Sorted by date Results 1886 - 1910 of 2344
The borough assembly has narrowed a field of 14 applicants for the position of borough manager down to five, according to members of the assembly. The borough assembly met last Thursday in executive session to consider the applications, no action was taken in open session. The names of the remaining applicants aren’t in the public domain yet to protect their professional standing at their existing jobs. However, two local applicants who have admitted in public to pursing the position – interim manager and finance director Jeff Jabusch and for... Full story
A federal bill allocating at least a quarter of the school system’s local funding passed the Senate and House of Representatives this week. The Secure Rural Schools program provides Wrangell Schools with $1.3 million per year, which represents roughly 25 to 30 percent of the school system’s budget, according to Superintendent Rich Rhodes. Local officials and the borough’s lobbyist expressed concern for the fate of the bill among the widely reported atmosphere of fiscal belt-tightening in Washington. The bill awaits President Obama’s expecte...
A new greenhouse at Evergreen Elementary School is on hold after the student-designed project failed to win a community improvement grant, school officials said. Students at Wrangell High School designed the greenhouse as part of the construction trades class. Most of the students in the class said the hoped a new source of funding could be located. “I really hope they do build it,” said Cody Thomassen. “It would nice.” The new greenhouse wouldn’t be used, he said. Students discussed the proje...
The Island of Faith congregation has settled in with a new intern pastor. Lynne Ogren, the church’s intern pastor, arrived in Wrangell back in January, but started her ministry recently. So far, she’s overcome her share of island adjustments. “Not being able to drive to another town has been an adjusment,” said the Oak Harbor, Wash. native. “When you need to go to the mall in another town, you just get in your car and go. Here you need a plane or a boat. That took some adjustment for me.” The...
A long-term plan for trails in and around Wrangell is taking shape with a little help from the National Park Service. The Borough Planning and Zoning Commission heard testimony from economic development officer Carol Rushmore earlier in the month that a network of trails joining the Volunteer Park Trail to the Dewey Mountain Trail has been under consideration recently. Parks and Recreation Director Amber Al-Haddad was careful to stress that no plans have been finalized, and hikers may have to...
The Wrangell Borough Assembly voted Tuesday 4-2 against asking the Southeast Alaska Power Authority for $55,000 in “net non-billable” expenses. The resolution as voted on had instructed borough Administrator Jeff Jabusch to withhold that amount from power payments made to SEAPA in the event that they declined. However, Mayor David Jack directed Jabusch to seek legal advice as to whether such a claim had any legal standing, and to consult with an attorney to that end. The vote and subsequent direction to the administrator seemed to strike a bal... Full story
After 60 years of greeting tourists visiting Wrangell, Lurine McGee officially called it quits earlier this year. “Well, I’m 91 (years old),” she said. “Don’t you think it’s time?” The retired nurse and grandmother of four has been a fixture to decades of cruise ship passengers looking to take in Wrangell, often walking down to the terminal in driving wind and heavy rain. She officially greeted her last cruise ship Aug. 7. “It’s getting harder for me to get down there, particularly if the weathe... Full story
October 16, 1913: The last week has witnessed a big change in one of Wrangell's landmarks, the Pioneer Hotel which was built to accommodate the traveling public after the big fire which wiped out the Wrangell Hotel and until another could be built. At the time it was built the streets were not surveyed and when they were, it left the Pioneer some ten feet from the sidewalk which has now been built out and a good imposing front spot which makes an added improvement in the looks of the building and very much needed improvement in the looks of Fro...
Vandals burned two shelters in the Wrangell unit of the Tongass National Forest, Forest Service officials said. The damage to both the North Wrangell High Country Shelter and the Kunk Lake Shelter occurred some time between Sept. 2 and Sept 11, according to Wrangell unit Ranger Bob Dalrymple. Officials didn’t yet have a dollar value for the damage, and were waiting for clear weather to assess the damage, Dalrymple said. In either case, a fire started on the floor of the shelters burned through the wood floor, he added. “I don’t think the inten... Full story
Name: Billie Younce As of press time no candidate questionnaire had been turned in....
Name: John Yeager Age: 45 Occupation: Fishing Guide and co-owner of Alaska Charters & Adventures. What is your previous experience on boards or other relevant experience related to the position you are seeking? I have been on the Port Commission for a few years now and have had the privilege of serving with some positive, community driven individuals. I like the diversity and combined years of experience our current Commission has. I feel that a Commission with members that represent all aspects...
Name: Cynthia Waddington Age: 39 Occupation: Wrangell Chamber of Commerce Office Manager What background or experience do you have that qualifies you to be on the Wrangell School Board? I believe that education is the key to success. I am a college graduate and fully support the goal of ensuring that our students excel to their potential. I am currently the Executive Director of the Chamber Board of Directors, and understand the importance of conducting productive meetings. My business...
Name: Rinda Howell As of press time no candidate questionnaire had been turned in....
By Brian O’Connor Sentinel writer The Thomas Bay Power Commission heard acrimonious discussion Tuesday about the power authority at the center of a political tussle between the Petersburg and Wrangell borough assemblies. Discussion centered around two central questions: the short-term future of the Authority and the longer-term future of electricity generation and sales in Southeast Alaska. Commissioner Warren Edgley moved for discussion on the possibility of eliminating the Thomas Bay Power A... Full story
The Wrangell hospital board voted 4-0 Sept. 18 to pursue a Level IV trauma certification for the Wrangell Medical Center. The certification would establish the medical center as a primary care giver for traumatic injuries, meaning life-saving care could be available to trauma victims immediately, according to the American College of Surgeons and hospital officials. For victims themselves, it could mean the difference between flying to Wrangell and having to make the sometimes-perilous trip to Ketchikan instead. That issue was on the mind of...
Apart from a few minor road sign adjustments, the Zimovia Highway renovation is completed, according to state transportation officials. Officials from the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities drove the 13.4-mile stretch of highway Friday as part of the final inspection, during which the contractor presents the nearly completed results to the state. The $9.9-million project primarily entailed resurfacing Zimovia Highway from near the Wrangell Public Safety building to the very...
Shoppers and vendors milled around the last farmer’s market of the year in the Nolan Center Saturday with commerce on their mind. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to ask them about the annual boost to the economy known as the Permanent Fund Divident, said to be $900 by state officials Sept. 19. That amount is between nine and four times what the average vendor will make at the market in a weekend, planners and vendors said. It was not enough, apparently, for most people at the market, t...
At some point in the future, faces appearing on the big and small screen could have a Wrangell connection. Adrian Prescott, 17, and Jerryn Gray, 9, are the children of Wrangellite and current Wasilla resident Kelli Gray, and recently participated in a talent search session in Anchorage on a whim over the summer at the behest of Adrien’s friend, Kelli said. “The funny thing is, she asked us if she could get a ride in,” she said. “We decided to enter almost on a lark.” Instead, Adrian and Jerry...
Anyone walking or driving through the Seattle metropolitan area this past weekend might have spied some colorful birds from Wrangell. The “Blue-Footed Boobies” Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure team recently returned to Wrangell after completing a sixty-mile three-day walk through Seattle and environs. The four members of the team, which picked up a spare member from Juneau, raised more than $15,000 in sponsorships for the event, which raises funds for the Susan G. Komen breast cancer research fu...
Teachers and students at Stikine Middle School accomplished a feat unequaled among similar schools this year. The school received a five-star Alaska School Performance Index score from the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development. It was the only such rating granted among schools composed exclusively of students in grades six through eight, and places the school in the top 11 percent of all Alaska Schools, according to education department statistics released Aug. 16. The score could mean a money reward – termed a “financial inc...
A proposed 1.5 percent sales tax cut in the City and Borough of Wrangell has split the community ahead of an Oct. 1 vote. The borough administration sent out an informational flyer this week outlining the details of cuts approved with the budget May 28, sparking at least one accusation of advocacy against the cuts. Business owners and citizens have taken out an advertisement against the reduction in the Sentinel. Assembly members and citizens have spilled ink for and against the proposal in letters to the editor. The proposal’s author and a... Full story
