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Two Petersburg students participated in this year's Scripps Spelling Bee at the performing arts center in Anchorage. The national spelling program held March 22 pit 142 elementary and middle school youngsters from across the state in the contest. Fourth grader Aidan Cotta participated as a winner from Stedman Elementary School and eighth grader Brooklyn Dormer represented Mitkof Middle School. "Being at the performing arts center was exciting and overwhelming at the same time," Aidan Cotta...
Alaska’s 2016 salmon harvest will be down by 40 percent from last year’s catch, if the fish show up as predicted. The preliminary numbers released by the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game call for a total catch of 161 million salmon this year; the 2015 harvest topped 268 million fish. The shortfall stems from a projected big decrease for pink salmon. A humpie harvest forecast of 90 million would be a drop of 100 million fish from last summer. Here’s the statewide catch breakdown for the other salmon species: for sockeye, the forecast calls for a...
Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department (PVFD) responded to a fire call Sunday afternoon near Rory's Road at Papke's Landing, 10 miles south of town. The fire destroyed a 24-foot trailer home on the property being used as an office and led to a manufactured home sustaining significant damage, according to PVFD spokesman Dave Berg. "The trailer, the one being used as an office, it was almost gone when we got there," Berg said. "The other one, the residence, the vinyl siding had pretty much melted... Full story
The Petersburg Borough Assembly unanimously voted to approve this year’s budget in its first reading including a change to its community services budget, which awards grants to various local organizations and non-profits. Domestic violence prevention non-profit Working Against Violence for Everyone (WAVE) for the first time requested $45,000 from the Borough Assembly earlier this month. In light of decreased state funding and widespread tight financial times, Petersburg Mayor Mark Jensen asked community organizations to provide balance s...
Petersburg High School shop teacher Dave Owens traveled to Sitka earlier this month for training on how to better use design software and manufacturing tools. This year is the first for Owens teaching the industrial arts program at PHS, but he spent well over 10 years heading up elementary school classrooms. "It was the best teachers training I have ever been to," Owens says with a big smile. "Hands on is fun, and that's where the most learning takes place." Owens also took a student with him,... Full story
Petersburg Parks and Recreation Director Donnie Hayes helped save Petersburg shoppers’ money this year after voicing his opinion during this week’s borough assembly meeting where the assembly appeared set to vote against allowing two sales-tax free days. Before Hayes interjected, Assembly member Cindi Lagoudakis said approving sales tax free days in light of the state’s fiscal challenges would send the wrong message. “I understand merchants have said that it’s some of their best sales days of the year. It’s really unclear to me whether tha...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly rescinded an amendment made by assembly member Bob Lynn earlier this month that would provide an advisory vote to people living outside service area one when any proposals to implement a land use code for areas outside of service area one occurred. The assembly initially approved that amendment at its March 7 meeting after a significant number of the public spoke out against language in the borough’s new comprehensive plan citing a desire for potential minimal zoning outside of service area one. After review o...
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...
Andrew Phoenix realized he wanted to be a performer way back in elementary school while part of a school play about Christmas being canceled because Santa was sick. Phoenix's character was a kid covered in soot and his line was, "So we cleaned the chimneys for nothing?" Phoenix added a little flare after saying his line with an improvisation, and received a loud response of laughter from the audience. All he did was blow his nose with a handkerchief and add a big breath of air to animate the...
Editions of the Petersburg Pilot and Wrangell Sentinel have been delayed for the past two weeks due to a breakdown of the platemaker at the Pilot printing plant. Once our staff and an electrician were able isolate the cause of the malfunction, the replacement part was ordered from the factory in Denmark. “On Tuesday of this week we learned the part was delivered to the Brussels, Belgium airport that was bombed,” explained publisher Ron Loesch. “We don’t know how long the part shipment will be delayed,” Loesch added. Orin Pierson worked with fac...
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
The Cole memo is a memorandum written by U.S. Deputy Attorney General James Cole and it provides guidance regarding federal marijuana enforcement. It’s a document state regulators and Petersburg borough officials have used to support the possibility of a viable marijuana industry in Alaskan communities off the road system. “I think there’s been a lot of fears as to how the federal government would impose or not impose existing laws and Cynthia Franklin, a former prosecuting attorney, had a really, I found, interesting perspective,” Assembl...
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...
Editions of this week’s Petersburg Pilot and Wrangell Sentinel appear in black and white due to a breakdown of the platemaker at the Pilot printing plant. To speed up the platemaking and printing process this week, we opted to print both publications without color. Plates for this edition were produced at the Ketchikan Daily News at 5 a.m. Thursday morning and were scheduled to arrive in Petersburg by 8 a.m. on the ACE freight plane. Orin Pierson worked with factory repairmen and electrician Darby Mattingly on Wednesday to locate and repair t...
Southeast Alaska Power Agency (SEAPA) board of directors held a special board meeting telephonically to approve a budget increase and construction contract. During a February meeting in Wrangell the board discussed the possibility of completing the Swan-Tyee Intertie Helicopter Pad Project in FY2016. SEAPA staff requested a $937,395 increase to the fiscal year budget to complete the project. The approval of the budget included a $53,165 increase to the overall budget of the project. Voting alternate and electrical superintendent Clay Hammer...
WRANGELL — Wrangell’s Planning and Zoning Commission took a first look at what it would take for a licensed marijuana operator to set up shop on the island. As summarized by Alaska’s Alcohol & Marijuana Control Office director Cynthia Franklin during a presentation made in Wrangell on March 1, where retail, growing, production and testing facilities are allowable within the state depends in part on a community’s zoning regulations. Unlike liquor licensing, marijuana licenses will not be limited in number. It will be up to community governm...
wrangell — A crowd-drawing discussion on recreation funding held by the Forest Service Tuesday evening made the council chambers at City Hall feel unusually short for space. About two dozen members of the public met with staff of the Wrangell Ranger District to share their concerns about facilities maintenance. Listing concerns from greatest to least, residents participating at the meeting identified cabins, ATV trails and the overall recreation program as their top priorities, followed by trails, berry access, subsistence and stoves. F...
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
A flood of public criticism washed through the Petersburg Borough Assembly chamber Monday afternoon regarding zoning language in the soon to be adopted Borough Comprehensive Plan, but the nature of the comments in some ways highlighted misunderstanding of and the lack of involvement in the public process. Mandated by the state, a comprehensive plan is "a compilation of policy statements, goals, standards and maps for guiding the physical, social and economic development, both private and... Full story
The age of Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department (PVFD) members ranges from men and women in their early-20s to a handful of men over 60. Some of the volunteers have over 30 years of experience, but they are starting to reach retirement age, and the department is fighting to recruit younger generations. Fire marshal Ryan Welde has just over 21 years with PVFD, he is one of two paid employees with the department, and he helps train new recruits seeking Firefighter-1 state certification. Welde... Full story
The Petersburg school board approved the contracts of district superintendent Erica Kludt-Painter and teachers at the regular meeting on Tuesday night. The action is the result of salary negotiations that have been taking place with the Associated Teachers of Petersburg (ATP). The board unanimously approved a three-year contract for superintendent Kludt-Painter, and each year includes a 260-day contract with 40 days of leave. The contract will run through June, 2019, with a one-time signing incentive of $10,000 to be paid on or before June 30,...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly is asking for an increase in financial information from organizations requesting community service grants from the borough during this year’s budget hearings. “One thing I would like to ask that be added to all of the people that are applying for these grants is to put a detailed financial statement like if you have holdings on property or bank accounts,” Mayor Mark Jensen said during Monday’s meeting. “It’s going to be tough times financially and if some people have a better wherewithal to take a little bit of a...
The Petersburg Land Selection Committee approved sending their initial recommended land selections to the borough assembly on Monday. The borough assembly unanimously approved the recommendations of the land selection committee at their meeting later that night. The action means the land nominations will now be submitted to the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (ADNR). Assembly member Bob Lynn suggested the selection committee and assembly be prepared to select alternative lands to the...
The Petersburg borough assembly agreed to transfer the maintenance and licensed use of Mort Fryer Ballfield Park to the local Little League organization on Monday. The assembly voted unanimously to pass the resolution and hopefully save the borough on maintenance and upkeep costs. The agreement between the borough and Little League will end in 2018. Little League district administrator for Southeast Alaska Duane Bell attended the assembly meeting and spoke in support of the agreement to transfer. Bell said the change has been in the works for...
The North End Ferry Authority asked the borough assembly to draft a letter of support for the company’s grant application for $117,000. The assembly unanimously agreed to draft the letter of support. The grant money the company is applying for will support the Rainforest Islands Ferry addition of a bow extension to the M/V Rainforest Islander to aid in loading and unloading vehicles at launch ramps used by the service. It will also augment working capital during the initial full year of operations and retire short-term debt, according to a l...
