DV Awareness Month
Dear Editor: October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Between July 1, 2015, and June 30, 2016, Sitkans Against Family Violence was home to 117 women and 63 children for a total of 3032 bed nights. Our advocates answered 336 crisis calls.
If you want to learn about abuse in families or among unrelated individuals, go to SAFV’s website www.safv.org. You will learn that domestic violence is a pattern of behaviors which are characterized by abuse of power among people who live together or have an intimate relationship. This includes children and a stepparent, cousins who live with grandma, or your present or former roommate. You will learn that domestic violence does not have to be physical. Survivors tell us that verbal and emotional abuse is more hurtful than physical injuries. Emotional abuse like a joke belittling another person can violate and demean this person’s spirit, particularly if such emotional abuse goes on for a long time. The recipient of such cruel treatment often retreats and becomes invisible, powerless, and disconnected from family members and friends. If you know such a person, call SAFV at 747-3370 and find out how you can help her or him.
Eighty to 90 percent of children in homes with abusive parents can give detailed descriptions of the violent incidents and are deeply affected by them. Not knowing what goes on between their parents they often blame themselves and live in a permanent state of anxiety and insecurity. They live in survival mode which makes them nervous and hypervigilant and often impacts their performance at school. The younger the children are, the more they are affected by family violence.
Domestic abuse often extends to the workplace. Ask if your employer has a domestic violence policy. If not, find a great resource at Futures Without Violence, futureswithoutviolence.org, and suggest to implement such a policy. SAFV has often advocated for victims with their employers.
If you wonder what can be done to overcome interpersonal violence, learn about the many prevention programs that SAFV and partner agencies offer to children, youths and parents. The goal is to stop violence before if ever occurs. For instance, Boys Run - I Toowú Klatseen: Strengthen Your Spirit just started and will culminate in a 5K run in early December. Be amazed by the many programs that will over time impact Sitka and make it a safer place with safer homes.
Follow SAFV on Facebook and receive posts of interesting and helpful information. If you want to support this organization, donate, organize a fundraiser, or become a volunteer. Call us with any question you might have surrounding the safety of your loved ones and neighbors. We are here for you 24/7. Again, our number is 747-3370. Our services are always confidential.
SAFV thanks the City and Borough of Sitka and the many citizens and businesses who have been supporting us over the years. Without our donors and benefactors, we would not be able to provide these essential services to our community. Thank you and Gunal’cheesh.
Sitkans Against Family Violence
Board and staff
Yes on Proposition 1
Dear Editor: At $45 per barrel, our once wealthy state is scraping the barrel resulting in major financial cuts to municipalities who have relied on our state’s previous wealth. So Sitka is genuinely in a financial crisis exacerbated by the actual cost of raising the dam.
Until the oil industry developed in Alaska, we Alaskans paid income tax without a peep. We could really use that now, along with taking back the tax credit to the oil companies. Likely both of those are in our future. But either way, Sitka has a serious, genuine problem at this time.
In Sitka, our property tax is one of the lowest in the state. The infrastructure requirements and needs of our town and the financial costs that make our community a desirable one to live in, means we need to cut and fund.
It is untrue that the city has spent any money on advertising to convince us to vote for the property tax. That is a rumor not based on fact. All advertising in support of the 2 mill tax were and are being paid for by private citizens fundraising together to encourage people to vote yes. Not a penny has been spent by the city on this effort.
Belittling the hard work and efforts of city workers is unfair, also not based on fact and unnecessarily mean-spirited. May we please rise to our better selves as we try to address our current problems.
There is no one perfect solution to our situation and it is going to take effort and willingness for us as a community to do what we can to adequately fund our city government so that it is able to provide all the important services that follow from a high-functioning government. Government plays an important role in a civil society and a democracy. When we minimize its importance we do so at our own peril. Functioning sewers, clean water, fire protection, our safety and even the structural stability of our homes, so they don’t fall in on anyone, are very important and valid roles that our city government fills, along with too many to list here. Let’s keep that in mind and work on this with a generous and constructive spirit.
Libby Stortz, Sitka
Letter Correction
Dear Editor: I have been informed by our administrator that the Assembly never approved the use of $47,000 to advertise in support of Proposition 1. He had withdrawn his request over concerns about it not being the right thing to do. Accordingly, I apologize for putting an untrue claim in my earlier letter to the editor and applaud Mr. Gorman for not pursuing the use of funds in that manner. I am still uncomfortable with using proceeds of increased property taxes to prop up the electrical department enterprise fund. Without going into whether the dam project or its cost was needed, what is done is done. Now we, the electrical users, have to pay for the cost of generating our power. I am still voting no.
Steve Ramp, Sitka
Paths Across Pacific
Dear Editor: Last month the beautiful, friendly city of Sitka shared, hosted, and participated in a most unusual conference, Paths Across the Pacific IX. A major paradigm shift had occurred the week before: the publication of an article in England’s scientific journal, Nature. The earliest peopling of the Americas could not have happened by walking across the Bering Strait. Alternative routes must be considered. Ocean and coasts and the amazing human capacity to navigate them is, finally, a legitimate course of inquiry. Finally!! Hurray!
Thank you to all who, despite a hiccup in planning in June, rallied and helped in so many different ways. Later I will try to identify and acknowledge you, and summarize the content of the event. For now, I quote one of our guest speakers:
‘‘There is a huge amount of contradictory research concerning early human migration patterns to the New World…..’’
Ian Hudson, London, co-author “Who Discovered America?”
Should Paths conferences conclude now, knowing Sitka was part of the paradigm shift? Or continue in 2018?
Nancy Yaw Davis, Sitka
Benefit Thank You
Dear Editor: On Sept. 17, we held a benefit at Baranof Brewery for one of our friends, Diane Linn, who has breast cancer. We raised funds to help with her travel expenses from here to Seattle for treatment. We were able to give back to the local breast cancer support group 10 percent of the money raised to help others in Sitka with similar needs.
I would like to thank the various businesses and individuals who helped make our fundraiser such a huge success.
The following businesses provided us with some wonderful donations to auction or raffle: Sea Fur Sewing, Allen Marine Cruise, Patty from Hair Play, AC Lakeside, Sitka Island Artists, Harbor Books, The Cellar, Sea Mart, Ben Franklin, Sitka True Value Hardware, Knitting with Class, For Me and My Home, The Larkspur, The Russian American Company, Harry Race and Whites Pharmacy, SEARHC Wisewomen, The Nugget, Wintersong, Alaska Gifts and Botanika.
The following individuals created some beautiful gift baskets that were raffled. These baskets helped raise a good portion of our proceeds. They were lovingly made and donated by the following: Susan Ward, Anne Gollan, Cindy Greene, Kelly Siplinger, Patsy White, Pat Giampa, Kim Palmer, Bridget Reed, Alycia Miller, Lea Ann Brinkley and the Baptist Church and Minerva Alford.
Special donations from Lani Flores, Alycia Miller, Michelle Roberts and Kim Hanson for additional Amazon Gift Cards given away that night for Best Dressed in Pink.
Peter Apathy and his Reindeer Red Hots were wonderful. Peter sold out of his supply to our many hungry supporters. Thanks, Peter.
Bake sale items were made and donated by Hannah and Andy Westphal and Jamie Ackley.
Lastly, I want to thank Susan Suarez and the Baranof Brewery. Without Susan’s help, we would not have been so successful. Her guidance and help through this whole process was a lifesaver for us. She provided us with a venue and created an atmosphere of fun and creativity. Her Pink Beer idea was a huge hit. Susan, we can’t thank you enough.
Susan Ward, Sitka
