Fish This
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Missing Natasha
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THE SKAGWAY NEWS.
Time to get out the reels Page 5
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May 27, 2022
Skagway’s little sister Page 8
Sk a g w ay, A l a s k a
$1.50
Voters to decide if SEARHC will purchase clinic
By Melinda Munson A special election July 12 will determine if Dahl Memorial Clinic (DMC) continues to be owned by the municipality and governed by a board of directors or turned over to Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC). DMC has struggled to maintain staff, with many who quit citing a “toxic” work environment. The clinic has been without a permanent executive director since December. Many of the medical providers are locums, hired short term for higher than normal wages. The board has been inundated with complaints from the community and has held several executive sessions regarding staff actions which could not be shared with the public. The assembly voted in March to replace two clinic board members with two assembly members, reasoning that the clinic was the community’s biggest complaint but the legislative body had little involvement. Skagway currently receives approximately $1.3 million per year in HERSA funding. If SEARHC were to acquire the clinic, the HERSA funding would no longer be designated just for Skagway. Borough Manager Brad Ryan said it’s his understanding that SEARHC’s “intent is to have the HERSA to operate” and it would become a “single pot of money throughout Southeast Alaska.” Initially, the municipality fielded the idea of leasing the clinic to SEARHC. In the (see page 3- special)
Skagway Streetcars head down Broadway at the beginning of the tourism season.
Photo by Kari Rain
Man jumps off Broadway Dock, drowns By Melinda Munson A cruise ship passenger called 911 to report a possible drowning at approximately 2:10 p.m. on Friday, May 20. “We got a call about a person in the water,” said Skagway Police Department Chief Jerry (JJ) Reddick. The police and fire department both responded to the report. According to Alaska State Troopers, the man, later identified as William Anthony Rodriguez, 32, of Miami, Florida, “jumped into the water and then swam to a near shore where they spent a few minutes before swimming in front of the bow of a docked cruise vessel. The individual began to struggle in the area along the bow and then sank in the water.” “It’s very cold. Hypothermia will set in quickly,” Reddick said, describing local water conditions. The U.S. Coast Guard and
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Alaska State Troopers assisted with Friday’s search to no avail. On Saturday, divers from Juneau and a team with Southeast Alaska Dogs Organized for Ground Search were able to locate and recover the body. Neighbors of the Assembly of God Church reported a man matching Rodriguez’s description on the roof of the church Friday morning, with both the police and fire department responding. Rodriguez was a seasonal
worker, employed by a jewelry company in Skagway. In an unrelated event, about two hours after the drowning, police received a call regarding a resident in the downtown area in mental distress. “Alaska is a beautiful but unforgiving location,” Reddick said. “Sometimes seasonal workers show up unprepared for the remote location we’re in. If you find yourself struggling, please reach out and let us assist you.”
For non-life threatening emergencies, individuals can call Dahl Memorial Clinic at 907-983-2255 for mental health services. In an emergency, dial 911. “We’re all willing to talk,” Reddick said. “We’re all willing to help. That’s what we’re here for.” The investigation into Rodriguez’s death has been turned over to the Alaska State Troopers.
Photo by Melinda Munson
Skagway Police are stationed near the Norwegian Jewel after a man drowned off Broadway Dock.
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The Skagway News. Skagway’s First Newspaper
Christened in 1897, buried alive in 1904 and resurrected in 1978, The Skagway News is currently celebrating 45 years of reporting in Skagway and Dyea, Alaska, recording our Centennial years and beyond.
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JUNE 10, 2022 Please email sales@skagwaynews.com All ads and classifieds by June 3. COPY, LETTERS, CALENDAR DEADLINE: Please email editor@skagwaynews.com All news copy, letters and calendar events by June 3. Vol. XLV, No 9 (925) May 27, 2022 Published on the second and fourth Friday of the month
Phone: (907) 983-2354 www.skagwaynews.com editor@skagwaynews.com sales@skagwaynews.com Publishers Melinda Munson Gretchen Wehmhoff Managing Editor Melinda Munson Production Editor/Sales Gretchen Wehmhoff Editor Emeritus
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The Skagway News welcomes opinions pieces and letters to the editor. Opinion pieces should be no longer than 600 words and will be published based on space availability and relevance to current and local events. Letters to the editor should not exceed 250 words. Submit letters and opinions to editor@skagwaynews. com. Letters may be edited for grammar and length.
May 27, 2022
Opinions
THE SKAGWAY NEWS
Were schools as important as the dividend?
By Larry Persily Publisher, Wrangell Sentinel The Legislature adjourned on time last week, a nice change from past special sessions that got in the way of summer fishing, watching baseball, eating anything off the grill (except eggplant) and sitting outdoors in the sun doing nothing. Lawmakers settled on a healthy and wealthy but not necessarily wise dividend that will put $12,800 into the hands of a family of four this fall. As expected months ago, that single issue consumed the largest amount of political negotiating in the Legislature’s final days. House and Senate members also passed several pieces of legislation, but it was the amount of the dividend that dominated much of the tense talks between members. No doubt spending billions of dollars should take time. Even overspending — as the Legislature did on the dividend — requires a lot of work, as fiscal realists have to bend and find a compromise with the fiscal dreamers who think the oil money will never run out, the Permanent Fund will never come up short, and the dividend is the biblical golden calf of Alas-
ka political worship. And the big-bigger-biggest PFDers have to accept the math that they are in the minority — so get as much as they can and call it good. It’s just too bad lawmakers don’t worship education funding as much as reelection-size dividends. The budget approved by lawmakers spends a lot more on dividends than it does on state funding to K-12 public education. A big problem is that the state’s funding formula for public schools, which is based on enrollment numbers, has not changed since 2017. Unable to gather enough support for a significant boost in the base student allocation in state law, House and Senate members agreed as part of the budget to appropriate a one-time extra payment equal to about 5% of the state’s K-12 funding. That $57 million for the 2022-2023 school year, but it does nothing to help educate kids the following year or the years after that. It may be the best that politics could deliver, but it’s not a gift that keeps giving. Legislative opponents of increased state funding for
schools have argued that test scores are too low and they are not willing to spend more money on poor results. They argue that school district administrative costs are too high, and more should be spent in the classroom. They essentially blame the schools for not overcoming and solving all the problems of society and families and life, while expecting the schools to do it all at discount prices. But it’s not totally hopeless. As part of a 45-page bill intended to help improve student reading skills, the Legislature inserted a small
provision to add a microscopic increase to the state funding formula: One half of 1%, effective with the 20232024 school year. That’s an extra $30 per student in the formula. That’ll get school districts enough to buy pizzas for volunteers the next time they are short of paid staff in the classroom. Alaska should do better for its students. Legislators will have another chance next year to put schools ahead of dividends, and voters should teach them that lesson in this year’s elections.
Cruise ships return with more frequency, capacity
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Photo by Kari Rain
Find the cruise ship calendar at skagway.com under Cruises and Ferries or click here: https://assets.simpleviewinc.com/simpleview/image/ upload/v1/clients/skagwayak/2022_Cruiseship_Schedule_90c07431-fa38-417e-a58e-85ba5d46650c.pdf. The number listed on each date is the total capacity of all scheduled vessels, not actual booking information.
Fire Chief Emily Rauscher displays her National Fire Protection Association I certificate as she graduates from the Illinois Fire Service Institute Academy April 15.
May 27, 2022
THE SKAGWAY NEWS
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Special election to determine clinic’s fate Continued from Front page
end, the proposal entails selling the clinic property. Ryan said that SEARHC wanted to eventually own the property. The ballot question will read: “Shall the Municipality of Skagway sell the Dahl Memorial Clinic real property, improvements, personal property and financial assets to SEARHC for an amount no less than market value established by a qualified commercial appraiser? And shall Ordinance No. 22-03 authorizing this negotiated sale be approved? Assemblymember Sam Bass tried to amend the resolution so that voting would be held with the general election in November. “I think it’s something to consider that we’re going to be pushing a lot of information and a lot of big decisions on to the community in about 45 days,” he said. His mo-
tion was voted down, with only himself and Assemblymember Jay Burnham voting for the amendment. “...We have been having this conversation for years now,” said Assemblymember Dustin Stone. “I remember, I think, still being in lockdown and having this conversation at clinic board meetings … I think a lot of the town is pretty prepared to make a decision on this and I think that there is a sense of urgency with this. We need to know what direction this is headed so that we know how to continue trying to fix our clinic.” He noted that DMC was having issues hiring with the future of the clinic being so uncertain. Assemblymember Reba Hylton said that SEARHC plans to be in town twice before the vote to answer questions. The dates have yet
to be finalized, though one town hall will be in June and one will be in July. Interested parties can visit http://searhc.org/skagway. Questions can be submitted to skagwayquestions@ searhc.org or by calling 907983-3168. SEARHC Business Development Officer Heidi Aylsworth said interacting with the website before the town hall will “make those [meetings] as meaningful as we can.” The Skagway News requested that SEARHC answer some frequently asked questions in their next edition. Aylsworth declined, stating that SEARHC prefers voters get their information from the upcoming town halls and the SEARHC landing page.
By Melinda Munson A 40-year-old woman went overboard and fell into the Lynn Canal from a cruise ship headed to Skagway around 3 a.m. on May 17. After nine hours, the U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search for the missing passenger. Skagway Police respond-
ed to the Celebrity Solstice when it docked in Skagway after the incident. “I took the preliminary information then turned it over to the troopers,” said Police Chief Jerry (JJ) Reddick. The tragedy occured near Eldred Rock. An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Sitka, the
crew of Coast Guard Cutter Chandeleur and a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew from Station Juneau responded when the captain of the Solstice reported the woman overboard. The search covered 68 nautical miles. The investigation is ongoing and the victim has not been publicly identified.
Cruise ship passenger en route to Skagway goes overboard
The Skagway News receives multiple nods in the 2021 Alaska Press Club Outdoor Sports Column first place - Andrew Cremata Susan Nightingale Award for Best Columnist first place - Melinda Munson second place - Gretchen Wehmhoff Best Humor first place - Gretchen Wehmhoff Leslie Ann Murray Award for Editorial or Commentary first place - Melinda Munson Small Print Profile second place - Melinda Munson There were approximately 600 entries in many categories of this state competition, which included publications such as the Juneau Empire and the Anchorage Daily News.
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Editor’s column
By Melinda Munson I’m officially not funny. The Alaska Press Club announced the results of their 2021 state-wide contest. I didn’t place for humor writing. Last year, I was awarded third prize. This meant that for one year, I was the third funniest columnist in the state. Not bad for a mostly stay-at-home mom who bought a newspaper for $20 a week before the pandemic. I reveled in the title. If I told a joke, I expected my husband to laugh. “I’m kind of like the third funniest person in the state,” I would remind him. “Large and small print.” (It wasn’t going to my head at all.) Skagway News’ other co-owner, Gretchen, did place in the humor category – grand prize. This is a relief. The town can rest peacefully knowing they will be sufficiently entertained every other issue when her column appears. Her win is my win. It would just be better if they took out her name and replaced it with mine. Just kidding. Kind of. Looking back at last year’s columns, I can see why I didn’t get pegged as the funny lady. My writing mostly focused on separation, loss, anger, financial uncertainty: all the feelings that swirled around a tourism town with little tourism. Mix in the struggles of raising multiple kids with mental health issues and things start to smell like the wastewater treatment plant on a heavy cruise ship day. Since I wanted to polish
No funny business here
my funny bone, I made sure to get tickets to David Sedaris’ Skagway book reading in May. The man with the distinctive voice and biting humor has sold over 10 million books. He knows how to do funny. While I waited in line to get my book signed (I hadn’t read it, I only listen to Sedaris) I made what I thought was benign conversation with the woman in front of me. “What does one say to David Sedaris?” I asked. “I’ve been thinking about it all month. He’s probably heard everything … Do you call him Mr. Sedaris, or David? Are you nervous?” “I wasn’t until now,” she stammered as she took her place in front of the country’s best humor author, glaring at me. I think I need to lighten up. Sedaris drank a lot of water and his pants were surprisingly and charmingly just a little too short for someone with a lot of money. (I write this knowing he never reads anything about himself.) Mine were too short too, so I felt like we were in the same awkward summer pants club. I was enthralled by nearly every part of the show, although I didn’t laugh as much as I thought I would. That’s when I realized, sometimes you have to get through the serious parts to understand the underlying humor. While I’m no David Sedaris, I was named first place winner of the 2021 Susan Nightingale Award for Best Columnist. I’ll keep doing what I’m doing and leave the humor to Gretchen. Thanks for reading. Really. Thanks for reading.
May 27, 2022
THE SKAGWAY NEWS
THE SKAGWAY NEWS
May 27, 2022
Page 5
Fish this!
Fishing Fever
Finding a slice of paradise on Lake Tutshi.
By Andrew Cremata Spring arrived late in the Yukon Territory. On May 14, I drove from Skagway to Carcross and back. The temperature gauge in my car never exceeded 34 degrees. Thick slushy snowflakes fell from a dreary gray sky throughout the entire four hour trip. The water in the Carcross Narrows was the lowest I’ve ever seen. After making a dozen futile casts, I gave up. One week later, I made a second trip to the Yukon under a brilliant blue sky and radiant solar energy. Lake Tutshi was entirely frozen except for a narrow slice of liquid water extending 100 yards into the lake. The opening, formed by a creek’s outflow, made fishing somewhat possible. It only took ten minutes to figure out that there weren’t any fish but the sun’s warmth on my skin kept me casting long enough to lose two lures in shallow water. On the drive from Lake Tutshi to Carcross, a healthy black bear ambled across the highway. A handful of mountain goats foraged on hidden vegetation just beyond a craggy mountain cliff above the Yukon welcome sign. Along the banks of Nares Lake, Canadian geese mingled with gulls and mergansers silhouetted against lazily flowing water sparkling with beads of sunlight. I had little reason to believe there would be any fish in Carcross. Water levels were still precariously low and Lake Bennet was entirely shielded by a thick layer of white ice. As I approached the narrows, a man on the walking bridge struggled to hoist a large grayling up and over the railing. Underwater, a large number of grayling were slowly swimming against the current, suspended about halfway between the bottom and surface. After setting down my gear, I quickly tied on a small spinner and began casting toward the center of the narrows. Swallows darted about overhead, focused on random trajectories.Their high-pitched chirps and clicks echoed between the walking bridge and train trestle. Meanwhile, humans were gathering. Some were fishing and others were observing. When I hooked and reeled in my first fish of the day, a tourist shouted out, “You got one!” He and his wife were teaching their two very young children how to handle their fishing poles and were part of a larger group of tourists that were angling from the bridge along with a small assortment of Carcross locals. A very enthusiastic man from Alberta was flabbergasted by the sheer number of fish in the shallow water. He took out his smartphone and called his wife, who was presumably still in the car, and
Photo by Andrew Cremata
said, “You’ve got to come see this! There are dozens of fish out here!” Then he called a buddy back home and said, “You wouldn’t believe this! There are hundreds of fish out here!” I’ve seldom seen anyone more excited about catching a 14-inch fish than this particular man from Alberta. His enthusiasm was contagious and soon everyone angling along the shoreline and atop the bridge was hooting and hollering into the warm Yukon air whenever they reeled in a fish. The whole scene was uplifting. It was as though a fishing support group had organically formed along the banks of the Carcross Narrows. Everyone was smiling and laughing and offering words of encouragement, almost as if they’d been isolated from meaningful human contact for an extended period of time. Further down the beach, far away from the jolly atmosphere of the narrows, a man that looked like Santa Claus was enjoying well-earned time away from noisy elves and high-maintenance reindeer. He was using traditional fly fishing gear, his line arching and flowing with artistic precision as he expertly cast his offering toward rising grayling. Santa’s five-weight fly rod suddenly bent over double. After a brief tussle, he slipped his vintage wooden fishing net into the water and magically pulled out a flopping fish. Then he released the grayling, set down his fly rod and grinned with satisfaction while running his thumbs up and down along the inside of his red suspenders. For some reason, the man from Alberta, who sported a heavy Canadian accent, decided that I was a local fishing expert and asked me about the Yukon possession limit for grayling. Flattered, I explained that he was allowed to keep four grayling by law, as long as he threw back any grayling between 16 and 19 inches. Confident he would eventually reach his legal limit of grayling, the man from Alberta asked me if anyone ever caught trout in the narrows. I assured him that lake trout were routinely caught from the bridge, and offered him some pointers on how to target lunker lakers. “If a big one swims through, the grayling will quickly scatter in every direction,” I added. Armed with this new piece of information, the man from Alberta made it a point to repeat it to every person that
walked onto the bridge from that moment on. Sometimes more than once. After managing to collect my own limit of grayling, I packed up my gear and began the short walk back to my car. As I passed a boy about eight years old, his fishing rod started twitching. The boy yelled, “DAD! I got one! I got one!” It was likely the boy’s first fish because his dad coached him throughout the process of reeling in and landing the grayling. A group of tourists stopped to watch. As the boy’s grayling cleared the rail, one of them asked, “What kind of fish is that?” Before the boy could answer, the man from Alberta excitedly said, “It’s a grayling! Look down in the water, there are thousands of them. And if a big trout swims up, the grayling will scatter in every direction!” The pandemic may be over, but beware! The onset of spring means fishing fever is rapidly spreading in the Yukon. Mask not required.
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School’s out and May 27, 2022
THE SKAGWAY NEWS
Skagway High School students receive $40k in scholarships Skagway Highschool scholarship recipients
March 2022 Students of the Month Scholarly
Luna Hischer (5th), Chloe Miller (11th), Henry Barrett (2nd) Photo provided by Skagway School
April 2022 Students of the Month Attentive
Zane Coughran (6th), Julia Flores (4th), Amara Fielding (3rd), not pictured
Photo provided by Skagway School
Cy Coyne Memorial Scholarship Paige Turner ($2,000), Tatum Sager ($1,000) Nancy Schave Memorial Scholarship Zoe Whitehead ($1,000) Eagles Auxiliary #25 Scholarship Turner ($1,000) Fraternal Order of Eagles #25 Scholarship Sager ($1,000) Days of 98’ Scholarship Turner ($1,500) Robert MacNeil Memorial Scholarship Whitehead ($1,000) Mark Vanhouten Memorial Scholarship Turner ($1,000) White Pass Lodge #1 F & AM Scholarship Whitehead ($500) Naomi Chapter #9 Order of the Eastern Star Scholarship Sager ($500) Holland America Line and Princess Cruises Scholarship Sager, Turner, Whitehead ($2,000) Chris Maggio Memorial Skagway School Board of Education Scholarship Sager ($1,000) STC Discretionary Scholarship Sager, Turner, Whitehead ($1,000) White Pass & Yukon Route Scholarship Sager, Turner, Whitehead ($1,000) Margaret Frans Brady Scholarship Mina Yee ($750), Sager ($500) Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Lodge #431 Scholarship Conner Lawrence, Sager, Turner, Whitehead ($2,500) Don Hather Memorial Scholarship Sager & Whitehead ($2,000) Elks 2022 Legacy Scholarship Whitehead ($4,000 over 4 years) Carl Mulvihill Memorial Scholarship & Barb Broderson Scholarship Sager & Turner ($1,000) Skagway Emblem Club #111 Scholarship Sager, Turner, Whitehead ($500) Tim & Nikki Cochran Scholarship (highest GPA) Turner ($500)
we’re movin’ on up
THE SKAGWAY NEWS
May 27, 2022
Page 7
EIGHTH GRADE GRADUATES
Photo provided by Skagway School
Back row, left to right: Zeke Coughran, Camden Lawson, Liam Ticarro, Royce Borst, Leonardo Lucchetti. Front row, left to right: Lucy Kollasch, Lina Hischer, Lennon Jennings
KINDERGARTEN GRADUATES
Photo provided by Skagway School
Back row, left to right: Ira Schmidt, Luke Ward, Rudy Gerlach, Shane Cooper, Isabella Wagner. Front row, left to right: Naomi Klug, Adalynn Boardman, Elliott Lawson, Nori Caposey, Paislee Authier (not pictured: Lucas Sanchez)
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Natasha Marie Kraus
Obituary
May 27, 2022
THE SKAGWAY NEWS
She lived to the fullest from Dec. 20, 1993 - May 2, 2022
The world lost one of its brightest lights on May 2, when Natasha Marie Kraus passed away surrounded by friends and family at University Medical Center in New Orleans. She was 28. She is survived by her mother Michele Pelkonen and husband Veli-Matti, her father Michael Kraus and wife Marion, and two sisters Anastasia Marston and Victoria Kraus. She also leaves niece Cordelia Marston, grandmothers Rolande Kraus and Sharon Richardson, and brother-in-law Sam Marston. Natasha was loved by aunts and uncles George and Star Kraus, Mark and Karen Anderson, Kevin and Janet Jackson, Shawn and Nancy Howard, Cecelia and Marcus Mitchell, and cousins Travis, Eric, Katie, Megan, Liam and Kevin. She was preceded in death by grandfathers, Raymond Richardson and George Kraus. Born in Southern California to Michael and Michele, they relocated to Covington, Louisiana where she grew up. From a young age, Natasha loved the kitchen. Her parents put locks on the cupboards and fridge because she would pull out all of the dishes and food and spread it across the kitchen floor. She kept that passion for food throughout her life. She organized “family dinners,” with close friends in Skagway, and cooked with her grandmother in-law, Hillivi Pelkonen, in Finland. Though neither could speak the other’s language, preparing food and enjoying meals
was how they communicated. Her sister Anastasia is six years older, and Victoria is 18 months younger. Anastasia says Natasha loved to connect with and care for others. Anastasia says she was daring yet introspective, and her voice and laughter would fill a room. Victoria says Natasha was her inspiration and that they continue to share a personal spiritual connection. Allison Cox met Natasha just before high school. They became best friends and spoke every day for the last 15 years. When Natasha was young, her father brought her to the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C., where he said she was the belle of the ball. When she graduated high school, her grandmother, Sharon Richardson, took her on a cruise. They visited 27 countries in 28 days. Natasha loved to travel. She also loved animals and worked at Microchip ID in Covington which helped people find lost pets. She moved to Finland and spent nine months at a veterinary software firm where her mother also worked. When her work visa was denied, she moved back to Louisiana. Then in 2019 she found Skagway. Her mother says Skagway felt like home for Natasha. She took a job at The Sculpture Garden, a place she’d often daydream of buying. She was a tour guide for Beyond Skagway Tours and an interpretive ranger at the National Park Service.
Her co-workers say she devoured local history books. They recalled how when they complained about a tough day at work, Natasha talked about the new friends she’d made. Children adored Natasha and she adored them. During the COVID pandemic, she took jobs at Little Dippers Daycare and the Skagway School. Her close friend and coworker Jessica Jagelski, remembers when she first heard Natasha command the attention of a group of fourth-graders. “I was so proud of her, she found her teacher voice!” Natasha loved to laugh and live in the moment. She also had a fiery side. Friend Joe Torregrossa played video games with her on Saturday mornings and said Natasha didn’t like to lose. Torregrossa had a collection of motorbikes and let Natasha borrow Phyllis, a scooter covered in stickers. With Phyllis, Natasha found an escape, and the freedom to roam. She couldn’t buy it though, and while she was in Hawaii, Joe sold it to purchase a motorcycle with a sidecar. Natasha didn’t speak to him for days. But when she got home, they went for a ride and she confessed that she loved the sidecar. After that, they rode all over town, even in the dead of winter. Natasha will be remembered as beautiful inside and out, with her huge personality, blue eyes, and a giant smile. She loved to dance, and though she couldn’t carry a tune, she loved to sing. She also struggled with anxiety. Cox remembers crying with Natasha as they worked to find ways to overcome the condition they shared. In the last year of her life, Natasha visited almost every member of her family. She went to Finland and helped her mother adopt a toothless dog named Simos. Her last stop was New Orleans to see Cox. They
planned to get matching tattoos reading, “No matter where.” Natasha, who always saw the best in people, spent time with an old friend struggling with homelessness and addiction. Natasha credited marijuana for helping her overcome her anxiety. Before she left her friend, she accidentally ingested trace amounts of Fentanyl, possibly while sharing marijuana. The doctors aren’t certain if the Fentanyl caused her death, or how it got into her system. She had a heart attack while stopped at a red light just blocks from Cox. Paramedics revived her, but after five days on life support, she died. The family shared her cause of death so that others don’t have to go through their pain. They encourage the testing of any drugs, even from friends. Natasha’s last gift was to donate her organs. She saved four lives so far with her liver, kidneys, pancreas and heart. She was described by all who knew her as a bright light that was taken too early from this world. As her sister Victoria says, the world needs more energy like Natasha’s. There have been intimate celebrations of life in Covington and Skagway. A large gathering is planned for October 5, 2022, in Skagway to scatter her ashes amidst the places she found the most welcoming of all.
Birth announcements and obituaries for those related to Skagway are published free in The Skagway News.
THE SKAGWAY NEWS
May 27, 2022
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25 Barry Manilow’s faded showgirl 26 Relaxing order 28 Nest eggs, briefly 29 Most prominent position 31 Discrimination 32 By its own action 33 Silky 34 Competition for all comers
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8 “A Visit from the Goon Squad” writer 9 Rather and Duryea 12 Serving in the navy, perhaps 13 Invest with authority “To strive, ---, to find, and not to yield.” (Tennyson, “Ulysses”) 19 21 Large wine holder 22 Legal proceeding 24 Frothy milky espresso 25 Became cheerful 26 N T book 27 Small dabbling duck 30 Brazilian saint
Last issue’s answers
codeword
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 puzzle numbered 17 and place an R in them. Do the same for the other two clues. All number 12 boxes 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.
Color Me
CLASSIFIEDS
May 27, 2022
Page 10
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JOBS-OPPORTUNITIES The Municipality of Skagway is accepting application for a variety of positions. Please visit the borough’s employment opportunities section at www.skagway.org for job announcements or to download an application or contact a.lawson@ skagway.org for further information.
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.
LEGAL ADS “ROCKSLIDE ASSESSMENT” DUE JUNE 28, 2022 – 2:00PM. The Municipality of Skagway (MOS) is requesting proposals to conduct an assessment including recommendations for mitigation to protect the Port of Skagway from the rockslide adjacent to the Port of Skagway, above the Railroad Dock on Alaska State Land Survey (ASLS) 2007-36 according to Plat 2017-6. ASLS 2007-36 is located east of the Railroad Dock in the Port of Skagway (Attachment A). An active rockslide area is located adjacent to the dock, originating on municipally owned land, and terminating on the land and dock owned by Pacific & Arctic Railway & Navigation Company (White Pass), legally described as Alaska Tidelands Survey (ATS) No. 4, Lot 1 according to Plat 64-8. Over time the area has seen large rockslides, necessitating development of a rock fall protection program conducted by contractors of the dock owner, White Pass, in 2018. The origin point for the rockslide area appears to be located on a bench at the top of a steep slope above the Railroad Dock and port. A full copy of the request for proposals can be obtained by e-mailing Alanna Lawson or on the municipal website at https:// www.skagway.org/rfps. SKAGWAY BREAKWATER ANODES PROJECT BID/RFP DUE DATE: THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2022 - 2:00PM The Municipality of Skagway is accepting bids for the Skagway Harbor Breakwater Anodes Project. This project is located in Skagway, Alaska at the Skagway Small Boat Harbor. The successful bidder shall perform the work specified in the summary of work within the project manual. The work generally includes the installation of pile anodes. A full copy of the Request for Bids can be obtained by e-mailing a.lawson@skagway.org, or on the municipal website at https://www. skagway.org/rfps.
THE SKAGWAY NEWS
LEGAL ADS
PORT OF SKAGWAY - GENERAL WATERFRONT LEASE BID/RFP STATUS: OPEN - ACCEPTING BIDS AND PROPOSALS BID/RFP DUE DATE: TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2022 2:00PM BID/RFP REFERENCE NUMBER: RFP - GENERAL WATERFRONT LEASE Project and Background The Municipality of Skagway (MOS or Municipality) is requesting proposals from all qualified persons and entities to lease (as Lessee) certain waterfront real property located at 101 Terminal Way, Skagway, Alaska, and more particularly described as follows (Property): Lease parcels 11 and 12 according to Appendix A, within a portion of ATS #4, Skagway Recording District, First Judicial District, State of Alaska. If area or access is required outside of lease parcels 11 & 12 please identify that need in the proposal. The Property is comprised of approximately 1.46 acres or 63,873 square feet and is depicted on the survey of the Property and surrounding area, attached as Appendix A. The Property is presently used as a heliport. The Property currently has improvements that allow it to be used as a heliport. The continued presence and use of these improvements are regulated by the current tideland lease and sublease, copies of which are attached as Appendix B. The term of the lease of the Property will commence on or about March 19, 2023 following the expiration of the lease term of the presently effective Property lease, and the term will not exceed thirty-five (35) years. A full copy of the Request for Bids can be obtained by e-mailing c.jennings@skagway.org, or on the municipal website at https:// www.skagway.org/rfps. PORT OF SKAGWAY - FREIGHT WATERFRONT LEASE Bid/RFP Status: Open - accepting bids and proposals Bid/RFP Due Date: Thursday, July 21, 2022 2:00pm Bid/RFP Reference Number: Freight Waterfront Lease RFP Project and Background The Municipality of Skagway (MOS or Municipality) is requesting proposals from all qualified persons and entities to lease (as Lessee) certain waterfront real property for use as an intermodal freight facility, located at 280 Terminal Way, Skagway, Alaska, and more particularly described as follows (Property): Lot 6F according to Appendix A, within a portion of ATS #4, Skagway Recording District, First Judicial District, State of Alaska. If area or access is required outside of Lot 6F please identify that need
in the proposal. The Property is comprised of approximately 3.73 acres or 162,565 square feet and is depicted on the aerial image of the Property and surrounding area, attached as Appendix A. The Property is presently used for receiving and shipping freight via barge, truck, and rail, cargo handling and storage, and providing for the transport of goods between Washington state and Skagway, and Skagway and the Yukon. The Municipality intends that such use of the Property continue in the future by the successful Proposer, but is willing to consider alternative uses. The Municipality is currently developing port plans that could require the lessee of this parcel to relocate to lease parcels 6 and 7 according to Appendix B; within a portion of ATS #4, Skagway Recording District, First Judicial District, State of Alaska. Parcels 6 and 7 comprise an area of approximately 1.54 acres or 66,961 square feet. Upon decision to relocate the lease area, the Municipality will work cooperatively with the successful Proposer to amend the waterfront lease that results from this RFP. The Property currently has improvements that allow it to be used as an intermodal freight facility. The continued presence and use of these improvements are regulated by the current tideland lease and sublease, copies of which are attached as Appendix C. The term of the lease of the Property will commence on or about March 19, 2023 following the expiration of the lease term of the presently effective Property lease, and the term will not exceed thirty-five (35) years. PORT OF SKAGWAY - FUEL WATERFRONT LEASE Bid/RFP Status: Open - accepting bids and proposals Bid/RFP Due Date: Tuesday, August 9, 2022 2:00pm Bid/RFP Reference Number: RFP - Fuel Waterfront Lease Project and Background The Municipality of Skagway (MOS or Municipality) is requesting proposals from all qualified persons and entities to lease (as Lessee) certain waterfront real property for use as a fuel storage and transfer facility, located at 198 Terminal Way, Skagway, Alaska, and more particularly described as follows (Property): Lease parcels 8 and 9 according to Appendix A within a portion of ATS #4, Skagway Recording District, First Judicial District, State of Alaska. If area or access is required outside of lease parcels 8 & 9 please identify that need in the proposal. The Property is comprised of approximately 2.19 acres or 95,315 square feet and is
depicted on the survey of the Property and surrounding area, attached as Appendix A. The Property is presently used for receiving fuel via barge, storing fuel, providing fuel locally, and providing for the transport of fuel between Skagway and the Yukon. The Municipality intends that such use of the Property continue in the future by the successful Proposer, but is willing to consider alternative uses. The Property currently has improvements that allow it to be used as a fuel transfer and storage facility. The continued presence and use of these improvements
are regulated by the current tideland lease and sublease, copies of which are attached as Appendix B. In the event that the Property continues to be used as a fuel storage and transfer facility MOS intends to provide the successful Proposer with the right to use and operate certain pipelines located outside of the Property. The term of the lease of the Property will commence on or about March 19, 2023 following the expiration of the lease term of the presently effective Property lease, and the term will not exceed thirty-five (35) years.
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THE SKAGWAY NEWS
May 27, 2022
Police & Fire Blotter Submitted by Skagway Police Department
May 10 Police assisted with an investigation aboard the Koningsdam.
May 12 Fire personnel responded to a medical emergency.
Fire personnel assisted Guardian with a medevac.
May 13 Police responded to a non-injury traffic collision.
Fire personnel responded to a fire at a residence. Fire personnel assisted a citizen with a fuel spill cleanup. Fire personnel responded to an alarm which turned out to be a cooking mishap. May 11 Fire personnel assisted the second grade class with a campfire. Fire personnel assisted Guardian with a medevac. Police assisted NPS with a security alarm. Fire personnel responded to a fire alarm at a downtown business.
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May 15 The voice of McGruff called to wish a happy National Appreciation Police Week.
May 18 Police escorted an intoxicated person lying on Broadway back to their ship.
May 16 Dispatch assisted with reuniting a lost wallet and its owner.
Police performed a welfare check. Fire personnel responded to a smoking trash bin on Broadway.
Fire personnel assisted Guardian with a medevac. Police responded to two separate, unrelated noise complaints.
May 19 Police responded to an altercation at a downtown employee housing complex.
May 17 Police assisted in a joint investigation aboard the Celebrity Solstice with Juneau Police Department and Alaska State Troopers.
Dispatch assisted in reuniting three lost wallets with their owners.
Dispatch assisted with contacting the clinic on duty provider.
Fire personnel assisted Guardian with two separate, unrelated Medevac calls.
Fire personnel made contact with a group at Yakutania Point to advise them of the burn ban.
Fire personnel responded to a fire at Nakhu Bay.
Police assisted with a dead vehicle battery.
Dispatch assisted in reuniting a lost debit card with its owner. Fire personnel responded to an alarm at a downtown business. May 14 Police responded to a report of a vehicle in a ditch in Dyea. Police responded to a non-injury vehicle accident on Dyea Road.
Fire personnel responded to a smoking trash bin on Broadway.
BROADWAY BULLETIN BOARD COMMUNITY CALENDAR Library Hours: Weekdays 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Weekends 12 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. Incinerator Hours T, Th, Sa. 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
Weather Watch
8th & State • 907-983-2350 Sun. Worship....................11 a.m. Wed. Bible Devotions & Prayer 7 p.m. Email skagwayag@outlook.com
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OBSERVATIONS FOR PREVIOUS 24-HOUR PERIOD BEFORE 7 A.M.
Assembly of God Church
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)
RECREATION CTR SCHED Skagway Recreation Center • 12th & Main • 983-2679
DATE
MAX
MIN
PREC
Weather Watch 5/5 - 5/20 5/5 49 38 .16 5/6 53 29 .60 5/8 58 32 5/9 65 32 5/10 57 33 .11 5/11 51 32 trace 5/12 59 32 5/13 61 33 5/14 60 34 .13 5/15 56 36 .02 5/16 62 36 trace 5/17 50 41 .09 5/18 31 35 5/19 66 35 5/20 69 36 -
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May 27, 2022
THE SKAGWAY NEWS