Sorted by date Results 301 - 325 of 417
Petersburg boys basketball headed to Haines last week for a two-game set. Whereas the Vikings started game one a bit sluggish, Haines came out aggressive, getting up and down the court with ease. However, the Glacier Bears could not sustain the effort allowing the Vikings to gain their composure and take control. Head coach Rick Brock says the boys came out a little ragged and Thursday's 59-33 win was closer than the final score showed. During the second half, defensive stops resulted in...
The Petersburg girls basketball team earned two wins in Haines last week. The Lady Glacier Bears put up a fight on Thursday night, but the Lady Vikings pulled away early on Friday and never looked back. "I thought we shot the ball well both nights," says head coach Dino Brock. "We didn't get a lot of free throws, but we also shot the ball well from the free-throw line." On Thursday, Haines came out in a 2-3 zone defense, forcing Petersburg to move the ball and patiently wait for good looks at th...
There is one thing Nathan Lopez made sure to bring with him from the church he worked at in Omaha, Neb., the mini-basketball hoop from his tiny office. The hoop now hangs in his more spacious office at the Lighthouse Assembly of God, other items in the room include handcrafted Native flutes and a baby grand piano. Lopez is the new pastor for the church, but he is no stranger to Petersburg. He grew up playing basketball here and left the community after graduating high school in 1997 to begin...
The Petersburg Ragnarök Rollers are back focusing on practice and training after a late-January trip to Palmer for the first matches of the season. The matches were partial 40-minute games, instead of the normal 60 minute matches. Organizers structured the single-day event this way to accommodate all the teams that showed up. Eleven skaters and a bench coach made the trip, and player/coach Alice Williams says the team did really good. The girls faced the Fairbanks Rollergirls and the Denali Dest...
A plan to release millions of chum fry in Thomas Bay, a popular sport fishing area for Petersburg locals, was put on hold in early December until more information on the potential affects of the proposal can be gathered. The request from the Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association (NSRAA) was tabled by the Northern Regional Planning Team with a unanimous vote of 6-0. NSRAA General Manager Steve Reifenstuhl says concerns from local sport fisherman and multiple unknown factors motivated the decision of the planning team. Now NSRAA is... Full story
Life is an open book for Fr. Steven Gallagher, the new pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Petersburg and St. Rose of Lima Parish in Wrangell, and there is one common theme-public service. Fr. Gallagher, 63, is taking over for Fr. Thomas Weise who passed away in December of a heart attack, and the unexpected death resonates with Gallagher. "Father Thomas was a great priest in this area; he was 16 years younger than I am," Gallagher says. "We all have expiration dates." For Gallagher,... Full story
The Petersburg Land Selection Committee reviewed their preliminary land selections this week and added rationale to justify borough ownership of the land. The committee has identified over 1,300 acres available to the borough through the general land grant entitlement. The addition of rationale for selecting acres will greatly help the process and comply with the intent of the land entitlement program, according to Liz Cabrera, Borough Planning Director. "I think it's hard to say 'we want land...
Alaska Power and Telephone (AP&T) began serving Southeast customers in 1957 with the purchase of the telephone company in Skagway. Today, AP&T serves 40 communities spanning from the Arctic Circle to Metlakatla. The company recently released their 2016 telephone directory, but AP&T director of marketing Mark McCready says the days for the phonebook might be numbered due to a decline in landline users. One of the main reasons for the decline is a younger, more technology driven customer base....
Almost 30 people showed up to the library for a book signing and reading event on Monday night, and those in attendance had the pleasure of experiencing two thought-provoking writing styles from very talented authors who are also friends. Ernestine Hayes is the award wining author of "Blonde Indian," a memoir about life struggles and overcoming obstacles like discrimination, poverty and alcoholism. Hayes has a way with words worthy of making the most respected poets envious. Hayes read about a...
High winds caused havoc early Tuesday morning in Petersburg and many other Southeast communities, resulting in power outages, damaged homes and blocked highways. A strong low pressure system hit Southeast with winds gusting from 60 to over 70 mph throughout the Alaska Panhandle, according to NOAA meteorologist Tim Steffen. "Petersburg itself, the airport is kind of sheltered so we usually don't get good readings," Steffen said. "But it recorded 40 knots, which is actually really impressive for... Full story
The Sons of Norway Hall will hold a Coast Guard Appreciation Reception on Friday night hosted by the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce. The event is open to the public and the goal is simple: thank Coast Guard crews and families for their service and many contributions to Petersburg. David Byrne spearheaded the effort to create the event, but he admits it was not an original idea. He got the idea from a Coast Guard appreciation dinner in Kodiak sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. “I didn’t really think of it, I just stole the idea,” Byrne says.... Full story
Joan Sebastian launched her latest effort to get people in Petersburg a little healthier last Saturday with her inaugural “On Track with Joan Sebastian” workshop. The weekly event will run until March 12, it is free and open to the public, and takes place at Parks and Rec. Sebastian's goal with the workshop is to stress the importance of an individual's lifestyle when it comes to weight management. “It's part an informational group and part support group, and it's going to be driven by the people that are in it,” she says. “I will be covering...
Petersburg girls basketball went to Craig on Thursday and Friday for a two-game set against the Lady Panthers. Craig celebrated homecoming on Friday, but the Lady Vikings put a damper on the festivities by winning both nights. Head coach Dino Brock says the team played tough team defense both games and really controlled the Panthers. “We did a nice job blocking out and rebounding,” Brock says. “Everybody that played did a nice job.” Brock says the games were not high scoring, and the Lady Vikings did not shoot the ball as well as they had in...
The Petersburg High School boys basketball team took two games from Craig last Thursday and Friday, but the Panthers played tough and showed resilience on their homecoming night. Head coach Rick Brock says Friday’s game was a good learning experience for his team about how to deal with the adversity and play through the emotions of a game. On Thursday, the Vikings played very well from the start and were rolling on the offensive end of the court, quickly jumping out to a 28-10 lead at the end of the first quarter. Craig had no answer for the P...
The Petersburg Science Series presented a talk on the "Steelhead of Petersburg Creek," last week at the library, drawing an audience of around 30 people to the event. Petersburg area management biologist Patrick Fowler gave a short presentation and then answered audience member questions about the unique life history and management strategies of steelhead, which includes snorkeling the creek annually to count the species. Fowler is part of the Alaska Department Fish and Game Division of Sport Fi...
The Petersburg High School boys basketball team just keeps on rolling adding three victories to their season total last week. After beating Haines at home on Wednesday night, 68-30, the Vikings played host to the Metlakatla Chiefs on Friday and Saturday, and head coach Rick Brock was pleased with how the team performed. "We played well on both ends, together," Brock says. "We passed the ball well, we looked for good shots and defensively helped when needed. It was a good weekend for us to play...
Petersburg High School girls basketball team traveled to Metlakatla to take on the Lady Chiefs last weekend in a two-game set. Going into the games, head coach Dino Brock said dealing with the 2-3 zone defense of Metlakatla would be one of the major keys to having success against the Lady Chiefs. The Lady Vikings prepared to play against the zone defense all week in practice, and Metlakatla did not disappoint. The Lady Chiefs were on point and played very good on the defensive end Friday and Saturday. The intensity of the Lady Chief’s on defens...
Public Works kicked off the start of the week by distributing the long awaited blue recycling carts on Monday, but some Petersburg residents found the cans just flat out huge. The size of the 96-gallon carts were the subject of a social media post on Facebook's "Buy & Sell & Trade PSG AK" page that received almost 70 comments. Many of the comments were humorous and at one point the recycling program was compared to Obamacare, and one person even suggested they might cut windows in the cart and... Full story
Petersburg Borough Planning Commission members held their monthly meeting on Tuesday and took the opportunity to talk about the borough comprehensive plan. There was a public hearing scheduled during the meeting to give the public opportunity to comment or give thoughts on the plan. However, there were only three audience members and the commission received no public comments. So, the members discussed their thoughts about the comprehensive plan. Much of the discussion revolved around zoning, and making sure that land use is clearly defined...
The Petersburg High School girls basketball team continued to improve last weekend with two wins over rival Wrangell during homecoming festivities. Head coach Dino Brock likes the balance of his team so far this season, and credits the experience of players for the good start. "We are doing a very good job, and everybody is working hard," coach Brock says. "We are improving every day and that's what you want." Amy Jensen starred for the Lady Wolves scoring 22 points during the two games. However...
Susan Erickson from Petersburg/Wrangell Insurance gave the board an update about property and casualty insurance trends concerning the school district. The district had a great year in terms of premiums, and the increase in premiums accounted for less than one percent of that budget item, Erickson said. “We stayed with Alaska Public Entities. They have been a great carrier for us for many years now, and we just signed a three year commitment to stay with them for another three years,” she said. “They are doing a great job for us provi...
The Viking boys basketball team earned two wins over rival Wrangell last weekend while celebrating homecoming in front of a loud hometown crowd. Head Coach Rick Brock was pleased with the performance of the team and looks forward to building on the momentum of beating a strong program. "Any time you can be successful against Wrangell it's a good weekend," Brock says. Wrangell finished runner-up in the conference last season and retained the majority of its squad. Petersburg proved up to the...
Petersburg Fisheries, Inc. or PFI celebrated its 50th Anniversary in June. The local giant is much more than a staple of the community, it's a vital brick that allowed Petersburg to continue building its foundation. When Alaska achieved statehood in 1959 salmon traps were abolished, sending the enthusiasm for the fishing industry of many Alaska canneries owned by out-of-state interests into a downward spiral. Pacific American Fisheries (PAF) headquartered out of Bellingham, Wash. was one of...
Petersburg High School sent six wrestlers to State in Anchorage last weekend. Although the results were somewhat underwhelming the experience should help build the Viking wrestling program. The team consisted of a freshman, a sophomore, three juniors and a senior, and they combined to take 22nd place among 30 teams. Standout Buddy Stelmach beat his first opponent by pin, then took on Luciano Fasulo of Homer. Fasulo is a seasoned freshman who came into the tournament with a 40-8 record. Stelmach battled, but ultimately fell to Fasulo by major...
Brad Hunter and a group of just under 10 volunteers spent Saturday morning and some of the afternoon participating in the Audubon Christmas Bird Count, the 75th in Alaska and 116th held nationwide since 1900. The group started counting at first light and surveyed from Hungry Point to the fish hatchery at Blind Slough on Mitkof Island. “We didn’t really find anything highly unusual,” he said. “It’s just a good excuse to get out and pay attention to what is around us every day.” Hunter says the group documented 44 species total, about six b...
