Don Kluting remembers having to obtain a waiver from the state Department of Labor to work part-time at Sitka’s Centennial Building as a 14-year old in April of 1983. His pay? $3.85 an hour. Kluting joined the staff full-time in 1986 (while attending Sheldon Jackson College), and became manager in 1991 — making him the longest-serving department head in Sitka. Kluting retired on Wednesday, September 30, with over 37 years of service to the community. He didn’t stack any chairs on his last day. “I filled out payroll for the staff, then turned in my keys,” he said.
