Sorted by date Results 526 - 550 of 851
Do the job To the Editor: I have been on the Petersburg City council for years dating back to the late 90s. That was a time when the timber industry was in its last gasp for survival, which for the most part died. There was a lot of disagreement and discussion with meetings that went past midnight on many occasions. The thing I remember most about those times was that no matter how much we might have disagreed over resolutions, ordinances or appointments, there was always the willingness to get the subject on the floor for discussion and...
End confusion To the Editor: So there is no confusion over the marijuana excise taxes that have been paid: Since July of this year, The 420 has paid in over $9,200 in excise taxes for product that was brought into town from elsewhere. The 420 has also paid over $12,000 in sales tax revenue. We have a great relationship with the financial office and things have gone very smoothly since the onset of business. I felt that the comments from Judy Tow, amid the article about Morgan, lead people to assume the money was all from Morgan’s business when...
Despite the clearly decisive results of the October election, the borough assembly appears to let politics decide their votes on important electrical issues. The vote to confirm the mayor’s selection to the Southeast Alaska Power Agency seats should have been voice votes, not secret ballots. The public is entitled to know how the assembly voted. It’s all about transparency. To select an inexperienced person to the voting seat for Petersburg, undermines Petersburg’s standing in the organization. John Jensen has served for years on the SEAPA...
to the Editor: I live in the trailer park on Lumber St. I am writing this letter to let everyone in on what all the good neighbors have had to put up with because of certain neighbors being on really bad drugs. We have had our places ripped off, some broken into and gas stolen, and people speeding up here. At my place they have been stealing outboard parts. Two of them have been completely stripped and we’ve had gas stolen from our skiffs in Hammer Slough. Anyone who lives near there, if you see anyone that isn’t Byron Lyons, Gordy Lyons or...
Community strong To the Editor: The evening of November 11th helped me realize again what a fantastic town I live in. The community held a fundraiser for a wonderful family. Hundreds of people showed up donating monies, time, talent and much hard work to put on an evening of giving, fun and togetherness. For all of you that attended you know that any words will fall short of the camaraderie, the sense of neighbor coming together for neighbors and the enjoyment of doing something for someone other than ourselves. Thank you Petersburg for...
Run Borough like a business o the Editor: At the last Borough Assembly meeting there was a discussion about forming a tax committee. It was mentioned that "nothing came of the last tax review committee." I was a member of that committee. We spent countless hours and several weeks reviewing every line of the tax ordinance and made several recommendations for change, most of which were implemented, and we thought improved the ordinance. A better summation of our efforts might be that we determined Petersburg residents were already taxed out. If...
Earned not won To the Editor: Your reporter stated that the Girl Scout gold award is a prize to be “won.” It is not. It is earned through hard work. It takes many hours to complete the task. I have 2 daughters who are both recipients of the award, and both worked very hard to meet the requirements. You should not trivialize the effort put in by these young ladies..it’s not a participation trophy given to everyone. James Dreisbach Trashy eyesore To the Editor: Now while Arnold is cleaning up that boat mess it would be nice if he cleaned up hi...
Fish and Game board process is a public process To the Editor: Dear Alaskans, As your chairs to the Alaska Boards of Fisheries and Game we want to take this time to update you on our upcoming meeting season for 2017-2018. For those new to Alaska or our state’s fish and game regulatory process, the Boards of Fisheries and Game are composed of seven individuals from around Alaska who meet each year to enact changes to your fish and game management system. For example, by passing a regulation the Board of Game might open a new moose hunt in wester...
Glacier research To the Editor: Thank you for the article covering our research at LeConte Glacier. We wish to acknowledge the decades-long collaboration with Petersburg High School (PHS), without which our research program would not have been possible. Indeed, Paul Bowen, who initiated PHS studies of LeConte Glacier, is the true “grandfather” of LeConte research. Inevitably, inaccuracies can creep into newspaper reporting on research activities. In this case, the temperature in the fjord has not increased by 7° Celsius, rather it is wate...
Some readers have suggested that this newspaper make exceptions to the public record. A retired doctor from the Virginia Mason Medical Center stated our report of a lawsuit brought against local doctors and the Petersburg Medical Center should not have been printed until the lawsuit was settled. In another case, WAVE representatives told us the names of those seeking protective orders should be omitted from our reports. Neither can happen. Because we are a newspaper, we print the public record. Legally, it defines our purpose as a...
A public thank you I’d like to personally and publicly thank Bob Lynn and Cindy Lagoudakis for their service to our community. Our assembly is losing two highly qualified individuals who gave countless hours to the complex and often unappreciated undertaking of keeping Petersburg moving forward. I appreciated their level headed way of approaching issues. Good listeners and always prepared, it seemed to me their only agenda was keeping Petersburg a strong community with an eye on the future. They will leave some big shoes to fill and I hope t...
Listen to health care professionals To the Editor: The Petersburg election this next Tuesday, Oct. 3 is very important to the dental health of the young people in this community. The fluoride incorporated into the enamel as the permanent teeth are formed is essential to lower the incidence of tooth decay, not only at the younger ages, but also through their lives. The opposition to water fluoridation mainly relies on scare tactics to get people to vote against it. The water system is closely monitored and never has had any problems concerning...
Fluoride used as rat poison To the Editor: Fluoride - originally used as rat poison still used in China as rat poison. Clearly marked on toothpaste as not to swallow. Known to encrust the Pineal Gland and dull the sense. The pineal gland is known as the third eye and is your instinctual ability to sense danger. Adolph Hitler used fluoridation in his T-38 health program to insure less resistance from the German people. Operation Paperclip was instituted in the United States and the top Nazi scientists were brought in and continued their...
All is not clear To the Editor: This is regarding your article in the August 31, 2017 edition “PMC & physicians face wrongful death claim". I am sorry to see this kind of reporting and journalism in your paper. There are many issues in a case like this and much emotion, obviously. The reporting of a claim that has not been settled in the court, by judge, jury and peers of those involved such as this results in, loss of confidence in your local medical institution and staff without due process, that would have been fair. Thus, I think that y...
To the Editor: Community Water Fluoridation(CWF) has been proven by reputable scientific sources to be effective and safe. These studies are Evidence Based Science Research, and Peer Reviewed, where all evidence and data pertaining to the subject is studied, and can be confirmed by other professionals in the field to be accurate and complete. In any research, data can be omitted to gain a desired outcome, that is how negative studies on CWF get their results. Last week, in a Letter to the Editor, the writer shared about decay rates declining...
Tooth decay has gone down To the Editor: You may not have heard that tooth decay has gone down in all developed nations at about the same rate, whether their water is fluoridated or not. Strangely, most in the medical profession are also ignorant of this phenomenon. Yet data from the World Health Organization shows this trend: http://www.mah.se/CAPP/Country-Oral-Health-Profiles/. Here in the US in 1987, the National Institute of Dental Research conducted the largest government study ever done comparing fluoridated versus unfluoridated...
To the Editor: What is dental fluorosis? While the right amount of fluoride makes our teeth more resistant to the enamel-dissolving acids made by the bacteria in our mouths, studies have shown consuming too much fluoride while your teeth are forming can cause gaps in the crystalline structure of your tooth enamel, resulting in the white spots known as fluorosis, and in extreme cases of high fluoride intake, brown spots. The CDC says in 1986-87, 22.6% of adolescents aged 12-15 had dental fluorosis to varying degrees; in 1999-2004, 40.7% of adole...
Hooray for photos To the Editor: Hooray for the photo contributions by John Havrilek and Carli Byrer, so that there was something pleasant in last week’s Pilot, as compared to images of “your’s truly.” H.C. Gilliland...
Fluoridation best solution To the Editor: At the Petersburg Hospital (the real Old Hospital) and in doctor’s offices, of course we used oral thermometers then. After the quick shake down of the mercury in the thermometer and the words “Open up. Please”, the mouth was opened and the thermometer went in under the tongue. The view of the open mouths of many children revealed blackened teeth. The memory of those teeth will be with me forever, indeed, I was amazed to find that many young adults in their twenties had full sets of false teeth. When...
We hope the recall sponsors will decide to drop the proposed recall effort. Their time will be better spent looking for candidates that will be willing to file for candidacy and campaign for three open seats on the Assembly this fall. The city manager’s proposal to replace the retiring power and light manager with an inexperienced electrical superintendent is fraught with opportunities for failure. It will provide good campaign fodder for the fall election. It was highly unlikely that the attorney providing the opinion that gave the go-ahead fo...
Herewith are my observations and thoughts regarding the restructuring of the utility departments as proposed by the Borough Manager with the intent of saving the Borough money. Review of this proposal brings to one’s attention that the manager is endeavoring to create a position to be filled by a preselected individual to manage three utilities. As such, if put into play, it will most likely make it very difficult to recruit for this position at some future point in time. The proposal is flawed, in my opinion for this very reason. The c...
The Borough Assembly should push forward with long-term airport parking at the James Johnson Airport. We've all walked thousands of yards to get from airport parking lots to ticketing concourses at Lower 48 airports, but in Petersburg we all want to park just 10-20 steps from the terminal entryway. The Planning and Zoning Commission has brought forward a cost estimate of $65,000 to build a 35-space lot right across the street. Lynett Campbell, Chief of Southeast Region Aviation Leasing said the...
Debate issues with respect To the Editor: Rumors, allegations and recall threats in the wake of the former Mayor's resignation seem to be reaching fever pitch. To address some of questions and correct the record on several points, I feel it's necessary to weigh in. As for the ex-Mayor's resignation, he made a choice that was prudent for him. I won't second-guess it. In our Assembly-Borough Manager form of government, the Manager is responsible to the Assembly as a whole. His role includes hiring and firing personnel including department heads,...
Asking for support To the Editor: Recently Mike Schwartz sent a letter regarding the potential loss of our family cabin since 1956 that is up Petersburg Creek. As most of you know my father, Ken Hammer passed away last fall and in addition to the heartache of dealing with his loss, this takes on another level of loss. As Mike stated in his letter, the Forest Service designed a permit plan that only allows one transfer within a family and when that member passes on, the Forest Service reserves the right to destroy the cabin. More precisely, the...
We find the evolving process to fill the power and light superintendent’s position becoming almost bizarre. The effort required to pound seemingly square pegs into round holes is exhausting to watch. To have two persons, making the same salaries while accomplishing the same job a single person filled just weeks ago, belies the intent to save money for the borough. Selecting the superintendent’s revised job description, and eventually advertising the position, should take highest priority. To move an administrator with limited electrical bac...
