The Skagway News - Feb. 24, 2023

April special election addresses sales tax, Dahl

By Melinda Munson

Skagway residents will have a busy April 18, the first cruise ship day of the season and now a special election.

The assembly voted Feb. 16 to include three questions on the ballot, one regarding sales tax and two regarding Dahl Memorial Clinic.

The voters will decide whether or not to ratify Ordinance 22-10, a proposed increase in sales tax of 1.5%.

Traditionally, Skagway enjoys a sales tax holiday during the fall and winter. Food is not taxed.

The ballot question will read:

“Shall the rate of sales tax collected upon sales made and services rendered in Skagway be increased from 5% to 6.5% for increased operational and infrastructure demands during the 2nd and 3rd quarters of each calendar year, April through September?”

Voters can respond “for” or “against.”

Assemblymember Jay Burnham noted that even if the increase passes, “we’re still going to be on an average below 5% sales tax for a yearly average.”

Assemblymember Reba Hylton said that her employer now pays 40% more for food than in 2019, and the municipality is also facing steeper operating costs.

“...I do support this, and voters, I hope you are listening and just do your own homework. It doesn’t mean it’s a scary thing for everyone. We all have our opinions, but I’m glad that the voters get to decide this and it’s not going to be on my shoulders,” she said.

The Skagway Business

Skagway police respond to shots fired

By Melinda Munson

On Feb. 12 at approximately 11:15 p.m., Skagway Police Dispatch “received a report of multiple gunshots in the area of 19th Ave and Main Street,” according to a Skagway Police release.

Police Chief Jerry Reddick said he and all three officers responded to a suspect, Skagway resident Thomas J. Moraniec, 33.

“[We] talked him out at gunpoint,” Reddick said. “He was cooperative.”

Reddick said a semi-automatic weapon was seized and spent shell casings collected.

According to the release, “As per protocol, Officer Michels contacted the District Attorney’s Office who advised not to make an arrest and to forward charges for Misconduct Involving a Weapon in the Fourth Degree.”

“I really wish there had been another way to charge him, the DA did not agree,”

Reddick said, noting the incident happened with no witnesses.

“There’s been some turnover in the DA office,” he continued. “I feel like we haven’t had good communication as of yet.”

Moraniec was arraigned Feb. 16 and faces four charges: Miscellaneous Weapons 4Possession While Intoxicated, Miscellaneous Weapon 4 - Firing Recklessly, DUI - Alcohol or Controlled Substance and finally, Reckless Endangerment. His next court date is March 28.

“I don’t feel like this is going to be a continued threat,” Reddick said. “I feel like this is a young man who made poor decisions.”

Borough Manager Brad Ryan confirmed that at the time of the incident, Moraniec was employed at Dahl Memorial Clinic as a medical assistant. Ryan would not comment on Moraniec’s current employment status.

“I often wonder whether

the DA office cares about anything that’s going on in Skagway,” said Mayor Andrew Cremata. “We have a severe drug problem in Skagway, and if I’m this disappointed, I can’t imagine

The breakwater at the Small Boat Harbor is breaking. Last October, pieces cracked off and fell into the ocean, forcing the closure of the structure. In January, divers found significant numbers of cracks in the pile and collected samples.

how disappointed our police force is.”

The police did an exceptional job handling a difficult situation,” Cremata added.

“The Small Boat Harbor breakwater continues to be a problem,” Borough Manager Brad Ryan told the assembly Feb. 2. Lab results were not promising.

“...we took some samples of the broken piles and sent them to a lab,” Ryan said.

Photo by Melinda Munson

Reuben Cash, environmental coordinator for Skagway Traditional Council (STC), projected a salute to activist Elizabeth Peratrovich on the STC building. Feb.16 is the official Elizabeth Peratrovich Day established in 1988 by former Gov. Steve Cowper.

Melinda Munson

Photo by Melinda Munson

Entrance to the Small Boat Harbor breakwater

The Skagway News. Skagway’s First Newspaper

Christened in 1897, buried alive in 1904 and resurrected in 1978, The Skagway News is currently celebrating 46 years of reporting in Skagway and Dyea, Alaska, recording our Centennial years and beyond.

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Vol. XLVI, No 3 (942) Feb. 24, 2023

Published on the second and fourth Friday of the month

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Stop calling it a dividend and maybe stop paying taxes

By Larry Persily The Wrangell Sentinal

There might be a way to avoid federal income taxes on the Alaska Permanent Fund dividend. But it would mean admitting that the annual payment to Alaskans is a political decision not at all tied to earnings of the savings account.

It could mean changing the name of the PFD to Popular Fall Distribution, to truly disassociate the money from the fund’s investment earnings. But if it means avoiding federal income tax on the money, we could learn to call the annual payment most anything.

It would mean changing state law.

And it would mean discarding the cynical belief that Alaskans only care about the Permanent Fund because they get a slice of the earnings every fall.

Regardless of the name, we would still want and need to love the Permanent Fund since it provides the largest single source of consistent

revenue for public services. That would not change.

Don’t think of it as a full divorce from the dividend, just think of it as cohabitation without the legal encumbrances.

The possibility of a taxfree PFD struck me after reading this month’s IRS announcement that “general welfare” payments handed out by 21 states in 2022 are not considered taxable income. Those payments were intended to help ease the financial stress of high energy prices, painfully high inflation, the lingering effects of the pandemic, essentially most anything that helped residents get by in life.

No needs-based test to get the money in the 21 states. It went to everyone, thus the cash fit under the IRS use of the general welfare doctrine.

It’s the same doctrine why the billions of dollars in federal pandemic relief payments to individuals in 2020 and 2021 were not taxed. Everyone received the mon-

State News

ey to help with their general welfare. Who says the tax code is cold and cruel?

In Alaska, the IRS last week said the $662 slice of last fall’s $3,284 dividend is not taxable, since it was designated by the Legislature as energy relief, whereas the $2,622 dividend portion is taxable since it is intended as each Alaskan’s share of the fund’s investment earnings.

So why not take the hint from the federal tax office and change state law to make the entire fall bonus tax-free? Figuring Alaskans pay an average 20% in federal taxes, that could mean around a quarter-billion dollars a year that would stay in Alaskans’ pockets instead of going to the federal treasury under a $2,000 PFD.

The Journal of Accountancy — perfect bedtime reading for people who can’t sleep — describes it this way: “The IRS has consistently concluded that payments to individuals by government units, under legislatively

Court System rule change will

By James Brooks Alaska Beacon www.alaskabeacon.com

On May 1, the Alaska Court System will remove the marijuana possession convictions of about 750 Alaskans from Courtview, the state’s online database of court cases.

The Alaska Supreme Court announced the move in an order signed Jan. 31 by the court’s five justices. The action, first publicized Sunday by the Alaska Landmine, follows years of similar unsuccessful legislative efforts to join a nationwide trend.

“I’m glad that the Supreme Court has ordered this,” said Sen. Scott Kawasaki, D-Fairbanks.

The records will still be available for inspection at courthouses and will be discoverable by a formal criminal background check, but they won’t be as easy to find

for the general public.

The removal covers only people who were 21 or older when they committed the offense of possessing an ounce or less of marijuana. The conviction can’t be associated with another crime.

Nancy Meade, general counsel for the Alaska Court System, declined an interview request on behalf of the Supreme Court justices who approved the new order.

Meade said the change originated with administrative staff and was considered by the justices under normal procedures.

“Given that (marijuana) has been legal for eight years, it appeared to the Supreme Court that this was an appropriate time not to have people, as I say, suffer the negative consequences that can stem from having your name posted on Courtview. Because the conduct is con-

provided social benefit programs, for the promotion of the general welfare, are not includible in a recipient’s gross income.”

The Alaska Supreme Court in 2017 ruled that the amount of the PFD is nothing special under the law, merely a distribution of state general fund dollars and subject to the same legislative appropriation process as any other budget item, such as schools or troopers or road repairs.

Sure sounds like that could meet the IRS test of a government payment with a social benefit and for the promotion of general welfare. All we need to do is change the law to admit that the PFD is a state program intended to benefit Alaskans, unrelated to what the Permanent Fund may earn on its stocks, bonds, real estate and other investments that year and, of course, subject to the annual political appropriation process.

It’s not really that hard to admit the truth.

sidered legal right now,” she said.

As states legalize recreational marijuana cultivation and use, they’re also considering whether to expunge, seal or otherwise obscure the criminal records of people who were convicted of marijuana-related crimes before legalization.

A criminal record could prevent someone from getting a job or housing, and obscuring marijuana records may prevent that problem for people convicted of nonviolent marijuana crimes.

“A lot of folks in my district, they have these barriers that are put in place, and a simple rule change, policy change, legislation, could change it for their entire lives,” said Rep. Stanley Wright, R-Anchorage.

In 2019 alone, Illinois, New Hampshire, Nevada and Washington state passed

legislation obscuring marijuana-related convictions; altogether, 41 states have some form of legislation, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Alaska isn’t one of those states, despite a bipartisan push last year. In 2022, the state House voted 30-8 to approve a bill to conceal marijuana convictions from Courtview and criminal background searches, but the measure failed to pass the Senate before the legislative session ended. A similar bill was also proposed by Sen. Mike Shower, R-Wasilla. Wright reintroduced the bill this year and already has five Democratic and independent cosponsors.

He said on Tuesday that he’s still considering whether the bill is needed; a law may be necessary, he said, in order to prevent a future

Alaska

remove hundreds of marijuana convictions from Courtview State lawmakers have been considering broader legislation intended to help people convicted before legalization

Municipal special election sceduled for April 18

(Continued from front page) Association voiced their disapproval of the measure in a Feb. 10 letter to the editor.

“It couldn’t happen at a worse time.” they wrote. “Buildings are vacant; businesses are closing, leaving town or playing musical chairs; properties are devalued; and interest rates, gas and freight prices are skyrocketing again.”

The next two questions on the special ballot pertain to the Dahl Memorial Clinic, embroiled for the past several years over management, staffing and financial issues. The municipality is in the midst of negotiations with Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) for the possible longterm lease of the building

and sale of the clinic business. Concurrently, the clinic board is working to improve the clinic, with many of the members hoping to keep it in local hands.

A petition with 149 valid signatures sent the following question to the April ballot:

“The E.A. & Jenny Rasmuson Community Health Center building and the Dahl Memorial Clinic business shall not be leased or sold without ratification by public vote.”

The question on the ballot will be stated exactly as it was presented on the initiative petition.

“I realize the question is difficult to understand because it’s posed as a negative, which means voters against any sale or lease of the Dahl

Memorial Clinic will have to vote yes, and voters who are in favor of the sale or lease of the clinic will need to vote no,” Mayor Andrew Cremata said. “However, I maintain that Skagway voters will have no issue understanding this question and vote accordingly.”

The final question, Resolution 23-06R, is designed to gauge voter sentiment regarding the municipality’s current negotiations with SEARHC.

“Shall the Municipality of Skagway lease the E.A Jenny Rasmuson Community Health Center building and land along with a lease or sale of the Dahl Memorial Clinic business and assets to SEARHC?”

“...I think by having both

Breakwater welds failing, fix needed

(Continued from front page)

“At least the initial report is that the welds are bad. We had hoped that those welds were field splice welds, and the reason we’d hoped that is that would have meant there were fewer of them. We could have identified them, gone back and repaired them, and put this back together. It turns out, they weren’t field splice wells, they were welds done off site. And that leaves us with more welds to have to address and evaluate.”

The assembly approved a bid Feb. 10 of $36,400 to Hamilton Construction, LLC to make repairs and allow for a better look at the failing infrastructure.

Ryan described the scope of work to the assembly.

“[Hamilton Construction] picks off the end [of the wave barrier], we set it in the back of the Ore Terminal area, we get a closer look at it,” Ryan said. “And at the same time,

we will have to secure the bearing pile and the batter pile with an extra I-beam in there, or channel beam. That I think we can leave in place. And then, with any luck, what we’ll be able to do is go down and identify failing welds that are on the existing wave barrier that’s left there, and weld them back together and stand this up. And we may not even have to put the end of this back on…”

For a more technical explanation see the Hamilton Construction’s Work on Wave Barrier bid letter.

Ryan described the work as a “quick project” and said one of the most important aspects is to get information to “help direct future repairs on the labor.”

“The reason that I’m pushing this fix is so that we can step back and decide what is the right fix instead of a panic response,” he said.

According to Ryan, the

breakwater was installed in 2009.

“Is the company who did these welds involved at all in any of our Ore Dock projects?” quizzed Assemblymember Deb Potter.

“…The company who constructed it certainly is one of the potential bidders,” Ryan said. “…we have the name of the yard where these were spliced. Well, we at least were told the name. They don’t appear in existence anymore, the yard where they were spliced. And that’s where we believe the problem is, with this wave barrier. So, yes and no. But yes, the company who actually constructed it was PPM [Pacific Pile & Marine]. They’re a big company, they’ve done lots of good projects. …We don’t have, right now, any reason to eliminate them from a future bid on a project here.”

Courts to address prior marijuana convictions currently posted on Courtview

(Continued from page 2)

court from reversing the rule change.

Sen. Löki Tobin, D-Anchorage, said her office is also considering a bill of its own.

In addition to providing more surety, a bill could reach further than a simple court rule change.

The court system is in charge of Courtview, which

allows it to exclude marijuana convictions without a state law. Under Administrative Rule 40, it already excludes more than a dozen categories of items, such as some stalking and domestic violence protective order requests.

It can’t change the rules for criminal background checks, which Wright’s bill

questions on there, we have very clear information for staff, we have very clear direction as an assembly, and we’ll be able to set sales for a brighter future,” Cremata said.

The municipality plans to schedule a town hall to educate voters about the special election questions.

would also cover. That bill has yet to receive a hearing, but it’s identical to the one that failed to pass last year, and officials at the Department of Public Safety said as many as 8,500 cases would need to be examined to determine whether they are covered by the bill.

By Melinda Munson

This month, The Skagway News bids farewell to the newsroom. We’re not closing up shop, just moving our computers to my home. It makes sense to work from my abode, where I can consolidate utility bills and be steps away from snotty-nosed kids who generally stay home sick from school at least a day longer than expected.

I was surprised by the reaction when we announced

There’s no place like home

the decision. Decades worth of interns wailed in unison – noooooo! I’m afraid so. Dollars speak louder than nostalgia.

We have cherished this historic building owned by the National Park Service. Outside my desk window, tourists pan for gold. Co-owner Gretchen Wehmhoff faced her desk to overlook Broadway (too much of a distraction for me) where she occasionally hangs out the casement to have discussions with passerbys.

There’s a ghost that lives downstairs – a young boy who gets cranky if bookstore clerk Denise Welch doesn’t read the right kind of poetry frequently enough. I don’t believe in spirits but I will tell you that occasionally,

the air in the newsroom suddenly changes and there’s a mysterious vibration that I can’t explain.

Speaking of Denise, I’ll miss her candy bowl and folksy talks. She is full of wisdom and love. I’ll also miss the hunter green trim, the wood floors of the newsroom and the steep stairs announcing the rare and random visitor. Sometimes that visitor is former paper owner Jeff Brady, popping into his corner of the office with a generous word of praise or a rough critique. Either way, he’s a valuable resource and we’re lucky he doesn’t move to warmer climates.

There are some things I won’t reminisce about: shoveling those *&#$#@#@ stairs in the winter or jam-

ming my noise canceling headphones on at 2 a.m. during the warm months to lessen the din pouring out of Bonanza. I won’t mind being out of earshot of false fire alarms, triggered by changing temperatures. It was an uncomfortable night when I ran through the activated outdoor emergency sprinkler system and waited for the fire department to clear the building.

Many have asked if vacating the newsroom will have a negative effect on the paper. I don’t think so. The Skagway News isn’t a building, it’s the people who persevere to meet the bi-montly deadline. Gretchen and I have carried the News through three arduous years encompassing COVID-19, too many rock

slides to count, the death of a child, three moves, spouse job losses and multiple medical emergencies. This community and the paper are tattooed on our hearts.

You will still find us at the grocery store, assembly meetings, burger feeds and chair fitness. The Skagway News endures. The only difference is I’m writing this in my bed, in sweatpants, while my 6-year-old squeezes an entire tube of toothpaste on his toothbrush. I’ll wait to write the more difficult pieces when I’m alone. And when it’s time to do an in-person interview, I’ll put on pants. Until then, there’s no place like home.

Shorter race victory ‘bittersweet’ - Phillips wins Yukon Quest

By Morris Prokop

The Whitehorse Star

DAWSON CITY – Mi-

chelle Phillips is the 2023 Yukon Quest champion –and wishes the trail hadn’t ended where it did.

The 54-year-old veteran musher crossed the YQ450 finish line at 1:21 a.m. Feb. 15, and was greeted by a multitude of fans and media. She had departed from the Indian River Time Station at about 7:30 p.m. Feb. 13.

The Ten Mile, Yukon resident said she felt a little stiff and sore, but otherwise all right upon her arrival at the finish line.

Asked if she’d ever had any doubt about whether she would win the race, she replied, “It’s a race, so you never know till the finish line.

“Anything can happen, right? Break your sled, or something can happen. You

never know.”

Phillips finished the race with 12 dogs. She said they’re doing well.

“Really upbeat. I wish I could keep going.”

The last leg from Indian River felt pretty fast, she added.

“It’s slow going up the hill, for sure. That’s a long climb. But once we got up there, it felt pretty good.”

Phillips was asked how it felt ending the race in Dawson after having done 1,000mile Quests between Whitehorse and Fairbanks.

“It feels really weird. Yeah, it’s kind of bittersweet. It was like, just going through a lot of memories for me.

“I’ve been running dogs for 25 years,” she said. I’ve run 21 1,000-mile races. So I’ve been participating in this event for a long time.

“And yeah, it was just a whole wave of emotions.

Mushers that are not with us anymore and memories and sadness that the Yukon Quest hasn’t come together again.

“Hopefully we can have another 1,000-mile race. It’s such a cool event. Such a neat thing to travel through such beautiful country, all the history.”

Phillips said she won’t be running in the Anchor-

age-to-Nome, Alaska Iditarod this year.

Instead, she’ll contest the Percy De Wolfe race, which will start March 9 and runs from Dawson to Eagle, Alaska and back.

Phillips was asked if her decision not to run in the Iditarod was a result of a controversial penalty she and Mille Porsild incurred last

year for sheltering their dogs in a cabin during a vicious storm. The penalty was later rescinded.

“Yeah, just decided to step away from the Iditarod and take a pause and yeah, just need a break,” Phillips said.

The YQ450 began Feb. 11 at Shipyards Park in Whitehorse.

Naloxone overdose kits (name brand NARCAN) have been placed around town to assist in an opioid emergency. They can be found at the following locations:

● AMHS Ferry Terminal

● Eagles F.O.E. Aerie #25

● Elks Lodge #431

● Grizzly’s General

● Skagway Recreation Center

● The Station

● U.S. Post Office

● Wells Fargo Bank

● Two kits are at the school

Dogs are ready to run at the starting line of the Yukon Quest in Whitehorse.

Photo by Grace Robbins

Former Chilkat Lake resident sentenced for child porn, more charges pending

By Madeline Perreard Chilkat Valley News

Former Chilkat Lake resident Christopher Panagiotou-Scigliano was sentenced to 20 years in prison last week after pleading guilty to one count of production of child pornography. He is also facing charges for the sexual abuse of several children in Bonner County, Idaho. That case is still pending.

“In this unconscionable case, the defendant engaged in a years-long manipulation and grooming process to isolate and sexually abuse minors, all under the guise of being a trusted family friend,” Special Agent Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office told Alaska’s News Source. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to identify, aggressively pursue, and hold accountable those who commit these vile crimes against children.”

Panagiotou-Scigliano, who has also gone by the

names Christopher Sturni and Christopher Cherry, moved to Chilkat Lake with his wife in 2015. At the time, several children he was accused of grooming in Idaho traveled to his residence in Haines.

“When the children arrived Panagiotou-Scigliano allegedly continued grooming and sexually exploiting them by taking numerous sexually explicit images and videos of the victims,” according to an FBI statement.

“Law enforcement also recovered additional images and videos of child sexual exploitation that appear to have been downloaded from the internet.”

Haines Police assisted Idaho authorities in apprehending Panagiotou-Scigliano in September 2020 on an arrest warrant which allowed them to search his cabin and computer. Panagiotou-Scigliano waived extradition and was transferred in custody to Idaho where he paid bail and

Police & Fire Blotter

Submitted by Skagway Police Department

Feb. 6

-Police assisted a citizen with a vehicle lockout.

Feb. 7

-Fire personnel responded to a call reporting a resident carbon monoxide alarm.

Feb. 12

-Police responded to a report of gunshots in a residential area. The suspect was identified and the weapon was confiscated.

Feb. 13

-Dispatch assisted with contacting the on duty provider.

Feb. 14

-Thomas Jeffery Moraniec, 33, of Skagway was cited and summoned for two counts of Misconduct Involving Weapons IV, Reckless Endangerment and Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol.

was released. He was indicted by an Alaska grand jury in July 2021, and arrested in Idaho later that month.

Authorities were tipped off by an alleged teenage victim that moved to Haines. He reported the abuse in an effort to stop Panagiotou-Scigliano from abusing other boys, according to the Bonner County Daily Bee.

The case was investigated by the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force with support from the Haines Police Department, Bonner County, Idaho, Sheriff’s Office, the Bonner County Prosecutor’s Office, and Alaska State Troopers.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Ivers and James Klugman prosecuted the case.

Feb. 16

-Police responded to a report of suspicious trash scattered around.

Feb. 17

-Max Turner Jewell, 37, of Skagway was arrested on a Warrant for Failure to Appear.

-Fire personnel responded to a report of a suspicious burning smell –after investigating it was found to be an issue with an outlet.

Feb. 18

-Dispatch and police personnel assisted Haines Police Department with a death investigation.

Feb. 19

-Dispatch assisted with contacting the on duty provider.

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SERVICES

FOOD BANK DONATIONS

WELCOME. Donations may be sent to the Food Bank, PO Box 200, Skagway, AK 99840. The local Food Bank helps those in need with groceries. If you need assistance, or know anyone who needs assistance, at any time of year, call any pastor or 907-612-0313

JOBS

“Skagway Child Care Council is happy to announce they will be opening the Little Dippers Learning Center February 21st. The Center still needs full time teachers for the summer, Housing is available. Little Dippers is a non profit learning center dedicated to serving children and families. For more information on how to apply please visit www. skagwaylittledippers.com “

OFFICE SPACE

OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT:

Upstairs portion of Boas Building (above Skaguay News Depot).

Approximately 600 SF total, or smaller 50-60 SF office if willing to share with another renter. Both have access to small kitchen and bath. Available April 1, 2023. Sublease subject to approval by National Park Service. Serious inquiries only. Contact Jeff Brady for more information: email skagbooksak@icloud.com or text 907-973-2354.

REAL ESTATE

Lot For Sale by Owner Lot 9 Block 74, $115,000. Call or text 907.723.2030

LEGAL ADS

Public Restroom Janitorial Services

Bid/RFP Status: Open - accepting bids and proposals

Bid/RFP Due Date: Tuesday, March 7, 2023 - 2:00pm

The Municipality of Skagway is accepting bids to provide janitorial services for Skagway

Public Restrooms located at Shoreline Park, Small Boat Harbor, Sea Walk, Pullen Pond, Mollie Walsh Park, and Seven Pastures/ Ballfield. The total area being cleaned is approximately 5,722 sq. ft.

A full copy of the Request for Bids can be obtained by calling Skagway Municipal Offices at 907-983-2297, or by e-mailing a.lawson@skagway.org, or on the municipal website at https:// www.skagway.org/rfps. Technical questions regarding this project must be directed in writing to the Borough Manager at manager@ skagway.org and contracts@ skagway.org by 2:00 p.m. on February 28, 2023.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Library Hours:

Mon. - Thurs. 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Fri. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Weekends 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. Call 983-2665 or email library@skagway.org

Dahl Clinic Winter Hours: Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Closed Sat. and Sun. 907-983-2255

For after-hours emergencies, dial 911.

www.skagwaynews/puzzles

Solid Waste Facility Hours

T, Th, Sa, Su. 1 - 3 p.m. Skagway Museum 907-983-2420

Border stations: 7 a.m. - 11 p.m. Call each station for specifics.

Ferry Terminal Hours

M-F 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

SKAGWAY WORSHIP DIRECTORY Weather Watch

Assembly of God Church 8th & State • 907-983-2350

Sun. Worship....................11 a.m.

Wed. Bible Devotions & Prayer 7 p.m.

Email skagwayag@outlook.com

First Presbyterian Church 5th & Main • 983-2260

Sunday Worship 11 a.m.

Sunday School 9:45 a.m.

Women’s Prayer 10 a.m Tues. Bible Study time varies. Please inquire. Online access available to all events.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints 11th & State • 983-2518

Sun. Sacrament Meeting...10 a.m.

Sun. School/Primary ...11:10 a.m. Relief Society/Priesthood..12 p.m.

St. Therese Catholic Church 9th & State • 983-2271

Sun. Mass.......................5 p.m.

Mass Mon. & Tues.....12:10 p.m. (when a priest is available)

983-2679

Check out our NEW online puzzle page for interactive crosswords and sudokus.

Little Dippers opens its doors with pre-pandemic hours

By Melinda Munson Little Dippers Learning

Center opened for the first time since last season, with a Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. schedule. It’s a huge improvement over last year when the center struggled to find staff and could only provide care from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., often being forced to close on Fridays.

Skagway Child Care Council (SCCC) Board President Eliza Russell said the board was able to return to pre-pandemic hours, in part, by extensive recruiting, offering higher wages and providing housing.

Started in 1987, Little Dippers is a state licensed non-profit overseen by SCCC. Although they lease a municipal building, they are not associated with the municipality. Dippers was traditionally a seasonal center until Mighty Munchkins closed in 2022, leaving just one year-round daycare with a waitlist. In response, Dippers attempted to stay open through the winter of 2022, but insufficient staff forced the learning center to shutter.

“While lack of childcare

might not be the sole reason some families left this winter, I suspect it is a large contributing factor,” Russell said.

Now, with the help of SCCC, Little Dippers Administrator Kerri Raia and Director Mallory Bigeloware are responsible for getting the center up and running, designed (for now) to serve ages 0-6.

Raid said this entails a lot of state paperwork and preparing the building for the children.

“We really try to make all of our activities intentional,”

Raia said, adding that Dippers is a screen free environment. She described the center as a pre-preschool for the toddlers. “We’re really just trying to help the children become familiar with school before they go to school,”

Raia said.

Russell said that while most of SCCC’s resources are devoted to supporting Little Dippers, they are working to increase their reach.

“People don’t realize that Skagway Child Care Council is the broad umbrella and

ideally, we would love to do more for the community involved in child care, not just Little Dippers Learning Center,” Russell said.

SCCC is compiling a community summer camp calendar, available mid March, which lists costs, ages range and dates. They hope to offer a watershed outreach camp this summer.

Resolution 22-15R offers

two $100,000 grants for individuals who start a licensed daycare with at least 10 children. So far, no one has applied. Russell thinks SCC could hold a seminar to educate interested parties about the “challenging” process. She stressed that SCCC is always available to answer questions and provide resources.

Little Dippers is currently

accepting new enrollment. According to Russell, two new teachers will join the staff in March.

“We are really wanting to provide what the community parents need,” Russell said. “With over three decades of experience, our institution has become an integral part of the community…”

Sharks and Prickles successful at state, named students of the month

By Melinda Munson

The Spark Sharks, Skagway School’s junior high robotics team and their highschool counterparts, The Prickles, both finished their seasons with a trip to state finals.

The Sharks, competing in First Lego League, placed first in regionals then moved on to finish fifth in the state in January, earning the coveted Core Values Award.

The junior high team almost didn’t make it to Anchorage for the state competition after their flight to Juneau was canceled, but the weather cleared and Skagway School was able to charter a small plane in time to catch the connecting flight.

As part of their season project, The Sharks researched and proposed electrifying the Smart Bus system. Resolution 22-43R, proposed by Assemblymember Reba Hylton and co-written with the eight Sharks, passed unanimously Dec.1, 2022. It directs the borough manager to “explore development and implementation of a mu-

nicipal mass transit fee that could be used to offset the costs of bus electrification.”

“This has been on the municipality’s radar for a long time,” Hylton said. I was really excited for someone in the community to bring this forward. There’s nothing greater than empowering our youth to implement change.”

The Prickles, representing Skagway highschoolers in First Tech Challenge, placed first in regionals and third in state in January, also winning the Promote Award for sharing the virtues of robotics. (View their YouTube channel here.)

Prickles Co-Coach Andy Miller said the seven member team “really embraced CAD and JAVA.”

With junior high coach Mary Thole traveling for a family emergency, the highschool coaches periodically stepped in to substitute. They brought along the Prickles who mentored the younger students, helping to recreate competition conditions for the Sharks who participated in last year’s state finals

via Zoom due to inclement weather.

“They had a blast working with the FLL [Shark Sparks] team this year,” said cocoach Mindy Miller.

The Millers continue to advocate for more school credit for highschool robotics participants. Skagway School currently offers .5 elective credits for one season of robotics, with a maximum of .5 credits, regardless of the number of seasons completed. According to Andy, Thunder Mountain High School in Juneau currently offers .5 science credits for each robotics season.

The highschool team, which is considered a club separate from the school, does not receive funding from the school budget and relies on fundraising.

Chloe Miller, a senior, plans on pursuing mechanical engineering. She credits robotics with teaching her “useful skills for life” including problem solving, team work, community outreach, graphic design, budgeting and business planning.

“It’s not just robots and metal,” she said.

Both robotics teams were named the Skagway School January Students of the Month for Citizenship. It was the first time teams were chosen for the distinction.

Skagway School’s fourth and fifth graders weren’t left out of the technology experience. The two grades presented their First Lego League Jr. Robotics projects to their parents and ad-

dressed the school board Feb. 10. They shared energy saving solutions for the school, such as motion detection lights in the hallway and outdoor lighting powered by solar energy. One creative idea was a pedal bike to power Chromebooks.

“This would provide students with exercise, it would save the school on electric bills in the long run, and it would be fun!” said participant Adalyn Gunzburg.

Photo provided by Mary Thole.

Photo provided by Kerri Raia

Little Dippers Administrator, Kerri Raia, poses with her daughter, Lucy.

Junior High Robotics team. Front row: Dane Ames, Zane Coughran, Lila Lawson, Julius Thole. Back row: Luca Tronrud, Ryder Calver, Sam Munson and Atlin Ryan.