Articles written by Marc Lutz
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School district gets traction with electric school bus grant
The Wrangell School District has received the green light to buy an electric school bus through a federal clean energy grant. In his report to the school board on Aug. 21, Schools Superintendent Bill Burr said the Environmental Protection Agency...
I really have enjoyed my stay, but I must be moving on
When I arrived almost exactly two years ago, Jeff and Kay Jabusch told me people in Wrangell aren’t necessarily wary of newcomers. Rather, they pointed out, they’re hesitant to get attached since they never know who’s going to stay. I fully inten...
Filing deadline Aug. 31 for municipal election ballot
Four elected positions will be on the municipal ballot on Oct. 3, and as of Monday it was uncertain if all of the incumbents will seek re-election. Two seats on the borough assembly, one on the school board and one on the port commission will be on...
School enrollment estimate adjusted up by a couple of students
Though not all children had enrolled before the scheduled start of school on Thursday, Aug. 24, due to migrant status or other reasons, district staff reported an increase of two students over their enrollment estimates from last November, which will...
Swimmers dive into new high school season
The whistle trills. "50 freestyle! Take your mark!" The athlete gets into position on the platform. The horn sounds. "Go! Let's go!" SPLASH! With the reopening of the community swimming pool, the high...
Proposed increase would raise Anan fee to $50 by 2027
Visitors to the Anan Wildlife Observatory could pay much more than the current daily $10 permit fee if a proposed increase is approved later this year. The U.S. Forest Service recently proposed boosting the fee to $50 per person, per day. If...
Parks and Rec projects aim to beautify the town and get residents fit
It's beginning to look a lot like fitness at the Parks and Recreation Department. For the past several months, department staff and work crews have been laboring to finish projects, add more...
Adult prom offers food, fun and dance for good cause
When was the last time you had an excuse to let loose and dance or “cut a rug” like cool people said 100 years ago. On Saturday, Aug. 19, from 8 to 11 p.m. at the Elks Lodge, the adult prom will give partygoers the chance to live it up and help a c...
Fundraising efforts lead to continuation of video-making class
In an age of cash-strapped school budgets, teachers and support staff have found themselves getting creative in order to give students all the tools needed to succeed in their education. A teacher at...
Garden tour produces bumper crop of information
Just like the gardens they visited, the number of people in attendance grew as last Sunday's garden tour progressed. About 15 people showed up at first, but that number had sprung up to 22 by the...
New principal looks forward to helping students, staff achieve their best
Jackie Hanson has been an educator for 19 years. For all that time, she has operated under the philosophy of helping people reach their aspirations, regardless of how different they might be. The new...
E-bikes gain in popularity, but the rules are not entirely clear
It's hard to miss: Groups of people whizzing down the streets of Wrangell on what looks like a cross between a bicycle and an old-school moped, sometimes down the middle of the street or dangerously...
District staff prepares for students' return to school Aug. 24
Newly cleaned flooring, new paint and new faces will be among the changes students see as they return to school on Aug. 24. However, there will be plenty going on that students don’t really notice. School district staff are working hard to prepare f...
British rangers use vacation to volunteer, learn conservation methods
When most people think of vacation, they don't necessarily think about work. But for visiting Britons Kate Dziubinska and Charlie Winchester, their work is the reason for their vacation. Winchester,...
Kids, adults get wild for bear and nature-themed art workshop
They gathered around a long table in the front hall of the Nolan Center, cutting construction paper, drawing and coloring images and gluing pieces together. There was focus. There was vision. There...
Tour to offer look into gardens throughout town
“Mary, Mary, quite contrary How does your garden grow?” While gardeners in Wrangell may not plant silver bells and cockleshells, they still grow a myriad of things that some folks might find difficult to cultivate in the Southeast climate. To tha...
Budworm outbreak shows signs of ebbing throughout Tongass
Scientists and staff with the U.S. Forest Service are hopeful that the blackheaded budworm outbreak that began three years ago throughout the Tongass National Forest is beginning to decline. Data coll...
Downtown beautification project seeks volunteers to adopt garden beds
Whether you have a green thumb or are all thumbs around greenery doesn't matter. If you want to help beautify downtown, the Parks and Recreation Department is looking for you. And your thumbs. Six...
Pizza run brings slice of reality to residents of Port Protection
When people choose to live in a remote area, they give up certain things like grocery stores, movie theaters and, probably most importantly, pizza deliveries. That's why residents of Port Protection...
Cross country team prepares to run down goals
This year’s Wrangell High School cross country team has some big running shoes to fill. Last year, the boys team placed first at regionals and first at state, which was a first-ever accomplishment for the team. Some of those runners are returning a...
Upward Bound trip gives freshman head start on high school career
It was a month of learning, exploring, brainstorming and playing in the wilds of Alaska that left one Wrangell youth with a lot to think about. Andrei Bardin-Siekawitch was the only teen from...
BearFest comes roaring back to town starting July 26
From a “beary” pie contest to a cub-o-war, art workshops, live music and a usually sold-out dinner, BearFest is returning for its 14th year. The activities start July 26. The popular educational and cultural event celebrates bears and the sur...
Hōkūleʻa visit emphasizes culture and environmental stewardship
As tribal members lined the shore on the backside of Shakes Island, dressed in regalia from their respective clans, one of their voices rang out. "Where do these boats come from?" "We are the...
Life in Wrangell captured in 139-year-old watercolor painting
As three days of cultural exchanges wrapped up in Wrangell with the departure of the visiting crew from the Polynesian Voyaging Society, another piece of Wrangell history came to light depicting...
School buildings undergoing fire alarm system upgrades
Wrangell High School and Stikine Middle School are going through an alarming upgrade, quite literally. Both buildings, including the high school gym and the Parks and Recreation's pool facility, are g...
