Sorted by date Results 703 - 727 of 1089
To the Editor: As the marine highway workgroup strides into August, I want to provide an update on what we have been doing, and where we are heading. Our meetings have been streamed live on Facebook, and recordings are available online at http://dot.alaska.gov/comm/amh-reshaping-workgroup/ if you wish to hear our specific discussions. In line with Governor Dunleavy's Administrative Order No 313, we have reviewed the Northern Economic draft report of January 2020 as well as reports prepared for...
To the Editor: I feel compelled to share information so we can all realize what our town will be faced with this year in economic loss. This information should have been put out long ago so our citizens and businesses could better prepare for what we are now faced with. I have projected how much our community's economy will be down this season. In plain words "What's not coming down Main St. Wrangell" this season. What's not coming to our town this year is about $40,000,000 in revenue, or...
To the Editor: The controversy rages on how to start school. Some schools are virtual learning only; some favor face-to-face as if things were normal, and some favor a combination of normal contact with masks and distancing. I favor the choice of virtual learning only with no face-to-face contact. I lean that way for several reasons. Number one is I have not heard of any kid who died of lack of socialization but I have of Covid 19. Lack of normal contact does cause mental and physician issues...
We've had phone calls from a handful of people about our use of the photo and page one coverage of last week's fatal Mitkof Highway crash. It saddens us to have to report on such a tragedy that impacts the lives of so many in both Wrangell and Petersburg. We don't take pleasure in covering such stories. It wasn't covered to sell newspapers. We covered the story because it is our job to provide information about a tragic event that struck close to home. We placed it on page one because it was...
To the Editor: I am appalled by what was displayed on the front page of Thursday Aug. 3rd newspaper. I understand that some see this as a news article, but for those who have loved the people in that horrific crash have some compassion, decency, and respect for those grieving such a terrible loss. A smaller blurp toward the back of the paper would have sufficed. Ava Hay To the Editor: This letter is voicing my concern about having the fireworks up in the ballpark area. This is right across from...
The implementation of the CARES Act, which are the funds provided by the federal government to states to combat COVID-19, is constantly evolving. Earlier this month, after three Alaska House Labor and Commerce Committee meetings and hours of public testimony, the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (DCCED) decided to make changes to their grant program. Thank you to everyone who gave public testimony input and helped shape these changes. The three main changes are: 1) businesses that received up to $5,000 in...
At a time when the fiscal future of many states looks uncertain, Alaska made the smart choice to protect the state's future income for our children and grandchildren. On June 30, $4.9 billion was transferred from the Permanent Fund's Earning Reserve Account to its principal account. Once deposited in the principal account, the funds cannot be spent without a vote of the people. But they will produce earnings, a percentage of which will provide for dividends and essential state services. Alaskans... Full story
Barbara Cecilia Crabtree, 82, passed away May 3 in Wrangell, Alaska, after a short but recurring bout with cancer. She was born on August 13, 1937 in Ketchikan, Alaska. She lived most of her life in Southeastern Alaska. She lived most of the 1970s in Petersburg and has lived in Wrangell since 1984. Barb was mainly employed waitressing and as a cannery worker. Barb enjoyed cooking, especially baking, gardening and crocheting. She enjoyed playing cards and was especially competitive when playing... Full story
Throughout my life, my grandma, Mary Jane Fate, imparted the importance of education on my brothers and me. We understood early on that education is the means through which we can make a difference in the world. She led by example, and I've carried this message with me each and every day. Education looks very different today than it did 50 years ago. We can no longer rely solely on pen and paper to learn. The way we learn is influenced by technology, which is evolving at an unprecedented rate,...
Just eight years ago the Wrangell Sentinel published 648 pages for the year. By 2019 that number dropped by 100 pages to 548 pages. We certainly didn’t have any less news to print. The reason for the drop in page count was from retailers opting to not make use of the Wrangell Sentinel’s advertising services. The Wrangell Sentinel has many ways for businesses to promote themselves. Even during tougher economic times, there are still benefits to keeping in touch with the people patronizing your business. SPONSOR PAGES: These pages promote com...
Happy Fourth of July! This year, we are celebrating 244 years as an independent nation. In 1776, our representatives from all 13 colonies declared our independence from the British monarch. The vote for freedom actually happened on July 2nd, and in the following two days, Congress, led by Thomas Jefferson, focused on writing and finalizing the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration was signed on July 4th, now known as our Independence Day. Thus began the ‘Great American Experiment’ to pursue “a more perfect union.” This Independence Day,...
To the Editor: What is the purpose of the weekly police report ? It seems to be a totally useless part of the paper. When we lived in Petersburg the police report was an interesting source of info and sometimes amusement. I save many of the best morsels like Ernie Haugen driving too slow, Lars Christensen driving a vehicle without a steering wheel , someone leaving Q tips outside her apt door, 2 youths racing in wheelchairs, cat has a can stuck over its head, 911 call accidentally dialed by a...
Thank you to everyone who participated in the public testimony meeting last week hosted by the University of Alaska Board of Regents. As many of you are already aware, the University is considering merging the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) into either University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) or University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). This idea comes after many years of financial struggle. If this idea is adopted, it certainly would have a negative long-term impact on our local and Southeast regional economy. The University budget has been cut...
The 118 year-old Wrangell Sentinel has seen a lot of change during its existence. Due to our coverage of a small and compact community and the ongoing trust of our readers, we have fared better than many in the industry. Larger metropolitan size papers can survive on subscription revenue, and in some cases, significant income from the sale of corporate assets like multi-acre sized printing facilities. Smaller papers continue to require a mixture of advertising revenue from retailers and subscrip...
To the Editor: As someone who has spent a lot of time working away from home I believe that most of the migrant cannery workers will spend their last night home socializing and will show no symptoms for days after arriving here. Jon Campbell... Full story
What is the greatest line you’ve ever heard in the movies? For me, it comes from the 1992 movie with Al Pacino and Chris O’Donnell in The Scent of a Woman. In this movie Al Pacino is in a public hearing in the Baird School for Boys, defending Chris O’Donnell for some perceived wrong. In a rather stirring speech he says, “Now I have come to the crossroads in my life. I always knew what the right path was. Without exception I knew – but I never took it. You know why? Because it was too d—n hard!” In today’s society a great majority of my...
Now in its 118th year of continuous publication, the Wrangell Sentinel is unlike any other newspaper in the world. That's because there is no other place in the world like Wrangell. The newspaper reflects the lifestyle and inner workings of the community. In good times and bad, the Sentinel has continued publishing, earning it the slogan of being, "the oldest continuously published newspaper in Alaska." The Kodiak Daily Mirror holds the title of being the oldest newspaper, but during World War...
The COVID-19 pandemic has dominated our lives, and it has been the focus of Alaska leaders in an effort to slow the spread. However, I also want to begin focusing on what we will face once the pandemic subsides. Alaska has challenges different and greater than other states, such as the following declines in: the financial markets tied to the Permanent Fund, demand for seafood, the visitor industry, the rural healthcare system, and the oil industry. The Alaska economy cannot be rebuilt unless we...
To the Editor: To date, 100,000 Americans have succumbed to the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic. So far, Wrangell has been spared, largely due to our remote location and precautions taken by the town fathers and our governor, conscientious individuals devoted to the well-being of our town. How blessed we are to have them. Talk, talk, talk: meetings, broadcasts, work-sessions, notices posted on store fronts, newspaper articles, mandates, brainstorming, continually. It's all we hear. After a while, we...
Earlier this week, the Alaska Legislature met to appropriate COVID-19 relief funds. The State of Alaska received over $1 billion from the Federal Government through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Governor Dunleavy sent multiple revised proposals for how to spend that money within our current budget, and the Legislature approved that spending. Some specific allocations include: $290 million in grants to small businesses, $100 million for fishing industry relief, $45 million for K-12 education (with an additional...
To the Editor: For most of us the COVID emergency "hunker down" has been a test of ingenuity, patience and endurance. Ingenuity has been needed to find new ways to occupy ourselves, exercise, get a haircut and celebrate important life and family events with loved ones. Patience and endurance have been needed as we wait for life to normalize. But sadly for some who have been restricted to a home with an abusive spouse or partner, these times have been dangerous and frightening. Domestic violence...
Wrangell is a city where boats are an essential part of life. Even if you don’t personally own one, your life is impacted by a boat. The barge, a ferry, cruise ships, they all have a way of impacting lives here in Wrangell. One of the most important pieces of equipment on a boat is the anchor. It holds you tight through the storm. When you need to go ashore but the water is too shallow, the anchor holds your boat in place, so it doesn’t drift. In The Salvation Army Song Book (hymnal) we have a song that says, “Will your anchor hold in the s...
Happy Public Service Appreciation Week! Every year, PSA Week falls on the first full week of May, and its timing is uncanny this year. The past eight weeks have been a whirlwind for our public servants, and I cannot thank them enough. Information and mandates are rapidly changing, but our public servants have worked hard to keep our communities healthy. As Alaska reopens, we will do so as safely as possible, keeping the health and wellbeing of our neighbors, families, and friends as our highest priorities. Last week, Dr. Zink gave an update on...
To the Editor: After again hearing that the economic health of our community is a second priority, I feel compelled to offer a few facts that we all live with and could live with for some time. As reopening occurs and business and fisheries get going they will be burdened with still more regulation, more forms, more signing that we will obey the rules. State and now probably increased local government regulation will be required. As we go down this road here are a few local facts to consider....
This past weekend, I hosted a Facebook Live event to catch up with District 36 while still social distancing. I was happy to see a lot of participation; there were great questions and comments! Thank you to everyone who listened in and offered insights. I’d like to reiterate some of the bigger topics we touched during that forty-minute conversation. As the summer season begins, the visitor industry has been on the forefront of people’s minds. Cruise ship stops will be down by over 50%, and most cruise ship schedules (which are subject to cha...