Sorted by date Results 901 - 925 of 1077
With only 90-days to conduct the public’s business, we never cease to be amazed at the bills that attract consideration by our state legislators. In the, “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it,” category comes SB 6 and a companion bill HB 64 that proposes to eliminate daylight savings time in Alaska. Why? First, it puts Alaska out of sync with the rest of the country, particularly our neighbors in Canada and for S.E. residents, the west coast cities where we conduct much of our business. Second, public safety would be compromised. We need more dayl...
From the beginning of this legislative session, everyone knew the $3.5 billion budget deficit would be the driving force behind nearly all legislative considerations. With oil tax revenue making up over 90% of all state revenue, and oil prices dropping from an average of $110 a barrel to approximately $50 a barrel, there was no escaping the necessity of making some extremely difficult budget reductions. The decisions made in each legislative committee resulted in budget cuts across the board to all regions of the state. However, because of the...
Leave our highway open Despite the proposed statewide budget cuts, our legislators will not close paved highways elsewhere in the state. Likewise, they won’t restrict two-lane highways down to a single lane. But that will be the effect of a proposal by a legislative subcommittee that is proposing a 10-percent cut to the Alaska ferry system. Some proposals call for taking ferries out of service, including replacement vessels that go into service when vessels are taken out of service for repairs or annual Coast Guard required overhauls. Southeast...
As the fisheries industry continues to expand and Wrangell's Marine Service Center's services demand increases, I believe Wrangell's economy has nowhere to go but up. However, to accommodate this growth, the state must maintain their services in Wrangell. I am particularly concerned about the conservation of state jobs in Wrangell. Several years ago, Wrangell lost its social worker and its fisheries biologist. Now, the loss of the Wrangell trooper and the potential of reduced funding to the city...
Local economy overlooked To the Editor: An open letter to our Alaskan neighbors, The recent trade war over who makes the steel for the renovation of the Alaska Marine Highway ferry terminal in Prince Rupert is a tale of two economies: the national economy and our local economy. With Canadian politicians of all stripes opposing the investment in our community because of their distaste for "Buy American" restrictions, we fear that relationships that have been built up with our Alaskan neighbors over many decades may be jeopardized. We would like...
Be kind and compassionate to one another . . . Ephesians 4:32, NIV When June and I lived on Maui, I met a widow whose husband was a Christian pastor for many years. Reflecting upon her recently deceased husband the widow said, “My husband did not set the world afire.” She then smiled and said with obvious pride, “But, he did his part to warm it up a little.” The husband in his ministry did not lead any mass crusades. He was not known as an outstanding church administrator. No one wrote books about his ministry. He was just a faithful pastor...
To the Editor: My evolution as a responsible dog owner: Two dogs ago sweet Tippy shared my home. She roamed the neighborhood and deposited her poop at will. Raised on a farm, I thought that was okay. My apologies, everyone. Next came manly Luther, whose deposits filled the back yard. I learned to trudge outside every week or so to clean up after him, and even bought myself a poop-scooping spoon. Then I spent time in Ethiopia, where various forms of excrement are to be seen everywhere. Lots of it. Now I’m home again, with a new companion, a...
To the Editor: SPF SIG, a federal and state funded grant, is sponsoring a free workshop/training through Alaska Island Community Services with the assistance of the PSG -WRG community lead Super Coalition. It will be held from 4-8 on Thursday January 22 in the Middle School Commons. The instructor will be Krissy Smith. Perhaps some of you have seen the Prime for Life Drink Wise ad or heard the 123 PSAs on the radio. Prime for Life is an evidenced-based motivational substance prevention program designed to change drinking behaviors by...
To the Editor: The article on the front page of the December 25th Sentinel was most thought provoking and informative. I know there are some here in Wrangell who favor building a new hospital. Perhaps they are right, but I question it. One reason is that I feel the current location of our hospital is the best location for our hospital. Certainly not that dark hole that has been proposed for the new hospital. Most of the day the sun is on the wrong side of the mountain, so not much sunshine. It’s farther from the airport (medevacs), it’s far...
During this Christmas season it is an essential spiritual practice to nurture Joy. Paul has told us that joy is connected with love (cf. Gal 5:22). Therefore, it cannot be a self-centered experience, the result of a disordered love. True joy participates in the kingdom of God, which St. Paul says “is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom 14:17). Joy is a matter of justice, which consists in conformity to the will of God, obedience to his laws and personal friendship with Him. Apart from friendship with God there is no true joy...
To the Editor: I am writing today to thank, Clay Hammer and the city crew that fixed the broken city owned light across from the driveway to City Market at the Nolan Center, as well as the installation of a new pole light on the nearby city owned power pole. Both of these improvements will increase the safety of this area keeping people and property safer. I witnessed several incidents of minor accidents in this area after dark, thankfully this is now behind us, due to the timely good work of these individuals, Koodoos. Kip...
Several years ago June and I heard rumors about a Salvation Army work that was in serious trouble. I said to my Salvation Army colleagues, “I pity the poor slob that ends up having to take care of that horrible situation.” A phone call then came from the divisional commander and I discovered that I was the poor slob selected for the task. Three years later rumors drifted around about a tragic incident that had taken place on a faraway island in Micronesia. I said to my Salvation Army colleagues, “I pity the poor slob that ends up having to ta...
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who lived in a land of deep darkness, on them light has shined…For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:2, 6) I was afraid of the dark when I was a kid. I wanted a nightlight in my room and I asked for my bedroom door to stay open so I could see the light from the other rooms. I’m not exactly sure what I was afraid of, but I am still not...
Black Friday, Merry Christmas, bah humbug, happy holidays, be politically correct, buy the most presents, host the best party, attend the most parties, Happy Hanukkah, children focused on how much they can get, depression, wrong gifts-hurt feelings, anger, credit card bills, crime, stress, good will to all, pressure, buy too much for all the wrong reasons, sadness. This is a result of everyone looking for the meaning of Christmas. Wonder when we decided we had to look for the meaning? I can’t think of where it says in scripture that we have t...
In our technology saturated world, if you take the time to do a Google search on the word “Christmas,” you will find an endless list with numerous suggested additional searches including, songs, countdown, games, quotes and the history. And if you type in the same word at www.dictionary.com, you get a simplified definition, as a noun, “the annual festival of the Christian church commemorating the birth of Jesus: celebrated on December 25 and now generally observed as a legal holiday and an occasion for exchanging gifts.” However, you and I k...
Have children make their own wrapping paper by designing and coloring on paper grocery bags or use old homework pages to wrap gifts. Grandparents love to see them. Sunday comics make colorful gift wrap for children's packages as do old posters, maps old sheet music, and wallpaper scraps. For packing consider these alternatives: Popcorn (enclose a note saying birds can eat it), biodegradable starch peanuts, used packing peanuts or bubble wrap from a previous gift, or crumpled newspapers. Consider buying a potted tree that can be used ever...
Four Sundays thinking and looking forward to the Christmas Season and the Birth of Jesus. We all get a sense for hope and happiness at this time of year, wishing each other a “Merry Christmas” and “Happy New Year.” Maybe we should include “Happy Birthday” also. Remember there was a Birth of a Child. There is nothing that brings a smile to one’s face as seeing a newborn child for the first time. Moms and Grandmothers all want to hold the Baby. Each and every “Child” is special in its own way. We all get to share in the happiness of the...
In Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol, Scrooge is visited by three ghosts to help him see how past and present decisions are influencing his future, along with those around him. What a great story. Oh…to get a glimpse of what our present decisions can do to our future and others around us. The story though is about second chances. The truth is there are many of us who walk around with regret, indecision, confusion, and pain regarding our past. Whether we’re unhappy with our own choices or of those made around us, past mishaps, miscu...
They say it's better to give than to receive. But try explaining that concept to your child during the holiday, and they’re likely to look at you as if they just found coal in their stocking. Nonetheless, teaching children about charitable acts will give them a valuable appreciation of showing kindness and compassion toward others. You can begin by establishing charitable family traditions during the holidays. START GIVING Introduce your children to the concept of giving — while also making room for the new toys and clothes they’ll recei...
When a Christmas tree is cut, over half of its weight is water. With proper care, you can maintain the quality of your displayed trees. Below are a number of tips relating to the care of displayed trees: 1. Displaying trees in water is the most effective way of maintaining their freshness and minimizing needle loss problems. 2. In selecting a tree, make sure that the "handle" at the bottom is long enough to allow the trunk to fit into you tree stand. Otherwise, it will be necessary to remove large branches near the base, which could ruin its...
Editor’s Note: The Sentinel letters policy remains unchanged. Only rarely do we publish letters endorsing candidates or positions during an election, which the following letter references. Daily newspapers, with more available space are more likely to use such letters. To the Editor: Why are there no recent letters to the editor in the Wrangell Sentinel? Have you changed the policy on letter submission? If so, please let your readers know. When I submitted a letter a month ago you declined to publish it. Then I noticed that no one else was g...
Americans celebrate Thanksgiving once a year, remembering those poor pilgrims who were just happy to be alive. So we, Americans, take it many steps farther, but how many remember the pilgrims when they sit down to eat? My wise son, a freshman in college, on the subject of coming home for Thanksgiving said he didn’t think so, “isn’t it just a meal?” And it is just a meal, a meal that we have somehow made into a very stressful holiday. It seems we are now celebrating the meal, how much and how well it is presented and we forget the Thanksg...
To the Editor: Thank you for the nice write ups about our teams. We really appreciate it. Jack Carney Wrangell Public Schools Teacher & Activities Director...
I have always appreciated living in places where the seasons are distinct; where winter days are short and more often than not we have a white Christmas. Spring leaves are bright green and the rain washes away the snow mounds on the side of the road. Summer means going out and about without a jacket and dinner time ends up being closer to 8 p.m. than 6 p.m. And then the colors of fall make the dying of nature’s foliage rather beautiful. When God created the heavens and earth God made the lights in the sky, sun and moon and stars, to guide us th...
To the Editor: The beginning of our school year is quickly approaching and soon our students will be walking through our doors at Evergreen Elementary, Stikine Middle School and Wrangell High School. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome all of you to a new school year. For those of you who I have not yet had the opportunity to meet, I am your new Superintendent, Patrick Mayer. My background is quite varied since arriving in Alaska during April of 1982. I worked for the University of Alaska Fairbanks Palmer Research Center for many...