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When Southeast Conference meets for its annual Mid-Session Summit in Juneau later this month, among the items high on its list for discussion is the structural reform of Alaska's ferry system. Southeast Alaskans have become dependent on the state's Marine Highway System since its establishment in 1959, essentially becoming their road network into and out of the region. It is a significant economic driver for the coastal communities it services as well, with an estimated impact of just over $103...
This session, I am honored to be serving as Chair of the House Finance Department of Education and Early Learning Budget Subcommittee, which reviews Alaska’s education budget. In this capacity I will closely examine Alaska’s school funding, and the unique programs and services that support effective learning. My years as a Kayhi teacher and coach, as well as a principal at the elementary level, offer a good base for understanding the practical impact of budget decisions. I understand the value of education for our students, and its imp...
Wrangell’s high school basketball boys won one and lost one in a match-up at Haines last weekend. The boys played a pair of close games against the Glacier Bears. In Friday’s game, the Wolves followed just behind through much of the first half, with Haines up by two at the start of the second quarter. By halftime Wrangell had eked out a 22-21 lead after a seven-point quarter from Trent Stokes and points contributed by Tyman Teat, Jacob Hammer and Sam Prysunka. Riley Blatchley dominated the court offensively for the next 16 minutes, sec...
Pending a judge’s sign-off, the Wrangell Borough and its public employees union are abandoning the courtroom for the negotiating table, after a productive settlement conference held last week in Ketchikan. The city and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1547 have been at odds over renewing a collective bargaining agreement, which for 24 public employees expired the end of June 2014. Mediation undertaken through the spring of 2015 did not resolve the dispute, and by that summer legal representation became involved. Efforts t...
Connor: I am thankful for my cat. Logan: I am thankful for my puppy. Waylin: I am thankful for my mom. Baylee: I am thankful for our new rescue Kitty. Duncan: I am thankful for the Red Quilt somebody gave me. I am going to make a Thank You card. Ethan: I am thankful for the Mile’s Ship, the spaceship. Lily: I am thankful for the 2 Deer, my dad got. Jonah: I am thankful for my mom and T-Rex Birthday Cake. Jamison: I am thankful for my Grandpa. Claire: I am thankful for Mom & Dad and me. Ayla: I am thankful for my new puppy Cody. Hailey: I am t...
The 2016 season ended on a positive note for the Lady Wolves, after finishing up in third place during Region V in Craig. "We went into the tournament seeded fourth," explained volleyball coach Jessica Whitaker. The starting position for the tournament had been settled during the 2A North Seeding weekend in Skagway last month. Region V is a double elimination, best-of-five series, giving teams plenty of opportunity to make it count. The top two teams then head to state-wide competition at...
Wrangell high school finished off its regular volleyball season exchanging venues with Petersburg over the weekend. On Friday the girls headed to Petersburg for three best-of-five games, the first two played by both schools' junior varsity squads. Wrangell's JV won both best-of matches, bringing their last weekend of the season to a good end. "They were able to improve throughout the season," commented coach Jessica Whitaker. In particular, she noted the team's improvements in serving and...
Stopping in town one last time before next week's election, Sen. Bert Stedman talked about the state's ongoing deficit woes, by far the largest issue the new set of legislators will be facing when they head into next year's session. Speaking on October 27, he tried to put the scale of the deficit into perspective. While for readability's sake the amount is sometimes expressed in terms of "billions," he noted the full figure may come to between $3,100,000,000 and $3,500,000,000 this year – an a...
As volleyball gets ready to serve up its first game this weekend, the cross-country season is just about past the finish line for Wrangell High School. The team headed to Sitka last weekend for the Region V meet, on a course which ran through the city's Totem Park. "There's really no hills," explained Wrangell coach Jenn Davies. "There's just a little bit of pavement at the start and finish." Despite some heavy cloud cover, for the most part the races avoided the weekend's rainfall. Travel was...
It surprises many people across the state that fall is one of the busiest times for Alaska’s fishing industry from the Panhandle to the Bering Sea. As salmon season gets tucked away, hundreds of boats of all gear types are still out on the water, or gearing up for even more openers in just a few weeks. Here’s a sampler: Longliners have taken 82 percent of their 17 million pound halibut catch quota with three million pounds left to go by the November 7 close of that eight month fishery. Homer, which bills itself as the nation’s top halibut port,...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – The owners of Frozen Budz have high hopes now that they’ve received Alaska’s first retail marijuana license. Destiny Neade, co-owner of the Fairbanks business, received a round of applause from the audience after she won unanimous approval for the inaugural permit from the five-man Alaska Marijuana Control Board. She clapped with both hands above her head after getting the OK. As she walked back to her seat, she told the audience, “Now all I need is some herb.’’ “I’m excited because I really need to start making so...
Last month Wrangell's Senior Apartments formally went smoke-free, asking its residents to instead head outdoors if they feel the need to have a cigarette. "It was mostly for the health and well-being of our tenants," explained Gail Rilatos, manager of the facility for the past four years. The decision was made by the apartment complex's five-member governing board, which sought input on a new policy from Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium. SEARHC facilitates an Alaska Tobacco...
Wrangell High School's cross-country teams put their best feet forward over the weekend, with the girls together taking second place among 1-3A teams. "It went great," commented the team's coach, Jenn Davies. Runner Reyn Hutten ended up finishing in first place among her division's girls during Saturday's meet in Petersburg. She seems set this year to continue her pace of last year, when she placed first during the Region V run in Ketchikan. Teammate Jing O'Brien finished in 14th place, which...
PETERSBURG – Earlier this month the buzz around a monster halibut caught by local commercial fishermen in Thomas Bay went crazy after news of the catch spread through social media sites. Many of the comments expressed amazement for the monster catch, but some talked about sadness because another “breeder” was taken out of the reproduction equation. Multiple people talked about the cruelty of killing such a remarkable fish or simply said, “Should have put it back.” No matter what your stance is, there are two undeniable truths. First, the fish...
A steering committee has been selected to head up restructuring of the Alaska Marine Highway System. In May the office of Gov. Bill Walker tasked regional economic forum Southeast Conference with revitalizing the state’s maritime transportation network, a two-phase process which will involve looking both at its organizational structure and business model. To that end, a committee representing AMHS’ varied user base was selected from around 25 applicants. “We had quite a few names to choose from,” commented Robert Venables, transpo...
Following the July 4 weekend, last Wednesday Wrangell's Public Works Department began closing off Wood Street for resurfacing work. The project is expected to last into September, with contractors laying out underground utilities and paving the road in concrete, from where it meets Zimovia Highway to the entrance of the Alaska Island Community Services clinic parking lot. The city made resurfacing the road a priority for the new year, as a grant acquired for the project expires in June 2017....
Each summer, millions of children across the country partake in some sort of camp experience, be it for sports, outdoor adventuring or social development. The American Camp Association estimates 7.8 million young Americans will attend more than 14,000 different day and residential camps this summer. Wrangell-area girls have been able to enjoy the summer camp experience for themselves this week, put on by the Girl Scouts of Alaska (GSAK). A pair of instructors has been holding day camps out at Sh...
In the Sentinel 75, 50 and 25 years ago. May 9, 1941: The C.P.R. Freighter Nootka arrived here this week on her annual spring trip, bringing approximately 175 tons of supplies for Watson Lake in Canada and general merchandise for up the Stikine. About 125 tons, lumber and other supplies and some equipment was for Watson Lake. This morning the Barrington Transportation boats, the Hazel B No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 and the new barge, were loaded and prepared to start up the river with a big consignment of goods and 37 workmen for the General...
In the Sentinel 75, 50 and 25 years ago. April 18, 1941: Mrs. Henry Bowman and son Tiny returned to Wrangell aboard the Princess this week after being in Seattle during the winter with her husband, Capt. Bowman, who will be along in a few weeks with a new boat to replace the Tiny Boy which was lost last season. The new boat, about the size of Gunderson’s Alaskan, is virtually completed and awaits only the installation of engines. The Gunderson vessel Alaskan arrived in Wrangell yesterday from Seattle bringing Mr. and Mrs. Fred Gunderson, G...
An applicant to be next year's secondary schools principal has been offered a contract. At their Monday evening meeting members of the Wrangell Public School Board were presented with a contract for Bill Schwan, after current principal Kendall Benson tendered his resignation earlier this month. Since 2012 Schwan has been the principal of Dillingham Middle/High School. Prior to that he had been a high school principal in Powell, Wyo., and has a background in special education. Superintendent...
Members of Wrangell Cooperative Association and the wider community were invited out to an informational workshop Tuesday night, introducing them to the Tribe's latest program. Alongside its Transportation and IGAP (see article inside) offices, the Subsistence Fisheries Management Program intends to improve quality of life and opportunity for tribal members, in this case through salmon restoration in traditional watersheds. Brian Ashton was invited by WCA to head the new program, which at the...
Wrangell's high school girls won both games against Craig over the weekend, following up after a close win against Haines the previous week. Playing at home Feb. 26, the Lady Wolves overtook the visitors early in the second quarter, keeping ahead in a close game until the finish. Wrangell won their match 39 to 33, led by scorer Helen Decker with 13 points. The girls put down seven of 10 free throw attempts during the second quarter, giving them the edge they needed to win the game. Amy Jenson le...
Alaska’s halibut stocks are showing signs of an uptick and fishermen’s catches will not be slashed for the first time in 15 years. Fishery managers on Friday set the coast wide Pacific halibut harvest for 2016 at 29.89 million pounds, a 2.3 percent increase from last year. “This was probably the most positive, upbeat meeting in the past decade,” said Doug Bowen of Alaska Boats and Permits in Homer. “The feeling is the stocks are up and the resource is stabilizing and recovering, and it’s the first meeting in a long time that there weren’t any...
Ahead of statewide regulatory meetings scheduled for February and March, the local Advisory Committee (AC) for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s regulatory boards met at the Fire Hall on Monday to start putting together its recommendations. High on the list of its hunting priorities for this session was Prop. 6, put forward by Wrangell’s AC. This would modify the definition of a moose antler, specifically having “spike-fork antlers” to mean antlers of a bull moose with only one or two tines on at least one antler, antler project...
