Alaska State Representative Dan Ortiz visits Wrangell on re-election campaign

Alaska State Representative Dan Ortiz visited Wrangell last week on the campaign trail. Ortiz is seeking re-election to the state house. He has represented District 36, which covers towns like Wrangell, Ketchikan, Hydaburg, and Metlakatla. This is the second stop in Wrangell for Ortiz during his campaign, having stopped in town previously during Bearfest. He held a meet and greet at the Stikine Inn last Wednesday afternoon.

"I'm always happy to come to Wrangell, always happy to get out and look for opportunities to meet with people and hear about their concerns," Ortiz said.

With the Shoemaker Bay Harbor update underway, and projects like the Evergreen Street renovations and Byford junkyard cleanup nearing completion, Ortiz said that water issues seem to be the main concern for several Wrangell residents. He said that he has spoken with Mayor Prysunka and other members of the community about it, and he agrees the problems should be addressed soon. It is not an issue isolated to Wrangell, either. Ortiz said that many towns across the district have had issues with an unusually dry summer, leaving the reservoirs that power many towns low.

"That's going to be an issue that needs to be addressed, not just for Wrangell, but for all of Southeast Alaska," he said.

Ortiz added that another regional issue he sees as a top priority is Southeast Alaska's fishing industry. Fishing is vital to the regional economy, he said. Should he be re-elected, he said that he would do all that he could to protect and enhance the fishing industry in his district and elsewhere.

Ortiz also held a fundraiser later that evening. During the fundraiser, folk musician R.O. Shapiro gave a performance. Shapiro is a native of Long Island, New York, but currently resides in Austin, Texas. Shapiro said during the evening that he had recently been spending a lot of time in Southeast Alaska, where he has gotten to know more about the region and Ortiz. He performed several original pieces of music, including songs titled "Running Around" and "Medicine Man."

"I just want to make sure that the community of Wrangell knows that I am truly dedicated to the notion, to the idea that I'm a representative for all of district 36 and the needs of Wrangell's community are just as important as the needs of Ketchikan's and the needs of Metlakatla's and the needs of Hydaburg's," Ortiz said.