Aug. 5, 1926

Wrangell was honored by a visit from a member of the president’s cabinet on Monday morning when Navy Secretary Wilbur arrived here. He was accompanied by Adm. H. F. Hughes, commander of the battle fleet, Adm. Leigh and Capt. Gheradi. The party came north from Seattle aboard the USS Decatur, the flagship of the destroyer fleet. When the Decatur tied up at the dock, Acting Mayor Leo McCormack, together with several citizens, extended a welcome on behalf of the city. Secretary Wilbur said his time here was limited to one hour and that he wished to put in the time walking around the town. The group was intensely interested when they learned that the numerous radio sets in use here have such good reception from distant points. They seemed astonished when they were told of Digby Cochrane, Claude Blackington, Harry Cartley and many others who think nothing of hearing Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, Australia, as well as numerous stations in Japan.   

Aug. 3, 1951

The salmon seining season started in this area at 6 a.m. Wednesday morning with 160 boats on hand for “Operation Fish” at Anan Creek, complete with air support and top brass. The season was originally scheduled to open Aug. 6 but with the apparently adequate escapement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service opened the following areas on Aug. 1: Icy Strait District, Western District, Eastern District, Anan and Ernest Sound. FWS reports the majority of the boats on opening day were at Anan. Both FWS and the local cannery reported the average haul per net per boat was very small, only a few hundred fish. About nine tenders were at the area to pick up the fish.

Aug. 4, 1976

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game made few friends with its decision to close down all of Southeast Alaska to seine and gillnet fishing for at least two weeks. Opposition in Wrangell to the closure came from the chamber of commerce, many commercial fishermen and Doug Holbeck, of Harbor Seafoods. Southeast seine and gillnet fisheries were shut down July 23, and Fish and Game officials have given no firm indication when they will lift the ban. Aug. 7 was given by officials when operations were closed July 23 as the earliest possible opening. However, a spokesperson for the department’s Southeast regional office in Juneau on July 30 said that net fisheries would remain closed through Aug. 9. The spokesperson said “concern over diminishing catches of fish” led to the total closure. “We really don’t know from one week to the next what the catch will be.”

Aug. 2, 2001

“The Northern Economics study is garbage!” said Wrangell Inter-Island Ferry Authority representative Judy Bakeberg after returning from a meeting with Gov. Tony Knowles and Department of Transportation representatives last week. The southern Southeast ferry authority representatives were frustrated after meeting with Knowles on July 26 in Craig, where they again heard that the economics study initiated by the state found that expanding the ferry service northward would not be economically feasible. Relying heavily on this report, the Department to Transportation wants to defer the expansion, scheduled for the spring of 2003, until at least 2006. This system involves connections between Wrangell, Petersburg and Coffman Cove. Bakeberg and IFA representative Kent Miller are going to Juneau to meet with state officials next month to discuss the study.