Author: Ed Ronco

It appears as though Sitkans might escape any increase in their electric bills, despite the city burning tens of thousands of gallons of diesel oil during a power outage last week.

A recount on Tuesday of Sitka’s mayoral race requested by candidate John Stein did not make enough difference to put him into first place.

Monday was Alaska Day, which commemorates the transfer of Alaska from Russian to U.S. control in 1867. It’s a state holiday, but the celebration of it is arguably biggest in Sitka, where Monday’s parade included the usual marching bands, flyovers and something less usual: a humpback whale pushing its way through downtown.

The rain stopped long enough for Sitkans to enjoy the largest Alaska Day Festival in the state. The theme was "Celebrating Sacred Ground."

Hydro power was restored in Sitka today (10-15-10) at about 11:30 in the morning, ending almost seventy hours of rolling blackouts in town.

A Sitka resident has taken a lead role in the effort to reduce the threat of unexploded ordinance in one of the most heavily-bombed countries in the world. Mark Gorman was vice-president of Community Health for the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium until his retirement last September. He’s now the country director for a non-governmental agency in Laos working to assist victims injured by the literally millions of unexploded bombs remaining in that country from the Vietnam era.

The biggest barrier to providing biomass heat in Southeast Alaska may be reconciling supply and demand. Allen Brackley, the director of the Forest Service’s Wood Utilization Lab in Sitka, told the Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday that it would be difficult to economically produce biomass fuels for the town – even if everyone were to convert to wood heat.

Congressman Don Young says the state should seriously consider building new ferries without federal help.

There is still no decision in who will be the next mayor of Sitka. Cheryl Westover, acting as temporary chair of the Assembly meeting, called a recess last night after the Assembly was unable to certify the results of the mayoral election.

At the continuation of its regular meeting Wednesday night, the Sitka Assembly approved three staff positions in City Hall.