Articles from the May 3, 2023 edition
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Borough contributes $1.6 million to schools, same as this year
The end of federal pandemic assistance and years of flat state funding have hurt the school district’s ability to cover its costs. The borough assembly has stepped up for the second year in a row to help close the budget gap. At its meeting April 2...
Assembly postpones decision on helping to fund 4th of July
The borough assembly at a special meeting Monday evening considered a $25,000 appropriation to help the chamber of commerce afford this year’s Fourth of July celebrations. However, assembly members voted unanimously to postpone the decision until t...
Research links 3,000-year-old bone fragment found on mainland to Tlingit
The Tlingit Nation has stewarded the land in and around Wrangell since time immemorial, and new biological research from the University at Buffalo New York adds further proof of the genetic continuity of coastal people over thousands of years. A...
Curtain will come up on 'Annie' starting May 12 at Nolan Center
Spring may still be gray and dreary in Wrangell but the sun will come out on May 12. That Friday at 7 p.m., the musical "Annie" will open at the Nolan Center theater and will run again May 13 at 4...
Grade school gardeners get ground ready for growing season
How does their garden grow? It's elementary, dear reader. Last Thursday, fifth and sixth graders gathered at the Evergreen Elementary School garden to prepare the soil for planting, growing and...
The Way We Were
May 3, 1923 Just after the Sentinel was issued last Thursday, word was received from Washington that the Wrangell breakwater had been included in the federal Rivers and Harbors Appropriation and that $50,000 was available this year. This is the most...
Assessors visit town to address high volume of property appeals
The borough reassessed the values of all properties on the road system this year in an effort to correct tax inequities among property owners. But this unprecedented mass review has meant a major increase in the number of appeals compared to...
Reelection isn't as important as making good decisions
No doubt elected officials want to win their next election. They want to continue working on the issues that matter to them and their constituents, including public services, spending and regulation. They want to keep the job. But, as parents tell...
There's more to state finances than oil
Most Alaska state budget watchers follow oil prices, fully realizing that they can bounce around like a small plane on a windy day, creating that same stomach-churning queasiness when they drop. The estimated difference between Alaska North Slope cru...
Students dissect, build, study and play in science trip
They tested their abilities to follow instructions. They designed and built structures to withstand seismic activity. They studied the inner workings of marine life. They looked at sea lion poop....
Sealaska Heritage publishes start of comprehensive research on Tlingit clan crests
Whether it's the Naanyaa.aayí, Kaach.ádi, Taalkweidí or one of the six other Tlingit clans represented in Wrangell, each has a story of its origins, handed down over thousands of years. One or...
Tire cutter back at work to make room for trash station loading dock
The tire cutter that Wrangell shares with the rest of Southeast has returned to town early. The Public Works Department is trying to complete a construction project that requires reducing the pile of old tires at the town’s waste transfer site, so t...
Doctoral student studies Wrangell tourism industry
For communities around the globe, tourism can be both a blessing and a curse. The industry can provide a much-needed economic bump, but in Venice, millions of international arrivals inflate prices for residents and replace locally owned businesses...
Volunteers picked up for cleanup
Dennis Martin works his way through a drainage ditch last Saturday, picking up trash as part of the community-wide cleanup effort. Martin and many others focused on the Airport Loop, as a lot of...
Barging in
The Rainforest Islander greets the monthly fuel barge on April 25 in Zimovia Strait. Eric Yancey, captain of the Islander, was using his vessel to act as the bow thruster for the tugboat Dale R....
Legislative leaders talk about dividends and taxes
Legislative leaders focused on the Permanent Fund dividend and taxes as they described the budget choices facing lawmakers trying to find a combination that will win enough political support to balance state spending. “The dividend has been the m...
Sentinel staff collects Alaska Press Club awards
Wrangell Sentinel staff won five awards in the annual Alaska Press Club competition, with radio station KSTK bringing home four honors in the statewide contest for journalists. Marc Lutz won second place in the Best Feature Story category (small...
Governor says new taxes should be part of any fiscal plan
Gov. Mike Dunleavy, once a staunch opponent of tax increases, said last Thursday that they are now a core part of any long-term state fiscal plan. Speaking in a news conference, the governor said there is a broad recognition in the Legislature and in... Full story
House, Senate versions of state budget match on school funding increase
The Alaska Senate rolled out its latest version of the operating budget on April 26, with a $1,300 Permanent Fund dividend, a $175 million one-time boost for public schools and a $90 million surplus to cover contingencies or if oil prices drop. The...
Thank you
The Wrangell Golf Club board of directors would like to thank everyone who helped make our annual fundraising dinner and auction a success. This was our first time back at it since before COVID, and we couldn’t have asked for a better event. Thank y...
Police report
Monday, April 24 Potential drug problem. Agency assist: Ambulance. Safekeeping. Tuesday, April 25 Traffic stop: Citation issued for speeding. Agency assist: Ambulance. Violation: Conditions of release. Agency assist: State Office of Children’s S...
Classified ads
HELP WANTED Wrangell Public Schools is accepting applications for the following position for the 2022-2023 school year: - Custodian: This is a full-time, year-round classified position with benefits, 7.5 hours per day. Salary placement is on Column B... Full story
Legislators say not enough time left in session for a sales tax
Almost two weeks after Gov. Mike Dunleavy told lawmakers he would propose a new sales tax, legislators have yet to see the governor’s bill — and are still far from reaching agreement on the state’s fiscal future. Lawmakers broadly agree on the need...
Time to play ball
Malachi Harrison looks to the catcher, determining his next pitch during opening day of Little League in Wrangell last Saturday. Harrison plays for the Wolverines, who faced the Cubs in the first...
