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The City and Borough of Wrangell has issued a conservation advisory to water utility users, as increased wintertime demand outpaces replenishment of the town’s reservoirs. A water watch was declared last Friday, the first of three stages in the emergency response plan the CBW Assembly had adopted last April. During a critical water shortage in the summer of 2016 the city had lacked a clear strategy for responding to such crises across departments. During a Stage I watch alert such as this, Wrangellites are encouraged to reduce their water u...
With a month left before work is scheduled to resume, discussions continue on the future of a stockpile of contaminated soil excavated from the former Byford junkyard. Heading the cleanup effort that began in 2016, the Department of Environmental Conservation removed over 60 shipping containers of debris and heavily contaminated soils from the yard, which for years had been a privately-run repository for automotive and marine junk. The City of Wrangell had assumed responsibility for the property...
Assembly members commiserated with city and hospital staff on Monday to discuss how to move forward on new organizational arrangement at Wrangell Medical Center. Currently the hospital is a public asset, managed by the City and Borough of Wrangell. For several years it has been contending with inconsistent revenues and cash reserve concerns, and in the event of a default the city would be liable for any outstanding debts. In 2015 the Assembly approved a reserve source of interest-free funds of up to $500,000 for WMC to draw from in case of...
Wrangell residents will have an opportunity to offer their two cents on the state operating budget currently in development in the Alaska House. The basis for the draft budget was proposed by Gov. Bill Walker last December. Being considered now in the House, bill number 286 will see a number of amendments to it that have been put forward by the chamber’s representatives and various subcommittees. “We’re in the process of finalizing what we’ll be looking at right now,” said Rep. Dan Ortiz (U-District 36), who sits on the House Finance Committee...
Southeast Conference held its annual Mid-Session Summit in Juneau last week, turning the region’s attention to the state of its economy as legislators reach the mid-point of their 2018 regular session. For much of it, the outlook is pretty grim. Indicators since 2014 put the region’s population and jobs on a worrisome decline, along with earned income. “We’re just taking a hit in almost every way you can imagine,” explained Meilani Schijvens, a consultant to SEC and a former executive director. Faced with continued multibill...
City staff from several departments were surprised to learn of one late resident's generosity. At its meeting in early December, the Wrangell Convention and Visitor Bureau discussed news that Marian Glenz had bequeathed a considerable donation to it. Details at the time had yet to be worked out, but at the Borough Assembly's February 6 meeting, City Manager Lisa Von Bargen had confirmed the contribution totaled $50,000. Born in Wisconsin in 1936, Glenz spent her youth in Port Protection, Ketchik...
The Wrangell Wolves chalked up a pair of losses last weekend hosting the Metlakatla Chiefs, though it easily could have been a split between the two teams. Friday's evening game was a blowout for the Chiefs, which controlled the court for much of the game. Though the final score ended up in a 52-42 win for them, Wrangell coach Cody Angerman acknowledged some last-minute catching up had helped close a larger gap between the two teams. By now in the second half of the season, the teams' meeting...
Wrangell's Amateur Athletics Union basketball program will be hosting its 2018 invitational this weekend. A gap bridging program for middle school girls interested in the sport, this is the Wrangell program's fifth year in operation, and the regional tournament will be the fourth it has hosted so far. Students from Petersburg, Sitka and Juneau will be making the trip, with play for seeding starting this evening at 4 p.m. Juneau and Sitka will be fielding three teams each, while Wrangell and...
Ordinarily highlighting new developments in Wrangell’s economy, the Chamber of Commerce’s 28th annual fundraiser dinner was dedicated to something different this year. Decorating the Nolan Center ballroom in black and red last Saturday, the theme for 2018 was “Honoring the Spirit of Service,” dedicated specifically to the men, women and youths who devote so much of their time to Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department. “I can’t think of a better group to honor than those that serve,” said Cyni Cra...
For the second year running, residents will have an opportunity next week to dispose of their antiquated electronics with a collection drive put on by the Tribe. Wrangell Cooperative Association’s Indian Environmental General Assistance Program will be working with residents and businesses both to gather together e-waste, items ranging from fax machines and scanners to tube televisions, charger cords, adapters, cellular phones and computer towers. The drive will accept all video and music players, cameras and other monitors. Basically a...
A state grant to the Wrangell Museum is allowing its staff to take on larger projects as they continue to digitally archive its collection. Museums Alaska awarded $9,212 to Wrangell through its Collections Management Funds, one of three it has to benefit the state's historical and art institutions. Underwritten by Rasmuson Foundation, this particular grant will go toward acquiring equipment and materials necessary for the museum's oversize archives. Museum archivist Greg Acuna explained the...
The Southeast Alaska Power Agency governing board last week approved moving forward with a remote inspection of the tunnels underlying the Tyee Lake hydroelectric plant. In his report to the board on February 8, SEAPA power systems specialist Ed Schofield explained a remotely operated vehicle would be needed to perform an inspection of the facility’s water conveyance structures. Unlike the dam at Swan Lake, Tyee is a natural lake which is tapped for the facility. Water is conducted to the powerhouse through an intake in the lake into a drop sha...
The Wolves won two games over Craig High School during a pair of home games last week. Hosting the Panthers during the middle of the week, on February 7 Wrangell started off with a close first period, Craig trailing their 14 points by two. The home team stepped up its defense in the lead-up to the half, holding Craig to another 12 points as its offense picked up 25. Leading 39-24, Wrangell kept its edge during a closely-scored second half, holding an 18-point lead by the final buzzer for a...
The Borough Assembly revisited its policy on nepotism during Tuesday evening’s regular meeting, at the behest of a resident who had lost his new position because of it. Max Dalton took the lectern to make his case. He had last month begun work as a part-time custodian with the Parks Department. During the hiring process he had been one of several candidates for the post, and after interviews had been selected as the top candidate. Dalton is the son-in-law to Mayor David Jack, he explained, and is related by marriage to another city employee. D...
Late last week the Alaska Department of Fish and Game issued a group announcement regarding expected changes for sport fishermen in Southeast this year. In the Petersburg and Wrangell areas, the marine waters of District 8 are going to be closed to the retention of King Salmon between May 1 and July 15. An exception will be made for the area immediately adjacent to Petersburg’s City Creek, which will be open to King Salmon fishing from June 1 to July 31 to target 300 hatchery salmon expected to return to the area. The closure is being taken t...
Tis the season to file for 2017’s income taxes, with the Internal Revenue Service starting to accept returns last week. The IRS plans to receive 155 million individual tax returns this year, with the filing deadline set for April 17. Usually falling on the 15th, this year that date is on a Sunday, and the holiday observance of Emancipation Day in Washington D.C. the following day pushes the deadline further out to April 17. For Wrangell taxpayers, a program sponsored by the American Association of Retired Persons Foundation will be offering f...
The Stikine Middle School Wolves hosted its first wrestling tournament in three years over the weekend, with students from Ketchikan and Petersburg making the trip. While around 60 students in all participated, the tournament was intended to be even bigger. Due to icy roads on Prince of Wales Island and rough water conditions, the middle schools at Craig and Klawock had to cancel plans to attend. The tournament made up for their absence with additional competition, spanning from Thursday...
Wrangell appears to be closing in on a solution to its water filtration worries after a workshop held between the City and Borough Assembly, city staff and consultants on Monday. Since its construction in 1999 Wrangell's water treatment plant has had a number of problems with its production. The plant's operation involves ozonation of water sourced from two open reservoirs, which then passes through a roughing filter and four slow-sand filtration bays before disinfection. From the start the...
The committee responsible for organizing Wrangell's annual king salmon derby decided last week to alter its usual scheduling, in light of anticipated emergency orders limiting sport opportunity at the Stikine River. In its 66th year now, the 2018 Wrangell King Salmon Derby is an annual activity put on by the Chamber of Commerce. Its derby committee is a voluntary body filled by community members, currently chaired by Shawn Curley. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game intends to issue an...
The United States Forest Service is developing a new initiative for the Wrangell and Petersburg districts, encompassing state and private lands in addition to those managed federally. Tongass National Forest supervisor Earl Stewart last month issued a call for participation to the general public, seeking input on the Central Tongass Landscape Level Analysis. The announcement explains the purpose of the CTLLA will be to in a single analysis and decision plan a spatially large project for both...
On its regional meeting's concluding day last week the Board of Fisheries agreed to draft a letter to federal authorities, encouraging them to support efforts to curb seafood predation by marine mammals. During its 13-day meeting in Sitka, the board reviewed regulatory proposals for both finfish and shellfish for Southeast Alaska and Yakutat. Starting with shellfish on January 11, 155 different items relating to the region's crab, shrimp and dive fisheries saw comment from both Department of...
A community development grant obtained by Wrangell Cooperative Association last fall will be putting $600,000 back into local homes. The funds come from Housing and Urban Development, through its Community Development Block Grant program. The federal program provides resources to communities for addressing a wide range of unique development needs. The goal of the Wrangell project will be to increase energy efficiency for around 20 residences, specifically for Native homeowners. “The Tribe was very excited to receive this grant,” WCA administrat...
The organizing committee for a planned mariners’ memorial will be holding a winter fundraiser this weekend. A monument dedicated to Wrangell’s lost mariners has been in the making for over a decade. The Port Commission took off with it in 2009, and helped shepherd the concept through the drafting stages, which were completed in 2015. An independent steering committee was subsequently organized, and after receiving tax-exempt status last fall has begun raising money from individuals and businesses to construct the memorial. Committee member Bre...
After two months of suspended activity, Alaska Court System has worked out an arrangement with the City of Wrangell so that its staff can resume local legal services. The courtroom and adjoining offices are housed on the second floor of the Public Safety Building, which houses Wrangell’s police and fire services, Department of Motor Vehicles and the emergency responder switchboard. Water seepage problems over the years have been a continued problem with the facility, and replacement of the building’s roof and siding has this year made it the...
Following a clean bill of health from contaminants testing of dredge material at Shoemaker Bay, the harbor restoration project looks to be continuing on schedule. Department of Transportation and Public Facilities match grant funding in the amount of $5,000,000 was approved for the project in this year's budget, enabling replacement of the harbor's aging float network. The wooden float structure is in a deteriorated state, with one of its five finger piers currently unusable. Wrangell Harbor Dep...
