Catamaran Iskatel
Dear Editor: Thank you for getting the story of the ocean sailing catamaran Iskatel, the Baikal-Alaska Expedition (B-AE), and expedition leader and vessel captain Anatoly Kazakevich into the hands and heads – if not the hearts and minds – of Sitkans, as the front-page feature in Friday’s Labor Day weekend edition. Especially before Cap’n Kazakevich headed back to Russia on Sunday, so he could take multiple copies along with him.
That Kazakevich and Sentinel reporter Garland Kennedy didn’t start their conversation until about 2:30 Thursday afternoon indicates the kind of priority the Sentinel gave to getting this story out, and is, again, deeply appreciated.
And that Garland spoke, read and wrote Russian (“Much better than I do English,” was how Anatoly put it later) made and makes it even that much more to be appreciated as almost the workings of some kind of an invisible hand. Or something.
Having said all that; and because I was privileged to sit in on much of the interview, and had the opportunity for some extended conversations with him before he returned to Irkutsk in Siberia by Lake Baikal (and because I am quoted in the story), I’d like to share my main takeaway from his visit; particularly, the mission of the Iskatel.
As Captain Kazakevich expressed – and as Garland so well captured – the whole, basic, bottom-line, root-cause, core foundation and fundamental basis for Iskatel and B-AE:
That “I think that people in Russia, in Siberia especially, and in Alaska are very, very similar”; and that “Americans and Russians can find common ground”; and that “when we have a connection, people to people, we don’t need politics”; and finally, that The Voyage of Iskatel “has no political motive, except for his belief that Americans and Russians can live side by side without issue.”
The takeaway is this:
a. All this business about Russia this and Russia that – ie, “Russiagate” etc., inc. – is about swampland and whatever the Russians call the Kremlin, and has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with Sitka and Irkutsk (or Alaska and Siberia, for that matter). Especially with the peoples who live in those places.
b. That – now that Russia has sufficiently recovered from the collapse of the USSR to become a legitimate threat to America’s unipolar, global hegemony since that collapse – the looming Cold War II is between Moscow (and Beijing) and Washington, D.C., (and Wall Street). And has even less to do with Sitka, Irkutsk, Siberia, and Alaska (or their peoples) than does Item a.
c. And that this – at its core, root, ultimate base – is what the Baikal-Alaska Expedition and Anatoly Kazakevich are all about. If all that above-cited reality-TV nonsense is about and between the respective Ruling Elites of the United States of America and the Federation of Russia, on the one hand, then this is about Sitka, Irkutsk, Alaska and Siberia, and their peoples, on the other.
In any event, it was during dinner before his flight out Sunday evening at The Nugget with Sitka Conservation Society Tongass community organizer and polar explorer Heather Bauscher (who was celebrating and decompressing from the success of Saturday night’s “Rock the Docks” festival down at Crescent Harbor), that we figured out the following:
Sitka is 2,862 miles (4,606 kilometers) from Washington, D.C.
Irkutsk is 2,610 miles (4,200 kilometers) from Moscow.
Irkutsk is 4,163 miles (7,000 kilometers) from Sitka.
And thus that:
When Anatoly left (and despite the numbers), Sitka was and is a hell of a lot closer to Irkutsk than it is and was to D.C. and that Irkutsk was and is a hell of a lot closer to Sitka than it is and was to Moscow. And that both of them were a lot closer to each other than Washington and Moscow will ever be.
And that that – by anybody’s geography, politics, geo-politics, or whatever – was and is quite an accomplishment.
The Baikal-Alaska Expedition – by any measure (even Anatoly’s) – is a success. The next step is Phase II: The Alaska-Baikal Expedition.
Thank you again, Sentinel, for helping making this happen.
Jeff Moebus, Sitka
Bear Reminders
Dear Editor: Sunday was a beautiful day and I had the opportunity to pick berries. I struck out on the Cross Trail with my bucket and rake and got to work. I made a point to hum, whistle and say hello to passing hikers. I was in sight of the trail the whole time. This worked until one group never gave me the chance to say hello. They simply shot at me with bear spray. Thankfully, they didn’t hit me directly. I declared myself to be a person and they hiked away. But, this made me realize that there are some folks who could use some bear and general safety reminders.
First and foremost, make noise while hiking in or near the woods. This is the number-one thing you can do to avoid a bear encounter. When encountering a bear, the first rule is to stand your ground. Then, speak to the bear in a calm voice. (This is also a great way to alert berry pickers that you are near.)
After standing your ground and speaking to the bear and the bear continues to advance, then you use your bear spray or firearm. I was appalled that someone shot bear spray at something they could not see.
I am so grateful that the hikers did not have a firearm and I didn’t have my kids with me. Their short blast of bear spray made my eyes water and made me sneeze enough that I had to leave the area. I had a screaming headache later that night. We live in a very active community. Any trail close to town is likely to have people, kids, and pets within sight of it. Please, when hiking pay attention to your surroundings and use any safety equipment you carry responsibly.
Jacquie Foss,
Bear, Bear Spray and
Rifle Instructor for the USFS
Labor Day
Dear Editor: Labor Day edition of ‘‘Daily Sitka Sentinel.’’ Tariffs imposed by our fearless leader, el Presidente Trump, against China are to be considered on Labor Day. Chinese laborers suffer in conditions comparable to that of Stalin’s gulags and Hitler’s death camps.
After delivering newspapers and mowing lawns, at the age of 16, I was eligible for a Social Security card. Joe Albertson’s supermarket had a new employee, me. $1.42 per hour. I also joined the Teamsters; came with a neat little book stamped each month. $0.25 monthly dues.
Anything on wheels! I wasn’t sure if that meant the wheels on the shopping carts or what.
Supposedly, one Teamster considered organizing cocktail waitresses, on account of there were wheels in their watches.
Jeff Kinnan, Sitka
Thank You, Sea Mart
Dear Editor: Southeast Alaska Independent Living would like to extend a hearty thank you to Roger Hames and the folks at Sea Mart for providing a huge portion of the food and supplies for SAIL’s recent Community Picnic. Sea Mart helped us bring together many of SAIL’s friends and allies to celebrate another year of service to seniors and people who experience disabilities. During challenging financial times like today, it’s comforting to know that Sea Mart is an active and generous community partner.
SAIL exists to inspire personal independence. To that end, we help people work toward a variety of personal life goals. We have a free loan closet full of durable medical equipment that we share with Sitka’s locals and visitors. This includes wheelchairs, walkers, canes, knee scooters, toilet seat risers, bath stools and so much more. We provide regular recreation programs for seniors and people who experience disabilities. In partnership with the RIDE, we distribute free bus passes for people who experience disabilities. We advocate for people when they find it difficult to speak up for themselves. We help find grants and funding for people who experience mental health issues, traumatic brain injuries, and alcohol dependency. We provide information and referral services so people can figure out which agencies can help them, who to connect with, and how. Because of this last point, we can be a starting point for anyone who needs help but doesn’t know how to begin.
We are a very small office, and we couldn’t do these big things without significant help and partnership from many individuals and groups. Thank you, Sea Mart, for being part of the SAIL family.
Rick Petersen, Program Director
Southeast Alaska
Independent Living
