Heartfelt Thanks
Dear Editor: As it often is, the generosity of our community was on full display this past weekend as the Island Institute hosted two big events. One was a retrospective, celebrating the work of recently retired Carolyn Servid and Dorik Mechau, looking back at the history of our organization. The second was an auction, a fundraiser to build the future of the Island Institute as we work to build on past programs to strengthen our community through story and conversation.
The musical duo of Owen and Connor Fulton graced the dinner and silent auction portion of the evening, and hosts Stefanie Ask and Cassidy Patnoe made the live auction happen. This list is a long one, but we’d like to acknowledge the local businesses who donated to the auction - Alaska Borealis Artworks, Alaska Pure Sea Salt, Alaska Raptor Center, Allen Marine Tours, Aurora Business Supplies, Back Bay Botanicals, Bayview Pub, Brenner’s Fine Clothing and Gifts, Christine Harrington, CPA, Community Massage, Daily Sitka Sentinel, Susan Royce Dog Training, Dr. Burgess Bauder, Evergreen Health Food Store, Fisherman’s Eye Gallery, Fly In Fish Inn (who also prepared a delicious pizza dinner for the auction), Foreign Auto, FV I Gotta, FV Sunnta, FV Woodstock, FV Loran, Greater Sitka Arts Council, Hames Center, Hank’s Cab, Harris Air, Homeskillet Festival, Larkspur Caffe, Murray Pacific, Old Harbor Books, Orion Sporting Goods, Precision Boat Works, Salon 264, Schmitts Music Studio, Sewing Solutions, SJ Museum, Sitka Community Schools, Sitka Community Theater, Sitka Conservation Society, Sitka Film Society, Sitka Fine Arts Camp, Sitka Jazz Festival, Sitka Rose Gallery, Sitka Sound Science Center, Sitka Summer Music Festival, Skookum Canvasworks, Spenard Builders Supply, Spiritbear Bookkeeping, The Kayak Shed, The Nugget, Therapeutic Massage, Tisher Construction, Van Winkle and Sons, Weiland Construction, Westmark Hotel, Wintersong Soap Company, and Yoga Union. The support from those businesses and from other individual donors is stunning and humbling - thank you all. Clean-up of auction items at the end of the night was easy, as the auction tables were picked clean by generous bidders who made the night a great success.
We couldn’t have done it without the help of lots of volunteers who joined our staff and board to make this weekend possible. Heartfelt gratitude to Jacob Metzger, Tamie Parker Song, Sarah Bell, Kari Sagel, Paul Norwood, Jasmine Shaw, Hahlen and Rio Behnken-Barkhau, Joshua Houston, Ashia Lane, Elena Gustafson, Erin Fulton, and Brian Richardson. Thanks also to Seafood Processors Cooperative for a hugely generous donation of black cod for our Retrospective dinner on Saturday, and to Baranof Island Brewing Company and House of Liquor for their contributions to the bar for the auction and retrospective. Thanks to Ludvig’s for the phenomenal meal at the Retrospective. Finally, thanks to the staffs of Centennial Hall and of the Sitka Fine Arts Camp for helping us make arrangements for and set-up our two events, to Raven Radio and the Sitka Sentinel for publicity, to many businesses for posting flyers, and to Old Harbor Books for selling tickets.
The ideals of community are at the heart of the Island Institute’s programs, and we are deeply grateful for the reciprocal gift of Sitka’s generous support. We invite you to learn more about our work at www.iialaska.org and join us for upcoming events.
Peter Bradley
Executive Director
on behalf of the Island Institute Staff and Board
Cyber Scam Alert
Dear Editor: I would like the people of Sitka to know about a group of CYBER SCAMS that are hitting our city!
Many Sitka residents are being called or alarmed with on-screen notices by people who are claiming to be from Microsoft, or Norton Antivirus or some other similar legitimate entity. They will notify you that your computer is infected or being hacked or some other alarming reason for their contact or call. The intent of the call is to frighten, get control of the computer and to extort money. They will say that the computer is loaded with virus and spyware and other “dangerous things” and that you should allow them to access your computer using LogMeIn or some other such software to take control of your computer.
Once in, they will tell you that they will clean your computer of all sorts of terrible stuff and even will show you “evidence” of the “stuff” which they have “found” which in fact they have put in your computer. These scammers will tell you that they can solve all your problems for only $200 or $300. And in some instances they will offer to keep your computer free of danger for only $200 per year.
Neither Microsoft nor Norton nor any legitimate entity does business this way. When contacted, hangup, disconnect, shutdown. Don’t give them control of your computer. Don’t give them credit card information, agree to nothing. These people are criminals. Don’t let them into your life.
Rob Parker,
Alaska Computer Center
