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Finance Director Mason Villarma has been on the job for about five months and is proposing changes to the borough assembly that he believes could bolster Wrangell’s financial health. At a work session Jan. 25, Villarma said the borough’s assets totaled $39.7 million as of Dec. 31, a mixture of cash, cash equivalents, money market funds, investments and other accounts. Some can be spent, some is in long-term savings, and some is reserved for self-sufficient funds such as the electric utility and port and harbors. Almost one-quarter of that mon...
Jan. 26, 1922 The high school English I class had a first introduction to debating last Friday. The question was, “Resolved, that the Petersburg basketball team has a chance of winning over the Wrangell High School team next Saturday.” The issues were given but the proving of the issues was not attempted. It was useless. One of the debaters said the Petersburg team could not beat us because it was composed of bald-headed men. Jan. 24, 1947 Walter Stuart, of Ketchikan, a well-known authority on public utilities, arrived in Wrangell on Wed...
COVID-19 cases in Wrangell are surging at their fastest rate of the nearly 2-year-old pandemic, with 67 new infections since Christmas weekend, as of Tuesday evening’s borough report. Of those, 37 cases were recorded between Friday and Tuesday. The post-holidays surge is certain to break Wrangell’s single-month record, when the community tallied 66 infections in November. The borough’s Tuesday COVID update made particular note of New Year’s Eve parties, advising anyone who attended a social gathering and is experiencing any symptoms to contact...
Monday, Dec. 13 Citizen assist. Domestic violence order violation: Unfounded. Hit and run. Arrest for probation violation. Agency assist: Line crew. Tuesday, Dec. 14 Agency assist: Building maintenance. Agency assist: Elks. Agency assist: Nolan Center. Agency assist: Hoonah Police Department. Wednesday, Dec. 15 Agency assist: Elks alarm. Agency assist: Nolan Center. Civil issue. Thursday, Dec. 16 Traffic stop: Verbal warning given for canceled license. Welfare check. Agency assist: U.S. Forest Service. Parking complaint: Vehicles were moved....
The aftermath of an unexpectedly strong Nov. 30 weather system affected life in Wrangell, postponing community events and unfurling an outpouring of support amid power outages. Community events including last Friday’s Midnight Madness and downtown Christmas tree lighting were rescheduled to this Saturday, according to the Wrangell Chamber of Commerce. As utility workers were busy restoring power, and food and craft vendors were focused on getting power to their homes, the chamber decided to postpone the Dec. 3 events to this weekend, Executive...
The 19th annual Dove Tree Ceremony is a way to remember loved ones during the holiday season. Participants wrote the names of their loved ones on paper doves, one name per dove, and placed the names on the boughs of a tree set up in the lobby of the Nolan Center, using loops of ribbon. Ahead of hanging the paper doves, Alice Rooney, president of the nonprofit Hospice of Wrangell, which put on the event in-person this year after last year's was virtual, started the ceremony Sunday by expressing...
A tree will light up. Santa will greet children. Hot food and drinks and gathering community members will warm the body and soul. Although it’s dubbed Midnight Madness, Friday’s event will feature something for everyone, in addition to special holiday sales at Wrangell businesses. The holiday bazaar will run from 4 to 9 p.m. at the Nolan Center, with about 25 vendors in attendance, selling various products. Santa Claus will make an appearance from 4 to 5:45 p.m. and then again from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in a giant snow globe. “This year, in order...
Lisa Torgramsen has been crafting fabrics since she learned how to make her own clothes at the age of 12. At the age of 24 she added quilting to her repertoire, and she continued to build her skill for 42 years. In May, Torgramsen opened Fishwife Quilts, a shop that centers on all things quilting - from selling supplies and custom creations to teaching others everything she's learned in decades of practicing the artform. She was inspired by her grandmother to learn quilting in the 1970s, so she...
The state says it will stop paying extended unemployment benefits because the jobless rate has declined, ending a third program of enhanced or extended financial aid for Alaskans jobless during the pandemic. The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development announced the state’s extended benefits period will end Dec. 11, Anchorage television station KTUU reported. The extension — which has been in place since May 2020 — provided Alaskans the opportunity for additional weeks of unemployment benefits, which range from $56 to $370 a week...
Hospice of Wrangell is doing its usual double duty this holiday season, with its annual Dove Tree ceremony to remember lost friends and family members and the Christmas Tree Lane fundraiser. Both events are at the Nolan Center. The Dove Tree ceremony is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday and will include readings, a homily by the Rev. Suellen Bahleda of Island of Faith Lutheran Church, and music by Cindy Martin, Sarah Scambler, Bonnie Demerjian and Alice Rooney. The tree, with paper doves in memory of people who have died, “has a place of honor” amo...
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...
An all-day boating safety class, Alaska Water Wise, will be offered Saturday at the Nolan Center, presented by the state Office of Boating Safety and volunteers who are working to organize a Wrangell detachment of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. The free class will run from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a lunch break, and will cover boat operations, emergencies, cold water survival, navigation rules and boating laws. “It’s a lot of different safety topics,” said Liz Buness, one of the organizers. “Hopefully, we’ll have more programs like this in t...
A steady stream of families came through the door at the BRAVE Resilience Fair on Oct. 16 at the Nolan Center. At least 125 people attended, with many informative conversations about scores of resources available to assist a wide range of needs and interests. Spirits and energy levels were high, and children were fully engaged in challenges, games and opportunities designed with them in mind. The fair included 18 tables of information and services — including a table filled with good quality used clothing for children, all free. The fair a...
By the time they are done touring the state on Nov. 1, the Alaska Redistricting Board will have visited 24 communities to gather public comments on six proposed maps for redrawing boundaries of every legislative district in the state. On Oct. 7, four of the five board members met with community members in Wrangell at the Nolan Center to explain the maps and how the boundaries were determined. The board will consider the information from its community meetings to decide on its final maps by the Nov. 10 deadline. When completed, each of 40 state...
Wrangell’s Tent City Days start Friday and run through Sunday, with 20 events scheduled for the fall festivities that come a day before Alaska Day on Monday, which celebrates the U.S. purchase of the territory from Russia in 1867. In keeping with the historical theme, there are some gold rush-named activities among the varied three-day schedule. And in keeping with COVID-19 safety, organizers advise on the event’s Facebook page: “Please mask up. Follow state/local health mandates. Don’t feel well? Stay home and call your medical provide...
Devyn Johnson grew up playing sports in Wrangell. She didn't think about fitness until she was an adult – who, like a lot of people, gained the "Freshman 15" after high school, that bit of extra weight which comes after college starts, the responsibilities of adulthood creep in and high school gym class and sports are in the rearview mirror. So, she started to jog. A half mile at first, and then it stretched out from there into longer distances. Jogging turned into a love of working out. "I l...
Though 87 absentee and early votes and questioned ballots will not be tallied until Thursday, the leaders after Tuesday’s municipal election appear likely to win on the final count. Borough assembly candidate David Powell led Don McConachie Sr. by 47 votes after Tuesday’s election. School board candidates Brittani Robbins and Angela Allen were ahead of their challengers by about 100 votes for two open seats. And Jessica Whitaker led Julia Ostrander by 44 votes — 215 to 171 — for a one-year school board term. Races for two other assembl...
Most of the six proposed legislative redistricting maps under consideration would keep Wrangell and Ketchikan in the same district, but one proposal would separate Wrangell from its longstanding share with Ketchikan and move it into a state House district with Sitka. A couple of the options would put Petersburg in the same district as Wrangell and Ketchikan, but half would assign Petersburg to a stretched-out House district from Prince of Wales Island to Yakutat. The Alaska Redistricting Board is traveling to communities statewide to show the...
The new coordinator of the Nolan Center and Wrangell Museum wasn't a fan of the big city. So, Tyler Eagle left Spokane, Washington, right after graduating in 2018 from Gonzaga University and came back to Wrangell. Eagle did a few odd jobs in town: fishing, working as a paraprofessional at the schools, until a job came up that was the perfect application for his degree in history. "A notification went out on the 'Friends of the Museum' mailing list," Eagle said. "They were looking for a...
Wrangell voters in Tuesday’s election will decide on three borough assembly seats, three school board members and three port commission members. Of the nine races, five are uncontested — unless a write-in candidate declares by Friday — and the other four present voters with a choice of candidates. The polls will be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Nolan Center. People need to bring their state-issued voter ID card, said Kim Lane, borough clerk. If voters don’t have their ID card, they will be allowed to cast their ballot if the electio...
Filling out an election ballot isn’t very hard. Ink in the ovals, being careful to stay within the lines, and then turn in the single-sided piece of stiff paper for counting. It’s not much to ask of residents once a year. Wrangell holds its municipal elections next Tuesday. And while several races are uncontested, three school board seats and a borough assembly seat will be decided by voters. This is a chance for residents to have a say in the direction of the borough and the school district, which combined spend more than $10 million a yea...
It's a familiar storefront sight throughout Wrangell: "Help Wanted" signs placed in business windows. For various reasons, employers are having trouble filling positions. "We couldn't find someone to hire, even if we wanted to," said Jennifer Ludwigsen at the Totem Bar & Liquor Store, which is looking for extra workers. The business is currently down to three staff members, but finding new employees has been challenging. It isn't unique. "A lot, especially the larger businesses, the grocery stor...
There will be contested races for one seat on the borough assembly, three seats on the school board and one seat on the port commission in Wrangell’s Oct. 5 municipal election. Candidates for two other borough assembly seats and a port commission seat are unchallenged. Jim DeBord and Bob Dalrymple are running for the two three-year open terms on the assembly. Dalrymple is an incumbent; he was appointed in January to fill out the year for Julie Decker, who left the assembly. DeBord also expressed interest in the seat at that time, though the a...
Wrangell has a long history and a modern museum that displays the rich heritage of the community and its people. But the volunteer group that supports the museum is short of new members. The Friends of the Museum raises money to support projects at the keeper of the town’s history. “That is our sole purpose,” said Michael Bania, who has served as president the past few years. That includes not only supporting activities at the museum, but also acquisitions for the collection, with fundraising, advocacy and volunteering some time to help with...
The community group BRAVE (Building Respect and Valuing Everyone) is making plans for its fourth annual Family Resilience Fair, scheduled for noon to 2 p.m. Sept. 11 at the Nolan Center. The intent of the event “is to make people aware of the resources available” for dealing with stress, food insecurity, maintaining healthy relationships and more. “Learn how your community can help your family,” according to BRAVE. The event will include tables staffed by nonprofits, government agencies and service providers, said organizer Kay Larson. Admissio...