Notes from the Landslide

4
Foreword
Thanksgiving, 2015
By Peter Bradley
Like many people, I felt helpless in the face of the loss, uncertainty,
and devestation that the August landslides brought. I donated a
small amount of money to a couple of the funds, called the fire department
to see if I could help, and then resigned myself to waiting,
watching, listening.
All the same, I found something to be hopeful about; it became
clear to me that in the face of this tragedy, the community was
coming together - to pool resources, share knowledge, raise funds,
process emotions, share in mourning, offer reflections and memories,
and to give thanks.
I found it beautiful and inspiring that in a terrible and upsetting
week, the town responded to a shared sense of vulnerability and
pain with love and generosity. In the midst of a week where guile,
antagonism, and scorn were not in play, I was drawn to Sitka Chatters
- a facebook group with a few thousand local members - as a
microcosm of the spirit of the community.
Recognizing that memories can be short, and that Facebook tends
to be ephemeral (usually a good thing), I decided to collect some