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The environmental office of Wrangell Cooperative Association will be holding a collection drive for residents’ unwanted electronics this weekend. The drive involves the collection, transport and reclamation of an assortment of technological contraptions. It will be funded through an Indian Environmental General Assistance Program grant, a program run through the Environmental Protection Agency cooperatively with the Tribe. “We will be collecting anything with a cord or a brain,” explained Kim Wickman, Wrangell IGAP technician. “They can be fax...
The schedule of events for the 20th annual Stikine River Birding Festival has been put out. Running from April 27 to 30 this year, the annual festival brings in ornithologists and bird fanciers from all over to appreciate the varied avian life living on and around the Stikine River. Kicking off Thursday, April 27, people can brush up on their observation skills in a Birding 101 crash course, held at the Nolan Center at 6 p.m. An hour afterward, some short films on transboundary water issues will be hosted by Southeast Alaska Conservation...
Ahead of the coming summer, the Borough Assembly held a special meeting on April 6 to get an update on the city's water situation. Last summer Wrangell entered a state of emergency for a month, after Public Works reported its reserves of treated water were threateningly low. Once water is treated and filtered at the municipal plant, it is stored in two 424,000-gallon tanks before distribution. Due to the position of each tank's outflow about 130,000 gallons are considered unusable, effectively...
A Tlingit educator and Wrangell resident returned home late last month after taking part in a community research program at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. Virginia Oliver was selected for the trip by Recovering Voices, a research initiative that supports indigenous communities in their efforts to save, document, and revitalize their languages, cultures and knowledge systems. Groups of scholars and elders are brought from around the country to the Smithsonian to examine specimens...
Going on six years in the making, a steering committee has been assembled to develop a memorial dedicated to Wrangell mariners, and is starting to solicit donations for its construction. The five-member committee was assembled at the behest of the Port Commission, which after commissioning designs for the new memorial thought the next step would be best handled by a private corporation rather than the city. Memorial committee member Brennon Eagle explained taking that route would make it easier...
The opening of a planned assisted living and senior housing center has been pushed back by a couple of weeks, its owners say. Shannon Bosdell said a Certification of Occupancy from the state is needed before Harbor House can open its doors to residents. First announcing the venture back in December, he and co-developer Daniel Blake were expecting an April 1 start date. “It got pushed out by a week, week and a half,” Bosdell said. Formerly the Sourdough Lodge, once certified, the Peninsula Avenue facility will be able to accommodate five assiste...
A Coast Guard cutter stationed in Ketchikan was due to stop in to Wrangell over the weekend for its Tent City Days celebration, but unexpectedly had to divert course and return home en route. The CGC Anthony Petit was about 31 miles away when it abruptly changed course Friday evening. “Unfortunately, just by Lincoln Rock, a member of our crew developed a serious medical condition,” explained Petty Officer 1st Class Jonathan Bauer. The ship made speedily for home, the crew member was successfully transported for emergency care, and is cur...
Another year's Tent City Days wrapped up over the weekend, culminating in a post-roller derby party out on the town late Saturday. "It went pretty good," said Kelly Gunderson, who helped organize this year's events. "Especially with the derby girls." The Garnet Grit Betties hosted a special bout for the event. Twenty-eight women donned pads and skates and took to a converted track at the high school gym Saturday afternoon. Coming from six different communities, they formed two "mash-up" rosters...
The Wrangell Borough Assembly passed on first reading several ordinances related to marijuana, including an additional excise on that cultivated on the island. Under one proposed code change, a new section would affix a $10 tax per ounce on "the sale or transfer of all marijuana from a marijuana cultivation facility ... to a retail marijuana store or a marijuana product manufacturing facility." "The cultivator pays the tax," explained city clerk, Kim Lane. It and the other ordinances were put...
Wrangell's youth Amateur Athletics Union basketball team took first in Juneau's Mike Jackson Memorial Tournament over the weekend. The program is a gap-bridge for middle school students, giving them opportunity to play competitively and hone skills before high school. Wrangell's recent victory follows on the heels of last year's similarly successful AAU season, and bodes well for future classes of players. But it was a long weekend for the eight girls. They had to arrive ahead of the games'...
Wrangell students got hands-on with robotics and circuitry for most of last week, taking part in a technological workshop put on by the AKTeach program. The program – an acronym for Alaskans Transforming Educational Access in Communities and Homes – is part of the Kodiak Island Borough School District, and facilitates education services for school systems across the state. Instructors from the program were brought to Wrangell for three days to focus on science, technology, engineering, arts and...
One of Wrangell's canine residents finally received its search and rescue certification, after four long years of training. "Katilli," a golden retriever handled by owner Steve Prysunka, took her final exam in Texas last week. Through an ongoing training and certification process, the dog has been deployed for search and rescue efforts on behalf of Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department. "This is what we've been working for for the last three and a half years," said Prysunka. "This was her test for...
Wrangell’s district representative for the State Legislature teleconferenced in late last week to update constituents on what’s going on in Juneau. Rep. Dan Ortiz (I-District 36) called in to Legislative Information Office locations in Ketchikan and Wrangell to explain ongoing bills and field questions on March 23. Likely the biggest issue on Alaska’s collective mind is its budget deficit, which by various measures is set to drain billions from the state’s savings this year. With spending left as is, the Legislative Finance Division project...
Biologists with the state’s Department of Fish and Game will be making their way to Wrangell this weekend to explain how the ongoing survey of Southeast Alaska’s bat population is going. Staff wildlife biologists Tory Rhoads and Steve Lewis will be visiting local schools through Friday, teaching about the different species prevalent to the area and explaining how monitoring actually works. A presentation open to the public that evening at 6:30 p.m. has also been scheduled, to be held inside the Forest Service Ranger’s office. Of parti...
This year's annual Tent City Days celebration will start tomorrow, opening up with the dog show at 5 p.m. Celebrating the town of Wrangell's rustic beginnings, the annual late-winter festivity was held a bit later than usual this year due to scheduling conflicts. "I ain't competing with the Super Bowl," event organizer Kelly Gunderson joked. Involved with the festival in past years, she took organization of the celebration off the hands of Penny Allen, who in recent years has been working to...
Wrangell’s City and Borough Assembly interviewed a pair of top candidates to replace the city manager next month. Jeff Jabusch announced his plans to retire last September, after serving as manager for nearly four years. He will be finished at City Hall on March 31, after which economic director Carol Rushmore will step in as interim manager until the transition is completed. Steps to hunt down a replacement for Jabusch were taken shortly after his announcement, and a months-long interview process yielded four candidates by mid-February. Three...
After four decades of public service, City Hall will bid farewell this month to its longtime finance director and recent borough manager, Jeff Jabusch. "It's going to be kind of strange, every morning getting up and not driving into this parking lot after forty years. My car will probably just come here automatically after that length," he said. "It's been very rewarding," he said of his tenure. "I've got to meet a lot of interesting people, and working with a lot of people, both staff people an...
A reboot to the local hospital’s new building project was underway last week, with key contractors on site for predevelopment work. Wrangell Medical Center CEO Robert Rang informed the hospital’s governing board at its March 15 meeting that principal architect Joann Lott and company president Wayne Jensen of Juneau-based firm Jensen Yorba Lott were in town preparing preliminary plans for a new hospital facility on Wood Street. The pair had looked over the proposed site on March 13, which is adjacent to the current Alaska Island Community Ser...
Have you ever had a story you were just aching to tell, but weren't sure how to best get started? Or is there a manuscript in the bureau you'd like to have published, but don't know how to get it into print? Local author Michael Bania sought to answer some of these queries in an open workshop last week for prospective writers and illustrators. Held at the Irene Ingle Public Library, about two dozen inquisitive residents brought their notepads, portfolios and laptops to the March 14...
A bill that would rearrange how earnings from the Permanent Fund are used passed the Senate last week, with a version set next to be read by the House Finance Committee. The “Permanent Fund Protection Act” (SB 26) would arrange the Fund’s Earnings Reserve Account – from which the state’s annual dividends are paid out – so that the amount of money drawn from the earnings would be tied to a percent of market value, or POMV, approach. The bill would set up how the ERA would be tapped, and would set the POMV limit at a 5.25-percent withdraw ra...
For visitors this summer to Anan Wildlife Observatory, trips to the restroom will become a bit less hectic. Up to the present, the oft-visited outdoor attraction's outhouse is sited apart from the main observation area – and its protective barriers – making run-ins with Anan's bears en route to the toilet an occasional risk. At least a few people have had to wait out a passing bear from inside, which can be unpleasant in addition to an unnerving experience. The Forest Service (USFS) Wra...
Wrangell's Public School Board approved a second draft for the upcoming year's budget, which begins in July. The addition of $375,000 in funds from the school's capital improvement fund approved in January helped balance out the proposed budget, which assumes a five-percent reduction in the state's Base Student Allocation. Over this year's budget – revised as of this month – revenues will be down in several areas for FY18. Foundation support will drop by around $240,000 to $3.12M, while ret...
A pair of bills were submitted to the State Legislature which would help move forward a proposed land exchange between the United States Forest Service and the state Mental Health Trust Authority. House Bill 155 was introduced by Rep. Dan Ortiz (I-District 36) earlier last week, with Sen. Bert Stedman (R-District R) submitting Senate Bill 88 shortly after. An agreement to initiate the swap was signed by both services in June 2015, which followed approximately eight years of negotiations that included input from a wide collection of...
Wrangell High School's boys finished up in third place during last week's Region V tournament, after losing in the final round to second-place Metlakatla. Heading to hosts Juneau-Douglas High School, on March 8 the team started their week against next-door rivals and eventual champs Petersburg. "The kids gave a good showing," said coach Ray Stokes. His boys had played a close game against the Vikings just the previous weekend during Petersburg's homecoming, and the tournament rematch was...
Wrangell's high school girls basketball team finished up its season with a hard-fought third place finish at last week's Region V in Juneau. The girls started on good footing against Haines on Wednesday, winning 58-43. They moved on to first-seeded team Metlakatla the following day. "We had a really strong game against them," said Wrangell coach Laurie Brown. The girls kept pace with the Miss Chiefs throughout the game. Fouls played a factor in the game, earning extra points; sophomore Helen...
