Benefit for Sitkan
Dear Editor: Rhonda Kingwell and her family want to send out a huge thank you to the community of Sitka. Sitka’s generosity and show of support resulted in Saturday’s benefit raising over $6,000 to help Rhonda fight pancreatic cancer. Rhonda would also like to recognize the following businesses who helped make the weekend benefit such a success:
Sitka True Value, KIFW, Daily Sitka Sentinel, Birch Equipment, Sitka Bottling Company, Sea Mart, AC Lakeside Grocery, Northern Sales, Aurora Business Supplies, Fairweather Prints, Pure Romance, Reindeer Redhots, Kerry MacLane and the Mayos for the blackcod booth, and all the amazing volunteers and wonderful bakers who made the event so successful.
There were so many amazing people involved to make this event so successful that it is too hard to name everyone but their show of support was awe inspiring and truly wonderful to experience – much appreciation goes out to everyone.
Amanda Martin for
Sitka True Value Hardware Inc
Shee Atika Inc.
Dear Editor: At a recent Shee Atika meeting in Seattle, Wash., I made it clear that our current chairman, president and chief executive officer, Mr. Ken Cameron’s, salary from 2013 was $378,013.93, and then in 2014 his pay was $399,766.73. This is a “conflict of interest” because he holds all three positions. As I said at that meeting there are no checks and balances. He is making twice as much as our past two president and chief executive officers, and neither one of them was the chairman of the board.
He is making more money than the Sealaska Corporation chief executive officer, and Sealaska has 22,000 shareholders while Shee Atika originally had 1,852 shareholders, but those shares have been gifted out over time bringing the total to 3,100. This is a difference of 18,900 of shareholders.
Additionally, while Mr. Cameron got a raise of $21,752.80 from 2013 to 2014, the shareholders lost $1 a share in distributions. Shee Atika has been losing money since 2010. Shee Atika has been liquidating millions in assets, such as selling Totem Square for $5,300,000 in 2013.
These are all facts in the Shee Atika Annual Financial and Proxy Statements.
Norman Johnson, a shareholder of
Sealaska Corporation
and Shee Atika Inc.
Wine Tasting Event
Dear Editor: The Sitka Seafood Festival, Mother’s Day wine-tasting was a success! The Homeport Eatery venue was fabulous as well as the hors d’oeuvres they served and the staff that worked the event.
Odom, K & L and Specialty Imports had a wonderful variety of wines to taste and purchase at discounted prices. Old Harbor Books and the House of Liquor helped with ticket sales and HOL is helping with the orders for purchased wine. The sun was shining and the food, drinks and company were perfect! Thank you to everyone who sponsored, worked and came to the event.
Linda Olson for
Sitka Seafood Festival
Lady Wolves BB
Dear Editor: On behalf of myself, our coaching staff and the Sitka Lady Wolves basketball team of 2014-15, I would like to issue an island-wide “thank you.”
Thank you to everyone who showed support in ways big and small. Thank you for the amazing support and media coverage by the Daily Sitka Sentinel and Raven Radio throughout the 2014-15 season, the Region V tournament and the state tournament.
Thank you to all the Sitka businesses who continue to sponsor and support the Sitka High girls’ basketball team. Thank you to the many local families and businesses who opened their doors and generously donated during our coin drive on that snowy morning in March. Thank you to the parents and families of these outstanding young women; thank you for sharing your daughters and this precious time with them.
Your families’ behind-the-scenes effort and support greatly contributed to our successes. Thank you to the Sitka School District, School Board, administrators and high school staff for the recognition, acknowledgement and supports along the way. Thank you to the student body, especially our cheerleaders and pep band, who consistently display their school spirit and pride at events.
Thank you to all the girls involved in the Sitka High School basketball program for the 2014-15 season; you all contributed in making history – the first girls’ basketball championship at Sitka High School. The JV team members worked hard each and every day to help make themselves and our varsity team better. To all of the seniors, congratulations on your successes! – and you will be greatly missed, but never forgotten (Sid Riggs, Kalene Koelling, Kyla Young, Gabriella Cagle, Elle Gray, Maraelia Romine).
We look forward to watching the many more successes that you will have throughout your lives. Thank you for your hard work and determination! To all of the underclassmen, you have some BIG shoes to fill. Learn from the examples that have been set before you, and never accept less than your best.
This 2014-15 team is a resilient group of young women that accept their roles and are willing to do whatever it takes for the good of the “team” (a completely unselfish aspect that has become far too rare in sports). And finally, to the assistant coaches, Rich Krupa and Mindy Bartolaba, I thank you for your countless hours, insight, contributions and friendship. Again, the complete selflessness of this entire group has been absolutely incredible – and it was a privilege, pleasure and honor to work with each and every one of these amazing team members in such a wonderful community. THANK YOU for welcoming myself and my family to Sitka and for all of the tremendous support!
Sondra Lundvick,
Sitka High School
Girls Basketball Coach
SHS Voc Ed Facility
Dear Editor: What a pleasure it was to attend the open house on May 8 at the Sitka High Vocational Education facility and to see the new addition added by CBC Construction.
Congratulations to the Sitka School District for not taking the path of so many other ill-advised school districts across the nation who have scrapped their Industrial Arts programs. Thanks to Sen. Bert Stedman for securing the funds for the new addition.
Thank you, Tim Pike, Randy Hughey and Mike Vieira for being great teachers for our students.
Attached is a Letter to the Editor I wrote in 1997. Steve Vieira is the father of Mike Vieira who now teaches at Sitka High.
Dear Editor: Congratulations to Steve Vieira of Sitka High School for being selected Alaska’s Vocational Education Teacher of the year. We are lucky to have teachers like Steve at the high school and Duane Swanson at the middle school. Those involved in Vocational Education across the nation share the frustration that voc-ed hasn’t been a priority in school funding lists. We have lost lots of good instructors because of it. I once heard the comment made that students do not need to be taught to “saw a board.” Industrial Arts is much more than cutting boards. Let me explain Industrial Arts by quoting a definition presently used by the American Industrial Arts Association. “Industrial Arts is a comprehensive education program concerned with technology, its evolution, utilization and significance with industry, its organization, personnel, systems, techniques, resources and products and their social-cultural impact”
Additionally, the study of industrial arts includes the areas of communications, power and transportation, construction and manufacturing. Courses taught under these titles include mechanical and architectural drafting, electricity, electronics, alternate energy, computer technology, robotics, machining, building construction and others.
Because of the technical knowledge and equipment needed it would be impossible for students to learn these subjects in any other place than a school environment. One needs only to lift the hood of a modern automobile to realize the sophistication of training, knowledge and equipment necessary for its upkeep.
The Associated General Contractors of America list, finding skilled trades people as a major concern in the coming years. It is a fact that only 20 percent of the jobs in the nation require a 4-year college degree. Shouldn’t we be doing something about the other 80 percent of jobs that do not require a 4 year degree? Our schools have a responsibility to acquaint students with careers and to help them develop competencies in industrial and technical skills.
