A proposal for a new marine haul out and boatyard is on its way to the Sitka Assembly, for consideration in May. The board of the Gary Paxton Industrial Park on Monday (4-27-20) evaluated a pair of competing proposals for a new marine services center at the park, and sent the high scorer on to city hall. Board members, working under a fast timeline, hope the city will refine the plan before committing to it.
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Health officials in Sitka are uncertain how the community’s first confirmed case of coronavirus emerged in a long-term care facility that’s been in lockdown for six weeks. The patient, a resident of Sitka Long-Term Care, has been admitted to the hospital, and has yet to experience any symptoms of the virus.
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Although accessing federal relief funds has been challenging -- especially for Sitka’s seasonal businesses -- other businesses are adapting as best they can to the circumstances, and even forging ahead in the new reality. At a recent meeting of (4-22-20), the Sitka Chamber of Commerce, businesses discussed some of the challenges of staying viable during the pandemic.
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The Sitka School Board Wednesday night (4-22-20) passed a $21 million-dollar budget for next year, after agreeing to hold off on any major staff cuts until absolutely necessary. Board members decided that cutting an elementary position to restore counseling jobs at Blatchley and Pacific High wasn't a palatable trade.
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The Sitka School Board will hold its final budget hearing Wednesday night (4-22-20), with at least two members interested in making major program cuts. The numbers for next year are actually showing a surplus of just over $40,000. The question is: Should Sitka start making painful decisions now, rather than making them next year, when state and local governments are likely to be even more strapped for cash?
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An environmental organization has asked a federal judge to halt commercial salmon trolling in Alaska this summer, to protect an endangered population of killer whales in Puget Sound. The Wild Fish Conservancy filed an injunction in the United States District Court for Western Washington on April 16. Southeast trollers -- and the state -- are expected to push back.
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The longer that relatively isolated communities like Sitka go with few or no cases of the coronavirus, the less threatened they feel by the infection -- or not. Social scientists want to learn what factors inform our perception of risk over the course of a pandemic, and -- ultimately -- how our perception of risk informs policy decisions for the community. Researchers want to know what you think.
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Sitka will be a lot quieter this summer. Both the Sitka Fine Arts Camp and the Sitka Summer Music Festival have cancelled their public programs for the season. And while SFAC will regroup for next year, the Music Festival is developing a virtual performance model.
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Chris Eyler is the executive director of the Pacific Northwest Region of the US Chamber of Commerce. He spoke during a videoconference meeting of the Sitka Chamber this week (4-8-20), to explain the $2 trillion-dollar Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Recovery Act -- also known as CARES.
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The governor’s veto of $30 million in education funding on Tuesday (4-7-20) has radically altered the budget picture for the Sitka School District. The veto will cost Sitka’s schools an estimated $276,000 in lost revenues.
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