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Search and Rescue tips To the Editor: This past Wednesday evening a young boy in our community became lost. Thanks to the dedication of many in this community he was found cold but safe. As I witness the out pouring of volunteers willing to go out on a rainy night to find this young boy I felt a lot of pride in the caring folks of Petersburg. Whereas we live on the edge of the wilderness events like this will happen again. So that we can avoid a tragedy Search and Rescue would like to make the following recommendations. In the event of someone...
The Alaska Marine Highway System’s M/V Columbia is scheduled for a trip to Oregon for repairs after divers noticed a bent starboard propeller late last week, according to Jeremy Woodrow, Alaska Department of Transportation spokesman. “Not a huge bend, but there was a noticeable bend,” he said. “That was the only visible damage the divers noticed.” Earlier in the week, the vessel was traveling Lynn Canal to Haines or Skagway when those onboard noticed a vibration. Soon after, it was discovered the vibration happened when the vessel exceeded...
It's been just under a month since Ian Andersen departed Prudhoe Bay on his bike, and he spent part of last week in Petersburg. Andersen will spend the next year or so riding from Alaska to Argentina, and he couldn't be more excited, because he's making the 17,500-mile trip to raise awareness for spinal cord injuries and disabilities. When it comes to bikes, Andersen, 24, will be the first to tell you he doesn't know much about them. He completed a couple of two or three weeklong tours with...
The Alaska Marine Highway System’s fall, winter and spring 2016-2017 schedule is now available online for public review. The comment period opened in May 19 and runs until June 22. Because the AMHS is such an important means of transportation for many communities this time allows the public opportunity to review and comment on the proposed schedule. “There are no major changes from this year to the previous year,” said Jeremy Woodrow, Alaska Department of Transportation spokesman. “There are less service weeks planned and that is because... Full story
ANCHORAGE (AP) — A magnitude-7.1 quake knocked items off shelves and walls in Alaska, jolting the nerves of residents in this earthquake-prone region. There were no reports of injuries, but four homes were lost to explosions or fire following the quake. Alaska's state seismologist, Michael West, called Sunday's early morning quake the strongest in the state's south-central region in decades. Alaska often has larger or more powerful earthquakes, such as a 7.9 last year in the remote Aleutian Islands. “However, last night's earthquake is sig...
WRANGELL — The Alaska Marine Highway System has been taking public comment for its ferry schedule for the coming summer. From Bellingham, Wash., to Skagway, concerned user groups of the regional transportation network participated in a teleconference, hosted in Ketchikan Nov. 4. A draft schedule has been available for review, and patterns in the draft have been based on an assumed funding level for the 2017 fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2016. Reductions in service to some communities over the previous year’s schedule reflect $25 mil...
ANCHORAGE (AP) — There may finally be a buyer for a multimillion dollar ferry that's never seen service. The Alaska Journal of Commerce reports Matanuska-Susitna borough officials approved the $1.75M sale of the ferry Susitna to the Philippine Red Cross. The $78 million ferry was a prototype catamaran-style landing craft built for the U.S. Navy, and it was donated to the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. But it has sat docked hundreds of miles away in Ketchikan for years because it has no place to dock in Anchorage. The 195-foot ferry was intended t...
Five of Alaska Marine Highway System’s 11 ferries will be laid up at some point next year under a draft vessel deployment plan released on June 24. The Taku will be held in layup status the whole year, while the Kennicott will be from October until entering overhaul in early January. The Fairweather and Chenega will enter federal projects in October and mid-September, respectively, and will both be laid up starting in May 2016. The Malaspina is also scheduled to enter layup status in late May of next year. Under the draft schedule, from O...
May 15, 1915 – Petersburg’s three-day celebration of the one hundred and first anniversary of Norway’s independence commences tonight with a grand ball in Sons of Norway Hall. Tomorrow there will be an excursion to Thomas Bay glacier. All boats leave the Citizen’s wharf at 8 o’ clock a.m. The excursion is free for all. An address by Rev. Thorvilson at the destination, is on the program, and music by the band. At 8 o’ clock in the evening, in Sons of Norway hall, the musical recital and entertainment under direction of Mrs. J. C. Allen takes...
ANCHORAGE (AP) — There's an extra moose alive in southcentral Alaska thanks to three snowmobilers who freed it from an avalanche. Marty Mobley, Rob Uphus and Avery Vucinich, residents of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, on Sunday went riding on the west side of Hatcher Pass about 55 miles northeast of Anchorage, Alaska Dispatch News reported. With Alaska's unseasonably warm weather, they were wary of avalanches, Mobley said. The came upon a hillside that had both moose tracks and ski tracks. The latter stood out because they don't see many s...
Representatives from the Alaska Department of Transportation (ADOT&PF) gave a public presentation on their long-range transportation plan for Southeast Alaska last Wednesday. The presentation was followed by a public comment period, which centered largely on ferry service and the Kake Access project. ADOT&PF's draft Southeast Alaska Transportation Plan (SATP) is a 20-year plan for the region which recommends projects for roadways, airports and ferry service. Regional trends, current priorities and projects, as well as maintenance costs and... Full story
Alaska Department of Transportation (ADOT) staff is headed to Petersburg to discuss with the community its new Southeast Alaska Transportation Plan, which includes changes to the Alaska Marine Highway System, a Kake access road and anticipated funding decreases. Petersburg Borough Assembly member Cindi Lagoudakis announced the visit during Monday’s assembly meeting where she encouraged the public to review the plan. “The concern there is the plan comes out and actually states that DOT is anticipating taking resources from Southeast Alaska and...
Want to know at a glance how many fishing boats call the Kenai Peninsula Borough home? It’s 1,089. Or what percentage of Wrangellites fish for a living? Just over 15 percent. Or how many skippers plus crew fish out of Juneau? That number is 705. To help policy makers and the public become better informed about how the seafood industry fits into the state’s economy, the United Fishermen of Alaska has compiled Fishing Fact sheets for 26 communities, plus statewide tallies for Alaska and Washington. A big misconception the well documented UFA dat...
The Alaska Department of Transportation estimates Ocean Beauty’s insurance claim to be between $2.5 to $4 million. ADOT is still waiting to hear from Ocean Beauty Seafood’s insurance carrier regarding the final cost of dock repairs and loss of business after the Alaska Marine Highway System’s Matanuska ferry crashed into Ocean Beauty’s dock last summer on May 10. Ocean Beauty ceased fish processing last summer after the accident when its dock sustained damage. A hydraulic crane was crushed along...
24 Alaska becomes the 49th state and M/V Chilkat becomes the first state owned ferry 1963 The Alaska Marine highway System is founded, providing many roadless communities with a way to “driove” from one town to the next. M/V Matanuska, M/V Malaspina and M/V Taku are built Service expands to Prince Rupert, British Columbia 1964 M/V Tustumena is built. March 27: Earthquake! Ports in Valdez and Cordova are damaged 1967 Service extended to Seattle, Washington. linking the system to the Lower 48 1974 M/V Columbia, the largest vessel in the fle...
Verizon is on its way to Southeast Alaska – just not for the foreseeable future in Wrangell or Petersburg. According to company spokesman Scott Charlston, the move to bring cell and data service to rural Alaska is in its first phase and that network facilities are currently in Juneau only. “It’s no secret that we have towers in Juneau and we can’t hide that,” Charlston said. “But, we are not poised to go into some of the more rural areas at this point. Wrangell and Petersburg would be in that. There might be something in phase two, but I have...
Repairs to the Ocean Beauty Seafoods processing plant are almost complete and the plant will be up and running again for the 2013 season after the Alaska Marine Highway M/V Matanuska ran into the Ocean Beauty Seafoods plant in May of 2012 and damaged the facility enough to close processing for the season. “The work is almost 100 percent complete and we are pleased with the way the repair process has gone,” Ocean Beauty Vice President of Marketing Tom Sunderland said. “The floors, walls and s...
January An elderly man was hit by a vehicle while crossing the street at Gjoa and Nordic Drive. The gentleman was crossing inside the crosswalk and was grazed by the vehicle’s mirror as it passed. The victim was thrown approximately 20 feet. He was on crutches at the time. Rock-N-Road Construction was granted a contract to demolish the Romiad Building to make room for the new library. The building was demolished for $22,499. The Petersburg City Council discussed condemning LeConte RV Park for s... Full story
ANCHORAGE (AP) — The captain of a state ferry made a maneuvering error in strong currents that couldn't be corrected before the Matanuska slammed into a seafood company's dock when sailing into Petersburg. Those are the findings of state report into the May 7 accident that caused significant damage to the Ocean Beauty Seafoods' dock. Captain M. Scott Macaulay has more than 29 years' experience as a deck officer with the ferry system. He performs relief work on various ships, and this was the third time he captained the Matanuska in the p...
Investigation ensued after the Alaska Marine Highway ferry Matanuska crashed into the Ocean Beauty Seafoods dock Monday, May 7, but the cause of the accident has yet to be determined. “A report has been submitted for internal review,” Alaska Department of Transportation Public Information Officer Jeremy Woodrow stated. “There are several things that need clarification before any news can be released.” As reported in the May 10 issue of the Petersburg Pilot, the M/V Matanuska was negotiating a turn in Wrangell Narrows prior to the acciden...
Ocean Beauty officials say the fish processing plant took such a hard hit last month that it will not be in full operation this summer. The plant, situated at the end of a 1,500 ft. pier between the North and Middle harbors, was struck on May 7 by the Alaska Marine Highway System ferry the M/V Matanuska. The cause of the accident is still under investigation. According to Tom Sunderland, vice president of marketing for Ocean Beauty the plant will still be running its normal ice delivery service... Full story
PETERSBURG — The Alaska Marine Highway ferry Matanuska crashed into the face of the Ocean Beauty Seafoods dock in Petersburg at 1:00 p.m. Monday. The M/V Matanuska was negotiating a turn in Wrangell Narrows prior to the accident as it prepared to dock at the Petersburg ferry terminal on its southbound trip. Heavy damage was sustained to the face of the Ocean Beauty dock. Dock piling were broken and the hydraulic crane was dangling over the water. In addition to the dock damage, the second f...
Passengers of the M/V Matanuska said they barely felt the impact when the ferry crashed into Ocean Beauty Seafoods on Monday. None of the 60 passengers aboard the M/V Matanuska were injured when the incident occurred around 1 p.m. According to Petersburg resident John Bringhurst, who was a passenger at the time, the impact was barely felt from the observation deck where he was standing. “I was a little distracted. I was talking to my wife,” Bringhurst said as the M/V Matanuska began a 360-degree turn. “Then my wife said, 'John, what is he do...
