ATIA Reception
Dear Editor: The ATIA opening reception ‘‘All the World’s a Stage,’’ sponsored by Holland America Cruise Lines, was a huge success last Tuesday night. The success of this event was due to the “step up” attitude of some key folks in the community.
I couldn’t have created “All the World’s a Stage” without the amazing panels provided by John and Sharon Ferrick that represented seven regions of the world. Chandeliers, provided by the Ferricks (you’re going to hear this name a lot) were hung by Les Kinnear and created the feeling of being on a cruise ship.
Keith Gibson was able to modify a bar and create a cruise ship that was painted and lit up like it was coming into Sitka Sound. Evy created the Holland America vessel names and an anchor that put the entire ship together. Tim Shobe was the mastermind behind the Alaska panel along with Phil Mooney who provided the photographs in my vision. Tim worked with me to create the collage effect I was looking for and the Ferricks were able to send off for printing with the arrival a week prior to the event. The USA diner was created with the help of furniture from Mt. Edgecumbe High School. Thank you Stan for working with us.
I also need to thank Danielle McGraw for letting me steal the cherry blossoms off of her front porch, Susan Suarez actually stole them up in broad daylight, to add a final touch to the Orient. Evy Kinnear provided the signage that created the flow necessary for the 450 attendees. Karen Christner, I can’t thank you enough for adding your amazing final touches to each table center piece to tie it all together.
The food was incredible. But I first need to recognize the amazing kitchen staff: Karen and Jere Christner, Phil Mooney, Monica, Holley, Lyndsey and Chef Keith (Channel Club). Somehow we wives are able to rope our husbands into these fun events. Sometimes their co-workers too! Without this crew I wouldn’t have been able to pull off the necessary restocking of food, dishes or amazing flow that was generated and kept going through the night.
Prior to the event I had Debbie, Angie and Evy stop in to take turns chopping and slicing too. Back to the food, the table menus were created by Kelly Boddy and added just the right touch. The tables were filled with Russian, Mediterranean, Alaskan, Mexican, Oriental and European foods along with American desserts, coffee and tea. So many local restaurants and businesses kicked in with their specialties. The Channel Club, Fish Eye Coffee, Botanika, VanWinkle and Sons, Grandma Tillie’s Bakery, Sitka Spruce Catering, Reindeer Redhots, Little Tokyo, Kenny’s Wok, Agave, Northern Sales, Sitka Sea Salt and AC Lakeside.
I do need to give an extra special thank you to Tim and Cory Holder with the Nugget who donated the borscht and dark rye bread. Also, a super big thank you to Trish and Dirk White who not only donated the ice cream for this event, but provided four wonderful girls in poodle skirts to serve it.
Cindy Baldwin-Kitka also dressed in the ’50s theme and helped keep the bon-bons and lemon bars restocked throughout the evening. She was very protective of that role, I can’t even imagine why? The bar was immaculately run by The Pub. Baranof Island Brewing Company also kicked in by serving beer and wine in the Mediterranean. Thank you, Jeff, you and your staff did an amazing job!
Of course, the entertainment was also indicative of the regions represented. Oh surprise! We had an amazing opening with the Noow Tléin dancers who were able to wear regalia provided by Teri Rofkar Gary Lang, Clara Gray and the Naa Kahidi. This was followed by Gov. Sean Parnell who spoke to the conference participants. As the night progressed, the New Archangel Dancers flash-mob danced and the night finished up with a mini wearable art show organized by Jeff Budd. All of the entertainment went off without a hitch because of our technical director, Jeanne Stolberg. We also had photographer Tim Shobe keeping things lively in the USA diner by providing photo opportunities in vintage cars. You guessed it, another item supplied by the Ferricks!
I also want to thank Tonia Rioux, Sitka Convention and Visitors Bureau, along with Angela Keta for asking me to organize the opening reception and your initial guidance. I also want to recognize the Harrigan Centennial Hall staff. Your “can do” attitude makes things so much easier.
All the world can be a stage if you are lucky enough to have the amount of help that I did to make it happen!
Linda Speerstra, Sitka Convention and Visitors Bureau Board Member and New Archangel Dancer
Paths VIII Thanks
Dear Editor: Last August the eighth Paths Across the Pacific conference was held in Sitka. It was a stunning series of events that left us nearly witless. But now we must gather our wits and thank the dozens of people across Sitka who contributed in so many ways to the meetings.
Those people had spirit and spunk as they listened, talked, discussed, wondered and questioned one another on an impossibly broad series of topics linked to our shared oceans and assessed evidence of human connections around and across them. The meetings were infused with a kind of suspense about What next? Who next? And sometimes a puzzlement: What does this mean? Or even What was THAT all about? But Ah, what fun we had!
From the beginning to the end many people and local organizations were engaged in the success of the meetings. Alaska Native Sisterhood Sitka Camp 4, Alaska Native Brotherhood Sitka Camp 1 and Sitka Tribe of Alaska provided the traditional welcome and reception at the Sheet’ka Kwáan Naa Kahídi Community House. Fred Hope, Kiks.adi, began with a prayer, Ted Wright, STA executive director, opened the program, followed by Mike Baines, STA Council President, Kerry MacLane, ANB vice President, and Paulette Moreno, Acting President of ANS, Camp 4.
Award-winning chef, John Nielson, prepared elegant smoked salmon and delicious herring egg salad. ANS provided salads, desserts and drinks thanks to the leadership of Paulette Moreno, Jean Arnold, Linda Wilson and others on their team. To close the reception Rebecca Osborn played a viola surprise: the Bach prelude in G Minor that is the theme song from the movie Master and Commander.
This summer Paths became part of SitkaFest and met on the Fine Arts campus. Thanks to Paul Cox, coordinator of Sitka Fest, who lent his expertise to the complex logistics of room, chairs, and equipment and to Roger Schmidt and the SFAC staff. Their food services provided mighty satisfying box lunches and endless coffee. A lot happened on the former SJ campus this summer. Paths VIII was one of many successful events.
In the future we will summarize the 14 talks given by the guest speakers who came to Sitka from three foreign countries and 11 states. In some ways it was an incongruous group of scholars from varied backgrounds. But a creative, yeasty, exchange of ideas, ensued – and continues.
The theme of our Pacific connections continued on Saturday night with a dinner at the Centennial Hall. Chow Cuisine catered a delicious Filipino buffet that was so good it was totally consumed and a few late-comers missed out. Special thanks to Joy Antolin and the Filipino Community of Sitka Dancers who performed a graceful, elegant dance in new colorful costumes made by Tilda Carbillon. Before the speaker of the evening, Dr. Dennis Stanford of the Smithsonian Institution, a local poet, Michaela Dunlap Larson, read a powerful poem, Migration.
The formal talks ended on Sunday morning with Paulette Moreno, daughter of poet Phil Moreno, who quietly, professionally, read poems by Martin Strand and by her father. Phil’s poems at the end of the conference were a tradition at earlier Paths conferences. Paulette continued this tradition with thoughtful dignity.
The final event was our famous Beachcombers’ Fair. Curt Ebbesmeyer’s knowledgeable narrative provided new information about the curious ocean-borne debris that links us in surprising ways to places far away.
A loud Gunalcheesh Ho Ho to the makers of snacks: Dorothy Breedlove, Jim Dangel, Sandy Griffith, Mary Anne Navitsky, Judy Ozment, Mary Ann Peterson, Barbara Richards, Rebecca West and to Grandma Tillies Bakery for her cake. The food kept the energy levels up and conversations lively and Jim Dangel’s elegant flowers brightened the table.
Special thanks also are owed to Larry Calvin for making his boat, the Morning Mist, available and providing a narrative about Silver Bay, to Mim McConnell of Shelter Cove Publishing for maintaining our web site, and to Sarah Bell and the Kettleson Memorial Library staff and Phil Rupell of the Sitka Convention and Visitors Bureau for printing our materials. Thanks to Capt. John Dunlap and Allen Marine Tours, Inc., to Robert Woolsey and Raven Radio. And Hurrah to The Daily Sitka Sentinel staff, Harrigan Centennial Hall staff, Old Harbor Books, Sheldon Jackson Museum and the Sitka Sound Science Center.
Individuals who helped include Connie LaPerriere who contributed the idea of the logo cups and followed through with the sales and gifts to the speakers; she and Tess Olympic Giant helped maintain our data base. Saori Handy translated a letter by Sho Hidaka from Miyazaki, Kyushu, Japan. Alice Smith recorded the sessions; Dan Etulain has edited and made the videos available. James Paulson took our classy group photos.
We are also most grateful to all who came to the lectures and offered comments to the discussions. And thanks to all who contributed gifts of ideas, time, housing, transportation, air mileage and funds. They include Pamela Ash, Chuck and Edie Bovee, Rosemary Carlton, Robert Ellis, Kathy Hope Erickson, Jeff Feldpausch, Rhiannon Guevin, Fred and Margaret Hope, Gerry Hope, Alice Johnstone, Bertha Karras, Holly Keen, Harvey Kitka, Michaela Dunlap Larson, Marcel LaPerriere, Dean and Dorothy Orbison, Jack Ozment, Megan Pasternak, Anne Pollnow, Barbara and Norm Richards, Linda Schmidt, and Al and Signe Wilson.
Paths VIII wouldn’t have been possible without the expertise of Phyllis Hackett who brought her knowledge of Sitka and experience in managing the complex logistics of meetings. She, Rebecca Osborn and Jack West added incalculable support behind the scenes. This included elegant snack arrangements, transportation, and responses to the many mini crises that arose.
At the start we thought Paths VIII would probably be our last conference, but let’s rethink that in a few months. The speakers love Sitka, are grateful for the friendly, warm hospitality and want to return for longer visits and bring relatives and colleagues. The suggested time is in two years, Aug. 18-22, 2015. What do you think? Comments and suggestions are welcomed. An assessment meeting will be held in January 2014. In the meantime, please send ideas to nydavis@gci.net and daviswme@gci.net, or to P.O. Box 6494, Sitka.
Nancy Yaw and William E. Davis,
Co-Chairs of Paths Across
the Pacific VIII
ATIA Reception
Dear Editor: The ATIA opening reception ‘‘All the World’s a Stage,’’ sponsored by Holland America Cruise Lines, was a huge success last Tuesday night. The success of this event was due to the “step up” attitude of some key folks in the community.
I couldn’t have created “All the World’s a Stage” without the amazing panels provided by John and Sharon Ferrick that represented seven regions of the world. Chandeliers, provided by the Ferricks (you’re going to hear this name a lot) were hung by Les Kinnear and created the feeling of being on a cruise ship.
Keith Gibson was able to modify a bar and create a cruise ship that was painted and lit up like it was coming into Sitka Sound. Evy created the Holland America vessel names and an anchor that put the entire ship together. Tim Shobe was the mastermind behind the Alaska panel along with Phil Mooney who provided the photographs in my vision. Tim worked with me to create the collage effect I was looking for and the Ferricks were able to send off for printing with the arrival a week prior to the event. The USA diner was created with the help of furniture from Mt. Edgecumbe High School. Thank you Stan for working with us.
I also need to thank Danielle McGraw for letting me steal the cherry blossoms off of her front porch, Susan Suarez actually stole them up in broad daylight, to add a final touch to the Orient. Evy Kinnear provided the signage that created the flow necessary for the 450 attendees. Karen Christner, I can’t thank you enough for adding your amazing final touches to each table center piece to tie it all together.
The food was incredible. But I first need to recognize the amazing kitchen staff: Karen and Jere Christner, Phil Mooney, Monica, Holley, Lyndsey and Chef Keith (Channel Club). Somehow we wives are able to rope our husbands into these fun events. Sometimes their co-workers too! Without this crew I wouldn’t have been able to pull off the necessary restocking of food, dishes or amazing flow that was generated and kept going through the night.
Prior to the event I had Debbie, Angie and Evy stop in to take turns chopping and slicing too. Back to the food, the table menus were created by Kelly Boddy and added just the right touch. The tables were filled with Russian, Mediterranean, Alaskan, Mexican, Oriental and European foods along with American desserts, coffee and tea. So many local restaurants and businesses kicked in with their specialties. The Channel Club, Fish Eye Coffee, Botanika, VanWinkle and Sons, Grandma Tillie’s Bakery, Sitka Spruce Catering, Reindeer Redhots, Little Tokyo, Kenny’s Wok, Agave, Northern Sales, Sitka Sea Salt and AC Lakeside.
I do need to give an extra special thank you to Tim and Cory Holder with the Nugget who donated the borscht and dark rye bread. Also, a super big thank you to Trish and Dirk White who not only donated the ice cream for this event, but provided four wonderful girls in poodle skirts to serve it.
Cindy Baldwin-Kitka also dressed in the ’50s theme and helped keep the bon-bons and lemon bars restocked throughout the evening. She was very protective of that role, I can’t even imagine why? The bar was immaculately run by The Pub. Baranof Island Brewing Company also kicked in by serving beer and wine in the Mediterranean. Thank you, Jeff, you and your staff did an amazing job!
Of course, the entertainment was also indicative of the regions represented. Oh surprise! We had an amazing opening with the Noow Tléin dancers who were able to wear regalia provided by Teri Rofkar Gary Lang, Clara Gray and the Naa Kahidi. This was followed by Gov. Sean Parnell who spoke to the conference participants. As the night progressed, the New Archangel Dancers flash-mob danced and the night finished up with a mini wearable art show organized by Jeff Budd. All of the entertainment went off without a hitch because of our technical director, Jeanne Stolberg. We also had photographer Tim Shobe keeping things lively in the USA diner by providing photo opportunities in vintage cars. You guessed it, another item supplied by the Ferricks!
I also want to thank Tonia Rioux, Sitka Convention and Visitors Bureau, along with Angela Keta for asking me to organize the opening reception and your initial guidance. I also want to recognize the Harrigan Centennial Hall staff. Your “can do” attitude makes things so much easier.
All the world can be a stage if you are lucky enough to have the amount of help that I did to make it happen!
Linda Speerstra, Sitka Convention and Visitors Bureau Board Member and New Archangel Dancer
DDF Tournament
Dear Editor: Thank you to all who helped with the DDF tournament at MEHS on Oct. 11 and 12.
First, thank you to the students, staff and administration of MEHS. Your encouragement and support was a big part of our success. Especially, thanks to Bernie Gurule, our academic principal; Paula Clayton, our administrative assistant; and our ADs Carl Blackhurst and Andrew Friske. We appreciate your continued support of our DDF program. Thanks to Shirley Perkins, Paula Clayton and others who staff and supply our hospitality room.
Thank you to the students and parents of the Sitka High DDF team. We appreciate your willingness to help house students. Thanks to Scott McAdams for graciously organizing this housing event.
Finally, the coaches and members of the MEHS DDF team thank every community member who took time away from their weekend to judge at our meet. Your service to drama/debate is invaluable.
Thanks to all who participated in any way.
Marcy Drake and Janet Drake,
MEHS DDF Coaches
