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JUNEAU – Plans for managing the nation’s largest national forest call for changes in timber harvests that one critic says will be “the demise of the timber industry.” The Tongass National Forest released a management plan update Friday that it says emphasizes young-growth timber sales in the forest covering much of southeast Alaska over old-growth timber. The plan would allow for a logging rate that management says will meet projected demand. Kristen Miller, with the Alaska Wilderness League, says the plan protects important places that sup...
The school board ended the 2016 year with a brief meeting about transitioning to a paperless board and an update about the changes to the high school dress code. Board president Sarah Holmgrain said she was excited about the move to have board members utilizing district-issued devices rather than relying on paper. “The hope is that it’s less work and time, as well as effort for Irene, because it is a lot to Xerox and copy everything,” Holmgrain said. “And also, just using less paper. It’s as expensive as ever.” She also reminded anyone that the...
JUNEAU – An estimated 36,000 uninsured Alaskans got health care coverage under President Barack Obama’s signature health care law between 2010 and 2015, according to figures released by the federal government Tuesday. The data was released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services just weeks before Obama leaves office, amid calls by many Republicans in Congress for replacing the law after Donald Trump’s administration takes power. The state-level data touting the law’s benefits provides a lens through which to judge new proposals and...
Patrick McGrath, the owner of property at 895 Mitkof Highway displayed the ongoing construction work at his home and challenged a reporter to find raw sewage on his property. The homeowner was accused by letter, of having septic waste on his land by a disgruntled individual. Copies of the letter were sent to neighboring property owners, the newspaper, Borough administrators and the Alaska Dept. of Environmental Conservation. Candice Bressler, Public Information Officer with the ADEC told the...
It may be math teacher Joyce Metsa's first year in Petersburg, but she's already found a way to make a positive impact on a handful of students by establishing a middle school Robotics Club. Metsa is teaming up with Cyndy Fry and the two are bringing competitive robotics to youngsters in town. The club traveled to Juneau last weekend with five students to compete in their first ever FIRST LEGO League event. The team got a late start on the season, and the club ended up coming in 17th out of 26 t...
KETCHIKAN – A review of the Ketchikan High School’s activities program has found no federal Title IX violations, but the school will still likely change how it operates district activities. The district undertook the review after parents complained that girls’ sports were receiving fewer opportunities than boys’ activities, The Ketchikan Daily News reported. “I’m happy to know that we’re not in violation of any Title IX issues, obviously because it’s a legality situation there I’m really glad to know that we’re at least not violating the law i...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly’s counter offer to the Alaska Department of Transportation’s initial offer for taking over ownership of state-owned docks haas been denied. The assembly received a letter saying the state could not accommodate the borough’s request to only transfer ownership of two of three proposed docks, and receive increased funding to maintain the sites. The state’s original offer included Petersburg taking over the Papke’s Landing float, Kupreanof float and Entrance Island float with a one-time payment of just over $732...
The Mitkof Dance Troupe will be performing the local favorite Nutcracker ballet this weekend at the Wright Auditorium. It’s put on every other year, and MDT board president Carin Christensen knows the importance of the event for both kids and parents in the community. “I can’t say enough about parents and everything they do,” she said. “They get their dancers to practice and recitals on time, and sew costumes and make desserts for the Friday night reception. They do a lot.” The production is put together in a little over three months, and...
The borough assembly held a short meeting, lasting less than an hour, but covered multiple topics on Monday. The assembly passed an ordinance in its third and final reading to rezone a parcel located at 919 Sandy Beach Road. “It’s to be rezoned from public use to single-family residential,” Mayor Mark Jensen said as he finished reading the ordinance. There was no discussion on the matter, and assembly member Nancy Strand made a motion to adopt the resolution and Bob Lynn offered a second. The assembly passed the resolution 6-1, with vice mayor...
The Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department (PVFD) responded to a structure fire on North Nordic Drive early Tuesday morning and successfully extinguished the blaze, according to PVFD spokesperson Dave Berg. The call came in around 8:30 a.m. and about 15 fire fighters were on scene at 1312 North Nordic within minutes. The structure, an unoccupied single-family residence off of Wrangell Avenue, was engulfed in flames when PVFD arrived. It took PVFD crew members less than 20 minutes to have the...
Earlier this week, the borough received a letter alleging improper disposal of waste on a property outside of Service Area 1, according to borough manager Steve Giesbrecht. A copy of the undated and unsigned letter was also allegedly sent to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. “This same letter was copied to several residents in the immediate area, however, it is unclear if any of them were responsible for writing the letter,” Giesbrecht wrote in an email to the Pilot. “The letter also contains eight photographs that have...
YWCA Alaska presented Petersburg resident Kris Norosz with a statewide award last month for her dedication to supporting the organization's mission of eliminating racism and empowering women. She is one of 10 women statewide receiving the 27th Annual Women of Achievement award. Norosz began working for Alaska Department of Fish and Game in 1979 and a decade later she found herself the executive director of the Petersburg Vessel Owner's Association. Her career and experiences took off from there...
BETHEL – A University of Alaska Fairbanks study says climate change is having significant impacts on subsistence hunting and travel in communities across Alaska. Assistant professor Todd Brinkman led a team of researchers who collected data and gathered information from residents in four Alaska villages: Fort Yukon, Venetie, Wainwright and Kaktovik. Brinkman said the residents reported challenges in accessing subsistence resources brought on by changing weather patterns starting in 2010, KYUK-AM reported. According to the study, 60 percent o...
JUNEAU – Alaska’s minimum wage will rise by a nickel, to $9.80 an hour, beginning Jan. 1. Voters in 2014 approved increasing the minimum wage from $7.75 an hour. Under the measure, the minimum wage rose to $8.75 an hour in 2015 and to $9.75 an hour at the start of 2016. Going forward, the wage is to be adjusted annually for inflation. In a release, state labor commissioner Heidi Drygas called the bump to $9.80 an hour a modest increase that will protect low-wage workers and their families against inflation. Heather Beaty, executive dir...
ANCHORAGE – On paper, the new Inupiat Eskimo name of the nation’s northernmost town is now official. But not so fast. The reality is not so simple. The town was known as Barrow until Thursday, when the new name, Utqiagvik (oot-GHAR’-vik), became effective, less than two months after the town approved the change at the polls, by a margin of a mere six votes. But the name is being challenged. A local Alaska Native corporation filed a civil lawsuit Wednesday that claims city officials rushed the process with insufficient outreach to the publi...
The PMC board of directors held a brief meeting last Thursday night, before going into an executive session. Doran Hammett, CFO of PMC, said some services are down locally, but others are making up the difference. “The areas of in-patient and long term care being down was made up for by ancillary services, lab, radiology. Those kinds of things, more than made up for that shortfall,” Hammett said. “If you can eventually get long term care back up to capacity, we should see those numbers look much better.” On the expense side, the facilit...
Alaska Department of Fish and Game held its fall regional planning team (RPT) meeting in Juneau on Wednesday and unanimously supported releasing 40 million stock chum salmon in Thomas Bay north of Petersburg. The chum would come from Hidden Falls hatchery, and the request is coming from the Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association (NSRAA). The issue was tabled last year in early-December so NSRAA could partner with ADF&G to complete a small study this summer. The study looked into investigating feeder king bycatch among other...
On October 27 the Pilot reported that the owners, operator and individual Fishing Quota permit holder of the F/V Spicy Lady were charged with three counts under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the Northern Pacific Halibut Act for retaining IFQ halibut on the vessel in Regulatory Area 3A in excess of the total amount of unharvested IFQ applicable to that regulatory area held by all IFQ permit holders aboard the vessel. They were also charged for retaining IFQ sablefish on the vessel in Regulatory Area West...
Construction of the newest improvement to the Petersburg's harbor facilities is complete ahead of schedule. The bulkhead addition project also came in under budget, according to harbormaster Glo Wollen. "It looks like it cost the borough, when it was all said and done, under $200,000," she said. "We thought it would be a little over that figure." The total for the bulkhead was almost $1.4 million. Luckily, the borough had $1.23 million left over from the first phase and was able to apply that...
The Wright Auditorium recently received a few upgrades as part of an ongoing effort to improve the facility so many community members use. Dave Berg, Compass Theater board member, said the improvements to the stage's rigging were taken to increase safety. The rigger, who traveled here from the Pacific Northwest to assist with replacing the rigging and inspect the theater, told Berg it was good to see Wright Auditorium gets so much use. "It was time to get the facility inspected by someone who...
The Salvation Army successfully distributed 90 food boxes for families in need during Thanksgiving last month. The number grew slightly from last year's total of 72 distributed turkey dinners. Last year for Christmas, the organization helped just under 80 families with food boxes. But the local Salvation Army already has 97 families signed up this year, according to Lieutenant Mysti Birks. "What it really comes down to is that everybody needs help at some point in their life," she says. "Just...
On Nov. 17, at 5:47 p.m., Alaska State Troopers received a report of a motor vehicle collision in Petersburg. Investigation revealed Tommy Marsh, age 41, of Petersburg was northbound at Mile 11.6 Mitkof Highway when he lost control of his vehicle, a 1992 Ford F150, entered the ditch, and rolled the vehicle. Seatbelts were worn. No citations were issued. No injuries were reported....
The SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) applauds the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for its decision to require all public housing agencies to go smoke-free within 18 months. The new rule includes not only residential units and common areas, but also a 25-foot non-smoking perimeter around the buildings to protect doorways, windows, and outdoor patios. The implementation of this rule will protect two million Americans, across the country, from exposure to secondhand smoke in their homes. “Few tobacco c...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly passed a rezoning ordinance in its second reading Monday night. The ordinance is designed to rezone 919 Sandy Beach Road from public use to single-family residential in preparation to auction off the property early next year. The change in zoning will hopefully make the property more attractive for purchase. Funds from the auction process would go toward the municipal building renovation project. Assembly member Cindi Lagoudakis opposed the zoning change. “I looked again at this parcel. At the time that this w...
