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Sometimes it only takes a few pounds to make a difference in Wrangell’s annual King Salmon Derby. David A. Svendsen can attest to that fact. Svendsen will take home a $6000 prize and bragging rights for the next year after landing a 46.5-pounder at Found Island on June 3. “We left on my boat, the Tideline at about 4:30 a.m., and at about 2 p.m. I got the bite,” Svendsen said. “It was my only bite of the day, but after that, the fight was on.” Shawn Curley takes home a No. 2 spot with his 43.3-...
Tax-free day is coming up this Saturday, June 16 – and many of the businesses downtown are hoping Wrangellites will make the trek through Front Street “hell” to buy their goods and services. The tax-free days come twice yearly, once in June and again in September, and allow Wrangellites to shop without paying the borough’s 7 percent sales tax. Wrangell Chamber of Commerce board president John Taylor said the day helps boost the local economy. “It is awesome and it promotes Wrangell businesses,” Taylor said. “And the dollars stay here. We than...
From left: Judy Blair, Judy Henderson, Bob Blair, Trisha Schwartz, Deb McMahon and Barbara Rugo during the Banana Point to Petersburg bike ride on Saturday, June 9. Nearly every age group, from teens to seniors, was represented among the 17 riders taking part in the event, with Bob Blair being the oldest at 77 years old....
June 13, 1912: Navigation on the Stikine is practically at a standstill on account of the extremely low stage of water. Neither the Nahlin nor Port Simpson have been able to reach Telegraph Creek. The Fox left last night for upriver with passengers and will attempt to get through at the present stage of water. A meeting of Southeastern Alaska canners at which nearly all the nearby canneries were represented was held Wednesday and an understanding was reached regarding prices for the season. Much unrest is evidenced by the fishermen this morning...
The Borough Assembly met in two sessions on Tuesday, June 12 to hold a public hearing on a proposed ordinance relating to collection of utility fees, and to pursue a second reading of the ordinance during the regular session. Before the utility issue could be addressed in open session, however, assembly member David Jack, with fellow member Bill Privett, asked to have the agendized approval of the Wrangell Medical Center 2013 budget tabled until a future meeting. Jack asked to have WMC Chief Financial Officer Olinda White come before the...
Monday, June 4 -Curfew warning. -MVA, no injuries. -Agency assist, USFS. -Agency assist, AST. -Verbal warning for registration. -Verbal warning for driving habits. -Agency assist. -Health and safety. -Suspicious circumstance. Tuesday, June 5 -Verbal warning for driving habits. -Verbal warning given for parking on sidewalk. -Inmate incident. -Report of reckless driving. Wednesday, June 6 -Courtesy transport given by officer. -Officer unlocked vehicle for person that locked their keys in it. -Person reported a BB in her window, officer responded....
To the Editor: I have worked for WMC for two years. During that time I have learned a lot about myself and a lot about other people. Working in a medical facility takes a caring, compassionate person. I believe everyone puts all they can emotionally, physically and spiritually into the work they do here. I am proud of the hard work the CNAs, nurses, and all WMC staff do. This is a sensitive job that takes a lot of heart, communication and teamwork. The WMC keeps our community safe. The hospital is a cornerstone to this community, employing and...
The deadline for registration in the popular Summer Reading Program is set for June 30 at the Irene Ingle Public Library. This free program, which began June 1 and runs through July 30, is available to students in Kindergarten through Grade 9. The current incarnation of the program began in the 1998 as a way to encourage the children of Wrangell to dive into the world of reading during their summer vacation. After reading a book, children will take a retention test on a computer, which is graded and transmitted to the school at the end of the p...
The development of the timber and salmon fishing industries were the main topics discussed during Gov. Sean Parnell’s visit to Wrangell on June 5. In a meeting with Mayor Jeremy Maxand, Borough Manager Tim Rooney, and Jim Collier and Chris Guggenbickler, the governor was brought up to date – and asked for his assistance – on the possible creation of a value-added timber mill and salmon hatchery in the borough. According to Maxand, the governor was receptive to those ideas. “I wanted to give an...
Concern over momentum in construction along Front Street was a main topic discussed during the Wrangell Road and Utility Improvement project team meeting on June 7. After going over details related to work completed during the past two weeks, Borough Manager Tim Rooney told project engineer Eric Voorhees about concerns Wrangellites have voiced to his office in recent days. “In the last three days I have probably had more questions about the lack of progress than I have had since November,” Roo...
A graduate student from the University of Alaska at Fairbanks is undertaking a study of Wrangell’s amphibians at Muskeg Meadows golf course – and is asking for the public’s help in his research. According to Joshua Ream, a doctoral candidate at UAF, the golf course is of particular interest because amphibians found on the island are easier to access and research near the property. “The majority of my project on local knowledge of amphibian species and the six native species found in Alaska...
A formal complaint against the Wrangell Medical Center Board of Directors was filed last week with the City and Borough of Wrangell – and is calling into question whether the board may have violated Alaska’s Open Meetings Act with a Facebook page. The Facebook group, under the name “Save Wrangell Medical Center,” is a closed group on the social network, and a screenshot taken by WMC recall proponent Judy Allen on June 7 purports to show five members of the board as taking part in the group. Closed groups on Facebook require users to obtain...
Sean Rooney, middle, with parents Brian and Dorothea Rooney, shows off a commendation from the Wrangell Parks and Recreation Board of Directors for his fundraising efforts at the City Pool. Rooney, who will start 5th grade this year, raised $2,210 for a new ‘Nessie’ inflatable slide....
The Tribal House restoration on Chief Shakes Island was awarded another grant last week, with a $222,000 award from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust inching the project towards full funding. After submitting and revising the grant multiple times beginning in 2009, Wrangell Cooperative Association received notice on May 24 that the grant had been approved. The trust put no restrictions on the grant distribution, and with the paperwork now officially signed, the entire amount will be paid in a lump sum. “We extend our congratulations on your r...
Heavy rains could not stop two die-hard young golfers from taking the top spots during a tournament at Wrangell’s Muskeg Meadows golf course last week. Amos and Jonah Comstock competed for the longest and straightest drives on the practice range in two separate age groups on Thursday, June 7 – with the brothers winning in each group. In the “closest-to-the-pin” type competition, Amos won both the 25- and 100-yard drives, with Jonah taking the 50- and 75-yard drives. With the wins, Amos took ho...
Sea otters are expanding throughout Southeast Alaska and dining on crab, sea cucumbers, geoduck clams and more as they go. An ongoing study aims to track the otters, what they’re eating and where they are going – and researchers hope to get ‘grounds truth’ from Southeast residents. For the past two years, Sea Grant marine advisory agents have spearheaded a project to learn more about the region’s sea otter diets and behaviors. The US Fish & Wildlife Service has provided aerial surveys and otter tagging to track their movements around Kupreono...
Studying the ties that bind all Tlingits – genetically – was a large part of Celebration 2012 last week in Juneau. The Sealaska Heritage Institute, in connection with the University of Pennsylvania, sponsored a study of the DNA of Natives in attendance at the event that was held June 7-9. The university’s Department of Anthropology was at Centennial Hall to undertake their “Genographic Project: Molecular Genetic Analyses of Indigenous Populations of North America” study led by investigator Dr. Theodore G. Schurr. According to Sealaska...
The current Chief Executive Officer at Petersburg Medical Center is now a finalist for the top hospital administrator position in Alaska’s capital city. Elizabeth Woodyard, who has been CEO at PMC since 2011, will travel June 14-16 to Juneau’s Bartlett Regional Hospital to take part in the final assessment of candidates for the job – and will be interviewed by hospital staff, government and community leaders, and a panel of hospital stakeholders. The BRH Board of Directors announced Woody...
With the deadline for candidates to file for Alaska State Senate and House of Representatives seats, as well as U.S. House of Representatives passing last Friday, June 8, we now know the slate of hopefuls looking to unseat Representative Don Young. In the race to face off with Young, five Democrats have filed for the seat held by the Anchorage Republican – Sharon Cissna of Anchorage, Matt Moore of Anchorage, Doug Urquidi of Eagle River, Frank Vondersaar of Homer and Debra Chesnut of Fairbanks. Two Republicans have filed for the primary as w...