Sorted by date Results 647 - 671 of 1297
The city power department has begun upgrading Wrangell’s power infrastructure, focusing on priorities approved by the Borough Assembly in March. The upgrades are expected to be part of a long and expensive process, estimated to cost between $3 million and $3.65 million over five years by consultants at Electric Power Systems. Fixes include replacing aging poles along Church Street, Case Avenue, Zimovia Highway and Cow Alley, and replacing the existing H structure and substation supporting the grid. “The guys have been hard at it,” said Wrangell...
After 48 years of service to the community, Wrangell's chapter of the Lions Club will be wrapping up its operations this summer. "It's a sad story," said Janet Strom, speaking for the club. "We don't have the membership and we don't have the volunteers that we used to." Perhaps best known for its collection and refurbishment of glasses, the Lions Club is an organization based around the premise of community service, which takes on different forms as needed from one to the next. Over the last...
At its May 24 meeting, the Borough Assembly learned of a possible development in the works for Wrangell’s Institute property. City Manager Jeff Jabusch explained he was currently in contact with the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP), an accelerated learning program aimed at Alaskan high schoolers. ANSEP launched its Acceleration Academy in 2009, in part to address a longstanding problem Alaska’s university system has been experiencing with chronic remediation of incoming students. Compared to peers elsewhere in the cou...
An economic plan surveying the coming five years was adopted this week by Southeast Conference. The Southeast Alaska 2020 Economic Plan released on Tuesday looks at various economic and demographic trends in the region and lays out targets for improvement. The plan also highlights the importance of sound economic planning in light of impending cuts to federal and especially state government spending in coming years. The economic plan is the result of a year-long collaborative process in which more than 400 regional leaders were consulted....
Seven totem poles transferred this spring from city storage at the boatyard to Wrangell Cooperative Association's new cultural center have been identified. The Tribe contacted master carver Steve Brown, sending him photographs of the retired poles in hopes of shedding some light on their identities. Coming to Wrangell in 1984, Brown had learned the local style and had worked on recreating a number of local totems and wood pieces, and was instrumental in the restoration of the Chief Shakes House... Full story
As Wrangell High School prepared to send off 19 of its senior class last week, a number of awards and scholarships were distributed to students at a May 18 ceremony in the gym. "This is a phenomenal group of young men and women who are going off in all directions," school activities director Lisa Nikodym said. The 2016 class together earned over $130,000 in scholarships alone, and including grants, scholarships and unaccepted awards were offered $733,882 in all. Graduating senior Maleah Wenzel e... Full story
A draft for the Alaska Marine Highway System’s post-summer schedule was released last week. AMHS general manager Captain John Falvey Jr. reported the new schedule will be based on expected funding levels for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1. Presently, the ferry intends to run 330.2 operating weeks for nine of its vessels; the Taku and Chenega will both be on layup for much of the next fiscal year as cost saving measures. Entering its second year of inactivity, the Taku may be on the road to divestment. “We’ve announced this briefly,... Full story
Before its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday evening, the City and Borough Assembly was prefaced with a public hearing and special presentation on the coming fiscal year's budget. Following up on its first review of the FY2017 draft budget on May 9, finance director Lee Burgess was accompanied by consultant Paula Scott, vice president of USI and a long-standing professional associate of the city. Still weighing heavily on next year's budget is an expected 38-percent raise to Wrangell's group rate health insurance plan when the fiscal year beg...
After many months of preparation, higher rates for Wrangell's harbor and boatyard users passed a penultimate hurdle on Tuesday. The City and Borough Assembly approved on first reading Ordinance 917, amending the fee schedule for Wrangell's Harbor Department. The proposal will return to the Assembly for its second and final reading on June 14. Approved by the Port Commission at its May 5 meeting, the increases being put forward would institute a 10-percent increase to outside and inside dock face moorage, storage, port development fees and most...
On May 12 the Planning and Zoning Commission presided over a lengthy workshop and meeting meant to iron out which cannabis-related businesses would be appropriate for nonresidential zones in Wrangell. In particular, commissioners looked at the community's only such business being proposed, a mainly retail shop with small-scale cultivation and manufacturing capabilities to be opened in the old hotel behind the Diamond C Cafe. Restaurateur Kelsey Martinsen is already going through the state... Full story
An interisland ferry service startup has stopped again, after reporting trouble with its landing craft. After discovering water in the stern of the Rainforest Islander, operator Rainforest Islands Ferry contacted its customers last week to cancel reservations for the foreseeable future. On May 11, the ferry’s crew discovered water inside the hull. Closer inspection identified stress cracks on welds to the hull plating. Baker explained the engine’s shaft is slightly out of alignment, leading to the vibrations which may have caused the pla... Full story
With its last meeting of the academic year, the Wrangell Public School Board looked back on its progress as measured against its 2015-16 strategic plan goals. The plan started to develop in February 2015, with faculty and members of the community collaborating on ways to improve students' experience in four primary areas: academic achievement, technical education, safety and facilities improvements, and technology. "Everyone had a hand in the final product," school superintendent Patrick Mayer s...
After the start of the new fiscal year on July 1, Wrangell seems set to be permanently without a residential nurse at its Public Health Center due to anticipated budget cuts to the program. In March the Wrangell office’s nurse Ty Esposito retired from her position. At the time, the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services had dispelled concerns that the office and another in Haines would be closed down. The nursing position for Haines’ PHC had been vacant since October. As the Legislature creeps ever closer to finalizing a budget for nex...
Four dozen elementary school students from the Wrangell and Petersburg areas partook in a field day, heading upriver for the 19th annual Stikine River field trip on May 3. Encompassing almost 700 square miles, since 1980 the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness Area has been managed by the United States Forest Service. Originating 335 miles away in Canada's British Columbia province, the winding river is a major contributor of wild salmon and home to many migratory bird species. For many in the Petersburg... Full story
Community members were given a first peek at the budget being proposed for the next fiscal year, in the first of several planned workshops held on Monday. “This is a draft budget. It's certainly the starting point,” Borough Manager Jeff Jabusch pointed out. “The budget here is balanced up to this point,” finance director Lee Burgess summarized, presenting the draft. While the budget draft presented Monday is currently balanced, Burgess pointed out there are still several looming concerns. Rent revenues from the state for use of the local j... Full story
Representatives of Alaskan, Canadian, tribal and local agencies all gathered together in Wrangell on Tuesday to pay tribute to two members of the North West Mounted Police who had died during a storm more than a century ago. Constable Spence Heathcote and Constable Norman Campbell had both drowned while crossing by boat from the Stikine River to Wrangell Island in late December 1901. Though acknowledged as having died in service to their country, it was not until 2006 that Royal Canadian... Full story
On the afternoon of May 4, disaster seemingly struck at the rock quarry north of Wrangell Airport. Vehicles were aflame, pouring a column of smoke into the sunny sky as dozens of wounded lay scattered around the piles of stone and sand awaiting aid. Within minutes emergency vehicles are on the scene, with pumper trucks from the airport and Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department dousing the wreckage and emergency medical technicians coordinating with firefighters to identify and prepare victims for...
Anglers are fueling up their boats and assembling their gear in preparation for the 64th Annual King Salmon Derby, which starts on Saturday. There are only a few changes to this year’s derby from past contests, among which will be three weigh-in stations around town. During weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. stations will be located at the Wrangell Chamber of Commerce office by the city dock and at Petro Marine at Inner Harbor. An additional station will be set up at the Harbormaster’s office for weekday nights from 5 to 9 p.m. and on weekends, fro...
A group of Wrangell students returned last weekend from an extended trip to Washington D.C. and New York City. They were part of the Close Up program, aimed at informing and educating young people to exercise the rights and accept the responsibilities as citizens in a democracy. Eleven students departed with their program advisor on April 22. The group visited the Eastern Market, noted for its variety of artwork, food and events. Afterward the group toured Petersen House, where President Abraham... Full story
At a special noontime meeting Monday, the City and Borough Assembly decided not to approve a proposal by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation to store excess contaminated soil at a site off Spur Road. At work for the past two months remediating long-term contamination at the former Byford junk site, ADEC, NRC Alaska and other contractors had found significantly more affected soil than first anticipated. Since taking on the project, initial estimates of only 4,000 cubic yards of contaminated material have been upped to 18,000,... Full story
At its board meeting in Ketchikan April 28, Southeast Alaska Power Agency agreed to look into the feasibility of putting in a third generating unit at the Tyee Lake hydroelectric facility. The proposal was put forward by board members representing Wrangell and Petersburg, whose communities Tyee predominantly powers. Operating since 1984, the Tyee hydro facility uses water from a natural lake, which is funneled into a drop shaft feeding two generating units that together generate 25 megawatts of power. In the original construction, the... Full story
The Wrangell City and Borough Assembly and staff plan to jointly hold a public hearing and work session on Monday to go over the 2016-17 budget. Members of the public are encouraged to attend, with the opportunity to look over a first draft and provide input on any items. Borough manager Jeff Jabusch explained the number of workshops to be held before a final draft is adopted will depend in part on the level of public participation in the process. He expects a final to be passed as early as May 24 but as late as June 14, ahead of the deadline...
Preparations for this year's Fourth of July festivities kicks off May 31 with the annual Royalty Court contest. The Wrangell Chamber of Commerce will host a gathering at the Stikine Inn, introducing queen candidates Kyla Teat and Alex Angerman. Money raised from the event gets split between candidates and the Chamber, with the latter going to fund activities and displays for the annual Independence Day celebrations. Last year's contest raised $80,398. In order to better know both students, The...
Despite some particularly inclement weather Saturday, Wrangell's Little League teams were able to hold their season's opening ceremony. With temperatures in the 40s, better than an inch of rain coming down and gusts of up to 30 miles per hour, games planned for the season opener were cancelled. Despite that, players donned their uniforms and took to the field at Volunteer Park to usher in the season, which runs through the first week of June. Two leagues have been set up for players aged 7 to...
Last weekend's 19th Annual Stikine River Birding Festival proceeded despite unhelpful weather conditions, with heavy rains and whipping winds keeping most of Wrangell's feathered denizens and their admirers close to home. Three events planned for the festival ended up being cancelled as a result, including a morning breakfast and bird walk on April 30, and a special songbird banding demonstration scheduled for Sunday. Forest Service interpreter Corree Delabrue explained the weather made...
