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Wrangell High School's volleyball team traveled out to faraway Tok Friday for a weekend tournament, picking up wins against Glennallen, Nenana and Tri-Vallley and getting edged out by Tok High School in a close three-game contest. "The team performed well although they were missing two varsity players," reported the team's coach, Jessica Whitaker. "The girls were able to come together and make quick adjustments." Whitaker said that while passing is improving, the team still needs to increase its...
With November here and Thanksgiving quickly approaching, Wrangell Ministerial Association (WMA) is seeking support for its annual distribution of traditional dinner baskets. “This will be the twelfth year,” said Don Roher, who with his wife, Bonnie, organize the project. Their Thanksgiving Basket drive puts together holiday meals for community members that might need them. An ecumenical coalition of eight churches on the island, the WMA in particular seeks to help families who have experienced a personal catastrophe or are combating ill...
Teleconferencing from the Wrangell and Petersburg assembly chambers last Thursday, members of the Thomas Bay Power Commission (TBPC) decided to call it a year. The TPBC was the acting body for the Thomas Bay Power Authority, operating Tyee Hydroelectric Plant until the operations were transferred this summer to Southeast Alaska Power Authority. Since then, the TBPC has found itself with little to do beyond facilitating that change. But because of the unique connection the commission presents for the communities of Wrangell and Petersburg,...
Children in Wrangell interested in getting a bit of bowling in this winter are invited to come to the Elks Lodge #1595 on Saturday afternoons. The Elks have been active in Wrangell for about 70 years, and the club’s bowling alley has been a long-standing fixture. While they in the past have put on activities for local youth, lodge secretary Shirley Clark said “this is the first one we’ve done as far as bowling.” “It’s for all the kids,” explained Pamela Oglend, the lodge’s bartender. First putting the idea before the lodge board of truste...
Scores of people lined up with plates for Wrangell's Alaska Native Sisterhood Camp 1 and Alaska Native Brotherhood Camp 4 third annual Unity Dinner on Saturday evening. Participants partook in a bit of fellowship and marked the start of November's National Native Heritage Month. "The theme of this Unity Dinner is 'let's work together,'" explained Virginia Oliver, Wrangell's Johnson-O'Malley coordinator. Members from all seven Wrangell clans were there, plus visitors from neighboring...
Wrangell voters joined millions of other Americans Tuesday to cast their say into the electoral boxes. Nationally, evening results indicated the Republican Party had made gains in both the House and Senate, securing its hold on one and capturing the other. Unofficial results had the Borough's District 36 residents voting along Republican lines. For its Alaska House representative, Wrangell chose Chere Klein by 471 votes to the 273 of non-affiliated candidate Dan Ortiz. For governor, Wrangell...
It was a festive holiday weekend for Wrangell, but the local Tlingit community had particular reason to celebrate as they dedicated a new canoe Saturday inside the Wrangell Cooperative Association's recently completed carving facility. The 30-foot vessel seats up to nine crew members and is constructed of fiberglass and wood framing with a red cedar inlay. It was constructed over the summer at the old carving shed, near the causeway entrance to Chief Shakes Island. "Shane Gillen is the one who...
Wrangell Medical Center staff released information Tuesday that it will be strengthening their preparations for handling infectious diseases on the island. While the Ebola outbreak in West Africa has brought the subject to the world’s attention, diseases that require similar infection control responses such as measles have been making a resurgence in the United States. The Center for Disease Control reports nearly 600 cases of measles since January, spread among 22 states including California, Oregon and Washington. Since this is more than t...
Former Wrangell physician Greg Salard appeared in U.S. District Court in Juneau on Oct. 28 to be arraigned for the alleged possession and distribution of child pornography. Salard was later indicted by a federal grand jury on two felony counts of sexual exploitation of a child, for distributing and possessing child pornography. According to a press release issued by the U.S. District Attorney’s office, if convicted of distribution Salard faces a maximum statutory penalty of not less than five and up to 20 years imprisonment. If convicted of pos...
The Wolves played a close inter-squad volleyball scrimmage against the Petersburg Vikings at home Tuesday evening. "The schedule worked out wonderfully," said the Vikings' coach, Jaime Cabral. The team approaches the end of two by-weeks before heading to 3A regionals this weekend. Next year Petersburg will move to 2A play, returning to direct competition with the Wolves on a more regular basis. Cabral and Wrangell coach Jessica Whitaker have each said they look forward to their teams seeing more...
The Wrangell Wolves high school wrestling team participated in the tournament at Anchorage Christian Schools last Friday and Saturday. A statewide event, the ACS tournament is generally a big predictor for the State Championship. “It went very well,” said the team’s coach, Jeffery Rooney. The Wolves placed 12th out of 45 schools. Individually, three wrestlers ranked in the top of their weight class. Roger Miller earned fourth place for 138, Justus Mikkelsen took fifth for 195, and Chet Armstrong came in sixth for 160. “We had a lot of really...
Work on Cassiar Street is at a temporary standstill as contractors and Wrangell Public Works wait for a spot of clear weather to finish pouring concrete. As of Tuesday, the block behind Irene Ingle Public Library was finished and crews were working their way down from the street's north end. Estimating the paving to be about a third done, Borough Manager Jeff Jabusch expected workers need a three-day window of clear weather to finish pouring concrete. They are hoping such an opportunity comes...
Sydney Reed of Wrangell High School’s Drama, Debate and Forensics (DDF) teams is looking for volunteers interested in assisting meets being hosted at the school on Nov. 14 and 15. “To host a successful meet we need volunteers to sign up to time and judge events,” Reed explained. “We’re hoping that the six schools will all be coming.” There is a need to fill 160 volunteer slots, divided equally between judging and timing events for 90 minute periods. Clinics for the judging will be held next week on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 6:30-7...
There was plenty to do for Halloween in Wrangell last Friday, as the borough's businesses opened their doors to a colorful assortment of trick-or-treaters in the afternoon. Organized by the Chamber of Commerce, many establishments provided candy and other free amusements in the town's business district. Earlier that morning, children at Evergreen Elementary and their parents were able to enjoy the school's annual "Harvest of the Land and Sea" festival in the gymnasium. The fifth graders helped...
An agreement is currently being worked out between the Alaska Mental Health Trust (AMHT) and the United States Forest Service (USFS) that could see the transfer of between 18,000 and 20,900 acres of state and federal lands. "I've been working on this personally for seven years," said Paul Slenkamp, resource manager for the AMHT Land Office. He is currently working with Forrest Cole, USFS forest supervisor for the Tongass National Forest. "We've been moving through this administrative exchange...
Residents came to express their opinions before the the Wrangell City and Borough Assembly regarding its decision last week to look into supporting the United States Forest Service (USFS) in a trio of impending lawsuits seeking to halt the Big Thorne timber sale. The meeting was held at noon Friday in the Assembly Chambers. All members were present despite the short notice, though Stephen Prysunka participated via telecommunication. At the Oct. 14 meeting, the Assembly had looked favorably at acting as an intervenor in the dispute, which would...
Some changes to the federally-administered subsistence fisheries were recommended by the Southeast Alaska Subsistence Regional Advisory Council (RAC) at its three day meeting at Wrangell's Nolan Center last week. Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist Robert Larson explained the meeting's agenda featured an uncommon mix of proposals from the state boards of Game and Fisheries, since the regulatory cycles of both synchronized with each other this year. “It doesn't happen very often,” he noted. Of particular concern for Wrangell's sub...
It was a busy weekend for Wrangell Public Schools' autumn extracurricular programs, with the wrestling, volleyball, and humanities teams traveling to meets all over the Southeast. The high school's Drama, Debate and Forensics competed in Haines Friday and Saturday. “It went really well,” said Sydney Reed, the program's director. Two groups progressed to the final round in the “Reader's Theater” and pantomime categories. Joseph Hommel, Amos Comstock, and Devin Till took sixth in the theater, and Tabitha Hommel and Karl Torgramsen took sixth i...
Transboundary water issues and mining projects being developed across the Canadian border seem to gain prominence each week as a topic in Wrangell, with a sizable presentation on the issue delivered to the public Tuesday evening. United Tribal Transboundary Mining Work Group and Salmon Beyond Borders have gotten together with other interest groups to present their shared concern about the size and reputedly lax oversight of British Columbia projects currently being planned, with five mines in particular posing a threat to the salmon-abundant...
The big, predominately green, bear-stymying garbage receptacles ubiquitous to the island may be soon partnered up with a blue variety as Wrangell weighs the benefits and costs of investing in a curbside recycling program. Members on the Borough's Economic Development Committee were abuzz with the idea at their Thursday night meeting following a public presentation for a solid waste recycling management plan submitted by consultants Richard Hertzberg and Chris Bell the previous evening. The bigge...
Aside from the matter of the Big Thorne timber sale (see story on page 1) there was not too much for the City and Borough of Wrangell Assembly to go over when it met for its regularly-scheduled meeting Tuesday evening at City Hall. At City Manager Jeff Jabusch's recommendation, the Assembly agreed to hire for one year the services of Ray Matiashowski as its lobbyist in Juneau for an annual fee of $34,000. “We solicited six different lobbyists,” Jabusch told the assembly. Two of the lobbyists were unavailable, and of the four available, he fel...
After Nov. 4 the last of the political adverts will finally hibernate for the year, marking the end of a particularly clamorous electoral season. But before Alaska voters cross that final hurdle and head to the polls, they should be aware of three measures awaiting them at the ballot. Ballot Measure 2 – Allowing marijuana legalization and regulation If enacted, this bill would tax and regulate the production, sale, and use of marijuana in Alaska, making its use legal for persons aged 21 or older, as is currently done with alcohol. A person w...
Parents and students crowd around tables packed with books at Evergreen Elementary's annual book fair Friday night. "It was probably one of our bigger sales," said the school's principal, Deidre Jenson. Though primarily aimed at school-age readers, there was a bit of something for everybody, with more adult selections such as cookbooks and novels available. Wrangell High School's Close Up program held its big bake sale as well, raising money to send students in the program to Washington D.C....
On the morning of Oct. 15, Wrangell physician Greg Salard was arrested for the alleged receipt, possession and distribution of child pornography following a search of his home by law enforcement personnel representing federal, state and local agencies. According to an affidavit in support of application for an arrest warrant, the arrest came following a five-month investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Anchorage office in which FBI Special Agent Anthony Peterson monitored...
Salmon Beyond Borders and the United Tribal Transboundary Mining Working Group will be holding a presentation in Wrangell on the effects of large-scale mining on local river systems on Tuesday, 6 p.m., at the Nolan Center. The public forum is one of five planned for Southeast cities, including Sitka, Juneau, Ketchikan and Petersburg. They will provide opportunities for residents to learn about open-pit mines planned in Canada's British Columbia province and their potential impacts on the region's commercial, sport, traditional and customary...
