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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Lawmakers are a step closer to moving out of office space in Anchorage that costs $4 million to lease. The Legislative Council voted Saturday to recommend that lawmakers pull funding for the lease, while also carving out 45 days to try negotiating a competitive purchase price, the Alaska Dispatch reports. The office space was renovated and priced almost six times more than what had been a $680,000 lease. This year, lawmakers expect a $3.5 billion state budget deficit. Developer Mark Pfeffer said he was willing to d...
Petersburg rubber boots sloshed through 135.22 inches of rain so far this year, putting 2015 on track as the second rainiest year on record—biting at the heels of 1991’s title as rainiest year with its 136.88 inches of precipitation. January and April of 2015 both broke precipitation records with January receiving 21.05 inches beating the 1985 previous record of 20.89 inches. Rain poured last April with a total 12.31 inches beating 1952’s previous record of 11.1 inches. Last July came in secon...
The Salvation Army’s largest fundraiser the ‘Red Kettle’ campaign provides assistance to those in need throughout the year in the form of utility and rental assistance, food boxes, heating oil, emergency lodging and transportation. The year 2015 saw a large increase for those needing rental and utility assistance and food boxes compared to 2014. In 2014, the local Salvation Army provided rental assistance to six people in two households in the amount of $265. That number leapt up to 17 people in 10 households in the amount of $9,004 durin...
Icicle Seafoods' The Gordon Jensen struck rocks on Saturday and the U.S. Coast Guard had to escort the damaged vessel to Ketchikan for repairs. Coast Guard public relations Petty Officer Meredith Manning said Tuesday the cause of the incident is still under investigation and no injuries were reported. Manning said the vessel ran aground near Bella Bella, 172 miles southeast of Prince Rupert. The Canadian Coast Guard responded to the incident and the U.S. Coast Guard was later involved. Manning... Full story
The public has a final opportunity to review and comment on Petersburg Borough long-term planning objectives after the Borough Assembly approved a hearing schedule for the comprehensive and waterfront plans. The plans outline and recommend strategies for borough management, land use and the environment, transportation, economic development, recreation and tourism and waterfront development over the next 20 years. The comprehensive and waterfront master plan is the result of Agnew::Beck Consulting, an Anchorage firm the borough hired in the fall... Full story
Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins is visiting Petersburg over the next few days and is petitioning for signatures for the PFD Voter Registration initiative. The initiative would give Alaska residents the opportunity to vote for a ballot measure that would let residents apply for their PFD Dividend and register to vote at the same time. "Basically it gets all the paperwork for voter registration out of the way since people are already filling out their address and legal name and all the other... Full story
Petersburg Fisheries, Inc. or PFI celebrated its 50th Anniversary in June. The local giant is much more than a staple of the community, it's a vital brick that allowed Petersburg to continue building its foundation. When Alaska achieved statehood in 1959 salmon traps were abolished, sending the enthusiasm for the fishing industry of many Alaska canneries owned by out-of-state interests into a downward spiral. Pacific American Fisheries (PAF) headquartered out of Bellingham, Wash. was one of...
In last week's Pilot there was an editing error, and a picture of Ethan File was incorrectly identified as Mike File in the caption. The Pilot regrets the error....
The Division of Sport Fish is now accepting public comment on its statewide fish stocking plan. The Division, with assistance from private non-profit hatchery operators, plans to release approximately 6.5 million fish into the waters of Alaska every year for the next five years to benefit recreational anglers. The stocking plan outlines the location, number, and size or life stage for each species of fish that are planned for stocking. Only fish produced from Division of Sport Fish hatchery facilities and from private non-profit hatcheries,...
Brad Hunter and a group of just under 10 volunteers spent Saturday morning and some of the afternoon participating in the Audubon Christmas Bird Count, the 75th in Alaska and 116th held nationwide since 1900. The group started counting at first light and surveyed from Hungry Point to the fish hatchery at Blind Slough on Mitkof Island. “We didn’t really find anything highly unusual,” he said. “It’s just a good excuse to get out and pay attention to what is around us every day.” Hunter says the group documented 44 species total, about six b...
An external auditing firm representative reported positive financial health for Petersburg Borough finances. The Petersburg Borough Assembly heard from BDO Auditor Michelle Drew at its December 21 meeting. “We did issue an unmodified opinion and that’s basically a clean audit report, which is kind of the highest report card you can get from an external auditor,” Drew said. “Everything we asked for was made available to us. We received excellent cooperation from everyone at the borough in getting ready for the audit.” The auditors looked at...
When you think about Christmas, you assume snow and cold, but not in Mexico. When it comes to Christmas down south the weather is warm and mild during the holiday season. Families decorate their homes with colorful flowers, moss, lanterns and evergreens. From December 16 until Christmas Eve families participate in Las Pasadas for nine nights. The children are given candles and figures of Mary and Joseph. Many Mexican children receive gifts from Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. The children sing about Joseph and Mary asking for a room in the...
Subscribers, click link below to access a downloadable PDF file of full Christmas Edition.................................................................................................................................................................................. http://www.petersburgpilot.com/customer_files/christmasedition2015.pdf...
Marijuana dispensaries can't set up shop in downtown Peterburg based on Alaska's Alcohol Beverage Control Board's (ABC's) recent adopted marijuana license restrictions. According to the adopted regulations, the ABC Board won't issue a marijuana establishment license "if the licensed premises will be located within 500 feet of a school grounds, a recreation youth center, a building in which religious services are regularly conducted, or a correctional facility." Those restrictions eliminate... 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
It was an eventful week. A big highlight was the anniversary celebration of the marriage of Bob and Carroll Nilsen who were wed on December 15, 1955. Sixty years of marriage is indeed something to celebrate and their family and friends certainly pulled it off nicely. Following their vow renewal at the Lutheran Church on Wednesday, I asked Bob if the marriage vows were easier said the second time around. Bob replied, "This is the third time." He explained they were married before a Justice of... Full story
Andy Kittams, 43, plead guilty in October to driving salmon from closed waters while commercial seining. According to Alaska State Troopers, Kittams was seining at the Hidden Falls Hatcher Area when his crew was documented using explosives to drive salmon from a closed area into an active seine net. The incident occurred in 2013. Kittams appeared in Sitka for his court hearing where he was fined $3,000 and ordered to pay $12,375 in restitution to the state of Alaska. An additional charge of using explosives to drive salmon was dismissed as...
Snow naturally notifies citizens of the upcoming holiday season, but to many, it also signals the beginning of the high school basketball season. Sure enough, both the boys' and girls' teams of PHS tip off their respective seasons this weekend in the annual Little Norway Invitational Tournament. The Little Norway Invitational is in memory of long-time Petersburg citizen and basketball fan Jerry Dahl Sr. In the 12th annual version of the tournament, the boys will serve as host to Thunder...
Twenty years ago Patty Parr Simpson took approximately 280 photos of older homes in and nearby Petersburg, and she compiled a photo album of her work. Then with help from Colleen Nicholson, who also knew a lot of the people that had lived in the older homes, the pair documented their ownership history, but the project did not stop there. Parr Simpson lent the photo album to the borough mapping department where Susan Christensen and Valerie Allen used old tax maps to add block numbers, lot...
PETERSBURG (AP) — The state of Alaska is moving forward with plans to construct a controversial road linking the city of Petersburg to Kake as part of the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program. The proposed road from Kake would end at Wrangell Narrows across from Petersburg, where a shuttle ferry would then pick up passengers to complete the trip. The Kake Access Project calls for building 27 miles of unpaved road and upgrades to another 26 miles of logging roads, KFSK-FM reported. Funding for the $37 million project is covered under the...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities is planning to launch major renovation projects for a number of highway segments and ferry terminals next year. On the Marine Highway, the DOT is asking for bids on a new terminal building in Kake. Ferry system manager John Falvey says the Kake project will also install sanitary sewer and water lines. Construction will take place in the summer, with work completed by fall. A similar projected is expected in Angoon next summer. In Ketchikan, DOT is planning a $...
Wrangell and Petersburg utilities can be expecting a rebate this year from Southeast Alaska Power Agency. This summer the board approved a rebate of $1.5 million for member utilities. A formal award plan was presented at last week’s meeting in Ketchikan on Dec. 10, with $340,563 to go to Wrangell and $372,343 to Petersburg. The remaining $787,093 would be distributed to Ketchikan. Voting alternate and electrical superintendent Clay Hammer represented Wrangell at the meeting, and he explained the rebate was possible in part because of funds u...
The Alaska Supreme Court, Alaska's highest court, ruled in favor of keeping the Petersburg Borough's northern boundary the same on Friday. The ruling upheld the Local Boundary Commission of Alaska's 2012 decision to approve the northern boundary expansion request of the Petersburg Borough. The decision also means no further appeals can be heard on the matter. In June, Juneau filed an appeal with the Alaska Supreme Court after a Superior Court Judge previously ruled in favor of the Local Boundary... Full story
The priest who had been serving the Roman Catholic parishes in Petersburg and Wrangell died over the weekend. Fr. Thomas Weise, 46, died Sunday evening, Dec. 6 at a hospital in San Luis Obispo, Calif., surrounded by family. He had been on a visit for the Thanksgiving weekend when respiratory arrest triggered a heart attack on Nov. 25. He was hospitalized, but never regained consciousness. Speaking at Wrangell's annual Dove Tree proceedings Sunday afternoon, Fr. Michael Galbraith explained Weise... Full story
The Petersburg wrestling team tied with Sitka High School last weekend to earn fourth place at the 2015 Sitka Tournament. The team will host the Regional Tournament in Petersburg this weekend, and many of the young wrestlers continue to show great improvement, according to assistant coach Robert Schwartz. “They are starting to wrestle with more grit and confidence than earlier in October,” he says. “They are also getting more technical every day.” Buddy Stelmach is heading into Regions with a ton of motivation after taking a disappo...
