Author: Robert Woolsey

The first 49-star flag in Alaska was raised in secret at 12:01 AM on July 4th 1959 on Sitka’s Castle Hill. Organizers of this year’s local Independence Day celebration plan to re-create the clandestine ceremony, which was attended by then-governor Bill Egan and his wife, along with a number of military officials. According to contemporary newspaper reports, the flag-raisers wanted to honor Alaska’s statehood by raising the new 49-star flag in the same location that the first US flag was flown over the former Russian Colony in 1867.

Trollers will start the commercial fishing season offshore today (7-01-09) without the benefit of the Cape Edgecumbe weather buoy. But if this summer’s good weather holds, the buoy should be back in position before the fishing season is over.

This year, Alaska overtook Nevada to become the state with the fastest growing population of elderly people. And for the most part, state agencies seem to be preparing for the needs of older Alaskans. But there’s one segment of the senior population that’s having a difficult time finding the care they need: those with mental illness.

Sealaska shareholders this weekend narrowly rejected imposing term limits on their board members. Also at the annual meeting in Sitka on Saturday (6-27-09), shareholders seated an independent board candidate, and authorized an additional 100 “life estate” shares for older members.

The Sheldon Jackson Board of Trustees hosted a public meeting on Wednesday as they continue to struggle to develop a plan for the future of the former college. The board is reaching out to the city of Sitka, state government and even a small, private university in Iowa. KCAW’s Emily Schwing reports.

Thanks to the city of Sitka – and the cruise ship tax – you can now update your MySpace page from the lawn at Totem Square or download music while leaning on the wall across from Ernie’s. Last week, the city launched a public internet program and soon, free wireless will be available in downtown Sitka -- from Pioneer Square to Crescent Harbor.

Regional inter-island Ferry service provided by the Inter-island Ferry Authority in Northern Southeast Alaska is no longer an option. During a regular Sitka Assembly meeting on Tuesday, representatives from the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida India Tribes of Alaska urged the assembly to approve a resolution in support of a high priority inter-island ferry initiative but what the Assembly didn’t know was that a Sitka-based company could become the ferry boat operator. KCAW’s Emily Schwing reports.

The Alaska Marine Highway has posted a revised schedule for the coming winter that includes more service to Sitka from the fast ferries. The tradeoff is that the LeConte will continue its current dayboat schedule, and connections between Sitka and the villages will have to be made through Juneau – sometimes requiring a layover of several nights. The school district, on the other hand, could see significant savings.

The Sitka School Board will wait until this fall to take final action on a policy change that would allow some religious promotion in schools. Board members characterized it as a first amendment issue. KCAW’s Emily Schwing Reports.

The swimming pool at the Hames Athletic and Wellness Center has re-opened. The pool was closed over most of the winter for repairs to its pump system. Pool manager Jane Eidler says the city, school district, and Pacific Tower Properties all eventually cooperated to get the pool up and running again. But it was really a couple of talented handy-men – and some outside-the-box thinking – that tackled the problem.