Sorted by date Results 226 - 250 of 288
A borough committee may organize to further investigate the merits of instituting an excise tax on tobacco after it was brought up for discussion during several sales tax ordinance committee meetings. While an excise tax on tobacco doesn’t fall under the purview of the sales tax committee’s mission—which is to review and recommend changes to the sales tax code so the borough can generate an equal or greater amount of revenue—it did unofficially make a recommendation to the borough assembly that it consider a tax on tobacco. Committee member... Full story
January Petersburg residents contributed a record amount to the Salvation Army Christmas program last year-$15,618.17-more than $9,700 than the year before. Jan. 4, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck 58 miles west of Craig and 203 miles south of Juneau prompting a tsunami warning across Southeast. Petersburg Police Chief Jim Agner and Sergeant Heidi Agner announced their intentions to retire. Officer Ben King joined the Petersburg Police Department. The Petersburg Borough Assembly members were... Full story
The Petersburg Borough Sanitation Department has set February 4 to be the start date of the new comingled voluntary recycling program. Residents who want to participate must call Public Works at 772-4430 to sign up. Once that’s done, sanitation staff will drop off blue bags, free of charge, at residences and businesses during the week of January 20. Current residents who already practice curbside recycling will be automatically transferred into the new program. After the initial rollout of the recycling program, free bags will be available f... Full story
Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht presented the following report to the Assembly on Monday night. Joe Nelson and power and light staff are working on incorporating a thorough capital project plan into the electric rate study to better outline the needs of our electric system. Southeast Alaska Cities Against Drugs officials are drafting a letter to the Alaska Department of Transportation in an effort to partner with Alaska Marine Highway to curb illegal controlled substances being transported on state ferries. Postal interdiction efforts...
Petersburg Mental Health Services will take the reins on running a second Pedometer Challenge this spring after Petersburg Indian Association found out it couldn’t secure grant funding for the program. Interest in last year’s challenge sparked and Mark Banda, PIA Tobacco Prevention Specialist saw participation double from what was expected. “What started out at about 150 assumed participants turned into 200 very quickly and that followed up and turned into over 300,” Banda said. Banda gave pedometers to participants who were able to track h...
Petersburg Indiana Association officials are hoping by March to restore recently cut employee hours. Former Tribal Administrator Bruce Jones laid off himself and three other administrative positions last month in an effort to balance PIA’s budget. Most other PIA positions are paid for through grant funding associated with its programs and services. Ronelle Beardslee, PIA Office Manager, said in combination with those layoffs and other efforts, PIA’s financial situation is back on course. “It was very difficult to cut these positions,” Beardslee... Full story
Petersburg Public Works Director Karl Hagerman’s co-mingled recycling recommendations to the borough assembly come after a successful trial run that saw recycling rates increase by more than 400 percent this past summer. The sanitation department along with Petersburg Indian Association ran the six-week pilot project in June and July to get an idea about how participants would judge the comingled bag recycling system. According to Hagerman’s recycling report, 120 participants were drawn from residents who already recycle. Before the trial, the...
Thanks Assembly To the Editor: A couple of weeks ago I read and was appalled by a statement of one of our Assemblywomen as she was quoted as saying “what have senior citizens done to deserve a tax exemption other than get older?” I guess a short history lesson might be in order. The tax exempt status for seniors was a sign of respect and a thank you for all the things they had accomplished in aiding Petersburg's economic development before and during their fixed income days. Let's start with the Petersburg Indian Association. They were not alw...
Tommy Joseph, master woodcarver and Tlingit artist, gave a Technology, Education and Design talk in the borough assembly chambers last Thursday. Joseph talked about his experiences traveling the world learning about Tlingit battledress and how he incorporated that knowledge into pieces he crafted called “Rainforest Warriors” that are in display at the Alaska State Museum in Juneau. His work was inspired in 2004 while researching the battledress used during 1804’s Battle of Sitka that pitte...
The Rasmus Enge Memorial bridge on Sing Lee Alley might prove to be beyond repair after officials pull planks and inspect the stringers underneath. Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht said the borough currently isn’t allowing its garbage trucks to drive over the bridge and told other large trucks not to cross the bridge either. Giesbrecht said the bridge has been re-planked many times over the years and that process weakens the stringers—boards the bridge planks are nailed to. “It’s like Swiss c... Full story
The Borough Assembly voted to award the gymnasium floor refinishing contract to Alaskan Industries based on a recommendation from the Parks and Recreation Dept. Alaskan Industries is the company that has worked on the floor for the last 15 years, said Parks and Recreation Director Donn Hayes. The cost for the floor refinishing will be $32,400, or $35,900 with the Petersburg branded logo installed in the middle of the gymnasium floor. Part of the funding, $13,000, has been provided by a grant...
The ball field bathrooms will be closed until further notice due to damage caused by fireworks that were set off in the bathroom, Petersburg Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht reported to the Assembly during Monday’s meeting. “Somebody decided that was a good way to get rid of some firecrackers and it destroyed one of the toilets ... [The firecrackers] caused a fair amount of damage,” Giesbrecht said. An estimate of how long it will take to repair the bathrooms, and how much it will cost, is in the works. Giesbrecht also updated the Assem...
The Petersburg Indian Association has been working hard to expand its recycling program and has unveiled a few new services recently. PIA Tribal Resource Director Jason Wilson has implemented new programs beginning with recycling services for big events. “We started this service during Mayfest,” Wilson stated. “We will offer it again for the July 4th event as well as any event in the community.” For this service, anyone planning events in the community such as weddings, reunions, dances, etc. will be able to call PIA and order bins to be plac... Full story
Petersburg Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht reported to the Petersburg Borough Assembly at its regular meeting Monday evening on several topics including the trial commingled recycling program. “This program is off to a great start,” Giesbrecht said. “Over 1,100 pounds of recycling was picked up by Petersburg Indian Association in the first week.” The program is in the second week of a six week trial and it is already off to a good start. According to Petersburg Borough Public Works Director Karl Hagerman, he is hoping to offset some of the...
The Petersburg Public Works Sanitation Department will introduce a new and improved recycling program to the community called commingled recycling. This commingled recycling program will accept a wide range of materials all bagged together. This new program will be running in Petersburg as a trial for the next six weeks. “This program is an extension of our solid waste contract,” Petersburg Public Works Director Karl Hagerman said. “As part of that contract we have pricing for the shipp... Full story
Petersburg High School gym was filled will people ready to witness the passing of another class from those hallowed halls as the Class of 2013 graduated 39 seniors last Wednesday evening. The graduates filed into the room with the band playing in the background placing them ever closer to that moment they have strived for so many years. PHS Principal Rick Dormer contemplated on the fact that these students were freshmen when he arrived in Petersburg and this is the first class that he has had fr...
Petersburg High School gym was filled will people ready to witness the passing of another class from those hallowed halls as the Class of 2013 graduated 39 seniors last Wednesday evening. The graduates filed into the room with the band playing in the background placing them ever closer to that moment they have strived for so many years. PHS Principal Rick Dormer contemplated on the fact that these students were freshmen when he arrived in Petersburg and this is the first class that he has had fr...
Petersburg Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht and Petersburg Police Chief Jim Agner approached the challenge of the failing public safety building with an understanding that the only funds available for the project would be from the Fire Hall re-appropriation, and any grant money provided by this legislative session. To date, the project has $4.1 million to work with. “Our assumption is that any project undertaken must meet current building standards for police stations and jails,” Giesbrecht stated. “We assumed that $4.1 million will not neces... Full story
Nice when we were trusted To the Editor: The sky didn’t fall when we became a borough. In fact, nothing much seems to have changed at all. The old city limits sign is still in place. The council, er.. the assembly, still meets in the same chambers with the same old city emblem on its bench. There is only one change I’ve noticed. This is my 3rd year as a senior citizen. The first two years I paid for my tax-exempt card. Not once was I asked to show it. I just told them my number or wrote it down. It was nice to be trusted. Now that we are a boro...
Greens Camp improvements To the Editor: Thank you Petersburg Indian Association, Petersburg Borough and the Wrangell/Petersburg RAC for all the work, time and funding you have placed into improvements to Green's Camp. The State owned facility now has defined camp sites, wonderful picnic tables, a good road and grated fire pits.... all attributed to local labor, time and dedication. It is a wonderful place to visit and camp, not only for us residents and our families, but for our visitors. Now, if only we can work together to keep it clean. If...
The Salvation Army of Petersburg is hosting the 2013 Salvation Army's Alaska Congress. The Congress will be held from April 5-7 and will include worship, fellowship, meals, a couple of workshops and also “time for members throughout southeast to just celebrate the Salvation Army,” according to Lt. Caleb Fankhauser, Corps Officer of the Salvation Army in Petersburg. Over 200 participants from all over Alaska are expected to come to Petersburg for the event. The Congress used to be annual but is now held every two years and is in a different loc...
After six weeks of competition, a winner for the first ever Losing Big Petersburg competition has been declared. Christin Fankhauser is the first “Biggest Loser” of Petersburg. According to Petersburg Parks and Recreation Director Donnie Hayes the resounding number of votes for all of the contestants was phenomenal. Fankhauser is the winner of a one year membership to Petersburg Parks and Recreation; an iPad from a grant that was partnered by Parks and Recreation and the Petersburg Schools; a n...
The Petersburg Indian Association Tribal Board received reports from various departments outlining the programs they are involved in and what is happening within the organization during its regular meeting Monday evening. The PIA Transportation Department will submit an application for the replacement of the Sing Lee Alley Bridge. "The Petersburg Borough's engineers anticipate the cost of replacement at $1 to $1.2 million," PIA Transportation Director Will Ware reported. "The maximum funding allowed through the Tribal Transportation Bridge... Full story
The Petersburg Indian Association Tribal Board received reports from various departments outlining the programs they are involved in and what is happening within the organization during its regular meeting Monday evening. The PIA Transportation Department will submit an application for the replacement of the Sing Lee Alley Bridge. "The Petersburg Borough's engineers anticipate the cost of replacement at $1 to $1.2 million," PIA Transportation Director Will Ware reported. "The maximum funding allowed through the Tribal Transportation Bridge... Full story
