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The Kake Access project, or "road to Kake," has a long history. Below is information about the project in the last five years. The Kake Access road was included as a budget item in 2010, but Governor Sean Parnell vetoed the project after receiving public pressure to do so. In the spring of 2012, Senator Bert Stedman included the Kake Access road in the capital budget under Gov. Parnell's "Roads to Resources" program which appropriated $870 million for transportation projects for fiscal year 2013. Some $40 million of that was budgeted for the...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly unanimously voted at Monday's meeting to send a letter to the Petersburg Mental Health Land Trust asking them to postpone the sale of three land parcels near Papke's Landing. Assembly member Bob Lynn brought the motion to the assembly after being approached by a number of residents, he said. "My motion would be a letter to Mental Health Trust asking to hold off on the sale of lots 5, 6 and 7 at this time. And I would also ask that we put into the letter that we... Full story
Representatives from the Alaska Department of Transportation (ADOT&PF) gave a public presentation on their long-range transportation plan for Southeast Alaska last Wednesday. The presentation was followed by a public comment period, which centered largely on ferry service and the Kake Access project. ADOT&PF's draft Southeast Alaska Transportation Plan (SATP) is a 20-year plan for the region which recommends projects for roadways, airports and ferry service. Regional trends, current priorities and projects, as well as maintenance costs and... Full story
The primary election wrapped up Tuesday evening and Petersburg voters aligned with the state in all but two contests. The biggest difference between state and local voters was seen in Measure No. 1. Statewide the contest was close, with a "no" vote garnering 52 percent and a "yes" vote 48 percent. Locally, Petersburg residers voted 68 percent "yes." A "yes" vote would have repealed Senate Bill 21 and reverted to the previous ACES system. The "no" vote keeps the Senate Bill 21. Among other...
The assembly voted unanimously in favor of a motion to change the wording in their letter to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in support of the North End Ferry Authority's Rainforest Islands Ferry using a Petersburg launch point. The assembly had previously voted to support the North End Ferry Authority in using the Banana Point launch ramp as an interim ferry terminal for the Rainforest Island Ferry. At Monday's meeting the assembly voted to change the wording to say they support the use of Olsen's log dump or the South Mitkof Ferry...
Three Petersburg School Board seats are up for grabs during this year’s Borough election and all remain vacant, though the three incumbent board members said they would run for their seats again at Tuesday's meeting. Vice-President Sarah Holmgrain, who has been on the board since 2008, said she would like to run again for a 3-year term. Board member Megan Litster, who was appointed to a vacant seat in May, said she would like to run for the 2-year seat. And Jay Lister, also a board member since May, said he could run for the 1-year term. A...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly met Monday evening and approved several ordinances and motions. The assembly unanimously approved on the third and final reading the ordinance to increase and restructure electric rates. Mayor Mark Jensen was not present at the first two readings of the ordinance and asked Power and Light Superintendent Joe Nelson to clarify whether the rate increase sought to cover depreciation, build reserves or keep the department balanced. Nelson said the money from the increased rate will be used to cover some of the...
PETERSBURG (AP) — A federal contractor is removing soil contaminated by fuel and debris at a Cold War mountaintop radio site near Petersburg. The Kupreanof Island site was a manned U.S. Air Force communications station, one of 18 built in Alaska in the 1950s that were part of an early warning system to relay radio communications to Colorado Springs during the Cold War. It was deactivated in 1976, and the Air Force removed more than 100 old fuel barrels from the area in 2000. But fuel drums, rubble, trash and chemical contaminants still r...
The Borough Assembly voted unanimously to accept the bid award from Northwood Sand and Gravel to furnish 1000 tons of 3/8"-minus traction sand to the Public Works Department. Public Works Director Karl Hagerman recommended the company's low bid of $36 per ton with a total expenditure of $36,000. The funding for the material was already budgeted by the department. Two bids were received, with Ketchikan Ready Mix bidding $40 per ton. Northwood Sand and Gravel is owned by Steve Nelson and operated out of the Thomas Bay area....
Juneau Superior Court Judge Louis J. Menendez denied the City and Borough of Juneau's (CBJ) motion for a stay pending appeal. CBJ appealed the Local Boundary Commission's decision on the northern boundary of the Petersburg Borough in October 2012. According to the court order issued by Judge Menendez, "CBJ requests a stay because: (1) a stay would prevent harm to Petersburg which has intimated expenditure of resources in the disputed land area; and (2) CBJ believes it has a likelihood of success on the merits of its appeal." Judge Menendez...
The beginning of the new school year has brought an old debate to the fore, of whether or not school nurses could provide pre-enrollment physical examinations for students. During the Petersburg School Board meeting on Tuesday, Board President Jean Ellis brought up the debate over who the state will allow to perform pre-enrollment physical examinations. According to Alaska State law, school districts require incoming students must receive physical examinations and parents, or guardians, are responsible for paying for the exams. The 61 year-old...
Alzheimer's Resource of Alaska (ARA) is hosting its first-ever Unity Quilting Bee this year to celebrate its 30-year anniversary. Alaskans whose lives have been affected by Alzheimer's are being invited to send in 12-inch by 12-inch cotton squares, decorated to reflect their unique ways of life. Squares are being accepted through Oct. 15. When assembled, the quilt will celebrate the state's diversity while also reflecting unity in a common cause. The Anchorage-based ARA has been dedicated for the last 30 years to spreading awareness of...
A week and a half remains for interested parties to file for candidacy to sit on the Petersburg Borough Assembly or serve as a member of multiple advisory boards. The following is the status of positions as of Fri., August 8 according to Borough Clerk Kathy O'Rear: Incumbent Jeigh Stanton Gregor will run for one of the 2-year terms for the Borough Assembly. Three open positions on the Borough Assembly have not yet received candidate filings— two 3-year terms and one 2-year term. Assembly members Stanton Gregor, Kurt Wohlhueter, Bob Lynn, and C... Full story
There has been an ebb and flow of boats in the harbor as the summer salmon season presses on. The Southeast drift gillnet fishery opened on July 6 with the challenge of overcoming a landslide on the Tahltan River in late May that caused a barrier to salmon passage. The Tahltan is a tributary of the Stikine and a major contributor to the Southeast gillnet fishery for sockeye, and the landslide there was thought to have caused a complete blockage to salmon passage, said Troy Thynes, Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) biologist. To address... Full story
Attorneys in the Superior Court in Juneau recently argued over the fate of a collapsed house in Petersburg. The borough wants the house demolished, citing it is a dangerous structure, but the homeowners are fighting for more time to improve the property. The house at 1011 Wrangell Avenue is owned by Fred Triem and Karen E. Ellingstad and has been the subject of some controversy since last December when the borough ordered the house to be demolished within 30 days. Triem appealed to borough... Full story
Even to those well adjusted to Petersburg weather, the downpour of rain in the past weeks hasn't gone without notice. So far two days this month have set new precipitation records. National Weather Service data showed some 1.97 inches of rain fell on Petersburg last Saturday and 3.25 inches fell on Sunday, breaking previous precipitation records for those respective days in August. The normal average rainfall for each day is 0.20 inches, according to the National Weather Service. The all time...
WRANGELL — It isn't often that the weather gets one over on events in Wrangell, but both the ladies' and men's Rally For Cancer Care golf tournaments this past weekend have had to be rescheduled. The course at Muskeg Meadows was soaked by more than 3 1/2 inches of rain, while gale-force winds on Saturday delayed more than 40 Petersburg participants from making the trip. “This is the first time the weather's been so terrible,” said Jane Bliss, director of support services at Wrangell Medical Center. “The course is soaked. The seas are going to b...
For the next two years, the newly formed Tongass National Forest Advisory Committee (TAC), under the auspices of the Department of Agriculture, will advise the U.S. Forest Service's (USFS) timber sale management program in the transition from old-growth to new-growth timber management. A transition that will take 10 to 15 years. With nearly 17 million acres, the Tongass is one of the world’s largest intact rain forests. USFS announced its intention to form the federal advisory committee back in January. “The Committee will be expected to provid...
WRANGELL — With only a month left to prepare, organizers for the 2014 Southeast Conference (SEC) are finalizing an agenda and adding names to the register of attendees. “We're happy to have anyone that wants to come,” said Shelly Wright, SEC executive director. Registration opened at the beginning of the month. The Nolan Center will be hosting the conference, which promotes economic interests and brings stakeholders together to discuss issues for Alaska's southeastern communities. “It is a good draft agenda,” Wright commented. A number of...
WRANGELL — There's finally a place to put discardable gill nets in Wrangell, perhaps at last solving a problem that has been hassling the island. In a recent survey, Wrangell Cooperative Association's Indian General Assistance Program (WCA-IGAP) found that illegal dumping was residents' number-one environmental concern. Among the items being abandoned, old gill nets were a particularly troublesome issue. “It has been a problem in the past,” said Ruby McMurren, project supervisor at Wrangell Public Works. “Nets were being dumped everywh...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A rift developed Thursday between Alaska's two U.S. senators when lawyers for Republican Lisa Murkowski demanded the campaign for her Democratic counterpart pull ads that touts their cooperation in Washington for the benefit of Alaskans. The ad in question is titled, ``Great Team.'' It's a 30-second spot that features a man, named Skip Nelson, claiming to be a lifelong Republican who has supported Murkowski in the past and intends to vote for Begich this year. ``The advertisement is factually incorrect,'' wrote l...
The Sitka District Ranger, under authority delegated by the Federal Subsistence Board, is taking action to close the watersheds of Blue Lake, Medvejie Lake and the southern half of the Katlian River to the harvest of mountain goats. The closure took effect Monday, Aug. 11 and will remain in effect through the remainder of the 2014 season which ends Dec. 31. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has issued a closure in the same watersheds, effective Aug. 1, 2014 to the close of the season on Dec. 31, 2014. Continued mountain goat harvest in...
There is currently a need in Southeast Alaska for licensed foster homes for children of all ages. If you have room in your heart and home to care for a child, please consider becoming a foster parent. You can be single, married, or in a partnership. If you want to learn more about how to become a foster parent, please contact the Alaska Center for Resource Families at 907-790-4246 or toll free 1-800-478-7307. Your call today could change a child’s life....
Representatives from the Alaska State Council on the Arts (ASCA) visited Petersburg last weekend, toured local art-related businesses and organizations and met with stakeholders about the role of the arts in the local community and economy. Laura Forbes, ASCA's art education program director, and Shannon Daut, the executive director, were on hand Sunday for their first meeting in Petersburg to discuss the programs and support ASCA has to offer as well as to learn more about the needs of the community. “We at the state arts council are e...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly unanimously approved, on second reading, an ordinance that increases electric rates during the next two years. Before assembly members voted on the ordinance, Patrick Wilson, Petersburg Fisheries (PFI) plant manager, spoke before the assembly to request that the electric rates stay consistent with past year's schedules. Wilson said that even though the percent increase represents a small dollar amount, the increased cost will make PFI less competitive in an increasingly competitive industry. "It (the new rate... Full story
