DIVE PRACTICUM – Dive student Karson Winslow hands a discarded garden hose to SCUBA instructor Haleigh Damron, standing on the dock, at Crescent Harbor this afternoon. The University of Alaska Southeast Sitka Campus Dive Team is clearing trash from the harbor floor under floats 5, 6 and 7 as part of their instruction. Fourteen student divers are taking part this year. This is the fifth year the dive team has volunteered to clean up Sitka harbors. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The threat of major cutbacks to the subsistence socke [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
With the first vote on the city budget for fiscal yea [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
In the final day of play in the recreational division City League volleyball [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
Three amateur athletes from Sitka were among tens of [ ... ]
By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
A proposal to require Alaska schools to keep opioid-overdose-r [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
Alaska’s Kobuk River, which flows out of the Brooks Range above [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
April 16
At 8:07 a.m. a woman [ ... ]
Presentation On
Medicare, SS
SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium and Cynthia Gibson, CFP®, an [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Musicians from Sitka High and Mt. Edgecumbe High scho [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Whether you enjoy scaling mountains, walking in the p [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
Two-time Alpine Adventure Run winner Chris Brenk cont [ ... ]
By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee expanded a [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS and
CLAIRE STREMPLE
The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development is [ ... ]
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
April 15
A protective order was issued at 1 [ ... ]
Chamber Speaker
Event Wednesday
The Chamber of Commerce speaker series will continue noon Wednesday at [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
From high costs and low availability to challenges sur [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
A number of participants at Thursday’s community me [ ... ]
By CLAIRE STREMPLE Alaska Beacon TJ Beers stood across the street from the Capitol in a nav [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
When it rains hard enough in the Prince of Wales Island town of C [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
A designated wilderness area in Southeast Alaska’s Tongass National Fo [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
Julie Kitka, the longtime president of the Alaska Federation of Natives, [ ... ]
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
April 12
At 5:18 p.m. a caller asked for a [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Sitka Tourism Task Force reviewed a number of recomme [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
Almost exactly a century ago, the engines of four modi [ ... ]
Daily Sitka Sentinel
‘Old Time Celebration’ to Mark July Fourth
By ARIADNE WILL
Special to the Sentinel
With the help of Sitka’s younger crowd, Sitka Historical Society plans to mark the Fourth of July with an “Old Time Celebration.”
The event, which will feature a street dance, food booths, old-time games, and a beer and wine garden, is scheduled Wednesday and Thursday, July 3 and 4.
Those interested in volunteering or in reserving a food booth should call Hal Spackman at 738-3766. Food booths may be reserved for $150.
“The Society is hopeful these events will make memories for children while bringing smiles to those who remember Fourth of July games of the past,” Spackman told the Sentinel.
The games, reminiscent of past events held at the Mt. Edgecumbe Fire Hall, have become fossilized in the memories of longtime Sitkans. While these games have happened before, their prominence in Sitka’s collective memory is dwindling.
“We haven’t had these games for a long time,” Spackman said. “I think it’s safe to say that some of the simpler times have been lost. Communities coming together for the Fourth of July has been lost.”
Travel writers, Lynn and Cele Seldon get a tour of the Sitka History Museum from Sitka Historical Society Executive Director Hal Spackman Friday. Sitka Historical Society plans to mark the Fourth of July with an “Old Time Celebration.” (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
Spackman hopes that the revival of these old-fashioned activities will help foster some of those same memories in Sitka’s current youngsters.
“One of our main ideas was to get people to remember,” Spackman said. “I think that the memories people have of these sorts of things are fond memories, and sometimes I think that we forget about those simple things that make fond memories. I want the younger generation to have those fond memories when this is over.”
Spackman hopes that the event creates more than fond memories, however.
“The Sitka Historical Society feels strongly about promoting the enthusiasm for history and past stories,” he said. “As a result, our board thought that it would be a great idea to bring back the old-time flavors of Fourth of July.”
That “flavor,” which Spackman says includes the activities the Historical Society will be bringing back on July 4, seeks to create new memories for today’s kids that will rekindle community events that have neared obscurity.
The children’s activities, which will include a greased pole climb, a pie eating contest, and an egg toss, will be held on July 4 and are open to anyone under 18 years of age.
The event will also feature a demonstration by Sitka Cirque and children’s prizes and games from the Sitka Tribe of Alaska, with First Bank as the event’s contributing sponsor.
“I hope that people will come out, interact with one another, have a great time, enjoy watching little kids in their games, get some smiles, bring families together, and bring the community together,” Spackman said. “I want people to come and participate.”
Login Form
20 YEARS AGO
April 2004
Photo caption: Sitka High students in the guitar music class gather in the hall before the school’s spring concert. The concert was dedicated to music instructor Brad Howey, who taught more than 1,000 Sitka High students from 1993 to 2004. From left are Kristina Bidwell, Rachel Ulrich, Mitch Rusk, Nicholas Mitchell, Eris Weis and Joey Metz.
50 YEARS AGO
April 1974
The Fair Deal Association of Sealaska shareholders selected Nelson Frank as their candidate for the Sealaska Board of Directors at the ANB Hall Thursday.