Sorted by date Results 1789 - 1813 of 5553
In her 28 years working for Alaska Airlines, Patty Nelson has seen and done it all. Her duties consisted of taking reservations, checking luggage, running security and everything in between. In 1965, when she first began working at the airport, Alaska Airlines did not have a presence on Mitkof Island yet. Alaska Coastal Ellis Airlines was flying three propeller planes into Petersburg when Nelson has hired. The Grumman Goose and Twin Otter were smaller aircraft, while a larger aircraft came in...
Six Petersburg High School students made the trip to the LeConte Glacier on May 10 for the annual survey of the glacier's face. According to the coordinator of the program, Victor Trautman, one side of the glacier is in about the same location as it was in 2018, but the other side came out about 60 to 80 feet. Trautman said the fast moving glacier can easily shift 100 feet in a day. For the students, preparations for the trip began a few years prior. Trautman said the students have to be a part...
When Victor Trautman graduated from Dickinson State University in North Dakota in the early 1970s, the biology major received some wise advice from his brother-in-law: people are always going to have kids, and people are always going to need schools. As a result, Trautman made the decision to become a teacher. Forty-five years later, Trautman is retiring from Petersburg High School where he spent 29 years teaching science. "I chose well," said Trautman. "I have never regretted being a science...
At a special meeting on Thursday, the Petersburg Medical Center's board of directors approved an agreement with NAC Architecture for the phase one master plan proposal for the construction of a new facility or remodel of the current building not to exceed $220,000. The PMC board discussed the awarding of the RFP to NAC Architecture at their regular board meeting on May 23, but the board requested more time to look over the proposal, which was received earlier in the day. A special meeting was...
In last week’s issue of the Petersburg Pilot a story on the Petersburg High School track and field team on page six incorrectly stated that Tolin Eddy broke the school record for the 1600 meter run. Eddy set a school record in the 3200 meter run with a time of 10:17.29, which was originally held by Raleigh Cook. Brian Anderson still holds the school record for the 1600 meter run with a time of 4:39.97, which was set in 1984.... Full story
Helen Olson was found guilty, and Carlos Sandoval was found not guilty on single counts of Misconduct Involving a Controlled Substance in the 2nd degree. The jury delivered their verdict following a 4-day trial on May 24. Charges against Sandoval were dismissed and Judge Carey set August 27 as the sentencing date for Olson. Olson was released on bail. The prosecution alleged that Olson received a package containing 51 grams of methamphetamine that had a street value of $200/gram in Petersburg,...
Doug Welde joined the Petersburg Fire Department in 1969 as a fire fighter and over the years he rose through the ranks and became fire chief in 2013. In February, Welde retired from the department at the age of 75 after 50 years of service, and was replaced by Jim Stolpe. When he got out of the United States Air Force in 1969, he joined the department at their next meeting. His father, Ken Welde, was chief at the time, and back then, Welde said that everyone volunteered at the fire department....
Construction on the Raven Trail has begun and residents may have noticed the sound of a helicopter flying near the Reid Brothers Construction rock pit. Throughout the day, a helicopter flies back and forth from the Raven Trail and the rock pit with a hopper that holds about three-fourths of a cubic yard of gravel. The helicopter then uses the hopper to spread gravel over a prepared surface of the trail, according to Paul Olson with the United States Forest Service. Oregon Woods Inc., a construct...
In her 100 years on the water, the Charles T has only had three owners: Earl Ohmer with Alaskan Glacier Seafoods, Chuck Harris and James Eastwood. The Charles T was built in Bellingham, Washington in 1919 and was purchased by Earl Ohmer as a shrimper and a tender for his Alaskan Glacier Seafoods fleet. He purchased the Charles T in the early 1920s and brought her to Petersburg. He named her Charles T after his father Charles Thomas Ohmer. She stayed with Alaskan Glacier Seafoods until the 1980s...
The Class of 2019 completed their high school careers in a commencement ceremony on Tuesday that saw 30 seniors from Petersburg High School receive their diplomas. Of the 30 graduating seniors, 17 have definitive plans on attending college. Two students plan on joining the military. Two students have plans to attend a trade school. George Skeek will be moving to Sitka to begin a wood carving career, and Koren Sperl plans on attending flight school to obtain his commercial pilot license. Fifty sc...
The borough assembly passed the borough's proposed budget for the 2020 fiscal year at an assembly meeting last week after making two more amendments to the budget. The assembly voted on four amendments, but only two were passed. As approved in its second reading, the budget will allocate $4,000 to the City of Kupreanof and will include the health insurance savings of $200,000 for using the same insurance provider as the Petersburg Medical Center. Both amendments were proposed by Vice Mayor...
A motion to rescind the assembly's previous approval of the purchase of a $179,250 excavator failed in a 6-1 vote during an assembly meeting last week. At their May 6 meeting, the borough assembly approved the award of a request for proposals to NC Machinery for a used Caterpillar 320 excavator. According to Public Works Director Chris Cotta in an email to Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht, the borough's fiscal year 2019 motor pool budget included $182,000 for the purchase of an excavator to...
The borough assembly amended Ordinance #2019-04 to allow fireworks in service area one during two days of the year in the ordinance's second reading last week. The ordinance, which would fine individuals up to $500 for lighting fireworks in service area one, originally included language that allowed fireworks to be lit legally in service area one on July 3 and 4 and December 31, and during a certain time of the day; however, a motion to amend the ordinance to not allow fireworks in service area...
Petersburg Medical Center's board of directors will be holding a special meeting this evening to approve or deny NAC Architecture's phase one master plan proposal for the construction of a new facility or remodel of the current building not to exceed $220,000. The PMC board discussed the awarding of the RFP to NAC Architecture on Thursday at their regular board meeting, but the proposal had only been received earlier that day. The board members said they wanted time to look over the proposal...
The Petersburg Medical Center board of directors passed a resolution that grants authority to specific board members to work with one of the hospital's financial institutions after the resolution was tabled at last month's meeting. The resolution was originally tabled because of its ambiguous wording. Under the resolution, the president, vice president and treasurer of the board are allowed to perform such actions with Hilltop Securities, as opening a brokerage account and transferring and...
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced May 23, sport fishing regulations for Alaska hatchery-produced king salmon in areas near Petersburg and Wrangell. Wrangell Narrows/Blind Slough Terminal Harvest Area Described as that portion of Wrangell Narrows south of 56° 46' N. latitude (Martinsens's dock) and north and east of the northern tip of Woewodski Island and includes the freshwaters of Blind Slough upstream of a line between Blind Point and Anchor Point. The following regulations...
The Petersburg Borough assembly voted in favor of directing Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht to move forward in the next four steps of the land swap between the borough and Petro 49, Inc. at an assembly meeting on Monday. A recent appraisal of the Petro 49, Inc. warehouse and vacant lots located at 703 S. Nordic Dr. valued the building and property at $365,000. Borough land at 902 S. Nordic Dr. and 100 Dock St. were valued at $285,000. If the borough were to engage in a land swap with Petro 49,...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly received a response from Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen after sending three letters requesting information about a possible review of the Tonka and Big Thorne Integrated Resource timber contracts. "I share your interest in a consistent, sustainable timber sale program on the Tongass National Forest that supports the local economy while adhering to strong policy, management and financial controls," wrote Christiansen in her letter to the assembly....
The Petersburg School Board approved the hiring of Heidi Cabral as Rae C. Stedman Elementary School's newest fourth grade teacher at their board meeting last week. Cabral has been an instructional aide with the district for the past year, but has experience teaching sixth grade and English as a Second Language in Kansas. There is a large class of about 44 students coming into the fourth grade next year, so the district had to hire a second fourth grade teacher. Cabral said there will likely be...
The Petersburg School Board approved changes to 11 board policies in its first reading as aligned by the Association of Alaska School Boards to current changes in law. According to Superintendent Erica Kludt-Painter the changes to the board policies are minor. Some of the policy changes add language related to culturally responsive education and cultural and tribal consulting, which was the case in the changes to board policy regarding philosophy, school-based management/site councils and...
Don Spigelmyre was overcome with panic as the ocean's current pulled him out and water filled his mouth. He managed to yell for help, and his son sprang into action. Sean Spigelmyre swam out to his father, grabbed his arm and began side stroking back to shore. "I wouldn't be here today," said Don Spigelmyre. "There is no way." On Friday, Sean was awarded the Boy Scout's Honor Medal for the heroic rescue of his father in January of 2017 in Kauai, Hawaii. Sean has been with the Boy Scouts since...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly passed an ordinance adopting the borough's fiscal year 2020 operating budget after making several amendments to it at an assembly meeting last week. The proposed budget was first presented to the assembly in mid-April. Expenditures in the general fund total $9,567,149 for the 2020 budget, but it is balanced out by $9,571,545 in revenues. The total amount of excess of revenues over expenditures is $4,396. The current 2019 fiscal year budget has a total of...
The Petersburg Medical Center held its third Community Cafe on Thursday in the assembly chambers to discuss changes in funding for healthcare at the state level. Each Community Cafe typically follows a theme, with the first Cafe revolving around trends affecting healthcare in rural Alaska and the second forum demonstrating PMC's telehealth capabilities. Jeanie Monk, with the Alaska State Hospital & Nursing Home Association, gave an overview of how Gov. Mike Dunleavy's proposed 2020 fiscal year b...
The borough assembly passed an online sales tax ordinance that adds language to the current tax code in its third reading at an assembly meeting last week. The borough's current tax code does not mention internet sales tax, nor does it forbid it. Ordinance #2019-02 will broaden the language in the current sales tax code to include internet venders not located in Petersburg or Alaska. Some online vendors, such as Amazon, have voluntarily been collecting and remitting online sales taxes on...
Salmon Beyond Borders Campaign Coordinator Breanna Walker will be in Petersburg during the Little Norway Festival to show the film "Chasing Wild: Journey Into the Sacred Headwaters" and to provide a short update on the Stikine and other transboundary rivers. "Chasing Wild" follows three friends on a 250-mile bicycling and packrafting trip into the sacred headwaters of the Stikine River. More than 12 British Columbian large-scale open-pit mines are abandoned, in development or in operation near...
