In Support of JKT
Dear Editor: Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins has the drive, skills and perspective we need in the Alaska Legislature.
Rep. Kreiss-Tomkins is exceptional both in his devotion to this region and in the considerable talents and energy he deploys in support of his fellow community members. A recent example is his engagement with affordable housing issues here in town. Going above and beyond the call of duty, he has been an active thought partner, connector and advocate for Sitkans interested in this critical topic (myself included).
At the state level, listen to any interview with our local policy wonk and it’s clear that Rep. Kreiss-Tomkins has an exhaustive knowledge of the nuts and bolts of legislation, whether it’s on reducing tax credit subsidies for oil and gas companies, decreasing Chinook and halibut by-catch from the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea bottom trawlers, or confronting Alaska’s grave fiscal reality.
On top of his policy expertise, Rep. Kreiss-Tomkins is intellectually rigorous and has an open mind.
To this end, Rep. Kreiss-Tomkins talks with any and all. He has the respect of legislators of both parties, Gov. Walker, and Gov. Walker’s cabinet, and uses those relationships for the benefit of our district. We saw this again on Wednesday, when Governor Walker expanded his disaster declaration to include the Southeast pink salmon fishery at Rep. Kreiss-Tomkins’ and others’ request.
I look forward to casting my vote for our experienced, effective, and hardworking representative. See you at the polls!
Chandler O’Connell, Sitka
BHV Open House
Dear Editor: This Alaska Day marked Brave Heart Volunteers 12th annual open house with our soup, bread and dessert sale. Thank you so much to all who attended and made our event such a success! Every purchase of our home-made soups allows us to continue our free respite care and companionship for individuals and families who are facing the challenges of illness, dementia, isolation, grief or are facing end of life.
We would also like to thank everyone who brought desserts, bread and rolls for this event. Thanks to our marvelous soup makers Steve Warren, Sherie Mayo and Dennis Longstreath; our dessert and breadmakers Steve Warren, Patricia Welsh, Ruth Culp, Michele Friedman, Karen Boyer, Jean Longstreth, Aleeta Bauder, Marcy Frank, Jean Frank and Erin Matthes.
Thank you to the Alaska Native Sisterhood for supplying a great commercial kitchen space for us to make our chowder and rolls. Thank you to our ladle masters Susan Padilla and Steve Lawrie for serving up our soups.
A special thanks to the Balkan Conspirators who provided lively music as our guests mingled. Many thanks to Sea Mart who supplied the soup and dessert ingredients. Finally, our gratitude to all of our wonderful volunteers, and our AmeriCorps Volunteer, Marcy Frank and her husband Mike Frank, for all of their hard work and assistance to ensure a wonderful event.
Thank you, Sitka, for such amazing community support, we couldn’t do it without you.
Brave Heart Volunteers,
Staff and Board of Directors
Vote for JKT, Stedman
Dear Editor: Thank you to you and your staff for producing the most wonderful local newspaper. Another wonderful thing about this community is our representation in the State Legislature by Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins and Sen. Bert Stedman.
I have known the Stedman family for decades and have employed Jonathan on my fishing vessel. More important than political positions is my experience with both of these leaders as exceptional human beings. I have followed Jonathan’s record of leveraging his minority position in the Legislature for everything from ADF&G funding, to sexual assault prevention funding, to Walter Soboleff Day, and Native language recognition. I also have had the great pleasure to work with Jonathan’s staff and volunteers.
Thank you, Sheila Finkenbinder, for running, for focusing on the issues, and giving us a choice.
Finally, it is so nice to have good, likable, hardworking, ethical candidates to choose to vote for. I will be voting for Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins and Bert Stedman. What a pleasure.
Eric Jordan, Sitka
Letter Response
Dear Editor: What a great idea, Christopher Brewton! (Letter to the editor Oct. 27, 2016.) An agricultural rate for electricity. I have been thinking up ideas to get electricity out of town as well. Ship out water as ... ice. Compress air and ship out industrial gases. Compress air and sequester C02 for carbon credits. But Chris’s idea for agricultural production. A dream of food independence come true. Even export. We can EAT the electricity right here in Sitka! Or maybe get happy with it.
I am totally with Chris’s idea.
John Stein, Sitka
