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100 East Marine Way, Suite 300
Kodiak, AK 99615
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President's Message
Chamber Members,
Hard to believe it’s been almost a year since the pandemic began. I got my two vaccinations and had no issues – easy, peasy! Kodiak is doing a great job rolling out the vaccines to Island residents with more than a third of Kodiak’s over-16 population having received at least one shot by the end of February. This number excludes Coast Guard or Veterans Affairs folk so things are even rosier. Kodiak continues to do a great job keeping the virus at bay - keep up the good work. We will get back to normal!
Due to Covid-19, ComFish will be online again this year (March 30-31) so save the date. Virtual ComFish Alaska 2021 has nearly everything you love about the in-person event:
- Tradeshow with great exhibitor discounts
- Great interactive forums to learn, ask questions and get important fisheries updates
- The opportunity to interact with your State and Federal legislators
- Connecting face to face with old friends and colleagues you haven’t seen since COVID began
- The evening reception where you'll enjoy beer and catch up with friends
- Opportunity to win giveaways
This is no regular Zoom meeting, it’s the closest to an in-person fully functional event we can get. Registration is required so please register soon.
The 2021 Relocation Guide just launched digitally so check it out. Published every year to assist those that are moving to Kodiak or about moving to Kodiak, it contains our full Member Directory along with facts and info about life in Kodiak. And some awesome photos as well.
We welcome quite a few new Chamber members this month: Cranky Crow B&B, Puffin Vacation Rental, and Jack White Real Estate.
Tax-Free Day is on Saturday, March 6th. This is a great opportunity to save money and support local merchants. Many business owners will have additional savings besides the city of Kodiak’s tax-free day.
Happy Saint Paddy’s Day – Shop Local! And enjoy Spring Break.
Julie Bonney
President
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ComFish Alaska 2021
Not Your Typical Virtual Event
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When: March 30th-31st
Where: ComFishAK.com
Cost: Completely free to attend thanks to the generosity of our sponsors
How Does it Work: Virtual ComFish Alaska is a fully interactive and immersive tradeshow and forum experience. Simply register for the event and on March 30th-31st access the website with a webcam or mobile device with a camera. This is no regular Zoom meeting, it’s the closest to an in-person fully functional event we can get! See the video below for a demonstration. Exhibitor demo's can be found on Exhibitor Registration.
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Virtual ComFish Alaska 2021 has nearly everything you love about the in-person event:
- Tradeshow with great exhibitor discounts ✓
- Great interactive forums to learn, ask questions, and get important fisheries updates ✓
- The opportunity to interact with your State and Federal legislators ✓
- Connecting face to face with old friends and colleagues you haven’t seen since COVID began ✓
- The evening reception where you'll enjoy beer and catch up with friends ✓
- Opportunity to win giveaways ✓
Attendance to ComFish Alaska 2021 is completely free thanks to the generosity of our sponsors.
Please help support ComFish Alaska by supporting them.
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Attention All Mariners,
Attention All Mariners!
Bring your sea stories to ComFish Alaska! Our stories pull our community together, and while we can’t wait to get you back on that ComFish stage, this year we hope to see you from the other side of our video screen. In the spirit of Alaska fishing community resiliency, the virtual tradeshow and forum are fully interactive and immersive. The Kodiak Chamber of Commerce will feature
pre-recorded stories during virtual receptions at 5pm on March 30th and 31st.
Please help us capture and share a few of the many stories that make up the fabric of our rich maritime history by recording a 3-5 minute fish tale either into your smartphone or your computer. (If recording on a phone, please hold the camera horizontally.)
Sea Stories will coincide with delicious rockfish tacos from the Million Recipes food truck in the Kodiak Island Brewery parking lot. Details to follow, but for now, send us some stories and help us pull together in an innovative way.
March 26th.
Visit ComFishAK.com for continual updates and more information. Contact Theresa Peterson, Phil Lampron, or Sarah Phillips at the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce with questions.
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The City of Kodiak accepted a resolution in 2009, requested by the Chamber, to hold a tax-free day on the first Saturday of March each year. This year's tax-free day is coming up on Saturday, March 6th!
Be sure to take full advantage of the program by visiting your favorite local businesses and shopping tax-free all day long! Many businesses will be offering special sales and discounts in addition to tax-free shopping. Check out the Chamber's Facebook page for all the local deals!
Special thanks to the City of Kodiak for their continued support.
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2021 Kodiak Relocation Guide |
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We are proud to announce that the
The Kodiak Chamber has created the relocation guide to assist those moving to Kodiak or about to start their move, or simply to learn more about what the Kodiak Community has to offer. It contains our full Member Directory along with facts and info about life in Kodiak!
You can access an electronic copy by clicking on the image.
Member businesses and local residents are welcome to pick up free copies of the guide starting in Mid-March.
We want to thank all of the photographers who submitted their beautiful images, which you will see throughout the guide.
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Updates from the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce |
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We're kicking off 2021 by providing more information to our members than ever before! Tune in every other Thursday at 4 pm as the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce updates businesses about opportunities, challenges, and advocacy outreach.
We'll cover:
- The science, safety, what to expect from the COVID-19 vaccines, and time for Q&A from the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services.
- The Buy Alaska Campaign and what it can do for your business.
- Sales Tax Free Day
- ComFish Alaska
Join us on Thursday, March 4th, March 18th & April 1st!
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In October 2020, the Alaska Small Business Development Center relaunched BuyAlaska, a program designed to support the small businesses we serve.
In partnership with over 30 leading organizations across Alaska, BuyAlaska connects consumers to Alaskan-owned businesses and encourages shopping small before turning to national retailers.
Alaska Small Business Development Center is pleased to let you know that BuyAlaska has just launched a directory for Alaskan-owned businesses. Creating a listing is simple and will guide customers to your business:
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Visit www.BuyAlaska.com
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Sign up as a BuyAlaska Member for free
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List Your Business on the BuyAlaska Statewide Directory
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CRANKY CROW B&B
JACK WHITE REAL ESTATE
PUFFIN VACATION RENTAL
Interested in becoming a member? The Chamber Membership gives your organization the tools and support it needs to succeed. With access to business resources, educational materials, advocacy, networking opportunities, and much more... Contact us for more details!
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ALASKA GROUNDFISH
DATA BANK
ARCTIC CHIROPRACTIC & MASSAGE KODIAK
PACIFIC BOAT BROKERS
PROVIDENCE KODIAK ISLAND MEDICAL CENTER
UNITED FISHERMEN'S MARKETING ASSOCIATION
VERTIGO AIR
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Member Updates & Spotlight |
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Emergency Rental Assistance Program |
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IMMEDIATE RELEASE
KODIAK ISLAND HOUSING AUTHORITY
3137 Mill Bay Rd. Kodiak, AK 99615
(907) 486-8111
kiha@kiha.org
The purpose of this letter is to formally announce that the U.S. Department of the Treasury has allocated over $5.8 million to the Kodiak Island Housing Authority (KIHA) for the implementation of an Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP). This program provides up to 12 months of financial assistance to eligible renter households that are struggling to pay rent and utilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. Department of the Treasury was clear about who these funds are to serve; both tribal and non-tribal members who live in KIHA’s service area and those who do not, provided they meet all eligibility criteria and are not already receiving other emergency rental assistance. Based on these criteria and guidance from our Board of Directors, KIHA is committed to serving all eligible households that apply.
KIHA will be partnering with Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) so that community members can apply for these funds using AHFC’s convenient and user-friendly online portal. To access the portal, you MUST have access to the internet, a valid email address, and a cell phone with texting capabilities. We understand that this option will not work for everyone, so we have put together both a paper application and a fillable form on our website (www.kodiakislandhousing.com). KIHA will work directly with households to ensure that everyone who is eligible has access to these funds and is confident that all households in Kodiak with a need will be served.
If you are able to apply using the AHFC portal, please feel free to do so. For more information, or to access the portal, please visit their website: alaskahousingrelief.org/renters. For direct assistance, simply call or text “relief” to (833) 440-0420 (toll-free). AHFC will be accepting applications beginning on Tuesday, February 16th, 2021. Applications will be accepted via the portal until 11:59 p.m. AKDT on Friday, March 5th, 2021. After that date, KIHA will continue to accept applications.
If you are unable to apply using the AHFC portal or if you would prefer to apply directly to KIHA using a paper application method, we are here to assist you! Please reach out to the contact information provided above. Those who are currently living in a KIHA-assisted property, live in a Mutual Help Home, or that participate in KIHA’s other programs are also welcome to apply.
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CARES Act Update
For Immediate Release: February 25, 2021
Spend Plan Approved – Section 12005 CARES Act Funding
(Anchorage, AK) – On May 7, 2020, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce announced allocations of Section 12005 CARES Act fisheries assistance funding to all coastal states and territories. Alaska will receive $50 million of the $300 million available for this assistance program. The spend plan provides eligibility criteria for participants in each of the sectors, which are seafood processing, commercial harvesting, sport charter, subsistence, and aquaculture. The spending plan will allocate 100% of available funds as direct payments to fishery participants in eligible sectors. While all sectors have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, available funds will only cover a portion of the losses incurred by affected fishery participants.
On February 25th the state received approval on the state’s draft spend plan, with required changes from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) The approved spend plan is available on the Department of Fish and Game’s home page www.adfg.alaska.gov.
To receive approval from NOAA on the spend plan, the state was required to change residency requirements for commercial harvesters. The spend plan draft submitted by the State of Alaska allowed all nonresident commercial harvesters to apply to Alaska for relief if they held Alaskan permits. The state was notified by NOAA during the review process that only nonresident commercial harvesters who do not reside in a state that received a Section 12005 allocation could be eligible in Alaska.
Applications for all sectors, except subsistence, will be made available on the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission webpage on March 1st www.psmfc.org/cares-act-the-coronavirus-aid-relief-and-economic-security-act. NOAA is currently working with US Fish and Wildlife Service to identify subsistence users across Alaska. Once they have completed this task, subsistence will become available. The completion date is unknown at this time.
For questions or inquiries related specifically to Alaska’s Sec. 12005 CARES Act Fisheries Assistance relief please email AKCares@psmfc.org or call toll-free: 1-888-517-7262. If you have the ability to email, you may receive a quicker response due to the large volume of calls anticipated to be received.
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Alaska CARES Act Information |
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NOAA is currently working with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to identify potentially eligible subsistence users across Alaska. Once this task is completed, subsistence applications will become available.
Applicants will be responsible for downloading or printing their applications on this site. Applicants are encouraged to complete and submit their applications electronically, although will still be permitted to print, complete by hand, and submit through traditional mail methods, i.e USPS, FedEx, UPS, etc. Applications will NOT be mailed unless explicitly requested. Given the application period is only 54 days; all applications MUST be received or at least postmarked on or before 4/23/2021 - ABSOLUTELY NO LATE APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED, Commission staff highly encourage applicants to obtain the necessary documents themselves due to these time constraints and due to our limitations to review and respond to voicemails and emails promptly.
If requesting an application by mail, please email AKCares@psmfc.org, subject the message "Application Request," and provide your name, an address where you can receive mail, and indicate which application(s) you are requesting. If calling our toll-free hotline, please do the same.
For questions or inquiries related specifically to Alaska’s Sec. 12005 CARES Act Fisheries Assistance relief please email AKCares@psmfc.org or call toll-free: 1-888-517-7262. If you have the ability to email, you may receive a quicker response due to the large volume of calls anticipated to be received.
Alternatively, you may reach out to ADFG personnel working on Alaska’s ~$50 million Sec. 12005 CARES Act relief at dfg.com.caresact@alaska.gov or (907) 465-6136.
Alaska’s Sec. 12005 Coronavirus aid relief and economic security act AK Spend Plan
If uploading your application, you will receive a confirmation email upon successful submission. Please check your spam folder if not in your inbox. If you have not received a confirmation email, please try again.
*Alaska Subsistence User CARES Act applications are currently unavailable*
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“When Crab Was King,”
Downtown Kodiak Portrait Exhibit
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IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PO Box 1876 Kodiak, AK 99615
907-486-0384
Kodiak Maritime Museum is currently installing a new outdoor exhibit featuring photo portraits of people who lived through Kodiak’s historic King Crab fishery, from the late 1950s through the early 1980s. More than 40 of these iconic images of fishermen, processing workers, bartenders, housewives, and others, were made by the museum in 2010, and 20 have now been re-printed on 6 foot by 4-foot aluminum composite panels. The images are being installed on the exterior walls of buildings in downtown Kodiak.
Formatting of the images was designed by KMM staff and the photographs were shot in 2010 by local photographer Alf Pryor. Funding for the project comes from the City of Kodiak, Kodiak Island Borough, and Alaska Humanities Forum.
Because KMM does not have indoor exhibit space of its own, smaller versions of the images were originally exhibited in 2011 at the Baranov Museum, along with an audio cell phone tour. That exhibit has also been shown in various other museums around Alaska and in the Pacific Northwest.
The museum believes the new large-scale formatting and outdoor exhibit of these historically important images will be a striking addition to the industrial environment of Kodiak’s waterfront and will allow for a much wider audience than the original 2011 indoor exhibit. The current exhibit is further enhanced because it is happening on “Cannery Row,” where millions of pounds of king crab were once processed, and where many of the people depicted in the exhibit once worked. The images will eventually also include small QR codes which can be scanned with a mobile phone to link to a KMM web page where the voices of the people in the portraits can be heard telling their king crab stories.
The images currently being installed were printed by Graphic Works in Anchorage and are ruggedly designed for long-term outdoor display. They are intended to remain in place for at least a year. Should the exhibit be successful and as funding and other outdoor wall spaces become available, additional images from the collection may be printed and exhibited.
KMM is working with building owners and Seel Construction to ensure the images are mounted securely and safely. Building owners with an interest in participating in the program should contact the museum.
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KEA Seeks Candidates for the
KEA Board of Directors
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IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: January 20, 2021
CONTACT: Nancy B. Sweeney, Communication/HR Specialist
PHONE: (907) 486-7709
Three Seats Up for Election Kodiak Electric Association, Inc. Board of Directors
The deadline for filing petitions is March 10, 2021.
Three seats on the Board of Directors are up for election this year in Kodiak Electric Association, Inc.’s membership election.
The Board of Directors consists of nine elected voting Directors, and one United States Coast Guard appointed non-voting liaison. This year, the seats currently held by Directors Stosh Anderson, Michael Brechan, and Cliff Davidson are up for election. All three seats are for three-year terms. KEA members locally elect KEA’s directors.
Candidate petition packets are available by contacting the KEA office. To be an eligible candidate, you must be a member of KEA.
Completed candidate petition packets must be received by 5 pm on Wednesday, March 10, 2021, at the KEA office at 1614 Mill Bay Road.
The Notice of Annual Membership Meeting, Annual Report, and ballots will be mailed to members of KEA on Thursday, March 25, 2021. Completed ballots must be returned by mail in the envelope that is provided with the notice of the meeting and must be received by noon on Friday, April 16, 2021. All voting will be done by mail.
Ballot results will be announced at KEA’s Virtual Annual Membership Meeting on Monday, April 21, 2021. The meeting will begin at 7:00 pm.
During 2020, regular meetings of the Board were held on the fourth Thursday of each month, beginning at noon. An average of 30 hours is required for 12 regular meetings during the year. The Board also meets as a whole for the Annual Membership Meeting and on the next day to organize the slate of officers. Meetings may be held virtually.
KEA’s Bylaws state that each member is entitled to one vote. Joint members are jointly entitled to one vote. A ballot is voided if a person not listed on the account signs the return envelope. KEA members uncertain about the name(s) listed on their accounts are encouraged to call KEA to find out how to update their accounts. The deadline for any changes to be in effect for this year’s election process is February 24, 2021. Business Accounts (corporations, partnerships, and sole proprietorships) should annually update their list of officers/owners authorized to vote on behalf of the account.
For further information, contact Nancy B. Sweeney, Communication/Human Resource Specialist, at (907) 486-7700.
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Alaska Airlines Next-Level Care |
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Alaska Airlines Next-Level Care
With the safety of our guests and employees in mind during these times, we have thought through every single touchpoint of the travel experience. From booking to boarding, and beyond, we have implemented nearly 100 ways to keep you safe every time you fly with us. Learn about the latest actions we’re taking to keep you safe, and what you can expect when you are ready to fly.
COVID-19 testing information for travelers
We're helping our guests travel to destinations that require a negative COVID-19 test result. We're partnering with multiple testing providers to offer COVID-19 travel testing — available by appointment in-person, at-home, or drive-thru. Please make your appointments early, as availability is limited.
Club 49 Hub
Check out our new Club 49 Hub! Your one-stop for the latest news from Club 49, learn about ways we’re working to make life in Alaska a little bit easier for our flyers, and special promotions and giveaways.
Hawaii Pre-Clear Program
Alaska Airlines guests traveling to Hawaii can now pre-clear on the West Coast, avoiding lines and bypassing the airport screening process after they arrive in Hawaii with an approved negative COVID-19 test. Alaska’s Pre-Clear program, launched this week in coordination with the State of Hawaii, is the first of its kind to allow guests to obtain an exemption from the state’s mandatory 14-day quarantine before departure.
10 Question You Might Have About Traveling Again
Alaska Airlines is here to bring you the best care in the air—and answers to your burning travel questions—check out our tips so you can travel well and plan those long-awaited trips for spring and summer!
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Should you have any questions about PPP, grants, additional funding, or any other COVID-19 related questions, please contact the Chamber at (907) 486-5557 at any time.
Additional resource links for COVID:
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Don't forget to add your 2021 events to our calendar or send them to us at chamber@kodiak.org!
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President Julie Bonney
Past President Lindsay Knight
Vice President Patrick Cummings
Secretary/Treasurer Jeff Sanford
Board Members
Kevin Bumgarner · Daniel Eubanks · Tyler Kornelis ·
Phil Lampron · Diane Million · Ginny Shank · Pua Timu · Tyler Wallace
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City of Kodiak Representative Mike Tvenge
Kodiak Island Borough Representative Michael Powers
USCG Air Station Representative Capt. Bryan Dailey
KEA Representative Darron Scott
Discover Kodiak Representative Aimee Williams
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Contacts Us:
Phone: (907) 486-5557
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