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Petersburg High School crowned their 2021 prom court on Monday. Annie Christensen was named prom queen and Aiden Luhr was picked as prom king by the senior class. Prom was supposed to take place outdoors, due to COVID-19, but after surveying the student body, the junior class decided against hosting prom this year, according to prom advisor Ginger Evens. From left to right: Julie Olsen, Max Marohl, Allie Davis, Brennan Skeek, Christensen, Luhr, Sage Johnston, Julian Cumps, Leesa Murph and...
The Borough Assembly and Petersburg Medical Center Board of Directors held a work session on May 5 to discuss the next steps in the hospital's goal of building a new facility. Following the completion of a master plan document, PMC CEO Phil Hofstetter said the project would move forward in phases as the hospital works to secure funding in the form of grants. The immediate next steps include conducting a geotechnical study, selecting a location to build the hospital and creating a shovel-ready...
Due to faulty postmark equipment at the Petersburg Post Office, local mail is now being processed in Juneau before reaching their in-town destinations, according to James Boxrud, a spokesperson with the United States Postal Service. Because the postmark equipment is so outdated, parts are no longer available to make it operational again. Boxrud said the current equipment will not be replaced, so from now on, all mail, including packages, will be postmarked in Juneau before being processed for...
One new positive case COVID-19 was identified by the Petersburg Medical Center on Tuesday, bringing the local active case count to four, according to a joint press release from the Petersburg Borough and PMC. The positive case was travel related and was the only confirmed case identified in the last week. On May 4 and 5, three individuals within a single household tested positive for COVID-19. Incident Commander Karl Hagerman said all four currently active cases of the virus were related to out...
A local resident anonymously reported to the Pilot on Wednesday having experienced a gastrointestinal bug that was affecting at least four other people. The individual said the illness began with severe vomiting, but soon progressed to diarrhea, gas, fever and muscle aches. According to the individual, they had tested negative for COVID-19, but was made aware by Petersburg Medical Center they were likely experiencing a gastrointestinal bug. Liz Bacom, PMC's infection prevention and quality...
May 13, 1921 The Petersburg Packing Corporation will operate the Petersburg cannery full blast this summer and is making preparations for 90,000 cases of all classes of fish. Oscar Nicholson, superintendent of the cannery, arrived from the south on Wednesday, accompanied by a crew of 36 men, and trap men. Work on trap driving will start at once and eight traps will be driven, if weather and conditions permit. The cannery crew will arrive during the latter part of June and will consist entirely of Japanese, as on account of the short season, no...
Cannery workers at Trident Seafoods are asked to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to work this season, while Tonka Seafoods is leaving that decision up to their employees. "Like last year, we are making the health and safety of our employees, fishermen, and community members our top priority," said Shannon Carroll, a representative of Trident Seafoods, in an email to the Pilot. He said both resident and non-resident employees will have to be fully vaccinated to work at the plant. Through...
Julian Cumps, left, and Julie Olsen, right, were the Petersburg Elks Lodge's students of the year for the 2020-2021 school year. The Petersburg High School seniors were honored in a virtual dinner on Monday....
In the story about Little Norway Festival in the May 6 edition of the Pilot, it was stated that Alaska Department of Fish and Game would be present to teach fundamentals of fishing at the Lil’ Fisk Derby. ADF&G will not be in attendance at the derby....
As we observe the anniversary of the creation of the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation (APFC) this month, it is noteworthy to laud the vision and leadership of the past, and imperative in my opinion to look forward - to bring that same extraordinary vision, leadership, and forethought to the now, the near, and the far. Now – today, Alaska is the only State that earns the majority of its unrestricted general fund revenues from the global economy. No longer a "rainy day account," the Permanent F...
A suggestion by Assembly member Taylor Norheim that term limits are needed for borough assembly seats is yet another solution to a problem that doesn't exist. Norheim says it will, "free things up for other people," to run. As long as former counselor Marc Martinsen continues to place his name on the borough ballot, it proves to us the term limit won't create more open or robust elections for the borough. Besides, assembly members themselves spoke against the proposal. Assembly member Tremblay...
Frederick Point East – Ordinance 2021-08 To the Editor: This letter is in rebuttal to Finance Director Jody Tow's comments during the May 3 assembly meeting regarding Ordinance 2021-08 which seeks to remove Frederick Point East (FPE) from Service Area 1 because Service Area 1 mill rates do not accurately reflect the actual borough on-site services provided to FPE. Service Area 1 services, such as road maintenance, police protection, trash service, etc, are not provided to FPE. Ms. Tow's o...
May 5— Authorities conducted a welfare check on behalf of a concerned party at a location on Sing Lee Alley. May 6— A vehicle was abandoned at an undisclosed location. Authorities responded to a parking complaint at the drive down dock. A welfare check was conducted on individuals in a parked vehicle at an undisclosed location. Suspicious activity was observed in the downtown area. An individual was reported driving without a license on Mitkof Highway. A vehicle was parked for a prolonged amount of time at a location on Sandy Beach Rd. May 7...
The Petersburg School Board approved a two percent salary increase over the 2020-2021 school year for classified staff returning for the 2021-2022 school year at their meeting on Tuesday. "It's been a hard year I'm sure for some of them, and we're appreciative of the hard work that they've done this year and as well as the anticipation of them returning in the fall, " said School Board President Sarah Holmgrain. Talks between the Petersburg School District and the Petersburg District Support...
The Petersburg High School baseball team saw their first win ever against Sitka High School, and their first win of the season, during a series of games that were held at home on May 7 and 8. "We've never beaten Sitka before, so to come out and beat their varsity says a lot about our program," said Head Coach Jim Engell. "It says that we're a competitive program. We knew that about ourselves. We just finally put it all together, and it clicked for us." The previous weekend, PHS had played...
Ashley Eilenberger took second place in the middle school division of the Alaska Stock Market Game for the spring semester. As part of the competition, students had to study the stock market and make investments in an online game....
The Petersburg High School track and field team competed in their second meet of the season in Juneau on May 7 and 8, and again, several of the Vikings took top spots in their events. "The kids did great," said Assistant Coach Alice Cumps. "We always want them to do really well against other kids, but we also like to see the personal growth." PHS senior Aiden Luhr placed first place in the high jump, jumping five feet, eight inches. Behind him in second place was freshman Valon Weathers, who...
Alaska’s 2021 salmon season officially starts on Monday, May 17 with a 12-hour opener for reds and kings at the Copper River! All eyes will be on early Cordova dock prices for Alaska’s famous “first fresh salmon of the season” as an indicator of wild salmon markets. Covid-forced closures in 2020 of high end restaurants and seafood outlets tanked starting prices to $3 per pound for sockeyes and $6.50 for king salmon, down from $10 and $14, respectively the previous year. But early signs are looking good. Heading into Mother’s Day on May 9 demand...
Steelhead, Cutthroat, and Dolly Varden The time is here for steelhead! If you haven’t yet been out searching for the elusive steelhead there are still a few weeks left while these spring spawning fish are present in freshwaters. Water temperatures are warming and anglers will find increasing opportunities for Dolly Varden and Cutthroat trout. Try fishing around log jams, cutbanks, deep pools, and eddy lines where these species seek calm water to efficiently wait and watch for tasty morsels to drift by with the current. When planning your n...
Maddy Gilpin, left, and Britin Coulson, right, held an enamel jewelry demonstration on May 7 at Inga's Galley. Pictured above, the two Petersburg High School juniors are sifting powder enamel onto copper blanks with small sifters, setting them up on stainless steel trivets and torching them with butane torches, according to Ashley Lohr, PHS' art instructor. The enamel then stuck to the copper and created a smooth, glass finish. Gilpin and Coulson have been meeting as a jewelry club since late...
"Ephemeral," an award winning documentary by local filmmaker Kelly Bakos, will be making its television debut on KTOO 360TV over a four day period next week. The film will first air on May 20 at 8:22 P.M., then on May 22 at 10:22 P.M. and on May 23 at 9:22 P.M., according to a press release. KTOO 360TV, which can be viewed on GCI's PBS channel 15, can reach over one million viewers in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and beyond. Bakos' film, "Ephemeral," documents the creation and lifespan of natural ar...
The Petersburg Borough has set up two public restrooms in the Municipal Building parking lot ahead of the Little Norway Festival. The restrooms will be open from 8 A.M. to 8 P.M. and be cleaned twice a day throughout the festival, according to Utility Director Karl Hagerman. They will then be locked up until the start of the cruise ship season in June, though they may reopen sooner if the borough can come up with a workable plan to regularly service them. The Borough Assembly approved the...
Walkers, runners and bikers now have a new bench to stop and catch their breath on as they make their way along the 1.7 mile long Scow Bay Bike Path. The original blue bench was set up in 2007 by Mel Stockton in remembrance of his son, Sam, and his mother, Helen. The bench had been aged quite a bit by the weather of Southeast, but when Stockton decided to have it repainted, he realized the bench would have to be sent to Washington due to the specialized paint used. So instead, he commissioned...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska public health officials hope to begin vaccinating children 12 and up against COVID-19 as early as Wednesday. Parents were permitted Monday to sign up their children for appointments after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted an emergency use authorization to drug company Pfizer to provide its COVID-19 vaccine for people 12 through 15. Prior to the emergency authorization, the vaccine was approved for people 16 and older. The state was still awaiting final recommendations from the CDC, which are e...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A COVID-19 outbreak at a high school wrestling tournament held in April is linked to more than 20 infections in five communities across southeast Alaska, according to health officials. Ketchikan High School hosted the regional wrestling tournament, an annual event that this year attracted athletes from seven different schools, Anchorage Daily News reported. Officials from the regional school activities association issued a warning to the school last week on accusations of failing to test competitors and enforce mask o...
