Vote for Himschoot
Dear Editor: As a former teacher and current co-executive director of the Sitka Community Land Trust, I believe that we need legislators who lead with empathy, listen without judgment, and stay focused on building solutions.
Rebecca Himschoot is an award-winning educator in the Sitka School District, former member of the Alaska State Board of Education and Early Development, and current Sitka Assembly member. She knows that making real progress is slow, humbling work – whether it’s in the classroom or on the Assembly. She cares deeply about Southeast Alaska, and she’s willing to put in the intense, unglamorous work that it will take to make our communities better.
I’m invested in the long-term success of our communities, and I believe we need a state representative who is just as invested. That’s why I’m casting my ballot for Rebecca Himschoot on November 8, and I encourage you to do the same.
Randy Hughey, Retired Educator,
Co-Executive Director of
Sitka Community Land Trust
Support Rep. Peltola
Dear Editor: After listening to the candidates fish debate in Kodiak (KMXT) public radio and reading numerous news articles in ADN, Alaska Beacon dealing with the debate and reading and hearing media coverage of Ms. Peltola visit to Sitka recently, I will be voting for her in the upcoming general election.
First, I’d like to offer my thoughts on the Kodiak fish debate held in early October. I’m doing this from a commercial fisherman perspective and long time observer/participant in fish policy and politics.
I feel Rep. Peltola “gets it.” She stood out among the other candidates in a number of positive ways.
1) The other two main candidates seemed to be bent on bashing the Feds, the Dems and or the faceless bureaucrats back in D.C. Ms. Peltola seemed to want to engage in the process as a way to get things done for Alaska. An example of this was Peltola’s answer to a question regarding Biden’s 30x30 policy – ‘‘If we are not at the table we are on the menu.”
2) Updating the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Peltola offered up some of what I consider solid ideas to improve this act. Basically engage in the process to get positive changes for Alaska. Palin, for all of her history, claimed she didn’t know enough to really comment on specifics. I found this odd because this is something she should have known more about, after all she was our governor way back when. At least she was honest about it. Begich kinda supported it but seemed to argue against it also. Seemingly opposed because “this is a Democrat-pushed bill led by a legislator from the state of California.” I guess when you don’t know enough about something there is always the Dems and Feds to kick around and blame instead of working within the process.
3) Bycatch. Palin was all over the board, really seemed to not grasp the question. Begich somehow pivoted his answer away from bycatch. Saying something out of place about bycatch/climate change. “There is nothing we can do about it” (climate change in Congress). It is well-known climate change is part of the problem in our waters and Congress is actively working on it. Peltola seemed to recognize the need for protection of subsistence harvesters and the small boat fleets by reducing bycatch. She really nailed it in one of her longer replies. Just part of that answer was: When rural people who need wild fish and game to feed their families are “ratcheting back and they’re at about a third of their need, and industrial fishing isn’t ratcheting back, something is wrong.”
I urge the readers to listen to the Kodiak debate and/or look at the Alaska Beacon piece reprinted in the Sitka Sentinel recently.
Some thoughts on Mary Peltola visit to Sitka this week. I find her to be like the first warm days of spring, something fresh, hopeful. After so much divisiveness in the last few years I really appreciate someone trying to build something better without tearing someone or something down. She seems centered on working together for common goals. Her voice is something we need as a country.
Thanks to the Sentinel staff for the excellent coverage during her visit and on the election. The Alaska Beacon is a great addition to the Sentinel.
John Murray, Sitka
Bear
Dear Editor: The article in the Oct. 10 issue of the Sentinel, about the Edgecumbe Drive kid killing a bear with a handgun, causes me great concern:
(1) Was there any adult supervision at the kid’s home, the night this happened?
(2) Did the kid’s parents know he had access to a loaded weapon, especially with another teenager in the house? (Isn’t this against the law?)
(3) It’s stated in the piece that the kid fired the weapon after being “startled” ... What if it had been an early Halloween prankster who startled him? ... What about a neighbor, out looking for his dog?
(4) Do these circumstances exhibit any sense of good judgment on the part of the kid, his parents, Alaska Wildlife Troopers, or the Sitka Police Department?
(5) Taking into account how this dangerous situation was handled, do you think that there may be other kids in Sitka who will, now, see it as acceptable, and permissible, to brandish and fire a loaded weapon any time they hear a noise on their porch, or are startled late at night?
This situation should be very worrisome to all Sitkans.
Florian Sever, Sitka
Sentinel Comment
The release of information to the public in cases involving juveniles is restricted, but these cases are fully investigated by law enforcement, with oversight by the courts. Therefore, the Sentinel cautions that the absence of details in a newspaper report does not mean that relevant facts or the application of the law were not considered in the official findings or outcome of a particular case.
The Editor
