The Skagway News - April 12, 2024

THE SKAGWAY NEWS.

Continuing AHMS crew shortage cuts into operations

By Larry Persily Wrangell Sentinel

The Alaska Marine Highway System’s ongoing crew shortage has eased up for entry-level steward positions but remains a significant problem in the wheelhouse and for engineers, likely keeping the Kennicott out of service again this summer.

As of March 8, the state ferry system was short almost 50 crew of what it would need to put its full operational fleet to sea this summer, which means keeping the Kennicott tied to the dock, Craig Tornga, the system’s marine director, reported to a state Senate budget subcommittee on March 19.

That is about half the crew shortage of a year ago.

The Kennicott, the second-largest operational vessel in the fleet, has been used to fill in for the Columbia when that ship is out of service for winter overhaul, but the Kennicott was held at the dock last summer and is not on the schedule again this summer as the state tries to manage with a crew shortage now in its third year.

Resignations and retirements have outpaced new hires since 2019.

In addition to attending job fairs, visiting schools and conducting a national advertising campaign to recruit new hires, the state in February 2022 contracted with an Anchorage-based company to help find applicants for jobs aboard the ferries. That effort, however, has produced negligible results.

The contractor, PeopleAK (formerly Alaska Executive Search), referred about 250 applicants to the state in 2022, but only a dozen were hired in the first year (see page 4-Ferry)

Students walk out in support of education funding

By Gretchen Wehmhoff

Students from across Alaska walked out of school simultaneously on April 4 for exactly 40 minutes. They wanted the legislature to know that educational funding was about them.

The 40 minutes symbolized the number of votes needed to override Gov. Dunleavy’s veto of Senate Bill 140, previously passed by both bodies of the legislature. The override failed by one vote.

Skagway students were committed to the cause. A few dozen high school students left class in sync with other schools in Alaska.

Sophomore Lina Hischer spoke to the group once students were assembled in front of the school.

“Occasionally there are moments when we feel compelled to stand up and make our voices heard. As a student who depends on the public school system, know-

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ing that our governor Dunleavy vetoed SB 140, is beyond frustrating to hear that the funding for essential educational resources and programs may be jeopardized, directly impacting our academic success and future,” Hischer began.

Her speech was filled with historical information about SB 14o and funding impacts, a plan student government members had worked on.

“We knew that probably half the high schoolers didn’t know anything about Senate Bill 140 or cared. So that’s why we came with a lot of information,” junior Calvin Miller said.

The community audience was small. Fuel trucks honked as they drove by and a small group of parents and community members came out for support.

Miller, public relations officer for Skagway student government, said they had spoken the superintendent

with teachers before the walkout. While the staff was supportive of the students’ rights and commitment, there were some teachers who where hesitant about missing class and other who wished them well and mentioned they would like to have been able to join them. The walkout was during school hours, so staff would not be free to join the protest.

Miller is also the junior representative for Region Five.

Charles Deach, secretary of student council was part of the organization team.

The Student Council will be traveling to Utqiagvik later in April for the Alaska Association of Student Governments. Five members will attend.

Hischer’s speech can be

Around 20 Skagway high schoolers walked out of class on April 4. The protest lasted exactly 40 minutes. The students joined high school protesters from around the state to protest the lack of funding and the lack of votes (40) needed to override Gov. Dunleavy’s veto of SB 140.

The sun sets on Skagway as the tug moors to the ferry dock, Photo by Kari Rain.

Skagway family travels to Texas to see the total solar eclipse

By Scott Raia

We traveled to Dallas to witness the total solar eclipse with friends and family. This was perhaps our only opportunity to see a total solar eclipse from the United States for the next 20 years. While it was interesting and strange to see the partial eclipse, which lasted for over two hours, nothing in my life compares to the awe I experienced for the two minutes and thirty-eight seconds of totality, except perhaps the birth of our daughter. A silvery ring appeared in the sky surrounded by some bright stars during the early afternoon. Streetlights came on. The morning birds sang. A gecko crawled out of the grass thinking it was nighttime. Our daughter Lucy had run inside in fear from the curtain of darkness falling in the sky and the

adults gawking with our solar viewing glasses. It didn’t help that we had to force her into a full face mask to protect her eyes. However, at the moment of full totality, I ran to carry her outside so she would not miss it. None of the pictures or videos from my camera roll even remotely capture the eclipse — except when I turned the camera around. I’m grateful to have a document of my family members’ raw reactions to this once in a lifetime celestial event. The only words I could speak were “Dear God!” when I first took off the glasses. My wife Kerri was speechless. Two-yearold Lucy gasped with eyes wide open looking at the sky. Since Monday, Lucy has recounted the experience with surprising vocabulary at the dinner table. “It got dark and dark and dark. And the

moon went in front of the sun.” Who knows how much of this experience little Lucy

will remember in adulthood, but I will remember that day for the rest of my life!

Photos provided by Kerri and Scott Raia

Skagit Horticulture closure could squeeze local growers

By Rashah McChesney Chilkat Valley News

When Gomi’s Garden owner Sabine Churchill heard Skagit Gardens was closing she had a lot of questions.

“I had to read it twice,” she said. “Then I thought, ‘wait a second, wait, wait, wait,’” she said.

Skagit Gardens, of Washington State, gave notice in February that it was going out of business and would be closed by the first week of April. The company has been in operation for nearly 60 years and supplies starter plants and other types to people in Alaska.

Churchill said that announcement led to many sleepless nights as she tried to find other suppliers.

“Skagit Gardens had it all and now I have to piecemeal

a little bit from multiple places and I mail ordered a few,” she said.

Her big focus has been getting a good supply of annuals – plants that die every winter and must be replanted each spring. She sources her perennials, which grow back each year, elsewhere.

Fortunately for Churchill, she’s already got an innovative supply chain when it comes to shipping plants to the Chilkat Valley, she gets a truck packed full and then sealed so it can cross the Canadian border and drive to Haines. So, it was just a matter of finding new suppliers and then getting her 53-foot shipping container packed full before it heads north.

Still, there’s always a chance something will go wrong.

“I’m only going to sleep

well once all of the annuals are here,” she said.

Blythe Carter, of Blythe’s Garden, said she grows nearly everything she has from seed so she does not buy from Skagit’s.

But there could be ripple effects. For instance, what she is growing this year will likely sell out fast.

“I’ve had others like Gomi’s -- and other Skagway places too -- calling me up and looking for plants. So that’s great for business,” she said. “I would highly recommend getting everyhing early.”

Had she known about the closure earlier, Carter said she could have changed her growing strategy to meet the need.

Carter said she’s open to adding a few things to her grow list for next year if people have a hard time finding new sources, but at a small scale.

“I don’t know if I could supply a large place like Juneau,” she said.

While Haines and Klukwan may be shielded from the fallout of losing such a large supplier of plants, Churchill said communities like Juneau – which must find new suppliers and then sort out shipping – Skagway, which is known as the Garden City, and other communities in Southeast are going to be scrambling.

“It will be bad. But, you

“Certain stuff, it’s too late to just start growing them which is unfortunate,” she said. “Any sort of begonia or pansy, anything that takes a long time to grow – starting anything now is way too late.”

know, what maybe we should take away as a lesson ... is what you can do with perennial plants if somebody has a shortage,” Carter said. And there are signs that other gardening organizations are already moving in to potentially fill the closure gap.

“There was one nursery in Oregon, they said ‘holy smokes, our gut reaction was we went out and bought 17 more acres,” Churchill said. “I thought that was rather gutsy and cool. I think it should be in Southeast. I think somebody should step up … we could have an annual nursery in Haines and serve all of the Southeast.”

Ferry ridership still not back to pre-pandemic numbers

By Larry Persily Wrangell Sentinel

The state ferry system carried 181,000 passengers in 2023, still short of the preCOVID numbers in 2019 and down substantially from almost 340,000 in 2012 and more than 420,000 in 1992.

Overall vehicle traffic also is down, from more than 115,000 in 2012 to 63,000 last year.

Much of the decline corresponds to a reduction in the number of vessels in operation, according to statistics presented to a state Senate budget subcommittee on March 19.

The fleet provided almost 400 “operating weeks” in 2012, with each week a ship is at sea counting as an operating week. By 2023, that

number was down to 245.

The numbers include Southeast and Southwest ferry service, including the shuttle runs between Ketchikan and Metlakatla.

With fewer ships in service — such as the Kennicott, which was tied up much of last year due to a crew shortage — the Alaska Marine Highway System underspent last year’s budget, Craig Tornga, the marine director, explained to the Senate Finance Subcommittee in its review of the ferry system’s budget request for fiscal year 2024-2025.

In calendar year 2023, the system spent almost $14 million less, about 10%, than the $144 million budgeted for operations. Fewer operating weeks and smaller

ships that consume less fuel led to the savings.

While running fewer ships — whether due to crew shortages or maintenance issues with the aging vessels — saves money, it also reduces service to coastal communities. For example, it would require more vessels at sea to restore year-round service to Cordova and Kodiak, Tornga explained.

Revenue systemwide declined in calendar 2023 by about 5% from the prior year. Passenger and vehicle fares covered just under 30% of the system’s operating expenses last year, with state and federal money providing the majority of its revenues.

The Legislature and governor have relied heavily on federal money the past cou-

ple of years since the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The state, however, last year received a much smaller federal grant — about $38 million — than expected for the ferry system, Tornga told senators.

The smaller federal grant came up almost $28 million short from what was expected. The Marine Highway System plans to cover about half of the gap with money left over from underspending in calendar 2023 but will need a supplemental appropriation from the Legislature to cover the other half.

The ferry system’s budget request now before the Legislature for the fiscal year that starts July 1 assumes a federal grant about double what the state received last

year. The state has applied for $76 million in federal infrastructure funding, Dom Pannone, program management and administration director for the ferries, told the Senate subcommittee.

Sitka Sen. Bert Stedman, co-chair of Senate Finance, asked Pannone what would happen if the federal grant comes up short again, like it did last year. Pannone answered that the ferry system would come back to the Legislature to seek more state money to cover the shortfall, while also seeking other federal aid.

Stedman said its important for legislators to know what the ferries need as they write the state budget. “We need to try to get this year’s budget right, if we can.”

Alaska House prepares to open budget debates amid tight fiscal constraints

By James Brooks Alaska Beacon Alaskabeacon.com

When the Alaska House of Representatives begins working on amendments to the state budget Tuesday morning, lawmakers will be legislating from inside a box.

That box: Alaska’s expected revenue in the 12 months beginning July 1. The state constitution requires a balanced budget, which means no deficit spending.

In past years, legislators have spent from savings to expand their options. This year, lawmakers say, there’s not enough support for that option.

Of the $12.3 billion draft operating budget that will be debated this week, $3.5 billion — almost 29% — will be paid for by the federal government.

Another $2.7 billion, or 22%, will be paid for with fees and special accounts

designated for particular programs. Think of things like university tuition and park passes.

All that money — more than half of the budget — is what legislators refer to as “restricted,” meaning that either the federal government requires it to be used in a specific way, or it flows automatically from revenue source to use via formulas in state law.

The remaining part of the

operating budget — just over $6 billion — is what’s known as “undesignated general funds,” and that’s the fiscal box containing most of this week’s work, because it can be spent however lawmakers wish.

There’s $3.7 billion from the Alaska Permanent Fund, the annual transfer from the fund to the state treasury.

The Alaska Department of Revenue expects another $2.2 billion in oil revenue,

plus $500 million in other taxes and revenue.

That would be enough to pay for the operating budget, but the operating budget isn’t all of the costs involved.

The draft capital budget, which pays for renovation and construction projects, is about $3.5 billion, and while $3 billion of that — or almost 86% — is funded by the federal government, the remainder will have to come

Ferry system hiring

(continued from front page)

of the contract. Last year, the company forwarded almost 280 applicants to the ferry system, which hired three of them.

The company was “missing the mark at first” in recruiting qualified applicants for maritime jobs, Tornga said in an interview after his testimony at the Senate Finance subcommittee on the Marine Highway System budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1.

PeopleAK now better understands what is required of qualified applicants, he said.

Though the state has not hired 95% of the applicants referred by the contractor, it’s not out much money: The state pays PeopleAK only for the applicants hired, at the rate of $5,000 per new hire.

Without the Kennicott on the schedule, Wrangell this summer will see the same service as recent years —

has

one northbound and one southbound ferry each week.

And without the Kennicott, the state is unable to resume the popular service between Southeast Alaska and Prince Rupert, British Columbia, which offered travelers a much less costly highway-connection alternative to ferrying their vehicles all the way to Bellingham in Washington state’s Puget Sound.

Part of the problem in recruiting new hires, particularly licensed crew such as mates and engineers, is money, Tornga said.

The ferry system pays non-residents less than Alaska residents — and has for decades — which makes the Alaska jobs less attractive as the state tries to recruit licensed mariners from the Lower 48.

“We’re not competitive with our out-of-state rate,” Tornga said.

In addition, non-residents

Budget debates begin with a potential $276 million gap

from undesignated general funds.

There’s also almost $300 million in capital additions to the budget that lawmakers passed last year. Over 84% of that figure is from the federal government, but again, the remainder will come from undesignated general funds.

Senate leaders are planning a news conference on Wednesday and are expected to say that they’re planning on $550 million in undesignated funding for the capital budget.

That, plus the operating budget, would be more than the state expects to earn in the coming fiscal year.

Lawmakers also haven’t yet budgeted for any bills they’ve passed — or plan to pass — in the last month of the legislative session. Those could cost upward of $100 million.

Preliminary figures available Monday indicated a gap of $276 million between the tentative spending plan and what’s available to spend. That gap exists even after a planned clawback of a savings deposit that lawmakers approved last year.

All of that means that

eased up, still impacting schedules

hired for the job have to pay their own travel expenses to and from Alaska to board their assigned vessels, he said.

Another impediment is that junior engineers and oilers who want to advance to third, second or first engineer or chief engineer jobs need to go to school for five months, at their own expense, at a cost of about $30,000, Tornga said.

Even when new hires come

aboard, housing is a problem, he explained. The state houses new crew for three months aboard the Matanuska, which is tied up out of service in Ketchikan, awaiting a decision on whether the state wants to spend millions of dollars to replace rusted steel and make other upgrades.

After three months, the workers need to move off the ship into their own housing.

“When they do find it, they

can’t afford it,” Tornga said.

Besides for advertising and working with its recruitment contractor, he told senators the Marine Highway System has hired its own recruiting staffer, attended career days at maritime academies nationwide and at high schools in coastal Alaska communities, and is working with a union to see if retirees would like to come back to work.

2023 Municipality of Skagway summary of sales tax by category

when members of the House convene on Tuesday to begin discussing the budget, they’re going to be looking for cuts in order to make ends meet.

The biggest potential target for those cuts is likely to be the Permanent Fund dividend. At a planned cost of more than $1.7 billion, it’s the largest single item in the House’s draft budget, when undesignated funds are considered.

This week’s debates won’t be the last word, however. The Senate needs to approve the budget as well, and senators will have their own ideas.

A schedule negotiated between House and Senate calls for the House to send the budget to the Senate by April 12.

Paw Prints

By Katherine Moseley

By Katherine Moseley

The squirrels seem to chirp and chatter a little louder in the Spring. Just ask my dog Skeeter. He insists this is why he sometimes cannot hear me calling for him. And after a winter of not seeing very many people around town and on the trails, both of my dogs feel the need to alert me of every new person or dog that they see. I remind them that these are our friends in a cheerful voice and thank them for alerting me.

Skagway is a small seasonal tourist community. We often take for granted not having to stand in lines at the post office or grocery store during the winter months. But that is soon to change as more people arrive to open up their businesses for the busy cruise ship season. It can take me awhile to adjust to seeing more people in town. I imagine our dogs might feel the same way.

Spring is a good time to revisit your dog’s training and trail manners. There are many methods to training a dog. But the best dog training advice I have ever received is not to focus on what you don’t want your dog to do, focus on what you want them to do instead. And train for that. Consistency and patience will go along way when working with your dog.

The recent warmer temps are melting the snow and uncovering new scents for our dogs to investigate. We try to plan a little extra time on our walks to make sure our dogs get adequate time to investigate these these fascinating scents. Not only do our dogs see through their noses but sniffing is a way

for them to gather info about their environment. Sniffing is like meditation for dogs. It can help reduce anxiety and stress. I highly recommend taking your dog on a sniffari at least once a day. You may be surprised the calming effects that this walk can have not only for your dog, but for you too. Our dogs help remind us to stay present.

Other signs of Spring include the thawing of dog poop, allergy season and parasites. Yes, we do have fleas and ticks in Skagway. Check with your veterinarian to discuss the best preventative methods for your pets. Please pick up your dog’s poop and maybe an extra pile for good Karma. Dog poop stinks and can carry diseases. And it gives dogs a bad rep.

Skagway is a small valley and we all have to share this space. Please be mindful of others when you are out and about with your dogs. Not everyone likes dogs and some people are scared of dogs. And always ask someone before you pet a dog. We are lucky to have so many off-leash trails available to us. Help us keep these privileges by being responsible with your dogs. There is a leash law in the town area. Leashed dogs deserve a safe space to walk without having to worry about off-leash dogs rushing at them. Please respect the leash laws.

If you are new to Skagway and want to find out about visiting veterinarians and local pet services, please email the Paws & Claws Animal Shelter at pawsandclawsskagway@gmail.com Hope you and your pets have a safe and happy Spring!

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Photo by Katherine Moseley

Skeeter climbs high to check for squirrels.

Easter Fun in Skagway

APRIL

2024

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 Nasa’s Eclipse Website.

Explore:

Maps, schedules and photos of past eclipses as well as full coverage of the April 8, 2024 eclipse. Learn about previous eclipse activity and take a peek into what NASA scientists are learning.

Layla Rose masters the magic of two Easter eggs at the annual hunt on March 31. Photo provided by Jeff Brady.

Paislee Authier is looking pretty special with the Easter Bunny (Samantha Philemon from the Skagway Fire Department) at the annual egg hunt. Photo provided by Danielle Cozzins.

Mango sports some bunny ears and an Easter basket on a sunny day in Skagway. Mango’s human must be cool.

Photo by Kari Rain.

Civic Affairs holds roundtable to discuss the use of plastic bags

By Gretchen Wehmhoff

Skagway Civic Affairs Committee, at their March 14 meeting, revisited the topic of managing plastic bags in Skagway out of environmental concerns. The discussion picks up from earlier pre-pandemic conversations.

“It’s been a few years now and the pandemic is over.

And I just thought it would be a good time to like, reintroduce the topic and see how people feel about it,” said committee chair Alex Waddell.

Various business owners attended to share their perspective and the challenges of single use versus reusable and paper bags, especially

during tourism season. Klondike Electric Bikes and Klondike Gift Supply owner Nichole Goodman has concerns about the practicality of using paper in a wet climate.

“For the majority of my bags, I use a paper bag, a little bit better than plastic bags. But we live in a rainy

After 124 years, we’re calling it an era

A letter from the staff of the Whitehorse Star

It is with heavy hearts that today, we announce the impending closure of the Whitehorse Star, a trusted source of news and information in our community for 124 years.

Over the past several weeks, the owners of the Star have been working with a small group of local residents who were very interested in buying one of the Yukon’s oldest businesses and keeping it alive.

Unfortunately, mutually agreeable terms could not be finalized, and the owners have made the decision to cease publication and operations.

This decision has not been made lightly, but due to several overwhelming factors persistently working against us, it is necessary.

It’s no surprise to most that the newspaper industry has faced significant challenges in recent years, a decline in circulation being one.

As well, more and more clients have shifted their advertising to social media sources, and continue to do so. This trend has become virtually impossible to compete with.

Sustaining operations has become increasingly difficult. Even though we have explored several options, it is no longer feasible to carry on business operations.

The Star has been an integral part of the Yukon’s landscape since 1900.

We have covered many thousands of local events and stories with stories and photos that matter to our readers.

Our staff has worked tirelessly to provide accurate and time- ly information.

Most employees have been with us for more than 17 years, some 20, 35, 38 and even 44 years! We are so grateful for their years of dedication.

We express our deepest gratitude to our loyal readers, advertisers and community partners who have supported us throughout the generations.

Our final edition will be published on Friday, May 17.

It will feature highlights from our rich history, tributes to our staff, submissions from past editors, and more.

Subscribers will receive further details regarding refunds or alternative arrangements.

We extend our gratitude and appreciation to everyone who has been part of the Whitehorse Star’s illustrious history over the decades – from staff to paper carriers, to advertisers, and readers.

It’s been our honour and our pleasure serving this wonderful community and the many businesses and organizations throughout the years.

Thank you.

Illegitmus non carborundum.

place and on days when it’s rainy, it’s kind of difficult to hold stuff in a brown paper bag,” Goodman said.

Mickey Luchetti, manager of Corrington gift shops, noted the cost difference between plastic and paper.

“For our company, the difference between a single-use bag is 12 cents versus a multi-use bag at $1. Asking our businesses to provide bags that cost $1 For every transaction is cost prohibitive. It would cost us over $50,000 more a year, if we had to provide multi use bags,” Luchetti said.

Luchetti mentioned the advertising and longevity of Skagway bags.

“I feel our bags are not single use because they have our name on them. They say Skagway, they have website information and contact information. Everyone who takes a bag uses that bag to give their gift to their friends and family,” Luchetti said

Suggestions ranged from providing cruise passengers with a Skagway reusable bag as they got off the ship to encouraging guests to utilize their larger bags.

.Other communities in Alaska have added restrictions to bags. The Alaska Department of Environmental Health posted that other communities have established some sort of plastic bag limitations. The website contains links to the local

code for each town.

In Anchorage, plastic bags were banned in Anchorage in 2019. Alternative bags were to be paper or a reusable bag. Bags not provided by the consumer have a 10 cent fee per bag with a maximum of 50 cents. There were exceptions, such as plastic bags around meats and vegetables, bags that protected newspapers and more.

In 2020 Haines enacted an ordinance prohibiting plastic bags that would leave the point of sale with the customer. There are exceptions for bags to be used for produce and leaking frozen or fresh meat.

Goodman suggested assisting customers in choosing to avoid using bags.

“I think that as business owners, we need to do our part to give people an option if they want a bag or don’t want a bag. Most people, if they have a backpack, will say no, I don’t need a bag and they’ll take their items and put them in the backpack.

Weddel said she would not be forwarding any resolutions to the assembly on the topic, that she had offered the roundtable to give businesses a chance to share their views. She did suggest the Solid Waste Department be a part of the conversation to answer questions and give perspective.

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Committee advances education bill with Gov. Dunleavy priorities

The meeting was dysfunctional enough that the public scolded lawmakers in testimony

By Claire Stremple Alaska Beacon Alaskabeacon.com

Members of the House Education Committee advanced a new multipart education proposal on Monday after more than a dozen amendments failed.

House Bill 392, a proposal carried by Rep. Tom McKay, R-Anchorage, includes a historic $680 increase to the per-pupil formula used to fund public schools. It would also give a governor’s appointees on the state Board of Education and Early Development the power to approve new charter schools, increase the funding for correspondence program students by nearly a third, and boost support for student transportation and reading.

The bill, which does not yet have a cost estimate, will next be heard by the House Finance Committee; it has not been scheduled.

It was initially written to include a boost to the student funding formula, increase internet speeds in rural schools and implement Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s teacher retention bonus proposal.

By the end of the fractious meeting, the bill had changed substantially — as the result of a committee substitute from the sponsor rather than any of the 14 proposed amendments. Major items, including an increase to internet speeds in rural schools, which already passed in another bill, and the teacher retention bonus, were taken out.

The final result has similarities with Senate Bill 140, which was overwhelmingly approved by legislators and vetoed by Dunleavy.

The committee, chaired on Monday by Rep. Jamie Allard, R-Eagle River, was punctuated by tense side conversations between members.

Reps. Rebecca Himschoot, I-Sitka, and Andi Story, D-Juneau, proposed 14 amendments. One of them — a requirement that the state board of education consider a recommendation of the local school district when deciding on charter

applications — passed.

The rest failed, with Reps. Himschoot, Story and CJ McCormick, D-Bethel, in support and Reps. Jamie Allard, R-Eagle River; Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna; Tom McKay, R-Anchorage; and Mike Prax, R-North Pole, opposed.

Charters Himschoot, Story and McCormick opposed allowing the governor’s appointees on the state board to authorize charter schools.

Himschoot said that the state’s charters are performing well and that she has yet to see a good reason to change how they are managed: “It feels like we’re making kind of an uninformed major policy shift with this section,” she said.

That logic informed another failed amendment that would have included a requirement that districts collect data about charter school enrollment and wait lists. Himschoot said that legislators have been hearing about wait lists and the need for more schools without data to back up the claims.

“If we’re going to be changing what we do with charter schools — which I don’t think is a good idea since they’re doing so well — But if that’s what we’re going to do, then let’s make sure we’re making the changes that need to be made based on data,” she said.

McKay opposed the amendment, saying it would single out charters compared with other public schools. “I don’t know why we would need to gather more information from charter schools than we do from public schools,” he said.

Co-chair Allard reminded the committee that charter schools are public schools.

The charter provision in the bill was a major sticking point in previous legislation. It has been described by members of the Senate as a “nonstarter” in previous education policy negotiations because they say it weakens local control in districts.

Correspondence

The new version of the bill would significantly increase

funding to correspondence students. Correspondence education is district-supported schooling at home.

Currently, those students are supported with 90% of the state funding that students in brick and mortar schools receive per pupil. House Bill 392 would increase the funding to 120% of the per pupil formula, at a cost that has not yet been determined. McKay’s office estimates it will have a fiscal note with that number by Tuesday or Wednesday.

Story’s office estimated the cost would be more than $40 million and proposed amendments that would have significantly lowered the increase. She said a more moderate increase is appropriate because the state’s neighborhood schools have more expenses than students who learn from home do.

“Correspondence schools, while important, do not have the same duties, obligations and responsibilities that our neighborhood schools do. It’s a fact that our neighborhood schools have more facilities to care for and more public use. They have custodial and maintenance costs. They have to pay insurance costs for their buildings, which have risen extensively,” she said.

Trevor Jepsen, staff to McKay, said the increase in funding would be good for districts.

“When we increase that factor, it increases school districts’ funding, so there’s more money going to education,” he said. “And there’s no requirement that that money has to even be spent on the correspondence programs. It’s just more money for districts and we hope they spend it on correspondence programs.”

Himschoot proposed an amendment that would ask districts to be accountable for how that money is spent, which failed.

Reading

HB 392 would add money to districts for every student affected by the state’s literacy reform law — an additional $180 for each student from kindergarten to third

grade.

Previous legislation sought an increase of $500 for each student with performance low enough to merit intervention. Dunleavy cited that policy as one of the reasons he vetoed previous education legislation. He said he thought that funding mechanism would reward poor performance rather than incentivizing success; some teachers and advocates of the provision said the additional money is crucial to provide the additional services those students would require.

An amendment from Story sought to increase the $180 to $500, but failed.

She and Himschoot, both former educators, noted that reading interventions are costly and include extra tutoring, specialized reading programs and summer school.

Contention

The meeting moved a large bill with more than a dozen amendments quickly, but it did not run smoothly. Lawmakers were snappish and Allard called multiple pauses in the proceedings to manage or voice discontent.

There was contention among lawmakers as to whether or not the public testimony noticed online would occur. It did, but only after the committee’s Republican members adopted a new version of the bill and rejected most amendments.

At one point, Allard was interrupted by Himschoot, who insisted that public testimony be held when it appeared to her that some members of the public may not be heard.

“I want to hear what they

have to say,” she said. “You noticed public testimony and then you didn’t offer it.”

Allard shot back: “If you would let me finish my sentence you would see that I’m going to continue to address this in the room. Are you done with your tantrum?”

The fractiousness was so pronounced that members of the public chided lawmakers in public testimony.

Rachel Lord, a Homer parent and business owner, praised the bill for raising the student funding formula and its increase to correspondence studies, but said she would have liked to see Himschoot’s accountability amendment pass. She criticized committee leadership.

“As I’ve been listening this morning, it’s incredibly confusing,” she said, adding that the online portal for public documents had not been updated. “I don’t know who’s responsible for making that happen, but it is rare in my experience with trying to follow the Legislature that there is such a gap and lack of transparency in the committee process.”

Will Muldoon, a member of the Juneau school board who spoke on his own behalf, called the meeting “indecorous.”

“It’s sad that a committee that couldn’t meet for three weeks is more dysfunctional when they finally do meet,” he said. “And so I hope you guys take a moment to reflect on that and encourage you all to do better.”

The House Education committee hears public testimony on a multipart education bill on April 8, 2024. Members of the public chided lawmakers for a dysfunctional meeting. (Photo by Claire Stremple/Alaska Beacon)

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-fransbrady-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.

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.

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.

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 9 a.m.

March 15

DOT kept the Klondike Highway closed due to ongoing avalanche danger and telecommunications issues.

Dispatch assisted with contacting the On-Duty Provider.

March 17

Police investigated a triggered burglary alarm at a downtown business.

DOT reported that the Klondike Highway would be reopened.

Dispatch assisted with contacting the On-Duty Provider.

A lost wallet was turned in and shortly after reunited with its owner.

Dispatch assisted with contacting the On-Duty Provider.

Dispatch assisted with contacting the On-Duty Provider.

Dispatch assisted with contacting the On-Duty Provider.

March 18

Police assisted with unlocking a vehicle.

EMS personnel responded to a medical emergency.

March 19

EMS personnel responded to a medical emergency.

EMS personnel assisted with transport for medevac.

DOT responded to reports of large rocks blocking a lane of the Klondike Highway.

March 20

Officers made contact with an individual due to a concerned party requesting a wellness check.

March 23

Officers worked traffic control for a vehicle retrieval operation along the embankment of the Dyea Road.

Police

Submitted by Skagway Police Department

An individual reported a dog bite to their buttocks. The owner of the dog was contacted by an officer.

March 24

Off-duty officer transported a man with a twisted ankle back to his residence.

March 26

Carcross Police had a wallet turned in belonging to a Skagway resident, owner was contacted regarding the location of their wallet.

March 27

Reports of large rock along the Dyea Road, DOT cleared the way shortly after.

EMS personnel responded to a medical emergency

Dispatch assisted with contacting the On-Duty Provider.

March 28

A loose dog was reported running around the school field, owner was informed and dog was retrieved.

March 29

A minor vehicle collision occurred, officer responded to assist with paperwork and info exchange.

March 30

Fire personnel responded to an EWS Fire alarm at a downtown business Dispatch assisted with contacting the On-Duty Provider.

March 31

Officer and dispatch notified DOT of a large downed tree blocking the Dyea Road near the Taiya River Bridge.

Dispatch assisted with contacting the On-Duty Provider.

Fraser maintenance closed the Klondike Highway due to an onset of snow and fog.

A wallet was reported missing.

An iPhone was turned in and later reunited with its owner.

April 1

DOT reports that the Klondike Highway is open.

Police assisted with unlocking a vehicle.

April 2

A couple reported they arrived early for their Friday ferry but did not know where to park their RV. They were advised of their options.

Tony L. Rodriguez, 37 of Louisiana was arrested for an outstanding bench warrant for failure to appear.

April 3

Police responded to a suspicious vehicle. An individual was found sleeping inside. He reported he was taking the ferry out in a few days. The officer advised him of places he could park.

Dispatch assisted in contacting the On-Duty Provider.

US Customs reported a vehicle drove through without stopping. Police assisted in locating the vehicle and stayed with the driver until Customs officers arrived.

Reports of a car alarm going off at the ferry terminal parking lot and then the car had been stolen. Officers searched for the car and found it in the ferry terminal parking lot. The reporting party mixed up which car drove off.

April 4

A caller was looking for a place to park their RV while they waited for the ferry.

A caller inquired if they could take one of the abandoned bikes stored at the Public Safety Building.

DOT reported a late delivery of explosives that could not be secured until morning. Fire Department advised on temporary storage procedure and hazard mitigation.

To reach the Dahl on-duty provider, contact police dispatch at 907-983-2232

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 9:30 a.m.

Seafood Socials 5:30 p.m. Wed.. Bible Study 6:30 p.m. Tues.

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

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.

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.