BLUE RIBBON COOL – Keet Gooshi Heen Elementary School students wear blue sunglasses and bead necklaces given to them as part of the Blue Ribbon celebration at the school today. In September the school was named one of three schools in Alaska and 353 across the nation to win the U.S. Department of Education’s Blue Ribbon Schools. The recognition as Exemplary High-Performing Schools was based on their overall academic performance as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
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Sentinel Staff Writer
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Sentinel Staff Writer
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Sentinel Staff Writer
The single finalist in the Assembly’s search for a [ ... ]
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Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
May 16
At 12:41 a.m. a man wa [ ... ]
Climate Building Science
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Sentinel Staff Writer
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Sentinel Staff Writer
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Sentinel Staff Writer
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Sentinel Staff Writer
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By JAMES BROOKS,
CLAIRE STREMPLE and
YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
The 33rd Alaska State Legislature [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
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Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
May 15
Shortly after noon, callers complain [ ... ]
U.S. Coast Guard
Sets Town Hall
On Boat Accident
The U.S. Coast Guard will hold a town hall 5-8 p.m. to [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
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Sentinel Staff Writer
Living amid craggy peaks and remnant glaciers, Southea [ ... ]
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Sentinel Staff Writer
In the play opening Thursday at the Sitka Performing [ ... ]
By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
A late-session attempt to salvage a proposal that would revive [ ... ]
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
May 14
At 7:46 a.m. a reckless driver was r [ ... ]
Life Celebration
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The family of Carl Peterson, 85, will have a celebration of his lif [ ... ]
Daily Sitka Sentinel
Stedman Cites Work on Pink Salmon Issue
By Sentinel Staff
Sen. Bert Stedman asked Gov. Walker last month to consider adding Southeast Alaska to his request to the U.S. Department of Commerce for a disaster declaration related to this year’s poor pink salmon run.
Walker’s office announced Wednesday that he has added Southeast to the areas in the Gulf of Alaska for which he is seeking federal disaster relief because of the loss of income to fishermen in the pink salmon fishery.
In Thursday’s edition, the Sentinel reported on the governor’s letter to Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins of Sitka and Dan Ortiz of Ketchikan, thanking them for their letter of Oct. 21 which had presented their data supporting the addition of Southeast to the fisheries areas Walker had previously listed in seeking the federal disaster declaration.
Stedman’s office told the Sentinel today that the Sitka senator has been working on the issue since early September, in a joint effort with the Petersburg Vessel Owners Association.
Stedman’s Senate district covers more than two dozen Southeast communities, including Ketchikan, Sitka, Wrangell, Metlakatla, Petersburg, Klawock and Hoonah.
On Sept. 23 Stedman announced on his web page that at his request, “Governor Walker’s office has agreed to review all relevant data and consider adding Southeast Alaska to the request for fisheries disaster relief from the federal government for the poor 2016 pink salmon harvest.”
On Oct. 18 the Petersburg association’s executive director Megan O’Neil sent a letter to the governor with detailed information about this year’s pink salmon run in Southeast to bolster the association’s Sept. 7 request to the governor for a disaster declaration.
“Our office worked closely with Ms. O’Neil to develop the (Oct. 18) letter, the research, and statistics cited in the letter starting back in late September,” said Stedman aide Randy Ruaro in an email to the Sentinel today. “I also personally discussed the grounds for including the Southeast salmon fishermen with the Governor’s Office in late September 23, 2016, and let them know a letter from PVOA would be forthcoming. The Governor’s Office agreed to consider our new information. A post on our website was put up for the public at that time as well.”
In her Oct. 18 letter to the governor about the 2016 fishery in Southeast, O’Neil said “wild pink salmon were off 47 percent from predictions and hatchery chum returns were off a combined 42 percent, and as much as 98 percent in the case of Hidden Falls.”
The poor chum returns at all Southeast hatcheries resulted in $18,332,760 in lost revenue to fishermen, she said.
“In addition to the hatchery losses, an estimated $14,347,515 in lost revenue occurred for pink salmon to Southeast fishermen .... “ O’Neil said in the letter.
In a statement on his website today, Stedman said:
“I applaud Governor Walker for asking the federal government to review and grant disaster relief for the Southeast Alaska pink salmon fishery. Governor Walker also directed the state Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development to consider loan payment waivers for affected Pink Salmon Fishery Permit Holders. My staff worked closely with the Petersburg Vessel Owners Association to provide accurate information to the Governor’s Office.”
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20 YEARS AGO
May 2004
Photo caption: Sara Roa wipes a tear as retiring Sheldon Jackson College Professor Mel Seifert accepts a citation honoring his 29 years of teaching at the college, during graduation ceremonies this morning at the Hames P.E. Center.
50 YEARS AGO
May 1974
From On the Go: Vyola Belle and Kybor are leaving the Canoe Club, where they’ve been cooking for the past two years. Vyola Belle will devote her time to her Maksoutoff Caterers and Kyber will become a chef for the Marine Highway System aboard the Wickersham.