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What is wrong with the slogan “Make America Great Again”? Apparently a lot, at least according to President Joe Biden. In his fiery speech on Sept. 1, President Biden, while preaching unity, accused 73.6 million MAGA/Trump voters of “representing an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic.” He also quoted a federal judge, who said the “MAGA movement is clear and present danger to our democracy.” Biden said of MAGA Republicans: “They embrace anger. They thrive on chaos. They live not in the light of truth but in the shadow...
Wednesday evening, Aug. 17, may have been wet, very wet, but Mother Nature’s deluge did NOT dampen the spirits of Wrangell residents attending the music fest at Shoemaker Park. The community was once again privileged to be entertained by the Powers and their talented musician friends who are REALLY good at what they do, aren’t they? Having the Powers here with all they offer adds a special spark and another dimension to our otherwise quiet and simple lives. Thank you again, Powers family, we are glad you call Wrangell home. And thank you to...
My voice is an echo. So many people write to the Sentinel to express their thanks and appreciation for the great work that the folks at the Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department and especially the EMT corps do for this community. I don’t have any better words than what has already been expressed but I want to make sure that everyone involved knows how much I appreciate the rapid response to my call, the good care and the kindness you all displayed. And a huge thank you to the police department and the medical staff at the emergency room. The c...
Be careful what you wish for. I hope the large cruise ship operations never “discover” Wrangell. Downtown Juneau is like New Orleans’ Bourbon Street. Crowded and noisy, indiscriminate COVID spreaders. My downtown neighborhood is overrun by tourist vehicles — one day in June saw 499 trips through our narrow streets. Wrangell and the Stikine River are world-class destinations. Major cruise lines will make a Disneyland out of your paradise. Kim Metcalfe, Juneau...
The Alaska Department of Transportation last month reinstated state ferry service to Prince Rupert, British Columbia. The relationship between Prince Rupert and Ketchikan is an important one, as they are sister cities. The ferry route brings strong economic benefits to Prince Rupert and the communities of southern Southeast Alaska. It is the fastest way to connect southern Southeast with the road system, and therefore is helpful in shipping goods. According to the McKinley Research Group, seafood companies rely on this port connection to ship...
Did you know that when a child goes to the emergency room at our hospital or their family suffers a house fire or a boating accident, that they can be given a beautiful, comforting teddy bear to snuggle with? These bears are provided by the Beta Sigma Phi sorority and we hope that any family who has a situation where the children could use a comforting friend, that they will ask for one of the teddy bears. The only fundraising event that Beta Sigma Phi holds to raise money for these bears is the Fourth of July pie sale. And it’s a hit every y...
The Friends of the Library recently received a $950 donation from the Juneau Community Foundation toward our ongoing effort to digitize every page of the Wrangell Sentinel, 1902 to present. The plan is to put the easily viewed images online for researchers, family members, students and all the curious people who want to look through the community’s history. The project started several years ago and received a big boost in 2019 when the Wrangell Cooperative Association contributed to the effort as it secured an $8,250 grant for the work from t...
There were multiple positive outcomes for our ferry system this past legislative session, including a bill protecting Alaska Marine Highway System funds, the restart of the Prince Rupert route, and more ferries sailing. House Bill 322, which I had the honor of carrying on the House floor and I am particularly pleased passed, protects multiple important funds: the Higher Education Investment Fund (HEIF), and the AMHS Fund and Vessel Replacement Fund. The HIEF pays for our student state scholarships. The AMHS Fund is where revenue generated from...
I would like to send a very heartfelt thank you to Leslie and Alan Cummings, owners of the Grand View Bed and Breakfast. When my brother, Craig, passed, I called the Grand View Bed and Breakfast to make reservations. Leslie answered. She said, “I know why you are coming home. I am so sorry for your loss. You are family. Come down, stay as long as you want, I won’t charge you.” She even gave me a car! Leslie represents the Wrangell I remember and love. -- Jane Campbell...
A heartfelt thank you to the highly professional volunteer ambulance crew and EMTs for their quick response to our call and for caringly and safely carrying me down our 27 steps for my recent trip to the hospital. And thank you soooooo much for your warm, loving care during my recent six-day stay (with pneumonia) in the hospital. To: Lillia, Christina, Connie, Lisa, Rachel, Shahmeer, Molly, Stephanie, Meghan, Katie, Georgina and Dr. Restad. Much love, Karen Morse...
The State House finished its work April 9 on the operating budget, which has been passed to the Senate for further work and debate. While there is still work to be done, this year’s budget has the potential for some great investments for the needs of Alaskans. The House passed a Permanent Fund dividend at $1,250 this year and approved an additional energy relief check of $1,300 to help mitigate the costs of record inflation and high fuel costs. While I know some constituents wanted a bigger PFD, this compromise means we can take a sustainable d...
Paula Rak and the WCA IGAP program would like to thank LNM Services, Wrangell IGA, City Market, First Bank, the city and borough of Wrangell and the Wrangell Cooperative Association for their donations and continued support for the Wrangell Community Cleanup....
I would like to thank everyone who wrote a letter on my behalf to the chamber of commerce. I am deeply touched and humbled by the award I received at the April 9 dinner. There are so many people in the community who are more deserving, and I am overwhelmed that I was chosen. Thank you again for all your kind words, I am very honored. Sarah Merritt...
The family of David and Sue Jack would like to thank the staff at Wrangell Medical Center, especially the nursing staff, who attended to the needs of our parents while they were in the hospital. They were professional in every way, and made the best of a very difficult time for both mom, dad and us. At this time, we would also like to give a very special thank you to the members of the local American Legion Post and the veterans who assisted the Army color guard with the funeral services for dad. The send-off they gave dad was poignant, with a...
The House Finance Committee has released its proposed state budget, which includes funds for an energy relief check for every eligible Alaskan. The proposal comes from high and continuously rising energy costs, a concern that I have heard from you. Alaskans are paying significantly more at the gas pump and for home utility costs. The state has been in a dire fiscal situation for multiple years, and our restrictive budget has reflected this. However, with the sudden increase in the price of oil, there is a bump to state revenue. The Legislature...
Spring is in the air. The last little mounds of snow are melting. Packets of seeds are on my shopping list. Small birds have begun to appear at my feeder. We are breaking out of our cocoons. For Baha’is worldwide, March 21 coincides with the vernal equinox of the Northern Hemisphere and is celebrated as our New Year. An event planned in Wrangell for March 2020 was abruptly cancelled due to the outbreak of COVID. In-person events were respectfully put on hold due to many unknowns. This year’s celebration, open to all, will be held from 6 to 8 p...
As COVID-19 numbers come back down and mitigation plans are slowly being lifted, I want to say thank you to all of those who helped get us this far. Thank you to everyone who wore their mask, got vaccinated and canceled social plans all on your own to protect those around you. In spite of foggy glasses and sore arms, you pressed on. Thank you to everyone who put forth the selfless effort to protect our community. You helped to save lives and kept loved ones in this world. Delton Claggett...
Many will disagree, but in my opinion the vote is the key to American democracy. If after the votes have been counted, recounted, audited and litigated and someone other than the person with the most votes takes or remains in office, then American democracy is dead. On the other hand, one thing most will agree with is that Yukon TV is the opposite of the advertised upgrade. -- John Morse...
The Legislature’s main duty every year is passage of the state budget. Last week, the House made considerable progress by finishing up budget subcommittee work. Budget subcommittees meet frequently with each department to navigate potential budget changes and create a plan for the upcoming budget. I am chair for three budget subcommittees: The departments of Education, Environmental Conservation and Transportation. So far, our department budgets do not look much different than last year’s budgets. For the Department of Education, we added add...
Referring to Larry Persily’s opinion piece, “It’s time more Republicans stood up to Trump” (Feb. 9 Sentinel), I am shocked how a Democrat can sound so undemocratic, intolerant, self-righteous and self-contradictory. While you stress that you do not want to take away Trump’s phone, internet access or deny him his First Amendment rights, you urge Republicans to muzzle him, to “check him into a room at a budget hotel that only has basic cable” as you put it. In other words, you are asking Republicans to do the highly undemocratic deeds for you...
In October 2021, Wrangell Mayor Steve Prysunka spoke about the abandoned Johnny Mountain Mine before the Wrangell borough assembly to highlight irresponsible mining practices in British Columbia. As the new owner of Iskut property which includes the abandoned mine, through this letter we would like to share with the residents of Wrangell the multiyear and multimillion-dollar voluntary reclamation activities Seabridge Gold is undertaking to reclaim the Johnny Mountain Mine site back to its original pre-mine condition. When Seabridge Gold acquire...
The board and members of St. Frances Animal Rescue would like to thank the many generous members of the Wrangell community for their support. Your donations have helped us sustain the efforts of the rescue to take in stray and surrendered kitties, provide quality care and try to find adoptive homes for cats and dogs. In addition, it has been significant in helping us work toward the goal of relocating the shelter. It was a busy 2021 with cats continuing to be surrendered, trapped and adopted. We took in 11 adult cats and six kittens. Four...
It takes a village to raise a child. It also takes a village to support the activities of an organization such as Hospice of Wrangell. Our members sincerely appreciate the community's involvement and support. We want to recognize some folks who have provided special help this past year. We are awarding “Hospice Hearts” for 2021 to: Suellen Bahleda ,Jim Bailey, Michael Bania, Cyni Crary, Bonnie Demerjian, Tyler Eagle, Duke Mitchell, Adrianna Nelson, Loretta Rice, Sarah Scambler, and the members of the Stikine Stitchers. These Wrangellites hav...
I would like to concur with Alice Rooney about the high quality of the Wrangell Sentinel. You are doing a fine job. Glad to have you back, Larry. I cannot leave out our fine reporter at KSTK, Sage Smiley. She is among the best radio reporters that we have had. She does her research and comes up with news stories that are enlightening. I hope that all of you stick around. Paula Rak...
By Joe Geldhof and Juanita Cassellius Of the Permanent Fund Defenders For a long time, significant issues about our Permanent Fund have been bungled and avoided. How long? Too long, since 2016, when then-Gov. Bill Walker decided to ignore the long-standing formula to pay the dividend embedded in Alaska law. The failure to pay the dividend according to statute created political chaos. Every legislative session since Walker reduced the dividend payment has seen political fighting over the size of the dividend. Without a fix to the dividend...
