KCAW - Sitka

Gov. Bill Walker is serious about finding a fix for Alaska’s struggling ferry system.

He signed earlier this year a Memorandum of Understanding with Sitka’s Garry White, who chairs the Southeast Conference, empowering the conference to look for solutions to the Alaska Marine Highway’s ongoing problems.

Robert Venables, the energy coordinator of the Southeast Conference and also chairman of the Marine Transportation Advisory Board, told the Sitka Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016, how the Southeast Conference plans to tackle its new mission.

It’s called the Alaska Marine Highway Reform project, and it begins August 20 with a statewide ferry summit in Anchorage.

That’s right. The ferry summit is going to be in Anchorage.

The irony wasn’t lost on audience member Pat Alexander.

“Who chose Anchorage for the site of that summit when the stakeholders are not in Anchorage?” Alexander asked.

Because the majority of the passengers are going into the interior and that a number of communities around Alaska use ferries that the organizations need a centralized location to meet, Venables said.

There would be more discussion on the ferry system next month, he said, when the Southeast Conference convenes for its annual meeting September 20 in Petersburg. The goal is to have draft recommendations in place which can then be forwarded to the legislature.

Venables didn’t hint at what those recommendations might look like. But he did say that there are viable, publicly-funded ferry systems working in the U.S. and Europe, and they could be a model — of sorts.

“We want to find out what will work for Alaska. It’s not going to reinvent the wheel, but it’s going to be a different-sized lug wrench once we get done figuring it out.”

Although having the support of the governor is a new twist, reforming the ferry system itself is not a new idea.

The Marine Transportation Advisory Board was formed in 2009 with an eye toward redesigning the system with more efficient sailings as fuel prices skyrocketed. At the time, there was some hope that the board would be more than simply advisory, in order to effect real change.

“I think there’s a true sense of desperation, and an acknowledgement that the system is in crisis,” Venables said. “The Marine Transportation Advisory Board is a community liaison network that is available for advising the Department (of Transportation) should they choose to. This is kind of a strategic task force to create a business and operational plan.”

With the state expecting another year unprecedented budget deficits, the legislature likely will not look favorably on a plan that appears costly — no matter how efficient it is.

Venables nevertheless expects lawmakers to be responsive.

“The legislature’s looking for answers as much as anybody,” he said. “They’re not looking for additional requests for funding, but they’re looking for solutions that will make the state’s transportation system truly viable — and at a lower cost.”

“So I think they are very anxious to see this type of effort happen. The ones that we’ve spoken to have shown support and are glad to see the users of the system really at the helm — so Alaskans are driving the process — rather than politicians.”

Compared to some other state agencies, the Marine Highway System survived last year’s budget process relatively unscathed. It took a 10 percent cut during budget negotiations, and the governor did not veto the cut in favor of something larger.

Nevertheless, the system is considering taking one ferry offline completely — the Taku — and looking into putting it up for sale.

During a special meeting Tuesday, Aug. 10,  City and Borough of Sitka Assembly members debated the merits of 12 applicants for Sitka’s city attorney position and voted on their top picks for follow-up interviews.

The applicant pool includes a mix of local lawyers and attorneys outside Alaska, along with proposals to do the job through a private practice.

Mark Danielson, the city’s director of Human Resources, began by asking the Assembly to list their top choices.

Assembly members expressed an interest in hearing more from Cary R. Gagnon, who is current counsel for a BakerHostetler in Denver, Colorado.

Gagnon’s practice focuses on navigating local and state regulations, largely for the oil and gas industry. All seven Assembly members were interested in her application.

All seven also were interested in another set of names Sitka residents may recognize.

Brian Hanson, who was appointed the city’s interim attorney after the Assembly voted to terminate Robin Schmid in April. The city attorney position was advertised April 28 through June 18.

In his letter, Hanson was not interested in taking on the full-time position with benefits. Rather, he wanted to continue part time as an independent contractor. Hanson is receiving support from the city’s legal assistant Reuben Yerkes and Rachel (Dinardo) Jones, a contract attorney.

Deputy Mayor Matthew Hunter said the current situation seems to be working. “

I’ve heard wonderful things from staff and even some members of the public about our current situation about our interim municipal attorneys and how that’s working,” Hunter said.

Hanson’s proposal to continue part time intrigued with Assembly, but Guevin wanted to consult city staff to see if that arrangement would be tenable long term.

“It’s a big departure from what we’ve done in the past, so I think it requires more discussion than just going through the interview process, as we would for a normal applicant,” Guevin said.

Jones also applied for the position, but through a one-year contract with Williams, Kastner and Gibbs, a private firm based in Seattle.

The firm’s proposal is to hire Jones to provide legal services to the city, with oversight from another WKG attorney, Markos Scheer.

Based on the contract proposal, several Assembly members were uncomfortable hiring for the position through a firm.

“I don’t feel that I directly have an employee at that point,” Steven Eisenbeisz said. “That I have to go through a firm to get to my employee, as opposed to that person directly being with us.”

In the end, the Assembly expressed a desire to interview WKG to explore the contract further, but also asked Jones – who was sitting in the audience – if she’d consider applying for the position separately.

Aside from Gagnon, Hanson and Jones, the other top vote-getters were Eugene F. Hickey, who holds a private practice in Scranton, Pennsylvania and Kevin Carlisle, who serves on the legal affairs team for Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California.

As the meeting wrapped, Potrzuski complimented Danielson for his making the process a smooth one.

The Assembly plans to conduct the majority of these one-hour interviews on Saturday, Aug. 20, interviewing local attorneys in person and conducting out-of-town interviews through Skype.

The final candidates will have a second in-person interview, along with a community meet-and-greet.

The new attorney could start as early as October 1.

Updated Aug. 6: Alex Eaton, an executive chef from Jackson, Miss., won the 2016 Great American Seafood Cook-Off crown Saturday, Aug. 6 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, The Times-Picayune reported.

John Munday of Little Rock, Ark., was named runner-up, while Peter mcCarthy of Cambridge, Mass., won third place.

Original story posted Aug. 5: A Sitka chef has been chosen to compete in the 2016 Great American Seafood Cook-Off. On Saturday, Collette Nelson will battle chefs from across the country in front of a live TV audience in New Orleans. She is the owner and executive chef of the Mediterranean-inspired restaurant Ludvig’s Bistro in Sitka.

The competition begins at 11:30 a.m Saturday, August 6. You can watch it live here.

At first, Nelson wasn’t sure what to make for the Great American Seafood Cook-off.

“I wanted to do scallops. I wanted to do prawns. Because I know the fisherman,” she said. “I thought at one point I was going to do a bounty plate – Alaska’s bounty – because we have so much and it’s so good.”

Other chefs offered their advice and Nelson took it to heart.

“They said, ‘Do what you feel good about. Do what you can represent,’ because a lot of this is about talking and representing the seafood. And so, for me, I can talk until the cows come home about salmon and how the king salmon run,” she said.

And suddenly, it clicked.

The star of Nelson’s plate would be an ivory king salmon. She’ll prepare a belly meat fillet in Mediterranean-style, topped with a roasted red pepper sauce and marcona almonds.

“When I lived in Spain, I used to take the almond and I would split it in half on my mouth and the oil – I’d rub it on my lips. They’re just amazing,” Nelson said.

There’s some local flair on the plate too. Smoked paprika salt made the Alaska Pure Sea Salt company in Sitka. Vegetables from Lori Adams’s Down-To-Earth U-Pick Garden. And the fish – Nelson was a commercial fisherman for years – was caught by her former skipper, Lou Barr.

The ivory king is 11 lbs., just the right size to fit in her unique carry-on luggage.

“So I have this rectangular violin case that I had in high school and it’s not one of the angular ones,” she said. “It’s not shaped like a violin, so I think I can fit it right in there. I want to make sure we have it in our hands at all times.”

Nelson has been the executive chef and owner of Ludvig’s Bistro for 14 years.

She was chosen to compete by Governor Bill Walker, in consultation with the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute.

The first time the Institute called with the news, Nelson didn’t believe it was real. It was. But a new worry set in.

“With the restaurant being at full speed ahead, reservations packed, a wedding to cater, I didn’t even think it was possible,” she said.

Her staff said they could make it work, she said.

“My staff is so good. I mentioned to them, ‘Yes, there’s something that has to happen here guys and you need to help me out,” and they’re like, ‘Yes!’ They’re totally excited and they want to play while the cat’s away, you know?”

Food-wise, that is. Grace Ivers will fill in as executive chef while Nelson competes in New Orleans this weekend. She’ll bring cook Joshua Miller with her as sous chef and they’ll have one hour to prepare seven plates, in front of a PBS audience, which will be Nelson’s first time cooking on television.

She turned down two previous offers to compete on the Food Network-show “Chopped.” She said the calls made her faint. But with this opportunity, she’s giving herself a different message.

“I just have to remember, ‘Grow! Get bigger! Be okay with this. Don’t just stay in my little comfort zone, which is so easy to do,” she said.

In it’s 14 year, the Great American Seafood Cook-Off celebrates America’s domestic seafood industry, inviting roughly a dozen chefs to represent their state.

Every year, the competition is mixed, but as Nelson explains, one thing stays the same.

Alaska is of course always going to be there whenever they have it. We produce 60 person of the domestic seafood that’s sold in the United States, so are a huge supporter of this festival.

Recent Alaska contestants include Mandy Dixon of Homer, owner of La Baleine Cafe, Kevin Lane of Seward, owner of the Cookery, and Christopher Vane of Anchorage, owner of Crush Wine Bistro and Cellar. Now, most of the winners in years past have been from the South – Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi – but last year, history was made.

Announcer: From the state of Alaska, Chef Beau Schooler. First time ever Alaska winner! Chef, how does it feel?

Chef Beau Schooler: Feels pretty good. I was surprised.

Chef Beau Schooler won. You can watch the video of his competition here. He ownsThe Rookery Cafe in Juneau.

Nelson too was impressed by Schooler’s dish. “He did sockeye salmon four ways. He did a very complicated dish and performed it well and they loved it.”

Nelson would love to bring the crown back to Alaska. But the more important thing for her is to demonstrate the judges, as they dine on that ivory king, the might of Alaskan fish. “That we are still catching some of the best seafood in the world in the cleanest waters and it’s sustainable and it’s still coming back. It’s still returning. And we’re strong. Alaska’s strong.”

The Great American Seafood Cook-Off will kick-off on Saturday. The contest is hosted by Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser and the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board.

Students participating in Sitka Sound Science Center’s summer camp week, aptly named “Dem Bones,” recently finished assembling the skeleton of a California sea lion.

The bones were cleaned and brought to Sitka by Shannon Atkinson of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

A group of 12 students, ranging from sixth to 12th grade, spent the week learning about the bones and putting the skeleton back together.

The California sea lion is slightly smaller but similar in appearance to the Steller sea lion.

The sea lion the students reassembled came from the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California.

The animal was stranded and rescued, but researchers believe it had developed domoic acid poisoning.

Funding for the rearticulation project was provided by the Sitka Alaska Permanent Charitable Trust.

Former Sitka administrator-turned-naturalist Hugh Bevan recorded this short video of a magnificent brown bear on one of the eight trailcams he’s installed in the Sitka area. This animal was on the move near Redoubt Bay. In honor of this summer’s Pokemon craze, Bevan named the bear “Crunchie.”

The Harry Potter books are having a second wave.

Author J.K. Rowling released Sunday a new play, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” which inspired literary events all over the country.

Sitka Public Library held a tournament in honor of the books’ No. 1 sport – Quidditch, a game played by witches and wizards on flying broomsticks.

So, to adapt the game to our gravity-bound world, the library had to get creative. The sounds of ping-pong balls could be heard hitting the table.

This is tabletop Quidditch. It looks a bit like ping-pong, except students have to bounce balls off the table, through one of three hoops, and into a cup on the other side — make it through the hoop and earn a point, but sink it in the cup, but miss the hoop, then they have to answer a trivia question:

“Who teaches defense against the Dark Arts in Harry Potter’s 3rd year at Hogwarts.”

“Professor R. J. Lupin”

The students are on their game. But the biggest fan here may be the librarian, herself. Maite Lorente has always been a big fan of everyone’s favorite bespectacled, boy-wizard. So much so, she named her dog after him.

“When the seventh book finally was published — that same summer, my dog was born, and the poor thing has to carry the name of Harry Potter forever, because it’s a passion of mine,” Lorente said.

So when she heard that the theme for summer reading programs across the country was “On your mark, get set, read!” encouraging kids to go outdoors and be active, she just knew she had to incorporate the wizarding world’s favorite pastime.

“At the beginning we wanted to do an outdoors one, but that would have required a lot of time, so we just decided to go for an indoors Quidditch tournament,” she said.

She researched her options online, and transformed a ping-pong table into a Quidditch arena. Players have to hold onto a real broom with one hand while they toss the ping-pong quaffles with the other. But there was a bit of confusion about the brooms at the beginning.

“There was a moment where I realized that I had to explain to them that we were not going to be flying with brooms,” Lorente said. “And I think some of them got a little bit disappointed. But I just explained to them that librarians can do almost everything, but to this date none of us have gotten the secret of how to fly with a broom yet.”

The kids didn’t end up being too disappointed. They got pretty into it. Elliot played for Gryffindor, and he said there were a few moments when he wondered whether they’d make it to the end of the tournament.

“It was pretty fun and pretty tense,” he said. “Sometimes I felt like whenever one team got the snitch, I got really scared wishing they won’t get it into the cup. I was glad Slytherin didn’t win that round. They were doing pretty good, that’s why I didn’t want them to win that, so we had an easier time.”

It’s easy to lionize Gryffindor, but each house has its merits. Ravenclaw is smart, Hufflepuff is kind and Slytherin is ambitious.

“I love when they come and they say ‘I want to be in the Hufflepuff house,” Lorente said. You assumed that Gryffindor was going to be filled, and that was the case, right away. When I have a Ravenclaw or a Hufflepuff or a Slytherin come in, you know that makes my day.”