Articles from the May 3, 2012 edition


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  • Family, friendship, and fitness

    Orin Pierson|May 3, 2012

    (Left to right) Ginger Evans, Bridget Wittstock, JoAnn Day, and Michelle Parker were among the approximately hundred runners and walkers to take part in the memorial Michael Wittstock Circle of Life Cabin Creek 5K Run/Walk on a beautiful Saturday morning. All the proceeds benefit the Beat the Odds foundation. http://www.petersburgpilot.com/photos for more pictures of the event....

  • School board presents balanced 2012/13 budget

    Suzanne Ashe|May 3, 2012

    School Superintendent Rob Thomason presented a balanced budget to City officials on April 25 during a budget work session. No changes were made to the recently drafted Petersburg School District 2012/2013 operating budget. “Over the years we've had great directors, we've had a very supportive city, we've had staffs that have negotiated agreements that were fair and equitable, and we've been able to do some very wise spending … and so we're in better shape than just about all of our colleague districts,” Thomason said. The projected opera...

  • Saturday is first sales tax free day

    May 3, 2012

    Shoppers visiting Petersburg businesses this Saturday, May 5 will receive a 6-percent savings on their purchases. The city council granted a sales tax free day as requested by the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce on March 19. Retail sales of both goods and services purchased and received on May 5, 2012 are exempt from the city sales tax. According to information from the City of Petersburg the only taxable sales on that day will be for rentals greater than one day and sales made by the City. The city bed tax will remain at 4% on that day. Many...

  • Yesterdays News

    May 3, 2012

    May 5, 1982 - Many of the 61 nurses attending the Alaska Nurses Association convention held in Petersburg April 29-May 1 said it was one of the best conventions they had ever attended. During the three day meeting, Petersburg gained a representative on the association’s board of directors. Maxine Worhatch, a registered nurse at Petersburg General Hospital and a co-organizer of the convention, was appointed secretary of the board. Florence Bell of Petersburg was also honored at the convention for her service as a public health nurse at Kake. She...

  • Library committee to recommend low bidder

    Suzanne Ashe|May 3, 2012

    The Library Building Committee plans to recommend low bidder ASRC McGraw Constructors for construction of the new library to the City Council on Monday. Of the five construction bids received, ASRC McGraw came well under the $4.5 million estimated budget and will also allow for additional features such as higher quality finishes to the building, a paved parking lot as well as sidewalks and gutters. The single story, 9,770 square-foot building was designed by MRV Architects in Juneau. The...

  • Redistricting board files appeal with State Supreme Court

    Suzanne Ashe|May 3, 2012

    With a Division of Elections deadline looming, the Alaska Redistricting Board has filed an appeal to the decision of a Superior Court Judge's decision ordering the board redraw district lines. The Division of Elections has given the board a deadline of May 14, in order for the division to meet state and federal obligations for the 2012 elections. Superior Court Judge Michael McConahy issued a decision in the 2011 Redistricting Cases v. Alaska Redistricting Board case, directing the board to redraw district lines. In a petition filed on...

  • New screening requirements for hospital volunteers

    May 3, 2012

    Existing volunteers, and anyone who is interested in volunteering, will have to go through a background check, the Petersburg Medical Center board approved on Thursday. Each volunteer will be fingerprinted, be required to undergo annual TB screenings and watch training videos on infection control, hand washing, and HIPPA regulations. The board has changed the policy for traveling physicians and other health care professionals who rent properties that are owned or leased by the Medical Center. The temporary staff members will now be required to...

  • Letters to the Editor

    May 3, 2012

    Keep it classy To the Editor: As we approach the end of the 2011-2012 school year, our annual Prom dance is almost upon us. As a staff, we enjoy the yearly transformation of our students dressing up and becoming “proper” ladies and gentlemen for a night. Especially in Southeast, devoid of malls and high-priced fashion stores (thank goodness), investing the time and money to dress formally is a major commitment and, coupled with the forever memories of prom night, should be a special night of friendship, festivity and laughter. Petersburg Hig...

  • Police reports

    May 3, 2012

    April 25 Troy Rogers, 27, was issued a ticket for failure to stop at a stop sign on S. Nordic. Officers responded to the airport terminal after receiving a call regarding suspicious activity. Caller reported individual “yelling for cops” on Birch Street. Rustique T. Wilde, 21, was cited for driving without a license on Marion Street. Officers issued a warning regarding an unregistered vehicle. April 26 Unknown suspects hit a vehicle on N. 1st Street causing damage to the right rear quarter panel sometime on April 17. Caller reported a high sch...

  • Courts

    May 3, 2012

    May 2 Ian R. Hamilton was sentenced in District Court for negligent driving. The court entered a default judgment of $300 plus a $10 surcharge, and six points will be assessed against his license. April 26 Rustique T. Wilde entered a plea of not guilty in District Court to driving without a license. A trial is set for July 23....

  • Icehouse

    May 3, 2012

    Trident is building a new icehouse capable of more than doubling its ice-making capability. The new ice-maker will produce 110 tons of ice. The new ice-maker will also has a new blower system that delivers the ice right onto the boats, without it having to be done by hand. The new icemaker and ice house will be completed by early June, said plant manager Dave Ohmer....

  • Petersburg High School inducts 16 into National Honor Society

    Suzanne Ashe|May 3, 2012

    The Petersburg High School National Honor Society and Junior National Honor Society inducted 16 new members on Wednesday at a candlelight ceremony. The induction ceremony was held at Wright Auditorium in front of classmates and family members. “The National Honor Society is more than just a scholarship organization,” Principal Rick Dormer said adding the tenets of the society include Scholarship, Service, Character and Leadership. “If you think about it, it goes against human nature to conti...

  • Vikings win on the road in Ketchikan

    Orin Pierson|May 3, 2012

    Viking baseball went on the road last weekend. skipping the planned stop in Wrangell because of a flu outbreak on the Wolves team, and heading straight to Ketchikan for three games. The first game was a five to nothing win over the Ketchikan JV. Taylor Pullar pitched that complete game. “He pitched a shutout, scattering five hits over seven innings, with 11 strikeouts and only walking three guys. He had complete control over the strike zone,” said Petersburg Head Coach Jim Engell. Def...

  • Petersburg garners superior ratings at Music Fest

    Orin Pierson|May 3, 2012

    Last week the Petersburg music program travelled to Sitka to perform in the annual Southeast Music Fest. “This was one of the best festivals in my 14 years of experience,” said Petersburg’s director Matt Lenhard. “All the groups were very prepared and it translated to a confident performance, with a very good program. The judges and the audience gave us great feedback and superior ratings.” Music Fest is a noncompetitive event. A panel of judges, including some from outside the region, o...

  • Track and field stars set personal records in Juneau

    Orin Pierson|May 3, 2012

    The track and field team traveled to Juneau last weekend to face off against some tough 4A schools as well at Sitka and Craig, perennial powerhouses in the 3A division. The Girls team ended up in fourth place and the boys came in sixth. The Boys team would likely have ranked a bit higher but some top point scorers weren’t able to make the trip this time. “I was delighted with our boys. Everybody ran faster times and everybody had better distances,” said Viking Track and Field Head Coach Brad...

  • Swimmers individual champs at Junior Olympics

    Orin Pierson|May 3, 2012

    Viking Swim Club (VSC) ended its season ended last weekend at the Junior Olympics meet in Anchorage. Swim clubs from across Alaska send their top swimmers to compete in this championship. Peter Kowalski, Rylan Wallace, Abel Aulbach and Shania Dahlberg represented Petersburg at the meet. The club finished 13th out of 24 teams who scored points, impressive for only having four competitors. “The fun about this weekend was they were all top performers. We had four kids go and it seemed like every da...

  • Fish Factor

    Laine Welch|May 3, 2012

    It has taken a quarter of a century, but fishery managers are finally poised to take action to reduce the five million pounds of halibut allowed to be taken as bycatch in Gulf of Alaska (GOA) fisheries. Industry watchers are hoping that public comments will sway them to make the largest cuts under consideration. Currently, 2,300 metric tons of halibut bycatch is allowed in the GOA groundfish fisheries. That is further broken down to 2,000mt for the trawl sector and 300mt for hook and line fisheries, primarily the cod fleet. Those are the two fi...

  • Middle Harbor Mud

    May 3, 2012

    Gary Allan on Tuesday began “clamming” the Middle Harbor. Silt has been slowly making its way into the harbor following a mudslide last fall. The project will take several days and is expected to cost $50,000. Allan is prepared to remove up to 1,000 cubic yards of mud. The material will be trucked to the mud dump, said Harbormaster Glorianne Wollen....

  • Yacht burns at Seattle's Fishermen's Terminal

    May 3, 2012

    SEATTLE (AP) — Fire destroyed an adventure tour boat being prepared for the Alaska cruise season Friday at Fishermen's Terminal, and the operator says the loss likely will total millions of dollars. Two people escaped from the Safari Spirit by climbing down a mooring line to the dock, said Tim Jacox, vice president of InnerSea Discoveries. Company owner Dan Blanchard was sleeping on board and was awakened at about 1 a.m. by popping noises. He called the fire department and got off the boat along with the engineer, Jacox said. The 105-foot yacht...

  • Commercial golden king crab announce closure date

    May 3, 2012

    The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced Tuesday that the commercial golden (brown) king crab fishery in the Southern Area will close at 12:00 noon Friday, May 11, 2012. Based on an analysis of effort levels and harvest projections, the harvest as of the closure date is expected to reach the 20,000-pound GHL for the Southern Area. The department will continue to monitor golden king crab harvest levels in the remaining four open areas. A vessel may leave gear in a stored condition for five days after the closure of a portion of...