Sorted by date Results 1155 - 1179 of 1297
Not long after their last meeting on Nov. 19, members of Wrangell’s Parks and Recreation Board sat down again on Dec. 3 to discuss new goals for the coming year. Haig Demerjian, Michael Brown and Cindy Martin met with Parks and Recreation director Amber Al-Haddad to lay out some ideas. A big one they settled on is to craft a strategic plan, particularly in the area of examining current programming. “Are we doing it well, can we do it better?” is the question Al-Haddad said they should be asking themselves. Other goals would be to improve signa...
A professionally diverse group of Wrangellers gathered Dec. 3 to help develop a future focus for the local Indian Environmental General Assistance Program (IGAP) office. Working through the Wrangell Cooperative Association, the office's new coordinator Chris Hatton invited representatives of the borough's local government, healthcare, education and industry to come conduct some brainstorming, while also learning about where IGAP is currently at with projects. “I'm stepping in at a challenging t...
Students taking vocational instruction courses at Wrangell Public Schools have been making use of some exciting new pieces of equipment. Under instructor Drew Larrabee, the shop's new Universal Laser, 3D printer and computer numerical control (CNC) router should broaden students' future prospects. These devices incorporate traditional craftsmanship with computer technology and are effectively setting a new course for industrial production. The laser-cutter can make precise cuts in wood with...
The trial of Greg Salard has been pushed back by seven weeks to Feb. 23, 2015, following a request for delay by his defense attorney. Originally set for Jan. 5, Salard's federal defense attorney Cara McNamara wanted the jury trial's date moved so an expert in computer forensics can review the evidence gathered by prosecutors. The former physician is facing two felony counts of sexual exploitation of a child after being arrested at his Wrangell home Oct. 15 by state, local and federal law...
With the extended Thanksgiving weekend in full swing, the local Elks' annual Hoop Shoot had a reasonable turnout on Friday. Eighteen girls and 11 boys between the ages of 8 and 13 came down to try their hands at the best-of-25 free throw. The kids took their shots at the Community Center gym in the morning, with 8 and 9 year olds throwing from 11 feet out and the rest shooting from the free throw line. Every participant received a new basketball and were treated to a hamburger lunch at the Elks...
Autumn came to a sudden end as a low pressure system swept Southeast over the weekend, bringing a heaping helping of snow to Wrangell. Forecasters with the National Weather Service issued a weekend winter storm warning Saturday for Juneau, Petersburg, Wrangell and Hyder. A low pressure system pushed across the Gulf of Alaska, bringing warm, moist air into the area and creating the potential for blizzard conditions. In Juneau and Petersburg, about ten inches of snowfall was recorded over the...
After about three weeks of tallying, Alaska’s general election results were finally certified by Lieutenant Governor Mead Treadwell on Nov. 26. Turnout in the state was the third-highest turnout of any state, with 284,925 of the 509,011 registered voters participating. High-profile races and a trio of contentious ballot measures may explain the figures: as a result of the election Alaska has become the fourth state to legalize recreational marijuana use and will tout one of the highest minimum wage levels in the country. Some of the s...
Wrangell City and Borough Assembly members Stephen Prysunka, Julie Decker and Pamella McCloskey met Nov. 26 for a special session to discuss further involvement in a trio of suits filed against the United States Forest Service over its Big Thorne timber sale with Craig-based mill Viking Lumber. The Assembly had already decided on Oct. 28 to intervene in one of the suits, for the fee of $5,000. It had investigated separately filing an amicus brief as an option, but had decided the cost of that action would likely have been higher while leaving...
Rate changes being adopted by Wrangell’s Parks and Recreation Department will be phased in over the next three years, its board members decided at their monthly meeting Nov. 19. Beginning in the new year, corporate-rate discounts for use of the community pool will be phased out. The way year-round passes are currently priced, individual passes cost $300 for unaffiliated community members, while those employed at a participating business or agency can purchase passes at a rate linked to the size of their workplace. The difference can be quite s...
On Friday morning, students at Wrangell High School assembled in the gym to watch a special presentation by the Kaats'litaan Dancers, a K-12 group that is part of the local Johnson O'Malley program. Presented by educators and a panel of elders, the demonstration meant to mark this November's National Native Heritage Month. Student Jade Balansag read President Barack Obama's official proclamation of the commemorative month, issued Oct. 31. "The first stewards of our environment, early voices for...
In his monthly report to Wrangell Public School Board on Nov. 17, Superintendent Patrick Mayer said several projects are underway as the school progresses into its second academic quarter. The schools’ evaluation team recently previewed a webinar from Learning Sciences, a group associated with Marzano Center. The team was able to familiarize themselves with Marzano Framework for teacher evaluation, one of three systems adopted by the Alaska State Board of Education last year. Mayer has also been involved in improving the schools’ use of digital...
A pair of staff committees met this past month at Wrangell Medical Center, formed to improve response to patient falls on site and improve emergency preparedness. At the monthly meeting of its board of trustees on Nov. 19, hospital head Marla Sanger reported the falls committee was formed with representatives of the nursing, physical therapy, quality, and maintenance departments, as well as a community patient advisor. She said a federal follow-up visit the previous week confirmed WMC has dealt with a problem with its patient wheelchairs. The s...
Wrangell's advisory committee to Alaska Department of Fish and Game held the first of several public meetings at the Fire Hall Monday, to discuss Board of Game proposals for the 2014-15 meeting cycle. The committee provides a forum for fishing and wildlife issues, allowing the public to review and discuss new proposals and to provide recommendations to Alaska's boards of Fisheries and Game. A variety of local fishermen, hunters, trappers and subsistence users stopped in to review 38 new policies and changes to management practices being...
Local roller derby girls with the Garnet Grit Betties bouted with Petersburg's Ragnarök Rollers at the Wrangell High School gym Saturday night. Dubbed the Fall Brawl, the event filled the stands as around 260 spectators came to show their support. The Betties started out strongly, picking up an early lead and building from there. "We'd planned on playing a strong defensive game, and they did it well," said the team's coach, Shawna "Baby Cakes" Buness. By the first half the Betties' jammers had...
At its Nov. 12 meeting, the Wrangell City and Borough Assembly approved its list of capital project requests for the 2015-16 fiscal year. Assembled by city staff and Assembly members, the annual list prioritizes projects in order of importance and gets circulated in Juneau and Washington D.C. by the borough's lobbyists, also serving as a target for finding funding opportunities. Topping the list are pool facility improvements, which could be as high as $1.5 million. Borough Manager Jeff Jabusch...
The definitions of Alaska's political landscape are soon to be settled following the 2014 midterm elections on Nov. 4. As the last votes are counted, concessions have begun coming in. Since Election Day, Alaska's Division of Elections officials in 441 precincts across the state have been tallying around 48,000 absentee, early and questioned votes in the hope of determining the winners of the Nov. 4 general election. In Southeast, it was a particularly close race for the State House seat for...
The high and middle school halls and commons at Wrangell were crawling Friday and Saturday as around 80 teens ran through lines, practiced their best voices and otherwise prepared themselves before performing at the regional drama, debate and forensics (DDF) meet. "It ran a lot more smoothly than I was expecting," said Sydney Reed, Wrangell's new DDF coach. Though a longtime participant in the program, it was her first time as a host. "I was a lot more worried about it than I probably should...
The Oakland Museum of California recently returned a lost artifact to Tlingit Haida Central Council, a ceremonial clan hat belonging to the Khaach.ádi clan of Wrangell. The Xhixhch'i S'aaxhw, or Frog Hat, is nearly 200 years old, verlaid with copper and abalone shell, and decorated with ermine skins and woven rings. In a Council news release the hat is said to be a sacred object used in clan ceremonies and is the joint property of the Khaach.ádi. It is uncertain when it will return to Wrangell f...
Wrangell's Lady Wolves high school volleyball team gave a great performance and won four out of five games in Craig last weekend at the Southern Seeing Tournament. "It went really well," said the Wolves' coach, Jessica Whitaker. Despite some serving errors that persisted on Friday, the team held on to win two of its three matches. Against Metlakatla and Haines, the Wolves swept the opposition in three games apiece. "Saturday, everything seemed to click," Whitaker said. Her team again swept the n...
Though lacking in numbers, Wrangell’s wrestlers did well at the Bill Weiss Invitational in Ketchikan Friday and Saturday. The team took third overall, coming in one point behind Craig and Ketchikan. Among small schools, the Wolves finished ahead of the pack. “It’s usually the first time we get to compete with 4A,” said the team’s coach, Jeffery Rooney. This year Alaska School Activities Association has schools in the region compete together, which has pit 1A-3A teams against larger 4A schools in regular competition. “It wasn’t as grandiose as...
Wrangell’s Planning and Zoning Commission twice lacked a quorum at its scheduled evening meeting Nov. 13 and midday Monday rescheduling. Due to scheduling difficulties, Commission chair Terri Henson and Economic Development Coordinator Carol Rushmore were alone in the City Hall chambers at the Thursday night meeting. All seven commissioners were then notified of a rescheduling to Monday, but only Henson, Dorothy Hunt-Sweat and Don McConachie were able to attend. “Sorry everybody,” Henson said, as some residents had shown up to Monday’s meeting...
Wrangell seems to be in a fine position to prosper as attention in Alaska turns toward strengthening the region's various maritime industries. The Fishing, Seafood and Maritime Initiative (FSMI) has been developed by the University of Alaska and other public and private partners with the intention of supporting a strong and sustainable maritime workforce in the state. With over 500 firms and 70,000 employees, the maritime industry represents Alaska's largest employment sector, and its various "b...
Drawings for the future mariners' memorial at Heritage Harbor were unveiled at Wrangell's monthly Port Commission meeting on Nov. 6 in the City Hall Assembly Chambers. Drawn up by architect Christopher Mertl of Corvus Design in Juneau, the memorial plan calls for a concrete plaza designed to resemble wooden planking, a pavilion and weathered steel patina memorial wall evocative of the prow of a ship. "When it takes that curve it rakes out," explained Harbormaster Greg Meissner, going over the dr...
Many residents in Wrangell woke up Thursday to discover a power outage, following damage caused by a storm to Ketchikan’s Bailey Substation the previous evening. Power across the entire transmission system was down, affecting Ketchikan and Petersburg for most of the morning as well. A storm the previous evening featured winds between 43 and 61 miles per hour by 7 p.m. Gusts topping 90 mph were also reported at Ketchikan International Airport. “We started getting calls in,” recounted Andy Donato, electric division director of Ketchikan Publi...
With a number of closely-contested initial results for the general elections on Nov. 4, voters and candidates alike may be holding their breath as Alaska’s Division of Elections began counting absentee and early votes Tuesday. The margins for several races remain slim. For a seat in the Senate, initial polling saw Republican challenger Dan Sullivan hold an 8,149-vote lead over Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Begich. In the gubernatorial race, a mere 3,165 votes separate incumbent Gov. Sean Parnell from Independent challenger Bill Walker, w...
