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An artifact of local importance was returned to its rightful home in Wrangell Nov. 6, as the Kaach.ádi Clan celebrated the return of its Xixch’i S’aaxw, or Frog Hat. This piece of regalia embodies the history and pride of its clan, Tlingits of the Raven moiety who migrated down the Naas and Stikine rivers and settled in Telegraph Creek, Wrangell and Kake. “The hat represents the clan,” explained Cindy DeWitt, an esteemed member of the Kaach.ádi who came down from her home in Juneau for the celebration. She accompanied representatives of the Ce...
The Kaach.ádi and Deisheetaan Raven clans will be hosting a celebration in Wrangell tomorrow, marking the return of the Kaach.ádi Xixch’i S’aaxw Frog Hat. Overlaid with copper and abalone shell, and decorated with ermine skins and woven rings, the ceremonial hat is nearly two centuries old. For much of the 20th century it was thought to be lost, after being acquired by a collector and former Wrangell shopkeeper, Fred Carlyon, and his sister, Anna Vaughn. The hat resurfaced in 1959, after being donated to the Oakland Museum of California by Va...
In a media release last month, the United States Forest Service Alaska Region announced it is proposing a system-wide cabin rental fee adjustment for the Chugach and Tongass national forests. The two forests are managed by 13 ranger districts, which together maintain 184 cabins year-round for public use. For visitors and residents alike, public cabins become the hub for a variety of recreational trips, from nature walks, family gatherings, hunting and sport fishing to subsistence use. Cabins are most regularly booked during the summer and...
Pint sized poltergeists, ghouls, Minions and Stormtroopers took to the streets in Wrangell last weekend, as a variety of tricked-out trick-or-treaters stocked up on sugary sweets for Halloween. Probably the best costume to have for Friday's "Early Trick or Treats" would have incorporated an umbrella. Wrangell received 1.86 inches of chilly rain that day, most of it during the afternoon. Turnout was still strong, with children and parents completing the circuit of participating businesses in the...
Irene Ingle Public Library has added a new digital tool for its users, enrolling itself in a one-year trial with educational website Lynda.com. Library card holders can access the site from any computer or device connected to the internet and are able to earn certifications in more than 4,000 areas of study. “You can do all sorts of things,” said head librarian Margaret Villarma. She explained that the program was recommended by the Friends of the Library, which paid $2,500 for the year’s subscription. Lynda.com is an online learning compa...
Thanksgiving is a special time of year for many Americans, a time to focus on family and the blessings of the past year. “It’s when the family comes home,” said Bonnie Roher, who along with her husband, Don, is organizing Wrangell’s 14th annual Thanksgiving Basket Drive. The goal of the drive is to provide a complete Thanksgiving dinner for local residents, particularly for families facing illness or catastrophe, single-parent households, multiple-member families, and single individuals. A traditional Thanksgiving dinner can be expensi...
At 26.2 miles, running a marathon can hardly be called an easy feat – as the story goes, the runner of the very first, Pheidippides, supposedly dropped dead from exhaustion after completing his marathon over 2,500 years ago. Running seven of them in as many days, and in as many states, can be considered a real challenge. Local runner Dale McMurren recently completed such a feat last month, after participating in the Mainly Marathons Appalachian Series circuit. "I had no idea if I could do it," h...
A slightly smaller group of Wrangell High School wrestlers competed at the Bill Weiss Invitational in Ketchikan last weekend. The team was down to nine wrestlers last week after several injuries and withdrawals. “They did good,” said the Wolves’ coach, Jeff Rooney. “Of course we want to do a little bit better,” he added, as the season nears its midpoint. Wrangell placed seventh overall in the two-day tournament, with 88 team points. The Ketchikan High School hosts took first place in the tourney with 216 points, followed by Craig with 149,...
The Wrangell Borough Assembly held a swift meeting Tuesday night, breaking into executive session before the half hour was up. Assembly members approved on second reading ordinances 909 and 910, amending elements of titles 9 and 11 of the Municipal Code relating to traffic, nuisance and litter violations. The changes add reference to the minor offense schedule in WMC 1.20.050 as well, and clean up sections of the code. Ordinance 911 was passed on first reading, having been changed in significant ways since it was reviewed at the last meeting....
The Wrangell Medical Center Board was officially acquainted with the hospital’s new chief executive at its regularly scheduled meeting on Oct. 21. Already in his second week, Robert Rang was chosen by the board to replace outgoing CEO Marla Sanger, whose last day with the hospital will be tomorrow. Initially hired for a year to serve on an interim basis through a management contract with PeaceHealth, Sanger ended up heading Wrangell’s hospital for the past three years. She will return to Washington to be closer to her family, and passes on the...
Two Wrangell fishermen have pleaded guilty to charges related to falsified commercial catch reports. In documentation submitted to the U.S. District Court in Juneau on Oct. 19, federal prosecutors alleged Charles Petticrew Sr. and Charles Petticrew Jr. conspired together to submit falsified Individual Fishing Quota records over a three-year period. Petticrew Jr. was alleged to have knowingly submitted IFQ reports that falsely specified the Gulf of Alaska statistical areas where around 3,977 pounds of halibut were caught, valued in all at...
The Economic Development Commission concluded its part of the process for zoning entitlement lands acquired this year by the City and Borough of Wrangell. The Alaska Department of Natural Resources approved transfer of 9,006 acres to the community in April. The entitlement lands include parcels located at Zarembo Island, Mill Creek, Olive Cove, Crittenden Creek, Earl West, Thoms Place and Sunny Bay, as well as other places on Wrangell Island. The properties are largely unzoned and unsurveyed,...
It will take a lot to bring the state budget out from the red, Wrangell residents learned at a special presentation on Oct. 21. Alaska expects to run a budget deficit of $2.9 billion this fiscal year, even after a round of significant cuts made to departments and capital project spending. When they meet for the next regular session in January, the state’s legislators will have to figure out how to curb spending in future budgets before the government empties its coffers. In an effort to prepare the public for the debates ahead, the Alaska D...
Wrangell High School’s wrestlers took third place last weekend during the Brandon Pilot Invitational Tournament at the Thunder Mountain High School campus in Juneau. “The guys did very well, I’m very proud of them,” said the Wolves’ coach, Jeff Rooney. Chet Armstrong took first place for his 182-pound bracket, pinning Joshua Goeden of Sitka in the final at 5:48. “Chet really came out and did very well,” said Rooney. In the 120-pound class, Orion Heller took second place with two for three wins. He was pinned in the final round by Ketchikan’s S...
The Lady Wolves volleyball team scored some wins at last weekend's All-Comers tournament in Juneau. Hosted by Thunder Mountain High School, Wrangell's girls were able to mix it up at the varsity and junior varsity level. On Friday Petersburg's JV beat the Lady Wolves twice, 25 to 8 and 25 to 14. The Lady Vikings' varsity team would also sweep Wrangell's the next evening. Recently added to 2A, Petersburg has been the team to beat this year. "They did pretty well," said Wrangell coach Jessica Whit...
The 2015 moose season for the Petersburg, Wrangell and Kake hunting area ended up being the third-best on record, according to Alaska Department of Fish and Game. After a slow week, numbers jumped back up during the final nine days of the season. Area wildlife biologist Rich Lowell reported 103 bulls were logged in this year’s hunt, just behind the 106 harvested last year. The highest recorded tally was for 2009, with 109 moose. Forty of those taken this year were on Kupreanof Island, only four of which failed to comply with local antler r...
Students of Brian Merritt's 4th grade class were given a presentation on fire safety by members of the Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department on Oct. 15. The annual lesson has long been a part of the curriculum – too long, thought Dorianne Curley, WVFD administrative officer. Each year from kindergarten on up, local kids are given the same lessons: who to call in the event of an emergency (9-1-1), what to do in case of catching fire (stop, drop and roll), and other tried-and-true responses. "...
At its Monday evening meeting, Wrangell’s Public School Board approved an amended strategic plan for the next three years. The meeting was the first held since the Oct. 6 elections, where board members Tammy Groshong and Aleisha Mollen were reelected to their seats. Pam McCloskey was also picked by voters to serve an unexpired one-year term, though she was unable to attend Monday. The board elected Susan Eagle to continue as its president, Howell as vice-president, and Groshong as board s...
A recently launched inter-island ferry service was laid up in Wrangell last weekend after its landing craft experienced engine trouble, and is not expected to resume its schedule until the end of the month. “We noticed low oil pressure in the port gearbox,” explained Rainforest Islands Ferry manager Kent Miller. On closer inspection, he said the oil sealing rings and port-side transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. Additional work is also being done to the lander’s starboard engin...
In bear garb with a megaphone, Southeast Beasts director Lucy Robinson gives directions to the assembled runners at the Alaska Day 5K and Half-Marathon starting line. Over 76 participants and more than a dozen volunteers shrugged off Saturday morning's chilly rain to celebrate Alaskan statehood and raise $1,300 for the hospital's cancer care fund. First held last year, the running group intends to make the event a continuing tradition. As with last year's, costs of the run were covered by Frank...
The new CEO of Wrangell Medical Center officially began work on Oct. 12. Robert Rang was selected by the hospital board from a field of nearly 40 candidates this summer. Robert Rang was formerly the long-term care administrator for the Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center. Before that he was chief nurse executive for the Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation in Bethel, and had served in the Army on active-duty and in the reserves for 28 years. Rang is a registered nurse and holds masters...
Last weekend was a successful one for Wrangell High School's wrestling program, hosting the first tournament of the season without a hitch and taking second place among 14 schools. "The community turned out in full support," said activities director Lisa Nikodym. The Tom Sims Invitational Tournament is named for Tom Sims, a former graduate, coach and longtime participant of Wrangell's wrestling program. As coach during the late 1980s and 1990s, Sims' team secured several championships, and he...
Bar-goers and fun-runners were able to enjoy a rarity in Wrangell last weekend, with a band from the Lower 48 on hand to play some live music. The Golden Idols are a relatively new creation, a four-person group whose members first found each other on classifieds website Craigslist. The spooky surf indie group was started by Patrick Broz and a friend a few years ago. On lead vocals and guitar, Broz originally hails from Montgomery City, Mo., but ended up in Seattle after spending several years...
Looking ahead to another century, delegates with the Alaska Native Brotherhood (ANB) and Alaska Native Sisterhood (ANS) met in Wrangell last week for their 100th annual Grand Camp. Seventy-one of 120 camp delegates from Alaska, Washington and Oregon were able to attend the four-day conference, which brought about 140 visitors in all. Dedicated to advancing civil rights and improving living conditions for Native communities, the Brotherhood was founded in Sitka in 1912, with an auxiliary...
At its first meeting since the Oct. 6 elections, an unchanged Wrangell City and Borough Assembly discussed and largely approved a number of revisions to the Municipal Code on first reading. The proposed ordinances would clarify violations relating to littering, nuisances, distributing handbills, the burning of rubbish without permit, and other infractions, adding them to the minor offense schedule in Title 1. Staff notes indicate the change is a requirement of the state’s court system. Not listing the fines and applicable penalties in Title 1...
