Peter Corey
Dear Editor: I was very sorry to read of Peter Corey’s death. He was a warm, charming, knowledgeable man with a great sense of humor that nicely balanced his professionalism.
In thinking of dear Peter, I remembered the time I decided to play a clever trick on him. I had read he was to be at Centennial Hall that afternoon, identifying Native baskets for those who brought them in. Years before, a friend had given us a tray basket from the Papago Indians of Southern Arizona, as we had spent a summer there. So I took this over to the hall, wrapped in a paper bag. Sure enough, Peter was sitting behind a table, turning baskets around in his hands as people would hand them to him from a number sitting on another table. I took advantage of a time when no one was looking and slipped my offering onto that table, then joined the audience to enjoy the joke.
About an hour later, my basket was handed to Peter. He turned it over several times, wrinkling his forehead. I tried to keep from laughing out loud. Then he gave his verdict.
“This is a Papago basket, made around 1951 in Arizona.” He continued with more details about the weaving, the dying of the colors, etc., but I wasn’t really listening. The joke was on me.
Around that time, my daughter, Betsy, the journalist, was working on a story about a museum Down South where she lived at the time, that was horrified to find replica Native baskets which they carried, were being sold as originals. She had called various museums, but when she reached the Smithsonian, a pleasant woman told her to check in Sitka, Alaska, where one of the great experts in the field lived. It was, of course, Peter Corey.
You will be missed by many, Dear Peter.
Dee Longenbaugh,
Juneau, Alaska, now but proud former Sitkan
Fishing for Cats
Dear Editor: Last Saturday a large, enthusiastic crowd filled the Hames Center and enjoyed barn dancing to live music by Fishing for Cats. It was a joy to see so many energetic Sitkans and visitors joining in. We would like to thank the Hames Center staff and the Sitka Sound Slayers for the lightning fast turnover between the derby bout and the dance. We would also like to thank the Alaska Day Committee for inviting us to be part of the celebration and sponsoring our venue rental.
Fishing for Cats, Sitka
Senior Class Dance
Dear Editor: The senior class of Sitka High School is holding a dance this weekend on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 8 p.m. to midnight at the Westmark Sitka ballroom. The students wanted to offer something at a different venue and to be able to play preferred music without restrictions.
This dance is NOT a Sitka High School-sponsored dance. No school personnel will be chaperoning as representatives of the school district. The chaperones will be parents of students or other adults.
The senior class dance has historically been the homecoming dance, but all homecoming festivities will occur on-campus during the week prior to the dance.
We are supporting the students by allowing them to hang posters for their dance around SHS, sell tickets to the dance at SHS during lunch, and organize homecoming festivities to occur at SHS during the week prior to the dance. If you have questions please contact us at Sitka High School at 747-3263 or one of the event organizers, Lesa Way, at 738-3924.
Lyle Sparrowgrove,
Sitka High School Principal
Ferry Teleconference
Dear Editor: On Friday, Oct. 23, at noon, there will be a teleconference on the Alaska Ferry System at the legislative office next to the Totem Square Inn.
Let us all be there to give our full support for our one-and-only highway in Southeast Alaska. It is important that we stand up and fight for it.
Hope to see you all there!
Doris Smith, Sitka
ALFA Open House
Dear Editor: Many thanks to all who came out to celebrate Sitka’s fish and fishermen at the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association’s Alaska Day event. The event included ALFA’s first annual Home-Smoked Seafood Tasting Competition, which was a delicious success. We thank everyone who entered the competition and congratulate the winners: Brian McNitt, Zach Heathman, and Harold Kalve.
We would also like to thank the staff of Murray Pacific for generously donating an electric smoker, which went to our first place winner, and Sea Mart Quality Foods, whose contribution helped ensure everyone was well fed. Thanks are also due to Terry Perensovich, who donated blackcod, and to Tonka Seafoods in Petersburg, who smoked to perfection the blackcod served at our event. The list would be incomplete without thanking Lisa Busch and the staff of the Sitka Sound Science Center for their help, and for giving us a roof under which to gather and celebrate.
We were pleased to have this opportunity to honor the local fishermen participating in our Fishery Conservation Network. We were thrilled to join Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins in surprising Dewey Torgeson with a legislative honorarium in recognition of his contribution to Alaska’s fisheries and his historic boat, the F/V Republic, which is over 100 years old and still hauling in fish.
Thanks, again, to all who attended. A wonderful time (and lots of cod) was had by all.
Linda Behnken and the
Staff of Alaska Longline
Fishermen’s Association
