May Day traditionally is an important day to commemorate the modern labor movement worldwide demonstrators around the United States marched in opposition to policies of the Trump administration which they believe are harmful to the working class Around 150 people in Sitka joined the national “May Day” protest on Thursday “We are told there’s no money for housing but somehow they have condos and private jets and yachts and they can fund endless genocidal war,” Beadle said Decked out in rain gear and carrying laminated signs the group marched along Lincoln Street to Totem Square where Beadle encouraged participants to hug each other ‘I care about you’,” she said into a megaphone Long-time Sitkan Howard Pendell said he was here to protest what he sees as human rights violations by the Trump administration a reference to a poem by a German pastor about Nazi Germany.  ‘first they came for the socialists,'” he said I wasn’t a trade unionist so I said nothing Twenty-year-old Beatrice Perez said she’s been to at least 10 protests since the November 2024 election and I cannot live on the wage that I’m making right now and that is the normal for everyone in America right now who is working class,” Perez said “And everything that has been done in the past 100 days is only hurting us more The march picked up a couple of new participants along the way – Anne Chippendale is visiting from Australia on a Holland America cruise with her husband She said she had been planning to visit Fortress of the Bear today but changed her mind when she saw the protest.  and I can feel the despair as well,” she said I can see it on people’s faces.” Chippendale said she was heartened to see so many people out protesting.  KCAW Prize Drawings: click on the links for rules and winner info Sitka is among several Alaska communities to lose federal funding for AmeriCorps program staff in one of the latest cuts from President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency the quasi-department created by Trump and overseen by billionaire Elon Musk had begun dismantling the AmeriCorps program in Washington D.C employees of the national office were placed on paid administrative leave and told that their jobs would be gone by the end of the month most – like Sitka’s – funded indirectly through the state’s ServeAlaska Commission and there was some hope that they might be spared the indiscriminate cuts that DOGE has been making in agencies across government Sitka program director Sarah Lawrie got word that hers was one of four Alaska programs that were being terminated She called together her corps members for one of the most “challenging” meetings of her career “I knew that the Department of Government Efficiency was in AmeriCorps I just kind of had an intuition about it,” said Lawrie ‘Your service isn’t worth anything.’ You’ve made this commitment to come and serve the community that ethic of serving others: That’s what feels like a slap in the face.” the Alaska Marine Safety Education Association the city’s Parks & Recreation Department and an education award for completing their year of service that they can apply toward college loans or tuition And many remain in Sitka after their term of service “I was here for two years as an AmeriCorps,” said Peter Vu “I had intended to leave after that second year like most other AmeriCorps who fall in love with Sitka and served two terms working at Pacific High School He remained in Sitka for several years afterward but now is back earning a master's degree – while student-teaching in the same school he served as an AmeriCorps member “I didn’t even realize that the counselor that I work with at the school I’m at was an AmeriCorps almost a decade before I was,” said Vu he’s always been this established professional and I always thought of him in that role and as a mentor And so when he told me he was in AmeriCorps and former AmeriCorps are everywhere in town Lawrie is not optimistic that Sitka AmeriCorps will have another term next year – or even if she’ll have a job But she’s certain that the nine corps members in Sitka now won’t be left high and dry “I get this notice and the first thing is I hold the meeting with the AmeriCorps members …and then I start calling the host site supervisors And any AmeriCorps member that wants to finish out their term in Sitka with support from the host site supervisors but people are so great – offers of housing and food and jobs and ‘What can I do?’ And so that’s the beautiful part.” Peter Vu says he’s feeling compassionate for the AmeriCorps who’ve been terminated He says many have already sacrificed financially to gain the professional experience the program offers “To not have the closure of the end of a year must be really hard,” said Vu “as well as the uncertainty of not knowing what’s next but I also thank them a lot for what they’ve done and how much they’ve already given to our community in the eight AmeriCorps was created by Congress in 1993 Other Alaska AmeriCorps programs to lose funding include the Alaska Public Defenders Agency Alaska’s lone surviving program is the Student Conservation Association Bring the Adventure Home | 1871 Club Print Membership Now Only $35 - Delivered Right to Your Door, Subscribe Today This fall, I kept a sample pair of Sitka’s new Back40 boots in the trunk of my 4Runner—because I never knew when I might need the versatile rubber boots I broke them out whenever I went pheasant hunting near water or jump shooting ducks on local streams But those aren’t the only times I used them The Back40s are also perfect for doing chores  around the house like bringing firewood inside on a slushy or snowy day or just to slip on and grab something from the garage Ultimately, Sitka’s new offering—one of two products recently released in the brand’s first foray into hunting footwear—has everything you’d want out of a good pair of muck boots Here’s my honest opinion on the boots after using them regularly all fall and winter in Western Montana Comfort Rating: -20- to 40-degrees Fahrenheit  Not a perfect fit for people with high arches  The boots fit true to size. I got size 10s, and they had enough space to be able wiggle my toes but not so much that I’d get blisters. Sitka markets these as having a “sneaker-like” feel, and I’m inclined to agree. You can tell that the boots are made with more care—and flexible materials—than your standard rubber hunting boot I feel stiff and uncoordinated when walking around which is why they quickly became a favorite for me while pheasant hunting on uneven ground I often hunt the same kind of country that whitetail and turkey hunters favor and suspect they would be equally drawn to using these boots to get to and from their blinds I generally have something of a love-hate relationship with rubber hunting boots I often struggle to put them on and take them off because of my high arches They slipped on well and the rubber heel kick pad made it easy to kick them off The other issue I often face with rubber boots is rubbing against the tops of my feet The boots’ molded flex zones somewhat mitigated this issue but I still got hot spots on my arches at the end of long days wearing them I was slightly surprised by one other aspect of the Back40 hunting boots: They struck me as relatively narrow around the calves My calves aren’t big enough to make this an issue I do like the way that the boots are cut to narrow again toward the knees but it keeps them slim and not unnecessarily bulky To put it plainly: I loved wearing these boots in the field and the neoprene uppers are plenty tall for shallow water wading scenarios I particularly liked the aggressive tread on the rubber outsoles which worked well while walking through muddy riverbanks but also when climbing on steep dry hillsides One way these boots differ from some other options is that they lack any straps or handles on the outsides of the tops of the uppers This can be a drawback as straps can be useful in adjusting the fit around your calves The Back40s do have single finder loops on the insides of the rear tops of the boots I appreciate that the finger loops are designed to rest on the insides of the boots eliminating any extraneous fabric that could get caught on branches or vegetation These boots are warm. I wouldn’t have any qualms about wearing them on the most frigid days of hunting season, especially if you layer wool socks underneath—something I didn’t often have to do because the boot’s built-in 800g Thinsulate insulation is often plenty While I haven’t tried wearing these during the spring or summer I suspect that my feet could get toasty in those conditions While I wear a lot of Sitka hunting products I’m sensitive to the high price points of many of the brand’s products The Back40s are pricey—but definitely not to the same extent as some of the Sitka’s other products the Back40s offer significant value for such a well-made durable boot that can be worn in challenging terrain and inclement weather none of the rubber delaminated or wore out The Sitka Back40 is a solid all-around rubber hunting boot ideal for fall and spring hunting conditions around the country you can tell they’re made with the needs of hunters in mind The boots are also comfortable and easy enough to put on and take off to use for basic chores Field & Stream has been providing readers with honest and authentic coverage of outdoor gear and that passion comes through in our product reviews You can count on F&S to keep you up to date on the best new gear And when we write about a product—whether it’s a bass lure or a backpack—we cover the good and the bad so you know exactly what to expect before you decide to make a purchase © 2024 Field & Stream All rights reserved Search Tip: Use quotes to find results containing your phrase Contractors continue work on the new SEARHC medical center on Japonski Island The completion estimate has been pushed back to the spring of 2026 This information comes from the Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska’s 2024 schedule.… Continue reading A museum’s interactive exhibition featuring the works of a range of local… by: posted in: Habitat and Clean Water Bjorn Dihle examines how restoration work of young growth forest by the Forest Service in collaboration with nonprofits and state and private partners will help Southeast Alaska’s Sitka blacktail deer population in the Tongass National Forest My brother and I were hiking up a ridge in Southeast Alaska when we spotted a group of six Sitka blacktail bucks There was no practical way to get within rifle range so we spent the next few hours tunneling through the jungle and climbing cliffs until we were in good shooting position the sun set on an expanse of mountains and ocean as I butchered a big It was completely dark by the time my brother and I had our deer quartered and buried in a snow slope.  I sliced and then boiled my deer’s heart for dinner I added a handful of the plant “deer heart,” which tastes like arugula The buck had been eating the plant when I pulled the trigger starry night and thought back to three decades ago when I was a kid making my first Sitka blacktail hunts I had the realization that I’d rather chase these deer than do pretty much anything else I’m far from alone in my appreciation of Sitka blacktails This rainforest mule deer subspecies may not be well known outside of Alaska In 30 or so communities that make up Southeast Alaska one of the most appreciated gifts you can offer someone is venison This generosity is usually followed by the receiver of the gift telling you that there’s no better meat in the world Southeast Alaska can feel like a Shangri-la for hunters and anglers With fishing for salmon and other saltwater species and big game populations that still support over-the-counter tags for non-residents it may appear there is plenty of wildlife to go around On Prince of Wales Island, the deer population has dropped significantly during the last few decades. The population is predicted to continue on a negative trend unless something changes deer numbers are not near what they once were Deer populations are influenced dramatically by winter weather, and some of the recent die-offs have been near apocalyptic. Diminished old growth wintering habitat and lack of forest connectivity contributes to deer declines logging efforts in Southeast Alaska were rarely done with wildlife in mind the large old growth that protect animals from deep snows Combine a bad winter with a lack of winter habitat and predation by wolves and bears and you end up with a recipe for an extreme deer disaster The Alaska Department of Fish and Game writes that “Clearcut logging has and will continue to further reduce deer carrying capacity in some areas habitat capability and deer numbers are expected to decline in some areas as large tracts of previously logged areas reach the closed canopy stem exclusion stage and become extremely poor deer habitat.” Stem exclusion is when young growth forests have grown so close together they blot out the sun, creating a closed canopy where there is no understory for Sitka blacktails to browse. If these trees aren’t thinned, a Southeast Alaska forest stand in the stem exclusion phase may languish in this unproductive state for several decades to a century trappers have tried hard for decades to take enough wolves so deer populations can rebound their efforts have been successful on a short-term scale deer numbers remain poor in the central islands and are declining on POW Studies have shown that those regions’ ample populations of black bears also prey on blacktails as they take a significant percentage of fawns there still won’t be good numbers of deer unless there’s quality habitat “Fifteen to thirty years after a forest has been harvested is the best time to get in and do thinning for wildlife,” said Gregory Dunn “We have about 200,000 acres in that framework Not much else you can do then but pre-commercial and gap treatments One long-term solution is wildlife thinning (wildlife treatments) of young growth forests that have entered stem exclusion This is done by thinning trees and treating slash (trees cut and left on the ground) in a particular way to allow sunlight in and the understory to grow This in turn offers better forage for deer and better wildlife habitat overall Thinning has occurred throughout Southeast Alaska it has only been pre-commercial thinning—called pre-commercial treatments Pre-commercial treatments are done in a way that helps grow trees to be harvested but does little for wildlife creating habitat connectivity issues and what are essentially “islands of deer.”    Forest Service Tongass Wildlife Program Manager Gregory Dunn points out that nothing can grow for deer to browse once young growth enters stem exclusion and how it’s pressing that we do something about it now “Fifteen to thirty years after a forest has been harvested is the best time to get in and do thinning for wildlife,” said Dunn There are around 1,000-2,000 trees an acre in stands of young growth being considered for thinning a silviculturist decided where crews would do pre-commercial treatments with the new emphasis on co-stewardship of the forest and state and private partners are involved with choosing which young growth stands will be treated Wildlife treatments are different than pre-commercial treatments in that a crew goes into a stand with a goal of trying to trigger understory growth as well as enhance travel corridors and habitat in other ways Dunn says the policy is that if trees have an average greater than a five-to-six-inch diameter “You can’t get all the slash out,” said Dunn “Wildlife treatments take more time and cost more than pre-commercial treatments but it generally takes a decade or so for deer habitat to come back if slash was left at the site.” The Forest Service is working with nonprofits and communities on wildlife and watershed restoration projects in different locations in Southeast Alaska Dunn and others hope that thinning and timber harvest is done in a way to enhance or maintain quality habitat for wildlife in the future “It’s a huge issue to keep deer from disappearing as deer are vital for residents of Southeast Alaska,” said Dunn Knowing how much people care about Sitka blacktails it’s a safe guess that hunters will do everything they can to keep that from happening conservationist and lifelong resident of Southeast Alaska Look for Part II of this series on Sitka blacktail conservation in Southeast Alaska soon TRCP works to maintain and strengthen the future of hunting and fishing by uniting and amplifying our partners’ voices in conserving and restoring wildlife populations and their habitat as challenges continue to evolve.   Learn more about TRCP’s commitment to healthy habitat and clean water HERE.  Tags: , , , Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" 1. The Restoration of Sitka Blacktail Deer Habitat: Part 1 2. Hunters and Anglers Applaud House Passage of the Bipartisan ACE Reauthorization Act 3. In the Arena: Capt. Chris Dollar 4. TRCP Legislative Priorities Advance Out of Senate Committee 5. Hunters and Anglers Support the BLM Lakeview Field Office’s Final Resource Management Plan Amendment by: The legislation aims to boost funding and provide vital enhancements to conservation programs benefiting fish and wildlife.  This reauthorization provides technical improvements and increased authorized funds to improve these programs “The America’s Conservation Enhancement Reauthorization Act will benefit fish and wildlife while enhancing outdoor recreation opportunities for millions of hunters and anglers,” said Joel Pedersen CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership “TRCP applauds the House’s passage of this important bipartisan legislation and looks forward to building on the success of these crucial conservation programs that will benefit hunters and anglers for generations to come.”  The original ACE Act was passed in 2020 and portions of it were sponsored by Representatives Wittman Many of its authorizations expire next year necessitating the passage of the ACE Reauthorization Act to ensure these programs can continue to operate in good legal standing.   The legislation is endorsed by the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies Backcountry Hunters and Anglers and the National Audubon Society.  The ACE Reauthorization Act of 2024 now heads back to the Senate, which passed a different version of the ACE Reauthorization Act by unanimous consent earlier this year.  TRCP works to maintain and strengthen the future of hunting and fishing by uniting and amplifying our partners’ voices in conserving and restoring wildlife populations and their habitat as challenges continue to evolve.   Learn more about TRCP’s commitment to healthy habitat and clean water HERE.  by: His columns cover important issues such as the impacts of the industrial-scale menhaden reduction fishery on recreational angling and the Bay’s habitat his columns have regularly appeared in the Baltimore Sun the latter of which continues to run his weekly conservation column He also pens a bi-weekly blog on TackleCove.com fishing and crabbing was just something we did as kids It wasn’t until right after college that I took fishing more seriously especially with regards to related conservation efforts which are a necessary part of any outdoorsperson’s tool kit but he passed before I got a chance to know him so I did not grow up in a hunting household my college lacrosse teammate and his father took me under their wing and introduced me to waterfowl hunting when I was in my mid-20s Like most folks who spend a lot of time out-of-doors One that stands out was when we were hunting the grass flats and marshes of Pocomoke Sound for wigeon but by midday the wind really picked up and it switched around and came at us from the northeast The boat ramp was about 9 miles away and the cut-through in the marsh to the ramp was blown out – there was no water in it we had to go into the teeth of the blow via Tangier Sound Tangier Sound is pretty big water with stretches of deep water and shoals with wind chill temps close to the single digits Though I love hunting and angling on the Bay I hope to someday go fishing for sea-run fish in Patagonia it would be great to flush upland birds and call in waterfowl somewhere wild and remote is time travel back to when canvasbacks blackened the Chesapeake skies and rafted together in thousands on the Susquehanna Flats Dramatic changes in the Bay have taken place over the past century Once abundant fish and wildlife populations and vibrant habitats are diminished Helping to protect and restore the Chesapeake is a huge reason why I am so involved in conservation we also need to understand that eating wild game and fish is important even if I’m not able to do it as much as I used to “We need to value all forage fish – shads and menhaden – for what they mean to the entire ecosystem The top conservation priorities for the Chesapeake Bay include rebuilding habitat, conserving and protecting gamefish and forage fish (such as Atlantic menhaden and herring) and maintaining the quality fisheries for red drum and cobia and other gamefish we have in the Bay will not and cannot be done just through regulation of recreational or commercial fishing Rebuilding critical habitats – oyster reefs and seagrass beds – and improving water quality are also part of the solution, as are sensible and reasonable regulations for the large-scale industrialized reduction fishery for menhaden. Overall, we need to value all forage fish – shads, river herrings, and menhaden (bunker) – for what they mean to the entire ecosystem It is our moral obligation to not just protect and conserve what is left but to enhance the natural capital remaining that we’ve been gifted It belongs to the “now” as well as the future I have no understanding – or patience frankly – of those who choose to recklessly use natural resources for short-term gains It matters not if you’re a big-game hunter wild places are inextricably linked to what it means to be human Tags: , , , , , by: Included bills would modernize public access to federal waters the Energy and Natural Resources Committee chaired by Senator Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) with ranking member Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) held a markup on 74 bills which could ultimately be included in an end-of-Congress package advancing public lands Several of the bills marked up today would improve the quality of hunting and fishing in America “TRCP joins hunters and anglers across the country in thanking Senators Manchin and Barrasso and other members of the committee for their continued efforts to craft a bipartisan public lands package,” said Joel Pedersen president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership “Our community stands ready to work to advance legislation that will enhance wildlife habitat Below is a list of bills passed out of committee today that we hope to see become law this Congress: by: Final plan includes a proposed management approach that would conserve big game habitat the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership applauds the release of the BLM Lakeview Field Office’s Final Resource Management Plan Amendment which would establish a blueprint for the conservation and management of nearly 3.2 million acres of southeastern Oregon’s public lands for the next 20 years or more “The Lakeview RMPA revision was an important opportunity to improve the management of these public lands and we appreciate the many hunters and anglers who weighed in on this plan to advocate for the region’s wild and working landscapes,” said Tristan Henry “The plan’s proposed alternative would conserve undeveloped backcountry and wildlife corridors essential for big game and other wildlife across this intact landscape.” Hunters and anglers have been involved in the Lakeview plan revision since 2014 and the release of the Final RMPA is a significant step in a public process that will determine how wild landscapes the Southeast Oregon Resource Advisory Council and members of the public provided valuable input and feedback during the planning process The BLM considered approximately 1,300 comments while developing the plan amendment “We commend the BLM’s dedication to a balanced plan that upholds sustainable use all of which ensure quality hunting and fishing opportunities in the Lakeview District will endure for future generations,” said Michael O’Casey TRCP’s Deputy Director of Forest Policy & Northwest Programs The TRCP and its partners are committed to supporting an ultimate Record of Decision and final plan that prioritizes habitat conservation of backcountry landscapes while also supporting active land stewardship for restoration and sustainable economic activities like ranching The TRCP is your resource for all things conservation. In our weekly Roosevelt Report, you’ll receive the latest news on emerging habitat threats, legislation and proposals on the move, public land access solutions we’re spearheading, and opportunities for hunters and anglers to take action. Sign up now Tags: , , to help continue our efforts of safeguarding critical habitats and favorite fishing holes for future generations Tim Fulton developed TISABAS (“Tim Saves Backs”) in his home workshop in Sitka in 2018 During his 38-years in the airline industry Fulton prototyped a variety of rollers and belts to safely move heavy items like fish boxes inside of aircraft He sold his first two production models to Malaysian Airlines and steadily built an overseas market for the device was valued at $3.5 million and appeared poised for growth until tariffs on some of his Japanese-made components forced him to significantly raise his price both customers and investors are shying away and Fulton is considering his options: Moving his manufacturing out of the country An Alaskan entrepreneur was featured on the cover of the New York Times business section Tuesday (April 29) KCAW’s Robert Woolsey recently spoke to Fulton from his wife’s home in  Belo Horizonte where he’s considering relocating his business High school junior Jubilee Lewis is all smiles as she and other Mt Edgecumbe High School Yupik Dancers take the stage at the BJ McGillis Gym to teach a dance to members of high school student governments from across Alaska on Thursday A $700 increase in the base student allowance for schools was tucked into a bill containing some education policy reforms including guidelines around the use of cell phones A large majority of both the Alaska House and Senate passed the bill but the governor has vetoed two previous efforts to increase funding for K-12 education The vote in favor of the bill was 17-3 in the Senate which advocates hope makes it “veto proof.” It also has some concessions that the governor asked for on education policy.  Sitka Schools Superintendent Deidre Jenson is not counting on a $700 increase And even if the latest bill survives the veto pen she says she’ll just bank the extra $120,000 it would generate “If it was $700 I think we would just stay status quo for right now,” said Jenson “because we know that there’s going to be extra funds needed next year So we would probably just hang on to that and increase our fund balance so that we can help with next year’s budget.” The school district is taking its reserves down to three-quarters of a million dollars in order to balance the budget That’s lower than usual for an organization with an annual budget just shy of $24-million If the governor vetoes the bill and the legislature fails to override – which has happened twice in the last two years – Jenson says the school board will have to start budgeting from scratch this summer with whatever increase lawmakers finally agree on – if they agree at all but it’s the fear of losing programs that keep looming in my head I don’t want families and students to think every year we might lose something So I’ve got a close eye on where we’re going to go next year but I can’t say we’re doing great It’s relative to other towns in Alaska But we’re at the bare bones right now The School Board passed its budget unanimously during a special meeting at Sitka High School on April 30 just one day before it was due in city hall Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé shortstop Brandon Casperson tags out Sitka runner Tyson Bartolaba on a throw from catcher JJ McCormick during the Crimson Bears’ 5-1 loss to the Wolves on Friday at Adair Kennedy Memorial Park Sometime in April, a friend alerted me to some odd ball-shaped structures… Continue reading Purple mountain saxifrage has been… Construction of Sitka’s long-awaited marine haulout is nearing the finish line– for Phase 1 the huge vehicle that plucks boats out of the water for cleaning and repairs Sitka Economic Development Association Director Garry White says they plan to install the travelift on May 12th But there’s still more construction required it has to cure for a while,” White said in an interview with KCAW on May 29 “And then we’re also working on getting the concrete wash down pad constructed and we just were pulling the trigger on that moving forward.”In March the Sitka Assembly approved a proposal from a Kodiak-based marine fabrication company to operate the haulout The proposal from Highmark Marine wasn’t without its detractors there was pushback from local fishermen and marine fabricators– one concern among them was the price to get their boats hauled out.Municipal Administrator John Leach said representatives from Highmark Marine were in town last week working on the terms of their final agreement with the city and he was hopeful they could get that number down “We had some really productive sessions with Highmark last week and we’re looking at some creative ways that we could possibly get the haul rate down So fingers crossed on that one,” Leach said just want to reiterate that the plan is still to have an open yard and we’ll have a an operator here that’s going to get them out of the water and get them in place.” The haulout is expected to be operational this summer But plans for the second phase of upland development are already in the works The GPIP Board will meet on May 15 to discuss the next steps on the haulout project Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) have been active in Sitka recently is based partly on the heightened presence of law enforcement officers in town for other training and partly on actual ICE activity in Sitka last month David Yost is a public affairs officer for their Seattle field office Yost would neither confirm nor deny whether immigration enforcement officers were active in Sitka since their March arrest Sitka Police Department spokesperson Serena Wild told KCAW that ICE notified local police of their presence in March but the department had received no notification this month Sitka had a heightened law enforcement presence on April 16 and 17 due to a training session conducted by the Western States Information Network A representative from the network confirmed that around 40 law enforcement officers from across the state attended the training to learn how to investigate overdoses so dealers can be prosecuted It’s unclear if the heightened law enforcement presence contributed to concerns about local ICE activity Sitka School District staff on April 17 were notified by email about how to handle interactions with agents but the email was not prompted by any verified ICE activity in Sitka at the time Sitka School District superintendent Deidre Jenson said that the email was a reminder about protocols for interactions with ICE whose agents have entered schools in the lower 48 “it’s really just us being prepared.” She said that no one would ever be allowed to remove a child from school without proper legal authority and documentation The big unknown for Bill Spivey – and almost everyone else involved in federally-funded programs – is how the Trump administration’s funding freeze will affect the Indian Health Service which contributes substantially to the tribal health consortium’s budget Spivey said the effects of a possible loss of IHS funding had not “trickled down” to him from upper management “I think all I can say is be less impactful than it would have been once upon a time,” he said and has been the only hospital in Sitka since the closure of Sitka Community Hospital in 2019 In order to win the $200 million to build the new Mt SEARHC had to invest over $20 million in new housing Spivey said housing continues to be a problem for staff recruitment “We’re not interested in being in the real estate business We got involved in creating places to live because we had to if I could quietly vote which I can’t if I had a place for my visiting nurses to live if I could offer housing for six months while somebody could live somewhere while  they find a place to live Spivey said that he had interviewed and hired new staff only to have them back out when they discovered how hard it was to find housing in Sitka When an audience member suggested revisiting SEARHC’s child care program but noted that the childcare crunch wasn’t limited to SEARHC’s Sitka operation “We have 15 board members in 15 different communities in Southeast Alaska,” he said “So the question to be appropriately asked ‘If you’re going to do child care in Sitka Spivey said that SEARHC had significantly expanded specialty care in recent years and it was reducing the amount of travel needed for many patients advanced critical care was still going to mean medevacing patients to larger hospitals “It’s about how do I get that level of nurse that can keep their skill set up at a high enough level to manage that very sick person…  it’s almost a chicken-and-egg situation.” Spivey said staff were looking forward to moving into the new Mt he was cheering for the new parking lot to be paved since it will reduce the noise of the heavy equipment moving across it Spivey said the future of the current facility has yet to be decided by the board “I’d tell you the answer if they gave me the money,” he said Sitkans will get to stream movies and browse the web for an extra day before the island’s main internet service provider temporarily pulls the plug this weekend GCI has rescheduled a planned internet outage in Sitka to start Sunday March 9 (3-9-25) instead of this Friday (3-7-25.) In an email and a social media post this morning GCI announced that it would delay emergency maintenance on a stretch of subsea fiber optic cable due to weather conditions Communications manager Josh Edge told KCAW by email that service is still expected to resume on the original estimated date of March 17.   GCI users in Sitka will lose internet service starting Friday (3-7-25) for up to ten days GCI announced a “planned community-wide” outage to conduct emergency maintenance on a stretch of subsea fiber optic cable.  communications manager Josh Edge said that this time users will still be able to make mobile phone calls and send text messages Home internet will be limited to low-bandwidth uses like email nor will mobile data and Yukon TV services GCI recommends that customers download their favorite programs before Friday Sitka customers will receive 100 percent credit this month for their internet Sitka School Board members were satisfied with the efforts of district Business Manager Kathrynn Hollis-Buchanan and Superintendent Deidre Jenson (seated at left) in revising next year’s budget to minimize staff cuts including the exact amount of the increase — if any — in state funding next year Next to Jenson is board president Phil Burdick and executive administrative assistant Dawn Georgia Members Amanda Williams and Francis Myers were absent The Sitka School Board will vote next week on a budget based on a $680 increase to the amount the state pays for each student – even though that number has been dropped from the latest round of school funding talks in Juneau So the Sitka School Board is going to  sit tight on its $680-dollar budget and make a final vote next Wednesday (April 30) In a work session and hearing held on April 23 the discussion revolved around how far to dip into district reserves Board member Tom Williams volunteered to go through the numbers with a fine-toothed comb to find cuts that could be used to restore positions in art and the libraries – rather than depleting the district’s savings “I would rather take out some of the costs in the budget and reduce our reserve fund,” said Williams “I’m worried about not having a healthy reserve fund.” Keet Gooshi Heen music teacher Susan Brant Ferguson argued that the district had never hesitated to draw down its reserves please don’t hesitate to spend that money that we have for next year,” Ferguson said We are not a group that gets to save money the state slaps you on the hand if you save too much.” A break on anticipated insurance costs has given the district some breathing room and four elementary teachers who’ve been pink-slipped will likely have their jobs next year and so will a school nurse and a data manager Board member Steve Morse suggested that the group have some priorities in mind when it came to a final vote next week There was consensus that restoring library positions was important but board president Phil Burdick reminded members that their job was not to decide how best to staff buildings “And so I hesitate to give a directive on how a principal should run a building,” said Burdick “But I think we’ve heard from the community and I also agree that reading is fundamental and access to every kind of literature is what is going to keep our democracy strong I don’t think that’s what I’m saying but I’m also not going to tell Laura (Rogers) how to open up her library.” The Sitka School Board will meet for a final work session The budget is due in City Hall the following day A local union representative who declined to be named told KCAW that the eight employees were in roles that included trail and cabin work employees received a generic memo citing “unsatisfactory performance.” Sitka’s planned internet outage was shorter than predicted The internet company GCI announced Monday morning (3-17-25) that it completed repairs to the fiber optic cable that provides internet and cellular service to most of Sitka.Many Sitkans have had limited internet access since last Thursday morning when GCI switched over to a backup system that provided basic call and text service while it made repairs to the subsea cable A statement GCI released Monday thanked customers for their patience and said that a month of free internet would be credited to accounts automatically It’s the second time in months that the community has been without internet Sitka went offline for 17 days after a break in the subsea cable GCI announced that repairs to the cable were necessary over a week in advance giving Sitkans plenty of lead time to prepare Many businesses and homes switched to a satellite internet provider during the outage and they're just as badass as you'd expect While we're currently in the process of testing each boot (stay tuned for our full review!) including how to get your hands on a pair for yourself before they sell out If you're looking for a sturdy rubber boot that you can wear year-round—whether you're tackling farm chores or heading to the duck blind—the Back40 boot is a solid pick They're completely waterproof with 800 grams of Thinsulate insulation for all-season warmth The molded EVA midsole is designed to fit similar to a sneaker so they're definitely going to be comfortable enough for all-day wear The Ventlite GTX boot is what we're most excited about with this launch they're the only boot on the market with a "fully breathable waterproof GORE-TEX laminate upper." In basic English They'll keep your feet warm and dry no matter the conditions The 1600 grams of Primaloft insulation is designed to regulate the temperature of your feet (no sweaty soles here) while the Vibram outsole offers plenty of traction on even the most slippery they're lightweight to boot—pun intended Governor Dunleavy has proposed a $560 per-student increase That’s lower than the $680 the governor approved last year and which Sitka’s school board was counting on in its most recent draft budget which is built on $680 at this moment and balanced and will be short the money that we were expecting from you,” Burdick said “That balanced budget included four more cuts to staff So we’re looking at further cuts and further reductions…unless something miraculous comes out of Juneau in the next month The assembly budgeted to fund schools to the cap anticipating an extension of last year’s one-time funding increase Dunleavy’s proposal would also reduce the amount the assembly has budgeted to contribute to instructional funds Mayor Steven Eisenbeisz said he couldn’t imagine the position the school district was facing and the challenges of trying to budget with an unknown.“At least our revenues are somewhat accountable and predictable This assembly has done just about everything that we can in order to make sure that the schools continue to be successful,” Eisenbeisz said “And it’s disheartening at this point to hear that and we’re looking at potentially more here So thank you guys for your tenacity and keeping after it.” While the legislature’s path forward is still uncertain the school board’s April 30 deadline to finalize its budget is looming The group will meet in the Sitka High library for a work session and budget hearing tonight at 5:30 Board members attended the annual meeting of the Alaska Association of School Boards in Anchorage in November and the financial workshops were discouraging President Phil Burdick shared the news at the board’s regular meeting Wednesday night (12-4-24)  “Just a reminder that there’s no new money in next year’s budget and that we need to advocate for continued funding from the legislature,” said Burdick “The numbers that we often hear are $340 and $680 I don’t know where they pulled those out of but $680 was what was put in the budget last year If we want to keep our current levels of staffing So that is the number that I would like you all to remember that’s the number that I hope that we can work with.” The budgeting for the current school year was a rollercoaster with the legislature passing – almost unanimously – the first significant increase in education funding for Alaska’s schools since 2016 (SB 140) The effort to override the veto failed by one vote the governor allowed $680 per student in one-time supplemental funding to go to schools but it wasn’t enough to save all the teaching positions that had been cut in Sitka and in other districts Sitka distributed the impact of the cuts over all its buildings and completely offloaded the maintenance department and the Blatchley Swimming Pool to the city including Blatchley’s Discover Your Potential week when students would set aside traditional academics each spring to explore everything from archery to podcasting  “ “Staff just doesn’t have enough slack to be able to make that heavy lift.” the board did approve one major expense: Members agreed to spend $37,000 to purchase phones that operate on the Microsoft Teams platform Superintendent Deidre Jenson said the district currently spends over $7,000 per month on phone service Teams will cost about $1,400 – amounting to a monthly savings of over $5,000 The board had some reservations about moving communications to an internet-based platform after the two-week outage experienced in town last August and September Superintendent Jenson said the district had a Starlink as backup and district IT manager Scott MacArthur assured the board that landlines still connected alarm systems to emergency services Delta Air Lines has pulled its bookings for summer flights to both Ketchikan and Sitka a seasonal service it had offered for nearly a decade That leaves Alaska Airlines as the only major carrier in the two communities Scott Habberstad oversees community relations for the Alaska market of Alaska Airlines During a Ketchikan Chamber of Commerce luncheon days after Delta’s Jan Habberstad gave a presentation and took questions from the audience Habberstad said he was disappointed to see his competitor go But Habberstad was adamant that losing Delta would not affect the cost of flights in and out of Ketchikan “The fares will be the same as they were last year and they’ll be the same next year,” Habberstad said Scott McMurren, the long-time publisher of the Alaska Travelgram newsletter and travel columnist for the Anchorage Daily News tracks the price of Alaska flights for a living He said each time Delta has entered a city previously dominated by Alaska Airlines And since Delta pulled its seasonal flights in Ketchikan McMurren said Alaska Airlines’ prices already look to be substantially higher for the upcoming summer than they were last year “It’s important to just understand that when there is a monopoly in the market “And this is not exclusive with Alaska Airlines But Habberstad insists Alaska Airlines does not intend to raise prices Habberstad said that the apparent increase could be due to sale pricing “It’s possible that there was a sale fare in the market for some reason when you were looking at it and there may not be a sale fare today,” he said the Sitka and Ketchikan flights apparently just weren’t getting enough passengers to pencil out a Delta representative said to better meet demand those aircraft are being reallocated to Bozeman “a market with strong year-round demand from Seattle.” But the airline is continuing to expand in the state’s biggest cities. Delta has recently added a new route from Fairbanks to Salt Lake City and from Anchorage to Los Angeles Be one of the first to try our new activity feed A hybrid between breathable midlayer and lofted insulation pieces the Sitka Ambient 200 Jacket packs a ton of warmth into an adaptable piece you’ll never need to remove It’s nearly impossible to stay warm and dry when you’re shifting between moving quickly with a heavy pack and then taking a rest beside a snowy trail Down puffy jackets can be too warm when I’m on the go and breathable midlayers aren’t warm enough when I stop I’ve finally found one do-it-all layer built with a revelatory new technology that checks all my boxes I’m wearing this miracle layer as I write on an airplane flying from Bozeman to Midland When I left home this morning it was dumping snow It’s probably 70 degrees or so on this plane I’m wearing the Sitka Ambient 200 jacket over a light merino wool T-shirt I won’t need to add or subtract a layer to remain comfortable throughout the duration of this trip no matter if I’m hiking through the pre-dawn desert $246.75 at Sitka How does the Ambient 200 manage to provide insulation when you need it, and breathability when you don’t? It’s built with Primaloft Active. I’ve written about the material before recycled-polyester fibers mimic the structure of animal fur with an open The loft created by that fur-like material traps a ton of warm air when you’re holding still But as you increase the pressure inside that next-to-skin environment when your body moves and heats up there is virtually no resistance as the warmth is pushed away from your body That “fur” is housed inside a very light nylon face fabric that resists wind and precipitation without restricting breathability What makes this jacket different is that it’s much heavier than Sitka’s previous offerings which have weighed anywhere from 75 to 150 grams-per-square-meter (GSM) The 75 weight is about as warm as a normal fleece jacket The 150 GSM jacket is as warm as an ultralight puffy (and notable in its own right for that performance) It’s as warm as the thickest insulated jacket you’d ever want to layer under a shell—but appropriate to wear in a huge variety of conditions Sitka is the only clothing maker serving the American market that currently uses Primaloft Active. The brand’s designer, John Barklow, was the guy who commissioned the creation of the Polartec Alpha back in the early aughts when he was designing clothing systems for Special Operations Forces fighting the global war on terror very few consumer-facing brands have adopted Polartec Alpha and Barklow has already moved the fabric technology game even further Primaloft Active maintains equivalent breathability to Polartec Alpha a fabric light enough to barely be noticed across a heavier range of fabric weights and insulation levels I get as much breathability as a lighter Alpha piece with more than double the potential for warmth Planning to drive anywhere in sub-freezing weather this winter Go ahead and crank your car’s heat up to 72 and you’ll be totally comfortable wearing this thing over a light base layer But when you step out to fill up with gas in 10–degree temperatures but I need to carry a day pack that’s awkward and uncomfortable to wear on the lift I have a place to stick my puffy jacket when I get too warm I won’t have to change layers on the mountain at all I can wear the Ambient 200 in and outdoors at home as I walk the dogs Primaloft Active wicks moisture outwards with incredible efficiency Polyester fibers can’t absorb water and have a small surface area (the end of the thread) where it touches your body or base layer Thanks to the larger surface area along the length of that thread surface tension draws moisture outwards and spreads it out so that water can evaporate Primaloft Active works with your technical base layers to keep you dry A very light 20-denier nylon ripstop shell enables Sitka’s Ambient range to shed a little wind or precipitation without adding any additional bulk or restricting breathability when worn under a shell A wind-resistant shell (like a rain or ski jacket) adds at least 10 degrees Fahrenheit of additional comfort providing a truly significant level of insulation when you need it turns the Sitka Ambient 200 into a multitool for cold weather comfort Wes Siler is your guide to leading a more exciting life in the great outdoors he writes about the intersections of science empowering readers to better understand the world they’re recreating in and tech with access to unlimited digital content from Outside Network's iconic brands Anchorage-based company to perform 'emergency maintenance' on its subsea fiber network WASHINGTON, March 6, 2025 – Thousands of GCI customers in Sitka, Alaska, will lose most internet services starting Sunday because the company may need repair to its undersea fiber network, according to a statement on its website The company said it will provide alternate third-party connectivity for low-bandwidth services via satellite and radio wave during the 8-day maintenance period.  “Home internet service will be available in a very limited capacity and will only support very low bandwidth activities like email Basic mobile voice and text are expected to remain intact Landline services will be available but delays in audio may be experienced,” the company said 9,000) sees about 600,000 cruise ship tourists a year Located on  Baranof Island on the Alaska panhandle told Broadband Breakfast in an email that the company’s technical team detected what looked like damage to a strip of undersea cable he added that the company won’t have more information until the repair team arrives Sunday Sitka residents lost internet services for 16 days last September when a separate section of GCI subsea cable was damaged The company said the maintenance scheduled to start Sunday is unrelated to that incident It is also separate from an Alaska Communications fiber break that briefly left residents of Juneau and Southeast Alaska without access over the weekend The planned maintenance was originally set to begin Friday Already have an account? Sign in The bill would codify the USDA’s existing Broadband Technical Assistance Program public and private leaders discussed how they choose where Other broadband resources are doing the job Operators turn to gas and coal to meet data’s power demands celebrated 50 years of Indigenous cultural education in Sitka this year The federally-funded program is a collaboration between the Sitka Tribe of Alaska and the Sitka School District It was started in 1974 as a way to preserve Lingít language and memories of the history of the program KCAW’s Meredith Redick stopped by and brings us this audio postcard:  That was an audio postcard from the 50th anniversary of the Sitka Native Education Program You heard the voices of Koodéik’ Joseph Marks You also heard the Sitka Strings Lingít violin and Kiks.ádi and Kaagwaantaan singers Band members joined KCAW’s Kate Grumbles to talk more about the upcoming shows Four cats and two dogs were euthanized by the Sitka Police Department following a breakdown of shelter operations last summer that left police supervising the facility without an animal control officer or volunteers These details were included in an internal investigation emailed to the Sitka Assembly over the weekend KCAW obtained a copy of the report from Municipal Administrator John Leach through a public records request but had an accident on the trail and did not return to work Police then assumed animal care responsibilities at the shelter. The city’s investigation revealed that all six of the pets were euthanized by gunshot in September, confirming rumors that led to public outcry late last year John Achee under the direction of Police Chief Robert Baty While the administrator found that the euthanasia was legal under Sitka General Code and carried out by trained personnel and clear policies regarding shelter operations contributed to significant public concern and eroded trust” between the city The release of the investigation comes as the city is continuing to negotiate a contract with animal shelter volunteers that would allow them back in the building A draft contract is currently under review by Friends of Sitka Animal Shelter and will be presented at the Feb including establishing formal policies and communication structures between volunteers and evaluating whether the city can ultimately transition shelter management to the volunteer group under a lease agreement View the full investigation report here This is a developing story and will be updated former Animal Control Officer (ACO) Jim Rogers resigned and while the city looked for his replacement ran shelter operations as a stop-gap until the city could hire Rogers replacement Friends president Kristina Tirman said that’s where the lines started getting a little fuzzy Police Chief Robert Baty said accountability issues were raised after a pet went missing and he was concerned that the incident opened the city up to legal liability “For whatever reason there were animals being taken in without ACO knowledge animals being released without ACO knowledge animals disappearing from the shelter without ACO knowledge,” Baty said It actually became a real big issue a couple months ago when a resident believes that his cat was lost within the animal control facility.” a community member and former vet tech who believes that barring the Friends from the shelter was extreme.  “I think that is crucial the shelter be run by an organization that can put the welfare of both the animals and the community before convenience,” Strong said unwanted and mistreated animals of Sitka deserve a voice I believe the way the Sitka Police Department locked out these groups is not only frightening despite the discrepancies in the codes of who’s responsible for what.”  Strong was one of a dozen community members who spoke,  urging the assembly to get volunteers back in the shelter and to resume vaccinating At least fifty more packed the room in support Chief Baty said he felt like the police and the Friends could come to a reasonable agreement to work together moving forward And the assembly members agreed that getting to that point was a priority Mayor Steven Eisenbesiz said updating the existing “memorandum of understanding” between the city and the volunteer group would be a critical first step.“A new MOU is is a quicker step where we can get some people back to work needs to decide if we run animal control or if we run an animal shelter,” Eisenbeisz said Both Tirman and Baty agreed that their organizations are approaching the shelter operations with different priorities – animal control and animal care And that is the root of a larger question: do Sitkans want the city to provide basic animal control services Municipal Administrator John Leach pointed to models for collaborative shelter operation throughout the state.  Juneau outsources both its animal control and shelter services to a nonprofit and Anchorage maintains city-run animal control services but transfers animals to independently operated shelters Assembly member Thor Christianson said there was no question that the vast majority of Sitkans expect some sort of shelter service.“I think the most efficient way to do it for us is to have probably Friends [of Sitka Animal Shelter] If we tried to do this as a city on our own but I think that we could move that way,” Christianson said I think we need to get volunteers back in and I think we got a pretty good list of from the chief on what he would need to see to do that but that’s okay…pets are messy.” Assembly members suggested getting the groups in one room to hash out how to work together in the interim Assembly member Christianson volunteered to facilitate the conversation between the volunteers A date for that meeting has not yet been announced March 17, 2025 by Enough signatures have been gathered to put a cruise limit ballot out to Sitka voters in a special election this spring the ordinance would set an annual cap of 300,000 cruise passengers It would also require permits for cruise ships and require the city to administer permits and fine cruise ships for violating the new rules Municipal Clerk Sara Peterson said her office certified the petition on Thursday afternoon The city’s charter says that if enough signatures are gathered a special election must be called within 40 to 90 days “So the 40 to 90-day clock starts as of yesterday,” she said “In order to have that special election according to the charter The special election will be similar to a typical municipal election with both precincts voting at Harrigan Centennial Hall and the same early and absentee voting options available Peterson has tentatively set the date for the election for Friday She said she chose that date because it works for code and she worked with building staff to find a day when Harrigan Centennial Hall would be less busy The building also serves as the delivery point for cruise ship passengers in the summer months Sitka has seen record numbers of cruise passengers over the last three years With the unprecedented growth have come community frustrations over congestion The industry growth also brought an economic boom – new businesses have cropped up in response to the growth and hosted information sessions throughout the signature-gathering process those groups have been advocating without the requirement to register with the state any advocacy group must register with the Alaska Public Offices Commission The assembly will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, March 18 to consider approving the ballot ordinance, which will require two readings. KTOO collaborates with partners across the state to cover important news and to share stories with our audiences Top Alaska stories delivered to your inbox every week Copyright © 2025 KTOO Public Media Tlagóo! We\'re rolling out some improvements to the layout and design of KTOO.org. Read more Montana-based Sitka Gear is reimagining the rubber boot and muck is what brings the American Northeast and Northwest—and most places in between—together If you live outside of an urban center and spend your time outdoors odds are you own a pair of boots for mud season Rubber boots are ubiquitous where I live in Bozeman Knee-high rubber boots like the popular Xtratufs go on easy rubber boots can keep your feet warm through sub-zero temperatures and are often so clunky they’re a pain to walk in I wear rubber boots daily. I’m about to pull on a pair of my Lacrosse Alphaburly Pro 1600Gs ($230) and traipse through gross ankle-deep snow melt while running afternoon errands around town The Alphaburly Pros are the absolute warmest boot in my collection When my backyard isn’t socked in with feet of snow, I keep a pair of lightly-insulated Xtratufs ($225) by the back door and reach for them to chase a dog around or grab something from my truck They’re a lot lighter than the Lacrosse boots and track a lot less mud into my kitchen but the Xtratufs are prone to holes and tears I keep a set of insulated Bogs ($150) at the cabin Bogs are super easy to put on—perfect for when one of my dogs needs to go outside to pee at a moment’s notice But their generous dimension also mean they don’t hold your foot securely through more active wear I keep a pair of fancy leather-lined Le Chameu Chasseurs around as sort of my going out rubber boots those aren’t exactly a practical choice so are again relegated to spring and summer wear only my feet get a little damp in every one of these boots Montana-based Sitka Gear is trying to change that a high-tech apparel brand that’s making the leap from its hunting roots into more general outdoorswear but for their first foray into footwear they’re aiming to make a better muck boot on-sale now) are made from a waterproof-breathable Gore-Tex membrane housed in a layered textile shell that works a lot like a modern rain jacket “Sitka really hangs its hat on providing a systems-based approach to technical apparel,” says Mike Ekstrom the company’s new footwear product line manager “And how can you have a full body system if you don’t have footwear?” Ekstrom says the boot is constructed using a four-millimeter thick neoprene liner followed by the Gore-Tex membrane and a high-denier textile shell fabric with a DWR coating Ekstrom says that outer fabric is similar to the one used in some of Sitka’s pants Mapped polyurethane overlays add abrasion and penetration resistance to key areas while low-wear areas go without the protection in order to maintain breathability “They don’t become a bucket of sweat,” Ekstrom says Ekstrom pitched for Major League Baseball teams including the Padres then spent nine years managing athletic shoe lines for Nike So it’s no surprise that his new boots “fit more like a sneaker,” says Ekstrom Cold water conducts heat away from your body 25 times faster than air. Companies judge technical apparel by its ability to wick sweat away from the skin Staying dry is crucial to staying warm through cold weather Ekstrom explains that Sitka achieves equivalent warmth to very heavily insulated all-rubber competitors in a lighter Ekstrom says Sitka benchmarked the Lacrosse Alphaburly Pro 1,600G during development which combines heavy-duty rubber construction with 1,600 grams of Thinsulate insulation Where a single Lacrosse boot weighs 45 ounces Sitka says the Ventilate measures just 35 ounces Sitka is the first company to employ Primaloft’s new 1006f insulation material in North America Ekstrom is hesitant to quote a grams-per-square-meter figure out of concern that customers may simply compare that number to heavier alternatives and come away with the mistaken impression that other boots will be warmer “What we’ve found through lab testing is [breathability] creates a more efficient way to provide warmth,” Ekstrom says Also unlike existing designs—which pack insulation around the foot only and pants to provide insulation from your ankles up—Sitka has carried its layered construction throughout the entire 18-inch height of the boot Not only does packing more insulation add to the boot’s warmth but Ekstrom says it also delivers a “uniform fit and feel throughout the boot.” Sitka tapped Vibram for its latest Litebase Megagrip outsole adding its own proprietary A-shaped lugs to the central portion of the tread Ekstrom explains that this will be a hallmark across a growing range of footwear Sitka plans to build out in the near future “We want to complete the head-to-toe systems wherever Sitka shows up,” Ekstrom says Wes Siler grew up on a horse farm in England where it was his job to collect the manure. Rubber boots helped a lot, until the manure got inside them. Wes now writes about important topics like politics and vehicles on Substack where you can also talk to him about those topics and more Searchers from Sitka recovered the body Wednesday of a local commercial fisherman who died in a brown bear attack during a hunting trip, according to Alaska State Troopers. was overdue could not have come at a worse time Sitka and the outer coast of Southeast Alaska were being lashed by a windstorm Fire Chief Craig Warren says Air Station Sitka launched a helicopter equipped with a forward-looking infrared camera to search an area about 10 miles north of Sitka in Nakwasina Sound “The Coast Guard did fly the night of the report and kind of looked around the area,” said Warren we deployed teams out of the Fire Department before 8 a.m The first team was on the ground there about 8:30 dropped in by the Coast Guard.” Fujioka was believed to be returning to an area where he had shot a deer on Monday in much better weather Warren says the department organized 25 members into three teams for the ground search plus two Alaska Wildlife Troopers and an Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist The Coast Guard flew two of the teams to a high point above the area where Fujioka was believed to be hunting His body was found by a ground team at about 11:30 a.m. Wounds indicated that Fujioka had died from a bear mauling The shock reverberated quickly around Sitka Norm Pillen is the President of Seafood Producers Cooperative the Sakura , he worked in Sitka’s municipal engineering department He brought precision and an attention to detail in fisheries allocation issues that made him a powerful advocate at Alaska Board of Fisheries meetings The next meeting scheduled for this January in Ketchikan Pillen says Fujioka’s absence will be felt and had tremendous ability for recall and digging into things and pulling out information that he needed,” said Pillen It’s going to be a huge hit for the industry to not have him involved.” Fujioka’s outside-the-box thinking wasn’t limited to fisheries. He was a long-time member of the Sitka Fish & Game Advisory Committee, which in 2021 was reckoning with  an extraordinary number of brown bears killed by authorities or residents in Sitka that year, 14 in all Overhauling Sitka’s entire trash pick-up system didn’t seem a practical solution nor did shooting every bear that came into town Fujioka’s analytical mind and understanding of bear behavior led him to suggest something small-scale and possibly effective “What if you looked at it from the other way and we had some booby-trapped garbage cans out there?” Fujioka told fellow committee members “Maybe it would only take one or two bad experiences for a bear to associate that big black thing with an unfavorable experience.” The bear that likely killed Fujioka was a brown bear sow with two cubs She was seen by the Coast Guard helicopter in the area near where Fujioka’s remains were found but ground searchers did not encounter her the biologist who accompanied searchers on Wednesday characterizes the incident as a defensive attack – rather than predatory – and says the sow had almost certainly claimed the deer carcass and was defending her food supply Bethune said some efforts were made Wednesday afternoon to locate the bear on the ground Fujioka was known locally as an experienced and capable outdoorsperson His death remains under investigation by Alaska Wildlife Troopers But the cabin and trail crew – like many jobs in the Forest Service – is a different kind of seasonal work “These guys come back year after year because they have this permanent status in a seasonal position where they don’t have to apply again,” said Ben Hughey “And that means that the Ranger District invests in their training and they usually bring quite a bit of skills to the job.” Sitka Trail Works is a local nonprofit which supports the Forest Service with public outreach programs – like trail and cabin surveys – and with volunteer work parties to assist with local trail maintenance Hughey admits the unskilled-but-energetic crews that Trailworks puts in the field are no replacement for the recently-fired Forest Service team “The trail crew leader had a background in construction as a contractor and so he was out there milling lumber in the back country and building bridges,” said Hughey “There’s a beautiful new bridge on Salmon Lake that was completely constructed by this crew They do small structure construction,  building new outhouses overhanging scary stuff that I wouldn’t touch So getting the even more hazardous obstacles out of the way of our trails or cabins sometimes takes really technical work that we as Sitka Trailworks can’t just take volunteers out and do.” But what Trail Works can do is raise money And in just a couple of weeks they’ve raised $106,000 in donations The purpose is straightforward: To put as many of the Forest Service crew back to work as possible maintaining the federally-owned resources around Sitka that residents enjoy – and pay for with both taxes and user fees Hughey says putting displaced workers back to work is in the DNA of Sitka Trail Works “Sitka Trail Works was founded when the pulp mill closed in the 90s doing something that gives back to the community,” said Hughey “And so we’re going to do that again and we’re going to create opportunities and put them back to work doing what they love and doing what the community needs.” $100,000 raised in a couple of weeks is significant The Forest Service – and US citizens – have made a considerable investment in public lands over the years which no amount of nonprofit fundraising can match “The Sitka Ranger District has several support staff for these crews,” he said a huge shop and tools and resources that we really can’t fundraise for locally The capacity in our community with everybody chipping in just doesn’t get to the the amount that the Forest Service invests in these public lands So we’re pushing as hard as we can to get one season.” Hughey says the ultimate goal is to preserve the public’s access to resources that would otherwise suffer if the expertise and skills of the Sitka Ranger District’s trail and cabin crew were eliminated along with their jobs City officials pose with a gold shovel at the location of a new marine haulout Friday at the Gary Paxton Industrial Site GPIP Board of Directors members Chad Goeden and Lauren Howard Mitchell (holding her son Sitka Economic Development Association Executive Director Garry White and GPIP Board of Directors Chair Scott Wagner Sitka Studio is defined as "a creative incubator that designs limited-edition products and collaborates with culture-shaping brands and artists." But according to Brad it's a "love letter to hunting." We had the chance to sit down with him and talk about how he designed the one-of-a-kind Hyperdown jacket (it's made with gold-bonded goose down!) He also answered some of our pressing questions—like why there's no hood—and opened up about what makes Sitka Studio such a special and important passion project Field & Stream: What inspired you to design the Hyperdown jacket Brad Christian: I live in Montana and it's quite cold here Sitka has the very best technology when it comes to apparel and I find myself wearing these highly technical incredible jackets in camouflage out in my everyday life whether I'm blowing snow or going to dinner I really want this but in a silhouette that makes more sense if it's sunny outside and I'm riding my horse Although it would be an effective solution I prefer great sunglasses that look really good I really wanted to create a jacket that performed at the same level as our technical gear but was truly designed for the moments that were not in the field What sets it apart from other winter jackets It's really a combination between the very best technology and aesthetic coming together it's the package of this Allied Expedry insulation It's a new technology that we don't even have in a gear jacket yet We began working with Allied a couple of years ago when they introduced the technology for our sleeping bag if I could take this new technology of down and put it into a jacket Then it was also the combination of that and Gore-Tex Labs ePE WindStopper The biggest challenge with regular black down puffers is that when the wind starts going it robs you of all that heat that's locked in So the combination of the very best down technology and WindStopper was like the ultimate package to me we did it in a silhouette that looks really good there's more of a soft hand and packability A lot of parka-style jackets that play in this category are really stiff they almost need their own seat on the airplane But this jacket can actually still pack down and is warmer than most of the very best What's your favorite feature of the jacket if you had to pick It's the 1 plus 1 equals 3 of the Gore-Tex WindStopper and the down that makes it just completely bomb-proof when it comes to cold weather We all have experiences of buying apparel that we fall out of love with over time and get reduced to that 85% of the closet that doesn't get worn But over time with whatever I was wearing and wherever I was going I thought long and hard about the hood because people are in two camps: hood or no hood In a hunting jacket that's designed to keep me alive in the Yukon in October Because if I'm sitting up on the top of a mountain glassing for 8 hours But this jacket is more focused on the moments that we're not sitting on top of that mountain If I were to somehow be able to calculate the percentage of time that a hood is actually on my head on even a hunting jacket—and then when you look at it from a lifestyle standpoint—I'd be willing to guess 95% of the time I'm not wearing a hood I really wanted to create a cleaner and less sporty look The other thing I did with this piece is I designed a collar on this jacket that comes up quite high on the neck I also reinforced that collar in a pretty meaningful way so that even when it's completely unzipped How did you test the jacket before you went to market and our lifestyle is in a really cold and rugged environment It was riding my horses on a ridge top for eight hours in Montana It was traveling to the Yukon for three weeks to bow hunt moose I even went to Iceland in 2023 with this piece and then again in 2024 in the dead of winter We purposefully treat them bad and beat them up So like when I was working with the horses I'd rub up against fences and try to catch the side of things A lot of puffers are in the 20 denier space which means if they get caught on anything they're trying to cut weight and make something crazy packable at the expense of durability Because this is a more lifestyle-focused jacket we were able to go with 60 denier Japanese ripstop that's more durable So the jacket I have had for years is beat to heck It's for anybody who wants the best technology the highest end technical performance and aesthetic Maybe it's hunters who don't want to wear their full-blown camo hunting jacket to the bar It's about connecting cultures at the highest level while the tone is definitely getting better and there's not a lot of connectivity between other industries or places But we have so much in common with other people—the fact that we hunt doesn't separate us So I wanted to figure out how we could collaborate and create products with other industries and celebrate life and design together in a really cool way How do we connect cultures and introduce more people to what we're doing and showcase our design capability and our creative chops we're always in the lab or our homes with our sewing machines making creative products that never see the light of day Like one time we made a flight suit for some guys to jump out of an airplane with what else can we make and how do we collaborate with people and introduce more people to the hunting space How often does Sitka Studio come out with a new product but we're moving that to three this year We want these to be special and thoughtful and they take a lot of time We don't take it lightly—it's about telling compelling stories and designing solutions What's been your favorite project you've done so far probably this one because it's been the vision from the beginning of Sitka Studio to design and launch our own product outside of collaborations That process was in the works at the genesis of the studio but because product design and apparel takes so long But it enabled the world to see this is our capability and this is our design aesthetic Then when we work to collaborate with other partners it's more clear what that creative perspective is But the collaborations are also super fun because we work with incredible teams and we get to make something totally outside the box. Like a Martin guitar that Thomas Rhett played on tour We auctioned that off for a pile of money for conservation It was a unique and cool way to talk about conservation differently than it's often talked about Another one that hit home was working with The James Brand on the outdoor chef knife That one also goes back years and years of development I cook over fire on the river that I live on in Montana all the time and all my high-end Japanese chef knives are absolutely ruined because I'm cutting them on rock and beating them down and just putting them in environments they weren't intended for So to partner with them on a ground-up design of a Japanese-level quality chef knife that has the durability of gear that can hang with our lifestyle was a tremendous effort creating it and going to Hawaii to spear fish and cut fish up on the side of a cliff what's your mission with Sitka Studio as someone who has been bowhunting my whole life I have such a deep love and appreciation for this lifestyle of being connected to nature in its rawest form I so believe in the value of that connection because I experience it in all capacities It brings me great joy to just help people connect I have a great buddy who's a chef and he loves to cook for people this is kind of my love letter to hunting if you will program director at Sitka Homeless Coalition told a client currently experiencing homelessness about the possibility of securing housing with Alaska Housing’s Stabilization & Recovery program His hopes were confirmed when he was connected to housing in Sitka shortly after that initial conversation Denise recalls his reaction to his new home “I forgot what it was like to get a good night's sleep… what it was like to have a shower and to be able to just go and get washed up whenever I needed to.” Through partnerships with local organizations such as Sitka Homeless Coalition Alaska Housing’s innovative Housing Stabilization & Recovery provides short-and-long-term housing stabilization for Alaskans experiencing homelessness and up to 9 months of rental assistance to enrolled individuals Sitka Homeless Coalition was connected to the program in April through fellow nonprofit and Alaska Housing partner Sitka Homeless Coalition works to promote safe secure housing in Sitka and “build an overall culture of care and belonging in our community.” Participation in Alaska Housing’s Stabilization & Recovery was a natural fit Within six months of working with the program the coalition had already connected four people with local housing and are in the process of connecting more "It's really beautiful what a home can do." Denise says that the impact of Stabilization & Recovery cannot be overstated She recalls one moment that stands out to her as an example of the influence it is having on the community She had gone over to an apartment to check in on how a move-in was going The apartment was freshly decorated with furnishings that had been picked out with care “It's starting to feel like home.” Sitka Homeless Coalition joins dozens of community-based organizations and nonprofits that partner and receive grant funds through Alaska Housing to help provide Alaskans access to safe Initiatives like Housing Stabilization & Recovery make a real direct impact on communities throughout Alaska it is “increasing a feeling of belonging increasing the feeling of home in our town.” Learn more about Housing Stabilization & Recovery and other programs Alaska Housing offers here Edgecumbe Medical Center in Sitka was briefly locked down Thursday (4-10-25) after a threat was directed at the facility.In a press release Thursday afternoon Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) confirmed that the hospital initiated a lockdown at 10:41 a.m The release did not share any specifics on the threat like whether it was directed at a staff member or a patient but said that the hospital was no longer in lockdown and the issue had been “safely resolved.”  “While we cannot share specifics due to the sensitive nature of the incident we are grateful for the swift response from our staff and the support of local law enforcement who acted quickly to help ensure the safety of everyone involved.” Lot 15 is designated as part of the “West Boat Yard.” GPIP board members want to take a hard look at how best to use that property which is due to come online by the end of May Board members of the Gary Paxton Industrial Park agreed at their most recent meeting (4-17-25) to give short-term tenants until September 30 to move out in order to bring in long-term leaseholders involved in the marine services industry The largest tract available to support the boat yard – lot 15 – is currently in use as storage The board anticipates more substantial investment as the community’s long-awaited boat haulout enters service next month director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association said thoughtful development of lot 15 and surrounding property would give locals a stake in the yard in the event things fell through with Kodiak-based Highmark Marine which last month won the bid to operate Sitka’s new haulout “If we get to the point when this contract is over with Highmark or it gets pulled back for some reason that we really have all the options on the table a full understanding of what revenue can be generated from the yard and what it might look like to have a different operating model out there,” said Behnken Park director Garry White agreed that it was time to focus on priorities as the budget for Phase 1 construction of the haulout is almost spent “I think there are higher and better uses,” said White shown in front of the boat in the haul out or  invest in being able to get over to lot 15 He encouraged the board to have a work session with the public to iron out some of the details that will make the new haulout functional in the near term Local boatwright Mike Nurco actively opposed Highmark’s proposal to run the haulout He did want to know a) where the bathrooms would be located and b) where companies like his could become established and offset the competitive advantage that he believed had been given to Highmark  “To level the playing field for the vendors – I think the deck is stacked towards Highmark already – I would like to see where the vendor space can be and I would really like to see that move forward,” said Nurco because that’s the lifeblood of the yard it’s very important to get the vendors out there with a wide array of services.” The park board supported the idea of long-term leases – comparable in length to bank loans – which could generate the type of investment they were looking for said that he anticipated spending $500,000 on a structure to house his business Park director Garry White said long-term leases would generate the revenue the park needed to support the upland development of Phase 2 of the boat yard The lengthy discussions that have led to this point inspired Chris Hanson to organize local interests into a Marine Trades Association “This whole process taught me that if you don’t have a seat at the table at the beginning you’re not going to get one mid midterm,” said Hanson “So I think what we need to do is just advocate for the trades as a group Or have a mouthpiece for the trades themselves The new travelift for the haulout – the $1.4 million-dollar vehicle that lifts boats out of the water and sets them down in the yard – is en route to Sitka Municipal engineer Michael Harmon said this expense had been missed Paying for a crane to erect the travelift will take the project’s contingency fund down to $97,000 The haulout is scheduled to be operational by May 30 “I did it for the animals,” says Burgess Bauder of his fifty-one year veterinary practice “I didn’t do it for the people.” While Burgess didn’t charge for his services clients usually reimbursed him (at wholesale rates) for costly medications or anesthetics This is not to say he didn’t try to be a regular paid veterinarian at the beginning “(I’d) charge somebody an office call back in the day when I first came to town (in 1973) five bucks and I’d send them a bill three or four times for five bucks,” says Burgess ‘I spent that much on stamps for god’s sake.'” (Victoria Vosburg photo) I’ve been taking my dogs to Burgess for 35 years and he’s relishing this tête-à-tête we are having in his pet-filled living room “For those out there in the radio audience Rob is tactfully trying to push away a cat that’s trying to rub up against his face,” said Burgess “and and now she’s going for the throat.” Burgess – and I should mention that Bauder is universally known simply as “Burgess” like Cher or Zendaya – Burgess is sitting in a recliner with one of his rescued greyhounds curled in a dog bed nearby The greyhound doesn’t even lift his head when I come in He must sense that Burgess is winding up to reminisce about his five-decade old decision to undergo years of advanced medical training in veterinary school at the University of Washington and I wanted to get her spayed.” Burgess reminisces “And I can remember the conversation with my dad when I had her from the time I was like five years old until I was in college I had her almost 20 years and she kept having kittens the whole damn time we can’t afford it.’ It was 20 bucks back in the 1950s My mom was a nurse; my dad was a truck driver I’m going to make it so people can afford it.’” Burgess now is a hale and hearty eighty-year-old suffering from a slew of cardiac-related complaints common in this demographic What he misses most are his regular dog walks except those that haunt every medical professional in a life-and-death situation without the support of a vet tech or anesthetist “What is anesthesia but months of boredom interspersed with moments of stark terror,” said Burgess “And if you look at the statistics for veterinary medicine it’s close to human medicine… They don’t die from surgeries ever This is the downside.  You asked for all of the warm fuzzies but the downside is having an outcome that’s something less than optimal And the worst of that metric is death on the table.” I’ve produced two previous news stories about Burgess the first was twenty-two years ago when he was treed by a brown bear on Sitka’s newly-built Cross Trail when Burgess castrated a pair of nearly-grown brown bear cubs at Sitka’s Fortress of the Bear visitor attraction Burgess is a living repository of stories of Sitka and its people calling… my doggy’s trying to have babies and can’t.’ ‘Okay,’ I said ‘Is there anything coming out?’ ‘No.’ And I said ‘Go to the clinic and bring along some troops.’ So she arrives at the clinic and she’s got two daughters herself and her dog ‘We’re going to do a c-section here.’ And so this poor doggy could barely move I’m hoping it’s not going to die And we roll it up on the table and I delivered 13 c-section puppies – the biggest c-section I’ve ever done in my life And I’m handing these things out as I’m pulling them out of this bitch Good!) And I’m handing these out and… we got all these screaming puppies That is the sound of angels… So this woman has one of these little clasper wallets with a little thing where you click it like that keep dollar bills stuffed in there and coinage ‘I want to pay you for what you have done.’ I looked at her and said I can picture the grateful woman opening the coin purse It evokes an era when coins were more dear than they seem now The woman found good homes for all thirteen puppies and Burgess remembers not long ago putting one of the now-elderly dogs down A service he provided – like everything else – at no charge …on why he adopted only one rescued greyhound …on the practical and philosophical reasons for a pro bono veterinary practice …on striking a deal with then-Mayor Rocky Gutierrez …on his affinity for James Herriot’s stories and practicing human medicine on a human doctor Sitka Gear announced several strategic changes to its sales rep team to “increase market presence enhance service to Sitka’s retail customer base and deliver premium consumer experiences in partnership with Sitka retailers.” “We are committed to strengthening Sitka’s presence in wholesale channels through strategic investments and by prioritizing the hiring of the best people,” said Sitka Business Leader Theresa Spangler “Doing these things enables Sitka to better support its retail partners and deliver innovative product stories in existing and future market segments while best equipping the brand to achieve its ambitious growth objectives.” Additions to Sitka’s sales rep team include: “We are excited to welcome these talented individuals to Sitka’s sales team and get started capitalizing as a brand on their experiences and connections at numerous levels in this industry,” said Sitka Wholesale Sales Leader Tim Dennis professionalism and enthusiasm will be invaluable as Sitka continues to deliver exceptional service and product innovations for our retail partners.” Sitka also announced the expanded sales territory of Jeff Watt a longtime member of the company’s sales team a 35-year sales veteran in the hunt and fish space and Wisconsin in addition to his existing territory Read More SGB Update Stories ©2025 SGB Media. All rights reserved. Use of this Site constitutes acceptance of our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of SGB Media Sitkans Against Family Violence (SAFV) is hosting the second annual Sitka Rose Awards on April 25 The Rose Awards honor women and LGBTQ+ people who have honored SAFV’s core values of safety Shelter supervisor Mel Beadle joined KCAW’s Brooke Schafer to share more about the history of the event and how it supports SAFV’s mission The Sitka Rose Awards take place April 25 at the Sheet’ka Kwaan Naa Kahidi call SAFV at 907-747-3491 or email services@safv.org We use cookies to analyze user behavior in order to constantly improve the website for you. Learn more 2025) - Synex Renewable Energy Corporation (TSX: SXI) ("Synex" or the "Company") today announced that it has entered into a definitive arrangement agreement dated March 27 2025 (the "Arrangement Agreement") with Sitka Power Inc whereby the Purchaser has agreed to acquire 100% of the issued and outstanding common shares (the "Company Shares") of the Company (the "Transaction") Under the terms of the Arrangement Agreement holders of Company Shares (the "Shareholders") will receive C$2.40 in cash per Company Share (the "Transaction Consideration") on completion of the Transaction implying an enterprise value of approximately C$25.2 million After a comprehensive review of alternatives and upon the unanimous recommendation of an independent special committee (the "Special Committee") of the board of directors of Synex (the "Board") the Board unanimously determined that the Transaction is in the best interests of Synex and is fair to the Shareholders from a financial point of view the President and Chief Executive Officer of Synex "Today's announcement is the culmination of a comprehensive process that began in October 2023 when the Company announced the commencement of a strategic review together with their legal and financial advisors have overseen and supervised a robust process leading to this compelling offer from Sitka The Transaction delivers significant value to the Shareholders and provides the certainty of an all-cash offer." the President and Chief Executive Officer of Sitka "We are very excited to announce this Transaction The execution of a definitive agreement is the culmination of a lot of effort by the parties as well as their advisors and stakeholders Synex's British Columbia based and technologically diverse portfolio of operating and development projects provides a strategic and timely opportunity for Sitka to scale its platform We look forward to progressing the Transaction to close over the coming months." The Transaction will be implemented by way of a statutory plan of arrangement pursuant to the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) Sitka will acquire all of the issued and outstanding Company Shares with each Shareholder receiving the Transaction Consideration for each Company Share held Additional details of the Transaction will be described in the management information circular that will be mailed to Shareholders (the "Company Circular") in connection with the Company Meeting to approve the Transaction All of the directors and officers of the Company who collectively own approximately 67% of the outstanding Company Shares have entered into voting and support agreements pursuant to which they have agreed to vote their Company Shares in favor of the Transaction The Arrangement Agreement contains customary terms and conditions including non-solicitation provisions which are subject to the Company's right to consider and accept a superior proposal that satisfies certain customary requirements subject to a matching right in favour of Sitka The Arrangement Agreement provides for the payment by the Company to Sitka of a termination fee of C$600,000 in certain circumstances including where the Company has accepted a superior proposal and terminates the Arrangement Agreement The Arrangement Agreement also provides for the payment by the Company to Sitka or Sitka to the Company of an expense reimbursement fee if the Arrangement Agreement is terminated in certain specified circumstances A copy of the Arrangement Agreement will be available through the Company's filings with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca In connection with the closing of the Transaction the Company Shares will be delisted from the TSX and the Company will apply to cease to be a reporting issuer Recommendation of the Special Committee and the Board comprised of Richard McGivern and Danny Sgro after receiving legal and financial advice including the fairness opinions from the financial advisors discussed below has unanimously recommended that the Board approve the Arrangement Agreement having determined that the Transaction is fair to the Shareholders from a financial point of view The Special Committee has obtained a fairness opinion from each of Beacon Securities Limited (who acted as financial advisor to the Company in connection with the Transaction) and Morrison Park Advisors (who acted as independent financial advisor to the Special Committee in connection with the Transaction) to the effect that as of the date of the Arrangement Agreement limitations and qualifications set forth therein the Transaction is fair to the Shareholders from a financial point of view After receiving the unanimous recommendation of the Special Committee and the fairness opinions discussed above the Board unanimously determined: (i) that the Transaction is fair to the Shareholders from a financial point of view; (ii) that the Transaction is in the best interests of the Company; and (iii) to unanimously recommend to the Shareholders that they vote in favor of the resolution to approve the Transaction at the Company Meeting Additional details concerning the rationale for the recommendation made by the Special Committee and the Board, including copies of the fairness opinions prepared by the financial advisors, will be set out in the Company Circular to be filed and mailed to the Shareholders in the coming weeks and which will be available under Synex's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca The Transaction constitutes a "business combination" under MI 61-101 for the Company as an insider of the Company holding approximately 2% of the Company Shares will receive a "collateral benefit" as a result of the value of an employee termination benefit to be received in connection with the Transaction being in excess of 5% of the value of the aggregate consideration to be received by such insider pursuant to the Arrangement Agreement the Company will seek the requisite majority of the minority approval of the Transaction from the Shareholders at the Company Meeting excluding the votes of such insider whose votes are required to be excluded for the purposes of "minority approval" under MI 61-101 in the context of a "business combination" Dentons Canada LLP is acting as legal advisor to the Company Stikeman Elliott LLP is acting as legal advisor to Sitka Beacon Securities Limited is acting as financial advisor to the Company Morrison Park Advisors is acting as independent financial advisor to the Special Committee British Columbia based company engaged in the development and operation of renewable energy projects in Canada It has ownership interests in 11 MW of operating hydro projects in British Columbia and owns a Vancouver Island grid connection and utility carrying on business as Kyuquot Power Ltd The Company also has 9.4 MW of construction ready run-of-river projects and land tenures on another 24 potential hydroelectric sites totaling over 150 MW of capacity and approximately 16 wind development sites that could provide up to 4,700 MW of clean power in British Columbia For further information, visit www.synex.com Sitka Power is a small scale Canadian renewable energy developer and independent power producer For further information, visit www.sitka-power.ca This press release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable securities laws Such forward-looking information or statements ("FLS") are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes Any such FLS may be identified by words such as "proposed" FLS contained or referred to in this press release includes statements regarding the anticipated benefits of the Transaction the proposed timing and various steps contemplated in respect of the Transaction the holding of and approval by the Shareholders of the Transaction at the Company Meeting and the results of the completion of the Transaction the likelihood that the Transaction will be consummated receipt of required regulatory and court approvals the possibility of any termination of the Arrangement Agreement in accordance with its terms and delisting of the Company Shares and changes to reporting issuer status If any of these risks or uncertainties materialize or if the assumptions underlying the FLS prove incorrect actual results or future events might vary materially from those anticipated in the FLS Although the Company has attempted to identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in FLS there may be other risk factors not presently known to the Company or that the Company presently believes are not material that could also cause actual results or future events to differ materially from those expressed in such FLS The FLS in this press release reflect the current expectations judgements and/or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to the Company No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release The TSX accepts no responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release Daniel J. RussellPresident & CEO, Synex Renewable Energy Corporation4248 Broughton Ave., Niagara Falls, Ontario L2E 0A4 Phone (905) 329-5000daniel.russell@synex.com Trevor WhitePresident & CEO, Sitka Power Inc.639 5 Ave SW #1050, Calgary, Alberta T2P 0M9 Phone (403) 999 8781twhite@sitka-power.ca To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/246452 SOURCE: Synex Renewable Energy Corporation Sign Up Company Profile Electronic Commerce A community garden project could be one step closer to sprouting after tonight’s (4-22-25) Sitka Assembly meeting it will consider approving a lease for the garden on Jarvis Street for a dollar a year.Last year the assembly solicited bids to lease the half-acre lot after the Sitka Community Gardens Association expressed interest next to vacant city land and land owned by the Raptor Center the assembly in January directed staff to draw up a lease for them. Sitka hasn’t had a community garden in nearly 10 years following the closure of the Blatchley Middle School garden which hopes to address one facet of food insecurity in Sitka plans to divide the lot into a mix of larger and smaller plots to rent out to local gardeners. In other business the assembly will consider the city’s general and enterprise fund budgets on final reading And it will discuss whether to outsource the management of its nonprofit grant program to a third party.  Raven News will broadcast the meeting live Plenty of gear companies have tried to sell the cause for animal conservation to the rest of the world Sitka Studio is now changing that game—for the better—with this high-tech jacket Who makes the most advanced outdoor clothing and they’re likely to name some familiar brands and they will probably tell you Sitka Gear Perhaps most surprising about the jacket is the origin story It is the brainchild of Sikta’s creative director For the last few years it’s been Brad’s job to design logos the Studio Hyperdown Park is designed for wear through travel and in cities “I don’t want to wear my camo hunting jacket to a bar anymore than I want to wear my ski goggles to ride my horse on a sunny day,” Christian recently told me where Christian has worked for the last nine years the multi-billion dollar parent of Gore-Tex And that gives him a few more resources than most other creative side projects Sitka already serves as sort of an off-site creative lab for Gore Running a side project within a creative lab means Christian has total freedom to use Sitka Studio to create exactly the kind of products he wants Two things make the Sitka Studio Hyperdown Parka special: its down and its shell But what really defines the jacket is the way those materials work together Fill power is a measure of down insulation’s compressibility Because it’s common practice for traditional parkas to use heavyweight canvas shell fabrics which don’t facilitate packability on their own there’s no need to use high fill power downs Christian turns that practice on its head with a lightweight 60-denier nylon ripstop shell he sourced from Japan that’s about 10 percent the weight of most parka shells and to which he applies Gore’s new ePE (expanded polyethylene) Windstopper membrane That material is PFAS-free (a forever chemical with a long list of negative impacts on human health) and stronger than older ePTFE (expanded polytetrafluoroethylene) membranes which means it can be made thinner and lighter a shell fabric that’s just as strong as those used in existing parkas and which has the added benefit of minimizing convective heat loss more packable shell wouldn’t do much on its own if it wasn’t used to house a very compressible down Christian used his parent company’s gravitas to knock on the door of Allied Feather + Down another industry-leading innovator and supplier One new technology they’ve been working on is a less polluting more effective alternative to the Durable Water Repellent coatings that enable down clusters to resist moisture retaining the material’s ability to provide insulation Allied has found a way to bond microscopic gold particles directly to down clusters. Versus existing DWR treatments, that results in dry times one-third to half as long as toxic predecessors Christian sourced 900+ fill gold-bonded down from Allied the most compressible insulation commonly available for outdoor clothing then ordered 230 grams of it for each of his parkas (in a size medium) Given that he designed a butt-length parka that’s a little shorter than most designs in that space and went without a hood to make it more travel-friendly that results in several times the volume of insulation packed around your torso and arms versus the parkas you’re used to Christian was able to bring it all to market for just $499 That is less than half the price of a typical high-end parka “Gore? I mean they’re in the International Space Station, they’re in space suits they’re the most technical company out there from a scientific perspective which is why it’s so fun to be able to call these guys up,” Christian says “I’m a wannabe gear nerd compared to these guys they’re actually in a state-of-the-art lab developing technology at an insane level.” and the brand’s platform as an authority in hunting apparel to sell the general public on hunting and animal conservation Neat creative endeavors that put the brand in front of new audiences but it’s with his first ground-up clothing design that Sitka Studio has really become a creative force on its own our lives authentically depend on our gear to keep us where we have to be to do what we committed to doing,” Christian explains “We’re so super focused on the technical need for the most extreme situations because when we get dropped by a plane in the Yukon and we’re going to stay there for three weeks on the side of a mountain whatever nature has for us we don’t have anything else to fall back on.” It’s that authentic requirement for peerless functional gear that Christian thinks the world outside of hunting will be open to learning about “Hunting has long been on an island,” he says Hunting’s story is the story of human connection to nature.” “Steven Rinella is really good at articulating a case for hunting,” Christian continues my particular ability for doing that is as a creative director.” “This is about writing a love letter about hunting to the rest of the world,” Christian explains Wes Siler is an adult onset hunter who’s always trying to learn more about animals. You can read more about the surprising ways in which animal conservation works in benefit of biodiversity by subscribing to his Substack newsletter Crews worked throughout the weekend to repair a section of damaged fiber 2025 - Telecommunications were restored in Sitka Alaska after repairs were completed ahead of schedule General Communication, Inc., the largest telecommunications provider in Alaska, announced that its emergency maintenance on the undersea fiberoptic cable to Sitka was successfully completed earlier this week restoring all internet and communication services.  was resolved ahead of schedule—well before the nine-day window GCI initially anticipated “Crews completed emergency maintenance work at approximately 6 a.m this morning (Monday) on GCI’s underwater fiber serving Sitka All services have been moved back onto the fiber and restored to normal levels,” GCI said in a statement.  explained that the timeline remained uncertain until the fiber was inspected.  Weather delays affected the arrival of the repair ship Cable Innovator Crews worked throughout the weekend to complete the repairs which involved reinforcing a small section of damaged fiber Though the damage hadn’t disrupted internet service at the time it was detected GCI opted to address it preemptively to avoid another lengthy outage like the one in August and September 2024 GCI switched over to a backup system that provided basic call and text service and customers had limited access to services through satellite and microwave technologies GCI will credit affected customers with a full month of service fees for impacted services Big-name performers are making their way to Southeast Alaska for a two-stop musical tour this weekend and Samantha Crain will perform in Juneau on Friday and in Sitka on Saturday ‘dancing our house together,'” he said “We really need to celebrate the accomplishment that we have and recognize the work that we have going forward.” Lakota Harden is a Sitka-based community organizer or “welcome to territory” statements would play a Sitka concert for a long time ‘I wish you’d come and play in Sitka,'” Harden said “And the manager would be shaking his head ‘Are you kidding me?’ The flights alone would break them so the fact that they’re coming is just a dream come true for me.” Hope-Lang said he sees these concerts and the Point House project as part of a cultural revitalization that goes beyond a single clan or culture “I think what’s important to recognize is that this event this is an opportunity for the community at whole to see how they can be part of this movement,” he said “This is an invitation to come in and say ‘We’re ready now to move forward and get the support.'” You can listen to the full interview with Hope-Lang and Harden below The Sitka School Board on Wednesday (3-5-25) decided to drop its half-million dollar contract with Nana Management for food service in local schools Superintendent Deidre Jenson told the board the savings would amount to about $150,000 per year Board member Tom Williams applauded the move “I think we’re going to have quality food based on what I’ve seen so far from our district cook,” said Williams “And I think last year we heard lots of testimony about how inadequate the food was that we were receiving So thank you so much for finding a way to put this together.” The district food program will use the Sitka High School kitchen and deliver meals to the middle school and the two elementary schools Jenson said the logistics had yet to be worked out as it has for the last several years.  Board president Phil Burdick is a former teacher and principal at Pacific High He credited Pacific High’s culinary program for showing the district a path to success “(Staff) created this foods program at Pacific High School that has now grown to this garden and is a model for how we’re going to feed the rest of our students really just so happy to see this happening The program will be staffed with a full-time Food Service Coordinator Students interested in the culinary program can work in the kitchens as interns Costs of the meals should be comparable to what students pay now although Superintendent Jenson said there was a grant pending with the US Department of Agriculture’s Educational Nutrition Program (SCALES) which could lower costs “Better food for less money,” said board member Steven Morse This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page.