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WRANGELL - Kids keep asking John Schank if he's Santa. "I can't lie to them," he laughed. "But I say, 'I'm just his helper.'" John Schank is 72. He has a big white beard and has been driving for Lynden Transport for 49 years. He and Fred Austin, another longtime Lynden driver, are transporting the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree and its 82-foot sled - trailer - from Seattle to Washington, D.C. This is Schank's second time driving The People's Tree from Alaska to Washington, D.C. He was selected to d...
Over the last two summers, U.S. Forest Service crews have made headway to improve the Petersburg Lake Trail on Kupreanof Island — upgrading the boardwalk, brushing the path and cutting through fallen trees by hand. The 10.5 miles meandering from the dock up to the Petersburg Lake Cabin site is now mostly passable — but a beaver dam complex remains an obstacle, flooding about a mile of the path in the middle of the hike. Petersburg Lake Trail had been largely impassable due to degradation fro...
Wayne Thomas Hagerman was born on November 4, 1943, in Petersburg, Alaska, the son of Edward and Lillian Hagerman. He graduated from Petersburg High School in 1962 and went on to earn his optometry degree from Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon. In 1967, at a Petersburg friend's wedding, Wayne met and fell in love with Gloria Kaelin. Shortly thereafter, her father, a United Methodist minister, married them in Mount Lake Terrace, Washington, and they enjoyed almost 57 years together. The... Full story
The U.S. Forest Service Petersburg Ranger District is temporarily moving office operations to Scow Bay while the downtown headquarters is renovated. Work on the downtown office —including a complete renovation of the interior of the building— is estimated to start in January 2025 and could last two years. Until then, the Harris Building —at 123 Scow Bay Loop Road— will be the de facto Petersburg District office location where the public can meet with USFS staff. Work at the downtown office site...
October 31, 1924 – Thursday evening, November 6, in the schoolhouse, the Petersburg Parent-Teacher Association will once again convene. There is to be a business meeting which will likely not be long. The following program will be rendered for the pleasure of those present: piano solo, Miss Reep; reading, “Maggie Clancy has her say,” Lanore Martin; vocal solo, “The Hour of Memory,” Mrs. Martin Enge; and a reading by Miss Thorp. Refreshments are promised. So bring yourself, a friend and lots of pep and interest! October 28, 1949 – The ski tow...
It seemed everyone in Wrangell piled into to the Nolan Center to witness the blessing of the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree. Led by the Wrangell Cooperative Association, the event was moved indoors after a persistent storm turned a cloudy afternoon into a rainy one. The event was attended by folks from Wrangell, from throughout Alaska and from Washington, D.C. Even Smokey the Bear made a surprise appearance. Kate Thomas, the borough's economic development director, played emcee for the afternoon,...
Upgrades are in the works for a few amenities at Sandy Beach recreational area, including a year-round restroom, parking improvements, and the ongoing extension work on City Creek Trail. Sandy Beach is a place for all sorts of recreational happenings. The beachfront park and picnic area includes a few shelters, benches, firepits, barbecues, a playground, as well as a totem pole and four informational signs at the plaza installed this summer. Visitors also park at the Sandy Beach area to access...
Christine Slaght introduces the preschoolers to Smokey Bear during the Forest Service visit to Good Beginning Preschool to discuss campfire safety and the 5 wildfire prevention rules....
October 3, 1924 – Some of the largest and the most vicious brown bear in Alaska are found on Admiralty Island. It was one of these ferocious denizens of this wilderness with which Mrs. Flora Tate, of the Tate & Thomas Boarding House, came face to face while on a recent hunting trip on that island. Mrs. Tate, with but a few yards separating her from the bear, brought her gun into position, but her mother begged her not to shoot and so, bruin still lives to roam his native forests and mountains along with many others of his kind which keep p...
September 12, 1924 – Some fine loganberries have been raised on the Papke farm below Petersburg. It has been claimed by agents of the government experimental farm that this class of berries could not be successfully raised in Alaska, but yet Mr. Papke has proved the contrary so far as his place is concerned. He also has cherry trees, apple trees, raspberries, strawberries, and several varieties of vegetables. On his place also has been raised hemp with an excellent texture. In fact, his place is a veritable wonderland in the many different f...
Southeast Alaska subsistence users who want current information on sockeye escapement numbers, deer seasons and detailed maps now have a single website providing all the information. The U.S. Forest Service on Sept. 2 went live with its new subsistence dashboard. "This tool was created in response to feedback and requests by tribal organizations and subsistence users throughout Southeast Alaska," Tongass Subsistence Program Manager Robert Cross said in a prepared statement. "We heard how... Full story
Alaskans still making ornaments to hang on the Capitol Christmas Tree now have a little more time. The original submission deadline of Sept. 16 has been extended two weeks to Sept. 30. "Sept. 16 ... that was the deadline we were given about a year ago when we started planning this," said Claire Froelich, interpretation and education specialist with the U.S. Forest Service in Wrangell. "But because we are now working with Alaska Airlines, our shipping is going to take less time, so now we have... Full story
SITKA — A woman and her dog, missing since last Wednesday, were found by searchers at 10 a.m. Saturday morning near the Katlian Bay road north of town, Sitka police said. The woman, Olivia Magni, 28, was airlifted back to town by a Coast Guard helicopter and taken to Mt. Edgecumbe Medical Center, Sitka Police Department spokesperson Serena Wild said. Her dog, unharmed, walked out. “She was found with the dog... She was just hypothermic, bumps and bruises,” Wild said, noting that Magni apparently had fallen at some point. The publicly accessible...
August 14 – Petersburg Police Department (PPD) received a report of a bear inspecting a trash can on Mitkof Highway. PPD received a report of ravens getting into trash on Harbor Way. PPD received a report of a bear eyeing chickens on Tango Street, but the bear left the area at the direction of an officer. No chickens were harmed. An officer assisted Emergency Medical Services (EMS) on Birch Street. A trespass notice was served on Vesta Street. A trespass notice was served on South 3rd Street. An officer assisted the Alaska State Trooper (...
A sitka spruce from the Wrangell Ranger District was selected to represent Alaska as the 2024 U.S. Capitol Christmas tree. "This is the first time the Capitol Christmas tree has come from the Tongass National Forest," Public Affairs and Partnerships staff officer Paul Robbins Jr. told the Pilot in an email. According to Robbins Jr., the tree will be transported over 900 miles by sea and 2,899-mile cross country to Washington D.C. Alaskans have been asked to provide over 10,000 handmade...
August 15, 1924 – This afternoon a most disastrous fire broke out in the power plant of the Kennecott Copper Corporation resulting in the total loss of the plant, at an estimate of between $1,500,000 to 2,000,000. The fire began about 3:15 on the top side of the number four boiler and in two minutes it was a roaring inferno of smolder and flame barely giving time to the men on shift to make good their escape. The mill, machine shop and a number of the employees residences in the immediate vicinity escaped with a similar fate through the p...
April 3, 2024 At arraignment, defendant Samantha Mable Bean entered a not guilty plea to the misdemeanor charge of Assault in the fourth degree. Defendant was release on own recognizance. April 5, 2024 At a change of plea proceeding, Jessie Roundtree entered a guilty plea to Assault in the third degree and a guilty plea to Misconduct Involving a Controlled Substance in the fifth degree. On July 26, 2024 he was sentenced to 730 days in jail with 695 days suspended and five years of probation. At a change of plea proceeding, Clyde Forest Brown...
Smokey Bear turned 80 years old on August 9, 2024. Community members joined the U.S. Forest Service and Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department to celebrate Smokey Bear's birthday with cake, crafts, and photos with the longtime icon of wildfire prevention at a birthday party held behind the Forest Service building on Friday. From left to right: Carin Christensen, Smokey Bear, Tiare Simbahon, Caroline Dowd, Alex Rodriguez-Smith....
They may be out of sight to the general public but they are never out of mind for the U.S. Forest Service. The agency maintains 35 mountaintop repeater towers within the Tongass National Forest to provide radio coverage for their field crews and first responders. A contractor is installing new repeater stations at five sites this summer in the Wrangell and Petersburg ranger districts, part of an ongoing effort to switch out older units with newer models. Of particular importance to Wrangell, a...
So, you want to see bears at the Anan Wildlife Observatory. But maybe you couldn't get one of the limited number of permits, or you live out of town and can't make the trip, or maybe you are a little more afraid of them than you care to admit. But now, thanks to the U.S. Forest Service, explore.org and 14 Wrangell high school students in the T3 Program, anyone worldwide can view Anan's fish-crazed black and brown bears. Last week, after months of preparation, planning and prototyping, the two...
Petersburg's tribe plans to add sidewalks to some streets and build a new trail in coming years. The Petersburg Indian Association approved a four-year infrastructure plan on July 17 after finalizing the project list at a public meeting earlier in the month. The tribe will partner with the Petersburg Borough to add sidewalks along residential streets near the Petersburg Community Center. Debra O'Gara is the tribal council president. "Right now, in the middle of winter, it's really dark back...
July 18, 1924 – Two men, one masked, held up Ole Jackson aboard the gasboat Jiggs shortly after midnight in Auke Bay at Pelton Cove, and made their escape with $500 ($9,186.40 today) which Jackson had in a sack to purchase fish. Ole Jackson, who is a buyer for H.R. Thompson, of Juneau, left on the Jiggs from City Dock the same evening, going over the bar to Pelton Cove where he anchored for the night. About seven o’clock, Jackson turned in to make an early start in the morning for Hoonah and adjacent places to buy fish from trollers. Som...
Former photographer and current sketcher and painter Ron Hall is having his first big art show called "Colors Speak To Me," on display July 22 through July 31 at the Clausen Memorial Museum. Ron began his art career as an aerial photographer. "I took aerial photos for the Forest Service in Southeast Alaska, California and Florida," said Hall. After moving into Petersburg Medical Center's Long Term Care several years ago, Hall took up sketching and eventually painting as a hobby. Hall has been...
Representatives of Petersburg Indian Association (PIA) and the Hutli committee and members of the Séet Ká Kwáan Dancers welcomed the public to witness the unveiling of the story totem pole at Sandy Beach Park on July 5. The totem pole was created by Tlingit carver Fred Fulmer Sr., Saat-Kaa, of Everett, WA - commissioned by PIA for the Hutli project. "Hutli is a Tlingit work roughly translated to Thunderbird and the thundering sound of the wings," Brenda Louise told the sizeable crowd on hand for...
Coast Guard Sector Southeast received a call Tuesday morning, shortly before 10:00 a.m., that the Petersburg-based seiner the Pamela Rae was taking on water in Anita Bay, located on Etolin Island near Wrangell. The call came from the F/V Confidence, relaying a call from their sister fishing vessel Barbara which was on the scene and providing samaritan support, U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson Lt. Matt Naylor told the Pilot. The Pamela Rae was taking on water fast and was rolling over. They had...
