Articles from the March 20, 2014 edition


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  • Elementary renovation prompts early summer break

    Kyle Clayton|Mar 20, 2014

    Summer break will start early for Stedman Elementary School students this year after the Alaska Department of Education Commissioner gave the Petersburg District School Board tentative approval to release students four days early so construction can begin on the elementary school’s exterior renovation project. The $2.3 million project will require a large amount of shuffling of classrooms and supplies and the extra few days will allow staff to pack up and move before full access to the building is granted to contractors on June 6. Exterior w... Full story

  • Petersburg's St. Patty's Day parade

    Mar 20, 2014

  • Crystal Lake Hatchery reconstruction to move forward

    Kyle Clayton|Mar 20, 2014

    Southern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Production Manager Bill Glass said plans are moving forward to continue production at Crystal Lake Hatchery even if it can’t immediately reconstruct the incubation facility destroyed by fire earlier this month. “We don’t anticipate any delays or reductions in future productions beyond what we lost in the fire,” Glass said. “Plans are that the entire hatchery will continue on as is without any decreases in programs.” The hatchery lost 550,000 Chinook eggs that were bound for Neets Bay, 200,000 Coho that w... Full story

  • Sitka herring sac roe goes on notice

    Kyle Clayton|Mar 20, 2014

    The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced the Sitka Sound herring roe fishery is on a two-hour notice as of 8 a.m. March 20. A test sample taken March 17 from shallow waters near Magic Island revealed a high percentage of immature roe with an average weight of 201 grams, which is higher than average. Although the immaturity levels during that time were considered high, the past several days may have allowed more growth time as well as the separation of less mature herring from the mature schools. The guideline harvest level this season... Full story

  • Yesterday's News

    Mar 20, 2014

    March 21, 1914 – It will be of interest to packers to know that the custom authorities in France have issued a regulation which may be well to heed. The regulation, which goes into effect the last of June this year, is in substance as follows: "Canned salmon and other canned fish may not be imported into France unless the name of the country of origin is stamped in raised or sunken Roman characters, at least four millimeters in height on the lid or bottom of each receptacle and on a portion not marked with any printing. The same indications m...

  • Assembly to discuss possible electric rate increase

    Kyle Clayton|Mar 20, 2014

    The Petersburg Borough Assembly and Power and Light staff will meet this Friday to determine whether or not to raise electric rates by 2 percent. Power and Light Superintendent Joe Nelson requested direction from the assembly last Monday evening. Nelson said his department had two options to consider as it prepares next year’s budget. “Should we go with the rate increases, stay solvent make sure that we have adequate money for depreciation looking forward or should we draw the reserve down and postpone that for future years,” Nelson asked...

  • Superintendent applicants to tour community

    Kyle Clayton|Mar 20, 2014

    Three Petersburg School District Superintendent applicants land in Petersburg early next week for interviews and will speak with PSD staff and administrators, visit with the community and tour the island. Jay Thomas, Virginia Jewell and Lisa Stroh have all been selected as finalists for the position. Thomas is currently the Assistant Superintendent in Unalakleet, Alaska. “During my 13 years in rural Alaska, I have been a coach, mentor, teacher, principal and assistant superintendent,” Thomas wrote in his application’s cover letter. “In every s...

  • Redheads dressed in green

    Mar 20, 2014

  • Letters to the Editor

    Mar 20, 2014

    Scow Bay Turnaround limit rumor To the Editor: Over the last couple of weeks, the Petersburg Borough Assembly has received letters from out of town boat owner expressing concern that the borough is planning to place a load limit on the Scow Bay Turnaround ramp and they would no longer be allowed to have their vessel hauled out at the turnaround. We are writing in hopes of putting an end to this rumor by stating as clearly and unequivocally as possible: No one is proposing a load limit on the ramp at the Scow Bay Turnaround. A load limit is not...

  • High school could expand vocational offerings

    Kyle Clayton|Mar 20, 2014

    Petersburg High School may soon offer a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) course. PHS Principal Rick Dormer said the course would be added to the school’s vocational technology class offerings. “It would allow kids to walk out with a diploma and a CNA certification,” Dormer said. PHS currently has a shop and aquaculture program. The CNA program would consist of one school year’s worth of classroom lessons as well as clinical experience at Petersburg Medical Center. Angela Menish, PMC Director of Patient Services and Registered Nurse, would b...

  • EDITORIAL: The decision to publish

    Mar 20, 2014

    This newspaper’s decision to publish the name of a rape victim in its report in the March 6 edition was influenced by many factors. While many publications have a policy not to publish the name of a victim of rape, we are aware of many circumstances where the name is made public by other media, by the victim, by discussions on social networks and through the victim’s circle of friends. Often, the prosecution of the case hinges on the ability of the district attorney to ask the victim to testify at a public trial. Many of these events con...

  • Police reports

    Mar 20, 2014

    March 13 An officer responded to a report of suspicious activity at a business. A caller reported losing a firearm. A caller reported damage to a door knob appearing to look like attempted break-in near South 3rd Street. A caller reported having to make an evasive maneuver to avoid their windshield being struck by a head sized boulder after it fell out of a dump truck. A caller reported a vehicle parked over time. An officer responded to a report of a possible intoxicated driver. March 14 Officers responded to a report of four individuals...

  • Governor's Safety Award

    Mar 20, 2014

  • Courts

    Mar 20, 2014

    March 10 Superior Court Judge Trevor Stephens ordered a decree of divorce between Jennifer Hansen and Anthony Hansen. March 14 Davinnia Tullos appeared before Magistrate Judge John Hutchins on a charge of Criminal Trespass in the second degree. The defendant entered a guilty plea. The court sentenced the defendant to 30 days in jail with 29 days suspended and one day served, a $50 fine, $150 in surcharges with $100 suspended and one year of probation....

  • Petersburg soccer team takes first at Juneau tournament

    Kyle Clayton|Mar 20, 2014

    Petersburg soccer players took home championship trophies from the Shamrock Soccer Tournament held in Juneau last weekend. This is the second year Petersburg athletes have competed in the coed tournament and Team Captain Joe Viechnicki was one of 12 soccer players who played. The Petersburg team lost its first game but won the following five matches and got battered in the process. Viechnicki hyperextended his knee. Brian Richards played on a badly sprained ankle and Shane Lohr played with an...

  • Local sport club brings home trophy

    Kyle Clayton|Mar 20, 2014

    The local hockey club The Petersburg Whalers won the Rainforest Classic's B Division tournament in Juneau earlier this month. The "Old Timer's Tournament" consisted of hockey players more than 35 years old. The Whalers competed against teams from across Alaska including Anchorage, Juneau and Palmer. "Petersburg has been represented in almost every single tournament," said Whaler Greg Kowolski. "This year was the second time in ten years that we've won the tournament." The Whalers lost its first...

  • Assembly to hear from public before rezoning residential properties

    Kyle Clayton|Mar 20, 2014

    The Petersburg Borough Assembly approved 4-3 the first reading of an ordinance that would rezone residential property to commercial in the Olsen Subdivision. Richard Burrell and Aaron Miller and Katrina Miller applied for the rezoning through the Petersburg Planning and Zoning Commission last year. The body approved the property owner’s request 7-0 and passed its recommendation to the borough assembly for final approval. The Millers want to eventually build a warehouse on their property, which isn’t allowed under residential zoning codes. The...

  • Legislature considers nixing cost of living for ferry vessel employees

    Brian O Connor|Mar 20, 2014

    A bill being considered in the State Senate could impact local ferry workers. Senate Bill 182 amends Alaska State law pertaining to bargaining rights to eliminate what is known as a cost-of-living differential. This provision of contracts allows for salaries to be automatically adjusted to match the cost of living of a certain area. For individual employees, this can amount to as much as $4 per hour, or roughly $8,320 per year for, in particular, Alaska Marine Highway System employees, who are currently bargaining with the state for a new...

  • Serving up an 'Irish' dish

    Mar 20, 2014

  • Borough manager's report

    Mar 20, 2014

    During Petersburg’s latest Borough Assembly meeting, Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht reported the following: Gary Peters from ProCom Alaska was here the first week of March to evaluate existing radio equipment and coverage deficiencies for police, fire and EMS. Several deficiencies were noted and strategies for corrections are being developed. PFI has a large transformer not working properly. A replacement has been ordered. We’re assisting them with installing a spare unit to get through herring season and until the new unit is delivered. Powe...

  • Fish Factor: Innovations ahead for fish oils and byproducts

    Laine Welch|Mar 20, 2014

    Co-products is the big new buzz word in the seafood industry as more companies move towards ‘head to tails’ usages for fish. “For instance, the oils we are producing now from pollock livers has become so valuable in capsules and other human nutraceutical products, it makes no sense to call the livers a “byproduct” of the fillets or surimi. All of it is important in the puzzle of how to maximize the value of each fish caught,” said Alex Oliveira, a food specialist at the Kodiak Seafood and Marine Science Center, a satellite campus of the UAF...

  • Unit 4 Spring Brown Bear Season to Open

    Mar 20, 2014

    (Sitka) – The brown bear hunting season opens March 15 in Game Management Unit 4 (GMU4) with two registration hunts; RB088 and RB089. Both hunts open March 15th but have different closing dates. Inside drainages (RB089) close May 20th, and outside drainages (RB088) close May 31st. For boundary clarifications, refer to the 2013-14 Alaska Hunting Regulations and online maps. Hunters are reminded of the requirement to watch the brown bear identification video called “Take a Closer Look” prior to registering. This can be viewed online ADF&G...

  • Irish cheer for Long Term Care

    Mar 20, 2014

  • Wrangell students shine in act of kindness

    Brian O Connor|Mar 20, 2014

    WRANGELL — It’s an ethical dilemma as old as the hills. You find a wallet stuffed with money lying unattended on the ground. What do you do? Members of the Wolves varsity basketball team and the pep band found themselves in just such a situation during the Region V basketball tournament, March 5. Some members of each student group were at a Fred Meyer’s store during the tournament loading into a van to return to Juneau Douglas High School, when freshman Sig Decker noticed something lying in a snow bank. “I almost let it go because we were al...

  • Obituary, Daniel Wayne Sims, 67

    Mar 20, 2014

    Daniel Wayne Sims, 67, passed away in Lebanon, Ore. February 17, 2014. Dan was born in Toledo, Ore. to Carl and Atha Belle Sims on December 7, 1946. At 13 months old his family moved to Juneau, Alaska. Dan spent most of his childhood either on a fishing boat, a buying scow or up Taku Inlet where his father operated a powerhouse for AJ Industries. In 1965 Dan married Carol Rollins in Albany, Ore. After two years of traveling around the country they finally settled in Juneau. Dan worked for the Ci... Full story

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