Sorted by date Results 676 - 700 of 834
The high school is getting ready to sponsor a bit of culture, as it comes Wrangell's turn to host this year's Southeast Alaska Regional Artfest next week. Sixty students and 15 teachers from schools around the region will be represented, coming from Klawock, Skagway, Petersburg, Craig, Sitka, Mount Edgecumbe and Juneau. "We're honored to host the continuation of the Southeast Alaska Artfest," said Wrangell High School's art teacher, Anne Luetkemeyer. Fifteen different classes will be offered to...
Wrangell residents are invited to shake off their winter malaise and step down to the annual Health Fair this Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon inside the Nolan Center. The fair will feature booths put up by 45 different agencies, groups and organizations related to health and wellness. Participating groups are many and varied, aimed for all ages. Alaska Island Community Services (AICS) will have its Teddy Bear Clinic for the wee ones, Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department will provide free blood pressure checks for adults, and Hanna’s Place will h...
Even before getting into its own upcoming budget, Wrangell’s Assembly had plenty of numbers to crunch at its regular meeting Tuesday evening, with an hour-long joint session held beforehand with the local school board regarding its upcoming budget and a presentation by Wrangell Medical Center’s executive on the state of the hospital’s finances. (see adjoining stories) Borough Manager Jeff Jabusch reported next year’s budget is coming along on task, with a draft likely to be ready for review by mid-April. “We’ll bring you a balanced budget one w...
Wrangell Medical Center CEO Marla Sanger updated the Wrangell Borough Assembly on the hospital’s financial situation at its Tuesday evening meeting. “We are solvent. We’re just being very cautious,” she said. In December, Sanger and acting CFO Olinda White approached the Assembly to reveal the hospital was experiencing financial difficulties. An annual audit had, among other concerns, reported finding a $3.5 million loss in written-off costs related to the hospital’s previous bid to build a new facility. “I don’t think our financial sit...
As Wrangell looks to future growth, the owners of its largest hotel are likewise looking to expand. Southeast Properties owner Bill Goodale and Stikine Inn manager Jake Harris have made preliminary appearances at recent assembly, port, and planning and zoning meetings to pitch their idea. They would like to purchase 27.45 square feet of tidelands adjacent to the hotel property. Once acquired, the inn's owners could then begin expanding the building, adding rooms and ground-level retail space. Go...
Nearly 100 residents headed to the Nolan Center the evening of March 11 to preview a short film produced about themselves. Entitled “Water is Life,” the ten-minute video follows the Stikine River from its headwaters to its terminus and highlights its importance to nearby communities. Shooting was conducted last fall by a film crew working for Inside Passage Waterkeeper, which visited Wrangell, Petersburg and Telegraph, British Columbia. In addition to gathering footage of the river and its wildlife, interviews were conducted with a variety of...
Members of Wrangell's City and Borough Assembly narrowly took their first step toward restricting the consumption of marijuana on public or private property, electing in a 3-2 split to approve an ordinance on first reading at their Tuesday evening meeting. Alaska Statute 17.38 took effect on Feb. 24, expanding significantly the circumstances in which a person can legally possess, transport and use the drug, following approval of a ballot measure during last November's elections. More than 57 percent of Wrangell voters approved the measure,...
Wrangell may get to experience a bit of old-time entertainment this June, when the New Old Time Chautauqua plans to stop through on its summer tour of Southeast Alaska. But what is a Chautauqua, you might ask? “It's a movement to do community building through education and entertainment,” explained Paul Magid, who paid a visit to Wrangell on behalf of the Chautauqua group last week. The New Old Time Chautauqua was founded in 1981 by a group of performers, health care practitioners and educators as a vehicle for reviving the spirit of the old...
The next phase of Wrangell's waterfront master plan came together at a pair of meetings Feb. 23 and 25. Three conceptual plans were presented to residents by the design team, based on feedback it received on eight proposals presented in January. Working with City and Borough officials, the team was comprised of Chris Mertl with Corvus Design, James Bibb of North Wind Architects, Dick Somerville of PND Engineers and Meilani Schijvens of Rain Coast Data. "We're mostly the team that was involved...
Wrangell residents are invited to preview a short film and presentation on the Stikine River at the Nolan Center, at 6 p.m. March 11. The film had been put together last autumn by a film crew with Inside Passage Waterkeeper, a Juneau affiliate of the International Water Keeper Alliance launched by Southeast Alaska Conservation Council. Their ten-minute film is entitled “Water is Life: The Stikine River,” with the tagline “Our Water Knows No Boundaries.” “We plan on showing it next week,” said Daven Hafey, the short film’s director and...
Wrangell residents review three design concepts for a future waterfront, presented Monday evening at the Nolan Center. Building from ideas stemming from a pair of public meetings held last month, the Borough's design team integrated elements people favored from an original eight concepts. Price projections were daunting, however – the long-term costs ranged from $14.7 million to $35 million, depending on the options taken. A revised plan was presented at a follow-up meeting W...
The Nolan Center was all decked out with hearts and other Valentine's Day decoratives Saturday night, as 160 people came together for Wrangell's Chamber of Commerce Annual Fundraising Dinner. The Chamber premiered its new video promoting the annual Fourth of July celebration. Chamber director Cyni Waddington also announced the theme for this year's Independence Day festivities: "Hometown Heroes," recognizing the contributions of military personnel. "We always try to make it something that...
Residents wishing to have one or more of the five screenings offered as part of April’s Health Fair will be able to have their blood drawn at the Wrangell Medical Center lab early, starting on Feb. 23 and continuing through March 25. The targeted screenings being offered include tests for one’s health profile, prostate specific antigen, thyroid stimulating hormone, HA1C, and Vitamin D. Would-be subjects can visit during regular business hours Monday through Friday, though the lab will also open at 7 am on Tuesday and Thursday during these weeks...
Despite the unseasonably agreeable weather this winter, Wrangellites can still shake off some of the mid-season lassitude at the town's annual Tent City Days celebration. The festival harkens back to frontier days of the 19th century, when Wrangell played an active role in both the Southeast Alaska and the Klondike gold rushes. The celebration kicks off tonight with a first-time chowder cook off, held at the Elks Lodge at 6:30 p.m. Contestants are asked to bring pots of their finest by 5 p.m....
A bit short-handed at its regular Tuesday-night meeting, Wrangell City and Borough Assembly nonetheless reviewed the first readings of several ordinance revisions. Members Becky Rooney, David Mitchell, Daniel Blake and Mayor David Jack discussed a proposed ordinance No. 893, relating to weapons and discharge of firearms within the Borough limits as well as adding a section regarding abuse of the 911 emergency system. The proposal would strike much of the rules previously on the books relating to concealed weapons and carrying loaded firearms,...
A team of architects and civic planners appeared before Wrangell officials and residents last week to start drafting a master plan for the city's future waterfront development. The eventual goal is to develop the fill area along Campbell Drive into a mixed-use property for businesses, locals and visitors to enjoy. Chris Mertl of Corvus Design, James Bibb of North Wind Architects, Dick Somerville of PND Engineers and Meilani Scheijvens of Rain Coast Data make up the team assembled to develop the...
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...