Editorial Page
THE BARANOF BANNER
Published weekly on Thurs
Publishers
Richard S. Calhoun
Paul R. Pelker
Editor
Rex King
Business manager
Jeanne Pelker
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on request.
davs in the Pioneer P
Sitka, Alaska* 0 °
ress m
One Year
Two Years
Three Years
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imroiuvL
A quiet evening in the past
lew days evoked some good
exchanges oi thought among
which w as the idea that the
good old days had a number
<>l things to recommend
them. No one seemed anx
ious to have time turn back
ward in its flight', but opin
ion expressed seemed to in
dicate that our lives would
}»e much better if some of
the old values could be re
discovered and put info op
eration.
One of these opinions in
volved the family unit and
the seeming loss of our abil
ity to make the home the
center of family life. Not a
few experts in this field of
family relations trace the
whole subject of youth diffi
culties to this source.
the tendency of young
people today by and large
is toward restless movement
the urge to find something
to do to keep from being
bored. Too often the home
does not offer an answer to
these needs and youth spill
out on the community look
ing for excitement.
Adults have generally
found the things that give
them pleasure and their soc
ial lives have a pattern which
to a degree at least, keeps
them occupied and enter
tained. Young people are still
looking.
Small fry have a phrase
still as potent today as it was
to the fictional but very real
life of Penrod and Tom Saw
yer. \\ e all remember using
it: “I dare you!" and it that
didn’t produce the desired
result I double-dare you!!’
In our memory one who did
n’t rise to the bait of such a
challenge was a ‘seardy cat’.
This daring continues on in
various forms through the
life of the teen-ager and in
to adulthood where it does
n’t disappear, but rather
takes on more subtile forms.
Today s term for scardv
cat is ‘chicken’ and in the
mounting tensions of our age
the epithet can force youth
into some pretty frightening
actions. The whole sequence
is frighteningly real and in
volves such things as souped
up cars coming from oposite
direct ons speeding down a
highway without lights and
loaded with youth the ob
ject being to see how close
they can come to each other
in passing without side-swip
ing at speeds of eighty and
ninety miles an hour this is
a thrill producer par excel
lence and certainly an in
dication of the lengths to
which young people will go
in their restless seeking of
diversion.
The fault does not lie with
the youth themselves but ra
ther in the loss in these times
of those pleasures that once
formed part of ‘staying home’
of an evening.
The solution in part s°ems
to lie with each family unit
trying to work out a plan of
action that will include the
whole family in pursuits
that are at once constructive,
fun, and wholesome. The
three are not imeompatable.
It is an error to condemn
the whole of youth tor the fo!
lies of a portion. But parents
too often lull themselves in
to false security by refusing
to believe that their children
could get into trouble, l et
them reach back in memory
for reactions produced in the
long ago In sortie cohort say
ing, “ahhh your just an old
search’ cat!” Multiply that
reaction a thousand fold and
you have1 the explosive re
action to the atomic age
phrase, ‘chicken’.
Youth want to be under
stood, want to be loved, want
to be praised, want to be to
gether and want to have fun
that’s as it should be. The
home should supply the bas
sis of all these things, and
its not too late to recapture
it.
a 9 « <»
Letters to the Editor
The H A HANOI' BANNER offer* these columns to any
one who has ti statement for the oonunimitv.
to the BARANOF BANNER
The hearings in Sitka, Apr.
15, 1958 on the small boat
harbor.
In this meeting there was
considerable criticism voiced
against Sheldon Jackson Jr.
College and the Board of
National Missions of the Pres
byterian Church because of
their stand against the de
velopment of the small boat
harbor in the Crescent. With
out stating these criticism
or their implications, it is our
purpose to outline briefly the
reasons for the Opposition to
the location in the Crescent.
The record of sendee of
the Presbyterian Church in
behalf of the poeple of Ala
ska over a period of 85 years
J stands upon its ow n merit.
Occasionally the reasons for
individual actions have not
been understood but over the
years this ministry has been
helpful and beneficial. It is
the desire of the Board of Na
tional .Missions to continue
a positive ministry which
will he good for all people
in every facet of life.
The Board of National
Missions expressed the view
that it would be better for
the youth of Alaksa who
come to Sheldon Jackson Jr.
College1 and easier for the
program of the school to
have the school and the
small boat harbor in separ
ate locations.
The campus of the school
laces the sound on the Cres
cent. It is one of the most
beautiful natural settings in
all of \laska. To place the
small boat harbor there
would break this natural set
ting and beauty. It would
mean also that the City of
Sitka would have no open,
mobs'ru'd d coast line, On
this basis of natural beauty
for the campus, the entire
Crescent and the City, the
Board is opposed to the lo
cation of the boat harbor in
the Crescent.
Right now Sitka needs and
should have a small boat
harbor. There are more boats
now than can be aecommod
ated. This condition will be
more acute as the city grows.
The increase in numbers of
boats will be in the direction
of Jamestown Bay where
there is ample area for future
expansion as the numbers
increase while the Crescent
is limited in area. If the
boats which are used occa
sionally or tied up during the
winter were moved to James
town Bay there would be
much more useable space in
the present harbor for those
who come and go frequent
ly, those who come in late at
night or who need to conic
to the shops for repairs.
There is bus transportation
ot Jamestown Bay and with
future development in that
direction there will he more
frequent service.
Tiie Board has a replace
ment investment of one and
one-half million dollars in the
property of the Junior Col
leg. Plans are going forward
for future expansion and de
velopment. The Board would
deeply regret any situation
which would retard or com
plicate the expansion of this
program for the youth of
Alaska. With sincere purpose
tlie Board desires to work
with the city of Sitka in the
interests of having both a
small boat harbor with ade
quate facilities and an ac
credited High School and Jr.
College in the most favor
able location and surround
ings.
signed J. EARL JACKMAN
for the Dep. of Edu. and
Medical Work-Board of Nat
ional Missions
a « « a
to the BARANOF BANNER
At the most recent meet
mg on the small boat har
bor considerable criticism
was heaped upon Sheldon
Jr. College and the individ
uals representing the school
for its stand on the Crescent
as a boat harbor.
This is still a free coun
try and everyone is entitled
to his or her opinion. With
one exception those present
represented views as it af
fected them individually.
The others of us represented
the views of the people who
make the Sheldon Jackson
School possible.
The school is supported
each year by thousands of
people throughout the U. S.
uh0 give their money freely
in order that the Sheldon
Jackson School may be rnain
tained-to a tune of over $200.
000 not including such 9
items as new' buildings that
have been built within the
past few years-or including
their capital investment
These people are represent
ed by some 54 persons who
meet with the officials of the
Board of National Missions
and help decide on impor
tant policies which are car
ried out in so far as possiable
by the employed personnel
in New York and on the local
scene.
Certainly these people
who are the sole support of
the school have a right to
express their opinion as much
as anyone else,
As only a parent knows,
there are certain responsi
bilities in caring for a single
child 24 hours a day. Shel
don Jackson Jr. College has
that responsibility multi
plied 150 to 200 times and if
they object to having a boat
harbor nearby which might
multiply their responsibility
-as a 150 or more parents
they have a right to express
tlieir opinion. This and the
fact that the site was select
ed years ago for its natural
beauty are the reasons ex
pressed by the Board.
The school is and has al
ways been operated for the
young people of Alaska at a
nominal cost to each and
everyone. Untold benefits
have been derived by those
attending school as those of
yon who have attended the
Sheldon Jackson School
know.
During the 85 years in Ala
ska the Presbyterian ('hutch
has been a source of contin
uous help to the people of
Southeast Alaska-it has not
ehanged-it has gone forward.
We believe that Sitka needs
a small boat harbor. The pre
sent site plus Jamestown Ba>
would seem to take care of
the needs tor an expanding
Sitka community.
As a former public school
teacher and administrator,
1 can concur with tire attit
tude of the Board of National
Missions. A report on the
meeting is being sent to our
New York office,
signed GERALD G.
MARKET
Business Manager
0*0
o
Director Honored
Miss Virginia Murphy, di
rector of the Mt. Edgecombe
Practical Nursing school has
been awarded a scholarship
by the U. S. Public Health
Department.
Fhe grant will enable Miss
Murphy to take a year’s
l<‘ave of absence from the
Mt. Edgecombe school and
enroll at the Catholic
University in Washington 1).
C.. She will do graduate
study for a Masters degree
in Administration and Nurs
ing lulu cat ion.
Miss Murphy has already
achieved an enviable repu
tation for her outstanding
work at the PN school here.
O O o A
Your Building Dollars
Will buy More at
Columbia Lumber Co.
For Consultation
Free Estimate's
Phone* 747-3335
a a a »
Helen's Cake Shop
CUSTOM MADE CAKE
for all occasions
Mrs. Waiter R Johnson
14 Maksoutoff
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Chuck n' Bill's
Angelo's Kitchen
Open 5 P.M. - 8 A.M.
a fine selection of liquor and beer
Service Any Time Town Prices
Phone 747-3575
The Channel Club
Open Every Evening
From 6:00 pm till then for your Dining & Dancing enjoy
ment. 3 miles north of Sitka on Halibut Point Road.
Tippy's Channel Club Kitchen
Fresh Steak, Chicken, and Sea Foods. Let us cater to your
Banquets & Get Togethers Open Daily at 6:00 pm
Sunday s at 4:00 pm for your family dinners. Childrens
portions served.
ANCHOR 8 BUS & TAXI SERVICE
BILL & DOT WYRES, SITKA, ALASKA
RADIO DISPATCHED
SIGHT SEEING TOURS
CHARTER SERVICE
AMBULANCE & HEARSE SERVICE
LIMOUSINE SERVICE
DIAL 747-3258
$500 Reward
For information leading to the Arrset
& Conviction of the person or persons
who robbed the Sitka Cold Storage
safe on the night of February 21,1958
L.T. Peterson, Mgr.
Sitka Cold Storage Co.