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July 8, 2022
Sk a g w ay, A l a s k a
Railroad Dock reopens to full capacity following rockslide
By Melinda Munson June 23 started with a bang, or more accurately a rumble. The 6:30 a.m. rockslide on Railroad Dock occurred within close proximity of the Discovery Princess. No one was injured and according to Jacqueline Taylor-Rose, marketing manager for White Pass & Yukon Route, the ship received “slight cosmetic damage.” The slide happened south of the current mitigation area. Steward Stephens, port manager for Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska, said that while rockslides “could happen anywhere,” the location of the incident “was a surprise.” Stu and Amy Eddings, passengers from California, were on the starboard side of the Discovery when the rocks hit. “We were heading down into the elevator,” Stu said. “All of a sudden, the ship shuttered. But we knew the ship was already tied up at the dock. So we didn’t know if we’d been hit by another ship.” Eddings said when he looked down off a balcony, he saw the landslide just 30 feet to the right of a small group of people. From the 15th level, Eddings noted chipped windows and pieces of broken rock. “It could have been catastrophic. It could have been a mess,” Eddings surmised, if the slide had happened just a little later in the day with a busier dock. Passengers from the Discovery were tendered to the Small Boat Harbor, 190 people at a time. The cruise had an estimated 3,500 peo(see page 3- Railroad dock)
$1.50
Photo by Gretchen Wehmhoff
Participants protest the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade during the annual Independence Day Parade. More pictures page 6.
Seattle hospitals full, local clinic stabilizes heart patient By Melinda Munson Ray Calver, 79, went to Dahl Memorial Clinic for a regularly scheduled appointment the morning of Monday, June 20. Nurse Shauna Thomas was immediately concerned by his blood pressure and called in Johanna Huff, nurse practitioner. “My heart, the way they explained it, was doing a marathon,” Calver said. The top was pumping faster than the bottom. Calver, who was dehydrated and had pneumonia, received fluids and medication to try and get the rhythm normalized. He signed himself out of the clinic late that afternoon, with Huff’s personal number in case of an emergency, and returned for further treatment Tuesday morning. With little improvement to Calver’s condition, Huff recommended the 55-year Skagway resident, known to many as Grandpa Ray, be medevaced to Seattle.
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Linda Calver, Ray’s wife, said Huff called all three Seattle hospitals but was turned down. “They didn’t have any room for a high-risk patient,” Linda said. The couple decide to continue treatment at the clinic, a facility so small it doesn’t have a pharmacy or an onsite physician. A cardiologist was available by phone for consultation. Calver signed himself out again that evening. Calver said he wasn’t in pain and described his symptoms as “real bad indigestion” and said he could sometimes feel his heart “quiver.” Sleep was difficult. “It didn’t do no good to complain about it,” he added. When he returned for the third day, the team decided to shock Calver’s heart into a normal rhythm. “They called Linda,” Calver said. You never know what’s gonna happen on a
table.” He was given drugs to sleep. The procedure was successful. “It was pretty scary,” said Linda, life-long daycare provider and former clinic board member. “But they explained everything, they told him exactly what would happen. All around his bed there was a caretaker, one of the girls, and they all had something to do if he didn’t wake up. They knew exactly what to do.” Calver returned to the clinic for a fourth day, and is scheduled for an EKG in Skagway. He suspects he’ll
Dahl Memorial Clinic
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be heading to Seattle in the near future for an in-person visit with a cardiologist. He said he is on oxygen and “a lot of meds.” “It’s a wonder what they can do here,” he said. “To be honest with you, I wasn’t scared. I was in good hands.” “The girls did a wonderful job,” Linda said. “They didn’t leave him alone for an instant. When asked if he thought about moving to a town closer to a hospital, Calver didn’t hesitate. “No, this is home,” he said.
Photo by Paul Munson
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Letters and Opinion KHNS Drive a Success
Thanks to the generosity of our Upper Lynn Canal communities, KHNS raised over $70,000 during our Summer Fund Drive! Our gratitude goes out to Skagway members, volunteers, businesses, bakers and current/former board members whose financial, musical and culinary contributions helped sustain us, including Skagway Brewing Company/ Sgt. Preston’s Lodge, the Historic Skag-
July 8, 2022
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way Inn/Alaska House, Eliza Russell, Donna Griffard, Cooper Lynn Hays and Mina Yee. If you missed the drive but would like to give, visit khns.org anytime! -Dawn Drotos, KHNS Development Director, Serving Haines, Skagway & Klukwan
Skagway’s new peep show gives you something to look at By Melinda Munson Skagway has a new business in town which involves peepholes, tassels, singing and stripping – gold rush style. Madame Cooper’s Peepshow Parlor, located on 7th and Broadway, offers a four-minute burlesque show, described as a “tasteful striptease you can bring your granny to.” Peep patrons are welcomed into a plush waiting room, where they wait for the sound of a kazoo. Once they hear the signal, they step to a wall, pick their peepholes, and watch the performer or performers inside unveil the experience. (The Peepshow Parlor offers a handicap accessible station.) Peepshow owners Cooper and Ian Hays had been living in Nashville, where they ran a burlesque show and were working on a reality TV program. COVID-19 forced them to relocate to Cooper’s native state of Oregon. Then, forest fires sent them to Ian’s hometown of Juneau. “I want to take you to my favorite town,” Ian told Cooper, and they made a visit to Skagway. They arrived in The Garden City in the fall of 2020, just as the town was shutting down in response to its first COVID-19 case. For Cooper, it was magical. “I have always been obsessed with Gold Rush era stuff. I’ve gone by Madam Cooper for years and years,” Cooper said. She’d incorporated the gold rush into her brand. Copper wanted to stay in the town that understood corsets. “I was exhausted, I was tired of running. And I asked him [Ian] if maybe we could just stay here for the winter. And he looked at me like I had three heads, because I don’t like the cold,” Cooper said. The singer/dancer eventually got hired at the Red Onion and Ian started teaching karate to adults and children at the recreation center. When the 2022 tourist season looked like it was going to rebound, Cooper got to thinking. “There’s a million cruise ship guests that are supposed to come through here this year. And I’m not going to entertain any of them? That seems weird,” she said. She proposed the idea of the peep show to her husband. They rented a building and put together the space in under a month. Her band member, Juan Castaneda-Gonzales, helped her husband construct the peephole
Cooper Hays in her peepshow parlor.
set. “This has really been a labor of love and community effort. I was shocked. Skipper and Niles, who have Bites on Broadway, heard I was up to something and they just poured things at me … they gave me, oh my gosh, just so many things, furniture, chairs, that kind of stuff … And Reba Hylton from Skagway Brew Co. brought me a big bucket of velvet … my mother-in-law sent me these flowers up from Juneau … it was a big effort,” Cooper said. The madame describes the act as “rated PG-13,” although she has performed for a 10-year-old girl and believes parents are the best judge. The performance ends with the entertainer(s) in underwear with tassels cov-
Photo by Melinda Munson
ering the nipples. Viewers will have seen more skin on a beach in Hawaii, with a lot less pizazz. “Every person that has commented really enjoyed it … Something is good because I’m seeing a lot of joy in people’s eyes,” Cooper said. Cooper describes burlesque as a “feminine sport” and said it emphasizes “body positivity” and “empowerment.” Peeps average $20, tips are accepted. Night shows often offer a reduced rate for locals. The parlor is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday, 7 to 10 p.m. Hootin’ and hollerin’ is encouraged.
THE SKAGWAY NEWS
July 8, 2022
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Royal Caribbean President’s Cruise docks in Skagway and the community put on a party
Photos by Jaime Bricker Railroad Dock update (continued from front page) ple on board. The Quantum of the Sea, scheduled to dock on Railroad at 9 a.m., turned back after the slide. It marked the first day that Skagway could berth a maximum of three ships, one less than normal – a blow to the town’s economy after the three-year pandemic. “It put a strain on everyone,” said Tyler Rose, Executive Director of Human Resources and Planning for White Pass & Yukon Route. Rose said that within 24 hours, the company flew in a geo-engineer. Scaling work began soon after, including
hydro scaling with the help of helicopters, and finally protective measures. Railroad Dock opened back up to two ships on July 5. The aft ship will continue to tender to the Small Boat Harbor. The rockslide shook the mountainside, and the confidence of some community members. “It’s a complicated and constantly moving target. Until the situation is entirely understood and mitigated, entering the area is a personal risk,” said Skagway Mayor Andrew Cremata.
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Editor’s column
By Gretchen Wehmhoff Above the Skaguay News Depot on Broadway is the Skagway News office. During the summer months, without the storm windows, the window sashes open tall enough for me to lean out to take in a view that stretches from the tall ships at the harbor all the way to the mountains in the north. There is something fitting about the office being upstairs in downtown. When I am there I feel like I’m almost in the middle of the action, which was certainly the case this Independence Day. Normally, I would walk around town with my cam-
The best view in town era and capture the day, but recent medical issues have me monitoring my activity. We were awakened by Jeff Brady’s voice starting the Skagway 5K Run-Around. After a cup of coffee, I pulled a chair up to the front window as the Kiddie Parade began. Someone said “go” and a group of 4-year-olds tore down the block leading the short parade. The rest of the parade took a slower pace with wagons pulling teddy bears, scooters decked out in red, white and blue ribbons and costumes from fairies to bumble bees. One child sat in a wagon full of picture books reading “one more page” as her father towed her down the street. Thirty minutes later the main parade would start. I leaned out for a picture towards the port. Two ships towered above the town and a White Pass & Yukon Route train positioned itself across
the street. The train whistle blew, the engine backed up and floats, vehicles and marchers crossed the tracks towards the crowd. Parade participants tossed candy to the children. The street, lined with locals, Yukoners and people from around the world came alive with energy. The police, border patrol, park service and fire department had their rigs cleaned up. A large group of marchers wore black and carried signs in protest of the recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. That group seemed to get the most applause and women along the parade path stood up to clap. After the parade, chalk drawing started right below my window. More cute kids. The Red Onion’s Pizza Toss began just to the left of me with Deb Potter handling the competition and Reba Hylton dishing extra sauce on the pizzas. The crowd
July 8, 2022
loved it – cheering and clapping when the dough was caught and letting out loud sighs if one hit the ground. The egg toss, an event that has earned Skagway an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records, was next. People stretched down Broadway for blocks. Parents tossing with their kids, kids tossing with kids, strangers tossing with strangers. The line had to be one of the most international, yet casual games I’ve seen. Taking photos from the street last year was fun, but this view gave me a feel of the crowd. As eggs dropped and the line diminished, the crowd gathered around the last dozen or so teams. A few were experienced egg tossers who sent the eggs flying high and far, again, with the crowd breathing cheers of relief and sighs of loss over broken eggs. Some of the best views
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from the window are when things are finished. I think my favorite is watching dogs pull at their leashes to lick up the egg from the street and the crows fighting over pizza crust. In a way, the animals were the first line of quiet Skagway street cleaners. The next morning the city’s street cleaning machine finished off the job and the crows cawed their displeasure. Even now, there’s a trace of chalk and a bit of egg to remind me of the energy outside the window on the street where Skagway plays.
Seeking efficiency, Alaska breaks its health agency into two new departments The Department of Health and Social Services has been split into separate organizations By Lisa Phu and James Brooks Alaskabeacon.com The state agency that led Alaska’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been dissolved. As of Friday, the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services is now two separate agencies: the Department of Health and the Department of Family and Community Services. The split, first proposed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy in late 2020, is intended to improve services to Alaskans, according to Dunleavy’s administration. While the state has done years of preparation with the public, stakeholders, and partner agencies, the restructure still presents some unknowns, and officials familiar with health care and public aid are watching with interest. Adam Crum, commissioner of the former Department of Health and Social Services, is commissioner for the new Department of Health. He said the split doesn’t change how the public interacts with the services. “None of the services they
receive or the people they interact with change. There are no changes to the public-facing side,” Crum said. All the divisions previously housed under Health and Social Services have been split between the two new departments. According to the state, this allows for the missions of the different parts of the department to be better aligned. And it allows for more time and space to work with providers, beneficiaries and federal partners to improve services. Before the split, DHSS was by far the state’s largest agency, with 3,259 employees and a budget of $3.5 billion. More than two-thirds of that consists of Medicaid, which provides health care to one in three lower-to-middle-income Alaskans. The new Department of Health will take over responsibility for Medicaid. It includes the divisions of Public Health, Public Assistance, Behavioral Health, Health Care Services, and Senior and Disabilities Services. Crum said that with Medicaid handled by the Department of Health, there will
be “newfound bandwidth” to evaluate and put in place long-term ideas that will better serve the Medicaid population, and facilitate future innovations within Medicaid and public health. That includes applying for waivers from federal law. “How do we pay for prevention more? A lot of this work is on the waiver side, and other items like that. Medicaid is a very big important item, and it’s going to require a lot of time and attention in partnership to make sure that we’re setting up the best system in Alaska,” he said. The Department of Family and Community Services will take over the state’s child welfare system and 24/7 facilities providing direct services to Alaskans. It houses the Division of Juvenile Justice, Alaska Psychiatric Institute, Alaska Pioneer Homes and the Office of Children’s Services. Keeping them separate from Medicaid will allow the department’s commissioner to focus on their administration. “When you take away the single biggest budget item
as a form of responsibility, that then allows them to give specific cabinet-level focus on items of concern, like the Alaska Psychiatric Institute and Office of Children’s Services,” Crum said. Crum said that despite the name changes, those who use state services will find most things the same – “same emails, same addresses, same physical locations.” One of the people most closely watching the new Department of Health is Jared Kosin, president and CEO of the Alaska Hospital and Healthcare Association. The association, formerly known as the Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association, supported the split, saying in testimony that it hopes the reorganization “will support ease of access and continuity of care” across departments. “Leading up to today, we haven’t had any concerns. I haven’t heard of any disruptions from the field,” Kosin said. Gov. Mike Dunleavy first announced plans to split the department in December 2020. He proposed an executive order but
withdrew it in 2021 after state legislators identified problems. His administration redrafted the order, and it became final in March after the Alaska Legislature failed to object. Lawmakers set budgets for the new departments, and on Friday, the start of the state’s fiscal year, those budgets became active. One of the focuses of the Department of Family and Community Services is to oversee and improve the state’s child welfare system. Shortly after Dunleavy first announced plans to split Health and Social Services in December 2020, Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska had some concerns about how it would affect the tribal organization’s working relationship with the Office of Children’s Services. It still does. “We don’t know how it’s going to impact our work, so it’ll be interesting to see how it plays out,” said Mary Johnson, tribal family and youth services director at Tlingit and Haida. Through a compact, tribal (continued page 12)
THE SKAGWAY NEWS
July 8, 2022
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Country music star strikes a chord as Alaska Seaplanes pilot
SKAGUAY NEWS DEPOT & BOOKS Special “Soapy’s Wake” Booksigning!!! Friday, July 8th 10 am to 12 noon By Max Graham Chilkat Valley News, Haines Next time you’re on a flight with Alaska Seaplanes, your pilot might be a country music star. Sam Riggs, a singer and songwriter with more than 30 million streams on Spotify and 30,000 subscribers, is also a pilot for the regional air carrier. When Riggs, 34, is not on tour, he often flies the company’s Juneau-Haines-Skagway route. Riggs, his wife, Rachel, and their 21-month-old son, Rock, moved to Juneau from Texas in January. “Life was super hectic,” Riggs said. He was on tour much of the time. And Rachel, a helicopter pilot in the Gulf of Mexico, worked two weeks on, two weeks off, he said. They decided last Thanksgiving to make a big life change – to find a place to settle down so they could spend more time together as a family. But they didn’t want to be far from adventure. So they chose Alaska. “First and foremost, we hired him because he is a great pilot,” said Alaska Seaplanes spokesperson Andy Kline. “On top of that, he’s an incredibly talented musician.” Riggs toured full time for 13 or 14 years. He worked professionally in and out of Nashville as a songwriter. His 2016 album, “Breathless,” reached No. 12 on Billboard’s U.S. country music chart. On his website, Riggs describes his music as “rock-infused sound with a chip on
its sonic shoulder.” With travel for concerts and shows came flying. The adventure-hungry musician got his pilot’s license about seven years ago. “Flying instantly became a huge part of my life,” he said. It was an easy way to get around. “It was also sort of a gateway drug,” Riggs said. “I quickly discovered all the backcountry airstrips in Utah.” Since then Riggs has divided his time between flying into the wilderness and rocking out. He said having an inReach satellite communication device has made balancing his two passions easier. “My management and agent are constantly trying to track me down on some mountain or in some canyon,” Riggs said. “I remember coming out of a canyon and checking an inReach message saying, ‘You missed another radio interview.’” In 2016, Riggs founded an outdoor company called Air & Opportunity Adventure Co., which offers canyoneering and camping trips in the Utah backcountry and sells clothing. A nonprofit branch of the company provides grants to people “seeking healing experiences through outdoor adventure,” according to its website. Riggs said he always envisioned transitioning from full-time music to flying. “It’s just as exciting and just as rewarding.” But the move to Alaska and the job with Seaplanes haven’t put a damper on Riggs’ music career. He has concerts scheduled in Utah,
Colorado and Idaho. “Seaplanes have been awesome about planning and working with me,” he said. Riggs is going on fewer tours now than he once did, but he said he feels more inspired than ever. “For the first time in a while, now I don’t have to write – I get to write whenever I want,” he said. “It poured gas on the fire for the creative side of me.” Riggs regularly plays for audiences that number in the thousands. He said his biggest crowd was 15,000 people in France. Although he has an affinity for floatplanes, Riggs flies both the de Havilland Beaver and Cessna Caravan for Seaplanes. As of last week, he had flown to most Southeast communities on the company’s map, except for Wrangell and Klawock. Riggs doesn’t consider himself “wildly famous” and has been surprised that some passengers have recognized him. Seaplanes received a request this spring from a Texas fan whose husband has pancreatic cancer and as a bucket list item dreamed of flying with Riggs. “They were just huge Sam Riggs fans,” Kline said. “We had never done anything like that where someone had requested a specific pilot.” In late May, Riggs took the couple in a Beaver to Turner Lake near Juneau, where he played music and showed them waterfalls.
Jeff Smith great grandson of J. R. ‘Soapy’ Smith
author of
ALIAS SOAPY SMITH The Life and Death of a Scoundrel Receive a FREE ‘Soapy Smith’s Last Bluff’ July 8, 1898 newspaper reprint with each book purchase!
July 8, 2022
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THE SKAGWAY NEWS
Photo by Melinda Munson
Photo by Melinda Munson
Skagway Photos by Gretchen Wehmhoff
Street Cleaning Team
Photo by Joe Stoltze
THE SKAGWAY NEWS
July 8, 2022
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Yukon River Quest sees high water, new records Provided by Amy Kenny Yukon River Quest Ten records were set at the 2022 Yukon River Quest, with an overall record that race director Mia Lee said will be a tough one to beat going forward. Something Else Entirely, a four-man canoe team with paddlers from the Yukon and Ontario, crossed the finish line in Dawson City in 39:08:12. That bests the previous record of 39:32:43, set by Team Kisseynew in 2008. Additional new records were set in womens tandem canoe, mixed four-person canoe and stand-up paddleboard (SUP). Australian SUP racer Lincoln Dews smashed the previous SUP record by more than four hours. Dews, a threetime Australian SUP champion, landed in Dawson on Friday afternoon after paddling for 47 hours, 46 minutes and 32 seconds. The previous record, set by Bart de Zwart in 2017, was 52:16:06. High, fast water played a part in quicker times this year, but it also made for challenging conditions. A number of boats tipped on Lake Laberge due to headwind. One in seven boats dumped in Five Finger Rapids, where seasoned racers said the waves were higher than ever. More wind and rainstorms on Thursday night and Friday afternoon soaked some teams and made for slow going for others, but overall sixty-two boats finished the 715-kilometre race from Whitehorse to Dawson. Race Marshall Stephen Mooney said the number of racers who dropped this year was comparable to previous years. A full list of top finishers: Stand-up paddleboard Mens SUP NEW RECORD
1 – Lincoln Dews (Lincoln Dews) 47:46:32 2 – Halfway to Cina (Davide Cina) 49:28:11 3 – Standing Room Only (Jason Bennett) 50:23:54
Womens SUP
1 – Type 2 Fun (LouAnne Harris) 62:36:12 2 – Shara Dubeau (Shara Dubeau) 65:34:50
Solo canoe Mens solo canoe
NEW RECORD 1 – Half a Perfect Storm (Gaetan Plourde) 47:59:34 2 – Doggy Paddle (Matthew Smith) 59:47:00
Solo kayak Mens solo kayak
1 – Wunnumut (Jeff Brainard) 44:10:35 2 – Golden Retriver (Wayne Anderson) 45:43:00 3 – Estonian Vikings (Mart Reimann) 48:46:32
Womens solo kayak
1 – Victorious Secret (Mirjam Fleming) 53:43:02 2 – Rough Cut Diamond (Patricia Jones) 55:46:34
Tandem canoe Mens tandem canoe
1 – Soggy Bottom Boys 43:13:36 2 – Spirit of the Yukon 44:36:28 3 – Calgary Canoe Club 45:42:20
Womens tandem canoe
NEW RECORD 1 – Love of Paddling 47:43:24 2 – The Girls Next Door 56:51:23
Mixed tandem canoe
1 – The Bickersons 46:18:53 2 – Mennonites Don’t Tip 50:49:31 3 – Fermentation Vessel 53:43:17
Tandem kayak Mens tandem kayak
NEW RECORD 1 – www.tyreorder.com Elite Team 40:05:43
The Buckwheat Howlers
2 – Yukon Wide Adventures 45:01:00 3 – World of Kayaks Team Estonia M&M 50:20:16
Womens tandem kayak NEW RECORD 1 – Huum Sauna 43:44:39
Mixed tandem kayak
1 – Schaay Ventures 47:39:15 2 – RBA 62:28:13
Four-person canoe Mens four-person canoe
NEW RECORD 1 – Something Else Entirely 39:08:12 (new overall race record) 2 – Team Quickblade 43:13:04
Womens four-person canoe
NEW RECORD 1 – Every Child Matters 50:23:11 2 – Sea Wings 57:22:08
Mixed four-person canoe NEW RECORD 1 – Delta Heat 43:17:01 2 – VIP Bucket List 46:25:05
Voyageur Mens voyageur
Tony and Cory Thole
Sam Best and Danny Brady
Support Crew: Tony Thole (Cory’s Dad), Lara Labesky, Denny Bousson, Mary, Julius, and Anika Thole, Zane Coughran
1 – Pagunpogo 40:05:43 2 – Hatchet Lake 42:35:37 3 – Buckwheat’s Howlers 46:40:05
Mixed voyageur
1 – High Voltage 54:17:00
Half Quest
NEW RECORD 1 – Eddyline (mens tandem canoe) 24:38:54 2 – Paddlers Abreast (womens voyageur) 25:00:40 3 – Crisis and the Commando (mixed tandem kayak) 26:07:11 Editors note: Jeff Brady was named to the Great River Club with 5,005 km paddled in the Yukon River Quest.
Photos by Mary Thole Team Members in boat order: Sam Best (back- steering),Danny Brady, Jeff Brady- navigator with maps, cook, and captain, Cory Thole, Tom Parker, Nicole Kovacs (spotter and navigator in front)
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Obituaries
Carey L. Dorn
July 8, 2022
THE SKAGWAY NEWS
Born March 17, 1951
Carey L. Dorn was born March 17, 1951, the fifth of nine children in Hendricks, Minnesota to Vernon Gail and Lola Elaine (Brown) Dorn. He always said he was the biggest, oneriest Leprechaun you’d ever meet, and boy was he fun-loving!
Carey always said he was the “black sheep of the family” and maybe so, but in an honorable, good way. He was fun-loving, adventurous, daring, mischievous, unpredictable and loving. Some of his siblings might have thought he exaggerated, but not so. Our first date was on his motorcycle. He wanted to get married at the Sturgis Bike Rally. He wanted to live in the Colorado Mountains with a dirt floor, no electricity and no running water. In 1972, that was extreme. We moved to remote Alaska where we had to “take our own home” because there was no housing and the newspaper was published twice a month, if nec-
essary. He worked the gold field (after retiring from his railroad career of almost 30 years) with his good friend, Will Godbey. There he, Will and I had numerous encounters with bears and possums. I’ve missed Carey not sitting next to me in church these last two years. He never knew if his physical body would fail him, but golly his singing voice was amazing. Here’s what our sons feel about their father: He was an amazing, loving father, loved by us and adored by his four granddaughters. Speaking for my six, he taught me how to be a strong loving dad. He was loved by his daughter-in-law. We are not saying goodbye, but
we will see you in heaven. Carey is survived by his wife of 50 years, Darla J. (Rost) Dorn; two sons: Evern Dawin (Nicole) Huron, SD and Emmanuel Lynn (Genee`) Pensacola, Florida; eight grandchildren: Skye Leigh, Dylan and Hunter, Kate Elizabeth, Laycee Marie, Adalynn Ann, Gabriella Marie, Katherine Grace, Thalia Hope, soon to be Sophia and three special young ones, Aden, Reegan and Libby; two sisters: Sharen Osowski and Lynette Stammmire of California, one brother, Shawn Dorn of Oregon, and many nieces and nephews, and great nieces and nephews. Carey was an artist, a
handyman, a thoughtful and giving man, my loving husband. I lost a gem, but heaven gained a jewel. Carey was preceded in death by his parents, Vern and Elaine, two brothers, Gerry and Larry Dorn, and two sisters, Wanda Dorn and Roxie Suydam, and Darla’s parents, Dwain and Marie Rost (Eller) and Ron Eller, Tina Cain and Dustin Dorn. A celebration of Carey’s life will be held later in the year. Arrangements are entrusted with the Houseman Funeral Home of Clear Lake, South Dakota.
ally attached to a car again). After his father passed, Bill and his brother opened a car repair shop called Simon and Simon Car Investigation. Those old enough will get the pun. Bill was married twice. His first wife, Janie, wrote that they went steady when they were 14 and then married at age 22. “Bill was a good man,” she wrote. “He had many talents; drinking was one he excelled at and caused us to divorce when we were 30. There was never any animosity between us. We both realized it was time to move on with our lives.” She said she lost contact with Bill and later learned that he had met a new love and moved to Alaska to live happily ever after, and she was glad they did. They caught up to each
other 34 years later when Bill called to offer sympathy for the death of Janie’s father in 2016. Bill had told her about his wonderful wife Cindy of 25 years, and how proud he was of her and their life in Skagway. Cindy had passed in 2015. Bill told about their many friends in Skagway and how he had played at Moe’s and still loved to entertain as “Wild Bill.” That made the Kansas crowd laugh, as they were used to calling him Simon. “He must have gotten wild in Alaska; here he was rather quiet, almost shy … May Bill’s soul and all the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God, may they rest in peace. Amen.” Among Bill’s many Skagway friends were his neighbors, the Clem family. Greg
Clem wrote, “Wild Bill was a man who lived life at his own pace. Never one to rush things but always ready with a big welcome and his welcoming little chuckle, he was one of the most stubborn men I have ever known but a man with a big heart willing to help where he could. He lived life his way to the very end. I will sorely miss him.” Bill was preceded in death by his wife Cindy, sister Margery and brother Robert. He is survived by his sister Carolyn in Idaho, stepdaughter Traci Smith-Cone, three nieces and three grandnephews. A celebration of life for “Wild Bill” Simon will be announced at a later date. -Compiled by friends and family
‘Wild Bill’ Simon 1952-2022
William John Simon, known to everyone in Skagway as “Wild Bill,” the house musician at the old Moe’s Frontier Bar, died following an operation at Juneau’s Bartlett Regional Hospital on June 20. Bill was born in Wichita, Kansas on Jan. 7, 1952 to parents Melvin and Mary Simon. He had two sisters, Carolyn and Margery, and
a younger brother, Robert. Robert was Bill’s “best bud” growing up, and those two always had fun. Bill was a mechanic and musician his whole life. He loved guitars and played in many bands in Wichita. His father owned a trucking company, so Bill earned extra bucks during harvest driving the crops in the semitrucks when he was just 14 years old. He learned all about big rigs and how to service them for his dad’s business. He also worked at a gas station all through high school on weekends. He graduated from the allboys Bishop Carroll High School in 1970 and bought a 1966 Corvette Stingray for his graduation. That car was the love of his life for six years until it was stolen. (He vowed to never get emotion-
Photo by Gretchen Wehmhoff
THE SKAGWAY NEWS
July 8, 2022
Page 9
Police & Fire Blotter Submitted by Skagway Police Department
June 12 Police responded to a few complaints about the previous night’s live music volume.
Fire personnel assisted Ward Air with a medevac.
Police assisted a citizen who locked themselves out of a house.
Police responded to a call and advised a group about public marijuana consumption.
June 13 Fire personnel responded to a fire alarm at a downtown business. Police assisted a citizen with fingerprinting. Police assisted a driver whose vehicle broke down on the Klondike Highway. June 14 Fire personnel responded to a medical emergency. Police assisted in a civil matter. Fire personnel assisted Airlift Northwest with a medevac. Fire personnel assisted a downtown business with alarm maintenance. June 15 Police assisted with an investigation aboard a cruise ship.
Fire personnel responded to a medical emergency.
June 16 Police responded to a call regarding illegal parking downtown. Fire personnel responded to a call about a smoking cruise ship – investigation found it to be normal exhaust. June 17 Fire personnel assisted Airlift Northwest with a medevac. June 18 Police and fire personnel responded to a medical emergency aboard a train. Police personnel responded to a call about an altercation at the Westmark Hotel. June 19 Dispatch assisted in reuniting a lost cell phone with its owner.
Dispatch assisted in reuniting a lost phone and its owner.
BROADWAY BULLETIN BOARD 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. 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.
Fire personnel responded to a medical emergency at Pullen Creek Campground. Fire personnel assisted Guardian Flight for a medevac. June 20 Police personnel assisted a citizen with fingerprints. Police personnel responded to a call about a stolen tent at Dyea Campground. June 21 Police and Fire personnel responded to a medical emergency. Fire personnel Guardian Flight medevac.
assisted with a
June 22 Fire personnel responded to a medical emergency. Fire personnel responded to a fire alarm which turned out to be a culinary mishap. June 23 Police personnel responded to calls about a rock slide on the Railroad Dock. Police responded to a non-injury, minor traffic collision between a vehicle and a gravestone.
Dispatch and police assisted in reuniting a lost wallet and its owner.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Police responded to a non-injury minor traffic collision between two vehicles.
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)
RECREATION CTR SCHED Skagway Recreation Center • 12th & Main • 983-2679
Weather Watch NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OBSERVATIONS FOR PREVIOUS 24-HOUR PERIOD BEFORE 7 A.M.
DATE
MAX
MIN
PREC
Weather Watch 6/18 - 7/02 6/18 75 46 6/19 67 50 6/20 67 49 trace 6/21 67 50 .08 6/22 59 44 .25 6/23 62 47 trace 6/24 72 49 6/25 74 49 6/26 64 53 .05 6/27 66 49 trace 6/28 78 51 6/29 82 51 6/30 77 52 7/1 68 47 7/2 63 49 -
Photo by Zak Overmyer
Emergency personnel try to reach driver stranded in Dyea Flats.
Driver rescued from Dyea Flats
By Melinda Munson The Skagway Volunteer Fire Department (SVFD) received a surprising phone call early July 1. An individual wanted to be rescued from their car, in the ocean, outside of Dyea Flats. According to Fire Chief Emily Rauscher, the subject fell asleep in their vehicle. When they woke, the tide had come in and the vehicle was filling with water. The individual climbed onto their roof and was able to access cell phone service to call for assistance. Seven members of the SVFD responded. A swimmer, tethered by a 300-foot safety line, was sent out to make contact with the stranded individual, but conditions made contact unsafe. The subject was eventually rescued by private watercraft, taken to shore, and transported to Dahl Memorial Clinic. “Please remember to use caution when out on the Dyea Flats, due to extreme tide fluctuations. A good rule of thumb is, if you are seeing driftwood, you are in a tidal zone,” Rauscher said. SVFD will be consulting with the U.S Coast Guard and Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation for vehicle removal and hazardous waste remediation. “Everybody did really great putting 100% effort to provide a safe rescue for the individual,” Rauscher said.
Page 10
Family Fun Page - print and share Across
1 Where Eagles and Falcons co-exist 4 A girl’s best f friend 7 Aunt, to Mom 10 Period of history 11 Turn-down in Toulouse? 12 Catch 13 Bog 15 Some 16 Flaunts 18 Elected 19 Frog unlucky at the racetrack 22 Animal fur 23 Wander aimlessly 24 Labor leader’s cry
26 1965 civil rights march site 27 He sought the Seven Cities of Gold 29 Snow runner 31 Characterized by strong feelings 33 Greetings 34 Elevator cham ber 35 Zip 36 Orange veggie 37 A-bomb yardstick 38 Take shape
Down
1 “So, what else is --- ?” 2 Rejuvenate 3 Faith! Islam? Chic to
July 8, 2022 convert? 4 Amazed 5 Arguments against 6 “The --- the beginning” (Churchill) 7 Construction site temporary framework 8 An atom, plus or minus an electron or two 9 One under cover 14 --- the world (Out of it) 17 Shoot 18 Apple core? 20 Flick made for the boob tube 21 Affirmative reply
THE SKAGWAY NEWS 25 Put up 26 Nasal grunt 28 Toe of the Arabian Peninsula 29 Bashful 30 Hyundai rival 32 Annex, maybe
Color Me
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.
THE SKAGWAY NEWS
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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.
HOUSING WANTED WORK WANTED 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
July 8, 2022
CLASSIFIEDS
Page 11
LEGAL ADS
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://
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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July 8, 2022
Page 12
Health Department splits
organizations and the state work together on child welfare issues. The state pays the tribes to do a lot of the work needed to meet federal requirements. Johnson wants to see the work the tribes have been doing move forward and she hopes the new commissioner continues to keep the compact a priority. Dunleavy appointed Kim Kovol as acting commissioner for the Department of Family and Community Services on Wednesday. Prior to the appointment, Kovol was a special assistant to the governor focused on social services. “Change is always scary because you don’t know what is going to happen exactly. And a lot of what we do is built so much on relationships, especially between the tribes and the state. Having to go back and establish new relationships with a new set of administration, that’ll be a difficult challenge. But, hopefully, things will remain the same, if not get better,” Johnson said. Members of the Alaska Public Employees Association, the union representing supervisor-level employees, had concerns when the split idea was proposed in 2021. Jeff Kasper, the association’s business manager, said some employees felt that the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t the right time to shake up the state’s public health administration.
THE SKAGWAY NEWS
(continued from page 4)
There also was general suspicion about Dunleavy. “I think initially, we were kind of suspicious of things that Gov. Dunleavy does, because some of his actions seem to be directed toward unions, negatively,” Kasper said. The administration withdrew the split in 2021 and reintroduced it again this year. “We haven’t received a whole lot of complaints so far from our members,” Kasper said. He said the union doesn’t yet have an opinion about the split. “We’re hanging back. And as they move forward with the reorganization, we’re going to be looking at it and seeing if there’s going to be any issues that arise, and we’ll deal with those as they come. I guess we’re not terribly concerned right now,” Kasper said. Trevor Storrs of the Alaska Children’s Trust has been watching the split for its effect on the Office of Children’s Services, which handles child abuse complaints and monitors foster-care programs. “All of us just want to see them be successful, because no matter how they are — whether they’re a single entity or split into two or three — we want to ensure that those who are accessing services, which is children and families, that the services are maintained — or more importantly — actually improve,” Storrs said. Independence Day Parade color guard.
Photo by Gretchen Wehmhoff
MUNICIPALITY OF SKAGWAY NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC THE SPECIAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY, July 12, 2022
H A S BE E N CA N CE L E D NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Special Municipal Election scheduled for July 12, 2022 has been canceled.