March was a big month for Mt. Edgecumbe sports. The high school’s boys basketball team won their first state championship, ending a 75-year history without a title. Daily Sitka Sentinel reporter Anna Laffrey joined KCAW for the Morning Interview to give an update on recent games for the Braves and Sitka Wolves. Listen to the conversation here:

The Sitka Tribe of Alaska launched a Community Needs Assessment survey to better understand the well-being, priorities, and values of its tribal citizens. Rob Allen, STA interim general manager and Fernanda Zermoglio, STA organizational development manager joined KCAW on the Morning Interview to discuss the assessment, which invites enrolled Sitka tribal citizens to share their perspectives on the social, environmental, cultural, and economic aspects of community life. The survey can be found here: www.surveymonkey.com/r/STAneedsAssessmentSurvey

The plan is meant to serve as a guiding document for the city’s Historic Preservation Commission in its efforts to identify and protect significant local resources. The previous plan — which was only two pages — was drafted more than three decades ago.

The approval came after lengthy discussion spanning multiple assembly meetings. The sticking point? Appendix G, which outlines the review process for construction projects on historic buildings. 

“The reason why I didn’t want to pass the plan last time is because, without Appendix G correctly indicating for the public what to prepare for when they are involved with this process, I think it is an incomplete plan,” said Deputy Mayor Tim Pike. “Now, do I like the rest of the plan? I 100% like that, the work involved and the clarity of that is awesome, but this is a crucial piece.”

Four members of the Historic Preservation Commission spoke in favor of passing the plan Tuesday, with the caveat that Appendix G would be replaced at a later date. 

Roby Littlefield is the chairman of the commission and has served since 2009. She said the new 26-page plan has been in development for 17 years. It’s gone through at least four revisions, and included multiple opportunities for community input.  

“Our board has spent many hours reviewing and improving it to create the best possible guide for our community, and this plan is meant to help protect what makes Sitka unique, and to guide us into the future,” Littlefield said.

Assembly Member Katie Riley agreed that it didn’t make sense to delay the entire plan over an appendix that’s on track to be improved. She said with the busy tourism and fishing seasons on the horizon, it’s not a great time to call for public engagement. 

“An extensive, extensive amount of that already happened,” she said. “As reported, 17 years of planned development, as well as over 10 opportunities to engage over the past couple of years. So I feel like the people who were passionate about historic preservation probably made their voices heard.”

The assembly unanimously approved the Historic Preservation Plan, with the contingency that the permit review section sunsets after a year and is replaced before then.

NSRAA lease

The Sitka Assembly on Tuesday voted against a proposed lease agreement between the city and a regional salmon hatchery nonprofit, which requested a well-below-market rate for the lease. The lease would combine two lots that the Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association (NSRAA) is already leasing at the Gary Paxton Industrial Park. 

The park’s board recommended an $800 a month fixed rate for the next 50 years, effectively subsidizing the nonprofit, citing the value their fish hatcheries provide for the fishing fleet. The rate would be adjusted based on land value increases every 10 years.

Assembly Member Kevin Mosher said he was 100% in support of the agreement because the value NSRAA gives to the community cannot be measured.

“My position, it’s more of a policy decision,” he said. “Because even though they’re paying money, we’re effectively subsidizing them. And I believe that we should, because I believe we get that money back many, many, many times over, incalculably.”

However, several assembly members were concerned over where, or which city fund, the subsidy should come from, while still providing long-term stability for NSRAA. 

The industrial park’s enterprise fund is only a couple thousand dollars in the positive, according to Finance Director Brooke Volschenk.

Deputy Mayor Tim Pike suggested the subsidy come from the city’s general fund, which, as it currently stands, would require the nonprofit to come before future assemblies to ask for another rent subsidy.

“NSRAA made their case about their economic impact in the community. I’ve known this for years. And I totally agree with it,” he said. “They just asked the wrong group. They need to ask us. I don’t really think that an enterprise fund should be subsidizing things. We don’t want the electrical department to decide to give a cut rate to somebody just because they do good things.”

Assembly members were unanimous in their support for a low and stable lease rate for NSRAA, but said they hoped the park’s board would take up the issue again and propose revisions. 

The assembly ultimately voted against moving forward with the suggested lease in a 2-4 vote, with just Mosher and Thor Christianson voting in favor. 

The park’s board is expected to discuss revising the agreement at a future meeting. The assembly will separately consider extending NSRAA’s current lease, which is set to expire in May, to give everyone more time to find a solution.

In response to student’s high interest in pursuing work-study opportunities, Sitka High School’s Career and Technical Education program pairs students with numerous organizations around Sitka to shadow professionals and gain hands-on experience in professions they are curious to learn more about. Sitka High School’s Mike Viera joins KCAW for the Morning Interview alongside three students currently in the program: Tyler Majeski, Vance Balovich, and Ali Chapman. They share their experiences learning about the fields of construction, dentistry, and education; how that has helped determine their future professional paths; and why other community organizations should consider partnering with the program.

Sitka’s local bookstore celebrated its 50th birthday on Saturday. Throughout the afternoon, locals wandered into the downtown shop to buy a book, eat a cupcake, and reminisce on five decades of the community hub.

50 years ago, to buy a book, Sitkans had to call up the bookstore in Juneau and have it mailed to the island. So in 1976, three families came together to start Old Harbor Books  — a place where Sitkans could gather and find nearly every genre of book: from philosophy and classics to best sellers and Alaskan authors. 

“The vision was to have books, and to make sure that Sitka had an opportunity to be a literary community. Sitka deserved to be a literary community,” said board member Roger Schmidt, who grew up in the bookstore.

His parents helped open the place when he was seven and his sister Laura was nine. They spent weekends selling seashells out front and screenprinting tote bags with the bookstore logos still used today. And they spent their down time reading every book they could get their hands on. 

“My dad had this passion, everybody had this passion, which was: people need to read books, and they need to have access to lots of books, and they need to have access to lots of different ideas,” Schmidt said. “So not just, ‘We’re gonna have the best sellers,’ but whatever the subject, books are so critical to learn. Living on an island, books were our pathway to knowledge.”

Schmidt says a large part of the mission of Old Harbor Books from the beginning was to give back to the community. Instead of taking a paycheck, the owners made the decision to use the profits to support local organizations, by doing things like subsidizing — or making free — their rental space upstairs.

“The vision for the business was never to make money,” he said. “It was to pay employees well, and then it was to be able to support the community in every way it could, and it’s done that for 50 years in all kinds of ways.”

Bookstore manager Ashia Lane says the bookstore continues to work with the Sitka Public Library and schools, sells tickets for local events, and for years, even had the “Book Boat,” which traveled to surrounding communities like Tenakee Springs, Angoon, and Kake to deliver titles to folks who didn’t have access to a local bookstore. 

“We’re trying to continue community service via the bookstore,” she said. “We will deliver books to the jail if you find yourself unfortunately over in the Sitka local lock up for the weekend. We’re really trying to not just be for private consumers.”

Despite community involvement, it wasn’t always easy keeping the doors open. Just like bookstores across the country that found it hard to compete with the dawn of online shops and e-books, so did Old Harbor Books. So they pivoted, and expanded their local inventory to include games and puzzles, book-themed items, cozy candles and blankets, and even art supplies. And according to Schmidt, they began to rely more on rental income to keep the bookstore going. 

“The most encouraging thing is that it seems like people love books again, and thank goodness for that,” he said. “We were so worried around 2000 when it just seemed like people were turning away from books, and they were not passionate readers. And it just feels so hopeful that people want to read books, and they want to read books in their hand. It’s just really great.”

The bustling anniversary party is a testament to that fact, as dozens of adults and children mill about the space sifting through book titles and looking at posters speckled with collaged photos of the bookstore throughout the years.

For Sherry Foster, a retired third grade teacher, the bookstore is part of the reason she chose to live in Sitka. 

“We moved here in ‘76 and when we saw that there was a bookstore, we said, ‘Well, that’s it. Then we’re gonna stay.’” she said. “It was a given. If there’s a bookstore, it’s an okay place to live.”

And Foster isn’t the only one who thinks Old Harbor Books is a local treasure. Rhiannon Guevin’s first job was working at the bookstore, tidying shelves and ringing people up at the register. 

“Old Harbor Books is one of my happy places in Sitka,” she said. “Like the minute I walk in the door, I just feel a welling of joy.”

She describes herself as “anti-Amazon” and made a vow to herself years ago that if she’s going to buy a book, it’s going to be from Old Harbor. 

“And I think that there’s like a weirdly large number of people for such a small town who feel the same way,” she said. “Especially in these times, I think supporting local businesses is of the utmost importance. If you want to have something in your community, you have to support it.”

Many rural communities throughout Alaska don’t have a local bookstore. For a town of about 8,400, Sitka is pretty unique. 

Karen Hegyi first supported Old Harbor Books 30 years before she actually moved to the community. It was the summer of 1983, and she was visiting Sitka on a kayaking trip with a friend. 

She’s lived all over rural Alaska, and she says it’s wonderful that she gets to live in a place like Sitka with such an incredible bookstore.

“The fact that it’s endured for 50 years is a testament to the people who run the bookstore and to the community too, that it’ll be here for another 50 years,” she said.

If these party-goers have anything to say about it, it probably will be.

Court records say that on January 16th this year, Sitka Police Officer Parker White noticed a vehicle collision on Sawmill Creek Road at around 8:30 a.m. White says the driver, 37-year old Steven Morales, had watery eyes, slurred speech, and poor dexterity and balance. After taking a breathalyzer test, Morales had a blood alcohol level of 0.332, which is more than four times the legal limit. Officer White also located an alcohol shooter in Morales’ truck and the car passenger suffered a facial injury after going face-first into the windshield. 

On March 26th, Morales was indicted on one count of assault in the third degree, a class C felony. 

Meanwhile, on October 11th of last year, court documents show that around 2 a.m., Sitka Police Officer Andrew Broschat noticed a black vehicle with the Mean Queen restaurant logo pass him on Katlian Street at roughly 50 miles per hour. Broschat attempted to stop the vehicle, and eventually found the vehicle unoccupied at the Seafood Producers Cooperative bunkhouse parking lot. The vehicle had significant damage to the passenger side, as well as flat tires, deployed airbags, broken glass, and smoke coming from the vehicle’s engine compartment. Broschat could not locate the driver, who had left on foot. 

Sgt. Lance Ewers later informed Broschat that the vehicle had struck a power pole by Sitka Sound Seafoods, according to the court documents. Officer Broschat found pieces of the vehicle at the scene, as well as large pieces of the power pole scattered near the roadway. The city utility director estimated that the cost in damage to the power pole exceeded $20,000. 

Officer Broschat contacted the registered owner of the vehicle, who owns the Mean Queen restaurant. She stated that multiple eyewitnesses saw the driver, 32-year-old Anthony Marquez, leave Ernie’s Bar at closing, and was driving the vehicle all night long. Both she and the restaurant employee who used the vehicle for work, said they never gave Marquez permission to use the vehicle, and estimated around $6,000 in damages. 

Officer Broschat checked the defendant’s driver’s license and dispatch confirmed that Marquez has a revoked status on his Virginia license plate, with three prior driving with a revoked license convictions within 10 years. 

Marquez was indicted on March 5th with one count of vehicle theft in the first degree — a class C felony. 

In other news, 29-year-old Anthony Byrd was arrested on March 9th through a “buy and bust” conducted by the Sitka Police Department for an investigation that had been occurring for the past month. Court documents say that since October of last year, the department has received numerous complaints of Byrd selling nicotine, alcohol, and marijuana to minors across Sitka. 

Recruiting two underage informants, Officer White arranged for them to purchase two bottles of Tito’s Vodka and a joint from Byrd, which White coordinated by messaging him undercover through Snapchat. The defendant met with the minors on Katlian Street, where they provided Byrd with $70 for the alcohol and marijuana. Byrd purchased the alcohol from Pioneer Bar. After parting ways with the minors, police officers contacted the defendant walking on Lincoln Street and placed him into custody. Byrd admitted that he knew the minors were underage and stated that he commonly sells to minors, and sometimes drinks with them while they are driving. 

On March 12th, Byrd was indicted on two counts of misconduct involving a controlled substance in the third degree, which are class B felony offenses.

Lastly, on March 5th, a Grand Jury indicted 32-year-old Avimael Andino on four counts of sexual assault in the second degree for sexually assaulting two intoxicated women, all of which are class B felony offenses. Andino was also charged with two misdemeanor counts of furnishing alcohol to a person under 21, as well as one misdemeanor count of violation of conditions of release.

This weekend the Young Performer’s Theater will be putting on their production of The Little Mermaid with two different casts. Sitka Fine Arts Camp’s Theater Director Zeke Blackwell joins KCAW for the Morning Interview to discuss the relevance of the story today, the process of putting the show together, and what audience members can expect from each cast.

The previous plan was drafted more in 1994, and is only two pages long. The new 26-page plan highlights five commission goals, and was the product of public input and work from community stakeholders that spanned the last 17 years, according to city staff.

The assembly considered passing the plan at its regular meeting on March 24, but voted to press pause to give staff and the commission time to address concerns over the review process for construction projects on historic buildings.

In other business, the assembly will consider approving several liquor license renewal applications and approving a lease agreement between the city and Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association.

The Sitka Assembly meets at 6 p.m. tonight. Raven News will broadcast the meeting live, following Alaska News Nightly. 

Amidst a sea of 11 other Republican gubernatorial candidates, Shelley Hughes argues that she stands out as not “Anchorage-centric.” At a campaign event in Sitka last week [4-8-26], she said she’s lived in several communities across the state, including Hoonah, Bethel, and her current home in Palmer.

“Part of my heart is in every region where I’ve lived, and I’ve heard from people in southeast and the different communities I visited [say] ‘We get forgotten by the governor. The governor gets in, they come down here and campaign, and then they forget about us.’ I will not forget about you,” says Hughes. “I’ve got family in this area, and you’re important. Every region of the state has something to contribute, and is important, and I’m ready to step up and offer my skill set to Alaskans.” 

Hughes has served four years as a state representative and over eight years as a State Senator for the southern Matanuska-Susitna Borough. She says that her decade-plus of experience in bipartisan collaboration makes her a suitable leader to collaborate with a president as “pro-Alaska” as Trump. 

Hughes is currently vetting Lieutenant Governor candidates, hoping to have them take on more responsibility in helping lead her initiatives in a way that she says “hasn’t happened since territorial days.”

One of her top priorities as governor would be to diversify Alaska’s economy away from oil, and lean into alternative energy sources like geothermal and hydroelectric power. 

She also says changes are needed for the Alaska Marine Highway System, which has uncertain funding and declining ridership. Hughes says local partnerships could help.

“I think if we did a private partnership, and maybe had restaurants or bands or things like that on the ferries, people might choose it as an alternative. I think we could get some more independent travelers,” says Hughes. “And I think there’s a revenue stream there. And under the state DOT they don’t have the flexibility to do that kind of thing… but I would also look at where does it make sense, as far as shortening routes by putting in some roads where we can, so we can have a good system that meets the needs.”

On the topic of education, Hughes believes that there should not only be better funding to support teachers, but also vocational training programs. She says schools should also help students prepare for the wide variety of high-paying jobs the state offers that don’t require a college degree. Hughes says this is important given that one in three Alaskans is on public assistance and Medicaid.

“I’ve heard from employers who’ve offered them raises because they’re good workers, and they turn it down because they’re going to lose their Medicaid, for example, and they need their insurance for their families, and that’s a broken system,” says Hughes. “So we need to go in there and fix that system and make sure those people have opportunity for the kind of jobs where they can make the kind of money that you can live [in] and afford a home [and] afford your groceries.”

Regarding environmental regulation, Hughes hopes to hire a Fish and Game Commissioner who shares her perspective on balancing environmental and development concerns. Hughes says she plans to increase trawling restrictions and increase game so that rural Alaska Native residents can participate in subsistence hunting regardless of where in the state they choose to live. Hughes says she wants to partner with federal agencies to develop preventative measures for natural disasters brought on by global warming. On the flip side, she’s also optimistic about the agricultural development opportunities that a warmer climate could bring.

“Scandinavia is on the same latitude on the globe that we are. Now they have a warm ocean current, so it’s a little warmer, but their export for [agricultural] products and food is $10 billion a year,” says Hughes. “We’re going the other direction, we’re importing $3 billion. And so I see a lot of potential there, and when, with a little bit of warming, we can take advantage of that.

Hughes says that more agricultural work opportunities could also attract a wide variety of working-age people to Alaska. 

Hughes also talked about transferring government-owned land to private owners, infrastructure development, optimizing the state budget, and public safety reform during her two-day long stay in Sitka.

The Sitka Rotary Club’s annual fundraiser, the Rotary Duck Race, involves 6,000 rubber ducks, with a first place prize of $2,500. Proceeds from race tickets, up to $60,000 if all ducks are sold, is donated to nonprofits and community projects throughout Sitka. This year, the club also has a “Flock a Friend” project where donors can place duck decoys in friends’ yards for $50. Katie Gunnell, public relations chair for the Sitka Rotary Club, joined KCAW on the Morning Interview to talk about the race, which has been moved from July 4 to July 18. Listen to the conversation here: