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I am the parent of an upcoming graduating senior at Wrangell High School. This May, I will have had two kids successfully complete their primary and secondary education through the Wrangell public schools. As I write this letter, I aim not to be too negative. However, I am deeply disappointed and disheartened by the school district’s continued COVID testing policy for student athletes who travel for competition. As reported by KSTK on Dec. 2, the policy supported by Schools Superintendent Bill Burr is stricter than the policy of the Alaska S...
Nick Begich, who is running against fellow Republican Sarah Palin and Democratic incumbent Mary Peltola for Alaska’s single U.S. House seat, will be in Wrangell on Friday. He is the only one of the three leading candidates to schedule a visit to the community. His conservative platform includes deregulating Alaska minerals development and bolstering the state’s role in supplying resources to the nation. Peltola won the House seat in August to fill out the unexpired term of the late Rep. Don Young until January. The Nov. 8 general election wil...
Terry Courson, a firearms instructor and retired police officer, is running for borough mayor. Though he declined interviews with KSTK and the Sentinel, he has posted flyers around Wrangell outlining his stances and experience. Courson served on the borough assembly from 2020 to 2021. He is a fiscal conservative and plans to vote no on the bond issues on the Oct. 4 municipal election ballot, which would finance repairs at the schools and Public Safety Building. Officials believe that the borough can cover the annual debt payment on the $3.5...
The story of a 1908 shipwreck near Wrangell that killed 111 of the 138 men on board – mostly Asian cannery workers returning home after the salmon season had ended – is narrated by current and former residents in a five-part podcast series that started last week. Produced by former resident Ronan Rooney, the series will air at 11 a.m. every Thursday in September on KSTK radio, or people can go to Rooney's website wrangellhistoryunlocked.com to hear the episodes. The first episode aired Sep...
A "hero" walks among us. Junior Mia Wiederspohn has been selected as one of six Alaska teenagers to receive a scholarship through the Summer of Heroes program. The program each year recognizes teens who are making positive impacts in their communities. Wiederspohn was selected because of her efforts to keep the Tlingit language and culture alive through radio broadcasts and podcasts and for her work in the high school BASE (Building a Supportive Environment) program. Wiederspohn, 15, was awarded...
This year, deposits of about $3,200 each will begin appearing in Alaskans’ bank accounts on Sept. 20, but so far the promise of a record-high combined Permanent Fund dividend and energy relief payment hasn’t translated to more charitable giving. Since the Alaska Legislature approved the large payout in May, Alaskans had donated an additional $14,000 as of last week through Pick.Click.Give., the online charitable giving program linked to the PFD. “This is typical for this time frame, every year,” Pick.Click.Give. senior program officer Jessie...
The borough assembly approved a budget for the fiscal year that started last Friday similar to past years — no increase in property tax or sales tax rates, and with more than half of the total spending going to the self-supporting operations of sewage, water, garbage, electricity, port and harbors services. The budget approved by the assembly June 28 includes more than 20 repair, maintenance and improvement projects across the borough and in several departments, including: Repairs and maintenance at the schools, recreation center and pool, i...
One of the abiding understandings of our Lutheran church is “unity, not uniformity.” It is a practice that allows each congregation flexibility within a particular framework. We celebrate a pattern of church seasons; we mark those seasons with particular colors for banners and altar cloths; we have a recommended three-year cycle of scripture readings for Sundays and a collection of hymns and an order for worship. On June 5, we celebrate Pentecost, the day God gave the whole Church the Holy Spirit. While the banners and altar cloths will all...
When Kitty Angerman caught wind of the chamber of commerce logo design contest for the Fourth of July, she smelled inspiration right away. That inspiration - the scent of the Stikine River - won her the grand prize of $1,000, and her design will appear on posters, T-shirts, hat, cups and more. Angerman was the first to submit an entry into the contest, followed by 22 more. Chamber executive director Brittani Robbins said they decided to go with a contest this year rather than pay someone for a...
It's not uncommon for high school students to learn a second language. It's a bit rarer for them to take what they've learned and teach it to others. That's exactly what sophomore Mia Wiederspohn has been doing the past two years with the Tlingit language and by extension the culture. As a freshman, Wiederspohn, 15, began learning Tlingit from Virginia Oliver, whose Tlingit name is Xwaanlein (the frost on the beach when the glacier passes over). She teaches the language at the high school, middl...
April 27, 1922 The high school students appreciate the aid and cooperation they received from the citizens, merchants and teachers in staging their play. A great part of its success was due to the interest shown by the people of the town. Mr. Palmer accommodated us with lights in the afternoon for the matinee. The St. Michael Trading Co. made frequent loans for stage property and costumes. To Mr. Havens who donated his artwork, special thanks is due. April 25, 1947 Twenty-six hundred bundles of cedar shingles from the Wrangell Cedar Products Co...
The State House finished its work April 9 on the operating budget, which has been passed to the Senate for further work and debate. While there is still work to be done, this year’s budget has the potential for some great investments for the needs of Alaskans. The House passed a Permanent Fund dividend at $1,250 this year and approved an additional energy relief check of $1,300 to help mitigate the costs of record inflation and high fuel costs. While I know some constituents wanted a bigger PFD, this compromise means we can take a sustainable d...
HELP WANTED Roe Production Manager (Petersburg, AK). Responsible for maximizing product value of all species of Pacific Salmon Roe for quality roe products. Required bachelor’s degree in Food Production/Marine Production System Science + 5 yrs as Roe Operations Manager or similar. Experience required: inspect roe quality; supervision of staff; grading Green Roe; monitoring/maintaining quality; review quality control testing in production areas + sodium nitrate testing; record keeping. HACCP Manager Training certification required. A...
A full house at the Nolan Center listened as the chamber of commerce honored Mia Wiederspohn as Wrangell’s youth leader of the year, Barbara Neyman as educator of the year, and Sarah Merritt as citizen of the year. The chamber presentation described Merritt, who has worked at the legislative information office in town since 1996, as “an outstanding citizen … understated, kind, solution focused, and devoted to the democratic process.” Merritt said she returned to Juneau after earning a degree in political science in South Dakota, later decidin...
HELP WANTED Roe Production Manager (Petersburg, AK). Responsible for maximizing product value of all species of Pacific Salmon Roe for quality roe products. Required bachelor’s degree in Food Production/Marine Production System Science + 5 yrs as Roe Operations Manager or similar. Experience required: inspect roe quality; supervision of staff; grading Green Roe; monitoring/maintaining quality; review quality control testing in production areas + sodium nitrate testing; record keeping. HACCP Manager Training certification required. A...
The hooligan are back. When the eagles disappear from town and the sea lions start hauling out on the beach at Lesnoi Island, it's a pretty sure bet hooligan season is upon the Stikine, said David Rak, forester at the U.S. Forest Service in Wrangell. If you go to the north side of Wrangell Island, Rak said, you can hear the sea lions barking from a spot where hundreds haul out on the beach at Lesnoi Island. "When the eagles all disappear from town, they're over there," Rak said last Wednesday....
The Wrangell nonprofit BRAVE (Building Respect and Valuing Everyone) will be busy in April, taking part in the statewide effort to promote National Child Abuse Prevention Month. A couple of high school students are recording public service announcements that will be read on KSTK throughout the month, and the community group will provide information packets for families of Evergreen Elementary School students, said Kay Larson, of BRAVE. “Each year, thousands of cases of child abuse and neglect are substantiated in Alaska. Our Alaska c...
Art lovers and artists can help sustain public radio station KSTK with their contributions. The station recently kicked off a fundraising effort that will culminate in an art auction and hopefully $5,000. The art auction March 18 at the Nolan Center will allow the public to bid on sculptures, paintings, jewelry or any other donated art. "We're on this balancing blade. Our business model is based on local donations and contributions and special events and raffles," Station Manager Cindy Sweat...
Feb. 16, 1922 The recommendation of the Board of Engineers to Congress for an appropriation of $50,000 for a breakwater for the protection of Wrangell harbor is as welcome as it was unexpected. Just a short time ago the board had publicly announced its intention of reporting unfavorably on the project. Then, following a survey made under the direction of Col. James G. Steese, District Engineer of the Alaska Rivers and Harbor District, the board recommended that the project be approved and Congress asked to make the necessary appropriation....
I would like to concur with Alice Rooney about the high quality of the Wrangell Sentinel. You are doing a fine job. Glad to have you back, Larry. I cannot leave out our fine reporter at KSTK, Sage Smiley. She is among the best radio reporters that we have had. She does her research and comes up with news stories that are enlightening. I hope that all of you stick around. Paula Rak...
Billie Foust, 65, died Jan. 14 in Ketchikan, where she had lived the past couple of years. She was born April 1956 in Arcata, California, to Ethel Miller and Bill Foust. Billie spent most of her life in Wrangell. She went to high school in Wrangell, then left town for a short time in Hoopa, California, and Shelton, Washington, before returning in her 20s to Wrangell. "Candy, or 'Babe' as she was called, leaves behind many friends and family who will remember her as the voice of KSTK, where her...
Fundraising efforts are a year-round task for most organizations, but during the holidays those efforts are increased. People in Wrangell are willing to give their time, energy and money to support everything from the food pantry and pets to high school athletes. A pressing need "This community, hand over fist, is one of the most generous communities I've ever had the privilege to work in," said Lt. Jon Tollerud, of The Salvation Army. The Christian-based organization coordinates the community...
The Wrangell Institute was a big part of history — for the Native students who went to school there, for the community and the state. The Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding school, which operated at the site above Shoemaker Bay from 1932 to 1975, was among several federal- and church-run schools common across Alaska for much of the 20th century. Many of the schools, including the Wrangell Institute, graduated a generation of leaders who served important roles as Alaska Natives gained recognition and rights long denied. But, sadly, many of the s...
The holiday season is generally a time of gathering and happiness. It can also be a time of great sadness, mourning those who are no longer present to celebrate. Since 2003, Hospice of Wrangell has offered the Dove Tree and Dove Tree ceremony as a way to remember lost loved ones. This year’s ceremony is set for 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 28, in the Nolan Center lobby. The community is invited for readings, a homily by the Rev. Suellen Bahleda of Island of Faith Lutheran Church, and special music by Cindy Martin, Sarah Scambler, Bonnie Demerjian and Al...
Wrangell has work, but the workforce is lacking. Since the end of September, the Wrangell Chamber of Commerce has been posting its members’ job openings to help get companies staffed and people working. In the five weeks, three people have come in to fill out applications. Chamber Executive Director Brittani Robbins said despite efforts help get jobs filled, staffing shortages remain due to anything from lower starting wages to unqualified applicants. But Robbins believes businesses can take steps to make positions more attractive. “I thi...