KCAW

The Sitka Conservation Society’s hosts its annual Wild Foods Potluck on November 16 at Harrigan Centennial Hall. This year’s theme, “Public lands are___________,” encourages community members to share their connections to public lands. Caitlin Blaisdell and Katie Riley joined KCAW for the Morning Interview to discuss the event. Listen here:

Sitka Community Theater presents Radio Adventure Hour, “In Other Words…” on November 14 at the Sitka Performing Arts Center. This year’s production “In Other Words…” features four radio theater plays with live sound effects– all adaptions of classic literature by local authors. Julia Smith and Lena Kapp joined KCAW for the Morning Interview to discuss the event. Listen here:

A local holistic wellness business will host a free talk on fatigue at the Hames Center on Thursday, November 13. Physical therapist Alicia Haseltine (PT), and acupuncturist Susan Chartier joined KCAW to discuss the event and their combined approach of Eastern and Western medicine. Listen here:

Gubernatorial candidate Tom Begich (D) visited Sitka last week (11-4-25) on the campaign trail, toward the tail end of his “Community Conversations” tour. KCAW caught up with the former state senate minority leader to discuss his race for the governor’s seat and where he stands on issues important to Sitkans and Southeast. Listen here:

Transcript forthcoming

A retired Sitka School District staff member has raised concerns about alleged misuse of the district’s travel accounts. While the district and local say the matter has been investigated and resolved, the former business manager believes further scrutiny is warranted.

At the Sitka School Board meeting on November 5, Leslie Young said that while she oversaw school funds during a transition to centralized accounting in 2023, she noticed some concerning charges on the district’s Alaska Airlines travel account. 

“Before the account was transferred to the business office in 2023, two employees had exclusive control,” Young said in a statement during the public comment portion of the meeting. “Records suggest that miles and companion fares earned through district-related travel may have been used for personal vacations, including trips to Hawaii, Colorado, and multiple visits to Fairbanks with no documented district purpose.”

Young said she reported the trips to her supervisor at the time. After she retired in 2024, she continued to seek more information, filing a report with the Sitka Police Department and the Professional Teaching Commission to look into the matter.

“The records available to me at the time span only a three-year period,” Young said. “To determine the full extent of the misuse, I believe [a] formal records request to Alaska Airlines is necessary to establish how many additional years of activity may be involved. I firmly believe the evidence warrants a full, independent criminal investigation, not merely an internal review by the superintendent.”

Young submitted a written complaint to the school board in August, and received a response from Superintendent Deirdre Jenson.

In Jenson’s letter to Young, she wrote that both she and the former interim superintendent had investigated the matter and said that information involving personnel would remain confidential. Jenson wrote that while there were past issues of limited account access, now multiple staff members share oversight of the Alaska Airlines mileage account, and the District monitors it continuously. But Young wasn’t satisfied by the response.

“That response is unacceptable. Public funds or resources are never intended for personal use,” Young said in her statement to the board. “Misappropriating them is not a personnel matter. It carries potential criminal consequences.” 

Speaking with KCAW after the meeting, Superintendent Jenson said the matter had been investigated both internally and externally, by multiple parties.

“There has been investigation that has been done regarding this issue,” Jenson said. “[I] cannot comment on personnel matters. What I can assure the public is that there has been no misuse of public funds.” 

KCAW also reached out to Sitka Police to learn more about its investigation. Spokesperson Serena Wild said that a police officer opened a case after Young filed a report at the end of October. The officer consulted with the Assistant District Attorney regarding the case and the ADA determined that further criminal investigation was not warranted, and the case was closed as unfounded, pending further information.

Young said the district should have brought the matter to police from the beginning, not her as a private citizen. In an interview with KCAW, she said she didn’t bring the matter to the board’s attention lightly.

“I’m really saddened by this. You know, the district is such a wonderful opportunity for students. There’s so many great things that happen, and there’s so many wonderful teachers and staff that are amazing. And I just am really saddened that it impacts the good work that happens there,” Young said. “And I just want accountability. That’s important. I want to be able to sleep at night knowing I did everything I could to make people accountable and follow the rules.”

Sitka’s New Archangel Dancers seeks women age 18 and over to join the non-profit folk dance group. Katelynn Lecrone, Brittany Pellerito, Heleena VanVeen and Sadie Maher joined the Morning Interview to discuss their experiences in the group and upcoming recruitment events on Nov. 10 and 17 at 7 p.m. at 208 Smith Street. Listen to their interview here:

Climbing over a mountain of trash bags filled with donated clothes in Mt. Edgecumbe High School’s former mail room, residential staff member Maddie Gillissie stands beside tables covered with a wide variety of donated goods, like board games, menstrual products, and toiletries. 

“As you can see, we kind of started sorting out the donations that was from our first round, and we got some yesterday and some today, and this is just from the past 48 hours,” says Gillissie.

Laundry buckets are packed like sardines at the back of the room, which are later filled with sorted clothes and bedding to be taken to the laundry room.

“So we’re gonna go through everything, make sure everything is good and can be given away, [and] wash all the clothes that need to be washed,” says Gillissie.

These donated goods will be distributed to incoming Mt. Edgecumbe High School students who have been displaced by Typhoon Halong, impacting nearly 2000 residents across Western Alaska. So far, three of the scheduled new students have arrived and have already taken advantage of some of the donated resources. Gillissie says they expect more displaced students could arrive in the future, but the timeline is uncertain. Which makes her task of organizing and labeling the donated goods all the more pressing. 

Fortunately, Gillissie is not alone in executing this task. Over the course of the evening, 10 student volunteers stop by to help sort and label all the donated goods. Amongst these students is senior Eden Dock, alongside her twin sister Kayla. For Dock, volunteering was personal, as her family is from Kipnuk, a village hit hard by Typhoon Halong.

“I was worried… [I was thinking] ‘Are they okay?’ And I hope they get to find good shelter,” says Dock.

Her family is safe and are currently sheltering in cities like Anchorage and Bethel. Dock knows how meaningful it is to have resources like Mt. Edgecumbe’s growing donation drive, and hopes that it can help students facing similar situations to her family. 

“I was thinking of my family from home and how this would have a great helpful impact for them,” says Dock.

Tom Gamble has worked at Mt. Edgecumbe for the past five years as a substitute teacher, language proctor, and basketball coach. When he heard about Typhoon Halong, his first thought was his current and former students. 

“My heart went out to them immediately, wondering, you know, were they in the houses? And sure enough, students from my team… Man, still tough to think of, but we’re a long ways away and trying to do something so that they know that their family cares,” says Gamble.

Shortly after hearing the news, Gamble and Gillissie knew they had to do something. The two teamed up, recruiting students to help brainstorm how Mt. Edgecumbe can support those in need. Their planning resulted in a donation drive across town, from local grocery stores to the city’s visitor center. And so far, Gillissie says the bins are overflowing with items on pickup day. 

“I think it’s more than I could have ever asked for,” says Gillissie. “After the first pickup, I had one student helping me, and she said, ‘Wow. Like, I’m so glad to see that people care,’ I’m glad to see people care too. I think Sitka does a really good job of showing up for the community and for its people. I’m glad that we could all rally together to do this.”

For now, students will continue to prepare donations for when their new classmates will arrive, so that they can have a clear and calm space to acquire what they need to adapt to their new home. Mt. Edgecumbe students have also organized social media campaigns, sending messages of strength to those impacted by Halong, and plan to host welcome gatherings and dancing spaces to help new students adjust to life in Sitka. For Gillissie, helping students develop mutual aid initiatives is important to her so she can demonstrate to her students that they have the power to make the world a better place.

“I think one of the things that I would want to teach my kids in this role that I am at Edgecumbe is that, like you’re never powerless,” says Gillissie. “There’s always something you can do. And it feels when things feel hopeless, there’s always hope.”

As the U.S. government shutdown continues into November, Mt. Edgecumbe’s drive is part of a growing trend across the country of mutual aid initiatives to support those in need, from natural disaster survivors to furloughed workers and those losing SNAP benefits. For Gamble, these efforts give him hope in people’s shared humanity and commitment to looking out for one another. 

“And so the student-led initiatives to community-led initiatives allow for people to have direct involvement in something, as opposed to maybe waiting for what is perceived as a benefit or a federal payout,” says Gamble. “People are just fixing the problems they see necessary to fix. We’re seeing [in] the face of adversities, humanity is showing its face.”

Listen to radio messages from MEHS students to communities impacted by ex-Typhoon Halong:
Trevon
Brody -Message 1
Brody- Message 2
Anne Marie

Starting this month, Sitka’s seasonal electric rate has decreased to a new winter rate. Municipal Administrator John Leach joins KCAW for the Morning Interview to discuss this change, how Sitka’s hydroelectric system influences its power consumption, and how Sitkans can provide input on power rates.

Denise Shaffer, Programs Director, and Andrew Hinton, Executive Director, of the Sitka Homeless Coalition join the Morning Interview to discuss the organization’s Shelter Sitka campaign. The campaign aims to raise funds and awareness for their work, including the completion of t he Hítx’i Sáani Community, Sitka’s first permanent supportive housing community with 12 residential units, set to be completed by Nov. 28. The coalition also operates a dinner program, showers and laundry services, office hours at the library and Public Health Office, and a winter shelter. Listen to their conversation here:

The Pacific Salmon Commission held a meeting in Sitka last month, where commissioners from Canada and the United States discussed Chinook salmon issues and approved an annual work plan for the coming year.  

Several people from across Southeast Alaska spoke during the meeting about the importance of conservation and maintaining fisheries access to the region.

The Pacific Salmon Commission was formed 40 years ago by the governments of Canada and the U.S. to implement the Pacific Salmon Treaty. Under the treaty, the two countries agreed to collaborate in the management, research and enhancement of Pacific salmon stocks. The current 10-year agreement expires in 2028. 

The bilateral commission meets three times a year. In October, the four-day session in Sitka concluded with public testimonies, where speakers emphasized the economic and cultural significance of salmon, particularly Chinook, also known as kings, for Southeast Alaska communities. 

“Commercial fishing is not only the backbone of the Southeast economy, but in many rural economies, it is the economy,” said Linda Behnken, director of the Alaska Longline Fisherman’s Association and president of the Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust.

During public comment, Behnken talked about the importance of salmon to the region’s economy. The economic output of the Southeast Alaska seafood industry exceeds $800 million annually, she said, accounting for 15% of regional employment with 4,400 resident commercial fishermen and 2,900 seafood processing jobs. She said no fishery is more important to the Southeast way of life and food security than the troll fishery. The troll fishery is the second largest fishery in the state in terms of numbers of permit holders, and there are troll permits owned by residents in each of the 35 communities in Southeast Alaska. Eighty-five percent of troll permits are owned by Southeast residents, and close to 50% of troll permits are held by Indigenous residents.

Behnken said she will always support harvest reductions for conservation. But harvest cuts that hurt local fishermen when stocks are growing or while other sectors are allowed to catch more, is difficult to accept. She said the current Chinook management model is no longer useful and requested it be replaced. 

“Trolling, and especially trolling for king salmon, is what sustains us,” she said. “While cohos and to a lesser extent, humpies and chums, are important to the troll fishery, Chinook are literally king, providing, on average, 40% of a fisherman’s annual income from trolling. That is why the Chinook reductions our fleet has taken over the life of the treaty have been painful to the point now of being almost crippling, leaving many without a viable business, way of life or cash flow to support even owning a boat.”

In April, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced the number of treaty Chinook salmon available this year for all Southeast fisheries was down almost 40% from last year’s allocation. Of the 130,800 allocated, trollers were allowed to catch 92,700 king salmon. The balance of treaty salmon went primarily to sport anglers.

Jacquie Foss is a commercial salmon troller in Sitka. She said almost half of her family’s income comes from king salmon. Losing access to that resource would mean significant financial burden to her family and community. 

Foss said she needs healthy salmon stocks to run her business and she supports conservation. But she worries reallocation is being disguised as conservation.

“If we, Alaska, give up fish to increase returns, those fish need to make it to the spawning grounds and not end up in someone else’s hold on their hooks or in their nets,” she said.

In April, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced the number of treaty Chinook salmon available this year for all Southeast fisheries was down almost 40% from last year’s allocation. Of the 130,800 allocated, trollers were allowed to catch 92,700 king salmon. The balance of treaty salmon went primarily to sport anglers.

Paulette Moreno, with the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, said nearly one in three commercial trollers in Southeast Alaska is a Tlingit and Haida tribal citizen. 

During public testimony, Moreno stressed the need for Southeast Alaska tribal representation on the commission and for sustainable management. 

She said for her people, salmon is not just food. Salmon is the anchor of their culture and governance, a cornerstone of their economy and the living thread that connects them to their ancestors and future generations. 

“Their decline is not just ecological, it is cultural,” Moreno said. “It strikes at the heart of who we are as Tlingit and Haida people. Families who once filled their smoke houses now worry whether their grandchildren will ever know the taste of these fish. And while local access shrinks, allocations for non-resident charter fisheries continue to grow, widening an imbalance that challenges the very intent of equitable management. These challenges demand that we act together — tribes, First Nations and all governments — to protect and restore the lands and waters that nourish salmon.”

Mary Jack is from Hoonah, and said she was speaking on behalf of a dozen fishermen from the small community. She said the health of Alaska salmon doesn’t stop at the border, and that they need cooperation from Alaska and Canada, and industry and communities, to protect crucial habitat. 

“For most, king salmon might seem like a luxury, even here in Sitka, but for us, it’s a necessity,” Jack said. “We can’t afford another source of protein. Chinook is the only salmon we have to rely on during the harsh winter months. That’s why this fishery means survival. Growing up, I remember Christmas vividly. We had a small tree, a few presents from my grandparents. My mother worried about how to put dinner on the table. That Christmas Eve, my dad went out with his uncle, Thomas Jack Sr. They caught a king salmon, they sold one, and then they raced to the local grocery store to buy presents for the kids, a few ingredients for our dinner, a winter king and a deer roast. Some might call that luck, but I remember the scramble and the worry of two men trying to pull off a Christmas miracle.”

Jack said this fishery represents survival, dignity and love for family.

“As my father Dwayne Jack Sr. reminded us only yesterday, if they take this fishery away, they’re taking away a way of life, something passed down from my great-grandfather and his great-great-grandfather was passed down to his dad, himself, and now it passes on to my brother,” she said. “Our message is simple. We believe in sustainable fishing. We believe in healthy salmon and healthy rivers. We believe in cooperation and not competition. We believe that the Pacific Salmon Treaty should continue to uphold the stability it promised, to protect not just fish, but the families and communities who depend on them.”

Following public testimony, vice-chair of the commission, Doug Vincent-Lang, thanked the speakers for their testimony before adjourning the meeting. He said their testimony provides perspective to help guide policy-making.

Listen to the full testimony here: