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Alaskans this week will start receiving their $3,284 payout from the state treasury, a combination of a large Permanent Fund dividend ($2,622) and a one-time bonus ($662) to help people pay higher energy costs. The payment is almost triple the size of last year’s dividend. Two reasons for the generosity: This is an election year, and oil prices for the state fiscal year that ended June 30 were almost 70% higher than the previous year, generating more than $2 billion in additional dollars for the state general fund. That fund pays for schools, r...
Starting this week, I will be working as a policy adviser to Mary Peltola, Alaska’s newly elected congresswoman. I hadn’t planned on it, but she asked and I accepted. Fortunately, I saved my suits from when I worked in Washington, D.C., for the state and federal governments a decade ago. I’ll be advising Peltola on oil and gas and other energy issues, natural resources, tax, fiscal, transportation, federal agency issues and whatever else is on the work list for Alaska as she fills out the rest of the late Rep. Don Young’s House term until J...
As a conservative, I subscribe to the principle to leave alone things in government that are working well. We have enough important things that need to change, like high inflation, the Biden administration’s efforts to close down ANWR and reimpose the roadless rule on the Tongass. Alaska's original constitution is one of the things in government that is working well and should be left alone. Article XIII, Section 4 gives voters the opportunity every 10 years to vote on whether Alaska should hold a constitutional convention. Alaska voters h...
The first time I saw one of those red MAGA hats. a friend of mine was wearing it. I was surprised that a fellow honorably discharged vet would see America as no longer great. I chalked it up to his deep-seated hatred of Obama. We have watched the MAGA version of Republicanism, Americanism and patriotism for years, and finally we saw the MAGA version of democracy on Jan. 6, 2021, when they tried to overturn a free and fair election and install a fascist dictator. They failed but they came far too close for comfort. John Morse...
The port commission last week declined to recommend that the borough lease a portion of its newly purchased property at the former 6-Mile sawmill site for use as a scrap metal recycling yard. It was nothing against the recycling business — Channel Construction, out of Juneau — which previously used the property under its previous owner as a staging area for scrap metal collection. Rather, port commissioners said they need more information before making a decision: The length of the lease, the terms and, perhaps most importantly, how it wou...
Normally, I do not respond to anonymous questions. Most all newspapers, the Sentinel included, will not print anonymous letters. To do otherwise would allow people to take free shots at anyone they want, hiding from view and protecting their own identity while they criticize or question others. However, sometimes the questions raised in an anonymous letter are worth sharing with the community. Such as the case of an unsigned letter mailed to the Sentinel, raising multiple questions about the proposed bond issues to pay for repairs to the...
What is wrong with the slogan “Make America Great Again”? Apparently a lot, at least according to President Joe Biden. In his fiery speech on Sept. 1, President Biden, while preaching unity, accused 73.6 million MAGA/Trump voters of “representing an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic.” He also quoted a federal judge, who said the “MAGA movement is clear and present danger to our democracy.” Biden said of MAGA Republicans: “They embrace anger. They thrive on chaos. They live not in the light of truth but in the shadow...
Wednesday evening, Aug. 17, may have been wet, very wet, but Mother Nature’s deluge did NOT dampen the spirits of Wrangell residents attending the music fest at Shoemaker Park. The community was once again privileged to be entertained by the Powers and their talented musician friends who are REALLY good at what they do, aren’t they? Having the Powers here with all they offer adds a special spark and another dimension to our otherwise quiet and simple lives. Thank you again, Powers family, we are glad you call Wrangell home. And thank you to...
The borough assembly and staff spent a fair amount of time at last week’s assembly meeting, explaining the intent of a contract with an appraisal firm to reassess the value of all the property in town. Homes, businesses, industrial properties, empty lots — they will all get a new look to make sure the borough’s valuation is fair. This is about treating property owners equitably. It’s also about following state law, which requires that cities and boroughs assess property “at its full and true value.” This is not about raising taxes, though seve...
Given my aversion to long planning sessions, whiteboards with erasable markers and consensus building exercises, I can’t believe I am saying this: The town needs a plan for its economic future. A forum to start making that plan is a good beginning. Wrangell’s economic future is as cloudy as a fall day in Southeast, as uncertain as the state ferry schedule, and as chancy as winning a raffle. Improving those dreary odds can’t be based on hope. Wrangell needs a realistic plan. The chamber of commerce is sponsoring an economic forum on Sept. 30 at...
What started as a sort of fact-finding trip to Petersburg turned into a deeper appreciation for something I've done for decades, and something many take for granted. Every Wednesday, the Sentinel is delivered to mailboxes and stores throughout Wrangell, making its way into the hands of readers. Many more copies are sent out of town and state and even into Canada. But it takes a lot of work to get it there. I've worked in almost every department of the news industry, from proofing pages to...
My voice is an echo. So many people write to the Sentinel to express their thanks and appreciation for the great work that the folks at the Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department and especially the EMT corps do for this community. I don’t have any better words than what has already been expressed but I want to make sure that everyone involved knows how much I appreciate the rapid response to my call, the good care and the kindness you all displayed. And a huge thank you to the police department and the medical staff at the emergency room. The c...
The 2020 presidential election is over. Multiple judges in multiple federal and state courts have ruled multiple times against frivolous claims of voter fraud, conspiracy, computer hacking and criminal intent. Courts, prosecutors, most members of Congress, even former President Donald Trump’s attorney general all agreed there is no evidence that the election was stolen. No matter how much some want to believe otherwise, Joe Biden was legitimately elected president of the United States. Certainly, he could lose the job in 2024, but in an e...
People vote their pocketbook, or so the old adage says. And certainly more so in this year of high inflation, painful gas prices at the pump and fears of a global recession. It’s understandable that Wrangell voters will think about their household finances when they select which candidates they support. In Alaska, particularly in the past few years, that support has gone to the candidates that promote loudly, promise passionately and pledge sincerely that they will deliver the largest Permanent Fund dividend to voters. OK, I get it. This y...
It is ironic and absurd to the point of tears. We are told by the 2016 Tongass National Forest Plan, the Biden administration through Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and, of course, by local and national environmental groups that there can be no timber harvest on 9.4 million acres of inventoried roadless areas in the Tongass. Why? To “protect” fish and wildlife, and to save tourists from seeing clearcuts. As it turns out, we need to petition the Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Forest Service to act decisively to pro...
Wrangell residents, particularly new and would-be residents, are well familiar with the lack of housing options in town. Few homes for sale, few apartments for rent, and even fewer lots to build on. Sometimes, it feels like people would have better luck hooking a record-size king salmon than snagging a place to live. And those big fish are hard to find. It’s not just Wrangell that is inflicted with a shortage of available housing. It’s everywhere in the state, particularly Southeast, from Haines and Skagway at the northern end, south to Ketchik...
Lust for a supersize Alaska Permanent Fund dividend and giving the government a larger role in dictating personal choices are about as miserable a pair of reasons for rewriting the state constitution as imaginable. Problem is, they are not imagined, they are real. Alaskans will vote in 12 weeks whether they want to convene a constitutional convention to embark on rewriting the state’s founding document. The constitution requires that voters get a chance every 10 years to decide if they want a do-over on the 1950s’ guiding principles of law...
Correct spelling is the law for newspapers. Especially for unusual names. And especially for my first week on the job as the Sentinel's new reporter. I grew up in Salt Lake City, a fact which explains the weird spelling of my name - Utah parents love to get creative, and in a state filled with Madysens and Saydees, my version of Caroline is relatively tame. After graduating from high school, I moved to Connecticut to study English at Yale. Though I loved to read and discuss brick-thick...
August is a time for fishing, the last of any gardening work and the enjoyment of harvesting the fruits (and vegetables) of that effort. It’s a time for home repairs, while there is still a plausible chance of dry weather to patch the roof, refinish the deck or scrape and repaint the siding. It’s also a time to consider serving in public office. Probably you’re thinking you’d rather pick garden slugs or clean the gutters than serve on the borough assembly, school board or port commission. At least no one criticizes you for those other pursuit...
Of course the Sentinel wants to tell stories about what’s going on in town, what’s happened, what’s coming up, what government and businesses are doing that interests or may affect people. The staff depends on the community to share information and opinions so that we can tell all those stories. It’s the same when a member of the community dies. And it’s even more important at those times to tell the person’s story so that friends and family, acquaintances and even strangers can read and remember the person’s contributions to the community and...
The process will stretch over the next couple of months, with a public hearing and a lot of public information, but it looks like the borough assembly will ask voters in the Oct. 4 municipal election to approve borrowing as much as $15 million for long-needed repairs to all of the school buildings and the Public Safety Building. Selling bonds to finance the work will mean promising to repay those bonds, which will mean higher property taxes until the debt is repaid. Anyone who has driven by and looked at any of the buildings can see they need a...
As American households strain under the weight of high gasoline prices, as cities and school districts look for extra money in their budgets to cover the cost of heating fuel, and as everyone is paying more to get everything delivered by diesel-fueled trucks, the election-year political rhetoric is accelerating to a high-octane level. Big Oil and political opponents are just too tempting of a target to pass up as elected officials and candidates want to direct voter anger toward an easy scapegoat. Republicans loudly blame President Joe Biden...
Each step was like planting my feet into water-soaked bath towels. Thirteen miles of nonstop sloshing in last Sunday’s BearFest half marathon could be viewed by some as not so fun. But for me, it was a chance to think about the past year. Most runners will tell you that the pastime is therapy, affording us plenty of time to ponder our path in life. Just under a year ago, I arrived in Wrangell, with a U-Haul full of my past life. My decision has been reaffirmed every day since. Here’s why: I came from a place where a population of 45,000 peo...
Few would dispute that Wrangell needs affordable, dependable child care services. The lack of child care keeps parents away from filling the long list of job vacancies around town and, when their kids are sick, can keep them away from the jobs they already hold. People need to work and want to raise children, and the community needs more children in school and more people to take jobs — child care seems a reasonable approach toward meeting all those needs. And while there are some at-home providers in town, and certainly friends and r...
Inflation smacks drivers in the wallet when they fill up the tank, punches shoppers in the stomach when they load up a grocery cart, and brings travelers down to Earth when they want to buy an airline ticket. The public complains loudly about rising prices that escalate without limits. Why then so quiet about unlimited contributions to political campaigns — it’s just as harmful to democracy as inflation. Maybe even more so. Inflation eventually will come down. Campaign donation limits will only come back when the Legislature and governor tak...