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Trident Seafoods reported last Friday it was “entering the final stages of closing deals for three of its Alaska shoreside plants,” including its operations in Ketchikan and Petersburg. On Wednesday, Trident announced that an agreement has been reached “in principle” for Silver Bay Seafoods to acquire the Trident processing plant in Ketchikan. A buyer for Petersburg’s plant has not yet been officially named, but rumors are circulating that an announcement to that effect is expected to happen this Friday. Seattle-based Trident Seafoods...
Herring roe ripens as the fish get ready to spawn; their small, white, hard eggs become golden, larger and more desirable. The herring sac roe fishery is a careful waiting game in order to harvest maximum quality mature roe, before the herring spawn. Prior to and during fishing periods, herring distribution, abundance, and quality of roe are monitored by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) via aerial survey, test fishing and vessel sonar surveys to check on the herring biomass. "We've...
Shots fired by a person other than an officer may soon be allowed in the Frederick Point East Subdivision area. As it stands, Petersburg municipal code prohibits the discharge of firearms in the area of Frederick Point East Subdivision - calling it "unlawful for any person, except a peace officer or other state or local official performing a lawful duty, to fire or discharge any firearm within the [area]." The Petersburg Borough Assembly passed an ordinance to amend this section of code in its...
March 14, 1924 – The people of Petersburg got up a last minute dance Saturday evening for the townspeople and the passengers on the Admiral Evans. They were ably assisted by Miss Mary Allen, who played the piano and Dick Hanson, who played the drums. The dance was attended by a good crowd, better than was expected on so short a notice. It was not known until rather late whether the Evans would be in port very long, but owing to the large amount of freight the Evans was in longer than expected. The passengers on the Evans that went up to the d...
Russian fish flooding global markets and other economic forces beyond the state’s border have created dire conditions for Alaska’s seafood industry. Now key legislators are seeking to establish a task force to come up with some responses to the low prices, lost market share, lost jobs and lost income being suffered by fishers, fishing companies and fishing-related communities. The measure, Senate Concurrent Resolution 10, was introduced on March 1 and is sponsored by the Senate Finance Committee. “Alaska’s seafood industry is in a tailspi... Full story
Even in winter, there are hot opportunities. And since the state’s prospects for economic well-being are in short supply these days — like being short of buyers for Alaska salmon, running short of energy for Southcentral residents and businesses, and falling woefully short of funding for public schools — the state needs to seize whatever unexpected opportunities arise. Alaskans have long prided themselves on ingenuity, making something anew from the discard piles left behind by others. In this case, there are six ice-class liquefied natur...
Love thy neighbor as thyself To the Editor: Dear Borough Assembly: My name is Almont Lindsey. I own lot 6 block 2 in the Frederick Point East neighborhood. I am asking that you all please do not repeal the no discharge of firearms law in that area. I want you all to ask yourselves if you would like strangers or people you know discharging around your homes or cars? I am guessing most of you would not. Thus, I ask you humbly please; “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Why not use the money paid in property taxes (from Fre...
A new state revenue forecast that includes modestly higher oil prices promises to give Alaskans a slightly larger Permanent Fund dividend and the Alaska Legislature some additional breathing room as lawmakers craft a new state budget. The forecast, released Wednesday by the Alaska Department of Revenue, updates a fall estimate and predicts that the state of Alaska will collect $140 million more in revenue than previously expected during the 12 months that begin July 1. That will help legislators as they write a budget bill that must be passed a... Full story
In 1986, two linguists, Ron and Suzie Scollon, drafted a proposal for the Sealaska Heritage Foundation to inaugurate a new kind of education, which they had developed with help from Tlingit scholars Nora and Richard Dauenhauer. It was an education that would prioritize building knowledge about the place you live in, the cultures you interact with, and the communication skills you need to flourish in an interconnected, media-saturated world. The Axe Handle Academy, as it was called, never became a physical school, but its curriculum and values...
Dear Friends and Neighbors: It feels like everyone in the Capitol is holding their breath as we count down the days until March 14, the deadline for the governor to sign, veto, or allow SB 140 to become law by taking no action. As a reminder, SB 140 is the bipartisan education bill that will increase the Base Student Allocation by $680, provide assistance and a faster timeline for charter school approval, adds funding for student transportation, internet speed increases in remote schools, charter schools, and the Individual Reading...
Gears are in motion for the Forest Service to revise its Land and Resource Management Plan - a process that invites public involvement and will take years to complete. The land management plan, or forest plan, provides guidance for future decisions and sets overall management direction. The existing land management plan for the Tongass National Forest was originally adopted in 1997 and amended in 2016. According to the USFS, plans are "strategic and broad in scope" rather than site or project...
March 6 – Papers were served for a protective order. Officers did a bar check on North Nordic Drive and on Chief John Lott St. March 7 – Prisoners were transported. An officer assisted with vehicles blocking the bike path. A warning was issued on North Nordic Dr. for expired registration. Officers did a bar check on on Chief John Lott St. and North Nordic Drive. March 8 – An officer removed debris from the roadway on Sandy Beach Road. And officer assisted EMS. A protective order was served. Lost items were reported to the police depar...
The customer line was out the door on opening day at Fire! Bistro - Petersburg's newest restaurant located in the former conference room of Tides Inn. Community members looked forward to eating their fill of gourmet sandwiches, salads, wraps, and smoothies found on a new menu chock-full of flavors missing from the local food scene until Fire! Bistro opened March 5. Owner Chef Juan Herrera is no stranger to the food business. He earned a catering certificate and personal chef certificate from...
The Petersburg Vikings had a hard-fought weekend at the 2A Region V Championships in Sitka, playing two back and forth games to win the crown. The Vikings entered the tournament as the second seed, pitting them against Wrangell in the first round where they pulled out a close win, allowing them to move on to the championship game on Friday where they battled with Metlakatla to win the tournament. "I've said all along that our league was very balanced from top to bottom and that really played...
Petersburg High School's cheer squad had a big week during the 2A Region V Championships in Sitka, where they won the regional cheerleading competition. The team faced off against several other southeast cheer squads throughout the weekend, with this year marking their second win in a row. "This year we had three freshman... [It was a] pretty young squad, so I'm super proud of what they accomplished this year." said head coach Andrea Weathers. "It's a lot to learn [and] it's a lot of...
The Petersburg Lady Vikings closed out their season last week during the 2A Region V Championships in Sitka. The team were able to pick up a win against Craig after playing them the weekend prior but couldn't beat Metlakatla and ended up in the loser's bracket, where they faced Craig once again and lost, ending their tournament run. "It was a pretty emotional locker room after our last game. But I told the girls that this is how a good season should feel when it ends," said head coach Matt...
A field of snow near the Petersburg Reservoir glistened in the morning sunshine where, at 550 feet above sea level, Forest Service Hydrologist Heath Whitacre jammed a hollow aluminum tube through the snowpack to measure its depth and collect a core sample, making sure to strike the muskeg underneath. The Petersburg Ranger District has monitored two of several snow survey sites in the Southeast region since 1979: The Raven's Ridge site at 1,650 feet above sea level, and the site near Petersburg R...
The Sitka Community Land Trust announced today it has secured $2.17 million in federal funding to build a four-unit apartment building on the property it owns on Halibut Point Road. Trust Executive Director Randy Hughey said he was not expecting the email from Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s office telling him SCLT’s project had been included for funding in the consolidated appropriations act that has been passed by Congress. “It took a few hours to sink in,” Hughey said. The funding may take a while to come in, he added, but it will be enough to cove...
Leading Alaska legislators said last week that there’s little appetite for spending from savings to pay a super-sized Permanent Fund dividend this year, likely killing a proposal from Gov. Mike Dunleavy. In December, the governor proposed spending almost $2.3 billion on a dividend of roughly $3,500 per recipient under a formula in state law. That would result in a $1 billion deficit and require spending from the state’s Constitutional Budget Reserve, but as a draft budget takes shape in the House, top members of both the House and Senate sai...
A $9.7 million bailout package to ensure that the Juneau School District can cover a nearly $8 million deficit this year and help toward resolving a projected deficit of nearly $10 million next year was approved March 4 by the Juneau borough assembly. The package, consisting of a loan and taking over some “non-instructional costs” from the school district, won final approval after several weeks of consideration by city and school leaders. The Juneau assembly voted to provide the district with an interest-free loan of up to $4.1 million dol...
Per Kruger Sather was born in Petersburg, Alaska, on October 5, 1945 to Per (Pete) and Lovise Stokke Sather. He enjoyed an idyllic boyhood roaming the waters and forests around his hometown and crewing on his father's halibut boat, the Zarembo. As a young man, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps and served in Vietnam. After being discharged, Per earned a bachelor's degree from Humboldt State University in California and a master's degree from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Although both...
Andrew C. Greinier of Petersburg, Alaska, passed away in his home of natural causes on February 04, 2024. He was born in Wrangell, Alaska, to Bill and Barbara Greinier Jr. He moved to Petersburg in 1971 when the family resettled. He acquired lifelong memories, skills, and solid friendships over the many seasons he worked as a cook, shipmate, and video man documenting all events surrounding him. His shutterbug talents are now being viewed and appreciated by all. He was a beloved son, father,... Full story
The Alaska Senate voted without dissent Monday to allow the Department of Natural Resources to stop publishing some public notices in local newspapers. Senators approved Senate Bill 68 by a 17-0 vote. It now advances to the House for consideration. Sens. Lyman Hoffman, D-Bethel; Bert Stedman, R-Sitka; and Shelley Hughes, R-Palmer, were excused absent. Before the final vote, newspaper publishers unsuccessfully asked legislators to reconsider their plans. Allowing the state to control its public notice process poses transparency risks, they...
