Articles from the June 21, 2012 edition


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  • Rea terminated by WMC Board of Directors

    Greg Knight|Jun 21, 2012

    In what was their final meeting as an elected quorum, the Wrangell Medical Center Board of Directors terminated the contract of WMC CEO Noel Rea on Wednesday, June 20. The dismissal came in a 6-1 vote, with board member Dorothy Hunt-Sweat voting against the termination, and members Jake Harris and Delores Norman not present. Eight members of the board; Mark Robinson, Jake Harris, Linda Bjorge, Lurine McGee, Delores Norman, Jim Nelson, Sylvia Ettefagh and Leann Rinehart were recalled by a large...

  • Clean sweep: WMC board whittled to one member

    Greg Knight|Jun 21, 2012

    Uncertified Results Jake Harris – Recalled, 330-295 Mark Robinson – Recalled, 399-226 Linda Bjorge – Recalled, 414-210 Lurine McGee – Recalled, 389-234 Delores Norman – Recalled, 376-247 Jim Nelson – Recalled, 382-243 Sylvia Ettefagh – Recalled, 381-241 Leanne Rinehart – Recalled, 393-229 A number of absentee votes are still outstanding and the borough’s canvassing board will review ballots on June 21, with the Borough Assembly certifying the final tally during their June 25 special meeting....

  • Shakes House corner pole bringing structure back together

    Greg Knight|Jun 21, 2012

    When the Eagle totem at Shakes Island came down for renovation in September 2011, it was a beginning for the renovation project on the island – a project that would take more than a year and see the Chief Shakes Tribal House gutted down to its bare framework of original cedar. Another milestone in the life of the house came last week when workers raised the first newly adzed corner post for the building on June 15. The cedar plank, which is part of a batch of wood acquired by the Wrangell Cooper...

  • The Way We Were

    Jun 21, 2012

    June 20, 1912: Under the direction of the City Council, the work of building a new firehouse on lower Front Street was started Wednesday morning. The new building is a part of the original plan of the Council at the time the second hose cart was purchased and will be used to make a part of the fire apparatus. The Alert Fire Company will make a division of forces as soon as the new awarders are finished and place a part of the members in charge of each house. June 18, 1937: Permit having been granted from the War Department for a small boat harb...

  • WMC preps new mammography unit

    Greg Knight|Jun 21, 2012

    Modern mammography, or the ability to detect cancerous growths in the breast has existed in medical science since 1969, when inventor Albert Salomon developed a dedicated X-ray unit for the procedure. Before that time, simple X-ray machines were used to seek out malignant tumors in the breast. With the passage of time, however, technology has taken the science – and art – of detecting those tumors to new heights. Wrangell Medical Center can now add their name to the list of hospitals across the...

  • Police Reports

    Jun 21, 2012

    Monday, June 11 -Agency assist. -Dog complaint. Tuesday, June 12 -Catering permit -Citizen assist, vehicle unlocked. -Arrested Perry Butler, 37, on charges of failure to appear for representation hearing. -Citation issued to Vanessa Deacon, 20 for failure to provide proof of insurance and operating motor vehicle with expired registration. -Wednesday, June 13 -Officer reported unsecured premise, called owner, all was fine. -Officer reported a parking violation. -Officer unlocked vehicle. -Citation issued to Edward Darrell Allen, 36, for...

  • Letters to the editor

    Jun 21, 2012

    To the Editor: I would like to thank the Community of Wrangell for the loyal support year after year given to the Wrangell Senior Center. While comparing our building to the majority of centers statewide, we are lacking. Our center is old, has limited space, and very limited parking, in comparison to the majority. But in community support and pride Wrangell is light years ahead of many of the spacious beautiful facilities. For the past eight years I have had the privilege to serve on the State of Alaska Commission on Aging. The Commissioners...

  • Obituary: Corwin, 53

    Jun 21, 2012

    Lifelong Alaskan John (Larsen) Corwin, 53, passed away peacefully in his sleep June 10, 2012 at his home in Anchorage. John was born in Wrangell, and moved to Anchorage in 1967 with his parents, sisters and brothers. He attended Williwaw Elementary, Clark Jr. High and East High. After graduating he attended the University of Washington. He returned to Anchorage and began working in construction, eventually becoming certified in asbestos abatement. John was a loving father, grandfather, uncle...

  • Obituary: Taylor, 83

    Jun 21, 2012

    Al Taylor, 83, passed peacefully in his sleep June 7, 2012. Allen Martin Taylor was born at home in Floydata, Texas to John Allen Taylor and Elzie Elizabeth (Bever) Taylor on July 5, 1928. His five year old uncle ran for the doctor and the doctor arrived late, intoxicated and ran his Model A right into the front porch. Allen’s grandmother therefore delivered him. His first bed was a shoe box on the oven door because he was premature at only four pounds. Allen was the oldest of five children a...

  • Bike Rodeo gives away helmets, teaches safety

    Greg Knight|Jun 21, 2012

    Bicycle safety, at any age, is an important factor for those of us that love riding through the borough on two wheels. For the youth of Wrangell, however, bicycle safety becomes a more important factor based on how difficult it can be to see smaller children – and on their relative inexperience in navigating the roads in the borough. That’s where the annual Bicycle Rodeo and safety training comes in. The event, which was held this year at the covered area near Evergreen Elementary School, offere...

  • Murkowski asks USPS for help

    Greg Knight|Jun 21, 2012

    Illegal drugs are becoming more accessible to residents of Southeast – courtesy of the U.S. Postal Service. As communities throughout the region report significant volumes of illegal drugs transported via the USPS, Senator Lisa Murkowski asked the Postmaster General to address the matter, possibly by devoting additional US Postal Inspection Service resources to the area or increasing collaboration with local law enforcement agencies to reduce the flow of drugs into Southeast. Wrangell Police Department Lieutenant Merlin Ehlers said his o...

  • Portland band to play Fourth of July street dance

    Greg Knight|Jun 21, 2012

    When the City and Borough of Wrangell celebrates Fourth of July this year there will be an added treat – live music on Tuesday, July 3 and during the street dance on Wednesday night. The Sale, a pop-rock quartet from Portland, Ore. will be performing for Wrangellites and visitors to the borough during its most popular summertime event, with a pre-Fourth concert during the early part of the day on July 3. The street dance, which will take place behind City Hall on Campbell Drive, will kick off a...

  • Wrangell nets nearly $750K in PILT

    Jun 21, 2012

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Lisa Murkowski announced last week that the Department of the Interior distributed nearly $27 million to Alaskan communities in compensation for taxes that could not be levied on federal lands in their jurisdictions during fiscal year 2012. The 2011 and 2012 payments to Wrangell were $352,810 and $395,518, respectively. The Payments in Lieu of Taxes program provides monetary compensation to local governments that contain National Forests, Bureau of Land Management public lands, National Parks and other lands d...

  • Muskeg Meadows holds KSTK, Elks tournament

    Greg Knight|Jun 21, 2012

    The annual KSTK/Alaska Power and Telephone golf tournament was held last weekend on June 16 – and though heavy rains fell, the spirit and competitiveness of the participants was apparent as the team of Wayne and Kathleen Harding took home a No. 1 spot with their net 26 (20 handicap) score. The tournament, which was a 9-hole “2-person best-ball” format, was a fundraising event for KSTK, which relies on community support to keep the lights on and transmitter broadcasting around the borough and o...

  • Engagement announcement

    Jun 21, 2012

    The parents of James S. Early and Penny L. Allen are proud to finally announce the engagement of their children. James (Jim) works for the City of Wrangell, Harbor and Penny works for Alaska State Housing. A private ceremony is being planned....

  • Groshong graduates

    Jun 21, 2012

    Ryhan Groshong was promoted from Private First Class to Specialist on June 1, 2012. Groshong recently graduated from NCO Academy Warrior Leadership. Groshong is currently stationed at Fort Knox, Ky....

  • Birth: Howell son

    Jun 21, 2012

    Gabriel Douglas Howell was born May 30, 2012 in Juneau to Jayme and Rolland Howell. Gabriel weighed 8 lb. 9 oz and was 20 1/2 inches long at birth. Gabriel joins sister Robyn Byrd, 18. Paternal grandparent is Rinda Howell of Wrangell. Maternal grandparents are Dawn and Joe Bligh of Morton, Wash. Maternal great grandparents are Joan and Gabriel Rapali of Salkum, Wash., and Larry and Marry Adams of Rathdrum, Idaho....

  • Fish Factor

    Laine Welch|Jun 21, 2012

    Thanks to a nearly $3 million show of support from the state, high tech buoys will soon be measuring ocean acidity levels year ‘round, and Alaska fishermen will play an important role in the research. Basic chemistry proves that ocean waters are becoming more corrosive and it is happening faster in colder waters. The acidity, caused by increasing carbon dioxide emissions, can prevent shells from forming on crabs or oysters and tiny shrimplike organisms essential to fish diets. Alaska’s monitoring project will allow scientists to develop a “se...

  • Fire Marshal clarifies WMC closure threat

    Greg Knight|Jun 21, 2012

    A letter from Alaska’s deputy fire marshal is lending some clarity to recent claims that the older Wrangell Medical Center would face closure if a new facility is not funded and built in the borough. According to Robert Plumb, the deputy marshal based in Juneau, the federal guidelines covered in the Center for Medicare/Medicaid Services (CMS) could require renovations to patient rooms at WMC. “If the new hospital is not built, the (CMS) may require bathrooms in the resident rooms in the existing facility to be made accessible (meeting ADA req...

  • Goldbelt holds annual shareholder meeting

    Greg Knight|Jun 21, 2012

    Goldbelt, Inc. held its 38th Annual Meeting of Shareholders in Juneau on June 2. At the meeting, three directors were elected to the Board. This year, fifteen shareholders ran as candidates for the open board seats. Incumbent board members Ben Coronell and Katherine Eldemar were re-elected to three-year terms. Candidate Richard A. Beasley was also elected, replacing board member Andrea Cadiente-Laiti. The newly elected board members were sworn in at the Annual Meeting. The Board of Directors immediately convened after the meeting and held a...