Sorted by date Results 1074 - 1098 of 1297
The next phase of Wrangell's waterfront master plan came together at a pair of meetings Feb. 23 and 25. Three conceptual plans were presented to residents by the design team, based on feedback it received on eight proposals presented in January. Working with City and Borough officials, the team was comprised of Chris Mertl with Corvus Design, James Bibb of North Wind Architects, Dick Somerville of PND Engineers and Meilani Schijvens of Rain Coast Data. "We're mostly the team that was involved...
Former Wrangell physician Greg Salard appeared Monday in U.S. District Court before Judge Timothy Burgess in Juneau for a hearing to postpone trial. A new trial date has been set for May 26. Salard was arrested at his Wrangell home last October and indicted by a federal grand jury on two felony counts of sexual exploitation of a child, for distributing and possessing child pornography. He is pleading not guilty to both charges. He was previously scheduled to stand trial Jan. 5, when his defense...
All of last weekend, the first of what is intended to be many cultural courses was held at Wrangell Cooperative Association's new carving facility, which was finished last autumn. From Thursday afternoon through Sunday, local Native residents were shown how to craft with sea otter pelts by Jeremiah James, operator of Yakutat Furs since 2010. "This is the ninth class I've done," James explained, and the second he has delivered in Wrangell. It was his first time working in the new facility...
Wrangell residents are invited to preview a short film and presentation on the Stikine River at the Nolan Center, at 6 p.m. March 11. The film had been put together last autumn by a film crew with Inside Passage Waterkeeper, a Juneau affiliate of the International Water Keeper Alliance launched by Southeast Alaska Conservation Council. Their ten-minute film is entitled “Water is Life: The Stikine River,” with the tagline “Our Water Knows No Boundaries.” “We plan on showing it next week,” said Daven Hafey, the short film’s director and...
“It is going to be a difficult year,” Wrangell's borough manager Jeff Jabusch told Assembly members during their regular meeting Tuesday evening. He referred to impending cuts to the state revenue sharing and federal Secure Rural Schools programs, which both pose major concerns for the Borough. Jabusch reported the city is working with its new lobbyist to address various funding issues as they arise. In addition to meeting with the governor and with legislators about revenue sharing, letters have already been dispatched addressing proposed cut...
Three of Wrangell's Girl Scout Troop 4156 were able to experience a unique opportunity, traveling to Anchorage Feb. 7 to participate in the annual Alaska Forum on the Environment at the Dena'ina Center. It was a first for Wrangell's troop, and the girls were the only group representing Southeast. Jing O'Brien, Sophie O'Brien and Laura Helgeson made the trip along with some chaperones. At the forum, the three delivered a presentation about their findings during last summer's "Camp'Phibian," a...
Convening for its last regular meeting of the year, the dozen members of Wrangell’s Fish and Game Advisory Committee recapped recent regulatory changes and looked ahead to future challenges. Advisory committees are locally-organized groups of resource users and other stakeholders that meet to discuss fishing and wildlife issues, providing recommendations to the Alaska boards of Fish and Game. On Wrangell’s horizon: moose brow tines, Canadian mining and getting another Alaska Wildlife Trooper assigned to the area. Scott McAuliffe had represented...
Tribal members of the Wrangell Cooperative Association headed to the polls Saturday afternoon to choose six new members of the WCA Board. The six council seats that were up for election this term were previously held by Lynn Allen, Lovey Brock, Arthur Larson, Brooke Leslie, current board vice-president Ken Lewis Jr. and Tim Gillen. Gillen and Leslie did not seek reelection. Sam Campus, Luella Knapp, Catherine White and Richard Oliver joined Allen, Brock, Larson, and Lewis on this year’s ballot. Between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the Stikine N...
A trio of new boats will be joining Wrangell's private fishing fleet this season, incorporating new technologies and improving work conditions for their owners. After two and a half years, local fisherman Chris Guggenbickler is nearly finished with the Noelani, which means "mist of heaven" in Hawaiian. At 42 feet long and 15 feet wide, the aluminum work boat will be about 4 feet by 1.5 feet larger than his previous vessel. In addition to being more spacious the boat will also be quite a bit...
The Lady Wolves finished their regular season with a full sweep against visiting Craig High School players on Feb. 20 and 21. "It was really nice to get some wins before regionals," said Jack Carney, the high school's activity director. Wrangell took an early lead in Friday's game, building on that each quarter for a 51 to 24 win. "Amy Jenson and Taylor Bean really did well," said Carney. During Friday's game, the pair led with 15 and 16 points between them. Saturday's game was more closely play...
The Wrangell Wolves basketball team finished its regular season with a bang, beating out Craig at the Glacier Bear's home court Feb. 20 and 21. "I think our boys had a pretty good time up there," said Wrangell Public Schools activities director, Jack Carney. "The boys' games were pretty close to a blowout." During Friday's game, the varsity Wolves beat the Glacier Bears 64 to 35. Blake Stokes had six points and six assists during the game, and Bryce Gerald scored 12 points and secured five...
Stikine Middle School's wrestling team took high marks last weekend at the annual Kurt Kuehl Invitational at Schoenbar Middle School in Ketchikan. The highest, in fact: taking the 2A championship and coming in third overall with 126 points, behind Schoenbar and Petersburg. "I think they did exceptionally well," said the team's coach, Steve Miller. "We're really happy with the season." Four of the team's nine athletes were individual placers: Hunter Wiederspohn, Jonah Comstock, Dillon Rooney and...
There was a good turnout for the boatyard storage fees workshop before the Port Commission's monthly meeting Feb. 5. Wrangell's Harbor Department is looking at altering two fees, for both storage and work spaces at its Marine Service Center. At the moment, ground rates are per diem set at 50 cents per square-foot. The department has been looking at raising this to 75 cents. “I think that's too big of an increase,” said one local vendor, Don Sorric. “That's not small potatoes.” He was concern...
The two dining rooms at the Stikine Inn were abuzz with ideas Tuesday during Wrangell Public School District's first-ever charette, a planning session held to chart a course for the next five or more years. "I think it went pretty good," said Superintendent Patrick Mayer, who devised the session. "I felt the feedback was very rich, the discussion very rich." Twenty guests joined 24 planning committee members in the hour-and-a-half long session, discussing 16 points spread over four topics in 20-...
The Nolan Center was all decked out with hearts and other Valentine's Day decoratives Saturday night, as 160 people came together for Wrangell's Chamber of Commerce Annual Fundraising Dinner. The Chamber premiered its new video promoting the annual Fourth of July celebration. Chamber director Cyni Waddington also announced the theme for this year's Independence Day festivities: "Hometown Heroes," recognizing the contributions of military personnel. "We always try to make it something that...
Wrangell High School's girls basketball team hosted the second of two back-to-back weekend bouts against Craig last weekend, losing both games by slim margins. "They were both very close games," said the Lady Wolves' coach, Edna Abella-Nore. The varsity girls played a close game on Friday, taking the lead at one point but tying up with Craig by the fourth buzzer. In a close overtime matchup, Wrangell finished just behind with 35 to Craig's 38. Darian Meissner led the team with 12 points, while T...
Wrangell’s unit of the Salvation Army is looking for community support in preventing homelessness. In an open letter, Major Scott Nicloy pointed out that among the cuts being made across the board in dealing with Alaska’s financial difficulties, funding for the state’s Basic Homeless Assistance Program has been cut from next year’s budget. This grant is administered locally, and as part of its administration of the grant, the Salvation Army has helped applicants fill out the 15-page form needed to receive assistance. The state division of the...
On the heels of its double victory against Craig High School the previous weekend at home, the Panthers reciprocated in kind as Wrangell High School's varsity basketball team lost both of its games in Craig on Feb. 12 and 13. “They went alright,” team coach Ray Stokes said of the games. He explained the varsity squad hadn't played up to its potential the first night, losing by 16 points. “The second night we played as good a game as we've done all season,” he said. The Wolves lost by only three points on Friday, finishing 62 to the Panther...
Wrangell's Planning and Zoning Committee had to postpone its monthly meeting scheduled for Feb. 12, citing a lack of quorum. The committee had previously struggled to meet late last fall, with a two-month gap between its September and December meetings. In addition to holding off decisions on the committee's scheduled business, the delay inadvertently affected another committee's prerogatives as well. Harbormaster Greg Meissner had been directed by the Port Commission at its Feb. 11 meeting to seek input from the committee on whether it would...
The Federal Subsistence Board is seeking comment on proposed regulatory changes to the rural determination process for the Federal Subsistence Program in Alaska. Under current regulations, the board determines which community or area of Alaska is “rural” using guidelines and characteristics as defined by the secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture. The changes would seek to allow more flexibility in the process by which the board makes those determinations. Public meetings will be held in conjunction with the Federal Subsistence Reg...
Residents wishing to have one or more of the five screenings offered as part of April’s Health Fair will be able to have their blood drawn at the Wrangell Medical Center lab early, starting on Feb. 23 and continuing through March 25. The targeted screenings being offered include tests for one’s health profile, prostate specific antigen, thyroid stimulating hormone, HA1C, and Vitamin D. Would-be subjects can visit during regular business hours Monday through Friday, though the lab will also open at 7 am on Tuesday and Thursday during these weeks...
Wrangell Public Schools will be looking for direction from the public in the next step of what school superintendent Patrick Mayer hopes may develop into a strategic plan for the next academic year and beyond. A reception and charette – or focused period of planning activity – will be held at the Stikine Inn on Feb. 17 beginning at 7 p.m. The session hopes to address four questions to each of four areas: academic achievement, safety and facilities, career technical education, and technology. Questions have been put together by strategic pla...
A number of concerned residents appeared Tuesday night at the public hearing for an ordinance amending Title 10 of the Municipal Code, specifically dealing with concealed-carry and weapons misconduct in the City and Borough of Wrangell. The Assembly had the proposal before them on its second reading, and during oral presentations at the hearing and later in their regular meeting itself, half a dozen people expressed their dissatisfaction with some provisions of the ordinance. Local resident Charles Hazel felt the rules omitted allowing the...
Executive staff with Wrangell Medical Center met with the Borough Assembly members for a work session at City Hall late Tuesday afternoon. WMC CEO Marla Sanger, acting financial officer Olinda White and human resources head Mary Jo Pullman came to answer questions Assembly members might have relating to the hospital's finances. White had first informed them of WMC's low cash reserves and high receivables in mid-December, then delivered a presentation to the hospital's board of trustees shortly afterward. In an independent audit conducted last...
Board members for Southeast Alaska Power Agency sat down in Ketchikan last week for their two-day regular meeting, examining the regional power provider’s current financial position as well as looking ahead at its future projects. “It went really well,” commented Wrangell’s representative, Steve Prysunka, after his first meeting. Elected to the Borough Assembly last October, Prysunka was appointed to represent it on the power agency’s board. “I was pleased with the tone of the meeting and how everything went. There was a sense of cooperation...
