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The Aspen Daily News in Aspen, Colorado runs a statement every day on their front page Flag that states: “If you don’t want it printed, don’t let it happen.” It’s a bit brash for our taste, but the words apply to this newspaper when it comes to public record reporting that appears on our pages. Recently we’ve had three persons request that we remove police and court reports that pertain to cases they were involved in. They cite invasion of privacy concerns and correctly state that the information will jeopardize future hiring opportuniti...
Just eight years ago the Wrangell Sentinel published 648 pages for the year. By 2019 that number dropped by 100 pages to 548 pages. We certainly didn’t have any less news to print. The reason for the drop in page count was from retailers opting to not make use of the Wrangell Sentinel’s advertising services. The Wrangell Sentinel has many ways for businesses to promote themselves. Even during tougher economic times, there are still benefits to keeping in touch with the people patronizing your business. SPONSOR PAGES: These pages promote com...
In the past 4 consecutive years this newspaper has been recognized by the Alaska Press Club for its quality writing and overall excellence. But award winning stories mean nothing if they aren't read. Subscribers are the lifeblood of a community newspaper. Without readers, our work is for naught. Despite the prolific numbers of social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, the Sentinel enables community discussions. Letters to the Editor were the first and most commonly used community...
The 118 year-old Wrangell Sentinel has seen a lot of change during its existence. Due to our coverage of a small and compact community and the ongoing trust of our readers, we have fared better than many in the industry. Larger metropolitan size papers can survive on subscription revenue, and in some cases, significant income from the sale of corporate assets like multi-acre sized printing facilities. Smaller papers continue to require a mixture of advertising revenue from retailers and subscrip...
Now in its 118th year of continuous publication, the Wrangell Sentinel is unlike any other newspaper in the world. That's because there is no other place in the world like Wrangell. The newspaper reflects the lifestyle and inner workings of the community. In good times and bad, the Sentinel has continued publishing, earning it the slogan of being, "the oldest continuously published newspaper in Alaska." The Kodiak Daily Mirror holds the title of being the oldest newspaper, but during World War...
While we applaud the work of Wrangell’s health care providers as they prepare for the uncertain times before us, it’s important to remember that they need us as much as we need them. Every citizen has a part to play in flattening the curve so small hospitals like Wrangell’s aren’t overwhelmed with stricken patients from COVID-19 infections. Key to flattening the curve is testing symptomatic patients, proper hand washing and social distancing or isolation. Presently SEARHC does not release testing numbers to the public except in aggrega... Full story
Southeast Alaskans have been given the opportunity to lift the onerous roadless designation from the Tongass National Forest, and yet many have testified to leave it in place. We're astonished. That's not the Alaskan way. Why do we want the federal government to maintain continued control of the Tongass? The roadless designation was put in place as yet another padlock on national forests that were already protected and commercial activity was eliminated or severely stymied. Half of the Tongass...
The strike called for by the Inlandboatmen's Union of the Pacific (IBU) this week defies all logic. Talk about giving the governor exactly what he wants at a most expeditious time - the script couldn't be more perfect. Instead of shutting down the ferries in October, the IBU now insures the ferries shut down in mid-summer. And in summer, visitors are impacted rather than state residents who are busy working seasonal jobs like construction and fishing. Of course, this will not endear members of...
PETERSBURG–Seafood industry researchers to casual history buffs will use and enjoy Tin Can Country - Southeast Alaska's Historic Salmon Canneries. This copiously illustrated edition is filled with stories, essays, historic photographs, custom made maps and colorful salmon can labels that together tell the story of S.E. Alaska's seafood industry from the time of tidewater Tlingit fish traps to today's highly mechanized, competitive corporate-conglomerated industry. It's a perfect coffee table b...
The purse seine fleet set a single day chum salmon catch record for the entire state with a haul of over 980,000 chum salmon taken at Crawfish Inlet south of Sitka on Thursday, Aug. 30 according to Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association (NSRAA) manager Steve Reifenstuhl. Seiners took 1.13 million fish in two openings. In a year where the pink salmon catch has been said to be the worst since 1976, Reifenstuhl said Tuesday many boats doubled their season income in one day. The manager added, “Crawfish Inlet will top 2.5 million f...
PETERSBURG – The Estate of Molly Parks filed a Wrongful Death claim in Petersburg Superior Court on May 18 against the Petersburg Borough and the driver of the Parks and Rec. van, William “Chris” Allen. Parks, 18, was one of two persons killed on July 4, 2016 following a vehicle collision on N. Nordic Drive. The complaint states that Parks death was a result of Allen sustaining a seizure while driving the Parks and Rec. Dept. vehicle. Parks, Allen, Catherine Cardenas, 19, and Marie Giesbrecht, 19, were assigned to set up rest stations for the 4...
With the adjournment of the Legislature on May 12, Senator Bert Stedman, R-Sitka, talked to The Pilot during the Little Norway Festival about the session. The legislature realized they have to restructure the Alaska Permanent Fund (APF) and Senate Bill 26 does that. Stedman was one of 13 senators who voted in favor of the legislation. With a $2.5 billion deficit the APF has to be protected. He has favored that idea for a long time because it would limit payouts and gives the public the opportunity to look at its structure. The bill sets a...
Since June 2017 this newspaper has received three price increases totaling $167 metric/ton from our Canadian newsprint supplier. This newspaper, along with other Alaskan publishers, purchases their newsprint from Canadian manufacturers because there are not enough U.S. paper mills to meet the demands of the newspaper industry. The Trump administration has levied a 22% tariff on newsprint imported from Canada based upon the complaint of a single paper mill (North Pacific Paper Company) that is accusing Canadian mills of engaging in dumping...
When ownership of a newspaper or broadcast outlet changes, it’s big news. It’s the lead story of the day. Everyone wants to know who the new owner is, and what changes will be made to the organization. In the case of KSTK, Wrangell’s public radio station, the proposed ownership change was advanced with barely a whisper to the public. With approximately 234 letters mailed to active supporters and bits of information shared with a few others, minimal notification was made of changes that were coming to Wrangell’s station. This newspaper stumble...
Lack of support from KSTK public radio listeners and businesses in Wrangell may bring ownership changes to the station. A public notice published in last week’s Wrangell Sentinel foreshadows the transfer of radio station assets to CoastAlaska in Juneau. CoastAlaska provides administrative support and other services for seven Southeast public radio stations including KSTK. Reductions in grant revenue and local donations, has made the station’s financial situation untenable. We’re not convinced that moving the station’s operations to CoastAl...
PETERSBURG - Five hikers and 7 dogs were taking a Father's Day hike up Petersburg Mountain last Sunday when atop the summit, two dogs playing together fell over an obscured ledge, dropping over 200-feet onto a rock and snow-covered bench on the backside of the mountain. One dog survived the fall with severe lacerations and the second dog died two hours later while enroute back down the mountain. Ola and Brian Richard's dog Roxy suffered deep puncture wounds in her pelvic area. She suffered from...
PETERSBURG - Early Tuesday morning the Southern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association's floating net pens were being moved into position near the mouth of City Creek, when a structural failure took place. Employees had to move the pen into shallow water along the Sandy Beach tide flats to make repairs. Crystal Lake Assistant Hatchery Manager Kevin Chase explained that a metal beam came loose and had to be reattached, forcing them to realign and re-bolt the listing structure before...
We join with the community in thanking Jeff Jabusch for his 40 years of service to the citizens of Wrangell. Jeff has maintained the public’s checkbook for much of that time and kept it balanced through boom times and busts. During Alaska’s oil boom era, the city built its public safety building, high school and municipal pool. When the Wrangell Mill closed in 1994, “it was scary bleak,” as Jabusch put it. Later, Alaska’s rich uncle, Sen. Ted Stevens secured a $37 million relief grant that public officials along with Jabusch leveraged into $200...
PETERSBURG – Petersburg Rotarian Rick Braun traveled to India recently to administer polio vaccines and help build two dams to create a water retention reservoir. The reservoir will provide both crop irrigation water and raise the underground water table, enabling area wells to store more water for village residents. Braun has been a member of the Petersburg Rotary Club since 1987. The club has carried out fundraising projects for the organization’s Polio Plus project for decades. Braun said polio has been eradicated in India for the past...
PETERSBURG — State Senator Bert Stedman predicts the legislature will be in session for a full 120 days with an additional 30 day session if they are to complete their work this session. “There’s a lot of talk of the 90 day session but the constitution calls for 121 days. “We’ve only finished in 90 days one time,” Stedman noted. Stedman was in Petersburg this past weekend to attend the Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet along with his wife Lureen. Stedman said there is a “near zero chance of a 90 day session with any quality work being accompl...
A mechanical delay and lost luggage put former Petersburg mayor Dave Carlson and wife Celia at the Fort Lauderdale airport just minutes before shooting broke out in Terminal 2 baggage claim area on Friday. The Carlsons left their Bend, Oregon home for a 10-day cruise aboard the Harmony of the Seas, 6,000 passenger cruise ship destined for the Caribbean. A mechanical put them in Ft. Lauderdale 6 hours late, without their luggage. They were told Friday morning that American Airlines had...
Since the Department of Transportation continues to push ahead on the Kake-Petersburg Road, it’s appropriate that the Borough Assembly takes action to divert funds from the project. Nothing kills a road project quicker than taking the money off the table. Repeatedly, citizens from Kupreanof, Kake and Petersburg have told Transportation officials the road is a bad idea. It’s not needed, it’s not cost effective and it needs to go away. Kake needs lower cost electricity and a road is not needed to address their power needs. Since as early as Ja...
Marc Fries a scientist at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX. continues his work to track the Petersburg fireball, which passed over Petersburg early on Saturday, Nov. 21. Fries told the Pilot, via email on Wednesday, “I’ve been able to find the location of the camera at the harbor with sufficient accuracy to plot the azimuth from the camera towards the fireball. Shadows from the fireball are clearly visible in that camera image. The blue line in the Google Earth image is the direction towards the bright flash,” explained Fries. The P...
It’s appalling that since 2006 the ranks of the Petersburg Alaska Army National Guard (AANG) have dropped from 11 members to 2. Worse yet, as in Petersburg and Wrangell, the AANG facilities in many rural communities across the state sit empty. How did the leadership in the AANG allow this to happen? Our report published last week, exposes some of the reasons, and possibly excuses, for this downturn. Budget cuts, higher recruiting standards and lack of recruiting effort all are a part of the reason. Why is Guard leadership allowing the 761st M...
A significant benefit to living in a small town is that everyone knows everyone’s business. Some consider this a detriment, but in the case of Proposition 1, which appears on October’s election ballot in Petersburg, and as Proposition 2 in Wrangell, the Financial Disclosure requirement is not needed. Currently, municipal officers and some candidates for elective office must file a financial disclosure statement. Depending upon how a person’s company is legally organized, the law can be very intrusive, or in the case of a corporation it can r...
