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At its regular scheduled meeting last Tuesday, the Borough Assembly signed on to a letter opposed to adoption of an amended timber plan for managing the Tongass National Forest. The letter, written by Juneau attorney Jim Clark, petitions recently reelected Sen. Lisa Murkowski to support delaying the implementation of the Tongass Transition Plan amendment, which the Department of Agriculture is looking to apply to the 2008 Amended Tongass Land and Management Resource Plan. The intent of the amendment is to transition over to a young-growth...
Norma J. Rath (Smith) Goodman, 76, passed from this life with family at her side after a long battle with breast cancer on November 21, 2016. She was born in Carrol, Iowa on August 11, 1940. She graduated from Liberty Center High School in Liberty Center, Iowa then furthered her education at Capital City Commercial College in Des Moines, Iowa. After working for the state of Iowa for several years Norma and her family moved to North Pole, Alaska in 1976. There she worked and retired as a Medical...
Wrangell's hospital administration and members of its advisory board met with the Borough Assembly on Tuesday evening to discuss the next steps for construction of a new building. Wrangell Medical Center desires a new hospital facility in order to meet state and federal standards, in addition to the accompanying benefits to service and revenue such a move would bring. The planned location would be off of Wood Street, neighboring Alaska Island Community Service's clinic. Progress on the project has taken several false starts over the past...
The heads of two consolidating health providers appeared before the Wrangell City and Borough Assembly Tuesday evening to talk about upcoming plans and to answer any questions the assembly’s members might have about the transition. Last month Wrangell-based Alaska Island Community Services (AICS) announced it would be merging with larger organization SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC), a process expected to finalize in February 2017. AICS executive Mark Walker explained the move was necessitated by the provider’s growth. Sin...
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...
Last week a Wrangell-based clinical services provider announced its formal merger with another regional health service. Alaska Island Community Services (AICS) and SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) will formally affiliate; a process which is expected to be finalized by the beginning of February 2017. Since 1989 AICS has provided clinical and mental health services to the community, expanding its service range to Petersburg, Gustavus, Point Baker, Port Protection, Coffman Cove, Whale Pass, Naukati and Edna Bay. Last month it a...
Wrangell’s annual flu clinic may have set an attendance record last week. By the end of Sept. 30 inoculators had tallied 183 residents, who each received vaccinations for this year’s influenza season. Sponsored by Wrangell Medical Center, the annual clinic is held in order to encourage people to protect themselves from flu before the bug becomes prevalent. Costs for the shots are scaled back as an incentive, with patients given the choice of the standard vaccination or a high dosage variety. The clinic is meant for people aged 18 and older and...
The Borough Assembly’s Tuesday evening meeting was one for surprises. For one, the half-dozen residents in attendance – a good turnout by the measure of most meetings – were surprised to find the first read through of proposed zoning ordinance revisions allowing for the conditional permitting of cannabis retail and cultivation had passed unanimously and with little comment from members on the Assembly. Second reading and a public hearing has been set for October 10. But the larger surprise came as an announcement by Borough Manager Jeff Jabus...
Patty Gilbert, write-in candidate, running for two three-year seats Occupation and experience: High school math teacher, current president of Wrangell Medical Center Foundation. Formerly two-term member of Wrangell City Council. Why do you wish to serve on the Assembly? "As Alaska's budget deficit grows, revenue-sharing funds decline and our legislators consider state sales and/or income taxes Wrangell, like other cities, will be faced with difficult fiscal decisions and I want to participate...
It’s that time of year again, with the hospital holding its annual flu clinic this week. Set for Friday afternoon from 1 to 5 p.m. at Harbor Light Assembly of God Church, residents are encouraged to stop by for the discounted vaccination. “The sooner you get it, the more protection you have as the season hits full swing,” said Kris Reed, outreach coordinator for Wrangell Medical Center. The annual shots are meant to mitigate illnesses during the winter influenza season, focusing on particular strains thought likely to be prevalent. The WMC f...
Robert Rang , for two three-year terms Occupation and experience: Current CEO for Wrangell Medical Center, a recent director on the Wrangell Chamber of Commerce Board, with a decade of experience on other hospital boards. Why do you want to serve on the Public School Board? "Schools and medical centers have similar challenges. You must meet the needs of the customer, the staff, as well as all the regulatory requirements mandated by the federal and state government. I feel my experience finding...
Emergency assistance was dispatched from Wrangell early Sunday evening, after a private boat struck a log near Farm Island. Fire Department Chief Tim Buness said emergency dispatch received a 911 call from one of the boat’s passengers at 5:23 p.m. Responders were notified and an initial unit was ready to depart within minutes. “We sent a float plane up with three medics on board,” Buness said. He estimated it took about twenty minutes to arrive at the scene. “We also sent one of the bigger boats with Alaska Vistas with more EMTs (Emerge...
Current superintendent of Wrangell Public Schools. Current member of the boards for Wrangell Chamber of Commerce, the Southeast Regional Resource Center and the Wrangell Salvation Army. Formerly on the board of the Children's Place, and a member of the Healthy Wrangell Coalition. Why do you wish to continue serving on the Hospital Board? "The opportunity to serve on the Wrangell Hospital Board provides a chance to support an extremely important community organization as both an educator and as...
Currently a staff member at Wrangell Museum. Appointed to hospital board in 2012, and reelected for four-year term. Why do you wish to continue serving on the Hospital Board? "When I ran four years ago, I was hoping to have the new hospital progress to some extent. Now I have the belief that this is still a possibility. I have faith in our current CEO that he will guide us in this direction." In the coming two years, which issue do you believe should be a main priority for the board? "Some of...
A Juneau clinic will be merging with a Wrangell-headquartered medical service. Alaska Island Community Services (AICS) announced Monday it will be assuming ownership of Juneau’s Front Street Community Health Center. Founded in 2003 in the capital’s downtown area, the non-profit facility specialized in providing services for people experiencing homelessness. At present, it is the only federally-qualified health center in the city. AICS currently offers different levels of medical, dental, pharmacological and behavioral health services in Wra...
The ballot for next month’s municipal election is still two names short, with vacancies on the Borough Assembly and Port Commission left without candidates. A few other positions will go uncontested, with Assembly member Julie Decker running for reelection to a three-year term unopposed, as is Port Commission incumbent John Yeager. Two unexpired two-year terms on the Wrangell Medical Center Board are uncontested as well, with incumbent Olinda White and newcomer Patrick Mayer applying for the seats. One full four-year term on the hospital board...
The local Elks Lodge has received a $2,500 grant from its national organization, which will in turn be distributed to local causes. Lodge #1595 met its per-member fundraising goals through member contributions and gaming earnings last year, which entitled it to a Gratitude Grant through the Elks National Foundation. Grants vary from $2,000 to $2,500, and are meant to support local charitable activities. Lodge secretary Shirley Clark explained Wrangells grant will be split between four causes, with $625 going to each. Benefitting from the...
At its regular meeting Tuesday the City and Borough Assembly approved a request by Wrangell Medical Center to pursue a housing assistance grant of up to $550,000 to build a quadruplex for its staff. Hospital CEO Robert Rang explained the amount was the maximum provided by Teacher, Health Professional and Public Safety Housing Program grants through Alaska Housing Finance Corporation. As a four-unit housing complex would likely cost more than that, he said the hospital would approach the Assembly with the specifics of additional funds needed as...
Two more people have put forth their names to be included on October’s municipal elections ballot. As of press time Tuesday, schools superintendent Patrick Mayer expressed interest in running for a vacancy on the Wrangell Medical Center Board, while WMC head Robert Rang will be running for a position on the Public School Board. The city clerk’s office is inquiring with its attorney on retainer about whether having the two officials serve on each others’ boards would represent a conflict of interest. While unusual, the possibility is not prohi...
Area golfers raised close to $6,000 over the weekend during the hospital's annual Rally for Cancer Care and Blue Tees Tournament. Money raised from the two-part tournament go to support Wrangell Medical Center Foundation's cancer care fund, which in turn provides up to $1,000 per year to patients undergoing treatment for cancer-related illness. The stipend is meant to help defray some of the travel and lodging expenses which accompany such treatment. The funds are primarily raised through a...
With local elections coming up on October 4, the city is still looking for declarations of candidacy for a range of available seats. A handful of candidates have already declared as of Tuesday. Running for reelection will be Mayor David Jack, who has served since 2013 and won reelection in 2014. As of now, Jack will be running unopposed. Barbara Conine will be running for reelection to the Wrangell Medical Center Board for another four-year term. At the board’s urging in March, the Borough Assembly decided to reduce the number of seats from n...
Wrangell’s Borough Assembly revisited its local contractors list, which it had adopted last year in order to streamline hiring for small projects. An idea was first put forward to the Assembly by Borough Manager Jeff Jabusch in December 2014, drafting a list of licensed local contractors who could be called upon for small-scale jobs under $25,000 on a rotating on-call basis. A pool of qualified local contractors hirable by the city was created, ensuring those contacted for jobs were qualified for the work and that all those qualifying would b...
Alice Lehnert, 102, passed away at the Alaska Native Medical Center on July 11, 2016. Alice belonged to the Tlingit Nation, her Moiety was the Wolf, Tribe was Shtax'heen Kwaan, Clan was Sik'nx,'adi, and she belonged to the X'aan Hit House. Alice was born in Wrangell, Alaska on November 26, 1913. She graduated from Sheldon Jackson in Sitka then spent many years living and working in Wrangell and Anchorage. From running dog sleds on the Stikine River when she was young, to walking wherever she...
Following the July 4 weekend, last Wednesday Wrangell's Public Works Department began closing off Wood Street for resurfacing work. The project is expected to last into September, with contractors laying out underground utilities and paving the road in concrete, from where it meets Zimovia Highway to the entrance of the Alaska Island Community Services clinic parking lot. The city made resurfacing the road a priority for the new year, as a grant acquired for the project expires in June 2017....
A finalized event schedule has been put out for the 2016 Fourth of July Celebration in Wrangell, which begins tomorrow and will last through Monday evening. This year’s celebratory theme is “Back to the Rock,” highlighting the annual Fourth holiday as a time when Wrangellite relatives, former residents and family friends return to the island. “It’s just kind of that catch phrase people in Wrangell use for coming back home,” explained Aleisha Mollen, Chamber of Commerce treasurer and chair of this year’s festivities. Though she has organized the...
