Clinic queries
Pride Weekend
Hather Award
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THE SKAGWAY NEWS.
FAQs about potential sale Page 2
Photos Page 5
June 10, 2022
Sk a g w ay, A l a s k a
Clinic’s fate put to vote
By Melinda Munson Skagway voters will decide July 12 if what is believed to be the last municipality owned clinic in the nation will remain under the control of the borough or if the land, buildings, equipment and operation of Dahl Memorial Clinic will be sold to Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC). The federally qualified health care facility, consisting of 14,531 square feet and located on a 34,497 square foot half-block business general zoned site, appraised for $9,500,000, not including contents. 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? SEARHC will visit town before the special election for two town halls - one on June 21 in Assembly Chambers and one July 11 at AB Hall. Both start at 7 p.m. Questions about the possible sale can be submitted prior to the town halls at skagwayquestions@searhc.org or 907983-3168. For information about the non-profit organization, visit https://searhc.org/ community/skagway/.
Hours for the July 12 vote are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Absentee in-person voting is available at City Hall, June 27-July 11, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Absentee ballots by mail should be requested by July 5.
For more information contact the borough clerk at s.burnham@ skagway.org, 907-983-9706 or visit https://www.skagway.org/clerksoffice/page/election-information.
Jeff Brady honored Page 3
$1.50
Photo by Melinda Munson
Roman Wilde of Juneau Drag entertains the crowd at Seven Pastures on June 4. More pictures of the drag show on page 5.
Muni offers $200K for two new childcare facilities By Melinda Munson The Skagway Borough Assembly unanimously passed Resolution 22-15R on June 2, earmarking $200,000 in subsidies for two licensed childcare start-ups in Skagway. The funding comes amid a child care crisis in Skagway that Assemblymember Reba Hylton, sponsor of the resolution, said has been a chronic issue. “When I first found out I was pregnant 10 years ago, before I told my own mother, I went to Grandma Linda and secured my spot to get childcare, because I knew that I could not make it in this community without her help,” Hylton said. With the closing of Mighty Munchkins Daycare earlier this year, Skagway is left with Linda Calver’s yearround service, Little Cherubs Daycare, and seasonal providers Little Buck-a-roo Daycare and Little Dippers
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Learning Center. Little Dippers, which leases a municipal-owned building, is not associated with the borough and is managed by Skagway Child Care Council. The center opened early this season to serve the children who formerly attended Mighty Munchkins. Due to staff shortages, the facility is open limited hours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the time of deadline. “I don’t think I need to spell out why those hours of operation simply do not work for most working people. Six hours a day, four days a week is just not enough,” said parent Anna Nelson. “...No blame passed whatsoever. I am just saying that it is not enough,” she said. Residents worry what will happen in the fall when Little Dippers and Little Bucka-roo shut their doors for the year. And many wonder when Calver, otherwise known as
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Grandma Linda, will retire. She has been in the business long enough to have babysat some of her client’s parents. “I have heard that I am quitting, but I’m not quitting for probably a couple more years. But I have heard that rumor. Even my grandson said that to me yesterday,” she joked. At the May 11 Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) meeting, Borough Manager Brad Ryan asked Skagway Childcare Council President Kaitlyn Jared if Little Dip-
pers would extend its hours and services if the municipality gave them funding, citing $100,000 as an example for discussion purposes. “What we don’t want to do is take a bunch of money, pay people higher wages, then not be able to maintain that,” Jared said. “How would it look if Dippers had deeper pockets and someone left their job to come to us?” she added. Jared said the child care council hasn’t been made an (see page 3- Daycare)
Photo by Melinda Munson
Ruby and Harlan Cochran play at Little Cherubs Daycare.
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