The Skagway News - Oct. 14, 2022

THE SKAGWAY

Voters approve $65 million revenue bond

By Gretchen Wehmhoff

With a 16-point spread, Skagway voters approved a controversial revenue bond set to improve and update the harbor. Funds will go to planned improvements on Broadway and Ore docks.

The $65 million bond will be repaid by revenue gener ated by the harbor improve ments. City officials have stated the repayment will not come out of municipal tax money collected from home and business owners who are not using the docks.

Voters sent Orion Hanson back to the Skagway Assem bly with 63% of votes cast between five candidates.

“I‘m honored to be reelect ed,” Hanson said. He stated his plans for this term are “good, honest representa tion.”

Former assemblymem ber Dan Henry joins the assembly with 53% of the total votes cast. Henry, who served for two decades on the body, is returning after being ousted in 2020. De spite Henry serving federal prison time in 2016 for fail ing to pay timely income taxes, voters returned him to public service.

Lone school board candi date, Luke Rauscher, will take a seat on the board with 74% of the total votes cast.

Two assembly candidates withdrew themselves from the race after the ballots had been printed. They each re ceived votes, however, with Katie Auer taking 3% of the vote and Janilyn Heger tally ing 14%.

Heger sent a letter to the assembly and the media just before the election.

“Given the enormous chal lenges the city is facing this

Muni “pivots” to less expensive slide mitigation

By Melinda Munson

The assembly unanimous ly approved $3,171,018 on Oct. 6 for the Shannon & Wilson Proposal for ShortTerm Life, Health and Safe ty Rockfall Mitigation. The plan is a temporary solution for the frequent landslides occurring on Railroad Dock, which forced this season’s closure of Railroad’s for ward berth and required ten dering from the aft position.

The more than $3 million is meant to make the dock safe in 2023 for two smaller ships, with larger cruise lin ers docking at Ore Dock un der the alternative mooring plan. Mayor Andrew Crema ta described the short-term mitigation as a “pivot” from the long-term mitigation plan which has a price tag of around $40 million.

Borough Manager Brad Ryan explained the shortterm mitigation.

“…it’s a scaling effort,” said Ryan. “A company is going to come to town called

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Rock Supremacy. They’re gonna go up, and they’re gonna roll the rocks, down ward with pry bars – they’re gonna use airbags. “...they’re going to work on that south chute of that major slide. And that is because they’re trying to get everything to fail through that chute.”

According to Ryan, attenu ators (flexible fence systems which decrease the velocity of falling rock) will be laid up top. Midway attenuators will be placed about a third of the way down as “there’s a bump on the hillside, and that kicks rocks off and launches them outward,” Ryan said. The slide’s exist ing bottom attenuator, which was damaged after a Sept. 25 landslide, will likely be replaced.

Once scaling is complete and attenuators are in place, Rock Supremacy will test the equipment by rolling rocks down the mountain side.

In addition, the munici pality’s geotechnical team

recommends laser survey equipment (total station).

The total station would be installed near Small Boat Harbor with survey prisms placed along the rockslide to measure movement. A quote has not yet been received for the monitoring equipment.

The emergency declara tion proclaimed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy provides some funding for landslide mitigation, but it’s a cumber some process.

“They’re telling us they have a million dollars au thorized right now,” Ryan said. “We have to make sure what we do is eligible. And we have to make sure every thing gets filled out – right. And we don’t break any pro cedure issues. They’re say ing that they can get us more money after the million. But there’s no guarantee on that … So there is a possibility that we might have to cover this,” Ryan said.

“We’ve been spending a lot of money up here,” said

Assemblymember Deb Pot ter. “It’s – one could say – overwhelming at times. I think there are just things that we can’t say no to. I just don’t see an option. We have to do everything we can to get fencing up there.”

Assemblymember Orion Hanson also expressed his discomfort with the uncer tainty of the funding but felt compelled to act.

“I feel sad every time when those rock slides come down. It undermines everyone’s confidence, every business. It’s a terrible experience for the customers, for the busi ness owners or residents. The cruise ships don’t want to be anywhere near it. And I agree with Assemblymem ber Potter that we need to do something because standing by while we have rockslides every week, every several weeks, twice in a week – is not making us a world class destination. I don’t know how exactly we pay for this.

BLOTTER PAGE 11 CLASSIFIED PAGE 11 FREE personal classifieds up to 25 words. CALL (907)983-2354 for more information.

Fable Wallace, Amara Fielding and Emmett Williams prepare to speak at the Oct. 6 assembly meeting. See the story on page 9.

Photo by Melinda Munson

The Skagway News.

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Vol. XLV, No 18 (934) Oct. 14, 2022

Published on the second and fourth Friday of the month

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Letters and Opinion

Land retribution for Pius X Mission: Catholic resident school for Native children

Dear assembly members and Mayor Cremata,

Let me start off with gratitude and thank each one of you for all the hard work and stressful hours put in to bet tering the community.

I am writing to you in hopes to clear up some confusion that seems to be making its way through public chan nels regarding multiple inaccurate comments made by Assembly Member Hanson, most recently heard at the can didates forum.

The comment(s) suggested that the municipality has requested from the Tribal Government a plan of what Skagway Traditional Council (STC) would do with the property of the for mer Pius X Resident School if it were gifted and that STC has not responded to that request.

I want to make clear a few points to the assembly and to those who are reading this correspondence.

First, the Tribal Government has nev er received any official request for a plan for Garden City RV Park property. Saying that there were multiple attempts of requests for a plan is inaccurate and confusing to the public. However, there was one comment made during one of the assembly meetings some time ago that we happened to catch, and we did respond to that the best we could. Our response to what we would do should

the land be gifted stands the same.

“We firmly believe that any project not supported by the community would not be successful. We would first gain public input from the community. Ad ditionally, we would take in consid eration anyone who had attended the school or their descendants because we believe it would help heal and find clo sure.”

(Our response can be found in our let ter addressed to the assembly on March 11.)

Secondly, gifting the entirety of the Pius X Mission property to STC in recognition of the profound impact the institution had and still has on Native Alaskans would be admirable and precedent-setting in a time when the whole nation is grappling with the mistreatment, neglect and abuses that occurred at Native boarding schools (including the Pius X Mission); how ever, STC never requested the whole property. Credit for the idea of gifting the entire property or half to STC goes to our mayor and assembly. In our very first correspondence about the proper ty, we “recommend(ed) that a section of the property be gifted to STC for the purpose of acknowledgment of the school’s existence and its impacts on the lives of the indigenous people of SE Alaska.”

(Our initial correspondence related

to the Pius X property can be found in our letter addressed to the assembly on Sept. 9, 2020.)

Finally, if the municipality were to gift us land at the former Pius X Mis sion: Catholic resident school for Na tive children property, we would need the following to provide you with a plan.

1. How much land should we plan on receiving? After all, the suggestions from the assembly have ranged from none to the whole site.

2. When would we receive this land?

3. Will there be restrictions on this gift?

4. Is the land ready to be built on or is there improvements/mitigation etc. that must happen first? If so, what is the projected cost?

It would not be reasonable for us to spend staff time, residents’ time and/or resources on a plan without having an agreement that outlines the above four points at a minimum.

I am sure you understand that the above is a must for any land develop ment plan when working with another government.

Thank you, Sara Kinjo-Hischer Tribal Administrator, Skagway Tradition al Council

About SEARHC - Your voice is crucial, Skagway

My Skagway Community,

Despite what SEARHC’s latest mailers might lead you to believe, the decision over whether SEARHC will take over operations of the Dahl Memorial Clinic has NOT been made. The assembly is still waiting for a draft agreement to be sort ed between the Municipality of Skagway (MOS), SEARHC and their legal counsel before review and possible approval at the assembly table. That could be “soon” – per Manager Ryan’s report at the Oct. 6 assembly meeting.

THE DECISION WHETHER SEARHC SHOULD TAKE OVER MANAGEMENT OF OUR CLINIC IN SKAGWAY

COULD BE MADE ENTIRELY AT THE ASSEMBLY TABLE. NO PUBLIC VOTE REGARDING SEARHC IS CURRENTLY SCHEDULED. The vote is not required be cause the draft sale and lease price does not exceed $5 mil lion.

Please read SEARHC Draft Terms published on the city website for the assembly›s Aug. 5 special meeting. The as sembly directed Ryan to negotiate an agreement with SEAR HC based on this document. The draft terms do not call for sale of the building, but sale of the clinic business for $1 and lease of the building (and equipment) for $1 per year for 25 years, totaling $26 dollars. The building was recently assessed for $9.5 million dollars.

Other SEARHC draft terms:

-MOS would be responsible for paying out PERS for em ployees at the clinic.

-MOS will be responsible for maintenance of the clinic building, land, mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems.

-SEARHC would dissolve the current nine member clinic board, all Skagway residents, after the HRSA grant is trans ferred over to SEARHC. SEARHC has a 15 member board with one Skagway resident.

An RFP process has not been conducted for this current negotiation with SEARHC, nor in the first round of negotia tions before the canceled SEARHC vote.

In my opinion, the MOS negotiating with SEARHC hurts our current operations at the clinic. As a board member, I sit in interviews for clinic staff positions. In these interviews, SEARHC negotiations are disclosed, which has caused can didates to remove themselves from consideration. In the search for a permanent executive director, a crucial position at the clinic, I saw three out of seven total interviewed candi dates remove themselves from consideration due to, at least in part, the SEARHC question. An uncertain clinic future makes the challenging process of finding permanent admin/ medical professionals even harder. The clinic hires interim, or locum, professional staff, which can be very expensive, to keep the clinic›s doors open. The SEARHC negotiations are costing the MOS more money, not only in legal fees, but in hiring professionals to fill the gap while negotiations occur.

In my conversations with our new clinic interim execu tive director, he has indicated the clinic has an opportunity to increase the income the clinic receives from grants – an increase great enough that it could eliminate the need for an MOS clinic subsidy and pay for city hall staff›s work on clinic matters.

I support a vote for deciding this matter. Healthcare is a personal matter, where each community member should have a chance to vote on this issue. I don›t support the as sembly making this decision for us.

The clinic has operated well in the past under a nearly identical structure, and the clinic can do so again.

The time is rapidly approaching when the assembly is to make a decision regarding SEARHC, so I ask you to careful ly consider this issue and make your voice heard by writing an email to the assembly (send to s.burnham@skagway.org) or speak at the upcoming assembly meeting, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m.

Lisa Mandeville

Election closes with a two returning assembly members, a new school board member (continued from FRONT)

winter season, I thought I should run for city assem bly. I’m writing to ask you to consider voting for the most qualified candidates this election, and in my opinion, it’s not me,” Heger wrote.

Heger then went on to ask voters to vote for Hanson and Henry instead of her.

Third place candidate with 40% of the vote, Alexandria Weddell, said she was disap

pointed that Heger withdrew two days before the election. However, Weddell is looking onward.

“I don’t have any concrete plans to run for assembly in the near future, but I do want to find a way to serve my community,” Weddell said.

Assembly members will now be subject to employee policies.

In closing remarks at the

Oct. 6 assembly meeting, Mayor Andrew Cremata noted that since the assem bly members will now be receiving checks, they have become employees of the municipality and will need to take a required 25-minute training on workplace ha rassment.

“This training is a little bit new. And I want to make sure everybody does it and fully

understands, you know, what being a responsible person in an office environment means so that nobody makes a mis take and upsets somebody that results in a lawsuit or something worse,” Cremata said.

The uncertified elections results show 40% of eligible voters cast a ballot in the Oct. 4 election. Those detailed re sults can be found HERE or at Skagway.org, Oct. 6 As sembly meeting documents.

Goal to get Railroad Dock open for 2023

I know the mayor is going to D.C. in a few weeks to lobby our delegation there for help … And while I don’t like voting for things that have an uncertain way to pay for it … I don’t think we have a lot of time to debate it.”

Hanson also pointed out that the mitigation could have an “uncertain result.”

Ryan emphasized that while the intent of the proj ect is to have Railroad Dock open for 2023, “I think the comfort level is going to be to lighter, not to walk people down the docks, at least in mass numbers.”

Ryan addressed the coop eration between the munici pality and private dock own er, White Pass.

“White Pass really came up with the original idea of this scaling and attenuation measures. They’ve been very generous – their geotech nical engineers have been working with ours. We have taken it over. We’ve met about it at least twice here, maybe three times. And so I think we’re working good together on this. They’ve made their engineers avail able. They’re hauling off the current slide debris as a con tribution to the project, and that’s 6000 yards of material

or so. …I think we’re work ing in a positive direction. And we’re working together on it.”

With the passage of Prop osition One and $65 mil lion in port bond funding becoming a reality, the bor ough is moving ahead with its emergency plan to berth two large-class ships at Ore Dock to maintain Skagway’s four-ship days. The project will cost approximately $6 million, with $4.5 million paid by the bond.

According to the borough manager’s report, “Munici pal staff have met with White Pass, Cruise Line Agencies Alaska and multiple cruise lines to discuss mooring re quirements and scheduling logistics. Port Director Jen nings is in Seattle this week

participating in simulations for docking larger-class ves sels at the Ore Dock. We are on track to have permits in place in early 2023; how ever, we have been made aware that White Pass has also submitted a permit ap plication to the Army Corps of Engineers to remove dock infrastructure, including pil ings that would be used in the emergency project. Both permitting efforts are on the same timeline.”

(continued from FRONT)

column October moose (warning - another dying animal

to a large retail truck.

“Are you calling the cops?” I called to him

By Gretchen Wehmhoff

The evening drive into An chorage to meet my brother’s flight from New York was a quiet break from a busy day. Pressing the accelerator to climb the hill past Eagle Riv er, I freed my mind from ob ligations, looking forward to his visit. Anything else could wait.

Ahead of me, near the top of the hill, a flash of brake lights cut the darkness. A delivery truck and a car stopped, the truck turned on its flashers. I slowed to look for a moose that surely was crossing the road.

The moose was there, but she hadn’t made it across the three-lane highway. As I ap proached the crest, the large, brown cow was directly in my lane, laying on her side, air steaming in short, fran tic breaths from her nostrils in the chilled air. Three legs flailed slowly in the air. I stopped ten feet from her head and turned on the flash ers. There was no choice. If I moved, another car might run over the dying animal. My brother would under stand the delay. A man in a green flannel talked into a cell phone 50-feet away next

He nodded his head and held a thumbs-up. I couldn’t tell if he had hit the moose. But I also didn’t see anoth er vehicle. I took in the an imal’s plight. Her head was facing me, steam still rising, the legs moving more slow ly. Doesn’t anyone have a ri fle? I felt a heaviness seeing the animal lying so undigni fied and helpless. Her coat was unblemished, her eyes dark brown and alert. She was caught by surprise and now her last moments would be filled with the blinding bright lights of my head lights and the steady blink ing of my flashers.

More cars were headed up the three-lane road. I moved out a few feet and started directing traffic around us –me, my car and the moose. A few tires ran over some thing that might have been a car mirror. Tufts of brown fur scattered along the cen ter lane. Cars slowed to the flashing lights. Most came to a crawl and moved to the edge, looking at the moose struggling, still breath ing, eyes searching, legs stretching. Occasionally a car would slow, then speed up around me, dangerously close to the head. We were in their way, interrupting their trip.

Certainly someone had a gun. Where were the police? I look at the cow. Her eyes

stared ahead, not really look ing. She knew she was dy ing. She looked to be young, maybe a few years old. Hard to tell. The breaths were be coming less frantic, smaller puffs of steam came in wisps from her nose. I felt her helplessness and her pain. I wanted to reach out and pet her nose, stroke her belly and share calm words as she prepared to leave us. This animal would not be saved. She was dying and I was the last animal by her side.

“Hey,” said an excited voice. “Thanks a lot. I’m still shaking. I couldn’t see why the truck was stopped. I … oh man … I can’t believe this is happening.”

“I know,” I said amid di recting traffic and holding my tongue. “You feel bad for hitting her. It’s sad.” So this is the guy who hit the moose. Where was his car? Where has he been? Silent ly I thought what an idiot he was for not stopping. We all know what a car hitting their brakes on this road means: an animal is crossing the road. This man didn’t antic ipate. He said he wondered why the truck hit its brake lights, but didn’t slow down. It could have been a child or a cyclist! It was hard to show sympathy past the demise of this dying moose.

October is a bad time to be on the road. It‘s the time between darkness and snow that is so dangerous. When the snow arrives, ambient

light makes the roads saf er for moose, illuminating them before they cross the road. But there was no snow now, only headlights pierc ing the dark roads and hope fully common sense – most of the time. This man was lucky. He walked away from his vehicle; wherever it was. Most collisions total the car.

I turned back to the traf fic, appreciating that people were slowing to the flash ers. Some folks asked if we needed help, others stuck their cell phones out to take a picture. We all were see ing the same event differ ently – sorrow, shock, frus tration, a nuisance and a photo for Facebook. A truck with yellow lights came up the hill, its lights flashing as it pulled behind my car. That should help slow cars. I took this moment to look back at the man who had hit the moose. He was finally calming down. The rest of us were taking care of things. I looked down at the moose. She was quiet. We no longer needed a gun.

My short moment of mourning was pushed aside to handle the next slew of cars driving by.

ending in a sad junction of car and moose. The moose would be food for a family or a shelter. That’s the way it happens.

Driving on into Anchorage I forgot my misplaced day. I thought of the moose, the trucker who stopped, my lit tle blue car stopping cars to protect a dying moose, the tow truck driver who moved the animal, the man who learned about brake lights on a dark highway and the driv ers who all slowed down. I thought about the chaos of the day that had delayed my departure by two minutes. Maybe it was all a plan.

On the way back from the airport I pointed out the spot to my brother. A pick up truck with a utility trailer parked where the tow truck had left the moose. A lone police car with flashing red and blue lights sat behind it on the shoulder, its head lights illuminating a single man working on the moose.

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The truck with the yellow flashers turned out to be a private tow truck. The driv er maneuvered around my car while we stopped traffic long enough for him to get a hook around the rear hoof. He slowly pulled the heavy, lifeless ungulate across two lanes to the side. A wide trail of dark blood followed, end ing in streaks left by a dead ly paintbrush. There wasn’t a large puddle of blood. The animal had probably bled in ternally or broken its back. I don’t know, but there was no dignity in watching it being dragged along the road by a hook.

With the moose off the road there was no need for me to hang around. The guy who hit her thanked me and went over to hang with the two truck drivers and wait for the police.

The police would arrive, a phone call would be made and someone on the moose recovery list would have only a few hours to dress and remove the remains. It would be a lot of meat for whomev er got the call; the only good

I still hold the image of the large, helpless brown eyes, the smooth fur and small breaths of air coming from her nose. Someone once said that animals don’t see death the way we do. They don’t feel sadness or fear. They just die. I don’t know if that’s true or not, I only know that it didn’t make me feel any better.

Two days later I passed the spot where the moose had died. On the slope above the road, in a small clearing, stood another moose; a calf – maybe six-months-old. How long would it wait for its mother to return? How long could it survive without her? Will someone brake for this young moose? My heart became heavy. I’ve said it before, nature is just too tough for me.

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

The Station turns 20, open seven days a week this winter

By Melinda Munson

Skagway business owner

Beth Smith stands behind the same dark wood counter that welcomed guests to Harri ett Pullens’ gold rush Pullen House Hotel. The piece was installed in Smith’s Morning Wood Hotel, which opened in 2006. One could draw parallels between the two resourceful Skagway busi nesswomen. Harriett sold pies to filthy miners, Smith hawks sweatshirts that sport the bawdy name of her es tablishment.

Smith and her husband, Mark, own three businesses: 125-seat restaurant The Sta tion Bar and Grill, Morning Wood Hotel and local bar, Happy Endings.

The Station, Skagway’s oldest year-round restaurant and the Smith’s first foray into hospitality, celebrat ed its 20th anniversary this month. The location was originally a mechanic shop with a hydraulic lift.

In 2001, Smith, who had worked in Skagway season ally since 1999, planned to spend one last summer. In stead, she met her husband and they decided to turn the auto shop into a restau

rant. When the tourist sea son ended and the restaurant still wasn’t ready, someone surprised the couple by an nouncing an opening date for The Station with an ad in the paper, and the Smiths scrambled to comply.

Smith described the restaurant’s inaugural day in September 2002 as “a Little House on the Prairie experi ence.”

“The O’Daniel girls were there, because we had so much sawdust, they were dusting all our fake plants and our walls,” Smith said. Jan Tronrud washed dish es for over 10 hours, and someone who Smith had never met but called him self “Whitey,” carried table and chairs into the build ing. Experienced cooks like Jim Sager came to offer as sistance and friends volun teered to waitress. Smith and a helper finished printing menus 20 minutes before the restaurant debuted.

“When we opened, every body swarmed in and there was not an empty seat,” Smith said.

Besides serving food, over the years the restaurant has also served as a communi

ty gathering spot. It was the site of an “epic” sleepover for some of Skagway’s kids, hosted fundraisers like the Tanner-Hanson Olympics with the ever popular star ing contest and featured game show nights emceed by the current mayor. The Station currently sponsors two teams for The Klondike Road Relay. Smith said the best part of owning a restaurant is “not having to cook dinner.” She cited juggling staff person alities, finding workers (par ticularly in the winter) and staying provisioned as the

most challenging aspects.

The Station will be open seven days a week this win ter as Skagway Brewing Company and Glacial Cof feehouse temporarily shut down, marking the first yule tide season in recent history Skagwegians will have to go without a Spruce Tip Blonde or a Sausage McMabel.

Beginning November, The Station will be open 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., then 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., with brunch on Sat urday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Smith acknowledged there will be some pressure on

The Station in the upcoming months as the only restau rant in town.

“I’m glad to do it. I love Skagway,” Smith said.

PAST WINNERS

Helen Clark, Darlene Hoover, Connie Conard, Elma McMillen, Bea Lingle, Anna True, Boyd Worley, Jaime Gagnier, Buckwheat Donahue, Jean Worley, Alan See, Mike O’Daniel, Bob Dill, Su Rappleye, John L. O’Daniel, Tina Cyr, Lynn Herbig, Barbara Brodersen, Don & Betty Hather, Lorene & Alvin Gordon, Blaine Mero, Jackie Schaefer, Katherine Moseley, Duff & Karla Ray, Cindy O’Daniel, Linda Calver, Ginny Cochran, Kathleen O’Daniel, Linda Bigham, Wayne Greenstreet, Tim Salter, JoAnn Arnold, Wendy Anderson, Jan & John Tronrud, and Eric Moseley.

Award anounced in the Dec. 9 or 23 issue & presentation TBA.

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Photo provided by Beth Smith

Runners pose outside of The Station Bar and Grill for the 2018 Turkey Trot.

The Panther Post

Small school, big news

A product of Skagway School’s 4th and 5th grade classes

The busy bees in kindergarten

by Rose PerDue and Hudson Guilliams Mrs. Kortney became a kindergar ten teacher last year. The kindergar ten kids are learning about the five senses in science. The students are also learning comparisons in math. Some groups are learning the ABC’s, and some groups are learning letter sounds. Their favorite things to do in school are recess and math. The stu dents were excited about a practice field trip at Seven Pastures, and they really liked playing on the hills. We hope the K students are having a fun year!

First grade fun

by McKinley Baldwin

Ms. Michaela’s first grade class is having a great start to the year!

The kids think Ms. Michaela is nice and is also the best teacher ever. First grade is learning problem solv ing and hundreds chart in math class. In science they're learning the moon

cycles and in social studies they're creating a map of Skagway. First grade students went to the National Park Service Visitor Center to learn about maps. In writing, the students are drawing pictures and learning how to label the pictures, getting bet ter each time. They are reading “Wild Robots,” “Look Both Ways,” “Cool Cakes” and “Black Out.” Their class has a reading goal to increase their stamina. If they get it, they get a pajama par ty! The class say they like to sing the partner song every day. They are working with sec ond grade on “Fun Day Friday'' to do fun cart. It sure sounds like the first grade are having a great year.

Busy second graders

By Finnley Verhaeghe and Timmy Authier

Ms. Fun teaches second grade. In math, second graders are learning their doubles and arrays. Ms. Fun makes math fun! In reading, they are focusing on fluency and reading books like “Oh the Places You’ll Go” and “Charlotte's Web.” They will be learning how to write a paragraph soon. Learning isn't the only thing they like – the students also like that the room has plants. The second graders went to city hall, and they are going to the Moore House. The sec ond grade students are smart, and we hope they have a great school year!

Dr. Coughran and Zeke Coughran.

BAM! Hit the mat - wrestling

By Lincoln Watson-Rivest and Zander Coughran

Wrestling just started, and it is happening in the multi-purpose room at Skagway School. Dr. Coughran, the high school wrestling coach, will take three wrestlers to Haines on Oct. 14-15, Sitka on Oct. 28-29 and Petersberg on Nov. 2-3. Wrestlers this season are: Ezekiel “The Bulldog” Coughran, Charles “The Hammer” Deach and Brenden “The Viper” Moncibaiz. Wres tling is happening every day from 4-6 p.m. for ninth through 12th graders. Good work this season, wrestlers!

Save Skagway’s salmon

By Adalyn W. Gunzburg

The fourth and fifth grade students at Skagway School are doing a salmon project, asking the Skagway Assem bly if we could build a rain garden on city property. We started by researching what rain gardens are and we got to see a few in town. We also learned that we have to fix the rain garden on 11th Ave, and we might be able to help.

A problem with the rain gardens that we learned from the borough man ager, Brad Ryan, is that they are a tripping hazard. When the neighboring people step out of their car, they have to be careful not to fall into them.

We also learned that rain gardens take pollutants out of the water, includ ing gas and oils. These are also toxic to the salmon. Our salmon population is decreasing, but if we fix it with rain gardens and other solutions, we just might be able to prevent salmon decline.

Checking in on the school’s kitchen construction project

By Matyas Schindler and Emmett Williams Island Contractors from Juneau is the general contractor for the school‘s kitchen project, but HDR is also responsible for some of the oversight. Island sub contracts electrical, plumbing, HVAC, roofing and flooring projects. The new kitchen will include stoves, steamers, preparation areas, refrigeration and freezer storage, and a new home economics classroom on the northeast side of the expansion for educational use.

After minor delays due to supply chain issues, the kitchen will be oper ational in December, but it won’t be completed until March. The kitchen’s size will be 1,600 ft. if everything works out as planned. Two to eight con struction workers are usually on the job.

Brian Rader, the general contractor said, “We’ve had some minor chal lenges like the existing wall pockets for the storage of the MPR doors. The existing structure had some rot and old age issues that were not anticipated. We put together a proposal addressing all these issues and the assembly ap proved fixing it properly.”

Most kids love the delicious lunches we used to eat, and we can’t wait to enjoy them again!

Front to back: Harlan Cochran, Argus Guil liams, Wells Guilliams, Scott Moncibaiz, Kai McClendon, Levi Rupprecht and Jasmine Mirchandani

Photo by Henry Bass

Front: Oscar Zalit, Row 2: Adalynn Boardman, Nori Caposey, Eloise Matsov, Paislee Auth ier, Luke Ward, Row 3: Lucas Sanchez, Shane Cooper, Rudy Gerlach, Brynlee Hamilton, Isabella Wagner, Elliot Lawson, Rosie Mirchandani

Photo by Michaela Stidham

Front row Lola Long, Scarlett O’Boyle, Harper Ames, Finn McClendon, Iris Hansen, James Reddick Back row Miss Fun, Brixton O’Boyle, Ryan Fairbanks, Piper Caposey, Mila Nelson, Avelyn Verhaeghe

Photo by Henry Bass

Photo by Mary Thole

Photo credit: Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition

Dogs check out the flooding of West Creek Road on Oct. 1 at the entrance to Jeff and Dorothy Brady’s driveway in Dyea. Upper Lynn Canal has been inundated with rain from repeated atmospheric rivers this fall.

Moving the office

The A.M. Gregg Real Estate Office was moved by the Nation al Park Service late last month from its original location on Main St. and 5th to a new location at 2nd and Scow. The river has been claiming more and more of the old townsite the past two summers. Trees falling near the eroded bank nearly hit it last fall and the park decided to move it this summer.

Out on a bike ride through the historic site with his cousin, daughter and friend, Jeff Brady snaps a picture of the A.M Gregg Real Estate Office. The photo was taken on July 22, 2021 before the August 13 flood event that fell some of the trees in the right background.

Photo by Jeff Brady

Photo by Jeff Brady

Eisenhower Dance Detroit

Eisenhower Dance Detriot and the Skagway Arts Council brought dance workshops to the recre ation center on Sept. 27. Children and adults worked alongside the professionals to experience the foundations of dance.

Photos by Melinda Munson

Photo by Jeff Brady

ALASKA VOTER ADVISORY

November 8 Statewide Election

The NOVEMBER 8 GENERAL ELECTION will use ranked choice voting.

THE NOVEMBER 8TH ELECTION WILL BE AN IN-PERSON ELECTION with polling places open on election day 7am-8pm elections.alaska.gov/election-polls

Absentee In-Person & Early Voting begins October 24th. The list of locations is available at elections.alaska.gov/avo

RANKED CHOICE VOTING: HOW TO MARK YOUR BALLOT

Fill in only one oval per candidate, in each column.

You do not have to rank all the candidates, but it won’t hurt your first choice candidate if you do.

MISTAKES TO AVOID

If you skip a ranking your next ranking moves up. Here, if your first choice candidate is eliminated, your third choice counts as your second choice and your fourth choice would count as your third choice.

If you give more than one candidate the same ranking, those rankings and later rankings will not count. Here, only your first choice counts.

Your vote only counts once, even if you rank a candidate more than once. When a candidate is eliminated in a round, they are eliminated from all future rounds.

If you skip two or more rankings in a row only the rankings before the skipped rankings will count. Here, your first choice counts and the fourth choice would not count.

For more detailed information, sample ballots, and explainer videos, visit www.elections.alaska.gov/rcv.php

Skagway students’ advocate for rain gardens, electric buses

By Melinda Munson

The Oct. 6 Skagway Bor ough Assembly meeting was unusually full, packed with over 70 attendees ea ger to listen to two Skagway School groups speak during citizens present.

After meeting with Skag way Traditional Council’s environmental coordinator Reuben Cash, Danielle Mc Manus’ fourth graders and Mary Thole’s fifther grad ers combined to educate the public about pollutants that harm salmon.

Adalyn Gunzburg stated that, “According to the San Francisco Estuary Institute, ‘A recent study found a high ly toxic chemical, 6PPD qui none, derived from vehicle tires, in the Bay Area storm water at levels lethal to coho salmon.’ This toxic chemical is killing salmon in Skag way’s streams too.”

Emmett Williams add ed that “heavy metals from brakes, oil and gasoline are also bad for salmon habi tats.”

“Did you know that when rain lands on imperious

places such as roofs, roads, alleys, parking lots and side walks, it carries these con taminated particles into our storm drains?” asked Fable Wallace. “These chemicals are deadly to salmon, so we must improve our existing rain gardens and make more rain gardens in Skagway which help filter contaminat ed water.”

Aleeyah Topasna de scribed a rain garden as “de pressions, usually between a gutter and sidewalk, that are dug up and then filled with big rocks, all the way up to small rocks.” Fabric is add ed to the top, then soil. Grass or a more intricate garden be planted as cover.

Zander Coughran ex plained that “when contam inated water rushes by, some of it will go into the rain garden(s) to be filtered by infiltrating and percolating through the rocks.”

“We need rain gardens immediately,” said Hudson Guilliams. “Without them, salmon from the Pacific Ocean will become rarer than they used to be, not to

mention, salmon are deli cious to eat.”

Elias Ryan pointed out that salmon “are important be cause they are a vital part of Alaskan history and culture because it is a major food source for Alaskans.” Rose Purdue noted that more than 31,000 Alaskans depend on fishing for their livelihood.

Throughout the presen tation, enthusiasm was not lacking. Summer Munson said that “fourth and fifth graders are eager and willing to help improve our current rain gardens on 11th and help build new ones.”

After the elementary stu dents concluded, the Spark Sharks, Skagway School’s middle school robotics team, approached the microphones to discuss electric buses.

According to Dane Ames, the theme for this year’s First Lego League is to “identify a way to improve our ener gy from power generation, transfer or usage.”

After speaking with Bor ough Manager Brad Ryan and Municipal Lobbyist John Walsh, Ryder Calver

stated the team “identified the need for providing elec tric charging stations for cruise ships and also to shift the municipal [contracted] buses to electric engines.”

Sam Munson suggested funding the electric bus ini tiative by charging an ad ditional dollar per person per SMART Bus ride next summer, applying for green energy grants and asking the cruise lines for donations.

The Sharks have a list of follow-up tasks which in clude researching grants, electric bus prices and the amount of power AP&T pro duces daily each summer. The team plans to meet with the technicians at Burrow Creek hydroelectric plant, build a relationship with AP&T, interview the con tract holder of SMART Bus, contact cruise lines to dis cover their plans for reduc ing their carbon footprints and speak to the Juneau Bor ough to learn how they ac quired their electric buses.

Greg Clem, SMART bus contractor, said his 11 SMART buses each drive

100 to 200 miles per day during the season. The bus es are privately owned, and Clem says none of them are new – the most recent is a 2014. He priced out a 15-passenger electric bus which costs around $40,000 with a 30-passenger costing $160,000.

The assembly members seemed impressed with the young presenters and both ideas were assigned to com mittees.

I’m going to conclude with bragging about how great our kids are in this town,” Assemblymember Deb Pot ter said in closing remarks. “And I will absolutely be bringing up the topic of rain gardens at the next Parks and Rec meeting.

“I think a feasibility study for electrifying buses is a great idea. Perhaps that is Civic Affairs,” Mayor An drew Cremata said.

Fourth grader Guilliams was also impressed. “I’ll never forget this night,” he told his dad as he left the as sembly chambers.

To play codeword, refer to the grid above with 26 spaces. Three boxes have letters. For instance, box 17 has an R. Find all of the boxes in the puz zle numbered 17 and place an R in them. Do the same for the other two clues. All number 12 box es should be filled with a C. All number 26 boxes should be filled with an I. Once you fill the spaces, you should start to put together words. As you find new number codes, enter them in the grid above and fill them in on the puzzle. Good luck.

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PERSONALS-MISC. SERVICES FOOD BANK DONATIONS

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

JOBS

HOUSING

Sept. 18

-Dispatch contacted the clinic on duty provider.

-Fire personnel assisted Guard ian with a medevac.

-Police helped a citizen gain entry to their locked vehicle.

-Dispatch received a report of a bear sighting.

-Fire personnel helped a citizen test and replace carbon mon oxide detectors.

Sept. 19

-Dispatch contacted the on duty provider.

-Police assisted a citizen with a Fish & Game Goat Sealing.

-Police assisted a citizen with a Fish & Game Bear Sealing.

-Police personnel helped a cit izen gain entry to their locked vehicle.

-Dispatch received a report of a bear sighting.

Sept. 20

-Fire personnel assisted Guard ian with a medevac.

Sept. 21

Police & Fire Blotter

-Police responded to a non-in jury traffic accident in Dyea.

-Alaska Fish & Game an nounced brown bear hunting closed due to capacity being reached.

Sept. 22

-Police helped a citizen jump start their vehicle.

-Fire personnel responded to a medical emergency.

Sept. 23

-Fire personnel responded to a report of spilled fuel.

-Police helped a citizen gain entry to their locked vehicle.

-Dispatch received a report of a bear sighting. Sept. 24

-Dispatch received two sepa rate reports of a bear sighting.

-Dispatch contacted the on duty provider.

-Dispatch received a report of a lost wallet.

-Dispatch received a report of significant landslide activity at the Railroad Dock – rock miti gation fence destroyed.

-Gold Rush Cemetery and Seven Pastures closed due to heavy rain.

-Fire personnel assisted Guard ian with a medevac.

-Rock slide reported on Klond ike Highway.

Sept. 26

-Dispatch received two sepa rate reports of a bear sighting. -Fire personnel responded to an automated fire alarm.

-Dyea Municipal Campground closed due to heavy rain.

Sept. 27

-All previously closed roads were opened. Campground re mains closed.

-Police assisted a citizen with a Fish & Game Goat Sealing.

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Library Hours: NEW 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.

See www.skagway.org for borough meeting updates.

SKAGWAY WORSHIP DIRECTORY

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

Sun. Worship....................11 a.m. Wed. Bible Devotions & Prayer 7 p.m. Email skagwayag@outlook.com

First Presbyterian Church 5th & Main • 983-2260

Sunday Worship 11 a.m. Sunday School 9:45 a.m.

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

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

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

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

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

Sun. Mass.......................5 p.m. Mass Mon. & Tues.....12:10 p.m. (when a priest is available)

-Police assisted a citizen with a Fish & Game Goat Sealing.

-Fire personnel assisted Guard ian with a medevac.

-Dispatch contacted the on duty provider.

-Dispatch received a report of significant landslide activity at the Railroad Dock.

-Dispatch contacted the on duty provider.

Sept. 25

-Dispatch contacted the on duty provider. Sept. 28

-Police and fire personnel re sponded to a report of a gas odor downtown.

Sept 29

-Police responded to a report of harassment.

-Dyea Municipal Campground reopened.

-Minor rock slide on Dyea Road.

-Dispatch received two sepa rate reports of a bear sighting. Sept. 30

-Dispatch received three sepa rate reports of a bear sighting.

-Fire personnel responded to an automated fire alarm.

-Another minor rock slide re ported on Dyea Road.

-Police met with a woman who reported she was “hallucinat ing” and “feeling odd” after eating at a local restaurant. Shortly after the interview, the woman recalled her friend giv ing her an “edible” earlier that day.

RECREATION

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

Weather Watch

Submitted by Skagway Police Department

11 am 6 pm Fall in Love with a Good Book

Be inspired by our book tree recommendations! Add your own leaf to the tree with the title of your favorite book! Available through October 31st Skagway Public Library. 8th & State

11 am 6 pm Fall Craft: Book Page Pumpkins

Pick up this take & go craft kit to turn old books into decorative pumpkins Available through Oct 31st Skagway Public Library. 8th & State

12 4 pm Skagway Museum Open Skagway Museum. 7th & Spring

5:30 7 pm Elks Burger Feed Fundraiser

Support Skagway’s school groups & local nonprofit groups! Skagway Elks Lodge. 6th & State

6 pm 8 pm Fall into Fun Autumn Painting Class

$15 35 Kick off fall & meet new friends while painting easy, fun designs with artist Billi Clem! Alaskan Fairytales/Klondike Tours. 270 Broadway

Saturday, October 22nd

10 am 1 pm Presbyterian Pumpkin Patch & Mini Golf Fundraiser for Senior Lunch Program $10 minimum Come wander the field of pumpkins to select who will come home with you. Carving and pie pumpkins available. Enjoy suggested our photo booth area, fall themed mini golf and a chance to decorate your ball to take home! donation First Presbyterian Church. 5th & Main

10 am 1 pm Harvest Health Fair: Come fill your gourd Practitioners for encouraging spiritual, mental, physical & emotional health share resources available to you. Popcorn & apple cider will be available to warm up with as you browse the tables. First Presbyterian Church. 5th & Main

1 4 pm Skagway Museum Open Skagway Museum 7th & Spring

3 5 pm Fall Artisan Market Shop local, support local business! Discover locally made treasures at this monthly gathering of Skagway artisans! Skagway Brewing Company, 204 4th Avenue

7 10 pm Juan Solo Live at the Skagway Brewing Company Join us for a fun evening with the talented guitar player & singer, Juan Solo! Skagway Brewing Company, 204 4th Avenue

Sunday, October 23rd

1 4 pm Skagway Museum Open Skagway Museum 7th & Spring

4 5:15 pm Gentle Yoga/Roll with Jeanne $8 Skagway Recreation Center. 13th & Main St

For schedule updates & more information visit our Facebook Event page or www.skagway.com/events.