Cheers to Sitka
Dear Editor: Cheers to everyone in Sitka for thinking beyond this grubby weather and the near paralyzing events of a truly miserable pandemic. Alaska Day is surely a time to think about our city, our shared histories, and our yet to be realized futures. Oh yes, let us also include our shared and undiscovered prehistories. What a place to celebrate!
Here is what I am especially grateful for today:
1. All those folks who are rallying their energy, ideas and events to bring us together.
2. The Sentinel for the pictures and the excellent reporting – and for including PHONE NUMBERS so we vintage folks can feel a little bit connected – or at least not completely ignored.
3. KCAW for local interviews that provide updates on events a lot of us can’t be a part of because we are not ON THE WEB. A phone number spoken twice and slowly is absolutely wonderful. It makes me feel I can be a part of this town if I want to be.
4. Parades! This is a town of parades. What fun! Parades without the fear of cannons too loud and close. Parades where the only dogs around are the ones on leashes in the parades, or kept on the far edges where they can be admired and controlled, on short leashes.
5. Police presence in uniform confirming we are safe. I’d like to know their names, and to thank them.
6. Lutheran pies and St. Michael’s soup and fry bread.
7. Candy thrown to the children – and sometimes shared with us older folk who can’t run and bend over fast enough.
8. Might we hand out masks with the candy? Maybe that IS something we Old Folks can do. Wear AND hand out masks as a way we can say “thank you for caring.”
9. I hope our Assembly members will join us.
Let’s all rally and cheer and make Sitka Sitka again.
Nancy Yaw Davis, Sitka
