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Many new events and activities, along with old favorites, will be featured during this year's 60th celebration of Petersburg's Little Norway Festival. At 4 p.m. Thursday at the public library, the Storyteller Pole Unveiling will be celebrated. Master Tlingit carver Tommy Joseph, from Sitka, created the work for the library. The Mitkof Mummer's play "Bigfoot," featuring a cast of zany characters guarantees a laugh a minute. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. at the Wright Auditorium on Thursday, Friday and...
Employees of the Petersburg Municipal Employee’s Association complained of “bullying,” and a, “big lack of professionalism,” taking place at the negotiating table, according to comments made at Monday’s special assembly meeting on Monday. Joe Bertagnoli, who has led the PMEA negotiations in the past said, “It’s not pretty.” It’s like when we negotiated with former city manager Scott Hahn. When items are placed on the table, negotiator John Hoag says, “Hell no.” “We’re not asking for the moon,” Bertagnoli added. Blake Buotte continued by say...
An April tentative agreement for a three year contract between the Borough and the IBEW was rejected following a vote of the 10 employees, according to manager Steve Giesbrecht. IBEW represents the employees of Petersburg Municipal Power and Light Department. Both sides thought they had a deal, according to Giesbrecht, “but it didn’t happen that way.” “We’re going back to the table with them,” the manager explained. There is one issue with one employee. The framework of the contract was solid, said Giesbrecht. He did not know the break-out o...
The Petersburg Marine Mammal Center (PMMC) celebrated its 20th anniversary during a special event last Wednesday at the Petersburg Borough Chambers. Board members hosted an open house to share information about PMMC's education, outreach, and marine mammal stranding response programs. New members were recruited, and funds were raised through a silent auction and donations. Formed in 1998, PMMC was initially conceived as a resource for researchers studying the area's abundant marine mammals and...
The tax assessment certification story in last week’s paper indicated the mill rate as if it had been approved by the assembly. The mill rate is based on the budgeted property tax levy in the Proposed FY2019 Budget. The Assembly hasn’t approved the budget and should changes happen during the course of the three readings, the property tax levy could also change. This would then change the mill rate. The mill rate will be approved by resolution after the Borough budget has been approved....
Seek truth To the Editor: In 2014 a nationwide study was published by 2 social scientists. They determined Alaska to be the most corrupt state in the union on the basis of convictions of public officials per capita. The corruption was all about money, in some cases, surprisingly small amounts achieved political results. So one can easily imagine the effect that 7 figure amounts have on public policy. Also, in 2014, Sen. Lisa Murkowski was recorded on NPR holding a chair over her head while screaming “I am the chairrr…maaan!” She had every...
The borough assembly discussed how and when they would refine and implement public comments about how the Borough could reduce expenses and increase revenues to address budget issues facing the community. The discussions took place at a special meeting on Mon., May 14. Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht prepared a 16-page summary of the ideas and comments for review by the Assembly. Three public meetings were held in January to gather comments. Emails were also accepted. Despite Assembly member Meucci’s suggestion that the body deal with the t...
Charter boat captains and local agency personnel met Thursday with David Levin, a National Weather Service forecaster from the Juneau office, to share information about which NWS products they use and how they use them. Participants provided suggestions for new tools or how the existing ones can be improved. The graphical forecasts are a popular source for marine weather, although users identified challenges finding them on the existing webpage. Station observations are also highly used. While some agency personnel have strict go/no-go limits...
May 9 — Sunglasses found on Scow Bay Loop Rd. were turned into police. A verbal disturbance was reported on S. Nordic Dr. Suspicious activity was reported. Police found a manager painting a room. Officers contacted an individual sleeping in a chair. Person went home. A protective order was served at a Howkan St. location. May 10 — A cell phone was found at a 1st St. location. Police responded to a Haugen Dr. location regarding a parking issue. Police were notified of a boat alarm activation from a vessel sitting on a boat trailer on Gjoa St....
May 9 — Prince of Wales State Troopers responded to a single motor vehicle collision near MP 24 Boundry Road. Investigation revealed that Raymond Castor, 74, of Sammamish, Washington was driving his 2003 Chevrolet Silverado, and pulling a 2011 Hewescraft Pacific Explorer boat. Castor reported he fell asleep at the wheel which caused the vehicle, and trailer in-tow, to enter the road ditch which caused the boat to become disconnected, and ultimately rolling onto the roadway. Multiple gallons of fuel subsequently were released onto the roadway a...
Richard Peterson, Central Council Tlingit and Haida President gave an analogy Monday night that all Alaska Natives should be in the same canoe, and if they aren't, they are working against one another. Since Petersburg Indian Association made the final drop from the compact of Tlingit and Haida three years ago and became a self-determining tribal government, their relationship with T&H has been bumpy. The dinner along with a meeting earlier in the day with the PIA Board was one of the steps in s...
Petersburg’s track and field team had a productive weekend, competing at Ketchikan’s May Invite against the hosting high school and Thorne Bay. The Lady Vikings had the run of the board at Esther Shea Field, with its athletes taking first in most events. The team’s younger runners saw success on the track, with sophomore Elizabeth Gregoire placing first in the 100- and 200-meter events. She had company, with classmate Kianna Kivisto placing just behind in second in both events. In the 100m, freshmen Allison Davis and Ruby Massin placed third...
Anchorage, AK – Rasmuson Foundation has named 35 artists in 12 Alaska communities as Individual Artist Award recipients for 2018. This is Rasmuson Foundation’s 15th year of supporting working artists with direct grants. Ten individuals will receive $18,000 Fellowships and 25 artists will receive Project Awards of $7,500. Recipients were selected from a pool of almost 400 applicants. The artists represent all career stages. Their work spans cultures and disciplines, sustaining and expanding on traditional art forms and employing new tec...
By a 4-3 vote the Borough Assembly upheld Mayor Jensen’s appointment of Joel Randrup to the Ports and Harbor Advisory Board. He will serve until the October 2018 borough election. Randrup is a commercial fisherman. Two former harbor employees and two commercial boat owners applied for the position. Jim Stromdahl and Jacob Slaven are former employees of the harbor department and Eric Grundberg owns both a commercial and sport boat. Randrup fills the seat occupied by Mike Bangs who passed away in February of this year....
WRANGELL — A series of meetings between Southeast Alaska Rural Health Consortium and the City and Borough of Wrangell are planned for early next week. The regional health group is entertaining making an offer to assume control of Wrangell Medical Center, a municipally-run critical access hospital which has in recent years fallen into financial difficulties. Starting Sunday afternoon and lasting through Tuesday, SEARHC will hold a series of meetings with city staff, hospital transition steering committee members and the wider community, in o...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — For the Alaska Legislature this was the session of compromise. The tone was notable after three years of bitter fights, drawn-out special sessions and gridlock over how to address the state’s budget deficit. Legislators, who’ve gotten an earful from frustrated Alaskans, decided to trust one another and work together “in order for us to get out of here in an orderly manner,” House Speaker Bryce Edgmon said. Political differences in the House factored in, too. “A lot of the tone has been, `Where can the House get 21 vote...
Alaska’s 2018 salmon season officially gets underway this week with the first 12-hour opener on May 17 for sockeyes and kings returning to the Copper River. The catch there this year calls for 19,000 kings and 942,000 sockeye salmon targeted by a fleet of more than 500 drift gillnetters. Here’s a primer of how fishery managers project the rest of Alaska’s salmon season may play out: Statewide, the 2018 salmon harvest is projected at 149 million fish, down 34 percent from the 2017 take of 226 million salmon. The shortfall this season stems...
WRANGELL - Designating this May as Older Americans Month in Alaska, Gov. Bill Walker recognized Wrangell's oldest resident along with other centenarians across the state. In a special luncheon at the Wrangell Senior Center, Lawrence Bahovec was presented with a personalized commendation as a distinguished citizen. At 101 years old, Bahovec is one of 83 Alaskans who have reached the milestone, and was among the 21 other residents of the state so honored with this month's commendations....
State Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins is recently finished with the legislative session in Juneau. He’ll be holding public office hours Thurs. May 17 from 2:30- 3:30 p.m. at The Salty Pantry and Sun. May 20 from 10-11 a.m. at Glacier Express. No appointment necessary. If there are questions email rep.jonathan.kreiss-tomkins@akleg.gov or call the Representative’s office at 465-3732....
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska lawmakers ended the extended legislative session early Sunday after passing state spending plans and a flurry of other bills in the waning hours. Despite running long, the session lacked the drama of the past several years, which were marked by drawn-out special sessions and bitter fights over the budget and taxes. House Speaker Bryce Edgmon said legislators in both chambers decided they would have to trust one another, work together and compromise “in order for us to get out of here in an orderly manner.” The S...
