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It wasn’t a downpour but it was enough to raise the water level at both reservoirs and ease fears of shortages, Public Works Director Tom Wetor said of the rainfall Sunday and Monday. “Overall, I’m feeling pretty good,” he said Monday morning. With just a few weeks left of the heaviest water demand for salmon processing, and with the traditionally rainy weather of early fall approaching, Wetor thinks Wrangell will make it through the summer. “We’re in pretty good shape right now.” The borough last week urged residents to conserve water after a...
A huge round of applause and shout of thanks goes to all the dog owners and pups who participated in the third annual St. Frances Animal Rescue Dog Show. The volunteers of St. Frances also extend a special thanks to the show’s sponsor, Cooper’s Corner, owned by Kimberly Szczatko, and our judges, Mayor Patty Gilbert, KSTK reporter Sage Smiley and our visiting guest, Dr. Eric Sargent. Joan Sargent Dog show coordinator Thanks to all the amazing individuals and businesses that donated prizes for the Scrap Fish Derby! All prizes were purchased fro...
July 5, 1923 The boxing contest between Ralph Prescott and Kid Stokes at the rink on July 4 was the biggest sports attraction of the day. Six rounds were fought and the fight resulted in a draw. Stokes is a Juneau man. Prescott is a home boy. Stokes is 25 years of age and weighs 135 pounds. Prescott is 18 years old and weighs 140. Prescott had not been in the ring but once before. In the first round Stokes was more aggressive, but after that it was about a standoff. All rounds were lively and the last one without doubt the fastest ever seen in...
Sealaska Heritage Institute has honored 10 educators from throughout Alaska and Washington for their culturally relevant lessons. Among those is Wrangell's Virginia Oliver, who teaches Tlingit language in the Wrangell School District. She was one of seven given the Distinguished Educator Award, "which recognizes educators who intentionally weave cultural knowledge throughout their lessons and classroom and use approaches that reflect Native students' identity and values through place-based and...
Wrangell Sentinel staff won five awards in the annual Alaska Press Club competition, with radio station KSTK bringing home four honors in the statewide contest for journalists. Marc Lutz won second place in the Best Feature Story category (small newspapers) for his report in the Sept. 21, 2022, Sentinel about retired teacher Jacquie Dozier’s 1965 lunch with Queen Elizabeth II while in the U.K. on a teacher exchange program. The judge commented on Lutz’s work: “A timely memory of QEII, published just after the monarch’s death. The reporte...
The Wrangell Golf Club board of directors would like to thank everyone who helped make our annual fundraising dinner and auction a success. This was our first time back at it since before COVID, and we couldn’t have asked for a better event. Thank you to all the businesses and individuals that donated items to auction and raffle: Alaska Airlines, Cindy Baird, Pacific Seafoods, All American Mechanical, Monterey Peninsula Country Club, Sentry Hardware, Angerman’s Inc., Ottesen’s Ace Hardware, Breakaway Adventures, Rayme’s Bar, Lucy Robinso...
National Reading Month is in its final week, and some of the community’s literature lovers are sharing their favorite books for anyone who wants to add to their list — this month, or any month. The month was first celebrated in March of 1994 to commemorate the contributions of author and illustrator Dr. Seuss, who helped foster enthusiasm for reading in American youth by producing children’s books that were engaging despite their simple language. Every year in March, readers celebrate by picking up their favorite novels, visiting their local...
One of the challenges of being a nonprofit is continually seeking funds to continue operating, something radio station KSTK is well acquainted with. But instead of just shaking a bucket and hoping people will pitch in, staff at KSTK tries to put the fun in fundraising, such as their annual art auction. For the past four years, the radio station has auctioned donated art created by Alaskans. The goal for this year is to raise $5,000 at the March 24 event. The auction in 2022 had a $5,000 goal,...
One of the U.S. Forest Service's most popular recreational cabins in the area has met an untimely demise. The cabin at Anan Bay was demolished sometime before Feb. 18 by a fallen tree which was most likely toppled by high winds, said Tory Houser, acting Wrangell District ranger. "It's total destruction. It's pretty awful," Houser said Feb. 23. "It's really sad because it was a new cabin and beautiful." Built in 2012 of yellow cedar, the 15-foot by 17-foot structure could accommodate seven...
Marlene Ann Clarke passed away Feb. 7 in the Wrangell long-term care facility. She was born on April 3, 1936, to Nellie Prescott and Howard Messinger in Wrangell. She spent most of her childhood in Wrangell except for short stays in Juneau, Haines and Anchorage. She came back in the third grade and graduated from Wrangell High School in 1954. Working summers in the shrimp and fish canneries gave her the push to move to California to try something different after graduation. She took business...
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...