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When our family resided in Wrangell from 1963-66, the community had two major payrolls: the Wrangell Mill located in town, and six miles south a mill owned by Alaska Lumber and Pulp Corp., which later acquired the downtown mill. In addition to the sawmill jobs, there were longshore jobs, numerous tugboats and, of course, loggers in the woods harvesting the timber. The recent release by the Trump administration’s report outlining “Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential” included development of the timber resources of Southea...
There is growing concern among Alaskans that oil and gas revenues to the state general fund will be insufficient to satisfy programs such as education, law enforcement and transportation, as well as to continue to pay a reasonable Permanent Fund dividend. The Alaska Department of Revenue Spring 2025 Forecast projects oil and gas revenues declining over the next decade, dwindling from 37% of general fund revenues for fiscal year 2024 to 25% by fiscal year 2035. The primary components of oil and gas revenues are royalties, production taxes and...
In today’s world, many feel concern, anxiety and cynicism. Yet there are countless reasons to remain hopeful. A gathering in Anchorage on March 29-30 and open to all, explored how we can unite to create a more peaceful and prosperous world for every member of the human family. Among the 140 attendees with diverse backgrounds were three adults and one youth from Wrangell, all eager to reflect on this question. Through devotional gatherings, large and small group discussions, the arts and shared meals, we explored the teachings of B...
In 1975, Gerald Ford, a Republican, was president of the United States. 1975 was 50 years ago — a half century. The U.S. civilian federal workforce was approximately 2.1 million. The population of the United States was 216 million. This made the federal workforce 1% of the U.S. population. In 2024, Joe Biden, a Democrat, was president of the United States. The U.S. civilian workforce was 2.2 million. The population of the United States was 336 million. This made the federal workforce 0.66% of the U.S. population. Over the past 50 years the U...
I love the fact that I can access all the Wrangell newspapers published back to 1898 through the Irene Ingle Public Library’s website. I recently searched the keywords “Bradfield road” and found these articles extremely interesting. Would you please consider reprinting all the Bradfield road articles on a weekly basis? I recently moved back to Wrangell. I was very disheartened about the lack of growth in our economy. City Hall’s archives are full of economic development studies. Instead of wasting money on another study, the community should...
I am writing to express my outrage and disappointment over the recent actions of our school district activities director, Tammi Meissner, and Superintendent Bill Burr. As a parent of a student athlete, I am appalled by the strict enforcement of a fee-payment rule that resulted in two of our top student athletes being denied travel to a Jan. 23-25 basketball tournament in Craig. This is not the first time this issue has arisen. Just weeks ago, three other student athletes faced the same situation, initially being denied travel due to late...
An article appeared in the Daily Sitka Sentinel about Dale Borgford’s proposal to turn Wrangell’s former 6-Mile sawmill site into the trash-burning capital of Southeast Alaska. I was sent a letter that Dr. Gregory Duncan and Dr. Anne Duncan wrote to the Wrangell borough assembly and Borough Manager Mason Villarma. They raise extremely valid concerns about the extreme hazards and drawbacks of this proposal. Sitka’s municipal trash incinerator is now closed. If something like this was ever proposed again, I would spend every last dime I had t...
Sitka and Ketchikan have much in common: They both have airports on islands — Japonski (Sitka) and Gravina (Ketchikan). Yet there is a significant difference: Sitka has a bridge to their island and Ketchikan has a ferry. I believe there is another alternative. The late Don Young, while a member of the U.S. House, was successful in obtaining initial federal funding for planning and engineering for a bridge to Gravina Island, but we had a change in governors and the new governor moved the money to needed road projects in Central and Interior A...
We stayed inside for days, the nonstop rain pelting the windows. We waited for the sun to come out to explore our new community. We were California girls. Little did we know the sun was not coming out; it can rain six to 12 feet a year in Southeast Alaska. I answered a knock on the front door to find two shy, Alaska Native boys. They had come to show my sister and me their island. We picked blueberries in the rain, hiked a steep winding trail through a dark, dripping rainforest to a waterfall, saw a beach where 3,000-year-old petroglyphs were...
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Wrangell community on this year’s anniversary of the tragic event that changed many lives forever. Nov. 20, 2023, is a date we will never forget. No one wasted a minute responding after the slide. Many of you touched my family’s hearts in a positive way. Or they touched your heart. They lived with the values of being kind, honest and hard working — and family. Education was at the top, with dedication to each child first and foremost. Beth and Tim had a lot on the plate, and they made me so...
In state House District 1 there are three candidates: Jeremy Bynum, Republican, and Agnes Moran and Grant EchoHawk, both running as nonpartisan. But are they really nonpartisan? Moran, who has donated to the Democrat party and its fundraising mechanisms more than 98 times since February 2019, raises significant questions about her nonpartisan claim. Specific instances include contributions to Democrat U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, the Progressive Era PAC (described as a Democrat liberal organization), and seven donations to Democrat presidential...
It would be wonderful to see a picture of Dan Trail and his dogs who helped rescue the baby seal pup. How many dogs? What breed? I am one of the many dog lovers in Wrangell and it was cool to read about how Dan’s dogs were a catalyst for a seal pup rescue. This is such a perfect place to get outside and walk dogs. And look what could happen — lives are saved. Sometimes lost, too. We have stories. After spending 20 winters of not walking outside in Wasilla, my husband Greg and I are loving being senior citizens who live somewhere in Alaska, lik...
I am extremely unhappy about the misleading headline in the June 26 Sentinel. I was shocked when I first read it and said immediately that it was very poor reporting. I believe the Wrangell Sentinel owes Mr. Wayne Johnson, the city and the public a sincere apology. I am sympathetic to Mr. Johnson’s situation. Your reporting made it appear that he was taking advantage of Wrangellites. It was very unfair and detrimental to progress for Wrangell. I am also very sad for Wrangell. It was an exciting and hopeful opportunity to have a purchaser for t...
More than 27 years ago, we arrived in Wrangell with our family as the new pastor at Bible Baptist Church and, soon thereafter, taking on the role as produce manager at City Market for the next 22 years of our time here. Thank you, Benn Curtis and Chet Powell for that opportunity. Wrangell welcomed our family with open arms, as did our new church family. Our children, Nathan, Westley and Mindy, experienced and enjoyed making a lifetime of memories living in such a different place than their familiar Midwest beginnings. Yes, the geographic...
I read with great interest the guest opinion by Laurie Overbay-Barker in the April 24 Wrangell Sentinel. She brought up important issues related to the challenging and invaluable work of paid caregiving. My thoughts are running in a related direction. Our town’s aging population has a growing number of folks who could benefit from support to maintain an enjoyable and safe quality of life. We currently have a patchwork system of family, community and paid supports that doesn’t cover everyone. Current caregivers, paid and unpaid, often feel ove...
According to a report from Housing Alaskans, on average, southern Southeast residents spend between 50% and 60% of their monthly income on rent. Above-average rents are particularly harmful to lower-income families, leading to an alarming increase in the number of families with housing needs. Child care expenses make up a particularly large portion of numerous families’ budgets. Parents without access to affordable child care can be faced with the difficult decisions of cutting essential expenses elsewhere to pay for child care. In some c...
April is National Prevention of Child Abuse Month. The Alaska Children’s Trust partners with organizations around the state to create awareness and help nurture healthy families. BRAVE is one such group working in Wrangell to build a positive outlook for the future for our children and youth. Our work is based on our core values of Building Respect and Valuing Everyone (BRAVE). Too often, our society thinks of raising strong children as a parent or caregiver’s responsibility alone. This simply isn’t true. Community support and famil...
The fishing industry has been a significant economic driver in the Southeast region for many years, and its importance has only grown over the past two decades. As a public official for the past decade, I have been working hard to support the industry, and I will continue to do so. Unfortunately, the recent collapse of salmon prices worldwide, due to Russia's actions to fund its war efforts in Ukraine, has caused serious challenges to our Southeast Alaska commercial fleet and the industry as a whole. Therefore, support from various entities is...
The community of Wrangell never stops showing up for each other. It is the quality that I most appreciate about living here. It keeps me humble and hopeful for the future, because I see examples of people caring for each other every day in Wrangell. Sometimes in little ways. Sometimes in big ways. On Saturday, March 16, I got off a plane from Washington, D.C., and attended the public memorial service for Ottie Florschutz. People brought food, memories, photos, laughter and tears to share with family and friends, as the community grieved...
On March 14, Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed Senate Bill 140, which would have provided the largest increase in the base student allocation state funding formula for public schools since its inception. This legislation aimed to boost the base rate by $680 per student, about an 11% increase, a critical measure to uphold the state's constitutional duty to provide public education to all children in Alaska. Even though the BSA has only seen a 4.92% increase since 2012, while the consumer price index has risen more than 25%, indicating a 21% decrease in...
Regarding the editorial that appeared in the Wrangell Sentinel on Feb. 28: As a lifelong resident of Southeast Alaska, I’ve experienced the growth of the mega tourist industry and, yes, some of it is good for the economy. Along with that comes negative things, which should also be considered when deciding to jump into the fray. A few things to be explored are hands-on talks with the people of the other communities, not just the officials. Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and Sitka have been totally overrun with shops owned by the tour industry and o...
As your representative in the Alaska Legislature, I have been and will continue to support legislation that advocates for our growing senior citizen population. That’s why I am proud to cosponsor House Bill 242 which, if passed, will extend the Alaska Senior Benefits Payment Program until June 2034. Alaska has a robust history of supporting its senior population, with the first efforts to help our seniors dating back to 1915. The territorial Legislature’s approval of the old-age bonus program marked the beginning of decades of evolution in ass...
This thought often crosses my mind and I decided it’s time to share it. We are so fortunate to live in Wrangell. There are times when people carry on vehemently about things they dislike, but when we need each other there’s always tremendous support. The response to the landslide is a prime example. It seems like we always run into a Wrangellite at the Seattle airport. When we do, it’s like old home week. Recently, Rod and I were there waiting for our plane which was a couple hours late. I was slowing making my way to the “facility” when someon...
The question for the Wrangell borough assembly is how many utilities will be free to owners of accessory dwelling units. The ordinance is not clear on what utilities will be billed. The recently passed accessory dwelling unit ordinance does not state an answer to this question. The assembly gives the normal government response, which is ignore the question and walk away. Toughen up and get a backbone, assembly members. It is your job to be transparent and honest about the content of ordinances you pass. Silence is no answer. Bill...
I am Robb Arnold and I plan to run for the District 1 seat (Ketchikan, Metlakatla and Wrangell) in the Alaska House of Representatives. I came to Alaska in the early 1990s to work with my dad at a logging camp on Kuiu Island, near Sitka. Rowan Bay changed my life. The challenging work, the forest, the bears, hunting and fishing — it made me fall in love with life in Southeast. I worked during the summers, then came back in 2000. For years, my home has been in Ketchikan. I was hired in 2006 as a crew member for the Alaska Marine Highway S...
