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The five Petersburg Medical Center Hospital Board candidates took to Zoom Tuesday night to participate in a forum hosted by KFSK and the Petersburg Pilot. Questions presented to the candidates ranged from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the future of a new medical facility in Petersburg, and the prospect of SEARHC in town among other subjects. Heather Conn, Al Gross, Donna Marsh, Kathi Riemer, and Jim Roberts each began the forum with an opening statement after which each candidate began...
The Borough Assembly approved the 2021 municipal election report presented by Borough Clerk Debbie Thompson during Monday's meeting. The report included all 21 seats and term lengths on this year's ballot and the two propositions that will be voted on. A list of borough residents who will serve as election officials was also provided for approval. The first proposition on the ballot is the electric utility revenue bond issue which can be voted on by all voters. The revenue bonds would help fund...
Paul Anderson Name: Paul Anderson Age: 76 What experience do you have? Petersburg City Council: elected 1987 to 1990, appointed May 1991 to October 1991, elected 1991 to 2000, Mayor Pro Tempore December 1998 to 2004, elected 2004 to 2007 Wrangell-Petersburg Federal Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) - Federal Appointment, Co-Chair Appointment 2002-2010 Thomas Bay Power Authority: Commissioner January 1988-2002, President 2002-2008 Commander, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 10002 Why do you seek...
The Borough Assembly voted in support of Ordinance #2021-16 Monday during its second reading. The ordinance would allow the borough to place liens on properties for the purpose of securing payment for utility fees and the abatement of nuisances. It serves to update local language based on legislation passed by the Alaska Legislature giving municipalities the power to create liens for such purposes. There was a public hearing for the ordinance during the meeting, but no members of the public spok...
The Borough Assembly approved Ordinance #2021-13 in its third and final reading Monday, allowing assembly members to be counted to determine a quorum if they are participating via teleconference. The ordinance was proposed after the August 2 assembly meeting was postponed due to a lack of quorum by Assembly Member Dave Kensinger. Though the ordinance allows for programs such as Zoom to act as an alternative to in person participation, it requires that members make a reasonable effort to come to...
The Borough Assembly unanimously approved of Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht's 2021 performance evaluation Monday. Giesbrecht was assessed in categories including leadership, communication, planning, managing resources, problem solving and decision making, and relations with the community, staff, intergovernmental departments, and the assembly. "Member Lynn and I went over the performance evaluation with the manager and I really appreciated the healthy discussion," Vice Mayor Jeigh Stanton Greg...
The Petersburg School Board voted to amend COVID-19 regulations set by the district's Moderate Risk Plan during Tuesday's meeting. The amendment eased the school's masking policy and made changes to color designations, travel policy, and quarantine rules outlined in the plan. The amendment passed with a vote of 4-1 with Cheryl File opposed. Most of the changes were made to the yellow status of the Moderate Risk Plan. Indoor masking is required for all K-12 students regardless of vaccination...
Medical professionals spoke at the Petersburg School Board meeting Tuesday night about the impact that COVID-19 is currently having on the state of Alaska. Dr. Jennifer Hyer with the Petersburg Medical Center provided a medical update to the board. She agreed with the board's number one stated goal of maintaining in person learning and said Petersburg is fortunate to have a low number of cases and proceeded to provide context for the rest of the state. "I wish I could deliver better news but...
First responders, veterans, and members of the community memorialized the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on Friday and Saturday. The events commemorated the 2,977 innocent lives that were lost on September 11, 2001 when planes hijacked by members of the terrorist group al-Qaeda crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. A fire truck was parked outside the school with a flag of the United States draped across...
Joe Bertagnoli celebrated his retirement at the end of August after 30 years of service with the borough, most recently as the building official and code enforcement officer. Bertagnoli has spent most of his life working in construction. He first came to Petersburg in 1979 for what was originally going to be a three month visit after he worked building houses in Michigan. "Going to be home by Christmas, didn't make it until the following Christmas, went back to visit my parents," Bertagnoli...
Construction is progressing on the new motor pool shop and is set to be completed by the November 30 deadline despite schedule delays according to Public Works Director Chris Cotta. The new building, which is replacing the facility that suffered a fire in August of 2019, has had its framing put up for rooms such as the crew quarters, and builders are now working on electrical and plumbing for the building. Cotta said the delays are because of issues contractors are having with supply of...
The Annabelle Baker Memorial Art Show was held at the Clausen Museum Friday as part of the Rainforest Festival. The event, honoring artist and former member of the Rainforest Festival Board Annabelle Baker who passed away in 2012, displayed artwork from local artists. "She and I used to hang this show together all the time and so when she passed we just kind of named it after her. She was a wonderful person," Pia Reilly said. The theme of this year's show was Nature and You, which is meant to...
The Muskeg Maleriers hosted a beginners rosemaling class at the Sons of Norway Hall on Saturday in celebration of National Rosemaling Day. About 40 people attended the free event where the club taught the Norwegian folk art of painting floral designs on furniture and objects called rosemaling. Some of the Muskeg Maleriers' work can be seen on storefronts around Petersburg including Lee's Clothing, Rexall Drug, and a 9-by-36 mural at Hammer & Wikan Grocery. "We decided that it would be fun to do...
Naomi Michalsen opened the Rainforest Festival Thursday night with a presentation on the power of indigenous plants and foods at the Wright Auditorium. Michalsen, who grew up in Petersburg but now lives in Ketchikan, runs Kaasei Training & Consulting which aims to educate people on Tlingit culture and practices associated with harvesting berries and other foods in Southeast Alaska. Michalsen opened by giving a land acknowledgement before speaking on her time growing up in Petersburg. “As a young girl I learned to love this place and I grew up a...
There are two active cases of COVID-19 in Petersburg as of Wednesday according to the Petersburg Medical Center’s COVID-19 Dashboard and no new positives in the past seven days. 691 new cases were reported in the state of Alaska on September 13 according to the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services. The statewide alert level remains high as 202 hospitalizations and seven deaths were also reported on that day. PMC continues to urge people not to travel if they are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms. Travelers are encouraged to get t...
The Petersburg post office has decreased its service hours after feeling the impacts of staffing shortages according to James Boxrud at USPS Strategic Communications. The customer service window is limited to being open from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. Shortened hours have resulted in lines wrapping around the building as people wait to pick up their packages or conduct transactions. Boxrud attributed the lack of staffing to hiring...
A Petersburg man faces 11 counts of drug and weapons misconduct as well as a fugitive from justice charge from Colorado. At an arraignment on Sept. 1 in Petersburg District Court, Jonathan D. Mazzella, 30, faced the fugitive from justice charge and was charged with 11 more counts at a hearing two days later. The District Attorney told the court at the first arraignment that Mazzella had prior drug convictions in Washington and Colorado. Mazzella was charged with: 2 counts of misconduct...
The Borough Assembly held its first reading of Ordinance #2021-16 during Tuesday's meeting which amended the Municipal Code to allow the borough to place liens on property to secure payments. The ordinance would update the language in chapters 9.16, 14.04, 14.08, 14.12, and 14.16 of the code to be in line with legislation passed by the Alaska Legislature and signed into law. According to the ordinance, it would allow municipalities to create liens to cover the expenses of the Borough in the...
Roderick Mathew Vasquez, 29, was arraigned on two counts of misconduct involving a controlled substance in the 2nd and 3rd degrees. He entered not guilty pleas to both counts in Petersburg District Court on Tuesday. According to a probable cause statement from the Petersburg Police Department, Vasquez traveled to Juneau on August 18 and returned to Petersburg the following day. On the following day a citizen reported to police that two males traveling with Vasquez showed signs of being "high"...
Ordinance #2021-14 which would suspend baler fees for waste delivered to the baler facility failed in its first and only reading during Tuesday's assembly meeting. The emergency ordinance aimed to combat the increase of bear activity in town by providing residents an opportunity to dispose of their garbage at no charge from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. instead of letting it accumulate in trash cans. If adopted, the ordinance would have stopped fees for a period of 60 days unless sooner repealed. In...
The Borough Assembly held a public hearing and had a second reading of Ordinance #2021-13 during Tuesday's meeting which would allow assembly members to be counted for the purposes of a quorum if participating via teleconference. The ordinance passed in its second reading with a 5-1 vote with Mayor Mark Jensen opposed. James Whitethorn was the only person to speak at the public hearing. He voiced his disapproval of the ordinance, citing that he believed assembly members should be present for...
The Petersburg School District held its first week of in person school with COVID-19 guidelines in effect. Approximately 430 students are expected to be attending school this year as some children are still anticipated to arrive in Petersburg. They have already made it one week without issues according to Superintendent Erica Kludt-Painter "The first week was great, and kids were happy to be back, and we were happy to have them here," Kludt-Painter said. "We're off to a pretty good start." The...
Two active cases of COVID-19 were reported in Petersburg on Wednesday according to the Petersburg Medical Center's COVID-19 Dashboard. The state of Alaska's statewide alert level has remained high as hospitals continue to grapple with limited ICU availability as cases rise. From September 3 through September 6, 2,148 new cases were reported in Alaska along with 186 hospitalizations and two deaths according to the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services. PMC is urging people to not...
This year's Rainforest Festival begins September 9 and will run through September 12 featuring new in person and virtual events. The festival celebrates nature and encourages people to explore the world around them according to Sunny Rice, a member of the Rainforest Festival's committee. Last year the festival was limited to Zoom because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but this year some events will return to being hosted physically. "We're definitely keeping to the spirit of what the Rainforest...
Sebastian O'Kelly, the Borough Assembly's federal lobbyist with Robertson, Monagle & Eastaugh gave an update during Tuesday's meeting. O'Kelly spoke on a number of topics pertinent to the borough that are being discussed in Washington D.C. during his report including new Coast Guard vessels, funding for a new hospital and the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure plan. According to O'Kelly, the Coast Guard has begun upgrading its vessel fleet and will be replacing the USCGC Anacapa which is base...
