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The Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department hosted a breakfast at the firehouse last Saturday morning, Jan. 25. The breakfast served as a fundraiser for the LLS Firefighter Stairclimb which is an annual event put on by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, where firefighters from across the country climb Seattle's Columbia Center building, to raise money for blood cancer research and services. According to the stairclimb's website, as of Jan. 20, they have raised $920,800 of this year's $3 million...
John Lloyd Maxand, 80, died December 28, 2019 at home in Wrangell, Alaska. He was born in Wrangell on January 2, 1939 to John and Gertrude (Gerty) Maxand. He graduated from Wrangell High School in 1956 and was accepted to a college in California, but stayed in Wrangell for his younger brother and sisters when their mother passed away. John married Lynn (Jabusch) in 1961 and raised their son Jim in Wrangell. John was active in the community as a member of the Elks Lodge; Past President of the Pio...
Following is the Wrangell Sentinel's news review for January through June of 2019. Next week the review will include events from July through December. January Jan. 13 - The Fairbanks Arts Association opened their 24th annual statewide poetry contest for submissions this December. Each year, the association picks a new judge for the contest. This year will be judged by Wrangell resident Vivian Faith Prescott. Prescott is the author of numerous works, including The Hide of My Tongue and The Dead...
Community members may have noticed an oddly-shaped shipping container sitting outside the public safety building last weekend. DeeDee Blatchley, with the Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department, said that this is a flashover burn trailer that they usually keep housed by the airport. They received the trailer back in 2001 thanks to a grant, she said. The trailer is designed to let firefighters see how a fire behaves inside an enclosed space and gives them practice putting out structure fires. The...
The Fourth of July was a hot and sunny day in Wrangell, but that did not stop many people from getting out and having a good time. Like all previous years, this year's fourth was the culmination of a whole week of events to celebrate Independence Day. There were numerous events, games, food booths, and other things to do to keep everyone busy last Thursday. While this year stood out because of a lack of fireworks due to ongoing drought conditions across Southeast Alaska, it still brought out...
The Fourth of July is a fun holiday across the country. With fireworks, parades, barbecues, it is hard not to get into the patriotic spirit of the event. Wrangell is known far and wide for going above and beyond in their Fourth of July celebrations. Instead of a single day, a whole week of fun events draw the community and many visitors together. Alicia Holder, with the Wrangell Chamber of Commerce, said that there are plenty of fun events that the public can look forward to this year. One of...
The Wrangell Borough Assembly sat down for a continuation of their ongoing series of budget workshops on Tuesday, May 14. The assembly has been putting together their FY 2019-2020 budget for the past month, and are getting closer to final approval of it. Each workshop has covered a different portion of Wrangell's facilities and their financial needs. Last week's meeting took a look at capital facilities maintenance and improvements. The capital facilities department is looking at a budget of...
The Wrangell Chamber of Commerce recently announced that the annual third of July fireworks, a popular part of the city's week-long Fourth of July celebration, will be changing venues this year. Alicia Holder, with the chamber of commerce, said that the fireworks have traditionally been held on the waterfront by City Dock. This year, though, it will be held at Volunteer Park, near the elementary school. The chamber helps fund the fireworks every year, through their annual royalty contest, while...
After two intense games against the Petersburg Lady Vikings and Metlakatla Miss Chiefs, the Wrangell Lady Wolves claimed victory in the ASAA Region V championship. This is the first time in 25 years that the Lady Wolves have taken first place in regionals, according to the Region V website. The last time the Lady Wolves won the regional tournament was in 1994, back when Wrangell was a 3A school. Coach Laurie Brown said that it was an amazing experience to take the regional title, but all the...
On March 1, at approximately 2:30 p.m., it was reported that Stikine Auto Works on Peninsula Street was on fire. The Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department responded quickly, and the fire was out before 3 p.m. Fire Chief Tim Buness said that the fire appeared to be an accident. Shop owner John Evers was reportedly inside the shop, working on a vehicle with a welder, when the fire started. Fortunately, he was able to exit the building unharmed. Nobody was injured in the fire, and the building itself...
In 2018 The Walker Foundation provided nearly $50,000 in funding to four Wrangell organizations that support health-related projects. The board selected Community Roots, City of Wrangell Parks and Recreation, City of Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department, and Southeast Beasts as recipients out of numerous applications. Community Roots is a local social support group for the LGBTQA community. The Walker Foundation awarded Community Roots with a $1,000.00 grant to help support QPR GateKeeper Suicide Prevention Training in March. City of Wrangell...
A rather impressive season for the Wrangell Wolves wrestling team came to a close last weekend, after the state championships in Anchorage. The Wolves, consisting largely of freshman wrestlers, were able to claim fourth place amongst participating 2A schools, and 10th place overall. First place went to Homer High School, followed by Glennallen and Bethel High School. "Just getting into finals is a feat ... I really think that we prepared the team very well this year," said Assistant Coach Jack...
It was cold, the evening of Dec. 7, and at times rainy. That did not deter many Wrangell residents from coming out for Midnight Madness, however. Midnight Madness has been a Wrangell tradition for about 30 years, according to Stephanie Cook with the Wrangell Chamber of Commerce. "I think it went pretty well, even though it was a little rainy and cold," she said. "There were lots of people who showed up and had fun." Front Street was crowded as people hung out, shopped, and sang Christmas...
Gary Lee Allen Sr., 75, passed away on Nov. 14, 2018 in Juneau, Alaska losing his battle with cancer. He was born on Jan. 1, 1943 in Olympia, Washington to Wes and Helen Allen. He was a resident of Wrangell and lived in Southeast Alaska for 61 years. He was the owner/operator of Stikine Salvage and Stikine Transportation. He was a member of the Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department, where he served 11 years, then remained in the reserves in 1988. He is preceded in death by his wife, Ginny...
Robert (Bob) Kurtti, 87, passed away on August 12, 2018 in Lakeside, Oregon. He was born on August 29, 1930 in Leeds, South Dakota to Robert Wilho and Rose Kurtti, as the oldest of three children. While growing up during the Great Depression, his family often moved and eventually settled in Oregon. He had a passion for living off the land and loved places sparsely populated and far off the beaten path. He brought his family to Northwest Territories in Canada, and then moved back to Oregon two...
August 1, 1918 Surgeon General G. Sterling Ryerson, founder and past president of the Canadian Red Cross, will leave Seattle August 2, on the Spokane, and upon arrival in Wrangell, will be at the disposal of the local Red Cross Chapter while the vessel is in port. An effort will be made for him to speak to the people of Wrangell. Surgeon General Ryerson who is retired from the Canadian army, has served in five military expeditions, including South Africa and the Great War. He is Inspector General of Red Cross work in France. His eldest son was...
This year’s Independence Day festivities are set to start Saturday morning, kicking off five whole days of activities. Organized by the Wrangell Chamber of Commerce, the celebration is a high mark on the community’s annual calendar, typically drawing in hundreds of visitors. Every year’s observance has a theme, and 2018 will call attention to our shared resources and the opportunities they provide: “Thankful for our Great Land.” “Which could mean our local land, or our country,” said Cyni Crary, executive director at the Chamber. A logo captur...
As Wrangell's high school of seniors prepares to receive their diplomas on Friday, last week 17 students took time to showcase their capstone projects at the gym. Required for graduation, the self-driven projects encourage students to give back to the community as best they can. Projects last at least 25 hours each, which can be difficult to arrange when fitting them in with other priorities. Many of the projects students picked reflected their interests. "I did fire safety training with the...
Wrangell’s search-and-rescue (SAR) dog program will be holding its second wine-tasting fundraiser on Friday. A component of Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department, SAR dogs are primarily used to assist in searches for missing persons, whether becoming lost while in the wilderness or following a disaster. Dog handler Steve Prysunka explained the dogs are trained both to search for living subjects and to detect for human remains. The latest iteration of the program has been up and operating since 2014, supporting various emergency responses since. S...
Wrangell's emergency services were the recipients of the first-ever grant from the Walker Foundation, a benevolent fund established after the acquisition of Alaska Island Community Services last year by Southeast Alaska Rural Health Consortium. Governed by an appointed board, the Foundation supports activities that promote health and the welfare of the Wrangell community. "It's on a project by project basis. We currently have about $3.75M," explained Mark Walker, formerly CEO for AICS and...
Ordinarily highlighting new developments in Wrangell’s economy, the Chamber of Commerce’s 28th annual fundraiser dinner was dedicated to something different this year. Decorating the Nolan Center ballroom in black and red last Saturday, the theme for 2018 was “Honoring the Spirit of Service,” dedicated specifically to the men, women and youths who devote so much of their time to Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department. “I can’t think of a better group to honor than those that serve,” said Cyni Cra...
A group of Wrangell firefighters raising money for cancer research will have grown this year, with nine to take part in the Scott Firefighter Stairclimb in Seattle March 11. Drawing 2,000 firefighters this year from around the world, the climb benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Washington and Alaska. Founded in 1949, it is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to researching and treating various blood cancers. Last year's climb raised a record $2.4 million for the...
Until further notice is given, the clerical offices and courtroom at the Wrangell Public Safety Building have been closed down temporarily. The closure began Monday morning, with the Alaska Court System citing air quality concerns for staff using the premises. The space is rented from the city, which maintains the entire facility and surrounding property. "We've got some water issues that need to be addressed," explained Neil Nesheim, area court administrator for the First District Court. He...
While costumed revelers celebrated Halloween Saturday night, fire fighters suited up and responded to a call on Case Avenue near the boatyard. A pedestrian passing by Freeman & Sons Machine and Fabrication just before 11 p.m. noticed smoke coming from an upstairs office. They reported it to the bartender on duty across the street at Rayme's Bar, and the Volunteer Fire Department was called. "They were here before I was," commented Randy Freeman, co-owner and manager of the machine shop. "They...
In its Tuesday evening meeting this week, the City and Borough Assembly decided to shift focus for block grant funding to remodeling the Public Safety Building. Sited centrally to town at the start of Zimovia Highway, the aging facility has already neared the top of the city’s capital improvement priorities. In its project outline, city staff recommended putting the building forward as a candidate for Community Development Block Grant funding, a competitive program sourcing $2.4 million of Housing and Urban Development funding each year into A...