Robert Woolsey, KCAW, Author at KCAW

Sitka School Board sends a strong message to Juneau about education funding

The Sitka School Board has officially thrown its weight behind legislation that would be the first significant increase in statewide school funding in nine years. The board introduced a resolution in support of House Bill 69 at its regular meeting on February 5.

Local tradespeople object to out-of-town operator for Sitka’s new marine haul out

The only qualified proposal to operate Sitka's new marine haul out is from a Kodiak vendor. Local tradespeople and fishermen think that's a problem.

Sitka’s elementary schools made the Alaska Reads Act work last year. Now they’d like the funding to keep it working

An initiative introduced in elementary schools last year has had some startling results. The Alaska Reads Act passed the legislature with an ambitious goal: to have every child reading by third grade. Sitka's schools were on track to hit that target -- until education funding was cut.

Sitka asks public’s help in planning the community’s energy future

Sitka’s greenhouse gas emissions inventory is currently in draft form. Gabel hopes Sitkans take a look and send her their insights and corrections.

Thread director: Paying ‘true cost’ of child care is a community effort

The childcare crisis in Sitka – and across the rest of the state – is an economic problem, according to Stephanie Berglund, the CEO of Thread, a statewide child care resource agency. She spoke to the Sitka Chamber of Commerce on December 4.

Sitka School Board warns of another bad budget year ahead

The Sitka School Board is likely facing another huge budget crunch next year. Perhaps not quite as bad as this year, which saw the elimination of 14 teaching positions, and the demise of popular programs like Blatchley's Discover Your Potential – but still bad.

‘Greyhound Cowboy’ delivers stories of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances

Author Ken Post spent almost four decades working for the Forest Service in Southeast Alaska before taking up writing, and he's now on the list of Alaska’s emerging talent. Greyhound Cowboy is a collection of thirteen short stories, some drawing on characters and experiences from Post’s career, but many drawing on people who can be found anywhere.

New study of salmon abundance prompts a rethink of endangered killer whale decline

Some new research is challenging the established scientific thinking about why an endangered population of killer whales in Puget Sound continues to be in jeopardy. The animals were at the center of a 4-year legal battle that nearly brought an end to the commercial king salmon fishery in Southeast Alaska. The lawsuit is resolved, but the science behind it is continuing to evolve.

Business survey adds up losses during Sitka’s summer internet outage

The Sitka business community wants to quantify the economic impact of the internet outage. A survey has been circulating since September, and will close before Thanksgiving. Organizers hope the results will help Sitka advocate for a more robust connection, or at least redundancy.

Despite permitting delays, Sitka officials break ground on new marine haulout

Sitka has ceremonially broken ground on a new marine haulout at its industrial park. The actual groundbreaking has been held up by environmental permitting, but city officials are optimistic that the facility will be hauling boats out of the water next spring.