Sorted by date Results 5041 - 5065 of 5553
The Borough Assembly on Monday voted unanimously to deny the appeal filed by Tamico regarding the award of the North Harbor Reconstruction contract to a Ketchikan company. During an hour-long hearing on Monday, Tamico’s Vice President Jim Martinsen gave testimony regarding the legality of going with a vendor that is outside of Petersburg. Tamico had submitted the second lowest bid overall, about $100,000 higher than Western Dock and Bridge. Last month Martinsen sent a letter to Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht protesting the decision to a... Full story
Petersburg Borough Assembly announced during a regular session meeting on Monday the formation of an Ad hoc Sea Otter Management Committee to address the ongoing sea otter population. The committee will be chaired by Assembly Member Kurt Wohlhueter. Members of the committee include Joan Koutzer, Mike Bangs, Andy Knight, Frank Neidiffer, Dave Somerville, Jason Duggen, John Jensen, Dave Beebe and Brenda Louise. The committee will hold its first meeting at noon, on Friday in Assembly Chambers.. The agenda will include reviewing past support and...
During Monday’s meeting, Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht reported that the Petersburg Library has digitized local newspapers from 1913 to 1931, they are now online and searchable. An eagle strike, the second of the year, was responsible for taking out power from Scow Bay north. There is now a new procedure for handling the carcass which should be in compliance with Fish and Game regulations. “There were some issues regarding our guys picking up the eagles and having them in their possession,” Giesbrecht said. FERC has agreed not to charg...
For Grazyna Froehlich, quilting was never about sewing, it was about art. The owner of Wildcat Quilts since 2005, Froehlich said she has finished so many quilts she doesn't remember all of them. Froehlich, 60, earlier this month sold her business to hair stylist, and fellow quilter Kim Randrup, who has already transformed the Sing Lee Alley location into a hair salon and quilting shop. “I've been a lifelong sewer. I sewed ever since I could hold a needle and thread, but I mainly made clothes f... Full story
Juneau — The Douglas-Dornan Foundation of the Juneau Community Foundation, will accept applications for funding support from April 1 through June 1, 2013. The Foundation offers financial grants to organizations that benefit and enhance the health, education and welfare of individuals in Southeast Alaska . Examples of possible Foundation financial support include, but are not limited to: - Charitable organizations, foundations or other non-profit 501(c) (3) organizations, or child care institutions in Southeast Alaska , foster parent p...
While fishing vessels continue to move out of the North Harbor in preparation for the planned reconstruction project, a controversy is brewing over the validity of awarding the multi-million dollar project to an out-of-town contractor. Tamico has filed a letter of protest with Petersburg Borough regarding the reconstruction bid award to Western Dock and Bridge of Ketchikan. In a letter to Borough Manager Stephen Giesbrecht, manager Jim Martinsen of locally-owned Tamico claims the Borough did not follow proper procedure while accepting the... Full story
The Sitka Sound Sac Roe Herring fishery’s first opening lasted about 3-hours and brought in an estimated 1,500 tons. 48 boats fished the opening which began at 3 p.m. and closed at 6:05 p.m.Wednesday. The fishery has been on 2-hour notice effective 11:00 a.m., March 25. That morning the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game conducted a vessel survey aboard the R/V Kestrel. This survey covered areas north of Sitka including along the road system up to Old Sitka Rocks, the waters west of Crow Island and along the Kruzof Island shoreline south of Inner P... Full story
For the fifth year in a row, Petersburg High School students participated in the Alaska Tsunami Bowl, a regional competition of the National Ocean Science Bowl. Two teams, of five students, attended the February event in Seward. One team, Omnipotent Octopi headed by Tyler Lantiegne, ranked third of the 25 participating teams. The second team, Opulent Opisthoproctidae, finished 18th. The Tsunami Bowl teams begin the competition at the beginning of the year with the research and writing of a... Full story
The Forest Service Tonka Timber Sale has spawned the need for a log sorting and storage yard. The planning, environmental impact study and design phases are now complete. Federal public works funds will finance the projected permanent facility, which will also include a new public dock, said Petersburg Ranger Jason Anderson. The Tonka sort yard is located almost directly across from Papke’s Landing and was constructed by Channel Construction Inc. out of Juneau, Anderson said. Tamico completed t...
JUNEAU (AP) — The Alaska Legislature has passed a resolution calling upon the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to further investigate the effects of producing genetically engineered salmon. HJR5, by Rep. Geran Tarr of Anchorage, also asks the federal government to require labeling genetically modified salmon if it is to be sold. The Senate unanimously passed the resolution on Monday. It passed the House unanimously last month. The resolution is in line with concerns that have been raised by Alaska's congressional delegation. FDA has r...
ANCHORAGE (AP) — Alaska's challenge to the Clinton administration-era roadless rule in national forests was rejected Monday by a federal judge, who said it came too late to be considered. The rule that was put into place in January 2001 restricts road construction in national forest areas without roads. The Bush administration in 2003 exempted the vast Tongass National Forest, the nation's largest at nearly 26,563 square miles on Alaska's Panhandle. A federal judge in March 2011 overturned that decision and the state of Alaska sued to o...
SITKA (AP) — Four volunteer rescuers were honored this month by the U.S. Coast Guard in a ceremony at Air Station Sitka. The Coast Guard Meritorious Public Service Award was presented to Don Kluting, Tyler Orbison, Gerald Gangle and Howard Merkel of Sitka for their part in the Jan. 21, 2012, rescue of four members of family, including two small children, who were stranded on a Nakwasina Sound beach in freezing weather. Rear Adm. Thomas Ostebo, commander of the 17th Coast Guard District, presented the awards March 15. The Meritorious Public S...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly have put the new Petersburg Police Facility Project on hold in order to investigate lower prices for the project. “I would suggest that we delegate the Borough Manager to look for a lower cost alternative price for the police and jail facility,” Petersburg Borough Assembly member John Hoag stated. “I would like for us to also give him the authority to cancel or enter into new contracts because the price tag on this facility is just beyond the reach of this community.” The last engineer estimate that was receive... Full story
Several Petersburg fishermen came out to support Senate Bill 60, implementing a $100 bounty on all sea otters taken legally under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Monday evening during the regular meeting of the Petersburg Borough Assembly. The resolution that was proposed by the Assembly at the March 4 meeting was brought back to the table for discussion due to the interest of the residents and fishermen of the area. Local commercial fisherman Max Worhatch was the first to step to the microphone. “On the surface, this may seem like a bill t... Full story
There will no change in Alaska Airlines’ status as the provider of Essential Air Service for Southeast Alaska communities after the U.S. Department of Transportation issued an order in February continuing the EAS through 2015 – and Alaska Airlines will retain the designation as the provider of the service. “On February 11, we issued an order re-selecting Alaska Airlines to provide Essential Air Service in five communities in Southeast Alaska,” said USDOT spokesperson Bill Moseley. “That o... Full story
During the March 5-6 meeting of the SEAPA Board of Directors, the reports of operations manager Steve Henson and special projects director Eric Wolfe highlighted a number of projects and new information related to the Tyee Lake Hydroelectric project. An analysis of a Petersburg electrical tower that is sloughing is a topic of importance in the report. “Petersburg Municipal Power and Light discovered a bank that was sloughing near the outside set of anchors on Tower 76-1M on Mitkof Island. There are two anchors per pole of the three pole s...
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski introduced the Hydropower Improvement Act of 2013 last week in Washington D.C. The bipartisan legislation is co-sponsored by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), James Risch (R-Idaho), Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Patty Murray (D-Washington), and Mark Begich (D-Alaska). The bill seeks to substantially increase the United States’ hydropower capacity in an effort to expand clean-power generation and spur domestic job creation. As the country’s largest source of renewable energy, hydropower allows us to avo...
Petersburg Harbormaster Glorianne Wollen and staff will make a recommendation to the Petersburg Borough Assembly Monday evening regarding the bids that were received for the North Harbor Project. "The Assembly will be presented with the bid results and the recommendation will be to go with the low bidder," Wollen said. "Western Dock and Bridge out of Ketchikan came in with that low bid." The bids that were received were from Tamico, Inc. for $7,189,420; Pacific Pile and Marine, LLC for $7,855,462; American Construction Company for $8,517,800... Full story
Each year, the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce honors a business and this year, Papa Bear's Pizza was awarded Business of the Year. "Papa Bear's Pizza was nominated for its friendly atmosphere and new location," Chamber of Commerce Banquet emcee Donnie Hayes said. "They have a friendly staff and are constantly donating to the community." One of the nominations said that they may not be huge but they are a wonderful small business trying to improve every day. "They work hard to make our visitors... Full story
The annual Petersburg Chamber of Commerce Banquet was awash in green and sparkles as business owners and residents attended to hear Representative Beth Kertulla speak about herself and her experiences, the legislative session and the future. Kertulla's family has a long history in Alaska and her father, Jay was the state's longest-serving legislator and the only legislator to have served as both Speaker of the House and Senate President. Kertulla, herself has been elected eight times to the... Full story
The Petersburg Chamber of Commerce announced a new contest during their annual banquet Saturday evening. The contest, the Rain Game Classic, will pay cash to people guessing how much rain and snow falls this year. "This is a new raffle we will be having throughout the year and it is a guess of how much rain we get on a yearly basis," Chamber of Commerce member Donnie Hayes said. "This is going to be a wonderful addition to this year's activities. Each ticket costs $2 and will be available until...
The new Petersburg Public Library has a different look every day. The windows have been installed and interior work continues. The project is on schedule and should be ready for move in by July 1....
The Petersburg Indian Association Tribal Board received reports from various departments outlining the programs they are involved in and what is happening within the organization during its regular meeting Monday evening. The PIA Transportation Department will submit an application for the replacement of the Sing Lee Alley Bridge. "The Petersburg Borough's engineers anticipate the cost of replacement at $1 to $1.2 million," PIA Transportation Director Will Ware reported. "The maximum funding allowed through the Tribal Transportation Bridge... Full story
Petersburg Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht reported that the bids for the North Harbor project closed March 5 during the regular meeting of the Petersburg Borough Assembly Monday afternoon. "There seems to be quite a bit of interest in this project," Giesbrecht said. "We hope that means we will have competitive bids." Residents of Petersburg will notice the slow and steady migration of vessels from the North Harbor to the Middle and South Harbors in the coming weeks. A tour ship schedule will be put together by the Harbor Advisory Board soon.... Full story
Mild winter weather has allowed Rock-n-Road Construction to begin the rebuild of the Blaquiere Point boat launch ramp at Mile 30 Mitkof Highway on the southeast side of Mitkof Island. The project will include the rebuild and extension of the launch ramp, construction of a level parking pad for 19 vehicles with trailers and a new vault toilet. Sig Burrell of Rock-n-Road said they will add four picnic tables at the far end of the parking lot on an elevated pad. The 224-foot x 20-foot wide... Full story
