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Past and present Petersburg Pilot staff took home awards from the Alaska Press Club Conference held last weekend in Anchorage. Former Pilot employee Sarah Bessel won second place for the Best Scenic Photo all-media category for her image “Devil’s Thumb in the sun.” Orin Pierson won third place for Best Sports News Story in the small print category for his story “Champion relay team sets new regional record.” Kyle Clayton won first place for Best Short Feature in the small print category for his story “Local film producers compete in Internat...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly voted down 2-3 a request for proposals (RFP) that would have allowed consultants to bid on assisting the borough in developing a comprehensive plan. The comprehensive planning process is extensive and covers things such as updating zoning and land use, identifying and selecting state land for economic and community development, evaluating housing availability and affordability, the impact of tourism and other quality of life issues. Developing a harbor master plan will also be included in the comprehensive plan....
A kitchen fire last Friday in an apartment above Lee's Clothing left one man with minor burns and the dwelling uninhabitable. Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department (PVFD) Spokesman David Berg said a man living in the apartment fell asleep after heating a pot of oil on the stove. The oil heated to the point of overflowing and started the fire "The fire went up the wall and caught the cabinets and ceiling on fire," Berg said. "The smoke was coming down pretty good. He woke up fortunately. He tried... Full story
Plans to move the Raven's Roost trailhead to Sandy Beach Park are finally moving forward after more than a decade of bureaucratic haggling between the United States Forest Service and other government agencies. The U.S. Forest service decided the trail needed to be moved because of its proximity to the expanding rock quarry. When blasting occurs at the pit, falling rocks have broken holes in trail planks or punched through nearby muskeg. "In the late 90s we realized we needed to move this thing... Full story
The committee responsible for organizing and operating the local farmer’s market is holding a potluck and silent auction this Friday at 6 p.m. at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall. Attendees can bring food for the potluck and will have the opportunity to place silent bids on local art, handmade crafts and other goods made and created by local residents. Andrea Weathers heads up the committee and said all proceeds will go towards the operation of the market such as ANB hall rental and promotional activities. “I think the more business we can...
WRANGELL - State Rep. Peggy Wilson will no longer represent the Wrangell area to the state legislature, starting with the election of her successor. Wilson announced her plans Friday during a floor session of the state legislature, citing a desire to spend more time with her family. Wilson's mother will require help around the home, and several new great-grandchildren have arrived in the family, Wilson said. "My mom isn't well," she said. "She's so fragile that she hasn't been outside all...
Juneau's Floyd Dryden Middle School 8th grade band will perform Friday afternoon with the Mitkof Middle School band. Petersburg music teacher Matt Lenhard said this is the first time the school has visited Petersburg for such an event. They've been planning a joint performance since last week. "We threw some titles back and forth and took a look at scores and the strengths of our bands and came up with two titles," Lenhard said. "It's the first time its been done here in Petersburg since I've been here." Lenhard said it's a great opportunity...
WRANGELL - Hummingbirds are jerks. That was among the messages, meditations, stories and sights shared at the 2014 Stikine River Birding Festival last week. The annual festival caters to those – like guest speaker and author Noah Strycker – with birds on the brain, and took place most visibly over the weekend. The festival receives funding in part from the US Forest Service's Resource Advisory Committee, which also provides funds for Bearfest in August. As a conclusion to an hour-long presentati...
Petersburg's Public Works Department has turned to the state for assistance in an accidental spillage of waste. The Wastewater Utility transports and buries piles of solid waste at the borough's landfill. This week, while digging a hole with an excavator, Public Works Director Karl Hagerman said, sludge setting to the side to be buried slid down a hill to a creek that runs to the Sandy Beach Park area. Hagerman said the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has been notified, and that the borough will be working with DEC to...
Repair work on the Rasmus Enge Memorial Bridge is running ahead of schedule. The anticipated $80,000 repair job began April 1 and was expected to take eight weeks to complete. Assistant Director of Public Works Chris Cotta said an Alaska Department of Transportation (ADOT) bridge inspection report determined that around 75 stringers needed replacement. “We won’t know the exact number until we get done with it,” Cotta said. “We’re going by ADOT inspections and our own observations. I’m guess... Full story
The Petersburg Borough recycling program has saved the borough $8,500 in solid waste disposal costs since the program began in February but the program still needs to see an increase in customers to pay for itself. In order for the recycling program to break even, 40 percent of Petersburg solid waste customers need to be recycling. Public Works Director Karl Hagerman said, although recycling rates fluctuate widely from week to week, the diversion rate is averaging around 27 percent when... Full story
The Petersburg Community Gym will be hosting the 2014 Health Fair this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The 573 people who had their blood drawn during recent weeks will receive their results and Petersburg Medical Center physician Dr. Jennifer Hyer will talk about what the results mean. Hyer will cover health indicators measured from things such as cholesterol levels, liver function, blood glucose level, protein levels and kidney function. PMC staff already contacted those whose levels are...
Construction is creeping along on Petersburg Medical Center’s (PMC) roof after the contractor Silverbow Construction threatened to stop working last March and asked to be paid for 90 percent completion. PMC CEO Liz Woodyard said the hospital didn’t feel that amount of work had been completed and that more than 30 sheets of Silverbow-installed tin sheets needed to be replaced. According to the contract between PMC and Silverbow, PMC has the ability to withhold payment until it's satisfied. PMC’s architect Joann Lott, from Jensen Yorba Lott...
The Petersburg Police Department may petition the federal government to become designated as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). A coalition of law enforcement agencies can petition to become a HIDTA region, however, according to the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), no agencies in Southeast have applied. In a report to the assembly several months ago, Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht announced that Petersburg was being considered for the HIDTA designation. Police Chief Kelly Swihart said that in N... Full story
Petersburg’s Beat the Odds Committee is allocating $22,500 to various organizations that provide for cancer treatment travel, training, support and equipment in the community. The bulk of those donations come from Beat the Odds, A Race Against Cancer—an annual 5K put on during Breast Cancer Awareness month in October where local businesses and individuals can donate. Last fall’s race was Petersburg’s 14th event. “For some people it’s a way to remember someone they’ve lost from cancer and it’s also a way to honor survivors,” committee co-chai...
WRANGELL — The future of the Thomas Bay Power Authority and the commission governing it took center stage at Tuesday’s borough assembly meeting. The heart of the matter focused on the role the Thomas Bay Power Commission will play in future negotiations about the future of the Tyee Lake electric plant. James Stough, the sitting president of the Thomas Bay Power Commission issued the cease-and-decist letter April 4 on TBPA letterhead in his authority as TBPC president without notifying other members of the commission of the letter in adv...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly approved a letter requesting the Southeast Alaska Power Agency (SEAPA) to consider reducing its wholesale power rate to member communities in lieu of issuing annual rebates. According to a letter written by Vice Mayor Cindi Lagoudakis, “While we appreciate the annual wholesale power rebates from SEAPA, it is increasingly difficult to factor them into the budgeting process.” The letter goes on to state that SEAPA has taken no action despite community delegate requests that the rate be lowered. The letter sta... Full story
Petersburg hosted 117 participants in this year's Southeast Region EMS Symposium. EMS Director Sandy Dixon said this is the first year Petersburg has hosted the symposium and that the community support along with a good weekend of weather ensured a smooth event. "I told everybody I sent Mother Nature a limo," Dixon joked. "The weather helped. It was pretty tremendous." Medical workers from emergency medical technicians to physicians attended the symposium where various classes and lectures were... Full story
The Petersburg School Board is seeking to appoint two new school board members to serve until the October elections after board members Dawn Ware and John Bringhurst resigned. Both Bringhurst and Ware are moving away from Petersburg. Bringhurst said he couldn’t think of any profession that has more impact on society than that of a teacher. “For me it’s been a pleasure and a great experience being on the team that helps oversee this effort and work with all of those who stand in support of and in back of and in leadership of those wonde... Full story
Petersburg School District Finance Director Karen Quitslund presented a bare bones draft budget in front of the school board Tuesday evening. Quitslund said next year’s school budget is the most challenging budget she’s worked on in her three years as finance director. Staff had to plan the budget while dealing with several financial unknowns due to changes in education funding in the State legislature. Declining enrollment, which influences a state funding formula known as ‘foundation funding’, in Petersburg school’s also presented a challen...
Petersburg High School graduate Tessa Hasbrouck received the highest undergraduate research award given by the University of Wisconsin's College of Natural Resources (CNR). Hasbrouck received the Clive A. David Memorial Research Scholarship Award for her research accomplishments during her four years at UW. Professor of Wildlife Ecology Eric Anderson said her balance of academic achievement, research ability, service to student organizations and personal integrity solidified her spot as the...
The Petersburg Police Department filed additional charges against Terry Slafter, 56, who fired multiple rounds off his boat the Lady Lou in the Middle Harbor last week. Two counts of Misconduct Involving Weapons in the 4th degree have been filed against Slafter in addition to the one count of Reckless Endangerment already filed against him. Slafter was apprehended last Wednesday morning after police responded to numerous reports of gunshots in the middle harbor. Officers cordoned off the area and found Slafter in his boat. No shots were...
Petersburg AT&T subscribers might be paying too much for their monthly Enhanced 911 surcharges and the money might be going to the wrong place. Ideally, each month when Petersburg cell phone subscribers receive their bill a surcharge of $1 automatically goes into the community’s Enhanced 911 (E911) service fund. Every municipality across Alaska and the nation sets a similar charge, which was designed to pay for the installment, maintenance and any other costs associated with the system. Alaska state law requires the surcharge to be collected b...
Petersburg High School's concert band, jazz band and choir traveled to Ketchikan last weekend to perform in the Southeast Alaska Music Festival. Twelve schools from across Southeast performed in Ketchikan and Music Director Mathew Lenhard said Petersburg students excelled over the weekend. "Our groups had an outstanding performance," Lenhard said. "Two of our groups were singled out as superior performances, kind of the best you can get." The students performed in front of judges as well as...
The Petersburg Community Foundation is doling out funds to Petersburg non-profits and is waiting for more organizations to apply. “We have $10,000 to give away to local non-profits, so we’re encouraging people to apply,” Petersburg Economic Development Director Liz Cabrera said. “It’s an online fairly simple application and we’ll be awarding those in the middle of May.” Those interested in receiving grant funding can visit petersburgcf.org. The PCF relies on private donations and gifts, has an endowment of more than $425,000 and is managed by t...
