House Fire
Dear Editor: I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks to all the people who rallied to help when my house on Hemlock Street burned on April 20.
To Assistant Chief Stevens and all the volunteer firefighters, sincere appreciation for your prompt and effective response, and your care and concern afterwards. My forever gratitude to Steve and Amelia Gage, Julie and Larry Fitzsimmons, and other neighbors who came to the aid of myself and Elena Gustafson on the day of the fire. Thanks also to John McCrehin and crew, Teri Rofkar, Mary Todd Andersen, Stephanie Peterson, Ted Howard and Julie Schmitts, Fishing for Cats band, and all the friends who have offered help and support.
Sitka is a truly loving and giving community that I am blessed to be a part of.
Bonnie Harris, Sitka
Family Fun Day
Dear Editor: Wow! Over 300 people came to the Family Fun Day at the Hames Center on Saturday, an event co-sponsored by the Sitka Rotary Club, who also bought many of the new kids toys introduced at the event. It was also the debut of Hames Center’s second bouncy castle for smaller kids, donated by Sea Mart.
Hames Center is so fortunate to have such great community partners and volunteers. The Sitka Fire Department brought the ladder truck and lots of great information about safety and fire prevention. Thanks to firemen Eli Baugher, Matt McCrehin and Adam Horton. Hames member and supporter Bill Davis was the winner of the silent auction, so he and four friends will get the dream ride in the Sitka Fire Department’s new ladder truck.
The climbing wall volunteers (Monique Anderson, Garrett Bauer, Courtney Bobsin and Francis Wegman Lawless) introduced the new climbing wall to over 100 excited Sitkans of all ages, from two years on up. Volunteer Erin Fulton hosted the front desk, manager Carrie Johnson hosted the ever-popular bouncy castles, and Brant Brantman helped run the event enjoying the frolic and non-stop kid energy.
It takes all these elements of the community to make Hames a great community center, and the popularity of this event reminds us how much Sitka needs this indoor play space. Thanks to everybody who came out, to our great community partners and volunteers, and to the hundreds of daily, monthly and annual members who keep Hames Center vital for all of Sitka.
Cindy Edwards, Director
Chamber Resolutions
Dear Editor: The Greater Sitka Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors met recently and passed two resolutions in regards to the City and Borough of Sitka’s FY14 budget.
One of the resolutions supports fully funding the Sitka Historical Society and Museum and after the Assembly budget work session this past Thursday night, it looks like the Assembly agrees. The initially proposed cut, that has for now been restored, would have affected both staffing and operations.
The City of Sitka has shared a long- term cooperative effort with the Sitka Historical Society to provide operational funding and the provision of a museum within Centennial Hall for the benefit of the community and our visitor industry. The museum benefits Sitka’s economic development by creating a cultural and historic tourism attraction focused on Sitka’s unique qualities as compared to other Alaska destinations.
The second resolution is in support of a significant increase in funding for the Sitka Convention and Visitors Bureau. Our mission at the Sitka Chamber is to promote, support and facilitate commerce and economic growth in the community and the economic impact of conventions and visitors to local business and service providers is substantial. Additionally, they are incredibly beneficial to the municipality’s tax base and subsequent ability to provide invaluable services for our community.
To attract these visitors and conventions to Sitka, marketing is vital, and it is the Sitka Convention and Visitors Bureau that is responsible for all aspects of marketing Sitka as a visitors destination and meeting place. For the past several years, the SCVB has had to pull from reserves to supplement their budget, but for FY14, this is not an option. With flat funding from the City and Borough of Sitka and without adequate reserves left to pull from, the SCVB is facing a significant budget shortfall.
With increased funding, the SCVB would be able to pursue more specific projects such as hosting additional media and travel writers, participating in more qualified partner events and advertising opportunities, participating in more cruise line meetings and Cruise Shipping Miami, hiring a professional to determine the effectiveness of current market efforts and creating more commercials or TV ads in target markets during Alaska programming. The City and Borough of Sitka does have reserves that can be used for investments. With increased support for the SCVB and their ability to better market Sitka as a destination, Sitka will see a significant Return on Investment not only in the form of tax dollars, but also to local businesses in the form of revenue.
To read the complete resolutions passed by the Greater Sitka Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, you can visit our website at www.sitkachamber.com.
Jennifer Robinson,
Executive Director,
Greater Sitka
Chamber of Commerce
SB 21 Petition
Dear Editor: This year, the Legislature passed Gov. Parnell’s proposed oil tax changes (SB 21), which will cost the state billions without any guarantee of increased production. The governor’s own cost estimate for the final bill is $4.5 billion in revenues given BACK to oil companies in just the first five years.
The tax loss grows rapidly at higher prices, however, and SB 21 could potentially cost the state $2 to $3 billion per year at high oil prices. SB 21 is referred to as “Parnell’s Oil Bill” or the “Oil Wealth Giveaway Bill” because its passage did not involve the voices from the PEOPLE of Alaska. Now is the time to make our voices heard! There is a statewide petition happening right now to get SB 21 on next year’s ballot so that the Alaskan people can vote on the bill.
In Sitka, we currently have 13 booklets, with the most available booklet being with Bernadette at the Back Door. Make sure you sign the petition so that the public gets the chance to vote on our public resources.
Lauren Wild, Sitka
