The Way We Were

July 8, 1918

D.Y. Yelf who has been Canadian Customs Collector at the Boundary for the past two months was a southbound passenger on the Spokane Monday. Mr. Yelf was succeeded by C. A. Tervo, who will be remembered by Wrangell people as having held the same position at the Boundary a number of years ago. Mr. Tervo was accompanied by his son, Albert, when he went through Wrangell on his way up the river.

July 2, 1943

Old phonograph records are being sought for use of the armed forces. The American Legion Post has taken charge of the roundup here and Commander H. C. McKowan urges that everyone make a search of their homes and see if they haven’t some old records. They may be left with any Legion member, the telephone office or at The Sentinel. If you can’t carry them, call the telephone office and Commander McKowan will pick them up with his service car. Legion will ship the records south where they are re-used in the process of turning out the latest tunes for the boys in the service.

July 4, 1968

A public hearing on the proposed Wrangell East Highway project is scheduled for July 18 in the multi-purpose room of the new elementary school. The project, which would link Wrangell with the back channel and new airport, is scheduled to be built in the next fiscal year. Willis L. Walker, state district highway engineer, disclosed plans for the hearing.

The route of the proposed road, its design and construction will be explained at the hearing, Walker said.

The project is one of two major road jobs the state plans to complete here in the next two year.

Another - the Church Street-Zimovia Highway job - is scheduled for completion on July 15, 1969.

The 6.6-mile job will provide paved road from the state ferry terminal to the Alaska Wood Products mill. Green Construction Co. is contractor for the $1.3 million job.

A third major construction project - the Wrangell Airport - is nearing completion. The $1.5 million project includes construction of a 5,000-foot gravel runway.

State officials have allotted another $2.4 million for extending the runway and paving it. The second phase is expected in the 1969-70 fiscal year.

July 1, 1993

A summer program designed to promote reading for fun and computers starts July 5, announced librarian Kay Jabusch.

Using eight Apple computers and 4 Macintoshes on loan from the school, the program is designed for children in grades K-8, but preschoolers may attend.

The parents of preschool children who attend must read to their child at least one hour a week and help the child use the computer games at the library.

The program winds up Aug. 14, with a party for the children who have taken part in the entire program.

Basing her estimate on previous years’ enrollment, Jabusch expects 50-70 children to complete the program. She noted that, because the computers are on loan from the school, children should have little trouble using them.

Children who are not familiar with the computers or their programs must have a parent present. However, because third-graders through eighth-graders will receive instruction on the computers, they do not have to have parents present.

The program requires children to use the computers at the library for at least one half-hour each week, and read for at least one hour a week. Charts will be kept for each child.