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Rules for thee, but not for me To the Editor: Following the recent Assembly work session, I remain deeply disturbed by the suggestion that the Assembly should interrupt a strictly private land transaction simply because neighboring property owners disagree with its intended use. This appears to be a classic example of “rules for thee, but not for me,” as current owners who enjoyed the freedom to develop their own land are now attempting to bar others from that same privilege. I am further concerned that the Borough is suggesting and pus...
If the governor really wanted to improve state ferry service for the 33 coastal communities that depend on the ships, he would get out of his office and go on a national recruiting tour to help find new hires to fill the crew vacancies that jeopardize service. The crew shortage started during Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s first year in office, when he cut the Alaska Marine Highway System budget, driving workers to leave for other jobs or retire. The ferries have never fully recovered from the kick in the propeller end, though the state has closed the g...
Spending more than $125 million to build a new state ferry terminal 42 road miles north of downtown Juneau, 39 miles from the hospital and 34 miles from the airport and shopping makes about as much sense as arriving at 8 a.m. to drive aboard a 6 a.m. ferry. You’d be left at the dock, which is exactly what should happen to the proposal for a new terminal. The Dunleavy administration has been pushing for a terminal at Cascade Point ever since he took office in 2019. That doesn’t mean it’s a good idea that’s been waiting for smooth sailing...
The American experiment relies on an ethical standard To the Editor: Near the end of his second term as President, George Washington was aware that the foundation of our nation was still being laid and that the government of the new country was an experiment in popular government that most established powers of that time gave little chance of success. Detractors emphasize that our Constitution was created out of a series of compromises negotiated by white male property owners, many of whom owned slaves, and that the document essentially...
The Alaska Marine Highway System has never fully paid its own way with ticket revenues; it’s always needed state money to cover the gap between what it costs to operate the fleet and what it can collect from travelers. It’s just like asphalt and concrete highways, which need funding in the state budget to cover expenses. The dilemma is that the gap between ferry system revenues and expenses has widened over the years as service has been cut back — fewer tickets sold for fewer sailings means less revenue. The other dilemma is political. More...
To the Petersburg Community To the Editor: Thank you, thank you, thank you for providing us with the most rewarding memories of the past 25 years! From opening your arms to us in 2000, when Kathy was hired as Petersburg’s City Clerk, to supporting our family operation of Northern Lights restaurant from 2003 to 2010 and Larry’s commercial carpet cleaning business for many years. But most of all, we thank you for working with us since 2014 to develop the youth shotgun marksmanship program, Devil’s Thumb Shooters. Since 2014, DTS has expan...
On Holocaust Remembrance Day To the Editor: Today, Tuesday, January 27, is Holocaust Remembrance Day. My good friend George, a youth in Poland at the time, rode his bicycle across two countries, eating scraps of food, hiding and sleeping in deserted barns – eventually immigrating to the United States. My dad, a descendent of immigrants, helped defend the world as a Marine who also earned a Purple Heart – despite his great prejudice against most minorities. Holocaust Remembrance Day is about “Never Again.” Never Again ignoring the warning...
Gov. Mike Dunleavy, in the final year of his 2,918-day, two-term career in the job, is picking at the plate of a long-term fiscal plan for the state, much like a kid skips the broccoli and wants to move straight to the dessert. The governor talks about a full menu of legislation to build a balanced budget for years to come, with enough revenue to meet expenses — a goal which has eluded Alaska for much of the past decade as the state has burned through its savings. It’s a goal which the governor pretty much ignored in his first seven years on th...
When Communities Plan Ahead, They Don’t Have to Panic Later To the Editor: Petersburg is concerned over the Communications Towers projects from a subsidiary of Tlingit and Haida called Tidal Network. Last month’s Planning Commission meeting was not packed for fear of progress; we realized that our local rules were written in a different era. Once federal processes are already in motion, communities have far less influence than people expect. That realization has played out in towns across the country, sometimes with good outcomes, som...
Special Meeting January 23rd: Planning Commission Drafting Zoning Code re: Towers To the Editor: We the Planning Commission are drafting a zoning code update to propose to the Borough Assembly to regulate communication towers locally. Our current code was written before cell phones and so does not contemplate tower locations. We are hoping to remedy this. Drafting this code is difficult and complicated because of binding FCC regulations — if we draft conflicting or illegal code, it can and will be struck down by the courts and then we'll be b...
Petersburg’s volunteer ambulance crew wants YOU To the Editor: Imagine it’s one a.m. Suddenly you’re awakened by a call for help. You run to the hallway where your loved one is on the floor, struggling to breathe. You’re not sure what’s wrong and you can’t lift them on your own. You dial 911. The call goes out for an ambulance. Pager alarms wake up volunteer Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) at their homes. They jump out of bed, throw on some clothes and head to the fire hall. Soon, an ambulance arrives at your home, lights flashing. T...
Alaskans this fall will vote for the third time whether they prefer open primary elections to choose their favorite candidates for Congress, governor and the state Legislature. For the third time, they will decide how much clout political parties should have in deciding which candidates make it past the primary and onto the general election ballot. And for the third time, voters will decide whether they like the system that requires a candidate to win at least 50% of the vote in the general election to get the job, filtering out the applicants...
To all Hammer & Wikan employees and staff To the Editor: Thank you for the many years of your generous 10 per cent discount for seniors on Tuesdays. You have made life in Petersburg a little nicer for seniors. John Murgas Don’t Accept This New Normal To the Editor: As we head into a new year, I urge people to not allow insults, cruelty, hatred, and bullying to be the New Normal. We cannot normalize or tolerate these behaviors in our nation. Our country is better than that. We are better than that. We cannot allow a handful of billionaires to s...
It’s the season of warm wishes, goodwill, families and friends. It’s a time for gifts, sharing old memories and making new memories with the new year. It’s a break in everyday life to remember the past and think about the future. Too bad Alaskans need to be thinking about how the state will come up with enough money next year to fully fund schools, highway projects, the ferry system, public services, repairs to aging facilities — and a politically acceptable Permanent Fund dividend that will help pay for residents’ holiday presents next year...
Hanukkah Party at JHH Saturday Night! To the Editor: Happy Hanukkah to everyone in Petersburg! If you are looking for a community space to celebrate our festival of lights this week, please feel welcome to join us at our Hanukkah party at John Hanson Hall this Saturday night at 6:00pm. We will have lots of latkes and games to play, and a Menorahsaurus crafted by local artist Josef Quitsland on display! Potluck welcome but not required. Most warmly, Sarah Fine-Walsh This year at the Bike Park To the Editor: We were busy this year at the...
Most people have seen news reports, social media posts and business charts that show a line moving up in good times, pointing down when business or employment numbers are bad, or bouncing back and forth between the two when the economy is confused. Economists, commentators and politicians can look at the charts and declare life is good and getting better, or bad and getting worse. Those easy-to-read graphs generally track an economic statistic from a single perspective, making no distinction between people doing well and people doing poorly....
Censorship is rising in this country. Newspapers, the watchdog of the government, are closing at an alarming rate, and government agencies gag their employees, demanding all communications flow through PR departments. Studies have shown that closing local newspapers leads to higher levels of partisanship, decreased voting and increased government corruption. Without local news, all we hear is what the government wants us to hear. The situation reflects a fear expressed by former U.S. Supreme Court Justice William Douglas. Douglas believed that...
To the Editor: I just read a letter to the editor where a subscriber laments a person being charged with reckless driving instead of assault IV. I have been out of law enforcement for many more years than I care to think about so I may be all wet, but in my day reckless driving was a much more serious offense than assault IV. Memory fades but I recall reckless driving as being a misdemeanor criminal offense punishable by up to a year in jail, a fine of $1,000 and 10 points on your driving record. Assault IV typically got a 10 day suspended...
To the Editor: It has recently come to my attention that there has been some talk in Petersburg implying that Raliegh Cook and his wife Marsha have befriended me in order to obtain some type of advantage. Absolutely nothing could be further from the truth. My wife and I have known Raliegh Cook since he was about ten years old and have been friends with him ever since. Plotting to take some type of advantage over us is completely out of character for him. All the many years we have known him he has been totally honest and shown himself to be...
To the Editor: A couple years ago, I got sick-and-tired of consuming most standard news stories. I chose to learn about the UFO disclosure movement, which was then a developing story. Since then, I have immersed myself in the UFO-world. Among other things, I have studied skepticism about UFOs, the history of UFO reports both globally and within the USA, the interaction of the UFO topic with American culture, and attempts to scientifically explain UFO behavior. An understanding of each of these subtopics is required in order to fully grasp why...
Very grateful To the Editor: I would like to tell you how wonderful it was for virtually all of the elementary school children and others, who completely lined the street for the Veterans Day Parade. They passed out colorful leaflets telling how they appreciated the veterans. Following the parade, the 5th graders and others served a grand breakfast. I, for one, am very grateful. Thank you, Harvey Gilliland Free speech does not absolve criminal acts To the Editor: A simple reading of the Alaska Statutes as to what constitutes assault in the 4th...
Relocate the tower To the Editor: In case you haven’t heard, Tlingit and Haida is trying to provide cell service in unserved areas for Native people, and I applaud them for that. Tidal, a subsidiary of Tlingit and Haida wants to place a cell tower on the Flower Farm property on Rory’s Road. A little history… a local real estate agent tried to place a tower above Shalene Zellwegger’s lot, they tried to put one at the end of Rose Lane here at Papke’s, and some men tried to buy a lot, we suspect for a cell tower, on Mukluk Lane with money bei...
A lot of time, energy and legal fees have been spent on political and court fights to limit donations to political campaigns. Supporters of campaign contribution laws say unlimited donations buy favorable treatment for people and business that write the big checks — effectively buying elections to protect and promote their own interests. Opponents of campaign finance limits say it’s a matter of free speech, and it just so happens that rich people and companies can afford to buy more free speech. In their view, the not-so-rich need to make mor...
Antifa To the Editor: In the United States, only Congress can enact laws. Executive orders are presidential directives that direct and manage agencies and officials of the executive branch. In Trump’s case, EO’s are more like royal decrees often targeting specific sectors of American society (hence the “NO KINGS” protests). On 22 September 2025, Donald Trump issued an executive order designating ANTIFA as a “domestic terrorist organization.” From what I see, Trump and Republicans believe anyone who opposes them and their Authoritari...
To the Editor: The Viking Swim Club extends our sincere gratitude to the community for your generous support in making our Annual Auction a tremendous success. We are deeply appreciative of our generous donors, our dedicated volunteers and of course those who came out, bid, laughed, dressed up, and celebrated with us - you all made the night unforgettable. Events like this remind us how strong and supportive our Petersburg community truly is. Since 1973, Viking Swim Club has been proud to serve Petersburg’s youth, and this continued success w...
