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An arrangement made between the city and a Juneau contractor has freed up a considerable amount of waste storage space. Working between June 27 and July 2, Channel Construction loaded one of its barges high with scrap metal – everything from automobiles and industrial waste to white goods and spent equipment. Due to a combination of transportation costs and low commodities prices, the borough has been accumulating such materials for some time without a means to remove them. It has since been w...
Just averting a state government shutdown, Gov. Bill Walker signed into law an operating budget for the new fiscal year, which began July 1. The budget follows extensive negotiations between the largely Democratic coalition-led House and Republican Senate, whose majorities each offered differing plans on how to address Alaska's multibillion-dollar spending deficit. "The operating budget was an example of compromise, and an example of both sides not giving in and not exactly getting what they...
Towering over town as it does, Mount Dewey is just about impossible to miss while in Wrangell. The feature draws visitors about 400 feet up to its summit throughout the year, with a viewing platform there offering a unique view both of the town and of the surrounding islands. The quarter-mile boardwalk trail winding its way up to the platform also offers glimpses of the Back Channel, scattered muskegs and the industrial park. It makes for a short but active climb, and so has proven popular with...
A regional conservation group recently called attention to the prospective sale of a disused Canadian mine, and suggests the exchange could bode poorly for efforts to maintain water quality in transboundary rivers. The Tulsequah Chief zinc mine is across the Canadian border in British Columbia located along the Tulsequah River, a tributary of the Taku River. It has been out of use since 1957, and its critics contend it has since been a source of headache both for its past owners and for subsistence users along the Taku watershed it neighbors....
On Monday evening more than a month of hard work for two of Wrangell's July 4 Royalty candidates came to an end, with the year's queen and princess each crowned. Future high school senior Charley Seddon was crowned queen, after selling 46,463 tickets during the month of June. Named the celebration's princess, recent Wrangell High School graduate Hailie Davis sold 44,330. A tight race throughout, together the girls raised over $90,000 for the competition. A longstanding tradition for the town's I...
A strike called by public employees of Wrangell on June 22 only lasted a week, with workers taking up their posts again on June 29. Members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1547 had laid down its tools following a decision by the City and Borough Assembly on June 20 to implement a new contract after negotiations between the union and city's bargaining teams had reached an impasse. The two parties have been negotiating a collective bargaining agreement since the last...
In the middle of its run on television, a popular survival series on the History Channel pits a pair of Wrangell residents against the elements. Brothers Shannon and Jesse Bosdell form one team on Alone's fourth season cast. The show has seven pairs of relatives travel to the remote stretches of northern Vancouver Island, in the province of British Columbia. There each duo is separated by some miles in the wilderness, with the task of finding one another. Once reunited, the series' synopsis...
During its extensive Independence Day celebrations, Wrangell provides plenty of opportunity for children and adults alike to have fun. More than parades and fireworks displays, the event features a whole host of opportunities for good eating. One of its key highlights over the four-day weekend was the "Welcome Home Picnic" in Shoemaker Park on Sunday, for instance, giving reunited families and out-of-town friends the chance to catch up over a potluck, exchange some stories, and get their newest...
It was out of the workplace and into the streets for many Wrangell city staff last Thursday, as two dozen unionized workers began a strike over prolonged contract negotiations. The City and Borough has been negotiating for a new collective bargaining agreement with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1547 since the summer of 2014, when the previous CBA expired. The process has at times been tumultuous, with court proceedings through the fall of 2016 being settled prejudicia...
With the public employees' union going on strike late last week, numbers have proven a key issue in the ongoing debate over fair compensation. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1547 – which represents 24 of the City and Borough of Wrangell's staff – has proposed a new collective bargaining agreement that would include a $2.50 hourly increase across the board for its member employees. The city's offer of $0.75 an hour's increase appears slight by comparison, but how muc...
In the week since the city’s public workers have gone on strike, the Wrangell Borough has had to work around the problem as best as it can. Twenty-four workers from eight different public departments are members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1547, which represents employees around the state. Beginning June 22, they walked off the job to protest the City and Borough Assembly’s unilateral adoption of a new contract two days prior, once drawn-out negotiations reached an impasse. (See main article) The two par...
The man accused of a spate of vehicular thefts earlier this month has entered a not guilty plea this week, and the case is expected to go to trial in August. Lief Cheyenne Bosdell, 20, appeared for his arraignment at Wrangell Courthouse on Monday. He had on June 9 been charged with seven felony counts of vehicular theft and three additional misdemeanor counts of criminal mischief. If convicted, the charges together carry a maximum jail sentence of 35 years and one month and up to $356,000 in fines. The alleged thefts took place in Wrangell...
With its abundance of mountains, seascape, wildlife and local color, Wrangell is no stranger to television. For instance, contractors at the Marine Service Center were featured on National Geographic Channel's series "The Yard," with episodes first being aired in 2016. Another show has shined a spotlight on the island this month, with BBC Two exploring the fish-out-of-water theme in "The Life Swap Adventure." The premise of the six-episode series takes residents from around the United Kingdom...
While more commonly Wrangell leaves a lasting impression on its visitors, one thought to leave his mark on Wrangell instead. With the aid of two chainsaws and assorted carving equipment, Denny Leak spent most of last week outside Wrangell Cooperative Association's Cultural Center as he worked on fashioning out part of one of the tribe's stored totems. Hailing from Kansas, Leak was up for a visit with his daughter, who in March began work at Wrangell Medical Center as a physical therapy...
Unionized public employees may soon strike as negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement with the city reaches an impasse. The escalation follows the City and Borough Assembly’s effective rejection on June 8 of a last best offer made by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Works Local #1547, which represents 24 employees of various departments and utilities. The proposal directly to the Assembly was a unique break from traditional collective bargaining negotiations, a provision that had been agreed to when the two parties reac...
Several service organizations came together last week to pay tribute to the Stars and Stripes, holding a special ceremony for Flag Day. Falling on June 14 each year, Flag Day celebrates the adoption of the United States' current flag on that day in 1777. Though not an official holiday, the anniversary was first recognized by President Woodrow Wilson by proclamation, and later by Congress in 1946. It has been observed since 1907 by the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, a patriotic...
Mountains of metal are in the middle of being moved this week from the island's landfill and storage spaces. The city is working with Channel Construction to remove as much of the miscellaneous waste as it has on hand. Since Tuesday the company's barge has been busy at the loading yard piling on assorted scrap, discarded autos and bulky items. It has been at least five years since the city was last able to offload a consignment of scrap, after depressed metals prices made transport an expensive...
Summer officially began this week, with the solstice marking the year’s longest day on Wednesday. For hundreds of Wrangell children, the months-long break between school years began at the end of May, and programming to keep them active and socially engaged started up soon afterward. Wrangell Parks and Recreation kicked off its summer activities at the start of June. The library’s summer reading program began June 1, and young residents have already begun taking lessons in horseback riding and swimming. A fee structure is in place for par...
arpen their skills on the basketball court last week, during a two-day clinic hosted at the high school. The Alaska Native Sisterhood Association brought down Damen Bell-Holter, a professional player and life coach whose "Blessed 2 Bless" program reaches out to youth around the country. Having grown up in Hydaburg, he was a hit with Wrangell's own aspiring athletes as an example of what hard work can accomplish. Raised in Hydaburg, after being signed with the Boston Celtics for the 2013 season,...
Very soon visitors will be able to start picking up daily permits for the Anan Wildlife Observatory. The United States Forest Service makes four of these available for every day of the season to accommodate for last-minute planning and local visitation to the mainland site. The permits need to be requested for in person at the Wrangell Ranger District, up to one week in advance. Requests are made by filling out a form at the office’s front desk. With the exception of family members, individuals listed on the form must also be physically p...
The governing board for Southeast Alaska Power Agency has approved a draft for next year's budget, as well as a hefty rebate to its member communities' utilities. The decision was supported by a fair financial position for the agency, which supplies hydroelectric power to Ketchikan, Wrangell and Petersburg. In a meeting held at Wrangell's Nolan Center Tuesday afternoon, SEAPA chief executive Trey Acteson explained sales revenues had come in higher than expected. Power sales to Ketchikan, Wrangel...
It was out of the workplace and into the streets for many Wrangell city staff Thursday morning, as two dozen unionized workers began a strike over prolonged contract negotiations. The City and Borough has been negotiating for a new collective bargaining agreement with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1547 since the summer of 2014, when the previous CBA expired. The process has at times been tumultuous, with court proceedings through the fall of 2016 being settled by...
A suspect has been charged and arraigned following a destructive string of vehicle thefts around Wrangell last week. Lief Cheyenne Bosdell, 20, was arraigned June 9 on seven counts of first-degree vehicle theft, each a Class C felony carrying up to five years in prison and a maximum $50,000 fine. Three charges of fifth-degree criminal mischief were also filed, Class B misdemeanors which together carry up to 30 days jail time and $6,000 in fines. Before his appearance at Wrangell Courthouse,...
A new principal has been hired for Evergreen Elementary School and is expected later this summer. A selection panel made up of Wrangell Public Schools teachers, paraprofessionals, the secondary schools principal and superintendent have unanimously approved the hire of Gail Taylor for the position. Taylor is currently the elementary principal with Haworth School District in Haworth, Oklahoma. Relating her background, Taylor explained she is a graduate of Southeastern Oklahoma State University...
At Tuesday evening’s meeting of the City and Borough Assembly, the operating budget for the new year was adopted. The fiscal year begins July 1, and for the coming year will use about $457,311 in previous-year surpluses to cover the difference between revenues and expenditures. A number of critical capital expense items have made the borough's list of priorities this year, including exterior repairs to the Public Safety Building and swimming pool, and acquisition of a new excavator for the waste transfer facility. Property tax rates will r...
