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It’s not often you hear political debates that invoke religion and booze but have nothing to do with temperance, the social ills of alcohol or strict adherence to church teachings. In Alaska, those points are being offered in the context of the state budget and oil prices — both of which are similar to alcohol and religion in the 49th state. They can be intoxicating, debatable and divisive. High oil prices of recent months — and even higher in recent days after Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine — have made Alaska rich again, for now....
My hometown in Poland, Chelm, is 20 miles away from the border with Ukraine. My mother called me last Saturday. She told me that the refugees are coming already to my hometown, most of them are women with kids. It looks like most of them are just passing by to get far away from the war, but some of them are deciding to stay and wait for friends or family that are still waiting in the Ukrainian traffic. So far, since the invasion began a few days ago, Poland has taken in over 500,000 refugees from Ukraine. My hometown’s population is around 6... Full story
To the Editor: If you are a commercial fisherman, like we are, or just an Alaskan who enjoys being on the water for sport or subsistence, you assume we all care about protecting our beautiful state and its resources for generations to come. Right now, the Governor has proposed SB 180 and HB 303 with complicated wording but with the goal of getting rid of the Ocean Ranger program. If these bills pass, this globally praised program will be off the books and most likely never to be returned. The Ocean Ranger Program was approved by voters in 2006...
Since he officially began his reelection campaign last August, Gov. Mike Dunleavy has spent nothing on personnel for his campaign. He’s paid for food, processing fees for fundraising, office supplies, postage and travel, but nothing on any campaign staff from August until the end of January. One way he has managed this is by using state resources for campaign purposes. For instance, his campaign spokesman, Andrew Jensen, is a state communications employee in Dunleavy’s office. Jensen’s state job is to sing the praises of Dunleavy and attac...
If at first you don’t succeed, it’s not always better that you try, try again. But try, try again is what we do well in Alaska. Well, not so successfully, but we are consistent in trying the patience of common sense and fiscal restraint. For Alaskans, that could apply to the long-proposed, longingly dreamy North Slope natural gas pipeline project — a $39 billion quest in search of customers, partners, investors and lenders. Other than that, it has all the free political support it needs. The state has poured about $1.5 billion into vario...
Come fly your flags with me Americans To the Editor: I’ve recently found myself in many interesting conversations with my six year old about patriotism and what that means. Last week as we watched the big trucks and American flags stream past our house, I was reminded that no matter which side of the Covid aisle you stand on, so to speak, we are all united in one way: patriotism. My son and I started discussing the idea, “what does patriotism mean to me?” We explored many ideals and shared meaningful conversation on the topic, and I invit...
Cultural Richness of Petersburg To the Editor: Petersburg’s inaugural Séet Ká Festival happens February 10-16. This is such an exciting thing to see! It’s an incredible opportunity to learn about the Tlingit culture that has been present on these lands for thousands of years and will be for thousands more. Whether they are new to you or deep in your blood, Tlingit social and artistic practices are available to you in person or by Zoom during this festival. Take full advantage! Like so many of you I had the benefit of being born and raised in Pe...
Those who don’t like Alaska’s new voting system have a couple of choices. They can go about their divisive path, appealing only to the far sides of issues, and hope that someday they can convince most voters that their way is the only way to life without taxes, liberty without responsibilities and, of course, larger Permanent Fund dividends. Or they can see the reality that most voters want a better way — consensus, compromise and solutions. Regardless of what choice they make, ranked-choice voting is coming to the Alaska ballot starting with...
A well deserved recognition To the Editor, This letter is recognition of Sammy Parker and Lee Newton who announced the retirement of Petersburg Business Services in last week’s Pilot. I’m proud to have been a regular customer at your Beech Boy hamburger joint in the 1970’s, when your Big Boy burger, large fries and cola were under 2 bucks, to have worked with Lee at the barite mine in Duncan Canal and enjoyed Sammy’s wonderful cooking for the hungry 20+ crew of miners. Thank you for your time as chef at Mountain View Manor, and for 50 years o...
To the Editor: My wife and I, Marja Smets and Bo Varsano of Farragut Farm, are the founders and organizers of the Southeast Alaska Farmers Summit. This conference takes place in a different Southeast Alaska community every other year. The original event was held in Petersburg in 2015, it migrated to Haines in 2017 and then to Sitka in 2019. It was supposed to take place again in Petersburg in February of 2021 but was rescheduled (because of Covid-19) for February 2022. Unfortunately, we are sorry to announce that Covid-19 has again forced the...
I’m Ed Wood, and I’d like to discuss the recent completion of the Alaska Mental Health Trust/US Forest Service land exchange, and the impetus since December 2005 behind our group the Mitkof Highway Homeowners Association’s opposition to the proposed timber harvest on the slopes above our homes and property, Mitkof Highway (State Highway #7), and the Tyee hydroelectric utility corridor. These slopes are demonstrably steep and unstable, and logging of any type is likely to exacerbate that instability. “In the event that the Trust elects to purs...
After closing for the day last Friday, the team at the newspaper gathered around two boxes of pizza and celebrated our first week with yours truly as the new publisher. Despite equipment malfunctions due to super cold temperatures, the team had managed to produce a quality on-time edition, and we were feeling pretty good about it. We were polishing off our slices and discussing everyone’s snow shoveling plans for the coming weekend when a text message came in, then an email notification, and l... Full story
Why all purpose vehicles should be legal in Petersburg To The Editor: I’m 74 years old and live on Sandy Beach Road. In recent heavy snow and icy conditions, I found it much easier and safer to get around on my ATV than my car or truck. An ATV is no louder than a typical motorcycle. A 50cc mini scooter is street legal. I feel much safer on my ATV than any of my motorcycles. You have much better situational awareness driving on an ATV than a car because of your wide open 360 degree unobstructed view. You won’t see people texting on a moving mot...
Every year, before the Legislature convenes in Juneau, lawmakers submit their “pre-file bills,” a chance to tell the public which important issues they want to work on during the session. Just as cities and boroughs statewide submit their annual wish lists of local projects for legislative funding, the pre-files are a wish list of each lawmaker’s priorities. And just as most local projects will not receive state funding, most pre-file bills will fail to become law. Most will not even get a hearing before a legislative committee, which is OK. L...
I was nineteen when I first rode the M/V Columbia up to Petersburg, back in 2003, and I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I parked myself on the ferry's starboard side and watched the landscape grow wilder the further north we sailed. The scenery was more spectacular than anything I had ever seen: Mountains plunged into the sea and mist ribboned through forested shores. As we passed through the Wrangell Narrows the trees seemed close enough to reach out and touch. A passenger near me... Full story
Why not involve the Petersburg Harbor Board? To the Editor: My short testimony to the January 3, 2022 Assembly meeting concerning the Scow Bay project could be summed up in one sentence: “Why not involve the Petersburg Harbor Board?” voter elected members who provide guidance on harbor projects and policies. I am disappointed no one addressed my concern in the Assembly’s discussion. The Borough code specifies the Harbor Board meetings are to be called for by the Borough. Last meeting was over one year ago. John Murgas Congratulations To the Edi...
It all began about 45 years ago on my second visit to Petersburg to seek bank financing for the purchase of the newspaper that replaced the failed Petersburg Press just 28-months earlier. At 23 years of age I was to become the youngest newspaper publisher in Alaska. After filling out the loan application for National Bank of Alaska branch manager Fred Morino, it didn't look good. The newspaper assets that would collateralize the 3-year note didn't even total 50% of the requested loan ... even...
Thank you for support To the Editor: The Five Finger Lighthouse Society would like to thank the supporters of our fundraising event during the months of September and October. We really appreciate the artists who contributed their creativity and time to their donated pieces and to those businesses that donated services for the auction. We also thank the bidders and winners of the auction items on the Bidding Owl website, our new members, and those who made additional monetary donations during this time. All of these contributions help keep the...
With the firing of Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation Executive Director Angela Rodell at the corporation’s quarterly board meeting, a full explanation needs to be provided to the public. Why is it logical to fire the person in charge of the state’s $83 billion nest egg, particularly after the fund’s value grew by 29.73 percent over the past year under her leadership? During her six years on the job the fund grew from $51 billion to $83 billion. Rodell has pushed for careful, thoughtful management of the fund and has advocated for a conservative...
The state of Alaska has spent decades trying to predict, forecast and even guesstimate the price of oil in an ongoing effort to help the governor and legislators draft an annual spending plan. If state officials truly could know the price of crude a month, a year, two years out, budget-building work would be much easier. Or at least more accurate. And while Alaska’s budget health, public services, education funding and road maintenance is much more dependent these years on Permanent Fund earnings than on oil revenues, any periods of high oil p...
Fearful from what if possibilities To the Editor: I have been wondering for quite a few years now but especially these last 2. When did we as a country become so hysterical, fearful from what if possibilities. Tobacco, global warming, nuclear power, acid rain, mining, logging. The list is long of things that are going to end the world. Now the latest SARS covid-19. A nuclear power plant is destroyed in Japan and the Pacific Ocean is doomed. A mine tailings dam is breached and the river is going to die. Both of these of course never happened. So...
Thank you To the Editor: A heartfelt thank you to our EMTs, doctors, and hospital staff for all their kindness. Geneva Bishop and Family My turn To the Editor: A half century ago on Nov. 2, 1971, I enlisted in the United States Navy. I served on two different duty stations, Naval Air Station Moffett Field, and the Guided Missile Destroyer USS Robison (DDG-12). During my tour on the ‘Rockin’ Robie,’ I stood numerous in-port quarterdeck watches throughout various Pacific ports, and countless watches on the bridge in the Navigation Division while...
Sometimes, connecting the dots is the best way to learn. The first set of dots cost $87 million in federal pandemic aid money. That’s the price of the contract the state signed with an Atlanta-based for-profit health care staffing firm to provide up to 470 medical professionals to help out at 15 Alaska hospitals and medical clinics, schools too, for 90 days. The travelers helped relieve the strain during the worst of the COVID-19 outbreak this fall, when Alaska was in record territory for new cases and hospitalizations. The Wrangell Medical C...
On the mask mandate To The Editor: I wanted to take a minute to share my thoughts on the proposed emergency mask mandate. I believe at this point, two years into this pandemic, that we are doing more harm than good by trying to universally mandate the public’s actions. I believe that no one intentionally is trying to infect others with Covid and beyond that we are all capable of making decisions to protect ourselves and our families if we are feeling vulnerable. Taking away personal choice, and creating situations that promote division and d...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly’s attempt to abate a public health crisis in Petersburg Wednesday night went nowhere. Creating an ordinance to bring the rule of law into play failed. With no enforcement there will be little change. Possibly, but unlikely, the discussion carried out at Wednesday night’s meeting could change some minds, but it’s doubtful. Given the comments voiced by a majority of the speakers Wednesday night, no amount of peer reviewed science or proven medical knowledge is going to change the minds of those who choose to ignor...
