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Sealaska Heritage Institute has released an hour-long film on the history and origin of Celebration since the first gathering in 1982. The film, titled “40 Years of Celebration - A Biennial Festival of Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian Cultures,” begins with the first Celebration when Native people came together in Juneau to celebrate their cultures. The film shows the growth of the event over the years. It started off with primarily elders and has expanded to include all ages. It also has grown to include art shows, a Native artists market, foo...
Christmas morning is supposed to be a time of warmth, cheer and uplifted spirits. Unfortunately, for one Wrangell family, it was a morning where their spirits sank. Along with their boat. Benn Curtis, his wife Shirley Wimberley and their son Rolland Wimberley were enjoying the start to their day on Dec. 25 when they discovered their family boat submerged. "We were just sitting around and (Rolland) looks out and says, 'At least it's a white Christmas.'" Shirley Wimberley said. "I was thinking it...
The assembly has approved an ordinance allowing the borough to list the former hospital property with a realtor for the value of the land, half the price of the previous minimum bid. However, Borough Manager Jeff Good told the assembly at its Dec. 20 meeting that he plans to delay listing the property while he negotiates with a potential investor. The property was listed for its full appraised value of $830,000 — a price that encompassed the value of its land and building — on a public surplus website in April 2022. The borough, however, rec...
Though the combined impacts of COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza have burdened medical facilities nationwide, seasonal flu cases appear to be plateauing in Alaska, though activity remains high. Wrangell has largely managed to avoid the effects of the “tripledemic” predicted by White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha. Cases in Alaska started to rise steadily in October and hit pre-pandemic peaks in late November — months before the usual February peak for flu. As of the Dec. 24, the flu activity “is s...
The borough is about to begin the five-year, state-mandated process of updating its wastewater treatment plant. Borough officials are currently searching for sources of funding for what will likely be a multimillion-dollar project. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issues permits to wastewater treatment plants across the nation, regulating the amount of pollutants they are allowed to release into the water. Historically, the Wrangell treatment plant has received a waiver allowing it to discharge wastewater that has not undergone full...
Everything Nikolai Bardin-Siekawitch has learned about piloting a drone since 2021 will help launch his senior project. Not surprising, he is abuzz with excitement to use the flying technology any way he can. The overall goal Bardin-Siekawitch wants to achieve in his high school project is to provide some sort of drone-related service in Wrangell "because we don't really have one here and I want to be the first." That service could be anything from real estate photos to promotional videos or...
It's been 45 years since Dave Rak and his wife Paula came to Alaska. It's been 45 years since he accepted a job as a soils scientist with the U.S. Forest Service. And now, 45 years later, he's retiring. Rak's last day as a full-time employee with the agency was Dec. 31. In that time, he's held a few different positions, worked with many different people and seen the Forest Service change in lots of different ways. Fresh out of graduate school in 1977, Rak applied with the Forest Service to be a...
After 20 years of working in the U.S. Forest Service, Tory Houser is taking on a new role, albeit a temporary one. While Ranger Clint Kolarich is away on another assignment for four months, Houser is filling in as the acting ranger for the Wrangell district of the Tongass National Forest. The biggest change in Houser's duties is that she will be the decision maker for the district. "All of the recommendations, all of the projects and things that come through here and need a signature, a 'yes'...
Participants in the 6-Mile mill property community forum shared their hopes for the site with borough officials last Thursday. Attendees weren't afraid to dream big as they crafted the headlines they'd like to see in the Sentinel 20 years from now: "Industrial complex a success - largest haul-out facility in Alaska." "Wrangell shows steady economic growth while maintaining small-town charm." "No more milling around - Wrangell's industrial diversification takes off." "Wrangell industrial complex...
Wrangell will go without any state ferry service for three weeks this winter while the Alaska Marine Highway System cuts back on port calls as its ships head into winter overhaul. There will be nothing northbound out of Wrangell after the Kennicott’s scheduled Jan. 6 sailing to Petersburg and Juneau until the Matanuska comes back into service after its winter work and stops here northbound on Feb. 3. The Kennicott’s last southbound run before winter overhaul is scheduled for Jan. 11 in Wrangell, with the Matanuska set to stop here Feb. 6 on...
Dusty Cowan, 41, of Wrangell, was sentenced to seven years in prison last week for online enticement of a minor and distribution of indecent materials to a minor. His crimes included “soliciting sexual photos from a minor as well as sending photos of his (genitals) to the minor,” according to a statement from the Alaska Department of Law. The victim was 14 years old when Cowan began initiating sexually explicit conversations and video chats with her via Facebook Messenger. He had known the victim since she was in kindergarten and was a “fa...
The planning and zoning commission is discussing changes to housing regulations that could allow landowners to build small accessory dwelling units on their properties, intended to help alleviate the community’s housing shortage. “We get a lot of requests of people who want to build a small unit behind their house for a mother-in-law or parent,” said borough Economic Development Director Carol Rushmore. “Because of our housing crush, this is a way for people who really want to do that to improve our housing situation.” The current code does...
Wrangell's Davis Dow of the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium received the Rising Star Award at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium's Behavioral Health Aide forum last month. The award is given to a health aide who delivers exceptional client care and improves the behavioral health care delivery system in their community. Dow was honored for his collaboration with the Wrangell School District and for helping meet the needs of homeless community members. His efforts allowed...
The halls of the American Legion were decked out for the Christmas party last Saturday - wreaths and lights covered the walls, wrapped presents hung from the ceiling and children walked through an inflatable candy cane archway to receive their gifts from Santa. Putting on this annual event takes months of careful planning and hard work, explained Jenny Mork of the American Legion. The Legion fundraises throughout the year and parents request specific gifts for their children when they sign up...
One of the senior projects taken on last year was refurbishing benches in the high school and middle school courtyard. James Shilts and Rowen Wiederspohn cleaned, sanded and repainted the benches. Though it helped beautify the open space, it still needed something. This year, Nick Allen chose to add to the courtyard by building a table and attaching benches that students could sit at to eat lunch or do homework or just relax when the weather permits. Allen got the idea for a table and benches wh...
Word of River's Mouth is spreading, just like one of their locally made jams. It's only been a little over a month since River's Mouth Trading Co. opened in the former GCI storefront on Front Street, but customers have already taken advantage of the permanent space. The company has existed since 2017 and has found success through selling at the monthly community market, but as the product line increased, the once-a-month market became harder to sustain. "I started making too many things to pack...
Everything you could possibly want to know about fish, from their biological characteristics to the commercial fisheries that harvest and sell them to the governmental entities that regulate them, is available through the University of Alaska Southeast applied fisheries program. Catering to high schoolers, recent graduates and seasoned professionals alike, the school’s online and in-person programs prepare students for jobs in the industry. Applied fisheries is a workforce development program housed in the UAS career education department in S...
Ofelia Santiago-Ballou, 4, can barely contain her excitement last Saturday night as she tells Santa Claus (Andrew Zeutzius) what she wants for Christmas. Ofelia was one of a couple hundred children who stood in line at the Nolan Center to share their holiday wishes. St. Nick visited with kids from 4 until 8 p.m. - except for about 30 minutes to roast marshmallows and count down the Christmas tree lighting ceremony....
Between the holiday wreaths adorning Front Street shops and the tall tree next to Elks Lodge, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. But for some, the season may look a little leaner this year as residents and local businesses feel the costly effects of inflation during the holiday shopping season. The current price hikes are the worst that City Market assistant store director Matthew Strickland has seen in his 10 years of retail experience. Large 20-pound bags of rice that cost roughly $25 a year ago are now sitting around $42. Many p...
Every year on Dec. 1, the internet is flooded with variations on the same video - a high school senior sits at their laptop surrounded by a crowd of onlookers who are anxious to discover whether the student has received a full ride to an elite college through the Questbridge program. The student opens their status letter and the crowd goes wild. The student is smothered in hugs. Tears are shed. When Wrangell High School's Nikolai Bardin-Siekawitch received his Questbridge email, his response...
Maria Smith, above, works intently on painting a salt dough ornament at the WCA cultural center last Friday. Children and their families were invited to come choose from a variety of ornaments to paint and take home to adorn their Christmas trees. An example of one of the ornaments, bottom, is on display. The ornament was painted by a WCA staff member....
From deadly toxins to dangerous explosions, the risks of pressure canning make this vital home skill sound like a stunt straight out of the "Mission: Impossible" franchise. But, armed with knowledge from Sarah Lewis of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Extension Service, Wrangell residents learned that food preservation can be safe, simple and fun during a series of classes hosted by the Wrangell Cooperative Association last week. Their mission, should they choose to accept it? Turn raw meat an...
Finding the perfect tree in Wrangell isn’t as easy as driving to the nearest lot and picking out a Christmas conifer. But, like many other pastimes in Alaska, one can be hunted down in the Tongass National Forest, as long as the rules are observed. The U.S. Forest Service doesn’t have regulations or require a permit for private household use on Christmas trees, but it does have some guidance for people to follow to help keep from damaging the forest’s ecosystem. According to the guidelines, trees may not be cut from any of its developed recre...
Leroy Wynne knows the value of volunteering and has experienced its rewards on the hardwood. Throughout October and into November, Wynne helped coach fourth and fifth graders in basketball, giving them a social outlet and a way to learn teamwork. The coaching was his high school senior project and a natural fit for the student-athlete. Wynne and a few other volunteer coaches, worked with 20 children to teach them the fundamentals of basketball, instill a love of the game, build teamwork and...
From the subtle shifts in an ocean current to the play of light and shadow on a snow-topped mountain, the work of Wrangell artist Brenda Schwartz-Yeager captures the ever-changing landscapes of coastal Alaska. The painter, who was born and raised on the island, will be displaying her work at a pop-up shop in the Stikine Inn throughout the month of December. "It feels really nostalgic to be back in this space," she said. "I think it's been like 20 years or something since I've been exhibiting...
