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Petersburg High School band and choir students got the chance to hang out with and learn from musical peers around the region this weekend after heading up to the Southeast Alaska High School Music Festival in Juneau. Junior Hannah Pfundt said they want to do well in front of people they know. She added that it’s good to get that feedback. “It’s exciting because you’ve been working on stuff pretty much all year,” she said. Petersburg’s 58 students returned with mostly superior ratings, music director Matt Lenhard said. Judges listen to t...
Last week was National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, recognizing the work of the dispatchers behind the scenes. "They really are kind of the heart of the department," Petersburg Police Chief Kelly Swihart said. "We could not function without them." Dispatchers prepare emergency responders for the situations they're about to head into, and do what they can over the phone to keep callers calm. Sometimes they have to provide instructions like how to do CPR. Working with such sensitive...
The Petersburg Medical Center Board of Directors is looking for a new member after Steven Samuelson tendered his resignation via email last week. The board accepted that resignation during a special meeting Saturday morning before a board training session. Samuelson, who had served on the board since February 2014, was not at the meeting. Reading from his letter, President Tim Koeneman said Samuelson would be in Juneau for many months, unable to serve. His term would’ve expired in October. “We regret that we lost him but” the board has to mo...
Already facing funding challenges from this year’s legislative session, schools were hit with another potential blow when the Senate Finance Committee proposed a 4.1 percent base student allocation cut. It was done “literally under the cover of darkness” Superintendent Erica Kludt-Painter said during a school board meeting Tuesday evening. The cut would result in an approximate loss of $235,000 for the Petersburg School District, Finance Director Karen Quitslund said. It’d add onto the $150,000 loss the district is already facing because... Full story
It’s winding down, but it’s not over yet. “A big upswing” in type B influenza cases has served as a reminder that “the flu never truly goes away,” Public Health Nurse Erin Michael said. During the week of April 6, there were three type B cases and one type A reported in Petersburg. It drove Michael to send Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tips to the school district for parents. It’s not just here in Petersburg, the upswing in type B cases has been a national trend, according to the CDC. Michael said Petersburg’s... Full story
The 2015 spring troll fishery got its early start this week. The fishery opened in select locations at 12:01 a.m. today, Thursday. Last year, the first spring troll fishery opened on May 1. Frederick Sound, Ernest Sound, the Neets Bay Terminal Harvest Area and the Hidden Falls Terminal Harvest Area opened and will remain so through April 30, according to an Alaska Department of Fish and Game press release. “Frederick Sound has always been a good area,” Sitka Troll Fishery Biologist Pattie Skannes said during a public meeting in Petersburg las...
A statewide fundraiser, Pick.Click.Give. saw a 25 percent increase in donors and a 20 percent increase in dollars raised this year, benefitting six of Petersburg’s own organizations. Pick.Click.Give. gives Alaskan residents the chance to make a donation to an organization of their choice when they file their Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) online. The $3.3 million pledged statewide this year was a record amount for the seven year program, according to Interim Program Manager Kathy Day. The Petersburg Humane Association (PHA) was one that b...
The Petersburg Police Department is investigating a string of burglaries—the latest reported just a week ago. Beach Bum Tanning reported a break-in to the police department at 10 a.m. on April 9. Chief Kelly Swihart said the burglar took products and cash. The Beach Bum burglary, along with about five others that have occurred since January, are still being actively investigated, he said. “There’s not a lot of property crime here, but we do go through spurts,” Swihart added. He noted that the Piston and Rudder ship store has been burglar...
Next week is National Infant Immunization Week, and the Petersburg Public Health Center will be waiving administrative fees for those who stop in. “It’s just kind of a reminder to people how important it is to get infants vaccinated,” Public Health Nurse Erin Michael said. Held each year, the week highlights the need to protect infants from vaccine-preventable diseases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, though those of all ages are welcome to get vaccinated in Petersburg. Michael said it’s a great week for those w...
The Petersburg School Board is still seeking a new member after the deadline to turn in letters of interest passed without anyone turning one in. Mara Lutomski announced at Tuesday evening’s meeting she’d like to submit a letter if the board decides to continue its search. “Yay,” was Vice President Sarah Holmgrain’s response. Former board president Jean Ellis’ resignation was effective on March 18 and the board set a deadline of 5 p.m. on April 9 for letters of interest. It was set to discuss whether or not to continue seeking that new member,...
The first phase of the $8.6 million Nordic-Haugen road project is expected to kick off soon with utility work. Originally slated to begin in the summer of 2014, the project was pushed back to this spring with the construction bid recently awarded to Secon, of Juneau, according to Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities spokesman Jeremy Woodrow. “We’ve actually combined four projects into one,” he noted. It’s to be a two season project, with an expected completion date of fall 2016. Phase one will see utility work, consist... Full story
It used to be difficult for some, so they just wouldn't get out and about. But now that Mountain View Manor has a new set of wheels for its residents to spin around in, ridership has doubled. "We do get a lot more people going than would've gone," Activities Director Jordan Stafford said. The new van has an 800 pound capacity wheelchair lift that makes it easier for those in chairs and with walkers to get on. The van can fit about 15 people, including two wheelchairs, while the old one couldn't...
Part of its strategic plan for 2014-2020, WAVE (Working Against Violence for Everyone) has increased advocate interest, moving from five to 13 potential advocates, seven of which are taking calls. But the group is always looking for more. The non-profit organization discussed growing membership, among other topics, during its annual meeting Monday evening at the Petersburg Medical Center. WAVE provides advocacy for victims of both domestic violence and sexual assault. One discussion revolved around the possible formation of new support groups....
WAVE (Working Against Violence for Everyone) has a fairly new service that little seem to know about. “We’re hoping we can get a little more awareness out about the online (chat),” Executive Director Annette Wooten said. “It gives people another option.” The chat service she speaks of is similar to that of Google Gmail’s chat, or of that you’d see a service provider, such as an internet company, provide for tech support. In a small community such as Petersburg’s, it gives victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault seeking help a chance t...
With some troll areas expected to open in mid-April, "a little early" as Sitka Assistant Troll Fishery Biologist Grant Hagerman put it, local fishermen are gearing up for the spring season. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game held a public troll fishery meeting Wednesday afternoon in assembly chambers. An announcement regarding spring fishery plans is expected sometime next week, Troll Fishery Biologist Pattie Skannes said, after all public meetings have wrapped up on Friday. Frederick Sound...
As the summer season nears its start, residents interested in seeking work with the Alaska Marine Highway System or various other marine-related occupations may need to make sure they have the proper credentials first. Among these is the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC), which conveniently enough can be acquired at the Wrangell Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The office was able to take on the program after filing an application through Morphotrust USA, an identity services provider. A site survey was conducted to make...
The first of the Local Marijuana Regulation Advisory Committee subcommittees met over the last week, agreeing to bring a few items to the table for discussion at the next full committee meeting May 27. On Tuesday, at the public safety meeting, subcommittee members said they’d prefer no edibles or extractions be sold in Petersburg, a dispensary sit at least a mile outside of downtown and security of the facilities selling the product. “There’s no place in town I would feel comfortable with because our kids are everywhere,” Kathy Holtzin...
Petersburg High School students arrived home with new knowledge and a national competitor in Ian Fleming after this weekend's Alaska High School Statewide Science Symposium. Fleming, who placed second overall, will be heading to the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, sponsored by the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force, in Maryland on April 29. "I'm excited to go," he said; to meet fellow science students from around the country, listen to speakers and make a stop at the nation's... Full story
The Petersburg School Board met in a special meeting Friday morning, approving the search for a new multi function school activity bus (MFSAB) and a bid for new gym lights. The board gave Director of Maintenance Dan Tate the authority to purchase the newest MFSAB he could find up to $40,000. That money will come out of the vehicle fund. Due to federal safety standards, the district has been looking for a 14 passenger or 12 passenger with wheelchair bus to replace a 2003 passenger van used for extracurricular activities. Any replacement...
The Petersburg Medical Center Board of Directors approved the hospital’s 2016 budget on Thursday, March 26, and will be sending it on to the Petersburg Borough Assembly the first of April for review. “The budget is really straight forward,” said Interim Chief Financial Officer Dornan Hammett. Petersburg Medical Center is looking at a total revenue of $13.9 million with operating and non-operating revenues, and a total expense of $13.8 million. There’ll be a $580,000 operating revenue loss, but a net gain of $71,000 with the non-ope...
The Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery closed last week after a quiet, steady week of fishing. The guideline harvest of 8,712 tons was reached by 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25. The fishery first opened for a few hours on March 18 at 3 p.m., after being put on a two-hour notice at 10 a.m. “It was pretty much open daily until the following Wednesday,” Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist Dave Gordon said. The 48 permit holders voted to fish cooperatively this year with a poor sac roe herring market. Gordon said there were around 25 sei...
Dave Kensinger of Chelan Produce has a 38-year-long business history with the ferry system. “I’ve probably ridden the ferry more than anybody else,” he said. He uses the barge to ship produce (and has for a long while), but utilizes the ferry to travel back and forth between Sitka, where he also sells produce. With a Senate Finance Subcommittee proposing a $12.3 million cut to the ferry system, reducing service to Petersburg and other Southeast communities, Kensinger said he and his wife are looking to fly back and forth to Sitka now, a more ex...
The Senate Finance Subcommittee voted Thursday, March 25, to eliminate all funding to public radio and television. “To be clear: this level of a cut would end KFSK’s local service,” General Manager Tom Abbott said in an email attached to a parent legislative update from Petersburg schools. KFSK has a total budget of $480,000 in revenue: $137,000 in state funds, $125,000 in federal funds and $218,000 in local revenue, Abbott wrote. Governor Bill Walker proposed an 18 percent cut to public broadcasting, then a 59 percent one was proposed in th...
The Local Marijuana Regulation Advisory Committee met for the first time Wednesday evening, establishing subcommittees to discuss concerns more in-depth. It ultimately decided to form three subcommittees: zoning, discussing where marijuana may be grown, sold and smoked; permitting and taxation; and public safety. “My main concern is to make sure it (marijuana) stays in proper places and not near schools,” committee member Thomas Kojima said. He wasn’t alone in wanting to keep marijuana out of the hands of minors. That’s why the topic got tossed... Full story
The Petersburg School District is looking at a potential enrollment increase next year, “exciting” news for a district that had been seeing a fairly steady decline until the last year or two, Superintendent Erica Kludt-Painter said. After speaking with preschools and health clinics, the district is looking at an estimated 44 kindergartners next year. It currently has 27 and is graduating 30 seniors this year. Mitkof Middle School will actually see a smaller group, with 29 sixth graders going over. It’ll provide “different opportunities for sch... Full story
