Blue Lake Funding
Dear Editor: This year we Sitkans are all experiencing the fallout from the costs of the Blue Lake Project. These bonds are not going away for decades and water sales from the lake are not currently making the bond payments.
We all hope this changes over time. But for now, the reality is that we must find ways to increase our revenue streams. No suggestions should be overlooked or dismissed because their potential contributions may be small.
I have a few of my own. In order for any ideas to work, we all must do our part to ensure their success. This could mean volunteering or participating.
1. Booths at our farmers market selling baked goods, smoked salmon, pickled bull kelp, shell ornaments, carvings, etc.
2. The space behind Lakeside that was a community garden, could be turned into horsehoe pits, where we could have tournaments with donated prizes, and entrance fees.
3. Carving contests – possibly speed carving small pieces in an open setting that our tourists could watch and then purchase. Also, speed drawing, possible portraits.
4. A small gas tax, 100 percent of which goes to the bonds.
5. I own about 150 live performance CDs of various musical artists, ranging from Elvis to the Rolling Stones. If we could find a venue that could seat 30 or more to play one a couple times a week and charge $5 or $10 a head, we could add maybe $500 a month to the pot for the bond payments.
How about your ideas? Please don’t be that guy or gal that dismisses every idea as too little or undoable. I firmly believe if we work together and volunteer our time, skills, resources, we can make a difference.
Dennis Gabel, Sitka
Toby Campbell
Dear Editor: I wanted to express my heartfelt gratitude for the 31 years of teaching that Toby Campbell has dedicated to the Sitka School District. She was a first grade teacher for both of my daughters, and more recently has been involved in their homeschool classes. Additionally, I worked with Toby on developing programs for exchange students at the Sitka High, Holocaust and tolerance education, and visiting artists.
Teachers play a critically important role in our society and have tremendous long term influence over how our children view the world, and see themselves.
Toby represents the best of what the art and science of teaching can embody in a person. She taught a generation and a half of Sitka kids about the joy of reading and the wonder of discovery. From recess to circle time, she never missed a teaching moment, adjusting her teaching approach to meet the needs of each individual child.
She injected her students with a love of reading while also imparting the values of good citizenship, problem solving, communication, tolerance, and creative thinking. She understands the importance of play and fun for developing young minds. I remember fondly the way she built community through family dinners, readers theater, including every child in whole class activities, and helping kids learn how to make friends and manage conflict. She regularly stayed after work to tutor children even over summer vacation and school holidays. She advocates for students and for best practices that are good for the whole child. She dedicated much of her free time to learning more about teaching through formal and informal professional development and she shares her expertise generously with teachers and parents.
I learned a lot by observing Toby in the classroom: with a gentle and kind heart, she demonstrated the importance of listening carefully, being respectful of children’s ideas and paying close attention to their emotional needs as well as their academic achievements. I feel lucky that our kids and many, many Sitka kids had the chance to learn from Toby. While I am sad that she is leaving our district, I am confident she will find new ways to teach kids in our community. In appreciation,
Lisa Busch, Sitka
