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The Southeast Alaska summer commercial troll season for coho and chum salmon will open on July 1, but no chinook retention will be allowed, the state Department of Fish and Game announced May 30. The prohibition on troll-caught kings is due to the ongoing lawsuit by the nonprofit Wild Fish Conservancy against the National Marine Fisheries Service. Still, Alaska trollers are holding out hope that king salmon fishing will open as usual on July 1 if the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals grants a stay of last month’s U.S. District Court order t...
A few months ago, passengers on an Alaska Airlines flight trying to get to Wrangell were stranded in Petersburg due to a mechanical problem. Thanks to a local tour operator, the castaways were picked up and brought back to Wrangell in less than an hour. For many years, Wrangell skippers have been offering shuttle services as a quick and affordable means of traveling between the two communities. Last Saturday, Zach Taylor, owner of Muddy Water Adventures, teamed up with Summit Charters and took...
Due to funding cuts and a staffing shortage, the Senior Center has suspended its hot lunch service and limited the number of bus rides it can offer to elders. The changes will remain in effect until the center can hire two new employees — a cook and a bus driver. “Because we are short-staffed, we have to make some changes to our schedule to keep the center going,” said Senior Center manager Solvay Gillen. Hours have been cut to Tuesday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. with shelf-stable lunches available for pickup from noon to 1 p.m. Dine-...
On a recent Saturday, Devyn Johnson brought her children and their friend to the Rainbow Falls trailhead at 5 Mile. They met with a curious hiker and prepared to trek up the path to the top, about six-tenths of a mile away. Before starting on the journey, Johnson found a large slab of rock weighing between 20 and 30 pounds and put it into her backpack. That’s the difference between hiking and adding a rucking element to it. Every weekend, rain or shine, the Wrangell Parks and Recreation department hosts a rucking hike in various places around t...
The Wrangell Convention and Visitor Bureau is converting the town to digital. On May 24, the WCVB board unanimously approved spending up to $12,000 with a mobile mapping app provider to aid and encourage travelers and increase data analytics for marketing. At the monthly board meeting, Economic Development Director Kate Thomas and Matt Henson, the borough’s marketing and community development director, presented board members with results of their research into smartphone mapping software. “This is meant to be a software platform that serves bu...
Ander Edens celebrates the kickoff of his Fourth of July royalty campaign last Wednesday at the downtown pavilion. The teen has a full menu planned for the month of June, and raffle ticket sales began on June 1....
Do you know any magic tricks? Can you juggle five bowling pins or burp the alphabet? Can you do a great Matthew McConaughey impression? Or even better, a terrible Matthew McConaughey impression? If so, you would be a perfect fit for Wrangell’s Fourth of July talent show and wearable art competition, both of which are coming up next month. The talent show offers community members a chance to display their skills, and the wearable art event provides them an opportunity to design, create and model handmade clothes featuring unorthodox m...
Every dog may be a good boy, but which member of Wrangell's canine community is the best boy? Scratch that, it's an unanswerable question. And one that the Fourth of July dog show will not seek to address. Instead, the event will offer dogs and their owners the chance to display their unique personal style and stellar obedience skills - or lack thereof - in the company of fellow dogs and dog lovers. Prizes will be awarded, but for Joan Sargent of St. Frances Animal Rescue, "every dog is a...
Ever dreamed of being a hardened-but-hopeful gold prospector, heading up the Stikine in a steamship to strike it rich in the Klondike gold fields? Thanks to Wrangell's new escape room, you can experience the excitement and adventure of the prospecting days without blowing your life savings on a dubious venture. Lisa and Luke Messmer's new business, "You Escape Me," offers customers the chance to test their mettle as they race against time to identify clues, solve riddles, complete puzzles and...
Sharpen your pencils, dip your paintbrushes and don your smocks, because Parks and Recreation is offering art classes to youth this summer. There will be two art camps, one in June and one in July. Each will be held on Fridays from 1:30 to 3 p.m. in the community center multi-purpose room. There will be space for 15 K-5 students in each class. The camp costs $25 per student and participants should wear clothes they won’t regret splattering paint on. Tawney Crowley, the art teacher at Evergreen Elementary School, will lead the classes. This i...
The annual Wrangell King Salmon Fishing Derby has been set for two weekends in June. Rather than have the competition run over a full two weeks from mid-June to the beginning of July, it is scheduled for June 16, 17 and 18 — Father’s Day weekend — and the following weekend June 23, 24 and 25. Fishing derby committee members met May 30 to discuss details and even whether or not to hold the event. “People are going to be really disappointed if we cancel ours,” said Luana Wellons, assistant executive director of the chamber of commerce, which org...
Since its creation in 2011, Hannah's Place has provided resources for pregnant women and families, from clothing and newborn supplies to educational materials. Now, after 12 years of serving Wrangell, the nonprofit has closed its doors due to a lack of need. Monday was the last day the organization operated at 206 Church St. in the building provided by the Presbyterian church next door. It started as a ministry by Maryann Landers to help young women in need. "(She) had a heart for young women wh...
The chamber of commerce is getting a bailout from the borough as it prepares to put on the community’s elaborate Fourth of July festivities. However, these funds may be the last that the chamber gets for the next few years, as the borough encourages the organization to become self-sustaining. At its May 23 meeting, the borough assembly approved the chamber’s request of up to $25,000 to help fund Fourth of July festivities. All assembly members except David Powell voted in favor of the additional contribution. Assembly Member Brittani Rob...
A federal judge has denied the state of Alaska’s request for a stay of an order that could close down the Southeast king salmon troll fishery this summer and winter. The last option to open the fishery this season is another appeal. After the judge’s ruling last Friday, the state immediately filed a request with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for a stay that would — if granted — allow trollers to work while the National Marine Fisheries Service attempts to better justify the fishery, as required by the judge’s May 2 order. “The stat...
With a quiet demeanor and a head for mathematics and physics, one teacher has helped Wrangell's students understand all those calculations for a quarter of a century. After 25 years, teacher Donna Massin has decided X plus Y equals retirement. Last Thursday, she dismissed class for the last time at Wrangell High School and began a new chapter in life. Born in Mount Edgecumbe, she has lived in Anchorage, Ketchikan, Seward and Gulf Port, Mississippi. "I kind of bounced around," she said. Massin's...
Creative thinking has led to a new home for the Wrangell Art Gallery. This Saturday, during the community market, the gallery and its members will hold a grand opening at its new location inside the Nolan Center next to the administrative office. Earlier this year, the gallery lost its lease in a building on Front Street, where it had resided for many years as a gallery and social workspace. The members closed the storefront, put items in storage and continued to meet at founding member Olga...
The borough has cut the salary of the Irene Ingle Public Library’s head librarian as it seeks to replace outgoing Library Director Margaret Villarma. At its May 23 meeting, the assembly voted to reduce the position’s salary by roughly $10,000 a year, depending on where the employee falls on the pay scale. The change will make the library director Wrangell’s lowest paid department head. The job’s duties, responsibilities and qualifications have not changed — only the compensation. Villarma plans to retire this summer and though the pay cut will...
The annual Wrangell King Salmon Derby is tentatively set for June 15 through July 2. Though the chamber of commerce, which is still organizing the event, hasn’t officially set the dates or prizes, the derby typically runs for about two weeks, with prizes for the largest fish and other categories. Entry fees also have not yet been determined. In past years, there has been a kids 12-and-under category, and the adult category encompasses ages 13 and up. Entrants need to have a state sportfishing license and a state king salmon stamp. Alaska r...
Bring a fishing pole and plenty of enthusiasm to Pats Lake for an annual event sure to lure in the whole family. Family Fishing Day on June 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., will have something for everyone, from lure making to casting practice and even a free lunch. The U.S. Forest Service Wrangell District is hosting the event along with the Wrangell Cooperative Association’s Indian General Assistance Program and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Special youth fishing regulations will be in place the third and fourth Saturday and Sunday at P...
Though Wrangell’s grid runs on hydroelectric power, the borough has five diesel generators on standby to provide the community with supplemental electricity in case of a blackout. Four of these five generators are housed in a deteriorating building that was constructed prior to 1948. At its May 23 meeting, the borough assembly approved over half-a-million dollars for engineers to put together plans to demolish and replace a concrete-built warehouse attached to the power plant, and replace the roof structure and a wall of the steel building t...
Volunteer firefighters and paramedics may be eligible for a small property tax break next year. Though the volunteers won’t save much on their taxes, borough officials see the change as a expression of appreciation for the essential work firefighters and paramedics perform. At its May 23 meeting, the borough assembly unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance that would offer a $10,000 property tax exemption to qualified firefighters and emergency medical services personnel. Before the change becomes official, the borough must h...
The siding on the exterior of the pool building is deteriorating and local contractor Johnson Construction and Supply has been awarded a contract to take on the repairs. The $474,497 contract is funded through a combination of borough funds and state grant money from the Lost Revenue Relief Grant. The state distributed the federal money to Alaska municipalities as a form of pandemic relief, to help compensate for reduced sales tax and other revenues. It can be used for maintenance of old infrastructure and new builds. The siding project will...
The borough’s contract with waste disposal company Republic is up for renewal and the company has proposed a 25% price increase for its services to Wrangell. Other Southeast communities have contracts with Republic that are set to expire next year, so Wrangell hopes to join with them and bargain collectively for a more affordable contract. “We talked about partnering with them to get a bigger contract and have a little more negotiating power,” said Borough Manager Jeff Good. However, that approach won’t be possible for Wrangell in the short t...
The budget that legislators approved last week and will send to the governor for his signature into law or veto would provide about $425,000 in one-time additional state funding to the Wrangell school district for the 2023-2024 classroom year. That would deliver almost a 9% boost to the district’s total operating budget revenue, which is comprised of state money (more than 60%), a borough contribution (32%) and federal dollars. “It will still need to pass the governor, so it’s not guaranteed,” Bill Burr, Wrangell schools superin...
There were plenty of smiles, hugs and tears of joy in a ceremony lasting nearly two hours. Not a moment of the Wrangell High School 2023 graduation was wasted as speakers and video presentations reflected on the lives of 20 seniors taking the step into the next phase of their lives. Salutatorian Brodie Gardner and co-valedictorians Nikolai Bardin-Siekawitch and Kiara Harrison focused on the positive traits of their classmates and the dedication of their teachers. "They go above and beyond for...
