Articles from the November 15, 2023 edition


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  • Advisory committee supports proposal to protect commercial king harvest share

    Caroleine James, Wrangell Sentinel|Nov 15, 2023

    Members of the Wrangell Fish and Game Advisory Committee are concerned about the future of commercial salmon fishing as Alaska’s tourism industry continues to expand, bringing in more non-resident fishers on charter trips. The advisory committee supports amending state regulation to prevent the Southeast sport fishery from exceeding its 20% share of the Pacific Salmon Commission’s annual harvest ceiling for king salmon. The committee voted Nov. 7 to support a proposal calling for tighter state regulation of the charter catch and questioned whe...

  • Lecture shares bombardment history, calls for formal reconciliation

    Caroleine James, Wrangell Sentinel|Nov 15, 2023

    In a livestreamed lecture sponsored by Sealaska Heritage Institute, ethnohistorian Zachary Jones presented on the U.S. military's 19th century attacks on the Tlingit villages of Kaachxhaan.áak'w, Kéex' Kwáan and Xutsnoowú Kwáan - present-day Wrangell, Kake and Angoon. Though the attacks occurred over 150 years ago, their effects are still felt by Tlingit communities today, Jones said, and community leaders are still seeking restitution. In 1867, the U.S. government paid Russia $7.2 million - le...

  • Schools will celebrate holidays with concerts, art walk

    Caroleine James, Wrangell Sentinel|Nov 15, 2023

    The Wrangell School District has a packed schedule of events as it heads into the holiday season. On Friday, Nov. 17, Evergreen Elementary School will hold its annual “Friendsgiving” lunch, where students can invite an adult friend to share a meal with. Food is prepared and served by members of the Parent Teacher Community Club. Schools will be closed on Nov. 23 and 24 so that teachers and students can enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday. On Nov. 29, the elementary school will be transformed into an art gallery for the biannual “Art Walk,” where f...

  • Researchers explore deep, remote waters around Aleutian Islands

    Joshua A. Bickel, Associated Press|Nov 15, 2023

    For the team aboard the Okeanos Explorer off the coast of Alaska, exploring the mounds and craters of the sea floor along the Aleutian Islands was a chance to surface new knowledge about life in some of the world's deepest and most remote waters. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research vessel went out on a five-month mission this summer and fall with a reconfigured former Navy vessel run by civilians and members of the NOAA Corps. The ship, with a 48-member crew, was...

  • The Way We Were

    Amber Armstrong-Hillberry, Wrangell Sentinel|Nov 15, 2023

    Nov. 15, 1923 Word was received from John Hooper, president of the Tourists’ Society, that in addition to giving a number of newspaper interviews regarding his trip north, he will set different topics for each address, dwelling principally upon Wrangell and Juneau as the great centers from which tourists can head out for scenic, hunting, fishing or other trips. He will also put up a strong argument for the paper and pulp industry possibilities in the Juneau and Wrangell districts. Nov. 19, 1948 Lt. Col. J.D. Alexander arrived in Wrangell l...

  • Sealaska dividend lowest since 2018; Mallott resigns as CEO

    Mark Sabbatini, Juneau Empire|Nov 15, 2023

    Sealaska Corp.’s annual shareholder dividend declined this year for the first time since at least 2014. The payment of $5.85 per share is a drop from $7.67 last year and the lowest payout since $5.40 a share in 2018, according to a statement released Nov. 2 by the Southeast Alaska Native corporation. The lower dividend is causing unhappy shareholders to criticize Sealaska’s leadership. The Native regional corporation said a number of business factors account for the lower dividend, including a decrease in shared revenues from other Native reg...

  • Sad history is particularly important to remember

    Wrangell Sentinel|Nov 15, 2023

    Certainly, people enjoy reminiscing about happy moments, inspiring stories, proud accomplishments and successful endeavors. History can be heartwarming and motivating. It can be exciting and fun. It also can be educational, particularly when the past reminds us of the world’s mistakes, mistreatment and violence over the years. That kind of history teaches how not to treat people, lessons that may prevent some of those same bad things from happening again. Not that mankind learns everything from those examples but, in time, maybe enough to make...

  • Dreams are memorable but also forgettable

    Larry Persily Publisher|Nov 15, 2023

    It seems as I get older, the more I have dreams. Not of being a baseball player, writing an award-winning book or mastering the kitchen art of making great crusty bread. No, my dreams are nocturnal. They interrupt my sleep. The good thing is I have had some amazingly weird dreams. The bad thing is I often forget them soon after waking up — no matter how hard I try to keep them in my head. Several years ago, I became obsessed — in a healthy, problem-solving sense — with finding a way to make notes of my sleeping visions. Often, my dreams would...

  • Wrangell's a great place to read a book

    Mark C. Robinson, Wrangell Sentinel|Nov 15, 2023

    Thanks to plenty of time spent in libraries and bookstores, both as a customer and staff member, along with my own collection of reading material, I’ve grown very comfortable in the world of books. In the fall of 1996, I had been working for a few years at Borders Books and Music in Kensington, Maryland, and that’s when I got the idea to start a mystery novel discussion group. It did very well, and while several members have since passed on, the group is still going strong, outlasting the bookstore franchise where it started by over a dec...

  • Veterans deserve more supportive mental health care

    Nov 15, 2023

    At the 11th hour on the 11th day on November 1918, the guns fell silent in Europe, marking the end of the Great War, later to become known as World War I. Congress in 1954 passed a bill, signed by President Dwight Eisenhower, that made Nov. 11 a national holiday, Veterans Day. It is crucial that residents in Southern Southeast remember and honor our veterans each year. The day is a reminder to express gratitude toward those who selflessly served their country and safeguarded the freedom and security we enjoy. By actively recognizing and...

  • Students pay to wear Heavenly Hats in school fundraiser

    Mark C. Robinson, Wrangell Sentinel|Nov 15, 2023

    Wrangell middle and high school students wore hats last week to raise money to buy headwear for medical patients who lose their hair. Students paid a $2 fee upon arriving at school on Wednesday, Nov. 8, and received a hand stamp allowing them to wear a hat for the rest of the day. Principal Jackie Hanson came up with the idea after learning about the Heavenly Hats Foundation, a small nonprofit organization that collects and distributes new hats of all kinds to people of all ages who lose their...

  • Volunteers continue long tradition of recycling eyeglasses

    Larry Persily, Wrangell Sentinel|Nov 15, 2023

    The Lions Club closed down its Wrangell chapter seven years ago, but volunteers still participate in the international service organization’s eyeglass recycling program. “We’re still collecting eyeglasses,” said Janet Strom, who along with her husband and co-volunteer Dennis belonged to the Lions Club when it disbanded in 2016. Janet Strom packed up two boxes and mailed about 150 pairs of eyeglasses last week, not long after she sent a box to the recycling operation in September. They mail out at least four boxes to the Alaska center every y...

  • Elks Lodge needs more volunteers for dinners, other help

    Larry Persily, Wrangell Sentinel|Nov 15, 2023

    The Wrangell Elks Lodge has been active in town since 1935 and could use a few more active volunteers to help with its weekend dinners, chores around the building and public services. “It is getting worse over time,” said Dawn Angerman, one of the volunteer club managers. “It’s not just the Elks, it’s everywhere.” Multiple community groups in Wrangell have struggled in recent years with finding new people to serve on boards or volunteer for work projects. “COVID didn’t help,” Angerman said. “People just haven’t broken out of that yet,” with ma...

  • Evergreen students thank veterans with handmade cards

    Mark C. Robinson, Wrangell Sentinel|Nov 15, 2023

    Just as Veterans Day is a longstanding tradition, so is the work of Evergreen Elementary School students to create cards to honor vets on the special day. The students worked in class on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 9-10, making the cards that were given out at Veterans Day events on Saturday, Nov. 11. Evergreen Elementary Principal Ann Hilburn credited third grade teacher Jen Davies as the main motivator behind the cards, providing reminders well ahead of time, and making sure that the cards were...

  • Wolves compete at annual Ketchikan wrestling tournament

    Mark C. Robinson, Wrangell Sentinel|Nov 15, 2023

    The Wrangell High School wrestling team traveled to Ketchikan to compete in the Bill Weiss Tournament on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 10-11. Including exhibition matches, they came away with 54 wins and 26 losses, with 36 pins. Named after the former Ketchikan Daily News printing press operator and sports writer who devoted much of his time to wrestling events, the tournament featured over 200 wrestlers during both days, according to Wrangell coach Jack Carney. "Some of the 16-man brackets were...

  • Flying at state swim meet

    Nov 15, 2023

  • State loses challenge to special COVID-era hunt for Kake residents

    James Brooks, Alaska Beacon|Nov 15, 2023

    A federal judge in Anchorage has ruled that U.S. government officials did not overstep the law when they allowed an emergency hunt near Kake during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision, published Nov. 3 by Judge Sharon Gleason, is the latest chapter in a long-running dispute between the state and federal officials over who has the authority to regulate subsistence hunting and fishing on public lands in Alaska. Gleason is also overseeing a separate but unrelated lawsuit by the federal government against the state over...

  • Longtime resident Alice Bakke dies at 90

    Nov 15, 2023

    Alice Bakke, 90, passed away on Oct. 31, 2023. A graveside service will be held at the Sunset Garden Cemetery at 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 19, with a celebration of life to follow at the Elks Lodge. Alice Gloria Camenzind was born on Aug. 14, 1933, to Edward Camenzind and Julia Larsen in San Mateo, California. At a young age, Alice and her mother relocated to Wrangell, where Julia married Hans Nergaard. Julia and Hans added two more children to their family, Marie Nergaard (Johnson) and Carol Nergaard...

  • Police report

    Nov 15, 2023

    Monday, Nov. 6 Agency assist: Hoonah Police Department. Found property. Agency assist: Pretrial. Agency assist: Privett building. Agency assist: 911. Tuesday, Nov. 7 Citizen assist. Noise complaint. Suspicious noise. Wednesday, Nov. 8 Motor vehicle accident. Traffic hazard. Disturbance. Reckless driving. Thursday, Nov. 9 Passing a school bus with its stop lights on. Agency assist: Fire Department. Traffic stop: Citation issued for driving without a license; verbal warning for registration and equipment violation. Friday, Nov. 10 Traffic...

  • It's never too early to know the rules for Christmas tree cutting

    Caroleine James, Wrangell Sentinel|Nov 15, 2023

    For some, the holiday spirit doesn’t kick in until the evening of Dec. 24, when the stockings are already on the mantle. For others, Christmastime is a monthslong extravaganza that starts when the last trick-or-treaters say goodnight and ends sometime in late January, when the Christmas tree is a pile of needles on the floor. The right time of year to put up a tree is a deeply personal decision, but regardless of your holiday decoration timeline, the annual Spotify spike of “All I Want for Christmas is You” streams has already begun, and the f...

  • Classified ads

    Nov 15, 2023

    HELP WANTED Wrangell Senior Center is recruiting for a cook. The job is 20 hours a week, $18 an hour. Background check required. Apply at www.ccsak.org/jobs. For more information, call Solvay Gillen at 907-874-2066. LAND FOR SALE Two Stikine River properties on the west side of Farm Island in King Slough: 200-foot frontage, 6-plus acres, $80,000; 8-acre backlot, lots of good access, $60,000. Can access the main river at any stage of tide. Willing to finance. Call 907-518-0101. FREE ADS Do you have something to sell? Having a garage sale?...

  • Judge rejects challenges to biggest Alaska oil project in decades

    Becky Bohrer, Associated Press|Nov 15, 2023

    A federal judge has upheld the Biden administration’s approval of ConocoPhillips’ $8 billion Willow oil project on Alaska’s North Slope, a decision that environmental groups swiftly vowed to fight. U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason rejected requests by a grassroots Iñupiat group and environmentalists to vacate the project approval. She dismissed their claims against Willow, which is in the federally designated National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. The administration’s approval of Willow in March drew the ire of environmentalists who accused...

  • Backlog returns for approving food stamp benefits

    Annie Berman, Anchorage Daily News|Nov 15, 2023

    More than a year after the state Department of Public Assistance first fell behind with processing food stamps benefits for thousands of Alaskans, the agency is again reporting lengthy delays for new and returning applicants. As of late last month, about 6,000 Alaskans who had applied for benefits this summer and fall were waiting on critical food aid from the federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which in Alaska are processed and distributed by the Alaska Division of Public Assistance. The new backlog was created...