Daily Sitka Sentinel

December 8, 2017, Community Happenings

Story Time Set

Old Harbor Books will host a kids story time 10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13, for ages 1-3. Older children are welcome. Those with questions can call 747-8808.

CNA Course

Offered at UAS

The University of Alaska offers a nine-credit Certified Nursing Assistant.

The program is 13 weeks, includes online classes, labs and clinicals. Openings are available for the spring  class. Register now, start class in January, and have a new career by May, UAS said in a press release.

Call 747-7777 to talk to an adviser for more information.

UAS Offers

Scholarships

UAS-Sitka Campus is offering scholarship opportunities, including the Sitka Consolidated Scholarship and two separate dual credit scholarships.

For more information, contact Joy Klushkan, personal education planner and financial literacy specialist, 747-7771.

Hazard Mitigation

Public Meeting On

The City and Borough of Sitka will host a Sitka Hazard Mitigation Plan public meeting 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14, at Centennial Hall.

The meeting will be for public comment on necessary updates for the next draft. For more information contact the planning department at 747- 1814.

Mental Health

First Aid Taught

Sitka Counseling and Prevention Services and the HOPE Coalition will provide Mental Health First Aid training for community members and organizations to help improve mental health literacy. The training will help them identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illness. 

“We are thrilled to bring Mental Health First Aid to our community,” said Loyd Platson, prevention and coalition director at Sitka Counseling. “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.”

Mental Health First Aid is an eight-hour training certification course which teaches a five-step action plan to assess a situation, select and implement interventions, and secure appropriate care for the individual.

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, Platson said. 

The training is at the reduced rate of $75 per person. The next training will be 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Jan. 20 at Sitka Counseling Conference Room, 111 Metlakatla Street.

For more information or to register, call 747-3636.

Meeting Saturday

On Men’s Shelter

A community meeting to discuss the proposed men’s winter night shelter will be held noon Saturday at the First Presbyterian Church, 505 Sawmill Creek Road.

The church is the location of the proposed shelter. All are invited.

Sitka High Winter

Program Tuesday

Sitka High symphonic, concert and jazz band, concert choir, vocal jazz and guitar class students will perform 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12, at the Performing Arts Center.

It is free and open to the public.

Breakfast with Santa

Event Saturday

The 3 to 5 Preschool will hold its annual Breakfast with Santa 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, Dec. 9, at Sweetland Hall on the SJ Campus.

Pancakes, sausage, eggs and fruit will be served for $7 for an adult and $5 for children. Santa will be available for photos for a $5 donation. The event will include a silent auction with baskets and items available for bidding.

White E Shop

Meeting on Tap

The White Elephant Shop monthly meeting will be 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13, at the Swan Lake Senior Center. Meetings are open to the public.

Tiny Books Gifts

Class for Tweens

Sitka Public Library is offering a step-by-step workshop for youths ages 11 and older to make tiny books gifts for book lovers.

 The workshop will be 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 22. The library provides all the materials.

For more information and to register call the library at 747-8708.

King Salmon

Forum Dec. 15

An informational forum on current king salmon issues is slated 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15, in the Sockeye Room at Centennial Hall.

Topics to be discussed are: a brief review of the Spring 2017 recreational and commercial king salmon fisheries; the August and September king salmon non-retention decision; mass marking of Chinook salmon; mark-selective fisheries in Southeast Alaska; and the State of Alaska Board of Fisheries Sustainable Salmon Fisheries Policy Action Plan concerning low king salmon escapements in Chilkat, Unuk and King Salmon Rivers.

Members of the public from the Sitka Fish and Game Advisory Committee, Alaska Trollers Association Board of Directors, NSRAA and others will be speaking from their perspectives.

Copies of current available information from ADF&G will be provided. For more information contact the Chinook Futures Coalition Executive Director Deborah Lyons at 738-3362.

‘Explain Pain’

Class to Register

The public is to attend a free “Explain Pain” class noon-1 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12, and Thursday, Dec. 14, at the Sitka Community Hospital conference room on the first floor.

Bridget Hitchcock, PT, will teach the physiology of chronic pain and how to manage pain. Research shows that understanding pain can help lessen one’s pain, she said. For more information, call 747-1771.

VA Information

Meeting Dec. 14

An informational meeting with Alaska Veterans Association staff will be 1 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14, at the SEARHC Community Health Building in the first floor conference room.

The meeting will be an opportunity for veterans to ask staff about health benefits, service-connected claims and other questions pertaining to bills.

For more information call George at 966-8776 or 738-3688.

Imagination Library

Benefit on Sunday

A basket auction and hamburger bar dinner 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10, at the Elks Lodge will benefit local efforts to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.

Sitka Emblem Club is sponsoring the event. For more information contact Judi Blankenship, literacy chairman of Sitka Emblem Club 142, at 747-6326.

Land Trust

Meeting Set

Sitka Community Land Trust will  meet 6:30-8:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 18, at Centennial Hall, Room 4.

Members of the public are invited to attend. For more information call 738-2888 or go to sitkaclt.org.

‘Giving Tree’

At Wells Fargo

The Giving Tree is up at the lobby of the Wells Fargo Bank with tags to give gifts to local residential programs for seniors, women, teens and children.

Individuals can take a tag, purchase a gift, and return the unwrapped gift to the large box in the main lobby of Wells Fargo Bank during business hours.

Gifts are delivered to Sitka Pioneers Home, Sitka Community Hospital Long Term Care, Sitkans Against Family Violence, Youth Advocates of Sitka and Wooch.een Yei Jigaxhtoonei preschool program.

Donations of gift-wrapping supplies are also appreciated. It is sponsored by the United Method Church of Sitka. Call Julia Smith at 747-6333 with questions.

ANS to Meet

Alaska Native Sisterhood Camp 4 will hold its regular meeting 6:30 p.m. Dec. 12, at the ANB Founders Hall.