The Skagway News - March 22, 2024

North Words prepares for 14th season

The annual North Words Writers Symposium is in its 14th year in Skagway.

This year the gathering of writers and fans takes place May 29 – June 1, 2024 in Skagway and Dyea.

North Words is an intimate gathering that mixes panel discussions about various aspects of writing with workshops, breakout sessions, consultations, readings, and a variety of outdoor activities, culminating with a keynote banquet. Much of the conference is devoted to the honing of the craft.

This year’s featured author is Jamie Ford, bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and a 2023 winner of the Pacific Northwest Book Award for his latest novel, The Many Daughters of Afong Moy.

Ford’s fiction draws on his Chinese-American roots and movingly transcends the historical to the speculative.

North Words added a new scholarship for an Alaska university student that would waive the entry fee and offer a $200 travel stipend. While the deadline has passed fro that opportunity, Skagway Arts Council offers additional scholarships on their site: SAC BlogSpot. Joining Ford on the North Words 2024 faculty will be Alaska-Northwest writers: Lily Tuzroyluke, Daryl Farmer, Melinda Moustakis, John Messick, Christine Byl and Don Rearden.

Interested participants are encouraged to act soon as the symposium is limited to 40 participants, and organizers report that accommodations fill up fast. The registration fee, $425, includes all conference sessions, activities and many meals. Registration is open until filled.

By one vote, Alaska Legislature fails to override Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s education veto.

By James Brooks and Claire Stremple AlaskanBeacon.com

Members of the Alaska House and Senate failed by a single vote on Monday to override Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of Senate Bill 140, a multipart education bill that would have permanently increased the state’s per-student public school funding formula.

The final vote was 3920, one vote shy of the 40 required under the Alaska Constitution, with all “no” votes coming from Republican members of the House and Senate. Most of the legislators voting “no” had previously voted to support the bill and flipped after the governor said he was dissatisfied with it. Twelve Republicans, 22 Democrats and five independents voted for the override.

Before lawmakers con-

vened, dozens of education advocates crowded the Capitol’s halls, most wearing “red for ed” and softly chanting “O-VER-RIDE.” After the decision, only a handful remained in the halls, somberly and silently watching legislators depart.

“It’s a tremendous loss for school districts, for parents, for teachers, for kids all across the state,” said Sen. Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage and a supporter of the bill

Although SB 140 touched on correspondence schools, charter schools, student transportation and rural-school internet access, its most costly and controversial component was a $174 million per-year increase to the state’s foundation formula for K-12 public schools.

Supporters acknowledged that approving the new formula would not automati-

cally increase public school funding — that would still depend on the state’s annual budget process — but said it would have been a statement of intent by lawmakers.

No governor has ever failed to fully fund the formula, and it would have been up to Dunleavy to reduce that figure with his line-item veto, if he so chose.

Now, lawmakers say they will seek to pass a one-time funding bonus above the formula, just as they did last year. Dunleavy vetoed half that bonus, and legislators were unable to overturn the decision.

Rep. Tom McKay, R-Anchorage (right), talks with Sen. James Kaufman, R-Anchorage (left) during a break in debates on the Senate Bill 140 veto override, Monday, March 18, 2024. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

Some legislators who voted against the override said that it’s not too late to come up with a new education bill that’s acceptable to the governor. Rep. Tom McKay, R-Anchorage, said he’s already introduced one option.

“We offer an alternative that would be better,” he said. “So I really urge all my colleagues in both parties, folks in the hall, folks with emails, everybody watching, everybody listening: Stop, take a breath, think about what we’re doing. And understand that we do have options. We should consider them.”

Dunleavy said last week that he believes it’s time for the Legislature to move on.

Senate Majority Leader Cathy Giessel, R-Anchorage, was among the legislators who said that restarting work on education would mean a lack of attention to (see page 3 - Veto)

Photo by Andrew Cremata

A skier bedecked with eyeball art participates in the 2024 Buckwheat International Ski Classic on March 9. The theme was Montsters, Myths and Mischief. See more photos on page 4.

The Skagway News.

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Christened in 1897, buried alive in 1904 and resurrected in 1978, The Skagway News is currently celebrating 47 years of reporting in Skagway and Dyea, Alaska, recording our Centennial years and beyond.

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Vol. XLVII, No. 5 (967) March 22, 2024

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No Alaska governor has ever so boldly held schools and students as political hostages.

‘Star Trek’ reference looks past real argument for school funding

By Larry Persily

Gov. Mike Dunleavy sank to a new low last week when he vetoed a bipartisan, long-needed comprehensive education funding package that had passed the House and Senate by a combined 56-3 vote.

Yet he reached for new heights in explaining his low decision to deny school districts their first meaningful increase in state funding since 2017.

More specifically, he boarded the Starship Enterprise, which is as much a stage prop as are his reasons for vetoing the bill.

At a March 15 press conference to explain his veto, Dunleavy called the state’s per-pupil formula that funds K-12 schools the “dilithium crystals of education.” The crystals don’t exist in the real world, only in “Star Trek” movies and TV, where they provide the magical power for warp drives that propel the ship across the galaxies.

Is the governor trying to say that advocates of school funding are delusional, much like Trekkies who dress in costume for conventions and can recite the lines of every episode?

Or is he belittling the importance of an increase in the state’s funding formula — which was the focus of the bill he vetoed — comparing it to a fantasy fuel that does not exist?

Or is he just wandering the galaxies of excuses in an attempt to sound witty?

None of the options are good. Regardless of his admirable recall of the starship’s intergalactic fuel, the governor has been neglecting his duties and ad-libbing decisions throughout his time as the state’s top elected leader.

The governor says the best way to avoid the dangerous as-

teroid belt of poor student test scores is not about providing adequate funding for all schools, but rather Alaska needs to make it easier for new charter schools to bypass their local school boards and beam directly to a Dunleavy-appointed state board of education for approval.

He believes that paying limited-time bonuses to K-12 teachers will teleport more staff into Alaska’s schools and keep them on the job longer than would providing enough money for school districts to pay competitive wages, provide diverse classes for students and fix leaky roofs.

He seems to think the teachers union is as threatening to schools as the Klingons are to Capt. Kirk and his starship crew.

Maybe Dunleavy thinks of himself as Kirk, leading the state to boldly go where no man has gone before. In this case, no governor has ever so boldly held schools and students as political hostages in a fight with legislators, teachers and school administrators.

Sadly, 20 of his legislative supporters must have memorized the same script lines as the governor, providing just enough Starfleet cast to block Monday’s attempt to override Dunleavy’s veto of the legislation. The vote was 39-20. It takes 40 to override.

At his news conference the day after he vetoed the education funding bill, Dunleavy said it is time for the Legislature to move on from education and address other topics.

Easy for him to say. Hard for schools to accept. Maybe if they had some dilithium crystals, they could sell them to pay the bills.

Lady Panthers get pair of wins at State, finish 8th

By Jeff Brady For the News

The SHS girls’ basketball team went 2-2 at the ASAA State Tourney in Anchorage last week, finishing in eighth place in the 16-team field.

The girls lost a hard-fought battle to Bristol Bay, 54-46, in their opening quarterfinal game on March 13. The Lady Panthers were down by 15 at one point in the second half and battled back to cut the Angels lead to just three points with two minutes to play. Skagway had a couple more chances to tie the score but missed and then had to foul. The Angels converted 4-of-6 at the line to take the game. The Myers sisters, Ava and Millie, each had 15 points to lead Skagway.

Moving into the consolation round, Skagway faced two schools from villages on the Kuskokwim River.

Skagway won the first easily over Akiak, 56-9, after going up 40-3 in the first half. The girls cruised to victory over the Thunderbolts as fast as the running clock in the second half allowed (a mercy rule that kicks in with a 40-point lead).

Ava Myers had 19 to lead SHS, while Millie tallied 17, and Lennon Jennings and Kaitlyn Tronrund posted 10 each.

The Lady Panthers had a stiffer challenge in their next game versus Z. John Williams High School from Napaskiak. Friday’s game was tight throughout with multiple lead changes and was tied 24-24 at halftime. Skagway briefly gave up the lead to start the third quarter but came back to go up 32-31 at the end of Q3. Strong defense and rebounding

Correction

An incorrect photo credit was attached to the photo to the right from the basketball regional tournament. The photo should be credited to Abby Myers. The News appreciates Abby sharing her photos and regrets the

enabled them to hold the lead over the Hawks while getting big buckets down the stretch from Millie Myers (20 points), Jennings and Athena Smith. Final score was 42-38.

Moving to the big Alaska Airlines Center court on Saturday, the Lady Panthers ended their season with a loss in seventh place consolation final, 37-26, to the Scammon Bay Eagles.

Skagway fell behind in the second quarter and battled back a couple times to close within three or four points, but they just could not get enough shots to fall. In a defensive battle with lots of tipped balls and steals by both teams, Scammon Bay made a couple of 3-pointers from long range to give the Eagles a cushion to end the game.

Skagway was led by Jennings and Tronrud with 8 points each, and Ava Myers and Athena Smith had 6 and 4 respectively in their final game as seniors.

Thanks to Mason Jennings for the call on KHNS from Anchorage and NFHS for the game streams.

Veto override fails, Dunleavy says to move on to other issues

other priorities, including the impending Southcentral Alaska energy crunch.

“It certainly sucks the air out of the room,” she said. Impacts on schools

Meanwhile, school districts across the state are setting their budgets for the 2024-2025 school year without knowing how much money the state will supply. Many districts, facing declining enrollment and rising costs, have already said that they plan to close schools, cut programs and increase class sizes.

In Fairbanks, the local school district will meet Tuesday night and plans to close two schools, including the only high school at Eielson Air Force Base. Juneau will close three buildings, including one middle school, and consolidate all high school students into one school.

“I’m afraid that pink slips are going to go out. Schools are going to close, and our kids have yet to feel the depth of this crisis,” said Tom Klaameyer, president of NEA-Alaska, the state teachers’ union.

Summer and Matilda Christiansen, seen with Steve Morley, were among the education advocates who filled the halls of the Alaska Capitol before a failed veto override vote Monday, March 18, 2024. (Photo by Claire Stremple/Alaska Beacon)

Kennedy Love, a 17-yearold senior at Thunder Mountain High School in Juneau, was among the education supporters standing in the halls. She said she began advocating at school board meetings when she heard her school may be closed due to budget cuts in the district.

“We lost; they’re consolidating my school. But we think it’s so important to get funding, especially for the newer generation coming up with this budget crisis, we need it now more than ever. I think it’s really disappointing Dunleavy vetoed that,” she said.

Down the hall, Lisa EaganLagerquist held a sign with pictures of her sons, who attend public schools in Juneau. She said she fears her boys will lose out on popular

teachers, elective activities, and reasonable class sizes.

“It’s time for the governor to just say, ‘Yeah, kids are important.’ I mean, the message we’re getting is they’re not important and their school isn’t important,” she said.

But Republicans who voted to uphold the governor’s veto said that they do care about schools and education — and there’s time to get districts and rural internet funded.

“We’re going to fund education. One way or another we’re going to fund it,” said Sen David Wilson, R-Wasilla, who was among four senators who voted to uphold the veto. He said he thought Senate and House negotiating teams are close to a compromise with the governor.

In addition to Wilson, the senators voting no were Shelley Hughes, R-Palmer; Mike Shower, R-Wasilla, and Robert Myers, R-North Pole.

Sen. Bert Stedman, R-Sitka, reminded his colleagues that SB 140 was originally written to address rural internet needs. Now, access to faster internet next year is on the line for dozens of rural Alaska schools.

“I find it distasteful, extremely distasteful, that the rural children of our state are virtually held hostage over our squabbling with the base student allocation,” he said, later calling them “collateral damage.”

If lawmakers do not act, rural districts may not be able to apply for federal grants to pay for internet speeds of up to 100 mbps — a four-fold increase over previous years — by the grant deadline. Supporters have said the increase is critical for rural schools where the cost of internet is high, and lack of high-speed internet is a barrier to an equitable education for students.

Rep. Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham, has introduced a standalone internet bill that would change state statute before it is too late for schools to apply for the increased speeds. The bill is awaiting a vote of the full House.

Comments on the veto Alaska legislators hav-

en’t overridden a governor’s veto since 2009, when lawmakers approved $28 million in federal stimulus money that then-Gov. Sarah Palin vetoed.

Rep. Julie Coulombe, R-Anchorage, was among the 16 House Republicans who voted to sustain the veto and said she talked to the educators in her district to let them know there are other options.

“I told them before the vote: If it’s sustained, don’t lose hope. There’s still a lot in play and a lot of will to see something across the finish line,” she said.

Along with Coulombe and McKay, the other 14 House Republicans who voted to sustain Dunleavy’s veto were Reps. Jamie Allard, R-Eagle River; Thomas Baker, R-Kotzebue; Ben Carpenter, R-Kenai; Mike Cronk, R-Tok; David Eastman, R-Wasilla; Craig Johnson, R-Anchorage; DeLena Johnson, R-Palmer; Kevin McCabe, R-Big Lake; Mike Prax, R-North Pole; Dan Saddler, R-Eagle River; Laddie Shaw, R-Anchorage; Cathy Tilton, R-Wasilla; Frank Tomaszewski, R-Fairbanks; and Sarah Vance, R-Homer.

Rep. George Rauscher, R-Sutton, was excused absent.

Seven members of the Alaska House’s majority caucus voted with the 16 members of the House minority in an attempt to override the veto.

Rep. Stanley Wright, R-Anchorage, was one of them.

“To think that my schools in my district were threatened to be closed not too long ago and it really weighed heavy on my heart,” he said.

Wright said he’s optimistic about getting money for schools: “I think we can do something in three days if we want it,” he said.

In a message to the Legislature last week and in a news conference with reporters, Dunleavy said he vetoed the bill because it failed to contain a cash-bonus program for teachers and charter-school elements he supported.

After the vote, he took to social media: “I want to

thank the legislature for their hard work and commitment to implementing new education reforms that put Alaska families first. Let it be clear to school boards and associations: education funding will be prioritized and available — I support solutions that move us forward,” his office wrote.

Education advocates warned that without action before the end of the legislative session, the state may violate the Alaska Constitution, which requires that the state “establish and maintain a system of public schools open to all children of the

state.”

Caroline Storm, executive director of the Coalition for Education Equity, said Monday’s failed vote means the state is “closer than ever” to a lawsuit challenging the state’s current funding levels.

“We cannot educate our kids when (the teacher-student ratio) is 1 to 30. That’s crowd control,” she said. “When we don’t support our teachers — not with bonuses, but with actual support mechanisms — then we are not providing an adequate public education system.”

Photos by Andrew Cremata

2024 SPECIAL AWARDS

Best Costume – Cole Digel, Whitehorse (The Centaur)

Des Duncan Award (Volunteer): Nicole Kovacs, Skagway

John Briner Award (Enthusiastic and Committed) Amy Nye, Juneau

Miss Buckwheat: Madeline Bennett Brooker, Skagway LCSS Member Winner of Skis: Natalka Luciuk, Whitehorse.

16km – Official Results

1

2

3

4 Sarah Murray 1:15:01.0

147 Whitehorse Yukon CA

5 Robin Mennell 1:16:02.3 +11:30.4 144 Whitehorse Yukon CA

6 Graham Kopjar 1:16:05.5 +11:33.6 134 Whitehorse Yukon CA

7 Pippa Lawson 1:16:45.3 +12:13.4 158 Ottawa Ontario CA

8 Stephen Horton 1:18:25.5 +13:53.6 126 Whitehorse Yukon CA

9 Lois Johnston 1:21:11.9 +16:40.0 128 Whitehorse Yukon CA

10 Karen McColl 1:22:29.4 +17:57.5 142 Whitehorse Yukon CA

11 Alexandra Morrison-Rusas 1:24:06.2 +19:34.3 146 Whitehorse Yukon CA

12 Jennifer Gibson 1:24:56.7 +20:24.8 121 Whitehorse Yukon CA

13 Alena Puskas 1:25:03.2 +20:31.3 155 Whitehorse Yukon CA

14 Rosy Tutton 1:26:05.5 +21:33.6 165 Whitehorse Yukon CA

15 Emma Seward 1:28:35.4 +24:03.5 159 Whitehorse Yukon CA

16 Kristy Petovello 1:29:22.6 +24:50.7 150 Whitehorse Yukon CA

17 Joel Luet 1:31:37.7 +27:05.8 139 Whitehorse Yukon CA

18 Haley Digel 1:32:41.3 +28:09.4 109 Whitehorse Yukon CA

19 Emily Macht 1:34:24.7 +29:52.8 140 Whitehorse Yukon CA

20 Frances Pillifant 1:35:17.2 +30:45.3 151 Juneau Alaska US

21 Kayla Gagnon 1:35:24.7 +30:52.8 120 Whitehorse Yukon CA

22 Dirk Miller 1:37:37.2 +33:05.3 145 Juneau Alaska US

23 Johanna Rockenstein 1:37:49.9 +33:18.0 156 Whitehorse Yukon CA

24 Tyler Fissel 1:38:31.5 +33:59.6 117 Whitehorse Yukon CA

25 Lua Mangaccat 1:39:44.9 +35:13.0 141 Juneau Alaska US

25 Riley Soboleff 1:39:44.9 +35:13.0 407 Juneau Alaska US

27 Zoë Lessard 1:39:45.0 +35:13.1 366 Juneau Alaska US

28 Aven Knutson 1:39:48.6 +35:16.7 132 Whitehorse Yukon CA

29 Lawrence Purdy 1:39:50.4 +35:18.5 154 Whitehorse Yukon CA

30 Jackie Zinger 1:40:16.2 +35:44.3 168 Whitehorse Yukon CA

31 Milo Del Bigio 1:42:22.3 +37:50.4 107 Vancouver BCCA

32 Mary O’Neill 1:49:09.8 +44:37.9 149 Ottawa Ontario CA

33 Tali Pukier 1:55:09.4 +50:37.5 153 Whitehorse Yukon CA

34 Ryhana Akhund 1:55:40.8 +51:08.9 101 Juneau Alaska US

35 Michelle Gadd 1:56:44.0 +52:12.1 119 Whitehorse Yukon CA

36 Raymond Dwyer 1:59:29.7 +54:57.8 112 Juneau Alaska US

37 Angela Lessard 2:00:06.7 +55:34.8 136 Juneau Alaska US

38 Angie Wright 2:00:07.3 +55:35.4 420 Juneau Alaska US

39 Sarah Hancock 2:01:09.0 +56:37.1 125 Whitehorse Yukon CA

40 Ben Hancock 2:01:13.2 +56:41.3 124 Whitehorse Yukon CA

41 Kate Alexander 2:01:37.2 +57:05.3 102 Whitehorse Yukon CA

42 Janice Kenworthy 2:03:41.9 +59:10.0 131 Winnipeg Manitoba CA

43 Liz Fritsch 2:03:45.7 +59:13.8 118 Whitehorse Yukon CA

44 Amy Pinney 2:09:03.3 +1:04:31.4 152 Juneau Alaska US

45 Lia Dengler 2:10:24.0 +1:05:52.1 108 Whitehorse Yukon CA

46 Jonah Light 2:11:48.9 +1:07:17.0 138 Whitehorse Yukon CA

47 Erin Light 2:11:50.2 +1:07:18.3 137 Whitehorse Yukon CA

48 Olivia Trudeau 2:12:19.7 +1:07:47.8 164 Whitehorse Yukon CA

32km – Official Results

Finishing touches on the aid station sculpture.

Photo by

Photo by Andrew Cremata

Photo by Andrew Cremata

Photo by Jim Hawkings

Family Fun Page - print and share

Across

1 Cheated

7 “--- and the Swan” (Yeats poem)

11 Colorful sight in the sky

12 “Bearded” bloom

13 Drive ahead

14 Spew, like an oil well

15 Child psycholo gist’s concern, briefly

17 Fighting back

24 Prolonged pain

25 The DC subway

26 Doormen sang about etiquette

28 Ship’s company

29 Plaintive wood

wind instrument

31 Disencumber 37 --- Mae Hardaway, Stevie Wonder’s mother

38 Ralph Nader’s book, “--- at Any Speed”

39 Conclusions 40 Telecommut er’s tool

Down

1 Criminal charge

2 “ ... the winter of --discontent” (Shakespeare) 3 “Dude!”

4 Sock

5 Before

6 --- Lama

7 Thin gel spread round uplift

8 Very learned

9 Belittle, to a rapper

10 Powdery residue

16 “--- the torpedoes!” (David Farragut)

17 Worthless piece of cloth

18 Self-esteem

19 Like Mama Bear’s porridge

20 The San --- Fault

21 Tick-borne --disease

22 Department of

Health office for asylumseekers

23 Discouraging words

27 Horrendous

29 Bullring shout

30 Hot dog holder

32 Geneticist’s concern

33 Medium ability?

34 Dig in

35 Something unusual on high

36 Vigor

Color me!

BROADWAY BULLETIN BOARD

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.

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.

RECREATION CENTER

Skagway Recreation Center • 12th & Main • 983-2679

SKAGWAY WORSHIP DIRECTORY

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

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

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

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

Sun. Mass..........4 p.m. and 7 p.m.

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

THE FUNNIES

Weather Watch

CLASSIFIEDS

News Classified Ads cost 40 cents per word, $4 minimum. 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.

EMPLOYMENT

The Skagway News is hiring a Newsie Coordinator. This is a part time job involves scheduling the Newsies from May through August and splitting the duties of accompanying them to the docks in the morning from approximately 6:45 - 8 a.m. Pay will be $18/hour for dock days and a negotiated stipend for the scheduling portion. The new coordinator will need both a CLAA ID and a current TWIC card. Applicants must supply at least two referrences as this job requires working with minors. Contact Gretchen for more information or to apply at editor@skagwaynews.com or leave a message at 907-9832354.

AP&T is hiring for a Customer Service Representative. Starting wage is $22.00 with a generous benefits package. For a full job description or to apply for this position please visit: Careers - AP&T (aptalaska.com) https://aptalaska.workbrightats.com/jobs/1062867-176045.html

HOUSING WANTED

Looking for housing and office space for The Skagway News. Must have bathroom/ running water. Can be small, ground floor preferred. Bartering possible. Contact editor@skagwaynews.com or leave a message at 907-983-2354.

Scholarships and opportunities

Margaret Frans Brady Fund 2024 Scholarship application period is now open.

Up to $10,000 is available for students pursuing arts; the deadline to apply is April 15, 2024

The Juneau Community Foundation and the Brady family of Skagway have announced that the Margaret Frans Brady (MFB) Fund will make available up to $10,000 in scholarship funding in 2024 for qualifying area students who are pursuing artistic excellence. Applications for the 2024 Margaret Frans Brady arts scholarships are requested.

Application forms are available on the Juneau Community Foundation website at https://www.juneaucf.org/fund/ margaret-frans-brady-fund/ . The application and requested materials are due no later than midnight, Monday, April 15, 2024.

The Margaret Frans Brady Fund was established in 2012 at the Juneau Community Foundation to support arts and education projects and programs in Skagway and northern Southeast Alaska. A separate MFB Scholarship Fund was established a year later to assist students and artists in our area with scholarships to help them improve their creative abilities. Since 2013, more than $77,000 has been awarded to 84 area students.

Learn gardening basics in statewide webinar series

Grow your gardening knowledge. University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service agent Casey Matney will teach a series of 11 gardening webinars to help you get your garden ready for the upcoming growing season.

The free classes will be held online via Zoom at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, from March 19 to May 28.Contact Matney at camatney@alaska.edu or 907-262-3443.

March 19 — Seed Starting from Scratch

March 26 — Large Seed Starts: Corn, Pumpkins and Pot ting Soil

April 2 — Soil Testing and Interpretation for Garden and Farms

April 9 — Working with Fertilizers and Compost

April 16 — Warming Things up with Plastic, Glass and Plastic Mulch

April 23 — Raised Rows, Raised Beds, and How to Make Them

April 30 — Herb Gardening: Inside and Out

May 7 — Seeding Directly into the Garden

May 14 — Planting Potatoes

May 21 — Hardening Plants and Transplanting into the Garden

May 28 — Composting: No Time to Waste Go to this link to register for classes: https://www.uaf.edu/ ces/garden/webinars/index.php

Kluane Chilkat Int’l Bike Relay Registration

Registration for the 29th KCIBR opens on March 15The race categories cater to various team sizes, ensuring an inclusive experience for all participants.

This years’ categories are: Solo, 2, 4 or 8-person teams.

ADDITIONAL EVENT DETAILS:

E-bikes are permitted for 8-person teams, adding a dynamic element to the competition. Teams can choose whether or not to include E-bikes for an added layer of strategy. Any 8-person team with an e bike may not place 1st, 2nd or 3rd place.

Visit www.kcibr.org to register starting March 15, 2024 at 9am.

Hather Family Scholarship Fund

The Juneau Community Foundation is pleased to announce the establishment of a new scholarship fund for Skagway students, the Hather Family Scholarship Fund.

Betty Hather and her husband Don’s collective ambition has been to support youth in the community they loved. To that end, when Don passed in 2011, Betty created a scholarship for Skagway graduates in honor of her husband.

Upon Betty’s passing, in 2022, the scholarship was moved to the Juneau Community Foundation so that this scholarship will continue to enrich the lives of others – apassion of theirs, which they were well known for.

The application period for the Hather Family Scholarship is now open. The scholarship is open to graduates from Skagway High School to pursue higher education at a university, college, or vocational school. All 2024 graduating seniors and any past graduates from Skagway High School are welcome to apply. Selection will be based on your application, personal essay, and letter of recommendation.

Up to $10,000 will be awarded in 2024. The scholarship may be used for tuition or to enable the purchase of necessary books, academic supplies, tools, equipment, or uniforms. The scholarship will be sent to the institution the awardee will be attending.

The deadline to apply is Monday, April 22, 2024, by 5:00 p.m.

Application and details can be found at

https://www.juneaucf.org/fund/the-hather-family-scholarship-fund/.

Skagway Arts Council Scholarships for Skagway residents

The Skagway Arts Council offers up to two scholarships of up to $300 to individuals who have lived in Skagway for at least one year and want to attend North Words. More information and applications are available on the SAC BlogSpot.

Website of the week - Check this out

The digital world allows us to explore ideas, entertainment and research. With new technology, data management and 3D interactives, it’s no wonder we spend so much time on our devices. This weeks site is a fun set of games to improve and test your national and global geography skills

This issue The Skagway News looks at https://www.seterra.com

From the Website:

More than 400 free map quiz games in more than 40 languages

Learn geography the easy way!

Learning geography doesn’t have to be boring. Do it the easy way with Seterra! In no time, you could learn to locate every single country in the world on a map.

Seterra includes fun quizzes that help familiarize you with countries, capital cities, flags, rivers, lakes, and notable geological features.

Police & Fire Blotter

Submitted by Skagway Police Department

March 5

Dispatch assisted with contacting the On-Duty Provider

March 6

Dispatch broadcasted a message regarding rockslide mitigation work on the Railroad Dock

Dispatch assisted with contacting the On-Duty Provider

March 8

EMS personnel responded to a medical emergency

March 9

DOT assisted in clearing a stretch of road near Nahku Bay of excessive ice and rocks.

Dispatch assisted with contacting the On-Duty Provider

Dispatch assisted with contacting the On-Duty Provider

A caller reported their dog to be missing, calling back to report the dog returned immediately after hanging up with dispatch

March 11

A caller reported an item missing from the ferry terminal.

Police responded to a report

of hearing gunshots around the Dyea/West Creek area

Dispatch assisted with contacting the On-Duty Provider

March 12

Dispatch broadcasted another message regarding updates to the Railroad Dock rockslide maintenance.

March 13

DOT reported the Klondike Highway to close later in the evening, based on weather reports from Fraser

Police assisted in unlocking a vehicle

March 14

Fire personnel responded to an EWS Fire Alarm at the Rec Center following a power outage

Fire personnel responded to 2 EWS Fire Alarms at a downtown business that came after two separate power outages

DOT reporting a brief opening in the Klondike Highway for a caravan to travel through before closing again in the afternoon

Dispatch assisted with contacting the On-Duty Provider

Nov. 2023 - Compassion Ava Myers, Ruthie Reddick and Finnley Verhaeghe

Congratulations to the Skagway Panthers, your 2024 ASAA/First National Bank Alaska 1A Girls Basketball State Championship Sportsmanship Award Winners, sponsored by Orthopedic Physicians Alaska! Photo courtesy of ASAA.

Mina Yee, second from right advanced to the final five contesteants in the 2024 Poetry Outloud. Photo by Ron Gile