Communities on the outer coast can brace themselves for a blustery Thanksgiving, with heavy rainfall and winds reaching as high as 60 miles per hour in some communities on Wednesday and Thursday. 

Pete Boyd is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Juneau. He says storms of this magnitude aren’t that frequent, but also aren’t unheard of this time of year in Southeast. 

“We’re going to be expecting wind gusts, especially for Sitka, getting upwards of 40 to 50 miles per hour,” says Boyd. “At this point, we think most of the strongest winds for overland are going to be a little bit further south– Hydaburg, Ketchikan area, but it’s not out of the question to get some gusts up to 60 for the Sitka area, and then for rainfall…as it starts moving in, we could be seeing about two to three inches of precipitation.”

Boyd says two systems are at play in this storm. The first system will start to calm down on Wednesday evening, and right now it’s a little too soon to be sure where the second system will hit heaviest on Thursday into Friday morning.

“This is a very complex system that’s coming through, and unfortunately, a lot of uncertainty,” says Boyd. Two systems are at play in this storm. The first system will start to calm down on Wednesday evening, and right now it’s a little too soon to be sure where the second system will hit heaviest on Thursday into Friday morning. Either way, the high winds will likely affect holiday travel plans. 

“Any travel on Wednesday and Thursday is going to be difficult,” says Boyd. “Aviation is going to be difficult because there’s gonna be a lot of low-level wind shear. So a lot of planes taking off and landing are going to be getting a rough ride, low ceilings, low visibilities.”

“Anybody who’s planning on being on a boat, especially for the outside water, really needs to keep checking the forecast and what their boat and what their captain’s capabilities are,” Boyd adds. “Because this is going to be a pretty significant system moving through, so we want everyone to stay safe as possible.”

Boyd says the best way to keep up to date with the changing forecast is by visiting weather.gov/juneau and tuning in to NOAA Weather Radio.

State health officials have begun a campaign to vaccinate young children against COVID-19, since the US Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control both approved the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5-11 on November 2.

KCAW’s Robert Woolsey attended a statewide press conference (11-4-21) with the Department of Health and Social Services to learn how the message would be shaped in Alaska. In short, the holiday season will be safer for everyone if young children are immunized against the virus.

Note: Register here to schedule an appointment for anyone age 5 and older to get a free covid vaccine or booster from SEARHC. Harry Race Pharmacy is holding its first free vaccination clinic for children on Thursday, November 11. You can learn more by calling 907-206-2202, or schedule an appointment here.

The approval of a covid vaccine for children ages 5-11 has created some questions parents — the most obvious of which is whether getting vaccinated is worth the risk. So far, this age group has been one of the least-affected demographics in the pandemic, accounting for about 11-percent of all cases, according to the US Centers for Disease Control.

Dr. Anne Zink, chief medical officer for Alaska — a parent of young children herself — weighed the pros and cons.

“We know that kids are not impacted by COVID the same way as adults are, but they’ve been impacted in many ways,” said Zink. “We still see kids to do get sick from COVID-19. And as a parent myself it can be nerve wracking to think about vaccinating your child. It’s just hard to give them a shot when they’re happy and healthy and playful in so many ways. But the data is clear that these vaccines are really safer than many things that we do, even most over-the-counter medications. And we know that even imperfect tools like car seats still make a huge difference in protecting our kiddos. And so just like we buckle up our kids in the car, consider getting them vaccinated.”

Dr. Zink said that the pediatric Pfizer vaccine — which is now available in Sitka — has undergone extensive testing, and has proven 90-percent effective in preventing severe COVID-19 disease. Although Alaska has not had a pediatric death from covid, nationwide 94 children age 5 to 11 have died — making it the eighth-leading cause of death in that age group, according to the CDC.

Read a CDC report on the Epidemiology of COVID-19 in Children Aged 5 to 11 Years.

Zink suggested that the covid vaccine was just the latest tool in a decades-long — and highly successful — effort to vaccinate children against preventable disease.

“You know, we’ve been using childhood vaccination for a long time to really help protect our kiddos as well as our communities from diseases,” Zink said. “And we’re really making many diseases preventable diseases. If you look between 1994 and 2018, vaccinations have really prevented over 400 million illnesses and avoided almost 1 million deaths and children. So vaccines have been a tremendous tool against viruses and against vaccine-preventable diseases.”

Another benefit of protecting young children against covid, is that they would present less of a hazard to family members who may be immunocompromised, elderly, or otherwise unable to mount a robust immune system response to covid — even if they’re vaccinated themselves. This could be a game-changer at Thanksgiving and other events during the holiday season. Nevertheless, Zink urged Alaskans to be conscientious about planning for the holidays, to prevent the spread of covid.

“I kind of think of things like the holidays: We prepare for it by going grocery shopping and coming up with our menus and dividing up,” said Zink. “And we can do the same thing, we’re thinking about covid. And so that may be minimizing our exposure, or not going out to eat with a lot of other people for the 10 days or so beforehand, and minimizing who else we’re exposed to. Making sure that we don’t go if we’re symptomatic, because you may have covid, or you may have RSP, or influenza. It’s great to share our love and friendship at the holiday season, but not our viruses.”

Zink said that vaccination remains the number one tool in the fight against covid. So far, 66-percent of Alaskans age 12 and over have had at least one dose of vaccine. Although that statistic will drop when 5 to 11-year olds are factored in,  Zink was encouraged that 2-3,000 Alaskans are getting vaccinated each week.

Photo/KCAW, Emily Kwong

Organizers still need volunteers for Sitka’s annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner, held tomorrow from 1-5 PM at ANB Founders Hall. Debbie Brincefield joined us in the studio to talk about the event, which is in its 43rd year, and serves 300 to 400 Sitkans.

Downloadable Audio

Those interested in volunteering can reach Brincefield at 907-738-4323.

Downloadable audio.

Mt. Edgecumbe students gather in the gymnasium for a student talent show that included performances from the school’s Chinese classes, fencing demonstrations and a teacher lip sync battle. (Brielle Schaeffer/KCAW photo)

Many Mt. Edgecumbe High School students were far from home on Thanksgiving but each year the boarding school hosts a dinner for its students. On Wednesday, nearly 400 teens celebrated together with their “extended school families” in the gymnasium. After the meal, the kids gathered for a variety show by their peers and teachers with fencing, dancing and singing.

Downloadable audio.

(Emily Kwong/KCAW photo)

Twenty-five turkeys, 13 hams and more than 100 pounds of potatoes — that’s what’s on the menu for the community Thanksgiving dinner at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Founder’s Hall on Thursday.

But, Paulette Moreno, president of the Alaska Native Sisterhood, says she still needs some volunteers for the annual feast.

“What we really need help with at this point is people who are able to come down and help serve desserts, or help serve coffee or help do all the tasks it takes to deliver food,” she said.

The ANB and ANS will be bringing meals to people who can’t leave their houses or get away from work on the holiday from 2 to 4:30 in the afternoon. To arrange a delivery or to volunteer to drop off meals, call 752-0654.

Help is also needed at the Founder’s Hall on Wednesday for set up, food prep and decorating. People wishing to donate a dish can drop it off between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Wednesday, or starting at 7 in the morning on Thanksgiving.

Moreno says the free dinner is a longstanding tradition in Sitka started by a group of elders and residents who wanted to create fellowship during the holidays. She says everyone is invited to the dinner.

“The ANB hall and the Alaska native sisterhood are doing our very best to open the doors and just make it feel so welcome and so homey to everyone that comes in,” Moreno said.

The community Thanksgiving meal is from 2 to 5 p.m. on Thursday at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Founder’s Hall on Katlian Street.

(Emily Kwong/KCAW photo)

Paluette Moreno of the Alaska Native sisterhood discusses the upcoming holiday dinners for community members at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall.

Downloadable audio.

Servers carried plates of turkey from the kitchen and called out, “Who needs to be fed?” Hands shot up, signaling the new guests in the hall. (Emily Kwong/KCAW photo)

On Thursday (11-27-14), families and friends flowed through ANB Hall for a community Thanksgiving meal. Organizer Rachel Moreno estimated that 400 plates were served over the course of three hours.

ANB Hall, Camp #1. (Emily Kwong/KCAW photo)

A Salvation Army volunteer sorts canned goods for Thanksgiving. (photo by KCAW’s Emily Forman)

Although the national economy is improving, one aspect of Sitka’s economy is still mired in recession: food prices. The steady climb in prices since 2008 has not reversed, and many families — though doing better — are still living close to the edge.

At Sitka’s Salvation Army post, on the eve of Thanksgiving, staff and volunteers are busier than ever sorting and bagging food.

Listen to iFriendly audio.

Anyone who buys groceries in Sitka knows food here is expensive. So expensive that people might choose pre-cooked meals just to save the cost of electricity. So expensive that more people are coming to the Salvation Army for help.

Evadne: We are pastors first.

Evadne Wright is an ordained minister. She manages the Sitka post with her husband, who she refers to as Major Turnie Wright. The room the couple uses for Sunday worship, prayer meetings, and bible study is now covered with a blue tarp – and rows, and rows of Thanksgiving themed canned goods. The turkeys were on the way.

Evadne: So we can pick up the other stuff if need be. There’s no real rush but if it does help… I’ll make you cookies. Awesome! Thank you, thank you, thank you. Bye.

Evadne is from New Zealand, and moved to Sitka for the Salvation Army post in 2011.

Evadne: Love it! Don’t want to go! So, if the boss is hearing leave me here!

Wright confesses she doesn’t really understand the American custom of back-to-back holidays focused on excessive consumption – Thanksgiving followed by Christmas. But she recognizes that the people who come to her need help. That’s enough motivation to keep her in constant motion – to make sure that those whose fundamental needs aren’t adequately served have options, and access to the comforts of holiday tradition.

She says, “I don’t put a criteria. If they walk in the doors and ask for assistance they are assistance need. It takes a lot of courage to walk through those doors and admit that you’re not doing OK, that you need a hand.”

Since Wright took over the post, she says the numbers of families requesting a box of Thanksgiving staples has increased.

“Although not huge in numbers, last year we did 85. That’s still 6 more families at thanksgiving. This year we are 90. that’s five more families. It’s not huge huge spiking numbers per se, but out of the 90 families that sign up that is 305 people,” says Wright.

Wright started her post in 2011. That year 79 families requested Thanksgiving boxes – up from 35 in 2010. This year it’s 90.

But I was curious about the rest of the year – after the holidays, when we typically resume normal diets. Wright says the assistance need is still evident when looking at their food pantry numbers.

So some of the items are very generic, like beans and ramen noodles. Although sometimes not the healthiest it is sometimes the quickest way to sometimes fill a tummy.

Each month families or individuals can drop in and take home a bag of food. In the past three years the number of individuals visiting the food pantry increased by nearly 60%. That’s 500 more people this year, compared to 2010, visiting the Salvation Army for supplemental groceries. What’s really staggering? According to Salvation Army numbers 15 percent — or over 1,300 Sitkans — participated in the food pantry program 2013.

But here’s the thing, while the number of individuals seeking food assistance from the Salvation Army pantry has dramatically increased since 2010, the number of households has decreased.

Wright has an explanation for this. “We have had an increase in family sizes but not, meaning lots of children and stuff, but grandmas who are raising their grandchildren. Grandparents who are on a fixed income who now have custody, because there are families that leave town to work, but sometimes it is not an easy thing to take children along.”

On a larger scale, this story is consistent with the increased number of people signing up for food stamps in Sitka, since 2010. The State of Alaska Health and Social Services counted 820 people on food stamps in for the month of September 2013. That’s almost 1 in 10 Sitkans — a 17% increase since 2010.

Here’s your turkey and there’s your box. Hello!

Tuesday was distribution day – when families come to pick up their Thanksgiving boxes – Wright was her usual energetic and gregarious self. The recipients were more subdued.

Woman: I got laid off this year, because the restaurant I’m working at full time is remodeling. So it’s a bad time of year to be off. you can’t get help until so much time goes by and then the state will help you. These guys have been awesome, every year I’ve ever needed any help.
Me: Did you come last year?
Woman: Last year I was working so I didn’t need help. So that was nice. So it was really nice to be able to get help this year.

This woman’s need changes, depending on whether she’s working. A temporary loss in income, a slight increase in income that reduces a food stamp benefit, or an unexpected medical bill. It doesn’t take much to push someone through the doors of the Salvation Army. And Wright is there to meet them when they do.

Happy Thanksgiving guys! Bye! You too hun.