LUTHERAN QUILTERS – Members of the Quilts for Comfort Group stand between pews draped with some of the 205 quilts they made, in the Sitka Lutheran Church Tuesday. The group made the quilts for five local non-profits and one in Anchorage. The remaining quilts are sent to Lutheran World Relief which distributes them to places around the world in need, such as Ukraine, as part of Personal Care Kits. Pictured are, from left, Helen Cunningham, Kathleen Brandt,Vicki Swanson, Paulla Hardy, Kim Hunter, Linda Swanson and Sue Fleming. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
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Daily Sitka Sentinel
June 14, 2017, Community Happenings
Sitka Summer Music Festival musings
By Susan Wingrove-Reed
I am still in awe of the talented, generous Sitka Summer Music Festival artists who gathered in breathtaking Sitka-by-the-sea to share their love of music last week. So grateful. And here we go with Week 2. Tonight’s free Sitka Hotel café concert starts at 6:30 p.m. Get there early to score a seat. Thursday’s free Bach lunch concert starts right at 12:15 p.m. with music by Beethoven – Violin Sonata No. 1 with Ben Breen and pianist Yuliya Gorenman – and the Haydn first cello concerto with Zuill Bailey and me on piano (as the orchestra).
Friday night includes a delectable array of Russian and American music. Pre-concert chat at 6:45 and then the concert begins with a set of songs featuring Kate Bass, a wonderful soprano originally from Anchorage! Joining her at the keyboard will be Natasha Paremski. Tchaikovsky’s “Midst the Din of the Ball” with lyrics by Aleksei Tolstoy (cousin of the more famous novelist Leo) is a romantic, haunting waltz that describes a young man who spies a mysterious woman across a crowded ballroom and becomes instantly infatuated. Samuel Barber’s gorgeous, beloved “Sure on This Shining Night” is a poignant setting of a memorable text by James Agee – a remarkable poet, author and screenwriter. Come to the preconcert lecture to hear a fun story about a telephone operator demanding that Barber sing this song for her! Kate and Natasha will conclude their set with Rachmaninoff’s “Me Poi, Krasavitsa,” one of his first published songs, written during the stress of final exams at the Moscow Conservatory. Translated as “Sing Not, Oh Lovely One,” the text is by poet Alexander Pushkin. The song is luscious, rich with melody and lavish emotion.
Next on Friday’s program is Anton Arensky’s first piano trio – dedicated to his good friend cellist Charles Davidoff. Arensky’s teacher Rimsky-Korsakov reflected, “His life ran a dissipated course between wine and card-playing, yet his activity as composer was most fertile…He will soon be forgotten.” Happily, Arensky’s musical legacy survives – especially his splendid chamber pieces. The emotional highlight of the trio is the haunting Elegia. Concluding Friday’s concert is a marvelous piano version of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade. For centuries, people have been dazzled by the stories of “The Arabian Nights.” The composer wrote, “A Sultan, persuaded of the faithlessness of all women, had sworn to put to death each of his wives after the first night. Sultana Scheherazade saved her life by arousing his interest in tales which she told him during a thousand and one nights…” The piece in four sections is “a musical kaleidoscope of images” from many of the tales. Sensual, full of tone colors – you MUST hear Juliya Gorenman explore this showstopper!
Saturday night opens with Brahms – ‘‘Variations on a Theme of Paganini.’’ So fiendishly difficult that pianist Clara Schumann nicknamed them “Witches’ Variations,” critic James Huneker aptly notes, “To play them requires fingers of steel, a heart of burning lava and the courage of a lion.” Go Natasha! Ernest Bloch, born in Switzerland but who later settled in Oregon, wrote an epic work for cello and orchestra (here, me on the piano) based on Ecclesiastes and the voice of Schelomo (Solomon). This magnificent, emotionally powerful work has a timeless solemnity – Zuill will make every note, every beat speak. After this epic lamentation, Zuill will play Max Bruch’s lovely Kol Nidrei based on an ancient Jewish melody that annotator Paul Serotsky observed was “filtered through a sympathetic Protestant” (Bruch)… heart-stoppingly beautiful.” Concluding the concert will be one of the greatest piano trios ever written, Beethoven’s “Archduke,” named for his student, patron and friend Archduke Rudolph. There was a huge market for piano trios for amateurs to play in their homes, but this trio was a historic landmark intended for professional players in newly built concert halls. Composed in just three weeks in March 1811, the premiere was Beethoven’s last in public – he was so deaf that he pounded on the piano in loud passages and played soft passages so quietly that whole phrases couldn’t be heard. Conclude your weekend with the mouthwatering all-you-can-eat Crab Feed on Sunday 3-5 p.m. at the Crescent Harbor Shelter. This fundraiser for the SSMF is a scrumptious tradition! And I hope to see you at Tuesday’s 5:30 p.m. preview event at Stevenson Hall on campus – onward with spectacular music!
––––
Susan Wingrove-Reed is a music educator from Anchorage. She writes program notes for the Sitka Summer Music Festival, and gives pre-concert lectures.
Life Celebration
For Jon Hanson
A celebration of life for Jon Jay Hanson will be held 2-5 p.m. (perhaps later) on Saturday, June 17, at Sea Mountain Golf Course.
Appetizers are welcome and those who play an instrument are invited to join the jam.
Jon passed away peacefully on May 7, 2017, at UW Medical Center in Seattle, Washington. He was 57.
His daughter Cara may be contacted at 907-738-9939 if more information is needed.
Destiny Charles
Dies at Age 40
Destiny Desire Charles, 40, died June 5 while in Ketchikan.
Survivors include her husband, Frank Lee “Leo” Jimmy Sr., and son Frank Lee Jimmy Jr., both of Sitka, and sons Teddy Floyd Vos and Kevin Powell Adams.
White E Shop
Tag Sale Set
All clothing with a yellow tag is half-price in both White Elephant Shop stores and clothing with green tags in the Children’s Store is 50 cents.
School Board Meets
The Sitka School Board will hold a regular school board meeting 6:30 p.m. June 20 at the District Office board room. The public is invited.
Re-Enactors Sought
For July 4 Parade
To march in the July 4 parade, Steve Dalquist is enlisting men for Sitka Ninth Infantry to simulate the newly arrived American forces of 1867 who marched through the streets of New Archangel and up the hill to the governor’s residence for the historical Oct. 18, 1867, transfer of Alaska from Russian claim to the United States.
Dalquist invites anyone interested in post-Civil War 1860s American military uniforms and black powder weapons to call him at 752-0750. Youths who could carry a drum or guidon (flag) are also welcome.
Assistance with costumes and weapons is available from Dalquist and others. Other men, women and children in 1860s costumes are welcome to walk with the troupe.
Fiber Friends
Meet June 24
Fiber Friends will meet Saturday, June 24, in the Gus Adams room at the Sitka Public Library. For information call Alice Johnstone at 747-3931.
Bike Meeting
Set for June 16
The Sitka Bicycle Friendly Community Coalition will meet noon-1 p.m. Friday, June 16, at North Sister Crepes, Juice and Organic Café.
The agenda includes planning for the commuter biking portion of a summer fitness challenge. For more information contact Doug Osborne at 747-0373 or go to https://sitkacycling.wordpress.com/.
Fermentation
Class July 11
Lisa Sadleir-Hart, RDN, MPH, will teach a ‘‘Simple Pickles and Sauerkraut’’ class 6-8:30 p.m. on July 11 at the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen in the First Presbyterian Church. It’s the fourth class in the Preserving the Harvest series.
She will teach how to make a simple pickle using a vinegar brine and the sauerkraut fermentation process.
The class cost is $27.50 and, with a donation from SEARHC, the food/supply cost should be minimal, organizers said. Register online at http://sitkakitch.eventsmart.com and pay using a debit or credit card or PayPal account. To pay by cash or check, contact Chandler or Clarice at 747-7509 to arrange payment.
Space is limited and the registration deadline is 9 p.m. on Friday, June 23. Those who cannot make it to the class can request a refund if canceled 72 hours before the start of the class. Contact Lisa at 747-5985 with questions.
Marine Highway
Feedback Needed
Alaska Marine Highway System is at a critical juncture. For more than 50 years, state ferries have connected residents and resources in coastal communities with Alaska’s economic and service hubs. Operating weeks and reliability have declined steadily due to budget reductions and an aging fleet.
Park to Host
Artist Hoffmann
Renowned Tlingit artist Robert Davis Hoffmann will be featured at a 7 p.m. June 15 reading of original poetry as Sitka National Historical Park continues its commemoration of Alaska’s sesquicentennial year. The free reading will be in the park’s visitor center.
Kake Native Hoffmann is one of eight artists whose original work is featured in the Voices of Change exhibit at the park’s visitor center. Voices of Change focuses on artist responses to the Alaska Purchase, or “Treaty of Cession,” and the subsequent 150 years of American governance as it has impacted Alaska Native peoples.
Hoffmann will be reading from two published books of poetry, ‘‘Soul Catcher’’ and ‘‘Village Boy,’’ and new poems never before read in public.
The creative impulse for his carving and poetry, Hoffmann says, is to connect the past and the present through both traditional and non-traditional materials.
“My job as an artist is simply to arrange what is,” Hoffmann told the Alaska Quarterly Review, “just as re-telling is the job of the storyteller. As I am creating, I am merely recreating.”
Sitka Veterans
Group to Meet
The Sitka Veterans Association will meet 6:30 p.m. June 15 on the SEARHC Campus, Community Health Building, first floor conference room.
The informational and planning meeting for members and veterans will be planning for the Fourth of July parade, viewing the application for a 501c(3) organization and membership drive.
For more information contact George at 738-3688.
Mental Health
First Aid Classes
Slated to Run
Sitka Counseling and Prevention Services and the HOPE Coalition are providing Mental Health First Aid training for residents and organizations to help improve mental health literacy.
“We are thrilled to bring Mental Health First Aid to our community,” said Loyd Platson, prevention and coalition director at Sitka Counseling and Prevention Services. “This important educational effort goes a lot further than emergency intervention; it really helps people understand the shroud of fear and misjudgment facing individuals and families who experience mental illnesses and addiction. It will help our community reduce the stigma associated with mental health related issues and help more and more people engage in the recovery process. Given recent events which have affected our community, empowering community members to assist their families, friends and co-workers will provide them with healthy ways to cope with life’s issues.”
Mental Health First Aid is an eight-hour training certification course which teaches participants a five-step action plan to assess a situation, select and implement interventions and secure appropriate care for the individual.
Platson said that thorough evaluations in randomized controlled trials and a quantitative study have proved the CPR-like program effective in improving trainees’ knowledge of mental disorders, reducing stigma and increasing the amount of help provided to others.
The cost has been discounted to $50 per person. The regular price is $75. The next training will be held 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday, June 22, at Sitka Counseling conference room, 111 Metlakatla Street.
For more information or to register, call 747-3636. Space is limited to 15.
Dunham to Speak
On Emancipators
Sitka Historical Society and Sitka National Historical Park has set its June Speaker Series.
Mike Dunham, award-winning Anchorage broadcaster and journalist, will present ‘‘The Four Emancipators’’ 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 14, at Centennial Hall
Dr. Terrence Cole will speak June 28 on the the famous Leutze painting of the signing of the Treaty of Cession Sitka National Historical Park 7pm
Both are free and open to the public. More information is at www.ak150.com or 747-4821.
SAFV Board Meets
The board of Sitkans Against Family Violence will meet 5 p.m. June 27 at the shelter. The meeting is open to all. For information, call 747-3370.
Beginner Ukulele
Lessons on Sundays
Free beginner ukulele lessons are taught 5-6 p.m. Sundays at the Pioneers Home Chapel. Participants can stay and practice songs 6-7 p.m.
Text to Jeannie, 510-610-0075, for more information.
Babies and Books
Story Time Set
‘‘Berries and Ravens’’ is the theme of the next Babies and Books program 10:30 a.m. June 24 at Sitka Public Library.
Local author Pauline Duncan will share stories, books and songs. An easy craft with be part of the free program. No registration is required.
Children ages birth to 3 and their parents, care-takers, family and friends are welcome to this event that is part of the Build a Better World Summer Library Program.
For more information, call the library at 747-8708.
Electric Vehicle
Owners Called
Owners of electric vehicles are being called for a group photo 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 24, at the large parking area near UAS-Sitka Campus and Mt. Edgecumbe High School.
‘‘Photos will help us document the growing number of EVs in town as well as advocate for EV issues,’’ organizers said.
‘Explain Pain’
Class June 28
The public is invited to attend a free “Explain Pain” class 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, June 28, at the Sitka Community Hospital classroom.
Bridget Hitchcock, physical therapist, will teach the physiology of chronic pain and how to manage pain. Research shows that understanding pain can help lessen one’s pain. For more information, call 747-1771.
Sablefish Tag
Winners Gold
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has announced the winners of the annual tag recovery incentive drawing for sablefish tags returned in 2016. The winners are:
Jonathan Fuhrer, F/V Atlas, Goleta, Calif., $1,000; Mary Murray-Jenkins, F/V Kariel, Sitka, $500; Tony Guggenbickler, F/V Toni Marie, Wrangell, $500; Frank Balovich, F/V Carole D, Sitka, $250; Stan Savland, F/V Chikamin, Hoonah, $250; Paul Sorenson, F/V Wind Walker, Kenai, $250; and Aaron Phillips, F/V Lione Fisherman, Petersburg, $250.
Those who return an ADF&G sablefish tag receive a tag reward such as a T-shirt or fishermen’s knife. Tag returns with valid recovery information including date of recovery and latitude and longitude, are entered into a random drawing for a cash prize. ADF&G said 561 sablefish tags were returned; 363 tags qualified for the drawing.
The department has been tagging sablefish in Southeast Alaska since 1979 to obtain information on sablefish movement, growth and abundance. Tags are bright orange or green in color, approximately three inches in length, and are located below the first dorsal fin. Sablefish tagged in the internal waters of Southeast Alaska have been recovered from as far away as Northern California and the Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea. Movement information collected from tagging studies is important to the management of sablefish fisheries and the department appreciates the participation of fishermen and processors in this program. Information detailing the release and recovery of tag returns may be requested from ADF&G staff.
For additional information on groundfish fisheries, visit the Southeast Regional Groundfish Fisheries web site: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=commercialbyareasoutheast.groundfish.
SSMF Lunch
Concert June 15
All are invited to take their lunch for a free all-ages concert presented by the Sitka Summer Music Festival, at 12:15 p.m. Thursday, June 15, at Allen Hall.
Benjamin Breen will perform Beethoven’s first violin sonata, and Zuill Bailey will perform Haydn’s first Cello Concerto.
Festival details are at the website sitkamusicfestival.org or 747-6774.
SSMF Concert
Set for Friday
Soprano Kate Bass, violinist Benjamin Breen, cellist Zuill Bailey and pianists Natasha Paremski and Yuliya Gorenman will perform at the Sitka Summer Music Festival concert 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 16, at Centennial Hall.
The program includes vocal pieces by Tchaikovsky, Barber and Rachmaninov; the Arensky Piano Trio in D Minor; and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade for solo piano.
Tickets are $25 general admission, $20 for seniors and military, or $15 for students, available at Old Harbor Books, online, or at the door. A pre-concert conversation with Susan Reed begins at 6:45 p.m., and a reception with the artists follows the concert. Call 747-6774 or visit sitkamusicfestival.org for more information.
Crab Feast on
Sunday for SSMF
The Sitka Summer Music Festival will offer a feast of Dungeness crab served under the Crescent Harbor Shelter 3 p.m. Sunday, June 18.
Tickets are $35, or $20 for ages 15 and under, available at Old Harbor Books or online. Call 747-6774 or visit sitkamusicfestival.org for more information.
Revitalize Sitka
To Meet June 19
Those who want to help make downtown Sitka a better place are invited to attend a Revitalize Sitka meeting 5:45-7:15 p.m. Monday, June 19, at the Sitka Public Library’s Gus Adams meeting room.
Revitalize Sitka is a project that came out of the Sitka Health Summit. Recent projects include getting the decorative banners and flower baskets up downtown during the summer, and the snowflakes in winter. New members and volunteers are needed.
For more information, contact Charles Bingham at 623-7660 or charleswbingham3@gmail.com.
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20 YEARS AGO
March 2004
Advertisement: Tea-Licious Tea House & Bakery 315 Lincoln Street Grand Opening! Freshly Baked Scones, Cakes & Pastries Innovative Salads, Soups & Sandwiches Harney & Sons Tea. Lunch * Afternoon Tea * Supper.
50 YEARS AGO
March 1974
Photo caption: National Republican Chairman George Bush takes a drink of water offered by Jan Craddick, Sitka delegate, during the Republican convention held here. Mrs. Craddick explained to Bush that the water was from Indian River, which means, according to local legend, that he will return.