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Lisa Torgramsen has been crafting fabrics since she learned how to make her own clothes at the age of 12. At the age of 24 she added quilting to her repertoire, and she continued to build her skill for 42 years. In May, Torgramsen opened Fishwife Quilts, a shop that centers on all things quilting - from selling supplies and custom creations to teaching others everything she's learned in decades of practicing the artform. She was inspired by her grandmother to learn quilting in the 1970s, so she...
While Thanksgiving has passed and Christmas looms on the horizon, the ghost of Thanksgiving lurks in the fridge. But there's nothing to fear. Wrangell is populated with creative types who are happy to share their tasty ideas on what to do with those lingering leftovers. Diane Hillyer Ivy-Dahlin said her family's favorite leftovers tradition is turkey enchiladas. This recipe can be frozen after preparing, then reheated. "You can use chicken too, but it's just a great flavor with turkey," she...
It takes a village to raise a tree; Christmas tree, that is. On Dec. 3, the efforts of people throughout Wrangell will culminate in the lighting of the community Christmas tree, a decades-long tradition. A "very full and pretty" pine tree located behind the state highway equipment shop on the Airport Loop Road will be cut down next Monday and taken downtown to be set in a stand between the Elks Lodge and L&M gas station, according to Dominique O'Connor, secretary for Wrangell Municipal Light &...
It's commonplace in most communities to see a big, brown delivery van lumbering down the street, or parked curbside with its hazard lights blinking. In Wrangell, the familiar UPS brand is replaced by a white cargo van belonging to C&D Deliveries. The family owned service puts in a lot of hours, especially during the holidays, to ensure people receive their packages despite adverse weather, unknown addresses or unfamiliar names. Since April 30, 2019, when Chris Booker and his wife, Dixie,...
For six and a half years, Megan Powell has helped others navigate through Wrangell High School as secretary. Now, she's moving on. On Dec. 17, Powell will say goodbye to the students and staff that have become like a second family. She'll go to work as a teller at First Bank. "I think it's just time for a change, and doing something different, trying something else out," she said. Powell came to the secretary position after leaving Crossings when she became pregnant with her first child and...
What began 56 years ago on Bainbridge Island, Washington, pingponged around the world, and landed on Wrangell's shores just a few years ago. Now, pickleball is becoming popular among local players of all abilities. The sport, played on a 20-foot by 44-foot court with a tennis-type net in the middle, was invented in 1965 by friends Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum. According to the official USA Pickleball website, the game was named "pickle ball" by Joel's wife, Joan, in reference...
The Wrangell Wolves high school wrestling team grappled with Craig, Sitka and Mt. Edgecumbe last weekend in Sitka instead of traveling to Palmer to compete in a bigger tournament there. The weekend’s matches resulted in three first-place wins, a second place and two third-place finishes. “It was a great weekend of wrestling, even though it was a small meet,” said assistant coach Jack Carney. Liana Carney, Mia Wiederspohn and Ryan Rooney won first place in their weight classes, while Ethan Blatchley won second. Lily Younce, Vanessa Barnes and D...
Nicole Hammer is faced with a child care conundrum that has no easy solutions. As her unemployment benefits run out, she needs to find a job. But finding someone to watch her son is proving to be difficult. Without a day care center and with few home-based child care providers, Wrangell parents have had to get creative when it comes to finding someone to watch their children while they work. In some cases, they've had to quit working. Or, in Hammer's case, she can't accept a job offer until she...
The Wrangell community garden has seen better days. Its board members believe it can see those days - plus a little more - again. A survey was recently posted online to gauge interest from the community in revitalizing the garden. So far, 40 people have responded, and three have said they want to be on the board. According to Kim Wickman, one of two board members, a great deal of work has already been done to make the plot workable. It's located on Zimovia Highway just south of Heritage Harbor,...
The borough assembly has denied the school district’s request for an exemption from Wrangell’s testing and isolation requirements for unvaccinated students who travel. In October, the district had requested students and staff traveling for extracurricular activities, such as sports, be exempt from the borough’s COVID-19 emergency ordinance testing and isolation requirements since it wouldn’t allow students and staff to attend events on back-to-back weekends. The assembly denied the request at its Nov. 9 meeting. “We believed, based on the la...
School board member Laura Ballou has resigned her position, citing the personal responsibilities of her full-time nurse practitioner job and her farm, Oceanview Gardens. The school board accepted the resignation at its Nov. 15 meeting and began the process of filling Ballou’s seat. “I would like to thank Laura Ballou for her service on the board,” board president David Wilson said. “I appreciate all that she does, especially on the board. Working with her was a joy.” In her letter of resignation, Ballou wrote, “It is with a heavy heart that...
Lt. Jon Tollerud and his wife, Rosie, along with a handful of volunteers have begun preparations for The Salvation Army's Thanksgiving and Christmas food boxes and toy drive programs. Depending on the time of year, the Salvation Army's food pantry serves more than 10% of Wrangell's population, Tollerud said. Food insecurities aren't necessarily any worse during the holiday season, he said, but the effort of the food pantry changes as needed to help those in need. Along with the food bags that...
Technology has made access to information and connection with people around the world instantly possible. It’s a valuable teaching tool for educators. But that same technology has a dark side, causing kids to misbehave and use social media inappropriately. It’s led to more parent and teacher oversight and, in some cases, suspension, even in Wrangell. Bob Davis, assistant principal of the high school and middle school, recently has sent out messages to parents letting them know about a slew of TikTok challenges that had made their way to Wra...
Wrangell has work, but the workforce is lacking. Since the end of September, the Wrangell Chamber of Commerce has been posting its members’ job openings to help get companies staffed and people working. In the five weeks, three people have come in to fill out applications. Chamber Executive Director Brittani Robbins said despite efforts help get jobs filled, staffing shortages remain due to anything from lower starting wages to unqualified applicants. But Robbins believes businesses can take steps to make positions more attractive. “I thi...
The state high school swim meet in Anchorage was derailed for Wrangell’s competitors last weekend when senior Renée Roberts tested positive for COVID-19. Head coach Jamie Roberts (Renée’s mom) reported the test came back positive an hour before the second day’s competition began on Saturday. “As a coach and a mom this was heartbreaking,” Roberts said. “After the 2020 season, we were looking forward to a season of competition. Renée had a goal to go to state four years in a row. She made it her first two years, then state was canceled in 20...
The Wrangell Wolves wrestling team traveled to Anchorage last weekend to compete in the Anchorage Christian School invitational tournament. Several team members placed in their weight classes, with one taking first. Senior Liana Carney took first over Colony High School's Sarah Callender in a 10-0 decision. Her teammate, Mia Wiederspohn, placed fourth, falling to Heaven Matheny, of Fairbanks Lathrop. In the boys competition, Randy Churchill placed fifth by besting Graelin Chaney, of Dillingham,...
A private donation to St. Frances Animal Rescue has made it possible for the nonprofit shelter to keep operating after a difficult year. The shelter recently received a promise from a private donor to match every dollar donated from Nov. 1 of this year until Nov. 1, 2022, up to $10,000.Joan Sargent, the foster/adoption coordinator for St. Frances, is confident the shelter will be able to raise enough to reach its target of $35,000. That would allow the organization to keep moving toward its...
Bob Russell recently returned to Alaska to continue his career pursuits in the technology arena. He started the next leg of his journey on July 2 as the school district's tech director, overseeing all computer equipment, internet connectivity, networking and learning devices. In short, if it's technology-related, Russell is in charge. Before coming to Wrangell, Russell and his wife, Kimberly, and Great Pyrenees dog, Yukon, lived in Tennessee. He had lived and worked in Fort Yukon some time...
Three swimmers on the high school team will travel to Anchorage this weekend for the state championship after placing first in their events at regionals last weekend in Ketchikan. Renée Roberts and Nikolai Siekawitch will compete in two events each, and Jack Roberts will compete in one event and be an alternate for another at the state competition Friday and Saturday. Renée Roberts will compete in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle. Siekawitch will compete in the 100-yard butterfly and...
The borough assembly has approved $75,600 to begin upgrades to the community’s water treatment plant. Assembly members on Oct. 26 agreed with the administration’s recommendation to move forward with the first phase in a multi-part solution to the ailing water filtration and delivery system. The funds would be used to buy two closed-loop cooling systems valued at $37,800 each. Tom Wetor, director of public works, explained that treated plant water is used to cool components within the ozone generators, one of the steps in the filtration pro...
Readin', writin' and skinnin'? What might raise eyebrows and turn stomachs in more metropolitan locations is just another day of teaching for Brian Merritt at Evergreen Elementary. For 30 of his 33 years of teaching at the school, Merritt has given lessons in biology and anatomy by skinning deer and cleaning fish. It's a method that illustrates exactly what he's trying to relay to his fourth grade class. "I started as a biology major and wanted to teach high school science. I didn't care for it...
A shark thrashes its victim; legs poke out the end of rolled-up carpet; a skeleton rides a giant spider; a haunted house catches fire. Decorations are up around Wrangell to welcome the spookiest time of year, and for one couple their longtime decorating endeavors saw a truly frightening outcome. Jeff and Kay Jabusch have dressed up their front yard on Oceanview Drive for nearly four decades. "We started in the garage, went back about six feet, put bars there, and I dressed up as something,...
The borough assembly on Tuesday discussed — but took no action — on Wrangell’s COVID-19 testing and isolation policy as it affects unvaccinated students who travel out of town for sports and activities. The school district had requested a waiver of the policy. The district currently allows unvaccinated students who travel for games or other activities to return to school and practice without isolating until their test results come back, so long as the students follow the school district’s weekly testing protocols and mitigation plan. The sch...
The Wrangell High School volleyball team traveled to Metlakatla last weekend for six matches. They won all but one match during three days of play. In best-three-out-of-five match sets, the Lady Wolves played against Petersburg, Craig, Metlakatla, Haines, Skagway and Klawock, which was the only team to defeat them. Thursday’s match against Petersburg resulted in Wrangell winning three sets in a row, 28-26, 25-16 and 25-19. Friday’s matches were against Skagway, Metlakatla and Haines. Wrangell took all three matches against Metlakatla, 25-19, 25...
Imagine performing in a band or choir but not being able to practice with the other performers on the stage. That's how students from Southeast high schools have to approach Honors Fest. Each year, high schoolers from across the region audition for the event, and this year two students from Wrangell were scheduled to perform on Tuesday with 73 other musicians in Ketchikan. The event was supposed to be held at Wrangell High School last year. Normally, about 120 students perform during Honors...
