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The Petersburg Borough Assembly voted unanimously to send a letter to the Wrangell Borough Assembly seeking to open a discussion on the possible expansion of the Inter-Island Ferry Authority (IFA) to serve the two communities. The IFA currently runs between Hollis and Ketchikan daily and is composed of two ships-the M/V Stikine and the M/V Prince of Wales. The letter comes after former Gov. Frank Murkowski visited Petersburg on Sept. 22 to discuss the current state of transportation in Southeast...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly voted to spend $20,000 to find out the estimated costs to develop multiple subdivisions during its Sept. 19 meeting as it looks to open up more lots to address the housing crisis. The total expenditure was approved in two parts and the estimations will be completed by PND Engineers. Both expenditures passed in 5-1 votes with Assembly Member Bob Lynn opposed. First the assembly approved spending $4,000 to revise the estimated costs of the Fram Street and Hungry Point subdivisions, which was also completed by PND...
This Saturday evening Humanity In Progress (HIP) is hosting Empty Bowls, a fundraiser working to end hunger one bowl at a time. From 6 - 8:30 p.m. a donation of ten dollars per person will get supporters into the warmth of Sons of Norway Hall, where they’ll be given a bowl of soup and a roll, and invited to listen to live music while they browse the temptations of the silent dessert auction. If they’d like to take a bowl home, a beautiful selection of handmade and donated bowls will be ava...
Dr. Mark Tuccillo has practiced family medicine in Petersburg since 1993 and soon plans to taper toward retirement starting at the end of October 2022. Growing up in New Jersey, his grandfather glorified Alaska, where he had crash-landed as an aviator with the Army Air Core, forcing him to walk over a week to the nearest village. "He had us all hooked talking about dogsledding and polar bears," Tuccillo remembers. "It was sensationalism, but it stuck with me." Certain he would become a doctor, t...
The five candidates running for the two seats on the Petersburg Borough Assembly participated in a candidate forum on Monday in the assembly chambers hosted by KFSK and the Petersburg Pilot. Assembly Member Jeigh Stanton Gregor, Assembly Member Chelsea Tremblay, Donna Marsh, Scott Newman, and Kurt Wohlhueter were presented with the same questions and were each given one minute to respond in a random order. The first part of the forum saw candidates answer questions asked by members of the media...
The borough is reprinting the ballots for this year's municipal election after Scott Roberge's name was erroneously left off according to a public notice released by the borough Tuesday. In the public notice it states that Roberge's name was "inadvertently omitted" during the initial preparation of the ballot but has now been included. Roberge is running for one of the two seats on the Harbor and Ports Advisory Board along with Raliegh Cook, Casey Knight, and John Murgas. He had registered for...
With plans on the horizon for the Petersburg Medical Center to assume control of Assisted Living at Mountain View Manor, the Petersburg Borough Assembly has recently taken steps toward separating the Assisted Living and Elderly Housing departments. During its meeting on Sept. 6, the assembly voted unanimously to hire Michelle Lopez as Elderly Housing Director, a new position, with a salary of $62,000. Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht said the borough and PMC have had multiple meetings on the...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly unanimously approved Ordinance #2022-13, which would put a property obtained by the borough in a tax foreclosure proceeding up for sale, during its first reading at the Sept. 19 meeting. The property, parcel number 02-285-140, was previously owned by Allen Hudson and Billy Harding and is located in the Wrangell Narrows Subdivision. If approved in three readings, the ordinance would affirm that there is no public need for the parcel and that it would not be...
Voters will be faced with three ballot propositions during the municipal election on Oct. 4 which, if approved, would amend Petersburg's home rule charter. The three ordinances which sent the three propositions to the ballot were unanimously passed by the Petersburg Borough Assembly earlier this year. During Monday evening's assembly meeting, Borough Clerk Debbie Thompson led a review of the three propositions during a discussion requested by Vice Mayor Jeigh Stanton Gregor. Proposition 1 would...
Last Sunday there was a familiar Petersburg scene at the Lutheran Church's Holy Cross House: a table laden with open-faced sandwiches, shrimp and macaroni salad, delicate krumkake, spritz, and the signature kransekake (wreath cake). This time, however, the celebration was for an uncommon, maybe even unprecedented event: a 75th wedding anniversary–a milestone so few couples accomplish that there is no statistic for it, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The room was packed and loud with h... Full story
The three candidates running for mayor in this year's municipal election participated in a candidate forum hosted by KFSK and the Petersburg Pilot Tuesday afternoon. Mayor Mark Jensen and Assembly Members Bob Lynn and Jeff Meucci were presented with the same questions on a rotating basis and were each given one minute to respond. Written here are some of the questions asked and a summary of each candidate's response. The full forum can be listened to at https://www.kfsk.org/2...
Aaron Hankins was officially hired as the new Fire/EMS/SAR director during Monday evening's Petersburg Borough Assembly meeting with unanimous approval. Hankins said he was initially hesitant to apply for the position and try to follow in the footsteps of former director Sandy Dixson, but after receiving encouragement from friends and family he decided to give it a shot. "My dad is the one who sat me down and said, 'listen the worst they can say is no, from what I've see you have what it takes...
During Monday evening's Petersburg Borough Assembly meeting, Assembly Member Chelsea Tremblay gave a report on the progress of the Early Childhood Education Task Force. The task force, which was established in April and is chaired by Tremblay, is composed of 14 members broken up into three subgroups-Access and Brainstorming, Staff and Administrative Support, and Policy and Details. According to Tremblay's report, the Access and Brainstorming group has identified and discussed barriers for...
If you have been putting off making room in your freezer, now may be the time to do so. The RM038 moose hunting season opened last Thursday and will last until Oct. 15. The hunt encompasses Units 1B, 3, and a portion of 1C located south of Point Hobart. Areas include Kuiu, Kupreanof, Mitkof, and Wrangell Islands, the Stikine River, and Farragut Bay among others. According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, a legal moose is defined as a bull moose with a spike or forked antler, or a...
Cindi Lagoudakis What is your age? 68 What experience do you have? I have served as Assembly Member and as Mayor, and am a current member of the Hospital Board. Why do you seek public office? I see being involved as a responsibility, and one that I enjoy. Do you support the construction of a new Petersburg Medical Center building? Yes, for multiple reasons. Having seen some of the building issues firsthand, I do support construction of a new hospital building. The staff have been making a good...
Sarah Pawuk Holmgrain What is your age? 51 What experience do you have? I have served on the school board since I was appointed and then elected in 2009. Why do you seek public office? I still have the time and energy to put into volunteering on this Board. How would you like to see the budget managed through the challenges the school district currently faces? Actually, I think the budget has been managed quit well for over a decade with fewer and fewer resources and funds. We have had...
Casey Knight What is your age? 36 What experience do you have? Three years on Harbor Board Why do you seek public office? To help maintain an affordable working waterfront in Petersburg What are your thoughts on the proposed improvements to the Papke's Landing Marine Facility? The State isn't going to do improve Papke's, so the Borough has to. But we must decide whether the Borough is in a position to take on the extra responsibilities involved in taking over the relevant land from ADOT and ADNR...
The Petersburg School Board unanimously approved a motion to reinstate funding for activities, curriculum, and professional development during Tuesday’s meeting. The action looks to increase funding by about $100,000 combined according to Superintendent Erica Kludt-Painter which would get funding for those items closer to the amount that the district spent on them last year. The board passed a conservative budget that saw reductions in multiple areas during its June meeting, seeking to account for a number of unknowns at that time. Those i...
The Petersburg Borough has offered Aaron Hankins the position of Fire/EMS/SAR Director according to Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht. Hankins, a Petersburg resident, has volunteered with the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department since 2016 and has earned ETT, EMT-1, and EMS LT certifications. He beat out a field of six candidates who interviewed for the position, which has been vacant since former director Sandy Dixson retired at the end of June. Though Hankins has accepted the borough's offer,...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly approved the second version of the conceptual plans for improvements to the Papke's Landing Marine Facility after a 5-1 vote during last week's meeting. The new conceptual plans are a revision of the plans released in March and increase the total project cost from $6.41 million to $9.22 million. The revision was crafted by Alan Murph from Harai & Associates with input from Assembly Members Dave Kensinger and Bob Lynn who took comments and suggestions submitted by...
Jeigh Stanton Gregor What is your age? 45 What experience do you have? I have 20 years of leadership experience. I was responsible for keeping groups of kids and adults safe year-round in the Montana wilderness. My leadership skills were also used to help strengthen program leadership teams. Currently, I've been on the assembly for 8.5 years, and we've addressed many issues during this time. Two recent issues come to mind that I'd like to highlight: I made an amendment to make community gym...
Bob Lynn What is your age? 76 What experience do you have? I've had 8 year's experience on the Petersburg Assembly. I have been fortunate to serve as Petersburg Assembly Board representative to Southeast Alaska Power Authority (SEAPA.) In that role I have served as Board Chair and voting member to replace submarine cable serving Petersburg. I have also served 6 years as the Assembly representative to the Hospital Board. Having been an EMT years ago has provided me much needed background to serve...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly voted on two resolutions seeking to allocate funds received from the American Rescue Plan Act during last week's meeting. Resolution #2022-12, allocating up to $27,000 for a digital fingerprint scanning system, was approved in a 5-1 vote with Assembly Member Thomas Fine-Walsh opposed. Resolution #2022-13, seeking to spend $62,641.50 of the funds on Axon vehicle camera systems for the Petersburg Police Department, failed in a 1-5 vote with only Mayor Mark Jensen...
New housing opportunities may be on the horizon following the Petersburg Borough Assembly's approval of Ordinance #2022-12 in its first reading Tuesday. The new ordinance, which received a 6-0 vote with Vice Mayor Jeigh Stanton Gregor excused, is designed to allow tiny houses, detached accessory dwellings, and multiple buildings on a single lot-all within Service Area 1. Assembly Member Thomas Fine-Walsh, who brought the ordinance forward, summarized its three parts and said he believed the...
When Arsen Tatizian arrived in Petersburg earlier this year he did not think he would be staying in Alaska beyond the end of his contract with OBI-much less with his wife and his daughter at his side. The Ukrainian first stepped foot in Little Norway on February 6. It was his second year working for OBI, though he spent his first summer at their plants near Wood River and Larsen Bay. He was only here for two weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine. While he continued with work, his mind was on the... Full story
