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The Alaska Board of Fisheries began its six-day review process for crab, shrimp and miscellaneous shellfish policies in Southeast and Yakutat yesterday at Wrangell’s Nolan Center. Public testimony on the policy changes being proposed began Wednesday morning and will continue today. Part of the regulatory arm of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the board’s main role is to conserve and develop the fishery resources of the state, by setting seasons, bag limits, methods, means and other regulations for Alaska’s subsistence, comme...
An ordinance amending Thomas Bay Power Advisory Committee's role in Wrangell's Municipal Code passed the Wrangell City and Borough Assembly on first reading. A second reading featuring a public hearing will be held on Jan. 27. The principal change would make the committee advisory to the Wrangell and Petersburg assemblies. This follows the transfer of Lake Tyee hydroelectric power management to Southeast Alaska Power Agency last summer. Borough Clerk Kim Lane explained the proposal was first drafted by Petersburg and submitted to Wrangell for r...
A pair of meetings will be held at the Nolan Center Jan. 12 and 14 to collect public input on the City and Borough of Wrangell’s upcoming waterfront master plan. The Borough has been working with private firms to develop a master planning project for the waterfront area between the Marine Service Center and City Dock along Campbell Drive. The overarching goal is the creation of a site-specific master plan intended to direct development of social and economic opportunities in that location. This will include possible commercial development and p...
It may be a new year, but Wrangell's Port Commission was greeted with a lot of ongoing business when it met Tuesday evening, from finalizing plans for the Mariner's Memorial at Heritage Harbor to preparing to pursue replacement of the Shoemaker Bay Harbor floats. In one bit of new business, Josh Young of J&R Protective Coatings came before the commission to ask for help with a problem with his leased lot at the Marine Service Center. Young is the current lease holder of Lot 6 in the yard, and...
Kicking things off with a new borough manager in Jeff Jabusch, 2014 for Wrangell was not only a period of changes, but also one of building and continued development. Pavement was poured at the Marine Service Center, a number of roads were resurfaced or due to eventually see improvement, and the city was able to showcase itself to other regional communities by hosting several prolific functions. January Wrangell Cooperative Association collected 210 registrations for Tlingit-Haida members at...
As 2014 comes to a close, Wrangell's Marine Service Center is looking better and brighter for it. The facility was one of the centerpieces of the year's Southeast Conference in September, demonstrating the economic opportunities possible in the region. At the start, the center already touted a 150-ton mobile boat lift, a 40-ton hydraulic trailer, a federally-approved washdown area and upland storage for 85 boats. The self-service yard gives boat owners the option to rent space and conduct work...
Screenwriting student Haley Reed will be premiering her first film, “Vigil,” Saturday evening at the Nolan Center. Filming for the project took place in Wrangell during the summer, using a local cast and crew. Production was kept to a small budget, with between three and twelve people working on it at any one time, using personal equipment. “Overall, I think scheduling worked out pretty well,” Reed said. After filming ended she took the film back to the University of Loyola-Marymount in Los Angeles for editing help. Though she was unsure...
Wrangell's advisory committee to Alaska Department of Fish and Game held the second of several public meetings at the Fire Hall Dec. 11, to discuss Board of Fisheries proposals for the 2014-15 meeting cycle. This committee provides a forum for fishing and game management issues, allowing the public to review and discuss new proposals and to provide recommendations to both state boards of Fisheries and Game. To consult with them on crab, shellfish and shrimp management policies were Joe Stratman and Troy Thynes from Petersburg's ADFG office....
To the Editor: I am writing today to thank, Clay Hammer and the city crew that fixed the broken city owned light across from the driveway to City Market at the Nolan Center, as well as the installation of a new pole light on the nearby city owned power pole. Both of these improvements will increase the safety of this area keeping people and property safer. I witnessed several incidents of minor accidents in this area after dark, thankfully this is now behind us, due to the timely good work of these individuals, Koodoos. Kip...
The advisory board for the James and Elsie Nolan Center met for its quarterly meeting midday Tuesday after a five-month hiatus. Alice Rooney, Don McConachie, Olinda White and Marlene Clarke met with the center’s director and acting museum curator, Terri Henson, to discuss how things have gone since mid-July. “We’ve been pretty busy in the Center, which has been nice,” Henson told them. A pair of parties and several other Christmas-related events have wrapped up successfully, she explained. “We just finished up Dove Tree Lane, and that went well...
A pair of staff committees met this past month at Wrangell Medical Center, formed to improve response to patient falls on site and improve emergency preparedness. At the monthly meeting of its board of trustees on Nov. 19, hospital head Marla Sanger reported the falls committee was formed with representatives of the nursing, physical therapy, quality, and maintenance departments, as well as a community patient advisor. She said a federal follow-up visit the previous week confirmed WMC has dealt with a problem with its patient wheelchairs. The s...
The high and middle school halls and commons at Wrangell were crawling Friday and Saturday as around 80 teens ran through lines, practiced their best voices and otherwise prepared themselves before performing at the regional drama, debate and forensics (DDF) meet. "It ran a lot more smoothly than I was expecting," said Sydney Reed, Wrangell's new DDF coach. Though a longtime participant in the program, it was her first time as a host. "I was a lot more worried about it than I probably should...
Sydney Reed of Wrangell High School’s Drama, Debate and Forensics (DDF) teams is looking for volunteers interested in assisting meets being hosted at the school on Nov. 14 and 15. “To host a successful meet we need volunteers to sign up to time and judge events,” Reed explained. “We’re hoping that the six schools will all be coming.” There is a need to fill 160 volunteer slots, divided equally between judging and timing events for 90 minute periods. Clinics for the judging will be held next week on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 6:30-7...
Some changes to the federally-administered subsistence fisheries were recommended by the Southeast Alaska Subsistence Regional Advisory Council (RAC) at its three day meeting at Wrangell's Nolan Center last week. Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist Robert Larson explained the meeting's agenda featured an uncommon mix of proposals from the state boards of Game and Fisheries, since the regulatory cycles of both synchronized with each other this year. “It doesn't happen very often,” he noted. Of particular concern for Wrangell's sub...
Transboundary water issues and mining projects being developed across the Canadian border seem to gain prominence each week as a topic in Wrangell, with a sizable presentation on the issue delivered to the public Tuesday evening. United Tribal Transboundary Mining Work Group and Salmon Beyond Borders have gotten together with other interest groups to present their shared concern about the size and reputedly lax oversight of British Columbia projects currently being planned, with five mines in particular posing a threat to the salmon-abundant...
Aside from the matter of the Big Thorne timber sale (see story on page 1) there was not too much for the City and Borough of Wrangell Assembly to go over when it met for its regularly-scheduled meeting Tuesday evening at City Hall. At City Manager Jeff Jabusch's recommendation, the Assembly agreed to hire for one year the services of Ray Matiashowski as its lobbyist in Juneau for an annual fee of $34,000. “We solicited six different lobbyists,” Jabusch told the assembly. Two of the lobbyists were unavailable, and of the four available, he fel...
After Nov. 4 the last of the political adverts will finally hibernate for the year, marking the end of a particularly clamorous electoral season. But before Alaska voters cross that final hurdle and head to the polls, they should be aware of three measures awaiting them at the ballot. Ballot Measure 2 – Allowing marijuana legalization and regulation If enacted, this bill would tax and regulate the production, sale, and use of marijuana in Alaska, making its use legal for persons aged 21 or older, as is currently done with alcohol. A person w...
Salmon Beyond Borders and the United Tribal Transboundary Mining Working Group will be holding a presentation in Wrangell on the effects of large-scale mining on local river systems on Tuesday, 6 p.m., at the Nolan Center. The public forum is one of five planned for Southeast cities, including Sitka, Juneau, Ketchikan and Petersburg. They will provide opportunities for residents to learn about open-pit mines planned in Canada's British Columbia province and their potential impacts on the region's commercial, sport, traditional and customary...
There was a good turnout for the Southeast Beasts' first-ever Alaska Day five-kilometer fun run and half-marathon Saturday morning, with around 65 participants. It was an almost perfect Alaska morning, with swiftly drifting clouds a creamy hue, a pair of ravens chasing after each other overhead, and not a drop of rain to be seen. Runners lining up at the starting line shuddered slightly as they were reminded of the season by a hearty gust. They seemed relieved when the air-horn finally sounded,...
Tuesday's Regular Borough Assembly meeting was preceded by a public hearing on Ordinance 887 being proposed, an amended section of the Wrangell Municipal Code largely dealing with the control of animals within City and Borough limits. The revised ordinance has already been sent back to the Ordinance Review Board before for retooling, and this latest appearance would be its second reading. A number of the island's residents showed up to express their concerns that the wording of several sections...
Members of the Wrangell Borough Assembly met Monday at a special midday session to formally approve election results certified by the Borough Canvass Board on Oct. 9. The official results included votes cast at the Nolan Center on election day, Oct. 7, as well as assisted and absentee ballots cast prior which were counted by the Canvass Board. For one 2-year term as Mayor, David Jack received 304 votes and Kipha Valvoda received 75. For two 3-year terms on the Assembly, Mark Mitchell received 27...
After nearly 34 years of service, Irene Ingle Public Library will be getting a new head librarian after Kay Jabusch retires at the end of this year. She began there in June 1980, working closely with Irene Ingle – the previous head librarian for whom the library was renamed – before taking over her position after Ingle's retirement on Jan. 1, 1981. When Jabusch retires from the position on Jan. 1, 2015, assistant librarian Margaret Villarma will likewise assume the post. "I think the tra...
The unofficial results of Tuesday's local elections in Wrangell saw 312 ballots cast, considerably fewer than at last year's election. Of eight open positions there had been only two contested seats, one two-year term for mayor and a three-year term on the school board. Additionally, there were no measures or items on this year's ballot. For the mayoral position, incumbent candidate David Jack regained his seat with 242 votes. The other candidate, Kipha Valvoda, collected 59. For the school board, incumbent Susan Eagle collected 207 votes;...
