Trafton Tapped
UAS-Sitka Campus
Interim Director
Dr. Math Trafton will serve as interim director at UAS-Sitka Campus beginning Dec. 8.
The search for a permanent director will begin in January, the university said. Current Director Leslie Gordon will be leaving to accept a position at Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium.
Trafton joined UAS-Sitka in 2013 and is currently an associate professor of English with tenure in the School of Arts and Sciences. He holds several degrees, including a doctorate in comparative literature, a master of arts in comparative literature, a master of arts in English-creative writing, a bachelor of science in computer science, and a bachelor of arts in English-creative writing, all from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
“Dr. Trafton is well-respected by faculty and staff, and I know he will serve the Sitka campus well,” said UAS Provost Karen Carey.
The UAS-Sitka Campus offers all UAS online degree programs, selected classes on-campus and specialized facilities for nursing, health science, construction, welding, biology and fisheries.
Information about UAS and the Sitka Campus is at uas.alaska.edu/sitka or speak to an adviser at 747-7717.
Veterans Invited
To Nov. 13 Meet
Alaska VA Rural Health will conduct outreach in Sitka 1-7:30 p.m. Nov. 13 in conference room B at Mt. Edgecumbe Medical Center.
Veterans and family members are to take separation paperwork (DD-214 or NGB-22/23b) and relevant medical records. VA identification cards require state or federal identification to verify identity, a press release from organizers said.
For more information contact George Bennett at 966-8776 or email geobenn@searhc.org.
Fish and Game
Advisory Meets
The Sitka Fish and Game Advisory Committee will meet 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 13, at the UAS-Sitka Campus.
The advisory committee will be considering proposals for regulatory changes for fishing regulations that are being considered in 2019 by the Alaska Board of Game. The committee also will be discussing the Tongass Roadless Rule, climate change and ocean conditions concerns, and hearing reports from ADFG staff.
The proposals for the Board of Fish can be found at the ADFG Board of Game website.
For information, contact Jon Martin, chairman, 747-7752, jmart118@alaska.edu or Andrew Thoms, secretary, 747-7509, andrew@sitkawild.org.
NSRAA Board
To Meet Nov. 13
Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association Inc. will hold its fall board of directors meeting 9 a.m. on Nov. 13-14 at the NSRAA conference room at 1308 Sawmill Creek Rd.
Copies of the agenda will be available in the NSRAA office. The meetings will be open to the public.
ANB/ANS Plan
Joint Meeting
The Alaska Native Brotherhood/ Alaska Native Sisterhood will have a joint special meeting 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14, at the ANB Founders Hall.
The purpose of the meeting is to plan the annual Thanksgiving dinner on Nov. 28.
‘‘We cordially invite all who would like to volunteer for this event, especially some good chefs,’’ organizers said.
For more information call George at 907-500-4400, Harriet at 907-744-6912, or Rachel Henderson, ANS president of Camp 4 at 505-204-3634.
Roadless Rule
Meeting Tonight
The USDA Forest Service Alaska specific roadless rule public information meeting will be at Centennial Hall in the King Salmon Room tonight. A meeting at 5-6:30 p.m. will be followed by a 7-9 p.m. subsistence hearing.
The public has until Dec. 17 to comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Proposed Rule. Instructions about how to comment are included in the online notice at https://cara.ecosystem-management.org/Public//CommentInput?Project=54511.
The public meeting includes an overview of the Alaska Roadless Rulemaking process, the proposed rule, and the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, followed by a question-and-answer session period. The subsistence hearing follows the public meeting and includes opportunities for recorded and transcribed public testimony, but no additional informational presentations.
For more information about the process, the project timeline and the schedule for public meetings, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=54511.
Sitka Playground
To Receive Award
The Sitka Community Playground has been awarded a facility excellence award from the Alaska Recreation and Parks Association.
A presentation will be at the Assembly meeting 6 p.m. tonight at Centennial Hall.
The playground, Sitka’s first to be American Disabilities Act compliant, cost about $1 million to build. It involved thousands of volunteer hours in addition to the work of paid contractors. The project was first proposed at the 2011 Sitka Health Summit, then was reintroduced at the 2015 Sitka Health Summit after the earlier project stalled.
Volunteers visited schools for ideas from the students about what they wanted, then implemented the ideas into the playground design.
Playground supporters are being encouraged to attend the meeting and wear their Sitka Community Playground T-shirts.
