Author: Robert Woolsey

Walls: Living within our electrical means, pt. 2 of 2

Sitka is entering the winter with two full reservoirs above its hydro-electric plants, but that was also the case last year. Low rainfall in the end of November and in December 2007 caused Blue and Green lakes to run low earlier than expected. Outgoing utility director Charlie Walls believes that over the next ten years Sitka could easily repeat the experience of this year, when the electric department was forced to run backup diesel generators to conserve water in the lakes. In fact, he believes it’s inevitable if oil prices remain high. In the second part of a two-part interview, Walls talks with KCAW’s Robert Woolsey about creating the policy and the political will to keep the town living within its electrical means until more hydro power is available in 2018.

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Tribal candidates share views Pt. 3

The last of our candidate profiles features Sharon McIndoo, running for one of four Tribal Council seats and 16 year incumbent, Woody Widmark, running for Tribal Chair. Sitka Tribe of Alaska's elections are tomorrow, November 11th.

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Walls: Electric rates may increase with loads, part 1 of 2

Despite slowly falling prices for fuel oil, Sitka’s electrical system is still feeling the pinch of increased demand. In fact, fuel oil would have to fall well below $3-dollars a gallon to be competitive again with electrical rates in Sitka, where consumers pay just over $.09 cents per kilowatt hour to heat their homes with electricity. Until the expansion of the Blue Lake hydro project comes online in 2018, Sitka’s electrical department may be forced to meet increasing demand by running the backup diesel generators on Jarvis Street, and burning huge quantities of diesel fuel to do so. In a worksession with the Sitka assembly last month, outgoing electrical director Charlie Walls tried to prepare local lawmakers for a future where electric rates in Sitka could be – at least for a few years – fifty-percent more expensive. In part 1 of a 2-part interview, Walls spoke with KCAW’s Robert Woolsey about his interest in creating electrical policy in Sitka to fend off higher rates.

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Tribal candidates share views, pt. 1

The four-thousand members of the Sitka Tribe of Alaska will be going to the polls on Tuesday (11-11-08) to elect a new tribal council. The federally-recognized tribal government for Sitka manages a wide variety of social services for its citizens, including a tribal court. The STA’s annual budget is about $7-million dollars. This year six candidates are running for four open seats on the nine-member council, and two candidates are running for chairman. KCAW has extended an invitation to each candidate to share his or her views about the work of the council. While travel schedules did not allow full participation, we did connect with several candidates. KCAW’s Robert Woolsey has profiles of Mike Baines, Dennis Demmert, and George Paul. (With help from Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock.)

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Democrats sweep contested races in Sitka

Turnout in Sitka was high for Tuesday’s general election, but it will be up to early and absentee voting to determine if it was a record. Except for incumbent state senator Bert Stedman, who ran unopposed, Sitkans preferred democrats in all races.

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Hall: Insurance rates protect company solvency

Alaska’s top insurance regulator says that, among other things, her job is to make sure insurance companies remain solvent through good times and bad. Linda Hall, the director of the state division of insurance, addressed the Sitka Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday (10-29-08). Hall has run the division of insurance for five-and-a-half years. She says she’s the first person with a significant background in the insurance industry to do so. Hall told the Chamber audience that workers’ compensation claims and health care costs ran far above the national average in Alaska. While paying premiums to cover those claims was not something businesses looked forward to, Hall warned that insurance company insolvency was a greater threat.

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Senate challenger will seek pardon for Stevens

A challenger in the race for the US Senate will ask the president to pardon incumbent Ted Stevens. David Haase, the Libertarian candidate for senator from Alaska, says he would write President Bush “not for me, but for all Alaskans.” Haase extended this offer – and discussed some other campaign issues – in a call to KCAW in Sitka shortly after Stevens received his guilty verdict on October 27, 2008.

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Mt. Edgecumbe Yupik dance group going strong

The Mount Edgecumbe Yupik dance group was one of the performers at the Alaska Federation of Natives Convention last week in Anchorage. The group is made up of primarily Yupik dancers, but there are also kids from other cultures that are welcome to join as well.

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