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Amy Gulick is an acclaimed nature photographer and writer. According to her website, amygulick.com, she has 20 years of experience taking pictures and writing about the great outdoors. She specializes in helping people understand the interconnectedness of nature, her website reads, and why conservation is important. Some of her written works include "Arctic National Wildlife Refuge" and "Salmon in the Trees." Her most recent book, "The Salmon Way: An Alaska State of Mind," looks at the...
With the recent retirement of Doug McCloskey, who has been Wrangell's police chief since 2003, the borough has been working hard to find a suitable replacement. City officials have been considering several candidates. Among these is Heath Scott, the chief of police in Haines. A meet and greet with Scott has been scheduled for Friday, July 19, at 5:30 p.m. at city hall. The public is invited to come meet with the candidate and get to know him better. Scott has over 22 years of "progressively resp...
Alaska Bearfest is a fun half-week of activities and workshops in Wrangell. Running from July 24 to 28, people can look forward to an art workshop, bear safety courses, bear-themed symposiums, and even a marathon. This year, the Wrangell community will also have the opportunity to eat better than even the bears at Anan do, with a special seafood dinner on July 26. The dinner will be hosted at the Stikine Inn, and prepared by Chef Dana Tough of Seattle. According to his website,...
On June 27, according to a press release by the Forest Service, a lightning strike ignited a fire near Southeast Cove on Wrangell Island. The fire is located less than a mile northeast of the cove on public land, according to the press release. Paul Robbins Jr., with the Forest Service, said that the fire is burning on a steep, inaccessible ridge, and the Forest Service has been monitoring it regularly. On July 9, aerial reconnaissance of the area located smoke in the southwest corner of the...
In a special meeting on July 11, the Wrangell School Board adopted various amendments to their FY 2019 budget as well as the recently adopted FY 2020 budget. Superintendent Debbe Lancaster said that the 2019 budget needed to be revised to show the actuals for the end of the year, what money was actually made and what was actually spent. Budgets go through various revisions through the school year, she said, and is more or less a constant process of revision to stay as accurate as possible. “It’s a real dynamic process through the year, unt...
Pulling in a crowd of close to 200 people, according to a guess by volunteer Tawney Crowley, the big wheel races on July 3 were quite a hit. The races were held at the covered basketball court by Evergreen Elementary School, and were open to anyone from age three up. Participants would race big wheels, a tricycle with a large front wheel, around a track on the basketball court. Crowley added that the whole event was pretty competitive. "It's one of those events that you tell yourself you're...
A town hall meeting was held at the Nolan Center last Wednesday evening, July 10, to discuss ongoing water issues in Wrangell and the wider Southeast Alaska region. In short, drought conditions across Southeast Alaska have made conservation necessary for the community. Dry weather has also an impact on Wrangell's supply of electricity, as well. "Part of the reason we're here today is because we, Southern and Southeast Alaska, are experiencing an extreme drought," Borough Manager Lisa Von Bargen...
When one imagines sports in Southeast Alaska, one might think of sport fishing, golf, basketball, or even baseball. Roller Derby might not be the first thing that comes to someone's mind, but it can be found in several towns across the panhandle. There are the Ragnarok Rollers in Petersburg, the Sitka Sound Slayers, and Ketchikan has the Rainforest Rollers. Wrangell, too, has a team. Wrangell's Garnet Grit Betties held a "fresh meat" event at the roller rink last Thursday afternoon, and are look...
The roundabout near City Dock was blocked off July 4, for the 45th Chuck Oliver Logging Show. The logging show has been a staple of Wrangell's Independence Day celebration since it was first organized by Chuck Oliver in 1975. Chuck and his son, Randy, have been heavily involved in the logging show off-and-on for many years. With Chuck passing away in March this year, and Randy announcing that this would be his final show before retiring, many Wrangellites came out to see the close of this...
Wrangell's annual greased pole competition took place last Tuesday, July 2, at the city dock. The event is a popular part of the city's weeklong Fourth of July celebration. The competition is simple, in theory, but proves to be quite challenging to those participating. A large log is laid out over the water, on the dock's summer float, and covered in grease. Participants then attempt to scale the log and grab a small American flag on the opposite end. Grabbing the flag means winning $100. A...
The Nolan Center, Wrangell's museum, movie theater, and cultural center, is hosting a new exhibit. "Muybridge in Alaska: 1868," is a collection of 16 original stereo views of Southeast Alaska, taken by pioneer photographer Eadweard Muybridge. These are some of the first known photographs of the region ever taken, according to a press release from the Nolan Center. "He was commissioned by the US government as part of an expedition led by Major-General Henry W. Halleck to photograph native...
The annual third of July fireworks show was cancelled this year, according to a press release from the City and Borough of Wrangell. This decision was made after borough officials, members of the police department, and the fire department determined that with the ongoing concerns of a water shortage in Wrangell, and drought conditions across the Southeast Alaska region, a large fireworks show was unwise. Borough Clerk Kim Lane went into a little more detail on the decision. She explained that th...
The Fourth of July was a hot and sunny day in Wrangell, but that did not stop many people from getting out and having a good time. Like all previous years, this year's fourth was the culmination of a whole week of events to celebrate Independence Day. There were numerous events, games, food booths, and other things to do to keep everyone busy last Thursday. While this year stood out because of a lack of fireworks due to ongoing drought conditions across Southeast Alaska, it still brought out...
A call went out on the police scanner around 12:45 p.m., July 8, about the Nolan Center flooding. The Nolan Center is Wrangell’s museum, movie theater, tourist destination, and conference center. The fire department responded to the call quickly, finding a broken sprinkler pouring water all over the center’s floor. While the fire department was able to shut off the water within minutes of arriving on the scene, water continued to pour out of the broken sprinkler for quite some time. Keeleigh Solverson, Nolan Center employee, said that the spr...
Among the many events occurring the week of the Fourth of July in Wrangell is the annual talent show. The event is a great way for locals and visitors to show off their talents, whatever they may be, and to have a fun evening. There were a wide variety of acts for people to enjoy this year. Bella Ritchie and her brother, Ryder, read poetry. Abby Gerald performed "Even If" by MercyMe on the piano. One particularly large act was done by the Young cousins: Braidyn, Taylor, Dvyn, Brynlee, Kelyn,...
Ruby McMurren, with the Wrangell Cooperative Association and project director of the local Administration for Native Americans grant project, wanted to remind everybody in town that the "Wrangell Community Prioritization Survey" will come to a close on Friday, July 19. The survey is designed to get public input on the subjects of economic development, healthcare, and housing in Wrangell, and what people want to see improved or changed. The ANA grant project is designed to help stem the flow of...
State Representative Dan Ortiz (I) held a teleconference with constituents in Ketchikan and Wrangell Monday, July 8, to hear public opinions on the state budget, the PFD, and other items. Monday was the start of a second special session of the state legislature, one that has appeared to be just as divisive amongst legislators and Alaskan residents as the previous sessions. One of the hot topics of this session, when it was announced, was whether or not to overturn Governor Mike Dunleavy’s l...
Wrangell resident and attorney Michael Nash, 68-years-old passed away in a plane crash near Ketchikan on Thursday, July 11. Alaska State Troopers were notified by Ketchikan Flight Service of an overdue aircraft around 3:07 p.m. according to a dispatch on the department of public safety's website. Nash was flying his plane, a PA-24 Comanche, and was due to land in Ketchikan at 2:15 p.m. "The US Coast Guard, Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad, Alaska Wildlife Troopers and Saxman VPSO responded to...
City Park was crowded and colorful last Saturday as people came together for the annual Long Term Care Color Run. The event is sponsored by the Wrangell Medical Center and its Long Term Care unit. There were 22 people who participated in the color run this year, according to organizer Alyssa Dame. The run is a fun way for Long Term Care residents to raise money, she said. This year they were going to donate their proceeds to Hannah's Place and local youth sports organizations. The color run star...
Wrangell Police Chief Doug McCloskey was recognized for his service to the community at last week's borough assembly meeting. With his recent retirement at the end of June, McCloskey has closed out 38 years of police work. His career in law enforcement started almost 40 years ago in Montana. His first job was as a reserve officer in the Madison County jail. Then, in 1981, he began working for the sheriff's department of Beaverhead County, Montana. What inspired him to work in law enforcement,...
The Wrangell Mariners' Memorial, an ongoing project to build a memorial to honor Wrangellites who have been lost at sea, has made several big steps forward. Jenn Miller, president of the Mariners' Memorial board, said that they have raised enough funds to begin the next steps of laying the memorial's groundwork. "We have Brett Woodbury and Russ McGee working on the groundwork for us," she said. "We actually spent our first money out of the account on materials, on rebar. That is on the barge as...
According to a press release from the Wrangell Legislative Information Office, State Representative Dan Ortiz will be holding a teleconference on July 8, from 5 to 6 p.m. to receive feedback from the public on the state budget and the PFD. Both subjects have been the topic of much debate across Alaska recently, with the state legislature struggling to form a budget, some times coming into conflict with Governor Mike Dunleavy's desire for serious budget cuts in certain sectors. The debate has...
Wrangell's first-ever Tongass ToughMan triathlon took place last Sunday. Beginning at 6 a.m., participants faced a 1.2-mile (42.5 laps) swim, a 56-mile bike ride, and a 14.5-mile run over Rainbow Falls in a major test of fitness, speed, and endurance. Nick Howell, who helped organize triathlon, said that there were 27 people who entered the competition. Most of these people worked as a team, with one person handling each of the three events. There were six people who signed up individually, and...
The Fourth of July Crazy Craft races took place last Sunday afternoon at City Dock. The races were divided into two categories, children and adult, and took place on the dock's summer float. The rules for the races were fairly simple: All participants had to wear a flotation device, and they could use anything that floated except for boats. Starting on one end of the float, the participants raced to the other end of the float and back, paddling whatever device they had created for the event....
One of the most highly anticipated events in Wrangell's Fourth of July celebration is the Chuck Oliver Logging Show. The contest harkens back to Wrangell's days as an important part of the timber industry in Southeast Alaska. Formed in 1975 by Chuck Oliver, who was then working with Alaska Lumber & Pulp, the logging show drew people from all over to Wrangell. The contest offered numerous events for participants to show off their skills, according to a 1975 paper in the Wrangell Sentinel's...