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Former photographer and current sketcher and painter Ron Hall is having his first big art show called "Colors Speak To Me," on display July 22 through July 31 at the Clausen Memorial Museum. Ron began his art career as an aerial photographer. "I took aerial photos for the Forest Service in Southeast Alaska, California and Florida," said Hall. After moving into Petersburg Medical Center's Long Term Care several years ago, Hall took up sketching and eventually painting as a hobby. Hall has been...
On a rainy morning at Petersburg Cemetery, a gathering sings along with Matthew Peters as he plays guitar and vocals for "America the Beautiful" during a Memorial Day service on May 27....
The Norwegian bunad is a traditional costume worn on special occasions such as confirmations, graduations, weddings, and Norway's National Day – Syttende mai or May 17th, when parades of people in bunadan celebrate throughout the country. Bunadan are based on the old folk costumes of farming societies in Norway. Every region has its own unique design with embroidery, colors and patterns differing from village to village so that each person's bunad becomes an indication and celebration of the r...
February 1, 1924 – To drop dead immediately after saying he felt “fine” was the case of a man aged 50, who is known locally as N. Martin. Martin went to the Arthur Yates Memorial Hospital in Ketchikan on Saturday afternoon with a friend to see acquaintances there. He had been in the hospital from January 6 through the 15 with pneumonia and a bad heart and on leaving he was warned to be careful. When he arrived at the hospital Saturday he was asked how he felt, to which question he answered “fine.” Then he turned around and dropped. When pick...
Like starfish, sea urchins and sea cucumbers, Gorgonocephalus eucnemis, or basket stars, are echinoderms. They have round, flat bodies and five many-branched arms that can reach up to three feet long and will regenerate if wounded. They rest by day, then at night they roam the floor of the deep ocean looking for a spot with a strong current in which to hunt. Perched atop a rock or coral, they unfurl their complex arms lined with "jointed" hooks and spines, forming a net to catch krill, small...
In January The Petersburg Borough Assembly unanimously voted to award the construction contract for the Blind Slough Hydroelectric refurbishment project to McG/Dawson Joint Venture for an amount not to exceed $5,744,000. The Petersburg Borough Assembly unanimously approved an ordinance in its first reading that would rezone a lot located at 10 N. 12th Street for commercial use. The rezoning was requested by the Petersburg Indian Association ahead of their prospective purchase of the lot, which h...
Dorothy Irene (Blair) Thynes was born in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada, on June 9, 1935, the first child of Cyril Arnot Blair and Eunice Kathleen (Farquhar) Blair. With her sister Anita and brother Bruce, her youth was spent in central Canadian prairie towns and cities as her family gradually moved west. An accomplished figure skater, swimmer, and basketball player, Dorothy remained active throughout her life, maintaining exceptional physical health and fitness – she asked for roller blades for...
Petersburg's Clausen Memorial Museum has a new museum director. Maureen Floyd was hired this week for the role long-held by Cindi Lagoudakis. "I've got big shoes to fill, [Lagoudakis] was a great director before me ... I'm hoping that I can learn through her and different people ... I am open and eager," Floyd told the Pilot. Floyd moved to Petersburg about four years ago. This August, she walked in the doors of the museum hoping to learn more about Norwegian pioneer Peter Buschmann, who had...
Anyone interested in the sudden surge of mushrooms or the bellowing cry of the Sand Hill Cranes passing over town can stoke their curiosity at the Petersburg Rainforest Festival events during the days to come. The official goal of the rainforest festival is, "connecting people to the natural world through education, exploration, and the arts." Since 2008, this festival has typically taken place after Labor Day weekend. However, that changed a few years ago. "For the last couple of years, we've...
On Tuesday afternoon, cellphones across the state beeped with emergency tones as the Alaska State Troopers attempted to find two-year-old Karma Brown, who briefly went missing in Fairbanks. Brown was found safe within 40 minutes, but not before Alaskans from Adak to Metlakatla were alerted via the national Wireless Emergency Alert system. “The Amber Alert was deliberately sent statewide due to family connections of the suspect to multiple areas of the state. In most instances, Amber Alerts are sent within 300 miles of the location of the a... Full story
The annual Wrangell King Salmon Fishing Derby has been set for two weekends in June. Rather than have the competition run over a full two weeks from mid-June to the beginning of July, it is scheduled for June 16, 17 and 18 — Father’s Day weekend — and the following weekend June 23, 24 and 25. Fishing derby committee members met May 30 to discuss details and even whether or not to hold the event. “People are going to be really disappointed if we cancel ours,” said Luana Wellons, assistant executive director of the chamber of commerce, which org...
April 13, 1923 – Captain I.M. Hofstad, resident of Scow Bay, has just returned from the south where he bonded his group of nickel claims on Baranof Island to a group of Los Angeles capitalists. The nickel claims were found by the young sons of Captain Hofstad early last summer while on a hunting trip and it is said the ledge is a large one and runs heavily in nickel. These claims are said to be the only known nickel deposits in the United States or its possessions and that practically all of the nickel used in the country has been imported f...
March 22 – Property found on Mitkof Highway was turned in to the Petersburg Police Department (PPD). An officer assisted an individual with a civil matter on North Nordic Drive. An officer responded to a report of suspicious activity on Howkan Street. A driver on South 3rd Street was issued a warning for license requirement. March 23 – A driver in the high school parking lot was issued a warning for speed. PPD received property lost on South Nordic Drive. An officer responded to a report of a suspicious individual but was unable to locate the...
The Petersburg School District Board approved the calendar for the 2023-24 school year during its February meeting. Though some draft calendars that had been presented at a previous board meeting saw some significant shakeups in the schedule, the calendar that ultimately passed is generally similar to previous years. The school year will start on Aug. 29 and finish on May 30 and will have 172 student days. Some of the changes to next year's calendar include giving students Nov. 1 off instead of...
Petersburg's Sons of Norway Hall was bustling on Sunday afternoon as members readied the hall and prepared the featured courses for the annual Lutefisk and Lefse Dinner - a tradition so old no one can say for certain when it started. The dinner is both a celebration of lutefisk and homemade lefse and an opportunity for members to pass down ancient recipes and skills. Lutefisk is fish (fisk) preserved in lye (lut). This year, for the first time, Wendell Gilbert of Tonka Seafoods took sole...
Colleen Nicholson was born on November 7, 1928 in Idaho Falls, ID, the eldest child of George “Bud” and Alice Mortensen. Her father was a cook and butcher by trade who ran restaurants in western Montana. Her brother Buddy (Jim Mortensen) and sister Ruthie (Rhoden) rounded out the family. The restaurant business was especially tough during the Great Depression, so the family moved often, living in Sheridan, Dillon, and Butte, MT. With the onset of World War II, her father heard of an opp... Full story
January 26, 1923 – There is every indication that actual work will start on the big paper plant at Thomas Bay as early as this spring as weather conditions will allow. Two crews are now engaged in cruising the timber in the Rocky Pass section and the Forestry officials at Ketchikan are rushing work on one of their boats so that another crew can be sent out at once. Those who are backing the plant have applied for a final permit to develop the water power there and this will be granted as soon as the Forest Service has set aside thirty years s...
Raymond Leon Olsen, Senior was born on January 25, 1926 to Oscar and Olga (Kvende) Olsen in Stanwood, Washington. He was their only child. As a young man he joined the Navy, holding the position of machinist's mate until 1946 on the USS South Dakota, one of the most decorated ships in World War II. After the military he wed Gladys Olsen (Jensen). They were the proud parents of five boys, John, Jim, Ray Junior, Bob, and Mike. They lived in Arlington, Washington, where they had a farm and raised... Full story
Petersburg's Rainforest Festival has two seasons under their belt now working in their new year-round format. Since their start on Earth Day, they've hosted six events, including guided walks, art workshops and a solstice ephemeral art show. "I think it's going pretty well," said festival organizer Sunny Rice. "We've been able to spread out the work a little bit and take advantage of people coming through town that we otherwise would have missed." As they move into the season when the festival w...
The popular custom benches began years ago, when Karen Hofstad and Sue Paulson approached Josef Quitslund with the idea of creating something that could be at the center of Cannery Park. The women both had an interest in establishing the space to showcase the local history of the town and pay tribute to their loved ones that had a hand in that history, Quitslund says. "A memorial bench is a nice way to honor someone's memory," he says. "It's a place for the ones left behind to reflect and other...
Property Development To the Editor: I would like to encourage the borough to proceed with developing building lots on borough land, much of which happens to already be subdivided and adjacent to borough utility services. The lack of available and affordable building lots is slowing growth through the lack of housing. The community is unable to provide housing for necessary workers for the school and hospital as well as the fishing and fish processing industry. Another aspect of borough involvement in supplying building lots is the fact that,...
Memorial Day Ceremony 2022 To the Editor: I may be stepping into a hornets’ nest here; but nobody ever accused me of knowing when to keep my mouth shut. The day was sunny and cool; there were flags and flowers everywhere; the cemetery was well-tended - the perfect setting for the ceremony. Then the orations began. To me, Memorial Day is a civic occasion which should be for everybody in our pluralistic society. But the preachers saw a captive audience. Too many sermons and prayers were made for Christians and “in Jesus’ name.” One reading...
