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Public Works Director Karl Hagerman was recently promoted to a position with no official title, yet his salary increased by more than $12,000 - a raise that resulted from the Borough manager deploying him to give managerial guidance to the interim Power & Light superintendent. "I'm kind of like back up support," Hagerman said. "It's a similar situation as the utility position." Manager Steve Giesbrecht promoted Scott Newman, who is the line foreman with Power & Light, to interim superintendent....
A Borough Assembly meeting was canceled Monday after not enough members were present, causing a setback to the scheduled discussion on whether to renovate the more than 50-year-old Power & Light building, said Steve Giesbrecht, the Borough manager. On the agenda was a recommendation from former Superintendent Joe Nelson, who retired June 30, to accept a bid from Rainforest Contracting Inc. of $538,600 to renovate the building that houses the Power & Light department. The bid was proposed at the last meeting, but the Assembly voted to postpone...
July 6, 1917 – If some rain, more or less could break up a programme for celebration, there would be few Fourths of July celebrated in Southeast Alaska. In fact, if rain could break up anything in these parts, everything would be badly broken up. The morning’s programme at the S. of N. hall was well handled and the hall was beautifully decorated with the national colors and Red Cross emblems. Patriotic songs were sung by two choirs with a solo by Mrs. W. W. McLaughlin, all were very good. The brief address by Mr. S.A. Wold was in every way fit...
The Salvation Army appointed a new managing officer last week, and it will likely be her last station before retirement. Major Loni Upshaw took control of the Salvation Army, where she will oversee the thrift store, social services and lead the ministry at the church. Upshaw just logged 25 years as a pastor with the Salvation Army, a capstone to her beginnings as a Cadet, then Lt. Capt. and now Major. Although she was born in South Dakota, Upshaw has spent her career in Alaska, with her most...
On June 29, at approximately 4:24 p.m., Alaska State Troopers on Prince of Wales were advised Harvey Hurd, age 77 of Coffman Cove, was found deceased in his home from natural causes. No foul play is suspected. Next of kin has been notified. Hurd’s remains were transported to the Ketchikan Mortuary....
On July 2, at about 1:10 p.m., the Alaska State Troopers were notified that a boat had ran aground in Herring Bay on Admiralty Island and one of the occupants, Willis Cavanaugh, 59 of Kake, was missing. The United States Coast Guard (USCG) was coordinating the Search and Rescue response. At about 4:22 p.m. AST was notified that Willis was located deceased about a mile offshore of Pt. Macartney by a good Samaritan. Next of kin has been notified. The State Medical Examiner requested the body be sent for autopsy....
Asking for support To the Editor: Recently Mike Schwartz sent a letter regarding the potential loss of our family cabin since 1956 that is up Petersburg Creek. As most of you know my father, Ken Hammer passed away last fall and in addition to the heartache of dealing with his loss, this takes on another level of loss. As Mike stated in his letter, the Forest Service designed a permit plan that only allows one transfer within a family and when that member passes on, the Forest Service reserves the right to destroy the cabin. More precisely, the...
We find the evolving process to fill the power and light superintendent’s position becoming almost bizarre. The effort required to pound seemingly square pegs into round holes is exhausting to watch. To have two persons, making the same salaries while accomplishing the same job a single person filled just weeks ago, belies the intent to save money for the borough. Selecting the superintendent’s revised job description, and eventually advertising the position, should take highest priority. To move an administrator with limited electrical bac...
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced June 29 that the 2017/2018 commercial Dungeness crab summer fishing season in Southeastern Alaska will be reduced in duration. In accordance with the Southeastern Alaska Dungeness Crab Management Plan, the department has projected total season harvest based on landings and effort data from the first full week of fishing. The projection indicates that total season harvest will not exceed 2.25 million pounds, but will fall near the lower end of the range. The commercial Dungeness crab summer...
June 28 — Police made traffic stops at S. Nordic, 12th St. and again at S. Nordic. Police assisted with a lockout at the South Harbor. A theft was reported at a 2nd St. address. Process papers were served at a 4th St. address. Police responded to a fraud complaint. Police provided transport at N. Nordic. Dr. A traffic hazard was reported at the baler facility. June 29 — A traffic stop was made at the 100 block of Mitkof Hwy. Transportation was provided at Lumber St. Process papers were served at Fram St., and four Nordic Dr. addresses. Pol...
WRANGELL – A strike called by public employees of Wrangell on June 22 only lasted a week, with workers taking up their posts again on June 29. Members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1547 had laid down its tools following a decision by the City and Borough Assembly on June 20 to implement a new contract after negotiations between the union and city’s bargaining teams had reached an impasse. The two parties have been negotiating a collective bargaining agreement since the last one expired in the summer of 2014. The...
Chris Miller last week reportedly towed a junk car with its tires locked through Petersburg, burning rubber to its rims and leaving black marks visible from Haugen Drive to the Petersburg Baler Facility, where he dumped the vehicle without processing it, causing a disturbance with on-site employees. Brian Richards was on break when he heard Miller barrel-up to the Baler Facility and through the weigh station before unhooking a vehicle. Richards witnessed the vehicle’s worn-away rubber tires and a trail of fluid it left behind, which appeared to...
About 100 people filtered in-and-out of the Petersburg Clausen Memorial Museum on Saturday to celebrate its 50th anniversary and commemorate those who led the effort to start it. Elsie Clausen was responsible for leading the creation of the museum in 1962. Her grandson, Mike Schwartz, was at the celebration mingling through the packed hallways, talking about his grandmother's legacy and praising those who have preserved the long-lasting museum. "Kathi Riemer has done a phenomenal job," Schwartz...
HOONAH, Alaska (AP) – Quick action from an 11-year-old boy saved a fishing party from a charging brown bear, Alaska State Troopers said. Elliot Clark was walking through the woods near Game Creek last week with his three family members and three dogs when the bear came out and charged them, The Juneau Empire reported. The bear ran through two of the men, pushing them to the side of the trail, leaving Elliot and his cousin left in its path, Elliot’s father, Lucas, said. “There was four of them in a line . My son was third,” Elliot’s father sa...
"Show them how it's done!" roared the crowd in the direction of Sue Erickson, who was balancing on a wet, oversized log, seeking to reclaim the throne as Log Roll champion. Sue Erickson was the overwhelming favorite to win the 2017 Log Roll competition Tuesday evening, and it appeared as though she would. That is until Briana Bode beat her in the final round of the women's bracket. Skipper Erickson won in the men's bracket. Bode would later lose to Skipper Erickson, who won the competition...
WRANGELL – In the middle of its run on television, a popular survival series on the History Channel pits a pair of Wrangell residents against the elements. Brothers Shannon and Jesse Bosdell form one team on Alone's fourth season cast. The show has seven pairs of relatives travel to the remote stretches of northern Vancouver Island, in the province of British Columbia. There each duo is separated by some miles in the wilderness, with the task of finding one another. Once reunited, the series' s...
Salmon skin, heads, bones and other body parts have long been popular in cultural usages around the world. Now add salmon sperm to the list of desirable byproducts being hailed by specialists in two diverse realms of research. A team of Japanese researchers is calling dried salmon sperm a miracle product for its ability to extract rare earth elements (REEs) from ore. An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements and metals that can be extracted from the earth through mining. The rocks are refined, usually by smelting,...
SITKA, Alaska (AP) – A couple of Alaska residents have decided to add a wrinkle to the fish industry in Alaska. Residents Pat Glaab and Ben Blakey have started a fish processing plant called Northline Seafoods that will be able to do what its competitors can’t _ move, KTOO-FM reported Saturday. The floating plant is being made out of a 150-foot (46-meter) former helicopter logging barge. The facility will be able to freeze up to 300,000 pounds (136,000 kilograms) of whole sockeye a day while tied to the banks of the Ugashik River, about 85 mil...
