A Vote for Paxton
Dear Editor: I was thrilled when Gary Paxton announced that he was a candidate for Mayor. I have known Mr. Paxton since Lana and I arrived in Sitka on June 30, 1993. Coincidentally, that was the date of the announcement that the pulp mill would be closing. My new job as superintendent of the Sitka schools suddenly and abruptly changed.
Sitka was thrown into a difficult to imagine state of turmoil. But out of this crisis, we were all introduced to City Manager Gary Paxton. With his extensive military background and training, he was the right person at the right time and in the right place. I saw first-hand his leadership, calm, methodical and absolutely focused on bringing the hometown he so loved away from the brink of real disaster.
Had it not been for Gary Paxton, I believe that the Sitka that we all love and cherish today would not be the same. Leadership, organization, and laser-like focus on bringing Sitka through the crisis impressed me, and most people around him.
We are again at one of those moments in time, but this time it is a crisis in slow motion. So many factors are out of our hands, the price of oil, and a state Legislature that seems oblivious to how their actions affect us. But so many local decisions have exacerbated our condition, the ones that are making it difficult for a large segment of our population to make ends meet. I believe the only thing that can truly harm our community is a dramatic drop in what has been an amazingly stable population for the past thirty years.
We need leadership. It is that simple. We need a mayor who can change the direction of Sitka, and again keep us as a vibrant growing community. That man is Gary Paxton. Please make him Mayor Paxton. Without being overly dramatic, Sitka’s future may very well depend upon it.
John Holst, Sitka
Thrift Show Fashions
Dear Editor: The first Annual Thrift Store Find Fashion Show was a smashing success in spite of the power outage. Thank you Gary Bernhardt for providing and running your generator; the show went on because of you!
Twenty-four models graced the runway. The outfits were a mix of elegant, sassy and chic. Backstage, Clint Simic controlled the music, while hair stylist Casey Carter and make-up artist Carolyn Fredrickson helped models to look their best. Bobbi Jordan did such a great job of capturing the event with her photography skills, not an easy shoot with the lack of light!
Sitka Fine Arts Camp donated the use of Odess Theatre and provided the support of Mary Boose who did such a wonderful job of keeping everything running smoothly.
Mary Hames created and donated fabulous appetizer trays and a dessert of macaroons at each table. Christie Anderson and the MEHS honor students did an outstanding job, helping with everything from table settings to lighting the way for the models.
The silent auction was a big hit, we had over 40 items. Donors included Botanika Organic Spa, Garden Ventures, Therapeutic Massage, Headquarters, Sitka True Value, Ben Franklin Store, Chocolate Moose, Wintersong Soap Co., Back Bay Botanicals, Allen Marine Tours, Sitka Artisan Meals, Sweet Peas, Knitting with Class, Ellen Lueders Design, Out on a Whim, Patti Hudson, Bonnie Brenner, Jan Nelson, Kara Knox, Betsy Johnson, Megan Pasternak, Jan Love, Bonnie Cottrell, Gina Lawson, Tina Krause, Jeanie Miles, Carolyn Hurst, Elaine Steinbach and J. Booth.
An amazing group of people helped to put the show together and see it through to the end! Ellen Lueders, Annette Blankenship, Margie Esquiro, Mary Goddard, Jeanette Farah, Janine Holzman and Kate Nedens. Thank you, everyone! We will see you next year!
All proceeds for this year’s event are donated to the Salvation Army’s Soup Kitchen Project.
Kathi Goddard, Carrie Spackman,
Patti Hudson and Jan Love
Early Literacy
Dear Editor: Sitka Babies and Books would like to thank First Bank for presenting our organization the First Bank Community Development Grant. Because of this grant, we can maintain our participation in the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten Program and continue reaching all of Sitka’s children!
Sitka Babies and Books’ goal is to encourage and support families and caregivers in reading to newborns, infants, and toddlers-in turn, fostering bonding between parents and children. Research shows that reading to children at home increases their reading readiness skills.
Our goal is to provide a simple, innovative, yet fun, approach to establishing strong early literacy skills. Together with the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten Program, young children will gain confidence and skills necessary to become strong readers which is especially important since reading is associated as an early indicator of academic success.
Lois Rhodes, Treasurer
Sitka Babies and Books
Roadless Rule
Dear Editor: Are we ever going to finish with the Roadless Rule? The subject of ongoing litigation since 2003, the Roadless Rule has been upheld on the Tongass since 2011, despite multiple appeals.
Now, eyeing an opportunity with the Trump Administration’s focus on opening up public lands for private resource extraction, Gov. Walker and Sen. Murkowski have asked for a special Roadless Rule for Alaska – specifically, for the Tongass. They are trying to breathe oxygen on the dying remnants of the timber industry, without realizing that the fire of industrial logging in the Tongass has long been extinguished. What a waste of our time and money to pretend otherwise! These old growth forests are critical to carbon storage, salmon production, and our visitor economy. Salmon and our forests are the lifeblood of Southeast Alaska; they provide us with food, a renewable economic resource, bountiful recreation opportunities, and sustenance for the soul. Salmon depend upon healthy forests and healthy forests depend upon salmon. And, we do have small timber operators who provide value-added products locally; operations that are sustainable. The sustainable industries in fishing, and tourism are the economic drivers in Southeast today.
The reality is that the USFS is not maintaining and repairing the road system that already exists from the days of industrial scale logging: old rusted culverts that prevent fish passage for spawning; and degraded fish habitat that has resulted from that logging.
Instead of wasting our time and money to build more roads, why not provide the Forest Service with the funding to address those needs, to properly administer its visitor industry work and address its backlog of special use permits? Why not use our taxpayer dollars to fund research into ways that the Tongass can continue to sequester carbon and protect our communities from climate change, while receiving money to keep the trees standing by participating in a carbon offset market like California’s? Spending our taxpayer dollars on these issues would be a big win for the economy of Southeast, our planet, and our lifestyles. The people of Southeast Alaska don’t need to continue subsidizing a failing timber industry, and I encourage Congress to fund the Forest Service to invest in our future.
Marian Allen, Sitka
Bag Tax
Dear Editor: Upon hearing that we are close to being taxed for plastic AND paper bags – really?? You’ve got to be kidding me! – I felt my blood pressure rise along with my temper. This is due to the fact that just about every user fee in Sitka has been raised by our current Assembly, who surely aren’t listening to nor representing the folks I talk to in town.
Wait! There’s another way. Amazon Prime sells plastic and paper bags by the hundreds. This is a win/win – no bag tax for you, no bag tax accounting for the store, AND you can recycle your bags as you deem so. Sweet!
Oh, in case you haven’t noticed, there seems to be quite a few folks selling their stuff and leaving town. I’m guessing they’ve had enough.
Peter Kennedy, Sitka
Giving Thanks
Dear Editor: I don’t know about the rest of You folks, but I – for one – am in a very confident way very thankful that it was a Russian plane that got shot down by Syrian air defense missiles, and not an American (“Putin Seeks To Defuse Russia Plane Downing”; AP/DSS, 19 Sept. 18.)
Not because I’m glad some Russians got killed as opposed to Americans; but because I have a very hard time even imagining – let alone conceiving of –a headline that read: “Trump Seeks To Defuse American Plane Downing.” A very hard time.
One can only imagine the Tweetstorm to which we would have been subjected, among other things. It is comforting to know that maybe there’s an adult or two in the room over in the Kremlin. One can only hope that there’s one or two in the Oval Office.
Jeffrey G. Moebus, Sitka
