By CHS Students
Following last week’s local elections, we asked Cordova Jr/Sr High School students to share their thoughts on what issues face Cordova. These are some of those responses.
Dear Editor,
One main problem that applies everywhere, not just in Cordova, is housing. There is barely any housing in Cordova that isn’t already occupied, and the prices for houses and apartments just continues to go up while the minimum wage remains the same. This causes housing instability/insecurity, which can take a variety of forms such as homelessness, housing cost burdens, evictions, and poor quality housing at high prices. This leaves some people to hold down two jobs just to pay for their rent, and that’s not even mentioning the cost of groceries, potential debts like student loans, and utilities such as water, electricity, propane, etc. As a 17 year old who is almost 18, these are all things that worry me. If I were to stay in this town it would be difficult to find a place to live or stay, especially for the amount of money I have to spend.
Sincerely,
Paul Myszka, CHS Class of 2024
Dear Editor,
While Cordova is definitely a unique and interesting place to grow up and live, it is definitely not without its issues. I think one of the biggest issues in Cordova is the lack of avenues out of Cordova and connectivity between Cordova and the rest of Alaska. I believe that this issue applies to every person living in Cordova in some way, whether that be shopping, healthcare, family, or school travel. And the issue is not just the difficulty and expense of going out, it is also the lack of availability for resources coming in, regarding produce, mail, and hospital and building supplies. The required use of the ferry or plane adds on unnecessary expenses that are virtually non-existent in the rest of America and the majority of Alaska. Especially for the high school which depends on the ferry and plane system
to send athletes out on trips, and families that are struggling financially. Healthcare is an issue that I believe to be especially pronounced in Cordova. Because of our location, our healthcare providers are limited on what they can do or acquire for any given procedure. If someone has to be sent out of Cordova for anything healthcare related, even if it’s simple, the price of the ordeal is increased greatly due to the price of the plane or ferry tickets. Many people and programs find themselves with their hands tied financially for a way to provide a path out of Cordova or in for others.
Sincerely,
Levi Pearson, CHS Class of 2024
Dear Editor,
Hello, my name is Daryn Pettingill. I am sending in a request for our road conditions and how it’s impacting the daily lives of the people of Cordova. The road conditions are embarrassing to drive on to say the least, whether it be the potholes or the barely visible lines on the highways. Myself as well as the people of Cordova would greatly appreciate the notice of this issue. The reason I’m addressing this is because the vehicles my family and I drive have been damaged because of the road conditions and we have to pay for it. For example, my father and I were driving on Whiteshed towards the small harbor and we hit a pothole and immediately we both heard this metal scraping. After pulling over we discovered that one side of our bumper had come off from hitting the road. In addition to that, it’s scary watching friends getting into wrecks during the winter. I believe that if nothing is done more and more people will sustain damages to their vehicles and possibly to themselves. Not only are the roads in poor condition, the plowing of the roads is also in shambles. For example, after a big snow day the plows come through resulting in a big wall of snow splitting Main Street and the T-intersection that goes up to Main Street and down to the pool coming up from the highschool. I wonder, why can’t the roads be plowed before people begin to go to school or their jobs? Again please take action to the conditions and the plowing system as I’ve seen more and more collisions and dented vehicles on the roads. I think Cordova will be a more pleasant place to live.
Sincerely,
Daryn Pettingill, CHS Class of 2025
