Spelling Bee
Dear Editor: The 2022 Sitka Spelling Bee has concluded after a very close battle into the 16th round. A winning team was crowned. 1st place were Tristan Parker and Matt Millado who correctly spelled trichotillomania (a hair pulling disorder – I looked it up.) Second was Team Old Harbor Books: Ashia Lane and Dan Gunn, and third place was a tie between Dorian Lumarque and the team of Erin Weekly and Lindy Eliason.
Congratulations to all the 14 different teams that competed, you are all winners, as is the Sitka Public Library who benefited from your time and generosity. The funds go towards the celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Sitka Public Library in 2023.
The good-hearted and gracious community sponsors of the spelling bee are also all winners. A GREAT BIG thank you to all of you: Cyndy Gibson of Waddel and Reed, the Sitka Soup, the Sitka AmeriCorps program, Sitka Checkered Tours, Old Harbor Books, Charles P. Morgan Ph.D, Mike Venneberg of USI Insurance Services, Cindy Westergaard of Neurobehavioral Consultants, First National Bank Alaska, the Friends of the Sitka Public Library, the Duck Father, Harry Race Pharmacy, The Beak, and a generous retired gentleman!
The “team” that put the spelling bee together was: Kari Sagel, the final judge and decider and helper with the words; Margot O’Connell, the main word selector and sentence writer; Robert Woolsey, our favorite erudite host and pronouncer of the words and sentences; and John Stein the timely time keeper. Leah Mason kept track of those who used a lifeline and Karen Hegyi and Pam Steffes did the heavy task of writing each letter as the spellers spelled the words.
Thank you to all.
Jeff Budd, Sitka
