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Artist Jaynee Fritzinger paints a mural using acrylic paints on an interior wall in Breakaway Adventures new location on Lynch Street downtown. The design is based on similar artwork found on the boxes of the electric bikes the business will rent out this summer. Fritzinger also painted a mural in the Totem Bar, but this one is the largest she's painted to date, she said....
As the school year nears the end, so too do the one-year contracts of some staff members. While Mason Villarma, who took the job of activities director at the beginning of the school year, has opted not to renew his contract, a new principal and IT director have signed on for the 2023-2024 school year. Villarma said adding the school district activities director job to his ongoing workload became too much. “I think with the current load, being the (borough) finance director and coaching, there was not enough room on the plate to do a really gre...
After weighing the options of buying an electric school bus through a federal grant, Taylor Transportation, the company that provides the Wrangell School District with busing, has decided to pull the plug on the purchase. Citing the “unknowns” about electric vehicle operation and maintenance, John Taylor said the company decided it wouldn’t be economically feasible to purchase an electric bus. “We’re not doing EV,” he said. “The benefits did not outweigh the costs. We didn’t want to be a government guinea pig. Even though it’s free, it ain’t fr...
As she prepares to enter the adult world, Paige Baggen is leaving behind a noted legacy at Wrangell High School. The 17-year-old is working with fifth-grade band students, specifically the clarinet players, to learn a song for this year's spring concert. Not only is it her senior project but she's doing it out of a love for music. Baggen has been playing music since she was in kindergarten, when Tasha Morse began teaching her to play. She's played clarinet since the fifth grade, so she knows...
Martha Jager was a pillar of the Wrangell Salvation Army community around the 1970s and '80s, swelling the church's numbers and supporting its cause when the floors were covered in shag carpet and the chapel walls had wood paneling. The Alaska Native woman had a welcoming personality and was deeply committed to her church community - so committed that the Martha Jager Fellowship Hall is named in her honor. Jon and Rose Tollerud did not know Jager personally - by the time the pair arrived in Wran...
The Roosevelt Harbor parking lot on Zarembo Island has undergone major upgrades since last year, from drainage improvements to a new program that deters users from abandoning their vehicles. But after a major windstorm last December, the harbor dock needs repairs and will likely be closed until mid-summer, at the earliest. “We have submitted a contract to fix the dock, but the timeline is not as quick as we have hoped for,” said Tory Houser of the U.S. Forest Service Wrangell Ranger District. “We anticipate it will go out for bid in the next co...
What was slated to be a month-long pool shutdown stretched to two months, then three, as the borough and Parks and Recreation struggled to find a contractor to make necessary repairs. But after a long winter with no relaxing lap swims or rejuvenating water aerobics sessions, the pool’s dry spell may finally have an end in sight. The pool has been closed since the last week of November. The week of March 13, local contractor White Enterprises committed to take on the project which includes concrete repairs. Parks and Recreation Director Lucy Rob...
Almost 33,000 visitors are expected to step off a ship or a plane this summer in Wrangell — more than in any year since 2005. But continuing that growth and building up the town’s tourism economy will require more side excursions and other attractions for cruise ship passengers and more overnight accommodations for independent travelers. The community makes its money — jobs and taxes — when tourists find goods or services to buy in town. “The visitor sector will need to make sure it has the capacity to provide sufficient tours to visiting...
Busy lifestyles, reluctance and just old-fashion stubbornness can sometimes get in the way of addressing health care needs. The SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium has the remedy for all the excuses. From 7 a.m. to noon on Saturday at the Nolan Center, SEARHC will hold its first health fair since 2019. The free event will provide information and services on everything from cancer prevention to lab services. There will even be drawings and prizes, including 50,000 Alaska Airlines miles and a children’s bicycle giveaway. “Sometimes it...
Trident’s decision to reopen its Wrangell seafood processing plant after a three-year closure was welcome news for residents, thanks to the economic boost it will bring to town. However, since Trident is one of the community’s major water consumers, the Public Works Department must prepare the aging water treatment plant to handle increased demand this summer before the new water plant, which will have a much larger capacity, is ready to go. The assembly unanimously approved $116,151 worth of spare parts for the current water treatment pla...
The Alder Top Village subdivision is slated to bring 20 new residential lots to the community in its first phase, hopefully by 2024. Borough officials are optimistic that the additional lots will alleviate the community’s housing shortage. But the borough must tread carefully as it develops a portion of the 134-acre parcel because of its environmental and historical significance. Last month, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a permit to fill wetlands at the site and approved the borough’s wetlands mitigation plan. This plan is int...
Breathtaking visuals, gripping plot twists, fascinating history and fun collectibles - all this and more will be available at the Nolan Center's first ever anime fair next month, which aims to bring this popular Japanese artform to Wrangell. The fair, which will take place 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 15 at the Nolan Center, is open to all ages and interest levels, from diehard anime fans to genre newcomers. The event is "new for Wrangell," said Nolan Center Director Cyni Crary, who was involved in...
Any commercial fisherman knows the risks that come with the job, and it’s an added benefit to have deckhands with safety course certification. To that end, the Wrangell School District migrant education program is covering the cost of an upcoming drill conductor safety course for students who are at least 14 years old and their families work in commercial fishing and the student may miss part of the school year to help with the family business. The class is open to everyone, though the school district will pay the fee only for such migrant s...
A berry pink jumpsuit with pleated sleeves and a whimsical coral reef pattern; a sea-green onesie covered in cartoon octopuses, each of them unique; organic oils, teas and lotions for postpartum moms -all this and more will be available at Hannah Miethe's new online baby shop, Little Nestlings Boutique, which is slated to open early this summer. "I grew up here in Wrangell my whole life and I saw a need for children to have clothing," Miethe said. "I don't see a lot of postpartum things in town...
Similar pieces of legislation to increase state funding for public schools are awaiting hearings in the House and Senate finance committees as lawmakers face a mid-May adjournment deadline and school districts make spending plans for the 2023-2024 school year. The House bill, which was amended and moved out of the Education Committee on March 22, would increase the funding formula by a little over 11% in the first year and 2% in the second year, about half of the bill sponsor’s original proposal. The Senate version, which moved out of its E...
In her childhood years, Trinity Faulkner benefited from the game of basketball and developed a lifelong appreciation of the sport. To help fulfill her high school graduation requirement and celebrate a passion for making passes and baskets, Faulkner used her knowledge and skills to assist Parks and Recreation's youth basketball program last October. The 17-year-old worked with 5- to 7-year-old kids on dribbling, throwing and other game basics for about six weeks. Even though she didn't play the...
Adding to the millions of dollars in federal pandemic relief aid already provided to the borough, Wrangell has been notified that $1.23 million more is on its way in a final round of assistance. The community can use the money for pretty much anything that benefits its residents. It will be up to the borough assembly to appropriate the money. Borough Manager Jeff Good said he expects the assembly at its March 28 meeting will discuss the possibility of putting the money toward constructing a new pipeline to move water from the upper reservoir...
It’s been seven years since the Wrangell Chamber of Commerce operated in the black. Each year since, it’s run a budget deficit covered by savings. Declining membership renewals and falling revenues from other sources has left the organization struggling to operate, and its board is working to find funding solutions. In 2016, the chamber’s revenues totaled $266,169 and its expenses were $205,502, producing $60,667 in income to add to savings. Since then, operating expenses have been higher than income, with the nonprofit in the red thousands of...
To keep pace with inflation and ensure its ability to cover future costs, the borough is considering rate increases across all enterprise funds — electric, water, port and harbors, wastewater and garbage. If the proposals are adopted, rates for the self-supporting funds would increase an average of 10%, effective with the start of the new fiscal year in July. The borough assembly will consider the rates at its March 28 meeting. The 15% wastewater rate increase would be the steepest rate hike; the 5.5% increase for trash pickup services would b...
Since the Wrangell Cooperative Association started offering e-waste recycling around 2016, IGAP technician Kim Wickman has been surprised to see growing demand for the service. “We thought we would have less,” she said, after a few major purges cleared most of the backlog of old electronics off the island. “But minus the COVID year, we’ve had a bit of a steady increase as people are realizing the importance of it. We get a lot of phone calls over the year about when our next e-waste event is.” Residents with old electronics crowding their close...
National Reading Month is in its final week, and some of the community’s literature lovers are sharing their favorite books for anyone who wants to add to their list — this month, or any month. The month was first celebrated in March of 1994 to commemorate the contributions of author and illustrator Dr. Seuss, who helped foster enthusiasm for reading in American youth by producing children’s books that were engaging despite their simple language. Every year in March, readers celebrate by picking up their favorite novels, visiting their local...
Alesa McHolland is having a surreal life moment. While waiting to receive freight on March 15, the new co-owner of the former Alpine Mini Mart never quite expected to be where she is. "It's kind of surreal because I never thought anything like this would happen," she said. "I never thought I would have enough assets to do this kind of thing. When you work in Wrangell, there aren't a lot of options for jobs." On March 8, McHolland and her husband Wayne signed the papers and became the new owners...
The federal subsistence management program aims to protect rural Alaskans’ subsistence lifestyle while maintaining healthy fish and wildlife populations on federal lands. However, this multi-agency governmental apparatus can be daunting for rural residents to navigate. Representatives of the Wrangell Cooperative Association, U.S. Forest Service and Sitka Conservation Society are partnering to bring a workshop to the community, intended to empower residents to engage with the complexities of the Federal Subsistence Board process. Attendees w...
Vying for state titles in three different sports is behind him, but Ethan Blatchley still has to blaze a trail to finish his senior project before he graduates. And though training and competing in cross country, wrestling and basketball might have been challenging, he faces his biggest challenge yet: Dressing up like a dalmatian and teaching fire safety to kids. There is no medal for this kind of bravery. Blatchley will aid the Wrangell Fire Department in its annual safety training for elementa...
Just eight weeks before the start of the summer timetable on May 1, the Alaska Marine Highway System released its schedule and opened its online reservations system for bookings. The schedule, which was announced March 7, came later than usual this year as the state continues to wrestle with crew shortages that will keep a couple of ships tied to the dock for the summer. Wrangell will see a weekly ferry stop in each direction May through September. “The Kennicott and Tazlina will be off-line for the time being due to skilled crew shortages, b...