Author: Ed Ronco

The afternoon before Thanksgiving, we asked Sitkans to tell us what they're thankful for this year.

Federal wildlife managers have closed doe hunting on Northeast Chichagof Island for the rest of the season. The federal subsistence board issued its decision on November 10th. It extends the 60-day closure authorized by the Forest Service district rangers in Sitka and Hoonah in mid-September. A proposed permanent December closure for does for urban hunters will be considered by the Board this spring.

The Sitka School Board met Monday (11-23) with the Sitka High School student council. School dances, cheerleading and the pep squad were discussed, along with security cameras in the high school. The meeting is an annual tradition, and a chance for district and student leaders to hear from one another.

NPR's All Things Considered recently ran a story mentioning a government Web site that allows people to track distribution of the $787 billion federal stimulus money. Reporter Martin Kaste searched for stimulus projects in a ZIP code near his Seattle home. KCAW reporter Ed Ronco thought he'd give that a try using Sitka's ZIP code. Here's what he found.

Alice Pung's parents fled the Killing Fields of Cambodia and landed in Australia. Her memoir of resettlement in Australia -- as seen through the experiences of her family -- came out in 2007. "Unpolished Gem" catapulted the young attorney to literary prominence in her family's new home. Pung, and Island Institute co-director Carolyn Servid, joined KCAW's Robert Woolsey to discuss "Unpolished Gem" and other recent work.

Mark Gorman's last day of work for SEARCH was September 30. About a week later, the former vice president of Community Health was working in Padang, Sumatra providing relief to earthquake victims. Gorman talks with KCAW's Robert Woolsey about his rapid transition to a new career in global relief work (extended interview).

"Sitka: A Home in the Wild" is photographer Dan Evans' third book, and first collaboration with writer Carolyn Servid. The pair discussed their work during the Morning Edition interview with KCAW's Robert Woolsey:

The state of Alaska is urging residents to get the H1N1 swine flu vaccine, when it becomes more widely available. Dr. Joe McLaughlin is the chief of the Alaska Section of Epidemiology. He is the sharp-end of the state’s media campaign to inform Alaskans about how to handle the H1N1 pandemic. The state is publishing a two-page insert in newspapers across the state this week, including the Daily Sitka Sentinel tomorrow (Thursday 11-19-09). McLaughlin says a consistent theme in the concerns of residents across the state is the safety of the vaccine. KCAW’s Robert Woolsey spoke with Dr. McLaughlin by phone from Anchorage about the H1N1 vaccine, and other issues surrounding the swine flu pandemic (extended interview):

Some restoration has long been part of the program in the Tongass – but it’s never been the mandate. Unlike other lower 48 forests, much of the Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack’s vision for economic opportunity in the Tongass remains just that: vision. As a result, a restoration project for Ocean Boulevard near Sitka has been criticized for its high cost ($677-thousand dollars), its small size (238 acres), and the fact that there is no market for the young trees and slash it will produce. Ken Coffin is the former supervisory biologist for the Sitka Ranger District. He spoke with KCAW’s Robert Woolsey about how so-called “stewardship sales” like Ocean Boulevard mark an important turning point for the Forest Service and the forest:

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