Charlotte’s Heroes
Dear Editor: I am a lifeguard and a swim coach at Blatchley pool. I think everyone must know that there is a miracle happens at the pool everyday.
Kids of aquatic therapy they are. Some come by yellow bus, some in private cars. Loud or quiet, happy or unhappy, confused or alarmed, scared or brave, screaming or laughing they all get in the water feeling like a rock from Death Valley just dropped into the waters of North Pole. Oh! What a feeling!
Joy and taste of accomplishment can be read like an awesome book from their incredibly beautiful faces of those wonderful human beings. As I watch them, tears almost gushing from my eyes, thoughts race in my mind repeating to me over and over that, this simple, good old rectangular hole full of water place called Blatchley pool is more sacred than any building that we have here in Sitka.
Instructors, under the commander Charlotte Kimber are the heroes that attend everyday, privately, to each angel with at most finesse, care, patience, happiness and endless love like they individually sent from heaven. In my mesmerizing moments of lifeguarding, under the shining reflections of pool lights on the water surface, I almost see their wings. God bless them!
Thanks a million to Sitka School District and all the staff members who are involved in this program.
Coach Siouxha Tokman, Sitka
Pumpkin Patch Thanks
Dear Editor: The 3 to 5 Preschool would like to say thank you to all the wonderful people who helped make our Pumpkin Patch fundraiser a success.
First, we’d like to thank all our wonderful parents at 3 to 5 Preschool: Ronnie Graves, Jessica Dunn, Anthony Haskins, Tyler McCarty, Angela Spitzer, Karin Cummings, Alexis Abercrombie, Jarret Hirai and, especially, the board members, President Kelly Moore, Vice President Ashley Haskins, Secretary Jael McCarty and Treasurer Jen Didrickson for all their hard work planning.
A big thank you to Bob and his crew at AC Lakeside for donating mini-pumpkins to all the children and donating a percentage of sales to our preschool.
A big thank you to the Alaska State Trooper cadets Scott Nord, Rian Schwab, Amy Glaiz, Luke Parrish, Thomas Slease, Fabio Coartney, Jim Edson, Gary Cranford, Matthew Presser, Patrick Taylor, and Hayungs for helping put up the big Coast Guard tent loaned to us by U.S. Coast Guard Commanding officer Mark Visley and Brandon Saiz.
Also, thank you to the Sitka Fire Department members Gale Kehres, Michele Snowden, Anthony Crew and Jesse Ranke for helping set up tents and tables Saturday morning.
Another big thank you to all the volunteers who helped with the game stations: Americorp volunteer Grant Grigoryan; Delta Kappa Gamma members Catherine Hawk and Jan Love; Sitka National Honor Society members Kelcie VonScheerschmidt, Haily Denkinger, Shelby Schmitt, Walter Palof, Lea Ramil, Naquoia Bautista, Ahna Gushing, Kariel Galbraith, Minh Iwamoto, Ava Parrish, Braden Chase, Erika Seehafer and Kaya Duquay; Girl Scout Troop 4140 members Allison Winger, Ariana Strickland, Autumn Dinsmore, and Margaret Peterson. Also, thanks to foreign exchange student Amina Kudziycye; and Jessica Barnes, Janet Baker and Jamie Osborne.
Thanks to Mike Coleman for letting us use the trailer for the hayride. Thanks to Les Kinnear from Fortress of the Bear for donating the hay for our hayride. Thanks to Jackie DiGennaro and Jim DiGennaro for playing guitar for our hayride.
Thanks to Spenard Builders Supply for donating the wood that became our ‘‘Frozen’’ backdrop, beanbag toss, and fishing game, and thanks to Gracia Hardcastle for wonderful painting. A big thank you to Michael Hirai for painting, cutting and fabricating stands.
Thanks to United Methodist Church for use of their kitchen and Lucia Graves and Donna Keith for making the tamales. Also, thanks to Shirley Rieta for making the pancit. Thanks to the Elks Lodge for donating towards the cost of food. And thank you to Perry and Melissa Broschat from Highliner for donating coffee.
Thank you to Sitka Dental for donating prizes and Tom Jacobson for being the photo booth photographer. Also, thanks to Lesa Way and the SEARHC Safety Shop for donating safety reflectors. Thanks to Raven Radio, Sitka Soup, CFC William Grant, Will Swagel, and the Daily Sitka Sentinel for advertising our event.
And THANK YOU to the community of Sitka for coming out and supporting our event.
3 to 5 Preschool
