The Way We Were

Jan. 17, 1924

The Women’s Council held their regular meeting last Friday afternoon at 3 o’clock and continued their work for planning a program for the year. In connection with the plans for the coming tourist season, a committee for totems and their preservation was appointed as follows: Mrs. Prichett, Mrs. Palmer, Mrs. Case, Mrs. Wheeler and Mrs. Waters. Totem committees have been appointed from time to time from various organizations, and little has been accomplished, but in view of the fact that many of the totems must be cared for sooner or be lost, and that some excellent suggestions have been made for their care, the new committee hopes to report progress at the next meeting.

Jan. 14, 1949

Recent pictures in national magazines and in the press service showed President Harry Truman receiving a gift of two turkeys for the White House Christmas dinner table. One of the birds, a white one, seemed to be giving the president a bad time, but the other, a dark, 40-pound, well-behaved potential platter-full, was from the well known turkey farm of Grayson McCulley, of Maple Plain, Minnesota. Mr. McCulley is a cousin of Lloyd Benjamin, of Benjamin’s Store in Wrangell. Accompanying the McCulley gift bird to the White House was a short note from the donor: “Here is one Tom that got into the White House,” referring to Tom Dewey, who lost to Truman in the 1948 election.

Jan. 16, 1974

The city council has authorized City Manager Herb McNabb to sell 11 city-owned lots in the Lemieux Subdivsion off Zimovia Highway south of the state housing project. McNabb said the unimproved lots, which are covered with scrub timber, front on Zimovia Avenue running north and south and on Ash Street, which runs east and west and links the subdivision with Zimovia Highway. Sewer and water lines have been installed in the area but street improvements have to be completed before the lots can go up for sale, McNabb said. He estimated the sealed-bid sale will take place in March. The lots are 100 by 78 feet and largely level, McNabb said. The city stipulates that buyers of the lots must have improvements 80% complete within two years of the sale or forfeit the land. The area is zoned for single-family and duplex dwellings.

Jan. 14, 1999

Noting that the Wrangell City Council has done it’s share to lighten the long winter days of not only its citizens, but those of the entire state and even nation, Mayor Bill Privett said that nonetheless the issue of cats was brought to the council by a member of the public and must be dealt with. The issue arose when Maureen Maxand, owner of a local pet store, approached the council regarding the large number of unwanted kittens, over 200 a year, that she is asked to shelter. Christinah Jamieson offered testimony. She stressed that cat owners should be held to the same legal requirements as dog owners, meaning that cats should be licensed, spayed or neutered, and vaccinated the same as dogs. The council agreed with her suggestion and will amend the dog ordinance to include cats. A first reading of the new proposed ordinance will be heard at the council’s next meeting on Jan. 26.