As part of its plan to accommodate a large increase in cruise ship visitors this summer, Sitka is offering grants of $1,000 or more to businesses and other entities that will open their bathrooms to the public.

The community is expecting ships with capacity to carry close to half-a-million passengers this summer, more than double the pre-COVID year of 2019.

The city posted the grant application on its website last Thursday. The city’s tourism office, Visit Sitka, will direct visitors to the locations of the public facilities using maps, social media, websites, signs and information kiosks...