Editor: I have sent the following letter to the Mayor and Assembly members:
You have on your agenda tonight an item that if passed could be a potential death knell for our small community (Item L Ordinance 15-17 electrical rates). Since it is only on for first reading and the memo dated 3/18/15 (attached to Item F of this evening’s agenda) from your municipal clerk states you ‘‘are not required to take public testimony until second reading’’, I thought I’d provide you with a simple spreadsheet showing the increases to our basic utilities over the past five years. Please bear in mind that this spreadsheet is for residential rates only.
As you can see, water has increased by $17.17 or 94%, sewer has increased by $20.59 or 69% and electrical rates (based on my billings which I now try to keep at or under 1,000 KWh) has increased 10.35 cents or 112%. Many people are struggling to keep up with these increases and doing all they can to conserve (less heat, less lights on, less baking, less laundry, etc.).
When the rate increases first came up and the gradiated rates were proposed (2012 I believe) I argued before your body that the flat rate was much better and that the gradiated rates would unfairly target those that need the heat and electricity most (people on fixed incomes and those that live in older homes that have less insulation, etc.). If I recall correctly, we were told by city staff that the reason for moving away from a flat rate was to encourage energy conservation. Perhaps now is the time to go back to the flat rates and a more modest increase. Perhaps now is the time to cut expenditures instead of trying to increase revenues from people that are already struggling to tough it out here.
Valorie L. Nelson
Former Mayor
