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:: Sitka, AK - boatswife
Station/Boat Location~
USCGC MAPLE (225'), ANT Sitka, and Air Station Sitka

Date there~
2007 - 2010

Weather~
Summer was beautiful. The hottest was in the low 70's and the rest of the time it was in the 60's. The Fall average temp was around 52. Humidity is present but not oppressive as in the South. It rains a lot, but not typically a downpour. I've seen the weather change 3 times in one day! Winter can get very cold and it can snow. The other day it snowed, the sun melted everything and then it snowed again. It actually did that several times in one day! Like in any snow prone area, you just never know how much you're going to get. If you have a snow shovel or can get one, bring it with you.

Military facilities~
Air Station Sitka. They have an open galley and families are allowed to come. There is The Eagles Nest, which is the base bar/recreation area. The Gym is in the same building. There is no exchange for military items, so come prepared with what you need because you will not find it here (like navy blue t-shirts). No commissary available.
At the A/S there is a Gazebo that can be booked for functions. An awesome fish cleaning station and a path to John Brown beach. In town, there is the Hames center. As long as the city provides the funding, the gym and indoor pool will be open and free to CG and their families.

Medical~
Air Station Medical is wonderful. The pharmacy at medical is limited as to what they can fill and they do not take outside prescriptions anymore.

There are 2 civilian pharmacies in Sitka and they will now fill your prescriptions, but your best bet is to go through Express Scripts.

You also have the option to use civilian physicians, since it's a Prime Remote area.
We usually go to Mountainside Family Health Care and the nurse practitioner (Danna-Ben Seeland). She is worth her weight in gold! They are affiliated with Sitka Community Hospital. There is SEARCH (SouthEast Alaksa Regional Health Consortium) also.

Dr. Cameron is the only dentist in the provider network here. There are a couple of other dentists, but you would be responsible for payment.
Dr. Hagerman is the Opthamologist for Tricare. He's wonderful and will take care of your contact prescription also.
Housing~
Please take a look at the AK Relocation Picture Page. I have pictures of all the units, except the 4BR units.

All are equipped with a W/D, fridge, dishwasher, chest freezer and have a back porch with an electrical outlet. There is a large outside utility shed. Two parking spaces available per unit. It's a wise idea to down size or at least utilize the non-temp storage for items you can leave behind (You have to notify transportation that you have non-temp storage when you set up your pack out date when you are coming here.). There is a paid storage area behind housing for boats, RV's etc ($120/year).....but space is severely limited so this may not be an open option.

Shopping~
Shopping is very limited here. Stock up on normal supplies like socks, underwear, t-shirts before you come here, as there is no Target/Walmart to go pick something up! There are 3 grocery stores, Seamart, Market Center (owned by Seamart) and Lakeside Their sales start every Wednesday. There is a True Value, Spenard's (home builder's supply), Mac's and Russel's Sporting Goods store, some locally owned clothing/electronic shops too. If your HHG weight allows, I would bring a basic kitchen stock so you don't have to rush out and buy it here.

Child Care/Schools~
Sitka Public Schools. The HS is beautiful and the new auditorium is beautiful. Being on an island, sports are done very differently here. The teams take the ferry to where they need to go, it could be Ketchikan, Juneau and even Anchorage. I know they have fund raisers, but be forewarned that some costs will be out of pocket. They also ask for participation to house the visiting teams, the same courtesy would be utilized for your child too.It's a small HS with about 400 students. Typical teenagers......... jeans, t-shirt, pullover sweatshirt and sneakers/boots are the normal attire. They are not the most welcoming HS that we've been to. I can't say that I've been totally pleased with bringing our Senior and Sophomore to this school. Most of these kids have grown up together and sometimes are not the friendliest.

Adult Schools~
University of Alaska Southeast

Fun Activities~
All kinds of outdoor activities. Boating, fishing, hunting and hiking are on the top of the list. Sitka is a very busy place. The city is big into biking too. All bikers under the age of 18 must wear a helmet, it's the law. The community is dog friendly, but your dog must be on a leash.

Additional Info~
There are brown bears in Sitka, but not on Japonski Island where housing is. There are hiking trails all over Sitka, so just be aware that they are here.

There is Alaska Communication System for phone and internet service. There is also GCI, which provides phone, internet and cable. they both provide cell phone service also. We use ATT.

If you want tires/studs for you car, please buy them before you get here. I would also do any maintenance before you come here too. The oil chance on my Ford Fusion was $69.

Be sure to bring layered clothing, waterproof jacket/coat and footwear.

There are plenty of good Sitka beater's (2nd cars) available for sale on the island.

Other helpful websites:
Sitka.com
City of Sitka
Sitka Voice

Homeport AK

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