Traveling the District

Dear Neighbors,

With the end of session, I have been working on getting around the district. I have been attending meetings, and traveling to district communities outside of Juneau, meeting and listening to issues and concerns affecting residents in all parts of the district.

I traveled to Gustavus to participate in a City Assembly meeting, and took a tour of the community getting to see some of the issues that need addressing, as well as some projects that are underway. Gustavus and Juneau share the tourism aspect of our economies, and one of the big issues to address is loss of the breakwater and repair of the small boat dock that was damaged by severe storms last winter. The dock is critical infrastructure for the community, and provides critical docking and loading opportunities for small tour vessels operating out of Gustavus.

I also traveled to Petersburg for the Little Norway Festival. I was able to participate in all of the festivities including the Style show to view the traditional display of traditional Norwegian Bunader, the festival Parade and the Pageant highlighting local youth dancing traditional Norwegian dances. The festival is an important cultural event and showcases the unique history of the town. Another important part of Petersburg is the vibrant fishing community. The fishing season is ramping up and I was able to check out the fishing boats and the new addition to the harbor that was dedicated during the festival. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet and talk with people, and to visit the community in which my father grew up.

Sam with Carlton Smith getting ready to paddle in a canoe with the One People Canoe Society from Douglas Harbor to Marine Park for the Maritime Festival.

HEADED TO SKAGWAY

I will be in Skagway later this week (June 5th) for a Constituent Meet and Greet, and will be attending the Skagway Assembly later that evening. Please check out the details below and if you are in Skagway please come and see me while I am town.

Constituent Meet & Greet with Rep. Sam Kito III
        • Come meet Rep. Sam Kito III on June 5th from 3-5pm in the Assembly Chambers at the Skagway City Hall. Hear a wrap up of the legislative session and get an opportunity to discuss your concerns.
 
Assembly Meeting
        • Rep. Kito III will also be on the Agenda for the June 5th Skagway Assembly meeting at 7pm.

Sam stands with members of the House Bush Caucus during the last day of session as they present Rep. Austerman with a parting gift.

RECOGNITION OF LANGUAGES AND DR. WALTER SOBOLEFF

There were several important bills that passed this session but there are two in particular that I was proud to co-sponsor.

HB 216 designates the Inupiaq, Siberian Yupik, Central Alaskan Yup'ik, Alutiiq, Unangax, Dena'ina, Deg Xinag, Holikachuk, Koyukon, Upper Kuskokwim, Gwich'in, Tanana, Upper Tanana, Tanacross, Hän, Ahtna, Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian languages as official languages of the state. Alaska Native languages provide a connection to the past and to other Arctic nations. With many of the languages only having a small number of elderly speakers remaining it is critical that they are preserved and maintained.

The revitalization of languages has contributed to improved self-identity and academic performance of Alaska Native youth. The future of Alaska must include a focus on cultural and linguistic diversity. We are strongest as a state when we celebrate all of the variety and history that make us unique.

I remember my grandmother trying to teach my brother and sisters and I Tlingit, but we did not visit her enough for much of the language to become an integral part of our lives. Traditional languages are a way to respect and carry on cultural traditions that can only be described academically using english. I know many Alaska Natives can relate to my experience and are celebrating this important step in the process of preserving our native languages.

HB 217 establishes November 14th as “Dr. Walter Soboleff Day,” recognizing Dr. Soboleff as a respected Tlingit elder, scholar, statesman, storyteller, and business man who affected the lives of many Alaskans throughout his dignified career. A member of the Yéil (Raven) moiety, L’eeneidí (Dog Salmon) clan, Dr. Soboleff was a translator and scholar of Tlingit language and storytelling, and was the first Alaskan Native to be ordained as a Presbyterian minister.

As a scholar, the University of Alaska Fairbanks honored his contributions to the University of Alaska system with an Honorary Doctorate in Humanities in 1968. Dr. Soboleff then started the Alaska Native Studies undergraduate degree program at UAF in 1970, providing opportunities to this day for young Alaska Native students at UAF to learn about their cultures and histories. The University of Alaska Southeast named a campus building after him in 1976. Dr. Soboleff also was a trustee of the Sealaska Heritage Institute starting in 1985, and served as its chair from 1988 until May of 2011, when he “walked into the woods” at the age of 102. The Sealaska Heritage Institute broke ground on the Walter Soboleff Center in August 2013.

I was fortunate to be able to sit with Dr. Soboleff on several occasions and hear stories about the people he met, and the experiences he had growing up in the territory of Alaska.

Sam with Tlingit carvers Mick and Rick Beasley at the T&H Community Council Meeting

Sam meeting with Representative Don Young at the Goldbelt Hotel to discuss transportation issues.

VETERAN HOUSING IN HAINES ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS NOW

The first private veteran housing facility in Alaska is now accepting applications for residency. The Soboleff-McRae Veterans Village in Haines, Alaska will open this summer to veterans and their families interested in independent living in a welcoming community. The housing is a first-of-its-kind, offering quality housing and nearby community healthcare services. It is designed to help relieve housing wait lists for veterans and improve health services for an entire region. For more information, or to apply, please visit www.hainesveteransvillage.org.

Sam meeting with Wayne Stevens President of United Way of Southeast Alaska.

DIAL 2-1-1

Every hour of every day, an Alaskan needs essential services—from finding food and shelter to securing adequate care for a child or an aging parent. Faced with multiple directories and an array of social service agencies, people often don't know where to turn or how to get started. In many cases, they end up going without these necessary services.

Alaska 2-1-1 is a free, confidential, and multilingual health and human services information and referral system operated by United Way of Anchorage on behalf of all United Ways in Alaska.

Alaska 2-1-1 ensures that the health and human services system works for Alaskans by connecting people with the right services instead of the frustrating and time-wasting hit-or-miss connections made by people calling multiple agencies on their own behalf trying to find the right office or program or person. Health and human services are only valuable when they get to the right people with the right level of efficacy and efficiency. Alaska 2-1-1 supports all health and social service providers' plans to be adaptive, flexible and responsive to the needs of Alaskans.

Service is available statewide by dialing 2-1-1 or 1-800-478-2221 from 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM Monday through Friday and online anytime at http://www.alaska211.org/.

With Alaska 2-1-1, callers can receive referrals for:

• Basic needs: Food, clothing, shelter, temporary financial assistance, transportation, disaster.

• Physical and mental health resources: Crisis intervention, prenatal care, support groups, counseling, drug and alcohol intervention, rehabilitation, children’s health insurance programs.

• Financial stability: Employment referral services, Earned Income Tax Credits, WIC, credit counseling, food stamps, rent and utility assistance, unemployment benefits, job training, education programs.

• Support for older Americans and persons with disabilities: Home health care, adult day care, congregate meals, Meals on Wheels, respite care, transportation, homemaker services.

• Support for children, youth and families: Childcare, after-school programs, family resource centers, summer camps, recreation programs, mentoring, tutoring, literacy programs, protective services.

• Support for community crisis or disaster recovery: 2-1-1 systems in other states have proven valuable in disaster relief efforts.

Alaska 2-1-1 utilizes Language Line to communicate with limited-English speaking callers in a wide variety of languages, including: Russian; Korean; Tagalog; Yupik; and Hmong.

Sam attending the ribbon cutting ceremony for the completion of four downtown CBJ construction projects that are a part of the Seawalk Project (Cruise Ship Terminal Staging Area Phase I & Phase II, Taku Dock and Seawalk extension)

Sam attending the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies National Leadership Academy in Washington DC.

REMEMBERING BOB TKACZ

Last week, the Capitol City lost a long time, well respected journalist. Bob Tkacz died unexpectedly, and he will leave a big hole in the Capitol Press Corps. Bob was not afraid to ask difficult questions, and it earned him quite a reputation during his long tenure covering the Capitol. Bob published his own Laws for the SEA, and also wrote for the Bradner’s Legislative Digest. I first met Bob back in the mid-90’s, when I was working for the Department of Transportation, and while he could at times make me uncomfortable with his questioning, I found that giving a straight forward answer was always the best way to go. Despite his sometimes gruff exterior, I often saw him with a smile, and I know that he had an interest in making sure that public officials were doing their jobs. I will miss watching him on Gavel-to-Gavel, and seeing him in the front row as he asks question after question trying to drill down to the meaning of a particular issue or statement. Bob will be missed.

OPEN DOOR

The next phase in the renovation of the Capitol building has started and, as a result, my office has been temporarily moved from Room 422 to Room 400. Regardless of room number, my office door is always open so please come by and talk to me or my staff about any issues, concerns or comments you may have.

Sincerely,

Sam Kito III