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THE SKAGWAY NEWS.
Local tax holiday PAGE 5
They are still out there PAGE 3
October 8, 2021
They aren’t just for looks PAGE 4
Sk a g w ay, A l a s k a
Cremata to begin third term, incumbents hold their seats
Skagway presents electric ferry proposal ‘...Very good chance of becoming the pilot project’ By Melinda Munson
Skagway’s delegation to Southeast Conference in Haines this September had to find alternate transportation when their state ferry was cancelled. Ironically, they were attending to present “Electric Ferry Pilot Project,” Skagway’s bid to operate an electric ferry between Skagway, Haines and possibly Juneau. According to Mayor Andrew Cremata, Skagway is uniquely positioned for the pilot program due to its popularity with tourists, short route (14.5 miles between Haines and Skagway), an abundance of hydropower and ten years worth of studies. And the timing could be perfect. Sen. Lisa Murkowski helped advance a $1 trillion infrastructure bill through the Senate, which includes $250 million in funding for an “electric or low-emitting ferry pilot program.” The legislation is now being contested in the House. “If the bill passes Congress, Skagway could receive tens of millions of dollars toward a pilot project, which would start with engineering a plan that the community could then approve by vote,” Cremata said. After years of interrupted service due to broken ferries and anemic winter schedules, Skagway seeks to become less reliant on the Alaska Marine Highway, while preserving its environment. continued on page 8 - Ferry
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Photo by Andrew Cremata
By Gretchen Wehmhoff updated Oct. 8 Andrew Cremata will serve a third term as Skagway’s mayor. With preliminary results in from the Oct. 5 municipal election, Cremata held onto the seat with 239 votes to opponent Christy Murphy’s 136. Absentee in-person and mail-in ballots were tallied Oct. 7, widening the gaps, but not changing the results. The new mayoral results are: Cremata 339, Murphy 196. In the assembly race, incumbents Jay Burnham and Deb Potter will retain their seats. Burnham led the three candidates with 294 votes. Potter brought in 264 and William Lockette II, in his first entrance into politics,
garnered 108 votes. Updated counts from Oct. 7: Burnham 407, Lockette 156, Potter 373. The high vote getter on Tuesday was John Hischerwith 332 votes. He and Cory Thole, with 277 votes, were uncontested for the two school board seats. Updated school board tallies: Hischer 470, Thole 387. Emily Deach, in her last election cycle as borough clerk before moving on to deputy city manager, said that she mailed out 30 absentee ballots. As of Tuesday evening, 19 of those had been returned and 139 people had voted absentee in-person. The deadline to receive the mail-in ballots was Oct. 7 at 4 p.m. continued on page 8- Election
Andrew Cremata and Liam spent election day with fall fishing.
Skagway alumna named commissioner of administration By Melinda Munson Skagway residents might remember a young Paula Taylor Vrana constantly riding her bay mare, Candy, back and forth between her grandmothers’ houses. “Their house was my house, Vrana said. We didn’t knock on the door -- we just burst in.” Now Vrana’s home is a horse and cattle farm in Wasilla, and the attorney’s direct boss is Gov. Mike Dunleavy. Named commissioner of administration for the State of Alaska on Sept. 30, Vrana described her department as “complex.” “We really provide the support for all the other departments,” Vrana said. This includes computer assistance, payroll, travel services, retirement benefits, labor relations and a host of other responsibilities. The Department of Administra-
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tion also houses the Public Defender Agency and the Office of Public Advocacy. “Commissioner Vrana will be a steady hand at the wheel of a department that manages a wide range of complex and critical administrative services and programs in state government,” said Dunleavy. “From the Public Defenders Agency to the Department of Motor Vehicles, she has the experience and judgement to keep state government running smoothly.” The daughter of Paul and Denise Taylor, Paula remembers growing up before Skagway became a cruise ship destination. Vrana said she was a horse lover since she “was old enough to know what a horse was.” Her grandfather bought Candy first, and asked Paula’s parents permission later. Candy went off to college with Paula, and the equine still lives with Paula today.
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In her early 40s, Candy “must be one of the oldest horses in the state,” Vrana said. Growing up, Vrana didn’t know any lawyers in Skagway. She described herself as a “dedicated and strong” student. She enjoyed reading and writing. With the encouragement of her parents, becoming an attorney “seemed like a natural progression.” Vrana graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Boise University and was awarded a law degree from the University of Idaho. She eventually became the managing attorney at the law firm of Brena, Bell and Clarkson and served as executive director of Hospice of Anchorage and Chief Executive Officer of Copper River Native Association. Vrana first came to work at the Department of Admin-
istration in January of 2019 when she was named deputy commissioner. She cited the budget as the department’s most difficult challenge. “We’re working as hard as we can with the resources we have,” she said. Vrana said her vision is to move forward with “small and steady steps in creating efficiencies and cost savings” while “striving to improve customer service.” Vrans is looking forward to visiting Skagway once the pandemic is over. “There are so many people that touched my life, not just my family,” she said. “Even after 20 years of being away, I still consider Skagway my home. The gifts of a small town are amazing.”
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