The Way We Were

May 18, 1922

Judge Charles E. Bunnell, president of the Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines, arrived on the Jefferson on Saturday and called on Miss Rees, school superintendent. He also met members of the school board and Parent-Teacher Association. Judge Bunnel is full of enthusiasm for the opening of the farthest north college in the world and is anxious to get the institution launched just outside of Fairbanks. He is confident of its future and its ability to compete for students on an equal plane with similar institutions in the states. The first year the institution will offer courses of study in agriculture, home economics, mining engineering, civil engineering, and will cover a number of subjects. Judge Bunnell is hopeful that next year he will be able to start a course in fisheries and also commercial business.

May 16, 1947

Postmaster E. R. Sharnbroich today repeated his previous requests to Wrangell citizens to exercise care in their use of the Federal Building. During the past few weeks there have been instances again of apparent deliberate vandalism in defacing signs and other parts of the building. Most of this could be stopped if parents would see that their children are not allowed to play in and around the building. Sharnbroich reminded Wrangellites that their Federal Building and surrounding grounds is said by everyone to be the finest in the territory, and it should be our goal to keep it that way. Upkeep of the building is paid by the public, he said, and because it is the public’s building they should take more care in its use. He said children have been allowed to play on the cement parking lot at the side of the building and to play ball on the lower lawn on the beach side. Some of them, he pointed out, are spoiling this privilege for others by playing on the porch, and using the lobby for basketball, marbles, etc. in the evenings. He advises that if this is not stopped, the post office lobby will have to be locked after closing hours. Citizens are also requested to use the roads and sidewalks around the building and not make paths through the lawns. No one, he thought, would be in so much of a hurry that the few extra steps needed to take to the sidewalk or road would delay them.

May 19, 1972

A new fiscal school district budget totaling $913,700 was approved last week by the city council. The city’s share of the spending schedule submitted by Schools Supt. Dick McCormick remained at $50,000. The rest of the budget is provided by state and federal agencies. In other actions during the meeting May 10, City Manager Kester Dotts learned that the Insurance Services Office of Alaska has completed a survey of Wrangell’s firefighting capabilities and subsequently upgraded the town’s insurability. The change, the manager said, will mean a 10 percent reduction in most people’s fire insurance rates.

May 19, 1997

A four-day-a-week senior citizens center has been approved for Wrangell by the city council. The center will operate on a first-year budget of $19,000, most of which will be provided by the state’s Office of Aging. Councilmen approved the center concept after hearing a report last week by a 10-member mayor’s committee headed by Mrs. Carol Elliott and the Rev. Peter Gorges. Father Gorges said the program will provide recreation, education, social and other activities for Wrangell’s over-55 population. The center program will be at the Women’s Civic Club building from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and one night a week for a total of 30 hours a week, the co-chairs said. The building was donated for the purpose by the Wrangell Women's Civic Club.