The Skagway News - April 14, 2023

Dahl future depends on April 18 ballot results

By Melinda Munson

April 18 is tax deadline, Skagway’s first ship day with an estimated 4,000 passengers -- and the date the town votes in a special election for two clinic ballot questions.

The first question will read:

“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.”

This question was put on the ballot via an initiative petition, thus the language had to remain untouched. Voting “for” the ballot question will require voter approval on any sale or lease of the clinic/building. Voting “against” the measure means the Skagway Borough Assembly could vote to lease the clinic/ building.

Currently, the assembly has the authority to lease the clinic building at below market value without voter approval, according to Municipal Code 16.04.070

The second question reads:

“Shall the Municipality of Skagway lease the E.A. & Jenny Rasmuson Community Health Center building and land for $1.00 to SEARHC and sell the Dahl Memorial Clinic business and assets for $1.00 to SEARHC?”

(For or Against)

Originally, talks with Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) centered around purchasing the clinic. That changed to a lease of the clinic and its equipment, with the sale of the clinic business.

The second question is an advisory question.

(see page 5 - Dahl)

Correspondence to assembly, mayor back on website

By Gretchen Wehmhoff

In a four to two vote on April 6, the Skagway Borough Assembly approved a resolution that brought citizen correspondence back to the Municipality of Skagway (MOS) website.

Responding to a move in October 2022 that halted the publication of correspondence submitted to the mayor and assembly on the muni website, Resolution 23-15R amends Section 1, Rule 9E of Res. 22-30R Establishing the Assembly Rules of Procedure.

Prior to the October decision, citizens’ letters to the mayor and the assembly as a whole were published as part of the packet for assembly meetings. This practice had been common for several decades, while specifics of website publication had not been addressed in municipal code. Prior to the website, the letters were included in the printed packets available to the public in the back of

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the chambers.

After public protest to the elimination of published correspondence, the issue made it to the Civic Affairs Committee where the amendment was drafted, discussed, shared with the MOS attorney and finally presented for approval by Assemblymember Deb Potter.

Residents Jeff Brady and Jan Wrentmore each separately contacted attorney John McKay, an expert media and public records lawyer and retired University of

Alaska Anchorage professor. Brady and Wrentmore shared various drafts with McKay, then shared suggestions to the committee. Brady said McKay also conversed with MOS attorney Bob Blasco.

Brady spoke at the April 6 meeting.

“It all starts with the Alaska Open Meetings and Public Records Act,” Brady said.

“Basically, every communication across the city, the City Hall threshold, whether a sticky note or an email is a public record … Anyone can

come in and ask to see it.”

In support of the resolution, Red Onion owner Jan Wrentmore offered the scenario that could occur without letters being published.

“My favorite example is, if my license is up for renewal, and it’s on the agenda of the meeting, and somebody writes a letter, and they give you reasons not to renew that license. If they say ‘it’s my intent not to let the public see this. I don’t want Jan to know, I don’t want the

Voters to decide on sales tax increase

By Melinda Munson

Voters will decide at the April 18 special election if they spend more on sales tax. Originally proposed by Assemblymember Dan Henry, the legislation seeks to raise the sales tax by 1.5%, six months out of the year. The ballot questions reads: “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 infrastructural demands during the 2nd and 3rd quarters of each calendar year, April through September?”

Juneau and Sitka’s sales tax rate is 5%, Ketchikan sits

at 6.5% and Seward charges 7%.

“I’m going to ask a favor,” said Assemblymember Jay Burnham. “If you are undecided about the tax increase of one and a half cents, I’m going to ask you to lean yes. That one and a half cents won’t make much of a dif-

Photo by Mark Larsen

Rockslide mitigation continues on Railroad Dock as the first ship of the season is scheduled to berth on the dock in the aft position April 18.

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The fate of the E.A. and Jenny Rasmuson Community Health Center building and Dahl Memorial Clinic

Vote FOR the lease Vote AGAINST the lease

Please consider the following regarding the upcoming vote on leasing Dahl Clinic to SEARHC. Our clinic has been in turmoil for years, and what improvements have we witnessed? Hemorrhaging money on an interim director? A rotating door of staff?

This is not sustainable.

We pride ourselves on the fact that we are one of few municipalities in the nation who runs our own clinic but perhaps there’s a reason more communities don’t – because it’s not realistic to think a local government can adequately run a medical facility while balancing all other aspects of government.

That’s not a dig at our local officials, they care and do wonderful work. However, there are few people in Skagway who are medically trained or have the knowledge and experience to be effective at running a modern medical clinic. It’s unrealistic to believe a town of fewer than 1,000 residents can effectively run a clinic, and the facts underscore this assertion.

In 2022, clinic revenues were only 18% of the operating costs. The rest came from public money. More than $1 million of that public money came from Skagway taxpayers. And yet the clinic still maintained a deficit of more than $347,000, and this deficit has still not been resolved.

This is not sustainable.

The cost of healthcare is only going to increase. Do you think there’s a better way to spend our limited tax dollars than on a clinic that’s more than 80% subsidized by taxpayer dollars?

I hear many people speak of the fundraising efforts and I appreciate the hard work that went into building our clinic. At a special assembly meeting, the people most responsible for getting our clinic built said they supported SEARHC taking over operations. Indeed, they said that this is the evolution of the clinic.

There is a huge misconception that the clinic building and assets won’t belong to Skagway anymore if the SEARHC lease is approved. This is false. The efforts and love that went into the clinic building will not be wasted because Skagway retains ownership of the property, building and assets.

You and your family will simply have more reliable healthcare provided by trusted professionals who service all of Southeast Alaska.

Many people know that I’ve had multiple negative experiences at our clinic. I’m not afraid to talk about them because my experience may make somebody else feel like they aren’t alone. I am grateful that citizens have had good encounters at the clinic, and I am heartbroken that so many others have had horrendous ones.

We all deserve to feel safe when going to the Dahl Memorial Clinic. We deserve to feel like we aren’t being gossiped about when we leave the exam room. We deserve not being forced to question the diagnosis we’re given.

Let’s focus on the future of Skagway and realize that SEARHC isn’t the bad guy. Our clinic desperately needs saving. Our citizens need healthcare. Approving the SEARHC lease is a smart move for our community.

-KayLynn Howard

The “Better Together? An examination of the Relationship Between Acute Care Hospital Mergers and Patient Experience,” published in the Journal of Healthcare Management, clearly shows that the quality of care and patient experience after three years is no better and very often less than before the merger or acquisition. This leads me to ask the following questions all of us should consider ahead of the April 18 ballot measures.

• What price do you put on having our own voice in the care and services our community provides? Should we vote to have SEARHC take control of the clinic for $1, we no longer have that voice. Is there a representative from our community on the board of directors? Yes. Is she representative of the nine demographics in Skagway represented by the current board? No. We as a collective no longer have a voice.

• The Municipality of Skagway (MOS) Clinic Budget line item should be looked at as a line of credit. Public information on the MOS website shows the Dahl Memorial Clinic has met budget or well below since 2015. The “black hole” subsidiary has been grossly misrepresented. Roughly 95% of the subsidy comes from visitors. If SEARHC takes over and increases fees, the brunt of increased patient chargers will be felt by residents who use the clinic.

• Other departments of the municipality “lose money” in the best interest of the community. The recreation center would be a prime example. We choose to support the rec center, the fire hall, the school, because they have a direct impact on the quality of living in Skagway and why we choose to live here. The clinic is no different.

• The primary focus should be on patient experience and quality of care. The conclusion of the study referenced at the start of this letter which included 198 hospitals states, “…mergers did not result in improved patient experience rating and nurse communication ratings increased at a slower rate than those that did not merge. And highlight the potential negative impact of the consolidation of … health systems.”

• SEARHC has not committed to keeping any current staff and did not answer the question if current staff need to reapply. If they bring medical staff in to fill gaps, what is the likelihood they will stay? What type of culture will SEARHC provide to encourage them to stay when the leadership does not live here to form relationships with the community?

I do not feel we have all of the details needed to make an informed vote. Our best option to maintain affordable healthcare opportunities in Skagway is to Vote FOR “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.” And to vote AGAINST “Shall the Municipality of Skagway lease the E.A. and Jenny Rasmuson community Health Center building and land for $1.00 to SEARHC and sell the Dahl Memorial Clinic business and assets for $1.00 to SEARHC?”

-Cory Thole

New guidelines for citizen correspondence addressed to assembly, mayor

(Continued from front page)

Red Onion to know I wrote these things about the bar’.” Wrentmore continued, “I have a right to see that information. So particularly as it pertains to an agenda item that you’re going to be making a decision on. I think those letters you have in front of you, as a basis for your decision, should be public and the public has a right to see them. I think that applies as well to a whole bunch of issues, including all the tough waterfront, lease renewals and upland decisions, all of that,” Wrentmore said.

After discussion, an amendment to the amendment was passed clarifying that letters addressed to the

mayor and/or assembly or assembly are included in the original amendment, and that the correspondence must be germane to what is on the agenda.

Assemblymember Jay Burnham had a concern about warning the person submitting the correspondence of the rules.

“The main thing, like I said, at the beginning was I am for correspondence in the packet, as long as it’s realized by the people writing it, that it will be public,” Burnham said.

Potter noted that a future solution could include a public portal for submission of letters to be included on the municipal website. That por-

tal would clearly state that the correspondence would be public record and included in the assembly packet. She referenced the websites of Bethel, Alaska and Shoreline, Washington as examples.

Potter shared that in order to create a public portal in Skagway, the website software would need to be updated by several versions, so it was not viable at this time.

The main amendment lists specific guidelines for submitting letters to the mayor and/or assembly.

All correspondence must include the sender’s legal name, community of residence and return address or email. In addition, correspon-

Sales tax increase on April 18 ballot

(Continued from front page)

ference for the residents of Skagway in the money coming out of our pockets. However, with an increase of revenue coming into the city coffers, it will make a difference with your quality of life. We will be able to get the city finances back to pre-pandemic levels and be able to fund infrastructure improvements that are needed in town. And if you don’t know, I would really like to have a pool in Skagway.”

Henry also pushed for a yes vote.

“...There was a letter … that was sent in January that an individual in the community said that they were not going to vote for the sales tax increase unless they knew what the increase was going to be spent on,” Henry said. “And they would like to see the financial records. And I thought to myself, well, it would be easier, rather than writing a letter back in response and explaining what the sales tax would be spent on, it would be easier to write what we don’t spend sales tax on in this community.”

A Feb. 8 letter from the Skagway Business Association declared that immediately following COVID-19 is not the time to adjust sales tax rates.

“Raising sales tax before we are re-established as a ‘must see port’ adds additional burden onto Skagway’s business and property owners.

Increasing taxes because ‘the other towns are doing it’ (and then figuring out how the funds will be spent) is simply not prudent or responsible at this time. We ask that the community consider leaving sales tax at 5% and focus on bringing full-scale tourism back to Skagway.”

Long-time local business owner Debbie Elliott Ackerman agreed, noting it will increase rental rates.

“I am opposed to the sales tax increase,” she said. “I believe it will make an already expensive place to live yearround even more so … With the increase in groceries, fuel and utilities, this may well push more year-round people to leave.”

Food is not taxed in Skagway and residents traditionally enjoy a sales tax vacation in the fall and winter.

Polls are open April 18 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at City Hall. Absentee ballots should be time stamped at the post office no later than April 18 and arrive at the clerk’s office by 4 p.m. April 20. Absentee-in-person ballots are available at City Hall until 5 p.m., April 17.

For more information see https://skagwaynews. com/2023/01/20/sales-taxincrease-headed-to-voters/.

dence will not be forwarded to the mayor or assembly or included in the packet if it includes: “Gossip (defined as rumor or reports about the personal or private affairs of others), indecent language, threats, hate speech or statements that could subject the municipality to potential liability for violating personal privacy rights or for libel or which otherwise are an exception to being a public record under the Alaska Public Records Act.”

If correspondence is received that doesn’t comply with the guidelines, the clerk’s office will return the letter to the sender noting the guidelines. The clerk’s office may also consult with the borough attorney regarding received correspondence.

Letters sent specifically to one member of the assembly would not be subject to publication.

Assemblymember Sam Bass brought forward an unsuccessful motion to “send resolution 23-15R back to the city attorney and ask for very clear definitions for any and all terms that will be used to determine what is

published and what is not.”

The motion was seconded by Assemblymember Jay Burnham.

“I would at least like the lawyer to come back and say, here’s what indecent language is, give us some sort of context,” Bass said.

Prior to the final vote, clerk Steve Burnham confirmed with Mayor Andrew Cremata that since the clerk would not receive correspondence sent directly to the mayor, that Cremata would be responsible for forwarding qualifying emails to the clerk’s office by the deadline for inclusion in the assembly packet.

Assembly agendas are posted by Friday evening the week before the meeting. All correspondence must be received 48 hours prior to the assembly meeting where the agenda topic is listed.

Correspondence not complying with the rules of the resolution will not be published.

By Gretchen Wehmhoff

Anyone who has lived with any chronic health issue understands the stress of changing doctors. When I was young, my parents advocated for my care. When I left the state to attend college, we worked with my pediatrician to find medical care in the city I would be living in. Returning home at

Finding a new physician can be nerve-racking

22, it took two tries to find someone I could work with.

It’s a big deal.

Any profession has a need for a fit. We all have teachers we loved, and those we tolerated. We know what businesses make us feel comfortable and which don’t. But finding a new doctor or dealing with a doc in the ER that refuses to recognize the experience and knowledge of a patient is stressful. In fact, very few things can be as stressful as seeking new medical care on your own.

For over 40 years I had the same doctor. We understood how to communicate with each other. For 40 years I

knew that as I dealt with different specialists or pharmacies, my doctor had my back.

My doc was also my parents’ doctor, something I appreciated as I assisted them in their older years. He was part of what kept me sane. He was a highly significant part of my life.

Dogs die too soon, hairdressers move and doctors retire. Those are tough facts of life.

When my doctor retired, it was unsettling. He had introduced me to other professionals, but it was still scary. We had established a rapport years ago and, quite frankly, we had been through a lot. I

MUNICIPALITY OF SKAGWAY NOTICE OF SPECIAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION TUESDAY, April 18, 2023

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, there will be held in the Municipality of Skagway, Alaska, a SPECIAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION

THE FOLLOWING QUESTION IS ON THE BALLOT:

Ø 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 infrastructural demands during the 2nd and 3rd quarters of each calendar year, April through September?

For " # Against " #

Ø 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.

For " # Against " #

Ø Shall the Municipality of Skagway lease the E.A. and Jenny Rasmuson community Health Center building and land for $1.00 to SEARHC and sell the Dahl Memorial Clinic business and assets for $1.00 to SEARHC?

For " # Against " #

ELECTION HOURS: The polls will open at 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 18, 2023 and will close at 8:00 p.m. on the same day.

DEADLINE TO REGISTER TO VOTE: The deadline to register to vote in the April 18, 2023 Special Municipal Election is Sunday, March 19, 2023

VOTER QUALIFICATIONS: A person may vote in a municipal election only if the person:

1. is qualified to vote in state elections under AS 15.05.010;

2. has been a resident of the municipality for 30 days immediately preceding the election;

3. has registered before the election as required under AS 15.07 and is not registered to vote in another jurisdiction

ABSENTEE VOTING: Voters who will be out of town for the Special Municipal Election on April 18, 2023 are able to vote absentee in person at the Borough Offices beginning Monday, April 3, 2023 and ending Monday, April 17, 2023 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. In order to allow sufficient time for mailing, absentee ballots by mail should be requested by Friday, April 7, 2023

For more information visit www.skagway.org and click on “Government” then “Elections ” or contact the Borough Clerk at s.burnham@skagway.org or 907-983-9706.

had his cell phone number.

So I discovered that the only thing scarier than trying to find a new doctor was trying to find a new doctor when you are older.

Suddenly a severe sense of vulnerability overcame me. What if the new doc doesn’t like my treatment, what if they aren’t as accessible or responsive? What if I have to wait months to see them?

What happens next year when I turn 65?

I remember volunteering with the Office of the Long Term Care Ombudsman’s office. I met people who depended on their caregivers, their social security and their medical care. The biggest fear I witnessed when working with vulnerable seniors was their fear of being thrown to the curb, losing their home, losing their advocate.

So I had to take a leap and once again advocate for myself with a new doctor. It was a bit stressful, but so far it has worked out. We’ve had to negotiate a few things,

but we came to agreements.

When accessibility and responsiveness became an issue, we came up with a work-a-round. And the best part, when I turn 65, he will take Medicare - and he will most likely outlive me.

Change is unnerving. And the fears involved are real. Change involving medical care can be frightening at an even higher level as folks face how vulnerable they can become as they age.

Whether change occurs slowly or quickly, those advocating for change need to be hyper-aware of what makes people hesitant and address those concerns with compassion. Hesitations may be grounded in real concerns and substantial fears.

What made a difference for me was that I was able to retain some sort of control of my medical future.

It all came down to asking questions, being very clear about my needs and expecting sincere and compassionate answers.

Photo by Kortney Rupprecht

Levi Rupprecht and Wells and Argus Guilliams at the Skagway Easter Egg Hunt.

Dahl Clinic’s future determined by April 18 ballot

“It says what the community wants to do,” said Mayor Andrew Cremata. “The assembly is looking for a clear direction. Is this something we should pursue or should we scrap the whole thing and say we’re running a clinic?”

If the draft SEARHC Management Contract (July 28, 2022) is approved by the assembly as currently written, SEARHC would “acquire ownership and assume responsibility for the day-today operations of the clinic” with an anticipated purchase price of $1. The clinic building could be leased for 25 years at $1 per year.

SEARHC would be required to keep all current clinic employees, “subject to SEARHC’s routine background check screening standards and procedures.”

According to the discussion draft, “SEARHC will commit to continuing all current services offered by the clinic,” with eventual expansion of specifically named services such as dental and mental health.

Discussions first began with SEARHC around the summer of 2021. Dahl Memorial Clinic had lost 75% of its staff, struggled with what ex-employees described as a “toxic environment” and had complaints from patients ranging from breaches of privacy to inadequate medical care.

“They’d [SEARHC] always expressed interest,” said Borough Manager Brad Ryan. He invited them to give a presentation. According to Ryan, he never reached out to other companies about the lease of the clinic and no other parties have expressed interest.

In preparation for the April 18 vote, The Skagway News held a clinic forum April 12 which can be viewed on The Skagway News Facebook page. The mood was tense as the audience grilled Heidi Aylsworth, SEARHC chief strategy and business development officer. At least one citizen stormed out of AB Hall during the forum.

Tim Cochran asked why SEARHC, which he stated reported $209 million total revenue for 2019, should get a $1 lease of the clinic building.

“Because it cost the municipality to run what I believe to not be sufficient health care,” answered Assembly Orion Hanson. “And while you say it would be for $1, it’s not for $1. It’s actually a negative balance to run the clinic … So I think the question is, at what cost do we continue to pay, and then that increases and continues to increase… And are we getting the kind of service that we expect from that? And while SEARHC makes profit, most private healthcare or nonprofit healthcare do.”

When asked by The Skagway News if the town has the resources to fill and run a nine member board, Dahl Memorial Clinic Board of Directors President Jeremy Simmons addressed what he felt were misconceptions.

“The clinic board isn’t responsible for the governance of the clinic,” he explained. They advise “the management of the clinic as to what sort of services are necessary for the community and act as a way for the community to address the clinic to whatever needs they might have.”

“I absolutely think that everybody in this community has the skill and expertise to serve in that advisory and guidance capacity of this board and I would welcome even more people to come out to do that,” he said.

Barb Broderson expressed concern that non-Alaska Natives would have less access to medication and doctors within the SEARHC system. Established in 1975, SEARHC, a non-profit, is one of the oldest and largest Native-run health organizations in the nation.

“SEARHC is committed to taking care of the communities we serve – “every resident of every community that SEARHC is in,” Alysworth said. “I’m saying very clearly that SEARHC takes care of everyone who seeks care at our facilities, in each environment.”

Skagway resident Brooke Sturgis quoted the cost of getting a standard annual blood test for an uninsured patient who doesn’t qualify for the sliding scale fee, which she cited as about $500 more expensive with

SEARHC than Dahl.

According to Alysworth, approximately 18 months ago, her team made a price comparison between Dahl and SEARHC for the top 10 reasons people “come to the clinic.”

“They were very comparable,” she said. The cost of SEARHC services is consistent throughout the state, meaning a prescription of amoxicillin in the Haines SEARHC clinic costs the same as the Wrangell SEARHC clinic.

As voting draws closer, clinic finances are a point of much discussion. In general, the Municipality of Skagway (MOS) now expects to fund Dahl Memorial by approximately $1 million each year. According to the municipality, in 2022 the clinic made $854,367 in revenue, collected $1,444,275 in a Health Resources and Services Administration grant (HRSA) and received $45,277 in other grants. The MOS contributed $968,871

in American Rescue Plan Act funds (ARPA), which replaced traditional sales tax due to COVID-19 and the loss of passenger tax.

The COVID-19 years were anomalies with Dahl receiving extra grants, for example 2021, where the clinic drew only $82,843 from an anticipated muni budget of $774,277.

In 2019, the last pre-pandemic year, the clinic was allotted $697,478 in municipal funds and spent $697,498.

The 2023 budget sets aside $947,025 for the clinic. The clinic could draw less from the municipality if they find additional grants.

For some people like former clinic board member Nicole Goodman, a clinic funded in part by the municipality makes sense.

“The utilization of Dahl Memorial Clinic is one of the top benefits for me personally, as a tax paying resident,” she said. “Each resident may not directly enjoy benefits from each and every

Child Find: April 27, 2023

department that our tax money funds. As such, it should be subsidized like other taxpayer funded departments.”

Katie Auer, a current clinic board member, hopes that SEARHC will assume operations of the clinic, but not necessarily to save the municipality money.

“I will be voting for SEARHC because I believe that the citizens of Skagway deserve consistently available, quality healthcare in a clinic managed by professionals,” she said.

Polls are open April 18 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at City Hall. Absentee ballots should be time stamped at the post office no later than April 18 and arrive at the clerk’s office by 4 p.m. April 20. Absentee-in-person ballots are available at City Hall until 5 p.m., April 17.

Skagway School District is scheduling appointments for our birth to five year old annual early development screening April 27, 2023. This screening will be conducted by a collection of specialists at the school. We will be screening for vision, hearing, developmental delays, speech/language impairments, and more.

You do not need to have any concerns to bring your child in to participate, we will also do general developmental surveys to track milestones. Our goal is to have all Skagway children birth to five years old participate!

The purpose is to locate children with potential disabilities so that a free and appropriate public education can be made available. The types of disabilities that, if found, cause a child to need services are:

• Cognitive Disability

• Speech or Language Impairment

• Emotional Disturbance

• Autism Spectrum Disorder

• Other Health Impairment

• Deaf-Blindness

What is Child Find?

• Hearing Impairment, Including Deafness

• Visual Impairment, Including Blindness

• Orthopedic Impairment

• Traumatic Brain Injury

• Specific Learning Disability

• Multiple Disabilities

Child Find refers to activities undertaken by a public education agency (Skagway School District), to identify, locate, and evaluate children between the ages of birth to twenty-one residing within the school’s geographic boundaries who are suspected of having disabilities, regardless of the severity of their disability, and determine the child’s need for special education and related services.

If you suspect your child has a disability, you know of a child who you suspect may have a disability, or you have questions about special education for children with disabilities, please contact Cody Burnham at Skagway School by calling (907)983-2960 or email cburnham@skagwayschool.org to schedule an appointment.

Rockslide mitigation leads to unique seasonal job

By Melinda Munson

The Municipality of Skagway (MOS) is hiring for a position that requires a 1.5 mile, 700 vertical foot hike each way to work.

Three rock slope observers will be contracted to the MOS for 27 weeks during the 2023 tourist season to monitor the Railroad Dock landslide from above, at the Lower Dewey Lake Management area.

The work schedule will be approximately five-10 hour days each week. Contractors will receive a weekly stipend of $2,500.

The observers will “perform slope observations, assist with report preparation, perform analyses and calculations … and be expected to assist in setting up the remote camp including the erection of tents, electric fence, backcountry showers, and other camp maintenance.”

Had Shannon & Wilson, which is overseeing instrumental monitoring, provided the rock slope observers, it would have cost the municipality $800,000. Assemblymember Jay Burnham recused himself from the vote in case he decided to apply. He cannot be both an assembly member and a contractor.

According to Borough Manager Brad Ryan, observer shifts will be scheduled from roughly 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

“…they will be up there primarily to watch the rock slide … and have communication with the traffic controllers on the dock,” Ryan said. “If they hear or see a rockslide begin to happen, they will immediately notify the people that can control the buses down below on the docks.

March 18

Dispatch assisted a citizen in contacting the clinic on duty provider.

March 19

Dispatch assisted a citizen in contacting the on duty provider.

A lost dog was reunited with its owner.

March 22

Police personnel responded to a domestic violence call that resulted in the arrest of Bernadette S. Conant, 37 of Pocatello, Idaho, for Assault in the 4th Degree.

March 23

The police department loaned a live capture trap to a local business who were able to safely apprehend a larcenous squirrel.

March 24

Dispatch received a report of an erratic driver. Police located the vehicle and made contact with the driver who was in the process of learning to operate a manual transmission.

March 25

Dispatch received a report of unauthorized drone usage. Police personnel were unable to locate.

March 27

A dog was reported lost and later found.

There’s about 12 to 20 seconds from the time you can see or hear one of those rock sides start, until it gets to the docks in a normal situation. Hopefully that never happens with our attenuation measures there.”

The observers’ secondary job is to take measurements and ensure that instruments are functioning. If an abnormal reading is recorded, they would confirm the reading wasn’t caused by an animal or tree branch.

Shannon & Wilson will continually monitor the total station, which is located at the ferry station. A protocol will be in place for Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska to also check the data. A municipal employee and dispatch will receive automatic alerts.

“...I want to make sure that we have a lot of redundancy in the system,” Ryan said.

Ryan described the use of the spotters as “above a highway standard,” noting it was what geologists recommended.

Assemblymember Sam Bass pointed out the MOS will pay $233,000 for the season for Shannon & Wilson to “monitor the equipment from afar” as well as $250,000 for spotters.

“Is this something you anticipate that we’ll have to do every season? Or is this just this season?” Bass asked.

“I think we’re in this for a while until we can take down that larger rock mass [Ship Rock],” Ryan said. “And you’re gonna hear a push for me to want to move forward with doing that. You’re going to hear that very soon.”

Police & Fire Blotter

March 28

Dispatch received a report of vandalism to a citizen’s personal vehicle.

March 31

Police personnel assisted with fingerprinting.

A lost dog was reunited with its owner.

April 1

Police personnel assisted a vehicle lockout. Dispatch received a report of three missing chainsaws last seen in October.

Police personnel assisted with fingerprinting.

April 4

Dispatch received a report of a hit and run. Police located and arrested Levi Alasuk Mills III, 28 of Kotzebue, Alaska for Driving Under the Influence.

Dispatch assisted a citizen in contacting the on duty provider.

April 6

Police performed a welfare check.

April 7

Dispatch assisted a citizen in contacting the clinic on duty provider twice.

Police personnel responded to a report of a single vehicle non-injury accident on Dyea Road.

Dispatch received multiple reports of a suspicious person seen around town.

April 8

Dispatch received another report of the suspicious person. Police made contact with Eric Richard Bruns, 43 of Palmer, Alaska who was arrested on a Federal Warrant.

Dispatch assisted a citizen in contacting the on duty provider.

Police advised someone that consuming marijuana in public was against the law.

April 9

Fire and EMS personnel responded to two separate medical emergencies.

Police personnel responded to a noise complaint. The subject agreed to turn their music down.

Police observed a citizen chasing their dog and were able to assist and corral it.

Dispatch received a report of a stranger barking at a citizen. Police were unable to locate the barking individual.

Submitted by Skagway Police Department

Photo by Mark Larsen

Mitigation work above Railroad Dock.

Haines fair works to reschedule Juneau Drag act to later time

By Kyle Clayton Chilkat Valley News March 30

The Southeast Alaska State Fair is working to reschedule Juneau Drag to a later time slot at the fair after the board received opposition from some residents about the event.

In addition to writing letters to the fair board, residents spoke both in opposition and in support of the drag show during public comment at the Haines Borough Assembly Tuesday night. Some lobbied the assembly to stop funding the fair, or requested that the event be hosted in a private venue. Port Chilkoot Bible Church pastor Matt Jones said the fair board should not have scheduled an event it knew would provoke controversy.

“Why would we put this in a public place when it’s perfectly legal to do that in the privacy of a private business of which we have many that might look forward to entertaining that as a business opportunity,” Jones said. “But rather it’s going to be in a public venue at 7 p.m. on Friday night while your kids are trying to ride the Ferris wheel next to it.”

The assembly has traditionally funded the fair to the tune of $20,000 on an annual basis, which is about less than 5% of the fair’s budget. Pastor Sage Thomas asked the assembly to consider cutting off funding to the fair. He and others said the show was inherently sexual and inappropriate for a community event.

“We’re talking about something that is sexual whether we want to say it is or not,” Courtney Kelly said. “It doesn’t matter if someone else doesn’t think it’s sexual or if someone else says that’s just how they express themselves.”

Aly Zeiger spoke in support of the act and said because multiple events happen at the same time, people can avoid acts they don’t want to see.

“One of the reasons I go to the fair is to see other parts of Haines, to see other parts of Southeast Alaska, parts I can’t necessarily go to see myself. For that reason, I support the Haines fair

bringing the drag show to town,” Aly Zeiger said.

Others pushed back against the notion that the show is inherently sexual.

“I’d like to remind everyone this is not a scary monster,” Amy Kane said. “This is taking over the national conversation as a scary monster. These are our neighbors, they’re real people. They’re not just sexualized performers. They’re professional performers.”

Fair board chair Spencer Douthit said he received photos of Juneau Drag performances from concerned residents that were sexually explicit. “I totally agree and thought all those photos were inappropriate and none of the behavior in those photos are going to be featured at the fair,” Douthit told the CVN. “We agree that it is not appropriate content.”

While some photos on Juneau Drag’s website and Facebook page show individuals in burlesque and other sexually explicit poses, others show them fully clothed in space suits, cowboy attire and other costumes singing and dancing.

“They do shows at bars sometimes and they’re a little more risqué, but they have their public show and they made sure the content of that public show, that their costume and the music and the style of their performance is friendly for all ages,” Douthit said. “They’re aware there’s concerns about what would be an appropriate thing to wear in a public setting and made sure to satisfy that.”

Douthit said the board will likely not reschedule the event in a private location or at the Chilkat Center. He said it doesn’t make fiscal sense to use a venue other than the fairgrounds and that a smaller space such as the Klondike won’t fit enough people who want to see the show. The fair board still needs to renegotiate its contract with Juneau Drag, but the show will likely remain scheduled for the main stage. It will likely move from 7 p.m. to an hour or two later in the evening, he said.

When asked what the impact of a $20,000 funding cut would have on the fair, Douthit said it would have little impact on their perfor-

mance budget. He said he’d be more concerned about the signal the assembly would send by withdrawing support to the fair.

“I think it would be unfortunate for a single performance to negate all of the benefits that the fair brings to the borough, from inexpensive commercial spaces at Dalton City, to all our events throughout the entire year, the softball fields, these public spaces everyone gets to use like pickleball, the community garden,” Douthit said. “We have so many roles in the community.”

At the assembly meeting, no official action was taken, but assembly member Gabe Thomas said the assembly should ask the fair to move the act to a later time.

“Let the parents, let the families have a choice,” Thomas said. “That’s the middle ground. Simple as that.”

Assembly member Cheryl Stickler hinted that she’d be in support of cutting off funding to the fair. “I cannot and will not support spending taxpayer money on a show that is so controversial and does not meet widely held community standards.”

Assembly member Ben

Aultman Moore agreed with Thomas and said the act could be rescheduled, but also pushed back on the idea that drag was essentially sexual.

“I think drag is costuming, which really can mean anything for the individual. There’s been various opin-

ions of what drag means to people. People call it a sexual fetish. That’s a fear-based misunderstanding of what costuming is and what drag is.”

Douthit said the fair board plans to hold a public meeting sometime in the next two weeks to hear more from residents.

Deadline extended to April 21

The Skagway News file photo

A Juneau Drag performer entertains at Skagway’s 2022 Pride Festival.

Family Fun Page - print and share

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1 Upper limit

4 Tires

9 End of a radio alphabet

10 On the contrary

12 Now and then

25 “... and on Earth, peace ---” (Luke 2: 14)

28 Chafe

29 Criticize heavily

30 Young reporter

32 Recording tool Harry is adjusting

35 Autobiography

36 Otherwise

37 Heraldic black

38 Thread cutter Down

1 Film script words between scenes

2 Assumed name

3 Groan-causing wordplay

4 “Steps in Time” autobiographer

5 Augment with something

superfluous

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8 Monica ---, stabbed during a tennis tournament

9 Take a sharp turn

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13 Remove

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19 Where to work on a six-pack?

21 A whole lot

22 First word of

“The Marines’ Hymn”

23 Angler’s equipment

24 Bo’s master

26 Gut bugs

27 Poppy Pomfrey at Hogwarts, for example

29 Yankees’ legend --Rizzuto

31 “Adios!”

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34 Media organization which disseminates “ideas worth spreading”

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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

BOARD

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

SKAGWAY

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. &

(when a priest is available)

Weather Watch

Intent to use USDA Forest Service, Secure Rural Schools

Title III Funding: As required by the Secure Rural Schools Act (SRS Act) reauthorization, P.L. 117-58, signed into law on November 15, 2021, and following the initiation of Title III funds for this use by the Borough Assembly on April 6, 2023, the following is the public announcement of the Municipality of Skagway’s intent to use Title III funds: The municipality is proposing to use Title III funds to purchase law enforcement patrol equipment related to search and rescue and other emergency services. This advertisement will be published for the required 45-day period. Please contact the Borough Treasurer with comments at 907-983-2297 or h.rodig@skagway.org.

Transfer Station - REBID

Bid/RFP Status: Open - accepting bids and proposals

Bid/RFP Due Date:

Wednesday, April 26, 20232:00pm

The Municipality of Skagway is accepting bids to construct the Solid Waste Transfer Facility. The WORK covered in the Contract Documents generally includes: Site preparation and the installation of a pre-engineered metal building and provision of solid waste balers, crushers, and vehicle scales, and other miscellaneous related WORK. All work must conform to the requirements provided in the bid documents.

A full copy of the Request for Bids can be obtained on https://www. skagway.org/rfps, or by e-mailing a.lawson@skagway.org. Technical questions regarding this project must be directed in writing to the Borough Manager at manager@ skagway.org and contracts@ skagway.org.

sales@skagwaynews.com

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BROADWAY BULLETIN

Search for burial sites to expand in Yukon Territory

By Cassidy Bronson

March 27

The Whitehorse Star

The Yukon Residential Schools Missing Children Working Group (formerly known as the Choutla Residential School Project) has announced a name change and an expansion to the project.

“We are here today to announce that our project is growing beyond the grounds of the Chooutla residential school and the Carcross/Tagish First Nation territory, although Chooutla remains a primary focus for this year,” Adeline Webber, the chair of the Yukon Residential Schools Missing Children Working Group, told a news conference Friday afternoon in Whitehorse.

Webber, along with her siblings and family members, all attended residential schools.

“The need we see has been high, and we want to be able to bring our work to the other communities who are missing children,” she said.

The new name of the project was created to reflect its expansion to other communities in the Yukon.

There were four residential schools in the Yukon: Chooutla, Whitehorse Baptist, Aklavik and St. Paul’s School.

Lower Post was also a residential school various Yukon First Nation children attended, but it was just over the Yukon-B.C. border near Watson Lake, and was torn down in 2021.

This summer, the working group’s primary focus is to use ground-penetrating radar on the grounds of the Chooutla Residential School in Carcross.

“We’re concentrating on Carcross right now, because that’s the area, the school that we have the most information on at the moment,” said Webber.

Chooutla was the first residential school built in the territory, opening in 1911 and closing in 1969. The school was run by the Anglican Church. It was torn down in 1993. Other buildings on the site – a garage, storage buildings – were removed in 2017.

Webber said research done by the the Truth and Reconciliation Commission had originally identified 20 student deaths at the school.

However, with preliminary research, they have identified an additional 22 student deaths, making the estimated total of deaths 42.

Webber’s older brother is among the 42 child deaths.

A member of the Teslin Tlingit Council, Webber and her three sisters attended the mission school in Whitehorse.

Webber attended the school for eight years, from 1952 to 1960.

Her oldest brother, who she never met, died at the age of five before she was born while he was attending Chooutla.

Another brother was sent to a residential school in Alberta as a child and did not return until he was 16.

“In one of my first meetings, I was given a list of students,” Webber said. “And I went through that, and there was my brother’s name.

“That was the first time I knew when he died.”

Webber said she was shocked and surprised that one of her brothers had died at Chooutla.

Among her family members and siblings, she said, they attended four residential schools.

In B.C., at the Kamloops Indian residential school, as many as 215 remains of missing children were found using ground-penetrating radar in July 2021.

After that, Weber said, the Carcross/Tagish First Nation reached out to other Yukon First Nations to seek a united approach in addressing the Chooutla Residential school, as well as the other schools within the Yukon.

Then the Chooutla Residential School Working Group was formed, and 10 First Nations in the Yukon have appointed members to the group.

The working group is seeking appointments from other First Nations such as those from northern B.C. and the Inuvialuit region as well to continue their investigation for answers in different areas affected.

On their search for answers, the Residential Schools Missing Children Working Group is mandated to research archives and historical records of missing First Nations children from Yukon residential schools.

Part of the research includes interviewing survivors and their families for knowledge of missing children, and knowledge of possible burial grounds.

Documentation and records of events from the past are severely lacking.

And when there is documentation, crucial identifying factors such as where the children came, and which community they were a part of, are missing.

As the investigation proceeds this year, Webber believes the number of missing children will rise.

Ground-penetrating radar is an important part in the search for the remains of missing children.

Geoscience is the company assisting the working group to identify possible burial grounds around the school area.

“There’s certain areas we will be searching. We’ve been talking about possible locations that a burial might take place,” said Webber.

Burials wouldn’t be in rocky areas, she added.

After the investigation concludes at Chooutla, the working group plans to move its search into Whitehorse, and then into other areas of the territory.

“Whitehorse has several locations where there was either residential school or residents where students attended,” Webber noted.

Aside from the research done by the working group, they are looking for community members to join and assist in interviewing.

“We are also seeking assistance. We will be hosting a training session for anyone interested in becoming interviewers for the project, whether in their own community or to be part of our team,” said Weber.

“The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation will assist us with this statement gathering training. So if anyone is interested in this teaching, please, please contact us.”

When the investigation is finished, Webber believes the answers will help to bring some closure to people in the community.

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

Photo from Google Maps