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Shoemaker Bay Harbor has been undergoing renovations since the summer of 2018. First built in 1977, according to Harbor Master Greg Meissner in a previous interview with the Sentinel, it has grown well past its life expectancy. The work has seen the installation of a new gangway and floats. The harbor was also dredged to make it a little deeper. Meissner, in an interview in August 2018, said that the plan was to rebuild Shoemaker to make it more easily accessible to wider, deeper boats. During...
PETERSBURG – A Grand Jury indicted Eric Jennings, 39, on three of the five counts set before them on Nov. 14. Jennings was indicted on misconduct involving a controlled substance in the fourth degree, tampering with physical evidence and criminal mischief in the third degree. The two other counts, misconduct involving a controlled substance in the second degree and misconduct involving a controlled substance in the third degree, were withdrawn. On Nov. 7, Kevin Home, a United States postal i...
PETERSBURG – The water level at Tyee Lake was at 1,380.6 feet as of Nov. 18, which will allow the hydro plant to produce power for over seven months should all inflows to the lake stop. As part of the Southeast Alaska Power Agency, Tyee Lake dedicates its power to Petersburg and Wrangell, while Swan Lake produces power for Ketchikan. The 1,380.6 foot water level is about even with normal water levels for this time of the year, and is above the approximately 1,300 foot water level in November 2...
The Wrangell Lady Wolves volleyball team held their first home games of the season against the Petersburg Lady Vikings last week, on Nov. 15. It was senior night, meaning that the team recognized their soon-to-be-graduating senior players between the JV and varsity games. The Lady Wolves have two senior players this year, Tasha Massin (No. 5) and Kaylyn Easterly (No. 3). Coach Alyssa Allen said that both girls are dedicated players, mentioning that they have played multiple positions on the...
After a nearly 29-year career, Salvation Army Majors Michael and Jennifer Bates recently announced their intentions to retire. The Bates have been the corps officers of the Salvation Army in Wrangell for the past four years, according to Michael. They have been good years, and he said they have made many friendships and are tremendously grateful for the kindness and generosity of the Wrangell community. Retirement was something the two of them had been discussing for about a year, he said, but...
Wrangell Public School's policy committee met last Thursday afternoon to review several proposed policies for the school district. One such policy refers to volunteers helping out around the school. According to Kim Powell, with the school district, the policy would require anyone wishing to volunteer with the school undergo a background check, if that volunteer will be interacting with students. The policy goes on to state that anyone acting as a volunteer in a classroom, media center,...
The Wrangell Planning and Zoning Commission met last Thursday evening, Nov. 14. The first thing they covered was the election of commission officers. This was not originally on the meeting's agenda, but was added at the request of Commissioner Don McConachie. Commissioner Terri Henson was re-appointed to her position as chair of the commission. McConachie was named vice-chair. One of the big items of the evening was a public hearing for a conditional use permit for a proposed warehouse by the...
Wrangell residents had the opportunity last week to meet three people who are interested in the position of Wrangell Chief of Police. The job has been open since former chief Doug McCloskey retired this summer. Eric Hurtado, Thomas Radke, and Derek Bos are all from out of state and have experience running a police department. Eric Hurtado Eric Hurtado received bachelor's and master's degrees in business administration from the University of Phoenix in 2002 and 2005, respectively. He worked as a...
What feels like dinner theater, sounds like a house concert, and looks like improv comedy? The answer will be performing at the Nolan Center tomorrow evening, Nov. 22, at 7 p.m. Parlor in the Round is a mixture of concert and comedy, according to Nolan Center Director Cyni Crary. The show has live music, skits, and audience participation that comes together for a fun evening "They are working on songs, so they will share some of their lyrics with the other artists and perform each other's...
Georgianna Buhler has resigned as the business manager for the Wrangell Public School District this past week. Buhler has worked with the school district for many years. She served on the school board from 2001 to 2010, and again from 2016 to 2018. She resigned from her seat on the school board in August of 2018 to pursue the position of business manager. "I tendered my 90 day resignation effective 2/28/2020," she wrote in an email to the Sentinel. "The Superintendent chose to enact it...
The Forest Service has been hosting numerous public meetings across Southeast Alaska, recently, to share information on proposed changes to the Roadless Rule and to take comments from the public. One such meeting was held in Wrangell last Wednesday, Nov. 6. As readers may know, the Roadless Rule was put in place by the federal government in 2001 as a way to protect undeveloped parts of national forests. It prohibits road construction, repairs, or timber harvests inside of "inventoried roadless...
Wrangell High School hosted a special assembly on Tuesday, Nov. 12, for Veteran's Day. Wrangell veterans were escorted into the gymnasium by members of the Wrangell Wolves wrestling team. The third grade class from Evergreen Elementary opened the ceremony with the Alaska Flag Song and the Wrangell Song, which was followed by the presentation of the colors by Girl Scout Troop 26. The high school choir sang the National Anthem and student Jing O'Brien led a moment of silence. The assembly was...
Oct. 25: Tangles Ray Hilton was arraigned on charges of assault in the fourth degree, criminal trespass, and criminal mischief. A request for a court appointed lawyer was granted, and he was released on his own recognizance. A calendar call hearing was scheduled for Nov. 19. Oct. 29: Joel Franks was arraigned and given a bail hearing for charges of assault in the third degree and violating conditions of release. An omnibus hearing was scheduled for Nov. 12. A calendar call was scheduled for Jan. 21, 2020, and a viral was scheduled for Jan. 27,...
The Wrangell Port Commission met for a brief workshop to begin discussions on two topics that Harbor Master Greg Meissner said would be important for the future. One was on potentially changing the fees that Wrangell collects from cruise ships, and the other was on how he could better handle derelict boats taking up space in the harbors. A spreadsheet was given to board members, comparing the fees that different Southeast Alaskan towns earned from visiting cruise ships. These fees could vary...
The Nolan Center opened its newest exhibit on shipwrecks with much fanfare last Friday, Nov. 8. With food, wine, music, and special presentations, many people turned out for the grand opening. The exhibit, "Wrangell Remembers - Shipwrecks Close to Home, 1908-1952," features stories and artifacts of several Southeast Alaskan shipwrecks from the 20th century. Four ships are featured in this exhibit, The Star of Bengal, the S.S. Mariposa, the Princess Sophia, and the Princess Kathleen. The Star of...
The borough assembly met Tuesday night, Nov. 12, for their only scheduled meeting this month. The meeting opened with a work session on Wrangell's local contractor policy. The policy was established in 2015, according to the meeting's information packet, and the borough wanted to start the process of seeing what needed to be clarified, updated, and changed. After the work session, the assembly got into their regular meeting to cover a wide range of topics. Three that stood out were a memorandum...
The Roadless Rule is legislation from 2001 designed to keep roadless areas of the country off-limits from future development. According to the Forest Service's website, this legislation prohibits road construction, reconstruction, or timber harvesting on over 58 million acres of "inventoried roadless areas" in National Forest System lands. The Tongass National Forest, and the Chugach further north, are protected by the Roadless Rule. However, according to an Oct. 15 press release from the U.S. D...
The Wrangell Convention and Visitor Bureau met Monday, Nov. 4, to discuss potential "tourism best management practices." This is something happening in Juneau, according to Economic Development Director Carol Rushmore. The tourism best management practices are a collection of guidelines and general rules that tourism-related organizations in the city agree to abide by. It was first put together in 1997, according to the 2019 TBMP document on the city of Juneau's website, "to minimize the impacts...
The Thanksgiving basket handout, organized by Don and Bonnie Roher on behalf of the Wrangell Ministerial Association, has been a longstanding tradition in the community. Thanksgiving dinner is typically an elaborate and somewhat expensive meal to put together. In a community like Wrangell, there are many families who need a little help when the holiday season rolls around. Beginning their tradition in 2000, according to Bonnie, the Rohers and other volunteers put together baskets of...
The Wrangell Borough Assembly organized a work session to discuss a recently vacated position at the Irene Ingle Public Library. There are three primary jobs at the library: Library Director, Assistant II, and Assistant I. The "Assistant II" position was recently vacated. It was proposed to promote Sarah Scambler, then Assistant I, up to the Assistant II position. This would leave the Assistant I position open, which the library planned to post as available and search for a new hire. However,...
SEARHC, the medical provider that recently took over management of the Wrangell Medical Center and is currently overseeing construction of a new hospital, held a talk Monday, Oct. 21, on diabetes and traditional foods. The talk was lead by Kelly Lakin, a diabetes educator with SEARHC. Diabetes is a disease that occurs when one's blood sugar is too high, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Insulin is a hormone that the body produces to transfer...
As anyone who has lived in Wrangell can attest, the sea is an important part of life. Many Wrangellites make their living on the ocean, be it fishing or operating a charter boat. Even if they do not rely on it for a living, many people in town enjoy taking boats out on the water. To showcase this fact of life for Wrangell, and to bring to life part of its history, the Nolan Center will be opening a new exhibit: "Wrangell Remembers - Shipwrecks Close to Home 1908-1952." "It is very important to...
September 23: Charges of violating conditions of release against Katie Edfelt were dismissed as part of a plea agreement. Katie Edfelt plead guilty to a charge of theft. Judge Kevin Miller sentenced her to 10 days imprisonment, a $100 police training surcharge, $50 initial jail surcharge, and $30.88 in restitution. Katie Edfelt plead guilty to a charge of assault in the 4th degree. A charge of assault 2 was dismissed as part of a plea agreement. Judge Kevin Miller sentenced her to one year imprisonment, a $100 police training surcharge, and a...
The Friends of the NRA will be hosting a banquet in Wrangell this Saturday, beginning at 5 p.m., at the Nolan Center. This has been a highly attended event in previous years, with many Wrangell residents coming out for good food, auctions, and the opportunity to buy or win new guns. Greg Stephens, NRA field representative for Southern Alaska, said he believes this will be the fourth year in a row they have held a banquet in Wrangell. It has always been a sold-out event, he said, and he expects...
Wrangell Medical Center (WMC), part of the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC), recently received notice of the successful certification of six new Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) from the Wrangell CNA Training Program. The six-week program, instructed by WMC Registered Nurse and state certified CNA Training Instructor Katrina Ottesen, prepped the half-dozen Wrangell locals for the state exam and an opportunity for employment at WMC. A graduation ceremony will take place in...