SEARHC Home Health
Dear Editor: Last month, the Sitka Assembly unanimously passed a resolution asking SEARHC to consider re-establishing their Medicare Certified Home Health Care Department that they had closed on Sept. 30, 2023.
The resolution asked SEARHC to engage with the public and local stakeholders in Sitka’s health. The resolution stated “there has been strong public outreach in the community by many people requesting SEARHC restore the Medicare Certified Home Health Care services, and recognizing that health care services are about serving those who need it.”
Apparently, SEARHC’s idea of engagement and their response to closing the Medicare Certified Home Health Care department that serves infirm and elderly patients was to produce radio and social media advertisements that all conclude with the hollow words “SEARHC – health for all.”
What a sad and pathetic response.
Linda Waller, Sitka
Sitka Rose Awards
Dear Editor: On April 26, Sitkans Against Family Violence celebrated the first Annual Sitka Rose Awards, an event to honor women and LGBTQ+ individuals of all ages who embody three of SAFV’s core values, safety, respect, and community. It was a beautiful event, and the venue, Sheet’ká Ḵwáan Naa Kahídi, was filled with joy and cheers for the performers and 10 honorees of the evening.
We want to thank all who made this celebration a success: the honorees and the individuals who nominated them; all performers and those who connected them with the organizers; the Daily Sitka Sentinel, Raven Radio and Sitka Soup for promoting the event; Sitka Pride for being a part of it; Sitka Tribal Enterprises for the venue; Sitka Emblem Club for running our raffle, and SAFV board members for selling tickets; Rebecca Danon for designing the event poster and donating the prints we presented to the honorees; Caitlin Blaisdell for taking photographs; Leo Jimmy and Elle Campbell for technical support; Alicia Porter and Harry Race for door prizes; Harbor Mountain Brewery for two kegs of non-alcoholic beverages; Bernadette Rasmuson and Gretchen Stelzenmuller for donating desserts; and Fresh Fish and Jessie’s Uptown Dogs for providing dinners from their food stands. We apologize to anyone we might have left out.
This event was meant to be meaningful and inclusive for a wide variety of our fellow Sitkans, and we think this was accomplished. Thank you to all who attended. We are planning the second annual in April 2025. Keep your eyes and ears open and keep in mind who you might nominate next year. Gunalchéesh.
Martina Kurzer
Community Coordinator
Sitkans Against Family Violence
