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November 16, 2007
Hames PE Center Task Force
A great deal of work is taking place to find a solution for keeping the Hames PE center open and viable. It is part of AOC's partnership with the 2007 Health Summit. One of the goals of that summit is to create a community recreation/fitness center. Track the story here.
International Bike/Walk to School Day comes to Sitka
(picture and text taken directly from the October 4 Sitka Sentinel article) Sitka biking advocates gather outside Keet Gooshi Heen Elementary School Wednesday for International Bike and Walk to School Day events. The group handed out coupons for discounts at Yellow Jersey Cycle Shop for safety lights to those who walked or biked to school. Some parents, who lived too far from school to bike or walked, actually drove their child closer to school then walked with them from there. 35 bikers and 58 walkers participated, and reflective/safety gear out to approximately 25 students.
September 26, 2007
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Join kids and adults around the world to celebrate the benefits of walking and biking!
Take the Walkability or Bikability checklist with your child to rate their route to school.
Turn them in at the school office - we’ll work to make all routes to school safer!
| Walkability Checklist |
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| Bikability Checklist |
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Assembly and School Board Candidate Forum
AOC hosted a candidate forum in order to learn the views of School Board and Assembly candidate on issues of youth and family wellness, and their strategies for creating public policy that will help address these issues. AOC developed a list of questions and sent them to all candidate in advance. They were invited to attend the Thursday, September 13 AOC general meeting to respond to the questions. The meeting was filmed and broadcast on Northstar TV. Candidates who were not able to attend the meeting were invited respond to the questions in writing, via email, or with the AOC facilitators by phone.
Assembly candidates Jack Ozment, Heidi Raffaele, Joseph Reeves, and Reber Stein attended the meeting. School Board candidates Mo McBride and Lon Garrison attended the meeting, Tim Fulton and Chad McGraw responded by email.
<Read the transcript of the meeting>
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2007 Community Bike Ride
We've got pictures - check them out.
Sitka’s 2007 Community Bicycle Ride was a resounding success. While there have been community rides here in the past, this event marks the beginning of an annual initiative to bring a multitude of riders in Sitka to the streets for a fun-filled day including bicycle education, games, prizes, and, of course, riding!
 Our goal was to get 150 riders to show their support for Sitka becoming a Bicycle-Friendly Community. This goal not only was met, it was exceeded. Though we do not have an official count, we know that there were at least 250 community members who participated, and likely many more.
Loaner bicycles and helmets were available to those who needed them. Yellow Jersey Cycle Shop held a sale on helmets, and many groups and individuals pitched in to make this a very special event.
Three new bicycles were raffled to participants as an incentive to participate. A variety of activities and events led up to the highlight of the day – the bicycle parade. Led by Mayor Marko Dapcevich and STA Tribal Chairman Woody Widmark, the parade circled through downtown and returned to Crescent Harbor. Prizes were given to “Most Reflective Rider” and also the catch-all “Wow” category. Names were drawn to determine winners for the bicycles. Finally, participants could choose between three group rides, each led by a parade marshal. There was a family ride, a mountain bike ride, and a road ride – something to suite anyone’s taste.
read the full story...
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February 07 Town Meeting
Students take the lead in Town Meeting
A diverse group of students served as a youth panel for the town meeting, at Centennial Hall on February 12. The meeting was recorded and broadcast on Northstar, KSCW TV. The meeting was facilitated by Donna Rae Faulkner. In addition to the panel, there were 75 people in attendance.
The youth panel reflected on findings from a student-developed survey on perceptions of risky behaviors and community support for teens to make good decisions. The panel took questions and comments from the community and then shared their recommendations on how to more effectively support Sitka teens in making healthy choices.
Organizations, providers and individuals had opportunities to post “Call for Action” requests that answer either of these questions:
What can somebody (or a group) from Sitka do with my organization/program right now to make a difference for youth
What would I like to see anyone do in their home or neighborhood to make a positive difference for youth?
learn more...
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February 06 Youth Risk Behavior Survey
The Youth Risk Behavior Survey is an established national survey that collects data on student involvement in a number of areas, including drug and alcohol use, sexual activity, violence, harassment, suicide, safety issues, and nutrition. Sitka students have taken this survey several times. In the spring of 2005, 283 high school students and 87 middle school students took the survey.
A campaign was developed in an effort for AOC members to provide context for awareness and action about these risk-taking behaviors. A committee asked local experts for their insights on what this data means for Sitka, exploring youth reactions to this data, and collecting information about local programs and resources.
Nine areas were are focused on. For each focus area, the plan was to createa media packet that contained most of the information needed for a newsperson to put together a story on the topic. Agreements were made from the Sentinel and both radio stations to run a new topic as a headline story every other week starting in July.
learn more...
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City Administrator seeks public support for Sitka representative on Marine Highway Board
Attached is a copy of Mayor Dapcevich’s letter to Governor Palin requesting a Sitka representative on the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) Marine Transportation Advisory Board (MTAB). A Sitka representative was not among Governor Palin’s nine appointments. Specific Sitka representation is needed on MTAB to advocate for improved ferry service schedules. If you wish to comment to the Governor on this issue, now is the time. If there is not significant support for the Governor to include a Sitka representative, it will not happen. If you do submit a comment to the Governor, please blind copy Marlene Campbell at 907-747-1856 Fax, campbell@cityofsitka.com e-mail, or City and Borough of Sitka, 100 Lincoln Street, Sitka, AK 99835 so that we can collect copies of all letters. I appreciate your support of the Alaska Marine Highway System.
John C. Stein,
Municipal Administrator City and Borough of Sitka
read the letter...
Peer Helper Incentive Grants
Peer Helpers get Community Engaged
The high school students that make up the Peer Helpers are in charge of $5000 in funds. They have challenged community groups to come up with proposal that use the funds that:
- involve Peer Helpers in the project, working with adults,
- involve underserved populations in service and delivery,
- provide meaningful opportunities for youth and adults to work together, and
- the projects must be fun
They have reviewed the proposals and awarded grants to six groups: Sitkans Against Family Violence, Southeast Alaska Independent Living, Sitka Trail Works, Sitka Conservation Society, the White Ribbon Campaign, SEARHC Health Promotions.
learn more on the Peer Helpers web page
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April 07 - Sitka Commission on Health Needs and Community Services
Community Grants Program Design Recommendations
The Commission has been working on recomendations for changes to how the City awards and monitors grants.
The "Revised Proposal" is the most recent version, and will be discussed at an Assembly worksession on April 10th at 6:00 pm. An action item related to the proposal is on the regular Assembly agenda later that evening.
They are asking for support from AOC members at the meeting.
Download Documents |
| Revised Proposal |
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| Executive Summary |
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| Assembly Resolution Proposal |
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| Community Grants Program Design Recommendations |
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March 07 Peer Helper Incentive Grants
Peer Helpers get Community Engaged
The high school students that make up the Peer Helpers are in charge of $5000 in funds. They have challenged community groups to come up with proposal that use the funds that:
- involve Peer Helpers in the project, working with adults,
- involve underserved populations in service and delivery,
- provide meaningful opportunities for youth and adults to work together, and
- the projects must be fun
They have reviewed the proposals and awarded grants to six groups: Sitkans Against Family Violence, Southeast Alaska Independent Living, Sitka Trail Works, Sitka Conservation Society, the White Ribbon Campaign, SEARHC Health Promotions.
learn more on the Peer Helpers web page
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Would you like to submit information about your organization for a Spotlight article? Contact webmaster@sitkaaoc.org for more information! Community Schools
Community Schools: Keeping Sitkans Active and Learning
There is probably no organization in Sitka that is involved with more people than Community Schools. Hundreds of children, adults, and families are involved in a wide variety of activities throughout the year. More...
SAIL
SAIL: Empowering Alaskans With Disabilities to be Active Members of Their Community
The Southeast Alaska Independent Living (SAIL) program offers numerous consumer directed services to individuals with disabilities that are not available from other local service providers and are key elements to a healthy community. More...
Community Schools
 N.A.T.I.V.E. INC. offers chance for youth to learn and experience Tlingit culture.
N.A.T.I.V.E., INC., is an umbrella organization that sponsors a variety of projects which emphasize traditional Native American values, knowledge, philosophy, and history. More...
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