Sorted by date Results 101 - 125 of 304
Petersburg shoppers will enjoy two Sales Tax Free Days this year: May 2 and October 3. The Assembly unanimously approved a resolution providing for the two days. Last year’s tax free days resulted in just over $19,000 in uncollected sales tax revenue for the Borough. Assembly member Jeigh Stanton Gregor said the days keep money circulating locally, which he said was a benefit for the community. “I think it makes lot of financial sense because people are spending discretionary money locally, which then gets reinvested in the community, whi...
Petersburg Borough Assembly members passed an amended resolution to allow Southeast Alaska Power Agency (SEAPA) to move forward with refinancing of existing 2009 bonds and a proposed $7 million bond sale to fund an expansion of the Swan Lake facility northeast of Ketchikan on Revillagigedo Island. Though Petersburg and Wrangell municipal attorneys have vetted the paperwork for the bond sale, Peterburg's Vice Mayor Cindi Lagoudakis said she had some concerns about the resolution's wording. “My concern with this resolution is that it doesn't i...
Angela Davis and Wes Davis and ten other sponsors may be asking for your signature on a petition for a resolution to retain the blue bag recycling program for at least two more years. The Davis’s—owners of Ruger’s Trucking, the current recycling contractor–filed an application for an initiative petition with the Borough clerk on Tuesday, and it is currently under review by Borough attorney Jim Brennan. If approved by the attorney, the Davis’s would have a limited time to collect 255 signatures, which would then bring their proposed resolutio... Full story
With budget and tax seasons upon us, money is on the minds of many in Petersburg. Locally, the economy saw about a 6 percent growth in sales across all categories of business from 2013 to 2014. Petersburg businesses reported almost $122 million in sales for 2014, which brought in $3 million in sales tax revenue to the Borough. Retail sales mirrored the overall trend, seeing about a 6 percent increase from $5.17 million in 2013 to $5.5 million in 2014. Several downtown retailers said 2014 kept pace with 2013, not a particularly busy or slow... Full story
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has cancelled a preliminary permit issued to Hydro Development, LLC in August 2013 to study the feasibility of a hydroelectric power project at Swan Lake and Cascade Creek, located 15 miles northeast of Petersburg near Thomas Bay. FERC issued the order to cancel on March 17 after the Bellingham-based company failed to submit a progress report. The preliminary permit granted by FERC gave Hydro Development, LLC priority to submit a license application for the project. Their 2012 application for the...
The Petersburg Borough was the lone bidder on three parcels of land at Papke's Landing. Seven parcels at Papke's Landing were up for bid as part of the Alaska Mental Health Trust's 2014 winter land sale, which closed Friday. The parcels bid on by the borough measure half an acre each and are located south of Papke's Landing Road near the dock and parking area. Outgoing borough clerk Kathy O'Rear said the Borough bid $46,000 for lot 7 (parcel 24) and $31,050 each for lots 1 and 2 (parcels 18 and... Full story
The Petersburg Community Foundation’s (PCF) will award $11,000 to local nonprofit organizations this year as part of their annual grant cycle. Three or more organizations will receive grant monies from PCF to support programs in areas ranging from health and safety to community and economic development to the arts, recreation and education. In order to be eligible for the grant, organizations applying must have 501c3 status. Community services organizations without such a status may partner with a 501c3. “These grants are quite often ideal for...
One People Canoe Society (OPCS) will be hosting their first-ever Petersburg paddle making workshop this weekend. Veteran paddle makers Jim Zeller and Doug Chilton will lead participants through the three-day workshop using equipment in the Petersburg High School shop classroom. “We promote healthy activities using canoes and canoeing activities,” said OPCS organizer Alicia Armstrong, adding that the workshops teach teamwork as well as the technical skills of paddle making. “The paddles are actually used for being out in the water and on a can...
The Inside Passage Waterkeeper organization premiered their "Water is Life" film to a Petersburg audience of about 50 at the public library on Friday. The ten-minute video follows the Stikine River from its headwaters to its terminus and highlights its importance to nearby communities. "The purpose of the video is to help people remember that this really is a rich, rich resource that we have here and it's increasingly rare in this world to have such a rich resource like that," said Daven Hafey,...
Stedman Elementary School students helped collect 1,400 canned food items to donate to the food bank at the Salvation Army through their reading efforts in February. Each 30 minutes students read earned them one can to contribute to the Read to Feed drive. Gregg Kowalski, head of the student council at Stedman, said the school has an annual tradition of doing a fundraiser, and since the last two year's projects had an international focus, the wanted to do something closer to home this year. "In...
Petersburg's adult co-ed soccer team took third place in the Southeast Alaska Shamrock Invitational tournament in Juneau. The three-day tournament was held March 20-22 and featured five teams from Petersburg, Whitehorse and Juneau. Brian Richards coached the Petersburg team this year, which had to overcome several hurdles in order to compete, including the loss of key players. Former coach Joe Viechnicki has been out since last year's tournament after sustaining a knee injury, while two-time...
The borough will transition to a cart-based, in-house recycling program. The assembly passed an ordinance 5-2 at Monday's meeting that budgets for the switch. Sixteen residents spoke on the issue-the vast majority of who were in favor of keeping the current system-as part of an extended comment period before the vote. Many speaking against the changes to the blue bag program cited their satisfaction with the current collection system. "I think Ruger and PIA (recycling contractors) did a good... Full story
The assembly unanimously voted to deny an appeal by Joe Aliberti of a conditional use permit issued by the Planning Commission on Feb. 12 for Aaron and Katrina Miller to build a net house on their property on Lot 4 of Bay Estates. Aliberti owns property near the lot and said his appeal was based on the “misrepresentation of fact” in a letter outlining an appraisal performed by Arne Erickson of the Appraisal Company of Alaska. He also said the net house is not in accordance with the residential zoning of the lot. “You’re putting somethi...
Petersburg Children's Center (PCC) teachers Brandi Heppe and Shauna Pitta-Rosse were chosen as the Southeast Alaska Preschool Teachers of the Year by the Association for the Education of Young Children at its annual conference in Juneau on March 7. "We were very surprised and very shocked that we won because we had no idea that we were even nominated for it," Heppe said. "It was amazing," Pitta-Rosse said. "It's always nice as a teacher to have someone recognize what you're doing." The duo was n...
Kids will be able to receive a free vision screening when the Mendenhall Flying Lions come through town March 24-25. The Juneau-based organization will be at the Petersburg Public Schools screening elementary and middle school students, and appointments can be made for children who are home schooled or for those who are not school-aged (down to 6 months old). The screenings measure kid’s refraction, pupil sizes and corneal reflexes and compare them to age-based criteria. “It identifies quite a few problems, and it’ll tell us, those kids withi...
As the 29th Alaska State Legislature reached the halfway point of this year's session last week, Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, House District 25 representative, stopped in Petersburg to talk about legislature issues with a local impact. By far, the budget is the largest issue facing this year's legislature, Kresis-Tomkins said. "I ran into someone yesterday and we were talking really briefly about it and I mentioned I felt like a pallbearer at a funeral because of the budget," he said. "Gloom and doom is kind of the mood." That's because the state... Full story
The Petersburg High School cheerleaders came away from last week's Region V tourney as the 3A champs after being judged on their performance during game time as well as in a cheer showcase. The 16-member squad was on the sidelines cheering for all six games played by the Vikings and Lady Vikings at last week's tournament in Ketchikan. They were judged throughout Wednesday's girl's game versus Mt. Edgecumbe on all aspects of cheerleading. "Before the game they get judged on their sideline...
After winning their first two games against Sitka and Mt. Edgecumbe, the Lady Vikings ultimately fell to the Sitka Lady Wolves during the last two games of the Region V basketball tournament last week in Ketchikan. Each team matched the other in scoring during the first half of Friday's game, with Petersburg ending the first quarter up 10-9 and Sitka taking a narrow lead by the end of the second, 18-19. In the second half the Lady Wolves started to pull head, ending the third quarter up 30-34. When Petersburg sent Sitka players to the line in t...
The Petersburg Vikings placed third in the 3A division of the Region V Tournament in Ketchikan last week after falling to Sitka in overtime last Thursday morning. Head coach Rick Brock said despite the loss, the team came back from a disappointing performance in their opening game on Tuesday. “The boys were pretty upset on Tuesday just in the way that we performed. They knew that they hadn’t done their best,” Brock said. “We talked with the team about coming out on Thursday and playing with some energy, some emotion and, I guess it’s a cliche...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly passed an ordinance on first reading at last Monday's meeting that establishes fees for the new Drive Down Dock facility that is expected to be available for use later this month. The ordinance also increases the short term and transient moorage fees. Vessel owners accessing the new Commercial Drive Down Dock will pay $2.50 per linear foot for an annual permit for the facility. Those accessing the facility on a per use basis will pay $1.00 per linear foot of...
Southeast Alaska Power Agency (SEAPA) CEO Trey Acteson spoke before the Petersburg Borough Assembly last week and the Wrangell Assembly this week to update the communities on the progress of the Swan Lake expansion project and apprise them of their role in upcoming refinancing efforts. The current dam at Swan Lake is 174 feet tall and 430 feet wide with a spillway slot that is 15 feet high and 100 feet wide. "Essentially the project is to fill that spillway slot, be able to raise the reservoir...
The assembly continues to be divided on changing the current blue bag recycling program to a cart-based system that would also bring collection in-house. The ordinance containing the budget item for the sanitation department narrowly passed its second reading at Monday’s meeting with members Bob Lynn, Kurt Wohlhueter and John Havrilek opposing. The sanitation fund is one of two enterprise funds that are not currently meeting their reserves goal. The budget policy approved by the assembly last November established that reserves should equal at l... Full story
Petersburg Indian Association started their week off without a tribal administrator on staff. Bobbi Scherrer was hired into the position this January and left at her own hand after creating an operational budget and seeing the funds weren’t there for fiscal year 2015 for the organization to employ an administrator. “I’m very sad to be leaving. It’s not what I thought would happen and certainly not this soon,” Scherrer said. “I knew we weren’t out of the woods yet, but I was hoping when I put together the operational budget to find a little... Full story
The Salmon Project, a Kodiak-based non-profit that explores Alaskans’ relationships with wild salmon, will be holding a book drop at the Petersburg Public Library this weekend. Some 1,250 copies of David Montgomery’s book ‘King of Fish’ will be given away as part of the statewide campaign, which will then head to Sitka, Cordova and other communities in Alaska. “When we do book drops our first step is always to go into a community with a large number of books and try to get them in people’s hands,” said Executive Director Erin Harrington. ...
An 18-member Local Marijuana Regulation Advisory Committee has been formed to discuss the local implementation of a law that took effect Feb. 24, allowing for the private use and commercial sale of marijuana. The assembly unanimously passed a resolution to create the committee at Monday’s regular meeting. Three assembly members, Nancy Strand, Kurt Wohlhueter and Jeigh Stanton Gregor, will sit on the committee with Stanton Gregor appointed as the committee’s chairperson. Joined by the three assembly members are 15 residents who expressed int...
