In the Sentinel 100, 75, 50 and 25 years ago.
March 31, 1916: Dr. E.J. Wheeler, well-known Wrangell dentist, was elected Mayor of Wrangell at Tuesday’s election without opposition. He was given 171 votes. Neil Grant, John Coulter and H.H. Hungerford were elected to the city council for a two year term, Hungerford being re-elected. Grant was high with 156 votes, Coulter second with 134 and Hungerford third with 115. W.G. Wies, the only other candidate, received 96 votes. Mrs. Valbourg Coulter was elected to the school board without opposition. She was given 170 votes. With only one contest involved, voting was light with 171 total given the mayor, compared with 225 votes cast last year.
April 4, 1941: Serious penalty may result for the boy who was seen carrying home one of the Mongolian pheasants recently released here, it was announced this week by the Stikine Sportsmen’s Association of Wrangell. These birds are protected by law and were released by the Alaska Game Commission in an effort to see if they were adaptable to the country. So far they have been thriving and it is the purpose of the Association, through whose efforts they were obtained for Wrangell, to see that they are protected. Officials of the Association say the boy who carried off the bird this week is known and that further action is planned.
April 8, 1966: Special election has been called by the city for May 10 to ask voter ratification of a proposal to sell to the Alaska State Housing Authority 4.10 acres, adjacent to the present middle-income housing project on Zimovia Avenue, through-road route south. City Council at a special meeting Tuesday approved the ordinance for sale of the land for $70,000, proceeds from which will be used to defray the costs of streets, utilities, sewers, etc. It was brought out at the council meeting that AHA needs additional land to undertake construction of the low cost housing project. In July of last year the voters approved disposal of 88,000 square feet of unused, undeveloped city-owned land at AHA at assessed valuation on the upper side of Zimovia Avenue where present construction is underway. The council was informed that additional land is now needed and approved the sale for the stipulated price of $70,000. It requires approval of the voters.
April 4, 1991: City Clerk Franette Vincent is proceeding with plans for the May 14 recall election despite a lawsuit filed to stop the balloting. Vincent said she has established a schedule for publishing public notices about the election, with an ad on voter registration requirements in this week’s Sentinel. A copy of the ballot to be submitted voters May 14 is slated for publication in the April 11 edition, she said. Mayor Don House and Councilmen Ken Mason and Paul Fisher, targets of the recall campaign, filed suit in the Wrangell Trial Courts last week, seeking a court order to halt the recall election. They maintain the allegations against them are not stated with sufficient specifics. They also say they did nothing to warrant the recall petition drive, which alleged violations of Open Meetings Act leading up to the Nov. 9, 1990, resignation of former City Manager Darrell Maple. Vincent said she will proceed on schedule with plans for the recall election unless she receives a court order telling her to stop. Vincent certified the recall petitions based on a legal opinion written by City Attorney Liza Spangler. Spangler’s opinion said recall campaign organizers do not have to prove an allegation of misconduct in office against a public official in order to obtain a recall election.
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