Proposed Fine
Dear Editor: This is a letter I sent to the Assembly regarding the proposal of a $300 fine for dogs on the ballfields.
Mr. Dinley’s characterization of all dog owners being irresponsible as a group and allowing their dogs to eliminate “wherever” and not clean up after them is a gross generalization. Dog owners are also part of the Sitka “community.” We pay taxes like everyone else, this, by the way, includes Mr. Dinley’s wages.
Dear Assembly Members: This letter is in regards to the proposal of the $300 fine for dogs using the ball fields. This proposal is an unreasonable characterization that ALL Sitka dog owners are irresponsible. Perhaps we need to look at the bigger picture here.
Granted not all softball players are messy, but it is no secret a good many of us have seen the mess left behind by the “athletes.” Beer and soda pop cans, broken glass, cigarette butts and even vomit can be found around the ball fields after use.
Apparently Mr. Dinley has not been down to the soft ball fields, during a game or afterwards, or he would be aware of that particular trash. Perhaps Mr. Dinley is also unaware that there are responsible dog owners who pick up not only the garbage just mentioned, but also other people’s dog poop.
This letter is not meant to polarize the user groups of ball players and dog owners. A good many of the ball players are dog owners. The bigger message here is everyone needs to pick up after themselves. It is completely understandable NO DOGS on the new Moller Field – and yes, a fine in place for THAT field is absolutely reasonable.
As taxpayers, we all have paid into those fields and we all have a right to use them. The $300 blanket statement proposal, which includes the Kimsham fields is grossly uncalled for. Mr Dinley’s job as a city employee is to address the needs of ALL Sitkans. Please revisit this proposal and do not include the Kimsham ball fields.
Michelle Kennedy, Sitka
Jonathan Supports S.E.
Dear Editor: My husband and I commercial fish here in Sitka, and we are the parents of a 10-year-old in the Sitka school system. These are only two of the reasons that I support Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins for state House.
First and foremost, Jonathan understands the importance of the fishing industry to southeast Alaska communities, and he will fight for our small boat fleet here in Southeast.
The National Marine Fisheries Service has proposed new regulations for 2013 that will burden small boats that harvest groundfish with the possibility of 100 percent onboard observer coverage (if your name is picked, you are responsible for taking an on-board observer for 100 percent of your trips for a three-month period, and you are required to feed and house your observer when you are not fishing) while actually REDUCING coverage on the trawl fleet. While Jonathan supports better data for at-sea discards he realizes we have the technology to accomplish this and he supports electronic monitoring instead of 100 percent observer coverage for the small boat fleet.
Jonathan also realizes the importance of infrastructure and will prioritize capital spending towards harbors to keep moorage rates competitive. To help achieve this goal he supports bringing a larger percentage of raw fish tax back to the communities from which it came, unlike his opponent Rep. Bill Thomas, who is against HB184, which would increase the percentage of raw fish tax revenue allocated to the municipality. Also, unlike his opponent, Jonathan is strongly opposed to the $2 billion giveaway to the oil companies that would leave no money for improving infrastructure.
AND, whether or not you give a hoot that I may have to carry an observer on my boat 100 percent of the time, you should give a hoot about improving basic infrastructure that will help keep our fleet here in Southeast, because keeping our fleet here keeps our fish here, keeps our money here and keeps the many jobs that are entwined with the fishing industry here. It also keeps our kids here in the school system; which leads me to the next big reason Jonathan has my vote.
I never want to feel like I have to leave Sitka to find a better educational opportunity for my child. I volunteer in the school system three or four times a week, and I see the amazing quality of educators we have here. I also see the programs that are cut because of lack of funding. I see the increasing class sizes and the frustration that comes with knowing there just isn’t enough time or money to meet students’ needs.
Jonathan knows that Alaska’s future depends on providing a strong public education for future generations. He supports forwarding funding – funding schools a year in advance so they can prepare and plan, and he supports inflation-proofing education funding (tying student allocation to inflation).
Jonathan may be young, but he’s fiscally conservative, he’s a forward thinker, he’s committed to Southeast Alaska and he’s here to stay.
Wendy Alderson, Sitka
Thanksgiving Dinner
Dear Editor: Sitka is going to have their traditional Thanksgiving dinner. I’ve been assured that the Alaska Native Sisterhood has already talked about it. Harriet Beleal and her two daughters, Rachel and Paulette, have stepped up to the plate and will be the ‘‘spearheaders’’ in charge and with everybody’s help, the team effort will make sure that the community Thanksgiving dinner will take place.
It takes a huge amount of work, so Rachel and Paulette are looking for everyone who can help or who can take on a portion of what needs to be done. They are particularly looking for cooks. Last year they served 500 meals! Please call 738-6595 with questions or to volunteer to help. Sitka does it again.
Doris Bailey, Sitka
Voting for Jonathan
Dear Editor: When I was working in Anchorage radio in 2004 I covered a Democratic Party meeting. A high school student made a presentation on the use of social media in the Howard Dean campaign. That student blew the adults away, He was Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins. After the meeting someone asked if he was the product of some expensive private school. I could proudly say that he went to Sitka public schools. The woman then asked, ‘‘Why can’t Anchorage do that?’’ The answer is Sitka’s commitment to, and support of, public education.
Eight years later that former student is running for the Alaska House of Representatives. I’m supporting Jonathan because I believe that education is THE most important investment we can make in the future and I know Jonathan’s commitment to public education in Alaska. He came back to Sitka after college and brings home the ideas and energy to make all Alaskan schools as special as Sitka’s. Jonathan supports both indexing state education support to inflation and forward funding schools so the School Board, administrators and teachers do not have to play an annual ‘‘short fuse’’ guessing game on budget and programs that saps so much energy from the real job of educating students.
I am proud of Sitka schools and proud of a student who went through the system, got a first rate education, and wants to come home to make Alaska a better place.
Rich McClear, Sitka
Need ‘A’ Team
Dear Editor: As you know, most towns and cities in our state are suffering similar economic stresses as we in Sitka are feeling. Competition for dwindling state dollars has been and will continue to increase over the next few years. We have been extremely fortunate in having excellent representation in our state Legislature. What many people fail to realize is that our legislators have done a mighty fine job making sure our Southeastern districts get a fair share of our state’s oil wealth. Even though Bill Thomas has not been in Sitka’s voting district, prior to re-districting, he has been quietly looking out for us in Sitka. He will continue his work on our behalf into the future. With a legislative team like Sen. Bert Stedman and Rep. Bill Thomas, I am sure we are the envy of many residents of Southeast Alaska and the State of Alaska. Representation such as this does not come along very often, especially when both are high-ranking among their peers.
I was talking to someone the other day who made a comment about not liking how a particular politician voted on a single issue, and that was the reason he was not going to vote for that candidate. I asked this person if he always voted for candidates who represented only his point of view, 100 percent of the time. Of course his answer was no. I would venture to say that all of us would have a problem coming up with politicians with whom we agree, on every single issue, all the time.
As a responsible voter, I have considered the record, experience and overall qualifications of Rep. Bill Thomas compared to his opponent, and have concluded that our odds are far better for getting much-needed state assistance by sending Rep. Thomas back to the Legislature on our behalf. He and Sen. Stedman make a great team, and will represent us well. While I think that it is wonderful to have a new candidate come forward, I do not, however, believe that this is the right time to start the training period of a new, inexperienced representative.
I will be casting my vote for the candidates I believe can best help Sitka and the other communities in our area and that is Rep. Bill Thomas and Sen. Bert Stedman.
Pete Esquiro, Sitka
Golden Years
Dear Editor: ‘‘The Golden Years’’ – that is what Sitka commonly refers to the years that we had Dick Eliason as Senate president and Ben Grussendorf as speaker of the House. Many, many good things happened for Sitka. The results are all around us in infrastructure that we use today. Their respective houses were controlled by their respective parties, thus they were able to attain such key leadership positions.
As a two-term mayor and two-term Assembly member (and lifetime Democrat), I lobbied the state Legislature for Sitka’s needs. I understand the value and importance of having our state delegation in key positions in the Legislature as it relates to being in the majority, (or not being able to have a key position if you are in the minority). Being House Finance co-chair is one of the most important positions in the state Legislature.
Today, Sitka has a chance to repeat its opportunity. The Railbelt of Anchorage to Fairbanks is gaining more population. Southeast Alaska has lost seats to redistricting, which means we are also losing the ability to influence state policy and state budgets. Yet, with the majorities as they are, Sitka has a chance to have an incredible say in the state Legislature.
Sen. Bert Stedman is the co-chair of Senate Finance Committee, the committee that writes the capital budget. Rep. Bill Thomas is the co-chair of House Finance. With redistricting, Rep. Thomas would now directly represent Sitka.
In listening to Sen. Stedman, they work well together in developing budgets. They understand the importance of ensuring Southeast Alaska, and our district are treated fairly in the budget process. The results are evident in the recent budgets. As co-chairs, they have the ability to put in, and defend, projects and funding levels that help Sitka and Southeast Alaska. This doesn’t happen if we don’t have two individuals representing our community in key leadership positions.
Sitka has a chance to ensure that Southeast Alaska and Sitka are ‘‘at the table’’ when it comes to key decisions in the state Legislature by returning Sen. Stedman and Rep. Thomas to the state Legislature. We have a chance to repeat an opportunity that we call ‘‘the golden years’’ of Sitka by voting for the person, not the party, that will serve Sitka well in Juneau.
Please vote for Sen. Stedman and Rep. Thomas. Keep Sitka at the table to help Southeast Alaska and our town.
Stan Filler, Sitka, former mayor
From the Editor
Wednesday’s edition of the Sentinel carried a news release about promotions at Sitka Counseling and Prevention Services under the headline “SCAPS Has New Directors.”
Unfortunately, we now find that the acronym by which the organization has been known since it was created by the merger of other organizations several years ago, is objectionable to its present staff.
The Sentinel has never attached a negative connotation to the appellation SCAPS, and the letter below is the first indication we have received from the organization about its staff’s views on the subject.
Sitka Counseling
Dear Editor: Sitka Counseling and Prevention Services has been labeled as SCAPS for too long, we as an agency have made a point to no longer refer to ourselves as SCAPS. We would like to be referred to as SITKA COUNSELING; we have been a negative acronym for too long.
I have been with this agency for over three years and it is a great place to work let alone the services we are providing to our community. If the community won’t change how can our image change? The simple question is will you help to provide a better image along with our staff? Change starts within and our agency staff has been taking the initiative to work towards a positive image and build partnerships.
Amy Zanuzoski, Executive Director,
Sitka Counseling and
Prevention Services
EDITOR’S NOTE: Similar letters with years of service were received from staff members: Kerry Tomlinson, two years, Administrative Operations Officer; Carla Whiteside, three years, Billing Tech; Heather Garrison, five years, Data Coordinator; Carol Lundy, several years, Clinical Coordinator; Tonia Hanson, two years, Finance Tech II; and Lisa Hill, seven months, Receptionist.
