Independence Day
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THE SKAGWAY NEWS.
Skagway does it best PAGE 6
Made in Skagway PAGE 5
July 9, 2021
Drag show delivers PAGE 12
Sk a g w ay, A l a s k a
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Deb Potter appointed to assembly
By Melinda Munson Bartender and KHNS board member Deb Potter will fill Assemblymember Steve Burnham’s spot on the Skagway Borough Assembly, with the term expiring in October. Assemblymember Sam Bass motioned to appoint resident Christy Murphy at the July 1 assembly meeting. When the motion was not seconded, Assemblymember Dustin Stone motioned to appoint Deb Potter. The final vote was four to one, with Bass voting no. “I’ve noticed Deb Potter at meetings for well over a year,” said Assemblymember Orion Hanson. “Not just assembly meetings, finance meetings … I think she’s very much paying attention. She’s doing her homework even though she’s not serving.” Stone spoke about his experience with Potter on the KHNS board, where Potter has served since 2008. “I’ve always been impressed with her willingness to jump in head first into projects that need to get done,” Stone said. Potter spent her first summer in Skagway in 2001. She and her wife, Jen, bought a house in the municipality last year. A bartender for the Red Onion and the Elks, Potter had to adjust her work schedule to accept the appointment. “I’m giving up shifts. I’m intentionally working less so I can put in the work,” Potter said. Potter thinks her profession will help her deal with the stress of being an assembly member. “A bartender is well suited to this because we naturally continued on page 3
Photo by Gretchen Wehmhoff
Drag Queen Gigi Monroe entertains the Skagway crowd during Pride Weekend, June 25 and 26. Monroe was one of seven Southeast visiting performers. See the story and more photos on page 12.
Sheryl and Si Dennis share history as grand marshals By Melinda Munson Sheryl and Silas (Si) Dennis Jr., grand marshals for Skagway’s 2021 Fourth of July parade, have been together for 44 years. If it wasn’t for Moe’s Frontier Bar and bartender Ron Ackerman, the two might never have courted, married, raised three kids and called Skagway home. Sheryl, originally from Oregon, “came for the summer” after graduating college. Her plan was to work at The Trading Post for one season. Si, born and raised in Skagway, needed a pool partner. Sheryl’s friend turned him down but Sheryly said yes. That’s when the two started what Sheryl describes as “Skagway dating,” which is meeting in bars. She said Ackerman finally told Si, “you need to take her out.” While it was traditional for brides to be married in their hometown, Sheryl and Si celebrated their nuptials in
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Skagway, as a way to honor Si’s parents. Si’s father, Silas Dennis Sr., a Tlingit, came to Skagway from Haines with Si’s grandfather, a fisherman. Si’s mother, Dorothy Jorgensen, a Haida, originally from Hydaburg, moved to Skagway to work at the sanitarium as a nurse’s aide. At the time of their marriage, Si’s parents faced resistance from their families as the two came from different cultural groups. When it was time for Sheryl and Si’s marriage, Sheryl said the fact she was Caucasian was never an issue. “His family was welcoming to me from the start.” Si and Sheryl’s three children, Beau, Morgan and Lahlan spent time with their grandparents when their mom and dad worked. With their grandparents, the children had the opportunity to learn some Tlingit and listen to traditional stories. Beau, a
formline artist, designed the Skagway School District’s mascot. Sheryl worked at various stores until she landed a job at Alaska Power and Telephone. She retired in 2019. Si started working for White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad when he was 16. Two weeks after high school graduation, he was drafted into the Vietnam War where he served as a helicopter gunner. Boot camp was the
first time he ever left Alaska. He remembers being called a baby killer. Si described what it was like to return to Skagway after three years of war. “It was kind of hard because nobody really said welcome home except for my family. No one asked me how I was,” he said. After Vietnam, Si was employed by the railroad for 14 years as a heavy duty operator. continued on page 2
Photo by Melinda Munson
Sheryl and Si Dennis display the 2021 Fourth of July parade banner made by Jean Worley.
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