Sorted by date Results 176 - 200 of 301
The Summer Reading Challenge at the Petersburg Public Library kicked off this week and excited youngsters are already well on their way to earning prizes. So far, over 100 kids have signed up for the event, and anyone interested is welcome to join the fun. The program is open to anyone under the age of 20, and runs through July 24. Program coordinator Jessica Ieremia says participants earn tickets by reading books, magazines, newspapers, and even comic books count. The tickets then get placed in...
Hana Newman recently received her Girl Scout Gold Award for her project promoting the Petersburg Medical Center's (PMC) new digital mammography machine. Reaching the level of Gold Award takes many years of dedication, and completing the project took a huge investment of time, during an already busy schedule for Newman. "Getting everything together and getting everything organized while collaborating with the hospital took time," she says. "I actually had to stay in town and miss a volleyball...
Scholarships earned by this year's graduates Elks National MVS Scholarship Stuart Medalen Elks Nat'l Foundation Legacy Award Adanna Kvernvik Elks Scholastic Award Kylie Wallace, Stuart Medalen, Chauncy Sandhofer Elks Lodge Technical Grant Award Kirk Evens State Elks Vocational Grant Kirk Evens, Ben Johnson Supreme Emblem Club Tucker Hagerman Moose-Mary Anne Greseth Memorial Kylie Wallace Moose-Ginny Clark Memorial Hannah Pfundt Moose-W.T. Snyder Memorial Chauncy Sandhofer Petersburg Pilot Cody S...
The annual pedometer challenge took place over the Mayfest weekend, and Katie Yeckley, Tobacco Prevention & Control Grant coordinator for the Petersburg Indian Association (PIA) ran the event this year. "This is my first year doing this," she said. "The children were so excited to get a pedometer, but even if they didn't do the challenge they were so excited." The competition started last Thursday and ended Sunday night, and logs were accepted through Monday. PIA used grant money to put on the...
Petersburg Borough Assembly member Kurt Wohlhueter wants to let the people of Petersburg choose whether or not retail marijuana will be allowed in town and will propose such an idea at the May 16 Borough Assembly meeting. Wohlhueter said the assembly has not discussed the opt out option allowed by state regulations, which some communities in Alaska have already done. “I want to see if we can get it (opt out option) on the ballot in October and let the people of Petersburg decide whether we want it because that was always one of the things (... Full story
Petersburg Parks and Rec is finally getting to upgrade portions of the City Creek Trail and Hungry Point Trail, thanks to a local partnership with the Petersburg Indian Association (PIA) and grant funds. Parks and Rec director Donnie Hayes says this has been in the works for nearly 10 years, well before borough formation and Hayes coming to town. "Before my time there had already been discussions between the Petersburg Indian Association and Petersburg Parks and Recreation, about ways that we... Full story
Petersburg Borough staff is moved out of the municipal building and construction workers from MCG Constructors/DCI are ready to move in as the $6.8 million project to remodel the old building gets underway. Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht said there’s a few items left in the old building such as broken chairs, old computer equipment and police vehicle seats. “The move is pretty much done,” Giesbrecht said. “We’ve got odds and ends from the old building that will probably get trashed. It’s just stuff that no one has any interest in and we don...
Petersburg Borough Assembly members face tough decisions when it comes to funding local community service organizations, especially amid concerns over decreased state funding. The decrease in revenue from the state along with the possibility of an increase in public employee retirement (PERS) contributions dominated much of the discussion Monday as the Borough Assembly advanced the budget in its second reading. The Senate Finance Committee proposed a bill last week that would increase local PERS contributions from its current 22 percent to...
Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht reported the following during the March 21 Borough Assembly meeting: A Firefighter 1 Course started on February 13. One person is attending all of the classes and two people are hit and miss. Emergency Trauma Technician Course started on February 28. There are 9 participants (four current firefighters, three new EMS volunteers, and two will not volunteer). EMS Director Sandy Dixson taught two Basic Life Support for Health Care Provider courses (total 12 people), and we had three individuals go through the...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly unanimously approved a $6,639,300 municipal building remodel project bid award to McG Constructors/DCI Joint Venture. The bid included one alternate, a $213,000 south parking lot, that the Borough Assembly removed from the project with the understanding they could include it later. MRV Architects’ Corey Wall answered questions regarding the need for the parking. “The main reason for the south parking lot alternate was to reorient the exit out onto Nordic Drive further south so that it lines directly up with Bir... Full story
Petersburg Indian Association’s tobacco prevention specialist asked the Petersburg Borough Assembly March 7 to ban electronic cigarettes and vapor products from bars and increase the smoke free distance from five feet to 20 feet. PIA’s Katie Yeckley said vapor products may expose non-smokers to harmful chemicals and that the products are not FDA approved. She also said the five-feet distance from building entrances is too short, allowing smoke to still enter public spaces. “As a non-smoker and a mother of young children I find it very diffi...
Petersburg Republicans couldn’t vote in town last week during the Presidential Preference Poll because no one volunteered to run the caucus. The Petersburg Pilot fielded multiple calls and received emails asking why Petersburg didn’t have a poll. Chair of the Alaska Republican Party Peter Goldberg summed it up. “An effort was made to find people around the state,” Goldberg said. “Some districts had multiple places but there were several communities that had no one. If there is someone to blame, and you’re a Republican, look in the mirror and... Full story
The Petersburg Borough Assembly advanced a funding plan for the $9.9 million police and municipal building remodel, and put the project out to bid. The remodel has been in the works for several years and architects have spent more than a year designing the facility. MRV Architect Corey Wall gave a tour to interested residents and borough staff Monday morning before the January 4 assembly meeting. He detailed the sinking concrete slab, which visibly affects the structure of the police station... Full story
There are many positive and negative aspects to hunting moose in Petersburg, and one of the most notable negatives is dealing with the strict antler restrictions imposed on hunters. At times, it seems like hunters afield are literally rolling the dice when they pull the trigger. If the moose is legal, there is celebration, but if the animal is illegal it leads to a $300 fine. Thirteen moose were killed in the region this season that failed to meet the antler restrictions, and their meat was distributed to charity organizations and those in... Full story
Petersburg Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht reported the following at the Borough Assembly’s November 2 meeting: Municipalities across the state are seeing evidence of pressure on courts and prosecutors to reduce pre-trial incarceration. Other chiefs report bail amounts set at arraignment have been significantly reduced and prosecutors have been directed to seek lower bail amounts to lower bed days in the jails. Presiding Judge Stephens has ordered the courts in our region to be closed for additional days to cut costs. This is expected to s...
Two Petersburg entrepreneurs attended a business boot camp in Juneau September 18-20 as part the Path to Prosperity entrepreneur competition that aims to promote local business and sustainability across Southeast Alaskan communities. The Salty Pantry Market and Deli owner Mindy Anderson and Petersburg Indian Association Tribal Resources Director Mark Banda were two of 12 participants selected to attend the Boot Camp Weekend where they participated workshops covering topics such as business plan creation, sustainable business practices and...
The Petersburg Chamber of Commerce announced this week that they have hired John Havrilek as the new Administrative Manager of the organization. He replaces Cindi Lagoudakis who resigned in August. Havrilek will assume the administrative duties of the organization and work with the 11-person board of directors in fulfilling the chamber's community-wide mission. President Seth Scrimsher expressed appreciation to Lagoudakis for her work the past 20-months and welcomed Havrilek, who began his...
The Borough Assembly voted unanimously to approve new columbarium fees and increases to other cemetery fees as part of an ordinance passed on its first reading last Thursday. The ordinance includes language changes to reflect Borough incorporation and to establish fees to place an urn in one of the 320 burials niches of a new columbarium erected at the cemetery last month. The new proposed fee for urn placement is $175, with an additional $75 charge for placements occurring on weekends or holidays. The proposed fee for burials—opening and c...
Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht gave the following report at Thursday’s Assembly meeting: - The next regular SEAPA meeting will be held in Petersburg, Sept. 23-24. It is a public meeting. - The annual FERC inspection of Blind Slough Hydro has been scheduled for Sept. 23. It will include a table-top exercise of the Emergency Action Plan (EAP). - The aquatic center has had some water issues over the past week. Brian Haley was called in to come take a look. The hot water has been intermittent over the end of last week, but a part has been o...
Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht gave the following report at Monday's regular Assembly meeting. • TrACS (Traffic and Criminal Software) components have arrived and are being installed in existing Borough vehicles. Computers, mounts and printers were provided at no cost by the state and will allow officers to complete citations and collision reports electronically in the field. • New portable radios for police and fire department staff have arrived and will be issued soon. They were pro...
Two Petersburg-based businesses have been chosen as semi-finalist in the annual Path to Prosperity (P2P) contest put on by a partnership between the Haa Aani Community Development Fund, Inc. and The Nature Conservancy. The annual contest is in its third year and aims to support businesses in Southeast with "innovative sustainability solutions" that will also benefit the local economy and community, according to Paul Hackenmueller, economic coordinator with Haa Aani. Two winners will be chosen... Full story
At least a portion of the Hungry Point Trail extension will be elevated boardwalk, similar to that of Blind River Rapids Trailhead. The Petersburg Indian Association board decided on June 1 to construct the boardwalk trail from 14th Street up to the ball field section of the trail. The decision was a combination of economics, zoning and environmental regulation concerns, Transportation Director Susan Harai said. The Petersburg Planning and Zoning Commission will likely discuss the lower route at its August meeting. It’s in an unplatted s...
The New Old Time Chautauqua (NOTC) group will be parading into Petersburg later this month. The 55 person group includes members from ages one to 74 who volunteer their talents as performers, musicians and educators to bring entertainment to rural communities. Locally, the Petersburg Indian Association (PIA) and Petersburg Parks and Recreation have been helping coordinate the group's three-day visit, June 28-30. The opening event is a collaborative potlatch and potluck put on by PIA and NOTC on...
Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht gave the following report at Monday’s Assembly meeting: -On May 12, the Harbor Department had their annual surprise visit from the US Coast Guard Homeland Security unit to review the Borough’s Harbor Homeland Security Plan. They passed with no deficiencies. On May 26, Eddy Tagaban and Officer Jim Kerr attended the annual meeting in Wrangell with the Captain of the Port to discuss homeland security and other Coast Guard issues. -Public Works waited until after Memorial Day to begin work on the Columbarium foundat...
