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The Petersburg Borough Assembly approved a letter to Alaska Department of Transportation Commissioner Pat Kemp in support of establishing a permanent Road Weather Information System (RWIS) at Blaquerie Point on South Mitkof Island. The system would allow current weather information data from the site to be accessed via the Internet. The current site, on the south end of Mitkof Island, was established more than ten years ago and is currently in disrepair and difficult to access for maintenance. The proposed site would be more conveniently...
Former Thomas Bay Power Authority (TBPA) Commission President James Stough resigned last Thursday-the same day the TBPA Commission questioned his lack of communication and participation at commission meetings. Stough didn't attend the most recent meeting held in Petersburg last Thursday. "This is the second meeting he has chosen not to attend," TBPA Commissioner Joe Nelson said at last Thursday's meeting. "He has chosen not to communicate with us. We have no idea what his thoughts are." Stough...
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has announced this summer’s first Southeast Alaska purse seine fishery opener. Areas in District 2 and District 12 will be open 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Sunday, June 15 through Wednesday, June 18. An ADFG press release states the 2104 chum salmon return to Hidden Falls Terminal Harvest Area (THA) is 1,072,000. “Of this return, 180,000 are needed for brood stock leaving 892,000 available for common property harvest,” the press release states. King salmon landing restrictions for Kendrick Bay state fish great... Full story
The Salty Dog yacht rally scheduled to stop through Petersburg and Wrangell this month has been canceled, and Chamber of Commerce officials in both communities are hoping to get the money back they paid to the rally’s organizers. The boat rally consists of groups of boaters that signed up to visit various towns across Alaska this summer with Wrangell being the last stop. Salty Dog founder Dawny Pack emailed the communities to let them know the event would be postponed until next year. Petersburg and Wrangell chambers each paid Salty Dog o... Full story
Ferry schedules are continuing to be revised after the M/V Columbia experienced mechanical issues on its way from Portland to Bellingham. According to an Alaska Department of Transportation (ADOT) press release, “The MV Columbia experienced an unexpected mechanical issue with its port engine prior to returning to service. Technicians are onboard assessing the situation and developing a repair plan. The MV Columbia has been rescheduled to return to service Wednesday, June 18, departing Ketchikan en route to Bellingham, Wash.” ADOT spokesperson J... Full story
Petersburg Mental Health Service's Pedometer Challenge wrapped up this week with the winner logging more than 1 million steps during the seven-week challenge that allowed community members to compete as individuals and teams to see who could take the most steps. "It was amazing to see the results," said PMHS senior clinician Kim Kilkenny. "I'm so impressed that someone got over a million steps." Justin Haley was the big winner. He walked from his house in the Severson Subdivision to work at the...
Last week, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators released a report of the likely cause of last summer's Pacific Wings sightseeing floatplane crash. The flight for cruise ship passengers crashed into a mountain about 14 miles east of Petersburg last June. Of the seven passengers, four, including the pilot, sustained minor injuries, two sustained serious injuries and one passenger was fatally injured. A report on the NTSB website states the pilot, 39, failed to maintain...
Two student interns are in Petersburg this summer to lead the nine-week Big Viking Day Camp. Natalie Behl and Kendal Smith are working with the Petersburg Borough Parks and Recreation department to fulfill degree requirements in recreation management. Behl graduated last month from Utah State University and will receive her diploma upon completion of this internship. Smith will begin her junior year at Brigham Young University in Idaho in the fall. The girls have been in town for about three...
A committee made up of local citizens who collaborate with and recommend projects to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) might disappear if new members don’t apply to fill current vacancies on the committee. The Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) is made up of 15 voting members who choose where to direct Secure Rural Schools Act Title II federal funding. “As far as being a member of this federal advisory committee, you get to make a direct recommendation to the federal government on how to spend appropriated dollars,” said Jason Anderson, USFS Peter...
Forty-five Petersburg High School seniors graduated Tuesday evening in the high school gym in front of a packed house. PHS Principal Rick Dormer gave the welcome speech and offered a piece of advice to a graduating class he described as quiet performers. "As you go forward class of 2014 I would encourage you to continue the tradition of accomplishing a lot, while speaking a little. My father-in-law often reminds me that the good lord gave us all two ears and one mouth and that conversations... Full story
The Petersburg Borough Assembly will present five changes to the borough’s sales tax code to voters on October’s ballot. In July, the assembly will begin drafting the elements of the changes, which include requiring PFD filings for proof of residency for senior sales tax exemption eligibility, limiting the exemption to food and heating fuel and the establishment of a sunset date for the eventual elimination of the exemption. Changes also include an increase in the sales tax cap and imp... Full story
Mayor Mark Jensen responded to questions City of Kupreanof resident Dave Beebe posed regarding Jensen’s support of the South Mitkof Timber sales. Beebe led the charge against the timber sales based on public safety concerns. He cited peer reviewed scientific studies that documented unstable slopes on Mitkof Island and landslide hazards as a result of logging. He and others also raised concerns regarding logging and its negative effects on deer habitat and current low hunter success rates. The Petersburg Borough Assembly joined the City of K... Full story
Petersburg resident Polly Lee along with 50 other locals petitioned the Petersburg Borough Assembly during a public hearing last Monday to readopt an expired city ordinance that creates a Historic Preservation Commission. “We believe the re-adoption of Ordinance No. 827 would promote and enhance knowledge of the history of Petersburg, the areas and buildings of early settlers, and provide for the preservation of areas and historical objects of Petersburg history,” the petition states. “It could offer visitors a broad and comprehensive understan...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly voted 6-1 to authorize Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht to issue a request for proposals (RFP) for the borough’s comprehensive plan. The comprehensive planning process is extensive and covers things such as updating zoning and land use, identification and selection of state land for economic and community development, evaluating housing availability and affordability, the impact of tourism and other quality of life issues. Developing a harbor master plan will also be included in the planning process. The a...
The Petersburg Vikings baseball team finished third in the region tournament last weekend after defeating Sitka's Thunder Mountain High School twice. "We knew going in that if we could get runs to support Colby Bell that we could beat them," Head Coach Jim Engell said. "When we got into it, Colby was pitching the same way he's been pitching all year, just completely lights out. He had complete command of the strike zone. His velocity was great." During the first game against Thunder Mountain...
Karen Malcom won this year's King Salmon Derby after battling a 46.4-pound Chinook last Saturday afternoon. Besides fishing the derby one day last year, Malcom hasn't fished during the annual event for 15 years until last weekend. "My husband invited me to spend the weekend fishing with him and I took him up on it," Malcom said. "It was good quality time with he I and my dog. It was a family outing." Stan Malcom and Karen Malcom got skunked Friday. Stan Malcom caught a halibut on Saturday and... Full story
Despite fears this winter of dipping into its reserves, the Petersburg School Board unanimously approved a balanced budget for the 2014/2015 school year without spending from reserve funds. Petersburg School District Finance Director Karen Quitslund presented the budget to the school board last week. She outlined several budget considerations including recent legislation passed during this spring session that increased the base student allocation (BSA) by $150, which brings total funding per student to $5,830. Petersburg schools will have an an... Full story
The Petersburg girls track team placed higher than any other Petersburg team in history during last weekend's state meet in Anchorage. They took fifth out of 29 teams from across Alaska. Ith placed first in the 100 Meter Hurdles and Triple Jump. "She won the first time in the first two state events that she had ever entered," head coach Brad Taylor said. "She was the highest 3A point getter at state. She's been phenomenal." Ith will run in the Brian Young Invitational this weekend in Kodiak-an... Full story
Petersburg High School seniors are graduating next Tuesday in the high school gym. Petersburg School District teacher Sue Harden is retiring this year and will be the honored speaker during the ceremony. Among the many highlights at the event, the school’s band and choir will perform and Class Historian Fran Abbott will provide a history of the class. Petersburg High School and Mitkof Middle School Principal Rick Dormer said the senior class tends to set a tone for the school’s climate each year. This year’s class has created a quieter and c...
Three Petersburg WWII veterans returned from Washington, D.C. earlier this month where they toured the city and its war memorials as part of a national Honor Flights Program. Gerald Lind, 88, who served in the Air Force on crash boats and rescued downed pilots along the Aleutian Islands, said he and the other 49 veterans were well received. "The fun part for me was we were treated like we were the kings of the world," Lind said. "It's unbelievable to be greeted and cheered and clapped and...
Local resident and painter Beth Flor will have 45 of her paintings on display and for sale in a solo exhibit at the International Museum of Art in El Paso, Texas. Flor paints in a style named contemporary realism. "A common thread is light and shadow patterns in the works here and down there," Flor said. "Because it's in El Paso they're more interested in my work I do in Mexico." Flor travels and paints in Mexico for five months out of the year and the museum in El, Paso is particularly...
Last week, the Petersburg High School LeConte Glacier survey team tracked the latest movements of the tidal glacier after surveying its terminus earlier this month. Students traveled by skiff and helicopter to the site where they measured LeConte’s terminus, or the point of the face of the glacier furthest out. They used vertical and horizontal plane measuring instruments called theodolites. “To make it easier for ourselves, there are stakes driven into the rocks so we can set up on the same points year after year after year,” junior Kyle...
The Petersburg Vikings lost two games to Thunder Mountain and Sitka in Juneau last week. Head Coach Jim Engell said despite the loss to Thunder Mountain, his team succeeded defensively. “This is the third game where we’ve had the ability to win defensively and just can’t come up with the runs offensively,” Engell said. “That’s tough.” The Vikings offense had six hits compared to Thunder Mountain’s four, but Petersburg left eight runners stranded on bases throughout the game. Pitcher Colby Bell struck out ten batters and gave up four runs, two...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly will discuss changes to the borough’s sales tax code after Sue Flint, Sales Tax Committee Chair, presented it's recommendations last week. After months of discussion, the committee recommended two changes to Petersburg’s sales tax code—increasing the sales tax cap to $1500 and requiring PFDs, instead of driver’s licenses, as proof of residency for senior sales tax exemption cards. There was a long list of exemptions, such as pull-tabs, fish box tax and-- the most contentious issue-- senior exemptions, which the c...
Fifteen Petersburg Vikings track athletes qualified for state at the regional meet in Sitka last weekend. The girl's track team also won first place at the regional meet by more than 80 points. "81 points would be basically eight first places ahead of the next team," head coach Brad Taylor said. The boy's team placed second but only lost first by 3.5 points, a tiny margin compared to what was expected. "When we did the math on Friday our boys looked like they were going to be 40 points down at... Full story
