Katherine Rose

5 days ago | kcaw.org | Katherine Rose

“Cell tower and a perfect blue sky in the background” by Ivan Radic is licensed under CC BY 2.0.The Sitka Assembly periodically convenes as a Board of Adjustment to hear zoning appeals as a quasi-judicial body. At its meeting on May 29, the group was set to hear an appeal from Tidal Network, the telecommunications service run by the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska.

5 days ago | kcaw.org | Katherine Rose

The Sitka Assembly is leaving Lincoln Street open for at least another month. When the assembly met on Thursday (5-29-25), the group agreed that more time was needed before making a decision on whether to bring back street closures on days with high cruise traffic. The city has been closing Lincoln Street several times a week for the last few summers of rapid cruise tourism growth- last year, the street was closed to traffic  on days with over 5000 passengers visiting Sitka.

1 week ago | alaskapublic.org | Katherine Rose |Robert Woolsey

Sitka voters have overwhelmingly rejected a ballot measure that would have capped the number of cruise visitors beginning next year. Wednesday’s special election brought out almost 3,000 voters, 73% of whom rejected the proposition. This was the third largest turnout for any municipal election in Sitka since 2018. Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal owner Chris McGraw led the opposition to the proposition.

1 week ago | ktoo.org | Robert Woolsey |Katherine Rose

Sitka voters have overwhelmingly rejected a ballot measure that would have capped the number of cruise visitors beginning next year. Wednesday’s special election brought out almost 3,000 voters, 73% of whom rejected the proposition. This was the third largest turnout for any municipal election in Sitka since 2018. Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal owner Chris McGraw led the opposition to the proposition.

1 week ago | kcaw.org | Katherine Rose

It’s been nearly three years since the town of Bar Harbor, Maine voted to limit cruise traffic. In the years since, the citizen-led initiative has spurred lawsuits, an attempted repeal, and uncertainty about the future. While not entirely parallel, the case bears striking resemblance to Sitka’s, where an initiative to limit cruise traffic will be considered in a special election on May 28. Bar Harbor, Maine is a picturesque coastal community, not unlike Sitka.