Skagway shopping district. Photo by Kari Rain.

As 2021 comes to a close, we look back on the biggest news stories of the year in Skagway.

A trip down Skagway’s 2021 memory lane starts with the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines in January. Claire Stremple covered the first shipment.

“A shipment of 100 Moderna vaccines arrived in Skagway at 10 O’Clock Wednesday morning. Borough Manager Brad Ryan says they were expecting 300 Pfizer vaccines. ‘I hope that doesn’t happen again.'”

By year’s end, Skagway fully vaccinated more than 800 residents including school-age children.

COVID-19 also sparked debate over face coverings. In April a mandate requiring masks inside all businesses was passed by the assembly, then vetoed by the mayor. At the next session, the assembly passed a recommendation instead, Assemblyperson Reba Hylton embraced the compromise.

“Even if it’s not required, and if it’s just recommended if that is the message we send to our visitors, then I fully support that,” said Hylton.

In June local lodge owners filed a lawsuit against the municipality for building a cabin at a nearby campground. Plaintiff Kathy Hosford explained her reasoning.

“The Municipality of Skagway has proceeded boldly, mostly behind closed doors, knowing the damage this would do to a small business like ours,” said Hosford.

The Hosfords’ legal claim is still tied up in court.

In May Norwegian Cruise Lines Holdings announced they would donate $2 million to Skagway as part of their campaign to keep cruise towns afloat. The company’s senior vice president Steve Moeller explained.

“We want to make sure that Skagway is still there when we come back, whether it’ll be this year, and next year, whenever it is, we want to make sure that everybody’s still there. You know, Skagway is very critical to us,” said Moeller.

Skagway distributed those funds to the community through a series of business grants, unemployment benefits, and charity.

In late July the Celebrity Millenium became the first large cruise ship to visit for nearly two years. Skagway business owner Cris Siegel echoed the town’s excitement.

“Feels great. I can’t put it in words. I’m excited to refloat our business. Get things going again. Get back out to Dyea on the river woohoo,” exclaimed Siegel.

Nearly 70,000 visitors called on Skagway during 2021, though a far cry from the million-plus visitors in 2019, it was a lifeline to small businesses that opened for the shortened cruise season.

The end of a grocery era came to Skagway’s Fairway Market in August, as the family-owned store that had been open for more than sixty years was sold to a regional grocery chain. Alaska Commercial Company’s general manager Walter Pickett explained the new store’s plans for expansion.

“So we initially will be coming in, and it’s going to be fairly minor, new point of sale equipment, obviously, putting in our own computers. Probably some additional assortment that hasn’t been in the store,” said Pickett.

But the company was hit by COVID-related supply chain issues that left shelves nearly empty for weeks. By the end of the year, though, the shelves were stocked again. They even gave away a giant pumpkin at Halloween.

Skagway’s medical clinic suffered high staff turnover in 2021, and the borough manager invited the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium to make a pitch to take it over. That sparked heated debate, like this public testimony at an assembly meeting in August by resident Bob Head.

“You guys have got to get this under control and I don’t care if it’s with SEARHC or without SEARHC, but it’s gotta be dealt with,” said Head.

The municipality will hold a special election in the spring of 2022 to determine the future of Skagway’s healthcare.

There were multiple ferry shutdowns in 2021 that left Skagwegians stranded. Several prominent residents passed away. There were celebrations like the Buckwheat Ski Classic, the Fourth of July, Halloween, and many more. 2021 seemed to be a year in which taking the good with the bad was the only way to get anything.