The Way We Were

Oct. 6, 1921

The Town Council on Aug. 4 passed an order removing the extra charge of 2.5 cents per kilowatt hour, which the council has permitted Mr. Palmer to charge since May 1, 1920. A few days ago, Mr. Palmer and the Town Council had a conference at which they went into the matter at length. The result of the conference was that the council decided to rescind its action of Aug. 4 and permit Mr. Palmer to continue charging the extra 2.5 cents per kilowatt hour. This means that until further notice the rates will prevail that charge 17.5 cents per kwh for the first 25 kwh, ranging lower for more usage, down to 12.5 cents for 300 kwh and above.

Oct. 4, 1946

Pan American World Airways, which serves Alaska, including Ketchikan and Juneau, revealed today that it has submitted to the Civil Aeronautics Board in Washington, D.C., for transcontinental and other long-distance, nonstop routes that will connect the 13 cities which the company is now authorized to serve on its overseas routes. New types of Clippers, flying far above the weather, will carry passengers faster than man has ever traveled before except in the cockpit of a high-speed pursuit plane. The planes will be able to travel from Seattle to the East Coast in 5 hours and 15 minutes. Pan American’s high-speed, long-range luxury service at 430 miles per hour will be made possible by advanced aircraft which Pan Am was first to order and will be first to receive and first to put into operation.

Oct. 8, 1971

Public Health Nurse Bea Espeseth was honored at a Chamber of Commerce-sponsored going away luncheon attended by 25 persons Tuesday at the Stikine Inn. Mrs. Espeseth has served Wrangell for the past nine years from her office in Petersburg. The state recently named Mrs. Gail Pollock as Wrangell Public Health Nurse. Mrs. Espeseth will continue to serve in Petersburg. Dr. Harriet Schirmer delivered a brief address in which she lauded Mrs. Espeseth for “good, kind, generous service to Wrangell. You have been patient with our impatience and with our shortcomings,” said Dr. Schirmer. “We appreciate all you have done.” Mrs. Pollock came here from Modesto, California, where she was a public health nurse and served previously in nursing in the Aleutians and Hoonah. She holds a nursing degree from Columbia University at New York City.

Oct. 10, 1996

With three swim meets behind him, Wrangell’s lone Wolf has begun to mount up points and the legend of being Wrangell’s first member of the high school swim team. Robbie Rooney, 15, began his swimming career very early, as an infant, and since then has gone to become a member of the Stikine SeaRunners, the U.S.S. Swim Team, and this year becoming the sole school representative in the high school league. Rooney was Wrangell’s first entry ever in a meet at Juneau. He placed fourth in the 200 individual medley, eighth in the 100 backstroke, eighth in the 50 freestroke, and eighth in the 100 breaststroke. At the end of the competition, Rooney had made a record for himself as well as for his school. Rooney said he feels fortunate to have a pool such as the one in Wrangell to practice for his meets.