Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 54
A number of Wrangell residents stepped out Friday for a bit of culture, partaking in a wine tasting fundraiser. Held at Rayme's Bar, proceeds from the 14-varietal sampling went to the local search and rescue (SAR) dogs program for Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department. The program currently enlists the services of three retrievers, named Katilli, Sage and Aspen. Katilli has been in service the longest, picking up trainings and certifications over the past three years. The dog has supported various...
An alternating drop of snow and freezing rain over the weekend put a damper on holiday festivities in Wrangell, and caused problems for drivers and pedestrians both as late as Monday morning. The area received over an inch and a half of precipitation Saturday and Sunday, starting with ample helpings of snow. Rough sea conditions early Saturday hampered efforts on the part of Wrangell's annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count to tally area avians. Five of the volunteers' nine survey groups were...
Marking this year's remembrance of the country's veterans, several dinners and ceremonies paid tribute to local servicemen and women on Friday. To start with, a number of businesses closed their doors for the day, giving veterans time to spend with friends and family. A charity run was held by Southeast Beasts first thing at 8 a.m., raising $135 dollars for local veteran services. At the Wrangell High School gym at 10:30 a.m., several dozen veterans were given front-row seating for a...
Local runners stretched their legs last week in honor of Alaska Day, taking part in a five-kilometer run and half-marathon and raising money for cancer care in the process. The event was put together by Southeast Beasts, a local nonprofit made up of runners, joggers and walkers who get together during the year to enjoy the outdoors and raise money for worthy causes in the process. Since the Alaska Day 5K and Half-Marathon's start in 2014, F/V Pacific Sea owner Frank Warfel Jr. has each year...
Events for the 7th Annual Bearfest are already underway, with the first two workshops and symposium presented yesterday at the Nolan Center. The annual activity was started in 2010 by Sylvia Ettefagh, an outfitter with Alaska Vistas and commercial fisherman. Drawing a number of notable speakers and participants each year, Bearfest serves to highlight the local bear population, particularly that found at nearby Anan Wildlife Observatory. About 30 miles southeast of Wrangell, the observatory...
Close to 100 people participated in a memorial walk on Sunday, held to remember those killed or injured in a car crash in Petersburg early last week. Meeting at Wrangell's city dock, more than a third of the walkers were from the neighboring community. Organized by local running group Southeast Beasts, the five kilometer (three mile) course was intended to help show support during a time of tragedy. The route taken brought walkers down Front Street from the dock, up to Zimovia Highway and out to...
A local tradition now for four years running, the annual five-kilometer (3.1 mile) jog celebrating the summer solstice took on a new dimension. Held on Saturday, the 2016 Smoke-Free Summer Solstice 5K encouraged participants to pursue a tobacco less lifestyle. Ordinarily organized by the running group the Southeast Beasts, this year's run was put on by the Partnership for Tobacco Free SouthEast, a regional coalition encompassing Petersburg, Juneau, Ketchikan and other communities in addition to...
A passenger plane based out of Wrangell crashed on Admiralty Island April 8, during a morning flight to Angoon. Of the four onboard the Cessna 206, the pilot and two passengers were killed. A third passenger, Morgan Enright, 21, of Ketchikan, survived the crash. The United States Coast Guard and Sitka Search and Rescue transported her from the scene and she remains in critical condition in a Seattle hospital. Alaska State Troopers identified those killed in the crash as pilot David Galla, 60;...
Pint sized poltergeists, ghouls, Minions and Stormtroopers took to the streets in Wrangell last weekend, as a variety of tricked-out trick-or-treaters stocked up on sugary sweets for Halloween. Probably the best costume to have for Friday's "Early Trick or Treats" would have incorporated an umbrella. Wrangell received 1.86 inches of chilly rain that day, most of it during the afternoon. Turnout was still strong, with children and parents completing the circuit of participating businesses in the...
In bear garb with a megaphone, Southeast Beasts director Lucy Robinson gives directions to the assembled runners at the Alaska Day 5K and Half-Marathon starting line. Over 76 participants and more than a dozen volunteers shrugged off Saturday morning's chilly rain to celebrate Alaskan statehood and raise $1,300 for the hospital's cancer care fund. First held last year, the running group intends to make the event a continuing tradition. As with last year's, costs of the run were covered by Frank...
Hundreds of runners carried on through chilly rains at Saturday's Wrangell Invitational Cross-Country meet. The weather kept to around 52 degrees that day, with most of the 0.3 inches falling during the early afternoon races. Coming from 15 schools around the region, 226 runners and 20 coaches participated in the weekend meet, the third so far of the season. A new course was plotted out for the races, held past Muskeg Meadows Golf Course along Spur Road. Wrangell High School fielded 13 runners...
Wrangell's Parks and Recreation Department will be getting a new look, after deciding on a winner of its logo contest last month. The department's advisory board chose a design submitted by local artist Charity Hommel, who submitted 16 variations for the contest, which drew entries from a dozen other artists "I'm honored my design was chosen," Hommel said. A longtime artist with experience in brand design, she explained the simple black-and-white layout gave it versatility as a logo. It has a...
A Wrangell running club raised $1,800 in a hastily organized 5K last week, held in part to mark National Running Day on June 3 but also to assist a local family in need. "It was impromptu," said the Southeast Beasts' director, Lucy Robinson. Creating an event on Facebook only the day before, she was surprised to see around 50 participants at the community center the next evening, ready to go. Runners, joggers and walkers of all ages had come out in support of the Appleman family, which lost its...
Wrangell's recreational running group will set this year's pace with its third annual Shamrock Shuffle, a five-kilometer run beginning outside of Rayme's Bar Saturday at 7 p.m. All ages are invited to participate in the evening jog, dressing in green and running through town to get into the spirit of Saint Patrick's Day weekend festivities. "We've had a lot of families participate in this run," explained Lucy Robinson, the Beasts' director. St. Paddy's treats and refreshments will be available...
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...
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,...
As the borough catches some of the last rays of summer, members of the Healthy Wrangell Coalition looked at a number of upcoming events this fall at its monthly meeting Tuesday. The coalition is a collaborative group representing the community’s health, education, recreation and religious spheres. An organ recital is planned at the Salvation Army Chapel this Sunday at 3 p.m. Major Scott Nicloy will play a variety of works ranging from classical pieces and church music to theatrical numbers. Admission is free with offering or donation of food i...
Attendance at Saturday's summer solstice block party easily topped last year's inaugural edition by most accounts. Most Fourth of July Queen food booths stayed open late. Dual candidates Robyn Booker and Kira Torvend had booths featuring ring-toss, cotton candy and pony rides. A Southeast Beasts 5K run billed as the Solstice Streak (though organizers discouraged participation without clothing) raised $8,000 for a local infant recovering from a heart transplant. The run, which started at 8 pm,...
