Sorted by date Results 251 - 275 of 277
Name: John M. Martin Age: 63 years old Occupation: Retired teacher/ carpenter apprentice What is your previous experience on boards or other relevant experience related to the position you are seeking? I am a lifetime Wrangellite. As a young man, I fished commercially, served a tour in the U.S. Coast Guard, and worked my way through college on tugboats in the Gulf of Alaska. It has always been important to me to give back to my hometown and I have done so on a number of boards and committees....
Name: David Silva Age: 58 Occupation: Commercial Fisherman, Speech/Language Therapist What is your previous experience on boards or other relevant experience related to the position you are seeking? As a commercial fisherman, I have had many opportunities over the past six years to utilize our harbor facilities here in Wrangell. My wife and I have leased slips at Shoemaker Harbor and at this time have two slips at Heritage Harbor. We have used the services of many of the businesses in the...
A series of capital projects led the way in Borough Manager Tim Rooney’s final report to the Borough Assembly last week as he highlighted the improvements on-going or planned in the Borough. Starting off, Rooney informed the Assembly about a number of projects related to the city’s Harbor Department, including upgrades at the Marine Service Center pier. “Pool Engineering has begun work on the pier upgrades and good progress is being made,” Rooney wrote. “The two new batter piles have been driv...
The Borough Assembly approved a change order in the amount of $34,600 for the 300-ton marine hoist purchased by the City and Borough of Wrangell this week. The city is under contract with Italian firm Ascom S.p.A. to manufacture and assemble the new 300-ton capacity vessel hoist. The bid documents required a backup control system for use in the case of failure of the wireless remote control, which Ascom is providing as a redundant, plug in, wired remote control. In a memo to the Assembly, Wrangell Public Works Director Carl Johnson explained...
Jerry E. Elliot, a resident of Wrangell, Alaska from 1969 to 1989, died at home June 14, 2013. He was born in Amboy, Minn. July 5, 1931. Jerry graduated from Central Valley High School outside Spokane, Wash. in 1949 and shortly thereafter joined the Navy serving 5 years in Korea and Japan. After discharge he went to work for Pacific NW Bell in the Columbia Basin area. He married wife Carol in 1956 and they had 2 daughters. In 1969 they moved the family to Wrangell where Jerry took over the...
In the Sentinel 100, 75, 50 and 25 years ago. June 26, 1913: Yesterday was a red-letter day in Wrangell. For weeks the citizens have been hearing that soon the Alaska Bureau of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce contemplated a trip through Alaska and their itinerary would bring them to Wrangell. They were also informed that many notable men of the newspaper would come as guests but were not prepared fully for the great surprised that awaited them. At 9:30 o'clock last night the Jefferson steamed into port conveying 125 of the “liveliest bunch” tha...
The proposed Mariner’s Memorial at Heritage Harbor is one step closer to becoming a reality as the Wrangell Port Commission has released a professional design document showing what the structure might look like once built. A set of elevation drawings and a floor plan completed by Corvus Design of Anchorage is now in the hands of the city – plans that show an octagonal design with some sides of the memorial open to the air and to allow visitors to enter the gazebo-styled structure. Port Com...
On May 4, the sun rose on Wrangell Island under gray skies – though those skies would part slightly and sunshine would descend upon a place that is the spiritual heartland of the Tlingit in Wrangell as the Chief Shakes Tribal House was rededicated for the first time in more than 70 years. Last week, over the course of May 2-4, Wrangell entered the pantheon of history as nearly 1,000 visitors from the Native communities of Southeast Alaska and beyond traveled to the Borough to witness the r...
The Wrangell Port Commission passed a resolution last week that will prioritize Shoemaker Bay Harbor as the next renovation and replacement project for the Borough’s Harbor Department. Shoemaker emerged as the lead candidate for replacement after a March discussion by commissioners. They weighed the issue of whether Shoemaker or Inner Harbor would be next on the list. Before passing the resolution, resident Frank Roppel spoke to the commission about his feelings on the harbor project. “I wou...
Zimovia Strait is under consideration by the Alaska Division of Forestry for short-term moorage space for logs and a log ship, with Shoemaker Bay being a preferred location. According to Borough Manager Tim Rooney, the state is looking to replace or improve some of the marine infrastructure for the timber industry to provide for a series of state owned marine moorage systems throughout the region – and because of Wrangell’s central location and future sales in the area – it makes sense for t...
A possible change to a City ordinance dealing with the long-term storage of vessels at the Marine Service Center was one of the topics discussed during the Wrangell Port Commission meeting held March 11 at City Hall. A discussion about prioritizing renovations at either Shoemaker Bay or Inner Harbor also took place before the regular meeting during a workshop session. According to Harbormaster Greg Meissner, a possible renovation of Shoemaker would cost as much as $9.75 million and would add...
Now that you have been appointed Mayor, how will you accomplish some of the goals you set out, such as building the new hospital? By encouraging the Medical Center Board and the Assembly to work together to find the best way to complete the project. What do you see in the future for the Marine Service Center? Will your administration seek additional property where the Borough can expand its operations? I believe the Marine Service Center is a bright spot in the community. I see it as being a...
The Wrangell Port Commission discussed the storage of boats in the Ritchie Yard at the corner of Case Avenue and Shakes Street during their regular meeting on Feb. 11 – and also talked of plans to open up new lease space at the Marine Service Center. Harbormaster Greg Meissner said the reason for opening up new space for storage, as well as four new working lease areas is simple. “We’ve just run out of room,” he said. While the MSC space leases will be used for repair work, the Ritchie propert...
The sales agent for Marine Travel Lift, the brand of haul-out machine currently in use at the Marine Service Center in downtown Wrangell, is none too happy about the Borough Assembly’s recent decision to accept an Italian bid for a new haul-out at the yard. Bill Kendrick, the owner of the Vancouver-based Kendrick Equipment Ltd. – and high bidder for a new vessel haul-out unit – is taking advantage of a 10-day protest period to challenge the decision by the Wrangell Port Commission to appro...
The debate about whether a travel lift bid from an Italian manufacturer will be accepted – over a higher bid from a North American company – is over, as the members of the Wrangell Port Commission voted on Thursday, Jan. 3 to accept the deal and purchase a new haul out unit for the Marine Service Center. Ascom S.p.A. a Modena, Italy-based firm, will provide the City and Borough of Wrangell with a 300-ton unit to replace the aging 150-ton Marine Travel Lift unit currently in use at the MSC. Prior to last week’s decision by the commission, some...
A new mayor, renovations to the Shakes Island Tribal House and Marine Service Center, and the ongoing Wrangell Medical Center debate – all of these stories were newsmakers in 2012. Let’s take a look back at some of the biggest stories in Wrangell over the past year. JANUARY A late night blaze destroyed a trailer and sent a woman to Wrangell Medical Center with severe burns on Dec. 22. The fire, which began at 10:30 p.m. in a small pull-behind trailer near the top of the park, severely inj...
The Wrangell Port Commission is having serious doubts about the technical and mechanical aspects of a hoist bid from an Italian firm that recently won in the bidding process for a new 300-ton lift to be installed at the Marine Service Center in downtown. Ascom S.p.A., an Italian firm that builds travel lifts for clients in Europe and has sold at least one model to a yard in the Gulf Coast, made the lowest bid for the machine at $1,315,000, while the Canadian-based Kendrick Equipment turned in a...
Planning for the proposed Mariner’s Memorial at Heritage Harbor, and the purchase of a new travel lift for the Marine Service Center were the highlights of the most recent Wrangell Port Commission meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 20. After the selection of Brennon Eagle as the new chairman of the commission, and the seating of Eric Yancey as the newest member, the quorum present got down to business beginning with a report from Harbormaster Greg Meissner. “Phase II of the (Marine Service Center) con...
The Borough Assembly met in open session on Tuesday, Oct. 30 to appoint a new member to fill the vacancy left by member Don McConachie’s elevation to mayor, and also to hold the first reading of a proposed ordinance amending the city’s municipal code related to the Wrangell Medical Center. With McConachie absent, Vice Mayor Bill Privett was charged with chairing the meeting. Among three applicants – former assembly member Dave Jack, and Wrangell residents Patti Gilbert and Holly Levine – Jac...
Clay Hammer Why are you running as a write-candidate rather than an official candidate for the Port Commission? Basically, time got away from me and I missed the window to officially apply. I had to leave town when I should have been rounding up signatures. I’m still interested in serving on the commission, so here I am. What is your opinion on the current status of the Mariner’s Memorial planned for Heritage Harbor? I am very excited about the project. This has been an idea circulating for age...
The Wrangell Borough Assembly met in open session last week to take up a number of new agenda items and included discussion on the formation of a hiring committee to help in choosing a successor to current Borough Clerk Christie Jamieson. Jamieson, who has spent the past three decades in service to the borough, plans on retiring from her position in the beginning of July. The committee, which consists of Jamieson, Borough Manager Tim Rooney, Mayor Jeremy Maxand, and Assembly members Pam...
In the Sentinel 100, 75, 50 and 25 years ago. May 7, 1912: The figures of Port Warden Davies of Seattle covering the first three months of 1912 are particularly interesting as it relates to the new development in Alaska. For this period the import and exports show an increase to the valuation of $654,016 over the same period last year and this does not include copper ores shipped to Tacoma. Figuring the same ratio for the entire year, the increase in trade in Alaska during 1912 will total over two million and with copper will equal several...
To the Editor: There is no finer example of small town politics than Wrangell. Mistrust, rumors, false accusations, lies, and some truths all blended together. Today I received an email from a former resident who lamented on all the negativity posted by Wrangell residents to Facebook. This person lived here over forty years and follows local news. He would like to blame weather, rain, and dark dreary days as the cause but it is his observation that no other community in all of SE Alaska acts like this. It is sad. I received my Wrangell...
At its April 5 meeting, the Wrangell Port Commission discussed how to move forward with creating a design concept and applying for grants to build a mariners’ memorial at Heritage Harbor. Commission members have decided on the memorial being an eight-sided structure resembling a lighthouse, with every other wall panel open for visitors to walk inside. Plaques memorializing those lost at sea would adorn the walls of the structure. Port Harbormaster Greg Meissner said the memorial would have an “old-naval look” and be red and white. He said the n...
At a workshop March 13, the Wrangell Port Commission discussed plans for the mariners’ memorial planned for Heritage Harbor. The Port Commission has yet to finalize a specific design for the project, which will pay homage to those lost at sea. However, last week, Port Commission members talked about their hopes for what the memorial will become. Commission member Clay Hammer said ideally, the memorial would be crafted using local products and people. “This is a Wrangell thing, and I think it would be really cool if it was a Wrangell thing mad...