Homeport Eatery
Dear Editor: For the last four years Homeport Eatery has proudly served the community of Sitka, providing a quality product in a family-friendly atmosphere. Now as the building Homeport occupies is getting sold, it is with a heavy heart that I announce the closure of Homeport Eatery on Nov. 17.
The people of Sitka welcomed me with open arms, and for that I will be forever grateful. We have developed many friendships and loyal customers over the years, and I shall miss you all. I will look back on my time spent at Homeport with sincere gratitude. Many thanks to my incredible staff (past and present) and to the people in this wonderful town we call home!
Thank you for being a part of Homeport. It is because of you, our customers, that Homeport Eatery is a success! Your love and support has been amazing. I truly wish you all the best life has to offer.
Please send any unused gift cards to 209 Lincoln St. Sitka, AK 99835 with your return address. Any cards bought within the last 12 months will be refunded.
North Sister Juice and Crepes remains open inside Homeport until Dec. 31 with their regular business hours. The new North Sister space will open in January, location TBA. Follow them on Facebook.
Teal West, Sitka
Sitka Sounds Cafe
Dear Editor: A big heartfelt “Thank You” to everyone involved with our highly successful Sitka Sounds Cafe at Sitka WhaleFest. Together, we made substantial progress in our fundraising efforts towards helping the Sitka High School symphonic band attend the All-Northwest event this coming February.
A number of folks went above and beyond in their involvement. Thank you, thank you, thank you to: Laura Schmidt, Sitka Fine Arts Camp, Connie Kreiss, Billy Grant, Cheryl Vastola, Chef Doug Comstock, Gerry and Sue Fleming, Shannon Haugland, SHS music students, their parents and Sarah Martinson, Sitka Sound Science Center staff and volunteers, Centennial Hall staff and several other generous folks who asked to remain anonymous.
Thanks to all those who enjoyed our soups, bread and treats and to all who slipped something extra into our donation jugs.
We’re so excited that our talented Sitka High School kids will be representing our great state of Alaska at the six-state gala in Bellevue, Washington.
As parents, we believe music makes our kids better students and better citizens.
These talented and hard-working musicians are available to perform at holiday parties and events. If you are interested in making a contribution or hiring them, please give Kristen a call at 738-0238.
Sitka High Parent
Fundraising Group
Doc Talk Series
Dear Editor: SEARHC just wrapped up another round of our Doc Talk speaker series. Each series provides a lineup of SEARHC providers who speak on relevant and interesting health topics. Thank you to the Hames Center for providing a welcoming environment where community members listened to presentations, asked questions, and munched on healthy snacks.
Dr. Ron Fribush kicked off the series with a presentation on marijuana use. Dr. Fribush enlightened attendees with the history, medicinal uses, and safety concerns regarding marijuana use.
Dr. Sul Ross Thorward, M.D., presented next on a very appropriate topic for the fall season: Seasonal Affective Disorder. He discussed how SAD is more than just the winter blues and how this disorder affects large segments of the population in northern regions. Attendees learned about various management techniques such as SAD lamps, medications, exercising, vitamin D, and cognitive behavior therapy.
Dr. Loren Laybourn, M.D., and Dr. Valerie Edwards, M.D., presented jointly during a special Women’s Night program at the Hames Center. Their presentation covered the history of breast cancer, types of breast cancer, and the latest screening techniques and guidelines. Dr. Edwards and Dr. Laybourn equipped each woman present with individualized recommendations regarding the age and frequency in which they should get mammograms in order to maximize early detection of cancer.
The Doc Talk speaker series was completed by a presentation by Dr. Gio Villanueva, PT, DPT, ATC. Dr. Villanueva provided detailed information on the knee joint and common injuries that affect it. Dr. Villanueva underscored the importance of proper mechanics in protecting knees and provided rationale for interventions aimed at reducing stress and pain at the knee joint.
I would like to thank these doctors for providing the community with access to free, quality health information that is up to date and accurate. If you have an idea about what you would like to learn about in the future, call Emily at 966-8938.
Emily Clark,
SEARHC Health Educator
Fall Festival
Dear Editor: Betty Eliason Child Care Center would like to thank everyone who attended our first Fall Carnival on Veterans Day. It was an exciting time filled with food, fun, and fellowship, and we plan to make it an annual event! Also, a HUGE thank you to those businesses and individuals that donated items to our silent auction – Cheryl Vastola/Sewing Solutions, Ben Franklin, the Alaska Computer Center, The Cellar, Penny Brown/Garden Ventures, the Hames Corp/Sea Mart, Cody Johnson/Kronos Ninja Gym, Janet Berlin/Traditional Film Photography, Trish and Dirk White/Seasons, Sharon Joseph/Sitka by Sea Professional Services, and the late Boyd Didrickson/3 Men by the Church.
Monies raised from these two fundraisers will help us on our way to make small interior improvements and upgrade our outdoor playground. Thank you, Sitka!
BECCC Board of Directors
Shanna Tadic, Board Treasurer
Native Heritage Month
Dear Editor: We are writing to express our thanks to all of the organizations, agencies and individuals that participated in the combined Honoring Veterans and Celebrating Native American Heritage Month Parade held on Friday, Nov. 11. I would like to thank Lisa Gassman, general manager at STA; Anne Davis, administrative services director at STA; Jaime Ackley, Sitka Veterans Association; and Crystal Duncan, University of Alaska Southeast; for working together from beginning to end planning the largest parade we recall in November. We would also like to thank everyone who came out to watch the parade, the streets were lined and that was wonderful to see so many honoring Veterans and celebrating Native American Heritage Month.
The weather cooperated and we had participation in the parade from American Legion, the Sitka Veterans Association, Sitka Tribal Council, Sitka mayor, Assembly members and city administrator, STA administration, Women’s Drum Group, Sitka Native Education Program, Alaska Native Brotherhood, Alaska Native Sisterhood, Mt. Edgecumbe High School Athabascan Dancers, AC Lakeside, the STA Legal/Workforce Development/Finance departments, Sitka Youth Football League, Mt. Edgecumbe High cheerleaders, Sitka High School cheerleaders, Mt. Edgecumbe High Yupik Dance Group, National Park Service, Sitka Conservation Society, SEARHC Health Promotion/Canoe, Sitka Tlingit dance groups, U.S. Coast Guard, Sitka Tribal Enterprises/Tribal Tours/Tannery, Sitka Studio of Dance, Sitka High Drum Line, STA Resource Protection Department, University of Alaska Southeast-Sitka Campus, STA Social Services Department, Sitka Police Department and Sitka Fire Department.
Finally, we would like to specially thank the following: MEHS for releasing the students early and encouraging the students/faculty participation in the parade or on the sidelines, UAS for allowing faculty/staff to attend, SEARHC for the donation of finger foods that were available at the reception following the parade. And finally, thank you to Birch Equipment for providing the Tribe with deals on the trailers that a couple of our departments rented to create floats. We hope to have this become an annual event, and if you did not get to participate this year, please contact Lisa or Anne at 747-3207 and you will be put on the list of groups to contact next year as planning begins for Native American Heritage Month 2017.
Michael Baines,
Tribal Council Chairman
Sitka Tribe of Alaska
