Category: Sitka

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A Letter to the Editor

Rich McClear

Letter to the editor, To the Editor, Fifteen years ago I led a project to train Roma journalists in Slovakia.  My students were honest and hardworking, but a stereotype followed them, limiting their opportunities.  The Roma are an ethnic group commonly called Gypsies.  My students were constantly confronted with discrimination based on the stereotype “thieving Gypsy.”  At the end of a day’s training, we wanted to have a dinner at a local restaurant, but my students were refused entrance.  After the training, I had trouble placing my qualified students as interns because of the fear that they would steal. It … Continue reading A Letter to the Editor

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Two Mornings On Jamestown Bay

Rich McClear

Saturday night we had a power failure.  Snow brought down a tree onto a power line between Blue Lake and Green Lake.  Suzi had just pulled dinner out of the over so we had a candle light dinner.  And just in case the power didn’t come back we ate all the ice cream. The view of the snow along Jamestown on Sunday Morning made the power outage worth it.  (Although I am sure the Sitka Electrical Department may disagree.)  This morning we had a beautiful moon set over Jamestown Bay and Mt. Edgecumbe after another night of fresh snow.  By … Continue reading Two Mornings On Jamestown Bay

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Chinese Lantern Festival, Sitka Style

Rich McClear

This is the first full moon of the Chinese New Year, the year of the Horse.  That means it’s the Lantern festival.  Sitka celebrated in style with a parade down Lincoln Street.  The Dragon Dancers formed up under the totem pole and danced past the Russian Orthodox Church.  The Celebration included performances by groups like the Celtic Kittens dancers.  Hank, our local bluesman, learned a song in Chinese and sang it.  Mt. Edgecumbe High School had its own dragon dance and students in the Chinese language program sang Chinese songs.   A Mt. Edgecumbe student in a kilt sang Auld Lange … Continue reading Chinese Lantern Festival, Sitka Style

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Sitka Polar Dip

Rich McClear

On Saturday about 100 Sitkans took a swim in the Sitka Channel without wet suits, dry suits, or survival suits, although one was person in a Santa suit.  The fire department had pressure hosed the ramp to get rid of barnacles.  Apparently cut feet are the biggest medical danger in this operation, and there were rescue divers off shore.  I was covering the event for Raven Radio and before the event I asked the swimmers one simple question “Why?” Here is what I got: “Why Not?” — “We’ll be leaving this summer so I figured this is our last Alaska … Continue reading Sitka Polar Dip

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Sitka Sea Walk

Rich McClear

On Thursday we had 1.7 inches of rain, it was dark and wet.  I had the feeling that the season had changed.  We were finally going to get payback for our beautiful summer and fall.  On Friday I woke up to blue skies and sunrise alpenglow on Mt. Edgecumbe.  This morning (Saturday) I woke up to — snow. Friday was a good day for walking.  I took my usual turn through the National Park and then walked Sitka’s new Sea Walk.  The Sea Walk opened on Alaska Day.  I have never driven by without seeing people enjoying the walk and … Continue reading Sitka Sea Walk

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Termination Dust, Sitka Alaska, November 2, 2013

Rich McClear

This has been a wonderful weekend in Sitka.  While we see snow on our mountains all year, those closest to the sea are bare in the summer.  We had a lot of rain at sea level during the week; in the mountains it was snow.  On Saturday it cleared and the near peaks and our volcano got their white snow caps back. “Termination Dust” is what Alaskans call it, the snow that means summer jobs are over. Some of these are shots taken on the water this weekend on a whale watch sponsored by Sitka WhaleFest (the whales I will … Continue reading Termination Dust, Sitka Alaska, November 2, 2013

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Alaska Day in Sitka, Alaska, 2013

Rich McClear

Alaska Day in Sitka Alaska Day commemorates the day in 1867 when the United States took possession of Alaska from the Russians.  It’s Sitka’s day.  Up until that time Sitka ran on the Julian calendar and was west of the International Date Line.  Sitka jumped ahead about two weeks in an instant when the American flag hit the top of the pole on Castle Hill. In most Alaska communities Alaska Day is just a substitute for Columbus Day, which is a federal but not a State holiday.  In 1980 when I worked at KTOO in Juneau, we did a vox … Continue reading Alaska Day in Sitka, Alaska, 2013

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Harbor Mountain Redux, Sept 2013

Rich McClear

The weather obliged with rain during “Running of the Boots” this morning but the clouds broke and the sun broke through a dramatic sky mid-afternoon.  Suzi and I decided to run up to the top of Harbor Mountain for much of the afternoon.  The autumn has progressed, the colors are a little more vivid than they were earlier in the week when I posted.   Continue reading Harbor Mountain Redux, Sept 2013

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Harbor Mountain, Autumn 2013

Rich McClear

Our trees do not turn to the colors of the hardwood forests in the East, but alder leaves do turn yellow and the alpine tundra in the mountains above Sitka turns red, gold and brown while the spruce, hemlock and cedar lower on the slopes retain their different shades of green.  On Tuesday the skies unexpectedly cleared, the weather bureau was caught off guard, and we had sun through Wednesday afternoon.  I got in the jeep and drove 2,000 feet up Harbor Mountain both to watch the new weather front come in from the Gulf of Alaska and walk through … Continue reading Harbor Mountain, Autumn 2013

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Sitka, Alaska, Home Base

Rich McClear

I have posted a lot of photo blog pages from Sitka this summer and wrote a letter for family and friends.  This letter is the best way to introduce you to my home town and guide you to the picture pages in this blog. August 19, 2013 Sitka, Alaska Dear Friends, Such a summer!  It is hard to believe that the “Back to School” section of The Sentinel is out.  But the days are getting shorter.  Sunrise today was at 5:38 and sunset will be at 8:31, just under 15 hours.  We are losing 4 minutes a day.  I’m sitting … Continue reading Sitka, Alaska, Home Base

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Harbor Mountain, Sitka, Alaska

Rich McClear

The Harbor Mountain road takes you to the 2,000 foot level of Harbor Mountain and connects with trails.  The road was recently rebuilt.  It was originally built by the military in World War II.  At the top of the mountain sat a super secret radar site which scanned the seas for Japanese ships. For more on Harbor Mountain, please see Harbor Mountain, Autumn 2013 and Harbor Mountain Redux, Sept 2013 Continue reading Harbor Mountain, Sitka, Alaska

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Sitka, Alaska, June 2013

Rich McClear

Several of you have sent me emails or even called asking if Suzi and I are ok.  We are more than ok.  When home I don’t write, I am just too busy enjoying the best Sitka has to offer, in both activities and weather.  The Sitka Summer Music Festival, the Sitka Fine Arts Camp, Jazz on the Waterfront, the Alaska Raptor rehabilitation center, walks in the National Park and the Starigavan Estuary, visits to the cathedral (father Michael opened the iconostas so we can see the beautifully carved altar, the glorious change bell ringing at the cathedral, a series of … Continue reading Sitka, Alaska, June 2013