Sorted by date Results 401 - 425 of 432
A bill being considered in the State Senate could impact local ferry workers. Senate Bill 182 amends Alaska State law pertaining to bargaining rights to eliminate what is known as a cost-of-living differential. This provision of contracts allows for salaries to be automatically adjusted to match the cost of living of a certain area. For individual employees, this can amount to as much as $4 per hour, or roughly $8,320 per year for, in particular, Alaska Marine Highway System employees, who are currently bargaining with the state for a new...
In the Sentinel 100, 75, 50 and 25 years ago. March 19, 1914: Mr. Neil returned on the Humbolt from Seattle where he has been for the last month getting the plans and specifications for his boat to be used on the West Coast route. From the plans and prints brought back by Neil, this is going to be the best-equipped passenger and freight boat that has ever been on a mail route in Alaska. The new boat will replace the Uncle Dan, which has done such good service in the past years, but as the West Coast is growing and the Uncle Dan is getting too...
In the Sentinel 75, 50 and 25 years ago. November 18, 1938: The Hospital Auxiliary staged a very successful benefit for the Bishop Rowe General Hospital on Armistice Day when 65 persons registered between the hours of 3 to 5 and attended the annual silver tea, postponed from last May. Perhaps the greatest surprise to the tea patrons was the fact that quantities of garden flowers, particularly snapdragons, had been saved from the heavy frost of preceding days and were used to center the daintily arranged tea tables and wherever a vase could be...
In the Sentinel 100, 75, 50 and 25 years ago. November 27, 1913: The Bazaar held by the ladies of the local Catholic Church on Thursday evening at the Redman's Hall was a great success. The attractions were new and afforded great amusement for those who desired to try their luck. The fish pond presided over by Mrs. H.L. Campbell and Miss Schefstad filled the wants of both young and old. Sol LaBounty was there when it came to the game of throwing, “three balls for 10 cents, soak him and you get half a dollar.” Sol did a land office bus...
In the Sentinel 100, 75, 50 and 25 years ago. July 10, 1913: The Fourth of July was celebrated in Wrangell in the good old-fashioned way. At the hour of midnight, fire-crackers, torpedoes and in fact any contrivance that could be made to make a noise was begun and throughout the morning sleep was out of the question for those who lived near the “firing line.” The day was exceptionally fine and with the exception of occasional showers was all that could be wished for. Early in the day people began to arrive from the different towns and cam...
(AP) All sailings for the state ferry Tustumena have been canceled until July 23. The Alaska Marine Highway System says in a release that the ferry continues to be in drydock to deal with unexpected repairs. It began undergoing work on Nov. 1 and was to have been back in service April 17. That was delayed until May 29, but officials say the ferry will be at the Seward Ship’s Drydock almost two months longer to work on problems like steel work. The ferry was originally scheduled back July 6, b...
The Wrangell Ferry Terminal will be out of commission for three days in June to replace a portion of the underside of the ramp leading to the vessels when they are berthed. The closure is set for June 18-20, affecting ferry traffic during those days by prohibiting use of the dock for Alaska Marine Highway System ships. According to Jeremy Woodrow, a communications officer for the Alaska Department of Transportation, the work involved includes a complete replacement of critical infrastructure...
During the rededication of Chief Shakes Tribal House, Wrangell saw an uptick in retail sales and money spent by nearly 1,000 visitors on lodging, food and services, providing a much needed boost to the local economy. Ernie Christian, who is both a member of Wrangell Cooperative Association’s Tribal government and manager of Ottesen’s True Value in downtown said that although he has not crunched the numbers, the Front Street events and the numerous visitors to Wrangell were a boon to his business and others in downtown. “It was a good weekend, I...
In the Sentinel 100, 75, 50 and 25 years ago. May 8, 1913: Wednesday afternoon Lawrence and Strong returned from the boundary with the first party to come down the Stikine by boat this spring. D.J. Raney, direct from the Teslin diggings, and Telegraph Creek Indians with mail were in the party and they report the river open to Telegraph Creek. Mr. Raney comes direct from the Teslin diggings and says that progress on the creek is very slow on account of the heavy snowfall. He reports that Skookum Jim and party with a crew of workmen and other...
Alaska’s state-owned ferries are scaling back costs by getting rid of the naturalist program on all but one of the 11-ship fleet this year. State officials say the program may eventually be brought back, but for now, the plan is to replace them with computerized equipment and brochures on the Alaska Marine Highway System, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. In light of Alaska’s declining revenues and an unclear financial future, the state’s various departments were asked to bring expenses down by eliminating items that do not a...
With the Alaska Marine Highway System’s maiden ferry, the M/V Malaspina, making a celebratory tour throughout Southeast Alaska next week, the Sentinel is taking a look back in time at some of the events and stories that led up to the development of the system many Alaskans and lower 48 residents rely on every week. During the Malaspina’s docking in Wrangell, guests will be able to tour the bridge, dine onboard, and visit the gift shop for new 50th Anniversary items. The Malaspina will dock in...
The Alaska Marine Highway System is celebrating 50 years of service to Alaskans this year. In light of this, the Wrangell Sentinel is looking back at the stories that shaped the development of the system, which began with one ship in 1963 and has grown to eleven vessels serving more than 350,000 passengers a year. It all began with the M/V Malaspina, when the first ship in the newly formed system docked in Ketchikan on Jan. 21, 1963. Three days later the vessel docked in Wrangell for the first...
In the Sentinel 100, 75, 50 and 25 years ago. April 24, 1913: On the vote for passage for the third reading, the fish trap bill was killed in the Senate last Saturday. Sen. Sutherland, Tanner and Roden voting for passage and Freeling, Tripp, Millard and Ray against the measure. Sen. Sutherland, father of the bill, made a spirited talk in its defense and filed notice to reconsider when the reading had been voted. April 22, 1938: Official observation of May Day-Child Health Week will begin in Wrangell on Saturday April 30. On that day at 2:30...
Welcome to this week of Peggy’s Corner of the House. We have entered our last week of the 90 day session so as you can imagine the pace has quickened in order to try to complete the states’ business in our allotted time. We will often work late into the night from now until the end. For the past four years I have been advocating for an Alaska Transportation Infrastructure Fund (ATIF). In FY14 79% of our transportation budget will come from the federal government – this is down from 84% in FY10. We currently have a 20 billion dollar backl...
A defensive battle was the name of the game this week as the Wrangell Wolves faced off against the Haines Glacier Bears in a two-day away game series that saw Wrangell walk away with a pair of wins for their effort. The Wolves ended up playing the games on a rare Sunday-Monday series thanks to bad weather that left the team stuck in Ketchikan. The delay was due to bad weather in Juneau that socked in the team. They flew Saturday to Juneau and then took a ferry on Sunday to Haines. After the...
Hello and welcome to Peggy’s Corner of the House. I’m excited to be back in Juneau representing our new District 33 in the State House. This is my third year serving as House Majority Whip. Through this leadership position, I assist the Speaker of the House and the Majority Leader to coordinate ideas and garner support for proposed legislation, and whatever other help they may need. If the majority leader is absent I fill in for him in the House Chambers – I once even filled in for the Speak...
With less than four months remaining until the rededication of Shakes Island and the Chief Shakes Tribal House, the Wrangell Cooperative Association is at a make-or-break moment when it comes to housing a group of 1,000-plus guests and dignitaries who will visit the island May 3-4. According to WCA Board of Directors member Ken Hoyt, a number of spaces have been filled, primarily by reserving nearly every room in the Stikine Inn, Diamond C Hotel, and Alaskan Sourdough Lodge, as well as a number of bed and breakfasts and private homes. It’s s...
The Southeast Conference celebrates its 55th birthday today, marking a milestone for a group that began with a group of leaders from across the region that wished to see a regional transportation system developed in Southeast Alaska. According to Shelly Wright, executive director of Southeast Conference, The organization’s first meeting took place in Petersburg in 1958. The result of the group’s initial efforts was the creation of the Alaska Marine Highway System. After that success, Southeast Conference board and membership stayed tog...
A new mayor, renovations to the Shakes Island Tribal House and Marine Service Center, and the ongoing Wrangell Medical Center debate – all of these stories were newsmakers in 2012. Let’s take a look back at some of the biggest stories in Wrangell over the past year. JANUARY A late night blaze destroyed a trailer and sent a woman to Wrangell Medical Center with severe burns on Dec. 22. The fire, which began at 10:30 p.m. in a small pull-behind trailer near the top of the park, severely inj...
The City and Borough of Wrangell is asking its citizens for help in lobbying Governor Sean Parnell’s office to help get a public works project in downtown back on track. A proposed renovation of Evergreen Road beginning at the Alaska Marine Highway System ferry terminal, and extending north and then east from the city center, has been a priority item on the Alaska Statewide Transportation Improvement Program since 2008 – holding down the top spot on that list since 2010. Last week it was str...
Michael R. Patterson passed away September 23, 2012 near Laramie, Wyo. He loved traveling and died doing what he loved. He was born in Astoria, Ore. on November 9, 1942 to Cora Halvorsen Patterson and Clair LeRoy Patterson. The family lived in a floathouse on the John Day River. In 1951 he moved with his family to Anchorage. Mike attended school in Anchorage and joined the Navy after high school in 1960. Part of his service time was shipping out on the Aircraft Carrier Midway. After his...
If estimates of expected attendance hold true, the population of Wrangell could increase by 25 percent or more in May 2013 – during the rededication of Chief Shakes Tribal House. The numbers of expected visitors, which has been calculated by Tis Peterman of the Wrangell Cooperative Association, could equal between 700-1,000 participants from across Alaska and the lower-48. Because of this projection, the hunt for housing so many visitors to the borough is on with a vengeance. “So far we...
Liz Buness and Tom Wolford were married on July 15, 2012 at Fort Abercrobie in Kodiak, Alaska. Tom is employed by Pacific Rim Log Scaling Bureau and Liz is a senior purser for the Alaska Marine Highway System. The ceremony was officiated by Pastor Tracy Hodges. The couple plans to make their home in Wrangell....
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...
Several Alaska towns are vying for the title of ‘Ultimate Fishing Town’ which comes with a $25,000 check for local fishing projects. The annual competition is sponsored by the World Fishing Network, “a 24/7 television network dedicated to all segments of fishing,” according to its website. WFN, which focuses on sport fishing, originally launched in 2005 and is now seen in more than 20 million North American households via cable, satellite and the Internet. As of Friday, nine Alaska towns were among the hundreds of hopefuls on the leaderb...