Kimi Eisele is a Writer in Residence here at the Island Institute. Her radio essay, “Listening to Yellow Cedar,” aired on Raven Radio Sunday, Oct. 25th. This personal investigation looks at the yellow cedar tree and its importance culturally, economically and as part of the temperate rain forest ecosystem. Find out how climate change is affecting yellow cedar, and what this means for culture bearers, scientists, forest managers, artists and others.
Photo by James Poulson/Sitka Sentinel
In November 20, 2015, a host of talented Sitkans with the GSAC Sitka Community Theater put on a production of four live radio dramas at the Sitka Performing Arts Center.
Included in the production are two original plays by Zachary Desmond, “Milktown 1999,” and Rebecca Poulson “A Fairy Tale,” a re-telling of the classic “Pride and Prejudice,” directed by Stefanie Ask, and a romantic comedy with a twist, “For Business Reasons,” directed by Shira Kahan. Sound effects were designed by Marybeth Palof, Dan Palof, Jessica Menary, and Angelo Cannizzaro. So, pull up a chair, a cup of hot cocoa, and tune in to something other than Netflix on a cold December night.
A recording of this performance will air on December 15, 2015 – at 7PM on KCAW Sitka. Tune 104.7 FM or 90.1 FM, or stream live here.
EACH OF THE FOUR PLAYS:
For Business Reasons, from the series “Romance,” aired Jan. 1, 1949
Starring William E. Davis, Peter Apathy, Emily Kwong, Marcy Drake, Hilloah Courtney, Ayla McNeilley. Music by Greta Healy. Directed by Shira Kahan.
A Fairy Tale, written and directed by Rebecca Poulson
Photo by James Poulson/Sitka Sentinel
Starring Tamie Parker Song and Christian Litten. Directed by Rebecca Poulson.
Milk Town 1999, written and directed by Zachary Desmond
Photo by James Poulson/Sitka Sentinel
Starring Seaton Bryan, Rhiannon Guevin, Tamie Parker Song, and Andrew Marius. Music by Sarah Swong and Stacy Evans. Directed by Zachary Desmond.
Pride and Prejudice, from the series “Romance,” aired May 28, 1947
Photo by James Poulson/Sitka Sentinel
Starring Jude Reis, Sotera Perez, John Stein, Brielle Schaeffer, Christian Litten, Adam Litten, Blossom Twitchell, and Mary Barrett. Directed by Stefanie Ask.
This performance was organized by Sitka Community Theater, a project of the Greater Sitka Arts Council, with sponsorship from the Sitka Fine Arts Camp, Alaskan Dream Cruises, and Raven Radio.
Sound Effects by Marybeth Palof, Dan Palof, Jessica Menary, and Angelo Cannizzaro
Directed by Shira Kahan, Rebecca Poulson, Zachary Desmond, and Stefanie Ask
Production and lights by Shannon Haugland
Technical direction, lighting design, and visual effects by J Bradley
Sound by Max Kritzer
Stage Managment by Tom Hesse
Video by Lucy Poulson and J Bradley
KCAW Radio Production by Rebecca Danon
Over the past year, Gunnar Knapp, Director and Professor of Economics at UAA has been traveling around the state, talking with many organizations about the fiscal challenge Alaska is facing. Click the link below to view the full report of his findings.
The Sitka School District budget is $1.6-million dollars short next year. While it’s not exactly a crisis, there are no obvious, easy cuts — and no last-minute bail outs. Sitka School Board Members Tim Fulton (president) and Tom Conley, and district superintendent Mary Wegner and business manager Cassee Olin took public comment for 90-minutes during a live KCAW Call-In Special on Monday, March 7, 2016.
Listen to Part 1.
Listen to Part 2
View district finances here:
Sitka School District Preliminary 2017 Budget
The budget deficit for the City and Borough of Sitka is estimated to be $900,000 this year. And as oil prices drop, Sitka is unlikely to receive much state funding. How will Sitka make due? The Assembly appointed a Citizens’ Task Force to tackle the problem and the group is ready to unveil their solution: “The Grand Bargain”
Tune in Monday (03-21-16) at 10 a.m. for a half-hour special with Rob Allen, Cindy Gibson, and Hugh Bevan, three members of the Task Force to talk about the “Grand Bargain.” Full audio here.
This multi-tier proposal recommends raising the cap on property taxes by two mils. In exchange, the Task Force proposes eliminating the sales tax on groceries and subsidizing the electric fund, to keep rates from increasing beyond 5% this year.
Draft of the Grand Bargain spreadsheet
Website for the Citizens’ Task Force
The Citizens’ Task Force will host a town hall meeting on Monday (03-21-16) at 6 p.m. in room 229 of the University of Alaska to present the Grand Bargain to the public. Raven Radio will not be broadcasting the meeting live, but will provide full coverage in local news.
To celebrate the solar eclipse on Monday, Raven Radio will broadcast live special coverage from NPR. Join hosts Robin Young and Meghna Chakrabarti from 9:00am to 11:00am as they hear from eclipse chasers, scientists, first time observers and reporters across the nation.
If it’s clear, Sitkans can experience a partial solar eclipse beginning at 8:16am and ending at 10:23am, with the maximum eclipse of 60% coverage occurring at 9:17am. NASA will be offering a live video feed of the eclipse, which will be shown at the Sitka Public Library and the Sitka National Historical Park Visitor’s Center. The park will also distribute free safety viewing glasses and Eclipse Junior Ranger activity books for any kids or adults seeking to earn a unique Eclipse Jr. Ranger badge.
The seven people who sit on the Sitka assembly are the most important policy makers in our lives. They set rates for services, protect our safety, fund our schools, and will decide the future of Sitka’s hospital.
This year there are seven candidates for three seats on the assembly; only one of them is an incumbent.
You are invited to join the audience for a live candidate forum Tuesday, September 19, at 6:30 p.m. at Harrigan Centennial Hall and ask a question of the assembly candidates in person. It’s a rare opportunity to see the candidates in action, under pressure, in the building where three of them will help chart the course of Sitka’s future.
Or — as always — listen to the forum over the air and submit your question via email to news@kcaw.org, or post a question on the forum thread on the Raven Radio Facebook page.
Sitka’s two candidates for School Board, Dionne Brady-Howard and Elias Erickson, will take your questions 6:30 – 8 p.m. Thursday, September 21, in a live special election forum on Raven Radio. Listeners can call during the forum, 747-5877, email a question to news@kcaw.org, or post a comment on the forum thread on Raven Radio’s Facebook page.
The School Board recently has been a low-profile elected office, but Alaska’s budget problems could throw many school districts — including Sitka’s — into crisis. The School Board prioritizes programs within the district, and decides what to keep and what to cut when funding is limited. Although there are only two candidates running for the two seats, there is no better time to communicate your ideas and interests to future board members than during election season. Please join the conversation this Thursday evening!
