Month: November 2009

Interview: Ocean Blvd to model Tongass restoration

An expert on forest restoration says a controversial thinning project near Sitka is an important first step toward developing a timber industry based on second-growth. Nick Goulette, the deputy director of the Watershed Research Center in Hayfork, California, believes that “stewardship” sales like Ocean Boulevard have great potential on the Tongass, despite their high cost (an estimated $2,300 per acre). He was in Sitka in September to meet with the Forest Service about stewardship contracting, which is already at work in lower 48 forests. Afterwards, he stopped by to discuss the issue with KCAW’s Robert Woolsey

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"Battle of the Bulge" soldier recalls fallen friends

At a special presentation commemorating Veterans Day at the Sitka Chamber of Commerce, members were asked if they knew the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day. Veterans Day was originally known as Armistice Day, to commemorate the end of World War I – the “war to end all wars.” Veterans Day may seem like a strange mid-week holiday to many people, but to one man it has a powerful meaning.

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Homelessness in Sitka, Pt. 3: Resources

In the first part of our series on homelessness, a local pastor said there's no cohesive network of help for those without permanent shelter. He called it a "patchwork." In this, the third and final installment, Raven News looks at the different resources for Sitka's homeless.

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Homelessness in Sitka, Pt. 2: Families and youth

Homelessness doesn't discriminate based on demographics. It affects men and women, families and children. And as we learn in this, the second of our three-part series on homelessness in Sitka, when youth find themselves without shelter, the problems in their lives can multiply quickly.

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Homelessness in Sitka, Pt. 1: A profile

A coalition of community leaders held a summit in Sitka recently to decide how they can address the issue of homelessness. Service providers reviewed what they offer, the police and fire chiefs addressed public safety issues, and nearly everyone made some mention of how homelessness is isn’t always visible in Sitka, and therefore not on the minds of many who live here. In the first of a three-part series, Raven News profiles one man for whom finding a safe place sleep is a daily struggle.

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Interview: Behnken a National Fisherman "Highliner"

For the second year in a row a Sitka fisherman will appear on the cover of the December issue of National Fisherman, as one of that magazine’s “Highliners of the Year.” Except this year’s honoree is a woman, and only the third female ever to be named to the prestigious roster. Linda Behnken is a salmon troller, and a longliner for halibut and black cod. She’s currently the director of ALFA, the Alaska Longline Fisherman’s Association. She stopped by KCAW to speak with Robert Woolsey about her interest in fisheries management, her years on the North Pacific Council, IFQs, the Southeast trawl ban, and the charter halibut conflict.

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New heat pump captures solar energy from seawater

A clean energy consultant believes a groundbreaking heating system in Seward using seawater may have applications in Sitka and other coastal communities. Anchorage-based engineer Andy Baker has been assisting the Seward Sea Life Center to design and install the seawater system, which uses a heat exchanger in conjunction with a fairly conventional heat pump system to extract BTUs from the chilly waters of Resurrection Bay.

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WhaleFest science program offers lessons in sea biology

Sitka WhaleFest gets underway this weekend, but already scientists in town for the event have been combing the city’s schools, lending their expertise to science students. Reporter Ed Ronco spent Thursday morning with some Blatchley Middle School students, provoking sea urchins.

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A busy year for bears

A busy year for bear sightings is coming to a close as the weather turns cooler. Authorities say there were at least five different sows and 14 different cubs spotted in heavily populated areas in Sitka this year.

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