Articles from the January 31, 2024 edition


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  • National Forest Foundation issues contract to rebuild Anan cabin

    Larry Persily, Wrangell Sentinel|Jan 31, 2024

    The National Forest Foundation, working with the U.S. Forest Service, has issued a contract to rebuild the popular Anan Bay cabin, which was taken out by a fallen tree in a February 2023 storm. “It is conceivable that we will have a cabin again this summer,” said Tory Houser, recreation staff officer for the Forest Service Wrangell District. The new cabin will include a big upgrade — a large, covered deck — Houser said last week. The $525,380 contract went to Rainforest Contracting. The Petersburg company rebuilt the observation deck and she...

  • Landslide families could receive state parcels under disaster program

    Larry Persily, Wrangell Sentinel|Jan 31, 2024

    The borough assembly has declared as “hazardous” and assigned a property value of zero to the two lots owned by victims of the deadly Nov. 20 landslide at 11-Mile Zimovia Highway, making the owners eligible to possibly receive state land as replacement for their unusable property. The owners or their estate could build on their new lots, hold them undeveloped or sell them and keep the proceeds, explained Hannah Uher-Koch, who runs the land grant program at the Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Mining, Land and Water. “There are no...

  • Borough readvertises manager job after first round comes up empty

    Larry Persily, Wrangell Sentinel|Jan 31, 2024

    After coming up with no viable candidates in the first round of applications, the borough assembly has decided to readvertise to fill the manager job. The borough received seven applications after posting the job last fall, but the only applicant who was selected for an interview already had accepted another job before Wrangell called back, Mayor Patty Gilbert explained last week. Jeff Good resigned as borough manager last fall to take a civil engineering job with the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs; he has three college degrees in...

  • Quakers' reparations help fund start of Native healing center near Kake

    Claire Stremple, Alaska Beacon|Jan 31, 2024

    An unused U.S. Forest Service building in Kake may soon be a healing center for the community to move forward from generations of trauma after a boarding school harmed members of the Alaska Native population. When Joel Jackson, president of the Organized Village of Kake, saw the building on an access road outside of Kake, he said he was surprised. "A cultural healing center has been on my mind for decades," he said. "I said to myself, 'Hey, there's our cultural healing center.'" Now, with...

  • The Way We Were

    Amber Armstrong-Hillberry, Wrangell Sentinel|Jan 31, 2024

    Jan. 31, 1924 Arrangements have been made whereby the Wilson & Sylvester Mill Co. sawmill is to become a lumber manufacturing plant on a large scale. The present mill will resume operations next week, and at the same time work will begin on the installation of new and modern machinery in addition to that already in operation. Within a year the Wrangell mill will have a capacity of 100,000 board feet daily. New people have become financially interested in the mill, and as an indication that big things are not only planned but will be carried...

  • Some residents were suspicious of census survey, but it was legit

    George Kosinski, Wrangell Sentinel|Jan 31, 2024

    In early January, many Wrangell residents were startled to find workers from the U.S. Census Bureau knocking on doors, collecting information on behalf of the American Community Survey. Some residents felt reluctant to participate, unfamiliar with the relatively new survey which is different from the more widely known 10-year census. While the full census provides up-to-date population counts for the purpose of redrawing congressional and state legislative district maps nationwide, the community survey is designed to assess social and economic...

  • Family learns homeowner's insurance does not cover landslides

    Larry Persily, Wrangell Sentinel|Jan 31, 2024

    John Florschutz was surprised to learn that his parents’ homeowner’s insurance policy did not cover the loss from the Nov. 20 landslide that destroyed their home and killed his father, Otto Florschutz. “I think it’s a shock to everyone I talk to,” he said last week. “What’s the point of home insurance. … You would expect flooding to be on the policy.” But floods, landslides, mudslides and other “earth movements” are not covered by standard home insurance policies. “There’s not a lot of people who know that,” commented Florschutz, who s...

  • Annual Recycle Event this weekend features Petersburg donations

    Larry Persily, Wrangell Sentinel|Jan 31, 2024

    Some of the items donated this week at Petersburg’s seventh-annual Project Connect Resource Fair will make it to Wrangell for a community clothing and household goods distribution. “It’s nice to have a change of clothes from another town,” Joan Sargent said of the fourth-annual Recycle Event sponsored by the Wrangell community service organization BRAVE, Building Respect and Valuing Everyone. If all goes on schedule, the U.S. Coast Guard will bring the donated goods from Petersburg to Wrangell on Wednesday, Jan. 31, barring an emergen...

  • Public deserves a more believable story

    Wrangell Sentinel|Jan 31, 2024

    It seems the governor’s office must like country music. Can’t argue with that choice. The lyrics speak of American dreams and heartbreaks. What makes the songs so popular is that they tell stories, believable or not, such as the famous line: “That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.” Sadly, that same line is essentially all the public is getting from the governor’s office to explain his decisions behind a dozen executive orders that will take effect unless rejected by the Legislature before mid-March. While some of the orders are not controver...

  • Story of Alaska's income tax like a soap opera

    Larry Persily Publisher|Jan 31, 2024

    Just because few to none of Alaska’s elected officials are talking about bringing back the personal income tax is no reason to ignore its anniversary. OK, maybe it’s weird to celebrate your anniversary with an ex, but it’s different with the state income tax. Whereas you’re unlikely to remarry an ex, Alaskans eventually may reunite with the tax. Not willingly, of course. More like a shotgun wedding based on financial necessity. It was 75 years ago this month that the territorial Legislature enacted Alaska’s first personal income tax. It was als...

  • Ketchikan resident announces he will run for state House

    Jan 31, 2024

    I am Robb Arnold and I plan to run for the District 1 seat (Ketchikan, Metlakatla and Wrangell) in the Alaska House of Representatives. I came to Alaska in the early 1990s to work with my dad at a logging camp on Kuiu Island, near Sitka. Rowan Bay changed my life. The challenging work, the forest, the bears, hunting and fishing — it made me fall in love with life in Southeast. I worked during the summers, then came back in 2000. For years, my home has been in Ketchikan. I was hired in 2006 as a crew member for the Alaska Marine Highway S...

  • Former resident's novel inspired by her time in Wrangell

    Mark C. Robinson, Wrangell Sentinel|Jan 31, 2024

    Raised in Wrangell then later moving to Illinois, where she now lives with her husband and two sons, Jennifer Weekley recalled it was her friend and Wrangell resident Walt Maenhout who encouraged her to write a book. "I thought about it," she said. "And I've always heard if somebody's going to write, you should write what you know about, and I thought I knew about deep, meaningful friendships. Having grown up in Wrangell the way we did, we have these bonds that people in the Lower 48 oftentimes...

  • Basketball-playing high school seniors try their hand at coaching

    Mark C. Robinson, Wrangell Sentinel|Jan 31, 2024

    For high school seniors Kayla and Mindy Meissner, basketball has been part of their lives since they were very young, starting when they both participated in the annual Elks Hoop Shoot in first grade, later taking part in youth basketball programs and middle school basketball teams. Now, both are experienced players on the Lady Wolves varsity girls basketball team. Since they both share a passion for the sport and work well together, they decided to approach it from a different perspective than...

  • Wolves split against Petersburg in varsity and JV basketball

    Mark C. Robinson, Wrangell Sentinel|Jan 31, 2024

    After losing two games to Petersburg in Wrangell's homecoming weekend earlier this month, the Wolves' varsity boys basketball team was ready for a rematch during the Vikings' homecoming celebration. The result was a split, with Petersburg winning the first game, 40-32, on Friday, Jan. 26, while the Wolves came back on Saturday, Jan. 27, soundly defeating their opponents 50-39. Wrangell's junior varsity team also took home a split, winning Friday 45-35 but losing Saturday 40-31. "For me, it...

  • Blatchley resigns as schools maintenance director

    Mark C. Robinson, Wrangell Sentinel|Jan 31, 2024

    After almost six years, Josh Blatchley is resigning as facilities and maintenance director for the Wrangell School District. He submitted his resignation the first week of January, effective at the end of April. The job opening is being advertised. Blatchley said he felt the time was right. “My kids have all graduated, and I think that another job will give me a little more free time, so I’ll be able to come and go as I choose.” “I’ve enjoyed my time here, and the people I worked with. I’m just looking for a change.” Blatchley said Jan. 24...

  • Varsity girls endure narrow losses at Petersburg; JV gets a win

    Mark C. Robinson, Wrangell Sentinel|Jan 31, 2024

    The Lady Wolves' varsity girls basketball team visited Petersburg during their homecoming weekend, hoping to duplicate the two wins they scored against the team earlier this month in Wrangell. But it ended in two heartbreaking losses, as the Vikings defeated the Lady Wolves on Friday, Jan. 26, 31-28, then squeaked out another win on Saturday 35-34. "The girls played great defense, and our press went well, but sometimes it just doesn't work out," said Lady Wolves head coach Christina Good....

  • Proposal for electronic gambling aboard ferries swamped by problems

    James Brooks, Alaska Beacon|Jan 31, 2024

    A Republican legislator from Wasilla has proposed legalizing electronic gambling aboard Alaska Marine Highway System ships to raise money for the state-run ferries. But his proposal encountered rough seas during its first committee hearing as legislators questioned the financial gain and limited opportunity aboard vessels that don’t often travel in waters open to legal gambling. House Bill 197, from Rep. Jesse Sumner, would allow Vegas-style slot machines and other electronic gambling and is envisioned as raising money for the state in the s...

  • Alaska resumes flying 737 Max after FAA clearance

    The Associated Press|Jan 31, 2024

    Alaska Airlines has begun flying Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners for the first time since the aircraft were grounded after a panel blew out of the side of one of the airline’s planes. The airline said it resumed flying the Max 9 with a flight from Seattle to San Diego on Friday afternoon, Jan. 26. The Federal Aviation Administration on Jan. 24 approved the inspection and maintenance process to return the planes to service. Technicians at Alaska began inspections that night, the airline said. The airline said they expect to complete inspections by t...

  • Gifts from past year provide a good start for this year

    Vivian Faith Prescott|Jan 31, 2024

    This time of year, we reflect on the past year and look forward to a new year. We look at these moments and events as gifts, mostly because time is a gift, relationships are gifts, being here in Southeast Alaska is a gift. But that doesn't mean life has been easy. Here in Wrangell, we've had a year of both tragedy and joy. Gift of Elders: My dad, aka Mickey of Mickey's Fish Camp, died in September. He would want you to know he's just "gone fishing." He was 83 years old, and his death was...

  • Police report

    Jan 31, 2024

    Monday, Jan. 22 Welfare check. Traffic assistance: Roadblock. Inmate remand: Booked for driving under the influence. Agency assist: Hoonah Police Department. Agency assist: Motor vehicle accident. Tuesday, Jan. 23 Agency assist: Ambulance. Agency assist: Hoonah Police Department. Wednesday, Jan. 24 Noise complaint: Music. Parking complaint. Thursday, Jan. 25 None. Friday, Jan. 26 Agency assist: Ambulance. Saturday, Jan. 27 Suspicious circumstance. Sunday, Jan. 28 Agency assist: Hoonah Police Department. Bird complaint. Welfare...

  • Classified ads

    Jan 31, 2024

    HELP WANTED Wrangell Public Schools is accepting applications for the following positions for the 2023-2024 school year: - Paraprofessional: This is a part-time position working with students in Grades 6 through 12, 5.75 hours per day in the Special Education Program at Stikine Middle and Wrangell High School. A high school diploma or equivalent is required. An associate degree, equivalent credits, or the ability to pass the para pro assessment is also required. - Middle School Volleyball Head Coach: This is a part-time, contracted position coa...