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The borough assembly voted to direct borough clerk Debbie Thompson to draft an ordinance that would assign designated borough assembly seats in a 4-3 vote. Borough election ballots would no longer allow voters to choose which candidates they want to fill the open assembly seats, but instead, the candidates would choose a specific seat to run for. As an example, in last year’s borough elections, there were six candidates running for two assembly seats. Voters could choose no more than two candidates to fill the two seats. Under the soon-to-be d...
Borough manager Stephen Giesbrecht submitted a list of potential budget discussion items to the borough assembly on Monday that outlines possible cuts in funding to services as the assembly begins talks on the 2020 fiscal year budget. “The direction that I’ve heard from the assembly prior to today via informal conversations and various meetings is not that we don’t want to consider cuts if the budget’s balanced. What I was hearing from the assembly is we need to reduce the size of the borough government,” said Giesbrecht. One suggestio...
January The borough assembly received a proposed update to its zoning code that would introduce a new form of affordable housing, an expansion of the historical and industrial districts and the end of a requirement for businesses to include parking downtown. The borough assembly held a work session to discuss a plan to impose restrictions on the senior tax exemption. A possible annual fee to sales tax exemption card holders was agreed upon ranging between $50 and $60. Police Chief Kelly Swihart...
December 27, 1918 No paper was published this week December 31, 1943 Lt. A. Langdon, chairman of the Petersburg Christmas Cheer committee, turned in a final report of the committee’s activities this year. Organizations participating in this work include the P.T.A., Daughters of Norway, Sons of Norway, Lutheran Ladies Aid, American Legion, Rotary Club, The Trading Union, Inc., Legion Auxiliary. The Salvation Army usually makes a donation if there are not sufficient funds to cover expenditures, and the Salvation Army officer has charge of the w...
December 20, 1918 How about a rousing big box of good things and presents for the boys from Petersburg now in the service at Fort Seward. Many of these boys have no relatives to see that they are remembered and they did their part to win the war as much as the fighters on the battle front. While not in actual danger, they were willing to go and should be remembered. Ladies, men, children, and especially the ladies of the Red Cross: Leave all donations and presents at the Report office where a community Christmas Box will be made ready and...
The borough assembly approved an amended fiscal year 2020 budget policy and community service grant application. A decision on the fiscal year 2020 capital projects list was postponed until January and the manager’s addendum to the budget policy, a document with suggestions on how to balance the budget, was also postponed until a time to be determined. Assembly member Bob Lynn made two amendments to the budget policy, which is a document that outlines how each department head will put their budgets together. One was a request for the a...
On Friday, the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and the Petersburg Ragnarök Rollers hosted the annual Brew and Stew Festival at the Sons of Norway. The festival, which has been an annual event for over 14 years, featured 21 different submissions by contestants who made soups, chilis, beers, wines and cordials. Participants in the festival sampled each submission and voted for their favorite in several categories: four categories for stew and three categories for brew. Each stew had a variety of to...
November 8, 1918 On Saturday night a quiet wedding ceremony was celebrated at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Guy Roundtree, which united Miss Elsie Roundtree, their daughter and C. Clausen. The groom is the assistant cashier of the Bank of Petersburg and the young couple will make their home here. On the evening of November 1, Miss Loyla Osten and Mr. Earl Ohmer were married at the Petersburg Hotel. The young couple will make their home in Petersburg. Mr. Ohmer is engaged in the fishing and salting business with his headquarters here. No papers were...
The Petersburg Borough’s in-kind portion of a feasibility study to determine if the United States Army Corps of Engineers will dredge South Harbor and allow smoother egress increased by $50,000, and was approved by the assembly on Monday. “The money stays with us,” said harbormaster Glow Wollen at the assembly meeting on Monday. “We only use it if we spend it for this project. The borough’s in-kind contributions have increased to $100,000, from $50,000, which the borough has paid $32,349.11 of to date, according to a letter from Amber C....
The Petersburg Chamber of Commerce hosted a public meeting on Tuesday to discuss and receive community feedback on the possibility of larger cruise ships coming to Petersburg. In August, Viking Cruises met with representatives from Petersburg while looking for possible new ports in Southeast Alaska for 2020. The ships can hold approximately 900 passengers and 140 crew members. "If you think about this as a win-win situation, some of these ships they provide a visitor base, not only for visitors...
November 8, 1918 The proclamation issued by the Health Board is as follows: 1. In order to prevent the deadly disease known as the Spanish Influenza from spreading, every person must absolutely comply with the orders and instructions issued by the Health Board.; 2. Keep to yourselves as much as possible, and avoid contact with other persons. Keep your children at home. Do not group on the street. Keep away from the docks when steamships and gas-boats land.; 3. Transact your business and duties with speed and spend no time visiting.; 4. All...
The borough assembly on Monday voted in favor of removing a discussion item from its agenda, which addressed the possibility of 900-passenger cruise ships stopping in Petersburg in 2020. “I think we just need to delay this,” said assembly member Nancy Strand. “We have a lot of things to discuss and it’s completely unnecessary to discuss it at this time.” Member Kurt Wohlhueter supported the decision stating the topic needs to have a community discussion before anything goes on the record. Mayor Mark Jensen, who requested the item be added to th...
Passage of Proposition 1 will reimburse citizens who most desperately need the sales tax exemption — the elderly people living on various assistance programs. It’s pure folly to have millionaires and well-off retired and elderly residents benefiting from the exemption while the Petersburg Borough administration cuts quality of life programs that benefit the youth in the community. Parks and Rec. programs such as the aquatic center, weight room, racquetball courts, gym, park maintenance will be cut back or eliminated first. Cuts will follow in o...
A forum was held on Monday that allowed representatives from KFSK, the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and the Petersburg Pilot to ask borough assembly candidates a variety of questions on local issues. All the candidates were present for the two hour long forum except for Donald Spigelmyre. He said he is unable to take a seat on the borough assembly; however, he was unable to withdraw from candidacy before the deadline to withdraw had passed. His name will still appear on the ballot in the Petersburg municipal elections on Tuesday. Each...
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...
Petersburg is set to receive an 87-foot Marine Protector Class coastal patrol vessel that will serve the Inside Passage with search and rescue patrols, fisheries enforcement, drug smuggling interception and other missions. The vessel will be home ported in Petersburg after the 110-ft. Anacapa is removed from service in 2021. Mayor Mark Jensen told the Pilot Wednesday, "It's a done deal." This was discussed in D.C. this winter when he made a personal visit with the Alaska Congressional...
April 19, 1918 The Marathon Fishing and Packing Company, of Seattle, has arranged with the Citizens’ Wharf Company to locate their floating cannery barge Amelia at Petersburg this season. The barge will be moored at the south end of the Citizens’ Wharf, and preparations are made to put up a pack of from 30,000 to 40,000 cases. The company will operate their own seine-boats and also buy from independent fishermen. April 16, 1943 The showing of moving picture films from Camp Little Norway, sponsored by Petersburg branch of Camp Little Norway Ass...
WRANGELL — The Chamber of Commerce’s annual king salmon derby has been cancelled, it announced last week, following emergency management orders issued by the Department of Fish and Game (see king salmon story). A tradition for over 60 years, initially the month-long fishing derby was to be pared down to weekends this year, given restrictions ADFG had at first countenanced that would have centered around the Stikine River’s mouth in District 8. The eventual orders released last Thursday were far more expansive, encompassing nearly all inner...
The outlook for tourism in Petersburg this summer is showing an increase in cruise ship passengers, while the rate of independent travelers is still unclear. Dave Berg, co-founder of Viking Travel Inc., says cruise ships are scheduled to make 133 stops in Petersburg this summer, which is up from 110 last year. "More stops, more passengers," Berg said. That could mean more dollars spent in downtown businesses. "More sales tax," Berg said. "Which basically trickles down to the economy and it's...
The keynote speaker at the chamber of commerce dinner last weekend is the owner of a cruise line that specializes in exclusive trips, and he announced that one of his ships based in Sitka is moving its homeport to Petersburg. Dan Blanchard, owner of UnCruise Adventures, operates a fleet of nine ships, seven of which are in Alaska. Blanchard announced at the Sons of Norway hall on Saturday that the Safari Quest would be homeporting in Petersburg starting this year, and the captain is his...
The newest eatery in Petersburg was honored with the 2018 Business of the Year Award on Saturday at the annual chamber of commerce dinner. The Salty Pantry opened for business in early April 2017. Its owner, Mindy Anderson, spent a year on the business plan. She attended a baking institute in San Francisco in 2016 where she learned the science of yeasted breads, croissants and pastry doughs and desserts, Angela Christensen said as she introduced Anderson on Saturday. "The place might be small...
The Petersburg Chamber of Commerce voted Thursday to cancel this year's salmon derby, saying it would be irresponsible to compete in a time with such depleted salmon stocks. The chamber voted on Thursday to cancel the Memorial Day weekend salmon derby in Petersburg this year. The decision was made after the Alaska Department Fish and Game closed District 8 and part of District 7, a popular derby hole, for May, June and half of July, said Patrick Fowler, a local sport fish area biologist with the...
WRANGELL — Late last week the Alaska Department of Fish and Game issued a group announcement regarding expected changes for sport fishermen in Southeast this year. In the Petersburg and Wrangell areas, the marine waters of District 8 are going to be closed to the retention of King Salmon between May 1 and July 15. An exception will be made for the area immediately adjacent to Petersburg’s City Creek, which will be open to King Salmon fishing from June 1 to July 31 to target 300 hatchery salmon expected to return to the area. The closure is bei...
